#undenous

[bluekidchaos]

eric <33333

[we-are-knight]

Parzival is a high medieval story, featuring king Arthur and the holy grail. It was written in Germany close to the year 1200. At that time knights were fighting in mail armour which they refer to as harness in the epos - not hauberk. Here is what was found:

1. Knights have rust and dust on them after wearing mail armor. It also stains their undergarments.

2. Knights always have assistance for putting on armour. Yet when abandoned and all alone Parzival is able to put on his harness by him self.

3. The harness has laces and they get frequently checked for wear and tear.

4. The harness has a mail hood that can be opened without taking the armour off.

5. People appreciate shiny mail armour.

And the following is the passage in which the protagonist sees mail armour for the first time. He is a little boy and in his nativity he sees some knights and thinks they are gods:

(English adaptation)

Loud they laughed as the boy spake further, 'Good knight, what may these be?

These rings that so close around thee, above and below I see.'

Then he handled, with curious finger, the armour the knight did bear,

His coat of mail close-linkèd as behovèd a knight to wear;

And he spake as he looked on the harness, 'My mother's maidens string

On their chains, and around their fingers, full many a shining ring,

But they cling not so close to each other as these rings that here I see,

I cannot force them asunder, what good are they then to thee?'

(original:)

aber sprach der knappe sân,

dâ von ein lachen wart getân.

«ay ritter guot, waz mahtu sîn?

du hâst sus manec vingerlîn

an dînen lîp gebunden,

dort oben unt hie unden.»

aldâ begreif des knappen hant

swaz er îsers ame fürsten vant:

dez harnasch begunder schouwen.

«mîner muoter juncfrouwen

ir vingerlîn an snüeren tragnt,

diu niht sus an einander ragnt.»

der knappe sprach durch sînen muot

zem fürsten «war zuo ist diz guot,

daz dich sô wol kan schicken?

ine mages niht ab gezwicken.»

[moonshine-nightlight]

Nothing's Wrong with Dale - Part Thirty

It’s been a week, but you’re fairly certain your fiancé accidentally got himself replaced by an eldritch being from the Depths. Deciding  that he’s certainly not worse than your original fiancé, you endeavor to keep the engagement and his new non-human state to yourself.

However, this might prove harder than you originally thought.

Fantasy, arranged marriage, malemonsterxfemalereader, M/F

AO3: Nothing’s Wrong with Dale Chapter 30

[Part One][Part Two] [Part Three] [Part Four] [Part Five] [Part Six] [Part Seven] [Part Seven.5][Part Eight] [Part Nine] [Part Ten]  [Part Eleven] [Part Twelve]  [Part Thirteen] [Part Fourteen] [Part Fifteen] [Part Sixteen] [Part Seventeen] [Part Eighteen] [Part Nineteen] [Part Twenty] [Part Twenty-One] [Part Twenty-Two][Part Twenty-Three] [Part Twenty-Four][Part Twenty-Five] [Part Twenty-Six] [Part Twenty-Seven] [Part Twenty-Eight] [Part Twenty-Nine] Part Thirty [Part Thirty-One] [Part Thirty-Two] [Part Thirty-Three] [Part Thirty-Four]

You blink at the woman for a few long seconds, trying to comprehend her words. “Excuse me? Did you just say Lord Dale has called off the wedding? Our wedding?”

“I…” The maid is at a loss for words in the face of your incredulity. She swallows. “Yes, my lady.”

There’s a rushing sound in your ears, like wind roaring. You stay perfectly still, your face blank as you try to think. That is not possible. It’s not. How could he do something like that? Why would he? You’d dealt with so many surprises, jumped over every obstacle, and handled every challenge. Why instead did you feel as though you had survived a trip at sea only to find your ship crashing into the pier while within sight of home? You feel numb.

Perhaps you are making some sort of expression because the woman grows paler. “I’m sure it is simply pre-wedding jitters, my lady,” she hurries to reassure you. “Lord Archibald will have him seeing sense before you can blink.”

“Best to continue getting you ready,” Ms Dearden says as she lays out your corded underskirts. You appreciate her practiced dismissal even if you fear there’s more at play here than she’s aware of. “Young men these days always get cold feet. He’ll be over it soon enough.”

“Yes, of course.” Your own voice seems distant to your ears, but your words are enough for Callalily’s maid to resume work on your hair. At some point she finishes and you’re helped into your underskirts. Your mind stays blank as you try to conceive of reasons for him to do such a thing beyond tiring of you and this whole facade. Distant imaginings of what your life would be like without the wedding crumble to fog. 

You’ve been so committed and focused on today that the news feels nonsensical more than alarming. How could the wedding not be happening? Did you just speak with your sisters? Has every moment of the last few weeks been in service of it? Are you not now suddenly dressed in your lovely yellow wedding gown? The person in the hand mirror looks as though they are marrying today.

The door flings open and Steward Bilmont hurries in despite the reproach from the women in the room at both his presence and the dramatics of his entrance. 

You only need to look at his face to understand that the situation with Dale has not improved since the first maid broke it to you. He opens his mouth to speak, but something about your countenance, or perhaps your lack of reaction, must inform him that you know something of the situation.

“I don’t know what’s gotten into him, my lady,” Bilmont says, wringing his hands. “He’s not been this unreasonable in weeks. Lord Archibald has refused to put a stop to anything, but Lord Dale refuses to see reason. He’s barred the door to his chambers after Lord Archibald wouldn’t accept his words.”

“I see.” With careful fingers you put down the small hand mirror and begin to stand, adjusting your skirts as you do so.

It’s Miss Adir who asks, her voice filled with trepidation, “My lady?” 

“Excuse me,” you say, an undeniable calm spreading through your veins, as you cross the room towards the door. 

“Where are you going?” Steward Bilmont asks as you brush by him.

You realize your decision as you reply, “To speak with my betrothed. Please continue preparations without me.”

The maid who brought the news is the one who speaks up, as your hand closes around the door knob. “My lady, I don’t think—”

“Continue without me,” you cut her off, eyes snapping, because finally some emotion has made itself known to you and it is anger. You’ve worked so hard and been through so much. Dale thinks he can just put an end to it all mere hours before you’re to be wed? No.

“My lady…” Bilmont tries, his hand settling gently on your arm. He’s almost wincing, the look in his eyes resigned. As though he thought everything had been going too well and this was the inevitable shoe that dropped. 

You shake his hand off. “If Lord Dale wishes to call off our wedding,” some of that anger finally bleeds into your voice and you see the surprise in Bilmont’s eyes, “he shall tell me so to my face. Get out of my way.”

He obligingly steps back, hands hanging back at his sides. You don’t bother to observe the others' reactions, opening the door quickly, and letting it shut heavily behind you.

You walk briskly down the hall and towards the Northridge family bedrooms. No one else, servant or noble alike, crosses your path as you head that way. Not until you’re closer. You hear shouting and decide to peek around the corner, wanting to get the scope of the situation you’re walking into. 

“—utter foolishness!” Grandfather is shouting at Dale’s closed door with two guards flanking him. He bangs his fist on the door for good measure. “Do you wish for me to find your Grandmother? I’ve kindly not informed her of your idiocy, but I shall have to if you persist!”

There’s no reply from the other side of the door, not even a sound. Grandfather rattles the door knob to no avail, but doesn’t try anything further with the solid wood door.

He groans in frustration and turns to the guards. “I want to know the instant he leaves this room and if he does not within the hour, I shall have to inform Lady Deidre as promised.”

“Yes, my lord,” the guards chorus looked properly cowed by the threat, even if it isn't aimed at them.

Grandfather turns dramatically enough you see more of the original Dale in him than you thought possible and storms off. The guards take up posts on either side of the door, not baring it, but still present enough that you stay where you are. You’ve no desire to speak to them or to shout at Dale with them nearby.

You frown, unsure why but something doesn’t sit right with you the longer you look down the silent corridor. It seems…empty, or perhaps still, in a manner that makes you feel as if you are not where you should be. Not that your presence is unwanted, but as if you are lost. 

You study the scene more closely and find your eyes drifting towards the bright sunlight streaming through the windows and the faint light coming from under Dale’s bedroom door. After a second, you realize what is wrong with the light and shadow—both are completely still. Before, the maid had said both of them were shouting and you’ve never heard this Dale raise his voice except in a physical fight. If he were truly upset, or at least strongly emotional, there should be some evidence in the shadows, some unnatural movement.

You chance another glance down the corridor, but it looks utterly ordinary. As your gaze sweeps from further down where Grandfather disappears around a corner and then back closer to yourself they snag on the stairway down towards the studies and other meeting rooms. There’s no movement, but the shadows are deep and dark. There are no windows there, that stairway is more utilitarian than for show like the grand staircases in other places throughout the house, so that’s plenty of reason for the darkness, but…

You move as quietly and fluidly as you can towards that staircase, hoping not to attract the guards notice. You don’t want to talk to anyone except Dale. You don’t know what Grandfather would try to say to you given he is clearly trying to keep this news contained. He stopped attempting to prove anything with you since the attack, but you’re still not completely sure of what he thinks of you. Keeping your skirts just high enough off the floor and grateful your house slippers are soft and quiet, you make it to the stairs without the guards' notice.

Your footsteps are nearly silent as you hastily make your way down the flight of stairs. You’ve never given much thought to the amount of light that fills it, but surely it wasn’t this dark in previous mornings. Or is that simply your imagination? Is it just your hope that it means you can find Dale and talk some sense into him?

You peek out at the bottom, looking for anyone in this area of the house who might question one of the couple getting married wandering about alone. No one is present. An eerie silence permeates the corridor and like the staircase, it seems darker than it should be. You step out, eyes on the window that lets light in, but seems outnumbered by shadows.

Dale’s personal study is off a smaller side corridor from this hallway, in its own small tower. You think the upper floor might connect to his bedroom. Then there is the underground room, the real reason you believe the original Dale had requested his current quarters and this study.

There’s an oppressive aura that thickens the air as soon as you turn the corner and it builds the closer you get to his study’s door. You imagine that's partially responsible for the lack of others in this area, which in some ways you’re grateful for. You also manage to draw on its presence as fuel for your anger at such obvious overflow from his nature. The shadows under the door ripple, as if it were night and a lighted candle was guttering in the breeze, unremarkable except for the fact that it's closer to noon.

Cautiously, you reach out for the door knob. Grasping it firmly in your hand, you find that it's not locked as you had feared. The knob turns without effort and the door swings inside to reveal Dale’s study. The flickering shadows solidify as you step inside, eyes searching for Dale. 

You find him quickly enough, a trunk half packed of books next to him. Somehow you don’t think they are being gathered for your wedding trip. He’s by the window, back to you, but you can see tension in every line of his body. All the breath desserts you at the sight of him. All the words you could say dry up in your mouth. The door shuts with an audible click behind you.

“WOULD—” Dale whirls, his frustrated voice cuts off the second his eyes land on you. Abruptly all the anger in his face leaves him. Instead he practically deflates, merely gaping at you. To your surprise, he spins away from you. “What are you doing here?” he asks, voice pitched higher than usual. “I thought we were not to see each other until—” He doesn’t finish his sentence, his shoulders slumping.

You take another few steps into the room and clear your throat. “Yes, well, I’m fairly certain that the betrotheds laying eyes on one the morning of the wedding is of no consequence if there isn’t to be a wedding, hm?” You’re grateful that you’ve rediscovered some of your anger and your frustration to draw on for the strength to weather this conversation.

“I…” Dale can’t seem to think of an adequate response even as he refuses to turn around. 

Your heart constricts in your chest at this confirmation. “So it’s true?” You hadn’t realized how much you were hoping despite all the evidence to the contrary that once you found Dale he’d explain how it was all one big misunderstanding. “You’ve called off our wedding.”

He leans his head against the wall and says nothing.

“Dammit, Dale!” The words jump out of you, louder than you’ve ever spoken to Dale. “Look at me,” you say, your voice breaking. “If you’re going to do this, you’re going to look at me as you do so.”

Slowly, like a man condemned, he turns. Dale swallows, looking profoundly guilty. He murmurs your name, but you refuse to let his soft voice sway you and merely stare straight back at him. “Why? Why are you doing this?”

“My reasons are complex, but unchangeable.” His words are rote and his voice wooden. You imagine he said something like this to Grandfather. “I apologize.”

“I don’t understand,” you say as plainly as you can, tired of talking around topics and pretending to be sure when you aren’t. “Complex? How complex can they be that you won’t even enumerate them for me now. Please explain, justify, anything.” Dale just stands there and that anger surges through your blood. You take another step forward, your voice as stern as you can make it, “You owe it to me. Tell me why you are calling off our future.”

“I…” Dale starts before his blue eyes meet yours squarely for the first time since you arrived and he appears to shrink in on himself. He sighs a deep sigh, looking weary. “I could say any number of reasons, but you’re correct. They’re just excuses.” He pulls himself back up and braces himself. “In truth, I simply cannot bear to deceive you any longer.”

“Deceive me? About what? What can you not have told me that would cause our wedding to be canceled?” Panicked, wild scenarios begin to fly through your mind. “Did you marry someone else on your travels and they’ve arrived today? Have you been caught smuggling? Are you a wanted man? Did something happen this morning?”

Dale looks taken aback. He blinks at you. “Wha-? No, no—none of that.”

You feel some exasperation mixing with your frustration as he continues to talk around whatever he’s worried about. You’ve done this dance every day for weeks now and you are so, so tired of it. “Then what? I thought,” you swallow, hating how small your voice has gotten. You clear your throat and try again. “I thought you wanted this—wanted our marriage.”

“I do!” The words burst out of him, surprising you. How can he say so when he’s the one who is ruining it. He continues more quietly, as if the volume was what shocked you, “I do, but you don’t know…” He trails off again, looking away.

“Then tell me,” you plead, taking another step closer. Only another step or two and you could touch him. You could try in vain to keep him from leaving you. 

“I,” he starts, looking at you and away again. “A few weeks ago, there was a… I mean to say that I,” he begins again, obviously having difficulty getting the words out. At least you can see he’s truly making the attempt this time. “Well, not me, but he…” Is this something the original Dale had done that was coming back to ruin everything? That was what you hoped for, in a strange way, because at least it would mean that this Dale still might want you. That whatever prompted this was out of his control. That maybe you could fix whatever it was. “I care about you,” he finally says, his eyes bright, bright blue as they meet yours squarely once more and your breath catches at the genuine sentiment in his voice, “more than I ever thought I would, but I’m not who you think I am.” He takes another deep breath and says bluntly, “Dale of Northridge died weeks ago and then I possessed his body.”

Everything seems to screech to a halt as he stares at you, his eyes pleading with you to understand. Aside from the relief at finally hearing him say it out loud, you don’t. Understand, that is. “Yes…” you say slowly, nodding. “And…?” You’re still waiting for him to complete the thought. To tell you what he’s been building to. Prompting him seemed to help before. “Did you eat someone a few weeks ago and have just now been discovered? Did something you forgot come back to cause problems now?”

“What?” Now Dale looks nearly as confused as you feel. It makes you want to scream in frustration because he’s the one doing this—he has to be the one that knows what is going on. “No, I don’t think you understand.” He talks more slowly, like you’re not hearing his words right. “I’m not human, I’m a demon.” He once again appears to brace himself for your reaction, but you still don’t get it.

Maybe you aren’t hearing him right, but that’s never happened before. Is this some new demonic power or collateral influence? “Yes, I know,” you reply just as deliberately. You enunciate as you ask, “But what did you do that means we can not be wed?”

“You must not be comprehending my words.” He seems to be aware of the issue, getting frustrated himself. He runs his fingers through his long dark hair before he takes on a consoling tone, “I know it is a great shock to find out your fiance is now a demon—”

“What?” You stare at him because is that what he thinks you are getting caught on? You put your hands on your hips and can’t say anything except, “Of course, I know you’re a demon.”

“What?” He leans back, eyes wide. “No.” Dale shakes his head. “How could you know that?”

“Did you think you’ve been doing an exemplary job of hiding it?” The response bursts out of you before you can help it. Because no, this cannot be the conversation you’re having. It can’t be. “How about we begin with how the human Dale was obviously interested in demonology and black market dealing. How excited he was the night before this,” you gesture to Dale’s entire body, “happened. How sick you were after and your memory issues. The fact that you occasionally have more eyes than is proper and your influence on shadows and the claws. You’ve had a tail at times, for stars’ sake!”

“Oh.” Dale’s voice is small and his eyes big as he stares down at you, clearly at a loss for words.

You’ve seemingly found a well of words with which to rebuke him. “Do you know how many times I’ve had to conceal your nature?” You take a step forward, unable to contain your ire and incredulity. He takes one back. “It is not as easy as you must believe to distract people from wriggling shadows and additional eyes and all the strange things you say. Did you really believe I didn’t know? That you were hiding it that well?”

“Well, I don’t know.” Dale sounds more flustered than you’ve ever heard him. “Humans are so oblivious most of the time!”

“Not that oblivious!”

Dale throws his hands up. “Well, no one’s instigated a purge, have they? And Grandfather and Grandmother don’t know, do they?”

Your heart rate is slowly returning to normal and you grudgingly admit, “No. Although Grandfather did think I’d cursed you for a couple weeks.”

“He thought you cursed me?” 

“Yes!” you reply, exasperated that he didn’t even know. “After the hunt, where you did light knows what with the boar, he became convinced that I had cursed you or ensnared you with my ‘potions’. Perhaps while you were still recovering from your supposed illness. As a supposed practitioner of dark ritual or maybe even a summoner, he kept trying to exorcise me, which I had to make sure didn’t accidentally affect you.” When Dale just looks at you, obviously hearing this or putting the pieces together for the first time you can’t help, but feel as if you might be the one who has lost their mind. “You must remember when he practically threw a glass of holy water on us?”

Dale’s brow furrows. “…I did think that was a bit odd.”

You snort. “Yes, I would wager so.” Slowly, you realize you're laughing. You put a hand to your mouth but all it does is muffle the sound. Dale looks newly worried but you can’t stop. “I can’t believe you didn’t know that I knew.” Collapsing into a chair, you cover your face in your hands as you try to regain your composure. 

How is this happening? How had you managed to get so far along without realizing he didn’t know that you knew? Who does that say more about him or you?

After a moment or two, you sense him near you and he asks, “Are you alright?” He sounds so concerned, like he’s still worried the knowledge of what he is, even if it isn’t new to you, might be capable of breaking your mind or whatever he feared would happen.

“Yes, yes,” you finally sit back up, blinking in the light as you attempt to reassure him. “I will be. I simply need a moment.” Dale hesitates from where he’s leaning over you before turning to fetch a cup of water. Haltingly, he holds out to you. “Thank you,” you say as you wipe away the tears that had gathered in the corners of your eyes while laughing.

You sip it carefully as you pull the tattered remains of your composure around yourself once more. Dale watches you take the first couple of sips before he begins to pace in obvious agitation. He’s clearly waiting for you to finish the glass before saying whatever is so clearly on his mind. You’re content to take your time and make him wait after everything he’s put you through, seemingly without even realizing what you were doing.

After a minute, you set the glass down deliberately and Dale comes to a stop in front of you. “I don’t…” he starts to say before changing his mind. “If you know, then why are you doing this?”

“Doing what?” you ask. He’s the one constantly doing incomprehensible things.

“Marrying me!” he says, rather emphatically, as though it should be obvious. He runs his hands through his hair. “Going through with this wedding! I don’t understand.” He sounds desperate to understand.

You feel of heat gather high on your cheeks, not having expected to have a light shown on your own actions so directly. “What do you mean? We’re betrothed. Getting married is the expected course of action.”

He gives you a flat look that says you’re not fooling him. “Try once more. I admit there were certain times where I did think you…” He looks at you, a distant look in his eyes as he remembers whatever particular instance. “Where I did think that you knew. Half a dozen times, I was sure you knew,” he continues, eyes intent once more, “but you didn’t do anything about it! You never revealed me or tried to exorcise me or even demand any sort of recompense for keeping it secret. You merely continued on as we had. You were still there, at my side.” He sighs and he looks so tired again. “And so I thought I must be wrong, that you couldn’t know.”

You're not sure what to say in the face of his conviction that you knowing what he is and you continuing to associate with him were so unlikely he’d discounted it out of hand. He made it sound like tolerating or using him was the most he’d expected. “I…”

“And you’re afraid of demons!” The words burst out of him. “So why would—?”

“I’m not afraid of you,” you reply because that’s certainly true. If the manner in which the shadows behind Dale are writhing in distress are any indication, the reassurance can’t hurt. You’re worried about how his nature makes life more complicated and what other people might do, but you’re long past the point of fearing he’d physically injure you on purpose.

“I heard you and Grandfather talking about Two,” Dale replies, as if that proves something. “How you feared them because of what they were. That night, when I remembered what I’d heard, I changed my mind again about what you knew.”

You stare at him before saying slowly, “Dale, I was afraid of Two because they were trying to kidnap and murder us. Their being a demon made them more dangerous, so yes, that made me fear them more than the others. You were who knows where fighting them on your own and I was worried about you.” If you thought Dale looked confused before, he looks downright confounded now. You keep talking, relishing in the opportunity to finally speak honestly about the attack, “However, you being a demon makes you stronger, which reassured me. I couldn’t say anything else because of Grandfather’s attitude, but I did not grow up in Northridge. I may not have met a demon before, but I didn’t live anywhere with the rigorous, studied suspicion and fear that Northridge cultivates.”

“The rest of the world is not Northridge,” Dale acknowledges having composed himself, “but it is not charitable in its view either. And it is not wrong in that opinion. I’ve been on the Surface before. No one has ever treated me in the manner you have after learning what I am. It was impossible to reconcile the person I got to know with someone who would want what humans understand demons to be.”

It’s not as though you can’t follow where he’s coming from. You haven’t told anyone else about what he is for a reason beyond just what Grandfather and Grandmother. You’d never even seriously considered telling any of your siblings because you know they wouldn’t understand. You want to ask further about the personal experience he’s alluding to but that isn’t what matters at this moment. “I…” You take a breath and finally say the obvious truth that you’ve never been able to say directly, even if you alluded to the sentiment right after the attack. “I do want to marry you.” Dale looks thunder-stuck. “Far more than I ever wanted to marry Dale before you took his place.”

“You do?” You’ve never seen Dale look so completely bewildered. “Why?”

“Because he was a selfish, mean, entitled prick.” The plain, honest words slip out without thought and Dale’s eyes widen. “Because you’re not. I like you.” You swallow and continue, “I think we get along well. I would have tolerated marrying him. You make me look forward to marriage.” 

It's a weight lifted to finally say those words, but they inevitably bring up your own confusion, your own lack of understanding of this Dale’s motivations and you can’t pass up the opportunity to ask. “But this is not just about why I have stuck to this facade. Why have you?” You still have no notion of what a demon might want. You’d only barely convinced yourself that Dale wanted this partnership since he was going along with it. He isn’t now. So perhaps you don’t know anything at all. “You could have stolen all you could from Dale and then disappeared to live your own life about a week after being here. You don’t have to be, to be,” you search for the words to define what’s he’s been doing, especially knowing he’s not been working toward the same end goal as you, “taking part in all these events, and playing dutiful grandson with Grandfather, Grandmother, or all the others.” You take a deep breath and add, with only a small shake to your voice, “Or being with me. Why are you still here?”

Dale opens his mouth, but no sound comes out as he stares at you.

Your shoulders slump in the face of his inability to give any reason, let alone a compelling one. “Although, I suppose there is no more wedding, is there? You’ve called it off, for all you haven’t left or told me why.” The prospect of the fall-out to come leaves you exhausted and hurt already. “I assume that leaving will be your next move.”

“No, no,” Dale starts to protest, “I…” Something changes in his expression as he searches for the words to say and this time, they come out steady, “Originally, I stayed because it was easy. I thought the best stroke of luck I’d had in my existence was when that imbecile broke himself opening an unguarded portal and I’d won the fight for his body.”

“Oh.” It had never even occurred to you that there might have been such an event. No matter what he does next, you’re grateful this demon is the one who won too.

“It’d been so long since I’d been up on the Surface,” Dale says wistfully. “I didn’t have a plan beyond getting here. I suppose, at first, I had considered taking what I could and leaving to make my own life. Except…” Your breath, your future hangs on that “except.” “I enjoy it here. Northridge, I mean, not just being out of the Depths. It’s somewhat impossible to know how much is experience and how much is borrowed memory, but I care for Grandfather and Grandmother. And for you. What is here in Northridge is more than I’d hoped for. A safe den, a loyal clan, a bountiful territory, an exemplary mate. Why would I go searching for better when it seemed I’d already found all I could want?”

“Truly?”

“Yes.”

Dale seems so sincere but that only brings your mind back to what prompted this conversation. “Then why are you trying to stop the wedding?”

“Because I thought you didn’t know!” he protests. “I told myself that since I’d never out-right lied to you, that was good enough.” He sighs. “But I realized if my only reason for not telling you who you were even marrying was because you might make a choice I didn’t want, that it was rather despicable.”

You can’t help, but ask the obvious. “Then why didn’t you simply tell me instead of calling the wedding off?”

“Because I’m selfish too,” Dale says, “and I couldn’t bear for you to know the truth and look at me like—.” He breaks off, shaking his head.

He’s returned to not meeting your eyes. Tension has crawled back up his spine to settle in his shoulders. His arms are crossed and he still seems one wrong word away from running. As if Dale’s still waiting for you to reject him. Perhaps you need to make up for all the times you didn’t speak up before. It seems like a fair concession if the hope blooming in your chest is proven true. 

You stand up from your chair, crossing the remaining distance between you and Dale. You place gentle hands on his forearms and they loosen under your touch. Carefully you push those crossed arms down until they hang by his sides where you can entwine your fingers with his. You take advantage of the height he has on you to look up into his eyes, not even surprised to find more than just two. “Well, I do know.” Those glowing blue eyes stare back down at you with the same hope reflected in them. “And I still want to marry you. If you do.”

Dale’s answer is immediate and earnest, “I do. I want that. I want the life we spoke of building more than anything else I’ve ever thought to want.”

You nod, a smile breaking out across your face. “Good. Go-” He cuts you off with a kiss, which starts out light but grows in pressure when you kiss him back. He tries to lift a hand to your face, but instead the back of your own hand still held in his touches your cheek instead. You pull back to see the pout he makes as he stares at his hand, obviously unsure of whether to let yours go or to keep holding on. 

The sound of a door opening above you followed by disgruntled voices pops the bubble of privacy you’d been enclosed in. You sigh. “While we still need to have a full conversation, I think it can wait for tonight at the least, yes?” Dale nods eagerly. “Then I must return to getting ready.”

“And I must assure Grandfather my ‘bout of childish insanity’ is indeed over. I’ve never seen him so furious.” At the look of surprise on your face, Dale smiles. “Regardless of what he thought before, Grandfather certainly thinks well of you now. He repeatedly told me that this would be the worst decision I ever made if I went through with it. He’s refused to even tell Grandmother, more out of fear for me than for her.”

High on emotion and relief, you giggle, too pleased that Grandfather spoke so strongly in your favor. “Did he?”

“Yes,” Dales says as he leads you to the study door. “And it's not as though I could provide a solid defense when I knew he was right.” He pulls you into a solid embrace before letting you go with a final kiss pressed to your forehead. 

You pull the door open without looking away from him, not able to resist asking for one last reassurance, “Your word that you will be there at the other end of the aisle?”

Dale smiles. “Yes, sana, I give you my word that I will let nothing stand in the way of our wedding, not even myself.”

[Part Thirty-One]

[simena]

Lily UNDEN

[the-ooftroop]

have u seen the undenibly canon fnaf videos

huh? never heard of it

[deadjam6]

MY UNDENIBLE PROOF CHIP AND DALE ARE LOVERS AND NOT BROTHERS

its such a LARGE misconception that chip and dale are canonically brothers, and it pisses me off, cuz some of the things i see them doing are just....NOT BROTHERLY AT ALL!! and if they are brothers.....it's very Incesty and that's ..... fucked up

the first thing id like to mention is they ahve never canonically every been referred to be brothers, i have watched. EVERY. SINGLE. POSSIBLE thing chip n dale thing tha has touched the planet earth (ask my friends!)

in the movie dale stated chip was LIKE a brother he had never had, but from personal experince i can say with confidence sometimes people say this because they dont wanna outright say they like the perosn! (happened with me and my wicked hot girlfriend when we first met!)

but now onto my photographical proof (i wanted to include vdieos but tumblr isnt letting em for some reason :raise eyebrow:)

we see them meet in the movie for the first time IN THE MOVIE ?!!?!? 

Now if you are saying “well techinally :nerd: thats meta, so does it really count?” dont worry friend, i have more

THIS ENTIRE EPSIDOE ?!!??! IS AN ALLIGORY FOR MARRIAGE 

there are SO MANY sreenshots i could get form this single episode (and the entire series) that depict them being lovers. I literally don't know how anyone can watch this episode and confidently say they are brothers afterwards

everyone in this epsiode had RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS ! then they see chip and dale being happy and think they are so cute, THEN CHIP AND DALE BREAK UP AND EVERYONE IS SO SAD AND JAW DROPPED!

and this???? hello??? do i even need to explian this?????????

are you guys doing this with your siblings???????????????? is this something siblings do????????????????

there are TONS! of shots in this series of them with a HEART BACKDROP BEHIND THEM like............................?

if THAT is some how not enough proof ?? i have more !

the MERCH OF THEM??

listen call the corprate mouse homophobic all you want but are you kidding me???? the fuck is this

THIS.

Do I even even need to elaborate

other mickey mouse and friends couples

MOST of mickeys friends are part of same animal couples, including himself, disney did this alot with their older characters, mickey and minnie, donald and daisy etc, so why would chip and dale be any different?! lol!?

now some of you may be saying, but clarice? lol? they were so into her?

LOOK AT HER NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THAT is a lesbian if id ever seen one!

not only that but she was totally hooking them up in her original debut? lol? moving out of the way to make them kiss instead? lol? :rainbowflag::vineboom:

SOMETHING. id like to mention, because i feel like people will bring it up!

now i know orginally the creator had stated they were “simply little brothers” in his autobiography, which can link up again to what dale had said in the movie that chip was “like a brother” to him (not blood related), but really......look at everything dinsey as done with these guys, if they were blood related that is just, so messed up?? morally??? yknow? if that was ever the case then park life as most certiantly retconed that (even though it was NEVER mentioned to begin with in anything before park life) 

anwyays! that is all i have. happy 80th birthday chip n dale! You are my favorite gay Disney couple!

[maslows-pyramid-scheme]

I’m reading Tell Me I’m Worthless by trans author Alison Rumfitt and, while I knew it would be bad, I didn’t realise it would be one of the most disgusting books I’ve ever read. It’s not ‘transgressive horror;’ it’s just sexualised gore.

(Example under the cut)

Here’s a passage from the book, where husband Edmund punishes too-young wife Emily for her curiosity (women keep disappearing in his study and she wants to know why) (he ties her up in the middle of the room and leaves):

Emily was frightened. The most frightened she had ever felt. She opened up her eyes again, and began to try to scream, but the gag was tied too tight around her mouth to even breathe properly, let alone cry for help. Her eyes registered something undenable. It blotted out the light that shone down hot from above her, it cast a shadow across her face. Was it Edmund? It was dark and faceless and red, the red of it dripping all around her, lling up her eyes and her mouth, investigating between her legs, pushing into her, waves of red owing up inside her cunt like cum, but so much more cum than could ever have been produced by a man, ballooning her useless womb until it was ready to burst inside of her. Red tore the fabric of the gag and slid down her throat, into her lungs and her stomach. Albion reached inside her, all around her, nestled against her, gnashed its teeth and ripped at her esh. You’re useless, you’re useless, you’re fucking useless, it screamed close in her ears, so she could feel its hot breath against her skin. This was what happened. That was what it felt like.

They found Emily’s body a week later beneath one of the pine trees near the house. Her womb and vagina had been surgically removed, although where the organs had gone was not clear.

I’d like to say it’s the only graphic description of a woman being ‘punished’ for something, but... it’s not. In one scene, a ‘lesbian terf’ rapes and chokes another woman with a strap-on (which makes her realise she’s actually trans too!); in another scene, the ‘lesbian terf’ is molested by a gender critical woman in a pub bathroom after a gender critical rally.

[freshthoughts2020]

"GOOD LUCK KIDD" sweatshirt

from $45.00

Although he was deserving of a championship during his back to back finals appearances, this legnd always seemed to fall short but his undeniable skill and uncanny strength as a playmaker, made this hero hard not to watch.

[faofinn]

9. White Coat Syndrome

Holidays were a rare treat for the Cunningham-Cole crew. Both Taidgh and Harrisons jobs were difficult for raising a family, but they refused to let it get in the way. Each day out was precious, even a few hours at the park, a walk to feed the ducks, the tiny things that meant the world to both dads.

With the kids old enough to actually be a contender in races, Harrison often brought his running blade to join in - he wasn’t going to let Tai have the fun. So that's where they found themselves on a warm Sunday morning, charging around the park like idiots. They'd planned to stay the day, picnic packed and ready. Levi was old enough to join in, though he didn't always undenal the rules of whichever game they were playing, occasionally ending up in tears. 

Frisbee was easy enough, so they eventually moved onto that. The park was quiet enough, though the hum of other families laughter carried across the air.  Even Harrison's laughs carried across, Alfie having his life and loving it. Scout was just as bad as them, haring around the park and herding his family. 

Tai loved their weekend days out, when the whole family could mess around together. It was a warm day, the sun shining over the grass. The kids were rowdy, on their last few weeks of school holidays, and it had been good to get out of the house. He’d been haring about with them that morning, trying to catch up with the kids, but his knee had twinged and he’d ended up sat on the picnic blanket watching them play Frisbee, Scout rushing madly between them as he tried to catch it mid-air. He let them play for a while, before his stomach growled at him and he couldn’t ignore the food he was sat next to any longer. 

“Hars! Kids! Come on, lunch! I’m starving to death over here!” He called. 

They raced over, Scout leading the way with his bounding strides. The boys were close behind, but Harrison lagged slightly, his own leg starting to ache.

Harrison settled by Tai, wrapping an arm around his waist as he pressed a kiss to his cheek, the pair like lovesick teenagers. Of course, the kids made their displeasure known, a quiet chorus of gross as they laughed. 

Tai leaned into Hars, grinning at the kids. “You’ll get it when you’re older.”

"Ew, no! It's gross!" Kieran laughed, his nose scrunched. 

“You’ll get a kiss too, if you’re not careful!” Tai teased, reaching out for him. 

"No! Alfie, help!" Kieran wriggled away, shouting and laughing. 

“I’ll get you both!” Tai said, as Alfie piled in, and Scout tried to join in too, barking and hopping excitedly. 

Harrison sat back with a smile, looking proudly on at the chaos he'd created. He grabbed a sandwich while the others were distracted, sneaking Levi a piece of cheese his youngest had been eyeing up. 

Eventually the chaos died down, the twins and Tai flopping back on the blanket breathless and grinning. He reached for the food, grabbing a sandwich. 

As the kids dug in, Harrison nudged Tai's thigh. "Hey."

“Hey, you okay?”

"More worried about you. I saw you twist it."

“Just a little twinge, I just didn’t want to do any more damage to it."

Harrison rubbed his thigh. "Are you in pain?"

“Not now I’m sat down.”

"Are you sure?"

“Yeah, it’s not bad. I just didn’t want to be haring around on it and making it all swollen. If they don’t do this op tomorrow I’m going to have a breakdown.”

Harrison hummed, fingers trailing over skin. "Yeah, I know."

“Are you sure work are okay with your time off?”

"As if I'd give them a choice."

“And Steve’s okay with having the kids?”

"He's looking forward to it."

“Mm, okay.” He said, and kissed his cheek again.

Harrison reached a hand to cup his cheek, tilting his face up to kiss him properly. His thumb stroked his cheek as he pulled back. "It's going to be okay. I love you."

Tai smiled. “Love you too.”

He quickly pressed a kiss to Tai's nose before moving to lean against him and reaching for his can of pop. "You know I'll be there for you, whatever you need."

“Pass me another sandwich?” He asked cheekily. 

"What's the magic word?" He teased, dangling it out of reach. 

“Mm, please?”

Harrison grinned. "Nope."

“Hey!”

"You gotta say the magic word!"

“Please is the magic word!”

"Nope!"

“Come on!” He whined, kissing him on the cheek again.

Harrison's resolve cracked. "It's a good job I love you."

“And I love you too.”

Their day was heaven, a picnic in the warmth followed by more stupid games after they’d eaten. Eventually, though, they headed home, all of them just completely shattered. It was a job to corral sleepy kids to bed, Tai and Hars exhausted themselves. Scout had spent the evening sprawled out asleep on the rug in the living room, looking like they felt. 

Even Tai and Hars had headed to bed early that night, aware they were up early the next morning. They fell asleep with Tai’s head resting on Harrison’s shoulder, warm and comfortable. When their alarm went off the next morning, Tai just snuggled up against him, refusing to move. 

He was eventually coaxed out of bed and got dressed, enjoying the last glass of water he was allowed. Steve arrived to look after the boys, and after some hugs and fuss, the pair of them headed to the hospital. It was weird, driving their familiar commute for something other than work. 

Harrison knew Tai was stressed. He could feel it a mile away. Of course, he was worried too, not just for the operation, but his recovery and everything that came with it. The operation itself was rubbing a little too close to home for Harrison, having had so many himself. It was the right leg, too, which only stirred up more emotions for him. He shook his head to clear his mind, taking Tai's hand as they headed in. 

Tai squeezed his hand gratefully, heading through the doors into the day surgery unit. It was unfamiliar, which was both good and bad, but he signed in at the desk and then it was a waiting game, his left leg bouncing anxiously. 

"You've got your bag, you've got stuff for after, some juice and some throat sweets." Harrison murmured, mainly to himself. "And you've got your sweets for emergencies, and I put an extra juice box in for you, too. I've got the insulin and I'll give it to the nurses when we get there."

Tai glanced over at him. “What would I do without you?”

"Probably be a lot less stressed." He admitted with a laugh. 

“A lot more stressed, more like.” 

"Mm, maybe."

“Got you to look after me.”

"I'll always look after you."

“Yeah.” Tai said, moving to rest his head on his shoulder. 

"Sickness and in health. All that bullshit." He pressed a kiss to his hair. "And anyway, we've got the kids. I can't manage them alone."

“You could.”

"I wouldn't."

“I hope they’re okay with Steve.”

"I think it's the other way round." Harrison managed to joke. "I think dad's gonna regret offering."

“Probably, they’re nightmares.”

"I can't even stand up for them. I know I should." He said sagely, trying to keep a straight face.

“They’re feral, but hopefully yesterday tired them out enough.”

"I hope so. Scout was bloody knackered, bless him."

“Looked how I felt.” Tai agreed. It wasn’t long before they called him through, and he gripped Harrison’s hand as he stood. All he wanted was to go home, but that wasn’t possible. They asked him to change, and they’d be back for obs and things. He hesitated, looking at his fiancé. “Can I just sack this off and we just go home?”

"Don't be daft." He shook his head, though wanted nothing more than to do the same. "You need this sorted. Just think, this time tomorrow, all the operations and stuff will be done. And you'll only have the physio to do."

He pulled a face. “Even worse.”

"What, you're not looking forward to physio?" He feigned shock.

“Nobody looks forward to physio, knob.” He shot back.

"And after all the shit you gave me?"

“I’m allowed to give you shit, we’re getting married. Besides, I’m already doing physio.”

"Yeah, well, I'm doing a physio."

He snorted. “That’s a terrible joke. Can we go home? I don’t want to do this.”

"No, we can't." Harrison sighed. "And I'm not being a dick, but you need to take a few deep breaths, try and relax as much as you can. I can feel your anxiety from over here, and it's not gonna help you."

He forced himself to take a breath, his lips pressed tightly together. His shoulders slumped as he let it out, reaching for Harrison. “I hate hospitals.”

Harrison stood, moving to wrap his arms around his fiance. "I know, I know. I've got you."

He leaned into him, taking another deep breath and focusing on the smell of him, washing powder and aftershave and something that was just him. Some of the tension drained from his shoulders, his body softening against Harrison’s. 

"That's it, well done." He praised, kissing his forehead. "Another slow breath.'

He nodded. “Feel all sick and anxious.” He admitted. 

"I know, I know. It's fucking shit." He soothed. "But you'll get all the good drugs soon, get a nice little nap, and you'll wake up with your leg sorted."

“I’m such a baby, jesus.” 

Harrison couldn't help his smile. "I know it's the wrong time and all that, but I really love your accent."

“Piss off.” He grumbled good-naturedly. “It gets softer all the time, being stuck here with you.”

"We should go across, once you're better. I'm sure your mum would appreciate it."

“She would, it’s been too long since she’s seen the boys.”

"Tell you what, Christmas? Steve said he'd come too, we'll go over for the two weeks. Stay in a cottage, have Christmas there." He said, feeling Tai relax into him. 

“As if you’ll get two weeks of leave at Christmas.”

"Watch me."

“Only if you forge a sick note will you get that much time off. And don’t even think about it.” He teased. “I don’t even think I could get that much off, but maybe a few days before new years?”

"We'll manage it."

“What about going to Fao’s? Won’t you miss that?”

"You miss your family for mine."

“I love your family.”

"My point still stands."

“Mm, it would be nice to go back. You won’t understand a word.”

"Be nice for the kids to have the accent though." He smiled, glad Tai was relaxing more. "Be like mini yous."

“We’d need to move for them to have the accent, really. Right now they’re just gonna end up like Fao.” He joked. 

"Oh, I don't know which would be worse." He teased, his face falling as the door pushed open. 

Tai tensed, his jokes forgotten as the door creaked open. 

"Hi, Tai? Ah, excellent, you're all changed. I'm just gonna grab a few obs off you, and then we'll pop you through."

He nodded, swallowing thickly. “Okay.” He untangled himself from Hars, sitting down. 

Harrison mirrored his actions, sitting and fidgeting with a stray thread. The nurse was nice enough, but Harrison couldn't focus on their conversation, his eyes trained on the monitor. 

Tai did his best to try and relax, focusing on his breathing. He’d looked to Harrison, but he was just staring at the obs machine, and that didn’t help. He tried to think of something else, of the Christmas trip they’d been planning, but the stupid thing had sound and he could hear how fast his pulse was, the way the blood pressure cuff squeezed so tight his fingers tingled and he prayed it wouldn’t be ridiculously high. 

The nurse made a soft noise. “Oh, those are a bit on the high side, aren’t they?”

“I’m, uh, a really nervous patient. White Coat Syndrome and all that.” Was Harrison going to be pissed he was anxious again?

Harrison frowned at the obs, and stood up. He moved back to Tai's side, kissed his cheek and hopped on the bed next to him. He laced their fingers together, bringing their knuckles to his lips. 

"Deep breath together?" He said softly. "Make you feel better."

He nodded, forcing himself to take another deep breath with Harrison.

He kissed their knuckles. "And again? All the way down, from your head to your toes."

“Gonna make me go dizzy.” He grumbled, but did as he was told after a few moments, focusing on drawing the breath all the way to his feet. 

"Don't make yourself dizzy." Harrison murmured with a gentle laugh. "Defeats the point."

“I know.” His pulse had come down, and the nurse hummed. 

“I don’t suppose you do your blood pressure at home, do you?”

Tai nodded. “Yeah, they asked me to at pre-op, given my anxiety. Last one was 121/83.” 

“Oh, perfect.”

"He's the fittest person I know." Harrison said. "And I know I've gotta say that, but it's true."

“Well, I’ve not been so good recently, but I do my best trying to stay fit.”

Harrison stroked his thumb over the back of his hand. "You know, he even does the physio he's supposed to."

“Only because if I didn’t, I’d be the world’s biggest hypocrite. Practice what you preach and all that.”

The nurse laughed, leafing through the paperwork. "Ah, yeah, here we are. You've got your blood pressures for the week. Bless, you really are nervous, aren’t you?"

He nodded. “Really nervous. I’m awful, I hate needles and I’m not overly fond of hospitals as a patient.”

"I don't blame you, not one bit. They're not nice to be in." He smiled. "Unfortunately though, we will have to put a little needle in when we go through."

“Yeah, I know.” He said. “I’d rather that than no anaesthetic, but I’m not a fan.”

Harrison huffed a laugh. "Hey, maybe they can get you a sticker for being such a brave boy? Finn did it to me for my last one."

“Oh, piss off.”

"I'm not even joking. He found a little cat one, and I woke up with paed tape on my cannula and a "good boy" cat sticker stuck to me." He laughed. "Ely was in on it, I swear. So was Fao."

“I don’t remember that.” He said softly. 

"Oh, I shouldn't have said anything. I've ruined my surprise."

“Arse.”

He kissed his cheek. "I know."

The nurse smiled at the pair. "Your heart rate has come right down to normal now."

“He usually makes it go up.”

Harrison blushed immediately, his ears tipped red. "Tai."

“I didn’t mean it like that! I meant you’re always stressing me out!”

The nurse laughed again. "Right, before Harrison here melts, why don't we get you through? The sooner you go down, the sooner you can be in recovery."

Tai couldn’t help the anxiety that shot through him. “Already? Thought I’d have to wait longer.”

"You're top of the list. We'll pop you through to the room and the anaesthetists are waiting for you to have a quick chat and then they'll take you down."

He nodded. “And Hars can stay?”

"For now, yeah."

"I've already spoken to them." Harrison said quickly. "They know."

“Okay then.”

Harrison squeezed Tai's hand. "We've got this. You’ve got this."

[renegadebraveheart]

Wrestlemania weekend, so I’m celebrating with new Ai edits! Been a while since I made new ones. Women’s World Champion Ai, and from Undes-Ai-rable to Unden-Ai-able, The Ai-merican N-Ai-ghtmare!

[mysterious-starlight]

How Fish is Made (Full Transcript)

 Lines starting with “>” indicate a player choice has happened.

 Text within [square brackets] indicates an non-spoken action.

Transcribed by L. Pierce for Academic Use on 04/16/2023

Green Room | Welcoming Fish

Oh, hello. You just dropped? Haa. . .

Tell me. Are you going UP or DOWN?

You’ll have to make up your mind by the end. 

Even the oilliest of us have to, so don’t flatter yourself with your choice, haa.

Where am I going? Don’t worry about that. 

So, which is it UP or DOWN?

>UP or >DOWN

Haa ha, are you sure? 

Rusty/Bloody Hallway | Flopping Fish

UP. . . UP. . . UP. . . 

You look like a smart guy! You also know the way is one way, and that way is UP and ain’t no two ways about it!

I’ve always known it was UP! I never asked, I never changed, never lied! 

Let me hear you sing it, I like to hear it, where ya goin’ where ya goin’?

>UP

UP! UP! UP! The water has it wrong, the flesh has it wrong! Everything goes UP UP UP in the end!

> DOWN

Whatcha say? Come again?

        > DOWN

Wonder what will happen to you! Will it hurt? Will it stop? Oh well!

Rusty/Bloody Hallway | Flopping Fish

UP! UP! UP!

Rusty/Bloody Hallway | Plastic-Trapped Fish

Ah! What fortune that we should meet. Do not be foiled by that one. He is lost, like so many are.

We can only POETRY them!

I see you are in awe of my throne of inspiration.

It clung to me suddenly one day, much like all my ideas do, complete and unden-

Undeniab- -

UNDENTABLE! Complete and undentable!

No, No, take it in as much as you like. It is a confirmation of my most oily brain.

Do tell. What blind groping has brought you to your choice?

Be forewarned! I did a lot of thinking to know which is indeed, the correct way. 

All answers come to me very quickly. Such is my burden. 

Would you like to know? It might change your entire WORLD FEW. 

It is. . . DOWN. Yes, this I know for sure. 

But how?! I hear you ask. Let me explain. . .

No. . .

It is simply too complex for you to PHANTOM! My methods are beyond simple minds!

I have never EVER thought of a single reason to question myself, can you believe it?

No, you cannot.

I am elated to have saved you from making a FATHER embarrassment of yourself!

Just think of me as your guide, mentor and sage.

You’re welcome!

Rusty/Bloody Hallway | Plastic-Trapped Fish

My throne? No, no, no! It’s not uncomfortable at all.

. . .Mrrgh. . .

Red-Lit Room | Screaming Fish

Aaahh! ! !

. . . Oh, hello. Um, the way’s over there.

Red-Lit Room | Screaming Fish

I don’t know what to do. . . my family went UP, but my best bud said that DOWN is the correct choice.

The family is big but distant in their togetherness. But the big group together is safest, it’s the toppestest truth!

. . .Why would he do this to me?

. . .DOWN is wrong, I can feel it between my shiniest flakes

We’ve swam together since both of us were but scrampy things but. . . H-how can I know if he’ll agree to always be my friend?

No one cares about how I feel! Not even him!

I don’t want to choose if I can’t know exactly how it will turn out!

Y-you. . . Which way should I go? UP with the family or DOWN with my buddy?

>UP

. . .You’re right. It’s not my fault he was stupid and flattering himself trying to be big and important. 

I don’t always get along with them, but I suppose what your family decides is always, ALWAYS best in the end.

Thank you, I will never question them again!

>DOWN

R-really?

I’ve been so stupid! I can’t make decisions for myself, my buddy always told me as much!

He’ll be angry when I join him, but he always tells me how to earn his forgiveness. 

I won’t make this mistake again! Oh, how wonderful, how good, this freedom of certainty!

Red-Lit Room | Screaming Fish

Um, by the way, you’re going the same way right?

>YES

Oh, whew. Good, good.  N-not that it mattered anymore! Ha. . ha . . . 

Um, be seeing you. . . 

[Screaming Fish Disappears]

>NO

. . . Oh.

S-should I? . . . My stomach hurts. . . Uuwgh. . . But what if. . .

I-I have to go! EXCUSE ME!

[Screaming Fish Disappears]

[Player falls down intestine-like tunnel]

Dark Room | Sobbing Fish

Behold! [Turns toward a condom that contains a dead fish and a small amount of white fluid.]

What did we do to deserve bearing witness to such glory?

It. . . It must mean something. (sob) But what? What is it trying to say?!

Ohwoowaagh!

I’ve groped through my noggin (sob) I’ve eyed every detail!

I don’t understand the message! (sob)

There must be a way out of this creature’s stomach. The answer is here! It looks down upon us! Awaugh!

What is it revealing?

>UP

… No! I think it’s DOWN! Can you see it? I-I think I can see it!

It talks to me! I can hear its approval in the back of my throat!

I must get inside. . . I must be cleansed by this untainted substance!

>DOWN

Yes. . . Yes! I see it, can you see it? It has to be! Behold, behold!

It swallowed us down, so we must keep going DOWN! (sob)

First I must get inside. . . I must be cleansed by this untainted substance!

Join me! Wash with me in this purity!

Dark Room | Sobbing Fish

Oh, to be chosen for such sublime anointment. . . I truly envy him!

I must become worthy. . .

(sob. . .sob. . .sob)

Room with Gears & Button | Gear-Trapped Fish

Oh, oh!

Please help me!

It’s embarrassing. . .but I thought I had found the gills of this creature that swallowed us. 

So I figured I’d wriggle my way out through them.

But who would have thought! They were not gills!

If it’s not too much of a bother, could you unstuck me?

Thank you ever so much for your kindness--

Ahh, wait! Hold on!

This is important. 

Whatever you do, just make sure not to touch that round, red, glowing thing over there, okay?

Thanks! . . .Whew! What a relief, I thought I might be stuck here forever!

Room with Gears & Button | Gear-Trapped Fish

I can barely feel my fins. Are they still there?

[Player moves toward red button]

Room with Gears & Button | Gear-Trapped Fish

Wha-What are you doing!?

Don’t touch that!

Somebody help me! Help! Aaah!

[Player pushes button, Gear-Trapped Fish breaks into pieces. The door to the next room opens.]

Well-Lit Room | Parasite within Infested Fish

Ah-a!

What fortune that you dropped into this most productive of places!

Him?

Why me ‘n’ my Friend-O here go way back!

I ate his tongue and we’ve been coworkers ever since!

I’ll betcha we have a lot of learnings we can share.

I always say ya have ta get passionate about something. 

Me?

I’m passionate about friendship. I want to be there for people as much as possible. 

It’s like my buddy here always says, “Teamwork is the soul of success.”

I think that’s beautiful.

Now well by golly! I’ve been struck by the most brilliant of ideas!

Would ya mind if I incentivized you with a little musical stylings of my own creation?

My Friend-O does so enjoy a little show tune here n’ there.

Alrighty then! Hold onto your gills!

[Music Break]

Well-Lit Room | Parasite within Infested Fish

Whoo whew! Well buddy, how we feelin’?

Synced with success? Aligned with ambition?

>YES

No doubt about it, my buddy, my pal!

I daresay I snuck a lil’ of my. . . core competence in ya.

You’ll feel it real soon, don’t you worry!

> NO

. . . 

. . . . .

. . . . .Are you stupid?

Well-Lit Room | Parasite within Infested Fish

. . . 

. . . . .

OK. Keep it movin’, pal.

Wasp Nest Hallway | Disembodied Voice

Why do you deserve it?

Will you be able to live with it?

Try and try and try and try and try again.

Aah, those double action hinges have always been there, just for you, right?

You’ll come back.

Everyone does.

Weak.

Or you’ll go looking. One way or another, right?

Weak.

Imposing Room | Fish in an Imposing Room

It is time.

Choose.

>UP or >DOWN

I see. Do you understand yet?

This privilege of choice that has been given to a worthless critter like you?

That is the gift. Not the outcome.

Did the uncertainty scare you?

Or does it scare you more to know there is no choice for you at all?

Then all of this would have been for nothing.

But wouldn’t it feel better? Don’t flatter yourself.

I’ll tell you a secret.

You’ve already made your choice.

This is not about making a decision.

This is a test of conviction.

Have you strayed from your path?

Have you been honest and true to your truth, even to others?

. . .

. . . . .

He he he. Did you believe me just now?

I’m just a fish in an imposing room.

Good enough, right?

Imposing Room | Fish in an Imposing Room

I wouldn’t eat any of those. They taste awful. 

Grimy Hallway | Big Fish

This is really it, huh. I’ll level with ya, ain’t real sure I can do this.

Did ya run into that smart-talkin’ fella earlier? He sure did seem to know what he was talking about. 

Here I been always thinkin’ I’m the biggest thing in the water.

Look at me now, a big ol’ boy shiverin’ like a scramp out in the blue!

Hah!

Anyway, I thought keepin’ track of how many fish went in either direction could help.

Not sure it did at all, lemme tell ya.

Reckon ya wanna hear how many have gone each way?

>YES

Ya sure? Might be best to just follow your gut at this point.

         >YES

Alrighty. By my count… 199 fish have gone UP, and 474 have gone DOWN.

>NO

Right on partner, swim your own way!

Grimy Hallway | Big Fish

Ain’t all this just worse than a loose flake in your gill?

Well. . . Hell.

If I can’t help myself at this point, maybe I could at least give you a better change, partner.

How bout I go on and skadoodle into one of them, and just. . .

HOLLER out real loud the first thing I notice. Whatcha think about that?

Hahahaha! Heck, it’s so stupid it just might be genius!

Lookit us! Two big ol’ oily friends makin’ our own dang currents! Hahaha!

Alright, hit me. Which way, partner?

>UP or >DOWN

Lemme tell ya, before I go, partner.

You made a dumb ol’ fish feel real big again right at the end. 

For a small lil’ thing, yet lookin’ real big too right about now! Hah!

THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT!

ROO-HAH! It’s go time! Catch ya on the flipside, partner!

[Big Fish disappears]

PAAARTNER! HERE I GO, LISTEN UP!

RO-WHEE!

It. . It feels SOFT!

. . .

. . .

.

>[Player swims UP or DOWN]

??? | ???

You know I always hated hearing, “Don’t worry, a lot of people are going through the same thing. You’re not alone.”

There’s this selfish, barbed wire inside my chest that coils up at that.

“No, my pain is more tragic. Grander! Deeper! If only you knew!”

That’s not true, of course. I hate talking about it.

Because I hate people who talk about it.

And that’s not very nice, that’s not okay, that’s not how you can be about all this. 

It’s not romantic, but at least it’s true.

Don’t worry, a lot of people are going through the same thing.

And that’s what makes it the best USP yet.

Thanks for playing.

[Player sees either HFIM  END CARD UP or HFIM - END CARD DOWN]

END CARD UP:

END CARD DOWN:

[sessakag]

Prey Ino answer your phone right now!!!!! It’s probably super illogical, but I’m reeeeeeeeeally paranoid that something might have happened to her 😭. Like maybe Naruto offed her to better isolate and manipulate Hinata 😬. Yes this is indeed the man I desperately want her to fuck 🤦‍♀️. Prey has me at the edge of my seat and maximum stressed always.

Everyone reading Prey is as paranoid as Naruto😂what have I unleashed with this crazy man . He really is a lose cannon😅hopefully he plans on planning for variables such as her friends, lol, but ummm, who knows? He's undenably selfish and greedy for her attention. He might not like her having friends too much🙈or maybe he'll be calculating and take your "suggestion" 😂or maybe some third option that only hypocritical but don't give a fuck Prey!Naruto could come up with😅gotta wait for him to tell me though, so I'm in the dark too😂 And Ino's probably okay...maybe?😅there's no telling what's going on there, or what Naruto's gotten into🙈 he just...bruh, lol, he be doing the most with his crazy ass.

[broadcastbabe]

I wake from a warm afternoon nap to find my shirt gone. "Your shirt was soaked through… you must have been having one of your sex dreams again." 

The mention brings a few details out of my clouded memory as it begins to reconstruct itself in my mind. I'm aware my panties are also soaked through. I unlatch my overalls and step out of them, then shimmy out of the limp wet silk.

"Dibs!" you playfully call out… and I'm happy to dangle them for a swap.

"Wanna hear my dream?" This is really not a negotiation, as you always welcome a recounting of my sex dreams. not because I'm a great storyteller, but it always leads to some interactive re-enactment. 

"What part do I play today darling?" You are already sniffing my lingerie in your posession and tantalized. 

"It's a bit fuzzy, but you're in a white lab coat, coaching me and a faceless boyfriend a few sex tricks to spice up our love life. You are definitely an expert in the field… and I'm undenibly attracted to your mastery of the art. You seem concerned about his inability to give me the climaxes I deserve and take extra steps to ensure me it is not my fault for never having a proper lover. You set up a singular session to test your theory. I am more curious than nervous, and let you take the clinical upperhand. Suggesting we relax with a glass of wine and listen to music, you remove your lab coat and draw the curtains in your well-appointed office." At this point you mimic his moves and pour me a large glass of wine. 

 "You are purely professional and above board, but ask for my consent to touch me to guage if my responses are within normal range. I'm just drunk enough to encourage you by guidimg your hand to the cleavage of my open blouse. You smile and unbutton me further to expose my chest to your kisses. I whimper with surrender, and lust, suggesting a short examination between my legs might be appropriate for 'my issue'. You hesitate and wonder if I would consent to videotaping the session." "Wow, I'm an opportunistic bastard aren't I? Did you get a look at his credentials" 

"It's a dream… but I'm pretty open to his methods. Bit slutty of me, but I've come to him because I haven't had any proper orgasms…" 

You are already on-script smothering my breasts with kisses and your fingers have found their way between my thighs… ready to breech me. I hand you my phone for the flashlight 'exam' and as the video camera for recording what comes next. "You examine me and compliment the beautiful normalcy of my swelling lips, now flushed with arousal. You manipulate them and enter me to poke around in the name of science. I groan emphatically as you probe deeper and gasp with a pre-orgasmic reaction. You seem pleased at my response and suggest we actually fornicate to test the natural mechanism of sex." 

You are already lapping at my juicy juncture and more than hard enough to follow through with the doctor's questionable procedure. I take another sip of wine and congratulate myself on my seduction story. The camera is recording our little perfomative foreplay, so I decide to forego the storyline where more doctors come in to consult and the orgy that ensues proves I am actually a rare virgin nymphomaniac that will require many more sessions to analyse. You know how dreams tend to veer and go off the rails. "In the dream the sex coach You becomes you in real life as you expertly impale me and we roll around until I am on top, bouncing with unrestrained joy. I am exhilarated by cumming, not once but three times in a row for the first time in my life. I shower you with kisses for curing me and you continue to gratify yourself with my willing body." 

You have been dutifully following along and put your back into it for our mutual benefit. I cum at least twice, like a cowgirl riding a bronco, and scream in startled arousal…as if it were my first time ever with you. I use my panties like smelling salts to revive you for the third orgasm. It proves to be our best and I allow your indulgences du jour as a reward for following my little edited dream script.

[anothes-blog]

Hace cuanto no te la unden?

Jajsjajsjs hola buenas noches

Mínimo saluden jajsjajsjs

Pues ya hace bastantito

[simena]

Lily UNDEN

[northprompt]

Part one

Lestat paused in what he has been doing, which was carving another chess piece for his board since he had yet to find good enough craftmanship in this run down town, when he heard a scuffle nearby.

He lived miles from the town, anyone who tried to near his cave had to travel through a dense and treacherous forest, so he seldom had visitors. On occasion a valiant young knight would venture to the tunnel of caves he resided in, they would always become lost and eventually when he became bored of their terror and blind panic, he would drink them dry and throw the body in the forest for the other creatures. It also proved an excellent deterent for other townsfolk who strayed too close.

Lestat sighed and put his whittling knife down, he ran faster than a human could percieve out of his cave and listened with amusement as a foray of peasants tied a young human to a tree at the edge of the forest. They were leaving him a sacrifice.

Probably because he decimated the town mayor and his family last week in their own home, but he needed to eat and he disliked the man's voice. It had been far too nasal.

Lestat stayed out of sight for a couple of hours, until the townspeople had long gone, and the human had finished cursing them. He walked silently over to the human, who had become tired but was unable to even sit down as his body was firmly tied around the tree trunk. The young human was undenibly beautiful, he had large eyes and skin a shade Lestat had never seen before.

The young man gasped when he finally noticed him, he tried to kick Lestat, who easily evaded his legs with amusement.

He spoke to boy in French, "What is your name? You can't be very old, are you yet eighteen?"

The boy looked at him with confusion and replied in a language Lestat could recognise as English, but he did not speak it himself.

Lestat pointed to his chest and said, "Lestat."

The boy titled his head and looked at him like he was mad. The vampire did it again, until the human understood.

"Louis," he told the vampire.

Lestat admired the boy for another moment before ripping the rope away from his body, and grabbing him around the arms. His fangs shot out, and he licked his lips staring at Louis' throat. He leaned in closer prepared to bite the boy, and stiffened in surprise when he felt his chin caught between blunt human teeth.

Louis bit the vampire as hard as he could, he managed to draw a small amount of blood, and was dislodged easily by Lestat gripping his face. Lestat pulled back and rubbed his chin in shock, no human had ever been so bold as to harm him, even the knights had faultered at the sight of him.

Louis snapped something at the man and took off running past Lestat and straight into the system of caves. Lestat stared in his direction for a minute before grinning and walking calmly, and at a human pace after the boy. He had not been so entertained for years.