#arknights fanfiction

[multiversetravelingjournalist]

Arknights: Durin Conlang

So... I just learned that Arknights and its world of Terra has its own version of the vertically challenged underground-dwelling comedy relief people. so, like any sane artist I decided that they too will get their own language alongside the other languages I have cooking for the other nations (which I should make a list for, like the Mass Effect one).

in under an hour of brainstorming, I know these things will be featured:

Grammatical features will be governed by affixes that change and or remove the existing phonemes/suprasegmentals of the root word. in other words, changing the stress and/or tone, the place/ manner of articulation of the consonants, and/or the openness, frontness, nasality, length, voicing, etcetera of the vowel will determine things like tense, plurality, person, and other features that I haven't seen in any other natural or constructed language.

Derivational affixes (those that change the definition of the word itself down to whether it's now a noun or a verb) will use the more traditional prefixes, suffixes, circumfixes, and the rare infix. as well as good old compounding.

derivation includes a tool for doing the verb, a person who does the verb, and the person who is the receiver of the verb. e.g. "weapon", "warrior/soldier", and "murder victim" could have the same root.

the two systems above have their own metaphorical terms to describe how they work and are viewed by native speakers. respectively, they are called "Sculpture" and "decoration". with grammar being viewed as -- in this case -- literally changing and refining the shape of the word. while the derivations are viewed as adding little touches to an already finished work.

The phonology of this language will have lots of plosive. perhaps in addition to using most places of articulation, they are more diversified by secondary articulations like aspiration, palatalization, labialization. maybe there are additional phonemes such as affricates, nasal releases, lateral releases, rhotic releases, that will drive up that plosive count.

Syllables might have plosives and/or affricates in the onset and the other consonants like nasals and liquids in the coda. this is based on English onomatopoeia like "bam", "clang", "crash", etcetera. a sort of friendly acknowledgement at the literary roots that the race is no doubt based on.

These are the things that I am most sure to include in the final version of the language. but they are also subject to change. already I am wondering if I should switch the morphological nature of the grammar and derivational morphologies. seeing as derivation is more like changing the shape of a word more deeply while morphology is more like the bits and pieces you would add afterwards. what would you think?

there are also some features I am considering but not yet sure about committing to just yet. some of those features being:

subject and object person being marked by the manner of articulation in the onset and coda.

tense/aspect/mood/other marking via the properties of the vowel in the root's nucleus.

direction words encoding three-dimensional information due to living in an underground maze-like environment.

a metaphor for time going from light to dark.

This is all I got for now, I'll try to keep you updated on any progress. till then, feedback is appreciated. till next time... ;).

[arkiwii]

explodes the door of Tumblr

Ok i finally started to write a more ambitious project, I present to y'all, GRANI ANGST! a funny AU I had in mind for a while, where she got Infected before joining Rhodes Island. because her life is too easy, i think she should suffer (love you Grani)

And also if I feel like it, I might draw the funny new horse of this AU, who knows, I just think it's fun

ok love y'all (coughs blood and dies)

[terrakatten]

The Karlan Contract - Chapter 1: Person for the Job

Welp, I managed to finish up and refine the first chapter of my Courier X Qanipalaat Arknights fic, with an hour to spare before my late retail shift tonight. Due to this semester's uniquely heavy workload, alongside work, I'm pretty strapped for time and energy- progress will be somewhat inconsistent and untimely, but it will be continuous, because my mind is brimming with ideas and passion for this story I've begun. I hope whoever decides to give it a read enjoys! Any and all bits of support mean the world to me.

You can read it here:

[greythroat]

December 23 is Amiya's birthday, so I wrote a fic for her! All I'll say is this one's extremely on-brand for me.

[ammyamarant]

I unlocked all my finished fics because I am so proud of this, so please enjoy.

[wolfgirlmay]

Finally finished the multi chapter Hibiscus/Dusk, with some Dawn angst here and there, fic I been working on for the last six or so months! 9 chapters of rare pair goodness and Dusk awkwardness, in her very own POV. 

Cute, angsty, and totally safe for work too!

[machine-saint]

doppelganger

Sometimes they call me "the Doctor" like I'm a machine like the landship or the air conditioning. Sometimes they call me "Doctor--" and then the name of the person that I have to pretend to be. I don't know which one I dislike more.

There's only three people that know the truth about who I am: Kal'tsit, Warfarin, and Closure. Everyone else thinks that that preserved corpse they found in the sarcophagus came back to life, or never really died.

Closure's the one that has to perform maintenance on me. All my "medical" appointments are shams; the real repairs happen when Closure's engaged in "top-secret research". I can get along with her pretty well, though I wish she'd stop trying to pressure me into "upgrades" that she swears she's totally tested for real this time. But I can be myself with her, not the Doctor everyone else wants me to be. She helps me try out voices, names, identities that are my own and not those of a dead woman. I haven't found anything I like yet, but I'm only a few months old.

Kal'tsit knows because, well, she knows everything around here. I asked her why we couldn't tell all the other staff, once. She said that it'd destroy morale, to know that the woman that they thought they were saving was already dead, that all the dead Operators were just for her the tactical knowledge locked in her brain. "But what about my morale?" I said in my stolen voice, and she just tells me it's a necessary sacrifice.

Oh, and Warfarin had to be brought in on our little conspiracy to fake the Rhodes Island medical records properly, of course. I don't interact with her a whole lot, since she's about as good at working on me as Closure is at biology. But apparently she's got a pen name she wrote a lot of work under. Maybe I can ask her what that's like sometime.

It's fortunate for this scheme that the old Doctor was in the habit of wearing these loose, baggy clothes. Means nobody can look too close at me, see the seams in where my body is put together, notice that my eyes don't quite look right. Sometimes I think about pulling up the sleeve or smashing my arm open just so everybody can see it. But I don't. Not sure if that's just because I know Kal'tsit is right, or if there's some override that someone snuck into my programming. Neither option is appealing.

I wish I didn't have to do this. Maybe one day I'll be able to drop the lie, tell everyone who I really am. But until then, I am the Doctor.

[theizzy102]

Here is a Revue Starlight Arknights AU! With the original cast but the game cast also has their own books. Please take a look if you wish!

[pyrethorns]

An Invitation’s Negotiation

My first shared fan fiction, and hopefully not the last. 18+ only. Smutty contents within. Summary: Sidelined by his old friend after traveling for so long, Mr. Lee seeks comfort in an uninvited enemy to his quarters. Though, if not for the alcohol perhaps he would not have dared be so bold with a hellcat such as this. If his old friend can have a salacious meeting with a pretty girl, then he can absolutely enjoy himself. 

A misty evening had descended over the nomadic city of Shangshu. The wisps of white and gray poured over the mountains and down into the city like curling fingers passing through the streets. Near the city was an estate made up of large ornate buildings topped by long roofs with deep blue tiles set at downward angles. The mist brushed along the walls of the estate but never seemed to enter as if nature itself respected the space belonging to the Magistrate of Shangshu. Within the confines of the estate an older lung stood just outside a shutting door, ignoring the call of his name as he closed bright yellow eyes already hiding behind small circular spectacles to shut away the voice. Scales of gold and black danced in the light of the lanterns nearby, mostly exposed on a finned-tail. Gloved hands came up to tug a hat off for a few moments to let tired digits rustle through long messy locks similar in hue to the color of his scales. He breathed out as he put the hat back on, eyes opening as he peered over his shoulder and toward the door. With a smile on a pale white snout, he turned his attention forward and chuckled. 

“My, my. How things have changed.” Lee muttered to himself while striding through the halls.

There had been a tired bittersweetness to being given a chance to see an old friend. Memories of youth passing by, of better days, and days that were best forgotten. He had come prepared to taunt his friend, to push a reaction for a little bit of fun, and to get answers to this mysterious request that he found himself taking, but now instead he stood in front of the door of a guest room with only a taste of drink on his tongue; perhaps a bit too much drink for just a few words shared across a table. Who knew that Liang Xun would end up with a woman that could make him stumble and stutter for excuses, and who knew that Lee  would get sidelined for said woman? Of course Lee had seen himself out. He figured it would be better doing that than getting in the way of an old friend’s love life. Even still, he found himself wanting for the moment behind the drinking, the draw of lips on lips in passionate fervor. Liang Xun and himself had shared a few of those moments in the past; both aided by alcohol, and not. The thought brought a twitch to his tail, and a spot of warmth between his legs that had nothing to do with the drink still waiting for him at Liang Xun’s table. Ah well, perhaps he could satisfy himself with his thoughts and pass out. No sense in dwelling on what could have been. Besides, he could use this to his advantage to pester Liang Xun another time, and perhaps even see if he could steal a promise of one last heated evening. A draft brushed along his back and through the black coat reminding him of the chill of the mountain mists. So much distance traveled for this lonely taste on his tongue, so many steps taken only for his heart to long for the home he had made back in Lungmen, and to pretend the memories flooding back didn’t exist. He touched the scarf at his neck as if for comfort, a sigh escaping him as his eyes peered toward the darkened frame of the door until he decided it was time to warm himself inside instead of marinating in his thoughts.

After opening the door to his room, it was not the sights of the ornate furnishing, nor the decorations on the walls that caught his eye. What held his attention was a familiar girl sitting at a table with a pot of tea at the center, one cup steaming, and the other seemingly offered to him waiting to be filled. On the one hand, this familiar face was the type to kick furniture, on the other hand, she had made tea, and so he shrugged. Perhaps he could still find some fun tonight.

“My old friend told me that I had this room all to myself, but never did I expect to see you here, Miss Du. Making my tea of all things as well.”

Miss Du was a feline with fair skin, brown eyes, and hair like faded autumn leaves. She wore a coat sleeved by orange, and her gaze was positively piercing even though she seemed in a peaceful enough stance. Out of some sort of respect, she had taken off her long boots and left them by the door, and that seemed to accentuate the fact that her long coat was seemingly all that she wore. There were panels at the end of the coat, open enough that he could see her upper thighs covered by what must have been very tight shorts. Of course, if his eyes were moving there then he must have been more drunk than he thought, or being spurned by his old friend had actually irritated him more than he had let on. She had attacked him and his companions at an inn that he suspected she held ties to. If she had assaulted him in plain daylight, then of course she wouldn’t have a problem doing so in a private room. Now, he could blame the alcohol for his peeping, but that simply wasn’t the case. Miss Du was an attractive young woman, and one that could most likely crush his skull with one move of her leg. Typically he found that concerning instead of attractive,  but right now he didn’t feel like he should be too concerned considering both where exactly they were, and the fact that she had made tea.  

With his eyes held down low, he could spot her tail flicking in what must have been irritation as she cleared her throat, “All I had to do was ask for entrance, and here we are. Nothing strange about it.” Her voice then took a sharper tone, “Is there something below my waist and under the table I should be aware of?” 

Oh right, in order to actually look at her he had needed to lean over making it a bit obvious. Perhaps there was just a tiny influence on his mind, and so he straightened up and shrugged, “Just making sure that tables aren’t going to fly at me suddenly. You never know considering how our first meeting went.”  

She then looked away for a moment while sighing, “I’m aware of how our first encounter went. I’m not here as your enemy, though. I know it might be hard to believe, but I have a proposal that might benefit us both.” 

Instead of arguing, he nodded and took off his own boots before moving to sit down, hand on his hat to put it aside as he sniffed, “Okay, let’s hear it then.” 

Her eyes widened as she jolted her gaze toward him, shoulders sagging a bit as if she had been expecting something violently different. After a blink or two, she finally muttered, “That’s it? After what happened at the inn you’d just sit with me and hear me out?” 

Lee nodded and picked up the cup in front of him with two fingers, tilting his head as it swayed, “Well, you’ve made a pot of my tea, so I figured that I should sit down and have some.” 

He then held it out toward Miss Du who graciously poured him a cup instead of throwing the pot at him. Once he took the first sip, his new drinking partner began, “I want you to succeed.” 

Once she began talking, Lee set his cup down carefully, and leaned back in his seat to listen to what this could possibly be about. Miss Du had attacked him for the relic he had taken from some smugglers at Liang Xun’s request. She had failed in doing so, and he had expected to meet her again as a rather annoying enemy, but here she was asking that he continue on with the request. It wasn’t that he minded that, but there was something else to what she was saying. She wanted to work together in some regard; it seemed, to bring her father’s association down to usher in a new generation led by her. Tired of pretending to be the pretty daughter who spends her father’s money frivolously or something like that. While that was all fine and dandy, there wasn’t really any reason to work with her. She pleaded her case and made her offer, but all she had to give was a supposed promise of safe passage underlined by the threat of possible harm. Part of him felt inclined to agree that safe passage from this girl’s association would be good enough as a price, the other part of him, addled by that taste of alcohol, figured that there were other things that he could get out of this. A small smile began to tug at the corner of his mouth as he picked up his cup to take another sip before setting it down. While normally he would not be so brave as to tame a wildcat like this, his inhibitions had been lowered just a bit, and his mood soured by Liang Xun’s date showing up so suddenly. If his friend could have an intimate evening with a pretty girl, why couldn’t he? 

Leaning back in his seat with one leg over the other, Lee hummed aloud, “While the offer is tempting, I don’t know if I need your help. If I could get into the country without trouble, then I’m sure I could get out of it just fine. After all, Liang Xun might’ve cut off our drinking, but he wouldn’t leave me out to die I’m sure.” 

Miss Du narrowed her eyes, arms crossed as she huffed, “You underestimate the powers in Shangshu.” But she then shook her head, “But if you want something else to sweeten the deal then I don’t see why not.” From a frown, her lips lifted into a smirk, one of her hands slapping the table as she boasted while rising, “When I take my father’s place, I’ll have influence enough for any little reward you can think of. I didn’t peg you as the type, but everyone has their price and I won’t blame you for it. So name it. Name what extra little gold you’d ask of the great Du YaoYe.” 

He took the teapot gingerly and ignored her boast while topping up his cup allowing the sound of warm liquid streaming to fill the silence. As he did the same for her cup, he made his request, “My friend out there has denied me a drinking partner, and though tea is not quite the same, I’d enjoy having a pretty girl at my side while I work off the drink.” 

Her ears twitched, her eyes fixating on him for a moment until her cheeks began to darken with color. The hand on the table turned to a fist as she struck it, both cups shaking as she barked, “Of all the things?! I figured you had some sort of taste for money, or an interest in some sort of secret belonging to this city, but instead, you’re just an old pervert?” 

Lee shrugged and leaned back while picking up his cup to swirl the tea in it, “Why not? Comfort is a prize of its own, and I don’t think you’d hate being my companion for this evening.” He then chuckled, “Of course, I’d normally never ask. I’m not looking to be whipped like Wei Yenwu, or even my old friend seemingly is.” 

Miss Du closed her eyes and breathed in steadily, before blowing out while opening her eyes again, “That confidence is irritating. You know that I’ll say yes just to secure this deal, but you make it sound sweeter than what it really will be. If you want me to be your toy for the evening, then just say it.” 

“And would you accept that?” He asked with a raised brow. 

She placed both of her hands at the edge of the table and leaned forward, “I want this to happen Mr. Lee. I don’t think you understand what I am willing to do for it to happen. If you think that I’m going to back down just because you want me to sit on your lap and be a pretty girl for you to toy around with, then you truly do not comprehend my determination.” 

He simply tilted his head and hummed, “While that sounds nice, I’d prefer a drinking partner who is a bit more put together, more a person and less of a doll. Not to worry, you’ll still find yourself on my lap at some point, but try not to be too fake.” He then grinned, “Besides, it's more fun when you get upset. There’s something cute about the way your tail twitches, and the way you scowl.”

Lee noted the way her cheeks flared, the small twitch of her ears as something signaling a feeling between embarrassment and flattery perhaps hued with the lovely spice of irritation. He half expected her to throw her cup, but as she pulled it from the table, she instead drank her tea and set it down with a firm clack. Miss Du then stormed off to a set of shelves, fishing through them until she produced a large white ceramic bottle. She came back and set it down on the table next to him, grabbing the neck to uncork the thing with some effort. 

As the feline tossed the cork over her back, she breathed out and looked toward him with a small frown, “Fine, but I won’t sit down with a man like you for tea. This situation would be better with something a bit stronger.” 

As she held the bottle by the neck toward him, he downed what was left in his cup before holding it up for her to pour whatever was inside the bottle, “Well, well, I suppose I did plan on having a nice evening pestering Liang Xun over drink, but this works instead.” He then hummed, “I have to wonder though, is it that I’m not to your tastes, or is it because I’m a stranger?” 

Miss Du poured herself a cup while he got up from his seat to stand next to her, an arm placed carefully around her shoulders as she shrugged, “I’ve got nothing against you personally, but I also don’t know you personally. You look shifty and criminal, with a sense of style that is seemingly overly done and lazy all at once, but no, not unattractive.” 

“Ouch, but fair.” He said while nodding.

She pulled her head back as she drained her cup, breathing out to the air before filling her cup again, “That being said, I can think of worse choices. Just don’t hold back. I don’t want to pretend like we’re on some pretty date.” 

The arm around her shoulder shifted to allow one of his gloved hands to brush along her chest, his words humming near her ear, “But aren’t we? Man and woman alone in a room, drinking fine spirits and talking?” He then chuckled, “But I understand what you mean. Come then, let’s get more comfortable and start this evening properly.” 

A few more cups were shared between them at the table, a few uttered words of irritation from the feline that only entertained him. He honestly hadn’t been certain what he was drinking. Some sort of wine, something that probably deserved more attention than a few passing glances before it passed into his gullet. Still, the sweetened alcohol did very little to hold his attention compared to the feline. Her reactions were a lovely treat that went along perfectly. Every question he posed had to be answered with a huff, every observation he made brushed aside or given a little hiss in response. He wondered if he should ask her to try her best to act like a happy hostess, but then thought better of it considering where her lips would be going. Lee might’ve asked for another bottle if it weren’t for the fact that he was certain his drinking partner for the evening couldn’t handle it. Her cheeks had taken on a full fluster, her eyes looking elsewhere as it perhaps sunk in what was going to happen. Part of him worried that having her drink too much would make things troublesome, and at the same time, Lee just wanted to see her reactions in their truest during the height of their evening. He had expected her to fuss and fight, to growl and snap at him when he made the suggestion to move to the bed, but instead, he found that she was surprisingly meek. Perhaps he had truly underestimated her determination as she had said. She didn’t even complain as he led her to the bed by her hand. As he sat at the edge, he peered at Miss Du to drink in her expression again. Still flustered, still unable to even look at him, and her ears were pinned back. He wondered if this was her first time, and somewhere deep within him felt a pang of guilt. It wasn’t as fun when she looked concerned instead of annoyed. Ah, damn. Not enough alcohol to be a complete monster it seemed. Those kitty ears of hers reminded him of a particular cat from back home he hated seeing upset too, and so he placed his elbows on his knees and placed his chin atop his knuckles. 

“Hm, perhaps we should call it an evening. I think I’m getting rather tired.” He then puffed out a breath and carefully peeled off a glove to bring his hand up to touch her forehead, “And that drink might’ve been too much for you. Best to scamper off. Our deal is already sealed regardless so you’ve got no reason to follow through.” 

She looked at him with blinking eyes, her mouth twitching until it became a very sharp frown. Both of her ears were up and alert now, her finger jabbing him in the chest hard enough that he found himself leaning backward, “Excuse me?! Are you treating me like a child? Do you think that I’m not capable of seeing this through? I don’t need your pity.” 

Ah yes, one of the reasons that he found that he was never brave enough to go after these types. Too thick-headed, a bit too intense, but it was still a bit entertaining at the very least. Hands held up in defense he spoke aloud, “I only meant that I shouldn’t be taking advantage of you like this. I’m not nearly drunk enough to follow through on a little tease even if the thought was tempting.” 

Miss Du clasped the collar of his shirt along with a fistful of his coat, her eyes square with his as she huffed, “I said I don’t need your pity, old man. If you want to get off then I can do that easily.” 

It was probably a thing of needing to prove herself, or maybe it actually had something to do with the alcohol, but either way, he found it difficult to say no to someone so prone to violence a few inches from his face. With a sigh, he took the glove off his other hand and tapped under her chin, “Fine, then start with a kiss. We’ll see how experienced you are to go with that determination.” 

Instead of provoking her, he had decided to meet her head to head to see if she had the guts to do it. It was a challenge meant to sound like he was taking her seriously in the hopes that she would back off, and at first, he thought it had worked. She seemed to falter as the color on her cheeks darkened, his mouth about to start to form the words telling her that it was fine, and that she should leave before it got any later, but yet again, he had underestimated her determination. Her mouth met his in a heated punch, a sprout of soreness echoing throughout making him wish that he had gotten into a fight with her instead. 

Lee decided to help her and himself a bit, words slipping between their lips as he touched her arm gently, “Don’t rush it. Make it good for yourself, and you’ll make it good for me.” 

She muttered quietly back at him, far meeker than he had expected, “Okay.” 

The initial strike soon softened as she eased into the kiss, as she leaned into him, and soon that soreness was replaced by the warmth of mouth on mouth. He could feel her shuddering through the connection, could feel her determination in the way that her lips moved along his begging for his own to part, and as he did so, he felt her tongue slip along his own. Tongue danced with tongue, warm spit meshing together as the tastes of the evening poured over his senses. There was a brush of her tongue along his fangs, her movements slowing as if she realized how dangerous his maw could be, but her efforts returned to that same determined pace soon enough. Sweetened wine, gentle spices, and a small taste of something like iron most likely from the initial impact.

There was something desperate about the kiss, something shivering that made him wonder if she truly would be okay with this, until her movements slowed down. She had been in a near rush to wrestle his tongue with her own, to keep her lips planted against his own almost painfully so, but now her pace took a different turn. He thought that it might’ve been her taking the advice to heart, but even then the advice had been to take it as she wanted it. Was this her desire then? Good enough for him. The lips once pushing against his began to meld along his mouth, allowing just enough space to let her close back in again for more as she tilted her head. Even the hand gripping his clothes drifted away to rest near his lap while her mouth continued to shift along his own.  Not bad. He had enjoyed better, but he could feel himself getting into it. Guilt was such a weak thing when lust and warmth loomed nearby. Seeing this feline at ease and near purring brought odd feelings up that he’d probably have to ignore once he got back to Lungmen, but this wasn’t Lungmen and Miss Du wasn’t who he was thinking about. Best to sink in and enjoy what was happening now. Invisible hands pushed and urged his arms to move and take action as the arousal bubbling deep within began to surface. No turning back

“C’mere kitten.” His words flowed between their lips. .

Both of his hands moved, one grasping her side earning a jolt from her while the other moved up to secure her cheek. She had seemed about to complain about his nickname for her, but she remained frozen at his touch. A thumb of his stroked along soft skin, his mouth dipping in closer as he joined in the act. Another shiver trembled through their connection, his grip at her side tightening to drag her closer as she placed a hand on his chest as if to keep some sort of distance between them, but right now he didn’t want that. His thoughts drifted to having traveled so far just to be spurned by an old friend, the alcohol making the resulting bitterness just that much more pressing. Of course, he didn’t blame his old friend, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy this moment and be a little petty. After all, this had been agreed upon as part of the negotiation, so he should enjoy himself to the fullest. Which meant, he wanted her hand out of the way. The hand at her side moved to grasp her wrist pulling it away before his other hand did the same to the other. Her eyes widened as her breasts still blocked by clothing pressed against his body, his tongue dipping a bit deeper into her mouth. The kiss took a passionate turn, her brow furrowed as irritation sparked on her expression, but soon those sparks began to fizzle as the blush spread across her face, as her eyes drooped and her shoulders sagged. He could feel her hands tugging at his grip, her arms pulling away with not even half of her strength. If she wanted to, she could have broken free any moment and made him pay, but instead, she remained in place while he took his kiss in the way that he wanted from her. 

When he had his fill, Lee pulled his head back, heat and mist spilling from his maw with a velvet line connecting their mouths snapping as his words came,  “All right, I accept your determination, and I can see you’re more experienced than I thought.” He then chuckled as he pinched the frame of his glasses to take them off and put them aside on a nightstand, “Though, I have to wonder just how experienced you are with such a rocky start. Is that how you do it with your boyfriend?” 

She gulped in a breath as she pulled away once he let her go, arms crossed at her chest as she huffed, “That’s none of your business. Besides, even if it was and I did what—” 

What a lovely reaction to the sound produced from the movement of his fingers. He pinched down on the zipper and tugged it before moving to pop the button that had kept his trousers together. With his fly open, a sizable tent could be seen forming against the boxers he wore underneath, but her eyes bolted in the other direction. Oh? Maybe she wanted a way out right now, however, omething told him that if he stayed silent that she might excuse herself with just the kiss, but then again, she was wild enough that he had been wrong about her determination twice, and so he waited and watched to see what her reaction would be. While he could influence her, maybe it was better to watch her self-destruct. Perhaps, it would even be funny, and maybe she would show him something wildly different than what he expected or even wanted. This little game kept him more aroused than the thought at the back of his head telling him to tear those clothes off her body and take her already. For now, the beast inside of himself could wait.

Miss Du got up from the bed before cursing quietly and she surprised him again with quite the bold move. She began wriggling out of her coat, pulling her arms from the sleeves before yanking it all off in one fine motion leaving her standing in only a bra, those tight shorts, and socks that ended just above her knees. With her back turned to him, the bra came off and she turned around with her fists on her hips, her eyes full of a fiery determination that made him feel like he would get in trouble for staring too long, but of course, he kept on staring. Her build was strong with defined thighs no doubt from her martial arts training. The feline’s chest wasn’t massive, but each breast seemed big enough for his hands to enjoy holding with pale nipples already perked and ready to be pinched.

“Well, are you just going to sit there?” She growled while trying her best to intimidate.  

The sight and act had his shaft twitching uncomfortably as it pressed up against the fabric of his underwear. Her bluster and growling did nothing to deter his arousal, and in fact, he found that cute. Well, if she wanted to go all out, then why hold back now? Lee got up with a warm smile that spread into a grin. That haughty look on her face remained a constant, but as he began to strip he had to wonder whether it would still be there or not when he looked at her again. His upper body was unveiled first, years of work giving him a certain strength, and years of spending time in Lungmen’s food stalls giving his strong core a bit of softness. Next came the bottom layer, socks tossed to the side, trousers, and boxers joining them. Lee stood at full height now with nothing covering his body, and his eyes peered toward Miss Du to see that she was looking at his face rather than what was between his legs. He took a step forward and grabbed her by the wrist, leaning in so his mouth neared hers as she tried to jolt back most likely on instinct.  

“Finish stripping and let’s see how far your experience extends with your lips.” Uttered Lee quietly. 

She faltered at first before her mouth moved into a hard line, words coming out with a hiss, “Can’t you be a bit more gentlemanly about it?” 

Lee kissed her cheek, her body locking up in response, a chuckle drifting from his lips, “I thought you wanted me to use you and get it over with? If you want, I can try to be a bit more romantic, maybe we could even make a date of it another time?” 

Miss Du had nothing to say to that. A few quiet moments passed between them before he decided to pull away and let go of her hand, his finned tail curling around his waist as he took a seat on the bed. She still hadn’t seen, had she? Cute. Even now her pupils were darting from one corner to the other as if she were trying to decide where to fix her stare. Maybe he could be brave enough to take on people like this more often if they could so easily be flustered and upended. Lee leaned back with one hand resting on his tail as he stared at her little performance. She hooked her thumbs through her shorts and tugged them off slowly. The shorts joined the ever-increasing pile of clothes littering the room, and soon her socks did as well before she looked toward him and approached. She brought herself to her knees when she was just a few steps away, and as she looked in the right direction, he moved his tail to curl around her shoulders to keep her looking in the right direction.

A set of digits from his own hand pressed atop his shaft to let the length rest along the bridge of her nose. Her eyes were wide staring at every inch of his cock, her mouth a quiet dot, “Bigger than your boyfriend?” He teased.

She scowled, “None of your business, but if you have to know, I’m not seeing anyone right now. No one I’ve met has been able to handle me.” 

“Gee, I can’t imagine why.” He said, but before she could protest, he looped a few digits through her hair to urge her lips to his sizable balls, words coming out in a hum, “But enough of that, get started.” 

Curses flowed from her lips, quiet little hisses that blew air over his orbs building on the arousal already present from having such a pretty girl between his legs. The hisses turned to small and trembling kisses gracing the surface of his balls, one of her hands moving up to clasp onto his shaft while the other rested at his thigh. Her tongue soon came out to lap away the sweat of the day, her movements small and uncertain, but as he stroked through her hair she seemed to grow more confident again. 

“That’s it kitten, keep using that tongue. You’re doing much better than I expected” He said with a sigh. 

Little licks turned to long lashes of the tongue leaving cooling spit behind in place of the sweat they cleaned off. Her determination saw that she did her job without complaint, and he had to wonder if she was enjoying herself. Her eyes were shut, but the trembling of her lips and hands had stopped. Those soft digits glided over his shaft, gripping on occasion at the head before moving back down, her stride and rhythm recovered perfectly. Her kisses extended up to the side of his shaft, her nose hovering over the base as she held his cock to her face. Was it the scent she enjoyed? Or the taste? Perhaps she simply enjoyed the act, or maybe she was just dutiful.

And so he had to ask, “Enjoying that?” 

She peered up at him, her eyes fogged over as she pulled her lips few inches away to mutter, “I don’t hate it. The taste isn’t bad, and I figured a lung like you would smell worse, but I kind of like it. Wood smoke and something else.” 

“Soap.” He said with a chuckle. 

Despite attempting to prod her, she had simply answered with more gusto than he had expected, her mouth moving back over his cock in a manner that made him feel as if he were being worshiped. Her tongue trailed along his length, stopping up at the tip making him wonder if she could handle every inch in his throat. That being said, she was growing too meek, too passive. Perhaps he would have enjoyed that more if not for the fact that he found her incensed and irritated state so much more fun. Not that he wasn’t enjoying himself. That was far from the case. Her eagerness was interesting to him, her tongue’s movements followed by cool pleasure building up in his gut. On occasion, she brought her mouth to his balls again, her lips enveloping one orb to suckle and let out a wet pop as she let it fall, her tongue then trailing just underneath to let them rest on her nose as she lapped away underneath. He should have really just let her do her work and enjoyed her lips, but something was missing. Hm, it just wasn’t as fun without her little reactions. 

“I think I have a more fun idea for the both of us.” He hummed aloud. 

Her fingers trailed up and down along his shaft, one brow raised as she peered up at him with a near-drunken hum, “Oh, if it helps you get off faster, then whatever you want. This is your night after all.”

His idea of a better time had involved bringing her onto the bed. She had grumbled and fussed but still ended up in the position he wanted. Her knees were pressed onto the bed with her hips hovering over his face while her lips remained just a few inches from the tip of his shaft. Both of his hands grasped onto her rear before she could complain to bring her slit down and onto his open maw. His tongue slipped out to drag along her heat, the reaction coming almost immediately as a loud gasp that seemed close to a squeak echoed in the room. 

“Excuse me!? Just where do you think—”

The feline tried grumbling but again she gasped and sucked in a breath as his tongue continued to move. Her lips were trying to get over his shaft, but they only got over the tip as the trembling of her body over his continued. It didn’t matter to him that her lips seemed frozen, that her hands were twitching instead of moving over his cock; all that mattered was that he could drink in her little reactions like a sweet nectar. He lapped away at her pussy, taking his time with bringing his tongue up and then down to bring just the right type of noises out of her, but even then, he knew he could get a better reaction out of her. 

Slowly, he sat up just a bit while her hips moved over his chest. One set of digits moved between her legs, pushing and pressing along her slit, two fingers entering gingerly while he breathed out, “That’s it. Just enjoy yourself. No need to concern yourself with me.” 

“I would enjoy it more if you just stopped toying with me and—”

Flustered irritation and anger turned to a yelp, and a groan as he dug his two fingers inside of her to the knuckles. He hummed and chuckled, enjoying the feeling of the warmth tightening around his spreading fingers as he focused on pleasuring her. She kept on trying to say something, to make some sort of noise to voice her complaints, but instead, she would moan aloud and squeak much to her dismay before uttering a quick curse or two. Eventually, even the curses stopped, her mewls begging for more as he swapped to his tongue to slide and slip against her wet folds, dipping in just a bit when he could manage it. She held onto his shaft as if for comfort, her fingers trembling along the length, her lips pressed to the side while her breaths flowed down to wrap around his balls. Her legs caught him by surprise as they curled around his neck, his tongue locked to her pussy in a lover’s kiss as she rocked her hips to his face and cried out for more. He closed his eyes and held onto her hips firmly, his tongue dipping in deep and twisting around while she bucked and ground against his face. There was something sweet about her taste, something lovely given a hint of salt adding a punch to his tongue. He hadn’t expected her to be so honest so soon, but he enjoyed hearing that mewling, loved feeling her movements against his face as it told everything he needed to know about how she was feeling. Teased until she had become a lustful mess. This is how he wanted this evening to go. 

At this point, he was having a bit of trouble breathing considering her martial artist’s legs were squeezing around his neck tighter and tighter. That being said, he kept his tongue moving and didn’t have to wait for long to feel the tightening gush of her orgasm. He smirked as he felt her legs loosen, pulled his tongue out, and grinned as he heard her gasping for air. One of his hands moved to trail along the back of her tail while the other rested atop her rear. He eased her down until he sat up and she was straddled onto his lap with her back facing him. 

The hand teasing her tail moved toward her side and upward, heading around and moving to grasp onto one of her breasts while he muttered to her ear, “I know there’s no condom, but I’m still in need of attention here. I can at least promise to pull out.” 

Miss Du turned around shakily in his lap, his hands both moving to her rear. She lunged to catch his mouth with her own, his eyes flaring for a second as he found himself surprised again by her sudden shift. Whatever switch he had turned on before seemed to still be flicked to that position. Her breaths were heated against his tongue, almost hot enough to burn as he tried to keep up with her sudden passion. She grasped onto his shoulders, her arms soon curling around them as she lifted her hips and brought her mouth away with a gasp. He felt the wet warmth of her pussy over his cock, her body still trembling but from what seemed to be pure, dripping excitement now. Go with the flow and enjoy this, no sense in ignoring what his body was telling him. After all, he deserved to make a mistake after such a long trip. Even still he felt some sort of concern, some sort of guilt that told him that maybe he should slow down with this and wait until she was right in the head again. 

“Please.” She mewled once sending a shock down his back, “Please, please fuck me.” Her words whispered at his ear burning a hole through whatever guilt he had been feeling. 

Grabbing hold of his shaft, he eased the tip inside the shallows of her heat before wrapping both arms around her waist. With a grunt, he shoved inside of her while dragging her down, her voice pouring out loud enough to make him wonder if anyone would hear outside the doors of the guest room. He began to pump into her, thrusting with all of his strength to pour out the frustrations of the day into her. Lee could never have guessed that she would have been so passionate, so hungry for this to happen. That heat was what drove him wild, that unrestricted desire just as flavorful as her irritation, but even still he had to open his mouth to urge something more from her.  

Lee’s voice came out in a breath flowing down her back, “Feels like you’ve wanted this all along. Even before our little deal. Don’t tell me you’re falling for me?” 

“Shut up.” Shuddered her response. 

As he chuckled, the feline’s hips moved in kind to grind against him, her insides tightening on him in the loveliest of ways while her claws began to dig into his back. Claws raked deep through the scales of his back, those daggers sinking in further with every movement of his hips. With this type of passion he was most certain that he wouldn’t be able to handle her every day, but then again, maybe if he put a collar on her he could tame her. Such a thought produced a breathy snicker from him as he slammed inside of her, tugging her as close as possible to feel the warmth of her breasts against his chest. The pain didn’t bother him so much, but still, he had to wince now and then as she clung to him like a wild animal. He moved his maw, opening wide to let her feel a taste of her own medicine as he bit down on her shoulder, the taste of sweat spreading over his tongue immediately. She mewled aloud, her claws digging in harder as his fangs bit down against her shoulders in an action that would surely leave his mark on her. The alcohol or the simple atmosphere of what was happening was beginning to get to him. Fog gathered at the corners of his head, his common sense fading away until all he could hear in his mind was a single thought telling him to breed and break, and so he kept on thrusting. His cock twitched inside of her, each bounce of his shaft creating a spark of pleasure inside of him that washed over him as a heated pressure. 

Still, Lee had enough sense in him to pull his mouth away from her shoulders to mutter near her ear, “Shouldn’t I stop? Shouldn’t I pull out to use your mouth instead? You know what happens if I don’t, right?” 

Miss Du’s claws dug in hard enough to make him wince as she muttered, “I’ve debased myself tonight more than I thought I would, so don’t insult me with what I don’t want. Fuck me until I’m full of your filthy seed. Mark me as yours and never forget about this night.”

Now that was quite the mystery. Alcohol or passion? Either or, he couldn’t be sure, but he couldn’t care right now. His hips moved like pistons, his cock slamming in as deep as he could get it into her. That passion she had displayed, that hunger; it drove him to give her just the same and excited him to no end. The pleasure pulsing through his shaft and warming the rest of his body was only a bonus compared to the sound of her voice. The movements produced a steady slap of thigh on thigh as she bounced in his lap, her breaths and sighs growing more intense again as she pleaded with him not to stop. There were lines of warmth along his back that told him that he would need some sort of minor medical attention in the morning, but he still didn’t stop. What pain he felt only made it all the better as he released every bit of pressure in his body into her. 

Hot cum flowed from the tip of his cock and into Du Yaoye. Her insides received every drop with a tightening warmth, pleasure lancing through his back as he clung to her body. Her form arched forward, her head pressed against his chest as she trembled violently. Did she enjoy herself that much again? To see someone so high-strung lose themselves was the best part about this evening, and he had to wonder if he could experience this again. As he found himself about to tease if she’d like to enjoy another evening like this, Lee noticed that she had stopped moving. He tilted his head and grabbed her shoulders to pull her up. Her eyes were shut but as he placed his ear to her chest in a panic, he heard the slightest of snores escaping her bringing bliss back to his body and mind. Definitely part of the alcohol. 

With a sigh, he set her in the bed next to him, the dripping from between her legs already something that he would need to explain to whoever cleaned the sheets. His heart still raced at this point, his body still poised for more as he looked at her form. Sweat beaded her body outlining her curves and the strength of her thighs. His shaft began to bounce again, twitching to life slowly as he moved between her legs to grab her thighs and feel. Soft and cool, or perhaps it was better to say that he was on fire. He breathed out some of that flame, a thumb moving to brush along her crotch while he found what he wanted to do. 

“Wake up.” He said as he leaned down to kiss her cheek. She hummed, her eyes opening just a bit as she stared up at him foggily. He took her hand to his shaft to aid in getting it back up, his mouth pecking at her cheeks and neck again and again as he repeated, “Wake up. I still need you.” 

Miss Du’s fingers stroked along his shaft slowly, her other arm wrapping around his body as she purred, words slurred by exhaustion and alcohol alike, “Ah, still a perverted old man? Well, take as much as you want. Cum inside me as much as you want.” 

What an offer. He took his cock from her hand, urging the fully erect length to her heat before he dipped inside with a firm thrust. Every inch of his shaft slid into her warm insides, the tightness grasping him again as she gasped and mewled out to him. Both of his arms moved to wrap around to hold her in place while his hips began to jerk violently. All of his strength was used in pounding into her, in losing himself in this lust again. The heat of her insides along with the grinding tightness urged him to release again, but he held himself steady and instead kept on grinding his mind away. Both of her arms were wrapped around his shoulders, her legs locking around his waist with her toes curled at the small of his back. Sweat from his brow dripped to the bed, his mouth held in a snarl as he shut his eyes and focused on the movements. She seemed to bounce in and out of being awake, her hips jerking upward to meet his thrusts before her grip loosened and her body sagged, and again tightened. As her grip loosened again, he paused for a second waiting for her to regain her strength. 

He leaned back and looked down at her to see her chest rising and falling rapidly, her mouth open, lips glistening. Lee touched her cheek and leaned down to plant his head against her while muttering, “All tapped out? Not even gonna fight another load inside of you?” 

She grasped his wrist gingerly, her reply coming out with a little huff, “You’d like that wouldn’t you?” A tired grin formed on her face, “To pound a struggling kitten like me to the sheets. To let loose just how devious and depraved you are. I wonder, are there any sweet girls like me from your home that you have your eyes on?” 

For once, he found himself irritated. It wasn’t that what she said was false, it was the fact that he had found himself enjoying this so much that he had wondered for even just a second how it would feel to take that sweet girl from back home. Cursing quietly, he started thrusting into her without a care this time, both of his hands grasping her ankles to yank them up so he could slam down directly inside of her. The feline’s toes splayed out before tightening in, her eyes widening as she gasped aloud, her body shaking while she was pounded to the bed. The grin she had held had faded away replaced by an o encircling her pleasure. After that, all he could manage in this frenzied state was one more thrust before he started filling her again, the heat between them venting just as the pressure did within his gut. He made sure every drop painted her inner walls before he pulled out and hung his head with a huff. 

One of her hands felt up his arm, his attention peering down to her as she muttered quietly, “Comfort a girl after you ruin her. You’re more than just an animal, right?” 

Lee closed his eyes and breathed in through his nose before puffing out, “I suppose I am.” 

He laid next to her in bed on his side, one arm bringing her close as she shut her eyes and nestled against him. Part of him wondered if he should put something outside the door to let people know not to disturb him, but then again, it might’ve been more fun to see reactions to this little sight. That being said, he closed his eyes feeling every little exhaustion from his trip catch up along with this evening’s actions. Hopefully, his dreams would give him a little peace, or a bit more fun.

[nyxcaelum]

I am finally updating and continuing a little gem for my fellow community who loves Gnosis and Enciodes. No need to have a story involving either, this is one featuring both of them.

Synopsis:

It's team building week at Rhodes Island, but it seems like someone is with their mind somewhere else. And, due to a little hint from a teammate, Doctor takes it up for themselves to get down to the issue, and get closer to two of his Operators, who seemingly have their on them.

A perfect story for those who also like SilverAsh and Gnosis and wouldn't be able to decide, why not take both?

Tags of worth: this is a polyamorous story, Pining, first love, eventual romance, romantic threesome

Read here

[multiversetravelingjournalist]

Arknights: Taran language idea

The nation of Tara is one inhabited by dragon people and is a fictional game counterpart to Ireland.

I originally had the idea to take the Irish language and give it the Car Slam treatment, thus turning it into a Semitic root system. This idea came to me because in one of my way earlier worldbuilding projects, I had the same idea for a similar system for my dragon languages.

However, that idea didn't pan out. But I recently came across some inspiration. Coming across @macy-does-lang-stuff I saw this post, what inspired me most was the use of tones and length to bulk up the vowel inventory.

So, I decided that Taran will also have vowel roots. And to bulk up my phonetic inventory for the language, I will use not only use tones and length of two-way and three-maybe-four-way distinctions respectively, but also a four way distinction in voicing as well. Thus, even if I stick with a low number of vowels, the phonetic distinctions in place should allow for quite a hefty sum of vocalic choices. This could become more apparent with a small consonant inventory.

This is all I got so far. Haven't figured out the rest of the grammar. But such is the fun of language construction.

Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Till next time... ;).

[arkiwii]

Heya! As rare as it is, I can indeed write fanfictions, and that's good because I had time to kill while in the plane; so here's one!

It's just a quick soft and warming interaction between two operators I really like, Reed and Grani. I think an interaction between them would be lovely, after all, Grani is quite Rhodes Island's little sunshine, and we've seen that she can successfully interact with Skadi, she knows how to understand the silent kind. And Reed definitively needs an emotional support friend, so the therapy horse is perfect! They're both Victorian, and I headcanon them both as autistic and queer, in different ways.

Oh yeah, a reminder that I headcanon Grani as transfem and Reed as non-binary with they/them pronouns, that's all!

The text takes place before What the Firelight Casts, so all lore and headcanons in this are from what we already know of Reed, not Reed alter/the event about them, I don't know anything about the event, I avoid spoilers.

Enjoy, and have a nice event in tomorrow, good luck to all my Reed homies trying to pull them!

_________________

Fresh wind, green stalks dancing along, dressed in colorful petals, butterflies following the movement, the only thing that stands out from this marvelous scenery was the fire of their tail. It was not an unfamiliar environment for them, as they would often wander in the huge garden in order to find some peace for themselves. Their long hair waved in the air, while their body was firm, standing, showing no weakness against the strong wind.

But, despite how chill the air could be, they were burning inside. Their chest were ignited with a never dying flame, each breath they took ached with an usual pain. Never would they be able to get rid of the fire in their heart.

Sighing under their breath, their emerald eyes were focused on the plants in front of them; beautiful flowers of royalty, the white lilies were almost standing straight like their observer, their giant petals weighing against the weather.

The calm painting created by this sight was almost way too silent, as if in the end, they started to miss the usual rumble of the company they took shelter in.

"Hi! Is everything alright?"

As they were debating between going back inside or staying longer, their train of thoughts immediately got stopped by a voice behind them. With a very brutal tail swing, they did a turnaround, maybe way too fast, betrayed the unease in their eyes as they fixed the stranger.

"Ah," this one's expression took a surprised turn, before showing what seemed to be remorse, or softness, they couldn't tell. "did I scare you?"

The Draco could only stare at the person in front of them; much smaller, her (or his?) hair in a white almost as shining as the flowers they were staring at just moments ago, the Kuranta was dressed in what seemed a police uniform, one that the horned one knew way too well.

"What… Who… Are you?" They whispered, their eyebrows knitted together in a frown. Their enormous tail, despite being probably way longer than their body, was slashing the wind behind them.

"Operator Grani! From Rhodes Island." the introduced operator made an innocent smile, her purple eyes shining with kindness. "Nice to meet you! And you are?"

The tallest one could not understand what goal she had in attempting conversation with them. Maybe she knew? They took a single step backwards, wary, not hesitating to show their uncomfort. "I don't think I… Give you a written authorization to address me."

Grani blinked in confusion, tilting her head slightly on the side, almost looking childish combined with her ridiculous size. "An authorization?" but all she won was an annoyed sigh from the draconic one.

"If you wish to talk… With me, you would need to have a written authorization from myself." They almost did not reply, but upon seeing that the Kuranta was refusing to leave, they finally shuffled those words, their voice so low that all it earned was some steps from the operator in front of them to hear them clearly under the wind.

"Oh! I see I see - so can I get one now?" She smiled so innocently, as if she truly was expecting a positive answer. At least, the Draco could admit that she was polite enough to ask.

"No." obviously, they were not trusting the short horse enough to give her their trust. Hopefully she will leave now…

But all she did was to thumb up with the same smile, "Understood! Won't talk to you then." and stray around, but not where they would have wished, instead just turning around, her hands tied behind her back, as she profited of the weather.

Then it fell silent again.

It was just as before, flowers moving with the blows, nature blossing all around, insects welcoming its warm embrace. But with someone else. A very silent someone else, but someone else regardless - despite her efforts to stay as quiet as the breeze, and to respect the fiery one's boundary, she was still getting all of their attention by simply being here. This presence was weighing a lot, resulting in their tail twitching around with anxiety and frustration. They wish they were better at expressing themselves sometimes, but that's a problem they can't help, they knew.

After long, long minutes, feeling that they could not take it anymore, they finally turned around and walked away under the eyes of the officier. This one was expecting them to completely leave, but in the end, they stood in the garden after giving an anxious sight to the inside of the ship - it was still too crowded. It seems like Perfumer's garden was their only escape, hoping that it won't get ruined soon.

They simply crouched near another patch of flowers, purple hyacinths this time, that they slightly brushed with the tip of their fingers - immediately leaving burn marks on said flower. Ah, they were careless, hopefully that won't cost them to be grounded. They finally ended up sighing and sat down, their knees close to their chest, that they wrapped with their arms and long tail, letting their chin rest above. They would sometimes throw a look or two towards where they used to be, looking at the flowers they admired minutes before, now being the center of the Kuranta's interest, before slowly closing their eyes.

"What do… You want?" the next time they opened their eyes, it was to stare at the white haired one who took a seat just next to them. Well, they may sound mad, but it was not even close to what they felt, neither annoyance. It was uncomfort, and only this - to stay away from those who tried to get near, by fear of burning them down.

The second operator replied by pointing at them with one glowed finger, before pointing at her own face, making a sad expression, probably to mock the Draco's, then tilted her head. "You can… Talk. I won't understand… Otherwise." they finally gave up their boundaries, looking away - if really, it was getting too much, and they felt in danger, they still had the option to talk about it to the Doctor.

"I just want to know if everything's fine." The sudden softness in Grani's voice caught them off guard, convincing them to put their attention back on her, to finally face a worried, but sincere expression. "I always notice you being alone."

Was it true concern, or was it a trap to force them to open up? Should they sincerely reply, or should they avoid her? Despite their long hesitation to reply, Grani didn't move an inch, except to look away at the flowers around them. Somehow, knowing that the horse was not looking at them anymore made them feel more comfortable.

"You are part of the Victorian's… Mountain Police, right? I don't… Have anything to give you." they as well looked away, and their next exchange would be without any eye contact from any of them.

"Huh? It has nothing to do with that. Between us, I'm just operator Grani." despite not being able to see her expression on her face, they could still guess it at the tone of her voice - calm, reassuring. "Just like you are an operator of Rhodes Island. There's no such as ranks, or formalities to have between us, we're all working hand in hand towards the same goal after all!"

The horned one could hear a scoffed sound that they guessed to be the Kuranta clearing her throat, as if she tried to catch herself on raising her voice a bit too much. "So, it's only natural to look after each other. We should all feel safe together here, don't you think?"

To feel safe… Equal to each other… The conversation once again fell into silence as the long haired one wandered in their thoughts. It's true, Rhodes Island was their little paradise, a shelter, it gave them a new chance to be someone, someone of their own. Someone who wouldn't be a shadow. Yet… It was exactly how they acted.

Yet they knew they could not help it. After all, she was probably aware that they were here. A single mistake. A single information they could let slip. And it will be over. They would lose everything they had.

The only place where they could be themselves, they can not be themselves.

"You can call me… Reed." they finally muffled inside their arms, still not wishing to stare back at the operator next to them, but feeling comfortable enough to at least share their code name. Nothing bad would come out of it.

"It's a nice name. Do you like plants?" curiosity, they guessed, but also gentleness, by avoiding continuing on the tracks of the previous subjects. "They remind me… Of my hometown." it was not the reason for their codename, but the question was not necessarily focused around it.

"I see. Did you know that plants have a language? Well- I mean, I don't know it myself, it's just what Quercus told me." consideration, with a slight laugh on her end, she once again avoided to ask about Reed despite the occasion having presented itself. "They do. The lily is a symbol of… Royalty, but also purity."

"Ooh," an awe. "so that explains why Victorian kings used this symbol. Makes sense. And the ones in front of us, what is it?" she continued on the flowers, understanding that it was a subject she could continue on without any risk, yet the tall one could still note some honest interest. "Purple hyacinth. It means… Seeking forgiveness. But it can also mean happiness."

"You really do know a lot," admiration, as they heard a movement, probably the operator adjusting her position to be more comfortable. "but I'm curious why giving a meaning to plants. I mean!" another scoff. "it's not a bad thing at all. The opposite rather. But does it have a use? Can we… Talk to plants?" innocence, an attempt to lighten the mood.

"They are somewhat… Used as a language for people to express themselves with something different than words. When you offer specific plants to… Someone, it's like a message." feeling as they were already talking way more than before, they kept a comment on poetry for themselves, maybe for another occasion.

"I see… I can see why you appreciate them this much." assumption, but a gentle one; understanding. Somehow, Reed felt as if they could be read like an open book by the white haired operator, but not in an uncomfortable way - more as if she was able to understand them, as if they both shared something in common, or that she simply knew how people just like Reed tend to think or feel. The Draco did not reply to it with words, instead humming something that could be understood as a confirmation but also as just a "if you want".

"Alright," after long minutes of silence where both simply profited of the kind nature, the horse operator got on her legs. "I will return inside, if you don't mind. It was very nice speaking to you! Next time, I will try to make sure I get an authorization, or I will speak to you in plant language - maybe a plant that would mean "Take care", or "I'm here anytime". I will ask Quercus for some advice!"

She went back to a joyous tone, but still made sure to keep her voice low enough to not disturb Reed further. This one could hear some footsteps, as well as a "See you soon, Reed!" that started to feel distant - and instinctively, their emerald eyes shifted to look at the leaving one, observing her silhouette disappear inside the ship; also noticing that this one got emptier while they were talking to each other. They opened their mouth, as if wishing to reply something, but ended up whispering something incomprehensible, even for themselves.

Speaking to each other in plant language? Maybe Reed should offer her some hydrangeas.

[terrakatten]

A little excerpt from the Courier X Qanipalaat Arknights fanfic I'm working on...

The door to the office opened with its trademark mechanical whir and slight fizz of air displaced by hydraulics.

Weiss’ delicate, ever-so-slight smile came back upon his lips; there now stood before him a vulpo he’d never talked to before, and so his little ‘defense’ against those he wasn’t a confidant to had returned. His eyes, however, pierced like daggers despite the utter absence of a scowl. He carefully eyed up the white-haired-and-furred vulpo, going through the process of first, immediate impressions with a refined, analytical style. Although he’d never confess it, even to himself, the first thing he ran over was whether or not a person could pose a threat to him or his master. This judgement based on looks was only a weak estimation, and he knew it just as well, but his devotion to Enciodes required him to be vigilant to an arguable fault.

Qanipalaat felt a little uneasy, his gut partly turning over in mild dread. He recognized Weiss’ face; he’d seen the itra in passing on the landship a couple of times, but hadn’t ever been courageous enough to approach- especially considering he once saw Weiss without his snow shirt and exterior coat; bearing witness to the small yet refined musculature visible against Weiss’ tight undershirt, the modest yet similarly tuned muscles along his arms- and the myriad of scars that laced them- was equal parts attractive and intimidating to Qanipalaat. Or at least, that’s what the vulpo could rationalize- he hadn’t much of a clue on the difference between those emotions, as both seemed to give him the same faint anxiety and stomach butterflies.

This is just a taste of what I've written so far for the first chapter of the fic, which I am calling "The Karlan Contract." I'm really happy with the overall quality so far, and I can't wait to get the first chapter out there as soon as I reasonably can.

Although the romantic side of the story will focus on Courier X Qanipalaat, Silverash X Gnosis will also be present.

[greythroat]

My GreyThroat birthday fic based on her Bloodline of Combat skin where she returns to (implied to be) her hometown for an Infected rescue mission.

[ammyamarant]

Sometimes I just write things that make me laugh because yes. I find SilverAsh very attractive. And he must be bullied extremely hard by everyone he fucked over in Break the Ice. Being attracted to a character and believing they did everything wrong and deserves to pay for it can and does coexist.

(Chapter 3 of New Life Will Come Next here)

[wolfgirlmay]

Dusk & The Sarkaz Prince

Characters - Dusk x Hibiscus

Summary - Hibiscus participates in Rhodes’s Island annual fundraiser and aims to make Dusk ́s heart skip a beat or two while getting lots of donations.

Word Count - 1,266

Tags - Humor, Drag, Drag King Hibiscus, Trans Dusk, Lava and Nian are there too, NSFW, Sexual content happens mostly off-screen, Hibiscus uses He/Him while in character.

Notes - This is a slight rewrite of an old fic that I love but did not feel it was enough of a change to post on AO3 again.  No beta read and English is not my first language so grammatical errors abound.

It was time for Rhodes Island's annual fundraiser, and this year Nian and Closure cooked up their best scheme yet, a drag king show featuring some of Rhodes Island's most popular operators.

The plan was simple; have tons of cheap alcohol, let the audience put money to vote for their favorite performers, and at the end of the show, once they were all good and tipsy, sell signed prints of the performers in their outfits for extra profit.

Of course this could only work if the incentive for voting was a good one. And to this point, Kal’tsit made the perfect recommendation. The most voted contestants would be featured in a calendar they could sell for a boost in funding.

The resulting event was a total success. Entry tickets sold out in record time, the crowd was having a great time, and judging by the reactions so far, voting and merchandise would bring in a ton more LMD. They were only about half way through the show and already well on track to break last year's record, and that was not even accounting for their online merch sales.

“Give another round of applause for Moby Dick!” Nian called over the speaker system.

Nian’s boisterous tone was almost lost in the cheer of the crowd. The auditorium, full to the brim, exploded in applause, screams, and the feral squealing of a certain shark as the latest performer left the stage with a reserved bow.

“Don’t forget everything you expend tonight goes to a good cause! Keep the drinks rolling, and use that hard earned cash to put some votes towards your favorite performers.”

Among the lively crowd were two less outspoken observers, Lava and Dusk. The two girls were seated in the front row, a privilege of Nian producing the show and Hibiscus being one of the featured performers. Neither of them were fond of such crowded, or loud, spaces, but they were willing to make an exception to support their respective lovers.

Two cups of wine hit the girls table and the crowd began to calm down as the stage was being prepared for the next performer.

“God, that shark's wailing felt like it was piercing my soul,” Dusk complained.

Lava nodded approvingly. “No joke, I thought I was gonna go deft.”

Lava and Dusk took a long relaxing sip of their drinks. Despite their complaints, they were having a fun night together. It turned out they had more in common than they first knew, and if they were being entirely honest with themselves, they were enjoying the show.

“Hey, did Hibiscus tell you when she was up?”

“No,” Dusk said with a shake of her head. “She would not even tell me her stage name or anything. She said that she wanted it to be a surprise.”

“Yeah, that sounds like my sister alright.”

Nian’s voice came back to life with an electric buzz, ready to announce the next performer. “Next up, all the way from Victoria, he aims to claim your hearts with his royal charm and sweet music! Give a warm welcome to…”

Dusk’s tail perked up. “Could it be?”

Lava shrouded with fear. “I have a bad feeling about this…”

“...Prince Long Flute!!” Nian finished.

Dusk knew instantly, but she was still shocked. “Prince…Long Flute?” she mumbled to herself as she began awkwardly clapping.

Lava facepalmed. “Ughh, I knew she would pick a terrible name.”

To the roaring applause came out a well dressed figure. A pristine black suit featuring a vibrant flower on its jacket’s pocket, half gloves and dress shoes to match, and an immaculate violet bottom up shirt in full display through the open jacket made up his outfit. His short yet flowing lavender hair framed his heart melting smile as he playfully waved to the crowd.

The pace erupted with cheers and Dusk had to bring both her hands to her mouth to restrain the wild noise that was forming in the back of her throat. “A prince, he is a prince. A twinky, handsome prince!!” the dragon thought to herself as she stared in awe.

Lava looked at Dusk with a teasing grin. “Looks like you are the one about to squeal now.”

She was, and could not muster the words to deny it. Seeing Hibiscus like this was filling Dusk’s mind with more inappropriate thoughts than she ever thought possible.

Nian’s commentary continued. “Have his princely looks already conquered the audience, or will this slender prince have to do more to win them over?”

Prince Long Flute stood tall in the middle of the stage, flute at the ready, and offered the audience a playful wink, getting a loud roar in response. Dusk, unable to hold on any longer, joined in with the cheering crowd.

“Looks like our prince charming is ready to show us his skills!”

With that Nian’s commentary stopped. Prince Long Flute moved his flute aside and brought  a finger to his mouth. He dexterously took his glove off with his teeth and then flung it to Dusk down in the audience. The dragon squealed like the Shark before her and blushed a vibrant red. The crowd loved it, going wild at the bold display.

The ensuing musical performance was mostly lost on Dusk who was still flustered beyond belief. After the show was over and the voting results were up, Dusk made her way backstage. The dragon looked frantically around the crowded dressing room for her lover.

“Dusk, over here!”

Dusk rushed to the familiar voice. She greeted her lover, still in full costume, with a quick kiss and held them in her arms in a cramped corner of the dressing room. “You were great out there.”

“Thank you, I figured you would like it. So, did I make your heart skip a beat?”

“You always do, but that was just unfair.” Dusk returned the glove to her lover. “I almost passed out when you pulled that stunt.”

Hibiscus let out a giggle before putting on her character once more, changing her tone to match that of her noble persona. “I guess my charms worked on you, my fair lady.”

“Hibi… No. Prince Long Flute, you have no idea. I can’t wait till we are alone, there are so many things I want to do to you right now.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

Dusk held her lover by the chin and teasefully ran her thumb against his lips. “First off I want to put that mouth of yours to work. I want to see if you are as good at handling me as you are with that flute of yours.” Dusk leaned in to whisper into his ear. “I will have you on your knees, sucking me off until I ruin that pretty face of yours.”

“That can be arranged, after all it is a prince's duty to take care of his lady.”

“Good,” Dusk purred. “You are such a good boy, and good boys let themselves be pegged all night long, right?”

“But of course. It would be ill fitting of Victorian nobility not to. Why don't we make way for my chambers? I promise they will be to your liking, my sweet patron.”

“Yes, yes.” Dusk claimed his lips with passion, her serpentine tail possessively warping around him as she did so. “Let’s get out of here, my prince.”

The role play continued all night long, until Dusk was done breaking her twink. She loved Hibiscus in all ways she came, from the sweet but fierce medic, to the noble prince from Victoria. She just could never have enough of the Sarkaz.

The End

Thanks for reading!!