#covered in dirt and thin as a twig

[bigfrogdraws]

YOU WORRY TOO MUCH, YOU MAKE YOURSELF SAD

YOU CAN'T CHANGE FATE, BUT DON'T FEEL SO BAD

ENJOY IT WHILE YOU CAN, IT'S JUST LIKE THE WEATHER

WELL, SO QUIT COMPLAINING, BROTHER, NO ONE LIVES FOREVER

LET'S HAVE A PARTY, THERE'S A FULL MOON IN THE SKY

IT'S THE HOUR OF THE WOLF, AND I DON'T WANNA DIE

[wh1msic4lwasab1]

𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ཐི❤︎ཋྀ

art cred: maichiatto62 (x)

☦︎synopsis: you get chased by a dark and undetermined figure in the woods, and run toward a dreadful castle that houses a seemingly kind man, will you stay awhile?

☦︎genre: smut w/plot

☦︎tags: vampiric hypnotism, mentions of blood, biting, corruption, dialogue heavy, degradation “whore” , loss of virginity, cunnalingus, creampie, mirror

☦︎wrd cnt: 2.2k

☦︎a/n: vampires and gothic literature is my favorite so this was a dream to write and I hope anyone reading enjoys!

Twigs and thistle snap under your feet as you walk through the fruit berring bushes, feeling the low laying leaves scratch your ankles.

You lost track of time and try to find your group, you probably should have skipped this hiking trip. Or at least wore shorts that covered your knees. The night drew upon your haggard form quite quickly, and the temperature dropped significantly.

You tried your best to find the light of the campfire you knew was there before you left.

After a few minutes of silent walking, besides your rummaging footsteps, you hear a loud thud somewhere behind you.

Your back straightened up like a rod, “Hello?” Your voice echos slightly, bouncing off the trees and up toward the stars. You prayed like hell it was one of your friends, coming to your salvation.

When nobody answered you after your third call out, you kept walking.

You heard another loud noise, as if a bolder dropped straight into a big pile of leaves, trembling the ground you stood on.

Frozen in fear, like a deer, you stand in the middle of a plot of dirt surrounded by the thick trees and shrub.

Your eyes open wide and your hands balled up in fists, you survey the area until you find the source of the sound.

A tree, wounded with a big chunk missing from the side.

It still stood tall, but reckoned to snap if it had been torn just a few more inches towards the unbent side.

You wondered who could have caused such destruction, or rather what.

You would find out soon enough, when you examine the tree to find streaks of blood scattered over earthen hide.

Following the trail you discovered the remains of some animal.

Well that’s what you think it was, it had been mangled and torn in such a brutal manner there was no way to identify exactly what it could have been.

As you tried your best to figure it out, a black shadow stalked you from afar.

Red orbs visible with stillness behind a tree, slowly growing larger in your view as it approached. The dimness of the atmosphere cloaked it well.

You stepped back, shoes muddied and heavy as you ran. You ran until you saw the nearest source of light, not bothered to look behind you to whatever was chasing.

Your labored breath became cold and dryed out your throat.

You ran and ran until you found a rather tall and lucrative looking building, somewhat of a mansion or moreso fitting of a castle.

Where the hell did that come from? You’ve never seen anything like it before in all the times you’d hiked in these woods.

You didn’t have much time to question it, but ran right to the door.

It was slightly crept open, so you figured it must have been some kind of open house or exhibit.

You rushed in, shutting the grand door.

As you caught your breath, you almost screamed when you heard a man’s voice right behind you. Who you somehow didn’t see when first stepping in, as if he’d appeared from thin air.

“Good evening.” The man said, burning candle in his hand.

You turned before he could even finish his greeting, a look of utter terror in your eyes.

“Are you well dear? You’re bleeding”

You didn’t even notice, but your knees had been scrapped and dripping blood halfway down your shins.

His eyes lit a shade of red barely able to be detected, or maybe it was just the reflection of the flame? You were quite scared and paranoid after all.

“Oh- I’m so sorry, The door was open and I didn’t know anyone was here- Someone was chasing me.”

“Oh my, are you alright? Come, let me offer you safety tonight.” He beckoned you to follow him, the rays of the small flame from the wax stick guiding you as he most graciously offered you a safe heaven in his home.

You looked around at the torchlit walls, it felt dark and cold throughout the entire place.

He walked you up 2 flight of stairs, his pace was quite constant throughout, almost like he was floating on each step.

You soon arrived into a hallway full of paintings adorning the walls, hand painted it seemed. So beautiful you had to point it out.

“You have a lovely home- is this artwork all yours?” You ask.

“Yes. I have quite a bit of spare time on my hands, so I much enjoy art.” He answered. The man’s voice was deep and mellow.

You walked down the red carpet hallway to the room all the way to the end, it seemed to be one of the many dozens.

There was a large canopy bed lined with dark lace and wooden upholstery.

“Please, spend the night here until morning. I wouldn’t want you to endanger yourself.”

Before you could even agree to his much eager assistance, he walked over to a box near the fireplace side table and pulled out several glass vials and bandages.

You walked toward him, and sat down per his instruction.

“Thank you- You’ve been so kind to me. Why?”

He chuckled, kneeling down to your level and applying an ointment to the cloth.

“Why? How ever could I turn away such a frightening young lady at my door. There are dangerous things in those woods.”

His tone sounded very concerned, but horrifyingly casual.

“What is your name Sir? If it’s okay to ask.”

“It’s perfectly okay. You can call me Blade.”

“Blade…Nice to meet you” What a strange name.

“Likewise. Now please, allow me.”

You nod, before he dabs a stinging oil to your knee. One by one.

He handles you well, gently.

His cold hands held your calves as he bandaged up your wounds.

He gets up from his knelt position, seeming even taller than he is when he stands from this view.

His long black hair was so dark it seemed blue, ends dipped in a color that resembled the shade of holly berries.

He sat down on the chair opposite of you, his face framed by the fireplaces glow behind him now.

“So tell me dear, what exactly happened?” His voice dripping in concern.

“I…really don’t know. I got lost hiking with my group and I tried to find them, but then I kept hearing weird noise in the forest and I thought it could be them looking for me. But-“

You stopped, reliving the sequence you just ran from.

He waited patiently for you to continue, his sculpture like face and rich eyes giving you their utmost attention.

“I saw blood, and a dead animal, I think a wolf or something could have done it. But there was a man- in the woods. It kept staring at me and getting close. So I ran for a while until I found your- castle?” You chuckle a little, the term house seemed beneath such a grand sanctuary.

“Maybe a werewolf?” The man said, giving you an amused chuckle. He waves his hand, “But anyways…That all sounds very frightening, I’m glad you found me.”

You nod, “As am I” you assure.

Whatever it was you are safe now y/n, very safe.” He took your hands into his own, giving them a positive squeeze with smiling eyes.

You nodded, but soon a hitch in your throat appeared and you felt like your stomach got kicked.

“I never told you my name.”

A smile appeared on his face, “Smart girl.”

His eyes glowed the same shade of sanguine you saw in the forest, chasing you. You could see two sharp teeth sticking past his upper lip, his smirk revealing to you his true identity.

You quickly get up, startled enough to drop the chair behind you and fall back onto the bed.

“Who are you-“ You scream, tears forming in the corners of your eyes as he stood slowly and walked toward you.

“I already told you that, didn’t I?.”

He cupped your face, making you look straight up at him.

“Please- don’t hurt me.” You plead, tears now falling from your eyes and staining your cheeks.

“Hurt you? I just tended to your wounds, why do you think I’ll harm you dear?” His voice sounds even lower at this point, and his eyes fiery.

You kick back your leg and retreat further back into the bed, almost yelling, “You’re a vampire-!”

“And your blood smells so deliciously decadent…I almost couldn’t resist tasting you a moment ago.” He crawls toward your frame, his large hands making deep prints into the mattress.

His eyes seemed to glow in a pattern, the color deepening snd glowing slowly as he got toward you.

Your body felt weak, as if magnetic to him. Almost willing to amuse him.

“What are- what are you doing to me-“

“I haven’t done a thing. I’m just increasing the magnitude of your emotions dear. Whatever you feel at this moment is your utmost desire spilling out every orafice in your body.”

You felt your mind whirl, your body get hotter with every inch he grew closer to you.

He soon wrapped his palms behind your back, seating you in his lap.

You felt an animalistic urge settle upon you, breathing even heavier than when you ran away from him earlier.

He grazed his hand up and down your legs, taking off your shoes and socks, rubbing the sore soles of your feet.

“You must get more comfortable my dear, you seem less tense, good.” He says, slowly pressing his lips to yours as you hold his shoulder.

His tongue found yours, warm in contrast to the rest of him; tangling itself in a waltz.

He nipped at your bottom lip and pricked it, tugging at it and licking the blood that drew from it with his tongue. “Virgin blood…You are truly magnificent.”

You felt your face heat up more than your body, his presence making you feel an insatiable hunger for lust.

“Blade- please…I feel-“

“Concupiscent? I can tell, y/n”, he said, his hand trailing up to your thigh and rubbing your heat through your shorts.

You roll your hips at his touch, a small mewl escaping you.

He picks you up and plops you down further back on the bed, your head hitting the pillow softly as his large frame hovers above your body.

“I can be very thorough in relieving your…lustful desires.”

“Please- yes…” You softly gasp, feeling his lips close to your neck before they kiss you.

Hungrily he rips your top apart, as if it were made of paper.

You quiver at his touch, fear set aside and now unrelentingly yearning for all of him.

“You need not worry…I will take, good, good care of you.”

You nod, watching him soon trail his lips down to your exposed chest.

He circles the tip of his tongue around your nipple, taking it entirely in his mouth to hear you moan out; the other in his hand, his hips grinding to meet your heat as he grinds into you through the fabrics keeping you apart.

“You are a marveling beauty.” He adds, his hands finding the hem of your shorts and pulling them right down, along with your panties.

He pulled back, holding your legs apart and examining every part of you, taking in the view of his next meal.

He watched you shyly try to look away, smirking when he saw how utterly messy your cunt was, glistening and dripping juices down to the sheets.

He didn’t waste much time after that, kissing your inner thigh before planting one on your clit.

He made the most deep, sinful noises as he lapped at your cunt, his eyes not breaking contact with yours as he inserts two long and slender fingers inside you.

He seemed to almost gain more pleasure from sucking on your clit than you did, almost.

You reacted like a beast in heat, legs trembling and hands gripping the sheets as your thighs pressed the sides of his face to pull him deeper into you.

You came faster than ever before. Blade sucked every drop out of you, wiping the corner of his mouth before grabbing your wrists and pinning them above your head.

He kissed you once more, not biting this time. Yet.

Without giving you time to recoup- he shed his clothing and slapped his cock on your folds, slipping it inbetween them to get it ready for you.

“I need to taste you dear…truly taste you.”

“M-my blood?” You ask, feeling even weaker and more lustful.

“Yes” he whispers close to your lips, “You will let me drink from you, won’t you, my little temptress?”

You nod- pulling him close to you as if you’d wither without him.

“You are such an eager woman. I quite like that.” He says, before pushing his entire length deep, deep inside you. You groan, eyebrows furrowed harshly as you experience such a reveling sensation.

“Fuck-“ He breathes, “You’re so tight…do you ache for me so deep? You’re sucking me in so much…such a naughty whore you are.”

He moved in and out slowly, making you feel every vein and along his shaft.

You could feel his breathe on your chest, and soon his teeth.

He sinked them into the top of your breast, sucking the blood out of you ferociously as he rutted inside you faster now, making you cry out as tears rolled down your face in pleasure.

“Ah- Blade!…”

“It will only hurt for a moment…I’ll fuck you so deeply you won’t dare to forget it.” He spouts, his mouth dripping with your blood before going back in to take more.

You quickly notice a mirror behind Blade, you haven’t noticed it before but he wasn’t in it of course. All your blurry vision could attest was your spread apart pussy, gaping with a thick hole as you watched yourself be torn apart in the most delicious way, blood dripping down to your nipple, soon to be licked up from Blade tongue, as your body moved with the rhythm of the bed; snapping out of your trance once you heard his suckling.

He whimpered and moaned as he drank, gripping your ass harder as he thrusted into you at a pace you could nearly pass out from.

So much of your cum created a ring around his cock, squelching noises filled the room and muffled the crackling of the wood in the fire.

His grasp on the fat of your ass deepened, possessiveness overwhelming him.

“You’re mine now. You don’t belong in those treacherous woods, you will stay right here.” He commanded, imaging all the ways he’d ruin your perfect pussy, wrapped around him so well he was convinced you were destined to take him, to be his and his only to fuck, eat, and fill.

In response to his hold, you clenched your walls around him tighter until you felt warm fluid rush into your womb, nodding to his wishes profusely as you release together in the romantically gothic room, your breath huffing as you came down from an intense high.

Blade on the other hand, well the stamina of a vampire is quite impressive.

whimsic4alwasab1 ™ - do not copy, translate, modify, or claim any of my work as your own.

[yanderecrazysie]

ARACHNOPHOBIA (Yandere Gojo)

I'm literally so embarrassed, I posted this on the wrong account. I'm such an idiot lmao

As promised by the poll. Glossophobia coming eventually lol. All characters are adults.

Please don’t request any phobias. I just felt like making this for fun.

I’m not great at writing Gojo, so take this as is XD

Title: Arachnophobia

Pairings: Gojo Satoru x Reader

WARNINGS: Yandere themes, drider Gojo, NSFW, NON-CON, virgin reader

Phobia: The fear of spiders

“I’ll be right back, Papa.”

Your elderly father sat up in his bed, staring at your retreating figure, “You’re getting your herbs from the village, right?”

“Of course, Papa,” you replied. 

A lie - there were no herbs that would heal him in the village.

The old man laid back down, weakly waving goodbye to you. You felt badly about lying to him, but there was no way you could tell him the truth.

The forest had a reputation for being dangerous, especially as twilight settled in. The tall, ancient trees caused long, crooked shadows across the overgrown paths. Mysterious disappearances and reports of strange creatures made these woods well-known, and not in a good way.

You had always been one for adventure, but even you felt apprehensive about entering. It wasn’t like you really had a choice. If you wanted to heal your father- the only family member you had left… Well, you could only find those herbs within the infamous forest.

As you walked along the burr-covered path, the dirt barely able to be seen under the waist-high grass, you found yourself tripping over vines and wincing as thorns caused stripes of blood to cover your legs. The trees grew thicker as you traversed deeper into the forest and the leaves above you began to obscure the already-fading light.

There were no sounds other than the occasional snap of twigs underfoot. No owls, no bats, no signs of life whatsoever. You took a deep breath and steadied your nerves. 

You felt like you were being watched.

Eventually, you came across a clearing, bathed in the soft glow of the full moon. You dropped to your knees and sifted through the underbrush, finding the herbs you had told about immediately. Three dark, sharp-edged leaves and red berries, only made difficult to get by the thick cobwebs that stuck to the branches.

A soft rustling sound behind you caught your attention. You paused, hands full of leaves and berries, and you held your breath, ears straining. There it was again… closer this time.

You stood up slowly, scanning the treeline for movement. It was strange- you hadn’t noticed the copious amounts of spiderwebs in the trees before. Giant silvery strings that stretched from tree trunks to sagging branches.

“Lost in the woods, are we, butterfly?”

The voice was smooth and playful. It sent a chill down your spine- a voice like that didn’t belong here. You turned towards the source and backed into the bush as a figure emerged from the shadows. At first glance, he was a tall, handsome man with striking blue eyes, pure white hair, and a charming smile. 

The moment he stepped into the moonlight, that illusion was shattered.

His lower half was the body of a giant spider- long, segmented legs covered in white hair and a sleek, white abdomen. The contrast between the handsome human and creepy spider was jarring, making him some mix between beautiful and terrifying.

“Wh-what the fuck are you?” you stammered, tripping backwards over the bush and landing on something soft.

He chuckled, “My name is Gojo Satoru. And you, little butterfly, have ventured quite far from safety.”

Your heart was pounding so hard you thought it would beat out of your chest, “I’m just here for herbs. I’ll leave right away.” 

You tried to stand up, only to realize the soft thing you’d landed on was an intricate spiderweb. Panic set in as you struggled against the sticky webs.

“Oh dear, is the little butterfly stuck?” Gojo asked with a mocking laugh. You glared at him, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. “Ahh… so cute… to think I finally get to see you up close.”

It took you several seconds to process what he had said, “You know who I am?”

Gojo’s grin widened, “Let’s just say I’ve been wanting a moment like this for a while. Any other human that wandered into my territory, I’d eat. But not you, little butterfly.”

“So what are you planning to do to me?” you demanded.

If it was possible, his grin widened even more so that you could see two long fangs among his human teeth, “Guess.”

Your gaze traveled over his body before catching sight of something throbbing under the spider’s body. Suddenly, something slid out of the white- something long and thick and flesh-colored…

“Oh no- no no no no NO!” you screeched, fighting against the stubborn strands that entrapped you.

Gojo let out a loud laugh and carelessly took ahold of your shirt with two spider legs and lifted it over your head. You tried desperately to escape the web, but it was useless. The back of the shirt and the sleeves remained stuck to you, but the front was ripped off with the force of Gojo’s strength.

“No bra?” Gojo laughed, “It’s like you wanted this to happen.”

Tears sprang to your eyes as his human hands groped both breasts, his bright blue eyes glued to the way they moved under his hands. Spindly spider legs tore your jeans off, breaking the web off your legs in the process.

Unfortunately, you were still stuck from the waist up, the sleeves trapping your shoulders in place and your arms splayed like angel’s wings. Gojo leered at your underwear, snickering at the pure white color and the little pink bow on the front. 

“It’s like you knew this was going to happen,” he said before tearing that off of you too.

Your naked body trembled in fear and cold as your nipples pebbled in response to the chilly air. You tried to look away from the half-spider creature, but you felt something slimy and hard begin to grind against your thigh.

Slimy? You risked a glance and immediately wished you didn’t. Attached to the pure white belly of the spider was a mostly-human-looking cock. It had a strange texture and it was covered in a weird wetness, but otherwise it was pretty normal. Except that it was absolutely massive.

You began to shake your head frantically. There was no way you could take that thing in you. You’d never even been with a human guy before, much less this giant spider creature!

Gojo’s laugh echoed through the forest as he took in your terrified expression. “Don’t worry, little butterfly, I’ll be gentle.”

Gojo’s spindly spider legs held you firmly in place as he mounted you and positioned his monstrous cock at your unprepared entrance. His human hands reached up to cup your breasts, teasing your nipples into harder peaks as he slowly pushed inside of you.

You let out a gasp as the head popped inside and let out a cry of pain. The slimy texture allowed him to push inside farther, despite your lack of arousal, but it was still agonizing.

Gojo let out a satisfied groan as he gave a rough shove of the hips and bottomed out inside you. You let out a scream as his massive cock filled you completely, stretching your cunt to its limits.

It was painful and uncomfortable, but Gojo didn’t seem to care, nor did he honor his promise of “being gentle”. He began to thrust in and out of you with abandon, his legs pinning you down as he took what he wanted from your body.

Your body shook with each powerful thrust but, slowly, the pain began to fade, replaced by an unfamiliar sensation. 

Gojo’s human hands continued to tease your breasts, sending waves of pleasure through your body. Despite your initial fear and disgust, you began to respond to his touch.

Your hips began to roll in time with his, your body seeking more of the strange pleasure he offered you. Gojo let out a low growl as he felt your body respond to him and increased his pace, driving into you harder and faster. Wetness spread between your legs, your mind betrayed as your body gave into the pleasure.

With one final thrust, Gojo let out a triumphant roar as he came deep inside you. Your body shook with the force of his release, your own orgasm following closely behind.

You lay against the web, panting and spent, as Gojo slowly pulled out of you, sliding a hand gently against your cheek and smiling. “You did a great job, little butterfly.”

Shame immediately flooded you and tears leapt to your eyes. How could you enjoy being fucked by a spider? Gojo pouted at the sight and pulled you from the web.

“You’ve had your fun,” you spat, trying to ignore the cum starting to drip out of you, “Now let me go home.”

“Oh little butterfly,” Gojo laughed, “The fun’s only just started.”

[kzdigiarc]

desire ♱ 001

♰ pairings :: ot8 vampire!ateez x fem!witch!reader

♰ genre :: dark fantasy, smut, strangers to ?? to lovers, fluff, maybe slight angst?, soulmates/fated lovers

♰ gen. content :: polyamory , references to religious themes, witchcraft and magick, mythical beings of all kinds, mentions of other idols, vampires with magical abilities, switches povs

♰ chapter warnings :: fear/anxiety, description of injury

♰ word count :: 8.1k 0_0

♰ note :: this took me entirely too long but hey! first chapter woohoo!! this will be my first time ever writing a series but i'm very excited :] pls give me feedback i'd love to hear your thoughts! and if i missed any warnings lmk!!

♰ main m.list | series m.list | next ♰

i've been walking for quite some time, i realize probably much later than i should. the sun had started setting long ago and now the forest was almost too dark to really see anything. but i need this mushroom. if this ointment isn't finished by tomorrow the merchants will never buy it and then how will i feed myself for the next week or so- 

snap!

i feel my heart thump against my rib cage as my head whips up at the distinct sound of a twig snapping. i focus my gaze on where the sound came from and watch as a squirrel scuttles up the trunk of a large tree. i feel the tension in my body release a little. great, now i'm being paranoid. if i hadn't gotten so absorbed in that book then maybe i wouldn't have to be out here past dark searching for a damn plant. as i grumble to myself internally, i become less and less aware of my steps which is never good for someone who trips over thin air more than is probably considered normal. and in that moment, the universe seems to prove that point by way of me tripping over a large rock and falling flat on my stomach. i groan as pain shoots through my already bruised knees (from tripping prior to this). brushing off dirt and leaves i stand back up and huff. i accept defeat and turn to hopefully find my way back to my cabin. only to realize, i have no idea where i am. have i seriously wandered so far? i do a 360 and cannot recognize any of the trees surrounding me. anxiety starts to settle in my gut as i come to the conclusion i am very lost. you'd think living in the woods would teach me enough lessons about roaming said woods in the dark...but apparently not. even still, standing here will get me nowhere so i turn back the way (i think) i came from and start to make the journey back. i pray to every god there is that i do not manage to get more lost as i try to keep track of the trees that i am passing… with little luck since its only getting darker. 

ssssnap!

i freeze mid step as a branch snaps somewhere behind me. whatever that was sounded much bigger than a squirrel. my heart pounds in my chest as the overwhelming fear twists my gut. reluctantly, my head turns to the sound to see nothing but a vast, dark ocean of trees. the once comforting darkness spikes my paranoia as my eyes struggle to focus on my surroundings. i hear another branch snap and whip my head to my right. still, i see nothing but darkness. this is not good. with no other option, i continue the path i started. anxiety courses through me as i walk and now im acutely more aware of every little sound, down to the puff of my own breath leaving my mouth. as the fear crawls up my spine, i start to walk faster and faster until im damn near jogging. i continuously stumble over the natural debris covering the forest floor but i keep my brisk pace, not bothering to slow down.

as my boots catch on a particularly large tree branch, i fall and look up to see that i seem to have come into a decent sized... clearing. in the middle of the woods? i push myself to my feet and look around to see a near perfect circle of space between the cluster of trees. i step farther out of the tree line and strain my eyes to try and see anything that could help me identify where i am. but i definitely would have remembered this clearing if i'd ever stumbled across it before. i've never seen anything like this in these woods besides the clearing surrounding my own home. as i look around confusedly, i forget that there was a small chance i was being followed by something. instead astonishment replaces the fear as i look around. but not for long. i start to hear the distinct sound of crunching leaves coming from my right. this time my entire body freezes for a fraction of a second and i do not turn to see whatever it is coming for me. instead i turn left and start to run. as i sprint through the tree line, i make it long enough that the clearing behind me starts to morph back into endless trees. but turning back to look proves to be a mistake as i trip once again and fall, unable to catch myself as i collide with the ground. sharp pain shoots through my knee again and i know this time i would not just have a bruise. i wince and cry as i push into the dirt to roll onto my back. 

through my fear, i could only hear my boots making contact with the earth beneath me but now that i am still i can definitely hear the pursuit of something coming towards me. it doesn't sound like running but then again i may not be able to hear over the sound of my own pounding heart and heaving breaths. i attempt to scramble to my feet and push through the pain in my leg but i can only manage a weak limping jog. i feel tears pool in my eyes as i stop to lean my side against a tree. there's just no way i'll make it to my cabin like this. and there's no way i'd beat whatever it is that's following me. as the pain in my knee starts to throb, i sink lower until i'm sitting with my back against the tree. through my wallowing i failed to realize that the sound from before had stopped. as i turn my head to look around, i spot a silhouette off to my left. back from where i originally started running. it looks like.... a person? who in their right mind would be out this far? it seems like the seconds drag on as i stare wordlessly at the unmoving figure. i have no options to weigh so i wait. for impending doom most certainly. but there's nothing i can really do. trying to get up again really isn't practical and would just alert them to my location, if they don't see me already. 

i blink and suddenly the figure looks a lot closer than they were a second ago. no... my mind is playing tricks on me no one moves that fast. my heart rate kicks into high gear as the figure starts to become larger. they're definitely getting closer. my reflexes kick in and i scramble with no success to get onto my feet. i hear my breath stutter and a cry threatens to leave my lips as the figure finally really comes into view and then stops. though it's still very dark, they're close enough now that i can see the person is a man. he's human looking... enough. but that doesn't really quell my fear. he's still not close enough that he could hear me if i spoke in a normal tone but i know he can see me. i watch as his head tilts to the side for a second before he starts to walk, much slower now, towards me. 

"are you injured?" though he's still not very close, his voice carries and i can hear the genuine concern (and confusion) in his tone. he sounds human enough. i nod, not trusting my voice at this current moment. he walks until he's standing an arms length away and then crouches down. 

"i apologize. i didn't mean to frighten you, are you lost?" oh. though i tried to focus on his words i became quickly distracted by his voice. a smooth rich tenor that made my brain a little fuzzy. i still can't see his face clearly but he has to be pretty with a voice like that. i was so caught up in my own thoughts i completely ignored his question. "oh, that may not be an appropriate thing to ask... uh if you're okay with it, i may be able to help you." he quickly backpedals once he gets no response from me. it takes me a few seconds to answer but really what have i got to lose? only my literal life. i can't get anywhere like this and there's... something about him. i would say my intuition has never done me wrong and if i'm trusting it, he doesn't seem likely to hurt me. so i nod once again and try to will the shakiness out of my voice. 

"okay... i um, i can't walk." i say, my voice quiet as i look to my leg that is still in pain. he follows my gaze as if he could really see what i was referring to. nevermind the dark, he definitely can't see past the two skirts i have on and the knee high socks and combat boots. he seems to realize this fact as he clears his throat and turns back to me. 

"i can carry you... if that's alright with you, of course." he answers back. he almost sounds shy... or embarrassed? not being able to see his face clearly is really bugging me but i nod anyway. he moves to make it easier for him to maneuver me before an arm encircles my waist and i'm being lifted from my seated position. i quickly swing my arm to go around his shoulders, ignoring the warmth i feel creeping up my neck, and try to hold most of my weight. once he has me mostly lifted up he scoops his other arm under my legs. i hiss when the movement causes a jolt of pain through my knee. 

i feel him tense and i rush to reassure him. "i'm okay, sorry my knee is just.... i'm fine really." i say and he relaxes, letting out a soft ‘okay’ as he stands back up to full height. as he starts to walk i can't help but try and study his face. this close i can see him a bit more clearly but not by much, the only light being from the bright, full moon. i can see enough to notice his hair and the outline of his features but not much more than that. as i look at him, i feel a question bubble to the surface and can't help but voice it.

"why are you helping me?" i ask hesitantly, hoping it doesn't sound like an accusation. 

"well... had i not frightened you, you would not have gotten injured. i do sincerely apologize, i had not expected you to run." he says matter-of-factly, like that was the entire reason he approached me in the first place. even though i can feel that that’s not the entire reason he started to follow me, i see nothing else to say so we continue on in silence. i watch as the trees break and we end up back in the clearing. which confuses me but i say nothing. once we're a few paces away from the tree line he stops. expecting to see nothing, i turn and look out into the clearing. except now there's a very large mansion sitting in the middle of it. my jaw drops as i stare. there's absolutely no way i would've missed that! but then i feel it. there's a subtle tremor in the air like a shimmering in the energy. magick. it tingles against my senses and if i didn't practice magick i would never have felt it. but it's definitely there. there’s no way… illusion magick is hardly used anymore and you'll find very few who are able to conjure illusions around anymore, most magick users being wary of them. so how he managed an illusion this strong is beyond me. i reach out with my senses, trying to feel the man's aura but i sense nothing out of the ordinary. he feels… normal. so how in the hell- he's..not alone. as the realization dawns on me, the mansion comes to life, lights turning on inside and out. 

"ah, this would probably be a good time to mention that i do not live alone." he says sheepishly as he looks down at my awestruck expression. "most of my housemates should be asleep or off to their own activities so we most likely won't be disturbed." i don't miss the maybes in that statement. 

"oh...okay." i breathe out still not believing my eyes. just as he's about to continue walking, the grand front door slowly swings open. i think i hear him mutter something under his breath but i don't pay attention long enough to try and discern what it was. the man standing at the door is tall in stature and i notice a similarity in the way they carry themselves with the grace of someone of high status. almost royal in a way. he strides down the steps towards where we stand but stops farther away than i assumed he was going to. 

"who's this?" the taller man says as he looks between me and the man currently cradling me. i probably should've gotten his name. he seems to realize this too as he looks down at me with furrowed brows. 

"y/n... i'm y/n." i answer instead, trying to save the awkwardness.

"and i'm yunho, nice to meet you. what...happened, seonghwa?" yunho smiles as he says it but he shares a look with his housemate, who i now know the name of, that i don't understand. 

"i startled her and she fell while running. her knee seems to be injured." seonghwa summarizes but there's another look that passes between the two. like they're not just having this conversation out loud. 

"ah, i see. well in that case, you're in good hands." yunho shifts his gaze to me and his eyes soften, similar to the way it would if you were trying to console a wounded animal. i can't help but smile at the kindness in his tone. seonghwa walks up to yunho and the latter turns to go back up the steps with us in tow. as we walk through the door, i'm immediately overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of the interior. and we're only in the foyer! i can't even begin to imagine the rest of the mansion. 

the decor is dark; a blend of black, silver, and shades of red everywhere you turn. in the middle of the foyer sits a small pedestal with a statue of a woman with devilish wings standing atop it. she stares up with long, clawed hands reaching up towards the luxurious chandelier that glitters like diamonds. the floors are dark marbled tile and the ceilings are higher than i thought was ever possible. there's a wide, curved staircase on either side leading up to what i can assume is another beautiful foyer. down the hall in front of us leads to what i can see is the living room on one side and the kitchen and dining area on the other. i can't see the details from here but i see the decor in there is also black and red. the entire place is lit up in a warm glow from the light fixtures lining the walls. 

as i admire the opulence, i forget about the two men waiting with me. that is until i feel eyes on me. when i snap out of my daze i see yunho looking at me, there's a gentle smile curving his lips and w o w. in the dark i couldn't make out his features very well but... he is beautiful. even more so than his home. my eyes rove over his tall, lean figure and i try not to let my jaw hang. his brown hair is highlighted with honey blonde streaks throughout and his skin is perfectly clear. he's dressed head to toe in black with a long overcoat that brushes the back of his shins. the only color in his ensemble is the red on the inside of his coat and red accents on the undone buttons of his loose black shirt. the smile curving his lips slowly morphs into a smirk as i continue to stare. we make eye contact and i shift my gaze immediately, embarrassed at having been caught. 

"we will have to go upstairs, all of my supplies are in the study at the moment." seonghwa says apologetically, though i only realized halfway through his statement that he was speaking to me. i turn to look up at him and am once again struck by beauty beyond my comprehension. no seriously, what did i walk into? and how many more of them are there?! i try (and fail) to stare less but i can't help it. his eyes are sharp, almost piercing but also kind as he looks at me. blonde strands of hair fall into his eyes and i have the strangest urge to push them away. his skin is clear even this close and he smells delightful. has he smelt like this the whole time and why have i just noticed? i snap out of it quickly enough that neither of them suspects my silence and reassure him that it's fine. 

"i'll leave you both to it, i have things to attend to. but if you need anything let me know." yunho smiles and bows his head at me before passing another silent look with seonghwa. he walks away, hands in his pockets as he takes the steps. he turns as he gets to the top, sparing me a last look and there's something i can't put my finger on in his eyes. but then he's disappearing down the hall before i can decipher what his look meant. 

seonghwa

i look down at the girl in my arms out of my periphery again. for the millionth time since we arrived at the mansion. i wonder if she's noticed me stealing glances at her. not likely considering she has yet to mention it. i just don't understand. she shouldn't have been able to get into the clearing let alone our home. she stumbled through the barrier completely unaware of the alarm she raised inside these very walls. we all felt it when she passed through. the dim trill in the air, a slight shift in the energy. i can still feel the way my hair stood on edge and my senses heightened. our magick is powerful, we'd made very sure of it. so how was she here? and why? from what i can tell, she seems very human. she smells very human. 

she was right to have run at first but then she put up no fight coming here. it made no sense. this poor girl... she has no earthly clue what she's willingly walked herself into. or rather allowed me to lead her into. even now as i carry her up the steps, she seems utterly calm. of course i can still feel the way her heartbeat hasn't gone back to normal and i can feel the nervousness around the edges of her energy. but every time she looks up at me, her eyes are clear. no worry creasing her forehead or apprehension in her gaze. just clear curiosity. and i feel no anxiety with her here. not really. except for the swirling confusion, i feel... relaxed. definitely not how i should feel with an intruder in our veiled home. but i can sense it on yunho too. he wasn't afraid, just curious. maybe a little concerned. for her... she really shouldn't be here. 

i look at her once again and can’t help but be endeared at the awestruck expression that hasn’t left her features since we first stepped through the door. her eyes are wide with wonder as she looks around the halls and her lips are slightly parted as she takes everything in. i don’t even realize how long i’m staring, my eyes tracing over her features as we walk. despite how human she looks, she’s… beautiful. in an imperfect way. bright eyes, full lips, round cheeks, moles and freckles scattered across her nose. i watch as her lashes flutter every time she blinks and the way her tongue pokes out to wet her lips before she closes them. she’s enchanting. the thought snaps me out of my trance and i look forward to see us approaching the study. 

as we come to the door of the study i can hear the low murmur of voices on the other side. i pause, not wanting to disturb whoever is on the other side and also not wanting anymore of my housemates to know she's here. not that they can't smell her or sense her... but it would be best that no one else saw her. i don’t get much time to ponder my options because within the next second the study door swings open to reveal two more of my housemates. how lovely.

reader

oh you’ve got to be kidding me… i probably have the facial expression of someone who’s just seen a comet but really you can’t blame me. not only am i astonished by the sight of the immaculate study with a large, dark mahogany desk and more shelves of books than i could ever afford. but there’s also two very beautiful men staring at me inquisitively from the open doorway. 

“ah, i wasn’t aware we had company.” the shorter of the two says, clear apprehension in his tone as he looks me over. our eyes lock and mine roam over his face, his features somehow both soft and sharp. his blonde hair is styled and he’s dressed in a long, black overcoat that brushes the backs of his knees with red trim on the bottom with a vest over the white button up he wears. the buttons on his garments are all silver as is the jewelry that adorns his wrists and neck. my eyes trail over the necklaces he’s layered, all looking like they’d take me years to scrounge up enough money for one. grand, colored jewels and crosses hang off the chains of multiple while some just look like chain links. i glance back up at his face to see him already looking at me, a smirk curling his lips and a brow quirked. i quickly turn my attention to the man standing next to him to see him already looking at me, his gaze heavy and unreadable. where the other man’s features are softer, his are all sharp. piercing eyes, angled nose, plump lips, and a sharp jawline. he’s dressed in similar clothing except the inside of his coat is a deep purple and he has much more accessories. large rings, long necklaces, a plethora of bracelets. the top few bottons of his shirt are popped open and the muscular planes of his chest are on display. he’s much taller than the other two men and his long, muscular-looking legs show for it. his eyes never leave my face and for some reason, the look in his gaze makes me nervous causing me to look away quickly. 

“i apologize, she got injured and i offered my assistance. it is much too dark for anyone to be out there alone. we won’t be very long.” seonghwa says, sounding only slightly apologetic. it seems like he has more to say, an undercurrent to his tone, but he just shares a long look with the shorter male. the two men standing together look to each other, another one of those unspoken looks passing between the two. 

“that’s fine, we were… just about finished in here anyway.” the tallest one states and his voice, much deeper than the other two, pulls my gaze back to him. although he was speaking to seonghwa, his intense gaze stayed trained on me. there’s a question in his gaze but i’m not too sure what it’s about. i’m once again forced to look away but not before i got to drink in his features a little. it really shouldn’t surprise me that these two are just as gorgeous as seonghwa and yunho but still i am awestruck by their features. the two leave the room, both brushing past us quickly and not sparing a last glance as they continue down the long hall. 

seonghwa very quickly walks into the study and pushes the door closed with his foot. did i hear the lock click or am i imagining things? seonghwa sets me down gently on a soft brown sofa, being conscious of my injured knee. once he sees that i’m mostly comfortable, he paces over to the large desk and rifles through the drawers before pulling out a first aid kit. i take the time to really take in the room, straining my eyes to read the spines of the books i could see from where i sit. i can recognize a plethora of books on foliage and herbs, some i know i have on my own shelves.

“those books are san’s. he takes an interest in anything to do with plants and herbs.” seonghwa’s voice from the desk startles me out of my daze as i look to him. he looks to be pretty busy shuffling through the first aid, i didn’t think he was paying me any mind. but there’s a gentle smile on his face that i know i am not the cause of. there’s a fondness in his tone and aura when he spoke of this san, that must be why he’s smiling.

“well, ’san’ and i have something in common then.” i respond, a smile that mirrors his playing on my lips. 

“is that what you were in the forest for?” seonghwa inquires as he rounds the desk with what looks to be an ice pack, black gloves, and bandages in hand. 

i nod. “yes, i was looking for something to finish off this ointment i'm making. i was supposed to have it by tomorrow to take into town but… i don't think that's going to happen.” i say the last statement with a sigh as i look down at my hands fiddling in my lap. 

seonghwa hums as he comes to stand next to me on the sofa and i take note of how tall he is now that he’s not holding me. he kneels down to be directly in front of my knee, pulling the gloves over his nimble fingers. “well, i truly do not think it’d be safe for you to try and find your way back to your home now that night has fallen. even if one of us went with you, the forest is… different at night. but san may be able to help you find that plant in the morning, if that's something you'd appreciate. i don't assume this area of the forest is familiar to you?” as he speaks, he starts to move my skirts up and out of his way but my socks are still an issue. 

i answer him as i lean down to help him remove my boots and socks. “no… no i’m not familiar with this area at all. and i actually have no idea how i found myself over here… i wasn't meant to go too far but then it started to get dark and i lost my way… a few times.” i keep my gaze off him as embarrassment floods my mind. once my clothing is out of the way, we're both able to actually see the injury and i hear seonghwa take a sharp inhale next to me. that doesn't look pretty at all. my knee is inflamed and swollen with a nasty looking bruise right underneath and small cuts all over. i reach out to gingerly press two fingers to it and immediately retract my hand with a hiss. 

“how bad is your pain?” i look to seonghwa to see him studying the injury with furrowed brows. his gloved hands are cold as he shifts my leg back and forth, probably trying to gauge my mobility. but even that slight movement causes pain to shoot through my leg and i wince, reflexively trying to move out his gentle grasp. he murmurs an apology as he looks up at me through his lashes. i’m momentarily distracted by his gaze but quickly shake myself out of it. 

“it's… pretty bad. there's a dull throb even when i don't move it.” i answer his earlier question and try my hardest to keep still as he grabs a wipe from his lap to start cleaning the cuts. seonghwa nods but otherwise stays quiet as he starts the process of fixing the injury. we sit in silence as he cleans, bandages, and wraps my knee. i find it very difficult to keep my eyes off his face as his hands move nimbly on my skin. his beauty is incomparable, strong brows furrowed with concentration, sharp eyes with pretty lips. as if he can feel my stare, his eyes flick up to mine. i look away quickly pretending to stare at the shelf behind his head. i really hope he can’t hear the way my heartbeat sped up with that nanosecond of eye contact because it feels as if the organ might jump out of my chest. a man i just met should not have this effect on me. get a hold of yourself! 

seonghwa continues his work on my knee, seemingly completely unaware of my inner turmoil. between the calming silence and seonghwa’s gentle touches against my leg, i find myself relaxing further and further into my seat. just as my eyes start to feel heavy, a soft knock sounds on the wooden doors. both our heads look to the doors before i hear seonghwa sigh and mumble something along the lines of “excuse me” under his breath. he stands up and brushes the wrinkles out of his pants, making his way to the door. the beautiful, billowy sleeves of his white blouse sway with his arms as they swing at his sides and i watch him walk as if in a trance. i snap myself out of it and instead turn my gaze to inspect my knee. now that it’s cleaned and bandaged it doesn’t look as gruesome. the cool ice pack is relieving the pain and throbbing but the swelling won’t be down for a while. i’ll have to wait for seonghwa to make a decision on whether i’ll require more care or not but it doesn’t feel like anything more than a sprain. i test it out by twisting my leg and of course, feel pain shoot up my leg but surprisingly not as bad as before. my inspection is interrupted when seonghwa opens the door and a voice i recognize speaks up. 

“i apologize for disturbing you but hongjoong needs you. right now.” i hear seonghwa make a disapproving sound and i turn to look at the two. yunho’s already looking at me and seonghwa seems to be hesitant to leave. 

“i’m sure i’ll be fine, you can leave me if you need to attend to other things. can’t do much like this anyway.” i gesture to my leg and try to smile reassuringly. truthfully, the thought of being left alone in this beautiful strange home is making me nervous but i don’t need either of them to know that. both their brows furrow as they listen to me, neither of them really trusting my words. finally, seonghwa nods with a resigned sigh.

“i would not advise putting pressure on it but you should be alright to walk soon. allow the swelling some time to alleviate and do be careful.” he instructs and turns with a bow. yunho comes into the study and closes the door behind him. he takes long strides to the sofa opposite of mine and takes his seat. just like with seonghwa, i become entranced with the way he moves so gracefully despite his long limbs and stature.

“if you don’t mind me asking, how’d you do that?” yunho inquires curiously. his eyes are on my bandaged knee and he flicks them to my face for a second before looking back. 

mildly embarrassed, i laugh before explaining how i’d gotten here. i choose to leave out the part where seonghwa absolutely terrified me and pretend that me falling was all my own doing. i brush my hair back out of my face as i finish my spiel and it dawns on me that i probably look an absolute mess. i suppress the urge to cringe into myself, suddenly self-conscious. 

if yunho notices my sudden shift in attitude, he doesn’t mention it. instead he hums and nods as he looks back to me. “how does it feel? i know seonghwa’s pretty skilled with things like that. are you in any pain?” he asks and something about his voice puts my nerves at ease. i try not to think any longer about how the man sitting in front of me makes me feel and focus on answering his questions.

i shrug and shift my knee back and forth but notice the pain has subsided significantly. huh… that’s strange. “well… it doesn’t really seem to hurt at all anymore. doing this before hurt quite a bit but now i feel… fine.” i say, confusion lacing my words. i bend my knee experimentally and although it feels sore, the pain is barely noticeable. my brows furrow and i put my leg back down. yunho seems to understand my confusion and chuckles. 

“seonghwa’s got a way with wounds. we’ve all experienced it, trust me. you’ll be back to normal quite fast.” he stands and walks over to the desk, putting away the supplies seonghwa left out by accident. as he busies himself with that, i feel my attention shift back to the row of herbal books. one book in particular standing out to me. the spine is dark green with big, gold letters in a beautiful font and on the base, a golden honey cup mushroom. 

“would you like to read it?” i hear yunho’s voice from behind me and i jump, obviously too distracted to have noticed him move from the desk. he chuckles under his breath and the sound gives me butterflies. i shake away the feeling, internally reprimanding myself. “sorry, i didn’t mean to scare you. those are sannie’s books but i’m sure he wouldn’t mind you taking a look. do you want me to get it for you?” i turn around to see him leaning back against the shelves behind the sofa i’m on. this man is sinfully beautiful. 

clearing my throat, i respond. “no no, i think i can get up.” i lean down and pull my socks back on before carefully swinging my legs over to plant my feet on the marbled floors. i hear rustling behind me and see yunho making his way around the sofa. i push my hands into the cushions underneath me as i try to stand. yunho extends an arm to me a little panickedly, not trusting my balance and injured knee. but i wave my hand and get to my feet on my own. once i’m standing, i make sure to shift my weight to the non-injured leg and take a step. my face scrunches as i feel the soreness in my knee but it’s nothing i haven’t handled before. 

i limp my way over to the shelf and immediately my gaze zeros in on the pretty green book. i run my index finger over the lettering that reads “Mushroom Magick” before gently pulling it off the shelf. the cover has the same phrase with many different kinds of mushrooms decorating a circle around the words. the book feels familiar even though i know i don’t own this one and i flip to a random page. the page has a plethora of notes scrawled in rushed handwriting with highlights on phrases the owner of the book deemed important. i smile to myself reading some of the notes i assume the aforementioned ‘sannie’ left. i continue to flip through and read over the random notes they left before i finally come to a page without any annotations. this is where i assume they left off but i continue to skim through the pages until a presence behind me breaks my focus. i snap my head to see yunho standing a few paces behind me with his hands behind his back. he seems startled by the way i turned but recovers quickly with a polite smile.  

“i’m sorry to disturb you… but i promised seonghwa i’d make sure you were resting and i noticed your shifting. you can bring the book with you to the sofa, you probably shouldn’t be standing on your leg for so long.” yunho explains as he gestures to said sofa. in all honesty, i hadn’t even noticed my shifting so his observation is impressive… but that also means he’d been watching me pretty carefully and the thought makes me a little nervous. i have half the mind to decline his offer but a part of me feels like he’s more persistent than that. with a resigned sigh and nod, i limp back over to the sofa, mushroom book in my hand with my index finger in between the page i’m on to make sure i don’t lose it. i take my seat and he follows suit sitting, with much more grace than i had, on the sofa opposite to me. i notice his lack of entertainment and wonder for a second what he’s going to do while we sit here but decide that’s none of my concern before opening the book back up to the page i was on. 

the room is silent save for the sound of our a clock ticking and the pages of the book in my hands turning. i become quickly engrossed in what i’m reading, so much so i pay no mind to the man in the room with me. though i did look up one time when he got up to go to the desk. and maybe i stared at his figure for much longer than was necessary. it’s not like he noticed, by the time he’d turned back around my nose was in my book. a few more minutes and pages later, he gets back up again. this time he goes to examine a different shelf, one i can’t decipher the contents of from where i’m sat. i watch as he paces before he sighs softly to himself. he must feel my eyes because he swivels to turn to me. i snap my head down and try to refocus on the book but i can see from my periphery, him making his way over to the other sofa. i look up again as he sits and send him a small smile which he returns. i can see he wants to say something so i wait for him to speak before turning away. 

“would you… like a tour of the mansion? i can see you’re enjoying your book so i apologize but… i feel i might lose it being stuck in this room.” his smile is shy as he asks. he tries to look relaxed but the bouncing of his leg is hard to miss. i consider his offer as i stare at the ground, not really able to look any of them in the eye for very long. what i’d seen of their home was absolutely atonisihing and it’s hard for me to even imagine what the rest may look like so out of sheer curiosity (and maybe a small desire to want to be around his calming presence) i nod my agreement. 

his smile widens as he stands, holding his hands behind his back. i close the book, making a mental note of the page i was on in case i come back before placing it down on the cushion beside me. i get to my feet and i see yunho’s arm come from behind his back, probably to offer me support, but then he retracts it just as quickly when he sees me walking fine on my own. i start for the door, listening as yunho falls into step behind me. once we reach the door he side steps around me and reaches for the handle, pushing the door open and letting me step out into the hallway before him. the house is quiet as i look down the long hallways, yunho closing the door behind me before coming up on my right side. he smiles down at me as i look to him for directions and standing this close i can finally see just how tall he is. he gestures down the hallway to our right and turns to start walking, me having to play catch up to keep in time with his long strides. 

“hongjoong, seonghwa, and i designed this entire place ourselves. though most of the detail was seonghwa hyungs’ ideas.” he explains as we keep a leisure pace, allowing me to take in the beautiful architecture and artwork on the walls. we pass by many doors, yunho telling me what lies behind each one as we pass. another smaller study that only a few of them use, a few bedrooms one of which is unoccupied, a library that belongs to someone named ‘yeosang’. the heels of our boots clack against the marbled tile floors and his coat rustles as it fans out behind his long legs in the same way my skirts rustle as i walk. but a beautiful painting stops me in my tracks and yunho slows to a stop alongside me. i reach my hand out to brush over the canvas with barely my fingertips, mouth agape in awe. in the painting a beautiful woman with wings much like the ones on the statue in the foyer sits in the middle of a meadow, in one hand a large pomegranate and the other a skull of an animal. her lips are stained red with the juices of the pomegranate but the way she’s depicted licking it off her teeth as the juice drips off her tongue makes it look like blood. she’s completely nude, skin glowing from the light of the pale moon in the dark, starry sky over her head. a crow sits perched near her feet, picking at the seeds she took out the pomegranate and a cat is curled by her side, sleeping peacefully. her long dark hair flows beautifully down to her thighs, nearly brushing over the sleeping kittens ears. 

it’s completely unlike any painting i’ve seen, the artist putting such detail into the setting and atmosphere of the scene depicted. there’s something serene and intimate about the mood, like your’e peeking in on a moment between this woman and her companions. i turn to look at yunho to see him admiring the painting much like i was just doing. there’s a faint smile on his lips as his eyes trace over it before looking over to me.  it’s then that the feeling one of the residents of this home must have painted this themselves presents itself in my thoughts. 

“it took yeosang years to perfect this masterpiece but it’s one of his most prized pieces of work.” yunho confirms my previous suspicions as he brings up this ‘yeosang’ once again. looking back to the painting i can offer no other response but open-mouted awe. yunho chuckles at my expression. “yeosangie would be very flattered by your clear admiration. would you like to see more of his art or the rest of this wing?” he leaves the choice up to me as if it’s an easy decision. i look at him and then down the hall, lips parting to answer but the sound of a door opening pulls both of our attention. yunho turns to face down the hallway ahead of us as a figure steps out the opened door into the hallway with us. from the way he’s positioned, the other person can probably barely see me behind yunho’s giant figure. i try to step to the side to see down the hall but yunho’s arm closest to me moves up very subtly, a silent way of telling me to stay put. 

“yunho? who were you talking to?” a clear, slightly husky voice asks. it sounds like whoever it was has just woken up. 

“ah… no on-” yunho starts to deny my presence for reasons i don’t understand. a pit forms in my gut as anxiety creeps up my spine. why wouldn’t this other man be able to know i was here? i shift my weight to my non-injured leg, biting at my bottom lip nervously. the movement was a mistake because my skirts shift and ripple behind yunho’s legs. the other man’s eye immediately zone in on the movement and i freeze. i see yunho’s shoulders tense as the other man’s gaze slowly trails back up to look his housemate in the eye. then yunho releases a puff of air letting his shoulders drop and he steps to the side ever so slightly. “seonghwa brought her here. she got lost in the forest and hurt herself. i was just showing her around.” yunho explains, sounding defeated. the other man looks me over with his head tilted and cat-like eyes narrowed in suspicion. he’s not as tall as yunho but is broader than him, wide shoulders drawing my attention even from this distance. his jet black hair is ruffled from having just been asleep. he’s clad in a black t-shirt and sweatpants, the most casual dress of any the men i’ve seen thus far. our gazes lock and he seems to be trying to read me as he stares, eyes flitting around my face.

yunho breaks the tense silence by clearing his throat. “y/n, this is san. i think i mentioned him to you earlier in the study. san, this is y/n.” all san does in response is hum, looking away from me back to yunho. 

“does hongjoong know you’re showing her around?” san inquires, brow raised. yunho looks away, scratching the back of neck nervously. ah, that must’ve been why he didn’t want san to see me. but who was this ‘hongjoong’? every time he’s been mentioned, they speak of him in this high regard. “yunho… do you even know how long seonghwa plans on keeping her here? should she really be seeing… everyone?” as he asks the last question, san’s gaze turns to me again. there isn’t as much hardness in his gaze, just apprehension. like he doesn’t trust me. i suppose that would make sense, i am a random stranger in his home. yunho opens his mouth to speak but i cut in before he can get whatever he was going to say out. 

“i don’t plan on being here much longer, i assure you. i appreciate all of seonghwa’s kindness but i have things to attend to back at my own home. he was just offering me shelter for the night since it’s dark and i lost my way. in the morning, i’ll be going back to my cottage.” i answer san’s inquiries with a polite smile. both men turn to me as i speak and san’s eyebrow quirks up again. 

“uh, weren’t you searching for something? san may be able to help you find it!” yunho says, head turning back to the other man who gives him an incredulous look. 

san sighs as he looks back to me, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “what is it you were looking for?” he asks in a bored tone that offends me ever so slightly. what is his issue? 

“you don’t have to help me, i’m perfectly capable of finding it on my own.” i answer with indignation, matching his stance. san’s bored expression breaks as he tries to fight off a smirk.

“if that were the case, would you have gotten yourself lost?” he asks with an irritating self-satified smirk on his lips. my arms drop from my chest as my brows furrow but san pays me no more mind, turning back to his bedroom door. “if you’d like my help, yunho or seonghwa can bring you to me tomorrow morning.” and with that he walks into his room and shuts the door behind himself. yunho and i are left in the silent hallway as irritation stirs in my gut. 

“do you… still want to see the rest?” yunho asks softly as he looks at me. 

i turn to him and smile. “yes, you were saying something about seeing more of the art?”

♰ note :: cliffhanger tehe >:) and we met quite a few members... pls pls leave feedback i want to hear you thoughts!! if you enjoyed consider rbing.

[pixielover1]

Wild Flowers.

Part one. Part two. Part three.

Monster!König x Reader.

The sun illuminated the quiet hillside like a stunning oil painting. You stirred awake as the beams of light slipped past your thin curtains. Yawning, you sat up in your bed. Waking up early was exciting today because it was finally time to harvest your crops. You quickly put on a floral sundress and a pair of sandals. Pulling on your gardening hat, you practically skipped outside, moving to the back of your quaint cabin. The wind nipped at your skin but the sun shooed it away with its warm rays. Your chest rose slowly as you took in a deep breath of the crisp morning air. You redirected your attention to the flourishing plants and a smile snuck onto your face.

You carefully tended to your crops, clipping off ripe fruits and veggies as you leaned over your developed plot. Gentle, melodic hums escaped your mouth as you tossed the produce into your woven basket, the birds singing with you. It was such a beautiful morning, but to König, you were the most beautiful.

In the camouflage of the woods he watched you through the foliage, panting. The sound of your soft music gave him goosebumps, his furred tail whacking against poor trees that concealed him. König was a victim of secret experiments when he was in the military. The underground organization subjected him to a series of operations, changing his DNA in a remarkable scientific feat. But what was supposed to be dog-like enhancements for battle, resulted in an uncontrollable lycan. König tore through the illegal facility shortly after he was deemed “ready” to be a weapon. Since that day he roamed the mountain side, hunting like an average wolf. Nothing resembling benignity was inside him, he was simply a wild beast. Until he found you. Humanity struck him the first time he spotted you foraging in the woods. In that moment his heart began to beat again, for you. Since then, he’s been keeping a watchful eye on you. Your life is peaceful and he likes to believe he is the cause of it.

Your focus on your activity was light until you heard a loud hiss. Startled, you look down to see an aggravated snake. You jump to your feet and wearily create space between you and the reptile. There was no way you were going to pick the thing up, but you also couldn't leave it here to eat your plants or mess up the roots. You kept your eyes on the snake until a shadow was casted upon you. From your left, a large hand comes down to grab the rowdy snake. It’s thrown deep into the woods and the threat is diminished. A small ping of relief fills in you until you realize. What the fuck just grabbed the snake?

Your neck cranes up to see a drooling König, his chest heaving. Your heart drops and you’re stuck in place. König stands at a firm 6'10”, dwarfing anyone's height. Wolf-like ears stick out from his short hair that was tangled with twigs and dirt. He wore a battered t-shirt, stained with what you believed to be blood and soil. He looked terrifying even as his tail swung behind him through his ripped up pants. He was delighted to finally be face to face with you. The way your face was illuminated as a gorgeous golden brown by the sun made his heart flutter like never before, even if you were also cowering in fear.

Your legs twitch as if begging you to run. So just then, you did. You turn and bolt into the forest, running faster than you knew you could. The beast was hot on your heels, easily catching up to your sprint. You kept up for as long as you could before your face harshly met the rough soil. König lingered above you, keeping your body pinned to the ground. Helpless whines escape your mouth as you assume this is your death day. You can hear his deep, shaky breaths as his body covers yours. At your side you catch a view of his huge hands and murderous claws. Your breath hitches and you squeeze your eyes shut, waiting for the fatal blow. But it never came. Instead, König lifted you up and threw you over his shoulder as if you weighed nothing. Filled with a burst of bravery, you beat on his back and screamed at him to let you go. Opening your eyes, you gulp as you see how high up you were from the woods’ floor. He carried you back to your cottage quickly, not responding to any of your protests. He followed your scent as he pushed your front door open, accidentally breaking a hinge. He gently places you on your bed, the action a stark contrast to his appearance. He stands at the foot of your bed and you notice how he barely fits into your house. He has to bend his neck to keep his head from hitting your ceiling.

When he catches the shimmer of your sweet tears, something wakes within him. Feelings along the lines of sympathy and lust. His eyes reflect what he is feeling too easily, he is truly an open book. You remain on your bed, trembling from being subject to his gaze that is desperately trying to undress you. The silence breaks when his hand twitches, reaching towards you. You whimper, still assuming the worst. As much as he enjoys the tempting sounds, he knows he doesn’t want you to feel this way. His large fur-covered frame lets out a low growl and with the same speed he used to catch you moments before, he leaves your house. The sun was still kind and warm as you were left breathless and stunned from the freakish encounter.

Hello! This is my first story, i hope you enjoy. I am open to constructive criticism. :)

[unreadpoppy]

down by the river - chapter 2

Raphael x Warlock! Tav

A/N: I have little to no clue where I'm going with this. Buckle up!

Read on AO3

Chapter 1

Tav looked around, her companions all asleep. She sighed and stood up, walking away from camp. Funnily enough, near where they had slept for the night, was a river, though no person was in it. 

She picked up some pebbles and threw them in the river, watching them jump before falling into the water. Tav tried to focus on the now, but her mind kept wandering back to her past. She remembered a particular day. 

‘Please, I’ll do anything, anything you want, if it means I’ll be free!’ She was on her knees, bowing before a pair of boots. She was much younger than, and covered in blood, her body shaking. ‘Please, save me.’ 

The young woman cried, and felt a hand underneath her chin, a single finger raising her head, and making her look at the warm brown eyes of her savior. 

Tav was interrupted by the sound of a twig breaking behind her. She turned her head to see who had arrived. 

“Who is Raphael?” Shadowheart asked. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Tav shrugged, throwing another pebble. 

The cleric raised an eyebrow. “I heard you murmuring that name. Is that what your mark means?” 

Tav didn’t reply, brows furrowed. Shadowheart sighed. “Keep your secrets, then. We all seem to have them.” 

She began to walk away when Tav, still looking forward, shouted “I’m a warlock, by the way.” 

The half-elf stopped to look at her, and at the same time, she finally addressed her companion. Shadowheart raised a brow. “I heard your conversation earlier. You guys are not as sneaky as you think you are.” 

Shadowheart nodded and walked back to her bedroll. A few minutes later, Tav went back to hers. 

…

In the morning, Tav is the second to wake up, losing only to Astarion. She ate her breakfast, an apple, frowning in silence, while the elf looked at her. 

A moment passed. Then

“Don’t even think about asking me stuff.” She said, out of nowhere. 

“Excuse me?” He asked, baffled by the accusation. 

“I see the way you’re looking.” Tav took another bite of the fruit. “Don’t even try.” 

Astarion rolled his eyes. “I was not thinking of bothering you with questions.”

“Really? Then you better not be thinking of biting me.” 

 I can keep my hunger in check, thank you very much.” He took a breath and continued. “You know, if you were a little bit more open, maybe people wouldn’t question you so much.“

Her lips thinned and she rolled her eyes. “And you are such an open book, Astarion.”

He huffed. “Well, at least everyone knows I’m a vampire. And that Wyll is indepted to a devil. And that Gale eats magic items.” Astarion looked at her, squinting his eyes. “You’re the only one here who’s shut off.” Before Tav could try to defend herself, he stood up, passing his hands on his legs, pretending to clean non existent dirt. “But suit yourself. I was trying to be nice. You ought to do the same.” 

Tav finished eating, spitting the seeds away. After the rest of the group woke up and started to get ready, Karlach approached her. 

“You know, I could tell you what that means.” She pointed towards Tav’s collarbone. “Since it’s in infernal.” 

Tav grumbled. “I know what it means.” She began to walk away but turned around. Maybe she could try to be nice. “Thank you, anyways.” Karlach gave a small smile and nodded. 

Then, as they were walking, Wyll, now adorned with a new set of horns, said “So, I’ve been told you and I have something in common.” 

At that, Tav looked at Shadowheart, who immediately looked away. “Word travels fast here, it seems.” 

Wyll chuckled. “They do, indeed. But, if you’re ever in need of help with some contracts, I’m happy to lend a hand.” 

She raised a brow and nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind…Even if I don’t think I’ll need it.” 

Wyll gave her a questioning look. “And why is that?”

Tav gave him a raised brow.  “I’m on better terms with my patron then you are.” 

“Oh, really?” 

Before Tav could reply, she heard the sound of someone approaching them followed by a voice she recognized. Although she had her back to him, she heard his little speech. 

“My, my, what manner of place is this? A path to redemption, or a road to damnation? Hard to say, for your journey is just beginning.” 

Tav turned around and faced him. Quietly, she said to herself “Speaking of the devil”.

He wore his human guise, with those brown eyes and hair, and wearing a blue doublet. To the unpracticed eye, nobody would have noticed the small features of surprise that appeared on his face when seeing Tav, but she knew him well. 

“What would suit the occasion? The words to a lullaby, perhaps?” Tav took a deep breath. 

‘Here we go with the theatrics.’ She thought. 

“The mouse smiled brightly: It outfoxed the cat!” He exclaimed. The next part of the lullaby Tav was familiar with. The man looked down as he finished. “Then down came the claw, and that, love, was that.” At the love part, he specifically kept eye contact with Tav. 

“They do know how to write them in Cormyr, don’t they, Tav?” She could feel the eyes of everyone else in the party turning to look at her. 

“It seems you haven’t talked about me yet, seeing the surprised look on your companions.” He addressed Tav and then the others, bowing his head slightly and opening his arms. “Well met, I am Raphael. Very much at your service.” 

Tav looked at him, squinting her eyes and not saying anything. Raphael shook his head. “Tsk tsk. This is no way to treat your patron, Tav. It must be the surroundings. Rather bleak and lonesome. One feels so…exposed.” He gestured to her, the others and then to the world around them. “This quaint little scene is decidedly too middle of nowhere for my taste.”

With a snap of his fingers, they were all sent to Raphael’s domain. 

[belle--ofthebrawl]

I am so invested in your posts about Mountain and his pack of moms.

Does Mountain turn into a big kit whenever he visits them? Like a college kid who goes back home to his family during holidays.

- @ghouletteanon

(I did exactly two Google searches and these are the names for the previous drummers I found. I went with Terra over Gamma for obvious elemental reasons. I think there's three total? My inbox and DMs are open to any and all earth ghoul stans who know more than I do.)

Nothing terrible under the cut except the horror of knowing your parental figures have sex.

He knows Pebble's aware as soon as he sets foot into the deeper woods. The trees and mycelium networks are her eyes and ears, leaves rustling with wind-carried words to wherever she is. Not a single twig in this forest snaps without her knowing about it, which would give anyone else an incredible headache but Pebble seems to like it just fine.

And sure enough, he doesn't get but a yard or so before she appears. Sitting on an ancient log like she's been there the whole time waiting for him to pass by, even though he knew he'd been alone just moments ago.

She's all criss-crossed up from her arms to her legs, still as a statue as she watches him approach with his picnic basket. He doesn't say anything; he knows this routine well enough by now. Pebble can get odd, when left to her own devices for too long. The others are usually good at bringing her back to herself though.

Food helps too. Not the food she can scavenge from the forest like berries and mushrooms and prey animals eaten raw. Food that's been altered, baked, cooked. He lifts the cloth of the picnic basket and lets the warm smell of fresh bread waft out. Her nostrils flair and she stands up, quick as a wink. With one quick nod, she's off; darting through the undergrowth like a fox. It's on him to keep up, but he knows she'll come back for him if he lays behind too far. She'll get impatient but she'll always come back.

The path is different every time he visits. Some trick of Terra's to keep strangers out if they aren't guided in but he doesn't mind. He knows how much they value privacy and the time it takes to get to the destination is never too long. The undergrowth thins out, the trees grow further and further apart until they're in Ivy's garden with Ivy herself bending over to tug up a bundle of root vegetables. Pebble licks her fingertips as she walks over, delivering a loud and resounding smack to Ivy's rear end that Mountain glances away to avoid seeing barely in the nick of time.

"Pebble!" Ivy shouts, shooting up straight and cuffing the small menace in return. "Just once, a hello would be nice to hear instead of-"

"Hello." Mountain calls, walking between the rows to her with a wave. She turns around again and her happiness is so infectious that nearby plants immediately start flowering in response. Pebble takes the opportunity to dart into the little home that's been carved into the earth, set into the base of gentle slope covered in soft green grass.

"Mountain!" She cries, dropping her harvest into the dirt and leaping over the plants to catch him up in a bear hug. "Oh, I was just thinking about you! Terra was saying you were all back from tour, so of course we've been expecting you but honestly not so soon and-"

"Let that boy breathe." Comes a deeper voice from the doorway of the little home. Mountain straightens up automatically, brushing a few fly aways out of her face as Terra easily lopes over with her cane. She stops a few feet away, looks over him with a critical eye and he's acutely aware of every wrinkle and stain in his clothes, the way his right boot's come untied and how the flannel he has on now was definitely hers once upon a time.

"Suppose we'll have to take you as you are then." Terra says, a telling twinkle in her eye though her face remains firm. "What'd you bring us this time?"

"Harvest bread." He says, finally handing over the picnic basket. "Gooseberry and raspberry jam. Two kinds of cheese. Wine and whiskey and weed."

"Good stuff." Ivy says in approval.

"We'll see." Terra says. Then, "Pebble, don't you dare."

Pebble slinks out from behind Terra, hands raised in innocence even as her tail whips back. It's caught just in time by Terra's own tail, wrangled into submission as Mountain pretends to be thoroughly engrossed by his feet. He's not a prude, far from it but it just feels awkward to watch the ones who helped him with his first moments Topside be...like that.

"Welcome back." Terra says fondly after Pebble yanks her tail away and stomps off to set the table. Ivy picks up her vegetables again and goes to put her gardening tools away. "Tell us where you've been this whole time."

"All over." Mountain begins. And, like he always does, hits his head on the doorframe on the way in.

Some things never change.

[finnofamerica]

Predator - Fili X Reader || Fluff / Smut

Summary: You and Fili go "hunting."

Word Count: 1,189

Date Posted: 07.28.23

TW: AFAB language used, Primal / Prey interaction, butt plug, double penetration (plug), breeding, injury.

Note: All actions in this fic are consensual. There was no prompt from Anon for this fic, so I hope this is somewhat what you were imagining.

🔞MINORS DO NOT INTERACT🔞

|| Masterlist || Request Here || Ask Me Stuff || Request by anon

You crouched low to the ground, quiet, panting breaths ghosting through your lips, scanning the terrain through the bushes you were using for cover. Listening for every snap of a twig, crunch of leaves, any evidence of the predator hunting you. Legs tucked underneath you, ready to bolt at any moment.

The ground crunched under a dwarven boot almost imperceptibly, and you bolted from your hiding spot. The predator's footfalls follow close behind you as your lungs and chest begin to burn. You knew without a doubt that if you didn’t lose him soon, you would be caught and completely at his mercy.

You darted around the corner, zig-zagging through the trees, hoping that he wouldn’t be able to change directions as fast as you. But the burn in your thighs was starting to catch up with you, slowing your pace ever so slightly as your legs slowly began to turn to jello. Distracted by the pain in your legs, you missed the root peaking out of the ground, tripping you by sheer bad luck.

You cursed under your breath, scrambling to your feet as best you could, but it was too late. He’d caught you.

“Where were you going, darling?” Your husband breathed in your ear as he lifted you to your knees, pulling your wrists behind your back. The sound of his voice alone sent arousal through you; mixed with the dopamine from your run, it became intoxicating. “We both know you can’t outrun me. I’m the best hunter of the Durin clan.”

“And I’m the fastest thief under the mountain. What’s your point?” you huffed, tugging against his grip. “You never would have caught me if I hadn’t tripped.”

Fili gripped your wrists tighter behind your back, growling, “But you did, Sweetheart. Now I get to take my reward.”

He had you bent over, pulling your furred skirt up over the thin leggings you had on underneath. His free hand caressed your ass, thumb brushing your clothed pussy. You were already soaking through the cloth.

“You’re lucky I came prepared,” he cooed as he pulled down your leggings, exposing your pussy to the chilly autumnal air. Fili squeezed a liquid onto your ass, using his fingers to ease the lube into your asshole.

You let out a light gasp at the intrusion, not used to the feeling. You could hear him rummaging through his bag, and suddenly you felt cold, smooth metal press against your hole. He eased it in, taking his time to allow you to adjust. You let out panted gasps until the wide flat base sat firmly between your ass cheeks, not allowing the device to travel further.

“What is it?” You breathed, still in character for your play date.

“Just a little something that marks you as my prey. But it’s not the only way I will mark you, little bunny.”

Fili dropped his pants behind you, pushing your face and chest into the dirt as he mounted you from behind, burying his cock in your slick, wet cunt. You let out a guttural whine as he stretched you, not waiting for you to adjust to his girth. His calloused hands gripped your soft hips, using them as leverage as he slammed his cock into your depths, making you whine and pant underneath his relentless pace.

“Fuck,” Fili hissed as a hand moved to grip your hair, yanking your head toward him, arching your back at an angle that intensified every delicious thrust. You could feel each stroke against the bulbous object filling your ass, making you feel pleasure you’d never experienced. With his other hand, Fili pressed his thumb against the base of the object, making you let out a desperate whine as it pushed against the bounds of your anal cavity. Your pussy quivered around him as he sent waves of pleasure through you, tightening into a warm coil in your core.

“Are you ready for my seed, little bunny?” He growled in your ear, slowing his pace, but fucking you deeper with each thrust. “For me to mark you as mine, and breed that tight cunt of yours?”

“Yes, Fili,” You whined, the wind being knocked out of you with his stroke. His grip tightened on your hair, fucking you slow and deep as he filled you, your name rolling off his lips with a guttural moan. His hips stuttered as he disengaged, removing the bulbous object from your ass and pulling your leggings back up over your soaking pussy.

Fili held you tightly as he helped you up off the cold forest floor. You winced as you put weight on the ankle that you had tripped over.

“I think it’s twisted, Fi.” You gripped his shoulder as support. The cold hunting gaze was gone from his face, only warmth and concern behind his eyes.

“We’ll get you taken care of, Bunny,” He picked you up in his arms, carrying you back through the woods to where his pony was waiting. Fili set you gently on the horse before climbing on himself, making your way back to the kingdom under the mountain

“Well, now, how did this happen?” Balin asked, inspecting your twisted ankle.

“We were out hunting,” Fili bent the truth, “She tripped over an exposed root.”

“Not to worry, keep it elevated.” Balin patted your shin, “I’ll send Dori up with some tea that should help with the pain and swelling. Take it easy for the first two days, then you’ll need to get back on your feet so you don’t baby it too much.”

“Thank you, Balin,” Fili graciously offered him some of the rolls you baked that morning before your excursion. Once Balin was gone, he climbed back in the bed with you, tucking himself against your side, holding your head to his chest.

“I’m sorry, Amralimé.” He petted your head. “I didn’t mean for you to get hurt.”

“I know,” You assured him, “I know the risks of your hunt. I’ll be okay.”

“Will you let me make it up to you, Little Bunny,” he kissed your head, getting up to boil water for a bath. Once it was ready, he gently carried you to the tub, stripping you of your clothes from the hunt and setting you in the water just as there was a knock on the door to your living quarters.

“I’ll get your tea,” He peppered you with another kiss, greeting Dori in the other room.

With fresh herbal tea to sip on, you relaxed as Fili washed your skin and hair, lathering you with suds and then rinsing them all away. He took his time, massaging your muscles and scalp until the water had run cold and your tea kettle was long empty.

“Are you ready to get out?” He asked softly as you stretched, not wanting to interrupt your relaxed state. You nodded, allowing him to assist you back into the bed, dressing you in nothing but a thin slip dress.

He tucked the covers tightly around you, kissing your forehead sweetly. “I’m going to get us some dinner from the kitchens. Rest well until I get back.”

[late-to-the-party-81]

Run (you belong to me)

AN: It's time for my annual 'you're going to hell' post. You're in a relationship with Bruce Banner, which ultimately means you're also in a relationship with his alter ego, Hulk.

Hulk had his first taste of intimacy with you in Pretty Girl, and you've found that you're happy to cater to both of your partner's proclivities...

I'm using dialogue prompts from this post by @nightprompts and they can be found emboldened in the text.

Thanks to my beta @sidepartskinnyjeans who even did maths with me to try and work out some 'sizing'. We couldn't come to any definative answer, and the internet also gave a range of answers. I've therefore left 'size' undefined other than 'big, but not impossible'.

Dividers by @firefly-graphics, banners and covers by me.

Kinktober 2022 Masterlist

Main Masterlist

CW: Primal Play, Breeding, Explicit Sexual content, bit of size kink and power exchange, smidge angst

Word Count: 2.1k

The mistake you made was looking back. The reason it was a mistake was because it meant you weren’t focused on what was in front of you.

Crack!

The sound of the twig breaking under your foot was loud in the comparative silence of the woods. 

You’d gotten a head start, and so far you hadn’t heard any signs of pursuit, but you knew it was a matter of time - he was just waiting for you to make a mistake, and give him some indication of where you were.

And now you’d given him one.

You froze, ears straining, hoping against hope that the sound had been too quiet for him to pick up. A moment crept by, then another, and then you heard it, the sound that made your heart both sink and race at the same time; a loud roar that caused the birds to take flight from the other side of the wood.

All attempts at stealth were now useless, the effort you’d put into staying downwind of him and as silent as possible had been an utter waste of time. Your only option now was to run, and try to get out the other side of the woods before he found you.

You shot off as fast as you could, sprinting across the scrub, ducking under low hanging branches and leaping over logs and rocks. Your heart pounded in your chest and you drew in ragged breaths as you went. You were glad for the hours spent on the gym treadmill, but you were by no means an athlete. And, you didn’t have the insane enhanced stamina of your pursuer. However, you had to try - you had to get away.

You kept going and the trees started to thin; you were reaching the edge of the woods, you were going to do it!

An almost deafening bellow sounded from behind you and you whipped your head around, and saw him, crashing through the trees, the black hair on his head pointing at all angles, small trees and saplings bending and cracking as he passed. Then he stopped, snorted and smiled. Your movement slowed, confusion crossing your face.

What was he doing? Why had he stopped?

He brought his hands in front of him and realisation struck. Panic spiked and you sped up, even though you knew it was pointless.

He clapped. Once and firmly. 

You heard it, and then, moments later, you felt the results. The ground, the very air, rumbled and you were knocked over, sprawling in the dirt and leaves. You tried to fight the disorientation, shaking your head and blinking, as you struggled to get up. Then it all went dark as the blue of the sky was blotted out by his massive frame.

“Caught you, Pretty Girl!”

Hulk grinned as he pulled you up from the forest floor.

“You thought you could run from Hulk, ha! No escaping Hulk.”

He lifted you closer to his face and he pressed his nose against your neck, inhaling deeply and then chuckling, a sound that was so deep and sonorous it almost made you vibrate.

“Let me go!”  You squirmed, futilely, in his grip.

“No. You belong to Hulk. Hulk’s now, to play with.”

You drummed your fists on his forearms and kicked out with your feet, but they bounced straight off his broad muscles.

“No, no, no!”

“Pretty Girl will like it. Will enjoy playing with Hulk. But Pretty Girl is too covered.”

He hooked his index finger into the neckline of your top, and with a brief pull, ripped it down the middle, so that it hung in tatters off your arms. A second, almost gentle, tug destroyed your bra. 

Hulk huffed as he looked at your semi-bared form, his gaze drinking in every freckle, every stretch mark, as if they were the brush strokes of a master painter. And your breath caught in your throat, all thoughts of fleeing gone from your head. The way he had man-handled you, and the way he looked at you, primal and animalistic made your pussy pulse inside your jeans.

He cocked his head to the side, sniffed the air, and then grinned.

“Pretty Girl excited.”

With more care than anyone would think, Hulk brushed away leaves and debris from the ground with his foot, and then lay you gently on the soft earth. He tugged at your jeans until those fell in strips away from your body, and your underwear proved to be no barrier at all.

“Please!” You weren’t even sure what you were begging for at this point.

The Hulk huffed again, then, kneeling in the mulch over your body, he encased the whole of one breast in his mouth, and very carefully rubbed the rough pad of his giant thumb over the other.

Pleasure lanced through you, your hands scrabbling in the dirt as he started to lay claim to your body. Your whines and moans seemed to spur him on and he gently stroked his large hands over your body as he suckled on each breast in turn. God, he made you feel so small.

A finger prodded between your legs, sliding into your folds, which were embarrassingly slick. Without thought, your legs opened further, and you groaned low in your throat as his finger pressed inside you, stretching you, filling you. This was all so wrong, but, fuck, did it feel right, you the prey, the well earned prize for this predator, your only job now to slake his appetites.

He released your breast with a lewd pop, and grinned down at you, dark and feral.

“Pretty Girl belongs to Hulk now. Not Banner. Hulk better than Banner.” He laid a hand over your stomach, gently caressing. “Hulk fill Pretty Girl with Hulk babies. Make Banner jealous.” 

He kissed you then, his gentleness so at odds with his size and public demeanour. Your dirt covered hands came up to cup his cheeks as his lips pressed against yours. Then, just as swiftly, he was pulling away and burying his face between your thighs, licking at your entire sex as he continued to finger you. 

Now you were glad that you were outside, away from anywhere and anyone else; you no longer wanted anyone to hear you, the way you were moaning and groaning under the sexual onslaught of a person the rest of the world saw as a monster. 

He slowly added a second finger besides the first, his saliva and your own arousal easing the way, but you still had to will your body to relax and accept him.

“Oh god!” You cried out at the sensation and your giant lover raised his head with a mirthful smile.

“No God, Pretty Girl. Only Hulk.”

He pumped his fingers slowly, watching the play of emotions across your face, before returning his face to your core. You could feel the stirring of your orgasm starting to wrap, tendril like, around you. It wouldn’t take a lot now to tip you over the edge.

That’s when he pressed in a third finger.

You screamed, all of the air in your lungs escaping in one go, and you thrashed around in the loose earth, wave after wave of pleasure wracking your comparatively small body. Hulk continued to feast on you, prolonging your pleasure until your body went slack beneath him and your screams turned to stuttered whimpers. Your eyes fluttered shut and you drew in breath after shuddering breath as you tried to process the dizzying sensations still jolting through your frame. 

Hulk carefully pulled his fingers from you, and shuffled around, huffing, before lifting you, lying down himself and laying you across his form. And that’s when you felt it. 

Your eyes shot open and you looked down, to where you lay with his very long, very thick cock nestled between your thighs.

“Pretty Girl should ride Hulk. Easier.”

You blinked, unable to tear your eyes away, your brain sluggish in its post orgasmic haze. A sharp sting as he slapped your ass had you jerking your head up to look at him.

“Ride. Or Hulk will be on top.”

You gulped, filled with trepidation. But you’d taken three of his fingers - you could take his cock, right? And he was right, at least if you were on top, you’d have some control over speed and depth.

Shifting, you balanced your knees on his corded thighs and, licking your lips, looked down at his cock properly. You’d have to be careful, but it didn’t look wholly impossible, and some of those veins and ridges… well, your breathing picked up again and your clit pulsed as you considered them.

With a sound of impatience, Hulk took himself in hand, holding his cock steady so that you could centre yourself. Moving a hand to your pussy, you started to stroke yourself in the way you knew made your arousal flow. You lowered yourself until you felt his tip start to breach you, then started up small, shallow bounces. From the corner of your eye you saw his eyes widen and his nostrils flare as he felt your pussy start to envelop him. Your moans were in sync when his head finally popped in.

Hulk’s face softened, and he looked at you in awe. You couldn’t help but grin at him, your roles in this game now discarded, as with each small roll of your hips, more and more of him disappeared inside you, until you had taken as much as you could. You braced your hands on his solid stomach, and with a coquettish smile rose up gently and then sank slowly back down. It was his turn now to fist the earth as your wet warmth encased him.

“Hey, Big Guy. Doing okay there? Don’t worry, you won’t hurt me.”

He bit his lower lip, but nodded as you continued to move. He still had one hand around his base, and as you moved, your clit rubbed over the knuckle of his thumb. As each minute passed your body became used to the intrusion, the sheer size of him, and although there was no way you could bounce away with abandon, it definitely became easier. And looking down on this man was powerful. That a force of such destruction, a literal living weapon, was effectively neutralised by your touch made your head spin. He grunted under your ministrations, obviously almost completely overwhelmed by sensation.

“I’m gonna cum, baby. You gonna cum too? Gonna fill me up, give me your babies, yeah?”

All he could do was growl, the sound broken by the crack of a small sapling under his hand. 

You revelled in the feel of his thick shaft twitching inside you as you moved, each pronounced vein providing another point of pleasure. You were so close, but you couldn’t reach it. Your eyes met his again, and you knew that Bruce had spoken to him, when Hulk uttered one word to you.

“Cum.”

Your second orgasm was just as powerful as your first, although this time you had virtually no voice left, your scream effectively silent, as you shook atop him, your nails curling into his virtually indestructible flesh. As quiet as you were in your pleasure, Hulk was the opposite. He turned his head away from you and roared as his own orgasm hit. His hips bucked up and you had to steady yourself, as you felt his cum pour into, and then spill out of, your spasming pussy. You ground yourself against his hand hanging onto each last thread of bliss before collapsing over his stomach and chest and letting yourself rest.

Your eyes blinked back open as Hulk gently petted your head and back.

“Bet Banner can’t make Pretty Girl feel good like Hulk can.”

You smiled to yourself - he was always worried that you didn’t like him as much as his alter-ego, no matter how much you told him you loved him, so he had a tendency to try and one-up the scientist.

“You know what else you can do, Big Guy? Carry me back to the cabin, I’m filthy and gross, and so are you. I need a bath, and you, or Bruce will need one too.” You slapped a hand against his thigh jovially. “Come on, up.”

“Pretty Girl is bossy. Hulk in charge.” He might have grumbled at you, but he still got to his feet, with you cradled in one arm, your own wrapped around his thick neck. The pair of you were covered in dirt and cum, with twigs and leaves in your hair, but you’d never had so much fun. You pressed a loving kiss to the corner of his mouth.

“If you say so.”

You might never be able to have biological children with your boyfriends, but sometimes it was nice to pretend.

Tag list: @christywantspizza @jobean12-blog @bucky-bucky-bucky-bucky @tuiccim @yarnforbrains @maladaptivexxdaydreaming @krissy25 @bodeckersdiamonddoll @goldylions @ohsymphony

[androgynousblackbox]

Dead Main Course. 3 [Appleradio, Radioapple]

Alastor didn't dream a lot, but when he did he remembered it just as clearly as if he had actually lived it. For other people they might have been considered nightmares worth forgetting about.

The usual setting was a forest. He had no idea why, he had never spent a significant amount of time in one to get attached like that. No more than the occasional convenient burying place for some of his meals. 

It started out with Alastor walking alone on the afternoon, sometimes dancing for his own pleasure to no music, sometimes just walking. In the dream he wasn't consciously looking for anything, but something always end up catching his attention. It was only after they did that he realized that he was naked at all. He was never embarrassed about it. Animals on the wild were always naked after all.

A deer was the usual target. But other times it had been other prey animals, sometimes even other predators like mountain lions and those were the largest dreams because it implied a bit of a fight. They always ended up noticing him looking at them from a distance. From there to them understanding the danger they were in it usually took merely seconds. Sometimes they stayed there just to get in a defensive position if they thought there was a fighting chance, but he frankly liked it a lot more when they just started to run to try to put the biggest distance that they could between them. Nothing like a good run in order to get his appetite fully awakened.

The night before his first day at his new job, Alastor was enjoying seeing the starry night through the cup of the tallest trees when he heard a twig cracking under his feet near his position. His head wasn't tied to his biological limitations in reality, so he turned around completely without moving anything else on his body, like an owl, to scan the area for the offending presence. 

There it was, just at his back where it had tried to take him by surprise, was a giant gray wolf. Alastor had never seen one in real life, but he just knew that they normally didn't raise as high for an adult man to be at eye level with them. In the dream, his stomach gave out a resounding growl that made the ears of the wolf stand out and lower the head as he prepared to either pounce or react. 

Alastor calmly turned around with a smile on his face. Oh, this hunt was going to be fun, he could tell. For a moment neither one of them was doing anything. Only when the tail of the wolf moved slightly did Alastor take that as a sign to start moving himself. 

Giant wolf or not, once he gave chase, he was always the biggest beast present. No matter the animal that presented itself, they were always a meal to enjoy. The wolf lowered his head a moment, the ears laying flat on his head before he also got in motion to get away. Alastor used his elongated arms as another pair of legs, feeling the dirt, rocks and grass underneath his new claws just as clearly as beneath his feet, that weren't feet anymore but hooves. 

His mouth was permanently stuck on a wider smile that showed off all the big and sharp teeth that he knew would make it an absolute joy to tear into a live prey. But the wolf had little interest in appreciating his transformation as it was running away, moving between the trees as if to disorient him or tire him up. A noble attempt that was bound to be fruitless as Alastor was coming closer.

Suddenly the trees opened up and the wolf was running through a clear area, illuminated by a full moon that sparkled in his terrified eyes as Alastor picked him up by the torso. Even when being held like that, the wolf tried to shake him off by moving like a violent eel or trying to bite him first. It was certainly becoming harder to keep up in the air, so Aastor had no choice but to put him against the ground, covering the muzzle with his whole hand while he directed his teeth to the mouth.

Things like hair never bothered him in his dream. A delicious howling calling to no one was the last sound that the wolf man as Alastor bite again, again, again, again, the blood and meat and scrapping of the bone being absolutely cathartic he could barely contain himself to actually enjoy it instead of devouring it whole as he knew he could.

It was when he was sinking his teeth into one of the front legs and tearing apart that his ears on top of his head moved behind him, altered by something. It wasn't any specific sound as much as the sudden awareness that someone was looking at him. Breaking the bone of the leg on his mouth, Alastor turned to see a gray figure, made of shadow and moonlight standing right there. 

That was strange. In what moment did he let that one pass by him? How long has it been there? Has it been following him all along and only approached further while he was eating? All these questions came and went through his mind as he tilted his head. The figure standing there started getting closer, a foolish action certainly, or maybe not so because Alastor just had to keep starring.  

The figure surrounded him until he was in front of him, in front of the dead wolf and kneeled in front of him, petting the pelt. Was that compassion or just mere curiosity? Maybe this little one was lost and was stupid enough that it didn't know the danger in which he was in? 

For some reason Alastor knew that at least he was free from fearing the figure. Nothing about it activated his own senses that he was about to be attacked. And yet, he couldn't really relax. Nobody had ever accompanied him during any other of his feasts. It had always been just him and his kill, a truly intimate act that never had any witnesses before. 

He started to wonder if the figure understood what it meant. Some beings could be so intrinsically innocent that concepts like life and death were foreign for them. The way the figure kept brushing their fingers against the bleeding wolf was making him wonder if they could be one of those. They just seemed entranced admiring the beauty of the fallen creature. 

Alastor sat too in front of them. Had they forgotten about him already? The thought surprised him with how quickly it was making him angry. He was the biggest monster in that entire forest, he could devour the figure just as easily as a grape cut from its vine, and he wasn't paying attention to him? Now that was some audacity if he ever saw it!

The figure seemed completely oblivious to how much their presence was affecting him as their hands went down the wolf stomach. At first it looked like just more petting over the corpse, but then the figure ripped the skin open and shoved what had to be their hand inside the body. After some time searching finally came out with the heart of the wolf. The heart itself was even bigger than the hand itself, keeping it there was a work of equilibrium more than strength. The blood was dripping into the grass, even more so when the figure extended it towards him.

Alastor's ear straightened up when realizing what was happening. After years and years of peaceful hunting, finally someone was feeding him. Alastor didn't even hesitate to open his mouth, wondering maybe a little too late if maybe there was a risk that could end up eating the figure just as well.

Just as his teeth were about to come down over the meal, the alarm woke him up.

Alastor instantly rose up from his bed, still blinking in the darkness of his room, despite it being already the hours of the morning just as his cellphone was telling him. What a curious dream, thought to himself as he stand up to get the bathroom. He continued to thought about it as he took a shower and especially as he started shaving. He had never in his life have ever cut himself realizing such a mundane part of his routine, but a part of him was curious about what would happen if he did. If he let the razor break out the skin just beneath his jaw and let the blood slip out. Who was going to be there to truly appreciate it and feed it to him back? Then he wondered why did he even cared about that.

It was an interesting thought experiment, if nothing else. 

He got dressed, took a modest breakfast in his kitchen while listening to the news from mom's radio and came out of his small apartment in direction to his new job. The restaurant had changed very little since the last time he was there, only filled with more details in golden that reinforced even more the holy aesthetic that it was going for. At the center of every table there was a napkin folded to look like angels and the tree of temptation had a lot more red ribbons as decoration. Everything looked expensive, almost garish but not too much. 

Alastor met with the Manager Chef, the one in charge of fixing everyone's schedule and apparently too the one in charge to present him with all his coworkers, including the waiters that were going to deliver the meals. Alastor smiled and shook hands with everyone, retaining their names and faces for just a moment before he dropped them again for lack of interest. None of them were Lucifer. Where the hell was him?

The one thing he did took notice it was their uniforms. All the chef dressed up in red with white details that he already saw, but now they all had added an embroidery apple surrounded by a golden snake. Meanwhile all the waiters were dressed with soft blue vests on top of white shirts and black bow ties to finish them. He was trying to understand what was the idea behind that choice. Devils serving angels? Because... in the kitchen was hot like hell?

For fuck's sake, just how far deep his own ass could a man get to have such pretentious ideas on his head? 

"Your own uniform should be on your locker" said the Manager Chef, whose name he had already completely forgotten. Still-Not-Lucifer took him to the back of the kitchen, towards another door to a large hallway. Since the public was never going to see it, nobody bothered to decorate it so it was a neutral gray the whole way through. The man was pointing out to each door, explaining briefly the purpose of every one. "That is the backdoor where we receive the food from our providers. You enter through the alley on the right. I know that we are all starting so for today it's fine, but in the future it's better to enter through here. Right over there is the bathroom and in the other room a shower in case you really need it. That is the break room where the schedules of everyone will be up each morning. If you ever need to take a day off, you consult with me, alright? I have the phone numbers of everyone so I will send you a message later so you can add, in case we suddenly need more staff."

"I understand, of course" said Alastor, nodding along at the same time he was also tuning out.

Finally they reached out to some double doors that were wide open. It was exactly the same as any changing room that Alastor had seen before, possibly even more dull than any, with the notable difference that Lucifer was in front of his own locker, fixing up his coat. Somehow that made the entire room a lot more interesting.

"Ah, there you were!" said the Manager, reaching out hand in front to shake Lucifer's. "I was giving the tour to Alastor. You know him already, right?"

Alastor realized he was frozen in place only when he had to move in order to greet Lucifer. He looked absolutely splendid even when seemingly dragging a bit of sleep from the bed still, giving out a placid smile that did nothing to hide his baggy eyes. Was Lucifer just not a morning person? Maybe the nerves of his first day didn't let him sleep as well as he could last night? Alastor wondered more on that as he felt against the firm grasp of Lucifer on him.

"Yes, I was the one to talk my father into considering you," said Lucifer, simulating a yawn behind his hand, and completely not aware at the jump that Alastor's heart made inside his chest. "Sorry, I am just a bit tired. I will splash some water on my face and I will be good as new."

"You better, Lu, we don't want to give a bad impression on our first day! We need our heavenly graduate up and running" said the Manager, patting the shoulder of Lucifer, who just made a dismissive hand wave in response to the contact. 

"What are you saying? It will be perfect, just you wait and see" said Lucifer with a lazy smile.

Alastor stared at the space between the two of them, doing his best effort to control the twitching he could feel on his eye. Just how chummy did those two were? Was that any way to handle a professional environment? 

Just stop touching him, you fucking creep.

By some miracle or because somehow he heard him, the Manager did stop rubbing his grubby hands all over Lucifer's shoulder and pointed to the locker at the far end of the line. 

"Alastor Abbadon, this is yours!" announced the man. "The uniform should be your size according to what you told us, but if you need an adjustment or anything you can tell me and I will see how to fix it."

While taking not a small portion of his salary, finished Alastor for him, making it clear he understood.

"Well, better get ready now! We will be opening in half an hour. The boss hired a bunch of critics and some press to cover for the restaurant. If any camera ends up pointing in your direction, don't worry and don't pay them any mind. If anyone is going to speak, that is probably going to be either me or Lucifer."

"Yay, yuhu! Can't wait!" commented Lucifer, bumping the air with a less than enthusiastic fist.

"Not a fan of the press?" asked Alastor, ignoring the frown on the Manager.

"Me? Oh, no, I totally love having bright lights pointing at my face and supporting the future of this restaurant while giving the same speech I already had to repeat three times for five different magazines' ' Lucifer shrugged and smiled indulgently, arching an eyebrow. "What can I say? Dad made a real gambling with this place so I need to help him. Expanding to a whole new market is a entirely different kind of challenge."

Was that part of the speech as well?, wondered Alastor.

"Exactly, which is why you will do an excellent job" commented the Manager, grabbing the face of Lucifer to pat his cheek. Alastor really wished that look could actually kill instead of just giving him a place to imagine his knife coming in and out over and over again. "What was all of that media training for if not, right?"

"Right, right" Lucifer laughed softly, giving the old man a light pat before moving them away from his face. "You know I am just kidding. Like I said, I just need a refresher and I will be peachier than a peach.

The Chef Manager seemed satisfied with that. He nodded to Lucifer and turned to Alastor to pat his shoulder now, making him have a full body shudder that the man consciously or unconsciously ignored. But not Lucifer.

"Half hour!" finalized the man, finally leaving them alone.

Fortunately, Alastor didn't have to be the one to break the silence.

"Not a fan of touching?" asked Lucifer with a slight smile.

"Not generally, no" Alastor opened up the locker with the key that was already hanging from it. 

The space was empty, of course, except for the new chef coat that was the exact same as the other chefs, alongside some black pants. 

"Oh, well, then you are out of luck" Lucifer said, pulling out a brush to finally start fixing his hair on the pull back style that he clearly found the best for his job. "You wouldn't know it because of his British accent, but the chef is Italian and you know how touchy feely they can get."

"I noticed '' Although he still thought it annoying, did calm a bit knowing the guy was just like that in general instead of being a special privilege to share with the blonde.

He didn't bother to add that he was in fact perfectly okay with touching if it came from his closest friends. 

While Lucifer was busy fixing himself, Alastor pondered if he would mind it too much if Lucifer did come in contact with him in such a carefree way. Not immediately, of course, no fucking way, but maybe? In the future?

The hope behind that stupid idea irritated him profoundly. God, was his head going to be filled with such nonsense from now on? How did normal people live like that?

How did they make it stop?

"So you talked with your father to have me on board?" He asked with the intention of distracting himself too.

"Oh, well, I didn't mean to make it sound like he needed a lot of convincing. Sorry if it came out that way" Alastor didn't even think about it, but didn't correct him either. It was kinda cute seeing him get a slight blush thinking he did speak out more than he should. Bad idea to start a career offending the man that was going to rule a kitchen at his side. "My father had a pretty good impression of you already. I know I wasn't there for the start of the interview, but I did really like what I saw. Most of the other candidates were... uh... how do I say it..."

"Pompous pretentious assholes without a fiber of real creativity on their bones?" helped out Alastor, his smile only getting bigger when Lucifer twisted a corner of his mouth in annoyance.

"I wouldn't have said it with those words because that is extremely unprofessional," pointed out the man, probably more out of principle than anything else. 

"Of course."

"But yes, essentially. For what father also told me, I could only really see me working with you, if I am honest."

Alastor turned around to pretend he was accommodating the neck of his coat, so Lucifer wouldn't even notice by chance the happiness that spread across his face.

"With those other guys I thought it was going to be impossible. I would be concerned about them stabbing me at the first chance they got. So I told my dad that and now you are here" continued the man, looking at his image on the small mirror glue to his locker. 

Alastor also threw a subtle glance in his direction. Deciding to recognize perfection for what it was, Lucifer finally closed his locker and went to the washroom area. 

Nobody had pointed to the small room for more private changing, but Alastor went there to take out his pants and put on the new ones. When he came out again, finding the uniform fitted him just as well as he could expect, Lucifer had already moved on. 

He sprayed some water on his own face, bracing himself to pull out his best poker face no matter what. All his previous bosses would have nothing but praise for his performance. So agreeable, so reliable, quick thinking to solve any issues. He wasn't going to let some silly stupid... whatever get on his way to get up on the ladder. He still had not a clear idea of how he was going to do it with this particular one and the son of the owner right at the top, but he would come out with something. He always did.

So he was going to be just the chef he could be and not sigh like an idiot teenager just because this was the first time he found himself in such a situation. Adaptability was also a crucial skill to develop in a kitchen, and Alastor was nothing but skillful.

Nodding to himself, Alastor went to see his first day. 

The money of the Morningstar had truly secured them a bunch of new customers. Since the moment the front doors opened up, they didn't stop coming in until almost every table was full.

Alastor was a bit impressed to see some food critics that he knew were very strict on their reviews and chose their target with the full intention of tearing them apart. Either Morningstar had already paid them a more than generous amount to say something positive or the man's ego was so monumental that he couldn't even imagine a future in which his new restaurant wasn't a hit. He couldn't couldn't tell which was more likely, but couldn't say he complained too much. 

If he had paid, then it was only more positive advertisement. If he didn't, then there was nothing to worry about either because he was there. 

They had sent him the final menu decided by his request and he had practiced all the dishes, from the most complex to the simplest one, back at home so he would know exactly what to do and what to fix if something came out right. As Morningstar had said, Lucifer was quickly more in charge of the sweet side while Alastor took care of the savory meals. The times where they almost reached to taste the same pot or for the same plate, Lucifer was always the first to nod and turn away, trusting that he would know what to do. He was hired for that, didn't he? 

As the Chef Manager had said, at some point during the morning some reporters came in, one even with a filming crew behind them. They were preparing the equipment and lights when Lucifer was called over, just as he was drying up his hands.

"Showtime" commented, letting out some air through his nose, and smiled brightly, so beautiful that the bags under his eyes could go completely unnoticed unless someone was really paying attention. Once he finished, he turned to Alastor with his hand raised up and stopped before actually touching him. "Alastor, you can take care of things here, right?"

Alastor looked at that hand, lamenting a bit that the chef was learning his boundaries already. He would have liked to know if he could tolerate his contact or it would be the same as with the majority of people, just a total rejection from his body that he had very little say on. But that would have to be a question for another day.

"Absolutely. Go and don't forget to talk as good about us as you can."

"I was going to do that anyway" said Lucifer and got closer. Alastor was literally on the way to the exit to the main area, so he thought at first that Lucifer was just going there. The reaction on his chest was just as unwanted as expected, and did not help him at all when Lucifer actually added in a whisper. "You are doing great, by the way. I knew we would work well."

Alastor tried to find something to say, something that said he already knew how amazing he was, but his throat, his brain or something inside was malfunctioning because his mind literally went blank with the compliment. Lucky for him, Lucifer didn't mind as he continued on his way to speak with the reporters. Alastor took the chance to turn his head in his direction and catch a swift of his aroma. A cologne he almost thought he could recognize and the clean soft smell of aftershave. Yes, of course. A man like Lucifer would use something like that.

If only he could stay closer to him for longer, then maybe he could also identify the cologne for future reference. Maybe even imagine the flavor of it on top of his skin. Why he wanted to do that in the first place wasn't a question worth asking in front of the prospect of having that opportunity.

"Very well, everyone!" said to the other chefs. This was the first time that he had the entire power of a kitchen at this disposition and he had to appreciate that at the very least. "Lucifer is going to be busy for a bit, but I still need you all on your best behavior. I see some pans that have been left unattended since the last order. I want to see all the stations spotless."

"Yes, chef!" was the general voice from the group, while two of the chefs went out to the dishwasher and the others got back to their respective plates.

Since Morningstar wanted an open kitchen, they could very well still see all of their customers enjoying their meals just as much as they could see them doing them. In the moments in which they had nothing to prepare yet because everyone was already eating, it was hard to resist observe the reaction of the public to their labor. The chefs that weren't occupied leaned on chairs or against a counter, elevating their heads as if that way they could get a better idea of what was happening.

Alastor managed to see some of the food critics taking notes on their phones or a generally pleasant environment before he just lost interest. He knew every plate had come out perfect already, he didn't need the approval. It was good for the soul, but at that moment wasn't the thing he was more interested about.

Lucifer was talking with the reporter as if they were actually just conducting a conversation. Either because of the kind of father he had, his brief career as a model or for his own selfish interest, it was pretty clear that Lucifer was perfectly comfortable in front of the camera. Alastor couldn't hear a single word of what they were saying, but he had not noticed once that Lucifer stammered or had any doubt about his words. Sometimes the blonde would make a gesture just to emphasize something, back again to smile and incline his head ever so slightly to hear what the reporter was asking him, his eyebrows elevated in interest. 

All his movements looked so graceful on their control that it made him question if Lucifer could have been a dancer too. But he had not seen him walk enough to know that for sure. He made a mental note to start paying attention to that... and then said to himself he was an idiot. Why did he even care?

Well, no, he knew why. He still didn't like the answer.

Perhaps it would just fade away eventually. He couldn't imagine that most people did anything about having such feelings for almost perfect strangers that met just two times already. Surely a lot of times "that" just went nowhere and never caused any issue for anyone if silenced enough. If a person just learned to keep it to themselves, just as they had done during their entire lives before that point, then surely everything would end up just fine. 

Alright, Lucifer was attractive. That much could be admitted because that was just an objective fact. Apparently the secret to waking up that kind of experience for him had been a tiny blonde all along, who knew. 

So what? He could take that to the grave with him. There were lots of things he hoped to take to the grave with him and as long as he had any say on it, he would do it. This was going to be no different at all. If there was a god, then he knew very well that he didn't need the extra stress on his life.

A little glance from time to time wouldn't hurt, of course. It's only natural to admire beautiful things when they are nearby. He wasn't about to rip his eyes out to pretend otherwise. But that was about it. Just a glance at a distance, a bit of a respectful admiration.

And of course they had to talk with each other, that was just inevitable. They were working together, they were both the heads of the kitchen and unlike hydras, if they cut one of the heads a new one wasn't just about to spawn from the severed neck. So they had to get along. Keep it professional and amicable. Especially with the whole being the son of the owner. You don't want to seem to close off and burn that bridge, not if you don't have a new one able to replace it at the ready.

Maybe gather some data that he could use to try to lazily plan his ruin so he could be the only chef standing. That seemed like a necessary enough step too. It would give him a little imaginary hobby, something to think about besides the way the muscles of Lucifer tensed up when chopping vegetables, the delicate and expert way with which he made his cut of meat. Something that he did not need on his head occupying as much space as it did during the next few days.

Finding out about the pastry where he went to get his breakfast every morning before coming there, whose bag Lucifer was always coming on his arrival, that was just another piece of information that he could use. The way that he drank his coffee, with at least three sugar cubes, it could be useful if he ever wanted to potion him without him realizing. 

Strike a conversation about how Alastor couldn't help to notice the way he moved around the kitchen, which then would lead to the confession that Lucifer had practiced ballet since he was very little, and even though he stopped practicing years ago, he still did some movements along in his house. It was just normal friendly conversation, no reason to give it any more importance than that. Imagine Lucifer on top of a stage while performing a piece while he elevated him on the air, like an angel that he was trying to send back to heaven, was just how people kept themselves interested on the topic, right?

After a few months of thinking of more ways in which he could enter in contact with Lucifer, and fewer ways to kill him discreetly, Alastor finally told himself he wasn't fooling anyone. Maybe that dying business man was right all along and a coffee date couldn't be so bad. 

He was good at scheduling after all, so if he just bothered to plan carefully then maybe he could manage to keep both his hunts and Lucifer in completely separated areas of his life. Many other people had done similar things before, why not him? Why should he ever deprive himself of something that could bring him pleasure? There was already some pleasure on the times he turned to see Lucifer and he had turned his head first, as if he had been the one watching and didn't want him to know.

"What...?" Lucifer stared at him, frozen in the middle of putting his folded coat back into his bag inside the locker. It was the time for closing and everyone else was gone for the day. Alastor had waited for a moment like that to finally make that question and now that he did, Lucifer frowned. "Are... are you inviting me on a date?"

"Are you accepting?" Alastor asked back, mostly confused for his reaction. 

As if instead of asking something out of him, he had taken out a bat and threatened him to bash his head in.

"Ha... ha ha..." Lucifer grabbed his chest and started heaving, the uncomfortable tight smile never leaving his face as the panic fully settled in. He took a step back, then another, not even looking at him. "A-are you kidding me? No. No, no, no, no, no, no. You have to be kidding me. That is a joke. Not a very funny one, Al!"

What the hell was wrong with him? Did he think he was going to react violently now? When did he ever give the impression that was something he could do just for hearing a no?

"It's not a joke" Now he was starting to get pissed. "You could just say no if the idea seems so funny to you."

"Then nope!" said Lucifer, quickly closing the door of his locker, his breathing calming down somewhat only after he said his response. The blonde was biting his lips, as if debating with himself if he should explain further. He was still not looking at Alastor directly. "I... I like women. So I have to say no. Please, don't ever ask that again."

Well. Fine then. Nothing else to do. 

"Fair enough" That was all Alastor could muster to say, no angry, no confused, just saving everything for now to think about or forget about later. Right now he kept his tone even, controlled as he figured out the best course of action. "I wasn't aware of that. I am sorry for assuming."

"It's fine..." The voice of Lucifer turned low as he pressed himself against the wall, as if wanting to disappear behind it. "Can we... forget this happened?"

He didn't want to forget. But he could pretend so if that is what it took for Lucifer to stop looking so fucking scared. He had never shown him any signs of danger, did he? But who knows. Maybe somehow he slipped or this was just the common assumption with straight men when a taller male coworker invited them to a date. He had no idea and right now he couldn't even theorize.

"Of course," said, closing the door of his own locker and grabbing his bag. 

When he came to the back door he turned for a moment. Lucifer had let himself slip from the wall onto the floor and was just sitting there, hugging his bag against his chest. In any other moment Alastor would have come to his side and asked him if he was alright, and even now that desire was still very much there, but instead he just continued on his way. 

He didn't take public transportation like usual. The long walk home was surely to clear his head, wash away the embarrassment and help him out to plan his next move. 

By the time he reached his apartment, he had the answer already:

Lucifer Morningstar had to die.

[miasmaghoul]

*shaking the bars of my cage* Dewdrop is never the dom because he is the smallest but with the right leverage strength isn't even a factor *angsty rattling continues* if you're still taking ficlet asks i would love to see him to get a turn, especially with one of the bigger ghouls. Authors choice, ofc.

So uhhhhhh how do we feel about a primal chase?

Just wondering.

(cw for blood, consensual rough sex and, y'know, primal behaviour)

They don't do this often enough, he thinks. This game they play when Dewdrop is in a certain mood and there aren't duties to attend to. When they have all the time in the world to focus on nothing but each other.

Well, in a way, at least.

Mountain grunts as he stumbles, catching himself on the rough bark of a massive pine. His legs ache, his chest burns, his head is spinning. He's been running for so long now, gone so deep into the forest that the thick boughs overhead blot out the afternoon sun.

He rests his forehead against the tree, fighting to catch his breath as silently as possible. His muscles are twitchy and aching, shot through with adrenaline and exertion. His mouth is so dry. He can hear water nearby, a soft rushing sound, and all he wants to do is find its source and lay there until he can feel his feet again.

He's so hard he can barely stand up straight.

But there's no time for him to pause, to rest. Not when the forest is whispering at him.

He's coming.

Watch out.

He's getting close.

He -

"I can smell you."

Mountain's whole being goes cold, and just like that he's running again, eyes cast down, arms pumping. He knows these woods like the back of his hand, knows every nook and cranny, but the chase has gone on so long that he's started to get turned around. He recognizes the grouping of boulders to his left as one he passed some 20 minutes earlier.

"Fuck," he gasps, forced still by a stitch in his side. Dew's icy voice is still wrapped around his brainstem, and every bit of Mountain's energy not being poured into running is working to suppress his overactive scent gland. He heart hammers against his ribs and the earth ghoul can't remember the last time he felt so...alive.

The sound of a twig snapping nearby sets him off again and Mountain sprints what he thinks is west. Towards the edge of the forest, he hopes. He needs more light, the thick blanket of branches overhead providing too much shadow and cover for everything that wasn't him.

He bobs between trees, bare feet skipping around thick roots and clusters of nettles. The forest opens up before him, the evergreen canopy thinning just enough for the ground to be speckled with golden light. Sunset tones. Mountain can hear that stream again, but it's calmer now. He must be further downstream. He's still hopped up on adrenaline, on the thrill of it all, but he's so fucking thirsty. His mouth is unbearably dry.

Mountain holds his breath and closes his eyes, tucked between a pair of tree trunks. He lets himself melt into the bark, and tunes back in to the song of the forest.

He hears the growth of the trees, the creak of their heavy branches. The flow of the water, how it carves through the earth below to bring life elsewhere.

He's coming.

Mountain cringes, focusing harder. He knows Dew is coming, that was the point of the chase, but he needs direction. He can't hear footsteps anymore, hasn't been able to since the broken twig. His nose is filled with sap and wildflowers, unable to hone in on the smoke-and-spice smell of the fire ghoul.

He's coming.

He ignores the warning, reaching deeper into the earth. Into the roots of the trees and the dirt itself, searching for a hot spot. For any hint of where Dewdrop lies, hunting Mountain like his own dinner. His flagging cock twitches, painful and sticky against his jeans. He feels like he's so close, like if he just get a little deeper -

He's here.

Mountain's eyes fly open and they're met with molten copper.

"Caught you."

Dewdrop is on him claws first, digging into Mountain's shoulders and dragging him to the ground. The fire ghoul is stronger than he looks, and the element of surprise paired with Mountain's exhaustion makes him hard to fight. The earth ghoul tries anyway.

"No, no-" he scrabbles at the ground, tries to force himself up and away, but Dew has the advantage. He's small and squirrely, evading Mountain's flailing hands easily. His fangs dig into Mountain's shoulder and the earth ghoul cries out, already chubbing up again.

They're a tangle of limbs and claws and teeth, matching each other swipe for swipe. Dew's claws slice right through his shirt and jeans, fangs sinking into every soft spot he can find until the air is tinged with copper. Mountain can't fight as long as he wants, and now he's realizing it was intentional. That Dew dragged the chase on for so long for this moment. The one where he shoves an utterly exhausted and shaking Mountain onto his stomach and scruffs him.

"Mine," Dew hisses in his ear, yanking Mountain's tattered jeans down, "mine."

Mountain's tears come hot and fast when Dew spits in his hand and shoves two fingers into him with no warning, ripping a shout from his throat. The claws at his neck dig in deeper as Dew preps him fast and rough, like always. His pulse is thready and his head is swimming. He can't hear the forest any longer, lost in the sounds of his own quiet sobs and the slick slide of skin on skin when Dew pulls his hand away and strokes himself. He presses his full weight over Mountain's back, teeth at his ear, the slick tip nudging at his twitching hole.

"Who do you belong to?" It's growled into his ear as Dew's claws dig into his ribs. Mountain whimpers and Dew's cock spits pre against his hole. "Say it, say it."

There's an edge to his voice that would be bratty in any other context, but now it just shoves Mountain further down. Everything that isn't the press of Dew's body against his fades away, stripped bare and open. The sting of the shallow cuts and bites makes his skin sing. Dew's other hand snakes into his hair and yanks, and Mountain's cock throbs against the earth.

"You," he chokes out, the air forced out of him at Dew pushes in to the hilt with no warning. "Fuck, I'm yours!"

Dew sets a punishing pace that has Mountain's eyes rolling back, the hand in his hair sliding around to grip at his throat.

"Then fuckin' take it."

Dew's fangs sink into the back of his neck, and Mountain does.

[folansstuff]

A short Atti drabble

TW: light body horror, descriptions of violence, death.

Atticus was always acutely aware of the process of being revived.

The bones always come first. Sticks, he’s pretty sure. Stripped of bark and layers on layers until they’re as bone-white as what they are meant to be replacing. He only found out after being gutted once, no one truly prepares you to see your own bones sticking out of you skin, never the less when they snap like twigs. Still, he could feel them harden and lock into place, ready to carry the rest of his body until he inevitably met another gruesome end.

Next were the muscles. This was obvious. Root systems, meters upon meters of cable-like vines wire their way around the 'bones', tightening and moving ever so slightly to test motor function; a twitch of the foot or a tensing of his fist confirmation that everything was working. It’s involuntary, he realised pretty quickly, in this moment his body was not his own, instead acting on the impulses of whatever cosmic being had trapped him in this cycle in the first place. Organs and other bodily functions usually arrived here as well. His lungs kicking back in suddenly, always with a cough or a wheeze, dirt filling his mouth as his eyes shot open into inky blackness. He dared not wonder where any of it came from, or what it was made of.

Finally, it was the skin. Much like his organs, he had no idea what made up the substance covering his body. His best bet at this point was grass or leaves, thin materials perfect for stretching and moving as he needed it to. It tore like it needed to as well, considering the last thing he remembered being the way it tore into pieces as a Sentinel crushed him and some other poor party-goers at the final Gala, blood and ‘organs’ spilling out of him before he could think. He was lucky. The other people weren’t. He knew it was over once he stopped feeling so numb, whatever process behind his revival finally remembering to give him things like ‘bodily sensation’ or ’the need to breathe’. 

Then he had to dig. Punch and shift and clamber until the ground above broke and he was freed. He sat there, gasping and choking as he took in the fresh air and blinking until the sunlight stopped blinding him. Now it was the painful bit. He pulled himself up, bit by bit. First was his arms and torso, which cracked and broke free from the dense soil relatively easily. But then he had to pull his legs free. He shimmied and grunted, each pull only risking a tear in the new body, rendering him basically useless and in extreme pain. Atticus was always a little jealous of the mutants revived in the eggs on Krakoa, they just fell out and got the past slipped into their minds while he had to do it the hard way. Eventually he pulled his foot free, gasping and collapsing onto the grass. 

He pulled himself up off of the ground, ignoring the quiet snapping and cracking of ‘bones’ as he slipped on whatever the Garden had laid out for him as ‘clothing’. He stumbled towards the exit, a small door that would dump him out into whatever part of the New Orleans swamp he and the others were hiding out in. His hand fumbled with the knob, uselessly grabbing at air, until he simply forced it to turn with his powers. He felt the pit in his stomach as he did, his other hand involuntarily twisting into an uncanny shape, fingers and his new 'bones' splitting from beneath his skin. He’d just have to ask Logan to cut it off later, he supposed, it won't be any good otherwise.

For a brief moment he considered the same thing he always did. Stay in the Garden. Give up on all of the fighting and death. He could, its not like people would never see him again, and he’d never have hurt again. He had everything he needed; a cabin, books for decades, a little garden and tea and all the baked goods he could eat.

He couldn’t. No matter how much he wanted to. He’d just have to endure, like always. 

[manawari]

Weretiger!Yoon-ho

The thin, cold air whirled through the trees, and the trickling stream from the nearby river whispered in the serene atmosphere of the forest. His boots crunched the dried leaves underneath him that littered the ground. Yoon-ho held a couple of twigs and branches in his arms as he walked to his designated camping area, he headed to the center to place them for the fire tonight, then he looked up and noticed the tent was empty.

A sharp pang struck his heart and he was about to look around when two little arms were thrown around his neck, along with a bit of weight on his back.

"Got you, papa!" An adorable voice laughed.

He couldn't resist to chuckle. "What did I say about running away when I'm not around, Mi-ho?"

"I wasn't that too far!" Mi-ho said as she got off. She pointed at the boulder next to the river in a few feet away. "I'm just playing around over there and checking for some fish."

"We'll catch some fish later, yeah?" Yoon-ho flashed his daughter a tender smile and patted her head with his hand.

"But can we play now, papa?" Mi-ho blinked her eyes in wonder.

"Of course."

The forest was his second home. When the human life was bringing him too much pressure, nature would summon him to be at ease. And now that he had a little one under his wing, Yoon-ho would want to raise his daughter knowing the forest as much as he did. Baek Mi-ho was a carefree young soul, more lively than he was when he was in her age, and already had that determination in her veins.

Yoon-ho made sure she was guarded the best way he knew, and mayhaps learn a thing or two on how to deal with potential enemies in her life. Mi-ho was already a tough child and the only best treasure he received when his ex-wife left him out of the blue.

When the sun came down, the father and daughter were settled next to the fire Yoon-ho had lit up. Mi-ho greedily devoured on her roasted fish they had captured earlier. Yoon-ho even had to tie her hair up to prevent it from sticking to the flesh. The fire crackled and danced under the cold atmosphere of the rich night, silence roamed the forest with gentle breezes to rustle the trees as hidden creatures hide within the shadows.

Later on, he set his drowsy daughter under the blankets of their tent. He gently ran his fingers through her soft waves as she snuggled in the pillows, smiling at her serene state, and then suddenly, she jolted up.

"My teddy!" Mi-ho exclaimed.

"Calm down, little fox, I'm pretty sure you left it outside." Yoon-ho told her. "You really can't sleep without it, huh?"

"You're the one who gave it to me, papa," said Mi-ho and grabbed her fox plushie. "Foxie won't be able to sleep either."

"Alright." Yoon-ho chuckled and got out of the tent. He made his way to the log and took the white tiger plushie, brushing his hand over the faux fur to remove any dirt, then headed back to the tent. And as expected, his daughter was still awake with her fox teddy on her lap. "Here you go."

Mi-ho beamed a smile and brought it to her chest. She laid back to the cushions and Yoon-ho moved the covers over once again. He pressed his lips on her forehead, whispering his good night before leaving the tent. Yoon-ho flashed one last look at his sleeping child and closed the tent as he sat in front of the fire.

He pulled out his phone from his pocket to read the message that was sent to him this afternoon when he was busy playing with his daughter;

[ Another tiger didn't survive this time, sir. The vets said it had poison in its system. ]

His grip on the device tightened. Yoon-ho brought the screen to his ear after contacting his subordinate. "What about the other tigers?"

"Good evening, sir. Yes, the other tigers are doing all right. Even the pregnant one has begun to move leisurely."

"Good."

"But, sir? I am quite curious on how concerned you are over these beasts. This company doesn't even specialize in wild animals."

"Animals are just like humans." He said to the other line. "They have a future ahead of them. Like me, they are connected to the wilderness. And besides," his lips stretch into a smile, "my daughter hasn't seen any of them yet. It will break her heart if she finds out that their population keeps decreasing."

"Understood, sir."

The call ended. Yoon-ho stashed his phone to his pocket and and stared up at the sky. Faint stars freckled the deep blue shell. He always wondered if forests were ever as deep and vast as the sky. . . How beastly the creatures would be?

A rifle's roar rumbled the air. The branches jerked at the impact of the sound. The bushes rustled while the hunter lowered his firearm and scoffed, he tipped the cigarette between his lips and cocked his rifle. There were plenty of big cats hidden in this territory, specifically that stripped feline whose fur had enraptured millions across the globe.

Six hunters dispersed around the area. The bright flashlight they attached in the tree watched their movement. It would be easy for them to catch a glimpse of their prey with this. No animal would be able to hide in this level of brightness.

Suddenly, the flashlight fell to the ground. One of the hunters quickly rushed back to pick it up and noticed the band that was attached around it was torn. How was this possible? Could there be— a beast behind the trees?

"Uh. . . " He turned to his comrades. "Guys? I thi— AH!" Something lunged at him from the shadows and brought him behind the bushes next to another tree.

All the hunters whirled around. The bushes violently rustled. Two of them walked closer, cocking their firearms as they were prepared to shoot. Regardless of whatever state their companion was now, they must go for the kill. . .

The creature sprung out.

Another hunter was attacked and sharp jaws latched at his neck, clawing deeply at the shoulders. The hunter whimpered in fear, yet still moved his rifle into position and clumsily placed his finger in the trigger.

Unfortunately, it was too late. The creature, a large white tiger, pounced at him and struck its bloodied teeth on his entire face, biting deep enough to break the skull. Three hunters down. . . Two more two go. A bullet shot the ground next to the beast, which quickly gained the tiger's attention whilst the human beneath its powerful paws laid dead.

"You're dead to me!" The hunter yelled angrily.

With a guttural growl, the tiger took a few steps forward and its eyes glowed in bright gold as it got up as light surrounded its body, morphing into another form. More vicious, more monstrous form. Its front claws shifted into like a human's, yet sharper and larger. It had turned into a man. A man rich of muscles and had the head of a beast, his mane lit like a large white flame above the three black streaks on his head. He stared at the remaining hunters like prey who had stumbled upon his territory.

With the hunters clouded with fear, the humane beast grabbed the rifle and crushed it with his own bare hand. Then he slammed the back of his claw at the hunter to send him flying across the ground. He turned to the last one.

Bullets came piercing at his body. But not a single one pierced a hole. The beast walked toward the hunter as the human kept shooting at him even though it was a futile option now.

When there were no shots firing out, the hunter threw the rifle away and quickly turned around to run away. But a strong grip grabbed his neck. He squirmed until he was thrown to the ground just like the other hunter. An enormous foot crushed his chest, which somehow made it difficult for him to breathe.

They had messed with the wrong beast.

Unbeknownst to him, the first hunter whom he shoved away managed to get on his feet and scampered. But that was the least of his problems. He expected that at least one would be able to escape from his claws.

Moreover, it was a warning. A warning that they must never forget.

If humans hurt a creature that wasn't harming them firsthand, the forest would retaliate tenfold. And there was an old belief from the beast's country. . . If a tiger had been through many obstacles and eventually came to understand the true meaning of life, the fur would turn white.

. . . And the tiger became a sacred spirit.

[hellodolleyes]

And then there were four

_______________________________

Grant scuttled quickly as he could with the admittedly larger than average load he was carrying. Traversing towering grasses, trying to reorient himself with his previous trail in the dampening light of a grey sky. All the while the hairs on his arms and neck stood on end.

He had made a daring expedition beyond the safety of walls to get some precious resources, foraged wild things; primarily food such as the scattered seeds from a looming bird feeder beyond the precipice of a darkened window.

He also made an abrupt stop to gather herbs from the garden he was now leaving.

Heart pounding, he darted between any and all cover on the way back to safety; taking far longer than he would've liked.

Surely, he shouldn't have needed to worry about leaving the comparably safer walls of the beans dwelling. He could've foraged from the kitchen as he had already been doing for so long yes?

Except, no, he couldn't. Recently, and while he couldn't say if it was due to his unusually spiked activity or not; but recently, the older woman who owned the house had become suspicious. Paranoia of rodents had led to traps, and traps led to near death experiences that Grant really couldn't afford right now.

He admitted he had been reckless, but he couldn't help his antsy nature. Not during such a stressful yet precious time, not when his life partner sat in their self made home; days away from giving birth to their first child.

A shiver of pure nervous energy ran through him as he thought about it. In spite of all of their preparing, he wasn't ready, he wasn't sure if he'd ever be.

He couldn't help but glance towards the deepening storm brewing above as he walked. He should really think about correcting his undesirably bold nature, if not for his sake then for his soon to be child.

So lost in thought was Grant that he nearly tripped, foot catching something as he hiked. Gods above he was losing too much focus, that was no good out here. If he were being chased, right there would've been his end.

Steadying himself he couldn't help but look down at what almost sent him and his pack sprawling, sure that it was just a pebble or something.

But it wasn't a pebble.

Grant felt a bushy eyebrow raise as he looked at the ground. He wouldn't have ever noticed this in his previous rush, but looking down there was what looked to be an array of twigs covered in dead grass and a thin layer of dirt.

It was neatly layered with the ground, and he would have dismissed it. Twigs, dirt, and dead grass littered the entirety of the larger environment.. But this looked too deliberate.

He should've just left, the longer he stayed out here the more danger he put himself in, especially with the turning weather.. But he had an unspeakably curious mind for a borrower. The fact that he had survived long enough to somehow reproduce was beyond him...

Knowing he wouldn't be able to get this out of his mind if he just left it, he gave into the curiosity. But rather than inspect the spot of the ground with his bare hands, he found a long yet maneuverable twig to push at the debris.

He still had some sense of self preservation after all, and for all he knew he was disturbing a nest if some sort.

...

Grant felt he could have been dead on with that assumption, as what he eventually uncovered, slightly buried in a dug out divit in the ground was what he could only describe as an egg.

He stared down at the sight, unbelieving of what he was looking at.

Surely it was an egg? It was shaped like one, he thought.

But...

In all his life he never could have imagined the sight before him. It was a small egg, he could cradle it in his arms if he so desired.

That wasn't what made him clam up, what made his mind go blank.

No, it was the fact that the egg was as transparent as glass; and the creature inside, small, almost alien and yet it looked eerily like a newborn of his own kind. Aside from the lizard like tail that curled around the inside curvature of the egg and the odd reddish peach tinge of its skin.

Grant fidgeted where he stood.

Maybe he should cover it up and forget about it, surely he shouldn't mess with something so strange. This was something that even his reckless self wasn't about to get involved with.

Until he heard the rolling thunder in the distance.

He looked down at the egg, at the near imperceptible movements of the little creature inside; a listlessly dreaming child unaware of the brewing danger.

Grant knew this portion of the yard flooded quite bad even with the lightest of storms. Undoubtedly the cold spring rain would wash away the egg and subsequent defenceless child.

He was at a standstill. Any reasonable borrower would've left it to the metaphorical wolves. It wasn't of his own kind, who knew what dangers it could bring especially to his newly growing family.

But then he couldn't help but pity the little thing.

What of its parents? Why had they left it here, unguarded, alone. Probably cold, probably to be left for dead to the storm. The whys and the whos couldn't be answered.

But he then thought of his partner and unborn child, how would he feel if someone had the perfect opportunity to save them from impending doom; only to willingly leave them to their fate.

Damn it all to hell.

Grant found himself kneeling down only moments later, hands flinching away slightly as he briefly touched the cool smooth surface of the oblong orb. But he inevitably steeled himself, moving his hands beneath it.

It had a surprising weight to it but it was nothing unbearable even with his already heavy pack. As he had expected, the egg was the perfect size to cradle in his tiny arms.

Grant looked down at the curled up child within the egg, his autumn eyes able to get a better look up close. He felt his chest tighten as the child appeared to wriggle at the sudden disturbance of being picked up; although it didn't have much space to move. He couldn't help but notice it seem to try and press closer to the warmth of his body.

In that moment, he prayed to whatever deity would listen that he wouldn't regret his decision as he finally resumed his trek back to the comfort of his home...

.

.

.

16 years later.

.

.

.

Tallow sat staring idly out a small crack, acting as a window to the larger world outside.

He couldn't help but be trapped in his thoughts, the air smelled wonderful, the spring air lifting his spirits a little higher.

His admittedly odd quills twitched lightly as a breeze pressed its way into his lookout.

It was truly a nice day.

"Taaaalllow" the persistent voice of a young girl called. He was finally snapped out of his spell, his velvety coat raised as he realized he'd been caught day dreaming.

Quickly he turned to meet the soft coco gaze of his approaching sister. "Yeah Kimber?" He had asked, pretending that he wasn't just staring off into space a mere moment ago.

"You've been up here for a whole hour, just making sure you didn't sprout wings and fly off." She said jokingly, coming to a stop just a few paces away.

Tallow rolled his eyes, standing to his feet to stretch. His long opossum like tail uncoiling to join the rest of his body.

"Did you come up here just to crack jokes at my expense, or did I miss something?" He asked, bright red pin feathers flicking up briefly before the muscles between his neck and shoulders relaxed once more.

Kimber tilted her head slightly, briefly wondering if she had accidentally offended her brother before deciding that he didn't mind the little jab. "Well, dad sent me up to get you, him and mom wanna talk to us about something."

She said, not giving much to the imagination.. But she hadn't the slightest clue what they wanted from them both. What more could she say?

Tallow's quills twitched subconsciously as his hands idly played with the button sewn into the front of his shirt. "Sounds important" Is all he could say, a subtle nervousness crawled over him, it must be important if they wanted them both present to hear.

"Alright, lets go then!" Kimber said impatiently, lightly tugging at Tallow's wrist. She was always in such a rush, he mused to himself, allowing her to guide him away from the little viewing port and deeper into the walls.

He couldn't help but steal one last look towards the light filtering crack.

It was a really nice day out..

But he was glad that he wasn't out there.

...

...

[egopocalypse]

Run Boy Run

Whumptober Day 2: Nowhere to Run, Cornered

Characters: c!Primeboys/discduo

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Major Character Death, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Blood, Threats, and c!Dream being a creepy, abusive motherfucker.

Word Count: 1.8k

Read on AO3

He can’t stop running.

His pursuer hunts him down like a snake chasing down a rat, slipping through the bare, leafless trees faster than he can flee. Snow crumples under his feet, soaking into his worn sneakers and down the cuff of his socks. No matter how fast he runs, the predator always follows. They won’t give up. They will never set him free.

“You don’t have to make this difficult, Tommy,” Dream calls from behind. “The sooner you give up, the sooner this ends for the both of us.”

“More like the sooner you fucking kill me,” Tommy shouts into the wind.

An enderpearl pops above his head, and he pivots, darting to the left to try to duck out of sight. Dream appears a few meters to his side and swipes at him, but Tommy skitters to a stop and takes off in the other direction, zig-zagging through the trees for better cover and yanking on low branches for extra leverage.

“Maybe if you gave in, I’d make it painless,” Dream says. A trident strikes the tree by Tommy’s head and rips out of the wood, spreading broken bark and wood chips into his face. “Or well, maybe not painless, but definitely not as bad as I could make it. I’d save those methods for later.”

Tommy rubs his watering eyes and ducks, releasing a shaky breath as a thin branch scrapes his scalp. He licks chapped lips, tasting the cold sweat and snot dripping from his runny nose.

Fuck. In his panic, he completely lost track of where he was running to. He has no idea where the hell Techno and Phil’s place is from here, and even if he did, there’s no chance Dream would let him run there again after Exile, and he couldn’t expect Techno and Phil to let him in anyway, not after they fucking broke Dream out of prison.

Did he really screw up that much that they wouldn’t just destroy his home, but they’d let Dream, his murderer, his—Dream, out of prison?

“Oh, Tommy,” Dream croons, “come out, come out, wherever you are.”

Tommy’s breath hitches, and he picks up his pace. Fuck, fuck, fuck. The snow’s falling far too slow to cover his tracks, especially with Dream already in hot pursuit. He has to find somewhere drier, where the grass will grip better to his thinning tread, and his own struggle to survive won’t lead directly to a death sentence.

A trident swirls above his head and stabs into the ground right behind him. If Tommy had been any slower, he would be dead.

“Found you.”

Tommy races behind a large, rotting tree trunk. An arrow whizzes past him, whistling through the air as it cuts past his ear. Tommy flinches, curling into himself as he struggles to get his fucking breathing under control.

“That was a warning shot, Tommy,” Dream says. “Next time, I won’t miss.”

Tommy can’t keep going for much longer. His skin stings. Branches and bushes whip his bare arms and legs and paint thin, bloody scratches across his body. His lungs burn from heaving the brisk, biting air. Lactic acid laps at his limbs as exhaustion sweeps over, wishing to drag him into the dirt and accept defeat.

He'll die if he runs; he'll die if he stands still. No matter how he does it, he has to survive. He has to try.

A branch rustles, and Tommy hightails it in the other direction, pushing his aching legs to keep going. Broken twigs snap under his feet, muffled by the soft crunch of snow, yet still loud enough to hear over his pounding heartbeat. He doesn't know where he's running to or who's safe, but fucking Prime, someone help him please—

As he breaks into a clearing, something sharp impales his shoulder.

His knees buckle, and as he collapses, he curses at top volume, startling the birds enough to send the flocks flying away. The wound throbs, pulsing down his arm and lower back. With his left hand, he grapples behind his back for the arrow, only to find a short, slender, wooden handle.

A throwing axe. Dream got him with a goddamn throwing axe.

"What the fuck?"

"You like it?" Dream steps into the clearing, flipping another throwing axe into the air. "I had them made just for you." He catches the axe and points it at Tommy's chest. "Next time you run off, I'm aiming for your spine."

Oh, fuck no. There's no fucking way Dream will ever get that close. Tommy would rather die on his own terms than let Dream kill him again.

Tommy scampers back, keeping the distance between them. “You stay the fuck away from me! They’ll see that you killed me, Dream! They’ll know!”

“They will, huh?” Dream says. “Who will? Techno? Tubbo? Sam? If they cared, they’d be here, wouldn’t they? But look! No one’s here to be your human shield, Tommy! And even if they were, none of them would stop me. Techno even helped me, and Sam? Sam killed Ranboo. He doesn’t care. If he cared, he would’ve stopped me from killing you in the prison.”

“If I’m alone, then who the fuck do you have, Dream?” Tommy says. “You have nobody! You didn’t when we locked you up, and you don’t have people now. Sapnap and them, they’ll kill you, or they’ll put you right back in the prison where you belong. You don’t—you can’t have power out here anymore.”

Dream closes the distance between them. “You want to know a secret, Tommy? I always had power. I made the waivers because I knew Sam would follow them. I made Ranboo steal the blueprints so Techno could get me out. He’s the reason why the prison went into lockdown in the first place! And Techno—I knew I would use Techno’s favor to break me out. Why do you think I saved it when I could’ve used it to destroy L’Manberg?”

Tommy freezes as Dream grabs his shirt collar and leans in close.

“I always had a plan, Tommy,” Dream continues, “and as long as people continue to listen to me, I always will.”

Tommy swallows and looks past Dream's shoulder, sneaking a glance at the treeline. Even if he did try to make a break for it, the warm, slick blood trickling down his back would stain the snow and make him even easier to hunt down. Plus, his arm's really starting to hurt like a bitch now, and he can't risk fucking up the nerves or some shit and making his sword arm fucking useless.

Rebellion might screw him over in the long run (oh, Prime, please don't let there be a long run), but it might be the only way to save his ass right now.

With herculean effort, Tommy raises his right hand and flips Dream off. "Fuck you!"

Dream merely laughs; the low tone shoots a bolt of terror through Tommy's heart.

“See, that’s why I get to have fun with you. You just don’t give up.”

Dream releases Tommy’s shirt, and he falls, jostling his wounded arm. A pained noise weasels its way out of his throat, and as he tries to scoot away, Dream pins Tommy’s ankle with his heel.

“Don’t leave,” Dream says. “I won, so I get something out of it, don’t I?”

Tommy splutters. “This—this isn’t some sort of game, Dream! You don’t win a prize for being fucking evil!”

Tommy’s stomach churns as Dream’s heel digs into his tendon. He wouldn’t break his ankle or something to keep him from running, right? Dream’s a sick bastard, but even he has to have some limits! No matter what, Dream will still need him to walk.

Dream flips the throwing axe again, drawing Tommy’s attention as he continues. “I could use the Axe of Peace; that could be fun. Battleaxes take a while to clean, though, and I want to wait until you’re at your new home to use it. I could fly you up with my trident and let you go, but it isn’t satisfying if I don’t actually get to watch you die, you know?”

He catches the throwing axe and pauses.

“Oh, I know.” He wipes the axe blade on his pants. “I could use a little more practice with these, don’t you think? You can be my dartboard.”

Fuck, maybe he doesn’t need him to walk.

“Now, Dream? Dream, think about what you’re doing,” Tommy says. “That’s a little extreme, isn’t it?”

“I don’t think it is, really,” Dream says. “I told you I was going to put you through hell, Tommy. Maybe after this, you’ll start to understand how you fucked me over.”

Despite his fear, Tommy’s face flickers with confusion. “But you said you always—”

Dream throws the second axe into Tommy’s other shoulder. The blade digs deeper into the flesh than the first and cuts off his thoughts as he lets out an ear-piercing scream. His upper body gives out, and he crumples to the ground, another shriek escaping as the first axe presses against bone, caught between his torso and the ten centimeters of snow giving to packed ground under his weight.

Dream kneels down and peels back the fresh wound with a gloved hand. Tommy kicks his legs out in between choked gasps, but nothing connects.

“Hmm, that’s better, but not exactly what I was aiming for.” Dream pulls out another axe. “Looks like I have to keep practicing.”

As the pain continues, not even adrenaline’s sharp clarity can drown out the fuzziness creeping in, slowing his thoughts to a sluggish stop. He can’t stop shivering, even when pain blooms with each tiny movement. The cold chills the metal blades, freezing the wounds they dig into. Blood soaks through Tommy’s clothes, draining the warmth from his body as it congeals and stains red.

At this rate, perhaps it would be better if Dream killed him. It’d be an end to the pain, and maybe revival would fix some of the damage Dream’s wrought. Maybe Tommy could find relief in the nothing.

Without warning, Dream slaps Tommy’s cheek, whipping his head to the side as the sting ripples across his frostbitten face. (When did he get there?)

“You aren’t even listening anymore, are you?” Dream says, though the words sound muffled despite him getting right in Tommy’s face. “Come on, Tommy, surely you can survive a little longer than that.”

He groans; it’s the most effort he’s able to make.

“Your screams made things difficult, so I guess we’ll have to cut this session short.” Another axe nestles in Dream’s hand; he pulls it back and aims. “I’ll bring you back soon, Tommy. In the meantime, say hi to Ghostbur for me.”

The blade drives into his throat, and with crisp, bittersweet relief, Tommy sinks into the void.

Taglist: @seaswalllow @fear-is-nameless @phantoids @thisisaname-whatahappyname @miishae @shriketrap @sleepypuffpastry @isa-ghost @a-humble-narcissus

[frodo-with-glasses]

Tree, Boromir and Faramir

There aren't many trees in Minas Tirith. There's the White Tree, of course, but from boyhood it was drilled into Boromir and Faramir that the White Tree was sacred, and even during their rowdy games of Swords or Elves or Guard and Robber in the courtyard, they always stayed far away from the guards and the fountain and the old tree.

Just outside the city wasn't much good, either. The Pelennor Fields stretched for miles outside the city walls, with the low grasses and tussocks being the only green thing visible as far as the eye could see; most of the buildings in Minas Tirith were made of stone, and the ones that did incorporate wood were built with logs imported from other parts of the kingdom. Trees usually came to Minas Tirith as naked, straight logs on carts drawn by stout horses.

That's why a real, live, standing tree was such a treat.

On the rare occasions that Denethor had business outside of Minas Tirith, Faramir and Boromir would nag and beg their father incessantly to take them with him. Often times, there was some excuse why they couldn't come; "you must stay here and attend to your studies", "the road will be dangerous", "this is a simple business matter, and there will be no time for two young lads to stay and frolic". But sometimes—sometimes, on a miracle—he would agree.

Faramir was only a boy when he saw the forest for the first time, and he fell in love in an instant. The smells, the colors, the variety of life, the dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves. Boromir's heart was still with the City, and he was dubious of the mud and the fallen leaves that could conceal animal droppings. But the moment he heard a voice call his name from above, and looked up, and found his little brother grinning down at him from his perch on a stout tree limb several feet over his head, the contest had begun.

The rules were simple, and immediately understood: whoever could climb the highest was the winner. Faramir had been sitting in an oak; Boromir heaved himself up into a maple; Faramir scrambled almost all the way to the top of a tall fir, so high that the branches were thin and swayed alarmingly underneath him.

Boromir thought he'd found a winning tree—many large limbs, starting near the ground and spiraling upwards around the trunk far up to the canopy—but the moment he leaped up to hang on one small, bare, leafless limb, it cracked in his hands, and the dead wood snapped off the tree and came crashing down.

Boromir had the good sense to let go as soon as he heard the crack, but it was a long way to fall. A moment after his boots thumped onto the leaves on the forest floor—and the impact shot up his legs and made his knees shaky—he felt a heavy blow to his shoulder and collapsed face-down. The limb fell, and its dry twigs and fingers snapped all at once with a CRASH.

"Boromir!" Hurried footsteps, and heavy breathing, broke the silence that followed. "Boromir!" Faramir had shimmied hastily down from his perch, and was running to his brother.

Boromir groaned, and grimaced, and pushed into the dirt with his hands and sat up. His shoulder was sore, and he rubbed it gingerly as he leaned against the tree and tried to catch his breath.

"Are you all right?" Faramir had skidded to a halt in front of him, and now looked at him with wide eyes and trembling hands.

Boromir saw the fear and worry in his little brother's face, and wanting to dispel it with laughter, he mustered a smile. "Of course!" he said. "I did not fall very far."

"It seemed so to me," said Faramir. "You are hurt; I can see it. We should have been more cautious. Father will be furious if he learns of this."

"I am not hurt," Boromir repeated, although he had to cover a wince as he sat up straighter. "And Father does not need to know."

Faramir hesitated. "If you are certain."

"I am certain. Although," he said slowly, "I do not wish to climb any more trees. I do not think they have taken a liking to me."

That got Faramir to laugh, and he stood up straighter. "You jest! Trees here do not have the gift of thought; the likes of those can be found only in the stories of old, or in lands far away. Yet if these could think, I'm sure they would find you heavy. Have caution, or you shall get yourself killed."

"Who is heavy?" Boromir scooped a pine cone from the forest floor and threw it at him, laughing, as Faramir ran away.

For just a moment, Boromir was alone, and he took the chance to press his aching shoulder and hiss through his teeth. He wouldn't let Faramir see him like this. He didn't want him to worry. But for just a moment, he leaned against the trunk of a great tree, caught his breath, and sourly plucked out a small twig from where it had stuck into his jacket.

WORD ASK GAME!