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#cw mind control
i-drop-level-one-loot · 8 months
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*NSFW* How to train your pet Human pt. 3 (Yandere!Alien x GN!Reader)
CW: Dub-con, mild psychological distress, mind break, dead dove fic
Part 1, part 2
Kirtch slumped over his friend's standing chair, miserable and mopey.
A tall creature, taller than even Kirtch, sighed dramatically, sauntering around their depressed friend with a smaller horned being crawling behind them.
"I don't understand what I'm doing wrong." Kirtch whined pathetically in Jaudna's native tongue. Jaudna made a gurgling sound with the soft spot on their head, the closest human equivalent being someone rolling their eyes. They sprawled across their lounging seat, motioning for their pet to stay on his knees.
"I'll tell you exactly what you've done wrong. You pampered them too much."
"I punish them!"
"You punished them for their escape attempt. That was it. You've allowed your pet to test your authority in plenty of ways after that."
The man on his knees pleaded with his eyes to be let up, but stayed perfectly still, like he wasn't alive. Kirtch noted Jaudna's pet's demeanor with discomfort. That discomfort only lasted until he imagined (Reader) in that same position, looking up at him with their large dewy eyes, waiting so patiently to be held by him... his discomfort was replaced by jealousy.
"You don't understand, (Reader's) such a sweet little pet, and whenever they struggle they're so cute about it. I just can't understand why they aren't happy."
"Humans' minds are incredibly flawed. According to the few psychological texts I have gotten my claws on over the years, their memory is not set in stone like ours, it is fickle and easily manipulated. One of my books referenced a case in the nation called 'The United States of America' where nearly the entire country fell into panic over an imaginary evil, because a few doctors used a phoney science called 'hypnotism', a practice they believed could help recover forgotten memories, on a bunch of children, but accidentally implanted false memories of abuse, leaving the children traumatized, believing that they had been victims of a horrific occult."
Kirtch looked to his good friend nervously. "Are you implying I do something nefarious to my pet's mind?"
"No, I'm showcasing an example of how stupidly easy it should be to train your pet to love you." They tossed a book into Kirtch's hands, the cover printed with a photograph of a wild looking man, with fluffy hair and dark, hateful eyes. "Hypnotism isn't the only creative way humans have learned to reprogram each other."
Kirtch almost threw the book back, but saw Jaudna's unnamed pet still sitting so patiently for his master, and the pain in his body where his heart may have been throbbed again. "Thank you.. Jaudna."
(Reader) had waited for what they assumed to be well over an Earth day, alone in Kirtch's quarters, waiting for his return. The only company they received were the employees who brought their meals, speaking down at them in a language they didn't know, but could understand the disgust. It had been over a month since their fight with Kirtch. Every day since had been nothing but hell, feeling like their heart had been ripped out, they laid in their bed cage, only moving when necessary, allowing themselves to hide away inside their own mind.
The main door opened again, and (Reader) could hear Kirtch's long, graceful steps as he passed through the study and into the bedroom. "(Reader)? Are you still in bed?"
In an act of defiance, (Reader) kept their mouth shut, pulling the blanket tighter around their shoulders. But it was of little use, as Kirtch easily lifted their purposefully dead weighted body out of the bed.
"I'm sorry I was gone for so long, pet, but I had to see an old friend for advice." He carried (Reader) back to his desk, sitting them in his lap, fighting to hold them upright as they flopped about limply. "(Reader), please sit up so I can take off your shirt."
He began working on the wrists, the intricate metal cuffs with multiple buttons that almost acted like locks, and (Reader) subtly straightened their back to give him better access to the neck corset thing, thankful to finally have it off for a couple hours at least. (Reader) had grown to find it somewhat elegant the past few months, but it still was an incredible pain in the ass.
Feeling the air on their neck was bliss, and (Reader) immediately ran their fingers over their skin. (Reader) breathed a deep sigh, relaxing their body unintentionally. But almost as soon as their hands left their throat, a new collar was latched into place, a loud mechanism clicking as it tightened, stabbing the back of their neck with what felt like a fixed needle.
(Reader) cried out in pain, sprawling out their limbs on reflex, pushing themselves out of Kirtch's embrace and onto the floor, lying naked on their knees as they clawed at the collar, desperate to relieve the pain.
"What?? Why?" Their voice was barely audible through their sobs.
"I'm so sorry my pet, the pain will end soon, wait-" Kirtch pushed a button on what looked like a remote, and (Reader) could physically feel the rush of liquid enter their body, then the pain lightened, leaving (Reader) almost euphoric in it's absence.
"What is this? Why did you do this?" Betrayal laced their tone, and Kirtch looked almost on the verge of tears, but he stood still, refusing his urge to scoop up his little pet and beg for forgiveness.
"I know now that I didn't train you correctly, and for that I am sorry. I've given you too much leeway, and that is why you've been so unhappy." He took a ragged breath, thumbing the controller as he thought out his words. "I didn't want to do this, but I care about your happiness. This is for the best."
"So you put a shock collar on me?" (Reader) asked incredulously, spitting venom.
"No, nothing barbaric like that!" Kirtch looked hurt, flinching as he almost dropped onto his knees to comfort (Reader). "I just need to convince you that you're happy here with me, just as I did the first night you were here, to help you release your stress."
(Reader) remembered the shot he gave them, that first night when Kirtch used a toy to get them off, the hormones he artificially added to their body to make them feel pleasure, and then thought about the pain in the back of their neck. The color drained from their face. There were only two options; plead or double down.
"You can manipulate me all you like, I'll never be happy here." A tear escaped as (Reader) transformed their hurt into anger. "I deserve someone who will love me, not as a pet, but as an equal. Because I am a human fucking being. And we have partnerships. We don't jack off our pets, we do not love our pets like we love the people we have sex with, because that- that is not okay! Why did you.." (Reader) couldn't stop themselves from crying, looking up to try to at least slow the waterworks.
The silence between them was loud. (Reader) turned away, wiping away their snot with their bare arms.
"Pet, noun; a domestic or tamed animal kept for companionship or pleasure. Adjective; denoting a thing that one devotes special attention to or feels particularly strongly about." (Reader) looked up, horrified. "Your's may not be my first language, but I feel I had a pretty decent grasp on my understanding of what a pet is."
Kirtch placed a hand over his face to hide his expression.
"You'll be happier once this is all over. I promise."
"You son of a-!" (Reader) couldn't finish their sentence, more fluid passed into their spine, followed by an immediate sense of emptiness. Extreme anxiety flooded their body, causing severe stomach pain almost instantly. They collapsed, holding onto their midsection, their bare skin clammy. "What? Why?"
"No more talking back to me, pet." Kirtch kept his voice steady.
(Reader) cried out, rapidly becoming exhausted from heavy nothingness filling their body. "Please.. stop.."
Kirtch nodded, appearing relieved. He pushed another button, and the emptiness ebbed away, leaving (Reader) numb.
"I don't understand why you're doing this." (Reader) weakly grumbled, too tired to pick themselves up.
"Because I want you to be happy."
"I'll never be happy with you."
"Why?"
"Because! I deserve to be loved!"
"I love you-"
"Fucking liar." (Reader) snarled, knowing that this would cause them to be punished again, but needing to get in the last word. Kirtch looked so miserable, so crushed by (Reader's) words, but they felt vindicated by his pain. They needed to twist the knife deeper.
He smiled, so sadly, and grabbed a blanket, bending onto one knee as he covered his pet. "I love you, (Reader)."
Their heart clenched, and their face flushed. Immediately they searched his hands for the remote. "S-stop that."
"I love you."
Chemicals pumped into their neck, making (Reader) feverish and causing their thighs to ache. Their breath hitched, and tears of betrayal escaped. "I hate you."
"I know."
More pain gripped their throat, regret causing physical discomfort. "Why are you doing this?"
His smooth shelled fingers caressed their jaw, tenderly cradling (Reader's) face as though he needed them. Kirtch's touch sent shivers across (Reader's) skin, and they couldn't tell if it was because of the collar or their loneliness, but they wanted to pull him closer, make him touch them more.
"I will live for much longer than you. I will watch you grown old, and die. Even then, I will still love you. You are the most incredible creature I've ever met. I don't mind if you push me away, and slap at me. I just want you to be happy, at least most of the time." His head grew closer, his hardened face almost brushing (Reader's). "Let me make you happy."
'I need to fight back. Make him pay! I'm practically a slave! He bought me! I'll never see my family again because of him!'
(Reader) leaned forward, mind melting through their ears from the intense heat, and smashed their lips onto where his should have been.
All rational thoughts were drowned out by the intense need. They needed him, his love. (Reader) was aware of the sound of buttons clicking, but they couldn't stop, crawling onto Kirtch's body, feeling the edges of his joints scraping their back as his hands hungrily roamed their body, wanting to touch everything.
They would have felt ashamed, knowing how aroused they were, their exposed body touching Kirtch's stomach. Sweat was clinging to (Reader's) skin, and their eyes drooped stupidly. The only thing they could think of was relieving themselves, and wanting to see Kirtch relieved as well.
"Are you going to fuck me?" (Reader) whined between wet kisses, drunk on his touches.
"I will, if you want me to."
Their mood shifted, frustration beginning to surface again. "No. If you love me, wouldn't you want me?"
Kirtch sighed, fiddling with the remote behind (Reader's) back. "I do not have the same nervous system as humans do. We only engage in sexual acts for the purpose of procreation."
Shame shocked (Reader), sobering them up instantly. "Oh. I- I am so sorry." (Reader) moved to get off of Kirtch, but was held in place by the much stronger being.
"I will, to make you happy."
"No, I'm sorry! It won't make me happy knowing you aren't feeling good. I'm-I'm sorry, please let me go."
Kirtch pressed the button again, watching his pet's face darken and their mouth go from frightened to slack jawed. "Knowing you are feeling pleasure, from me, and only me, will bring me more joy than I can express." His cloak was ripped away, revealing his gorgeously colored exoskeleton. Kirtch gripped (Reader's) face tighter, forcing his blue tongue deep into their mouth, bursting with pride at the sounds (Reader) was making.
"What do you want me to do?" Kirtch asked, not intending on sounding like he was teasing them, but Kirtch craved the sound of their voice begging him.
"Please.." (Reader) swallowed their drool, feeling the hormones pumping into their brain, but too horny to care. "Please fuck me."
The spot on his pelvis where a human's genitals would be split open and a long, slimy cock revealed itself, growing behind (Reader's) back to a horrifying size. (Reader) only became aware of his erection when it fell forward, slapping against (Reader's) ass and lower back. In their intoxicated state, they turned back to look at what had suddenly touched them, and their eyes grew large in surprise. "Is that..? That's too big..."
Off balance and tipsy, (Reader) turned around, still sitting on Kirtch's abdomen, so that they were facing his exposed dick, and touched it experimentally. It was ridiculously huge, but because of the hormones being injected into (Reader's) neck, they were ravenous, using both hands to pump up and down on the shaft as they stuck the thin tipped head into their mouth, tasting Kirtch passionately. Kirtch was beyond elated, watching his precious pet so needy for him.
Kirtch picked (Reader) up, moaning at the popping sound as he pulled their mouth away from his body, seeing nothing but love in (Reader's) eyes as he spun them back to face him, and slowly began lowering (Reader) onto his naturally lubricated member. "Keep looking at me."
(Reader's) mind was hazy, and it felt like they were about to die, saliva and alien fluids leaking out their mouth and down their chin. Their internal voice had gone silent, the amount of tampering that had been done to their brain left (Reader) devoid of rational thought and intellect. "Yes sir." They barely got the words out as Kirtch entered their body, sliding into their needy little hole easily and without resistance, ramming himself in so their pelvis smacked into his shell with a wet plop, bringing (Reader) to a climax just from entering.
"Smile for me, pet." Kirtch cooed joyfully, loving how (Reader's) body spasmed, before slowly lifting them up, revealing the trail of their combined wetness stretching between their reproductive organs.
(Reader) smiled, reacting on autopilot as they rode out their orgasm, practically biting off their tongue when their sensitive body connected with Kirtch's again. "Ahhh, I already came! Stop!!" Their words cried for relief, however their voice and smile demanded more. It was too much, and (Reader) did want a break, but it also felt amazing, and that dirty little part of themselves that was desperate for love needed their body to be abused.
Kirtch bounced (Reader) on his cock, fucking them like a toy, regretting that he didn't have a camera rolling to capture just how adorable his pet was in his hands. "Look at how happy you are, pet! Don't you want to be this happy all the time? Don't you always want to be happy, with me?"
Kirtch greedily pushed the button again, peppering (Reader) with kisses as they came again, their sticky juices splattering on his stomach. The squelching sound of (Reader's) bruising body getting fucked by the hard as steel monster beneath them was music to Kirtch's ears. He had, embarrassingly, read the book his friend had lent him, and knew now how humans used pleasure to keep brainwashed people by their side. But it wasn't just pleasure, it was that feeling of connection. He had thought about what (Reader) had said, that humans don't jack off their pets, and that made sense, for animals that did not share the same level of intelligence as an adult human. What (Reader) needed, was to feel equal, to feel like they weren't just a pet, but a partner. So how would they feel, if Kirtch ejaculated so deep into their body they were still excreting his cum weeks later?
"I'm going to mark you as mine, (Reader)." It was a lie, his species did no such thing, but the look of unbridled joy on (Reader's) cross eyed face, the loopy smile that twitched as tears poured down to their chest, was a sight that made it worth lying.
"Are you cumming? Are you cumming in me?" (Reader) slurred, barely holding themselves upright in Kirtch's grasp.
"If you promise to be a good little pet." Kirtch could hold out for as long as needed. His species did not have sex for pleasure, so there was no sense of urgency when they needed to release. He could have continued going for hours, if he hadn't overdone it with the collar. (Reader) was on the verge of passing out.
"I promise! I promise to be a good pet! I promise!" (Reader) exclaimed, colliding their lips back onto Kirtch's as a string of hot sperm shot up into (Reader's) body, a fluid so thick it was practically glue, leaving (Reader) feeling physically full. Kirtch couldn't help but push the button again, seeing his pet overflow with adoration for him.
"I love you, (Reader), I really really do."
Kirtch whispered sweet nothing's into his pet's ear as they passed out, then carried them to his bed, tucking in their swollen body, not minding the mess. (Reader) really was the most beautiful and adorable little pet in the entire universe. He doubt that he would ever get another pet after (Reader) was gone. He sat on the floor, rubbing circles into their tear stained cheeks, smiling contently.
Of course, the next day Kirtch would have to use the collar, showing (Reader) how bad they truly felt inside when they refused to get out of bed, and while it was awful making them cry when they tried to refuse to eat, it was for the best. Kirtch knew it wouldn't take long for (Reader) to graduate from needing their collar, and that soon they would always be by his side, begging him to pick them up and play with them. It didn't matter whether (Reader) needed cuddles or needed to be filled with his seed, Kirtch would overuse that remote until they desired his touch all the time.
He didn't mind the glassy, doll like glaze to their eyes, the change in their speech, the way they began crying whenever it looked like Kirtch was unhappy, or how they stopped pushing him away. After months of flushing their system with artificial love, Kirtch knew that his pet was happy with him. And that was all that mattered.
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foone · 9 months
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Robot girl who is an ex-military ECM model who specializes in hacking and she's brilliant at it, full on transsophont AI that can hack systems faster then baseline humans can even notice they're under attack, but:
1. She's nice, not evil and definitely not working for her former creators
2. She hacks as an unconscious thing, just like how humans regulate their heart rate and get goose bumps and blush.
So you meet her, and the only hint she's broken past your firewalls is a brief glitch in your voice from your exocortex implant quickly rebooting. You ignore it, that old model is getting a bit janky these days. It doesn't come out that you've been so completely rooted until she casually mentions something in conversation that you don't recall telling her.
"oh yeah, like your brother's ex-husband?" you never told her you have a brother, let alone anything about his former partner. She just has access to all your memories and can refer to them as if they're her own. Sorry, she didn't realize it. You start to panic at what she knows about you now, thinking of all your darkest secrets, but she sees your emotional state and tilts her head and suddenly... You aren't panicking. Why were you worried? You don't really have that much to hide, why worry about it? She's so nice, and you trust her after all. You're calm now, and this only makes you want to share more things with her (not that she needs it), and you'd definitely offer to help her with anything she needs. She's such a good friend. You're happy to have met her, all those five minutes ago.
She's very nice. Everyone says that. No one is mean to her. No one has ever tried to be mean to her.
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An actual idea: Making "Animate Dead" Evil Again
Zombies and skeletons in D&D, for all they play to spooky images, aren't really horrific. They're a mismash of two different lores that can't really work together (like a lot of zombie fiction but that's a discussion for another day)- the mindless ravenous predators of modern zombie apocalypse and the tragic undead slaves of the original stories. But they lack either sides symbolic resonance. They're no apocalypse- they're disposable cannon fodder even a starting party can take down- but nor is there any indication that "animate dead" is an actual evil act beyond being kinda gross. This seems very harmless for both a nominal horror monster, and something intended to be a genuinely (indeed, mechanically) evil act.
It doesn't seem possible to make them a real threat without major changes, so the obvious solution to this is a simple fluff change. They're not mindless. They're compelled, they can't act of their own volition. But they're still in there.
They don't shamble. They visibly struggle against the motions their limbs make, as if they were puppets trying to resist their strings. They don't moan. They sob, and when they see the players they force out desperate apologies and pleas for help. They're not stupid. They're intentionally twisting orders and trying to destroy themselves to the best of their ability because they hate the necromancer and are taking what vengeance they can.
Maybe they can genuinely help, if the players will accept it. The "disposable minions" see a lot, and might mutter the necromancer's weaknesses or warnings about an upcoming ambush or whatever useful information they've seen while attacking. Failing that, they fight to lose. They're easy to beat not because they're weak, but because they're on your side. They intentionally move to hinder the necromancer and help the party as much as they're able to, they interpret all the villain's orders as unhelpfully as they can, they hiss encouragements and laugh hollowly when the players succeed.
The undead hordes are victims, not monsters. They're the people the players are trying to help, or at least avenge. And they're trying, as best as they can, to make it happen.
-Pencil.
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PROPAGANDA
NATASHA ROSTOVA (WAR AND PEACE) (CW: Pregnancy)
1.) Natasha is one of the MCs of the novel and for the majority of it she stays an incredibly complex, flawed and fleshed out character but then THE EPILOGUE COMES. In the epilogue she marries Pierre Bezukhov (who I talked about in my previous propaganda) and essentially loses her personality. The point of her existence now is to serve Pierre and be his 24/7 baby machine. The narrative puts emphasis on how important singing is for her (Natasha expresses herself through it) but after she gets married she stops singing (the other moment she stops singing is after her failed elopement with Anatole Kuragin, when she's depressed and basically at her lowest point) because she doesn't need it anymore since she has a husband UwU.
Natasha is described as a perfect and understanding wife for Pierre and yet she's allowed only to soak in his views and thoughts without adding anything from herself. ("Now that he was telling it all to Natásha he experienced that pleasure which a man has when women listen to him—not clever women who when listening either try to remember what they hear to enrich their minds and when opportunity offers to retell it, or who wish to adopt it to some thought of their own and promptly contribute their own clever comments prepared in their little mental workshop—but the pleasure given by real women gifted with a capacity to select and absorb the very best a man shows of himself." (c) Book 15, Ch. 17).
When Natasha's cousin Sonya tries to stop her from eloping with Anatole, Natasha screams that she's now his slave and will do anything he wants and although she and Anatole never meet again after the elopement fails, she never escapes the fate of becoming a slave to her man.
To be honest I dislike Natasha (there's no excuse for how she and her family treated her cousin Sonya) but the way she portrayed in the epilogue infuriates me. Her marriage to Pierre cancels out her character arc and personal growth she had before it completely.
2.) After 2k pages detailing her unique way of thinking, lust for life, hyperactivity and love of freedom Natasha is married and therefore summarily shunted off to being jealous and incapable of understanding her husband's higher purpose, no longer singing and having no other preoccupation in life but the color of her children's pov
3.) oh my god. so shes this young girl (literally shes like. 13 to 17 throughout the main story). as natasha makes her way into society, she gets more and more hated by tolstoy. (because tolstoy hates society & women). if im remembering correctly the first time she flirts with a man & uses a fan she gets scolded. all of her love interests are considerably older than her. when natasha is 17, she gets engaged to andrei (who at this point would be around 27). he goes off to war! because he loves war. while hes away, anatole (who is vaguely around andreis age) seduces natasha. he knows she's engaged & impressionable and does it anyways. anatole plans to kidnap & elope with natasha, but the plan gets found out. natasha learns anatole is already married and tries to kill herself via arsenic. she gets better. pierre (27) who has known natasha since she was 13 & is close with her family and is also andreis friend, visits natasha. he comforts her and she's like "no what i've done is unforgivable and deplorable". pierre then kind of proposes to her ("if i were free"). natasha stops singing for a while. this is significant because singing is very important to her. well fast forward his wife dies. then theres the epilogue where pierre and natasha get married. natasha is miserable and is basically a baby pumping machine and she also stops singing again.
GWEN (BBC MERLIN) (CW: Mind Control, Adultery)
1.) She was one the main 4 characters in the show and basically the leading lady as the show went on and YET. She was literally treated like an object to make her pain a point of conflict and angst for the male characters and then SHE WAS BARELY EVEN THERE. FOR THE SEASON FINALE. THE LEADING WOMAN. so that the writers could focus on their male characters more. Also in season 4 the writers forgot that they had to make a Guinevere/Lancelot affair happen (to follow the Arthurian canon that they ~totally~ were following before. this is sarcasm btw). But at that point Gwen as a character was not in a place where she would do that. So instead of writing something actually good they decided to just have Gwen end up with an Enchanted Bracelet That Makes You Cheat On People. I’m not joking. So it wasn’t even her choice to have an affair and they never explore the implications of this. And it’s never even revealed to the characters that she didn’t choose this. She’s just. Never vindicated. Evil and terrible.
2.) At the beginning of the series there was on episode when Gwen was like “women should be allowed to fight” (in a battle that was happening). A big part of her character at the beginning was also knowing armor and weaponry bc she was the blacksmith’s daughter. But then in the series finale they had her say something along the lines for “I’m not meant to fight” just so she could be gone so that the writers could just write about the two male leads
3.) Okay also in the last season they didn’t know what to do with Gwen’s character so for almost half the season they made a plot line where she was mind controlled (again :)))) after being kidnapped and tortured. And like. Again instead of focusing on her and the effects it had on her they made the whole thing an excuse to get Male Lead # 1 and # 2 angsty about it. They had to like. Knock her out and throw her into a lake (magic baptism???) to reverse mind control and then they literally never her reaction to the whole situation ever. Literally objectified for the plot.
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gothghostiie · 24 days
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Weird idea but hear me out: Wesker having Reader as another P30 puppet along with Jill during RE5. And he makes you and Jill fuck while he watches. And then when you’re done he makes both you and Jill clean him up
YESSSSSS
cw: drugging/mind control, fem!reader
watching you both kiss and fondle with each others tits so eagerly after he told you to, both of you softly moaning into each others mouths while getting undressed!! he chuckles as you both try to go for each other and take the upper hand, but you quickly figure it out.
you two are moaning, kissing and sucking at each other, jill riding your thigh while sucking your tits, just for you to sit on her face right after she came. meanwhile wesker is sitting there, lazily jerking off to the show with a grin on his face, humming and telling you what good little puppets you are to give him a show like that. only right after he cums he let's you two stop, no matter how exhausted or close you are.
all he does is wave you both over, forcing your heads to his cock, stained in thick cum. he makes sure you both take your sweet time cleaning him, moaning and grunting softly <3
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wrathofrats · 1 month
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The aether kick is strong today I’m so sorry
Aether sitting in his reading chair with cirrus sitting on his cock. Her bare back flush with his sweater. A pair of reading glasses sit on his nose as he watches the book in his hand over her shoulder.
“Read it again” aethers voice is soft but strict, and cirrus’ eyes cross at the whiplash of his nails digging into her side
She tries, mumbling out a couple words before she feels a spark of electricity in her skin making her brain immediately go foggy once more, can’t even comprehend the sentence she’s staring at let alone verbalize it
Or aether making cirrus read a book while cockwarming him, won’t give her what she wants till she finishes a page but he keeps turning her brain off so the stupid thing can’t do anything but whine about how he’s being unfair
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rotomblr-polls · 2 months
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silly little poll:
- I've been possessed by a Ghost Pokemon
- I've been possessed by an actual ghost
- I've been controlled by a Psychic type
- I've been controlled by a different Pokemon (like a Nihilego)
- I've been possessed/controlled by something else
- Multiple of the above
- None of the above
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oh boy
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brutal
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do not do this
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don’t go for a morticia if you’re not willing to be a gomez, etc
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go for it anon
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this suggestion might actually work, and so will likely be ignored
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therizino-ao3 · 2 months
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mcyt valentines 2024: The Big Eyes Bug
gift for @raccoontho @mcyt-valentines
contains: body horror, zombie apocalypse, bugs, worms, eye injury, mind control, parasites, minor character death, imprisonment, character being handcuffed/chained, misgendering (not in a trans way, in a not believing a zombie is a person way and using it/its)
word count: 5430
summary: Zedaph loves worms. Now, if only they loved him back.
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Zedaph would like to say that he was right all along to everyone who had ever doubted him. His mother, his father, his entire small village, his college roommate, all his extended family, and that one guy that made fun of him that one time. Unfortunately, he can’t say that, because in the ensuing apocalypse which PROVED he was right to study helminthology, they all died. But, he can think about it in his head, and imagine the annoyed faces they would make instead of imagining their disfigured bodies, and it makes him feel better.
He is somewhat worried about his food supply. So far, hiding in a high school cafeteria has been pretty lucrative, but after spending a week moping about in one, you begin to run out of crisp packets and mini brownies and satsumas. It’s a pretty safe area, every door thick and lockable, not to mention that the entire site is empty – what kid could be bothered to go to school in these conditions? It’s a far cry from supermarkets, he’ll say. Every single supermarket Zedaph has seen so far has not only been thoroughly looted of anything useful but also littered with bodies and guts. There’s no doubt everything in there is contaminated with eggs. Overall, even though it is a bit weird for a random adult man to be hiding in a school, it’s working out.
He hears footsteps. Maybe it isn’t working out, then.
He tries not to panic. This isn’t the first time a zombie has come by here. Well, calling them zombies feels a bit weird, since they’re still alive, but thinking about the fact they’re still conscious as something controls their brain and mutilates their body is worse - plus “zombie” sounds cooler than “fluke host”. So, zombie it is. Anyways, sometimes some stray zombies wander past the school, but none have attempted to break in and chances are they’re all sacrificial hosts. He just needs to stay quiet, so they don’t alert the shepherds. It’ll be fine.
The footsteps aren’t the regular, lumbering kind though. They vary in pace and have an air of confidence to them, so the person they belong to definitely has fine motor control. That’s bad. That means either a shepherd or a survivor. He isn’t sure which is better. Logically, the survivor would be, but in zombie apocalypse movies, aren’t the other survivors usually evil? He hasn’t even watched any movies like that, so he’s just guessing from what he’s heard, but they might try to eat him or steal his supplies or… something. At least a shepherd is predictable, a survivor could do anything.
Something crashes outside, Zedaph wonders if they’re trying the doors. He gulps. Well, if they come in here, whoever they are, he’ll fight him! He’s got big scary horns for a reason! And he isn’t afraid to use them!
He hears some doors being swung loudly on their hinges, sounding far too close for comfort. The fight instantly leaves him and he starts to think about escape. Part of the reason he chose the cafeteria was due to the exit options. One door leading to some classrooms, one door leading to a courtyard area, and one door in the kitchen leading to the outside. The last one is his only real choice, considering the noise is coming from the classrooms and he’ll get caught easily in the courtyard. He hates the idea of going outside, exposed to the sky, but it’s not like he can do anything else.
And just as he’s finished making up his mind, he realises that the person has already forced his way into the room, past Zedaph’s rudimentary barrier of plastic chairs. He’s a guardian, short with a fluffy beard, kitted out with a heavy rucksack and a belt adorned with tools. A respiratory mask hangs around his neck.
“Uh,” says the guy. He doesn’t have any visible broodsacs, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s uninfected.
“Uhhhh,” says Zedaph, standing like a deer in headlights.
“Are you-”
“Please don’t kill me!” he interrupts, voice going high with hysteria.
“I wasn’t planning on it,” the man says, looking a bit amused. He takes a few steps forward. “From that reaction, I am guessing you’re uninfected?”
“Yep, totally free of parasites, me,” Zedaph says, giggling nervously.
“Righhht. I am so sorry, by the way, I didn’t know there was anyone here. You’re doing a really good job at hiding, I totally thought this place was abandoned,” the man holds out his hand, “I’m xB.”
Zedaph shakes xB’s hand – he thinks he’s supposed to shake his hand? He hopes xB didn’t want to hold hands instead because that would be awkward. xB looks at him, as if waiting for something. Oh right, he’s waiting for an introduction, “I’m Zedaph, nice to meet you!”
“Well, mister Zedaph,” xB pulls his hand back, “it is nice to meet you too! I haven’t met many others. I’m alright to chat for a little bit, but this has kinda been a bit of a stop in my plans. Do you mind if I grab some food while I’m here?”
Zedaph turns to where xB is looking – the kitchen – before turning back, “Um, yeah, grab as much as you want. Sorry for interrupting your… plans.”
“Don’t be sorry, it’s not your fault for being here, it just means I’m gonna have to find somewhere else to base for the next few nights,” xB wanders over, rooting through Zedaph’s food supplies as they talk. Zedaph follows. Maybe it was a bad idea letting xB take some of his precious food, but he wasn’t just going to tell xB to starve.
“You can stay here, I won’t mind,” Zedaph says whilst xB stuffs one of his six trouser pockets with raisin packets.
“No, no, it’s… there’s gonna be a lot less food here than I imagined and, to be honest, I prefer being alone,” Zedaph isn’t sure what to say to that (or what to say to anything in general, actually. He hasn’t talked to people in months). xB starts again, “So! What was your job before all this? I was a security guard.”
“Security guard! Like at a museum?”
“Something like that.”
“Well, I was, and I like to think still am, a parasitologist.”
xB giggles, “A what?”
“Parasitologist! Helminthologist, specifically. I study parasitic worms. Truthfully, I’ve been obsessed with worms ever since I was little. Just couldn’t get enough of them. Worm man, the kids used to call me.”
xB is alert now, straightening up, “Wait. Parasitic worms, like, the ones out there?”
“Well, a lot more than just the big zombie ones, but yes.”
“So, for the ‘big zombie ones’, you could tell me all about how they work and how to stop them?”
“Basically!” Zedaph says, spurred on by someone finally being interested in his research, “It’s somewhat hard because this isn’t a species we ever knew about before – I imagine they went extinct in the wild sometime in the last Ice Age, but some eggs were frozen and, well, off-topic, anyway! The point is, even though this is a species new to science, they share a lot of similarities to other helminths, such as ones in the Leucochloridium genus. I have also been doing a lot of observing and taking notes - and though it would help to be able to properly dissect and analyse specimens - I have some theories on their life cycles and mechanisms.”
“Right,” says xB with bright eyes, “Y’know, I might have just had a change of plans.”
“You’re staying?”
“For the night. Anyways, can you continue on? I want you to explain why some of the infected are smart zombies and some are normal zombies, please,” xB has forgotten about the food, pulling up a stool to sit on.
“Of course, of course,” Zedaph grins, “So, the worm at this stage has one goal: get eaten by a dragon. This is because the dragon’s belly is where the worm reproduces and the microscopic eggs get spread by the dragon poop and pee and tears and breath and all the other gross stuff. When the parasite gets into your system, it makes these… tendrils. They connect to your nervous system and brain and send their own impulses, controlling your body. You also have the broodsacs which is the whole, y’know, eye situation. Anyway! Most infected want to get eaten by the dragons to spread the eggs, yada yada. But! People are smart. We’d soon figure out what the parasite’s plan is and develop something to kill eggs and capture all the wild dragons and what not. So, the parasite needs to be smart too and there is a smart brain right there waiting to be used. Every now and again, an infected becomes what I like to call a shepherd, helping to guide the other zombies and stop the uninfected from causing trouble, often by manually infecting people. It’s extra interesting because the sacrificial hosts – that’s what I call the other zombies, because their purpose is to get eaten – seem to be able to communicate with shepherds, maybe by pheromones?”
“That is interesting,” xB says, eyes focused on Zedaph. It’s almost unnerving how much he’s staring, really.
“One question for you, actually,” Zedaph says, because it’s been on his mind since he saw xB, “What is a seafolk doing out here? Bit far from the ocean, aren’t we?”
xB bites his lip, “Yeah. I would have stayed there, but the infection was waterbourne. Underwater cities were where the first major outbreaks happened. Coastal areas were mobbed with infected. The best decision was to leave as fast as possible. Besides, I have a friend inland, so it’s not like I’ve never been this far out before. Plus, for a guardian, land travel is manageable with lots of water, and I have a purifier, so…”
“Makes sense,” says Zedaph, who hopes that’s a sensible and compassionate answer, because currently all his mind can focus on is how the parasite is able to spread so well in water. Do the eggs hatch into a microscopic worms well-adapted to an aquatic environment that are able to enter people through the gills? Is this the same form they take in the body or one unique to ocean environments? Is this hatching activated by proximity to water? Or a certain temperature? Or a certain salt concentration?
xB doesn’t seem to mind Zedaph’s failings at social interaction, because he asks for Zedaph to explain more things.
Zedaph loves explaining. Issue is, the parasite is very complicated, and though Zedaph loves complicated, it is a bit inconvenient when you have to try and explain the ins and outs of a trematode lifecycle to someone who knows only basic biology. Nonetheless, xB is a good listener and asks questions and all the awkwardness Zedaph initially felt at having to talk to someone when he hasn’t in so long has melted away. Eventually, they’re both tired from laughing too much (even in the face of morbid topics, xB makes some good jokes) and Zedaph leads xB to the feeble pile of abandoned jackets and dish cloths he calls his bed. In response, xB retrieves a sleeping bag from his rucksack, and Zedaph may or may not have pleaded really, really hard to share it because he doesn’t want to spend another night shivering, so he instead goes to bed cramped next to a man he has known for a few hours. It’s the best sleep he’s had in weeks.
-
xB just has to go and ruin it all by pointing a gun at his head.
“HYUUHHH? YAHHH?” Zedaph yowls. He’s never really been a morning person, so you can’t expect him to formulate a good response at 6 AM.
“You. Are coming with me. And you are going to do everything I say so you don’t get killed. M’kay?” xB is standing over him, all prepared and everything. It isn’t fair. Zedaph bets he’s a morning person.
“Whatever you say,” he manages, in a small voice.
xB stops pointing the gun at him but keeps it in his hand. He chucks Zedaph a Naruto-themed backpack. He must have found it in the dining area, left by some teenager ages ago. There’s a large patch of mould growing over Kakashi’s face. Zedaph scrambles to pick it up, peaking inside to see it’s been stocked with food and water bottles. So, he’s making Zedaph his mule, making him carry around things for him, ridiculous! xB then puts on his respiratory mask, before motioning for them to exit.
Zedaph blinks as he steps out, already feeling anxious. The sun is beginning to rise, tinting the sky pink.
“Okay, so where would we need to go to get the treatment for the parasite?” xB asks, his voice muffled by the mask.
Zedaph splutters, “I thought you were the one leading me around!”
“I am, but, where I’m leading you to depends on where the cure is. Like, do you need a laboratory, or can you find stuff in a pharmacy, I’m waiting for you, man.”
He pauses before answering, “Probably a vet. They tend to have a lot more antihelminthics on hand. Typically, you tend to see worms more in dogs than humans.”
“Alright, now you follow me,” xB says, raising the gun as reminder, before tucking it into a gun holster and trotting away.
Zedaph swallows and does as commanded.
At least xB seems to know what he’s doing. They stick to alleyways and gardens and hedgerows and other very hidden routes, where they’re unlikely to be found by shepherds and aren’t too open to the sky. Unfortunately, there isn’t really a time of day where the infected go all sleepy, but at least travelling during the day they can see where they’re going.
It occurs to him that xB must know this area pretty well, given he’s taking weird shortcuts with no map and yet is no less confident. Maybe this is where his “inland friend” is. Zedaph doesn’t really know where anything is, unfortunately. Ever since this whole thing kicked off he’s just been running randomly until he finds somewhere decent to stay.
Their trip is uneventful, save the occasional roar of a distant dragon, until about 2 hours later. The path they are following bends to the right, and poking their heads around the bend, they see a sacrificial host.
It stands, swaying, in the centre of the pathway. Clothes still cling to its body, though torn and stained with all manner of fluid. The mouth is slack open, the skin is tinted green and Zedaph can see odd rashes covering parts of the body. Its eyes bulge, an ungodly amount, to the length of an arm, the cornea stretched to the verge of breaking. Taking occupation in each eye is a broodsac, a thick pulsating mass like a caterpillar, banded green and red and white, writhing. They each move independently, one twisting up to the sky, feeling for light. The other slumps. The thing that once was a person – and still might be, deep inside, Zedaph reminds himself – stumbles towards a spot not covered by the shadows of the surrounding trees. One of the legs looks twice the size of the other – there must be a third broodsac in there. The creature comes to rest once at its destination and both eyes reach up as far as they can before rhythmically bobbing to try and catch the attention of a dragon.
It's been a while since Zedaph has seen one in person. The parasite is amazing. He feels a bit guilty for thinking that. He wants to keep staring but wants nothing more than to run away at the same time. xB tugs his arm and breaks him from his thoughts. They carefully walk past, making sure to keep a decent distance and not make too much sound. The sacrificials will only notice you if you’re obvious. They leave it behind them with no issue.
After an hour they arrive at “Pro Vetz: We Cure Animals For Less Money Than Other Vets”. The sign is missing 5 letters, but there is a crusty outline where the letters were, so you can still read it fine. He can see why xB chose it, it’s hidden between clumps of warehouses and nowhere near any housing estates. That being said, whilst it is the apocalypse, it’s only been the apocalypse for a little while, and it is perhaps the most derelict veterinary establishment he has seen in his life.
Zedaph glances at xB, “I’m not comforted by the sign.”
“If it works it works, if not, we have enough food to bunker down here for a little bit and we’ll try somewhere else,” xB says, opening the door, “After you.”
He creeps inside, looking around the dark waiting room. There’s a dark puddle of something in the centre and some of the chairs have been pushed around. xB takes off his mask; there’s little point in wearing them inside, the eggs will just be settled on surfaces. Zedaph is also not sure if they are that necessary outside, given the only way an egg could be breathed in is if a dragon is literally exhaling on top of you, but he doesn’t have the courage to tell xB that.
“I don’t think we’re the first ones here,” he whispers.
xB hums, staring at the surroundings before heading over to the door at the back, “We’ll just wash our hands after we leave in case of eggs, we should be fine.”
Zedaph watches xB pull his gun out before tugging open the door and charging through. Zedaph follows, unsure what else to do.
The door leads to a corridor, with some doors either side leading to operating theatres, one to a collection of cages to keep sick animals in, and one final door leading to all the stock. The place is silent and xB lets him through to look at their de-worming medicine.
“So, is there a particular reason for your forcing-me-to-come-with-you-and-get-anti-worm-medicine thing?” Zedaph asks as he shuffles through boxes. He’s looking for praziquantel, or even metrifonate or triclabendazole or something.
“Let’s just say I have a motive.”
“That? Answers nothing?”
“I know,” xB giggles, “Okay, fine, I want someone I know to get treated of the infection. And I want some supply of drugs in case something happens to me. And I want to keep you around because it’s useful to have someone who understands how the infection works. There, that’s the truth.”
 Zedaph isn’t sure how to feel about being called useful - his parents always said he was useless. At the same time, he’s not sure if it’s that much of a compliment when xB says it. He’s also starting to realise xB might have just been enthusiastically listening to him infodump about parasitic worms for the purposes of learning how to defeat them, rather than genuine interest in said worms. And it’s not like Zedaph judges him for that, it is the apocalypse and xB wants to survive, that’s understandable. He just kinda thought that, well, he finally found someone who truly wanted to hear what he had to say. Overall, he feels weird.
He responds with what he knows: worms, “Right. Just be aware I’ve never tried this medication for this specific species and with the way the parasite affects the body, best case scenario, they will probably lose their eyesight and some mobility. Worst case scenario, they die.”
“I kind of expected that. I consider myself lucky enough to have simply found someone who is able to cure him, like, I totally thought it was a fruitless mission. I wouldn’t have given up but, I am grateful.”
“I would be grateful if you didn’t threaten to shoot me,” Zedaph says, because okay yeah he is really annoyed about that actually. Annoyed might be the wrong word, someone who you trusted pulling a gun on you is more of a “betrayed” really.
“I wasn’t actually going to shoot you,” says xB, like it’s obvious, “The sound would alert all the zombies to where we are and it would be a waste of bullets.”
“You could have just asked me to come with you, I would have said yes.”
“I- Yeah. I probably should have done that, sorry.”
Zedaph is kind of tempted to keep going, insult xB a little, but whilst he probably deserves it, Zedaph isn’t sure how long he’ll be able to survive without him. And he did get an apology, so maybe xB will learn to be a little less… threatening-y and more… caring-y.
“Anyways, found it!” he exclaims, pulling out praziquantel.
-
xB cautiously pokes his head out of the store, and confirming there’s no zombies outside, gestures for Zedaph to follow him out.
“Okay, we need to go to a base I’ve set up a few hours away. We’ll try and see if there’s somewhere we can stop for lunch and so I can get rehydrated, all right with that?”
Zedaph nods.
They weave between warehouses, before finding their way to an alleyway. There’s a lot of turns and Zedaph is reminded uncomfortably by a maze. He is then reminded uncomfortably of a horror movie when something grabs him from behind.
Held, he tries to let out a yelp but a hand dashes in front of his mouth. xB is a few metres ahead of him and doesn’t seem to notice Zedaph’s struggle. His attacker keeps him still, allowing him to watch the only person who could help him walk away, until he deems it safe slam Zedaph to the ground.
He groans, asphalt denting his face. Zedaph swivels to try and face his attacker and sees a face he recognises. Tango, his former friend, with bulging red eyes and rashes all over his face. His eyes aren’t nearly as large as an ordinary zombie, and with the wicked grin on his face, Zedaph has no doubt he’s a shepherd.
Tango was… something in Zedaph’s life. The first friend he ever had, at age 7, Tango was willing to put up with Zedaph showing him all the weird bugs he found, and in return, Zedaph listened to Tango talk about spaceships and dinosaurs and cars and anything else. They grew even closer together and were inseparable, until in their late teens where they fell out and never spoke to each other again. Y’know, just normal friends stuff.
“Hey Zeddy.”
And out of everything today, that’s what breaks him. Because it isn’t even Tango saying that, it’s a worm inside of him, using data in Tango’s brain to say what it thinks will get Zedaph to stay still long enough for him stuff eggs down his throat. And it works. Because Zedaph loves worms so much, and he loves this worm (still, despite everything), but why does it have to do that to Tango, why does it hurt him? Because Zedaph misses Tango so much (he hates that he does), but why does Tango have to hurt him? Does he still think Zedaph is worthless? Is there still a Tango in there, or is Tango’s brain just a database of old memories and actions for the worm to pick and use? If Tango was still here (but he is here) would he apologise?
A gunshot jerks Zedaph out of his mind and the body of the thing that was Tango rolls off of him.
xB stands far away, panting, holding the gun.
Zedaph looks at the body. A hole is in its head. Its hand is clutched, no doubt holding eggs. He forces himself to his feet and comes to stand by xB.
“Did you know him?” xB asks.
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry,” xB says and hugs him. Zedaph wasn’t expecting that, but it’s not like he dislikes the hug. Actually, he really needed it, probably. Thoughts are hard. xB pulls away eventually though.
“I hate to rush you, but like, every zombie in the area heard that and we should really be running now.”
Zedaph nods and runs.
They’re silent until they reach an old garage. xB lifts the door and they both usher inside. It’s been over an hour and xB must assume they’re safe now.
They haul off their bags and xB motions to them, “Eat something, please.”
Zedaph does that, after spraying some sanitiser on his hands, going straight for the chocolate because he’s feeling rough right now. Meanwhile, xB takes off both his mask and his shirt, something that greatly confuses him until he realises xB is probably checking up on his gills. He is. xB undoes the tape cover on them and lets water run over them.
“I lied,” xB says.
“Huh?”
“About being a security guard, I was actually a hitman.”
“Huh,” Zedaph says, that probably makes sense, given how accurately xB was able to shoot from such a distance, “Did you kill anyone?”
xB looks at him weirdly and giggles, “I mean, yeah, duh, that was my job.”
“I- Yeah, I really should have thought that through,” Zedaph begins to laugh too, a little hysterically, maybe, but who can blame him.
After xB eats, they continue on. They come across a few sacrificial hosts which are easily avoided, and that’s it.
The place where xB is storing his infected friend looks inconspicuous – a decent sized house, a bit run down, behind a public park. Before they go in, xB spends a while surveying the doors, windows, and surroundings, telling Zedaph he has memorised the default condition of the house and needs to check if anything has changed, which would be a sign of an intruder. After 10 minutes xB extracts a key to use on the kitchen window and leads Zedaph in.
“Why don’t we use the front door?” he asks while xB is relocking the window.
“I have it trapped. Most, but not all, people will try the door first to get in. I – and the people I trust – will know it’s unsafe, so only malicious people will get harmed.”
It takes Zedaph a second to realise, “You trust me?”
xB looks back at him, as they wander through the dark hallway, “Of course. You are far too cowardly to try and do anything.”
That’s fair.
They head into the basement and Zedaph is greeted with the sight of a homemade prison cell, barbed wire and chicken netting combined into a grisly metal mesh, held in place by bars of wood, nailed to the floor and ceiling. There’s a tiny flap at the base, probably for sliding food in or something. Inside is a zombie, with some of the largest broodsacs in its eyes Zedaph has ever seen. It has braided hair alongside hooves, showing it was once a satyr like Zedaph. It is also handcuffed and chained to the wall in 4 different places, in case the barricade and locked basement door weren’t enough to keep it down here.
“Princess? Is that you? Did you bring a friend?”
“Hello Keralis,” says xB, “And yes, I did. This is Zedaph.”
“Well, hello there mister Zedaph,” the zombie says with a sweet voice, “Can you please tell xB here to let me out? This isn’t very nice.”
“It’s a shepherd?” Zedaph asks xB.
“Yes. He is a shepherd, smart, talking zombie thing. And no, we’re not letting you out, because every time I do, you try to kill me.”
“Kill my princess? I would never do that.”
“You have though! You try every time.”
He frowns, “I’m left-handed, xB. You can’t blame me.”
xB giggles, “I think you’re a bit more than left-handed, Keralis. I think you’ve got Big Eyes.”
Zedaph is thinking about Tango. He should probably stop doing that, “Right, like I said, I can’t guarantee he’ll survive, or that this will even work, just keep that in mind.”
“I know,” says xB, “Set up the you-know-what-because-I-don’t-want-to-say-it-in-front-of-him upstairs.”
“What are we talking about?” asks Keralis, or once-was Keralis, as Zedaph runs upstairs.
Part of him hopes the medicine doesn’t work, because if it does, well, Tango. He feels mad at xB for killing him. He feels mad at himself for letting xB kill him. He feels mad at himself for getting mad at xB for saving his life. He feels mad at himself for hoping the medicine won’t work. He feels mad at himself- for a lot of reasons, you get the gist.
He focuses on the praziquantel. What dose would be appropriate? He took all the boxes they had, so it’s not like he’s running out any time soon. Typically, he’d default to 75mg/kg/day over 3 doses for non-identified trematodes, but in this case, the infection is quite extreme. He decides to go with 100 mg/kg in three doses for today, and then work from there, like neurocysticercosis. Both parasites affect the brain so he hopes the dosages work similarly. Since the pills are intended for animals they can be crushed, which makes it easy to give to Keralis since it can be hidden in food.
xB comes up and Zedaph explains the situation.
“That’s perfect. When I’m here I try to give him three meals a day, so we can work that in. I have a whole room dedicated to storing food, so I should be able to support all three of us for 6 months at least.”
“Oh, it will take far less than 6 months. Don’t worry. Probably like a month, max.”
xB smiles. They prepare Keralis a lovely meal of crisps and granola bars and dust the whole thing with 30mg/kg of praziquantel and return to the basement.
“Here you go, dude,” xB slides the plate under the mesh flap.
“Hmmph,” Keralis says, awkwardly dragging the plate over in his tied up condition. He has to eat by sticking his whole face into the food, since his hands are handcuffed and attached to the wall. Zedaph almost feels bad.
Keralis lifts his head up to talk halfway through, “This guy… I haven’t been fed in a week and now all the food you give me tastes bitter!”
“I left you a week’s worth of food in here before I left. And beggars can’t be choosers,” xB responds.
Keralis huffs and finishes off a granola bar. Zedaph is counting himself lucky that the awful taste of the medicine didn’t give their plan away when he hears a thump from upstairs. Everyone looks up – including Keralis, whose massive eyes manually tilt up.
“Wow, your roommate sure is noisy,” Zedaph says.
xB clenches his fists, “Only Keralis and I live here.”
“I really hoped you weren’t going to say that.”
xB glares at Keralis, “Was this your doing?”
“No, no! For real this time! This is,” Keralis pauses for a moment, “Ohh, I see. Now you’re both in trouble. Someone’s coming.”
xB swears and pulls out his gun. Zedaph is caught between fear and wanting to ask Keralis the details of how long-distance worm communication works.
The basement door creaks as its opened.
“Hello hello everybody, I’m Etho!” the shepherd announces. It has one ordinary eye, dark and brown and wet, and one livid red twitching eye. The entire right side of its face is bumpy and rashes bloom on the skin. It points its gun at Zedaph, “And there’s some things going on here that I don’t quite like.”
Zedaph remembers something he said to xB yesterday. Something about shepherds stopping the uninfected from causing trouble. He thinks about the praziquantel to kill the worms. He thinks about how the sacrificials can summon a shepherd. He thinks about how Etho has one unmarred eye and how you need good vision to aim a gun. He thinks about how infinitesimally small a chance it is that Tango would be a shepherd and happen to run into Zedaph. He thinks about how he hears so many more dragons going outside now, and about the old enchantments that kept them from urban areas, which would need to be undone. He thinks about how the shepherd/sacrificial determination can’t be chance. He thinks about queen bees and hiveminds and pheromones.
He thinks about all the worms and parasites he’s studied over the years. He thinks about how simple and familiar worms are, how nobody seems to get it but him, how if there were ever to be a worm-led apocalypse, of course he’d be the only one who could stop it.
And as xB aims his gun at Etho in return, Zedaph thinks that the worms chose the wrong enemy.
---
woooo! happy (belated) valentines day! I hope you enjoyed! i thought it would be fun to leave you on a semi-cliffhanger
this ended up being quite heavy on the body horror and apocalypse, though I know you've written body horror in the past so I wasn't too worried.
originally there was a lot more about the worldbuilding and species stuff beyond the little hints here, but I ended up not really fitting with the way the story was shaping up. essentially, this is an urban fantasy world, similar technology to our world but with added magic, with a lot of mythological creatures. you have the fieldfolk (satyrs, minotaurs, fairies, anything woodsland-like) and the seafolk (mermaids, guardians, sirens, selkies), alongside wild fantasy animals (such as dragons).
and: WORMS!!! as soon as I saw xb on your characters requested list, I was thinking about an apocalypse fic (I've been loving the mlp infection AUs and mawofthemagnetar did a lovely zombie apocalypse fic involving xb which inspired me). I am a biologist so whenever I think about zombie apocalypses I want to try to subvert them and introduce (somewhat) realistic facets of biology. viruses have been done to hell and fungi have gotten popular but I've never seen anyone do parasitic worms before, which I think is a shame! this is the species the fic is based on (warning for worms/snail + eye injury + animal in pain), which not only looks unique but does "mind control" its hosts (infected snails move towards light), and as soon as I realised I was doing worm zombies, a certain zedaph on your requested characters was a perfect fit.
in the original draft of the plot, wels and bdubs showed up, and etho had so many different roles I considered during brainstorming - a fellow survivor who tried to attack them, a mediator between the worms and survivors, etc etc. here it isn't too explained what he is due to the dramatic ending, but you can kind of see what I'm getting at. Zedaph initially assumes the worms are just worms, and the shepherd/sacrificial distinction just randomly occurs and is a simple adaptation to help the species survive. at the end, he realises that there's some kind of higher force within the worms choosing which hosts become shepherds, e.g. to best target Zedaph, and letting the worms communicate long-range. Etho I imagine is a specialised agent - with his normal eye - used for assassinations
I'd love to upload this to ao3 if you'd be alright with that, I can set it as a gift for you
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vaxxy-after-dark · 8 days
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Thinking about a world where Vax met the Briarwoods before he met Percy, maybe while on a job for The Clasp, and they had a one night stand with him.
They were surprisingly sweet and gentle, but also clearly supernatural and possessive.
Maybe they even tried to convince Vax to abandon his sister and The Clasp to join them? But Vax refused to.
He enjoyed the night he had spent with them, but he could never betray his sister like that.
And The Clasp would hunt him down if he just vanished, that and their deal with Vax would become void and put Vex in incredible danger. Vax just can't let that happen to her.
So they go their separate ways, but Vax never forgets them.
He often dreams of them, even years later, and he misses the way that they touched him.
The way that they spoke to him, whispering praise into his ear as they pulled moans from his mouth with little effort.
The threat of being bitten, sharp kisses teasing his sensitive skin as he squirmed.
He sometimes hopes to run into them randomly again, to steal another night with them.
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.
Then Percy tells him and the others all about the people who came to visit Whitestone and launched a full-scale uprising.
He recognises the sketches Percy pulls out, the goatee and the fancy necklace and the smiles and the eyes and the poses and the bloody teeth.
He has a panic attack realising who they are, his mind reeling in horror over the thought that he not only slept with these people but had even - for just a second - considered running away with them to absolutely fuck knows where, probably the kingdom they took over.
He's utterly horrified.
When the others finally get Vax to calm down and breathe again, he shakily recalls how it was he had met the couple.
Percy is quiet for a moment, for too long a moment perhaps, before he apologises to Vax.
From then onwards, the two have clear tension between them that will only grow.
.
.
.
When the Briarwoods arrive for dinner in Emon and Vax sneaks off to their room to gather any evidence he can find, luck would have it that they end up leaving dinner early and catch poor Vax red handed in the act.
They immediately recognise him, Vax freezing in fear.
Delilah mourns the now-lost 'innocence' of their past affair, while her husband bemoans killing someone so 'sweet'.
Vax begs for mercy, vowing to betray Percy if they let him live - he would never, they know it as well as he does, but they couple give pause and listen.
"And, pray, why should we trust you, little thief?" Delilah would ask, smirking as she toys with emeralds draped from her neck as she looks Vax up and down.
Sylas would chuckle, "We have no ire against you, but your little friend is a pain in the neck that we must get rid of."
Then, scared and trying to get out of this alive, Vax proposes a redo of their past encounter.
The Briarwoods accept maybe a little too quickly for his liking.
.
.
.
When it's over and Vax leaves, alive and with some evidence, he can't help but hate himself.
He already kind of did before this, but he definitely does now and it burns him deep inside.
How he ever looks Percy in the eye again? He doesn't know.
Though he's pretty sure that Percy knows, if the random glares Percy throws his way for the next few weeks is anything to go by - Vax doesn't blame him one bit, he would do it too.
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.
.
By the time the Briarwoods are dead, the tension between Vax and Percy is so thick you could cut it with one of Vax's knives.
Vax is, understandably, scared of the gunslinger at this point.
The man had been harbouring a demon inside of him all of this time and had almost killed all of them when said demon was unhappy about Percy failing to be the one to kill the Briarwoods in the end.
The fact that Vax had been momentarily charmed by the Briarwoods and forced to fight his friends hadn't helped things, now Percy can't look at Vax with glaring or growling.
Vax really doesn't blame him, but it makes him feel small.
His sister and Keyleth both try to help them sort out their feelings, but it just leads to Percy exploding in anger.
He accuses Vax of so many things, Vax feels dizzy and has another panic attack in reply.
It ends with Vex slapping Percy as Keyleth sits Vax down and helps him do some breathing exercises to calm down again.
But the damage is done.
After that night, the twins pack their things and leave once everyone else has gone to bed.
Vax never truly heals from his experiences, but Vex is there to look after him from now on.
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i-drop-level-one-loot · 7 months
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🎃 Be Mine
Mind Control CW: Abduction, yandere esque monster, inhuman oc, mind break, tendrils, dub-con
The young master stood in his garden, smiling softly as he stared at his roses, enjoying the romanticism of the dew speckled petals glistening under the moonlight. His newest servant, (Reader), watched him with a blanket in hand, ready to wrap it around his shoulders at the first sign of a chill. They worried for Mikhail greatly, for although the young man was strong enough to care for his estate after the death of his parents he was of weak constitution.
Smiling, (Reader) prayed that they weren't blushing as they approached Mikhail from behind. "Master, shall we go back inside? The temperature has dropped quite a bit."
His starlight colored eyes crinkled as he returned (Reader's) smile. "You care for me too much, dear (Reader). Thank you."
It was a dream, being able to work for someone as stunningly beautiful as Mikhail. Even if the work was difficult, (Reader) being the only servant in the mansion, it was rewarding. His face was a blessing and his voice was like the serenading of an angel.
They passed by a window, and (Reader) couldn't help but look at their reflection, even if it was warped in the darkness. There were no mirrors in the mansion, so (Reader) often feared that they weren't presentable when meeting Mikhail. Their reflection looked back at (Reader), and all (Reader) felt was fear.
It was as though they suddenly woke up.
(Reader) had been hiking through the mountains with their friends from college, when (Reader) began hearing someone calling their name in the dark.
As the nights went on, (Reader's) friends began to vanish, wandering off into the woods.
In the trees (Reader) found the decrepit building. It looked uninhabited, but they entered anyways, desperate for a phone. They heard crying, and it sounded like their friend Landon.
But all they found was..
Mikhail grabbed (Reader's) hand, yanking them away from the window and forcing their eyes on him. Those pale eyes that looked like they belonged to the dead. (Reader) struggled against his grasp, remembering what they had found. Their first meeting.
In the first room (Reader) entered they discovered a strange human lying naked on a bed, genderless like a doll and with long silver hair. But the face was split open down the middle, with tendrils reaching out from the skull's opening towards (Reader). They found themselves paralyzed by the glowing white eyes on the mask like face as the body rose from the elegant bed.
It was like slipping into a dream, a man's voice whispering into their mind "Be mine.." over and over again as colors saturated and the floor melted away. Vaguely aware of hands caressing their naked body, slender fingers longingly sliding in between their thighs, (Reader) allowed themselves to fall into his embrace. Because it was a "dream", it was okay to submit to his touch.
In that "dream", even the alien maw that prodded inside (Reader's) mouth only brought warmth. The tentacle like appendages entered (Reader) like a kiss, pulsating with a bioluminescent ooze. It was more than the arousal (Reader) felt, more than the building of their climax as the stranger's hands played with their sex; it was love. An intense, unquestionable love, begging (Reader) to feel the same. And as he placed one of his legs between their's so he could feel their orgasm on his thigh, (Reader) was willing to forget themselves to stay by his side.
(Reader) couldn't pull their hand away from their abductor, horrified that they had been so easily manipulated. How long had they been here, trapped in this dream?!
"(Reader)?" Mikhail's voice was calm, soothing, not sounding like someone holding an actively struggling adult.
It was only for a second, an accident, in the struggle (Reader's) eyes caught sight of his, and their body fell limp. They stopped struggling, slipping back into that dream.
Mikhail was beautiful, and although he was (Reader's) employer, they couldn't help but feel affection for him. An overwhelming love that they prayed he would never notice. The pink tint returned to their tear stained cheeks, realizing that he was holding their hand. "I'm sorry, sir. Was I spacing off again?"
His reflection showed his true face, split open down the center, exposing his cursed, writhing insides, but even in the window his eyes held relief. However, (Reader) wouldn't see that. He wouldn't let them. Their eyes were glassy and doll like as he pressed a kiss against their temple. They didn't feel it, they weren't aware of anything he did to their body unless he allowed them to be.
"Who do you belong to?" He already knew the answer, but needed the reassurance that his powers were working again.
"I belong to you, Master Mikhail."
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minnaci · 1 month
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dreamy sigh... being hypnotized and trained until their commands are well and truly written in your subconscious... being so thoroughly corrupted that all it takes is a certain look or a specific word to make you weak at the knees... but best of all, seeing the love grow in their gaze as they shape and remake you into an object worthy of their affections <3
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PROPAGANDA
MARWA (WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS (TV SERIES)) (CW: Mind Control)
1.) okok so a major character (nandor) uses a genie wish to bring back the 37 wives he had when he was human (he’s a vampire who was turned in the 1400s but is alive in the modern day) to pick his favorite to live with and settles on marwa. she’s established as someone who’s passionate about science and mathematics, but nandor uses his genie wishes to essentially mold her into his perfect woman like a doll, from changing her hair color to making her not want to go to the night market with him to making her like all the things he likes. this culminates in him LITERALLY TRANSFORMING HER INTO A BRITISH MAN NAMED FREDDIE and that is her send off from the show. the treatment of her is disgusting i’m sorry for ranting i love wwdits but honestly the whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth
2.) WHERE TO START my god. Marwa is introduced into the story as one of a crowd of women who are interchangeable to the man summoning them, WHO IS HER CANONICAL HUSBAND but he gives less than half a fuck about her, which is played for laughs. The writers made it completely unclear whether she is a real person or basically a magical simulation with no inner life and did not bother to clarify that at any point. Her plotline consists of her husband using magical wishes to modify various aspects of her body and mind and the writers never explore whether she is aware this is happening or not, much less how she might be experiencing it. It is a terrifying psychological horror story from her perspective but we are not given any insight into her perspective so who cares I guess!! For example, he wishes for her to have a rounder ass and then wishes that all of her preferences align perfectly with his own, so that she'll stop nagging him about wanting different colored flowers at their wedding than him. There are SEVERAL more examples. Her experience of having all of her desires replaced with her husband's desires shows up only for jokes, plus one moment that is used to confirm that her husband's real love interest is one of the other male leads in the show. (I ship the two male characters, I'm not complaining about that, but like COME ON SHE WAS A HUMAN PERSON ONCE AND SHE IS LIVING IN A HORROR MOVIE AND THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE DOING WITH THAT???) THE WORST PART is that when it's time for her to exit the story because her body and personality have already been essentially replaced by magic and she is now a boring toy, she is LITERALLY PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY transformed into a random British man so that her husband can have that guy as a love interest instead of her. She (he? It? Again it is never NEVER explored whether Marwa is like, alive inside this British man's mind somehow? Or if she was ever really alive in her body?) moves to England to be in love with the original British man she was based off of, so basically her twin. This is also played for laughs. Her entire personality and body are not even killed off with like a death scene but literally ERASED FROM REALITY AND REPLACED WITH A COPY OF THIS SHITTY WHITE DUDE.
3.) (Context: Nandor is a vampire who has been alive for a while. When he was human he had 37 wives. (Btw some of the wives were men but that’s besides the point.))
She was brought back to life (along with a couple others) via Djinn wish just because Nandor wanted to have a ‘wife’ (some of the ‘wives’ are men). After being deemed the ‘best wife’ by Nandor she is the only one left alive. It is clear the entire fourth season that Nandor doesn’t care for her much and she is only there because Nandor wants to be married to someone. He ignores her wants and interests the whole season. Via another Djinn wish Nandor makes Marwa like everything he likes so she is more agreeable with him. Later on, he meets another character’s boyfriend named Freddie. Nandor basically falls for Freddie immediately and via Djinn wish, wishes Marwa to be exactly Freddie. :| With that wish, Marwa is effectively gone. She now looks and acts like Freddie. The two Freddies meet and after freaking out a little (and some magic) they get along because they like the same exact things. By the end of the season both Freddies are sent off to never be seen again. Also, Nandor has some extra Djinn wishes so he could’ve turned Marwa back but he didn’t.
Additional links: Article about the Freddie thing: https://www.themarysue.com/what-we-do-in-the-shadows-missed-hard-with-its-treatment-of-marwa/
She likes what he likes:
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Also This:
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MIKOKO SAKAZAKI (KAIJI)
1.) She is one of two (2) women with a speaking role in the manga (which has been ongoing since the 90s), and was the first female character to appear at all. She has a crush on the protagonist, Kaiji, but this is treated as a joke/ as gross because of her appearance. She is meant to be ugly because of the size of her nose and lips and therefore is invalid as a person. She has no role other than to pester Kaiji with her crush, and despite him ignoring or acting weirded out around her constantly, her attraction to him never fades. She gets almost no characterization outside of this and is only seen once after Kaiji leaves, where she is drawing a manga where he comes back to her. When she's shown once in a bikini, the sight is so disgusting to the protagonist that he sprints away at full speed. Despite this, she is sometimes used in ads for the series.
2.) Her face looks "too much like her father's", yet he never receives any negativity for it. Every single male character in the manga has the same style of facial features, yet when the creator puts them on a woman it makes her mockable and gross.
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wrathofrats · 23 days
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@sageofthestarz literally get out of my tags you can’t say things like that and next time you will get blocked /VERY J IM JOKING I LOVE THIS
Just consider w me everyone, bratty smart, dirty mouth Swiss and a tired but smug aether who just wants to manipulate him into being the good boy he know he can be!!!
Or aether sickly sweet aether seeping quintessence into Swiss while he talks dirty and gets to watch his brain melt out of his ears. Cooing at how good he’s being while he gets stupider
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bricky-brikson · 28 days
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I’ve decided to do a Bad Things Happen Bingo!
My goal is to get at least one (1) bingo, but honestly I just want to write some suffering
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How this is going to work:
Send me an ask with one (1) prompt + the character(s)/media.
I’ll mark that prompt as “claimed” on this post by editing (so check the original post before you ask).
When the writing is done (and published), I’ll shade the prompt in completely.
Prompts that are shaded in or claimed cannot be asked for! So if there’s something here you like, grab it quick!
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Things I’m willing to write:
My original characters. See my #dear cassedy tag, but I also have some OCs who have yet to be formally introduced on this account (a vampire nurse with a werewolf bf and plural chemist who makes LSD - they're not from the same universe).
Drabbles of characters created solely for the situation/prompt. In this case, the asker has to propose the characters themselves. Please don't use this as a roundabout way to get writings of your OCs.
Psychonauts
Sky: Children Of The Light (Elders and Spirits, I’m not big on writing skykids)
(Maybe) Hazbin Hotel
Hollow Knight
[I can't think of much else right now, but if it comes to me I'll add it.]
Things might get a little homoerotic (especially with the cannibalism prompt), but I won't do straight-up NSFW, since I'm still 17. Gore though? That's fine.
As always, I retain the right to refuse a prompt if it squicks me or it's just not something I'm interested in writing, in which case I'll respond to the ask privately stating as much.
Prompts are listed in the alt text for those with screen-readers. Below divider by @/cafekitsune. I don't remember where I got the snake dividers, sorry :(
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negative-speedforce · 1 month
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Not Used to Freedom and I Have You Now, My Pretty for Hyun-Ki?
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Planning on doing "Not Used to Freedom" for Pyrrha so here we go-
"I Have You Now, My Pretty" from @badthingshappenbingo's challenge
With: My Arrowverse OCs Moon Hyun-Ki and Jessi Juno
CW: Hypnotism, Mind Control, Coerced Romantic Relationship
Something about Jessi Juno felt off.
Hyun-Ki couldn't put his finger on it, but it was there. Something about the way she talked, the way she looked at him set off alarm bells in his head. Maybe it was the way she smiled at him, but he had seen those hungry eyes before on a million fangirls. Such was the life of someone who had become as popular as Hyun-Ki was.
Maybe it was the way she treated her employees, like they were somehow lesser than her. But he had met dozens of egotistical young starlets before. Something about her just set him on edge, and he couldn't figure out what.
He had invited Jessi to be the featured artist on his new single, "Phases of You". It was a solo project, a bonus track on SoulSong's latest album, but the fans adored it, far more than he or any of his bandmates had expected. In response, they had decided to make it a duet, and he sought out Jessi for her deep, distinctive voice.
Jessi was already a star in her own right, a breakthrough singer whose first single reached the top ten in its first week, though Hyun-Ki suspected that nepotism might be the culprit for that. After all, Jessi could hardly work well with others in the first place, it was unlikely she would have been able to make a record deal very easily.
There was something dark about her. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something sent his intuition spiraling whenever he was around her.
Hyun-Ki walked into the studio, Jessi waiting for him next to the microphone furthest to the door.
"Took you long enough." Jessi put her phone down next to her.
"I'm ten minutes early." Hyun-Ki replied.
"Well, I've been here for a while. It's rude to leave people waiting, you know."
Hyun-Ki scowled. Just another week, and they would film the music video, and he could fly back to Seoul and be with his family and his bandmates again, and Jessi would be a thing of the past. He'd likely never have to speak to her again.
"You ready?" Hyun-Ki asked. Jessi nodded. He gave the thumbs-up to the guy in the sound booth, one of Jessi's crew whose name he hadn't caught yet, and the backing track began to play. Hyun-Ki waited for his cue, and began to sing.
"Phases of You" was a song he had been initially afraid to debut, since it displayed his natural countertenor range that had gotten him viciously mocked in high school, and it was his first time singing an entire song completely in English. While his English was arguably the best of his band's, it still wasn't his native language and he wasn't completely confident in it yet.
At the end of the first chorus, Hyun-Ki stopped singing, allowing Jessi to sing her verse. He had heard her sing it before, both in the demo she had sent him via text message, and when they were practicing in the studio, but this time, it sounded different.
His head felt fuzzy. Jessi's verse seemed to ricochet through his mind, sanding off all the harsh corners. He could hardly make a coherent thought, his mind completely enraptured by that dark yet radiant voice.
Jessi could help him. She was his star and sky, it was as if her bubblegum-pink hair had replaced the very sun itself with its light. The thought burst into his head like a broken dam, and with those waters came a cascade of thoughts and feelings that weren't his. Wait... what?
Hyun-Ki struggled against the confusion. Every thought seemed to loop back to Jessi, like an ouroboros of reluctant feelings that he wasn't sure had existed before just then. He loved Jessi, but he didn't. He found her obnoxious, but her presence was intoxicating. Her song was like a drug, addicting and euphoric, but he could feel it destroying his mind from the inside out.
Hyun-Ki didn't really feel that way about her, did he? Just moments ago, he had been admiring her presence- no. He had been annoyed with her and her stuck-up, stubborn personality that made him weak at the knees. It was the song. It was all the song.
Hyun-Ki tried to open his mouth, to cry out for someone to cut Jessi's mic, but nothing happened. His body was no longer his own, but Jessi's. Everything that he was belonged to Jessi. She was his bright star, his beloved.
His everything.
When Jessi finished her part, she looked over at Hyun-Ki. "Are you okay, Hyun-Ki?"
Through glassy, dazed eyes he stared up at her. "Better, now that I know you're here."
Jessi smirked, staring at the entranced man across from her. This had been easier than she thought.
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