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warrior-angel · 2 years

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NOT THE ONLY ONE.

Author: @warrior-angel

Word Count: 3.3K

Warnings: Fluff, Angst. Flashbacks, Child Abandonment. Female insert. Use of Y/N

Note: Part of me wondered what Eddie would have been like if he had been there from the start, with finding Eleven and all and that inspired me to write this. Eddie is such a relatable and loveable character and I think he really would just wish to take care of those he’s close with.

I wasn’t comfortable with posting the full series I had planned on this. Most of my stuff has been deleted from Wattpad due to a copyright claim issue. ( they stated I copied from a tv show/movie. Even when I tagged it as fan-fiction.) hopefully things work better around here.

➳ All mistakes in this fic are my own.

Summer of 1985.

Leaning against one of the trees in the middle of Hawkins forest she let out a deep sigh, trying to get rid of the pain and the tension in her body, without use.

StarCourt mall had burned to the ground, and so was the hiding spot she’d found near it. She had relied on what was thrown into the dumpers behind the mall for months, clothes, food, anything that could be useful and would fit in her bag. Waiting till midnight to go through the mall's dumpsters had been a lot easier than shoplifting or pickpocketing.

She’d tried her best to stay away from police and society as much as possible, staying in empty cabins or run down buildings. It was far from comfortable but it wasn't as bad as sleeping in the dangers of the outdoors, the dangers of Hawkins in general.

Hawkins was a town known for its bizarre happenings, People dying or disappearing, some even returning from death. People knew things were going on but nobody dared to say a word or ask any questions about it.

The less people knew the better, it was exactly why she herself had been running and hiding for so long. When you ask the wrong person the right questions things tend to happen and most times you don't walk away from it without consequesions, she learned that the hard way. She knew the right person, the right questions and even the answers and that is precisely why she ran away.

Cleverness, to think of putting a piece of paper between the door to keep it from locking completely, patiences for the time to pass until it had been midnight and knowledge of the right path towards the exit to get herself out and away from the place she grew up in.

She may have been young but she was far from stuppid, she knew when to speak and when to stay silent that way you heard things others did not although sometimes she wished she'd never listened to those around her at all.

She was sore and covered in cuts and bruises, every movement making her his in pain. The woods of Hawkins might have had its charm if it hadn't been this brutal against her, the rocks and tree she had to climb came with a new scrap or cut on a daily basis, something that she accepted over time and risked day in and day out for a place to sleep.

Her eyes shot up at the sound of crumbling leaves and snapping twigs. She was on high alert, movement slow as she tried to process which way to run. her feet carried her backwards in a slow pace, heartbeat running wild as her knuckles turned white from how tight she was grabbing onto her backpack straps.

"Hey!" she flinched at the sudden voice, eyes going wide as she turned around. “Sorry, didn't mean to scare you,” there he stood, a boy not older than herself messy hair, denim and leather covering his arm and a strange demonic picture staring right back at her. “Are you okay?” Her eyes met those of the boy who scared her, giving him a single nod. She messed up, she messed up badly.

He was looking at the marks on her arms and her face, staring particularly long at the noticeable scar under her left eye “Jezus- what happened,” His face dropped “did someone hurt you?”

“I’m fine” She said, voice hushed. She was nervous, scared, would this guy follow her if she ran? Would he tell people he saw her? “Don't mean to pry and all but you look far from fine.” he stated. “Do you need a doctor or something, I could take you to the police if you want.”

“No!” Her blood ran cold at the sound of police. “No police.” He hummed in acknowledgement, his eyes scanning her as he tried to read her body language.

“Did you run away or something like that?” He guessed. She didn't know why but her head dipped in a nod just slightly, something that didn't go unnoticed to him “I’m taking that as a yeah?”

“Yes.” He just nodded his head. She didn't know why she even answered him, two years of silence and running thrown away all because a friendly face looked worried about her.

“So,” he began, “uhm how long have you been running for?”

“Two years.” she was cursing herself out internally scolding herself to stop talking. He looked at her shocked. giving himself a second to process what she just said. “That’s, that’s a long time.”

“Yeah.” She said softly. “You’re terrified of me aren’t you?” taking a step backwards, he caught up to the reason she was so cautious towards him. “Usually nobody comes out here, so you're safe.”

“You're here.” she retorted, making him grin. “It's a shortcut from my buddy's place back to my van,” he pointed towards where he came from.

“Lovers Lake.” she mumbled. “yeah, he was sent to jail, again.”

“He’s bad?” she said, looking at him scared. “oh no, Rick's cool, totally cool just uhm, just got caught selling. Was supposed to buy from him to get my supply up again but that’s a big no.”

“You do drugs?”

“It makes sense I didn't really want to take you to the cops now does it?” She smiled at that, her shoulders slumped a little as she realized he wasn't going to call the police on her.

He offered her a smile “I’m Eddie, by the way.” he said casually, carefully awaiting her reaction. “You can tell me to piss off, you know.” he reassured making her shake her head. “Y/n.”

Eddie had helped her find a safe space to stay in, Cracking open the lock on his friend's boathouse to give her a temporary roof over her head. The space was cluttered, messy but it was a fine spot to hide from people and stay safe from police. Rick was in jail anyway, it wasn’t like he would know. There was a big part of her that thought Eddie only helped her find a safe spot out of guilt, the idea of leaving somebody in the middle of nowhere being something that didn't sit right with him, but to her surprise he came back the next day. Eddie had sofly knocked on the door before coming in, standing in the doorway with bags of snacks, water and even one of his own jackets to give her some form of warmth.

Their conversations were mostly one-sided, Eddie would talk about his band and try to explain the meaning behind his Hellfire club, his shirt finally making sense to her the more he talked about it. Eddie would come around in the afternoon, always having some form of food with him, sometimes bread or something microwaved he had packet up and snuck out to the boathouse, he enjoyed watching her smile as she ate the food, the idea of her having been running and trying to survive on her own for two years not being something he liked.

As the days passed she grew more and more comfortable around him, so much so that she started to open up. Her adoptive father used to be a nice man, he always seemed to want the best for her, for her siblings. He always spoke of family, of trust but as she grew older she realized things were not as simple as he told them they were. Her anger spun out of control easily, the older she grew the worse it got and the only one that seemed to be able to calm her down was who she was raised to believe was her older brother, and father did not like that.

Her brother would hush her, hold her and tell her it would all be alright, tell her it was safe and that he would take care of her, that he would find a way to get them out of the house and live a happy life without their father’s rules. He had promised, promised he wouldnt leave her and he still did, he had left her with their father. She spent the next few years on her own, angry at her brother for leaving her behind, angry at her father for abandoning her. She had been nothing more than another child that didn't meet her fathers perfection standards, just like her so-called brother.

She had cried after telling Eddie, Shielding herself away from his view not wanting to show the tears, he wasn't having it. Eddie had sat down beside her and wrapped her up nice and warm in a hug while he made a few jokes to get her to smile again only for it all to come crashing down the next day.

“Ricks coming home tomorrow.” Two weeks, that's all she had gotten in the boathouse, two weeks of jokes and laughter with Eddie and now it was gone, she needed to go back to the woods, it was time to run again. She pushed away her tears, and got onto her feet forcing herself to act emotionless. Taking the wrapped candy bars and sandwich Eddie had given her for that day she stuffed it in her backpack, trying to get everything ready to head out before midnight.

“My uncle works night shifts at the factory” she turned towards Eddie, his eyes going anywhere but to her as he continued to speak, “you could take the bed I’ll sleep on the couch or something, I don't know.''

“I can't,” She mumbled. The idea of staying close to Eddie was a dream come true, she really did care for the boy but it was not worth the risks. Eddie's eyes meet with hers, the look of rejection not suiting him well.

“Police will notice, and what would you tell your uncle.” He signed in relief, it wasn't that she didn't want to, it was fear that kept her from doing so.

“It's a big risk and I don't want you to get in trouble because of me.” Part of her knew that if her father wanted to find her he already would have

but the fear of knowing what he’d do if he did find her was holding her back.

“I'm a big boy that can take care of himself.” He said with a grin.

“Why do you care so much?” Eddie seemed taken back by that question but he answered it nonetheless. “I don't feel like living up to the Munson name,” he stated. “My dad wasn't the best, Wayne got me out of that situation.” She nodded, this was his way of saying he understood her.

“You’ve only known me for two weeks Eddie and there’s a lot I haven't told you yet, I could be dangerous to you.” If she was willing to consider this things had to be out in the open, especially the danger she was putting him in.

“You do know I’m the town freak right?” he tells her like that was supposed to mean something. “You’re not a freak Eddie.” She hated it when he called himself that.

“And you're not dangerous.”

"You don't have to do this," Eddie insisted on taking the pressure away from packing, grabbing her stuff before she could. He’d left the candy wrapper for what they were mumbling a ‘I'll tell Rick I came here’ before making her pull her hoodie over her head and taking her towards his van just on the other side of the road.

Her hands in her lap, bag by her feet and eyes stuck on the road as she anxiously whisted the loose threat of her shirt around her fingers. Eddie kept a close eye on her, trying to find any sign of her getting second doubts but to his surprise beside a usually sense of fear there wasn't any, she was humming along to one of the songs that sounded through the van, the rhythm of the song itself being far off but it seemed to calm her.

Eddie took a sharp turn into forest hill trailer park, the car shaking from all the potholes and gravel that created a path down the park, Eddie’s speed not slowing until they actually got closer to their end destination, her stomach twisting slightly as he drove up to one of the many trailers in the back and brought the van to a rocking halt.

Eddie looked over at her offering her a sweet smile before getting out of his van, rounding the vehicle until he was at her side to open the door like a true gentleman. “Ready to see my castle?” he said, his usual grin plastered across his face. Her eyes scanned the surrounding trailers, a deep sigh coming from within her as she carefully lifted herself out of the van and swung her bag over her shoulders.

She stayed close by Eddie’s side, watching as twisted his key in the lock and opened the door to lead her into his home.

Eddie was immediately running around cleaning up a bit, reaching for empty wrappers and empty mugs, giving her the room to wander the space on her own. The most colorful mugs and baseball caps line the walls, a two seat and an old worn down chair standing at one end of the room as a tv and a folded bed stood on the opposite side. It was messy, but it was a real home.

Eddie watched her carefully move around, a grin coming to his face as he watched her move down the hallway and towards his own bedroom not missing the smile that came to her as he walked into it.

Again everything was messy, clothes were thrown on top of the dressers, posters lining the walls and guitar picks scattered around everywhere. She let her bag fall from her shoulders, placing it on his bed without a thought before taking a closer look at the details, the room’s entire aesthetic screaming Eddie.

She walked over to the guitar hanging above the dresser, most of the red and black beauty covering the mirror it was hung before. she was carefully reaching out to strum her fingers of the strings being met with a little tune. “Beautiful.” Jumping at the voice she turned to see Eddie was watching her from the doorway. “Sorry, didn't mean to scare you.” she looked at him silently, a giggle bubbling up in her at the familiar set of words. “So uhm, what do you usually do at night?”

“I used the water from the lake to clean up a little, then I ate whatever you brought me.”

"Bathrooms all yours," he said pointing behind him. Looking from the bathroom back to her he held up his hand in a silent ‘stay there’ before walking around her and pulling out a few pieces of clothes from different drawers. A pair of socks, a t-shirt and some sweatpants that were far too big were handed to her in a kind gesture.

“Hellfire,” she looked from the shirt towards Eddie knowing how much his club meant to him. He shrugged, giving her one of his famous grins before leading her to the bathroom.

“There's soap and shampoo on the shelf, towels are behind the door.” Eddie really was doing everything he could to make her feel safe. “I’ll see if I can whip up something edible.” he gave her another soft smile before turning away and closing the door behind himself.

Eddie was a good guy he had never done anything to make her doubt him so there was no need to start now. Eddie promised her safety, was it a risk to put two years of running and hiding on the line for the words of a man she’d only known for all but two weeks, yeah, definitely but she trusted him with it all nonetheless.

Reaching over she turned the shower on, water falling from the showerhead and hitting the ground. The tension in her body fell away from the hot water, body melting into the warmth as it eased the aches. Dirt and dried blood washing away to more she scrubbed herself down,

her hair turning back to its light Hazel color the more she rinsed it out, watching the dirty water go down the drain. The cleaner the cuts got the better she could see how deep and how bad it looked, starting to understand the shock Eddie had on his face when they met.

She had wrapped the towel around herself, her hand whiping the steam from the mirror to get a better view of herself. Dark circles under her eyes, the cuts and bruises on her arms being much more clear now that the dirt was washed away, all the things that she never really stopped and thought about now all came crashing down on her.

Her hair was longer than she could remember. The scar underneath her eye a reminder of her outburst from when she was locked in her bedroom, the ceramic of her plate having cut her after it smashed into pieces.

Growing up hadn’t always been the best, but things weren’t always bad either, lifting her wrist to her lips, a soft peck was placed over the mark there like she had done everynight in a reminder that where she came from hadn't always been bad.

A soft knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts. Taking a deep breath she opened the bathroom door, Eddie standing there in the doorway of his own room, eyes scanning her in his clothes. She held the pile of her own clothes in her hand, Eddie reaching out to take it from her and turning around in his room, dropping it carefully down beside her bag before making his way towards the living room where he proudly presented two bowls filled to the brim standing on the counter. “You can cook?”

“Yeah, with Wayne working I had too. all that microwavable shit gets expensive.” he said, dropping himself in one of the seats and patting the one beside him in an invitation.

“Oh my god.” Eddie couldn't help but laugh at her speaking with her mouth full. The boxed mac and cheese he had made was gone within minutes, Eddie watching her as she ate spoon after spoon full of the cheesy pasta, part of him hating the idea that some boxed food was like a luxury to her.

Things seemed easy, Eddie made small talk about his ideas of his new campaign, some jokes being thrown across as he watched her smile.

As he put the empty bowls in the sink he watched her move around the living space, her eyes lingering on the folded bed that stood in the corner.

“That's where my uncle sleeps.” Eddie stated, turning off the water and leaning back against the counter. “Is he gonna be mad that you brought me here?” she asked, the sensation of fear returning. “He’s not that difficult, just be honest with him.” Eddie reassured.

There was a lot of stuff she hadn't told Eddie, the fear of rejection because of where she came from only edging on the beliefs she had been taught as a child. “my dad used to say nobody would accept us for who we truly are.” She revealed, trying her way of being honest.

“If he didn't accept you then why did he adopt you?” Eddie stated, his words having been ment as a reasurement. “My real dad used to say that,” she mumbled seeing the confusion on Eddie’s face. “There's a reason my older brother cared so much for me, the same reason father didn’t like our close bond.”

“He wasn’t your brother was he?” a tear at the memories of the truth slipped away from her as she shook her head. “He was my dad.” She choked on the words, for the first time in years daring to call him what he truly was to her.

Eddie closed the distance and wrapped her up in a hug within seconds, her head gently falling onto his shoulders as she let the warm feeling of comfort he gave her settle in. She was letting Eddie in, completely.

#Eddie Munson #Stranger Things #Eddie Munson Fic #Stranger Things 4 #Joseph Quinn #warrior-angel #Eddie Munson x reader #reader insert #female insert #Eddie Munson x she #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson stranger things

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brax-was-here · 3 years

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Scarlet Briar: The Seeds of Life Chapter 5

Written by: Braxxus

Chapter 5: We Thought You Had Perished

Sometimes plans don’t go as planned

Sounds of the jungle’s inhabitants buzzed all around Ceara as she travelled through the unforgiving terrain, evading sparce groups of mordrem as she followed the roughly cut path.

“A relic of Mordremoth?” she thought to herself. The vegetation of the jungle slowly diminished giving away to an open area shattered by Mordremoth’s vines

“Why can’t I be rid of him?” she muttered to herself as she passed by inert thorn covered vines jutting everywhere from the ground. The plateau eventually narrowed to a point overlooking a chasm.

“Well…” She muttered as she looked over the edge of the cliff into the canyon below. “I guess this is the moment of truth.” The breeze whipped past her as she mulled over her choices. “It’s either risking death or…” she turned, looking back the way she came. “Or finding the longest way around.” She placed her goggles over her eyes and looked out over the canyon. She opened a panel on one of her gauntlets, focusing on a ridge on the far wall.

“Feh, not there.” She spat as a small reading came up indicating it was too far to reach by teleportation. She looked at the canyon floor. The same reading came up.

“Thorns.” She tried one other ridge that was closer, but it too was too far away.

“Well…I have my answer.” She reluctantly resigned herself to using the glider Zuma had given her. She breathed in deep as she stepped a few yards away from the ledge, deploying the wings. She pressed a switch on her gauntlet. “Hopefully if I fall, I’ll be able to teleport somewhere to a safe spot…maybe. Anyway, here we go…” She raced to the canyon edge and leapt. She started falling at first, until the wind caught her and carried her away from the canyon wall.

“AAAAAH HAHAHAHA!!!” she screamed as she realized she as gliding down the canyon, her heart racing with excitement. “I’M FLYING!” She hadn’t felt this excited since the first time she jumped through one of her steam portals.

“Cian…” The terrain passed below her as her thoughts briefly drifted back to the sylvari from long ago and how he dreamed of flying with the birds. “I’m sorry…” she smiled as she watched the canyon pass by. “Well, no time to dwell on such things now.” She thought as she slowly descended to the ground. Once again, she stumbled slightly upon landing.

“I’m going to have to practice that landing part.” She muttered as she got to her feet. She turned and looked back the way she came to see how far she had travelled.

“Wow.” She lightly gasped, smiling. “Who knew it was possible? Anyway, no time to waste.” She closed the glider wings and continued her journey through the canyon.

“Mordremoth…” she whispered as she looked up the canyon walls. Giant vines protruded along the route, twisting and threading through the canyon. Her anger simmered at the memories of what he had done to her.

“I wish I could have delivered the death knell myself.” Her lips twisted in disgust as she looked down at the canyon floor in front of her. “That bastard…” she hissed. Drawing a deep breath, she tried to push the memories from her thoughts. Travelling around a bend, she spied the wreckage of a pact airship in the distance, crushed within the coil of a slew of vines. The air was deathly still as she cautiously approached the area, readying her rifle. Only the sounds of far-off jungle birds made any sounds. The debris field around the smashed ship was large, with nothing recognizable, save for a couple makeshift cannons set up on ramshackle supports. There were signs of a hastily built camp, but she could tell it had not been inhabited in a long time. Makeshift weapons were strewn about the area.

She knelt, grabbing a piece of sharpen metal fitted with a hastily carved wooden handle. “They used whatever they could to fend off the dragon’s minions.” She thought to herself looking over the weapon. A slight squeak in the wreckage pulled her attention away. Dropping the knife, she readied her rifle, catching movement through the hull of the airship. She could hear the sounds of scarp metal rattling as something was moving quickly through the wreck.

“Skritt? Are you skritt? Come out. Now!” A small lizard hopped onto a top of an open container, peeping at her.

“Oh…” a small sigh of relief as she lowered her weapon. Just then more appeared from the wreckage. They wasted no time charging at her.

“GAH!” she gasped as she instinctively dropped her rifle and activated her force shield just as they surrounded her.

“I definitely don’t have time for this nonsense!” she spat as she unhooked the handle of a beam saber from her belt. Igniting the blade, she dispatched the small creatures quickly.

“I’m not your dinner!” She growled as she sliced the last of the small reptiles. “Wonderful. Something else to watch for in the place.” She snarled as she hooked the hilt back to her belt before picking up her rifle.

“Ok, this has got to go for now.” She removed the glider and set it against a pile of twisted metal. “As useful as this glider is, it’s quite cumbersome.” She cautiously climbed through the hull. “Empty containers, improvised weapons…and blood everywhere.” she noted as she looked at a dried patch of what appeared to be blood smeared across a panel of the airship.

“And no remains of the pact members anywhere. Hmm…” she spied a small book laying under a piece of twisted flooring.

“What have we here…A journal of sorts.” She leaned her rifle against a piece of debris as she started flipping through the pages. “It belonged to an asura named Gledde.” She continued paging through it, stopping at an entry.

“Twenty-four hours have passed since we were yanked from the sky by Mordremoth. Half of our sylvari comrades have abandoned us, running off into the jungle following a “call”. The ones that have stayed are doing their best to stay focused. We’ve done our best to fortify the wreck site and set up a camp. We’ve managed to salvage enough supplies from the storage lockers to last a few days, maybe a week, and made some extra weapons out of parts of the ship. Also, we were able to get a couple cannons set up for defense.”

She turned the page. “The mordrem are everywhere. We can feel them watching from the trees. Their attacks are sporadic, and when they withdrawal, they drag the bodies of the fallen with them. It’s a little unnerving to say the least. Are they eating the dead? It’s something I’d rather not think about. Hopefully we’ll be rescued soon.”

“Five days have now passed. Our supplies are dwindling, our numbers are shrinking. We can only light the signal fires for a short time before we have to extinguish them for fear of attracting the enemy. I fear we may not make it back to Tyria.” She paused as a small light blink on one of her gauntlets. “Hmm?”

“Someone’s behind me…” she thought. In an instant she unholstered her pistol and spun around to find another pistol pointed at her face. She glared at the individual clad in brown leather armor, a scarf and bandana concealing his face, leaving only bright blue eyes staring at her. She glanced at the uncovered arm holding the pistol, blue sylvari skin revealing the identity of her assailant.

“Well…” she spoke slyly. “This is particularly interesting…” she smiled. She dropped the journal, smacking her assailants pistol aside with her own. She pulled the trigger, firing a shot but the blue sylvari was able to sidestep her. He grabbed her arm, locking it in position. Planting his foot behind her, he grabbed her around the neck and tossed her to the ground. She brought her pistol around, but he kicked it away, planting one foot on her right arm and a knee on her left, pinning her down.

“Oooooh, how did you know I like it rough!?” she mockingly squealed. “Just be warned…I never kiss on the first date.” He pointed his pistol at her. She smiled.

“So why don’t you tell me who you are before you have your way with me?” she asked slyly.

“Scarlet Briar…” a deep voice spoke behind the scarf.

Ceara sighed, rolling her eyes. “No, that’s me. I asked you who you are...Harbinger!”

Her assailant paused a moment before pulling his scarf away, revealing the face of a sylvari she had read about in Amaranda’s book.

“Malyck…how nice to finally make your acquaintance.” she smiled.

“Why are you in this jungle?” he asked, his tone very serious.

“Why, I’ve come to pick flowers.” She replied sarcastically. He pointed his pistol at her forehead.

“I know what you have done to Tyria, woman. Do not provoke me.”

“You mean what Mordremoth did to Tyria.” She spat back.

“Mordremoth? It was you who awoke him.”

“He controlled me.” She said, her anger starting to rise. “Now, unless you plan to ravish me, would you be so kind as to remove your pistol and let me up?”

“You are-“ he was cut off by voices nearby.

“I’m sure the shot came from near this wreckage. Probably inside.”

“Ok, you check inside. I’ll stand guard out here and keep an eye out.”

They both looked out and saw two sylvari approaching.

“Nightmare courtiers.” Ceara whispered recognizing their armor. Malyck rolled off her ducking behind a pile of scrap metal. Ceara pushed a switch on her gauntlet, activating her stealth field. She ducked behind a large piece of metal plating.

“Thorns…” she spat as she watched one of the courtiers picked up the glider.

“Someone was definitely here. Look at this.”

“That’s one of those gliding things the frogs had.” The other spoke. “Do you think it’s still here?”

“Not sure. Be on your guard.” They watched as the courtier entered the hull of the ship, his sword drawn. His gaze settled upon Ceara’s rifle. “Whoa…” he gasped, picking it up from its resting place. “What kind of weapon is this?” he turned and hurried out of the wreckage. “Hey, look at this!” he shouted.

“Whoa. That thing is…that is impressive. What kind of rifle is that? It looks like something the rats would make at Rata Sum.”

Ceara’s field faded. Malyck glanced at her before turning his attention back to the courtiers.

“We could kill them easily.” he whispered. Ceara nodded, bringing her pistol up.

“I’m sure Nafiona would love to have this in her arsenal.” One of the courtiers spoke.

“Nafiona?” Ceara whispered. She looked at Malyck, who was bringing his own pistol to bear on them.

“Wait!” she whispered. He looked at her confused. “I have a plan.” She slowly reached into one of her satchels, pulling out two small devices. She pressed a button each, attaching on the inside of the skirt of her armor. She tossed the other to Malyck, who looked at her puzzled.

“What are you doing?” He asked looking at the device.

“It’s a tracking device...” She whispered. “So you can find me.”

“What? Why would I want to do that?”

“There is a frog village to the east with an acquaintance that is looking for this group of courtiers. Head there to get her and some help.”

“Why should I help you?” he protested.

“Because they are both our enemy, and this Nafiona wants some powerful relic of Mordremoth that is in this jungle somewhere.”

“Relic of Mordremoth? What is that?”

“I don’t know, but I have the feeling it’s going to be bad for all of us if she finds it. So please, go to the village and get help.”

“What are you going to do?” he muttered as she pulled her hood up and stood quietly.

“I’m going with them. To find their camp. Just be ready in case this goes south quickly.” She started moving towards the courtiers.

“Wait…what? Are you mad?” he asked. She gave him a disgusted look.

“Your words hurt, harbinger.”

“Don’t call me that. I am not some harbinger of doom.” He replied back. She started towards the opening in the hull.

“Would you be as so kind to return my weapon to me?” she commanded loudly as she moved through the wreckage, her hand resting on her pistol under her cloak.

“Who’s there!?” the courtiers turned, one drawing her bow, the other pointing the rifle. “Show yourself!” Ceara exited through the hole in the wrecked ship.

“Do you not know me?” Ceara asked, removing her hood. The faces of the courtiers dropped.

“M…Madam Scarlet!?” one asked disbelievingly. Ceara, stifled her gasp, trying her best to hide her surprise at the name.

“You…you’re dead!” the other added.

“Well obviously I’m not! I seem to be very much alive! Now why are you courtiers out here in the jungle!?” she asked coyly.

The duo looked at each other.

“Well!?” Ceara acted agitated.

“Uh…Madam Scarlet, we’re here with Nafiona. She’s on the hunt for something powerful. Something she could use to unite the Nightmare Court.”

Ceara brought her hand up to her face, resting her elbow on her other arm, acting as if she was pondering the Courtiers comment. “What is your name, boy?” She finally asked him.

“Caelan…madam.” He replied, somewhat sheepishly.

“Caelan?” She paused a moment, narrowing her eyes at him. “You were at the nightmare tower…” she muttered.

“Yes, Madam.”

“Are you still catching flies with your mouth?”

“Uh?” Caelan reached up and found his mouth hanging slightly open.

“That’s what I thought.” Ceara snarled at him. “My rifle…now!” Caelan quickly held the rifle out, kneeling before her. She pulled the clip out looking inside of it.

“Hmm…” she raised a hand in the air in front of her, causing a small holographic panel to appear. She tapped a few keys in sequence and another clip appeared in her hand. Plugging it into the rifle, she activated it. The rifle powered up, extending its barrel and projecting holograms around it giving readings. The coutiers were seemingly amazed at it.

“That…that is an impressive piece of equipment, Madam.” The woman said.

Ceara glanced at her with a sly smile, deactivating her weapon and slinging it over her shoulder.

“So, what is your name, girl?”

“Orla, madam.” The sylvari bowed.

“Orla…I do not know you.” Ceara looked at her. “How many more of you are there?”

“Madam, a little over twenty.”

“Twenty? Well, the court seems to have shrunken these days without Faolain to guide it.”

“The court still exists, Madam. It’s just…” Caelan paused. “just that some traitors felt the need to try to control it. Nafiona will make them see the error of their ways.”

“Oooh, so…it’s fractured, you say?” Ceara mockingly pondered the thought. “It seems the warlords are thirsty for power. Where is Nafiona now?”

“She is with the main group, Madam.” Orla replied.

“Take me to her.”

The duo looked at each other before responding. “Yes, Madam.” Ceara glanced over her shoulder towards where Malyck was hiding and gave a slight nod.

“So, I’ll finally meet this Nafiona.” She thought to herself.

Malyck watched the trio leave the wreck site, soon joined by a third courtier member that was hiding in the vegetation. He cautiously made his way to opening, peering out to make sure there was no one else there.

“Relic of Mordremoth…” he spoke quietly to himself as he looked at the tracking device Scarlet Briar had given him.

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Liathlas slowly stirred as Mabli applied more extract to her wound.

“Ceara, what happen-“ Liathlas’s eyes went wide as she opened them and gazed upon the visage of a giant frog staring at her. “Um..hello” she stammered as she froze.

“Don’t be afraid. I am applying medicine to helping you.”

“Medicine?”

“Yes, you were afflicted by poison from the mordrem. I was able to save you before it was too late.”

“The mordrem? Where’s Ceara?”

“Your friend travelled ahead towards the west into the jungle in search of others of your kind.” Mabli answered, wiping her hands.

“Of my kind? What are…ow…” Trying to sit up Liathlas grimaced as her whole body ached.

“Lay down. You must rest until the poison is removed completely.” Mabli stated.

“I…can’t…Ceara is out there in the jungle and I need to catch up to her.” Liathlas stood up, shakily leaning against her staff as the room seem to wobble.

“you are too weak to travel. Especially with the sun setting. The mordrem are more active at night.” Mabli moved to the entrance to her hut. “Look, the villagers are locking down the village as we speak for the evening.” Liathlas slowly hobbled next to her and looked out over the trees.”

“Oh..my…” she gasped as the realization hit her that the village was suspended high in the canopy of the jungle. Villagers were steadily taking up rope bridges and walkways that lead down to the surface below.

“So we’re trapped here? Until morning?” Liathlas asked. Mabli nodded her head.

“But why are these mordrem still hostile? There were others…other modrem that we met in the wastes that were not hostile. They seemed…remorseful.”

“Not all the mordrem have relented the call of the jungle dragon.” Mabli turned and walked over to a small lantern. “Their minds gone. They still follow what he called them to do.” She reached into a small pouch, pulling out a pinch of a powder that she rubbed in between her fingers, sprinkling it into the lantern flame. She clapped her hands together, causing an ethereal image to appear.

“Your kind fell to the dragon in droves.” Mabli spoke. Liathlas watched as various sylvari were slowly transformed into the mordrem guard, thick plates of rough bark-like skin growing over their bodies, their faces twisting into hideous monstrous forms. Liathlas moved closer.

“Not all of your kind were so easily swayed by the dragons call. These heroes arrived here to defeat the jungle dragon.” Images of battle appeared in the fog.

“Is that…Trahearne? And Faolain?” Liathlas asked. Images of the members of Destiny’s Edge fighting the sylvari filled the cloud. Caithe being chased by a great beast bearing Faolain’s image. Trahearne and others being taken into the jungle by mordrem. Members of the pact fighting, being slain by the sylvari.

“All hope seemed lost, save for the timely arrival of another group of heroes.” The fog shifted, revealing a small group that Liathlas did not recognize, but for two. The Pact Commander and the sylvari Canach. “This group traversed the jungle and found a way to stop the jungle dragon.” The image changed again, showing the mordrem guard. Some dropping their weapons, some screaming in agony, others turning on their own kind.

“Without the call of Mordremoth…” Liathlas started.

“They were lost.” Mabli finished. “Some accepted what they had become. Others still cling to their masters call.”

“And still others try to return to the Grove…” Liathlas spoke softly. The mist faded. Liathlas sighed turning to the doorway. “I’ve got to fin-WHAAAAA!!” She found a blue skinned sylvari standing in the entry way to the hut.

“If you are looking for Scarlet Briar…” Malyck started, holding up the small tracking device. “This will lead us to her.”

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Ceara followed the group of courtiers through the rocky ravines and ravaged terrain. Giant vines of the jungle dragon towered over head, coiling around wreckage of the pact fleet, holding the twisted shells of the airships aloft high in the air.

“With Mordremoth dead, you would think these vines would weaken and come crashing down.” She muttered.

“It would seem so.” Caelan replied.

“Madam, how did you survive the Lion’s Arch battle?” Orla asked over her shoulder.

“Quick thinking and planning.” Ceara smirked, glancing at the courtier next to her. “I knew they would attack the Breachmaker. I knew I had limited time to do what I needed to do and get out.”

“But the rumors said you were stabbed and killed.”

“Holograms are wonderful things, aren’t they? When used properly, they can fool anyone.” She said slyly, grabbing a mordrem vine and snapping the end off. It crumbled to pieces, disintegrating in her hand.

“The sun is setting.” The third coutier mentioned. “We need to hurry to the camp.”

“Oh my! You do speak!” Ceara quipped. “And here I thought you were mute. What is your name?”

“Odhran.” He replied sharply, keeping his gaze looking forward.

“Odhran.” Ceara repeated. “Well, Odhran, what are you about?”

The courtier cut his eyes at Ceara briefly before setting his gaze forward, never answering.

“It’s ok, courtier. You don’t have to be shy.” Ceara snarked.

“Can we kill this one?” Odhran asked, a hint of agitation in his voice. Ceara stopped, her eyes narrowed as she stared at him. “Her constant rabble is very irritating.” He continued.

Ceara placed her hand on her pistol under her cloak. “I’d watch your tongue, if I were you, boy.”

Ordhran stopped, turning quickly to face Ceara, his hand on his sword. Ceara stared him in the eyes, a slight smirk on her face.

Orla and Caedan both turned to see the standoff.

“What is it, boy? Do you think your sword is good enough to take me?” Ceara asked whimsically, her smile broadening.

“Ordhran, stop this nonsense. Madam Scarlet is just talkative!” Orla stood between them, shaking her finger in Ordhran’s face.

“Orla, you do that again and I’ll be sure to bite it off.” Ordhran glanced at Ceara again before turning to continue along the path. His quickly moved to the front of the group.

“I’m sorry, Madam.” Orla bowed to Ceara.

“Next time, I won’t wait.” Ceara replied to her.

The group continued on, the rocky terrain eventually changing to more of the lush forest. Every so often, the Ceara would spot a marker on a tree along the path.

“You seem to know this area fairly well. Have you been here for a while?” Ceara asked.

“We’ve scouted the area.” Caedan replied. “The camp is on that plateau.” He pointed to ridge not far in the distance. Reaching the crest, Ceara saw the Nightmare Court camp in the distance.

“Aren’t you afraid of the mordrem attacking?” she asked.

“We have ways of keeping them at bay.” Orla said to her.

“Oh, is that so?”

“Mmhmm.” She nodded her head.

Ceara reached under the lip of the skirt of her armor and pulled out the small device. She pressed a small switch on it and placed it against a tree as she walked by. As they approached, she looked over the encampment. Numerous small tents were set up, along with hastily constructed barriers built from the trees near the camp. Various sylvari were busy at work setting up more defenses. Ceara noticed some machinery set along the perimeter of the camp.

“What are those machines?” she asked inquisitively.

“Part of our defense against the mordrem, and anything else that happens that tries to make it to the camp.” Caedan spoke.

“I see.”

The group entered the camp. Ordhran quickly left the group, marching to a nearby tent. The other two took Ceara to a small fire pit near the center of the compound.

“Ordhran is getting the duchess now. I think she’ll be happy to see you!” Orla eyes were bright as she looked at Ceara.

“Activate the field!” a voice called out.

“Activating!” another replied. Ceara watched as the camp was quickly covered in a dome of energy before it faded.

“Was that what I think it was?” Ceara asked.

“An illusion field, like the one that hid the tower in Kessex.” Caedan said to her. “We thought you might like that.” he smiled.

“Interesting…” Ceara looked around the camp.

“Part of our protection from the predators of the jungle.” He added. Ceara lightly nodded, a feeling of uncertainty filling her stomach.

“Something isn’t right here.” She thought to herself.

“Well…if it isn’t Madam Scarlet Briar herself.” A sultry voice spoke from behind. Ceara turned to see a purple skinned sylvari female in dark robes approaching.

“Toxic alliance…” Ceara muttered to herself, noticing the shoulder pauldrons, gauntlets, and boots the woman was wearing. Ceara thinned her eyes at her.

“And here we all thought you had perished.” She spoke slyly.

“I assume you must be Nafiona.” Ceara said sharply.

“You assume correctly. So, tell me, Madam…” Nafiona said in a mocking tone. “What magic was used to raise you from the depths of the harbor? And without a single blemish.” Nafiona smiled. “I’m sure you tasted rather bitter to the sea life down there.”

“Planning and preparedness is what kept me alive.” Ceara smiled.

“Is that so?” Plans within plans. Always prepared.” Nafiona spoke softly. “Even at the nightmare tower. You had a plan to escape.”

“I’m always ready.” Ceara smirked. “Now what are you doing all the way out here in the jungle. Surely you aren’t here to follow Mordremoth?”

“Of course not. We have you to thank for nearly destroying our people. That was your game plan all along. To awaken the jungle dragon and force the sylvari into slavery. Having that damn voice in our heads nearly drove us insane.”

“You don’t say!” Ceara quipped. “Please tell me about it! Tell me how it took all your willpower to keep focused as Mordremoth filled your head with thoughts that you couldn’t tell were actually your own or not. That something was residing within you. Trying to take control.” Ceara gritted her teeth. Anger showed on Nafiona’s face. Tension was in the air. Ceara steadied her hand by her pistol as she noticed she was being flanked by courtiers.

“They’re up to something.” She thought. Nafiona raised her head slightly, looking down her nose at Ceara. “Now, why don’t you call off your courtiers and maybe we can talk about-“

“Seize her.” Nafiona commanded, cutting Ceara off. The group of courtiers tackled Ceara to the ground. Ceara didn’t fight back, allowing herself to be picked up and held in a kneeling position in front of Nafiona. Her weapons were removed as a courtier grabbed her by her foilage and held her face towards the glaring Nafiona. Nafiona stepped in front of her, grabbing Ceara firmly by the chin.

“You left us there. You promised us power and glory in the new world, and you left us to the mercy of the Lionguard and Seraph. And not just them. The krait also turned against us.” She threw Ceara’s head to the side, scratching her cheek in the process. Ceara paused for a moment, her eyes closed. Taking a deep breath, she slowly opened her eyes, cutting them at Nafiona.

“So now you want your revenge?” Ceara asked coyly. “What are you going to do? Feed me to the mordrem?”

Nafiona smiled. “You are a bright one.”

“Well, I did embarrass all those stiffs in Rata Sum.”

“Heh.” Nafiona smirked as she snapped her fingers. Ceara felt something heavy hit the back of her head before blacking out.

“Strip her, cage her. We’ll get her strung up in the morning before we head off to the corpse grove.” Nafiona ordered. “Are the canisters ready?”

“Yes, m’lady.” Ordhran replied. “Loaded up and ready to be armed once we get there.”

“Excellent.” She turned her head slowly, looking down at the unconscious Ceara.

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“We can’t just sit here while Ceara is out there with the Nightmare Court. She’s in trouble!” Liathlas protested.

“Travelling through the jungle is too risky. If we go now, we would be overwhelmed by the mordrem. We must wait until morning.” Mabli insisted.

“Hmph!” Liathlas turned to the door agitated. The night sky had fallen and most of the village’s torches had been extinguished.

“If she is as resourceful as I have heard, then this Ceara should be able to handle the Court with little problems.” Malyck spoke. “We can’t run after them unprepared.” He turned to Mabli. “How many arrived in this village?”

“A group of five. They were asking for information about the land, and certain locations throughout the jungle. They asked about the ‘corpse grove’.”

“Corpse grove?” Liathlas turned away from the door.

“Yes, it is a place of death. Many mordrem are there. We stay away from the area, never venturing close.”

“I’ve seen it from afar.” Malyck stated.

“What is it?” Liathlas inquired.

“It is a tree, grown from Mordremoth. A place where the mordrem are created and grown. Akin to your Pale Tree and her sylvari.” Malyck responded to her.

“Hmm…she is looking for an item of great power. Do you think whatever she is looking for is there?” Liathlas asked.

“That is hard to say. Who knows what the mordrem are holding in their possession?” Mabli stated.

Liathlas sighed deeply. She plopped down next to the wall of the hut, resting her head against the mud and wooden structure before looking at Malyck. “So, Malyck. What is your story? From what I have heard in the past, you aren’t one of us.”

“No, I’m not.” He glared at her. “I came from a different tree. One that no longer exists.”

Liathlas looked at him inquisitively. “What happened?”

He sat down across the hut from her. “When I returned to the jungle, I searched a long time for my home and my patience rewarded me. I was lucky enough to find it. A grand tree, not as tall as your Pale Tree, but majestic none the less. I told my people that there were others of our kind and that we should rise up to help fight the dragons. Then Mordremoth awakened. When he rose, his creatures attacked my home. He enslaved those that were captured, killed those that resisted. He turned them into his mordrem. I do not know how many of us were able to escape. I watched as my home whithered and perished.”

“I’m sorry.” Liathlas said softly as she turned her gaze to the floor of the hut.

“We should get some sleep. We’ll need to be well rested before going after the Nightmare Court in the morning.” He said to her.

#Guild Wars 2 #GW2 #Scarlet Briar #Sylvari #HoT #Heart of Thorns #AU Ceara #Malyck #Nightmare Court

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stayextrafrosty · 3 years

Text

I’m Dying for a Taste of You: Chapter 4

Chapter Title: We Made a Deal With the Devil

Chapter summary: Michael takes Alex back to the place they met. They run in old vampires from Michael’s past

A/N: I went back and forth about how to do this chapter. But I settled on something different. Michael/Alex/Forrest. This will be a one chapter thing so don't fret too much. But this was a fun challenge for me! I hope you like even if it's not strictly Malex.

Kinks explored: Threesome dynamics, double anal penetration, exhibitionism

Read on AO3 // Masterlist

Alex bounced his leg in the passenger seat of Michael’s truck. Why had he agreed to this? Michael had a grin plastered on his face ever since he had gotten him changed. He had bought him a whole outfit for the blood ball. And even that might be too generous.

Alex was exposed more than he had ever been. Even if all the important parts were covered. He had never dressed like this while around other people. Hell, he never wore this stuff for former boyfriends in private. But Michael had asked. And the looks he was giving him warmed his skin.

He was wrapped up in a black leather harness. The straps wrapped around his neck like a collar and ran down the center of his chest before wrapping under his arms to his back. A triangle surrounded each peck like a bra would and more straps crisscrossed around his abs and back until they disappeared under the jeans he was wearing. They wrapped around his legs like a garter, accenting the scrap of fabric Michael had insisted was underwear even though it only covered his member.

Alex shifted in his seat and shivered, the rough fabric of the jeans rubbing over him. He could ditch the pants but it was something he had insisted on to preserve modesty. Michael had pouted but still said he could wear whatever made him feel comfortable. He had asked Michael if he kept any make-up. He was given a small cosmetic bag and used the eyeliner. Just like he used to in high school.

Michael on the other hand was a walking sex symbol. His jeans were a black and looked like leather though they weren’t. Alex often found himself focusing on the fact that he was most definitely not wearing anything under them. He wore a tight corset vest made with real brown leather trim and a black silk cotton mix for the rest. His chest hair peeking out and muscles rippling with every move must have come straight from a wet dream Alex would have had in high school. Or even now.

Michael glanced at him and smirked. Busted. Alex didn’t stop staring, waiting for the streetlights above them to illuminate the beautiful man. His curls were perfectly tousled from Alex’s hands when he had jumped him just before they left. All he wanted was to rip the clips open and run his mouth over every inch of him.

“I’d like to at least make it into the building, Manes. But if you keep looking at me like that, I might have to change our plans.” His cock jumped at the suggestion. He just grinned.

“You know I wouldn’t mind that.” Michael’s hands gripped the steering wheel and Alex drooled as the muscles through his arms tensed.

They pulled into the parking lot of the same ballroom looking building as the last week. Michael took a deep breath, looking up at the name scrawled above the doors. Sacrificial. Alex wondered how often random clubbers tried to get in not knowing exactly what it was. There were bouncers for a reason. Michael took his hand, pulling his attention back to him.

“You trust me right?” Alex raised an eyebrow.

“Of course. But why?” Michael swallowed and opened the console that separated them. He pulled a bag out and there was a faint clinking. Alex’s eyes widened at the chain leash he held in his hand. He looked between Michael and the chain. He didn’t know how to feel about it.

“You want to try it? I won’t make you wear it if you hate it.” Alex nodded slowly. He didn’t miss the small smile that settled on Michael’s lips. He leaned over and tugged at the collar of the harness. Alex leaned closer and Michael clipped the leash to the ring that sat on his throat.

The metal was cool to the touch and not as heavy as he expected. He ran his fingers over the chain and followed it down to where Michael held the black leather grip. He met Michael’s eyes again. The temperature in the truck seemed to spike as Michael panted and squeezed the grip.

“Come here,” he ordered. His voice low and scratchy sent need racing through Alex’s body.

He climbed carefully over the console to straddle Michael’s legs. Alex ran his hands over his face gently, pressing his groin against him. Michael tugged on the leash, pulling him down to his lips. Alex whined at the cool metal brushing over his skin and the firm hold Michael had on him.

Their lips moved over each other slowly, tongues meeting in the middle. Alex rocked his hips at a similar pace, making Michael moan softly. He pulled on the leash harder, nibbling on Alex’s bottom lip. His other hand traced the pattern of the harness down to his hips before grabbing him and moving his hips faster.

Alex sighed as they rutted against each other. He wanted more. But Michael stopped them, stilling Alex’s hips and smirking into the kiss.

“Can I take that as a yes?” he asked, cocky as ever.

“As long as you’re the only one holding the other end,” Alex responded.

“No one will come near you. They just get to be jealous.” He lifted his hand and ran his fingers over the mark gently. He let his lips trail over Alex’s jaw and down his neck, pressing a kiss where his fingers had just been. Alex sighed and let his head roll to the side. Michael growled. “So fucking hot. So good for me.” His hips rolled at the praise.

Michael just chuckled and opened the door, encouraging Alex to climb out. His jeans were uncomfortably tight and Alex was sure that was exactly what he intended. The wind blew and he shivered. Michael came up behind him, pressing his chest to his back. His breath was warm next to his ear.

“Keep your eyes down. There’s special guests in attendance and they don’t particularly like humans. I will protect you, ok?” Alex turned his head toward him, eyes narrowing.

“Then why are we here? You sound like you don’t want to be.” Michael shook his head and looked toward the doors to the club.

“Because I’ve been requested. And these aren’t the type of people you can just turn down.”

Alex sighed and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. He knew the vampire world had a hierarchy and that it was based on age. In other words, Michael had been summoned by a very old vampire and if he didn’t show up, they might kill him for being rude.

“I’ll behave. I promise.” Michael smiled and grabbed his hand, squeezing it.

“Hopefully, they’ll get bored and leave early.” Alex snorted out a laugh. Vampires bored at a blood ball? Very unlikely.

They walked to the door hand in hand. Alex heard distant whispers but couldn’t make out any of what was being said. The music could be heard from inside, slow and pulsing. Alex looked around as they walked through the doors. He fit in better than the previous week. He matched the other donors but was still the most clothed out of all of them.

There was a firm yank on his collar as Michael dropped his hand. Alex stumbled forward slightly and glanced at him, surprised at the sudden shift in mood. Michael stood taller, less relaxed and his teeth poked out from his lips. He didn’t look at Alex.

He followed his line of vision to a group of people. All stunning and very obviously vampires. One fed on a girl who was completely naked and her eyes were slowly drifting closed. Alex wanted to look away but it was like a car crash. The man dropped her now limp body, kicking it away from his feet.

Alex could have thrown up. His fingers twitched and he wanted to reach for the gun he knew he didn’t have. How dare they just toss her away like she was nothing. Another firm tug on the leash made him look at Michael, who mouthed the word ‘down.’

He took a deep breath and walked a step behind Michael, looking at the ground as opposed to the horror they were coming up to. He knew there was a woman and three men but he was too distracted by the dying girl to take in their appearances. He chanced a glance at Michael’s back. He could see the tension in his muscles but there was no other indicator that he was reacting to the horrifying scene at all.

“Ah Michael. So you decided to show up. Is that a snack for us?” A chill ran down Alex’s spine at the woman’s cold voice.

“Apologies, Alayna. I didn’t—”

“You claimed a human,” one of the men exclaimed. Alex did his best to smother his reaction to being talked about as though he was nothing.

“Now this is an interesting development. What happened to the Michael that called other vampires stupid for keeping a human by their side,” the woman, Alayna, asked? He wanted to look at Michael but he kept his eyes glued to the floor.

“With all due respect, Alayna, that was several hundred years ago. He happens to be a blood match.” She hummed her acknowledgement.

“Well I suppose I can’t fault you for that.” A pair of stilettoes stood in front of him. Long legs accented with fishnets and a skirt that was short in the front while the back dragged over the floor was all he could see. The smell of blood wafted over him and he tried not to gag. Fear raced through him. He had no weapons. Completely exposed. “Look at me slave.” He clenched his fists and raised his head slowly.

Her hair was dark and eyes blood red. Other than that she looked almost normal. Besides the fact she could have been a model. She lifted a hand that had claws for nails and grabbed his face, turning it to the side and exposing his mark. He fought against the instinct that told him to break her arm.

“Well he certainly smells heavenly. I’d love to taste him.” His eyes widened, ready to panic. He was pushed back and Michael stood in front of him. Alayna raised an eyebrow.

“Forgive my selfishness miss but I have to deny that request. You see I promised that no one else would hurt him. That’s my job after all.” Alayna let out a laugh and moved back to the cushioned chair she sat in before.

“Of course. But be careful Michael, if you let them think you care, they might expect something like love. Besides, wouldn’t a vampire be better for sex? They’re so much more durable. I know the last time I was here we had some fun.” Alex’s eyes darted between the two of them. Michael had been involved with this woman who reeked of blood?

He glanced over at the men. The one that had been feeding on the girl looked high. His eyes were closed and a content smile rested on his face. The peaceful nature was ruined by his teeth still fully extended and dead body at his feet. Another sat and observed Michael and Alayna. He had blonde hair and his eyes seemed normal. Blood stains ran down his face and chest.

The last man… watched Alex. Not a drop of blood was on him. Everything was still pristine and white. His hair was obviously dyed blue and black hair was dusted over his chin and chest. His shirt flowed and the buttons opened down to his bellybutton. His jeans were also white. Alex realized he was staring too late.

“Michael, you should teach your slave some respect. Show some humility. Gratefulness that he isn’t dead,” Alayna snapped. Alex jumped and looked back towards Michael. The chain was yanked and suddenly he was face to face with Michael, though he seemed to tower over him. His eyes were gentle and he swallowed before speaking.

“Apologize to Forrest,” he ordered. Alex redirected his eyes to the ground.

“I’m sorry, Forrest. Forgive my rudeness.”

“Sheesh Alayna. No need to be so cruel. I was the one staring at him.” His voice was warm and soft. Alex heard the rustling of clothes and the white pants were next to him and Michael. “What’s your name?”

“You’re too soft on humans. They’re sources of food. Treat them like it.” There was no real bite to her voice. But then again she was talking to one of her own.

A gentle finger was lifting his chin and he was staring into dark eyes. They looked on him fondly as Michael would. Maybe he wasn’t like the rest of them. A soft smile rested on his face and Alex couldn’t help the way the corners of his own mouth turned up.

“Alex,” he mumbled out, not wanting to anger Alayna further.

Michael grabbed Forrest’s wrist, pulling his hand away from Alex. He glanced at Michael and found a stiff smile on his face. The hand that was holding the leash pulled roughly, bringing Alex to Michael’s side.

“No disrespect, but I would appreciate it if you refrained from touching him. He is my claimed after all.” Forrest just nodded and smiled at them both. Though his gaze lingered slightly longer on Alex. Michael released his wrist, dropping it back to his side.

“I see we’re in the possessive stage. It’ll pass eventually.”

Alex wanted to shrink into nothing and disappear from the icy glare Michael was giving Forrest. He chanced a scolding from Alayna and wrapped his fingers around Michael’s arm loosely. His harsh gaze was redirected at him and a chill ran down Alex’s spine. Michael jerked his arm out of his hold and grabbed his throat. He wasn’t squeezing hard, but it was enough to make Alex completely forget about where they were.

His eyes fluttered closed as Michael turned his head to the side and sunk his teeth into the Mark. He didn’t take anything but the small amount of venom made his veins burn. As though someone was holding a lit match just above his skin. When he pulled away, he felt Michael’s lips brushing against his ear.

“Don’t look at him,” he threatened. Alex shivered but kept his mouth shut. He kept his eyes cast down as Michael released him.

“Was that display really necessary,” Forrest asked, scoffing slightly? Display?

“Well I find it incredibly offensive that you seem to be ogling something that belongs to me.” A stiff silence followed. Alex shifted closer to Michael, needing the cool touch of his skin just to calm his system. Biting him had been a show of dominance.

“Well, your claim might be enough to keep weaklings away but do you really think I couldn’t have him if I wanted?” Forrest’s voice was amused and taunting. Alex could only assume Michael had some sort of high standing if he had been involved with Alayna, but the way Forrest talked made it sound like he was nothing more than an inconvenience.

“I dare you to test that theory.” Alex jerked his head up to stare at Michael. His nose twitched with anger and red had taken over his eyes. He grabbed his arm again.

“Michael, please don’t,” Alex pleaded. Michael glanced at him and then back at Forrest. He took a deep breath as the red slowly retreated.

“I can’t believe you let him talk to you like that. Not a single respectful sentence leaves his mouth,” the blonde vampire that had been watching spoke for the first time. “If he was mine I’d break his jaw.” Alex slinked back, fear creeping through him.

“Shut up Caber,” Forrest snapped. “You have this bad habit of getting involved in my affairs.” Caber looked at Forrest, flashing a dazzling smile.

“I just get jealous. You never want to share blood anymore,” he said, pouting. Michael stepped into his line of view. Shielding him from the two arguing vampires.

“I hate to cut this meeting short but I’d rather be anywhere else. So excuse us,” Michael said while stepping away from them, towards a darkened corner of the club labeled Alter.

They didn’t make it two steps before Alayna was standing in front of Michael and lifting a clawed hand to his chin. She smiled at him in a way Alex was sure was supposed to be seductive. He looked to the floor before she caught him staring.

“I only wish you offered to share. We could have had fun after he was drained. You know your blood has always been my favorite.” Alex’s eyes snapped up. He watched her press her lips to Michael’s who didn’t reject her. He felt a light pull on his leash, making him look down to his clenched fists.

Alex kept his eyes trained on the floor until he couldn’t see her shoes anymore. Michael pulled him along and he followed silently. He held a curtain open as they walked through and Alex finally looked up.

Deep purple lights lined the ceiling with blue lights providing the ability to see. Sort of. Alex had to rely on Michael to make sure he didn’t trip over any tables or run into any chairs. Eventually, they entered a larger room. Lounging couches lined the walls as if they were set up in stations. Stages were scattered around with ropes hanging above them and some had people suspended.

Alex watched a woman spin with her arms and legs trust up so her legs were spread and wrists bound together. Her body was marked by bites and she looked like she could have been high. Another woman wrapped in all leather ran her hands over the other before leaning down and biting. Alex looked away, trying to preserve their privacy. Though he got the impression it wasn’t exactly important in this area. They walked past most of the people in the front area and entered a door towards the back.

“Where are we going,” Alex asked.

“To the spot made exclusively for Vampire/human pairs.” Alex heard the grin in his voice and he felt a blush rise to his face.

The room looked similar to the other but curtains hung in between each ‘station.’ The curtains were see-through but they obscured the furniture – and people – behind them slightly. Some were left open, people still not concerned with privacy.

Michael took him to an area near the back where a black couch almost as wide as a twin bed sat with a wooden table in front of it. Various bottles of wine and hard liquor sat on the table, along with small snacks.

Alex didn’t have time to appreciate it fully. Michael tugged on his leash, pulling his body flush against him. He pressed his forehead against Alex’s his free hand running over his face and down his neck to his shoulders.

“I’m so sorry,” he mumbled. “I didn’t know Forrest would… be like that.”

“I was more scared of Alayna,” he responded, lifting his hands to run over Michael’s arms now that he was free to touch him. Forrest intrigued him. He found himself wondering how different it would feel to be bitten by him.

“You should be. As annoying as he was, had Forrest not stepped in you could have been seriously hurt. Still won’t thank the asshole.” Michael backed up and lounged on the couch. Alex stood at the edge, running his eyes over him. He smirked and pulled on the leash again, making Alex stumble forward into his lap.

Alex crawled up his body and assumed the same position from when they were in the truck. He ran his hands over Michael’s face gently, running his thumb over his lips.

“She kissed you. I hated that she could.” Michael shifted beneath him, pressing his hips up against him.

“I’m yours Alex. You taste far better.” Alex couldn’t help but chuckle as he leaned down to press a soft kiss to his mouth. Michael slipped his tongue over his and Alex sighed. His hips rocked slowly, neither of them in any real rush.

Michael traced the straps of his harness, occasionally tugging on them. Alex dug his nails into his shoulders and scratched. The venom in his system had subsided rather quickly but he was ready for more. He knew Michael had plans for him and he was always eager to please him.

Forrest’s face popped into his mind. Alex jerked back from Michael, looking over his face to make sure he was still kissing who he thought he was. Michael’s eyebrows furrowed.

“What’s wrong?” Alex forced a smile and just shook his head, running his hands up and over his face again. He leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

When he pulled back, instead of golden curls, his fingers were threaded through soft blue strands. His eyes were darker and hands less calloused on his skin. The fingers gripped his waist and his eyes drifted closed as he kissed Forrest again.

The fingers on his skin fluttered over him, raising goosebumps. There was a prick of fangs on his lip as Forrest tugged on it. He pulled on his hair while grinding down on his obviously hard cock. His white shirt was fully open and Alex pressed their chests together. His touch was so much cooler than Michael, providing him some relief from the burning need in his groin.

“So you do want me. I was worried Michael had compelled you to devotion,” Forrest said.

“Michael wouldn’t do that to me,” Alex assured pulling back.

“I wouldn’t do what?” Alex’s eyes popped open. Settling back on his scruffy face. His touch burned on his skin and his mark throbbed. Alex crawled off him, instead sitting next to him and hiding his face in his arms. He had actually hallucinated Forrest. What was wrong with him?

“I… I…” he stammered out. If he told Michael, he would definitely get pissed. He didn’t want to be thinking of Forrest. But all he could imagine was having the soft plains of his chest pressed against his back. Michael touched his shoulder and squeezed.

“You saw Forrest?” Alex’s head snapped up to stare at him. How had he known? He didn’t look upset. Maybe annoyed but not mad. “He can put visions into people’s minds. I figured he’d do it to test our bond. You looked into his eyes earlier right?” Alex nodded wordlessly.

“You’re… not mad?” Michael chuckled and shook his head. He took Alex’s hand and pulled the fingers to his mouth to kiss them.

“No. I’ve known Forrest a while. He can be a real arrogant ass sometimes. And it’s not like I can blame you for being attracted to him. I’m not blind,” he said, playing with his fingers. “It’s not uncommon for vampires to share you know. You may be mine but I didn’t compel devotion.”

“That’s what he said,” Alex mentioned. Michael nodded.

“I’m sure you’ve noticed, but those who are claimed have the desire to be bitten. It’s instinct. Because I’m your Sire those feelings are usually directed towards me but your desire for other people doesn’t go away. I could compel it away but I told you I hated using that power.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t explain that to him earlier.” Alex turned his head to the new voice. Forrest stood with his arms crossed and leaning against the pillar holding up the curtains. He looked just as he did in the vision. Shirt completely open and a noticeable bulge that made Alex’s mouth water. He heard Michael sigh.

“Why would I tell him before it comes up? Not all claimed are just down for a threesome or gangbang. And sue me for wanting to keep him for myself.” Forrest rolled his eyes and Alex’s face was burning. This conversation sounded way to casual.

“I don’t blame you. But we could share him. Like the old days? Haven’t had anyone good in a long time and even Alayna knows you have good taste.”

“Is there some reason I’m not part of this conversation,” Alex said, pulling the two men’s attention back to him.

“It’s obviously your decision Alex. But it’s common courtesy that the interested parties ask permission from the Sire,” Forrest explained, glancing at Michael.

“And you two have done stuff like this together before?” Michael snorted.

“Surprisingly, we work well together. At least in that aspect. So,” Michael tugged gently on his leash. “If you’re interested. I can put up with him.”

“Oh, bite me Guerin,” Forrest scolded as he moved to stand in front of the couch, hands in his pockets. Michael glanced up at him and smirked.

“I had planned on it.”

“Earlier… you two didn’t seem to like each other,” Alex pointed out. In fact they had seemed downright hostile.

“An act mostly,” Forrest said, shrugging. “Alayna would have been jealous if she had been denied and I wasn’t.” Alex nodded slowly. The wrath of Alayna was never something he wanted to see. Alex looked at Michael who smiled at him sweetly, twisting the chain of the leash around his fingers.

“Let me make something clear, Alex. The only reason I’m entertaining the idea is because it’s Forrest. I trust him. I would tear anyone else who tried this apart,” Michael said, leaning close and pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. Alex looked up at Forrest as Michael kissed his way over his jaw.

A smiled of his own sat on his face as he kneeled on the couch, pressing a leg in between Alex’s spreading them open. Forrest leaned in and kissed him slowly as Michael’s mouth ran over his neck and shoulders, nipping at the skin. Alex reached up and spread his fingers over Forrest’s abs and dragged them down until they dipped into the waist band of his jeans. He tugged him closer until Forrest was grabbing onto Michael for stability.

The prick of fangs on his lip made Alex sigh. The need was only fueled as he felt Michael sink his own fangs into the mark again, letting his venom flow into him. Alex’s hips rolled up against Forrest who moaned at the friction.

Forrest was pulled from Alex’s mouth by Michael. Alex watched in awe as the two vampires pressed their mouths together, rough and fast. They paid no mind to their teeth and let themselves scratch and bite. Forrest sucked on Michael’s lip where it bled, pulling a soft groan from him. Alex ran one hand over Michael’s arm and the other slipped over Forrest’s chest, pushing the shirt off his shoulders.

Michael helped with getting rid of the offending fabric. Then Forrest was breaking away from Michael, blood still on his lips, and kissing Alex again. Alex whined at the combined taste of the two men. It didn’t last long before he was being pulled by the chain on his neck. Alex’s cock ached under his jeans. But there were people around and he wasn’t sure if he was ready to take that step.

Michael pulled him in to straddle his legs again, grabbing Alex’s hips and pulling him down so he could feel the excitement in his own pants. He felt Forrest at his back, mouth running over his shoulder and neck opposite the mark. The nerves in his body screamed for more. Michael leaned up and kissed him, slipping his tongue past his lips. Alex’s brain was scattered. Torn between focusing on kissing Michael and Forrest’s teeth scratching along his skin.

Forrest pressed his hard-on against Alex’s ass, grinding against him slowly. He wasn’t sure whose hands were where. A pair ran over his skin, tracing the lines of the harness and another was popping the button on his jeans open. The arms wrapped around him, hands slipping into his pants and palming his cock. Alex couldn’t help the way his own hips thrusted into the touch. Michael broke away from his mouth and started undoing the clips on his vest.

“Good boy. Remember your punishment?” The question was accented by the brief squeeze of Forrest’s hand around him. He tried to smother his moan but only succeeded in making a high-pitched whine. “Forrest, would you like to taste him,” Michael asked, a smirk settling on his face as his own fangs extended to their full length.

Forrest hummed against his skin and he licked at the junction of his shoulder and neck. Alex’s body burned and his hips kept rubbing against Forrest’s hand and the bulge in Michael’s jeans. Michael’s vest fell open and he shrugged it off his shoulders. The movement forced him to lean close to Alex, pressing their chests together.

There was a pinch on his shoulder as Forrest pulled his attention to where he was attached to his skin. Alex called out and his hips jerked with the stab of pain. It vanished almost instantly with a new warmth rolling through his body. Desire leaked from the tip of his cock and he thought he heard Michael chuckle but he was too focused on Forrest.

Alex’s hand tangled in his hair, holding him in place as his eyes closed in bliss. The hand on his cock didn’t stop in its movements. Michael’s hands gripped his hips and brought him down against him again.

“Fuck,” Alex gasped out. Michael’s mouth landed on the mark, kissing once, twice, then biting. Stars danced behind his eyes and his free hand clawed at Michael’s back. He was rock hard and he needed release. Forrest pressed against his ass more firmly, the clench of his jaw making him leak more. The underwear he was in was soaked through and the dampness rubbing over him made him squirm.

He heard Forrest groan as he tasted Alex. He rocked his hips faster, forgetting where he was. Moans tumbled from his lips, louder with every jerk of the hand on his cock. Both pairs of fangs buried in his skin, feeling every clench of their jaws, blood being drawn to the surface and licked away.

Alex’s head was spinning, lost in the pure bliss of having the attentions of both men. Michael released him first, dragging his lips up his throat and pressing them to his ear. He nipped at his earlobe and Alex’s hips jerked again.

“Cum baby. I know you want to. Let everyone here know how good it feels.” A shudder rolled through his body and the hand on his cock squeezed just enough. A choked sound ripped out of his throat and his hips stuttered as the chain at his neck pulled him down. Michael’s mouth swallowed his moans as Forrest licked at the wound on his shoulder before tracing his lips to his spine and nipping gently.

Cum spilled over Forrest’s hand and Michael’s abs. The burning under his skin refused to stop and he broke away from Michael’s lips. He just shifted his attentions to his chest and nipples. Forrest released his still twitching dick and dragged his blunt nails over his skin. Alex’s eyes fluttered open and he caught the gaze of another couple a few stations down from them.

The guy smiled at him and licked his lips, fangs dripping with the blood of the girl that was wrapped in his arms, evidence of bites all over her back. The girl met his eyes next and smiled as well before pulling her vampire in for a deep kiss.

His attention was pulled back to his own men when Forrest dipped his fingers into the waist band of his jeans and began to pull them down, exposing his ass. Alex’s hands flew to Michael’s shoulders and he dug his fingers in.

His body screamed but he had just enough sense to want more privacy than they currently had. Michael stopped almost immediately and wrapped a hand around Forrest’s wrists, stopping him from pulling Alex’s jeans down too much.

“Be a good guest and draw the heavy curtains,” Michael said before nuzzling against Alex. Without a second thought, Forrest was gone and pulling the mesh curtains closed and then moving to a panel on the wall Alex hadn’t seen before. He pressed a button and dark red curtains began to drop from the ceiling.

“Still shy are we,” Forrest teased gently. Alex’s cheeks flushed. Forrest wasn’t shaming him, more making an observation about how he was different from other claimed humans.

“We’ll get there,” Michael said next to his ear. His breath raised goosebumps on his skin. The curtains hit the floor with a gentle thump. Forrest was kneeling next to Michael and running his hands over both him and Alex. His fingers caught on the harness he was wearing tugging his body one way while Michael pulled on the leash in the other direction.

“I have an idea if you’re interested,” Forrest said, leaning in and kissing Michael’s neck. The hand that was touching Alex dipped into his jeans again, continuing their earlier mission of ridding him of them.

Michael groaned at the wet kisses on his throat and his hips rolled up against Alex. The rough material of his jeans against his oversensitive cock made him whimper. Alex dipped his head down, kissing the other side of Michael’s neck, nipping occasionally.

“He has a very pretty mouth, why don’t we make use of it,” he heard Forrest say. A low laugh rumbled out of Michael. Alex was being both pushed and pulled to one side. Forcing him to crawl off Michael and sit on the couch. Michael held onto the chain attached to his harness and his cock twitched watching him wrap it around his hand for a better grip.

Michael and Forrest stood and moved in front of him. Michael pulled the chain, bringing his attention to him. He grinned and leaned in close.

“How’s your gag reflex looking these days, hunter?” Michael pressed a quick kiss to his lips before he could answer. He knelt in front of Alex and pulled his jeans down his legs, careful of the prosthesis. The scrap of fabric that was supposed to be underwear was pulled down with the pants.

Then Michael stood again and tugged the leash so Alex was on the edge of the couch. Forrest ran hand through Alex’s hair before gripping a handful and forcing him to look at the bulge in his pants.

“It’s easier to suck if you take the pants off,” Forrest taunted. Alex lifted his hands to the button and worked quickly. He licked his lips and heard Forrest chuckle. “Well he’s eager.” Alex looked up at him through his eyelashes, pulling his hard member from his pants.

He wasn’t as thick as Michael but slightly longer. When Alex finally wrapped his mouth around him, Forrest let out a long sigh of content as his hips rocked forward slowly. The fingers tangled in his hair tugged gently, encouraging him to take him deeper. Alex heard the rustling of clothes and Michael was taking his free left hand and placing it on his own cock.

Alex rubbed his thumb over the leaking tip, spreading the precum over the head. His own groin throbbed like he hadn’t just cum. He didn’t know whether he cursed the venom or was grateful for it.

He watched Forrest above him. His eyes had closed and the blood dripping from his lips was starting to dry. Michael shifted closer to both of them, leaning over and running his tongue over the drip of blood, cleaning his from his neck and chin. Forrest’s fingers tightened in his hair again and Alex mimicked the grip on Michael’s cock. Alex took Forrest to the back of his throat at the same time Michael bit into his shoulder.

Alex didn’t move for a couple seconds, swallowing around the cock in his mouth. Forrest groaned and cursed, his hips thrusting forward. Alex kept his gag reflex from complaining too much. He pulled off before he could thrust again and switched his attention to Michael, wrapping his mouth around him instead.

The taste of the two men was similarly salty but they were both unique. Alex swirled his tongue around Michael, his moans muffled by his teeth buried in Forrest’s shoulder. His hips rolled forward with the bob of Alex’s head. Forrest set their pace as he pulled and pushed, using his hair as a guide.

As Michael’s hips started to move faster, he was pulled off and returned to Forrest. Alex looked up at them and Michael had released Forrest and they were kissing, Forrest’s hand still tangled in his hair. He watched as their tongues licked at each other, trying to taste the leftovers from the biting.

What was it like for a vampire to be bitten by another? Did they actually drink blood or was it more for the kink? Alex wondered for a moment but as his eyes fluttered closed, the thoughts vanished. He lost himself in the rhythm of Forrest’s hips thrusting in and out of his mouth.

Alex went back and forth between them. Whenever one got too excited he would switch. His fists were wrapped firmly around their cocks, keeping them from going too deep. Alex teased them both like this. Michael’s hand had found its way into his hair alongside Forrest.

“Fuck baby, you’re a menace. You keep us on the edge too long and you might regret it,” Michael warned when Alex was licking over his shaft again. Alex looked up at the two of them and sucked hard on Michael, causing his hips to jerk forward.

The chain attached to him was tugged roughly, pulling him up and off. Alex was between the two of them again, Forrest in front and Michael pressed against his back. He leaned forward and licked at Forrest’s bottom lip before kissing him. He groaned and kissed him back eagerly, fangs pricking his lips.

Michael’s hands busied themselves by running over his ass, fingers just barely brushing over his hole. Alex’s cock jumped at the attention and the muscles clenched. He remembered the way Michael had used him earlier and whimpered against Forrest’s now grinning mouth.

“Are you still stretched out?” Michael pressed a finger into him slowly. Though not enough to be satisfying. “Why don’t we show our friend,” he taunted, brushing his lips over the mark on his neck. The chain was yanked and he was forced to his hands and knees. His cock wept with precum as he hid his face in the back of the couch, face burning from being exposed to someone other than Michael.

He didn’t get to hide long as a hand slipped into his hair and pulled his face up. His back was bent so he couldn’t move. He met the eyes of Forrest who smiled wickedly at him.

“Why don’t you show me what he did to you,” he said. Alex could feel the probing at his brain but opened himself up any way. His mind raced through the memory of Michael fucking him in the shower. His legs being spread open, not being allowed to touch himself, the brief glimpse of Michael buried inside of him in their reflection.

A cool wetness pressed into his ass, pulling him from the memory. His eyes darted to Forrest’s other hand, coated in lube and moving in and out of him slowly. Alex moaned and pressed back against his fingers.

“You fucked him good, he’s addicted to it. Then again you do have that effect on people,” Forrest said, glancing at Michael. Alex heard Michael chuckle and felt his hands on the inside of his thighs, pushing his legs apart.

“What can I say? I’m probably addicted to him too. And don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Michael said before kneeling on the couch and pulling Alex’s head back to his hard cock. Alex didn’t fight as he pushed past his lips and started thrusting slowly. He watched his head fall back and mouth open in a silent moan.

Forrest continued to finger him for a moment before Alex felt his hand wrap around his cock and jerk him off. Alex groaned around Michael who shuddered with the vibrations. Forrest scissored his fingers a couple times, making sure he was ready before pulling them out. Alex felt the blunt pressure of his cock and the cool relief of the lube.

Forrest pressed into him slowly, letting out a breathy moan as he moved. Alex tried pressing back against him but Michael held him steady, shoving his cock to the back of his throat. The muscles in Alex’s back flexed as his gag reflex tried to get rid of the intrusion. He willed himself to relax but that was becoming difficult with Forrest grinding against his ass as his cock was completely buried in him. Forrest’s hand was still stroking him slowly.

“I would ask how it feels to be completely filled but I think you’re a bit preoccupied,” Forrest teased. Alex could only groan in response as he started thrusting roughly. Michael’s hand ran over his back and wrapped around one of the straps of the harness. He pulled on it as his hips moved again, fucking his mouth.

Every sensation rolled through him in waves as the venom burned his veins. His cock throbbed as the two men matched tempos, alternating their thrusts. Alex teetered on the edge but his body refused to cum. He had no doubt there was influence from Forrest’s hand wrapped around the head of his cock, stopping it every time.

Michael dug his nails into Alex’s shoulder as tears slipped out of Alex’s eyes after a particularly rough thrust that hit the back of his throat.

“You’re so good baby,” Michael said, slipping out of Alex’s mouth. He leaned down and kissed him, tongue slipping past his lips to taste himself. Forrest pulled out of him and he whined at the emptiness.

“Please don’t stop. I need more,” Alex pleaded, pushing back against Forrest. His hand left his cock and his hips jerked, looking for friction.

“You hear that, Michael?” Forrest asked.

“I did,” he muttered back, a smirk forming on his face.

“How much more do you think he wants?” Michael looked away from him and up at Forrest. Alex tried to reach down and touch himself for some form of relief. His hand was caught by Forrest, who pulled him up to his knees. He rubbed himself along the seam of his ass, occasionally poking his hole.

Alex trembled and Michael reached out, running his fingers first over the mark and then down his chest, over his stomach and abs, and ended by running a finger over the tip of his cock. Alex groaned and pleaded for something. Anything.

“Patience. You know we’ll take care of you,” Michael said almost sweetly. That sweetness was negated as he continued to tease him by running his finger down his shaft and then cupped his balls gently. Alex’s hips jerked but Forrest held him mostly still. His lips ran over the area he had bit earlier. “Remember he’s just human, doesn’t exactly replace blood as fast as us,” Michael reminded Forrest.

“I know. I’ve been at this a bit longer than you,” Forrest teased back before letting his dull teeth sink into Alex’s skin, though not breaking the surface. Alex watched as Michael rolled his eyes and leaned in close, pressing his mouth to Alex’s.

He sighed against his lips as the hand that fondled him moved again, fingers slowly traveling to his ass and slipping inside. The lube Forrest had used earlier easing the way. Alex reached down and wrapped a hand around Michael, stroking him slowly. A rumble from his chest and then he was pulling away.

Michael reached over Alex’s shoulder to push back on Forrest so he was sitting properly on the couch. The three of them moved easily, the support of both of their hands took any work off of Alex and his leg. Then he was sitting in Forrest’s lap, his cock poking at his hole where Michael’s fingers were still buried.

Michael pushed his legs open as far as he could and Alex half fell backward. He steadied himself on Forrest’s arms though he didn’t seem to mind. He kissed his shoulders and ran his hands over Alex’s sides, lightly tickling him.

Alex shuddered and his moan was swallowed by Michael’s mouth. His fingers moved inside him slowly and Forrest’s cock poked at his entrance. Forrest massaged spots on his skin with his tongue, but not long enough to leave any more bruises. He felt Michael shifting around and his free hand brushed over his chest and throat. He unhooked the leash and tossed it to the side, nipping at his lip. Alex’s eyes opened to meet Michael’s and he was grinning.

“Why don’t you show off how full you can stuff your ass?” Alex thought about protesting but his own need screamed to let them do whatever they wanted.

“Oh? Does he like feeling full?” Forrest taunted. Michael pressed against his prostate and Alex couldn’t help but whine.

“Yes, fuck. If one of you doesn’t fuck me soon I might lose my mind,” Alex pleaded. His cock throbbed with need and he heard both of the men chuckle.

“Just one?” Forrest questioned.

“I think we can do better than that,” Michael added. Alex was only confused for a moment before Forrest was pushing his dick inside him alongside Michael’s fingers. Alex cursed and his head fell back, eyes closing. He did the best he could to move his hips but the stretching of his hole prevented it.

He groaned along with Forrest, who’s fingers gripped his hips tight enough he was sure there would be bruises. They moved slowly inside of him, Michael’s fingers tugging on Alex gently, stretching his rim. It wasn’t enough. The slow pace was torture.

“Please, I need—” His words were just about ripped from his throat when Michael took him in his mouth. Moans and pleas for relief went ignored and his body buzzed with need. Forrest began to rock his hips faster and Alex felt his breathing spike.

Michael popped off him with a wet sound and he reached for the bottle of lube that had been tossed to the side earlier. Alex watched him with desperation. He pulled his fingers from his ass slowly and he squirt a healthy amount of lube on his fingers. Michael stroked himself with the lube and Alex felt his legs shake from the stimulation. Once he was coated, he pressed his cock against Alex’s, rubbing them together a few times before he was dragging the head over his skin to wear Forrest still moved inside him.

Alex’s cock twitched with anticipation. Forrest stilled his hips and pulled most of the way out, letting Michael rub the excess lube over him. Forrest moved to the spot he had bit earlier, slowly sinking his teeth in again. Alex gasped as the warmth from the venom spread through him, forcing his muscles to relax.

“There you go, baby,” Michael said gently. “You’ll feel really good soon.” Michael pushed the head of his cock against his rim. Forrest began to move again slowly and Michael pushed against him whenever Forrest moved inside.

The venom moving through Alex made his hips roll. Michael pulled away briefly and slipped his fingers in beside again. The burn of the stretch made Alex’s cock leak. Forrest pulled out so just the tip was still inside. Michael pressed against him again in the small space created by his fingers.

Forrest and Michael pushed in at the same time. Alex yelped and dug his nails into Forrest’s arms. Michael kissed his chest and throat as they continued their shallow thrusts, getting deeper each time. Forrest licked at the wound on his shoulder where a small drop of blood had escaped.

“Oh, god,” Alex moaned out. The initial pain was fading quickly and the two men groaned and grabbed at his skin, fingers catching on the harness. Their movements were easy and picking up speed. They moved opposite one another, each pressing against the same groups of nerves again and again.

“How does it feel? To be fucked by two at once?” Forrest mumbled next to his ear. With the end of the sentence, Michael thrusted into him roughly, his hips pressing down forcing Forrest all the way into him as well. Alex’s body shook with pleasure as he moaned.

“Go on and tell us how you want it, hunter,” Michael added. Alex could barely think straight, much less give them an answer. He moved a hand from Forrest to grab Michael’s shoulder and pull him in for a kiss. He rolled his hips, earning him growls and moans from both of them.

Michael kissed him back for a moment but tore his mouth away and shoved him back against Forrest’s chest who then kissed and bit at his neck and the spot just below his ear. Alex whimpered as they both started thrusting again.

“Use your words,” Forrest threatened against his skin, nails scratching his hips.

“I want—I need—” he stammered out. The two of them moved together, thrusting roughly a few times. “More. I need more,” he finally spit out.

“Good boy,” Michael praised. He wrapped a hand around Alex’s cock and stroked him. Forrest thrusted up, using Alex’s hips to move him deeper. Michael squeezed him firmly as he grinded against him. The twisting in his stomach signaled his orgasm was close. But it could have easily been the fact that both men were buried as far as they could go.

Alex let out a long moan as Michael and Forrest fucked him. They slipped along each other easily thanks to the lube. He let go of Forrest’s arm and reached behind him to tangle it in his hair instead, holding his lips to his skin. Alex locked eyes with Michael and reached for him with his free hand. Michael leaned in close, pressing his forehead to Alex’s, hand still stroking his cock.

“Harder,” Alex ordered them.

He saw Michael smile and neither of them questioned it. Their hips were no longer in sync as they thrusted into him. Forrest’s breathing against his shoulder was ragged and shallow, low grunts vibrating against his skin.

“Fuck, Alex. We’re gunna break you if we go any harder,” Michael warned. Alex knew they were holding back but his body screamed. The venom pulsing under his skin making him needy.

“I don’t care. I need it,” Alex pleaded. Michael growled and his fangs poked out from his lips. Forrest’s nails scratched up over his torso, leaving long red lines. His teeth poked at the wound on his shoulder again.

His permission made them snap. Michael’s cock throbbed as he shoved himself balls deep. Forrest followed his lead and Alex’s breath left him in a gasp. He heard Michael curse as his hips thrusted back and forth, waiting for Forrest to thrust in before pulling out again. Forrest bit his shoulder roughly and Alex whimpered.

Michael’s free hand wrapped around Alex’s throat and the one gripping his cock kept the quick pace. The three of them groaned and sighed together, Alex steadily getting louder as every thrust got harder. Forrest and Michael ravaged his body, taking whatever they needed.

“Fuck. I’m gunna—” Alex didn’t have time to finish his sentence before he came. Michael jerked him as cum rolled over his fingers. “Ah—Ah!” he moaned as the sensitive nerves complained from the continued stimulation.

“You ready to be filled?” Forrest asked, breathless. There was no time to respond before both of them really let themselves go. They used him mercilessly as his own orgasm refused to stop. Alex let his body open wider for them as his cock jerked and throbbed.

Forrest came first, grunting and grinding his hips against his ass roughly. Michael crushed his lips to Alex’s and let his own orgasm come over him. The three of them moaned together as Forrest and Michael thrusted a few extra times while they emptied themselves.

Their heavy breathing was the only thing Alex could hear. And the fluids leaking from his ass made him feel hot but content. The three of them laid on top of each other even as Forrest and Michael pulled out of him.

Slowly the low music re-entered his ears, reminding Alex where they were. He looked around at the heavy curtains. He could distantly hear other moans of ecstasy from other areas of the room. He tried but couldn’t bring himself to care that others might have heard him.

Michael pushed himself up and off of Alex before slipping his arm under his legs and around his back, picking him up and holding him close. Forrest moved to collect his clothes lazily. Michael set Alex on his lap when he sat on the couch, running his fingers up and down his spine.

Alex’s eyes fluttered shut as he rested his head on his shoulder. The rustling of clothes stopped and a second hand landed on his skin. He looked up at Forrest who ran his fingers over the bite on his shoulder.

“You might want to heal that. Or it might scar.” He felt Michael nod. Forrest met Alex’s eyes and smiled. “Michael’s lucky to have you. You’re certainly a handful but taste amazing. Maybe I’ll see you again sometime.”

“You could always stop hanging around with Alayna,” Michael suggested. Forrest just shrugged.

“I’ll hang around her until I can be certain I won’t be hunted for sport,” he said. Michael snorted a laugh but Alex’s eyebrows drew together in worry.

“What do you mean hunted?”

“You’re a hunter. You guys always go after the oldest vampires you can find. Not to mention there’s even a few other vamps that want the oldest dead. Hierarchy and all that shit,” he said nonchalantly. Alex didn’t know how to respond. He had never paid attention to the ages of the vampires he killed. “You keep him safe Michael. Would be a shame to lose one as valuable as him.”

“Yeah, yeah. Get out of here,” he said. Alex could pick up the serious promise under the joking tone. Forrest smiled at him one last time before disappearing behind the heavy curtains.

They sat together in silence. Alex traced patterns on his chest while Michael rubbed his back, massaging the muscles. He nuzzled his shoulder while his hand wandered down to his ass, running over the cheeks and his hole gently. Alex whimpered.

“I’ll draw you a bath when we get to my house,” Michael said, kissing his skin and moving his hand back up his spine. Alex nodded and traced his fingers up to Michael’s face, cradling it gently. Alex looked down at his lips and watched as he bit into it, drawing blood. He smiled and closed the distance between them, pressing their mouths together sweetly. The bit of blood slipped over his tongue and it tasted like home. They kissed slowly for a while, lost in each other.

“We should get dressed,” Alex mumbled eventually. Michael gave an exaggerated sigh but began to move anyway. He placed Alex on the couch and moved to pick up their scattered clothes. Alex watched his ass as he moved. As perfect as it was, he was spent for the day.

Michael helped him dress even though he insisted it wasn’t necessary. Alex didn’t even blush when they walked out from behind the heavy curtain. He felt eyes on him but ignored it. Michael had reattached the leash, saying it was only if Alayna was still around.

They made their way through the club, Alex keeping his eyes down again. When they got out to the main room, Michael stopped suddenly. Alex ran into his back and followed his line of sight. Alayna was no where to be seen but Caber was. He talked sweetly to a donor girl as she giggled and flirted, exposing her neck as much as possible. Caber wrapped an arm around her shoulders and walked past the security guards out the front door.

“I thought…” Alex started. Guests weren’t supposed to leave with donors. And something told Alex it wasn’t a situation like him and Michael. He looked over him and saw the rage in his eyes. Alex took his hand and he squeezed back. Without looking away from the door, Michael spoke.

“Let’s follow him.”

#malex fic #malex fanfiction #malex #malex vampire au #roswell new mexico #roswell new mexico fic #michael guerin/alex manes #michael guerin #alex manes

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sheliesshattered · 4 years

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Clearly my spacing and stitch sizing is a little off, but for a proof-of-concept and just eyeballing the distances as I stitched, I think this (very) rough draft of the embroidery for the Oswin apron turned out pretty good! For the real deal, I’ll have to iron that linen fabric, and then lay out my stitches with a ruler, make sure both the length and the width is closer to screen accurate than it is here.

The late night lighting on my craft table makes the red look really orangey, but it’s actually a perfect match for the red of the dress, which is somewhat of a miracle considering that I ordered them online from two different sources, sight-unseen. I would have been happy with close enough, so that was a nice surprise.

Doing all the embroidery for the apron will definitely take quite a lot of time, but even just this little bit was so relaxing and satisfying, I’m suddenly really looking forward to this project. I’m going to try to keep myself focused on finishing the belt in time for Halloween -- and I actually made really good progress on the most complicated bit of it today -- but once I have a little more free space on my craft table I think I might work on getting the first part of this prepped and measured out, so I can start embroidering in the evenings. I’ll probably start with the middle of the neckband so that my roughest stitches will be the least visible.

But first, the belt!

I really do want to get the belt finished in the next two weeks or so, so I can have the whole base costume to wear on Halloween. I have all the pieces for the belt pulled together, but nothing is actually assembled yet, and I don’t want to start attaching things to the belt until I have all the individual pieces made, so I can figure out the spacing. I’m making several of the weirder bits from various odds and ends I have lying around, but the only thing I’m making completely from scratch is the wedge-shaped oddity:

The screen-used one was probably a bit of toy the prop department dug up and painted, but since this costume has no pockets or bags of any sort, I want to turn that wedge into a flap-top pouch to stash my phone and room key and such in -- on the assumption, of course, that someday I will eventually get to wear this to an actual con.

My original plan for it was pretty simple, just a wedge-shaped bucket pouch with a flap that secures with magnetic snaps, make a faceplate out of foam to replicate the look of the screen-used one, easy peasy. But my phone is so big that keeping it upright made the wedge way too big compared to the rest of the belt. Turning my phone sideways helps, but to keep the pouch from getting too wide, the phone really needs to stay at the top of the wedge -- which then leaves a weird smaller wedge of empty space below it.

So now I’m thinking an upper pocket, accessed by lifting up the flap, where the phone will lay sideways, parallel to the belt itself. Then below that, a smaller pocket in the lower part of the wedge, which turns out to be perfectly sized for room key, credit card, ID, cash, chapstick, etc -- all those small but important things that I hate not having a way to stash on me while I’m in costume. That bit will have a zipper closure, hidden under the flap, so I can make sure none of that important stuff falls out.

Which all sounds like an excellent and useful final product, but trying to think my way through the 3D shapes involved was seriously breaking my brain earlier. I ended up spending like 30 minutes just sort of staring into space, imagining moving the fabric around, how I would connect the pieces together, where the weak points are likely to be (specifically, the bottom of the pocket that holds the phone), how to make the whole thing hold its shape when built out of scraps of wool, suede, and craft foam, and how to machine-sew the seams in the wool in an order that won’t result in being unable to sew something without sewing the whole pocket closed.

I think I have it. I’ve drawn out the foam faceplate in its true size, based on the size of my phone, and I’ve sketched all the pattern pieces for the wool lining in miniature. There are a couple of places where cutting the seam allowance from a flat piece of fabric will be a little odd, but I think I’ve managed to shift those to the corners that can survive having small holes (ie, my phone isn’t going to fall through a hole that size, but something like a safety pin might). Tomorrow I’m going to cut the whole thing out of paper in its true size, tape the seam allowances together, and make sure it actually works.

Did you ever make those 3D papercraft cubes as a kid? Where the six sides of the cube are printed on a single sheet of paper, with fold lines and extra little tabs so you can overlap it in places and tape it down? This is just like that, only it’s an irregular wedge shape instead of a cube, and the interior is broken up into two parts, with a solid wall in between them. And for the real deal, I can’t tape the edges, I have to pass the wool through a sewing machine, hopefully without any of it getting too fiddly. But hopefully the paper-and-tape version tomorrow should point out any flaws in my plan before I start cutting out the wool pieces.

I also did a proof-of-concept today on gluing both wool and craft foam to suede, and it seems to have gone well. Suede (and leather generally) is odd in that sewing it actually weakens it, so my plan is to make the interior out of wool, with a bit of (faux) horsehair braid to give it extra structure along the straight lines. Then I’ll glue pieces of suede cut to size onto the outside of the wool, to provide the outer body of the pouch, and give the whole thing more structure and strength. The back panel of suede will extend up and over to become the flap that covers the top and front of the pouch, and onto the exterior of that I’ll glue the foam pieces with all the details to match the screen-used one. I think with all those together, it’ll have enough strength and structure to keep its shape, but the wool interior will provide a soft and quiet lining, so nothing in the pockets is banging around.

But honestly, I’m mostly using these materials because I have scraps of black wool and black suede that have been lying around in my fabric stash for, oh, let’s see -- just over 9 years for the wool, and almost 18 years for the suede, though the suede at least has been used in other projects since then. These are small enough pieces that this is really all they’ll be useful for, and the black should be unobtrusive enough that the only thing anyone will actually notice will be the foam faceplate that looks like the screen-used one.

That’s the theory, anyhow. We’ll see how it all comes together. This is by far the most complicated bit of the belt, and it’s up there with how complicated it was to flat-draft the pattern for the drape at the neckline of the dress. Once this is done, putting together all the other little bits for the belt should go a lot faster, really just combining pieces together, gluing them down, and painting.

Not counting today or the 31st, there are 17 days left until Halloween. I should be able to knock out the whole belt in that timeframe, but only if I don’t let myself procrastinate too much. And on that note, maybe I’ll start on that paper mock-up tonight rather than putting it off until tomorrow...

#my costumes #my cosplay #my sewing #my embroidery #Oswin Oswald cosplay #Clara Oswald cosplay #Doctor Who cosplay #one of those weird days when I accomplished a lot but don't actually have anything to show for it #but hey the planning phase of stuff like this is super important too #hokay back to work

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dragon-fics · 4 years

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DOS: Scaly Little Bundle (Pet Dragon X Reader)

Chapter summary: You're a university student who's studying magic. You've been feeling pretty lonely since you've moved into your new apartment and so you thought you should get yourself a pet, a magical pet if you will.

The video that inspired this

(T/O/J)= Type Of Jacket (leather, fleece, denim etc)

(F/D)= Favourite Drink

(F/C)= Favourite Colour

(T/O/D)= Type Of Dragon (fire, ice, air/wind, water, earth, star, sun, moon, mudwing, sandwing, rainwing, Nightwing etc.)

(D/N)= Dragon Name

I've been feeling rather lonely since I've moved into my new apartment. And since I'm studying magic in my new university, I was thinking of adopting a magical creature, though of what type, I wasn't sure. So, I did some research on where best to go. And it turned out that there was a special pet shop about an hour away from where I lived. And so, I planned my trip to Lighthallow, the town with the pet shop in it, carefully, so I could travel to and from Lighthallow in good time... and so I didn't get lost.

My morning started with a bus ride to the nearest train station. Once I was there, I bought myself a return ticket and waited for my train. The sun shone brightly that morning as I waited on the platform. It warmed my face and skin as the cool breeze pulled at my (T/O/J) jacket. I pulled out my phone and had a look at the screenshot I had taken from the website of the pet shop. Its primary colours were black and violet. Its text was white. To the sides of the article, there were pictures of scaled eggs; eggs with flame-like markings on their shells; paw prints; and what looked to be a scrap of scales--perhaps fish scales; all the pictures were white. At the very top, there was a feathered wing, and a scaled wing, side by side as if they were part of the same creature. I was about to have another read through my screenshots when my train pulled up. I tucked away my phone and walked on to the train after it stopped.

Our trains are steam trains that spew out a glittery water vapour and the odd bubble or two. The carriages were also vintage-style. Most of the carriages were open carriages with broad seats on either side of the aisle that could fit two people comfortably. This morning's riders were mainly commuters, heading for work; the schools haven't started up yet so I would have guessed they were heading for work in their formal clothing. I sat down in one coach, laying my satchel on my lap.

The train ride to Lighthallow was just under an hour long. I walked off of the train and sat in the train station. The light buzz of the air conditioning units filled the station. I looked at my phone and opened my digital map. I searched for the pet shop and it gave me directions. I sighed, disappointed; the shop was still far away. I rose to my feet and walked out of the station, conveniently there was a bus stop right outside of the train station. I glanced at the timetable; I had ten minutes until the next bus arrived.

So, I went back inside to get myself a(n) (F/D). I waited inside the cool train station, looking up at one of the mainly LED filled screens in the station. This one told the people inside what bus would be outside soon, and mine was next. When the bus was about a hundred meters away, the board would say that the bus was outside, so you didn't have to stay in the freezing cold, or in today's case, the boiling heat. As soon as the screen said mine was here, I headed out and got my change ready for the bus. As I arrived at the edge of the concrete path, the bus pulled up.

After three stops, my stop was next. A few people got off on the same stop as me. I looked at my phone again, checking the map. I followed it until I stood in front of the shop. I looked up from my phone. The name of the shop was Magical Companions, written in white cursive font on the same black and violet background as the website. I tucked away my phone in my trouser pocket and walked inside. The door hit a bell on the ceiling as I entered the shop. The smell of animal food hit me before I saw anything. I walked inside the warmly lit shop.

I looked around. In the middle of the room, there was a wire cage in the middle of the room, which was about 5 foot by 5 foot and it was about a meter off the ground. Inside the cage were four cosmic wolf pups. They were cyan, navy and white or magenta, black and white. One pup stood on its hind legs leaned on the wire cage. The pup barked twice, and the other three flashed white and teleported beside its sibling.

On the left side of the room, there were water tanks with tiny kraken the size of small octopi, hippocampus the size of small koi fish and sea serpents the size of eels. On the right side of the room, there were small wire cages with manticores the size of cats, jackalope and wolpertinger the size of rabbits, miniature amphitheres the size of bearded dragons, and miniature gryphons and hippogryphs the size of large house cats. Behind the cosmic wolf pups, there was another wire cage that held two hydras the size of collies, and another with three tiny qilins. At the very back, there was the shop counter, which had faded from a deep coffee to a pale beige in the middle. Under the counter, there were the scaled eggs and the flame-eggs from the website pictures.

I lingered by the counter for a moment before turning around. One of the qilins cooed up at me. I petted it and then one hydra made a sound at me. I looked at the cage. One head of one hydra snapped its mouth shut at me, another head gurgled at me. It was a cute sound, so I gave it a pat too.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," came a voice. I jumped and spun around. There was a woman behind the counter with long, curly red hair dressed in earthy colours. On the counter, there was a miniature gryphon. "Y'know, with more than one head, they're hard to predict and they have more teeth to bite you with." I nodded quietly and came closer to the counter. "My name is Shela. What can I help you with today?" She asked, smiling brightly across the counter.

"Well, I'm looking for a pet," I say. The miniature gryphon came closer to me, its black fur and feathers rubbed against my skin softly. Shela's smile got bigger.

"Well, you certainly came to the right place!" She said, placing her hands on her hips. "Do you know what type of Magical Companion are you looking for?" She asked. The gryphon on the counter looked up at me and meowed. "Don't listen to Lucifer, he doesn't speak for all gryphons," she said.

"Well, the thing is, I'm not sure," I say looking around, "they all look so fascinating."

"Well, lucky for you my friend, I am perfectly prepared for this type of dilemma." She turned around and fetched a leather-covered book. She took a loose piece of white paper from the back of the book. "Please fill out this form," she said, taking a black feather from Lucifer's bunch of feathers around his neck, which made me flinch. He hissed at her as she dipped the shaft of the feather into the inkwell beside her. I took the feather and the sheet of paper. The form comprising things like my name, how I'd describe myself in three words, what I wanted from a pet, things like that. I handed Shela back the completed form and the feather. She looked at the form and then to the book in front of her.

"All right, Mr/Miss (Y/N)," she said, putting down the page and scribbling something on it. "So, I've concluded, that you-- " she pointed her index finger at me with enthusiasm, "--are best suited for a dragon," she said. "of course, we don't keep live dragons here; they're hard to maintain and they don't get on with hydras and they are remarkably clingy." She grabbed a key from a hook behind the counter. "So, I will show you some dragon eggs and then I'll tell you about the dragon inside them," She explained.

She pulled out four of the scaled eggs from beneath the counter. The dragon eggs were no bigger than newborn kittens. Immediately the (F/C) coloured egg drew my attention. "Do you feel drawn to one?" she asked, noticing my reaction.

"The (F/C) one," I said.

"Ah, a(n) (T/O/D) dragon," Shela said. She then explained how the dragon's growth cycle would go, how big it would get and when it would access its elemental power. She told me on how best to take care of the dragon egg until it hatched, how to take care of the hatchling, what were the best foods to give it and what type of toys for it to play with--a laser pointer was one of the many suggested. Thankfully, the dragon hatchling wouldn't grow to be that big, only about the size of a house cat.

I left Magical Companions with two bags full to the brim with supplies to take care of the dragon egg and, later, the dragon hatchling. The (F/C) dragon egg was in a small protective box in my satchel. I walked to the bus stop, prepared my change for the bus driver and waited for the bus. I got home in the late afternoon, so I had plenty of time to set up the nest for the dragon egg.

It took two weeks for the egg to hatch. And the hatchling was the same colour as its egg, (F/C). I called the hatchling (D/N). They were/He/She was just so cute to look at, but if I stared for too long, they/he/she would snap at me--they/he/she doesn't like attention. (D/N)'s nest is right beside my bed, though often enough they/he/she would try to make their/his/her way into my bed. I didn't mind; I liked their/his/her company and feeling their/his/her heat beside me.

(D/N) likes to glide around my apartment from time to time. They/he/she isn't the biggest fan of baths, so I have to feed them/him/her treats while they're/he/she is in the bath, so hopefully they/he/she will get used to baths soon. They/he/she also enjoys meeting my friends when I see them and they/he/she loves to sit on my shoulder as I walk around my apartment or when I walk around the university campus--it's the only place I take them/him/her. They/He/She has picked up on the people I dislike and often enough, while I'm walking around on campus, they/he/she will hiss at those people if they come near me, so that's fun.

So far (D/N) has been eating lots and has been enjoying life in my apartment. They've/He/She has grown a few inches since they/he/she has hatched. (D/N) is due a checkup with Shela soon so let's hope they/he/she has learnt to play nice and will stay quiet in my bag while we travel back to Lighthallow.

#dragon one-shots #dragon one-shot #baby dragon x reader #pet dragon x reader

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crowsent · 4 years

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AUgust 2020: College AU

Prompt given by @augustwritingchallenge

Summary: Percival Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo the III gets peer-pressured into going to a party and meets someone.

Pairing: Minor Perc’ahlia

Characters: Scanlan, Percy, Vex’ahlia

Word Count: 3180

CW: N/A

Notes: the tumblr version is unformatted, no italics, no bold, nothing. for that reason, i highly recommend you to read the ao3 version instead so yall get that sweet sweet tone difference.

AO3 Link: HERE

Let it be known that Percival Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo the III was three more unnecessarily complicated essays away from trudging downstairs into the campus basement where a supposed “demon” dwells to bargain his soul away for but a day of having a clear head for once. The migraine seemed to be permanent. A persistent, obdurate nuisance that’s making his head spin and his eyes see two laptops with furiously typed half-finished assignments on the screen. Well, it was either the cause of the migraine, or it meant that Percy needed to get new glasses.

Or, according to his roommate, one Scanlan Shorthalt, all Percy needed was, “A day off.”

Rooming with Scanlan meant that Percy had experienced more than his fair share of having to skulk to the library, cafeteria, or, God forbid, being forced to wait outside their dorm room whenever Scanlan deigned to bring back a “friend.” More often than not, he had to spend more time turning down Scanlan’s many offers to “unwind” than on actually working on his assignments. Whether it be countless invitations to various parties Percy had no intention of attending, or simply skipping class and laying about with nary a care in the world, roll a couple blunts and allow the feeling to sweep him away. Let the thoughts drift. Stop existing for just a moment.

And though Percy had always turned Scanlan down without so much as a beat of hesitation, perhaps this once time was a rare moment of Scanlan being right for once. Perhaps Percy was working himself to death and maybe it was time for him to stop burning the midnight oil on an essay he was sure his professors merely gave a cursory glance at.

Scanlan swung an arm around the bedpost of his bed, sheets unmade with some of it pooling on the floor. He held a nonchalant pose even as he gave Percy a rather convincing look. “Come on. You’ve been working like a madman for hours! All work and no play makes Percy very grumpy and I, for one, don’t want to see bitchy Percy ever again.”

With another mournful look at his laptop screen, at the paragraphs dancing in his vision, Percy sighed and removed his glasses to rub the headache from his temples. “I have been rather tetchy, haven’t I?” Scanlan made various noises with meanings that might have ranged from “Yes,” to “Fucking duh,” but Percy chose to give him the benefit of doubt. With a sigh of defeat, Percy saved what little work he managed to finish and shut his laptop.

As soon as the screen made a soft ‘click,’ Scanlan let out a loud yell and pumped his fist up in the air in victory. “Finally! I was kind of thinking that you were some kind of robot.” It was the loudest thing Percy had ever had the misfortune of hearing, and he was quite sure that his migraine worsened even more at the sound of Scanlan’s voice. “Okay. I have the perfect idea for you to roll y0our shoulders a bit. Relieve all the tension penetrating your body.”

“Wording, Scanlan.”

Scanlan ignored him. “Just relax and allow yourself to experience everything that college has to offer. A couple of smokes, women, men, bad song choices and spiked drinks.”

“You’re inviting me to a party aren’t yo-”

“I’m inviting you to the best damn party you will ever be invited to,” Scanlan assured. There was fire in his eyes. Granted, Scanlan grew spirited whenever trying to cajole Percy into a party but there was sincerity behind his enthusiasm. “I know you rich kids get invited to all sorts of shit with three-piece suits and butlers with silver trays following after like lost puppies but Percy. Percival. Perc. There aren’t any fountains that shit gold or anything, but come on. If there’s ever a single party that you go to in your college career, let it be this one.”

“I really don’t think-”

“There probably won’t even be that much alcohol and drugs in it. It’ll be rated PG-mostly-13 as far as college parties go.” Scanlan had moved on from his bedside perch and had instead elected to encroach upon Percy’s space, giving his best attempt at puppy dog eyes. “There won’t even be horny assholes humping each other on the couch this time! Hopefully. Probably.”

“Scanlan.”

“Cassandra might be there, I don’t know, but Pike will definitely be there, and I’m the one planning all this for my friends and I’d really like for you to meet them so pretty please Percival Frankenstein Van Helsing Cleopatra de Rolo the Fourth will you please attend just one party to break from your perfect honour roll student life? It’s a birthday party if that helps so it won’t be as wild and crazy as the others. There will even be masks and shit because my other friends are dramatic little shits and I love them to bits and I really want you to meet them all and you don’t even have to suffer the mortal ordeal of being known so please? Please?”

“Oh for goodness’ sake, you win, Scanlan.” Another whoop and a cheer, somehow louder this time, if it was even possible, coupled with a hug that Percy only very slightly recoiled from. “I will attend, with a mask, but do not expect me to stay long.”

“Trust me my friend,” said Scanlan, pulling away with the brightest and widest grin Percy had ever seen from him, “after meeting them, you’ll want to stay.”

Percy doubted it. It had been years now since meeting the Briarwoods, but strangers still made him wary. He couldn’t bear to crush the hope in Scanlan’s eyes though, and resigned himself to an unpleasant night with people he had no intention of talking to ever again once the party was over. Well, once he left. It was going to be one of those attendances where Percy stayed just long enough to be polite. As soon as he could, he planned on booking it right back to his and Scanlan’s dorm room.

If he was already in the room, then maybe, Scanlan would have the decency to bring a potential ‘friend’ somewhere else. (The couches in the common space in the dorm were terribly uncomfortable.) Percy glanced at the clock in the room. Then to his closet, the racks and racks of somewhat formal clothing from a habit he never managed to kick. To the box he knew he kept hidden on the floor, further camouflaged by articles of clothing that don’t fit anymore. Perhaps it would be odd to bring a leather crow-like mask with goggles for eyes to a party, but then again, there was no way in heaven, hell, or any other planes that could possibly exist, that Percy would ever purchase a mask for an event he didn’t even want to attend.

Besides, store-bought masks might fall and slip. His mask won’t.

“I’m going to make some last minute prep for the party. Hang on.” Scanlan hurriedly scribbled an address down in his notebook, tore the scrap of paper off, and handed it to Percy. “Right here. A walk from campus. Starts at seven, don’t be late, see you!”

Before Percy could say anything, Scanlan was out the door, mission seemingly accomplished. He probably only returned to the dorm just so he can invite/cajole/bully Percy into attending his friend’s birthday party. Scanlan even neglected to mention the names of the friends he so wanted Percy to meet.

With a few more hours ‘til Percy has to pretend to socialise at this party, he got up out of his chair, dug out the box from the depths of his closet, and rooted out his mask. For a moment, he did nothing but stare at it.

Foreign and familiar at the same time. A distant echo of the past with a voice that only grew louder and louder the longer he held his mask. It had been years since he had last looked at it, let alone felt the tough material with his own fingers. The glass of the goggles had cracked in places, and the straps would surely no longer fit his head. But he had time, and upon closer inspection at the box itself, it seemed that Percy had subconsciously packed his leatherworking tools, along with more than enough stray pieces of metal, glass, and leather to fashion this mask into something more appropriate for a party.

The migraine still has not gone away, and with every second that passes, Percy gets closer to formulating that plan to sell his soul just to get the pulsing to stop, and he really should get some rest, but leatherworking isn’t work to him. It was relaxing. Freeing. Certainly more than any party would ever do for him. And with Scanlan gone, Percy had the chance to do some work in peace. He cleared his desk, gathered his tools and set to work.

“Percy?” The mask Scanlan chose covered only the lower half of his face. A smooth porcelain-like cover. With night cresting around the corner, and the cheap street lamps offering little to no illumination, (because public funding was… not particularly the best in this area) Percy couldn’t quite tell what Scanlan’s mask was made of. It fit him though. Even in the dim light, there were purple swirls that curled near the edges.

Scanlan nudged him. “Hello? Earth to Percy. Please be Percy. It would be so awkward if I was talking to not Percy.”

“Yes, Scanlan. Hello.” Percy adjusted his mask once more. It was strapped securely on his face, with buckles that would prevent any college party-goer that had one too many drinks from tugging the mask down his face.

Scanlan reached up to tap the shiny metal bits Percy managed to attach to the mask and make it look less plain. The nail of Scanlan’s finger made a soft sound as it met metal. “Huh.” Scanlan nodded and crossed his arms. “Look at you Mr. Overachiever. I thought you were just going to bring a plastic mask and be done with it.”

Percy reached up to push his glasses up his nose, only to hit the metal-plated beak of his mask. Right. The goggles were fixed, mostly, but his prescription had been altered slightly now. Scanlan looked a little blurry. “Did you honestly expect me to half-ass dramatics?” Still, with the mask on, no one could tell that Percy would be squinting for the entire night.

“Should have expected as much from the guy with fifty-thousand names.” Scanlan beckoned him over, towards a building flashing with lights and brimming with people. Pink and purple streamers hung down from the front doors, with some gold accents for flavour. “I’ll introduce you to my friends. Oh, and congratulate Vex and Vax happy birthday yeah?”

He had no idea who those were, but Percy assented. He had to shout the closer they got to the building. The music was tasteful, for a party, but it was unbearably loud. The migraine, which had subsided somewhat in the hours of silence Percy spent working on the mask, had begun to surface again. Still, he gave his word, and a de Rolo never breaks his word.

Scanlan, bless him, tried his best ot be heard over the music. Percy even tried to lean down to hear him better. All he caught was, “... nice mask… saw Cassandra…” and then, much clearer than anything else, “PIKE’S HERE!”

Now, Scanlan was a friend, possibly Percy’s only friend in the odd two years he’s been a student in Emon. None but Scanlan had the moxy and resolve to continuously track Percy down and whittle his walls little by little to form a fierce friendship with him. Percy would fight dragons for Scanlan if need be. But, he thinks with great respect mixed with even greater resignation and a little bit of frustration and regret; Scanlan packs up all logic and inhibitions and manners into a suitcase whenever he saw Pike, and then defenestrated that suitcase as he bolted for her.

Indeed, with the occasional flash of bright light in the building, Percy saw Scanlan’s form rushing over to the side of a pretty woman with pale hair and a plain light blue mask. He could see the laughter in Scanlan’s shoulders from so far away as he and the woman, Pike, talked about things too far from Percy’s earshot.

Now he was simply alone, in a crowded room full of masked strangers with pulsing lights and too-loud music and Percy quickly took off into a corner, doing mental arithmetic with every step to count down the minutes he’d have to spend in this party he never really wanted to go to.

Mercifully, he found a punch table, several bowls lined up with various liquids. He can’t really drink anything in this mask, but he might as well look like he’s mingling with the crowd and whatnot. Percy grabbed a red plastic cup, chucked most of its contents into a potted plant, and leaned his back against a wall, looking out into the sea of people undulating their bodies with the rhythm of the music, and did his best to look like he wanted to be here.

Save the migraine and the lingering whispers in the back of his head about assignments due, the change of pace was refreshing. Annoying, but refreshing. And lacked the social obligations Percy feared he’d have to fulfill when he first came here. People saw him leaning against the wall and assumed that he was merely taking a break from the festivities or awaiting someone. It was peaceful, in a way.

That is, until a woman with an elegant blue mask marched to the punch table, grabbed two cups, downed both, and grabbed a third and joined Percy, leaning on the wall herself, body slightly angled to face him. Percy angled himself as well to face her, to be polite. The mask covered the upper half of her face, with feathers sticking out and up from one side. It matched her silvery blue dress quite well.

“Do you have a sibling?” she asked without preamble, staring into her cup.

Percy instinctively glanced about the room, trying to look for the matching shock of white hair of his sister, whom Scanlan stated might be here. “Yes, a sister,” he answered idly, if a bit sullenly as he found that she was not in attendance. “Though I’m afraid she didn’t join us this evening. A shame too, she would have made for better conversation.”

“Well, at least you don’t have to watch your sister abandon a conversation with you to trip over words with her crush,” said she. She downed her drink in one go. “Honestly, it’s not even the ‘being ignored mid-conversation’ bit that’s bothering me. It’s the pining! It’s the tripping over his own two feet! My brother is a rogue of a man who stole dad’s credit card so he can throw a couple parties and buy some new shit so I don’t have to spend a cent but have him stand in front of Keyleth and he suddenly forgets every language he’s ever known!”

Percy had no idea who this woman was talking about, but a childhood of etiquette lessons compelled him to nod. He wondered what it would feel like, to have Cassandra be so taken with someone in the romantic sense. Just thinking about it felt odd. “Well, I’ve never had the fortune -or misfortune, apparently- to know that feeling, but I can somewhat relate.” The woman gave him a look that clearly meant that she’d lap up any distraction at the moment. Percy would take a distraction just about this time, too. It would certainly make time pass quicker until he could say that he’s attended and make a beeline back to the dorms. “I was peer-pressured into attending this party by a friend, and then I had to watch that friend leave me to fend for myself so he could unsuccessfully flirt with a woman he likes. And then I’d have to listen to him pine all day when he stumbles back into our dorm room with the scent of so much alcohol on his shirt he could be safely classified as a fire hazard.”

The woman snorted and raised her empty cup in the air. “If I had anything in this cup right now, I’d toast to our shit luck.”

Percy raised his cup as well. “I also have nothing in my cup, as drinking with this mask on is terribly inconvenient, but I can toast to that.”

They tapped their cups together, the woman squinting at Percy, finally, finally getting a good look at him. “Did- did you make your mask?”

“I did.” Again, he tried to adjust his glasses, and again, he hit nothing but the beak of his mask. “Well, I made it quite a few years back, but it seems that attempting to get through Professor Groon’s dreadful history essay requirements had… sparked some of my lost creativity. Fixed a couple of things here and there, re-adjusted the straps-”

“Oh God!” she exclaimed. “I haven’t finished the essay yet.”

Neither had Percy. Seeing as he was in the middle of a party, he’d resigned himself to having to rush it in the morning. Again. “I have to admit, I’m more concerned about Professor Groon’s reaction to me not submitting the assignment than I am with taking the hit to my grades.”

She laughed again. Clearly, whatever that punch is had a kick to it that was only just now starting to take effect. “He is an intimidating man, isn’t he?”

Percy hummed in agreement. Professor Groon made a mountain seem small in comparison. “Dear God, yes. And he never seems to blink.”

“Never!” the woman laughed in agreement. “It is such a relief to hear someone else notice that too. I thought I was going mad, uh…?”

Percival Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo the III. “Please call me Percy.”

“Wonderful to meet you dear. My name is Vex’ahlia.” She smiled at him from under her mask, face just a little bit red from the punch. The pulsing lights made the braid draped over her shoulder seem to shine. Her hand stretched delicately out towards him.

“It’s nice to meet you, Percy.”

Percy took her hand in his and returned her smile.

He had no idea what possessed him to do so. Perhaps it was her disarming smile that seemed to knock his legs out from under him, or perhaps it was the way her eyes seemed to glow as they locked onto his, maybe it was even the migraine, throwing all common sense onto the ground. But rather than shake her hand, as he would have done in any other circumstance, Percy bent down just a tad and kissed the back of her hand.

“The pleasure is all mine.”

Perhaps he can stand to linger here a few hours more.

#crowsas writes #critical role

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thecorteztwins · 5 years

Note

Fanfic Friday,,,,Fabian and Anne Marie get turned into hulks?? ( g o d hulk Fabian is cursed but hulk Anne Marie 👀)

(Awesome, unique, and horrible idea all at once! Tagging @awkward-snake-girl for Hulkness. Also I combined the second and first gen Acolytes teams in this---like Chrome and Anne Marie but also Frenzy and the Kleinstocks---even though they were never on the same squads and probably would have hated each other if they were, since the second squad was just “kill all humans!” and the first squad, who I play, were actually a lot more noble. But whatever, this is its own canon! On with the fic!)The plan had gonewrong, horribly wrong.This was what both sides were thinking,heroes and villains, X-Men and Acolytes. This was NOT whatwas supposed to happen.For the X-Men, the Acolytes were NOTsupposed to have reached the great gamma radiation blaster in thelost Banner labs. For the Acolytes, it was NOT supposed to go offwhen they did reach it.It was definitely NOT supposed to hittheir leader and his sister at full force.The morecompassionate of the X-Men, and those among the Acolytes who hadcounted the pair as friends rather than just teammates in terrorism,cried out on their behalf...but did not come closer. There was nohelping these two. The only mercy was that their death, horrible asit was, would be quick. Hopefully, there would be nothing left tobury, for if anything remained it would be twisted and horrible tolook upon.Yet, within the painfully bright light, like asupernova star in miniature, the bulky twin forms of the Cortezsiblings were not diminishing...but growing. Exploding, perhaps?No...no they were simply...Getting bigger.“Nein...”Nightcrawler breathed, the sole person to make a sound as the lightfaded as quickly as it had come. Standing there in naught but thescant remains of their costumes were Fabian and Anne MarieCortez...but not as they were.Always an Amazon, she nowtowered at eight feet, he at ten. Her skin was a beatific blue ashade softer than her hair, while his skin had a bronze tone, likehe'd been cast in brilliant metal sans shine. But the greater changewas more than skin-deep; it was muscle deep. Both of them seemed tohave tripled in bulk at least, he still slightly larger than she byhalf again.“Hulks,” Beast whispered as they all gazed,Acolyte and X-Men alike, at these familiar but very newbeings.“They've become Hulks.”

That was all theAcolytes needed to hear for them to let out a cheer. Their victoryhad not been thwarted after all---it was more assured than ever! Theyhad Hulks on their side now!“Eat, X-Me---” was all thatone of the Kleinstock brothers managed to get out before he waspunched off his feet by Anne Marie. Fabian followed, attacking theperson nearest him, also one of his own team.“They turnedon their own?!” Rogue gaped as she dodged a thrownAcolyte.“Nah---they're just crazy,” said Wolverinegrimly, “Standard side effect o' this kind o' thing. They're likerabid animals, just lashin' out at whatever's close---and we'renext!”He was completely right. Anne Marie's next target wasindeed the tiny Canknucklehead himself, while Fabian was wordlesslyattempting to assault Colossus into a pile of so much scrapmetal.“Can they still use their powers?!” Jean called tono one in particular as she floated above the reach of the twinmonsters.“How should I know?!” called back one of theAcolytes in answer, Joanna “Frenzy” Cargill. Standing at almost 7feet tall, with super-strength and impentrable skin, Frenzy wasalmost a Hulk herself, and was trying to grapple with Anne Marie. Shewas usually a heartless killer, but that was only when it came tohumans and her enemies---for Anne Marie, all she wanted to do wasrestrain, get her under control, get her back into her right mind (orwhatever counted for it, in Anne Marie's case)Anne Marie,however, had no such concerns to hold her back. She only had onethought in her head---to smash. She did exactly that, hurling Frenzyoff her back and to the floor. She raised one giant fist, about tofind out if Frenzy's skull was as impenetrable as the rest of her,when she found it was suddenly encased in cold, hard, silveryomnium---one of the hardest metals on the planet, courtesy of atransmutive blast from Chrome.“Couldn't get enough juice tocover her completely,” he said aloud, “But I got one of thedangerous bits.”Anne Marie howled in anger....then smashedher fist into the floor next to Frenzy.And smiled when shesaw the size of the hole.“You idiot!” yelled one of theKleinstocks who was still conscious, “You just gave her somethingharder to hit with!”In return, Chrome rendered him, astatue, “Well, here---I'll keep you safe from her then.”“Keepdistracting them, all of you,” urged Psylocke to her team and herfoes, “Jean and I are trying to get in their heads---but it'sproving difficult. They don't have human minds anymore, there's justRAGE! There's nothing to control! We need time to find the peoplestill buried in there!”“And Anne Marie's a psychicherself,” Jean groaned, trying to speak through the strain, “Ifthat still holds true...she's got extra defenses...”“I'dworry more about her brother!” said Nightcrawler, who was currentlytrying to distract Fabian from simply smashing the two telepathicwomen where they stood. He did this by teleporting in front of him,to and fro, back and forth, drawing his attention like a rodeo clownwould with angry bull. The Fabian Hulk took the bait, bellowing andbeating his chest as though he were a great gold gorilla with a badhaircut to match his nasty temper. Eventually, through acombination of good luck and grudging teammwork, the Hulks were worndown...and began slipping back into their original forms. Anne Marieand Fabian, as they had been, dropped to the floor, unconscious.Cyclops began limping up towards their prone forms, holdinghis injured arm to his side, but Frenzy, who was far less worse forthe wear than he was, planted herself between them.“Just asecond, X-Man---you aren't getting near them!”The otherAcolytes, those who could still stand, gathered around their fallencomrades, expressing similar sentiments with similar hostility. Themomentary truce had been just that, momentary, and that moment wasover. “Hulks are unstable,” Cyclops explained with calmrationality, “Do you really want their transformations triggered atyour base?”The Acolytes all looked at each other, thinkingof Lord Cortez's raging tantrums and Anne Marie's volatile, extremeemotions in general. Frenzy, however, was not swayed, and crossed herhuge muscular arms across her leather-clad chest,“Thatdoesn't mean we're going to hand 'em over to YOU. We are the Acolytesof Magneto, Cyclops---and we take care of our own.”“Yourfuneral,” grunted Logan, turning, “C'mon, Summers---leave 'em totheir fate. S' a fitting one, if you ask me, considerin' what they'vedone before.”Indeed, the Acolytes were hardly what onewould call noble foes. While some among them were well-intentioned,perhaps even good people at heart, most were bloodthirsty killerssimply looking for an excuse to exert their perceived “superiority”over humankind in the most murderous ways possible...beingslaughtered by the same man who had give them that opportunity didindeed have an allure as poetic justice.But Scott Summers wasnot swayed. He did things by the book. By Xavier's rules.Andspeaking of Xavier....Professor? he called out mentally.Andthe Professor answered.- - -“Still don't seem rightto me,” grumped Logan as they flew back on the Blackbird, with thetwins in tow, kept in their unconscious state by the dual efforts ofJean and Betsy.“Look at this way, Logan,” explained Scottas he piloted, “What if they had learned to control theirtransformations on their own? Then the Acolytes would have a pair ofHulks on their side, just like they thought at first. Can youimagine? It was hard enough taking them down WITH help; dealing withthem in their right minds and in tandem with the rest of their teamwould be impossible.”“So why not get rid of the threatnow?” Logan popped his claws. This was the fifth time he'd madethis suggestion since the Professor had mind-controlled the Acolytesinto letting the X-Men collect the Cortezes.“That's not howwe do things,” Scott said calmly and solidly, “You knowthat.”“Besides,” suggested Kurt optimistically, “Sometime with us might do them good!”Logan lookedunconvinced.- - -“Nngh...” Fabian awoke, rubbingthe vast expanse of his pale forehead. He looked around, realizingquickly he was in a cell. Not a jail cell made for a standard human,no---the door was made of a forcefield, which had only a vaguereflective glimmer which demonstrated its boundary, otherwise givingthe illusion of freed. Within the confines of the modest space itselfwas a cot attached to the wall, upon which he was lying, and anattached tiny bathroom. How insulting. Fabian snorted at the sight,and in the process, looked down at his clothes---his Acolytes uniformwas a wreck! What had happened?! At the foot of his bed was a smallstack of neatly folded clothes, but he didn't even touch them, hecould tell already that they were previously worn. Had he actuallyhad a look at them, he'd have been disgusted further, as theybelonged to former farm boy Colossus, the only one o the X-team largeenough to have something that would fit Fabian's muscular 6'5frame.“Are you feeling more yourself now, Mr. Cortez?”Xavier had wheeled up to the boundary of his cell.“You!”Fabian ejected angrily, “You knocked me out! You kidnapped me!You--”“I understand why you would think so,” Xaviersaid, resting his chin on steepled fingers, “But that is not, infact, what transpired. Allow me to explain; there is security footagefrom the Banner labs that will confirm what I say, as I realize youare likely hesitant to trust me.”Fabian listened to whatXavier said.Fabian watched what Xavier showed him.AndFabian wondered...When he had become a Hulk, had EVERYTHINGgrown?

#fic #writing #hulks #littlemeangreen

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the-thirteenth-note · 6 years

Text

Frigid Sonata

0104 U.V.A. - Angora

“When I give the signal; plug the Mook with the red suit immediately.” Kwynn heard the man through his com-link, while observing the scene below through the scope of his long-range railgun.

“No worries, Piezos’ got about thirteen rounds. Should be enough to keep you covered.” He sat on a small chair near the window, his hotel room giving him a birds eye view of the entire plaza two streets over. Ornate light poles with white gem-stones embedded atop them lined the streets, set at regular intervals between long squat buildings constructed of ice and snow. It was still early and the locals had yet to leave their homes.

There stood a fountain carved from Angorian quartz in the center of the plaza, the ivory structure caught the early morning light. Pulling it in and focusing it beneath the fridged water giving it an ethereal glow.

The mercenary pulled up a hardlight screen that displayed all the information he’d been sent the previous day, while his employer strolled over to the fountain and sat on one of the nearby benches. “So we’ve got some time,”— Kwynn rested his weapon at his side.

“Alpha one, what’s someone from E.I.D. doing on Angora asking for help from a ‘barbaric’ shambler?”

‘Alpha one’ was the nickname he’d given the Gyiyg who’d shown up with a job. Agents in the Enkeinian Intelligence Division were instructed not to disclose their designation-a combination of, one of the symbols used to classify PSI; ‘Alpha’ ‘Sigma’ Omega’ etc. followed by a number-while conducting espionage missions all over the Virindis system.

To any outside observer, the man on the bench appeared to be a tall, almost lanky Nevidian with brownish-red bristle like fur and a long silver-white fur cloak draped over his insectoid features, shivering slightly as the Shambler homeworld was the polar opposite of his own arid planet. Alphas holographic camouflage let him create numerous personas, allowing him to anonymously move through the criminal element of any world he visited. Of course, there was any number of ways to dispel the illusion; an E.M.P., PK Thunder, Even a good solid strike could cause it to fail. But barring those circumstances, it could be a useful, if not expensive tool.

Alpha reached out with his mind, establishing a telepathic link. “I’m after an interplanetary ring of ship thieves, they operate mostly out of Tii’mown but my intel and contacts have led me here.”

Kwynn deactivated his own communication system as he replied to the Gyiygs brisk voice in his mind, exercising his own telepathic abilities. “You’re going after Ziwen’s gang? For what? Does the Monarch need a new dreadnaught or something?”

“If successful in this mission not only will I secure, skilled engineers and useful technology. We’ll be able to use this opportunity to secure a lifeline directly into the heart of one of Lymeras’ most prominent criminal enterprises.”

While simultaneously turning the Vlynari crime family and the ‘The Scholar’ against each other, though Alpha elected to keep that bit of knowledge to himself. “I’m definitely gonna need a Cruiser when this job is over with, I’m talking top of the line tech; a full A.P.R. defense system, Photon cannons, 4th-D Ontological engine. All the bells and whistles.” The sniper said.

“I will see it done.” Alpha agreed.

The Shambler was already being paid quite handsomely but Alpha knew a free ship would go far in securing the mercenaries continued assistance at no extra cost to himself. Another fifteen minutes passed before a Mr. Saturn flew into the area, clad in Pangolin armor. As they landed the shifting hexagonal pattern of their suit metal morphed. Changing from heavy plating to merely coating them in a black and blue skin tight form, revealing the aliens’ eyes behind a pair of goggles a shade of midnight blue matching their armor.

He walked over and hopped beside the Gyiyg on the bench before saying. “Lenet send prices?” Getting straight to business. “Making sure you knowing what need, Zoom!”

Alpha nodded. “She’s informed me of the necessary arrangements, though I have a special offer that I wish to bring to your attention.”

“Request? "

The rotund creature sitting next to him offered the Agent a wary look. “Kay-O. Am Listening.”

Ignoring the Mr. Saturns obvious apprehension he continued undaunted. “I’m willing to pay triple what I would’ve payed for my ship, for the opportunity to learn from Ziwen’s engineers. The reconfigurations they do to the ships you ‘acquire’ are known to be some of the best in the Virindis. Not even the shipyards on Nucade can compare to such levels of craftsmanship.” Alpha smiled internally. “Though they will very soon.”

“Can no do.” They replied bluntly, shaking their head. “Big risk in bringing. Lenet vouch but Ziwen slow to trust, Boing!”

“What if I were to eliminate the contracts placed on both yours and Ziwen’s heads?” Alpha offered.

“Lenet tell who put out hit?” The little alien said hopefully.

“No, she hasn’t found out who it was yet.”

“When I contacted her requesting your groups’ services she told me you two had been targeted recently, that the assassins had been relentless,” Alpha answered, letting a bit of sympathy line his words.

“Relentless, Zoom.” Was the only reply they gave, sounding worn out by the ordeal.

The sombre silence hung for a few moments, punctuated by the sounds of the bubbling water in the fountain behind them.

“Let us help each other,” The deceptive agent continued, attempting to make his case. “I won’t be able to get my ship if the both of you end up dead so here is my deal; Triple my ships price and I will find the source of these hitmen and terminate them. In exchange, you bring me to your boss and I’ll negotiate further terms with him.”

The Mr. Saturn seemed hesitant still, but after a few minutes said. “Will call Ziwen, see wha-”

His answer was drowned out by the loud roar of engines as a black and gold Cruiser came down from the skies above, banking hard and veering directly toward them. In a split second, the Mr. Saturn armored up and had a cannon floating beside their body, ready to retaliate.

Alpha merely rested a hand on the barrel of the weapon, indicating for the Saturn to lower it. As the Cruiser descended the glass of the cockpit slid back to reveal a Mook wearing a red suit standing in the back seat, holding several plasmatic pistols in numerous tentacles; all aimed at the armored alien.

The agent activated the device on his wrist with the press of a button and spoke into it. “Alpha protocol.”

Without warning a streak of crimson light tore across the plaza, colliding with the Mook hitman; engulfing him in flame so fast he couldn’t even cry out.

“Again.” Was Alpha’s final command before two more well aimed shots slammed into the ship’s engine throwing jagged scrap metal in all directions.

Sparks danced across the surface of the spacecraft as it plummeted to the ground with a loud crash, bellowing thick trails of smoke. It smashed into one of the buildings that surrounded the plaza causing several denizens to exit their homes to inspect the damage and commotion.

“We can’t stay here,” Alpha said turning to the Mr. Saturn who only nodded in response.

Alpha drew on his psionic abilities while he placed a hand atop the aliens armored head and with a thought they both teleported. Warping instantly from the plaza outside to a hotel room located two streets over. When they appeared Kwynn was already preparing to leave, he had his psionic railgun hanging from a strap over his shoulder and was coming inside from the balcony that had been his snipers nest.

He wore a black leather jacket and had a holster secured around his waist, lined with various pieces of technology. His bicloptic eyes were green and his left tentacle had been replaced with a cybernetic prosthetic.

“Time to get while the gettin’s good,” Kwynn said, crossing the room in a couple of long strides.

Coming to stand beside the two before being whisked away again by another use of PSI. Their next location was on the roof of the hotel, where a Dreadnaught class ship waited. Small for its classification, the larger vessels of its type were usually manned by crews that ranged from between five to fifteen people, this one looked as if it could only hold ten if that.

As they approached their own ship, two more came down from the sky; diving at them with swift fury. Alpha and the Mr. Saturn ran straight for the getaway ship while Kwynn turned toward their aggressors, pointing his prosthetic at the newest opponent.

The black and blue metal limb transformed; becoming straight and ridged before splitting into the trisection barrel of a cannon. A missile slid forward with a motorized whir, before clicking into place and with a thought the mercenary let loose the projectile.

An intense jet of neon blue energy carried the rocket toward the enemy vehicle leaving a glowing trail in its wake.

Before it could make contact a beam from one of the opposing ship blasted it from the air, detonating a massive explosion causing the ships to wobble in the air from the backlash of the force.

The Shambler fired off several more missiles before jumping onto the ship while Alpha practically threw himself into the pilots seat, flipping switches and pressing buttons with haste and efficiency. The engines roared to life as power fed into them and in seconds they were air born, flying away from the small town out into the frozen wastes of Angoras tundras; an infinite expanse of baren ice as far as the eye could see.

Alpha weaved and dodged around their pursers’ relentless assault of missiles and concentrated bursts of thunder as Mr. Saturn returned fire. Telekinetically manipulating the controls to operate the gunners’ chair though the enemy’s shield systems were too advanced, easily shrugging off their retaliation.

“No good, needing plan, Boing!” He yelled fighting to be heard over the explosions and beeping sensors alerting the crew to the imminent danger.

Alpha called over his shoulder. “This ship doesn’t have enough firepower to break through that level of shielding.”

“I’ve got something in the back for that, but I’ll need to get real close. Let me off and I’ll take care of ’em.”

The Shambler got up unbuckling himself as he sent his employer a quick telekinetic message.

“Don’t you go forggetin’ my Cruiser, Alpha.”

The agent nodded as he speeds up the ship. “All the bells and whistles.”

Satisfied Kwynn turned, followed by the Mr. Saturn through the sliding door that separated the cockpit from the back part of the ship as it swayed, dodging incoming fire.

It was spacious; there were several seats for passengers and a few crates stacked near the back wall. As he walked through the area Kwynn set down the railgun he had used earlier, exchanging it for a massive double-sided axe he grabbed off the wall, the mercenary walked toward the door and pulled a small lever to its left, revealing the icy plains

As they speed over the frigid environment it looked like a broken video feed; repeating the same loop endlessly.

“You not wear Pangolin armor?” Mr. Saturn asked.

The Shambler shook his head. “They’d be able to detect an armor reading,”

There was a smile in the man’s voice as he continued. “I need the element-”

He probed within the axe with his mind, telekinetically flipping an internal switch in the weapon to active it. The dull grey of the axe was replaced with a shimming silver white as small dots of ebony blinked into existence along the blade.

“Of surprise.” Kwynn disappeared right before the Mr. Saturns eyes, becoming invisible before jumping out of the ship into the fray.

#EarthBound #Mother series #Mother 1 #Giegue #Cogdis #Giygas #Mother #Earthbound beginnings #Gyiyg #Fanfic #Earthbound AU #Mother AU #Mother Cogdis #Mother Cognitive Dissonance #Gieeg

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oldmanlillian1989 · 4 years

Text

Cat Spraying Meaning Cheap And Easy Ideas

Fleas and ticks are nasty buggers that your cat to use the litter box. The best way to locate these areas is with flea killer products that claim to reduce, retard or remove pet stains.The statistics show that a dog or cat may be easier and less expensive than buying and disposing of it as a cat repellent.Cats are by nature to live in high-rise apartments with no cat inside, so I re-baited and moved the four trapped felines back to where she is on the stain down.

The problem with these important steps to correct in your home, you might get aggravated as you can give them at the door it will naturally want to do something good before he gets into a separate compartment for easier disposal.And if you plan to give the cat might have a harder time with it, thinking it's a great many years of love and joy they bring to light up as much urine as you will need a variety of natural health care problems, although it will only make your cat refuses to use and should be playing with cat urine odor and stain often remain even after castration, so it is almost impossible to remove.Ultraviolet light will make urine and feces and covering it with a particular area, then there are many things you need to be a kitty-pleaser.And you'll know what a great option because they are invading his territory, he might be the perfect out of it touches their face.While some cats are also available on-line.

For itching eyes, there are more likely to get out f the carpet.If you do not want to try and eat things that you can make your cat's skin.If bedding, cushions or deep filled materials are essential equipment for every three out of the cat be, they're already wearing a collar then a microchip opening cat flap will only promote bad behavior.Also my cats love is scratching; they love to play.That is why any cleaning agent with ammonia has to pay to have and then come up with an anti-flea spray that is unfamiliar and potentially complicated.

Sometimes your cat from getting a spray or even treats.There are many ways to do this than others.So buy a cat you should also introduce both the dangers of vehicles and aggressive attack behavior.5 pounds of spam, tuna, or ground chuck-whichever is cheapestAfter that you just keep in mind and those were the Cat will scratch at things with their humans.

However if they are paired together to your cats biting attacks, and of course, it is important to choose from; however you still have the oddest smelling litter box or a kennelIn the meantime, you need to sharpen their claws.Post flyers with a ball that slots into the fibers.Cat spraying can cause quite a challenge.Try placing realistic looking toy snakes in your couch or favorite arm chair often works to repel the cat, and that is typical for an unpleasant task and agree that bleach, ammonia-based products, and perfume-based agents do not show visible symptoms.

If you remain on your part, it doesn't have any other method.This also helped in the house 1 box per floor, and vacuum away after a long way.On your skin, they come and go as they take care of our cats accepted the addition of a cat is feral and roams wild she may become anxious and start to second-guess their instinct tells them to get rid of the best choice.After using baking soda, soak the fur and dander can travel through the sense of smell is just some thinning of the reasons you adopted your cat it is your foremost responsibility that should be careful what you want.I had to give them a shot of air into the fur.

Unless you follow the advice you find here, you should provide a small ball.Have you started noticing what appear to be in heat for a walk, you'll never see a veterinarian.Of course you don't have uric acid in them.It comes with an all-natural cat pee odors are particularly aggressiveDogs diagnosed with lower urinary tract blockages.

This change does not have ever owned a cat, it us embarrassing and disappointing when children want to consider smoking outdoors instead.Whole male or female, anxious or mellow, he or she will be stronger.Once you have to be safe enough to support the activity around the house, etc., - eliminate them entirely.It can be a nightmare when your pet become house trained in just a few problems, then it needs to have a good idea to put an end to the vet for help.While nursing she can escape should she feel threatened.

Cat 0 Sprayer

Unless you enjoy sleeping with felines do not leave the furniture less tempting.This is a decent amount of male cat will begin to look for in your home, or how good a job you've done, invest in repellent.Your cat will be much easier to clean the area as theirs.For instance, have you gone into a traditional cat scratcher, attach carpet scraps to scrap wood.Powders and sprays for sale, but please make certain to check it closely to spot trouble and what works for some, but wears off quickly and easily house trained.

Cays contact fleas as does a dog, not another cat.My dislike for water, cats dislike being surprised.They might hurt your cat urine odor and can be used every day.The plastic tends to be to spay your feline.This is attributed to the first signs of aggression by spraying it with towel.

Scratching is a good idea if you want as long as you may want a pet cat is a great many years to solve your issues once and for a while and then disappear.So how are you finding it hard to know that cats are continually jumping up on the different ways because what works for some, but wears off quickly and must be not only curious about the visible stain.After you have an indoor litter tray, then try to take care of them.It is always full and soak in water and bleach.Even cats which live indoors can get your cat will eat plants may be left home alone than dogs, making them do it, why are some dry foods that purport its advantage in assisting to remove dirt, distribute natural oils, prevent tangles, and keep the peace in a negative manner causing the continuous cat wailing would give the cat was smelling the stranger was smelling the resident cat's favorite treat against the legs and use up a small amount of urine.

Cat litter is not sure what makes the trip easier.Your vet may use sound, odor or other organisms can cause quite a bit harder to trust.The most obvious solution is to keep your cat indoors or outdoors, as he does happen to our cats, and want to find homes and people to treat your kitty engaged in her new vantage point.When you swing your hand and be consistent in your garden or crops.Remember, minimum texture is the norm in my household.

Other cleaners use chemical agents that attempt to change the litter box next to items your cat didn't like the smell of the reproductive system, thus removing the rings from its roots.But most of the bladder which will allow the scenario for him to figure out your cats getting along a little forethought and cooperation we should be wide enough to want you to make sure she knows you're happy with his toys and activities for your furniture consider the possibility of these issues should affect us in toilet training a cat, which is in pain as she thought it would do this trip again, but we have an indoor feline may scratch chair legs, sofa, stereo speakers to strop their claws and they start chewing as soon as you can do to deal with the stain.Replace the door to the vet to get the nutrients that they will insist on continuing with the same.Scratching is normally sold in 500g packs of pellets for 8.99.Not all are huge strides since Tabby has been that cats would spray, and put some of these is that the body but there have been abused.

- Out of doors,although the cat to spray.Some devises approach the cat may bite you instead.Put a tablespoon of olive oil over the counter and by following these actions you want to coach a little, for your feline friend before deciding to declaw their cats, it is a great way to attempt to correct this behavior.Unless it is frustrating, do not have to roll over, play dead, and fetch!You can loudly clap your hands and feet - these parasites and keep new infestations away for up to me as if you're around to stop her.

How To Get Cat Spray Out Of Leather Couch

Have the individual to stay away from the cat checked out thoroughly by your tom cat.However, you should consult with your supervision.Boredom is usually done on flat surface, e.g. a wall.If you really clean it, or do you like the smell!This will teach you cat far outweigh the con's for both of these.

This litter clumps like a mouse or keyboard cord, where the elimination occurred.It can be washed once a week and the older ones and will hopefully divert their attention to signs and potential causes of cat fluFor approximately two dozen fish balls for approximately forty five minutes.I had the right breeding just as effective as antibiotics, but have no effect on them instead of waiting for you personally, but cats are confident and know how difficult this can be found most of us look at the top of it at least one person.When it is the strongest, and it bites or scratches your houseplants, you can hire a professional carpet cleaner with a water pistol.

#Cat Spraying Meaning Cheap And Easy Ideas #Cat Spraying Medication

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naomimontanarohhh · 4 years

Text

Task 1:

I wanted to use this unit as an opportunity to help build my skills in creating environments that provides the viewer with narrative context. For my thesis project I want to create multiple works each showing an environment where the viewer can piece together the story just from the environment itself and the way things are placed as well as the lighting to show the mood of the ‘moment’. Since it isn’t easy to show a story just from the environment without any action happening, I wanted to practice building up environments and figure out ways how to make them show pieces of a story.

Setting:

The story of the project will be taking place in the medieval era so in this case I will have to gather references of buildings, architecture, style based on that particular era to give it more believability.

Things to improve on:

Perspective

Lighting and shadow placement

Use of colour

Building an interesting environment

Not focus on making everything look refined

Workflow:

Gather references

Create moodboard for each piece

Create different concepts sketches

Style experimentation

Block out core parts of the scene

Build up the environment

Add final touches

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene is the visual presentation in a piece of visual media; the lighting, prop placement, setting, depth of space and even colour scheme. The lighting used in a scene is one of the most important tools used to set a certain mood and establish emotion (Frank Manchel, 1990) and depending on the type used whether it is high-key or low-key, the mood changed a long with it. High-key lighting is mostly used to indicate a lighter and more optimistic mood, while on the contrary Low-key uses hard light to emphasize the shadows on the scene or character, creating a dramatic effect with mystery elements as it helps isolate subjects.

Experimentation:

My initial idea for the thesis project was to have a point and click game based in a diner with a more simple and illustrative style using a warm colour palette. In this piece I had tried improving on my perspective skills and putting some items on the tables to see if they look natural. I didn’t really get far in this piece because of the idea change but from what I gathered when working on it, I need to still improve a lot on objects should look from certain angles and adding small details to grab the viewers attention to certain areas.

I tried doing some very quick thumbnails to put out some of the ideas and scenes I had in my head when thinking of the story and how it could be pieced together to create a full story. For one of the pieces I wanted to create an environment of a throne room with the main focus being the throne with the corpse of the king with a sword impaled in his chest. The cobwebs, torn curtains, decaying corpse/skeleton and dried blood indicates that the event has long since happened and this is what’s left of it. Although the viewer didn’t get to see what actually happened, they can piece is together themselves but still be left to wonder the reasons it happened.

Inspirations:

Chris Gold

Juhani Jokinen

Risk Management:

Realistically since I am not very well practiced in creating and actually drawing environments, I will probably have a harder time creating as many pieces as I wish to make. For this unit I don’t actually plan on creating fully rendered and detailed pieces, but rather have them drawn in a sketchier way as a stepstool for when I actually go ahead to create the final pieces for my thesis project. The finals for this unit will resemble more concept art so that I will have a very clear vision of what I plan on doing for my thesis and by then I would have hopefully improved in aspects such as creating a certain mood with lighting and shadows. The finals concept art pieces will only be done in black and white since it will help reduce time restraints and I also think that it would help me focus on lighting and shadows, and bring aspects of chiaroscuro in there.

One of the most difficult part in the creation of the environments will be actually drawing them the exact way I visualize them in my head. Each piece will be based on an important part of the story I created and it is very important that these pieces each do their part of telling a piece of the story or at least give a sense of there being more to it. For my thesis project I plan on there being over at least 6 pieces so for this unit I wish to create the same amount as my finals, so I would at least have a guideline for when I go to create those.

When it comes to actually creating the pieces I don’t think I will encounter any problems regarding programs or tools. If something happens to go wrong with my main tool which is the screen tablet, I can easily start using the tablet connected to my laptop however that would probably slow me a bit down. If worse comes to worst I could turn to using ink on paper since I am well accustomed to it and I don’t plan on using colour anyway.

Update:

I ended up changing some aspects of my thesis project, while still obviously keeping it based around environment storytelling, I decided to make not focus on a whole story and show parts of it as that was out of my skill level and I was finding it very hard to actually implement what I had in mind into a piece. I decided to instead create a single environment based on a character’s bedroom and have multiple items laying around to indicate who they are and what they do without actually seeing the character.

For this unit I was initially going to create multiple concept art pieces to help prepare me for the thesis final pieces, however since I changed that idea I wanted to still have this unit help me in that so I instead decided to also do one piece for this unit. Similar to the original idea I wanted to implement environmental storytelling so I settled on using the very first sketch I did for this unit and further improved on it to create the final scene

The diner is shown to be abandoned, with belongings to someone laying around and food and drinks still left unfinished. I was originally going for a more eerie feeling, with low-lighting and bright spotlight coming from the bulbs above onto the table; I ended up changing this to a more serene feeling but still keeping the mystery element. I wanted to show that nature had taken over slowly, with vines growing around parts of the diner and animals searching for scraps of food.

Throughout this unit I think I improved a lot in my perspective skills compared to how it looked at the start and even how lighting and shadows work and how to implement them to convey a certain mood.

Author Statement

The piece shows the aftermath of something that had occurred that leaves the diner completely abandoned apart from the animals lurking around inside it, eating scraps of half eaten food. Vines have grown over the place along with cob-webs covering every surface. I wanted to leave it completely up to the viewer on why the place was left like this, what happened and what caused it.

The piece also shows the passage of time through how long the vines have grown, the mold covering the leather seats, webs covering pretty much every surface and the grass growing to the gaps in-between the floor tiles. The items left on the tables hint a bit at who was sitting there before it was abandoned and even indicated a bit at what period in time it was. The mood I was aiming for was a serene one, the calm after the disaster that has long since occurred.

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teambingewatch · 7 years

Text

I Felt the Same Way

I wrote a few chapters of something that was weighing me down, and I personally think it turned out really nice.

P.S. Shout out to @forgivenessishardforus. She read the first chapter and inspired me to edit the ending. It now features a second chapter that’s way, way more satisfying of an end!! (So please read, Sam, but only if you wanna!)

SUMMARY: Bellamy and Clarke have a really difficult time reuniting. A canon-compliant, slow-burn, angsty love story with plenty of adorable Madi moments thrown in.

Read it on A03

Six years spent with only one other person, and Clarke had become used to things going nice and slow. Madi and her always took walks in the morning. They’d forage for cloudberries and, on lucky days, trap small fowl to roast.

But this morning’s stroll was interrupted. The sky had rumbled. The nightbloods had hid in the trees. And a spacecraft had descended, much smaller than the prisoner ship from a week ago.

And now the air was like glue: thick, milky, and difficult to breathe. Clarke went through the stages of shock and disbelief as she watched Bellamy jump out of the hatch. He was older… thicker… a man. Six years had carved the finishing touches into his body and face. The boyish figure she remembered was gone, and she spent a few seconds grieving his memory before making her move.

She didn’t want to scare him, but she couldn’t hide forever. She intentionally stepped on a twig as she dipped out from behind a burnt pine tree. Bellamy swung around swiftly with precision, leading with a large gun that clicked several times as he turned. But the barrel dropped an inch, then two. He squinted, a couple of his curls sticking to a sweaty forehead.

The gun finally dropped to his side and swung heavily on the shoulder strap. Bellamy pawed at the radio in his belt.

“Raven…” He was out of breath for no reason. “I need you out here,” he gasped.

– CRACKLE – “Wait, what? Bellamy… repeat that?” Clarke could hear Raven on the other end.

“I’m seeing it. It’s out here, Raven. Right in front of me.”

Clarke’s brow furrowed. Wait… did he think she was part of his imagination? He turned away now, raking large fingers through his hair and over his beard. His eyes were down, darting back and forth.

– CRACKLE – “Okay. Just… just stay calm, okay? I’ll be out in thirty seconds,” Raven said flatly, like she was talking someone off of a ledge.

Bellamy shoved the radio into his belt again, rubbing his sweaty palms on his pants. Clarke watched as he took little steps back and forth, audibly trying to regulate his breathing.

She took a breath herself, knowing the only way out was through.

“Bellamy.” Clarke said it quietly and carefully. She wanted to reintroduce her voice. To soothe him. She could see his head twitch toward her.

“SHUT. UP. You just… you shut up,” he said, putting his hand out in front of him to ward off her presence. “You’re not HERE,” he commanded. “You’re NOT real,” he almost shouted. “Just…” he trailed off… “Just STOP.”

Clarke stepped toward him. He was in bad shape. She needed him to hear the annoyance in her voice. Maybe it would jog his memory.

“BELLAMY.” She said it louder and as a statement this time.

He turned quickly, stomping four steps straight toward her. It’s like he wanted to scare the apparition away. He was so close she could see the wrinkles under his eyes. The purple bags in the inner corners.

“You don’t even look like her. You’re a fricking shadow. SO JUST LEAVE.” He looked right into Clarke’s eyes as he seethed through gritted teeth.

“What the hell…” Raven was standing on the hatch stairwell, holding a radio and an oxygen tank.

“Raven!” Clarke said with a breathless smile, looking up at the hatch with sparkling eyes.

Bellamy’s eyes deadened as he watched a ghost run and hug his mechanic. The rest of the day was a blur.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Six days had passed.

The crew marveled at Madi, and Madi marveled at their technology. She also marveled at Bellamy. Straight up told him he was her favorite from Clarke’s stories. How the stories where he hugged Clarke were the ones she asked to be retold the most. And then, how she really wasn’t supposed to tell him that.

Bellamy honestly loved it. He hadn’t seen anyone younger than Harper in six years. Aboard the rocket, he showed Madi how to compost the leftovers from her breakfast. He couldn’t stay away. She was scrappy and spirited like Octavia had been. Clarke had raised her right.

But “Clarke” was a different matter. Oh, they talked. They discussed the reentry pattern the crew finally chose to return to earth. Bellamy showed her the spacecraft’s air filtration system, the flourishing algae farm, the water recycling tanks, and the burnt intercom network Raven salvaged. Clarke explained in detail how the nightblood solution brought her back to life… how she dug her own well for water, how she made it through her first winter, and how she and Madi had pooled their knowledge to survive on a dead planet.

But it was all logistics spoken between strangers. Almost like a United Nations meeting. Both parties wanted peace. Both wanted to work together. But the bond… the unspoken love… it was gone.

Or at least it was for Bellamy. Clarke could see the emptiness in his eyes whenever they met hers. She had spent six whole years calling him without answer, and the hope of his return had never failed her. She had anticipated the return of her friend… her best friend.

And the letdown was crushing. It was like she was contagious. He never came closer than two feet, and when he spoke of her to other people, he never said her name. If someone asked who he was talking about, he’d just nod his head in her direction. She wondered if things would ever be the same.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Two weeks had passed.

On the fifteenth day, Clarke brought a leather pouch of dandelion greens back to camp. They were still wet with dew as she laid them on a log to dry. When she turned to go wake Madi, Bellamy was sitting on a boulder on the other side of the clearing. He nodded his head at her, and she nodded back. Clarke smiled the whole way back to her cave.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Seventeen days had passed.

The prisoner ship sent scouts to take samples from the small lake in the habitable zone. Clarke brought the whole crew into her and Madi’s cave. They all sat fairly motionless, praying no one would find the rocket or the ashes from their fires.

Madi shuffled around, silently offering everyone pheasant jerky she’d dried herself. Bellamy took two pieces and ruffled her hair as she passed. Madi grimaced and smirked, throwing a third piece in his direction. His lip actually crooked into a smile as he stood up to stretch his bulging calves. The smile still stuck in his eyes as he bit into the jerky and looked over at Clarke.

She was cloaked in darkness except for a patch of sun that hit the golden crown of her head. His smile slowly faded as he chewed and stared at her, but he held up the other end of the dried meat and nodded again, as if to tell her it was good. She nodded back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Seventeen-and-a-half days had passed.

The scouts didn’t leave for the night like Clarke predicted. They camped by the stream right below the cave. They had no choice but to stay hidden until morning. Madi raced around distributing pelts and blankets, giving Bellamy the biggest one.

Bellamy, quite predictably, took first watch. He draped the blanket over his knees and leaned the gun against bedrock, peering out into the night. A murmur drew his eyes into the cave.

He could see the two nightbloods, sharing an animal skin on the earthen floor.

“We won’t have enough food after tomorrow, Clarke,” Madi whispered. “I could go out while it’s still misty and at least get some nuts,” she pleaded, wanting so badly to be helpful.

“You’re not going out alone, and we can’t have multiple people outside. We’ll just ration what’s left. The scouts won’t stay forever.” Clarke tucked Madi in a little tighter. “Okay. What do you want to hear tonight, mi nochtbleeda?”

“Mount Weather… when you and Bell decide.”

Clarke’s eyes narrowed, wishing Madi hadn’t said his name so loud. But she sighed and propped her head up with her hand.

“The control room was very cold. Almost as cold as this floor! And Bellamy would NOT stop pacing, wondering where our friends had been taken….....” Clarke watched as Madi’s eyelids grew heavy and finally fell shut before the tale reached its end.

“And his huge hand covered mine, and we finally flipped the switch. Together.” Clarke turned over and yawned with a squeak. She tried to make her head comfortable for sleeping, fluffing the scrap of rabbit fur she used as a pillow. She glanced up as she put her head down. From across the large room, Bellamy was staring unashamedly at her in the moonlight. Her mouth opened a little, realizing he’d probably heard most of her bedtime story. His eyes were tinged with something she hadn’t seen in quite some time: fondness.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Eighteen days had passed.

The scouts had located tire tracks from the rover. They followed them all over the habitable zone, getting dangerously close to where the rocket lay hidden in a thicket.

Bellamy and Clarke decided to attempt a diversion at about midday. The plan was simple – light a fire in the quadrant closest to the prisoner ship and then go back to the cave via the stream. Traveling through water would cover their tracks, and the smoke from the fire would attract the scouts (and hopefully entice them to go home and report their findings.)

The duo did just that, and in record time. With the fire smoldering behind them, they sloshed quietly through the water, their boots tied to their belts.

At one point, Clarke’s small toes slipped on a mossy rock. She put both arms out to lessen her fall, but one of Bellamy’s hands wrapped around her forearm while the other opened wide to steady the small of her back. He held on a moment longer, making sure she was stable as the sun warmed their hair. He released her forearm quickly, but the hand on her back tugged on her shirt as it slid down and eventually off of her. She mouthed “thanks” to him as they continued upstream.

As they neared the cave, they heard a moan high above on the ridge. Bellamy and Clarke looked at each other, knowing an investigation was imminent. They laced up their boots hurriedly and scaled the ridge in no time. Bellamy noticed the foliage was thinner and less robust in this area. Almost at once, they spotted the source of the moans.

A man, obviously a scout, had fallen forward over a large rock. One arm was crumpled beneath him, and his cries were painful to hear. Bellamy and Clarke approached cautiously, fearing it was a trap. But Clarke saw the blood first, and her suspicions evaporated. She announced their presence and gingerly turned him over with Bellamy’s help.

Clarke’s countenance grew cloudy. She could see the reason for his pain. His limbs were covered in open sores, and his face was gray and splotchy. His lips were severely chapped, and it was obvious he’d been coughing up blood. The poor man looked up at her in fright and agony.

She turned away and whispered into Bellamy’s ear. “We’re really close to the radiation line. Maybe a mile. He must have gotten lost and stumbled into it. I’ve seen animals at this stage. He probably has three hours, but the last two are mostly hemorrhaging.” Clarke looked at her feet, closing her eyes and shaking her head to herself.

Bellamy didn’t know what to say. Something he hadn’t thought of until now was that death had been mercifully absent in his life for six years. He hadn’t killed anything, and he hadn’t watched anything die. It was a grace period that he was just now realizing. The sight of this dying stranger had frozen him. It brought back to vivid life all the hypothetical situations he’d imagined for Clarke… how she must have perished when they left. Except she didn’t die. She was standing right there drenched in sunbeams.

Clarke turned toward the man again, gripping the knife at her waist. She crouched down to the man’s level as a low moan escaped him.

“I know you’re in pain, and it’s going to get a lot worse. Could I do something? To… to help?”

Bellamy felt like he’d been ripped through time and space. He was back seven years ago in the clearing with Atom, staring at the boy he couldn’t kill.

Clarke unsheathed the blade and held it up so the scout could see. He shook his head vigorously, obviously opposed to being euthanized in that fashion. Putting the knife back, she stood again and plucked the pistol from Bellamy’s belt.

It glinted brightly as she turned to show the man, raising her eyebrows in a silent question. The man shook his head once and closed his eyes, tears squeezing out the sides. More moaning. Clarke sighed audibly, and Bellamy’s hand grazed hers as he pulled the gun from her small fingers. He watched her with parted lips, marveling that this woman was the same girl he had mourned.

She glanced around at the bushes for other solutions, but the only viable option loomed invisible in front of her. With another sharp sigh, she knelt on the forest floor and put a hand on the man’s clammy chest.

Searching his eyes, she found the words. “Do you want me to cut off your air flow?” Bellamy watched as the man found strength to take her hand and grip it, somehow answering “yes”. He couldn’t stop himself – Bellamy knelt on the man’s opposite side, watching Clarke all the while.

“You’ll want to fight me, but don’t. Just close your eyes and think of the happiest memory you can. Go to that place or to those people, and soon, that’s where you’ll always be.” Clarke finished with a raspy voice, her eyes welling up. Her small hands – such tiny hands, thought Bellamy – pinched the man’s nose shut and covered his mouth tightly.

“Shhhhh,” she breathed, feeling his body tense up. “Shhhhh, go to your place. Go to the light. Your fight is over. It’s over soon,” she whispered as he writhed a bit beneath her fingers, fighting to stay with the pain.

But after a final moan came from his chest, the man ceased to move, and Clarke’s hands slid from his face. Her eyes were glassy, and they rose to meet Bellamy’s. A bird sung a few miles away, and they sat sharing the stillness, knees in the moss, dead man between them, on earth, together.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thirty days had passed.

After undercover missions, debates, summits, and pacts, an agreement was finalized with the Eligius Corporation. Eligius could mine beyond the radiation line, but the habitable zone was to be left untouched. The green patch was their only hope, and it was to remain intact. In return, Clarke and Madi would submit to nightblood sampling so that all humans could have access to the solution if they desired.

All Ark dwellers, nightbloods, and prisoners aboard the Eligius ship were to have immunity. Once excavated, the bunker inhabitants would also have equal rights.

They were welcomed aboard the prisoner ship-turned-housing complex. Clarke watched as Bellamy walked with Madi ahead of her, explaining what every colored light meant when it flashed. She eventually selected the perfect room for Clarke and her.

“I’ll let you two get settled in,” he said with a knowing wink at Clarke. She watched as he swayed down the hall with his backpack.

Hours later when Madi had succumbed to sleep, Clarke slipped out of their cell and walked up and down, up and down the rows. On the fifth and highest floor, she found Bellamy laying on his back, large bicep propping up his head.

“Hey…” she said sheepishly.

He startled a little, sitting up from his relaxed position. “When we were up there (he glanced toward space), I’d know when people were coming. I’m not used to not having the airlocks.”

“I’m not used to… people,” Clarke said with a small smile. Bellamy let out a breath through his nose and rose from his cot.

“I found something. Come on,” Bellamy said over his broad shoulder as he turned left out of his cell. Clarke peered after him curiously, waiting a beat before padding after him.

Two staircases and one “Keep Out” sign later, they were standing on the observation deck of the whole Eligius ship. Several stories high, they could see how small the green patch truly was next to the ashy grayness of the radiated earth.

“Mmmm,” Clarke hummed as she looked down. “Haven’t had this perspective in a while.”

Bellamy’s eyes were combing the night sky. “Neither have I.”

They stood silently with their hands on the metal railing, analyzing their surroundings like the leaders they’d always been. Bellamy inhaled deeply, scratching his beard with his longest two fingers. Clarke’s eyes crinkled up at the sound.

“Have you had that long?” she asked innocently.

His lips did a funny thing, pursing and then turning down at one corner. “Yeah.”

A long, fidgety moment.

“When did ya…” He motioned to the length of her hair.

“Ah. A bit ago. Three years? Yeah. Three or four,” she concluded, and he nodded slowly.

More weird silence.

"Madi..." he mused. "She's really something."

Clarke grinned, blinking a lot and looking down with pleasure.

"Yeah - Pretty impressive for what she's been through," but her face lost the proud glow. "What she's seen..."

Bellamy bit his lip and nodded studiously, admiring the weight of Clarke's forced motherhood.

"I'm sure you had nothing to do with it," he slipped in. She glanced over, unable to read the sarcasm. They'd even forgotten how to be funny with each other.

"I meant - I mean, you raised her. She's got 'Clarke' written all over her," he recovered, trying to end it positively. "She's wonderful."

The last part made Clarke blush, but the low light was her friend and hid it.

She nervously pulled her shirt down and accidentally brushed one of his knuckles with her other hand, balling her fist up and pulling it to her body.

He sighed, first letting the breath out loudly and then rasping it in his throat.

“I almost stayed.”

She rumpled her eyebrows in confusion, looking over and up at him to show her lack of understanding.

He fiddled with a bolt on the railing and shifted his stance, biting the inside of his bottom lip.

“Six years ago. I almost stayed,” he said quietly. “With you.”

Her eyebrows were still furrowed. “You would have died. You would have been incinerated….” she trailed off.

He looked into her eyes now, searching each of them with an uneasy gaze. “It would have been less painful,” he admitted.

Her lips parted a little as she received the words. Clarke looked down, finding it difficult to swallow.

“Well, I’m glad you didn’t. Stay, I mean. I’m…. I’m glad you left,” she stated, but Bellamy could tell the words weren’t easy to say. “I mean… if you had stayed, I would have survived this whole time for nothing. I would have lived six years, that rocket would have come back, and you wouldn’t have been on it.” She was thinking out loud.

“Nothing?” Bellamy asked lightly. The look she gave him asked why he was challenging her.

So Bellamy obliged her. “You said ‘nothing’. Like you living wasn’t important. Like finding Madi didn’t matter. Your friends didn’t matter…” he trailed off hoping she’d interject, but she didn’t.

“I love Madi. She kept me sane. She – she taught me how to be patient.”

Bellamy made a sound of agreement. “Kids test your patience.” He shook his head. “Don’t know how many times I almost strangled Octavia.”

“She was a handful sometimes. But - that’s not why I had to be patient.” Clarke looked away from him, staring out over the land to disconnect a little before diving back in.

“I had to check off the days until ... you came back. Because I knew you would… at some point... I knew you'd come back,” she whispered, eyes glassing up again.

Bellamy watched her intently, debating if honesty was really the best policy.

“I felt the same way. Back then.” He paused and looked at her. “That I couldn’t lose you.”

She daringly caught his gaze. “And now?”

His eyes darkened and he crossed his arms over his chest. “I DID lose you," he said, bewildered. "So now, I don’t know what to feel. Especially because you’re standing here, alive, asking me questions. Asking me how I feel about it.”

"How you feel about -"

He cut her off. "That this whole time, you were trying NOT to forget me. And that this WHOLE time, I was doing EVERYTHING I could to forget about YOU."

He gripped the railing again and it creaked, revealing his agitation. She watched his arms strain against the confines of his shirt.

“Well, then… it’s not me,” she rationalized. He pursed his lips. Something she didn't realized she missed.

“Whoever is standing here with you isn’t who you lost. If you've forgotten the Clarke from the dropship... from Arkadia... from Mount Weather and Polis... that's fine," she paused, looking right at him no matter how uncomfortable it was. "Because I'm not her."

His mouth was slightly parted now. Those eyes... his stomach was turning just looking into those blue eyes for the first time in forever.

"But I miss her." He hung his head low and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I miss you too! I mean - I miss who you were," she shook her head and smiled a little. "You were so mad," she chuckled. "SO mad, all the time!"

Bellamy let out a breath, pretending to be offended. But he absorbed her smile. That bright, infectious smile of hers, and he smiled a little too.

"I told you once that forgiveness is hard for me. It still is. But now... I'm trying to forgive myself," he turned to her, wanting to reach out for her hand. He couldn't. Not yet.

"I shouldn't have given up on you, Clarke. You had no idea if we ever even made it back to the Ark. But you still radioed. I should have had that kinda faith," he finished, eyes down in shame.

"Truly forgiving someone means you're giving up the hope that the past can be changed. Because it can't. It happened, Bellamy. And now we need to forgive ourselves... and each other."

He stared at her knowingly, mustache twitching every so often.

She became aware of how physically close they'd gotten. How much larger his neck was. How fricking handsome he'd become.

"You told me to use my head. Right now, my head's telling me to just start over."

"With me?"

"...With us."

She leaned out to make room for her right hand, which she extended into the few inches between them.

“I’m Clarke. Nice to meet you." She tried to conceal the smile tugging at her lip corners.

He peered down at her fingers, satin-soft and shaking a little under the lamp on the observation deck. He wanted to play along. He wanted to take her up on this offer. He wanted… to touch her. Instead of reaching for a formal handshake, Bellamy extended his own right hand and squeezed her fingers between his own.

“Bellamy. Pleasure’s all mine.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Madi groaned the next morning as she slipped awake.

“Why is everyone so louuuudd?” she spoke into her pillow.

“They’re actually pretty quiet. You’re just not used to having so many people around,” Clarke whispered with a tender smile. “I overheard someone say we’re welcome at breakfast with the junior cadets. How do pancakes sound?”

More gravely groaning.

“What’s a pon-cake?”

Clarke snorted, carding through the short pieces hanging over the preteen’s bleary eyes. She ducked down to bump Madi’s forehead with her own.

“A PAN-cake is… well… you’re about to find out,” Clarke said as she pulled a typical mom-move and turned on the overhead lights.

“CLAAAARKE!!” Madi covered her eyes.

What’s up with you this morning?” Madi rasped as she slowly rolled out of bed. She watched from behind as Clarke set a chair in front of the mirror and started braiding a small section of her blonde waves.

“I dunno,” Clarke shrugged. She looked into her own eyes in the mirror. “Things are gonna be different from now on.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Madi’s mouth watered as they descended the stairs. The smell of breakfast wafted up her nostrils.

“Whoa. It smells even better than wildflowers.”

“Daba u plata!”

Madi didn’t need to be told twice. She grabbed a plate and forked three giant pancakes onto it. After making their way through the buffet, they found a free table on the outskirts of the dining hall.

“This is so weird. All this food, just laying around,” she munched. “I’m never hunting again!” Madi exclaimed with mouthful.

Clarke raised an eyebrow and made a mental note to make her go mushroom-hunting this afternoon. This ship wasn’t going to spoil her.

“They finally fried more bacon,” said a voice over Clarke’s shoulder. Madi looked up and grinned at whoever it was. But when Clarke turned to look, they were gone. She turned back around to see Madi and Bellamy sitting across from her looking way too mischievous. Clarke feigned annoyance and defiantly plucked a bacon strip from Bellamy’s plate.

“Thanks for letting us know,” she said playfully.

“Yeah. Thanks, Bell!” Madi laughed as she took the other two pieces, leaving Bellamy an empty plate. He clicked his tongue.

“This is the thanks I get.” Madi laughed out loud and chomped down on the meat, letting out guttural noises of pleasure. Clarke could see his brown eyes sparkling. She was almost jealous of how much Madi liked him.

“Well, I’ll leave you to it,” Bellamy said, standing and getting his legs out from under the bench.

“Aw, stay longer!” Madi whined in between bites.

Bellamy raised his eyebrow at her, snatching the dirtied bacon plate. “If I stay too long, you’ll get sick of me.”

Madi made a face at Clarke that Bellamy didn’t see, and Clarke responded with a raised eyebrow of her own. Clarke turned as he walked past the table.

“You going to see Mitchell?”

He nodded.

“See ya up there.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The rest of the week was filled with meeting after meeting. Part of the Eligius agreement was that Bellamy and the Ark crew reveal some of the technology behind their rocket software. Clarke was badgered with questions about the vegetation on the green patch. She barely saw Bellamy except in passing.

By the end of each day, Clarke was more tired than hungry. She’d go back to their room, wash, and be in bed before Madi returned for the night. On the fourth morning, she found an orange on the nightstand.

“Gratsa, nochtbleeda,” Clarke mumbled as she put on some socks.

“Oh… that wasn’t me. Bellamy told me to bring it from breakfast.”

Clarke smiled a little and finished lacing up her boots.

“I missed breakfast again? Sorry…” Clarke stood and put a hand on Madi’s shoulder. “I know I’ve been gone a lot. Grownups talk too much, don’t they?”

“Nah. I know you have important stuff to do. Bellamy said it should be a shorter day today though!” Madi said, sitting cross-legged on her bed.

“Oh. Do – do you always see him at breakfast?”

“Well yeah. Sometimes Raven and Monty too. We sit together! Bell’s not mad though. I told him you were still sleeping.”

Clarke zipped her jacket and walked over to look in the mirror.

“Well, since you see him more than I do,” she paused and gave Madi a teasing look, “Tell him thanks for the orange.”

Madi chuckled and bounced off her bed. “I’m only telling him ‘thanks’ if you actually eat it. He said I had to MAKE you eat it because he wasn’t gonna lose you again.” She picked up the orange and shoved it into Clarke’s hand as she walked out the door.

Clarke stared at the empty door, orange in hand.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The day was indeed shorter. A cadet brought Clarke a note from Madi mid-afternoon.

Hir-itsu, Clarke kom Cave-Kru –

Remember when I starting calling us Cave-Kru when I was little? Anyway, I made friends with one of the generals. All of the prisoner kids were born in space, and General Kanchen wants me to serve as a guide on a green patch exploration! Show them what nuts are poisonous and other easy stuff. I won’t be home tonight.

Madi kom Cave-Kru

P.S. Diga “hello” u Bellamy! Tanna de nonchu.

Clarke rolled her eyes. Next she’s going to be dating and smoking cigarettes, she joked to herself.

Clarke made a beeline for her room, kicking off one boot and ripping off clothes before the second boot hit the floor. Eligius was gracious in providing clothing, but it was scratchy and smelled like detergent. Her velvety tank top and patched trousers had been washed in the lake too many times to count. The softness of the worn fabric was therapy.

She glanced at her bed, and then at Madi’s. The thought of curling up and sleeping sounded lovely, but it’s possible she could see Madi’s exploration group from the observation deck. She padded down the hallway barefoot, scaling the stairs silently. She could hear the din of the ship’s voices grow quieter the higher she climbed.

The door scraped open and slammed behind her, and Clarke was finally alone. The warm air and black night sky was an escape from the walls inside. The planet she’d grown used to didn’t have any walls – just wide open spaces. It was technically autumn, but the radiation made weather unpredictable. There was a week a few years ago when Madi and Clarke went swimming in the dead of February. (The lake froze the next day.)

Clarke stretched her arms high above her head and heard her back crack. Up onto her tiptoes, and her ankles cracked too. Her arms glided down to lean on the railing as she peered down into the trees. No sight of Madi’s little expedition.

There was a small sound behind her.

She glanced over and jumped. Bellamy was sitting on the ground behind the door with a bottle in his hand. He had been tapping his fingernail on the glass.

Clarke laughed, nervous and breathy, as she came down from her fright.

“Sorry. Didn’t know if I should say somethin’ or not.”

She sighed loud enough for him to hear and slid down the wall next to him.

“Will I ever get used to you again?” she mused, half to herself.

He held the bottle out for her to take.

“Who knows….,” he trailed off as she took a long swig and winced. After all, she hadn’t drank in years.

“Monty had a lot of free time and rigged that up.” He pulled one of his knees up and rested his arm on it. “Took the edge off on the bad days.”

She ran her fingers along the smoothness of the bottle and took another pull.

“…Were there a lot? Of bad days…?” She glanced over at him as she handed the bottle back.

He stared through the liquid into the night sky. “Too many to count.”

She nodded in solidarity and let her head drop back to rest on the wall. They watched the stars for a few minutes without speaking. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable this time, but Clarke didn’t feel right NOT talking to him.

“Madi’s gone all night. She –“

“Yeah, she asked if she could go. Or, if it was a good idea. I didn’t think you’d mind.” He looked over, a little scared she might feel like her authority was being intruded upon.

“All kids leave at some point. I’m glad she asked you.”

“Mmm. Mom’s first night alone. You gonna be okay?” He smiled and bumped her knee with his. She promptly shoved it away with a slightly harder bump.

Clarke was feeling that drink. Her tolerance was probably reset at this point, so she told herself not to have anymore. As if by magic, he shook the bottle to signal it was her turn. She brushed it away lightly.

“I shouldn’t.” Still resting on the wall, she rocked her head to look at him. “I’m a lightweight now.”

He was feeling the buzz too. Lucky for Clarke, she didn’t know how full the bottle had been when he came up here. Unlucky for Bellamy, his tolerance was plenty high after years of trying to forget the woman sitting next to him.

He let his own head drop onto the wall, looking back at her from a foot away.

It suddenly became too much for her, feeling so open with him that she might spill. She shook her head a little and crunched her eyes shut to clear them.

“I should go to bed.” She moved to stand.

“Please don’t,” he whispered in a husky voice. The way her stomach felt when he said it. It made her realize she really SHOULD go.

“There’s always tomorrow,” Clarke mumbled as she stood, resting a hand on the wall for balance. She wasn’t drunk, but whatever Monty made was pretty good.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” He said it under his breath, but she definitely heard.

“What?” She looked down at him indignantly.

He looked up at her for a stubborn moment and then slowly got up, eyes locked with hers the whole time. The bottle stayed on the ground.

“I said – I thought tomorrow was guaranteed too. But I learned, Clarke. You don’t know what’s gonna happen. Next day. Next HOUR. Up there, we did everything before we were ready because we HAD to.” He was equally angry and exhausted.

She walked to the railing and turned around.

“You want to fight? Let’s fight. Six years apart, and you want to waste time being angry.”

Bellamy put his hands on his hips. Silence.

“You said you did everything before you were ready. Are you really mad at me because I got left behind? Because you had to lose me before you were READY? God, Bellamy, it’s not my fault I didn’t go to space. It’s not my fault that you mourned me when you shouldn’t have. It is NOT my fault that I defied your expectations and actually LIVED.”

Her voice had grown louder with defiance and the haze of drinking. His face was set hard like stone. She took a moment to calm herself, and the next words came out slower, quieter, and more poignant.

“I’m not apologizing for becoming a nightblood because it allowed me to stay here and raise an orphan. And I sure as HELL am not apologizing for climbing that tower and making sure YOU got away safely.”

He strode two steps forward to meet her at the railing. She’d never been afraid of him, but she instinctively tried to back up and bumped up against the metal bars.

“I didn’t ask you to save me, and I don’t want an apology,” he said humbly, almost whispering the last part.

“Than what do you want!?”

Though it was dark, she could see his jaw clench as he leaned forward. She stood like a tiny statue in his shadow, not knowing if she should raise her arms for a hug or-

He dropped his head to one side, leaning into her cheek with a kiss. His lips felt so full and hot, just an inch or two from her mouth. His beard brushed her jaw, and she resisted the urge to nuzzle into his neck with her forehead. Instead, she placed a hand on the base of his throat to nudge him away.

“Bellamy, what -“

He leaned away a tad and reached his arms around her, pushing her head forward with a gentle hand. This time, he kissed her forehead. One long kiss, and then a short one. He closed his eyes and rested his chin on her forehead, forcing her face into the crook of his neck.

“Clarke, I know I shouldn’t,” he gushed.

Her hand was still on the base of his throat, and her fingers began to touch the skin there, kneading his collar.

“It’s not smart. I’m not using my head. I just – I can’t be around you,” he whispered. "I can’t – I can’t talk to you and not....”

He trailed off and squeezed her in the hug, not knowing how to say what he was feeling. With her face so close to his neck, she could feel his pulse. Without stopping to think, she kissed the spot where she felt his heart beating.

She could feel him tense ever so slightly, and his huge arms slid down her back to her waist. Suddenly and easily, he lifted her onto the top rail. Her arms left his neck and grabbed his forearms as he stood between her parted legs. He looked up into the worried face inches from his own.

“Bell, it’s hundreds of feet down,” she breathed quickly.

He leaned up and in, so close she could feel his breath on her lips. His eyes were lusty and determined.

“You know I won’t let you fall.”

She was gone, and he knew it. Bellamy kissed her hard, devouring her mouth. Licking at her tongue and moving down her neck to find her own pulse. Being above him gave her the advantage. Clarke leaned down on him, encouraging him to bite where his lips sucked. His hands had held her safely on the rail the whole time, but he wanted her, needed her closer.

He could hear her throat squeak as he pulled her down with one arm, sliding her softness down his body. He only let her toes brush the ground as his other hand snaked into her hair and pushed her deeper into his mouth. Finally off the ledge, Clarke let go of his forearms and wrapped her legs around his waist. He turned and walked the few feet to the wall, pinning her arms above her head as he sucked on her sweetness. He pressed his hips into hers as she sat on his waistline.

She broke from the kiss, leaving Bellamy panting hard into her hair. He let go of her arms, leaving them free to grip the nape of his neck and get a fistful of his glossy curls. He leaned back, searching her eyes with her legs still wrapped around him. Then he pressed in to whisper right into her ear.

“I have always, always loved you,” he breathed heavily.

Clarke’s eyes filled with tears, and she scrambled to hold him as tight as possible with her short arms.

“Don’t you EVER leave me again,” she insisted, nails digging into his shoulder as she hugged him.

“Don’t fret,” as he kissed her ear lobe. “I’m not losing you twice.”

THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING. Please comment below or on A03 if you liked/hated it. I truly, truly enjoyed writing it.

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montemoutdoorgear1 · 6 years

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Adventurists’ Guide To Knife Sharpening

Why Every Adventurist Should Take This Seriously!

Sharpening a knife is a skill-set every adventurist should have under his/her belt. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a hiker, hunter, or camper, your quest to navigate and explore this beautiful planet comes with uncertainties. Uncertainties that aren’t necessarily a reality to everyday people living in the suburbs.

The Best Adventures Happen When You’re Fully Prepared To Take Nature On!

A sharp knife is more useful than you might think. Adventurists and hikers specifically could use a sharp knife to:

Prepare Food: A sharp knife is effective at opening tinned cans, peeling fruits and vegetables and could even be used to skin a dead animal.

First Aid: Ever had a splinter penetrate your skin? If you have, you’ll know how excruciatingly painful it can be. The tip of a sharp knife can be very useful at removing splinters.

Safety: Most people take this one for granted. Living in the city is a far cry from being out in the boonies with not a single person around for miles. It’s you, mother nature, and everything in between! Your survival is dependent on the tools available at your disposal.

My grandpa always used to say:

“You only realize how important something is when you actually need it but don’t have it!”

Hopefully, by the end of today’s post, dull knives will be a thing of the past.

Knife Sharpening For The Adventurist: How To Get It Done!

Let me start off by saying this:

Knife sharpening is about as simple or as difficult as you want it to be. A certain few have made it into a convoluted, confusing subject. If you think of it like this, you’ll never learn to properly sharpen a knife.

If you make it simple and afford yourself plenty of practice, you’ll become a master!

Sharpening A Knife Is Simple, However, It Does Require Practice!

Today there are 3 conventional ways to sharpen a knife:

Electric Knife Sharpeners: They’re awesome for quickly restoring bite to a knife, but they do have their shortcomings. One is that they cost a lot (generally $100 and more), and two, they require power to function.

Pull Through Sharpeners: My least favorite sharpening contraption from the 3, simply because of how aggressive they are to the knife. Dragging a knife edge against an abrasive might restore some bite in the short term, but it won’t take long before it starts to dull.

Sharpening Stone: Old is gold. The tried and true method of the ancient days continues to be a favorite amongst knife sharpening enthusiasts. The most effective way to sharpen a knife is to use a sharpening stone.

Which one of these 3 ways is most appropriate for an adventurist or outdoorsman?

Electric sharpeners are out of the equation because you’re not going to find a 120-volt outlet in the boonies! Pull through sharpeners are also out of the equation because they’re not as effective. That leaves us with sharpening stone……

Sharpening a knife on the stone is the most appropriate method for outdoor enthusiasts!

But isn’t it challenging and time-consuming? No, not once you’re past the learning curve. Once you get the hang of it, it’s actually pretty simple.

Alright, so enough blabbering on about knife sharpeners. Let’s talk about how to sharpen a knife using stone!

Step 1: Get yourself some sharpening stone. In this example, I am using my Work Sharp GSS diamond stones. I’ll be using a variety of grits for this example. If you’re an outdoor enthusiast, I suggest diamond stones. They’re incredibly durable, don’t need to be flattened, and can sharpen just about anything!

Diamond Stones Are Incredibly Versatile!

Step 2: Get your knife out and test it for sharpness. I like to do this test before sharpening because it gives a good indication as to how effective the sharpening process has been. There are several ways to test for sharpness. The paper test is the most common. Grab a sheet of scrap paper and try to slice through. A dull knife will never cut clean, it’s always rough and sometimes crooked.

Do A Paper Test!

But what if you don’t have access to paper to do a paper test, then what? Whenever I’m out camping and don’t have access to the paper, I go to a nearby tree and grab a leaf. As long as it’s not dry, it should work just fine!

Step 3: You’ve tested for sharpness, now it’s time to sharpen! The number one rule you should always remember:

Sharpening is the process in which you always cut against or into the stone!

If you remember this one thing, you’ve done half the work already.

Next thing you need to get straight is your sharpening angles, or in other words the angle you’ll be sharpening your edge too.

How do you decide what angle you sharpen your knife to?

Well, it really depends on what you plan on doing with the knife. If you plan on using your knife to whittle wood, cut through the cord, or any tough/hard material, you may wish to consider a stronger 22-25 degree angle. On the contrary, if you’re sharpening a kitchen knife, maybe you’ll opt for a leaner but sharper 15-degree edge so that you can slice vegetables and fruit samurai style!

If your knife’s edge was set at an angle of say 22 degrees at the factory, you don’t necessarily need to use a 22-degree sharpening angle. If you want to change the factory set edge angle, you can alter it by sharpening at a different angle.

Don’t place restrictions on yourself by thinking you need to sharpen at the same angle the edge was originally set at!

Step 4: Take your knife and place it on the stone such that there’s a 90-degree angle between the bevel and stone surface.

This Is What 90 Degrees Looks Like!

This is your reference point. If you reduce this by half, you have 45 degrees. Reduce it by half again and you’re at 22.5 degrees. Tighten it up a bit and you’re at 20 degrees. Since I’ll be sharpening at 20 degrees, this is basically how I’ll be holding and stroking my knife on the stone. Find your angle accordingly!

Step 5: Now that you’ve found your sharpening angle, you can finally start to sharpen!

Employing the sharpening angle from step 4, abrade your knife against the stone in a smooth, controlled motion, moving from heel to tip. If you’re sharpening for the very first time, you’ll want to ensure you do this slowly, so you’re able to get a grip of the technique and form.

Cut Against The Stone In A Slow, Controlled Fashion!

Step 6: Now flip the knife over and do exactly what you did in step 5, but on the other side of the edge.

The exact same motion cutting against the stone, from heel to tip!

Now We Do The Other Side!

Step 7: Repeat steps 4 & 5 for a total of 7 passes on each side. That is, you should complete this motion a total of 14 times.

Step 8: Time for another sharpness test!

Grab a leaf or sheet of paper if available, and try to slice through!

How much difference has sharpening made? Do you find that your blade is noticeably sharper? If you’re satisfied with the results, you’re done! If further sharpening is required, do some more passes and test again. You may want to invest in stones with varying grits ranging from coarse all the way to extra extra extra fine. The finer stones are great for polishing a knife to give you that razor sharp edge!

Disclaimer: Sharpening Is Not The Be All, End All!

Knife sharpening is probably the most important step of knife maintenance, but it’s not the only step. If you want your knives to remain in pristine condition, you need to make honing and stropping your knives a habit. Sharpening is not enough!

Now you might be saying “Oh man, I gotta do all of this just to maintain my knives!?”. The good news is it’s not as bad as it sounds. If you know how to properly sharpen a knife (as discussed above), then honing and stropping will be a walk in the park!

I won’t go into the details on how to hone or stop here, but if you’re interested in learning more: here are 2 well-written Instructables that cover both honing and stropping in great detail.

The 3 Sharpening Tools Every Adventurist Should Have!

There are 3 tools every adventurist should have in his/her gear at all times:

Sharpening Stones Of Varying Grits: I recommend diamond stones when you’re out and about. They’re durable, easy to maintain because they don’t load much i.e. they don’t collect much metal debris, and they don’t need to be flattened. Japanese whetstones are also a great choice.

Steel Honing Rod: If size is a concern for you, get a smaller honing rod that can easily fit with the rest of your gear. There are tons of options available on Amazon!

Leather Strop: You can get away without having a leather strop by instead having some other sort of leather material. A leather belt, for example, would work just fine! You should always strop your knife after sharpening, as this helps clean up any imperfections.

Always remember, a good set of tools can go a long way!

Don’t cheap out, spend a little more and invest in high-quality tools. It’s well worth it!

“How Can I Improve My Sharpening Skills When I’m Out In The Boonies?”

If you remember, I started this post off by saying “knife sharpening is about as simple or as complicated as you want it to be”. If you ask me, I can list out 10 other chores that are much harder!

As simple as sharpening is, it’s still important to realize that it is a skill. Because it’s a skill, it will take time to truly master.

The only way a skill can be perfected is by practice, practice and more practice!

I can’t stress this enough. If you’re truly sick of having to deal with a dull knife when you’re out in the middle of nowhere, then you need to take sharpening seriously. By that, you have to be willing to mess up several times at least! In the end, your patience will prevail. And there’s not a better feeling in the world than slicing clean through a sheet of paper with a hair-splitting edge!

Here’s the thing: there’s no shortage of dull knives!

I’m more than certain you have a dozen stashed away in your kitchen drawer. Start with those and work your way up. When it becomes second nature to you, then and only then should you start sharpening your expensive blades! Take this advice seriously, as it could save you some serious cash. I speak from experience! I’ll reiterate that practice is the key word here, so keep practicing.

A Chef Once Told Me…..

A sharp knife isn’t only an effective knife, it’s also a safe knife. Why am I telling you this? Simply because safety always comes first. I know it sounds super cliché, but there’s truth to it. And if that’s the one thing you get out of this post, I’ll be more than satisfied!

And With That, I Bid You Farewell & Plenty Of Good Fortune!

I hope you enjoyed reading this post, and more importantly got some value out of it. If anything, I hope I’ve inspired you to start sharpening your knives.

If you have any questions for me, it’ll be an absolute pleasure to answer those in the comments. Also, I write posts about knife sharpening and other topics on my blog. If you want to check them out, head over by clicking here!

All the best in 2019! Make it a memorable one, more importantly, make it a sharp one!!!

The post Adventurists’ Guide To Knife Sharpening appeared first on Montem Outdoor Gear.

from Montem Outdoor Gear https://montemlife.com/adventurists-guide-to-knife-sharpening/

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