#patreons got to see this three days early

[howtofightwrite]

How good would a whip be as a weapon? I'm not interested in it being a lethal weapon but more of it being a weapon that can defend someone long enough to get away or at least disarm or disable someone. I don't see a lot of people or character or referrals on how to use it and that's probably because it's not good enough?

Not great. The whip, like the goad and cattle-prod, aren't really designed for use as weapons. They're designed to control animals. (...and, yes, that does sometimes include humans, but again, in a non-combat, control role.) Part of the problem with the whip is, it's not much use against someone wearing armor. Or, even, heavy clothing.

Now, whips do have a legitimate military history as discipline tools, but that's very different from trying to take them onto the battlefield.

The reason reason you'll still see characters using whips, when you've probably never even heard of a goad, is because the whip is visually dynamic. It looks cool. You don't see Indiana Jones using a whip because it's the best choice of weapon, you see him using one because it stands out, and as a result, it has become iconic. It's delivering a specific vibe.

At the same time, the goad is just a pointy stick.

Whip disarms are a neat trick. And, very doable in a controlled environment. However, successfully disarming someone who's actively trying to kill you is going to be a bit more challenging, and also raises the question, “If you're putting this much effort and attention into taking away someone's weapon, shouldn't you be spending that effort and attention taking their life instead?”

This is probably little thought experiment about combat disarms. There's no point in disarming a corpse. So, why not just skip the middle step and go straight to the corpse-making? A question that Indiana Jones famously answered when, instead of dueling a sword master, simply pulled out his .455 Smith & Wesson and dropped the guy. (The real reason was that Harrison Ford was ill from food poisoning, and in no condition to shoot a prolonged fight sequence. So instead we accidentally got a character defining moment of pragmatism.)

To be clear, if it seems that I'm a bit negative on the subject, I do think the whip is a neat weapon. It's visually dynamic. It's loaded with symbolism. I think it's fantastic in a fictional context. It's just not practical.

There are fantastical versions of the whip that are better options. William Gibson's use of monowire comes to mind as an immediate example. Where the whip itself is created from a monomolecular carbon fiber, and can, as a result, cut through basically anything it strikes. Similarly, I still have serious reservations about the Lightwhip from Star Wars' old Expanded Universe, but it would carve through anything pretty effectively (including the wielder.)

Even in those cases, the whip is a weapon you choose for the aesthetic, more than the practicality.

-Starke

This blog is supported through Patreon. Patrons get access to new posts three days early, and direct access to us through Discord. If you’re already a Patron, thank you. If you’d like to support us, please consider becoming a Patron.

[lady-raziel]

long reaction to the update

ok. so they put out an update video! since i've been commentating for the last three days i might as well subject you all to more of my thoughts today.

main takeaway: this was a good apology video. i mean it. short and to the point, no overproduction, heartfelt and honest (and not a ukelele to be seen. thank god.) they took ownership of the situation, apologized, and restated how much they value their relationship with the fandom.

their solution is to make the watcher tv platform into kind of an iteration of patreon where content is available for early access before it is released onto youtube later. this is clearly a better option than paywalling everything for everyone. i'm not sure what the relative breakdown of costs turns out to be when you compare how much they were making on patreon after the platform took their cut VS how much it costs in overhead to run and maintain their own platform (how much it costs annually to contract via Vimeo, essentially). but i'm sure that's part of the calculation.

all things considered, that does seem like the best option out of all the alternatives. it allows them to not completely abandon any of the pans they have simmering over the fire for the time being. i don't think i ever thought they were going to just say "oops, forget about the streaming thing! let's pretend that never happened!" because at this point they've invested quite a lot of time and money into it, and i don't disagree that keeping it in some iteration may help them make up some of the funds they're lacking.

i would say, it's fine to keep the streamer. this is one of the ok outcomes, all things considered-- but if they're going to do it, they've GOT to do it smart from this point forward. listen to both the fans and the consultants intimately. both are going to have valid points, and both are going to be right. listening to too much of either side will sink this thing because each has motives and expertise that the other doesn't. if the fans say $6 is too much, listen to them-- but have conversations with business consultants about how much you realistically need to charge to make things work.

also, i'd use this whole situation as a learning experience. watcher is a young company, and it's literally inevitable that mistakes will happen. what's different is that the watcher crew haven't really been in a position before where they've been on the receiving end of the internet-angry-justice-hammer to this extent. it's one thing to watch it happen to others, but it's a position of extreme privilege (and a bit of hubris) to think "but that won't happen to me, because i'm built different." naw, man-- two things in life are inevitable: death and fuckups. the callout posts get us all in the end.

what's really important is that they use this as a wakeup call that even the most loyal fandoms will only follow you so far to the cliff's edge, and you don't want to push that. you have to strike a balance between the passion projects that you think are worthy and the stuff that maybe doesn't excite you as much anymore but the people want to see. a little fanservice keeps the lights on, as unfair as that might seem. i'm gonna make 50 markiplier choccy milk memes just so i can make one niche political joke once and a while for 6 likes. it is what it is.

i'd also use this as a chance to take a very careful look at company structure and finances. it's not fun to do and nobody likes it. trust me-- this is hard whether you're a single adult trying to pay the bills or the freaking US government (speaking from experience on both-- i have to read the president's budget for work frequently). but you all have to ask hard questions about the ratio of creative staff you take on VS staff for administrative and other business roles, as well as the costs and benefits of everything you spend money on. how many staff members are essential to location shoots? can this video be shot with 2 cameras instead of 3 and thus you don't need another cameraperson? you might even have to come to the decision that instead of pitching a new show it makes more sense to use those funds to hire your essential non-creative roles or contract firms or freelancers.

paying staff a fair wage with benefits speaks highly of what watcher wants their values to be. it's hard to find such a position in a creative role and still actually get to work on things you care about. but it would be much worse if watcher didn't make realistic decisions about finances and it lead to the death of the company and everyone losing their jobs. the whole watcher company can work, in my opinion, but not without some sacrifices. they're going to have to run it more like a business and less like a youtube-channel-turned-business in the future if they want to survive.

last thing i'll add is that while i do think this was a good apology video, i still think they hurt themselves by not putting out some sort of statement on Friday or Saturday just to say that they were formulating a response. As i've said in other posts, it's ok and in fact beneficial to not make a kneejerk reaction, but it's also very important to communicate that you SEE what's happening. you SEE what people are saying and THAT'S why you need more time to respond. saying nothing and leaving the angry public to wonder if you dropped your phone off the Hoover Dam or just don't care? that's a fumble. it's a common mistake companies make in a crisis, but that doesn't mean it doesn't erode trust fast.

this could have been handled better in many ways. we see that, and i'm glad watcher says they see that too. crucial going forward is taking all this and patching the errors that caused all this to fall apart and learning from the experience.

tbh at this point what i'm most sad about is that the watcher crew have probably been too stressed out and upset to appreciate some of the absolute bangers people have been laying down to clown on them. i think if it wasn't about them they might be touched by the collective attitude and creative spirit. /j

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: Minecraft Part 2

( Please come see me on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord Every bit helps)

Alien: *Observes ruined remains of once proud city Alien: What happened? Human: There was a spider and in my attempts to kill it things got out of hand. Alien: How does trying to kill a spider destroy your whole city? Human: I tried using fire. Alien: How much fire? Human: *Points to several dozen lava buckets used* Human: I want to say all the fire. ---------------------

Alien: Am I meeting you at your base? Human: Nah, I lost that one so I had to build a new one. Alien: Wait, how did you lose it? Human: Turns out piglin’s can walk through the ender portal into the above world. Alien: So? Alien: It’s not a problem if you- Alien: …….. Alien: wait, you didn’t seal off your portal room? Human: I did not. -------------------------

Alien: *walking through dying npc village* Alien: Wasn’t this place thriving last time we were here? Human: Yeah; probably fell apart when I diverted the river. Alien: You what?! Human: I didn’t like how it looked so I blocked it off and shifted it in a different direction. Alien: What gives you the right to destroy this innocent town? Human: Innocent? Human: Have you seen their trading rates? Human: Why would I pay 15 emeralds for an iron pickaxe? -----------------------

Alien: Why are you hiding? Human: I am being hunted by the deadliest creature in the game. Alien: *Intrigued* What is that? Human: *Points at looming shadow* There…. *Shadow takes shape and reveals itself to be a frog* Alien: Seriously? Frog: Ribbit. *Frog opens its mouth and shoots out to alien* *Tongue latches on to alien and eat him* Human: They never listen…… --------------------------

Alien: What the hell is this? Human: It’s my home. Alien: It’s made of dirt. Human: So? Alien: Why in the sixteen hells would you make your house out of dirt? Human: I mean, it’s everywhere. Alien: So are fraking trees! -----------------------------

Human: BEHOLD! Human: A TOWN MADE OUT OF IRON! Alien: Seems like a waste of iron. Alien: Why did you make this? Human: Because I wanted to make the golems protecting the town have an existential crisis as they ponder the question “Are we made out of the town, or is the town made out of us?” Alien: By the gods you should not be left alone with your thoughts for long. ------------------------------

Alien: *Finishes building village in middle of a lake* Alien: Finally! Alien: No mobs will be able to make it across the water to reach them! Human: Um…. Human: You do know about the underwater zombies, right? Alien: I’m sorry, the what? *Trident goes flying past head as swarms of underwater zombies emerge* -----------------------------

Alien: Why did you spend three weeks rearranging the landscape? Human: So I can go on long walks through it. Alien: That’s it? Alien: How can that possibly be worth the effort? Human: Join me and see. *Pair proceed to walk down a long intricate pathway with different color trees, rivers and waterfalls, mountain ranges and rolling hills* Alien: Damn. Alien: That was peaceful. Human: I know, right? -----------------------------

Alien: What are you doing? Human: Trading with the piglins. Alien: Why? Human: It’s fascinating watching them when you throw gold at them. Alien: Didn’t they destroy your city my swarming through the open ender portal? Human: Yes. Alien: And you’ve forgiven them for that? Human: Oh no. Human: I plan on sealing up their home area later on and then pouring buckets of lava into it from the highest places and watching them run, scream, and beg for their lives before the all-consuming flames devour their flesh. Human: But right now I find them amusing so I think I’ll pause on that plan for a day or two. Alien: ……………….. Alien: What your gods must think of you when they see such casual malice. Human: They learned long ago to leave us be. For we have learned that they topple just as easily as their temples, and their names cast to the sands of time beneath our feet.

[jarofstyles]

FICTOBER DAY 20- Safe With You

PREQUEL FROM THE DEMON BLURB FROM BEFORE! I WILL LINK. 

FICTOBER

Patreon

WC- 1.1k

Warnings- demon!Harry, Witch!YN, Mention of murder, attempted robbery, ritual mention, blood, etc

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

Y/N leaned into the man, feeling his arms wrapped around her as his lips pressed lazily to her neck. His cool nose tickled her a bit, making her shiver and both of them laugh as he continued showering her in soft affections. Affections she would have never in a million years expected from a demon, of all creatures. 

Her accidental summoning of him had been from a spell gone wrong, a mismatched ingredient. She had thought it odd when she grabbed the Bella Donna but followed the instructions. He had appeared, and life had never been the same. 

It was a case of spooked Witch versus smug Demon, who had kicked his feet up on her bed while she had scoured through her book to see how to send him back. Fortunately for them, she didn’t find it. After three days, their bickering had broken their odd sexual frustration and they’d fallen into a state of need only met with his cock sinking into the warmth of her cunt, making her finish over and over again. Something she hadn’t known she needed that badly until she had gotten it. It had been 2 weeks now, their routine a weird comfort now as he worked in the back of her shop on the poisonous herbs and she worked in the front. Today had been one she hadn’t expected, an attempted robbery stopped very quickly with Harry’s presence enough to scare the man away- but he hadn’t let it be. Coming back with blood on his hands, she had closed up early and refrained from asking questions, running them a bath that he happily settled into, holding her close. 

The lavender infused bath water was warm, her chanted spell keeping it so until they decided to get out. The purple water shimmered as it moved, enchanted baths coming with that perk. The scent relaxed them and the spell helped the day’s stress melt away the longer they stayed in it. 

“Can’t believe the audacity.” He mumbled, bringing the cloth up and washing her in the warm water. “You won't have to worry about that again, little goddess.” His promise was clear and part of her didn’t want to know to what extent. She would turn a blind eye if need be, as long as it was only on serious occasions. He was a demon and she’d been reminded of that reality today. Harry had never been more serious in his life, his arrogant humor wiped away the rest of the day as he had stewed in his anger. He wished he could take care of the pathetic thief again, take his time with it, but he had to return to Y/N quickly.

“I feel safe with you… oddly enough.” She laughed under her breath, leaning her head back on him as she allowed him to wash her. “Y’know, I forget you’re a demon. I just think of you as… a very handsome man who is suddenly staying in my home. Who’s got a talented tongue.” A slew of giggles left her as he blew a raspberry against her neck, tickling her skin and making her squirm with an embarrassing squeal. His own laughter filtered in her ears, making her light inside gleam just a bit brighter. 

“Oh? Little Goddess being filthy at the end of that. But I’ll take the compliment of being very handsome. Being good with my tongue is just a fact. S’hard not to enjoy it when you taste as good as you do.” He purred, settling his hand on her lower stomach. It got a little more serious when he continued to speak. “I’m glad you see me in such a way. I was wondering if you’d be able to… see past the legends and get to know me yourself. I should have known you would, but I was pleasantly surprised that you let me touch you like this… let me stay with you.” 

Y/N smiled to herself, bringing his other wet hand to curl around her shoulders and locked in place. “I feel safe in your arms. I know that you will protect me. Somehow, you seem to like me.” She teased lightheartedly. “I know what people say of Witches. I know… they say we are dangerous too, that we take advantage of people for our own gain, all of the nasty things that aren’t true. I was nervous, at first, especially because you were intimidating but… It wasn’t fair of me to not give you a chance and be kind when It was my fault you were summoned here to begin with.” 

That had the creature thinking. Rubbing her damp shoulder, with his thumb, he felt her silky skin and remembered how lucky he was that she did that. That he was lucky she didn’t specialize in dark arts and cast him back to hell. Her ignorance was his bliss. He felt a pull to the Witch, one that made him feel tethered to her in a good way. The first time he hadn’t wanted to pull up his pants and leave after a fuck, where he just kissed and kissed and kissed her until he found his way between her plushy thighs all over again. He laid in her bed as she slept, proper domestic, stroking her hair and sometimes popping into her dreams- which she would always roll her eyes but welcome. It was rather unusual. 

He wanted to keep her. Keep this feeling of bliss. She was another magical being, someone that walked amongst the humans but wouldn’t age. He wanted her bound to him, but he had to imagine how. She’d forgiven his multiple bouts of attitude and temper, soothed him, made him feel comfortable with intimacy- all things he never imagined or wanted before he had another being who could provide that for him. So he continued to follow her around like a lost puppy, more like a guard dog if you asked him, waiting to hear from the big boss downstairs for a task to do on earth. He wanted to stay here, with Y/N. 

“I’m happy you summoned me.” The demon kissed her jaw, feeling her warmth sinking into him. “I’m glad you feel safe with me. You are. I’d kill for you, little goddess. Countless times.” Tilting her head to the side, he captured her lips and felt her returning it immediately. He had to show how serious he was. 

He’d kill for her. He already had.

[kallie-den]

Rabbit Hunt

After passing through a fey portal, Raine meets a strange fairy baroness who insists on hosting a rabbit hunt - and insists that Raine be the rabbit. Raine tries to refuse, but the Baroness's magical maze isn't so easily beaten…

Kind of a weird old story of mine I realized I hadn't posted yet. It's got predatory fey, bunnygirl TF, hunter/prey play, and petplay, and hopefully all that wrapped up in a little fantasy-horror package sounds good! Happy Halloween!

If you like my writing, please consider supporting me on Patreon!   For less than the price of a cup of coffee each month, you can get   immediate, early access to everything I write - along with exclusive stories and the ability to vote on what I write next. Your support helps  me keep writing and is greatly appreciated <3

---

“I’m very pleased to meet you,” said the Baroness to Raine, in a polite, soft, lilting, richly-accented voice. The tall, ethereal fey had introduced herself as nothing more or less than ‘The Baroness’. “Would you care to give me your name?”

“Sure,” Raine replied automatically. “It’s Raine.”

She froze.

She was talking to a fey. This was the fey realm. That was the only explanation. She’d been walking home from work, and as she often did, had taken a small detour to walk through the edges of the big, old forest that surrounded her hometown. Entirely by chance, she’d noticed something a little deeper into the woods. An unusually large, unusually colorful ring of toadstools. Raine had been sure it hadn’t been there the day before, and so, curious, she’d decided to investigate. Reaching down to briefly touch one of the odd, white-and-red spotted mushrooms, she’d felt herself suddenly pulled forward by something, as if she was somehow falling into the ground.

The fall had left her dizzy and disoriented, but when she came to, she found she was somewhere very different. She wasn’t in a forest anymore. She appeared to be standing in the grounds of a very large, very grand mansion. There was no sign of where she had arrived from, or how, but behind her was a vast hedge maze that seemed to stretch on all the way to the horizon, and in front of her was a little flower garden with a long dining table running its whole length. And that was where she’d met the Baroness, sitting on a silver throne at the head of the table.

And now she’d given the fey her name.

In Raine’s part of the world, tales and stories of the fey folk were everywhere. She’d been raised on them. There were many, many different myths and legends, but a common thread running through all of them was a set of very simple rules that you were meant to follow if you ever found yourself dealing with a fairy.

One: don’t tell them a lie, lest it become the truth.     Two: don’t play pretend, lest it become reality.     And three: never, ever give them your name.

She had just broken the third rule.

“Could you tell me that one more time, pretty girl?” the Baroness asked sweetly.

“It’s… it’s…” the girl who had been Raine opened her mouth to answer, but she suddenly found herself drawing a blank. “W-why can’t I remember my name?” she asked out loud, suddenly panicked.

“Oh, well, that’s because it’s not your name anymore, silly.” The Baroness laughed indulgently. “And when you give something to someone, it isn’t yours anymore. It’s theirs. Don’t you see? ‘Raine’ isn’t your name now. It’s mine.”

“Raine…” the girl breathed. At first, she felt like the name meant something to her, but it didn’t feel right. It didn’t feel as familiar and fitting as it once had. And within moments, she forgot it again, the word ‘Raine’ slipping through her mind like water slipping through her fingers.

“Don’t worry, pet,” the Baroness said comfortingly, although the sinister, too-wide grin on her face was anything but comforting. “I’m sure you’ll find a new one, sooner or later. But for now, why don’t you join me? I was just about to indulge in a little hunting, you see.”

“I-”

“No, wait,” the Baroness interrupted. “You will join me on my hunt. I insist on it. And you see, this is my house, so I’m afraid you really don’t have much choice in the matter.”

“I, um, w-what?” The girl was too confused to argue. She had lost her name and she was feeling a strange weakness in the face of the Baroness’s words, like the fey’s presence alone was sapping her willpower. “W-what are we hunting?” she asked absent-mindedly.

“Oh no.” The Baroness wagged a finger. “Not we. You’ll be joining me, but not as a fellow hunter. You, my dear girl, will be my quarry.”

“What?” The girl spat, alarmed.

The Baroness ignored her obvious panic. “The only question is,” the fey mused, “what will you be? Let me get a proper look at you.”

The tall, slender fey darted lithely towards the girl, circling her a little too close for comfort and occasionally reaching out to prod or grab at her. The girl was frozen to the spot with terror, captivated and held helpless by the Baroness’s strange aura. She couldn’t fathom why the fey seemed so interested in her, and so eager to carefully inspect her body. What was there to see? The girl was tall, with a thick, messy mop of auburn hair. She had an athletic build; in college she’d been on the track and field team, and since graduating she’d kept in the habit of exercising and running. Her strong, toned thighs and wide hips were the only things that really made her stand out. But the Baroness seemed fascinated by every little detail of her form. The girl felt uncomfortably like a piece of livestock being sized up for slaughtering. But what could she do? Run? She had a feeling she couldn’t escape the Baroness, and besides, where could she run to?

There was little more the girl could do than try to study the Baroness in return, hoping to get a sense of her strange host and what she might be capable of. The powerful fey was far more unnerving than most of the fairies the girl had read about in her childhood stories. She looked human, almost, but from up close there were a hundred tiny, uncanny details that gave her away. She was exceptionally tall, at least seven feet, and a little too slender and willowy for any mortal being. Her fingernails were too long, her skin too pale, and her teeth too sharp. Her eyes were the biggest giveaway. They simmered with a sinister red-purple glow, and looking at them for too long gave the girl a throbbing headache. When she met the Baroness’s uncomfortably piercing gaze, she thought she could see huge, insectoid wings unfolding from the fey’s back, but when she looked, there was nothing. The Baroness was an impossible creature.

The fey’s manner of dress was just as peculiar. She was wearing what appeared to be a very long Victorian tailcoat, dark green in color, and with a very tight fit that only accentuated the Baroness’s sleek, subtle feminine form. Her hair was red as flame, and tied up in elaborate braids. Underneath the tailcoat was a ruffled dress shirt and a smart pair of trousers. Curiously, the Baroness was barefoot, although her feet seemed untouched by dirt or grub. She really did look like something out of a strange old fairytale - the kind that gave you nightmares, even if they weren’t supposed to. Around the Baroness’s neck was a large pendant made of silver, in the form of a complex Celtic knot. It was beautiful. The girl quickly found herself staring at it. The more she stared, the more she noticed all kinds of little details and pleasing patterns in the way the small threads of silver were interwoven. It was entrancing. Hypnotic. It-

“A rabbit!” the Baroness suddenly announced.

“What?” the girl asked, surprised.

“You’ll be a fine rabbit.”

“I’m not a rabbit!”

“Don’t be so hasty,” the Baroness admonished.

“Um… s-sorry,” the girl apologized, suddenly embarrassed.

“That’s more like it.” The Baroness smiled, showing teeth. “A rabbit hunt! Oh, I’m going to have such fun. When shall we get started?”

“Wait, I-”

“Right now? Of course! No time like the present, after all. Not that it really matters, here. It’s always the present, isn’t it?” The Baroness laughed. It was an incredibly unnerving sound. “Well, off you go! Get running!”

“What?” The girl was so confused, and she’d had enough. She needed to put her foot down somewhere. She needed to find a way home. That wasn’t going to happen if she kept playing along with this ridiculous charade. She found the Baroness oddly difficult to resist, but she needed to try. She’d already lost her name, and she didn’t want to lose anything more. “No! No, I’m not going to be part of this… this hunt. I refuse to do whatever you tell me. I’m staying right here until you send me home!”

The Baroness pouted; an absurd affectation on such a tall, ethereal creature. But then, she smiled again. “Well… suit yourself, I suppose.” The Baroness turned back to the dining table, and picked up something. It was something the girl hadn’t taken notice of before. A spear. It wasn’t quite like anything she had ever seen before. Its shaft was long and twisting, and the blade looked like it was made of shattered, sparkling glass. But there was no doubt it was wickedly sharp, and as the Baroness held it aloft in a practiced grip and turned back to the girl, there could be no doubt what it was for either. “But in that case, it will be a terribly short and boring hunt.”

The girl started backing away, eyes wide. She’d already been plenty scared, but now she was utterly terrified. The Baroness grinned at her fear.

“Go on, run!” the fey commanded. “Run for me, little rabbit girl. Run, run, run!”

The nameless girl turned and fled for her life. Heading away from the Baroness, there was nowhere for her to run to except the vast, dark, endless hedge maze stretching out before her. It scared her too, but she had no choice. With panic lending her speed, she plunged headlong into its abyssal depths, and in moments, she was lost.

***

Left. Right. Left. Left. Right. Left. Right. Right. Right. The girl sprinted and darted through the twisting passages of the maze, taking each turn according to nothing more than her instincts. Which, she was fully aware, meant she was essentially running around at random. It probably wasn’t wise, but she wasn’t sure what else she could do. Wasn’t there some kind of rule for getting out of a maze? Always follow the left-hand wall? Something like that? But the problem was, the girl wasn’t sure if she even wanted to escape. Wouldn’t that take her back towards the Baroness’s manor? She had no way of knowing if there was a way out on the other side, or anything hidden in the center. Besides, she’d already become convinced that any true navigation was impossible. The maze didn’t seem to obey consistent physical laws. More than once, she’d felt certain she was looping back around to somewhere she’d been before only to end up somewhere completely new, or had been heading in a perfectly straight line and found herself back at a familiar crossroads. For all she knew, the Baroness had enchanted the maze to make sure her rabbit hunt had a single, inevitable outcome.

Why a rabbit hunt? Why had the Baroness insisted she would be a rabbit? The girl was so scared she could barely think, but she still couldn’t stop turning that question over in her mind. A rabbit? She wasn’t anything like a rabbit. Was she? Sure, she’d heard a few cracks about it before. Quite a lot, come to think of it. She’d always loved eating carrots, and she’d always been particularly good at athletics events like the long jump and high jump. But that didn’t mean anything, and besides, the Baroness didn’t know anything about that. Did she? It was hard to tell, when she was dealing with such a strange creature. Given the kinds of stories she’d heard, it didn’t seem impossible. But the girl only knew one thing for sure: she needed to hold on to her humanity. She didn’t want to lose more than just her name. 

It was proving difficult, though, to focus on anything at all. The twisting passageways of the hedge maze were somehow hypnotic, and at every turn, the girl had to think about the Baroness, who was surely right on her tail. She kept hearing ominous sounds from all around her: footsteps, leaves rustling, twigs snapping underfoot. It was hard to be sure they were real, and even harder to judge how close they might be, but each sound filled the girl with fresh terror and spurred her onwards. She had no time to think, no time to plan. She just had to run.

“Oh, hello there!”

The girl wheeled around at the voice, terrified the Baroness had found her. But no. Without realizing it, she’d stumbled into some kind of small, brightly lit clearing. And she wasn’t alone there. Sitting at a small table, just a few paces away from her, was another fey. A pixie. They too were slight and slender, although unlike the Baroness they were very small. They wore a pretty summer dress, and had two pairs of dragonfly wings folded on their back as they sat, daintily sipping at a porcelain teacup.

“Um… hello?” The girl was reluctant to stop running, but she needed a moment to catch her breath. Besides, this pixie didn’t seem as threatening as the Baroness. “Could you tell me where we are?”

“I’m afraid not.” The pixie had the same kind of strange, lilting voice as the Baroness, although much higher-pitched. “I don’t know either, you see.”

“You’re lost too?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say so.” The pixie seemed bemused by the suggestion. “I’m quite content here.”

“Right,” the girl said, after a long pause. “Well, um, I need to be going now. Please don’t tell the Baroness you saw me.”

“You’re her new pet? The rabbit?” The pixie looked at her with fresh interest. “Not yet, I suppose.”

“Um…” Pet?

“You must be having a tough time,” the pixie said sympathetically.

“I… yes,” the girl admitted. Sympathy was the last thing she’d expected. “She’s… she’s right on my heels! At least I think she is. It’s hard to tell.”

“Well, of course it is!” the pixie exclaimed. “You’ve no hope at all, the way you are now. You need better hearing! That way, you can hear her coming.”

“That would actually be pretty nice,” the girl agreed. If she could tell where the Baroness was coming from, she might be able to keep her at arms’ length.

“Want me to help you out with that?” the pixie offered.

“Would you? Yes please!” The moment the words left the girl’s lips, she realized what a horrible mistake she’d made. “No, wait, I didn’t-”

The pixie, ignoring her protests, raised a hand and snapped her fingers. The change was instant. The nameless girl reached up in shock as she felt two big, floppy rabbit ears sprout from the sides of her head. They were over six inches long and hung around her shoulders, and the soft fuzz covering them, the same shade of rich brown as her hair, was impressively soft and velvety. The girl, though, wasn’t really able to appreciate them. She was horrified. She couldn’t see her own reflection, but she could only imagine how ridiculous she must look. More importantly, though, it was clear the Baroness’s promise was already coming true. ‘You’ll be a fine rabbit’, the fey had said. The girl was beginning to worry she’d been speaking very literally.

“You… fix me!” the girl yelled, after a few moments spent turning her head this way and that, trying to inspect her new ears. But there was no reply, and when the girl looked up, she found that she was alone once more. The pixie had vanished. The girl grit her teeth. Then, though, she heard footsteps, much louder than ever before. She didn’t have time to waste searching for a mischievous pixie. The Baroness was still coming for her. She’d already rested too long. The girl picked the first passage she saw, and ran into it as fast as her legs could carry her.

As she sprinted deeper into the maze, though, the girl noticed something. Her hearing really was better. All the half-heard noises that had troubled her before resolved themselves into a clear map of every little thing happening around her. It wasn’t a comforting picture. She could hear the footsteps of something; something she was sure was the Baroness. It wasn’t far away, and it was stalking her with unnerving precision. Still, the girl felt better for knowing. At least she could be reasonably sure her hunter wasn’t lurking around each and every corner. That brought her a measure of calm, and oddly, so did her hearing itself. Despite her distress at her new, animalistic ears, it was proving easy for her to lean into her new, heightened senses. The girl found she could immerse herself in the world around her, becoming one with all those small noises and letting instinct carry her away from danger, and allowing the loud and anxious parts of her mind to grow quiet. It was nice, especially under the circumstances, but the girl was wary of it. She’d noticed the odd, rabbit-like way she tended to twitch from side to side in response to sounds when she let herself sink a little too deep into that headspace.

The girl’s supernatural hearing, though, didn’t prevent her from turning another corner and finding herself in another clearing, just like the first. She narrowed her eyes and searched around for another pixie. She hadn’t heard anything, but sure enough, there was one. This second pixie appeared to be playing a small game of croquet on a tiny little lawn. The girl shook her head in disbelief. How hadn’t she heard anything?

“Hello there!” the pixie called out in a jolly, lilting voice. “You must be the Baroness’s new rabbit.”

“I’m not a rabbit!” the girl replied indignantly.

The pixie giggled. “With those ears? I think that’s a bit of a foolish thing to say, silly rabbit.”

The girl grit her teeth. “Whatever. I’ll be on my way.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.” The pixie nodded her head sympathetically. “She must be giving you a hard time.”

“She is.” The girl turned her head left and right, listening out carefully. She could hear rustling, but it wasn’t close. “I… I don’t know how she’s tracking me. Do you know the way out of here? I need to get back home.”

“Hmm.” The pixie stroked their chin, thinking for a moment. “I’m afraid not. I don’t know how she’s tracking you either. She’s an awfully good hunter. I suppose you’ll just have to go faster.”

“Yeah, I guess,” the girl agreed, disappointed.

“Hey!” the pixie said brightly. “Want me to help you with that?”

“Oh, can you?” the girl asked eagerly. She was getting awfully tired, and she didn’t want her speed to start flagging. “Yes, please. Although… wait, no. No, please don-”

It was too late. The pixie had already snapped her fingers. The girls started immediately looking herself up and down. She wasn’t sure what was going to happen. For a moment, she thought she’d somehow escaped the pixie’s curse. But then she felt it; a gentle but insistent warmth in her lower body. At first, it was hard to pinpoint, but more and more it coalesced in her thighs and her hips. And then they started to grow. The girl initially thought her clothes were changing, as her leggings felt as though they were getting tighter and tighter. But she soon realized that in fact, her thighs and hips were expanding, swelling with new muscle and fresh, soft curves. Her ass, too, started expanding out behind her, and within moments her leggings were ripping apart at the seams, quickly shredded to tatters by her growing body. The girl had always had a pretty slender, athletic build, but that was rapidly changing. Her metamorphosis took mere seconds, and by the end her physique was hopelessly bottom-heavy. Her new proportions weren’t quite extreme enough to be called cartoonish, but they were close. She certainly didn’t look like a runner anymore.

“You! I’m gonna-” The girl looked up, but predictably enough, the pixie was gone. “I’m gonna strangle the next one of those I see,” she vowed.

Experimentally, she reached down to run her hands over her new body. It was incredibly soft and curvaceous. She had the kind of ass and hips people drooled over. Beneath the softness, though, she could feel that her legs had become incredibly powerful. Underneath a layer of pleasing, masterfully sculpted fat was pure, taut muscle. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all, the girl mused. Then a gust of wind blew through the maze, and she shivered. If only her transformation hadn’t shredded her clothes. She had an odd feeling that pixie was still lurking somewhere nearby, leering at her nudity. At least her top half was still covered. But that was just one more reason to move on quickly. The rustling leaves were growing closer, and she had no more time to waste. Once more, the girl picked a path, and started running.

She quickly found, though, that she couldn’t run. Not like before. Her new body simply wasn’t suited for it. The kind of runner’s gait she’d long since committed to muscle memory simply didn’t allow for such massive, curvy thighs. The girl groaned in frustration. The pixie had promised to help her, but what help were these new legs if she couldn’t run on them? Then, though, she remembered how well her new ears seemed to work when she let instinct take over. Perhaps her new body was the same. The girl took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and just tried to move forward in whatever way felt most natural.

She hopped.

At least, it was something like a hop. Instead of placing one foot in front of the other, the girl pressed her feet together and coiled her thighs, before extending both her legs at once to propel herself forward. The speed at which she moved took her by surprise, and threatened to send her toppling over forwards. But, just barely, she was able to keep her balance. The girl was astonished. Her new body was incredible! With speed like this, she could easily leave any of her track and field rivals in the dirt - assuming she ever made it home. With that thought held firm in her mind, she picked a direction and started hopping.

The hedge maze around her became a blur as she sped through it, much faster than before. The nameless girl was amazed. Despite her situation, she couldn’t help but grin. She was riding high on adrenaline. She was so fast! And with her enhanced hearing, she could be sure to stay clear of danger Maybe she could win this hunt after all. Maybe. The girl didn’t want to get carried away. She knew there was something darker at work here. The transformations she’d been offered were beckoning her, tempting her with unfamiliar, animal instincts. She needed to hold back. She didn’t want to become the Baroness’s rabbit. She could only imagine what she already looked like, hopping around on her huge thighs with her long ears flopping around her shoulders. It was ridiculous. But she was hopeful she could hold on to her own identity - just as long as she didn’t make any more silly agreements with pixies.

She hopped out into another clearing.

“Ugh!” the girl groaned in frustration. There was no way she was talking to another pixie. Fortunately, there didn’t seem to be one around. In the clearing, there was nothing but a small tree. The girl was already hurrying forward, deeper into the maze, when a high-pitched voice took her by surprise and made her stumble.

“Leaving so soon?”

Once she was back on her feet, the girl looked up. Nestled amongst the branches of the tree was, as she’d been dreading, another pixie.

The girl’s instinct was simply to run. She’d learned her lesson. A pixie meant danger, and she should run from danger. Nice and simple. Instinctive. But as she made to hop off, the pixie addressed her again:

“You know, you don’t seem very steady on those legs of yours! If you’re to be the Baroness’s new rabbit, you’ll need that sorted. Why don’t I offer you something to help you with your balance?”

“No!” the girl snapped, very firmly. “No thank you! No! Nope! Not wanted!”

“No?” The pixie raised a tiny eyebrow. “Are you telling me you don’t want to be able to balance better?”

“Well of course I want that!” the girl said, exasperated. “But I don’t- wait, no I didn’t mean that! I-”

The pixie snapped their fingers, and the girl grew a tail.

It was a short, floppy, incredibly fluffy little bunny tail, sprouting from the base of her spine to nestle comfortably against her newly-rounded ass. The girl groaned in despair. How did this keep happening to her? She looked up at the tree, determined to climb it and throttle the pixie no matter how long it took, but predictably enough, they were gone. The girl sighed. Despite all her protests, it seemed she was becoming more and more rabbit with each passing moment. It wasn’t just her body; she could feel the changes in her mind too. Her thoughts were growing simpler. More animal-like. Now she had a tail, it was sure to get even worse. But what could she do? Nothing more, she decided, than keep running, deeper and deeper into the maze.

Much as she was loathe to admit it, once she started hopping again, the girl found that her tail was quite the asset. Short though it was, it was just enough to let her counterbalance her new, hopping gait, allowing her to move faster still without placing herself at risk of toppling over if she misjudged a single hop. With that danger remedied, the girl found she was able to take joy in the simple act of hopping around. She knew she was still in danger, but some part of her derived a strange thrill from how fast she could move, and how at one with her new body she felt. She was reluctant to plunge into the headspace, but she found herself slipping deeper and deeper towards it, as the simple, primal joy of racing and running quenched her old, increasingly distant anxieties and fears about losing her humanity. She still knew she needed to get home, but she’d already determined that to do that, she needed to run and hop, and that was so much easier to think about. All she needed to do was run, and run, and run, and run, and run, and-

The girl hit a dead end.

She turned back, and found herself frantically looking left and right. There were no ways out, just a long passageway leading back the way she’d just come. And she could hear close footsteps. The Baroness’s footsteps. The girl panicked, and cursed herself. She’d been so caught up in her transformation, she’d run right into a hopeless dead end - just like an animal into a trap. There was nothing more she could do than try and run back the way she came. The girl set off as fast as she could - only to turn a single corner and find herself face-to-face with the Baroness.

“Hello there, little rabbit,” the Baroness said in a sing-song voice, looming over her. “I must say, you’re coming along very nicely.”

The girl started backing away in fear, even though she knew she had nowhere to go. The Baroness followed, pressing in on her with ease, her spear hefted in her hand. 

“L-l-leave me alone!” the girl whimpered, as she pressed her back up against the thick, impenetrable hedge behind her.

“Didn’t I tell you that you’d make a fine rabbit?” the Baroness purred, the too-wide grin on her face growing wider with each passing moment. “So fine, in fact, that I think it would be a waste to simply dispatch you. No… I think I’ll keep you.”

“Keep me?!” the girl cried out in a shrill voice. She wasn’t sure if that was better or worse. She didn’t want to be hunted, but she didn’t want to be anybody’s pet. Least of all this sinister fey’s.

“Is that so terrible a fate? I assure you, I can be a kind mistress,” the Baroness replied, as if sensing the girl’s thoughts. “But if you’re to be my pet, I’ll have to give you a name, won’t I?”

“I have a name!” the girl insisted weakly. “It’s… it’s…” She couldn’t remember.

The Baroness ignored her protests, musing to herself. “Oh, I’ve never been any good with names. Let’s stick with something simple… Bunny! Your name is Bunny.”

“N-no it’s not!” Bunny protested, but already, the name was taking hold of her. It clung to her like a spider’s web, no matter how hard she tried to reject it. Her name was… what? If she only had a different name to hold on to it might have been easier, but she didn’t, and so ‘Bunny’ rushed in to fill the void. It proved slippery, sneaking into her memories and inserting itself into her identity in unexpected ways. She tried to isolate it, focusing on the fact that the Baroness had christened her ‘Bunny’ mere moments ago, only to find that she could remember all sorts of people calling her that. She could hear it in her parents’ voices, in her sister’s voice, and in the voices of all her friends. She tried to picture her old high school book; in her mind’s eye, ‘Bunny’ was the name written under the photo She was… Bunny. That was her name. Bunny.

“There. Isn’t that better?” the Baroness asked, her voice suddenly soft. “Poor, confused Bunny. Running around in my little maze, not even knowing who you are. It’s OK. You’re safe now.”

Bunny didn’t feel safe, but already, the Baroness’s enchanting aura was beginning to affect her. Clear thought was becoming difficult. She wanted to flee, and since that was impossible, she was simply frozen like a deer in headlights.

“Here. See?” the Baroness continued, slowly setting her spear down on the ground. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’ll take very good care of you, my rabbit.”

“I’m not a rabbit! I’m not!” Bunny protested.

“No?” the ethereal Baroness cocked her head to one side. “But, my sweet pet, aren’t you called Bunny? That seems like a very strange name for someone who’s not a rabbit, don’t you think?”

“But… but…” Bunny balled her fists at the unfairness of it, and how hard she was finding it to argue back. Her name was Bunny. That was a rabbit’s name. Sure, it was the Baroness who had named her that, but that didn’t change the fact that it was now her name. That much was undeniable. How was she supposed to argue she was human with a name like that?

“Still thinking like a person? Oh, we can’t have that,” the Baroness tutted. “Allow me to fix that for you.”

“Wha-”

Before Bunny could shrink out of the way, the Baroness’s hand darted out to rest at the side of Bunny’s head. At the fey’s surprisingly gentle touch, Bunny froze, allowing the Baroness to slowly stroke all the way along Bunny’s new, floppy rabbit ears.

Bunny melted.

The girl’s whole body melted. The feeling was indescribable. Shivers ran all across her skin, and turned her muscles to jelly. Bunny felt like her legs were going to collapse underneath her. Her instincts suddenly betrayed her, and she could herself leaning into the Baroness’s touch, nuzzling her ears into her fey captor’s hand in search of more. The sensation was bliss, pure and simple. She’d had no idea her new ears were so sensitive, and even though she knew full well the Baroness was using this new weakness to bring her under her spell, she couldn’t make herself hate it. Not when it felt so good.

“There, there,” the Baroness soothed, her seductive words slipping into Bunny’s helpless ears. “Isn’t this better? Good girl. Good rabbit.”

Bunny shivered. Why? Was she so weak to this?

“Don’t you want this?” the Baroness continued, in her soft, lilting, simpering whisper. “Don’t you want me to pet you like this each and every day? Of course you do, little rabbit. You could have that. You could be mine.”

“N-noooo,” Bunny moaned. She hated how deeply tempted she was.

“No?” the Baroness drew her hand over Bunny’s head in a leisurely manner, before starting to stroke her other ear. Bunny’s bliss doubled. “Aww, I think you’re trying to fight. Are you? That would be very, very silly, little rabbit. Rabbits don’t fight. Do you? Rabbits are so weak and small and helpless. Aren’t they?”

“Y-yes,” Bunny agreed weakly, before realizing she wasn’t quite sure what exactly she had agreed to. “Or… no… no, I… um…”

“Rabbits aren’t very smart, are they?” the Baroness mused, still petting Bunny affectionately. “I suppose they don’t need to be. They’re simply adorable, after all. You should really stop trying so hard, Bunny. Isn’t it tiring? Aren’t you already exhausted, after all that hopping?”

It was only as the Baroness spoke those words that Bunny realized how true they were. She was exhausted. She yearned to slump forward into the fey’s slender arms. But… she couldn’t. Could she? She needed to fight. She needed to find a way home. Didn’t she? It was so hard to keep it all straight in her head. She was tired, and her head was so full of fog. Each time the Baroness ran her hand down one of Bunny’s soft, velvety ears, she could her thoughts being massaged away, all those mental knots of anxiety and fear unraveling harmlessly. It was so hard to maintain her train of thought for more than a couple of seconds. Her head was becoming just as fuzzy as her ears.

“I… I…” Bunny whimpered slowly. “Um… yes… exhausted… yes… mm…”

She knew what was happening. She was being treated like… like a pet. And it felt so right.

“That’s right,” the Baroness crooned. The fey started gently pushing Bunny’s head from side to side as she stroked her ears and her hair. The entranced girl swayed with each motion, unresisting. “Time to do what comes naturally, hm?”

What comes naturally… what did that mean? Bunny wasn’t sure. She just wanted to feel good. She was tired of running, tired of fear. She wanted the path of least resistance. Right now, that meant letting the Baroness have her way with her. Maybe that’s what was natural. But… home. She needed home. She had to remember that.

“N-n-no…” Bunny made herself say, with great effort.

“No?” Her fey captor arched an eyebrow, eyes shining with a mystical, gleeful light. “That doesn’t make any sense at all. Silly rabbit. Aren’t you a silly bunny?”

“I’m… not… not a bunny!” It was getting harder and harder to say each time.

“Not a bunny? But you’re Bunny!” The Baroness laughed. “A Bunny is a bunny, no? That much is obvious, even to an empty-headed little pet like you. And you’re Bunny; we both agree on that. And that means you’re a bunny. Don’t you think?”

“Umm….” Bunny simply could not muster the mental energy to get to grips with what the Baroness was saying. It was so easy to get lost in her voice; in the way it lilted up and down like a half-remembered lullaby. The fey’s words simply washed over her like the rain, soaking her, seeping into her.

“Just look at you,” the Baroness murmured softly. “Look at these.” She gently tugged on one of Bunny’s ears. “And look at this.” Bunny yelped slightly as the Baroness stepped in even closer to her, slipping a hand around her hips and stroking her short, fluffy tail. “There’s really no denying it, pet. Anyone would agree. Don’t you?”

Bunny had no words. The Baroness was so close to her now. The fey was so much taller - had Bunny shrunk a little? - and she had to crane her neck to look at her. When she did, she was greeted only with the fey’s wide, sharp, possessive grin. Bunny’s gaze shot back to the ground. The Baroness’s arms were all around her. The way she was stroking her tail felt almost as incredible as the way she was stroking her ears, and the Baroness didn’t stop there. She drew her reaching fingertips back across Bunny’s hips, lingering for a minute to feel her new, huge, plush ass, stroking up and down along her bare skin. It was all Bunny could do not to sigh and moan. Why did her body have to be so sensitive all of a sudden?

“Oh, these new curves are wonderful,” the Baroness breathed appreciatively. “I told you that you’d make a fine rabbit. I’m going to enjoy these very, very much.”

Bunny shivered with more than just fear at the naked lust dripping from the fey’s voice. But… she had to resist. Had to get home. She had to. She had to.

“I’m… nnnn… s-stop,” Bunny pleaded. It was so unfair. How was so supposed to think with the Baroness touching her this way?

“Yes,” the Baroness readily agreed, quieting Bunny with her voice. “Yes, yes, yes. Time to stop thinking. Time to sink. Are you ready for that, Bunny? Let’s see.”

Still gently and methodically stroking Bunny’s ears, she removed her other hand from the girl’s hips and raised it to her lips, using her slender fingertips to slowly part Bunny’s lips. Bunny’s reaction was instinctive and immediate. She opened her mouth, allowing the Baroness to slip a pair of fingers into her mouth. Bunny suckled on them helplessly, like the obedient pet she was rapidly becoming. She couldn’t help it. Her body was eager to accept the Baroness’s attentions. Maybe it wasn’t really her body anymore. It had been changed; twisted and transformed to suit the Baroness’s whims. She no longer had any doubt her mind would soon follow.

“Good. Good girl.” The praise set Bunny’s cheeks ablaze. “You know, this is one way to tell if a rabbit is nice and comfortable with you. They’ll start licking you and suckling on you. It’s adorable, quite frankly. I’m glad to see you’re getting comfortable with me, my sweet little rabbit. Your tongue is going to be so very, very useful.”

Bunny’s cheeks were still burning, now with shame. She was… suckling? Why? It was so embarrassing. But… she couldn’t stop. She didn’t want to stop. She wanted to do what came naturally. So tired. So easy to sink.

“Now… look at me,” the Baroness instructed. She pressed her thumb up under Bunny’s chin, manipulating her head. Bunny was putty in her grasp. The Baroness tilted her head back, making her look up. “Look into me.”

Bunny met the Baroness’s inhuman gaze, and was enraptured. The colors in the fey’s eyes shimmered, and the rabbit girl felt them shimmering within her too. Her mind had grown soft and sleepy. It was easily dazzled. The last little bit of tension and strength she’d been holding in her body drained away, and she slumped visibly.

“What do you see, little bunny rabbit?” the Baroness asked, slipping her fingers out of Bunny’s mouth.

“I… I….” Bunny murmured sleepily, a small trail of drool escaping her lips. Her eyes were wide, her pupils dilated. She saw the Baroness, and the Baroness was beautiful. How had she ever been afraid of her? This faerie was such a strange, elegant creature. She was magnificent. Indescribable. Compared to her, Bunny felt so small, so humble. But there was safety in that smallness, especially since the Baroness wanted her as a pet. Bunny could scarcely believe it was so. This beauty wanted her? Bunny couldn’t wrap her head around it. But that was OK. She knew the Baroness would help her understand. “Y-you.”

“Me?” the Baroness laughed. “And what am I?” Bunny sensed she already knew the answer.

“My… my… my…” Bunny knew what she wanted to say. What she craved. She just didn’t quite know how to say it.

“It’s OK, sweet Bunny,” the Baroness soothed. The Baroness was so kind to her. “There’s time for titles later. No need to push yourself.” Bunny’s face relaxed into a warm smile. So kind. She was so grateful for the Baroness’s hand in her hair, still softly stroking her ears. The Baroness’s touch was everything to her. “I just need one little thing from you, my precious pet. One little thing. I know, I know speaking is hard, but I’m sure you can do this. For me. Just… tell me what you are.”

“I’m… I’m…” Bunny’s brow furrowed. It was hard. Thinking was hard. She knew what she wanted to say. The words rose eagerly to her lips. But… there was something else, wasn’t there? Something she was supposed to be fighting for. Something she was supposed to be trying to get back to. It was… it was…

Then, the Baroness stroked her ear one more time, and it was gone.

Bunny’s face relaxed into a contented smile. It wasn’t hard at all. She knew the answer. She just had to do what came naturally.

“I’m your pet rabbit,” she confessed, sealing her own fate.

“Perfect! Good girl!” Bunny giggled gently and nuzzled at the Baroness’s arm, as the fey bent down to kiss the top of her head. All memory of her old life faded. This was her reality now. Her truth. She was a pet. She was Bunny.

“Come now, my pet. Let’s return to my home - and yours.” The Baroness took Bunny’s hand and started leading her back through the maze.

“You know the way?” Bunny asked timidly.

“Of course,” the Baroness told her. “Trust me.”

Bunny did. She trusted the Baroness.

“I won’t take long. Believe me, I’m very eager to get you back into my bed.” The Baroness laughed. “Besides being cute and awfully fun to chase, do you know what else rabbits are very, very good for?”

“What?”

The Baroness licked her inhuman lips with a very, very long tongue.

“Breeding.”

—

I would like to express my gratitude for the generosity of all those who  support me on Patreon, and to give a special thanks to the following  patrons in particular for their exceptional support:

Artemis, Chloe, J, Grillfan65, The Secret Subject, Morriel, Dex, orangesya, Red, dmtph, Queenfisher, MegatronTarantulas, NewtypeWoman, WhyamIhere, Vanessa, Madeline, BTYOR, Sarah, Mattilda, Emily Queen of sloths, William, ntad, The Flock, Shadows exile, Jackson, Abigail, Hypnogirl_Stephanie_, Jade, mintyasleep, John, ZephanyZephZeph, Michael, Be_Be, Tasteful Ardour, Chris, Dennis, paxDulcetGirl, Full Blown Marxism, Morder, S, Myles_EXVS, Brendon, Drone 8315, Jack the Monkey, Jim, Erin, HannahSolaria, Christopher, hellenberg, Kay, Miss_Praxis, Violet, Noct, Charlotte, Faun, BrinnShea, B, Foridin, Jennifer, EepyTimeTea, Slifer274, Roxxie, Phoenix, Ivy, Jim, Sebastian, Joseph, Yaoups, Thomas, Liz, Ali, naivetynkohan, Ada, ds2coffin, Basic dev, SuperJellyFrogEx, night, Katie, Lily, spyrocyndersam13, zzzz, Mal, DarthZipper, Jose

[erodasfishtacos]

Gone Too Long

Prompt: when YN doesn’t want harry to know she’s struggling (mlb!)

Warnings: a bit of angst

If you would like to get two week early release, exclusive content/tropes, among other benefits - consider signing up for my Patreon for $3 a month :)

-

Harry was struggling, he knew it would hard to leave YN and Easton for work but when the season actually started and he had to kiss them goodbye constantly…he hated it.

His teammates would go out to bars on the away game nights, drinking whether they win or lose, but Harry would head straight to his hotel room and sit on FaceTime for hours with his family.

He didn’t mention to YN that sometimes when they hung up for the night that he had panic attacks because it was too overwhelming to be away from them.

Harry was excited, always was when he got back into the city, and headed towards his home where his happiness was waiting.

It was late, two in the morning, he fully expected both his wife and baby to be asleep - Easton usually needed fed around four am.

He very quietly opens and closes the front door of their apartment, the lamps were all off and the only lights were coming from the busy city outside their windows.

Harry drops his suitcase and duffel near the entryway and begins to walk quietly towards the hallway.

He is surprised when he sees the nursery light on and a muffled voice that’s drowned out by a sound machine.

He’s really not trying to eavesdrop but he stops outside the half-cracked door to hear noise but not from Easton, from YN.

”I jus-He was eating on a normal schedule. Now he’s constantly wanting to be fed, nearly every thirty minutes to an hour but when he latches, he only wants to eat for a minute or two before he’s uninterested. I didn’t think anything of it but it’s night two of this,” YN sniffles, her voice cracks like it does when she’s trying to hold back intense emotion.

Then there’s silence as YN listens to whoever she is talking to on the phone.

”I’m just so stressed out, I don’t know if he’s eating enough but I think he is. I miss Harry,“ YN is crying by this point and his heart is shattering, “I don’t want him to think I’m a bad mom and I can’t handle it.”

Harry can’t listen to anymore without comforting his wife, he slowly pushes the door open so that he doesn’t startle her.

The room is dimly lit with just the fairy lights on, the sound machine playing rain sounds, and YN is sat in the rocking chair - holding the phone to her ear with one hand and the other is cradled around Easton.

Easton’s asleep against her breast, his little face smushed against the soft skin but even from the door, Harry can see how irritated and swollen her nipples are from the feeding him.

YN blinks up at him, her face is wet with tears and she just looks exhausted, three days on her own with a fresh baby was draining.

”Mama,” Harry murmurs, nearly a whisper, as he gets to her as soon as possible, his hands coming to cup her cheeks and kiss her forehead, nose, tear-damp cheeks.

“Ha-Harry’s home now,” YN says shakily into the phone, “Yeah, I will call you tomorrow. I’ll have him call too. Thank you, sorry for waking you. Love you, Anne.”

Harry’s glad that she called his mother when she felt like she was struggling and he was proud of her for reaching out.

”I’m sorry,” YN cries, her shoulders shuddering, even though she has nothing to apologize for.

“Hey, hey, mama. C’mon, it’s okay, sweetheart,” Harry soothes as he carefully transfers Easton from her arms to his so that he can get him back in the crib, flicking off the fairy lights, and reaching his hand out for his wife - grabbing the baby monitor.

He leads her out to the living room, where he sits on the couch and pulls her on top of his lap, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly to his chest.

Harry doesn’t say anything as she sobs into his neck, his hand sneaking under her tank top to rub at her warm back, his lips pressed to her temple.

It makes him want to cry.

He just holds her for a long while, rocking them back and forth as he whispers in her ear how much he loves her, how proud he is of her, of what a good mama she is.

After she gets her tears out, she sits up, still straddling his lap and kisses him firmly on the lips before pulling back and letting Harry wipe her wet cheeks.

”I’m sorry this is what you came home to,” YN mumbles with embarrassment, eyes diverting down to their laps to avoid eye contact.

It doesn’t work because Harry is tucking his finger under her chin to bring her gaze back up, “Do not apologize, my love. I want you to feel like you can call me when you feel this way. M’your husband, m’always gonna support you.”

”I-I don’t want you to think that I can’t do this or that I’m not a good mom,” YN sighs sadly, “I‘m trying my best and I don’t want you to worry when you’re away.”

”Do not even for a minute doubt your abilities as a mother,” Harry tells her seriously, ”You’re the best mama to Easton. We’re new at this and we’re young. I have all the admiration and pride in the world for you, darling.”

YN chuckles wetly, wiping her eyes again, “You’re too good for me.”

”No, the exact opposite,” Harry argues with a soft smile, “I don’t deserve you. Amazing wife, amazing mama, perfect f’me. Luckiest man alive.”

YN tries to bite down a shy smile, overwhelmed by the compliments as she nuzzles back into his chest and snuggles him.

”I think my mum should come stay with you when I’m gone for more than two days,” Harry says as he rubs up and down her back again.

YN sits up with confused eyes, “You just said you know I’m a good mom. Do you not -“

Harry cuts off her anxious thoughts, shaking his head, “It has nothing to do with your abilities. It would make me feel better if you had support when I wasn’t here. I don’t want you to be alone for days on end.”

YN nods with relief in her expression, “I think that would be good.”

”Okay, I’ll call her tomorrow. I know she wanted to help and be here with you guys,” Harry responds, they were both so tired.

”Mmm,” YN agrees lowly, her voice becoming groggy, eyelids heavy as she relaxes in his warm embrace but she’s quickly jolted when she hears Easton squeak before he begins to wail, “He’s hungry again.”

”Let me get him a bottle,“ Harry offers as he shuffles them until they stand up, about to go to the kitchen to unfreeze a packet of breast milk.

”No, I want to feed him,” YN insists as she intertwines their hands and pulls him towards the nursery, “Just sit with me.”

Harry helps her get situated back into the rocking chair with his hungry baby, he latches and begins to feed eagerly.

He has to push down the pain of not being able to be with them every second of the day but in these moments, he feels such deep love for his little family that it’s hard to breathe.

[yooniesim]

I'm not sure what simblr's general opinion on this is, but peeking back in after my long hiatus, I have a lot of thoughts...

In my opinion, Patreon killed all of the momentum that ts4 simblr had pre-2020. I think we all know a lot of the bigger issues- permanent paywalls, creators doxxing and bullying, cliqueing up and sharing info- but I mean even besides that. I mean specifically early access, two to three week delays for releasing cc, the version of paywalling that most people (including myself) accepted.

It's good that creators were able to get paid for their work, especially during the pandemic. But I think, unfortunately, it had other effects too. I remember back then, being disappointed at how much was eacc, and that was only like 25% of the cc coming out, and it (almost) always was popular creators with high quality work. But slowly but surely, nearly everyone moved to patreon (which I've noticed has caused a lot of cc to be forever lost once patreons were closed/deleted) and 99% of the time it was early access or even exclusive. Many people started blogs with early access cc from the get-go, without having a presence beforehand, and those blogs seemed to be some of the most focused on blocking anyone that shared their cc. The cc varied in quality- it could be simple mesh edits that were still mostly ea, or recolors, or even just patterns sourced from other sites. It didn't matter what it was, it was just content for money, anything to pad out the month and keep patrons. Creators would do early access and then link the cc through adfly or to TSR or simsdom/simsfinds, one by one, even if it was supposed to be a pack. It wasn't bad enough to call out, but it was purposeful.

CC on tumblr became a business in a way it hadn't before, even with other paysites in sims history. And while some people are happy to donate to creators they like now and again... most people either can't or won't. Many simmers are children, and many simmers are adults with strict budgets, especially during the pandemic. And truth be told... they probably got bored. Because it's all terribly boring. CC shopping isn't fun anymore. It's the briefest serotonin seeing something interesting on your dash and then instantly flying away when you see you'll have to wait almost a month for it. And if it wasn't a creator I really liked, I forgot about it instantly after that... sometimes even if I really liked them. Motivation dropped. People stopped being excited, and stopped playing.

Nowadays, it seems even worse. Because the amount and variety of cc and creators has dropped drastically. I'm shocked to see 2-3 cc posts per day, if that, most of them paywalled. It isn't just cc posts either- used to you couldn't look in the s4cc tag for cc, it would be so crowded with non-cc sims posts, but now it's depressingly easy... and empty. Lookbooks, edits, gameplay, cc, it all seems more sparing. And you don't see the same creativity, the same fun random little items, stuff that was interesting even if it wasn't necessarily perfect. Or wild ideas or cc that would appeal to certain small niches. Because that isn't profitable, is it? When you need to create a certain amount of items per month at a certain quality to keep patrons and therefore income, you have to strategize, for good or for bad. Some people are able to do that, and while good for their business model, it limits what they can create and how much energy they can spend on each item. Some people aren't able to do it, and burn out and leave. Either way, creativity suffers. Enjoyment suffers. Creators leave from the passion being sucked out of their hobby; non-creators leave from frustration and boredom. And you're left with a handful of creators still going by their cc business playbook, month by month. But how long can those few sustain themselves?

It's natural for communities to ebb and flow, or even completely die out, but ts4 simblr had been going strong for years before this overall, even if it was in waves. In the pandemic, it should've flourished the way other many other communities did, especially gaming focused ones. But, it didn't. Instead it slowed down, more people left than the amount coming in, the engagement died down, and it seems like as a whole custom content hasn't advanced at all. Maybe it would've happened anyway, but I honestly think patreon contributed a lot. Also, ts2 and ts3 communities weren't affected in the same way, afaik, which makes me think it was paywalls even more.

Can it be fixed? Maybe. If paywalls weren't as much of a thing anymore- and I don't mean completely gone, but just a fairer ratio- I think it could. But now that it's become a standard, I doubt that will happen. I think most people have moved to other places where they don't have to deal with it, like discord servers, and simblr will continue to lose momentum.

It's good for creators to have the option of getting some income for their work, but I guess I'm just saying... at what cost? Beyond the monetary? If you're not super popular, are you even making enough for the added stress to be worth it? If you are, is this going to be satisfying and maintainable long-term, without burn-out/effects on your mental health? Who will pay for it when the number of players keeps dropping? And will this continue on to the Sims 5 community in the future? I honestly hope not.

[eruden-writes]

Self-Destructive Life Choices - Part 1

This started off as a self-indulgent boss x employee little smut fic - wherein the boss just propositions the employee one day - but went a completely different direction.

Summary: Estrella Marsh has worked for Kizru Vit, CEO and owner of Storybound Publishing House, for five years. For most of that time, she has harbored a crush on him. A crush which she has, effectively, crushed down and refuses to address.

Three months after Kizru and his romantic partner separate, he propositions Estrella to - ahem - help him scratch an itch.

# # #

Read Part 1 and 2 on my Patreon.

Not sure if I'm going to update this.

# # #

Stopping outside her boss’s office, Estrella Marsh took a deep breath and readjusted the litany of papers in her arms. An excited apprehension always came with entering Mr. Vit’s proximity. It had been five years since Estrella started working at Storybound Publishing House and her nerves had never deadened. 

Mr. Vit had been the one to hire Estrella as his personal assistant, which was just a more PC way of saying secretary. She answered calls and emails; scheduled and reminded him of appointments; and, less commonly, often read and “red penned” some of the potential manuscripts looking to publish under SPH’s logo. Likely the job should have gone to an actual copy editor or something, but the boss seemed to trust Estrella with the “special” option the most.

Estrella was not sure what made them particularly special, other than the fact they were written by the company’s #1 Best Selling Romance Author, CR Onamai.

Steeling herself as she pushed the door open, she half-hoped he would be gone. It was later in the evening and, since his long-time partner’s departure, he’d taken leaving early without notice. Keeping her head down - certainly not daring to look at the door that once connected Kizru’s office to Ryeleigh’s - she trudged into the office and made a beeline for his desk.

She barely got two steps in when Mr. Vit’s voice greeted her, “Hey, Red, want to help me with something?” 

Her head snapped up, finding Mr. Vit leaned back in his chair. His green eyes on her and his eyebrows raised in an inquisitive fashion.

The nickname he gifted her wasn’t particularly imaginative, coined upon her talent for “red-penning” manuscripts. There was no other reason for it, considering she had neither red hair nor a penchant for wearing the color.

Fighting down the heat of being seen, Estrella moved closer to his desk and placed the stack of documents down. Task complete, she stood straight and clasped her hands in front of herself. “What is it, Mr. Vit?” 

She was careful to keep the curiosity from her eyes when she looked at her boss. 

Kizru Vit was not necessarily someone she had imagined sitting at the helm of a publishing company. If Estrella hadn’t worked at the publishing company, she would have pictured the head to be someone older and bespectacled. Perhaps possessing a distinguished air. Someone no nonsense and particular.

Kizru, on the other hand, was tall and broad with a seaweed green skin tone and features that could be called sculpted or craggy, depending on his mood. His style of dress waffled between business-casual to, on predicted slow days, sweatpants and a tank top. A scar streaked down the right side of his face, turning his right eye a more milky shade of green. Despite the injury, he assured Estrella he could still see out of the eye.

His age was beginning to show in his black beard, peppered with white, and at his white-streaked temples. During her employment, the rest of his hair had subtly shifted from deep black to a lighter shade, undoubtedly becoming lighter with age.

Admittedly, he did wear glasses and at times he could be distinguished. Though thanks to how closely Estrella worked with him, the distinguished air was often undercut by his scatter minded tendencies.

“It’s been three months since my partner left me, right?” He braced his elbow on top of the desk, leaning forward as his chin rested in his palm.

His position reminded her of a schoolkid, staring longingly at the clock as it inched closer to dismissal time. However, the reminder of his ex almost made her jolt. Ryeleigh, her boss’s ex, had been his romantic partner for longer than Estrella worked at the publishing house. They’d always been pleasant and kind, though professionally distant. Something Kizru could have taken notes on when Ryeleigh was present.

Further, they had always been one of the reasons Estrella had clamped down on the fond thoughts of Mr. Vit, keeping her admiration from becoming more than workplace appropriate.

“Yes, I believe it’s been about three months.” In an attempt to swallow the feelings that threatened to flutter through her, she gave a stoic nod.

Kizru’s green eyes watched her carefully for a long moment, fingers toying with the short beard at his chin. Estrella couldn’t even imagine what he was thinking. Had Ryeleigh contacted him to renew their relationship? Was he considering getting back out into the dating world? Neither of those thoughts seemed like he’d need her input. 

He was a grown man, capable of doing his own research or taking his own ass out on the town if he so pleased. 

“Alright, putting all the cards on the table,” Kizru finally sighed, pressing both of his palms flat to the desk as he leaned back. She noticed how his chair slid backward as his back hit the cushion. “I’m really horny.” 

Her attention shot to his face, her eyes widening at the three simple words. He was horny? Heat churned through her, confused and wary. As much as she admired him, as much as he made something inside her squirm, that was not in her job description. And she wasn’t about to let it become entangled in her professional affairs.

With her eyebrows furrowing and her lips twisting into a frown, she replied, “You have two hands. Use those.” 

“Believe me, I have been. It’s an itch that needs another person to scratch.” Kizru groaned, throwing his head back and staring at the ceiling again. He didn’t even have the decency to be flushed at his ridiculous request, Estrella noticed. 

“Mr. Vit, this is sexual harassment,” she sighed, her tone a hard warning. He shouldn’t need this reminder. These words alone could ruin him. Only the fact she liked him and felt grateful for this position really saved him from the scandal.

As expected, he nodded and turned his gaze to her. “I know.” 

“Then why ask me that!” It was more of an exclamation than a question on her part. She was glad she had already deposited the papers to his desk, otherwise they would have been thrown into flight. While not the first time he had spoken openly - unprofessionally - in front of her, this was by far the worst he’d been. Had the break-up really affected him so badly?

He gave a single shoulder shrug, too lackadaisical in Estrella’s opinion. An infuriatingly light grin tilted at his lips. “You didn’t say no right away.” 

“And I didn’t say yes,” she snapped back, trying to convince herself the heat on her cheeks was ruddy anger rather than mortification. Or something worse. “You could get in a lot of trouble for this.” 

“Yeah, I know.” Kizru gave another careless shrug that made Estrella want to slap the everloving shit out of him.

“You are risking your career, your livelihood to scratch an itch, Mr. Vit.” It was only by the gods’ grace that Estrella managed to say the words at her regular decibel, albeit in a ferociously clipped tone. She put her hands on her hips, scowling at her boss. Something in his smile twitched a little wider and, not for the first time, Estrella felt like an old-time schoolmarm being sassed by a precocious adolescent.

Which honestly should not have been the case, given the fact he was older than her. But she had always been an “old soul,” as her mother said. Of course, Estrella later realized that was just a more polite way of calling her stodgy. 

Kizru shrugged as if he didn’t care about the problems his proposal could cause as he got to his feet. Her mind raced, one question rotating around her thoughts. How could he not care? All the while, part of her watched as Kizru moved out from behind the desk, closing the distance between the two of them.

“Are you having one of those mid-life ‘oh no my partner left me so I’m going to make destructive life choices’ moments?” The words would have had greater impact had Estrella not backed away from her boss with his every step forward. She couldn’t risk Kizru getting closer to her. The heat on her cheeks and the pounding in her chest were already distracting enough. Just catching the whiff of his cologne made her knees wobble.

He paused, looping his thumbs into the pockets of his pants as he regarded Estrella. She could only imagine what he saw. A frumpy woman, dressed in her usual black slacks and white blouse and grey cardigan. Dark brown hair so threaded with grey, it was becoming a lighter, dustier, color. She barely resisted the urge to bashfully push her glasses up higher on her nose.

Did he think she’d be an easy lay? Was that why he was breaching the legally allowable parameters of their employer-employee relationship? Estrella tried to let that thought fuel her anger, but a hidden part of her knew it wasn’t exactly incorrect. She had, in her moments of weakness, fantasized about that very breach of conduct herself. 

As if hearing her thoughts, a crooked grin parted his lips, making her insides burn. That particular smile always brought her attention to his tusks, often filed down to nubs. Since the separation, she thought he may have eased off on the ritual, but it was hard to tell.

“Maybe I am being self-destructive or maybe I’m just horny and decided to shoot my… shot with you, Red.” 

Estrella narrowed her eyes at him again, somehow feeling the other word he had hanging on his tongue. His smile twitched, a spark of mischief dancing in his green eyes. Shoot his load with her, indeed. 

“Look, you'll be all within your rights to go to HR about this. You can walk out that door now and I won’t stop you.” He raised his hands, palms facing Estrella in a non-threatening motion. She had to bite her tongue to keep from ogling his forearms, the sleeves of his button-up shoved to his elbow. This situation was not one where she should gawp at her boss. She should be offended and disgusted, on her way to HR right that moment. 

When his next words registered in her head, it froze her thoughts. “But I can smell the arousal on you. I have for a while. Just figured, what with me being single now and the opportunity…” 

Cold shot through Estrella, making the heat on her cheeks burn all the worse. Her wide eyes pinned him with a wild look. “How long?” 

“Excuse me?” Her tone of voice caused him to pause from creeping closer, cocking his head to the side a little. There was a little spark of amusement in his eye, an odd smile barely quirking his lips at the corners. Somehow, he was taking her words down an inappropriate line of thought. 

Estrella swallowed, forcing her tone to come out calm rather than frantic. “How long have you been able to smell arousal on me?” 

She had smashed her feelings the moment she met Kizru with his partner at the holiday party, five years ago. She had shoved them so far down, they were flatter than a pancake. There was no way he could have known. Estrella didn’t even allow herself to dally on her… appreciation of him for too long. A wall had been built!

“Oh!” Whatever Kizru had been thinking had apparently been wrong. The wry grin faded a little as his eyebrows quirked. “I’m not sure. I guess I just didn’t take too much notice of it until Ryeleigh left me?” 

Well, that was a little bit of a relief. Her shoulders eased, admitting that arousing attraction was different from whatever else threatened to stir in her chest. Kizru was attractive and nice. The occasional daydream was natural.

Still, Estrella glanced at the exit, uncertain what to do. He was circling behind her and her heart wasn’t truly looking for an escape. Hells, her mind wasn’t even telling her to move. Being propositioned by her boss wasn’t unappealing. 

“Last chance to leave, Red, before I…” 

Once again, his words roused her from her frenetic thoughts. Her attention snapped back to his face, hating how wide her eyes were as she stumbled back from his approach. “Before you what?” 

Kizru teeth flashed in a broader smile, taking another step closer. “Before I stop restraining myself.” 

[mythaura-blog]

Development Update - September 2022

Hi all! Miyazaki here, wishing you a happy first day of October and bringing you a recap of what the team accomplished during the month of September 2022. 

Key points covered:

Beast Design Contest Winners

Quarter 2 (2022) Concepts & Voting

Q1 Companion & Glamours in Ko-fi Shop

Early Access Companion: 10/31 Deadline

Reward Lookup System

New NPC

Solid Gold Glamours: Griffin, Unicorn, Dragon

Patreon Supporter Discord Flair

Staff Beast Design Contest

More info available under the cut!

Beast Creator Contest Winners

What an incredible turnout we had for our second Beast Creator Contest, thank you for all your submissions! These entries were so much fun to look through and it was really difficult to only pick three designs, but we’re happy to announce the winners of our September 2022 Beast Creator Contest: DeepSea Dragon, Swiddy_Swooty, and Pandalion!

Our three winners will each have the rewards automatically applied to their accounts, and these three beasts will be featured on the homepage for Quarter 2 (October through December). 

Keep an eye out for our next Beast Creator Contest–we’ll be gathering entries in December to display on our site for Quarter 3 (January through March).

Quarter 2 (2022) Concepts & Voting

It’s the first day of a new Quarter, folks, which means we’ve got new Quarterly Rewards for Sponsors to vote on our Ko-fi page!

Quarter 2 is shaping up to be spooky and ethereal–which concepts would you like to see made into official site items? Sponsors of Bronze level or higher have a vote in deciding. Please check out the Companion post and the Glamour post on Ko-fi to cast your vote for the winning concepts! 

Votes must be posted by October 31, 2022 at 11:59pm PDT in order to be considered.

Ko-fi Shop: Q1 Companion and Glamours Available

All Quarter 1 (2022) Rewards are now listed in our Ko-fi Shop for individual purchase for all Sponsor levels at $5 USD flat rate per unit. As a reminder, please remember that no more than 3 units of any given item can be purchased. If you purchase more than 3 units of any given item, your entire purchase will be refunded and you will need to place your order again, this time with no more than 3 units of any given item. 

Hopefully in the future Ko-fi will offer the functionality to limit purchases per user, but for the time being we will be reviewing orders manually and reaching out to those who disregard these instructions.

★ Gold Imp ★ Glamour: Solid Gold Quetzal ★ Glamour: Motherboard

Early Access Companion: 10/31 Deadline

Mythaura’s Early Access Ko-fi Companion, the Pearlescent Shellsnake, will only be available to Gold, Silver, or Bronze Sponsors who have or had a Sponsorship active on or before 11:59pm PDT on Monday, October 31, 2022! 

As a reminder, the Pearlescent Shellsnake will NOT be available for individual purchase in the Ko-fi Shop later on, so if you are interested in receiving 3 copies of this endangered critter please check out our Ko-fi Sponsor Levels to see what other rewards you can receive for your patronage.

Reward Lookup System

Now that we have both Patreon and Ko-fi rewards for our supporters, we wanted to put together a system for you all to look up all that you’ve accumulated so far. You can find the reward lookup tool at the bottom of our homepage. All Ko-fi Sponsors, Patreon Sponsors, and giveaway/contest winners should have their rewards reflected.

We did our best to populate Patreon data thoroughly, but there were incomplete sections in what we have, especially in regard to sponsored items. Please reach out if you rewards look incorrect or the items you sponsored do not look correct.

Introducing: Jaq!

This enterprising Basilisk runs Mythaura’s largest consignment shop, where he will assist with item sales between players. Jaq has learned quite a bit about the wares and goods in Mythaura while overseeing infinitely large volumes of items move through his shop. This means that he will readily and enthusiastically explain the history and significance of anything you may find on one of his shelves. 

Though he is a widely beloved figure in the community, there are those who would question the legitimacy of a business where people can drop off items without needing to prove their authenticity. To that Jaq says: The burden of success is a heavy one to bear, and not one all are fit to carry! After all, it’s not just anyone who can run a business that props up the businesses of hardworking Mythaurans everywhere. Stop by the shop and see for yourself!

Solid Gold Glamours: Unicorn, Griffin, Dragon

We shared in a previous update that Gold Sponsors would receive not just the Solid Gold Dragon Glamour, but also a Solid Gold Unicorn and a Solid Gold Griffin. Here’s the full lineup for these Gold Sponsor-exclusive Glamours! These are rewarded to Gold Sponsors each month that they have an active Gold Sponsorship. Thank you for supporting Mythaura!

Patreon Supporter Discord Flair

Mythaura’s Patreon Supporters have been around since the very beginning, and we wanted you to be able to show off your early contributions to the site with some special Patreon-exclusive Discord flair. Mythic, Artisan, Scholar, and Archivist roles now all have their own unique flair. We recognize your contributions and thank you for believing in Mythaura from the very beginning!

If you were a Patreon supporter and do not have your correct role assigned on the Discord, please reach out to Koa and she will look into it for you.

Miscellaneous bug fixes/updates

Renamed “Skins” to “Glamours”

Fixed tooltip hover overflow

Fixed button text getting cut off in some spots

Improved the responsiveness of import code fields to make them easier to use on mobile

Added the ability to lock color independent of special

Corrected spelling of color “Cedar”

Staff Beast Creator Contest

You know what, we were so inspired by how much fun your Beast Creator Contest entries were that we decided to have a little inter-staff competition–but this time you vote for which of our designs you like best. It only seemed fair, after getting to be the ones voting on the designs you submitted to us.

What rewards might the winning staff member win, you might ask? Only bragging rights and the knowledge that we created the design that was best loved by our fine userbase here. Maybe getting to pick the movie we watch during our next dev team watch party. A little healthy competition between colleagues keeps things lively.

We’ll keep the votes open until October 31, 2022.

Thank you!

Thanks for sticking through to the end of the recap for our very busy month of September! We wish you a wonderful start to Spooky Season and hope that you are blessed with all your favorite Halloween candies and plenty of time for scary movies.

We’ll see you November 1st with the recap of what we accomplish in September. Hopefully we'll see you around the Mythaura Discord in the meantime!

[fiddleheadfinn]

Spoonie studio blog

Good morning! I'm still sipping my first cup of tea, planning for the day. Do you ever watch those "cozy" Youtube Vlogs where artists start with a massive to-do list and somehow accomplish it all in an afternoon? My life is not really like that.

Yesterday: got overdue bloodwork, sent some emails, napped, finished a self portrait, napped again, woke up disoriented, watched a 20 minute cartoon, bed. I expect today will be worse. At least vestibular migraines don't really hurt, they just turn me into a dizzy sleeping beauty for a few days.

In between the migraines and infections and chronic fatigue flares, I've been organizing my studio. I think my shop supplies are downright pretty, and the contents of my closet no longer fall on my head. 🌈 The overbed table is amazing as a workspace extension. I even experimented with using my mirror as a sketching easel... and then remembered how tiring upright artwork is on my arms!

I have 4 new patch designs in my carving queue - the three trans-themed ones I posted this week, and a linocut version of COVID SILENCE = DEATH. My goal is to get those in the shop before Thanksgiving. In between, I went back to my watercolor & ink comfort zone, and I've been sketching and painting from my Ireland photos. (You'll see the first one later today!)

I plan to launch my Patreon and Ko-Fi clubs in earnest in early 2024. For now you can follow for free and see more blog posts and behind-the-scenes photos.

[howtofightwrite]

Recently saw a post about streltsy. Was wondering on the upsides and downsides of using long guns and what is essentially a two handed axe at once.

Would you toss the gun to the side when the enemy got to close Or just hold it in one hand and use the axe one handed?

I can’t imagine it was terribly effective since we didn’t see copycat designs and formations all over the place…

So, an important piece of context, I'm not exceptionally familiar with the streltsy in particular. The streltsy were an early Russian gunpowder unit from around the 1550s until the 1700s. The name itself translates (basically) to “rifleman.” These were soldiers armed with arquebuses. Technically, the organization itself had both infantry and mounted units.

An important detail, that's not a two-handed axe, it's a bardache. These were a shorter polearm designed to function as a stabilizer for a handgun or arquebus. (Keep in mind, in this case, the “handgun,” refers to a longarm.) I'm not sure how many nations used this specific combination, but Russian and Polish forces both fielded units armed with arquebuses and bardaches. (I think the Austrians did as well, but I'm not certain of that.)

The general combination of melee and gunpowder was very prominent at this point in history, so in the contemporary context, the streltsy weren't that unusual.

Starting in the mid-fifteenth century, European militaries fielded “pike and shot” units and formations. The firearms of the time were single shot and required considerable time to reload. The were also not particularly accurate (by modern standards), and not particularly powerful. This created a situation where handgunners would be vulnerable while reloading. A number of units (including the streltsy) practiced various forms of volley fire, where one group of gunners would fire, and then fall back and reload while another line would step forward, and fire, before repeating the processes. However, even under the best circumstances, units of handgunners were vulnerable to melee infantry, and didn't have the firepower necessary to keep enemy soldiers from wandering over and poking them full of holes. The implementation of pike and shot was specifically intended to provide a counter to this. Instead of a unit of handgunners (or arquebusiers), pike and shot formations would include a mix of handgunners and pike infantry. If the enemy attempted to engaged the handgunners in melee, the pike infantry would move in and intercept those attackers. (Specifically, pike and shot units were often arranged with the pike wielders in the center of the column, flanked by wings of handgunners. Alternately, the pike infantry may be located directly behind the firing line, and able to move forward to counter any advancing infantry who reached the handgunners.) The exact mix of pike and gunpowder varied wildly over the centuries. But, the basic concept of a mixed melee and gunpowder unit wasn't that strange historically. As firearms became more powerful, and with the development of the bayonet, pike and shot units became historical footnotes.

The most unusual element with the streltsy was simply that they had both a melee weapon and firearm. Normally in a pike and shot formation, a soldier would be equipped with one or the other.

If attacked in melee, I suspect the proper response would have been to sling or stow the arquebus and then fight using the bardache. Though, some streltsy carried sabres, which would have been another defensive option. Also (somewhat unsurprisingly) some streltsy units included actual pike infantry. So, there were conventional pike and shot streltsy units.

Ultimately, for the time, the combination of a melee weapon and firearm was not particularly strange, and the specific combination of an arquebus and bardache wasn't random. Those were weapons that worked well together.

-Starke

This blog is supported through Patreon. Patrons get access to new posts three days early, and direct access to us through Discord. If you’re already a Patron, thank you. If you’d like to support us, please consider becoming a Patron.

[bouncyballcitadel]

“Birds of a Feather” - A Short Snippet

Based on the commission, "Davy/Jean/MC poly snippet where it's the three of them just realizing 'Oh...we all like each other.'"

Psst...want to get early access to Tumblr short snippets as well as exclusive Patreon snippets (including a Riley Valentine’s Day special)? Subscribe to my Patreon Resident tier and above, starting at $5/month. 

"You realize you have a type, right?" you say, tilting your head back to look up at Davy's face.

You see Davy arch their eyebrow, their focus still on their iPad. "I have no idea what you mean."

"Come on." You let your fingers gently skim the edge of their shirt, barely grazing the hard plane of their stomach. You know they're studying, but with your head in their lap, their thighs under you - they should know it'd be impossible for you to focus...or let them focus. "You can't tell me you don't know."

"I've only dated one person before you. That's barely anything to go off of."

"Yeah, but don't you think Aaron and I are kind of...similar?"

At this, Davy sets their iPad aside, gives you a skeptical look. "Really?"

You smile. "Jean and me are pretty similar too."

Davy blinks at you, but not before you catch a flash of embarrassment on their face. Got them. So you were right.

You see their mouth open, but you shake your head. "I'm not mad, you know. I like them, too."

"You...like them?" Davy repeats. "Like...?"

You nod, lace your fingers with theirs. "Yeah. Like that."

"How did you know that...?" They blow out a breath. "I guess it was obvious."

"Not that obvious. I just...kind of had the feeling."

"And - you're not upset?" they say. "I mean, it doesn't change the way I feel about you - "

"I know." You press Davy's hand against your mouth, just a brush of a kiss. "It doesn't change the way I feel about you either."

They let out a startled laugh. "Look at us. Working through our feelings."

"Look at us." You smirk.

They gaze down at you, and you sigh as you feel their thumb brush over your bottom lip.

"What should we do?" they say.

"Be adults about it." You curl in closer to them. "Talk to them."

"Is this part of my type?" they tease. "Emotional intelligence?"

You grin. "Wouldn't you like to know."

[welldonebeca]

Uncertain Grounds (11)

WC: 1.3k words Warnings: 1970s, angst. Tension. Violence.

If you like my work, consider buying me a coffee or subscribing to my Patreon. It’s just $2 a month and I promise you won’t regret it.

Masterlist

When Abby woke up, she was in a much different place.

She was being moved, and everything looked too bright and too noisy.

"What?" she groaned.

She rubbed her eye, finally focusing, seeing a man above her. 

"There you are," a doctor cheered.

They put her bed in a room, and the doctor quickly moved to her. She was pretty, blonde and maybe in her 30s, or early 40s. Friendly. Too friendly. 

"Hey," she sat up.

She tried to place a hand on her, and Abby pushed it away.

"Where am I?"

The doctor smiled at her, looking all too familiar with her behaviour.

"This is a supe specialised hospital," she told her.

Oh.

A Vought hospital, then.

Abby rubbed her eyes, moving her shoulders a little, trying to work out where her pain was coming from.

"You got hit on the head," the doctor continued. "How are you feeling?"

She moved a hand to her head palming around the dry blood and finding the vanishing scar.

"Removing the piece could have been a terrible idea," she told her. "It's a miracle you are alright and even talking to me."

Oh. It was, wasn't it?

"We need to check you for any brain damage or if there is any metal piece still loose in your head."

Abby felt around a bit.

"Oh, trust me," she looked at the doctor. "We would know if there was."

Once, she had a broken needle in her skin.

It was ejected right out of it the moment her skin closed over it.

It hurt like hell.

The doctor didn't look too happy with her quip, though.

"It would be good to check,"  she decided. "Please."

Abby sighed.

This was Vought.

Why would she trust them?

"No, thank you," she decided.

The doctor pinched her nose bridge.

"Ma'am, this is standard procedure," she insisted. "It's just an x-ray to make sure you don't have an injury."

She just sat up on the bed and groaned when another nurse rushed to stop her.

"I have the right to refuse to be examined," Abby pushed her out of the way. "I would have known if I had something in my brain."

She felt it the moment the room changed moods, the doctor shifted her posture.

"Is Vought the one asking for it?" Abby decided.

The woman looked away, not answering the question.

So the answer was yes.

"We just want to help you, Abigail," she said instead. "But for us to help you, you need to help us."

Abby looked at the nurse and then the doctor, and the people outside.

All waiting to grab her if she stepped out of line.

"What does Vought want, then?" she asked. "Because I'm sure it is not to see if there are metal bits in my brain."

"There is no need to stress out, miss," the nurse assured her.

"I'm not stressed," she hissed. "I want to get done with this. So tell me what Vought wants, and I will do it."

The doctor took in a deep breath.

"We need you to calm down," she requested.

Abby stared at her, hardening her face, but breathed in and out, making sure she didn't sound as harsh as she thought they were hearing.

"And?"

The two exchanged looks as she waited.

"A pregnancy test," the doctor said, at last. "More than one, if possible."

Abby swallowed down, trying not to glare at them.

"I'm not pregnant," she told them.

"Well, we would like to check," the doctor smiled.

She sighed.

"Sure, go get them," Abby decided. "I'll do it."

Why the fuck would Vougth want a pregnancy test? She had spent a whole year away from Ben, and now they had barely spend over a month together.

The nurse didn't even move. 

"Here you go," she gave her a bag and a plastic cup. "You pee on the cup and drip the sticks."

"Sticks?" she raised her eyebrows.

More than one.

The nurse just smiled in the same old detached way.

"We want to be sure."

She walked into the bathroom, locking herself inside.

It was only when she was peeing into the damn cup, that it really dawned on her.

She should have started her period at least three days ago.

With everything with Ben and the dump situation, her mind was just everywhere.

There were at least ten tests inside.

They really, really, wanted to know.

Abby dipped only one of them in the cup before throwing the liquid away, and filled the cup with water, dipping all of the other ones and hoping very hard that the trick would work, her blood pumping quickly inside her veins as she did.

She didn't even know what Vought would do to her if she really was pregnant.

They had told her to her face to stay away from Ben.

Threatened her, even.

So when she looked at the one little test that she had used right and saw two lines...

Well, she was fucked, wasn't she?

But she had no time to think about it.

Abby dipped the used test into the water just as well, hoping to soak it too much and make the ink disappear, and she was lucky that was what happened.

All the tests came out negative, just a single line on each of them.

"Miss?" the nurse knocked on the door. "Miss? Are you done?"

Abby swallowed down hard.

"Washing my hands."

There was a moment of waiting just as she tipped the water onto the toilet, and she jumped in a startle, dropping it into the bowl when the door opened.

So much for a fucking lock.

The nurse moved to the tests, not even caring about her as Abby fished the cup from the toilet bowl, flushing quickly and throwing it away.

"Is your curiosity solved now?" she glared at her. "Can I go home?"

The nurse picked up the right test, and Abby held back a nervous inhale.

"We got a faulty one," the nurse noticed, turning to her.

"Dipped it for too long," she said simply, trying to unclench her teeth.

It wasn't a lie.

Pregnant. She was pregnant.

Fucking pregnant.

The nurse smiled at her, half condescending and half maniacal.

"Of course," she agreed, at last. "If you are feeling well."

Abby stood straighter.

"Perfectly fine," she hissed.

She hurried out as soon as they gave her all the clear, taking a cab home, and the driver was nice enough that he just let her take a free ride after recognising her.

Just then, behind her closed doors, panic set in her.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Abby covered her face with her hands. "Fucking FUCK!"

Abby covered her mouth with the same hands, looking around.

What did they know?

How much had Vought seen, how much had they...

They could be listening to her right now, for all she knew.

She needed to find Ben. They needed to talk, he needed to know.

Her fingers were trembling when she pressed the numbers to his phone, calling him up.

"Hello, if you know this number, then you know who this is," his grumpy voicemail answered. "Leave a message."

Abby hung up before the beep, and redialled.

Then again.

And again.

And again.

But he didn't answer, it just kept going to voicemail again.

She couldn't leave a voicemail.

Anyone could hear that.

It was to wait. Maybe a couple of days.

She could stay in a hotel and keep calling him.

Ben would pick it up as soon as he could, and she knew it.

But eventually, she had to go home.

There was only so much time she could spend in that room, and if she wanted to leave her house then she would need to find somewhere else to go.

So Abby went back home and tried to stay safe there.

Nothing looked out of place, but there was a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach.

The feeling that something was very wrong.

She turned on the TV, never one to feel comfortable in deep silence, and tried to distract herself by cleaning the dust that had settled during the time she had spent away.

Abby was in the kitchen, cleaning the counters, when she heard the sound of the TV change.

"Breaking News!" a reporter announced. "National hero, Soldier Boy is dead."

She dropped the broom the moment she heard his name.

Abby rushed to the living room, her brain barely processing the words the woman had said.

"We have reports back from Vought Internation of the tragic death of America's hero," the anchor continued.

She fell seated on the couch, completely disconnected from her body.

Abby wasn't watching the screen anymore, she was watching herself. Frozen.

"Soldier Boy sacrificed himself in a melting power plant to save our country. According to Vought, the other members of his team survived the explosion thanks to their leader's action. Recently, two weeks ago, he was deeply involved with the clean-up of..."

The rest of the words didn't matter, as the video of Ben waving to the crowd while Abby gave her speech not even 12h ago. 

That couldn't be the last time she would see him.

That kiss he had left on her cheek, the way he had held her in his arms.

The flowers he'd given her were still on the dining table, wilting.

And Ben was dead.

…

“Uncertain Grounds” was fully posted on my Patreon on 2022. If you like Soldier Boy and other Jensen Ackles characters, and like the idea of having early access to my work, consider checking it out. It’s just $2 a month and I promise you won’t regret it. (link takes you to the public masterlist)

…

Forever Tags: @emoryhemsworth @amythyststorm33​​​ @shaelyn102 @yknott81​ ​​ @letsdisneythings​​​ @maximofftrash​​​ @kgbrenner @thefridgeismybestie​​​ @magpiegirl80​​​ @mogaruke​​​ @musicalcoffeebean​​​ @megasimpleplan4ever​​​ @deemoriarty @05spn18​​​ @malindacath​​​ @kdcollinsauthor​​​ @random-fandom-fangirl2112 @widowsfics​​​ @frozenhuntress67​​​ @averyrogers83 @notyourtypicalrose​​​ @nerdypinupcrystal @giruvega

[bentosandbox]

better late than never amirite

i think i haven't posted july (cause I thought global would have released TBC by now...) or october (commission) on here/twitter hopefully i remember to sometime this year

bonus chen edition because well i guess she is my cringefail girlboss blorbo

bonus chenswire edition

bonus bonus extremely boring stuff

films i watched in 2022 (tragedy of macbeth out of picture because it was on the next row)

top 10 (in watched order not a 1-10 ranking)

Marketa Lazarova (1967) Friend was streaming it, liked the script so much I asked my friend for the srt file after Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) Rocks Petite Maman (2021) Personal Attack Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000) :) My Life as a Zucchini (2016) Celine Sciamma truly don't miss Saturday Fiction (2019) It's not a 5/5 movie but...the soul... the period noir... Nope (2022) The Spectacle dot jpg Hands Over The City (1963) yes i watched this just before il siracusano Decision To Leave (2022) yuriyaoi straight romance can't elaborate Puss In Boots (2022) i'm so glad i didn't watch this as a kid i would have nightmares, but as an adult i got to see my traumas on the big screen yippee!!!

missed a local screening of My Broken Mariko because it only happened for ONE DAY fucking insane (I recommend reading the original manga it's so good)

Speaking of books hmm

Swordspoint yuriyaoi... Invisible Ink reread. and I think I need to reread again Fire & Blood read it after watching hotd ep 1 pretty good series btw dare i say even ...the best on-screen yaoiyuri of the year... Eagle Shooting/Condor Heroes Book 1 Not bad Water Margin Didn't I write a angry rant on this. rite of passage i guess...... How to Keep House While Drowning its funny because i WILL do chores......still good though What My Bones Know - insane how trauma can be so isolating yet universal lol A Wizard of Earthsea if only i read this instead of harry potter back then lmao wow

you can now basically psychoanalyse my issues from the last three books I think

Uhhhhhhh what else am I missing - oh yeah I did 3 gamejams this year (Art/Design and a liiiiiitle bit of trying to do the UI in Unity myself instead of giving the pngs to my friends)

my abysmal steam stats told me i only played 5 games this year so I need to get back my gamer license, backlog is like 75% VNs though what's up with that (there's only 4 games but. well)

had a really long blogpost (basically a 'look at all the things you did this year you didnt waste it' thing thus the above lists) but i think i'll just keep it to my notion notes lest this post becomes a traumadumping ground ecks dee tl;dr failed a Very Important (to me) Thing early 2022 that kind of shattered any crumb of self-esteem i had and made me question everything i did onwards (especially in regards to doujin stuff) and then basically physical health issues affecting mental health and vice versa which is fun but fuck it we ball.....(try)

don't really have any solid 'resolutions' (that i would remember to do) other than to 'live' more than just 'survive' as edgy as that sounds 🥴oh wait oc zine yea yea and go into illustration full time h-haha........... should really get around to making a patreon/fanbox but i really hate the idea of paywalling

also signed up for a AK doujin event in Nagoya in March so I now have a very heavy motivation to finish the second half of my LGD doujin and hopefully I get to table at AX too dot dot dot

[unabashegirl]

Enticing (15)

Author's note: the rest of the chapters are posted on my PATREON! Join the family and have access to more of my writing! Join for only $3 USD!

masterlist

Word Count: 2.1 K

TAGS: @0oolookitsme, @happycupcakeenthusiast, @kennedywxlsh, @hsfics, @stylesbrock, @cuddlingwithharry, @sucker4angstt, @bluemoonedwings, @cherriesrae, @vornilla, @mellamolayla, @harryscurls21, @happieroad, @girlboss01, @stilesissaved

The private jet had arrived early in the morning to the land of gladiators and abundant pizza.

Y/N could barely hold her excitement as they stepped out of the plane. After a good night's sleep, she was ready to take on Rome. She still had no idea where they were staying, but she was too excited to care. Y/N could sleep on the streets and wouldn’t care as long as she stayed in Italy. It had always been on her bucket list.

“Welcome home, Alessandro” Y/N whispered to him. He stood with all his pride staring at the sunrise of his motherland. Y/N could see his glossy eyes, she could see that he was fighting with all his strength to not share a tear.

Alessandro had been all over the world.  He had experienced most cultures yet nothing ever compared to the land that gave birth to him. He always felt nostalgic.

“Alright! We got so much to do!” He sniffed one last time then turned around to his friends. “Who is driving what?” There was no way he was going to cry in front of his friends.

Three convertible Ferraris were parked and waiting for them.

“I want the red” William said as he threw his coat on the passenger seat, claiming his vehicle.

“Then you better move your bag from my seat” Michael dictated as he walked up to the car.

“What happened to chivalry?” Alessandro asked, “This is Y/N’s first trip. She should choose first, Neanderthals” he rolled his eyes at their foolish behavior. “Which one would you like, piccola?”

Harry looked down at Y/N and smiled at her expression.

“They are real Ferraris?” She asked him causing all three men to chuckle.

“Yes, pup”

“Then none of them!” She exclaimed, “What if we crash one?”

“Just choose one!” Alessandro said between laughs, “if it makes you feel better all the cars have insurance”. 

“Black then” Harry smiled, and Alessandro threw him the car keys.

“Good choice” he winked, pressing his hand on her back, gently guiding her towards the luxurious car. Harry got into his seat, but not before opening the door for her.

“I guess I’ll take the white” Alessandro shrugged and got in. “I’ll see you assholes there!” He yelled over the motor of the car and accelerated.

“Why are you so quiet?” Harry started the car and pulled down the roof. He wanted her to enjoy their trip to the fullest.

“It’s just— I’ve never been around these types of things” It was as if she was discovering a whole new world.

“Oh you’ve seen nothing” he smirked and pressed on the gas. She screamed from the force and her hair went flying. Harry laughed at her and shook his head.

He knew where they were staying. Therefore, he didn’t follow Alessandro, especially when he saw how fascinated Y/N was with the view. So, he took a different route and went out of his way to drive past the Coliseum and the most beautiful parts of the city.

“I am in love” Y/N exhaled with a big smile. She ran her fingers through her hair trying to untangle the mess.

“Really?” He raised a brow as he finally decided to head toward the apartment.

“I might just quit and move her”

“That would be a breach of your contract Ms. Y/L/N” he joked, “and if that’s the case then we would all follow you here”. The thought of Harry moving just to be with her warmed her heart and made her feel special. It meant he cared. He cared more than he let on.

Harry finally decided they had spent enough time driving around, so he headed toward Alessandro’s apartment. It was Harry’s second home. He remembered the day that Alessandro had officially inherited the apartment. They had just turned eighteen, and they had moved into the empty apartment. They had just gotten into college and a summer in Italy seemed like a good idea. They sleep on air mattresses for that first month. Until Alessandro’s father found out that they had spent all the money on alcohol And club covers. Alessandro’s father yelled and lectured them for a week, but the boys never regretted it.

The apartment was located near Vatican City. It wasn’t as big or as contemporary as their New York apartments, but that’s what made it so special.

“Where you guys go?” Alessandro asked as he waited for them with the front door wide open. The apartment was situated on the eighth floor and the elevator seemed out of service. Therefore, they walked up the stairs. Harry was just thankful that he didn’t have to carry baggage.

“Just took her for a ride”

“Alright. Welcome to mia casa piccola”

“I can already tell it’s gorgeous,” Y/N said as Harry intertwined their hands and pulled her through the door frame. She could tell by just looking at the floors and decorations in the foyer. The floor was covered in light-colored wood. The walls were decorated with different moldings and paintings covered the walls. Right on top of Y/N’s head, a breathtaking chandelier hung.

“Are we staying in the same bedrooms as always?” Harry asked, giving Y/N some time to study the space.

“I think so” Alessandro nodded, shutting the front door. “But first, Francesca is setting up breakfast on the terrace”

Francesca was the housekeeper in charge of every state in the name of Alessandro. She had been working for Alessandro’s family for years. She had even been there for his birth. Francesca was the most trusted staff member that the family had. So, when Alessandro had called and asked her to tidy up the apartment in Rome, she had been over the roof.

“There you are!” William and Michael already sat around the table, each with a mimosa. The day was extremely sunny, but it felt nice after experiencing so much rain lately in New York. “I thought you had ditched us for some sexy time” Michael wiggled his eyebrows at them. “I give you permission to do so”

“You think we need your permission?” Harry asked as he pulled out a chair for his girlfriend.

“Of course you do! This is a friend trip! You can’t just run off and do whatever you want!” Michael argued, “I call on fuzzy champion” He banged the table.

William, Harry, and Alessandro laughed.

“What the fuck” William exhaled, “Why did I ever agree to come?” He sat up on his chair and finished his mimosa in one gulp. “Fran? I need more champagne less orange juice”

“Fuzzy what?”

“Fuzzy champion,” Harry and Alessandro said in unison.

“It’s some stupid shit we came up with when we were in college” William explained without getting into the details.

“And way too drunk” Harry laughed, running his fingers through the front of his head and taking it off his eyes before slipping on his sunglasses. It wasn’t hot, but the sun was beating down on them.

“Stupid? I am offended. That’s what you think of us?!” Everyone laughed at his ‘I am so offended’ expression. He was faking it, but he would never forget their pack. Sure — it was silly, but it was part of their history as friends.

“What does the fuzzy champion intend?” Y/N asked just before Francesca showed up with two servers and platters of different food.

Coffee was served, with eggs, fruits, all types of bread, and more mimosas.

“If you need anything else please let me know,” said Francesca, leaving to check on the fresh linen and bedrooms.

“It basically entailed that we would never let girls get in the way of anything. For example, if Michael invited me to go out or had a prior commitment with him then I couldn’t ditch his ass for a girl” William explained after he made sure that Francesca had left the premises.

“Weren’t you in college?” Y/N couldn’t believe that four college boys would put their friends before girls for four years.

“Yes, so what?”

“Well everyone in college is trying to get laid” She pointed to the obvious reaching out for some bread, so she could spread some strawberry marmalade over it. “And none of you give me the impression that you wanted to keep it in your pants then”.

“We might have failed to mention that we were all virgins when we made this pact” Sure, all four of them were rich and had a future secured even before graduating from high school. But that was the last thing that college girls cared about. They only slept with very good-looking boys or boys that would piss their fathers off. Harry, Alessandro, Michael, and William weren’t the most attractive and were overachievers in college just so it would never look like their fathers had just handed their jobs to each respective kid.

“What? That makes no sense” Y/N couldn’t believe their words. Harry was extremely attractive. Plus, his personality was a pantie dropper. How could he have been a virgin for so long?

“I was a chubby kid” Michael admitted, “My parents would always buy me smaller clothes than my actual size just so I would feel inspired to lose weight”

“I was just too shy,” William said, shrugging “Preferred to spend my time in the library, reading books than that frat parties”

“What is this? Dr. Phil? Where we all sit around and discuss our biggest insecurities?”  Harry rolled his eyes and sat up straight. He threw an arm over the back of Y/N’s chair and inched closer to her.

“Just tell her!” Y/N giggled, wiped the corners of her mouth, and shifted on her seat to get a better look at him. God, he was handsome — she thought. She laid a hand on his thigh and squeezed, gaining his attention.

“I was just wimpy. Skinny and fragile”

“He looked like he was fourteen when he was eighteen”

“He would blow away with a breeze”

They all laughed except for Harry, whose lips were curved upwards, and shook his head at his friend's comments trying his best not to laugh. 

“And you?” Y/N asked Alessandro as the laughs died down.

“I was hanging out with them out of charity honey” he winked.

“The pact was stupid alright?” William reiterated, “we made it, so we wouldn’t feel as bad as we did about being virgins as freshmen. Now Michael wants to use it because he can’t get his dick wet”

“We are having breakfast!” Alessandro yelled, dropping the piece of sausage that he was about to put into his mouth.

“Hey! I do get my dick wet!” Michael debated.

“When? What was the last one’s name?” Harry’s fingers found their way under the back of her shirt. He gently stroked her skin for his comfort. He loved the way she felt under his fingertips.

“Jules?

“Julia?”

“Violet?” Michael instantly tensed up, unfortunately, William noticed.

“VIOLET!” William banged his hand on the table for emphasis. “Didn’t he say that sHe wAs tHe oNe?”

“I mIGHT aSK fOR mY gRAndMa’s rING” Harry’s fingers went up and did imaginary quotes.

“STOP IT! I am cringing too hard right now” Michael covered his eyes as they laughed at him. “But I did like her!”

“What happened then?” Y/N asked.

“What always happens! She asks for a commitment and Michael freaks out” Alessandro frowned and pinched his cheeks.

“I am just not ready!”

“When will you be ready when you are fifty?” Y/N asked, “You have to go for it because how else are you going to know that she is the ACTUAL one? The mother of your kids?”

“How romantic!” Alessandro faked a smile then frowned, “But we have to get ready we have a few things to do before we go to our dinner reservations and to the opera”

“What?”

“Our favorite pass-time. SHOPPING"

[domesticandlovingmonsters]

Camping Trip

Theme: Family Camping Trip. Minotaur Family x Human!Reader x Drider Sister Notes: This Commission was super sweet to write and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

As always, the Commissioner was given this story first, then Patreon and now here. The main POV was changed to Reader Insert under the Commissioners request.

Enjoy!

                                                      ~~~~~~~~

Your excitement for the trip was slowly diminishing the deeper the van drove into the forest. It would have been a very relaxing drive, watching the dark clouds roll in over the towering pine trees. The earth turned into a deep brown while the smell of wet moss filled your nose whenever someone rolled down the window. And then, the soft taps of rain started to fall on the van’s roof. You felt your family immediately shiver at the thought of hiking in such weather. But it was your father’s big holiday, and this is what he wanted to do.

“Hun, maybe we should set up camp first.” Your mother, a beautiful brown and white Minotaur, softly suggested. Though she was thick coated and was just as excited for the trip as her husband, her concerned glance strayed on you and your brother. You were the only human in the foster family. Their biological son shared his mother’s mix-matched coat, but had the shagginess of his father. However, he had just gotten shaven after a messy fall into some mud. And he had been too impatient to wash it all out. So, he got it cut. He was rugged up tightly in his jacket and jeans but you could see he was eyeing the rain clouds with disdain.

In the very back of the van was your sister, Amara. A drider with a black widow's abdomen and dark toned skin hidden beneath many layers of clothing. She was curled up as much as her thin legs allowed, looking out the window with a curl to her lips.

She was the newest member to the family. And this was her first trip with the rest of you outside the country town that she now called home.

Your father, a black coated bull, glanced at the rest of you. He snorted a chuckle. “The view will be spectacular on the mountain with this little rain. Imagine the fresh waterfalls and misty valleys. We’ll be alright. The forecast didn’t say it would rain till later tonight.”

Your brother, Axel, and you shared an uncertain look. But neither of you argued. Your father had been planning this trip all month. And he was so excited about it that he packed the car three days early. You didn’t want to be the one to squish his excitement over a bit of rain.

Deeper into the forest you went until you came upon a small car park. A quaint little building sat at the entrance to the forest trails and it surprised you that the car park was empty. Save for the ranger truck nearby. This was a pretty popular spot for locals and tourists. Was the rain really that much of a scare for other hikers? Axel and your father started to unload the van while you and your mother went into the information building. Amara stood somewhat to the side of the van. You stopped by the door of the building and called out to her.

“Come meet, Zela! And get yourself warmed up before we head out.” You said. And after a small shuffle of her feet, she hesitantly followed.

You remembered your first trip with your new parents. Axel had been young but knew what to do when they were packing to hike. You had stood awkwardly to the side, waiting to be passed things and watched them go through their items until the walk started. You had felt weird just staring at them while they chatted and laughed together. You knew what Amara was going through right now.

She smiled sweetly as you held the door open for her. Just as your mother embraced a much larger drider. She could easily take up the majority of the building if she wasn’t suspended from the high, tilted ceiling. She rested her front two legs on the floor so she could bend down and give the Minotaur a big squeeze around the shoulders.

She was just as fluffy as your mother. But unlike Amara, her facial features were more arachnid. With pincers on the corners of her mouth and eight, dark eyes dotted her face. She was strangely pretty, you always thought.

“Oh Emily, you really are hiking out in this weather?” The Ranger Drider cooed as she pulled away from your mother. “Don’t tell me Don is actually serious about this.”

Your mother sighed and nodded. “Yep, he’s serious. The trails aren’t that bad are they?”

“We haven’t gotten much rain…yet. But it may get pretty hairy out there over the next few days. I’ll keep the truck ready in case you need a rescue.” The Drider, Zela, laughed. And then her eyes fell on Amara. Who was staring up at her with shy curiosity. “Oh, this is Amara? You are beautiful, dear. Are you settling in well with Emily and Don?”

Amara nodded. Her hands twisting the front of her shirt awkwardly. “They’re very nice.”

“Oh, they are.” Zela said sweetly. “Nice enough to take this trouble maker, that is.” Zela moved so quickly you had no chance in defending herself against her attack. Her long fingers plucked your hood from behind your head and pulled it over your face. You tried to push her away but she kept you blinded. Laughing until you managed to wriggle out of her grasp and throw back the hood.

“What have I done that caused any sort of trouble?” You asked defensively. And Zela scoffed.

“What haven’t you done?” She said, “I was chasing you all over these woods when you first came here with your family. This little idiot got separated from Emily, and then kept running from me.” Zela explained to Amara, despite her harsh tone, her eyes glinted with warmth.

You rolled your eyes and shrugged. “Look at you! You’re huge! I thought you were a monster coming to eat me.” You turned to Amara, “She will never explain that she found me in a cave at night. Didn’t introduce herself. No, “hey, I’m a park ranger”, nothing! She just grabbed me and tried to drag me out of the cave. I thought I was going to be eaten!”

Amara’s smile grew more genuine and her laugh, though quiet, was the first real laugh you’ve heard from her in a while. “And then she chases me like some sort of-of thing from a horror movie! Climbing through the trees and swinging off her webs. I twisted my ankle in the end. That’s how she finally caught me.”

“I could have caught you a lot earlier.” Zela mused with a smile.

“Ah, so you were just playing with your food.” You jibed back. The conversation fell away with laughter as Don and Axel shuffled their way inside. Your father was smiling broadly with his massive backpack already strapped tightly to his shoulders. He took up the door frame with very little room to squeeze past.

“Ready to go?” He asked everyone. And Zela clicked her pincers worriedly.

“Don, I really have to warn you not to go too deep into the trails.” She said, “At least until this rain passes. Promise me you’re not going to drag this poor girl up the mountain. She’ll be washed downhill by a trickle of water.” Zela gestured to Amara. Giving the young drider a wink to show she was just playing around. But the concern was very forefront.

Don waved his hand, dismissing the ranger’s words with a smile. “We’ll be alright. We’re not going far up the mountain. It’s Amara’s first time. I’m not going to push her.”

You nudged Amara playfully. “They had me climb the entire mountain on my first trip. He’s doing you a favor, trust me. I couldn’t feel my legs for days afterwards.”

Amara nodded. Fidgeting nervously again while the attention was back on her. But you all bid farewell to Zela before returning to the van and gathering up your packs. Emily helped Amara with her pack, since it was fitted for a Drider’s abdomen rather than sit on their human backs. It reminded you of a collection of saddlebags for a horse. But you didn’t dare say that outloud. Amara was already shy about her physique and how different she was to the rest of the family. Once or twice you heard Emily consoling Amara late in the night. Soothing her worries about being an arachnid in a bipedal family.

“At least (y/n) is closer to your shape than I ever could be.” You had heard her whimper one night. You never thought that someone would be worried about themselves that way. But you had once been in her shoes. Crying into Emily’s chest about not having fur, being different and seeing the side eye everyone on the streets gave your new family. All because you were human in a monster family.

You looked up as Emily stepped away from Amara. Admiring the Drider as she took some experimental steps with the new weight.

“It looks good!” You said. “Is it comfortable?”

Amara smiled a small smile in return, and fidgeted with the straps that wrapped around her waist. “It’s ok.” She said, then looked up at Emily. “Thank you for helping me.”

“Of course! Just let me know if it starts to rub or pinch.” Emily said. And Don slapped Axel on the shoulder.

“Axel will carry anything that gets too heavy, alright?”

“I will?” Axel said, but his words dripped with that usual sarcastic tone of his. And then Don started leading the way out of the car park with Axel behind him. You let Amara fall behind your brother and Emily brought up the rear.

Your boots crunched the fallen pine needles deeper into the dirt trail. Logs and rocks built up the majority of the hike, keeping the path from eroding too much, without the need for concrete or other resources. Amara seemed to glide over the uneven terrain. And you envied her graceful movement over some of the fallen logs or cluster of boulders you had to climb. Axel heaved you up a particularly steep climb because your boots kept slipping in the moist earth.

“I’ll do your laundry for a few days if you carry me the rest of the way.” You offered Axel after he set you down.

He scoffed.

“Totally not worth it. Two weeks?” He asked and you scoffed right back.

Don trekked along merrily. Holding aside some large fern so the rest of you didn’t get touched by the wet leaves. But let it fall on his wife with a wet slap and a shrill squeak from Emily. He ran ahead with a wide, cheeky smile as Emily tried to slap his arm. Cursing his name as she huffed after him, hooves sliding in the damp earth. The chill in the air dipped even further the higher you all climbed. It didn’t help that the thick blanket of clouds brought a shower of misty droplets. It wasn’t enough to get you wet right away. But over the next hour, your hair was beginning to soak and anytime you touched your jacket, it had a sheen of cold to it. You just reached the first camping site when the mist started to turn to droplets. And you noticed Amara shiver as Don looked up at the sky.

“Hey, Dad, can we please stop here?” You asked. “It's getting cold.”

Emily backed you up. “We’ll continue after we get the camp ready. We may not get a good chance later to pitch our tents.”

Don nodded. You could see how crestfallen he was about it, but your father wasn’t an idiot. Thankfully.

Axel and you started to pitch up the large tent the two of you shared. While Amara helped Emily and Don with theirs. It had been a silent understanding between you and Axel that your new sister would be more comfortable with your parents on her first night out. She was still very shy around Axel and Emily had explained to you that Amara had some bad experiences with Humans. Neither you, nor Axel, took Amara’s distance to heart. She would warm up to you. And you didn’t want to push her.

You were just unrolling your sleeping bag when a thunderous crash raced across the sky. Axel swore loudly and you heard Amara scream. Emily patted her chest and chuckled uneasily. “I think I need new pants.”

Don was exaggerating the noise by rubbing his round ears. “We should wait a bit before hiking again. I don’t want to be target practice for Zeus.”

“Or Thor.” Axel said, looking up at the sky. “You hear that your Godliness! We would really appreciate not being struck out here.”

A flash of lightning streaked across the sky and Axel dove into the tent as the crack of thunder rumbled through the clouds. You chuckled, turning your face to the falling droplets dramatically. “You can take him, but leave us alone.”

“A sacrifice to the Gods!” Don called out, beating his chest. But ducked as another crash echoed through the forest. “Alright! I’m sorry! I won’t make fun of you anymore!”

Amara looked very confused as you and Don laughed. And Emily placed a hand on her thin shoulder. “Don’t worry. They’re just being silly. We don’t worship any of the old Gods.”

“But we do admire them!” Don said with a small chuckle. “So, they don’t smite us.”

As much as you wanted a fire, the rain wouldn’t allow it. The droplets started to fall more and more and any wood you found around the area was too wet to use as kindling. You and Axel huddled by the entrance of your tent, watching as your parents unpacked their sleeping bags and set up Amara’s area of the tent. You had wrapped your sleeping bag around yourself and had changed out of the damp jacket. It was much warmer, but you kicked yourself for not bringing gloves. Even thin ones would have been nice. Just to keep the little bit of chill from your hands. But thankfully, Emily was ready for such an occasion. She pulled a small gas canister from her pack and a little camp burner to hook it up too . A kettle was brought out from the depths of her bags and she filled it with water from the many bottles of water.

“Do you also have a sous chef in there?” Don asked, dramatically peering into his wife’s packs. “Maybe a lobster dinner?”

You and Axel laughed while Emily smiled. Setting the round kettle on the small gas fed flame.

“No, dear. But aren’t you glad I packed these?” She wiggled her eyebrows at him with a knowing smile. “And you wanted me to leave these at the house. Shame on you for not believing in my intuition.”

“Yes, yes. Your powerful motherly instincts were right again. I should never question you and you are the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.” Don drawled on. Like he was rehearsing lines for a show he didn’t want to be in. But he leaned over and kissed his wife’s cheek.

Camping mugs were passed between the family and Emily brewed some tea for everyone. Then you all settled in the comfort of your tents. Your parents had a bit more space since their massive tent came with a canopy that encased the entrance and then some in front of it. They didn’t bring chairs this time, but your mother had a spare blanket that she laid over the damp ground.

“Isn’t this the life?” Don said dreamily, looking up at the darkening sky. “Nature. In all its beauty and power.” Another crash of thunder made you wince. It sounded like it was right on top of you.

“I’ll like it more when it stops trying to make me deaf.” Axel replied without looking up from a book he was reading. He liked to bring something with him in case he was stuck in situations like this. You didn’t think to bring some type of entertainment. You had hoped the trip would be mostly hiking.

You glanced at the sky as the rain started coming down in sheets of water. You gave a quick wave to your parents before zipping up the door to stop the water from getting inside. Axel blew a long raspberry between his lips.

“Think Dad will call quits on the hike?” He asked.

You wiggled over to your side of the tent and laid your head on the pillow. Looking up at the blue canopy of the tent ceiling. “Doubt it. He’s been talking about bringing Amara out here for ages. I think he wants to turn it into a family tradition or something.”

Axel rolled onto his back. Holding the book above his head to continue reading. “Mum says it's good family bonding. A way for all of us to get to know her better. Though, I kinda wish we did something she wanted to do. I’d be terrified coming out into the woods with a family of strangers. I can only imagine what she’s thinking.”

You hummed your agreement. “I was nervous the first time too. I didn’t think I’d be murdered or anything. But I was so scared you’d all leave me in the woods.”

Axel scoffed softly. But you could hear the gentleness in his next jibe. “I thought about it. But who would share the chores with me over the weekends?”

The storm continued well into the night. Don had brought his family to the park in the late morning. And you had all set up camp around lunch. By the time the thunder rumbled far off into the distance and the rain started to soften, it was dark. Your watch said it was around 7pm when a light flared to life just outside your tent and Don’s voice called out to you and Axel.

“You guys hungry? Mum’s gonna cook some soup.”

“No lobster?” Axel asked and you heard Emily chuckle.

“It’s canned ravioli and beans.” You heard your mother reply. And Axel groaned dramatically, but rolled off his back and unzipped the tent to join his father outside. You squirmed out of your sleeping bag and ducked outside. Amara was sitting on the blanket under the canopy of the tent while Don and Axel gathered around a small circle of stones. A blindingly bright lantern was switched on by Don’s knees and you could see well into the empty clearing that surrounded you. The forest was awfully beautiful after the ran. The light twinkled off falling drops that trickled off the trees. The wind made everything stir softly, like the plants were waving at you as you peered off into the gloom.

“Are there bears out here?” Amara asked curiously, her own gaze peered into the dark.

“There are.” Emily replied. “But don’t worry. They won’t come into camp.”

“There’s a Were-Bear that lives out here.” Axel then said. “He works at the summer camp when it's open.”

“A Were-Bear?” Amara asked.

“Yeah, Satanta, he’s an indigenous fella. Lived here all his life.” Don said as he tried to strike a flame with his flint and steel tool. Axel was ready to blow whatever spark came to life in the very wet looking pieces of bark and sticks. His hands cupping the small bundle of kindling to save any spark from the wind. “He looked after Axel and (y/n) when they went to summer camp for the holidays. Came back true campers.”

You and Axel both groaned at the memory. You met Amara’s curious look. “Look, it wasn’t too bad.” You admitted. “But he woke us up before the sun even came up and had us hiking all over these mountains. Had us swimming in the freezing rivers and climbing very questionable rope courses. But…yeah, he was nice. And funny. He used to help us pull pranks on the other camp counselors.”

“He helped me and Jack gather a bunch of frogs and put them in this annoying counselor's bathroom.” Axel chuckled. He raised his hands defensively when Emily looked over at him disapprovingly. “Hey! Everyone hated her. Not just me and Jack. She used to put kids in time outs for no reason and nit-pick everything the other counselors were doing. Blame Sat, he’s the one who came up with the idea.”

“I’ve never met a were-person.” Amara said thoughtfully. “Are they nice?”

“The ones we met are.” Emily said, stirring the many cans of beans in the pot that sat over her little flame. “But like anybody, you’ll get a mixture of people. Satanta leaves for the winter because his beast gets rowdy that time of year. And he avoids the parks during hunting season so he doesn’t accidentally get shot. Even though it's illegal, you’ll still get hunters through these parts.” Emily’s voice hardened. But she sighed and carried on with a softer tone. “If you like, we can introduce you to Satanta. Outside the summer camps, he also teaches orienteering. You know, finding your way around with a compass and a map. And even tracking if you’re interested.”

Amara did indeed look interested. And she asked some more questions about the orienteering and even some about the summer camp. You piped in occasionally. Telling Amara about what you learnt at the camp and how you met a few good friends there. She listened intently and you soon realized the conversation was purely between the two of you. And this was the longest you had gone actually conversing with Amara.

Little steps. You remembered Emily telling you.

Dinner was served in metal bowls with steam coming off the hot soupy ravioli. Don had given up on getting the fire started when the sparks wouldn’t catch to any of the damp kindling. And the family settled to eat by the bright white lantern. That was quickly attracting a lot of bugs to its brilliance. You weren’t sure how many times you slapped your ankle to try and stop the mosquitoes from biting. And Axel laughed when you had to slap your own neck after something buzzed near your ear.

“The poor no-fur is getting eaten alive.” Axel jibed. And you glared at him as you scratched an itchy spot on your ankle again.

“They just want me because I’m delicious.” You joked back.

Emily went to her pack and pulled out a bottle of body insect repellent. Handing it to you just as you managed to squish one of the nasty pests on your knee. They seemed to be biting through your warm clothes.

You thanked her and started to apply it to the exposed areas of your skin. You glanced over at Amara as she finished off her own bowl of food. You hadn’t seen her slap away any bugs. But she still had a human torso, so did that mean she got bitten? She didn’t have the thick fur of the Minotaurs to keep the pests off her.

“D-Do you need any, Amara?” You asked. Gesturing to the bottle in your hand.

Amara seemed flustered with the sudden attention on her. But she shook her head. “N-No, thank you. Bugs don’t bite Driders. But thank you.” She stumbled a little over her words. But you smiled and nodded. Getting up to return the spray back to your mother’s pack.

You caught Don’s gaze and he winked up at you. You gave him a smile in return before going back to your seat.

After dinner, the family talked some more. Dragging through the usual topics of school and work. Making jokes and reminiscing about their old trips. Don liked to tell his stories about their family hikes to anyone that would listen. And Amara seemed enthralled by the tales of their beach trips and the vacations to the big city.

You had the sense she was both being polite and amazed by how much this family traveled.

“We have to plan for our next trip.” Don then said. Smiling broadly at his newest daughter. “Where would you like to go? Anywhere in the country, you pick and we’ll plan it.”

The question seemed to catch Amara by surprise. Her eyes widened and her hands balled up into fists at the seams of her hoodie. She looked at the ground, thinking hard as she stammered an answer. But Emily placed a hand on one of her spiny knees and chuckled softly.

“You don’t need to answer right away, dear. You can think about it.”

Your mother’s words seemed to sooth Amara. And she nodded. Thanking them both again before falling silent and letting the conversation pass over to Axel. As he told the story of their trip to the zoo a few years ago.

You retreated to your tent not long after dinner. You knew the climb tomorrow would be hard, the rain would make the trails slippery. So you preferred to get some rest. And the rest of the family soon did the same. It wasn’t long till you heard Don’s very loud and obnoxious snoring from your parents tent. Even from your spot, it was like the rattle of an old car starting up.

Axel was fast asleep almost immediately. Though he didn’t snore as loudly as his father, you did have to slap him with your pillow once or twice to get him to roll onto his side.

Just as you started to slip into sleep, you heard a soft voice calling out to you. You rolled onto your stomach and crawled over to the tent’s zipper. Rolling it up so you could see Amara crouching just outside your tent. She clutched her sleeping bag and pillow in her arms. Looking sheepish, but very tired.

“Can I sleep in here? Don’s…Dad’s snoring is really loud.”

You chuckled quietly and nodded. Opening the zipper more so Amara could duck in. “Axel, move over. Amara needs space.” You hissed at the young Minotaur. Giving him a hefty shove when he only grunted. He grumbled but wriggled until he was basically squished up against the tent’s side. And you moved your bags so Amara had plenty of room in the center of the tent.

“Thank you.” She whispered. Throwing down her sleeping bag and crawling into it. “Sorry to wake you.”

“It's alright. I wasn’t asleep yet.” You assured her. You both settled in for the night, and again, as you felt sleep beginning to pull you under, Amara’s voice brought you to awareness.

“Thank you for being so nice to me.” She whispered. “I know, we’re family now. But…I don’t know. It’s just nice not having to worry about being…a spider…around you.”

It almost broke your heart to hear her say that. You rolled over so you were facing Amara. “Like you said, we’re family now. You don’t need to worry about me being…freaked out by you. Axel is the disgusting one. Promise.”

You heard Amara laugh.

“That fart he ripped in the car almost made me gag.” She whispered and it was your turn to laugh.

“Is that why you rolled down the window? I couldn’t smell anything, I thought you threw something out of the car.” Amara and you chuckled. And you heard your sister sigh.

“Were they like this with you?” She asked. “Our parents. I know they’re trying really hard to make me feel included. But I don’t know how to react a lot of the time.”

“They were.” You said. “And I was the same. I was much younger than you though, when I was adopted. But they try to make you feel as comfortable and included as possible. But sometimes it feels like they’re overwhelming you, right?” You heard Amara hum her agreement.

“I don’t want them to feel bad. But I get so…embarrassed. And then I start to panic…”

“I know. Dad used to make me cry sometimes with the amount of questions he used to ask.” You said with a laugh. “But they don’t mean too. And if you feel overwhelmed, let them know. They’ll understand. And they prefer it when we talk to them about our feelings. Keeps us all on the same page, you know? They don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.”

Amara was quiet for a moment. And then her soft voice sounded stiff, like she was holding back tears. “I’ve never had anyone care like that before. It’s…It’s…”

“Nice, right?” You finished for her. “You’ll get a lot of that with them. Sometimes I think they care too much. You’ll be smothered silly living with them.”

Amara was quiet again. For much longer this time. And you started to think she had fallen asleep, when her voice whispered one last sentence.

“I’m glad to have you as my sibling.”