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theticklingknot · 4 days

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2 - Ground Rules

HD and 4K need to work out some ground rules between them for this new life together. And HD has to experience his first tickling session.

Had to finish off last minute things to get this out. Namely the updated art for the blog. But with that done now the next chapters should come a lot smoother, just a matter of finishing art for them.

As always, please enjoy.

HD had woken up early morning, as far as they could guess. The opening to the sky above showed gray clouds but it hadn’t rained yet. Birds were out singing in the distance, slowly drawing HD from their dreamless sleep. They weren’t one to usually lounge in bed but today they felt like he needed it. Today was a lot.

The events of yesterday were clear in their mind the moment they woke up. They remembered everything. The deal, the agreements, the...tickling.

HD’s face flushed again and he buried it into a pillow by his head. It wasn’t so much the tickling he was embarrassed by but the moments after. When he was so soft and meek and let himself be so easily carried to bed. He wouldn’t be able to shake that one off for a while.

But while his thoughts swam in the embarrassed he also took the time to take in everything.

Overall, his plan had worked and that was something to be thankful for. It would be an adjustment to be the tickle toy – as the demon so crudely put it – to 4K but it was a sacrifice he could make.

Now the question was...where was the demon?

HD knew the deal wasn’t broken, so he had no need to worry but he was...curious. He didn’t really know what 4K did outside of kidnapping people. There was no good time to ask last night if he had any hobbies.

Or maybe he was just lurking somewhere in the cave, waiting to pounce HD down and tickle him silly.

No. He couldn’t think like that. That would just make him paranoid. With a wakening shake, HD pushed himself to sit up. Seemingly just at the right time as 4K came up the slope.

“Oh good! You’re awake!”

The demon was all smiles again as he came towards the edge of the stone bed. He wore simpler clothes today; a long black robe over duller red top and loose black trousers. His hair was pulled back into a more managed ponytail, but it was still flicking out wildly at the sides.

“I wasn’t sure how long you’d sleep for. Didn’t wanna wake you but I made breakfast if you want it. Just some eggs and fish, nothing fancy.”

“You...cook?”

Somehow that was that should have been the last thing to focus on, but HD somehow latched onto the fact. It was something personal about 4K apart from his love for tickling. It was new.

“Of course! You think I survive on herbs and berries?”

Not with those muscles. HD thought, thankfully keeping it in his mind.

“You want the breakfast, or not?” 4K asked, almost sounding annoyed.

The pang of hunger was slowly gnawing at HD’s stomach though he had tried to ignore it. Gratefully he accepted with a, “Yes. Please…” and 4K lead HD back down to the cave.

While still shadowed the cave had a different feel in the dim light of morning. It was less ominous. The rocks weren’t so jagged or misleading. 4K took HD down the walk way on the right and went into the first small cavern. It was a kitchen room, or at least trying it’s best to imitate a kitchen room. There was an old wooden table in the centre of the room, an off-white cloth thrown over it in an attempt to hide the stains and scratches. The chairs were in just a bit better condition but neither were the same type of wood to match the table. A small campfire lay off to the side, currently cooking a line of fish that hung from their skewers.

There were plates on the table – once again mismatched – with cooked eggs on top.

4K tended to the fire and fish while HD eyed over the furniture and eggs with suspicious. “Where did you get the table and chairs?” He asked. “And the eggs.” He added, noting he had not seen or heard a single chicken.

4K gave an almost smug smile. “Human stuff. They leave it lying around.”

He knew what the answer would be, and yet it still didn’t make it any better. “We made a deal. You wouldn’t harass the humans.”

“No. I said I wouldn’t harm humans, so long as they didn’t harm me first. And, since our little deal is still in tact, seems your terms and conditions don’t consider stealing as harmful.”

He knew the deal hadn’t been broken, and yet HD still reached out to his heart just to check. Still there, the knot in his heart that bound him to 4K.

“I… Can feel that.” 4K’s voice wavered slightly as he took the skewer from the fire.

“You can?” HD asked, genuinely surprised. “When I… Just there?”

“Yes. Like a little tug on my heart. Or...maybe like a squeeze.”

That was a new feature. Though perhaps not. HD had never kept deals long enough to know really, the transaction was done or broken in the same day. He’d have to keep aware of it.

“And even though it’s none of your business. I didn’t steal the furniture.” 4K said matter-of-factly while he divided the fish between them. “I think this cave used to be used for smuggling or...something. When I got here there were no humans but a they left a bunch of stuff.”

“And the crates out front? Were they left here?”

HD knew they weren’t. 4K knew HD knew they weren’t but it didn’t stop his smug smile. “Maybe. Anyway, enough of that.” He sat on one of the chairs and motioned to the other. “Sit and eat. We have a few things to discuss.”

HD raised one eyebrow, but he moved over to the chair opposite. “Discuss what?” He asked as he sat down.

4K was already eating, tearing into the fish with his fangs as he spoke. “We need to lay some ground rules.” He spoke between mouthfulls.

“Those should have been set last night, when the deal was made.” HD said, somewhat annoyed. There was a spoon laid by the plate of eggs that HD picked up after making sure it was clean.

“These aren’t deal breakers, relax.” 4K quickly assured. “It’s like...house rules. Boundaries. Since we are going to be with each other for eternity we should make this as smooth as possible.”

That made more sense that HD could agree to that. “Okay…” He slowly nodded. “What are they?”

“You’re going to need a safeword.” 4K said instantly.

HD blinked. “A...what?”

“A safeword. Something you can remember easily so you can use when you want sessions to end or…”

“I know what a safeword is.” HD quickly corrected. “I mean like...why would you want me to have that? I thought the whole idea was I was for...that.”

4K’s lips curled into an almost scowl and a flash of what looked like hurt passed over his eyes. “I’m a demon. Not a monster.”

A sweep of guilt overcame HD. “I-I didn’t mean it that way.”

“It’s fine.” 4K shrugged. “It’s natural to assume.”

But it wasn’t fine. A deep pit of shame swelled in HD. He knew the sting of people assuming. Even as he helped humans he saw the way they whispered about him or gave his wary looks. No matter what he did he’d always just be a fae creature to them. No matter how many people he helped, it wouldn’t be enough.

“I… I am sorry for assuming. I didn’t mean it to come out that way.” HD apologised. “I just meant that since I agreed to the deal, that would be consent for...all that.”

“Well I...do appreciate it.” 4K sounded almost surprised the apology was genuine. HD wondered how. “But consent today doesn’t count to tomorrow. You still need a safeword.”

HD paused his eating to think. A flurry of words came to mind, but only one stuck out. “Clouds? Would that work?”

“Yes, that should be fine.” 4K said after thinking for a second. “It’s short so you can say it quickly and it will be easy to remember.” He looked over at HD, his eyes growing serious. Or as serious as 4K could look. “You use that whenever you need. If you want the tickling to stop, or even if you just don’t want me to touch you for the day. I won’t ask questions.”

This didn’t feel like the same demon HD talked to last night. This didn’t feel like the demon the morals told him stories off.

“Were you this kind to the others you’d tickle?”

4K paused mid eating. His dumbfounded look quickly melted to a grin as he looked over to HD.

“Is that your question for the session?”

It took a moment to click what 4K meant, and HD’s confused expression changed to a blush. “N-No!” HD quickly flustered. He couldn’t waste his question on that. “That doesn’t-!”

“Relax, Starlight!” 4K couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m teasing you. No. I was not this nice to the others.” He lifted one of his fish back up, which was already torn apart with only the tail left. “Though, I didn’t have any others for long. But you I have for life.”

Another question popped into HD’s head and he had to bite his lips to stop himself from blurting it out without thinking again. “Can I ask another question? That doesn’t count to...the session.”

4K paused eating again to look at HD. His eyes flicking back and forth over the dae like he was thinking, before he spoke. “If I can ask you one?”

“Okay…” HD said unsurely.

“Since you want your questions before the tickling to be saved, that’s means they’re specific, right? What will your specific questions about?”

There was no use lying, though that was HD’s first response. 4K would figure it out anyway when the time came to ask him. “Demons…” HD mumbled, though 4K’s ears twitched to hear him. “I have some about you but...demons mostly.” He admitted.

4K gave a dangerous smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Seems I was right to make sure you couldn’t bring anything to hurt me.”

“I’m not going to hurt you…” HD tried to assure but even he didn’t believe his own voice. It was a demon he was dealing with. A demon that seemed to only be tickling his victims than doing something worse, but it was a demon non the less.

“Sure.” 4K’s voice was distant and his focus was back onto his food. “What’s your question?”

“What was the longest time you’ve kept a human?”

4K gave a shrug. “I think a couple days.”

HD blinked. That couldn’t be right. Some of the victims reported being kept for a week. The maximum was ten days. Was 4K lying? Why would he need to? Then that could only mean the humans were but...why?

“You think so loudly.” 4K suddenly said, pulling HD from his thoughts.

“The… In town. Humans are claiming you’ve kept them for a week. Sometimes longer.”

4K blinked now. His eyebrows shot up to his hairline as he huffed. “Well they’re lying.”

HD was careful not to sound accusing, but he had a feeling it would be taken that way no matter what. “There are a few who said it’s been multiple days.”

“Then a few are lying.” 4K quickly retorted. “I only kept the townsfolk less than a day. The ones I kept for a couple were bandits but never longer than that.”

HD didn’t know if demon lied as often as fae, but he believed 4K. Something about his shock seemed real and he knew humans were no strangers to lying either.

His paused must have came off wrong to 4K as his lips twisted to an almost snarl. “Suppose because I’m a demon, I’m lying about that.”

“No.” HD spoke calmly. “I believe you.”

The fight left 4K then, though he kept his guard up and eyed HD warily. “You believe the demon so easily?”

“We are going to be together for life, as you said.” HD pointed out. “Best we make it as smooth as possible.”

That was something 4K could agree to. He hummed, partly in agreement and partly in thought. He was already distracted, looking off into the distance before looking back to HD again. “We have a few more things to discuss, but that should be after we eat. I have to show you around the place.”

HD had picked at his food though the conversation but now the pang of hunger came again and he quickly ate. It tasted a lot nicer than he thought it would, though he kept that thought to himself. He made note that 4K was a surprisingly good cook.

The first part of the tour had 4K lead HD further down the tunnel. It wasn’t far from the kitchen and the cavern was just a bit bigger but it was decorated more cosy, and HD realised it was a bedroom.

“This will be your space.” 4K explained while he vaguely motioned to the room. “You can change and decorate it how you like, this was just so you had a bed.”

Despite it still being a cave, the room was actually cosy. There was a small indent in the ground, where furs and some pillows were set up like a bed. A dim lantern hung from the ceiling but there was a small clump of light blue crystals growing from the wall beside the bed. They gave off a dim glow which HD was fascinated with.

“They dim and glow at random periods. Or maybe they have a pattern and I’ve never seen it. I’ve not been in here much to know.” 4K explained.

“How many caverns does this cave have?” HD asked curiously while he felt over the furs on the bed. They were invitingly soft.

“A lot. A lot I’ve not gone into much. Some are deep into the mountain. Nothing but bats down there.” 4K shrugged then half turned in the doorway towards the hall. “Come on. Let’s go outside.”

The mention of outside was enough to pull HD away from the furs and quickly follow after 4K. They had not realised how much they longed to be under the open sky again. Caves were fine for shelter against the cold, but nothing would compare to the freeing open air.

The clouds were still overcast, but the day was warm and the air was cooling. As they slipped passed the waterfall and out into the open glade, HD gave a soft sigh. The tension in his shoulders melted away. It helped the demon also happed to live on such a beautiful mountain.

“The mountain is your home now as well. You can roam around it freely.” 4K carried on explaining. He walked slowly around the pond and HD joined him. “You are not bound to it, leave and return as you like, though I would advise from bringing anyone here or letting them follow you back. Humans don’t usually react favourably to demons and I’d hate to have to defend myself against your companion.”

“I won’t bring anyone here.” HD quickly promised, surprised 4K even allowed him that freedom. “I won’t leave the mountain.”

The demon hummed, sounded half interested and half disbelieving. “No? No friends to visit?” 4K asked. “Family?”

“No.” HD quickly replied, and spoke again to not draw attention to it. “I just need my one week in the month. For the rest of the time I’ll be here.”

“Yes.” 4K’s tone shifted, less quizzical and more serious. “While you bring that up, we should discuss that. You’ll need to choose your week. Unless you want it to be different each month.”

HD was relieved for the conversation shift. “Well, I actually have a proposal for that.” He started, and quickly added. “Which I don’t think you’ll like.”

“Okay? Well you’ve been very convincing before. Let’s hear it.”

It was an idea HD thought of in the morning, when his mind was trying to distract him from thinking about anything other than the tickling last night. And though it would be a hard sell to 4K, it made sense over all. “I propose that I take the week off at the end of the month. And then, the week off at the start of the next month.”

As predicted, 4K looked wary to the suggestion but he wasn’t outright refusing it. Instead he asked, clarifying. “So, you want two weeks essentially.”

“Technically yes. But, it would still be just one week each month.” HD reasoned. “And it will solve the issue of me returning on time. I can finish up what I need to do in two weeks easily.”

HD expected questions, or arguing, or even just the slightest disagreement, but 4K looked convinced right away. He hummed again, with his hands on his hips before nodding. “Yes. That would be fine.”

“Really?” HD asked, shocked.

“Yes.” 4K nodded again then looked to the fae. “While being without someone to tickle for two weeks will absolutely suck, just means when you get back, I have a full six weeks to take out aaaaaall that pent up energy.”

4K grinned and HD could feel the heat rise up through his chest, across his neck and settle over his cheeks as usual. He had no time to retort, or even hide his face before 4K stepped towards him and suddenly the demon was towering over him.

“Speaking of,” his voice went soft and he tapped one of his claws against HD’s nose. “You better get a question ready. Because you’re absolutely getting tickled today.”

Even if he hid his face, HD was sure he was absolutely glowing by now. His whole body felt warm, not at all helped by 4K grinning wider, clearly noticing the effect it had on him.

Trying to regain some control, HD cleared his throat. “What’s your...plan...exactly?” He asked.

“Is that your roundabout way to ask, how I’m going to tickle you?” 4K was straight forward and blunt. Especially when it came to tickling. That was something HD had to get used to. He was here for that reason after all. “Nothing too fancy for your first time.” 4K explained while he backed off from HD. “I figure we could start of with old fashion wrestling. I’ll even make it worth it. If you manage to pin me down, I won’t tickle you.”

That was an interesting proposal. People underestimated HD for his looks but he could handle himself. He was strong. He had a chance. Though as he looked at 4K, with his height and muscles tightening under his clothes, his chance seemed slim. But a slim chance was still a chance.

4K stepped around HD, heading back to the cave and HD quickly spoke up. “Can – Can we do it out here?” His voice was squeakier, spoken in a panic and 4K stopped suddenly. Blinking back at HD in surprise.

“You want to be tickled now?”

Shit.

4K grinned again. “I was gonna give you time. I’m not opposed to going now though.”

Part of HD wished he’d said nothing, then he could prepare himself. But another part of him convinced himself this was best. Getting the tickling out of the way for the day would make HD less on edge and he could know what to expect next time. Yes, by the time 4K turned back to face him, he had convinced himself this was the best outcome.

“What’s your question then?”

HD had a whole list of questions he had ready to ask, but all of them seemed a jumble of words when faced with the prospect of being tickled just minutes later. They tried focusing and calming his thoughts. They’d have more chances to ask more questions, so it made sense to get this one out of the way.

“Do you get energy from tickling?”

The question was a surprise to 4K as his eyes widened just slightly. But surprise was replaced with amusement. He gave a quick laugh, but it wasn’t unkind. “If you’re asking if I do this because I need to, no. I don’t get any benefits from tickling.”

It was an answer but it muddled up the plan HD had in their mind. “So-So you just...tickle? But why?”

“Ah!” 4K tapped his finger against HD’s lips. “That’s two questions. Unless you’re up for a double tickling session today.”

HD’s cheeks quickly went red. “N-No!”

“Thought not. Then you have your answer and you can save your next question.”

It wasn’t the answer HD expected but it was one of the most burning ones out the way. The disappointment of the answer was quickly overshadowed by the knowledge that he was about to let himself be tickled.

“H-How do…?” While HD could tell himself this was for the best to get it out of the way, his voice still betrayed him and gave away his nerves so easily.

“How do we start?” 4K finished for him and chuckled. “We’ll get to that. Just want to go over some things.” His voice went serious again and while it had put HD on edge at the beginning of the day, now it gave him comfort. “You have your safeword now, and you can use it any time. Do you remember it?” HD nodded to the question. “Say it.”

“Clouds.”

“Good. Any time you’re uncomfortable or even just unsure, you use it.”

HD nodded again, this time more confident in the motion.

“Alright. Then we start.”

HD opened his mouth to ask exactly how, but all that came out was a surprised squeak and the world turned on it’s side. His back hit to the soft grass and HD only had a moment in his daze before realising 4K was on top of him, then survival kicked in.

4K didn’t have a good hold on him yet so HD quickly scrambled away. He pushed off 4K’s shoulders, almost slipping away until a hand grabbed around his leg.

“You’re a slippery one!” 4K was laughing and pulled HD up.

His first instinct was to resist, but after a split second thought, HD instead moved with the momentum. 4K was unprepared, over pulling enough to roll himself ever so slightly. HD took that chance, rolling himself out from under 4K and managing to perch over the demon’s back.

It was not a pin at all. HD barely got his legs on either side of 4K’s waist and his arms were still free.

He just needed to pin him somehow. If he could get at 4K’s arms for just a moment he could win. HD convinced himself he could.

However, while he was trying hard to think of how to pin those arms, he wasn’t paying attention to those arms. In one quick motion the hand reached back, grabbing onto HD’s thigh and squeezing.

“GACK!”

The tickly shockwave through HD’s body was enough to jolt them off 4K’s back. They rolled just slightly on their side and before realising their mistake but it was already too late.

It took less than a second for 4K to roll over. He scooped HD up into his arms, pulling the fae’s back against his chest. One arm wrapped around HD’s shoulders, pulling him tight against the demon. 4K’s legs wrapped around HD’s, pulling them tight together.

He could still move his arms just barely, but HD was stuck.

“W-Wahait!”

“Far more slippery than you look.” 4K purred against HD’s ear. His chest rumbled against HD’s back and HD wasn’t sure if he was just too sensitive, or if it was from nerves, but it felt like it tickled along his back.

“Hold-Hold on!” HD begged, grasping at the arm around his shoulders. He hadn’t even considered the fact that 4K had two arms until it rose up, placed high above HD in a claw form. Like an animal poised to strike.

“W-Wa-Wait! Wahait! W-Wahait!”

His pleas fell on deaf ears as the hand struck. HD tried to flinch, but he wasn’t allowed. His body was stretched out, open and vulnerable for 4K to pluck and play with. And play he did.

The hand came to HD’s hip. 4K had wrapped his arm around HD’s waist, so he was holding HD extra tightly as he tickled and kneaded the hip on HD’s right side.

HD didn’t even know if his hips were ticklish, but now he could absolutely confirm they were. He shrieked at first as the tickly shocks ran through him, but it was from the surprise of it. His tensed up nerves suddenly felt alive, struggling in 4K’s arms for release.

“EheheHEHEHEHE! T-Tickles! Ihihit tickles!”

“Oh? Does it tickle?” 4K’s voice sounded surprised, even selling it with a small gasp. “Oh I’m so sorry. What about here?”

The hand moved up, positioning right over HD’s stomach digging his tickling fingers in once again. The shriek wasn’t as loud this time but the laugh was deeper. 4K’s fingers found a spot just beside HD’s hip. Like a direct button into his nerves HD laughed, sputtering out confused whines and pleads. He knew he was ticklish. He never knew how ticklish he was.

“OHOH PLEHEHEEASE! IT TIHIHICKLES IT TICKLES TH-THEEEERE!”

“It tickles again?” 4K’s voice had dropped his surprise. His voice was warm, rumbling like a growl almost. “Well aren’t you just a tickly little thing.”

“G-GOHODS! ST-STOHOP STOP!”

“Not a chance.”

There was no stopping the tickling hand, even as HD’s hands tried to bat and pry at it. His strength he was so confident in was gone.

In a blessing, 4K stopped tickling over his tummy. HD was given just a moments of giggly rest before 4K’s hand came back, this time squeezing and tickling up his sides.

HD howled. He was sure he was begging for his life at that moment, but all the words were lost on him. He only had some semblance of self when the tickling travelled up to his ribs. It still tickled, but it was more a soft drumming against his nerves than the shocks again and again.

“What a spot to find!” 4K voice practically trilled with his glee. His tail whipped under him. “I thought you were about to lose your mind there!”

It already felt like he had lost his mind, but there was some small thread of conscious thought working with HD to free him. 4K’s arms were immovable but he still had a chance.

4K’s legs were strong around HD’s, but with HD struggling and wiggling he could feel just a little give. Enough that in that moment he pulled his leg free. He kicked it off 4K’s legs, enough to get his other leg free as well, but before he could plan any more for his freedom, 4K quickly acted.

He rolled himself and HD so now HD was laying on his front on the ground. The grass tickled at HD’s nose, disorienting him for a moment as 4K moved him. The demon was no longer lying on top of him, but sitting on his lower back. Both of HD’s wrists were grabbed, easily, in one of 4K’s hands and pinned to the ground above his head.

Struggling was pointless yet HD still tried. He could move his legs at least but that was no use. He couldn’t kick high enough to get to 4K, and he couldn’t get any grip onto the grass to even try push himself up. Even then it wouldn’t matter. 4K’s weight wasn’t going to budge.

“You almost got out there.” 4K taunted. His finger just pressed ever so slightly on HD’s back through his top. HD squeaked, already giggling even though the touch wouldn’t normally be so ticklish. A worrying realisation hit HD that he couldn’t see. He couldn’t see where the next tickle was going to hit.

“Please! Please...d-dohon’t!”

“Don’t what?” 4K asked casually as he walked his fingers up HD’s spine.

It tickled so madly. It wasn’t intense, like the tickling on his sides, but more like an itch he just couldn’t get too. It felt worse in that moment, but HD had a feeling that opinion was about to change when 4K chose his next target for his attack.

“T-Tickle me! D-Dohon’t tihihickle me! Please!” HD pleaded, uncaring how high pitched his voice squeaked. He tried to turn his head just enough to look back at 4K, but that was a worse mistake.

The black mane of hair had untangled itself from the hair tie. It fell around the demon like a curtain. It shadowed them both from the dim light of the clouded over sun, but that just meant his orange eyes glowed so brightly and made his grin more maddening. Those orange eyes were just watching his own fingers, slowly crawl up, further and further up HD’s spine. When 4K’s eyes just flicked up to HD’s face, HD quickly looked away. He only hoped his hair was hiding his blush.

“Are you ticklish?” 4K asked.

“Y-Yeesss…”

“How ticklish?”

“V-Vehery!”

“So very ticklish.” 4K said it like he was confirming. His fingers stopped their slow walk between HD’s shoulder blades and instead he drew a lazy circle around and around HD’s back. “A ticklish little thing like you couldn’t handle being tickled over and over.”

“N-No!”

HD didn’t know where it was going or if he should have even been agreeing with 4K, but his mind was in a jumbled mess, wanting to do anything to get out of the situation. His skin wouldn’t stop tingling knowing the tickling was coming. Knowing at any moment those fingers would be attacking his sides, or his armpits, or his ribs. And he had no way of knowing.

“Yet you came to me willingly.” 4K’s voice purred again. “You practically walked into my arms and made a deal to be tickled. Again and again.”

That wasn’t something HD could agree with...or deny. Because it technically was true and yet hearing it being said still sent a shiver through him.

“And I think to myself ‘why’.” 4K carried on. “Why has this gorgeous fae offered themselves up to be my tickle toy for all eternity? What do they get out of it? And the only conclusion I could come to is you want to be tickled.”

Heat flushed HD’s face again and he opened his mouth just in time for the attack. The fingers tracing shapes on HD’s back now dug into his armpit. Attacking his left one first, 4K’s claws skittered into the hollows under his arms. Then quickly moved and tickled the right one, this time using the calloused pads of his finger. He moved between each pit and HD roared in laughter.

His armpits tickled furiously. He had no idea how ticklish they were. Now he was cursing the choice to wear a sleeveless top. He was cursing his skin for ever being so ticklish. And he was cursing himself for offering himself up to a mad demon, hellbent on tickling him into insanity.

“AH! AHAHAHAHAHAHA! OOHOOHOHOOH! NOT THERE NOT THERE!”

“Say you like being tickled.”

It wasn’t a request. HD shook his head, though that could just be from the tickling through his body. He was surprised that the words spouting out between his laughter weren’t deny it. They were agreeing.

“EHEEEEEHEHEHEEHE! TICKLEEEES! I-I like be-beeHEEHEHEING TICKLED!”

Another purr from 4K. This one was deeper, like a growl. His tail softly flicked on the back of HD’s leg. Tickling just ever so slightly but not enough to overtake the tickling in his armpits.

“PLEEEHEHEASE!”

“Say you like being my tickle toy.”

“IHIHIEEEE! I LIKE BEHEING YOUR TIHIHICKLE TOHOHOY!”

“And why did you make a deal?”

“BECAUSE-BECAUSE I WAHAHANT TO BEEE TICKLED!”

“And who do you want to be tickled by?”

“YOU! OHHOHOHOH! AH-AHAHAHAHA! NO! NO! IT TICKLEEEEES! IT TICKLES SOHOHO MUHUHUCH!”

His armpits were tortured for another ten minutes, though HD had lost all sense of time, space or sense. The only thing he knew was tickling. His thoughts and entire being was only being consumed by how ticklish he was, and how even despite the same spot being tickled over and over, his body wouldn’t let him get used to it.

“You alive, little star?”

4K had let go of HD’s wrists, and moved himself off the fae, yet HD was still face first into the ground as he mumbled.

“Noooo…” He winced at the sound of his own voice. It felt scratchy and dry. He couldn’t even muster up the strength to turn himself around, but he could still squeak as he felt 4K’s hands on him again.

“Alright. Let’s get you up.” 4K said as he helped turn HD over.

The thought of having to walk was dizzying, so HD was both parts pleased and embarrassed when 4K curled his arms under his shoulders and knees and hoisted HD up.

He shouldn’t have been so calm in the arms of the demon who just tickled him to the edge of his sanity. But 4K was so warm, his voice was so calming and HD couldn’t help himself from leaning his head on 4K’s shoulder.

“You get real cuddly after you’re tickled.”

That voice just moments ago was teasing HD and working up his nerves, but now he found comfort with it. It felt safe and warm and soothing. HD only hummed in response, only because he didn’t trust his voice wouldn’t squeak again.

4K began a slow walk to the cave entrance that HD couldn’t help but think was for his benefit. He tired not to focus on that fact though, and instead focus on 4K’s words as he kept talking.

“I wasn’t going to tease you so much but, well, you’re just so darn cute. Especially laughing your head off and trying to struggle away. Couldn’t help it.” He gave a breathy laugh, which rumbled in his chest slightly. HD could almost feel it against his ear. “And don’t worry about what you said in the moment. Anything said under tickle torture is through coercion and doesn’t count.”

HD didn’t want to even think about what he’d said during those moments, but the words were sadly running through his head, tied to the memory of him laughing so hard. He didn’t want to have to sort through them, deciding which of the things said were to get the tickling just to stop...and which were real.

“And you didn’t use your safeword either! I’m impressed.” 4K said while he shimmied himself and HD past the waterfall and into the cooling air of the cave. “Honestly thought I’d get you to use it for your first time.”

HD shook his head with the very little energy he could muster. “I’d die of embarrassment if I used it on my first session.”

“Ah! So you can speak. Thought I’d done a number on your voice...or maybe you’d fallen asleep.”

HD’s mood drooped slightly as he realised 4K was taking him to his own cavern room, and not to 4K’s. Of course he was grateful to be given his own space. But he really wanted to be under the open sky at that moment. He wanted to feel the sun and smell the trees as the wind blew by. But he kept his mouth shut and let himself be carried. His room was still nice and the cosy closeness just made HD curl up more.

He was lowered onto the bed nook of soft furs and he instantly melted. In a more aware sense, HD would have been ashamed to be so vulnerable in front of another but right now he couldn’t care. He needed to be soft and coddled and warm. He stretched out over the furs, feeling the tension in his limbs slowly fade before turning on his front and curling into the fur.

“I’ll be right back.” 4K said quickly. True to his word he returned not even five minutes later. He had a cup of water – which HD gratefully gulped down – and his other hand held a plate of food. Fruits to be more specific. A mix of apple and orange slices, with berries.

“Not sure what you like. I hope it’s alright.” 4K’s voice was less confident and he put down the plate beside the bed, within HD’s reach, and sat beside the bed. “I’ll need to get you stuff in you like, so you’ll need to tell me. If-If you don’t like it I can make the eggs again…”

4K rambled in a sense so unlike himself and HD realised he was nervous. “It’s fine.” HD quickly soothed him, watching the tension melt from the demon’s shoulders as he looked over to HD.

“Y-Yeah?”

“Yes. I like these.”

As though proving a point, HD took a raspberry of the plate to eat. Though while it did well to soothe 4K’s worries, he was also hungry. It was unusual to find out that tickling worked up his appetite, but he wasn’t complaining.

“That’s good.” 4K practically sighed. “But I’ll still need to get stuff for you. Food…” He gave a look down to HD, and poked his claw just slightly into his arm. “Some clothes as well. Though I certainly don’t mind you in these. Very easily accessible to your tickle spots.”

HD blushed again, quickly finishing the strawberry he was eating. “I can get myself clothes. I’ve got some in the town. And while I’m picking them up I can tell the townsfolk you won’t be an issue anymore.”

“Oh. You going to tell them the deal you made?”

It was teasing that HD should have expected by now, but his face was still lit up red. “I will tell them you won’t be an issue.” He insisted again, ignoring 4K’s laugh. “I’ll go later today.” His legs wobbled at the thought. “Mmm...maybe tomorrow.”

“I think you should rest for now. Surprised you’re still awake.” 4K’s voice went soft again, and HD felt himself melt. He tried to resist it, but it was hard when the demon also reached his hand over, slowly stroking through HD’s hair.

His claws just gently brushed against HD’s scalp and he settled further into the furs with a low hum.

“Do you need anything?” 4K’s voice whispered.

“Just this...please…” HD mumbled back, and shut his eyes. He let himself finally give in to the floaty, soft feeling in his chest, melting his cares away and finally pulling him into a comfortable nap.

#theticklingknot

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short-black-diamond · 1 year

Note

AHHH FORK‼️‼️

(╯ಊ╰) im not a perv i swear!

I wasn’t sure what you were comfortable writing thats why i said go crazy with it =^= buuut now i know you write smut >:3 i’ll keep that in mind!

However speaking of pervs (^^ゞ

Multiple choice for you! To help fill the master list!

Pervy OM! Brothers or Perv Sahed (*ﾉ▽ﾉ)

Tehehe im so evil >:3

ฅ(• ɪ •)ฅ <- kitty cat

- 🍓

Bro I'd rather do perv Sahed 'cuz he my fave of them all

word count: 692

---

Sahed the perv.

Sahed knows he shouldn't spend time in your personal chamber without your presence, but he couldn't help it. Today was laundry day, and he was just helping out!

He completely ignored the already filled basket with your clothes, instead opting to look through your drawers to look for your pantsies, but then he saw it. A set of lingerie, all black and blue, with blone stripes.

It reminded him of his colors. His blue eyes, his blonde bangs and his black hair. He felt his own breath grow ragged as he panted, fighting with the throught of touching your set or not.

He was a weak man, and imagined your boobs filling the bra instead of the structure of the metal inside of it.

Big mistake. Suddenly, the doorknob twisted, and Sahed jumped outside the window. Fortunately, the chambers were small, so Sahed only had to do two big steps before he jumped outside, and climbed upwards and to the left, where his room was.

Sahed hated himself. He hated himself that he brought your set with him. His hands couldn't let go after the satin fabric of the set, and without opening his hands, he managed to climb into his room, where he panted.

He sighed before he groaned as he sat up. So did his boner as he whimpered, but when he opened his hands, he loved himself and would just pat himself on the shoulder proudly.

That was, until you demanded a raid for every male's room because someone stole your lingerie set. He reluctingly brought it back with magic, but not before touchinf himself before handing it back anonymously.

it had some stains and you looked at the set in confusion.

...

It was a hot day today, and the circus rested near the beach for the people to have a nice beach day. That also meant that you'd be wearing that new swimsuit you've been bragging to rainah the other day, and Sahed was, well, excited.

And...he couldn't really hide his boner except sucking in his legs and when you looked at him with a raised brow, asking him if he'd like to go to the water with you, he only shook his head with a charming smile of his. "Wanna enjoy the hot sun on my skin, doll."

"But you're crouching underneath the umbrella, Sahed..", you muttered before you shrugged your shoulders and went away, effectively hurting his dick as he got a nice view of your ass and legs as you waded into the soft water.

When you came back, Sahed was still resting on his stool as he let himself get a bit tanner. You looked at the food before your hand came in contact with a light blue ice stick.

You took it into your mouth and Sahed looked at you through his sunglasses. It didn't help that all the people were eating in front of him, you sideways in front of him as you sucked and licked at the cool and sweet stick, and Sahed grit his teeth in jealousy as he glared at the treat which went in and out of your wet cavern.

He subconsciously flinched when you suddenly bit off half of it. Luckily, you mistook his reaction to having a jump scare in his dream.

...

Sahed can't help but look down at your body whenever you speak to him, because you never wear shirts or bouses which don't show your cleavages. So, he enjoys your two mounds pressed together when you hug his arm in excitement when you wan tot show him something, or when you look up at him.

you don't know that he's looking further down on your body than you think because of his three eyes, but Sahed knows where he's looking, and that's the only time where he's shameless.

He's basically having a staring contest with your tits as you ramble to him about something, and he always responds with "uh-huh", "oh no" and "that's nice" (probably at your boobies, perv😒)

and when you think he does, he just goes: "whaaaa? I'd never do that, my love." like yes you do Sahed stfu.

---

Okay that's all that I could come up with at the moment, and I've barely took half an hour to write this!

Read you in the next post!

#marionetta #marionetta x reader #sahed x reader #julia x reader #sahed x julia smut #sahed x julia fluff #sahed smut #sahed is just a big babygirl #I wanna give Sahed all the kithes in the world #sahed x you #sahed #sahed marionetta #sahed is such a handsome guy #julia smut #sahed smut #sahed the perv

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driftward · 8 days

Text

Title: FFXIV Write 2024 - 12. Quarry Characters: Zoissette Vauban, Lavender Rating: Teen Summary: Zoissette finds local abandoned quarry not so abandoned, and badly wishes this was someone else's problem. Notes: Weird Wild West AU - A Desertwalkers Story

Today was not going at all how Zoissette had thought it would go.

What she meant to do was check the tunnels under the quarry to try to determine if she could find a source of water for Stonewood. She suspected, but could not prove, that there may be waterways under it, feeding an aquifer. Another source of water would be welcome and could prove useful. So she had checked in with the seer, who had confirmed that the place had been abandoned some time ago.

To be certain the quarry above ground was certainly abandoned. Scaffolding that would have been too obnoxious to move had been left in place, but otherwise the place was bereft of tools or people. Baelsar's concerns hungered for metal, and the whole star seemed endlessly thirsty for ceruleum, and this particular quarry was so far from any outposts that eventually it seemed most everyone had given up on it. Perhaps with a rail line to divert to it, it could see use once more.

Which was sort of what Zoissette was hoping for, if she found what she was looking for in the depths beneath it.

Instead, she found what she would have preferred to have remained someone else's problem.

The empty spaces beneath the quarry had been taken over. Flags with pictures of white griffins holding weapons in their claws were on the walls of almost every cavern and many tunnels. People patrolled through the spaces irregularly, each of them wearing a mask with a beak and a hood that concealed their features. A system of rail carts had been set up, and were moving materials back and forth.

And there were explosives and arms. Rather quite a lot more than Zoissette thought prudent, even for a national military force, which this was not. This was some kind of group of irregulars, but if they were mercenaries, why had she not heard of them before? Surely they would wish to make known their capabilities and offer their services.

Unless they were yet another would-be group that wished to carve out their own space in this land, by force, and rather less legitimately than Baelsar pretended to play at.

A sense of curiosity drove her deeper in, Lavender watching her back nervously. As she went along, she took a few things to return to town with, hoping it would serve as sufficient evidence for someone else to perhaps come out here and do something about all this. Also, she suspected they had only gone so deep, and she intended to go deeper.

After all, she still hoped to find water.

A shout went out elsewhere, echoing through the corridors. Zoissette quickly began to try to find a way out while Lavender disappeared to investigate, returning almost immediately.

"I am afraid your thefts have not gone unnoticed, mistress." she said. "And, ah, they may have a witch."

The shouts got closer.

"That witch may be following me," she said, sheepishly.

Zoissette began to run, deciding to abandon any further attempts at being sneaky. "I sort of miss back home where nobody knew that you were real."

"I rather like the company we hold now. Certainly, I enjoy having more people who can see me and will speak with me without further effort."

"Oh, to be certain, your social life is much improved."

Zoissette skidded as she came to a tunnel that ended in a black cavernous space. There was a gap, and the opposite wall was not far. However, the distance down was uncertain. She looked over the edge with a frown, unable to see far for the darkness, and considered what it would take to scale down the surface safely.

"There she is!"

"Lavender?" said Zoissette, quietly. Lavender floated out into the space, and then shot downward.

"If you are careful, I think you can just manage a jump, mistress. Perhaps by leaping from wall to wall."

"Turn around and show yourself!" demanded one of the soldiers behind Zoissette.

"Mine apologies, friends," said Zoissette cheerfully. "I did not know you would be missing this grenade so badly. You may have it back. I was truly only interested in its pretty pin."

She spun said pin on a finger as she turned and lobbed the grenade back towards the soldiers closing in on her.

"Grenade!" one of them yelled, as they dived for cover.

Zoissette herself instead dove over the edge, kicking off the far wall, and bouncing back and forth from wall to wall until the concussive wave from the explosion happening above her flung her to the ground.

The cave system echoed loudly with the cacophony, of the explosion, of rocks falling as a cave in occurred, and it was several long seconds until a quietness settled over the darkness.

But not silence. As the ringing left her ears, the gentle sound of a thin rivulet of water flowing over the rocks could be heard, and as she groaned and got into motion again, she realized that she had landed in it. She was not soaked, not near, but she had gotten rather wet from the misadventure.

She got to her feet, and lit a lantern. As the purple flame flared to life, she could see Lavender once more, worried concern turning into annoyance as the ghost crossed her arms.

"Must you take such risks, mistress?"

"No," said Zoissette, lifting her lantern and looking around. Lavender made an exaggerated sighing noise, and Zoissette put one hand to a wall, beginning to try to find her way out.

They went along in the quietude for a few moments.

"That comment about the pin. You took that line from one of my aetheric shows!" said Lavender.

"I took that line from one of your aetheric shows!" replied Zoissette cheerfully. This day was looking up now, to be honest. The cave in she had caused would prevent the soldiers from easily following her. The things she had stolen would provide plenty of evidence for that whole fiasco to become someone else's problem. And she had found the water she was looking for.

Now she just had to get out.

"I thought you misliked them and were ignoring them."

Zoissette stopped to turn and frown at Lavender. "You like them. They are important to you. I pay them some mind."

Lavender looked pleased, and Zoissette gave her a smile before continuing on.

More quiet.

"Do you think the seer sent you to die again?" asked Lavender idly.

"That was moons ago! I rather think we are past that now. Besides, we are partners. Surely that would be bad for business."

"She was rather mad about you annoying that client of hers..."

"She knows I would never interfere with her work on purpose!"

"Well, you cannot interfere with it if you are dead."

Zoissette stopped and turned to look at Lavender, who had an expression of dubious innocence.

"Oh, you have a -morbid- sense of humor," said Zoissette.

The two stared at each other for a long moment, then both began to laugh.

"You might be right though," said Zoissette a few steps later, with a sigh. "I should apologize to her. Again."

"Her temper runs hot but quick, mistress. I believe she may be past it."

"I can only hope."

They fell quiet again. Zoissette kept one hand to the wall.

"In all seriousness though, mistress, you must take rather more care," said Lavender a short while later. "This little misadventure may yet turn out well, but you take too many risks."

Zoissette could now see the dimmest of light ahead of her, a place where the water flowed out. Good. She would find out where it was going, could take that information back to town, and could yet achieve what she had actually come here for.

Which was not a bunch of unknown soldiers.

"Well, I think the risk was well worth it this time," said Zoissette.

She stepped out into the light, squinting, lowering her lantern and letting her eyes adjust. Next to her, she heard Lavender make a surprised noise, and as her own vision returned, she looked out into a canyon which the tunnel opened up into.

And a terrible war vehicle, a Thunderhead airship that dominated that space.

Nevermind, today was awful again.

#ffxivwrite2024 #final fantasy xiv #zoissette vauban #lavender #quarry #202409-13 #biot writes

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oftenwantedafton · 9 months

Text

Vent - Steve Raglan/William Afton/Springtrap x Female Reader

Chapters 18-20

Rating - Explicit

Warning for sexual content

Also available on AO3 Chapter 18 | 19 | 20

Chapter 18 ~ deja vu ~

The spring rains in Hurricane have begun in earnest.

Ten steps from your front porch and down the driveway bring you to Steve Raglan’s car. There is no longer any debate about how you will reach your destination. You just accept that he will be there each afternoon, ferrying you to your fate.

It’s pouring today and the water sits on your cheeks, sinks into your hair, douses your lips. Your work shirt clings to you, the white material plastering to the flesh beneath. Your fingers press into the stitching on the seams of the seat your body sinks into. Cherry licorice today, you can smell the artificial scent. His palm cups your cheek and his thumb approaches the shallow divot at the center of your bottom lip and you automatically reach for it, sucking it into the warm wetness of the cavern just behind. You’ve been trained for this. You’re good at it. You listen to the sharp intake of breath and let the older man drink the rainwater from your mouth. The sky weeps onto the sedan. The windshield wipers squeak gently as the blades streak across the glass.

Your employer brings you to the establishment.

***

“Where’s Bonnie?”

You notice the absence of the blue rabbit as soon as you enter the dining area, the main stage now only displaying two animatronics.

“Transferred for repairs. That’s what we’ll be working on this afternoon.”

You follow him to the workroom. You’re still damp from the inclement weather outside. Wetter still in other places the rain cannot touch.

Your boss has not escaped the deluge. You watch him remove his glasses, tugging a corner of the hem of the tucked dress shirt free to polish the lenses. They smear and he sighs and sets them on the closest free surface. He depresses some hidden panel and a section of the robot’s shoulder lifts, then shines a pen light into the darkened space. “There. You see it?”

You lean closer. The wires look frayed, the electrical components charred. Almost as if it’s been struck by lightning, receiving too much current.

Raglan clutches the light between his teeth, rummaging among the tools he’d selected when you’d first entered the workshop. You feel like you’re assisting a surgeon as you watch him remove the damaged parts carefully, handing him the requested items, holding the light steady, participating in the removal when he indicates for you to.

“How was school today?” So casually asked. As if he hadn’t just spent long moments letting his mouth wander over you inside his car. You long to be back within the confines of that steel beast. Steve on his knees outside the car with you draped across the back seat, parted legs near the edge and that sinful mouth you’re constantly craving between them. You knew he didn’t care about the rain pummeling his spine or the puddle soaking through his work pants or the fact that it was still daylight when he’d pulled off the road. Your mind lingers on the way he always watches you watching him when he takes you apart.

“I got an A on my Calculus test.” You see a faint smile on the bearded man’s face. He’s pleased with you. “The yearbook committee went around asking people to submit photos and gave us pages to fill out for our entries. And the prom tickets went on sale.” You struggle to dig a ruined circuit board from the joint, hissing in satisfaction when you succeed.

“Good. Are you going to prom?” He pries the frayed wiring loose, glancing at you.

“No, of course not.”

“Why ‘of course not’?”

“Because I have no one to go with. I can’t dance. It would be awkward,” you protest. “Did you go to yours?”

He nods. “It was terrible. But it’s one of those things. A rite of passage. You shouldn’t miss out on.”

“And stand in the corner all night? No thanks.”

He uncoils fresh wire from the spool, sheathing it in electrical tape. The copper glints in the illumination from the penlight you’re still holding to assist your boss.

“Someone would still ask you to dance.”

“No one would notice me. No one ever does.”

His hands still and he looks at you. “I did.” His eyes are dark gray today, matching the storm outside.

“Yes, you did,” you agree quietly. You think about the open door behind you. What a shame he hasn’t locked it today.

***

There’s a party that night at the restaurant. Nothing formal, just a little taste testing event to confirm choices for the upcoming menu, a little reward for how well everything’s been progressing. It will be opening day soon.

You tuck yourself into the edge of the kitchen, watching Steve help the staff prepare the meal. For all his protests about not cooking that he'd made on your first night in his car, he clearly knows his way around a kitchen. You can envision him in a smaller space at home cooking, back when he’d had a family. Helping the kids with their homework until it was time to start getting a meal ready. The counter a mess by the time whatever dish or pot is simmering on the stove or placed in the oven to bake. Stacks of dishes in the sink. Sneaking a piece of cheese, licking a stray bit of tomato sauce from knuckles. Wife coming home, sighing at the mess good naturedly. Standing on tiptoes to kiss his cheek. Positions reversed. She’s been waiting for him to get home from the restaurant. He asks her if she wants to go out. The kids are staying at their grandparent’s house. The wife now wears your face, suggesting they stay inside instead. The counter is cleared with one broad sweep of a scarred arm. His mouth is on your throat and his cock is driving into your pussy. This is what you dream about, in the quiet dark of your room. You draw his face and his hands and the patterns of his scars. Your journals remain blank. They’ve been that way for weeks. You cannot fill the pages because you’ve given all your words to him.

“Hey. Are you alright?” Raglan sees your far away look, perhaps notices how rapid your breathing has gotten. You nod. “Try this.” An appetizer is brought to your mouth. You accept it hastily, burning your tongue in the process. Something fried, cheesy, dipped in marinara. It’s delicious. His thumb lingers a heartbeat too long against your lips. One of the servers—a girl from your high school, a cheerleader, popular—glowers nearby. He’s too bold. Of course people must be talking about how the two of you are always together. They see you arrive as a pair, know you’re the last two leaving. As unremarkable and unnoticed as you think you are, they’ll still figure it out.

The girl says as much minutes later, backing you into a corner, arms folded beneath her breasts. She’s nearly got all the details right, save she assumes you’re already having intercourse. You haven’t gone that far yet, but that result is inevitable. You deny that he favors you, that you’re making more money than the rest of the staff. Steve sees your predicament. He tells her to leave, dismissing her threats to expose your relationship.

“Get the fuck out of my restaurant.” His voice is low and dangerous. He’s still holding a kitchen knife in one hand. The girl opens her mouth to protest, swallows the sound instead, and disappears into the deluge outdoors. Your eyes dart again to the blade. A sense of deja vu floods over you.

Chapter 19 ~ want ~

You’ve grown to enjoy some of the cassettes Steve Raglan plays in the car during your commute together.

You’re as familiar with the melodies and the lyrics as intimately as the older man is with your body. Sometimes he pulls the car over, fingers thrusting inside relentlessly until you’ve become lost in the rapture once, twice, and another for good measure. Sometimes he doesn’t even stop and touches you while he’s driving. An artist that’s perfected his craft. A musician plucking your insides until he creates the symphony of your pleasure.

“Do people still make mix tapes?” His fingers slip beneath the waistband of your panties. It’s one of those nights when he’s multitasking, still driving. One finger probes inside your entrance, finding it already drooling.

“Um…yeah except they burn the songs on a CD instead…fuck…”

“I’ll make you one.” He adds a second finger. Curls the pair. Rubs that secret space inside you. You clutch his forearm, feeling the taut muscles there, your hips writhing in ecstasy. He removes his fingers when you’ve had your fill and sucks them. “My favorite candy.” You reach for the fly of his pants.

***

It’s late at night. and the restaurant still slumbers, not yet ready for customers. You and Steve are the only people inside, seated at one of the booths. You finish the last college application and the older man sets it onto the pile. You’ve decided on a career in engineering, still debating about the exact branch you’d like to focus on.

“Tonight was your prom night, wasn’t it?”

This again. You don’t understand his preoccupation with it. “Yes.”

“Would you mind running down to my office and grabbing something for me? There’s a package on my desk I need to mail.”

You nod, shoving at the employees only doors. The route is familiar to you now, the misgivings long buried. You still think of the yellow rabbit from time to time, but rarely. There is just too much of Steve to fill the spaces.

The manager’s door swings open and you pause, realizing there is no box on his desk. Instead there’s an evening dress, sheathed in a clear plastic garment bag hanging on the coat rack tucked into the corner. It’s dark navy, the scrolled embroidery on the bodice and skirt glinting where the embedded silver threads catch the light. Matching low heeled pumps sit nearby.

You gather the items in your arms and enter the restroom nearby, dragging your tshirt over your head and shrugging out of your jeans and sneakers. The dress fits you like a glove, draping neatly over your frame. You have no idea how he’d known your size, the shoes also a perfect fit. You wish you had makeup, something to style your hair with.

“Stunning,” the man greets you when you return to the dining room. The first two buttons of his dress shirt are undone, his tie coiled neatly, resting next to the car keys on the table and a CD that you think must be the promised mix tape, your suspicions confirmed when you recognize the first song that plays moments later when he’s slotted it into the player.

“This is… you didn’t have to…thank you,” you whisper.

He grins and offers you a hand, pulling you tightly against him. You laugh and he spins you around. He’s dimmed the lights. Your fingers weave together. His dark eyes devour you and his mouth covers yours.

You’re in the back seat of his car, dress hiked up, the dark fabric gathered above your hips. You feel him through his clothes grinding hard against your crotch. Lace panties today. You won’t wear anything else. They’re his favorite.

You kiss the scars that mark his collarbones, peeling the folds of the collar back to have better access. You love the noises he makes; love that it’s you making him create them. You’ve never had a friend before him. You’ve waited your entire life for this.

“I want…” he begins, the words hot against your ear.

You want, too.

Chapter 20 ~ jekyll and hyde ~

Steve Raglan’s house is a well maintained brick Tudor with curls of ivy wrapped around the iron gates bordering the front yard.

You wait for him to fumble the key to the front door in the lock. His smile is as unsteady as his hands.

There’s a living room with a fireplace to greet you when you first walk in. A row of built in bookshelves filled top to bottom. Your fingers run over the spines, tugging a copy of Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde free. You’ve read this before. You envision the older man tucked into the recliner in the corner with this book cradled in his hands, those long, deft fingers turning the pages.

He drags you against him and the book falls to the floor.

Past the kitchen and bathroom you’re led inside his bedroom. Tidy walnut dresser and matching nightstands and a platform bed with storage beneath it. You wonder what he might keep in those drawers. A free standing full length mirror occupies one corner of the room.

You see your reflection in it as stands behind you, helping to pull the dress over your head. He takes his time removing your undergarments, his fingers calmly skimming over your still damp skin, but you know better. His eyes betray him every time. They meet yours in the mirror.

You turn, reaching for the buttons of his shirt. You’ve never seen him undressed. The scars extend over every inch of his now exposed torso. You lick along the line of one, hear the air whistle sharply as it’s dragged into his lungs. You’re pushed onto the bed. Firm mattress, firm pillows, soft comforter beneath you. He unfastens his pants, lets them drop to the carpet. More scars tattoo the skin there, your gaze lingering on the ones that extend promisingly down from his abdomen. Briefs pulled from hips and there they are, running down over the wings of bone, spilling down his thighs. There is no end to the patterns that you can see.

He climbs into bed, his long frame hovering over you. Still the deceptive calm before the storm, every movement slow and deliberate. Your heart is racing. His lips press into your hairline, graze your nose. Finally on your mouth. You clutch his neck, dig your nails into his bicep. One hand finds the space between your thighs and his fingers fill the hollow wetness. His mouth leaves yours as he straightens, on his knees, tugging your legs up and apart. Pressure when he’s positioned there, just slight, still poised, waiting. Those eyes on yours again. There’s no going back from this. It’s your final lesson. One moment still virgin, the next not and oh, the stretch of it as he pushes. It’s beyond what his fingers have teased for so many weeks. You feel yourself tearing, a sharp burning pain. You bite your lip and whimper. He’s barely begun. There’s so much more of his cock to take into you. Your throat knows this lesson only too well.

Another couple inches buried. Your hands squeeze the duvet beneath you. The fingers on your thighs dig into your skin. Deeper still. The absolute ache of it. You wonder what it feels like to him, to be clenched in that narrow space. You’re tugged against him, the distance closed in one impatient burst. Another high pitched whine escapes. Fully inside you, pausing before withdrawing partly. Pushed back in. The process repeats. Again. In. Out. In. Out.

Raglan’s body shifts. He’s bent over you again, still seated inside your body, your knees hugging his ribs. His mouth melts in yours. Still fucking your raw pussy open slowly. Reaching your cervix. A new ache when he strikes that place.

The sensations evolve as he gradually pushes into you faster. It still hurts, but there’s another feeling blossoming inside. You grow wetter. Your hips meet his. Your breathing is so harsh; his own huffed against your neck. One hand paws at your breasts. There’s none of the usual careful artistry in the touches, the strokes desperate, needy. The contact between your bodies is a feverish sequence of slapping movements. A thumb finds your clit, grinding the tender nub. Faster still. Your body knows instinctively how to move. The hair at the nape of his neck is damp beneath your fingers, moist from rainwater and perspiration. You can taste the salt of it as it beads on his forehead and slides down into your mouth.

Steve’s body tenses, rigid against yours when he cums, spilling inside of you, claiming you. He’s your first and you’re his only and that’s the thought that carries you through to your own release.

***

The older man is asleep beside you, snoring gently. You cannot join him in slumber. You’re sore inside and out, tender, raw, but it’s a good kind of ache. You’re proud of it. You slide out of bed and grab the dress shirt lying on the floor, slipping it over your shoulders. You pad barefoot down the hall to use the bathroom, then wander back to the living room. The book is still on the floor. You bend to retrieve it, thumbing through the printed text. The pages are thick, ivory colored, and smell like the public library, old paper and old ink. Vintage, like all of his other possessions. You are the newest one he owns. You reach the title page. The one opposite from it features a book plate. It looks very dated. He’s had this story for a long time.

You’re about to shut the cover when you realize it’s not Steve Raglan’s name printed there.

William Afton

Your eyes ignore the surname and focus on the first one. You stare until the pair of orbs burn, until they water. The yellow rabbit’s warning reverberates in your mind.

William. You should avoid him at all costs.

He’s using another name, but it’s him.

You should run. Get out while you still can.

Your stomach drops and the book follows, clattering to the hardwood floor.

#william afton x reader #william afton x you #steve raglan x reader #steve raglan x you #fnaf fanfic #fnaf movie #william afton #steve raglan #springtrap

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intotheelliwoods · 1 year

Text

Yeah the events of the movie still happened, in the new timeline it will be the same Casey we see in the Movie! And yeah, boy that will be confusing when a new Leo shows up who looks like his dad Sensei, and very much isnt :(

As for nicknames... Lets just say I have some plans? Also the discord kinda very much dubbed the new Little Leo "Poptart" but we will see how well it fits in the comics ig!

@cavern-of-shenanigans

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He went in there hoping for some compromise or alternate option, along with details... he was desperate. 😔He tried he really did.

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HA I KNOW EXACTLY THE AUDIO great now I also cannot unhear it!

Also, AN ANIMATIC IS AN ANIMATIC NO LONGER HOW SHORT I love you, you are awesome and amazing and talented and you are so free to shorten lengths and take your time <3 I am... not going anywhere haha

@wilburs-hibana

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Hahahahhaa... looks at todays update and sweats

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o7 @darth-sonny

#asks #2 arms left

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ownedbythescribe · 2 years

Text

Cyno | Even The Smallest

ıllı Synopsis: Irrational? Stupid? Maybe, but a month without contact made you extremely lonely and insecure. The jealousy in your heart whispered unwanted thoughts. How could Cyno assure you? Would he assure you?

ıllı Genre: Romance

ıllı Warnings: Cyno x Fem!Reader, Suggestive Content, Slight Angst

ıllı A/N: I might have went overboard with this, but he’s one of my favorite characters! Enjoy!

Mornings in the Avidya Forest were always a sight to see, and Tighnari never got tired of the ambiance that surrounded the village. The rays of the sun that peered through the leaves and the smell of damp soil considering that it rained the day before, were some of the things he appreciated the most. Letting out a soft sigh, the Forest Watcher walked towards the rendezvous point of the forest rangers to deliver their tasks.

“Today is going to be a bit hectic, but I expect that you all know how to handle your missions. Nasrin, Shirin, I’ll be stationing you near the falls below Sumeru City. There had been reports of an increase in aggressive fungi in the area, so it would be best to reduce the number and report the possible reason for such occurrence. As for—“ Tighnari continued to distribute the tasks for the day with a casual reminder such as withering zone and poisonous plants in particular areas.

Although the Irminsul had been healed thanks to the Traveler, there had been a few ones left above ground. Tighnari proposed that it must have been due to leftover elemental traces from where the roots dissipated. It was backed up by your research on those areas and previous observations when the tree was still sick.

After deploying the rangers, he turned to the group he will be working with which consisted of you and Collei. The green-haired trainee shuffled uneasily, bearing a wryly smile while glancing at your sulking form. Tighnari raised an eyebrow at your behavior before flicking your forehead.

“Care to tell me why you’re slouching like an old man on the ground, (Y/N)?” He inquired. You rubbed the pain away but did not answer him right away, opting to mumble your answer after the short silence. An irk mark appeared on his forehead.

“Stop mumbling like a child, you lummox.” He countered.

“It’s something personal, don’t worry. I’ll try not to let it distract me. Anyways, where are we heading today?” You diverged, a silent plea to save the topic for another time.

The fennec fox sighed before taking out his map. He had an inkling that it had something to do with your relationship, but it was not his business to mind if you were not willing to divulge it. Shaking his head, he pointed at the areas near Vimara Village and Molding Cavern. He informed you of the problems with irrigation experienced by the farmers as well as the lack of adequate sanitary water in the village. You hummed in thought, already noting the possible sources of the problem.

“There might have been problems with the pipe, and a piece of equipment must be malfunctioning inside the treatment facility. Let me just get Kaveh’s design and cross-check it with mine. We can head in a few. By the way, are we going to scout for withering zones today too? I remember Collei mentioning that there had been two zones eliminated near Apam Woods recently.” You voiced while writing notes on your pad.

Collei walked towards the map and pointed out that it would be good to check out the road leading to Caravan Ribat. The mere mention of the place made you flinch which did not go unnoticed by Tighnari. He sighed internally, his theory confirmed why you were sulky earlier.

“We can go check it out. Collei, don’t forget to bring your rations as well as your weapon. Also, bring a first aid kit before you go. Let’s meet back here in 15.” He ordered. You two nodded, returning to your respective homes to prepare for the trip.

The house you resided in Gandharva Ville was not that fancy. You did decorate it to make it cozy, a place where one can relax and forget about work. However, right now, it felt a little colder than before with how it was barely lived in. Your lover had not been around for a month now, and although you understand how busy he was with his work, it still made you feel lonely. The last date you had did not result well too. Cyno was immediately pulled back to his work, interrupting the small lunch date you two prepared.

‘I miss him so much.’ You thought, feeling your heart sting at the loneliness. You did not want to appear like a clingy girlfriend, but for once, the desire to be selfish bubbled in your stomach.

Letting out a disappointed sigh, you went to your vanity in search of Kaveh’s anecdotes on the treatment facility you designed with the Kshahrewar graduate. You also grabbed the pipeline design for the irrigation system. After doing a cross-check where the anomalies could have occurred, you bolted out of your house to meet up with the others.

The trips to Molding Cavern and Vimara Village were quite entertaining. You were able to figure out the problems with the pipelines, mostly the fact that they needed replacement. Tighnari also commented about the fertilizers the farmers could use for the next season, while Collei helped out with simple tasks in the village. Such a sweet thing, truly. As for the treatment facility, the problem laid with the filtration system which needed some internal adjustments and a few cleaning inside. You told the maintenance engineer stationed there to immediately contact the Akademiya for new resources. It should be done within the day.

“That should do it. Tighnari, Collei, I think I’m good here. I’ll make a report later on this and send it to the Acting Grand Sage. How about you two?” You inquired. Tighnari had just finished listing new techniques the farmers could utilize with their crops and storage. He also gave told them to contact the ranger should there be any problem in the future before giving you the okay sign.

“I am also done here, Miss (Y/N)! Should we have lunch in Pardis Dhyai before we go to Apam Woods?” Collei suggested. The mere mention of lunch had your stomach growling. Sheepishly, you have her a nod. She giggled and informed her master that they will be having lunch at the research facility.

The trip to Pardis Dhyai focused on Collei’s training. You left the two on their own since it looked like the trainee was about to have her exam soon. The Forest Watcher’s exam was notorious for its difficulty, but you believed that Tighnari made it that way so that it was drilled within each ranger the information on fauna and flora they needed to maintain the balance of the ecosystem and for their safety as well. However, leaving them to their devices meant that your mind would now drift back to Cyno.

‘I wonder if he’s taking care of himself properly? He’s not that reckless. Cyno is smart, but… I wish he had sent a letter to me about his whereabouts or situation. I would have compromised and— The audacity.’ You internally grumbled.

Tighnari would often glance your way and note how lost you were in your thoughts. He had also not heard from Cyno, so if that were the case for him, he could not even imagine how it was for you. That lummox clearly needed a huge wake-up call. Worrying his significant other like this was not right.

After you three reached the research facility and taken lunch, it was time to head to the woods. Collei noted the mushrooms and flowers present in the area, and you would constantly comment on plants she would find interesting. You also told her about the unique phenomenon in the area where the water would rise and drop depending on the time. If you remembered correctly, you overheard Tighnari and the Traveler talk about the contraption that caused this. It was truly fascinating, and you promised to check that one out.

“Hmm? What fools! Are they really diving in without even a vision on that Withering Zone!?” Tighnari growled. You three rushed towards the figures fighting the fungi in the zone. The side effects were already present with their movements, and if they maintain this pace, they might as well say farewell to the Lesser Lord.

“Let’s nip it in the bud!” Tighnari unleashed a barrage of dendro-infused arrows that targeted the largest fungi. Collei threw Cuilein-Anbar creating a field of dendro. You, on the other hand, took out your sword and infused it with dendro and began slashing at the buds. The fight ended well, but you noted that it could have been faster with elemental reactions.

Tighnari and Collei tended to the injured individuals. Their uniforms bore the insignia of the Corps of Thirty, but considering their battling experience, they must have been beginners. You told the Forest Watcher that you will be going to Caravan Ribat to ask for backup and carry them to safety.

“Thanks! Be careful on the way, (Y/N)!” He shouted.

With that, you raced to your destination. It was not that far and took about half an hour. Some Eremites waiting to hijack merchant carriages, so you took care of them as well. Once you reached the desert branch of the organization, you froze in place. There was your boyfriend talking with the person in charge of the office and beside him was Nilou. Seeing the dust in there clothes, they must have just returned from the desert.

‘Oh… so that’s how it is.’ You stepped in and showed your badge to the soldier stationed at the entrance. It proved your status as the Overseer, a position given by the Lesser Lord and Acting Grand Sage to act as a diplomat around Sumeru and report the status of progress in different areas. In return, compensations such as research budget, travel expenses, and access to sensitive information were at your disposal. It was a tough position to get, and the approval of an Archon was of utmost necessary.

“Pardon the interruption, you are Karim, right? I’m here to report about your men trying to expel a Withering Zone not far from here. They are in immediate need of medical care, so I suggest ordering your men to retrieve them. Forest Watcher Tighnari and his assistant await you there, so first aid is already given. Also, I’ll be reporting this mishap to the higher-ups. General Mahamatra, I hope you’re also doing your part in warning those strangers to danger. I’ll see you there then.” You coldly voiced. Before any of them could speak, you left the area. Cyno was flabbergasted by your attitude, suddenly fearing that he had done something wrong. Your words stung his pride, but his heart was mostly pained by your piercing gaze.

“Karim, immediately do as the Overseer’s orders. I’ll deal with matters here. There should be some soldiers here that you could lend to fend off the Eremites near Aaru Village. Miss Nilou, I also suggest you don’t get lost in the desert again. Mister Zubayr almost ripped the ear of one of the matras in Sumeru City.” Cyno pointed. Nilou apologized once again before asking if everything was all right after the cold tone he received from you.

It was no secret that there was something between the Overseer and the General Mahamatra as he would often accompany you to rendezvous places of the Akademiya’s transactions.

“I’m…not exactly sure. But I’ll deal with it somehow. Well then.” He left them in a hurry to try and catch up to you.

It was irrational and stupid, really. You should have just pulled him to the side and asked him why he did not send you any letter, but a month without contact made you extremely lonely and insecure. The jealousy in your heart whispered unwanted thoughts. Nilou was beautiful and kind, and it would be a surprise if he suddenly liked her. Although you know he was not the type to cheat, your belief that humans can easily change heart was also there.

“I need a break from this.” You whispered to yourself. The dendro vision beside you faintly glowed, responding to your haywire emotions.

When you returned, you told Tighnari that you will be going to Sumeru City and will not be able to go back with them to Gandharva Ville. He noticed the anger in your eyes and wanted to ask what happened, but there were tears already prickling your eyes. He patted your head and wiped the tears.

“You can go, (Y/N). Just don’t be reckless, and find a way to calm down. You don’t want to end up like those lummoxes we deal with everyday, right?” He teased. You were grateful for his perceptiveness. He knew when to leave you alone, and when to give advice. He was the greatest friend you could have.

“I will. See you two later.”

Ten minutes later, Cyno came rushing. He spotted Tighnari, Collei, and the soldiers dispatched to collect their comrades. However, there was no silhouette of you, which made him frantic. This was not evident to the others, but for the Forest Watcher who had been his friend for long, he knew that he was looking for you.

“Cyno, you dolt!” Tighnari called out. Cyno glanced in his direction and trotted over to him. He asked where you went, and he was received with a glare.

“She’s off to Sumeru. Do you know what you’ve done?” The Forest Watcher inquired. Cyno looked down, feeling guilty that he could not pinpoint the source of your possible anger.

Tighnari pinched the bridge of his nose and placed his index finger on the mahamatra’s chest. Cyno was not the best at expressing himself, much less understanding how a woman’s mind worked. He gladly pointed out his mistakes.

“Your partner was left alone in my care, and even I had no idea where you went to. Imagine how worried and insecure she must have been. Stop letting her compromise every time, Cyno, or she’ll slip away from you. You love her so much that you don’t want them to go, right?” Tighnari asked. He nodded, feeling more determined to explain himself to you and his friend.

“It was an urgent mission from them, and I could not send an immediate letter to you and her. Before I knew it, there was no way to get a messenger bird to send my letters. I’ll make things right again. Thank you, Tighnari.” Cyno uttered. He was about to go when Tighnari advised him not to make you cry again or he will answer to his fist.

You wanted to get away from everything swiftly, so without thinking, you activated the waypoint in Apam Woods and transported yourself outside Sumeru City. It was not common knowledge that these artifacts could teleport people, and after learning from the Traveler its mechanism, you opted to ask the Lesser Lord for permission to tinker with it. It was only now that you were able to fully use it. It was dangerous as it failed back then, but you thanked your luck that you did not end up teleporting with a half-body.

“I hate this feeling. The audacity not to send me a letter! Ludicrous! I’ll drag Alhaitham’s ass to spar with me.” You thought out loud.

Reaching the Akademiya, you met up with the Lesser Lord and Acting Grand Sage who just finished discussing foreign exchanges in Liyue and Fontaine. The Dendro Archon welcomed you warmly, and you returned it kindly. You reported your findings in the Avidya Forest and Apam Woods as well as the current progress in rebuilding a second institution in the desert. There was a possibility of its construction next year, but the acquisition of land must be completed first.

“Thank you for your hard work, (Y/N). I take it that you wish to speak with the Acting Grand Sage personally?” Nahida urged. Alhaitham raised an eyebrow at such thoughts before you confirmed it. With a small thanks, you dragged the gray-haired sage to the training grounds.

“Can you explain why you’re dragging me here when I’m not even done with my papers for the day, (Y/N)?” He asked, slightly exasperated at the sudden situation he found himself in.

“Indulge me for a little bit, Haitham. I’m a bit irritated with my lover and if I don’t let out steam, I’ll hurt somebody.” You confessed. Alhaitham’s eyes widened by a fraction before giving in. He did not know you had a lover already, whoever this bastard was, he will need to schedule a talk with them. He took out his sword and parried your attack.

Your spar could be described as a wild dance in the meadow if one were to be poetic. The sparks and flare of dendro energy attracted the bystanders. It was rare to see the Overseer and Acting Grand Sage engaged in a battle. You paid them no mind and dashed towards his right for a jab, but he deflected it before giving a roundhouse kick. It hit your stomach, causing you to skid to the ground but you held your ground and stood up panting. He activated his chisel-light mirrors, and directed them toward you. Barely missing his attacks, you swiped your foot but he jumped up. A smirk made its way to your face as you activated your skill and teleported behind him for a kick. He barely caught himself and dropped to the ground.

“So you finally gained control of that. Not bad.” He commented. You gave him a smile that was wiped off the moment he used his own. Alhaitham knew how to utilize his mirrors and vision to transport in various points. It often infuriated you, but greatly respected him for his mastery over sword and vision.

“This is over.” He whispered behind you. Before you could defend yourself, a barrage of dendro swords pierced you to the ground. The nick to your right cheek and neck ended the spar.

Alhaitham dispersed his skill and helped you up. Dusting yourself, you thanked him and sat down on the bench exhausted.

“That’s my 63rd win. Glad that you could keep up with your vision now. It still needs a bit of working especially if you wish to utilize your ability with elemental reactions.” Alhaitham was calculating in his mind again, making you sigh. When you glanced behind, the number of bystanders watching surprised you, so you told them to go back to their work. They immediately dispersed, but there will be talks about it for sure.

“I’ll get us some drinks. In the meantime, finish some of the reports you pulled me away from. I sent you the details. I’ll be back in a few.” He voiced. You gave him thanks before activating your pseudo-Akasha system. Lesser Lord Kusanali permitted you two to your own system after she checked it for herself. It was not harmful, and it was less powerful than the original. Nonetheless, she marveled at how you two were able to devise a copy yet also an original of it.

“Let’s see…. Yuck, he does things like this?”

Cyno reached Sumeru City after two hours of travel by foot. He was exhausted, but explaining his circumstances to you was more than necessary. When he passed by the entrance, he heard some students gossip about a battle between the Overseer and Acting Grand Sage. There was no bad blood between you and Alhaitham, it was mostly between them. So he was surprised to hear that you two clashed against each other. They might also be exaggerating things, so he wished to see things for himself.

Upon entering the Akademiya, he asked the officer in House of Daena if you were at the Grand Sage’s Office. She told him that she spotted you and Alhaitham going to his old office when he was still the Scribe. It had already been an hour, so she was not sure if you were still there. It did not bode well with Cyno that you were spending too much time with the lunatic scholar.

“Hmm, not bad. You’re getting good at this.” He heard from behind, followed by a tired grunt. Cyno was now nervous. It was the first time he experienced this, and somewhere inside him, there was doubt sprouting in his mind. Were you cheating on him while he was gone? That made him angry.

Without much of a knock, he slammed the door open. The sudden noise made you jump out of your chair, while the gray-haired sage lazily looked behind. The General Mahamatra stood by the entrance, fury swirling in his eyes.

“Found you.” He coldly said. Without much of an ounce, he tightly pulled you by the wrist.

“C-Cyno!?” You grunted in pain. Alhaitham swiftly grabbed the general’s hand, inquiring what he wanted.

“That’s none of your business, Acting Grand Sage. I suggest you keep your silence, or I will not be able to hold myself back.” He threatened. Alhaitham sneered, snatching your arm from your lover.

“It’s my business when you’re dragging my assistant out of my office when she’s not yet done with her work.” He mused, a strange cold look present in his unique eyes.

“If I recall, this is no longer your office, Alhaitham. It’s the one above, so might I ask what you’re doing with my lover? I should also be asking you the same, (Y/N). Did you enjoy toying with two men?” He accused. It made you look up, while Alhaitham’s eyes widened at the revelation. You were stunned to speak. He could not be serious.

“Are you… accusing me of cheating, Cyno? Is that how low you think of me? Wait, you’re the one I should be accusing! For a whole month, General Mahamatra, you did not send me a letter of your whereabouts! Tighnari had to remind me that you were all right, that you’ll be back. Then, I see you there with Nilou. How do you think that made me feel!?” You cried out.

“I-It’s not that! I just—“ The painful throb of your heart was difficult to control, and the tears you hid earlier finally slipped. Cyno’s eyes widened at the sight. It was the first time he saw you cry, and it was because of him.

“There’s no harm in Alhaitham knowing, but I was out for a month doing a mission for the temple. It was one they urgently gave to me through the Akademiya. I could not send a letter because before I knew it, I was already up and chasing the perpetrator who dared to sneak inside one of the ruins in Hadramaveth. As for Nilou, I was informed that the leader of Zubayr Theater had been looking for her, and one of the city matras asked me to be on the lookout for the dancer. I found her by the oasis with the excuse of finding inspiration for their next show. How about you? What were you doing with this man earlier?” Cyno explained, pained about the noises he heard outside.

Alhaitham put the pieces together and sighed. You forgot to tell them an important piece of your relationship with people. He stepped in.

“(Y/N) is my cousin, Cyno. No, this is not nepotism. The Lesser Lord approve of her position, and she made it here herself. The noises you heard must have been her groaning about her punishment, which was basically doing my work since she interrupted my work schedule. She would often do it when her workload is lesser than mine. So, there is no need to worry.” There was silence between you two. You blinked the tears away and glanced back up.

“Did I not mention that Alhaitham was my cousin?” You obliviously asked. Cyno gave you a strange look before exiting the room with a slight bow. The tips of his ears were red, and you knew you made a blunder.

With a quick apology and promise to your cousin that you will finish his work later, you exited the room and chased after your lover. Alhaitham huffed, walking out of his office and back to the Grand Sage’s room. Nahida welcomed him back.

“I presume everything went well with those two?” She mused. Alhaitham scoffed.

“It was natural. They need to communicate properly.” He simply said, taking another paper before signing those that were not in your care. The Dendro Archon simply smiled. She knew that Alhaitham cared for you in his own way. The way you were sulky and lethargic the past few days set him off.

As for you two, you were able to pull back the General who could not look you in the eye. The tight lock of your hands said otherwise about his feelings though. You squeezed back and offered that you two go home for today. He wanted to protest that he was still on duty, but you informed him that you told Alhaitham that you two will take the rest of the day to talk.

Cyno nodded, opting to follow you back to your home. He wished to relish in your presence and also apologize once again for leaving you alone.

Once you got home, you sat him down on the couch, while you prepared tea for you two to drink. Cyno watched you move around, missing the coziness of your home. However, he missed you more, so without hesitation, he came from behind you and hugged you.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have doubted you, and I should have sent a letter even a short one. I could never betray your trust, not with any woman. So please forgive me.” He mumbled. You turned off the stove and held his face in your hands. You could see how devastated he looked, as out of character that may be for the stoic General that he was.

“I’m also at fault for not communicating properly and jumping to conclusions. I love you, Cyno.” You kissed his lips. Even with chap lips, the warmth from him was enough to assure you that he was yours.

“I love you too.”

That afternoon was dedicated to you two making up for the lost time, taking notes on how to communicate properly, and how to assure each other when in doubt. You even decided on a 3-day vacation to spend time with each other, one which you two will need to prepare. Without you noticing, Cyno simply watched you with fond eyes. He could not be any more grateful than he is now to have you as his partner.

BONUS:

Cuddling on the couch made your heart flutter, and Cyno peppered your face and neck with kisses. He was careful with the cuts you got from your spar which you explained to him. Love swelled in your heart, and with another smile, you lifted his face and kissed him on the lips. His desire to further feel you overrode his senses, and before you knew it, you were already straddling his hips.

Hands roamed around your body, each touch leaving a hot trail that made you want more. Placing his right hand on your hair, he deepened the kiss, tongue dancing against each other, exploring the cavern of your mouth. You moaned at his aggressive touch.

“C-Cyno—“

“Shhh, let me fill you up tonight, Love. A month’s worth should be enough to quell the space I left. Plus, I’m a jealous person, you should be punished rightfully.” He whispered right next to you, hot breath caressing the shell of your ear. It made you squirm and rub on his groin, eliciting a growl from him. Suddenly, he gripped your hips in place, letting his other hand slither down your shorts.

“Only mine.”

Maybe Alhaitham will have to wait until tomorrow for those papers to get back to his office.

Please do not copy or repost my stories, but notes and reblogs are always appreciated!

#genshin impact #cyno #cyno x reader #romance #fluff #angst #genshin

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river-muse · 4 months

Note

That WIP ask game is seriously an underrated concept tbh, authors should be able to air out their works and ideas if they want to, even if those are unfinished.

Since I've been bugging you a little about MH I think I have to ask about the Monster Hunter Derelict WIP. MH Is an interesting setting for sure, but it's also hard to think of something to write in it, except maybe a dnd-like hunter party? Anyway, I'm rambling, definitely interested what you had going on There.

Also, I'm a filthy cheater and a sucker for time-themed fiction, so I definitely have to ask about Whatever Time May Bring. Feel free to ignore my filthy cheater double request tho

I agree! Being able to show off stuff we're working on without perfection being expected is super fun because I can pick out highlights and hold it up without needing to go "is this polished enough to be read?"

Since one is sort of a mini-fic that's an AU me and one of my close friends are messing around with for the funnies I'll answer both of your requests! I'm giggling and rubbing my hands together.

Monster Hunter Dereliction is the working title of a DMC MonHun AU that centers around a small Guild outpost in the Old World that pretty much has its shit figured out due to there not being many settlements in the area that need to be protected. My friend and I went "fuck it minimal family loss trauma in this department" so a lot of the cast is Around(tm) except for Sparda(we haven't decided what happened to him yet if anything).

There's sort of a plot figured out, though most of it's up in the air because we haven't had too much of a chance to talk more thoroughly about it and are just in the brainstorming department. We really just wanted to come up with our own biomes and monster designs for fun. It would involve a clash between two Elders breaking open a crevice in the earth that reveals an underground cavern system- and unknowingly awakening an Elder that has almost cosmic horror-esque traits to it. There's a sketch but it's not mine so I'd have to ask my friend later if he'd be cool with me sharing it.

For a little insight into some character placements, since I'm a bit obsessive about how lore in MonHun goes xD I won't go into what everyone is doing but I will share a handful.

I don't have much in way of writing, since I just got a few key ideas down- but have at it!

I think we decided Dante was the master in that area? He's mostly chilling around the outpost unless something super dangerous comes up that he's needed for.

Vergil is a high-ranking hunter who tends to do tasks for the Scholars that takes him into dangerous areas for the challenge and potential to explore old ruins. He's in and out of the outpost a lot on a whim so unless he's requested specifically good luck finding him.

Nero is an established hunter who tends to get a little babied by the others, which leads to him being more adamant about pushing his limits to prove himself and get them to stop worrying.

Eva regularly travels, recording locales and monsters in general peace.

Kyrie acts as the guild sweetheart for the location, handling quest assignments and making sure the hunters are properly prepared.

Credo is one of the residing guild knights, which is a rank in the guild that handles upholding guild regulation and deciding on punishment for anyone caught illegally poaching monsters.

Nell is the residential smithy! She's been training Nico for a long time now to take over in the future.

For now Nico tends to tag along behind Nero on a lot of hunts to observe them, swipe some new materials for herself, and experiment with equipment that diverts away from standard expectations.

Patty is a guild sweetheart in training, if I remember right? I only wrote her name in all caps in this post-it note and nothing else fdsgfbsdxjkgbj

Dante’s late to leave his room today, not expecting too many requests to come in if any. It’s been quiet since they’d sorted out the sudden influx of larger wyverns that had migrated South from their own territories. Which isn’t a good sign. It could mean something bigger is on the way soon. However nothing’s turned up. So to him the problem’s been solved. The peace lasts about as long as expected though, because the door pushes open without so much as a knock from the incoming visitor. It’s Lady. Not even in her armor yet but scowling as if she’d just gotten tossed around by a Diablos. “Where’s your fucking brother?” “Not even a good morning?” Dante yawns. “Passed morning a few hours ago.” Lady crosses her arms and leans against the doorframe “Now about Vergil-“ “Do I look like my brother’s keeper?” When It’s obvious Lady isn’t accepting that as an answer he groans and rests his feet on his desk “Out. On an expedition. That’s why one of the aptonoth aren’t in the stable. He’s North, checking out whatever caused that Wyvern displacement. Should be back in a few days.”

Vergil lingers by the ledge of the massive crevice, peering into the darkness to see faint shimmers of light that waver as if moving. It’s odd. With most of the trees decimated there should be plenty of sunlight shining down to show whatever’s down there. The darkness opens its eyes. Swirling colors and glowing light as faint pupils shrink to paper-thin slits when they focus on him. From the positioning of them Vergil isn’t sure if he’s looking face-to-face with a creature or with multiple. He doesn’t recognize any visible traits and stumbles away from the ledge. There’s a snapping noise and Vergil looks back to see the aptonoth has broken her binds in her attempt to flee, taking all of Vergil’s gear with her as she disappears into the treeline. A rattling, warbling noise that resembles a broken horn echoes loud enough that it hurts Vergil’s ears. He covers them with his hands and regrets not bringing earplugs. Something cold enough to leech the temperature through his armor wraps around his ankle, and drags him into the crevice. He grasps at the rock. His gloves dig in and he struggles to grab his blade. It slips from his hands and he falls with it. Darkness engulfs his vision made to feel darker by the eyes that fill his peripheral. One more eye, larger than all the others, opens up in front of him to blot out his last view of the sun.

Nero’s the first to volunteer and the first to be ready to depart. He shuffles about, fretting over what equipment to take and how long of a trip it will be. “Don’t you dare authorize that mission.” Credo objects, smacking his hand on the table “There’s no telling how long he’ll be gone, and if there is a wyvern strong enough out there to take Vergil down then I don’t feel comfortable sending him out.” “He’s qualified. Just as capable as the rest of us.” Dante insists “You need to stop babying him or he’ll never get his feet under him.” “How dare you accuse me of coddling one of our hunters?” “You’re not really beating the allegations. Especially since he’s got a crush on your sister.” “Do not-“ Nero objects. Dante stares, raises an eyebrow, and Nero clicks his tongue. Nero looks away while his cheeks flush red.

---

NOW onto-

Whatever Time May Bring. You have sniffed out the ONE NASNAH part that I think you're going to love the most, because it takes place when Nero's 15 and a certain 8 year old girl finds her way into Dante's life. It skims through the anime timeline and a bit beyond, since for reasons not yet revealed in the plot Dante decides to keep Vergil and Nero out of most of the details of his demon hunting work. It's a scene compilation like how "In Leaps and Bounds" was for little Nero. It's also finally the time where Nero starts questioning his family's behavior and secrets more than before.

Vergil watches the ensuing exchange with all of his attention he can muster. There’s something comedic about a young child pushing Dante to wits’ end when Nero at that age earned nothing but Dante’s adoration. He then notices Nero’s uncharacteristic silence. It takes just one glance to see Nero’s eyes are wide, watching Patty with an expression that he hasn’t seen before. “Nero?” Nero startles out of his thoughts, straightening up. “Uh, hi.” Nero says. He picks up his coat from the floor and dusts it off. “A little slow on the uptake. Did you overheat trying to wear that over here?” Dante asks. “No just-“ Nero looks away and seems to get his bearings “-wasn’t expecting to see you taking care of a kid. He’s being nice to you, right?” Nero looks at Patty with his question. “He’s horrible! He doesn’t clean, never explains anything until after it happens, and won’t eat anything but pizza and strawberry sundaes. I’m surprised he even knows what tomato juice is let alone drinks it.” Patty pouts and motions at Dante with a pointed finger.

Patty is- energetic. She’s outspoken and from how she speaks her mind is sharper than she leads others to believe. Yet she’s very much a child in how she behaves. Much like how Dante had been at her age to an extent. It had been obnoxious to deal with when younger, but Vergil can rationalize it as normal behavior for children in hindsight. Nero’s odd phase of having become quiet and calm as a child must have been a special case. “Would you advise I rescue Nero now, or later?” Vergil questions. “I think they’ll get along just fine without us hovering.” Dante pushes up from his chair and nudges a box of stuffed animals to the side with his foot. He tilts his head to the hallway door “Let’s leave them to it.” “And what will we be doing, instead?” “If you don’t want to know the weird details of the job, then I guess we can stay here and listen to Patty go on all day about that stupid show.” “Hey! I heard that.” Patty speaks up, looking over from the couch. “I wasn’t talking to you.” “But you were talking about me, so that’s pretty much the same thing.” Patty sticks her tongue out.

“What happened to my mom? Who was she?” Vergil’s gaze flicks away. Guilt passes over his face and he keeps cleaning without giving an answer. “Hey, you can’t just ignore me. I asked you a question-” Nero objects. “I can, and I will.” Vergil holds out the sauce pan “That is a topic for another time, Nero.” “Another time? Seriously?” Nero scowls as he uses a bit more force than needed to dry the pan “You’re gonna dare say that to me after years of this? I don’t even know what her name was.” Vergil pauses washing the dishes, resting his hands on the edges of the sink.

Thank you for letting me go insane and giving me a chance to share with you some Patty Propaganda! I had to seriously dig around and be careful with what I show since there's quite a few parts between the fic I'm currently uploading and this one, but I would be damned if I didn't give you something to look forward to. <3

#Kat's Fics #Kat's Dadgil AU #Just another one of my little DMC AUs

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vibratingskull · 11 months

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"Can you write Thrawn telling his children about his childhood ? And catching up with them as he returned back home ?" -anon

You're tidying up your big, empty bed when you hear the doorbell rings.

"Qiagusa can you go see who it is ?" You demand your son, too occupied at the moment.

You look at your double bed, wondering when was the last time two persons sleeped in it together. A decade, easily, since Thrawn's departure. You let out a discouraged sigh. You mourned him for years, and sometimes you wonder if you did well to never remarry and not giving à father figure to your kids.

"MUM!" Your son calls.

You come running down the stair, almost breaking your neck in the process, ready for anything to be thrown at you.

Anything.

Except that.

When you arrive your daughter is also here, they both look at you with apprehension. A third person is at the door. Another Chiss with silver hair on the temples, a stern expression on his face he ports himself haughtily, the back straight despite his age and an air of control emanates from him.

Despite his age, you know. It's him.

Your eyes lock and you see his sparkling despite him remaining cold. You dare not pass the door to join him, afraid to break the spell and that this apparition disappears.

"I am home."

_______________

Without hinting at fatigue he continues to walk on the sinuous trail that spread over the Mountain, both of the young adults behind him. They follow him with clear unenthusiasm in their demeanor but follow nonetheless.

It’s been more than a decade but he still remembers the way to the secret place, he turns back to see them both keeping behind with some difficulties.

“Nrequi’agu’sairte, Nreqi'beam'esdora. Do not fall behind.” He only gets grumbles in response.

“Can we take a break?” Qibeames ask, almost stumbling on a root.

“No. A Chiss must prove to be physically capable.” He simply shaked his head. “Besides, we are almost here.”

They both sigh, shuffling along and following reluctantly. They had plans for today and following Thrawn in the deep cavernous mountains wasn’t one of them. They escalate hills and slopes, cross rivers and chasms. Finally, after several hours, they arrive at a cliff with a splendid point of view on the valley under it. Thrawn puts down his backpack and takes the time to appreciate the view. Behind him, they drop theirs on the ground and drop down on the floor, their lifestyle didn’t prepare them for such a hike.

Thrawn breath deep, grounding him in the moment.

“We used to come here regularly with your mother.”

“We know.” Qiagusa sighs “Mom already took us here before.”

“She did?”

“Yeah.” Qibeames takes a large gulp of water from her flask “And she already spilled the whole story. Sorry to break your fantasy of being a good dad, but you’re a bit late for that.”

Thrawn doesn’t take note of the insult, thinly veiled, walks up to them and sits down with them. They consciously or subconsciously retract their legs to prevent him from getting too close.

“What did she tell you?”

“She spoke about you, if that’s what you’re asking. She bored us about how great of a man you were and how she never believed you were exiled. No matter how the fact contradicted her!” Qiagusa goes on.

“Qiagusa…”

“That’s Nrequi’agu’sairte to you.” He claps back

Thrawn remains silent, looking at the twins, detailing the appearance of the now young adults that once were babies he could hold in his hands long ago.

Long, long ago.

“I used to have a sister when I was young.” The twins snarl but remain silent. “I loved her dearly. But she soon went away, called by the Ascendancy to protect her people. Then it was my turn, I left my blood family behind to become a Mitth and protect my people to the best of my ability.”

He stares off in the distance with a sigh as memories overflow him.

“I met your mother and I became the most blessed man alive. She graced me with both of you and my work became even more important for I had now three treasures to protect more than anything else.”

They keep silent, the animosity slowly quitting their eyes, leaving place to a prudent distance.

“Then the Ascendancy called for me to step in. It called for me to take action to protect what I hold dear. I had to leave you behind to fulfill my mission, and it tore me apart. But I knew it was the right choice. I knew you would be in good hands with your mother, so I left reassured and with certainty I would come back.”

He looks at them both.

“For you.” They don’t dare look him in the eyes. “Even if it took me more time than what I first anticipated, I am glad I am finally back to see the adult you have become. I know I do not have the right to call you my children for now, too much years have been robbed from us and I was not here for you. But I want you to know that you never left my mind and I am delighted to see you again...”

He smile faintly.

“Even as a simple stranger.”

Qiagusa and Qibeames look at each other, a bit embarrassed, before taking the floor.

“You abandoned us.” She gulps.”Despite everything, mum told us to never resent you, that you only did your best every time. She told us the night before your depart you hold on to our hands in our sleep. That you never wanted to leave us behind, but you did for us.”

Thrawn slowly nods as he listens to her. Finally, Qiagusa speaks.

“It will take time… But I’m sure… Someday you’ll be able to use our core names…”

He silently reach for their hands, after an hesitation they take his and he squeezes them.

Father, son, daughter. Finally reunited.

@Bluechiss @thrawnalani @justanothersadperson93 @al-astakbar

@thrawnspetgoose @readinglistfics @elise2174 @debonaire-princess

#thrawn #grand admiral thrawn #thrawn x reader #thrawn x you #thrawn x f!reader #mitth'raw'nurdodo #fanfic #vibratingskull

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mumms-the-word · 3 months

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In Fathoms Below - Ch. 9

Ch. 9 - The Journey

Characters: Gale, Karlach, Wyll, Lae'zel, Shadowheart, Astarion, Halsin, Minthara, Gortash + other OCs; pairing is Gale x fem!Tav Plot: The island city of Nautera disappeared over 4500 years ago, if it ever existed at all. Now not a single, legitimate record of Nautera exists, save for one. The Nauterran Account. Long thought lost, it has recently been retrieved from the depths of Candlekeep’s archives and placed into the capable hands of one Gale Dekarios. With the Nauterran Account in hand and an eclectic team of Baldurians and other allies mounting an official expedition, Gale journeys to find the ruins of Nautera…but hopes to find so much more. A/N: Who doesn't love a MONTAGE? This may be one of my favorite chapters to write, honestly, because I just love picturing various spaces in the Underdark and imagining glimpses of the travels and battles these poor expeditioners have gotten themselves into. A bit of a shorter chapter today (chapters 9 and 10 were going to be one chapter, but collectively it got too long so you're welcome, I split them up), but I'm sure you'll find something to interest you in this montage of Underdark scenes <3 Also please enjoy a bit of montage music!

Previous Chapter | Nextt Chapter | BG3 Masterlist | Read on AO3

After saving Nevrin from two more cloakers (or, according to Nevrin, “assisting him with the dispatch” of two cloakers), Astarion joined the expedition with relatively little drama, aside from a few snide comments from Minthara and an amused dismissive shrug from Gortash. They reported their suggestions for the best way forward and soon, with the help of a few magic spells and a careful crossing of the platforms and mushrooms, the expedition was back to making forward progress.

And so they went, journeying deeper into the Underdark. Time soon became meaningless as they lost track of the days, even with the Gondians’ time-pieces keeping up with the hours. They instead fell into a pattern of traveling, resting, or making camp at semi-regular intervals, though some “days” were more exciting and longer than others.

Gale had never ventured far into the Underdark prior to this expedition, having spent most of his time in Waterdeep or Candlekeep, deeply entrenched in his studies and his pursuits of…well, trying to please and impress Mystra. She had been his life for so long. His every action, thought, and word was carefully chosen to reflect her values or try to earn her favor. But between slowly translating the Seldruin portions of the Nauterran Account, using the Loross part to plan their journey, and witnessing the surprising variability of the Underdark—not to mention a few battles and skirmishes here and there with the Underdark’s many deadly denizens—his mind strayed often, not to Mystra, but to the world around him and the possibility of what lay ahead. Though she was never completely gone from his thoughts, she had begun to fade as he soaked in the sights and focused on translating the old elven language.

The Underdark was more than rocks and tunnels. They passed through caverns large enough to hold whole towns and entire cities, their ceilings often disappearing into darkness. Though there were no humanoid settlements down here, no duergar or drow fighting over territory, the Underdark was by no means devoid of light, life, or color. Between rocky columns, crags, cliffs, and chasms, the Underdark was alive and vibrant with bioluminescent fungi, glowing crystals, distant lava flows, and strange plants and beasts not even their drow allies could recognize or identify.

Mushrooms and lichens grew in glowing clusters all over the place, from the tiniest sprouts like blades of grass to wide, flat toadstools strong enough to walk on. Twice on their journey, distant clouds of glowing spores amidst gardens of brilliant fungi suggested the presence of myconid colonies, though they never ventured near enough to confirm for themselves. They did occasionally see the odd myconid at a distance, their strange colors standing out starkly in the darkness of the rocks, but the myconids kept their distance, watching them placidly from afar.

Elsewhere, ancient sussur trees grew with their strong roots curling outward across chasms and around columns of rock. Left undisturbed for centuries, their twisted white trunks were as wide as two expedition carts end-to-end and their branches fanned out far enough to slowly shower white-blue leaves over their entire convoy. They tried to keep a wide berth around these trees, since a single sussur flower had the power to dampen Gale’s magical abilities and completely power down the crystals in the rothé constructs, but they were forced to journey along the roots and limbs of one ancient sussur tree to cross a wide chasm where the tree’s growth had destroyed the roads.

At the time, Gale could feel the magic suppressing him, like a thick, heavy blanket, almost suffocating in its power. Yet even he couldn’t help but feel a little in awe of the tree as they worked together to lift and pull the carts and constructs along the roots. There was something mesmerizing about the white and blue leaves, illuminated with light, and the blue flowers with their bioluminescent specks along their petals. Even so, he was grateful to reach the other side, out of reach of the flowers’ anti-magical influence. He felt as though he could breathe properly again, once he was away from them. Sussur trees, he decided, were best admired from a distance.

As were many other things in the Underdark, they were later to find out.

Still, other surprises awaited them as they journeyed on. Whole caves and caverns were filled with crystals, some as tall as houses and glowing with brilliant light, some half-hidden in the rocks. There were gems and precious stones down here just waiting to be mined, veins of silver and copper, iron and gold that lay practically unnoticed among the stone as they passed. Minthara’s scouts and other keen-eyed crew members even spotted rare mithral veins, some just a few yards off their path, others in out-of-the-way corners and deep down dark chasms. Gale could see Gortash noting a few of these places on the maps he and Minthara were making as they went, and he wondered if Gortash really thought it worth the effort to disrupt an entire Underdark ecosystem simply for a few veins of gold, mithral, or precious stones.

He supposed he ought not to be surprised. But at least for now, Gortash was content to leave everything well enough alone.

The creatures of this part of the Underdark were no less interesting than the plants and minerals, from the tiniest salamanders with their color-changing spots to the prismatic ropers clinging to the distant ceilings, their many-branching opalescent limbs and tentacles swaying gently beneath them like complex root systems. Wyll had taken to keeping a journal of all the creatures and beasts they encountered, whether they fought them or not, with detailed notes and a few rough sketches, a habit Gale suspected he had started as the Blade of Frontiers. Halsin had likewise begun noting new flora in his own notes, specifically interested in their medicinal properties or dangers. The others seemed only to care whether or not said flora and fauna could be eaten. They were all desperate for some variety in their next meals.

Gale had resisted taking over the cooking duties for the expedition, but only barely. The supplies they had brought with them amounted to little more than whole shares of hardtack, salted and dried meat, rice, dried peas, seeds, and beans, and hard cheeses that were quickly running low. The two or three cooks that regularly handled evening meals tried to augment their dishes with Underdark mushrooms, roasted lizards, or cave fish, if any could be found in nearby pools and lakes, but even these plentiful additions made for poor dishes. In truth, Gale found himself sneaking a prestidigitation spell into most of the cookpots in an attempt to mask otherwise bland or bitter flavors. Just because a thing could be killed didn’t mean it made for good eating, after all.

And not everything that could be killed was killed easily. Cloakers had only been the start of their worries. Strange, jabbering nothics swarmed their camp one night, attempting to steal supplies, while another night they accidentally awakened a small colony of frog-like blindheims when trying to make camp, causing the blindheims to open their eyes all at the same time. The bright beams from their eyes illuminated the small cavern nearly as bright as day and all was chaos until the blindheims had made their escape. They’d since become much more cautious about where they stopped to camp.

They’d also taken to sending forward parties ahead to clear the paths after hook horrors nearly dragged their entire convey down into a chasm as they were traveling. Lae’zel, Karlach, and Shadowheart were frequent captains of these forward parties at Minthara’s request, with Wyll, Astarion, Halsin, and Gale frequent companions alongside at least one drow scout and a few other of Grotash’s soldiers. Together they faced large, insectoid creatures like armored umber hulks and creatures that disguised themselves as stalactites and stalagmites, like darkmantles and ropers, which detached from the ceiling to try and capture them or lashed out with whip-like tentacles to wrap around their ankles and drag them closer to be devoured. Halsin and Shadowheart’s healing capabilities were often put to the test keeping various people alive, though unfortunately in three separate cases a soldier or ally was lost in the midst of an attack. It was little comfort to know that they didn’t need to worry about duergar or drow attacks, but even without them, trying to survive in the more hostile areas of the Underdark was an adventure all on its own.

What was surprising were not the creatures that attacked on sight, but the ones that didn’t. It was clear that everything here had never seen a humanoid creature. Humans, elves, dwarves, tieflings, and gnomes were strange to them, and even though there were many aggressive creatures that preferred to attack on sight, many more seemed simply disinterested. Gale swore he saw a basilisk lounging near a lava flow at one point. They were thankfully well outside the range of its petrifying gaze, but even so, the hulking eight-legged lizard seemed unfazed by them as they passed by. Other reptile creatures looked no less deadly, and yet seemed no more interested in them than the basilisk.

“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Wyll said at one point, jotting down notes for a prehistoric-looking creature with wide, flat ridges along its spine that was slowly chomping its way through a series of mushrooms. “There are beasts down here I don’t even know the names of. The closest I can think of is a dilophosaurus and it’s not even close.”

“No doubt many of these creatures are considered extinct on the surface,” Gale said, watching the creature eat. “The Society of Brilliance would have a field day if they caught so much as a whiff of all we’ve seen down here.”

“Are you going to tell them about it when you return?”

Gale smiled, though it was mostly without humor. “No. Not unless it was a scholar I absolutely trusted, in any case. I’ve read enough of their works to know how the Society handles new discoveries.”

Which was about as delicately as Karlach and Gortash handled obstacles in their way. When yet another chasm proved challenging to cross, they had elected to place several barrels of smokepowder around the base of a towering column of stone carved with the primitive yet intricate markings of some kind of long-dead race of creatures. Gale had remarked idly that the column must have been the creatures’ masterwork, the magnum opus of years of work. One spark of flame and a few seconds later, the column’s millennia-old history was lying horizontally across the chasm.

“Look,” Karlach had said, grinning. “I made a bridge! Took me, what, ten seconds? Eleven, tops. Call that innovation.”

If this part of the Underdark was the final frontier, the final safe haven for creatures like the docile mushroom-eating dinosaurs or other beasts, Gale didn’t want to be the one to destroy that for them by inviting in a legion of hapless scientists and greedy mages. It was bad enough they were stumbling clumsily through it all.

And, if he were being a little selfish and honest with himself, he enjoyed being one of a rare, select few who knew such wonders even existed. For now.

Between the wonders and dangers of the Underdark, it would have been easy to miss the traces of civilization that had made a mark down in these colorful, treacherous depths. But as much as Gale wanted to stop and memorize his surroundings, to try to store each new mesmerizing sight deep in his mind so that he could recall it later in dreams and illusions, his focus had to be on those signs of civilization, the marks and carvings and clues that the previous explorers had left behind to guide them onward. It was his job to guide them. And the farther ahead they moved, the more he felt the mounting pressure to succeed, to prove that all of this travel and fighting and dying was worth something.

He tried not to worry about it, but it gnawed at him some days. There were no guarantees down here. Not even the location of the final resting place of Nautera was assured. But they had to keep going.

Thankfully, the Nauterran Account had brought them faithfully through enormous stretches of the Underdark. So long as they followed the signs, carvings, and roads left behind by the author of the Account, they were on track to find the ruins of Nautera sooner or later. And where the Account failed, which was rarely, the githyanki explorers who had attempted this same journey had found workarounds and noted them in their tir’su slates. It was just a matter of paying attention, adapting to their surroundings, and getting creative when the situation called for it.

They would find the ruins of Nautera…eventually. He tried to remind himself of that whenever it seemed as though the journey would never end. They would find Nautera eventually. It was just a matter of time.

He just hoped there would be time left afterward to decide what to do about the orb in his chest. More than that, he hoped that Nautera might have something to help fix the orb problem once and for all. Though the chances of that were slim to none, there was still a shred of hope left within him that kept him going.

And if the ruins didn’t hold his salvation, maybe something in the Account itself would.

#the montage-iest montage to ever montage honestly #some people might find this chapter super boring but I kinda love it #bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #gale #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #my fic #in fathoms below #bg3 fic #bg3 fanfic #bg3 fanfiction #Spotify

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