#unintentional fearplay

[deviousdeliciousness]

Sweet Nothings

What can a giant's promises be but empty when they are given after having stolen the tiny away from her home?

~~~~~~~~~

"Shhhh, shhhh, you're alright," came the rumbling croon, a gentle yet still overwhelming pressure brushing softly against her fragile back.

She buried her face further into her knees, arms wrapped tight around her calves and fingers digging crescent's into the meat of her thighs. It did little to mitigate her trembling.

"I'll take care of you," the voice soothed, once more stroking along her shivering spine.

A single set of tears spilled past her cheeks, dampening the threadbare cloth of her pants. She desperately withheld a whimper, clamping her lips tight as her chin quivered and her throat strained.

Her attempts did not matter; her captor noticed anyway. "Don't cry," he whispered, cupping her further between his undeniably monstrously-sized palms.

She squeezed her eyes shut, huddling more tightly in on herself and flinching as the soft touch against her back returned.

"You'll be happier, with me," her kidnapper murmured, and she could not tell if the words were more for her or for himself. Either version would not make the supplication any less of a lie.

Her chest heaved and stuttered with her aborted breaths, her bottom lip pulled between her teeth to stave off the worst of it.

The giant shushed her again, oh-so-comfortingly, sweetly, promising, "I shall give you whatever your heart so desires." His fingertip brushed gently against the back of her delicate neck, and she flinched at the touch. The attempt to soothe felt like nothing but a threat, an emphasis on the disparity between their sizes. His promises were worth less than that. How could they be more when she knew them to be so bitterly, laughably, untrue? For she knew he would never free her, and that was the only wish her tremulous heart so covetously, now cruelly, desired.

"Nobody will ever hurt you again," he lovingly crooned, gently stroking her trembling sides with a finger as long as she was tall. It was a bastardization of comfort for her, an unwanted touch.

If only she was brave enough to answer his words. To reason that her life had not been made of just hurt, and even the hurt had been proof that she had been living - had been alive. What was human nature, but for a struggle in life to achieve their self-destined goals? And so she had struggled, perhaps more than most - certainly more than many - but it had not meant that she ever, ever wished to be taken away from it all. From her life, from her people, from her home.

If she had the courage, she would rise to her feet and glare up to her captor, this leviathan monster disguised as man. She would jab a finger up to him and shout and rage that he was hurting her, far deeper than most, as this pain went to her very soul instead of only skin deep.

What did it matter if he outwardly treated her gently - if even his capture of her had left her with nary a bruise - if his very actions in and of themselves rent her heart to shattered pieces.

It did not matter, and it never would. She would never trust this giant and his sweet nothings, his gentle touches, for he had made it clear from the very beginning that he saw her as something lesser than.

To him, she was nothing but a doll, one to be picked up - to be 'rescued' - from the dirt and carried away, heedless to her protests, to her autonomy or to her desires.

No, she would not fall for his sweet nothings, for his entreaties, for his meaningless platitudes. Not for this giant who had stolen her away from her life as if it had meant nothing. She could never forgive such an irreparable, callous cruelty.

And as she curled up tightly in his cupped palm, feeling his thunderous heartbeat through the bare soles of her dirt-stained feet... she dully wondered if her forgiveness would even mean anything to him at all.

~~~~~~~~~~

;( kjsjhf BIG sad, mah bad. Highkeeeey wanted to make it so the giant does have a legit reason? Or at least thought he did bc of some misunderstanding or smthn - but for now, here's some more unresolved angst! :D

but fr this was uhh a lil (a lot) depressing ngl, but uhhh ye hopefully you liked?? :DDDD *sweats*

[tinyclownhours]

Human Hermit Crabs

I turned the silly little prompt I sent to @so-very-small into a full fic. Enjoy :)

Summary: Human gets abducted by giant aliens and sold as a novelty pet in an intergalactic souvenir shop, only to be rescued by a rugged space explorer.

Word Count: 5781

Cw: Abduction, dehumanisation (it's nothing too bad, but the MC is seen as a pet/object by the other aliens), mentions of death and humans being sold as pets/objects.

An apex predator. That is what Henry had lived his entire life believing he was. Everyone knew humans were on top of the food chain. Even in situations where they were wildly outmatched in pure strength, it was their intelligence that kept them on top. The only one who could realistically hurt him was his own kind, he had thought. As long as he kept his head down, he could get by without trouble. Oh, how foolish he had been…

He was curled up at the far end of the glass cage, leaning against the cold wall as he breathed in a shallow manner. He was cold, and he was shivering ever so slightly. Every now and again a giant figure would glide past the outside of his cage, browsing all of the curiosities the shop had to offer, him included…

He thought back to that day, the 15th of October. The day when his perception of reality had been utterly shattered. It was a crisp autumn evening and Henry had been strolling around on a walk out by the countryside where he lived. There was rarely anyone out where he walked. Maybe that’s why they chose him…

He still remembered the feeling of being sucked up into the air, the feeling of his stomach dropping while he looked down at the ground becoming smaller and smaller below him until he was swallowed up by the sky. Or at least he thought. The pure terror and panic were still fresh in his mind, as he looked around the gigantic spaceship that he’d been beamed up into. He had seen the giant alien smirk down at him, roughly grabbing his body in his callus fist while he inspected him. Henry felt his stomach turn as he thought back to how the giant poacher had looked over him after putting a metal collar around his throat, calling him a “beautiful specimen” before carrying him off and throwing him into a crowded cage full of other humans, all of them equally confused and terrified. 

He remembered how horrific it had been initially, being sold as some sort of tiny novelty pet in this intergalactic souvenir shop. He was trembling almost if not every waking hour of the day, and would freeze up anytime someone walked past his cage. Rush hour was hell for him… Nowadays he was too exhausted to even lift a finger. Most customers took note of his sickly appearance, being so pale and thin he looked like he was one second away from crumbling into dust. Which he supposed was good, since most of them lost interest in him after a few seconds of inspection. It seemed like all of them knew. All of them knew he didn’t have long. And why buy a pet that you knew wasn't going to make it? He never bought those scrawny and off-colored goldfish at the pet store when he was a child. No one did, why would they? If it wasn’t for the fact that he was dying, he might’ve seen the cosmic irony of him ignoring those goldfish as a child only to feel some sort of comradery towards them now.

He was the last human left in the cage, all of his other fellow captives had either been sold off or passed away due to the horrid living conditions they’d all been exposed to for the last month. Unfortunately for Henry, he had been a stubborn one, as the owner of the shop commented quite frequently. It was clear he was just waiting for Henry to disappear so that he could order a fresh batch of captives to abuse with horrible housing.

The cage was small and made entirely of glass which stripped away any privacy any of them could’ve gotten. There wasn’t any padding or places to sleep comfortably. Besides, even if they did have someplace to sleep, the clunky metal collars made it a little hard to get comfortable. They had been provided with some sort of strange wood shavings on the cage floor, which quite possibly couldn’t have been any more itchy and uncomfortable. Any food they were provided with seemed deprived of any hint of nutrients and only provided Henry with temporary relief by filling his stomach with something to quell the searing pain of hunger. Lastly, they were put through so much distress, with the top of their cage being completely open for all of the shop's open hours, meaning that anyone could pick them up and manhandle them as they pleased in order to figure out if they liked the tiny human or not.

In the beginning, Henry had suffered quite a lot of stress at the (literal) hands of the shop's customers. A lot of them had been kids, or so he assumed, considering they were smaller and much less delicate with how they handled the poor humans. Henry had witnessed one too many of his fellow merchandise be dropped from tens of feet up in the air by those clumsy monsters. Some were quote-on-quote fine, getting lucky and only breaking a few bones. Others died upon impact. Although, Henry was starting to wonder which ones were actually the lucky ones…

Other times there were the odd tourists who walked in and were fascinated by the cage of humans. Most of them were quite handsy, pulling and playing with each one of their limbs as if they were just dolls. Of course, tourists are just what Henry called them. They were all bulky giants with what seemed to be purple scales and multiple eyes spread across their entire body. They were all just loud and quite frankly, too curious for his liking. It reminded him of the horror stories he’d read online by people recalling their experiences with obnoxious tourists… But he supposes that it was through them that he learned what the metal collars were for. There was a sign taped onto the side of the cage that read “Translator included!”, which many of them would read aloud and then condescendingly speak with them and try to get them to repeat words to them. Henry wasn’t quite sure why they were given translators. He wasn’t complaining of course, this whole ordeal would have been a thousand times worse if he hadn’t gotten a helpful (if a bit rude) explanation from the store owner as to what was going on when he first came into the store. However, he didn’t understand the appeal of a pet that could speak. Wouldn’t it feel weird to have a pet that could share its honest opinions with its owner? Surely they couldn’t think they enjoyed being here and would act like small puppy dogs once they brought them home? Henry wasn’t sure considering the way so many of them spoke to their purchased goods while leaving the store, all while ignoring their screaming and crying with soft coos and laughter. Maybe they were all sadists and didn’t care. It sure seemed like they didn’t.

His least favorite was the obnoxious teenagers that would come in, pick up and touch every single one of them, taking photos, tapping the glass, and being generally insufferable. A week or so ago a group of them came in and tried to get Henry’s attention. When he didn’t react to whatever they were doing, one of them grabbed the edges of the cage and started shaking it. 

But luckily, he didn’t have to deal with that now that he barely had any energy to move. Now that he was weak and unresponsive, he wasn’t entertaining anymore. Safe to say, Henry knew that they knew that he didn’t have much time left. On particularly desperate days he considered begging one of them to take him with them. He could try to perform his role as a souvenir if it meant getting out of there and maybe getting a shot at living life. But how good of a life was he really going to live if this was the standard?

Henry was pulled out of his thoughts as the shop owner walked by. He looked down at him with a scowl, eyebrows knit together as he picked up the full food bowl inside of the cage. He sighed in annoyance and walked away with it, presumably going to throw away the old pellets and replace them with new ones. Not that it mattered in Henry’s eyes. They were always dry and disgusting, and he wasn’t eating any longer.

He looked around the store, since his cage was placed at the very back he had a comfortable view of the entire thing. Despite being only one room, it was huge from his perspective, larger than a big football arena. Today seemed slower than usual. There were barely any customers. Three to be exact. A couple looking at some novelty junk, and a man at the end of the store. Was it a man? Henry wasn’t quite sure about alien biology, especially considering none of them looked to be the same species. Come to think of it, he doesn’t think he’s ever seen that type of alien before. He kept a small list in his head to pass the time, and there were a couple of regularly reoccurring species that came through, some of the less common ones, and then there were wildcards like the man in the back.

His skin was dark, and he had large pointed ears. His eyes were sharp and yellow, and unlike the store owner and most of the regular aliens, his eyes sat at the front of his face, rather than the sides, just like Henry himself. It’s funny. He almost looked a little human if it weren’t for some of his more alien-esque features. From where Henry was sitting, he actually didn’t look half bad for a horrifying gigantic alien. His eyes seemed so cold and hyper-focused… And that’s when Henry realized, much to his horror, that the giant had been eyeing him, staring at him intensely. And Henry had been staring back.

He quickly averted his gaze, feeling his heart skip a beat as a small dose of adrenaline rushed through his veins for the first time in what felt like forever. That was… Weird. Why did he react like that? He didn’t think he had the energy to fear these creatures any longer. But something about him was making Henry nervous. Really nervous. Maybe it was the aliens' new and darker appearance. Maybe it was the way he seemed taller than most of the other aliens he had encountered. Maybe it was that cold stare… Or maybe it was the fact that forward-facing eyes only belonged to predators. Henry didn’t know. But something about him didn’t feel right. He turned to glance back at him only to bite his tongue and let out a muffled yelp as the alien now towered over his cage. Somehow, in the span of a couple of seconds, he had walked from the back of the store all the way to the cage in the front. 

His eyes seemed to drill into Henry as he looked and inspected him. Henry had an even better look at his face from this angle. He could see that the alien looked more reptile-like than most, having two small slotted holes where his nose should be and his pupils were narrow slits rather than round balls like humans had. Henry looked up at him with his tired eyes. Usually, he would look away and be unresponsive to disinterest whatever customer had their eyes on him, but for whatever reason, he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the alien. 

He must’ve looked so pathetic. Small, and exhausted. Having to lean up against a corner to keep himself up. He hadn’t looked in the mirror in quite a while but he could only imagine how messy his hair must’ve been, how heavy the eyebags under his eyes must’ve gotten, and he didn’t even want to think about how pale and delicate he must’ve looked with how little he had been eating. For whatever reason, Henry felt ashamed. Like he was falling short under the judging eyes staring down at him.

Suddenly, Henry caught the slightest twitch of one of the aliens' long ears. He could see his eyes widen slightly for just a second, before he quickly walked off to a nearby shelf, looking at the different merchandise. It was only then that Henry picked up on the footsteps approaching his cage. He could see the store owner walking out with a new bowl of kibble and a basket of cleaning supplies. It was time for him to clean the cage. Henry prepared himself mentally as the store owner reached into the cage and pulled him out. The feeling of his leathery hands enveloping his tiny body made his skin crawl. Luckily it didn’t last long since the store owner quickly set him down into a separate open plastic box on the register counter. He then turned around to the cage and began the process of cleaning it. 

Just then, Henry saw the couple leave the shop and the reptilian man turned back around and faced him. He looked back to the shop owner, who had just emptied all the wood shavings and was scrubbing the cage clean, before looking back at Henry. After a few seconds, he swiftly approached the plastic container. It was truly impressive to see just how swift and soundless he was when he walked. Henry looked up at him with uncertainty and a small frown, and he swore he could see the man’s eyes soften just a little bit. He was lying on his side, too weak and shaky to try and crawl away from the descending hand that soon covered his entire vision. His breath hitched slightly when he felt the surprisingly soft fingers gingerly wrap around his sides before pulling him up and out of the plastic container. 

He didn’t know if this alien was extremely confident in his ability to go unnoticed or if he was just stupid, stealing a human mere feet away from the store owner. He debated making any sort of noise, but at this point, he honestly couldn’t be bothered by what would happen to him. He could die at the hands of a mysterious stranger or in a glass pet cage… One of those felt at least more dignified and less pathetic, and it also came with the possibility of not dying, depending on this alien’s intentions.

He felt the warmth of the man’s hand envelop him, between that and the soft padded insides of the jacket pocket he was placed into, this was the most comfort he’d been provided with for weeks. He could feel the giant shift around, probably walking to exit the store. He was afforded a small window to the outside world through the pocket opening, and could see some of the other shitty products that lined the store walls as they walked out. However, his sight was robbed of him as the alien's hand once again blocked his view. Henry tensed up as it got closer, only to feel it gently cover him. At first, he was confused until he heard that voice he had despised for weeks.

“Have a great day, we hope to see you again soon!” It was so loud and near. They were walking past the store owner. Henry tensed up as he realized this, and the giant could probably tell since he started to stroke his back with his thumb oh so gently. Henry couldn’t help but melt into the touch. By all means, he should be terrified. He had just been kidnapped… again. But is it really kidnapping if you get kidnapped away from a kidnapper??? Or would that be more of a rescue? Henry supposed it all had to do with the giant's intentions. He could be planning to torture and kill him for all he knew. But right now in this moment, he was handling him like he was the most delicate thing in the world, and that tenderness was something Henry needed desperately after three whole weeks of rough manhandling.

“Have a good day to you as well.” The giant spoke, Henry felt his breath hitch again as his heart skipped a beat. His voice was deep and velvety, he swore he could almost feel the base all the way down from his pocket. He felt the alien speed up a little once they were out of the store. He had stopped stroking Henry’s back and was now speed-walking somewhere. After a short while he sped up further, breaking into a jog. Henry let out a small yelp as the hand now enveloped him, still careful but holding him in place. It wasn’t before long that he could hear the sound of a mechanical whirring followed by air pressure and steam release, most likely a spaceship door opening. Henry’s suspicions were confirmed when he felt them walk upwards, probably on a ramp. He could see some hints of LED lights peeking through the gaps in the pocket opening and soon enough he was pulled out. 

Henry was set down in what appears to be the ship cup holder. The alien was using both hands to tap on buttons and pull levers that Henry could not begin to understand. Soon enough, the ship engine roared, and with the slow and precise pull on what appeared to be the startup leaver, the ship started taking off. Henry let out a small noise of displeasure when the alien suddenly covered the cup holder with his palm. However, Henry was thankful for it when only a mere second later, after pressing a button, the ship blasted off as if instantly and Henry’s body jerked backward. He probably would have fallen out of the cup had he not been covered. 

The ship soon smoothed out into an unnoticeable yet fast speed. The alien slowly uncovered said cup holder and placed his hand on the wheel. Henry looked up at the giant and fiddled with his fingers. They were alone now… What should he do? Should he say hi? Why was this so awkward all of a sudden?!

The air was tense as none of them seemed willing to make the first move… The reality of what had just happened was starting to settle into Henry. Had he just left the safety of the store for some stranger? Dread started to seep into his stomach as he wondered what this giant was possibly planning to do with him. 

Said Giant soon pressed another button on the spaceship panel before turning to look at Henry. He could probably see just how scared Henry was, considering his eyes once again softened just a little too much.

“Hey…” He spoke, and it shook Henry to his core. Just then, sitting curled up in the cup holder, having this gigantic alien looming over him after having taken him so effortlessly, Henry felt truly small. Almost insignificant. As if nothing he could say, do, or think was worth anything. He remembered when he thought he was on top of it all, that there wasn’t any predator that could harm him as long as he remained smart, only to find out that he was deemed as so uínsignificant that he was sold as a fucking novelty product… The alien above him could crush and dispose of him within a second, like how he would trap and dispose of mice and vermin that invaded his home back on Earth. He wondered if this was how they felt moments before he handed them over to the local pest control. His heart wept for them, for now, he knew just how it felt to be small.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as the giant slowly reached out and started stroking his arm with the back of his finger. Henry looked into his eyes only to see none of the previous sharpness, but rather nothing than affection and softness. “You’re okay… It’s okay. You’re safe now. I’m not gonna hurt you, alright?” 

…

Looking down at the tiny human sitting in his cup holder, it was evident that he was terrified. The poor thing was shaking, and his eyes were wide as pinpricks. He hadn’t done this in quite some time, not since he was a teenager. And even though it was a little messed up, seeing the shivering tiny almost brought Kazurix some sort of nostalgia. Most if not all of them reacted this way initially. And in the less extreme cases, Kazurix thought their little shaking forms were quite cute. 

He continued to stroke to the little guys arm as gently as he could. The human was curled up, but it was quite clear he didn't have the strength to curl up completely. Just how malnourished was he? It was evident from his sickly appearance that he, like most humans, hadn’t been taken care of very well. His skin was pale, eyes tired, and his blonde hair was tangled and matted. As soon as he’d calmed the human down, he’d get something to eat. They’d have to start slow, with some liquid food to not overwhelm his stomach, but after that, they’d gradually be able to make their way into actual food. It’s a good thing Kazurix always kept liquid food on him. As much as he told himself he’d stop doing this, he always kept some emergency rescue supplies.

He looked down at the trembling human. He didn’t seem to be rejecting the physical touch. That was a good sign. But he wasn’t responding either. The alien took a deep breath and tried something a little more direct.

”What’s your name?” He asked, prompting the little human to speak. He had to show that he wasn’t a threat to him. He could see his eyebrows knit together as he processed the question. He seemed hesitant for a few seconds, but Kazurix remained patient.

“…H-Henry…” The tiny squeaked out. Kazurix's heart almost melted. He had forgotten just how attached he got to these guys. He smiled softly, being careful not to show his teeth.

“It’s nice to meet you, Henry.” He spoke, continuing to stroke Henry’s arm. “My name is Kazurix. But you can call me Kazu if the full name is too hard to pronounce.” The way he said his full name wasn’t even really how you said it, he had to simplify the phonemes a lot since most humans couldn’t pronounce it. Henry nodded at him. Every movement he made seemed to take so much effort on his part. 

“Do you want something to eat? I have some nutrient paste that should give you some energy back without being too much for your stomach to handle.” He reassured him, standing up from his seat. His ear twitched as he picked up on the small gasp that had escaped the human once he stood up. He crouched down in front of the cup holder to be a little more on the human’s level, while still keeping a little bit of a distance from him to give him some space.

“I… I-I…” The human, Henry, started before resorting to a simple nod. Kazurix nodded back at him.

“Alright. I’m going to pick you up now. I’ll be careful.” He warned before snaking his hands underneath and behind the human. He gingerly scooped the tiny one up into his palms. He was lying there, looking up at Kazurix with those big eyes. At least they weren’t as wide as before. Now they were back to those tired, sad doe eyes that had single-handedly convinced Kazurix to take the human with him. He walked over to the small kitchen space on the ship and put Henry on the counter. He propped him up against the wall, ensuring he wouldn’t fall to either side. Then he opened the cooling box and searched around for the nutrient paste. He wasn’t sure where it was since he hadn’t had to use it in so long. It was a good thing they lasted so long…

Finally, he found the tube. He pulled it out. It was supposed to taste sweet. He hoped it did. Kazurix squeezed out a small dollop of the paste onto one of the small capsules left over from a bottle he’d thrown away, creating a small makeshift plate for the human so he didn’t have to be hand-fed. He watched as Henry cautiously inspected the food before looking up at him.

“I don’t have anything you could use as a spoon.” The human's eyes widened only a little before he shook his head.

“O-Oh! N-No, it’s okay! I- Uhm-“ He took a shaky breath before reaching his shaky hand up. “I wasn’t expecting any utensils… I wasn’t even expecting any food at all.” Once he was handed the capsule he looked away. “Thank you…” Kazurix smiled.

“You’re welcome.” He was once again reminded of why he did this so much. Most of them took a while to warm up to him, but once they did they were so sweet. He had nursed his fair share of humans back to health. Some of them were incredibly grateful, and some of them were reluctantly so. There were of course the poor humans who were so traumatized that they sadly never let their guard down around him, even after he proved himself as a non-threat. But he nonetheless cared for each and every one of them… Although, he was surprised as to how willing Henry had seemed to be. Usually, they were a lot more hesitant and afraid in the beginning, and while he was both of those things, Henry still thanked Kazurix politely and didn’t put up a fight as he was picked up… He knew there was something about him the second he walked into that store.

He hadn’t expected to rescue a human today, but fate was a funny thing. He had flown his sister and her girlfriend to the intergalactic travel center since the two of them were going on a little trip together. He knew he would’ve run into one of those tourist shops eventually. It was inevitable at such a crossroads of different alien cultures and species, but his heart still dropped when he saw one. He figured they must’ve shut down the human souvenir section, right? The last time he rescued one of them was years ago, it had to have become outdated at this point, right? But alas, walking into the shop he was immediately greeted by a glass cage with a tiny human inside of it. His heart broke for the poor guy, leaned up into a corner of the cage and breathing shallowly. Two people were looking down at him and discussing him, so he took that time to slink past them and into the back of the store. It wasn’t too far away from the cage since the store was quite small and narrow. That was bad.

He preferred to do rescues in larger stores, especially ones where the human section was tucked away between shelves and not out in the open. As the two left to look at some cheap garbage in the store, Kazurix wondered if he even could rescue this tiny. The store owner walked out to grab the bowl of food from the cage. It was full, meaning the human hadn’t eaten. Not that it wasn’t obvious given how scrawny he was… 

Just as he was about to call it quits and leave, the human made eye contact with him. Kazurix’s species were known for their enhanced senses - There was a reason that despite having been found out multiple times while in the middle of a rescue, Kazurix had never been caught. Some would even go as far as to say he was an apex predator of sorts, but Kazurix didn’t agree. He wouldn’t be so foolish as to assume there weren't bigger fish out there… However, his enhanced eyesight helped him see all the details of the tinies face even from so far away. He looked tired, exhausted even, and he was indeed looking at Kazurix. His eyes were sad and round, he wondered how much life had previously been filled within them, only to be stripped away by forces out of his control.

Just then, those eyes widened and the tiny looked away. That was it. Kazurix didn’t care if he got in trouble, or if this was as far away from the ideal rescue circumstances as possible, or if the tiny seemed to be one day away from death. He was going to save him… He was going to give him at least one last day of comfort.

Walking up to the cage, Kazurix could take in even more details of the pocket-sized man. He was dressed in a loose T-shirt and shorts. Probably unisized ones that the shop provided all the humans with. He was wearing a cheaper model of the universal translator collar. That was unusual for a shop this small, but convenient for Kazurix since he didn’t have to worry about how to non-verbally explain what was going on to the human once they were out of there. Then, the human looked back only to yelp at the sudden appearance of Kazurix. Sometimes he could forget how light on his feet he was despite his size. It had always come so naturally to him, but apparently, some aliens thought it was freaky. He had to stop himself from laughing when he heard the small sound that escaped the human. He kept examining him, about to reach in and take him when he heard the footsteps of the owner. He had to wait for another opening. 

He quickly walked to a nearby shelf, pretending to look at whatever junk they were selling. He could hear slight shuffling behind him, and once he heard the scooping of wooden chips he turned to the shop owner. He was cleaning out the cage… Looking around, he quickly found the human on the register counter. He crept over to him, being kept in a small plastic box. His heart broke when he saw just how powerless the little one was, lying on his side with a frown. Without hesitation, Kazurix reached into the box and picked the human up. That’s when he felt just how truly small he was. He had forgotten the tender feeling of holding someone smaller than your index finger, of just how utterly helpless they were to anything and anyone bigger than them, which was just about everyone. And that’s why he needed to do this.

The little guy didn’t even put up a fight. He was lying limply in his hand as he gently stuffed him into his open pocket. Walking by the store owner, Kazurix shielded the tiny using his hand. When the store owner spoke up and politely said goodbye to him, he could feel the poor human tense up in his pocket. He started stroking the little one tenderly, hoping to calm him down as he responded to the store owner, and quickly making his way out before he got busted. 

Everything was so unplanned and happened so fast, and looking back at it, it was a miracle that they weren’t caught. Kazurix was snapped back into reality when he heard Henry call out to him.

“Hello? Uhm… K…Karu?” He asked. Kazurix looked back down at him, eyes now focused. He could see how the human seemed to squirm under his gaze. “Could I get some more food?” He seemed almost afraid to ask. Kazurix smiled down at him, squeezing out another dollop on the small makeshift plate.

“Of course… And,” he chuckled slightly, “it’s Kazu.” He smiled, but the human’s face seemed to pale at his correction.

“O-Oh! I-I’m sorry- I didn’t mean-“ Henry scrambled to explain himself. Kazurix simply smirked in amusement. Something about this tinie's nervousness was so charming to him… 

“It’s no big deal.” He stated simply as he went back to stroking Henry’s tiny back with his finger. “Close enough. Don’t be nervous.” He smiled. The tiny paused, looking up at him hesitantly.

“…Why are you doing this?” He asked in a quiet voice, almost a whisper.

“Doing what?”

“Why did you take me? Wh-What are you going to do with me?” Kazurix could see the anxiety building up behind those eyes of his.

“…You looked so weak, and sad. I couldn’t just stand by without doing something.” He said. It was true if only a little simplified. Henry looked away, down at the pale brown paste dollop in front of him.

“…I want to go home.” His voice cracked, and Kazurix’s smile fell in an instant.

“…I know. Earth is… Quite far away from us.” He admitted, unsure if he could even get to earth from where they were right now. Not that he was going to tell Henry that. The human turned his face to the opposite side of Kazurix, but he managed to catch a glimpse of how glossy his eyes had gotten. Poor thing… He wouldn’t blame him if he broke down right now, considering all he went through.

“Hey?” Kazurix said softly. “Let me tell you something.” He moved a little closer. “I’ll get you to Earth… Okay? I promise.” The tiny human turned his head back, and Kazurix could see the small drops of tears that had built up in his eyes.

“You will?” Henry asked. Kazurix got a little closer once more.

“I will…” He reached his hand forward, extending his pinkie finger. “As soon as you feel better, I’ll take you to your home. I promise to protect you and escort you if you’ll have me as your travel companion?” He flashed the human a tender smile. Henry looked away, but this time, Kazurix could see the slight blush that spread to his ears. He couldn’t help but chuckle as the human grabbed his finger and shook it.

“Y-Yeah… That sounds nice.” He picked the paste back up and went back to eating, not before muttering a small and meek: “Thank you…”

And so it was decided. Kazurix was going to help Henry back to earth, a venture that would probably take them months… But he wasn’t about to drop that on Henry right now. He’s had a draining day as is. Although Kazurix was a little ashamed to admit it, he was almost a little happy that the journey would take a while. He’d be happy to get to know Henry more, and what’s a better way to get to know each other than a couple of months in space? He was sure they could make a couple of stops on the way so Kazurix could show off some fun places to Henry. He wouldn’t exactly be able to see them once he was dropped off on Earth anyway. He wouldn’t let anything happen to him while they were enjoying themselves.

“Of course. It’s my pleasure… Henry.” His name rolled nicely off his tongue. It’s been a hot minute since he’s last pronounced a human name. He would no doubt say it a lot more from now on.

Oh, he could tell this was going to be a fun experience.

[tripleglitchwriting]

Combustion (Part 1)

Soundwave (TFP) centric, gn human reader

CW: swearing, fearplay, calling a person ‘it’ (unintentionally)

Counting raindrops was not a particularly exciting or engaging activity, but it was enough to entertain you for the minute it took to get another bite on your fishing line. Sure fishing in the rain wasn’t the best idea, but it was better than stewing in boredom. Your house was close by anyway.

The river was always teeming with life- how could you ever ignore it, especially when it was raining? The smell of nature brought you back time and time again. And time and time again you found yourself sitting outside, sopping wet, counting raindrops, and trying to catch fish for no good reason. It wasn’t exactly the life you expected, but it’s the one you got, and that was okay with you.

Until it all came crumbling down when a giant fucking robot crashed into the lake.

—————

Despite Megatron’s best efforts, the ship was thrown into chaos. At first it was all going as planned- an ambush attack to destroy the Autobots once and for all. Soundwave managed to get a direct hit on one of their engines by tapping into the Nemesis’s defense systems, but it seemed the enemy had the same idea. As always, he stayed calm in situations like this, unsurprising the rest of the panic stricken crew.

Alarms blared as the ship’s main systems began to fail. Soundwave did everything he could to keep it running but to no avail. With a final order from his leader, the third in command was forced to abandon his post and into an escape pod.

He tried to ask what would become of Megatron, but the chaos didn’t allow for much information to get across to anyone, especially not with his oath of silence. Most of the pods were already gone, as well as Starscream who was specifically not given the order to leave.

He looked one last time at the Nemesis before entering the pod, hoping Megatron had a plan. Though, he always had a plan. All he could do now was trust in the mech he dedicated his life to. After all, what’s another disaster? He had survived much worse.

—————

The thing came out of nowhere. Well, not nowhere, it came out of the sky, but that didn’t narrow much down in your mind. You first realized something was wrong when you saw a plane flying by. Accept it wasn’t a plane, it was a big black machine from god knows where. It started out as a blip in the atmosphere but it quickly became evident that thing was going to land close, and you didn’t want to be there when it exploded or something.

You didn’t get too far. In fact, the mini earthquake it made when it hit the ground knocked you on your ass and almost into the river. Your fishing pole was long gone, as were the fish, that was evident by the fact that there was now a huge shiny jet black space object sitting smack dab in the center of the river. Now, as it seemed, getting rained on was the least of your worries.

You mumbled words of surprise and fear, made worse by the rumbling now radiating from the machine. It caused the river to ripple like a child trying to balance a full cup of water. Every other sound was either silenced or drowned out by the sudden movement. You tried to scoot back. You heard a click come from the thing, followed by the mechanical whirring of paneling removing itself from the shell, letting out a hiss of smoke.

Whatever this thing was it wasn’t something you were very interested in seeing the end result of. You tripped over your own mud soaked boots to get to a nearby tree, one big enough to at least conceal yourself behind. The panel continued to rise but you didn’t bother to look back and see it. Something inside you screamed to run and fast as you could to wherever you could, and you almost listened to it, but another click signified your time was cut short.

The tree was your best bet, and you were incredibly grateful to be there because something was moving inside that thing. Something big. It was as black as the pod it came from, but still accented by purple streaks along its frame. Slender arms and legs hobbled outside, sending river water crashing in waves along the bank. It was like nothing you’d ever seen before- more insane than anything you ever seriously imagined happening to you. A giant robot falling from the sky. Fantastic…

—————

Something went wrong. The pod should have slowed down during orbit, but instead it sent him hurtling down into an unknown planet’s atmosphere. Not ideal. Still, there was a war going on and he did not have the time to waste.

He seemed to have landed in a small stream surrounded by organic life. That’s what his scanners told him… right before they fizzled out and went offline. With no way to view the outside world he figured ejecting Lazerbeak would be the best course of action, but when he went to wake him up the drone didn’t respond. Only then did Soundwave start to feel a prick of fear. Maybe he was still having a hard time getting out of stasis lock, or he was out of energy after the crash.

Soundwave out a servo to his chasis and pushed those thoughts away. Right now he needed to contact the Nemesis and rejoin Megatron. With all the damage done to his pod he had no choice but to exit. He did so, though it seemed the stasis lock was still wearing off on him, or maybe he’d been damaged, because it took some effort to climb out of the vehicle.

Luckily his personal scanners were still online. It seemed this planet had precipitation in the form of water- not uncommon. Around him were various forms of organic flora, though from what he could tell no fauna. If there was sentient life here, it wasn’t very obvious. Just in case he flipped on heat seeking vision, curtesy of Shockwave, and did a one over on the area. No sign of anything… except a small figure hidden behind a large plant.

He strode toward it, not flinching at the grime that coated his pedes or the water sliding down his visor. The figure got a little smaller as he approached, curling in on itself. An interesting reaction, did it know he was there? Soundwave readjusted his vision to normal and placed a servo on the side of the plant’s trunk.

He peered over, revealing a small organic bundled up in a little ball. It was shivering. Could it be that it was trying to avoid the precipitate by huddling itself here? Well, if it was it wasn’t doing a very good job. Maybe Shockwave would enjoy a new test subject though. Soundwave should be back on the Nemesis soon as long as he could fix up his communication system.

Extending his tentacle like appendages, he carefully pushed the organic’s body open, causing it to squeak and try to escape. He quickly grabbed it before it could run. Its shaking intensified as well as its struggles, not that its weak struggling was a problem for Soundwave. He squeezed it a little, earning him another squeak, and it seemed to get the message. Smart.

Scanning the area again but finding nothing, he resigned to go back to the pod. There was nothing of use around from what he could see, he needed to fix Lazerbeak fast. Soundwave was the eyes and ears of the Deceptions, he couldn’t forget that. There was nothing left for him anywhere else.

Even so, in the disaster he found himself in, the little form in his claw brought some comfort to his spark. It was sort of endearing the way it started up its squirming again and refused to give up. It was nice to know a little thing that that could have so much spirit. Maybe this whole mess wouldn’t be so bad after all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sorry this took a bit for me to get out! It’s been quite the week. For clarification, this fic takes place in the same universe as Ignition, but much farther away. I still haven’t come up with a same for the AU yet.

I don’t know when part 2 will be out, it really depends on how much time and energy I have. I’ve been wearing thin on creativity lately but I still have an idea on where I want to take this. That being said, I hope you enjoyed my story so far! Have a good day/night wherever you may be.

[zero-to-zero-to-zero-again]

Pocket-Sized Sidekick (3)

Part One Part Two

Word Count: 1,829

TW's: Fear, Accidental Fearplay, Violence, Injury, Implications Of Past Abuse, Threats Of Violence, Mentions of Cults, Medical Stuff, Panic

Characters: C!Ranboo, C!Technoblade, C!Dream, C!Philza, C!Wilbur

Summary: Ranboo's officially been de-masked in front of a group of villains. At least that means things can't get any worse...right?

Ranboo drew in a hissing breath between his teeth.

"Would you please sit still? I'm not used to doing stitches on people this small."

That was one of the first things Ranboo learned about Wilbur. He never held anything back. Frankly, it was becoming a challenge for Ranboo to hold back everything he wanted to say in retaliation. He'd been laying there getting stabbed by a needle nearly as tall as him for at least half an hour. Even with the attempt at numbing the area, it felt like an eternity.

"You did stitches on a cat once," the Blood God pointed out. He'd been idly clicking through something on the laptop sitting on the kitchen counter. Ranboo was surprised he'd been paying attention at all given how engrossed he'd seemed it whatever he was reading on that screen.

"You are aware that cats are larger than six inches tall, right?" Wilbur snapped.

"Small is small."

The brunette let out a frustrated huff.

"Phil told you not to bother me."

"He did but he was givin' me those 'don't let Wilbur out of your sight' eyes."

"He was not."

"You just don't notice because he's always got that look."

"Done!" Wilbur announced with a final snip. Ranboo could only assume that meant that was the last bit of thread being cut. Should he be thanking this guy for what he'd done? Sure, he'd tended to his injuries but he was still a villain. Thanking a villain was probably listed on the unspoken rules of being a hero right between being kidnapped by a villain and showing your face to a villain.

He slowly pushed himself to sit upright. His bruises still stung like crazy but at least the majority of his fractures had been dealt with and cuts bandaged. Wilbur never really shared his assessment of Ranboo's injuries but from the repetitive "Yeesh" 's from the villain, he could only imagine there was a lot of work to be done.

Wilbur scooped his jacket up off the back of the couch.

"Where are you going?" the Blood God demanded.

The brunette threw a guitar case over his shoulder.

"Out," he announced vaguely.

"Aren't you supposed to be looking after the kid?"

Wilbur rummaged through the cubbies next to the door until he uncovered a pair of keys from the clutter.

"Phil told me to clean him up. He's about as good as he's going to get so I'm out of here." Wilbur paused on the way out to shoot the Blood God a look over his shoulder. A coy smile tugged on his lips. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be fine until Phil comes back. You're great with kids."

Wilbur managed to yank the door shut behind him just as a dagger lodged itself in the wood where his head was only seconds ago. The brunette's laughter retreated into the night, making way for a tense silence to fall over the house. Ranboo's teeth ground together.

He dared to sneak a peek at the villain sitting only a single room over. It was odd. Ranboo knew that Corvus was a supervillain but he walked around out of costume in his own house. That made sense. Wilbur was a villain by association at the very least but if he worked in the field, he probably had a costume too. Not once had he donned in it while Ranboo was there.

The Blood God, on the other hand, had yet to change out of that signature uniform of his. The cape, the skull, the gaudy boots. The whole package was admittedly a bit too extra to be typical loungewear. If it was all for the sake of ensuring Ranboo was kept on edge then, damn, it was working.

The boar's skull snapped in Ranboo's direction. The abrupt motion caused an instinctual reaction in the sidekick, sending him scrambling to focus on literally anything else in the room. The villain sighed.

"So why's Hero Corps exploiting child labor? Indoctrinating adults into their little cape cult get too pricey?" he asked.

Nothing about that question was accurate but it wasn't like Ranboo was in any position to correct him. He wasn't sure he was in a position to say anything, honestly. So he didn't.

"What, did that one hypno-hero hit you with a tongue tying spell or somethin'? What's he like? Fun at parties?"

The beats of silence passed at an agonizingly slow pace for both parties trapped within the tense atmosphere. The Blood God groaned.

"Come on, kid, give me somethin' here," he practically begged.

Ranboo shifted uncomfortably. There was nothing he could say that he wouldn't be reprimanded for when he got back to HQ. If he got back to HQ. As scary a prospect as that was, the fact that he was more likely to never get home was even scarier.

"W-why the skull mask?" Ranboo tried. Maybe if he couldn't answer questions, asking them would help pass the time a bit quicker for the both of them.

"What, this?" The Blood God asked, drumming his fingernails against hollow bone. Ranboo nodded meekly. The villain's insouciant demeanor went dismal all at once. "It's not a mask. It's just my face."

The sidekick's blood ran ice cold. He couldn't even hide his mortified expression when he turned back to the man in the kitchen. What? How was that even possible? Sure, people got bizarre mutations when super powers started popping up but this had to be one of the strangest ones that Ranboo had ever seen. Not even the attributes of a bore, just its skull where your head should have been? It made his stomach churn thinking about how that worked.

The Blood God snorted.

"I'm messing with you," he chuckled.

He was...oh. The sidekick's shoulders sagged. As indignant as Ranboo was to be toyed with, he had to admit that it was a relief knowing it was all a farce. He hadn't even realized his jaw had dropped open until he shut it with a click. He couldn't help but laugh, though his was more incredulous than a product of the Blood God's sense of humor-if you could even call it that.

"Just thought it was a cool gimmick, I guess. Didn't wanna look like every other loser in a mask and a cape. What about you? They force you to wear that fashion faux-pax of a suit or are you just really into gray?"

"It's a uniform," Ranboo said. He couldn't think of a single sinister thing that the guy could do with that sort of information beyond mocking him a little further.

"Of course it is. Is that where you get your shrinking power from, too?"

Ranboo stiffened. Momentary distraction over. The villain really was just trying to pry info out of him. Of course he was. That was literally his job. He wasn't really as mad at the guy for nearly getting him to give up some top secret Hero Corps info as much as he was at himself for almost doing it.

The way the color drained from Ranboo's face must have given away the answer to that intrusive question all the same.

"Don't mean to sound like a jackass but you don't really handle yourself like a hero who's used to being small. I mean, I did see you get punted across an alleyway so..."

Ranboo fought to keep his expression flat. Maybe that was the reason all those heroes wore masks; to hide just how scared the poor bastards behind them were. Ranboo wished more than anything that his helmet wasn't cracked to pieces so he could shove it back on and leave it there.

"If it's broken, we can try to fix it," the Blood God pointed out.

"No! You can't touch it!" Ranboo blurted, grabbing the suit from beside him and holding it in a white-knuckled grip. The last thing he needed was to hand over some of Hero Corps' most advanced tech to their most dangerous competition.

It took far too long for Ranboo to actually realize what he'd done. When it dawned on him, it hit him like a brick to the teeth. His heart stuttered in his chest. Maybe yelling at his villainous captor wasn't really the smartest idea. He knew what happened when he raised his voice. One of the first lessons he'd learned under Dream's guidance. And that was when he was a fairly normal height.

Standing only a few inches tall in front of someone with far worse intentions than his mentor's, he didn't stand a chance of making it out alive.

"Geez, alright. I was just offerin'," the villain muttered. "Figured this whole thing might be a little easier if you weren't six inches tall."

Sure, like Ranboo was going to believe that this guy had nothing but good intentions towards the hero's sidekick he had in his possession. Then again, he wasn't wrong about his height putting him at a stark disadvantage. At six inches tall, the Blood God could probably just pry the suit out of his hands. As a matter of fact, Ranboo couldn't wrap his head around why he had yet to try.

"Hey, are you-"

Vvv Vvv

Saved by the buzz. Whatever question the Blood God was about to ask was swiftly interrupted by the vibration against the counter. He grabbed his phone. He went tense when he saw the screen. Without a word, he rose to his feet and slid the window behind him open.

He double checked the laces on his boots and the sword sheathed on his hip. Ranboo flinched at the squawk from just beyond the house. Wings beat at the air, a crow dipping in straight through the open window to land on the counter.

"Lead the way," the Blood God instructed.

The black bird tilted its head, turning over its shoulder to stare straight at Ranboo. A chill crawled up his spine at the extra attention.

"Oh, right. You-uh-you stay here," the villain commanded with all the conviction of a man who'd never held a leadership position. "I gotta go help Phil but I'll be back real soon."

Ranboo could only nod in reply. The villain dawdled. He stared at Ranboo a while longer, the sidekick doing his best not to meet the supervillain's sweeping gaze.

"'kay. Let's go," he tried again. The bird let out an ear-shattering squawk before claiming its perch atop the Blood God's shoulder. He slid out the door, ensuring that he clicked the lock into place on his way out.

The hero-in-training swallowed thickly. The silence was even more deafening than before. This certainly wasn't on his bucket list. He was all alone in a supervillain's hideout.

His eyes darted about the vacant space, snagging on the window over the sink. Wait. He was all alone in a supervillain's hideout. The curtains waved in the breeze, beckoning him forward. He'd be a fool not to answer that call.

~

College is kicking my butt so upload schedule is insanely chaotic but thank you to everyone who waited for this next part! :)

[a-xyz-s]

One hell of a meetup

Characters: human!tubbo and giant!ranboo

Word count: 1350 words

Cw: vore, safe/soft vore, angst, unintentional fearplay, mentions of death (doesn't happen), very light profanity, instincts

Just a short oneshot from almost a year ago I finally got to finishing. Idea, motivation to finish and proofreading provided by the lovely @brick-a-doodle-do am a vore hoe indeed Brick :D

******

"Ranboo?" Tubbo breathed out in a shaken whisper, a wave of cold sweat washing over his neck when his own voice echoed back through the pitch black cavern.

No response.

For a bit he could swear he was dead and in hell, the heat certainly fit the description. What wasn't quite fitting was the sheer humidity, the gentle winds of cool forest air passing by just out of reach, the deep thunderous rumbling of what could've been recognized as a hum and the ever slightly motioning and twitching wet ground right under his stiff sprawl out body. It wasn't long before the realization hit with full force and Prime had Tubbo wished he was dead right then and there.

The bloodchilling memory of what happened only moments ago fought its way to the front of his mind encasing his already blind eyes with panic filled darkness. Then, as if on cue, was the teen scrambling back to his feet, squirming around as his sporadic movements lead to his limbs slipping and sending him tumbling back down, each soft fall followed by a frightened whine.

Desperate determination left his body momentarily, lying limp on the muscle he now recognized as his 'friend's' tongue, heaving heavily, not getting enough oxygen through his system to think rationally. When it began to shift under his weight, he felt his body slipping off of it, slipping closer to… something, gravitation sending him downwards.

Now that? That forced a horrified scream out of his tightened throat, all the determination and adrenaline from moments ago returned in double the force and successfully pushed him up on his hands and knees.

His eyes have adjusted to the dark by now, but without a sliver of light he simply couldn't see, not even his own trembling hands moving him forward were more than pitch black splotches blending with the surroundings.

It's not like he needed to see, he knew his- 'friends' end goal far too well, he knew he just tried to slowly finish him off, most likely savoring the moment.

It wrecked a choked sob out of him, he never thought meeting up with an online friend, someone he trusted with his life, would cost him his life.

Guiltily he thought back to his parents, all those well-meant warnings and stranger danger talks he's had through the years, Prime, he hated them so much, but what would he give now if he had just listened.

Tubbo growled, he felt rage boiling his insides substituting the previously consuming panic, this wasn't fair. None of this was fair!

All he wanted was his friend, not just the comically deep voice coming through his phone's speaker, nor the half pixelated face smiling back at him. He wanted to hold him in a long tight hug, which he'd make sure was only the first of hundreds more. But he supposes that was too much to ask of life.

Ranboo may have tricked him, but there was no way he was going to give up, going to make it easy for the motherfucker. Oh fuck no!

He's going to reach the front, reach the teeth and then kick with all the force he can muster, if it takes a lost tooth for the bastard to open his jaws, if that's the price for Tubbo's life, then it's one he will be paying.

'Surely just a bit closer', Tubbo reached his arm out trying to feel for the teeth, he felt nothing but void in front and before he could piece together the puzzle his other hand slipped.

This time there was no slimy plush to catch his fall, he felt the upper half of his body slip for considerably longer before stopping at an elongated wall of flesh which wasted no time in doing it's duty. It squeezed around his torso tightly and began pulling down, paying no mind to the protests of Tubbo's hands which tried and failed repeatedly to push him back up.

"RANBOO!!!" the boy screamed in terror. He knew it was stupid, calling out the name of his soon-to-be-murderer, but in the chaos all his mind wanted was his friend.

All at once the tugging stopped and the boy found himself back on unstable ground, he stifled a sob. 'Back on Ranboos tongue', he reminded himself bitterly, but it was a ground no less.

A loud booming vibration came from all around him, startling his tiny-in-comparison form, similar enough to the previous hum, but different in tone to be recognized as something softer. Maybe less of a hum and more of a hush? In any other circumstance it may have even been comforting, weren't it for the burning feeling of betrayal and impending doom.

"Let me go, please," Tubbo broke. "I just- I just wanted to be friends, just to meet you, to have you here with me, to hold you, and- no nO NO NONONO!!!" The boy shrieked, kicking with his boots into darkness which mercilessly drew him in like a magnet. His nails found nothing to dig into, hands nothing to hold onto and feet nothing to push against and so helplessly his body slid back to the very same demise he was spared of moments ago.

This time, as a final nail in the coffin, as the fading light that sealed his fate, the same muscle he found his footing on pushed against his torso. Briefly his back got harshly pressed against the bony roof of the mouth, squeezing all air out of his lungs. Afterwards came a strange sensation, as though he was falling but oh so slowly, like every inch of his fall was slowed by some strange kind of safety measure sliding up his sides, leaving them drenched in increasing layers of slime. His limbs rested there, pinned against his body and rendered useless.

It only lasted ten seconds or so, the longest ten seconds in Tubbos life.

He landed, the soft walls underneath giving in downwards and further softening his ungraceful arrival.

This really was happening, wasn't it?

Ever since he's made eye contact with the giant who had yet to utter more than a hum of uncertain tone and emotion this is where he was bound to end up.

He should've run when he had the chance, should've fought harder and somehow, anyhow, fought off the monster's gluttonous gullet. And he should've begged when he had the slightest sliver of hope his words may be heard. To be frank, he felt an overpowering certainty that nothing he did mattered anymore.

Tubbo let his body fall back, slowly pressing against and sliding down the wall of flesh behind him. His hand, shaking, unable to stay still, traced a soft half circle by his head. More followed suit. Minutes later he finds himself gently rubbing at the stomach walls.

Tears fell silently down his cheeks, everything around, every inch of the plush surrounding him, was Ranboo. His entire world was nothing but his wished-for best friend. And yet, Tubbo felt so alone.

None of this was fair.

******

Ranboo let out another hum, content with the light weight finally resting securely in his storage. The tangled mess of thoughts his mind had become, blinded by primal instincts which screamed nothing but 'protect him', began clearing up now. If he had to guess, Tubbos first reaction to his sheer size may have been the trigger, he didn't hold it against his friend, meeting a giant, in a literal sense, wasn't quite the everyday occurrence.

It was quite fear inducing, but sadly someone forgot to notify his instincts and deliver the message that his friend wasn't in any real danger.

And in the process Ranboo forgot to notify Tubbo, who now sat there, sobbing and trembling terribly, awaiting what he believed to be approaching death.

When he fully awakes from his instinct flooded trance, Ranboo will have a lot of explaining to do, but for now, he was overflowed with joy to finally hold his best friend close.

******

Thank you for reading! Lemme know if you liked this shortie :D

[smalltendencies]

Ok guys. I need you to hear me out.

Hear me out.

So a tiny person who is stuck in the Parable with the Narrator and Stanley, but due to safety reasons they do have to stay with the Narrator most of the time.

And it's a VERY slow process, but slowly they come to trust the Narrator. It's no longer tentative or anything...

Then Stanley does the Countdown Ending.

It's unintentional fearplay ON THE SPOT. This person the tiny felt was a friend and trustworthy person despite his attitude and size has become merciless and cruel, WILLINGLY watching someone die and causing it for fuck sake.

Surely if he would do that to someone he has been stuck in the Parable with for, maybe, years just for entertainment, he would do it to them as well?

The harsh words and laugh sends chills down the tiny's spine and they bolt. Narrators too caught up in the story to notice any of this.

Now he's left wondering afterwards why his small friend is hiding from him.

[nobodywritingao3]

Your Love (Deja Vu) [ch 5]

Phil is panicking. He can't find the boys anywhere.

"Technoblade?!" He yells. He agonizingly waits for an answer before calling out to Wilbur and Tommy as well. The cold silence greets him.

They're not here. They're not here, where the fuck did they go?!

Phil inhales sharply and forces his brain to turn its gears.

Wilbur told him over breakfast that he was going to spend the day practicing guitar in his room. Techno had said at lunch that he was taking a nap. And Tommy had just shrugged a little when Phil asked what he was - andohshitfuckfuck, they tricked him.

He leans against the wall of the bedroom hallway and takes another breath.

He's less scared now. There had been images in his head of soldiers sneaking into his home and abducting his children, dragging them kicking and screaming from their bedrooms while he obliviously worked away in the garden. But the soldiers hadn't returned. If they had, he would have smelled them.

No. His boys just ran away. He ignores the pang in his chest.

Had their trip been that bad?

He pushes the thought from his mind. No, no, it had been fine. He's not the problem. He isn't.

Oh, what are they thinking? Scaring him like this... He shoves his guilt away.

He has to bring them home. It's not safe in the woods, especially at night, and especially for three human children.

Phil storms into Techno's room. For the first time since searching through, he takes note of the opened window. Wilbur's is opened too, but Tommy's is closed. He notes that they didn't bring much with them. Nearly all of their belongings are still in their rooms, and he almost lets himself hope that they plan to come back, that this has been a silly misunderstanding. But Wilbur took his guitar with him and he instinctively knows that unless he brings them back, they won't return on their own.

He exits the home and takes a look at Techno's window from the outside. He opens his mouth slightly, tasting the air. Tommy and Techno faintly hang in the breeze, and when he follows their trail across the perimeter of the house, he reaches Wilbur's window. All three scents intermingle, and though it's fast disappearing, he knows he can follow.

He frowns in thought. His human senses are dull and if he was able to survey the forest from his natural height, he'd surely find them sooner. But then they'd know he's looking for them and they might give way to chase. He'd still catch them but retrieval has to be a delicate process. He normally doesn't care about whether his prey is afraid or not, but these are his kids, not his food.

Their fear of him is restrictive, (and hurtful and heartbreaking and so, so shameful,) but he's willing to work with it. Work around it. He is their father.

With a sigh, he starts to follow the scent trail into the forest.

~

"No!" Tommy howls, kicking at Techno's back. "I don't want to go with you!"

"Toms, sunshine," Wilbur pleads, "we can't leave you there by yourself, you know that - "

"I wouldn't be by myself," he sobs, "I would be with dad!"

Techno bites down frustration. "Tommy! What did I say about calling it that - !"

"Fuck you!" Tommy spits out.

Wilbur readies to retort, but Technoblade shoots him a look. "Leave it be. We can discuss all that after we reach town."

Tommy wails inconsolably but his brothers pay no mind. Night is starting to fall and they'll need to find somewhere safe to spend the night before they start again in the morning.

They left Phil in the garden. For as long as they'd known him, he adored that garden to the point of tunnel vision. He would spend hours outside and usually only realized how much time had passed when the sun was starting to set and visibility became limited. Techno kept trying to explain that they had sundown before it was worth getting antsy, but Wilbur had been clearly terrified the whole time.

"We should find somewhere to camp tonight. Now, Tech." Wilbur fidgets restlessly with the straps on his guitar case.

Techno pauses and adjusts his grip on a still sniffling Tommy. "You've been saying that for the past three hours."

"Night is falling. I'd rather be safe than sorry and find somewhere now, before it realizes. Do you want to test how fast it can find us?"

He pauses and looks at the sky. It's starting to darken. Maybe Wil has a point. He gently sets Tommy down on the ground and combs his hair with his fingers.

"I have a cave in mind we can go to."

Wilbur frowns. "Won't a cave be more danger than it's worth? Monsters will start spawning soon too."

An edge of dread started to forms in his heart. They hadn't brought any weapons with them. He thought they would have reached town by now, but they still have a quarter of the trip to make.

Regardless, he knows somewhere they can stay. Techno points out the exposed side of a mountain, somewhere far off. "When the giant first took us, I scoped out the forest for months in case we needed to run away." He ignores the surprised look from Wilbur. "I know a few good caves. Trust me, we'll be safe."

He takes Wilbur's guitar and hands him Tommy, who is still distraught.

"The mountains are a little far, Tech. Do you think we can make it before mobs start spawning?"

He shoots him an unimpressed look. "Well if you'd said something sooner - "

"You mean the whole time?"

" - then we could have gotten there on time."

Wilbur rolls his eyes but the two start towards the hills anyway.

They walk for fifteen minutes and are almost there when the sun finally sets. Mobs spawn in the distance.

"Tech?" Wilbur looks solidly freaked out. "Are you sure there won't be anything in the cave? Which one even is it?"

"It's the glowing one, Wilbur. I set up torches there when I was eight, do you think I'm daft?"

Wilbur laughs nervously. "Of course not. I'm just - what the fuck, man? Can we appreciate how fucked this situation is?"

Tech sighs and doesn't say anything.

They continue walking in silence. Tommy's fallen asleep.

Wil swallows. "Did you ever think this was going to work out?"

He's quiet for a moment. "What do you mean?"

"Months looking for an escape route. And you hardly seem surprised that we're here. Did you ever think he could have been home? Or did you doubt the whole time?"

"I thought that... I though he was too good to be true."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Wilbur sighs. "Tech - "

An arrow lodges itself into a tree next to his head. He widens his eyes and ducks down just as another one is fired right where his eyes had been.

"FUCK!"

"Skeleton?!"

Tommy wakes up with a cry.

They start running for the cave.

The further they run, the more mobs seemed to appear. From behind trees, from a pond, from the dark. Somewhere to Wilbur's left, a creeper explodes and decimates a few trees. Techno hears Tommy screaming ahead of him. He hears his heart pounding in his chest.

"It's never been this bad before!"

"I fucking know!"

They dive into the cave. Most of the mobs have lost interest but a few zombies still drag themselves forward.

Techno curls his lip in disgust at the sight and pushes Tommy towards Wilbur.

"You want to go at it, hm?" He murmurs. "I've had the most shit week. Give me an excuse. Give me a fucking excuse."

Wilbur leans against a wall and slides down the side, clutching at Tommy. He closes his eyes and wills his heart to slow. At least the cave is well lit.

Tommy is still sobbing. He hugs him close. "Shh... I know. I know, we've had a really bad time, huh?" He can feel his jacket start to dampen with warm tears. He dully watches as Technoblade beats a zombie to its second death with a rock, screaming obscenities and threatening to do unspeakable acts to its family. He kisses Tommy's hair.

After about twenty minutes, Techno finishes and stomps back into the cave. He curls up roughly against his brother.

"How are you doing?" he asks after a moment.

Wilbur bursts into tears.

Tech sighs. "I'm sorry dad ate us."

But that just makes him cry harder.

They doze off like that, on the hard cave floor.

~

It's been two hours since Phil started his search, and he still doesn't have his boys.

The night has fallen. He's torn through hundreds of mobs.

He screams and smashes a spider's skull open, a lot harder than necessary. He rakes his hands through his hair.

It's been too long. The boys' trail heads directly for town. If they started at noon, when he first headed into the garden, then they'll still be an hour out, but God knows they don't know that, or else they would have planned more carefully. And none of his weapons were missing.

Fuck. Fuck.

He presses his palms into his eyes. The odds of them being alive are slim. So fucking slim.

A horrible mix of disbelief, grief, and panic overwhelms him.

It's his fault. If he hadn't scared them off, if hadn't been absorbed in the garden, if he had just looked for them as a giant instead of a human then -

He starts to cry. God. He's fucked up. He's such a fuck up.

He can feel his subhuman instincts start to cloud his mind. He sniffles and lets it happen. If his boys are alive, then he wants them back. Now. He doesn't care if he scares them anymore. And if they aren't -

God.

If they aren't, then he at least wants something to bury.

As the changes take over, he can feel his emotions start to fade at the edges as his mind starts to soften and become something else.

He opens his eyes and looks down. He frowns and steps on a creeper.

His boys. Where are his boys? The coil of fear in his gut hasn't lessened, but the grief has subsided enough for him to think.

The trees come to his knees. He idly crushes a zombie in his fist and eats its broken body.

Like this, his sense of smell is strong. He can smell them so clearly like this. He can smell Tommy's sadness, and Technoblade's fearful rage, and Wilbur's resignation. He can smell how recently they were here - only two hours before him. He presses forward and scans the area, looking for some kind of sign.

There's a glow in the distance. A fiery glow, but not the kind that comes from a forest fire out of control or a pool of lava in the dirt. No. Torch glow.

"Oh, Techno." A glimmer of hope ignites in his heart. "Sweetheart. You wonderful little genius."

With renewed energy, he moves forward.

~

Wilbur wakes up to a booming noise outside.

"Tech. Techno!"

His brother wakes up with a jolt and gasp, sitting up like someone's dumped ice water on him. His attention snaps to the cave entrance. A giant silhouette in the moonlight creeps closer.

"Fuck."

Tommy sits up excitedly. "Dad - !" Technoblade clamps a hand over his mouth but it's too late.

The giant hears. Its footsteps quicken.

Neither of them are thinking as they scramble up. Technoblade destroys the torches and shoves them into his inventory, where they won't make any light. The cave bends in a U formation and Wilbur runs deeper inside, clutching Tommy to his chest in spite of his violent wiggling. He curls up in fetal position as the cave goes dark, and just a moment later, Tech is there next to him, pulling Tommy into his chest and shaking like a leaf.

The footsteps stop outside the cave entrance.

Can the giant hear his heart?

Techno clamps a hand over Tommy's mouth.

They hear the giant speak. "Kids?" Its voice is raspy and soft. "Are you okay? Please come out of there, it's not safe."

Tommy wiggles harder and Techno can feel his brother's hot tears on his hand. He can feel his own tears too.

"Guys, please. It's just me."

That's the fucking problem.

WIlbur presses into him, sandwiching Tommy. "I thought we got away..." His voice is broken.

Techno suppresses a sob. He's the only thing standing between his brothers and Phil. He's supposed to be the oldest, supposed to keep them safe.

They can't see him from where they are, only faint moonlight being cast through the cave entrance. But suddenly the light is totally obscured.

Phil speaks again, his voice pained. "Please just come to me." It's practically a beg. "I know you're there, I can smell you. Let me take you home." He takes a sweeter tone. "We can put on a movie, or have some cocoa. Isn't it chilly out here? I can get you all warmed up."

Wilbur has no doubt that he can. Being inside his stomach had been -

He trembles.

None of them respond.

"You're scared. I know you are, but you have nothing to be scared of. My babies - I love you so much. Let me take care of you." They can hear him shifting around outside, preparing to do something. What's he doing?

They don't have to wonder for long.

Wilbur's heart stops as fingers start to curl around the edge of a wall. They're long. Taller than any of them by a lot, and they're feeling around and creeping closer. An index finger brushes against his guitar case where it leans against the cave, and it falls over with a soft thump. The fingers freeze and then they gently curl around the little instrument and drag it outside.

His shoulders shake in silent sobs.

There's a small exhale from outside. "Your guitar? Oh, honey... I'll hold onto this for you, okay? Just come out."

The fingers enter the cave again, more excited than before. "Are you hurt in there? Is that why you won't move? I can bring you out. I'll you get the three of you taken care of." His voice grows eager. "I can eat you up and take you home."

Wilbur bites back a whimper. Even Tommy stills in their arms.

There's nothing they can do.

When the finger brushes against Wilbur's back, he knows it's over. He harshly shoves Tommy into Techno's arms and prays that his little brother will stay silent.

The finger curls around his midsection and there's a relieved grunt from outside the cave.

Techno sniffles but doesn't do anything, knowing what's happening and knowing that there's nothing he can do. He presses himself further into the cave. He's failed as a big brother. Again.

As Wilbur is pulled into the light, he closes his eyes. The cool night air greets him and curls tighter into a ball, silently shaking from sobs and fear.

"Oh Wil, sweetie," Phil coos around him. The hand is almost pleasantly warm underneath him. A thumb starts to stroke his head. "Are you hurt? You have to tell me if you're hurt."

He hides his face in his hands and prays to the stars.

"Are your brothers hurt?"

The giant waits for a response that won't come. It keeps stroking along his back in a move that's supposed to be comforting.

"That's okay. We can talk about it at home." The giant adjusts his hold on him. "Let me eat you up, dear. That sounds nice, innit? We'll get you warmed up and safe from the world."

He's petrified but shaking. Against his will, a sob tumbles from his mouth.

The giant starts to coo again. He's raised to its mouth. He waits for the inevitable, but the giant just plants a soft kiss to his face. "What's wrong? Can you tell me what's wrong?"

Wilbur shakes his head. All of this is wrong. Phil is supposed to be his dad. He shouldn't get to act like a dad, say things that dads say, and comfort him like a dad, all while threatening to eat him. He doesn't get to threaten to eat him in the most dadlike way. It's wrong. It's cruel.

He can't help the sobbing fit that overtakes him. It isn't fair. 

The giant keeps whispering sweet nothings to him.

He hates that it works. He hates how it comforts him.

"I'm going to get your brothers out now. I'll get the three of you together, and then we can go home, okay? And I have your guitar in my pocket."

Wilbur is hardly paying attention.

When the giant finds Techno and Tommy, Wilbur knows because of the screaming. To his credit, Tech is putting up a fight. And he can hear Tommy wailing. Maybe it's sick of him, but he's glad they'll be together again. He was so scared alone.

The giant holds the three of them in its hands and whispers assurances, rubbing their backs soothingly with his fingers and occasionally kissing them.

Wilbur feels defeated. What can he do? He almost wishes Techno would stop fighting it. He's so tired of fighting it.

He settles into the warm skin and lets his body relax as the tears start to dry on his face. If he's going to die, is it so wrong of him to enjoy his last moments?

The giant sighs above them, noticing how he gives in. "There you go, dear. Settle down. Settle down."

Techno is brokenly sobbing beside him and Tommy just stays quiet and still, save for shakes in his little body and his eyes squeezed shut. Wilbur reaches out and pulls him into his warmth.

The giant coos above them.

"I'm going to eat you now," it says sweetly. "You'll feel better, I promise."

Techno screams even louder but the energy in Wilbur's body only seems to drain even further with that remark.

The fingers around them freeze, the whole hand seeming to tense up.

Techno doesn't seem to notice.

"I..." The giant sounds uncertain above them. "What's wrong?"

It doesn't sound comforting anymore, just confused. Deeply confused.

"Do - do you not want me to eat you?" There's almost a note of hurt in its voice.

Wilbur feels a faint spark of hysteria in his chest. Techno is still screaming. Tommy just huddles closer.

The giant doesn't speak and doesn't move to touch them. "Is that why you're upset?" And then softer, "Is that why you're upset with me?"

No one really responds.

"Oh. Oh. I'm sorry." It sounds sincere enough to hurt.

Wil can feel the giant stand up.

"I won't eat you then. Not tonight at least." Its voice sounds odd, a little strangled. "Let's go home, okay? You had a long day today, didn't you? Let's go home."

Wilbur is too tired for this. He falls asleep to the giant's swaying footsteps and the sound of his crying brothers.

[jaiwritesgiantswoahh]

g/t story for you!! (parts warning! this is part one!)

tobias walked down the hallway of the all-inclusive high school, trying his best to stay away from the human students as he made his way to his next period. although, he wasn't like the other giants walking by him.. this giant was part vampire. meaning he could walk in the sun, garlic didn't hurt him, and he actually likes the cross necklaces he sees. however... that does mean he has the hunger for blood like a vampire. usually he doesnt feed into this hunger; he eats lots of red meats and that usually keeps it down. however, at this moment, the vampire hadn't eaten any bloody foods in a good while, and he really was craving something better than just a steak.

but that would have to wait; he has to get to his class, of course!

as the bell rang and signalled the beginning of 4th period, the vampire giant sped up his walk, being nearly the only one in the hallways at this point. however, unbeknownst to him, there was a human girl full on running down the pathway, panting and desperately trying to reach her own 4th period before the late bell rang. as a human, her walking speed wasn't nearly as fast as a giant's, and since the school was built for a giant... she wasn't exactly making good time.

most students had the help of a giant friend to get them to class on time; the schedules were strategically arranged so that every human had at least one giant that shared their next period. today, however, the giant that was supposed to get Kiara to her next period was absent, and as much as she loathed walking.... she absolutely detested the only other giant that could get her to this class—

and that giant was tobias.

now, toby didn't have a track record of being mean. he simply kept to himself and would rather draw and listen to music than socialize. who needed people when he has his Rammstein? he actually didn't mind kiara. he, of course, wasn't exactly friends with her, but he didn't dislike her. she was one of those people who got along with anyone and everyone. so outgoing that she can light up a room with just her smile. so sweet that she can lift the spirits of anyone she graces with her presence.

and tobias just... doesn't. he's not that kind of person. he doesn't smile unless he has a reason to, and he doesn't know how to make someone happy.

but back to business.

kiara looked behind her briefly as she felt footsteps, nearly sighing in relief as she thought she felt a giant who could take her to her class. but as soon as her eyes landed on toby, the human female scoffed, finally stopping in her run.

"hey! toby!" kiara waved her arms as she watched the giant boy approach.

"hm?" tobias finally looked up from what he was doing, scanning the ground for a sign of life nearby. as soon as he saw kiara... the girl who was sweet to everyone except him.. he stopped, looking down with a gentle look. "can i.. help you, kiara?" the teen slipped his black and purple headphones off his head, letting them rest around his neck to give kiara his full attention.

kiara seemed to tense under the gaze of the giant. she wasnt afraid of him hurting her... but she couldn't help but admit that he's terrifying. his shoulder length, dark brown hair resting above the orange colored eyes that nearly pierced her soul gave him a bit of a shaggy, monstrous look. his hair was teased a little, giving it a poofy effect while still looking maintained and presentable. unlike his dark red sweater, that had mysterious stains and perpetually snagged threads on it, complimented by his ripped, black jeans and combat boots. he wore various chains, a couple pentants looped into the chains around his neck, and a pair of silver cross earrings hanging from his pointed ears. hidden behind his round lips were a pair of sharp fangs where normal canines should be, as well as a pointed tongue with a single stud piered into it.

"y-y.. um-" kiara choked out as she tried to form a sentance, distracted by his rugged appearance. "are you going to mr. bates's class next?" she managed to spit out a full sentence without stuttering, but she stroked her long ginger hair in anxiety.

"uh, yeah. why? need a ride?" tobias suddenly kneeled down, causing kiara to stumble backwards, nearly tripping on her black flats.

at this, toby reached forward, but stopped short, showing her his open palm that seemed ready to snatch her up. his pale, slender fingers retracted when she regained her footing, but he still seemed ready to catch her if she needed it.

"i-i do! please.." kiara muttered, averting her soft, light blue eyes from his bright amber colored ones.

"alright.. wanna, uh.." before finishing his sentence, toby laid his hand flat in front of kiara, giving her the option to climb on by herself in favor of just picking her up.

kiara stared at his palm for a moment, but slowly took a deep, prepatory breath and stepped closer to the massive, offending appendage.

[sillyromance]

Good day everyone!

Recently I have come across a beautiful character Time from Tim Burton's "Alice through the Looking glass" and decided to write a small fanfic about him and my OC for this universe. Hope you'll like it!

A deeper meaning

Time was listening. Chronometers were ticking gently above him, counting seconds of each life in Wonderland. Every day it was a day of someone's death and birth, new grief and new happiness. Tears and laughter, dancing and agonizing, love and loath - so many things, so many emotions contained in a simple monotonous sound: "Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock..." But Time could read it through like an open book. He knew everything - and didn't judge, but watched. Time cherished all living beings lying at will of his hand.

Suddenly his attentive ears caught something different.

Fast little steps. Shallow breath. Harsh heartbeat.

Time turned around. He saw Hannah a few meters away, her cheeks rosy due to running; she was panting, her plump lips opened just slightly. Grey wings were wrapped around her tiny figure not being higher than a quarter of his leg. The girl studied him nervously, as if asking if he was mad at her coming here. Though, it still was a glimpse of hope in her eyes. Time couldn't get angry even if he wanted to; she was small and weak, just a fly comparing to him. Now, when she was that tiny, it was brutally clear that even an originally six feet tall girl was yet nothing but a girl: young, awkward and fragile. A girl who was hard not to fall in love with.

- What is it, Hun? - He lowered down and made a welcoming gesture. - Why did you leave your apartments?

She rushed closer, but stopped right beside his hand, throwing shy glances at it.

- I just came to ask if you need anything. You overworked. - She murmured, opening her wing "shield" a little bit, but didn't come any closer.

Witnessing her hesitation, Time smirked kind-heartedly and leisurely picked the girl up from the ground. Fluffy, tiklish feathers touched his cheek and the man’s smile grew wider.

- I guess you are right, dear. - Time sat her on his shoulder and took his hat off revealing his beautiful brown hair - the same color Hannah had. – And… don't be afraid of me so much. It has been much of me already!

- M... Hm... - She nodded, moving closer to his face and settling in her favorite spot beside his neck. Young valkyrie dared to look in his shiny, sky-hue eyes and saw nothing but kindness and warmth.

- I guess it's a right time for dinner, since the Time is rather hungry!

The man turned on his heels and headed straight to the exit. His passenger giggled at the joke and hid in her thick feathers from the wind. She wasn't always that shy, actually. It was just... Him. They had been living together for two months, however, that uneasy feeling was too stubborn to set her free. Sometimes, he would scare her: with his loud voice, soldier pace, piercing gaze, hot temper – his breathtaking largeness, at the end. Besides, he was a lover of a mad woman who once wanted to force Hanna kill innocent people only because she was a valkyrie. A monster, as they say... She was kind of glad she drank that mixture and became small - at least, she wouldn't be that easy to find...

And, despite all that, Time accepted her. He knew who she was, what plans Red Queen were making about her, but he didn't tell a soul she was here. Why? It was hard to say for sure. Hanna wanted to believe he liked her, though it would be too good to be true...

The pair went through the Time-shaped corridor and took their course to the private quarters of the castle. The huge building was a unique piece of art: high ceilings painted by the best masters of Underland, the walls decorated with gold and black wood, specular floors so clean that, if you looked beneath your feet, you would think you were floating in the air like a balloon... It would be difficult to describe the whole glory of that wonderful place. Hanna never got tired of gracious, harmonious lines, of endless columns and pilasters, complicated patterns and pictures fascinating viewers with their colors and stories. There was a tale of the whole Wonderland written by hundreds of generations and carefully kept by Time itself, remembering each day, each life, each destiny.

At such moments, Hannah always thought about connection between a person who gave her shelter and a huge dial in the main hall. Behind a facade it was an immortal, the most powerful creature in the world, not just a cute man with funny German accent.

Maybe, that was the reason why every time she talked to him her knees shook, despite everything she had gone through.

Finally, they found the right door and Time laid a hand on a door knob, but suddenly a low metallic grumble thundered in the halls. The echo roared:

- Where is this clock head!? Find him immediately you fools! I know she is here, and he won't get away with this now! Oh, how angry I am! And he was telling me he loved me! Liar! Liar! Pathetic, disgusting liar!

Hannah would recognise that crispy, deafing scream from the thousands. She tensed and her eyes got poured with horror.

If they had come for her - and they definitely had - she was dead. She turned to Time – his face darkened. Gears on his neck were moving with abnormal activity.

- Don't worry, she won't hurt you. – He whispered gently, concern and anxiety in his artificially blue eyes. – I'll make sure of that.

Something about his tone wasn’t right, though Hannah didn’t pay much attention to that - and instantly regretted it. She couldn’t possibly imagine what was about to happen. Hanna let him reach her, hold her in his hands, bring her close to his lips and...

To say that she was terrified was to say nothing. She tried to struggle in his grasp, but his grip on her torso and wings was firm - it was impossible to make a move, and if she did, she would hurt herself, cutting her skin with various rings on his fingers. Her legs were squeezed by his throat, and no matter how hard she tried to kick them out of there, they only slid further downwards with each gulp. Very soon she saw a row of white teeth over her chest. The girl shut her eyes and waited for him to cut her head off, but... It didn't happen. Instead, very gently, she was guided to the pharynx and swallowed whole.

It was slick, and humid, and dark, and tight; strong contractions of the flesh – or whatever material it was – quickly overwhelmed her. The girl felt dizzy and nauseous – something between terror and disgust occupied her quivering soul. Time promised to protect her, and instead he did... This...

Why? How it supposed to help?

Was it a trap all along?

What… What if she was going to die?

Everything around her was ticking, scratching, whining, rotating - it was like being thrown in a huge old mechanism which the man actually was. Though she couldn't see, the girl could sense every cog doing its job. There were no organic sounds at all, and that startled the valkyrie even more. Still wiggling in poor attempts to at least slow down her glide, she was travelling along a slimy - or rather oily - tube to the core of Time and trembled, predicting what awaited her when she would reach her destination.

Suddenly, the walls squished the girl more intensively than usual - with a pitiful moan, she was expelled in a bigger room. It was soft and a little stiffy like an old laundry; as she crawled forward, her hands dove in a pool of viscous liquid. Like a mouse from a cat, Hanna jerked from it to the side and pressed her little palms against slippery inner surface of the pouch.

- Time! Time, don't leave me here! Please, let me out! What did I do wrong? Please, I'm scared... Time...

The valkyrie hit that elastic flesh and cried. She didn't get an answer, no matter how much she yelled into the pitch black nowhere. It was pointless - it was all pointless. At least... At least it would save her from the fate of becoming a murderer. There he was right - Red Queen wouldn't get to her here. No one would be able to get to her ever again.

Soon she stopped protesting and pleading, and just laid limp on the soft floor, burring herself in her wet feathers. The stomach was warm, and plushie - not the worst way to pass out. But he abandoned her. He... She thought, he was her friend.

Well, she forgot - time is a friend to no man.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Meanwhile, Time was at a very critical situation himself. Iracebeth came across him at the very second he felt his stomach swell, and that was good - she didn't know where Hanna was. However, the woman was so furious, Time could start worrying about his own well-being. She unceremoniously dragged him to the side and pushed into a living room where two guards stood beside an armchair. He was thrown there, and his "lover" sank him in an ocean of questions which were constantly interrupted by her complaints, threats, lamentations and drizzling of broken items she ran into while restlessly wondering around like a tiger in a cage. Although, it wasn't like Time really listened - his hand was on his middle, and he carefully examined his sensations coming from within.

He had to warn her...

Time heard Hanna's desperate screams, they broke his mechanical heart, but he couldn't reply to them, thought he really wanted to. She must have been very scared in there. She must have thought she was going to die... Poor girl. She suffered so much already, and now, when it seemed he managed to help her, he destroyed everything again. The only good thing was that she would be fine. He really hoped she would - if not mentally, then physically. Though, he couldn't really say he was fine - all that happened left him in pure shock.

Rubbing at the spot where he could feel the valkyrie's little body, Time mutely stared at the pissed off Queen and waited for her hysteria to burn itself out. His long experience with that woman taught him that at such occasions patience was the best tactic.

As he expected, thirty minutes passed and she gave up. After breaking one more vase, Red Queen, breathing heavily, sat on a sofa before him and gave her partner a venomous look. She was exhausted.

- ... And after all of that you don't even try to defend yourself? Fool.

- Why would I need to? - The man replied calmly, his gaze confident and clear. - I'm not in any trouble. You were definitely tricked, your majesty.

- What!? How dare you say such nonsense!

- I do dare because the girl you are talking about is not here and I have never seen her in my life.

- I hardly believe it. - The queen took out a big handkerchief and wiped her teary eyes. – And don’t call her that! She is nothing more than a beast. Ah! Even you deceived me!

Time accumulated all his will not to show sarcasm. He could understand everything - Iracebeth's aggression, her hatred towards sister, her sadness and tears, but sometimes her manipulative habits and cruelty were just too obvious. He would still feel bad about her no matter what since, unlike many others, he could see the whole picture of her bitter fate. But that time he stood on the other side of the barricade.

He had to make her leave. And, which was not less important, to keep their relationships in a safe bay.

- Well, I challenge you to test my devotion, love. Order your guards to look around my castle - I can assure you, you won't find any evidences against me.

- Your assurance doesn't worth anything. - She scoffed, turning away. - But you gave me a good idea. Guards!

The red soldiers immediately straightened up, waiting for her words.

- Search through this palace - look under every stone and on every shelf, shake it from the roof to foundation, but find me that winged freak. Alive! And don't stand like useless statues, go for it, now!

The guards obediently left.

While Red Queen wasn't looking, Time exhaled, relieved – Hannah’s quarters were hid well, only he knew the path. So, the game was already over.

At the meantime, in his stomach, the girl who seemed to settle down, suddenly came to life. Oh, it was pure luck only he could catch her voice out here. She sobbed. Gosh, that pretty tiny bird would give him a heart attack! Time didn't stop secretly stroking his taunt middle through the clothes, feeling how the clock in his chest ached as if someone stabbed it with a knife. He tried to convince himself she would be all right. Just some more minutes. He could afford it.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Hannah heard him speaking to someone, possibly Red Queen. Nothing bad happened yet, and still she felt very helpless, and hopeless. It was unnerving to be stuck in complete darkness, figuratively and literally. The only "entertainment" she had was something touching her back lightly as if in attempt to soothe her, however, the valkyrie couldn’t know for sure – perhaps, it was just her lively imagination. She felt indescribably lonely. And that unchanging, never-ending ticking - cold, indifferent - it drove her crazy! She wanted, no - she demanded to get a sign, to hear a single word meant for her, anything showing that he remembered...

Hannah got up again and dug her fingers into the silk flesh once more, struggling to reach the source of slight sensation. Her lungs burned of crying. Choking and sniffing, she called:

- Time, please!.. Please, say something. I can't bare this anymore... Answer me!..

No respond. The girl pushed harder, but the wall softly sprang under her hands and Hannah slammed over the bouncy floor. Her wings felt numb and sore – lack of space didn’t allow them to stretch even on a half of their capacity. Moreover, they were soaked in that oily liquid and visibly weighted: the valkyrie couldn’t stay straight for long or it would make her back dangerously creak.

Time didn't hear her, or pretended that he didn't. The girl didn't know what was worse. Her love for him had a violent battle with disappointment and sorrow. It wasn't like she hated him, no. She just couldn't understand why. Now, when she thought it was the end, "why?" was the only question lingering in her tired mind.

It was inevitably the last question, every fucking time...

Old memories waltzed before her gaze, rapidly turning darker and uglier as they did.

It was definitely all her fault... They were right - it was her fault!...

Powerless, she gave up on the attempts to squirm. But, hiding her dirty face in her palms, she continued occasionally calling out for him.

She didn’t believe he would answer anymore.

But it was the only thing she could cling on just to stay conscious. To stay alive.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Time closed his eyes. It was almost over - they didn't find anything and soon the queen would be out. Regardless, any moment prolonging her stay gifted him with a new wave of agony.

- I'm scared... Don't do this to me... I... I beg you - don't be so cruel... – He heard a new faint shout from within and clenched his teeth.

Why didn't he come up with anything else? What was the reason he thought that swallowing Hannah was the best - and the only - option? Analysing it now, he saw countless possibilities aside that one. But... Back then it was something Time couldn't control. He had to keep her safe, yet close, because only then he could be certain the girl wouldn't get harmed. He rarely felt such strong emotions, and that made it difficult for him to find any proper explanation of what it was. But undoubtedly, it was something primal, subconscious. Something like... Hunger.

Time wasn't a human, though he looked like one; he didn't need to eat like normal people did. When he made a joke about dinner, in his case the man ment consumption of things that would simply keep him going, like oil, for instance. So, average hunger or starvation were unfamiliar to him.

However, that pang which struck him at the moment of danger tore a hole in him - at least, that what he felt. The man couldn't help himself, he knew - that was the right choice: to take her in, to become her alive armour, a tower no one could conquer where his tiny princess wouldn't fear anything. To satisfy that empty feeling. And his opened his mouth, and swallowed her whole despite protests and cries.

The only goal he achieved was that now, she feared him.

- I guess, I was wrong about you after all, my darling… - It was incredibly difficult to focus on Iracebeth, but Time forced himself to stand up as she jumped off her seat.

No one would expect so many controversial emotions to fight beneath the mask of courtesy on his face.

- See? I wouldn’t go against you, love...

- But I’m still mad at you! - She interrupted him. Her foot in a high-heel shoe gave the floor a capricious tap.

- What did I do to cause your displeasure, your majesty?

- You knew I was looking for that creature all along and didn’t do anything! If you really loved me, you would have already brought her to me!

- My seconds are working days and nights on that… It seems she is quite smart. Although, not smarter than my dearest, isn’t she? She will be yours, my sweet queen...

His smarmy grin made Iracebeth visibly soften – she smiled back and let her partner guide herself and her servants to the exit.

" Ok, act casual - a smile, a kiss, a bow. Don't let her know. They almost departed."

- Time... Please...

Wilkins opened the gates and the guests finally crossed the last border of his territory. He watched impatiently as Red Queen crawled into her carriage and two bright red horses with long black plumes on their heads swept her away.

-Time…

Wilkins vanished too. Good.

-Say anything...

- Hannah!

He put all the pain he felt into that word. The man leaned to the locked gates and hugged himself - hugged her inside of him.

- I am here. Please, don't cry - I meant no harm. I... You are safe. Trust me, Hannah - you are safe!

He fought the wish to cough her up right then and there - it would spook the girl even more; she could get hurt. He prayed she would listen. Time have never thought that his own seconds could be that intimidating; the valkyrie in his belly went silent. Deadly silent.

- I'm sorry I didn't say it to you earlier. It would be too dangerous! I... I understand how you feel right now - I will understand if you don't want to speak to me ever again, but I'm not kidding, Hun. I meant no harm.

The last phrase turned into a whisper on his pale lips. He was counting.

One...

Two...

Three...

Four...

- T-Time?

Her voice was cracked and high-pitched.

- You didn't leave m-me? Is it really you?

Thank goodness!

- Hannah...

- I thought... I thought you would... - She trembled. - That you would kill me...

- No, no, of course not! I'm very sorry... Forgive me, Hun. If you can...

He slowly sat down on the floor. Strange, but oddly pleasant sensation of another life wiggling around inside him restarted. He could say she still was kinda edgy, though the movement appeared to be rather curious than panicking. Time pressed a hand a bit harder against his waist, tracing the girl’s way. In return the man received a hesitant pat.

-What is that, Time?

- Don’t worry. It’s just my hand.

- Oh… - Hannah flinched. She put two and two together, and late realization came to her. – So… You… You were with me… I… oh, Gosh... I was an idiot... I should have thought!..

Her emotions was so strong that she couldn’t finish – the valkyrie simply buried herself in soft wrinkles of the stomach and rubbed at the spot where she could feel his presence. All her worries disappeared instantly.

- I’m sorry for rumbling – you don’t like that…

Time laughed drily.

-Do whatever you want and don’t even TRY to apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong! It was me who scared you. By the way, I want to tell you: you don’t have to watch your step every moment around me just because I’m “the Time itself”! Sounds ridiculous, I know. However…

He paused, trying to find the words.

– I require honesty, Hannah. You should be honest with me and yourself. I’m honest with you – I care about you! I’m on your side! I won’t hurt you just because I can – there are people like that and you met them often – but I’m not them. I call my seconds stupid. But they are my beloved children I would kill for. It’s as true as the fact that you are my… friend.

Hannah noticed the place heated up. Wait… Was he blushing?

-T-thank you… Time. No one ever said that to me after my parents passed away. – She said quietly. – And, frankly… I couldn’t be happier now. I’m shocked – and glad – that you see me in this way. Because you are my friend too. I like you.

He didn't say anything about that. The space suddenly got even more crumped and the clock above started ticking a little bit off the rhythm – but it was just silence. Not frightening, but rather… fluttering that time.

Mechanical noises coming from here and there lost their flat and unbothered tone – they talked. They sang. A trap turned into a temple; Hannah suddenly thought that she was actually inside of his body. Well, it was obvious. But earlier it sent chills of horror down her spine while now they were the chills of extreme adoration. Before he appeared in her head as an invincible god. In fact, he wasn’t invincible – he could feel pain, he could be broken. She could break him like, right at that moment – or any other moment in the past. Time’s abrupt – almost instinctual – decision to put her under his skin, to give her access to the most vulnerable part of him only to defend her instantly obtained a much deeper meaning she was only about to understand - and deeply appreciate…

She snuggled deeper into the warm flesh, listening to the melodic rhythm of his body. He sat there, curled around her possessively.

They stayed like this for long – it could be an eternity.

Although, everything, good or bad, comes to an end.

-I guess, you want out now. – Time’s voice was slightly tremulous.

-I… I do. No offence. - She admitted shyly. - My wings need some space.

-Sure. – She could feel him straighten up. His palm didn’t let go of her even for a second. – And by the way... After you get ready, we still could have that dinner together. If you still want it, of course…

[da3dm]

Mer AU 1.1

Here’s the mer au!! I switched perspectives towards the end and I hope everyone enjoys it!

Some people who wanted to read this! @beckyu and @brick-a-doodle-do !

TW: Fear, Dehumanization (calling someone ‘it’), vore mention, mouthplay, intentional to unintentional fearplay, fear of dying, fear of being eaten

Word Count: 6.7k

Veiled Curiosity 1

A flash of emerald green scales darted through the reeds at the base of the reef, zipping around to collect whatever interesting shells he could find. The rather bubbly merfolk flitted about curiously, enjoying this brief adventure away from the other merfolk. He’d always found that place so…crowded. It was fun to make new friends, don’t get him wrong, but it could get overwhelming. Somewhat boring, too. Honestly, they wouldn’t like that he was away from them, out in the open gathering items the others thought were useless. He’d be told things about the shells and rocks not being necessary to his survival. Did he care? Nope.

What he so loved about these things was their individual uniqueness. Not a single one was the same, just like how every mer had a different tail and coloration. He couldn't possibly get over it, and so what if it filled his home with useless items? It was always so much more beautiful than leaving it blank, so much less lonely. Of course it always made him receive the strangest looks, bringing back a bag full of stones and shells, but it kept him out of trouble. Thinking back, the only reason they didn’t use more force in stopping him was that he used to prank everyone as a child and only stopped when he started collecting these things.

Today there didn’t seem to be many new ones in this reef though, which was quite disappointing. Usually the changing tides and storms would move the sand and bother the animals enough to bring some out, but he couldn't find very much. Not all too pleased, he swam more to the top and to the side of the reef, skirting the edge before finding a good piece of coral that let him hang his bag. He smiled and left it there, then turned to head down, sparing only a single glance at the trench nearby. It was somewhat of a threat, but he didn’t see any glow and he had no intention of going too close.

Rather, he simply swam to the sand and used his tail to brush at it, hoping to maybe unbury any cool new shells or pebbles. He’d learned this trick for hunting with small sea creatures, but he never really used it for that. Sure, every now and then, but never anything all that important. The action of this however, didn’t quite get a reaction he wanted. A ton of silvery fish darted out of the sand, their swarming spinning him, then dove into the trench along with several items he’d been looking for. He gave a whine and reached a hand out but didn’t dare actually approach that darkness.

That was the world of the leviathans, and despite being curious and explorative, even he knew better than to swim right into certain death. With a pout he instead settled down on the sand, sitting as he used his hands to now lazily search. He was quiet for a while, every now and then finding his eyes trailing back towards the trench. It was a tug of curiosity, urging him to investigate, but…if he went down there, too many things would go wrong. If he was attacked no-one would help him, and even if he came back fine they would never accept something so risky. What if he led a leviathan to them all?

He noisily sighed with his lips making a fun bubbly sound before he let himself fall sideways. His bright green eyes traced the edges of what might as well be called a death trap while he went limp on the sand, only the water currents moving him around. The sand shifted around him as it made his fins sway and he watched it, but was easily growing bored. He frowned and closed his eyes to get at least a little bit of rest. His pod had only just come back from the trip to warmer waters and he hadn’t gotten much rest. Most of it was his fault for swimming all over the place, but hey, he had fun.

Not much time had passed but he must have fallen asleep, because it seemed not even seconds had gone by before something heavy slammed into his head. He gasped in both pain and surprise, his hands going to clutch his head with a groan as he curled up, laughter serving as the background to this agony. Them?? Again??? What was so amusing about throwing rocks at someone?! It was his own bag, sure, but they full well knew what was inside it! He grit his teeth and took a deep breath before he pushed himself up slowly, only sparing a glance at his bag and its now scattered contents.

Putting on a mask of a smile, he looked at them while rubbing where it hit him and acting like it was the joke they thought it was. “O-oh hey! What are you guys doing out here…?” He didn’t really like acting so weak but at the same time, he didn’t want to cause more trouble. In the first place…there were three of them and one of him. Mainly only two really harassed him, but the third was almost more irritating with how they hid in the background smirking all the time. Honestly, he really didn’t hate a lot of things, but these three were an extreme exception. It was hard not to.

The one that always overtook the others so loudly, boldly approached him with crossed arms and an irritating smirk he wanted to slap right off their face. “I should be asking you that, Varazae.” He tensed just slightly at his entire name being used with that tone…especially since he preferred Vara. Just when you thought you couldn't hate someone more than you already did… “You're not supposed to be out by the trench. You reek, it'll bring all those predators right to us.” For someone supposedly worried about dangerous predators, the guy really didn’t seem all that bothered being close to the hole himself.

Vara eyed them but kept up that behavior anyway, wanting to just be released and allowed to slip by them all. “Oh, of course! I should've known better. I apologize.” He didn’t really like saying that either, but it wasn’t wrong. The creatures in there probably could smell him just hanging out up here like some sort of fancy treat offering itself up for dinner. Except when he moved to grab his bag, scooping everything back inside, a hand darted out and snagged the incredibly precious bag from him. Well that immediately got an honest response out of him and he jolted, reaching for that bag. His parents made that!

He received mocking laughter and froze, a pit forming in his stomach over what he’d just done. What would they do now? He’d just given them the exact response they wanted! The bigger mer twirled the bag haphazardly before taking a look inside, face twisting with disgust. “Geeeez, you really do only gather useless junk! And what’s with this bag?? It’s freaking ancient!” He shut the bag, tying it shut tightly, then hoisted it above his head. “Thought you might've at least had something extra in here…oh well, trash goes into the trash dump!” Another thing he hated were the nonsense insults, but he was distracted by something else.

The mer pulled that arm back, grew tense, then chucked it towards the trench. Vara didn't hesitate to shove himself away from the sand and swim after it, his arms outstretched to catch it…and he missed. Horror filled his every inch as he witnessed the most valuable thing in his life, sink into the trench. Obviously, he should leave it and live. Clearly. He dove. Speeding downwards to the tune of their laughter and taunts, he began to curse his horribly weak body, already feeling all kinds of aches. The only silver lining was seeing the strap just barely get caught on a shelf jutting out from the trench wall.

He beamed with relief and went right towards it…until a giant squid pushed itself out of one of the many gaps and tried to grab him. He tried to dodge, unable to retreat at first until he was then backpedaling. Even so, he kept one eye on his bag, searching for an opening, any opening, to get it…and the squid dislodged it from the wall. He cried out wordlessly as it sped into the darkness, but he couldn't chase after it anymore. Instead, he had to refocus on getting out of there! The tentacles were reaching for him and he was already struggling, so he hurriedly just grabbed one and proceeded to bite as hard as possible.

His teeth, sharp like every other merfolk’s, sunk into the soft flesh easily and the creature spasmed in pain momentarily, providing just barely enough time to race right back out of the trench. Of course those guys were still laughing, but he just bit his lip and soared out of the trench, rushing right past all of them. He’d made it mad and was being followed…wasn't hard to guess that much when he heard screams of fear but not pain even as he was passing the reef. Maybe biting it wasn't his best decision? Well he didn’t want to be eaten! Still, it seemed an awful lot like he was leading it to the rest.

When that occurred to him he sucked in a sharp breath and his brows furrowed in concentration. If he fled to the pod…he’d be in trouble. They’d punish him! He glanced back only to see the squid trying way too hard to chase him and regretted looking. Paling, he opted for trying to fit through small gaps, using his extra small body to his advantage and hiding every chance he got among the coral. Of course, he got cut and even zapped a few times, but like usual it was only light sensations and not enough to stop either side of the chase. This wasn’t improving his situation.

In the end, more afraid of being torn apart for a meal, he took some more narrow trips to get close to the pod but not enough to put them in danger. Now he inhaled deeply and shouted, “Help! A squid left the trench!” He needed the guards to help him! It was only desperation that was keeping him going as his breathing steadily became a harsh wheeze and he got slower. He’d always had a weak body, but now he was genuinely despising it for the first time in his life. No wonder they were always so mad at him for not trying to strengthen it! All of that wasn’t even the worst part of this considering the thing made no sound.

By either pure luck or worst nightmare, the guards intervened. They had spears and utilized the special mer magic they'd been training for years, one of them catching Vara tightly. He knew they were mad from the grip alone, but he could help but to turn and watch the fight, feeling a pang of sympathy for the creature as it got hurt. And yet when it escaped alive, he was disappointed. It had taken his bag! He could've gotten it back if that thing didn’t show up! Both his heart and mind were screaming even while he could hardly keep himself up, grief the only thought dominating his head.

The last connection to his parents. His parents who disappeared and no-one would say where. The only two people that hadn’t hated him for just being himself…and he’d lost it today. Never in his life did he think those guys would go as far as to throw something of his into the trench of all things, but…lesson learned. On that note, when he caught sight of those three perfectly unharmed, his blood immediately boiled. It was them. It was their fault. Tossing aside all fear of punishment, he lurched forward despite the iron grip on his arm, snarling and hissing as he swiped at them the moment they came close.

Everyone there was shocked by the usual docile mer trying to attack someone, but not so much as when he spat, “YOU! It was YOU! YOU did this! That was MINE! You KNEW that was mine! Give it BACK! I NEED it! I HATE you!” Vara wasn't the type to explode on anyone. Yeah he’d play tricks, but he wouldn't outright declare his hatred for someone and threaten their life so vehemently. This was the only time Vara wished he hadn't dulled his claws, desperately wanting to tear them apart…but mainly the one who actually did the deed. He was never going to forgive losing that bag.

The guard holding him eventually yanked him back and retrained his arms behind his back even as he writhed, growling with his now bloodied teeth bared on full display. “Varazae, what actually happened?” They sounded concerned, but he knew they'd ask the others the same thing and go by majority. It wouldn't matter to them that he’d lost something like that.

Even so…he hissed out, “He threw my parent’s bag into the trench! And the squid attacked me because of it!” There was still that desperate, shining hope that maybe…maybe they would give him his bag back? Surely, the guards could venture down after it and—

A sigh interrupted his thoughts. “I’m sorry Varazae, you need to let it go.” The guard looked at the other three, everyone there remaining way too calm for his liking. “And you three will be explaining why you thought that was a good idea. Now let’s go, none of us have finished settling back into the area, we need all the help we can get.” He felt empty. When the guard let go of him, he just stayed there, his tail hardly twitching enough to keep him there before he sank. He knew it. Material possessions were always seen as useless and something to abandon…clearly nobody would help the misfit get one back.

Everyone else just left him there, at this point used to not trying to force him to participate in working. He should just be grateful they feed him, really. And protect him. But if they really wanted to protect him, they would have gone into that trench for his bag…because now he was broken. His shaking hands rose to his chest, fingers interlacing as he bit back tears bitterly. Vara’s mind was a maelstrom of emotions, with absolutely none of them going in the same direction and dangerous thoughts building up. Something so simple shouldn’t have caused so much damage to him, but it had.

He squeezed his eyes shut and bit his lip, his entire body being wracked with grief and real rage. Except…he didn’t just remain there. After a time, he pushed himself back off the sand and made his way to his personal shelter. When he swam inside, it…looked exactly how he left it, but with more sand scattered about and some of his shells broken or missing. Usually he’d feel relieved by the sight and rush to relax on his bed while dusting off shells with his tail, but right now? He just felt so painfully empty. It wasn’t fair, they knew it wasn't too, but it didn’t matter. An item like that had no real survival value, and so it was to be abandoned.

く⁠コ⁠:⁠彡

It wasn’t even an hour later and he was at the trench, hands clenched and gaze sharp as he glared at the darkness. He was shaking. This was the place always made to be the most hostile of them all, why wouldn't he be? The only thing keeping him here, at the edge of doom, was his own despair. He didn't really have anyone important to him in the pod or the kingdom, no-one ever bothered to get to know him, and he would rather be somewhere else than trying to blend in with all their strange rules. So honestly? What did he have to lose after that one precious item being ripped from him?

Truthfully, he was on the verge of backing out when he heard something weird down there, but a water current pushed him forward until he wasn't over sand anymore, but a seemingly bottomless pit. This made him quite tense, but he merely took a deep breath and went for it, diving towards certain death for an inanimate object. No wonder the other merfolk thought he had problems. Still, he kept going, keeping his arms tucked in close while venturing into the darkness. It was hard not to outright flee back to the relative safety of the reef, considering this only looked like a death pit to him, but backing out now would be even worse.

The way down was slow and risky, with him keeping distance from the space that squid had appeared from earlier but sticking somewhat close to the wall. He didn’t need to add getting turned around to his list of problems. It was easier said than done as everything began to fade out, his own coloring slowly turning dull as the light that was supposed to be above him slowly vanished. This was…creepy. It matched the stories of the trench, of how it would drain all color and light from the world to trap you within its depths. He tried not to dwell on that too much though as it started to spook him.

Still…how was he supposed to find his bag in this darkness? He had to be getting deep enough to be at risk of meeting an adult leviathan at this point, right? Not the best thing to think of, but was his entire mission doomed from the start? His thoughts were spiraling only to be thrown out in an instant when the water shifted, pressure from something massive pushing him around roughly. He bit back a yelp, hands flying to his mouth to keep himself silent as he scanned the area desperately. Something was nearby! He had no clue what, but this wasn't the sort of movement he’d ever felt before, even with that squid earlier.

The water became displaced again, almost seeming to spin him as another motion took place underneath him. A dreaded thought entered his mind—he was being circled. Whatever this creature was had already found him. A shiver ran down his spine, but so much as when a deep growl vibrated through the entire area, shaking his entire body with the force. It was too hard to place the direction it came from, making his heart race as his breathing became short and shallow, tail flitting from side to side as he made attempts to flee only for the water itself to push him away.

Then a white glow lit up the area. It was a dim pulse at first, only to come back again and remain solidified. Before him were towering fingers tipped with claws that could skewer him without a second thought. They curled in towards him as he spun around…only to come face to face with a leviathan. He could have sworn his heart stopped for a moment, one of his hands raising to his chest defensively as he tried to back away. His try at leaving was stopped in an instant when he bumped into those fingers. Vara jolted away from the touch, his eyes instead locking with the ones far above him.

Nothing happening for so long might have made Vara question if he was actually in danger, but the massive creature had such an intense and unsettling gaze that he couldn't imagine it ever being kind. Then the fingers behind him flexed before attempting to close in on him, drawing a gasp out of Vara as he bolted upwards. Somehow this made it even worse, as he was brought to eye level with the constant angry glare…and a snarl that bared the sharp teeth leviathans shared with merfolk. He couldn't tell if that look was more frustration, anger, or hunger, but he wanted none of them.

He started to swim backwards at the same time it moved, rushing towards him with their jaws opening wide. Vara yelped, scrambling to avoid being eaten and assisted by the water displacement this time. He gasped a few times as he felt a rush of adrenaline, head spinning to try and find the giant, who kept turning their glow off. It was both frustrating and terrifying to be toyed with this way, treated as if this was some kind of sick game only meant to draw out the most fear possible. If he wasn't so panicked, he might have even gotten mad over it. But again, he felt the water move before ever seeing the danger.

A smaller glow lit up above him in a red color, and another one, a greenish tone, came from beneath. The white glow of his original pursuer pulsed again, almost like sending a message without words, and the other glows left. He didn’t exactly want to study that, but their scales lighting up made his head snap to it before he could even think it through. This also revealed another thing—there were more leviathans. This wasn't the only one hunting him but it looked like it was currently the biggest. Should he be comforted that it was claiming him from the others, or more scared?

He wasn't given much time before he saw the light pulsing once more, but coming from beneath him. The fang lined mouth was wide open underneath him as it gave another charge. Vara couldn't find a good way to escape the threat, the bright golden eyes narrowing as it got closer. But as if by magic the leviathan was slightly off and the water tugged him down, sliding right past the face as the eyes kept tracking him. He tumbled down its back haphazardly, trying to find purchase or at least remove himself from the current the large body created. With them going this fast, he was much too close.

But the leviathan changed directions, diving down with the glow only dimming rather than shutting off completely, and…he saw it. His bag! On one of the many spikes lining this massive creature, his bag had gotten solidly hooked, almost like it had been tied there. He would have celebrated, but now there was a fully different problem. Vara needed to leave and let it have his bag, or…risk trying to take it while avoiding being eaten. The decision seemed to have been made for him when it tried to come from under him again, using too much speed just like before. As much as he wanted it to shove him out of the trench…it was only tugging him down further.

Except this time when he went down, he tried desperately to take his bag back…but it was on the side fine, creating a battle against the currents he just couldn't win. He was too small, his body too weak. He began to curl up into himself, slowly just wanting to get out of this without being tossed around so painfully, for the leviathan to stop pushing him deeper. All of that was fine and dandy until it seemed to get the same idea and came charging down from above. Vara yelped again and tried to dodge the pull of the water, but his body was sore and definitely going to bruise…if he survived, that is.

The problem this time? The angle did pull him towards the surface, but it also yanked him directly into that massive mouth once combined with his struggling. He fought back a scream, his arms spreading wide in hopes of becoming too inconvenient to eat as the currents shoved him all the way back where he slammed into the throat. The leviathan made a choked sound, their mouth snapping shut and sealing him inside. Not too long after, Vara found himself being slammed against a hard surface by something much softer. The force made his vision swim, close to blacking out if this continued.

Whatever was pushing him—the tongue, he realized with a jolt—released him for a second only to shove him somewhere else. In this darkness he couldn't even tell where he was…until his hands slipped over an eerily smooth surface that his mind immediately registered as teeth. A chill went through him as he was fully pinned against it, only able to think that he was going to be bitten—torn apart while alive and turned into nothing but a snack—then it shoved him a bit harshly again. It hurt—every interaction with the levithan had only hurt so far and that was all he could focus on even when the pressure lightened.

Then a new development took place, a glow starting in the back of the mouth, from the throat, to illuminate the space he was in. He felt his heart skip a beat at being shown such a thing, eyes skipping all over the place. The glow was both comforting, as he could see what it was doing, and yet made it even worse. At the very least, it showed him that he was being pinned to the side of its mouth, the dangerous throat to his right while the deadly teeth were pressed against his back and his other side. Just lovely. Nothing like being trapped in the same place food went. At least the space was still full of water.

Although…with nothing happening for this long, he began to wonder what it was doing. He could feel the giant moving, but had no clue why he was still alive. What, did it not like his taste? He probably did taste more sandy, but he doubted that was a reason. The dark colored tongue then suddenly moved some, the apparently partially forked end wrapping around him and removing him from being along the side. He stiffened some and struggled just a bit, but he didn’t have any high hopes of being able to fight his way out of this. That didn't stop him from squirming when the muscle, somehow still slick in the water, started moving all over him.

He whimpered slightly and tried to push it away from him, this almost searching action making him feel way too much like he was being tasted of all things. It was unsettling him all over again, but he really didn’t have enough strength to even try to resist, and he was all too aware of this. His situation was made worse when the leviathan suddenly hummed, the tone unusual and borderline sounding like a wordless question, but his head was too busy spinning from being too close to the loud noise. They didn’t control their volume at all! The fact a thoughtless hum hurt him brought on another quiver.

 This carried on and he failed to notice the pressure changes before the mouth cracked open. Fresh seawater and light flooded around Vara along with it, both trying to shove him deeper inside and pull him out. In the end the latter won as the tongue pushed him out a bit roughly, sending him tumbling through the water with his arms flailing weakly. He was started by this action and glanced around, but he was so drained that his movements were way too slow. His body felt heavier than it should and the world wouldn't even stop spinning…he should be happy he was out, but he hardly felt awake.

The leviathan seemed to have the same sort of thought, the hands raising back up underneath Vara. The mer stared down at those hands before simply closing his eyes. So it was done toying with him? Did it just want to better see what he looked like when torn apart by using sunlight? He just gave up and kept his eyes closed, going limp even as he came into contact with the huge hands. Except…he could have sworn he felt the limb jolt under him. He could feel the hands moving but didn’t register any pain. This brought him to slowly open his eyes just to make sure, and found something strange.

In this light, the giant didn’t seem near as terrifying. The gaze was still just as intense, as if studying every last motion down to a strand of hair, but he could properly see the face without the shadows. Was it possible he could see concern? No, that wasn't right. It had tried to eat him. He couldn't have been released so simply, it wasn't possible. This leviathan must be planning something…right? He flinched when it opened its mouth, expecting to be shoved inside and finally slain, but instead words flowed out smoothly, “Are you dying?” It took him aback. There wasn't any worry in the tone at all, more bored, but the eyes had changed slightly.

Vara quivered, debating whether or not he should answer before it became too overwhelming and he just curled up tightly, his tail wrapping around his as his arms covered his head. It was still speaking too loud. It could still dominate him with a single finger…it didn’t even sound concerned with that question. Was it possible the thing just wanted something to mess with and he might get out alive? Or was this simply another part of the game? It must have started to become impatient, as a huff came from above him and the hands around him began to move.

“Fine, don't talk.” Vara almost screamed when the hands cupped around him next, expecting to be crushed or impaled…but instead found himself being half tossed away from the trench and towards the reef he’d started all of this from. He tumbled through the water yet again, trying to right himself but too dizzy and crashing into the coral instead. As he sunk, he gazed weakly at the leviathan to find it was out of the trench from the shoulders and up, those harsh eyes still on him. “...stay out of the trench.” The sound made him flinch again. “Something that isn't even a snack should know better.” The tone was still…so strange.

He was silent, but the leviathan took their anger with them as they turned and headed straight back down into the darkness, leaving Vara stunned, in pain, and alone. His mind raced. Did he seriously just survive that? It brought him back out of the trench? Why?? It made no sense! Even if he wasn’t enough to be a snack, like it had so rudely pointed out, even merfolk would eat the tiny crabs and fish the size of their fingers! He almost felt insulted, but…he was mostly unharmed and it hadn’t actually done anything to him. Did the leviathan…? He froze, a different thought interrupting him as he remembered something important. That JERK took his bag!

く⁠コ⁠:⁠彡

This day chose to be very strange. He was just minding his own business in the dark, trying to avoid the two young ones that had been following him lately, when something chose to smack his face. Usually he would have just let it keep sinking, but a flash of color from inside of it caught his attention, bringing him to gently reach up and catch it in his far too big hand. Well, this was strange. He’d never seen something like this before. It held what looked like miniscule seashells and rocks, but unless he risked breaking or losing it, he wouldn't know for sure. Did a mer lose this?

He was curious, swimming a bit higher in the trench that day…but he didn’t get all too far before several near accidents with the tiny item occurred. Giving a heavy sigh, he opted for very carefully tying it to one of his spikes, hoping it would stay there. He might have stored it if he wasn’t worried about accidentally eating the thing without noticing. Still, he continued upwards, spending just a little bit of time in thought. He’d been told of merfolk before…that they were fish with hair and hands. Honestly the description didn’t make a lot of sense, but he couldn't remember if he’d seen one when young.

Another factor…was everyone always told him they tasted really good. That when you see one, keep your lights off and eat it before it can bit back. Apparently, the tiny creatures were supposed to have some sort of power and would fight back. Honestly, it only reminded him of all these irritating squids. The creatures made him wish he’d stayed in colder waters, missing the orcas and occasional penguin if he left the trench…but down there, there weren't really any mer. All these other leviathans kept insisting he travel and find some, and so he’d left…but only to shut them up. He didn’t want to hunt a mer, and he wasn’t going back…he just wasn’t interested.

His thoughts were disturbed when he realized that there was a strange motion in the water, heading his direction. When glancing towards it tiredly, it was for his eyes to lock onto what must have once been a bright green tail. At first he was just going to leave it alone, wondering if it was a young leviathan…but it stopped swimming and started looking around way too strangely. It drew his interest. He quietly changed directions, slowly building up to be circling around the smaller, curious about them not seeing him at all. All leviathans could see nearly just just down here…so what was this about? He gave a quiet growl to question, but only got panic.

He got closer, even bringing his hands up under the small creature to find that even then, he went unseen. Now mildly concerned along with being curious, he made his lights pulse, trying to silently ask a question…but he got fear in response and no glow. Only when he watched how they reacted to his hands, and then turned around, did it fully register what this was. He’d just found a mer. No, that couldn't be right. He knew he was frowning and was probably looking like a threat, but he didn’t necessarily care. All those leviathans…had eaten these? Sure, it was bigger than a penguin, but…they looked the same as them.

It took him a moment, but before too long he faintly realized that it must be quite dangerous for them down here. He narrowed his eyes ever so slightly before gently trying to close his hand to grab them. There was a good chance if he didn’t, they'd die. But…the little thing bolted away from his hand, only striking frustration in the leviathan and making him scowl, gritting his teeth in a half growl. Irritated beyond belief by what was honestly a natural reaction, he gave up out of annoyance and forced himself forward instead, pretending to hunt them. Maybe he could just get the thing to go up to the surface on their own and be done with this.

He curved around to do it again when it didn’t leave like an idiot, only to catch sight of the familiar lights of the two that had been messing with him lately. Rather possessively, he flashed his lights in warning, claiming what he’d found and outright threatening them to not come closer. He was satisfied to see their lights vanish as the two left. He grumbled and dove underneath the mer this time, letting his lights pulse in warning so it could avoid him before he actually caught them. Except upon approach…their desperate movements did nothing to help them escape. Was it not scared?

He tilted his head slightly to avoid catching them, watching as it slipped past his face and out of sight down his back. Deciding this thing was rather incompetent, he kept his glow on, but dimmer than it had been. Maybe if it was aware the entire time, he’d be avoided? He tried it again, wishing it would just go up…but when he actually saw how the water forced them downwards, he groaned inwardly. Of course. Smaller creatures had a hard time swimming around leviathans…how he’d so easily forgotten that was a mystery, but at least he now had a general idea of what to do.

This time he came down from above, hoping the water would pull them again, but upwards instead…and that did happen…but not the way he wanted. He could see them struggling and wanted to hurry, but then they just disappeared? He didn’t realize what happened until he was suddenly choking. Well that happened. He coughed to get them out of his throat, but closed his mouth. Obviously attacking with his mouth would end this way…but he’d been trying not to touch them after how scared they’d been. He just wanted to chase them out of the trench, not actually eat them.

Still, to quell any movement that might cause an accident, he pinned them to the roof of his mouth and hurriedly switched directions, wanting to rush them out of the dark area. With that done, he went ahead and stopped pinning them…only for him to just slightly get a taste and immediately shove them away. Well he hadn’t been expecting that. It was actually quite pleasant, but…he pushed them a little, wondering why he wasn't getting any reaction. Usually you'd struggle, not just lay there…right? He lessened the pressure he was using, wondering if that was the problem, but nothing changed.

Was it confused, maybe? He went ahead and lit up again, knowing it would also bring light to the inside, hoping to help somehow. That still didn’t get a reaction. He stopped changing things for a little bit, but with still no change, he half mindlessly wrapped his tongue around them, curious about their somewhat unknown taste, but also hoping to be shown it was still alive. Well, considering it started to squirm, it at least wasn't dead…yet. Had he hurt the small thing? He was feeling just a tad guilty, but was also unable to stop licking at the mer. He knew why the leviathans would eat them, but didn’t understand it.

When it started to grow much brighter he lessened the amount he was pushing them around and hummed questioningly. Why were they so limp? He moved them around only a tiny bit more before he was at the top of the trench and chose to just push them out and take a look. It would suck if he’d scared them to death when he was actually just trying to help them. Seeing how weakly they moved, he reached over to catch them so they wouldn't sink back down…but they looked so lifeless. He found himself flinching against his will when the limp body touched him, but suppressed it quickly.

It was still alive, right? He moved his hands to bring the mer a little closer and inspect them, only to find the bright green eyes meeting his. After what felt like a staring contest, he calmly asked, “Are you dying?” He was concerned quite a bit, actually. It wasn’t unusual for him to do something stupid when frustrated, and this was definitely one of those times again. Although…they just curled up and wouldn't answer him, only sparking that frustration once more and making him cup his hands both under and over the mer. “Fine, don't talk.” He weakly tossed them towards the reef, not expecting them to tumble so badly.

He felt a twinge of guilt over how they stopped, but focused on being sure they were still opening their eyes. When the little green orbs locked onto his again, he decided to warn them, “...stay out of the trench.” He had no clue he was talking too loudly, but knew they were still scared. Maybe a joke would help? “Something that isn't even a snack should know better.'' He got nothing from it even after waiting so he turned away with a shaking head, diving back down into the trench. Why did he even try? Except as he was drifting back to his home in the dark, he had a new thought. Maybe he should have given that mer the item he’d found? Oh well, not like that’s why they were in the trench.

—

End

Voila!!!

First time creating an actual au instead of a book! Also, first time I've done any mouthplay/vore writing so be kind to me QnQ

I'll either post the next chapter or do a diff au, depends on what my headache decides it can write :P

[kayla-crazy-stuffs]

Yesssssssssssssssss

Sacrifice au

>:] part two is here!!!

TW: Safe/soft vore, unintentional fearplay, fear of dying, digestion mention (doesn't happen)

When they told him that they wanted to talk to him for a moment, he wouldn't have imagined that they were going to tie him up so that they would later hand him over as food to a giant... Obviously he would never have imagined it...

His lower half was inside a giant's mouth, while the upper half protruded from it, his head being supported by the wet tongue. He was screaming at the top of his lungs as he slid further into his mouth, tears streaming down his cheeks.

In a few seconds he was completely inside. The wet and saliva-covered tongue began to lick him, covering him with that thick and disgusting liquid... It wasn't long until the giant thought he had covered him with enough saliva, tilting his head to swallow him. Quackity tried to push himself away from the waiting throat to no avail, as with one soft swallow from the giant, he was pushed completely into the throat.

The way down was not very tight, considering that the ropes that were tied to him were very tight. He soon fell into a more open space, realizing it was his stomach. He started crying louder, kicking the soft walls trying to get the giant to spit him out. He didn't want to die...

//

He didn't know exactly how long it had been since the giant ate him, about two hours or so, but… for some reason, he was practically unharmed. Still, he started kicking the soft walls again, he couldn't relax. He wasn't being digested, but perhaps it could be because the digestive process in the giant's stomach was pretty slow...

"Let me out! I don't want to die! Please!" he yelled frantically. Then he was squished by the soft walls of the stomach, pushing him up, back into the throat and seconds later into the giant's mouth. He tried to push his feet in front of his mouth, but they were slippery because of the saliva.

Suddenly he fell back into the giant's hand as he tilted his head forward. Quackity looked up, shaking with terror. "Are you a human..?" Suddenly the confusion flooded Quackity's mind when the giant asked this question. “W-Why do you ask…? Can you see that I am…?” he asked in response to his question.

The giant looked at him in silence, tilting his head for a few seconds before shaking it. “I cover my eyes with this because I'm blind and my eyes are sensitive to light, so no, I can't see if you're human or not…” he replied while pointing to his bandana covering his eyes. Quackity let out a shaky breath. “W-Well… I-I'm a human…” The giant just hummed as his fingers touched the human's legs carefully, to get a better idea of ​​how humans looked like.

He soon went to touch his arms when he noticed a slightly strange texture for him. “Are these your arms..?” Quackity went to shake his head before remembering that he couldn't see him. “N-No… it's a rope… M-My arms were tied with it, so I couldn't move…” “I understand… Do you want me to take it off…? I'll be careful…” he said softly. “P-Please...” The giant nodded, carefully cutting the rope with its short, but strangely sharp nails.

Once he unrolled the rope of Quackity's body, he dropped it to the ground and he hugged the human gently to his chest. "My name is Sapnap." He said smiling without showing his teeth. “Quackity…”

[deviousdeliciousness]

Jarred Pt. 2

Due to popular demand, this now has multiple parts!!

Previous: Pt. 1

-----------

Jack made himself wait thirty seconds, biting his lip in anticipation as he tapped his foot against the ground. Honestly, his spark of anger at Tee had more or less died as quickly as it'd come, settling into a familiar level of annoyance, but he'd kept the act up anyways so he could rightfully get back at the tiny for the unwarranted jab.

Still, now, he couldn't help the feeling of a sort of almost... curl of something that seemed to settle heavier in his stomach as each second ticked by.

Tee's face right before Jack had closed the cupboard...

Jack swallowed, shaking his head and the thought away. The notion refused to settle, though, the image of Tee's panicked face swimming back to the forefront of his mind.

Jack almost thought he'd seen... a tear, going down the tiny's cheek, but it had to have been a trick of the light - a distortion of the jar. There was no way Tee would cry over something like this.

The more Jack thought about it, the more convinced he was, and his victorious anticipation bolstered from where it'd hesitantly fallen to the wayside.

Yeah, Tee was a stubborn little guy - had the personality of a mule and the attitude of someone, well, someone twenty times his size.

There was no way the tiny was genuinely as panicked as he'd seemed over being put in time-out.

Still, it would be actually mean to keep him in there for much longer.

That in mind, Jack grabbed back onto the cupboard's handle and swung it open again, smugly teasing with an already growing smirk, "Well? You learned your lesson?"

His smirk withered and died off his lips as he looked down at Tee in the jar.

His heartbeat began to pound against his chest even as everything seemed to grow muted in his ears. "... Tee?" he called softly, slowly reaching for the jar.

The tiny was curled up at the bottom of the glass, tucked into a ball with his face pressed against his knees as he laid limply on his side.

A suddenly desperate, screaming part of Jack reasoned that Tee was just playing a trick on him. That he was trying to get one over on Jack in revenge. That the tiny couldn't really be passed out, trapped in the bottom of a sealed jar after being forced inside of it and shoved into a dusty old cupboard.

Jack's stomach sank, and he couldn't stop the faint shake to his hand as he reached forward to carefully take hold of the jar.

Tee didn't even twitch from his prone position, not even when Jack lifted the jar - the cage (and oh, how the comparison had nausea crawling up his throat) - and slowly carried it over to the table nearby, ever so gently placing it on the surface before slumping into the seat before it.

With rote motions, Jack untwisted the lid of the jar, grimacing as the noise grated against his ears and setting the top to the side.

Still, Tee didn't show any sign of consciousness, limp as a doll.

Jack would have worried if he was even alive if not for the barely visible rise and falls of his little chest.

"Tee," he whisper-called, quietly trying to rouse his friend.

Not even a twitch.

Jack licked his lips and swallowed, trying again. "Tee."

Nothing.

Jack squeezed his eyes shut, clenching his hands together hard enough that his nails dug into his knuckles, whitening them.

Think, he told himself. Think. Tee wasn't waking up, and Jack had no way of knowing why.

Of course, the most obvious - and likely - cause glared accusingly at him, stabbing viciously at his chest.

Every one of Tee's actions leading up to this moment seemed to flash across Jack's eyes on replay, freed of any filters the giant had so easily let himself use to distort the tiny's behavior into a lens he felt comfortable with.

No longer did Tee's struggles to get away from his hand seem playful or exaggerated. No longer did Tee's shout seem like he was just playing along. No longer did Tee's fear seem anything but genuine and horrifying and sickening in its truth.

Because Jack had done that. Jack had scared his friend - terrified him - even before he'd forced the tiny into a jar he wouldn't be able to escape from. Hell, Jack had sealed him in.

For all Tee knew, Jack could've been planning on keeping the tiny in there indefinitely, leaving it up to chance whether Tee suffocated to death or not all alone in a cold, glass prison in the dark.

Jack pressed his palm tight against the mouth, swallowing back the sudden surge of bile that crawled up his throat.

He couldn't even protest his own accusations. He couldn't even reason that of course Tee should've known that Jack would never do something like that to him.

How could Jack reason such a thing after having so blatantly ignored the tiny's absolute terror to that point and on?

"Fuck," he whispered, scrubbing his hand up harshly through his hair and tugging painfully at the strands. God, he must've looked like a monster to Tee.

He'd acted like one.

Of course Tee had passed out in the face of everything, if only from the stress alone. Had he hyperventilated in those cruel, long moments Jack had so one-sidedly decided to keep the tiny locked away and alone for? Had the shock and terror of a giant so completely taking control of his actions sent him out like a light?

The only other reason Jack could think of for why Tee was unconscious was that something was physically wrong (physically wrong too, because there was no argument Jack could make that he hadn't mentally affected his friend - that he'd in all likeliness traumatized him with his callous, careless actions).

The thought that Tee might also be physically hurt had another sickening jolt of dread racing down Jack's spine, a feeling that did nothing to mitigate the lead stone of guilt that'd long since sunk into the pit of his stomach and instead worsened it.

What if Tee really was hurt?

What if Jack had been rougher than he'd realized, and the tiny had gotten his head knocked against the glass? What if the blow had eventually made the tiny pass out, or given him a concussion, or worse?

"Shit," Jack hissed under his breath, squeezing his eyes shut and barely restraining from burying his face in his hands. He took a deep breath and leaned in closer to the jar Tee was still stuck in the bottom of, ignoring the sick feeling seeing it now brought him, to take a closer look at the tiny.

He didn't - Tee didn't look hurt, but that was hardly saying much. The tiny's face was hidden by his knees, and his full, dark hair would hide any potential bumps or even small lesions against his scalp.

Jack swallowed heavily, a thick thread of unease winding through him. With Tee not waking up, he would have to take the tiny out of the jar himself to check him over.

He didn't want to.

He didn't want to be anywhere close to the tiny anymore.

He didn't deserve to be, not after what he'd done.

The thought of touching Tee (frail, so frail, so small, slight, defenseless against Jack except for in words, and even those had done nothing to stop the giant this time, to keep the tiny safe, respected, unfearing-) right now (at all, anytime soon, ever), of feeling the tiny's limp form in his palm (his fault, Jack's fault, all his fault)...

Jack's chest felt like it was compressing in on him, but he breathed around the strain, shakily bringing his hand to the opening of the jar. This wasn't for his sake. His feelings didn't matter in this.

What mattered was that Tee was unconscious, and Jack would be even worse of a person than he already was if he didn't at least ensure that the tiny was physically alright.

It was unlikely that knocking against the jar would've left more than a bump if it happened (which was already bad enough), but there was a small chance that the skin on Tee's scalp could've split open upon contact. And everyone knew that head wounds tended to bleed.

Jack's desire to get away and leave Tee to wake up on his own (with the jar carefully tilted to the side so he could leave and not be trapped or worry about a monstrous, horrible giant keeping him there-) was even crueler selfishness if it meant risking leaving the tiny to bleed out concussed and alone in a cold glass jar.

So Jack swallowed his nerves and finally squeezed his hand into the thankfully wide opening to the jar, his fingers twitching and flaring wide so that he would be able to carefully lift the tiny free, not unlike the hooks of a claw machine.

In the same moment, Tee bolted upright with a heaving gasp, and they both froze as they took each other in - Jack, looking at Tee's whole form, Tee, staring up at Jack's twitching, giant hand looming above him.

A fraction of a second later, Tee was slamming his back against the glass, crouching as low as he could and throwing up his trembling arms as if to ward off Jack's encroaching hand, and a horrible, sickeningly heart-rending scream that would undoubtedly haunt Jack's nightmares tore free from the tiny's throat.

~~~~~~~~~~

.... teehee :333

So~~ at least Jack wasn't at all malicious, right ;D poor sods, the both of them

Cliffhanger who? :DDDD

[uberreatz]

ranibow spimkle

[prismdelta]

You know what my weakness is, other than Himbos, DADS, G/t content and then the Giant is a Dad to everyone and everything and maybe even adopt the Tinies.

Then the Sub-Trait, is that they used to be this fearsome monster of Legends, someone that kills Tinies and eats them up, they kill Hundreds and Thousands but then when the Giant Slayer meets them, the Giant is living a Simple Life, foraging for Herbs and helping the Local Tiny Community on their health, despite his appearance to them being Scary or Menacing.

Other than that he's a Swell guy, living a life away Cities and Towns, no Technology, absolutely Cottagecore. He does look like the Intimidating Monster of the Legends but instead all you get is a Wholesome Dad that just wants to help in every way he can, what he did in the Past no longer applies.He knows it will come back to bite him in the arse, but doesn't think about it and frankly he thinks he deserves it.

After all the Pain he caused, perhaps he thinks being Slain by Giant Slayer is the only way to go for him, that's why he tries to make things right with the People around him.The Giant Slayer doesn't know this, and will try everything in his Power to kill him, but then the Giant treats him like his kid even though he knows his life is in Danger.

This whole thing could be a Child-like fantasy and Analogy of Ex Criminals trying to make things right but everyone around them never accepts what they did in the Past.

On a Side note, Coffee shop and Tattoo/ Florist AUs, both of these tropes combine but no Romance and it's Fantasy, just a Giant Bodybuilding Ex-Gang lord Dad that now runs a Tattoo and Coffee shop in the Middle of the Woods, while his Tiny Son to be, by Day a Florist and by Night a Giant Slayer.

THINK OF ALL THE ACCIDENTAL FEARPLAY AND LOADS OF FLUFF.

[zero-to-zero-to-zero-again]

A Pair Of Oddities (1)

Words: 2,608

TW's: Angst, Fear, Mentions of Bile, Needles/Syringes, Dehumanization, Referring to a Person as an "It", Mentions of Selling/Buying People, Mentions of Suffocation, Mild Violence

Characters: C!Tommyinnit

Summary: A pixie finds himself in a strange new world full of people who aren't quite...real

Aka: I putted pixies and robots into a blender :)

I accidentally posted the unrevised version so surprise reupload with some really tiny changes (no pun intended)

“How do we even know this thing is safe?”

“We don’t. That’s why we’re putting this in first.”

Blinding light flooded through the glass and Tommy blinked hard to clear the purple spots from his sight. Warped faces stared down at him from beyond rounded walls. If it were the first time he was on display, he might’ve bothered to tell them off. He’d learned the hard way that within the confines of that jar, he’d only hurt his own ears trying something like that. All he could do was glower up at them with the fury of a thousand suns and throw silent promises of bloodshed whenever he was given the opportunity.

The pixie had begun developing a list. It was the only thing that kept him sane most nights he spent there. Once he got a little bigger and a little meaner, he’d pay everyone who wronged him a visit to return the favor tenfold. Of course, the list had grown impossible to keep track of as the days crawled on. Even if he could’ve somehow written it down, he would’ve been just as likely to run out of ink as he was space on the page.

“How do we get it back after?”

“We don’t. We just watch through its eyes.”

Tommy had been pretty lost through the whole conversation but that part was what really threw him for a loop. What exactly were they planning? The lid was hastily unscrewed overtop him and tossed onto the table. He went limp as a doll when he felt rough fingers seize his waist. The tiny bite marks littering the offending digits served as a testament to his every attempt at rebellion.

Tommy’s stomach lurched as he was lifted up far too close to the man’s face for comfort.

“Per oculos creaturae.”

By the time the realization of the warlock’s intentions dawned on Tommy, it was already too late. The man’s irises lit up a sickly yellow. His magic was cold, unyielding no matter how hard Tommy’s biological defenses pushed against it. A yellow haze blurred the edges of his vision.

“There. Now I can see everything it does,” the magician announced. When the pale light faded from the man’s eyes, so did the fog around Tommy’s. A surveillance spell. Of course. They'd already pinned his wings and locked him away in a jar. Why not strip him of the only part of himself that was still his own?

“What if it closes its eyes?”

The warlock paused to glare at his companion.

“Yes, I’m sure that it’ll just keep its eyes shut the whole time it’s in another dimension because who would possibly want to look around in a place like that?”

Alright, alright. I was just asking,” the warlock’s elven companion insisted.

“Just light the candles,” the other snapped.

Another dimension? This was bad. Really bad. Tommy had been all over the lands, though most of his travels took place against his own volition. But this? This was a whole new animal. A world that could’ve been made completely out of lava, for all anyone knew. He’d be so far from the place he grew up in. So…far…

The flurry of panic in Tommy’s mind dissolved all at once like candy floss in water.

He’d be so far from this place.

A whole other world where nobody from the old one could reach him. Hell, if it was just a world of fire, it would still be a step up from the fantastical wasteland he’d grown up in. The pieces of a terrible plan were slowly falling into place.

Tommy was haphazardly dropped onto the table as the rest of the preparations were made around him. They had no reason to keep such a close eye on him. He was just a dumb pixie that they’d snuffed the spirit from. What could he possibly get up to? He scanned the desktop for anything useful. Since the place was a mess, it wasn’t difficult to find a myriad of different objects. Enchanted items, spell tomes, potions, gryphon claws, phoenix feathers, and-

Tommy fought a smirk.

An unattended glass of milk. The cure-all for nearly every spell, enchantment, and curse alike. He wasn’t the type to count his hippogriff eggs before they hatched but this…well, it would take more skill to mess it up than succeed. He glanced over his shoulder. The men scrambled about the study, neither one paying an inkling of attention to him.

With a final breath to steel his nerves, he scrambled up to his feet. He staggered, immediately tripping his own feet to land right back where he started. Walking was apparently a task easier said than done with the clothespin weighing down his wings. Alright. Scooching it was.

His eyes were fixated on the pair of busybodies still rummaging about the drawer, slowly sliding backwards. He nearly flinched when he bumped against something solid. It wobbled as he nudged it and he could only cringe and pray it wouldn’t spill.

He rose to shaky feet, barely using the glass to support his weight. He dared to turn around only for a split second to hoist himself up over the cup’s rim. The glass trembled beneath him. He only needed a little. A desperate hand reached for the drink a tantalizing distance away, the other hand braced against the cup to keep him steady. He dipped his fingers into the lukewarm liquid, hastily smearing it across his tongue. It was a drop but it was enough. More than enough.

His very veins flushed, cleansed of the unwelcome spell that had previously permeated through them.

He fought a sigh of relief as he scrambled to return to his previous position on the table just as the men returned.

“Ready?” the magician asked.

“Ready,” the elf replied.

Ready,

The elf kissed his fingertips, pressing them to each of the wicks of the candles in the enchanted circle. Warm flames gradually flickered to life. Tears of black wax spilled down onto the finished wood below. The warlock picked up a knife and slashed a clean line across his palm, shallow and long. Crimson liquid dribbled onto the lead rune.

Beams of violet light had already sprung to life before the warlocks had even begun his enchantment. His eyes were screwed shut as the slew of nonsense spilled from his lips straight into the circle of symbols. A jittery current rippled through the desk beneath Tommy.

One by one, the red flames blinked violet. The thrum of magic in the air was so heavy that Tommy could feel it in his chest. The objects littering the desk shook as the power grew focused and concentrated, draining into the waiting runes.

The light was blinding. A swirling vortex of purple and pink flashed like strobes, forming a hole in the center of the table. A hole with no perceivable bottom. Tommy had never been more tempted to throw himself straight into something. But he had to wait. Just a little longer.

“Holy Fates! It’s working!” the elf exclaimed.

The warlock's hands weakly dropped onto the table. He panted like he’d just run a mile.

“Unclip it and drop it in,” the exhausted man instructed.

A hand reached for Tommy.

“Wait!”

The elf’s fingers fell just short of the pix. The warlock’s face grew tense, eyelids fluttering in strain.

“The spell’s not working,” he said, paling in realization. His attention snapped to Tommy. That was all the motivation the pixie needed.

He heaved his body backwards, launching himself into the swirling void of color. A hand lashed out towards him. The massive fist closed around the air mere inches away from him. He laughed hysterically as he shot up double middle fingers at the two men gawking down at him.

“Later, dickheads!” he shouted. And, in all honesty, he didn’t care what he found or didn’t find on the other side of that portal because just seeing the looks on their faces made the entire risk worthwhile.

The world unraveled around him, sealing him away in the mass of colors. The constant strobes made it hard to keep his eyes open. The haphazard motion of his body being jostled about was nearly enough to give him whiplash. There was no end to the tangle of colors. The same, repeating pattern of hues went on for what very well could’ve been miles. Tommy was never much of a gymnast but the amount of backflips he did in that moment would’ve put any acrobat to shame.

All at once, it went still.

Well, all except Tommy.

His stomach dropped into his feet as he plummeted through the air. He flailed about wildly in a desperate attempt to steady himself. It was all futile as he was stuck in a constant state of tumbling. He probably screamed. In all honesty, he couldn’t hear a thing over the roar of the wind in his ears.

The first thing he registered was the wetness. The thing that finally broke his fall was wet. And freezing. And suffocating. Between the iron clothespin threatening to drag himself further into the depths and the residual vertigo from the fall, he didn’t stand a chance of finding the surface. By sheer luck, his feet hit something solid. He didn’t hesitate to use it as a launchpad. As soon as his face breached the water, he swallowed down a much needed gulp of air.

He threw himself onto the solid rim he found surrounding him, arms gelatin beneath him. He hacked so hard he could’ve sworn he’d sprained a lung-if that was even possible. All the water he’d stolen returned to its source and then some. Residual bile burned at the back of his throat. Between the erratic rise and fall of his chest, Tommy managed a single phrase.

“Holy shit.”

He slouched against the porcelain edge. The world around him was…bizarre. A normal enough blue sky with normal enough clouds and green grass below but that was about where the similarities between their worlds ended.

A deep red building was incongruous with the green lawn and white flora.He couldn’t even tell what material the thing was made of. Fashioned into sharp, rectangular shapes, the wall was adorned with panels that were almost a bizarre imitation of wood.

He sure would’ve loved to get a closer look. He glowered at the clothespin holding his wings captive, reaching at it with desperate fingers to no avail. He huffed. Maybe he could convince some local to take it off for him but finding someone would probably involve actually getting to the ground-a task easier said than done given that whatever dish of water he’d landed in was cradled in a pillar just tall enough to make a drop from that height lethal.

Great.

He was officially stranded.

Tommy’s ears twitched at the sound of a door opening. When he looked up, he found the glass door on the side of the building was all wrong. It didn’t pull in or push out. It slid. The pixie’s mouth fell open in utter shock. The person who stepped outside was wrong, too. Though they looked like your average common elf-sans the pointed ears-they didn’t move right.

Swathed in a ridiculous monochrome outfit, the woman made a b-line for him with feet that walked in a perfectly straight line. Her arms swung ever so slightly with every step, flawless face adorned with a smile that looked like it had been plastered right on there when she was born and hadn’t been removed since. The eerie grin left ehr full set of polished white teeth on full display.

Tommy froze.

He should’ve run. Definitely should’ve.

But he couldn’t.

Even if he wasn’t stuck suspended high up in the air, he was petrified by the unsettling woman before him. She stopped a few feet short of Tommy and bent down at the waist. Even the angle of her posture was too perfect. Was this thing even a person? It sure did look like one but Tommy could’ve sworn her chest wasn’t even moving.

Like she wasn’t breathing.

He was looking at her chest for scientific purposes, of course.

“Source of motion in custom name ‘birdbath’ identified,” she announced. Tommy’s eyes darted about the yard in search of who she was talking to only to find it entirely vacant beyond the two of them. “Scanning.”

Tommy went rigid as brown eyes lit up an icy blue. She looked him up and down. The gesture was probably the most familiar thing he had yet to experience in that place. It was like they were sizing him up to buy him.

“Scan complete. Organic lifeform not found in database. Blood sample required for further analysis.”

Did she say blood?

His stomach twisted in knots as she held up her hand. A narrow, metal needle emerged from the tip of her index finger, glinting menacingly in the sunlight.

Tommy ducked just in time to evade the needle that cut through the air above him. No way the people around here had weapons built into their skin! How unfair was that?

He dragged himself up further onto the very ledge of the porcelain dish. Though his body was made even heavier by the addition of extra water, he managed to hoist himself up onto the back of her hand. He shuddered at the feeling of skin too smooth and unmalleable to belong to something living.

She didn’t even have veins. What exactly was this thing?

He didn’t have much time to stand around and wonder. She reached for him with her opposite hand. He raced straight up her arm, hardly finding enough traction to run. His saving grace was her sleeve. He twisted the sleek fabric in his fists with every intention of gracefully descending until the woman bucked like a montaur.

In an instant, he was on the ground. He couldn’t even remember the fall. Every fleeting thought of clarity in his muddled mind scrambled at him to run so that was what he did. The dirt beneath his feet shook with the woman’s every step as she started after him.

Unfortunately for her, evasion was quite possibly the only skill he’d retained throughout his whole life. Granted, it had failed him in the past, but that made him stronger. Smarter. He narrowly escaped her swiping hands. Her fingers grazed the clothespin restraining his wings as he dove through the hole in the picket fence.

Tommy half expected her to barrel through the wooden fence but she didn’t. He peered through the slit between pickets only to watch her stop dead in her tracks, turn around, and simply walk right back into her home.

He let out a sigh of relief.

“Organic lifeform not found in database. Blood sample required for further analysis.”

The voice hit him like a stone to the teeth. He forced himself to move, turning to find a man in the exact same uniform as the woman.

The creature…whatever it was-be it a mimic or duplication spell gone wrong-walked towards him with that bone chilling gait. Tommy was catching on to the way of this world very quickly. He would just have to keep moving. Running, hiding, sleeping with one eye open if he ever got to sleep at all. And maybe in that sense, it all felt nostalgic.

A grim reminder that no matter what world he escaped to, he was condemned to the very same fate spent fleeing and scavenging. A pest across every universe. And if he ever got a moment’s peace, it could only mean that something was terribly, terribly wrong.

~

Sorry again about reupload but I got it all figured out this time...maybe >:)

Taglist:

@da3dm @i-am-beckyu

[uthonmars]

Witchers' Hunter

A sassy and quite bashful bounty hunter stumbles across the wrong creatures. 3,405 words

Blood, gore, maybe body horror, and of course my favourite, unintentional fearplay.

Honestly, just skip to under the cut, the beginning is just a filler but I guess it'd help make sense of the story, so maybe don't.

I was sent on a mission to dispel a Witch in the woods, but of course my luck wasn't in favour today.

She wasn't your typical one, just making healing potions and magik spells to those who needed it; she was far worse. There have been many reports of her stealing farmers' livestock and purposely wrecking their fields of crops. It would be no surprise if I was being lied to just to get the Witch away because of prejudice and her practices, but now coming face to face to her I've realised I came underprepared.

She was nasty to say the least. Decapitated animal heads hung from her hut, dripping blood profusely. She stood before me, nails sharp and ugly with a stereotypical wicked grin on her face.

“Well if it isn't a measly Human,” she snarled nastily. “I've never purposely had a head of your own kind before.”

“And you won't be getting one today.” I scoffed lightly and she didn't leave room for anymore conversation.

Quickly I pulled out my daggers as she lunged at me, swinging her nails at me. I cut at her, landing my blades against her shoulder but she didn't falter, only moving faster in anticipation to get my throat. I grunted as she swiped at my arm, cutting through my stupidly thin armour. My skin began to burn, a raging fire spreading across my skin.

Did she poison her nails? If this goes on for much longer I’ll need to retreat, and the Witch knows this.

I charged at her, lunging for her face so I could quickly cut off her head. I was too slow to doge her grab at my throat, meaning she gripped me by it and held me in the air. Her mistake because with one quick slash I cut off her hand, and when I landed back on the ground I proceeded to tackle her. She thrashed around, screaming in my face and calling me awful names.

“I'll send you where even Witches don't want to go!” she blew something in my face catching me totally off guard. I jumped back, tripping over her now self aware cut off hand.

Fuck.

“Bye, little human.” she cackled and I was sent through a portal, so conveniently knocking me out.

“Mmm,” I groaned awake, head and arm throbbing in pain. “Fuck.”

I lay there for a few moments, just wanting to rest. Now where am I?

I sprung to my feet, quickly regretting it because of the way my head throbbed more. Great, where did that wretched Witch-Bitch send me to?

The good thing was, I'm not in a forest.

High wooden walls surrounded me, but a small crack of light seeped through an opening at the front. Gathering my discarded things that fell off my satchel, I limped towards it, only then noticing the pain in my ankle. I must've sprained it when I landed out of the portal. Great.

Grumbling to myself, I began to push on the huge piece of wood, hoping to open it. And I did, but with much effort and two minutes of my time wasted. Breathing heavily, I stared out in shock at the scenery.

I was in some sort of huge house. Was I teleported to Giants land? That… wasn't ideal but they're normally well acquainted with Humans, we both help each other a lot. Many other races besides us too. This wasn't really that big of a problem, I can just teleport myself back.

Focussing energy into my hands, I tried to tear open a portal. Except it didn't work. Huh… my body must be tired. Shrugging, I reached into my bag and pulled out a rope. I tied my dagger to it, then bent down and jammed it into the wood.

Hopefully this will stay.

I climbed down the rope slowly and carefully so I didn't fall. As I did, I took this as an opportunity to look around. Various types of jars and vials decorated shelves, along with dead animal parts. Normally Giants weren't ones to keep dead things. This one must be a mage or alchemist of some sort. Not uncommon. I'd only really be scared if they were a Witcher. That would be terrifying.

When I landed onto the counter below me, I tugged on the rope a few times until the dagger detached itself from the wood, then I caught it before it could clash on the ground. Huffing, I slowly walked across the counter, being careful of my sprained ankle. Hopefully they could help me with this too.

I travelled around the desk for thirty minutes, becoming more uneasy at each new thing I came across. Jars of dead animal heads were scattered everywhere, and drawings of creatures I'd never seen before were scattered amongst. Giants were to live peaceful lives and heard animals, like farmers, not encounter monstrosities like these.

This… I couldn't possibly be in a Witchers house.

Low thumping from afar caught my attention and I immediately ran towards the back of the table I was currently on. My ankle surged in pain but that wasn't my concern right now. I hid behind a stack of books, waiting.

The thumping got closer and eventually the sound of a heavy door creaking open caught my ears. My hairs stood up and my pulse spiked in fear.

Deep and heavy breathing got louder until the door to the room I was in got swung open. I flinched back, peeking around books.

Oh fuck. It was a Witcher.

He stood tall and blood stained his cheek, but he didn't pay attention to it. Instead, his eyes were locked onto the cabinet door I left wide open when I first woke up. His eyes stared at it, glowing bright yellow in confusion. He walked over to it, long black hair swishing back and forth as he walked.

Fuck— he'll most likely think a rat did that right? I'm sure he gets many of those, considering all the stuff he has laying about. It's surely not uncommon—

He breathed in, eyes closing as he took in my smell. His posture tensed and a scowl formed on his face.

I am so dead. This is what the Witch meant.

When he turned around his eyes scanned over all of the surfaces, meaning he was looking for me. I stayed still, not breathing as he went over to various counters and shelves, moving things around, and not saying anything the entire time.

I need to get out of here.

Gaining a small amount of courage, I slowly got to my feet, crouching away from the books. He didn't seem to hear me as I shuffled to the back of the table. I then quietly jammed my knife into the wood and threw the rope down. Watching the Witcher as I moved, I slowly and carefully slid down the rope, desperately not wanting to get his attention. Luckily for me, he was too preoccupied on the other side of the room.

As I made it halfway down the rope his legs moved closer to where I was and my breath hitched. Continuing my way down, I took as few breaths as I could so he wouldn't hear me. He took in another quiet sniff, now knowing the general area I was in. Silently but now quickly I made my way down the rope, pausing as I got to the end of it. I was a few feet off the floor and it would be hard to pull out the knife from the wood.

When the Witcher moved again, shuffling things around, I risked it and landed on the floor with a quiet thump. And he definitely heard it.

"Little one." I shivered and tingles went up my spine as he spoke, voice deep and no emotion relevant in it.

Panicking further, I tugged on the rope, desperately wanting to pull my knife out. I saw his footsteps draw nearer, only making my fear grow. Luckily the knife was removed from the wood but it swung crazily as it descended to the ground. I put my hand up jumping to catch it, but it bounced off my fingertips and landed against the ground with a loud clash.

I'm so fucking dead.

I picked it up, sprinting away from the massive being. He easily moved the table I was under, barely missing me as I slid under a bookshelf. My arm and ankle throbbed in pain, and it almost felt broken.

"I can smell your fear." He spoke again, still with no emotion. Ignoring him, I crawled deeper under the shelf, progressing towards the next thing to shelter me.

As I was about to crawl underneath another shelf, a thick arm slammed down in front of the opening. I bit my tongue hard and drew blood as I tried not to scream. Turning back the other way, and crawling towards where I came from, a huff of air blew against me. Then a bag of some sort was dropped in front of that opening too.

"Fuck fuck fuck." I muttered, trying to think of a way out of this.

Huge hands were placed under the bookshelf, easily pulling it forward.

Searching my bag, I took out a small empty glass bottle and chucked it over the Witchers arm and to the other shelf. Hopefully he would think something fell over there, or preferably that I was over there.

When his movements stopped, I took this as my chance to scurry past the bag he dropped and sprinted away. When I got more out into the open, his head snapped towards me. We locked eyes as I kept running and he shuffled towards me, trying to stop my escape. Easily he moved everything I went under until I was eventually cornered.

We stared at each other, his bright yellow eyes piercing through me and I couldn't help but tremble. He crouched and I flinched back, pushing myself against the wall. The Witcher obviously noticed this but didn't say anything.

A scream rippled through my throat when he reached towards me. Instinctively I grabbed out my blade and shoved it into his index finger, ripping down his skin. He pulled back, taking the blade with him. A scowl came across his face and I knew I royaly fucked up.

With the little magik I had left, I created a black barrier around me making it so I could see out but nothing could see in. My injured foot was peeking out from the barrier and I couldn't pull it back in. I'd have to release the barrier, pull it in, then put it back up.

The Witcher noticed it and his good hand reached towards it.

No way, he's going to fucking break it even more.

He touched it and I screamed in pain, not even able to move it.

"Huh?" The Giant hummed in confusion. He pulled at it and I sobbed in pain but didn't release the barrier. Or I tried not to. He tugged one more time and it fell, revealing my sobbing and withering form.

"Let the fuck go!" I hissed and when he saw how twisted my ankle was compared to the other, he did. "Now get the fuck away from me!" I pulled my leg into myself, crying in pain.

"You're hurt." He obviously stated.

"Yeah no fucking shit! Now— go so I can teleport away!"

"And how will you manage that?" His face became bored and unimpressed. "You can't stand and after that little barrier stunt you pulled, you obviously have nothing left."

"Shut up—"

"Sleep." He blew something into my face making me cough.

It was some sort of sleeping spell.

I whimpered and tried to crawl away from the Giant. Holding my satchel close, I fell into the spell, hoping I'd die rather than wake up.

Something nudged my arm and I ignored it, shifting onto my side. A stray dog probably got into my cabin again. Whatever.

It nudged my back this time and I promptly ignored it again.

"Wake up." A deep voice gumbled, flinching me awake. I jolted up, turning around in confusion. My vision blurred as I tried to get up and see who was in my cabin. My breathing quickened when my vision didn't clear.

"Wh— who— what's…" my speech slurred together.

"Shhh," the voice reassured me. "Open your mouth." Something was pressed against my lips but I shoved it away, not knowing what it was or who was talking to me.

"N-No," I turned away and scooted back. "Mmnf," A whine left me as something warm surrounded my shivering body. "Stop… leave me…" I felt so sick and weak. It sucked.

Something was pressed against my lips and at first I tried to get away from it. But the smell of potatoes and pork filled my nose and I couldn't help but eagerly gulp it down. It seemed like I hadn't eaten in days and I didn't know why.

When the food was pulled away I whined again, wanting more of it. Thankfully my vision mostly cleared which allowed me to take in my surroundings.

“Where am I— wuz happenin?” I groaned, trying to figure out what exactly I was looking at. I was laying on a large table of some sort and my arm and ankle were bandaged up. “Wait I need to go to the farmers and tell him I killed the Witch.” I began to stand up. Where’s my daggers?

“No.” a soft voice spoke. I went to protest but giant hands filled my view and a finger gently pushed me back down. My eyes stared at it, not knowing how to process such a thing. Slowly they travelled up the hand and to scar filled arms, then to broad shoulders. My breath hitched as I made eye contact with the person responsible. His bright yellow eyes observed me as he searched my form.

A—A Witcher?! A Witcher? How did I… how am… ah fuck.

I scrambled back and didn't know what to do. Bile made its way up my throat and I felt like vomiting.

The giant sighed and I flinched back desperately wanting my knives.

“You—you! You… saved me?” I asked in disbelief, not trusting him and he hummed.

“Well when someone shows up in your house, ankle practically broken and poison coursing through their body, I’d assume anyone would help them.” He grunted out, not breaking eye contact.

“Where’s my stuff?” I ignored him and got defensive. The Witcher sighed again but leaned to the left and grabbed some things. My things. When he put them in front of me I snatched them, feeling a little bit safer. “Where are my daggers?” I snapped. He studied me, obviously not trusting me with them. His mouth opened and he wanted to argue to not give them to, but he did. Not without a few words though.

When he handed them to me and I went to grab them he quickly got a hold of my arm, pulling me forward to face him straight on. My breathing stopped as he made hard eye contact with me.

“Don't stab me again,” His voice was hard and slightly threatening. My eyes darted to his now bandaged up finger, and I’d be lying if I said I didn't feel a little bad. But that doesn't mean I won't protect myself. Regardless, he released me and gave me them. My skin burned at the amount of heat he radiated. “So, little bounty hunter, how did you end up here?” his tone was a little snarky and he seemed surprised, like he didn't think I could get here by myself. Which might be true.

“Well Witcher,” I stated even more snarkily and he didn't bat an eye. “I was hunting a Witch and… she poisoned me… and sent me here.” I grumbled, not proud of myself at all. I mean how could I have been so stupid?! Well it isn't completely my fault; maybe if people didn't make up false claims that Witches were doing horrible stuff, allowing me to never believe them, I would've been more prepared! And the one time I’m not, it’s the worst of the worst! Gods, I’m so fucking pissed!

A deep chuckle caught my attention and I snapped my head back up to look at the Witcher.

“You’re one of the best Hunters out there, and you fell to a Witch?” He was making fun of me and my face heated up in anger and embarrassment.

“Well if stupid fucking people didn't make untrue claims about them, I wouldnt be here right now and I would’ve prepared,” I snapped. “And how do you know who I am?”

“Everybody knows who you are, Leoric,” My embarrassment grew when he spoke my name in such a powerful way. “Famous Bounty Hunter and Hunter. Not only did you save a Dragon, but you also defended and killed anyone who tried to kill it. You've crashed my balls and royal weddings to stop assassins—”

“Stop,” I grimaced and looked away, not wanting to know about my ‘achievements.’ They were so stupid. “You’re a Witcher and Giant, why would you know someone like me?”

“Oh? I didn't know the mighty Hunter was quick to bashfulness. And I’m not a Giant all of the time.” He leaned in and I fought the urge to draw my knife. Instinctively, I pulled up my hood, hiding my face beneath it and my hair.

“... I’m not,” I grumbled. “Go away.” His gaze was too intense and he himself was intimidating without trying. I was scared to be under his eyes.

“Hmm?” He recalled something. “If I remember correctly, not only did I save you, and also extract the poison, along with fixing your ankle, but you basically clung to me as you rested.”

I froze, not believing a word he said, he was only trying to embarrass and work me up further!

“Shut the fuck up liar,” I barked. “Why would I do that when it seemed like you wanted to kill me?”

“Who said I didn't.” the Witcher breathed next to me. My body tensed at the statement but shivered at the sound of his voice.

“I—I- you—” I stuttered.

“I’m joking.” he laughed and something poked my side.

A loud groan escaped me. “Fuck off— quit it dickhead!” He took my hood off, exposing my face which was undoubtedly blooming red. Smiling at me, the Giant laughed. “I’m leaving.” I stood and grabbed my stuff, making sure my daggers were in their respectable places and that I had everything.

“Wait,” he grabbed my arm, making me swivel around and stare up at his handsome features. His face turned stern but his voice was gentle. “Are you seriously okay? The poison the Witch put into your body was dangerous. And your ankle still doesn't look good, which is partly my fault.”

I… well now that I think about it, my ankle did hurt and it was throbbing a little. And the place where the Witch-Bitch clawed at me still burned a small amount as well but I didn’t really want to stay here. This could all be a plan to kill me— but why would he go out of his way this much just to do that. I guess it never seemed like he wanted to kill me either. Anyone would be panicked or a little pissed if something or someone they didn't know was in their home.

I peered up at the handsome Witcher, acting like I was thinking but was actually taking in his appearance. His long black hair spewed across his shoulder, and some of it covered his face, framing it in a nice way. He had small scars on his cheeks and even smaller ones on his forehead. He had a squared jaw with prominent cheekbones. He was big obviously, but his arms had hair and a lot of muscle and even more scars, his chest was broad, you could see the outline of his collarbones too.

“Tell me your name.” my voice came out quiet.

“Orion.” he was quiet too.

Orion huh.

“I… guess I could stay here a little longer,” I muttered as I looked away from him. “Now can I get some fucking food? I’m starving.”

Orion laughed greatly, throwing his head back a little. “Of course, little Hunter.”

I watched The Witcher, can you tell?