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sp00kworm · 4 years

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Home in Your Heart (Saint-14 x Female Reader)

Pairing: Saint-14 x Female Reader

Warnings: Adult Content beneath the cut, Robot Romance, Robot x Human Romance and made up Exo anatomy.

A/N: Thanks to a special friend for reading this through for me. I would be lost without that help for these giant pieces I end up getting myself into. I hope this is fun for people to read!

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Saint watched from the tower wall as the pigeons fluttered up into the rafters above him. The Hangar was quiet this time of night, even with the last dregs of the Vanguard returning from missions out beyond the safety of the Last City and its walls. The Exo watched the pigeons huddle closer, cooing softly as they readied to bed down for the night, and smiled up at the birds. They were one of the things he loved about the city. They ignored him as he cocked his gun and set to unscrewing panels and readying pieces of cloth for cleaning. The Perfect Paradox. A weapon made from light and the will for him to live. It was a fine piece of craftmanship. The Titan stripped back pieces of the shotgun with practiced ease and took the lubricating oil in hand, making sure to get it into the small cracks. He took the cleaning pole and gently started cleaning the barrel, watching to see when the cloth came out clean of carbon and residual gunpowder. Saint-14 hummed a song as he worked. The children had sung him when he took his round around the city. It was about a thorny rose in a secret garden. It didn’t let a man pick it for his wife and learned later about her death. The man returned to the garden and the rose and the man grew close before it allowed him to take its beauty, enamoured with his devotion and love for his wife who had long since passed. The pressed rose was placed on the man’s grave when he passed away and the rose was honoured to mark where such a great man had been laid to rest.

Saint hummed the sad song as he worked and sighed when he finished it, feeling a bitter taste in his mouth at the sadness. It was not a day for such a feeling. There was nothing but joy to be had.

“Hmm. The Guardian made you well.” He joked at the shotgun in his hands as he took the small screws in hand and started to fit the panels back into place, lubricated and clean, ready for action again. He didn’t see a lot of action anymore. Patrols and catching thieves were common outside of ferrying guardians too and from Osiris’ trials. With a warm feeling, he placed the shotgun aside and looked at the nights sky. The Traveller was on the other side of the tower, where Zavala and Shaxx stood during the day. Saint hummed as he looked down at the buildings again, amazed at the sheer size and scale of the buildings. Hundreds of thousands of people lived here now, under the restored safety of the Traveller.

“Saint?” You asked from behind the goliath of an Exo, “You can’t sleep either, huh?” You moved towards him, across the lines of the football field with your Ghost trailing behind you, peaking over your shoulder as you approached the legendary Titan.

“Guardian! It is good to see you!” Saint hollered from where he was sat, armoured head turning to watch you as you walked over.

You had come for a walk, unable to sleep in your small apartment below the Tower, in hopes of tiring yourself out. Guardians didn’t sleep much anyway, but sometimes you wished you could at least have the few hours that you wanted. Either way, it was better than the starving to death Guardians used to have to do. Thinking about the Dark Age made you shudder in your bed at night, the Drifter’s haunting words about the famine and death making you hope it would never come to be again. His plans made you worried that perhaps it would return, but, as you smiled, looking at the cheerful titan who was reaching to remove his helmet to match you, you couldn’t find the sadness that was keeping you up at night.

“Its good to see you as well, Saint.” You chuckled as you sat by the Titan, yawning as you flopped onto the mat next to him, taking a look at the helmet.

The Exo’s grey metal face flexed to reflect a smile as he rubbed a shine back into the plating of the Perfect Paradox, “Sleeping is sometimes difficult, yes. I find mending things to be helpful. Makes the brain sleepy.” He laughed, optics closing as he bellowed over the side of the tower, “You can help me, if you would like, Guardian?” Saint reached for another shining cloth and handed it to you along with one of his great, spiked shoulder pauldrons, “Be careful of the spikes.”

Gently, you took the armour piece and watched Saint-14 reach to unclip the rest of the plating. The armour on his legs came off easy, along with his gauntlets, but the Exo reached for the back straps of his chest piece and grunted.

“You need some help with that, Saint?” You asked gently as you laid the pauldron he had passed you on the mat.

The titan grumbled, “It would seem so, friend.” Gracefully he took a knee before you, back exposed so you could easily reach the buckles and air locks of the armour from where you were sat.

Skilfully, you started to unlock the armour piece, “You really love clasps, huh, Saint?” You joked as you finally pulled the buckles free and heaved the heavy armour over his head, careful not to hit the metal of his head.

“It is for safety! All armour should be like this, not like that puny amount Hunters wear, and do not get me started about robes! Who in the Vanguard for Warlocks believes that fabric can stop bullets? Pah, stupid. Book smart, all of them, but stupid. The only way to survive bullets is to wear this armour.” He gestured to the heavy plating and stretched in the thick undershirt, the long sleeves being rolled up to reveal the circuitry and grey plating of his arms.

Laughing, you took hold of his pointy pauldron again and started to clean in between the dangerous points, metal lubricant and cleaner bringing a gleaming shine to the fine armour in your hands, “Its such a task to look after!” You sighed, exasperated, “But I guess I understand why Titans are so fond of huge shoulder armour.” With a finger you eased the cloth between the spikes and began to shine them individually.

“Yet you have such care for mine…” Saint exclaimed before being cut off by the familiar noise of a yowling cat. The Exo turned his head to see a young kitten, yowling underneath the roosting pigeons, paws clenching as it looked up sadly, “Ah, damn cat. Away with you.” He moved to shoo the cat away but stopped as you grabbed his hand, tugging him back towards the mat before you got up and moved towards the thin looking kitten slowly. The cat’s back arched as you came close, hissing as the fur of its back rippled. It was a small thing, barely getting by with whatever tiny amount of food it could scrounge from the locals.

“Shh. Come on. You don’t have to be like that!” You joked as you knelt and offered your fingers gently to the kitten, “Here.” You pulled open your small bag to see if you had any leftover rations from your last mission. With a stick of beef jerky in hand you wiggled it in front of the kitten and watched it’s eyes grow wide and wild.

Laughing, you tore some pieces free and started backing towards where Saint-14 was sat, a knee propped up, one leg hanging over the edge of the tower.

“Do not bring that rat to me!” He huffed, “It will upset the birds!”

“Its just a kitten, Saint.” You whispered back at him as the cat followed your trail, hungrily devouring the pieces of meat. When you reached the mat, it peered up at your hands and waited, watching you tear off a piece of meat, “Go on.” You offered the food between your fingers and smiled when the kitten pulled the meat free and continued to take food from your hands. With a gentle hand you stroked along its back and smiled as it purred softly, still unsure of the attention and whether to trust you.

“It is a cunning beast.” Saint mumbled as he continued to fix up some loose plating on his gauntlets, “Yet it likes you. It shows that kindness can get you a long way.” Saint-14 eyed the creature as he fixed the finger on his gauntlet, “Even if the object of such kindness delights in killing pigeons.” His face plates shifted into a scowl as the kitten pawed at your lap and climbed into the space in between your legs, purring and rumbling with delight as your fingers weaved into its fur.

Saint-14 felt a burning jealousy begin to boil within his chest as he watched your fingers run through the animals beautiful ginger fur. It was great and fuzzy, the fur long and in desperate need of brushing and washing. A street cat. He was jealous of a stick thin street cat.

“Will you be keeping it?” Saint asked as he watched the beast stare up at him with lidded eyes. A cat that had gotten the cream.

You hummed and rubbed the kitten’s ear, “Maybe. I think I’m allowed pets, right? I don’t think the Vanguard apartments have rules against it…” Taking hold of the cat you gently reached to place it in the Exo’s lap, “Here. You should have a hold.” You cooed at the kitten as it curled up on one of the Titan’s large thighs, purring, claws nicking at the under-armour Saint was wearing.

Saint peered at the cat and sighed warmly, looking at the soft ball of fluff, “It is very fond of people, for a street cat.” He observed as he touched cool robotic fingers to the creature’s head, “I find myself liking this cat.”

With a chuckle you plucked the kitten back and smiled at Saint’s grey-scale face, “I’ll make sure he has a good home then.”

Saint’s plates moved as he laughed, “Good! Perhaps he will be less inclined to kill things with a nice owner?” He snarked as the kitten rolled onto its back, purring in delight when you tore open another piece of jerky rations to feed it with.

Saint smiled at your own smiling face, feeling the jealousy subside as you wished him a goodnight and took the kitten back to your apartment.

“He is so large! Now he does not suit the name Peanut.” Saint-14 cooed from the doorway of your apartment, peering inside with his glowing purple helm. The Titan looked on in awe at the Maine Coon sprawled over the small couch in your room. The ginger tom looked over towards Saint, having heard his booming Russian accent in the doorway. Glancing over the Exo one, he soon reclosed his eyes and went back to dozing in the sunlight. It was winter, and the heat in the apartment was more from your radiators and the space heater facing the cushions rather than the cold, weak sun.

“Pah, and so arrogant.” Saint felt his helmet get transported away by Geppetto and frowned up at the giggling Ghost before it disappeared into the apartment with your own, “They are like children.” He complained as you let him inside, “Always giggling and doing the singing of annoying songs.” Saint felt the rest of his armour disappear and growled as Geppetto snickered again and rushed away into the small kitchenette to scan some large lemons. With a sigh he reached and plucked your adolescent cat from the couch, flopping down onto it with a large creak before placing Peanut back in his lap. The Maine Coon rumbled but stretched himself back over the Exo’s warm thighs quite happily.

“Would you like tea?” You offered, “I have some ramen too if you want some?”

Saint chuckled, “That would be nice. I have not eaten ramen…well it has been a long time since that nuisance hunter was at my door.” He turned his head back to Peanut and scratched at the cats ears as you dished two bowls of the fresh ramen and poured tea. You returned with the tray and smiled at the Titan, placing it on the coffee table before you handed him his own, as not to disturb your grumpy, sleeping cat.

“You both look right at home.” You laughed after a mouthful of noodles as Saint tried to eat around the dozing cat in his lap, “Even if you still don’t like cats.”

Saint swallowed his noodles in his odd Exo fashion before he replied, “I like your cat. Peanut and I see eye to eye now.” He joked as he took hold of the tea and carefully poured some into his mouth, silicon tongue trying its best to help in place of his non-existent lips.

“I think he likes you because you’re a heater.” You listened to Saint’s fans whirr in embarrassment, “He’s forgotten all those mean comments last time you met.” You joked as Saint began to laugh, the noise gentle and deep.

The titan shrugged his shoulders and watched as Peanut grumbled, removing himself from the room to go and occupy your bed, where it was a lot quieter, “He is temperamental, like all cats.” He shook his head and turned back to you, “But I came to see my favourite guardian!” He cheered, “So, how is the campaign against the darkness going?” He asked ask you slurped your ramen.

You shrugged, “About as well as everyone else. Eris has been getting me to do more and more recently. Its tiring.” You hummed as you placed your empty bowl on the tray, “Hopefully it doesn’t separate us all like last time…” You stated sadly, looking into your tea.

A heavy hand took your shoulder in a soft grip, “Do not be sad. We will fight together to protect our home and our family.”

You felt your throat tighten as Saint squeezed your shoulder softly, “I…I don’t know if I can do it, Saint. Not again.” You felt your eyes burn as you were tipped into the Titan’s lap, “We already lost so much.” Tears dripped over your cheeks as you choked on a sob.

Saint-14 was gentle as he held you, a hero of recent times, in his arms, rubbing soft circles into your back as he let you cry, “We will stand strong. We will not let what happened to the city before ever happen again. This I swear.” The Exo reached to wipe your cheeks with his thumbs, trying to smile and cheer you up as you sniffled at him. You laughed at the odd shifting of his face plates and pushed yourself from the Exo’s lap.

“Thank you, Saint.” You whispered as you moved to make more tea for the both of you.

“Anytime, guardian…anytime.”

You wished he had called you anything but ‘guardian’ that day.

Saint-14 rushed from his ship. The pigeons scattered from the supports as he charged from the landing dock towards where Zavala stood. The stair metal moaned as he dragged himself up them, rushing past the Postmaster bot who gave a startled ‘oh’ and pressing onwards towards Zavala. The Awoken turned around in time to raise an eyebrow at the purple Titan rushing toward him.

“If you are here to complain about the lack of bird seed, I would suggest you take it up with the courier.” Zavala sighed, bright eyes looking at the Exo with annoyance.

“You almost got her killed!” Saint hollered, “No fireteam and no back up! What were you thinking Zavala!?” He felt his metal hand creak under his own strength as Zavala eyed him with a stoic curiosity.

“It turned sour quickly. It was only a scouting mission. Gather information and leave. I did not plan for an ambush when I sent one Guardian. I expected a little tact and stealth. Her whereabouts were known as soon as she set foot on Io.” Zavala laid out the facts and spread his hands, “She is home safe. Injured but safe.”

“Yes.” Saint droned dangerously, “But she had to put a bullet through her skull to do it.” He spat before turning away, “I will not stay here…I think I might launch you over the edge of the tower if I do.”

Zavala watched the Titan leave with a sigh as he turned back to peering at the broken Traveller, hands tight around the barrier.

“She will be fine, Saint-14, you are worrying over nothing. Ghost has done all he can to heal her. All we can do now is let her rest. She was running for three days and nights before getting free enough to transmat to her ship. You must be patient.” The hooded healer laid her hands out in front of her, “The Speaker would have known more of what to do. I was his student but…” She sighed, “The tricks of the Light evade me.” She confessed as her own Ghost span over her shoulder worriedly.

“Thank you, Sister. You have helped a great deal.” Saint gently placed his hand on her shoulder and opened the door of the small medical ward for her.

Before she left, she offered him a sleeping draft, “Even though her Ghost healed her after the gunshot, the revival was quick…it took a lot out of them both. Be careful, Saint-14, and be gentle with her.” She left, her Ghost reciting a list of other people that needed their help for the day.

Saint-14 closed the door after her and returned to your bedroom, watching your ghost bob sadly over your chest. Geppetto appeared over his own shoulder, spinning in a sad circle before he rushed over to the Ghost and tapped their shining shells together gently.

“Geppetto…is there anything we can do to help her?” Saint asked as he sat down heavily in the chair, “Anything that the Sister could not…”

Geppetto spun counter-clockwise but shook mid-air, “The Sister can do more than me. She will wake up on her own, I think.”

The other Ghost nodded and placed himself on your chest, “Soon. I can feel the Light still there. It is healing her.”

Saint nodded, “Good. The Vanguard will suffer a great loss if she passes.” He whispered, purple optics blinking as he felt oil well underneath the lights. He had not cried tears in many years. He had forgotten that he could. The Titan reached to his face curiously and wiped away the black oil with a finger.

Geppetto watched him with one, bright eye, “You once said that you last cried when you were a baby.” The Ghost joked before landing in his palm, “I believe you think of her as more than just a Guardian that saved you.” Geppetto floated up to touch his forehead with his shell, “Maybe you should tell her that?”

The other Ghost remained quiet before coughing awkwardly, “She is waking.”

You opened your eyes with a great groan, peering at the ceiling over your head. A throbbing pain seeped behind your eyes as you came too. Your Ghost tittered overhead, white light seeping from him into your eyes. The pain subsided somewhat, and you groaned as you remembered why there was shooting pains in your brain. The bullet had passed straight through your head.

A large hand pushed you back into the mattress, “Down. You barely made it back alive.” The harsh Russian accent of Saint-14 made your eyes widen as you turned your head to see the large Exo sat by your bedside. His metal fingers held a cold rag which he laid over your forehead.

“I have never tended to an ill Guardian…but I remember a mother doing this to her child once. It helps pain and fever.” The Titan arranged his faceplates into a smile, “Hopefully it helps.”

You looked at the grey plates of metal before laughing, loud and bright, “Thank you, Saint.” You reached and found his hand, “Thank you for being here as well.”

The Exo looked at your hands and held your own tighter, “You scared me. I feared they were bringing your Ghost’s shell when I saw the crowd.” He stopped himself and you reached your other hand over, squeezing his hands tighter.

“I’m alright, Saint.”

“And for that I am glad.” Saint smiled again before continuing, “Because you mean…a lot to me.” He whispered your name as you felt a hot blush ripple over your cheeks.

“I feel the same.”

The grip on your hand only got tighter. You both breathed, though the Exomind’s fans seemed to simply exhale hot steam from his coolant reserves.

“I love you.” Saint-14 whispered close to your cheek before moving back to take in your face.

Your face burned as you eased your way up. Struggling, you managed to get onto one elbow and tugged Saint down by his sweater, kissing the Exo on his metal lips. The metal was cool but quickly warmed as the Exo went hot, fans whirring wildly as his hands walked to your hips, clenching around the flesh and bone gently, holding you like a precious flower.

You pulled away from the kiss and smiled weakly, flopping back into the pillows with a little huff, “I love you too.”

Saint chuckled before breaking into great laughter, arms wrapping around you as well as he could manage with you laid down, “This is fantastic!” He cheered before pressing his faceplates to your lips again, repeatedly kissing you over and over, smothering you with pecks as the both of you laughed together.

“Happy Dawning!” A woman sang from the square as Saint-14 made his rounds, watching the children giggle and chase each other with ribbons and mistletoe. It was a happy time of year. A time for celebration when there was finally a semblance of peace. Saint-14 shouldered the two young girls on his shoulders easily, listening to their festive songs with a smile underneath his helm.

“Where is this song from, little one?” Saint asked as he placed them down by their home.

“Mama says France. I added some of my own bits to it though!” She smiled, her two front teeth missing in her smile, before she took her sisters hand, “Thank you Mister Saint.” And led her little sister through the door to their home.

“Thank you, Saint-14. I feared they had gotten lost.” Their mother bowed low.

“It is no trouble.” Saint dipped his helm, “I am glad to bring them home safe. Good evening and Happy Dawning.” He continued on his way back to the main street, his purple optics glowing behind his helm in the dark alley.

The Titan paused in the mouth of the alley.

“If you are here for a fight. I suggest you make it quick. I have someone to get home to.” He seethed as he turned around, guns holstered as he smacked his fists together, void sparking over his arms, rippling with cold energy as he looked upwards.

You tapped the Titan on the shoulder and ducked the punch before wrapping your arms around his neck, “Calm down, big boy. Its just me!” You scrambled up his back easily and wrapped your legs tight, demanding a piggy back ride, “You were late, so I got the Hunters to scout around and find you. Didn’t take them long with all the kids singing.” You teased, head leaned on his shoulder, “Though now I owe them…And I don’t particularly like owing Hunters. Hopefully they’ll just want ramen.”

Saint-14 sighed with relief before tucking your legs through his arms, tilting his helmet to take the kisses with gusto, “I was ready to crush skulls!” He pinched your backside as he continued out of the alley, “A deal with a Hunter is like a deal with Fallen. You will regret it, zaika.” The Titan hummed as he turned onto the main street, walking easily through the crowds in the market.

“It was worth it to find you though.” You peered around at the marketplace with curious eyes, “The Dawning Markets are good this year. They even have bratwurst…Can we get some?” You asked over Saint’s shoulder.

Saint chuckled before turning in the direction of the stall, removing his helmet as you continued to cling to his back.

Sausage and bread in hand, the two of you sat in the small park as the night sky formed overhead. You looked at the stars as Saint’s faceplates moved to let him eat the hotdog a little easier.

He manoeuvred the hotdog and hummed as he chewed, “It has been a long time since I ate hotdogs.” Saint smiled at you as you took a bite of your own food.

“I thought people had forgotten they existed.” You joked as you chewed your own hotdog.

Saint-14 nodded, “It is good to see them again. It means the people are recovering. Food is more available. It makes me happy to see the City flourishing so.”

With a smile you took hold of his hand, squeezing tight as you looked at the sky, “Saint! Look!”

The Exo peered upwards as snow began to drift from the sky, “Snow. I have seen so much of it…But since the forest…It is still beautiful.” You passed him the rest of your own hotdog and wrapped yourself around his arm, sighing up at the sky. Saint finished the hotdog and peered upwards as well.

“Happy Dawning, Saint.” You whispered as snow flakes melted on top of your head and in your eyelashes.

“Happy Dawning, my love.”

Metal hands ran along your legs as Saint moved to gently ease your clothes off. You’d been away in the European Dead Zone, fighting off the Fallen again with their amplified Ether. Most of them had gone mad with the supply. You smiled as the grey-scale Exo’s fingers eased your under-armour clothes away, peeling them free to expose your skin. Purple optics blinked before he leaned down to press a cold kiss to your shoulder, fingers pressing against the tension knots in the muscles of your thighs.

“I missed you, zaika.” Saint rumbled as he pressed a kiss to your ankle, metal fingers trailing warm lines up your legs as he settled over the top of you again, “But I think you need shower.” He laughed and pretended to pinch his nose, “You smell like you’ve been sat in horse shit for weeks.”

“Way to a girls heart, Saint.” You rolled your eyes as he picked you up, hands holding your bottom as he walked to the shower, which was already running. The hot water spray was kind on your burning shoulders as you climbed in. Saint-14 passed you your fresh toiletries and smiled before lowering the shower curtain back into place and leaving you to freshen up.

You left the shower wrapped in a towel, smiling softly at the Exo spread over your bed, resting in a slouchy pair of pyjama bottoms, the screen at the end of your bed showing some new-fangled television show about the current species of bird left on Earth.

“Hey there.” You sat on the edge of the bed with a smile.

Saint rolled onto his side with a smile before he reached a hand out and dragged you back to lay against the cushions, “Now you smell like fresh lemon. Much better than EDZ muck.” He cooed as he pushed his face against your head, tucking you close, “I missed you so much, zaika.” The Exo whispered against your skin as his hands traced your hips, squeezing you softly as he pressed a kiss to your shoulder, rolling on top of you, his weight resting on his elbows as he kissed your lips once more.

“I love you, Saint.” You pressed a kiss to each of his dark grey cheeks.

“I love you too.” He whispered as a hand slid over your collar bone and dipped between the valley of your breasts. The cool metal made you shiver as your eyelids drooped a little, looking at the plates and silicon mapped muscle over the top of you.

A sigh escaped your lips as Saint’s fingers warmed, trailing over your stomach and hips before he pulled you down by the hips and pushed the towel from the bed. You moaned as cold fingers trailed over your outer lips before the Exo spread them gently, exposing you to his burning purple optics. You gasped and squirmed back against the sheets.

“I am moving too quickly.” Saint murmured as he moved his hands back to your hips, massaging the skin gently.

You huffed up at the huge Exo, hands moving to caress the plates of his body, enjoying the smooth feel of metal and carbon fibre under your fingertips as Saint leaned down to kiss you again.

After a phantom kiss you pulled back and pushed yourself up against the Exo, grinding your hips against the front of his loungewear, “Not fast enough.” You uttered breathlessly against him.

Saint hummed as he slowly eased your legs upwards, hands clutching your thighs as he pressed your legs open and pressed his fingers back to your mound, rubbing gentle circles against your clitoris. A soft moan escaped you as the ministrations continued, Saint rubbing circles with his thumb as a finger pressed inside of your vagina, pushing against your walls.

“Now I see that you missed me just as much.” The Titan purred as he pressed another finger inside of you. Pumping his fingers, he watched you squirm with intense eyes before moving to kiss you once more. You moaned into the kiss as Saint scissored his fingers apart, watching you squirm as your nerves rushed with pleasure and your head swam.

“I missed you so, so much Saint.” You pressed wet kisses to his mouth, jumping as a cool, silicon tongue pushed out to meet you, pushing against your own tongue and stroking against the inside of your mouth. Responding, you pushed your tongue against him and watched the Exo’s optics dull as he pressed his fingers upwards and brushed the bundle of nerves concentrated in your sweet spot. You moaned loud and huffed at the deep chuckle that sounded over your head.

“I missed you…I missed this.” He rumbled as he removed his fingers and pushed his hips forwards, clothed bulge pressing against you.

“Can we get these off?” You asked as Saint nodded, leaning back before standing to shrug the loungewear off his hips, exposing the silicon and metal plating of his legs. His fans whirred as he returned to the bed, hips slotting against your own as his mod pressed against you.

“Now I remember why I like them off.” You cooed, hand skirting between the two of you, wrapping around the hard length as Saint settled above you once more, “Because I missed this.” You emphasised your point by sliding your hand up his length, stroking a finger over the tip as the Titan let out a static laden moan.

“You are like minx.” He rumbled as he pulled your hands away from his body, tucking your wrists into one of his giant hands, pinning you back against the pillows as you spread your legs, heat crawling up your spine, “So naughty.” Saint hummed as he released your wrists, cupping your bottom as he positions your hips upwards and pressed your thighs apart, “Are you ready, zaika?” He asked next to your ear.

“Please.” You begged quietly as Saint held his cock in his hand, lining the head with your entrance.

His dick slid inside slowly, the inches grazing over your walls. You let out a long breath as the length settled deep inside of you, the tip brushing over your sweet spot.

“Are you ready?” Saint asked as he kissed your neck and then your shoulder. His hands held your hips gently, the power in his grip hidden behind a loving touch.

“I am.” You confirmed, bucking your hips upwards roughly, enjoying the feel of the hard length inside you pressing against your walls.

Saint-14 took hold of your hips, pinning them in his grip before he pulled out and thrust back inside, setting a steady pace as your hands flew up to grip onto his shoulders. Your nails ground against Saint’s shoulders as you enjoyed the ride, feeling the hard, mod length inside of you, bumping against your cervix as the Exo gave a grunt and a particularly hard thrust.

“You feel so good, zaika. Better than I can recall.” Saint purred as you tightened around him, a phantom, metal laced kiss.

“You do too. Fuck, Saint, please…I’m close.” You pressed your fingers into the oblique, metal plated, silicon muscles. The Exo buzzed, his voice dipping as your fingers ground into the silicon. It shifted to expose wires and you gently ran you finger over the wires, watching as his optics pulsed and dimmed.

A static rumble escaped his parted face plates, “Y-You…minx.” Saint huffed as he pushed in roughly, “You know what that does.” He uttered as you gasped, spasming around his cock as he eased your hips upwards, roughly thrusting in and out.

“Saint!”

“Are you going to cum?” He asked through a small lacing of static as his mouth moved to kiss you again. He didn’t get an answer as you came around his dick, moaning into the air. Saint moaned in turn, metal hips stuttering as his wires singed and fans roared, pouring hot air over your stomach. You gasped as you reached upwards, fingers stroking the antenna either side of his head as you tried to get feeling in your legs once more.

In the quiet of the room, you laid on top of Saint-14, hands wrapped around him as his fans quietened down and hummed lowly.

You peered out of your window at the dull, glowing lights of the City, “I love you, Saint.”

Saint lifted your head, cupping your cheeks in his hands, “I love you, my little saviour.” The two of you met each other in a gentle, cool kiss above the city you called home.

#saint-14 #saint 14 #saint-14 x reader #saint-14 x female reader #saint 14 x reader #saint-14 x human #robot x human #exomind x human #exomind #exo #destiny 2 #destiny the game #destiny #exo x reader #exo x human #fanfiction #my writing #fanfic

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tarisilmarwen · 5 years

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RobStar Valentine’s Weekend Day 2 - Date Night

(This one was fun.)

---

Her orange feet slipped into golden sandals. Starfire wobbled a moment, adjusting to the heels, then leaned down and did up the straps.

She straightened when she was finished, giving herself a once-over in the mirror, turning this way and that in delight.

There. She looked perfect.

Giggling, she grabbed up her clutch purse, her T-communicator tucked safely inside (just in case), and floated towards the door.

***

"And you're sure there's no crime alerts?"

Cyborg groaned. "Man, for the hundredth time, there has not even been any loitering, littering, or jaywalking in the past seven hours. Y'all are good. Just go on your date," he grumbled.

Robin fidgeted with the knot of his tie, fixing its position, his eyes on the monitor display with a skeptical frown. "Excuse me if I'd just like to have an uninterrupted evening for once," he said, witheringly sour.

"I'm sure if anything does come up, Raven, BB and I can handle it," Cyborg assured him, waving the boy off with his hand.

Robin jerked at the knot with a bit more force than necessary, accidentally pulling it loose. He sighed in frustration, reaching up to fix it. "Knowing our luck it'll happen right outside the restaurant," he muttered.

"We do kinda have uncanny timing," Beast Boy put in, from where he was watching upside-down, head hung over the edge of the couch and feet dangling off its back.

"Not helping, B," Cyborg growled through his teeth.

Raven cleared her throat from behind them.

All three boys turned to see Starfire standing in the doorway, beaming, her silky white short-cropped dress matching her million-watt smile.

Robin's expression went quite dazed and it took a moment for him to find his voice.

"Wow..." he finally said.

She laughed behind her hand, blushing.

"Yeah yeah, Star's gorgeous and it makes you catatonic, can you guys just go already?" Beast Boy whined. He flipped himself upright, straining and failing to reach for the remote on the coffee table. "I'm missing the Treasures of the Barbaric Deep marathon for your stupid last-minute crime check."

Robin pointedly kicked the side of the couch as he passed it, sliding his arms into his jacket as he walked over to join Starfire.

"Shall we?" he said with a grin, offering her his arm.

She slipped her elbow through his and turned him towards the door.

As soon as the door hissed shut behind them, Raven stepped over to stand by Cyborg's shoulder.

"You know he's probably slipped his communicator into his back pocket," she said dryly.

"Don't worry," Cyborg assured her in a sing-song, beckoning for her to see something on the screen. "I went into the network masterframe and disabled the alerts on both their communicators. They'll have a nice chaos-free evening."

"We hope," Raven said, unconvinced. "Beast Boy has a point, we do tend to have abysmal luck whenever we try to go out and do something fun."

"C'mon Rae, who's gonna be tryna rob the Planetarium?"

She shrugged.

Cyborg rolled his chair back, switching off the computer. "Now then," he said, "I believe we had a marathon to watch."

***

The line for the ticket counter was longer than he'd expected, winding from the reception desk through the main lobby of the Worthington Planetarium and almost back to the glass-door entrance.

"I did not realize this event would be so popular," Starfire mused as she observed the crowd.

"Good thing I got our vouchers early," Robin said. He led Starfire to the Will-Call window off to the side, presenting the purchase proofs to the lady behind the glass, who scanned them, handed them their tickets and maps with a smile, and sent them off.

Now all they had to do was wait to get up to the front.

Starfire marveled around at the displays in the front lobby, as their line shuffled forward, the attendant behind the barrier letting groups in two or three at a time, so as not to crowd the enclosed space just through the door he stood by where the massive holoprojector--the first of its kind they were told--cast dozens of tiny images of stars and galaxies around the room.

Robin could catch a small glimpse of it from where they were, and it looked like it was going to be every bit as spectacular as advertised.

Then something caught his eye that made him frown. A furtive shadow, sneaking around the corners of the room. A figure heading for the Planetarium's normal exhibit halls. Robin squinted past the giant plasticine model of Jupiter and registered a green jumpsuit and large goggles perched on top of a bald head.

He smothered a groan.

Oh for the love of--Gizmo?! he thought in disbelief.

The little gremlin had better not be there to swipe the revolutionary holoprojector technology making this evening's event possible.

Gnashing his teeth, Robin made a quick decision.

"Hey, Star?" he said, slipping his arm out of hers. "Hold our place in line I need to step out to the bathroom for a moment."

She nodded with an affirmative, "Of course."

He smiled at her before stepping out of line, then walked as casually as he dared towards Hall A. No reason to make her suspect anything was up.

Once he was behind the model of Jupiter, Robin crouched down low and trotted quickly to catch up to the pint-size villain, who was fiddling with a hand-held sensor and cackling softly by the fire alarm on the wall. He hadn't pulled it yet, and he never got a chance to, as Robin snagged him by the collar, pulling him bodily off his feet and swinging him around to deposit him in a secluded corner.

"Gaaah!" the boy yiped as he flailed around in surprise, dropping gadgets to the floor. Gizmo squinted up at him, his sensor down loosely by his side. "Bird Boy?! What the hell are you doing here?"

"Could ask you the same thing," Robin said, taking his voice low and dangerous.

"None of your cludging business!" Gizmo snapped. Then his eyes widened as he got the full force of Robin's intimidating glare. "Uh... I mean... nice suit?" he stammered nervously.

Robin kept his eyes pinned on Gizmo, tranquil fury burning from every rigid line of his posture. "I'm going to make things very clear," he told Gizmo, his voice even but lined with anger. "I am on a date. We have been looking forward to this for a month. Starfire looks absolutely gorgeous. I have made plans for dinner and dancing and stargazing afterwards and I will not have you ruining this for me," he emphasized, his grip tightening on Gizmo's collar. "Am I understood?"

The boy gulped. "Crystal," he squeaked. Robin released him and he picked up a few of his dropped gadgets numbly. "I'll just... go back to the hideout now and... play video games all night.. or something," he muttered.

Robin grinned. "Glad we could come to an understanding."

He waited, watching with stern folded arms until Gizmo had exited through the side door, before turning around and rejoining his girlfriend in line.

"Is everything all right?" she asked in concern.

He swept up her hand and gave her palm a kiss. "Everything's good," he promised her.

***

The docu-show was already playing in the holoprojector room, on a continuous loop that, the attendant told them, would cycle through its program every forty-five minutes. A narrator intoned over the speakers as the holoimage danced and shifted, zooming on star clusters and constellations, taking the viewers on a journey through the Milky Way.

Starfire was absolutely delighted, reaching out to touch the glimmering floating images and marvel.

Robin thought the program was well put-together and very informative, and he had to admit the technology definitely enhanced the experience to awe-struck levels. They stayed for about an hour, just long enough to hear bits and pieces of narration they'd already listened to, then wandered the rest of the museum for another hour.

Dinner was pleasant and uneventful, and Starfire was warm as he held her in his arms, gently swaying back and forth to the music. It wound up getting too cloudy for stargazing but Starfire was adamant she'd had a beautiful evening, so they just decided to come home.

Robin checked his communicator with a frown, noticing it didn't seem to be synced properly. He fiddled with it a couple moments, then put it away, taking Starfire's hand as they headed for OPS.

"And the wild game platter--What did the waiter call it?"

"'The Huntsman's Treat'," Robin supplied.

Starfire nodded. "I enjoyed that the most! The quail was gamey but very well-seasoned. It reminded me of the Garbok birds on Selrik Pri--"

She cut off, eyes widening as they stepped through the door.

"X'hal!" she exclaimed.

She and Robin gaped at the frazzled conditions of their teammates. Cyborg was holding his right arm, his left leg missing from the knee down and loose sparks popping. Raven's cloak was disheveled, the clasp had broken and she was missing a shoe. Beast Boy's hair was sticking up and he looked singed from head to toe. All three of them were covered in a gelatinous green substance that was dripping on the carpet. A few chairs were overturned and the main screen blinked on and off with an all-clear message.

Cyborg was the first to recover from his paralysis, giving a nervous grin. "Hiiiiii Rob! Uh..."

"Did you enjoy your date?" Raven interrupted, staring at the couple with some desperate look in her eyes that pleaded for them to say, yes they did.

"Yeah, um..." Robin stammered, glancing around them room and seeing additional green glop coating the walls. "Yeah, it was great," he said absently.

"It was wonderful! Truly a lovely night!" Starfire assured them, her hands curling up by her chest in no small amount of concern.

"Good..." Beast Boy croaked, slumping over into the couch cushions with exhaustion. "Then all this was worth it..."

Starfire opened her mouth to ask a question but stopped when Robin tugged on her arm, pulling her back towards the hallway.

"Let's... ask them in the morning," he said, giving one last look around and then shaking his head as he led her out.

#robstar #robin #starfire #cyborg #beast boy #raven #Teen Titans #fanfiction #prompt fics #the squad ships it and take their jobs very seriously *nodnod*

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dovakhiindrabbles · 5 years

Photo

Howdy! While I’ve been gone I’ve been hinting at a Dragonborn character that I’ve been excited to introduce! While I showed her character earlier, she’s changed quite a bit from her initial creation! I’m super excited to write about her on this blog and elaborate on her character with you all! Rosie is one of my favorite characters I’ve made and I hope you like her just as much as I do! So, here’s her introduction and general info! Feel free to ask questions about her if you’re interested! (I’d be super excited to answer them!)

 Rosalie Sevilen Julienus-Allam

Age: 24 years

Race: Redguard (Father’s side), Nord/Imperial (Mother’s side)

Preferred Fighting Style: Melee, especially two-handed weaponry (Her favorite is the war-hammer!)

Notable Family: Emeline (Mother), Adnan (Father), Tulius (Grandfather -mother’s side), Rosalie Sr. (Grandmother – mother’s side), Haanee (Grandfather – father’s side), and Ehsan (Grandmother – father’s side) Other Important Figures: Eldrims (Mentor/Grouchy old Neighbor), Paarathurnax (Mentor/Honorary Dragon Grandfather)

Personality:

“I’m just trying to do what I can to help everyone. I never said I had a plan as to how I’d do that!”

Having the soul of a fire-breathing beast beyond belief is an oddly accurate description of Rosalie, and it’s not for the literal fact that as the Dragonborn, she does have the soul of a dragon. Rosalie is a firecracker with a passion and zest for life unlike any other and despite her small size – is hardly intimidated by anything or anyone. However, unlike her dragon counterparts, Rosalie is a complete softie with a heart of gold. She’s extremely eager to help others and very warm, inviting, and bubbly to all that cross her path – and strives to make the world a better place for everyone (Making her an extreme opponent to Ulfric’s beliefs – they dummy hate each other)

Nevertheless, despite her fervent attempts to make others happy and do right by those around her, Rosalie struggles a bit with her own foolhardiness.(Which is hardly helped by the revelation that she has insane powers/abilities) She’s incredibly reckless as a result of her excitement to explore the grand, wide world of Skyrim and admittedly, due to her secluded life as a child, is terribly naive. However, no matter her obstacles, Rosie is sure to leave a story wherever she goes. (Chaotic good for sure!)

Generally, Rosalie is: Earnest, Bubbly, Open-minded, Selfless, Easily-Excited, Well-Meaning, Determined, Principled, Loyal, Compassionate, Considerate, Adventurous, and Enthusiastic. However, Rosalie also is: Stubborn, Sheltered, Impulsive, and Naive

History/Family Background:

Rosalie was raised by her two parents away in the mountains amidst the fear and uncertainty after the Great War. Closest to Solitude, her only two places she visited among her snowy cottage was Skyrim’s Capital and Cyrodil as a result of her two families!

Speaking of families, Rosalie’s is perhaps the most diverse and unique among Skyrim. Her quiet, gentle father, Adnan’s great grandparents migrated directly from Hammerfell by special request of the then Jarl due to their famed talents in welding/metal-crafting! The offer was simply too much to refuse and admittedly, the family saw it as an attempt to mend uneasy relations between the Nords and Redguards! Thankfully, it was mostly a success and led to the sizable, if scattered population of Redgaurds in Skyrim!

On her mother’s side, snarky and spunky former soldier, Emeline, is the daughter of famed, respected General Tulius and former legate Rosalie Sr. who Rosie was named after. Years ago, Tulius and Rosalie Sr. met when Tulius was given the difficult task of keeping her out of nonsense for more than a day. She was under his command as a new, admittedly nervous captain and she was absolutely out of control. It’s a total enemies-to-friends-to lovers thing as Tulius tries to keep her from fighting anything that moves and she tries to loosen up the uptight dreamer. Ulfric and Rosalie Sr. had a... strained relationship -- initially with Ulfric placed under her command and looking up to her, and Rosalie Sr. now trying but ultimately failing to keep him from ruin. When it came to the end of the war – Rosalie Sr. Only wanted an end to the bloodshed, a peaceful life crafted by love and family. Ulfric, in his time as a prisoner, had seen too much to want such a thing, and when they reunite it’s far from happy and ends with the death of Rosie’s grandmother. (Only further securing her hatred of Ulfric, but leads to much deeper, personal complexities rooted in their relationship)

** Rosie and her grandfather are extremely close, especially after the loss of Rosalie Sr. as Tulius finds comfort in seeing just how much of his spouse lives on in Rosie. She’s one of the few people who can still make the bitter old man laugh and he fondly has nicknamed her ‘Rosebud’.  While not of biological relation, Eldrims Bedaleth found a great spot in Rosalie’s heart as her neighbor and first friend as a child. Fleeing from Windhelm as the stigma against Elves, Khajiit, and Argonians, grew, Eldrims was sculpted into a bitter, cold-hearted man due to the hatred he was suddenly met with in his old home of Skyrim. Thankfully, his heart of stone was soon melted after being bombarded with unwelcome visits from a curious, exhilarated child Rosie, and while he still tries to play the part of a snappy old man, he’s a complete sap for the Dragonborn.

Relationships:

- Out of everyone else in Skyrim, Farkas is absolutely the person she trusts most and almost always has by her side – they’re practically tethered at the hip! The first person she met in Whiterun after helping against a troll, Farkas was all too excited to introduce her to the Companions and afterward, Farkas found himself not too keen to leave her side. He balances out her fierce excitement with his gentle, demeanor and she gifts him with the confidence and encouragement needed to overcome his insecurities regarding his intelligence and pain from his past. Somehow, she’s able to make the quiet giant practically chatty and throughout the years comes to understand him like no one else. Through all their adventures, however, feelings beyond friendship begin and a notoriously ridiculous case of mutual pining begins…

- Totally not bitter runner-up to the title of Rosalie’s best friend, Hadvar was in fact, the first person Rosalie met in Skyrim – even if under less than ideal circumstances. After saving her in the fiery destruction in Helgen, the months spent together in Riverwood are memories the two will truly never forget. Rosalie may or may not have had a tiny bit of a crush on the soldier, and while the window closed when Rosalie left Riverwood, it didn’t stop Hadvar from catching feelings heavy and hard – not that he’d ever admit it aloud, of course. The two write to each other very often and when together, the two are complete doofuses.

- Someone has to keep Rosalie in check and Lydia was the perfect pick for the job. Technically housecarl, actually dear friend, Lydia is extremely watchful over little excitable Rosalie whose soft heart has gotten her into more trouble than she probably realizes. (Farkas and Lydia are proud founders of the ‘Rosalie Protection Squad’) Rosalie helps Lydia to find love with Ysolda and helps her to find comfort in domesticity and a general understanding of social behavior – gifting Lydia with kindness rarely found in the tundras of Skyrim – it’s something she never forgets.

- While Farkas and Rosalie are just about soulmates, Rosie and Vilkas are very close to arch-enemies as one can get without outright declaring war. From the moment Rosalie defeated her first dragon in Whiterun, Vilkas has seemingly been rude and spiteful to the ‘mountain woman’ without reason. They bicker constantly, and while many saw it as a rivalry without end, Kodlak’s solution to send them to Markarth may cause the rift between them to finally be sealed…

- If Rosalie truly hates anyone, it’s Ulfric, without a single doubt, she despises him beyond belief for his treatment of non-humans and murder of her grandmother. Their interactions are almost always disastrous and full of shouting matches, and this poison between them makes the Civil War a time in the history of Skyrim nothing short of legendary.

- Paarathurnax and Rosalie have a sweet familial history rooted in her childhood that made their reunion all the sweeter. Paarathurnax, while not quite an advisor, gives words of wisdom that stick to Rosalie for the rest of her life and her in return, has provided him a friendship he would’ve once thought impossible. (Their past is something I’m very much looking forward to elaborating on!)

** There are more relationships with Rosalie beyond this, but these are who I’d consider of most importance to her immediate story against Alduin and overall introduction to the world of Skyrim.

Special/Fun Facts:

- Throughout her life, Rosalie develops more draconic features, especially as her dragon soul attempts to have more and more control of her. As a result, she develops fangs and smaller, thinner pupils – amid other things as the years go by. Alongside these traits, Rosalie as well is unable to take on other forms, as a result of her soul. Meaning, she’s physically incapable of becoming a werewolf or vampire, and she tried when being inducted in the circle. It was a horrifyingly agonizing experience as her body rejected the turning. (Farkas fretted over her for days afterward – he was a mess)

*** Speaking of her Dragon soul, it’s resulted in a very painful, sorrowful revelation for Rosalie that while I won’t reveal just yet, does threaten to shatter her entire world and send her spiraling as the years pass on.

- During her first fight against a dragon in Whiterun, in an effort to protect the soldiers within the tower as Mirmulnir attempts to send fire barreling inside Rosalie uses herself as a human shield, and while it works it causes Rosalie to have long, searing burn scars all over her back. It leaves her with extreme insecurity and a shot to her confidence but later on the revelation of her burns to Farkas leads to him opening up about his past and his own scars, giving her the strength to see the scars as not something to be ashamed of but as a reminder of her strength and what she overcame.

- Growing up in the mountains, Rosalie knew very little of flowers. (Farthest she traveled was Cyrodil and Solitude, mainly traveling through the mountains during these treks) Subsequently, when arriving in Skyrim, she becomes obsessed with them! She adores all the different colors, shapes, and sizes they can take and has made it a life mission of hers to collect and care for them! (Her favorite are Baby’s Breath, Dogwood, and Gladiolus though she keeps quite a bit of Forget-Me-Nots – they’re Farkas’s favorite)

- Rosalie is the proud owner of a complete asshole of a horse, Enoch. He doesn’t like a single other soul but Rosalie and this poor-temper is what got Rosalie to buy him at a cheaper price. Somehow, she warmed his frigid soul, but it still terrifies Rosalie nonetheless to see her loyal steed rush in to help in a fight.

- Rosalie’s skin is very used to cloudy weather, often hidden away from sunlight so when she reaches sunny central Skyrim she soon becomes speckled with freckles! They’re all over her cheeks, hands, and arms especially. She fondly calls them ‘sunspots’.

- Rosalie has a very strange and extreme fear of mudcrabs. They’re just… so strange in comparison to everything else in Skyrim – she hates their legs and their claws and she’ll scream at the top of her lungs when she initially first comes around them.

- She cannot cook to save her life, though Farkas is oddly talented and has tried to teach her many, many times to no avail. (The two often end up in food-fights or in laughing messes anyways) She loves the art of cooking despite this, and is often seen watching with wide eyes whenever Farkas is preparing something.

- Rosalie also copes extremely well in the cold, she spent most of her childhood there after all! But as a result, her body kind of freaks out in hotter climates (Which is a little ironic considering her Hammerfell origins)

- Rosie isn’t very adept at magic but bless her heart she tries. Eldrims attempted to teach her when she was little, but she only seemed to excel with destructive magic (and Emeline wasn’t the biggest fan of her daughter accidentally blowing fireballs through the kitchen – secretly though Adnan thought it was hilarious and may or may not have secretly encouraged her to keep learning)

#Rosalie #Rosie #Rosieverse #Skyrim #Dragonborn #my dragonborn #OC #Skyrim OC #Skyrim Dragonborn #fdaskfjsakf I hope you guys like her !!#oc: Rosalie #the last Dragonborn #tes #skyrim the elder scrolls #ldb

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falseh0od · 5 years

Text

The First Most Handsome Prince

LONG POST!

What? Me, trying my hand at writing Sanders Sides fics, and ending up writing fluffy Royality? It’s more likely than you think. I may not be romantic, but this ship takes my uwus... and there’s one other romantic thing I’m a sucker for, too. Read to find out 🤔 And if this flops, I won’t be surprised honestly. I am aromantic for a reason.

I’m considering doing a similar Analogical fic too, lemme know if you think I should do it.

Pairings: Romantic Royality

Warnings: One fleeting mention of Deceit, but other than that there shouldn’t be any? Lemme know if you see smth.

———————————————————————

Roman let out a deep, relieved sigh as finally, finally, Thomas posted the long-awaited new Sanders Sides video.

That had been all Thomas had been focusing on for the last few weeks, as was normal when it came to the production of Sanders Sides videos. They had put most of their time and energy into it- making sure they had all the film they needed, and editing all of it together into one video. Roman was pleased with it- and he hoped the Fanders would be too.

He was sitting on the couch, watching Thomas scroll through all the reactions on Twitter when he felt someone wrap their arms around his chest and peck a kiss against his cheek. Roman smiled and looked up to see Patton smiling down on him.

“Everything going well?”

“Couldn’t be better,” Roman assured him. “The Fanders loved it, as expected.”

“I think this was our best one yet,” Patton commented, coming around the couch and sitting next to Roman.

“We say that after every video,” Roman laughed.

“Because it’s true!” Pat insisted, also giggling. “And now that we don’t have the video to worry about anymore, we get to focus on the surprise you have planned for tonight.”

Patton’s eyes were teasing as he smiled at Roman. Roman just shook his head.

“I’m still not telling you anything about it,” Roman said, turning away so he wasn’t allured by his boyfriend’s puppy dog eyes (that Roman would never admit Patton was really good at). “How else could it be a surprise?”

Roman and Patton had been a thing for a little more than a year now. When they told everyone else, it had only surprised Thomas; Logan had merely sighed and passed a dollar to Virgil while Virgil smirked at him.

Virgil and Logan had been in a relationship longer, by only about 5 months, but it had felt like much longer by pretty much everyone. They were both very happy though, and could be seen together a good portion of the time.

Roman and Patton were much the same, except were more extravagant in their gestures of love (much to Logan and Virgil’s shagrin). Date nights usually started mid afternoon for the two and lasted well into, or even through, the night. They took turns planning dates, and often played towards the other’s likes and mood at the time.

Tonight was Roman and Patton’s first date night in almost a month, due to video production taking first priority. They’d made sure to take time for their relationship, but they were both excited to get an actual date in (their first one since their one year anniversary).

Roman had insisted on taking date-planning responsibility and had went to extreme lengths to keep the whole night a secret from his curious boyfriend. That being said, Patton was bursting at the seams from the excitement over seeing what his boyfriend had planned.

And Roman had big, BIG plans.

Patton leaned over and the two of them shared a short yet sweet kiss before Roman stood up.

“I must make final preparations before tonight, my love!” he declared when Patton protested at him getting up. Roman took the other side’s hand in his own and kissed it while Pat blushed. “I will send for you when I am ready.”

“Sounds good, my prince,” Patton called back with a giggle as Roman walked off.

Roman headed for the stairs. There had been a very small white lie in his last statement- he had only one preparation to do before the big night. And this one had to be perfect.

————————————————

As date night finally approached, Patton finally got some info about the forthcoming evening- it was to be a casual-dress night. Patton still put some effort into looking nice, wearing his normal baby blue shirt but with his old cardigan hanging loosely over that, making sure his logo was still visible.

He tugged on his typical khaki pants and pulled on a pair of blue sneakers that matched his shirt to top off the outfit.

Pat knew Roman had put a lot of thought into his preparations. He was thoroughly excited to see just what Roman had pulled off.

At precisely 4:00pm, Roman knocked lightly on Patton’s door. He was still very princely-looking, having thoughtfully chosen a red t-shirt with a golden crown printed on the front, and a white bomber jacket with elaborate, golden embroidery on the shoulders. He also wore dark skinny jeans and red sneakers that otherwise perfectly matched Pat’s.

Oh, and naturally his red sash was in its usual placement as well, as Roman liked to keep up a little of his normal appearance no matter what.

Patton opened the door and gasped at Roman’s still-stately appearance. “Ro!” He squealed. “You look so handsome!”

Roman’s cheeks flushed a pale pink at the compliment. “Hardly in comparison to you, Pat,” he teased back.

The two connected in a quick, passionate kiss before Roman held out his arm, and Patton quickly slid his hand through the crook.

Roman lead them down the hallway to the door to the Imagination. He took a deep breath. “Are you ready for a wonderful night?”

“I haven’t been more ready ever in my life.”

Roman grinned widely and opened the door.

Patton peered inside, and gaped at the view.

It was a quaint little restaurant, empty and quiet as the evening sun shone onto the lake outside and through the windows, only barely starting to set. There were a couple dozen tables littered around the room, one in particular covered in a white tablecloth with a candelabra adorning the center. The overhead lights had been dimmed, and the careful blaze of the candles made shadows dance in the distance. It reminded Patton of the spagetti scene in Lady and the Tramp (which surprised him very little).

Roman took them into the room, closing the door behind them. He went ahead and pulled Patton’s chair out for him, allowing him to sit down.

“Roman, it’s beautiful,” Patton breathed as he continued to take in their surroundings.

“I’m so glad you like it,” Roman grinned, taking his own seat. “It took me forever to decide how to design it. I wanted everything to be perfect.”

“It’s more than perfect,” Patton laughed. “It’s magical!”

“That is only the highest compliment I could’ve asked for,” Roman replied with a huge smile.

Roman quickly summoned their dinner of spaghetti and meatballs (which also did not surprise Patton), steaming hot and fresh.

They ate and chatted about everything they could think of, from puppies, to Talyn’s new hairstyle, to Roman’s next video plan. Their chatter lasted a couple hours, so by the time Roman took care of their dishes with a wave of his hand, it was already 7pm, and the sun was much lower in the sky.

“What’s next?” Patron questioned, leaning his head on his hand as he waited excitedly for the response.

“Well, we have another destination to get to, but it’s rather difficult to get to,” Roman responded, standing up and offering his arm again. “However, I have the transportation situation all taken care of.”

“Oh?” Patton pressed, taking Roman’s arm, eyes gleaming with curiosity.

Roman smirked. “Follow me.”

A short walk to the beach was all it took to confuse Patton about what their final destination was. They stood waiting for-something- for several minutes, Roman getting more and more nervous as each second passed.

Then, something appeared on the horizon. Patton has to squint to see the tiny dot that was slowly getting bigger.

Roman sighed with relief. “There she is.”

Patton tilted his head in confusion. “She?”

He received only a wink from Roman, and he said nothing else.

Patton thought his eyes must be messing with him as the dot got closer. Either he wasn’t feeling well or there was a vaguely dragon shaped figure heading towards them. Considering that he felt fine, Patton came under the assumption that it was more likely the latter.

He gaped at Roman, who merely smirked and remained silent.

Surely enough, only minutes later, a full-sized, very REAL dragon landed on the ground next to them. She was at least 15 feet tall, including her neck, and her metallic scales shone a brilliant magenta against the setting sun. Her neck was long and thick, thicker than the trunk of a tree, and each of her stout legs could easily crush a small creature if she wasn’t careful.

Roman bowed deeply.

“Thank you again for this, Casanova,” Roman called as he approached the giant beast. The dragon merely huffed, smoke coming out of her nostrils.

Patton slowly followed his boyfriend, in awe of the creature standing before him. “A dragon?”

“She owes me a favor,” Roman shrugged. “I saved her life from a gang of thieves in the mountains a couple years ago, and dragons do not forget their promises.”

Then, much to Patton’s shock, Roman climbed into the dragon’s back. He then held out his hand to Patton.

Patton hesitantly took it. “You sure this is safe?” he squeaked.

“Love, you’re starting to sound like Logan,” Roman laughed. “But yes, I assure you, she will not let us fall.”

Trusting his partner, Patton quickly clambered onto the dragon’s back, wrapping his arms around Roman’s torso. Moments later, Casanova unfolded her massive wings, and started to flap.

Patton shrieked with terror and excitement as they lifted into the sky. He hugged closer to Roman as they went higher and higher, up into the clouds.

Roman laughed merrily as Patton squeezed tighter against him. “You alright back there, love?” he called against the roar of the wind. Patton merely nodded against his shoulder, too terrified and in awe as they glided through the sky.

The view was strikingly beautiful; it felt like they could see for miles. Casanova wove her way gracefully through the sky, taking extra care not to jostle her passengers. They headed into the horizon, and she dipped carefully down and maintained an altitude just feet above the water.

Patton leaned carefully into the mist created as the wind disturbed the water enough to cause a small wake to trail behind them.

A small island quickly appeared in the distance, and within minutes they were landing on the shore furthest from the mainland. There was a small dock just a few feet away, leading into the water, and a small grouping of trees to the back- not large enough that one would get lost in it. The trees had orange and red carefully spattered across their leaves, a sign that autumn was nigh but not quite there yet.

The air was cool and a slight breeze highlighted the crisp in each breath each side took as they slid carefully off of Casanova’s back, Roman going first and carefully helping Patton off afterwards. While relieved to have his feet back on the ground Patton couldn’t deny that he was a little sad the thrill ride was over.

Roman bowed to Casanova again. She gave a curt nod back and then took back off into the sky.

Patton watched her leave, then turned to his boyfriend. “Roman, that was incredible.”

Roman slid his arm around Patton’s waist. “I’m so happy you liked it! It took a little convincing to get her to agree but she doesn’t go back on her word.” Roman then chuckled as they moved over onto the dock. “She’ll be happy to go back to merely tolerating me.”

Patton laughed at that as well. “Awwww, well, this whole night has been amazing. Thank you so much, Ro.”

“Well it isn’t over yet,” Roman insisted with a twinkle in his eye. “We still have a sunset to watch.”

“Really?” Patton murmured softly, turning to the sky, his own arm going around Roman’s waist. The sun was nearly fully down now, casting a pink and orange hue onto the clouds and sky. It looked like a painting or a postcard. The other side of the mainland was just in view, more trees poking into the sky. Patton also caught a glimpse of what looked like a castle in the distance.

They stood for many minutes, too many to count.

Roman softly cleared his throat, a few butterflies fluttering into his chest.

“Do you remember...” he started softly.

“The 21st night of September?” Patton added helpfully.

Roman laughed and planted a kiss to the top of Patton’s head. “Not quite what I was going for.”

“I had a feeling,” Patton giggled in response.

Roman sighed and looked back onto the sunset. “No, I was thinking about... a while back. You remember when Deceit put us through that courtroom scenario over the wedding vs the callback?”

“Mmm. That was quite a day.”

“It was. I’m not alluring to the reasoning behind that scenario, merely one moment. One specific moment, when you were cross-examining me while I was on the witness stand.”

Roman turned to Patton, who reciprocated the action, looking at his boyfriend with curious eyes.

“You had me imagine a scenario where I had the opportunity to marry the second most handsome prince in the world,” Roman recalled, a smile drifting onto his face. “I still think about that scenario a lot, but a few things have changed as time has gone on.”

“Oh?”

“Well, two things have remained the same,” Roman commented thoughtfully. “I’m still marrying a handsome prince, and I still long for it to come true as much as I did back then.”

“Then what’s changed?” Patton inquired softly, slightly confused but curiosity still overtaking any other emotion.

Roman took Patton’s hands in his. “Well, now I like to imagine I’m marrying not the second, but the first most handsome prince.”

Roman got down on one knee, and Patton’s hand flew over his mouth.

“And it also seems a lot more realistic nowadays, too,” Roman added with a loving smile. Patton’s eyes filled with tears.

“I know we’re merely figments of Thomas’s imagination, so there’s no way we could ever make it official in any legal sense.” Roman stuck his free hand into his pocket and pulled out a small box. “But it would be real and official to us, and that’s all that matters to me.”

He opened the box to reveal a ring, the band golden, shiny, and embedded with several small baby blue-colored diamonds of varying sizes . “Patton, my love, and the first most handsome prince in the world, will you marry me?”

“Yes! Yes, absolutely, Ro!”

Roman couldn’t hold back his grin as he slid the ring onto Patton’s finger, then stood up. Patton threw his arms around Roman’s neck, and they kissed, deep and sweet.

When they pulled apart, Roman summoned a bench, padded with soft cushions, for them to sit on and watch the sun sink into the horizon, chatting quietly and celebrating the declaration of love and promise of forever they had just made.

Later Roman would pull them back into the mindpalace through a door on the island, and they would then celebrate the exciting news with the rest of their famILY.

~THE END~

I hope you all enjoyed!!!

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eorzeasntm · 5 years

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ENTM Tumblr Cycle 11

Round Six: Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, and Legends from Around the World

Whew, that title is a mouthful, but we wanted to ensure that everyone had a chance to pick a story that had meaning to them. We had a tale from Japan, legends from England and Nicaragua, and a whole passel of Grimm’s tales to bring us full circle. The judges and the community all agreed that this week’s best fairy tale cosplay was:

Ni’ko Shae for Puss in Boots

The decision to go with a vertical shot showed off those long kitty legs to perfection, and the choice of an action shot in a dungeon (since this round was free style) let the story fully come to life. Congratulations!

Our guest judge this week was Momoko, the co-host of ENTM Instagram Cycle 2. Thanks Momoko! We did a full on judge swap so you can also check out my critiques for IG Cycle 2, Round Two on our Discord channel!

For the Tumblr models, your critiques for this week are below if you keep on reading.

Judge Momoko

Kota: I love your glam for this!! It really feels like a Hollywood take on what Little Red Riding hood would wear. It’s also very very easy to tell which fairy tale you’re showcasing, so big props to you!! The apples in the opposite corner to you help to add a couple more pops of red to the overall pic and help balance it.

Yomu: I hadn’t heard of this legend before, so first off, I wanna say thank you for teaching me something!! I thought your use of the Nanamo minion was so incredibly cute and creative!! I think the lighting was just a hair harsh on her, though, and we sort of lost all of the cute pink colors on her, but I also thought how you framed the upper half of the pic with bamboo was both a clever way to stay true to the legend and keep it from having too much empty space!!(It might take me a bit to send them all out today, ‘cause I’m at work, but I promise they’ll be sent today

Haila: This was such a fun entry!! I’d never heard of La Mocuana and had to read about it, but I loooooove monster girls and creepy folklore in general, so I’m so happy you went with it!! After reading about it, I think you fit the story to a T!! I love the expression and how it’s half-hidden, and the colors/filter really tell that you’re by yourself in a dark cave. I will say that your hair blended in a little too well with the background, but other than that, yours was so creative and fun!!

Peaceful: How creative!! I never would of thought of doing King Arthur, but you really nailed it!! It’s extremely easy to tell which legend you’re replicating. Your picture’s colors are a little dull and faded, which halfway lends to it, but it also makes it a little muddy. However, I think you adding that soft back lighting over your shoulders easily draws the viewer’s attention back to you, which was really clever!!

Adam: I think your choice in legend was really interesting!! There’s all sorts of aquatic-based stories, and I feel like Sinbad would be a little more difficult to convey, so props to you for choosing something challenging!! I wish I could’ve seen a more dynamic pose/more of the boat you’re standing on, but the soft muted colors in the background are such a nice combination with the yellow pop of your glam!!

Bria: Beauty and the Beast is my favorite story!! I really liked your glams and how the colors complimented each other. However, it is a little difficult to tell exactly which fairy tale you’re emulating without the title, and it’s hard to see who the specific model in the picture is. But I also thought that your garden courtyard background was a cute way to imply that you’re at a fairy tale castle!!

Luma: Your choice for your story was way too cute!! I never would’ve thought of doing Jack and the Beanstalk, but I’m so glad that you did!! I think that your choice of environment was super cute, creative, and resourceful!! My biggest thing was that I couldn’t see your face, and your glam colors blended a little too well with your background, but I also liked how unbalanced your picture was; it really helped showcase how giant that beanstalk was!!

Ni’ko- Yours was my most favorite picture!! Your glam was so cute (going for that monotone look to match your hair and tail was a really clever way to make yourself look like a cute tabby), and the boots!! THE BOOTS!! The way that you zoomed out the camera to help elongate your legs was such a clever way to bring focus to the main part of your legend in an almost cartoony way, which I’m a big fan of. I think that your weapon choice and overall color palette is extremely well-done, too!!

Judge Ona

Haila: I learned about this folktale when I took Spanish in High School. Our teacher was pretty twisted, but that’s why everyone loved Senora. I was super excited when Kat told the judges that you did this tale, and genuinely LOVE how you captured it! She hides her face and wanders the forests driven mad by betrayal. If you aren’t the vision of mad, I don’t know what is!

I love the color palette here. Sticking with blues, and only a hint of pinks, you create an eerie vibe. With the filter appearing almost translucent over you, it creates an illusion that you are actually the translucent one. The glamour choice is phenomenal. In the story it says she is dressed in silks, and this is extraordinarily flowy.

My only real critique is that I cannot see your entire body, and although the filter gives a spooky feel, I wish you could have found a cave entrance or a body of water or something to add to the background. Regardless of this, this shot totally encapsulates La Mocuana, and I am so glad you picked something from Nicaraguan culture.

Ni’ko: If you keep changing Ni’ko’s color I will never know who I am looking at.

However, Ni’ko, I love the choice here! I love how you did a non-human fairytale, where your race could be used to your advantage. I love how you are being showy with your pose, as Puss and Boots most definitely was. Sword up, foot pointed forward toward the front of the image and back hand outstretched as if you’re saying “is that all?”. I also LOVE that your glam looks like the humanoid version of the character we all know; it was an excellent choice to do a big jumpsuit instead of flashy armor.

The lighting is well placed, bringing the viewers eye to your face and the rapier, and the decision to battle such a big enemy was an excellent choice so as its size does not compete with you, because much of it lies just off screen from you.

My only real critique here, is that I wish you maybe had a smirk on your face instead of the blank expression here. A smirk would have conveyed that you are about to kick this monster’s behind, and you are a feline, not a knight. I still love this image and genuinely believe it is one of your strongest yet.

Peaceful: I love your choice of story. Sword in the stone, King Arthur before he was king! It’s a well-known tale, and it’s a strong story to try and cosplay. Unfortunately, you took a big chance and it didn’t quite pan out how maybe you envisioned. However, this image has many strong characteristics, and I would like to go over those for you.

First, your use of this emote or action, shows movement in your character. Bracing yourself to pull the impossible sword from solid stone. You have determination on your face and are focused on the sword. The choice of location lends to the story and is the perfect choice. I would try to avoid the large amount of deadspace in the upper right corner. I know you wanted to get Merlin in the shot, but I think you could have done without him, and closed further in on yourself.

Try next time to place a light on your face instead of the rock in the front, make sure to avoid dead space in the image, change the angle of the image so that its not an upskirt shot which often makes the physics of the clothes act funny, and be mindful of the background (that weird little purple light is very out of place. I think you have some very strong elements, and some weaker ones that you can work on for next week! Remember, you can ask Kat for advice and feedback before submitting.

Yomu: Yomu finds a tiny human in a tree and immediately believes that he may have had too much to drink.

The facial expression had me in tears. You are genuinely freaked out by what you have just found. Your emote here shows excellent action and I can feel the same startling feeling that this woodcutter is feeling! I am pretty sure anyone would feel immediate concern and confusion if they were in this situation.

I love the glamour here, as the story is Japanese in origin, the use of a Japanese style robe helps to place the story’s origin. I am a little concerned about the physics of the robe, however, as it falls slightly unnaturally. The spotlight on your minion is perfect, as the story talks of a shining girl 3 inches tall. Also, excellent choice of filter with particle. I do wish, however, there was a bit more blur to the minion, as this close of a shot lends to distortion and pixelization.

Overall this is a strong image and you do a wonderful job telling the story of the woodcutter. I would loved to have seen more of this story. Try to take into account depth of field, and physics next week. Thank you for also thinking outside of the box and giving us a story from Japan!

Judge Wulf

Bria, you and your costar’s outfits are very well color coordinated! Your location choice is also very appropriate, I feel, since that area of Idylshire gives off a very regal and proper feel. I am a bit concerned that you hair blocks your face! You’re the star of this photo, so make sure you’re the one we see the most of! Always remember: when working with a costar, make sure that they are there to support you and make you look good! That being said, I adore the chemistry between the two of you. Can’t wait to see next week’s shot!

Luma, I admire the lighting in this shot. I am a major fan of bright colors, and you’ve really made the greens, browns, and yellows all come together in this forest scene to make it look both awesome and welcoming all at once. Going with a vertical shot was also a very good choice, I believe, because it makes the “beanstalk” look much more large and imposing, and by contrast you come across much smaller! My main note is this: Since you’re kneeling down and facing away from the camera, you do kind of look a little cloaked in darkness upon first glance. This is a simple fix, though! Just make sure to light up your character a bit more! Once again, I’m really impressed by your concept this week!

Ni’ko, the story of Puss in Boots is one of those that I read over and over again as a kid, and I think you’ve captured a very nice look using the equipment and colors in game! The monster looming over you is also an amazing touch, as it makes you look small, and even more true to the tale! I’m very impressed with your shot this week, but if I had to nitpick, I’d say that it’s only a little off that you aren’t looking at the boss’s face, instead looking through them. Like I said, that’s only a small note though! Very good job this week!

Peaceful, I instantly knew this was the story of King Arthur! Using iconic imagery to give out key details of what you’re cosplaying in a very important part of any cosplay picture, and I’m glad you’re doing that here! The picture is...very dark though. It may be just my computer monitor, but I find it pretty difficult to see your face or other details about the picture. Could this be an issue with the filter? I’ll tell you where all the darkness does work, though: in the forest behind you. The darkness gives the forest a very spooky vibe, and I’m honestly a little unnerved! For the next week, make sure your character is well lit and visible. Good luck!

Judge Terrini

Adam: I feel underwhelmed by this shot. You're glamour does nicely call to an Arabic pirate, and there's the boat and water and distant shore but it doesn't really draw on the charm of the Legend of Sinbad. He was one of the early Swashbuckling archetypes and you seem very mellow in this pose. A more dynamic pose and angle would have been nice to see here, something swinging your sword or at least looking away from the camera would have been better to capture the sense of something more. This is a myth, a legend, so you want to capture people's imaginations like the story you're drawing from. Also watch your background composition when you go for something scenic like this. The weather condition colors everything to be rather samey and the sea and sky are both similarly rippled and plain so they come across as uninteresting to the eye. Play with angles and don't be afraid to drop things from your concept for the sake of better composition. Play with it.

Bria: This shot is very playful, and I do like the use of colors (love them blues and purples) as well as the fountain backdrop, but as a depiction of Beauty and the Beast it comes across as a reskin mashup of the Disney movie. It might have been nice if you had your guy wearing an ifrit mask or lion mask or something to up the beast factor, or perhaps went for a different scene from the story. When a competition is fierce, you've gotta push creativity to the limit and really be memorable.

Haila: I'm not familiar with the fairy tale you're spinning here, but still, I'm entranced. The effects and colors you've chosen with this pose tug at my heart, like you're despairing inside a storm of magic, struggling and pushing onwards. This must certainly have been a moving fable, and your depiction here makes me want to know more.

Kota: I love the colors captured in this shot, and your glamour is so cute! It's really spot on! Taking the picture by the Apple Trees in North Shroud was great to bring that touch of red into your background as well. The angle of the ground is a bit off-putting and it might be nice to have something more to the image on the ground to enhance the theme with more of a "path". There are some fences in that area too that you might have made use of to that effect. Overall, still a lovely shot.

Judge Nadede

Kota Tumet: This is a pretty good image from you this week. I knew right off the bat that you were Red Riding Hood without looking at the caption, so glamour and your setting did it’s job. I like the lighting that you have and very nice use of depth of field that you have going on there. Your composition I felt was nicely put together as well. I do find myself kinda wishing you were able to incorporate the wolf somewhere within your image as it seems like the only thing missing to make this feel truly complete. So far though, to me, this is your strongest image so far. Keep up the good work.

Yomu Kazul: I have to admit, yours was one of two stories I actually had to look up and read. After reading “Tale of the Bamboo Cutter,” I felt that you did a good job portraying the scene of the little girl popping out from the bamboo. The composition is nicely done and having the “little girl” looking at you helped at least guide my eye up to you and then back to her with you looking right at her. I thought it was a nice touch using Nanamo minion for the little girl instead of a lala as, if I remember reading right, the little girl was just a few inches or so tall when she pops out of the bamboo. So I applaud attention to detail there. My qualm however is when zooming out to get an overall view of the image, your foreground is a bit on the bright side and going back to where your face is in the image, it’s a bit on the dark side. I would suggest try to make the light to where it is a bit brighter towards you and not so bright closer to the audience. Overall, nice work.

Luma Lee: Luma, while I like the composition of your shot this week, the bottom part where you are at was hard for me to make out. I wouldn’t have thought Jack and the Beanstalk at all just from looking at your image because it was a bit muddled. After reading the description that you had chosen “Jack and the Beanstalk,” it made a bit more sense as to why there is an emphasis on the tree. What I’m having a problem with is that your lighting could use work, especially around your character. With you in the shadows and your outfit is the same color as your background, you blend in a bit too much. I also think a different filter would have worked in your favor as well. So far this is your best shot compositionally for me, just work on the lighting a bit more. Good job.

Adam Evershot: While this is a nice shot for you Adam, I felt like you could have done more with the story of Sinbad. I find myself wishing that perhaps you could’ve brought in extras to help you with a “crew” of some sort or brought some part of the story to life. I do find the atmospheric lighting of your image nice, I do wish that you could have done a bit more with the lighting on your character to bring you out just a bit more. Just remember when doing a cosplay type shot to find a way to bring out the story of that character more. Overall good work.

#ffxiv #ffxiv screenshots #entm #eorzea's neo talent management

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tevokkia · 6 years

Text

Tagged by @emotionalmorphine a few days ago, because I swear Tumblr doesn’t love me enough to notify me when they tag me.

What is your total posted word count on AO3? (Go to your Works, then click Statistics.)

40,077. The bulk of my writing hasn’t actually be posted yet. >.>

How often do you write?

It depends on what else is going on in my life. Normally, it’s a bit every day or two or three, stress times it’s barely at all, and through NaNoWriMo, I am a writing BEAST.

Do you have a routine for writing?

Not particularly. Aside from tea and nobody talking to me, I don’t really have any sort of routine.

What’s your favorite kinks/tropes/pairing?

I’m totally a monoshipper, so McHanzo is my main jam right now. As for kinks, light (enthusiastically consentual) bdsm is probably my top.

Tropes ... wow, do I like a lot of tropes. I do love me some friends to lovers, and red oni/blue oni, and size difference (not necessarily giant/tiny, but more tol/smol) ... the list goes on

Do you have a favorite fic of yours?

I think I still like And Time Passed best (even though Search Results is my baby) ... 1) I still can’t believe I wrote it sometimes, and 2)the reception it got gave me enough confidence to start posting some of my other work.

Your fic with the most kudos?

Definitely And Time Passed at 1457. It was unexpectedly popular and has been up for nearly a year, so it’s had more time to gather hits than the rest. It also outstrips even my finished multi-chapter work, Perfect Blend, in the comment category.

Anything you don’t like about your writing?

Ooh, first, I’m often quite slow at it, and because of that I tend to have style consistency issues in longer works (something I’m really struggling with in Search Results ... chapters 1-13 are finished except for a few scenes, they weren’t written in order, there only is one scene in chapter 14 so far, and not all of it matches the writing style of various parts of chapters 15-28.

That, and my first pass at dialogue is often cheesy, melodramatic, or contrived.

Now something you do like?

When I can manage to make myself do them, I feel like I”m pretty good with descriptions: a lot of people have described my writing as poetic. I also feel like I”m good with giving characters little background quirks that make them seem more like real people: little tics and bad (or good) habits and speech patterns and random things they collect or like to do or whatever. Character building and world building have always been things that I’ve been passionate about. (Ask me about any of my created races and I’ll talk your ear off. I dare you)

Okay, I’mma tag @batkatbrown, @drizzerey, @classywastelandbread and probably some more people who I usually see on discord and whose tumblr name escapes me at this very moment

#author memes

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joestrummen · 7 years

Photo

I found a fanfic maker and made it write stukcy im dyingg this is the besst

A/N: Hi Ladys and Gentleman, I am writing this fic for one reason and one reason only; angrykiller90210 said I couldn't do it! They said I couldn't stick with anything. Well, this will be proof positive and it will be awesome! I'll do this in 3 parts, below is just the intro which doesn't count towards those 3. Like the Hobbit movie. (btw, I'll finish of the last parts of my other Captain America story later, btw.)

Seeya, From, -Barton_Bot --- A little Later, Captain America was taking a shit. He was having trouble though. It felt like days passed and still no sign of release.

"Help..Errrr... ahhhh! Christ! when is this epic poo gonna pass!?" Stevie exclaimed, His face wincing with effort. He made every effort in his little boy body to expel this demon thing from his womanly back side.

Just as Stevie was going in for another push.. Without warning the bathroom door suddenly burst open unexpectedly. Ahhhh!

"Well hello...Rogers" a seductive noise whispered from the doorway.

A shadowy person stood leaning against the door frame. His deep, sensual voice which Rogers knew immediately. His mind began racing and a nervous sweat began pouring from his face.

"Buck... is that you? wha- what are you still doing awake...?"

He appeared in nothing but a towel, seemingly ready to take a steamy shower. However He couldn't with Steve Rogers near by....they were like family now.Bucky Barnes was like His mother-in-law. Any sane person would never allow their own mother-in-law to see them in the nude. Right? RIGHT!!?! SHIT!"

"Oh I felt dirty from questing all day...ya ever feel dirty Steve?" "Y-Yes, I mean NO! NO! NO! Never" Rogers shrieked, He became so immensely worked up he cleaned his colon clear of the demon feces that had been clogging it. His voice also cracked like he was 13 again, but in comparison to the loud flatulence he just unleashed, who cares? Bucky Barnes heard though, and giggled like a adorable baby girl laugh. It sent tingles all up Rogers's spine. "Oh you've always been the shy one in the family, Rogers..."

Steve was not shy, at all. He defeated Ghost Heterosexuality and blew up His evil machines for Christ's sake! and now he suddenly found himself speechless. Was He going to see his metaphorical mother-in-law literally naked? Little did he know, that was merely a sprinkle on the banana split of carnal pleasures that was to come.

"..the shy and excitable one." said Bucky Barnes finishing the sentence He started earlier.

"Wh-what the..." and before Captain America could send the third word out of His mouth..

..Buck's towel dropped to the floor,revealing his swimsuit underneath. Steve Rogers noticed everything on him instantly. His soft butt,his magically gravity-defying middle leg and the giant thingy colored birth mark on his butt, which made Him feel funny...as He had one there too.

Still, the sight of his near perfect body caused Captain America to feel funny in places he had never felt before.

"hehe oh my Rogers...you're more impressive than I thought." "uh... ye-yeah, th-thaaanks Buck, you're cute too." THIS IS SO WRONG! It raced through his head at lightning speed. But the beautiful, wet, soapy body that stood before him spoke otherwise. Him shapely body was everything Steve Rogers could want ...in a body to make use of. Yet did family like relationship matter?.. ... ... NAAAAAH!!

But just as Steve Rogers was commiting. Commiting to a path that they couldn't go back from.

Gay Steve burst into the toilet!

"What are you too upto?" "Err..nothing" said Rogers as he causally slipped his pants back on. Bucky Barnes, who Gay Steve didnt notice, picked up his towel and backed out slowly. "Really?" "I was just having a shit...see?" Steve Rogers gestured to his shit. "Oh, thats a shit all right! One hell of a shit! Ok, if your done we better go" So Steve put his other pants on and left. He had a serious case of blue balls, but at least his anus didnt feel so bad now. As he walked out Buck whispered one word. A word fall of hope. "Later" Stevie Giggled. Fortunately, their traveling companion was as oblivious as ever, and didn't notice. --- One day Gay Steve was doing painting... Bucky winked at Captain America when no one else was looking. "Later" he mouthed at him silently so no one could hear. ---

Summary: I suck at writing summaries. Bsides the 'fic isn't that long!

I am Gay Steve.

I was sitting behind my desk. I felt the tears well up in my eyes . After Our last adventure, I found out just exactly how cruel people could be. How nasty and inconsiderate real humans actually were. I stared at a picture of a polar bear. A magnificent beast who would not hesitate to kill me but at least it would be quick. Not a overlong conspiracy of many years, just to be unleashed on me when I was at my weakest and darkest moment. When I needed my friends the most.

But there had been one tiny ray of light in this whole . I remembered fondly the day I discovered it. It was a tuesday morning I rememberanced. The memories surfaced before my mind's eye and took the most wonderful shapes. Before I well knew it, a single tear welled up in my eyes and trickled down my cheek. Because even when all my 'friends' betrayed me there was one consistant factor in my life: Ghost Heterosexuality.

And I knew that the rising aspirations between them could never become true, the feelings I had for Ghost Heterosexuality were the only thing in this world that still felt true to him. No lies, just that single, pure sense and feeling for Ghost Heterosexuality.

Alas, I thought to meself hopelessly. Why must they battle? Why must I be destined to destroy Ghost Heterosexuality? Can I ever tell Ghost Heterosexuality how much Ghost Heterosexuality means to me?

If only I could. Then all my pain would be over. No more betrayal. No more suffering under the laughter from Ninja Natasha (who told him she loved me, only to stab me right inti the heart at valentines day!). No, only Ghost Heterosexuality and my true feelings for Him.

A/N Lol this has all been so depressive lol! My next bit will be less dark!

Fortunately Jr. Bucky worked at a newspaper nowadays and he used the database of the newspaper to find out home turf of Ghost Heterosexuality's ruffians. Their search led to a night club in the darkiest and stormiest part of Brooklyn. I was a little hesitant to go. It was rather scary and it was dark and stomy in that secting of Brooklyn. But the courage in me was greater than my fear because with my super strength I should be able to accomplish anything, right, I thought to myself. And Jr. Bucky would join me.

So not to fall out of fashion we both donned their most gothyest clothing. I had to admit that Jr. Bucky looked kind of sexy in that outfit of his. But I didn't dare to comment on that (I had only just discovered I am bi, and I was a little angxious over that. I wans't sure if my othre friends would accept that!. I instead poored down my soul into my make-up. I bore gorgeous blood-rose coloured finger nails with black streaking zig-zags and gave Jr. Bucky Barnes matching treatment. Jr. Bucky lovely eyes met mine and for a moment we were both swimming in a pool made of a gorgeous combination of their eyes colours. It was romance we knew, but we didn't know whether it was a forbidden one or not!

Then we went off and defeated Ghost Heterosexuality. --- Later, Stevie and Bucky Barnes were alone again. "Its Later" said Bucky Barnes, pulling Captain America towards the bathroom. "But what about the others?" "I'll just tell them you are helping me shower. They wont suspect a thing" "True. They are all idiots" Then, suddenly, Buck was naked. Rogers wondered how He did that. He must have been nearly naked this whole time! The shower turned on... ..Captain America was already.

Bucky lathered up good and fine. The soap dripped off His body at a seductively slow pace. Steve could not contain the powerful urge of excitement that raced through His veins. The alluring look of his nudie comrade became too much for him to fathom and his body started sweeting.

There Rogers sat, His gold pants pulled quickly down at his ankles, on a toilet full of poop with His bodly fluids on full display, eyes bulging from His face. Buck giggled as Steve's dignity shriveled and died, but Stevie had always enjoyed that delightful snicker, even after He found out He was His own flesh and blood. "Well...wh-what do we do now?" Stevie said, desperately trying to sound suave. "It. We do it." "it?" "yes. it" "we do it?" "yes" "oh"

...and with that Bucky jumped on Rogers. And they cuddled and hugged a lot. "I love you Bucky Barnes" "I love you too Steve Rogers....lets get married" And they did! Steve Rogers looked especially radiant in a dress. Later, after their honeymoon they continued their adventure (with non of their friends any the wiser).....

--- So we snuck into the Ghost Heterosexuality's lair. It was dark and there were horrofic things on the walls like drawings of skulls and suffering people. Through the dark and dank corridors of the lair's dungeons we went with outmost silence and skill. We sneaked past all the guards who had been turned into horrible demons by Ghost Heterosexuality's new invention. And this would also happen to the whole world if they wouldn't be able to steal the being frozen in ice from Ghost Heterosexuality's hands! They went down the corridors and up the large majestic stairways made of bones and jewls of all shapes and sizes sprinkled with saffron.. One of the corridors led towards a great hall where in the middle of the hall stood a pedestal with a treassure chest on top and on that a red velvet pillow upon which laid a white silk finely woven cloth. And on that laid the being frozen in ice.

I knew that I had to use his super strength (which I learned from Gay Captain America) to get the being frozen in ice but it would explode if he didnt believe in himself enough. Ninja Natasha inhaled firmly and wondered if I could pull it off. Jr. Bucky Barnes stood ready with his weapon in his hand . I concentrated firmly and then carefully but powerfully unleashed my super strength.

It worked! Gay Steve was amazed at my skill! The shielding around the being frozen in ice desolved like knife though hot butter. It was amazing how my's use of super strength was effective against Ghost Heterosexuality's inconceivable powers. Unfortunately for our plunky heroes, it wasn't enough

"GRRRRRrr" said a creapy voice. Everyone quickly turned to face the entrance of the hall where the voice came from. It was Ghost Heterosexuality! And he looked even less humane as before. He had used the power of the being frozen in ice to transform into a horrific tragedy of a humanoid. "Ha! Are you surprised by my new looks?" he said. "It is amazing! The powers I have now are beyond your comprehension!" "My comprehension is really good," I retorted and Gay Steve and friends looked proud. "Hahaha of course yours is. But are you able to comprehend the future of this world? I bet you aren't that smart after all. I will rule the world now, you see and there is nothing you can do to stop me! Even when Gay Steve taught you evreything he knows!" "But," said Ghost Heterosexuality with a lower tone, "even though you are not as smart as I am, you are surprisingly capable so I wish to make this offer: join me and we can rule this world together!" "Never in a million billion years!" screamed Gay Steve! "Think about it, you can now still save your friends! Make them stop mutate ebefore I release my powers!" I saw Gay Steve becoming frightened. I knew he wanted to keep Ninja Natasha, Emo Sam, Ghost Peggy and Jr. Bucky alive but I could not get Ghost Heterosexuality get away with it! But then I remembered: Ghost Heterosexuality no longer had the being frozen in ice! He was powerless! But as if Ghost Heterosexuality could read my mind, Ghost Heterosexuality spoke: "Oh and your scheme to steal the being frozen in ice? I no longer need it! I have gained all the power from it that I need in order to mutate everyone in the whole world! But not that you even considered going against me, I will destroy you. Such a shame, we could be such good...friends." "Future Ruby would never be friends with you!" said Ghost Peggy

"It is too late now anyway, said Ghost Heterosexuality, my plan is active now and I will give you the best place to enjoy it: from your prison cell!" Ghost Heterosexuality laughed and said to his guards: "lead them to my dungeon where you will suffer for all eternity in agony .

But I had not forgotten Gay Captain America's super strength. With the stealth and strenght that I learned from his previous adventures, he winked and unleashed the super strength. Ghost Heterosexuality had not expected that. He thought he had trapped me and my friends and managed to demoralise them so much they would not resist. "Arggg!" Ghost Heterosexuality said. His guards did not know what to do. Their leader was too weak against this onslaught. What could they do against that sort of might? So they all fled! "Argh, noooo!" Ghost Heterosexuality extrapolated, "I was soo close to ultimate power!" Seeing my succesfully attack Ghost Heterosexuality, Gay Rogers, Ghost Peggy and Emo Sam also attacked Ghost Heterosexuality!

"Arigh, no, noooo!" "I will unleash my final power!" Ghost Heterosexuality said and raised his arms to the sky and started hissing an evil curse. But Gay Steve was too quick. He ran towards Ghost Heterosexuality and hit Ghost Heterosexuality in the tummy. He was knocked out instantly. Everyone was happy and everyone was cheering for Gay Steve who had avoided the apocalypse! Gay Steve thanked me for my inspiration and actions. And now we all went home and wait until our next adventure!

#photo

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myth-lord · 8 years

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CREATURES FROM MYTHIKA: E

ECHENEIS (Medieval European Myth)(Beast/Fish/Parasite)(Small)(Best Stat: Speed): Magical remora-fish that are weak spare for their powerful magical ability to slow down time and even temporary stop it. They are an annoyance for ships of all sizes and also the large predators of the oceans hate them with passion. Adaro often team up with these sneaky fish and use them to slow down boats so they can easily raid them. Their suckers have magical properties to slow down time and even after they are death this still functions, so their suckers catch a high prize on the black magic market. The more speed a Echeneis saps from its victims the faster it becomes itself.

EINTYKARA (South American Myth)(Beast/Vermin/Swarm)(Tiny/Large)(Best Stat: Speed): These swarms of wasp-like insects gained intelligence from eating special magical honey which makes anything that eats it temporary more intelligent and wise. The Eintykara swarms are very protective of their honey and take the forms of Demons, Dragons and Feral Beasts (not shapeshifting, they are still a swarm) while defending it, while intelligent they are chaotic neutral and don’t see the difference between friend or foe, in their eyes everything wants their precious honey and must be eliminated.

EMELA NTOUKA (African Myth)(Beast)(Huge)(Best Stat: Strength): Often used as war beasts or beasts of burden by Berserker tribes, these huge primal rhinoceros-like behemoths trample everything underneath their weight on the battlefield, that is why they often serve Berserkers as living battle rams. Emela Ntouka are extra aggressive towards other big creatures as they view them as predators that want to attack them or their young. The Horseman of War also enjoys Emela Ntouka, and the biggest one serves him as mount during times of heavy war. Emela War Beasts are often dressed in special armor which helps them in bringing as much terror on the battlefield as possible.

EMPUSA (Greek Myth)(Demon/Nymph)(Medium)(Best Stat: Speed): Empusa are female demons that dance into battle with their piercing arms and legs which end in stilt-like pikes. They are the daughters and protectors of Hecate the Goddess of magic and women. Empusa have flaming hair, but only when they go mad with anger, then their hair automatically bursts into fire. Empusa have lots in common with Mantis insects, their arms and legs look like mantis scythes and their behavior of eating males after sex is also a perfect match. Empusa are very agile and fast and their deadly dance is hard to dodge.

ENENRA (Japanese Myth)(Elemental/Undead)(Large)(Best Stat: Stealth): The Enenra is spawn from the souls of a burned town or city, anywhere fire killed entire crowds the Enenra can spawn, sometimes even multiple Enenra spawn from one mass burning. Weak Enenra can spawn from burned corpses, but these are always small. Enenra love to choke the life from living creatures, they enter their nose and mouth and invade their lungs so they choke on living smoke.

ERCHITU (Sardinian Myth)(Demon/Humanoid/Beast)(Huge)(Best Stat: Strength): Once the Erchitu were friendly giants related to the wicked Minotaurs, they worked with humans and helped them with building villages and other projects. But this all changed when some ancient Arzshenk started to corrupt the gentle creatures into weapons of war, he send little Imps out into the world to find all Erchitu and corrupt them into living battering rams. These giant white ox-men are always covered in little wingless-imps that pinch them with magical tridents infused with hateful poison that corrupts the mind and turns it violent. Now they serve demon lords and Arzshenk in the Abyss and destroy the villages they once build together with their human allies. Their horns are on fire, forever lit by two imps, if one would put out both those fires the Erchitu will be reverted to its gentle form. While they are humanoid they mostly walk on all four, much like a gorilla. They are very big for a minotaur, having the size of a Frost Giant, and the strength of a Juggernaut.

EWAH (Native American Myth)(Aberration/Parasite)(Medium)(Best Stat: Intelligence): Tulpa are creatures that spontaneously spawn from a young child’s fantasy, it is only visible to the person that created it with its imagination. Ewah however are dangerous types of Tulpa, they are spawn from the fantasy and imagination of madmen and the insane. They torture their host as others cannot see the creature and when the victim-host dies (often by suicide) the Ewah emerges from the victims brain which transforms into a fresh Ewah, now the creature can attack anyone as the imagination is made flesh. Ewah demons love to turn other creatures insane and mad with their claws, bites and aura’s, the more insane victims they create the more chance new Ewah will be born.

BOSSES:

Echidna (Greek Myth)(Mother of all Monsters) El Tunche (Brazilian Myth)(Spirit of the Jungle) Erlking (German Myth)(King of Seasons, Elves and Forests)

FRIENDLY CREATURES:

Elf / Emere / Encantado / Erote

OTHER MONSTERS: (I like them but aren’t going to post them)

Ebajalg / Einherjar / Eloko / Erinyes / Erymanthian Boar / Ethon / Eurynomos

@NOTE: All pictures found on GOOGLE PICTURES, not my own work, and mostly here to give an impression of what the creatures COULD look like.

If you see your own artwork and want it removed, just PM me about and I instantly remove it.

@NOTE 2: While all these creatures come from mythology, I gave my own spin to these creatures, many of these creatures don’t have the powers and abilities I gave them.

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centralparkpawsblog · 7 years

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What Type of Dog Should I Get?

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Puppy Love: Finding the Perfect Canine Companion

Of all the animals in the world, there’s no greater variety than found within Canis Lupus Familiaris – better known as the common dog.

Big and small, tall and short, fat and thin, hairy or naked, and pretty much any color combination you can come up with, these majestic – and sometimes silly – animals have been dubbed man’s best friend, and rightfully so.

For pretty much any human need, there is a canine that can fill it.

Need a traveling buddy for all those weekend adventures? Get a dog.

Need a protector from the creepy neighbor down the street? Get a dog.

Need a companion to watch the game and yell at the refs? Get a dog.

Need a playmate to dress up in fru-fru outfits and bows? Get a cat – and a first aid kit.

Giant Mastiff

Once you start looking at the different breeds, that’s where the differences start to show up.

The regal Afghan Hound with her tall stance and silky, flowing hair.

The Giant Mastiff with its coat that’s three sizes too large.

The exotic Peruvian Inca Orchid, a mid-sized hairless dog that sports a natural mohawk that matches the boy your daughter brought home senior year.

The downright creepy Chinese Crested that’s almost so ugly it’s cute – but you still wouldn’t want to meet the 6lb little beast in a dark alley.

It’s almost beyond belief that these widely varied animals are all descendants of the Wolf.

Fact really is stranger than fiction !

With so many differences in the dogs on the outside, there’s just as many differences in their overall personalities and temperament – so it’s important to pick one to perfectly match YOUR personality and lifestyle.

Yeah, the German Shepherds are without a doubt the most awesome (me, biased? noooo…) dog on the planet – but are they appropriate for a tiny apartment in the middle of the city where the most excitement that ever happens is a new season released on Netflix?

Location, Location, Location

It’s true in real estate and it’s true in searching for the perfect dog – it’s all about the location.

Your living conditions really are one of the most important considerations, because your home is his home.

An 800 square foot apartment in the city would not be the best living conditions for, say, a Great Dane with a shoulder height of almost 3 feet and an average weight of 175 pounds – and that’s before adding a human and furniture!

Your living conditions are usually – but not always – reflective of your basic lifestyle.

Apartment Life

For the most part, apartments are on the smaller side, which limit the space to romp around inside.

Also, most apartments relegate any exercise for your canine to walks – and this usually eliminates the ability to really get in a good run to stretch their legs.

Don’t forget that most apartments frown upon a dog that barks at every little noise.

Bulldog contemplating life

A smaller living space should shift your focus to one of the small or mid-sized breeds that require less consistent exercise and tend to be a quieter breed.

Be sure to check your rental agreement for animal regulations and size limitations!

Bulldog: quiet and calm, these dogs tend to be unfazed by the world outside the walls – and don’t require a lot of exercise.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel are a favorite of female apartment dwellers due to their loving demeanor and small size.

My House, My Rules

A better option for a canine is the typical single-family home. More interior room as well as a yard allow your dog to get their wiggles out as needed, and fresh air does their soul good.

Golden Retriever knows what you did

Longer walks through the suburban neighborhoods allow for more investigation of smells, and parks are perfect for a game of fetch or a romp with the canine neighbors.

Bull Terriers are perfect for houses with small or mid-sized yards, and are known for hanging out and playing in the yard for hours without constant supervision.

Golden Retrievers are one of the most popular breeds in the ‘burbs, being friendly with the neighbors and other dogs as well.

Where the Buffalo Roam

Often misunderstood as the perfect scenario for dog owners with the endless acreage for day-long excursions and the other animals for companionship, the farm isn’t without its own unique set of hazards.

Wild predators and nuisance animals like skunks can all add up to trouble for a dog owner who erroneously thinks he can have an ‘open range’ dog – not to mention what bugs and diseases he can bring back!

Just like any other housing arrangements, a dog is a pet and a responsibility.

Border Collies are almost a natural for a farm. They love to run and explore – and thrive when given chores to do.

Catahoula Leopard Dogs are popular in the south, and are common on farms for their protectiveness of livestock and their ability to cover miler each day – and never miss their dinner bell.

What I like to Do For Fun

Your personal lifestyle is another factor in the equation for the perfect canine companion.

How you spend your time during the week days and weekends is important because your dog doesn’t understand the work week – they just know if you’re home or not.

These are a few of your priorities that need to be weighed in light of the needs of the dog you choose – whether you want a snuggler of just a distant companion. Besides, if you’re not home to take care of your four-legged fur baby, who will?

Days

How do you spend your daytime hours? Do you work from home or pull a typical 9-5, or are you an 80 hour-a-week workaholic who uses home as a place to nap and shower between stints at the office?

Shar Pei’s are those adorable dogs that are covered with rolls and wrinkles – and are noted for their low energy.

Maltese is a beautiful white fluffball that likes to be the center of attention – or left alone for hours on end to nap in the sunshine.

Weekends

What is your leisure time like? Are you a weekend adventurer, hitting the trails for a new adventure? Bar hopping to take in all the games and as much alcohol as humanly possible?

Those ears!

Or are you a ‘Netflix-n-chill’ kind of person – weekends spent with your favorite movies and series, with Chinese and pizza delivery on speed dial?

Basset Hounds are probably some of the lowest maintenance dogs on the planet. They require little exercise and lots of sleep – and like to hang out with you on the couch with Netflix and a lot of pizza.

Labrador Retrievers are perfect canine companions for those adventures, and can handle just about any weather or terrain you encounter.

Socialization

Are you a hermit who likes to keep to yourself, or do you stop and talk to every person you meet? Opposites might attract – but when it comes to your puppy, it’s best to be more suitably matched.

Bullmastiff is a large breed – and just as lazy – will enjoy those calm evenings and weekends at home, provided they get a few short walks in … And some of the pizza.

Irish Setters are playful and energetic – and love making new friends, no matter what species they are. Their luxurious coats grabs attention and are conversation starters.

The Whole Gang

Who shares your home and life with you? Are you running a bachelor pad for your college buddies, or are you a single mom with young kids? Newly wed or cohabitating?

The amount of time and attention you actually have free, as opposed to your good intentions, is an important consideration.

Pugs are perfect companions for households that are busy or constantly shifting; they have great dispositions and low stress levels – and just like to be around humans!

Welsh Corgis are the queen’s favorite for a very good reason; they are fun and frisky and people pleasers to the core.

Why I Want a dog

Ah, the bottom line is always why. And that’s the most important thing you need to figure out before you run out and hit the local SPCA or pet store – why do you want a dog?

There’s honestly no right or wrong answer. It could be as simple as you just want one. Or, you could have very specific reasons.

Either way, the more on target you are with what motivates you, the better you can make the perfect match – and eliminate any possible disappointments or unmet expectations for you as well as the new pup.

Above all, remember that a dog is a permanent addition to your life – so if you’re looking to fill a temporary opening, consider a hobby or a goldfish.

For the Kids

If you’re hearing the begging of tiny little voices and pleading little eyes – you’re probably past the point of no return.

Happy Weimaraner

While it’s true that kids who grow up with dogs have higher self-esteem, miss less school, are healthier and are overall more responsible, you need to understand that the promises of doing everything required to take care of it will, in fact, become you doing the majority of the work – kids need to grow into the role of canine caregiver.

But the rewards are out of this world.

Newfoundlands are gentle giants with an endless supply of patience and eternally devoted – perfect for families and young ones, especially as a first dog.

Weimaraners stand out for their unique gray coats, but are friendly and most importantly, incredibly obedient.

Working or Hunting

Is there a specific job that you expect your dog to do? Are you looking for a duck chaser on hunting days, or a deterrent to keep unwelcome guests out of the business yard?

If you’re looking for a working dog, you also need to decide if it’s going to be a straight working dog – trained to do its job – or will be pulling double duty as a family pet.

Chesapeake Bay Retriever is probably the greatest water hunting dogs due to their coat and webbed feet – and their ability to master the land as well as water.

Dogo Argentino is an excellent guard dog – and when trained to hunt boar, is unrivaled for its tenacity and ability to take down a full-grown wild boar.

Midnight Blues

American Eskimo

Not to be compared to the crazy cat lady up the street, are you looking for a dog to fill a certain void in your life – or as a complement to your life? Are you between loves and looking for someone to come home to?

Pomeranians are cuteness overload, and all they want do is cuddle and get loved.

American Eskimos are sometimes called miniature Samoyed’s – but these dogs are bursting with affection and will follow you anywhere.

Critter Manager

If you’ve decided that a dog is the perfect animal to keep mice or other small rodents under control, we have to have a talk … But there’s always the Rat Terrier, which is a smaller breed, bred for – you guessed it – catching rats.

But seriously, you should leave the mice catching to the cats. Just sayin’.

Adventurer

German Shepherd is ready to go!

Are you a weekend warrior who tackles the trails or camping spot every weekend? Is your idea of fun trudging through the backwoods and blazing new trails?

Are mosquitos your best friends? Do you spend most time covered in mud and sweat?

German Shepherds are the perfect companion dogs; from Saturday hikes to a week in the Smokey Mountains, the GSD is a faithful companion that can keep up and, with a canine backpack, can pull his own weight … Unlike Mike on our last camping trip…

Siberian Huskies aren’t just for the snow – but it’s no doubt that’s where they shine. From wooded trails to open country, the husky is at home out in the open.

Three’s Company

Are you looking to enlarge the herd? Got a single dog that you think might be a little bored – or is too clingy when you’re around and trying to get stuff done?

If you’re looking to add a dog to an existing household, there’s a few things to keep in mind before taking the plunge;

Dog expressions don’t match human expressions. In other words, just because they look lonely doesn’t mean they are lonely

A clingy dog might not need a friend – they might just love you to pieces!

Does the current canine occupant get along with other dogs it encounters?

Sleepy Beagle

If you’re still committed to adding to the flock, there are several breeds that are naturally social with other dogs

Beagles are the smallest of the hound family, and unquestionably is a friendly and happy dog that loves everyone and everything.

Boston Terriers are fun loving social butterflies that try to make friends with every other animal they meet.

Get Your Game On

Jack Russell Terrier ready to play

How often do you see a jogger with a dog and think, “That could be me!”? If you’re considering a dog for a workout partner, I guarantee that they will be a buddy that never begs off that 5 mile run in favor of sleeping in.

Greyhounds are perfect dogs for loafing around the house all day, and taking for an extended run after work or on weekends. There are hundreds of ex-racing greyhounds available for adoption across the country.

Jack Russell Terriers are little perpetual motion machines that will keep up with you on and off the workout circuit.

I Wanna Talk About Me

Probably the most important part of choosing a dog is matching their personality traits to YOUR personality.

By taking a few minutes to consider some traits about yourself (hey – we’re not judging here!) you might realize that dream dog you thought you wanted could, in fact, be your worst nightmare.

Just think about it and decide yourself – we promise we won’t tell anyone.

ID, Please

Your age goes a long way in choosing a dog. Whether for your adult-self or as your child’s first pet (for the love of God – don’t buy a puppy for someone else’s kid!), age and maturity level goes a long way.

Bichon Frise are the perfect match for senior pet owners with their quiet demeanor and loving personalities.

Chihuahua’s are noted for their ability to bond and pledge their undying loyalty to one person.

Have A Heart

Chow Chow

Do you wear your heart on your sleeve, or do you suck it up? Do you need hugs and kisses, or just a beer and a little peace and quiet until the commercial? Your emotional sensitivity level needs to match your puppy’s.

Irish Wolfhounds are giant teddy bears when it comes to sharing the love with their humans – and their giant size matches their heart.

Chow Chows are hard to miss with their large fluffy bodies and jet black tongues. Originally working dogs in China, their loyalty is matched by their sense of independence.

Martha Stewart’s Nightmare

Are you a neat-freak, with a place for everything and a low tolerance for muddy footprints? Or are your housekeeping skills enough to send Martha Stewart into cardiac arrest?

Is the lawn perfectly manicured, or are your neighbors taking up a collection to buy you a goat?

No matter your level of cleanliness, as crazy as it might seem – there’s a dog for that!

Alaskan Malamutes are playful and affectionate companions – and can’t walk across the floor without leaving a thick trail of hair in their wake.

Xoloitzcuintlis – the Mexican Hairless Dog – is the perfect companion for a neat freak because hey – you can’t have dog hair everywhere if the dog is bald! But its loyalty and protectiveness is unsurpassed.

Pass Me A Tissue

Oodles of Labradoodles

If you dread the change of seasons, or sneeze at the sight of a dandelion, have no fear – allergies don’t keep you out of the running for dog-parent of the year.

Check our article on Hypoallergenic Dogs to see that dogs and allergies really can co-exist.

Poodles are the most popular “hypoallergenic” dog breeds. Bred in a wide variety of sizes from 3 pound toys to 60 pound standards, there’s a perfect size for anyone.

Labradoodles are wildly popular due to their hypoallergenic status thanks to the poodle and their easy going, fun attitude from the lab side.

Early Birds and Night Owls

Your preferred hours of activity might make you think that you’re eliminated from the puppy owner pool – but nothing could be further from the truth.

If you start getting into your groove when the clock hits midnight, or prefer to start your day an hour before the sun even thinks about popping up over the distant hills, your dog could certainly adjust their circadian rhythm to match yours.

The question is what you do during these non-standard hours of activity. If you’re a night owl, are you an active and outside? Or do you do your best gaming online during those overnight hours?

Great Pyrenees are a livestock guard dog – and given the choice prefer the night shift. So if you’re a daytime sleeper and have the room for a companion who keeps the same hours, it’s a match made in heaven.

Belgian Malinois is gaining in popularity among single men, and their energy level – especially at sunrise – makes you think that there’s an instant on switch in there somewhere.

Indoor Plumbing, Please

Dalmatian, probably named ‘Spot’

If you prefer the conveniences of modern technology and can’t go a city block without your designer coffee, or if your role model is Crocodile Dundee, you need to take that into consideration before bringing home a 4-legged bundle of love.

Dalmatians are actually a lot higher maintenance than most people realize. Contrary to the calm canine sitting on top of the fire truck, Dalmatians need a lot of room to run – and a lot of free time to do it.

Dachshunds are easily identifiable by their oversized ears and body, and undersized legs. The short legs allow them to get enough exercise without having to venture out into the world on a regular basis.

Which One Will You Choose?

We’ve already said it, and it’s still true – you need to carefully consider what you expect from your future canine companion and be sure you’re able and willing to have this addition to the next decade of your life.

You’ll be so glad you did!

The post What Type of Dog Should I Get? appeared first on Central Park Paws.

from http://www.centralparkpaws.net/dog-training-tips/what-type-of-dog-should-i-get/

#dogs #cats #pets #reviews

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the-shattered-world · 5 years

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The Afterlife, part 2

Intermediate Aspect Planes:

Alauki - The Rat's Nest - True to it’s name, The Rat’s Nest is a den of filth of the highest caliber: a run down building shrouded in perpetual half-moon light with everything covered in thin layers of choking dust. Rigged games of dice and poker going on all around, being played by hopeless souls who will never truly understand they can never win. And each time they lose, the are forced to relive a moment in time where they chose their addiction over the well being of themselves and others around them, tormented with the knowledge that they had truly failed in life. The games are run by demons twisted into horrible shapes relating to what they are dealing. The ones who are being tormented by addiction to various substances have said substances constantly pumped through their bodies in fatal doses, inflicting great pain and inflicting death upon them again and again, with the feeling of sobriety and freedom from their pain seemingly always just out of reach. The demons who inflict this torment also physically reflect their tortures. Demons summoned from this realm generally serve as terrifying debt collectors and enforcers.

Lakou - Infinite Estate - A great, white mansion with a red tiled roof, and stained glass windows. Built in the middle of an endless forest filled with uncountable amounts of game that can be hunted for the enjoyment of the blessed souls. The mansion is filled with the “finer things in life” that make up the residents’ accomplishments. Souls who make it into the Infinite Estate are finally allowed to slow down and enjoy the fruits of their labors, whether that be through extravagant activities or indulging in a few harmless vices now and again. The Infinite Estate has butlers that attend to the need of the souls, and they are the celestials that answer the call when summoned by wizards. The summoned “butler” celestials can be put to various tasks such as giving the hard working man working for an honest day’s wage the inspiration he needs to carry on and resist falling into the trap of the “easy way out.”

Cassia - Shimmering Casino - Neon flashing lights and men and women dressed in fancy, tacky outfits serving drinks and food as never ending jackpot bells fill the air only matched by the sound of flowing coins. The Shimmering Casino is always open and ready to pay out! The souls who are fortunate enough to have garnered Cassia’s special attentions enjoy an afterlife filled with close calls, lucky strikes and just-in-time-saves that always seem to fall in their favor. Thieves who dedicated their life to Cassia’s whims, whether the reaped the benefits on a regular basis or not and still maintained their faith, enjoy an afterlife full of on the edge success. The tackily dressed attendants are the celestials that are summoned, and their duties include blessing a burglar with being able to hit that safe combination perfectly on the first try or have a cloud dance over the moon to create just the right amount of shadow at just the perfect time. But they can also be used for nefarious reasons if manipulated correctly, taking away one’s luck instead of nudging it along.

Vetea - The Black Bank - A dark, large and falling apart building filled with vaults that hold the souls of the corrupt, who are forever counting money that they know they will never have. Those who paid tribute to Vetea actively become “dark bankers,” spectres in flowing, black robes that wander the halls of the bank making sure the trapped souls stay where they belong. The fluorescent lights are always flickering and buzzing, the off-white paint is flaking off the walls and the air is filled with the foul smell of stagnant cash that has been rotting in the vaults for an eternity. Dirty money for dirty people. The devils who occupy this realm are hulking monstrosities that act as guards that take care of business the dark bankers cannot. They are also the ones summoned into the real world to act as all around violent thugs.

Gahla - House of the Shining Blade - A great, multi-story house filled with different kinds of weapons and armor that the souls who have come to rest in the House of the Shining Blade can use to perfectly hone their skills for eternity. The halls are lined with famous ancient weapons and pieces of armor, used by champions of old thought lost to the ages long ago. There are no beds and no mess hall; the honorable dead need no sustenance, only a constant honing of their skills. Most of the souls trained here eventually move on to Veiyana’s realm to do battle with Ruotha and his hordes. The celestials summoned from this realm come in the shape of great, winged and armored angels wearing shining silver armor.

Partine- Highest Court - A court house painted white with innumerable marble pillars and a statue of a giant balance sitting at the bottom of a thousands steps that lead up to a large pair of double wooden doors. Inside, the floor is covered in pearl white tiles and the walls are lined with murals that attest to Partine’s greatest “victories” in the name of justice. Partine’s chair sits in the center of the great chamber. In front of the chair sits thousands of rows of benches where the souls who have come to the Court sit and wait to be assigned to the realm of the aspect they worshiped most. Those who either did not worship a specific aspect, only worshiped through lip service, or have had their soul condemned to certain realms for devious actions in their life, are sent to a limbo until they are picked up by the proper “punishing” realm. Great, bulky celestials wearing robes are the guardians of the Court, and it is they who are summoned via ritual. Anyone attempting to summon one with ill intent is hit with a feedback loop that can be deadly.

Burbo - Quarry of Blood and Fire - Souls writhe in pain and eternal toil in the bloody, smoking pits of endless stone that never seem to go deeper into the ground no matter how much stone the chained and whipped slaves remove. The sky is black with smoke from the rock processing factories; trenches surround the quarry filled with rotting bodies and foul waste that fill the air with a constant putrid, oppressive smell that damages the slaves’ morale as much as the demonic slave drivers. Burbo stands on a great spire in the center of the quarry where he can see everything and everyone. Those who worshipped him in life and were successful are turned into the demonic slave drivers,these are the ones who are summoned from the plane via magic. Those who failed him are turned into slaves themselves.

Tjiermalles - Bastion of Freedom - Miles of endless meadows filled with tents of every size and shape. Scattered throughout the encampments, various types of livestock or crops are tended. But one can never seem to find the “edges” of the camp. Tjiermalles resides in a leather A-Frame tent in what’s considered the center of the camp, the broken shackles that once bound him rest beside the tent. Those who were once damned to servitude in life, dying before being freed, rest in the encampment with Tjiermalles. Spirits resembling large men and women wearing torn clothes and rags are the guardians of this place, and it is they who are summoned from it. They wield “procured” weapons that represent particularly nasty slavers that have been served Tjiermalles’ particular brand of justice.

Sellon - Camp Hatred - In a realm of perpetual torrential thunderstorms, spiked battlements and iron and steel walls surround a primitive military camp. The camp is located on a solitary piece of land surrounded by a bottomless trench filled with a mixture of blood, water and waste. Magical fires burn piles of bodies which are constantly being added to and subtracted from, the older bodies being tossed into the fissure. These are the corpses of those fallen to oaths of vengeance. While it is mainly orcs that inhabit this plane, other races appear as well in fewer number. Giant, tusked orcs bulging horrendously with muscles are the guardians of this place as Sollens sits upon an iron throne surrounded by his priests and various kinds of bloodied weapons.

Helena - Palace of Gold - An elaborate palace plated in gold, a giant bell adorning the apex. Priests in white-hooded robes circle the palace, pacing slowly around the dimly glowing hallways. Helena herself sits atop the palace, just below the bell. For every instance of true love proclaimed in her name, the bell is rung. Those summoned from this realm take the form of the hooded priests, wielding great staves. A golden trinket wrapped around their wrist, with a tiny bell identical to the Golden Bell, these celestials are summoned to bring the summoner luck in love--only those with pure intentions earn their favor.

Abaddon - Withering Bog - A fetid landscape filled with dead trees and murky water and populated with mutants of all kinds - animals, humanoids and “beyond.” Bloated corpses idly drift through the waters, giving birth to constant streams of insects. A continual acid rain washes over everything, leaving scars over what it doesn’t outright kill. Those who kill with poison and disease are prone to end up in this realm, tormented forever if they had not shown proper respect to the trollish Abaddon, who stalks the bog beneath the deceptively shallow waters, in life. The mutated and plague addled beasts of the bog are the spirits summoned through Ka, taking so many different forms it is impossible to document them all.

Mavena - Salvation Garden - A wooden dome frame covers the grassy pathway the Gardeners of this plane travel across. Medicinal herbs, plants, and various species of vines grow from the frame. The hills of the Garden offer respite for weary Gardeners, with sturdy benches every so often along the trail. The inclines are steep, however, indicative of the nature of medicine itself. The bespectacled Mavena tends tirelessly to each plant in her Garden, and only the most dedicated to the practice are allowed to aid in her task. Various regions throughout the Garden represent the different regions throughout Perzul. While no guardians can actually be summoned from this plane, praying for their tender touch upon herbal gardens, and the hands of physicians alike can impart their blessing for those deemed worthy.

Plectus - Floating Observatory - A vast library located on top of a cloud that floats slowly through clear and sunny skies with the only access being a staircase that’s broken at the bottom and leads down into the nothingness. The interior is laden with gold, the walls are painted with images of accomplished philosophers and shelf after shelf of books reach high up to the domed ceiling where Plectus sits at a massive desk, with a giant telescope hanging over his head that he can look through to gaze into not only the realm of mortals, but the realms of his fellow Aspects. In the center of the observatory is a large area designated for debate, rows and rows of bleachers surround an open floor where spirits of Plectus’ faithful engage in battles of words. Rumor has it that Plectus keeps watch over the documents of the Librarian himself, keeping them away from the prying eyes of any who might try to take advantage of the infinite knowledge for their own purposes.

Ivin - The Great Workshop - Deep underground a vast network of rooms and workshops make up Ivin’s Great Workshop, where all kinds of devices and weapons are invented constantly, though many are never seen outside of the shop. Great bellows spew smoke and fire, anvils spit great sparks and gears grind loudly. Each room is fully equipped with all the tools any aspiring inventor and blacksmith could ever imagine, and each faithful soul gets their own room, meaning the workshop is constantly expanding and forever churning with new ideas. Guardians of the realm are not summoned directly by Ka-users, but their blessings are bestowed upon creators looking to make something that could end up being useful to mortals. Being Neutral, Ivin does not police what his blessings are used for. Ivin’s personal workshop is a thing of wonder--it’s almost as large as any powerful king’s castle and is filled with tools that have yet to be introduced into the mortal realm.

Serae - Silent Forest - A hazy, overgrown forest with a single sprawling meadow in the center. Wildlife thrives in the forest, with virtually no predatory threats, no tension exists between any residing within these mossy trees. Serae herself lives in the meadow, enjoying the pastoral symphony of birds singing in the distance. Those who find themselves in this realm in the afterlife are required to have led peaceful, temperate lives. When these residents are summoned to Perzul, they appear in the form of a cloaked elven djinn, possessing the ability to calm any soul.

Marcout - The Eternal Battlefields - Black skies over a burned and scarred field littered with corpses and charred remains of warmachines. Marcout rages across the battlefield for all eternity, slaying and reveling in blood. There is no rest on the Eternal Battlefield, and those who find themselves there have no use for it in the first place. It is extremely rare for a soul who did not already pledge itself to Marcout to end up in the Battlefields. His followers, usually mercenaries and genocidal war criminals, follow his lead and take part in his glory---fighting either with or against him. But no matter what, the slain and maimed are always remade whole to be allowed to return to the fray at a moment’s notice. Great demons made of metal and bone act as guardians and most Summoners find them extremely difficult to control without extensive preparation.

Livion - The Highest Haven - Surrounded by a meadow with thriving wildflowers, Livion’s Haven sets up top on the towering mountain. The wooden lamasery in which Livion and her monks pray and train has been painted a bright, vibrant shade of red. the symbol of Livion emblazoned across the entire roof. The trails one must travel to arrive at the Highest Haven are menacing, containing the Pacifist’s Trials the Monks who reside here routinely must complete. When one passes from the mortal plane, one must have lived a life of striving for true peace. The celestial monks summoned from the Highest Haven will only respond to defend those with pure, peaceful intentions.

Klintous - The Heart of Compromise - The monastery on the mortal plane is modeled after the mythical home of Klintous. A multistory brick and mortar mansion sits on an island in the middle of an enormous river (which is split in two by the island). The followers of Klintous reside in this mansion, living a life of peace and luxury afforded to them by their diplomatic skills. This realm’s guardians are rarely summoned and even then the situation must be dire, but when invoked by amateurs (see: not officially trained monks) they are known to soothe volatile tempers during negotiations. However, when invoked and one party is found to not truly be willing to compromise, the ritual fails in a very obvious manner. This situation has been known to worsen conflicts.

Gaan - Endless Road - The Endless Road is a forever winding cobblestone road surrounded by various topographical features. Signs line the road, all contain Halfling gibberish, as none lead to any actual location. All roads lead to the same end--more cobblestone. Small buildings scarcely occur along the Road, providing sanctuary to those guardians who wander. Time slows to a crawl on the Road, with no end ever in sight. Those who travel the Road, however, never seem concerned. Upon death, only those who have dedicated their lives to travel and/or the purpose of discovery find themselves on the road, waiting to be summoned. Upon being summoned, they travel through Ka to aid travellers on Perzul with finding their destination safely.

Vinnchio - The Muse’s Atelier - Vinnchio’s private workshop for his devoted followers to continue to create in after their life ends. Everything and anything a sculptor, painter or writer could ever want can be found here, and a soul’s creative spark is strengthened a thousand fold. The studio itself is a large, open area with windows lining the ceiling. The sun never seems to go down, leaving the room bring with natural light. Vinnchio patrols the floor, offering critique and advice to his followers to help them continue to develop their craft. There are no guardian spirits to be summoned from this realm, but Vinnchio’s name and power can be invoked by an artist to help find their muse.

Exod - Dark Vault of Endless Wealth - A dilapidated bank, its iron walls rusty and decayed. In the distance, inhabitants of this Plane can see a magnificent vault teeming with treasures untold, ripe for the picking. However, as the damned souls make their way towards the Vault through a complicated labyrinth, they are tormented by the souls of the those they cheated. No matter how close they may get to the treasure, Exod--in his throne atop piles of limitless gold and silver, takes pride in observing their torment, making sure that all souls are making their way to the Vault. Those who slack, fall behind, or simply give up, are tortured endlessly until they continue their quest. The guardians who serve under Exod perform the Aspect’s bidding. When mortals attempt to summon Cassian guardians with corrupt intentions in their hearts, Exod’s minions appear instead--unbeknownst to the summoner, cursing their Ka-tricks. The attendants of Exod look very similar to those of Cassia; instead, their eyes are black and empty, requiring a trained eye to recognize.

Teroqi - House of Endless Repast - This longhouse exists in a realm of perpetual dusk and is filled from one end to the other with piles of ever-replenishing food and drink, with entertainers playing music and singing. There always seems to be just enough room to fit everyone in. Due to Teroqi’s nature, as in not having any real dedicated church or following, those who showed great charity in life are allowed to visit Teroqi’s realm as they wish.

Neru - S.S. Constellation and the Galactic Armada - Neru’s caravel, the S.S. Constellation, leads the colossal armada on the Eternal Sea. Her small ship is nimble, as if the wind is always in her favor. Sailors and pirates alike that have dedicated their lives to the sea find themselves aboard their very own boat in the Galactic Armada. Those who had lived with respect for the seas receive their own ship--those who would pollute the sea’s beauty find themselves damned to a state of perpetual drowning for all eternity.

Lepyi, Loj and Lao - House of Cycling Seasons - A house made of paper and wood sits raised on wooden stilts just above the still surface of a clear blue lake. Trees of all kinds sprout from the water and exist in various states associated with the different seasons. There are no animals or fish in this realm, adding to the surreal stillness. No mortal souls reside in the House, and a hub to the elemental planes can be accessed here. There are three rooms--one for each resident--and one large common area where the three meet regularly.

Minor Aspects do not have realms of their own despite having groups of followers as they exist as servants to Intermediate Aspects.

#A World Divided #fantasy #my writing

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hollowpages · 6 years

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Tyr the Wanderer (Commission)

The following is a commission of a client’s OC and his friend’s OC. Some swearing is within and veeery mild sexual stuff.

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Tyr the Wanderer

It was a cool morning - clouds covered the sky entirely, and the air was chilled by a soft wind, but it didn’t look like rain. Not yet, at least, to the eyes of Tyr, as he strode through the woods alone, dressed in a dark cloak that covered his hulking form. Cold weather didn’t bother him TOO much, but, he wanted to be smart and prepared given the nature of everything that had happened recently to him and his people. His tribe…

Tyr sighed to himself. He was a large man, a giant standing at 6’7, with a build worthy of someone so tall. A beast of a being, with a hulking greatsword on his back, all of which together cast the image of someone your average person would think twice - perhaps even thrice - before messing with. That suited him just fine, since he wasn’t looking for trouble right now anyways. He was looking for work, a means to help his family and the remnants of his tribe, the friends and extended family he felt obligated to work for.

Tyr kept on going, silent and focused. He was heading to a town named Siriene, where he hoped to find some work.

Siriene was a decent-sized town, a community town where traders would go through rather frequently from what Tyr had heard of the place. On one side, it was a farming community, with cattle, horses, sheep, pigs, and so on, while on the other side was a mining community with several large caves within walking distance. And of course, there was a mountain region relatively close by - Siriene sat in the perfect spot for two different types of towns to coexist together without a problem.

Tyr knew more about the surrounding areas, in fact: the Darkstone Mountains, a large, rugged set of peaks, sat near Siriene, an oddly lush location filled to the brim with gems, iron, and other resources that the miners could go to safely, with several cave-like pathways that led to different locations around the mountain. And on the other end of Siriene, a series of flat, fertile land, a nameless place that stretched on rather far until it reached two intersecting rivers, so it made sense to use for farming purposes.

Tyr hoped either side of this bustling town would hold some work for him, enough to make coin and perhaps even get some food and other supplies for his family.

It was necessary, now more than ever, after his tribe and home had been attacked. So many of his friends, and even his poor father, had been slain during that attack…

Tyr came from a tribe called the Eternal Sun, a mixed race tribe that lived together in peace and harmony, rarely causing a fuss with surrounding towns or cities, and blessed, so was the legend, by the the God of the Sun HImself, Pelor, who oversaw the construction of their village, Tyr’s parents had always taught him and his siblings.

But having Pelor’s alleged favor did not protect them forever. Tyr had come to see that the hard way when the Black Bear Ravagers, a ‘tribe’ not unlike theirs, came to their village one day, seeking out dragon scales, something Tyr’s people had been collecting for ages. At first, it seemed like a simple negotiation, a trading of goods - this tribe, led by a Tiefling named Desdayne, wished to trade for the scales to utilize them for crafting purposes. But…

Tyr’s lips pursed as he remembered it all.

Desdayne had smiled when the trade started, all friendly and affable, but the moment the scales were brought out, when he saw WHERE the dragon scales were kept, he lashed out a blade with his tail and impaled the man bringing the scales to him through the throat with a dagger. That man had been Tyr’s father. From there, chaos.

Desdayne’s ‘tribe’ attacked. Men and women armed to the teeth and prepared for an assault. Tyr fought, as did his sisters, his mother, and many of his friends, but they were no match for the combined might of Desdayne’s forces. Their village was set ablaze, Tyr and his friends and family were wounded, and many of their own were killed. They fled, escaping while Desdayne stood triumphant, laughing with his murderous crew.

Tyr stopped walking for a moment and closed his eyes. How long ago had that been? Weeks? Months? It felt longer, but he could not quite recall, not fully.

He lost his father. Countless friends. And he lost a brother, too, from injuries after they had managed to escape. Tyr’s tribe - his family - was cut down to size. Only a handful of them had survived the attack, and those who survived had scattered into the wind to recover. Tyr and his sisters had done the same - one went north, another went southeast, while he went west, the goal being to meet up soon when they had money, enough money to put their funds together and buy some land or a house, something.

Tyr shook his head and cleared his mind of this, then continued on. Siriene wasn’t far.

When he got there, he was greeted by, to no surprise, a bustling town. People were out and about, businesses were open, shops had lines, and there were plenty of people casually chatting with one another. Tyr paid them no mind, even when some paused to eye him - he was used to that, so it didn’t bother him much at all.

He considered looking for work now, but instead opted to find the local park - he knew they had one from the rumors - and eat first. Then, off to look for actual work.

Mercenary work was often the easiest for a man of Tyr’s stature. He and his sisters were giants, each standing over 6’5, and with their burly physiques and skill sets all leaning toward warrior work, it was just easier that way to fight for a living. Tyr didn’t enjoy it as much as his sisters did - one loved the challenge and the thrill of it, while the other had a bloodthirsty streak that she thankfully put toward good uses rather than outright slaughtering. Tyr, though, preferred to finish things off without needless violence. He was good at that, though he knew how to fight just as well.

Tyr soon found the park, a beautiful place that seemed oddly where the farmland and the stoneland came together, with enough space for people and families to sit together and eat or for children to play.

“This is quite a nice park,” Tyr said to himself, noting all the families and friends having picnics throughout the area. He cracked the smallest of smiles. “...seems like a great place for a rest.”

He sat down and removed his cloak, letting it fall onto the grass behind him, then lowered his hulking greatsword so it sat beside him. Beneath his cloak, he’d been carrying a large sack of provisions, which he let fall to the other side. In it was water and food. He mused to himself that he hoped he’d be able to find something to do for coin in this town as he began to quietly eat - though he was large, he was very careful and deft when it came to all things mannerly. He took small bites, and he was always aware of everything he did. It was hard not to be when you were so damned big.

He sat there for a little while, eating and just taking in the sights. He tried not to think about the doom and gloom he’d felt for a long time now after the attack on his tribe, nor did he try to linger on the pain of those he lost. Those the others lost.

However, his placid musing was interrupted when he heard something - movement - behind him. And then, he felt someone’s hand creeping toward him, reaching for his coin purse. He was no fool, and though he was only half-elf, that was enough for his hearing to be strong enough. He reacted swiftly, shooting his hand out to grab onto the smaller hand trying to rob him.

“Trying to steal the gold of a poor man?” Tyr said, nonchalant despite the attempt of theft. “I have next to nothing on me. I’m a bit insulted.” He tsk-ed, then turned while holding the hand firmly, curious to get a look at the person who had decided to be brazen enough to steal from someone HIS size. “Let’s see…”

He turned and was greeted by the sight of an attractive Tiefling woman with deep-red skin - a gorgeous shade, if he said so himself - with long white hair. She was toned and, while short compared to someone Tyr’s size, not ‘tiny’ in any regard for a normal-sized humanoid being. She was also decked out in numerous bits of gold - her horns had gold covers on the tips and gold rings on them, and her ears, nose, and tail were pierced with gold jewelry. That, and she was dressed in black armor that fit her figure rather well.

A rogue, Tyr saw.

“Do you mind unhanding me?” the woman asked, looking only slightly irked by the fact Tyr had her wrist in one hand. “I would very much like my hand back, please.”

Tyr cracked the smallest of grins and let go. “Well, I must say, you’re quite the attractive thief. Or would-be thief, as it were.” He folded his arms. “I’m afraid you won’t be able to sneak up on me so easily, my dear. Dare I ask what your name is?”

She wriggled her wrist, eyeing him with a confident expression. One eyebrow rose. “Complimenting me after I tried to steal from you? You’re either a charmer or you’re wise to the tricks of my trade.”

“I suppose the answer depends on how you look at it,” Tyr replied, shrugging.

She snorted. “So you say.” She folded her arms, her expression remaining the same. “The name’s Claret, by the by. Not sure it’s any business of yours, but, there you have it.”

“And you wished to rob me, Claret?” Tyr asked.

“Obviously,” Claret replied. She rolled her eyes and waved a hand at him dismissively. “I mean, no offense, but usually bear-sized men like you tend to be lumbering oafs with little to no sense when it comes to speedy fingers like mine. I suppose I should give you props for being perceptive, so,” she gave him a small clap, “I applaud you.”

Tyr just arched one eyebrow at the woman.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that,” Claret said. “I mean it - I do feel you’re worthy of some applause for catching me.” She smirked. “Ah, but, to the point - since you were skilled enough to keep me from picking your pocket, would you be willing to give me a hand?”

Tyr’s eyebrows knitted together now. “You want me to help you? Truly?”

“Yup,” Claret said.

“And how do I know you won’t take another attempt at pickpocketing me, hmm?” Tyr asked.

Claret’s smirk didn’t fade one bit. “You have my word as a lady.” She bowed then, with at least some air of respect and meaning.

Tyr squinted somewhat. “Hmm.”

He was not the sort of man to be fooled so easily by a woman, no matter how attractive or skilled or whatever she may or may not be. His sisters were proof enough, the two giant brutish women possessing skills he did not, and they knew it as well as he did. Still, he supposed it wasn’t like she could cause him TOO much trouble. Nothing compared to the trouble he’d already dealt with, anyways.

Tyr stood up. “I don’t know if I can trust that, in truth.”

Claret’s smirk seemed to grow. “Oh, you wound me, good sir. I assure you, I am highly trustworthy when I’ve got no reason to steal from you.”

“Uh huh.” Tyr shook his head, then reached into his coin pouch. “You know, here.” He handed her fifty gold pieces. “Take this, and leave me be, please. I don’t want any trouble.”

Claret eyed the gold, a look of surprise forming on her face. She frowned and folded her arms without taking the pieces. “Now, why would you give me gold after I tried to steal it from your pocket in the first place?”

“Well, were I a typical ‘big oaf,’ you would’ve succeeded,” Tyr said.

Claret’s smirk returned. “And I was so sure you wouldn’t hear me.”

Tyr cracked a small grin. “Well, if you’d rather not accept the gold…”

“Oh, I shall.” She snatched the gold from his hand and put it into her pocket. “I would say a fool and his gold were parted, but, you DID offer it to me. Still, next time, if I decide to give it another shot, I ASSURE you, you won’t hear me.”

Tyr gave a little laugh. “Gorgeous AND cocky, I see.”

“It’s only cockiness if it’s false,” Claret said. “I’m one of the best at what I do - that’s no boast, my giant friend, that’s the fucking truth.”

“Yes, well, anyways,” Tyr said. “I’m sure you have other things to do right now than entertain someone like me. Places to go, people to rob, and so on.” He sat back down, seeing no reason to be standing before someone her size.

Claret snickered. “That I do, handsome. Perhaps I’ll see you later, Tyr.”

She patted his forearm, then vanished when Tyr blinked.

“...did I tell her my name?” Tyr asked himself, frowning. “I don’t think I did. Curious…”

Tyr sat there for a moment thinking - he did not recognize this Claret, nor did her name sound familiar, nor did he recall ever hearing about a red-skinned Tiefling thief with long white hair. The fact she was a Tiefling did not bother him, though, despite the pain caused upon him by the man named Desdayne. His lips twitched when he thought of the Tiefling warrior, recalling the scars, the glint in the yellow eyes…

‘No,’ he thought, shoving this away. Now was not the time.

Instead, he went back to eating. The weather was still nice despite the cloud coverage, and though it was still a tad windy, it was a nice wind. Still no rain, nor did it appear to be raining any time soon from what Tyr could see. He didn’t mind either way and finished his meal before retrieving his things and standing once more. Now that he’d eaten, it was time to look through the town in full for some paying work. There ought to have been something.

Of course, as he began to search, his thoughts returned to the strange Tiefling woman. She knew his name, and she’d attempted to steal from him, HIM, of all people, despite his size and the fact he did not look like your average simple-minded person. He wondered if she was a member of Desdayne’s group. A relative? He did not know, and he didn’t want to assume that much simply because both were Tieflings.

‘Mother always told us that judging others was wrong,’ Tyr thought, glancing around at townspeople doing their own thing around him.

It helped that he had been belittled and bullied, along with his sisters, for their towering size when they were children. And their mother wasn’t tiny, either - Tyr recalled a story his mother told him of how, when she was young, she had always been fairly tall compared to many of the elves in her community, and there were some who sneered at her, some who picked on her, some who thought her stupid or freakish for her size. Oh, she had her strength and her muscle, enough to keep physical threats practically non-existent. But the emotional threats and the insults, they stung her, until one day.

One day, Tyr’s mother had enough and lashed out, using her strength and the rage one would expect from a giant of an elf, and she made them suffer for their barbs and their mockery. But she overdid it, causing more harm needlessly than was necessary. It was only after, upon being scolded for her actions - and the other elven children the same for their cruelty - that his mother had decided to never raise a hand in rage again, not against petty ire or childish teasing.

She set about to prove the other elven children she was not some giant bully nor some slow-witted fool, and this, in turn, mended the wounds inflicted. Many of the children grew remorseful for their treatment of her, and they apologized, as she did for hurting them. Friendships grew from the seeds of mean-spiritedness, and it showed both her and the others that there was no sense in judging based on looks.

Tyr kept this in mind, for he did not feel hatred or resentment toward Tieflings in general - no, he despised only the man known as Desdayne and his cruel ‘gang,’ of which there had been humans, elves, orcs, dwarves, and more.

The only thing that surprised Tyr was how Desdayne had such a diverse gang of bullies, and how he seemed to actually care about their well-being, since any who had been injured during the fight with Tyr’s tribe, Desdayne had personally interfered to save and allow them to retreat. How odd it was that a man who killed his kin was capable of caring like that. It bothered Tyr, but, he again pushed this aside. Now was time for seeking work, not for dwelling on painful - or confusing - thoughts.

Tyr wandered about Siriene for a few minutes. He pondered his possibilities as he took in the town. There was a local tavern, and multiple shops and stalls, which presented the possibility for varying sorts of work. Tyr was about to head into the tavern to start with when he heard something - it was distant, but his ears picked it up.

“Oi! Watch where you’re going, demonspawn!”

Tyr frowned. He turned toward the source of the voice, which was deeper into town, down an alley of all things. He walked down the alley without a shred of fear for his own safety and soon stumbled across a scene he knew all too well - five thuggish looking people, three men and two women, surrounding a Tiefling woman and her little child.

“Please, we meant no disrespect,” the Tiefling woman said. She held the little boy close to her, protectively, her tail swishing around. Though her tone was calm and held a note of fear in it, her eyes were dark and cold, and she looked ready to fight if she needed to.

“Then you bloody well ought to watch yourself,” one of the women said. “Fucking hornscum.”

Tyr’s frown deepened. Two of the thugs were human, the other three were elves. None of them looked like the type of people who would leave something alone, and they were all glowering at the Tiefling woman and her boy like fresh meat in needed of being cut into pieces. Tyr knew those types - natural born thugs, not a speck of morality or mercy in their fetid bodies. He was no saint, but, if he could help…

Tyr sauntered up to them, casually. “Excuse me, ma’am.” He addressed the Tiefling woman, whose eyes shot to him. “Are these petty thugs bothering you?”

The centermost thug, an elf, snorted. “And what the fuck are you going to…” He turned and actually got a look at Tyr, his words trailing off somewhat. “...do about it…”

The others noticed Tyr as well. Their reactions were similar to the man before him.

Tyr shrugged. “Well, I’m sure you have enough of a functioning brain to see I’m not without the means of fighting you. I’m sure there’s no need for that, though, is there?” He glanced around at the five rattled individuals. “I mean, I COULD just toss you around for a while, if it really has to come to that. But I don’t think it needs to, does it?”

The five of them glanced around at one another. Clearly, they were considering it, but Tyr could tell they weren’t entirely convinced. He imagined if they had the guts to do it, they’d gang up on him, five on one. Of course, such odds weren’t pleasant to consider, yet Tyr could tell from a cursory look that the Tiefling mother would jump in as well - she gave him that look, her body poised to leap to action if such a thing happened.

‘Just like Mom said,’ Tyr thought, smiling inwardly, though on the outside, his expression was stoic and collected.

“Who are you supposed to be?” the elf male before him asked. “Protector of the weak?”

“He don’t look like no guard,” another male said, one of the humans.

“Sure as shit don’t look like anyone around here,” the second woman added, another elf.

Tyr shrugged again. “I’m just passing through. But when I see cretins harassing people for no good reason, that tends to catch my attention.”

“Fucking wanker,” the first woman said. “You think you can scare us with your size?”

She leapt at him, drawing a weapon as she did. Tyr, though, reacted by grabbing her by the shirt and throwing her behind him like a sack of feathers. She smacked into a wall and collapsed to the ground, groaning as she did. Tyr hardly reacted to this, and, for good measure, grabbed the elf man in front of him and did the same - he landed smack on top of her. The other three froze up. Three against one was much better odds in favor of Tyr, and they seemed to be aware of this.

“Shit,” one of the males cursed.

Tyr cracked his neck side to side. “Wll you lot trouble this lady and her child any longer?”

The three of them scurried over to their two fallen comrades, hoisting them both up.

“No, no trouble here, friend,” the elf male leader, who seemed dazed, said.

“N-n-no! No trouble!” the female he’d flung said.

“Good,” Tyr said. “Now, be good and don’t let me catch you doing this again, to ANYONE. I won’t be so nice the next time, you can believe me on that much.”

“Let’s, uh, get on our way, gang,” the main elf said. “Lest this giant halfbreed get angrier…”

Tyr arched one eyebrow at the slur, but the five of them fled before another word could be said. Tyr watched them go, kicking up dust as they ran out of the alley and booked it right out of town. He listened for a moment before he cracked a wry grin and turned back to the Tiefling woman and her child.

“Are you two alright?” Tyr asked, slowly walking over to them.

“Stinking bastards,” the Tiefling woman said, growling under her breath. She checked her son, hugging the little boy close to her, before she stood and relaxed. “Yes, I’m alright. Thank you, sir.” She bowed to him. “You didn’t have to do that for us.”

“Ah, but, I did,” Tyr said. “What’s the use in having this size if I can’t put it to good use helping others?”

She smiled at this. “Thank you.” She looked down at her son. “Say ‘thank you’ to the nice man, sweetie.”

The boy looked up at him with big eyes. “Th-thank you, sir.”

“You’re welcome, lad,” Tyr said, bowing to both the boy and his mother.

“You’re so big,” the boy whispered. “And so strong.”

Tyr smiled and knelt down so he was closer to the boy’s eye level. “Maybe someday you’ll be big and strong like me, eh? But you know, you don’t need to be tall or have muscles to be strong, lad.” He reached out and pointed at the boy’s chest. “That in there, that’s where strength comes from. Be good, to yourself and to those around you, and you’ll be just as strong as me. Even stronger, maybe.”

“Okay,” the boy said softly.

The Tiefling mother chuckled. “Until then, you’re my cute little babe.” She scooped the boy into her arms and smiled warmly at Tyr. “My thanks again, sir. Now, I ought to find my wife. She’ll be worried sick if we don’t get home soon, I’m sure.”

Tyr nodded and stood up. “That’s quite fine. I should be going as well.”

“Thank you,” the Tiefling woman said once more. “It’s wonderful when my wife is proven right, that we shouldn’t assume things based on one’s race. Of course, seeing as how she’s human, that speaks for itself.” She sighed fondly as her boy snuggled up to her. “Please, if you see me again, feel free to come say ‘hello.’ And do say ‘hello’ if you see me with my wife and children. I’m sure she’ll want to thank you, too.”

“Of course, ma’am,” Tyr said.

He watched the Tiefling woman carry her son away. It was a bit strange to hear that a Tiefling and a human were together, but he chuckled to himself for thinking that when he and his siblings were half-human, half-elf in the first place. It warmed his heart to know there were other pairs out there like that - he was happy he’d helped her.

“Well, aren’t you the sweet one, Tyr?”

Tyr was startled by the voice and turned to see Claret a few feet away, sitting on some sort of ledge, a bottle of beer in her tail. She was smirking as she eyed him from the shadows - Tyr wondered how long she’d been there.

“You again,” Tyr said neutrally.

“Me again,” Claret replied. She downed the bottle, then tossed it to the ground before leaping from where she was perched to land before him. “I must admit, I’m surprised to see you standing up for strangers. I’m equally surprised you didn’t smash those shitheads’ faces in.” Her smirk turned dangerous. “I would’ve if I were your size. Granted, my style is more about speed and finesse. Dagger in the throat or the belly, get nice and bloody while I watch the life drain from their scummy eyes.”

Tyr shrugged. “I saw no need for violence. I figured a show of strength would be enough, though I admit, the fact none of them were bright enough to use their numbers against me did wonders. For one to attack without provocation, and without even thinking, showed me how little a threat they truly were.”

“I still wanted to shank each of them,” Claret said. She paused and belched, then grinned. “Ahhh. Much better. And excuse me.”

“How ladylike,” Tyr said playfully.

She snorted. “Coming from a man who just tossed a woman like that? You ought to be ashamed, putting your hands on a lady.” Her smirk returned full force.

Tyr rolled his eyes. “You know, I grew up with two sisters. They were both as big and strong as I was, and we roughhoused and fought all the time. While I would never go and strike a lady without reason, I know better than to not defend myself against a woman who intends to do me harm or worse, regardless of her size.” He shrugged once more. “Besides, I have seen plenty of women smaller than I who could have killed me. Quite a few of them tried. Some even came rather close…”

“I’m mostly giving you shit,” Claret said. “Far be it from a woman like me who robs and backtabs almost religiously to try and pull the ‘gender’ card on someone.”

Silence fell. Claret studied him for a long moment, an odd look in her eyes.

“As much as it pains me, I do have to be sincere in offering you some praise,” she said after that moment passed. “For you to defend a Tiefling and her child like that… I don’t usually expect non-Tieflings to give a fuck. I’ve seen it far too often in the past.”

“I see no reason not to,” Tyr said. “One’s race does not signify whether they are worth being helped in my book. Besides, I’m a by-product of the union between an elf warrior and a human healer, as are my siblings. And, if that weren’t enough, one of my sisters has a female Tiefling for a lover, while the other has a human male. So, there was no reason for me NOT to help.”

Claret folded her arms. “I heard that woman say she was married to a human, too. Strange. I don’t know that I like it. But, I suppose I shouldn’t judge.” She sighed. “Here.”

She dug into her pocket and pulled out the fifty gold pieces, extending her hand out to Tyr.

“Take your stinking gold,” Claret said. Her tone softened. “After seeing that display of kindness toward a Tiefling you didn’t know, I have to painfully admit I feel a bit bad for attempting to steal from you. I assumed you were just a sweaty oaf, and now, I’ve had to eat crow twice over. My ego is displeased, but, I’d rather you take your gold back.”

Tyr looked at the gold coins in her outstretched hand and considered for a moment, then shook his head and gently pushed her hand back. “Keep it. I can always earn more gold by getting work, which is the reason I came here anyways.”

Claret furrowed her brow. “You sure?”

“Yes,” Tyr said. He offered her a warm smile. “I insist. Take it for yourself. Perhaps then you won’t need to rob from anyone for a while, hm?”

Claret stared at him for a minute or so before she put the gold away. “Well, aren’t you the charitable sort?” She shook her head, then reached out to touch his forearm. “You’ve been quite kind to me, big guy. I’m not used to that sort of thing, so I do appreciate it. I’ll see you around, Tyr.”

Tyr was able to ask how she knew his name, but she vanished the instant he blinked, leaving him alone in the alley.

“How the hell does she do that?” Tyr muttered to himself, before the answer presented itself rather obviously. “Hmph. Of course. Bloody rogues.”

That always seemed to be the way with rogues - one with the shadows, skilled in speed, stealth, and popping up when you least expected them to, then vanishing all the same. It was annoying to fight, but, he supposed he was thankful she wasn’t trying to kill him. Rogues were difficult to deal with when your skills were primarily focused on strength and endurance. Rogues were faster, smarter, and far more cunning, after all.

But for now, Tyr was left to his own devices, and left the alley, heading back to the tavern to ask around for work. And he was in luck - Tyr was able to strike up a negotiation with a farmer currently at the tavern to relax. The man was looking for someone to assist him, and Tyr was both capable and eager to work for some coin.

A few hours later, Tyr was heading to the local inn - he’d stopped there to book a room for himself with the coin given to him by the farmer, a down payment for the work Tyr promised to do for the man - when Tyr spotted none other than Claret once again.

Only this time, instead of the crafty Tiefling sneaking up on him, she was running from several guards. Tyr blinked a few times, surprised by the sight, but without thinking, he moved forward and slipped into an alley - the very same alley he’d helped the Tiefling woman and her son, then seen Claret previously.

Tyr waited, biding his time until Claret’s footsteps grew louder. With a burst of raw speed one would not expect from a man of his size, Tyr reached out and snagged Claret, then briskly brought her deeper into the alley to hide. Of course, Claret did not know it was him, as she bit down into his hand and used her tail to wrap tightly around his arm.

Tyr shrugged the pain off and stopped once he was certain they were hidden, at which point he lowered the hood of his cloak. Claret saw this, recognized his face, and released both her teeth from his knuckles and her tail from crushing his other arm.

“Thank you,” Tyr said. He shook his hand off and rubbed the other arm with it.

Claret spat to the side. “Your hands stink.”

“I was at a farm earlier, demonstrating my skills to a farmer,” Tyr said plainly. “I intended to wash them at the inn I’m staying at.” He blinked. “And you’re welcome, by the way.”

She scowled at him. “I could’ve handled those louts, you know.”

“I don’t DOUBT that,” Tyr said. “But even so, this is much simpler, don’t you agree? What’d you do to them, by the way?” He chuckled. “Try to rob one and got caught?”

“Please,” Claret said. “You catching me is a once in a long, LONG time event, my friend, and you’d best not forget it. Though it sounds like something I would do, I wasn’t trying to rob them, at least not at that moment.” She folded her arms and scowled. “No, I was walking along, minding my own business when they began making jeers at me. One in particular was rather nasty with his tone and his tongue. I think he was drunk.”

“Mm.” Tyr frowned. “A guard drunk on the job? Never a good thing.”

“No, especially when the drink reveals him to be a racist piece of shit,” Claret said. “I can take sexist remarks in stride because I know I’m often better than the fuckwads who use them. But racial remarks? No. Any who derides my Tiefling blood, or any Tiefling, will be met with my full ire. Of course, being guards, I couldn’t exactly threaten the assholes. So I flipped them off.” She shrugged. “You see how that ended.”

“Strange,” Tyr said. “That many guards acting so despicably?”

Claret sneered. “Oh, sweet Tyr. You must not have much experience in this rotten, stinking world we live in. Plenty of people in power are disgusting creatures. These guards aren’t outliers in the slightest, TRUST me on that one.”

“Surely there are just guards here,” Tyr said. “Men and women who value Tiefling lives as much as any other, who would defend you or stand by your side.”

“Some,” Claret said, her tone semi-reluctant. “I have met and spoken to friendly guards in this town, and others. And while I hate to say it, not EVERY rich person or upper class person is vile. Hell, I’ve met plenty of rich Tieflings who were racist toward others - I thought I would be fine with that, but I quickly learned it pisses me off even more.”

Tyr smiled a little at this. “So what did they say?”

“The one that started the fuss called me… well. Let’s just say the end word rhymes with ‘runt,’ and we’ll leave it at that,” Claret replied. She waved a hand. “It’s done now.”

Tyr’s smile dropped. He was about to speak when he heard the guards finally run by the alley, running down the street, likely thinking Claret had gone and turned a corner.

Tyr sighed. “It’s done, for now.”

“I suppose,” Claret said. “But, uh. Thank you, again. You’ve helped me twice today.”

“Twice indeed,” Tyr said with a chuckle. “Not that I’m counting. Rather than run off, though, perhaps you’d be willing to come with me to the tavern? Surely a single drink with me wouldn’t be such a bad way to repay my ‘charitable’ acts as you call them. And I, in return, would get to share a drink with a gorgeous woman like yourself.”

Claret giggled. “Such a charmer.”

“When I wish to be,” Tyr said.

“You flatter me too much,” Caret said. “Very well. A drink sounds lovely. Though perhaps you’d like to wash your hands first before touching anything else, hm?”

Tyr chortled. “Of course.”

The two walked together toward the tavern, linking arms like a cute couple would despite being relative strangers. It was quite the sight to see, naturally, such a big man and a Tiefling together like that, but besides a few stray glances, most people didn’t bat an eye at it, and once they entered the tavern, they received hardly any attention.

Claret found them a table in the corner that was out of sight from a good chunk of the tavern patrons. Tyr first washed his hands, as he’d intended to, then ordered six large beers for each of them - twelve altogether, which he could drink without any trouble.

When he returned to the table where Claret was, she whistled at the amount of booze Tyr was carrying. “Hot damn, that’s a lot of beer for just one person. I do hope you’re planning to share all those?”

He nodded. “Of course, I’m not THAT big a drinker.”

She folded her arms. “How’s about we make this more fun, then? A drinking match? Granted, I’ll wipe the floor with your sorry ass, handsome, so if you opt to back out, I understand why.” She gave a hearty laugh. “What do you say?”

“Stop right there,” Tyr said. “It’ll be me that stands as the victor for that, Claret.”

“Ha!” She snorted. “Please. As if someone like you could out-drink ME. Just because you’re big doesn’t mean you’ve got a bigger or stronger stomach, my man.”

“You’re on, then,” Tyr said. “But, let’s take our time, why don’t we? After all, what’s the point in having a drink at all if we don’t at least get to know one another a little better.”

“Very well,” Claret said, gesturing for him to pass the booze.

The two clanged glasses and began their first drink each. Tyr drank slow, feeling no pressure to win a simple contest, especially when he was, though quiet about it, confident in his ablities to drink more beer than Claret. Their size difference was part of the reason for this reassurance, but the other was that he was already used to drinking heavy amounts - he and his family had done it all the damned time!

His mother once said that she had grown up drinking ale, mead, and beer like normal beings drank water - she was so good at it that she could drink almost half a brewery’s worth of alcohol and still be awake and aware. This apparently was passed onto her children.

Claret downed half of her mug in a few gulps, then belched with pride. She wiped her mouth, then noticed some of the scars Tyr had on his face, arms, and his chest through the black fur vest he was wearing.

“So,” Claret said. “How’d you end up with all those scars?” She gestured to all the scars Tyr had on display. “And that vest. Is that bear fur?”

Tyr nodded. “It is. Years ago, when I was a bit younger, there was this nasty little bastard who liked to kill some of my tribe’s cattle. A few tried to chase it off, but they wound up injured because this was no ordinary bear - it was a Murkscale Bear, if you’ve heard of those before.”

Claret made a face. “Murk… scale? That sounds like you just pulled it out of your ass.”

“Trust me, they’re very real,” Tyr said, his tone serious for a moment. “They’re a very rare breed, born from magic about five hundred years ago according to what I’ve researched. Seems there was once a sorceror who accidentally wound up using magic to merge a bear and a crocodile into a single creature. The murkscale was the end result, though the name was chosen much later on, when that creature bred with normal bears.”

“Strange,” Claret said. “What does this so-called murkscale look like?”

“Murkscale bears are named such because they are very dark-furred,” Tyr said. “Theirs is more of a murky gray color, with hints of green, but there is also the fact it has scales. Its stomach is covered in dark scales, while its backside is all fur. They’re large and brutish creatures, bigger and hungrier than normal bears. That’s what makes them more aggressive, that and their big jaws. Suffice to say, not an easy beast to deal with.”

“You had one near your tribe?” Claret asked.

“There was a den of them, but, until this time, they’d left us alone,” Tyr said. “This fella was the first to be a bother because he ventured too far, ended up close to where we were staying at the time. And after the damage he caused, I stepped in to deal with him.”

Claret frowned. “Okay, I call bullshit. You’re pulling my leg.”

Tyr laughed jovially. “Maybe a tiny bit.”

“The truth, then?”

“It was a murkscale bear, that much is true,” Tyr said. “And I did deal with it. It was just, it took time because every time a group of us went to its den, it was long gone, as if it knew when to expect us. The only reason I was able to deal with it is because I actually went out one night when it was alone, hunting. We fought, and the end result is these scars and the vest you see before you.”

“It’s just fur, though,” Claret said, giving the vest a glance over. “I see no scales.”

Tyr grinned and removed the vest, opening it so she could see - the inside was indeed made of scales, very smooth, dark scales. Claret looked utterly boggled by the sight.

“Holy shit,” Claret said. “These things exist?!”

Tyr laughed again. “They do! I’m not fibbing about that, I assure you.”

“Seems you’ve got a badass streak in you, don’t you?” Claret asked. “But you aren’t alone there.”

She grinned and removed the armor covering her left forearm, revealing slash-like scars, three in fact. She then removed the glove from her right hand, revealing a single, very large scar in the center on both the back of her hand and her palm.

“Damn,” Tyr said. “How’d those happen?”

“The first few years of my trade were rough,” Claret said. “These,” she gestured to the scars on her left arm, “came about because I got careless during a break-in I was performing with an accomplice. We both got sloppy, made mistakes, and when we were caught, there was a fight. And this?” She gestured to her right hand. “When I was a child, I got a sword through the hand by an asshole guard captain because he believed I had stolen something I didn’t.”

Tyr winced. “Ouch…”

“I lost feeling in my hand,” Claret said. “Had to train myself to use my left hand for everything. My hand eventually recovered after several years, but the scar remained. Fortunately, it’s given me a few perks, like being completely ambidextrous. Though, between you and I, my left-handed fighting skills are far sharper, far faster, and far deadlier.”

“Then it’s a good thing we aren’t fighting each other,” Tyr said, chuckling. “I have to say, you’re quite a tough lady.” He winked. “Now then. Would you like to start our match, officially?”

Claret blinked a few times, glancing at the half-drunk mug in front of her and the one in front of Tyr. Tyr chortled and waved a hand over to the barkeeper, who had a woman come over to refill both mugs without a word. Once she walked off, Tyr smiled.

“Smart,” Claret. “And sure.” She cracked her knuckles. “Like I said, Tyr. I’m going to wipe the floor with your hulking ass. You don’t stand a chance of winning.”

“Such a cocky lady,” Tyr said, laughing to himself. “I love. Well, ladies first.”

“Ha. Not only big, strong, and charitable, but chivalrous? Adorable.”

Claret grabbed the newly filled mug and downed the beer inside with barely any trouble, guzzling it down in a matter of seconds. Tyr was impressed, but not enough for a big reaction - he’d seen quicker drinkers in his time. Claret then set the mug down, sighing.

“There,” Claret said, and she burped once, giggling to herself. “Your turn, handsome.”

Tyr didn’t waste any time in throwing his drink down his throat, then set the empty mug down, gently. He dabbed his face with a napkin and grabbed the next. “Your turn.”

Claret snorted. “It appears I’m going to need to up my game. Very well then.”

She grabbed both of her remaining mugs and proceeded to drink one after the other, not even bothering to stop to breathe. Tyr was finally taken aback by the display, staring in disbelief at the fact a woman of her size could drink so much alcohol in such a short amount of time. Claret then slammed the two empty mugs down and let another burp rip from her mouth, loud enough that it rang throughout the bar.

Some of the patrons, men and women, either laughed or raised their mugs to her, or both at once. Claret took a bow, then smirked at the befuddled Tyr.

“Bloody hell,” Tyr said. “Seems you’re more than just a gorgeous woman with an ego and an earnest supply of skill, but you can hold your liquor, too. And an impressive set of vocal cords, it would appear.”

“Oh, I’m just getting started,” Claret said.

Tyr laughed and proceeded to up the ante by doing the same, only with a bit more speed. He had been surprised, sure, but he wasn’t SLOW at drinking. Oh no, not when you had a mother and two sisters who drank like it was going out of style the next day.

Claret scowled, but nodded nonetheless. “Seems we’re at a bit of a draw, then. I’d say we should stop there. No need to get so shitfaced we spend all our gold. Or worse.”

“Agreed,” Tyr said. “I think we should call it quits, like you said. I’d rather not end this night wasted and poor, or thrown in jail.” He laughed heartily. “I’m actually fairly placid and aware when I drink too much, though, so I doubt I’d be TOO much of a problem.”

“I’m worse,” Claret said, giggling. “I lose the filter on my mouth AND my ego.”

“Funny, I’m not surprised,” Tyr said.

Claret scoffed and flipped him off. “Don’t get cute with me, big man.”

“Never!” Tyr said, grinning wide. “But, on a more serious note.” His expression softened. “Tell me something, Claret. It’s already night. If I may be so bold as to ask, would you like to come up with me to my room?”

Claret’s eyes widened, and she stared at the giant half-elf for a long moment of genuine silence - well, silence between them, not the tavern as a whole. Slowly, her features smoothed over, though her cheeks seemed to grow darker. It was hard to tell given her red skin, but it looked like from her eyes that she was blushing, much to Tyr’s amusement.

“My, my, Tyr. That’s mighty forward of you,” Claret said with a giggle.

Tyr smiled. “You know, I’ve come to see that in many cases, it’s better to take the initiative where it presents itself - so long as WHEN it presents itself is at the right time. Had we met any other way, or perhaps if you had a different personality, I would not be so bold in asking such a question. And really, when I say ‘my room,’ it means whatever we decide it to mean. The answer is entirely up to you, my dear, not me.”

“I appreciate that you would give me such a choice,” Claret said. “Some would assume, and from those assumptions, make a fool of themselves. I’ve seen it. I’ve… done it, too.”

Tyr waved a hand. “It’s your decision, on all fronts.”

“Very well,” Claret said. “I would be happy to share a room with a man such as you. Though I admit,” she leaned forward, grinning, “I’m not sure I’d be able to conquer a mountain of a man without some trouble. Do you promise you’ll be gentle?”

He smiled. “There’s no need to fear, Claret. Though I am large, I tend to prefer giving the reins to whomever I bed. Dominance is not my forte, and it has never been, unless it deals with the matter of protecting, defending, or surviving.”

Claret laughed. “Well, then. That suits me just fine. Shall we?”

The two left the table of the tavern and went to the inn, fortunately located right beside the tavern as an almost-but-not-quite separate building. They went up to Tyr’s room, and after some simple bonding, they made love. It was a passionate act between them, not perfect by any means, but pleasant enough for both individuals.

Tyr gave Claret control, as he had said, and she took full advantage of this. Yet she was a genuinely good lover, gentle, if firm, in most ways. Afterwards, they fell asleep together, ending the night on a high, soothing note.

Night soon came to an end, and morning was around the corner.

The sun peered through the curtains of the room. Claret was the first to stir of the pair, the Tiefling rogue slowly coming to. Her first thought when her mind woke up was that she was next to someone else. The second, more aware thought, was one of sheer panic when she realized she was still in bed with Tyr. That was… different.

Claret was the type of woman who sought what she wanted and GOT what she wanted in most cases, and that included the subject of sex as well. Sexual encounters were common for her, often with men, but every now and then, a woman if she were in the mood. Yet the one thing that never changed was the fact Claret always left when the deed was done, usually early in the morning. She would leave, often with a note that she wrote the night before, in most cases, her being genuine in sincerely thanking them for a good night, for treating her well, and wishing them all the luck in the world.

It was a preference, of course. A lifetime of trust issues made growing attached difficult to anyone, so when she chose someone to give her body to, she felt it was only right she give a tiny piece of her heart to that person. But this… this time, she had forgotten to write a note, forgotten to wake herself up early in the morning. Now here she was.

“Well, shit,” she muttered to herself.

Tyr wasn’t like the others. True, she had met and made love with some fabulous, decent, well-rounded people. She could not deny it, nor would she, even with her pride disliking the notion. Yet Tyr… Tyr went above and beyond those people. There was just something about him that compelled her not to freak out and just leave here and now.

She sighed and peeled herself out of the bed. Tyr’s big arms were, well, big, but not hard to break from. Claret shrugged out of her nightwear and instead got into her armor, taking her time rather than rushing as she might’ve otherwise.

Tyr stirred at that point, the big man yawning and stretching. Claret was amazed at how oddly dainty he was in his actions. For such a bear of a person, he was very soft-spoken, very gentle, very… careful, she supposed.

Tyr sat up very gradually, at the moment Claret was dressed. He rubbed his eyes. “Leaving so soon, Claret?”

“Something of that nature,” Claret said, casually.

“And here I thought we had something special.” He laughed at this, a soft, flirtatious laugh, though his face was still sleepy, and hs eyes half-closed.

Claret hid her smile. “We do, I suppose. But I’m not ready yet, not for anything serious.” Her smile faded somewhat. “I don’t know when I will be. If I will be.” She shook this off and walked over to kiss Tyr on the cheek. “You are a… surprisingly splendid man, Tyr.”

Tyr eyed her for a long moment. “I never did ask how you knew my name, you know.”

She chuckled. “Ah, that. Well, one of the few beings in this world I trust, one of my very few friends, is a Tiefling. And she happens to be the betrothed of your sister, Freya.”

“Ahhh. You know Korva.”

“I do,” Claret said. “But, maybe next time, we can talk more. I have to go. There’s just so much stuff to steal out there. So many gems and jewels and riches galore - I can’t get filthy stinking rich if I don’t get them, now can I?” She giggled, then, agan grew somber and turned away from him. “Please, don’t try finding me. I’ll find you first, big guy.”

He blushed a little. “I mean, I’m sure you will. I’m hard to miss.”

“That’s for damn sure,” Claret said, giggling again. “Take care of yourself. And…”

Silence fell.

“And…?” Tyr said.

Claret sighed. “Don’t wait for me. If you find someone else… don’t wait for me.” She turned back to smile at him. “Until next time, Tyr. If there is a next time.”

Tyr blinked, and she was gone in a flash. He frowned and glanced around, yet there was no sign of her. The door was untouched, the windows in the room untouched, and Tyr could not sense or see any trace of magic.

He laid back onto the bed. “Until next time indeed, you gorgeous rogue.”

---

#commission #commisions open #fantasy #d&d oc

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meltingalphabet · 6 years

Text

Planet X

Our solar system is a disc.

Remember those plastic 3D diagrams of our solar system from elementary school? The then-9 planets connected by thin metal wires to the large yellow sun in the middle? Well… Yeah. That’s what it looks like… in a way.

Our planet and several others orbit around our sun in this disc shape, but while the disk is mostly flat its edges lift upwards like a paper plate. A team from Caltech claims that this is evidence of a massive planet at the edge of our system, Planet X. The reason we can’t see Planet X is it’s just too far away for our modern telescopes to register. The light from our sun has to travel all the way past Neptune, past the Kuiper Belt, bounce off of Planet X and come all the way back, the light fading exponentially with every stage of its journey.

At least that’s what they hypothesize.

But I know the truth. Planet X doesn’t want us to see them.

The dreams started a year ago. I would fall asleep only to immediately wake up somewhere else. Initially I thought of it as an alien zoo, like the one described in Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five. That first night is still vivid in my mind.

I awoke in a small white room, bare except for a large spherical object. It was as large as a boulder but with a flat top. Its sides were white and smooth just like the walls.

As I stood, I realized I was standing in water. I looked around and saw that I was in a shallow pool lined with small black stones which were cool and smooth to the touch. Before me was a wall made of glass. I stepped to it, pressing my face against it as I looked out towards a lush nightscape. Despite the darkness, the campus around me was illuminated by green and purple vegetation that glowed in the dim light. Large blooms the size of my entire body, ranging in colors from dull pink to bright yellow, loomed over my room like jungle trees, the bioluminescent lights within them shining like tiny stars in the night. Twisted vines extended from the organic roof to the ground, which was made up of a coarse reddish dirt.

I immediately noticed that my room was not unique. Across from me rose a wall of similar squares filled with beings of all shapes and sizes, many of which my mind couldn’t even fathom.

In one room was a perfect triangle of pure white light. I was surprised to find that it wasn’t too bright or hot to look at it, and I stared at the light for several minutes mezmorized. Soon my head began to buzz like a combination headache and brain freeze while holding a running jack hammer. It felt as if there was a needle drilling into my skull through my eye. I ripped my gaze from the creature and the sensation vanished. I avoided looking at that room from that point forward.

The room above the one directly across from me held a being like our werewolf. It was bipedal and shaped like a human man, but covered in a dense coarse fur, a mix of black and silver. Its hands ended in long claws with black webbing between bones shaped like fingers. It’s teeth were large and sharp like a wolves, yet instead of proportional dog ears it’s ears were huge and conical. The beast also lacked any eyes from what I could tell. I assumed it was able to read space from echolocation like a bat, yet I never actually saw it move. It simply sat on the floor of its cage and looked out the window it didn’t seem to see.

Above the werewolf-bat was a giant millipede. It looked and moved exactly like an earth millipede but was thicker than a grown man and longer than a limousine. The room was too small for it to stretch out so it coiled on top of itself, it’s many legs twitching in sync so they moved like an ocean wave.

The most interesting room appeared to be completely empty. Yet, if you looked at it from your peripheral, the air in the room began to wave like heat rising from black tarmac. I felt a warmness when I looked into this room. A subtle bliss, as if you were drunk but it wasn’t anything like being drunk. It was a wave of warmth through your body that made your skin prickle with satisfaction at an unknown, unrecognized touch.

Across from me was an alien much like a human woman. Her body was that of our world: two legs, two arms, two breasts, two eyes, a nose in the center of her face, and hair on the top of her head. From a distance, I would’ve thought she was human but I was close enough to see the subtle differences. The skin of her stomach was interrupted by five small circles which I realized were belly buttons. Or at least, that’s what they looked like. Her eyes were an unnatural yellow that looked more like gold foil than an eye color. The long brown hair that hung over her shoulders swayed as if in a breeze, yet if her room was as identical to mine as it seemed, there wouldn’t be any air to move it. She caught my gaze and smiled, nodding in my direction.

I woke up in a cold sweat. My arms shook with the effort of lifting myself from my bed. It was several hours before I needed to get up for work, but I knew I wouldn’t be getting back to sleep. I took a shower, the hot water drumming into my skin, renewing the circulation of my blood and revitalizing my muscles which felt atrophied.

Work was the usual boring humdrum. I couldn’t focus, the dream from the night before echoing in my mind. Ever since I left the warmth of my shower my skin felt cold and clammy. My boss even commented on my sweater.

“You know it’s June, right George?” She chuckled.

I smiled good naturedly as I struggled to control my shivering.

That night, I dreamt of the zoo again. The woman smiled at me. I waved to her. She looked confused at first before returning the gesture which appeared awkward and unnatural to her. I smiled.

This repeated for months. Every night I would dream of waking in the zoo. It felt so real, so tangible. I could feel the material of the walls, similar to plastic but spongier. With every dream the woman and I would communicate more. First through simple gestures, like waving and nodding, then progressing to more complicated thoughts.

Her hands hovered over her eyes before she brought them down quickly. She was sad.

I touched the glass between us, then pointed at her and then to myself. I wanted to meet her.

She touched the glass, then knocked on it, then shook her head. We would never meet.

I made the gesture for sad and she nodded.

I pointed to myself and then to her, and then to my heart. I hugged myself. Friend.

She hugged herself in return.

The zoo was a strange place, neither bad nor good. I never saw any spectators or even anyone who seemed in charge of the zoo. We were never fed or taken care of. We just were.

The woman and I grew closer with every dream. It was as if she were real. The bond I felt with her was so deep, it couldn’t all be a figment of my imagination.

We couldn’t tell each other names, so I referred to her as Remi. She reminded me of my brother Derek, who had a stuffed lion named Remi. Derek is my favorite person in all the world. At least, he was. He passed away a few years ago. He had been born deaf and mute and I think he would’ve liked Remi.

Every time I woke in the zoo I would go to the window and every time Remi would greet me by signing sad before hugging herself. She was sad, but my friendship helped.

I asked Remi how long she had been there.

A long time, she said. She gestured to the sky and brought her hands from her eyes downward. She missed home.

I gestured to the sky and pointed to myself, closing my eyes as if I were asleep, and pointed back to the sky. I go home in my sleep.

Remi repeated my gestures and then aggressively shook her head.

I brought my hand to my chin, our sign for a question. I didn’t understand.

Remi repeated the gestures, pointed to herself, and then shook her head.

I pointed to her, then to the sky, made the motion for sleep, and then shook my head.

She nodded. She used to go home in her sleep.

I brought my hand to my chin. What happened?

Remi opened her mouth in a scream, her face twisted in anger. I heard nothing, the sound trapped within her walls. Suddenly she turned wild, jumping and stomping, her hair spinning around her head as if in a hurricane. Her body twisted as if boneless, a slug being pulled at either end by her pain. Finally, she stopped and looked at me, her hair calming enough to rest mostly still by her face, now streaked with tears. She pointed to the white sphere in her room and then to the sky. I followed her finger, my heart pounding in my chest. Fear gripped at me tightly. I had never seen Remi look or act like this. She was no longer sad, she was angry.

Turning away from me, she walked to the white sphere in her room and touched the surface. She looked up expectantly. I walked to the matching object in my room and placed my hand on it. Nothing happened. I looked up and she rose her hand in the air to make a circular gesture. Using my fingertip, I made a circle on the flat surface.

I jumped with surprise as the top of the object lit up with a blue light. It was a computer screen. In the middle was a circle as small as a marble that I recognized as earth from a great distance.

Remi pointed to the sky. Looking up through the alien canopy I could see a faint yellow star, closer than any other star yet still barely larger than a pinprick.

She pointed to me. The sun. Our sun.

I jolted upright, my bedroom unfamiliar around me in the twilight.

The next night I opened my eyes to the now familiar ceiling. I went to sit but I was unable to move. Struggling, I realized with immediate panic that I was restrained. I looked as far to the right as possible, straining my eyes to see something, anything. My head was being held in place but I was able to make out the black stones beneath me which glowed like the bioluminescent plants outside. I looked back up and screamed as my vision was filled by a new alien creature hovering inches above my face.

It’s skin looked like a seal’s, soft and wet. The head that hung over me was featureless except for hundreds of glowing black shapes, identical to the stones I laid on. Around it’s head was a thick mane of what looked like a mix of seaweed and fur. One of the appendages around its neck stretched towards me and I futilely tried to squirm from its reach. As it’s flesh touched mine white hot heat sizzled against my skin. It felt like I was being branded by the sun. My screams were no longer able to produce any sound, the only escape for my fear and pain abruptly cut off.

More heat began to crawl from its touch like veins reaching across my skin. As the sensation hit my chest I felt it inch towards my heart, which convulsed erratically under the heat’s weight. My throat begun to burn as it rose inside of me, filling my entire being. It was as if I were being squeezed from the inside out.

And then I woke up, my bed once again soaked. My stomach ached from the pain of my dream and I lightly brushed my fingers over the area. A pained hiss escaped through my clenched teeth and I tentatively lifted my shirt. Beneath my ribs was a large circular burn the puckered and oozed. My breath caught in my chest, a sensation I hadn’t felt since I fell off my bike as a child, my back slamming into the hard concrete. I gasped like a fish as my throat struggled to claim the air my lungs needed. My face was wet with tears.

I called out of work that day. And the next. Every night I woke to that, that thing. Every night it touched me in a different spot and every night I was filled with a different pain. Sometimes it was the burning of the first night. Sometimes it forced its way through me like ice, slow and solid, the freezing pain seizing in my muscles, my heart straining to beat. Once it was sharp and stabbing, as if my flowing blood had turned into hundreds of needles.

Every morning I woke, my body bruised and battered. I was cut, burnt, bloodied, and torn. My veins grew dark beneath my skin like black trails etched into the fabric of my being.

I tried to go to the doctor but they dismissed me as a junkie. The frequent calls out of the office lost me my job. Eviction notices started to pile up inside my door. But none of that matters.

Last night was the first night in weeks I awoke unrestrained. Crying with relief, I stood, my legs shaking beneath me. The first thing I noticed was that, for the first time, it was day. I blinked, my eyes unused to the light as I looked to Remi who stood with her hand against the glass. A gesture I was happy to reciprocate.

The forest around me glowed in the radiance of the light. As my eyes began to adjust, I was overwhelmed by the surprisingly bright and vibrant colors of the forest around me. I beamed at Remi. It was beautiful, but Remi’s face was drawn tight in concern. She pointed to me, then to herself, then to the stone pool behind her. She shook violently, her face clenched as if in pain. They had tortured her too.

I brought my hand to my chin. Why?

She pointed up.

There in the sky a fire burned. Not like a sun, but a much smaller and closer glowing sphere of heat. A stream of fire stretched like a tail from the ball as it flew over us, a caricature of a comet. It wasn’t day, instead the world was illuminated by a massive rocket more than fifty times the size of any I had seen on TV.

I looked back at Remi who pointed to herself, then to me. Sad. She pointed to the screen beside me. I stepped to it and made the circular motion to turn it on. The small marble earth appeared, as it always did. I tilted my head. Something was off. I leaned closer to get a better look. In the foreground of the screen there was nothing but blackness where usually there was a cluster of stars. A part of space was empty where it shouldn’t be.

I looked to Remi. Sad.

I pointed to the screen and brought my hand to my chin. What is it?

Remi pointed to the rocket, then to my screen, and then back to the sky. They were coming.

Stepping back from the screen in shock, I shook my head. No.

Yes. Sad.

No.

Yes. Sleep. Home. Sad.

No.

I brought my hands together and pulled them apart as far as I could. Far. Too far. Earth was too far.

Remi closed her eyes as if in sleep, then opened them, closed them, opened them, faster and faster. Time. She closed her eyes one final time, keeping them closed before slowly opening them and looking at me. Time passing. She pointed to the pool behind her, then to me.

I looked back to the sky. The rocket, a giant ball of fire and metal, hung heavy above the atmosphere. I shook my head and looked back to Remi. Far, I gestured again. Even with their advanced technology it would take Planet X more than a millenia to travel to earth.

She pointed to the pool and then to me and repeated the gesture for time passing. I shook my head and brought my hand to my chin. I don’t understand.

Remi pointed to the ground, the zoo, then to herself, then to the sky, to the screen in my room, and then to the pool. Time passing. Here. Remi. The pool. Time passing. Earth. Here. Remi. Time passing. Earth. The pool. She pointed to the screen. Information. She pointed to me. Information. Time passing. Earth. Me. The pool. Information.

Time passing. It would take millenia for the aliens to reach earth. Time passing. The pool I always woke up in. Time passing. My head spun.

She pointed to herself and her screen, then to the sky. Remi. Remi’s home. Time passing. And then she screamed, her mouth stretching as it had only one time before when I had asked why she was sad. She stopped and looked at me.

I shook my head, stepping backwards. No. No. No no no no.

Remi pointed at me and then brought her hands to her eyes. Sad.

My stomach dropped and my mind buzzed. I looked up at the rocket which appeared to hover above us, then back to the screen which showed the same rocket approaching earth.

I wasn’t being brought across space. I was being brought across time as well.

I looked to Remi who nodded. Why?

Remi pointed to the screen. Information. They wanted to know what we’d be like when they got there.

I fell to my knees. No. It couldn’t be. I looked up. Remi was waving.

Sad. Goodbye.

I woke up.

#nosleep shorthorror scarystories horrorscifi shortscifi planetx

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usnewsaggregator-blog · 7 years

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What Will Our Lives Be Like as Cyborgs?

New Post has been published on http://usnewsaggregator.com/what-will-our-lives-be-like-as-cyborgs/

What Will Our Lives Be Like as Cyborgs?

If you squint a little, you can see the Apple Store clerk as a cyborg, a hybrid of human and machine. Each store is flooded with smartphone-wielding salespeople who are able to help customers with everything from technical questions and support to purchase and checkout. There are no cash registers with lines of customers waiting with products pulled from the piles on the shelves. The store is a showroom of products to explore. When you know what you want, a salesperson fetches it from the back room. If you’re already an Apple customer with a credit card on file (and as of 2014, there were 800 million of us), all you need to provide is your email address to walk out the door with your chosen product.

Rather than using technology to eliminate workers and cut costs, Apple has equipped them with new powers in order to create an amazing user experience. By so doing, they created the most productive retail stores in the world.

This article is adapted from O’Reilly’s recent book.

Even the very first advances in civilization had this cyborg quality. The marriage of humans with technology is what made us the masters of other species, giving us weapons and tools harder and sharper than the claws of any animal, projecting our strength at greater and greater distance until we could bring down even the greatest of beasts in the hunt, not to mention engineer new crops that produce far more food than their wild forebears, and domesticate animals to make us stronger and faster.

In short, there are two types of augmentation, physical and mental, in a complex dance. One frontier of augmentation is the addition of sensors to the physical world, allowing data to be collected and analyzed at a previously unthinkable scale. That is the real key to understanding what is often called the “Internet of Things.” Things that once required guesswork are now knowable. (Insurance may well be the native business model of the “Internet of Things” in the same way that advertising became the native business model of the internet, because of the data-driven elimination of uncertainty.) It isn’t simply a matter of smart, connected devices like the Nest thermostat or the Amazon Echo, the Fitbit and the Apple Watch, or even self-driving cars. It’s about the data these devices provide. The possibilities of the future cascade in unexpected ways.

When Monsanto bought Climate Corporation, the big-data weather-insurance company founded by former Google employees David Friedberg and Siraj Khaliq, and paired it with Precision Planting, the data-driven control system for seed placement and depth based on soil composition, they showcased that the new focus of productivity in agriculture is in data and control. Less seed, less fertilizer, and less water are needed when an eye in the sky can tell the farmer with precision the state of his land and the progress of his crop, and automatically guide his equipment to act on that knowledge.

This is true in engineering and materials science as well. The inventor Saul Griffith has told me, “We replace materials with math.” One of Saul’s companies, Sunfolding, sells a sun-tracking system for large-scale solar farms that replaces steel, motors, and gears with a simple pneumatic system made from an industrial-grade version of the same material used for soft-drink bottles, at a tiny fraction of the weight and cost. Another project replaces the giant carbon-containment vessels for natural-gas storage with an intestine of tiny plastic tubules, allowing natural-gas tanks to fit any arbitrary shape as well as reducing the risk of catastrophic rupture. It turns out that when you properly understand the physics, you can indeed replace materials with math.

The new design capabilities go hand in hand with new manufacturing techniques like 3-D printing. 3-D printing doesn’t just provide low-cost prototyping and local manufacturing. It makes possible different kinds of geometries than traditional manufacturing. That requires software that encourages human designers to explore possibilities far afield from the familiar. The future is not just one of “smart stuff,” tools and devices infused with sensors and intelligence, but of new kinds of “dumb stuff ” made with smart tools and better processes for making that stuff.

Autodesk, the design-software firm, is all over that concept. Their next-generation tool set supports what is called “generative design.” The engineer, architect, or product designer enters a set of design constraints—functionality, cost, materials; a cloud-based genetic algorithm (a primitive form of AI) returns hundreds or even thousands of possible options for achieving those goals. In an iterative process, man and machine together design new forms that humans have never seen and might not otherwise conceive.

Most intriguing is the use of computation to help design radically new kinds of shapes and materials and processes. For example, Arup, the global architecture and engineering firm, showcases a structural part designed using the latest methods that is half the size and uses half the material, but can carry the same load. The ultimate machine design does not look like something that would be designed by a human.

The convergence of new design approaches, new materials, and new kinds of manufacturing will ultimately allow for the creation of new products as astonishing as the Eiffel Tower was to the world of 1889. Might we one day be able to build the fabled space elevator of science fiction, or Elon Musk’s Hyperloop transportation system?

The fusion of human with the latest technology doesn’t stop there. Already there are people trying to embed new senses—and make no mistake of it, GPS is already an addition to the human sensorium, albeit still in an external device—directly into our minds and bodies.

Might we one day be able to fill the blood with nano-bots—tiny machines—that repair our cells, relegating the organ and hip replacements of today, marvelous as they are, to a museum of antiquated technology? Or will we achieve that not through a perfection of the machinist’s art but through the next steps in the path trod by Luther Burbank? Amazing work is happening today in synthetic biology and gene engineering.

George Church and his colleagues at Harvard are beginning a controversial 10-year project to create from scratch a complete human genome. Ryan Phelan and Stewart Brand’s Revive and Restore project is working to use gene engineering to restore genetic diversity to endangered species, and perhaps one day to bring extinct species back to life. Technologies like CRISPR-Cas9 allow researchers to rewrite the DNA inside living organisms.

Neurotech—direct interfaces between machines and the brain and nervous system—is another frontier. There has been great progress in creating prosthetic limbs that provide sensory feedback and respond directly to the mind. On the further edges of innovation, Bryan Johnson, the founder of Braintree, an online payments company sold to PayPal for $800 million, has used the proceeds to found a company whose goal is to build a neural memory implant as a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Bryan is convinced that it’s time for neuroscience to come out of the labs and fuel an entrepreneurial revolution, not merely repairing damaged brains but enhancing human intelligence.

Bryan is not the only high-profile neurotech entrepreneur. Thomas Reardon, the creator of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer web browser, retired from Microsoft to pursue a Ph.D. in neuroscience and in 2016 cofounded a company called Cognescent to produce the first consumer brain-machine interface. As Reardon noted in an email to me, “Every digital experience can and should be controlled by the neurons which deliver the output of your thoughts, those neurons which directly innervate your muscles.” This is a brilliant combination of neuroscience and computer science. “The kernel of our work is held in the machine-learning models which translate biophysical signals—yes, even at the level of individual neurons—to give you control over digital experiences.”

Elon Musk joined the parade in 2017 with a company called Neuralink that is, according to Elon, “aiming to bring something to market that helps with certain severe brain injuries (stroke, cancer lesion, congenital) in about four years.” But as Tim Urban, the author of the Wait But Why blog, who was given extensive access to the Neuralink team, explains, “When Elon builds a company, its core initial strategy is usually to create the match that will ignite the industry and get the Human Colossus working on the cause.” Proving that a profitable, self-sustaining business can be created in an untried area is a way to get everyone else piling onto the new opportunity. That is, like Bryan Johnson, Elon’s vision is not just to build a company, but to build a new industry.

In the case of Neuralink, that new industry is a generalized brain-machine interface that would allow humans and computers to interoperate far more efficiently. “You’re already digitally superhuman,” Elon notes, referring to the augmentation that our digital devices already give to us. But, he notes, our interfaces to those devices are painfully slow—typing on keyboards or even speaking aloud. “We should be able to improve that by many orders of magnitude with a direct neural interface.”

These technologies raise questions and fears as profound as any in the world of artificial intelligence. Like other tools of enormous power, they may come into common use through a tumultuous, violent adolescence. Yet I suspect that in the end, we will find ways to use them to make ourselves live longer, happier, more fulfilled lives.

AI is not some kind of radical discontinuity. AI is not the machine from the future that is hostile to human values and will put us all out of work. AI is the next step in the spread and usefulness of knowledge, which is the true source of the wealth of nations. We should not fear it. We should put it to work, intentionally and thoughtfully, in ways that create more value for society than they disrupt. It is already being used to enhance, not replace, human intelligence.

“We’ve already seen chess evolve to a new kind of game where young champions like Magnus Carlsen have adopted styles of play that take advantage of AI chess engines,” notes Bryan Johnson. “With early examples of un-enhanced humans and drones dancing together, it is already obvious that humans and AIs will be able to form a dizzying variety of combinations to create new kinds of art, science, wealth, and meaning.”

Like Elon Musk, Bryan Johnson is convinced that we must use neurotech to directly enhance human intelligence (HI) to make even more effective use of AI. “To truly realize the potential of HI+AI,” he says, “we need to increase the capacity of people to take in, process, and use information, by orders of magnitude.” But even without direct enhancement of human intelligence in the way that Bryan envisions, entrepreneurs are already building on the power of humans augmented by AI.

Paul English, the cofounder of Kayak, the travel-search site that helped put many travel agents out of work, has a new start-up called Lola, which pairs travel agents with an AI chatbot and a back-end machine-learning environment, working to get the best out of both human and machine. Paul describes his goal with Lola by saying, “I want to make humans cool again.” He is betting that just as a human chess master paired with a chess computer can beat the smartest chess computer or the smartest human grand master, an AI-augmented travel consultant can handle more customers and make better recommendations than unaugmented travel agents—or travelers searching for deals and advice on their own using traditional search engines.

The arc between travel agents and Kayak and Lola, the embedding of what was once the specialized knowledge of a travel agent into ever-more-sophisticated tools, teaches us something important. Kayak used automation to replace travel agents with search-enabled self-service. Lola puts humans back into the loop for better service. And when we say “ better service,” we usually mean “more human, less machinelike service.”