#as a form of light teasing combined with also being mildly helpful

[thebeardedladyofthelake]

Your dream beaming worked. I've had two nights of Gideon dreams in a row. Thanks!

Actually thank YOU. I haven't had a single dream with him in it since I made that joke about rehoming him in your brain. I am finally free, an invasive species captured and released into his proper environment. A happy ending all around.

[secretshinigami]

Meet you under the sun

Author: @lightlessons For: @danthegeek Pairings/Characters: Light Yagami/L Lawliet, Misa Amane, Kiyomi Takada. Rating/Warnings: M. Mature language, Swear words, Alcohol consumption.  Prompt: AU Light is a popular Collage Student and invited to a beach party. He is having a lot of fun, is flirty and arrogant as we know him. He is dancing with Misa, who is not his girlfriend but has a crush on him. Then, L joins the party, somebody brought him along. He is chilling awkwardly by the buffet when Light takes notice of him and joins him at the buffet. He has seen him before a couple times on the campus, but never talked to him. What happens next is up to you…

Author’s notes: I bent the specifics a bit in that I had Light talk to L  just a bit after seeing him instead of immediately, because i felt it fit the pacing I had better. Hope it’s still okay though :-) 

—————————–

“Don’t tell me you’re a Beach Volleyball junior champion too,” Takada joked after Light obliterated (yet again) a team of what appeared to be sociology majors, or something equally pointless, she had that small, half-hearted smile that was so characteristic of hers but with the slight frown of someone who isn’t used to being impressed.

Light laughed humbly. 

“I’m not. Maybe my experience with tennis helps somewhat? But I’ve really never played it before.”

His classmate sighed, and Light thought that being constantly made aware of his numerous skills had to be tiring for her. “You must be just naturally talented then,” she supposed as she fixed her hair behind her ear in a strange bashful gesture that must mean she was finally surrendering over to Light’s natural charm, as one would expect. 

“Or those two are just awful,” Light smirked conspiratorially. 

The young bourgeois laughed, which was what Light was hoping to achieve. Takada always enjoyed laughing at other people’s expense.

Light wasn’t much of a fan of the beach. There was too much sand getting into bad places and too many people acting as if the transition from monkey to hominid had never been made. Too much noise and too much sun and too many girls asking him to slather them with sun blocker, as if he’d pop a boner over touching their skinny naked backs. But, if there was something he’d learned from a very young age was the importance of having good public relations, and so when Kiyomi Takada had invited him to an exclusive beach party, he knew he wouldn’t say no to the daughter of the Sankei Newspaper’s owner. He’d gone into To-Doh not just looking for a quality education after all but in the hope of forming good connections too. 

And this party, filled with Tokyo’s most important youth, was a perfect opportunity to start rubbing shoulders. Light was young and attractive and athletic, perfectly composed to be like a bug zapper for these kinds of things. 

Plus, the lively music and the three margaritas he’d already had were kinda getting to him. 

“LIIIIIIIIGHT!!!” A familiar voice suddenly screeched from somewhere behind him. 

Oh dear God. 

Five feet of blond supermodel darted towards him through the small crowd of spectators that had formed for the match. Misa Amane, bimbo extraordinaire, had finally shown up to the party in all her unbridled glory. 

“Oh, that was so cool! You’re always so cool, Light,” she proclaimed with shiny eyes while all the other men around and some of the women ogled her in her small two-piece red bikini with a blackthorns and vines pattern, as characteristic of the gothic style she favored. 

Now, Light didn’t dislike Misa. She was cute in a very whiny-cat kind of way. Sort of endearing at first but jarring as the volume increased and the minutes went on. The first time they met she’d claimed she felt a cosmological affinity towards him or some such bullshit and then proceeded to interrogate him for his zodiac, moon, and rising sign, whatever the hell that meant–he hadn’t been paying attention. She was useful, though, in that she was somewhat famous and happily willing to do him any favors, or connect him with any of her large contact lists, even when he’d already been clear about not being interested in any non-friendly relation with her (using the hardships that came to celebrities’ partners as an excuse), he was a gentleman, after all, and he wouldn’t toy with a woman’s feelings. 

“Hey Misa,” Light gave her an easy smile that would hopefully settle her for the rest of the day. 

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere for the past week! Where have you been hiding? Not with Kiyomi, I hope!”

Takada at his side made an affronted sound that seemed to choke on the way up her throat. 

“Behave, Misa. I’ve told you I’m not your property,” Light belittled her with only mild sternness. 

Misa shook her head enthusiastically. 

“Misa is only teasing, Light! She promises! Besides, Kiyomi and I have started getting along since Spanish class. Haven’t we, Kiyomi?" 

Kiyomi seemed startled for a moment, as if she didn’t expect Misa to call her out like that, but recovered quickly to settle her face into her usual cold mask of indifference. 

“I suppose so.” 

“Aw, don’t be like that. We even planned a fake trip to Playa del Carmen together! Oh, Light, you should join us!” 

“I’m taking Korean.” 

“Not in class, silly, on the trip!” 

"Right… then I happen to be busy around that time of year,” he joked, throwing a smirk at Takada and earning the most formal of snorts he’d heard. 

"Miss Amane does have a fondness for fantasizing,” Takada replied instead, like a ready viper waiting for the perfect moment to strike at her victims. Oh, there’s no need to be mean with her, Kiyomi. 

The implications seemed to get lost on the blonde, however. 

“Pfft, you’re no fun. I’ll borrow him for a bit, Kiyomi. Clearly he needs a little loosening up, and you’re not exactly a party animal, are you?” 

Before Kiyomi could reply Misa had already taken Light’s arm and dragged him to the bar for more drinks. Light had to admit, the cocktails options were impressive, and he sort of wanted to try everything on the menu, but in the end, following the beach spirit, he and Misa both ordered a piña colada, and while usually, he wasn’t a fan of too much sweet in his alcohol, the fresh taste felt like a blessing under the hot summer sun, enough that soon he found himself chatting amicably with Misa and even had to catch himself from -dear God- giggling at something she said. 

Such was his mildly buzzed state when a sight at the corner of his eyes caught his attention. Turning around, he understood why. A black-haired man was standing under a palm tree and sipping at his own colada, with his back very badly curved in an awful posture and huge eyes fixed somewhere on the sand. Weirdly enough, he was wearing jeans to the beach with only a loose tank top to combat the scorching weather, and still, his wild mop of hair was the most recognizable part of him, which was in itself something, as Light had never in his life seen someone more particular. He’d seen the other boy around campus a handful of times before, but there had never been an opportunity for him to approach him, even though Light had always felt an inexplicably strong pull for him to ask him about his name. 

Misa loudly calling his name made him realize he’d been staring. 

“Misa, do you know who that is?”

Misa squinted in the direction of Light’s eyes, face lighting up with recognition. 

“Of course! That’s Ryuzaki! He’s actually the inheritor of Wammy’s Co. But not many people know about that,” the model smirked like she was telling the juiciest gossip. “People like Takada probably think he sticks out like a sore thumb around here. But the truth is, he’s got more money than any of us combined.” Light’s ears perked up at that. “He’s also one of the smartest people you’ll ever meet, and I’ve met you, Light. I don’t know who invited him, though. Let’s ask him! Hey, Ryuzaki!!" 

The odd student turned around towards the voice calling him and tilted his head to the side in silent interrogation. 

The boy’s assemblage of quirks brought a smile to his face. He hadn’t allowed himself to think it before, but he had always thought the student was rather cute even with how little he knew of him. 

“Who invited you?!” 

Light winced and glared at Misa for how carelessly she had posed such a question, but Ryuzaki didn’t seem the least bit faced and instead cupped a hand near his mouth like a mock-megaphone and shouted: “I just came for the desserts!” with a wide-eyed expression that gave no indication whatsoever of if he was teasing or not. 

Misa laughed like she’d heard the best joke ever and Light just blinked in the boy’s direction.

“Isn’t he a blast?” She hollered as Ryuzaki’s eyes met his.

It was hard for Light to describe those few seconds, but for one single moment, the strings holding his soul together seemed to vibrate at a different tune than they’d played previously. He was unsure if he shivered, but he had to break the eye contact like some damned school girl to pull himself back together. 

Why did his face feel warm all of a sudden? 

"Ooh, I love this song! Let’s dance, Light!” Misa interrupted his thoughts again with a squeal.

“Uhh, sure, yeah…" 

×~°~×~°~×~°~×~°~×

Dancing was decidedly not as fun unless you had a certain amount of alcohol in your body. Or at least, that was Light’s opinion on the matter. Who’d enjoy several hours of mindlessly moving your body unless somehow inebriated? That’s why Light had to drink another two mimosas to keep up with dancing with Misa for five songs straight, not because he was somewhat shaken up about the guy with the bird’s nest hair and the absent look –Ryuzaki, his brain provided– and certainly not because he was figuring out how to approach him. 

He separated from Misa when the sun was already setting, bathing the sea with a last warm goodbye. Everyone at the beach stopped for a moment to marvel at it, but Light only had eyes for Ryuzaki, who was… nowhere to be seen, sending Light into a momentary panic. 

He almost slapped himself when he found him below the parasol housing the buffet. It was what Ryuzaki had said before about the only reason for coming to the party. Normally, he would have remembered, which only meant Light’s brain wasn’t behaving as fast as it normally would. It couldn’t be that he’d have too much to drink, could it? 

Alright, be smooth, Yagami. 

“Hello!” Light chirped with a wide grin, planting himself beside the strange boy who was staring at the lines of sweets like they were study material. 

Ryuzaki turned to him with a blink. 

That had come higher than intended. 

"We, uh, are in the same faculty? I’ve seen you around 345.”

“Light Yagami. Second-year Criminal Justice major. You’re the son of detective-superintendent Soichiro Yagami of the NPA." 

"Um.”

“You respect and admire your father greatly and your intention is to become the deputy director of the NPA. You’re as ambitious as you are clever.”

“Why do you-”

“Don’t worry. I’m sure you’re aware of how popular you are around here, word goes around. You’re not the only one I have this sort of information on." 

Light wasn’t sure if that was supposed to be reassuring. 

At the very least, that introduction had sobered him up. 

The other student was appraising him with a curious gaze, as he was starting to learn he looked at pretty much everything. 

"Is that the way you introduce yourself to everyone?" 

"Hmm. Yes, usually. I told you. You’re not special in that regard.”

“In what regard am I special, then?” Light asked cheekily. 

“That’s not-”

But he didn’t let him finish before walking around him like a predator would its prey. He made a show of considering what pastry he’d take and settled for a star-shaped cookie. Ryuzaki watched the whole procedure closely and Light smirked at him as he took a bite. 

Yes, I made you think about my mouth now. How’s that, smart-ass? 

“I think we should get to know each other better, don’t you?”

“And what makes you come to that conclusion?” Ryuzaki supposed. 

“Well, I want to, for one.” Light sassed.

“Are you coming on to me?" 

Light’s confident semblance cracked. It suddenly dawned on him what he was doing and where. Fuck, what if he isn’t into guys? This was why he never flirted with men unless he was sure the other person was at least bisexual! Or just let the other guys come onto him, which he never had a lack of. Shit. 

Ryuzaki seemed to notice his momentary alarm because he placed a hand on his arm in reassurance. 

"No, I’m into it. I was just surprised,” he explained with an earnestness Light wasn’t expecting. 

“Surprised?”

“People like you don’t usually flirt with me." 

"What’s people like me?" 

"Now you’re just fishing for compliments." 

Light grinned, feeling like his assured (but not overly-presumptuous) self again. 

“Swear I’m not.”

“Are you absolutely sure?”

“Your hand is still on my arm, by the way.” 

Ryuzaki blinked at the offender, which was indeed still curled around Light’s tricep like a possessive pale spider. He only let go of it slowly, finger by finger, and Light pretended he could see a faint blush on the other’s face with the last rays of sunlight. 

There was a conscious effort on his part to not brush those sharp cheeks tenderly with his knuckles, less the sudden contact spook his new sudden fascination away. 

“It appears you’re not the only intoxicated one of the two of us,” Ryuzaki admitted in a low voice.

The loud party music and noises of the crowd seemed so far away. 

Light took a step forward. 

“We should–” 

“Light!”

A group of people was coming their way, and Light recognized Takada, Okubo Chise, Kinoshita Hideo, and another fake-blond dude he’d never had any interest in talking to. Kinoshita was the son of a major tech company’s executive and was rotting in money from his million-dollar hair to the ugly fungus in his toenails. Light, sadly, had had a mild interest for him at first, but that went to shit when he came to see how much of an asshole he was. 

Kinoshita grabbed him by the shoulder, while Chise and the fake-blond planted themselves in front of Ryuzaki. Takada, for her part, just stood to Light’s side glaring in Ryuzaki’s direction. What the hell?

“Light, what is someone like you doing talking with a freakshow like Ryuzaki.” Kinoshita wondered, exposing his gums in a self-satisfied smile that quickly raised Light’s hackles. "Don’t you know nothing good ever comes from involving yourself with him?”

“Come again?” 

“It’s true, Light. He doesn’t have a good reputation,” Takada interjected, not bothering to hide the disgust in her face with a once-over to his new acquaintance. “I don’t know how he’d have the nerve to come in here, uninvited.”

Frowning, Light searched to see the face of the boy he’d just been so pleasantly flirting with and, outwardly, found him to appear relatively unbothered. He’d expected him to be angry, indignant, or even sad, but Ryuzaki only had his hands in his jean pockets and was yet again staring with wide eyes at some unknown fixed point as if no one were talking about him. 

“You’re going to have to be more specific about whatever offense Ryuzaki’s done. But whatever the case, I find it incredibly distasteful to round him up like you’re doing.”

“It’s alright, Light. Kinoshita is probably still just angry because I exposed a nasty little online scam of his, and attained information that could lose him the already crumbling favor of his father, and also the fact that he is nevertheless unable to cause me any significant harm,” Ryuzaki answered matter-of-factly without sparing a single glance at Kinoshita’s direction.

Everyone fell silent for a moment. 

Okay, that was… 

Extremely attractive. 

“You’re a lying little cunt!” Kinoshita snarled. 

“The naive teenagers being granted false scholarships would argue otherwise.”

“What? Hideo, you said–” Takada began. 

But the small elite group exploded in an argument about what Kinoshita had or hadn’t done, with the latter giving weaker and weaker arguments. Light was so engrossed in his rightful indignation and the opportunity to disgrace Kinoshita, that by the time he called for Ryuzaki’s own word in the matter the strange student had already left without saying a word.

×~°~×~°~×~°~×~°~×

“Ryuzaki!" 

The hunched figure paused in his lazy gait towards the beach boulevard, but the dark disheveled head didn’t turn around. Light was panting by the time he caught up to him and he could feel the beginning of a headache already forming. 

Night had already fallen and the breeze charged at them from within the sea. 

"You’re already going?" 

"I am indeed approximately 700 feet from the party." 

"Not what I was asking.” Light rolled his eyes. 

Ryuzaki turned around finally, all sharp angles and even darker eyes illuminated by the blue and purple artificial lights on the street. 

“Well, your question didn’t contain your true intentions either. You’re asking why I’m going. And I assume this means you’d like to talk more?" 

Fastidious asshole. 

L didn’t wait for Light to answer before taking his phone from his jean’s pocket and handing it to him with the contact app open. 

Light typed quickly and handed the phone back, which finally brought a blessed smile to Ryuzaki’s face.

"I’m looking forward to talking to you soon, Light Yagami. Oh and before I forget." 

Long, spidery fingers settled themselves in a careful hold below Light’s chin, and before he had time to process what was about to happen, soft lips gave a feathery kiss to his own, so quick it might have been fantasy if it weren’t for the ghost of a contact searing an imprint over Light’s heart. 

“I’ve wanted to do that since I first saw you at the entrance ceremony.”

[youwerenevermeanttofeelalone]

Unofficial First Date | Neji Hyūga

✦ pairing — Neji Hyūga x female!short-haired!big breasted!Plus Size Reader

✦ word count — 2.3k

✦ request — May I request some nsfw of Neji Hyuga x short haired tomboy big tiddy female reader who are really good friends after some training they go to a private hotsprings to relax to themselves and decide to share the same hot spring since it turns out theirs only one things get heated in the hot springs and reader confesses her feelings to Neji while putting soap on his back and using her tits to wash it Neji is shocked and a little bashful at first but soon confesses his feelings as well and they decide to do it in a private room that they booked with the hot springs also

✦ warnings — nsfw, inaccurate depiction of hot springs, vaginal fingering, fellatio, cum swallowing, unprotected sex (please don’t do this), vaginal sex, light aftercare.

✦ author’s note — please keep in mind that while I stuck pretty close to the request, real-life hot springs are quite strict and dangerous — people should rest for a while due to blood pressure changes and hydrate properly because of how much water the body loses through sweat after soaking; soap isn’t allowed in them and people are supposed to wash before taking a bath.

════════════════════════

You watched Neji put his hair up as he settled into the hot spring you would be sharing, following the movement of his nimble fingers with fervent attention.

Training had been rather excruciating that day, something you always expected from Neji. He was your best friend, you were accustomed to his hard work, so familiar with his goal of being the best at every ability he had that you shared it.

He respectfully gave you his back at which you shamelessly stared. Neji grabbed the blue bottle at his left with a sigh, seemingly more stressed than you presumed.

Growing bold, you reached over, placing your hand on top of his. "I'll help with your back."

"Oh, okay," he said quietly, sliding his hand from under yours so you could take the bottle of liquid soap in your grasp.

You poured soap in your palm and placed the bottle down, now able to create bubbles as you rubbed both of your palms together. Smearing soap and the bubbles on his back, you then wiped the rest on your breasts.

As you shifted, getting more comfortable, you held the outside of your breasts with both hands and pressed them on his back.

“Can I tell you something?” you mumbled, too focused on rubbing your breasts against his back.

Neji hummed, thickly swallowing his spit.

“I have feelings for you.” You held your breath as he stayed silent, looking down at your hands as they still guided your breasts to function as a sponge.

He inhaled sharply, forcing you to press harder against him. The more you smeared the soap against his back, the harder your nipples got and he could only try his best to keep his mind from wandering.

“I, uhm…” he groaned, feeling way hotter than he should have. He turned around, eyes on yours. His cheeks were tinted red, and as his tongue came out to wet his lips you couldn’t help but stare at his mouth. Softly, he admitted, “I have feelings for you too.”

Eventually, he caved in and dropped his gaze to your breasts. His fingers ghosted your nipples as they made their way to the side of each of your breasts.

“Oh, Neji,” you sighed, leaning into his touch.

Neji rested his forehead against yours, watching his hands as they massaged your breasts. “Would it be inappropriate for me to kiss you?” he asked nervously.

You giggled at the irony of the combination of his words and his actions. “Not at all.”

He dragged a palm up to your cheek, cradling your face as he dropped his mouth onto yours. You held him by the back of the neck, passionately kissing him back.

He pressed his half-hard cock against your thigh as he deepened the kiss, making you whine into his mouth. Saliva dribbled down the side of your mouth as Neji rendered you breathless, yet he didn’t break the kiss until you turned your head to the side, panting.

You draped your arms over his shoulders, keeping him close as you mildly recovered your breath. Before anything else could happen, you kissed him.

The hand he had on your breast fell to your waist. He pulled away from your intoxicating kiss, mumbling, "Shall we continue this in the room?"

You nodded, already missing his touch as he moved away in order to grab his towel.

════════════════════════

Neji gently cradled your face, tenderly kissing you as though trying to remind you that he had just confessed his feelings for you too.

The softness exponentially simmered down, his kiss turned heavy —no less passionate— as his thumbs traced the edge of the towel around your body.

He dropped his towel first, tossing it to the side. Not wasting any time, he nodded in direction of the bed. “Get comfortable,” he mumbled.

His eyes didn’t leave your body for even a second as you finally discarded the towel. He followed your every move, entranced, eager to hover over you.

You awkwardly laid on your back, not sure as to what to do with your hands. Neji silently kneeled on the bed, eyes raking up and down your form.

Kissing you, he dragged his hands down your torso. His fingers teasingly tickled your thighs, slowly approaching the insides. Neji pressed a finger against your clit, rubbing circles — he smiled on your mouth when you attempted to close your legs.

“You were so bold earlier,” he taunted you, lips ghosting yours, “it’s not the time to get shy.”

Your arms ended up wrapped around his neck, eyes on his. Nodding, you pulled him into another kiss. He pushed his tongue past your lips, trailing his fingers down your slit.

You rolled your hips up, letting out a whine that he swallowed as he teased your pussy.

“Just get inside me,” you groaned.

Neji laughed softly, dipping a finger into your walls.

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.” Neji peppered kisses along your jaw, slowly withdrawing his finger just to slide it back into your pussy. The thrusts were slow, so careful they almost felt teasing.

He kissed along your throat and chest, swirling your right nipple with his tongue. You reached up his hair to free it from the tall knot he put it in earlier, running his silky hair through your fingers.

Neji hummed against your breast, latching his mouth onto it as he slipped another finger in you. He curled both fingers against your walls, making you curse as your body reacted and your hips attempted to meet the movement of his fingers.

Pulling away from your breast, he shifted to pick up the pace of his fingers. His eyes dropped to where his fingers appeared and disappeared as he fucked you with them.

He watched as your body jolted up the moment his thumb rubbed at your clit. Neji almost frowned when the first clench of your walls around his fingers arrived, torn between pride and disappointment — he wished he could spend more time fingering you, getting to know every nerve inside you and just the way to hit each of them.

Your breathing grew ragged and he decided that it was definitely pride as his cock twitched. He drew you so close to an orgasm that you couldn’t keep yourself from blurting his name in a moan, and it only made him grow harder. Hips bucking up, you twisted Neji’s hair between your fingers while his own rode out your orgasm.

He leaned to give you a short kiss, withdrawing his fingers and giving you space to catch your breath.

You didn’t let him get too far away from you, fingers still in his hair. Softly smiling at him, you slid a hand off his hair to lightly drag your nails down his back.

Briefly caressing his thigh, you felt him take a shaky breath as he realized what you were planning to do. Your hand finally stopped near his cock which you only admired at first.

Wrapping your fingers around his cock, you looked up to analyze his face. The twitches in his features as you moved your hand up and down encouraged you to trail your thumb over his tip.

His breath hitched, and you smiled again. “Get comfortable,” you repeated his words, sliding your fist off his cock.

Neji scrambled on the bed, all grace and calculation gone from his movements as he eagerly placed a pillow between his back and the wall. Watching with hooded eyes, he waited.

You massaged your way up his thighs, slowly leaning down to gently kiss his tip. He cleared his throat, allowing his hands to fall limp onto the mattress.

Tentatively, you swirled your tongue around his tip and then lightly sucked on it. Instead of already getting his cock in your mouth, you held it with a hand and licked a stripe from base to tip.

He hummed in appreciation. Neji preferred to keep himself from imagining things too good to be true in the few instances he allowed his mind to roam free — that meant that while he fantasized about you, he never thought he would have you giving him head.

Yet there you were, —his best friend, the person he trusted the most, the person he wanted to make proud in every sense of the way— sucking him off as though you didn’t want to do anything else in the world.

His fingers found your short hair, but he allowed you to move your tongue along his cock at any rhythm you wanted. Anything you wanted to give he would take, absolutely anything.

Groaning as you pushed your face forward, he felt his stomach contract. He always found you the prettiest thing ever, and the sight of you gazing at him with glossy eyes as you chocked on his cock was no exception.

Neji grunted your name, grabbing you by the hair as he politely tried to push you away. “I’m close,” he announced, hoping you would understand now why he had tried to pry your hot mouth off his twitching cock.

You lifted a hand to rest on top of his, assuring him it was okay. Neji didn’t need anything else to come into your mouth, allowing a moan to get out of his throat as you swallowed around him.

His heavy breathing as you licked him clean only made you wonder what it would feel like to have him panting in your ear.

As though reading your mind, he reached over for you. His grip was firm on your hips, bringing you close. You second-guessed whether you should kiss him or not, but Neji kissed you immediately.

He seated you onto his lap, angling his head to kiss you harder. You pushed your hips against his, whining as his soft cock brushed your skin.

Moving you backward as he pushed forward and vice versa, Neji guided your hips onto humping him. You felt him grow hard beneath you as slick dribbled over your folds.

“Do you have a condom?” you asked, panting.

Neji shook his head, then throwing it back in annoyance. He shyly asked, “Do you?”

“No… should I ask if anybody around has one?”

His eyes widened. “No!” Neji withdrew his hands from you, slowly as though he didn’t want to. “I’ll go buy some.”

You whined again, this time rather brattily. “Can’t you just pull out?”

His grip on you was tighter this time as his hands came back to your hips. “Yeah, I’m good with that. But… next time we’re buying condoms.”

You nodded, leaning over to kiss him. “Just fuck me already, Neji,” you said on his lips.

Contrary to what you assumed, that he would let you ride him, Neji switched you to lay on your back. His eyes searched for yours as he waited to have your permission.

His tip slipped into your pussy, making him shudder. “So wet…” He buried his cock deep inside you. “Tell me when I can—“

You interrupted him, “You can move.”

Neji moved his hips back then drove inside you again. The moan you let out as he did so the second time made him blurt one of his own. Pleasure built inside him at the knowledge that the same was happening to you.

He couldn’t stay above you without doing anything for too long. He rested his head on your shoulder, allowing himself to get a little lost in the pleasure of the pace he had found, of your pussy and your touch.

Your hard nipples pressed against him made him go faster, just the thought of not having to hold back from groping your breasts. He grabbed one, caressing your nipple with his thumb while ramming into you.

Neji’s grunts and your moans as your walls wrapped so perfectly around his cock filled the small room. You wanted to stay there forever, to have him cry out your name as he fucked you until you couldn’t walk.

Squirming and moaning beneath him, you swung your legs around his hips. He instantly hit the deepest end of your pussy, and continued crushing it until both of you were panting messes and nothing but incoherent things left your lips.

You felt his tongue around your nipple yet weren’t able to react because at the same time his fingers found your clit. He knew just what to do to make you come, and the thought alone got you closer to your orgasm.

He pulled out, rubbing your clit fervently as he was forced to pull away from your breast. Kneeling on the bed, Neji jerked himself off over you while stimulating your clit at the same time.

Part of his hair stuck to his sweaty skin. His eyes were completely clouded by lust and as his movements grew erratic, only tethering you to the edge, you knew he was about to come.

Neji spurted his hot cum on your belly, and seconds later you came over his thigh due to the position.

Grabbing his towel, he shifted as you dropped your legs back onto the mattress. Neji cleaned you up in silence, careful not to irritate your skin.

He left the bed for a moment, picking two bottles of water. He uncapped one and handed it to you before sitting down and doing the same with the other bottle.

Turning to the side to look at you, he seriously asked, “Are we a couple now?”

“If that’s what you want, yeah.”

“Not bad for an unofficial first date,” he commented, capping his bottle of water. “Right?”

You couldn’t help but laugh. As you placed your own bottle on the bedside table, Neji rested his head on your shoulder. “I mean, the official first date could top it, but I agree.”

“Oh, it will.”

Looking down at him, you asked, “You have something planned already?”

Neji hummed, yet didn’t add any comment to his nonverbal answer. He would let your mind run wild and see if you became bolder next time — it was one of the things you did best, after all.

[theninjamouse]

3, 12, 40? With the shoregrillster trio? In any combination you like

3. A breathy demand: “Kiss me” - and what the other person does to respond.

12. Sneaking away to a hidden corner to share a secretive kiss.

40. A gentle kiss that quickly descends into passion, with little regard for what’s going on around them.

This is going under a cut because one, it got hecking long and two, it got mildly SPICY. Nothing explicit but you have been warned

Parties are....they’re supposed to be at least a little fun, right?

When it was announced that Gaster’s work on a new environment friendly, cost effective and all around sick public transportation design had been accepted by the city council, there was also the call to a party to celebrate the occasion. You’re beyond happy for Gaster, for his accomplishments in finally getting more steps taken to integrate monster magic into human technology on a world changing scale.

But holy crap, this party is boring.

Calling it a party at all is being generous. It’s just an excuse for people of ‘classier’ society to act like they’re taking part in something grand and to show off how fancy they are by sipping at cocktails and standing around pretending to care about what the other party goers bring up for conversation. But it is an important part of getting full funding for the project, as well as schmoozing up to anyone who might open up lanes for future development, so here you all are.

The majority people here are humans that you don’t recognize in the slightest aside from the occasional ‘oh it’s...that guy. Yeah’. There are a handful of monsters from the science and tech division all involved on the project. They’re mostly keeping to themselves, nervously socializing as little as possible.

Sans was here at some point. You don’t doubt he’s snuck off to find a corner to snooze in, if he hasn’t left the party outright at this point.

Lucky jerk.

However, you will admit, there is an upside to this whole thing. Gaster is not usually one to dress up. At least, not in any level aside from his beloved lab coat that you highly doubt contains more than a scrap of the original material thanks to all the repairs that have had to be done on it.

He’s been talked out of the lab coat and is instead wearing an utterly dashing three piece suit of the deepest purple you’ve ever seen captured by fabric. From the distance between where you’re leaning up against a pillar to rest your feet and him being caught in a circle of engineering heads pelting him with questions, the suit looks black until he shifts and the light catches the lines of shimmering purple.

You sip appreciatively at your drink, eyes taking in the way the suit fits his skeletal frame. Perhaps the night won’t be so boring after all.

“He cleans up really good,” you muse as the air to your left grows warm. “Almost makes the feral cat fuss he made about getting in the suit worth it.”

“Says you; I had to actually drag him out of bed while you were in the shower. He actually tore holes in my sheets.” Grillby leans against the wall as well, offering you a plate of ‘fancy people food’ he snagged from one of the wandering waiters.

Ah, you were wondering about those. You take a piece, not exactly sure what the heck it even is and pop it in your mouth. Your expression twists. “How is it that rich people food always looks so good but tastes like sour air and dried regret?”

“I’m still working that out myself.” Grillby finishes off the plate and sighs.

You shift your gaze to Grillby. He too is dressed to the nines, with a deep red button up, a black and gold trimmed waistcoat and matching tie. He always looks good of course but damn if his snazzy outfit isn’t making the worst kind of butterflies flutter in your belly.

“I’ll make us something actually substantial when we get home,” he continues, oblivious to your less than pure gaze skimming over him.

“If Gaster hasn’t imploded by that point.” The poor guy is fidgeting like crazy. It’s difficult for him to be around so much noise and fuss, this you know from experience.

Grillby looks at you, gaze sharpening a bit as his eyes trail over your outfit. Said outfit for the night is a deep blue one piece, sleeveless suit dress. The smooth material hugs your frame just enough to offer a hint at the form underneath and is blanketed by a sheer capelet that rests over your bare shoulders and gathers together at your waist with a thick belt.

The intensity of Grillby’s staring sends a delightful thrill of heat up your spine. “I guess I clean up alright too,” you murmur, brows lifting teasingly.

“’Nice’ is not quite the word I’d use.” He’s moved closer, plate of food discarded and hand rising to rest rather low on your hip. “Ravishing. Tempting. Something like that.” His head has tilted down, eyes fixated on your mouth.

You pull a goofy face at him, because if you don’t, you’re pretty sure your face will burst under the growing blush in your cheeks. “That’s me, the ultimate temptation.”

He’s not deterred by your teasing. He merely glances around just enough to see if anyone is currently looking your way before his grip tightens and he presses a warm kiss to your lips. It’s soft and gentle and a smile easily comes to your face as you kiss him chastely back.

Then-oh his mouth opens, and you quite forget about your boredom and the fact that your feet are killing you and the taste of bland rich people food on your tongue because Grillby tastes so much better. Your hands rise, gripping the edges of his waistcoat, pulling him closer to you and he makes a sound deep in his throat that urges your mouth to move faster, go deeper-

A laugh rings out, clear and far too close and Grillby jumps like he’s been shocked, pulling away with an eruption of blue over his face. Both of you guiltily look over towards the noise but it would seem that it was just someone laughing at a point in conversation. No one is staring in aghast mortification at the social faux pas.

A little breathlessly, you giggle. “Wow, how scandalous of you. We’re out in the open and everything.”

He shoots you a heated look. “You kissed me back.”

“You used tongue, you cheater!”

He flushes a brighter blue, but you can’t help but notice that his hand remains firmly on your hip. This isn’t fair, stupid party, stupid crowd….

An idea sparks in your heat addled brain. A dumb idea but, well, you’re rather past the point of caring too much.

You press up closer to him again, eyes darting out over the crowd for the briefest moment. You dance your fingers up his buttons. “Why don’t we go rescue Gaster? I think we could all use a... social recharging?”

He blinks and the soft “oh” that escapes him when he realizes what you’re getting at gets your ears burning.

But he doesn’t say no. In fact, he simply nods quickly, steps back and offers you his arm, which you gratefully take. Heels suck and your ankles are not pleased with you. “You want to take the lead?”

“Absolutely,” you say with only a touch of a manic grin actually reaching your face.

Gaster looks on the verge of whipping into a ranting frenzy or throwing an actual punch as the two of you approach. The human speaking to him is going on about engine semantics or something. Incorrectly, going by the promise of violence glinting in Gaster’s eye sockets.

“Pardon me,” you say with syrupy sweetness, cutting off the man speaking. All heads turn, faces going blank with subdued irritation at the interruption. “I need to borrow the good doctor for a bit. Doctor Gaster?”

Gaster inclines his head. “Excuse me,” he says with the sincerity of a child apologizing for stealing cookies. You swap to hold onto his arm and let him sweep you out of the ballroom, Grillby following on your heels.

“You are an angel,” Gaster groans. “Those imbeciles were trying to convince me to add in ‘a profitable angle’ to the design. Pigs.”

“I think that’s an insult to pigs.” You carefully look him over. “Are you holding up okay?”

He sighs heavily, coming to a stop out in the hallway where the only person present is a coat attendant lost in a book.

“Objectively, yes” he says, rubbing at his skull. “I just wish Asgore did not insist on me staying and playing nice with these people.”

“Sounds like it’s just been a big pain.”

Grillby tugs on your arm.

“It is!” Gaster proclaims, sweeping his free arm back towards the ballroom. “Vultures! Well…most of them are, there was actually a rather fascinating young man who had his facts mixed up but the core of his idea was not a bad one—”

Grillby tugs harder.

“Mmhm,” you hum, raising your eyebrows at Grillby. Just because you can, you let your tongue dart out over your lips for the briefest of moments.

He looks as frustrated as a fire could possibly be. Were the coat attendant not glancing up over the edge of his book, he probably would have scooped the two of you up and gone to work right there.

“Uh, is something wrong?” Gaster, finally noticing the agitated flick of Grillby’s flames, looks between the two of you.

“Well, we’re both kind of…hmm, how to be nice about it…bored? Sorry,” you pat Gaster’s arm. “I know it’s your special night.”

“That’s fine, I’m quite bored myself,” Gaster says dryly.

“Oh perfect!” you chirp brightly. You glance to Grillby and smile slyly. “We had a thought about how to recharge our batteries. As it were.”

Not for the first time, Gaster displays an impressive ability to give the look of raising eyebrows without any actual, yanno, eyebrows. “Do tell?”

“It’s not really a tell so much as a show-oop!”

Grillby’s run out of patience. His hands land on both yours and Gaster’s backs, urging you forward and down the hall. The coat attendant is very pointedly Not Looking as you pass by. Grillby must have done recon or something when you first got here because he seems to know exactly where he’s heading. He takes you down a small flight of stairs and round a corner that leads to a small room that’s empty save for a few boxes stacked against one wall and some unused furniture.

And just your luck, it’s unlocked.

Going by the rising purple on Gaster’s face, he’s caught on to what exactly your ‘recharging’ idea is. “Uh-um, yes I—”

“I didn’t have much of a chance to say it earlier.” Your arm slips smoothly away from his and you turn to him. You have to lift up a bit on your tip toes and pull him down to you to press a kiss against his cheekbone. “You look very handsome tonight. And we are your dates to this thing, and yet we haven’t hardly had a chance to even talk to you.”

Gaster’s blush is now bright enough to nearly compete with Grillby’s flames.

Speaking of Grillby-

He’s moved in behind you, hands dropping to your waist as his mouth descends down on your neck. The heat of his body and fire presses against your back and you have to take a moment to catch your breath.

Gaster’s eye lights have gone wide and bright, flickering with a nervous sort of energy as his gaze darts between you and Grillby. He swallows, though he really has no need for it. “I…this isn’t really the best…what if someone sees…?”

“Then you better move fast,” you murmur. Tugging on his tie, you pull his face down closer. “Kiss me,” you demand breathlessly. “Please?”

There’s a moment where his eye lights shift in such a way it almost looks like they’ve taken on the shape of stars and then Gaster’s hands lift to your face, nearly bonking your nose with his teeth with the speed at which he kisses you. Kissing a skeleton is difficult sometimes, given his lack of lips.

But you’ve had plenty of practice.

One of your hands shifts to pull Gaster closer to you while the other desperately scrambles behind to find purchase on Grillby. His own hands are quite busy, one running gentle circles on your hip and the other moving up, closer to where your chest is pressed up against Gaster’s ribs. His fangs scrape deliciously at your skin, nipping lightly in a way that makes you squirm with a mixture of ticklishness and building heat.

Your hand finds Gaster’s spine, prominent even through his suit and you grab on just below where his ribs end. He jolts at the contact, a breathless curse falling out in a rush of air. Grillby takes the chance to pull away from your neck and captures Gaster’s attention with a heated kiss.

Now quite solidly squished between the two, a soft and breathless noise escapes you as you drink in the building pressure of their bodies, basking in the contrast of Gaster’s silk smooth suit and Grillby’s growing heat. His hands continue to work at your curves, every touch sending a searing wave of warmth over your skin, kneading with a gentle intensity that makes you arch into Gaster.

You have just enough presence of mind left to sputter, “D-don’t tear the capelet.”

He growls, low and deep and oh if that rough and wild sound from such a restrained monster doesn’t make the most embarrassing shuddery moan hum in your own throat. “Take it off then,” he suggests with a tug at the belt around your waist. 

So off it comes, fluttering down the floor, soon joined by Grillby’s more carefully folded waistcoat. Then you find yourself being pulled back, led by him to an armchair covered in a cloth. The force of him sitting makes a heavy whumph sound thanks to your added weight on his lap. 

Gaster had let the two of you slip from his grasp while the extra bits of clothing were being discarded and he watches you now with a face openly full of warm affection. When you grin and beckon at him with a finger, he huffs out a sigh that is probably meant to be taken as annoyed, but just comes off as fond and longing. 

“You two are going to get me in trouble,” he grumbles. “There is a party I’m supposed to be at right now just down the hall, or did you forget?” 

Grillby, busy at work pressing scorching kisses over your bare shoulders, pauses and lifts his head. “So eager to get back, are you?” 

“Not at all. But I’ll be missed if I stay away much longer.” 

You sigh heavily, letting your weight lean back against Grillby’s chest. You might just happen to let your hand trail down to your thigh and lightly run your fingers over the fabric there as you pout at Gaster. 

He’s broken out into a bit of a sweat. 

Sweetly, you plead, “Five more minutes?” 

He stares. He sweats. Then his hand smoothly tugs at his tie and it and his coat joins the other outwear on the ground. “Five more minutes.” 

It winds up being six minutes and forty-two seconds but well. 

Who’s counting?

[ali-kitkat]

Audacity Ch 4

First     Previous 

The room was silent for a moment before Jason erupted with laughter, falling over and landing on the floor. Marinette didn’t spare him a second glance as Damian retrieved the ring.

“No offence Pixie Pop, but you’re not exactly terrifying as is. Also how exactly is a ring supposed to help ‘rip him a new asshole’ as you put it?” Jason asked, composing himself as Damian tossed the ring to her. she slipped the ring on and closed her eyes before the flash of light blinded her.

“Hey pigtails.” A nasally voice spoke sheepishly.  

“Hello Plagg.” She replied softly, holding out her hand for him to land on. The mutters from the boys were quite funny to hear, but her focus was on reassuring Plagg. “It’s not your fault Adrien betrayed us.”

“He was my kitten, bug. I should’ve known something was going on when he started to clam up with me.” Plagg cried, lowering himself into her hand. His words became unrecognizable as he blubbered about Adrien’s failings.

“What the fuck is that?”

“He is what is going to help me with Adrien. The miraculous are magic, and they’re powered by kwamis. Plagg here is the kwami of destruction and bad luck. Adrien originally held the ring, before he, you know, recreated the timeline.” She answered.

“Plagg, what say you? Are you up for a little revenge?” Marinette grinned. It was feral and unsettling which caused the boys to take a step back. Plagg, grinned back just as feral; the boys, with a silent look, decided that messing with Marinette was bound to get you maimed.

“Hold up, this thing—” Jason started.

“He’s a kwami.” Marinette said, cutting him off as Plagg hissed in his direction.

“My bad, the kwami can help you how? Also how exactly did Adrien rewrite the universe?” He continued.

“When used properly and depending on which miraculous are combined they can manipulate time, emotions, and bend the fabric of reality. Plagg here can help me transform when I say a particular phrase.” She explained, the grin still in place.

“A phrase? Can you demonstrate?” Dick asked, his family nodded their heads in agreement. Their curiosity peaked; magic was always an interesting thing to see.

“Close your eyes, when transforming the miraculous gives out the same light as when it’s been activated, similar to the one you all saw before.” Marinette gave confirmation and gestured for them to move back. After they all had taken a step back, she spoke. “Plagg, transform me!”

The flash of light was over and when she looked down at the suit, she saw how different it was from the first time she wore it. Her chest was more armored, and the gloves were weighted around the knuckles, and when she flexed her fingers the claws came out. She had actual boots this time! They were steel toed with metatarsal guards; they were heavier. The damage she could deal was eliciting a small squeal from her. Which had caused the others to open their eyes.

“Oh shit. Did she get a pair SAP gloves?”

Glancing at each of their faces was interesting, Tim and Dick were shocked. They had a little fear in their eyes as well. Jason was smiling, except he wasn’t looking at her; his eyes were trained on Damian. His mouth hung low and his eyes, which had been relieved of the mask, were wide like she had personally spun the universe.

“Close your mouth Demon Spawn, you’re going to catch flies.” Jason teased. Damian broke out of his stupor to glare at him as the other brothers started cackling. “You know, we didn’t think that Bruce’s taste in women was genetic, but this proves that theory wrong. Turns out you like dangerous women just as much as he does.”

“Todd, I swear to god—”

“Alright boys that’s enough. Jason stop teasing Damian. Marinette, what exactly is your plan to get the earrings back?” Bruce cut in, interrupting the argument that was bound to end up in a fight. Though the teasing was mildly amusing.

“Adrien is unhinged at the moment. He’s going to want the ring back, but he’s also going to want to show me that he’s my knight. I’m bait.” Marinette explained.

“Is that wise to put yourself and the miraculous in a vicinity so close to him?”

“Probably not, but I know I’m not letting him get away with what he did. He’s obsessed with me and that’s a weakness I can exploit, which means I’ve got a higher chance of winning. His desperation won’t win him any favors.”

*~*~*~*

The plan had been simple, Marinette was to take to the rooftops in order to lure Adrien out. Paris hadn’t seen the heroes since the timeline was rewritten and seeing a girl running around on the roofs of Paris was bound to gain some eyes. Especially since she was laughing as she did so. She had been out for an hour at most before Adrien had made his appearance.

“Ah, there you are milady.”

“Tsk, not your lady. You know that.”

“You will be when I get that ring. Give it back.” He growled, lunging for her. A wild look in his eyes as he did so. She ducked under his arms, kicking him in the back of the knees as she did so. He fell to the ground in a daze.

“Aw are things not going your way,” She taunted. “Is someone getting a little hissy? Catch me if you can.” She took off. The next step of the plan was to have Adrien follow her, which wouldn’t be hard if the desperate look in his eyes was any indication.

She knew the rooftops well. As did he, but the head start she had put her well out of reach. Not enough that he couldn’t spot her silhouette though. Hearing the yo-yo behind her swing out she changed her direction and slid down the angled roof. Her plan was off to a great start and it was simple, she was the bait, and Damian and his family were the babysitters so to speak. Not for her but for when she took the earrings from Adrien.

Adrien followed her through Paris, he had almost grabbed her by the ankle. Only deterred by her extending the baton and slamming it onto his hand.

*~*~*~*

She landed in the area she chose. It was abandoned, an empty factory. A place worthy for a final showdown she mused. She stood tall and stared up at Adrien.

He tackled her as he descended, knocking her to the ground. A little out of breath she twisted in his hold, rearing her back into his. Effectively headbutting him in the face and knocking him loose, off of her. Standing she punched him, hitting him in the stomach and hearing an exhale of air. He inhaled quickly while she snatched the yo-yo from his waist, stretching his legs out her knocked hers out from under her.

She quickly caught herself, he knocked her down again just as she stood back on two feet. She grabbed the baton from the square of her back and extended it into him, throwing him away from her. She retracted the baton before he could get a chance to grab it. Flinging the yo-yo in the air she pulled herself onto a beam above him. She threw the yo-yo again, this time at him, lassoing it around his feet pulling them out from under him. She pulled him up into the air, using the beam as a pulley and jumped down to face him.

“It’s over Adrien.” She said staring him in the eyes. He was glaring at her and swinging his body towards hers.

“It’s not over until I get that ring.” He snarled. “I told you. You are mine and that’s not changing.”

“It is.” She sighed. Taking the baton in her other hand, she hit him across the face with it knocking him out. Letting the yo-yo slip out of her hand she let his limp body hit the ground. The yo-yo dematerialized as she removed the earrings from his ears.

A memory resurfaced as she de-transformed and Plagg landed on her head. If my mother had never slipped into that coma then my father never would have become Papillion. Curses had begun to spill from her lips as she paced in front of Adrien’s unconscious form. There was a low whistle from her left, turning she saw Damian and his family.

“Damn it, he still has another two miraculous.” She said, slipping the earrings onto her earlobes. Tikki had materialized in front of her and flew directly into her cheek. Cupping the kwami in her hands, she let her cry her relief at being freed from Adrien.

“What do mean another two?”

“The miracle box has a variety of miraculous in it, but Fu, the guardian, lost two when he fled from the temple in Tibet, the butterfly and the peacock miraculous.” She explained while rifling through Adrien’s pockets finding nothing. “Gabriel never would have become Papillion if Emilie hadn’t slipped into a coma in the previous timeline. Papillion had an ally called Mayura, who now that I think about it, I’m sure is Nathalie Sancoeur. That never happened here, so that means Adrien either has the two missing miraculous or Fu does. Hand me some zip-ties. I don’t want Adrien to do anything stupid when he wakes up.”

Tim handed her a pair, setting Adrien’s arms behind his back she zip-tied his wrists as tightly as she could. Snagging another from Damian she did his ankles next, she was still pissed at him after all.

*~*~*~*

Tag List: Don’t forget to let me know if you want to be added or removed, my ask box is open!

@bluerosette23 @thepeacetea @noirdots @tv-zombie-blog @2sunchild2 @vivilakitty @northernbluetongue @kurogaya913 @xxmadamjinxx @ayuchan07 @asianfrustration13 @saltier-than-the-dead-sea @ladylb @littleredrobinhoodlum @mewwitch @winter-gardenflower @sonif50 @mooshoon @crazylittlemunchkin @captainmac6 @wookiestephen @octoberscorn @eliza-bich @dani-ari @theatreandcomicfreak @rikku052 @creator-josie @lysslovsanime @segajr @luciferge @my-name-is-michell @friedchickening @graduatedmelon @nomiegnome @kitten-rouge @beaversuenightly @kuroko26 @bamagirl513 @pauliestorylover @fatimaabbasrizvi @paradoxal-occurance @yuulxd @persephonebutkore

[addie-bear]

[ @addie-bear @chances-r-high @royal-iris ]

The tattoo had taken quite a bit of time, and the trip to and from K'elemi wasn't exactly a short one. But Addie knew that was thr place to get the best work done for tattoos, and she wanted to make sure thing one was absolutely perfect.

When she got home she'd went straight to bed, but she woke up the next morning to get some training out of the way. Chance's new serum had healed her completely, but she still had to build up a lot of her old muscle on her own. Which she didn't mind. Training always seemed to help clear her mind if any negativity in it.

When Chance woke up, he saw all the signs that Addie had made it home safe. He heard a ping on his tablet, signaling his secretary giving him his schedule for the day. He had some extra time this morning, and so decided to visit one of the many holodecks on the Metallah.

It was still an ongoing job, having him, Iris and Addie move in, and also moving out everything that represented Dwicky. But slowly but surely the place was looking more and more them. Their bedroom was decked out in various splashes of red, lilac and blue, with a huge window where they could see every and any nebula or planet they passed by. Diana chirp from her large, round bed in the corner, stretching before trotting up to Chance and telling him hello.

“Good morning, Diana,” he told the cougar, giving her scratches behind her ear. She purred in response.

Chance got dressed in a tank and some jogging pants, showing off his bright red tattoo on his right arm. The first time the staff saw it they were a little taken aback, but he told them he had it for a reason. And lately...it felt even more special to him. Currently he could already see the stares he was getting from his hair. To others it looked like a plain rainbow, but he knew it wasn’t.

Especially since normal rainbows didn’t typically have pink.

As he walked into the holodeck, he watched as his mate easily beat two of the holo-villains, causing them to disintegrate. He grinned and leaned against the door. “It is really good to see you up and about again,” he said with a grin.

Addie could tell her movements still weren’t as quick as they once were. At least without using her adrunel. It was disappointing and mildly annoying. She needed to get faster. She couldn’t keep relying on her adrunel. Her body had suffered so much damage from the poison and the coma, and she knew she couldn’t just keep adding to it.

She jumped when she heard Chance’s voice, turning around to look at him. It was rare to see him in something that showed off so much of his skin, and she couldn’t help but look him up and down.

Then she noticed the hair. “That’s...quite a combination of colors,” she said. It was impossible not to smile.

He shrugged. He’d given the hair dress specific instructions, which they’d followed perfectly. Now his entire quiff was covered in six colors. a bright orange, a deep purple, navy blue, dark crimson, sunflower yellow, bubblegum pink. His publicist had tried to tell him that it might be a little “too loud.” He told her that she must have never been around Irkens. There was no such thing as too loud.

“You should see my ears,” Chance told her, coming closer to show off the bar in his left ear. One side was gold and the other was gave off a purple and orange shift. There were also two tiny gages in this lobes, both with prints of gears on them. “Though I think you still win.”

Addie snort, holding out her right arm to give Chance a better look. “I do plan on adding symbols for everyone else but...for now I think this is good.”

The new tattoo was one long sleeve, with a colorful aurora and stars as the background. Cascading along the aurora were several symbols, all representing one of the family members she’d lost. A glass of red wine for Uncle Red, a violet soda can for Purple, a dark blue paw print for Uncle Dib-beast, a pink lollipop for Uncle Zim, a sunflower for Uncle Keef, an orange band-aid for Mika, a light blue Ferris wheel for Xander, and then right at her wrist was two rosebuds side by side, one gold and one purple.

“That’s why it took me so long to get home,” Addie told him, running her fingers over the designs. “It took...quite a while.”

“I can imagine,” he said, reaching out and touching it himself. “It looks amazing.”

“Thanks. I kinda wanted it to be an extension of my rose, you know?” She gestured toward the back of her right shoulder, where Chance knew her first tattoo was. “Like I said I plan to add more.”

“Yeah, I know,” Chance said. “You sure you’ll have the room?”

“Yes,” Addie insisted.

“I don’t know, you’re parents do adopt...like everyone.”

“They do. But I don’t think I’ll run out of room. The symbols aren’t that big.” She puts her arm down and grins up at him. “So what brings you here, High Chancellor?”

There was something about the way Addie said his new title that made Chance shiver just a bit. And suddenly he was noticing how much skin she was showing and how form-fitting her leggings were and how her hair looked so sexy tied back and frazzled like it was. “I, uh, had some free time this morning. Figured I’d get some training in. It’s been a while, after all.”

Addie nodded, giving her mate another once over. He really looked so good in a tank top. “I have an idea, then,” she said, twirling the quarterstaff in her hands. “How about we spar. We can get back into practice together.”

“Huh. That’s...a pretty good idea,” Chance said, walking over to where the the sparring weapons were. He found a couple of sparring swords and twirled them in his hands before turning back to Addie. “You sure you’re up for this, Admiral.”

“Oh, you cut off one guys arm and you think your a badass,” Addie teased.

“I mean it was pretty badass,” he replied with smirk. He got into a fighting stance. “Ready?”

Addie positioned her feet, holding the quarterstaff out in front of her. “Bring it, boss man.”

Chance wasted no time charging forward, swinging one of the sparring swords with quick precision. However, Addie was just as fast, blocking with her quarterstaff. Her eyes flashed with a certain mischief.

“That the best you got, Lucky Star?”

“We’re just getting started, Songbird.”

The next moves were smooth and calculated from both sides. It was obvious they’d become extremely familiar with each other’s movements, able to see the other’s attacks coming and being able to counter them perfectly. At one point Chance made to make an upward swipe only to have Addie lean back in an elegant dodge before twirling her quarterstaff to hook on the offending sword and throw it from his grasp and flinging it across the room.

“Sure you’re not going easy on me, High Chancellor?” Addie asked in a teasing tone, pointing on end of her quarterstaff at him.

Chance chuckled. “We both know that if I pulled that shit, you’d already have kicked my ass.” He observed her for a moment. It was hard to analytical with either of his mates, with how goddamn attractive they were, but if he wanted to win this he knew he’d have to turn that part of his brain off. At least for now. Once he’d found his weak spot, he lead with a fake hit from his sword, before hooking his foot behind her ankle and tripping her to the floor. “The real question is...are you going easy on me?”

Addie huffed, but soon she was grinning up at him with full teeth. A quick swing of the quarterstaff and Chance’s other sword went flying away, and then another knocked him off his feet. He grunted at the hard landed. Addie rolled over on top of him, using her weapon to pin his shoulder down. “Never, Lucky Star,” she whispered, leaning in to his face.

Chance stared up at Addie for a moment, easily getting lost in those emerald green eyes. She was absolutely perfect. Beautiful, intelligent and a complete and utter badass. He was already panting from their session, his blood running, and seeing her sitting on top of him with that look on her face only set his body more aflame.

He leaned up and closed the distance between them, one of his hands finding its way around being pinned to come up and cup her cheek. The other one reached downward, running up along her thigh.

Addie wasn’t the least bit surprised by the kiss, breaking it just long enough to toss the quarterstaff away. Her hands found their way into Chance’s hair, pulling him closer so that she could deepen the kiss. She inhaled sharply as their tongues began to glide against each other.

Chance struggled to breath, his hands beginning to roam across Addie’s body. One squeezed a shapely hip while the other wrapped around her waist and back. The temperature of his body continued to rise as their kisses became more heated, and he felt himself become hard. “Addie,” he murmured almost pleadingly between hot kisses, unsure if they should stop or move locations or if this had even been his mate’s intention.

Addie smirked at the sweet sound of her name, breaking from Chance’s mouth completely to trail Chance’s neck with wet kisses and licks. When she got down to his collarbone she gave it a light nibble. “Do you have any idea how badly I want to just rip this shirt off of you?”

Chance inhaled sharply at the attention to his neck, lifting his chin to give Addie more access. He’d accepted long ago that he was the most submissive one among the three of them, and he was fine with that. He’d do anything for his Tallest and his Princess, even beg. He let out a small moan from being nibbled. “I...I would prefer if you didn’t do that. The staff might ask questions.”

“The staff should mind their own business,” Addie said, biting on Chance shoulder a little harder. “Besides, we both know you like showing off who you belong to.” She trailed back upward, biting on his ear.

Chance moaned louder at the attention and at her words, unable to help how his hips lifted up off the floor. “I...I do,” he breathed, both of his hand taking hold of Addie’s hips.

Addie went back to assaulting Chance’s neck with tiny nips and butterfly kisses. “Is there something you want, love?” she asked, rolling her hips to meet Chance’s desperate movements.

“Fuck,” Chance groaned, his grip tightening on Addie’s hips. “Addie, please.”

“Hmm? Please what, my Lucky Star?” Addie teased, her hands slipping down to the hem of his tank top.

“Please...god, I want you, please.”

Addie grinned victoriously, giving Chance one last love bite beneath his chin before lifting up his tank top and tossing it aside. Chance wasn’t particularly hairy, but he did have a bit of a happy trail from his belly button. Addie took a moment to admire her mate beneath her before sitting up to give herself room to pull his jogging pants off.

“You’re so pretty, Chance,” Addie told him sweetly, taking a moment to quickly pull off her own clothes. The air in the room felt cold against her sweaty skin, making her want to get even closer to her mate. She grazed her teeth and lips along his chest. She really meant it. His hair was impossibly soft and his eyes were the brightest, sky blue and his smile seemed to light up a room. He truly had no idea how glad she and Iris were that he existed.

I would say that he’s the only thing Dwicky ever did right...but Dwicky doesn’t deserve any of that credit…

“You’re, uh, you’re pretty easy on the eyes, yourself,” Chance said. What an understatement that was. Addie had always been pretty to him, even when he refused to admit it to himself. And it seemed every time he turned around she only became more ravishing. Right now she looked like a goddess, sitting above him, naked, the light from the ceiling cascading her in ethereal light. He could spend forever looking at her, counting every freckle on her body over and over again.

Addie leaned down and kissed him deeply, her hand trailing down to wrap around his cock. Slowly she stroked him up and down, savoring the desperate little sounds he made.

“Addie,” Chance hissed as he broke away from the kiss. He couldn’t help of how his hips jerked upward, wanting more of the feeling. “Addie, please.”

Addie chortled a little. “I suppose I should indulge you before someone sees the High Chancellor in such compromising position.”

She carefully moved herself until she was hovering over Chance’s member, taking him into her body just slow enough so it wouldn’t hurt. She moaned once they were completely joined, her claws digging into his chest a bit. Once she was settled, Addie lifted her hips just a bit before moving back down. She gasped and her eyes rolled back in her head. “Fuck, I missed this.”

Chance moaned loudly as Addie took him. She was hot and wet, the muscles inside her gripping his cock like she owned him. Honestly, he couldn’t argue that she didn’t. His hands moved to her waist, fingers pressing needily into her ivy colored skin as he moved his hips up to meet her movements. “Me, too. God, me too.” He sat up a bit, giving himself more leverage to thrust up into her.

“Chance,” Addie moaned, her claws digging more into his chest, her head tilting back.. She already felt that tightening with her lower abdomen, spurring her to ride Chance faster.

Chance took advantage of Addie’s exposed neck, leaning up nibbling along her jaw. “Fuck, Addie, you’re...you’re perfect. You’re so amazing. I love you so much.” He increased his pace as much as he could, using his grip on Addie’s hips for leverage.

Addie swore loudly in Lazurothian as her orgasm hit her, her hips rolling with the waves of it. She called out his name a couple times before the feeling finally subsided, leaving her chest heaving and her mind foggy.

Chance came right after her, the feeling of her muscles squeezing around his cock sending him over the edge. He buried his face into the crook of her neck as he moaned his release, his arms wrapping around her to cling to her lower back. He held her there for a moment before he broke into a light chuckle.

“You know...someone could have walked in on us.”

Addie giggled breathlessly. “That would have been a little awkward for everyone, wouldn’t it?” She looked down at him and their eyes met, both reflecting just how much love and devotion they held for each other. She leaned down and kissed him softly, running her fingers through his new, multicolored locks. “I want you forever,” she told him in Irken.

Chance kissed her once more and cupped her face as he replied, “I am forever yours,” in Irken. Then he added in English, “You truly are one of the best things that’s ever happened to me.”

“Okay you guys will NOT believe how dumb this team you’ve given me are, and I THOUGHT I WAS BAD AT CODING! Really, it’s ridi-” The taller Irken paused in the doorway, his outrageous flamboyant expression of exaggeration had immediately fell flat. Now, he stood there awkwardly still, wide eyed and silent.

It probably took a good minute before he began blinking profusely, and babbling nonsense about how he was told he could find them there, as if that had any relevance to the situation. It didn’t take long before he turned away completely, hiding his face in his tablet, as if that could make him unsee the attractive curves of Addie or the fact that Iris finally knows what Chance’s dick looks like.

He continued to stare for a long time, blushing furiously, before trying to jump back to the topic at hand. At least, it was the topic that he thought he wanted to be at hand, but his eyes kept peaking over the tablet to look at his mates entangled with each other.

“So uh…. If you’re both done, can the High Chancellor PLEASE assign me people who AREN’T imbeciles? Like…. I mean, only if you’re done….”

Addie and Chance both jumped at the door opening, but upon seeing Iris they immediately relaxed. They watched as he began to rant and rave about his coding team that was helping find the collider, before he trailed off and stared. Addie bit her lip, trying very hard not to laugh at the reaction. Chance blushed furiously, but even he would admit there was something funny about this.

“Well, if that’s the case,” Addie said as she got up and began gathering her clothes, tossing Chance his own before redressing. “Then I guess you need my help. Who better to help with codes than your dad’s protégé?” She looked over at Chance. “Alright with you, High Chancellor?”

Chance finished getting dressed as well and snorted. “I’m surprised it took you this long to ask, honestly,” he said. He made his way toward the door, giving Iris a kiss on the corner of his mouth. “I have to shower and go back to work. You two have fun.” And then he exited.

Addie continued to bite her lip, making her way over to stand by Iris. She then gave him a very sly look. “See something you like, My Tallest?~”

Iris’s mind had run rampant at the rapid fire conversation his mates were having without him, as he stood awkwardly trying to keep up with said conversation. His mind was preoccupied with trying to file away certain images for when he was…. More alone, and less swamped with collider work. Certainly, it’d warrant him actually seeing what kind of bed the Metallah had. Sleep wasn’t exactly the first thing on his mind recently, not with all the stress the week has been causing him.

The kiss was expected, but what he didn’t expect was Addie’s immediate advances. Honestly, he should have, he really, really should have. They have been both trying to tag team him all week it felt, and he was torn between wanting to tease them and wanting to run away from them. It was hard work, denying them basic mate privileges. All in a day’s work when you have a code to complete, honestly. Plus, he’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy it.

In a way, it was his kind of Salvis, not that he really needed to be wooing them any more. It was obvious they all belonged to one another, but the game of cat and mouse was something he could never get tired of.

“I saw plenty, but I think what we should be discussing currently is….” Even as he tried to derail the subject, his eyes did a once over on Addie, thinking about how she was naked literal minutes ago. “The fact that you have plenty of work already, and helping me code shouldn’t be on your list of such things. I would like to kindly decline your offer to help, since I find that such a thing would….”

Again, he found himself trailing off, his eyes going back over her body. Iris knew it was obvious he was staring, and he SHOULD feel more conscious about that fact since he normally would, but the whole situation had been more than jarring to say the least. He didn’t think he could tear his eyes away even if he tried.

“I would find myself being very distracted.” The admittance caused him to get flustered again, looking away once more. Mostly at his tablet, down at the copy of the code he had been trying to crack. Definitely, he couldn’t have any more distractions, but the thought was there and it was tantalizing.

Addie watched him for a moment, still struggling not to laugh. He was very obviously flustered, and also obviously staring at her over and over again. She let out the smallest of giggles before leaning up and kissing him. “Nonsense. I don’t have that much on my plate. Also finding that collider is a top priority, especially since it could lead to us finding Dwicky.

“I’m gonna go shower and get changed. Meet you in the computer room?” She gave him another kiss before heading for the door. She lingered for merely a moment to turn around and add, “Unless you feel like joining me?” She walked away before he could give an answer. He probably wouldn’t join her, but it was fun getting one good tease in before leaving.

The first kiss had him almost licking his lips, and he had to physically force himself not to. Having her comply to code related things had eased some of the obvious sexual frustration from his shoulders, however. It didn’t take long to snap back into work mode, most likely due to the fact he was a workaholic, but he was also just as ready to snap back into being flustered the moment her suggestion had been made.

The tall irken had stood there awkwardly fidgeting for a moment, debating his options very heavily, before giving up any chances at intimacy altogether. Honestly, it really was tempting, every last bit of it. However, Addie was right. The collider took top priority. Straightening his uniform collar and shoulders, he double checked the room behind him real quick. Once he made sure there was DEFINITELY nothing left behind, especially no damning evidence that they had been having sex in there, he turned the lights off and closed the door behind him.

Back to work, and this time he had a date in the computer room, where he totally would not be staring at Addie every couple of minutes. No, not at all. Absolutely not.

[motleystitches]

Guardian 鎮魂 translation: Chapter 86 (excerpt), 87 (full)

...featuring a small history between a young Ghoul King and a gentle God of Mountains. 

Previous translations (a little revised since posting as I think of better words):

Chapter 10 excerpt: like a peacock with his feathers spread out, using this time to display a pheromonal and patterned tail (all Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan bits)

Chapter 49: with love the living may die and the dead can live. only when love is not enough, the living cannot be with the dead and dead cannot live. 

Chapter 66: I’m taking you home

Chapter 86 excerpt and Chapter 87 ghouls are not alive, but in that instant, it was as if he heard his own non-existent heartbeat

In the next moment, time reversed, and a bewildered Zhao Yunlan was returned to a past not from too long ago. In that instant, overwhelmed by the disturbances in the timeline, he couldn’t distinguish whether he was Lord Kunlun or a man from five thousand years later.

He thought he had been guarding the pitch dark Great Seal everyday, sitting with his back against the rock, and when bored, staring dumbly at the Tree of Virtues, oftentimes for an entire day.

Then later, at some unknown point in time, a handsome but odd youth would be next to him all day, like a little tail, following him everywhere. 

At first Lord Kunlun ignored him, then finally he couldn’t help asking, “We’re now in your territory, why still follow me?”

The youth said, astonished, “I like you.”

Lord Kunlun had been called absurd and rude, finally he had an opportunity to say it to someone else, so he took the chance and rather ungently “scolded” him. “Rude.”

The young ghoul king looked at him, confused, uncertain how he was rude.

Lord Kunlun had been guarding that seal for innumerable years, he was bored, so he continued to ask. “What do you like about me?”

The young ghoul king was like a blank sheet of paper, unreserved about his own desires. He said plainly, “Good looking. Want to hug you.”

Kunlord couldn’t help taking another look at this bold young ghoul king. He wasn’t offended and thought it interesting. “Not even a bit of pursuit. I despise you,” he teased. 

Though the young ghoul king wasn’t sure why he was despised, he thought everything Kunlun said had reason, so he lowered his head in shame.

Lord Kunlun waved him over. “Come, let me get some education into your backward little head.”

Chapter 87:

Once the primordial order had been established, the Elder God Shennong-Shi came to earth, tasted every kind of flora to save humanity, and transformed himself into an old herbalist, proselytizing and enlightening men. Lord Kunlun had heard those lectures a few times as one of the crowd and was basically following the same syllabus for the young ghoul king. He was not thorough about the actual contents but it was a way to pass the time. However, it did confuse the young ghoul king. He didn’t miss a single word and considered whatever rubbish Kunlun spouted some sort of prescription.

With time, even in that land of purgation and in front of the bleak entrance, a kind of affinity grew between them. 

The young ghoul king’s feelings toward Lord Kunlun remain unchanged, but he naturally knew shame. He had listened to Kunlun and knew that it wasn’t right to keep insisting on them, so he stopped, and tried a new thing every day to please him. 

It was a pity no matter what he thought of, there was a limit to what he could do. There was nothing fun in the Profane Place. No grass grew on the thousand miles of scorched earth. The normal pass time was to take two low level hell-creatures and watch them fight until one eats the other.

But the young ghoul king didn’t like this, and of course Lord Kunlun would like it even less.

So the ghoul king assiduously collected the incisors from thirty-six hell-creatures, thinking they symbolized Mt. Kunlun’s magnificent thirty-six valleys. He twined a few of his hair into a rope, threaded everything together into a challenging but unique necklace, and gave it to Lord Kunlun.

But the expression from Lord Kunlun when he received the thirty-six incisors was strange, stranger than the necklace itself, as if he had a toothache but was forcing his features into bizarre smile, and he said his thanks through gritted teeth.

The young ghoul king came to a conclusion, He thought perhaps Kunlun didn’t like it-- anyways Lord Kunlun never wore it, and every time it was mentioned, he would always go onto another topic.

But he couldn’t think of anything else. One day the youth sat on a raised root of the Tree of Virtues and unwittingly remembered the flash of the world he saw outside and said suddenly, “There’s a kind of flower that’s shaped like a bell, it comes in all colors, when you smell it up close, there’s a very faint scent.”

Lord Kunlun tilted his head to look at him. “And?”

The hesitant youth looked longing. “It’s so pretty. If they are made into a necklace, then you’ll like it, right?” 

Lord Kunlun remained silent for a moment, then said, half-smiling, “So that’s why you want to be nice to me. Just so you can get out?”

The young ghoul king seemed surprised and quickly shook his head. 

Lord Kunlun teased him on purpose. “They why? I’m guarding this, it’s for not letting you all out. Not even single one.”

for....the young ghoul king looked at him evenly, meeting Lord Kunlun’s amused glance. He wanted to say something but didn’t know what to say, the urge was wrecking havoc in his chest, but he couldn’t find a way to say it.

He thought those honest words would seem too vulgar and even being vulgar wouldn’t necessarily communicate what he felt. 

The ghoul king couldn’t speak and couldn’t help extending sharp claws from his nails, anxiously showing an ominous and rather aggressive expression.

Legend has it that for those born in the world, other than destiny being unchangeable, most suffering comes form thinking too much and not reading enough. Saints had left behind those books, but those ancient saints, most of them born in chaos where there were no books to read, no one to solve their perplexities, they could only carry their questions about the earth and sky and walk stumblingly along the road. It must’ve been extremely distressing and painful.....so that even for saying heartfelt sentiment to a beloved, there were no suitable words. 

Finally Lord Kunlun laughed. He hooked him gently by the jaw and tenderly kissed the youth’s perfectly smooth forehead before flying on top of a branch.

The young ghoul king sat dumbly for a moment, unaware all the poisonous needles on his body had retracted. He was flushed from cheek to chin. After a moment, he stood up, oblivious to all, as if he was drunk, even his steps were unsteady, and somehow fell off from the giant root of the Tree of Virtues.

The youth belonged to the Tribe of Ghouls-- though somehow he had grown into an oddity of the ghouls-- what he saw around him everyday were only the combinations of low level ghouls driven by desire. He never knew what a kiss was but his first encounter felt like warm steam surrounded him. He felt so light it was like he was flying.

Not even the River Wongchuang could let him feel so relaxed and buoyant.

The young ghoul suddenly turned and ran head-along into the Seal that couldn’t bind him into the Profane Place; he wasn’t seen for an entire decade.

Then next time he appeared in front of Lord Kunlun, he seemed to have grown up some; he had grown taller, almost as tall as Lord Kunlun. The soft lines of youth had hardened but he was still fair as ever. 

He carefully presented a ball of gold scintillating fire in front of Kunlun.

“This is...”

“This is the soul-fire from your left shoulder. It was scattered everywhere inside the Seal. It took me fifty years to collect it.” The ghoul king carefully huddled that ball of warm flame and lingeringly rubbed against the side of his face before saying, “Returning it.”

The smile at the corner of Lord Kunlun’s mouth gradually disappeared. After a while, he looked at the other and asked, “And what do you want from me?”

“That...” The ghoul king’s was stuck for a bit, as if he didn’t know what to say. After a long while, he shyly pointed at his own forehead. “That....can you do it again?” 

Lord Kunlun considered him a long time. So long that the youth became restless and anxious, but Lord Kunlun suddenly reached out and held his jaw. This time, he tenderly kissed the youth’s lips and gently held the ghoul king’s hand, letting his shapely fingers clench tight that ever shining soul fire. 

Lord Kunlun seemed to be distracted, but also deeply contemplative. After a while, he sighed and said, “I have all the great mountains and lakes of the world, but now I think about it, it’s just a bunch of crumbled stones and wild waters. In all I have about me, probably only my heart’s affection is worth something. You want it? Take it.”

The young ghoul king had a revelation. Now he knew what he deeply desired but couldn’t articulate was called “heart’s affection”. Just two words, but they were enough to devastate a life. 

Ghouls are not alive, but in that flash of time, it was as if he heard his own non-existent heartbeat.　　

“And this. If you like it, then keep it.” Lord Kunlun patted the back of his hand. “My blood has become its filament, my body its base, only my soul’s spirit remains guard here and there’s no point in having it back. That sinew I gave you last time. Do you still have it?”　

The youth nodded quickly.

“Take it out and let me see,” Kunlun said mildly.

The ghoul king ripped opened his wildman’s clothes and took the sinew out from somewhere close to him. 

“I emerged of the Kunlun mountain. And at an earlier age, could be traced to Pangu’s Axe.” Lord Kunlun gently touched the body part he had ripped from himself, as if he had forgotten that kind of excruciating pain. He said evenly, “My body is connected with the earth’s pulse through Heavenly Pillar of Kunlun. A single tremor and the world turns upside down.”

In speaking, he suddenly made a series of complicated signs with his hand and the sinew transformed into a beam of bright light that followed his finger and entered the ghoul king’s forehead. At that moment, the youth felt he heard the sounds of the world transforming as ten thousand mountains rose into the sky.

It was as if he had reached an indescribable summit with a view of everything below. He could clearly see every mountain stream, flowing continuously, glorious and turbulent.

Lord Kunlun’s voice was within them, neither loud nor forceful, but penetrating all. “From now on the ten thousand mountains heed your command. Though you cannot be rift of your ghoulish heritage, you are now at least half divine and half ghoul. From now you are free to travel through all three realms. I no longer care.”

The youth interrupted, “I’m not going!” After a moment, he added, hesitant, “You’re here. I don’t want to go anywhere else.”

“I can’t be here long,” Kunlun said, turning his head, looking up at the endless towering waterfall of Wongchuang. “I’m just one part of the whole being. I can’t leave and I couldn’t have stayed long. Lately, I feel my days are coming to a close.”

The youthful ghoul king asked worriedly, “What days? Where are you going?”

“Not going anywhere. I’m going to die,” Kunlun said peacefully.

“That’s impossible. How can a god die?”

“Even gods die. Pangu, Fushi, Nuwa, Shennong, aren’t they all dead?” Kunlun said. “Now it’s my turn.”

Hearing this, the youthful ghoul king was struck dumb for a moment, then his expression quickly turned terrible. “If there’s no Great Seal, if you hadn’t sealed the Four Hallows for Nuwa, if you hadn’t turned into the Lamp of Souls’ Guard, does that mean you don’t have to die? Then I’ll chop down this tree and break through this damned Seal!”

Sometimes the young king was like a rolly-polly wolf pup with fluffy fur that looked like a puppy and seemed to share the same habits. Pet him and he would obediently roll on the floor and expose his belly, but he still had sharp teeth in his jaws. A bit of carelessness and his bite would draw blood. 

Lord Kunlun was already used to it and didn’t mind. He lifted his hand and put it on his head, saying in a low voice, “Not die? To live forever...child, even though a hollow rock will not decay, it’s still a rock. Do you understand? Shennong had said that there’s no divinity without death and destruction. I always thought he was speaking nonsense. It’s not until now I understand a little.”

The ghoul king slapped away his hand, unwilling to understand what he understood. “Don’t you dare!”

Lord Kunlun opened his hand. His hand suddenly seemed a little transparent. Then enraged youth, shocked, grabbed and squeezed that hand, nervously turning it over in his palm as if this was the only way to be sure that he was still here. He insisted, “What if I chopped down the Tree of Virtues?”

Lord Kunlun chuckled. “You’ve inherited the sovereign rights of the god of the mountains, you can even cut down the sacred wood in the Profane Place where the gods avoid, what’s the Tree of Virtues compared to that?”　

The ghoul king continued, “Then I can cleave open the Great Seal, split the rotten rock that woman left behind.”

Kunlun smiled wryly. ”You can, but I will probably die sooner.”

“I can even,” Ghoul King’s paused, then continued malevolently, “I can even kill everyone in the world. I can slaughter every living thing, so the mountains will never turn green, waters never flow, corpses cover the earth, and no man lives for a thousand miles.”

Lord Kunlun lifted an eyebrow, nonplussed. “Oh really, so powerful?”

The ghoul king squeezed his hand. “Don’t you dare die. I can do anything. I will do anything!”

“Shennong-Shi was also right about one thing,” Lord Kunlun became stern, looking at him coldly. ”I should’ve killed you long ago to prevent a catastrophe.”

The youth stubbornly pursed his lips and glared at him.

But suddenly Lord Kunlun smiled, as gentle as the passing of winter, the first breaking of the ice, reflecting green flowing water. “Since Shennong-Shi borrowed the soul fire from my shoulder...No, since the war between Gods and Monsters, Nuwa’s making of man, even since Pangu opened the sky, these things have been destined. It is destined that I, at this moment, in this place, die. Even if you re-close earth and sky, it will just mean my death will be meaningless, but it won’t stop anything.”

“You don’t understand.” The handsome god of the mountains used a rare patient and gentle voice. “What is called fate is not what the gods mutter as the doom of all. Actually there’s nothing secretly binding you. It’s that at a certain moment, though you know there are innumerable choices, the sky and the world before you, you’ll always choose one particular path....I didn’t know these things when I was young either. But perhaps you’ll understand when you grow up more.”

Finally the youthful ghoul king had no answer. For the first time he realised his own helplessness. All his powers are to kill, destroy, and to devour. He could really cut through everything in the world, the living, the dead; his birth had been a miracle, an unleashed terror for both ghouls and gods, but what’s the use？

He still couldn’t make the one he liked most stay. 　

Lord Kunlun saw the murderous youth in front of him become more and more depressed. Since he had not yet learned how to hide or repress his emotions, after a moment appearing dazed, he suddenly wailed aloud and started crying. 

Lord Quinlun looked at him almost pityingly and rued he wouldn’t be able to see a young beauty become a great beauty.

Then five thousand years passed in the flash of an eye, seasons turned and things and people changed. 

Zhao Yunlan released the rock of the Great Seal as if he had been shocked, suddenly there was someone behind him. That person chuckled. Before Zhao Yunlan turned, he had already the Whip of Souls’ Guard in hand. He took two steps backward. With his back against the rock of the Great Seal he watched warily Ghoulmien ten steps away.

Ghoulmien considered him, shook his head slightly. His fake ghoulish mien showed a smile. “I hear all of Nuwa’s memory is inside. What did you end up seeing?”

Zhao Yunlan laughed coldly, not quite emotionally recovered. “Why the f*ck would I tell you?” he asked harshly.

Ghoulmien sauntered in front of him and mimicked him to reach out and touch the Great Seal Stone. “Five thousand years ago, we were twin-born ghoul-kings, but it was him who earned your liking, Lord Kunlun. Five thousand years later, one of us is inside, one’s outside, one sits in jail, the other is the jailer.”

The corner of Ghoulmien’s uplifted mouth dropped. Then he turned, lowered his voice, and said each word deliberately, “But the Great Seal is no more, that’s why I can enter and leave at will-- at the end, everything dies. You, Lord Kunlun, if not if my foolish brother ambushed you and imprisoned your soul’s spirit and forced you into cycle of reincarnations as a a mere mortal, you would’ve have disappeared like the other elder gods. Was Shennong a fool? Everything that’s forced in the world cannot last. Whatever lasts can only die.”

In saying, he extended a cold finger and lightly touched Zhao Yunlan’s cheek, then sighed as if he was groaning. “But Death itself had been lit by your soul fire and created us..things..neither living nor dead. Isn’t this cosmic irony?”

Zhao Yunlan frowned and bent his head slightly, avoiding the touch. What did happen with his soul fire? So far he had heard quite a number of versions. It’s impossible to know which’s real. 

So he asked. “Didn’t Shennong borrow my soul fire? Why would it appear in the Profane Place. And why do you say Death itself was set alight by me?”

Ghoulmien started, his fake mask was momentarily blank, as if he couldn’t understand what Zhao Yunlan was asking. Suddenly, he roared in laughter. “Hahahaha. I thought he was so innocent, acting the saint, and yet...”

His words stopped abruptly because the Wraith-cleaving blade was cutting down, the wind from the motion lethal enough to cut him in half. Ghoulmien flew aside to avoid it and even Zhao Yulan had to take a step back.

Zhao Yunlan: “Shen Wei?”

Shen Wei reached out to catch him. “You must be crazy to come here alone!”

But before he reached Zhao Yunlun, Ghoulmien suddenly appeared and caught Shen Wei’s elbow, transformed into a mass of black smoke, and crashed hard into Zhao Yunlan which immobilized the long whip in his hand.

Then Ghoulmien transformed into countless furls of black smoke, wrapping Zhao Yunlun from head to foot, all the while laughing loudly.

But in the next moment, his laughter suddenly stopped. The black smoke cleared and resolved into Ghoulmien. There was no one else. 

Ghoulmien paused, seemingly also confused. He growled, “Who took him?Who?”

-=-=

Notes:

I actually read “No-Place” in my head for literal translation “Land of Disrespect” but thought that was taking too much obscure liberty with the translation, so the Profane Place it is, as an opposition to respect/sacred things. “Land of the Profane” is too much. “Land of Profanity” is too hilarious. 

Literal for 真心: “true heart” or “true-hearted” for sincerity of affection. Perhaps “heart’s truth” would work as well....I’m kind of torn. I have “heart’s affection” because it’s usually used directed toward someone else. 

It’s Lord Kunlun or Kunlun depending on whether original text kept the honorific. I didn’t capitalize the ghoul king because I want to keep the idea that the text seems to refer to the ghoul king as a “type* rather than an individual, hence all the “young” when he was a child “youthful” when he’s grown up, directly translating from the text.

Lamp of Souls’ Guard and Whip of Souls’ Guard is chosen because of “Guardian” and also because it’s more euphonic than some other choices.

Ghoulmien (Ghoul-mien) actually transliterates almost perfectly into 鬼面 in both sound and meaning. Linguistic coincidences :DDD

That flashback lollipop scene is actually probably more NSFW than this time travel flashback. Kudos to Everyone.