#um. oops...?
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im gonna share the heroforge shit i made for the old middle school oc reboot tonight, and maybe share lore tomorrow. but i'm gonna be doin stuff tomorrow so i may forget
also i may add an idiot to the roster but for now we have these guys. kari's the host btw. and that's what their shared body looks like
Kari - agender, prefers none but do whatever
Tethys - demi-girl, she/they
Delta- cis woman, she/her
Data - nonbinary, they/them
Lizzie - agender, prefers she/her but use whatever
Jennifer - officially haven't decided, but uses she/her. maybe others? we'll see
#the fuck do i call them#uhhhhh#Kari (OC)#Tethys (OC)#Delta (OC)#Data (OC)#Lizzie (OC)#Jennifer (OC)#maybe i'll give them a system name#but they're all scrawny fuckers#i think data might be the biggest. and they're a robot.#...iiiiiiiii just remembered star trek data (character) exists#um. oops...?#well. something's gonna have to change ig#name. appearance. one of the two. both if i'm feeling ambitious#ANYWAY my point was that the 7th little shit--if they do exist--needs to have a different body type#Fun fact! Tethys and Kari were possibilities I considered when I decided to change my name!#there were a couple of greek mythology names on the list.#along with tethys there was also 'io' and 'rhea'#kari i stole from digimon. she was always my favorite#and on that note i need to go the FUCK to bed goodnight
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nsfw content, eighteen+
content warning. fingering, squirting, munch o'clock, athlete!reader, two bitches that are obsessed with each other, cocky!vi, public sex, jealousy if you squint.
being nemeses with hockeyplayer!vi who couldnât breathe right when sheâs in your vicinity without steam puffing out through your ears. everything about her from the way she walks or when she cockily smiles when the precious puck vi believes sheâs invented soars through the net. being captain of the undefeated team is all that anyone would talk about on campus â if it werenât for you.
you on the other hand are known for being the star tennis player, a promising prodigy who turned down the big leagues to seek an education first before showcasing at your first wimbledon. violet canât stand when she won the biggest match of her life, news of your first tournament appearance in professional tennis made headlines.
desperately vi tries to be ominous, observing from afar, her heart-shaped jaw clenching as she watches you beat the girl in front of you to the ground. with a serve that qualifies as a guaranteed ace and a backhand that has stephanie vazquez running on every end of the court â all of it is so trivial.
meaningless even, but your father who pleads that the matches matter have somehow coaxed you into it.
itâs simple the way you tear your opponents apart, overwhelming them with shots youâve spent years perfecting. the women on campus didnât stand a fucking chance and they knew it too.
from the first game, their fate sealed. as finite as the stars sparkling across the midnight sky.
a blissful heart and a cracked dignity is a win for your ego. ultimately, violet hates herself for understanding why thereâs so many people who fawn over you. a white dove arising in the spring, the flowers blossoming with each stroke you hit.
the match point? a single ace that sends stephanie to crack her expensive racket on the clay. itâs infuriating to play you, that much youâve been told, but you need to be this precise if you have a chance on the biggest stage in just a few weeks.
âmija, take ten and then weâll send the next one.â
your father calls from the stands as you swiftly grab your water bottle before realizing itâs empty, excusing yourself to the locker room and past vi but you know sheâll chase you.
as you suspect, no more than thirty seconds and sheâs invading your space like a moth who's been starved of a flame for months. violet can deny it all she wants but the spark she tries to hide behind the cool-oceanic blues reak of warmth when her attention sets on you.
âdid you have to humiliate her like that? for what? so you could prove whoââ
âi canât be bothered to go easy on everyone you fuck, violet. might be the whole roster at this point.â once your canister is filled, you take a large swing of water as she stands there dumbfounded.
making sure to flex her bicep, she leans against the water filtration with her puppy eyes attempting to convince you violet is as harmless as she looks.
a bold-faced lie the devil himself couldnât design as truth.
âdo i need to remind you of last season? throwing your body into my ex-girlfriend so hard during the finals last year. her shoulder was fucking dislocated and her collarbone was fractured.â
âthatâs not whatââ
âuh huh, sure, violet.â you taunt as she dismisses you, shaking her head as you take a step closer.
violet wishes to dismiss you, act like you have no effect on her. then youâre here with your pearly-white pleated skirt and your thin long sleeve jacket that clings to your skin. even with the sweat lining your temple, you still smell of honey-soaked lemon. a hint of lavender radiating off your skin, vi nearly sinks her canines on the side of your neck just to see if sheâs able to taste it.
would you be willing to bleed for satisfaction alone?
taste you through a yearning tongue that begs to touch an inch of the transgressions of her sins. iron-coated promise meant to be broken.
but then sheâs reminded of just how cruel you can be. youâll walk over anyoneâs dead corpse if it means youâll get your way.
âyou get off on it, making people feel less than you, decimating them on the court until they have nothing left to give.â
âmaybe but why are you still here instead of chasing your little girlfriend? sheâs really upset but it seems the only one who wants to get off is you.â
âgod, would justââ vi pulls at her hair, peeved at how painless it seems to be for you to bury each opponent six feet underground.
"would i just what, violet?"
self-restraint falls through fate, vi's hardened shell practically caves in on itself as her lips melt into yours, her scorching need lights brighter than ever when she feels your smooth lips glide against hers.
soft hints of cranberry and dark chocolate invades her mouth as her calloused fingertips crawl underneath your skirt to the compression shorts connected beneath. with a finger sliding along your slit, violet's delights in watching your back arch against the wall as you stabilize your body clinging onto her strong sculpted shoulders.
"be a good girl for me and take it." violet divulges, letting her skilled mouth prep you as your hips ride against her fuckable face. goddamn it, sheâs too good.Â
you hate her for it.
a sprinkle of love lavishes against the thin spandex as you watch the entry of the locker room. this should be a sin, how heavenly you smell, limerence coating her mind any time youâre near. never could she be anything but her sugar-coated infatuation.Â
an impenetrable grind of someone soaking in more media attention than vi has never set well with her pride but up until now, violet couldnât have known the rumbling ache pulling her towards you. hell be damned if anyone would get in her way.Â
the tips of viâs fingers glide against your thigh, as she enjoys the tremble your body makes, a magnetic force where viâs body pulls at your body so easily.Â
âso pent up, babygirl. who knew the only way to silence you is to get on my knees. are you always this needy or is this reserved for me?âÂ
"fucking hell, would you just take off my skirt already?" you whine out in defiance and vi gets the message â crystal clear.Â
violet does more than take it off, she rips the thick material in half, eyes grinning as she has the pleasure of knowing how beautiful you are. even if after the two of you walk through those doors, you never acknowledge her again, youâll never be able to take this away from her.Â
in a fall from grace, violet worships her enemy, falling further into temptation. a hopeful message of deliverance place maliciously between your thighs.
with a shimmering touch, she guides your leg over her powerfully built shoulder, moaning as your stomach clenches against the tidal wave of her tongue. soft, gentle even, more accommodating than any of your past lovers had ever been with you.Â
as much as you want to tell her to touch you differently, flatten her tongue more, or to critique her in any way that could knock her down a peg, you canât. despite your best efforts, she does everything flawlessly and you hate her more for it. glowing, powder-blue eyes flickering up at you, watching as you fall apart. each limb becoming numb under touch.Â
âyeah, not just a pretty face, angel.âÂ
âyouâre so full of yourself. how do they never get tired of your weasley, impetulant, condescendingââÂ
âoh, iâm sorry? were you gonna say something or did you still wanna get fucked by my fingers?â vi slips another inside as her tongue gets lost in your pussy once again.Â
all of it makes you wanna scream but you feel your voice carrying through the locker room. the rare vacancy surrounds you, moans leaving your lips echo back as she slurps every drop spilling out of you. with a vicious tongue, she wonât stop fucking your pretty little hole with her skilled muscle, thumb stroking your clit with divine purpose.Â
âshitttt, oh fuck me, god iâ i hate you, violet.â but itâs only because you feel the band slipping, the tightly wound knot read to snap if she doesnât stop. violet doesnât, in fact she slips another finger in your sickening, wet warmth as she curls her fingers just perfectly.Â
hitting right where she needs to with a skilled flick of her wrist.Â
âdo that againâ shit, just like, oh right there.âÂ
âcâmon prodigy, be a good girl and come for me, come all over my face and show me.âÂ
jesus, do you serve your worst.Â
it felt like too much, too quickly, before you could even stop it thereâs a squelching sound filling the room as you coat her scarred lip, her nose, those freckled cheeks in every ounce of cum.Â
chants of her name roll off your tongue before you can stop them as she sucks over your sensitive nub, coaxing you through your high, waiting until you come down before she removes her fingers from your pussy.Â
vi swears she hears your cunt whine her name the second she removed herself but maybe that was just you.Â
âsuck, babygirl.âÂ
giving into her command, you take the push of her fingers as they kiss the back of your throat, relaxing your jaw as your tongue swirls around the digits until theyâre completely clean.Â
sliding your leg off her shoulder as the loss of her support nearly causes you to stumble.Â
âwhere do you have a spare? i know you have one, somewhere.â violet smirks, her tone anything but forgiving as she feels triumphant when it comes to you and your impending will.Â
âthatâ over um, there, the first locker. number one.âÂ
you watch her as she puts in the combination you provide before she grabs one identical to your damaged one. lifting your leg to place you through the opening before you assist her by doing the other one yourself, sliding the material up your leg.Â
you thought she was being kind but you feel the mess between your thugs push up against the thin spandex, and she does the pleasure of pushing against the material again, making contact with your pussy that simply canât stop fluttering for more.Â
âwhen you go out there, i want you to think about me. how good my fingers feels fucking you into oblivion. the way my tongue fucks that pretty hole of yours. every way you chanted my name, those hips unable to stop riding my goddamn faceââ she leans down, lips pressed against your ear before she whispers, âremember that no one on this planet will ever fuck you the way i can.âÂ
a kiss to your cheek sears you as you're too stunned to speak, tragically slumped against the wall but quickly being led out as she guides you back through the front doors, onto the court. she wishes you luck, turning her back as she heads towards the exit.Â
âoh, this is just the fucking beginning.â
violet smirks but holds up three fingers as she blows a kiss to you.Â
the three she just fucked you with.
#â ⎠â âđŤđđ˛đŤđđ˛ đŠđ¨đŹđđŹ â#(á°.á) arcane works.#this was supposed to be a cute little blurb and then it turned into 2k um#oops!#vi#vi arcane#violet arcane#vi x reader#vi league of legends#vi smut#arcane x reader#arcane x you#wlw x reader
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cw // NSFW. virginity loss with X-02 / some spoilers for caleb's myth
thinking about the first time with caleb as X-02. buried deep within his memories is this desire to touch you, to experience your warmth, and to find out how you feel wrapped around him â to learn what faces and sounds you make when you eventually fall victim to the overwhelming pleasure.
caleb would take his time, push away all of the thoughts telling him to thrust into you harder and harder in order to satisfy his own wants. instead, he prioritizes you, just like he's always done. he taught you about the warmth of one another, showed you what happiness feels like, and made you feel alive.
he would be the first to teach you what euphoria feels like, and he'd be so sweet â but not too soft. caleb knows what's best for you, but his heart still clenches when he sees you grimace in discomfort at first. your pain receptors may have been dulled by the researchers at OTHAN, but you're still capable of knowing what pain is, and despite your body having experienced numerous wounds in battle, adjusting to caleb's size is still a challenge.
just like the first time when he exchanged energy with you, a wave of cold discomfort washes over you, but his arms embrace your body, keeping you in place while you gasp and clench around him in order to get used to that feeling of fullness. caleb knows what's good for you, and letting you squirm and run away from him isn't a good thing. so he kisses your face softly, starting with your forehead, then your eyes, cheeks, and finally, your lips â the tenderness of it all a stark contrast from the bruising grip he has on your hips as he bottoms out into you.
eventually, the discomfort subsides, and you see your expression reflected in caleb's eyes. your flushed cheeks and half-lidded eyes, the quiet whimpers and moans falling from your lips. in between pants, you speak softly and wrap your arms around his neck.
"is this.. euphoria?"
your tone and curiosity, carrying hints of longing and hidden desires, act like aphrodisiacs for caleb. in your field of vision, you see drops of sweat trickle down his forehead, and he's mirroring your red cheeks â his dazed expression, full of adoration amplifying the strange tightening sensation you feel in your lower stomach. he just smiles at you before nodding, pressing another delicate kiss to your lips before moving his mouth on your neck, suckling purple bruises near your pulse point.
without your exoskeletons on, you can feel his warmth, and it's like you've uncovered the taste of the forbidden fruit. greedily, your hands shift from his neck to his back, and you try to move your hips in an attempt to meet his thrusts, seeking out more of this warmth, more of this feeling â trying to release the tight coil in your stomach.
"do you feel good?"
it's caleb's turn to ask a question, and in response, all you can do is moan and drag your nails softly down his back, careful not to scratch him too hard. you shake your head yes, and it's so hard to formulate sentences, when all you can think of is caleb. his name repeats like a mantra in your mind before making its way to your lips. you call for him, unaware of what you're even seeking. that is until it clicks for you, spoken through your body like a fact that the universe itself decreed.
you're seeking caleb out.
"wanna feel more warmth, wanna feel you more â wanna be one with you, caleb."
in response, caleb's eyes widen, and he moans, pressing himself against your body more, his hips driving into you harder than before. his restraints slowly die down as he observes your mannerisms when you get closer and closer to your release â mesmerized by the way you clench down on him involuntarily, the way you arch your back to meet his chest. his hand moves down to rub tight circles against your clit, making the volume of your cries for him increase tenfold.
when you inevitably reach your high, all you can do is babble caleb's name repeatedly, as you cup his cheeks, your foreheads pressed together. you can practically feel caleb's heart beating against yours, syncing up as the speed of his thrusts increases. you look down to where the two of you are joined, and the visual stimuli of his cock sliding in and out of you, covered in your slick and his pre-cum sends your mind and body into overdrive, moaning harder and harder as caleb's motions grow more frantic, desperate. eventually, the pace between his thrusts becomes uneven, and you feel his warm release shoot into your womb. his voice rougher yet laced with devotion as he comes, and the weight of his words reach your hazy mind.
"i love you i love you i love you â fuck, i love you so much."
breathing hard, he collapses on top of you, careful not to crush you under his weight. both of your bodies spent, yet feeling so fulfilled. stroking his hair softly, the way he did with you, you repeat his words to him, and although you don't quite understand them, they feel right. he feels right, and you wouldn't trade this unknown feeling for anything in the world.
"i love you, caleb."
đ pomme's notes â clang clang clang clang (usb connect disconnect sound x81981789) . erm . Ya !
#â pomme rambles#caleb#caleb x reader#caleb x you#lads x reader#lads caleb#lads#love and deepspace x reader#love and deepspace#â pomme after hours#â neigepomme#in my defense i'm ovulating your honor and they said we'd fuck robots in 2025 or something so .#rawr.. anyways um . This is my first time writing smut if it's bad i'm sorry oops#this is my offering to caleb (i want r1... torn outfit.....)
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that one ship dynamic but with levi and mc
(credit to @litriu! here is the original post (lmk if the link doesnt work pls))
#to litriu: i tagged u bc u mentioned u'd like to see the final thing when it was done; the anon asking for permission was me btw!!!#(i get nervous when im not on anon lol)#however if u decide u dont want this posted just lmk and ill take it down asap :)#i also made this with my personal mc maybe ill post it idk#also i have no idea if anyone's done this yet so if u have um. oops. sorry <:)#obey me#obey me shall we date#obey me art#obey me leviathan#obey me mc#torchvic's art
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wanted to practice more animal stuff. big puppy :)
(blood vers under cut)
tilly got hungry
#mcyt#life series#double life#life smp#double life smp#trafficblr#trafficsmp#pearlescentmoon#pearlescentmoon fanart#needed an excuse to draw tilly again#so here we go#um oops happy valentines day#fruut salad
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fair trade
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more windbreaker comics
#sugishita weighed umemiya vs sakura on a scale in his mind and sakura went flying#fwooooooosh sugi truly said bye foreVER BINCH#ngl the dude probs genuinely felt proud of himself for this... till suo points out that ume wouldnt be happy with what he did#sugishita going pale.. oops... now to destroy the evidence HSKJHF sugi is so silly he cracks me up#yamasaku#endosaku#wind breaker spoilers#wind breaker#haruka sakura#yamato endo#kyotaro sugishita#wind breaker comics#comics#thecmart#wbk#yamasaku stays winning lmfao
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Arthur being a menace and also my fav side characters evveerrrrr Noel hiiii
#I mean heâll never beat Oscar but I save my Oscar appreciation for the blindfaith posts ok#Iâm normal about Collins but I think I was channeling everyone in my tags thirsting while#drawing him so um oops#artists on tumblr#malevolent#malevolent fanart#malevolent podcast#arthur lester#john doe#john malevolent#oscar malevolent#daniel saltzman#dennis collins#the butcher#detective noel#noel malevolent
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bw2 good ending: zekrom goes back to n
#pokemon#n harmonia#natural harmonia gropius#pokemon n#pokemon nate#trainer nate#zekrom#pokemon black and white#clai's art#i kinda just wanted to draw zekrom looking silly HJEBFJJF#anyway um oops its 3am BJEBDJWBJDBF
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đđ¤
#its almost been a year since I last posted#um oops#frank morrison#dbd fanart#dbd#dead by daylight#dead by daylight fanart#the legion#art#myart#digital art
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pt 2. or i guess, this is the part 1 and that's the part 2 if you want to be chronological about it. swatch paints her nails and gets her caught up on butler drama âĽ
#deltarune#doodles#art#comic#queen#swatch#i was going to draw this sooner and then um. and then its been 6 months oops#that gay ass little car is doing donuts in my brain for 8 months now and i cant get him to stop#anyway i love you swatch & queen friendship i love you swatch feeling protective over their birds
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Peepaw Starlo struggles. Autism 2 autism communication struggles.
#undertale yellow#uty#uty au#lucky clover au#frisk ut#starlo uty#ceroba uty#martlet uty#dalv uty#feisty four uty#the cowboy hat draws#FALLS OVER. THIS TOOK OVER A MONTH.#Mostly because of being busy IRL but also because I decided on a new rendering method#Aaaand it was ten times as time consuming and I don't like the end result at all. LMAO. You live and learn I suppose#I hope this is comprehensible um. I think a lot about Starlo being so used to understanding Clover easily and being one of their favorites#And going to Frisk and 1. not really understanding how they communicate and 2. feeling like he isn't their favorite LOL#Idk how well that reads but! Peepaw Starlo musings#Starlo tries his best and doesn't always get it right but he's in a better place now#I know Clover's absence feels very strange here but I just couldn't find a place to put them oops.#Drawing this made me realize I really gotta practice my backgrounds. Hough. Definitely in the new year!#Also I haven't played poker in years so anything that's wrong? Uh monster poker is different. Yup. Thumbs up emoji
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Comes back home with milk for my kids (followers): hey guyssssss
#nebula animates#wip#fnaf starlit skies#starlit skies#WE'RE SO BACK GAMERS#fnaf sun#fnaf sundrop#fnaf dca#fnaf y/n#i dont. remember if i made a tag for daffodil/y/n um. oops
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HER CANINE TEETH IN THE SIDE OF MY NECK
pairing: werewolf!vi x vampire slayer!reader word count: 11.1 k summary: she's a monster, and you're essentially a monster hunter. it shouldn't work, but it does. (or â you and vi decide to escape the narrative together) warnings: ooh various mentions of fighting + blood + injuries ranging from mild to life-threatening; reader and vi both smoke + consume alcohol; rough sex (fingering [vi receiving], oral [reader receiving], tribbing, biting, spitting ++ aftercare); 18+ ! vibes are basically buffy the vampire slayer with chaotic lesbians loving each other so much it consumes them both a/n: i think i've been watching too much buffy and fantasizing about werewolf!vi for like,, too long,, and this unholy mess is the result. this has been sitting in my drafts unfinished for a WHILE but tonight is the wolf moon so it felt right to post now, i really hope y'all enjoy đ¤ i'll include credit for each subtitle in the tags too <33
âŞ: "bullet with butterfly wings" by the smashing pumpkins; "dig me out" by sleater-kinney; "taste my despair" by lesbian bed death; "i wanna be your dog" by joan jett; "fantastic" by king princess


i. sorry about the blood in your mouth
vi wakes up with a terrible motherfucking headache, which isnât anything new.Â
she doesnât know where she is â that isnât particularly something new, either â but what is new is the tongue slobbering all over her face. when she opens her eyes, vi sees a 50-pound black dog standing over her.
âwhoa!â vi sits up abruptly, but the dog only gets more excited and jumps up on the couch, caging her in.
âsorry. she usually isnât so enthusiastic about company.â
the voice is coming from the other side of the room, where youâre sitting on the edge of the mattress closest to the window. thereâs a cigarette in your hand, and each time you exhale, you point your chin accordingly so the smoke travels outside. a crisp breeze trickles in.Â
âmorning, killer.â
vi swallows the heart that has jumped into her throat, takes a deep breath to steady her breathing. fuck, she literally just moved here and might already need to leave. she tries to remember if something bad happened last night.Â
it wasnât the full moon, was it? no, that shouldnât be for another few weeks. but then why are you calling her a â
âkiller?â she asks, swallowing the lump in her throat.
she stares at you, eyes trailing your injured jawline as she waits for you to respond. you do look vaguely, achingly familiar. whatever happened last night, you were probably part of it.Â
âwell, youâve got a killer right hook,â you quip. you snuff out your cigarette and twist around to fully face vi. âand iâm pretty sure you killed my reputation as a pit fighting champion. i was undefeated before you.âÂ
fresh blood emerges from your split lip as you speak, and youâre quick to swipe it away with your tongue.Â
oh. right.Â
your tank top is torn at the bottom, just cropped enough that vi can see the imprint of her fist on your lower ribs. she now remembers the feeling of yours on the side of her face, and has a bloody, crusted eyebrow, painfully tender cheekbone, and the outline of your ring seared onto her skin forever to prove it.Â
what kind of pitfighter wears pure silver?
vi takes note of her surroundings to get a better sense of who sheâs up against: the place is small, dingy, but has a good amount of light. youâve got a broken mirror, old books stacked in the corner, and an open cupboard filled with clothing and various weapons, mostly daggers and some wooden stakes. an intricate glass cross dangles from the centre of the window, filtering through multicolored light. there are a bunch of dried plants next to a mortar and pestle on the sill below â nightshade, juniper, wolfsbane. on the tiny kitchen counter is a silver vase filled with more wilted flowers.Â
even from far away, vi can hear your heartbeat â strong, steady â as you shuffle around and gather some things. she inhales your scent. she remembers that she was slightly taken aback, in the pit when she had you pinned to the mat, that under the musk of sweat and metallic tang of blood, vi sensed something else, something delicate and floral.Â
your whole apartment smells overwhelmingly of dried roses and decaying fruit, too, sweet and earthy.
âdid you bring me here for round two?â
âno.â you let out a short, breathy laugh. âi brought you here so that some creep wouldnât take advantage of you. you were pretty out of it.â Â
âso youâre â what an enforcer?â
âno fucking way,â you declare, and vi can practically feel rage coursing through you, your heart pumping with reignited vigor. âlike an enforcer would care enough to actually help the undercity,â you grumble.Â
you shake your head and sit down at the edge of the couch, shooing your dog away so you can drop first aid supplies in her place. she settles on the floor at your feet.Â
you offer vi a somewhat bruised apple. when she hesitates, you push it into her hand.
âthis isnât a fairytale,â you say, hands busy soaking a cloth in some alcohol. âiâm not trying to poison you,â you add as if reading her mind. Â
âthere��there are some good enforcers, though,â vi tries, trained to have such platitudes at the ready. Â
you roll your eyes. âif there are, i havenât met them.âÂ
viâs not sure she believes what she had said, either. she feels her side ache, a phantom bruise from when caitlyn slammed her rifle into the very injury she had once helped heal.Â
what started as youâre not like the rest of those animals. youâre one of the good ones. became youâre all the same. itâs their blood in your veins. as soon as things went downhill.Â
vi bites her lip to prevent herself from wincing, and it isnât because youâve pressed an alcohol-soaked cloth to the cut on her nose. her sharp nails break through the skin of the apple, digging into its soft flesh until juice is running down her wrist.
âeat,â you insist, but youâre focused on removing as much dirt and dried blood from her face as you can, brows furrowed in concentration. âyou ruined my reputation, so you better keep up your strength if you wanna keep yours.â
âso, youâre helping the enemy,â vi, still wary of you, wonders.
your frown softens. you place a bandage on the bridge of her nose before saying:Â
âyouâre not my enemy.âÂ
maybe it was the sincerity of your words, or the unconditional care youâre showing her, or the fact that itâs been so long since someone has touched vi so tenderly, but she decides in that moment to trust you, whoever you are.Â
she takes a bite of the apple, the sweetness invading her mouth, as you lean over to search for something else in the first aid kit, mumbling to yourself about how the wound is deeper than you thought.Â
âyou should really be more careful,â you chide. âare you a topsider?â
vi scoffs through a mouthful of fruit. âiâm from the lanes.âÂ
âyeah, well this neighborhood is a different level of bad,â you tell her.
âi can hold my own â ouch.â
you start stitching up the cut on her eyebrow, one hand keeping her head steady. her cheek pulses against you as she chews, your skin calming and cool.Â
âwhen youâre sober, maybe.â
âyou didnât have to help me,â vi grunts. âmost people wouldâve gone about their business.â
âi was going about my business. i was out on patrol; vampires never sleep, you know.âÂ
you say it so casually, almost too casually, that vi wonders if she misheard you.
âvampires?â
you raise an eyebrow at vi. âthereâs a high concentration of them around here, near the hellmouth. a lot of monsters, actually ââ
vi hopes you donât notice how she shudders at the word monsters.
â â some of whom can and will eat you alive if they get the chance,â you deadpan. âthatâs kinda what iâm here for.â
âsoâŚ.what are you, exactly?â
you donât say anything for a few seconds, your expression unreadable while you finish viâs stitches, but your heart thumps so forcefully against your ribcage, vi almost thinks sheâs seconds away from hearing the bones there crack. you start gnawing at your bottom lip, let the blood gather until it starts to trickle down towards your chin. vi swipes it away with her thumb, which she then wipes against her bandaged palm.Â
you inhale slowly, then exhale. your heart rate eases; still a bit higher than most peopleâs, but to what seems to be normal for you.Â
âthe correct term is slayer,â you finally say, watching vi carefully for her reaction.Â
vi isnât quite sure what that means, but it doesnât sound good for someone like her. sheâs wondering if she should make a run for it when you drop your voice an octave or two and add:Â
âthe chosen one standing against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness.â you clear your throat. âif you were wondering.â you break out into a cheeky grin, teeth sparkling in the late morning sun.
âyouâre joking?â
âmost days, i wish i was. thatâs the official tagline, actually.â your smile shrinks into a sigh. âiâm the slayer. i wonât bore you with all the details, but me saving you last night? thatâs kinda just what i do. my destiny, so to speak.â
âdo you normally take the people you save home?â
you blink away, wipe your hands half-heartedly on the white tank top youâre wearing, smearing viâs mess of crimson and grime.
âno,â you admit.Â
vi narrows her eyes at you, shifts her body so thereâs at least more space between you before she figures out what the hell to do. itâs possible that youâre lying but â
vi puffs out her chest. âwhy are you being so nice to me?âÂ
you already have her blood on your body, and vice versa, and not just because youâd been fighting each other. itâs not quite trust, but it feels like something close. something youâre willing to share without even knowing much about the other.Â
an unspoken question: do you know what i really am?Â
because if you did, viâs sure you wouldnât be soâŚ.friendly towards her. so gentle.
âhonestly?â you gesture towards the dog whoâs busy nuzzling into viâs leg. âfangs kinda hates everyone but she seems to like you.â
her jaw drops. âyou decided to be my guardian angel because your dog likes me?â
âi already had a good feeling about you before.â you shrug. âi took it as a good omen, i guess.âÂ
âiâm not sure you should,â vi advises.Â
youâre looking out for her, so she should look out for you. itâs better, for everyone, that vi be left alone.Â
sheâs been good, had to learn how to be, in order to survive; that doesnât mean sheâs innocent.Â
on the bad days, she canât control her anger. on the worst days, she canât contain her hunger.
âokay, well, maybe iâve got a thing for strays,â you reach your hand down, run it through fangsâ thick black fur. your lips curl upwards as you look at vi, all bright-eyed and beautiful, sunlight itself emanating from your smile.Â
something sparks in her chest that she thought would never light again. something that, like her, could be dangerous if itâs not controlled.Â
vi decides itâs probably about time that she left, though it's difficult to tear herself from your warmth.
âso, will i see you in the pit again?â she still canât help but ask as you accompany her to the door.
âprobably, yeah.â you lean against the doorframe, and vi is about to turn the knob when you add: âbut, that pub you passed outside of? the bronze? maybe we can, uh, get a drink there, afterwards sometime.â
your heart skips a beat or two as you anxiously wait for vi to say something. her entire body heats up when she realizes whatâs going on.
you wereâŚ.asking her out.Â
the good thing is that then thereâs no way you actually know what vi is because, well, would this even be allowed in your line of work?
âyou promise youâre not just playing the long game? gaining my trust and then stabbing me in the back?â
you give her a playful but sincere smile and make a small âxâ on the left side of your upper chest. âcross my heart.â
âguess iâll will call you my guardian angel,â she muses, her chest glowing. âiâm vi, by the way.âÂ
you grin, then formally introduce yourself. you reach out your hand. vi holds it, delicately, even though your grip is firm.
âone more thing, though â keep the whole me being the slayer thing under wraps? itâs supposed to be a secret.â
âwhyâd you tell me, then?â vi wonders, raising an eyebrow.Â
you tilt your head, examining her. âlike i said â i had a good feeling about you. slayers are meant to have good instincts, so i decided to trust mine.âÂ
vi takes a deep breath, removes her hand from yours, and glances at you once more with a small smile. she promises not to tell a soul.Â
(she, of all people, knows that there are far worse secrets to keep.)Â Â
âthank you,â vi adds. âfor saving me.â
she hears fangs scratching at the door from inside the apartment after sheâs gone, along with the deep rumble of your voice telling fangs not to worry, our new friend will visit again soon, like youâre so sure vi will be back.Â
with the way you already have her sharp edges softening, her heart fluttering in her chest, vi probably will be.Â
except â
viâs not quite human, hasnât been since she started bleeding between her legs at 13, since her mother told her that this was a blessing passed down to eldest daughters in their family, no matter how many people will try to convince her itâs a curse.Â
it would be a few months later that her mother would be killed because of said blessing.Â
really, itâs more nightmare.Â
because vi knows what itâs like to pick ripped flesh from between her teeth, to have the metallic sweetness of blood linger on her tongue and throat-tearing screams ringing in her ears.Â
meanwhile, you â with your good instincts, strong fists and stronger heart â
itâs your destiny to end those nightmares.Â
youâre the thing that monsters like her are supposed to have nightmares about.
ii. youâre an angel / iâm a dog
thereâs an intimacy to knowing how someone fights.Â
vi fights with bared teeth and burning rage, knuckles cracking against bone, elbows bruising skin without any remorse. her own wounds are half-hazardly hidden behind layers of gauze, her chest wrapped tightly to keep her heart from bleeding out. she doesnât bother to clean the dirt underneath her nails, to wipe the blood from her upper lip after an opponent breaks her nose, to wash her face clean before smearing on more dark paint until all she sees in the mirror is a shadow of her former self.Â
you, on the other hand: youâre precise and quick in how you defeat your opponents, maybe even a bit bored. vi figures that when you fight monsters for a living, it must be fairly dull, knocking out some guy with a single, well placed uppercut, even if he is twice your size. your bandages are always fresh, and you always make vi a little dizzy when she catches a whiff of rose. you walk past her with a playful grin, easily replaced by the glint of your razor-sharp canines as you defeat another opponent in the arena. she listens as your heartbeat barely increases a beat, despite the inevitable adrenaline of battle.Â
you might not be as feral as her, but vi thinks youâre just as dangerous. she likes it, admires that your violence is always calculated rather than all-consuming.Â
she does wonder if youâd ever let anything consume you, curious to know whatâs hiding under your armor.
so, a few days after she first woke up in your apartment, vi builds up the courage to suggest:Â
"whoever wins the most fights tonight picks up the tab for the bar."Â
your face brightens the dim, dirty sidelines of the pit as youâre both waiting for your turn, when you answer:
"you're on, killer."Â
later that night, both of your bodies are aching as vi tries to examine your injuries once youâre both done for the day, away from the roar of the crowd.Â
"guess i'll be picking up the tab," you smile, your lip splitting open even more, just like the morning after her knuckles first kissed your skin.Â
(she wants to kiss this wound closed, too, press her lips to your bloody ones, if youâd be willing to give her a taste.)
"i'll still take care of it, angel,â vi soothes. she rummages around the tiny locker room, a single light bulb flickering above you. finally, she finds a small first aid kit â poorly stocked, but good enough for now. âlemme take care of you first."
you must understand what viâs implying, because your heart starts racing faster.Â
itâs a routine that becomes viâs guiding light â the two of you patching each other up after a rough day (and, regardless of the fact that youâre both strong, itâs always a rough day). you share a drink at the bronze, and then youâre off slaying vampires or whatever other nightmares will keep you awake and fighting every night.Â
then, itâs another full moon, and the routine changes.Â
sheâs able to prevent herself from turning even in the worst of circumstances, but she doesnât want to risk any accidents, knowing that youâre out there on the prowl. vi is confident that youâd never hurt, let alone kill her, but thatâs counting on you being able to recognize her.Â
vi locks herself in the basement of the bronze. spike, the bartender, let her crash in a storage closet, temporarily, no questions asked and a promise to keep it a secret.
she emerges from her isolation after three days, eyes stinging from the harsh morning sun. her first instinct is to head underground, search for you. she makes one stop beforehand, drops something off in the locker room before sheâs ushered into the arena without any more preamble.Â
the show must go on, and youâre already center stage.Â
the lanky woman you mustâve just knocked unconscious is being dragged away. you spit out what looks like a combination of blood and saliva, and crack your neck before resuming a fighting stance, feet squared, bruised knuckles at the ready.Â
you falter when you see that itâs vi whoâs your next opponent. vi picks up the increased pace of your heart, the muscle worrying against your chest. Â
youâve had this conversation, though â about what would happen if you were ever up against each other again in the ring â and you both agreed: once the bell rings, the fight starts, because you both need the money to survive.Â
nothing personal. winner buys two rounds of drinks at the bronze. three, if there were some nasty hits involved.
you hadnât needed to worry about any of that until now.
the bell rings, and vi waits for you to make the first move, like you tend to do.
but, you donât.
the first time you were up against each other, vi dodged your attack and delivered a jab hard enough to make you bleed. you had looked at her with wide eyes, fingers touching your bottom lip and becoming stained with red as the crowd roared. you adjusted your posture with a newfound interest, and a glimmer of what vi can only describe as hunger.
this time, you drop your stance like youâve already lost the fight. you ignore the shouts and groans from the crowd as you walk away.
âŚ.
vi finds you in the locker room â and youâre not alone.Â
âthere a problem here?â vi asks, glaring at the guy you seem to be arguing with.Â
âitâs fine,â you answer coolly. still, vi sits on the bench nearest to the door, waits for you like a patient dog.Â
âfine?â the guy barks a laugh. heâs wearing topside clothes. an enforcer, no less. âyou made me look like a fool.â
you scoff. âi doubt thatâs hard to do.â
the guy suddenly reaches forward and snatches your arm. vi feels rage surge through her when his nails indent your skin. you must sense it, because your eyes lock with hers in a silent command not to do anything, not just yet.
âi donât think you understand, bitch,â he seethes, face a pissed off shade of red. âiâm out more money than youâll ever see in your entire pathetic life.âÂ
âiâm sure youâll manage.â
vi follows your gaze as it drops to his belt. heâs got his badge, a standard issue pistol, and a pouch full of gold coins.Â
âclearly i bet on the wrong fucking dog.âÂ
you force a smile. âbetter luck next time, officer.âÂ
you finally rip your arm out of his grip, push him away abruptly, effectively manoeuvring him to stumble between where youâre standing, and viâs waiting. you gesture towards vi with a smirk, a taunting dare for this enforcer to challenge two of the undercityâs best fighters.Â
vi gets up just as heâs walking out, grumbling an incoherent string of swears. she not-so-subtly knocks into his shoulder and hip, her nimble fingers still quick.
âguess we can get dinner with our drinks, now,â she quips with a toothy grin. vi tosses you the pouch, but you donât seem too thrilled, even as you catch it effortlessly.Â
âyou canât just disappear like that, vi.â your voice sharp, crossing your arms over your chest.Â
âi didnât mean to,â vi lies, walking over to open your shared locker. she pulls out a bouquet of roses, the same deep red as dried blood.Â
vi pouts, gives you her best puppy dog eyes. âiâm sorry, angel.âÂ
the only reaction she gages from you is a quickening heartbeat at the nickname, your face still hard to crack marble.Â
âthis is serious, vi.âÂ
âi know! but ââ
âdo you know whatâs out there? iâm not the only monster hunter around here. you need to be careful,â you rush, walking over to her and talking with your hands. âi looked everywhere for you, andâŚ.and you just left without saying anything. i thoughtâŚi thought youâd been killed ââ
your blood roars in viâs ears, your pulse close to out of control, and vi doesnât know what else to do except bring you into her arms in an attempt to calm you down.
âiâm okay, angel. iâm here. iâm right here,â vi mumbles against your shoulder, inhaling sweat and roses.
your heart starts beating steady against her own as you exhale.
âi was safe, i promise. i was in the supply close at the bronze.â
âare you kidding?â you guffaw, unravelling yourself from viâs body. âthat basement is a hellhole.â
vi shrugs. âit does the trick.â
you chuckle dryly, shaking your head.
âwell, i guess now that i lost one of my best sponsors, fangs and i might have to move in there with you,â you deadpan.
you reach around vi to pull a jacket from the locker, slipping on worn leather that vi realizes is hers. you take the flowers from her with a small thank you, and vi adjusts the collar of her jacket on you, her warm fingers subtly grazing your pulsepoint. vi canât help the possessiveness that sparks in her abdomen: you, wearing her clothes; you, heart beating rapidly for her.Â
âwellâŚwhat ifâŚ.i moved in with you?â deep down, she knows itâs not an ideal situation, but vi reasons: âwe can pool our money together for rent. besides, whatâs another stray in your home?âÂ
you bite your bottom lip as you mull over the offer.
âwell, you did buy me flowers, ask me out to dinnerâŚ.seems like the logical next step.â
âsoâŚ.âÂ
vi wiggles her eyebrows at you, and you finally crack a smile.Â
it was only been three days apart and vi already felt deprived of the sunlight of your smile.Â
âokay, killer. as long as you donât make a habit of disappearing on me.â
âŚ.
on paper, there might be reasons why you and vi, together, shouldnât work, but the simple truth is that you do.
you still spend your afternoons engulfed in the darkness of the underground arena, patch each other up at the end of the day, share drinks at the bronze before parting ways.
now, in the mornings, you spend a few hours training together, moving furniture around so thereâs enough space to spar. you try not to get distracted by how hot her skin is every time it brushes against yours, how solid her thigh is between your legs when sheâs adjusting your stance, how a shattered moan emerges from her lips as you pin her to the floor after showing her a new technique to catch an opponent off-guard.
the nights are your favourite, though. like fangs, vi is able to fall asleep anywhere in the apartment, and is usually passed out by the time youâre off the clock from slayer duty. after the first few nights, you insist that vi sleep on the bed, and she begrudgingly agrees. now, you get home just before dawn, bone-tired, to find her belly up, drooling and snoring on top of the dilapidated mattress. the moonlight illuminates all the curves and shadows of her sculpted body, her skin shimmering with sweat because her body runs warm, even on the coldest nights. you can see the trail of pink hair disappear beneath her black underwear, while her dyed-black hair is a tangled mess youâre tempted to tug at, curious to see if sheâd moan again for you. vi sleeps shirtless, nipples winking at you like two fallen stars with those titanium rods pierced through.Â
gods, you try not to drool when you slip under the covers and fall asleep dreaming of her, all the places you would sink your teeth into, all the places you wish she would do the same.Â
(meanwhile, vi tries to ignore the sound of your whimpers, the quick tempo of your heartbeat, and the overwhelming musk of desire between your legs as you sleep next to her, because sheâs so sure that you would never dream of her.)
these fantasies of vi, all her warmth, all her chaos, gnaw at you from the inside out. itâs an overwhelming sense of hunger, but with vi, you also feel something else, something gentler and more fragile building between you.
itâs really the little things.Â
like, vi brings you fresh roses every week, and even though you keep telling her to save her winnings for better things, she tells you that pretty girls like you are worth it, angel. they should teach you that in slayer school.Â
she winks, makes you flustered, then has the audacity to blush when you leave her the ripest apples because you know that she likes them a bit sweeter.Â
sometimes you open the window as you share a cigarette, exhaling smoke into the starlit twilight as you exchange stories about your pasts, about the people youâve loved and lost. sheâs the first person you confide in about how weighed down you feel by the responsibility of being the slayer, a burden thatâs cost you many loved ones, and the uncertainty of whether what youâre destined to do is truly what is good for the world. she tells you about her time in prison, the lonely nights lamenting the death of her father and brothers, but keeping her strength because she hoped to one day make it back to a sister she just ended up losing, anyways.Â
other times, the two of you play a game. you imagine that youâre elsewhere, that there are no such things as monsters, no reason to have to battle and bruise yourselves just to survive. instead, you have a life and a family and a home together, filled with luxurious parties, decadent dinner tables, and endless sunny days.Â
you comfort her and she comforts you through the dark, morbid world you both have been fighting against, alone, for so long.
it works. it works really well.Â
except â youâve been the slayer long enough to know that nothing this good will last. it's nauseating â dangerous, even â this desire buried in you deeply like a knife to the gut, twisting and taunting you with what can never be.
youâre just waiting for the next nightmare to reveal itself.
âŚ.
viâs hair has started to fade back to pink, so she asks you to re-dye it.
itâs easy to forget that she sits in a rickety chair in your decrepit but well-loved apartment because all she can think about is your body behind hers, solid and steady. your cool fingers work the dye through her hair, your nails scrape against her scalp, and youâre humming as fangs snores peacefully at her feet. sheâs died and gone to heaven, pure bliss glowing in her chest and releasing through her throat as a deep rumble.Â
she closes her eyes and indulges in a little daydreaming:
just you and your sunburst smile and your soft, rose-petal skin.
thereâs a firm knock that rustles vi out of her reverie, and you tell her to go rinse out her hair while you answer it.
she can hear you talking with someone through the rush of hot water. she tries not to eavesdrop, butâŚitâs difficult, especially once she hears:
âitâll be fine. silver bullets usually do the trick,â you say, without much enthusiasm. vi bites back her hurt, keeps rinsing her hair, waiting for the water to run clear instead of sludge gray.Â
youâre not talking about her.Â
âiâm not sure you understand the severity of the situation,â a voice with a thick british accent replies. âiâve been on the council for fifty years â five times longer than youâve been the slayer â and iâve never seen something quite this vicious.â
âmy guess is you donât get out in the field much,â you quip.Â
whoever youâre talking to clearly is not amused, ignoring your backhanded comment and instead offering the details of what has been witnessed in the past few days. itâs so gruesome and gory that vi herself is shivering as she turns off the shower, towels off, and gets dressed.Â
when vi opens the door, she almost trips over fangs, whoâd fallen asleep just outside. she gets up immediately as vi steps out, her tail wagging. the owner of the stern voice â a man wearing a very pristine looking tweed suit â is handing you a crossbow, a bunch of silver-tipped arrows already splayed on the table. you notice vi first as your grip on the weapon tightens, and the manâs gaze follows.
âyou know thereâs a rule about slayers keepingâŚ.pets,â the man says, turning his nose up at vi and fangs from where theyâre still standing at the doorway of the bathroom.Â
you glance back at the pair, jaw clenched, and then focus back on your unwanted guest.Â
âmr. travers, thank you for the heads up, but i believe itâs time for you to leave,â you clip, dropping the crossbow on the table.Â
âactually, i believe that we have much more to discuss, namely how youâve allowed this mutt into your home ââ
âget the fuck out of our apartment,â you practically growl. you walk towards him menacingly until his back is millimeters away from the door. âyou of all people know what i can do.â
âyou will be punished for thisâŚthis transgression,â travers warns, but thereâs an unmistakable tremble in his voice.Â
you laugh in a way vi can barely recognize, sharp and bitter.Â
âfine. iâm no stranger to dealing with the councilâs bullshit.â you open the door, flash an exaggerated, sickly sweet smile. âhave a nice day.â
âi hope this animal is worth it,â travers huffs.Â
âsheâs worth it,â you reply without hesitation before you slam the door on his ass, so hard that the walls shake, the vase in the kitchen toppling over and cracking on the counter.Â
viâs seen you fight in the pit â hell, sheâs been on the receiving end of some of your wicked moves â but she doesnât think sheâs ever seen you this angry.Â
your chest is heaving as you pace back and forth.Â
âso that soundsâŚ.bad,â vi remarks, heading over to the kitchen counter to gather the broken shards of pottery.
you freeze. âhow much did you hear?âÂ
vi just shrugs. âjust that thereâs something bad out there ââ
âdonât worry about it,â you say with a forced smile. you walk over and push some damp hair away from viâs eyes. âletâs take fangs for a walk before we leave, yeah? while itâs still light out.âÂ
there are whispers throughout the next few days leading up to the full moon. the crowd at the arena starts to thin, most topsiders too scared to journey underground with rumors of a bloodthirsty monster on the loose.Â
youâre not sleeping anymore, still fighting during the day to a half-empty arena, out on patrol at night, your rosy scent fading from the bedsheets with each passing night. even if you get home before dawn, you spend your time scouring through books and scribbling into your notebook, mumbling to yourself theories about where and how you can stop this thing. vi tries to get you to take a break, or at least eat instead of burning through shimmer-laced cigarettes to keep yourself awake.
the best vi can do is convince you to sit down on the couch with her and share a snack. you settle for doing some research, flip through yellowed pages as you take a bite of an apple, juice dripping down your chin.Â
vi reaches her finger out, puts it in her mouth to suck off the juice, moaning around the salty-sweet taste of your skin. you let out a pleased hum, turning your attention back to your research, but angling your body to invite her closer. vi nuzzles into your side, puts her head on your lap, twitches in pleasure as you reach down to scratch behind her ear.Â
she looks up at you, and you finally give her a real smile â the first ray of sun after a pitch dark night.
a slice of paradise vi was certain sheâd never find.
âŚ.
the night of the full moon is when all hell breaks loose.Â
vi tries â she begs you not to go out there, sensing that tonight, of all nights, it will be at its strongest. but you, too headstrong and too righteous for your own good, just wonât listen.Â
âthis thing has killed eleven people in less than a week. i donât care what phase of the moon it is â iâm ending this, tonight.âÂ
âwhy does it have to be you? that thing is stronger than anything youâve ever fought!âÂ
âwhich is why iâve been preparing,â you snap.
âcanât you â canât you just call the fucking council, or something, tell them to deal with it?âÂ
fangs is right there with vi, scrambling and whining as youâre meticulously arming yourself with as many weapons you can carry.
you scoff, notching a few silver blades to your belt. âitâs not their responsibility, itâs mine. where the fuck â i canât go out only in this tank top, itâs fucking freezing â â
vi swallows the lump in her throat.
âyouâre gonna die if you go out there alone.â
âyeah, well, iâve accepted my fate a long time ago,â you say stoically.Â
youâre fairly well supplied at this point; if vi was the monster you were hunting, sheâd be running scared from a glance alone. youâre only half paying attention to viâs pleas, and sigh in relief when you find what youâd been looking for.Â
âplease, angel, donât ââ
âi was literally born for this, violet. if i donât go out and stop this thing from killing more people, then my life is worth nothing.âÂ
âyou make me happy!â she shouts desperately, forcing you to pause as you slip on her jacket. âthatâs worth something, isnât it?â
a tense silence follows.Â
you freeze for a few moments, avoiding viâs gaze. then, you walk over to the cabinet, grabbing something so quickly vi canât pinpoint what it is and stuffing it in your back pocket. you clench and unclench your left fist, a tick of yours that vi recognizes from the arena.Â
youâre planning your next move.Â
in a daze, you pick up the crossbow, but you hesitate once more â
âfuck,â you exhale before letting the weapon clatter to the ground and rushing over to crash your lips against viâs.Â
youâre kissing and kissing, teeth and tongue and a pleasure so guilty, viâs sure sheâll be damned for all eternity. viâs lungs are burning when she pulls away first.
âwait. you should know that iâm ââ
âi still have to go,â you interrupt, voice determined and sharp, cutting right through to viâs heart.
thereâs a fear curling up her throat as you watch her, your eyes the darkest sheâs ever seen them.Â
âthen let me â i mean, i can help ââ
you kiss her again. you taste so heavenly, better than she ever dreamed of, that vi doesnât even care that itâs probably just to shut her up.Â
she almost doesnât notice that youâve cornered her between the kitchen counter and the front door, until she hears a distinct click, feels something heavy and burning against her wrists.Â
you pull away first this time, eyes glazed over as you back away to make space between you and what youâve done:
vi, handcuffed to the exposed heating pipe. the cuffs are stronger than any vi has ever been bound by. must be made of real silver. the metal sears into her skin, down to the bone, as she struggles against them, screaming to the point of howling, watching as you pick up the crossbow and a handful of silver tipped arrows as a final hail mary.
âno!â she cries. the pipe youâd cuffed her to rattles, but it doesnât give. âplease, please donât ââ
âiâmâŚiâm really sorry,â you mumble, quickly wiping away a tear. vi flinches when you try to touch her cheek; she bares her teeth at you like a rabid beast, but you donât give her the courtesy of a reaction. Â
âwhy are you doing this?â she growls.
âbecauseâŚ.you deserve a happy ending, violet. donât let anyone tell you otherwise.âÂ
you take a deep breath. you look at fangs, affectionately pat her head as she bows her head and whines, tail between her legs. âbring her the key once itâs morning,â you instruct. your eyes slide over to viâs, for what she fears might be the last time. âtake care of each other.â
with that, youâre out the door.
vi isnât sure how much time passes. her wrists sting, her muscles ache, but still, she keeps going. she doesnât care how, but sheâs not letting you die tonight.Â
a sliver of moonlight shines through the window. something claws at her ribcage.Â
youâre not dying tonight.Â
and viâs been hungry for too long.
iii. all my devotion turns violent
the streets are empty, deserted due to fear and damp from the cold evening rain.
you search through the shadows, around every corner, play with one of your daggers just to pass the time, the blade weaving between your expert fingers.
all you can really think about, though, is vi, and how scared she was to lose you, and how terribly you must have hurt her âÂ
fuck.Â
you accidentally sliced through your palm, your blood emerging as thick, black tar in the darkness. you sigh and kneel down in the alleyway, dropping your heaviest weapon so you can use your uninjured hand to wrap the other.Â
something pounces on you before you can stop the bleeding. the crossbow â the weapon that was supposed to deliver a fatal blow â is now out of reach.Â
you jab one of your silver blades into the creatureâs side; he howls, but you manage to kick him away long enough to get to your feet, get a better sense of what youâre fighting. youâve never seen anything like it before: a hulking mass roughly five times your size, wolf-like features, and chemical machinery woven throughout his body, a neon green liquid pumping through glass tubes.Â
the beast growls at you, lunges forward once again; you jump out of his path, roll away so run, fast, and grab the crossbow. you quickly notch a silver tipped arrow, aim at his heart; you hold your breath and fire without hesitation. then another, and another, just to be safe. Â
your stomach turns as you watch the creature remove the arrows as if they were nothing but splinters. he lets out a roar that shakes the earth. youâve made him angrier.
you drop the crossbow, deciding instead to propel yourself off the wall, leap onto the beastâs shoulders and stab the glass tubes with all the force you can muster. green liquid gushes out, and the beast howls in pain, but doesnât give up. with sharp claws, he throws you to the ground, and you shriek as he tears through the skin of your ribs.Â
youâre very suddenly dizzy, bleeding out on the cobblestones, yet continue to struggle with whatever strength still courses through your veins. the beast looms over you, foaming at the mouth, and your vision is getting fuzzier by the second.
thatâs when you see a flash of dark fur, almost fuschia in the moonlight, jump in front of you, knock the beast out of the way, tumble to the side. you glance at the creature that saved you â a wolf with a fierce set of teeth and beautiful powder blue eyes â before you fall unconscious.Â
iv. stitch me up (touch me inside and out)
vi barely registers that the temperature in the apartment is dropping.
she doesnât regret how she had to rip the heating pipe from the wall â there are nasty burns, still untreated, stinging her wrists where the silver cuffs had restrained her.Â
she doesnât regret transforming from human to something wild, unrestrained, in order to save you from something much worse.Â
sheâs still burning off adrenaline, her nervous system on high alert. itâs been a while, and sheâd forgotten how exhilarating it can be.
it all happened so fast. there was something oddly familiar about the beast; he seemed to recognize vi, too. thatâs the only explanation â for all the ruthless, bloody stories sheâd heard, why else would he have let vi take you away and just disappear into the night without so much as a growl?Â
vi doesnât have the energy to answer such questions. all she cares about is you. she canât get over the overwhelming scent of your blood, already spilling out onto the street when she showed up. she almost lost control, blinded by rage and a desire to kill the beast â but you were there, on the brink of death, and she just wanted you to be safe, wanted to bring you home.
she just hopes she wasnât too late.Â
vi hyper-focuses on your labored, disjointed breaths from where she tucked you in. she tried her best to stop the bleeding and dress your wounds with combinations of herbs and flowers she frantically read about in one of your books, desperate to keep you alive.Â
youâve lost blood. a lot of blood.Â
vi wants nothing more than to curl up on the bed next to you, but after you saw her last night, once you realize that sheâs no different than the savage beast you were so determined to kill, sheâs not sure youâd want her near you.Â
sheâll just stay long enough to know that youâll wake up, and then sheâll be out of your life forever.Â
dawn breaks. the sun shines through cracked, frost covered windows, and your eyes remain shut.
your heartâs still pumping blood, which is a good sign, but otherwiseâŚ.
day bleeds into night, and youâre still out cold. vi manages to drip some water between your parted lips, and watches with relief as your throat reacts accordingly. you let out a gentle sigh, eyelids fluttering ever so slightly.Â
âplease wake up,â vi whispers.Â
fangs jumps onto the bed and whimpers, nudging her nose against your arm so that sheâs snuggled underneath. vi drapes a blanket over the pair of you.
another sleepless night passes.
at first light, vi changes your bandages. she struggles a bit, given her injured wrists, but sheâs pleased to find you healing from what might have been a fatal injury to most humans. she tries to feed fangs, but the dog refuses.Â
fair enough â vi canât bring herself to eat, either.Â
instead, to pass the time, vi glues together shards from the broken vase and places it back on the kitchen counter. there are no more fresh roses; vi decides sheâll bring you some as a parting gift once youâve woken up.Â
youâre shivering by the time darkness starts to creep in. vi piles as many blankets as she can on you and fangs, but itâs not enough. vi accepts what she had been reluctant to do: she slips into bed next to you, uses her body to keep you warm, arms wrapped around you protectively.
vi doesnât remember falling asleep, but she wakes up late the next afternoon, to cold rumpled sheets and an even colder empty apartment.Â
you must have a knack for perfect timing, because just as viâs about to start spiralling, the front door swings open and itâs you â cheeks slightly flushed from the cold, holding a brown paper bag with one arm while your other hand grasps the key. fangs rushes through the door, too, tail wagging as she zooms around the apartment, bounces on the furniture and lets out excited little yaps.
âmorning, killer.â you smile like you hadnât been knocking on deathâs door since a few nights before. âi would have waited, but you were pretty knocked out and fangs had a ton of energy to burn. clearly she still does,â you chuckle, sending a warm, fuzzy feeling through viâs body. âi got us some food, too, and iâll contact the landlord to fix our â whoa!â
the bag drops to your feet as vi pounces on you, engulfing your body in her arms and squeezing tightly. your heartbeat is as strong as ever, steadies her own frantic pulse.Â
âs-sorry.â she pulls away and takes a step back. âi shouldnât have ââ
you just shake your head and press a finger to her lips to quiet her.
âiâm sorry,â you say. âi shouldnât have â i shouldnât have treated you like that; shouldnât have used who you are as a weapon against you. you saved me, vi.â you take a shuddery breath. you place a gentle hand on her cheek. âthank you.â
it takes vi a minute to process what youâve said.Â
you thanked her for saving you.Â
you apologized for using who she is as a weapon.Â
what did you mean by that?Â
unless â
iâm not the only monster hunter around here. you need to be careful.
sheâs worth it.Â
you deserve a happy ending, violet. donât let anyone tell you otherwise.Â
âyouâŚ.knew,â vi realizes, and even as she says it, she canât quite believe it. âhowâŚ.how long?â
âfrom the first time i landed a punch on your handsome face.â smiling softly, you run your thumb over the faded burn on her cheek, the one mirroring her tattoo, the one left by your silver ring.Â
âare you serious?â
âwell, fine, i didnât know what you were, not exactly, until later. i just had a pretty good feeling that you werenât human; you had a pulse, so you couldnât be a vampire, which meant ââÂ
âyou knew what i was this whole time and it didnât bother you?â
you shrug. âyou knew what i was this whole time and it didnât bother you.â while vi continues to stare at you in disbelief, you bend down to pick up the fallen items. vi crouches down with you.
âthatâs different,â she reasons, handing you a soft red apple, your cold fingers brushing over her warm skin momentarily.Â
âi donât think so. not all monsters are evil and not all humans are good. i saved you from a human that night, remember?âÂ
âb-but youâre you and i-iâm me.â vi scrambles to find the right words. sheâs still shocked at how calm you are. is it really as simple as you make it seem? âyou werenâtâŚ.scared that iâd hurt you, because thatâs who i am?â
you get up and place the bag of groceries in the kitchen, lean against the counter as you stare back at vi. instead of answering, you challenge her once again:
âwere you scared that iâd hurt you?â
vi blinks at you. ânever.â
âthereâs your answer,â you declare, giving her that razor-sharp grin you flash whenever you win a fight.
fangs has calmed down, and sheâs asleep on the living room couch, her snores the only sound between you as vi processes everything thatâs been said.Â
she feels like her entire world has flipped upside down.
this whole timeâŚ..
it went terribly when she last told someone the truth, at least anyone outside her family, and even they would sometimes walk on eggshells around her, like they were worried she might snap.Â
but youâŚ.youâve sparred and youâve bickered and you never even flinched once.Â
you welcomed her into your home, into your life.Â
you kissed her.Â
this whole time.
âi was scared you wouldnât love me, if you knew,â vi admits, a whisper so soft that sheâs almost sure that you didnât hear.Â
except you falter then, your confident posture melting at her confession. your lips part in a soft exhale.Â
âwell, itâs like you said; i knew this whole time, and i stillâŚ.â you swallow the rest of your sentence, but youâre looking at vi with so much adoration that itâs overwhelming. âi still want you.â
her brain short circuits, and all vi can think to do is kiss you.
it starts sweet, your lips rose-petal soft. her lips are chapped, rough against yours and already bleeding from the pressure. you run your fingers through viâs hair, swallow her moans. sheâs dizzy with anticipation, imagining how you might do the same when sheâs between your legs later. you kiss the scar on her upper lip, gently like youâre hoping to heal the permanent wound. then, your tongue laves over the cut on viâs bottom lip, soothes her, pushes into her mouth again so youâre both tasting copper.Â
but then, you bite down, and a desire buried deep within vi is unleashed: the desire to cut herself open for you so you can love each and every part of her. even deeper down, vi hopes that youâd want the same.
vi brings a hand up to your jaw, pushing you into her mouth even more. she lodges her thigh between your legs and shoves her tongue into your mouth when you gasp. one of your hands slips underneath her shirt to trace the contours of her abdomen, meticulously outlining each one.
âitâs been days since youâve eaten, hasnât it?â you mumble against her lips, pulling away slightly. your brows pinch together in worry, because you already know her body too well, can tell that each muscle is more defined, each edge a bit sharper. âyou must be starving, baby. letâs eat something before ââ
vi whines when you start to pull away even more.
âwe can do that after.â she offers you her best puppy dog eyes as she pleads: âiâm hungry for something else now. i want you.â
to prove her point, vi guides your hand to her belt. your fingers dance along the metal and she eagerly awaits your response.
âfine,â you decide. âbut whoever has the most orgasms makes dinner.âÂ
âyouâre on, angel.â
her breath hitches when your hand moves down the waistband of her pants; you play with her tangle of curls, tease the tip of your fingers into her wetness. she purrs against you.Â
âwait ââ you pause your actions. vi whimpers when you remove your glistening fingers; you take off the silver ring on your pointer finger, grinning guiltily as you toss it on the counter behind you. âthat would have been bad,â is all you say before inserting two fingers into her already slick pussy.
âugh, ah â fuck, just like that, angel,â she moans, twitching as you ram your fingers into her.Â
you hum, stuff another finger into her heat, stretching her so deliciously that her legs start to tremble.Â
âsuch a good girl for me. arenât you, violet?â you coo and start sucking the skin behind her ear. âyou gonna make a mess, right here in our kitchen?âÂ
and that does it â viâs walls tighten around you, her wetness soaks through her clothes; sheâs almost sure that it drips down onto the floor. vi whines as you remove your fingers, feeling empty. you shove your syrupy fingers into her mouth instead, her tongue greedily lapping up her own cum. a string of spit follows as you rip away your fingers and press your mouth against viâs kiss-swollen, cum-covered lips. you feel something smouldering in the pit of your stomach at her whimpers; youâre nowhere near satisfied, but her eyes, all wide and dark and desperate, are pleading at you to let her indulge in her hunger, as well. Â
âwhat else do you want?â
vi paws at your breasts from above your shirt.
âi want to fuck you,â she declares, and you nod eagerly, your body bursting into flames.Â
she gestures at you to wrap your legs around her hips, and she carries you to the bed as you kiss more fiercely, teeth clacking and tongues fighting to explore every crevice of her mouth. you tear each otherâs clothes off; but the cold air doesnât faze you in the slightess, because you have vi, hot and passionate, above you, keeping you going.
your teeth gnaw on her bottom lip as vi messily thrusts against you, your cunts sliding against each other; sticky, languid bliss.Â
vi takes her time. she wants to savor every part of this, of you â the sting of your nails scratching down her tattooed back, no doubt leaving red marks in their wake; the familiar scent of your skin, sickly sweet roses, combined with the thick musk of your desire, dripping against hers so deliciously; the hoarseness of your voice, encouraging her to go faster, harder.Â
she nudges her nose against the crook of your neck, salivates at how your vein pulses for her like a tantalizing butterfly. her teeth graze your pulsepoint, but sheâs trembling with the amount of self control it takes not to add any more pressure.
âv-vi,â you breathe her name like a prayer. âbaby.â
a guttural moan bubbles from the back of her throat in response.
you gently run your fingers through her hair, coax her to look you in the eye, the gesture a sharp contrast to the harsh squelching of your cunts against each other, melding together with each determined thrust.Â
âyou â ah,â you gasp as vi rolls her hips into yours with even more vigor. âyou can bite me, if you want.âÂ
vi licks her lips, swallows the hunger burning in her throat because you must be too fucked out if youâre willing to let vi fully indulge in this craving.Â
âbut then you would ââ
âlycanthropy is only transmitted when youâre in wolf form,â you explain through labored breaths. âso if you bite me nowâŚ.and gods, iâm begging you toâŚ..nothingâs gonna change.âÂ
âi have never been more thankful for your slayer training,â she growls. âyou really want that, huh? for me to mark you up really good, show everyone that youâre mine?â
âo-only if i can do the same,â you manage a smirk. âor are you all bark and no bite?â you tease, buck your hips upwards. vi is willing to die for your knife-like smile alone, so of course. sheâd let you eat her whole, if thatâs what you really wanted.Â
vi finally sinks her teeth into you, rolling her eyes back at how absolutely luscious you taste. like a good girl â your good girl â she follows your orders and bites. she bites down your neck, across your shoulders and collarbones, relishing in the imprints left in her wake.
vi knows now that she calls you angel for a reason. itâs a religious experience, watching you throw your head back against the pillow as your orgasm crashes through you. vi follows a few seconds later until youâre covered in her â she drenched the curls of your bush, her cum dripping down on your own wet pussy as she watches from above. vi canât help it; she bends down, and you jolt slightly when her cold nipple piercing brushes against your clit. she does it again a few more times just to appreciate how you whine, rut your pussy against her perky breast, begging for more.Â
but, viâs on the hunt for something else â she splits your folds with her sharp tongue, sucks any and all of your shared essence. she lets it slosh around in her mouth before hovering over you once more, silently ordering you to part your wet lips; when you comply, so obedient, vi spits into your wanton mouth, thick and velvety.Â
âswallow,â she orders, voice rough with lust. you do so quite eagerly.
and just like that, youâre back to grinding on each other, leaving a delectable mess along the skin of each otherâs thighs. the tension in viâs abdomen snaps when you wrap your lips around her nipple, suckling at your own wetness until drool dribbles from the corner of your mouth.Â
after feeling her gush against you, a feral impulse rips through you. you release her nipple with a distinct pop, the cold metal still burning on your tongue as you yank viâs hair, exposing her tender skin, glittering with sweat in the dark golden light as the sun starts to set. you pull her close, bite around the tattoo on the side of her neck, hard. vi howls in pleasure as you taste salt and iron and her, reaching your peak.Â
vi waits patiently as you come down from your high, chest heaving, your neck still engraved with the outline of her teeth while yours are stained red. you crash your lips onto hers, chaotic and insatiable, kissing her like sheâs your last meal. in turn, she licks into your mouth, tongue tracing your canines to savor what youâve consumed of hers.Â
âyou sure youâre not a vampire? that would be quite the scandal,â vi jokes later when youâre sitting in her lap, taking time to clean each other up. viâs only wearing a shirt, but youâve doubled up on clothes, the apartment growing colder as night approaches.Â
you already tended to the burns on her wrists (and apologized profusely for causing them; you also scolded her a bit for not tending to herself sooner). now you use disinfectant to wipe down her neck, where you broke skin; you quickly place a bandage that soothes the sting and vi presses a grateful kiss to your sternum.
you hum around the unlit cigarette in your mouth, which you had rolled beforehand with dried rose petals. with your hands unoccupied, you reach for your lighter. vi tilts her chin to gaze up at you; youâre backlit by the evening twilight, a silver halo around you as flowery smoke billows from your mouth.
âiâm sure they wonât be thrilled to know that a slayerâs fallen in love with a werewolf, either,â you muse, beaming at her.Â
vi clicks her tongue. âsounds like weâre breaking some bylaws.â
âoh, sheâs worth it; iâd do anything for my charming, sexy, handsome werewolf.â
you lean forward and exhale smoke into viâs parted mouth, lips brushing against each other as you share the same breath. you sit back once your lungs are burning and admire the view.Â
vi â normally all rough edges and dark shadows â blushing a delicate pink as you praise her.
âsheâs got a killer right hook, too,â you continue. you offer vi the cigarette and she nods; you hold it, place it between her lips as she takes a drag. âa body so hot that itâs honestly unfair. sheâs a fighter, which i love, and some people might think sheâs just a scary dog, but i think sheâs beautiful and brave and a total softie ââ
âokay, okay,â vi coughs, the tips of her ears red. she takes the cigarette from you and stubs it out on the makeshift ashtray by the windowsill. vi rolls over so sheâs on top of you, cupping your face in her hands. she pecks across your cheeks until youâre giggling; you try to turn the tables, and the two of you just end up wrestling in a tangle of sheets and laughter and tender kisses.
eventually, you both calm down.Â
âyou hungry?â
ânot really. you?â
vi shakes her head. âweâll make breakfast together in the morning?âÂ
âsounds heavenly.â
itâs dark outside, but the stars are out and the waning moon shines bright. vi positions herself behind you, her body curving into yours, chin notched over your shoulder and arm secure on your waist.
fangs must feel left out, because she shuffles under the covers for warmth before immediately falling back asleep, her fur tickling at your feet.
your thumb rubs against the gauze on viâs wrist. you canât help but feel regret, heavy like lead in your stomach.
âbaby, iâm fine,â vi assures, already knowing what youâre thinking.
âiâŚ.i just hate that i did this to you,â you mumble, bringing her wrist up so you can kiss it.Â
âyou were trying to protect me. itâs what we do, yeah? protect each other?â
when you hum in agreement, vi guides you to turn around so youâre facing each other. on instinct, she parts your legs with her thigh. your sweatshirt has ridden up, so vi starts to rub circles onto your exposed hip bone, her touch soft as velvet.
ânext time you go out there, iâm coming with you.â
your breath hitches as you trace the tattoos licking up her arm. âviâŚ.â
âthis isnât up for debate,â vi declares. she reaches her hand up to caress your cheek, thumb delicately rubbing the shadows under your eye. âyou almost died. whatever almost killed you is still out there. youâre strong â gods, youâre the strongest person iâve ever met â but you donât have to face any of this alone. not anymore.â
you let out a surprised laugh.Â
âwhat?â she murmurs shyly, her eyes the soft, pale blue of moonlight, star-like freckles dazzling her sculpted cheeks.Â
âno, itâs justâŚ.anyone whoâs known that iâm the slayer either calls me delusional, runs scared, or expects me to do it all by myself. hell â thatâs how it was written, how it was destined to be."
vi nudges her nose against yours. her breath tickles your lips, heats up your entire being with a warmth so divine, you wonder if you actually have died and gone to heaven.Â
youâre both alive, though, a bit bruised and wounded. the world is dark and cold, but hereâs this beautiful, strong girl with a beautiful, strong heart who holds you close, parts her full lips â like two rose petals, kiss-bitten and crimson â and vows:
âfuck destiny. itâs you and me now, angel.â
v. my heart is black and beats for you
TWO MONTHS EARLIER
itâs a quiet night. you spent most of it lamenting how you got your ass kicked earlier and fantasizing about the woman who did it, when you see a shadow of a person passed out at the corner of the street, and another trying to steal from them.Â
someone has to stand against the forces of darkness and evil, and the universe somehow determined that would be you â a fate youâve had to accept through bruised ribs and broken hearts and bloody prophecies, but one youâve had to accept nonetheless.Â
if that goes beyond vampires and demons, so be it.Â
after youâve managed to send the creep on the run, you recognize the person you saved:
itâs her.Â
she looked more intimidating in the pit, honestly â all harsh and dark, furrowed brows and vicious snarls.Â
it takes you kneeling in front of her to be able to really see it through the black face paint. you take a little pride in the bruise that blossoms on her cheek and the cut through her eyebrow, thinking that at least you got a few shots in before she took you out with a killer right hook.Â
your jaw still aches and you still taste copper thanks to her, but without the roars from the crowd or the pressure of hefty prize money that you need to survive, you can see her more clearly. sheâs bleeding through her bandages; sheâs shivering because, gods, itâs freezing this time of year and all sheâs wearing underneath a flimsy leather jacket is scrap fabric that would not be counted as a shirt; and she looks like she hasnât eaten in days despite reeking of alcohol.Â
thatâs when you see a burn on her cheekbone, too, just about where your silver ring would have collided with her skin. you hold your breath, lean in closer to her chest and listen closely to check â the thumping of a strong, steady heartbeat; the gentle rush of blood flowing through her veins.Â
so, not a vampire. maybe a human with a silver allergy, but whatâs more likely is that sheâsâŚ.something else.Â
âhey.â you whisper. when she doesnât respond, you cup her face in one hand and tap her bruised cheek with your thumb. her skin is warm; if she were a human, youâd think she had a fever. âwake up.â
you resist the urge to jerk away when she softly takes your hand in hers, the gesture a sharp contrast to her knuckles bloodied from earlier.
âfive more minutes, cupcake,â she whines, her voice echoing down the empty alley.
âlook, itâs late and freezing. we should really go before ââ
âplease. just stay with me. i promise iâll be good.â
your chest aches at her sincere tone. did you sound the same, when you made a similar promise before to the people youâve loved after they found out who â what â you are? did you also look so broken, so bruised when they left?Â
you know the council wouldnât approve of what youâre about to do.Â
but you also know well enough from years of studying and training and fighting as the slayer that their judgement should not be taken as scripture.
in other words: fuck the council.Â
(plus â you need a friend, or justâŚ.someone. itâs lonely, being the chosen one. and this girl, in front of you â when you fought, her body reacting to yours so fluidly, you had somehow never felt more understood.)
you manage to get her to her feet.Â
she mumbles something incomprehensible into your neck, her breath hot against your skin. you let her lean into your body after a weak attempt at holding herself up. itâs not much trouble for you, though. itâs a cold night, anyways; her body, solid and warm, is almost comforting against yours.
you trust your instincts and carry her home.Â
#y'all im SORRY ik more ppl voted for the spiderverse au (it's coming soon i promise)#but i got stoned w/ my best friend and we talked about love and queer friendships and twilight as gay cinema bc kristen stewart#and my friend convinced me to ask out the girl i have a crush on and then we watched monster high....#apparently those were the perfect conditions for me to finish this fic#i edited on the plane yesterday and like i said itâs the WOLF MOON TONIGHT??!#so yep werewolf!vi has been living in my mind rent free i want her to bite me and i want to bite her oops.#vi x reader#vi smut#vi fanfic#vi league of legends#vi#wlw smut#wlw fanfic#lesbian#vi fluff#saf writes#i. richard silken#ii. mitski#iii. japanese breakfast#iv. um jennifer#v. agatha all along#and title is ofc chappell roan!!
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Playing with some ideas mostly regarding gender/reproduction in RW, and slugcat colonies.
Full transcript under the cut!
Creatures in Rain World are typically simultaneous hermaphrodites but require partners to reproduce, with either individual capable of being a genetic donor or carrier. Alongside what we are familiar with, this has lead to interesting reproductive strategies such as rotating donor/carrier roles, or dual/simultaneous genetic swaps.
Rotating donor/carrier roles - A K-selection reproductive strategy. One partner carries the first child, the other partner carries the next child, and so forth. Allows each partner to recover from the demands of childbearing.
Rain Deer aren't quite monogamous, but they tend to choose the same breeding partner whenever mating season rolls around. They serve as a donor one season, then bear and raise a child the next. Calves are raised away from the rain and worm grass, in places that have less food but more safety. Calf wool is softer, not yet gunked up by the dirty rainfall. Their legs are sturdier as children, allowing them to run for cover while the parent wards off threats.
Dual/simultaneous genetic swap - An r-selection reproductive strategy. Parents fulfill the donor and carrier role for each other. The more children you make, the more likely some are to survive!
Multiple batflies lay thousands of eggs in a single "blue fruit." Several eggs congeal and become nutrient paste for the surviving eggs (and for hungry slugcats). Like some plant seeds, batfly eggs that are consumed before pupating can survive passing through the digestive system. Ew.
Ancients also fell under this umbrella. Their genders (and the genders of iterators by extension, who have no sex anyways) could have been determined by a variety of other factors, such as societal role, donor/carrier preference, or simply different categorizations of personal expression.
It's difficult to say how well their common pronouns would translate to ours, but it seems they can translate to an extent, given what Moon and Pebbles use canonically.
Slugcats, like real slugs, can have children with a partner or self-fertilize. Unlike real slugs, they are often known to adopt.
In the case of self-fertilization: children who are born from one parent may display a large amount of genetic diversity despite the circumstances. Maybe slugcats have some sort of... genetic reservoir independent of their own genetic code?
Slugcats live 20-30 years on average... if they manage to reach adulthood. Their mortality rate is sadly rather high, especially in pups. If they were to develop as a civilization, it's likely their lifespan would increase dramatically.
Slugcats in a colony are more likely to have more children, and to successfully rear those children to adulthood, than those who wander alone or in small groups. The safety and stability of a colony cannot be understated.
Colonies either have a set, cycling migration path, or wander continuously. Survivor and Monk's tree home was a nesting site that their colony frequents about once a year. So it's likely that they'll see their family again!
...also, the strength of large colonies are why scavengers are likely to become the dominant species. In the time of Saint's era, continuous migration has become more of a risk, and it has become more difficult to support large populations. Slugcat populations have shrunk back to the more forgiving equatorial zones.
Saint's tongue is pretty unusual and probably unique to them, or to a small population that they hail from. Fur (of varying thickness) is much more common.
Meanwhile, scavengers are bulkier and covered in thicker insulating fur. They:
have seemingly massive populations
have a burgeoning society (the existence of merchants, tolls, bartering, elites and leaders)
are adept at communicating (non-verbally)
manipulate their environment
can build structures (scavenger-made structures were a scrapped idea from Saint's campaign)
can create complex weapons and tools
may have agriculture behind the scenes (unsure if scout parties prioritize exploration or hunting)
I would wager on scavengers developing more quickly than slugcats, but it would be nice if there was a future where both could co-exist.
#oops! impromptu rendering practice!#rotating donor/carrier roles could also be an r-selection strat#but i feel like it'd be more common as a k-selection strat#rain world#worldbuilding#headcanons#flickerdoodles#art#um#ask to tag?#that goes for all of my posts#rw spoilers#dp spoilers#saint spoilers#long post
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not enough people capitalize on the idea of cole wearing a white lily in his hair or having Anything on him relating to his mother. this guy was probably a complete mama's boy WHERE is the memorabilia on his body to prove it
#ninjago#lego ninjago#cole brookstone#lilly brookstone#noticing how all my yapping posts use motm gifs. um. Oops.
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â¨Vox Phantasma â¨
Hocus-pocus, brother.
#Fun fact at the first London live show Beardsley gave another name to Pete's magic moth familiar (Gina I think)#so here I was yelling âIT'S CALLED LUNAâ and they didn't hear me#so just the bunch of people around me heard my crazy ass pulling an âum actuallyâ at my favorite performers during a live show. Oops.#anyways here's MY BOY I LOVE HIM SO MUCH#happy pride to him he's the best#pete conlan#unsleeping city#intrepid heroes#d20 fanart#dimension 20 fanart#d20#d20 art#dimension 20#dropout tv#d20 unsleeping city#dimension 20 unsleeping city#Pete the plug#vox phantasma#ally bearsdley#Brennan lee mulligan#d20 uc
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