#also the short sleeves still emphasize his much larger frame

[dwreader]

Father Knows Best Part 1

Why is Lestat almost always in full dress at home while Louis is in casual loungewear? There are multiple scenes especially in the second half of the season where it looks like Lestat just got home from work (even though he's a jobless Ken) while Louis has been lounging at home all day. Lestat does go out to hunt so its possible he feels the need to dress up although the full 3 piece suit is certainly not necessary but even when Louis is gaslit into hunting again he is still never seen in a full waistcoat and tie like Lestat. After episode 4, Louis is mostly seen in shirtsleeves, sweaters and loose blouses. The only times he wears a full suit and tie are when he meets Grace for the last time and when meeting with an authority like Tom.

But I think Lestat's choice to maintain his wardrobe even at home is about projecting authority and control more than practicality.. like he really doesn't need to be dressing up to kill victims but he is always without question dressed like the man of the house, even when playing chess in the living room. The patriach cannot uphold his authority unless he dresses the part.

Looking at his oufits progression during his 6 years of begging, he first ventures to the house in full suit and tie but is soundly rejected by Louis. Then he appears on the street in casual sports wear appearing to be conversing with Louis and Claudia on a more equal basis but he is once again rebuffed but this time by Claudia while Louis stays silent. When he makes his final case to be let back in the house, he is dressed more casually than we've ever seen him before as a gesture to Louis and Claudia that he's willing to be on a level with them... except not really, cause the minute he's let back in, he's immediately back to dressing like father knows best. You do not question the authority of a man dressed like that even when he pretends to go along with the new paradigm of the "lambs herding the beauceron" but we all know that's a lie that he never intended to honor and what gives it away from the start is the moment he comes home from "killing" Antoinette seemingly obeying the rules dressed like THIS.

This a Beauceron and his little lambs are the ones dressed in soft pjs. He is herding them no matter what "rules" they agree to in that house.

[emsartwork]

i forgot to add: how do design ????!?!??????

So I’m not expert but this is how I think of character design! (also sry if you were asking about clothing/outfit design thats a little different)

under the cut because this is long im so sorry

So in my opinion there are three really important aspects for character design!

AESTHETIC: obviously everybody’s aesthetic is different, but this is more about what vibe the character has, what makes them THEM design wise. 

INTENTION: who is the character supposed to be? this can range from their personality, their back story, their occupation, or their role in the story, but the design need to fit that intention.

COHESION: does the design go well together? or do certain aspects clash too much? obviously you can have disjointed parts of a character design, and if those serve a purpose then thats fine, but if its so disjointed its distracting from the character as a whole you might need to tweak things. 

AESTHETIC: the contrasting part of the design (white flowers in dark hair, dark trim on dress, and dark shoes) provide interest to the eye. The mixing of round and sharp shapes also keeps the design from feeling “boring” even though its relatively simple. 

INTENTION: so what role would this little doodle character have? according to her design elements, shes cute and friendly with her round shapes (bouncy balls, babies, etc), but could have a sharp/fast/active or even dangerous edge to her with the triangles (arrows, knives etc). of course the design doesn’t limit her possible roles. She could be a bubbly younger sister who teases the older protagonist, or maybe she’s the villain hiding in plain sight. the shape this character design doesn’t really have is squares(think bricks and rocks), which communicates that she might not be really strong, steady, or reliable. 

COHESION: repeating the curves across her whole design builds cohesion, it communicates that “yes, these are all part of the same character”, it also allows the eye to “rest” on a familiar shape or line. 

NOW LETS LOOK AT SOME DESIGNS

(Boku no Hero Academia) so both of these characters are super heroes, but have vastly different design elements. so lets analyze them.

OCHAKO(the pink one) is all rounds, with a few pointed shapes in hair mostly, but a little on her costume as well. Her personality is cute, bubbly, and friendly which perfectly suits her soft and bouncy design. Howevre she also has a very slight edge to her, which is seen her determination and drive to improve herself over the course of the anime. 

KIRISHIMA(the red one) at first glance, seems to be super pointy!! shapes that are usually seen on villains or really dangerous characters, but while he IS sharp(literally sometimes) and sometimes aggressive, he is also made of squares, which perfectly suits his loyal “i gotchu bro” attitude towards most of the other characters in the anime.  

ISSUE AREAS: so the only problems i have with Ochako and Kirishima’s designs is that their costumes each have one area that clashes a little too much for my taste. With Ochako, the belt over the color blocking stripes down her crotch are......questionable taste wise. I think the design would be better if the pink chest ended above the belt in a shallow v. not only would this mirror the triangle aspects of her hair, it would fit the belt outline, and continue the trend her costume has of being “grounded” or “heavy”. Kirishima has those.... gears??? around his shoulders??? and while the gear teeth are technically squares, the gear shape itself is a circle, which is a shape that isn’t present anywhere else in his design. I think changing the gears to something similar to his boots or his mask/headgear would create a more cohesive design(also the gears just look hard to move in)

These two characters are presented as individuals so their costumes don’t have to match at all even though they are still seen as “connected” because of the art style for the face, hair, and body. 

In a group giving the outfits cohesive motifs is an easy way to present a strong team image! In Yuki Yuna is a Hero, the girls all have colored lines(usually princess seam placement), armor or fabric hip accents, covered arms, and similar flower shapes in their hair. The Aesthetic of each girl is strong in a monochrome signature color, but not over whelming as the black+white connects them even in color so they aren’t out of place. 

Speaking of color! if your characters are all similar looking (like same body for all of them) you can communicate their personality and aesthetic just with color! (only gonna talk about a few of the ponies) Pinkie Pie (the really pink one) is energetic and playful, so her color scheme is a variation of the primary colors(happy, child like), and have one of the more saturated colors(high energy, intense) of these characters in a large quantity. Apple Jack (the orange one) is a down to earth farm girl, and her color palette is accordingly, mostly earth tones, its also warm analogous colors, which makes her appear un-complicated and warm personality wise. the pop of red is a nice touch to add interest, but notice that its uses sparingly in her cutie mark and tail accessory. Rarity on the other hand is elegant and fussy, her high contrast scheme of white and dark blue/purples gives her more visual interest and is something that makes her appear more “complex” in addition to the gradient thats included in her hair. the colors are also all cool colors, bringing to mind cool glass or water which both have connotations of grace and beauty.

however all the characters here are unified by their colors being on the pastel side, which is also important for a cohesive cast.

another, short, note on color; making the color/line/shading of your figure different from the background can help them stand out, this is used ESPECIALLY in children’s media, but can be applied to any illustration or animation as needed.

Color can also help your characters “read” quickly on screen, the powerpuff girls are a prime example, of having a distinct color blocking and silhouette. even the color blobs at the top and my crappy hand silhouettes STILL read as the characters despite being broken down into abstract elements. I also really enjoy the thick outline in the powerpuff girls, it really makes the characters pop to the foreground even though they have pretty simple designs and are often in a colorful setting.

Also, for a lot of animation, silhouette is INCREDIBLY important for your characters, some designers sketch silhouettes and then design the particulars its so important to nail the shape. These examples from Coraline are some of my favorites (though Laika wins in my heart every time no matter what lmao) because the simple shapes are SO CLEAR and indicative of the character, you literally don’t need to have watched the movie to know these are each different characters with different personalities and roles. 

silhouette can also help tell the story. In Kubo and the two strings (another Laika film) the above three characters are sisters. One has chosen to leave her home in the heavens to live on earth, and the other two stay in their roles as “heavenly” warriors. This is even shown through their designs, the two sisters are weighted on top and their cloaks don’t even touch the ground, while the first woman has trailing, heavy sleeves, hair, and robes all grounding her and emphasizing her connection with the earth.

another example of shape/silhouette reflecting the story, In The Croods, the family of cavemen are for the most part very top heavy, with large torsos and arms, usually in a more hunched over position, while the newcomer, Guy, is bottom heavy with thin arms and stands more upright. In the plot, the family represents the old ways, the strength and rules that have helped them survive, they look like very stereotypical “cavemen”, while Guy resembles the modern man, and appropriately is associated with new ideas and forward thinking.

MORE SHAPES, in DC super hero girls each girl has a distinct personality emulated by her shape language. Zatana is dramatic curves and edges, Super girl is hard, straight edges against curves, giving her a solid muscular shape. Wonder Woman, though also strong, is taller and leaner, lending to a confident leader type. Green Lantern is slim, her lines all flow into each other giving her a go with the flow look. Bumble Bee is, of course, tiny, but her boots and gauntlets add weight and strength to her otherwise small frame. Batgirl is lanky and has a lot of pointed style lines, reminding the viewer of a skinny cat (ironic what with cat woman i know) or weasel which mirrors her preferred “sneaky” crime fighting style.  (also yes this was just an excuse for me to gush abt how much i love the dcshg designs shut up)

so in my opinion, Cartoon Saloon’s The Secret of Kells is PERFECT in aesthetic, intention, and cohesion. Kells focuses very strongly on creating silhouette WITHIN the larger figure shape via color and line, most of the characters pictured here have no neck, the one who does, Brendan, is the main character and the use of negative space that cuts into his shape is used to draw attention to him. Kells is also very strongly inspired by Medieval Illuminated manuscripts (namely, the book of kells lmao). The characters still manage to stand out against outrageously detailed backgrounds via their simple shapes and strong color blocking. 

Aisling, a secondary but very important character, is not human, and has a totally different shape language from the rest of the characters. She is thin and pointy, while most of the others are round or square. Aisling also has the most negative space making up her silhouette, compare the triangles made by her arms and legs in the above picture to the figures in the first image where everybody’s body is self contained with no negative space. She is also very different color wise, very pale and cool colored, as opposed to the warm saturated colors of the human characters. (yes this was another excuse to gush abt one of my fave pieces of media deal with it)

hopefully that wasn’t too rambley and actually helps? if yall have more specific design questions lemma know lol

[monomonomagines]

If its not too much trouble, could I ask for the monster AU with the sdr2 guys? I love monsters and I love the monster AU you did for v3

Howdy, Anon! I hope you don’t mind, but Mod Kokichi and I tend to get very excited with our Monster AU so we ended up having to split these into three parts this time thanks to the inclusion of Izuru. Now that my short explanation is out of the way, I hope that you’ll enjoy part one, and thanks so much for enjoying our V3 Monster AU. I plan to post the next parts tomorrow if possible so I hope that you’ll look forward to them. 

Part 1 (Part 2 here) (Part 3 here)

Twogami (shapeshifter)

You were on an evening stroll through the neighborhood when it happened.

With nothing but the marmalade light slowly fading in the distance and sound of birds chirping in the distance to keep you company.

That serenity seemed like it would last for ages that is until an inhuman screech pierced your ears.

Within an instant, you lost that peaceful moment and in another you're legs were carrying you towards that sound before you could think to do otherwise.

Now out of breath and confused by your own lack of forethought you ended up laying your eyes on a strange shadowy figure with a nasty bite wound on its leg.

It didn't seem dangerous or that it would attack you though as it lay there with sad eyes looking at you. If anything, you felt bad for the guy so you took him home with you carrying the shadowy form, feeling it's warm and weirdly fuzzy form.

Soon enough you were home though with your new "friend" in tow. Now was the time to get him some medical attention though.

You quickly grabbed some supplies and got to work. Then by the time you were done, you sent him off on his way.

It was at least a week ago since your encounter but you still wondered at times how he or it was doing. It was hard to tell really if a shapeshifter had a gender in its truest form but even then there was no use worrying about it.

Today you had to focus. There was a charity ball being held by none other than the Togami family and as your family was the one that catered the event and you being the only one with free time, you were sent to act as a representative.

Pushing open the doors you take a deep breath as you enter immediately noticing the Byakuya Togami going absolutely ham on the food your family provided.

You wouldn't have guessed he was such a big eater but even then you shouldn't stare probably. You take your eyes off of him rather embarrassed by your own lack of manners when he called out to you.

"You're S/o are you not? I must thank you and your family for most humbly procuring all this food for us. It's sure to make our event a great one."

His eyes seemed to be looking you over rather analytically yet his words were gentle as he continued.

"I know you're not accustomed to dances such as this with your status most likely but I was hoping that you would join me for the first dance tonight."

Wait, he was asking you!? Despite any protests you gave he admonished you with equal amounts of passion, insisting that he, the Byakuya Togami, the Ultimate Affluent Progeny was to dance with you and there was no convincing him otherwise.

What you didn't expect was to even be close enough to Byakuya to interact with him but by the end of the night, you were both already planning on going out together again.

It had been like some fairy tale meeting, the way you two met was special and the relationship that quickly bloomed between you two was just as much.

That's why as months went by you decided you wanted to take things further. You ended up buying yourselves matching rings, they weren't similar to wedding rings but they were their own unspoken promise that you two were each other.

You were excited to propose the idea to him as he arrived for another one of your rendezvous but at the sight of the ring, he seemed nervous.

"Of course...I-I'd love to accept, it's nothing...just hand it over."

Despite his unnatural and obviously suspicious reaction you carefully drop the ring into his larger hand only to see him become a familiar shadowy figure before your very eyes. The rings, the gold in them must have turned him into his true form!

"I'm sorry....I'm not the real Byakuya Togami, S/o." he speaks up before you can react looking at you sadly as he admits. "I just wanted to be someone you could like and everyone seemed to like that Togami fellow so I tricked you. I know that it's unforgivable though, for me to think that we could continue like that forever so, I'll leave if that's what you please."

He seemed so genuine and yet it was hard to formulate a response. What he did was wrong, you knew it but he meant so well and you couldn't turn him away then.

Telling him to wait, Togami or Twogami turns to you perplexed by your response. Confused or not though, you reached down to pick up his smaller, plump, shadowy body.

"S/o I...thank you."

Teruteru (Incubus)

When Teruteru applied to join you in the kitchen at your family dinner you didn't think anything much of him at first.

Sometimes he'd make perverted passes at you or tease a bit but overall he was kind and a reliable coworker. You both would spend many days and nights in that kitchen just chatting as you cooked and cleaned after a hard day of work.

However, as you both continued to close your shop together you couldn't help but find him alluring in some way.

Alluring and yet there was something odd about him. Teruteru always seemed to have some new girlfriend or boyfriend to spend time with after work whenever you tried to invite him out.

Maybe his flirting meant nothing after all but even then it felt so real that trying to convince yourself it wasn't was even more painful.

You were tempted, his flirtations were sweet as honey but what if you'd regret indulging in your own sweet temptations. He could be some player or heartbreaker for all you know after all.

Pushing those thoughts to the back of your head though you decided you had enough of being lead on by the fellow chef.

You waited until it was just you two and the remains of your labor left in the kitchen.

Per usual, he started with his usual small talk when you hushed him up with all the questions that tormented you day and night. Did he like you, did he hate you, was he messing with you, and most of all why? If it wasn't anything then why, why bother!?

He was shocked to say the less and thrown off guard for sure as he leaned onto a counter covered by flour in a moment of clumsiness to steel himself.

"I...I do have a reason for my flirtin' n' all but I just...yah need to promise y'all won't fire me if I spill the beans!"

Huh? So first he admits to lying something but then what's with the sudden accent too!? As much as you wanted to laugh at his nervous mistake of coating most of his sleeves in flour, you decided to urge him to go on.

"Well, I do like yah a whole lot but...but I'm also a...I'm an Incubus." He admits, showing off his normally hidden demonic form as though to emphasize his point.

"I want to be with yah really, but I don't wanna take anythin' from yah because of these dang powers a mine."

Sucking in a shaky breath you make your way towards him, disregarding his warnings against getting close and pulling his short frame to your own. You didn't care if he was an Incubus, even if you couldn't have his body you wanted his heart far more and would do anything for it.

"Oh S/o, how could'ja take in a guy like me?"

Nekomaru (Stone Golem)

You were taking a hike on a trail through the mountains. Your plans were to make it to the top in order to look out at the beautiful scenery before your eyes but those plans surely changed when you noticed a weird statue standing at your goal point.

It wasn't too odd for a statue to be somewhere like a mountain top your supposed but something about it made you feel unnerved.

Maybe it was because of how the statue looked as though it were mid-scream or maybe because of how eerily alive it felt. However, around you, it didn't move what so ever, the only other point of interest now the large piece missing from the side of the statue.

At this point, it felt a bit awkward being up there with this thing silently screaming at you forever so you decided to focus on searching for the piece you noticed missing and sure enough it wasn't far.

Picking it up in your hands wasn't too difficult despite the obvious weight to it and with trembling hands, you were easily able to place it in it's allotted slot.

That was when that silent scream of his turned into a roar, loud enough for you to feel it shake you as his large arms came to wrap around you, pulling you into an embrace.

"GAHAHAHA! I'M FREEEEEE!" he yells out, once loud enough for anyone nearby to hear him a second time.

Now setting you down he smiles at you, finally addressing you this time. "Thanks for saving me, I knew someone would have to find me eventually!"

He gives another hearty laugh at your own confused expression, not even bothering to give you time to process what's going on as he speaks up once again.

"I guess that means that I owe you now but don't you worry. I always pay back my debts," he scratches around his nose, adding, "Though all I can offer is to protect you from now on. Tell you what, I'll be like your bodyguard even!"

Despite you opening your mouth he only continues to go on, taking this proposition far more seriously than you thought he would.

"With me around NO ONE will touch you for I am NEKOMARU NIDAI!" he cheers, picking you up again despite your protests.

"No way am I letting you walk! It's my job to protect you so just tell me which way to go!"

Despite his kindness, he really was far too insistent, but even then you could tell you weren't getting out of this so you relented, eventually arriving home in his arms.

It's been about a month since that day that Nekomaru came to live with you. With the two of you growing closer each day it wasn't surprising for you to have developed feelings for the kind golem, but you did worry about what would happen when you'd confess.

Would he leave if he didn't feel the same? Despite your fears, you wanted to face him and to lay all of your feelings bare for him to see.

You two were planning to revisit the path that you met at and so you planned to then, bursting into your confession as soon as you arrived.

You hadn't meant to be so hasty but with Nekomaru it's hard not to be, you wanted to just rip the bandage off and be over with. You were prepared for the consequences of your actions but you didn't suffer at all like you might've guessed.

No, the only suffering you were enduring was from the lack of air when Nekomaru wrapped his arms around you again just like he did when you met.

"I was wondering when you'd say it! I love you too, S/o!"

Wait he knew? As soon as you questioned him though all he did was laugh as usual.

"GAHAHAHA! I thought you knew I did too already. I mean we lived together after all!"

What!?

[ladyemberswrites]

Writing request: Lotor and Allura experiencing Earth carnivals for the first time plz

Lotura + Shiro

~

Awestruck, there is no other word for it. The lights, the colors, the whirlwind of noise and people.

"Wow" Allura murmured eyes aflame with curiosity. The brightness of the carnival decorations dance along her bare skin drawing emphasis to her crystalline gaze, and ivory curls pushed over her shoulder in a intricate braid.

"Definitely, though I can't seem to find anything else in my vocabulary to describe-well this"

"It's beautiful" Lotor squeezed her fingers between his larger ones "and sparkly!" She eyes the large skyscraper like establishments with interest.

"Are you guys going to stand there or what" Shiro smiled at them "come on, I'll show you around" Allura nods enthusiastically, pulling Lotor eagerly along.

~

Lotor knew that Earth is a highly populated planet, but given that his time here had been spent in the dull, white colored rooms of the infirmary and the grey halls of the Garrison base, places mostly isolated and secluded, he hadn't much time, until now, to enjoy what Earth and its inhabitants had to offer.

The happy cries and shouts of children and their families reminded him of his days spent traveling in exile baring witness to many different cultures and festivities of other planets untouched by the Galra Empire's path of mindless destruction.

"So, what do you guys what to do first?" Shiro's voice broke him from his musings.

Lotor's eyes darted around from stall to stall. Theirs many of them, too many to chose from "what are the booths for" he points, Allura follows his line of sight.

"Some are for games and the others for food" he answers "what do you guys want to do first?"

"Games! Let's do the games" Allura bounced on her heels.

"Lotor?"

He shakes his head "anything's fine with me"

"Alright, this way"

The first booth they approached earned them a few stares.

"Mommy, that man has purple skin" a child looked upon him in wonderment, the mother on the other hand casted him a wary smile, she pulled the child away as discreetly as she thought possible.

"It's not nice to stare, honey"

"But, he's huge! Super huge!" The child emphasized by rising his hands until the mother simply dragged him away "and that guy has a metal arm!"

"What's her problem" the princess muttered.

"It's nothing to worry about" he brought her hand to lips.

"But"

"Don't let it get to you" Shiro assured "earth just needs time to get use to you guys. Us." He noted the odd glances towards his scar and white hair, and more importantly his cybernetic arm.

Allura also received some odd looks, but nothing that lingered for far too long, besides her ivory hair, pointed ears and pink markings she didn't stand out too much, she could definitely pass for a Terran with few problems. He on the other hand is a different story altogether, as he towered over everyone here.

The booth keeper is an elderly man wearing a strange hat of sorts "Good Evening!" He waves " Y'all interested in a game or two" he didn't comment on either of their appearances, much to his relief.

"Three please" he noted a pyramid of white-what he believed to be pins of some kind, Shiro payed the man 5 pieces of currency called dollars if he remembered correctly, and in return the man gave him three bright, red balls.

"Does the pretty lady want to go first" he tips his hat with a wink.

"Me?" Shiro gave her balls which meant his hand is vacant for the time being "oh, well if that's alright"

"Lady's first" Shiro moved aside.

"Okay, than what is the objective of this game"

"You just have to knock over these here rows of pins, all ten, in three gos, if you do, ya get a prize"

"Oh!" That piquet her interest "what kind of prize"

He nods up, gesturing to a large net filled with stuffed animals. Earth animals to be exact, Allura beams, squealing in delight "their so cute! Alright, your on" determined, she picked her first ball, the man moved out the way. Biting her lip, she rose her arm and tossed with all her strength.

Meaning it rip right through the pins and through the wood of the stall. The old man's brows shot right into his hair line, as all ten hit the floor with a clank.

Shiro grimaced slightly at the display.

"Yes!" She jumped, oblivious to the hole in the wall. And the next rows went down with quick ease. The older man whistled, impressed.

"You gotta mighty nice hand there, little lady."

"Thank you!" She hopped "now, what prize do I get"

"Any of your choosing"

"Um" she pressed a finger to her lips as she scanned the assortment of stuffed creatures "oh, oh that one-with the long neck"

"The giraffe?"

"Yes" she bobs her head that one "that one, please"

At the end of ordeal. Shiro offered to pay fot the damages, but the man just laughed it off and said that looking to renovate anyways. No troubles.

All in all it didn't turn into a disaster, as he watched Allura rub the stuffed animal against her cheeks "it's so fluffy"

It certainly is a strange animal, but Allura seemed to adore it. After, the pin booth, they tried one with floating fruit. Apparently, the point is to fish as many out the water using only your mouth.

Lotor found it ridiculous and a idiot's guide to almost waterboarding oneself, not to mention unsanitary. But, the night is young and Allura's bustling with vigor, apparently being incarcerated at the Garrison has left to hype on energy that needed to be funneled somewhere. And Shiro's only happy to join.

Lotor twisted his face away; watching people sticking their mouths in a tank of water, swapping bodily fluids without a single thought that this could be a breeding ground for contamination.

Allura beat Shiro by twenty to his measly 5 in one minute, and he ended up carrying the paper bag full of fruit. From there they visited another water based game this time with fish.

He grimaced "don't tell me we have to catch them with our mouths"

Shiro chuckles "No. No. We use these special nets to catch as many as we can in a certain time frame."

"Ah."

"Wanna try?" Allura offers him a net adorn with a handle.

"Very well" it seemed easy enough.

~

It was not. The fish kept jumping out his net and escaping, or in their rush towards freedom kept splashing him in the face. By the end of it his shirt is splotched with water. Shiro ended up winning this round with Allura pouting, as she only caught 2 by the time finally came to end.

"No fair" she mumbled walking away dejectedly.

"It's not as easy as it looks"

He agreed silently, picking at the long sleeved black Shirt he had bought when the Green Paladin's mother helped everyone not from Earth buy clothing.

"But, you made it look so easy" she whined.

The former gladiator rubbed the back of his head self-consciously "experience, actually. I use to play this game all the time in my hometown."

"I see" she murmured "suppose that explains a lot. What was it like?"

"Huh?"

"Your home town I mean?"

"Nothing much really. Pretty small, mostly farm land and rice fields. But, my parents don't live there anymore, they moved into the city for the benefit of my father's health years ago"

"How come you didn't introduce us"

"They live halfway across the world, plus, we haven't actually talked in years, long before I went to space"

"What?" Why, wouldn't they?" She snapped her head towards Shiro brows furrowed "did you get into a fight?"

Shiro peered away from her concerned gaze uncomfortably "Shiro?" She said softly.

Lotor cleared his throat. Loudly "Allura."

"Huh?"

He shook his head.

"Um" she tried reaching for his shirt.

"Look, candle apples. Stay put, I'll get some" he made haste through the crowd leaving behind a confused, bewildered Allura.

"I said something stupid didn't I" she repiled after a moment.

"Your not stupid" he placed a hand on her head guiding her away from the crowds with little effort "but, I believe it's best if you don't bring up his parents"

"Yeah" she rubbed her arm "I'll apologize when he gets back"

"I don't think that'll be wise."

"Why not!" She snapped indignantly "I've clearly done something wrong. I have to apologize"

"In this case it's best if you don't."

"Why?"

"It might come off as pity"

"Oh.." her ears wilted tad.

"Just let it be"

"Alright" she mumbled.

"Mommy! It's those alien people!"

"Let's find a seat shall we" he grumbled.

~

It takes awhile for Shiro to find his way back through the sea of people. In the meantime he and Allura found a pinic table laying on the outskirts, away from human traffic. Still the wayward looks and glances wouldn't end. Some were even brave enough to approach.

One being a little girl who came up to Allura dressed in little dimples "I love your hair! It's so pretty and curly!"

"Why thank you! That's sweet of you to say"

Another were a group of men of many sizes, though none of them rivaled him in height, despite some being burly or muscular. Unlike, the girl they alarmed him as the green colored clothing and hunting gear caused his suspicions to arise as they made their way to them.

The smallest of the group spoke "you the aliens we've been hearing about?"

"Why do you wish to know"

"Just wanna ask some questions" he answered vaguely.

"Interview" one with braided blonde hair blurted out, nudging his friend with his elbow"we wanted to interview y'all if that's okay"

Allura simply gave him an odd glance and shrugged.

"Forgive me asking but what's with the heavy gear?" Lotor nods his head towards the trapping equipment hulled on their backs.

"Oh, this-we're bigfoot hunters"

Lotor rose a brow.

"Bigfoot?" Allura inquired.

"Yeah, the missing link between man and ape"

"Oh!" Allura said in a way that she clearly didn't understand "I see. Well, then what is it that you wanted to ask us?"

The short man pulled out a rectangular device that appeared to be falling apart, as it is amatuerly stuck together with tape, the other men gathered closer.

He hit a button and a red light blinks on "is it true, that your aliens from outer space?"

Allura tucked a few strands behind her ears, straightening her shoulders, and lacing her fingers together on top the table "Technically, speaking yes. But, to be more specific I'm Altean from the planet Altea and Lotor, here is both Altean and Galra"

"Ah!" They all said in unison, nodding their heads.

"How many alien species are out there in the universe"

"Billions upon billions"

Another unsion of ahs, some them even whipped out their own recording devices.

"Is it true that your a princess, little lady"

"Yes, that is correct"

"And this guy's really an Emperor"

"Indeed" he answers shortly.

A few more questions were asked before they asked for a picture. Lotor declined, but Allura had no qualms about taking any with the strange men. Before they took their leave they left a number they could contact them with.

"What was that about?" Shiro came back looking far more calmer and less ill.

"Bigfoot, hunters apparently"

"Those guys. They didn't cause any trouble did they?"

"Strangely, no"

"I liked them"

"I got the candy apples" he hands one to Allura who eyes it with wonder, and takes a bite.

Lotor takes one from his and found it way too sweet for his taste. Allura gobbles it up like a man starved and in complete bliss. He takes a few more before bestowing his to her with she accepts without hesitation.

~

Their next destination brought them out further where the rides were hidden. Again so many to choose from, though the errant screaming is off putting. Mostly, to his ears.

"Don't worry, its not what you think" Shiro assuages their worries.

The first one they tried is a spinning teapot. Allura had fun spinning them around as fast as she cound possibly make the machine go. They went twice before vertigo set in and he had to stop. The other were the bumper cars. Not exciting as Shiro made it out to be, that and he had to pass because he couldn't fit.

Next, were the rollercoasters. An endless cascade of loops and spins, twists and turns.

Basically, a standing safety hazard in his opinion.

"It's safe, Lotor"

"Is it really?"

"They have safety measures and guidelines"

"Mh"

He didn't want to get flung fifty stories from a flimsy carnival ride.

"Come on, Lotor. Please" Allura begged.

"Very well"

Once again looks are trained in their direction. The courier of this so-called Doomsday Coster, didn't exactly inspire hope in him in anyway, nor did the courier's figdeting and stammering as he pulled the harness over his head, locking him in place, and hastily rushed away from his line of sight.

The experience is needless to say-quite dull when you compare it to his sicline ships, Allura had the time of her life and she and Shiro went for an encore.

Gidy and energized, Allura had coaxed them in to trying a few more rides, by the time they had reached the one that slowly rose to the top than dropped out the skies; he had enough excitement for the night. Upon sitting down, they found the rest with Hunk puking abd heaving onto the ground as Pidge consoled him.

Of couse Allura wanted to try the walking safety hazard. Though, she didn't try and rope him into this one, she and Keith decided to give it a go while Lance kept a distance. From him to be exact. Not that it bothered him in the slightest, as Shiro also decided that it was enough excitement for the day.

Watching Allura climb onto that contraction did little to ease his nerves, especially when she came barreling down many feet from the air. Only this time, she joined Hunk as she came shakily down the ramp and vomited into one the garbage cans.

It seemed she had finally met her match.

~

This was a fun request! I might add some more later.

Thanks for the prompt @beautifulmonsterseverywhere !

[amayalunar]

Marry Me! Nyx Ulric x OC

Marry me - Nyx Ulric x Oc

____________________________________________________________________________

HERE IS THE NEXT SERIES!!!! WOOP! Well this was heavily influenced by the Hallmark Movie A December Bride, though it’s mostly this chapter as the rest is different!  Yup I watched a Christmas movie in the middle of summer… more like I am a sap for wedding movies XD.  However, this will get a NSFW portion to it at some point the whole thing will not be rated NSFW.  This is fluff, and emotion throughout.  I hope you like this one!

____________________________________________________________________________

Amaya and Nyx are best friends… but what happens when the hero's best friend is dumped by her fiance, and is forced to attend the wedding? Naturally Nyx was going to fix things, just sometimes he’s a bit too mouthy…

“What did you do?”

“Surprise! You’re getting married… to me.”

____________________________________________________________________________

Amaya walked down the crowded streets of Insomnia, her eyes looking through the windows of the ever busy city.  She was on the hunt, a hunt for a dress.  She slowed her pace down as she approached the heavier shopping district as she stopped in front of a window as before her was a beautiful white gown.  The gown was spectacular, the A-line ball gown with a beautiful sweetheart top, the sleeve all lace as the bodice was glittered in beads and crystals.  It was perfect.  

    She walked into the boutique as she circled the dress in the window admiring it as one of the sales consultants came up behind her.  “It’s a lovely dress, would you like to try it on?” Amaya looked back as smiled sweetly, a combination of sorrow and hurt behind that fake smile.  “It’s only a dream, I’m here for another reason.”

That was true, it should have been different.  She should have been wedding dress shopping, but she wasn’t… and it was all started the day her Fiance met her cousin.

__________

Amaya was with her Fiance Blake Rivers, at a celebration event for the opening of her family's new business line. The Lunar Luxury and Hotel line, they ran beautiful hotels across the plain, and each was different and had its own personality. Usually in the larger cities there are at least 3 to 5 Lunar Hotels, all of which are beautiful and different.  Her father runs the books with her brother, while Amaya is the designer.  Her elder brother ran the branch here in Insomnia, while her father stayed back home in Altissia.  

Amaya and Blake were conversing with those around them and more.  The two had been together for 2 years, and he was good to her.  Blake Rivers was a demon hunter turned Crowns Guard.  He had shoulder length blonde hair, and crystal clear blue eyes.  He was slightly tanned, well built and stood about 6’2, towering over Amaya’s small 5’4 frame.  Amaya contrasted her fiance.  She had hip length raven hair, pale yet fair skin that emphasizes she mythical emerald eyes. She was gifted with large breasts and thick thighs with a little cushion in the middle.  She was a beautiful woman.  

Nearby Amaya’s Aunt stood laughing with another man, Amaya’s best friend, Nyx Ulric of the Kingsglaive.  Amaya and Nyx met years ago, he had saved her from being mugged while she wandered the vast city.  Nyx and Amaya had a special bond, even front the time they first met, he was protective over her and flirty... and was a pain in her ass, but she still loved him… like a brother.  

Nyx didn’t take it well when another man, especially a Crowns Guard, took his spot as Amaya’s go to.  Blake and Nyx never got along, it was always one extra comment from the other and it was game on.  Nyx was always the one to be protective over Amaya, ever since they met those years ago, back when he was still new to the Glaive, and that hero title got him into everything a bit too deep, as did his mouth.

Blake had excused himself from Amaya for a moment while he went to grab some beverages.  Nyx popped over as he smiled at her, “enjoying yourself?” “You know it, you know how much I love these oh so quiet parties.” she laughed.  Nyx walked her over to a table where they stood together.  “Amaya!  Oh it’s been far too long!” a voice squealed coming into the room, Amaya turned to see her cousin Elise.  The two hugged tightly, Elise was like a sister to Amaya, Amaya being the younger of the two.  Elise was always the kind and beautiful one, she had gorgeous soft brown hair that hung into the middle of her back, though now it's tied up.  She held herself high and she was graceful and kind to everyone. She had soft striking blue eyes sparkled in the light.  She was fair, and beautiful.  Currently she wore a beautiful light pink dress to the event being held.  “Elise, what brings you here from Altissia?” Amaya questioned happy to see her once more.  “Well I finally opened that flower shop I’ve been trying to do, and I finally did it!” “Congratulations!”  “I was excited to know I was able to come and celebrate the opening of the new brach, your father has been working so hard on it, your brother too.” “Yeah I know, but they did it.”  “Oh, I’m so sorry I don’t think we’ve ever met.” Elise said looking to Nyx who was actually sitting there quietly for once, “Nyx Ulric,” he introduced, “Oh is this your Fiance?” Amaya’s brow shot up as she laughed as Nyx rolled his eyes, “Oh Gods no, Nyx is my best friend.  Blake is my Fiance, he should be back-” “Someone say my name?” The familiar blonde said as he purposely pushed past the Glaive as he set the glass down in front of Amaya as he looked up… and time stood still.  “Oh, hello.  I’m Elise, Elise Sterling. I’m Amaya’s cousin.” she introduced as she looked starstruck.  “Blake Rivers, I’m Amaya’s fiance.” Amaya looked between them, “Elise is here because she was celebrating the opening of her new floral shop.”  “Floral shop?” “Yup, specialize in everything from decorative flowers to herbs.  The Lilly are my personal favorites.” “ ?  Me too.” Blake said… Amaya’s blood ran cold, he never spoke of flowers to her before, but then again she could barely keep alive a cactus.  “Tell me more about your shop where is it located?”  Blake had left the table with Elise as Amaya inched closer to Nyx, “What just happened?” “To tell you the truth Princess, I’m not quite sure myself.” Nyx said as they watched the two walked away with bright smiles fully intrigued with whatever conversation they would be having.

That was 6 months ago

________     That was the funny thing about love, it can strike at any given moment.  That was the reason she was shopping, she was on the hunt for a dress for her cousin and Blake's wedding. The two hit it off so easily that day, and not even a week later Amaya was no longer engaged and had moved out… while Elise moved in.  

        Amaya went to look at some other dresses when she finally found a section of darker colored short dresses.  She sifted through them when her phone went off. Sighing she looked at the screen, but then lightly smiled.  The screen lit up with ‘Your Hero’ in the title as Nyx had also proceeded to make the photo an obnoxious selfie of himself.  “Hello Hero” she said lightly “Hello princess, you up to anything?” “Well welcome home, it’s been a while.  You finally off duty?” Amaya asked as she frowned looking through the dresses.  “Yeah, I’m heading out to meet with Crowe and Lib for some drinks you in?” “Not really.” she sighed.  Amaya’s tone turned to light sadness, Nyx knew that Blake was engaged to Elise now, but he brushed it off, what he didn’t know was the fact Amaya was invited to the wedding and was fully expected to show up.  “What’s wrong?” she was pulled out of her thoughts as his voice was less playful now.  “I’m shopping.” “Nope you’re coming out.” “Why?” “Because, I said so.  Where are you?” “I’m not going to tell you!” she whined over the phone, as he laughed. “You know I am more able to find you.” she sighed knowing he would regardless of anything. “I’ll meet you at my place, I’ll be there in a half house.” he hummed in acceptance over the phone. “Alright, see you there.” with that their conversation ended.

Amaya shifted though a couple more dresses just picking out a couple as she paid and left.  She was true to her word as it did take about a half hour to get to her beautiful apartment.  It was a high floor luxury piece, that many swooned over.  She was spoiled, Nyx always made sure to remind her of that as well.  Amaya dropped the dress bags over her sofa as she made her way over to her dining room table, there it sat, the invite.  She looked at it as her eyes lingered over the ‘regretfully no’ or ‘yes’ check boxes, the wedding was 2 weeks away and she still hadn’t sent it in.  She got the invite over a week ago.  This whole wedding seemed overly rushed, but that’s how Blake and Elise were, it’s get it done now or never.  

    Amaya heard a knock and then the door opened as Amaya turned around quickly as she put the invite behind her back as she smiled as Nyx had come inside, like usual.  He looked at her as she smiled lightly at him, her hands behind her back as she was trying to make it seem like she wasn’t hiding something.  “What, got a present for me?” he asked with a mischievous smirk on his face as he walked over to her as she shook her head.  “No, just something you don’t have to see.” “Oh ?  And what could this something be that you don’t want me to see huh?” he asked as he got closer than he quickly tried to reach around her as she laughed as she struggled to keep it away from him, until his fingers went to her waist as he started tickling her, which he knew was her weakness.  Her laugh echoes over the room until it stopped when he got his hands on the envelope as he turned around.  All he had to do was hold it up and she had no chance. “I win.” he stated as she sighed, giving up she sat in one of the dining tables as he looked at it.  Nyx looked at the invite, each word he read his eyes narrowed a bit more.  “You’re fucking kidding me right?” he asked as she had marked  ‘yes’ in the box.  “She’s family, all we have is family, I can’t let this get in the way of that Nyx.” He grunted as he set it back down on the table taking a chain and straddling it so he could look at her.  “Why didn’t you any anything?” he questioned as she turned away.  “I didn’t want the sympathy that comes with it.”  

    Nyx let out a sigh, he knew what she meant.  “If you’re going, who are you going with?” he asked her, she lightly peeked up at him as his brow raised.  “Oh, so you wanted to keep it a secret and drag me along anyways?” “It’s better than going with my brother.” he laughed, “if you come out tonight I will go with you to the wedding.” :Fine.” “Good, now let’s go!” He pulled her out the door, as she was already ready.  

    Nyx had brought her to the normal spot, Libertus and Crowe were at it again.  Pelna was trying to be a medium until he let out a relieved sigh seeing Nyx and Amaya come through.  Crowe instantly stopped whatever it was she was doing as she grabbed ahold of Amaya. “I wasn’t expecting you to come out, how did he bribe you out this time?” Amaya looked at her sheepishly, “he’s coming with me to my ex-fiance and cousins wedding.” “Wait what?” Libertus asked, Crowe silenced him with a look. “It’s alright, I okay now.  I can actually look at them again so I don’t think I’ll be crying or anything.” she said as Pelna got her a drink. “Thank you.” she whispered.  Nyx looked at her as he sat across the table from her.  This hurt, she never deserved that.  She never deserved to be hurt so badly by two of the most important people in her life.  

    Nyx had walked Amaya home as he leaned on the frame with a smirk. “So I’ll see you Saturday?” he asked as she nodded, it was too sad.  Today was Friday night, and it was and she actually wouldn’t see him until the following Saturday just from work.  She placed a kiss on his cheek.  “Thank you Nyx, you’ve always been my best friend.” she smiled, as he did too.  “Goodnight.”

    Nyx sighed as he walked out, ‘best friend’ yeah he hated those words, but it was his own damn fault.  

____________

The day before the wedding Amaya was with her brother in his office as she was sifting through some samples as she hummed lightly. Alexander Lunar, also known as Xander, he had pitch black short hair with stunning brown eyes.  He was tanned unlike his sister.  He usually wore a suit, clean cut, and no facial hair. He stood at about 6’1, so Amaya was the runt of the family.  

“So, you sure you don’t want to go with this guy?” he asked motioning to himself as she laughed.  “Xander I’m fine, and I have a date.  Plus even if I did it would look bad if I attend my ex-fiance’s wedding with my brother.” Xander returned the laugh, “Really? Who is it?” he asked as he got up placing some paperwork in the bin where his secretary would send them off.  “Nyx said he’d go with me.” “Ah, good ol’ Nyx. Don’t know how you can get him to do everything if you need it.”  “He’s my best friend Xander, he’d help me out in any way he can and I would do the same.” she said as she marked a sample she thought would work well in the new remodel of one of their rooms.    “I know, but I gotta go and take those measurements.” she said as she waved.  

Nyx finished shift, for once the captain was kind enough to actually let him leave early,  There was always hidden motive though somewhere behind the nice jester.  At home he cleaned up, redid his braids and put on the nicest piece of clothing he had, many actually didn’t know he had a suit but he did but he only wore it to events like this or places he with Amaya.  The suit was actually a gift from her father for a birthday he thinks.  However, after he was done grooming himself he heads to pick up his date.  

    Amaya had finished her hair and makeup, she was in her robe as Xander was there.  “What one doesn’t scream ‘poor unfortunate Amaya’?” she asked holding up two dresses, a short black one with long sleeved lace accents or a dark red one with black sleeves and a peekaboo.  Xander pointed to the black one, “That one screams what was Blake thinking?” “Perfect!” she laughed putting the red one down. “When’s the big Hero coming?” “He should be here any minute.” Amaya answered and as on cue there was a knock.  Xander went to answer as Amaya went to put on the dress.  

    When Amaya was done she walked out to Nyx and Xander laughing about something as she hoped her name was not in their conversation. Nyx looked up as his light slightly widened, his lips were slightly parted.  Xander smirked at the reaction as Amaya smiled.  “Well guess it’s time to go.” she said as both guys let her out first.  

    Amaya and Nyx walked into the church and sat beside her father and brother.  Mr. Maximum Lunar, head of the Lunar family and Lunar Luxury Hotels.  He was tall like her brother, however he had brown slick back hair, tanned skin, and brown eyes.  He work a normal tailored suit as he normally would.  Amaay reached over hugging her father as it has been a while since she had seen him.  He took Nyx’s hand, the Lunar boys always got along with Nyx.   

    The ceremony commenced Amaya watched with tension.  However, tried not to show it, she bit her bottom lip while Elise and Blake recited their vows.  “If anyone can show a just cause why these two should not be joined, speak now or forever hold your peace.” Amaya lightly looked around as a few peering eyes were glanced her way.  The unbearable moment was finally over.  “I pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride.” When the two kissed Amaya had to bite her bottom lip to make her mind not think about it, she tightened her hand a bit as she felt a warm one on hers as she glanced up looking at Nyx with a light smile.  

    As the guests started to head to the reception Amaya and Nyx walked by as they stopped, “it was a lovely ceremony.” Amaay said to them as they thanked her, “thank you, wait are you two together?” Nyx looked to Amaya as she looked to him, “Yeah,” he said as he slid his arm around her waist.  “Wow, about time.” Blake said as Nyx shot him a partial glare.  

    The reception was cute and small.  The bride and groom had their first dance together, they were a match made by the Astrals themselves, they had great chemistry and showed deep love for one another.  “You okay?” Xander asked as she leaned over, “I will be if you stop asking me that.” he stuck his tongue out.  Aunt Lilliana came up hugging Amaya.  “I’m so proud of you, and I’m so happy you came.” she said as Amaya smiled then looked at Nyx, “You two on a date?” “Uh yeah,” AMaya said she leaned in, “well done.” Amaya laughed along with Nyx this time.  

    Dinner was served after as Amaya sat with Nyx on her right, her dad on her left, Xander next to him and her Aunt on the other side of Nyx.  Amaya lightly picked at her food.  “What not eating strawberries?” Xander asked as he came in from behind picking the fruit of her plate.  “I’m not that hunger.” she said as she pulled her napkin up, “I think I need some air.” she said getting up as Max did too, “come on, dance with your dad.” he said as he took her hand bringing her to the floor.  Amaya placed her hand on his shoulder as she looked around and tried her best to hold in the tears. “ I really do need some air.” “OK Honey.” he said back as she walked away.  

    Outside she stood a little bit as another joined her.  She looked over at Nyx who she laid her head on.  “You got this.” he said as he rubbed her back.  “I know, but it still hurts.  I still think and ask myself what I’ve done wrong or what’s wrong with me?” he said heard her sniff.  “Nothing, you did nothing and there is nothing wrong with you.” he said as she looked up at him, “come on let's go back inside. You owe me a dance.” she laughed as she agreed.  

    Inside Max and Xander watched as Nyx dragged Amaya out to the floor, both watched on intrigued by the two. Nyx pulled her in as her face slightly dropped seeing Blake and Elise.  Nex leaned down, “hey, don’t let it get to you.  Pretend I said something really dumb or funny.” he whispered as she rolled her eyes and let out a laugh.  Blake slightly turned to look at them as Nyx spun her pulling her back to him as she laughed a bit more.  “COuld it be, are you actually having fun?” he jested as she smiled, “perhaps.” She stated.  Liliana came up, “oh I could watch you two dance all night!” “It’s all about finding the right partner.” Max said back, “My thoughts exactly.” Nyx said as Max nodded at him. Amaya pulled away from him as she excused herself once more.  He put his hand sup in surrender as he took a random piece of candy off of the dessert table.  

        “You two really are a couple.” Blake said coming up behind Nyx, much to Nyx’s disliking.  “Yeah, couldn’t be happier.” Nyx said back as Max and Xander started peeping in, and then in came Liliana and Elise. “Just a bit surprised, I didn’t even know you two were dating.” Blake said, “well I don’t really talk to you.  We didn’t feel the need to tell anyone it was just spur of the moment.” Nyx lied as he tried to keep up the charade without her there.  “Well it looks pretty serious.” Elise stated, “Oh it’s as serious as it gets. We are engaged.” Well those words just came out as he realized what he said when everyone looked at him in the strangest way.  Liliana gasped with Elise, as Xander looked at each other confused, and Blake looked him wide eyed.  “Oh this is wonderful news why didn’t you say anything before?” Max asked coming it, “We didn’t want to steal the thunder is all.” The DJ announced the cake cutting as the bride and groom left, “excuse me a second.” Nyx said as he made his way through to where Amaya went.  He caught her in the hallway as he pulled her aside.  

    Amaya looked at him with confusion.  “Nyx what’s wrong?” she asked as he looked around, “So… I kind of fucked up.” she gave him a look, “what did you do?” she asked as she heard her name over the speaker as she proceeded out of the hall. “No wait!” he tried to pull her back but missed as she walked away as Nyx hurried next to her.  “We just wanted a shout out to my beloved cousin on her engagement!” Amaya looked at Nyx who looked like he was holding his breath, “surprise, you’re getting married.” “To whom?” “To me.” She tried not to give a what the hell were you thinking look as she smiled at everyone, who was applauding,  putting her hand around him as he did the same.   

[scarletraven1001]

Impasse

Bulma knew that having such wanton desires for her irresistible boss was wrong on all possible accounts, but even though she tried so hard to, she just couldn’t resist him… Not when his body against hers felt oh, so right.

AU. A late submission for the February 2018 / Spring 2018 @tpthvegebulsmutfest

Bonus day eight: Basset Hound.

Explicit Content.

All Chapters:  1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9

Also on Ao3.

8-8-8-8-8

Impasse

8-8-8-8-8

The sharp clicking of her heels against the dark marble floors echoed across the now deserted hallway. Her green clipboard was clutched securely against her chest by her left arm, her right hand absently twirling a pen between her slender fingers.

Only a few minutes left until midnight, and everyone else, save for the handful of security personnel, had left the building.

The larger areas lined with small offices and long lines of office desks were far behind her as she moved into the narrow hallway leading into the executive office.

Her wire-rimmed glasses felt heavy as it stubbornly slid down her nose, and she lifted a hand to push it up to be level with her pale blue eyes, her pupils dilating as they adjusted to the darkness that grew deeper the farther she moved into the narrow hall.

She fidgeted with the edges of her light gray blazer, and she tucked her pen into her coat pocket to smooth down her black inner blouse. She paused in her steps to finger the bottom of her tight skirt, self-consciously pulling at it to make it appear as long as possible even though she knew that the short skirt ended a couple of inches above her knees.

She was stalling. She knew she was.

Just as much as she knew that he knew, as well.

She felt her heart begin to pound against her rib cage as the dark door to the CEO’s office loomed before her. She took a deep breath, pushing a stray lock of her straight, blue, shoulder-length hair behind her ear, before lifting a hand to announce her arrival.

She pressed a button on the side of the small, electronic door lock, turning on the intercom and sending an alert to the person waiting for her within. “Ouji-san?” she called softly into the small microphone.

The small machine beeped, the red indicator turning green as the door opened slightly to let her in.

She pushed the door open, stepping into the large office surrounded by floor to ceiling windows. The lights from outside buildings blinked merrily up at her, the only source of illumination in the otherwise pitch-dark office.

She stood still as she heard the door swing closed, the soft beeping sound letting her know that the door had locked behind her again. Looking around, she noted the long, dark tan couch and small mahogany table sitting on the right side of the office, the display case of trophies and awards to the left, and finally set her eyes onto the large wooden desk at the far end of the room. Steeling herself, she walked up to the desk, approaching the imposing figure seated on the leather chair behind it.

He sat hunched over, his face hidden by the dark shadows of the office. His fingers were steepled together, hands supporting his chin as he leaned on the table. He seemed relaxed in his stance, almost careless, but she could tell by how his shoulders tensed slightly as she approached that she was not the only one feeling the effects of the darkness between them.

The blue, long-sleeved shirt he was wearing stretched deliciously across his chest, a black tie wrapped loosely around his collar. She could clearly discern the outline of his defined arm muscles pushing rebelliously against the sleeves, which he had folded up to rest just below his elbows.  She noted that his black coat was hung onto the coat rack behind the door, the red emblem of Ouji Enterprises stitched meticulously onto the breast pocket.

His head was angled down, his narrow glasses sitting low on the bridge of his nose as his eyes watched her approach him from above the rims of his specs. His dark lashes mesmerized her, his thick brows scrunched together as he regarded her with an unreadable look on his handsome face.

His dark hair was a riot of flames on his head, and she faltered in her steps as she remembered that those deceivingly sharp-looking tresses had felt as soft as the finest silk between her fingers. His prominent widow’s peak slashed down, leading her eyes to the attractive, masculine facial features she had all but memorized since she had begun working for him six months ago.

She stood unmoving before the large table as reached him, her eyes meeting the obsidian orbs of the man who watched her every motion like a predator poised to attack its chosen prey.

Her voice lodged into her throat as she attempted to speak, but her hesitation was not missed by the eager spectator. A corner of his lips lifted in a smirk, breaking the deafening silence between them.

“Bulma,” the soft sound of her name left those lips in a husky whisper, and it was only then that she realized, with a sharp jolt, that she had been staring at him as if in a trance from the moment she walked in.

“Ouji-san,” she began, “I have emailed you the charts that you need for tomorrow’s board meeting. I have the printouts ready as well.”

“Ouji-san?” he asked with a raised brow, and she watched, mesmerized, as he slowly, sinuously stood from his relaxed slouch on his leather chair. He leaned towards her, large hands bracing himself on the desk as he regarded her with narrowed eyes. “Why Bulma, must you be so formal?”

She gulped, his soft voice inciting a myriad of lascivious memories within her, her heart racing as she remembered how that voice and his hot breath against her neck had sent delighted shivers down her spine.

Her gaze traveled up to meet his, but she hesitated at the last moment, choosing to fix her eyes on the frames of his glasses that had been sliding down his patrician nose. The glasses, she knew, were an act. He had perfect vision, but the glasses, to most, denoted experience, knowledge, power… this man commanded respect.

She fought against her body’s response to his nearness, straightening her back as she replied as stiffly as she possibly could. “I only dropped by to inform you of the status of the report, Ouji-san,” she emphasized.

She took her eyes off him as she peered down into the contents of her clipboard, pulling out the sheets with the printed charts and statistics.

With a flourish, she held the papers out towards him, very nearly hitting him with them in her increasingly flustered state.

“See here,” she motioned to the first page, setting her clipboard down onto the table so she could point at the charts as  she explained, pretending not to notice that the man she was talking to was completely ignoring her work in favor of blatantly watching her. “This first chart indicates the attrition rates of the sales department, as well as the reasons cited for the resignations.”

She dared a peek up at him, and she saw that he had basically zoned out, his gaze fixed on her lips as she continued speaking. “The majority of our staff members are satisfied with their work environments, so the number is basically negligible. The only cause for concern is the departure of Tien, who was the second highest seller in the third quarter. Now here, we-”

“Enough!” his palm smacking against the tabletop, and the forceful tone of his voice stunned her into silence as she looked up at him in alarm, the papers falling from her slack grip.

“Enough, woman,” he rasped, eyes boring into her as his dark gaze commanded that she meet his own. “This has gone on long enough. Why do you insist on tormenting me?”

“Tormenting you?” she asked, disbelief making heat rise to her cheeks. She fisted her hands, planting them on her hips as she stood to her full height, glaring at him as menacingly as her small frame would allow. “I only came here to give you the reports! You are the one who keeps making this so difficult!”

“I am not the one who is hot one moment and arctic the next,” he seethed, one hand moving up to violently pull his glasses off, throwing it carelessly to land on the paperwork on his desk. Moving quickly from behind the desk to stand directly before her, his hands were clenched tightly at his sides, his eyes blazing as he regarded her. “I have told you, under no uncertain terms, that I want you. I have shown you that I want you. But you have yet to give me a straight answer.”

She bit her lip in indecision.

When Bulma had applied for this job, she was supposed to have been hired as the secretary of the owner of the company. The man was old enough to be her father and, though imposing, had been kind enough that Bulma had immediately accepted the offer.

However, two short days before Bulma was supposed to start work, the older man had suddenly decided to leave the company and hand the reigns over to his eldest son.

The said eldest son had become her boss instead. What started out as a simple job became a battle of wills when the attraction they immediately felt for each other upon meeting quickly became unbearable, undeniable…

And now, said boss was hovering over her, his slanted eyes betraying his anger and a more pained emotion that she could not quite put her finger on.

“Please… please, Ouji-san,” she whimpered, snapping her eyes shut to keep from seeing the chaotic passion in his, and to keep him from reading the raw emotions in her own.

“Say my name, Bulma,” he dared her, and she felt his fingers quickly, but gently grab her chin, forcing her to crane her neck slightly to look up at him.

He was not much taller than her, but his presence was like a storm, strong, volatile, and if left untamed, capable of utter destruction.

She was unable to fight him, and she lifted somber eyes up to regard him, her lips trembling with the confusion she could still feel deep in her core.

“Vegeta, please,” she finally whispered. His eyes were on her, watching every harsh breath that escaped her as she breathed painfully in her anguish. “We can’t. This isn’t right.”

“Don’t you dare say that it isn’t right, woman,” he growled. His sharp eyes softened marginally as he continued, “Because it feels right. You know it does.”

“I…” she stuttered, but he raised two fingers to her mouth then, softly laying them on her lips to halt her words.

“It felt right, when you surrendered to me after the office party,” he leaned closer, letting his harsh breath fan across her cheeks as he reminded her of the first time she gave in to him, the first time he possessed her body with an unholy passion that still burned her from head to toe.

She gasped as she felt the fingers of his other hand clutch her sides, slowly soothing the stress from her rigid stance before him.

She could feel herself begin to melt against him, and try as she might, Bulma could not stop her body from craving the hard planes of his own.

“It felt right last night,” he added, and a small sob left her as she felt him begin to wrap his arm around her, pulling her in ever closer, and she remained powerless to resist.

“It only feels wrong when you fight it, Bulma,” he said in a harsh whisper, his voice soft but urgent, insistent. “Because you know… that you belong with me. Only me.”

She sucked in a deep breath as he pulled back, a hand lifting to pull her glasses off her face, setting it down on top of her clipboard on his desk.

“Your body knows it,” he purred as the tips of his fingers stroked teasingly across her cheeks.

His hand traveled lower, slowly moving until his warm palm was resting on her chest, feeling the furious thudding of her heart against her rib cage. His lips lingered at her jawline, the feel of his breath on her skin raising goosebumps throughout her whole body as he continued speaking, “Your heart knows it.”

She felt herself falling into him, her hands itching to hold on to his powerful frame, seeking approval, reassurance, but her mind stubbornly refused to yield.

Bulma was a logical girl… she possessed an analytic mind that screamed at her how big of a mistake this was. She had something to prove, she needed to show her parents that she had it in her to succeed even without their family’s influence… that she could rise up in professional ranks in spite of, not because of, her physical beauty.

But… Vegeta was right. Her every sense, every beat of her heart, every drop of her blood, knew that she wanted this, wanted him.

As if he felt the acquiescence simmering within her, he seized the chance to crush her small body against his own, arms wrapping possessively around her as he dove down and his lips swiftly and vigorously captured hers in a deep, demanding kiss.

She lifted her hands to his chest, intending to push him away… but as she felt his warm strength against her palms, the walls she kept between her mind and her heart crumbled into dust, and she found her fingers curling into the material of his shirt as she moaned and kissed him back.

She closed her eyes against the feel of him around her, her fingers grasping wildly at him and moving up to hold him tighter to her. Her right hand wound around his neck as her left curled up under his arm, feeling his hard biceps flex beneath her touch as he tightened his hold on her.

Bulma parted her lips to let him in, and Vegeta quickly plundered her mouth, keeping control of the kiss as he tasted her, devoured her, dominating her with every deliberate glide of his tongue.

She heard him groan against her lips before he pressed himself against her, and she could feel him begin to harden through their clothes as he rubbed his pelvis teasingly against her. She moaned in kind, the sound breathless and needy as she clutched the nape of his neck with desperate urgency, all but lost to the sensations of his kiss, the hurried but gentle caress of his hands on her body.

Without breaking their kiss, his hands fell to her waist, grasping her sides tight before she felt him lift her, settling her down to sit on the edge of his desk.

She hummed in delight against his mouth, her hands dropping to his arms. She could feel his strength as his biceps flexed with his movements, and her fingers curled possessively around the taut muscles she could feel beneath the cloth of his shirt.

He stepped closer to her, his knees knocking softly against the wood of the table she was on, as his arms wound around her hips. His hands spread out, he greedily palmed her buttocks to drag her to the very edge of the table. He stood between her parted legs, pressing his growing arousal against her dampening core.

He finally broke the kiss, his lips feathering gently across her jaw, his teeth nipping teasingly while she could do nothing but hold on and sigh in pleasure at his touches.

Vegeta’s hands found hers, and he entwined their fingers, his much larger hands completely engulfing her own as he raised their clutching hands to rest against his chest.

She could feel his erratic heartbeat against the back of her hand, and she pulled away from him, her eyes seeking his amidst the darkness.

She gasped as their gazes met, and her heart basked in the need that she saw clearly written in his obsidian orbs… need that she knew he could also find in her cerulean eyes.

“Bulma,” he breathed softly, his breath fanning across her lips as he closed his eyes and touched his forehead to hers.

He released her hands, and he opened his eyes to stare into her own as she felt him reach up and begin to pull her blazer down her shoulders.

She knew where this was leading to. She knew what he wanted… what would happen if she didn’t pull away.

His eyes blazed his question at her, and she knew that he would stop if she told him to stop. If she closed her eyes against his penetrating gaze and halted his hands from removing her clothes, he would step away from her and let her leave.

But she didn’t do any of those things. With a determined glint in her eyes, she straightened her arms and let him pull the offending garment off her.

He understood, and with renewed vigor, he pulled the blazer down, then carelessly discarded the garment at their feet.

She reached up to unknot his tie, then snaked it along his neck before dropping it to the floor as well.

Her fingers languidly traced up his sides before she reached for the buttons on his shirt. She determinedly watched her fingers slowly unbutton each one until she had his shirt open, then she gently pulled the material to untuck it from his pants.

The shirt hung listlessly around his body, and her mouth watered as she looked longingly at the beautiful body framed by the material. She noted how his breathing had quickened, deepened as she undressed him, and unable to avoid his gaze anymore, she looked up to meet his eyes once again.

The intensity of his stare took her breath away for a second before he pulled her close into another kiss. The kiss was deep, probing, with none of the urgency of the last one, but with even more of his feelings injected into every small motion, every stilted inhale.

Bulma closed her eyes as she groped for his shirt, pushing it off his broad shoulders. The silk slid off his form like water, joining the growing pile of clothes at their feet.

She pulled away from the kiss then, her eyes selfishly raking in every dip and angle of his deliciously ripped torso. She saw his hands move towards her, holding the edges of her blouse, before he began pulling it up. She raised her hands as he pulled it over her head, and she now sat before him in her black bra and her short skirt that had hiked up her hips due to their frenzied actions.

She watched as he dropped her blouse and stared at her, his longing for her a tangible wave that he exuded from every pore of his body.

Bulma had to wonder what he saw when he looked at her that had him so mesmerized. It puzzled her, what a man with such a perfect face and a body that could make the gods themselves weep in envy, could possibly find so desirable in someone such as her.

Sure, she knew she was beautiful… but the way he looked at her made her feel like no other mortal could come close to her. He made her feel like the most immaculate being in the universe, and it excited and confused her all at the same time.

She wondered if what he saw in her was the same as what she saw in him.

To her, there was not a single flaw on him. His sharp eyes, straight nose and sensuous lips beckoned to her, and her desperate hands reached out to pull his amazing body to hers as he reached and grasped her to him as well.

To her surprise, he didn’t move to kiss her, nor to touch her anywhere else in an attempt to arouse her. Vegeta simply held on to her, burying his face in the crook of her neck, taking deep, unsteady inhales as he let his lips gently graze her shoulders.

The intimacy of the moment brought tears to her eyes, tears she fiercely held back as she choked out his name.

“Vegeta,” she whispered, and she hummed as felt him shudder against her, his arms tightening around her in response. His hands spread wide across her back, and she felt as one hand smoothed up her skin to toy with the clasps of her bra.

She didn’t resist when he unclasped the garment, and she felt the straps loosely hang on to her shoulders before he snuck his hand up to pull her bra away. As it fluttered to the ground, she felt the hand on her back moved to wrap more tightly against her, pressing her to him once more, her breasts rubbing against his hard chest.

His other hand reached down to grasp her buttocks, lifting her off the table, and she automatically wrapped her long legs around his hips as he carried her up, making his way to the couch on one side of the office.

He lay her down on the plush cushions, and he moved to lean over her, his eyes roaming her as he reached for her skirt and began to tug it off.

She reached down to unzip it before he actually tore through her clothing, and she lifted her hips up as he dragged her skirt down her long legs.

She lay there in just her panties and her heels, which she absently kicked off her feet while she hungrily watched him begin to unbutton and push his black slacks off. He kicked his shoes off, impatiently pulling his socks from his feet as he let his pants drop all the way down to the floor.

His narrow hips, framed by that slashed indent between his torso and thighs, made her mouth positively water. His black silk boxers wrapped tight against his lower hips, concealing that part of him that now strained against the restricting cloth of his underwear.

He leaned over her, one hand bracing him above her as the other began to trace languid circles around her stomach. The soft touches made her ache, and she felt her hands itch to touch him, to hold him as dearly as he held her.

She lifted her hands, and very gently held his cheeks in her warms palms, smiling shyly at him with her kiss-swollen lips.

He didn’t smile back, but he did acquiesce to her silent request. Slowly, almost hesitantly, he lowered his head, his lips locking with hers in another intense kiss.

She could feel him everywhere, enclosing her, the darkness of their surroundings adding to the thrill as the allure of the forbidden pierced straight through her mind to riot loudly within her chest.

He pulled away from her lips, and she sighed his name in delight as his lips travelled south, until she felt his hot breath on her breast.

His sinful lips descended, leaving fleeting kisses all over her chest, suckling on the skin of her soft mounds. His hand not supporting his weight over her reached up, the backs of his fingers softly caressing the sides of her breast before he turned his hand over so the center of his palm rubbed her nipple.

She gasped as he began a gentle massage, kneading her until her nipples pebbled under his touch.

She arched up when she felt his warm tongue lave her chest, climbing up the slope of her breast until the soft warmth licked demandingly on her aching tips.

“Vegeta,” she moaned, closing her eyes, a loud cry escaping her when his lips closed around her nipple and gave a strong suck. She pressed him tight against her chest, her hands reaching up to tangle in his hair, the smooth, familiar feel of them making another surge of desire crawl from the center of her chest to the tips of her toes.

He moved his attentions to her other breast, while his right hand moved sensuously down her body. He grabbed her left buttock, kneading the flesh almost aggressively while she lost her mind in a haze of pleasure, her leg lifting up to wrap around his waist, opening herself to him, ready and eager for his touch.

Taking that as his cue, Vegeta gripped her hips to his, grinding his erection on her core and she cried out, her restless hands pulling roughly at his hair. He pulled his lips away from her chest, leaning up to mouth at her shoulder before he kissed a trail down her torso, his tongue dipping into her navel before teasingly nipping at the skin on her lower abdomen.

Bulma groaned loud as the tips of his fingers moved to play around the edges of her underwear, hovering around her netherlips, his nails scratching lightly at the smooth skin of her inner thighs.

She scrambled to touch him, her hands finding purchase on the smooth skin of his back as he stretched her panties to one side, revealing her to him.

A dark red flush came over her cheeks, reaching her upper chest as she nearly sat up when she felt his fingers begin to trace her labia.

“Vegeta!” she cried out his name, her voice hoarse with her desire. It felt so good to let those syllables slip from her lips, the sound of his name an affirmation of the identity of the only man who had ever made her crumble so thoroughly with just the stroke of his hands.

He glanced up at her, a smirk grazing his lips, and the naughty glint in his eyes distracted her enough that she violently started when he suddenly slipped a finger into her.

She threw her head back, her neck bobbing as a delighted cry lodged in her throat. She keened when she felt his finger delve more deeply into her, and her breathing all but stopped when she felt him add another finger, pumping slowly within her core.

“Does this feel good, Bulma?” he asked, his voice low and breathy as his eyes raked up her exposed body.

“Aaahh! Yessss. Oh!” she tried to formulate a smarter response as she knew he was just egging her on, but she was so completely overwhelmed by bliss that she would have been unable to spell out her own name.

She cried out when he suddenly pulled his fingers out, her hands reaching to grasp his upper arms as the feeling of utter frustration filled her.

She looked down her body and found that he had pulled away from her, but all her protests died in her chest when she saw his hands reach for the waistband of his boxers, pushing the soft article down to reveal his cock, hard and straining, veins bulging out and looking oh so beautifully tempting.

Her jaw went slack as unbelievable desire and need for his body roiled within her, desperate to feel that magnificent hardness inside her.

She reached down as well, impatiently shimmying out of her panties, pulling one leg out as the other one was still snug around his body, refusing to uncurl. She left it to hang around one knee, her free leg dropping to her side and off the couch so her foot was flat against the floor.

She preened as his narrowed eyes fixed intently on her body. He let his eyes travel from her flushed face, down to her heaving breasts, her flat abdomen, before finally resting on her exposed core.

Almost as if hypnotized, he dove down and with single-minded intensity, he wrapped his arms around her upper thighs, pulled her legs even wider apart, and with harried intent, set his mouth onto her core.

Bulma screamed, her body undulating wildly as he relentlessly licked and sucked at her center. His tongue entered her, mercilessly seeking to taste every single inch of her body.

One of her hands reached down to hold his hand on her thigh, while the other grabbed his hair once again, pulling at the dark strands as his lips on her core wrung the most delicious tremors from deep inside her body.

His teeth grazed her sensitive bud and her eyes clamped shut, fighting to keep her sanity in the midst of the undeniable euphoria. He suckled her most sensitive spot, torturing the fleshy bump while her wails grew louder and more desperate, echoing within the walls of his dark office.

Her head thrashed from side to side, delirium settling in her as the indescribable feelings mounted in her chest, her core thrumming in delight as Vegeta kept on pushing her towards the edge.

“Oh! Oh Ve- Ah! Vegeta!” she cried out, and finally, unable to hold on, her body bowed up, her core grinding against his mouth as he grasped her more forcefully, eating her out as she felt her release come over her, her climax gushing out of her, leaving her dripping with her excitement while Vegeta eagerly continued licking her, taking delight in the taste of her essence.

He kept on licking her and suckling on her, and finally Bulma was strung so tightly that the pleasure was nearly painful in its intensity.

“Vegeta! Please! No more!” she gasped out, her hands limply trying to pull him away from her by his hair.

With a last, long lick from her core to her clit, he rose up, a shit-eating grin stretching his lips while his eyes blazed with his own arousal.

She motioned to him with her hands, asking him without words to come nearer. When he did, she reached up, her arms wrapping tightly around him, pressing her breast to the hard planes of his chest as her tiny hands roamed the wideness of his back.

He took the hint, and he lifted her into his arms, cradling her to him, seating her down on his thighs as she trembled uncontrollably.

She could feel his erection, hot and hard against her belly. She knew he needed release too, but he just patiently held on to her as she stroked his torso, her hands tracing the hard muscles beneath his skin.

“Bulma,” he whispered, and she nuzzled his neck in response, taking a deep whiff of his delicious scent.

He smelled of virility, strength and power. His scent was the most amazing mix of everything Bulma had ever wanted in her life, and she could never get enough.

“Can you feel it, woman?” he asked, and the tenderness in his usually tough voice nearly made her collapse into tears.

“Yes, I feel it,” she thought, but she stubbornly refused to say the words.

Saying the words would mean her unequivocal surrender. Something she was not ready to do.

Her mind warred heavily with her heart and her body, but again… Bulma was a logical woman. She valued her mind above all else.

Everything within her was in chaos because of this man.

Bulma’s very soul was at a painful impasse.

He crushed her tighter against him when she failed to answer, and the tears pooled in her eyes as she thought of how absolutely unfair she was being towards this man.

“I need you, Vegeta,” she choked out against his skin, feeling goosebumps rise on his skin as he listened to her speak, felt her lips move softly around the words. “Take me… please.”

With nearly inhuman ease, he lifted her up, placing her facedown on the couch. She felt his hands gently coaxing her body until her hips were lifted up, hands braced flat against the soft cushions as he had her on her knees before him.

He then moved so he was kneeling behind her, legs on either part of hers. He rested his hands on her hips, gently stroking the roundness of her bottom as he ground his hardness against her, making her feel his desire for her.

Bulma arched back, rubbing herself to him, mewling needily as she felt him hold himself with one hand, aligning his cock with her core, and begin to push in.

Their position made him feel so impossibly large inside her, as her closed legs tightened her passage to a maddening degree. She heard Vegeta groaning, the sound so harsh that it seemed more like a growl, as he pressed into her, bracing his hands on her hips until he was finally fully seated within her.

“Bulma,” he gasped as he remained motionless behind her, his hands just running up and down her back in delicate, reverent caresses.

She looked over her shoulder at him, her eyes drinking in his powerful body looming over her as they stayed connected in the most intimate way. He was panting harshly, but his gaze on her remained soft as his eyes traveled the length of her upper body until his eyes met hers.

His eyes pierced her heart powerfully, leaving her a breathless mess when he slowly pulled out and swiftly pushed back in, thrusting languidly into her. She cannot look away from him, his dark orbs boring into her as his body pleasured her, fulfilled her, plunged so deeply into her that all coherent thought left her as she began to wail, blissfully unaware of the jumbled words flying from her lips.

Her hands clenched convulsively into the soft cushions beneath her, her breasts bouncing rhythmically with each hard thrust from her lover.

Overwhelmed by the sensations, Bulma squeezed her eyes closed, throwing her head back in a euphoric shout.

Vegeta leaned over her, and his hot chest on her back sent sizzles of excitement all throughout every inch of her skin. He wrapped an arm around her waist, clutching her tight as he thrust more urgently into her, his body within her evoking wicked thrills that had her sobbing deeply as his name spilled carelessly from between her clenched teeth.

His hand moved stealthily up her sides until he could cup one of her breasts, kneading the soft flesh as she continued to pant with their efforts.

“Ve… Ge… Ta!” she keened in time with his thrusts, her throat parched, sweat dripping down her temples as she leaned back against him, seeking to take in as much of his warmth as she could.

“Bulma,” he responded, his husky voice deepened even more by his insatiable desires.

He nipped at her shoulder, and she cried out, her arms beginning to fail as her body wound tighter and tighter, ready to spring free at any moment.

“Please… please!” she begged, but for what, she didn’t understand.

“Take all of me, woman,” he rasped as he drove harder into her, his hips faltering in their rhythm as he began to lose control.

“Oh! Vegeta! Yessss,” she moaned, her words ending in a needy hiss.

He bent slightly to the side, stretching as far as he could until he could nip at her jaw.

She turned her face to him, and the moment she did, his questing lips met hers, swallowing her cries in a frantic kiss.

She kissed him back eagerly, feeling that wonderful pinnacle of pleasure building up from within her.

She screamed into his mouth while his tongue robbed her of her very breath, seeking to take in and explore every tiny space of her mouth as he fucked her harder, faster, more urgently than he ever did before.

His hips pounded relentlessly into her as she tried with all her strength to meet his every thrust. Her limbs were seizing up, her body imploding with all the delectable sensations.

She reached up with one hand to grasp the edge of the couch to support her weight, while her other hand moved carefully to clutch at his hand around her waist, snaking her fingers in between his longer digits.

Vegeta’s fingers curled around hers as he pulled his mouth away from her kiss, and he gasped out his uneven breaths as his pumping hips carried them to the edge.

Their bodies writhed desperately, reaching, trying to grasp that point of no return.

“Say my name, Bulma. Say it again,” he rasped, a pleading tone ringing the edges of his words, and she could not have denied him if she tried.

“Vegetaaaa,” she whined, her word ending in a harsh gasp as she felt her release begin to take over her.

“Come for me, woman,” he whispered in her ear, a sharp nip to her earlobe punctuating his words.

“I’m so close!” Bulma said breathlessly, her voice nearly inaudible even to herself. “God, Vegeta, please!”

“Bulma,” he groaned as he gave her a particularly hard thrust that had her arching and convulsing in his arms.

She felt him pulling their entwined hands down until they rested low on her abdomen. His middle finger extended, suddenly flicking her clit as he kept pounding into her…

Bulma screamed, unabashedly throwing her head back, uncaring of anything beyond the two of them, together, as she exploded into a powerful orgasm, uncoiling from deep within her and making her entire body shake madly with ecstasy.

She felt Vegeta stiffen behind her, and she felt the warm gush of his release fill her, coating her insides as he came with a throaty shout, uttering broken syllables of her name in the midst of his garbled exclamations.

Her arms finally gave out, and she collapsed, catching herself on her elbows to keep her face from smashing into the thick cushions below.

Vegeta himself was incoherent, his breathing stunted and shallow as he tried to get his heart to calm down from the rapid rhythm that Bulma could feel from where he slumped bonelessly against her lower back.

It took them a while, but soon, he had recovered enough to move, and he pulled out of her, the action making her groan as she felt his warm cum sluicing down her upper thighs. He sluggishly gathered her into his arms, rearranging them on the couch as he lay down, holding her on top of him so her head was pillowed on his chest. She wound her arms around him as he cocooned her within his embrace.

They laid quietly, bare bodies shimmering with sweat, basking in the pleasure and overwhelming feelings of their coupling.

When they had caught their breaths, Bulma was the first to break the silence.

“I… I should go,” she whispered.

His arms simply tightened around her in response.

“Vegeta, I should really go. Somebody could come in and -”

“No,” he said softly, the begging lilt making her snap her head up to look at his face.

He was watching her, his eyes wide as he took in her own surprised expression.

“Stay,” he said again, fingers clutching her sides.

She looked up at him, her indecision warring within her now that the euphoria of her lust had left her, and her mind was clear once again.

“I can’t.”

“You can,” he insisted, refusing to let her budge.

She turned her eyes away from him, unable to stand the pained look on his face.

“Vegeta… I…”

“Stay with me, Bulma.”

Tears gathered at the edges of her eyes once again, and not for the first time that night, her heart won the battle against her brain.

“Alright,” she sighed, and she felt his arms hold her more securely as she spoke. “Just for tonight.”

“Not if I can help it. I am serious, woman. I want you.”

“I need to hear more than that from you,” she thought as she squeezed her eyes to hold in her tears.

And she realized then, with startling clarity, that the reason her mind kept screaming that this was wrong, was not because of propriety or her ambitions.

Her mind wanted to keep her from getting hurt. But her heart was already bleeding.

It was an impasse still, and she didn’t know of a way to break the stalemate.

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Read Next.

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Notes:

This story started as a one-shot, but I have decided to expand it into a full story.

I was stumped by the Basset Hound prompt, so I originally gave up since I can’t write anything for it… then I saw this picture.

Vegeta in glasses… Boss and secretary… I was absolutely helpless. I had to do it. :D

I have to admit though, that I didn’t foresee the angsty direction that this story had taken. Whoops.

Reference for the Basset Hound position here. 

Feedback will be greatly appreciated!

[shimadatales]

Hello~ Could I ask for Hanzo and his s/o during an early morning where they snuggle in bed and make breakfast together and all that cute stuff? Fluff please c:

Ahh, I love early morning cuddles, please give them to me TuT I made this an imagine as well for that, hope you like it! It became quite long, so I put it under a read-more. (I apologize for any possible spelling mistakes, as it is past midnight here and I might have or have not proofread everything properly because of my tired state, ehe.)

A BlissfulMorning

It was achilly winter morning, the frost of the previous night still evident on thesurface of the windows, not quite giving the impression that the temperaturewould be rising anytime soon. Fortunately, the brisk of dawn could not reach thetwo lovers who were situated comfortably between the luxury of their silkensheets, eyes closed in full contentment. Soft feet traveled over calloused onesin an up and down motion, the various limbs coming together in an elaboratedance. A firm arm started rocking back and forth on the other’s hip, creating asoothing pattern in which a hand could follow. The great warrior let out a satisfiedhum at the tickling sensations, his eyes slowly fluttering open to reveal his brilliantchocolate colored orbs. With his hues half closed, he watched you, as you toogradually awoke from your slumber, his expression holding nothing but pureaffection for you. You looked him directly in the eyes, getting once again lostin the endless beauty of them and the serenity their gaze gave to you.

Neither ofyou felt the urge to get out of bed just yet, Winter’s wrath being the mostdreaded thing in the world of weather forecasts shared by you both as well.However, your stomach had other plans as it began rumbling in all its delight withouta care for your own discomfort of feeling the urge to sate its desires. Firstthough, a greeting was in order and you were not willing to give up that justyet. “Good morning.” You whispered to the archer, your voice slightly hoarsewith tiredness and sleep still very much evident in your eyes. A ghost of asmile played on Hanzo’s lips as he answered you with the same tone, although alittle huskier due to the depth of his voice. “Greetings, my love.” The otherhand, which was not occupied with stroking your hip came to rest behind yourhead as the archer’s face inched closer to yours, his calloused fingersslightly caressing your tresses. The two of you met each other in a heavenlykiss, your lips locking together almost perfectly, the same could be said aboutthe rhythm in which they moved. Mornings like these were quite rare between thetwo of you, as you both had busy schedules and wanted to savor these times asmuch and as long as possible. It was also only on days like these that themarksman allowed himself to be more laid back and spend some quality time withyou, as he truly enjoyed those moments the most despite his seemingly aloofnature. That much was obvious, as he was currently holding you back fromfinally getting up and starting on your way down to the kitchen to cook up somerefreshments. His strong arms around your smaller frame not weakening theirhold just yet, his beard lightly scratching the skin of your nape in theprocess and you couldn’t help but giggle slightly at his unusual way of gesturingfor you to stay with him in bed for a little longer.

The moreyou tried to free yourself from the dragon’s grasp, the bolder Hanzo becamewith his advances, his hands having repositioned themselves a long time ago andwere currently tickling you teasingly along your sides and stomach. Youhonestly hated it when he did this and the little devil sure knew it, which madeit very amusing to him and only edged him on to continue with hisministrations. At first, the archer had not understood the gesture very muchand even found it slightly childish, but over time, Hanzo grew fond of thereactions and smiles you gave towards his touches and thus kept the possibilityof getting you to cooperate through tickling in the back of his mind. But still,why does he always need to take it way too seriously? There was no escaping hiswrath when Hanzo was on it, that was for sure. You were always determined tonot make it too easy for him though, always trying to retaliate whenever thearcher was in a mischievous mood once again, although it was near impossible towin from him at the beginning. Over time, you had managed to spot one tiny weakpoint in which you could get back at him. You discovered it while you werefrantically searching for a possible spot to tickle him in, but the archer didn’tdo as much as bat an eyelash at you at that time, almost convincing youentirely that he in fact, was immune to tickling. Until one of your hands gropehis left knee by accident. Hanzo barely showed any reaction, but the differencein his attitude was certainly there, as he started folding his legs out ofdiscomfort afterwards as well as the small twitch of his eyebrows. Thesereactions, although small, did not go unnoticed by your watchful eye and youcouldn’t help but grin devilishly to yourself once the archer was out of sight,making sure to remember that spot for whenever the next time came around and hedecided to fool around with you again.

That littlespot on his knee became your lifesaver for that matter and even though you werehoping Hanzo would release you on his own without you having to struggle verymuch, unfortunately your comeback was needed for you to make breakfast, so youset your eyes on his knees once again. Most attempts at grabbing his knees hadfailed beforehand, as the marksman was just too quick and witted for you tofool as well. But for now, you at least hoped he would understand your messageand get out of bed to help you in the kitchen. Through both of your chuckling,you tried to snake your hand towards his left knee in a quick motion, hoping hewould not catch on to you trying to shake him off this time. That sure wouldhave been a dream though, as Hanzo had already protected his vital spot andeasily groped your hand in defense once he noticed it making its way to hisknees. “Can you please stop? I am getting out of breath and am seriously startingto get hungry as well, to be honest.” You wheezed at him, still half pantingbecause of all the giggles and laughs which had left you through his torturouspokes and rubs. Hanzo had stopped tickling you to listen to what you had tosay, but his eyes still held the same impish gleam. “And besides, you’re notfair. I can’t do anything when you hold me like that.” The archer finallyreleased you at that and laid back on his elbows to watch you catch your breath,a triumphant smile appearing on his lips. “That would be the whole point, mydearest. You can never lose the upper hand in a fight and lose the battleyourself.” He replied to you, his usual wisdom awakening as early as ever. “Andaside from that, we are to enjoy our most precious time together to the fullest,do you not agree?” Oh, how you hated it when he spoke like that, honestly, theman could be such a child sometimes. It was endearing for the most part, butsometimes you wanted to make your own comeback at him as well, just to showthat you were in fact getting a little tired of this game.

Still, youcould never stay mad at the archer for long though, as it was also a sign thathe was finally starting to act like the person he wanted to be and it made youfeel proud to know that he felt this comfortable around you to show his trueside. “Well, first of all, we were not actually fighting back there.” You startedas you turned your attention to Hanzo and got closer to his figure, which wasnow seated on the bedside, his chest still bare without a t-shirt and amuscular arm draped over one of his legs. “And secondly, we can enjoy our timetogether in the kitchen as well, making breakfast.”As you tried to emphasize your last point there, you poked him nonchalantly inhis torso, to which Hanzo only followed your point of attention and looked backat you with a slightly confused expression. Was that meant to hurt? Because itobviously didn’t and you would have to do better than that. But per usual, hedid not understand your attempt at making a joke out of the whole ordeal, butmanaged to let out a chuckle once he heard the rumble of your stomach. Beforegetting up, the marksman shook his head softly while smiling to himself andapologizing to you for any boundaries he may have crossed, as he is stilllearning the ways of showing affection. You lightly stroke his cheek inresponse and told him you were just having fun and no one was harmed in anyway. You just, really wanted to get something inside your stomach as it wasmaking you nauseous at this point, promising the archer you could always returnto bed later together if he wished to sleep in some more.

Hanzochanged into one of his short sleeved t-shirts before he joined you on yourkitchen island to make breakfast, as it was one of the routine chores you didtogether and highly enjoyed doing so as well. You were already busy with settingup the different types of pans and pots, the start of the weekend being your weeklymoment of having a more substantial start of the day, resulting in a larger brunch/breakfast.To keep Hanzo’s culture at heart, you two often had a Japanese styled breakfastwith other influences of your own home country added to it now and then. Youdidn’t complain about it, as you liked the variety of the different styled mealand it was above all, very nutritious as well. Hanzo had prepared the miso forthe soup the evening before and it was now ready for preparation and cooking,the smell coming off of it already holding promises of a great taste. Just whenyou were about to start combining the necessary ingredients for a particularpart of the breakfast, the archer had sneaked his way behind you and was nowcuriously watching your progress. “That is looking quite appetizing already, mylove. Allow me to aid you in preparing the rest of the feast.” You smiled atthe way his chin rested atop your shoulder and the way his big hands fondledyour waist, once again tracing that same pattern as they did before when youlaid in each other’s embrace under the sheets. His breath, fresh and warmghosting atop your ear adding even more to the comfortable sensation which hebrought you. “Well, you don’t need to, really. After all, you prepared the misoand I think I can finish this in a bit.” Even though you enjoyed makingbreakfast together, just having Hanzo with you while you made breakfast was alreadya blessing alone. You didn’t mind doing things for him, as the marksman gaveyou so much back in return as well. However, he would not approve of you doingall of the work by yourself and the same applied to taking care of hisnourishment. In a silent response, the warrior gave you a kiss in the crook ofyour neck and started helping you chopping up the remnants of the vegetablesthat you needed for the side dishes. The silence fortunately did not persistfor long though, as the room was soon filled with your quiet laughs and cheerfuldiscussions, making the morning ever more blissful.

[pika-ace]

BMC SU AU: Jailbreak

I decided I couldn’t get enough of @p00rb01 ‘s BMC Gem/Steven Universe AU so I decided to write a thing based on the little comic they made. Also this is solely the SU AU (Gem AU is different apparently) and there’s next to nothing storywise for this so I made some shit up.

Preface: Coral (MichaelxJeremy) fled to Earth to escape Chrysocolla (Squip) who was abusing Pearl (Jeremy) but Chrysocolla followed to get him back. Unfortunately, Christine (half-human with an apatite gem), Agate (Chloe), Beryl (Brooke) and Rhodochrosite (Jenna; Rosi as a nickname) are caught up in the issue and all of them are captured after Rosi is poofed trying protect Christine.

Christine's eyes shot open with a gasp. She sat up and then winced as her face throbbed in pain. Memories slammed into her like a ton of bricks.

 The homeworld Gems on Earth... Chrysocolla poofing that orange looking Gem...Rosi being poofed right in front of her...Chrysocolla raising his arm and then...nothing… 

Christine winced as her face stung madly. She reached up and gently touched her cheek only to grimace and pull away immediately. She probably had a bruise where Chrysocolla had smacked her. Agate was going to throw a fit. Speaking of Agate...Christine looked around and realized that she was alone. 

“Beryl? Agate?” her chest tightened as she dared to hope, “Rosi? Are you there?” She got to her feet and spied a yellow shield in front of her. She was in some kind of cell. There were multiple ones around her, but all of them near her were empty. The others were nowhere nearby. She had to get out and find them. But how? 

She reached towards the shield and allowed her fingers to touch. She gasped and pulled away when she brushed it. It felt very fuzzy, like touching something that was vibrating rapidly. It didn’t hurt though, so maybe...

Christine covered her eyes with one hand and slowly pushed her finger against the shield. She didn’t feel any pain, just the feeling of something pushing slightly on her finger. She opened her eyes to see that her finger was completely through the field. She pushed her whole hand through as the energy seemed to fall around her wrist, causing a few of her veins to light up with energy. 

“Cool!” She squealed. Now for the real test. Putting both hands in front of her, Christine slowly but surely walked through the shield. It felt like a hard stream of water was pounding down on her, making her entire frame shake. She couldn’t help let out a small noise as the shield made her shake; her voice sounded funny when that happened! 

Christine shuddered once she was completely through. She looked back at her now empty cell and jumped for joy. “Yes! I’m out!” she cheered quietly. “But where is everyone?" She started running down the long hall of cells. “Agate? Beryl? Rosi? Where are yo-” 

She skidded to a stop in front of another locked cell. A figure was sitting inside, his knees drawn to his chest and his face down. His skin was dark brown, and he wore a dark red hoodie with patches on the sleeves along with dark orange headphones on his ears. 

Christine stepped closer to the Gem as she heard him muttering to himself frantically. “Um…” Christine stepped a little closer. “A-Are you okay?” 

The Gem jumped and looked up at her abruptly giving Christine a full view of his face. He wore glasses that were tinted orange and his gemstone was on his chest, just above his heart. 

The Gem stared at her silently for a moment until he seemed to register something. “Wait.” The Gem pushed himself away from the wall and got to his feet, standing only a few inches taller than Christine. “You’re out!” he exclaimed. “How did you escape?” 

“Oh!” Christine blinked. “I kinda just…” she trailed off, not really knowing how to explain and just reached towards the shield. 

The Gem’s eyes widened and he got to his feet, worry written all over his face. “No, no no no, don’t touch-” He stopped short as Christine stuck her hand through the shield. The Gem stared at her hand in both confusion and amazement. “What…?” Christine beamed and pulled her hand out. 

The Gem looked at his own hand and reached towards the shield. However, unlike Christine, his hand was rebounded and got a nasty shock. The Gem yelped and pulled his hand away, “The fuck…?” 

Christine laughed awkwardly, “Sorry, I don’t really know how...this works either.” She said, vaguely gesturing. Both of them suddenly froze as the muffled sound rang through the air.

 “Someone’s... crying?” Christine wondered. 

“Pearl…” Christine looked at the Gem. His eyes were frantic and worried as he turned to Christine. “Hey, you have to get me out here!” he said frantically. “Please, I need to find Pearl!” 

Christine’s eyes widened, “Is he your friend?” she asked. 

The Gem nodded, “He’s all alone, I have to find him!” He began pacing in his cell, “Oh god, what if Chrysocolla already has him?! He could be hurt, or poofed, or worse! Oh god, Pearl, no no no no no you can’t be gone, you can’t be-” 

“Hey!” Christine quickly cut off the Gem’s fearful rambling, “It’s okay, I’ll get you out; we’ll find Pearl.” 

The Gem looked hopeful, “Really?” 

Christine nodded in determination. “My friends are trapped here too; we can find them together!” She stepped forward and made a hole in the shield with her body making a smile come to the Gem’s face. 

“Thank you!” The Gem darted through the hole hastily. The moment he was out he grabbed Christine’s hand and ran, dragging her behind him. They exited the cell holder and into a long hallway. 

Christine looked at the Gem as he looked around to make sure no one was coming. “Um, my name’s Christine, what’s yours?” she asked innocently. 

The Gem glanced at her, “Axinite.” He closed his eyes tightly and seemed to be listening to the crying to determine where to go. “This way!” 

Christine yelped as she was dragged behind Axinite down the long hallway. “H-How many other Gems are trapped here?” she asked. 

Axinite shook his head, “Don’t know, don’t care.” he answered simply. They ran down a hallway when they realized that it was quiet. They stopped by a window, Axinite letting go of Christine. 

“It stopped…” Axinite muttered worriedly before cupping his hands around his mouth, “Pearl! Where are you?!” He called loudly. 

Christine looked out the window and saw Earth below them; she felt the tiniest bit of comfort knowing that they weren’t in the vast reaches of space...yet. As long as she could find the others and get out before the ship left they would have a chance. 

Christine looked up to keep going but suddenly found that Axinite was nowhere in sight. Did he run ahead of her? He couldn’t have gone far. Christine jogged down the hallway and turned a corner when- 

“I would advise that you stop being difficult, unless you want to be poofed again.” 

Christine gasped and pressed herself against the wall as a giant blue gem appeared down the hall. She knew that slimy voice anywhere, even if she had only heard it a few times a few hours ago. 

“Let go of me!” 

Christine blinked at the new voice and dared to peek out from her hiding spot. Chrysocolla was there alright, but he wasn’t alone. He was dragging another Gem with him towards another cell. It was a boy with pale skin and light blue hair. He wore a blue t-shirt and pants along with a nearly transparent sweater and Christine caught a glance of his gem peeking through a star-shaped hole on his back through his shirt; a pearl. 

Chrysocolla yanked the Gem in front of him, holding up his arm in an iron grip, probably to emphasize their height difference, “This is your last chance, unless you want to rot in this cell for the rest of your miserable existence.” Chrysocolla said sharply.

 The Pearl glared at him despite his fear, still trying to free himself from the Gem’s hold, “Th-Then do it!” He snapped. 

Chrysocolla threw and pinned the Pearl against the wall, “Talking back; never expected that from you.” He said. “You’ve spent far too much time with that Axinite Gem.” 

Christine’s eyes widened, as well as the Pearl’s. “W-What-What did you d-do to him?!” He cried. 

“That overcooked hunk of rock isn’t your concern anymore.” Chrysocolla said, a grin on his face. “You should be more worried about yourself, considering that your offences to Homeworld sentence you to being shattered.” 

The Pearl sucked in a breath and Chrysocolla’s smile turned gentle, “Now, you know that I’m not like other Homeworld Gems; I’m willing to overlook certain...traits.” He leaned closer to the Pearl. “You have potential, and if you do as I say, Homeworld won’t even bat an eye when they learn of your...exploits.”

 The Pearl seemed completely frozen as Chrysocolla’s gaze seemed to bare into him. 

“I’ll tell you one more time. Fuse with me.” Chrysocolla said, his voice dripping with slime. 

Christine watched anxiously as the Pearl stared at the larger Gem before squeezing his eyes shut, “No! I won’t!” He yelled, only for Chysocolla’s face to darken. The Pearl yelped as a small shock coursed through his body, making Christine cover her mouth to stifle a gasp. 

“Defective piece of trash!” Christine flinched as Chrysocolla threw the Pearl into the cell, making his back hit the wall hard. “You’ll come around eventually,” Chrysocolla growled, his hand lighting up with electricity again, “even if I have to force you. I broke you before, I can easily do it again.” 

The Pearl whimpered and curled against the wall, staring fearfully at the larger Gem as the shield activated, trapping him inside the cell. 

“We’ll start with stopping that pathetic sniveling once we return to Homeworld.” Chrysocolla stated before walking away. Christine peeked out once he was gone and her eyes fell on the cell. The Pearl was still sitting against the wall, his knees to his chest and his face in his arms, soft sobs emerging. 

Christine ran over quietly to his cell. “Hey.” she whispered. 

The Pearl’s head shot up and he stared at her, his teary, frightened, eyes almost breaking her heart. 

“Don’t cry, it’s okay.” Christine soothed. “Are you Pearl?” 

The Pearl nodded, confirming her question, “W-Who are you?” He squeaked. 

“I’m Christine, I’m gonna get you out.” She said. “Axinite’s looking for you.” 

To her delight, Pearl perked up, shooting to his feet, “Axinite?! W-Where is he?! Is he okay?! Is he-” 

“He’s fine.” Christine gently cut him off, “C’mon, let’s get you out of here.” 

Pearl nervously eyed the shield, “B-But how?” 

Christine smiled and put her hand through the shield making Pearl’s eyes widen. Christine stepped into the shield fully, making a hole for him. “C’mon, it’s okay!” she encouraged, her voice shaking with the weight of the shield raining down on her. 

Pearl crawled out, “Thanks Christine.” he said gratefully. 

“You’re welcome!” Christine chirped, stepping out of the shield. 

“Christine! Pearl!” Christine and Pearl’s eyes widened as a familiar voice rang throughout the air. Was that Axinite? 

“C’mon!” Pearl exclaimed, grabbing Christine’s hand. Christine couldn’t help but yelp as he zoomed through the halls at top speed, stopping abruptly when they reached a large area. They turned and spied Axinite just entering from the other side. 

"Axinite!" Pearl exclaimed. He let go of Christine and sprinted towards the other Gem.

 “Pearl!” Axinite cried. The two met in the middle and slammed into each other with a massive hug. “God Pearl, I was scared to death! I thought Chryso-bitch took you away for good!” Axinite cried. 

“Axinite!” Pearl exclaimed through a sob. “I was so scared, I-I thought I’d never see you again!”  

Axinite pulled away, "Did they hurt you?" He asked, holding Pearl’s face and looking him over. 

"I'm fine." Pearl sniffed, pressing his forehead against Axinite’s. "Did they hurt you?" 

Axinite smiled and shook his head, tears coming to his eyes "Who cares?!" 

"I do!" Pearl argued and gave Axinite a kiss on the nose. The two Gems smiled through their tears and Pearl picked Axinite up. Pearl spun them around, both of them laughing with their foreheads touching.

Christine smiled at the adorable sight when both Gems began to glow. The two Gems vanished into the light and a larger form began to take shape; they were fusing! Christine watched as the light floated into the air before it faded, and a laughing Gem with four eyes appeared before landing. 

“Christine!” The Fusion exclaimed, kneeling in front of her, “Thank you so much!” 

Christine’s eyes widened in recognition, “You’re the Gem they were chasing earlier!” She exclaimed. 

The Fusion smiled awkwardly, “Heh, sorry; we must’ve made a hell of a first impression.” He then stuck out his hand, “By the way, name’s Coral; nice to meet you.” 

Christine shook it before a loud voice echoed through the ship. “WHERE IS HE?!” 

“It’s Chrysocolla.” Coral said, standing up, “We have to find some way off this ship.” 

“Wait!” Christine exclaimed. “I still need to find my friends!” 

Coral blinked but smiled kindly, “Don’t worry, I’ll help you find them.” He said. “After all, you helped put me back together.” Christine smiled and the two took off down the hallways. 

[ecotone99]

[MF] The Hominum Parasite

Before the beginning of history, many thousands of years ago, a parasite was created. Ravenous, and greedy, and through its actions it began to tear at the very fabric of reality.Edina, Minnesota, United States of America, June 23rd, 2025.

Phil clambered to the top of his steel death trap, and began to clear the leaves from his drain pipes. He is a man of 63, a decade too old for such a chore, but with no child and only his even older wife to hold the ladder, he had little choice but to do it himself. The hairs on his head had all turned gray years ago, and his weight had all shifted towards his abdomen. His wife, Barbara, 65, held the ladder as steady as she could. Unlike her husband, her hair glowed with color, natural or no.

That’s when He arrived, The Stranger, he was driving an old 93 Malibu, its dull blue paint scratched and torn to reveal the rusting aluminum shell beneath. He, having noticed this couple, pulled up to their driveway. From there he began to walk up to them as they both stand transfixed by their individual labors. He was the first to break the silence, a light cough was all that was needed to get Barbara’s attention. She, having been understandably startled by the sudden appearance of this stranger, jerked back almost pulling the ladder with her. He stood in rather plain clothing, a plain long sleeve, a plain pair of jeans, and a plain hair cut of obsidian, and he only looked even plainer in flesh. Nonetheless there seemed to be something wrong with him, his eyes lay framed with red, and the crimson had begun to seep into the very veins of the eye, giving him an appearance like that of a druggie.

“Wh-Who are you!?” she trembled, still reeling from the shock.“

No one of consequence.” came the answer, with a voice even more average and yet… off. Almost as if purposefully plain. “I’m simply passing through, I saw you two struggling, may I be of any assistance” it was a formality, not a question, as he began to walk up to the ladder.

“You can start by holding this fucker still so’s I don’t fall on my ass” came an angry reply from on high, Phil was holding onto dear life by the very pipes he was meant to clean.

“I have a better idea” the stranger’s pale hands clasped onto the sides of the steel trap before continuing “Climb down fella, I like to meet you and finish your job myself”. No complaint was heard from Phil as he practically slid down onto the concrete pavement of his driveway.

“ **‘**Preciate it friend” came his thanks before turning a vile gaze towards his wife and quickly returning to being grateful.

“May I ask your names before we begin?”

“Name’s Phil, and this-” he gestured with his sight, with just a hint of that same vicious look from before “is my wife Barbara”

“Pleasure to meet you both” he gave a wide smile, revealing snow white teeth, and quickly leapt onto the ladder without a second thought and cleaned the gutters without any aid. It took him less than a minute, he moved with an otherworldly level of efficiency.

The conversation continued on as he worked and soon led them inside. First they made small talk, discussing the weather, talking about road conditions and travel. Then began a different line of query.“So tell me, you have any children?”

“Goodness no” Barbara shot out before a second thought could suffocate the first.

“Friends and family perhaps?”

“We go to a monthly block party every month, hell Barb once dragged me down there while I had a stomach flu, spent half the party in the bathroom because she wanted to” Emphasizing with an indication of quotation “ ‘Save face’, phhh while she was saving face I was busy trying to save dinner!” he let out a laugh, although it seemed more an indication of anger than of joy.

An awkward silence soon fell over the house as The Stranger continued to smile politely and Barbara began to be filled with a terrible query. Why was The Stranger passing through when he saw them? The thought soon took hold and became all she could think about. But for at least half a minute she dared not ask it. Until finally she could bare it no more, as if holding in the juiciest secret and not being able to tell anyone about it for years.

“And why are you here?” Barbara finally found the courage to ask.

The stranger took a minute, considering the question quite visibly before finally responding “I’m just passing ‘round”

“Surely that can’t be all” Barbara had never been known to keep to herself, nor to leave others alone when they attempt to dodge a question.

“Yep, just passing around, visiting and traveling. Although I am considering moving in with some folks if the opportunity presents itself” The Stranger admitted with some grief.

“We have a spare guest bed if you need a place for tonig-” her eagerness finally giving way to remembrance, remembrance that she was not the master of the house. She turned an eye towards her husband, fortunately noticing an agreement in his own eyes.

“We’d be happy to have you strang- oh shit! Where’re my manners? What’s your name traveler?” said Phil offering a hand as tribute.

The Stranger took it and as he stared Phil in the face, and leaned in close before whispering “you may call me… Death.” as insects of all form and species began to shamble out from the stranger’s sleeves and writhe their way onto Phil’s own hand as he began to scream and attempt to free his hand, to revoke his sacrifice.

But The Stranger’s hand held him with the strength of at least a half dozen men. The Stranger began to turn his neck towards Barbara, who had also begun to scream. Until she saw his face.It had begun to rot, yellow skin gave way to translucent blood, followed by green pus, which gave way to long decayed bone. His eyes now glowed with a necrotic light and he opened his mouth to behold an abyss, only for it to soon be filled with vile black and red.

The substance flung from oblivion and branded Barbara and all the furniture around her. he soon turned his attention back towards Phil, still struggling and screaming, he had not yet looked The Stranger in the face since his horrid transformation. With the gentlest, yet most forceful of movements, The Stranger turned Phil’s screaming head towards The Stranger’s own Until they both stared each other down in silence.

As Phil stared into The Stranger’s eyes, he felt that same feeling you get when you stare into the sun, but it was not just his eyes that felt it, his whole body now overcome by the sensation. He feared that if he continued to stare his entire being would be extinguished, not capable of withstanding its radiance.

Soon, all of Phil’s nerves were engulfed in necrotic flame. The Stranger opened his mouth.

Once the deed was done and both husband and wife lay in their living room covered in vicious bile and vomit, The Stranger put back on the mask he had worn when first meeting them, and walked over to his vehicle. As he made his way to the door of his run down vehicle, he stared up towards the sky and said “May your plague spread throughout these lands, and may it devour all of those who dare come in contact with it”. He climbed into the driver’s seat and began to ride. There was work yet to be done.

1

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OP Note: Hello there, thanks for reading through the entire story! My name's Jonathan A. Harkness (with a name like that could I really do anything else as a hobby?). This is the first part of a larger short story, so far I'm only about a couple of parts in, and I've yet to really etched anything in stone yet. The purpose of my posting here isn't limited to me wanting to share a story with you all, I really wanted to get some opinions on it. I have shown the story to some friends, but fear that they've too much of a personal bias to get too much advice on it.What I want is critiques, things that worked and things that didn't, where you think the story should go (I've a small idea, but as I've said nothing's quite solidified and I can adapt), etc.I appreciate your comments. Thank you.

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