#react components testing

[elightwalk-technology]

What are some best practices for testing React components?

React has become a popular framework for building user interfaces due to its efficient rendering and reusable component structure. The quality of React components is ensured by testing, just like any software development process. We will explore some of the most effective techniques for testing React components to assist developers in creating dependable and error-free applications.

Unit Testing: React component testing begins with unit testing. It involves testing each component in isolation without any external dependencies. Unit tests ensure that each piece functions as expected and help catch any errors in isolation. Developers can use popular testing libraries like Jest or Enzyme for unit testing.

Jest is a JavaScript testing framework with a simple and easy-to-use API for testing React components. It also offers features like snapshot testing to check for changes in the rendered part. On the other hand, Enzyme is a JavaScript testing utility for React that simplifies the testing of React components by providing an intuitive API for traversing and manipulating React components' output.

Integration Testing: Integration testing focuses on verifying the smooth collaboration and interaction among various components to ensure their cohesive functionality. It is crucial in React applications as components often rely on each other for data exchange. Tools such as Cypress offer a powerful API for crafting end-to-end tests, enabling the execution of integration testing.

Mocking Dependencies: React components rely on external dependencies like APIs or databases for data retrieval. In such cases, it is helpful to mock these dependencies during testing. Mocking allows developers to simulate different scenarios and data responses, making testing components' behaviour in different methods easier. For example, a mock API response can help test edge cases like network errors or empty data responses.

Test Coverage: Test coverage is an essential metric to determine the effectiveness and completeness of the testing process. It provides visibility into which tests cover parts of the codebase and which do not. A good test coverage ensures that all critical paths in the code are tested, reducing the chances of undiscovered bugs.

Use React Testing Library: A simple and effective way to test React components is provided by React Testing Library, an open-source testing library. It encourages testing features in a way that reflects how users interact with the application. This approach leads to more robust and meaningful tests that mimic how users experience the application.

Use Test-Driven Development (TDD): Test-driven development is a software development methodology where tests are crafted before writing the actual code. This approach ensures the code is inherently testable, providing extensive test coverage for all features and edge cases. Additionally, TDD fosters the development of modular, maintainable, and reusable code.

Use Continuous Integration (CI): Continuous Integration (CI) is like a system that automatically checks if new code fits well with the existing code. This helps ensure everything works smoothly, and it catches them early if there are any problems. It's an important part of agile development because it helps find and fix issues quickly.

In conclusion, testing React components is essential for crafting high-quality applications, and at Elightwalk, we boast a dedicated team of React.js developers proficient in implementing these best practices. Following these guidelines ensures our applications are thoroughly tested, producing more robust and reliable software.

This commitment to testing identifies and resolves bugs and enhances our developers' confidence, culminating in an unparalleled user experience. With the rising popularity of React, our investment in meticulous testing reflects our dedication to delivering top-tier applications to our users.

[flimsy-roost]

I realized the other day that the reason I didn't watch much TV as a teenager (and why I'm only now catching up on late aughts/early teens media that I missed), is because I literally didn't understand how to use our TV. My parents got a new system, and it had three remotes with a Venn diagram of functions. If someone left the TV on an unfamiliar mode, I didn't know how to get back to where I wanted to be, so I just stopped watching TV on my own altogether.

I explained all this to my therapist, because I didn't know if this was more related to my then-unnoticed autism, or to my relationship with my parents at the time (we had issues less/unrelated to neurodivergency). She told me something interesting.

In children's autism assessments, a common test is to give them a straightforward task that they cannot reasonably perform, like opening an overtight jar. The "real" test is to see, when they realize that they cannot do it on their own, if they approach a caregiver for help. Children that do not seek help are more likely to be autistic than those that do.

This aligns with the compulsory independence I've noticed to be common in autistic adults, particularly articulated by those with lower support needs and/or who were evaluated later in life. It just genuinely does not occur to us to ask for help, to the point that we abandon many tasks that we could easily perform with minor assistance. I had assumed it was due to a shared common social trauma (ie bad experiences with asking for help in the past), but the fact that this trait is a childhood test metric hints at something deeper.

My therapist told me that the extremely pathologizing main theory is that this has something to do with theory of mind, that is doesn't occur to us that other people may have skills that we do not. I can't speak for my early childhood self, or for all autistic people, but I don't buy this. Even if I'm aware that someone else has knowledge that I do not (as with my parents understanding of our TV), asking for help still doesn't present itself as an option. Why?

My best guess, using only myself as a model, is due to the static wall of a communication barrier. I struggle a lot to make myself understood, to articulate the thing in my brain well enough that it will appear identically (or at least close enough) in somebody else's brain. I need to be actively aware of myself and my audience. I need to know the correct words, the correct sentence structure, and a close-enough tone, cadence, and body language. I need draft scripts to react to possible responses, because if I get caught too off guard, I may need several minutes to construct an appropriate response. In simple day-to-day interactions, I can get by okay. In a few very specific situations, I can excel. When given the opportunity, I can write more clearly than I am ever capable of speaking.

When I'm in a situation where I need help, I don't have many of my components of communication. I don't always know what my audience knows. I don't have sufficient vocabulary to explain what I need. I don't know what information is relevant to convey, and the order in which I should convey it. I don't often understand the degree of help I need, so I can come across inappropriately urgent or overly relaxed. I have no ability to preplan scripts because I don't even know the basic plot of the situation.

I can stumble though with one or two deficiencies, but if I'm missing too much, me and the potential helper become mutually unintelligible. I have learned the limits of what I can expect from myself, and it is conceptualized as a real and physical barrier. I am not a runner, so running a 5k tomorrow does not present itself as an option to me. In the same way, if I have subconscious knowledge that an interaction is beyond my capability, it does not present itself as an option to me. It's the minimum communication requirements that prevent me from asking for help, not anything to do with the concept of help itself.

Maybe. This is the theory of one person. I'm curious if anyone else vibes with this at all.

[stellaspectral]

Hi! Any headcanons for dating rise donnie?

A/N: Sure! 😊

Dating Rise Donnie (SFW)

💜 ROTTMNT Donatello/Gender Neutral Reader 💜

CWs: None. All characters are aged-up.

Donnie’s initial attempts at flirting might just sound like his usual sarcastic commentary, leaving you wondering if he’s insulting you or hitting on you.

But when he does decide to ask you out, expect something needlessly complex. Maybe a holographic presentation detailing the benefits of a romantic partnership, or a custom-built gadget meant to deliver the message that backfires spectacularly.

His hyper-focus, occasional arrogance (masking insecurity), and social awkwardness require understanding. You’ll need to learn to read between the lines of his sarcasm.

Since direct emotional expression isn’t his forte, you’ll become an expert at reading his micro-expressions, the specific type of sarcastic comment he uses when he’s secretly pleased, or the way he fidgets with his goggles when nervous.

Over time, you might notice moments where a genuine, non-sarcastic compliment slips out before he can catch it. He’ll likely blush, stammer, and immediately try to cover it with more sarcasm, but you heard it.

If you’re upset, his instinct isn’t always a hug (though he might learn). It’s to solve the problem. You’ll need to gently explain that sometimes you just need empathy.

Donnie’s love language is acts of service. He’ll build you custom gadgets to solve your problems, upgrade your tech, etc. Need something specific? He can probably build it.

Verbal affection, on the other hand, is … awkward. Compliments might come out sounding like technical assessments. Genuine, heartfelt words are rare. He might stutter or get flustered trying to express them.

Donnie isn’t always the most physically demonstrative of affection, partly due to his focus and often his touch aversion. Initiating small gestures and seeing how he reacts is best. Once comfortable, he might surprise you with possessive hand-holding or leaning into your space.

He doesn’t display overt PDA. But maybe him resting his hand possessively on the back of your chair, angling himself between you and perceived ‘threats’ (like overly friendly strangers), or using custom tech (like a paired communication device) that subtly marks you as connected to him.

After a huge success (a battle won, an invention perfected, etc.), he might be so overcome with adrenaline and relief that he actually initiates a brief, possibly clumsy hug or leans against you. Don’t make a big deal out of it; just accept the rare physical vulnerability.

When he seems extra arrogant or dismissive, it sometimes masks insecurity. He might fish for compliments by presenting an invention and asking for your ‘objective analysis,’ secretly hoping you’ll just say it’s amazing.

Praise is his kryptonite. He thrives on validation, especially regarding his intellect and inventions. Genuinely praising his work or intelligence will make him puff up with pride.

When he excitedly explains the intricacies of quantum physics or the schematics for his latest battle shell upgrade for twenty minutes straight, he’s sharing his passion with you. A big sign of trust and affection on his part.

If you’re passionate about something, he might suddenly become an expert on it overnight after intense research. He might not share the passion, but he’ll understand its mechanics and history, which is his way of connecting.

Prepare for dates involving beta-testing his latest invention, competitive video game marathons (he will gloat), trips to the junkyard for components, or maybe even falling down rabbit holes on weird corners of the internet together.

Though a significant portion of your quality time together will likely be spent in his lab. Sometimes you’ll be helping (handing him tools, being a sounding board, etc.). Other times you’ll just be chilling amidst the controlled chaos while he hyper-focuses. Oh—and bring snacks. He forgets to eat.

Eventually, you’ll get your own lab space. It might just be a small, meticulously organized corner of his lab initially, but he’ll later designate a space for your stuff or for you to comfortably hang out.

Once you’re his person, he’s incredibly protective. He’ll use his tech and intellect to keep you safe, even if his methods are … unconventional.

If you’re ever in genuine danger, the sarcastic, dramatic Donnie vanishes. He becomes ruthlessly efficient, calculating, and terrifyingly focused on neutralizing the threat and getting you to safety. His tech becomes lethal, his plans precise.

One of the best signs he’s truly comfortable is when he can just exist in the same space as you, both doing your own things (him tinkering, you reading/scrolling/etc.), without needing constant interaction.

He secretly loves being taken care of. When he’s truly exhausted or sick (which he’ll deny until he collapses), having you bring him soup, enforce rest, or just quietly sit with him means more than he’ll admit.

It takes immense trust for him to let you see his experiments blow up (literally or figuratively) without him getting overly defensive or dramatic. If he can sigh, complain about the variables, and start cleaning up with you there, you’re truly integrated into his process.

For Donnie, acknowledging the validity and soundness of your reasoning, especially during a discussion or debate, is one of the highest forms of respect and affection he can offer. It means he sees you as an intellectual equal.

[hy6erion]

𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐤𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

⇢ 𝐟𝐞𝐦! 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭, 𝐦𝐝𝐧𝐢, 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐬𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐤, 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐦, 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐛 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲 (??), 𝐨𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐬𝐞𝐱, 𝐥𝐚𝐛 𝐬𝐞𝐱, 𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞

𝐚/𝐧: 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 (𝐢'𝐦 𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫), 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐧. 𝐀𝐧𝐲𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲!!

The laboratory smelled of scorched metal and ozone, the air thick with the hum of something unnatural. Hextech pulsed faintly in the dimness, the glow of unstable energy illuminating the sprawl of unfinished blueprints, half-formed constructs, and tools scattered across the workspace. The place was Viktor’s mind made manifest—chaotic, brilliant, dangerous.

And you had walked straight into it.

You should have turned back the moment the reinforced door slid shut behind you, sealing you inside with him. But curiosity had always been your weakness. That, and something deeper—something you weren’t quite ready to name.

Viktor hadn’t looked up immediately. He was hunched over his latest project, fingers deftly adjusting a glowing green component embedded in what looked like a modified prosthetic. The energy arced sharply as he worked, momentarily illuminating the sharp planes of his face, the mess of dark hair that curled over the edge of his golden ocular implants.

It wasn’t until you took another step forward that he finally acknowledged your presence.

“Curious, are we?”

His voice slid through the dimness like a blade, smooth and sharp. He still hadn’t turned, but you knew he had been aware of you the moment you entered. The way his shoulders tensed slightly, the way his fingers stilled for half a second before continuing their work—it was enough.

You swallowed, trying to ignore the way his presence made the air feel heavier. “I was looking for you.”

That earned a reaction. His head tilted, just slightly. A pause. Then, finally, he turned.

His gaze was impossible to hold. The glow of his mechanical eye cast eerie reflections across his face, half in shadow, half illuminated by something unnatural. His real eye was unreadable, dark and gleaming beneath the mess of his hair.

“And now you have found me.”

There was something wrong with the way he said it. Like you had fallen into a carefully laid trap and only now realized the bars had locked behind you.

You tried not to react as he stepped closer.

Viktor never moved without purpose. Every shift of his weight, every subtle tilt of his head—it was all calculated, measured. And now, with the way his gaze dragged over you, slow and dissecting, you felt like a specimen under a magnifying glass.

His voice was almost amused when he spoke again. “You are trembling.”

You hadn’t noticed until now. The realization made your stomach tighten, shame curling in the back of your throat. You weren’t afraid of him. At least, you didn’t think you were. And yet—

His gloved fingers reached out, brushing the side of your throat. A light touch. Testing.

You gasped.

He smiled.

“Fascinating.”

The word sent a shiver down your spine. Because Viktor did not waste time on things that were not useful to him. If he was fascinated, it was because he was studying you.

You took a step back. A mistake. His expression didn’t change, but you felt the shift in the air, the way something unseen coiled tighter between you.

“You flinch,” he murmured, tilting his head. “Yet you do not leave. Why?”

The words shouldn’t have had weight. But coming from him—razor-sharp, peeling you apart layer by layer—they made something in you falter.

“I—” He was in front of you before you could finish “Shhh.”

The command was soft. Almost gentle. His fingers tilted your chin up, forcing your eyes to meet his. The glow of his lenses pulsed slightly, shifting as he cataloged your reaction, as he watched your breath hitch.

“I have been patient,” he murmured, his thumb brushing lightly against your lower lip. “So very patient.”

Something dark flickered behind his eyes. The kind of hunger that wasn’t born overnight.

“Tell me” he breathed, his voice a slow, curling heat against your skin, “how long do you intend to test my restraint?”

Your stomach dropped.

The moment stretched, taut and fragile. His grip on your chin wasn’t tight, but it was unrelenting. Unyielding.

And you—gods help you—you didn’t move away.

That was all the permission he needed.

The next breath you took was stolen from your lungs as he moved—fast. One moment, you were standing. The next, your back hit the cool metal of the nearest worktable, sending scattered blueprints fluttering to the ground.

His hand was at your throat now—not squeezing, not yet. Just resting. Feeling the frantic pulse beneath his fingers.

“I wonder,” he mused, his voice maddeningly calm as he leaned in, his lips barely grazing the shell of your ear, “do you truly not understand the danger you are in?”

You sucked in a breath, but it was shallow. Not enough. He was too close. The scent of metal and oil and something darker surrounded you, wrapped around your senses like a vice.

“Or…” He tilted his head, dragging his nose along the curve of your jaw, inhaling slowly. “Is it that you do?”

You whimpered. The sound was humiliatingly soft, but it didn’t escape him.

He smiled against your skin. “Ah. That is it, isn’t it?”

His hand moved, gliding lower, over the curve of your waist, the dip of your hip. Testing. Mapping. The way his fingers dragged over your clothes felt obscene, a slow unraveling of something inevitable.

“You wish to play human games,” he murmured, dragging his lips down, just over the curve of your throat, “but you forget—I am no longer a man who plays by such rules.”

Heat pooled between your thighs, unwelcome and delicious. You tried to squeeze them together, but his leg slotted between yours before you could, pinning you against the table. The pressure sent a sharp jolt of sensation through you, your breath hitching as he pressed just slightly—just enough to feel what he was doing to you.

He chuckled. Low. Dark.

“So soft,” he murmured, his grip tightening on your waist. “So eager.”

He rocked against you, slow and purposeful. The sensation sent a shock of pleasure through your core, a gasp ripping from your throat before you could stop it.

“Look at you.” His voice was almost reverent, his lips ghosting against the corner of your mouth. “So willing to be ruined.”

Your head was spinning. You knew you should stop this. You knew. And yet— You turned your head. Just slightly. Just enough.

And Viktor took exactly what you offered.

His lips crashed against yours.

Not a kiss—a claim.

You moaned, and that was all it took for him to deepen it, devouring every sound you made. His metal hand gripped your hip, fingers digging in as he rocked against you again, harder this time, pressing himself between your legs with slow, maddening precision.

“You are mine now,” he rasped against your lips. “And I do not intend to let you go.”

His words barely had time to settle before Viktor moved.

You barely registered the sharp scrape of metal against the edge of the table before you were hauled up, your thighs spreading around his waist as he slotted himself between them. The rough press of his uniform scraped against your inner thighs, and the realization hit—you were caged now, caught in the unforgiving grip of a man who had long since abandoned human restraint.

“You feel it, don’t you?” Viktor rasped, his voice a dark whisper against your lips. His hips rolled—slow, deliberate. The thick press of his cock, still confined by layers of fabric, ground against your cunt with enough pressure to have your head falling back against the table.

“Yes,” he breathed, watching you. Cataloging.

His metal fingers dug into your thigh, spreading you obscenely wide, while his gloved hand slid beneath your chin, tilting your face up until your breath hitched.

“I have waited,” he murmured, dragging his nose along your cheek. “I have suffered in silence—”

The next grind of his hips against your aching cunt made you writhe, the friction bordering on unbearable. Your breath broke into a gasp, hands flying to clutch at his shoulders, his neck—anything to ground yourself.

His hand snapped to your wrist, pinning it back against the metal surface with unforgiving force.

“But I suffer no longer.”

Your stomach tightened at the raw hunger in his voice. His lenses flickered, scanning your flushed skin, your parted lips, the way your chest rose and fell in shallow, desperate breaths.

He wanted to consume you. And he would.

“This—” His metal fingers tore at the fabric of your clothes, ripping away the layers with impatient efficiency. The air hit your exposed skin, a sharp contrast to the heat pooling between your legs ”—is mine.”

Your head fell back with a cry as his hand found you, his fingers dragging over your slick folds with slow, taunting precision.

“So eager,” he murmured, pressing a gloved finger inside without warning.

Your body arched, your legs attempting to close around his waist, but he would not allow it. His metal grip tightened, forcing you to remain open—to be seen.

“Do you think I have not noticed?” His voice was calm, but there was a sharp edge beneath it—a controlled fury. “The way you watch me? The way your breath catches whenever I draw near?”

He withdrew his finger, only to drag it achingly slow against your throbbing clit, coating you in the evidence of your own betrayal.

“You pretend you fear me.”

His cock pressed against your entrance now, still shielded by fabric, but so dangerously close.

“But this?” He rocked against you, the thick pressure of his length gliding over your cunt, making you shudder beneath him.

“This tells me the truth.”

You wanted him.

And Viktor had never been a man to deny himself what he was owed.

“This?” Viktor’s voice was velvet-wrapped steel, his accent thickened by hunger. His cock dragged against your drenched slit, separated only by the thin barrier of his uniform. The friction sent a delicious, maddening shock through your core. Your fingers clenched against the table’s edge, your body betraying you with a whimpering shudder.

Viktor chuckled—low, dark, victorious.

“You shiver beneath me, yet pretend resistance.”

His metal hand traced the inside of your thigh, a cold contrast to the burning heat pooling between them.

“Perhaps you need further convincing?”

The next grind of his hips sent wetness spilling onto the coarse fabric of his pants. He growled, feeling it—evidence of your surrender smearing against his clothed length.

“I feel you” he breathed, his voice dripping with dark amusement. “Soaking me like a little whore, yet still you tremble?”

Your breath caught as his gloved fingers found your clit again, this time with no patience, no teasing—just ruthless, practiced intent. He pressed firm circles against the swollen bud, his gaze locked onto yours, drinking in every twitch, every sharp inhale, every helpless little jerk of your hips.

“Such a delicate thing,” Viktor mused. “So easily unraveled.”

You tried to close your legs against the intensity, but his metal grip shot out, forcing you apart again.

“No,” he snapped, voice sharp. “You will take everything I give.”

Your thighs trembled in his hold.

“Yes,” he purred, drinking in your helplessness. “That’s it. Good girl.”

The praise was nearly mocking, but your body reacted anyway, a fresh wave of slick dripping down your folds.

“Ahh—look at this mess.” Viktor’s gloved hand slipped lower, his fingers spreading you open. Inspecting. “Do you see? Your body betrays you. It begs me to ruin you.”

Your walls clenched around nothing, desperate and aching.

“Hnn—Viktor—”

A sharp slap against your clit made you yelp, the sting sharp and deliciously cruel.

“Try again.” His voice was soft, but the command beneath it was undeniable.

“Please,” you gasped, back arching, hips rolling against his fingers.

Viktor hummed in approval, his metal hand moving to grip your jaw, forcing your gaze onto him.

“Good girl.”

Then—he moved.

Your world tilted as he flipped you onto your stomach in one motion, your chest pressing against the cold metal of his worktable. His hand pushed down on your back, arching you, forcing you to present yourself.

“Look at you,” he rasped, pulling his belt slowly, the leather hissing through the loops. The sound made your breath stutter—anticipation spiking through your veins.

“Do you know how long I have waited for this?”

A sharp tug and his pants dropped just enough to free his cock, the thick length pressing against your soaked entrance.

Your nails scraped against the table, your body tensing in anticipation.

“Do you know,” Viktor continued, his tip teasing, rubbing against your swollen folds, “how many nights I have imagined you like this? Bent over, begging for me?”

The desperation clawed at your throat.

“Viktor—please—”

His metal hand snapped up, gripping your throat, arching you back against his chest.

“Shhh.” He kissed the corner of your jaw, his cockhead pressing just against your fluttering entrance.

“Do not rush me.”

And then—he pushed in.

Your breath broke into a strangled cry as Viktor pushed inside, his cock splitting you open with an unrelenting, slow precision. The stretch was intense, bordering on unbearable—your walls clenched instinctively, trying to accommodate him, but he was thick, every inch of him sinking into you with a maddening patience.

“Aww” he cooed, his metal hand tightening around your throat. His lips dragged against the shell of your ear, his breath hot, teasing. “You can take it. I know you can.”

Your fingers scrabbled against the table, seeking purchase, something to ground yourself against the overwhelming intrusion. He was so deep, pressing against something achingly tender, and he wasn’t even fully inside yet.

“You are squeezing me so tight..” Viktor groaned, his free hand spreading your ass, watching the way your pretty cunt struggled to take him. His hips rolled, shallow thrusts, forcing you to stretch little by little.

“V-Viktor—” You whimpered, your body trembling, torn between pleasure and torment.

“Hnn, yes—say my name,” he murmured, his tongue flicking against your sweat-damp skin. His hand slid down, pressing against your lower belly, feeling the way his cock bulged inside you.

“So small,” he mused, a dark chuckle vibrating through his chest. “So tight around me.”

His hips drew back, and for a brief, blissful second, you thought he might ease up—

But then, he slammed forward.

The force sent a sharp shockwave through your body, your mouth falling open in a silent scream as he buried himself to the hilt.

“Ahhh—!”

“There it is,” Viktor growled, his fingers gripping your waist, holding you in place as he pulled back and drove in again.

Again.

A gain.

“You take me so well,” he purred, his voice thick with praise and possession. “Like you were made for this—made for me.”

His pace quickened, brutal and merciless, his cock dragging against your g-spot with every deep thrust. Your toes curled, your back arching, the wet slap of skin against skin echoing through the dimly lit workshop.

“So desperate,” Viktor mused, his metal hand gripping your hair, yanking your head back just enough for his teeth to scrape against your exposed throat.

“Your body begs me to ruin it.”

You cried out, your fingers curling, your walls clenching down around him too hard—

“Ah” Viktor hissed, his grip tightening as he slammed into you harder, rougher. “You think I will let you come so easily?”

His fingers abandoned your throat, slipping down to your aching clit, circling, taunting.

“Tell me,” he rasped. “Tell me who owns you.”

Your mind spun, every nerve in your body on fire. The pressure built, coiling so tight, so intense, you thought you might break apart—

“Say it.”

“Y-you—Viktor—!”

His pace faltered, just for a moment—like the words had satisfied something dark inside him.

Then—he fucked into you harder.

“Good girl,” he gritted out, his breath coming in ragged groans. His movements grew sloppy, more desperate, his fingers still tormenting your clit.

“Now—come for me.”

The command sent you spiraling.

Your body locked up, your vision going white as the orgasm crashed into you, waves of blinding, raw pleasure tearing through every inch of you. Your walls spasmed, milking his cock, your cries broken, breathless.

“Yes—yes, that’s it,” Viktor groaned, his own rhythm stuttering, faltering—

And then—he buried himself deep, his hips jerking as he spilled inside you.

A low, guttural moan tore from his throat, his body shuddering against yours as he filled you with hot, thick ropes of cum.

His grip eased, his breathing heavy against your skin. For a moment, neither of you moved, the only sound in the workshop the erratic pounding of your hearts.

Then—Viktor let out a low chuckle, his hands trailing over your trembling body.

“I knew you would break for me,” he murmured.

His cock twitched, still half-hard inside you.

“But I am not done yet.”

[liketolaugh-writes]

Danny's medical tests

Vitals and thresholds:

Age: 16

Pulse: 20 bpm resting, 54 bpm active (54 atrial, 30 ventricular), grayout at 80/35, blackout at 90/35. (Can stop heart for up to three minutes without repercussions; becomes painful after two)

Respiration: 6 breaths per minute resting, up to 30 active, no more than 15 resting. (Can slow to 1 breath per minute for up to half an hour; strain sets in after twenty)

Blood pressure: 90/40 (blood reaches his brain with Magic)

Temperature: between 50° and 80° (human) or 0° and 32° (ghost) Cold tolerance is no lower than 3° in human form, heat tolerance no higher than 90°

Height: 5’3’’

Weight: 101 lbs (3/5 what his weight should be by build)

Ectoplasmic purity: between 80% and 90% (low, normal for halfas)

Core pitch: 29 kilohertz (low, normal for halfas)

Power level: 214 (out of 300)

Aura brightness: 154 (low, lack of obsession fulfillment)

List of tests, results, and consults:

ECG shows a third degree AV block with a ventricular escape rhythm.

Echocardiogram shows no physical abnormalities.

Event monitor shows mild strain (palpitations, discomfort) with normal exercise and stress, moderate strain (chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness) with high activity and stress.

(“No, this is pretty much what I remember exercise feeling like.”)

Blood reacts violently to all potential donors

Blood tests:

>Complete blood count:

>>White blood cells: slightly elevated, also weird (green, have faces)

>>Red blood cells: low (thinner blood)

>>Hemoglobin: high (red blood cells carry more oxygen)

>>Hematocrit (percentage red blood cells): 29%

>>Mean corpuscular volume: slightly low (smaller red blood cells)

>>Mean corpuscular hemoglobin: high

>>Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration: high

>>Red cell distribution width: low

>>Platelet count: low and also they are all green

>Comprehensive metabolic panel:

>>Glucose: 50 mg/dl (low)

>>Blood urea nitrogen: low (good kidney function)

>>Creatinine: low (good kidney function + can indicate low muscle) (this is not because of low muscle this is because of Ghost)

>>Estimated glomerular filtration rate: high (good kidney function)

>>BUN/Creatinine ratio: 12:1 (normal)

>>Sodium: high (electrolyte)

>>Potassium: very high (ectoplasm component) (electrolyte)

>>Chloride: very high (ectoplasm component) (electrolyte)

>>Carbon dioxide: low (waste product)

>>Calcium: high (electrolyte)

>>Protein, total: normal (plasma)

>>Albumin: slightly low (should be normal) (sign of malnutrition)

>>Globulin, total: high (high immune function)

>>Bilirubin, total: normal

>>Alkaline phosphotase: low (slow metabolism)

>>Aspartate aminotransferase: low (no liver damage)

>>Alanine transaminase: low (no liver damage)

>Lipid panel:

>>Cholesterol: normal

>>Triglycerides: low (dietary)

>>HDL Cholesterol: slightly low

>>VLDL Cholesterol Cal: normal

>>LDL, calculated: normal

>>Chol/HDL ratio: normal

>Thyroid tests:

>>Thyroid-stimulating hormone: low

>>Thyroxine: low

>>Triiodothyronine: low

DNA test: Takes an extremely long time to fully process, but early results show that Danny’s DNA is covered in a thin layer of ectoplasm, making the underlying structure difficult to decipher. Programming a machine to recognize it could be difficult.

Urine tests: normal

Pulmonary function tests: normal

Allergy panel shows no reactions.

Hypermobility test shows hypermobility in spine, elbows, and knees. No other signs of EDS, tentatively ascribed to his abilities.

Dietitian consult: nothing concrete yet. They discuss Danny’s eating habits, deal frankly with the fact that they don’t know what his exact dietary needs are, and talk about intuitive eating. Danny gets a list of signs to look out for and things to try.

Endocrinologist consult: they discuss Danny’s concerns and assess his current stage of puberty. Danny states (visibly mortified) that he has grown two inches since his accident, no vocal deepening, no facial or body hair, no reproductive function benchmarks. They discuss various possible causes of delayed puberty (excessive exercise, psychosocial problems, physical trauma, irradiation) as well as treatment options. Danny asks what circumstances would normally have them recommend inducing puberty (bullying, ostracization, distress) and they finally decide to go ahead and induce it.

Semen analysis: Danny is producing normally but the sperm die before exiting.

Slit-lamp exam shows tapetum lucidum in human form and odd eye structure in ghost form.

Autonomic nervous system tests:

>Gag reflex: Sensitive in human form, inactive in ghost form

>Motor reflexes (jaw jerk, biceps, triceps, brachioradialis, finger jerk, knee jerk, ankle jerk, superficial abdominal): hyperactive, forceful, but controlled. Identical in both forms.

>Pathologic reflexes: None present

>Cardiovagal function:

>>Heart rate variability: [not applicable because of heart condition]

>>HR response to deep breathing: exaggerated. This is how he stops his heart.

>>Valsalva: perfect adaptation. (blood pressure self-regulates rapidly)

>Vasomotor adrenergic function:

>>BP response to standing: perfect adaptation.

>>Tilt table testing: perfect adaptation. (blood pressure self-regulates rapidly)

>Sudomotor function:

>>QSART: Exaggerated in human form, not present in ghost form. (sweat response)

>>Silastic sweat test: Exaggerated in human form, not present in ghost form.

>Salivation: Normal in human form. No response in ghost form.

>Pupillography: rapid in human form, not present in ghost form.

>Cold pressor test: done with salted ice water. Reduced response. (sympathetic nervous system test)

Human CT scan was normal.

Ghost CT scan was semitransparent but otherwise normal.

Vaccine test shows good immune system function.

Human fNIRS, EEG, and MEG brain scans were used primarily for mapping. Showed normal activity for motor function and sensory activity, slightly reduced activity for memory exercises and problem solving, and substantially reduced activity for emotional responses.

Ghost EEG and MEG brain scans were used primarily for mapping. Showed no activity for motor function, mild activity for sensory and memory functions, and moderate activity for problem solving and emotional responses. No brain stem activity. (fNIRS not performed because it monitors blood oxygen activity in the brain and his ghost form doesn't have that)

Human MRI scan is largely normal, but shows darkened nerves on the left hand.

Ghost MRI scan indicated that his insides are abnormally malleable but highly coherent. Nerve damage is much less apparent owing to minimal function.

Human EMF reading showed increased activity corresponding to reduced brain activity.

Ghost EMF reading showed moderate activity for everything except emotional responses, which indicated strong activity.

Nerve conduction study shows severe nerve damage in ulnar and median nerves in human form, no nerve response in ghost form.

Electromyography shows that very few electrical signals are being transmitted in his left hand, Danny moves his hand with Magic. Otherwise normal readings in human form, ghost form shows no readings at all.

Polysomnography shows several signs associated with hibernation, making Danny’s sleep deeper, but his brain waves still indicate REM sleep in a normal pattern.

All biopsies normal except the inclusion of ectoplasm.

Microneurography was for mapping only.

The doctors manage to create an external device that can monitor the EMF activity of Danny’s core in milligauss, as well as his core pitch. It outputs it as a graph. Danny’s core EMF is 3,210, and his resting surface EMF in ghost form is around 2,000, with a total range of 200 feet. In human form, this is significantly reduced to 800 mG at the surface, and a range of 80 feet. (GIW sensors only detect as low as 900 mG, while the Fentons’ goes as low as 750.)

Core EMF level varies from ghost to ghost, measured on a scale that goes from 1 to 300. This is found to be equivalent to 15 to 4500 milligauss. All but around 2/3 of radiation is naturally contained, but the amount rises rapidly with power use.

[ghostlycamil4]

Hello! I love love LOVEEE your writing so so so so much, its SO inspiring! Anyway, was thinking of angst to fluff? Bakugou x reader (doesnt have to be specified which gender) about the reader passing out from dehydration? No rush ofc, and you don't have to do if if your not comfortable, you can take it any direction you want js no smut pls!!!!! Also maybe a little bit of implied dadzawa ? This is my first time sending a request so, I hope this is the correct place 🐁

𝐵𝑎𝑘𝑢𝑔𝑜: 𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠

thank you for your first request this one’s for you some angst, some fluff, and a whole lot of bakugo care. hope it’s what you were hoping for!!

The new suit fit like a glove. Lighter than the previous one, but reinforced at the joints, with flexible plates that followed the line of your arms and thighs without hindering movement.

You observed your reflection with a mix of pride and anxiety. The thermal regulation still wasn't fully calibrated, but the technicians said it would hold up for basic testing.

And just as you were about to ask another question, the floor trembled beneath your feet.

A sharp crash, like metal being torn from its foundations, echoed from the upper floor.

Red. Flashing light. Voices rising.

"Intrusion code on Upper Level. Personnel, evacuate immediately," a mechanical voice rang out from the speakers.

The technicians dropped their tablets and clipboards. Some ran. Others hesitated. One tripped over a box of components trying to reach the exit. Panic hadn’t completely taken over yet, but it was building.

You reacted instantly.

Zipped your suit all the way up. Adjusted your gloves. Left the testing room without looking back.

In the hallway, some students were already guiding civilians. You recognized Iida giving directions and Yaoyorozu creating improvised barriers with polymer plates.

And then you saw him: Bakugo.

His back to you, steps steady, jaw tight, walking in the opposite direction of the evacuation flow. Heading straight for the noise.

"Bakugo!" you shouted, quickening your pace to catch up. "We need to help evacuate! Civilians first!"

He didn’t even look back. Just answered with a grunt:

"Let the others handle that. I’m gonna blow the bastard who dared to break in to pieces."

"Katsuki!" you raised your voice, angry, but he was already picking up speed.

There was no other choice. You growled under your breath and followed, your quirk beginning to hum subtly under your skin, ready to activate.

The plan was to go up, use the elevator in the tech wing... but when the doors opened, it wasn’t civilians who stepped out.

A tall figure, covered in what looked like a torn suit but reinforced at key points, looked at you from inside the elevator with a twisted smile. His eyes had glowing implants, and his voice had a metallic echo.

"Well, well... the explosive brat and the damn gem. Ain’t I lucky."

Bakugo stepped forward without hesitation.

"Tch. Damn scrap metal freak."

Everything moved fast.

Bakugo faced him head-on, moving like lightning, his explosions rattling the hallway. You supported from the side, activating your quirk to weaken the electromagnetic field on his weapons, forcing him to back off every time he tried to propel himself.

But the air was heavy. The smoke from the explosions, the friction of your still-uncalibrated suit, the rhythm of your movements… everything started to feel slow.

Your muscles burned. Your lips were dry. Sweat ran down your neck like you were trapped in a sauna.

You didn’t stop.

Even when the edges of your vision started to go dark. Even when you could no longer hear clearly. Even when your head pounded like your skull was going to split open.

"NOW, DO IT!" Bakugo shouted, launching a direct blast at the villain you’d left with no escape.

You moved your hands with effort. Your quirk activated one last time, creating a breach in the enemy’s protective field. Bakugo’s final hit sent him flying into the wall with a sickening crunch.

Victory. You’d done it.

And then… you swayed.

"Hah?"

That was the last thing you heard from Bakugo before everything shut down.

Your body collapsed sideways, like a rag doll. The suit’s sensors flashed red for a second before going dark. The hallway spun one last time in your vision, and then everything went black.

"Oi! OI!! Don’t fuckin’ do this!!" Bakugo yelled, running to you.

He dropped to his knees clumsily, pulling your shoulders against his chest. His glove touched your cheek, and the heat made him frown. Your lips were cracked. Your breathing, shallow.

"You’re burnin’ up... goddamn it..." his voice was low, almost hoarse. With rage. Or maybe fear.

Bakugo hadn’t moved.

He’d been sitting in that straight-backed chair for hours, not straying from the bed for a second. He’d taken off his gloves, rested his elbows on his knees, and kept his eyes locked on your fingers. Watching every tiny movement. Every tremble. Every breath.

And then the door opened without warning.

Bakugo didn’t need to turn to know who it was.

Aizawa.

His eyes were lowered, shoulders a bit tense, hair looser than usual. He closed the door behind him without a word. Walked to the other side of the bed.

And then, his voice:

“What were you thinking?”

Bakugo didn’t answer right away. He just leaned back, exhaling like he’d known that was coming.

"I had it under control," he muttered finally, without looking at him.

Aizawa crossed his arms.

"And that’s why you, the first one to break protocol when it suits you, decided to drag someone with an incomplete suit into a fight."

"That’s not what happened!" Bakugo snapped, rising slightly from his seat.

“And you don't decide when to break the protocols, it's that me!”

Silence. And just when it seemed like it wouldn’t end...

A soft whisper. Barely audible.

"...It wasn’t his fault." Your voice, hoarse, broken, just a murmur.

But your voice... though weak, was firm.

"Bakugo… didn’t force me. It was me."

"We’ll talk later," Aizawa said at last, taking a step toward the door.“About what was done right, and what wasn’t. And why there are always consequences when people act without thinking.”

But before he left, he paused.

He turned his head just slightly over his shoulder.

“Thank you. Both of you. For keeping everyone safe.”

It was blunt. Like someone who didn’t know how to soften the tone. But the message was clear.

He was proud. And scared. But more than anything, relieved.

You turned your face a little, with effort, and noticed Bakugo was still looking at you just like before.

"Don’t go."

He scoffed. Quietly.

"Where the hell else would I go?"

You wanted to say something more, but the words didn’t come. You just moved your hand.

He hesitated. Just for a second.

And then, he took your hand.

Lifted you easily into his arms, and without looking back, took off running.

Content @ghostlycamil4 2025. Do not copy or modify.

[aealzx]

_______________________

Update Post

Prologue | AO3

Previous Next

_______________________

“So…Let me just summarize to make sure I understand,” Jazz requested, feeling a little overwhelmed by all the new information Bruce, Barry, and Leslie had explained to her, but at least not so overwhelmed to the point of breaking down anymore. She’d just never heard of something like hemoperfusion before, so it had been a lot to take in. “Danny has blood blossom toxin throughout his blood stream, and since blood blossoms don’t exist here there’s no antitoxin to inject him with. And since developing one would take too long and be too risky, you want to try hemoperfusion. Which is like hemodialysis, except it removes toxins instead of fluids. And since hemoperfusion is known to cause a mild decrease in various common blood components, you want to have a blood donation from Danielle to offset that. Because she’s the only one here who also has ectoplasm in her blood, and you don’t want to dilute that in Danny since he’s already low…Did I get all of that?”

“Yes,” Bruce answered simply, giving a small nod. He was ready to go over anything they needed to again, a tablet in his hand ready to be used to open any of the files he’d already shown Jazz a second time. She had reacted to the information about Danny’s condition with anxious fear, but overall she was managing to remain significantly calmer than earlier that day.

Jazz was silent as she ran through everything she could remember just one more time, as well as trying to think of anything that they may have missed. Either because it was an oversight, or they simply just didn’t know. But she couldn’t see any risks other than the ones they had already told her they were aware of. She honestly wasn’t sure she would have caught the risk of diluting the ectoplasm in Danny’s blood herself. Amity always had an abundance of ectoplasm leaking everywhere, so even when Danny has spent a lot he’d always been able to recover some from the ambient. It, and the way they had addressed this situation, was enough for her to finally look to Bruce and nod. “Okay. Go ahead.”

Bruce was admittedly pleasantly surprised at the response, but kept his response in check other than a content smile. Barry’s shoulders sagged with his sigh of relief, and he barely waited for Bruce to give him a nod before he dashed from the room in a blink.

“Barry and Wally will take care of getting the supplies. We’ll test the types of resin with the blood samples we already have to make sure we use the correct one. But it shouldn’t take too long. Is it alright if we inform the rest of your family of what’s going on?” Bruce requested, not wanting Sam, Tucker and Danielle to be left out just because his own children were doing a good job keeping them occupied. Barbara had come over to meet them already, and she and Tim were indulging Tucker’s questions as well as getting some of their own answers. Then Stephanie and Cass had spent some time letting Danielle pick out some different clothes before they had joined Wally in the gym. Danielle had been ecstatic to find out about Wally’s abilities, and all four of them were having fun showing off and messing around together. Which left Sam talking with Duke, Damian, and Alfred about some of Duke’s adventures, Damian’s menagerie of pets, and Alfred’s recipes and food sources. The news would be an interruption to their fun, but Bruce had confidence that his team could help them stay occupied and taken care of instead of relying only on Jazz.

“...Sure,” Jazz agreed once more, giving another nod. They had already told her that they would have Danielle stop by the room to draw her blood, so having the three of them back in the room for a bit wasn’t a bad idea.

It didn’t take long at all for Barry and Wally to return with the equipment, getting it set up in record speed next to the bed before Barry joined Bruce back in the lab to test the different resins. They were simple tests that could all be done at the same time, so they were back upstairs soon after Leslie had finished drawing Danielle’s blood.

“Here’s the lucky winner,” Barry chimed, holding a second canister of the resin that they had found cleared the blood blossom toxin from Danny’s blood while having minimal effect on the important parts that needed to stay.

“Woah… I was expecting something bigger,” Sam admitted, watching Barry from where she was hovering near Danielle.

Barry just chuckled as he headed to the machine and popped the canister in. “It doesn’t need to be that big. We’re only pulling a tiny amount of toxin from him and putting the rest back after all.”

“Fair enough,” Sam accepted, attention shifting slightly as Danielle flexed her arm and moved around to make sure she wasn’t dizzy or anything.

“And you’re sure it’s going to work?” Tucker asked, his nervous nature prompting him to reach for reassurance despite the procedure not being used on him.

“It’s not as common as dialysis, but it’s still something that’s been used thousands of times on thousands of different people. I’m sure it’ll get most, if not all of the toxin,” Barry assured, stepping out of the way so Leslie could proceed to get Danny connected to the device. Unfortunately the IV needle that had been used was too small, so Leslie couldn’t use it for one of the tubes, even if it had been in the right place. So it was simply pinched closed, and disconnected to use again later while the other two tubes were inserted.

The others continued to chatter lightly, but Jazz was more focused on what Leslie was doing. How she was prepping Danny’s arm, where she put the tubes, trying to guess what she was looking for. She didn’t think this would be the last time Danny, or Danielle got poisoned, so she felt she should learn as much as she could while she could. It also helped her feel like she was being useful. Adding to her skillset to maybe use later instead of just sitting and being worried. It certainly helped even though once Leslie finally started the machine nothing seemed to be happening. It was a good thing though. No immediate adverse reactions, no sudden drop in vitals. Nothing but the quiet hum of the machine added to the soft beeps of the heart monitor and puffs from the oxygen tank.

Within an hour the others had gotten bored enough to easily be lured away by the rest of Bruce’s family once again.

Thirty minutes after and Jazz was the only one left, having moved to sit on the floor at the side of the bed. She wanted to be close to Danny, but she felt in the way if she sat on the bed. There were too many tubes now. Before he could have been mistaken for just sleeping. But now he really was looking like a coma patient. It made it hard to watch him, even though she refused to leave.

A short time later Jason was knocking on the doorframe to announce his presence, causing Jazz to look up.

“...Hey,” she greeted, a little confused.

“Hey,” Jason returned, “Just checking in. You need anything?” A half lie. He’d actually volunteered to hang out for a while to make sure the hemoperfusion process was going well. Luckily it looked like Danny’s vitals hadn’t changed much from two hours ago.

Jazz blinked in mild surprise at the offer, but even after thinking for a moment she couldn’t come up with anything. Part of her knew there were probably a multitude of things that she should be at least curious about, but mostly she just felt tired. The near quiet of the room while she knew everyone was okay and having fun was nice. She was content to just relax as well as she could for now. “No, I’m good,” she responded.

Jason didn’t quite believe her, his brow raising. “Says the girl sitting on the floor wearing random spare clothes borrowed from someone else, and doing nothing but stare at the other side of the room,” he commented dryly with a half smirk, stepping into the room and taking a seat on the floor near Jazz.

The comment caught Jazz off guard, but she could only give a small giggle. She probably did look at least a little unwell huh. “...I guess I just haven’t fully realized I’m safe yet,” she admitted. “It’s hard to think about anything.”

“Fair enough,” Jason accepted, being able to understand the feeling. “...Do you mind if I ask you something then?”

Another mild surprise, but Jazz just nodded after a moment. “Sure.”

“You mentioned before…” Jason started, thinking back to something Jazz had said before lunch, “that your parents tried to hurt Danny before they knew….” The reminder was potentially a very unhappy topic, but it was prodding he felt was necessary. Were they safe at home? Were they runaways? Were their parents involved with the ones that had hurt Danny recently? They needed to know if it was a good idea to try and get these kids back to their family or not. And if he was going to keep Jazz company and monitor the hemoperfusion process he didn’t feel like spending the time in silence.

“....Yeah… Our parents used to be ghost hunters,” Jazz admitted, a sorrowful smile as she stared at her hands. It seemed she was in the mood to talk, for she continued unprompted. “We grew up with their crazy antics. Making machines that could track down and destroy ghosts. Always talking about dissecting them, or using them as a power source. They had so many studies supporting the idea that ghosts were just residual emotions from people, given human form, but not actually human. So many things that convinced others that ghosts weren’t people anymore.”

“And yet… all it took was them finding out that Danny was half ghost, half dead, and it made them rethink everything they had developed. He was fourteen when… And I didn’t find out until a few months later. I didn’t even tell him I knew, because I knew if I did he would get scared. Why wouldn’t he, after all? With the idea that his mom and dad might cut into him just to satiate their curiosity looming over his head. It was an accident that they found out, and I was so scared he was going to run away. But mom just tried her best to treat him like Danny, and nothing else. Dropped her gun and told us we should go home and get a snack, because we were probably hungry. It…. it was enough to keep him home, but it wasn’t enough for everything to be okay. It was like everyone was trying to pretend everything was normal, but we all knew it wasn’t. They stopped doing their experiments. Started pretending they were oblivious to anything related to ghosts. It was awful. I felt so… so useless.”

“It was months of this stupid, awkward fake normal family facade before it finally broke. Danny accidentally got burned when mom was cooking, and she had a breakdown. We found out that our dad was okay with everything, but mom was having a hard time because she couldn’t believe that she had hurt Danny before. Even if she didn’t know it was him. But, after she had a really long talk with my brother, things started to look more normal again. Only this time, instead of being ghost hunters my parents dove headfirst into trying to figure out how to help ghosts. We realized we couldn’t take Danny to the doctors anymore, so my parents and I tried to make sure we could fill in that role. Mom would try all sorts of new, ectoplasm rich meals for him, making sure they tasted good to him. She started making smoothies for him every morning once she found ones he liked. On top of helping him study for school every day when there weren’t other ghosts causing trouble. There’s so many nights I found them asleep together on the couch. Danny was always mom’s favorite, and I think dad got jealous about how close they got. Until Danielle came back from her world exploration adventures and Danny convinced her to officially meet my parents. Then Dad and Danielle latched onto each other so quickly, and became inseparable.”

The retelling had seemed a little painful at first, but it was easy to see that Jazz was at least content with the way her family life was now. It wasn’t perfect, but then again families never were. Jason couldn’t help notice the tone of voice she took when talking about her parents favoring her siblings. She didn’t seem too upset, but there definitely wasn’t complete indifference to the facts. “...Does it make you upset? Having your siblings be your parents’ favorites?” he couldn’t help asking.

Jazz could only snicker at the question, falling quiet for a beat before answering. “Sometimes,” she admitted, then looked over with a mildly mischievous grin that made Jason semi think of Danielle. “But then I remember I’m Danny’s favorite, and I’m usually okay.”

The proud declaration made Jason snicker, glad to hear she had at least one thing keeping her from devolving into jealousy. She didn’t seem to want to talk much more though, and Jason wanted to leave the conversation on a happier note and therefore didn’t ask about the ‘Guys in White’ Danielle had mentioned before. So instead, after another stretch of quiet, he just chose to reassure her. “... He’ll be okay.”

Jazz didn’t answer immediately, drawing in a sigh and letting it go. She seemed to be doing much better as the day had stretched on, handling the news that Danny had poison throughout his bloodstream much better than the suggestion of drawing his blood. And being reassured that he would be okay, she gained a smile. “... He better be,” she commented, gaining a glint in her eye that Jason had seen in others he knew. “Otherwise the government back home will have to deal with a new super villain family.”

The comment only caught Jason slightly off guard, eyes widening just for a moment as he looked at Jazz before bursting into a hearty laugh. “Fair enough,” he agreed. The son of a family getting killed by the government was a legit enough back story for super villains in his opinion.

_______________________

lil bit of home situation dump and hopefully the last bit of the part that was giving me trouble. Nice to get to draw Jason without the suit XD though I almost forgot to draw the bandage on his fingers.

_______________________

Tag list: @galaxy-sharks-and-bottled-ships, @starscreamlover, @nerdynonnativenarnian, @dragongoblet, @megacharizardx99

@bellathecatastrophe, @cj-ghostemoji-destielpie, @asexual-insomniac, @wolfeyedwitch, @tkiesai, 

@fanaroff, @raven1508, @nebulainajar, @serasvictoria02, @oliocelottafanfics,

@honeysuckletook, @omniithe-deer, @wolf-under-the-stars, @gingernutcalo, @that-random-fangirl,

@op-sys-chaos, @kirasigncomics, @ehobep

[tinydefector]

Perceptor Rut cycle

Warnings: smut, cockwarming, heat/rut cycle, size kink.

Word count 1.9k

Masterlist

Rut cycle fics

Percpetor Masterlist

_________

Perceptor had busied himself with running more energon samples along with blood samples from multiple of the humans in hopes of being able to make a hormone blocker so that the scent of humans wouldn't affect the cybertronians as it had been. "How's the samples coming along for blockers?" The human sitting off to the side asked while another vial of blood was being drawn from them. Perceptor's optics flickered as he processed the question, his CPU momentarily struggling to focus on the task at hand. The scent of pheromones in the air was making it increasingly difficult to concentrate on his work. Despite his best efforts to maintain his composure, the primal instincts of his biology were beginning to assert themselves.

He takes a deep vent as he clears his vocal processor before responding, his voice slightly strained, "The samples are progressing as expected. The blockers should be ready for distribution soon, I'm just currently missing some vital components." Perceptor could feel the heat building within his circuits, a sensation that was both unfamiliar and disorientating. He's slowly with his steps towards the humans, servos shake slightly As he disconnects the butterfly needle. “Please hold pressure on your arm with a cotton ball until it stops, I wouldn't recommend Moving to much for a few minutes”

As he continued with his analysis, Perceptor couldn't help but steal glances at them. Their presence seemed to exacerbate his current state, their proximity stirring something deep within him, but he needed them in the lab so he had help testing the blockers. Their blood was one of the main focus points outside of sweat. As he continued his work, Perceptor couldn't shake the sickly sweet scent that emanated from them. It had his processor spinning and a deep whine leaves him as he shutters his optics and takes a moment to try and steady himself. Though the situation was far from ideal, he couldn't deny the strange sense of gratitude that welled up within his spark for their presence, they were risking a lot for him, and the autobots to help with the project.

After a few minutes they stand up and slowly make their way over towards Perceptor as he test the next blood samples with some other mixes in hopes that it would be the breakthrough with a strong mix. The first few ones he had made and tested had slowly been fading and he needed a way to make the effects last longer than an hour at a time.

Their eyes linger on the different vials that Perceptor had accumulated. "I never realised how pretty Energon is and the difference mixes with other elements" they hum while watching the different vials react to the different chemical compounds, metals and also their blood. "What's in this vial?" They ask while pointing at the main one Perceptor had been working on. Perceptor's systems buzzed with heightened awareness as they approached, their presence sending a jolt of electricity through his circuits. He tried to maintain his focus on the task at hand, but the intoxicating scent that emanated from them was proving to be a distracting challenge.

"This vial contains a mixture of cobalt, titanium energon compounds and supplements. I'm trying to find the best mixture to inhibit the pheromone reaction associated with the cybertorian mating cycle," Perceptor explained, his voice steady despite the tremors starting to rack his frame. “I've tested other compounds but this is the mixture which seems to be working the most effectively thus far, but I'm theorising a way to ensure it lasts longer or atleast a full cycle.

his vocal processor momentarily faltered under the weight of his internal turmoil. "Please... forgive my... momentary lapse in focus," Perceptor managed to say, his voice strained with effort. "The... scent... it's... quite potent." He forced himself to meet the human's gaze servo moving towards another vial of the much weaker mixture. He takes a mouthful of it before trying to focus back in on his lab results over the next batch.

They give him a worried smile knowing that there wasn't much either of them could do due to the situation. He needed them there for blood testing. They slowly rummage through their pockets pulling out a small container of nicotine pouches. "Doubt this will help but try it" they state while holding two of the pouches out for Perceptor to take. "You put them in your mouth" Preceptor's systems buzzed with gratitude. "Thank you," Perceptor replied, his voice tinged with a rare note of appreciation. He accepted the pouches with a careful nod, his fingers deftly taking hold of the tiny items before placing them in his intake.

As he allowed the nicotine pouches to take effect, Perceptor felt a sense of calm wash over him, the mixture of both the text blocker and Nicotine helped to at least calm his systems enough to get the stronger mix finished. A fleeting respite from the overwhelming desires that had been clouding his thoughts was a relief. His servos sake less as he works quickly with the next blood samples trying the main mix with some others. It's nearly two hours later before the effect begins wearing off again. As he worked diligently on the blood tests, his servos started to get shaky again. Preceptor's sensors heightened, the need to claim the human helping him slowly leaks its way back into his processor. “Time” he calls out as his assistant and test subject takes the time down. “Doing better than the last lot, you've gained an extra 36 minutes and 19 seconds” they reply.

Perceptor felt the familiar ache in his spark. And yet, as his sensors clamoured for him to take them as his mate, a part of Perceptor acknowledged the undeniable truth, he wasn't going to be able to get this batch finished in time. His own scenes were working overtime and his restraint was too.

"Percy?" They call out watching him with slight worry. "How can I help?" They finally ask and it makes a whine leave his vocalizer. He needed them desperately, He fought to maintain his composure, his plating shuddering with the overwhelming need that threatened to consume him. The pooling of lubricant in his interface array had him desperate for some sort of release. With a voice strained with desire, Perceptor managed to respond, "I... I don't know if... if you can help. The rut cycle... it's... it's consuming me."

"Sit down, open up, I'm gonna try and help you " they call out while moving closer to him. The moment their hands touch his plating it has him letting out a sharp vent, optics flickering as a keen leaves his vocalizer. Perceptor obediently sat down, his frame trembling. As he opened his interface panel, he felt a surge of heat radiate through him, as his spike pressurised, the anticipation of what was to come sending a thrill down his spinal strut.

his optics locked with theirs as they move over and climb into his lap, his back arches at the feeling of small hands against his spike a loud moan leaves him. "Is it gonna help you focus if I sit on your spike while you try and work?" They ask, but the sweet scent of their hormones, pheromones and arousal has his spike already weeping transfluid.

With a voice strained with need, Perceptor managed to respond, "I... I don't know if... if it will help me focus, but..." His words trailed off as moans again.

"Easy Percy, let me help you" they coo while discarding their clothing. They move back towards him grabbing his spike, They slowly tease it between their thighs before slowly sinking down onto it with a hiss. Their back presses to his chassis as a full body shutter racks his form. The sensation of their warmth enveloping him, has a choked noise of need leaves him.

"I'm going to sit here and you're going to work on the blockers, if it gets too much just let me know" they call to him as one of his servos moves to grip their hips, slowly grinds his spike into them. A whimpered moan leaves him as he slumps his helm to rest against their shoulder "Understood," Perceptor responded. His servo gripped their hips, guiding their movements as he slowly ground his spike into them slightly harder. His other servo busies itself with added other metals and powders into other vials.

And as he worked on the new formula, his spike grinding into the human with restraint, Little moans and gasps leave their lips with each grind from Perceptor, one of their hands grips the lens scope as he pulls them back down on his spike. Preceptor's other servo digs into the bench leaving a dent in the metal as he slowly bounces them atop his spike, the gasp, Moan and clenching hard around his spike.

"The missing elements..." Perceptor managed to mumble to himself, his voice strained as he pressed his lips to their shoulder. They throw their head back giving him more skin to lick and nip at, a pathetic whimper leaves them as he catches their lips in a hungry kiss. Perceptor's systems overloaded with a surge of primal desire His frame quivered with a raw, animalistic need as he deepened the kiss, With a low growl rumbling in his vocalizer, his grip tightened on their hip, pulling them closer to him as he allowed his instincts to guide him. The scent of their arousal, the taste of their lips, fueled the fire burning within him.

"Oh God!, Perceptor!" They cry out as he snaps his hips into them, the slick sound of his frame slamming into them has him purring in delight as they clench around him like a vice. Perceptor's vocalizer emitted a low, guttural growl at the cry of his name, he snapped his hips with rough urgency, each movement punctuated by the slick, intoxicating sound of his frame slamming into them. "So good for me," Perceptor's voice rumbled with desire. "Taking me so well." he couldn't help but purr in delight at the sensation of their tightness.

With each powerful thrust, he sought to imprint himself upon them, to claim them as his, Only his. They cry out loudly as he bites down on their shoulder, their orgasm racking thier body and they clench around Perceptor, sobbed moans leave them as he hits his own release. A guttural groan rumbling in his vocalizer, Perceptor reached the peak of his own pleasure, A loud snarl leaves him as he perks his hips into them dragging them back down as he lets out a hot vented air against their body.

They two stay locked against each other as they pant. Bright pink transfluid drips from them, down into Preceptor's lap into the chair they are both sat on. They let out a shaky breath before they speak. "I hope that helped '' they call out while rolling their head back to smile up at Perceptor. His systems hummed with contentment as they remained entwined in the aftermath of their passionate union. Perceptor's own optics softened at the sight of their smile. "It did," Perceptor responded, his voice a mix of gratitude and sincerity. When they try to pull away Perceptor grips their hips holding them still against his spike not ready to let go of them yet. “your going to say there until I've finished working” he mumbles to them as he presses a kiss to their shoulder

_____________

Let me know if you would like to be added to tag list (tagged for every fic)

Taglist

@angelxcvxc

@saturnhas82moons

@kgonbeiden

@murkyponds

@autobot79

@buddee

@bubblyjoonjoon

@chaihena

@pyreemo

@lovenotcomputed

@mskenway97

@delectableworm

@cheesecaketyrant

@ladyofnegativity

@desertrosesmetaldune

@stellasfallow

@coffee-or-hot-cocoa

@shinseiokami

@tea-loving-frog

@aquaioart

[no-psi-nan]

Now that I've been thinking about Kusuke more, I think I can better articulate what makes Kusuke different from Makoto.

My latest understanding is that while Makoto doesn't think he's doing anything wrong and wants to escalate his involvement with his sister, there's a lot of evidence that Kusuke is actually trying to END his weird fascination with his brother and shift to a normal sibling relationship.

To support this theory, I'm gonna roughly describe Kusuke's appearances / timeline and what I think his motivations were.

Obviously this all starts when Kusuo is born. Pretty normal sibling rivalry for a while, though it escalates as they both get older and stronger and their parents don't stop them.

Kusuke creates the limiters. One limiter was supposed to stop Saiki's powers while inserted, and the other one was to keep Kusuo hostage for their games. I believe Kusuke thought that by suppressing Kusuo's powers, he could establish the "proper" hierarchy of older brother beating younger brother. But it wouldn't be a complete win for him without beating Saiki at full power, so the second limiter ensures Saiki will still compete with him. Kusuke's trying to get better at games and fighting, so he's thinking that if he can beat Kusuo with the limiter in, then he just has to train until he can beat Kusuo with the limiter out.

Up till this point, there's no evidence that there was any sexual component going on. And conveniently, right as he would be hitting puberty, Kusuke high-tailed it to Cambridge. At this time he still thought that by working with other scientists, they could figure out how to completely remove Kusuo's powers.

After that, Kusuke doesn't make an appearance until Kusuo goes to him about the broken limiter. He's left cameras all over the Saiki house which is bizarre and wrong, but to be slightly fair to him, he grew up without any privacy due to Telepathy, so it kinda makes sense. And technically if something went wrong with Kusuo, Kusuke is the only person who could help, so it would make sense that he should keep an eye on things. Still fucked, but he's not exactly an ethical guy overall.

Once Kusuo needs his help, Kusuke tests to see if he can finally beat Kusuo conclusively. He hasn't done this since he left Japan, and it's actually entirely possible that this is the first time that he ever reacted like that to a loss. Still, despite apparently having the best time of his life, he's annoyed enough by the next morning to bully Nendo and Kaido for no reason. Perhaps he realized that his excitement was messed up??

After this, Kusuke doesn't show up again for a while, except to warn Kusuo and their parents that there was a defective part in the limiter. The fact that Kusuo accidentally screwed up the past and met the WWIII AU Dr. Kusuke isn't technically Kusuke's fault and was definitely not his intention.

Almost every single Kusuke appearance after this point is directly related to The Final Game, in which Kusuke will defeat Kusuo in a super epic battle and then cement his dominance forever (and destroy the rivalry / humiliation kink potential) by slam-dunking the power deleter into Kusuo's brain.

Kusuke's next appearance is scamming his grandpa. Not very nice, but I think he was actually testing how much his grandpa loves him before moving in with his grandparents and launching his "elderly robot gang" plan of attack on Kusuo. Notice that his grandmother, who Kusuke likes better and brings gifts for, doesn't get put in a robot suit later on, she gets eternal youth like she wanted (well, at least Kusuke's best shot at it). But Grandpa was definitely going to be used against Kusuo as a hostage and to Kusuke it's justified because his Grandpa doesn't love him.

The elderly robot gang plan is revealed and fails, so Kusuke has to think of some other way to defeat Kusuo in a super cool matter.

In the next new year's chapter, both Kusuke and Teruhashi show up at the Saiki household. It's not clear why Kusuke showed up (perhaps he just wanted to hang out with his family and mess with Kuniharu), but he does seem to test whether Teruhashi could be good hostage material - the grandpa plan failed and we know he later recruits Toritsuka. Luckily for Teruhashi, she's able to prove that she is NOT to be messed with, so that's another angle that's been shut down.

Next Kusuke sends the birthday bomb trials. This is explicitly to measure Kusuo's strength as Kusuke comes up with the perfect counter weapons. He's not trying to kill Kusuo after all, and later he actually gets nervous that the cat tank blast might be too powerful.

Then there's the KochiKame parody chapter, where Kusuke has a little fun getting Kuniharu his job back. No attempts to mess with Kusuo in this one and they interact super normally.

Then Warp the robot cat debuts. Since roboticizing humans didn't work for him, it seems Kusuke is going all-in on developing robots with as much functionality stuffed into them as possible. While Warp also serves as a gift for Kurumi, I think its also a step towards developing Kusuomega.

Ok there's also a chapter where Kusuke tries to get his grandma to divorce his grandpa. Just Kusuke being an asshole lol.

Kusuomega appears!! Since Kusuke's original plan was to throw a bunch of robot old people at Kusuo, it makes sense to test whether throwing a bunch of normal robots at Kusuo would work. Yeah, making Kusuomega lick his shoes is fucking bizarre and making him "fully featured" is also messed up. But Kusuke does also have to prove that he's willing and able to make Kusuomega do freaky shit at Kusuo's school to "properly motivate" Kusuo to fight back at full power. Kusuke puts a lot of effort into ensuring Kusuo doesn't half-ass their games and fights, going all the way back to the installation of the limiters.

Kusuomega was easily defeated, but instead of making more robots, Kusuke realizes he can use Toritsuka as both a weapon and a hostage. He immediately gets to work on that.

Then the cat tank arc, The Final Game. Kusuke was going to win Once And For All.

Except he didn't. Still, he gives Kusuo the option of whether to use the power deleter or not, without the leverage of publicizing his powers. Kusuke has accepted that he can't beat Kusuo, and that he's never going to get another chance to beat him full strength, because he knows Kusuo is going to use that power deleter. This is the ultimate sacrifice for Kusuke, since Kusuo's powers are his one interest and passion in life.

From then on, Kusuke is completely cooperative, helping Kusuo with the volcano problem and giving him genuine advice in trying to prevent his powers from returning. Naturally he gets a little excited at the prospect that Kusuo's powers might be back, but he does respect Kusuo's attempts to deny them back out of existence, setting up Kuniharu to fight the meteor instead of insisting Kusuo do it, even if this might mean they all die.

So in summary, it seems like:

Normal sibling rivalry -> limiters to try to end sibling rivalry -> escape to England -> Kusuo shows up so Kusuke tries to beat him for the first time in years and gets off on the loss -> Kusuke works towards a final conclusive game where he can win and then delete Kusuo's powers

While Kusuke justifies it as older siblings should always be superior to younger siblings, he clearly senses there's something wrong about their dynamic and he works hard to "fix" it in the only way he knows how: with an overwhelming win. And when even his biggest efforts fail, he accepts that he'll never win this way and lets go of their rivalry, shifting into a more normal sibling relationship. And Kusuo recognizes that and even seeks his help with the volcano for the first time.

So while their situation is definitely fucked for most of the series and Kusuke definitely did pretty much everything wrong... Things aren't QUITE as bad as they seem and it looks like the "bro-con" issue is gone by the end of canon.

Which sets Kusuke pretty far from Makoto, imo, who never recognizes for a second that his attraction is problematic and that even if that wasn't his sister, he should never treat another person that way.

Anyways, I figured it might be helpful to explain my thinking on Kusuke in more detail like this, so hopefully this was interesting and makes sense!

[arkaniske]

Say it like you Mean It

AO3 Link \\\ Chapter Three: Bluebells

2500 words \ SFW \ Jayvik

Tw: blood, blisters.

Beta read by @kitcatkim

Summary: Five times Jayce brought flowers for Viktor and one time Viktor brought flowers for Jayce.

This was how he found his third flower to gift. He had spent another hour scrambling through the language of flowers, finger tracing over every word until he found exactly what he needed. More words he couldn’t bring himself to say out loud, but could could weave into petals and stems.

Chapter One: Daffodils \\\ Chapter Two: Sunflowers Chapter Three: Bluebells \\\ Chapter Four: Gardenias Chapter Five: Camellia \\\ Chapter Six: Red Camellias Chapter Seven: Language of Flowers

The lab was quiet, save for the low buzz of machinery and the occasional scrape of tools against metal. Jayce was hunched over his workstation once more, trying his best to focus on the intricate wiring of the device in front of him. He was supposed to be testing the power flow of one of their Hextech prototypes, but his thoughts kept straying from circuits to sunflowers.

It wasn’t like him to get distracted like this, and all over flowers? They were such a simple thing, yet somehow, picking them out had consumed his mind. He’d spent nearly two hours reading through his book yesterday, taking notes and making lists. The language of flowers had become his quiet obsession, each bloom a chance to say something he didn’t have the courage to put into words just yet.

What if I’m doing too much? What if I’m being annoying? Jayce thought, adjusting a tiny wire with his pliers. Daffodils were fine, same with the sunflowers. He seemed to like them? Are roses too much? Yes. Yes they are too much, don’t even think about it.

He frowned, biting his lip as he flicked a switch on the device. A faint hum told him it was powering up. He glanced across the lab to Viktor, scribbling notes in his ever-present notebook, his focus sharp and uninterrupted. He always made it seem so effortless, every move deliberate and calculated. Jayce found himself staring at his partner’s hands again, his own tightening slightly around his tools.

He probably thinks it’s ridiculous. Jayce thought, his stomach twisting. Bringing flowers into a lab like some… lovesick puppy. He sighed, dragging a hand halfway down his face before processing his own thoughts. Ok. Hold on. Lovesick? That’s a new thought, maybe not lovesick, that sounds like a lot. Maybe I just want him to know how much I appreciate him, and everything he does and is, and how I kind of want to wake up with him next to me and oh! Make breakfast for him, bring him his sweet milk while he’s snuggled up on my couch, maybe also like hold hands and maybe a kis—

The hum from the device grew louder, turning into a strained whine. Before Jayce could even react a sharp crack filled the air, followed by a burst of sparks.

Jayce’s head snapped up just in time to see the consequences of overloading the power regulator. The wires were becoming too hot, insulation burning away as the circuit surged with unstable energy. It glowed an ominous orange and sparks arced between wires like tiny lightning bolts, threatening to cascade into the rest of the system. The device sputtered violently, heat radiating from its surface.

“Jayce!” Viktor’s voice rang out sharply, cutting through the chaos. Before Jayce could react, Viktor was already moving. Panic rose quickly as the acrid scent of burning insulation and scorched metal filled the air.

“Wait, Viktor, don’t-“ Jayce started, but was too late.

Without hesitation, Viktor reached for the exposed wires. The heat radiating from the device made Jayce flinch, but Viktor’s hand remained steady. His fingers moved quickly with calculated precision, gripping the wires just above the sparking nodes to break the current without spreading the surge to nearby components. His knowledge of the circuitry made the dangerous act look deceptively simple but Jayce couldn’t ignore the way arcs of energy snapped at Viktor’s fingers.

The surge collapsed with a crackling hiss, the systems core flickering for a moment before shutting down entirely. Smoke curled up from the wires, leaving a sharp tang in the air.

An angry swear filled with uncontrolled pain rang through their lab. The damage was done. Viktor yanked his hand back with a sharp hiss, his fingers curling instinctively as he staggered back a few steps from the device.

Jayce rushed forward, his heart pounding as his eyes locked on Viktor’s hand. The skin of his fingertips was red and blistered, shiny with the beginnings of burns from the intense heat he had exposed himself to. A thin, jagged cut ran diagonally across his palm where one of the wires exposed edges had bitten into his skin. Blood welled from the cut, trailing down his wrist in thin, uneven rivulets before pooling in small drops on the floor.

“Shit!” Jayce’s voice cracked as he reached for Viktor, fingers gently placed along the back of his injured hand, careful to not touch the cut. “Viktor, are you-“

“I am fine.” Viktor said quickly, his voice tight but controlled. Another swear escaping, this time hushed and more frustrated than anything as he pulled his hand back. Jayce could see his partner’s jaw clenching from the reaction to pain, even in this moment Viktor tried to stay calm. “It is minor burns, nothing serious.”

“Nothing serious?” Jayce’s eyes widened, trying not to raise his voice in disbelief. “V, you’re bleeding, and your fingers are - sit down, please. Let me-“

“Jayce.” Viktor’s voice softened as he attempted to wave off the concern. His non-injured hand curling around the wrist of his other hand as if he could starve off the source of pain. “It looks worse than what it is.” Viktor muttered, his jaw tight. “It is pain. It will pass.”

Jayce shook his head, guilt and panic swirling into a sickening storm in his chest. “You’re not brushing this off.” He said firmly, his voice low but resolute. “Sit. Please.” It came out more as a plead than a request. His bleeding heart on his sleeve as he almost felt dizzy with guilt.

For a moment Viktor hesitated, his golden eyes narrowing slightly as if considering whether to argue. But whatever he saw in Jayce’s expression made him relent. With a quiet sigh he sank into the nearest chair, his injured hand cradled against his chest.

Jayce didn’t waste a second. He was quick to grab the small first-aid kit from their storage and hurried back to his partner side. He crouched down in front of the man, pulse still thrumming in his ears with adrenaline as he opened the kit. He was by no means proficient in medicine, but years of experience in the lab had made him no stranger to cuts and burns. Quickly he got everything he needed out of the bag, antiseptic wipes, gauze and a roll of bandages.

“Let me see.” Jayce finally lifted his eyes, his voice even softer as guilt ate away at the edges of his words.

Viktor sharply inhaled, but still he extended his injured hand. The faintest tremble betraying the pain he was trying to hide. A small twitch to his upper lip told Jayce just what he needed to know.

Jayce took Viktor’s hand delicately, cradling it in his larger one as though it was cracked porcelain. The warmth of Viktor’s skin was a sharp contrast to the cold antiseptic wipe. His gaze flicked over the burns and cuts, wincing as his chest tightened further. The blisters on the tips of Viktor’s fingers were raw and angry, the heat having seared delicate skin. The harsh cut across his palm wasn’t deep enough to scar, but it was still enough to sting. To become a reminder of how close they’d come to something worse.

“This isn’t just ‘nothing’, Viktor.” Jayce said quietly, his brows furrowing as he began gently cleaning the wound. He dabbed the cut with the antiseptic wipe, his touch as light as he could manage. His movement stopping with every twitch or hitch of Viktor’s breath.

“I’ve dealt with worse.” Viktor answered just before flinching as the wipe neared the center of his palm. His voice was steady despite the way his free hand gripped the arm of the chair, knuckles turning white.

“That does not mean this won’t hurt.” Jayce muttered, glancing up at him briefly. “Please, let me take care of you.”

Viktor didn’t respond immediately, his gaze shifting to the floor. Jayce continued working in silence, carefully wrapping the gauze around Viktor’s palm. His fingers brushing against Viktor’s skin as he secured the bandage with a strip of tape. He continued by applying a mild scented ointment to the tips of his partners fingers, covering the burns and gaining a soft sigh of relief from the man above.

“There.” Jayce said softly, leaning back on his heels to look at Viktor’s hand. “That should hold for now but…” He hesitated for a moment, worried about overstepping their unestablished boundaries. “You have to let it heal. You can’t push through this like you do everything else.”

Viktor’s lips twitched into the faintest semblance of a smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You know me better than that, Jayce.” His tone dragged with dry amusement gaining him a huff from Jayce.

“Yeah. I know. That’s why I’m saying it, hoping one day you might listen.” He lingered for a moment, his gaze flickering to Viktor’s hand again, as if double-checking his work.

“Thank you.” Viktor said after a moment of silence, voice quiet but sincere. His hand turned in Jayce’s grip, a gentle press of their palms.

Jayce’s chest tightened at the words, the surprising warmth in Viktor’s tone chasing away the lingering guilt. He looked back up, eyes meeting Viktor’s. For a split second he could swear he felt the ever so gentle caress of an uninjured finger across his wrist. “Anytime.” His voice barely above a whisper.

For a moment the air between them felt heavy with something unspoken. Viktor’s gaze lingered on Jayce’s, studying him as though searching for something. Jayce felt his breath hitch, the weight of Viktor’s attention making his heart skip a beat.

The silence stretched, not uncomfortable, but charged. As if the static from the failed experiment was still dancing between them. Viktor’s golden gaze, sharp and calculating, softened slightly, and edge dulled by curiosity or perhaps something else Jayce couldn’t name.

Viktor’s uninjured hand shifted slightly, fingers twitching as if they might reach out. Jayce’s gaze dropped momentarily to the faint movement before snapping back up, catching the faintest flicker of hesitation in Viktor’s expression.

“Jayce.” Viktor said at last, his voice low, almost quiet enough to be lost in the hum of the lab. His lips parted as though to say more, but instead, he simply let his injured hand rest more fully in Jayce’s grip. A deliberate weight that sent a ripple of electricity down Jayce’s spine, a shiver following after.

Jayce swallowed hard, his throat dry, his voice stuck somewhere between his chest and lips. The air between them thickened again, pressing closer. If he just moved an inch, if he just straightened his back, if he just leaned in a little closer —

Viktor blinked, and the spell was broken. He leaned back in his chair, expression settling back to its usual measured calm. “We should finish the diagnostics on the prototype, yes?” He said, though his voice carried an unspoken warmth that lingered in the space they had just shared.

Jayce nodded, his voice lost while he quickly gathered up the first-aid kit. The lingering warmth of Viktor’s touch stayed with him as he returned the kit to its place. For the rest of the day he found himself stealing glances at Viktor.

\\\

Later, as he replayed the day’s events, Jayce found himself flipping through his book of flowers with newfound purpose. This was how he found his third flower to gift. He had spent another hour scrambling through the language of flowers, finger tracing over every word until he found exactly what he needed. Gratitude. Care. Protection. More words he couldn’t bring himself to say out loud, but could could weave into petals and stems.

The next day, Jayce entered the lab with a small bouquet tucked under his arm. Bluebells, delicate and vibrant. The flowers were understated but full of meaning, a quiet apology and a promise all in one. He didn’t even hesitate as he stepped into the lab.

His eyes quickly found Viktor’s, sitting by the blackboard with a mug of something sweet smelling in his hand. The injured hand resting across his lap, now with a proper wrapping of bandages and bandaids. The mans eyes flickering from Jayce’s face and to the bouquet. A small, knowing smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

“Another one?” Viktor asked, setting his mug on a desk before leaning back slightly in his chair. His voice carried its usual dry amusement, but this time there was an unmistakable warmth in his tone that made small sparks flicker in Jayce’s chest.

“Yeah!” Jayce answered, surprised at the softness in his tone. He stepped forward, holding the bouquet out toward his partner. “I wanted to say thank you. For, uh, yesterday. I realised… If you hadn’t stepped in it might have blown up in my face. Although I wish it had not been at the expense of your safety and hand. Just- I… Yeah. Thank you. It is appreciated, you are appreciated. And I am so, so very sorry about not being more careful with the power regulator, I will do better. I don’t even know what came over me not reacting, or seeing the signs.”

Viktor could barely keep up with the ramble of words Jayce produced, yet he took the flowers with a soft chuckle. Resting it in his lap to give one of the bells a gentle flick with one of his non-injured fingers. “These are bluebells, yes?” A sound of wonder followed as Viktor studied the flowers.

“Your apology is not needed, though if it makes you feel better I will accept it.” Viktor watched as the last bits of tension bled out of Jayce’s shoulders. A softness settled between their stolen glances.

“Wait, does this mean you’ll take it easy on yourself while you are healing?” Jayce could feel himself perk up, pushing his luck ever so slightly.

“Do you think flowers will keep me from overworking myself, Jayce?” The dry, unamused tone somewhat of a comfort. Knowing they had fallen back to their usual rhythm.

“Viktor, if I thought it would I would bring you a whole garden.”

Viktor’s lips quirked upward, the barest hint of a smirk tugging at his mouth. His eyes lingered on Jayce for a beat longer than necessary before returning to his work, leaving Jayce with a faint flush and racing heart.

“Back to work, Talis. There is much to be done.” His tone unmistakably weaved with affection. And if Jayce noticed the faint flush creeping over the back of Viktor’s neck, who was he to point it out with his own cheeks in full bloom.

[xenosagaepisodeone]

the people who made (and people who update) the disturbing movie iceberg should be flogged for successfully getting a significant number of people to catalogue actual Films like Martyrs (2008) as the same thing as ogrish live death footage mixtapes. technically the race to the bottom to see the most horrible thing that could happen to someone on film has always existed in some form or other, but the cottage industry propped up around digitalized death is something that a lot of viewers dont even understand theyre participating in. the guys who frankenstein together death mixtapes sell them for real money, youtubers react to them or talk about them for millions of views and ad revenue, and regular people are primed by this whole transaction to view media like this as an endurance test instead of the suffering of real people being monetized. It's not really a coincidence that a lot of the clips are seemingly sourced from the global south either. victims of freak accidents or violent crimes are rarely granted privacy or reprieve, but I imagine that the outrage would at least be greater if most of the content of these videos were sourced from Your Town, USA or whatever instead of latin america or SE asia. there's a grotesque chauvinism to what is already a very demoralizing phenomena of gazing slack-jawed from your computer at death tailored for mass consumption. It makes the glib narration in Faces of Death (1978) seem poignant.

for years people asked "Does snuff exist?" and the answer was usually "probably", but now it doesn't really matter anymore. The guy making a profit from supplying Cute Dead Girls Volume 14 on private telegram chats is providing the same seedy market component that made people curious about the existence of snuff, but the public's response is "you got anything else I'm so boreeed".

[norriszn]

guysssss the race just dropped an interesting article on their site about mcl's revised front suspension and how it could help both drivers overcome that “numb” feeling in the car. worth a read if you're into tech upgrades and mid-season gains ! and if you're still curious but short on time (or not super into the technical terms i mean i hate to see a lot of terms too), i’ll be posting a quick summary highlighting how this could specifically help landinho.

i already talked a bit about the suspension design in another post & you can read it here <3

alright, no more dodging.

the suspension update involves a small change to the geometry, accompanied by an aerodynamic tweak to manage airflow around the new design.

a lot of yada yada bleh bleh so let's break that sentence down:

a "small change to the geometry" means mcl adjusted the shape or position of the front suspension components, not a total redesign, just a tweak in angles or layout.

aerodynamic tweak = a small change in the bodywork or surfaces to improve how air flows over the car.

pretty sure managing airflow means shaping bodywork or components (like little flaps or vanes) to make sure the air goes where it should go (like cleanly and efficiently)

in case y'all don't get what suspension really means, here's a quick breakdown: suspension keeps the tyres on the ground, which means grip, speed, and control. without it? the car gets bouncy, unstable, and hard to drive. so yeah — suspension = stability and speed over bumps and corners.

moving on....

stella explained that the current car lacks "cueing," meaning it doesn’t give drivers enough feedback to react instinctively, making it harder to drive consistently at the limit + the idea behind the suspension change is to help improve the predictability that they feel.

this issue has particularly affected landinho under braking.

-

(^ source)

"(...) have a different approach to things bc i'm being forced in a way, not being forced by anyone, but in order to perform better i'm being forced to drive in a different way and that i'm not used to and that isn't normal for me at all"

(^ source)

-

so how does this suspension update help lando specifically?

he has struggled more than his teammate under braking, where a numb front end makes the car feel vague and unpredictable. that's my lil guy bread and butter so taking away that strength has probably held him back a lot this season.

the revised suspension should give better feel and response, especially under braking and turning in, the areas where lando likes to push.

if the new geometry really does bring clearer feedback, it might let him trust the car more and commit harder, especially in qualifying where he's said to lose the most time.

^ a comparison bewteen the old design and the new one (ty the race)

^ mcl chase for a more consistent platform also includes a new front wing, set to be tested during practice here in canada

why now?

pretty sure this isn't just aero, it’s a mechanical change, which is more rare and harder to develop mid season.

if it works it could really unlock more consistency and confidence + it's not just for him, but mcl knows if he gets comfortable, he flies.

i needed to add how it went fp1 for future comparisons !

[clalog]

Friendly Collaboration pt.11

Paring: hokeyplayer!sunghoon × onlyfan!reader

Genre: social media!au; academical rivals; smut

Worming: only fans use; smut (mdni please); swearing; probably grammar mistakes (not English speaker/dyslexic)

Synopsis: Sunghoon get obsessed with a only fan creator he casually find on a stressed day and he truly believes he is in love with her even if he never see her face. He doesn't know that behind the screen is his university rival and he doesn't know what kind of deal they'll make

Previous | Next

-I come as fast as I can- Sunghoon said all worried, as if something serious had happened. You find it funny, you never through he would be enthusiastic on the idea of meeting you.

You walk in your room without saying anything and he just follow you there, like a lost puppy. -Sit- You said pointing at the bed and he did, again no question, you are liking it, is a good feeling.

-Your face are not going to be showed- He noded. -I decide everything- He noded. -Want to ask something?- -No- Your mind stop for a couple of second. You have an idea of what to do but you are still not sure if you want this. Sunghoon in objectively beautiful, the way every components of his face is positioned in a perfect way as if he was drawn on using a grill as a guideline. There would not be anything wrong on wanting that lips on you, nothing wrong.

You just go sit on him, your leg on each side. He was surprise by your sudden action, but he welcomed you positioning his arm around your waist, not holding you, more as if he was resting them there. You look at him, this close you notice a small mole on the side of his nose, the cutest things on his face on your opinion.

You kiss him, not slow, already passionate, already testing the way he decide to react, how he would use his tongue in respond of yours. He have some second of hesitation but he was fast as passionate as you were. His hand now actually holding you, trying to make you closer to him. An electric sensation go from the bottom of your back to your neck and then it extend on the rest of your body. Now was your time to try to get closer to him, as if you weren’t already.

Then you suddenly stop, brutally. That was too much, maybe because it was your first kiss with Sunghoon but it was enough. His lips was a little bit open, as if he was still waiting for yours to come back. -This could work.-

You get up positioning the camera on the floor. You still feel Sunghoon lips and hands on you but you try to keep it cool, is no problem since you would feel that again soon.

-I was think about a little pov. I do a video about masturbating about my tutor so we can play as if you were the tutor in question- You explained to him and the fact that you hear him laughing makes you a little angry. What does he have to complain? You are the expert here, is your only fans, is your channel so your idea, your business. When you look at him with an angry face he but his hand in the air. -Sorry, sorry, is just… “masturbating after a study session with the class nerd” is the fist video i saw of yours. Crazy how destiny work- -More like a causality- You put some book on the floor and point to him to sit there and he did. You prefer him like this, when he do everything you said without any comment or question.

-What do you want me to do?- He ask shyly looking at the camera that just started recording. -Nothing, just trust me, ok?- he noded fast making you laugh.

You start kissing him again, the same sensation of before was all around your body. You know the kiss was not visible in the camera but the closeness of the body would and you need to set him in the mood. That was the reason why your hand goes slowly in between his legs, you did not grap it just position yourself there, breaking the kiss for looking at Sunghoon. -Yes, please- after his confirmation then you start holding his dick on his pents first. He close his eyes let his head go back, leaning on the bad. You like the way he was already loosing himself, you like it that much that you have to change your position for close your legs and give yourself some friction know that you were getting wet. You start kissing his neck carefully not leaving any mark, you don’t want to hear his joke if you did it.

When your hand goes under his pents and boxer he made a loud noise. -Shh, it’s ok, can you let me play a little?- His dick was hot at touch, you can feel it, long and thin. -Please- He said once again, that’s the only word you want him to said to you. You take his dick out pushing his pents and boxer a little bit down so it would be easier. You start kissing him and do an handjob at the same time so he can moan in your month.

-Take off everything- You make the order and he executed while you keep watching his haste on the act. He was not lying with the photo, his body look like porcelain, sculpted but not like a gym rat, more like selfcare exercise man cause he want to look good for female gaze, for your gaze.

Then he get his hands on you shirt too, making you take a step away, surprise. -What? You said take of everything, you didn’t specify on who so automatically, it’s both of us- His smirk was hot. You should have know that he would make fun of you a little, he always did. Slowly he comes closer to you all naked and needy, kiss you softly and whispering -Can I- While holding your shirt but one finger, only one, was gently caressed you under it, the chills started at that exact point and went to spread throughout your body. Automatically you noded without stop to look at his eyes who you just notice, never look this dark. You helped him getting you naked, wonder when the table turn; you were the one in charge, how dare him?

Once he finish, you kiss him, so he can’t see you start touching yourself, collecting all your wetness in your hand making purposely loud moan on his month. Your little revenge idea was making you even hornier so you where able to collect a lot of your precome.

After a while you stop both action and smirk at him before putting your hand on his tip making him feel you wetness transfer from your hand to his tip. After looking down you just notice he was holding his base, what a beautiful visual your viewers probably had of you two masturbating while kissing, this is really going to be the best video on your channel.

-What is this?- Seunghoon ask without breath. -It’s me, I can’t touch you bare I need a lubricant so I use myself, want some?- You show him your hand and after some moment of hesitation he lick it. -I think you get mixed up with me- He said know that your precome and his get together in your hand. You notice what he was trying to do and you would not make him get power over you again. -Let me taste- you goes take him in your month. The taste was weird on you tongue, you can clearly understand that there was two different flavors, one almost tasteless at first, but you can feel a bitter aftertaste; the other was too salty, you never know come can taste salty.

You keep doing your blowjob while Seunghoon keep cursing and moaning, you look at him cause the way he turn his eyes backward make you want to give him more, make him so addicted to you that when other girls would try to give him a blowjob he would not even get hard.

You don’t even want to know where this feeling of possessiveness come from, but he ask you to starting this friendly collaboration so there is nothing wrong on wanting obedience.

You where giving him small cat licks when something thin enter you. One finger uncontrollably makes you moan, you give the fault to the exiting of what you where doing and feeling. When the second finger enter you stop your mouth action but keep give him pleasure with your hand. He was so attentive on his finger entering you that he almost didn’t notice you where looking at him. He was red, but not red with embarrassment, red as if he was running a marathon.

-I’m close, can you come with me?- His eyes was open fully, begging you for doing this one favor to him and you would, cause he is the one asking you.

You change position, one in front of the other, he now have three fingers inside you and you were stroking him fast. He start kissing under you ear making you moan louder, hopefully he didn’t understood that is your weakest spot. Your body was so close that your nipples was rubbing on his chest and, as if he know that was the only missing things for making you reach your peak, he start circoling your clint with his thumb.

You stop your action while you where coming on Seunghoon’s hand not making any sound if not you full open month.

You basically fall exhausted on his shoulder so you look at him while his finger come out of your entrance and he use your come for touching himself coming only a couple of second after you.

Seunghoon help you lie down on the ground, breathless but with his arm under your head and his come all over your belly. You close your eyes; you did all of this with Seunghoon? Pain in the ass Seunghoon? And it was fucking good.

You where getting wat again just thinking of it. You want more, but not today, for today it was enough.

You heard him move, turning towerd you, feeling his breath on you face. -Do you want me to clean you up?- You shake your head. -No, I’m dying here, thanks you very much- You keep you eyes closed but the sound of his small laugh was cute, even without seeing his smile with it.

Then the memory of the camera hit you, not that it was a problem, you would edit the video later, cuting eventualy moment where your face was seen end modifing the voice a little, but you can’t have like a 4 hours of you just try to breath again.

-Can you stop the recording, please- he makes a sound of disapproval but his arm left the back of your head. You feel him moving in your room, then you get picked up bridal style, now was your time to make sound of disapproval. -You need to get cleaned up- He said walking out of your room.

There was only one bathroom on your apartment, but for today it was not a problem since none of the girl was there utile later on. You open your eyes when your butt check touch the cold surface of the side of the sink. He ask for a towel for himself first then another one for you later. You looks at him be complity delicate while cleaning you. His pale body was worthy the name prince of ice, full of moles, but you find yourself keep thinking that the nose one is your favorite.

That was the moment when you have a reminder of his previews action he need a smole punishment so you use your long nails and hold a peace of his sholder on two of them before hold tight. After some second he jumps in pain, touch where you left two half moons bleeding. -What was that for?-. -I tell you I was in charge and you agree- After understanding what you mean his shocked face become a grin. -I do everything you say- He justify, putting himself between your legs. -You change my word known exactly what I mean-

-You let me do it-

-Then you try to steal the dominance-

-Me? Never-

-I know what you were doing with the all taste thing-

-You misunderstand me-

-And you touch me- He position himself better, straight his back. -I was caught in the moment, I should have ask consent for that. I’m sorry- You was not talking about that you were just thinking about the way he was trying to steal you dominance with that action too, trying to making you needy for him and not the other way around. You hold his face with your hand. -If I didn’t want that, I would have not let you continue that. But want to makes clear one thing, I make the rules-

-As you wish- He said before kissing you, again you let him be, you like his kiss anyway.

When the kiss stop you start making the rest of the rules clear -Rule number one is like the fist commandment; you would never have another God other then me.- -So we are exclusive?- -If you want to date or have sex with other people, then we broke our friendly collaboration, as you like to call it. I don’t want to be involved in some drama cause of good sex- -Good sex already? We don’t even have sex today- You position your nails on the same spot of before and hurt him again, he fast remove your hand. -Ok, no joke, jesus- -Guess the second rule- -You are the boss?- -Exactly- -Other rules?- He ask showing you a smily face. -Not for now- You stop looking at him. He would challenging you like this all the time, he would fight for the dominance making you do what he want and you know that, even if he agree now he is faking it, and you can’t wait for it, you want this, the idea just exited you.

-Then we have a deal?-

-We have a deal star-

Serie Masterlist | ClaLog Masterlist

⚠️This is a work of fiction, every reference of character sexuality or personality are from the mind of the author for plot purposes and DO NOT describe the real life person

⚠️Everything on this fiction is from the mind of the author, the stolen of the story or parts of it is punishable by law

All banners made by @cafekitsune

Tag List Open

@deobitifull @namdeyuoi @heelovesmeknot @cheese-fri24 @yubinswrld @jungwonsstrawberriesnchocolate @tasnim10 @tobiosbbyghorl @inluvbaechu @nshmrarki @toodeloosoo @who-tf-soddhi @psychotic-girl-666

[diminuel]

I hope the rebound relationship between Doffy and Croco has all the core components of an over-the-top relationship drama.

A one night stand turned into a string of hookups, Croco initially refusing kisses only to become desperate for them after a few weeks. Maybe they get drunk one night and Doffy confesses a desire to be a dad as well as his fear of the kid(s) looking too much like his mom or brother. Later, Croco takes a pregnancy test, and it's positive. While Croco's trying to figure out what to do next, Doffy's planning far into the future, discretely measuring fingers, setting up a flashy proposal and preparing a lengthy speech that momentarily sways Crocodile into saying ‘yes’ only for him to leave Doffy at the alter after *gasp* Dragon calls to reconcile.

Just the epitome of ~drama~

*gigglesnort* I mean that would be funny and leave poor Doflamingo very bitter!

Though I don't think that's what happened. Simply because I tend to enjoy, despite all my silliness, a more subdued, potentially angsty approach to things ;3

While I've had it in my mind that Mini-Mingo is 15, it would probably make more sense if she's 13 post time skip (though potentially older by the time Doflamingo is recruited into Cross Guild), so the breakup and the rebound relationship would take place in tense situations for both Crocodile and Doflamingo.

This wouldn't be the moment to establish enough trust for a romance with hopes for the future. Doflamingo, at that point, might already suspect that his brother is working against him, so if he crossed paths with a warlord of all people, he's going to find that suspicious maybe even if they've previously interacted (possible, Crocodile has to source weapons for the RA from somewhere)

So it'd probably be a "letting off steam" kind of relationship. I can imagine that Doflamingo's always been making advances, maybe even more as a power play than out of genuine interest (not that Croc isn't hot). And usually Crocodile doesn't react to the flirting but if he's maybe a bit drunk and heart-broken he might have a lapse of judgement. (Also, now Doflamingo knows more about him than he wanted him to know. No way was Doflamingo drunk enough to miss that Crocodile doesn't come with the same equipment Doffy does *lol*)

And once that has happened... well, anything can happen. (Maybe this was also Doffy's first time so he's a bit starstruck.)

But yes, I think ultimately Croc does love Dragon, he's got his kids at home, Doflamingo's a bit deranged (especially if he ends up killing his brother), so maybe that's not really the guy to consider as your kids' future (step) dad *lol*

(And then the guy become a warlord himself some years later and now Crocodile has to deal with him again...!!)

[silent-as-the-grave]

Buried in Darkness

Fandom: Baldur's Gate 3 Pairing: Astarion/Gale Content Warnings: Claustrophobia, cave-in, description of minor injuries, description of an anxiety attack Prompt: Written for the Bloodweave Inn's New Years Challenge 2025, for the prompt “Even if I could, and I could, I won’t.”. Length: 1.953 words

Summary: Gale and Astarion fall into a sinkhole during a battle in the Underdark, leaving the pair trapped. Astarion doesn't react well.

-

One moment, they stood atop a cliff in the Underdark, fending off a pair of hook horrors.

The next, the ground beneath them gave way and sent them plummeting with a deafening crack.

Dirt and stone shattered in all directions, and before Gale could even react, the ground ravenously swallowed them whole. He landed hard, the breath knocked from his chest as falling dust and debris filled the air above him. 

Crack. 

Then darkness.

Consciousness returned in bits and pieces, like the scattered fragments of Gale's mind trying to right itself—a muted sound here, a flash of pain there, the scent of blood and ancient rot lingering over it all.  

It took every ounce of willpower and strength the wizard had to force his eyes open, little good that it did.  His human eyes weren't made for the Underdark, even when surrounded by bioluminescent mushrooms, but in this deep darkness, he might as well be blind. 

The cave's cold breath wrapped around him, bitter and cruel, and the stones that had fallen with them pressed against his aching body from all sides.  Gale wanted light, needed it, but the rubble pinned him fast, and he had no idea if he could reach his component pouch for the necessary spell material.

He tried shifting his arm toward his belt, fingers shaking, but the flare of agony along his elbow shut that idea down pretty quickly.

Perhaps it was time for a different tactic.  "Hello?" he called out in a voice much raspier than anticipated.  He coughed, dislodging a thick layer of dust that clung to his lips and beard and the inside of his throat.  "Is—is anyone else there?"

The space around him felt smaller with every passing second—narrower, tighter, suffocating.

But then he heard it.  The faint, high-pitched whine of an injured animal.  The weak scrabbling sounds of claws on rock.

Gale's mind immediately began indexing every single creature he could think of in this cursed place that could possibly have ended up down here with him: locations, strengths, weaknesses, group dynamics, feeding habits, anything that might be of use–

Another sound came: a whimper, one that sliced through the dread with a familiarity born of countless interrupted nights.  He knew that voice.  "Astarion?"

The frenetic noises stopped, at least for the moment.  "...Gale?"

"Yes, I'm here."  Clenching his teeth against the pain, the wizard began to test the debris around him, trying to determine if he had any leeway to move.  "Are you alright?  Or as alright as one might be in these circumstances?  Can you feel any heavy bleeding, or if anything's broken?"

"I… I can't see anything," Astarion rasped, his voice low and shaky.    

Cursing, Gale sucked in his belly to make a little extra space beneath his prone body, thrilled to find that it left him just enough room to shift his other arm toward a familiar leather pouch.  Thank Mystra that he'd enchanted it much in the same way as a Bag of Holding, a thing of convenience that allowed him to simply slide his hand inside and think of the component he needed.  At least he wouldn't have to find the right ingredient by touch alone.

Feeling gritty phosphorus powder trickling through his fingers, Gale pulled it out, tugged at the Weave despite the pain shooting through his fingers, and muttered a hasty, "fiat lux."  

Pop.

A transparent sphere with a soft purple glow snapped into existence only a finger's breadth from his face, leaving his eyes struggling to adjust to the sudden light.

The view once they did almost left him wishing that they hadn't.  

The wizard found himself pinned under a heavy boulder, one only kept from flattening him thanks to nothing short of a miracle—namely the edge of a rocky protrusion in the crevasse's wall that kept the stone from settling firmly atop his body.  A cautious wriggle of his left arm proved unwise; he might not be a healer, but even he knew that bones shouldn't grind like that.  

But he was not the only one down here.  "Can you see my light, Astarion?" he asked, squinting through the dust that still lazily swirled through the air.    

No answer.

"Astarion!" Gale called out again, voice hoarse with urgency. "I need you to answer me, please.  I don't know where you are."

Something shifted, sending pebbles clattering somewhere relatively close by.  Thank the gods.  "No.  Maybe?"  

Gale didn't like the way his voice sounded as it slithered through the rubble, breathless and agitated like a spooked animal on the verge of flight.  But at least it gave him a better idea of where the vampire might be.  He split the glowing sphere in two, sending the second out along a narrow gap in the debris, in the direction of Astarion's voice.  "How about now?"

His reply came in something akin to a sob.  “Yes.”

It took a little maneuvering of both his lights and his mostly immobilized form, but Gale finally managed to find an angle to lay eyes on his companion.  Astarion sat several arms' lengths away, his eyes wide and unfocused, his pupils dilated, his body half-buried beneath a heap of jagged stone.  The collapse had left him pinned, his outstretched leg trapped beneath a slab of rock, the weight of it heavy enough to make it impossible for him to move. 

Astarin's body was still, but his hands were twitching and trembling at his sides, his knuckles white, as though he could force himself to break free if only he willed it hard enough.

"Hey," Gale called, trying to get the other man to concentrate on him rather than the predicament that they found themselves in.  "Look at me.  Can you see me now?  I can see you."

Astarion's lips parted, but the words that came out were barely more than a whisper. "I… I can't… I can't breathe…"

He couldn't see any damage to the vampire's chest, but that didn't mean that nothing was wrong.  Still, he had a hunch that the lack of air stemmed more from Astarion's mental state than anything physical.  

The vampire's voice quivered with the unmistakable panic of a man reliving his darkest moments—such as the suffocating terror of being trapped in a tomb for a year, left to rot, unable to move, to escape.  It'd been a true struggle to wrangle the tale out of him at the time, no matter how blasé Astarion had tried to appear.  Gale had a suspicion that the reality of it had been a thousand times worse than the vampire had ever let on.

Gods, did he ever want to slaughter that bastard Cazador.  

Gale schooled his voice to something more gentle and soothing.  "You don't need to breathe, remember?  You only have to do it if you want to, but you won't die without it."  The last thing either of them needed was for Astarion to lose his sense of self down here.  "Just stay calm and keep looking at me.  You're not alone down here."

But Astarion wasn't listening. His eyes were darting, fixated on the stone pressing in from all directions, and his breath came in shallow bursts.  Gale could almost see the terror of his memories weighing in upon him.  The tomb. The endless dark. The feeling of being crushed by rock, unable to move, unable to breathe, trapped like an insect in amber.

"No," Astarion rasped, his voice low and shaky. "No, no, no... Not again. Not again…"

He tried to push against the stone with his uninjured leg, but his foot slipped on the hard stone beneath them. His chest heaved, and the tremor in his body deepened.

Oh, how Gale ached to reach out and offer the man some comfort.  "Easy, Astarion," he said, reaching for him with his good arm, but the distance was too great. 

The distance was too great. 

Gale cursed under his breath, several things hitting him all at once.  

One, he should be able to cast Dimension Door to return to the scene of the fight, albeit on more solid ground; he can visualize the area quite well, and he doubted that they'd fallen more than a couple hundred feet.  

Two, he could bring a willing creature with him to safety, and Astarion certainly seemed willing.  

But three.  Three was the clincher.  That willing creature had to be within five feet of him, and Astarion certainly was not.  

Gale could feel a pulse of alarm creeping into his own chest, right alongside the usual ache of the Netherese orb, but he shoved it down. He had to remain composed for Astarion's sake.

"Alright, I need you to listen to me," the wizard said, his voice calm but lined with a touch of resolve.  "I do have a spell that could teleport me out of here.  I could get to safety and fetch some of the others to help dig you out."  

He saw Astarion's eyes flicker, and he could hear the vampire's breath stutter. His lips parted, and for a moment, Gale thought he might scream, might lash out, might even beg.

"But even if I could, and I could, I won't."  Gale took a deep breath, trying to steady himself as much for Astarion's sake as his own.  "I won't do it.  I'm not leaving you alone down here, alright?"

Ruby eyes flickered to him, disbelief and something else—something raw—flashing in the vampire's gaze. "Why?" he asked, his voice quivering. "Why would you stay?"

"Because for reasons that even I can't fathom, I've come to care about you." Gale didn't hesitate. It was the truth, as simple as that.  "And you don't deserve to be stuck down here by yourself.  We survived the cave-in, so barring any other catastrophes, we'll probably be fine with waiting here a little while longer."

Astarion's lips parted, but no words came.  He trembled harder.  Gale could only imagine that his reaction stemmed from the vulnerability of having one of his worst fears exposed, and worse still, having someone choose to stay.

Gale's voice remained soft as he continued. "I'm not leaving you in this darkness. Not now, not ever. Whatever happens, we'll face it together."

Astarion swallowed hard and gave the slightest of nods.  His breath was still shaky, but it was no longer the frantic, panicked gasps of someone on the edge of breaking. It was slower, more measured. "You—" he started, voice strained and cracking, "you'll stay."  His wide eyes slowly began to soften, just a little, as if the weight of Gale's words and presence were slowly drawing him back from the precipice of madness.  

"That's what I said, darling."  The vampire's usual term of endearment fell from Gale's lips in a way that felt ridiculous, but the tension of this whole situation was desperately in need of a break.  His pride could survive a minor brush with levity.  

It was enough.  The trembling of Astarion's body seemed to ease even more, and while he didn't (or couldn't) laugh, Gale knew him well enough to hear a touch of fondness in his voice as he quietly muttered, "Don't quit your day job, Wizard."

The purple light hovering near Astarion drifted closer, almost as if to caress his pale, dirt-streaked cheek.  "I promise I shan't." 

The seconds stretched long as they remained trapped together in the dim, suffocating gloom.  The fear might still linger, the walls might still press in, but Gale stayed as Astarion's lifeline, giving him the freedom he needed to breathe. 

And that, until the time when their merry band of companions finally descended into the sinkhole to help exhume them from their temporary tomb, was enough.

-

AO3

[killacharacterbingo]

Transfusion Reaction

A blood transfusion is a medical procedure in which blood external to the body is added to it intravenously. They are usually performed in case of blood loss, surgery, or low blood components. It is primordial that the blood of the recepient be drawn and tested to ensure the donated blood is compatible.

If the blood is not compatible or is somehow infected, it is possible to have a reaction to a transfusion. There are different types with different symptoms depending on what is causing the body to react.

To name a few, acute hemolytic reaction occurs when the antibodies of the donated blood are incompatible with the recepients'. Allergic reactions happen when the recepient's immune system reacts to antigens or allergens in the donated blood. Transfusion-related acute lung injury occurs when the donated blood's plasma contains antibodies that damage the recepient's lungs. And septic reaction takes place when the donated blood is in some capacity infected.

It is also possible to overload someone on blood. Giving someome too much blood (transfusion-associated circulatory overload) can kill them, as it forces the heart to over-exert itself.

Generally speaking, transfusion reactions aren't deadly. They can be managed rather well by modern medicine and are generally caught on time if the person experiencing it reports their symptoms early. However, they can still be life-threatening and lead to death.

A transfusion reaction may take place hours after the transfusion has taken place, or up to a month following it.