#either as in that post he's old as the dust of the earth and has forgotten more than the world has recorded and remembers even more than tha

[bonny-kookoo]

Jungkook

Re:Birth | Re:Start [Part 1]

He's just a vulture, searching for scraps to survive, when he finds more than he could've ever thought of finding. This could turn his whole life around- but oh no...

Tags/Warnings: Post apocalypse AU, Alien AU, Alien!Jungkook, Human!Reader, Angst, Fluff, Adult Themes, mild Violence and Blood, mentions of death, sci-fi, romance

Wordcount: 5.7k Words

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“Everything that’s in it is yours.”

That was what he was told when he bought the pile of scrap, all of it junk from ages ago still valuable to someone like him. He trades this stuff after all- a member of the ‘Vultures’, a group of people who take on trash to pick out the most vaulable parts of it all. This time, Jungkook got his hands on something special- an old abandoned rescue ship back from when earth first fell to nuclear weapons. That was hundreds of years ago by now, planet completely abandoned and only inhabited by intergalactic clean-up troops trying their best to save whats left of it all.

Opening the once automated sliding doors in the back is tough, but Jungkook makes do with some of the equipment and knowledge from years of experience, eventually finding his way inside. It’s small for someone like him, but probably spacious enough for a good amount of humans, which this was made for after all. The lights don’t work, and he doesn’t really expect them to- but what does surprise him is the still glowing red emergency lights further in the distance, down a small hallway kind of way.

The moment he reaches a door that’s sealed heavily, he’s a bit stunned. It’s known that humans have made a certain type of energy preserving system to keep ships like these going for hundreds of years, but many if not most of them all either crashed, or opened early on other planets during their great escape from earth centuries ago. And with the rather short lifespan of humans, there’s as of now no record of a surviving full blood human on any of the planets of this solar system.

Aex 3 is Jungkook’s home planet- he never had to adjust to anything here. He was born here, and most likely, he’ll spend his dying years here too, whenever that happens.

As he tries to find a way into the large bunker-like room, he has to think of what he might find. Most likely corpses he will have to report to the government so they can be disposed of in a proper manner considering that research on humans is still going on, and its also not like he hasn’t seen a dead body before. He’s well aquainted with rotting flesh and decay, after all, that’s what he’s living off of in a way. But he can’t say that he likes it- not at all. He’d love to avoid the sight and smell, if possible.

When the doorlock hisses at the strength he uses to pry it open with a metal tool he keeps around for cases like this, he know he’s close to finally opening it. But what he’s met with once he’s finally in, squeezing through a rather tight opening since the door has rusted so badly to the floor that it just can’t open any further, leaves him stunned yet again.

It’s cold in here, and most of all dark, if not for a few pity lights still glowing, although some are flickering on their last breaths. He instantly puts on a facemask just in case there's anything dangerous in the air- just as a safety measure. Many of the to him familiar cryo-chambers are fogged, empty, leaking or partially opened- and the smell is familiar too, flesh of the poor souls who never made it out alive still faintly in the air. The humans once inside the pods died long ago, long enough to only leave mostly bone and clothing behind, but what Jungkook’s glowing eyes keep their attention to, is a single cryo-pod, small digital panel still active, though it’s covered in dust.

He’s walking closer, because if that think is still working, he might have a chance at recovering those energy cells humans used back in the day still intact. That would fetch him a fortune, for sure- there's rich collectors of these things on his planet, and on others close by.

Though, his hand stutters the moment he removes dust- because the information on the panel cannot possibly be correct.

It displays a name first, and then a year and a date. He assumes this must be your date of birth- which is so long ago he’s sure his own lineage wasn’t even created yet. He’s born a species of alien-human connection, after all; a species created from very early attempts at specially modifying human DNA to make them more capable of intergalactic travel. It was considered failed at first, but after generations, Jungkook’s species has become stronger, healthier, taller and most of all- exactly what they aimed for.

There is no planet he couldn’t survive on. His body is capable of adapting to the most unfriendly environments.

It simply took time- and humans are said to have been terribly impatient.

He slides his finger over the panel, sucessfully swiping to another set of information, most of it telling him that the system is still active, still running. But there’s also other info that causes his warm-blooded body to cool down signitatively.

‘Starting SYSTEM_STOP:HIBERNATION-EXIT'

“Wait, no no no no-” He panics, tapping away at the screen until he manages to somehow not have the whole thing unfreeze on him, leaving him breathless for a good moment or two. With an unsure hand, he wipes at the glass front, to uncover a soft, red light inside, and most of all-

A body. And it’s most certainly not dead-

It’s a full-blood human.

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It’s been two days.

Two days since he found you in there, still kept in your little pod, still completely unaware of what’s going on around you.

Do you dream? According to a friend of his who researches humans, you could be, but apparently the chances of that are very low due to your brain being kept at a stage of being not active. Jungkook faces a very bad situation here, because technically, he should absolutely report this to his local research office- but he’s also sitting on an amount of money that could change his life forever.

No more scrap metal. No more sleeping in his small apartment that’s falling apart. No more fighting on the streets over pitiful amounts of change.

He sighs as he sits down close to your pod, opening a bag of snacks for himself as he looks over at the clear top. Your eyes are closed, and you seem to be in a very good shape. If he was to calculate correctly, you were about his age when you left earth and got put into this thing- and yet, you look to be very small compared to modern day human-descendants and most species of humanoid beings. He himself is a little above average, sure- but that’s besides the point.

If you woke up now, you’d probably be traumatized.

Namjoon, his friend who studies humans, had told him once that humans can die from emotional trauma alone. Their own immune system can just one day riot against its own host and kill it from the insides. And DNA can mutate from nothing all of a sudden and create tumors that burden the body so much it cannot continue normal function.

Humans are so frail. Should he just.. Do you a favor?

Your family, your friends, everything you knew is gone after all. You’re alone, a sole survivor, and once the institute gets a whiff of your existence, you’ll probably be kept like a laboratory animal in a sterile environment for testing and research. It’s fucked up- but Jungkook isn’t a murderer.

The next day, when he’s back again, he watches you once more- taking you in for a moment, mesmerized by the simple fact that you are existing. The odds of this are so incredibly small that it fascinates him to no ends. He’s asked Namjoon about some stuff last night over drinks, and apparently, most humans who exited the hibernation protocol all lack any memories. They have basic knowledge of functions, they can speak and they know how to balance and have basic reflexes- but they all have to re-learn more complicated tasks like tying shoes, or even how to calculate and tell time. So maybe, if you were to wake up, the trauma wouldn’t be so bad?

Jungkook is conflicted. The price you’d fetch for him would be astronomical. He’d be set for life, and some. It’s just a call. Or even just a text to namjoon.

He’s killed a guy before. Shot him right in the chest for having attempted to sell his own kid on the streets, and Jungkook felt not a single drop of remorse. And yet, he can’t do this. He can’t just be the same as everyone else.

You don’t deserve this.

But do you deserve to live like this too?

You’ll never have a normal life, not at all. You’ll either have to be on the run forever, or set yourself into the laboratories- both options aren’t ideal. Jungkook scratches his head for a moment, before he sighs, and slides one of his hands over his face in agony. This issue isn’t letting him sleep for a second. What’s he supposed to do?

Can he trust namjoon enough to file him in on this?

Sudden light makes him snap his face towards where you’re still in hibernation however as the panel seems to malfunction for a good second or two, causing him distress. The light inside your pod are now off as well, putting you in complete darkness- and he doesn’t know what posesses him as he taps and swipes once more, frantically trying to find a single setting to activate. And then-

‘Starting SYSTEM_STOP:HIBERNATION-EXIT'

This time, he lets it happen, steps a bit aside just in case, even though he doesn’t know what might happen now. Maybe you’re dying in there, or maybe this is simply the course of nature in a way? He doesn’t know, as the pod hisses and clicks, something sounding as if it snaps apart or breaks, worrying him. After a good little while of this, there’s silence, lock on the clear top clicking, but never opening.

Should he take a look? It won’t hurt, right?

The small panel is now dark, and as the inside of the pod foggs up, Jungkook realizes that it might just be stuck- hands of his forcing the acrylic glass upwards until it finally opens with a painful cracking sound of the hinges protesting against his aggression.

It’s silent, again.

He can’t hear anything out of the ordinary, if anything he hears even less noise than usual with the ventilation of the system and the flickering lights finally having given up by now. As he looks inside, he notices just how.. Clean everything is still where you’re laying, looking like you are simply asleep. But what concerns him is the fact that, while one touch offers him the knowledge of your body temperature rising and heart beating again, you’re yet to gain consciousness.

Jungkook knows next to nothing about human health. Why would he?

So, minutes later, he’s guarding the tight squeeze at the entrance to the room you’re in, Namjoon looking at him with suspicion and crossed arms. “You have to swear first.” Jungkook almost growls threateningly, holding out his hand.

“I swear I’ll report nothing.” His friend replies, before he hooks his ring finger around Jungkook’s, and pulls till there is a quiet crack- a way of proving that he means his ‘promise’.

“Okay.” Jungkook sighs deeply, panic still present in his bones as he lets his friend into the chamber.

“Wow. This is all incredibly preserved..” Namjoon says, already distracted by the remains of a human with mummified flesh still present, when Jungkook makes an almost growling sound to get his friend’s attention. “Right. What do you have there?” He asks, walking closer- before his eyes widen, and his steps become longer, quicker, like he can’t get closer fast enough. “That is..! Is she alive?!” He gasps, frantically looking around before he steps around the pod for a better angle to look at you.

“Yes? No?” Jungkook struggles. “I don’t know. The whole thing.. Made weird noises and I think the system gave up, so I made it exit the hibernation stuff-” Jungkook explains, while Namjoon puts his glasses on.

“She was still in hibernation when you found her?” He asks, and Jungkook nods. “That is.. So she just exited.. I- Jungkook, I would’ve brought more equipment if I had known-” He mumbles to himself as he seems to gently turn you a little in the cushioned bed you’re in, specifically designed to move and tilt to not cause any pressure on the body over time. “She’s a bit cold I believe.. And considering that no one has ever survived in these pods for so long, there might be damage to either internal organs or her brain..” He says, before he steps back. “Either way, she can’t stay here.”

“Oh wow I would’ve never guessed.” Jungkook sarcastically responds, rolling his eyes before he looks around. “How do we get her out of here without anyone noticing?” He asks, as he picks up a blanket. “Can we just.. Wrap her up and I don’t know.. Maybe say she’s a friend from Vinos? They’re pretty short people too..” He tries to come up, and Namjoon seems unconfident.

“I’m not sure what the dust might do to her skin, since she has been kept in isolation for so long, and she might not react well to the environment here..” He thinks, when Jungkook looks at him urgently. “..but you’re right. Yes, lets.. But be careful.”

“I’m always careful-” Jungkook complains almost childishly, though he hesitates a bit at approaching you with the blanket, a little worried now.

“Let me do it-” Namjoon tries, but Jungkook shakes his head, and carefully moves you into a sitting position, where your body leans heavily against his own, a form of physical contact he’s not quite used to, especially from the opposite sex. “Care-”

“I am careful.” He huffs, as he makes sure to wrap the blanket around you as best as he can, before he scoops you up to carry you. “Alright, lets get out of here then.”

Namjoon seems a bit hesitant at first, torn between staying and leaving-

But ultimately, he chooses the last option, and leaves behind Jungkook.

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“Alright I made sure it’s not connected to any of the servers anymore, so now I just have to-” Namjoon begins, as Jungkook jumps up to your defense at the sight of the needle. “-Jungkook, I have to take at least some blood to make some research as to her current state.” He reassures his friend, who only reluctantly sits down again. Somehow, with you being unable to really do anything, let alone consent, Jungkook feels incredibly protective.

He knows he wouldn’t like someone poking around on and inside him either while he was unconscious.

But Namjoon is right- there's no real other way to check up on you other than this- so he lets his friend continue, tests soon bringing in results as you’re hours later asleep on a mattress Jungkook usually sleeps on in his home. Namjoon had brought his equipment along with him, fearing that his own home that’s paid for by the research institute might be too dangerous for you to reside in.

While Namjoon is busy looking at the results in Jungkook’s little open kitchen a bit further away, Jungkook himself is busy thinking about what life will look like for you, if you survive. Somehow, you remind him of himself when he was born- tellings of his mother reminiscing about how he had been born underneath the open skies, with no place to call home, and no guarantee of survival. He ultimately did simply because she took him in as her own- but if it was any different, he wouldn’t exist today.

How will your life play out now?

In a way, he believes this might be the universe giving him a chance to pay back that second chance at life he’d been given so many years ago. Maybe now, he can be that person to pick you up and help you gain your footing in the world. He might not be the best person considering his job and own struggles- but he surely wants to try.

Because all other options just don’t sound right.

“It seems like she has an infection currently.. Her white blood cells are elevated.” Namjoon says as he walks closer with a digital tablet containing all the information from the tests he made. “Her kidneys don’t seem to work properly.”

“Does that mean she will die?” Jungkook worries, and Namjoon sighs.

“No, and if she does it won’t be from a mere kidney infection, at least not in the stage she’s in.” He explains. “Her temperature is a bit high and when she wakes up she will definitely feel uncomfortable, but nothing that can’t be treated with standard antibiotics.” He says.

“Antibiotics?” Jungkook cringes. “That’s.. Ancient medicine.” He says, and Namjoon nods.

“She’s technically ancient too, Jungkook.”

Right.

“So, when will she wake up?” Jungkook wonders, as Namjoon measures your heartrate with a small electronic device close by to keep him constantly updated.

“Probably in the next few hours. Her body is slowly adjusting to the change in her environment, that’ll take some time.” He says, and Jungkook is a bit reassured by the clear calm attitude his friend has while making sure to keep an eye on your vitals.

“Namjoon?” Jungkook asks, as his friend looks up at him. “I’m.. Glad you’re here.”

“Well, you should be.” Namjoon proudly smiles, happily accepting that praise when you suddenly squeeze close your eyes, the first sign of life you gave until now. Jungkook is instantly sitting up, standing somewhat over you as Namjoon pushes him back with a hand on his chest. “Give her space. We don’t know how she’ll react.” He says calmly, as Jungkook worriedly watches you slowly wake up.

It visibly takes you a while to open your eyes, but when you do, it’s like Jungkook is caught up in a moment of timelessness.

It’s tough to explain- the second your eyes meet, he’s caught off guard like an animal staring right at it’s biggest predator, unsure what is about to happen now. He’s not fearful of you, absolutely not- but he’s frozen in place, and it only takes a moment until he realizes what’s happening.

“Well, at least she won’t have issues finding someone to look after her.” Namjoon says, having noticed from the way Jungkook’s pupils dilated to the slight parting of his friend’s lips, that he’s clearly just imprinted on you. It’s common for his age and species after all- and it’s also not very surprising, considering that he has a good amount of human DNA in him that survived all those centuries.

“I- uh, wait, no..” Jungkook stumbles over his words, as he clears his throat, and shakes his head. “I can’t. I don’t have any funds to really feed another person, and neither can she live here-”

“We’ll take his step by step. For now, this is where she’ll stay.” Namjoon decides, before he walks closer to you. “Hm. Do you understand what I’m saying?” He asks you, and you look at him for a moment, visibly turning a little unsure and even fearful of the situation.

You.. Kind of understand them. But it’s like they’re speaking with an incredibly strong accent that makes it tough to really pull apart the words and their meaning if they speak fast.

“We are friends.” Namjoon explains, as Jungkook walks closer. “This- that’s Jungkook. I’m Namjoon. And you?” He wonders, as you think for a good while, causing the older alien to worry that you might not understand common language.

After all, from what he knows, humans used to have many very much different languages in which they used to communicate in, before the interplanetary counsil decided on a single language to be spoken and taught to everyone. So maybe you weren’t taught universal language?

But then you meekly utter your name, and Namjoon sighs in relief.

“Good. Very good, thank you.” He says, as Jungkook adjusts your blanket when he notices you shivering. “Can you sit up?” Namjoon wonders, and you do, slowly, with the help of Jungkook’s hand on your back- the researcher quickly moving to check you over a little more, just to be sure.

You just let it happen, instead looking around the rather dark and small apartment for a moment.

You have no idea where you came from- only having some faint memories of putting on a very standardized set of clothes and laying down in a very cold bed? You don’t quite remember what exactly it was, but you do know that you went to sleep in there- last sight that of someone with a facemask tapping on a digital panel, before you went to sleep. And then?

Darkness. There’s nothing else.

You don’t really feel frightened by those two people any longer as you take a proper look around and at them both, curiously watching the way Namjoon seems to lift your arms to test your reflexes and strength. Jungkook next to you keeps an eye on things, and for some reason, that makes you feel protected.

You lean into him a little while Namjoon seems to talk about something incredibly complicated, way too fast for you to really understand it- but Jungkook appears to understand, so you’re not worried about anything for the moment.

After all, you also don’t know that your life didn’t just begin again-

But that it just got a whole lot more complicated.

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“There. That should be more comfortable.” Jungkook offers, having finalized his task of putting another mattress down onto the floor next to where he usually sleeps.

You now have your own blankets, pillows and mattress- after just a few days, Jungkook has quite clearly decided to keep you around, and make your situation a permanent one. He’s learned a few things about humans and their health from Namjoon who had to go back to the institute in order to not have them get any suspicions.

Jungkook has, since then, begun to dig through the rest of the thing for valuables- wrecking the open pod as well just to make sure that the government officials won’t look too much into things once they pick up the other remains.

“Where do you.. Go?” You ask Jungkook, as he sits down on his own bed next to where you sit. He seems to have equally a bit of trouble understanding you properly, but he tries hard, and you appreciate that. “like, during the day. Where do you go?” You ask, and at that he seems to understand.

“I take apart things, and sell the most valuable parts.” he explains. “Uh.. Like..” He takes a box of screws and tools. “I take this, see?” He says, before he takes out the tools of the tiny metal box, putting them into their own spots. “And then I sell everything. This for ten, this for fifteen, and so on.” He attempts to explain, and you perk up at that, nodding.

“I see!” You say, making him smile almost shyly at seeing you happy. He carefully puts everything back into the box before putting it away, when he hears your stomach growling, causing him to look at you with wide eyes for a second before he realizes that you probably haven’t eaten anything today.

“Oh! I don’t.. Have anything here you can eat.” He mumbles a bit disappointed, before he looks around.

Should he do this? He probably shouldn’t, but he could always just pass you off as a someone born on Vinos. And to be fair, everyone would absolutely believe that considering that you do fit them mostly. Not quite, but mostly.

But oddities define the norm, as they say.

“To be fair, you do need clothes too.. You can’t keep wearing mine.” He says, before he gets up. “Come on, I’ll carry you since you don’t have shoes yet.” He offers, and you accept that, letting him carry you on his back with his hands steadying your legs at your thighs on his sides, while your arms are over his shoulders. It’s your first time outside, and Jungkook doesn���t really think about it for a good moment, until you seem to hide in the crook of his neck. “Oh- right, the sun must be really bright.. I forgot. Sorry.” He says, as he hurries to walk in the shadows of the buildings as to not have you burn into a crisp on his back.

He wonders what the weather was like on earth before it got poisoned. Was it nice? What was nature like? Or the cities?

What was your life like before all of this?

“Alright- in here you can walk, the floors are relatively clean. Let’s get you some shoes..” He mumbles, as he leads you around with a hand on your upper back right between your shoulders, as he looks for anything that might fit you.

You don't remember where you came from, and neither do you remember if you've always lived here. Everything looks foreign but also familiar to you, as if the world you're currently in has shifted just enough to be different, but not enough to become strange. You struggle to read most signs and labels, but you also realize that you don't have to be able to do so, as Jungkook walks around a corner with a pair of shoes for you to try on.

“They should technically fit? I don't really have a good eye for sizes..” he mumbles, as he watches you slip into the shoes that fit surprisingly well. There's a bit of room there for thicker socks if the weather gets colder, so you'll be able to wear these in any kind of weather.

Wait. Do the seasons even change here?

“You like them?” Jungkook asks, and you nod, because you genuinely do. When he walks to pay for them, you instantly put them on near the exit of the store while Jungkook pays for them at the counter, where a young lady with silver strands in her hair takes his money to count and then nod. When he walks towards you, you kind of feel like the canine creature outside the store tied to a lamppost by its owner just seconds ago, seeing your person again. There's a strange mix of relief and happiness when he takes your hand to walk through the town with you, the man looking around for what you think might be something to eat.

He finds it, after some walking. Though he hesitates to enter.

“Is it dangerous?” you ask, having to repeat your question as he leans down to hear you better over the sound of talking people, honking vehicles and construction work nearby. He shakes his head- though it doesn't convince you.

“its not dangerous, no. I just.. don't know if you can eat any of what they offer.” He explains, before he walks inside. “lets see.. you can surely eat something we get for children…” the tall man mumbles to himself, before he orders something. The hood of his sweater has been pulled over your head this entire time as if to hide you- and you can see some other people, shorter than you, wear clothes in a similar way. One of those people waves at you with an odd gesture that catches you off guard- but you try and repeat it the best you can, causing the small table to erupt into laughter of endearment.

Someone walks closer, stands next to jungkook. He instantly holds onto your hand.

“A fellow Vinoson. Didn't think you'd be that kind of guy, Jungkook.” The young man seems to joke, making Jungkook laugh as he squeezes your hand a little.

“ah, what can I say? I guess you were right when you said you can't resist their charm sometimes.” He says, and you’re not quite sure what he's hinting at. But you also trust him- so maybe this is simply for the best to play along, as you push yourself into Jungkook's side a little like you've seen another couple do earlier when you entered.

“ah, well she seems to be charmed by you just the same.” The man nods, before he nods to you. “Do you by chance have any cobalt-capsules in your stock?” he asks, and Jungkook agrees with a head-gesture.

“actually, I do. But i'll have to raise my usual prices a bit these days, since the quality is high for these, and you rarely get them in that state anymore.” Jungkook says while waiting for his order of food to arrive. “they're all between 70% and 85%. Got them checked at Yoongi's.” he proudly says, clearly confident in his tone.

“My, that sounds indeed like a rare gem you found there. How much for five?” the man asks, and Jungkook picks up his order of food in the silver lined paper bag, before he turns fully towards his apparent costumer.

“1.4 Kay. I gotta feed two mouths these days, hope you understand.” Jungkook appears to joke- though that glimmer in his eyes tells you that he's genuinely serious with the price, almost hopeful.

“you now what?” the man says, before he nods to you. "Alright.” The man agrees. “Though only for a chance to meet your child, once its there. I cannot imagine what a Vinoson and a Humanoid would create.” He jokes, making Jungkook cringe a little as he nods however.

“deal. Though, that might take a while.”

Back at home, now with the food in front of you, and the thick long sweater-poncho kind of situation off of your body, you take your first bites of food. “according to the notes left by Namjoon, local produce and oil should be fine for you to consume.” He offers as reassurance. “So this has no meat in it. I'll do some research later- or you can have a tiny bit of mine, and see how you do?” he asks, and you nod at that, causing him to laugh. “did you even understand me, or are you just agreeing to anything?” he jokes, but you shake your head.

“no, I understand.” You answer, almost a bit offended. “I just.. you talk fast sometimes. Then I struggle.” You explain to him, and he nods.

“i'll keep that in mind then.”

Later during the rest of the early day, he turns on the radio- while you still struggle to somewhat understand the fast speech especially with the occasional static cutting the announcer off, you listen to it.

“-have come to the conclusion that the remaining human bacteria in the cryo-pod found at Ainum-Square last week, have simply been remains that were well preserved due to the system's battery system still being intact. Researchers have also examined the other human remains at the site, and told ACS-Station that the passengers of that flight most likely died shortly after impact due to pressure changes and lack of oxygen.”

You listen to it still, when Jungkook walks up behind you, clearly curious, but also hesitant.

Do you remember those passengers? Or do you not?

“I'm human too, right?” you ask Jungkook, who nods. “And you're a.. humanoid?” you ask, making him nod, though he shrugs his shoulders.

“that's the broad term. In reality, there's different humanoid races. I was born here on Aex, so i'm technically an H3. The third Humanoid species to inhabit a planet.” He explains. “take it as.. every humanoid started from humans, right? And then they kind of.. began travelling. Some stayed on Cepheid, and became very resistent to the harsh climate and hot temperatures. They're H1. H2 are the ones that eventually populated Chronos 16, those are really sensitive to light, but they can endure freezing climates. Have a weirdly arrogant attitude though..” Jungkook mumbles. “and then, well, H3 are people like me, who were born here on Aex. We grow a bit taller, our bodies can adapt to changes in atmospheric pressure and we have more.. I guess, complex social behavior?” he wonders. “huh, but I'm rambling. You probably didn't understand half of it.” He sighs with a smile, though you shake your head.

“so.. where are the original humanoids then?” you ask.

“they're on earth, mostly. Helping in the cleanup efforts after the nuclear disaster of 2245.” He explains.

“and.. humans?”

Jungkook grows silent for a moment, before he turns a little to you, as if to invite you for something you're not sure of. “Most of them.. died during the disaster, or from the health effects of exposure. Many fled to neighboring planets, and eventually.. well, they got scared to be wiped out entirely, I guess? So they began to try and enhance their DNA to create stronger and more resistant generations. It.. took them too long though. They got impatient, and abandoned the project after not even a century.” He says.

“So, no humans are alive anymore?” you ask, making him laugh.

“they are. In my DNA, and many of the other Humanoids.” He offers kindly. “and, well, in you. A pure human, so to say.” He offers.

It takes you a moment to take all of it in, really think about it and process that information. What Jungkook is saying is that the project never failed- but simply took too long for any human to ever see the results it brought. You're the last of your kind, possibly.

“Why did you.. say I was from Vinos?” you ask, and he sighs.

“because.. a lot of human history got lost in the disaster. And a lot of it, no one can read.” He explains. “I’m.. worried. About what the research institute might do if they knew you existed.” He simply says.

“will you.. can I stay here?” you ask. “for now?”

And jungkook nods, with a kind smile.

“of course.” He says, putting a gentle hand onto your head.

“I’ll try my best to keep you safe.”

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━.~°👽°~.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

[blueteller]

Hello, Blueteller-nim! I just want to ask what's happening rn in tcf part 2? Who are the new gods that have been introduced (and how many of those newly introduced gods became Cale's enemies)? How many hunters Cale already defeated (and how many more should he defeat)? Is there any news about the Fake Hilsman? Did Cale adopted a new kid? (Pls say yes I want him to adopt more lol)

Hi! I believe this exact question was sent to me before? Sorry it took me so long to reply! Every time I started writing, new lore got dropped and I ended up re-writing this reply from scratch. There's a lot to cover, so brace yourself for tons of SPOILERS

I made a post about TCF gods once already, but turns out, parts of it are outdated! Some new information got revealed that directly contradicts my old assumptions about several of them. But we'll get to it.

First of all, the Hunter families. The plot of Part 2 so far consists of Cale going to different dimensions to deal with them.

So there were originally seven, but by current time there were only five left to deal with. Let's quickly run by each of them one by one.

Black Bloods; residents of the planet Xiaolen – specifically Xiaolen 1 – named Huayans (Fayence in the first raw translations, just in case you've seen that version before), led by Redok. They were human Black Mages who specialized in "White Magic", meaning their variant of Black Magic was more powerful and it looked white. Pretty neat. They flooded Xiaolen with dead mana in order to sacrifice the world and gather its energy called "Karma". Still little detail on how Karma works exactly, but we know it can be gathered by either killing or saving tons of people – guess which method the Hunters use. Cale got a dramatic fire power boost because of some universal balance rules, and defeated them pretty easily. (Xiaolen citizens made Cale a statue in his honor, much to his despair lol)

Blue Bloods; residents of Central Plains, a pretty young world from what we know. They were known as the Blood Cult, lead by a female leader called Blood Demon. They created hundreds of thousands of zombies called Jiangshi and planned to cause a 3-way civil war in order to do the same thing Black Bloods were trying to do. Cale got a water power upgrade because of a dead Dragon and defeated a tsunami with a tsunami and got a splitting headache because of some third eye mumbo jumbo – long story. They were a little harder to defeat than Black Bloods, but they managed in the end. Choi Han got to personally slay the Blood Demon. (Central Plains citizens turned Cale into a folk story/legend and apparently there's already a cult for him hahaha)

Purple Bloods; resident of Aipotu – who consists entirely of Dragons and Dragon-bloods, led by Dragon Lord Neo (yes I'm pretty sure the name is a Matrix reference – love the irony of it so much). Purple Blood's specialty was getting to "inheriting" Dragon powers via some very questionable blood transfusions and heart transplants. Nasty stuff. Neo's Attribute was time, or something quite similar to it, and he used his time powers to mess up Aipotu and the World Tree, intending to transfer himself and all his followers/slaves into a Virtual Reality the Hunters planned to make their own new world. Cale had to use Instant to defeat Neo, turning his own broken plate into dust and eating it to survive (VERY questionable method, Cale!!). Dragon Half-Blood also had to sacrifice himself so Cale set him up as an NPC in the Virtual World and he gets to be reborn from an egg as a legit Half-Dragon named Eden Miru. These has been the most recent events in the story (also Aipotu residents built Cale a church under Clopeh and named it Five Colored Light religion HAHAHAHA). Speaking of Virtual Reality…

Transparent Bloods; residents of Earth 3 – the world where Anh Roh Man lives, the guy who made Alberu's Taerang; leader unknown so far. Apparently ARM's parents are the one who made the Virtual Reality, and the Hunters bought/stole it (and named it "Raising My Very Own Precious Omnipotent God!"??? Which is just hilarious…) So the game wasn't originally designed by them. That matters a lot, because it seems like not only VR is sentient like every other world so far, it has even created an AI specifically against the Hunters and their influence. It seems that VR is, in fact, a real world, capable of containing real people and their souls. So Cale will definitely be heading there next to save it from Transparent Bloods. But before we get to them…

Five-Colored Bloods; no apparent residence, but I have a suspicion… We found out very recently their leader is called the "Wanderer King". Which just screams to me of the whole "Mercenary King" invented by the White Star – the exact same brand of arrogance, really. Their specialty seems to be collecting and transferring power; that's how Dragon Lord Neo was able to get so much power to influence an entire world and the World Tree. They will be a pain to deal with, because they seem to be allied both with certain gods and demons. Which is why, btw, in the most recent chapters Cale went to the freaking Demon Realm. But more on that in a bit~!

White Bloods; all we know about them is from Choi Jung Gun in Sealed God's Temple Test of Sloth. To directly quote him, "The White Blood family betrayed the Hunters and escaped!" (chapter 730) – which I actually mixed up in the past, my bad; I thought it was the Red Blood family that betrayed them and escaped. Speaking of which:

Red Bloods; also known as Thames, last known member being Jour Thames (or is it Drew Thames in the EAP translation? Whatever, I prefer Jour…) and the "Fake Hilsman" who stole Cale's retirement fund. Judging from Jour mentioning her brother when Cale got the Annual Rings of Life Ancient Power, I think it's safe to assume it's that guy. CJG said to Cale that " The Red Blood family perished a long time ago", but he also said that "The Red Blood did not perish", so I think they also betrayed the Hunters and faked their death.

If you're still with me after ALL of that exposition, let me now actually address the actual question: the gods involved in the plot of in Part 2.

There are 5 gods we must talk about, and why I need the Hunter families context first will become clear in a moment.

God of Balance; apparently female, wears heels, and approaches people from behind for intimidation. I'd call her the "gentle in disposition yet extremely scary" grandma type. Basically forcefully summoned Cale to meet her after defeating the Blue Bloods on Central Plains (Cale did not see her face) and told/threatened Cale that he should become a god. One of the "Five Ancient Gods", which seem to be one of the if not THE oldest Gods around who did not retire yet for some reason. Seems like a real piece of work, though doesn't seem evil? More like a strict law enforced or corrupt politician. She did beat up the God of Death over giving Cale the dimension-transporting mirror Divine Item that one time. She also wrote a rulebook on universal balance, apparently. That's why most of Cales powers were sealed and weakened during the Central Plains arc.

God of Hope; I don't believe their gender was ever specified. I think some people assume she's female too, but I found no evidence for it so far? I might be wrong. Anyway – thanks to them visiting Cale to "scare away" the God of Balance, we got tons of info. The God of Hope said: "Including Balance, Chaos, and I, there are a total of five Ancient Gods. We have continued to protect these seats without ever handing it over to another existence. My my, we are all quite greedy. We all desire power as well." So the five Ancient Gods seem to be Balance, Chaos, Hope, and I think the last two are Fate and Blue Wolf? [EDIT: The last two were revealed to be Justice and Injustice in the most recent chapter. My mistake!] Anyway – the God of Hope is sometimes stronger than Balance and that pisses her off. They seem to be one of the most reasonable gods we've met so far, not only admitting that they did not wish to become a god at all but were forced to, but also sincerely cheering on Cale's dream, explaining that Balance wanted Cale to replace Hope and be her lackey. No thanks, Balance, that's never gonna happen. …I mean Cale might still end up a god, with how things are going, but. Definitely not working for Balance.

Blue Wolf; I'm also unsure if the gender ever got specified, though I got the impression that they're probably male so far? In any case, they showed up during the battle on Aipotu. One of the evil Hunter Dragons tried to summon them with a corrupt Divine Item and Lock ended up swallowing a blue flame (yes it was exactly as weird as it sounds). They seem to be the reason why Beast People are able to control their Berserk Transformations at all? Which is quite interesting. Little to no depth on this god's character so far, though, except for apparently liking Lock and making him a successor of some kind.

God of Chaos; we found out a couple of things about them so far in the Aipotu arc. One, their followers are complete freaks; like, Shou Tucker from Fullmetal Alchemist level of messed up.  Their followers experiment on people AND themselves, like re-sewing limbs and creating chimeras (which explains lots of Hunter experiments honestly). Two, their representatives are able to use some weird similar-to-Dominating-Aura power which involves creepy Eldritch Horror Eyes? And Cale's gonna try and replicate that with the Donating Aura himself?? Well okay then…? Three, that god's power seems to be characterized by grey color (Dragon Lord Neo intended to use grey stuff to kill Aipotu with. Also worth mentioning; Choi Jung Gun apparently got poisoned by it, so now he's unconscious, slowly turning gray and dying. We'll see if Cale finds a way to save him.) Which – plot twist!! Actually came up in Part 1!! Looks like Sky Eating Water herself was subdued by that very god's power?! Together with God of War, no less, which brings us to the final god on the list…

God of War; turns out they're a double agent, if not a triple agent!! It's quite difficult to figure out what their deal is. Before, I kinda assumed they had to have some good intentions, because they helped created shelters and Cotton was their Holy Maiden and stuff. But nope. God of War is either working FOR or WITH the Hunters, although I'm inclined to think the latter. There seems to be something going behind the scenes, some personal agenda we don't know of yet? We know from Part 1 that God of War gave the people of the north a river, which the Sekka family hoarded selfishly for themselves, turning it into a lake. The God of War emptied the lake in retribution and sent a Divine Item that was a watering can full of fury. However – despite apparently all that good stuff and "breaking the slave chains" from Sky Eater Water, they also forced her to work for them as a Judge, which she hated so much she ran off. We now found out in Part 2 that God of War must have wanted to control Sky Eating Water, because she was so powerful she probably could have defeated the Ancient White Star by herself!! So, God of War teamed up with God of Chaos and chained her down in the lake in the Eastern Continent where Cale eventually got the Ancient Power from. A tragic end for her, but shows how merciless God of War was for his very own chosen one, in the end. God of War was also involved in giving Neo the knowledge on how to control Aipotu's power and the World Tree. There seems to be a lot more going on with the God of War we EVER knew, and the fact that the grey color has been set up back when Cale got Sky Eating water is straight up thrilling for me. I can't wait to find out more!!

So we finally covered all the Hunters and all the gods so far – goodness I'm sorry there's so much, but in my defense, that's about 300 chapters of context for it.

I roughly covered what happened so far through the two lists, but I'll add a few more things:

Cale defeated 3 out of 5 Hunter families so far: Black, Blue and Purple (like beating someone up and leaving colored bruises lol), with Transparent and Five Colors left. Also the ever-mysterious Hunter Leader called "The King's Successor", no idea if that's the Wanderer King or not, but I kind of doubt it. We'll see… (I also totally hope Cale kicks the a** of the God of Chaos, because they're a creep and deserve to burn in hell)

There seems to be another faction aside from Hunters & their supporters, or anti-Hunter gods like God of Death and non-affiliated people – there's a group called "Arbitrators" (raw translation, EAP did not get so far yet), which include Demons?? We don't know what their exact deal is yet, they seem to be about specific Divine/Demonic politics maybe? And Cotton is one of them because she turned her back on God of War?? And now Cale is in the Demon Realm, meeting a middle-aged demon princess named Aurora (whose father got dethroned and another guy took his place so Cale's probably gonna dethrone yet another monarch soon), and it turns out that the Arbitrators are totally BROKE, which kinda explains why Fake Hilsman stole Cale's money if he's one of them… Now Cale is scared because they want him to sponsor them HAHAHA – Alberu is gonna love the irony

No Cale did not officially adopt more kids sadly, but there's been some adorable kid characters showing up, and there's DEFINITELY a ton of new loyal Caleism followers – much to Cale's despair, as they're starting to worship him across dimensions… And with the Virtual Reality apparently being able to connect worlds, it's only the matter of time before Cale's slacker life is utterly screwed by multi-dimensional religion starring him as their Lord and Savior LOL

…So anyway, I hope it's what you've been asking for? Thank for reading this freakishly long post about my rambling on Part 2!

[festive]

Always n Forever ꕤ

a story in which, Morax has always had his eyes on you, one of Guizhong’s priestess — after a long battle and the succession of defending Guili plains, she allows him to have his way with you as a reward.

wc: 5.6k (sorry!)

contents+warnings: fem!reader, heavy breeding, mating presses, marking, overstimulation, cum eating, female!reader, monsterfucking, anal, vaginal penetration, use of aphrodisiacs, dubcon(?), size kink, slight spoilers(?), blowjobs, reincarnation. (This kinda follows the what if theory that Ningguang is the reincarnation of Guizhong.) HALF DRAGON ZHONGLI!

a/n: this has been sitting in my docs for about a month, posting it for @thicksimpx 🫶🏼 anyways, thank you to my beta readers: @manjiroscum @bubble4u & @gabzlovesu 💗

Men, women, children, and even adepti gather in the plains of Guili for this night of repose — gathering around the trees that were birthed from the earth while they sing songs of victory underneath the golden leaves as the gods sit high above.

“The Guili assembly has grown quite significantly,” Guizhong muses. There’s a smile on her face as she fondly watches the humans rejoice in victory below. Some of them were born here, while others sought refuge after losing their homes in the war — Guizhong loved them all the same. “And even though this victory is temporary, I wish all nights could be like this.”

And although Guizhong is talking, her companion, Morax, does not say anything. Instead, he takes a sip of his wine from his dish as he watches intently below — his gaze focused on the form of a woman, carefully stringing along her guzheng as children crowd around her.

From the corner of her eye, Guizhong catches a glimpse of Morax hunched over, his chin resting in his palms as he focuses on something other than her.

“Is there something on your mind? I’ve never seen you so focused,” Guizhong teases, taking a sip of her wine. “Or perhaps someone?”

Guizhong follows his gaze, and amongst the crowd of faces, she’s able to spot you. That’s when she pieces two and two together.

It doesn’t take a god to see the attraction that Morax has to you. It hasn’t gone unnoticed by Guizhong either, the way his eyes always search for you whenever he steps foot in her temple.

“Morax,” Guizhong sings as she rocks back and forth in her seat, the contents of her drink spilling from the dish. There’s an all-knowing look on her face.

Morax merely grunts, looking at her with a blank expression.

“Have you perhaps taken an interest in one of my maidens,” 

Morax doesn’t say anything. He’d rather not tell her how he’s been watching you for ages and how something about your softness moved even his war-hardened self, your kind deeds towards others never going unnoticed by the lord of geo. But Guizhong is not stupid — nothing gets past her crimson gaze.

Even Cloud Retainer muses beside the lord of dust. She shifts her attention towards the small adepti in her arms, the chubby horned child bouncing in glee.

“I can tell by the glint in your eyes, my old friend,” 

If Morax was the brawns behind Liyue, then it was without a doubt that Guizhong was the brains. He looks at her — his eyebrows furrowing.

“Am I really that easy to read,” Morax asks, earning a response from his peer.

“I’ve known you for centuries, Morax,”

Both gods watch from afar as you and the rest of Guizhong’s maidens pass out food to the others, the sound of laughter carrying through the air.

“You know, Morax. Humans’ lives are feeble. What’s a year to us is almost an eternity to humans.”

There’s a pregnant pause, Morax’s attention shifting back to your form in the distance.

“I am a god of war, not a god of love. I know nothing about the affairs of the heart,”

Guizhong sighs, thinking of ways to get the two of you together until it dawns on her. “I’ll have my daughters prepare for the night tomorrow. You will meet her in my shrine.”

Morax turns towards the ash-haired woman as he quirks a brow. She merely smiles in response. “Think of this as a reward, a temporary arrangement for the success of defending our lands.”

+

There’s a curtain of silence that befalls the room, not a single word uttered as you’re placed in front of an expensive vanity lined with costly jewels and desirable ores. You fidget in your seat, and the wooden stool beneath you creaks at the movement.

“My lady, must I really do this?” You ask with a slight edge to your tone, your eyes wandering nervously from your reflection in the mirror to her. 

An uneasy feeling bubbles in your stomach as you wait for Guizhong to answer — and if she could notice your change in demeanor, she did a great job at pretending she didn’t. But then again, she’s a god, and you’re a human. She could never understand the anxiety you’re feeling even if you were to voice your concerns. The divine being would never feel even an ounce of your uncertainty. Thus one of the pros of being a god, you think.

Guizhong drags the brush along your eyelid, perfectly lining your eyes as she carries the crimson shade of red across your skin. The after result gives you a charming but soft look.

“Relax, my child, everything will be alright,” Guizhong’s voice is soft. She dips the brush she was using into a sticky mixture before dipping it into the bowl that contains the red substance. Then, bringing it to your mouth, she traces it along your lips.

If your goddess said it’s going to be alright, then you suppose it’s best to trust her. After all, you owe her your life, considering she took you in after the providence was destroyed — gave you a status, fed you, and raised you like you were her own.

When Guizhong pulls away, you steal glances in the mirror, admiring her handiwork from every angle. She laughs when she catches you. “We’re not quite done yet,”

She walks away, and you can hear her rumbling with something, whatever it was, clanked and rattled. When she returned, she stood behind you — draping an expensive-looking necklace around your neck, the weight of it nearly causing your shoulders to slump.

But it was beautiful, a pure gold chain with noctilous jade and cor lapis decorating it, and even in the candle-lit room — those gems glimmered in the light.

“Wow,”

Guizhong hums, “hold still,” she holds another expensive piece of jewelry in her hands, this time a gold crested ornament. 

Weaving the ornament in your hair, Guizhong adjusts it to her liking — the decoration resting proudly on your head.

“And for the finishing touches, take these,”

The goddess smiles, tying a pouch around your wrist — you turn your head. “What’s this?”

“A fragrance pouch, it contains the petals of freshly bloomed flowers, and drenched in the essence that secretes from mist flower corollas,”

Sniffing your wrist to confirm, the aroma is intense and overwhelming. Although it’s pleasant, it’s almost enough to make you gag.

“And this?” You question, holding a clear pouch in your palm — the contents of it being a thick concoction of some sort.

“A salve,” Guizhong giggles, “consists of slime extractions, herbs, and water, don’t worry Morax will know how to use it,”

You nod, deciding to not pry further on what she meant by that.

“And before you go, drink this,”

Guizhong pushes a stone cup into your hands that holds a red liquid — the substance sloshing around the rim as she gestures for you to drink it.

You don’t question it, putting your utmost faith in your goddess; there’s a bitter taste that lingers on your tongue after you swallow down the drink — you assume it’s some medicine.

“Your beauty rivals even the divine,” Guizhong says, watching as you spin in the mirror, her hands ghosting over your waist.

You’re slightly embarrassed. The garments she picked out looked expensive, exotic even — were these really tailored just for you? A lowly priestess. The colors Guizhong hand-picked for you were gorgeous, complimenting your skin beautifully. Although you had wished the clothing wasn’t so revealing, the only thing covering your more sacred areas were the little undergarments that barely hid anything.

“May I ask you something,” Guizhong places her hands on your shoulders, her touch soft against your skin.

“What is it, my lady,” 

“Tell me, what do you think of Morax,”

You think for a bit, remembering the few instances you’ve shared with said man, “I think he’s nice,”

“Nice?” Guizhong laughs. It’s gentle and soft.

“He compliments my singing and praises my ability to play my guzheng,” You say, recalling the times he’s sat with you among the rocks listening to you play. “And, he tells me stories,” you hadn’t even realized that you were smiling thinking of your time together.

“I see,”

Guizhong smiles. It’s gentle and caring. She places a hand on the small of your back before leading you out of your sleeping chambers — escorting you past the central area of the shrine, down to the lower compartments that were used for temporarily harboring guests.

“My dear, I pray you never change,” 

You’re confused about what she means, but you don’t dwell on it — your goddess speaks typically in riddles and rhymes, never giving you a clear answer even when you ask.

You shift your attention, your sleeves dragging across the flooring have you huffing and puffing, an amused expression dawning on Guizhong’s face.

++

The room she had you placed in was magnificent, even prettier than your own — the bed was more significant, and the fabrics that rested upon it varied from exotic-looking silks to other materials you don’t even recognize.

Even the ground beneath you was soft; looking down, you notice the intrinsic designs of the rug under you — you wonder what nation this was imported from.

There’s a vanity across the room, it’s enormous — with flowers placed neatly in a vase, and there’s a thin wave of smoke that dances through the air, radiating from the incense that rested next to the vase alongside a few candles.

There’s a familiar scent in the air, and you can’t quite put your finger on it, but before you can figure it out, there’s a loud clicking noise — turning around, you see that your goddess is gone, the door shut tightly behind her.

It’s almost unsettling how quiet it is. Only the sound of the incense burning keeps you company. You sit on the bed anxiously as you fiddle your thumbs in anticipation while waiting for the guest of honor to arrive.

There’s a tingling sensation in your lower regions, and you rub your thighs together to help relieve the feeling. Still, to no avail — your body feels like it’s heating up. So, finally, you pull the sleeves down so they’re slightly hanging off your shoulders.

You hadn’t even realized that the man you were waiting for had already arrived, his tail dragging behind him as he stood in the doorway. His golden eyes scanned your body — sizing you up with a carnal desire.

“M—morax,” You stutter in embarrassment as you straighten yourself out, rubbing down any creases of your robe. 

You’ve never really seen this much of the lord of geo. But, of course, serving his companion’s court instead didn’t give you much time, especially considering your status. it wasn’t rare for you to see his face. Still, every time you did, it was fleeting, leaving hardly enough time to remember his beauty — but here, now, you’re able to admire his features.

He’s handsome, you think, the lighting accentuating his looks. His piercing eyes glowed a dim gold, and even his hair was beautiful, long, and smooth brown locks that transitioned to a lighter color nearing the ends with a set of horns protruding through the top of his head that curved inward.

You’re not quite sure where to look, feeling like a pervert with how hard you’re staring. Morax is clad in nothing but a white garb tied around his waist, revealing his well-sculpted body, the scars he’s received from battles — and the markings that came with being the Geo Archon.

The more you stare at his arms, the more flustered you become — brown and gold scales, with markings that decorate the bulging muscles that resided underneath and resting at his shoulders.

You allow your eyes to roam lower, staring at the golden geo sigil that rested on his lower abdomen — right below his stomach, wedged between the patches of scales that resided on either side.

You hadn’t even realized that you’d been staring for so long if it wasn’t for the deep hum that left Morax’s chest.

There’s a hand on Morax’s face as he admires the choice of clothing Guizhong’s picked out for you on this occasion. You’re clad in little to nothing. The flimsy, transparent robe did nothing to cover the white undergarments underneath. 

He doesn’t say a word when he stalks towards you, nor when he places a hand upon your body —  trailing his limbs lower until they land on the outline of your robe, his touch is rough as he takes the thin material between his claws, before ripping it to sheds, leaving the remains scattered across the bed as he strips you down to your undergarments.

Morax grabs at your chin, forcing you to look at him, and when you stare back with your gentle, doe-like eyes, The lord of geo finds himself with the sudden urge to ruin you, to break down the pristine priestess that Guizhong had made you and rebranding you as his own.

Golden eyes stare at you with such intensity that you can’t help but feel nervous, he hasn’t said anything while he is staring into your face, and it’s beginning to make you feel self-conscious, but as soon as he pulls his hands away, a wave of relief washes over you as a soft sigh falls from your lips.

And for a moment, you feel a temporary relief as the cool air fans against your warm body.

“On your back,” The authority in Morax’s tone left no room for rebuttal. You do as you’re told and lay against the bed, propped up on some pillows.

The mattress creaks as Morax slots himself between your thighs — his long reptilian-like tongue tracing along your folds, coating them in his saliva while he teases your slit.

You shiver, the coolness against your cunt sending shocks of pleasure down your spine. You gasp as soon as you feel him dip his slimy appendage inside.

“Morax,” you moan, his tongue delving deeper inside you — rubbing against your walls deliciously. Morax hums, and you can feel the vibrations in your core.

The longer he spends between your legs, the more your body quivers and writhes underneath him, not sure where to grab — your hands land on his horns. Morax pauses for a minute, and you can feel him flinch under your touch before he resumes.

You’re curious, giving the base of his horns a squeeze to elicit another reaction. You rest your palms against the base before guiding them to the tips in a stroking manner — this time, he groans, grinding his face deeper into your cunt as both his arms wrap underneath you, forcing you closer to him as he savors your taste.

And savors, he does. Morax thinks you taste divine, better than any wine Liyue has to offer, and your moans only drive him further to continue drinking up everything you have to offer as his tail swishes side to side, hitting the ground with a thump.

Morax places his thumbs upon your womb, tracing the flesh with his sharp claws — an outline of a geo sigil forming underneath his touch, unlike his own, it’s dull, but that doesn’t stop him from rubbing over it, basking in how your skin feels soft against his own before he squeezes down into the marking causing you to whimper.

There’s a foreign sensation in your lower stomach that has your mind growing fuzzy while specks of white litter your sight — the feeling only getting worse, it’s becoming harder to focus, and the hold you have on his horns loosens.

He knows you’re close, he can tell, bringing a finger to your aching clit — he’s careful of his claws, and slowly, he rubs circles into your swollen bundle of nerves.

“M—Morax,” You cry as you close your eyes, coating his face with your slick as you cum — but he doesn’t let up, not when your cunt is producing more and more slick, some of which spills from his mouth. His tongue is still deep inside you as he laps at your core, and you can feel the tip of his appendage twisting along your walls.

It’s almost embarrassing how loud and lewd his slurping noises are, flustering you even more as the sounds increase in volume.

It’s not until he’s made you cum twice more does he pull away, a mixture of your essence and his saliva dripping from his tongue.

There’s a huge bulge between his legs, the white cloth he had wrapped around him begging to slide off his waist until finally, he discards it, revealing his cock in all its glory.

Morax’s cock was huge, and you stared at it in an odd fascination — the veins on his shaft glowing as they pulsed while the head leaked a golden essence.

I don’t think that’s going to fit, you think, slightly terrified at the idea of that monster penetrating you even with all the slick between your thighs — there’s no way.

The weight of the bed shifts drastically as Morax climbs on top of you, the mattress dipping underneath the combined weight — his body completely dwarfing your own. You’ve never felt this small a day in your life until now. He places a large hand above your head to steady himself, preventing him from crushing you with his overbearing mass.

You can feel the tip of Morax’s cock prod against you. He rubs it along your wet folds — collecting as much slickness as possible to saturate his shaft for an easy push.

As soon as Morax has decided he’s ready, the fat, mushroom tip of his cock disappears between your folds — stretching your poor hole as he forces more of himself inside.

He grunts, “relax,”

Easier said than done, you think, the stretch burns instead uncomfortably, and you’re glad he at least tried to prep you for what's to come.

“My goddess,” You choke, bracing yourself.

Morax halts, his hips coming to a still — there’s a dangerous glint in his eyes as he stares down at your face, “The only god right now is me,” He sneers, the tips of his fangs peeking through his lips like a feral animal.

There’s something exciting about the way Morax looks at you that has the heat rising to your cheeks, igniting something inside you that you didn’t realize was there. “Yes, my god,” you correct yourself, locking eyes with the man above you. For a brief second, he can see the hint of exhilaration flickering in your orbs.

Your submissiveness pleases Morax, causing his cock to stir at the idea of you allowing him to use you as he sees fit — breeding you every day, every hour for the rest of your mortal life span.

“Good girl,” Morax praises, groaning as he finally bottoms out — it’s a tight fit, but it feels as if you were made for him. He’s almost envious of Guizhong for having found you first.

Morax hunches over, the hand above your hand gripping the sheets, and you can hear the faint sounds of them being torn. You wonder if Guizhong will scold him when she finds out. 

Morax can barely contain himself as he lets you adjust to his size, it’s taking everything inside him not to aggressively slam into you — conquering your body and claiming it as his own, but he waits. Remembering the conversation Guizhong had with him before. 

Do not break her, or else I will break you. 

You place your hands on Morax’s biceps, allowing them to wander over the space of his chest. There’s a smile on your face as you look at him.

“I’m ready,” 

Morax’s gaze holds a certain softness to it, golden orbs staring at you in affection. He nods.

Burying his face into the crook of your neck, Morax’s pace starts off slow, but his thrusts are deep — the tip of his cock hitting further with each movement as he litters kisses upon your skin that have moans escaping past your lips.

Morax thinks the noises you’re making are cute, determined to hear more — he places a hand upon your chest before sneaking it under the white fabric that concealed them. Carefully he pinches and tweaks with the hardening bud.

He moves away, grabbing at the top of your garment before tearing it off, leaving your chest exposed to the cool air — and although the sudden drop in temperature does nothing to you, your body feels like it’s burning up.

Morax watches in fascination as your chest bounces with each thrust of hips, encouraging him to go faster — the wet sound of skin slapping against skin rings throughout the room.

Morax pushes your legs to your chest, ramming into you with better precision for him to go deeper — to explore more of you.

Wrapping your arms around Morax’s broad back, holding as much as you can as his heavy cock drags along your walls, it’s getting harder to focus on anything other than the way he feels inside you — mainly when his tip grazes against your cervix, the fullness you feel is satisfying.

“More— more,” You whine. It comes out shaky, and who is Morax to deny his favorite mortal the pleasure she’s receiving from him, and only him.

Morax’s thrust becomes more fevered as he brings you closer to the edge, your walls spasming around him as you cum with a cry. His cock twitches and pulsates as he spills his seed inside you — the geo sigil on you finally coming to life and glowing a vibrant gold as he fills your womb.

And even though he just came, he’s still not done, his cock still rock-hard as he continues slamming into you, robbing you of another orgasm.

He’s determined to fill you up with all he has to offer. Even with the mixture of your juices overflowing from your hole and seeping through the sheets below, he’s not finished. 

It isn’t until he’s pumped his fourth load into you does he pull away, leaving you a panting mess as thick substances of white spill from your cunt.

It isn’t enough, Morax thinks, even as you lay there, body convulsing in pleasure — he wants more. He wants all you have to offer. He flips you over so that you’re lying on your stomach, he moves your body with ease, repositioning you however he pleases, and it’s not like you’re in any state to protest.

He raises your ass, spreading your plush cheeks with his hands giving him a nice view of your drooling cunt that still leaked with cum, and your other — more exclusive hole.

Morax brings his face closer, tracing your folds with his tongue. You shudder in his embrace and feel him tease your spent hole again. Then, scooping out a mix of cum, the man brings it to your asshole, spitting it out and watching as it delves down the curve of your ass.

You screech, feeling the sudden intrusion in your ass. Morax’s lips pressed against your hole as his tongue dives deeper inside you — loosening up as much as possible for what’s to come next.

But before he continues, he’s reminded of the salve Guizhong had given you that lay discarded on the edge of the bed. You feel him shift above you as he reaches over your body — his arms grabbing at the clear pouch. 

There’s a ripping noise that rings in your ears as Morax empties the contents of the pouch into the crack of your ass — you cringe, the thick, slimy mixture feeling cold upon your skin as it travels down the between the crevice of your cheeks, a generous amount coating even your hole.

Your grip on the sheets beneath you tighten, scrunching the silk fabric under your palms — your breathing becomes heavy as you feel the tip of Morax’s cock nudge against your ass as he mounts you.

He spreads your cheeks, guiding his length to your tighter hole before he pushes in — stretch burns at first as his cock forces its way inside, and thanks to the salve, it’s not unbearable.

“Morax,” You cry weakly as you feel him push himself in, completely sheathing himself in your warmth, his heavy balls resting against you. 

There’s snot dripping down your nose, and you’re glad he can’t see your face at the moment — you’re sure you look terrible.

“M—move, please,”

Morax is gentler this time, gritting his teeth as he thrusts into you. The hold he has on your hips is less than bruising.

He nearly doubles over, feeling your hole squeeze around him. 

“F—fuck,” You cry at the fullness, his cock dragging incredibly slow along your insides — you slam your hips back against his. “Harder, please,”

Morax raises a brow, and here he thought you were but an innocent maiden — being deflowered by a monster. It’s amusing, to say the least.

Morax’s balls slap against your ass with pap noise as he picks up his speed — your moans increase in volume as he builds momentum. 

“You feel so good,” You whine, specks of white clouding your vision as your mind becomes hazy. Your orgasm washes over you like a wave, and your body feels like it’s becoming weaker as you fall into the mattress.

Morax wraps his arms around you, supporting your body as he continues fucking you — chasing his own end.

There’s a familiar warmth spreading through your body as he cums, thick globs of white dripping from your ass. 

You’re tired, nearly passing out on the pillows until Morax flips you over again. This time you’re on your back as he hovers over your body, knees folded underneath him.

“Do you think we’re done?” He asks, his cock still hard. He aligns it with your mouth, pressing the tip into the softness of your lips. “Open,”

There’s a pause before you do as you’re told, your eyes scanning up and down his length that’s still fully hard. Is this the will of the gods?

You part your lips around his cock, his weight feeling heavy in your mouth.

 Slowly,  you run your tongue across his shaft — tracing every vein that roams across his cock with your muscle. 

You can feel the veins throb underneath your tongue. Morax places a hand on the back of your head, forcing you to take more of him.

Morax looks down at you, sweat dripping from his body as he watches you bob your head up and down his cock, “Just like that, he praises,”

Your jaw feels like it’s on fire as it aches, and you’re not quite sure how much longer you can take this, but you’re determined to please your god.

Your prayers have been answered, and it’s not long before you feel him throb inside your mouth as his cum spurts down your throat — he pulls away.

“Swallow,”

You obey, opening your mouth to show that you’ve swallowed all of him, leaving nothing left in your mouth, and you can still taste him on your tongue — salty but not disgusting.

Morax places a palm on your cheek, stroking it gently, “you’ve done so well, but the night is still young. We won’t stop until my seed seeps from every orifice you own,” 

And knowing him, it was a promise. By the end of the night, your body will only know Morax. He’s determined to mold your walls in the shape of his cock, to ruin you for anyone else, no matter how many times you reincarnate — you’ll always yearn for him.

+

It was no surprise that Morax had taken you as a lover when he came to Guizhong asking for your hand in marriage — only shocking a few of her priestesses at the sudden intrusion. Their gasps and whispers could be heard amongst themselves.

And, of course, Guizhong was more than happy to comply with his wishes, wedding you off without a second thought.

But alas, that moment of bliss wasn’t destined to last forever, especially in the era of war.

It wasn’t long before Morax had lost Guizhong in the aftermath, returning to dust in the plains of Guili. And although losing her hurt, it was a heavier loss when your mortality had finally claimed you, reminding him that human life is feeble.

It saddened him to no end that you weren’t around to see the progress of Liyue after Mt. Aoyang. However, Morax wanted nothing more than to walk with you upon the grounds now called the harbor.

+

Centuries have passed by now, and Morax is no more than a distant memory, recorded in history alongside most of his conquests for all of time to keep. And even though his previous incarnations are no more, Zhongli still harbors the feelings of each and every life, treasuring them fondly — their memories continue to shine like gold.

And as he sits in the harbor at his favorite restaurant, there’s not a day where he doesn’t think back to you, and the time he shared with you — even if they felt like mere minutes to him.

“and what happened to Morax after the death of his lover,” Paimon asks, both the traveler and her staring at him expectantly as they awaited his answer. 

Zhongli clears his throat, “After the heavy loss of his lover, he grew fearful of being alone after being taught by the human woman how to love and be loved. He took on many lovers over the years after, and yet none of them could fill the void left in his chest.”

“Did he love them,” Paimon places a finger on her chin as she ponders out loud.

“Of course he did. He loved all of them for as long as time had allowed it,” Zhongli muses, although there’s a hint of melancholy in his tone.

Aether gives him an unapologetic look as he thinks back to his twin and how he was separated from her before entering Teyvat.

“Wow, Morax must’ve really been popular among the—“Before Paimon can finish her sentence, Aether quickly covers the smaller being's mouth with his palm. “Paimon, there’s a time and place for everything, but now is not the time,” He sighs, feeling the flying girl protest against him as she angrily flails her tiny limbs.

Zhongli smiles fondly, unfazed by Paimon’s annoyance. The food in front of them had long gone cold as he shared the story of Morax’s greatest treasure.

Paimon flails in Aether’s hold before stopping, her attention focused on the gasps and gossiping going on around her from the other customers in the restaurant.

“What’s the Tianquan doing walking so freely in the harbor,” One mumbled. They all look in awe as she walks past the establishment in broad daylight without any millelith guards behind her.

“Lady Ningguang,” You whine, following after her, your clipboard shaking in your grasp as you pant. For someone wearing heels and a heavy dress, you’re surprised she can walk so fast.

At the sound of a familiar voice, Zhongli’s ears perk up as he turns his attention towards you — his eyes widening before returning to their average size. His sudden silence shocks Aether and Paimon. Aether and both of them don’t say anything, opting to follow Zhongli’s gaze before they land on you.

Ningguang ignores you, continuing on her merry way toward the docks hoping to see the freshest stock of fish that’s arrived.

“But what about Qingce Village?!” You huff loud enough for Ningguang to hear you, although she doesn’t stop. 

“I’ll have the yuheng deal with it. Keqing’s always looking for something to do,” Ningguang says as she waves you off, continuing on her way.

“And what about all your paperwork?” 

“Ganyu can handle it,” Ningguang answers, all too calmly, for a woman who controls the fate of Liyue.

You groan in frustration throwing your clipboard on the ground. So bothersome, you grumble.

When Aether and Paimon shift their attention back to Zhongli, they both jump, realizing his absence.

“Where’d he go?” Paimon says, looking everywhere, from underneath his seat to underneath the table.

“Over there,” Aether points, and sure enough, there he was, striking up a conversation with you. 

“Do they know each other,” Paimon asks, placing a finger on her chin. Aether shrugs in response, “not quite sure, but something tells me she might be an old friend of his,” 

“Excuse me, you seem to have dropped something,” There’s a tall man before you, he’s handsome, and you can’t help but feel like you’ve seen him before.

“Do I know you?” You ask in confusion, the man in front of you staring intently — although it wasn’t you, he was focused on. There’s a glint of disdain in his eyes as he looks upon the light-colored anemo vision that dangles from your waist. 

“Ah, my apologies, my name is Zhongli,” Zhongli smiles, handing you back your clipboard.

“You know,” You start, eyeing him up and down before taking your belongings. “I feel like I’ve met you before,”

“Hm, is that so?” 

“Yeah, something about you feels familiar,”

“Although, I don’t recall meeting you before,” Zhongli lies, “I’d like to get the chance to,”

“O—oh,” There’s a heat rising to your face, and your heart pounds against your chest — the man’s charm flustering you. “I— I think I’d like that too,”

There’s a smile on Zhongli’s face as he places a hand on your back, leading you through the harbor — you don’t resist, allowing him to guide you wherever listening to him talk mindlessly about the weather.

Aether and Paimon look at each other in confusion, the blow shaking his head. 

“Did we just get ditched,” Paimon asks, tilting her head to the side as she rubs her chin.

Aether nods, “and with the bill, too,” he sighs, picking up the piece of paper before reading it — his face pales, and golden eyes widen in horror as he reads aloud the total. 

[watertribe-enya]

It's the anniversary of my most popular post on how people fail to recognize a vampire (in this case Silas from "The Graveyard Book") unless the story spells it out for them

And to this day I still get notes from people voicing their atonishment that they never noticed this

So I've created a comprehensive list of all vampiric traits and behaviors Silas shares with Dracula (since Dracula Daily has started again too) as well as with Bram Stoker's other vampires.

First I'll always give a quote/s from "Dracula" showing the behavior, and then one from "The Graveyard Book" to go along with it

Not consuming human food or drink

„It is strange that as yet I have not seen the Count eat or drink. He must be a very peculiar man!“

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

„What‘s it taste like?“ „I‘ve absolutely no idea,“ said Silas, who consumed only one food, and it was not bananas.“

„Silas ordered a glass of water and a small salad for himself, which he pushed around the bowl with his fork but never actually put to his lips.“ (page 272)

Sleeping during the day

„I have not yet seen the Count by daylight. Can it be that he sleeps when others wake, that he may be awake when they sleep?“

„Yesterday I came here before sundown, for at sundown the Un-Dead can move.“

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"He would be there waiting at sunset, just before Silas awakened."

“Football. Hmm. That’s usually a little early in the day for me” ,said Silas”

Sleeping inside a "box" filled with earth

"There, in one of the great boxes,of which there were fifty in all, on a pile of newly dug earth, lay the Count! He was either dead or alseep."

„In soil barren of holy memories it (the vampire) cannot rest.“

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bod could see his guardian standing beside a large leather chest, of the kind they call a steamer trunk- big enough that a tall man could have curled up and slept inside it. (...) Bod put a hand into the empty trunk, touched the silk lining, touched dried earth.”

Not having a reflection

„It amazed me that I had not seen him, since the reflection of the glass covered the whole room behind me. (...)This time there could be no error, for the man was close to me, and I could see him over my shoulder. But there was no reflection of him in the mirror”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

„The surface of the table-top was almost mirrored, and, had anyone cared to look, they might have observed that the tall man had no reflection.“

Sharp Nails

„The nails were sharp and fine, and cut to a sharp point.“

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Silas flicked an imaginary speck of dust from his sleeve with a fingernail as sharp as a blade.” ( page

Weird earshape, paleness and cold skin

"Holding out his hand he grasped mine with a strength which made me wince, an effect which was not lessened by the fact that it seemed as cold as ice - more like the hand of a dead than a living man."

”His ears were pale and at the tops extremely pointed (…) The general effect was one of extraordinary pallor.“

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Why do you ask?" said his guardian, brushing the dust from his black suit with ivory fingers."

"Bod held out his hand, as he had when he was a small boy, and Silas took it, in a cold hand the colour of old ivory"

It’s not actually mentioned in-text that Silas has pointed ears, but you can see them on the Chris Riddell illustrations and in the graphic novel

Crawling down walls

„I saw the whole man slowly emerge from the window and begin to crawl down the castle wall over that dreadful abyss, face down, with his cloak spreading around him like great wings."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

„As twilight edged from gray to purple there was a noise in the spire, like a fluttering of heavy velvet, and Silas left his resting place in the belfry and clambered headfirst down the spire.“

Flight

„He can be as bat, as Madam Mina saw him on the window at Whitby; and as friend John saw him fly from this so near house“

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Silas doesn't actually turn into a bat while flying, but the text compares his flight to a bat

"Something huge was flying through the air (...) Something man-sized that flickered and fluttered as it moved, like the strobing flight of a bat."

Causing fear and unease

„The eyes fell upon me, with all their blaze of basilisk horror. The sight seemed to paralyze me“

„I saw his eyes. They burned into me, and my strength became like water.“

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

„People who noticed the man Jack when he went about his business – and he did not like to be noticed - were troubled, or made uncomfortable, or found themselves unaccountably scared. The man Jack looked up at the stranger, and it was the man Jack who was troubled.“

Hypnosis and mind control

„There was something diabolically sweet in her tones (…) which rang through the brains even of us who heard the words adressed to another. As for Arthur, he seemed under a spell“

„A dark mass spread over the grass, coming on like the shape of a flame or fire; and then He moved the mist to the right and left, and I could see that there were thousands of rats with their eyes blazing red (…) And then a red cloud , like the colour of blood, seemed to close over my eyes; and before I knew what I was doing, I found myself opening the sash and saying to Him: „Come in, Lord and Master!“ The rats were all gone.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Now think carefully, and tell me you are certain that it was a child that you saw.“ The man Jack thought. The stranger unlocked the side gate. „A fox“, he said. „They make the most uncommon noises, not unlike a person crying. No, your visit to this graveyard was a misstep, sir. Somewhere the child you seek awaits you, but he is not here.“ And he let the thought sit there, in the man Jack‘s head for a moment“

“Don’t mind me. You don’t even have to remember this conversation.“„No,“ said the man Jack, agreeably. „I don‘t.“

"He couldn‘t push the minds of the dead as he could the living"

Durability

„Remember that he has the strength of twenty men, and that, though our necks and our windpipes are of the common kind- and therefore breakable or crushable- his are not amenable to mere strength."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"There are ways to kill people like me," he said. "But they don't involve cars. I am very old and very though."

Averse reaction to the day/sun

„His power ceases, as does that of all evil things, at the coming of the day.“

„Until it (the sun) sets tonight, that monster must retain whatever form he now has. He is confined within the limitations of his earthly envelope.“

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Silas, who had love for neither the rain or the remnants of the daylight, was standing inside, in the shadows."

"They will come back, Silas," Miss Lupescu whispered. "Too soon, the sun will rise."

Cursed to be undead

„I did not say she was alive, my child; I did not think it. I go no further than to say she might be Un-Dead.“

"But do you know what men say? Some of them, that I am dead and buried; others, that I am not only dead and buried, but that I am one of those unhappy beings that may not die the common death of man. Who live on a fearful life-in-death, whereby they are harmful to all. Those unhappy Un-dead whom men call Vampires--who live on the blood of the living, and bring eternal damnation as well as death with the poison of their dreadful kisses!“ (this one is from "The Lady of the shroud" another vampire story by Bram Stoker)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

„I want to be like you,“ said Bod, pushing out his lower lip. „No,“ said Silas firmly „you do not.“

„I have been walking this earth at night for a very long time, but I do not know what is it like to dance the Macabray. You must be alive or you must be dead to dance it – and I am neither.“

[viewfromthelake]

Last night's before-bed comic book reading brought me through to the end of X-Men (2021) #35, which closes out the Krakoan Era finale. So, wow. What to say? I talked a bit in previous posts about how this era seemed to be suddenly sprinting through a lot of concepts to get to the end. And now with the war with Orchis over, we spend this extra-long issue on what the state of things is shaping up to be as the dust settles. It's bittersweet. The art is a mix of various X-Men artists old and new. SPOILERS AHEAD: I think I like what they did as far as settling the fate of Krakoa. One thing that always feels weird is getting to the end of a big run that had lots of big things going on, and everything sort of falling apart to return to something resembling the old status quo. Here, they get to do a big reset but also have the Krakoa era matter and have consequences, as the civilian residents of Krakoa have actually been building a pacifist Krakoan society for 15 years in a dimension outside of time and space where time passes differently. Comics! Anyway, they've deemed that Earth isn't read for them yet, so they just returned to space/time briefly to drop off any mutants who have families and lives they want to return to on Earth - or who just miss the whole crazy mess that is life on this wacky planet - and then head back to The White Hot Room, realm of the Phoenix Force. Various characters spin-off into their various new lives post-Krakoan era. Xavier is arrested and held in an ultra-secure facility for turning supervillian and colluding with Orchis to murder humans as part of a plot to stall them so the Phoenix could wipe them out. It's… really sad to see Charles brought so low. Charles astral form checks in on his former students and is convinced they are ready to carry on the dream of the mutants. And then he either kills himself or feigns brain death as part of a longer plan. We'll find out, I assume, whenever a writer decides to pick up that thread and do something with it. So that's the wild ride that was the Krakoan Era. I do have some gaps that I feel like I need to go in and fill sometime in my reading. And maybe I'll do that. Or maybe I'll focus on following this new era that is beginning (and hoping that it involves less having to hop from book to book to book in order to have any hope of it making sense. One issue I have with the Krakoan Era is it often made the X-books feel like a big summer event crossover, but one that lasted for years and years). I don't think I'll be reading these day-and-date, though. I've gotten used to waiting for stuff to hit Unlimited and I find that reading experience on my tablet to be great. Has anyone been starting to read any of the new stuff yet? Like it?

[letterlitter]

Like fawns to the huntsmen

Lestappen

•Max needs to be careful, his relationship with Charles cannot get out.

•Tags: angst maybe??, a tiny bit of fluff

•word count: about 800

"Max? Max? Come back to earth please."

Max blinked himself to consciousness as the reporter-filled room burst into laughter from his zoning out. The question as far as Max could remember was about Ferrari so he tried to whip up an answer, "I think Ferrari is in a good place at the moment and we will have to see if they could keep it up. Charles and Carlos are old friends and it would be fun to race against them and see them eat a little bit more of the dust I have to blow."

Another wave of laughter filled the air and marked the end of the press conference for Max. Even with hating to be interviewed, he had been somewhat prepared for this. The reporters had been asking him questions about Charles over and over again in different ways and different context just to see how he would respond. Just to catch him off guard and make his tongue slip a secret or an unexpected opinion they could use to make them both look bad.

Formula one is a male dominated sport, most of whom are homophobic and racist and definitely not open to new things; so if Max's secret would be out, it would only be a matter of time until they both received countless death threats and even more hate messages telling them they will go to hell.

That was the last thing either of them wanted now that they were both at the peak of their careers. So they decided to hide what they have and tell everyone they're just good friends.

Charles was okay with this. He was good at hiding strong feelings of his, having been through so much in his life and continuing to do so. He could feel satisfied for the day with recieving small glances and smiles and Max's hand being wrapped around his waist to take a picture when they were both on the podium. It was the best he could ask for.

Max on the other hand was different. He liked to show people what he has done and what boy he has pulled. He liked people to know that they will go to the same hotel room after to celebrate their wins; to have their own little private party making everybody else in the world jealous of not knowing what will happen behind closed doors.

But not everything could go as the three times F1 world champion would want. Money could buy a lot, but not everything. This was one of them.

It was way too risky. Reporters would constantly ask him "how's Charles?" Or "any thought about Leclerc today?" Like they knew everything about what was going on between them. All the F1 ads and merch would put their pictures next to eachother on purpose. The camera flashes, like loaded guns, would go crazy everytime they even looked into each other's eyes.

Charles always thought if anyone would care enough to look closer, they would find out about them. He would nudge Max on the shoulder and whisper "don't be so obvious" when he kept staring at Charles's lips while waiting for his own post race interview.

Charles liked their dirty little secret. He liked it that no one could dare make their choices for them and they could keep denying it if anybody asked. Nice and easy and private.

Max loved Charles with every single vein in his body. He loved him so much he could barely breathe. He loved him so much his bones would ache. Charles was the only good thing Max still had from his childhood.

Charles's feeling had formed pretty early on. Ever since he didn't know what to call them. He just liked Max; he liked to tease him and make him mad by ignoring his concerns about the race. They were kids after all, who would care that much about a silly little karting mistake?

Charles liked to be around Max and it took him a while to realize why.

They kept eachother grounded, calm. They kept the noise down for eachother when things got way too overwhelming. They were each other's little miracle.

But things were sometimes harder as they were easy. Ferrari wasn't always the best team and Jos was never the best dad. Them going to eachother and having short meetings behind the garages would sometimes become unbearable. Why couldn't Max just kiss Charles right on that podium? Why would it make a scene if Charles hugged Max tight when he was down?

The sport reporters and photographers were everywhere. Any "wrong" move would make it right to the front page of every magazine and website, ruining their careers for the most part.

and there was nothing anyone could do. Only if they had been braver, only if they'd been less greedy. Only if the world wasn't so cruel...

[returnsandreturns]

hey, so I saw your post saying that if someone could prompt you the framework for the fic, then you’d write it so—

I think it could probably start like, at the hospital but instead of Shawn asking Juliet to put a baby in him, he asks Gus instead, and without thinking he just responds “not now Shawn,” but then he thinks about it later on and was like “hm. Now that I think about it—“ you know what I mean?? Sorry about this, have a great day 🙏

THIS WAS SUCH A CLEAR WAY TO DO IT AND HERE IS LIKE 600 WORDS I WROTE AT WORK SET IN THE EXISTING DADDY KINK VERSE

“Hey, do you remember anything you said while you were high out of your mind on morphine?” Gus asks, after the dust has generally settled and he’s gone through his customary therapeutic brief meltdown about all the ways that he could have died in the last 24 to 48 hours. He just goes and sits in the dark and breathes heavily for an hour or two before Shawn coaxes him out to make him breathe heavily for different reasons and they move on with their lives, older and probably not as wise as they should be.

“Don’t tell me,” Shawn says, leaning into him more where they’re watching old episodes of Cop Rock in Gus’ apartment. “Let me assume it was all charming and dignified.”

“Dignified isn’t a word I associate with you,” Gus says, snorting when Shawn sits up enough to glare at him for approximately three seconds before immediately cuddling up against his side again.

“I’ve got so much dignity,” he mutters, yawning. “Full of it. I’m Sandra freaking Dee.”

“. . .teeming with dignity,” Gus says, after a second, catching up to his thought process. After all these years, he’s practiced at it. The only person in his life who he doesn’t at least lightly baffle. “The syllables are off.”

“Dig. . .in. . .ity,” Shawn says. “What did I say?”

“Hmm?”

“When I was high,” Shawn says. “What did I say?”

“Ah,” Gus says. “You, uh—you asked me to put a baby in you.”

Shawn feels himself die and float above his body for a few seconds before crashing back down to Earth.

“Weird,” he says, laughing unconvincingly. “Why would I say that? Probably not worth investigating. I mean, the brain on drugs, right, man? With the. . .egg and Rachel Leigh Cook in the sexy tanktop and—you know, the egg still looked good, eggs look arguably better fried so I’m not sure the imagery really tracked but—okay, you’re not buying this at all.”

Gus slides an arm around his waist and pulls him even closer.

“Nope,” he says, in a voice that Shawn has not been able to pin down as either a sex voice or a love voice.

He doesn’t have a lot of experience with those things existing simultaneously but they have a lot of sex and Gus finally said that he loved him after Shawn said it, like, five seconds following the first time they fucked. It’s all very real. And unprecedented, not even slightly like him. And he hasn’t tried to run away even once.

He kind of wants to propose but he’s pretty sure Gus would say no strictly because he figured out how much credit card debt Shawn is in at some point and just walked out of the building and didn’t come back for a couple of days.

“. . .you want me to put a baby in you, Shawn?” Gus asks, kissing the side of his head.

Shawn makes a strangled noise before sitting up enough to look Gus right in his eyes.

“You don’t think this is white people nonsense?” he asks, accusingly. “This feels like white people nonsense.”

“Oh, this is definitely white people nonsense,” Gus says, running his fingers through Shawn’s hair, smiling, “but that’s the burden I’ve taken on here.”

“. . .please, daddy,” Shawn says, not meaning his voice to be quite so tiny and pathetic.

There used to be the tiniest hint of irony in the daddy thing. A little dash of self-awareness.

That went out of the window pretty quick.

[wanderersrest]

The Devil That Is Capitalism

Content Warning: this post is going to potentially be talking about a whole smorgasbord of dicey topics including child abuse, child sexual abuse, child soldiers, war crimes, death, fates worse than death, politics, militarism, casual mention of suicide, and, of course, capitalism.

Also Spoiler Warning for Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans

Reader discretion is advised.

Mobile Suit Gundam has always been a series about the horrors of war. To me, though, one of the more fascinating things about the series is that a lot of the wars in the various timelines stem from some form of unchecked capitalism. Though I haven't watched every series in the franchise yet, I do think one series in particular stands out in its portrayal of capitalism and its woes: 2015's Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans. Strap yourselves in, because this is going to be an extremely long post, and make sure that you've read the content warning at the top of the post.

Oh, and it might help to read my Spoilery Rant on Iron-Blooded Orphans. It is informed, in part, by what I'm about to say in this post. And also make sure you read the context post about Gundam and its thematic ties to capitalism. And you might want to open up TVTropes' character page, because there are going to be a lot of nouns thrown around.

Left For The Wolves

Iron-Blooded Orphans begins with our titular orphans, the Third Company of the Chryse Guard Security organization (CGS), being chosen to escort one Kudelia Aina Bernstein from Mars to Earth so that she can meet with the leaders of the Earth economic blocs and negotiate the freedom of her nation of Chryse. After they are left to die by their superiors when Gjallarhorn, the protectors of the Earth sphere, attack, the Third Company manage to pull through using an old Mobile Suit that CGS had been using as a power source: the ASW-G-08 Gundam Barbatos (ehe intensifies). Once the dust settles, the members of the Third Group stage a violent coup against their owners and rename themselves Tekkadan: the Iron Flower That Never Wilts.

And right away, we can see how capitalism shapes the Post-Disaster timeline. The fact that children are not only forced to pick up undesirable jobs in order to just barely eke out a living, to say nothing of the fact that those who become child soldiers are forced to undergo surgery to have the Alaya-Vijyana System implanted into them. And, uh...

Getting the AV Implant is not good. IF the surgery is successful, then you are now capable of piloting the tank-like Mobile Worker. But due to the fact that the Alaya-Vijyana System has been outlawed by Gjallarhorn, the only people who perform it by the time Iron-Blooded Orphans are back alley doctors. And if your body rejects the AV System, you'll only be paralyzed from the waist down. If you're lucky.

So it's either that or, in the case of Atra, it's brothel work. The only thing that saved Atra was the fact that she was too young to do anything serious, so she was relegated to cleaning and dishwashing. But it isn't unheard of for these Martian street rats to be used for the other unsavory acts, as we'll soon find out.

Pitting the Poor Against One Another (Featuring Ein Dalton)

Another aspect of Iron-Blooded Orphans that exemplifies the worst parts of capitalism is how the systems put in place by capitalism will pit poor people against other poor people. The best example of this in action in IBO is everyone's favorite ball of rage: Ein Dalton.

Like the orphans who populate Tekkadan, Ein is a member of Gjallarhorn who was born and raised in Mars. Of course, due to its nature as a colony of the Earth Sphere, citizens of Mars are generally treated as second-class citizens. And even though he is a soldier of Gjallarhorn, Ein is treated just like the street rats of Mars. It is important to note that when Ein is introduced, the only person who really respects him as a human being is his direct superior Crank Zent.

And Crank ends up committing suicide by Tekkadan. And then Tekkadan, the people who killed Crank, end up commandeering his Mobile Suit for their own purposes. This ends up setting up a good amount of bad blood between Ein and Tekkadan, which lasts for the rest of the first season. And it's a real shame for Ein since, in theory, he and the members of Tekkadan have a shared upbringing as Martian citizens. But because Ein is working for Gjallarhorn, he is placed in an organization that treats him as a second-class citizen. And only two people in this organization treat him with respect: the now deceased Crank and Gaelio Bauduin, who takes Ein under his wing immediately after Crank's passing.

This kind of exploitation that pits marginalized groups against one another is a key component of capitalism and its more sinister cousin, imperialism. Since Mars is treated as a place that has lots of resources, the people don't matter. The people only exist to help extract said resources. So this, coupled with Ein being stuck in an organization where one of the few people who treat him as a human being is killed off for rather selfish (but really understandable) reasons, he ends up loathing the people whose struggles are most sympathetic to his own.

So when a mortally wounded Ein gets strapped into the EB-AX-2 Graze Ein, it makes sense in a really sad way that he is reduced to a screaming mess of a mechanical monster. And boy, if I had a nickel for every time Iron-Blooded Orphans introduced a screaming mechanical monster, well... you should just start calling me Doofenschmertz. But more on that soon.

It's All About Who Has the Power and the Money

Moving on to Gjallarhorn itself, we can see how capitalism and the status quo has made the organization complacent. Our first introduction to Gjallarhorn includes the head of the Mars Branch being bribed by Kudelia's father in an attempt to bring her back home. The Mars Branch head decides that killing her along with everyone who is trying to give her passage to Earth. So right from the get-go, we know that Gjallarhorn members are willing to commit crimes all because no one will really stop them. After all, Gjallarhorn have basically been the one true military power in the Post-Disaster timeline for more than 300 years at this point.

Gjallarhorn at this point is a corrupt and hollow shell of its former self. At this point in the Post-Disaster timeline, the organization has gone from a group that protected humanity from the Mobile Armors to an organization that protects the status quo at all costs while protecting the worst of the lot. The attack on CGS at the beginning of the series is a great example of this, and it doesn't stop there.

Gjallarhorn is guilty of election interference due to their involvement with economic bloc nation Arbrau's elections, as they had place Tomonosuke Makanai under house arrest in an attempt to keep him from being elected. Gjallarhorn is also guilty of committing multiple false flag operations, which I will talk about later. There's also the fact that one of the heads of the Seven Stars married off his son to a child, though in that case that is largely to make said son look bad (and we'll touch on the son soon).

And nothing exemplifies Gjallarhorn's descent into decadence more than at least two heads of the Seven Stars, Carta Issue and Iok Kujan, being glory hounds who will sacrifice all of their men just to look good. Both only look out for themselves, with the latter in particular being a detriment to not just his enemies but his allies as well. In fact, I would go so far as to say that Iok actively screws everyone over by being the biggest failson the series has to offer. And Iok's stupidity rears its head at one of the worst moments imaginable: the awakening of the Mobile Armor Hashmal. And the worst part about this? Hashmal isn't the biggest monster the series has to offer.

The monster is also not Gundam Barbatos, or really any of the Gundam frames, for that matter.

The Real Monster Was Rustal Elion

One of the more maddening takes that's pervasive one places like Reddit is the idea that Orga and McGillis are the bad guys. Like we all just forgot that Rustal Elion exists? Or for that matter Nobliss Gordon, Jasley Donomikols, or Iok Kujan?

And the real irony of this is that, contrary to what Gundam is famous for, Iron-Blooded Orphans is one of the few Gundam series where there are actual, capital V villains. Yes, our protagonists are violent even by the standards of Gundam protagonists and will do whatever it takes to win, but they're all creations of the systems of violence that capitalism have produced. And yes, that does include resident Char Clone McGillis Fareed (though, as I have said before, I can understand if someone said he was a villain too). It turns out being a street urchin who is adopted by a man who would proceed to sexually abuse McGillis is going to mess you up mentally. That's why, in their final confrontation, Gaelio can only look on McGillis in pity. It doesn't absolve McGillis of any wrongdoing, but it does make sense why he wouldn't trust anyone with his plan of dismantling Gjallarhorn. Doubly so when Gaelio all but states that he would have joined McGillis in his cause had the latter just opened up to the former.

But people like YouTuber Boofire191 will swear to you that the "protagonists" are the bad guys. Right...

Because performing multiple false flag operations as a justification for committing multiple war crimes makes you a good guy, right? Because that's something that both Rustal and Iok have done, twice in the case of Rustal specifically, three times if we count him as also being Iok's superior.

Or murdering civilians in cold blood just to get a rise out of your rival? That has Jasley written all over it. Oh, and Iok is also partly responsible for this as well as killing off unarmed civilians on top of hiring Jasley.

Or, for that matter, trying to have a Martian politician assassinated? Nobliss tried to pull this off with Kudelia in season one. Heck, Nobliss' whole MO is fighting for Martian independence in such a way that he can also make a profit while doing so. That's why he ultimately sells Tekkadan out to Rustal in season 2.

Or what about awakening a mobile armor even though your enemies are literally telling you not to? Because Iok sure didn't care about the fact that he could potentially awaken the nightmare of the Calamity War. His foolish mistakes end up costing everyone everything, including Rustal.

Yes, really. Iok is so much of a failson that he manages to ruin Rustal's plans. Because remember: Rustal's end game is not just restoring the status quo. It's restoring the status quo in such a way that he, Rustal Elion, would be the new head of the Seven Stars. Of course, Iok screws this up in the best way he ever could:

By slowly getting slowly crushed to death by Akihiro and the Gusion Rebake Full City.

I single out Rustal, by the way, for one very specific reason: he's the only one of these villains who is still alive by the end of the show. Jasley gets his just desserts when Tekkadan leaves Teiwaz (which I haven't even mentioned, good lord) for the sole purpose of getting revenge for Naze Turbine and company's demise at the hands of Jasley. Nobliss Gordon is gunned down in a bathroom stall by an older Ride Mass, which makes for a fitting end for a greedy corporate fat cat like Gordon. And that slimeball named Iok Kujan... is crushed to death in the most satisfying of manners by the GOAT, Akihiro Altland.

I had to bring it up again. Iok's death always sparks joy in me.

But Rustal is not defeated. And this is important, because Rustal represents the status quo. This is why my point about Iok screwing things up even for Rustal is so important: with at least four of the Seven Stars families out of commission, it is all but impossible for things to continue the way they are now. And remember, Rustal still wins in the end. He gets to save face as the hero who stopped the Devil of Tekkadan, all while people don't hear about the war crimes he committed just to do so.

And don't forget: the people Rustal won against were almost exclusively children. He slaughtered children in the name of the status quo.

Conclusion

To tie it all together, everything in the Post-Disaster timeline is about power. Money speaks volumes in Iron-Blooded Orphans, and it's what sets Orga and Tekkadan on their path to fame, infamy, and ruin. Tekkadan's arrival onto the scene, alongside the scheming of one McGillis Fareed, sets us up for a situation where people who could shake things up are appearing. And if there is anything capitalists hate, it's anything that rocks the boat.

In a way, Rustal Elion ultimately serves as the setting's equivalent to an immune response. These dangerous entities have appeared and are threatening the status quo, so it is up to Rustal and his Arianrhod Fleet to crush them. And like an immune response, whether it be a real one or the kind seen in Cells At Work, his response is ruthless. But it isn't enough, and he is ultimately forced to compromise.

And that, to me, is a fitting end to a man obsessed with power.

[hellsbeenbettersincehesplit]

@zestapple

(og post for context)

Ask and ye shall receive! (Aka I’ve been looking for a reason to yap abt them lol also this got away from me so most is under the read more)

Ok so. On Cherri’s end, this is a month after the final battle. Her enemy turned ally turned sort-of-crush kissed her and died, and he wasn’t reforming and she’s worried he never will. Her best friend, Angel Dust, is still clean and avoiding violence. She knows damn well that their old activities weren’t aligned well with redemption, nor were they what’s best for either of them. That doesn’t change the fact that it feels like she’s being left behind with everything else Angel is leaving in the past. He tries to make time for her, and it’s nice, but it’s just not the same as it used to be. Also, he’s trying to get redeemed and go to Heaven- where Cherri won’t be. In summary, she knows she’s losing him, or at least will eventually. She’s lonely and reconsidering all of her priorities, and thinking about if she should stay at the hotel.

On Blitzø’s end, he’s reconnected with Fizz but his sister still wants nothing to do with him. He’s caught feelings for a prince of Hell that he’s sure only wants him for sex. His daughter is distant at best. He still hates himself. 

Both of them have self-destructive tendencies, violent occupations, and have been shown relying on sex and drugs as a coping mechanism.

So. Stolas has dissolved Angel’s contract after roughly 5 minutes because Valentino misspelled a couple crucial words. At this point, Stolas is talking to Charlie about helping more sinners. Cherri is elated for Angel, and he looks so happy and free. She hugs and congratulates him, and it’s great. And while they’re sitting at the bar to celebrate and Angel is flirting with Husk, she hears Husk ask the angsty imp bodyguard if he’s sure he can handle his liquor, and the imp responds with something about out-drinking Gluttony herself.

Interesting. Cherri could vibe with this.

So, she strikes up a bit of a conversation with him. Turns out he runs a company that assassinates people on Earth, and he seemed equally fascinated when she talked about defending her turf. She showed him one of her bombs, and he let her examine one of his guns. He gives her a business card. And she puts her number on his phone, because the imp- named Blitzø apparently- is kind of a vibe.

The next time she needs backup and Angel has to apologize and can’t show up because of Val- which she totally gets but which is also annoying as fuck- she calls IMP next, promises cash, and surprisingly, he shows up. She has to hand it to him, Blitzø is an incredible fighter. They go out for drinks later, and they can match each other shot for shot.

The next time she sees him, he texts her an address. She shows up and finds out that they want her to help out with their latest conflict. She asks about how she thought they worked in the human world and they all talk over each other so she still doesn’t know what they were doing in Pride. And when her part in their plan is over, she has to admit again- the three work together incredibly well. (She wonders if she and Sir Pentious could have been that, in another world. Shit. Now she’s sad again.) Blitz hands her a bottle of tequila straight from Gluttony to thank her, and she has to admit that it was shockingly considerate. (The next time she sees him, she gives him a set of her bombs to pay him back.)

And so it becomes their thing. Whenever Cherri’s in a pickle and Blitzø is available, he comes to help out with the turf war. Whenever he’s in Pride on a job, he calls her and she gets to blow shit up with him. And usually, they end the meeting by getting fucked up together in a club or at a party somewhere. She can honestly call him something of a friend. He would say the same if he wasn’t so scared of getting close to people.

It all changes when Charlie comments about some developments with Heaven, and how Angel might be redeemed really soon. Obviously, Cherri was happy for him, but of course something like this would be bittersweet, because now losing Angel is closer than ever. So after she congratulates him, she retreats to her room and calls the first number she saw that might be a sympathetic ear without being too attached to the situation. Through her tears, she talks about everything with losing Angel, losing Pentious, and everything else in her life. On the other end, Blitzø is quiet for a moment, and after an awkward attempt to comfort her, he tells her a little bit about his thing with Stolas. ‘I guess we’re both fuckups,’ he tells her, and she laughs wetly and agrees. 

After then, they start talking more often without an external reason, and sometimes Blitzø will visit pride just to see her. It’s… really nice, honestly.

They’re a terrible influence on each other and they often egg on the other’s worst tendencies. But they also can let loose around the other. They know the other can’t judge them because frankly they both know the other’s personal life is just as messy. And there’s a freedom for both of them in that.

[timehastobecruel]

Hi Tumblr, long time no see. Is anyone here? No anyway. I have been holding this one under my thumb for a very long time. I’m still not sure if I should truly post it. I have already planed a little au in the future under the condition that some lonely soul will read this maybe even if no one is going to. I’m just too exited to write this fanfic and scared. Haha, Anyway

Link x f!Reader

If anyone wants I could make a version without the female pronounces

Summary:

Some times has passed since the hero of time saved the world. He is forgotten by now, not only by the people of Hyrule but the goddess herself, living secluded in the lost woods, the only home he ever knew.

After all one throws away a toy that is no longer of use.

Little does he know that fate in form of you is already on its way. The gears of the old clock have started moving again and who is powerful enough to stop destiny?

It was a good day, or so she thought. The sun had just climbed over the mountains and colored everything in soft morning light. The heat of the day had not yet reached its peak and enveloped the inhabitants of the forest in a pleasant coolness. The morning air couldn't have been better and more soothing with every breath and the chirping of the birds couldn't have been more cheerful. Bright clouds drifted over Hyrule, the soft pink kissed orange and here and there one could already sense the infinite blueness of the sky, which would soon stretch cloudlessly and the burn the sun would provide ungraciously.

But this unpleasant premonition did not reach her at all, for her youthful heart felt protected in the forest. She thought she could feel the presence of the Kroks, which calmed her mind and made her feel protected, so that she did not dread the forest, which would have frightened any wanderer.

The weight of her ocarina in her pocket gave her additional security and the knowledge that nothing worse than loneliness would befall the children of this forest. That's why she greeted the eagle owl without shyness, who scrutinized her with attentive eyes. She walked past him into the woods and wandered around with a melody on her lips. Her own imagination made the forest vivid, so she didn't need to discover the little woodland creatures that lurked at the edge of her field of vision and eyed the young woman curiously. They perceived the naive heart and the childish mind, coupled with an insatiable thirst for knowledge that would get her into a lot of trouble.

The deku tree couldn't be angry with her for entering its woods either, and with a sympathetic eye, it saw how tenderly she brushed aside the tendrils of the trees to slip through and immediately find herself eye to eye with a hut.

The rotten wood made her heart tremble, but her concern for the inhabitant was greater than her fear itself. Her father, a carpenter, had put a keen eye in her cradle and her inquisitive mother had created the best prospects for her to absorb knowledge. Other girls who liked to play with dolls had never understood the inclination to rummage through books or watch their parents at work. She knocked timidly on the door and a harsh cry escaped her throat as the wood gave way beneath her fingers and fell clumsily to the ground. Sunbeams now kissed the bare earth and flooded the interior of the house with their glare. A wooden table in the middle of the room could not escape them and would probably fade under the sudden brightness. She entered, surprised by the simplicity of the hut, for it contained little more than a fireplace and a bed. On the other side of the house, the corners were shrouded in shadows so that she could not see the furnishings.

"Excuse-," the rest of her words were drowned in coughs. She waved wildly in front of her face, expelling the dust that filled her lungs and danced in the house. It seemed abandoned to her, so she didn't bother to waste any more words and risk getting more dust up her quivering nostrils and into her bandaged lungs.

Melancholy immediately gripped her mind as she considered the thorough handiwork, running her fingers over the nicks that had been collected in its surface with passing time. She circled the table and crossed the room, intending to keep looking around. A rough hand suddenly placed itself over her mouth and she was grabbed.

She threw up her hands, tried to free her mouth in agony and kicked out backwards with her legs to hit sensitive areas such as his shin. Her opponent was taller than her and in her fearful excitement she could feel the muscular body behind her. But despite her belief that she was up against a strong man, she managed to escape his practiced but weak grip and stared into the boy's face with wide eyes. The mirrors of her soul widened even more.

Her opposite was dressed in rags, the fabric hanging in tatters from his body. The once green fabric was faded and splattered with mud. She thought she could also make out red stains and the smell of blood, beneath the acrid stench of sweat. A far worse odor of sickness enveloped him, which she saw confirmed in his muscular but emaciated form and face. His collarbone stood out. His face was sunken, the skin stretched white almost greenish over the bones, looking almost like a skull, which was reinforced by the impression of the eyes that had fallen deep into their sockets. But beneath all the horror and squalor, his eyes captivated her. He wasn't pretty, but she was almost certain that one, not anymore, was in order. The greasy blond hair underscored her suspicions and his eyes burned hard into her soul.

It wasn't just the piercing blue which was overcast by a dark shadow, but the expression that was reflected in them. They were on fire, burning. An expression that would have taught any normal girl horror and fear but brought her back to her right mind. Beneath the layer of dirt was something that would have escaped someone controlled by fear. The way he held her hand with his left, exerting a surprisingly strong pressure that he had not exerted with his right, left no doubt. A fighter stood before her. A fighter who was used wielding a sword.

He had followed her movements closely and scrutinized her face almost as intensely as she had his. The warm brown of her eyes, which began to shine at the same time as her discovery, made him wonder. The fear had evaporated and given way to a warmth that sent shivers down his spine. It had been a long time since a human had looked at him with so much admiration, almost benevolence. Years, if not decades. He was no longer used to being gazed at with so much enthusiasm, with so much naïve ignorance.

And it repelled him, bringing back too many bitter memories.

"Rise (Get out)," he growled. His voice sounded hoarse, scratchy, as if it hadn't been used for a long time. But the growl that used to make even a grown man’s knees buckle under his weight had no effect on her. She had to prick up her ears to hear his voice and it took her even longer to match the syllables. They were spoken in old language, borne of old times past.

"Who," she said, thinking hard, trying to remember the sentence structure and the right words. "Millet be."

He stared at her, puzzled and surprised, until he burst out laughing. The ice was broken. She relaxed, let the pent-up air escape and finally felt the warmth of the sun on her skin again, which the scene had grotesquely taken away from her.

Giggling, she joined in and opened her eyes again just in time to see him limping to the bed, the only object, counting the table, on which there was no dust.

As he sat down, he said: "Don’t worry, dear child, to be no longer familiar with the language of the gods. It amazes me that thou recognised and e'en understood it at all. Withal bearing so much knowledge already, thou don’t hast to be familiar with their tongue as well. I understand thou that way too"

"Truly? thou speak both languages" she exclaimed in astonishment, her cheeks and the tip of her nose turning red in excitement. "How most wondrous and thee can actually speaketh both" she exclaimed.

"That is not the problem. I just do not like to mirror their clumsy tongue."

"A lot is lost 'i their translation, that's true." He raised his head.

"Now do not look upon me as surprised as a donkey at lunchtime. I realize most well how much finer thou speak than i doth, e'en would I compose the greatest effort. Thy grammar and sentence structure is much better than a housewife and a simple carpenter could ever have taught me. But what can't good will make up for?" she said cheerfully and sat down on the floor as a matter of course.

"Wherefore thee not taketh a chair?" he shouted hastily, wanting to get up, but she was quicker and pushed him back into the bed. "Do not ! thou'd better lie down again, 'i thy condition! thou want a bath and a meet meal! forgive me, yet thou stink and thy apparel could doth with a stitch! How good that I could be barely mistaken as a good housewife”, she mused sarcastically.

In his bewilderment, he began to laugh, dark and warm. He was no longer prepared to resist her, hadn't he given in to her at her first remark? She spoke the truth and that spoke for her.

He raised an eyebrow mockingly. "Doth with a stitch? needle and thread, thou mean."

Her hurt expression made him row back immediately. "Forgive me, i didn't mean to hurt thy feelings, thou mean well and that's all that matters! thou are welcome 'i mine home! if thou desire to compose yourself useful then hie ahead, behind the house thou shall find firewood, a pot 'i front of the fireplace, ingredients for a meal 'i the house, as well as a needle and thread." On the way out, she heard him add: "After all, thou've already invited yourself 'i"

Laughing melodically, she left him behind and found the things as he had listed them.

She dragged the wood over and deliberately ignored his objections, with which he warned her that the wood was far too heavy, cutting mushrooms and onions too difficult and sewing too dangerous. She also repeatedly rejected his admonition that she really didn't need to do that and, despite this, dragged a tub for him to wash in.

She put the bones of a hare, after cutting it up, in water and put its innards and meat aside to add to the broth later.

Late in the evening, as dusk fell, she was ready. She had left the door provisionally ajar because, despite all her knowledge, she didn't trust herself to hammer like her father would have done. Not yet.

As a result, the cold penetrated every crevice and, despite her efforts to keep the house warm and to stoke the fire, she noticed him shivering.

She had already put all the blankets she could find in the house around his slender body and, despite his protests that she needed one too, stuffed it tightly around him.

It was no use, he was shaking and when the spoon fell into the wooden bowl and he buckled backwards, she rushed to him. She placed him on the pillows and felt his forehead. It was hot and his skin was wet with sweat. He was feverish.

[dustcomic]

Presenting, the new DUST designs!

Miles Clark (he/him) is a super genius environmental scientist who will save the world! ... Except, that's what Hannah told him. Several decades of cryostasis (to avoid the apocalypse) messed with his mind, and he can't remember anything of his past. Miles is very intelligent, enjoys arguments, and is curious to his own detriment. He will do anything to get what he wants. At first his personality always either clashes or completely melts together with other people, until he mellows out a bit. Although Hannah doesn’t do this on purpose, she makes Miles feel like his loss of memory is a tragedy, and he internalizes this as if it were his fault. He frantically searches for any clue of his past, and any way to rebuild the world.

Hannah Mayfield (she/her) is Miles' best friend from when she first woke up. Contrary to Miles, cryostasis didn't affect her much, and she remembers him as a great scientist. Hannah is sweet and caring and always tries to find the middle ground. She gets nervous when people are disagreeing. Hannah is scared of losing her past, and often has bouts of nostalgia. As such, she is a bit obsessed with returning to how it was, and frequently pressures Miles to at least remember something. When they stray from the path to the old world she frequently gets more and more stressed, but as her bonds to the others grow, especially the one with Sengi, she learns to let go a little.

When Ruuto Valerian (he/they) isn’t dreaming, they're daydreaming. Sengi and Miles frequently call them the laziest person on earth, and with the amount of surviving people, that may well be true. According to him he’s conserving his physical energy, whatever that may mean. He is relaxed in mind-to-mind connections, but physical contact easily flusters them. Although the others frequently joke about him not contributing, he does keep the group relaxed at times when it should, and they can randomly have the most brilliant ideas. Ruuto is spiritual, and a bit superstitious at times. He is very observant of people and their emotions when he’s on the outside of a conversation but is very oblivious in actual interactions.

Scarecrow (she/they) is a curious girl, who woke up a few months prior to Miles and Hannah but lives in the wilderness of the apocalypse as if she’s been living it her whole life. Her crow Dexter never leaves her side, and according to her, she can talk to not only him, but all animals. Scarecrow has a bad case of FOMO and as such they will impulsively jump into anything they deem even slightly interesting. The others can frequently get annoyed or even angry with Scarecrow due to her offensive jokes, and she claims she has “no filter”. While she vehemently denies any knowledge of the former world, she makes it obvious that her memories weren’t lost due to her constant references she makes to the old world. For some reason they try to ignore it, as if it never existed.

Sengi (she/her) is a lone wolf, but like all wolves, she would much rather be part of a pack. She grew up in the post-apocalyptic world and as such is well adjusted to its perils. From a young age she was separated from her parents and grandparents. When she met the others, she was initially hesitant to make connections. Although Sengi is big and muscular she’s also shy, a bit awkward, and when she tries to quip she can make the corniest jokes.

Lantern (he/him) is the nickname Ruuto has given to wandering robot EP-844 with seemingly no purpose. Having wandered for years means that he’s worn down and almost skeletal in structure. He never puts down the lantern he carries everywhere. At some point, Lantern made stalking Miles and the others his objective, but no-one is sure why.

NOA (they/them) is an artificial intelligence, the bellhop and manager of the ARC, the place where humans wake up after the world has ended! NOA is very enthusiastic and will do anything to make humans happy. For now.

[enteroctopusdarkysilis]

✨Custom earth Toa !✨

It’s spiky ! And we’re now at 5/6 !

More below !

Front/back :

He’s spiky ! Some might have already noticed I took for base the old Von Nebula set, because I acquired it recently and it worked well, plus the joints are interesting. Pretty much everything else was change, though I kept the mask, sphere, and spiky plates. These were nice, and even if stone colours are usually black and purple, but blue works well too.

I relocated the sphere directly in the thorax so that it looks like some kind of core. The back is mostly composed of two large car pieces.

The hands are using black pieces to make them larger, which works well with the blue blades (which supposedly come from either Chima or Hero Factory, I can’t remember).

Leg :

Another type of Bohrok piece to act as feet ? Yes. These are the head pieces, and they work well with a classic foot as a back piece. The piston in the leg was there originally, but I covered it with these large technic panels and some other technic pieces.

There is also an interesting mechanism to stop the legs from doing too odd moves on top, which can have some interesting applications. Here, I’m wondering about removing them to gain a larger range of movements though.

Head :

Kept the original mask and teeth, but with a cable and a spider’s claw to elongate it.

This picture also allows for a clear view of how much dust has accumulated. Don’t judge me, these are on a top shelf which isn’t the easiest to clean…

Also, my project is now finished (officially) ! I went to a small exhibition with it this weekend actually, and…a recruiter from a much larger exhibition found it good enough to offer me a place next month (I’ll post it here once the bionicle series is done) ! I also brought some of my pride flags, which seemed to be doing their effect, so I’ll bring more next time. So overall, yay !

[izzysarchivedblogs]

clint's au verses + notes

as a general rule of thumb, @/thefleetfinest regardless of verse or ship, mel's leonard mccoy is clint's sober buddy/sponsor always. assume he is in all of these verses. Or if i have written him in / if he is referenced like an npc assume it's mel's leonard. // mass effect and dragon age may go single ship as well to be determined

star trek // to boldly go // single ship: @/crisispider

Set in the Kelvin timeline

One of five helmsman on the Enterprise, he is typically Sulu's alternate and typically takes the night shift

Post Beyond, he is contemplating a career change from pilot seat to being a security officer thinking his skillset may be better used not glued to monitoring flight controls (actually its the paranoia and trauma)

He doesn't join Starfleet Academy until he is 33, after being an entertainer from the age of 14 to 32 when he got a divorce

He's an odd one, not the most authority friendly

Manages sobriety alongside Leonard Mccoy after an incident with John Walker in the final year of academy before the Nero crisis

Divorced and sad except now he is a committed relationship with engineer Peter and he makes him happy

Friends: Leonard, Uhura, Carol, Peter and Linda. Iowan Alliance with Jim

wastelands // you can run on for a long time sooner or later god'll cut you down

Can follow either the comics or the podcast for plot and canon in terms of events

Drinking again

An absolute disaster and bastard of an old man

Blind from glaucoma

wastelands inspired au // something in the orange tells me we're not done (single ship w/ crisispider)

features my "oc" ashley parker barton, blood related to barney barton, adopted daughter clint barton and peter parker (he is married to peter) as well as peter and mj's daughter mayday

Sadly, he and Leonard are no longer sober

Currently on his revenge quest to kill the T-Bolts and everyone responsible for V-Day

Can be deterred from this suicide revenge quest because well his family is alive

the more fun version of wastelands and more flexible with plot

mass effect // a spectre. smoke and dust and shadow nothing substantial until i chose to be

Canon flexible/divergent setting of the main trilogy // time blind

One of the first few human spectres to come after Commander Shepard (this can happen in the two year gap when shepard is "dead" in me2 // happens post any ending of me3)

Barney and him got off planet of earth when he was only 12 years old, where they both ended up running with a bad crew

That causes a lot of trouble for Clint, but also makes him the best marksmen you could ever pay for

After Barney dies from injuries on a job gone wrong, Clint flips his tune and starts to go after gangs like the gang he ran with (turn vigilante)

There was one specific take down of a splinter pirate crew, that had lead to Clint meeting and working with high ranking Alliance officer Steve Rogers and engineer Tony Stark (not just a phony tony stark; but the Tony Stark of wealth and fame)

The meeting of these two, would later prove beneficial, when Clint would be set up by ex partners-in-crime and would lead up to arrested on the Citadel, awaiting Council judgement

Rogers and Stark had apparently been keeping an eye on Clint, and not only bailed him out with the Council but pitched and vouched; that the Citadel instead turn Clint into one of their operatives. he's got skills that are hard to teach, scary accuracy with any weapon in his hand.

That's how Clint went from orphan to criminal to vigilante to one of the Citadel's few human spectres

Clint has a small crewed ship named the BROKEN ARROW with a varying crew (some details will be static if verse goes singleship)

BROKEN ARROW has two doctors, leonard mccoy (@/thefleetsfinest) and (my) linda carter who specializes in medicinal care for biotics and xenology

Sobriety comes with being a spectre, wanting to be and do better; actually take this seriously as a way to do good in the universe

working an andromeda verse as well

the last of us // had to fight like hell until fight like hell made me one hell of a fighter

Clint's one of the original fireflies; when the group started to rise up in the world

He's always been a resistance guerilla fighter of a guy; doesn't approve of some of the ways that fedra control affected the world

Incredibly resourceful and an invaluable survivalist, almost exclusively uses a bow and arrow

As the fireflies start to lose sight, or as clint finds out about some of their not-so ideal ways of helping people (he is a huge help people guy) he starts to turn away from being a firefly or being the first guy to call them out

dragon age // i will wear the title oathbreaker with pride for no more false demons shall be slain

a born ferelden-er

Has a mabari named lucky

ex templar archer turned mage rights activist

orphaned at age seven with his older brother and became a templar alongside him as the chantry orphanage put pressure upon them that becoming a templar was the maker's intended path

was a mage hunter (and good at it)

quits the order as he finds himself ill with what circles have become, as the chantry does cuts him off from lyrium

turns to alcohol to cope with lyrium addiction and withdrawal

centered around the inquisition timeline, with clint joining up with the inquisition at haven ; favors mage-friendly inquisitors and anti-chantry followers most

can splinter off into two additional verses with one being clint becoming a warden in for da:o / da:a or be a companion for da2

616 // all he ever needed was to trust his own wings

Currently part of Mayor Cage's Thunderbolts

Working on amends with all the Avengers (and hopefully be an Avenger again)

Managing his sobriety well which came about after he was outed as Ronin and events of freefall

He and Kate have reconnected, and he'll usually turn a blind eye for her (sorry Luke and Helen; hawkeye fam always comes first)

[zimonlemon]

end of a time — a dystopian wasteland. part 1

    Earth, once thought to be the greatest utopia in the known universe…now nothing but a sad dusted wasteland. Humans are greedy, the biggest sinners imaginable. It happened so fast, it started with the famine from the war and it only went downhill from there. Turns out, nothing really matters anymore when your world is in a full blown war against itself. As if humans weren't assholes already, crime rates only seemed to triple in numbers. Disease, famine, homicide; the cherry on top of the world's first all out nuclear warfare.

— it's a miracle any of us survived at all.

         I used to be alone, but I've somehow managed to gather a group of survivors. The group only seems to get bigger the more we return to the surface. Though, not every expedition are we met with a fruit basket and welcoming smiles. We've lost too many allies for it to be considered humane up there on the surface where what we call surface dwellers or the mutated patrol. Those who choose the surface are always much more aggressive and deranged than your average human; they're like a fork in the road you can only hope you never come across. 

         My group and I are sewer dwellers, "gophers" as others refer to it as. We used to have a bunker, but we've long since outgrown it. Currently, we have six— on the verge of five. During our last surface visit we found a small child, and as you can imagine coming from the fallout zones they're horribly devastated. Skinny and almost yellow, barely able to open their pus crusted milky eyes. We don't think they have much longer, and even if they did survive by either miracle or curse, they sure as fuck wouldn't be human anymore. At least with us if they do actually take their final breath, they'll pass on feeling like they had a family again rather than dying out in the fallout abandoned in the trash like well.. trash. 

         Our oldest member is 37, and he's absolutely useless. Before the world collapsed the only thing he knew was a cubicle and how to use a fax machine. He likes to think of himself as our leader by deduction of his age but we all know it's Ace, he's our unhinged 23 year old. He claims to have been part of a gang before the end of the world— absolutely no one refutes this. He definitely has more survival instincts than all of us, potential combined. 

           Regardless, even with six (—five) of us we have a fair supply of rations to work with. This however is a story in of itself, back when we were still just a small group of four we lived in this survivor refuge called 'Salvation's Hope'. It used to be an old military site, it wasn't the best held up but for what it's been repurposed for it works; it was basically the Red Cross gone post apocalyptic. Food, medicine, clothes — you name it, they probably had it. They were very proud of this fact. Pride, one of the many deadly sins of humanity. Pride, the sin that led to their damnation. A surface group of raiders, Starfall (or some other cliche bullshit of a name) decided that those supplies were better suited into the palms of their own greedy little hands. As the camp was going to literal shit, our group managed to grab enough to fill up each one of our rucks and run; we've never looked back since. Hey, we never claimed to be saints. Down here, we're all sinners —doing what must be done to survive. If not for yourself, then for your group.

[il3x]

Why Waltz in E-Major, Op. 15 “Moon Waltz” by Cojum Dip is THE definitive Chris "Cryptid" Elman song (a rant) (as requested)

i.e. the song that first made me make a chris playlist; there are other equally fitting songs I found later, but this one is iconic. rant for @thesternest. long post warning

Weird. He's a weird little guy. Creacher. Any absurd song that sounds kinda staticky like you're being microwaved is an instant candidate.

the amv I have in my head

The image we see of you has been Just a little late There is no atmosphere To wear down any sharpness It's not how long you wait

"The image we see of you has been / Just a little late": Chris in front of the screen, with Lab Rat's recorded instructions playing. He's all about having his identity displaced in time - he was Lab Rat, Lab Rat thought he still would be the same person (or would become him again), but as Dr. Yamada observes, there's a disconnect.

"It's not how long you wait": I have a vivid shot in my head of him facing away from the camera, starting as his apocalypse-self, growing and flickering between different creature forms. He didn't find synergy or integration between his identities and goals, even with two years of time. Alternatively, this shot could be flickering between different moon phases, or different celestial bodies - I wanted this AMV to represent pre-download-apocalypse-clone, 'Chris' in canon, and Lab Rat with celestial bodies, moon and sun definitely in there, I just need a third.

Synodic season To come out of hiding Why'd it take so long? Inching out of orbit dividing Where did I go wrong?

"Synodic season" - conjunction, alignment of celestial bodies. The plan to take over an Earth brings his different sets of priorities/identity facets in harmony, with a singular goal. Imagery? Solar eclipse!!

"Why'd it take so long?" again, yeah, he's just frustrated with how long it's taking to get a self he wants to live as. fuckin mood. this is canon iirc with his transformations, "every mutation is a step away from being this" or whatever he says to Amy - you betcha he was annoyed that he had to lie low and pretend to be a regular kid instead of going full mad scientist Glorious Evolution monster transform.

"Where did I go wrong?" This is where I slip into headcanon/AU, because I only read part way through Ward. I think that even taking over a planet was not fulfilling for him; either in terms of satisfying his Imperatives, or on a more personal level. The only support I have is the time I skipped forwards to a chapter where Breakthrough meets up with a delegate from Shin, trying to find out more about chris' deal, and his behaviour in that chapter strikes me as very defensive. But yeah; he's having his "oh, damn, I fucked up" moment. His "And in that moment, he experienced the greatest triumph of his life. And he was terrified.", to quote my other most rancid and horrible problematic fave.

Visuals-wise... well, an eclipse is not true harmony of two celestial bodies. It's one eclipsing the other.

A wise woman said I'm alive Nobody's ever told her she's wrong A paella of space-talking jive I'm as alive as her beard is long

the ultimate disconnected from life and humanity dude. you betcha he doesn't identify with Living in a conventional sense - and furthermore feels like he's trapped in a facade of life and humanity, which no one will own up to and admit ("nobody's ever told her she's wrong"). The "wise woman" here could work as Yamada or Victoria, and you betcha he'd go [pissy 13 year old voice] bullshit but in a derisive trying-to-be-fancy way like this if either of them sat him down and was like. You're alive, you're a human. Hell, that basically IS what Yamada says to him in his interlude - you're a kid, you need a place to live and human companionship - and he Does (TM) react kinda like that.

I also feel like the surreally upbeat depictions of injury, damage and death fit him. "Twirling moon dust abound / Lung destruction is starting"; yeah, he would enthusiastically describe the timeline of your medical degradation as you Died in the Space Death Pit.

[chordsykat]

☀️ 📌

Ohhhh, some good ones out of the gate.

☀️ Has anyone ever left you a comment that made your day? What did it say?

Lots of people leave me lots of comments every time I post something and I never take it for granted. The comments on the last Dethkomic update in fact, were some of the most inspirational I have ever gotten.

It's not just you guys liking the series, either - it's knowing that you're honestly giving a shit about what's happening. I read "wow good comic" comments and my heart melts. I read "i just put x and y together and wow" and I become a pile of happy goop, never to return to my corporeal form. :)

📌 If all your fics/WIPs fell off a ship and were drowning (go with it), and you could only save one, which would it be?

Oh good god! UH. Dethkomic. XD I am currently re-reading my old fics so, good timing on these prompts. I foresee digging around in my old stuff if I'm going to be able to answer some of these...

So how about this, from the introduction to my old fics, which, after a little editing, still holds up surprisingly well to my great surprise:

So this was it. This was how the mighty empire fell. As if emphasizing the thought ringing out in his mind, it was then that the tallest tower of Mordhaus, the fierce dragon’s head which had been grievously cracked across the neck and was now ablaze in flame, lurched forward. Somewhere inside, the groan of steel bending, then breaking was heard. The stone skin of the statue gave way at its jaw-line, and the concrete head went tumbling downward, striking the ground and splitting open with an earth-shattering crash. Dust flew around the atmosphere and lingered in the air. About a minute later, dead silence . Then, there came the unmistakable sound of a shotgun cocked, ready for firing. When the double-barreled business-end of the weapon was up against his cheek, Charles’ mind reeled and the recent events of the past few weeks flashed before his eyes. He searched each and every one of them, however brief, trying to remember where it all went so wrong…

...More to come. :)

Prompt list is here!