#bleus writing

[nyxianwayfarer]

Marked in Gold and Blue

Pairing: Vautour Bleu x Fem!Reader (with some Jelena x Fem!Reader implied towards the very end)

AU: Demon AU

Rating: E

Content Tags: Semi-public Sex, Mirror Sex, Bondage, Gags, Nipple Clamps, Clit Clamp, Shapeshifting, Shapeshifting Genitalia, Creampie, Polyamory Implied

Note: Based off a post from @sinful-lanterns that Jelena likely would give zero fucks about interrupting your alone time with the various demons in your harem. 😂

Additional Note: Now available on AO3 as of 4/4/25!

Your whine is muffled as Vautour Bleu adjusts you in her grip.

In the privacy of your personal train carriage, she had undressed you before expertly winding ropes around your limbs. Your wrists are tied behind your back while your calves are forced against the back of your thighs and bound in that position. You now sit atop Vautour Bleu's lap as she reclines against the cabin's upholstered bench.

Opposite you both, however, is an antique mirror that the demon had smuggled into the country. It's held in place by Vautour Bleu's magic to ensure it won't fall over with the rocking of the train, and it's been unwrapped enough to reveal your nude form and how it is currently impaled on the demon's length. In addition, you are adorned with the little trinkets she has so kindly bought you from her travels.

For instance, your impromptu gag is a silk scarf made in far Eastia. She had tied multiple knots directly in the middle of the fabric, which she had then pressed into your mouth to keep it open, tying the ends around the back of your head. The rope she's used for your body is of similar material—colored a deep blue—that's strong enough to keep you in place without marring your skin.

You whimper when the train meets a rough patch of track, and it jostles the hard length inside you. However, it's the jingling you hear below you that causes you to flush deeply, red filling your cheeks all the way down to your chest.

Vautour Bleu has placed clamps over you nipples. Beneath them hang thin, gold chains, and either sports one of two letters: a "V" and "B" to mark her initials and her claim over you. Between your legs, however, is another piece of scandalous jewelry. It consists of a ring that clips around your clit—once the demon had been able to coax it out with her deft touches—but beneath it hangs a simple, gold bell, which tinkles with every movement you or Vautour Bleu make.

The curtains to the door of your private cabin have been closed since your arrival, but when Vautour Bleu made you bounce atop her lap earlier, your eyes couldn't help but be drawn toward the doorway every time you saw a shadow pass by, wondering if they could hear the desperate jingling of your clit ring's bell as you sought the pleasure your demon provided.

You shiver when you hear the low groan beside your ear, spawned by yet another series of bumps along the railway. It seems the residual effects of the train's vibrations are enough to send her into another orgasm, causing you to whimper deliriously at the sensation of liquid heat filling you.

"Mmm..." Vautour Bleu hums contentedly as she comes down from her high, patting your belly, which now has a gentle heft to it. "Look at you. Such a fine specimen," she compliments. "I know many a noble who would pay a king's ransom for service this divine." She releases a low growl, rolling her hips once more to push more of her cum into you, causing you to moan helplessly. "A sheath this tight and welcoming is nothing less than priceless after all. Shall I see what bids can be made for you?"

You can't help but gasp at the suggestion. From the mirror across from you, you can almost see the flicker of eager, gleaming eyes in the background of its reflective surface.

A trick of light certainly.

Or perhaps a byproduct of Vautour Bleu's magic.

"Then again, I have clients who are more known for their voyeuristic tendencies. Perhaps they'd pay more to see me take you again and again..."

Despite the degradation of that implication, you know her words have no real threat to them.

Demons are far too territorial to ever share anything they consider theirs with anyone outside their inner circle. Your demonic harem has killed for far less, especially when it came to your protection.

If you are to be bared before anyone's eyes, it should be for them alone.

And given how large your harem is, that's a regular enough occurrence...

You still remember that night you made the pact with all of them—of how you were laid out atop their altar and taken repeatedly by them. Of course, you could only pleasure so many at a time. While others sought to establish their part of the pact with you, you remembered how those other demonic eyes glowed with barely-contained hunger as they waited to take their turns...

You don't even need the gag as you throw your head back in a silent scream, squeezing repeatedly around Vautour Bleu's cock as you came from the memory of that night alone.

The demon behind you emits a purr of satisfaction as she rocks you through your orgasm. After a time, she reaches down to gently caress your stretched folds. In the mirror, you can see where you're spread almost obscenely over the girth of her dick. Your arousal coats her length easily as well as your inner thighs, leaving them to glisten under the cabin lights. With the release of her earlier climaxes, the seed that's spilled out of your stuffed cunt has also been whipped into a froth from the constant thrusts she's subjected you with.

"How lovely. You really can take so much of me, can't you, mon trésor?"

"Her continued taking of you will have to wait unfortunately."

You muffle out a squeak at the unexpected voice.

You were still coming down from the effects of your orgasm, so you didn't immediately hear the door to your cabin open. Your tense shoulders fall back in relief when you see it's just Jelena standing in the doorway rather than a stranger. The demon is dressed primly as always as is befitting of her role as your butler.

She takes pride in such a duty, making your life easier through the mad foray that is suddenly your daily life as the head of your late parents' estate. The politics surrounding such a change are mind-numbing on most days, but she does her best to ease that pain, and part of her role entails that you are properly taken care of. Case in point, you can see the silver platter resting atop one of Jelena's upraised hands, which holds a glass and pitcher.

True to form, Jelena doesn't so much as bat an eye at your scandalous state as she walks towards you both. Perhaps knowing you're at the point of overstimulation, Vautour Bleu stills her hips, supporting your weight above her as she encourages you to rest back fully against her. Jelena reaches out to pull the gag from your mouth, and you shift your jaw gratefully as she pours water for you.

When Jelena presses the glass against your lips, however, water spills clumsily from them. Your coordination hasn’t quite returned. The cool liquid is a balm against your overheated skin though. As you focus on drawing air into your lungs, you don't really notice much of the conversation between your two demons. It isn't until you feel Jelena grasping your chin firmly between her fingers to press a kiss against your mouth that you start drifting back into the present again. You part your lips obediently beneath her touch, but you can't help but moan in surprise when water flows into your mouth from hers. At some point, the other woman had apparently drank the remaining contents of your glass.

You swallow reflexively when she gently rubs at your throat, and when you've drank your fill, she pulls back. It's just enough for her to lick at the corner of your lips, cleaning away the earlier spill. The gesture is enough for you to chase desperately after her touch, but bound as you are atop Vautour Bleu's lap, it's a fruitless effort at best.

Unlike the rest of her companions, Jelena rarely entertains her more carnal desires during her working hours.

But Jelena wants you.

She always does.

You can see it in her smile as runs a thumb over your bottom lip. You can't resist taking it into your mouth, and as you do, you begin imagining all the different things of hers you'd want to suckle and lick at.

As if hearing your thoughts, you feel more than hear Vautour Bleu's low chuckle behind you.

"I suppose I'll have to ensure I have you properly warmed up for her later, don't I, mon trésor? You needn’t worry. Once you’ve regained your strength, I’ll continue tending to you.” She uses her fingers to stroke the sides of your clit down to the base where the ring sits. Your hips can’t help but jerk forwards in response to her touch, causing your little bell to jingle merrily. “And we can demonstrate your musical talents to Jelena while we’re at it. We wouldn’t want to seen as rude hostesses after all…”

[bondsmagii]

first drafts are fun because they're all about getting the story down and it's garbage but also first drafts are agonising because it's all about getting the story down and it's garbage.

[pap1llonbleu]

random scene: *either mario and luigi are upset about something, and the other bro comforts them and reassures them that everything's going to be okay, and that they'll never be alone because they'll always have each other*

me, writing said scene: "aweee, they're so sweet. wish i could get a hug too"

[lenaswritingandstuff]

Kylian being a dad would include

Requested by Anon: Kylian Mbappe pregnancy/dad head cannons

Characters: Kylian Mbappé, you

Warnings: None; English is not my first language

A/N: GIF IS NOT MINE.

Your relationship with Kylian was going great, and even though you guys didn't talk about marriage or children you still planned to spend the rest of your lives together

You know he wanted kids, though - and so did you

So when you found out you were pregnant, he was overjoyed, and immediately went to kiss and hug you

He was so happy he told his teammates soon after

After that he kept spoiling you, buying you a new gift every week, so much so that even though you appreciated it, you still asked him to stop

He always made sure you were okay, and insisted you rest

After a while you told both your families and friends, who were very happy for you

As time went, you and Kylian started buying baby stuff, started creating a room for the baby and started thinking of names

You guys were together when your water broke, so despite being scared for you, he took you to the hospital

He stayed with your during the wole thing, holding your hand and giving you words of encouragement

When he saw his son he almost cried

He kissed your forehead, praising you and telling uou how much he loved you

He was an amazing dad, spoiling both the baby and you

His first goal after was dedicated to your son

He had no problem waking up in the middle on the night when the baby was crying or with changing diapers

After some time, he took you on a vacation where he asked you to marry him, and you two married a year later

As your son grew up, Kylian turned into a cool yet protective dad, doing activites with him wherever he could and quickly taught him how to play football

He would sometimes come home with gifts for your son, but made sure not to spoil them too much

When your son was a toddler, Kylian started wanting another child with you

He didn't want to push you so at first he didn't tell you, and would understand if one child was enough for you

But the thing is, you had thoughts about having another child too

So you had a conversation and started trying for another - hopefully a little girl

And some time after, you had great news for him

Want to be tagged? Just use my Ask-Box!

Masterlist

[maldupay]

fuck i need to replay isat because i cant remember anything but um something something siffrin's increasingly concerning comments through the acts on losing his appetite -> getting violently hungry -> having tear induced nightmares about cannibalizing his friends

[okiankeno]

stroking my flower petal in a way that isn’t a euphemism for anything at all

[bleuzombie]

With Sam away at Stanford and John sending Dean out on his own hunts, Dean finally has freedom to do things his way. Sure he’s good at hustling pool and credit card scams but there have to be more ways to make money that don’t involve him on his knees in an alley.

When he sees a model call flyer at some community college Dean figures it can’t hurt to check it out. It’s some magazine he’s never heard of and they love Dean immediately. And maybe he doesn’t love wearing makeup and the outfit is a little stupid but they are paying him so whatever. Plus it’s not hard to stand there and smolder at the camera and he’s pretty sure John will never see it.

Besides, it’s not like he actually has to touch anyone or let someone touch him. He’s just gonna stand there. Apparently that’s enough for this magazine. Looking at the pictures on the computer after the shoot, Dean can admit he looks pretty hot. Maybe this can be a regular thing. That’s when the art director tells him the “boys” are going to go crazy for him.

Dean looks around at the other waiting models, their wardrobe and the two in leather cuffs and realization comes crashing down on him. Before he can protest they hand him a check and push him out the door.

XY is a gay magazine. And Dean is about to be their cover boy.

[whoslaurapalmer]

i'm not crazy about the wording right now but i am surprised that i got close to what i think is one of the cores of lemony's character in, would you believe it, a fucking au

[roseofcards90]

THE FRENCH LADY GOT TO ME GUYS ITS SO OVER 🗿

[voidthewanderer]

All The Stars... And I Meet You

→ Word Count: 1,407 → Warnings: N/A → Characters: Keith Smith, Sweetjane Ledet → Listen, my brain literally wouldn't let this go and I don't know why. I just desperately wanted to write Keith and Sweetjane meeting. Bleu, I'll let you interpret this however you'd like; a potential new romantic ship, a new platonic ship. I had the recent development of "Keith would be awkward AF meeting new people he finds pretty and that's adorable" to go along with his "awkward flirting". Sweetjane belongs to @romaniwasteland || If my research is correct: Laši ratji means "good evening" and najis means "thanks" or "thank you". Please correct me if I'm wrong! Also, I use this nighttime sky overhaul; so just bear in mind that this is what I'm writing visually.

The sky had slowly cascaded from blue to pink… pink to orange… It was nice to finally have a clear night. Keith looked up to the sky, pulling his assault mask off to try and find the first star of the night. His icy blue eyes scanned the sky, eventually finding it, a weird feeling in his heart. It'd been something he used to do a lot when he was a kid, never realizing just how long it'd been since he actually did it.

"Hey, you gonna join us for dinner?" a ghoul approached Keith by the gazebo, his smile warm, "Sammy's making mirelurk bisque."

"I was thinking of just hanging out here for a little bit," Keith kept his gaze to the sky, it only falling to meet the ghoul's face with an appreciative smile, "Thank you though, Noah. You an your husband enjoy the rest of your night."

A small nod was given in response, him leaving Keith to his thoughts once more. He scanned the area for a moment, marveling in the work that had been done. The resilience of the settlers in Sanctuary was always such a joy. It'd just been the original group from Concord. Despite their pain… despite their grief… they made it work. People started hearing word of a new settlement and slowly began trickling in.

He looked to the ceiling of the gazebo he'd been standing in, taking a deep breath. To think, this particular spot used to be a playground for children. They'd taken down the equipment, the metal far too weak to support even the smallest of child, but he wanted to create a new area for eventual new generations to enjoy. At least it was a space that everybody could enjoy.

As he went to snuff the lantern that sat on the railing, Keith noticed a person making their way over the bridge. It seemed awfully late for anybody to be coming in, especially since they would've passed by Red Rocket before getting to Sanctuary. No, the old gas station wasn't exactly built up at that point, he made sure it was still safe for any traveler to take refuge for the night. He decided to meet them, whoever they were; if even to just offer them a bed for the night.

They'd crossed the bridge by the time he'd made it to the road, him smiling to them, "Good evening."

Her pale eyes locked onto him for a moment, "Laši ratji."

It took him a moment to really take in the woman before him. She was shorter than him… though most people seemed to be. He knew to keep himself relaxed because of it; not wanting to come across as intimidating. Between his height and the scars that littered his face; he knew it could be much. Especially for a young woman who seemed to be traveling on her own.

Part of him was relieved that she didn't make any sort of comments on his face; though he could understand why. She seemed to sport a lot of similar scars; a feeling of familiarity putting him at ease. He normally didn't approach people without the mask, knowing it could be off-putting. His gaze wandered to the collar on her neck. She was a slave…

"Are you… safe?" He glanced up over his shoulder, not sure if she was being followed or baited into this. This made the woman tilt her head slightly, "Yes? Why wouldn't I be?"

This made him give an awkward laugh, "Sorry… I just… the collar."

"'S from a long time ago… ain't not'in but a reminda 'f th' past." Keith liked her accent. It was different; at least nothing like he'd ever heard before. He cleared his throat again, arm moving like he was struggling to decide on holding it out for a handshake, "Keith Smith. General of the Minutemen."

Her gaze flicked over him again. She'd heard of him, though he was an elusive man. She assumed that it was because of his status; running around constantly to make sure settlements were functioning and protected, going out on calls from Radio Freedom. Her lips gave a very small smile, it seeming to hurt, "Sweetjane."

No last name? No matter, he didn't need to know it. It could've just been a safe-guarding thing; he understood why. It was that moment he realized; he'd only presented his arm half way for a handshake, never actually gave her his hand. Well… that was awkward. He knew he'd be kicking himself for that one.

"Were you looking for a place to stay? We've got plenty of beds here," he put his arm back at his side. He saw her glance over his shoulder, "Do yah mind if'n I stay ova at th' gazebo? 'S s'ppose ta be real clear t'night. Get t' see th' stars."

"Oh," the smile that light up his face really put Sweetjane at ease, "Yeah, c'mon! Lemme show you the best spot with the clearest view."

Letting Sweetjane pass him, he admired her outfit for a moment; though worry still nagged at his mind. A bomb collar and wearing a wedding dress? He didn't want to press it; she said it was in the past. He trotted along to catch up to her; her having already gotten to the gazebo before he caught up. The albino woman leaned against one of the rails, looking over the river that divided the land. Back in the day, it must've been a gorgeous sight to see.

"Hold on," she could hear Keith's voice trailed behind her as he trotted past the gazebo and into one of the nearby houses. He seemed really excited to do… whatever it was he was doing. She didn't see any risk with him; though did still keep on guard. No, she had no reason to not trust the Minutemen; it was just his awkward behavior.

Keith returned shortly, unrolling a fairly beat up blanket, "Here. This spot is perfect to lay back and look up at the sky. I think tonight's gonna be perfect to star gaze." Sweetjane left the gazebo, carefully sitting on the blanket. She seemed to settle easily, though didn't lay back; jaw tilted upward towards the sky. "Hey… do you… do you mind if I join you?"

Looking back to him, he put his hands up slightly, "I'll keep my distance, don't worry. I just… I haven't done this in a really long time."

She waited a moment longer before shifting over to side of the blanket. Keith sat cautiously on the other side, going to unlatch some of the armor from his outfit before laying back. She watched him take a deep breath, his gaze staying to the sky. Despite his focus being on the sky, she sensed that he was thinking about much more. She tried to focus back onto the sky.

He'd been right… the view of the sky was absolutely perfect. No obstructions; just the occasional noise from one of the houses or a small animal skittering by, not realizing there were people outside. She shut her eyes, releasing her breath silently to just take in the calm. This felt nice… Even with having company, he respected the silence as much as she did.

As the sun continued to set and the sky grew darker, the more and more stars freckled the sky. It was beautiful. Slowly, Sweetjane laid back against the blanket, her only reminder of the man laying on the opposite side of the blanket was him getting spooked when she'd started moving. It caused her to freeze, though he gave a small laugh, "Sorry… I kinda forgot you were there."

"Could'a said th' same thing 'bout ya," she hummed, settling in her spot, gaze fixated back upward, "Najis. Thank ya. 'S a perfect spot."

He chuckled again, "Had a feeling you'd like it. I'll be quiet now. If you get tired-" he sat up for a moment, pointing to the house he'd pulled the blanket from "-There's spare beds in that house. I just wanna give you fair warning, everyone's awake by six in the morning here. So, I just wanna apologize ahead of time if we wake you. Dunno how late you're gonna stay up."

She hummed in response, though didn't speak. The two of them rested once more. Did he just make a new friend? It certainly seemed like it could've been the start, anyways.

[thelordofgifs]

What are Caretaker burnout notes? 👀

(WIP titles ask game) also for @thescrapwitch!

This is my newest WIP, and probably the one with the best working title! It's a shortish little thing I'll hopefully have ready in time for epistolary week. Concept: Maglor, who is so completely hinged and stable, keeps a little pamphlet of notes on How To Care For Your Traumatised Elder Brother Whom You Abandoned. Featuring entries such as "foods he will eat so you don't fuck up this time, Moryo" and "what to do after a nightmare". I can't share a snippet because I pretty much only have two sentences jotted down so far, but I am excited for this one!

[1introvertedsage]

Layers upon layers have been peeled

Teaching my body to feel.

~Ruby L.S.~

[pap1llonbleu]

me: "i'm tired"

also me: *writes a comedy skit between mario and luigi for 20 minutes straight*

[flufflecat]

Can someone explain what the narrative stakes are even supposed to be anymore in jjk. All the characters are essentially guaranteed to die, the current cast is comprised almost entirely of characters who showed up 2/3rds into the story and we're supposed to care about them for some reason, and I do not even know what the threat is supposed to be anymore. The apocalypse? Destruction of an amorphous innocent society? Like has ANYTHING been shown of "here's the regular world that apparently needs to be saved" or are we just supposed to assume "this society is just Real Life+, so you're REQUIRED to care if some guy threatens to kill all humanity, because one of those humanities may be... a child" or something. Can you spare two seconds to show anything other than some magic randos fighting, or is it just a superhero story all the time now, minus the fun. Remember when yuuji had friends.

[sleepyrxsetea]

yum yum mold

[out-of-the-loupe]

Dans Le Bleu, Ch. 2

Read chapter 2 on AO3 here.

Of all the alarm clocks to have, Renee wasn’t expecting to be woken by the sound of a drunk customer in the morning. She jolted, blinking. Once she gathered her thoughts, she remembered; she was lying in the Dugout Inn, the only inn in Diamond City to let her stay for free. The upper stands place hardly even looked at her when she walked in. At least Vadim agreed to let her stay in exchange for taking Scarlett’s shift.

She forced herself to sit up with a groan, running a hand through her hair. Her shoulder and leg were stiff. She tilted her head from side to side to stretch out her neck and stood. No time to waste. She had a flower to find.

A…Hubflower, apparently.

Renee grabbed her jeans where she’d tossed them over a chair and pulled them on, noticing the dark red blood staining the material. She’d have to buy a new pair when she managed to get some caps.

She yawned again. Mornings always started far too early for her liking. She dug around in her bag for a hairbrush and managed to tame her long auburn hair before tying it back. A mirror on the wall showed her she looked just as she felt: exhausted. She shifted her head back and forth, a habit she picked up from watching her father shave in the mornings, and was pleased to see all the usual freckles and light scars were in place.

“Damn it…” She shrugged on her jacket, stepped into her boots, and grabbed her stuff.

Yefim swept up a broken bottle by the bar. “Good morning!” He said, though he didn’t smile.

“G’morning.” Renee gave him a nod.

“Hey, thanks again for last night.” Scarlett walked by carrying some dirty dishes. “I really appreciate it.”

“Yeah, no problem.”

She ignored the distasteful growl her stomach made and left the building. The early sun peaked through the clouds and a layer of fog hugged the ground. There weren’t many people out and about this early, and for once the market was quiet. She went around to the shops anyway to see if she could pawn off some ammo—though she knew she shouldn’t.

The weapon shop was still shuttered, but a Mr. Handy bot hovered in front of a different store seemed open to customers. The flickering neon above him read “Diamond City Surplus.” She trudged over, fishing for the ammo.

“Good morning, miss!” The Mr. Handy greeted, chipper as always. “Diamond City Surplus is open day or night for all your shopping needs!”

“Mm-hm.” Renee pulled out the ammo box and fished out a few bullets. “Listen, weird question, but, uh… How much for these?”

The Mr. Handy squinted all three eyes at her. “For five bullets, miss?”

“Yes?” She held them out in her palm.

“With all due respect, miss, you wouldn’t even have enough for a bowl of noodles.”

Renee continued holding out her hand. “Listen, I’ll take anything I can get. I’m broke.”

“Very well…” He sighed and plucked the bullets from her hand and replaced them with five rusty bottlecaps. “There.”

She blinked. “That’s it?”

“I did tell you. Would you like your ammunition back?”

“Well for this, yeah!”

The robot held out the bullets but didn’t drop them in her waiting hand. “That’ll be twenty-five caps.”

Renee sputtered and felt her face grow hot. “T-twenty-five caps?! What the hell do you think you’re trying to pull?”

“All sales are final, even those on the part of the customer. Twenty-five caps.” As if to add insult to injury, he shook the bullets.

She pocketed her five caps and flipped him off. “Go fuck yourself.”

“Have a pleasant day, miss.”

Renee grit her teeth from saying anything further and instead turned. She noticed movement in the corner of her eye and was surprised to see none other than Curie, shaking out a rug outside her apartment. “Curie?”

“Oh, good morning, Madame Jones!” She smiled, laying the rug back in front of the door.

“Uh, just Renee is fine.” Renee put her hands in the pockets of her jacket. “Didn’t expect to see you this morning.”

“I always wake early.” Curie cocked her head. “But what about you? You should really rest.”

“Yeah, some asshole at the Dugout made that impossible.” She reached to massage her shoulder. She decided not to tell the good doctor about how she spent the evening and much of the night waiting tables. “I feel fine anyway.”

Curie furrowed her brow but didn’t press it. “I see. ‘Ave you found zhe samples yet?”

“No, I was about to head out. You wouldn’t happen to have one I could see, do you? I realized last night that I don’t actually know what a Hubflower looks like…”

Curie’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh! Of course, just a moment…” She disappeared back into her apartment.

Renee stood awkwardly waiting. She kicked at the ground. Around her, the rest of Diamond City continued to slowly wake up. She heard a man groan as he pushed the metal shutter up in his stall. When he flicked the sign on, she saw it said Chem-I-Care.

“’Ere, zhis should help.” Curie returned presently and held out her open notebook.

The page was filled with detailed sketches of plants with notes scribbled in the margins. She couldn’t read most of the notes as they seemed to be partially in another language, but she did recognize the plant. She laughed. “You could’ve just said it’s a Deathbell.”

“A…what?” Curie took the notebook back and looked at her notes.

“Well, that’s we call them back home. Deathbells. Don’t know why, but that’s what I’ve always heard them called.” Renee moved to stand next to the woman and pointed at the picture. She caught a whiff of perfume and realized it was Curie.

Curie, however, didn’t seem to notice how close they were. “I see. So zhere are regional names for common flora…” She took a pen from the front pocket on her lab coat and jotted down the name.

Renee swallowed hard. She fought the urge to pull closer to the warm woman. “Y-yeah. So I’ll just grab some of those and get right back to you.”

“Zhey can be found all over zhe Commonwealth, so I doubt you will ‘ave to travel far. I just ‘ave some experiments zhat are time-sensitive.” Curie snapped the book shut.

Renee stepped back. “Gotcha. Well, I guess I’ll see you later then?”

“Yes, ideally. I really do need zhose soon.” Curie smiled again before she turned to go back inside. “And please be careful!”

“I will. How much trouble can I get into just walking out the gate?”

~:o:~:o:~:o:~

As it turned out, quite a bit of trouble. Her rifle bounced on her back as she ran from a pack of mongrels back to the city. She managed to find quite a few Deathbells—Hubflowers, out by an old train track. Unfortunately, while cutting them, some wild dogs snuck up on her.

One of the mongrels snapped at her forearm, sinking its teeth in. She came to a jarring halt and tried to fling it off, but it held fast. “Get off me!” She shouted, reaching for her knife with her other hand. The dog shrieked as she plunged the blade into its head.

It was just enough time for the other two mongrels to catch up and she whirled. Another leapt at her, but she was quick to slash out with the knife and it fell past her with a whimper. She flipped the blade over in her hand. “Wanna join your buddies today?” She snarled, eying the mutt.

The mongrel slowed and stopped a few feet from her, growling. If it had lips they’d be raised. Yellow, blood-stained teeth flashed in the late morning light.

She narrowed her eyes. “Leave me alone.”

It growled again before turning around and jogging away.

She sheathed her knife, careful not to accidentally cut her belt in the process. “Hmph.” She scowled at the two dead mongrels before turning to continue her journey.

The Wall came into view before the rest of Diamond City and the guards paid her little mind as she walked in. By now the rest of the Great Green Jewel was awake and even a little girl stood on an overturned box by the entrance. Renee stopped before her.

“Arm yourself with the truth! The Publick is here to pull the wool out from under your eyes!”

Renee glanced around. “Wait, like Publick Occurrences?”

“The Commonwealth’s premier newspaper!” The girl nodded and held out a paper. “One free issue to newcomers!”

“No thanks. I’ve probably already read it.” Renee waved her hand. While in Bunker Hill she’d been forced to sell her books, and to pass the time, found some back issues of the Publick to read instead.

“In that case, can I interest you in a subscription?”

“Maybe some other time, kid.” Renee moved on to the market.

She ignored the shopkeepers hawking their wares and nearly ran into a Brahmin from one of the caravans as it passed. Above the din, she heard someone yelling about Swatters but ignored him too. Her target was Curie’s apartment and lab, and she wasn’t about to let anyone stop her.

Renee knocked on the door as she entered. “Curie?”

“Coming!”

She closed the door behind her. Curie kept her lab in the basement, and Renee entertained herself by looking around at the sparse decorations in the foyer. A shelf of worn books occupied one wall, while a laser rifle hung beside it. It looked well-loved, but she had a feeling it wasn’t by Curie’s hand.

“Ah, welcome back!” Curie wiped her hands on her lab coat. A pair of glasses were perched on her nose.

“Some Hubflowers, just like you wanted.” Renee dug them out of her bag and held them out.

“Fantastique, this is just what I needed!” Curie took the flowers with a grin. “Merci.”

“Yeah, no problem.” Renee raised her arm to rub the back of her neck. As she did so, Curie snapped out a hand to grab her wrist. “Um…”

Curie stretched out her arm. “What ‘appened to you?”

“Oh, that. I was running from some Mongrels and one managed to get me. It’s okay! I’ll be fine. Not the first time I’ve been bitten by something.”

The brunette arched an eyebrow. She began leading Renee down to the lab. “Zhe wound needs to be cleaned before infection sets in. Wild animals can carry all manner of disease.”

“I mean, I wouldn’t really call it a ‘wound’… I just need a Stim, it’s fine.”

Despite her protests, Curie had her sit on the now-familiar examination table while she brought over some water and something in an unmarked bottle. Renee slipped out of her jacket. “You know, if this keeps happening, I’m never going to be out of debt with you.”

Curie chuckled and began wiping down the bites. “Do not trouble yourself with paying me zhis time. I feel responsible; I sent you out to find samples, after all.”

“W-well…” Renee looked away.

Curie’s hands were surprisingly strong, but her touch remained gentle. She cleaned out the injury and then fetched a Stimpak from one of her lab tables. “Zhis will actually be a wonderful time to test out a new formula I ‘ave been working on. If you do not mind.”

“As long as it doesn’t kill me.” Even still, Renee eyed the syringe.

“Oh no, it will not. But I am testing to see if it is more effective zhan ozher Stimpaks. It is…difficult to test on myself.” Curie slid the syringe in Renee’s arms and emptied it.

The bites closed like a normal Stimpak would heal them. Soon all that remained were small scars that would fade in time. Renee turned her arm over and back, nodding. “See? Good as new.”

Curie sighed. “I was ‘oping it would be faster… Well, I know now zhat zhe formula does not lie with Tatos, at least.” She disposed the syringe. “Zhere.”

“Thanks, again.” Renee continued to sit on the table. She crossed her ankles and swung her legs back and forth. “So I guess that’s what the Hubflowers are for, huh?”

“Yes, my experiments.” Curie turned to a different table, this one covered in beakers and flasks and papers. “So far I ‘ave not ‘ad much luck. You see, typical Stimpaks are no good on hard tissue, such as bone. I am trying to remedy zhis.”

Renee winced. “Trust me, I’m aware.”

Curie glanced at her before picking up a test tube. “Stimpaks were invented for zhe military to serve as field medicine. As such, zhey excel in closing flesh wounds, but are not so effective on more severe wounds.” She put the tube down again and turned. “Such as your shoulder, par exemple. A Stimpak may close zhe wound, but it will do nozhing for a broken bone, and potentially incorrectly heal a torn ligament.”

“I’m aware of that too.” Renee frowned as she remembered her childhood antics that often landed her in the local doctor’s office.

The brunette hummed. “You seem to be well-acquainted with injury.”

“You could say that…” Renee jumped down from the table. “Well, what’s the next thing you need me to get for you?”

“Actually, zhis request is much safer.” Curie shuffled some papers around before finally finding the one she needed. “Could you do some shopping for me?”

Renee took the paper with a smile. “As long as you provide the caps.”

“But of course.” Curie returned it. “I appreciate your willingness to help.”

“I appreciate you being willing to patch me up when I need it. Though, we’ve gotta stop meeting like that.”

“Per’aps. But I do not mind.”

Renee looked away to distract herself before her cheeks turned red. Already she could feel the start of a blush weaving its way up her neck. “Right…” She cleared her throat.

(Originally published Sept. 1, 2021)