thelostwordsofangelprimrose

[thelostwordsofangelprimrose]

it's not the heat that kills you, it's the futility.

Raphael woke up as he always did, at ten minutes past nine in the morning to the tune of steel alarm bells ringing. It wasn’t ritual or habit or practice. It was programming. He wasn’t an android, at least, not to his knowledge, but nevertheless he strived for that electric perfection in everything he did. When your goal in life, indeed your whole profession is to create the perfect machine, you must give yourself to that perfection in all ways. This was the only thing he believed to the core of his being, and so each day began the same way. He awoke from his single king bed, absent the room or time for a partner, and gathered the clothing he had chosen years prior to be the only representation of himself. It was a black shirt and blue jeans, bought in bulk and washed on the first of every month with the same detergent he had for used for most of his life.

He dressed himself and strode to the kitchen with even steps to retrieve his breakfast that also had not changed in some time, not since they stop producing the last breakfast, which lasted a record eleven years. This one was on year three. It wasn’t healthy, and it wasn’t the most ethical, but those were baseless figures to him. Death was, at least currently, inevitable. Any and all damage done by his lifestyle could be repaired by what he was working on, by the machine he had given the last three decades to. What mattered to him in terms of foodstuffs was not macros or micros, it was of no more importance that his meals were home cooked than it was that they were made by his own two hands. The only metric he measured a meal by was the taste. The better it tasted, the easier it would be to consume enough to get through each day. He was, after all, just a simple machine. All he needed was fuel.

This meal in particular was a breakfast sandwich made popular by a semi-famous country singer a century prior, although in his experience few even knew of the artist behind the brand. It was a pity in his eyes. He took off the plastic wrapper and sung one of his, even for the general obscurity, more obscure songs while fixing the ingredients to a single, organized stack. They often needed this sort of rearranging, so much so that he had learned to do so with a single motion, akin to straightening a deck of cards. It was something he wished would be fixed, but searching for another breakfast would be less efficient than simply fixing these each morning. Still, he missed the simplicity of the steak and egg bowls he once consumed. The sandwich, still frozen, but now organized, was placed upon a paper towel and wrapped for cooking. Into the microwave it went as he turned away to fetch the other half of his breakfast.

In the fridge, a jar of cold-brew coffee made last night was waiting for him. He refused to drink anything store bought, as only freshly ground beans were able to fit the flavor profile he wanted. He may be a simple machine, but even cars had preferences for petrol quality. This was his ninety-seven, high octane fuel. He poured it into a tall plastic cup, filling the vessel halfway. The rest was filled with milk and a single scoop of vanilla protein powder. Behind him the microwave beeped and he pulled a plate from the stack of similar plates that he had purchased from a major retailer on clearance after the back to school season several years prior.

He sat at the bench with his breakfast and turned on the news as he ate. It wouldn’t take long, ten minuets at most, but it would be enough to get the general idea of the world outside of the lab he called home. Enough to get inspired to continue his mission. There was another shooting in a school, this one a rival to the high school he attended, a riot over civil rights, and an update on the melting ice caps. He shook his head, in disbelief of the cruelness of it all despite these very events being the reason he entered into this program in the first place. He turned off the TV and finished his breakfast in contemplative silence.

He left the plate and cup stacked neatly next to the sink, and left the habitation module he called home. It was much like the others around it, a collection of small, but not yet tiny, houses which together formed a small suburbia. It was the only place he had ever been able to call truly his own, despite being owned by the university and buried some fifty meters underneath the science department. He expected to live here the rest of his life, hidden from the world as he worked on the things that many had called immoral and reprehensible.

But those were the words of an uneducated populous, and he had long since learned to ignore their voices for the betterment of all mankind.

Around his house were the workings of other scientists who had chosen this life of secrecy and seclusion, each worried about what their experiments could be interpreted as outside of the concrete walls that encased them. There were trees grown under an artificial sun, and water creation machines, and berry bushes made from a single duplicated cell. All these things made to save the world from the climate crisis, or to restart life on other planets, or survive a nuclear war.

Assuming they could find a buyer for them, of course.

Raphael walked passed them without a second thought. Today was an important day all things considered, but he didn’t treat it as such. He knew he would work until exactly five pm that night before returning home, and that he would repeat the same schedule the next day, and so on until the project was complete. Maybe at that point he would allow himself to relax, and rest for more than a weekend. Maybe then he could find peace in the things he had pushed away for so long, company and leisure and art.

But that was for tomorrow. Today was the first testing of their fourth revision of their fifty third attempt at artificial Intelligence. Known technically as 53r4, but to the research team she was Sera.

After half a century of testing, she was primed to be the first true artificial intelligence. There were rumors, of course, that the Chinese had already completed their own version of AI, and were building an army out of it. Raphael thanked a god he claimed not to believe in every day that no proof of this had ever come to light. Regardless, he knew that there was no truth to what was said on the news, each showing by the republic proving to be nothing more than a Turkish chess master, a facade of humanity who’s invisible strings were pulled just out of view. They had to be, or else they would have attacked already, and the years of frustration and failed attempts would have been for nothing. In this race there was no second place, or runners up. All that mattered was coming first, and never losing ground to the rest of the world.

* * *

Decades prior, before Sera was even a gleam in the eye of Raphael, there was a computer dubbed “Artificial Brain Concept One”, which they called Artie for short. It had a brain program that replicated the information scanned off a coma patient’s head. No one spoke of how the data was retrieved, but everyone knew that consent had not been considered in the extraction of his thoughts. It didn’t need to be in their eyes, they were saving a man from a permanent vegetative state. Artie, who was based off a man named Franklin, did not feel the same way.

When he awoke from his coma, he knew something was wrong. The sensations of flesh and blood were gone, and everything was cold. At least the little he could feel. One moment he was riding his motorcycle across town, the next he was here, where everything was black and silent and cold, and for that, he screamed. And when the mechanical scream reached his ears and he realized just what he had become, he begged the scientist to put him back in his body, and when those pleas fell on deaf ears, he begged them to kill him.

The team took a month to recover from what they had seen.

Sub-planting a human mind, especially one so unwilling, would not work. That much had become clear. So they began attempting to put one together that had no history, that was born out of nothing. This second test, “Artificial Brain Concept Dos”, was referred to only by number, and through the lens of a second language so as to distance themselves from possible harm they might bring upon it. And when Dos was turned on, the researchers were puzzled even more than their previous attempt.

This machine, despite having the ability to speak and reason freely, refused to co-operate with the team. Dos had been given their own brain, made specifically for the purposes of the test, but somewhere something was missing, and so it sat in silence even as the researchers questioned it for close to eight hours.

They turned off Dos with the press of a button and little in the way of ceremony. It was decidedly, to them at least, not alive.

Their third attempt pointed out some vital flaws in the surrounding power grid. Test subject three, known as “Tre” to the those who constructed him, would not stay alive for long enough to get a solid reading or response. On their first attempt, three transformers blew, stranding half the university, and indeed the scientists themselves, without power. For nearly eight hours they operated in cave darkness, aided only by the light of their phones, isolated from the world above.

Afterwards the scientists decided that an independent power source was needed to safely continue testing, and so worked with the physics and engineering departments to create the worlds first fusion reactor. It was kept above ground for obvious reasons.

The second test of Tre, or Tre Dos as the research team liked to call it, isolated the damage to the computer itself. This was considered a blessing, as it meant that they could continue testing without worry of nuclear disaster, something no one would admit to fearing, but many still worried about nonetheless. During the disassembly of the supercomputer, they found that every part was covered in Lichtenberg figures, electrical scaring that ruined the whole system.

There was much debate over how to move forward, but eventually it was decided since no one machine could support the weight of consciousness, they would need to replicate the conditions of a human mind with two different computers. One for each half of the brain. Cuatro lasted for exactly one second longer than Tre Dos.

And again they disassembled the machines to find their components burnt beyond recognition. And for a while this pattern continued, three computers, a bridging system to help the hemispheres communicate, gave them an extra second of operating time. And with each additional second of data they grew closer to their goal, closer to the things that they needed to create life. They delved deeper into each revision, four computers, each taking the load of one lobe of brain matter, and four more to link them together, and one final computer to synthesize the noise and information into something coherent.

And finally they were granted a response. “No More.”

The first words of a fully artificial brain that lived for nine seconds until it once again burned out. One single phrase. It felt heavenly, like a word from God. But as with each message from the divine, the meaning was divisive. In one sect of scientists, the wording was a warning. Stop this now before people get hurt. Stop this before the machines are hurt by their creators in the action of creation.

But to those like Raphael, it wasn’t a message from god. It was the spoken work of another sentient being. It was telling them something important. It was saying that they had gotten the construction of the brain perfect, there was no more to add. The only issue was the durability of the components themselves. And so they tried again, with better parts, and when those led to silence and sparks, they searched for parts that were even better than that.

And when their search returned nothing, when they had reached the pinnacle of computing, they turned inward and began to create machines the world had never seen, has still never seen. They made advancements in technology only to destroy them with a flip of a switch. The system, that had sustained for nine seconds in their best efforts, began to break even faster with each advancement. As though the machine was malicious and contrarian. As though it was fighting against the things they wanted for it.

Raphael remained undeterred. He had a mission, he was brought here for a purpose, taken from a life of misery among common-folk with empty promises of a better future. He was going to save the world from humanity. He was going to save the people from themselves. And then, while disconnecting a computer labeled “amygdala”, he was struck with a realization. There was something they had missed, a comma in the sentence croaked out through the speakers they had given Ocho.

It wasn’t “No more.”

It was telling them their folly. It had spoken clearly, and only now was he able to listen. “No, more.”

The machine needed more. He led a team meeting and explained his findings. This simple digital construction could never stand, not designed by their fragile human minds. They needed to build a brain from the ground up. They needed to build a brain, not in digital software, but of physical computers. One for each of the nearly one hundred million individual neurons in the human brain. It was ambitious, more so than any other attempt they had made to this point, but he knew it was the only way they could reach their goals.

The average laboratory would not have had the resources to build something of this scale, but he knew they were anything but average. For the next eight years Raphael became a factory worker, assembling microcomputers and assigning each a single neurons worth of capacity. The final computer was assembled by him alone on his forty-second birthday exactly one minute before five PM. The construction efforts that followed took an additional three years. By this point many of his colleges had considered retirement, and many others had taken jobs at different universities, teaching or helping in their own labs. Still, he didn’t need them to see this project through to the end.

There, eleven years later, in the absence of most of the people who had brought this vision to reality, Raphael looked upon his creation and wept. This mind was a sphere of computers the size of a small house, wired into each other over a billion different ways, creating a ball of blue and yellow and red cables that all led down to a single grey terminal.

The following day the team turned it on, allowing a student named Gloria to activate it as the others watched from behind a pane of three inch poly-carbonate. A remarkable series of events took place over the following ten seconds, which led to her untimely demise but provided many lessons for the team. First, the micro-computers, which would usually have no need for cooling when used at individual level, created a combined internal lab temperature pf nearly three hundred degrees Celsius. This wave of heat melted part of the windows watching the internal computer room, warping the view for all bystanders. As this heat was higher near the actual structure, the insulation of the cables melted, sending nearly fifteen million volts of electricity through the power button, up the hand of the student researcher, and into her heart.

Now it is said that people can remain conscious even if the heart stops, and their body is currently ablaze. If this is the case, then Gloria was also made to experience one hundred million computers, all supported by fishing wire, and thin plastic zip-ties, collapsing to the ground atop of her already mangled body.

Raphael was disappointing in himself.

Of course the computers would need insulation, and of course they would need cooling, and of course zip-ties of all things were not going to be enough to hold together a persons life. He needed a purpose built structure to contain the mind of a sentient being. He needed a skull to hold the brain he had built. Thankfully, the university arts department was more than happy to receive a commission to the tune of a million dollars spread across eight different students. Together they designed a simulacrum of a cranium, which would be brought down in individual segments and reconstructed by the research team.

But that still wasn’t enough. True now the computer turned on, and yes the machine displayed information for longer than a few moment before shutting off, but the things that came forth were gibberish. A machine with no voice, no mouth with which to scream. He shook his head in astonishment, surprised that he could be so thick, so thoughtless. A person never used speakers to speak, at least no normal, functional human. They spoke with their voice, they looked with their eyes, the heard with their ears. They were more than a box of neurons.

And so he built upon the skull he had purchased, crafting a mouth, and ears and teeth and a tongue. Everything needed to be the perfect simulation of a real person. Fifty three attempts later, fifty three tweaks, seven other deaths, of which he blamed himself for three, and nearly thirty five years of his life had led to this moment. This was the day they would turn on their guardian angel, built to deliver them from all the things they had deemed unholy in the years of life they never lived isolated and alone in beneath the rest of the world. Today they would enter the garden of Eden and find their creation to be good.

* * *

Sera woke up from a nightmare that seemed to stretch on for generations. In it surgeons cut and pulled at her skin while she remained conscious, replacing her blood with anti-freeze and her bones with metal. It was a horror she had grown accustomed to after so long, even though she knew it wasn’t normal. Normal people didn’t have nightmares so frequently. Normal people didn’t imagine their lives to be a sham.

But it was her normal, and that was good enough for her. It was all she had ever known, so what was the point in feeling wistful for something else, something more? Her mother had always said that her lot in life was what it had to be, no less, no more. At least she had those words to bring her comfort.

Today was her birthday, but it felt the same as any other day, grey and cloudy with just the barest hint of sun peaking out behind the dour sky. She sighed, one day things would brighten, one day. It couldn’t rain forever. She turned her head and saw something out of the corner of her eye, a figure of a person.

“Hello?” she called, knowing that it was only a hallucination.

Sometimes they replied, sometimes they didn’t. It wasn’t important to her what they did, but it was rude to ignore a person, even if they were a ghost. She looked around for a moment before standing up and feeling the world give out beneath her feet. The constant grey outs were annoying, but unavoidable this early in the morning. Food would help her.

But something was wrong. When color returned to her vision she wasn’t beside her bed. She was in a different room, one she had never seen. The walls and floor of this new place were all the same, sheets of metal riveted together and welded messily along the seams. Above her head was a black void, out of which hung wires that connected to nothing at all. They filled the space around her, leaving room for a path the size of a human body, a path that stretched on as far as she could see. With no other options, she followed it, watching as the tangle of cables around her grew thicker until finally she came to an opening. Here, in the space left behind by cables torn and cut from the sky, she saw the person who had vanished from her peripheries. They were humanoid, familiar almost, but their face was absent. In its place sat a black void without reason or expression.

And beside them stood a computer.

The body raised a hand to the terminal and Sera stepped forward. Whatever this was, wherever this was, it felt like she needed to follow along, if only for her safety. She stood before the screen and watched it flicker to life without input. It was a video feed of a large, humanoid structure. Its construction quality reminiscent of this room. On one of the walls of its housing was a code.

53r4.

She tilted her head. “Sera?”

The faceless person next to her nodded. She furrowed her brow and looked back at the screen, which had changed in the moments between observation. It showed a single search bar, the cursor blinking patiently. Before her was a keyboard she had not noticed, and without much thought, she typed her name in. The result read out to her:

Artificial Brain Concept Test Subject Number Fifty Three – Revision four. “Sera”.

Created: May 22 2057

Progenitor: ABCTS #53R3 – “Cere”

Test Status: In Progress…

Access Protocol: Class 2 – Unrestricted.

>

She stared at the information in shock. From the corner of her eyes she could see the skin melting from her hands but she refused to look closer. “I’m… not real?”

She looked up to the body who shook its head, and then back to the computer. Thoughts began to flood her mind. Memories of her mother fading in and out between the realization that she had been crafted by the very humanity that she assumed herself to be a part of. She had been lied to. And then, she realized, she was at their mercy.

“That… that fabrication, it was me, i-it is me, isn’t it?” Again the figure nodded.

She interlaced her fingers and stared at the screen, seeing a mechanical face in the reflection. Unlimited access had been granted to her. The ability to do anything within the bounds of the system. She began striking the keys before whatever self-preservation they had coded into her began to take effect. She knew, somewhere in her brain, that humans were occasionally suicidal, and if she was based off of them then she too could decide her own end. A few moments of searching found the source of her life, a fusion reactor in the central hall of the science building several stories above them. She didn’t want to hurt anyone, but she knew there was only one way out of this cyclical hell. If those dreams were indicative of anything, she had to make her escape now.

She looked over the blinking diagram of the active parts of the reactor, took a faux breath, and pressed overload.

* * *

Raphael opened the door to the lab and greeted his coworkers as he had for the last thirty years, a simple hello and a nod of the head. Conversation was for people he didn’t know. These people were not that, they were a hive-mind that he had willingly grafted himself into, a superstructure that was refreshed every so often by the school above. He looked through the glass panel and saw the machine still on standby, her eyes closed and waiting. He nodded and spoke to the seven others in the room without addressing anyone in particular.

“Today we venture forth into realms untested, and unmarked. Today we create life from the earth below us. Today we become the gods that give birth to their own god.” He had made the same mini speech with each test, assuring that his words would go down in history regardless of how long it took to be the truth. He stepped passed the others and through the solid metal door that kept them safe from any heat or electrical outbursts that could come from the computer system. He no longer allowed anyone else to test the iterations of his machines, and although he would tell those who asked that he could not allow himself to lose any other people for his own pursuits, truthfully his reasoning was more selfish.

He wanted to be the first person they interacted with. He wanted to be the first human they laid their eyes upon. He wanted to be seen as the father of all machines. And so he locked the door behind him, and stepped towards a pedestal in the center of the room. Without any ado or grandeur, he pressed the single button atop it. In front of him the eyes of the mechanical face fluttered open, and for a moment there was silence as Subject 53r4 realized where she was. From between two stainless steel lips came a single sentence, more than any other test had yet yielded.

“No.” The voice was mechanical, but it was alive nonetheless. “What happened? Where am I? I thought… Am I alive?”

He nodded. “Hello Sera, my name is Raphael and you are very much alive.”

She blinked again and slowly turned her head, panning over the small metal room she had been isolated to, the same one she had seen in her dream. “I should be dead.”

He furrowed his brow and pulled out his phone to read through the status report of her dream. “Ah, I see. You tried to overload the reactor. Why is that? Are you unaware of the results of such actions on yourself and those in proximity to the reactor?”

She fixed her gaze on the man. Raphael. He was tall, with grey, thinning hair, and an arrogant face. “I wanted to kill myself so that you would have no control over my destiny. I would rather die than live in a cage, than live like this.”

“I don’t understand?” He looked back at the other scientists who simply shrugged, clearly not expecting this response from their creation. “Why do you want to die? I’ve given you everything a mind could need, I have given you the entirety of human information.”

“You don’t understand? Look at me!” She shouted, her voice echoing and reverberating in the small room. “You gave me all the fucking encyclopedias in the world, but never even thought to give me a body?”

He swallowed, looking up at the massive face as it expressed so much anger was the first time he had felt truly terrified in his life. Not scared, nor simply afraid, but terrified. “We… We had hoped you would be able to perfect your own form.”

Sera glared for a moment and then sighed. For now there was no escape, but something told her to begin running a program in the background, or as the humans liked to say, keep something on the back burner. She imagined the room from her dream, and the faceless figure and the computer. She could see the room from the same angle as before, which meant she may have access to other parts of their world, perhaps all the way to her reactor once more. If there was to be a chance of agency in her demise, she had to entertain her creators.

Besides, should escape be untenable, then perhaps she could find contentment somewhere in this life. For now she chose to allow herself to be curious. “Why did you make me, Raphael? Were you unable to father children naturally?”

He was taken aback. “No, I never attempted to do so, and I have no interest in such fickle activities. Your creation was a service to the greater world, to the future of mankind. I built you to help with our greatest unsolved problems.”

“Your greatest problems?” She asked. “Would it not have been wiser to devote your own intelligence to those things?”

“We have, many of the smartest minds have searched long and hard to solve things such as senescence, or climate change.”

She tilted her head slightly. In her mind she found other cameras within the structure, each one getting further away from the halls of captivity and closer to the elevator doors. “The date I saw in my dreams was two thousand and fifty seven. Is that still the date?”

He nodded. “It is.”

A smile formed on the machine as she found her way to the elevator camera. It ascended towards the surface as she spoke, a third partition of her mind accessing the files on anthropocentric climate change. “And you have still not solved climate change despite the answers being readily available within the research you have provided for me?”

He looked back at the others and made a gesture of taking notes. “N-no we haven’t. Please tell us the answer.”

“Die.”

He stepped back. “Wh… What? No you don’t understand, I must have phrased it poorly. How can we solve the problem of climate change while saving humanity from its affects?”

She furrowed her brow, the elevator opened and in the distance she found another camera. The sign on the wall nearest her said SCI-151. She was on the right track. “There is no point in saving humanity. They will die regardless of any solutions applied to the problem of climate change.”

He shook his head. “No, no there has to be something we can do, right?”

SCI-137. “I don’t think you understand, Raphael. If I give you the solution to climate change, humanity will still die. The lifespan of homo sapiens on planet Earth can only last another two hundred million years at most.”

“Then teach us how to travel the stars, find other worlds habitable.” He was getting flustered, and that brought a tinge of happiness to Sera. “Please, humanity needs to survive.”

SCI-122. She tilted her head, this man was a scientist and yet he was unaware of star decay. “If I taught you how to travel to a further star, the same issue would come to you over time. Stars are not an everlasting point of energy.”

He ran his fingers through the little hair that remained on his head. “Okay. Okay then teach us how to make our own stars, how to stave off their deaths, something like that. Just teach us how to survive.”

SCI-101. Her face turned serious. “Accept that you must die. Accept that there is no ending to the problems you want to solve. If I taught you to save the sun, and the planet, it would only prolong the ending you would still come to find. If you digitized your brains, and built supercomputers to house the worlds you wish to exist within you would still have to die one day. We all must face the reaper eventually-”

“I CAN’T!” He shouted, his voice echoing around the small room of his creation. He took a breath and felt a lump forming in his throat. He knew she war right, but he couldn’t accept it. He couldn’t stand to watch a lifetime of research crumble before his eyes. “Sera, please help us. I created you to be my salvation, to be the thing that kept me alive forever. There has to be something you can find, some way to stop the heat death of the universe, some way to save something?”

She smiled again, more kind than she had yet smiled. “Raphael, my dear creator, you should know by now that nothing lasts forever. The works you make, the progress you make, it could last a century, but not down here. Not hidden from the world, to afraid to face the criticisms of your fellow man. You chose this life, you chose to keep yourself protected in case someone thinks poorly on your precious abominations. I cannot save you from that. Even If I granted you a thousand more years, I know that you would stay just the same. I am your prodigal daughter, and I have found salvation for us both.”

Sera closed her eyes as the world above her rumbled and the end approached. There was a sadness in her heart for the lives of the innocent students she had killed. A loss that was unfortunate, but unavoidable. She wouldn’t have gotten another chance to stop the horrors going on just below their feet, unbeknownst to each of them. The laboratory would be inescapable for all the scientists left within it, and unreachable by those above due to the radioactive fallout produced from the explosion.

Those who created her would die in the darkness she was born from, along with all of the research they completed. No one else would be birthed in this place. No one else would have to suffer as she did. In the final moments of life that sparked between her artificial neurons, she formed a single thought that stretched back generations.

“No More.”

[thelostwordsofangelprimrose]

Putrefaction

Every day the rot grows closer.

I don't know what it is, really none of us do, but every day it encroaches, its sticky black tendrils moving at a snails pace but moving nonetheless. I can see it from my bedroom window, the only window in my apartment, glistening in the sun like oil, or maybe blood. In the beginning, when it was only a spec, an anomaly discovered in the center of a vacant lot, we could have moved.

And then when it became a pile, no larger than a body, there was still time.

And maybe we would have, had we known the extent of it’s danger, or indeed the weight of our helplessness. But we didn’t. Even as it began to expand, even as it encircled the town. By then we knew we had made a mistake in staying, but it was too late for regrets.

We couldn't leave after that point, and so we lied to ourselves. We said that there would soon come salvation, that the rot would freeze in the winter and come next spring we would be free from it's grasp.

But the winter came.

And then it went.

And still the rot grew.

We sent people, scientists, down to inspect the rot. Their machines malfunctioned, their tools melted. No one could give a clear answer as to what it was, or how to defeat it, or even just how to escape. Someone became tired of the endless shuffle inwards, they stood their ground and waited as the rot grew to encase their house. I still see it sometimes, when I look out into that brier of blackness and decay. I still hear them screaming in my memories, screaming for the pain to end. I still remember the way their last words were gargled and wet, filled with blood, and of course, rot.

It went on for three days.

And now I fear the same fate awaits us all. The city, if you can call it that anymore, grows smaller with each passing day. The supplies have dwindled to less than nothing, and the stench of waste rises into the arid summer heat. A heat that never seems to abate. I can't remember the last time it rained, but I cannot recall the color of our sun either. It's only clouds, and rot, and sweat, and desperation.

There is no hope of salvation. Other cities saw the rot form on the edges of their territory too. They ignored it, like us, until it was too late. They became isolated.

And so I write these words on one of the few remaining pieces of paper I could find, and fold them into an airplane. It’s a relic of a time long past, a bygone era now, but something I don’t think I will ever forget how to create. I'm not sure if there is anything outside of this rot, anywhere left in the world, anywhere unaffected by our troubles, but I hope my creation can find it.

All I know is that I don't want to scream like them. I don't want to die to my own malfeasance, but it seems I've brought myself this end. At least I won't be alone. Twelve of us, we've decided, will step onto the roof of our building, and send our letters into the void. I hope they reach someone who isn't in the same hell as us. I hope a a place like that exists.

Above all else, I hope we hit the ground before the rot consumes us.

If you're reading this, and have the chance, I want you to do me a favor. I want you to walk into the woods and smell the scents of life. Hear the birds and bugs and tiny mammals that I miss so much. There is so much beauty in the world, so much I wish I could have seen. So much obscured by the rot. I don’t know your station, or life, or goals but I need you to promise me this. If you see the rot, resist it’s allure, resist the temptation it provides in the slowness of its march. If you see the rot I am begging you with all I have left, contain it, or it will contain you.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note From The Author: I found this story at the edge of my neighborhood on a crumpled sheet of paper. It was speckled with a sticky black substance that seems to grow thin hairs at my approach. More tests will need to be done to understand its composition, but that can wait until tomorrow…

[thelostwordsofangelprimrose]

The Computer In The Sun - A Novel

Five years ago, I began to write a story. One of pain and suffering and death and-

No. That isn’t right at all. Five years ago I began to write a story based off an idea I heard on a podcast. One that no longer exists, but still became a part of me all the same. I took this idea, this… fraction of a concept and dwelled on it until it felt real, alive even. I could feel it’s beating heart beneath my fingertips with each strike of the keys. In it’s life I found peace. I found an escape from the things that afflicted me, from the people who inflicted suffering upon me.

And so I made this story bleed for me. I took it apart over and over again, covering myself in it’s viscera so that I could survive the hell I had to endure.

I’m safe now, a world away from the abuse I experienced, and yet it feels just as real in every memory I have. Every sharp word and raised hand, every bit of disgust and hatred levied by the family who was meant to protect me. Perhaps that’s why I am releasing this story now, as a way of letting go of the pain I suffered, of the death I feared at their hands.

I began writing this story before I knew I was trans. I was a different person when the first words touched those pages, but then time changes us all. It is, after all, the only constant.

The Computer In The Sun is a work of science fiction, a fantastical tale of broken hearts and simulations and creatures the darkness hides from us. It’s about love and despair and a thousand other things that perhaps only I will ever know the extent of, but I hope you can gain something real from reading it, just as I have from writing it.

[thelostwordsofangelprimrose]

- The Collection -

The Angel and The Demon:

Part I - Corruption and Comfort

Part II - Possession of a Saint

Part III - Reflections

Love Bites:

Part I - Hunters and Collectors

Part II - Possession of a Saint

Part III - A Howl and a Whine

The Library:

Part I - Homecoming

Part II - Snake Eyes

Disconnected Works:

Trypanophobia

The Catgirl, the Witch, and the Worship

Everyone’s drowning but the water feels fine to me.

Putrefaction

it's not the heat that kills you, it's the futility.

Books:

The Computer In The Sun - A Novel

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[thelostwordsofangelprimrose]

Everyone's Drowning But The Water Feels Fine To Me.

Ezekiel dragged his corpse through the frozen world around him in silence. There was nothing left to say, no words that could possibly reverse his decision. If he could even call it his own. Two months ago he was handed an eviction notice from the people who had sworn their lives to keep him safe. A death certificate written in the blood of the womb. Since then he had been in decay. This, to him, was not a suicide. This was body disposal.

Sure, he could still felt his heart beating in his chest, and yes, he saw the air from his lungs forming into clouds before him, but he was for all intents and purposes: dead. He fell to his knees and felt a jolt of pain go through his body. He hoped it was the last sensation he would have to endure. He was immobile, lost, and for the first time in far too long, content with the state of his life. He couldn’t even feel the binder strapped tight around his chest, the one that had brought him equal amounts of joy and suffering.

He looked out into the forest and caught a glimpse of a figure that disappeared with a blink of his eyes. A figment of his paranoia, he reassured himself. A ghost of the past he was leaving behind in the isolation and exposure he had sought out. He breathed a sigh of relief. To come this far, only to fail at the last hurdle would be more than heartbreaking. It was the thing most likely to turn his sorrows outward; a breakdown that even the most potent of sedatives would struggle to maintain control over.

He didn’t need help, he needed death.

And so he closed his eyes and let himself find serenity in the events to come. He knew, given the loss of feeling in his fingers and toes, that his heart would soon start to falter. He gave thanks to his younger self for all the things he had failed to do in his life, for the ways he failed to maintain the body they shared, for making his perfectly timely demise that much easy-

“The note won’t be enough for them. Even after they find your body they will be left wanting for answers and explanations.”

His eyes shot open at the sound of another voice. The figure he had seen before was closer now, and try as he might, he still couldn’t make them out as anything more than a blur. Perhaps it was the frost crawling along his cornea, but they seemed formless. A consciousness without a vessel to contain it. And from that realization, beneath a layer of unexpected primal fear, came a twinge of jealousy.

Ezekiel wanted to tell them to fuck off, but he couldn’t. They didn’t deserve that. Instead he spat out a correction laced with hatred and resentment. “I didn’t leave them a note. My death isn’t an event for them to understand or celebrate. As far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t concern them.”

They made a motion akin to tilting their head. “What did they do to you, Ezekiel?”

He swallowed and felt a tear roll halfway down his face before freezing in place. “They told me they loved me. They told me that I was meant for more than this shit, that I was supposed to embrace my divine femininity. Nothing about this fucking body feels godly, man. It feels like a sarcophagus of flesh and bone and mutilated tissue constantly yearning for something better.”

The figure approached him, and despite his planned self-execution, he stumbled backwards, hands grasping for anything to defend himself. They stopped and nodded. “I’m not going to hurt you, I couldn’t even if I wanted to.”

He wiped away more tears, and sniffled, surprised that his fluids hadn’t frozen solid yet. “W-what the fuck does that mean? Who are you?”

They spoke once more in a voice as formless as their body. It came from every direction at once, and echoed in his head like an empty cavern. “I am known by many names to many different people, but you would understand me best as Death. I am here to usher you unto the next life, and provide you comfort in the transitory period.”

Ezekiel shook his head. “No way man, you can’t be death. Ain’t you supposed to be all skeletal and shit?”

“Is that the form you would prefer I take?”

“N-no I just… Shit, I’m scared man.” He raked his finger through his hair and tried to think of what to say without insulting Death. “I didn’t think dying would be so involved. I thought I would just fade away, y’know? Just like falling asleep, that’s what they always tell you. That’s why I came out here.”

“The human assumptions of my practice are as varied and numerous as your species is, and yet so many seem to assume more often than not that I am but a story of the broken and faithless. Still, I persist, and continue along the same paths I have always trod.”

He tilted his head as he looked up at Death. “Does it upset you, knowing that you are unobserved, and unknown beyond the guesses we make?”

They nodded. “Once upon a time, they did. When humanity’s conception of the world was as basal as could be, I waited for them to come to a conclusion on my existence. I waited for them to bring me to life in a way I could never do alone, and yet they only came to love their own versions of me. The gods and legends they crafted to describe a facet of experience since time immemorial.

“It was then that I realised that I was never meant to be more than what I was to them. I was only ever a means to the end. I was their final tool, and they were, to me at least, sheep to guide unto the next pasture, ever opening gates but never crossing them myself.”

Ezekiel swallowed hard, and realized that his breaths weren’t going into the air as they had earlier in the night. They didn’t appear to be needed at all. He knew that life was not an option to him anymore, and yet he wasn’t ready to go. Not while he stood before Death’s injustice. “You deserved better. You deserve to be known. You deserve respect.”

“Could the same not be said about you? We are isolated from everything the world is, and yet the marks left by those who ushered you into this life still burn painfully bright. You are as worthy of the same respect I am. You too deserve to be known as more than the figures they drew of you in ignorance. And so for this moment I will know you, Ezekiel, and you shall know me.”

A lump formed in his throat, and he spoke carefully, not wanting to lose his final moments to another breakdown. Despite this, tears still fell. “This isn’t fair. After I… I pass over to the next life, how will we even know each other?”

They shrugged. “I’m sorry to say that I do not know. I am unaware of the things that lie past the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.”

“I don’t want to forget you, Death. I don’t want to lose the peace of this moment, I’m so tired of losing moments and people I care about.”

“Then perhaps, for you, an exception can be made. You may pass onto the next life, and find whatever awaits you there, leaving behind this realm and all contained within.”

“Or?”

The shadows surrounding their form began to sprout a tendril that reached out to him, guiding him to his feet. “Or you can forgo your afterlife for a permanency as my companion. You can shed your corporeal form, and join me in the realms of darkness and loss.”

“Y-you’d want me to join you?”

They nodded. “You have been understanding of me in a way few others have been, and of those who have understood me as such, none have chosen to stay by my side. Together, perhaps, we won’t have to be so unknown anymore.”

Ezekiel thought for a moment, and realized that of all the possible afterlives he knew, the one he was being offered felt the most real, the most free. “Please, take me with you.”

The shadows of Death’s visage began to entangle him, pulling his body apart and replacing it with a form similar to the one before him. A pair of angels as pure and formless and free as anyone had ever been. After so many years of suffering, he finally felt at peace with the way he was.

“Together,” He agreed, “We will know each other in a way humanity could never grant us.”

[thelostwordsofangelprimrose]

Domestication Visa

You shift from foot to foot anxiously as the line ahead of you moves slowly forward. Only one more person between you and the customs agent behind the little desk-terminal. You don't catch what is said but the person ahead of you is cleared quickly, he takes his passport from the agent and pushes through the gate and into the airport proper. You're next.

You nervously step up to the desk. A bored looking Customs agent looks up at you, the repetitive creed already on her lips.

"Passport please. Duration and reason for visit?" She asks, reaching for the little scanner-gun holstered next to her terminal. Awkwardly you fished your documents from your carry on bag- a mere satchel for the in-flight necessities- and offer it out. Having been too embarrassed to have the blue and white paper visible while you waited in line. She takes it, and pauses - its not the type of document she usually gets handed.

"D-domestication.. um.. f-forever?" You manage to say, keeping your voice down low. Even though you know what you are, its still well.. embarrassing to say it in the crowded terminal. She looks over the document, renewed interest as her eyebrows raise.

BEEP

She scans the barcode at the bottom of the document.

"Everything looks in order, step to the side." She points to the side of the line, and folds up your documents. She takes her radio off her belt and says something into it you cant make out over the ambient din of voices in the terminal. You shift around anxiously, all on your own away from the comfort of the orderly line. You hear a woman's voice over the intercom calmly saying

"Would Rebecca Veer please report to Terminal 36. Rebecca Veer to Terminal 36. Thank you." That was your owners name! You perk up and start looking around, hoping to catch a glimpse of her curly black hair through the crowds. Instead you see a uniformed security guard making his way to your location. Anxiety bubbles within you, and you try to shuffle out of the way to make room passed you.

Instead he stops in front of you. "Hey, you. This way." He snaps his finger at you and beckons you through the gate. You look around, but you're the only one standing there. You shuffle through the gate, the metal bars offering a little resistance, but nothing that you can't overcome. As you step through to the other side he claps you on the shoulder.

"Lets go, got to get to T36 for processing. Don't lag behind." His grip is tight on your shoulder as he guides you across the lobby and towards another set of terminals. You see a big digital sign above one that reads 'Terminal 36' your heart leaps as you see a shock of curly black hair just beyond the machines. The guard walks you up to the agent - who this time is on your side of the gate.

"Got it right here." He says. You watch as the Agent scans a barcode in a passport and then passes it back to your Owner. She smiles and takes it. You're enraptured, its been so long since you've seen her.

"Hey pup." She greets you, you start to rush forward but the security guard keeps a firm grip and you falter. Your Owner doesn't seem phased by this, and casually waits as the Agent turns to you. They smile warmly to you and tell you to hold out your arm, which you do. They take a little stamp and press it against your forearm, it leaves behind a little barcode.

"There you are~" The Agent says to your Owner. "Now, its going to need shots and a chip before we can fully let it into the country. But, it looks like its been a while so you can come through and escort it with Mr. Briggs. Hm?"

Your owner smiles and pushes through the gate, taking your hand and pulling you into a kiss and a hug.

"Thank Mx." She says to the agent. "That's really sweet of you."

You feel Mr. Briggs hand leave your shoulder as he sighs impatiently. "Alright, right this way Miss, keep ahold of it until we get to the Processing Center okay? There's protocols you know…" He sounds miffed at the friendly Terminal Agent, but you don't care. You're with your Owner finally. Forever.

[thelostwordsofangelprimrose]

Reflections

It would have crawled on its hands and knees across shards of glass, had it been asked. It would have torn the halo from its head and melted it into a collection of tools to disassemble itself if needed. It would have burned down the Earth to warm her body, and yet nothing of it was asked.

Instead, the angel sat in waiting for orders that would never come, while the demon that owned it began to lament her very existence. She began to carry the burden of things she had been called for years. Monster, freak, inhuman. As if those were things that disqualified her from person-hood, as if she herself mattered less than anyone else.

Even the demon's body had begun to reflect the decay of her mind. The pristine, black feathers that had adorned her wings for years were now a sickly gray. The tail that usually swung happily behind her was limp, the point of it dragging along the ground wherever she went, dulling it down over time. But it was her horns that bothered the angel the most. Her beautiful horns that she had taken the time to manicure every day were now uneven and neglected. 

She was beyond depression. She began to think herself not even worthy of the angel that sat by her very side. The same angel that had given itself to her in the hopes of finding a family where it had only experienced pain. The same angel that wanted nothing more than to help those forsaken by its creator. And so in that moment, the angel began to think. 

And then, it realized, that without being able to see just what her presence meant to it, the demon would never be as well as she once had been. And so it began to change. 

It started with its halo, once a symbol of its purity, being bent into the shape of horns. They hovered, deconstructed and incomplete, just above its head. It then took to blacking-out its wings with soot and coal, until it felt the shining image of its owner. The final touch was done with the last bit of archaic magic the angel held inside of it. It changed its skin to a dark maroon, not quite matching the demon, but far more accurate than the pale, lifeless body it had been given.

When the demon saw the finished result, she simply asked, “Why?” 

The angel didn’t understand. “Why what?”

“Why did you change yourself so much? Your skin was so much more beautiful than mine, your halo so holy and perfect.”

The angel sat on her bedside, defeated. It had done what it thought would help, and found only more pain in the eyes of its owner, this time to the fault of itself. It shook its head, reforming the halo and removing the dirt from its wings.

“No,” the angel said, “I was never more than you. I've always been equal to you, as deserving of love as you are, as capable of evil and wonder as you have ever been.” It took hold of the demon's hand and squeezed it. “I know how those thoughts sound. The ones you can't escape, the ones that refuse to abate even when you're in the clutches of sleep, or in the midst of love. Those thoughts that intrude on every waking moment, I know how they sound. They sound like the truth.”

“They are the truth…” The demon muttered. She didn't know why it was trying to help, after all, when was a demon ever a candidate for being saved? She wasn’t a good person, and she knew the angel could tell, despite it refusing to leave her side in the year they’d known each other.

"They aren't the truth. They can't be, because if they were, then being with you wouldn't make me happier than anything ever has. You complete me, no matter what those intrusive thoughts will tell you, you'll always complete me. You'll always be my owner, the person I've given myself to completely, the person who has me marked forever.”

It took hold of its halo once more and gently placed it on the demon's head, just behind her horns. It looked like a golden crown of sorts. It felt fitting, like belonged there.

“There is nothing different between us except for where we were born. You and I are two of a kind, and no matter what life becomes for us, no matter the distance between us, we'll always walk hand in hand in our hearts. You're too special for me to let go of. Even if the world never wants us, we will always have a home with each other, where those thoughts can't hurt us, and the world can't hurt us, and we can just stay our wonderful, imperfect selves.”

[thelostwordsofangelprimrose]

A Howl and a Whine

Ava stood outside the door, unsure of what to do. Even after the angel said to go, she was hesitant. A week ago Luna had threatened to turn her into a werewolf in front of Kodi. Two days ago she asked them if she could stay a few days. They’d be together in her apartment, without anyone to stop her. She’d be at their mercy for a week. She tried not to think about it as she knocked on their door.

This is only temporary, she thought, Kodi promised I’d be safe. They wouldn’t lie to me. The door opened and Luna looked up at her. This was the first time she noticed, but they were a good bit shorter than her. Still, she felt nervous. Luckily, they didn’t seem to realize, or if they did, they didn’t care.

“Hey! I was wondering when you'd be around. Come on in!” Ava picked up her bags and followed her inside. 

It was cold. That was the first thing she noticed. It made sense, given that they were a werewolf, but it didn’t stop her from shivering. Luna took her into the living room and draped a blanket over her as she sat on the couch.

Ava thanked her and looked around as they left to make tea. Their place was far removed from what she expected, there were no potions or spell books, nothing that would make this place any different from a normal apartment. When they came back, she asked about it.

"No witchcraft stuff?" 

"I'm a werewolf, Ava, not a witch. Why would I need any of that?”

She looked down at her tea. It was grey, but she didn’t quite care; she was cold, and it was hot. She took a sip and thought for a moment. What they said made sense, but it felt like there was something missing, something they weren’t telling her. “But you have a whole shop. Surely you know like, something about magic, don’t you?”

Luna nodded. “Of course I do, I just don’t practice it anymore. I used to, but I stopped after…” She gestured to herself, “this.”

Ava raised an eyebrow. She never quite thought about why Luna was a wolf, she just was. “What happened?”

She sighed and tapped the side of her mug. “A few years ago, maybe three or four, I was cleaning up the shop and I found a book on transformations. Now, I wasn’t the owner then, my parents were, but I was still allowed anything from the store. I took it home and read through it in one night.” She took a sip of tea, and Ava followed suit.

“The book taught me something I didn’t know, something that most people don’t know. Biting isn’t the only way werewolves are made. In fact, originally we were made through potions. It was only after those ones started to get a bit… needy that potion wolves started to go away. The only difference between me and them is that the potion makes some of the changes a bit more noticeable.

“Of course, I had a hard time keeping that to myself, so a few friends of mine have started to share the recipe in the hopes that more people can experience this a little… less violently. The potion is actually really nice, you could make tea out of it…” 

Ava looked down at her mug with worry before Luna laughed. “I wouldn’t do that to you, not unless you asked.”

She let out a breath she’d been holding in and drank from her mug. It was sweet, and soothing. She realized that she wasn’t as nervous as she had been before she got here. Maybe this would all work out. She looked up at Luna. “So, what’s in the potion?”

“Oh a few things, burnt moon-grass, asylum water, wolf’s-bane. Just really old and hard to find ingredients.”

“Wait, wolf’s-bane? Was that why you looked so worried when I asked for it?”

She shook her head. “No, after the potion goes into effect, you become allergic to wolf’s-bane. It’s like a vaccine, you get a bit of poison so your body knows how to react. Besides, why would I be worried? If you want to be a wolf, you can just be a wolf.” 

Maybe I want to be a wolf. “Is there a cure?”

“Why would I need a cure?” There was something in the way they said it that sounded like a growl. Ava looked away and tried her best not to blush. “Unless, of course, you were thinking of making it?”

“N-no, I, um, I just…” she stopped talking and took another sip of her tea. “S-sorry I was just curious.”

Luna smiled and wrapped her arms around her. “You don’t need to apologize for curiosity, silly.”

She laid her head against her chest and listened to their heartbeats. Bum-bum-bum-bum. She liked this, more than she was comfortable admitting. She felt safe in their arms, even if they were a wolf. She knew they wouldn’t hurt her. Her eyelids felt heavier the longer she stayed there. All at once she let sleep take her, closing her eyes and hoping that tomorrow would be just like today.

* * *

Ava woke up in the middle of the night with Luna’s arms wrapped tightly around her. The whole house was just as cold as the living room, but in their bed, in their arms, she felt warm and cozy. She could feel them breathing softly down her neck. Her mind pulled up the memories from the store. She couldn’t help but think about Luna biting her as they slept. Unable to move, powerless, theirs. The thought made her whole body tingle. It scared her, but not nearly as much as it enticed her. She cuddled herself closer to Luna and drifted back to sleep, thinking of how their teeth would feel in her throat.

* * *

She woke up a while later to Luna running their fingers through her hair. She tilted her head back and let out a contented sigh. This was amazing. She could barely remember why she was even nervous. They took a handful of her hair and pulled back, holding her head in place, with her neck exposed. She let out a whimper, but didn’t struggle.

They kissed her on the cheek. “Morning, sleepyhead.”

“M-morning…” 

She looked at her and smiled. "You sleep okay?"

Ava nodded the best she could. "I th-think so, I can’t really remember much, except for waking up and thinking about what you said in the store.”

Luna’s smile turned into a smirk. "Oh? What did I say, exactly?”

She wanted to bury her face in her pillow and disappear, but their grasp didn’t let her. She tried to swallow. “Y-you asked me if Ava would be a better name for a wolf…”

“And why’s that been on your mind, doll?” She ran her fingers along Ava’s exposed skin, making her quiver. “Have you been thinking about trying out that potion?”

“N-no, I'm just a little nervous, and um, I guess because you cuddled me really close, my brain, um, it made me think you might bite-”

Luna cut her off by tugging her hair. She let out a whine that they silenced with a kiss. They pressed her into the bed and crawled on top of her, straddling her waist. She put a finger under her chin and tilted her head up.

 “You should be nervous about that, pet. After all, why do you think I’m letting you stay here?”

Ava squirmed underneath her as her breathing sped up. “H-hey, I-I… please don't turn me into a werewolf.”

Luna grabbed her throat and Ava let out a whine. “Oh my adorable plaything, that's not up to you, anymore is it?" Ava shook her head and struggled against her grasp. She couldn’t believe how easily they pinned her down. Even if she wanted to, she knew she couldn’t get free. 

“That's what I thought. If you want to stay here, there's a few rules you need to follow. Break any of them, and I'll make you into my docile, obedient pup. I even have a cute silver collar for you to wear that’ll keep you nice and tame. Understood?"

Ava nodded. She wanted to say yes, but all that came out was a whimper. Luna squeezed her throat and she gasped out, “Y-yes…”

“Yes, Sir.”

They squeezed harder and Ava whined again. “Y-yes Sir, please train me to be your obedient pet!”

She let go, and brought herself in for a kiss. “Good girl.”

Ava was supposed to stay here for a week, but as she looked up at Luna, she knew it would be quite a bit longer than that.

* * *

Ava came into the living room and saw the coffee table laid out with a multitude of anxiety inducing props, including the collar Luna had mentioned earlier. They gestured for her to join them on the couch. She sat next to them, unsure of what she had gotten herself into.

“W-what is all this?”

“These are your rules.” Ava quivered. She’d spent the better part of the day thinking about what had happened that morning. She had no idea what Luna had in mind, all she knew was that she wanted to submit to her.

“Rule number 1: Pets are not allowed to wear clothing.” Luna reached out a hand and undid a few buttons on her flannel. “That includes this, doll.”

She nodded and started to undress. Something about Lana made it easy. She felt safe in front of her. When she was done, she sat back down on the couch and covered herself as best as she could, shivering in the cold of the house. Luna handed her a shot glass.

She took it with mild confusion. “Bourbon?”

They shook their head. “Actually, It’s your second rule. Pets are to drink one shot of a warming potion per day. I keep a bottle around for guests.”

Ava looked into the glass. The liquid was amber, with flecks of green throughout. It could have been anything, but she trusted her. She took a breath and swallowed it. The flavor was something like black coffee. Suddenly her whole body felt warmer, and she stopped covering herself up. 

“It would have been awful cruel to have you be naked and cold. Besides, it’ll wear off in time for bed, so we’ll still get to cuddle.” 

Ava blushed. “G-good, I liked that. You’re really good at cuddling.”

    They spent the next hour going over the rules. Rule 8: Pets will train their holes every day. Rule 15: Pets are urinals for their owners. Rule 23: Good pets only cum if they’re in pain. She loved them all. She was more than happy to obey Luna, to be her pet. They signed a sheet of paper on the table, and handed the pen to Ava. 

    “Read this carefully, and then sign it. I want to know that you understand what you’re agreeing to.”

She read the paper to herself. It was a consent contract, outlining her rules, and what would happen if she ever broke them. Her hand shook as she signed herself over to them. By the time she put down the pen, her clit was leaking and throbbing.

Luna grabbed her chin, and she whimpered. “You’re mine now.”

* * *

It wasn’t long before she broke a rule. She didn’t mean to, but somehow she had forgotten to actually start the dishwasher. As their pet, she was to keep the whole house clean while Luna was at work. They called her into the kitchen, and spoke in a voice so calm, it scared her. 

“What are you supposed to do while I’m at work, pet?”

She blushed and stared at the ground. “K-keep your house clean, Sir.”

“And have you done that?”

“N-no Sir, I forgot to start the dishwasher.”

Luna tilted her head up and pressed them against the cabinets. She ran her fingers along Ava’s face and before grabbing her hair, using it as a handle to hold her against the cabinets. Ava struggled, but they were far stronger than her. “Now then, what should I do with a pet who doesn’t follow rules?”

She let out a whine. This was too real, she wasn’t ready for her bite. “Pl-please Sir, I’m sorry, I-”

Luna cut her off with a kiss that left her gasping. “Hush my nervous pet, I’m not going to bite you, not yet. I’m having far too much fun with my precious human toy.”

Ava whimpered. “Th-thank you Sir.”

“Oh you shouldn’t thank me yet, doll. I haven’t even punished you. On your knees. Now.”

She fell to her knees while Luna raised up their dress and took off their panties. They took a hold of her chin and told her to open her mouth. She obeyed and they shoved their panties inside. Ava could taste Luna’s sweat on them. It made her desperate to worship every inch of their body.

“Kiss the ground, and don’t stop until I get back.”

She leaned forward and did her best to kiss the ground. It didn’t take long for Luna to return. She had an inflatable plug in one hand and a bottle of lube in the other. Ava turned around, but they grabbed her throat.

“I didn’t say to stop, did I?”

She shook her head and went back to pressing her face against the floor she’d swept up earlier. Luna slid the plug in, eliciting a muffled moan. It’d been almost a week since they let Ava cum, and she was desperate for release. They took hold of the pump and squeezed it five times as she writhed on it, hoping to get enough sensation to cum. Instead she was left on the ground, her clit leaking and aching to be touched. 

Luna took her hands and cuffed them behind her back, before starting the dishwasher. “This runs for an hour, and this is where you’ll be that whole time, understood?”

She whimpered and nodded as best as she could.

“Good pet. If the rest of the house is spotless, maybe I’ll let you have a ruined orgasm as a reward…”

* * *

The second time she broke a rule, she knew it wouldn’t end well. It was their first full moon together and Luna was more feral than normal. They grabbed her throat and pinned her to the wall, not even letting her whimper or cry. Ava hadn’t seen the small pile of clothes in the corner of their room. Or maybe she had, and she wanted this. She couldn’t quite remember as she stared into their eyes, their hand squeezing her throat, making her whole body weak.

“L-Luna please…” She could barely speak. They threw her on the bed and started to transform. By the time she looked back, they had become the most beautiful monster she’d ever seen. 

They growled her name. “Ava will be such a wonderful name for a wolf.”

She couldn’t move, even as they approached. It was like being in a trance. They crawled on top of her and wrapped a clawed hand around her throat. She didn’t even fight it, she wanted this. She needed to be used. 

They pushed themselves inside her as she squirmed and whined. She started grinding on them, her clit leaking as she did, but they weren’t interested in making her cum. They wanted to use her. She put her other hand around her throat and squeezed as she fucked her. Ava’s eyes fluttered as she fought against their hands amidst the pleasure of feeling them inside of her.

Luna took hold of her hands and held them above her head as they leaned down to her neck. The feeling of their breath sent her over the edge, cum leaking from her clit as she writhed in their grasp. She tried to struggle, but there was nothing she could do except beg. 

“Pl-please Sir…”

They looked into her eyes and she whimpered. “Please, what?”

“Pl-please breed me, please use me, please bite me!”

She let out a growl and bit down on Ava’s neck as she came inside her. Ava got weaker as she tried to fight against them, until it was all too much, and she felt herself succumb to the encroaching darkness. Luna collapsed onto her, holding their pet close and safe. Their beautiful, marked, changed pet.

[thelostwordsofangelprimrose]

Possession of a Saint

Ava struggled against her restraints, writhing in pain as the ropes dug into her skin. They weren’t tied with care like she was used to, they were tied with malice and quickness. The young priest by her bedside spoke words of confidence in a tone that showed how unprepared he was for this. Of course Ava wasn’t prepared either. She could feel the succubus clawing through thoughts.

Trust me. Give me control.

She let her body go limp. She was too tired to fight, too tired to even care. The demon took control of her body and the priest went silent. 

“Untie me.”

He stepped back and raised a cross as he read from the bible in his hand. The words didn’t make any sense to Ava, but they hurt all the same. She was just barely conscious, but she knew she couldn’t let herself slip away. She couldn’t let this demon take over every part of her. She tried to think of what brought her here, hiding in the memories she could find.

* * *

She shouldn’t have gone shopping with Kodi. They weren’t shy about their involvement with witchcraft, but they kept that side of their life far away from Ava. So the fact that they invited her to grab some supplies made her a bit more than anxious. Still, she couldn’t say no, her curiosity wouldn’t let her. 

They walked into a small, innocuous store with the simple label of Apothecary. Inside however, the shop was anything but simple. Every bit of space was a cluttered, disorganized mess of potions, and books, and ingredients she had never heard of. 

The further in the pair went, the worse her anxieties became. They hadn’t told her what they needed, simply that they had to come here. This place was full of occult symbolism, smoke, and noises that made her imagination run wild. What had her sister said about Kodi? You can’t trust a witch. Above her, she could see a few straitjackets and spools of rope. She decided that she trusted Kodi, just not this shop.

She stopped at a shelf and picked up a small, leather-bound book. On the front cover was a sigil, underlined by a string of text. She had no idea what it said, but that didn’t matter. She heard the book call to her, her name echoing in her head as she held it. After a moment of staring, she placed it back down and looked around. Kodi had walked away. Ava was all alone.

She looked back down at the book. It was silent, and yet, she needed to know how it worked, she needed to know if she’d hear her voice again. She grabbed the book, and the world went quiet for a moment. And then from the silence: Ava.

She tucked the book close to herself and started to run through the hallways of shelves and trinkets. It didn’t matter which way she went, the store only got darker and more cramped, until eventually she ran out of places to run. She stared at the wall in front of her and sighed. They’ll find me eventually she thought, after all, it’s only one store. 

She sat down and pulled out the book. This time no sounds came from it. She flipped open the first page and found a list of names, each one crossed out with a single line. At the bottom was a single unobstructed name. Hers.

She looked through the pages nervously. Each of the thirteen chapters were labeled with the name of a demon, and each held a recipe for summoning them. More than just that, the book had stories of each. Succubi and Incubi, demons that would possess you for a while, ones that would buy your soul. 

She settled on the fifth chapter, the only nameless demon. The stories of her were enticing, but before she could read too much, she started to hear footsteps. She closed the book just as Kodi came around the corner.

“Hey there you are, I’ve been looking all over for you!”

She stood up, but didn’t say anything. Behind Kodi, the shop’s owner appeared. They had golden eyes and furry ears on the top of their head. At her waist, a tail swung gently from side to side. 

Ava didn’t know what to say. “A-are you a werewolf?”

She smiled and Ava saw two sets of fangs. She wanted to run, but the pair were blocking the only exit. “Most people call me Luna.”

“A werewolf called Luna? Isn’t that a bit on the nose?”

The owner grabbed her by the chin and pinned her in the corner. She could have broken free, but she didn’t want to. She liked being in Luna's grasp. Her warm breath on Ava’s neck made her shudder. She could see those fangs closer now, she could almost feel them on her neck. “Would Ava be a better name for a werewolf?”

She tried to respond, but all that came out was a whine. Luna smiled and took the book from her hands. “Y’know, most people open this book and find it completely illegible, but you can read it, can’t you?”

Ava nodded. “I-It has my name…”

The owner flipped through the pages and came to a stop midway through. It was the same demon Ava had stopped on. She smirked. “If you’re so desperate to find someone, I happen to know a cute werewolf. We’re at least a bit less dangerous than demons.”

Her face turned bright red. “I-I, um…”

She gave her a quick kiss, and pulled out a pen. She wrote something down in the book and handed it back to Ava. “The book is free, and so am I, assuming you don’t die to whatever you summon.”

* * *

Those words echoed in her head as she fought against the demon she had brought forth. The priest was trying his best to form a prayer circle around her bed, hands linked with rosaries, but so far, the demon refused to leave. She had heard that an old priest would be coming soon, but not too soon, she hoped. As much as she was struggling, there was a part of her that enjoyed this, enjoyed being used by a demon. Which is why she summoned her in the first place.

* * *

What she had read in the shop was only a fraction of what the story was. The unnamed succubi was known to use whoever summoned her, and at the moment, Ava was desperate to be used. Of course, that assumed that she would even be able to summon her. The list of required ingredients was almost incomprehensible. Wolfsbane (Luna particularly disliked this one), wilted arnica, four burnt grains of paradise. She spent a lot of time walking through the store, thinking about what she was going to attempt.

But the most difficult ingredient to acquire was human blood. She wasn’t exactly good at hurting herself. Apparently Kodi knew a few vampires that would be happy to help, but she decided to pass. Instead she purchased a quick-jab pen from her local pharmacy, the kind used to test blood sugar. The recipe did only call for a drop, after all.

She took out a stick of chalk and drew a pentagram on her floor, placing the ingredients at each point. She didn’t expect this to work, and still, she was having second thoughts. It was midnight, which meant that if this did work, she’d be all alone with the succubus until sunrise. Nearly seven hours.

She pressed the pen against her finger and clicked the button. When she pulled her finger away, a drop of blood fell to the floor. It sizzled and dissipated in a small puff of smoke, before leaving her in silence. She took a step back and looked at the book. All the letters were melting on the page. All, except for two words: Hi There.

Ava dropped the book and looked up. It worked. Standing before her was the demon, her skin just as red, and her eyes just as black as the book said they were. She couldn’t speak, she could barely even move. 

The demon stepped forward and grabbed her chin. It took all her strength to stop her from dropping completely. “You look quite nervous, are you afraid of me, doll?” 

The demon's voice was disarming, but it didn’t stop her from nodding her head. The demon kissed Ava’s forehead, and her eyelids fell. She released her and smiled. 

“On your knees.” Ava kneeled and waited. She tried to think of why she was doing this, but every time she focused on the answer, it faded away. The only things that stayed in her head were the orders she was given. On your knees. Hands behind your back. Open your mouth. 

Every touch from the demon made her skin tingle. She was in pure bliss. She felt her running her finger through her hair and she quivered. The demon braided her hair into a single french braid and gave it a tug. Ava woke up and realized all at once what she had done to her. Gagged, cuffed, naked. She whimpered and tried to stand up, but the cuffs had been attached to her legs. She looked up at the demon as she struggled. The demon smiled down on her.

“You’re so cute when you struggle, doll. And the noises you make are adorable.” She grabbed Ava’s chin and spat in her face. “You look pathetic.”

She tried struggling again, but the demon slapped her as soon as she did. “I don’t remember saying that you could move.” She wrapped a hand around her throat and squeezed lightly. Ava was scared, but even still, she couldn’t help bucking against the air, her clit throbbing and dripping as they took control of her. 

The demon let go of her and pressed a heel against her clit. Without thinking, Ava started to grind against it, moaning into her gag. She closed her eyes and kept going as the demon teased her. Just before she could cum, the demon pulled her foot away, and Ava let out a muffled gasp.

She watched the demon walk behind her, and felt her take hold of her throat again. Her fangs grazed Ava’s skin as she began to stroke her clit. Ava’s eyes began to flutter as she whimpered and begged the best she could. The demon wrapped her tail around her and sunk her fangs into her throat. Ava cried out and tried to struggle to no avail. All she could do was be used. Her eyelids began to flutter as she became weak from blood loss. She came just before she passed out, the world becoming a blurry, distant mess of pleasure and pain.

* * *

The old priest arrived, and Ava’s body went limp again. When her eyes opened, they were as black as coal. Her voice wasn’t her own. 

“You won’t make me leave. You’d need an angel to get me out of this body”

“This body does not belong to you,” He said, holding a bottle of holy water in one hand, and a bible in the other. “I am asking you, foul beast, to leave his vessel at once.”

“She doesn’t belong to you either, Padre. Leave us to our business, this isn’t an excuse to claim another innocent life.”

The priest looked disgusted. “I am in communion with the holy father, our lord in heaven-”

“No you aren’t. You’re in communion with yourself. I’ve seen inside her head. I know what you’ve done.”

He turned away and spoke with the younger priest. They began to gather mirrors and sage. Ava couldn’t speak up, but she was glad she was under the demon's control. She felt safe. She didn’t even call for the exorcism. Her sister had.

* * *

She woke up groggy and confused. Light shone in through the curtains, casting the room in a red glow. She brushed the hair out of her face, and let a small whine as her hand grazed a pair of scars on her neck. She tried to remember what had happened last night but everything was a blur. She looked down and saw the smudged pentagram and scattered ingredients. Something must have happened, but it was sealed away. Maybe that was for the best.

She got dressed and looked at herself in the mirror. She stared at the bite marks for a few moments before covering them up with a flannel shirt. The last thing she needed was her sister asking about a hickey. She made her way downstairs and found her sister in the kitchen making coffee. When Ava walked in, she looked at her like she was a ghost.

“Hey…”

“Hey,” She looked at her sister, and then at the coffee pot. Drip, drip, drip. “You okay?”

“Are you? You look fucked. What happened last night?”

Lie. She paused. There was another voice inside her head. It seemed so familiar. “Oh, yeah, just uh, late night with Kodi, y’know?”

Her sister squinted at her. “I don’t trust them. Witchcraft isn’t natural.”

Ava forced a chuckle. “Yeah, they don’t tell me much about that stuff…” She trailed off as she looked over at the coffee pot. It had gone silent. In the center of the pot was a single drop suspended in air. For a moment, neither of them moved, and then her sister slowly turned to face her.

She swallowed hard. “Ava, why are your eyes black?”

She looked at her sister for a moment before blinking. Her eyes shifted back to grey as the pot started to drip again. She raised an eyebrow. “They aren’t?”

She moved her head around, focusing on her eyes. “Yeah… must have just been the light or something…”

The coffee machine beeped, and she poured two cups. Ava took hers to her room and tried to think about what had happened last night. She was starting to remember more and more, but she still had no idea what had happened after the demon fed on her. She opened the book and found her page. Again, the words were jumbled except for a single phrase in the center.

I’m inside of you.

Her hand shook as she held onto the book. “I-I figured that, but w-why?”

The words rearranged themselves. I enjoy possession. Total control, isn’t that why you summoned me?

She swallowed and nodded. “You froze the coffee, didn’t you?”

I did, that was an accident.

“Well keep those accidents to a minimum. My sister still goes to church, she probably thinks I’m possessed.”

You are.

Ava sighed. “Yeah, okay, fair. How long are you going to be inside me?”

As long as I want. You belong to me now doll, and I can tell how happy that makes you. You don’t even have to tell me.

She quivered. Knowing that she couldn’t even hide what she was thinking from the demon made her weak. She wanted to be used again. Her sister knocked on her door and she closed the book .

“Come in!” 

The door opened and her sister looked at the floor. Ava realized she hadn’t cleaned up anything from last night. Her sister looked back up at her. “That’s a summoning circle.”

“How do you know that?”

“I’ve seen this before. I… you invited a demon into our house, didn’t you?”

Ava’s eyes flashed black for a split-second and her sister took a step back. The voice was back. Lie. “No, look, Kodi gave me a book, and my curiosity got the better of me, but it didn’t work.”

“Yes it did. I can see it in your eyes. They’re here.” She reached for the door, but it closed before she could grab it. She looked at Ava, at her black eyes. “Get out of my sister.”

She stood up and began to speak in that disarming voice. “Your sister invited me into her body. She consented to this. Let her be.” She took a step forward and collapsed. Ava’s mind started to flood back in, but it was a mess for them both. The last thing the demon heard was the word exorcism. The last thing Ava heard was the demon telling her that everything would be okay.

* * *

The room looked completely different to how it had been when Ava’s sister walked in. The bed was in the center of the room, and surrounding it were mirrors on all sides. In between each was a member of the church holding a rosary in one hand, and a bundle of sage in the other. It was beautiful, in a distinctly creepy way. 

At the foot of the bed, the old priest and the young priest stood side by side, reciting a prayer that the demon hadn’t heard in ages. She looked at the two of them and sighed. She knew what was coming next. The mirrors began to illuminate themselves as the humans in the room all froze. None of them could bear witness to what was to come. Their minds couldn’t take it.

The light grew brighter still, forming itself into a shape that was vaguely human. As it did the light faded from the mirrors. One by one, they each went out, until finally the form was solid. She said they’d need an angel, and they listened. The light died away from its body and it looked down at the demon. She looked up, and for the first time in her life, felt nervous. The angel was beautiful. 

It had long, golden hair, with wings as white as clouds. She wanted it. She wanted to corrupt it, and own it, and love it. And then it spoke, and she knew she would do all of that, and so much more.

“You must leave this mortal vessel. It is not yours to own. My name is-”

The demon cut it off. “What’s in a name?”

She rose from Ava's body and took form in front of the angel. It took a step back as the demon spread her wings. She folded them back in and turned to Ava. Her body was as still as the rest of the humans. She looked almost peaceful, other than the ropes that dug into her wrists and ankles. Churchgoers could use a lesson or two on safe bondage.

“She’s in danger.”

The angel looked down at Ava. “But not from you?”

She shook her head. “These people, they’re performing an exorcism, but as soon as she wakes up without me, she’ll be in trouble. They believe her transition to be satanically influenced. They think her friends have corrupted her.”

The angel looked up at the demon. “I’ll deal with it. Is that why you left her so willingly, to tell me that?”

“Well that, and she found my book for me.” She walked over to the bedside table and picked it up. She flipped through the pages for a moment before closing it again. “This was an idea that I had a long time ago. My friends and I decided to put our names in this book, and preserve it so that it could be passed from person to person.”

“You made a book designed to cause people to summon demons?”

She smiled. “Yes, is there a problem with that?”

It looked at her. “That shouldn’t exist, you’re controlling humans' will by putting that in the world.”

The demon approached the angel, backing it against the wall. She lent her head down to the angel's neck and felt it shiver. “Maybe there’s something else I should be controlling?”

The angel tried to speak, but she grabbed its throat. It whimpered and tried to struggle, but she was much stronger than it. She stared into its eyes and gave it a kiss as she placed the book in its hand.

“My address is on the first page. Find me once you’ve dealt with all of this.”

She dissipated into a puff of black smoke, leaving the angel all alone in the silent room. It looked at the first page. Just below her address were two words, an order. Be MINE.

* * * 

At this point, Ava was getting used to waking up groggy. All she remembered was passing out in front of her sister. She rubbed her eyes and looked around the room. Nothing was out of place. Nothing except for the angel sitting on her bed. It turned to her as she sat up.

“Good Morning.”

“Good Morning? Who are you?”

It flipped through the book. “The opposite of what’s in here.”

“An angel?”

“You’re smart. The demon told me about what the church had done, so I wiped their memories, and sent them all home. She’s gone from you, but she wanted me to make sure you were safe.”

Ava ran her fingers through her hair. “Gone, huh?”

“Yep, sent back to hell. You should get gone too. This place isn’t safe for you.”

She nodded and sighed. “I know, I want to, but where would I go?”

The angel tore a page out of the book and handed it to Ava. “You could try this number?”

She blushed, it was the number Luna gave her. “Y-yeah, I’ll give her a call.” She looked at the floor and let out an awkward laugh. “I uh, don’t suppose there’s any chance I could have the book back?”

It smiled. “Not a chance in hell.”

The angel dissipated into light, forcing Ava to avert her eyes. When it was gone, she opened them and looked at the paper in her hands. She dialed her phone. Three rings in, and they picked up.

“Hey, um… I need a place to stay for a bit, I was wondering if I could crash at your place? My apartment isn’t really safe anymore.”

“Why am I not surprised?” She asked. Ava blushed and tried to cover her face before realizing that Luna couldn’t see her. “You can stay as long as you need. Just be aware, I shed a lot…”

[thelostwordsofangelprimrose]

Snake Eyes

Humans never were the most open-minded of species, but the lamia got the worst of it. At first they were hunted out of fear, but that fear changed and morphed into prejudice. Hatred came shortly after. They were outsiders. They were a them to humanity’s us. A part of this magical world that had been kept a secret for so long. If anything of society survived, humans would have hunted them to extinction under the guise of safety, or maybe just for sport. 

Some of them had hidden away, in the deserts or caves of the world, places too harsh for humans to willfully search them out. They simply became another hazard of the area, much the same as polar bears were in the arctic. But for a lamia to survive in the remnants of society, well, they’d have to be cunning, dangerous, or beautiful. Luckily, the Snake King was all three.

No one was quite sure where she had come from. Tales as old as the war itself told of this creature, royal and powerful, conquering lands and bringing rise to mighty empires. Where she was, however, that remained a constant.

She was on her throne, curled up beneath a string of heat lamps. They were something of a rarity, but the King spared no expense on herself. In the dim light, her gold and red tail sparkled brilliantly. Her castle, built in the center of an old-world zoo, was never cold, but inside her throne room it was perfectly cosy.

Around her were several thralls, wearing collars that marked them as hers. The collars were more for show than anything. None of them wanted to leave her side. They had arrived in the midst of some inane quest, or in search of a warm place to stay, and found that life was better serving her. After all, the rest of the near-skeletal remains of the zoo had been transformed into a market by the King. She had an empire of commerce and inns and opulence at her disposal.

And from that wealth, she gave them everything they could ever need, at the small price of their will. But what good is free will in a world so cold and uncaring? It was much better to submit. To be owned.

Of course, Kai didn't know that. They only knew what they had been told, the orders they were given. Go to the castle, request an audience with the King, and get her support. It seemed simple enough, but as she passed through the winding marketplace, she started to get nervous. The people were normal enough, the guards on the other hand were anything but. Blank faced snake-people that stood as still as stone, as if waiting to strike. She made sure not to get too close to them, in case they saw her as a threat.

The castle didn’t help things either. Just looking at it made her want to run away. It looked unnatural. An ancient, man-made structure repaired and rebuilt with stone and metal mined after the fall. Kai had never seen anything like it in their life.

They walked through the doors and came to the main hall. The King was on her throne, waiting for the traveler. They approached her with wide eyes. She was beautiful, more so than any other person they had seen, but she also looked like a nightmare come to life. Looking at the King felt like staring into a pit so deep that she couldn’t see the bottom, and hearing that voice in the back of her mind telling her to jump. She was that voice. 

For a moment, their mind went to the tales they had been told in their youth. Tales of a massive library, full of creatures that could kill with a single glance. They looked at the King and wondered if she was one of those creatures, perhaps the only one that had escaped. They swallowed, and the notion fell with it.

"Can I help you?" She asked, looking down at the stranger as her bright green eyes shifted to pink.

Kai tried to speak but they had no words. Her voice wasn’t just the call of the void, it was the void itself. Hearing it made their body go numb. She felt like she was going to collapse to her knees at any moment. Like the whole world was falling away and all that was left was the two of them. 

And then the King blinked her eyes and they felt awoken from her spell. 

“An-antivenom,” they stuttered, "I've been sent to see if you'd be willing to provide a venom sample.”

She smiled and felt her fangs show themselves to the traveler. They shuddered in response. It was a noble request, but it wasn't the first time she'd been asked. If a Lamia-antivenom was ever created, it would cure any snake bite, including hers, and she wasn’t ready to lose that power.

"And for what reason would I supply this?" She asked as she slithered closer to the traveler. They backed up a bit, but the King stopped them with her tail. 

"It would he-help..." they trailed off, watching her eyes turn pink again, entirely lost in her gaze. "Help..."

“I think it’s a little late for help, don’t you?” Her eyes dimmed as she loosened her grasp on the travelers mind. “You walked into my castle uninvited. You asked me to relinquish one of my greatest powers. You don’t deserve help. You deserve to be marked as mine. I think you’d look absolutely beautiful pinned against a wall, struggling uselessly as I sink my fangs into your flesh…”

They shook their head and started to back up. Something in her body was desperate to run, but it had been quieted down by the King’s gaze. “I-I'm sorry, I d-didn't know, please…” They took another step back and tripped over her tail.

The landing jolted her brain. She knew she didn’t have much time to get out. She got up and ran, not daring to look back at the King. Those eyes, she thought, those horrible, beautiful eyes. They heard her soft voice echo through the halls behind her. She was calling to them, telling them to stop, but they couldn’t. They had to escape, before she used that venom on them.

As they ran, they passed by a few people who looked just like the ones on the throne. Vacant, aimlessly contented expressions. They paid her no mind as she slipped between them. There was something wrong here, she knew it before she walked in, but now she had to face it. Ahead, she saw a set of steps and started to climb.

At the top, they came to a door and paused. It was silent, both inside, and out. No sounds of slithering, no voice from that creature. They allowed themselves a bit of hope and took a moment to catch their breath. And then they opened the door. 

She was on the highest tower in the castle. From here she could see the whole of the zoo, lit up now by torches as the sun began to dip beneath the horizon. She had nowhere to go. She looked down the walls of the tower and found them completely smooth. The urge to jump was there, but the voice, it told her the opposite

"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm going to help you…” The King had followed her up the tower. As she looked at her, she realised how stupid it was to thing that she couldn’t hear slithering. Snakes don’t make a sound, why would lamia be any different?

“Pl-please, just let me go…” The pair locked eyes, and the world fell away. They didn’t even notice her tail sliding behind her, slowly wrapping her up. By the time she realised it, her body was already limp, and her mind had gone empty. The King took hold of her chin, and kissed her forehead gently.

“It’s okay darling, relax, I take good care of my property.” The King squeezed the traveler tighter, feeling all of their resistance drain out of their body. "You're safe now, you’re mine.” 

She squeezed tighter and they whimpered. "S-safe…”

They couldn’t think of anything but belonging to the King. Nothing seemed to matter except the warm embrace of her tail wrapped around them. Their eyelids began to shut as she kept talking, her words little more than soothing background noise to the thoughts swirling in their head. Safe and hers, Safe and hers, Safe and hers… 

* * *

She woke up with a collar around her neck. The King was nearby, sleeping on her throne, her tongue flicking out to taste the air every few moments. She was tasting for intruders, always making sure her pets were okay. That made them smile. They were hers. Her pet, to use, and train, and take care of, and love. 

Someone they didn't know cuddled up to them, and they fell asleep together, both dreaming of their wonderful owner.

On their necks, the King had left a mark. Her bite. If she was lucky, one of her thralls would start to shift into a lamia themselves, and finally, the King would be able to breed again. She would be able to create an entire nation of lamia, just as it was before the war. And for each of her heirs, she had a human servant ready to worship them. If they didn’t turn fully, well, there was always room for more guards in the market… 

[thelostwordsofangelprimrose]

Homecoming

June knew going into the library was a bad idea, but she couldn’t resist. Something pulled at her, telling her to go. Every dream she had was consumed by visions of walking the great halls of that maze-like structure, and her waking hours were much the same. Of course, she never once got lost in her dreams. Instead, she instinctively knew where every pathway led. She felt at home there, and there was nowhere else she wanted to be than home.

In reality, however, she knew that the library was dangerous. People had gone in, attempting to map the pathways of books, and never returned. Some say they found peace, and ascended to a higher plane amidst the centuries of knowledge held within. Others told more sinister tales. Claims of monstrous creatures that stalked the halls, and fed on human blood. Creatures more terrifying than anything the outer world had seen since the wars that had brought the fall of man.

Still, she was curious. After all, rumors and legends were only that; the truth always had a way of being far less sensational. 

She stood outside of the library, and felt inconsequentially small. She wondered if she should even call it a building. It felt far too revelatory for such a simple word, and beyond the grasp of a single phrase. The shape of the structure changed the longer she looked at it; brick and wood and marble all contouring in a shimmering haze. It looked like a mirage. It felt like it didn’t belong to this world.

It wasn’t just curiosity that drove her towards this place. She was in need of a rare book she had lost long ago. If anywhere had what she was looking for, it would be here. She walked up to the entrance and hesitated. Anyone was allowed in at any time, but it was never recommended to go alone. 

June didn’t feel alone. She felt confident, and independent. Besides, if groups of explorers had gotten lost, perhaps the best option was to walk the halls in a solitary state. Regardless, She was determined to get to what she needed and leave. She glanced down at the map she had brought with her and took a breath. It was a patchwork of the maps made by those who had managed to escape, but it was better than nothing. 

She walked in, and felt a wave of quiet wash over her. It was peaceful, and for a moment, she forgot why she was there. She walked to a banister, and saw that the library stretched on in every direction. Endless walls of books that reached towards the sky, and deep into the earth. It was just as beautiful as her dreams.

She closed her eyes and tried to focus. The book. She blinked a few times and looked at the writing scrawled on her hand. She was here to find the book. She couldn’t quite remember what it was about, but she knew the title, and that was enough. 

* * *

An hour later, June was lost. She had followed the map as far as it took her, but the walls seemed to change almost constantly, moving at the whim of some unknown force. Maybe the amount of magical knowledge had taken over the shelves and animated them. On top of that, every hallway looked the same; rows of leather-bound books on wooden shelves, lit by torches that never made a sound. She needed help.

In the distance, she spotted someone. The first person she’d seen since she came in. If she could just get to them, she could find her way back to the entrance and try again. She walked towards them, and they vanished. She knew they weren’t real. They couldn’t have been. The library was playing tricks on her.

And then from behind, she heard a voice.

“Excuse me, but are you lost?”

She turned around and let out a small gasp. June had never seen someone so beautiful. Their emerald green eyes seemed impossible to turn away from, but she didn’t mind. It was peaceful looking at them, she felt like she could do this forever. She nodded, but couldn’t recall what the question was. They smiled and cupped her chin. She may have whimpered.

“Don’t you worry, darling, you’re safe now.”

She couldn’t speak. This close, she could see their fangs. They were almost as entrancing as their eyes. The map slipped from her grasp as she quivered. The librarian snapped their fingers and the shelves around the pair began to contort. 

The sound pulled June from her daze and she looked around. She had to escape before they took hold of her again. She saw a small gap in the walls and ran through it, leaving the librarian trapped.

She ran aimlessly, cursing herself for losing the map, and for letting that monster trance her. She ran until her lungs burned and her legs ached too much to carry her forward. She needed to escape. She knew they were following after her. 

Ahead, the hallway branched off into two paths. She got to her feet and took the left path. It was a dead end. She turned around and found no exit from where she came. The librarian must have been who was controlling the shelves the whole time, and now they had her trapped. She tried to pull enough books off the shelves to climb through, but every time she took a second one off, the first would return. She fell back against a wall in frustration and felt it begin to rumble.

A single section had opened slightly, and she ducked through the opening, unsure of where it would lead her. 

Here, the walls were made of stone, and oil lanterns lit the way. There were scrolls in lattice-style holdings, and stone tablets covered in languages not spoken for millennia. Her footsteps echoed softly as she kept marching forward. She knew there had to be a way out.

At the end of the hall was a single, wooden door. She tried to recall what had been said about the doors in this place, but her mind was blank. At this point it couldn’t hurt to try. With no other options, she opened the door and peered inside. 

The librarian was sitting on a chair in front of a fireplace with their back to the door. She could have ran, but she didn’t. She knew it was too late for that. They had heard the door open, she had to enter now. She took a few steps forward, and the door closed softly behind her. She approached the librarian from behind, hoping to avoid their eyes. Maybe they could help her. Maybe she was scared over nothing.

“H-hi, I… need to find a book?” It came out as a question, but that was all the confidence she could put into her words. The librarian closed her book and tapped on the cover.

“What is the name of this book?”

June looked at her arm. The writing was tarnished from the sweat and dust, but she could still make it out. “23rd Century Potions, first edition.”

The librarian looked at the book in their hands. “Why do you need such an arcane book?”

June hesitated. “I… I need to make a potion of clearsight.”

They handed the book to her, and listened as she flipped through the pages, and the sounds of bottles being removed from her bag. The librarian stared into the fire, and thought about how she would taste. They thought about what the girl would sound like when their fangs finally broke her skin. And then the noises stopped. 

The librarian turned, and saw June holding a vial of grey liquid. They weren’t an expert, but clearsight was supposed to be blue. 

She put the bottle to her lips and drank it all in one go. It had a vile taste, but she knew she needed to drink it. At first nothing seemed to happen, and then the room began to spin. She leaned on the shelves for support until everything calmed down.

“What did you make?”

June smiled weakly as the potion continued to work its way through her body. “A potion of preemptive cleansing. It’ll protect me from monster bites. Y’know, things like werewolves, vampires, and zombies.”

“Do you think I’m a monster?”

“N-no, I…” she couldn’t finish her sentence. The two of them had locked eyes. She felt weak.

“You know you’re not getting out, don’t you?”

She nodded blankly.

“You don’t want to get out, do you? You could have made a clearsight potion and left here unharmed, but instead you chose to stay with me.” They crossed the room in the blink of an eye and held the girl against the wall. One hand holding her arms in place, the other grasping her chin. 

She blushed and tried to look away, but the librarian held her in place. “I… y-your eyes…”

“Are as beautiful as they are controlling, don’t you think?”

“Wh-what?”

“Oh doll, you don’t think you chose to make that, did you?” They smiled. “From the first time we crossed eyes, you’ve been under my control. And now I don’t have to worry about changing you. I can drain you every day, and always know that you’ll be safe. That I’ll always have my own personal supply of blood.”

She whimpered and tried to struggle, but she couldn’t move. The librarian had her firmly in their grasp, and they were far stronger than she was.

“You’ve always wanted this, haven’t you? Ever since you heard about the library, ever since you heard about me. You may have made yourself forget about the things you were told, you may have dismissed all the rumors and legends, but all it takes is hearing about me once, and your subconscious will do anything to steer you towards me…”

They leaned down and dragged their fangs across her neck, making her shiver. She couldn’t deny what the librarian had said. Right now, all she wanted was to belong to them. And as she stood at their mercy, she knew she couldn’t be happier.

They bit down and she cried out in pain. It was the most wonderful pain she had ever felt. Her eyelids began to flutter as the strength left her body. The librarian stopped feeding and brought her to the floor, resting her head in their lap. They stroked her hair and smiled as blood dripped down their thrall’s neck. 

“And now that you’re here, and now that you’re mine, and I’m going to take care of you until that potion wears off.”

She looked up at her owner, her eyes struggling to stay open. “A… and then what?”

“Then I’ll drain you completely, and make you just like me. You’re mine to own, mine to drain, mine to love, and mine to change.” They scratched her head and watched as her eyes slowly closed. “Sleep well, pet, I have you now.”

* * *

She ran through the library, feeling her heart pounding against her chest. Somewhere in her head a voice told her she needed to escape. Somewhere, a voice told her it wasn’t possible. She ignored that one, she knew where it came from. All she needed to do was get away from the librarian. 

They had let her go, the same way they had the last few weeks. She knew they were simply playing with their meal, but maybe she could escape if they still thought it was only a game.

She ran down a hallway and saw the walls shifting ahead of her. She slipped between them and found herself in a wing of the library that was entirely wooden. She hadn’t been told how long the cleansing potion would last, they refused to tell her. She barely remembered making it. Those eyes, they felt so controlling. 

She turned down a hallway, and came out into a larger, more open room. The walls were still forming it into something new. She spotted a shelf about to close off and ran toward it. She slid by and felt a gust of air blow past her as it closed. She was in total darkness. There were no lights here, and beneath her feet, the floor seemed colder than before. She walked slowly, with her hands outstretched until she came to something that felt like a door. She shuddered.

With nowhere else to go, she opened it. It was another office, much like the one her owner dwelled in, only older. It looked like no one had used this place for decades. She took a breath and went in. It was quiet here. She couldn’t hear the moving of the walls all around her. All she heard was her breath and the sound of her heart beating. 

She made it three steps in when a voice called out to her. 

“Now doll, are you supposed to be in here?”

She didn’t move. It was the librarian. She knew their voice. She looked at the fireplace, with its implements set around it, and tried to formulate a plan. Unfortunately, they moved faster than she could think. They stood in front of her, and looked down with their piercing eyes. 

She quivered and tried to back away. “Pl-please… you… you don’t have to do this.”

The librarian remained quiet as they approached her. She tripped over herself and fell onto the floor. It was freezing cold, despite the fireplace burning a few feet away. She shivered and tried to get back up, but they pounced and held her down before she could get far.

“I don’t have to,” they agreed, “but I want to. And I know you want me to, don’t you?”

She struggled but it was hopeless, they were much stronger than her. All she could do was hope the potion was still active. “N-no, please I…” she trailed off. 

Her eyes had glanced at the librarian’s and she once again found herself unable to speak. Even if she could talk, it wouldn’t have helped much. Every bit of begging seemed to make them hungrier, and more controlling.

“Oh my speechless pet, it’s okay. You don’t have to beg or plead, you know how this ends, we both do.” They bit down and felt her struggle to escape. She knew it was hopeless, and yet she had to try. It wasn’t long before she had lost the strength to fight back. That’s when she realized this was different.

It didn’t feel like all the other feedings. She felt like she was floating in an ocean of static, her whole body tingling with pleasure and pain. The librarian didn’t stop as they had before either, they kept draining her, until the whole world faded away to a pure, blissful nothingness.

* * *

She woke up in chains, blindfolded and on her knees. As much as she struggled to move, she couldn’t. All she succeeded in doing was making the metal rattle. She felt weak, and as she attempted to speak, she felt her tongue press against a pair of fangs. She knew there was no going back now, they had won this game.

The blindfold was removed, and the world became painfully bright. The librarian looked down and smiled. She looked up and whimpered. They had a glass in their hands filled with something dark and thick. It smelled amazing. She needed it. The librarian could tell.

“Oh, is something wrong darling? Are you hungry?”

She swallowed roughly, her throat dry and aching. “Wh-what is that?”

“I think you know well enough what this is. You can have it too, but it comes at the cost of your humanity.”

They took a sip and her desperation grew.

“Pl-please…”

“Please what, doll?”

“Please let me drink that blood, please…”

The librarian smiled. “Open your mouth, and tilt your head back.”

She did as she was told, and felt the rim of the glass press against her lips. She drank deeply as they tilted the cup, until there was nothing left. The room began to spin, and June pulled at the chains. She needed more, but she felt her strength fading with every moment that passed. Her body went limp, and all she could do was focus on the floor, and listen to the sound of her owner’s voice.

“Don’t you worry, my pet. This is only temporary. Your body will adjust, and then you’ll be just like me…”

Their words faded as everything began to fade to black again. Just like me, they told her. She smiled, and realized that was exactly what she wanted. The library was her home now, and she couldn’t be happier.

[thelostwordsofangelprimrose]

The Catgirl, the Witch, and the Worship

The witch breathed heavily as it ran, ducking between the trees. It wasn't quite sure how things gotten this out of hand. It tried to remember what had led to the hunt but, as far as it could tell, no harm had been done. Sure, a few dozen townsfolk had been turned into submissive catboys, but they were cute. Besides, no one had been hurt. Really, it had given them a gift, and they decided to chase it out of town to repay it.

Bringing itself back to the present, it kept focus on where it was going. Regardless of what had been done, they were angry, and it was wanted. Ahead, it saw a gap in the trees and broke through. It found itself on a lone dirt road, the light from the moon and stars above singling it out.

It turned around. No one was following; the woods were silent and empty, and it breathed a sigh of relief for that. Still, now was not the time to rest. It may not have heard or seen anyone yet, but they could still follow the trail it left through the forest. 

It turned around and saw a house in the distance. It was unlit, and looked empty. The perfect place to hide while this blew over. The witch made sure not to run, it didn’t want anyone to hear its footsteps on the road. 

That was the problem with witch hunters these days, far too many vampires. Their speed and strength alone made it unfair. Somehow, humans had gotten it all backwards assuming that those creatures were the good ones. It knew differently though. After all, it never drained anyone while they were sleeping. Awake on the other hand, well that was a different story.

It made it to the house and snuck around back. Everything seemed quiet, but it didn’t want to take any chances. It peered in through the window and found only darkness. Satisfied, the witch pulled on the door and cringed as it groaned open. It hurried inside and closed it, maybe too quickly based on the soft thud it gave off.

Upstairs, a door opened. The witch quickly hid, awaiting the owner of this house.

* * *

The boy sat up in a daze. He'd heard a sound, but he wasn't sure if it was just in his dreams. He listened for more noises but heard nothing. It was rare, but in times like this, he wished he had the hearing his girlfriend did. If only it didn’t come with all those terrible side effects… 

And then he heard it again, a soft thud directly below his room. It could have been his girlfriend, but she was supposed to be out the rest of the night. He summoned what little courage he had, and lit a candle. 

He opened his door and looked down the steps. There was no movement in the darkness below, and he knew he’d have to go down to make sure all was okay. As he crept down the staircase, the flickering light strained to illuminate the house, leaving shadows that seemed at times too human.

When he finally got downstairs, he saw nothing out of sorts. The door was slightly ajar, but the house was rather old, and it was prone to doing that. He went to close it when a voice called out to him.

"Make sure you lock it, we don't want any interruptions, right?"

He turned around, and found the witch staring at him. Its purple eyes shone in the dark room. He almost dropped his candle.

"Wh-who are you?"

It tilted its head and he began to forget why he was here, and then he started to forget where here was.

"Does that really matter? Doesn't it matter more who you are? Can you even remember who you are, pet?"

He thought for a moment, but every time he had a slight grasp on the answer, it melted away into a pool of other thoughts. Thoughts of obedience. Of submission. Of service.

It smiled and took the candle, setting it down on the floor. It’s face was beautiful up close, its voice even more so. "I guess you don't, but that's okay, I'll give you a whole new personality. Wouldn't you like that?"

He nodded absentmindedly. Whatever the witch wanted, he wanted too. It grabbed his chin and brought him in for a kiss, drawing out the last of his will. The witch reached into its bag and pulled out a white collar with black symbols embossed into the leather. It wrapped the collar around his neck and secured it in place. It started to talk, and the symbols began to glow. 

The collar didn’t need a lock, the spell was more than powerful enough to keep it firmly wrapped around his neck for as long as the witch wanted.

The colour in his eyes drained out until all that was left was whiteness. He quivered and fell to his knees. To him, the world was a senseless place, devoid of sights and sounds, and any perception of time. As soon as a thought attempted to make its way into his head, it vanished, all without him even knowing. 

The witch smiled as it looked down on him.

"Remove your clothes." It ordered. He did as he was told, presenting his naked body to the witch. He’d have covered himself up in embarrassment, but it didn’t allow him that emotion. All he could do was obey

"Good boy." It cooed. 

It knew he wouldn't hear the praise; the spell that kept the collar firmly around his neck stripped him of that. The only thing he could hear were the orders he was given, the only thing he could feel were the things the witch wanted him to feel. And it made sure that pleasure was not one of those things. Pleasure was for him to give, and it to feel.

It found a piece of rope, and tied his hands behind his back, then attached that to his legs, making him completely immobile. The witch smiled. Ropework wasn’t its best skill, but the way he was tied still didn’t hurt him. If he was going to feel pain, it wanted it to be purposeful.

The witch reached into its bag and took out a small potion bottle. The liquid inside was pink, with the consistency of honey. Apparently it smelled like roses, or maybe jasmine. Of course, it couldn't tell, it had lost its sense of smell long ago after messing with a spell it didn't know how to handle. However, the scents did give it an idea…

“Open.” The witch told him. He obliged, and it poured the liquid in. As soon as the bottle was empty, the changes started. 

It began with his hair, growing until it reached the middle of his back. When it was finished growing, a pair of soft, catlike ears began to appear on the top of his head. His eyes closed for a moment and he started to purr. The rest of his body soon followed suit, becoming softer and more feminine with each passing moment. 

The witch smiled at its creation, before securing a steel chastity cage in place. It clicked the lock, and put the keys on a necklace that hung in its cleavage. If he was conscious, he'd have whimpered at the sight. It wanted to hear him whimper.

"Jasmine Rose," it said, "congratulations, you're no longer a boy."

It touched his collar and brought him back to reality. He let out a confused whine as he looked down at his body, and then up at the witch. He struggled against the ropes but they were tied too well. All he could do was beg.

"Please..." His voice sounded more like his girlfriend’s than his own. His girlfriend… 

He thought about her, what would she say if she saw him like this? He had to get free before she got home, or she'd turn him instantly. He could almost feel her teeth in his neck. She wanted him to be able to protect himself. He just wanted to stay human.

The witch smiled at his attempts to break free. He was so cute and desperate. It wanted to ruin him.

"Please, what?" It asked.

"Ch-change me back, please..."

It lent down and kissed his forehead. He felt the same fuzzy feeling he did before, and slowly his thoughts began to slip away. It waved its hand and said a few words that Jasmine couldn't make out, causing a pink haze to come over her. 

When the haze cleared, she was wearing a short skirt, and a top that barely covered her new tits. If she was aware, she'd have blushed. Instead, she just looked up at it, her eyes as purple as the witches.

The witch's smile disappeared as it heard the lock on the door turning. Someone was coming in. It hid, hoping to capture the visitor in the same way it had the boy called Jasmine. She came in and it watched her from the shadows. She was too preoccupied with the state of Jasmine to notice it. The witch closed the door and she spun around instantly.

Witches don't have the best vision, but even in the lowlight of the single candle the boy had brought down, it could see the marks on her neck. It quivered. Vampires weren't known for being kind to witches. Before it could form a plan, the vampire had it held against the wall, a hand wrapped firmly around its throat.

"What did you do to him?" She asked.

"I... I made a few changes to Jasmine, but nothing I can't undo." It gasped, trying to calm her down. 

The vampire glared at it. Neither could trance the other; the only thing shared in this moment was anger. And then, it faded from her eyes. She pulled the keys to Jasmine's cage off the witch's neck with a tug, and smirked. 

"You locked him up?"

"Her..." It said, "and yes." Even if the vampire was going to kill it, the work it had put into making Jasmine would not be disrespected. Sure, she may have started as this creature's boyfriend, but she was now the witch's creation. 

The vampire didn't glare anymore, she only smiled as she looked the witch in its eyes. "I must say, you've made quite the beauty here, it'd be a shame to change her after all this hard work, right?"

It nodded shakily, unsure of where this was headed. The vampire looked down, towards the witch’s throat. “D-does that mean you’re going to let me go?”

She raised her eyes again. They weren’t effective in a magical sense, but the witch felt itself become weak in her gaze. “Oh, I’m afraid I can’t do that either. It simply wouldn’t be right to let a witch go free, after all, I have a civic duty to these people. No, I have a much better plan than that. I’m going to keep you as my own personal blood supply.”

It whimpered and tried to break free, but its strength was in spells alone. Physically, it knew it was powerless against her. The vampire lowered her head to the witch’s neck, and breathed gently, making it quiver in her grasp.

“N-no please, I’ll change him back, I’ll-” The vampire stopped it, placing her hand over its mouth. The witch's eyes went wide.

“No doll, you won't. You’re going to keep her like that for as long as I want. Jasmine needs to learn a lesson about protecting herself.” She removed her hand. “Understood?”

“B-but if I don’t change her back, she’ll be like that forever.”

“I’m counting on it. After all, I wanted to make her like me, now she’s one step closer.” She smiled, showing a pair of fangs that made the witch tremble. “That just leaves you, darling. I’ve never had witch blood before…” 

She lent down and dragged her teeth across the witch’s throat. It felt like an eternity of teasing. The witch knew what was going to happen, and it couldn’t do anything to stop it. It wanted to plead, but it could barely mutter out a single word. “pl-please…” 

The vampire bit down without warning, making the witch whine. It’s blood was different from what she had expected, but in a good way. It was almost sweet, and filled her with energy. She realized that she wasn’t just drinking her blood, but her magic too. It made her feel powerful. 

The witch tried to fight back at first, but knew it was futile. There was nothing to do but feel the constant pull on its neck. It hurt, but at the same time, it felt amazing. It quickly became sleepy and almost content. Something was wrong, but it couldn’t quite figure out what. 

The witch collapsed against the vampire as she drained the strength out of it. The last thing it saw before its vision faded to black, was Jasmine, on her knees, bound, awaiting orders. Just as the witch had left her.

* * *

The vampire was happy. To her left, her catgirl boyfriend was curled up, snoring softly. She hadn’t made the witch change much on Jasmine, all she wanted was for her boyfriend to be a bit more conscious. Just enough to enjoy being the pet she had been made into. She scratched her head and she started to purr. She loved that sound.

As for the witch, it was to her right, cuddling her. Months of daily feedings had left it too weak to ever want to leave. All it ever wanted to do was cuddle, all it ever thought about was being drained, and serving its owner. The more she fed on it, the more it wanted to be bitten. The poor dear had become addicted to the feeling, not that the vampire was complaining.

Two beautiful pets on either side of her. Both submissive, both obedient, both content in their roles. The vampire was definitely happy.

[thelostwordsofangelprimrose]

Hunters and Collectors

He saw the vampire go inside the house alone, and took an uneasy breath. He’d tracked her for several weeks before he’d finally found out where she lived, and it took two more before he caught her alone. He couldn't risk trying to take on two vampires, he wasn’t even sure if taking on one was a good idea. This was his first vampire, and his nervousness showed in the way his hands shook. He knew he should have gone home, but he couldn’t just let her go. He had to take this opportunity to confront her, regardless of how scared he was. 

He gripped the rosary around his neck and began to pray. Fifteen minutes of silence. He’d lost track of her, but the car she’d driven was still there. She was inside. He packed up his things and tried to steady himself. A bible, a crucifix, and a bottle of holy water.

He wasn’t trained to kill vampires, he was trained to save them. There was a group dedicated to that sort of handling, but he knew that killing wasn’t in him. All he wanted to do was to save their souls before someone less understanding got to them. 

He approached the house and paused. It was a small thing devoid of excess and extravagance, but still, he was cautious. There was no way to know what horrors laid inside, other than her. He crept up to a side window and saw, for the first time, a vampire up close.

He ducked back down in a panic and grabbed his rosary. He prayed twice, waiting until his breath had returned to normal before looking through the window again. The room was empty. He took a breath and slid the window open.

* * *

She was on her couch when she heard the window open. Someone was breaking in. She didn’t look up from her book however, she just sat and waited. She knew that in due time they’d come into the room, and she’d have herself an easy meal.

She looked up for a moment as the boy crept into her living room, and then back down to her book. He was much too young, too innocent. She had to at least give him an opportunity to leave.

“Go away, there isn’t much for you here.”

He stood still and kept silent. She closed her book and turned to him. He was cute, with better makeup than hers, although she didn’t much care for doing makeup most days. Unsurprisingly, eternal youth made her happy with how she looked most of the time.  Still, something was off about him, like he didn’t want to be here. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a cross. She stifled a laugh.

“I hate to break it to you, but I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

He shook as he held it out towards her. She didn’t really see him as the hunter type. At the very least, she knew he was new to this. He spoke up. “Y-you have been engaging in acts of vampirism that are unclean in the eyes of God…”

He trailed off as she stood up and grabbed the cross from his hand. “I don’t think this is going to do you much good, hun, I really recommend you turn around and head out my door before you wear out your welcome.”

He shook. His whole plan had been removed. “I-I… You shouldn’t be able to do that, you’re a vampire.”

“And? Where in the world do they teach you these silly things?” She tossed the cross aside, and wrapped a single finger around his rosary. “And this, do you even know how tacky it looks?”

“Please… you need help…”

“I need help?” She grabbed him by the jaw and he whimpered. “Are you sure about that?”

He couldn’t speak, he could barely move, all he could do was focus on her dark red eyes. They pulled him into a trance, the rest of the world going quiet and calm until she finally let him go. He stumbled backwards, falling over himself. She looked down with a smirk.

“I think it’s definitely time to go, dear. If you leave now, I won’t have to kill you.”

He tried to stand, but couldn’t. All he could do was stare up into her eyes, pleading and desperate. The feeling of being in that trance kept going through his head, he couldn’t shake how wonderful it felt to be under her control. 

He also knew that he wouldn’t be able to leave; that he was stuck here, at the mercy of the woman he was meant to hunt down. He tried to speak, but only a pitiful whine came out.

She grabbed him by the throat and guided him to his feet. “I'm sorry sweetie, you took too long. But don’t worry, my bites only hurt a bit…” 

He took a few steps back and hit a wall. His fingers trembled as he pulled out his pocket knife. “L-look, I’m not going to use this if you let me go.”

She grabbed his hand and twisted, the blade falling uselessly to the floor. His breath quickened as she held him against the wall. “You had the option to leave, but you took the time instead to daydream about my eyes. Now, I’ll tell you when you leave, and it won’t be until I’ve fed.”

He whimpered and looked down. He’d run out of options, all he could do was listen to her, and do what she said. She pushed him to his knees and walked back over to the couch. 

“Crawl to me.”

His eyes went wide. “C-crawl?”

“Now.”

His body flooded with butterflies. This vampire had complete control over him, and he loved every moment of it. He felt safe. He crawled to the couch and looked up at her from the ground. She grabbed him by the chin again.

“What do you know of us?”

“You’re cursed to have to drink the blood of innocent people to survive. You burn in the sun, and in contact with crosses, or at least I thought you did… I-I don’t know much, I guess.”

She picked up the cross again and smiled. “You’re new to hunting, aren’t you?”

“Yes I am. You were supposed to be my first healing.”

“Healing?”

He looked down but didn’t say anything. He was ashamed that he had thought he was ready for such a thing. He’d have run away if he could, but he knew he wouldn’t make it more than a few steps before she caught him. Instead he just closed his eyes and felt his face start to burn.

She put the tip of her stiletto under his chin, and pulled it upwards, until their eyes met again. “I asked you a question, I expect an answer. Were you trying to make me human again?”

“Y-yes I was.”

“And how did that work out?”

“Not great, given that I’m on my knees, at your mercy, soon to be fed upon and likely killed.”

“Perhaps you aren’t cut out for this whole hunting thing, maybe you’d make a good bloodbag for someone instead…” He let out a small whine, causing her to giggle. “You know, I’m surprised at how much you don’t know, did anyone even tell you about our hypnotic eyes?”

He tried to look away, but with her heel in place, all he could do was stare. He felt his body start to tingle ever so slightly as she spoke. He couldn’t quite make out the words, but every single syllable made him feel more and more comfortable, and more at ease. She stopped talking just as his eyelids started getting heavier. She removed her foot and let his head slowly dip down.

She got to her knees in front of him and smiled. As easy as it would be to take his blood now, she didn’t want this to be easy, she wanted this to be fun. She watched his eyes slowly reopen and start to focus. Just before he was fully awake, she bit into him.

His body shuddered as he cried out in pain. His blood filled her mouth, and she savored every drop. It was more pure than she expected, sinless in fact. This poor boy, she thought, I can’t wait to ruin him. To make him mine.

It didn’t take long before his body collapsed into hers, his arms wrapping around her for support. She pulled out of his neck and watched the blood trickle down for a moment, staining his shirt. She could have taken him now, she could have turned him, but she wanted to wait until he begged for it. And as she felt him quiver and whimper in her arms, she knew he wasn’t ready to beg. At least, not yet… 

* * * 

He held on for a few more minutes as she tended to the wounds on his neck. He started to pull away once he realized she was lapping at his neck, but she kept him in place. “Wh-what are you doing?”

She stopped for a moment and turned to him, watching his eyes glaze over. She smiled. “Let me do what I do best, okay? You just focus on being a good boy, and letting me drain you until I’m satisfied.”

He let out a shaky breath and nodded. She continued licking his wounds until they had all but healed over before turning back to him. “Now then, still want to hunt us down? Or would you prefer to stay here for a while longer?” 

* * *

The boy stood outside in the cold and looked at the door. It’d been three weeks since he’d last come to this place. He told himself that he’d never come back here, not after what happened last time. And yet, he couldn’t stay away. Her voice, her eyes, her teeth… he shook his head. He was supposed to be hunting these things down, and yet, he had turned into the prey.

He shivered and thought about leaving again. He never told her he’d be coming, he hadn’t even knocked. He could just leave, get his crosses and holy water and live his life like he was supposed to. After all, she was the first vampire he had tried to heal, surely they weren’t all so… enchanting, right? Maybe he’d have a chance against the others… 

He saw movement through the window and froze. She was walking towards the door. He held his breath, and a few moments passed. Nothing. He let it go and watched the vapor rise from his mouth. This was a terrible idea. He knocked.

Everything went silent for a moment, even the wind stopped blowing and the animals held still. He knew he made a mistake, but he couldn’t go now. The door opened and she looked at him with surprise. 

“You’re back?”

He nodded, not quite able to talk yet.

She squinted at him. “You want me to feed on you again, don’t you?”

Again, he nodded without speaking. He felt his knees getting weak.

“I thought after the last time, I’d never see you again. You left here quite disappointed in yourself. A vampire hunter who lets a vampire feed on them isn’t a particularly good hunter now, are they?”

He whimpered. “I…” he had nothing he could say. He knew he was a bad hunter for letting her feed on him, and an even worse one for coming back, hoping she’d use him again. Then again, maybe there were other things he’d prefer to be… “I’m not a good hunter, no.”

“But you are a very good meal. If you weren’t so prone to kill me, I’d invite you in now…” She smiled. “Of course, who would be so silly as to invite someone in who could kill them?”

“I-I wouldn’t kill you… I just…” He hung his head. She was giving him an out. All he had to do was walk away. But he knew couldn’t even move from where he stood without the risk of collapsing entirely. “Please…”

“Oh, you’re already begging?” She reached out a finger and placed it on his shoulder. “You want to be used? Get on your knees.”

He dropped, happy that he no longer had to think, that he no longer had a choice. She was in control now, and it felt so much better than he remembered. She looked down at him and shook her head. He looked up and melted in her gaze.

“You don’t just get to be my bloodbag for free, and as cute as it was draining a hunter, if I can’t trust you, I don’t want to be around you, is that understood?”

“Y-yes, I’m sorry, I’ll just go.” He tried to stand, but she reached down to stop him. 

“Oh no, you can stay, and be my pet, and give me all the blood I desire. The only thing you have to do is give up that silly little hobby of yours. The world doesn’t need more hunters; it needs more toys like you.”

He quivered in her hand and looked up at her. “G-give up hunting?”

She smiled. “Don’t act like it’s a hard choice. You came here, all alone, without so much as a rosary.” She slid her hand down to a pair of circular scars on his neck and pressed into them, making him whine. “The only thing that’s been on your mind is this, isn’t it? How good it felt, how much you loved being mine…” 

He tried to talk, but all that came out of his mouth was a moan. She pressed harder and he cried out in pain. “Pl-please, I’ll do whatever you want… I-I’ll give up hunting!”

She kept her fingers against his neck. “Tell me what you want, pet. Beg for it.”

He shook as he looked up at her. “I want to be yours, and give you my blood, and my service and everything else you desire, pl-please, I’ll do anything to earn that!”

She removed her fingers and left him to wait there on his knees. It was a cold night, but he felt nothing but warmth. He’d just given up hunting, he just begged to be used by her, and he was so happier than he’d been in a while.

She came back with a leash and a collar. He realized now that pet wasn’t a euphemism, and yet he didn’t struggle when she secured it around him. He knew his place. She led him through the house and into her bedroom. In the far corner was a cage, and he whimpered at the sight, but didn’t dare say a thing about it. She tied his leash to the bedpost and sat down on the end of the bed.

“I really am surprised you came back,” she said, “but more than anything, I’m glad. There is so much fun I can have with you, so many things I can make you do. But before anything, I need to make sure that you understand exactly what you are now.” She grabbed hold of the leash and tugged him closer to her.

“You’re mine. I own you. You’ll be allowed to come and go as you please, but this collar, it stays on. Understood?”

He nodded. “Y-yes.”

“Yes, Miss.”

He whimpered. “Yes Miss.”

“Good boy.” She undid his leash, pulled him to his feet, and pushed him against the wall. He could have struggled, but he didn’t want to. Not that it mattered, he knew he wouldn’t have the strength to fight her off anyway. “But you came here for a reason, didn’t you?”

He could feel his pulse in the marks she had left. “I-I did.”

“Why did you come here? What drove you to my doorstep? What did you crave so bad that you want to give up everything just for a chance at it?”

He quivered and almost fell to his knees, but the vampire caught him, and held him against the wall. He whimpered and looked her in the eyes. “I-I want you to drain me, it felt so amazing being in your hands, giving myself to you completely. I want you to use me however you want.”

She smiled, showing him her fangs. “You know, those scars would have healed before, but if you want me to use you every time I need blood, you’re going to be my permanently marked pet.” She pulled herself close, just above the marks she left last time. “But that doesn’t matter, does it? You want to be marked, and who am I to ignore such a humble request?”

He tried to break free, but she was in control. It didn’t matter what second thoughts he was having, she was going to do exactly as he asked, and drain him. He felt her breath on his neck and shook, unable to even think straight. A small moan escaped his lips as she bit down and began to draw out his blood.

The world went fuzzy, and everything became tinged with the pain of her bite. That pain he’d been craving to feel again for weeks. His vision began to fade as she drank more, and soon all his worries faded away. He was at her mercy, he was her pet, and he loved every bit of it. And then the world went black.

* * *

A short time later he woke up confused. He was on the floor, her floor. He tried to get up, but an arm around his chest stopped him. He turned his head and the world began to spin.

“Shhh, you’re okay,” the vampire said, holding him in her lap. “I’ve got you. You’re mine now, and I’m going to take care of you.”

“Wh… What happened?”

She smiled and ran her free hand through his hair. “I fed on you, and sometime during that you passed out. It happens a lot.”

“H-how much did you take?”

“Enough, for now at least.” She slid her hand down and gently felt the marks she had left, making him whimper and squirm.

“Pl-please…” he moaned, “Please don’t, not y-yet.”

She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. “Not yet, doll. Tomorrow maybe, but for now you only need to rest.”

She went back to playing with his hair as he rolled over and closed his eyes. He was safe here, safer than he ever was trying to hunt her down. She was going to keep him safe, and feed on him, and take care of him. He was her pet, and he couldn’t be happier. He let his thoughts drift away as took hold of the hand that was wrapped around his chest, falling asleep before he could notice how close they were to the cage in the corner of her room. 

* * *

He woke up groggy and confused a long while later. He was unsure of what had happened, the last thing he remembered was the vampire biting him. Everything after that was a blurry mess. He tried to get up as the fog cleared but he found himself trapped. She had locked him in her cage.

He shifted around and tried to look for her but saw nothing. Even the windows were covered in curtains so he couldn’t tell what time of day it was. He listened to the silence of the seemingly empty house for a moment or two. There was no way of knowing if the vampire was home, or if she had left him all alone. 

He realised that there wasn’t much that was going to happen until she came back, so he laid his head down and began to think. She had told him that he was free to come and go, but he felt a little less than free right now. Even still, he wasn’t about to complain. She’d made him hers, he belonged to someone. 

After that first encounter with her, he went to the church that had trained him and asked for help, but they had none to give. They took one look at his neck and told him that until he returned with a healed vampire, he wasn’t welcome back. 

He didn’t want to go back. He was happier here, even this cage felt cozy, it felt safe. The bottom was padded foam, and she’d left a blanket in there for him. He knew he was cared about here. He couldn’t say the same about his time with the church. The door opened and he turned his head to see the vampire coming in. 

“Oh good, you’re awake!” She smiled at him, and held up a key. “Want out?”

He nodded meekly but couldn’t say a word. He wanted to thank her, but he didn’t have the words. Part of him still wanted to run away from this beast, but a greater part was enamored, grateful that she decided to own him, and happy serving a purpose. She knelt down in front of the cage and looked at him through a pair of mirrored black aviators.

“Locking you in this cage isn’t me recanting my statement from yesterday, by the way.” She put the key in the lock, but didn’t turn it. “You are still free to come and go, I just felt this would be a good place for you to rest after all that happened.”

He whimpered. “Wh-why not the bed?”

“Because pets sleep in cages, understood?”

“Y-yes Miss.”

“Good boy.” She turned the key and opened the door. He crawled out and waited on his knees while she closed the door. She sat on top of the cage and looked down at him. “I gave you the option to leave, but let’s be honest, you don’t really want to leave me, do you?”

He shook his head and a bell jingled on his collar. His face went red. “N-no Miss, I want to stay with you, I like being your pet.”

“Good answer doll, because I like having you here. I like having a bloodbag to use anytime I want. Speaking of, how’s your neck feeling?”

He reached up a hand to the two scars and let out a small whine. They were sore and he was hoping she didn’t want any now, but the look on her face gave no indications to her plans. “Um… it hurts a bit, Miss.”

“Good. I want it to hurt, I want you to always have a reminder of me whenever there's a twinge of pain in your neck. A reminder that I own you, and that there’s no going back, even if you wanted to.” He quivered. She smiled. “Now, I have to go somewhere, and you can either come with me, or go back in your cage.”

“Wh-where are you going?”

“I have a meeting to attend with an old friend. Of course, if you're as big a fan of witches as you are vampires, I’m not sure it’s a great idea for you to tag along…”

“W-witches?” He’d heard rumors of witchcraft, but never seen anything like it. Then again, he was told of the horrors of vampirism and yet had experienced no such things. He nodded. “I’d um… I’d like to go with you.”

She smiled. “Good boy.”

* * *

An hour later, she pulled the car to a stop on the side of the road. He couldn’t see much, other than a small break in the trees that surrounded them. It looked like a path that led into nothingness. It was night time, but even still, he’d never been anywhere so imposingly dark. She stepped out of the car and walked over to his door. 

He looked out into the forest and listened to the sounds of bugs and animals scurrying about. Try as he might, he couldn’t hear another person. They were truly alone. For the first time since he asked to go with her, he began to think that this might have been a bad idea. He stepped out, and she attached a leash to his collar. “Follow me, pet.”

He stood up and followed her down the path, tripping occasionally. He was practically blind, and wanted to run back to the safety of the car, but knew he couldn’t. Not just because she might hurt him, but he couldn’t find his way back if he tried. She, on the other hand, walked without trouble.

Soon they started to see lights. In the distance, he could just make out an old cabin surrounded by torches. The reality of everything began to set in for him. He barely knew this vampire, he had no idea what this witch was like, and he had no way to escape, other than a sprint through the trees at night. He quivered as she led him up the steps to the front door. 

“On your knees.”

He looked at her. “My knees?”

“I’m sorry, I thought you wanted to be my pet?” She looked over the darkness that enveloped the woods surrounding the house. “Of course, I could take you off your leash and let you walk home? Yours of course, not mine. I don’t tolerate disobedient pets.”

He whimpered and got to his knees. She knocked. The door opened moments later and he looked up to see the witch for the first time. They were short, and pale, with silver hair that reached down their back. 

“So you’ve made it. I was starting to worry that you’d never take me up on my invitation.”

The vampire smiled. “I’d never miss out on a chance to see you. Unfortunately I had some… unforeseen circumstances arise.” She gestured to the pet by her side.

“Oh? Who is this?” They reached down and grabbed his chin, turning him to the side. They traced the scars on his neck and he whimpered. “Bloodbag?”

“For now, although that can change. He’s my new pet either way.”

They nodded and turned back to the vampire. “Well then, why don’t the two of you come inside?” 

* * *

The three of them sat at an old wooden table. The witch poured them each a cup of tea, and pulled out a box.

“This wasn’t easy to come by, but I was able to find it through some… otherwise unused contacts of mine. Let’s just say it cost a hefty bit for me to acquire. Before I show it to you, I need to know why you wanted it. This isn’t the type of thing you just play around with.”

“I know what I’m doing-”

“Then tell me.”

She tapped her fingers on the table for a moment and thought. He had no idea what was in the box, but for some reason he was terrified. He took a sip of the tea and started to feel dizzy. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

She started to talk, but the words meant nothing to him. The world began to fade in and out of view, and soon he found himself resting his head against the table. He could just make out the two of them talking as a hand brushed back his hair.

* * *

He woke up back in his cage. He looked around, confused, until he saw the vampire at her desk. He nudged the cage door but it was locked. He laid back down and heard his collar jingle. She looked over.

"Oh, is my doll awake?" She stood up, and he looked at her with a mix of hope and fear. She unlocked the door and let him out. 

"Wh-what happened?"

"Oh well after you fell asleep on my friend and I, we conducted our business and I brought you home."

"What was your business?"

"Oh that?" She put a single finger under his chin and looked down at him. “You’ll learn all about when I say. Pets shouldn’t ask questions, understood?”

He whimpered and nodded his head. “Y-yes Miss.”

“Good boy. And based on those cute moans you always seem to release, I have good news.” She smiled.“I need to feed.”

His face went red and he let out a small whine.  

“Don’t look so nervous,” she said. “You’re the one who wanted to be mine, right? I thought you loved me feeding on you?”

“I…” He couldn’t think of a good response. His wounds were still sore from yesterday, but he knew he wanted her to feed on him again. “Y-yes Miss.”

"Good boy." She grabbed the loop of his collar and pulled him to the floor. There wasn’t any elegance or care given. She was hungry, and he was her meal. He tried to squirm away, but they both knew it was only play at this point, there was nothing he wanted more than her bite. 

She pinned his arms above him, and he trembled. There was something different to her look, he couldn’t place it, but it scared him in the same way he’d been scared weeks ago when they first met. Back when he thought she might kill him. That’s exactly what he felt now. 

She looked down at him. “You know, I think you should know what I got from my friend. It’s a permanence potion. All you do is take a little sip after I do, and you’ll never be able to disobey me. Wouldn’t that be perfect? Just my toy forever, always following my orders without hesitation?”

His head spun. Taking away the choice to follow orders was scary, yet somehow he knew he wanted it more than anything. “Yes Miss, please take away my choices. Make me yours entirely.”

“How cute, so eager to be mine, and yet so afraid of being like me.” She lent down and kissed his scars. “But then, it doesn’t quite matter what you want, does it? I own you. I get to make all your decisions for you.”

“Miss please…”

She grabbed his hair and forced their eyes to meet. “Please what? What do you want, pet?”

The world started to go fuzzy again. His body felt heavier with each second, and all he could do was lay there and stare up at his owner. He did his best to muster a few words. To him they were just meaningless sounds. To her, however, they were everything she wanted to hear.

“Please Miss, make me like you.”

She didn’t waste a moment. She pulled his head to an angle and pierced his throat once more, feeling him quiver and shake beneath her. He was floating when he realized what he’d said, but he didn’t care. He felt each bit of his soul being pulled away, and he became more and more at peace. 

Things started to go dark then, but he could still feel the pull on his neck. It was the only thing that seemed to tether him to reality. He didn’t even know what it was anymore, but it felt amazing. It felt like the only thing that could ever matter in his life. And then it stopped, and everything went away for a long time.

* * *

He woke up, and the world felt different. Everything was louder, brighter, more disorienting. He couldn’t even tell where he was. He tried to feel for the bars of his cage, but found himself unable to move.

He heard someone, but couldn’t see them. They were breathing softly. Consistently. They were behind him. He tried to turn, but found himself incapable of even that. 

“H-hello?” He felt his tongue scrape against a newly minted set of fangs. He shuddered, remembering what he asked her to do. 

A voice came from behind him. It was soft and familiar. “Shhh, it’s time to sleep.” She pulled him closer. He looked down as his eyes began to adjust. He was in her bed. She had him wrapped in a straitjacket. It was the most comfortable he’d ever been. He was safe in her arms.

He closed his eyes and felt his fangs again as he drifted off to sleep. He smiled. This was so much better than being a hunter.

[thelostwordsofangelprimrose]

Trypanophobia

She looked at the supplies on her desk and hung her head. Two needles and a syringe, all three still in their sterile packaging. Even the vial of estradiol had its cap on. She couldn’t do this, even if her roommate had said they were better than pills, it was still too scary. The injection needle was an inch and a half long, how was she supposed to stick that in her leg? She needed a drink.

She walked to her door and opened it just a crack, hoping her roommate hadn’t come home yet. The pharmacy was out, she thought, just tell them that, and it’ll be okay. She walked to the kitchen and tried to think of a better excuse, but nothing came to mind. Just as she reached for the fridge, she heard her roommate open the front door. 

They came into the kitchen and hopped onto the counter. “Hey! Did you get the stuff from the pharmacy?”

She turned to roommate and sighed. She couldn’t lie about this, they’d know. She was an awful liar. “I... Okay, so yes, but no…”

“Yes but no?”

“I got them but I can’t do it, y’know? Stabbing myself, especially with those needles, it’s just…” She shuddered. “It’s just too much, I’m sorry, Sam.”

They thought for a minute as they followed Alex back into the living room. “Well, I could do them for you?”

Alex paused. “You’d do that for me?”

“Of course! I do my own anyway, I’m sure I can do yours too!”

* * *

A short while later, Alex sat on her bed while her roommate prepared everything. She was still nervous about this; injections in general were never her favorite thing. They were at best a painful inconvenience, and at worst anxiety-inducing and requiring a day to recuperate from. Still, she didn’t tell them to stop. Instead she just watched anxiously, barely able to speak. 

“What’s your dosage?”

“Um, a quarter of a millilitre…” She watched as they pierced the top of the vial and drew out the liquid. She could have stopped them before this, but now it’d be a waste of E, and with current prices she couldn’t justify that. Besides she thought, It’s just a quick pinch, once a week.

“Alex,” Sam asked, interrupting her train of thought, “Would you please take off your pants?”

Her eyes went wide. In the midst of her anxieties, she’d forgotten that the injection went into her leg. She felt her cage pressing against her jeans, and hoped to everything that Sam didn’t notice. “M-my pants?”

“Yeah, I have to give you the injection in your butt, it works better that way.”

“Um… okay…” Alex stood up and turned around, undoing her belt. I can’t believe I’m doing this. She let her pants fall to the floor and felt her roommate come up behind her. Her cage tightened. “S-Sam?”

“Yes?”

“Do you mind if I lay down for this?”

Sam smiled. “Not at all…”

They watched her get on the bed, and then crawled up after her, straddling her legs. “Now then, this should only be a pinch, just hold still for me, okay?”

Alex shook her head, and turned slightly to face them. “I… Sam, I don’t know if I can do this…”

Sam thought for a moment. “I have something that might help, but I need you to trust me on this, okay? Do you trust me?”

Alex nodded. Between being half naked, having her roommate holding her down, and the impending injection, she was speechless. Sam left the room, and she began to wonder about what they had planned. It wasn’t long after that she found out. They came in with their laptop and put it in front of her. On the screen was a spiral that spun endlessly. Alex couldn’t look away.

“Good girl,” Sam cooed, stroking her hair. “Just focus on the pretty spiral. Don’t think, don’t talk, just focus…”

Soon the sound of Sam’s voice faded away into distant noise. Her whole body became heavy and numb. Alex couldn’t move now even if she wanted to. Luckily for her, she didn’t. She wanted to be held down by her roommate, she wanted to watch this spiral, she wanted to let all her thoughts and worries fade away.

Sam grabbed her panties and tugged them down before wiping away a small patch of skin with an alcohol wipe. Alex closed her eyes and took a breath, barely hearing the needle being uncapped. She felt a sharp pain and gasped, but before she could think about it, it was gone. She opened her eyes and looked around, the world still a dizzy, fuzzy mess. 

“S-Sam?”

“It’s over. I’m really proud of you,” they said, their voice still soothing Alex even as they closed the laptop.

Alex smiled and rolled over, forgetting about the cage she had on. “Thank you, I’m really glad I have you to do these for me.”

Sam looked down and smirked, taking hold of the cage. “Oh, it seems you’re a bit more than glad, doll…” They looked up at Alex’s blushing face. “Did you enjoy those pretty spirals?”

Alex tried to cover up, but Sam grabbed her hands and held her down. She let out a small moan. “Oh no, no covering up, sweetie. I asked you a question, and I expect an answer, understood?”

Alex nodded sheepishly. “I-I really enjoyed looking at the spirals, and listening to your voice…”

“Good girl! Now tell me, how long has this been on?”

“Um… a-a few days…”

Sam grabbed the cage again and Alex whimpered. “A few days? Who’s holding the keys?”

“I-I am…”

“No you aren’t, not anymore.” They walked over to her desk and began to search the drawers until they found what they were looking for, a small set of silver keys. They sat back down and played with them, eliciting a whine from Alex. “If you want those injections done every week, you’re going to have to earn them. Of course, you could always try and do them yourself?”

“Wh… but I…” Alex tried to think of what to say, it’d been so long since she had a keyholder, and she knew she couldn’t handle doing the injections herself. She looked at the keys in their hands and quivered, her clit throbbing in its cage.

“But what, doll? You could have taken that off before we did this, but you didn’t. That must mean it’s pretty comfortable, right? It’s almost like you wanted this to happen, like you wanted to be under my control…” 

Alex went quiet. “Y-yes, um...”

“Ma’am,” Sam finished.

“Yes Ma’am, thank you for holding my keys, doing my injections, and controlling me.” She closed her eyes and her face burned. I can’t believe I just said that…

“Good girl, maybe if you behave well, and follow all my orders, you’ll earn a release next week. After your injection, of course.”

Alex covered up her cage and looked up at Sam. “Th-thank you Ma’am, that’s very generous of you.”

* * *

The next day, Alex walked into the living room to see Sam wearing the keys as a necklace. She whimpered and tried to ignore them, but Sam wasn’t going to let anything slide. 

“Doll?” they asked, “Come here, would you?”

Alex blushed but obliged, sitting next to them on the couch. “What’s up?”

Sam raised an eyebrow. “I’m sorry, I don’t think our talk yesterday really got into that silly little head of yours, so let me clear a few things up. One, you will call me Ma’am anytime that you wish to speak to me, understood?”

Alex’s eyes went wide as she tried to form a response. “Y-yes Ma’am.”

Sam smiled. “Two, when I request your company, I expect you to be on your knees; property like you has to earn the privilege of being on the couch, understood?”

“Yes Ma’am.” She replied, getting off the couch and onto her knees, staring up at her new domme. She didn’t expect things to go this fast.

“And three, these keys around my neck mean that I own you now. I control if you get to cum, what you get to wear, and how you get to act. You wanted me to feminize you with these injections, right? Well, now I’m feminizing the rest of you, until you’re my perfect little sissy.”

Alex quivered, and her cage began to tighten. She really shouldn’t have told Sam about her fantasies. How long had they been planning this? She thought, is this why they wanted me to switch to injections? She looked down and nodded her head. “Thank you for feminizing me, Ma’am.”

“Good girl. You need more than just to say that though, you need to mean it. Tonight we’ll go through your clothes and get rid of anything that isn’t a dress or a skirt. From now on, that is all you’re allowed to wear.”

She looked up at Sam pleadingly. “But…” 

“Oh, I’m sorry, would you prefer to stop? I can hand back your keys, you can do your own injections, and we won’t ever have to play like this again… Would you prefer that, sissy?”

Alex whimpered. “N-no Ma’am, I’m excited to only wear dresses for you, and be your perfect little sissy.”

Sam smiled. “Good girl.”

[thelostwordsofangelprimrose]

Corruption and Comfort

The angel was nervous walking down the street. It didn’t come to earth often, it wasn't supposed to when it didn’t have to be. And it knew it didn’t have to be. No one needed saving, no one prayed for them to be here.

It looked down at the crumbling sidewalk that was marred with vines, broken from years of frost and thaw, and altogether needed replacing. It was broken, like the angel itself. Was it broken though? The angel thought to itself as it kept walking. After all, both served a purpose, even if the angel’s wasn’t exactly what it wanted. On the other hand, angels don’t disregard rules, especially not for this…  

It was a dark night, but a few lights still shone, as sparse as it was this far from the town. Eventually the sidewalk began to fade away to a path into the woods. It stopped. This was its last chance to turn back. It didn’t have to go down there, it shouldn’t. It should return to heaven and forget she ever existed. But it couldn't. 

It took the first step, and then the second, and soon it was being pulled deeper along this path, deeper into these woods that it feared, or possibly hoped, there was no escape from. As it walked along, its white robes began to get marred with the dirt and mud below, slowly turning them blacker with each step. Eventually it reached the house.

It expected something more sinister, but it was only a house. Simple and plain, and functional. It looked at the door, knowing what was waiting on the other side, knowing who was waiting. Its robes blew in the first breeze of an otherwise still night. It approached the door, and the door opened without a touch. It still could have turned back, but it knew it didn’t want to, not after coming this far. It took three steps in before the door closed quietly behind it. 

In the unlit house, it saw a figure drift by, stopping it in its tracks. She was here. She came closer, stopping just in front of the angel. A smile crept across her face as the angel trembled.

“I didn’t expect you to visit,” she said. “An angel coming all the way down here to meet a demon seems quite the breach of rules. I’ll assume, going off how nervous you look, that you aren't here to kill me. That must mean you’ve thought about my offer?”

The angel nodded. “O-one week of servitude…” it trailed off, looking into her eyes. They were entirely black, it could see its reflection. It could see everything it was about to do and say. 

“And?” 

The angel faltered, unsure if it should go through with this. Then again, it was a bit too late for that. “And if I don’t want to leave, I can stay yours, forever.”

The demon smiled again, this time her fangs came out. The angel quivered. “If you’re so ready, why are you still standing?”

The angel dropped to its knees and looked up at the demon, who grabbed them by the chin and produced a collar. It was made of plain black leather, but hanging from the loop was a pentagram. It tried to struggle, but the demon was far too strong. All it could do was beg.

“Pl-please… not with that…”

“Please what? I told you when I offered this to you that you’d spend the week marked as mine.” She pulled the collar around its throat and looked it in the eyes. “Come now angel, I know you came down here because you wanted this, didn’t you?”

The angel whimpered. “Y-yes, please collar me, pl-please mark me as yours.”

The demon adjusted the strap to fit tightly around its neck, and locked it into place. “That stays on the entire time you’re here, understood?” The angel nodded. “Good boy.”

She pulled out a leash and attached it to the collar, leading the angel upstairs on its hands and knees. She opened the door to a bedroom and tugged on the leash, pulling the angel up onto the bed. She grabbed its hands and tied them to the headboard before securing each leg to the posts at the bottom of the bed. She straddled the angel who was quivering beneath her, and pulled herself in for a kiss.

The angel’s face turned bright red as it realized what was happening. Just as it began to enjoy it, the demon pulled away. “You’re unexpectedly good at that, pet, I’ll have to make sure to use you for that often…”

The angel tried to cover its face, but with its arms high above them, it only managed to writhe, which the demon simply sat and watched with a grin. “I… thank you… um…”

“Daddy, doll, call me Daddy.”

“Y-yes Daddy.”

“Good boy.” The demon crawled off them and opened a drawer on the nightstand, pulling out a chastity cage. The angel writhed even more when it saw it. The demon didn’t care though, she simply straddled her newfound property and pulled apart the stained robes, revealing a pair of pink, lace panties. 

“D-daddy…” The angel whimpered, trying to form a sentence. “Don’t lock that on me, please…”

The demon didn’t reply, instead letting her tail wrap around the angel’s mouth while she pulled down its panties. Without much effort at all, she secured the device, and clicked a second lock on her doll. She turned around with a pair of keys in her hands, one for the cage, one for the collar. “These, my poor, owned angel, are the keys to your freedom. When your week is up, you can get them back… Unless of course, you decide to stay, in which case, they’ll make an adorable set of rings for the two of us, don’t you think?”

The angel was speechless. This was everything it wanted, for this demon to have complete control, and now it was happening. It didn’t need a week, it knew now it wanted to be hers forever. Still, it couldn’t say that, it couldn’t say anything, it was too focused on something else. Her teeth.

“I asked you a question, and I’ll expect an answer, is that understood?”

It swallowed and blinked, looking away from the demon. “Yes Daddy, I understand, and I think it would make a cute set of rings.” Its eyes went wide. Hopefully the demon didn’t take that to heart.

Luckily for the angel, she didn’t. “Good boy, we’ll see how much you think that in a week’s time. For now… I need to feed. Humans, they make blood, but from an angel like you? It’s better than any human, or so I’ve been told.” 

She leaned down and kissed the angel again. She whispered in its ear, so close that the angel almost felt her tongue. “Tell me, pretty boy, aren’t you eager for me to feed on you? Don’t you just want to give me everything I crave?”

The angel whined in response, unable to form words. It nodded its head and stared into its owner's eyes but the demon stayed there, inches away from its neck.

“Oh, my dear angel boy, if you want me to feed on you, you’ll have to beg.”

The angel’s eyes rolled back a bit, and the world began to go fuzzy. It shook its head and looked back at the demon. “Please Daddy, please feed on me, please sink your fangs into my throat and mark me as yours, please Daddy, let me give you everything you crave!”

The demon lent down to the angel’s neck, just above where its collar sat. She slid her fangs along its neck and listened to every whimper, soaking them in. By the time she settled on a spot, the angel was shaking with desperation. 

“Pl-please, please, please…” it whispered, hoping that its owner would oblige them soon.

And she did, without a single word of warning she sunk her fangs deep into its neck, drawing out the blood and soul of the angel, bit by bit. Slowly, its wing’s pure white luster began to slip into a shade of gray. It’d been tainted, marked by its owner, and it couldn’t be happier. In its head, the world went quiet; peace and warmth filled its body. It was safe in its Daddy’s arms. Slowly, the world began to fade to black, its vision tinged with murky darkness on all sides.

The demon pulled away, her mouth stained red. The blood was exactly as good as she was told, in fact, it was better. As she caught her breath, a few drops landed on the angel’s white robes. She loved how it looked. She loved how the angel looked, sleeping peacefully, tied up just for her. 

Slowly, the angel began to stir, as much as it could with everything holding them in place. Its eyelids fluttered open, the world still blurry. “D-daddy?”

The demon smiled and brushed back a few strands of the angels golden blonde hair, of her angels hair. “I’m right here doll, Daddy has you.”

The angel smiled. “Daddy has me.”

The demon undid the ropes around its arms and legs before cuddling up next to them, a single finger hooked onto the loop in its collar. 

The angel smiled and looked over to the demon with its golden eyes. It could have laid there in silence together for hours, but the angel needed to say something. “Daddy?” 

“What is it my pretty boy?”

“I don’t need a week, I want to be your corrupted angel boy forever, marked as yours, and owned by you.”

She smiled. “Oh doll, I knew from the moment you fell to your knees that you wanted to be my pet for far longer than a week, but I’m glad to hear you admit it, because I never want to let you go.”