#so your idea of that brain freak having a heightened ability to feel is a really fun idea to think about

[st4rstudent]

ALRIGHTY SO- (I'm so sane and normal about these toons and cogs I swear) as I said before, personally I really like to think that brian's brain is a motherboard and/or wires/neuron like things covered in a silicone mold that made it shaped like a brain-! It would explain why when he starts getting more and more frustrated during his battle he starts overheating and eventually leading to his brain exploding at the end- (which leads me to believe that mayhaps his wiring needed some extra cooling to help him prevent that, perhaps being the reason why he has a dome head in the first place so that way it could be liquid cooled by being placed inside of- whatever brian has inside of there shchsdhs) which in turn would make the silicone brain a pretty solid idea-!! Keeps all his wiring n electricical brain bits all nice and dry, but also gives him a little flair and from the looks of it, seems like a fairly efficient way to help stop any overheating caused by his emotions or stress- (I mean he literally starts going red with rage, that's gotta be some hot pieces of parts in order to do that even with some cooling factors in place-) but what's really got my gears turning is that if he does have a sort of wiring inside of that brain mold of his, it would basically be the like- in between of cog parts and toon-ish parts-! Assuming that his wiring would help out his processors n act as any neurons should, they would not only help out his thought process (him being the self proclaimed smart man that he is /lh/lh) but it'd also allow him to feel things-!! Neurons are the main units of the brain and nervous system, they help the brain feel any sensory input from the outside, send signals to help the body control motor functions, and in general just relay electrical signals throughout the brain all the time- Which sounds very much close to what the cog equivalent of a brain could also do (and does for brian)-!! I know all the cogs have brains and all their inner bits, but I justshfhs I think it would be really cool if brian's brain had just a little bit more brain-like functions-!! I don't know if I'm making any sense here, but- if he can think, that man can feel too-!! Probably more than the average cog, but he would also probably just decide not to draw much attention to it-!! I know this started out as silly snowglobe dome talk, but in all reality I'm so very interested in the complexities that the cogs and toons have-!!! Doesn't mean I don't think it'd be silly to shake that man around and see what happens, that'd be silly- even more so to bonk him with hammers- BUT I JUSTSHFBS I THINK-!! THE COGS DESERVE SOME MORE THOUGHT INTO HOW THEY COULD ACTUALLY FUNCTION N FEEL THINGS AND WHAT THE INNER WORKINGS OF THEM COULD POSSIBLY LOOK LIKE-! BRAINS HELP SHAPE WHO WE ARE AS PEOPLE… SO I THINK IT'D BE COOL TO UNDERSTAND HOW THAT WOULD WORK WITH THE COGS AS WELL- but yeshdhghs I'm . very sorry that this got so much longer than I intended, but thank you very much for letting me ramble out my thoughts-!! I hope you enjoyed hearing some of my thought process SHCHSDHS

OHHTHIIS IS REALLY GOOD. i never even thought about him possibly having a heightened ability to feel things like touch . i imagine with his brain also moving around, there's probably other pieces in there that would also be shifting which would increase the need for it to be in a somewhat cooled down area.

BUT YEAH . it's all very interesting to think about!

[dontjudgemeimawriter]

Carnotaurus

(I can no longer remember which ones I've already asked you but I don't think I've asked this one yet)

Carnotaurus - share a scene that contains some cool worldbuilding

I'm going to share a few small scenes that describe parts of how magic works

--

She swirled a lock of hair around her finger. “Melanie and my mom were friends, y’know, but… When she mentioned my mom dying, there was more sadness there than I ever sensed when she was talking about Jodi. It was like she didn’t care as much, wanted us to look for her but wasn’t invested in it.” Mika sighed. “Maybe she was just guarding her emotions and I didn't get a good read.”

She was dismissing it, but that sounded familiar. “They’re Chafs, right?” I asked.

Mika nodded and looked at me curiously. “Yeah, why? Does that mean something to you?”

“There’s a Chaf ability to cut connections,” I said. Most people thought of Chafs as dealing with communication, sending messages, enabling phones and radio, that kind of thing. People didn’t like to think about them getting a read on everything and everyone they were connected to, didn't think about what possibilities a Chaf had given access to their relationship connections. “It doesn’t make you forget about someone, but it can make you not care as much.”

--

He was no longer mad, or at least he wasn't yelling at me or telling me to leave now. Instead, he kept his hand on my arm, gently leading me to a bench a little out of the way. He sat down. “I’m sorry I forced you to unfocus,” he said. 

“How did you even do that?” I asked, sitting next to him. I’d been too upset to think about it, but I’d never known he could do that and now it scared me. 

He smiled slightly. “When you cast that spell you heighten the level of resources your brain has dedicated to a specific task. It’s heightening of a psychological phenomena. All I had to do was split up the resources.”

I thought that over. “I didn't know Nyps could do that,” I said, and somehow when he explained it it made so much sense. Like it was simple.

“I didn't know I could either. It was a theory. Until just now. But I shouldn’t’ve tried it. I wanted you to unfocus but I shouldn’t’ve forced it.”

--

He shrugged. “No one wants to know it came from me. No one even expects one person to be able to do such a variety anyway. But mostly I hate making [whispers].”

“Why?” I would have thought he loved to help people out with his magic, but maybe that’s not what was happening.

“It’s like going in blind. And because it’s freaking illegal we can’t do it right, y’know? Even if it’d be fine to tell people, no one wants a Nyp going into their mind, they’d much rather take a whisper because it doesn’t give access. But everyone’s different, everyone’s brain is different. I’ve seen these not work on some people, or even make things worse, and I hate it. If I could go in, if we could do research on these spells, I could find a way to actually help instead of giving this thing that works for some people.” He leaned on one arm. “And it’s worse because like, sometimes I’m selling it to someone, and like, I don’t need much to get in, y’know? I’m giving them a memory-whisper and I’m like, I can sense how your mind works and I know this won’t work for you, but I can’t say anything, and if people would be okay with it maybe I could actually help them. But maybe I’m not helping, because there’s no research on Nyp magic, and honestly, I have no freaking idea if there's side effects to anything, or if I could do more harm. I hate it.”

--

Focus isn’t the only spell I know. And while having it cast made other spells harder, I could give it a try. This was for Raymond, after all. If there was any chance it would save his life, I’d do it.

When I reach for it, I can sense the flow of any energy, including sound. Can feel them radiating out from their source, the dispersal as it gets blocked by walls and fades in the distance. Can feel it coming at my ear, too dispersed and jumbled to make out. And if I try hard enough, I can make it louder.

It’s not easy and there’s a balance to it: if I make it louder too close to the source, it’s painfully obvious to anyone else— that’s how a microphone works, and if your voice suddenly booms you’ll get suspicious. I can increase the volume when the sound hits my hear, but by that point, it’s too garbled to make out, especially when I have a brick wall or glass in the way. Anywhere between the two, and there might be an echo.

--

Of course this is just a few things different types of magic can do, but it's all cool, and my physical world-building isn't as explored in-story.

thanks for the ask!

From This

and if you wanna learn more about my magic system

[falcor-thee-luck-dragon]

Rough Night

Bucky Barnes x (f)werewolf reader

Summary: Your life is already so weird, thankfully Bucky loves you through it all.

Warning: fluff, reader being a sass master w/ no filter

side note: couldn’t think of any cool avenger powers and then brain went werewolf so here we are

Masterlist

If you had a dollar for every time you’d ended up in the woods with ripped clothes and no shoes, well, let’s just say you could probably afford a real nice two bedroom apartment in some real pleasantly fancy building with a great view and all. Too bad green doesn’t just rain down from the sky every time the full moon comes round to knock you back into another world of blurry confusion.

You won’t lie to yourself, being what you are is strange and not very common in the slightest, obviously. It’s even weirder that you weren’t bitten one night and turned just like that, oh no, all passed down through the bloodline of other strange relatives. So you’re gifted with the curse, forced to inevitably change into a furry beast every single full moon, so what you’re still a mostly pleasant individual.

Well luckily for you, being born with the gift does happen to have its perks which do come in handy. For instance, you’re incredibly strong, quick on your feet, and have heightened senses, plus the ability to shift on command. It’s not all bad, well......most of the time.

Honestly you truly thought life couldn’t get much stranger for you and your whole hidden secretive situation, until low and behold some random red head found your little hideaway in a remote mountain side village far off in the Himalayas.

Everything was completely fine and under control and then BAM, she showed up with some important documents and something called an Avengers initiative and well shit, guess some time spent with the real world couldn’t hurt. I mean come on, some more friends seemed like a nice idea and uh, somehow they knew who you were so too late to run and hide.

Also at the time, considering you lived like a recluse on the edge of the village and of course for good reason, but damn if the red head didn’t just hand you an open invitation for some real adventure. Who were you to say no?

Fortunately for you, all seemed to go in your favor and fantastically enough, they had a nice big strong cell for you on nights when the wolf was inevitably bound to come out. A fridge full of plentiful snacks, a training room to lay off some steam, and a big safe and secure room all your own. It was perfect. Only problem was, there happened to be a very attractive and very wary of you super soldier who undoubtedly caught your attention.

How could you not, he smelled divine, muscles for days, thick thighs that could make a girl swoon, and he just seemed like the best goddamn hugger alive. Okay listen, maybe you were touch starved and deprived of human affection but dammit if your little monster heart didn’t skip a beat every time he was near you.

And yes, the few months it took to get him to crack was just down right torturous. But with some coaxing from Steve and encouragement from Sam, the winter soldier at long last did talk to you. Turned out he thought you were scared of him all along, how hilariously ironic you thought when he told you that.

But as time progressed and you both opened up more and more, a blossoming relationship sprouted forth, eventually evolving and manifesting into a big beautiful flower called love. Cheesy yes, but you couldn’t have dreamed of anything better.

And seriously, he wasn’t freaked out about your whole hidden hush hush secretive gift that usually either goes in your favor or ends up causing you major legal trouble. The man himself, Bucky Barnes, thought you were a marvel to behold, so odd and fantastic that he couldn’t stay away even if he tried.

And for that you could love him forever, especially now after a full moon while you’re out in the middle of nowhere. Hoping that the team will send your hundred year old boyfriend out to find you in the brisk dark morning after a grand unrememberable adventure. Which would be very nice of course, considering you have not a damn clue what you’ve done.....or where you are.

Cracking your back, you stretch your hands up to the dawning sky as a tired yawn escapes you. It’s been a long night and you look like a wild woman with your hear a fluffy nest and your clothes ripped in various unrevealing places thankfully.

Your surroundings are simply trees and small scraggly bushes, green grass underneath your bare feet and a small stream flowing in the near distance. With a second to listen, you can hear a highway a couple miles away to the east, guess that’s a start.

Rubbing your eyes you set out in that direction for about twenty minutes before a blue and gold Mercedes comes into view from the side of a country back road, it stops when you guess the driver spotted you from the tree line. Keeping a wary eye on the fancy sports car, you keep walking towards it until a figure gets out and leans against the passengers side door all cool and casual, then on further inspection you realize the driver is Bucky.

Yes! My knight in shining armor is here!

Trudging through the grassy field in the dewy morning light, he watches your every move, eyes crinkling in amusement as you come to stand a couple feet in front of him. Undoubtedly looking a bit wild, and very tired as you fold your arms underneath each other, giving your dark haired lover a shy almost fangy smile.

“I know I look like a hot mess.” You mutter with a shrug, biting your lip as you dart your eyes to the fields behind him, slightly embarrassed of the current disheveled state you’re in.

Bucky smirks before pushing himself off the car and engulfing you into a big Bucky bear hug to your pleasant surprise, “Y/N I’m just glad you’re okay and nothing bad happened to you.” He mumbles into your shoulder as you press yourself closer to him, letting yourself have this wonderful moment to relax and feel at ease.

Slowly pulling back to look up at him, you smile, “Aww Buck you were worried about me?”

He returns the grin, leaning down to press his head flush against yours, “We all were, me more then anyone else of course...and maybe for the general civilians nearby.”

You laugh nervously, “Oh right, yeah. Well hey, I didn’t destroy anyone's car this time. I think I’ve made progress.”

He pauses for a brief moment indicating he’s not sure if he should tell you something and this does make you nervous before Bucky finally lets out a little laugh, “You ate a whole cow Y/N.”

Snorting in surprise you quickly pull your head from Bucky’s, “What? Did I? Please tell me you’re joking.”

“Yeah, uh I wish.” He admits with a casual reassuring squeeze to your arm, “We tracked you with Sam’s suit tech, yunno Red Wing, and uh....you seemed to be having fun.”

Mentally and just about physically cringing at yourself, you purse your lips together in slight embarrassment, “Shit. Was it gross?” You ask, making a face that causes him to chuckle.

“A little.” Adds Bucky with another casual shrug to make you feel less terrible.

“Is the farmer going to see everything, I mean shit they’re gonna be so pissed.” You worry, biting your lip anxiously as you break eye contact from him. “Why am I like this.”

“Uh, that’s not going to be a problem.” Inquires Bucky causing you to find his blue eyes once again.

Eying him up suspiciously you raise a brow, “And why’s that.....Bucky what did I do?”

Taking a breath he gives you a small apprehensive smile, “Y/N...you uh, kind of ate......everything.”

“I what?” I did not! No way, right?

Giving you a quick kiss on the cheek he smiles affectionately, “I’m going to be honest with you here it looked like a kid with a piece of cake who has no impulse control, and loves cake....like a lot.....Rodney almost puked.”

Rolling your eyes you fake glare at him, “Oh god who all watched my little horror show?”

“Mostly everyone.”

“Jesus.”

“It’s like a car crash Y/N, we don’t want to watch but we can’t look away. Sorry doll.” He confesses apprehensively, though honest and sincere knowing you do feel bad for what you do when out of it.

“No.” You say honestly, pausing for a moment, “It’s fine. Seriously Buck, I’m just relieved you guys keep taps on me while I’m out, god knows I can’t help what I do and where I go. It’s nice to have people making sure I don’t injure any innocent bystander.”

“Yeah I guess so huh...alright Y/N/N,” Chirps Bucky with a beaming grin as he attempts to shift the mood to a less dull one, “let’s get out of here, I mean unless you want to sniff around the place for awhile...it is a nice forest over there and all but I guess we can stay and I’ll let you...”

“Alright Barnes, can-it or maybe I’ll bite you.” You tease with a playful squeeze of his bicep before breaking out of his strong grasp.

“Depends on the context maybe I’d enjoy it.” Adds Bucky sarcastically, side eying you with a half smile as you move to open the car door.

Shaking your head in playful disapproval you lightly shove him aside, “Believe me you wouldn’t.”

——

The ride back to the Avengers base or headquarters or facility, who the hell knows at this point, was actually quite smooth and peaceful. Then again you fell asleep as soon as Bucky made it onto the highway, and continued to catch a much needed nap for the next hour ride home.

No one ever said you were easy alright, but let’s be real, Bucky would let you put him through anything and he’d be happy about it.

After parking and walking down the sidewalk past some early morning trainees catching a run, the two of you made it into the Avengers official HQ where all your rooms and other luxury’s are located. But of course not before walking past the facilities giant living space and huge kitchen.

Just keep looking forward, keep walking, walk faster you idiot!

“Y/N!” Shouts Sam in that stupidly peppy obnoxious early morning voice of his, no doubt gaining the attentions of Steve and Natasha who are seated at the kitchens bar talking about some mission report.

Pausing in the large doorway that’s not giving you or Bucky a whole lot of hiding space, you take a deep breath before turning to acknowledge him, “You’d think people would be sleeping considering it’s only six in the morning.”

Chuckling, Sam raises his protein shake, “Weird,” He says while giving you a knowing smirk, “we missed you during training this morning.”

Nat and Steve conceal their amusement as you simply roll your eyes, “Yeah well it was a long night.” You mutter unenthusiastically, earning the tiniest laugh from Bucky which causes you to throw him a glare. Knocking that smile right off of his handsome stubbly face.

“Well we got all these shakes here if you two love birds want one. Hate to have em go to waste.” Adds the smiling man with a nod, if he doesn’t just love seeing you looking like shit. No Sam I do not accept this invitation for you to tell me how crazy I look.

Sam means well of course, but damn he loves teasing you in front of Bucky for a fun reaction out of him. And it’s kind of working, but not on Bucky.

“It’s fine Y/N, you don’t have to have one if you don’t want to.” Calls Natasha before taking a sip from her mug. “Just ignore Sam, he’s been annoying since the gym.”

Before Sam’s even able to speak you quickly narrow your eyes at him, holding up a finger before making hasty steps across the room. Stopping right in front of him, “Give it.” You deadpan.

Brows raised in surprise he glances from a confused Bucky, then back to you again, “Listen I only made so much, Y/N this is my breakfast okay you can’t just...”

Ignoring his rushed rambling you pull out the whole glass blender full of protein shake before taking a step back as the whole room goes quiet, then never breaking eye contact you heartily drink up the whole entirety of its cold contents without missing a beat. Yeah, definitely needed that.

After you’re finished you lick your lips in satisfaction, taking a step closer towards a speechless Sam as you set the blender back in its place. Giving him a satisfied smirk before walking back over to Bucky where you tug on his jacket to follow you down the hall and away from everyone else.

Sometimes you can’t help but be a little dramatic.

——

Laying sprawled out on yours and Bucky’s giant mattress, you stare up at the ceiling as he folds your clean and freshly scented laundry, your mind swirling with thoughts of what duties you have to be apart of today. Blah, work.

Sighing gently you glance at Bucky to see if he heard you, not getting anything from him you sigh again with more grandeur this time. Nothing. Rolling your eyes you suck in a deep breath before practically soft yelling out your exhale like the dramatic little beast you are.

Glancing over to Bucky, you watch as he turns around to put some of your pants away in a drawer. Okay then, that’s how it’s gonna be. Quickly sitting up, you smirk a devilish grin before silently reaching over to pick up a small pillow, once in hand you don’t think twice before launching it at full speed directly headed for the back of his head.

But before your decently soft projectile can smack his precious flowing locks does a metal arm swiftly reach up to catch it mid flight. Oh, shit. Bucky’s head turns to you, brow raised at you before tucking the pillow underneath his arm, and going back to his usual domestic duties for the day.

Okay, killer of fun Mr. James Buchanan Barnes.

Frustrated from lack of a reaction out of him, you stand up on the bed like a warrior about to give a great battle cry. Eyeing his cute butt up for a moment, you smirk once again before launching a sneak attack pillow right for his head. It sails magnificently across the room before a metal hand stops it in its place. 

Well, shit.

This time he gives you a proper look, full of mischief and a new profound playfulness that sends an excited thrill throughout your entire being. As fast as one of Thor’s lightening bolts does the pillow soar in your direction, but conveniently for you he’s forgotten just how quick you can really be. This is just what you wanted.

Dodging to the left you watch in almost slow motion as the fluffy cloth just misses your face, instead opting to smack against the back wall with a loud thud. Snapping your attention back to Bucky he narrows his blue eyes at you suspiciously while you let out an admittedly scary villainous chuckle.

Let’s party my love.

He hands you a smirk right before shifting his body to the right, arm cocked back and thrust forward just as quickly, launching his second pillow attack without an ounce of mercy. You see it coming a mile away and as graceful as a dancer do you flip off the bed, landing perfectly on the carpeted floor just as the pillow smacks hard against the door. Thwack!

Slowly standing, eyeing him up like a lioness to her prey, you give him a satisfied smile, “Missed.” You tease.

Letting out a breathy laugh, Bucky takes a cautious step in your direction as he tests the waters, “Y/N what are you doing?”

“Getting your attention you ass.”

Chuckling he takes another step forward, “Was I ignoring you?” Duh, that’s why I, oh wait he’s playing you.

“Well you certainly weren’t doing anything interesting.” You sass as he steps again closer, this time about an arms length away.

The corners of his eyes crinkle in amusement, “Okay that’s fair, but was the pillow really necessary?” He asks, though his tone is still humorous.

Not falling for his alluring charm you tilt your head to the side, a knowing smile breaking out across your face as he tries to register what your true intentions are. “Yes, and so is this.” You quip before dropping to the floor for a side sweep of his legs, in an instant he’s on the ground and looking wide eyed up at you.

God he looks beautiful. No, focus.

“Y/N!” He whines breathlessly, brows furrowed as he holds himself up by his elbows, “Now you’re gonna get it!”

Taking a quick step back you snort, “Oh really now?”

And he’s fallen for the plan.

“Yes, and when I get you, you won’t be laughing anymore.” He grumbles, trying to keep himself from laughing as well.

“Alright then hot stuff try and bring me down.” You snap back playfully as he rises to his feet, “First one pinned has to run with Sam later, and we both know how much fun he is to run with.”

Bringing his arms up into a defensive position he readies himself for an attack, “Yeah, I’d rather not be his jogging buddy today. I mean it is raining outside, but I know you’d look real nice after a wet run.” Teases Bucky with a smirk.

“Touché you smartass.” His lips twitch into a grin as you ready your own stance. “Now let’s dance.”

[obwjam]

Ok so I loved your ‘Anakin gets shrunk’ thing but now I’m also imagining a scenario in which the tiny is suddenly as tall as their giant friends.

AH THANK U i’m glad you liked it 🥺🥺 but also yes i think about this all the time too..... mayhaps it would go something like this

————

It happened suddenly, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment where only a few people were paying attention because nobody thought it was going to work. They had finally made significant progress on their mission to reverse engineer the Separatist weapon that shrunk Anakin Skywalker to just a few inches tall, and a few members of the Jedi Council were eager to see if the nonstop work had paid off. Standing near him was Jayla, his lifelong tiny friend who had helped keep Anakin sane during the worst month of his life. There was a non-zero chance this antidote wasn’t going to work, so she was on standby in case something went wrong.

It worked, though. Maybe a little too well.

There was a blinding light that filled the medical bay as the growth ray was activated. Anakin felt like his body was being torn apart before the pain melted and his eyes adjusted to the room. Wow, everything is so much brighter.

“Anakin!” came the excited and relieved voice of Obi-Wan.

“Did... did it work?” Anakin asked, rubbing his eyes.

“Yes, thank the Force, it did— oh my...”

Sitting on the table to Anakin, there was a new person in the room. It was Jayla, who was no longer four inches tall and instead seemed to be taller than even the five-and-a-half-foot Ahsoka. A splitting headache was all that was left after the fire in her body subsided. No matter how many times she blinked, she couldn’t see clearly.

Anakin turned, following Obi-Wan’s gaze. His jaw just about hit the floor. “What the...”

“Ugh, why do I feel so—woah...” Jayla slurred through her words, and her voice suddenly sounded like she was screaming. It felt like the words were traveling from her brain to her mouth in slow motion. Through the pain in her head, she strained her eyes to try and make out the figures in front of her. She took a shortened breath. Why did everything feel so closed in?

A concerned Jayla? was the only thing she heard before her eyes rolled back and she passed out right on the table.

Anakin and Obi-Wan rushed to help her as Ahsoka, Yoda, Plo Koon and Mace Windu watched in subdued shock.

Ahsoka was the one to break the silence. “Uhm... what just happened?”

Nobody really had an answer. They threw out speculations as Anakin stood at Jayla’s bedside, making sure she was okay. It didn’t take long for her eyes to start fluttering.

Anakin waved his hand and shushed the group as Jayla stirred awake. At first, her eyelids remained heavy and she could barely make out what she was seeing. But suddenly, the face in front of her took shape. Anakin was shockingly close to her, and yet, he didn’t look big at all. It must not have worked.

“Anakin...” she muttered, finding her voice. “What happened? I got the worst headache... oh kriff, that thing didn’t work, did it?”

“Jay,” Anakin cut her off. “It... it did work.”

Jayla blinked, thoroughly confused. “Um, are you joking? You’re still tiny.”

“No, he’s not.”

“Then why—“ she started, but once she looked over to where Obi-Wan’s voice was coming from, she nearly swallowed her tongue. Obi-Wan was eye-level, but he wasn’t bending down, and his face didn’t take up her entire view. In fact, he was several feet away, but it felt like he was right next to her. She tried to reach into the Force to figure out what was going on, but she flinched away when a thousand different sensations flooded her mind. It hurt almost as bad as the headache.

“Take it easy!” Anakin cautioned as Jayla shot up, her eyes wide. Stars flashed briefly in her vision. Her limbs felt like jelly. “You don’t look so good.”

“Stop, stop...” Jayla squeezed her eyes shut as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. “You’re talking too loud.”

Anakin turned to Obi-Wan, a look of concern passing between them. The Jedi in the corner stayed put, partially so they didn’t startle Jayla and partially because they were still in shock.

Jayla stared at her feet and took a few deep breaths as she allowed the world around her to normalize in her brain. Even though the floor was so far away from her now, she could still see it in excruciating detail. She swung her legs a few times, gasping when the tips of her toes brushed against the cool tile. When she remembered the Jedi standing in the corner of the room, she glanced up, only able to hold eye contact for just a few uncomfortable seconds before moving her head back down. The Force confirmed what seemed too impossible to be true — not only did the antidote grow Anakin back, but it grew her, too.

“I’m... uh. Wow. I’m really... wow,” Jayla breathed, eyes still trained downward. “This is... really weird.”

“How do you feel?” Obi-Wan was now standing next to the bed. His mind was racing to find a potential explanation for what was in front of him.

“Um. Confused,” she said, still getting used to the projection of her voice. She was too afraid to look Obi-Wan in the eye. “Everything feels loud.”

“How can something feel loud?” Anakin questioned.

“I dunno! It’s... it’s like my senses have been dialed up to 100. Like something is bound to happen at any moment.”

“Sounds like you’re just a bit anxious,” Obi-Wan said. “I don’t blame you.”

“No no, it’s more than that. Like... like I can hear what’s going on outside the door. All the people walking by, how their footsteps sound. And how Rex is standing in the hallway and trying to act like he’s not nervous but he’s really freaking out ‘cause he doesn’t know why it’s taking so long and he’s assuming it didn’t work. And the medical droid — the one over there, across the room — it’s making some sedative. Mixing bacta with... something green. It smells awful in here, too, and it’s really distracting.”

Obi-Wan and Anakin stared at her in stunned silence for a moment. Neither of them had sensed Rex outside the room, much less what he was feeling, and the medical droid was too far away to make out the labels of what it was mixing. They certainly couldn’t hear anything going on outside of their little huddle. And the room didn’t even have a smell.

“Hmm.” Obi-Wan calmly rubbed his chin, casting a sideways glance at the other Jedi masters in the room. They seemed to all be thinking the same thing. “We can discuss this later, Jayla. Right now, we need to make sure both of your vitals are stable.”

Jayla nodded, again closing her eyes in an attempt to reduce her bubble of perception. She couldn’t take all the noise.

“Ahsoka, please keep Anakin and Jayla company and let me know if there are any anomalies in their readings. Masters, if you don’t mind?” Obi-Wan jerked his head to the door. Yoda, Plo Koon and Mace Windu, who had stayed surprisingly silent through the whole ordeal, followed Obi-Wan into the hall. They were a little astounded to see Rex as described: leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and his fingers gripped tightly around his armor. He perked up when he saw the group of Jedi, but didn’t say anything as they moved off to the side. If they didn’t know any better, they would have just assumed he was tense about being in the Jedi Temple.

“I don’t know what to make of this,” Obi-Wan started. “What went wrong?”

“Too close, she was standing, when we fired our antidote,” Yoda said with confidence. “Caught in its range, she was.”

“I agree,” Mace chimed in. “Though that doesn’t explain why it has the exact same effect on her when it was only intended to reverse what had been done to Skywalker.”

“Maybe the effect wasn’t the same. She seems to have this... heightened connection to the Force,” Obi-Wan offered. “I knew she was strong with it before, but now...”

“It seems that the strength of her abilities grew with her physical body,” Plo finished.

“But Skywalker’s connection to the Force was never diminished,” Mace said. “Besides, that’s not how the Force works.”

“Possible, it may be, that this is not a matter concerning the Force,” Yoda said, drawing the attention of the other matters. “Hyper-attentive, her species is. Always like this, she could have been.”

The four Jedi considered that possibility. It made sense on the surface — she had always been quick and perceptive, and seemed to sense things coming before they happened. Now that she was their size, she was just interpreting her surroundings like normal, but on a much bigger scale, which allowed for picking up on things that humans or togrutas or anyone else would miss.

“If that is the case, then I’m afraid our little Jayla is going to be very overwhelmed by her new world,” Obi-Wan posited. “It’s going to take some getting used to.”

“We don’t even know how long she’ll be like this,” Mace stressed. “The truth of the matter is we have no idea how either of them will react to this antidote in the long-term. We need to keep a close eye on both of them, at all times.”

“Leave that to me,” Obi-Wan said. He was growing increasingly worried about how Jayla was taking all of this. He wanted to be there for her.

“Master Yoda and I can analyze the readings to see if we can find anything helpful,” Plo looked down to Yoda, who nodded in acknowledgment. “It will take some time, but as long as their vitals are stable, I see no reason to keep them cooped up in the temple.”

“We still have this war to deal with,” Mace grumbled. 

“We can’t send them back out there. Especially Jayla. Not yet,” Obi-Wan protested. “We need to run more tests first.”

“With all due respect, Master Kenobi, there’s only so much a medical droid can tell us,” Plo responded. “We may have to see them in action to get a better sense of their boundaries.”

Obi-Wan considered this. “For Anakin, I suppose I agree with that. But we don’t know what our antidote did to Jayla, or what it will do. We should keep her here for a while.”

“She won’t like that,” Plo said.

“It doesn’t matter what she likes or not. We have a responsibility to keep her safe.”

Mace turned to Yoda, who had stayed silent in the debate. “Master Yoda, do you feel comfortable letting Jayla go out on the battlefield with Skywalker and Padawan Tano once she settles down? If she’s really as perceptive as you think, she could be a huge asset.”

Yoda hummed. While the idea of throwing Jayla back into battle like nothing happened felt odd to him and he was concerned with putting too much on her plate, he also agreed with Mace’s reasoning. The situation in the galaxy was dire, and they needed all the Jedi they could get to fight off the growing influence of the dark side. Plus, he knew his former padawan would adamantly refuse to stay in the temple.

“She may go. But careful, we must be. Know not how she will react to such a chaotic environment.”

“Very well, Master Yoda,” Obi-Wan said. If Yoda thought it was okay, he supposed he could go along with it. “She’ll have me, Anakin, Ahsoka and Rex with her. She’ll be well protected.”

The Jedi all nodded, feeling slightly better about the situation. Obi-Wan watched as the other three filed back into the medbay. He made his way over to Rex, whose anxiety was easily sensible now. He sure had a lot of explaining to do.

————-

“You’re being dramatic.”

“Am I? I don’t think you understand how weird this is for me right now.”

“No, no, I think I understand perfectly. Did you forget the last month?”

“That was different!”

“Please! I wasn’t going around touching everything like I just woke up from stasis.”

“I’ve never held a book before, okay? I had to see what it was like!”

Anakin and Ahsoka were taking Jayla on a grand re-tour of the Jedi Temple. The place was almost unrecognizable at Jayla’s new height of five feet and eight inches. She didn’t understand how she was still so much shorter than Anakin.

“Come on, master,” Ahsoka dared to interject. “Don’t you think you’re being just a little unfair?”

“Psh, no way. Suddenly being tall is way less awkward than suddenly being small.”

“Is it, though?” Jayla said, finding a windowsill to lean against. She wasn’t used to this much walking. “I feel so... exposed. Everyone can see me now.”

“Isn’t that nice, though?” Ahsoka asked. “I mean, don’t you want people to notice you?”

“I guess...” Jayla trailed off, tracing her finger along her wrist. “It’s just really overwhelming. It feels like everyone’s staring at me.”

“I think they are,” Anakin muttered. Word traveled fast in the walls of the temple.

“I never realized you had a tattoo,” Ahsoka said, noticing for the first time the intricate symbol on Jayla’s wrist.

“Yeah. It’s, uh, it’s something everyone in my village gets. Or, got. Here.” She held her wrist out, still getting used to the fact that it was the same size as everyone else’s. “These symbols here, that’s a language. I never actually got to learn it fully, and I’ve forgotten almost all of it, but it means al’hora dessili. Clan of Al. The animal-looking thing is a corano. It’s part of ancient legend. It symbolizes intuition, which I guess was the trait that was most prevalent in me when I was young.”

“How could they have known?” Ahsoka asked. “I mean, didn’t the council come and find you when you were an infant?” 

Jayla sniffed a laugh. “I think I was almost 10 when they found me.”  She exchanged a knowing glance with Anakin. “And I think it was entirely by accident.” 

Ahsoka blushed. “Oh. I had no idea.”

“That’s by design,” Jayla smirked. “Master Windu was the one who discovered me. Hah, out of all the things I’ve seen, that might have been the scariest day of my life. Even now, when we’re almost the same height, I’m still kinda freaked out by him.” 

A gust of wind caught Jayla’s hair and she lost her words. Something like that used to knock her off her feet, or at the very least, push her back a bit. But now, that breeze was like a kiss on her cheek as she gazed out in wonder at the busy world below. The towers still towered, but in a majestic way instead of an imposing one. Everything seemed within reach.

“Excuse me, sirs.”

The three whipped their heads around to find Rex standing with his helmet resting between his arm and his side. Obi-Wan was deep in conversation with someone else across the way, answering many of the same questions that Rex had posited on the way over.

“Rex,” Anakin smiled. 

“General Skywalker. It’s so good to see you back to normal.”

“That makes two of us.”

“Are you feeling alright? 

“Yeah. A little sore, actually. And just a bit tired. But if that’s what it takes, then I don’t care, because I’m just glad to be me again…”

Anakin trailed off when he realized Rex was no longer listening to him. Once he had locked eyes with Jayla, neither of them could tear their gaze away from the other. They both felt like they were looking at an entirely different person. Jayla’s stomach kept turning.

“Hey, Rex…” Jayla said slowly, as if she had just learned those words and was trying them out for the first time. “You’re, uh. You’re taller than I expected.”

Rex blinked. “I could say the same for you, sir.”

Jayla bit back a smile. “Yeah.”

Several beats of silence followed.

“Well.” Ahsoka could barely take it. “This is awkward.”

Anakin tapped Jayla’s shoulder. “I think she short circuited.”

“I think you should stop poking me,” Jayla retorted, playfully punching Anakin in the shoulder. Well. She thought it was playful.

“Ow! Kriff,” Anakin reeled back. “That hurt, yknow.”

“What? Really? M’sorry,” Jayla stammered, staring at her hand. I didn’t hit him that hard.

“If this is how strong you’re gonna be, then you’ll have to take it easy on the punches,” Anakin jested. “Save it for the Separatists.”

“If that’s how strong I’m gonna be...” Jayla repeated anxiously. “I don’t know how much I like that.”

Rex gave the two Jedi next to him a concerned look. They didn’t need words to know that it was time for one of them to change the subject.

Ahsoka spoke first. “Hey, why don’t we go to the dining hall and get some grub? I don’t know about you all, but I’m starving.”

“Uhm, I don’t really think I should,” Jayla said tentatively, rubbing her neck. “I have no idea what eating food could do to me. Or Anakin, really.”

“I didn’t even think of that,” Anakin muttered. “Well, what about the gardens? We still need to finish our grand tour. Rex, why don’t you join us?”

Rex’s face flushed red. “Oh, I--I shouldn’t, sir.”

“Come on, it’ll be nice! How often are you in the Jedi Temple?”

“This is my first time, sir.”

“See? Now you have to come. Jayla thinks it’s her first time in the temple too. You can touch the plants together.”

“Okay, listen--” she started, but stopped when she realized how exhausted she was. Getting angry took up a lot of energy. “Ugh. Can we take it slow? We’ve done so much walking already.”

“We’ve been out of the medbay for an hour!”

“Well, when you suddenly grow 15 times the height you’ve been all your life, you tell me how you feel!” Anakin wanted to keep poking fun, but nothing about that sentence was funny. Jayla sighed. “Sorry. I’m just… really tired.”

“Fresh air will help,” Rex interjected, daring to enter the conversation. “Trust me.”

Jayla gave him a small smile. The butterflies in her stomach were still there, but not as bad as before. “Okay. Let’s go.” She turned to Anakin. “Oh, and I will be touching all the plants.”

Anakin snickered. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Hey, if this is gonna be a long-term thing, then I’m gonna have fun with it. And half the fun comes from annoying you.”

“I wish I could get away with that,” Ahsoka muttered under her breath. 

“Come on, kids! The tour continues!” Anakin waved the group forward. Jayla chuckled and even Rex cracked a smile.

Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.

[blkpnkwriting]

first time | sadism/masochism | gags | baths

jennie x f!reader

NOTE: this is a little longer than the rest will mostly likely be because i wanted to honour the request someone made literally years ago for jennie x reader first time (i.e. i’m the worst)

Red splashed up the far wall of your bedroom, crawled over the carpet as Jennie switched on the small light source. So, it was a lava lamp. Someone sue you, you liked having it as a lamp even if it wasn’t the 90’s anymore. But there you went overreacting to the littlest thing again, and a lava lamp was the least of your worries. The clock read a late hour, but not late enough to condone Jennie facing back to you in evident puzzlement. Since the pair of you had left the house party, you could barely string enough words together through the muddle of your brain to explain why you had to leave. You just did.

“Are you okay?” the brunette asked, shrugging off the fur bomber jacket she wore against the nip of night air. Underneath was a sheer top that soaked up the ebbing glow of the lamp with an eerie crimson aura. The juxtaposition between the ominous light and the concern etched on her face was only furthering your confusion.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m good! I — well, I just… forget it.” It came forth as a scramble of syllables. You were pacing, running a hand through your hair and deciding it was best you took something off, too. Your fingers could barely undo the clasp of your skirt but was stopped when Jennie was suddenly at your side, taking your hand, turning you back to her. Your best friend knew you better than you knew yourself most times, and even if she didn’t, it wasn’t hard for anyone to discern you were downright flustered.

“Was it that girl? The redhead? What did she do — I’m going to ruin her life if she—!”

Jennie was on the right path, but leave it to her to jump to conclusions, hand squeezing yours protectively.

“No, no! It wasn’t like that…” You interrupted. You were going to have to explain the tangle of emotions if you wanted her to relax. And you did owe her an explanation for blanching abruptly and dragging her out of the building before either of you had finished your first cocktail. Now, you could feel it filtering out of your system, eased on by the anxiety pushing your blood faster through your heart. “She was… nice. Really nice. I think she might’ve even liked me?”

The look on Jennie’s face was cute. Cocking her head, “Why the hell did you run away then?”

You flapped your arms, appearing like a petulant child for a second. Then, “I don’t know what I’m doing!”

Jennie glanced around the dim room before landing her eyes back on you. “You’re in your room, talking to me?” A hand met your cheek. “Are you feeling alright? How much did you drink?”

“I’ve never had sex, Jennie!” You blurted out. It came with a heavy pant. Honestly, you could’ve done better explaining it with less simple terms, but it was the truth and it was out. Not like it was shocking. Jennie was the first person you told after each time you made out with a stranger in a bathroom or that one boy back in high school under the bleachers. There was no way she would have missed you having sex for the first time somewhere in there. “I don’t know what I’m doing in the bedroom…”

It still surprised Jennie. She blinked, open her mouth. Shut it. Finally, “She wanted to sleep with you?”

“No,” you admitted, sagging slightly. “I could just tell we were clicking and she was putting on the moves. She was interested. And I’m not sure what happened but it just got into my head that it could… lead to that. Sex. And I just sort of panicked.” It was your turn to blink. “Oh my god, I just walked away from her…”

Jennie’s giggle was enough to draw you back to the moment with her. Watching her, you knew the girl at the party didn’t amount to much in your world. Not when so much of it was occupied with your best friend. It wasn’t your typical ‘in love with your straight best friend’ bit, considering Jennie wasn’t exactly straight herself. But there wasn’t a whole lot to base any idea that she felt attracted to you. It wasn’t like you were freaking out about trying to impress Jennie in any bed with your utter lack of experience.

As the thought ran through your head, Jennie seemed to think the opposite. A step closer, she was reaching up to take a lock of your hair and twirl it around her finger. Those eyes, so dark, looked ever deeper as they lifted to catch yours. A cruel grin on her lips. If you didn’t know better, you’d say it was only because she was drunk that she was approaching you like this. Invading your space like this. Making your body vibrate like a magnet as she neared.

“You know,” she started, voice deeper. Sultry. You felt the urge to take a step back but a much stronger yearning kept you rooted to the spot. “We are in a bedroom.”

There was little more you could do than just nod.

“It doesn’t have to mean anything,” she continued. Shapes shifted in the red of the wall, slow, tantalizing. “You can say no to me right here and now, and we’ll pretend that I never said anything at all.”

Bone dry, you couldn’t speak to any sway in the decision. Jennie took that to mean you didn’t quite understand, and in keeping with the theme of complete clarity, she whispered.

“Do you want me to teach you how to fuck?” The hand playing with your hair now rested on your shoulder, fingertips warm and gently kneading the tense muscle there. “Do you want me to show you how to please a woman?”

All you could do was nod.

Something told you in the moment Jennie pressed her lips to yours and sought to make them pliant that she had been looking for this opportunity. It was almost too perfect.

It was a spell, how she kissed you. Made all those meddlesome thoughts and emotions that liked to control the heart disappear. Made your body respond before you could comprehend the way the two of you fitted together. Made time flit by from the second she started to peel your clothes off and you for her. Maybe those montages you saw in films held some measure of truth in the fluidity they portrayed sex. Abruptly kissing and then naked and then—

“On your bed,” Jennie instructed. A tone of voice unlike you ever heard, and had you backing toward the furniture obediently as she kicked off the last article of clothing around her ankle.

Aware that you were nude and about to part from her, that she would be able to see you in all your glory, you suddenly stilled. Nervous. What would she think? You couldn’t compare to some of her past partners, the men and women she’s bedded that she could have easily pulled from fashion magazines. That apprehension started its beady crawl back into your throat.

A gentle touch. Fingers on your chin. Bringing your eyes from the floor to hers again. Still just as excited about the prospect but with a blanket of care.

“You’re beautiful,” she murmured, kissing you again. Reading your thoughts. “I am attracted to you, mind and body.” Tongue lapping at your lip. “You have the power to stop whenever you like.”

As though the words thawed your insides with security of your bond, you broke the kiss and found yourself sinking down to the bed. Looking at Jennie expectantly. It must have been a sight she liked. A smile spread across her lush lips and she placed a hand on your shoulder to ease you back on the sheets. A pause taken to marvel at your form, one that gifted you the ability to do the same of her.

“Have you ever touched yourself?” Jennie inquired, face glowing in the light. It saved her the satisfaction of seeing you blush profusely at the question. Nodding, a hand smoothed up your thigh. “Then I want to begin with something you haven’t had the chance to practice yet.” Slinking upon the bed to level herself with your waist, “It’s better to show than to tell.”

Teeth tickled at your navel. You whimpered, silently chastising yourself for breaking so easily, and could hear Jennie chuckle darkly. Kissing, nipping, licking, she teased at your waist, biting tenderly at your hipbones, licking the invisible line of your waistband. The sensations unraveled low in your stomach, better than anything you could have ever made yourself feel, and she wasn’t even where your fingers had wantonly explored. Chestnut hair brushed over your skin, heightening the act, and when you started to writhe mindlessly did she take that as a sign you were ready. A hand splayed over your hip, holding you still, and then she was drawing lower.

You strangled out a gasp as you felt Jennie lave from your entrance to your bud. It was a good thing she had prepared with the hand on your body for you immediately tried to buck. The idea alone would have been enough, but for Jennie to demonstrate so willingly had you like putty. How did you taste? Did she like it? Or did she just enjoy how you responded? The questions started tallying up in your brain, losing track when she did the same ministration again, and then again, and fuck, again. The sounds of her mouth and you were obscene, the flush on your face a mixture of embarrassment and lust. And she was only picking up momentum. The dips into your folds came faster. Held more pressure. And she paused at your clit, sucking it between her lips, groaning from the den of her chest when a cracked cry fell from your mouth.

You wanted it to last forever. But it felt like no time at all before you were fisting up the sheets and openly moaning, attempting in vain to ride her tongue as she held you below and ate you like she was addicted. Blame laid on the virgin nerves driving you beyond sense. There was no moment wasted to ask what you liked, what she could do better, what more you needed. Jennie was bringing you close to an imperceptible edge composed all of her own and you wanted to fall already. Tossing your head to the side, chest heaving with a great inhale, legs shaking… it was approaching. Oh, you wanted it…

“Jennie!” You gasped out when she departed before finishing the climb. As if you had any jurisdiction to criticize her.

All she did was smirk that damned way that she did.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, baby,” and the way Jennie said the pet name so casually made you want to keen. “That wasn’t even the main event.”

With surprising strength, Jennie cupped the back of your head and drew you into a kiss. So that’s what you tasted like. An unfamiliar taste but not one unpleasant, and she didn’t seem to mind sharing. Distracted, you complied as she skillfully switched your positions until you broke apart and noted how she was now the one lying on the bed. Jennie was stunning, gentle curves and unobstructed flesh. A shine of the light and you were swallowing a knot to see how wet she had become from the opening act.

Reaching up, Jennie took a spare pillow at the head of the bed and brought it down so that she could fit it under her hips. You watched absently, brain fog too dense to allow any real thoughts to form. The cushion lifted her, and when she spread her legs for you to join her, it exposed more than your dreams dared picture. It was almost comical how your jaw dropped in increments. Hands gripping your hips, you allowed her to usher you closer.

“Put your hands on my knees, baby.” Were you trembling? Doing as instructed, thankful your hands could still, you listened as she continued with, “You can push them apart or up toward me if you need the space.” What was she talking about, so unabashed? You glanced down between your bodies and shuddered. Your cores so close to touching. And to drive home the point, Jennie pulled you tighter.

Stars sparked in your vision as you bumped clumsily together. Despite your copious desire, you could still feel her own hot, wet slick. God, you wanted to be closer, and following her advice, you gently urged her knees further into a fold toward her chest so you could press in earnest against her. Jennie hummed, eyes fluttering shut, hands never leaving your hips as she locked you there.

Eyes still closed and voice breathier, “Start grinding, baby.” You did, sighing out. “Yes, just like that… mmm, that’s good. You’re doing so good.”

The viscosity of the lava lamp trailed over your room, over your bodies as you worked up a rhythm. Abiding Jennie’s every instruction. You tried not to think about the awkward beginning, the uncertainty of what you were doing, what it could mean now that you had both passed a threshold of no returning.

It was easy when Jennie started to lose the ability to speak. Words ceased, coming in intervals of “Faster!” or “Like that, like that…” until they weren’t being spoken at all. At least not coherently. Tuned to her frequency, you began relying on the moans as they came to know what to do, and often found it correlated with what you wanted yourself. Jennie working you as close as she did with her tongue made holding on difficult, because there was no way you were about to finish before she would. Perhaps that had been her goal from the start, but grounding your hips into hers, the only thing that would bring you to that end would be hearing Jennie cry out her own climax.

When the jerk of Jennie’s hips to meet yours started to become unhinged, and the hands bruising your hips slackened with one coming to rest on your lower abdomen, digging nails, did you notice she was about to come. It made your chest tight, panting, beads of sweat running down the rivulet of your spine, and you just had to hold out. Head thrown back, you focused on keeping the pace as Jennie scratched at you, volume rising, whines sharpening and cracking. Then, your name, like she was calling for you. A quake ran the length of your body, and you cried out, unable to stop yourself if you had all the strength in the world.

Dark hair splayed over the sheets, hands scrambling on you for anything to anchor her in reality, Jennie came with nearly enough force to push you off her. You tried to fight it, keep her legs open just long enough to keep rutting until you were both finished. Ribs expanding to accommodate the inhales, Jennie tapered off into deep breaths. When she could manage, she opened unfocused, bleary eyes and smiled wide up at you. You were barely able to hold yourself up, setting her legs down slowly on the bed to stretch after holding the position for so long. Losing contact, you immediately missed the feeling of her against your centre, but couldn’t go another round if you wanted to. The second your high was finished, you were far too sensitive for anything else, and positively a mess.

Jennie didn’t care about the mess. A hiss escaped your teeth at the agony of having her grab your bruised hip again to pull you down onto her body. Sticky, hot, you laid together to catch your breath.

“I don’t think you’re going to have any problems,” Jennie finally said, laughing sheepishly at the end. Now that you were done, Jennie had lost the confident façade and became the mild kitten you had always known her as. It made your head spin.

You couldn’t voice it, even as she hugged you close and played with your hair to drift into sleep, but you weren’t sure you ever wanted to hear another person moan your name that wasn’t Jennie.

[hockeylvr59]

Birthday Baby || Paul Bissonnette

Requested: [x] yes [ ] no

Authors Note: So the original request was for “bend over I’m going to put a baby in you” and “tilt your hips up after I cum” with Elias Pettersson but I can’t write smut for him. This request came in after that suggesting that I do those for Biz. I have another request for the first part with a different player so I only used the second one here but hopefully you enjoy. As always when writing about Biz I got a little bit carried away and this turned out much bigger than a blurb. 

Warnings: smut, maybe some cursing. 

Word Count: 1,875

~~~~~~

Dating Paul was easy. It wasn’t that there weren’t challenges, it was that Paul was always willing to listen to you and work through whatever problems arose until you found an outcome that could make both of you happy. He was willing to think outside the box and it was something that made you fall hard for him. 

But there was one subject you knew would be difficult to conquer and though you needed to if you were going to have a future together, it worried you. 

You wanted kids. 

Paul was on the fence about it. 

But since that was a problem for down the road you put off talking about it. 

Then six months became a year and you realized that you couldn’t keep putting time and effort into something if there was no chance of having all of your needs filled in the future. 

So you’d told Paul that the two of you needed to talk and immediately he was concerned. But he’d listened as you expressed your feelings directly, confirming things that he’d insisted he’d known since you started dating. In return, he expressed his fears about having kids. How he was worried he’d make a horrible father, how he was worried his past injuries would negatively impact his ability to provide stability and raise children. 

By the end of the conversation he’d admitted he’d been thinking about having kids more frequently recently, that being with you made him honestly consider having kids for the first time. For now, it was enough. It was more than you had expected and it was enough to assure you that your efforts in this relationship were worth it. So you let those thoughts slip to the back of your mind for a while, focusing on enjoying time with Paul and growing stronger as a couple. 

In the days leading up to your birthday it seemed like there was something on Paul’s mind that he wouldn’t talk about. You were concerned but he’d never not confided in you eventually in the entire time you’d been together so you didn’t let yourself worry too much. 

The morning of your birthday you woke up to a vase of flowers on your dresser and your favorite muffin left for you on the kitchen counter. You’d insisted that you didn’t need to do anything for your birthday but when you arrived home from work you could smell dinner. Paul wasn’t the best chef but he was trying and the effort was what was appreciated. After sitting down to a warm meal and a glass of wine, you’d curled up on the couch next to Paul and you could feel his heart racing in his chest as he handed you your present. 

As you tore the paper off of the box you couldn’t tell if he was anxious because he was worried you wouldn’t like the present or if there was something else. Tucked inside the box was a pearl bracelet and you smiled tilting your face up to kiss him in thanks. It was beautiful and pearls were one of your favorite gemstones so it was perfect. Paul still looked nervous though and motioned that there was something else in the box. Tucked up under another layer of tissue paper was a blue and purple box, clearly from the drugstore and you lost your breath as you read the label. Ovulation Test. Not wanting to get ahead of yourself you looked back up at your boyfriend seeking answers. 

“Paul…” You murmured, moisture gathering in your throat as you watched him. 

“If you want…” He mumbled back, his free hand rubbing at the back of his neck. 

“Paul.” You repeated. “Are you serious?” His brown eyes were warm as he gazed down at you and after clearing his throat he nodded. 

“I know technically I should at least propose first but bear with me on that. But yeah...I’m serious. I think a mini you running around would be pretty cute.” 

There was so much more that needed to be discussed about this but right now just didn’t feel like the right time. Hashing out all of the details could happen when it wasn’t your birthday and since you were still on the pill you pulled Paul to bed without hesitation knowing that any baby-making wouldn’t be happening tonight anyway. 

____

Within a few days of your birthday you’d had all the necessary conversations, made sure that this was something that Paul actually wanted. But once that was settled you tossed your pills. Now it was just a matter of waiting and trying. 

And honestly, you had no idea that trying could be so much fun. 

It wasn’t that sex with Paul wasn’t great before but now, now it was even better. Now everything was heightened just that much more. Now Paul was a man on an even greater mission and it showed. 

Paul held your hips in his hands as he thrust up into you, forcing you even deeper onto his cock as you rode him. 

“God baby you’re so sexy like this.” He grunted. “Bet you’ll be even sexier carrying our baby.” A chill ran up and down your spine at the thought and you whined out about how close you were. You’d already cum once on his tongue and once with him inside of you and a third orgasm was ready to crash down on you. 

Flipping the two of you over, Paul slowed things down a bit, kissing you as he moved in and out connecting your bodies. Even with the slower pace it wasn’t long before you were right at the edge of your orgasm again. And this time it was clear that Paul was right there with you. 

“That’s it beautiful. You gonna cum for me again? Are you going to milk me as I cum, pull my seed deep inside of you so we get you nice and pregnant?” Only sounds of pleasure were spilling from your throat, no intelligible words forming in your brain. Your body was so desperate for him that it was reacting on its own accord, pulling him closer and deeper, aching to feel him spill inside of you. 

Though usually Paul always made sure that you came before he did, this time his orgasm crashed over him just a moment before yours and the sticky wet heat filling you caused you to cum with a shout, an intense orgasm leaving you boneless and sated. 

By the time your brain regained function, Paul was pulling a spare pillow from beside your head and working it under your hips. 

“Gotta tilt your hips up after I cum sweetheart, make sure all of it stays right there inside of you so that we can knock you up.” He reminded, a prideful smirk on his face. He kissed you for a few minutes, rambling about how incredible it was getting to experience this with you before he finally pulled out, doing his best to leave as much of his semen still inside of you as he could. 

____

This time it was his birthday and because it was Biz and you’d finally gotten the news you’d been waiting for you knew that you needed to go big in your reveal to him. The Yotes were playing at home which meant that he had to work on his birthday but you’d managed to fly his parents down to surprise him, snatching his season tickets for the game. 

You knew he was doing pregame and the second intermission on tv so with the help of a few people you had your surprise planned for after his second appearance. Pulling Cam and Yole up to the tv deck as soon as the second period of play ended, you watched as Paul chatted with Jody about the goaltending so far. Soon they wrapped up and just before going off the air Jody spoke. 

“Also I think I heard there was going to be a birthday message for you on the jumbotron, you should probably check that out before heading back to radio.” 

Right on cue, as Paul turned his head to look at the big screen you watched as a series of players and his coworkers wished him a happy birthday. Then your face appeared on the screen with the message you’d recorded for him earlier. 

“Hey there Coyotes fans. You probably know me by now as Biz’s better half. I’d like you to join me in wishing him a very happy birthday because this is a special one. In fact...there’s one more person who wants to say happy birthday but for another year or so I’ll have to do it for them…” Now in addition to speaking to the camera, you were holding up a tiny Bissonnette jersey. “Baby Biz told me to tell you he or she says ‘Happy Birthday Daddy.’” 

Rather than watching yourself on the big screen, you watched Paul’s expressions as he took in the video. How his expression turned soft at the general outpouring of well wishes and then how shock appeared on his face when your video played and finally how tears formed in his eyes as he realized the weight of the information that was just revealed. 

Beside you, you could hear Yole crying and a peek at her and Cam revealed big smiles on their faces. 

Paul cursed and looked at his phone, and you knew in the back of his mind he was desperate to call you but worried about making it back to radio in time. Shaking your head to yourself, you nodded at the crew as you snuck your way over to him. 

“Happy Birthday Babe.” You said, attempting to draw his attention. When he realized you were standing there his eyes went wide and his arms wrapped around you as he buried his head against your neck. “You’ve got a few more minutes. They’ve got you covered in radio so don’t stress.” You assured him. 

“What the fuck was that?” He eventually questioned, though his tone revealed only that he was still processing. 

“I mean go big or go home right?” You teased, scraping your fingernails against his scalp. He let out a shaky breath against you before pulling back. 

“We’re having a baby?” He whispered, awe filling his voice. 

“We’re having a baby.” You confirmed, kissing him softly as you drew his hands to your still flat stomach. “And I’m not sure whether you or your mom are freaking out more.” You motioned to where his parents were standing and Paul let out a gruff emotional chuckle. 

“You flew my parents here.” He mused shaking his head. “You’re something else...you know that right?” He added. 

“Well, it is your birthday. And you becoming a dad is kinda a big deal.” You smirked, laughing as he picked you up and spun you around, joy taking over his expression as it all finally started to settle in. 

“Yeah...becoming a dad is kinda a big deal.” He agreed, kissing you gently before pulling you over to his parents. 

You honestly weren’t sure how you both were going to top this year’s birthdays next year but you couldn’t wait to find out. 

[salaciouscrumpet]

Whumptober Day 21

Whumptober Day 21 Prompt: “Laced Drink”

So, uh, this one ... kinda got away from me a little? By which I mean it’s over ten pages long, and I didn’t quite know how to end it. I had fun writing it, though, and sharing some more of the worldbuilding I’ve been doing for my series.

CW: Offensive language

Characters: Charlie, Luke, Kate, miscellaneous others 

“What do you mean, you lost her?” Charlie hopped around on one foot, trying to wriggle his way into his jeans, his phone cradled between his ear and his shoulder. “She’s in a fucking Camaro, it’s not exactly subtle!” 

Devon’s voice on the other end of the line was frustrated and bordering on angry, and Charlie immediately regretted snapping at her like that. He wasn’t angry with her, just the situation. Beside him Luke struggled with a pair of pants before realizing they were Charlie’s and therefore wouldn’t fit, and with a huff of annoyance he threw them across the room and stormed off in search of his own clothes. They had undressed in something of a hurry and their bedroom was a disaster. If they’d known there was going to be an emergency call from Devon they would’ve taken more care with their things. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Charlie said quickly, before Devon could – rightfully so – get offended with him. “I’m just … Do we know how long it takes to metabolize?” 

“He didn’t say,” Devon replied, and it was clear that she was every bit as worried as Charlie. Charlie heard some muffled talking in the background, a man’s voice raised high and whiny, but he couldn’t make out what was being said. He assumed Devon and the others were still questioning their suspect. He wished he was there to do it himself. “I don’t think he knows. He was just the delivery man.” 

“Come on.” Luke’s hand latched around Charlie’s arm, hauling him out of the bedroom. Charlie let himself be led, even as he finished zipping up and snagged a T-shirt off the mirror by the door. The shirt was Kate’s, which meant it was both too short and too tight – it also had a picture of Princess Leia in the Rosie the Riveter pose on the front, with the caption “We Can Do It!” in big bold letters – but he couldn’t be bothered trying to find something else to wear. Nobody was going to be critiquing his fashion choices while he was out frantically trying to find his potentially sick and dying best friend. 

Luke and Charlie thundered downstairs and out the front door, leaving Bear in charge of the farmhouse. (Charlie couldn’t even remember if either of them locked the door, and honestly he didn’t care – let Bear eat anyone who tried to come inside uninvited, he and Luke had better things to worry about.) Luke had had the foresight to grab his keys, so it was to Luke’s truck that they raced, Charlie still trying to pull on his sneakers and Luke pulling a T-shirt – inside out and backwards – on over his head. 

“Do we have any idea where we’re going?” Luke asked, even as he started the truck and began backing out of the driveway. Gravel crunched under the truck’s wheels, loud against the otherwise quiet night. It had been a perfectly lovely evening: starlit, maybe a little on the chill side (perfect for cuddling, which Charlie had been happy to do right up until the moment Luke started whispering filthy suggestions into his ear), with only the crickets for company. Kate had gone out to play pool with some friends down at the Crablouse, and Luke and Charlie had had the house to themselves. Everything had been going swimmingly and Charlie was well on his way to getting laid when Devon had called to say that someone had dosed Kate with something and that she’d left the bar in a hurry, and now they had no idea where she was or even what was happening to her. 

She couldn’t have been feeling any ill effects when she’d left, or at least not anything that would have impaired her driving abilities. Kate had a fairly intense dislike of anyone who drank or got high and then drove; there was zero chance that if she was intoxicated, she would have hopped into her car and taken off. Devon had said that Kate claimed to be feeling restless and that she’d been irritable before she’d left, and while those emotions didn’t exactly make for the most cautious of drivers – and Kate wasn’t what anyone would call careful to begin with – it wasn’t the same as being drunk. But they had no idea what she’d be given or how it would affect her, only that the person who’d given it to her, by way of a laced drink, had intended for it to be debilitating. 

The truck peeled out of the driveway, dirt and gravel flying. Of the three of them Luke was normally the most cautious driver, but now he drove like the supernaturally-enhanced super-soldier he was, heightened senses and reflexes utterly focused on getting to Kate – wherever she was – as quickly as possible. 

Charlie was just about to admit he had no idea where to begin the search when his cellphone rang, the ringtone immediately identifying the caller. 

“Katie?” he said, as soon as he had the phone to his mouth. 

There was silence on the other end – well, not silence exactly, but no one spoke. Instead, Charlie could hear music playing in the background, Savage Garden crooning about how truly, madly, deeply they were in love. That had to be coming from the radio of Kate’s car, because Kate was utterly unapologetic when it came to her appreciation of cheesy music from the ‘80s and ‘90s. Kate didn’t believe in guilty pleasures; she liked what she liked, and if other people didn’t agree with her, they could go fuck themselves. (Her words, not Charlie’s.) She had a particular love of boy bands: Backstreet Boys, New Kids on the Block, NSYNC, Take That, you name it. 

“Kate?” 

A rustle, and then: “Charlie? What’s goin’ on?” Kate’s voice was slurred and too bright, with a note of surprise that didn’t make any sense, given that she was the one who had called him. Still, the surge of relief he felt at hearing from her was nearly enough to bowl him over. 

It’s her, he mouthed at Luke, before saying, “You called me, Katie. Where are you?” 

“I did? Are you sure?” Kate giggled, a strange, high-pitched sound completely unlike her normal laughter, and then started singing along to the radio. By now the song had moved on to Madonna, but instead of singing along to Express Yourself Kate was singing – off-key and slightly out of tempo – the lyrics to Lady Gaga’s Born This Way, and while Charlie had to admit the two songs were similar it was definitely Madonna he could hear playing over the radio and he knew for damn sure that Kate knew the difference. 

“Kate, focus,” Charlie said, while Luke gripped the steering wheel and swore under his breath. “Can you tell me where you are? Are you still in your car?” 

Silence again, and then – 

Retching? 

Charlie listened, phone clutched tightly enough that he swore he could hear the case crack, as Kate coughed and retched on the other end. In the background Madonna was still singing, but the sounds of Kate being sick drowned out the Material Girl almost entirely. The last time Charlie had heard anyone vomit that much it was when one of the new Alliance recruits ate a package of expired hotdogs on a dare, and that had been like watching the head-spinning scene from The Exorcist. 

One thing, though: if Kate was throwing up, she couldn’t be driving, could she? Charlie couldn’t imagine how anyone could drive while puking, especially not if they were vomiting as violently and frequently as Kate seemed to be doing. So that was a good thing, right? That she had probably pulled over somewhere, and wasn’t driving around out of her mind, god knows where? And she was clearly near the car, since he could still hear the radio, which meant she hadn’t gone off into the woods somewhere. If Kate had wandered away on foot there was very little hope of finding her, but her car – a very recognizable old Camaro she referred to as ‘asshole tax’ – pulled off to the side of the road somewhere would give them something to look for. 

“Hurts, Charlie,” Kate mumbled into the phone, and Charlie’s heart lurched. 

“What hurts, Katie-Kate?” he asked carefully, wincing when Luke shot him a panicked look and nearly drove them off the road. Luke quickly corrected the truck but Charlie was keenly aware that his boyfriend wasn’t paying nearly enough attention to his driving. “Where are you, sweetie?” 

“There’s a … a tree?” Kate sounded uncertain, but it didn’t much matter: they lived in rural Ontario, there were a lot of trees everywhere. He was about to say as much – gently – but Kate continued, haltingly, “My head, Charlie, it feels like somethin’s trynna claw its way out …” 

Charlie chewed on his lip and tried really, really hard not to consider the fact that in their line of work, Kate’s statement could in fact be literal. He didn’t know what she’d been dosed with, but he could think of several nasty monsters that had some way of making themselves or their offspring small enough to climb inside a woman’s body and eat its way through to her brain. And he could think of dozens of other things that could simply feel like that – and none of them were good. Add in the vomiting and her earlier euphoric behaviour – plus the irritability and restlessness Devon had described – and the list of things that could be wrong with Kate grew exponentially. 

Luke suddenly started thrusting his own phone in Charlie’s face, once again swerving dangerously as he did so. Charlie took the phone from him, giving him an incredulous look when he realized the damn thing wasn’t ringing or otherwise trying to get their attention, so what the hell was he trying to do? 

“Find my phone!” Luke said excitedly, gesturing towards the cellphone in Charlie’s hand with one elbow. Before Charlie could point out that his phone was in his freaking hand Luke clarified, “The app, Charlie! The app! Kate’s phone is connected, you can find it on the Find My Phone app!” 

And since Kate was using her phone, presumably they could find her, too. 

“You’re brilliant, babe,” Charlie said, and managed to keep himself from adding Now pay attention to the damn road before you get us both killed. Keeping his own cellphone tucked in against his ear so that he could continue talking to Kate, he activated Luke’s phone and keyed in the PIN, thumbing the Find My Phone app on. He remembered one of his colleagues complaining about an ex-boyfriend who tried using the app to stalk her – he had installed it without her permission – and saying that she thought it was creepy that he, Luke and Kate all had their phones connected through it, but this was more or less exactly the kind of scenario that had inspired them to do so. Not that he was about to tell Kristie that the three of them had the app on their phones in case unknown enemies decided to mess with them; there were some things the receptionist at the vet clinic didn’t need to know about his life, chief among them being I’m a witch with healing powers who belongs to a super-secret organization of supernatural creatures and we all fight monsters together. Let Kristie think he was just overprotective about his partners; she wouldn’t be wrong. 

Just as he saw Kate’s phone come up – and to his immense relief he saw that she wasn’t far; she must have been on her way home – he heard a sudden commotion from her end of the line. He couldn’t quite tell what was happening, but Kate made an unhappy noise and then there was the unmistakable sound of flesh impacting against flesh. Kate cried out and the car horn let out a short beep that was loud enough for Luke to hear. 

“What’s happening?” Luke demanded, and something buckled in the steering wheel where his fingers were clenching too tightly. 

“I don’t know,” Charlie admitted before frantically shouting into the phone, “Kate? Katie? What’s going on? Are you okay?” 

There were muffled voices in the background, a man saying “Give me that!” followed by Kate letting out another pained sound. She had to be out of it if Kate was the only one who sounded like she was getting hurt. 

“Hurry up,” Charlie said urgently, trying to will the truck to suddenly develop nitrous oxide or nitrogen or whatever it was that street racers in the movies used to make their cars go extra fast. For all that Luke had been distracted and reckless it was a good thing he was the one driving, because of the two of them he was the one who stood a better chance of getting them to Kate quickly and safely. That, and it was Luke’s truck, and he knew it better than any of them. 

The sounds of violence increased, making Charlie wish that he could reach through the phone and obliterate whoever was after Kate. He also wished, rather frantically, that he could actually see what was happening, because all he could tell was that there was some kind of fight going on and Kate – already suffering the ill effects of whatever her drink had been laced with – appeared to be on the losing end of things. 

Then, the man’s voice again, this time much closer-sounding: “Give me that, you fucking bitch!” and the call disconnected. Charlie stared at his phone in horror as he heard Luke let loose a string of curses in a mixture of English and Armenian. Charlie was grateful that from his angle he couldn’t actually see the speedometer on the dashboard, because he was fairly confident the truck was going far faster than he would be comfortable with, and yet he still wanted it to go faster, dammit. All he could hear was the anger in that man’s voice and the faint sounds of pain Kate had been making, and if they didn’t get there soon – 

Sirens in the distance. 

Charlie instinctively looked in the rearview mirror, but there weren’t any emergency vehicles behind them – not that he could blame the police from targeting their racing truck. He could definitely hear sirens, however, and they were coming from the direction they were already headed in. He didn’t know whether to scream, laugh or cry – would the involvement of regular mundane authorities help Kate in any way, or was it just going to lead to a bunch of humans getting killed by whoever had targeted her? 

Luke’s cellphone started ringing, startling Charlie so badly he nearly dropped it. For a moment he was tempted to ignore it – unless it was Kate, he didn’t want to talk to them – until he saw the name and number flashing across the screen. 

“It’s Ben,” he said. Ben Ainsley was one of Luke’s oldest friends; the two of them had grown up in the Knights of Oberon together. Ben was still a part of the Order but was one of the few Knights who remained on good terms with Luke, even after Luke was removed from the Order. It was unusual enough for Ben to call Luke out of the blue; the fact that he was doing so just as Kate was in danger couldn’t possibly be a coincidence. 

“Answer it!” Luke hissed, just as the truck rounded the corner. 

Up ahead Charlie could see the flashing red and blue lights of emergency vehicles, as well as what looked to be a police officer setting up one of those emergency orange barricades to block the road off. There were two cop cars, both with lights flashing, a couple of SUVs, and a fifth vehicle, a dark truck of some sort. All five vehicles were empty, although one of the SUVs and the truck both had all their doors wide open. 

As soon as the call connected Charlie could hear Ben’s voice, talking to someone in the background. Then, before Charlie had a chance to even say hello, Ben was speaking. “Looking for someone?” 

“Oh thank god, you found her,” Charlie said, almost dropping the phone in his lap in his relief. His hands were shaking, and beside him Luke loosened his tight grip on the steering wheel, guiding the truck towards the police barricade. As they got closer Charlie could see men and a couple of women in uniform milling around, all of them standing near the barricade, and further up ahead he saw a familiar black car gone head-first into the ditch. His panic dropped a few ticks as he said into the phone, “Is she all right?” 

Luke pulled his truck right up to the barricade and two of the police officers rushed forward, clearly intending to order him to turn around and leave until a tall, broad-shouldered man with a cellphone held up to one ear came and interrupted them. Charlie immediately recognized Ben, who – nearly as tall as Luke and just as well-muscled – would have stood out almost anywhere.

Seeing them, Ben lowered his cellphone and waved the officers off, hurrying over to the driver-side door of Luke’s truck. Charlie watched the cops warily, not quite knowing what to make of their presence. The Alliance only had a few loose connections to mundane authorities, mostly through people like Ardyn and Rishaan, who had jobs connected to law enforcement. The Knights of Oberon, on the other hand, often took great pains to ensure they had solid ties throughout the regular human community, either by having their own members join – politics was a favourite, which was where Luke’s parents had envisioned him going – or by befriending (or blackmailing) mundane humans with the right connections. If the police were here, now, blocking off the road and turning back travelers, it seemed likely they were working with the Knights – which meant the Knights were somehow involved in whatever had happened to Kate. 

Charlie didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but the knowledge that Luke’s parents would have been happy to arrange for Kate to be incarcerated on trumped-up charges or otherwise excised from their son’s life made it easy for those conclusions to be reached. If that were the case, however, he didn’t think Ben would be a part of it. Ben was a loyal Knight, but there were some lines he wasn’t willing to cross, as his friendship with Luke attested. 

Ben waited for Luke to open the door, then immediately started talking, cellphone shoved in his jeans pocket. “She’s sick and a bit roughed up, but we’ve got someone taking a look at her.” His eyes darted in Charlie’s direction as he added, “You’re more than welcome to tag in if you want.” 

It was tempting, but Charlie knew whoever the Knights had brought along would be just as good at healing magic as he was, if not better. It was far more common for the Knights of Oberon to have Fae-blooded members – witches like Charlie – because of their centuries-long alliance with the Seelie Court. Only witches could be charmers – magical healers – which meant there were far more healers allied with the Knights than with the Alliance, who tended to have more sorcerers, fomoir and other supernatural creatures. The Alliance was more diverse, but the Knights of Oberon had more specialists. 

“We just want to see her,” Charlie said as he hopped out of the vehicle and followed Ben and Luke past the orange-painted roadblocks. “What happened?” 

“Why are you here?” Luke asked, and while he didn’t sound suspicious, exactly, there was a certain note of wariness in his voice. He trusted Ben, who he’d known for close to three decades, but he didn’t necessarily trust the other Knights; it was likely he had also come to the same conclusions Charlie had, regarding his parents and their potential involvement. 

But Ben’s words put those suspicions to rest immediately when he explained, while escorting Charlie and Luke past the police, that the Knights had been following a self-professed “demon hunter” who had been using a homemade concoction against people he believed were demon-blooded. In most cases the only ill effects were that his targets got a little drunker than they expected; he had been mixing in large doses of fairy blood, along with some substances the Knights’ hadn’t yet discerned, and the blood of the Fae had a tendency to get people high, especially when combined with other intoxicants like alcohol or illegal drugs. (There was a healthy black market trade on Fae blood and similar supernatural drugs.) In some cases, however, the would-be hunter had gotten lucky and chosen a target who actually was demon-blooded, and the unknown substances in his concoction reacted with the sorcerer’s or fomoir’s blood in such a way as to leave them severely ill and weakened – and in the worst cases, led to their deaths. 

“Why didn’t the Knights let the Alliance know our people were in danger?” Luke asked, his hands clenching and unclenching into fists. He looked at Ben, a hurt expression on his face. “Why didn’t you let me know Kate was in danger?” 

Ben raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, his own expression one of sympathy and regret. “I know, man, I know. I’m sorry, I just got put on this today.” He looked around cautiously and lowered his voice so that both Charlie and Luke had to lean in to hear him as he added, “You know what the Elders are like. It wasn’t gonna hurt any of our people, so they didn’t see any point in reaching out. If I’d known sooner, man – Luke, Charlie, you know I would’ve told you the second I realized Katie might be targeted.” 

It was always strange for Charlie to hear anyone who wasn’t himself, Luke, or Kate’s mother refer to Kate as “Katie,” but Ben was probably one of the few other people on the planet who could get away with it. Although he and Kate hadn’t liked each other initially, Ben had been the one to let Kate know the Knights had written Luke off back when he’d been abducted by the Scions of the Unforgiven, and he’d given her and the Alliance the intel they’d needed in order to rescue Luke. Kate had introduced Ben to Charlie as “the only Knight who isn’t an asshole,” and that introduction had stuck. 

As Ben led them through the cluster of people – more people, in fact, than Charlie had initially realized, and that told him just how seriously the Knights were taking this situation – they finally reached Kate’s battered old Camaro. The engine was still running and the lights were on, and Charlie could hear faint music playing over the radio, something poppy and uplifting with a good beat. Beyond Kate’s car there was an ambulance, its lights flashing, and a pair of paramedics were standing over a collapsible gurney – and on the gurney, finally, was Kate. 

Charlie’s heart leaped in his chest at the sight of her. She looked rough – she was, in fact, barely conscious, and the lower half of her too-pale face was covered in blood – but she was alive. One of the paramedics, an older woman with greying hair pulled back in a braid, had her hands on Kate’s abdomen, feeding brilliant gold magic into her. Charlie didn’t recognize the woman but he could sense that she was using healing magic, and it made sense: a lot of witches tended to fall into professions that would enable them to use their magic to help others. Just as Charlie had become a veterinarian, it looked like this woman had chosen to become a paramedic. He knew other witches who worked in home security, enhancing security systems with warding magic, or horticulture where they could use their magic to encourage plants to grow, all things in a similar vein. Sorcerers – the demon-blooded counterpart to Fae-blooded witches – tended not to follow the same pattern, but as their magic fell to the more destructive side that was probably for the best. 

“Katie,” Luke breathed, coming to stand beside Kate’s gurney, looking like his knees were about to give way beneath him. Charlie knew exactly how that felt, because he was feeling much the same way. Luke turned to the charmer, a pleading expression on his face. “She’s gonna be okay?” 

The woman gave a tight nod, her fingers moving in a graceful pattern over Kate, the golden glow dripping off her fingertips like sunlight. As Charlie watched some of the bruising on Kate’s face disappeared and she seemed to settle back against the gurney, the tight lines of pain around her eyes and mouth fading a bit. Luke tried to keep out of the way so as not to interfere with the paramedic’s work, but the woman gave him a little jerk of her chin, indicating he could move to the head of the gurney. He immediately did so, running one hand through the sweat-dampened curls over Kate’s forehead. Charlie held back, letting Luke have the space he needed; he, at least, could see through his magic that Kate was going to be all right, whereas Luke had only the paramedic’s assurances. Charlie promised himself time to fuss and mother-hen Kate once they had her back at home, to make up for his inability to do so now. 

“If it’s all right with you guys,” Ben said, making an apologetic face, “We’d like to get some samples of Kate’s blood. Normally I’d ask her for her permission, but …” He gestured vaguely in Kate’s direction, his meaning obvious: she was barely conscious, pale eyes glassy and vague, and there was no way she could be considered capable of giving any sort of meaningful consent. 

“Why?” Luke asked, immediately suspicious. 

Charlie already knew the answer, however. “They want to study the drug used on her.” He set one hand on Luke’s wrist, giving it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. “Her blood will give them a better idea of how the drug worked, why the Fae mixture affected her the way it did – and maybe help them try to find an antidote?” The paramedic nodded, barely even glancing at them as she continued her work. 

“Exactly,” Ben said, shooting Charlie a grateful look. 

“Yeah?” Luke said. His hand was still on Kate’s forehead, but his eyes were fixed on Charlie’s face, trying to gauge his intent. It spoke volumes as to his mistrust of the Knighthood, that he needed Charlie to reassure him, even with Ben being the one to make the request. 

If Luke’s mistrust bothered Ben, he gave no indication, and that made Charlie think even better of him, if that was even possible. Ben knew precisely why his childhood friend would have misgivings about the Order, and he clearly felt no anger with Luke over it. The Knights of Oberon had been the ones to burn that particular bridge, not Luke or Ben. 

“Yeah,” Charlie said, squeezing Luke’s wrist again. He could have been the one to give permission for the Knights to take Kate’s blood – it wasn’t like the Knights of Oberon were the kind of organization to give a damn about legalities like whether or not Luke and Charlie had medical power of attorney or anything – but sensed that Luke needed to be the one to agree to it. 

“Yeah,” Luke echoed. He nodded slowly, turning back to Ben. “Yeah, you can do it. But.” His tone turned menacing, his expression hardening, “If I find out Kate’s blood is going to be used against her, I’ll know who to blame.” 

The other paramedic – a man, his physique similar enough to Ben and Luke that Charlie felt it was safe to say he was also a Knight of Oberon – made a sort of scandalized noise at the threat in Luke’s voice, but the woman just smirked as she continued working on Kate. Charlie suspected she had had a few unpleasant run-ins with the Knights herself, such that she would understand how justified Luke’s threat was; for all that the Seelie Court and their related members were considered allies of the Knights, unless one was actually a Knight oneself – or a member of an Incarnate family – they were still seen as lesser. Not that there were many Knights so foolish as to say such things directly to a Seelie Courtier’s face, but it was a safe bet that the paramedic had heard them before. 

“We’ll submit it anonymously,” Ben said quickly, completely unoffended. “Nobody needs to know whose blood it was, and I can make sure the incident reports about this are anonymous, too.” He fixed the male paramedic with a hard stare that cautioned the other man that his words were not a request. 

Charlie was about to ask if Ben could make sure to pass on the Knights’ findings when another man came over to join them. Like Ben, this man was one of the assembled people not wearing a uniform of some type; unlike Ben, he was barely more than average height, but just as well-built. Charlie immediately recognized him as Grant, an older Knight – by about a decade – who often worked with Ben. Grant was, according to Kate, an asshole, but not a complete asshole; he had a tendency to be a little lax with the Order’s rules and regulations, and had also been one of the few Knights who chose to stand by Luke following his exile. 

“They’re all lined up and waiting for you,” Grant said to Ben after giving Charlie and Luke a tight nod of greeting. 

“Oh, excellent,” Ben said, and the expression on his face turned purely predatory. He gave Luke a small, hard smile. “You want to come meet our wannabe demon hunters?” 

“Fuck yes,” Luke breathed out – and the look on his face gave Charlie chills. 

Apparently the other paramedic saw the same thing, because he immediately piped up. “We’re supposed to bring them in for interrogation, not murder them and drop them in the canal somewhere.” 

“No worries,” said Grant amicably. “We’ll leave enough of them to interrogate.” 

The paramedic opened his mouth to argue, then seemed to think better of it, raising his hands in a gesture of defeat before climbing up into the back of the ambulance in search of something. 

A part of Charlie wanted to go with Grant and the others to talk to the people responsible for hurting Kate, but a bigger part of him needed to stay with Kate, especially if Luke was planning to leave her side for any reason. Luke gave him a questioning look, but Charlie just nodded, the two of them swapping places so that Charlie could stand at Kate’s head while Luke headed back into the throng of emergency workers with Ben and Grant. Now that he knew where to look, Charlie could see that some more Knights – at least, he assumed they were all Knights – had a quartet of men on their knees on the ground. There were no weapons being pointed at anyone, but even at this distance Charlie could see that the men in question weren’t going to be stupid enough to try and run away, not with this many people gathered around them. 

Still, it seemed like that sense of self-preservation only went so far, because as Luke and the others approached one of the men lowered his hands – the four of them had been kneeling with their hands behind their heads – and started arguing with the Knights standing nearby. Charlie couldn’t quite make out what he was saying – and then he raised his voice. 

“We know that little bitch isn’t a real person,” he was saying, and oh, Charlie recognized that voice. That had been the voice he’d heard over the phone, the one that had been snarling at Kate before the line had gone dead. “She’s a monster walking around in human clothes, and she deserves everything we did to her.”

“Oh shit,” murmured the female paramedic. Charlie suddenly decided he rather liked her. 

Across the way Luke broke free of Ben and Grant, moving with a sudden explosion of predatory grace as he charged at the man who’d spoken. As Charlie watched, Luke hauled back one clenched fist – and let fly. 

The sound of impact was loud enough that Charlie heard it from where he stood, even with the jumble of emergency radios and Aqua singing about being a Barbie Girl in the background. Luke punched the man solidly in the face, and while it was clear to Charlie that his boyfriend had held back – clear, because the man wasn’t killed outright – it was still enough to knock him out with one blow. 

The other three would-be hunters immediately cringed away and began babbling all at once, all three of them eager to impress upon Luke – and the rest of his company – that they didn’t share their unconscious friend’s opinions of their demon-blooded target, and that honestly, this was probably all just a huge misunderstanding, please don’t let the scary man kill me. 

The male paramedic popped his head out of the back of the ambulance, eyes narrowing as he surveyed the scene in the distance. “Uh. Should we do something about that?” 

“Nope,” said his partner, not even looking up from her patient. 

Charlie grinned at her and rubbed his thumb over Kate’s cheekbone, where a large bruise was steadily growing smaller under the woman’s healing magic. Yeah, not everyone affiliated with the Knights of Oberon was a complete asshole, he decided.

[childrenofathoria-rp-blog]

◆Out Of Character Information◆

Name/Age: Brionna Preferred Pronouns: She/Hers/Her Timezone: EST Desired Character: Vera

◆Character Information◆

(1)  What pronouns will your character be using? Would you like to list their sexuality at this time?: Vera goes by she/hers/her pronouns, and I’m still torn with her sexuality, so no.

(2)  Any changes or comments? Not at the moment.

(3) Why this character? Vera intrigued me. She’s a werewolf, and she has a pack, but she distances herself from them.  This is because of her abilities and the things she has seen. I think her gift can be a burden on her sometimes, especially when she transforms, since she is completely blind as a wolf. I like that about her, and I think it would be interesting to explore the mindset and habits of a werewolf isolated from their pack.

(4) Interpret this character:

I would play Vera as someone who does the right thing. This may not be because they particularly want to, but because it’s best for the safety of her clan (or pack). I think that Vera asked to leave so that she could get a hold of her abilities, and interpret what Gaia gives to her. Then, she’d return to the pack, a necessary asset. I also think that Vera asked to leave because of her own paranoia, and how she could, eventually, be a danger to her own pack. I think the isolation of herself was supposed to be temporary, but now she’s been gone a long time, and she has no idea how she should return (or if she should return in the first place). Vera seems like she’s lonely, though, and is torn with going back, because lone wolves don’t have the support of the pack to keep them going. Maybe she just needs a companion or two. It doesn’t have to be romantic, but I think she needs a friend who reminds her of home. This goes into quests. Given Vera’s slight instability concerning her powers, she may well be a liability on a quest. Even so, if it was a quest that had Gaia involved, Vera would more than likely be in it. Other than that, I don’t think Vera would go on many quests.

Vera is totally a clean freak. Like, she can not function unless everything is organized. Mess drives her crazy, and I think keeping everything in her personal environment pristine and shiny would help a lot when she starts rambling about a Doomsday that’s already doomed…to not happen. This follows her into her work space. The materials she uses to weave are first organized alphabetically, then by color. Cleanliness is one of her traits. She doesn’t look down on someone who isn’t as organized as she is, but she’s wary to step into their environments also. For old friends like Jade, or figures in her life like Alastair, though, she can make an exception. Sometimes, she wonders what her life would have been like if she asked Alastair for help instead of asking him if she could leave. She wonders about Jade, and if her friend has been alright through these years. Sometimes, the loneliness hits her hard enough to make her go packing to leave for Anshega, but then she remembers herself and her abilities.

◆ Interview Questions ◆

(1) Question One: Describe what happens when you are struck with a vision? How does your body react or what do you see?

My visions used to come to me horribly. I dreaded them, at first. This feeling of adrenaline would jolt through my body, so sharp and icy, it was almost painful. I’d need to be sitting down, or I would hit my head on the floor as I passed out. My eyes would roll into the back of my head, a milky white, and I would have terrifying convulsions, kind of like seizes. Some say I would also mumble incoherently. After I saw what I saw, I’d have an excruciating headache. Most of the time, though, I have a headache after a vision. The pain of it has lessened over the years, but how I react to the vision depends on my mood. If I’m nervous or anxious or angry right before a vision, the effects on my body are nearly as bad as they were the first couple of times I’ve had them. If I’m content or even happy, they come easily. A sharp intake of breath, the hairs of my body rise, and I still pass out, but the migraine after is tolerable. I…I don’t really want to talk about the things I see. They are…distressing, to say the least.

(2) Question Two: Have you ever seen a coin from Dragos?

No, I have not. Unfortunately, I have never been to Dragos.  If I were a coiner, I definitely would have, but I am just a weaver.  There’s no purpose for me to go other than to entertain myself, and i prefer not to indulge in things. One day, I will travel to the island, though. I have heard from a few coiners that the entertainment is so fine they dreaded leaving the place! It sounds like a nice island.

◆Writing Sample:◆

She only dreamed of running with the pack during Rahu when she felt her loneliness the strongest. When she did dream of running under the moon, it was more of a memory, as she dreamed of standing up top of that cliff, and Gaia reaching out to her, choosing her, blessing her.

The sight of the blood moon was captivating. If she were an artist, it would have been her muse, the one thing she painted more than anything. The pull for her to transform was stronger, too, courtesy of the blood moon, and it was easy to shift into a wolf. It was even easier to join in ranks with the rest of the pack, growling and snarling, anxious to go on their monthly run. When it came time, it was unnervingly easy to forget about her human body and settle into this host. Running along with her packmates, her family, her friends, gave her a sense of calm. She was faster in this form, all of her senses heightened, and she felt on top of the world.

She was so fast that she could feel the wind whipping through her fur coat, the soft, emerald colored grass being trampled at her feet. She could smell the fresh scents of the forest, the crisp air filling her lungs. She could hear the howl of one of her packmates, and she howled back, a loud, booming sound. She felt enriched and fulfilled and free all at once, the hushed nature around her only adding to her good mood.

Soon enough, the pack was headed up to an overarching cliff, placed over a massive body of water. Here, out in the open, and so high up in elevation, Vera felt like she could touch the clouds. In this open space, she felt closest to the blood moon, and it was beautiful. It was large and heavy, tiny dots of stars scattered in the midnight blue space around it. It was a coppery red, like dried blood, but there was an orange tint. It was unique in its own way. A part of Vera fell in love with it.

Once they were out of formation, she wandered a bit closer to the cliff’s edge, wanting to get as close to the blood moon as she could. She stared out across the reflecting water at the lunar figure, feeling at peace.

Then, suddenly, the air around her changed. She felt a divine presence around her, reaching out to her. Vera turned, no doubt to alert Alastair, but her vision flashed a painfully bright white before she could take a step. She crumpled in the grass, her wolven form seizing, and all she could do was whimper as the scene played out before her.

The edges were blurry, but she could make out a great battle. One side was losing terribly, but both sides had their bloodshed and casualties. It was a great city, the towers reaching for the blue sky, cobblestones lined with flowers and precious treasures, though it was being tarnished by blood soaking through stone. Vera knew it was an eastern city on the water, but she didn’t know how. She tried to get closer, but she was pulled back into reality, shivering, the pain in her head so vast she felt like her brain was seconds away from imploding.

She tried to open her eyes, but the same white was filling her vision, this time duller and cloudier. She could sense a few of her packmates at her side, but she couldn’t see. The last thing she was able to witness in her wolven form was her first vision, blessed to her by Gaia herself. As the premonition faded away, Vera slowly realized it had taken her wolven vision with it.