#HNN: Report

[holonetnews]

REBEL TERROR ATTACK

I'm Deena Tharen, and this is the Holonet News. From Ferrix, Rebel insurgents, assuming the guise of a peaceful funeral procession, launched an unprovoked attack against the Imperial security forces policing the event. In the wake of the violent assault, dozens of innocent bystanders and members of the Imperial security detail were tragically killed. ISB Supervisor Dedra Meero, who was seized as she attempted to peacefully negotiate with the terrorist mob, remains unaccounted for at this time.

[triscribe]

So y'know what is scarier than a single shooter in a school?

A group of teens deciding they're gonna work together to kill as many people as they can.

Thankfully, in this particular instance, they were reported by a third party, so the boys involved who separately brought bullets and at least one gun to the school where my mom teaches were caught and arrested over two days. But fuck, word's going around they were planning to pull the fire alarm, fill the main halls, set up on the second floor balcony and just... hnn.

I took her some lunch today, got to see the lingering police presence, and unintentionally stuck around long enough to hear her spiel to the handful of kids present in her fifth period. My mom's not the sort to sit quietly if shit's going down, that's for sure. She treated it like any other class activity, showing her students where the skinnier ones can go out a particular window to hide on the roof, and the bigger ones where she's arranged a chair and desk and bookcase by the wall so they can literally climb up into the ceiling. Make sure to close the window afterward, last person up pushes the foam tile back in place, have it look to anyone coming in like there weren't any students present at all. And she finishes this with "and see? the coat rack inside this closet comes loose. nice solid piece of metal here. worst comes to worst, I'm sending you all out, and putting myself next to the door. key rule of being in close quarters with a gunman, you go for the knees, then the head, and don't stop hitting until they stop moving."

One of her girls got overwhelmed at this point and began quietly crying. 15 or 16 years old, just. dismayed that this is something real. something they need to go over. Two thirds of that school's student body were out today, kept home by worried parents, and the ones who still came were pretty evenly split between laughing it off, and cracking under the fear.

None of them deserve being in that position. Not the kids, not the teachers, not the office staff or kitchen workers or janitorial crews. But most of all-

A grey-haired, overweight ornery woman in her fifties with a makeshift bat shouldn't be the last line of defense between teenagers and assault rifles.

[whump-bunny]

A Choice To Make

CW: Restraints, Drugged Whumpee, Imprisonment, Threats, 15 year old whumpee, whumper is his dad, technically post-apocalypse, human weapon

Synopsis: Everyone was told that Asa was unwell, that he's crazy, and that Adam is treating him with the utmost care. But Bella believes otherwise. So she goes to find Asa herself.

-

She creaks the door open, waiting for the inevitable alarm or siren. But somehow, the silence is even more disconcerting. There, sitting in a chair at the center of the room, is Asa.

From a distance, he looks like less of a human and more of a doll. His black hair falls limply over his face, head lolled down to his chest. His arms and legs seem to dangle from his frame like pipe cleaners, held in place by metal restraints. Restraints that are wholly unnecessary, given his physical state, and must only be there to prove a point.

Bella swallows as she approaches. Her footsteps sound like gunshots in the quiet of the cell. And yet, Asa does not lift his head. Up close, the reason why is obvious. An IV, sharp and glaring, protrudes from the back of his hand. Bella follows the line with her eyes to the bag of clear liquid hanging on a hook above him.

Then she looks back to him, to the boy that she so quickly dismissed. To the boy who was right about Adam all along. With a trembling hand, she nudges Asa’s head up to see his face, expecting to find him fast asleep.

Big brown eyes are staring back at her, hazy and unseeing.

“Jesus Christ…”

Adam did this. Adam turned his own son into a weapon. And when that weapon stopped being useful, he left him here. Restrained, drugged, and so utterly alone. Bella has never been a very emotional girl… but this just might be enough to make her cry. That is, until her sorrow is quickly replaced by rage.

With a huff, Bella rips out Asa’s IV. Golden blood pours out behind it. Bella swears, scanning the room for a bandage, some gauze, paper towel, even. But the cell is as barren as it is tiny. Finally, with a groan, Bella uses her shirt to apply pressure to the wound. It isn't without difficulty. Asa’s blood seeps into her clothes, making her look like she's been gilded. But eventually, the bleeding comes to a stop, and Bella breathes a sigh of relief. All the while, Asa’s enhanced metabolism fights off the remaining drugs. 

“Hnn…” He groans. Bella puts a hand on his shoulder.

“Asa… you alright?”

He moves at a snail’s pace, but sure enough, he lifts his head, blinking in the synthetic light. His eyes land on her. For a moment, there's no recognition, but his mouth forms the word.

“B… Bella?” He whispers.

Bella tries for a smile, but it probably comes out more like a grimace. “Hey, Asa.”

Asa swallows several times, probably buying time for his brain to come back online. Finally, the haze in his eyes seems to clear up completely. He looks at Bella with an awareness that wasn't there before.

“What are you doing here?” He asks, suddenly very serious.

Bella opens her mouth to answer, but finds she doesn't have one. What is she doing here? Asa isn't exactly her friend. She should be in her room, playing video games, drinking coffee, sucking up to Adam when she wants something. But here she is, potentially getting into huge trouble just to talk to a boy she can't stand.

And then she remembers what she saw. The pillars of fire with golden smoke. The news reports of people dying on the streets, before the news went utterly silent. She remembers Adam's cold grin, looking out to the wreckage he had caused. And she remembers what Asa said, all those months ago.

He's not going to save the world, he's going to destroy it. And he's gonna use me to do it. You have to help me.

You have to help me…

He tried to warn everyone, but they didn't listen. Bella didn't listen. She was too blinded by Adam’s mask, his kindly, generous disguise. And now it's too late. As much as Bella hates it, she can't help but feel a crushing guilt.

Maybe that's why she's here.

“I… I was just-” she stutters, lamely. Reaching for a plausible excuse. But luckily, Asa cuts her off.

“How long have I been down here?"

The question catches Bella off guard, but she's thankful for the distraction. She thinks back to the last time she saw Asa, kicking and screaming as Adam dragged him to the basement.

“About two months, I think.”

Asa doesn't seem shocked by that. Just resigned.

“Oh.” He says. An awkward silence falls over the two. Until Asa gasps, meeting Bella’s gaze with renewed intensity. “My dad- the- the serum! Did he do it? Did he release it on the world?”

Bella considers lying, but decides against it. Asa’s already in a cell, the least she can do is be honest with him.

“Yeah… yeah, he did.”

Asa falls silent at that, but the expression on his face makes it obvious what he's thinking. It's all my fault.

“How many…” Asa falters. He can't bring himself to ask. He doesn't need to. Bella knows.

“He released it on the day he locked you down here. Since then… about 80% of the world population has died.” She tells him, trying not to think too hard about the scale of that number. About the children waking up to find their parents cold and unmoving, about the airplanes that fell out of the sky, about the fear and confusion permeating the whole world. Instead, she looks back at Asa and really takes him in. He looks so small in his chair, so… defeated. Like the only thing keeping him from crying is the fact that he has no more tears left to shed. The fact that someone as pathetic as him is technically the cause of the end of the world would be laughable in any other context. But now Bella feels only pity.

“I’m sorry-” She starts, but Asa cuts her off.

“You shouldn’t be here.” He says, with a startling amount of intensity. 

Bella can’t help but be slightly offended. “I came here to visit you, asshole. I didn’t need to come here.”

“You shouldn’t have.” Asa insists, “Dad comes down here every once in a while to feed me. You can’t let him see you.”

Bella bristles, realizing that the feisty and stubborn boy she knew is long gone. Maybe he’s even more of a doll than she thought. 

“He can’t just keep you down here like this, drugged to hell and back. Maybe I can talk to him-”

Asa pales, “No, please don’t. Don’t let him know you saw me. Just go.”

“He’s your father-”

“HE’S A MONSTER!"

Bella falls quiet. They both do.

Asa is the one who breaks the silence.

“Please, Bella… just forget about me. Don’t come back down here. It’s not worth getting on his bad side.” He starts to tear up. “I can’t… I can’t handle anyone else getting hurt because of me.”

Once again, guilt rises to the surface of Bella’s chest. She swallows it down.

“O-okay… I’ll go.” She says. And for the first time since she’d met him, Asa smiles.

“Thank you.”

Bella turns to go, but a thought occurs. “Wait, what about your IV? He’ll notice it’s out.”

“It’s fine, I manage to rip it out all the time. He’ll blame me.”

“But won’t you get in trouble?” Bella frowns.

Asa shakes his head, “I’m already sitting in a cell. He can’t do much worse.” He laughs. It's the kind of humorless, dry laugh that Bella would associate with a war vet, not a 15 year old boy. 

“Now go,” Asa says, smile fading as quickly as it came. “Get out of here before he notices you're gone.”

Bella doesn't wait to be told again. Her mind is racing as she sneaks back up the stairs and through the halls of Adam’s compound. How can she continue on as normal, knowing that Asa’s deep underground, a plaything to a mad man? But more than that, how can she keep what she knows a secret? Every day, more and more refugees of the apocalypse seek shelter in Adam’s vast commune. They worship Adam like a king… like a god. But if they knew the truth about Adam, about Asa, about everything, they would revolt.

She slows down as she arrives at the courtyard, and one thing becomes clear.

…She has to tell them. They can't go on believing that Adam has their best interest in mind. If he'll do something this horrible to his son, then none of them stand a chance. She has to warn the others before it's too late.

Thoughts of revolution and chaos dance around Bella’s head, pulling her attention away from her surroundings. That is until she all but collides with the very person she's plotting against.

Adam steadies her shoulders with firm hands, “Woah, watch where you're going.” He chuckles. 

His suit is pressed creaseless and his hair is groomed to perfection, as always. Bella has long thought he more closely resembles a mannequin than a human. If Asa is a doll, then clearly this is where he gets it from.

“A-Adam!” Bella balks, heart and mind racing. “I'm sorry, I was just…” She trails off. Normally, she'd whip out an excuse from the tip of her tongue, lying with all the ease of a practiced politician. But it seems the day’s events have left her brain scrambled.

Adam looks her up and down with an unreadable expression. It's not unusual for him, and yet Bella can't help but feel like the word GUILTY is written on her forehead. She needs to escape his scrutiny and fast. Before she buckles completely.

Luckily, Adam clears his throat and offers his own change of subject. “So, what have you been up to?”

“O-oh, y'know, just hanging out. Taking a walk.” Bella smiles weakly. Adam replies with a smile of his own. 

“Of course, of course. It's a beautiful day.” He gestures to the wide expanse of greenery within the courtyard. Looking out at the clear blue sky, the birds flapping their wings in the distance, it's almost like nothing's changed. Like just beyond the compound walls, people aren't dying by the thousands.

“Yeah…” Bella says, taking a step back. “Anyway, I'd like to continue my walk if it's all the same to you.”

“Oh yes, excuse me.” Adam nods, and Bella takes that as her sign to get the hell out of dodge.

She begins to speed walk in the opposite direction. Is it her brightest moment? No, it's not. But right now she couldn't care less about appearing “tough.” All that matters is getting to the others, telling them the truth, and figuring out a way to bring a stop to Adam once and for all. 

She only gets a few steps away before Adam calls out behind her.

“Oh, Bella?”

She freezes.

“Y-yes?” She asks, turning slowly. Adam’s golden eyes seem to pierce directly into her soul. He smiles.

“If you’re going to lie to me, at least wash your shirt first.”

Time slows. The birds stop chirping. Her heart stops. She looks down, and to her horror, she sees Asa's shining, golden blood staining her shirt. In her hurry to leave, she'd completely forgotten about it.

When she looks back up, eyes wide, Adam is towering over her. Smile gone, replaced by a scowl.

“I- I didn’t-” Bella stammers, trying to come up with some sort of lie, but Adam silences her with a hand on her shoulder. He squeezes tight enough to leave a bruise.

“Save it.” He says. Bella’s mouth snaps shut. He stares into her eyes for a moment, as if looking for something. Before finally letting out a sigh. “I’m curious. Why risk your position here for a boy you hardly know?”

Once again, Bella wracks her brain for an answer. Why? Why did she do it? Guilt yes, but there has to be something more. And then it hits her. 

“You need to be stopped.” She whispers, voice weaker than she'd intended it to be. Adam hears her all the same. He tilts his head.

“Stop me? Why would you want that?”

Still playing the hero of humanity, even now. Even when his hands are drenched in blood, he claims to be a savior. Bella would be offended that he's still putting on an act, but it's clear that Adam truly believes in what he's saying. That's what makes him dangerous.

Bella glares, “He… Asa was right about you… every word.”

The hand on her shoulder tightens to a painful degree.

“Well, now you know what happens to people who are right about me. They end up underground, where no one can hear them scream.” Bella's eyes dart to the entrance of the basement, where Asa is sitting in his cell, alone and miserable.

“So is that what you want? To be right? Or do you want to keep living in this paradise I’ve created? With everyone else who’s wrong. The choice is yours.” Adam pauses, giving her time to think.

And Bella does think. She thinks about Asa, about what he'd choose. But in the end, it doesn't really matter what he chose, does it? He stood by his ideals and paid for it with his life. Sure, he's not dead. But the life he's living is no life at all. 

All Bella wants… all she's ever wanted is to be happy. So the question is, can she be happy living a lie? In a paradise built by blood? Can she be happy walking in the sun while Asa rots underground? She's not sure. But she's sure of one thing. 

She wants the chance to find out.

She nods, lowering her head. Adam removes his hand for a shoulder with one final squeeze.

“Go near Asa again, and you'll end up in the cell next door. Got it?” He says, and Bella doesn't doubt that he means it. She nods once more.

Adam’s smile returns, as if it never left.

“Good. I’m glad we understand each other.”

Then he walks past, whistling a happy tune, leaving Bella to think about what she's done.

[dasha022]

Chapter 4

"So, Superman and Phantom were cloned?"

Batman didn't stop his work on the keyboard at any point, so with his eyes on the screen and detailing every word of the information acquired, plus the reports from the YJ group, he proceeded to respond to the curious Nightwing; who had just entered the Batcave only two minutes ago.

"Hnn..."

Nightwing removed his mask and proceeded to roll his eyes in annoyance. "Could you provide a few more than your usual onomatopoeia response" so many years and his mentor hadn't learned his lesson about using mumbles or grunts as a response.

"When I finish the report, you can read it," replied the big bat without turning back...

Dick looked grumpily up at the man, grabbed a chair from the other desks, set down and pulled out his phone. Tim was currently at the YJ base. However, he would be doing the same as Bruce; and young Robin has a worse hiperfijasion than the big bat. So, his only safe bet would be Wally or Donna, but the second one it's traveling through Malawi on a humanitarian aid mission, so he's only left with Wally. He should have done that in the first place if he wanted to know the whole story instead of coming to Bruce. At least the flash family did know how to communicate things willingly and without loss any details.

Alfred, faithful to punctuality, made his presence known at the base bringing with him a tray of late-night snacks. "Master Richard, it's nice to have you around tonight. how's Bludhaven been?"

Nightwing put aside his cell phone and gave his full attention to the butler. Even though his best friend had just sent him a great paragraph telling him what happened and he was about to read it. Gossip can wait when it comes to Alfred. "I can't say it's all right because that would be a lie, but I can claim he's had one or two improvements these past few weeks."

"That's wonderful to hear, Master Richard." Alfred poured a cup of hot chocolate for Dick as he gave him a little smile. "You do what you can, and that's what counts." He continued, then turned to the other older adult in the room and the smile was once again a line on his face. "Master Bruce, do I have to unplug the Batcomputer so you can take a break ? or you will be finally pausing for a snack? you still haven't had any food since you've arrived.”

Bruce’s fingers stopped instantly, a deep sigh left the man’s lungs before he locked the computer, removed his hood mask and turned to his adoptive father with resignation. He did not look at his eldest son, for no reason did he look at that gloating face. He kept his eyes on the mug of hot chocolate and the pair of sandwiches that came with it.

 “Thank you, Alfred.”

“You’re welcome, sir.”

Just as Bruce was about to take a bite of his sandwich after a small sip from his chocolate mug, his league communication device started beeping. He heard Alfred sigh and that was all he needed to put his hood back on and put the call through to the big baticomputer screen.

“Batman, here.”

Phantom’s image took up the entire monitor, now without the cloned baby in his arms and a somewhat uncomfortable look on his face. “Hello, Bat. Phantom here, are you busy?”

“Phantom, did something serious happen?” the Gotham knight responded with another question. “Where are the… childrens”

Danny looked at the Gotham’s knight and wondered again how his mask was able to minimize the lenses in his eyes to reflect frowning eyes. Okay, he was straying from the topic at hand. “My little star is with my big sister and Hydor is helping to Cool his mother. Well, that’s what I want to talk to you about-”

“Hydor?” interrupted Dick, now with his mask firmly in place. Next to him, Alfred, also making use of his distinctive black opera mask.

Danny grinned with countless teeth, “Oh, the half-Kryptonian kid was agreed with my name option. I don’t know if he’ll change his mind later, but for the moment Hydor is the name we use to refer to him”.

Nightwing was about to speak again, but Batman cut his opportunity. “What did you mean by mother?” If they were talking about the child made with Superman’s DNA, then Phantom must have named Lex. However, the phantom hero didn’t have to name the villain. Bruce thought about how the hero had said he had ‘sisters’… plural. He didn’t say how many, but it was more than one.

Quickly, Bruce opened another window to the side of the call and brought up the reports regarding Clark’s cloning. As this one searched through the countless notations about the failed experiments, Danny spoke again.

“Yeah, well, I wanted to talk to you about that man.” Danny began, his expression shifting to somewhat serious, though mostly relaxed. “By your hovering movements over the keyboard, I’m taking it for granted that you have a clue what I’m going to say. So, I’ll give you the quick version of the subject.”

The search stopped at the penultimate document on the list and Batman didn’t know whether to be relieved or worried by such a find.

It couldn't be that...

Danny saw his pause and chuckled a little. “That was quick” he commented. “But yes, it looks like Lex was conned by his own team of scientists.” He continued this time without holding back his laughter, though no one in the cave seemed to share his amusement. “So, besides giving me a daughter, Cadmus gave me a nephew. Isn’t that great?”

“You mean the clone of Sup-.”

“Hydor” , corrected Phantom with a warning look and losing all grace from his face.

“You mean Hydor is the son of Superman and one of your sisters?” asked Nightwing again, his face not emerging from the surprise of the fact. “Wait, since when do you have sisters!”

“Since I can remember, And yes, the other donor for Hydor’s creation is not Lex, but is my little sister, Nightmare.” At this point Phantom began to levitate in front of the camera, from what Batman can deduce he is sitting in mid-air while suspending the communicator in front of him with his telequinesis.

[madmanwonder]

“What do you want machine.”

Penny Polendina flinched at the harsh emphasis of machine from the leader of Atlas Brotherhood of Steel who was looking at her with cold blue eyes full of disdain and disgust toward her.

“G-General Ironwood wants me t-to give you the latest report on the latest in and activities of the Super Mutants and the White Fangs in the northwest region of Solitas.” The humanoid female robot said to the large and broad-shouldered man.

“Hnn.” He grunted as he took the report from the machine with arctic coldness as he look at the report in the data pad speed-reading the data sheet. “He’s a man of his words than most of the Atlas military personnel.”

“What do you mean—”Penny mouthed was snapped immediately when Arthur looked at her with a hard, deep glare in his cold blue eyes.

“None of your concern.” He said in a sharp voice. “If you got nothing else to say. Get out.” He ordered as he turned his back on Penny already dismissing her from sight and mind.

Penny meekly nodded as she walked away from the imposing man feeling hurt by the bigotry from the man.

[ali-annals]

Here, go stalk (aka the Coffee Phenomenon)

Pairing: Tim Drake x Marinette Dupain-Cheng

WC: 1.8k | Ao3 | TW: blood | A/N: for @/the-coffee-fandom for National Coffee Day 2023

Nightwing knocked on Red Robin’s mysterious rescuer’s window. She opened it with a stern look. “Really? And a blue and black vigilante outside my window isn’t as obvious as simply knocking on my door?” He shrugged, entering when she stepped back for him.

Thump .

The sound of light feet hitting the roof made the girl turn slightly.

All she saw was a black blob weaving around, making her dizzy.

With a put-upon sigh, she heaved herself up from her perch hundreds of feet above the ground and dusted herself off.

“Hey, are you okay?”

The blob collapsed.

The girl rushed over, the scent of blood hitting her nose as she got closer.

The blob was revealed to be one of the vigilantes of the city she was in, clearly badly hurt.

The girl quickly rolled up her sleeves and checked for the vigilante’s pulse and breathing.

Carefully, she rolled them over into the first-aid recovery position and inspected them for their injuries.

With a tsk and muttered reproofs, she yanked her shirt over her head and tore it at the seams into long, makeshift bandages. The vigilante was suffering from multiple knife wounds; some shallow, a couple quite deep.

Shaking her head as she realized her meagre first-aid equipment was useless, she raised her hand to her head. “Jument, voyage!”

~~~

“Robin, report.”

Robin raised a hand to his earpiece. “There is a small puddle of blood on the roof of Killinger’s Department Store. One of Red Robin’s Batarangs is a little ways from it. There is a ripped black shirt by the blood. It appears to have been used as a makeshift bandage, then discarded. No signs of a struggle or foul play.”

In the Batcave, Batman growled at the lack of clues. Nightwing’s name popped up on the Batcomputer.

[Incoming Call: Titan’s Tower: Nightwing]

[ACCEPT]

“Hey, B. O told me Red Robin went missing. Raven is in Gotham incognito. I can ask her if she’d try to track him down.”

“Hnn.” Batman considered. “Okay.”

Fifteen minutes later, Raven entered the cave in her Titans uniform.

Batman explained the finer details of Red Robin’s disappearance, then Raven opened a portal to the roof where he had been last identified.

“There was definitely magical interference of some kind,” Raven decided. “Someone opened a portal. It’s unlike any portal magic I’ve seen, though. This might take some time.”

Batman & Co. waited on tenterhooks for Raven to finish her…whatever she did. Finally, she turned back to them. “I can trace the portal’s energy and hopefully follow RR.”

The Bats breathed a sigh of relief and waited even longer as Raven opened a portal and disappeared.

~~~

Raven blinked at the scene before her.

Red Robin was lying on a couch, unconscious.

A petite dark-haired young woman was sitting in the chair beside him, bent over him as she…sewed his suit up? At least, that was what Raven thought was happening.

“Excuse me? Who are you, and what are you doing?” The woman looked up, flashing a smile before she returned to her stitching. “Oh, you work fast. I’m a friend, and I’m sewing up Red Robin’s suit. It got badly cut up in some spots, so I’m fixing it till he can get a replacement.”

Raven wondered at the woman’s word choice, but didn’t say anything.

“Is he alright?”

“Oh, yes. He’s just asleep. I healed him from his wounds, but natural healing and rest is best.”

“You seem familiar,” murmured Raven. “Have we met somewhere before?”

She shook her head. “I don’t recall meeting you. Raven, from the Titans, right?”

“That’s me. What is your magic from? I can’t recall coming across a signature like yours before.”

“I don’t exactly flaunt my skills,” laughed the girl, snipping a thread. “There, you can take him home. I assume he won’t remember any of this at all, since he collapsed before I got to him.” 

“How did you find him?” Raven tilted her head curiously. “He was on a roof. That’s not exactly a common hangout spot.”

The woman laughed. “I’m not exactly common. I was on the roof to think. There’s nothing like a quiet nightscape to think over.”

Raven silently agreed. “Thank you for taking care of Red Robin.”

“Of course; I couldn’t just leave him there. He was bleeding out too fast and I didn’t know how to contact Batman.”

“I’ll leave you my number and Nightwing’s in case you come across something like this again. One of us should be available.”

“Thanks, Raven. Can I give you mine as well? Save Batman the trouble of stalking me?”

Raven’s lips quirked up at the edges. “Sure.”

Raven placed her and Nightwing’s business cards on the table by the woman’s sewing stuff, freeing her hands to pick up Red Robin, a card tucked into his belt by his rescuer.

With him slung over her shoulder, she opened a new portal and popped back into the Batcave.

“He’s been healed, courtesy of his rescuer. He’s currently unconscious so he can rest and naturally heal. I gave his rescuer my and ‘Wing’s cards in case she needs to contact one of us again, and I got hers.” Raven fished the card out of RR’s belt and handed it to Batman. “Here, go stalk.”

~~~

Nightwing knocked on Red Robin’s mysterious rescuer’s window.

She opened it with a stern look. “Really? And a blue and black vigilante outside my window isn’t as obvious as simply knocking on my door?”

He shrugged, entering when she stepped back for him.

“I wanted to say thank you for rescuing Red Robin and healing him. He’s the most energetic he’s been in ages. Probably because he actually had a good sleep. How did you do it?”

“Magic,” she winked. 

“The Teen Titans wanted to extend an invitation for you to partner with or join us, at your convenience.”

The young woman blinked back at him. “How much did Batman find on me that you want me to join your team?”

“Er…Raven vouched for you. Empath, you know? She could tell you’re inherently good.”

“Ah. I’d like some time to think about it, please.”

“Of course. You have my number, feel free to contact me whenever.”

~~~

“How is it going?” Raven stopped by the new recruit Marie’s room.

She looked up from her unpacking, a large red box in her hands. “It’s going well. I’m glad I accepted the invitation. I’m excited to work with a team!”

“We’re glad to have you.”

“So, Red Robin is also part of the Titans?”

“Yes, though he works under the moniker Robin, here.”

“Oh, that’s not confusing at all,” joked Marie.

Raven rolled her eyes in sympathy. “I know. That’s the Bats for you, and RR in particular.”

~~~

“So, you found your soulmate.”

Nightwing’s face appeared upside down in Marie’s vision, from where she was hanging upside down on the couch in the Titans’ den.

“Huh?”

“Robin and you. You keep the exact same hours, drink the same unholy amounts of coffee, espresso, and energy drinks, and are both paranoid about your rooms and confidential information. You’re practically the same person in two bodies.”

“Huh.” Marie mulled that over for a bit, the increased blood flow fueling her brain, or so she claimed. “I wonder if we became that way because of heroing or if we became heroes because it fit our lifestyle like that. I should do a study on that.”

Marie flipped over the arm of the couch and headed down the hallway to Robin’s room, ready to get a partner to study the phenomena.

Nightwing sank onto the vacated couch and groaned, his head in his hands.

~~~

It came as no surprise when Robin and Epiphany revealed they were dating. Their strange living habits practically threw the two together. Luckily for everyone, they got along instead of clashing over their similarities.

The longer Marie spent around the Titans and assimilated to their family, the more she opened up. She used to be the leader of a small team of heroes in her city, but once their villain was finally defeated, almost all of her team members had chosen to give up their loaned powers and erase their memories of heroing.

Alone and tired, Marie had moved, changed almost everything about her, and kept a quiet profile. She had missed heroing, though, and when Nightwing approached her with the opportunity to join a team and not be the leader, she accepted. 

Her fellow members welcomed her with open arms, and she was filled with warm fuzzy feelings of belonging and love.

~~~

Raven gently placed her hand on Marie’s knee, exerting pressure until she stopped bouncing it rapidly up and down. 

Marie turned to her, only realizing she’d been literally vibrating in her seat as she met Raven’s eyes. “Okay, I might be a bit nervous meeting Batman and Oracle and Red Hood and Robin and Spoiler and Alfred,” Marie answered the unspoken question, her voice becoming higher pitched as she listed each member of the BatClan

“It will be okay,” soothed Raven, surrounding Marie with calming emotions. “Batman will like you because you saved RR, and everyone else will like you too. It’s going to go fine.”

“If you say so,” she muttered, only half-believing her best friend.

The zeta tube announced the BatClan’s arrival, and Marie stood nervously, though less uptight than when Raven first saw her. 

Red Robin was the first through, followed by Batman and the rest.

He immediately headed to her, presenting her proudly to the Dark Knight. “This is my Marie, Epiphany.”

Marie melted at his possessive use of her name, and the remaining nerves went with it. “It’s nice to meet you all, I’m Marie.”

“We’re happy to meet you, finally,” said Spoiler, bouncing out from behind Robin. “Nightwing and Red Robin said we’d love you, and they were right!”

The visit went very well.

Marie was surprised by Batman’s non-Batman-ness, but Spoiler leaned over to tell her he was on strict instructions from Nightwing, Raven, and herself not to blow this.

The BatClan eventually left, having collected the information Batman came to receive (and thus required everyone else to tag along and get a glimpse of Marie), and Marie and Tim curled up on the couch, mugs of Marie’s Special Brew in hand.

“That went better than I expected,” commented Tim, pressing a kiss to Marie’s head.

“Everyone was perfectly nice,” said Marie. “I feel like you were exaggerating your stories now.”

He snorted. “Trust me, I was not . Once they know for sure they’re not going to scare you off, then they’ll show you their true forms. It will be nothing but chaos and glitter from here out.”

Marie giggled. “You say that as if you don’t encourage chaos. But, speaking of chaos, I may have some outsourced help to make a splash worth remembering when I enter the world of Bat shenanigans.”

Their evil chuckles filled the den, and Raven retreated to her room. She wasn't getting involved when a Bat laughed like that .

[hoenn-tv-official]

Professor Amaryllis' Delicious Crimes

By Oceanis Seaford

Professor Amaryllis. Genius scientist, Overseeing Professor at the Goldenrod Ecological Society, Host of the hit TV Show Professor Amaryllis’s Wild Days, Husband to All, and… food smuggler? That’s right, apparently Professor Amaryllis, hero to many, has been pulled over twice in one week by the Hoenn Coast Guard just outside Pacifilog Town with nothing more in his backpack but a frankly absurd amount of food.

The first time he was caught was just this Monday with only a 15 lb pot of goulash. The second time was this Thursday with about 3 dozen loose empanadas. While this is odd he was not doing anything illegal and was allowed to continue on his way. And yet, one can’t help but wonder what he was doing with that much food and why?

HNN reached out to the Hoenn Coast Guard for comment. The Officer who pulled the Professor over, who desires to remain anonymous, had this to say:

“I dunno what to tell you. He just had a ton of food in his backpack both times. I don’t think he even had room to fit anything else. Seemed a bit nervous but I’d be nervous too if the Coast Guard pulled me over. Probably nothing to worry about.”

Is this truly nothing to worry about as the Coast Guard surmise, or is there something strange afoot? Either way we’ll be bringing you full coverage as the story unfolds.

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

Ugh, seriously? Is this what we've been reduced to? Tabloid gossip? So what if the man was carrying a lot of food? He probably just has a large appetite. Or maybe he was meeting friends. There have to be better things to report on. This is Hoenn for sky's sake!

-Gabby

[blossommoonwrites]

NOCTURNAL CANDLES: Mayblade 2024, day 3 - Candles

Series: Sweet Dreams Fandom: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade Genre: General/Romance Setting: Delhi, India, and Kai's dream. Characters: Kai Hiwatari, Julia Fernandez Pairings: Kai/Julia Rating: T Summary: The candle's flame may go off, but the radiance and glow remain.

FFN | AO3

The Bladebreakers were on a trip to India. All except Kai were in their rooms, sleeping peacefully. The dual-haired wandered in the streets of the subcontinent's capital. It was Winter in Delhi. The chill air flirted with his scarf, which fluttered wildly against the breeze. He bought some coffee and sipped on it slowly. His glances showered the vast sky that was infinite and beautiful. The mist blinded some parts of the city, but Kai was able to manage and walk past them. The culture was rich, yet some states had a poor economy. He stood in front of the Indian gate and saw the surroundings. Long walks were a hassle for Takao, but not for Kai. He felt relaxed and content after a couple of months.

"Hmm." Kai closed his eyes and enjoyed the peace coming from inside. He braced his scarf further to protect himself from the cold.

He turned and saw someone familiar. He knew her but never talked to her for once. She is none other than Julia, the captain of F-sangre. She was wearing a trenchcoat with her messy hair fluttering in the wind. Kai was never into girls, yet he found her pretty. Of course, he doesn't have anything romantic for her. Julie gave a side-eye and her jaw dropped. Kai quickly turned back, pretending not to see her.

"I know it was you, Kai. I never expected to see you here," she remarked and walked to him.

"I clarified if it was you, nothing more," Kai walked away from her. Julia was stunned by his attitude. She seethed and said, "You have no manners for sure."

Kai stopped along his trance and turned back. He gave a 'hnn' before he started again. "You do know about me, after all. But, there is so much you still aren't aware of," he smirked and walked off. She can never understand guys like Kai, or even guys in general.

Julia walked back to the hotel she was staying in. Coincidentally, it was the same place where the Bladebreakers were staying. She saw Kai reporting to the reception before he walked to the room. His room was somewhere on the second floor. Hers was on the fourth floor.

Kai knocked on the door several times, but Takao was fast asleep. Kai facepalmed. He informed Takao that he would be out. It was his fault too, he should've thought twice before roaming out. He gave up. He decided to sleep on the corridors until Takao would show up.

"Your roomie is not opening the door, pathetic," Julia mocked. She smirked and leaned against the wall.

"I can sleep here, I don't need your help."

Julia sighed and walked to him, "I knew you wanted to sleep on a cozy blanket this winter. Don't lie. I can give you room. Come with me."

Kai blushed at the thought of sleeping next to a girl. He couldn't help but accept her offer. She chuckled. Kai felt dreamy. She was beautiful. He smirked and followed her to the room.

It was the same as his's, except the aspect was different. They removed their coats and scarves and hung them. Julia grabbed her nightgown and went inside the restroom. She returned a few minutes later.

"Make yourself comfortable," Julia assured him. He sat on the sofa.

"Come to the bed!" she exclaimed. Kai blushed.

Julia's cheeks turned beet. She gasped, 'Wait, did he assume that I…'

"No, I didn't think like that. I-uhh… just… um… don't sleep beside girls… you know. I hate sleeping with Takao too, he is a loud, snorty kid. I hate his snoring, ugh."

Julia burst out laughing at Kai's remarks.

"Alright, I'm going to turn the lights off. Have a good night's sleep."

Julia shared the blanket with him.

"Am I troubling you, girl?" he asked.

"I've been feeling lonely since my brother is not here. He's on a date with his new girlfriend. It's nice to have you as my companion. Just get some sleep."

"Well, promise me one thing. Don't tell Takao or anyone that I stayed with you this night. He'll never get enough of me once he learns about that. I will have a tough time dealing with that doofus," Kai mumbled.

"Sure, I'll take care of it, but by the time I wake up, you will not be there," Julia mocked. Kai sighed and was frustrated with her remarks.

She turned the lights off and lit a candle. Kai felt the illuminating presence and turned to see her. She kept that on the thick yet flat headboard of the bed.

"Do you love candles?" Kai asked her.

"I do, they are beautiful. I'm going to purchase some of them tomorrow in the market. The Indian candles seem to be lovely. I'd love to have some."

"Nice," he gently smiled.

In a few minutes, Julia was fast asleep. Kai struggled since he was with a girl, all alone. He brought the candle towards her to see the breathtaking face. He laid the strands of her hair on her ear. "You are beautiful, of course. I hope you get more candles like these. They'll make your face glow."

Kai placed the candle aside and drifted off. He dreamed of Julia in a beautiful Indian outfit and makeover, with the room decorated with beautiful curtains, rose petals, and cushions. Red shawls were hung along the corners covering the bed. She held a big candle, waiting for Kai to lie by her side. The dark room was illuminated with beautiful candles around the confines of the room. Her smile was radiant the moment Kai came to her.

"Come close, Kai. I need you by my side this night."

Kai climbed on the bed and faced the beautiful girl. His fingers crawled on her cheek and drew her closer.

"I will never leave this radiant beauty," his amethyst eyes were interlocked with her emerald ones. His hands slowly crawled down to grab her by the waist.

"I will make this night memorable for you," he whispered into her ears.

...

The next morning, Julia woke up to see Kai still fast asleep. She didn't expect to see him by her side. He was cute. The candle was gone, but the glow and radiance were still on his face.

[recentlyheardcom]

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A suspect who triggered an hours-long lockdown at Schofield Barracks on Thursday was arrested after fleeing to Molokai, sources confirmed to HNN.The suspect was identified as Paul A. Smith, and authorities believed he was armed. Military and Honolulu police conducted an “extensive” search for Smith on Schofield Barracks, clearing facilities on the installation as they went.He is believed to have fled in a white Prius sedan.The lockdown started about 2:30 p.m. and the shelter in place order was lifted about 5 p.m.Sources told HNN that the search was launched after an apparent assault, though reports of any shots fired were not confirmed. Details on any injuries also were not immediately available.The incident started near Schofield’s 604 Ale House.Copyright 2023 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

[truckreincarnation]

The Shining Twins | Bian | Trial 1.4 | RE: 19, Perry, Nao | ATTN: 19

Bian does flinch when Perry mentions her suspicions, but it’s only natural. She doesn’t have an easy to clear alibi like the rest- and when 19 doggypiles on, she finally speaks up.

“Yes, that is true… however, have you all considered that everyone who has seen me has actually confirmed my whereabouts tonight? I was seen by people in the library leaving at around 10:40 with my book in hand, true to my original word, unlike a certain someone. Others here also can attest I’ve been studying with my scythe for some time. This isn’t a new development… I’ve been wanting to get the hang of it, so I’ve been studying different books to teach me the techniques… 

Meanwhile, Nao is correct. 19 was giving us exact times up that were correct until she got the 11 o'clock time incorrect. You knew Shinjuku and Germain left at 10:30, but somehow, you got the time you left wrong? Because you can not read a clock..? 19, how did you know the time Shinjuku and Germain left if you can’t reading a clock?”

After this point is made, Bian reaches behind her back to draw her scythe- not into an attack stance, however, but just to hold it out to show everyone.

“There is another problem… I already have my scythe checked out. All of you saw my scythe with me when we found Francis. We know that Francis took the swords, and likely not the gun, considering the different handwritings and the lack of a gun in her original mockup. If the gun was checked out shortly after Francis took the swords, then "Gun” wouldn’t have had enough time to go to the hosts to explain their plans for murder to get permission to use two weapons.

Also… I don’t know how to shoot a gun. I know I can’t easily prove that, ah, but I’ve never used the guns in the training room for a reason. I have a hook that I throw at people instead… I’ve shown it to some people here…“

She withdraws her scythe, placing it carefully behind her back after the fact. She really, really hopes she doesn’t have to take that out again.

"We need to take into account the moment Francis was declared dead, yes? According to the autopsy report, she died at 11:32PM from blood loss. If it was not the stab itself that killed her, then some time must’ve passed between the attack itself and when she was actually found dead…

There is one thing I find odd about this entire case. Francis visibly checked out the swords right in front of 19, which would’ve been damning evidence had the trap worked. She was careful enough to hide the drawing itself from Meili, but she still grabbed the swords in front of 19? I tried to think of why there would be no struggle, why Francis would’ve made such a risky move…

What if 19 herself helped with the trap somehow, only to backstab Francis during its setup..? First, you were looking for Francis earlier in the day. You said it yourself. You claimed to want to find her for food, yes..? It would explain why you, 19, were at the scene of the crime… And why you would’ve known of the trap’s existence to begin with, and managed to set it off with Francis underneath. I can’t say how, when, or why this alliance was formed… or if this is even true, hnn, it’s only a theory… ”

Bian looks uncomfortable to be theorizing this, and she starts to wrap her robe a little tighter around herself with a frown. She goes silent to let others weigh in, not wanting to jump too far in without some help.

[holonetnews]

Echoes of Valor: The Ghost Fleet of Bracca

BRACCA – Amidst the twisted metal and rusted relics of war, I embark on a haunting sojourn through a graveyard of starships. The eerie silence is punctuated only by the distant clangor of machinery and the murmurs of the wind. This is Bracca, a desolate world now home to the remnants of the Republic’s once formidable war fleet. I journey here seeking answers, haunted by echoes of valor and vestiges of battles won and lost.

As the galaxy reels in the aftermath of galactic warfare, the mighty Venator Class assault ships, those heralded bastions of Republic strength, now lay dormant and dismantled. The stench of decay and despondency pervades the air as these once-proud leviathans are reduced to mere salvage, their noble history overshadowed by the brooding scrapyards of the Scrapper Guild.

I navigate the intricate lattice of metal, each piece a silent testament to the men and women who fought with honor and gallantry. Questions linger like spectres, probing the rationale behind the abandonment and despoliation of these vessels of victory. The answer, like the ships themselves, is enshrouded in enigma, a convoluted tapestry of political maneuvering and economic exigency.

Yet, amidst the wreckage, whispers of rebellion and resurgence permeate the air. Scrappers, though resigned to their labor, speak of a silent reverence for the fallen fleet. In the eerie stillness of Bracca’s eternal twilight, one can almost hear the echoes of battles long past, the clarion calls of commanders, and the valiant roars of starfighters in combat.

In the eyes of the Guild, these dismantled goliaths are but commodities of metal and machinery, their worth measured in credits. But to the seasoned veteran and the keen observer, they are monuments to the Republic’s glory days, testament to the tenacity and spirit of a people undaunted.

My sojourn on Bracca uncovers not just the physical dismantlement of starships, but an exploration into the soul of a galaxy, at once marred by the scars of war yet unyielding in its spirit. Amidst the corroding metal and decaying starfighters lies an indomitable will, an unspoken vow that the echoes of valor shall rise again from the ashes of despondency.

Here on Bracca, amidst the silent graves of Venator Class assault ships, the saga of the Republic is etched in rusted metal and silent echoes, a narrative of power, betrayal, and undying resilience. As I depart this ghostly world, the silent behemoths stand testament to a chapter of history, their solemn grandeur echoing the unuttered pledge of resurgence and the haunting lullaby of battles yet unfought.

The ghost fleet of Bracca may lay dormant, but the spirit of the crews that fought onbord them, indomitable and unyielding, slumbers not. In the haunted echoes of valor, amidst rust and wreckage, the soul of a galaxy breathes, awaiting the dawn of resurrection.

— Deena Tharen, Holonet News.

[forgedcold]

Optimus bends down, arms drapped over Megatron’s shoulders as he presses himself against his back. The ex-Warlord seems to be reading at his desk if the glow of a datapad in his hands is telling enough. He manages to nudge his way into the crook of Megatron's neck, face turned to press into cables as he breathes a deep sigh, as if catching his scent deep into his throat, willing it to coat his tongue. He stays like that for a couple of moments, unwilling to say anything and preferring the silence stretching between them.

Until he places an opened mouth kiss on one of the more sensitive spots on Megatron's neck. It's a kiss that turns quickly into two, then more, and rapidly devolves into something messy, hot, and needy.

A strong arm curls across Megatron's chest as he pushes himself closer, the back of the chair creaking in a feeble cry as it acts as the only thin barrier between them. Which is laughable in its own rite, given the stowaway could have snapped the damn thing in an instant to drag Megatron away into some corner or against a wall. Either would do.

He pauses briefly, a heated pant dusting Megatron's neck as his tongue dips over a warm cable, and his processor must have stopped working because he doesn't think when he bites gently into it, sucking along the line with the means to coax energon out and into his waiting mouth.

He releases it with a soft grunt, nosing the bruised energon line. Clearly, his goal is to be a distraction and nothing more.

Foolish that at the intrusion to his office, Megatron thinks Optimus has come to report his progress at one of his latest refugee sites, or perhaps garner his insight on any setbacks. Yet, he’s greeted with silence, the ex-Prime’s mind likely percolating with several tasks to accomplish and a polite desire to not interrupt him from his own work. Despite the datapad that holds his attention, Megatron curiously watches Optimus from his peripheral, and loses interest when the hauler pauses by a filing drawer.

Adjusting his glasses, Megatron’s gaze flickers back to the report he’d been reading concerning news from back home. He only makes it a paragraph before Optimus slides his arms over his shoulders, embracing him from behind and nuzzling his face into his neck. A hint of a smile lifts the corner of his mouth, the ex-Prime clearly not as busy or polite as he had believed.

With Optimus seemingly content to linger draped on his shoulders in silence — he’s smelling him, Megatron knows, hears it — the former warlord turns his attention back to the datapad for a second time. A sentence later, the choice proves to be a mistake.

Red optics flare wide as a kiss is placed against a particularly delicate cable on his neck. “Op – ah – timus…” his voice falters embarrassingly as the ex-Prime mercilessly taunts his lips between his jaw and shoulder. The datapad slips from his hand, clamoring to the desk when Optimus drags an arm across his chest, pushing him back and pinning him against the stubborn weight of his frame. “Damn you,” he grounds out, trying to deny the sudden heat rising from his core. “You are going to break the — HNN!”

Megatron shudders at the bite before gaining enough processing capacity to reach up and grab Optimus by the throat, the bitten line throbbing. Optics narrowed, he turns to meet his gaze, the intensity of his glare dulled by his glasses. “I am busy.”

And you are bothering me in such wicked ways.

[gidblog0]

Kemi Olunloyo concludes her investigation on the cause of Rico’s death

Kemi Olunloyo concludes her investigation on the cause of Rico’s death

Owner of defunct online blog platform, HNN Africa, Kemi Olunloyo, who recently embarked on an investigation into the death of reality star, Rico Swavey has shared her findings. It was reported that the reality star passed on to glory on Thursday morning, October 13 following injuries sustained from a ghastly motor accident. His death was announced by his co-star, Tobi Bakre. Following his death,…

[rexxdjarin]

Hi it’s me again

I’m here to be a menace

And I’m thinking about HNN reporter!Reader again and about how you and Rex finally DTR

You’ve been hooking up for awhile now. He basically comes over whenever he’s planetside and messages you almost everyday.

But you go out for drinks with some friends one day and they’re talking about how hot the clones are and about how they must get a lot of tail while they’re traveling

And now you’re sort of stressed because you haven’t had the exclusivity talk with Rex yet. So he could totally be hooking up with other people. And that makes your stomach turn. But you’re worried about coming off too clingy bc it’s bitten you in the ass before. What if he’s not looking for anything serious??

MEANWHILE Rex is having the same sort of thoughts. Like the 501st is camped out in a rare moment of respite between campaigns. Someone is bragging about the ladies he’s been messaging and Echo is totally scandalized.

“You’re messaging another girl? What about Zina?”

And the other trooper is like PFFFT we never said we were exclusive 😏

And echo is like 😦

And it’s got Rex thinking. And WORRIED. He’s 100% head over heels for you. This man does not do anything in half measures. And there’s a PIT in his stomach because he knows you turn heads. Every post on space Twitter has a ton of gross dudes hitting on you even if you’re posting about something serious. What if you don’t want him like how he wants you?

HNNReporter!Reader x Rex is quickly becoming one of my very favorite collaborative things ever.

You’re sitting there staring at him, desperately trying not to get all misty eyed and anxious in front of him. You couldn’t possibly scare him, he’s a fucking Captain and a pretty highly decorated one at that. But what you want to ask him could very easily be too much to expect of a man who already has too much weight on his perfectly broad shoulders.

Every time you try to bring it up, the right words just don’t come out. He can tell somethings up and there’s this suspicious look on his face like he might be worried too. Might. With feelings and emotions, any clone is pretty hard to read.

“I- uh- I went out with my friends the other night. Risha went home with Commander Wolffe. You know him, right?” You turned to Rex, studying his body language to try to gauge his reaction. He stiffened and his arm around you slid down to run his knuckles across the back of your shoulder.

He sighed, “Yeah, very well. Why? Something happen?” He tipped his head toward you, look up at you with those pretty brown eyes full of concern.

“N-no. Nothing bad. He just never called her the next day.” I glanced down at my hands in my lap and fiddled with my sleeve. “I guess a lot of clones get around a lot. That’s…what they were saying.”

Rex inched closer, his knuckles along your skin slowly turning into his entire palm resting on your shoulder. “Some do. I guess. Wolffe is…complicated.”

“He’s slept with like at least 5 girls I know. What’s complicated about setting intentions? Being on the same page?” You asked, putting on your journalism hat and immediately prepping yourself to have to grill the man you really, really liked. Just like you’d had to do so many times before with other men you also really, really liked. Before they acted like expecting feelings to be reciprocated was too much to ask.

“Nothing! That’s how it should be…but Wolffe has been through a lot. Lost almost his entire battalion a few years back. That kind of loss sticks with you. It’s hard to shake. So Wolffe doesn’t like being left alone to think about all that. He hooks up with women to fill the void in him that he doesn’t know how to fix.” Rex slid a soothing hand down your arm.

“That’s terrible. I didn’t know.” You whisper turning to look up at Rex and finding him staring off in space, like on some level he understood where Wolffe was coming from.

“I guess picking up girls and hooking up is a way to feel normal. Women are really good listeners. Accepting and comforting.” He laughed softly, flicking his gaze up to give you a pointed look. “Pretty and soft.”

You wanted to pull him close and hug him, kiss his whole face and comfort him like he apparently really appreciated. But you had to know before you fell so hard for him you’d never recover.

“And what about you?” You whisper, your voice trembling the way a HoloNet News Reporter’s never should.

“Me?”

You swallow, forcing yourself to make direct eye contact with him.

“Do you…are you seeing other girls? Anyone else?”

Rex’s eyes widen in surprise. At the worry pinching your brow and the wetness shimmering in your own eyes. Like he can’t believe you were asking him. Like he was as worried about where your relationship stood as you were.

He scoots across the sofa, as close to you as he can get and cups your cheek tenderly.

“No,” he breathes, “I’m all yours. Only yours.”

The way his face scrunches up as he smiles at you and his known inability to lie told you all you needed to know. You exhaled and felt all the anxiety and stress leave you like a dissipating dark cloud.

“Thank the stars above. I-I was so worried you wouldn’t be interested in something serious. And I didn’t know how to ask you without seeming so clingy. That’s happened to me so many times. I really didn’t want to push you away and-”

His lips crashed into yours harshly, the grip he had on your cheek holding you steady as he kissed you so desperately you were sure he was trying to take enough breath out of you to stop your heart from racing. You kissed back, practically whimpering in his mouth as you slipped your tongues together. Your hands holding securely onto the collar of his body glove.

When you pulled away he gave you that trademark tilted smirk that could make you smile on even the dreariest of days. “And here I was worrying that you’d get sick of looking at a face you’ve seen a million times.”

“Rex. How could I get sick of the perfect man?”

He shifted his gaze down to his boots, suddenly getting all bashful like he tended to when he was he heavily complimented. “I dunno. You have every guy in the galaxy falling at your feet to talk to you. You could have anyone you want. I’m just another clone.”

You pulled yourself into his lap and dragged your hands down his chest. “Not to me. You are so much more than that. There’s no one who will ever measure up to you. No one else matters. Let them all wish they could have me. Know that whenever you see me, I’m thinking about you. I’m all yours.”

He leaned his forehead onto mine and tangled his grip in my hair. “So let’s prove it. Show me how much you mean it, mesh’la.”

So you do. Over and over and over again. To the point that Rex is getting some suspicious glances at the purple marks littering his lower jaw and the skin just below his ears. And you’re getting the same look from your makeup artist who has to spend an extra 30 minutes color correcting and covering up every purple hickey and finger shaped bruise scattered across your usually perfect skin.

You ask your makeup artist to leave just one slightly visible on the side of your neck, so that the next time Rex watches HNN with his men they’ll put two and two together. And Rex can watch as you proudly wear the way he claimed you for the entire galaxy to see. You’re his girl now. You’ve got his bite marks on you to prove it.

[theotheroccassionalfanficwriter]

gonna be a weird request but--octopus boi childe fucking the reader with his tentacles and making them suck from another tentacle please

Anon there is no such thing as a weird request, just one no one has ever thought of yet. Anyways! just like the previous request, please apply the adage "If there's a hole, there's a way!" three tentacles in one hole might be too much but with the power of love and lust nothing is impossible!

Wrapped in Love

Summary: In the aftermath of Liyue, in the cold and merciless everwinter of the Tsaritsa, Tartaglia learns how to fuck you with his new appendages.

--

There were few things in life that you regretted, most of it involving Tartaglia in one way or another, your infatuation of him was an open secret among the Fatui. Not even the Tsaritsa was above using it to tease you on occasions where a meeting just ran far too long for her liking. Right now on top of your list of regrets, directly above the time you had loudly mentioned that Tartaglia was the most desired bachelor within the social circle of Snezhnaya’s noble ladies due to his family man side, was the consequence of you showing your tentacle kink to Tartaglia that one time he had specifically requested your skills to unseal Osial.

The consequence being subjected to help him test out Dottore's insane projects. A rare moment of cooperation between the two considering the immense dislike that was present among the rest of the Harbingers and Tartaglia, with the exception of you. It had taken you less than a month to accept the fact that compared to the other Harbingers, your talents didn’t include scheming or fighting.

If anything your talent was your dogshit luck at getting along well with the other harbingers, a glorified messenger that knew how to fight well enough when necessary but had no innate skill for it in the same way as Tartaglia. You were better off giving them ideas, a human rubber duck to bounce off thoughts for the Tsaritsa.

Which led to your current situation, in Tartaglia’s bathtub, massaging his new appendages. Of all the situations you dreamt of why you’d end up sharing a bath with him, this wasn’t one of them. Sure his thick tentacles were soft and squishy but when he curled them up, you could feel the core muscles, his new appendages were strong and you had no doubt Tartaglia would have no problem strangling 8 people at the same time.

Which then led to your current horny thoughts praying to your Archon to have mercy and not let Tartaglia comment on your thoughts that was entertaining the idea of tentacle sex.

‘I bet this would feel good inside me’ You thought as you gently observed the suckers on Tartaglia’s tentacle, the one you knew was his detachable dick.

Tartaglia’s tentacle wriggled gently on your hand, alternating between feeling out the gaps of your fingers with its thick tip that barely fitted through, and leaving marks on your hand with its suckers. The tentacle was darkish blue in hue, turning violet when the light hits it at a certain angle, if asked you would not be able to identify what sort of octopus he was beyond a specie that was most likely a bottom dweller.

While you were busy sitting on the rest of Tartaglia’s wriggling tentacles in your swimsuit, Tartaglia lounged about on the other end of the tub, facing your back with a displeased look on his face. His face rested on the knuckle of his hand, turbulent thoughts apparent on his face.

Tartaglia worried about your obliviousness once you became absorbed in your task. He wondered how you could still observe his tentacle when another one was wriggling directly below your crotch. He was quite aware that if it went on for another minute, he could definitely slip it in. His stare on your ass, whose crack was slightly visible from the way you crouched, burned through you but you ignored it. Countless missions spent with Tartaglia had made you immune, slowly but surely, to his bouts of displeasure on some of your work ethic.

Being younger than him had the equally fortunate and unfortunate effect of him being almost caring towards you. You bore with it because 1. You liked him, and 2. Letting him do as he pleased was more energy efficient. Such actions of course led to him liking you a whole lot more compared to the other harbingers, which meant that more often than not you were sent along with him to distant lands, which meant you dealt with whatever fall out occurred from his penchant of following trouble.

Not that you mind, sure you weren’t the best fighter among your colleagues, nor were you the best schemer among them but you were certainly the best negotiator they had when it came to compensation. So it stood to reason that it was best that you were paired with Tartaglia most of the time, which was fortunate considering the events in Liyue. Economic relations had only taken a slight dive after the whole Osial fiasco, with Tartaglia almost duking it out with Signora once they were away from prying eyes.

Your assurance that you had evacuated the entirety of Liyue Harbor with the spare Fatui soldiers you had and the rest of the Millelith, was the only reason Tartaglia easily backed down.

The result was that Tartaglia had warmed up to you considerably, and was without a doubt considered you as his “friend” if it meant sparring sessions every day that went from fighting each other all out to him teaching you how to use every weapon he knew. And Tartaglia as a catalyst user was just a sight to behold as much as he was a dual blade wielder.

“How long are you planning to ignore me?” He asked as he pulled you close to his chest, tentacles wrapping around your waist and legs, slyly splitting your legs wide apart.

“I’m not?” You answered, confusion lacing your tone.

You reached for the tentacle that you were studying, “Can you pass the recorder to me? Dottore was demanding an oral report.”

“Didn’t he hate those?”

“Yes. But for some reason he wanted one...ugh I’m getting back at him for this” You complained as you made yourself comfortable on his chest, slouching slightly as Tartaglia cuddled you in the tub.

He hummed at the sight of you being completely relaxed around him despite his temporary state as a weird octopus thing. His tentacles were exploring your skin, the small scars that you got from moments of carelessness in exploration made some parts of your skin different. His arms played with your hair, absentmindedly kissing you every now and then on the back of your head as two of his tentacles stealthily slithered up your chest resting below the area of your chest.

He watched you for a moment as you fiddled with the recorder, figuring out how to use it.

“There we go~!” You muttered, pleased at your actions that you remained unaware of imminent realization of your lewd thoughts.

Tartaglia smiled fondly before it turned into a lascivious smirk as he simultaneously gripped your waist as his tentacles slipped into your hole and sucked.

“Hnn~!” You moaned in surprise, back-arching at the intrusion only to end up pushing it further inside, the tentacles near your chest immediately latched on your nipples, sucking it until you let out another moan, “Ah~!”

“Wha-” The thick tentacle inside your hole sucked on your wall, gelatinous hydro coating its thick tip until it felt like your hole was filled to the brim, “No! Ahn! Don’t twist inside-”

Your words were interrupted by the intrusion of a particularly thick tentacle in your mouth. “Mmmpff!!!”

Drool dripped down on the sides of your mouth as you felt the appendage roaming inside, thick and slick as it fucked your mouth. You wriggled your body, doing your best to break free from the tight hold of Tartaglia’s tentacles but only made it tighten its hold on your limbs and drove it deeper inside you.

“You feel really good,” Tartaglia praised, making you pleased for a moment which was enough for his appendage that was stimulating your insides to go further, “How many of my tentacles do you think you can take?”

His words sent you to a bout of panic, the lone appendage that was sucking on the walls of your hole, wriggling about and hitting your spot was already too much for you. You signaled to him that any more would break you but all it did was make his grin wider just as you felt the two tentacles on your nipples grope your chest and then twist your over-stimulated nipples.

You cummed just as you felt the hard thrust inside your wall, sending you to another orgasm that had your body bending from the pleasure only to turn limp once the high was done. Even as you laid on his chest with your tired body and hazy mind, Tartaglia’s tentacles didn’t stop moving, you felt and saw your legs spread wide, two tentacles holding you up until your ass was lifted. The soft prod of another tentacle on your asshole made you sit up in alarm but it was useless as you felt your asscheek being spread and then the cold intrusion of the tip.

“Mpff!” Your alarm turned into a moan, mouth opening wide for one of his slightly thinner tentacles to slip in.

“Look at you, wriggling in pleasure” Tartaglia said as he licked your neck, “Did you think I wouldn’t notice how you would rub your slutty crotch on my tentacle? Did you like the feeling of my suckers rubbing your slutty hole?”

You were helpless as his tentacles lifted your legs up, the soft prod to your hole was all the warning you got before another tentacle roughly pushed its way in. You cried out in pleasure, hole clamping down in reflex but it was all for naught as you saw your legs being spread wide in the air and then felt your hole being fucked again and again until you came once more.

“Nnn!” You moaned as you laid on Tartaglia’s chest, your hands reached the nearest tentacle and began sucking it with your mouth.

Tartaglia laughed in delight, “What a cute slut you are!”

His laughter rang in your ears as you felt your mouth being forced open, his tentacle slipped out, your saliva coating it and stretching until a thin strand was left connecting the tip of his tentacle to your tongue. And then he kissed you, passionately as he twisted your body to sit facing towards him.

His tentacles harshly slipped out of your abused hole, making you moan and cum once more. The water on the tub sloshed and spilled from the harsh and vigorous movements of Tartaglia. His hands held you by the waist, treating your hole like a fleshlight as he repeatedly slammed you to his tentacles, occasionally rubbing your crotch against his suckers until you found yourself doing it personally.

You held onto his shoulders as you repeatedly used his tentacles to seek out your own orgasm. Dottore’s recorder was already long forgotten as it continued recording on the wet tiles of the bathroom floor.

“Tartaglia!” You cried out his name, when you felt another tentacle thrust inside you as his teeth clamped on your nipples. You came loudly, your hole twitching as it clamped on the tentacles.

“Fuck!” He cursed before pushing you down the tub, the waters drastically reduced, and moved to cover your entire lower half. You felt his beak and then the familiar push of the head of his cock on your entrance.

His hands played with your chest as he easily plunged his cock inside you. Your moans was silenced with his kiss, and then he began moving. He fucked you ardently, like a starved man, it was an odd sensation for your lower half, his suckers leaving bruises while his cock repeatedly and easily fucked your hole.

The water turned murky with each orgasm the two of you had, Tartaglia’s back was filled with your scratches and the crescent marks of your nails from digging deep in his skin. Your neck was littered with bruises and bite marks from his mouth. The two of you fucked as if both of you had been doused with aphrodisiac, as if neither of you had sex in a long while.

And though it was farthest from the truth, Tartaglia wouldn’t deny that he had missed you terribly. The entire time on Liyue had been spent either preparing for taking the gnosis or fixing up trade relations, there wasn’t a single time he was able to spend a day with you without it being work related.

Not even his weekly challenges with the traveler were able to stave off his longing for you. So for him, this was the closest he had been to you for a long time. When both of your lust had been satiated, you laid on the now almost empty tub, simply basking in the afterglow as you gave him absentminded kisses on his chest.

“Oh shit!” You cursed as you frantically left his loving embrace and searched for the lost recorder.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, tentacles pulling you back to his side.

“Dottore’s fucking recorder! I’d like it if our sex life wouldn’t be part of the official record of Dottore’s whatever!” You answered, as you swatted a particularly lecherous tentacle that was rubbing your still sensitive hole.

Tartaglia helped you look for it, arms hugging you as his eyes searched about before he spotted it near the claw foot of the tub. His tentacle reached for it, bringing it to you like a prize, ignoring the blinking red light that was still recording.

“What prize do I get?” He asked as he kissed your cheek, squeezing you tighter in his arms.

You hummed as you fiddled with the recorder, stopping it and hoping in vain as you replayed it’s contents.

“AHN~! NO!--IT WON’T FIT AT ALL!”

As soon as you heard your dirty talk, you immediately stopped the playback. Imaginary tears falling down your eyes as you cursed your past self for always being swept up on Tartaglia’s charm and antics.

“Ah~ as expected of my beloved comrade~ even though you said it wouldn’t fit, in the end you had three tentacles inside you in one hole right?”

You blushed at his teasing, “With how big your cock is, it would be a wonder if three didn’t fit.”

“Ahahaha!” He laughed, pure and genuine, “Comrade! That isn’t a winning argument for you at all~”

“Who cares! Anyways, what kind of pet name is comrade!?!” You tried to steer the conversation away from your loss, “Change it! Or are you dating the Traveler on top of me?!”

Tartaglia’s eyes softened at your kitten-like jealousy. He smiled at you, soft and loving that had you melting from the inside. It was in moments like this that made you wonder what life would be like for the two of you outside the Fatui, a normal life free from politik and schemes and the ever-looming threat of Celestia’s wrath.

“Then what about супруг(spouse)?”

An unsaid question, for a future that may never come. You paused, heart beating fast as you thought hard and deeply, not weighing the pros and cons but thinking of the possibility that this might not end in happiness. That this promise might end up the first one he’d break.

“Are you sure?” You asked him, meeting his eyes head on, willing him to understand what he was asking.

Out of all the Harbingers he was the closest to death. The one most likely to die first. He was their Vanguard, a sacrifice, when push comes to shove he would have to lay down his life for the rest of you. It was a thought both of you knew, a reason why he wanted to become stronger and stronger because no matter how many times he claims that world domination was his goal, you knew that protecting the ones he held dear was also the reason why.

Tartaglia may long for a glorious death from a battle, but you knew that he also longed for a life outside the Fatui.

“Yes” He answered as he drew close to you, forehead touching with yours.

You kissed him, gently and lovingly, and for the first time filled with hope instead of resignation at the harsh future that would come. An unsaid answer for a future that both of you would fight for.

‘I will be with you always, from this day until not even death may part us.’

[priortoallthoughts]

Don’t Mess With the Commander’s Tour

(You can mess with the Commander on his tour, however)

Rating: Explicit 18+ (Minors DNI)

Word Count: 3k

Pairing: Commander Fox x afab!reader

Warnings: Lowkey fondling, sexting, oral (m receiving), panty ripping but make it sensual, unprotected p in v sex (be safe, use discretion), riding, implied face-sitting at the end

Summary: Your boss asks you to work with someone else for a story at the HNN, which by sheer coincidence leads you to taking a proper tour of the Coruscant Guard building, though it’s a wonder you get any work done at all with Fox’s presence demanding every second of your attention.

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] //

Masterlist

It’s one thing to stop by the guard building with caf every morning, but it’s another thing entirely to go there because of your job. The HoloNet News is doing a story about some high profile prisoners on Coruscant, and to make sure that nothing is missed, they’re doing a bit on the Coruscant Guard too. To be fair, this isn’t what you usually cover, but your boss lent out your talents and in a twist of fate here you are, actually going through security for once in a place you casually walked into that very morning.

You roll your eyes behind your temporary boss’s back as he explains everything to you like you don’t know any better. He doesn’t know you do, but that’s not the point. He has a reputation for being up-tight but you quickly realize that that’s putting it lightly.

You pin your visitors badge in place and go through the scanners, wondering if it would get back to Fox that you’re here if he doesn’t know already. Oh, who are you kidding, if he didn’t see your name on the schedule for today along with your boss’s then Thire will have told him by now, considering he’s the one checking you in.

Thire gives nothing away, introducing himself to you like it’s the first time you’re meeting. You snicker to yourself after you give him your name, shooting him a sly wink before he leads you down the hall. Your boss explained the itinerary back at HNN HQ, so you wonder why instead of going down to the holding cells, Thire leads you on a very familiar route to the offices.

More specifically, to Fox’s office.

“What are we doing here?” Your boss asks in annoyance. You want to tell him to shove it.

“Unfortunately something has come up that I need to take care of immediately, so Commander Fox will be taking over your tour of the facilities.”

Only Thire can see your grin when Fox’s door opens.

“Commander Fox, I presume?” Your boss drawls.

You shoot him a dirty look at his tone. If he starts to talk down to any guard member in front of you, you’ll be fired by the end of the day for what you’d do to him. And probably arrested. Again.

It would be worth it.

“Yes, sir,” Fox drawls in his own subtle way in return, and you know he’s already unimpressed with your boss.

“Good. My name is Wallace Trent, head reporter for the crime column. This is my assistant for today. Pay her no mind, she’s only here to take notes for me.”

You’re pretty sure you see the back of your skull with how hard you roll your eyes. Fox will be doing nothing but paying attention to you, just as you will be to him.

“I see,” Fox says carefully. “Let’s start then. Thire, I’ve got it from here.”

Thire nods at Fox and you (you know better than to think he’s actually acknowledging your boss) and you whip out your data pad, seemingly ready to start taking notes.

::How long have you two been planning this?:: you send to Thire’s personal comm.

Thire’s response is quick. ::Since Fox saw your name on the visitor’s list::

::And I’m sure you have you have much better things to be doing right now, right?::

::Have fun on your date::

::Shabuir::

You can hear Thire’s responding laugh from down the hall. Fox’s head tilts almost imperceptibly from where he leads you down to the cells, and you have no doubt Thire just told him about your short conversation.

Your fingers fly over your data pad, typing almost non-stop as Fox describes the processes that take place for varying types of criminals. He doesn’t give away anything about the facility itself that isn’t already public knowledge, much to your boss’s chagrin. Of course, it makes sense considering that would be a potential security risk if you report on it.

Besides, you have to give up your data pad, comm links, and recording devices before actually entering the prison, so you can’t take notes anyway.

Your boss really puts up a fuss when he hears that, but Fox gives him a verbal lashing that has you shaking trying to control your laughter. You type out a very quick message, not waiting for a response before you put your things in the bin to be held on the other side of the window.

::I love it when you use your commander voice. Very sexy::

There are two other troopers that lead you through this section, allowing Fox to take up the rear of the group, right next to you.

His hand comes up and rests on your shoulder, and you shiver when he squeezes ever so lightly.

“Careful, cyare,” he whispers lowly. “Don’t start something you won’t finish.”

You smirk in response. “Who says I won’t?” You mutter under your breath, knowing his helmet will still pick it up. To prove your point you slip your hand in the gap of the back of his kama, palming his upper thigh where neither his cod piece nor cuisse covers.

He wholly grabs your ass in retaliation. You know he feels you almost trip because he gives your butt a few light pats afterwards. Curse his armor, you want to fondle his butt too! The most you can do is drag your fingers around the release to his cod piece, but he gets the idea.

Though, if your hand happens to cup the uncovered area of his crotch briefly when you pull away, then that’s just a happy coincidence.

You wish you were on this tour alone, just him and you. You could get your job done and have a little (or a lot of) fun at the same time. Fox certainly wouldn’t mind. Either way you smile to yourself, because now you have something to finish later.

Fox bumps your arm subtly when your group makes their way back out of the cell block. You bump him back in acknowledgment that he totally just caught you daydreaming, and you know he knows exactly what you’re thinking. There’s a message waiting on your data pad when you pick it up.

::My office. End of the day::

::Giving me orders now, Commander?::

You don’t know exactly how Fox messages with his helmet, but you’re glad for it because it lets him do it with no one else but you being the wiser. And you’re good at multitasking, part of the reason you’re here to begin with, so listening to him talk and continuing your note taking, and typing dirty things back to him is easy.

::I thought you liked it when I give orders, cyare?::

::I very much enjoy it::

::So if I told you to get on your knees right now?::

You bite your lip. ::Then you better have your cock out by the time I hit the floor::

If you hadn’t been staring at Fox’s ass at that moment, you would have missed the slight twitch of his hands where they’re clasped behind his back. You’re determined to make him trip up like he made you earlier. Luckily the Coruscant Guard building is huge, so you have time.

::You’re playing a dangerous game, cyare::

::I rode your thigh in a back alley while you were on duty - I’ve already won the game::

The seconds tick by and you’re practically quivering with anticipation as you walk. Fox’s next message takes a minute to appear and you bite your lip again to stop any noises from escaping.

::I should have fucked you in that alley. Then I would have been able to feel your tight pussy around me sooner::

::You fucked me the next morning. It was hardly a long wait::

::But you were thinking about me the whole time, weren’t you?::

::Oh, I dreamed about how you’d feel inside me::

He doesn’t message you after that, and you wonder what he’s planning, because there’s undoubtedly something. You find out a few minutes later when the tour is finally over. You’re by the front desk getting ready to leave when Fox stops your boss, much to both of their displeasures.

“We will need to go over the notes your assistant took to make sure there’s no threat of a security leak. She’ll have to stay behind.”

Your boss scoffs and you have to hold in your eye roll when he looks back at you. “I want those notes as soon as possible, understand?”

“Of course, Mr. Trent.”

He leaves with another huff and as soon as he’s out the door you spin around and march yourself back to Fox’s office. You can hear Fox’s low chuckle before his footsteps start up behind you, matching your pace easily. He comes up beside you, but instead of grabbing on to you like he did before, he dutifully keeps his hands to himself.

You turn your head and look up at him in amusement. “Couldn’t wait ‘til the end of the day, huh?”

When you get to Fox’s door he keys in his code and all but shoves you inside as soon as it slides open, locking it when it closes and soundproofing the room. His helmet is off a second later and he grabs the data pad from your hand to toss on the couch. His lips are on yours the next. It’s a hard and needy kiss; one you return with equal fervor as he turns and presses you against the door.

“Not making that mistake again,” he says before kissing down your neck.

You can’t help but agree, working his armor off with slightly trembling hands as he continues to kiss down to your chest, undoing buttons on your blouse as he goes. His pauldrons and chest plate join your shirt and bra on the floor before you kneel to get his kama and cod piece off. He groans at the sight and you tilt your head up teasingly.

“You still want me on my knees, right, Commander?”

He strokes your cheek reservedly. “Always, cyare. You look so good like this.”

He’s already hard when you get his cod piece off, and you wonder how long he’s been like this. Since he read your first message? When you were getting handsy in the hallway? Maybe it was when you started comming each other, because you felt yourself getting more turned on with each new message that came through, too.

Whenever it was, you’re glad for it now, because the prominent bulge in his pants is something that you crave entirely. You kiss him through his blacks and he sucks in a breath. You’re tempted to tease him some more like that but you’re too impatient, needing to see him, needing to taste him, probably just as much as Fox wants you to.

You pull his blacks down until they catch on his armor, enough that his member springs free and you can finally get your hands on him properly. You don’t waste any time before you suck on him lightly and take his tip into your mouth.

Fox braces his forearm on the door above you while his other hand goes to hold the back of your head. He doesn’t try to push you further, just follows the pace you set, clenching his fingers and scratching your scalp lightly as you suck him off.

He’s heavy on your tongue. You take him down until you gag, your hand wrapping around the base that won’t fit in your wanting mouth. His precum slides into the back of your throat every time you go down, and it tastes somehow exactly like the smell of sex that’s already permeating the air around you.

He’s panting hard when you pull up with a gasp. His thumb drags through the trail of spit on your chin and pushes it back onto your tongue when you stick it out.

“We should move this to the couch,” he says breathily.

“Good idea,” you agree.

He helps you to your feet and guides you over, discarding his cuisses before pulling you down to straddle him, the skirt you’re still wearing sliding up and bunching at your hips.

You rub your still clothed pussy over his cock. “I think we’re still a little over-dressed,” you pout.

His hands rub up and down your thighs and your heart skips a beat at the downright devilish smirk he gives you. “The only thing that needs to go is-“

There’s a tearing sound.

You gape at him as you feel the delicate lace of your panties being ripped off at the seams. There’s a slight burning at your hip, but it feels as good at it hurt after the stinging abates.

You can’t believe Fox just did that.

Wait, no, yes you can.

You let out an involuntary moan when you see him bring the fabric up to his nose. You can’t take your eyes off him, watching him intently as his lashes flutter closed and he takes a deep breath. His tongue slips out to drag up the damp spot caused by your earlier arousal, making him to groan into the lace.

You grip his shirt tightly. This man is trying to kill you, and he’s succeeding. You’re pretty sure your brain has short-circuited at the sight in front of you. The last few seconds are on repeat in your mind. The feel of his chest rising under your fist, the string of saliva that connects his tongue to your panties when he pulls away, his absolutely blissed out expression, the sound he just made, it’s all burned into your memory. The heat that burns through you is delicious and compelling and you think you might die if nothing is done about it in the next five seconds.

“Kriffing hells!” is all you get out before you yank his hand away from his face and pull him into a fierce, bruising, tongue clashing kiss. You press your now unclothed center down, creating the friction you so desperately need.

Fox uses both of his hands to grab your ass and drag you even harder onto him. You both moan when his tip catches at your entrance, and you go back and forth to do it again. And again. And again. It’s not even close to what you both want but you’re unable to stop, lost on the edge of desire for more still and knowing you both can cum just from this.

Your lips don’t leave each other even when you finally manage to shift your hips and sink onto him slowly. He fills you inch by thick, glorious inch. Your breath catches when your thighs meet his, grinding your clit on his neat little patch of hair.

One of Fox’s arms slides up your bare back and grabs the back of your neck while the other one snakes around your waist. He holds you there tightly, breaking your kiss enough to rest his forehead on yours so he can look at you.

Neither of you need words now.

You grind your hips slowly and he barely pulls out before pushing back into you impossibly deeper. You gasp and whine when he hits exactly where you need him to the first time. He keeps at it, slow and hard and deep, his breath mingling with your as you pant between sloppy kisses.

“More,” you plead.

Fox doesn’t waste any time. He pulls your hips up until his tip catches at your entrance and slams you back down. It’s good he soundproofed the room because you scream at being speared on his cock like this. He sets a fast pace, and you grab onto his shoulders to help steady yourself. His grunts and moans join yours, harmonizing beautifully in the small room.

“Feel so good, cyare. So kriffing good around me.” Fox grips onto you tighter, and you can practically feel the bruises forming under his fingertips. Not that you mind.

“Fox!” You moan when his mouth latches onto your nipple. You keep up a steady chant of “Fox” and “kriff” and “yes” as he moves on. He sucks a dark hickey on the inside of your breast, and makes a matching one opposite it when he’s pleased enough with the first.

“Are you close?” He croaks. You can see how much he’s trying to hold back.

You nod earnestly, unable to form words. Fox angles his hips up and slams into that spot inside you that has you seeing stars. You scream out again in ecstasy as your orgasm rips through you seconds later. You can hear Fox yell out too as you clench around him, pushing in as deep as he can when he cums.

He fills you with his load, rope after rope of hot seed painting your walls. You stay connected until he’s completely spent. It takes a moment to come down from your respective highs, breathing together, foreheads once again touching like you’re not already as close as two people can be.

You place a soft kiss to his lips. “That’s two pairs of panties you owe me now,” you chuckle.

“No.” He kisses you back. “The first pair was a gift, remember?”

You snort and hide your giggles in his neck. “Yeah, I can’t argue with that. Just the one, then.”

He runs a hand up and down your back as you relax. “How about another pretty red one? I like that color on you.”

“I’m sure you do. Now, since I don’t have a pair to put back on, you better clean up your mess.”

Fox grins and lays down, pulling you down on top of him. “As long as you sit on my face, cyare.”

You clench unconsciously around his softened cock and he laughs like he isn’t giving a valiant effort to twitch and harden again at the feeling.

“Sounds like a plan.”

—-

You do eventually get your notes to your boss, after Fox takes five minutes to actually read through and approve them.

That only happens after round two, though.