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dailyopulence · 11 months

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SEARCH FOR MISSING WEREWOLF UNSUCCESFUL

Locals are dismayed after search efforts to rescue werewolf, Zack Fowler of the Sumerki Orda pack were unsuccessful. Fowler had been taken by a monster in a tragic attack at the Town Center weeks prior. No body was found but within the tunnels underground the town, one of his shoes was discovered and identified along with muddy pools of blood which were sent to the forensic department. We received confirmation the blood collected at the scene belonged to Zack Fowler and officials have declared him to be deceased. Our thoughts go out to Fowler's family and the pack for their loss. We at The Daily Opulence urge everyone in town to be careful during these trying times.

Discord event log under the cut...

“I think we’re mostly gathered, rite?” Ryden glanced about, counting heads and feeling glad to see that most who’d been asked had answered his call and there didn’t seem to be any last minute cancellations. “Guess we best git this shit o’er with, eh? Try not to separate from the group and wander alone, duck yer heads and watch where yer goin’. Everyone got good shoes, flashlights, a snack or two and their water on ‘um, yea?” He glanced over the group of people he spoke to, some five pack members standing at the tunnel entrance, two of which were in their wolf shape as due to the magic triggered on Founder’s Day this was the only time they got any benefits of sensitive smell, hearing and eyesight of the animal they turned into.

The entrance to the tunnels was first found in a winery cellar, among shelves and racks of bottled up and barrelled wine, a huge hutch cabinet now moved out of the way to reveal a brick-framed, three-men wide hole in the wall, opening up to a gaping, dark passage whose end could not be seen or winding direction predicted. Everyone was handed over a copy of the map that had the so far discovered passageways drawn down but there were many unknown areas which they might be finding out about for the first time tonight. The tunnel itself can let thee people pass through shoulder-to-shoulder but not more, and it was obvious that they would have to move in a line.

Some part of Roman wondered what he was doing there, he was not part of the pack and not particularly well liked amongst the group, but when Alpha asks for help Roman could hardly say no.

"So we're stayin' as one big group and not splitting up?" He questioned curiously.

“That’s what Ryden said didn’t he?” Cass snapped back at Roman. He was clearly on edge, tension emanating from his body and the way he stood upright, forgoing his usual slouch for these signs of anxiety, as if he felt he needed to be ready to fight at any given moment. Maybe he did, he didn’t really know what he was signing up for - only that he’d do whatever Ry instructed. And precisely none of what anyone else suggested.

He too wasn't part of the pack, however he felt involved due to the person who was missing being a werewolf to. That, and he thought Ryden might want the backup of an older wolf in case in got hairy - this is what Rafael used to to, after all. This was nothing compared to shuffling through a corridor barely wide enough to fit yourself in, the plan to ambush an enemy.

Of course, he stood with his arms crossed, face contorted into only a half shift, eyed yellow and features the sharp ones of a wolf. "Splitting up might work but we have to consider the more experienced of us versus those that aren't," he noted.

"I meant t'say to not wander off all alone. Get a buddy t'tag along with ya, so ya can git lost t'gether." Ry clarified for Roman, lips pressing into a tight line at seeing Cass snap back nervously.

Looking back at Raf, he nodded, the older werewolf always spoke reason. "We can delegate that."

"Fuck me," he mumbled under his breath hearing the screeching sounds of Cass's voice and already regretting his decision to join. Especially when Cass's face was just begging to be punched.

"Tell me where ya want me."

"Wanna make sure one of the gal's got a proper company?" Ry pointed at Elora and Mia, knowing very well that Roman would probably rather walk away than team up with Cass. So maybe ask him to take care of things where he might also be more inclined to stay calm.

A smirk formed looking over at the two ladies and he nodded. Ryden knew him well enough that if he was paired with Cass, one of them wouldn't make it out of there.

"Sure, I could do that." He simply stated.

The outburst from one of the younger wolves towards Roman smelt of something else, looking at him and then Ryden to not so subtly suggested maybe an alpha's guiding hand would be more useful in this situation than anybody else's. Rafael was happy to be paired with anyone though, he had a need to make sure Elora would be safe. That's what mattered to him, the safety of others. "We should still check in. If a situation proves too dangerous, a howl might be useful to rouse backup,"

Ry gave Raf a little shrug, Cass is as Cass does, there was very little he could do about it and likewise for Roman. But he got the message well enough, and will probably make sure the young werewolf is not all on his lonesome on this adventure. "Unfortunately, there hadn't been many conditions or opportunity t'set up sum sort of TTE, so I guess a good holler would hafta do, yea. But jus' keep in mind. We dunno if them beasts're lurkin' about. Don't howl and make too much noise 'nless ya absolutely gotta."

Not saying anything else, Roman stood there quietly. Back in the military, he had several co-op missions to save people. But that was over twenty years ago. He just waited for direction one which way Ryden wanted his group to go

"Oh yea, also. I got this... paint for ya'll. It's fluorescent. Shed sum flashlight on it and, like, it glows. Once we git beyond the tunnels marked on the maps we all got, ya can mark the walls on yer way and find yer way back easier f'ya notice yerself lost." He motioned for one of the five packmates with the group, one that wasn't in the wolf form, to hand them around.

At Ryden's instruction, he took the containers of paint and proceeded to pass them out to the groups and returned close to Ryden's side once completed.

Once everyone got their little cans of paint, Ry nodded, feeling pretty much as ready as he could be. "Last chance to go tinkle er sumtin'. I think it's gunna take us a few hours to move about. So mebbe we're good t'go. 'Nless anyone got any more suggestions of course?"

He was silent thereafter, arms simply crossed over his chest in waiting with a container of paint now dangling off his wrist. Rafael had no other suggestions, ready to track a missing innocent and rip and tear if needed.

Preoccupied trying to draw a penis on the wall nearly as soon as he was given the paint, Cass was shocked into submission by Ryden’s next statement, pausing to shrug. “I have nothing to add.”

With the paint in hand, he started to head out with his group in search of the missing werewolf. For the most part he stayed quiet not wanting to say what he was thinking which was this was a lost cause.

"A'ight then." Ry let the two packmates who were in wolf form go first and ahead of everyone, so they could sniff out the ground and see if they could pick up a trail to follow. People would have to line up with most of three walking side by side, maybe four if they didn't mind their shoulders touching.

First thing to notice upon entering was a considerable temperature difference. Even the cellar itself, which hid the entrance to the tunnel, was considerably colder in comparison to the above-ground. The dampness was palpable, the air near the entrance less thick with it but the deeper they would go in, the more the smell of rotting earth and mold would invade, no draught or a breeze of fresh air to move it. The walls and ground around them were nothing but bare earth and rock, dug out raw to create this narrow tube that lead deeper into the bowels of the earth, under the town. Above hung sparse thick roots like veins, dripping sticky water and soaking up the earthy ground, making soles of footwear sink into the mud they treaded over. Flashlights illuminated far enough ahead to make sure steps are kept careful, but not far ahead enough to know what exactly awaits them.

Abraham's broad shoulders were brushing up against another's and so he ended up falling a bit behind the others, allowing them in their pairs and groups to walk in front of him, making sure no one was lingering too far behind. "I don't like this," he grumbled under his breath to no one in particular. Werewolves underground. Bah. They weren't dwarves.

“What do you like, Abe?” Cass muttered, although his sarcasm and grumpy demeanour was mostly just his covering for his nerves and rampant anxiety, and there was little bite to the statement. “It’s fucking freezing in here,” he added, pulling his jacket closer around himself. “And I can’t see shit.”

Abe tapped his flashlight against Cass' head, "I like beaches. I don't like caves. Use your flashlight, genius."

"It's a tunnel, not a cave. Of course it's cold and dark. And ya can all go back if you'd like. This is volunteer work." Ry tossed that over his shoulder at the two men with a sharp grin.

"Shouldn't have asked numnuts over here to volunteer." Roman murmured annoyed by the younger werewolf and hoping the groups would eventually splinter off soon.

“My name’s Cass,” he offered under his breath, “but I don’t expect a dementia patient to remember.” Still, he shut up, deferring to Ryden’s authority and making the effort to try and curb his urge for more rude remarks. “Alright, Abe, well I’m terribly sorry there’s a werewolf who might be in the tunnels instead of sunbathing on a beach. I’ll be sure to let all the dark forces of Opulence know that we’d prefer a sunny location next time.”

"And the contest on who's the biggest numnuts begins..." Ry rolled his eyes and muttered to himself. "Should win that one, give you all some grief for a change."

"Good on you for not forgetting your name, Cass," Abraham responded blandly, his gaze now turned down to a map in his hands to check on their current location.

With a heavy sigh of already feeling tired although it hadn't been more than fifteen minutes since the group had entered the tunnel, Ryden continued on, moving behind the two wolves taking the lead at the front, their snouts low over the earthen ground so they could try and pick up any scent whatsoever. They advanced ahead rather smoothly, yet things may not go quite as easy for those on two legs. Ryden could feel his steps slowing down, the disgusting feeling of wading through mud getting harder to ignore. With the next step, he had to actually jerk his legs out of the almost tar-like wet earth to continue. And then, he suddenly stumbled, feeling himself sink a few inches. "The fuck..." He cursed softly, knees jerking to try and release his combat boots from the muddy hold but all he was doing was disrupting his balance without budging an inch. "Watch it! Got sum serious mud 'ere! Shit... M'stuck..." He warned those behind him.

Amber || Roman, Thad, Santi — 05/29/2023 7:58 AM

The older werewolf could feel the pain radiating through his bodes everything he took a step forward through the mud. Exhausted would be an understatement, but the man had his pride and wanted to prove he could keep up with the young bucks. "You okay Alpha?" He questioned from near the back, not seeing Ryden getting stuck from the people in the front of him. "Fuck," he grumbled hearing Ryden about the mud.

They bickered and talked amongst themselves though Rafael responded and said very little in return, focused completely at the task at hand. The sudden humidity of the place was stifling, eyes looking around for any hint of movement, on high alert the entire time. Hearing that Ryden was stuck up ahead in the mud, tuning out how uncomfortable the bog through it was. "Don't wiggle," he responded. "Can you get out or d'you want me to drag you?"

"Uh..." Ryden hummed as he was asked whether everything was alright, still processing the fact that now he could be stopped in his tracks by a bit of mud. Except it wasn't a bit, it was soft underground earth that soaked in the days of rain they had in the past couple of weeks, a force to be reckoned with. Ryden froze at Rafael's advice, trying not to wiggle too much. "I mean, if I can't wiggle, what am I supposed t'do then?" Fact was that the werewolf was heavy, and he was now feeling himself sink, mud reaching almost past his shins. "I think it's sum sort of a sinkhole pocket where I stepped in..."

"Wiggling only makes you sink faster," There was a certainty to his words, as if Rafael had somehow come across a sinkhole before, even though he was just parroting what he'd heard before. "Relax. Hold out your arms, we'll pull you out,"

"M'relaxed, m'relaxed." Though by his elevated voice, more shouting than takling, Ry's annoyance at this was pretty darn obvious. He tried to turn a little, reach out his arms so whoever could would be able to give him a pull, while at the same time he tried not to move around too much. His sinking slowed down a bit but if they prolonged moving away from here, the mud would reach up to his knees.

“You want a hand?” Cass was fidgeting, evidently uncomfortable with the whole situation, though his tone of voice remained casual, uncaring. “I don’t like this,” he added, which was an understatement, more the comment you’d make with regards to a colour or song, versus the overall eery atmosphere they found themselves in.

"Yea yea and it's spa day for me, this is what I wanted, a mud bath." Ry gave Cass a look, then waved a hand at him. "Take this one and Raf will take another one and pull."

Roman just remained near the back with the women figuring Rafael had it handled with Ryden and not so secretly hoping the mud would take Cass.

"Got it," Rafael confirmed as Ry agreed with his idea, not sparing the other wolves a look as he waded more towards the front of their cobbled together pack of wolves, grabbing one of Ryden's strong arms with his own and looking at Cass. "On 3, ready?"

“Ready,” he said slowly, arm reaching out to take Ryden’s free arm, stepping a little closer to provide more traction as he did so, glancing at Rafael to confirm when to begin tugging.

"Uh, be gentle. I need all my limbs." Ry looked from one man to the other, preparing for their joined forces to give him a pull he needed to be freed.

"One, Two, Three," And with that, Rafael began to slowly pull at Ryden's free arm, face set in concentration, jaw clenched. Ryden was heavy - all that muscle.

He did his best to bend his knee up, first one leg to try and pull it a little loose and then eventually out and then the other, helped along by the two men pulling on his arms. He cursed not having his werewolf strength at the moment. But it was working, he felt the earth give in and one leg and then the other were finally released, making Ryden lurch forward and he would've kissed the ground face first if it weren't for Cass and Raf holding him up. "Fuck... I ain't doin' that ever again. Guess we should go around this, stick to the wall until we pass the sinkhole by."

"Watch your step, mind the mud," Abraham warned to the group of werewolves, making sure all of them knew to bypass it and then helping some of the less coordinated ones around it, "Tuck in against the wall," offering the occasional words of guidance to help move them along safely and then marking off on the map with a smudge of dirt around the location he figured they were at right now to indicate where it was so on their way back out it didn't catch them by surprise... just in case they were needing to leave quickly.

Having walked around what seemed to be a naturally created mud trap on their way with no larger consequences of having stumbled upon it besides one werewolf getting his feet unconfortably wet and not being a happy camper about it, the company continued on, walking for a while longer in relative silence and focusing on their steps with more care, until the two wolves ahead seem to quicken up, having picked up on something. "Seems like they caught a scent." Ryden announced, feeling something akin to a little flicker of hope. "Where are we at accordin' to the map? Is it close t'where he'd been dragged under by the creature?" He inquired at no one in particular, more thinking outloud than anything else.

“You missed the mud, then?” Cass observed to Elora, noticing the lack of muck on her as she approached, a little behind the others. “Ry got stuck. We had to pull him out, it was fucking awful.” Complaints stated more as a way for him to make her smile, distract from the tension of the situation, he turned back. “I’m not good with maps. Sorry.”

Ryden had called the pack together and Elora had had every intention of getting to the search early, but she'd slept over at Fionn's, completely distracted by him and the brunch he'd made for them both. She felt guilty, but she was here now, casting a quick grin and a nod in Cass' direction. "Stuck? God, is he okay? Ryden?" she asked, stepping forward towards her pack leader, concern on her features.

"Yea yea, jus' need new boots after all dis shoite." Ry grumbled back at Elora's question, the whole situation just making him crankier than usual. "It wasn't that much of a big deal Cassidy, Raf pulled more than you did." He snorted at the other young wolf, his attempt at breaking the tension that was surely building up in the group. "Chin up, everyone. We seem to have a trail."

Roman not much paying attention, given he was several people behind looked over at Elora and smirked. "Been awhile, doll face."

“Hey, I helped. What gave you the strength to come out from the Pit of Despair if not my beautiful face peering down at you?” Cass suggested with a grin, before rolling his eyes with conviction at Roman. “Grandpa’s at it again. Maybe we should stay on track? Before some pretty girl smiles at him and gives him a stroke?”

Abraham looked down at his version of the map then looked up, pointing his flashlight up at a gaping hole in the dirt and rock ceiling above them where it looked like something had burrowed up, large claw marks indented into the facing of the wall but the depth enough that there was no visible sky above head, only indication it possibly led upwards to fresh air and surface was a slight hint of fresher air coming from the hole. "Keep your eyes open everyone."

"Fuck off dipshit, before I hurt you again."

"Ya did, kiddo, ya did. I jus' thought for a second ya might've stopped eatin' meat again." Ry snort-chuckled, turning to check what Cass was talking about. "Pfft. Elora can say no when she wants to. I ain't fussed." He had all the confidence in El that she would be able to handle Roman in any way she saw fit. He merely rolled his eyes when Roman bit back poisonously. "Charmin', old man. Lookit all o'us swoonin'." He then focused on Abe, who was the only one being useful at the moment, following his gaze up to the gaping hole overhead. "Yeap, dis is the spot." He lead the way further, his flashlight targeting the road ahead and the two wolves following the scent.

Abraham noticed Elora was without one of the cans of paint which he had passed out earlier that would glow in the dark, meant to be used to identify their path like breadcrumbs so he passed his own to her, "In case we get separated. Don't get lost."

What had happened between Roman and herself was not something Elora wanted to think about, and them sleeping together was not something she'd divulged to anyone else, not even Jean-Claude. She cast a half-smile in Roman's directon before scarpering up to Rafael's familiar form, looking up at him with a much more genuine grin. "Hey," she hummed, turning as a can of paint was thrust in front of her. She took it and nodded gratefully, looking over at the wolf who had given it to her. "Smart. thank you."

He kept quiet, not wanting to sustain much small talk when two of their gang seemed to be overly volatile and enjoying in winding eachother up. Rafael didn't like the element of unpredictability the younger and older seemed to bring with them, simply staying alert for anything amiss. Ready to rip and tear.

Though - Elora soon caught up to him, yellow eyes looking over at her and he grinned, mouth full of teeth. Sharp teeth to. "El," he greeted her.

"Looks like a fork in the road up ahead," Abe announced, looking from his map and then to the dark path ahead of them illuminated solely by the meandering stream of numerous flashlights. "Which way?"

He’d been wandering ahead for no apparent reason, and now Cass found himself separated from the group, barely noticing the fork in the path as he entered on the right side, presuming everyone was going that way. Attempting to spray a paint circle to show himself the way back, he realised he was out of paint - his own fault, and he didn’t think too much of it. He’d probably find his way back.

Ry simply looked to the packmates in wolf form, one of them giving Ry a look back before he just trotted to the left, his companion soon following. "Everybody left! That's where the scent we got goes!" He announced to the people behind, not yet realizing that one person in the company was no longer able to hear him.

Just following the bodies, Roman moved forward through the tunnels. As he came to the fork, he went left but had an errie feeling that something was off.

Wandering along, certain that at some point the path would lead him to the others, Cass swore the tunnel was getting narrower and narrower, and with it his heart felt like it was squeezing in just as much, beating harder in his chest. His flashlight was barely providing much, only a couple feet in front of him of visibility, only adding to the feeling of being boxed in - and when he tried to look back, his view of the twisting path behind him wasn’t much better, and he realised he must have gotten himself lost away from Ryden and the rest of the pack. There was little choice but to keep going, although he felt uneasy even walking a step further.

Something felt off, Roman couldn't explain it. Perhaps it was cause there wasn't an annoying voice that sent shivers down his spine rambling on. Who knows? "Do we have everyone? Seems a bit quiet."

Ryden paused as Roman voiced a concern that perhaps not everyone was accounted for. Flashing his light back at the group to make sure he recognized faces, he began counting, muttering names under his breath. "Uh... Cass? Where is Cass?" That was the only face he was missing. "Cass, speak up! Shit... When was the last time anyone'd seen Cass?"

Roman rolled his eyes and sighed heavily. Of course it was dipshit that was missing. No wonder it felt somewhat peaceful the last few minutes. "Fuck," he grumbled. "Dipshit, you better not be fucking around." He said in a serious tone, just in case Cass was being a dumbass per usual.

Glancing around as best she could in the dark, El's eyes widened, searching for the familiar figure of her friend. "He wouldn't. Not in this situation. I think he's- I think he's gone.

Roman didn't believe Elora, he figured Cass would do something idiotic. However, given the situation he decided to keep that to himself as not to upset anyone.

Thankfully, Roman had experience with extraction and figured everyone should keep going with the mission and he would go back. After all, you never leave a man behind...no matter how annoying he can be.

"I'm gonna go back and retace the steps. Y'all keep going."

"Ugh..." Ryden reached up to rub the bridge of his nose, not believing his crappy luck - they were barely in and already had so much trouble. "Hey, Martin, go keep Roman company." He said to one of the packmates in wolf form ahead of them. "He can track Cass scent for ya, if needed. Alicia will stay with us." Alicia being the other werewolf currently in wolf form. Martin trotted over to Roman, tail wagging, looking up at the older man and ready to follow.

Elora was reluctant to let Roman head back after Cass, especially when he so clearly didn't like the younger wolf, but there wasn't much she could do. "You want me to stick with you or go with them?" El asked, looking up at Ryden for his instruction.

"Whachoo gut instinct tell ya you should do, El?" He asked, knowing that despite all his faults, Elora would be safe with Roman if she wanted to go.

"Alright Martin, let's head out." Roman looked over towards Elora. "You coming sweet cheeks or staying wit' the group?"

"I think- I think it might be good if I went with them-" she managed, tilting her head in Roman and Martin's direction. As easy as it was to seek Ryden's instructions, she appreciated that he was putting the ball back in her court, teaching her that she could in fact trust herself. "I just think that- yeah. He might need calming down," she murmured, nodding slowly. "It's Elora old man, watch your tounge," she chuckled softly, punching his shoulder lightly as she moved towards him.

Ry nodded approvingly at Elora's decision. "Abe and me will be markin' our way with the paint so ya guys can catch up later. El, permission to slap whoever misbehaves." He tossed a wink at her, this more of a joke than being serious.

"Slap...spank. I'm good with both," he winked teasingly. "Yeah yeah, hot stuff." He called her when she told him her name. Anyone who knew Roman knew he didn't use names of everyone.

"Alright, let's go fall back." With that he allowed Martin to go ahead of them and started walking next to Elora.

The two groups separated, one continuing on down the left path while Elora, Roman and Martin retraced their steps to go into the right side of the split in the tunnel under Martin's guidance. It didn't exactly make Ryden happy to have this happen but this was exactly why he'd invited multiple people to do this with him. At least they could all cover unexpected situations. Falling in line with silent Rafael, he spoke to the man in a low voice. "What do ya think? What are the actual chances of findin'... anyone here, really. Ya heard what sort of a beast attacked, rite? Ya think... the person we're lookin' for has any chance of survival?" He asked, having his doubts, considering Rafael the best person to really share them with. Best be realistic. He was aware from the start that finding anyone alive down here would be nothing short of a miracle. But miracles did sometimes happen.

Some went to look for Cass, the young wolf who'd somehow gotten lost and Rafael couldn't understand how. Still, he glanced over at Ryden as he spoke in a low tone, inquiring about chances of survival. The wolf had mulled the situation over, of course, eventually responding with an honest; "I think we're just doing body retrieval," he said back with a shrug. "Which is important, in its own right, for families to grieve. Our best case scenario is he hasn't been horribly mutilated. Our worst is no body at all or only a few scraps of one. Either way, we need to put the beast down. I think that's a bigger priority, saving more people from the same fate,"

Ryden nodded somberly, knowing that Rafael, as always, spoke reason in the most pragmatic, down-to-earth sort of way. "I don't think we'd be able t'do that - not exactly loike we brought any weapons. But at least we'd be able t'give the ERT some more info 'bout the tunnels." He sighed, reminding himself to keep the flashlight directed ahead properly, so he wouldn't lose sight of Alicia tracking in front of them. "Shit... I barely even knew the guy, and he was pack. Seen 'um around but never bothered t'even remember his name proper. Guess I gotta now, at least for his funeral..." He trailed off, mouth hanging open to almost ask something more of Rafael but instead he just huffed out a chuckle. "Thanks for always helpin' me, mate. Ya would've been so much better at this than me. Wish I had yer head on me shoulders."

"Oh, I came for a fight," There was trace amounts of humour in Rafael's tone if you knew where to look, as he really had just come to be extra muscle. It felt good to punch, to rip and tear in moments like this, to completely give into the animal. He listened to Ryden talk, sensing something else was amiss and reaching out to carefully pat the alpha's shoulder. "Hindsight. Means going forwards you can try to know your pack better," he said back with a nod and not a trace of judgement in his voice. Sumerki was a large pack, quieter members were bound to just be there. "Nah. I wouldn't. They respect you, they'd disobey me. Too much of an old man," he joked in response. "Thats what I'm here for, to help,"

They took off back the way they had come, Elora trailing behind Roman and Martin - and then, she caught a whiff. The scent of Cass, familiar to her. "He's definitely this way." Her feet sped up, overtaking the two men as she trotted ahead, following her nose back down the dark path.

Ryden grinned sharply at Rafael, the man speaking his language with the determination to fight, even though it was said jokingly. "Well, plan is, those with the scent catch anythin', we shift and outrun it. S'why I asked for wolves only. But I shift slow, so I'll lag behind. Want a good fight? Lag behind with me, we can take it on." Because honestly, there wouldn't be a greater honor then getting in the line of fight with a man like Rafael. He nodded more seriously at Raf's next words, mistakes and oversights meant that he'd just have to work harder in the future. "Well I don't know, I've been hearin' some pretty darn good feedback from those patrols ya did. People rely on ya, even if yer not pack. Ya ever been in one b'fore?"

Ryden had it all figured out, the fight to come and a grin stretched out upon those wolfish features - that's why he'd prioritised a half shift so it wouldn't take as long. Rafael wasn't used to the praise given, especially by the alpha, and considering he wasn't a pack mwmber. "Must be my charm," That dryness was back. "Hm. A long time ago, yes. I was a second in command," Perhaps that's why he was good at advising.

"Yeah, he does have a particular smell to him." Roman mumbled as he walked with Martin and Elora. Although, there was some concern from the older wolf he refused to show it. "Slow down sweets, we don't need another missing wolf."

Ah, things now made sense, Ryden always trusted his own gut instinct and that same instinct was also a very good judge of character. He always knew there was something about Rafael, not just the seriousness and maturity of an older man, but experience which Ryden never had too. He snorted at Rafael, grin stretching wider, prominent canines always present eerily white in the dark of the tunnel. "Charm's needed for any position of command. Ya ever thought ya could do it again? Bein' an advisor to a pack?"

The offer was there, Ryden asking without explicitly asking what he wanted - Rafael as an advisor. The elder hummed, could he do it again? It had been nearly 20 years since he was last in a pack, and it had ended...well. Terribly.

Was he ready to be that open again? With young wolves who needed guidance, and an alpha who needed support? Ryden wasn't Conor. Would never be.

"I don't know," at least it was an honest answer. "Maybe. I'd need to think about it. Got bags I haven't unpacked,"

"Sure." Ryden gave that response a non-committal shrug, in no rush for a final reply or any reply really. "Was jus' puttin them cards on the table. Ya already help me out a bunch. Might as well git proper credit for it too. Might not help unpack any bags but hey, those are yers alone t'rummage through anyway. And while they sit unpacked, perhaps it'd do good to jus'... focus on other shit when ya feel up for it. Like so much shit, mate. I mean." Ryden waved a hand the way they came from, apparently pointing out the trouble the pack regularly put him in. Like getting lost in a place where it's of utmost importance not to get lost in.

By this point he’d found his way into some sort of dead end he couldn’t quite figure out where to come out from, and the walls seemed to be closing in on him, space getting smaller and smaller, his ears ringing to the point where he didn’t even hear Roman’s voice as the pack members drew nearer, didn’t register their scents or presence as he sank down onto the floor, distressed.

"Slow down," he insisted once more with Elora not wanting more people to get lost. What was with kids today? Always in a damn hurry.

With the flashlight in hand, Roman noticed a figure on the floor and sighed. "Let me check him," he insisted not sure if something happened to Cass and he didn't want Elora to see just in case. As he eased down, his bones creaked and he felt a slight pop in his knee causing him to wince. "Cass is that you? Are you okay?" He questioned softly, telling the other two to take a few steps back so Cass could breathe.

He might ordinarily have made some comment about the audible pop of Roman’s knee, but Cass barely even heard it and instead settled for a defeated nod, not yet looking up at the older man though. “I’m fine,” he lied, voice shaking and betraying his dishonesty. “Just… I don’t know. Being a dipshit, right?”

There was an inkling that Cass was not okay, but Roman was trying to be nice and didn't want to point it out "well when aren't you being a dipshit?" He commented jokingly in hopes of lightening the situation. "Are you able to breathe? Can you stand up? Do you need help?"

“I’m fine,” he hissed, immediately regretting the tone of his voice as if concerned for once that he might have angered Roman and really not prepared to deal with those consequences. “I’m not hurt, I don’t need help,” he continued. “I just … I’m not big on small spaces,” Cass admitted, an understatement. “Just give me a second.”

Roman sighed heavily and rolled his eyes as he used the wall next to them to try and stand up, his knee now throbbing. "Yeah," he murmured already annoyed and wondering why he even gave a shit.

Relieved that they had managed to find Cass pretty easily, Elora stayed back to allow Roman to inspect the younger wolf, listening anxiously to their exchange. She could hear in Cass' voice that he was not okay, and as Roman stood she stepped forward, kneeling down beside Cass. She didn't speak, instead just slipping her hand into his, the gesture secret from the others, covered by the dark of the night around them.

After giving Raf a pat on the back, grateful for the talk they've just had, Ryden suggested for the group to take a 10-minute break where they were at, just to catch a breather and make sure they stay hydrated in this humid, stifling air and to also give the other group that split apart to look for Cass a better chance at catching up. Ry moved to stand where Abe was, studying the map the other man had in his hands, noting that they will soon reach a part of the tunnel maze that was not yet explored. "Think we'll have t'start seriously markin' our way after we reach the end o'the map." He commented, bulky arms folded over his chest.

He'd keep it in mind, the offer of life again in a pack. It wasn't that Rafael hadn't enjoyed his old one - god, the dog soldiers had been like family. It was the loss that made them fall apart, his failure as a second in command, the need to run away to escape his grief. Could he handle it again, loss like that? The boy who'd been taken was not kin to him but, he knew he would treat them as such. For someone so stone-faced, Rafael had a large heart.

He leaned against a wall of the tunnels, glancing back as the others caught up. The air seemed to grow more stagnant, humidity causing sweat to bead on his brow.

"Agreed," He said in response. "I wonder if there are any other exits in these tunnels,"

Abe responded with a soft grunt of agreement that they'd need to mark the tunnels and also the map soon. "Probably better if we don't split off. Too dangerous when we won't know what to expect ahead." Then to Rafaeal, "These beasts have to be using more than one exit to get out of here," referring back to the hole in the dirt ceiling a while back which wasn't where they had entered and presumably they were capable of making a new exit for themselves at any time. They on the other hand... might not be so lucky.

Ry glanced back at Raf who raised a good question an then Abe, who answered it very realistically. "The first attack at that bar was in the evenin'. Was it the same for the second one?" He asked, having not caught that particular detail when he heard about it all. "If both were, mebbe it's safe t'assume the monsters're more active at night? We started pretty early in the mornin'. Should make sure we're out well b'fore evenin' t'day."

After the pop in his knee and standing back up to put some distance between Cass and himself, Roman could feel the radiating pain as he tried to breathe through it as he used the tunnel wall for support. "C'mon, get off your ass dipshit. We have to catch up to the group."

"Yeah, good idea," nodding as he glanced at his watch to determine in his head how much longer before sunset they would have to explore the tunnels.

"Yanno, usually also, creatures like these may be pretty sensitive to light... And fire." It was a shot in the dark for sure but hey, when you had zero info, you had to get inventive and just cross your fingers for the best. Ryden shrugged off the full backpack he'd been carrying all along, unzipping it wide open to show a plethora of road flares, firecrackers and fireworks. He grinned wickedly, like a kid showing off the goodies his parents told him he should absolutely not play with. "I didn't share these yet cause, well, we got peeps who'd soon blow their fingers clean off than use this proper but might help, eh? If it got eyes, they can't be fire-proof either way."

“You’re so kind,” Cass said sarcastically in response to Roman, although he got up obediently, staying close to the older man and to Elora, still uneasy despite their efforts to reassure him so his distaste for Roman became outweighed by sheer panic and fear forcing him to use Roman as a protector. “Which way they go?” He turned to shine his flashlight and was immediately startled by an odd shadow appearing despite it being simply a trick of the dim light, causing him to bolt as close as Roman as he could, seeking protection.

For a moment, Roman tried to be nice to Cass when the younger wolf was on the ground. However, the moment Cass opened his mouth it caused him to remember why he didn't like Cass in the first place.

Once Cass stood up, Roman huffed as Cass stood near him as they headed down the tunnel to catch up with the others. "The correct way," he mumbled through the pain with each step. Roman continued to use one hand against the wall to sturdy himself as they made their way towards the others.

"For fuck's sake, why are you getting so close?" He questioned Cass beyond annoyed with the kid.

Abe peered over at the firecrackers Ryden displayed wickedly and let out a booming sort of chuckle. "Knew you had something up your sleeve."

“Just stay near?” Cass asked quietly, his tone carrying no malice or snark this time as he remained close to Roman, even offering his own hand to steady the older man. “Please?”

Usually, Roman would have pushed Cass away or hell even punch him in that punchable face of his. However, he knew he needed to set his personal feelings for the guy to the side for Ryden's sake. For whatever reason Ryden has a soft spot for the dipshit that Roman still couldn't wrap his head around. And there was the fact Cass clearly had some trauma dealing with dark closed in areas and needed some comfort.

"Ain't like I got any place to go," he responded. Roman sighed heavily and didn't take Cass's hand because of his own pride. "I'm right here, don't worry."

“Alright,” he said, voice a little shaky as he followed Roman’s lead no matter how slow the other was going, unwilling to go in the lead. “I’m not worrying,” he denied despite the evidence clearly pointing to the contrary.

For the most part, Roman remained silent as Martin led the group back to the main group. Occasionally, he looked over his shoulder to check in on Cass. Despite a lot of anger towards the kid, he didn't actually want the kid to be traumatized. He had seen firsthand how some people respond to trauma.

"I mean, sure, I can try punchin' the shit outta anythin' that may come at us but will it work now? I'm outta woof juice. Back to bein' all human again. Can't rely on jus' that." Ry explained to Abe with a slanted grin, then zipped the backpack up, turning around. "Damn, where are those four? How far did Cass wander off?" But then in the beam of the flashlight, Ry could see Martin slowly padding over on his silent paws, and soon after the other three following behind. "Was thinkin' I had to send a search party for the search party. Everyone a'ight?" He asked, though some annoyance could still be noticed in his tone.

First thing Roman wanted to say was what a dumbass Cass was and how he should have just stayed home. However, he kept his mouth shut on that front. "C'mon Alpha, you send Martin and me out. You know we'll find our way back." He simply stated. After all, this search was about finding one of Ryden's packmembers and ultimately that was what mattered. "Have y'all seen any signs of anything? Something to indicate where he is at or if he is still alive?"

"No doubt there, jus' felt like ya were takin' yer sweet time. Must be this place. Feels like everythin's standin' still, even time." If Ryden said that being underground wasn't unnerving even to him, he would be lying. "Nothin' so far, but if we continue on, mebbe we'll get sumwhere. Fingers crossed. Everyone good to continue on?" As he asked, he also gave Cass a good, hard look. The young wolf will get Ryden's piece of mind about this later, out of everyone's earshot. For now, seeing him back and alright would do.

Abraham offered Ryden a nod that he was good to keep going, the map ready in his hands to mark up their path as they ventured on from here.

He could feel Ryden’s eyes on him, not to mention Roman’s, varying tones in the two but both gazes Cass wasn’t in any hurry to meet, staring down at the ground and fidgeting awkwardly, evidently ashamed at his little outburst and hoping to put it behind him. “Yeah let’s just keep going.”

Roman remained silent about the comment on taking their time to return to the main group and followed suit as they headed further into the tunnels, his knee still throbbing from earlier but he tried to block it out.

"Well alright then, try not t'look so excited ya'll..." Ryden grumbled at all the gloom that had now befallen the group, turning around to follow the two wolves ahead who would be continuing their tracking for as far as it would lead them.

Unfortunately, soon after, any scent or trail which had been used for guidance would be almost impossible to distinguish due to the intense scent of rot and decay, so acrid and palpable it felt like it was leaving a film over their tongues as they inhaled. The more they continued, the grotesque scent only grows worse until it reaches a thickening point, even the air is clouded and filled with spores that suspend in the air when the lights from their flashlights hit them, appearing as if they had walked into a fog.

Continuing down this tunnel would reveal that the one three-man wide space was incrementally growing smaller, barely noticeable at first until those on the edges began to scrunch their shoulders in to avoid contact with the walls. Soon it would be necessary to fall into an even thinner line, two-men wide, then finally only one could lead the way.

The walls felt like they were squeezing in again. Cass dropped behind the rest of the group as the tunnel began to narrow, eyes wide and glancing from side to side as if he anticipated being jumped at any moment, to the point where the slightest shadow was enough to make him flinch. “Are we sure this is the right way?”

It felt as if the walls were coming in on them as the passage way got narrower. Hearing Cass, he let out a sigh. "Yeah kid," he commented. "You okay?" Roman was a lot of things, but he wasn't going to make things more difficult for Alpha or add onto any trauma that Cass was having.

"If we ain't, we'll find out eventually." Rydeb said, mostly focusing on leading the way ahead, having also pulled the collar of his shirt over his nose. Silver lining, at least he did not have his sensitive sense of smell while he was still human-shaped.

Abraham was all but holding his breath to minimize the amount of disgusting air he was inhaling, even without any werewolf enhanced senses it was horrible just on a human level. "What is this smell?" He asked but part of him didn't want to actually find out. He had to keep his arms tucked in close in front of him and even still his broad shoulders were rubbing against the dirt walls now.

It was quickly becoming too small to sustain the pack, eventually being forced into a single line as the air became thick with rot and decay. The scent was enough to cause Rafael's eyes to water, to gag slightly- he was glad that nobody saw him. Though shorter than many of the present wolves, he still found his shoulder scraping against the stone walls, taking bits of his shirt with it. "Death" he responded to the question, mostly keeping quiet as he soldiered on.

Hearing Rafeal made Jeremy's shoulders hunch up close to his ears. He gripped his flashlight so tightly that his knuckles turned white and despite the coolness of the underground tunnel, sweat had collected over his brow and upper lip and dripped down the back of his neck and made his hands slippery so he had to keep wiping them against his jeans and over his shirt. He tried to grip his flashlight again after doing so but it still slipped from his fingers and landed with a dull squelch into mud. He huffed out a breath, paused walking to pick it up, anxiety rising because now they were forced to walk in a line he was holding up those behind him to pick up his flashlight so he tried to do it quickly so no one would scold him, hurriedly scooping it up despite the mud on the handle and carried on walking, discovering a few paces forward that the mud was dark red.

“I’m fine,” Cass practically hissed at Roman, the lie obvious before he had even let it leave his lips, his entire body so tense that it was a wonder he didn’t just tip over like a corpse, albeit one with a heart thumping so loud it was hard to even hear what the other wolves said. “Let’s just live quickly.”

He'd rather not, but something told Ryden that maybe Rafael was right. The distinct stench didn't seem to only be undeground stale air full of mold, spores and moisture. There was something else there and even a human sense of smell could not miss it. Ry let out a low whistle, alerting the two wolves ahead of the rest of the group, who also had to walk one behind another to accommodate the change in tunnel size, to slow down and be careful. It didn't seem needed - they had already done so, not looking too well, their senses overwhelmed. Ryden therefore squeezed through so he was the one walking ahead of everyone now, flashlight pointed forward, neck of his shirt covering the lower part of his face.

Finally, the tunnel seemed to widen again but it did not encourage fresher air nor an escape from the deep rot which had settled into the very earth. Now two dark paths would become visible ahead. The left tunnel narrow like this one and the same rotten stench wafts from it. The right tunnel appears to be wider and it may open up further, the smell of rot is lesser there.

Abraham inspects his map but isn't sure which way to go down. "I don't think we should separate," he commented, not mentioning that this opinion was in part due to Cass but also in part to the intense scent of decay. It would be best to remain together from now on.

The older werewolf remained silent, annoyed by Cass being so flippant with him when he was trying to be nice. The stench that filled his nostrils made Roman somewhat sick to his stomach, his mind going back to when he smelled the similar scent when he came across trenches of murdered families from his time in the military. "We cannot search every tunnel unless we split up." Roman commented. He do whatever Alpha wanted, but if they split up they would cover more ground.

"Sumtin's... not right." Ryden muttered to himself at first, peering at the two dark paths ahead separating the tunnel, trying to see past the meager patch of light his torch cast ahead, then raised his voice a little so everyone could hear him. "Martin and Alicia can't track no more. Can't anyone smell this? Sum kinna undertone to it, smells like... rottin' meat and... stale blood..." He really didn't want to say it because now that he did, he could smell it even more, even through the fabric of his shirt.

Jeremy felt a pit in his stomach churn. He smelled it and when Ryden announced it, it only made it worse. The tunnels didn't feel like a typical underground passage anymore. It felt like a tomb filled with dead bodies they couldn't see. He looked grim, expression difficult to discern in the darkness of the tunnel, shadowed starkly by the harsh lights of the flashlights but it told them all his thoughts. There was not going to be anyone alive down here.

The idea of splitting up seemed to be a contentious one, the group stuck between a literal rock and a hard place. Rafael kept that stone face, just glancing ahead to barely see the two tunnels, the smell taking him back to a place of death and rot. The left tunnel was smaller, tighter, and claustrophobia wasn't one of his issues. "I'll take the left," Rafael was confident that he could handle himself, and the scene that might be there. He didn't wish any of the younger wolves present to see something that would most likely scar them. "I don't mind going alone. Spare you all whatever's in there,"

"I'd rather no one went alone." Ryden was on board with what Abe suggested, not liking the idea of anyone facing anything that waited ahead on their own, even if they were as reliable and hardcore as Raf. "We take the narrower tunnel. Who thinks they ain't got the stomach for it, they can wait for us t'git back here. That's the only splittin' up I'll agree to. If we can't agree, we all move back and git the hell outta this hellhole."

For the moment, Jeremy waited to see if anyone would volunteer to stay. He did not want to go down that tunnel but he also didn't want to be the only one staying behind and would ultimately go wherever the pack went. Not really seeing anyone who said they wanted to stay, so far, he sucked in a breath and readied himself for whatever would await them down the tunnel.

With the group having agreed to take the left tunnel, they proceed onward with the stench of decay growing in intensity until it coats their throats. Continuing on down the narrow tunnel reveals a dead end. Rock walls had crumbled and formed a collapse that is impossible to pass through.

One of them tried to move a rock to bypass the collapse but the earth audibly groans. A large rock rolls to the side and a lone battered shoe is discovered. One of the shifted werewolves sniffs at the shoe and indicates with a lowering of their head and flattening of their ears against their head that this was the source of the scent they were following, it must have belonged to the missing werewolf. Another werewolf in their human form tried to move another rock but the walls shuddered again and fearing another collapse of the tunnel, it was decided not to proceed any further but the fate of the missing werewolf seemed to be decided and hope of recovering even their body was lost.

It was with a melancholic and defeated air that the group began to leave the tunnel, leaving behind the dirt and blood in favor of fresh air and open land.

#opulencenews #disturbing imagry tw #death mention tw

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iloriatower · 1 year

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I can feel myself changing.

I revel in wonder at this body that feels like it's finally starting to belong to me.

I can feel the familiar fear and anxiety about taking ownership of myself, of being seen as messy and incomplete, of being told that I cannot inside me. The draw of isolation, of pretending to be something I'm not, of just getting by and being small, beneath consideration or notice is still there. Like this interminable ocean of hot, black oil that leaves a filmy, burning residue pearlescent with a rainbow of worries.

But the changes persist.

More and more it feels like it can't touch me, like this new energy lets me weave between splatters and bubbles with a lightness akin to a new pair of well fitting shoes whose impervious soles are made of confidence and hermetic wings made of joy. I marvel at them, at this feeling that I have made for myself and I cannot help but feel proud.

Sometimes I might forget to put them on, I might slip and get burned, I might even fall in. But that time where I'm whole, these days that have stretched into weeks have let me heal. These shoes I made, the way they let me fly...they have given me a new perspective. From this fresh vantage I can see the truth. That vast, impenetrable ocean roiling with pain was a hypnotic lake, one that draws the eye and tugs at your heart with a beautiful lie. Those twisting, precarious pathways were nothing more than a rocky shore that I can finally leave.

Today I take another step away from that lake. I turn from the unfamiliar forest that looms before me and take a moment to consider where I have been. I look upon that lake and realize I don't even feel the heat anymore.

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chawsl · 2 years

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FOR SUBSCRIBERS

Does Singapore have an overwork culture?

https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/does-singapore-have-an-overwork-culture

The fuss over quiet quitting puts the spotlight on how different generations view work ethics.

Gen Z is forcing a rethink of an overwork culture.

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Some of us born in the 1960s, to pioneer generation parents with a strong sense of duty and dedication to work, tended to also adopt a workaholic mindset, believing that hard work, long hours and loyalty were payments to be made in one's youth, for the relative financial ease and professional autonomy in middle age.

This worked when careers were long, and predictable. But a new generation of workers is questioning such premises.

When the phenomenon of "quiet quitting" started to trend on social media, I was puzzled at the thought of 20-somethings already so disillusioned at work that they want to slack off. Are they just lazy?

But no, quiet quitting isn't about skiving. In quiet quitting, you continue working, but you give what your job is due and no more - you refuse to go "above and beyond" your duties. "You're no longer subscribing to the hustle culture mentality that work has to be your life," said Mr Zaid Khan, 24, a software engineer and musician in New York whose quiet quitting video went viral on TikTok.

In a sign of how the trend is striking a chord, attracting reams of analysis and commentary, the hashtag #QuietQuitting had over 17 million views on TikTok.

Of course quiet quitting is not unique to Gen Z or a new trend - there are always clock-watchers, or those who go slow at work. But the intense interest this is arousing now, opens up an opportunity for soul-searching about workplace norms. For Singapore especially, often rated both the least engaged and hardest-working workforce in the region, this is especially relevant.

But for genuine conversations to happen, managers, many of whom belong to Gen X, a generation that grew up in a more punishing work environment, have to work at understanding why younger workers feel differently about work.

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Quiet workers: Not lazy, just not motivated right

One narrative about quiet quitting is that Gen Z workers are entitled and lazy, slackers by another name. But this doesn't gel with survey data, which shows that many Gen Z people are motivated social justice warriors who go way "beyond and above" their duty, to spend personal time and money on social and environmental causes.

Personally, more contact with young people in recent years has forced me to rethink some of my own assumptions about work ethics and helped me appreciate Gen Z perspectives.

Young workers can't be called lazy if they want more from life than an all-consuming job. Maybe some have just not found their passion, or may prioritise family life and personal pursuits.

More pertinently, many are already burnt out. When I first read about this, I wondered - they have barely started their career and already they feel burnt out?

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Then I do a bit of perspective taking, putting myself in the shoes of a 25-year-old, who entered the workforce two years ago, facing immediate pandemic dangers, and the long-term existential crisis over climate and demographics. Even though things are better this year, waves of resignation mean he may struggle now with a higher workload. Meanwhile, inflation eats away at earnings. Many jobs these days are also on contract or outsourced, with little job security. Meanwhile, in law to finance to medicine to IT, junior staff live with a permanent "crunch" (a period of very long hours) to meet deadlines.

With such anxieties, no wonder burnout is common, despite short years at work.

A recent Deloitte survey of 14,808 Gen Zers and 8,412 millennials, found 40 per cent of Gen Zers saying they would quit in the next two years. Forty-six per cent of Gen Z workers said they were stressed all or most of the time. The top stressor: their long-term financial future.

Feeling stress over finances suggests that any quiet quitting springs not from a lack of motivation to work, but from disenchantment with the workplace system. Why work so hard if it is not recognised and won't be paid for?

Singapore workers are not immune to such trends. They are among the least engaged in Asia; and about one in two want to quit in the next year, according to some surveys. Even if they don't call it that, quiet quitters are in our ranks.

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Responses to quiet working

But perhaps Gen X managers can view quiet quitters differently.

Seen from another perspective, quiet quitting is really just about keeping to hours and doing their work, and refusing to do more. This should be called quiet working, without drama.

On their part, young workers also have to be practical. Employees are expected to engage in what managers call "citizenship behaviours" - pro-social activities that ease work ties, such as working extra hours to cover team members who are ill. And even if they want to keep to regulated hours, they must make sure they deliver excellent work in that time. If they are team-spirited when necessary, and do great work daily, it would be hard for their bosses to fault them for refusing to do overtime regularly.

If they refuse to perform even such duties, managers should ask themselves - are team members motivated? Can team dynamics or management style be improved?

Seen through this lens, quiet quitters can be valuable canaries warning of dysfunctions in the team or corporate culture.

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An overwork culture

For example, many workers choosing to go slow may be a response to a culture of overwork.

Most workers want to contribute, but most also do not want to be in hyper-hustle mode every day, every year, especially if they hope for a long career. Quiet quitters may just be protesting against unrealistic expectations.

It may not be easy for Gen X managers to admit, but surely the notion that work-life balance is something earned after decades of service creates a toxic environment of stressing young people to their limits. This is equivalent to the ragging culture at some campuses, where seniors justify degrading stunts on newbies because they had endured the same when new.

And yet such explanations are often trotted out to defend punishing work schedules.

In a commentary on the CNA website, starkly titled "We need to acknowledge that 'old' way of working was wrong", communications veteran Edwin Yeo wrote about how too many industries required long hours of their workers, including the media and communications industry he is from.

He said this had an impact on business costs: "If they are too used to 10 to 12 hours of effort for eight paid hours, essentially paying two staff to handle the workload of three (assuming a regular 12-hour day), it creates a dependency on non-paid hours for profit. Over time, the company may end up not knowing how to operate profitably without it.

"What happens when a generation of young people coming into the workforce no longer consider it acceptable? As more workers - young and old - increasingly seek out reasonable work-life balance, companies must find ways of pivoting to a model that caps work within an eight-hour day."

In medicine especially, young doctors are deliberately over-stretched. This is taken as the norm, but a new generation of doctors is demanding change.

A series of articles in Singapore on social and mainstream media over the past year has spotlighted the issue of long hours and arduous overnight call duties for young doctors, some of whom reported being unable to think straight after gruelling 30-hour shifts.

In response, the Ministry of Health said in Parliament in November 2021 that 84 per cent of residents complied with the maximum of working no more than 80 hours a week, and 90 per cent have at least a 10-hour interval between duty periods and after in-house calls.

But are 80-hour work weeks even conducive to good medical practice in the first place? This was not answered.

Young doctors are also rostered on four to seven periods of 30-hour night duty a month, each period consisting of 24-hour duty and another six hours for handover. MOH justified this as "a longstanding practice that all doctors have gone through to ensure a seamless continuity of care for the patients".

But patients are surely better served with a properly rostered and rested rotating team, than one that has been working non-stop for 30 hours. As common sense tells us, and many surveys show, fatigue distorts decision-making.

That something is "longstanding practice" can either be a defence of the status quo, or can be an invitation for a review of archaic practice. (After all, leeching was once also a longstanding practice among doctors.) In jurisdictions like the European Union, norms have changed and EU work rules stipulate a 48-hour work week, including for junior doctors.

In Singapore, a "national wellness committee" for junior doctors has been formed. Committee members must break out of the belief that "longstanding practice" is always a good guide for the future.

Concerns about long hours and overwork are also being expressed by teachers and social workers in Singapore. In fact, a culture of overwork may be national, cutting across industries: One survey in 2021 ranked Singapore the second most overworked city in the world (after Hong Kong).

So before Gen X managers and bosses throw stones at quiet quitters, I think we have to ask ourselves: Are there "longstanding practices" we are used to and defend, which are now damaging?

A culture of overwork, especially expecting younger staff to pull unhealthily long hours, might be a good place to start.

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Opinews

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geminigirl0298 · 2 years

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All The Kings' Men

Relationship: Dark!Bucky x Reader, King!Loki x Reader

Summary: The Odinson Kings take over Midgard, appointing commanders to help them colonize the entire planet. Commander Barnes finds you during a raid of untouched lands and claims you as his own. You endure months of torture and abuse at the metal hand of the cruel man, and are set to suffer even more when he sends you to King Loki to break you further. Upon meeting the feared man, you find that looks can be deceiving, and rumors are not always what they seem.

A/N: Thank you to my editor @green-mischief-managed for helping me with this fic! Let me know if you want to be tagged!

Warnings: Minors DNI, 18+, very NSFW. Fingering, oral sex (f and m receiving), handjobs, blood and gore, torture, rape, knives, death, mutilation, choking, burning, breeding kink, forced pregnancy, vaginal sex, mentions of suicide. This fic deals with dark themes such as rape, abuse and torture. If these themes make you uncomfortable, please do not read!

Previous Chapter Masterlist

CHAPTER 8

The room you were assigned to was much grander than the one you were initially given. You were afraid that the king was going to stick you back in the same one he had allotted to you and James when you first arrived. Part of you wanted to raise the issue, but when a guard met you on your way in and led you to the new room, you realised you did not have to. Somehow, the king knew. He even had your belongings brought in and set up, so all you really had to do was come in and lie down. Not that you did that.

As beautiful as the room was—there was a fireplace and a golden-edged floor-length mirror, for God’s sake—you decided you had enough of being inside. You awoke the next morning intending to spend the entire day outside. Kari, the round-faced, strawberry-haired maid assigned to you, had come in to find you struggling with the corset of your dress. After a shared laugh and some unsuccessful tugging, you forewent the corset altogether. Kari helped you pick out a flowery, loose dress and asked how you would like your hair.

“Um…” You stared at your reflection. James liked your hair in a ponytail. He said it was neat, becoming of a woman meant to be his wife. He also liked to drag you around by it when he was angry at you. “I don’t know.” You turned to look at her. “What do you suggest?”

“You have wonderful hair, Lady Dee.” Kari ran her hands through your locks. “How about we leave it out? I can put some small clips in throughout. It’ll look lovely with the cut of your dress.”

You smiled to yourself in the mirror. “I think I’d like that very much.” Kari gave a little clap. She reached for the lid of the silver box on the vanity and removed it, revealing dozens of jewelled clips in various sizes. “Whose are these?”

“Whose are what?” You pointed to the box of clips.

“These. They aren’t mine.” Come to think of it, there were a lot of items in the room that did not belong to you. “The dresses in the closet and the shoes to go with them. All of this,” you gestured to the numerous beauty items and accessories littering the vanity table. “None of those things belong to me.”

“King Loki sent them,” she explained. “He figured you would not have any Asgardian wear.” Your brows lifted into your hairline. “Don’t you find them pretty? The dresses? I’ve always admired the clothes the royals wear. Nothing less than the finest.”

You looked down at the lilac dress you had chosen for the day. It was the first one in your closet of a long line of them, and you were too concerned with getting outside to truly look at it before. Now, in the light of the day and Kari’s words, you could see it clearly. “Royals?” You ran your hands over the bodice, feeling the softness and dexterity of the fabric. The gossamer alone was more expensive than anything you had ever owned. “Why would the king—”

“Hello?” The call was followed by two knocks. You rose to your feet, already recognising the voice. Kari trailed behind you with the box of clips as you hastened to the door and flung it open.

“Sven!”

“Miss Dee.” He smiled at you. “Pleasant morning. The king told me you requested me as your guard.”

“I did,” you replied, then quickly sobered. “I hope that’s okay. I mean, he offered someone else, but I don’t know the other guard and your name popped in my head. If it’s too much trouble, I can—”

“Miss Dee.” Sven touched your shoulder, ensuring his fingers stayed within the confines of the strap. “King Loki did not force me to do this, if that’s what you’re concerned about. He simply asked, and I accepted.” Your brow furrowed.

“The king didn’t force you?” Sven shook his head. “He asked?” Sven nodded. “Properly? Without threatening you?” You had a hard time believing that. Your mind kept conjuring images of the king standing over Sven with those ugly golden horns and impossibly coloured eyes while the younger boy agreed to do his bidding out of fear for his life.

“King Loki did not threaten me.” Sven gave you a funny look. “Whatever would make you think that?”

“I…Nothing. It’s nothing.” Your attention turned to Kari next. “Are you finished with my hair?”

“Yup.” She fixed one final clip and surveyed her work. “You’re ready. Have you any plans for the day?”

“I want to go outside.” You turned to Sven. “Let’s go outside.”

“Where?” He offered you his arm, which you politely declined in lieu of walking next to him. You were not yet ready for that kind of prolonged contact. “I can take you to see the gardens or even the training grounds. We can go into town as well, but I’ll have to let the king know we’re leaving the palace grounds.” Your eyes widened. “It’s for safety reasons,” Sven hurried to assure you. “The king is serious about the safety of his guests, and he’s taken a particular interest in yours.”

You weren’t sure how to feel about that. James used to say the same thing as an excuse for his abuse. I just want to keep you safe. He used it to justify his behaviour so many times that the words had lost all meaning. Now it was just an empty space in your mind. Four letters of the alphabet strung together that made your brain go blank and your skin prickle with trepidation.

But you did not tell Sven this. You kept walking beside him, close enough that you could reach out and touch him if needed but with enough distance to prevent it from happening by accident.

You were nearing the gardens now. A gentle breeze blew downwind from the flora and your nose was filled with the coalesced scents of the flowers ahead. Your head tilted back to take in the smells. They were so different from the few plants you’d been exposed to on Earth, yet similar all the same. The fresh scent of freesia, the sweetness of a rose, calming lavender and heady peonies.

“Miss Dee?” Your gaze went to Sven. He was staring at you with a concerned expression. “Are you well? I heard you were in the infirmary for quite some time.”

“Do you know why?” Suspicion dripped off your every word.

“No,” he said, and you could tell he was not lying. “I don’t know why.” He stepped closer to you, voice pitching low. “You can tell me if you want, but if you choose not to I understand all the same. It’s all up to you.”

His tone sent your heart racing. Did he… Did Sven know? “Sven?”

His brown eyes were alight with sympathy. “Yes?”

“Lady Dee.” You turned at the new voice. A brown-skinned boy walked towards you, all shaggy black curls and an adorable smile. You recognised him as one of Eir’s students from the infirmary. He must have been about Sven’s age, if you had to guess. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m well,” you said. Your behaviour from your time in the infirmary flashed in your mind, causing you to wince. “Was it you I took the tray from? The one I threw at the king?”

Erik let out a boyish chuckle. “No, that was Astrid. She’s a little miffed, but then again, when is she not? I was thoroughly impressed by your throwing arm. Not many people have hurtled an item at the king’s head and lived to tell the tale. He must have a soft spot for you.” His eyes travelled to the boy beside you, and you saw his ears tinge with pink. “Sven.”

“Erik. H-how are you?” Sven’s voice trembled like he was standing on shaky ground. You turned to him in distress, only to find his face as red as the poppies you could see in the distance.

“I am well. Did you know there is a show in the town square tonight? Some of the other students and I are attending.” Erik’s chin dipped, hazel eyes staring up at Sven from beneath long lashes. “Are you going to be there?”

“I…” Sven took a breath so deep you saw his chest form a concave shape before flattening once again. “I did not know about that. I hope you have fun, though.”

Erik’s face dropped. Even you, with your lack of luck in stable relationships and nine hundred years of lost memory, looked at Sven with disappointment. You would have smacked your forehead if the act wouldn’t increase the awkwardness of the situation at hand.

“Oh.” You could hear the dismay in Erik’s voice. “I-I guess I’ll see you around, then. Goodbye Sven, Lady Dee.”

“Goodbye, Erik.” He turned on his heel and left, allowing you to turn to Sven and admonish him to your heart’s content. “Sven, what was that?”

“Nothing,” he replied, though the colour was still present on his cheeks. “It was nothing.”

“It looked like something,” you pressed. Sven’s face fell. He began trodding along the dirt path between two rose bushes. “Sven, wait!” You lifted your skirts—feeling a lot like the protagonist in one of Darcy’s Charlotte Brontë books—and scurried to block his path. “Sven, what was that? Was that your boyfriend?”

Chocolate eyes widened in alarm. “N-no! Erik is not my boyfriend. He would never—I could never…”

“Sven,” you said tenderly, noting the unshed tears in his eyes. “Do you like Erik?” He nodded once.

“It would never work,” he told you. “Erik is older than me and much more experienced. He is friends with my older sister, Kari, and probably only sees me as a sibling.”

“How old are you?” you asked.

“One hundred,” Sven answered. “Erik is one hundred and fifty. His birthday was last month.” You had no idea how to interpret the age difference compared to human years, but you did know one thing for sure.

“Sven, I think you’re mistaken. Erik was trying to ask you out just now.”

Sven lifted his head. “What?” Disbelief was abound in his expression. “Miss Dee, you flatter me. That cannot be true. Erik was just being polite.”

“Erik was trying to ask you out on a date,” you insisted, “and you turned him down. Didn’t you see how disappointed he was?” Sven seemed at a loss for words.

“H-he was going with a group,” he defended. “He said that himself; you heard him.”

You waved a hand dismissively. “He was saying that to make you more comfortable and remove the pressure. If you had said yes, I’m pretty sure he was going to come back later and tell you the rest of the group pulled out.” Sven’s head whipped to Erik’s retreating back, still visible a little way from where you stood. “Do you want to go with him?”

“Yes!” Sven nodded with enthusiasm. “I very much do.”

“Go,” you said. “Run after him and tell him you changed your mind. I’ll wait right here.” Sven gave a firm shake of his head.

“I cannot leave you. King Loki gave me explicit orders to look after you and I will not let him down.” His loyalty to his monarch would be impressive if you thought the king deserving of it.

“Sven,” you began, “go after Erik. I promise I’ll stay rooted to this spot until you return.” The boy did not look convinced. “Sven, go. The flowers can’t hurt me. I’ll be fine.”

Your reassurance seemed to do the trick. Sven promised to be back in a jiffy then took off, running with impressive speed towards Erik. You watched with a soft smile as he caught up to him. He called out to Erik, who spun around faster than a bullet could leave a gun. Sven began to say something to Erik, hands moving animatedly, and you stifled a laugh at his antics.

“Isn’t that sweet.” You stiffened. “I’m surprised the king allows such dalliances. Not sure what two boys can do together when it comes to procreating.” A shadow cast over you, swallowing up your smaller one with a six-foot-two frame packed with muscle and topped with a thick neck. His meaty paw descended on your shoulder and wrenched you around to face cold baby blues.

“Steve.”

ooOOoo

“You did what?” Loki rose to his feet in a panic. Thor sat across from him on the opposite side of the desk. The earlier pride on his face morphed into discomfort, and the blond god looked down at his twiddling thumbs. “Why in the Hel would you invite Steve Rogers to Asgard?”

“I thought he could help!” Thor insisted. “Jane said you needed to know how far the treachery went, and I thought we could lure him here and get information. You have your ways.” Loki pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Thor, I had already devised a way to gain information.” He lifted a parchment of paper with paragraphs that were still being written. “I gave an enchanted pen to Bruce Banner and he has been feeding me insight since he left. You would have known this if you had cared to attend the meeting I had yesterday.”

Thor frowned. “I was busy.”

“Yes, yes.” Loki waved a hand. “I know all about your sulking and moping. Is that over with now? Because we have other pressing matters at hand.”

“Just let me talk to Steve,” Thor insisted. “He was my friend once. I’m sure I can get through to him.”

“You know as well as I do there is no getting through to men like that.” The statement shut Thor right up. His mouth closed with a snap, hands fisting on his breeches. “You should not have done this, brother. No good can come from him being here, from him being around Lady Dee.”

Loki’s mind went frantic in an attempt to figure out how to solve the situation. Steve Rogers could not find you. He could not come across you. There was too much at stake—namely your safety and the plan at hand—for him to allow that to happen. “Where is the captain?”

“I don’t know,” Thor shrugged. “He should be here by now.” Loki snapped the pencil he was holding in half.

“Guards!” he shouted at the door. “Guards, come here! Find Lady Dee and bring her to me, now!”

The doors opened, but instead of Dag and Harald, Erik the young healer came barging in. He was breathing hard, curls stuck to his forehead with sweat. His wild eyes darted around the room until they landed on Loki himself. “My king!”

“What is it, child?” A chill took hold of him, sliding down his spine in a way that made him shiver. “Spit it out.”

“It’s Lady Dee! You must come at once!”

ooOOoo

“Steve.” You stared up at the ex-golden boy of the previously known United States of America. He was the very last person you expected to run into on Asgard of all places. “W-what are you doing here?”

“Surprised to see me?” He gave you a piercing smile. “Thor invited me. Said it’s been a while since he’s seen me and wanted to catch up.” Steve took a step closer to you. “How are you?”

“Fine.” You said what was expected of you. “I’m fine. How’s Sharon?” Steve’s pink lips curled up in a little smile. You were trying to decipher if it was cruel or not when he said one simple word.

“Pregnant.”

Your blood ran cold. Disbelief contorted your features, pulling down the sides of your mouth and knitting your brows over the bridge of your nose. Even your hands fisted in the fairy-like material of your dress. “W-what?”

“Yup,” Steve popped the ‘p’ like he was talking about the weather and not the abuse of his once loved girlfriend. “Found out yesterday. You’re going to be an aunt.”

“Congratulations. I’m so happy for you,” you lied.

Steve lifted a blond brow. “Are you?” He took a step closer, forcing you back into the rose bush. Thorns pricked with warning against the bare flesh of your arm. “I found out she was taking birth control. She told me they were fertility pills, but after your little stunt stealing Bruce’s, I decided to get them tested by Dr. Cho. Turns out they weren’t fertility pills at all. She was purposely trying to keep us from getting pregnant.”

“I-I,” you bit your tongue, forcing yourself to relax so you could give him an answer that would not incriminate you or Bruce. “That’s terrible.”

“You knew, didn’t you?” His blue eyes were ice in his chiselled face. “You knew she was taking them—you and Nat. Why the fuck did you think it was okay to get involved in our affairs?”

“Steve,” you used his first name so rarely that the sound was foreign in your mouth and on your tongue. “Steve, I didn’t know. I swear it. I wasn’t even aware you were trying until James told me.”

“Funny you should mention Bucky. I expected him back a week ago, but instead, I got a letter from him saying his mission was extended.” Steve’s other foot joined the one in front, effectively placing himself less than a foot from your body. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”

“No.” You realised too late that your reply had come too quickly. Steve took his hands out of his pockets and let them hang loosely at his sides. It would have gone unnoticed by anyone else, but Sharon had described well Steve’s tells before he hit her.

“I don’t believe you.”

“I didn’t say anything,” you insisted. “Steve—”

“It’s Captain or Commander Rogers,” he snapped. “Or did you forget who the fuck you were talking to?”

You blinked away the tears forming in your eyes. “Captain,” you began, “I don’t know why James’ mission was extended. I’ve hardly spoken to anyone since I’ve been here.”

“Bullshit,” Steve hissed. “I know you said something. Tell me what it is before I beat it out of you.” He lifted a hand to stroke your face and you flinched. “Buck won’t mind if I discipline you while he’s away.”

“Ask the king.” You weren’t sure why you said it. King Loki was not your friend by any means, and your feelings towards the man bordered primarily on hatred, yet you could not help recalling his words on the bridge. He had promised you security in return for information. That aside, Sven and even Erik had alluded to him making your safety a priority. If nothing else, you were certain he would protect you from Steve. “King Loki will tell you why he sent James away.”

“Have you spoken to him?” Panic bled into Steve’s voice. “King Loki. What did you say to him?”

“Nothing. He hasn’t spoken to me outside of meeting me and telling me James won’t be back ye—Ah!” While you were speaking, Steve trailed his hand up into your hair and gave a mighty yank. Two of the clips fell out of your hair and clattered to the ground.

“You’re lying,” he snarled. He pressed you into the rose bush until the thorns ripped your skin. You let out a gasp of pain as the hot blood stained the leaves behind. “I know you’re lying. Buck has never had a mission extended so long. What did you say?”

“I told you I didn’t say anything. Let me go!” You struggled in his grasp. Steve held you fast, rendering you unable to twist out of his arms. “You’re hurting me! Let me go!”

“Let her go!” Steve’s eyes went wide. He jerked forward like he had been hit and dropped your arm. “Now step away from her. Step back!” Tears of relief fell down your face at the sight before you.

Sven stood behind Steve with his sword drawn, the tip of which was pressed between the captain’s shoulder blades. He pulled it back and made a wide circle until he was in front of you and Steve was a sword’s length away. “Miss,” Sven gazed over his shoulder at you. “Are you okay?”

“She’s fine—”

“I wasn’t speaking to you!” Sven thrust the tip towards Steve’s chest. The man’s hands went up in surrender. “I was speaking to Miss Dee.” You saw Steve lift a brow at the moniker. “Miss Dee,” Sven asked, directing his words at you. “Are you okay?”

“No,” you admitted. Malice overtook you as you recalled Steve’s words. “He was going to hit me.”

It was like flipping a switch. One minute Sven was blocking you from Steve, and the next he had him on the ground. His sword pressed into Steve’s chest, blood blooming against the grey of his shirt. “You were going to hit her? You like to hit women? Do you?”

“Buddy,” Steve began in a cavalier voice, seemingly uncaring about the sword at his chest. “She’s lying. We had this problem back home with her. She was always—”

“I saw you!” Sven pressed the sword deeper, drawing more blood from the wound. “I saw you roughing her up. Was my sight lying to me as well?”

“Sven!” Your hands snaked up his back to grip the neck of his tunic. Red from your arms polka-dotted the fabric. “Sven, you can’t kill him.”

“Why not?” His voice was coloured with anger. “Men like him deserve nothing good. To put your hands on a lady…You’re supposed to protect them!”

You regretted telling Sven Steve tried to hit you. This could not happen. Sharon would be killed if anything happened to Steve—baby or not. He was too high up in the chain of command for it to go unnoticed.

“Sven,” you tried again. “Sven, you can’t—”

“SVEN!” The king’s voice stole a sigh of relief from your lungs. He was stalking up the dirt path, blazing eyes set on the three of you. “Sven, release him!”

“My king?” Though there was uncertainty in his voice, his sword did not waver once. “You don’t understand; he was hurting her!”

The king did not even look at Steve. Instead, his eyes travelled to you, roaming over your form until they paused at the blood on your arm. “You are bleeding.” Now he looked at Steve. “Did you do that?”

The stricken look on Steve’s face would have been comical under different circumstances. Maybe you would have even laughed. “N-no,” Fear of the king stuttered his voice. “It was the thorns from the rose bushes.”

“Oh?” The king raised a brow. “And I suppose they just up and scratched her themselves?”

Steve’s face went white. You saw in his eyes the fright that had once been in you, fuelled by stories told about the darker king. It was satisfying to see some of their own terror reflected back at them. “I didn’t—”

There was a sickening crunch as Sven lifted his leg and brought his foot down on Steve’s face. The man’s head lolled to the side. Both you and the king shared a look—his one of amusement, yours one of shock—and then turned to Sven. “Sven!”

“Apologies, Miss Dee, your majesty.” He shook his booted foot to rid it of Steve’s blood. “He was—”

“No, I understand,” King Loki assured. “There is no need to apologise.” He motioned to the guards flanking him. “Take Captain Rogers to the dungeons. Ensure he stays quiet and does not escape.” The guards dragged Steve’s unconscious body off without another word. “Lady Dee.” Your eyes flickered to his. “Are you okay?”

You could not answer. You tried to, but your words caught on a sob as fresh tears fell down your face in rivulets. Both the king and Sven stared at you at first. Your head bowed with the weight of the encounter, hands coming up to swipe at the tears. Some of them rolled down your arms and stung the cuts with their saltiness.

“Sven, take Lady Dee to get cleaned up. Get her wounds bandaged and carry her to my study. Stay with her until I get there.”

“Come on,” you heard Sven say. He took a gentle hold of your uncut arm. “This way, Miss Dee.”

“I’m so sorry,” you sobbed. “This is all my fault!”

“It’s not your fault, Miss Dee. That man had no right to put his hands on you.”

Despite Sven’s reassurance, you could not get the tears to stop. You thought of Sharon, pregnant against her will. Of Nat, alone in a world with men that disrespected her. Your fingers clutched Sven’s tunic as you cried harder and harder. “It is my fault. I should have never—I just wanted to—”

“It’s alright, Miss Dee.” He turned you away from the king, leading you down the path you had come up. “Everything is going to be alright.”

“I just wanted to go outside...”

Any other words you tried to mutter were swallowed up by sobs.

ooOOoo

The minute Erik had burst in and told Loki you were being accosted, he barked at Thor to stay put and took off towards the gardens with the guards. Halfway to the flora, he remembered he did not have to run. One portal later found him on the palace greens in front of you, Sven, and a very surprised-looking Steve Rogers.

Loki had never met the man before, just heard tales from his brother. He could see why people used to look up to this man. The captain was the epitome of Hitler’s dream—a little too clean-cut for Loki’s tastes himself but attractive nonetheless. There was also the fact that Rogers was a massive, abusive cunt.

“My king.” Loki turned to his guard. “The prisoner is in the dungeons. Should we begin interrogating him?”

Your face flashed before his mind—the sallow, lifeless little thing that had wobbled into his study two weeks ago. He remembered the fear in your eyes and how quiet you stood next to your abuser. Then the picture shifted to you later that night, hurling items at him with that haunted look. You in the infirmary, challenging him and taunting him with a fire in you he did not expect.

“Where is my brother?”

“The king is in his room. He awaits your word,” Dag replied.

“Good.” Your voice rang in his mind: Sobs and cries and that one little sentence that clued him into yet another heartbreaking detail of your life. I just wanted to go outside. “Tell my brother nothing until I say so. I want to see the prisoner.” Loki materialised a pair of leather gloves. “I will bleed the information out of him myself.”

Chapter 9

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voltagesmutter · 3 years

Text

The Second Cumming.

Fandom: Obey Me Pairing: Lucifer x MC x Diavolo, Satan x MC x Belphegor, Leviathan x MC x Simeon, Amso x MC, Asmo x MC x Solomon, Mammon x MC x Beelzebub. (Female MC). Warnings: Threesome’s, Female heat, Mild Dubcon, Voyeurism, Mild Exhibitionism, Toy use, Oral, vaginal, anal penetration. Squirting, Double Penetration, mild Yaoi, Polyamorous relationship. Notes: The Dickening Part 2. The biggest thank you to @theshove for having so much faith with me for this piece. Not only for your generous donation but also for beta-ing the whole piece within a day! And also to @theinariakuma for all your love and support. Also thank you to all those who donated for early release as well and all your wonderful feedback. 💛 Tagging: @starry-starry-night24, @0-miles-away, @pixiestick0924, @iloveobeyme, @ghoulgirlradio, @raymiazaki.

“Just five more minutes,” she whined, pulling the red bed covers over her head.

“You said this five minutes ago, and five before that, and five before that,” a deep voice answered above the sound of metal hooks clinking as curtains were thrown open, letting light flood into the room.

“But Lucifer!” She whined once more in protest, squeezing her eyes shut, trying her best to attempt to block out the beams of light shining through the covers.

“No buts,” Lucifer huffed, attaching his cloak to his shirt in the golden framed mirror beside the bed. “You promised Solomon you would-“ The end of his sentence was cut off by the bedroom door being slammed wide open.

“Lucifer! Beel ate my lizard custard slice!” Mammon came storming in, huffing with rage and disturbing the peace.

“Oh lord Diavolo give me strength,” Lucifer sighed as Beel came bounding in after him.

“He took my money to gamble at that tournament! He owes me more than a lizard slice!” The ginger haired brother took a few paces into the room.

“Lucifer, there’s no food! That big oaf must have eaten everything again in the night!” Satan tutted, walking straight into the back of someone. Not realising that the broad back he’d just walked into belonged to Beel, the big oaf he was talking about.

“Hey I didn’t touch a thing! And who are you calling oaf, scrawny bookworm!” Beel towered over Satan as he turned around, prodding a finger into his chest.

“Boys, don’t start!” Lucifer growled as both Satan and Beel transformed into their demon forms, Satan glaring up at Beel.

“My grimm’s on Beel,” Mammon laughed, sitting down on Lucifer's bed as a squeal rang out.

“Mammon you idiot!” The young girl threw the covers off her head, making Mammon freeze in mid air after realising he had sat on her.

“Shit-I- I’m sorry, I didn’t see ya! Shouldn’t be sneaking up on the Great Mammon like that,” Mammon’s facing blushed red as he quickly stood up.

“Hey, what’s all the noise?” Belphegor and Levi ran from their rooms into Lucifer's. Lucifer sighed and covered his face with one hand. Just once he wanted a quiet and peaceful morning without the shenanigans of his younger siblings.

“Tough guy here thinks he can chat shit as always,” Beel hissed, staring down Satan, whose tail flickered feistily into the air.

“Oh, morning boys!” Asmo chirped as he walked past, sporting only a small thong and a half done up silk robe. “Has anyone seen sweetie, I need her opinion and she’s not in her room.” He pouted softly before his eyes fell onto the girl in Lucifer's bed. “Ah there you are! Now come on you,” he cooed, pushing past his brothers with little regard for their problems and tugging her hand.

“Wait- Asmo! I’m not dressed!” She squealed, attempting to clutch the sheets to her naked body but, as Asmo pulled her, the sheets fell and she stumbled forward off the bed. Her nightie lay bunched on the floor from her previous night with Lucifer and all eyes fell on her. The arguments and squabbles from moments ago became lost in translation as seven sets of eyes travelled over her, all of their pacts visible in different locations, with Satan’s and Beel’s radiating due to them being in demon form and giving a glow to her skin.

Ever since helping them with their heats, she and the brothers had come to love each other, creating a relationship between all of them and the human. Each getting private and shared alone time with her, all of them giving her their heart and hers to them.

“You know, I’m not hungry for food anymore,” Satan smirked as he turned his body to face her, taking a few steps forward only to be held back by Beel.

“Fat chance. I’m the one for gluttony, I need to eat more importantly,”.

“Beel move, you're blocking the view.” Levi entered and pushed Beel out of the way, sending the biggest of the brothers flying into Mammon.

“Hey! Watch it! These treads were expensive!” Mammon growled as Beel stepped on his white shoes.

“Right! Out! All of you out!” Lucifer finally snapped, bending down and handing the girl her clothes. “School is in an hour. I want all of you ready to go by then I have an important meeting with Diavolo and, as we are all aware, our little dove is meeting with Solomon.”

“I- um,” The girl blushed as she threw on her clothes, all of the brothers sending her a confused expression. “I’m helping Solomon with a birth-control potion.” The pill she was currently taking was in short supply and since condoms broke left, right and centre with the brothers - the dick game was too strong - this seemed their only viable option.

“So this,” Solomon was holding up a vial in his hand, the gold shimmers twisting in the light of the open window, “is just a tester. Its effects will last a few days, just to trial how it gets on.” In one hand was a gold vial with shimmers, in the other a gold vial with dark blue swirls. “I’ve perfected the ingredients; it works similar to human contraception, just in liquid form. Everything regulates the same. To test its success you should bleed in a week's time. If all is in order I can produce a bigger batch which will last you roughly twenty one days. if you wish to not continue with periods then you can take another one straight after.”

“And what is this one?” She pointed to the potion with deep blue hues in his other hand. She’d grown close to Solomon over her time here, becoming close friends with the slightly perverted sorcerer.

“The same; both are made from the same batch, only this contains fairy dust which enhances the aphrodisiac hormones.” A ‘birth-control viagra for women’ as he had once put it. Pumped full of ovulation hormones to increase sex drive without fear of risk.

“Okay, so do I just take it now or…?” she asked as she took the potion from his hand. It was the same potion she’d used during the brothers’ heat, only this was longer lasting with regard to time and helped to regulate the hormones inside her body.

“Yes, take it all. You won’t feel any different,” he assured with a slightly sweet smile, a smile he only kept for her. Without thinking she knocked the golden liquid back, humming at the sweet taste of honey, as silk liquid dripped down the back of her throat.

“You are an angel!” She smiled sweetly, pressing a kiss to his cheek and the vial back in his hand. “I can’t stay for much longer; I have a meeting with Diavolo and Lucifer I must attend. Are you sure there is nothing I can do to thank you for your help?”.

The sorcerer sighed and rolled his eyes, she always did this. Offering a thank you for his assistance. “As I’ve told you before, the thank you is you letting me test out the potions on you.” ‘A real-life guinea pig’, he’d once teased her with.

“Well, I must dash. I’ll see you soon, okay?” She waved as she picked up her satchel before leaving purgatory hall and headed back to R.A.D. She’d never understood the twisted rumours she had heard about Solomon. He was always so sweet and pleasant to her. Although he could be mocking and demeaning at times, his words seemed more of a false threat than anything more. But his actions towards her were always soft and gentle.

As she walked back with a little skip in her step, Solomon turned back to his book upon the table. It was open to the page where the instructions for making his potions lay. He’d skimmed over the ingredients as he made it, as he had to make some minor adjustments. Golden Hell Fire Newt Syrup was required, a vital ingredient, but notorious for being an aphrodisiac for demons if they came into contact with it. Even the residue from the bottle on her lips would set off intense lust inside a demon if she was to kiss them - and Solomon knew this was a contraception potion. She would most definitely be doing more than just kissing her demon lovers. He had to add in a set of ingredients to hold back the effects on demons so that this would only have effect on a human system. He didn’t dare risk sending the brothers into an accidental heat; he had heard from her (and Asmo) the extent of what had happened during their heat only a few weeks ago and couldn’t bear the thought of putting the poor girl through it again after she’d had such a short time to recover.

Only he didn’t notice an error in his work until it was too late...

“Once the liquid has cooled, add a few drops of blue fairy dust - check. To neutralize the effects of the Golden Hell Fire Newt Syrup… oh,” Solomon stopped as he read out the remainder of the listing ingredients. “Well then… doesn’t this make for an interesting turn of events.” A dark smile grimacing over his face.

“Darling.” Lucifer smiled to see her walk into Diavolos' office, her uniform in perfect condition and hair without a single strand out of place. He beamed with pride at how beautifully she represented the school.

“Hi, sorry I’m late.” She smiled back with a faint blush as Lucifer pressed a kiss to her cheek. She brushed a piece of hair behind her ear as she sat beside Lucifer on the opposite side of Diavolos' desk. Dia felt the corners of his mouth twitch upwards, seeing the pair so smitten with each other, the glancing looks of admiration shared between them. He was more than glad to see his old friend so happy, even if it wasn’t with him… But that part of their relationship had ended many centuries ago out of fear of the council; Lucifer had refused to put Dia’s claim to the throne at jeopardy. Diavolo had never found a lover since. There had been the occasional one night stand before but nothing more serious than that. The council would be infuriated to find out about his past with Lucifer and his nightly activities with others. He’d thought Lucifer would never find another either, with the years he had spent alone and unloved. But then a ray of hope came into his life with the young girl opening up her heart to him and his brothers. Whilst Diavolo watched from the side lines, longing to be a part of it all as he, too, found himself purely intoxicated with the young female and wanted nothing more to have a stake of claim to her heart.

“____, it’s a pleasure as always,” Dia greeted her with a nod. “To continue from where we were…”

Diavolo carried on their conversation, about how well the exchange program was going and how she was receiving some of the best grades to be seen from pupils. All was going well, until she felt it.

At first it was just the normal burn. She knew sometimes it happened, a faint ovulation feeling. She didn't mind. But her eyes kept drifting over the two demons. She found her mouth going dry as she admired Diavolo, his strong arms... his general size. He and Beel were the largest men she knew. She wondered if-- Nope. She had to stop that right there. "A-ah Lucifer. I think we need to go." Her voice was meek, arousal getting worse the longer she was in the room with two extremely attractive demons. However, golden eyes were locked on her, and she was squirming.

"My dear, the meeting isn't over. We'll go once it is over."

“Lucifer... we really need to go.” Heat was rising amongst her cheeks, her fingers grasping the pleated edge of her uniform skirt. Every nerve in her body flooded, pulsing alive with arousal and a pool of liquid flushed between her thighs. The more she looked between the demons, one her superior, the other one of her pacted seven lovers. “Please.”

“My dove,“ Lucifer had started, a little huff of annoyance which peaked into curiosity at her soft whimper at him placing his hand on her thigh. His words pulled her away from her stare at Diavolo, crimson eyes meeting her lustful gaze.

“Lucifer-“ She was unable to stop her thighs parting slightly at the contact of his palm upon her thigh. The scent of her arousal grew thick in the air, hitting Lucifer instantly, him now realising the need of her pleas. And just as he was about to offer his hand to leave, a low growl came from the other side of the desk. Diavolo was not about to let this opportunity pass him by.

The look from Diavolo made her legs spread wider, her cheeks flushed red as she let out a short gasp. Her fingers reached to her side as she grasped the edge of her chair, both of the demon's eyes focusing on the rise of her skirt up her bare thigh and the straining of her nipples against the thin material of her bra and shirt. She looked desperate, felt desperate and just ached to be filled. A small ‘please’ mustered, not directly speaking to Lucifer but to both of them.

“I can’t wait until we get home.” As she began unbuttoning her shirt, the white of her bra peeked through, showing the fullness of her breasts. Any sense of shame had left her body, the only thing on her mind right now was to be ruthlessly taken and to quench this burning desire between her thighs. Lucifer had objected at first, but with how strong her scent was, he knew it would be a risk to get her home as any demon within a few meters radius would be able to catch her scent. A scent that was meant only for him and his brothers.

“You can have my office…” Diavolo had gestured, feeling sorry for the poor girl, having to watch her become undone so quickly. But as he walked past to offer them some space, her arm quickly caught his and a small doting look from her with the word, ‘Stay’ pushed him over the edge.

“Ngh- Dia!”.

A low chuckle came from the prince as he shifted slightly, tongue moving from her dripping clit to tease where her and Lucifer met. Lucifer was just as sensitive as he remembered. Whilst his mouth moved to capture his balls, Lucifer let out a deep hiss as his fingers gripped tightly onto the girls waist, Diavolos fingers continuing to tease their sticky meeting and her clit for the additional stimulation. The additional stimulation she had begged for.

Diavolo lay on his desk, his head close to hanging off the side whilst she hovered above him on all fours, his cock buried deep inside her mouth - well what she could take anyway - whilst her hand worked the rest of him. Lucifer stood behind her, impaling her onto his cock as he took her deep and fast, giving her exactly what she needed right now. Both Dia and Lucifer working together to bring her to climax after climax, each one melting into the next. Diavolo having to hold himself back a little every now and then, wanting nothing more than to bury himself in both of them and leave them in a heaving pool of his mess. But now wasn’t the time for that.

“Ah… ah! Diavolo!” she whimpered, her voice an octave higher than normal as one hand dug her nails into his thigh. The feeling of Lucifer fucking her with the touches of Diavolo on her clit and folds was too much, sending her barrelling into another high.

“Good girl,” Diavolo cooed, pulling his mouth from Lucifer’s balls to lap up the wetness that had drenched his cock each time he pulled out. “I believe it’s your turn now,”. Champagne orbs glistened but were missed by Lucifer as he clenched his eyes shut and let his jaw tense as the teasing actions of Diavolo.

“N-not yet Dia- focus on her first,” he grunted, snapping his hips quickly against hers as Diavolo’s mouth was once again on him, sucking in a motion that made the heat pool like a volcano ready to erupt at any given second. He needed Diavolo to stop now or it would be over and she was clearly far from being spent from the way she glanced over her shoulder and begged for more with the little words she could muster.

With a grunt Diavolo pulled himself away, latching his mouth onto her clit and feeling smug at the way she cried out. Her back arched as she clawed at his thighs, almost drawing blood, the weight of her breasts pushing down against his lower stomach was an added sensation in itself. The push and pull of her body rubbed her nipples against his skin, sending vibrations of her moans around Diavolos cock and across his body.

The wet sounds of slapping skin and Diavolos tongue against her rang through the office, Lucifer having put on an enchantment to block any sound leaving the room so they could attend to her needs without fear, Diavolo in amazement to see how sensitive she was to his touch, how good her essence tasted and just how mind blowing she felt with her lips wrapped around his cock. But, like Lucifer had said, this was about her pleasure and Diavolo didn’t want to blow his load until she was a whimpering mess.

“C-close!” High gasps growing louder with each breath, only a few thrusts after her previous orgasm,her walls beginning to tighten once more. Her arms wrapped tightly around Lucifer for support, his hands holding her waist tightly to guide her movements. Lucifer rested on Diavolos desk, her straddling as him as she rocked in his lap with the help of his movement whilst Diavolo pressed against her back, his lips focusing on her neck whilst his hands fondled her breasts. Tweaking her nipples in his index and thumbs, grinding against her behind whilst his cock slid between her thighs. The movement of her rocking, the clench of her thighs and the fleeting contact with Lucifer's cock was enough to keep him on the edge.

“That’s it princess,” Diavolo whispered softly into her ear, catching her lobe and giving it a gentle tug, his soft words touching her heart. With the little strength she had left, she turned her head, pulling an arm free from Lucifer to grasp the light-red hair and pull his face closer to hers. Her cheeks were flushed red, eyes lost in a galaxy haze, a goddess of lust was all Diavolo could think when he saw her. It was their first kiss, and far from their last, but the softness of it as they melted into each other made her clench tightly over Lucifer. The strong feeling of intimacy and love she shared with the brothers was portrayed with Diavolo as their lips continued to meet.

And as her climax hit her, she turned back to Lucifer, letting his lips glide over hers as they had done some many times, soft whimpers escaping their kiss, her body convulsing as it curled from the sheer force of her release before slumping against Lucifer’s chest, her thirst quenched and her body exhausted.

Her raven haired lover pressed a kiss to her temple, pushing her hair which was now stuck to her forehead out of the way and off her face. Diavolo’s hand wrapped around Lucifer’s on her waist, continuing the rocking motion as they both chased their release, Lucifer buried deep inside her and Diavolo snuggly between her thighs.

“Dia…” Lucifer thrusted up slightly at the feeling of his length pressing against his own each time he pulled out. Crimson eyes met golden over her shoulder as she lay panting against his chest, fingers curling over each other’s and before they knew it both leaned across to exchange a kiss.

A sloppy kiss, tongue and teeth meeting in a passionate exchange. A kiss that hadn’t happened for decades but had never lost its rhythm. A kiss that spoke a thousand words that could never be said out loud. It had been the end of both of them, lips sparking and igniting the fires within. Lucifer spilled deep inside her as Diavolo came upon the top of her thighs, finally marking her skin with his release.

The room fell silent apart from the sound of ragged breaths, the two men pressing their foreheads against her shoulder and back, holding her until her racing heart had finally calmed down.

Diavolo had seen them off, Lucifer carrying her to his car before whisking them home after a fleeting exchange of kisses from Diavolo to them both in the privacy of his office. Another demon, only this one being the prince, having stolen her heart.

“Take care of her,” Diavolo had whispered to his former lover, stroking her hair as she blissfully slept in Lucifer's arms. Her body was exhausted.

“I always do,” Lucifer gave the faintest of smiles to Diavolo before parting ways, his whole being flooded with pride to have two lovers back in his life.

Lucifer was ecstatic; nostalgia of feelings came flooding back that he had kept down with Diavolo. But he was also weary. This behaviour from her was completely askew. She’d teased Lucifer before in Diavolo’s and public presence, but never to the extent that she had begged him to take her there and then. Never had she looked so radiant yet so frustrated at the same time. And never had she been so unsatisfied that it had taken a few more rounds than normal to satisfy her. Something was wrong. The only thing Lucifer could think of was that the potion with Solomon had gone wrong and Lucifer needed to get to the bottom of it.

“Lock her in her room. No one is to enter until I get back. Do you understand?” Lucifer asked one final time to Satan and Belphegor, the pair of them sat outside her room. He had tucked her sleeping figure into bed, placing a spell on the door to ensure no one could get in. He needed to ensure first what was happening in case another episode occurred.

The morning and afternoon had faded by the time their session had ended, meaning Solomon would be finished from his afternoon classes. Unfortunately for Solomon, mixing up the potions would be the least of his troubles as Lucifer pinned him against the wall the second he caught sight of his white hair.

‘What did you do to her?!” Lucifer hissed, his eyes aglow as he leaned in closer to the young boy's face.

“Nothing. Nothing I swear,” Solomon was rolling his eyes; he was far from scared of Lucifer and it showed. “Just a little hiccup is all.”.

“Hiccup? Hiccup!” Lucifer mocked, steam ready to pour out of his nose and ears with anger. “She’s like a- like a…”.

“Like a demon in heat?” Solomon prodded the bear with his choice of words. “It’s fine Lucifer, just enjoy the fact she’s going to want to be on your cock endlessly for the next few days.”

A poor choice of words. A very poor choice of words.

If Lucifer’s anger hadn’t been poured into Satan then the clenched fist slammed directly into the wall would have landed straight on Solomon's face.

“What did you do,boy?” Lucifer raged into demon form, a row of fire lighting up behind him as he towered over Solomon, teeth snaring. The soft Lucifer had vanished. Facing Solomon right now was a beast, a beast that was angry. And for the first time Solomon was scared of the demon facing him.

“A mix up! A mix up, alright? She’s just got more hormones in her body than intended; it will wear off in the next few days but there is nothing I can do to help - it’s Golden Hell Fire Newt Syrup”.

“Golden Hell Fire Newt Syrup? But it didn’t affect me or Di-“ Lucifer stopped his sentence there.

“The potion is neutralised to only affect humans. And since humans don’t have blood like demons, the command won’t work to stop it either…”

‘So what you’re saying is-” Lucifer grasped his jacket and hoisted him up into the air.

“She’s in her own heat, so my advice to you and the others is to just be prepared and help her because it’s going to be a long ride for her.” With that sentence, Lucifer dropped Solomon to the floor, letting him fall with a thump before racing back to the house of Lamentation.

“Who does he think he is? Barking his commands at us, I swear he- oi! Are you even listening?” Satan punched his younger sibling in the arm. Belphegor, who’d started to fall asleep, slumped against the wall, jolted forward.

“Ay! What’s your problem?” Snarling slightly before pushing the long curve of hair out of his face, he said “We just gotta sit here until Lucifer comes back.”

Even saying the name of their eldest brother made both of their blood boil.

“Well anyway, I’m not here on babysitting duty.” Satan took hisD.D.D, turning it off before putting it back in his pocket. “Still got him blocked?”.

“Would you unblock someone who shoved you in an attic?” Belph rolled his eyes.

“Touché,” Satan nodded before pushing himself off the wall. “What do you reckon is wrong with her? She looked wrecked. Reckon something went wrong with Solomon?”

“I wouldn’t put it past that slimy wizard… No good for nothing-“ Belph muttered before stopping, a noise from inside making them both still. The young girl was calling out for Lucifer in a confused manner, only infuriating the brothers more.

“Why does Lucifer always get her to himself? Always giving out his commands,” Satan growled as he ran a hand through his hair. “Enough is enough, I’m not listening to his rules. Fuck him.”

“Hey Satan, you really gonna mess with Lucifer?” Belphegor's eyes lost all sleepiness as they sparkled with mischief.

“Lucifer…?” She continued to call out. “Anyone?” She took a few steps outside her room. She knew she had heard voices but to whom they belonged she was unsure. Her bare feet padded along the dark corridor, following the noises that lured her.

She was pleasantly surprised to find that when she woke up the muscle aches she thought she would have were not there. Something in the potion must work to help soothe her aches. Lucifer had undressed her from her sweat soaked uniform and covered her in her nightie.

She couldn’t stop the flush of her cheeks after her actions this afternoon; she had felt like she’d lost all control of her body and given into the need of sexual desires - which normally wasn’t a problem, but begging Lucifer and Diavolo to ravage her in the middle of a meeting was a different story. She was searching for Lucifer to apologise for her behaviour, although secretly she knew both of them had enjoyed it just as much as she had. Today had marked a new day for someone to become part of their relationship, from seven lovers to now eight. Knowing Diavolo would not allow this to be a one time thing - which she was rather excited about.

“Lucifer? Are you in here? I- I wanted to apologise for earlier-“ She knocked on his office door, pausing as she walked in, “Oh.” Her eyes fell on the pair causing havoc in Lucifer’s office.

“Stop being such a sloth! Faster!” Satan was unscrewing the lids of Lucifer's ink bottles before placing them back down, so when Lucifer next used them the ink would most likely spill everywhere.

“I’m going as fast as I can! Stop rushing me!” Belphegor's tongue was sticking out of his mouth in concentration, counting out five sheets before pulling one from the stacking pile of work on the desk. He continued this down until he had a few sheets of paperwork in his hand, meaning every fifth paper from his stack was missing. Both of them were going out of their way to mess with Lucifer in a way they knew would annoy him most.

“Ah!” Satan squealed to see her standing in the doorway, dropping one of the bottles and sending ink dropping to form a thick black puddle on the carpet. “Oh, it’s you. I thought you were Lucifer.”

“Pft, how does a human girl look anything like Lucifer?” Belph gave her a warm smile and gestured for her to enter properly. “What are you doing out of bed? Lucifer told us to guard you.”

“Guard me?” She laughed, her smiling instantly brightening up their moods. “I just- I wasn’t feeling too well, but I feel better now.” She took a few steps further into Lucifer's office, carefully avoiding the ink stain.

“Good. How did it go with Solomon, kitten? Everything in the clear?” Satan took her hand and pressed a delicate kiss to it. In his moments of affection she really did question how he could be the avatar of wrath.

“All good,” she nodded, letting out a gasp to feel two arms encircle her waist and pull her close.

“That’s great news, because you know,” Belphegor was embracing her to him, his nose tracing over her neck inhaling the delicate scent of lavender and rose from her skin with a low groan, “tonight’s my night with you.” She was glad her face was hidden from view as her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Belph was the most affectionate towards her. The sweetest of kisses, the warmest of hugs, the doting affection he only gave to her, the way he’d kiss her so softly before whispering, “Good morning my sunshine.” Because in Belph’s eye, she was his sun, bringing light and life into his world. In heat he was a beast, but outside of it he was a sleepy teddy bear, who just wanted to love her with everything he had.

“You won’t get anything if you don’t sort out this mess,” she huffed, trying to distract herself from the tingle in her thighs. She could feel it happening again, the same empowerment she had felt in Diavolo’s office, stirring stronger from the smallest of Belphegor's affection and touches.

“No. No stop that, you’re ruining it,” Satan grumbled as she began putting the paperwork back in its position.

“One, two, three, fou-oh!” Her sentence slurred into a moan as Belphie pressed his body up against her back, pinning her slightly to the desk. Two warm palms began teasing the back of her thighs before pressing flat against her skin and pushing upwards slowly. The thin material of her nightie, which skirted mid-thigh, crept slowly up. Belph expected her to slap his hands away, but he never expected for her to part her legs a little wider for him to witness the already wet flesh between her bare thighs. A low hum rang against her neck, one hand cupping the round curve of her ass and giving it a playful squeeze.

“I think,” came Belph’s voice, dropping into a huskier tone, “that this is enough mischief for one day. Let us retire to my room.”

“Like hell you are!” Satan snapped, pulling Belphs gaze away from her slickened folds. “She’s more aroused than usual; I should know.”. His words were followed by a smug snicker. “I bet she’s thinking of him.” ‘Him’ being a reference to Lucifer.

“Actually,” her hands gripped onto the edge of the desk, giving in once more to the heat that burned across her body whilst her cunt clenched with need, “I was thinking of both of you and all the mess we could cause over this desk.” As she finished her words, she pressed back to rub against Belphegor's crotch which was already rapidly hardening from scent and sight alone.

“No fair, my love, it is my night with you.” He gave her ass another squeeze. As much as he hated sharing her, the thought of having her on Lucifers desk was arousing to him. Knowing Lucifer would have to see the marks that she left, smell her scent upon the table and having to know that it was him and Satan that were the reason for it. It would drive him wild, which would essentially drive both the two brothers wild with enthusiasm.

“And a night with me you will get, I promise.” Turning her head over her shoulder to catch his lips, she let his eager tongue part her lips as it sought out her own.

“This isn’t what I had in mind.” Satan was huffing against her neck for the third time in ten minutes,

“Just be patient, it is his night after all,” she replied as she pushed Belph flat against Lucifers desk before straddling him, whilst Satan was pressed as close as he could behind her. With one hand wrapped around his cock, she lowered herself down, still sensitive from the previous high that they brought her to with their fingers and mouths. “Oh god… Belph!” Her finger grasped at his hoodie, both him and Satan still fully dressed whilst her nightie had been tossed to the floor.

Belph couldn’t find the words to respond, watching her sink down as his cock disappeared inside her tight heat. She was wetter than he or Satan had ever seen her, bursting and coming to life as she told them exactly what she needed, letting the lust and arousal in her body speak for her.

His fingers traced up her thighs, hands ghosting over her waist and behind, leaving a trail of goosebumps upon her skin as she whined loudly. The teasing touches and the stretch of him inside her was too much, walls pulsing as she came with him fully hilted inside her. Her jaw slackened and a cold sweat ran down the back of her spine, the salted droplets being lapped up from Satan as his hands continued to squeeze over her breasts.

“Kitten- I really need to be inside you,” he groaned, the head of his cock pressing against the left cleft of her ass leaving a clear mark of pre-release upon her skin.

“Lube is in… the… top drawer,” she panted, letting her movements slow down as she rode out her high. This wasn’t the first time she’d gotten down and dirty in this office, having provided a very stunned Lucifer with a one-on-one private show of her and her toy collection whilst he worked.

All Belph could do was groan and raise his hips every so often, hitting all the perfect angles inside her to make stars dance across her vision. Her movements kept on at a slow pace whilst Satan prepared himself.

“Be a good kitten and make them wet,” he commanded as he stood back behind her, letting his fingers thrust into her mouth at the same time she lowered and raised over Belph.

Another climax hit her when Satan’s fingers began playing and teasing her puckered hole from behind before a finger, dripping with saliva, slowly pushed in. The slow rhythm of her movements allowed for Satan to let her body adjust before two fingers were thrusting inside her. Each time they pulled back, her muscles clenched sending Belph into a groaning mess at her spasming walls.

“More,” she begged, her fingers ripping the front of Belph’s clothes as she grinded forward to feel him hit against her g-spot.

“Good girl kitten, that’s it - relax,” Satan cooed, his fingers removed to only be replaced with something much larger and thicker.

“Relax,” Belphegor encouraged, leaning up the best he could as he pulled her down by her shoulders to kiss her. Satan slowly pushed in, her whimpers and moans caught by Belphs mouth, until finally two cocks were buried to the hilt inside her. Satan did nothing more than pull out as Belph thrusted up, sending her headfirst into another climax. Her palm scratched at the wooden desk below Belphs shoulders, leaving curled pieces of wood right in front of where Lucifer would sit.

“There! There! Fuck- like that,” her head being thrown back in bliss at their rhythm. One would thrust whilst the other pulled back, gaining a pace that had slapping skin ringing through the office. The pace would slow when one got close, wanting to focus on her and leaving her with the ability to only say their names and think of them. Belph continued to tease her skin with faint touches, the occasional grab of her waist to guide her before ghosting over her skin once more. When her breath became a high pitched gasp, her lust filled eyes would catch his, a signal for him to help push her over the edge. Satan’s hands would tug her nipples, his sharp teeth nipping at her stretched neck whilst Belph’s thumb would rub tight circles over her swollen clit, perfectly synchronised to bring her tumbling straight over the edge of sanity.

Climax after climax hit her, tongue lolling to the side at being penetrated by both of them. It wasn’t something she was new to; being in a relationship with seven brothers meant double, sometimes even triple, penetration was a regular occurrence. But never did she feel this full, this ravenous.

By the time Satan and Belph had spilled inside her, Lucifer's desk was soaked in fluids, paperwork and hardwood stained with her release that had soaked down Belphegor's thighs and onto the surface below. Each time Satan had thrusted into her, traces of lube would drip down their thighs to pool onto a puddle on the floor. Her scent stained the room, which Lucifer wouldn’t have minded but it was tainted with the hint of his brothers.

And to make matters worse for their eldest brother, Satan had snapped a photo whilst she was mid-orgasm. Ensuring to get his cock stretching her ass whilst Belph fucked her pussy. The photo itself was a masterpiece: Her back arched, head pressing against Satan's shoulders with her eyes tightly shut and her own hands pinching her nipples; The face of someone lost in the wild abandonment of pleasure. A caption of ‘Can’t believe you tried to hide this’ followed.

“I think we made a pretty good mess, Kitten,” Satan panted against her shoulder, his face as red as her behind which had been slapped multiple times ather request.

“I don’t think I can move,” she whispered, her legs purely boneless as Belph sat up to carry her bridal style.

“Hey! Where are you going?” Satan yelled, watching Belph carry her out of the room, leaving the office stained and her nightie upon the floor.

“I told you,” Belph growled lowly, “it’s my night with her.”

Regardless of how fast Lucifer had run, he was too late. He stumbled into his sex-scented office. Release from her left a sticky glaze over his desk whilst scratch marks looked like a beast had clawed at them. His gloved hands held tightly onto the nightie upon the floor. The mess of his desk was an issue for another time; he would place no blame upon her.

“You utter imbecile!” Fangs pointed out from his gums as he found Satan alone in the library in the west wing of the house.

“You saidto not let anyone in; you didn’t say she couldn’t come out,” Satan taunted, smugness plastered over his face. He knew Lucifer had seen his office from the silk material of her clothes he still clutched in his hand. He also knew he had seen the explicit image he had made sure to send him. “As I said, why did you try to hide her?”

“The potion went wrong. She’s in heat.” Lucifer watched as Satan’s eyes sparkled.

“But that’s impossible. She’s a human, how did-“ the blonde began.

“Solomon. Solomon is how.” Lucifer pushed a hand through his hair. “Where is she now?”.

“In the attic.” Satan returned to his book as Lucifer turned on his heel. “But Lucifer.” Lucifer threw his head over his shoulder, ready for a snide remark about the activities that went on in his office. “Normally I wouldn’t bother about you but, for her sake, I’d leave them be.”

“And why’s that?” Lucifer stopped and turned, crossing his arms over his chest.

Satan continued to express his smugness, his eyes peering over the top of his book. “Remember when Levi was in heat and destroyed that Ruri-chan pillow?”.

“Of course… he bit Mammon for trying to take it away”

His lips curling into a smirk, Satan put his book down. “Belphegor is the pillow.”

“Good morning my little star-light.” Belphegor brushed her hair out of her face, a sleepy smile on his face. His eyes still shut, the urge to fall back to sleep lulling him into the warmth embrace.

“Good morning you,” she yawned, eyes fluttering open as Belph’s strong arms pulled her close. The warmth of his skin against her and the content smile on his face was a sin of its own kind. A small giggle left her as he pulled her closer, burying her head against his chest. “We need to get up soon.” As she pressed a trail of small kisses over his heart, she smiled to herself to feel the hardness already pressing against her stomach.

“I thought you would have been worn out after last night,” he gasped as her hand teased its way into his boxers, wrapping around his cock and stroking in a lazily manner.

“I was but-“ Her body felt rejuvenated and fresh, no muscle aches, only heat coursing through her veins. “I’m hungry for more.” A deep groan filled the attic space as her mouth replaced her hand, waking Belph and repaying him tenfold for the way he had satisfied her the previous night.

When she finally pulled herself out of the attic, leaving Belph still panting and breathless from the way her mouth had worked over him, she ran straight into Lucifer. Luckily, Belph had dressed her in one of his hoodies for her modesty, not that she minded.

“My dove, you really should rest. I fear you cannot leave the house in your state.” Lucifer cupped her cheek and was rubbing his thumb softly against her. “It is not safe for you”

“Lucifer, I- I’m so sorry for yesterday, I really don’t know what came over me…” A blush spread across her cheeks. Even now, as he glanced down at her, the top of her thighs became damp and she regretted the lack of underwear she had on.

“My dear-“ He stopped, pupils widening at the heavenly scent hitting his nose She was extremely aroused. “It appears Solomon gave you the wrong potion; yours is filled with an aphrodisiac we can’t control. It should fade in a few days, but for the time being it is safest for you to stay here.”.

She nodded in response, pressing herself closer to him and letting her fingers toy with the buttons of his waistcoat.

“Lucifer...,” she meekly whispered, leaning up to kiss him. He melted into her kiss, letting his arms hold onto her shoulders as she continued to press against him. “I want to thank you for yesterday.” Her fingers slowly unpopped a button and she began pressing her lower half against him in a silent plea as her tongue playfully darted across his lower lip. She was losing her self control in a rapid manner, whining heavily as he pulled back.

“I fear I have matters to attend to today, otherwise I would be more than happy to keep you content in the confines of my room.” He watched as her eyes sparkled with lust, a hint of disappointment forming over her face.

“I’ll be waiting for you to come home,” she pouted as he did up the buttons she’d undone.

She ate breakfast and had a bath to calm herself down before pulling out her small vibrator and withering away in her satin sheets. Is what she would have done if she had listened to Lucifer. Instead, she showered and set off to find the sorcerer who had caused all her problems, hoping to find a way for him to help calm her constant need.

Dressed in a white summer dress, a slightly plunge top with a skater skirt and her hair down in loose curls, off she went to him in purgatory hall. It probably wasn’t the best decision to wear such a short dress but her skin felt on fire; clothes were just too restrictive at the moment. She’d cleaned her thighs before she left, making her best effort to prevent her scent from wandering demons. And all was going well until a masculine scent hit her nose. One of Beel’s team mates walked past her; he must have been to the gym as sweat gleamed off his shirtless body. The smell of pheromones hit her instantly and she felt a throb between her legs instantly ruining her underwear. The scent of her was caught by the demon, who turned whilst sniffing into the air. She had to move quickly or he’d trace the scent to her.

With a frantic look around, she realised how far she still was from Solomon’s quarters but luckily Simeon’s room was only a few doors away from where she stood. Without a second though she raced to the room, listening as footsteps quickly approached behind her. Without knocking, she flung herself into Simeon’s room, thanking anyone and everyone that the door was open. Only, she didn’t expect to see what she did inside.

“Normie…?” Leviathan called out as she panted against the door. In the glowing light of the room were Simeon and Leviathan sat at a table, a stack of comics between them.

“Levi? Oh god, Levi, it’s you.” She took a few running steps to embrace him from behind as he sat down, sending the boy redder than beetroot. “Oh, and Simeon, I’m so sorry for barging in.”

“It is quite alright my sweet,” the angel said, smiling wholesomely at her. “You look parched. What happened?”

“Oh I just-“ she started, her eyes falling to the exposed muscles of his biceps. Beneath his cloak and visible from his black top was the clear outline of his god-sculpted body. A body that made her lose all train of thought.

“Yo, normie?” Levi pinched her hand gently to break her trance.

“Huh? Oh sorry, I just thought someone was following me. Would it be okay if I hung out here for a little while to calm down?” By ‘calm down’ she meant for her core to stop pulsing and her thighs to stop rubbing together. She was getting worse by the minute sitting with the two boys, the total opposites of each other; the demon of envy and the most angelic angel to walk the dusty pits of hell. A yin and yang she most definitely wanted to be in the middle of. “So what are you doing here Levi?” She pulled herself off him and took a seat between them.

Levi, unable to stop the breath hitching in his throat when she walked in, could scent her before she even walked through the front door. And that was when he realised why she came running into Simeon’s room. Any demon nearby would have been able to pick up her scent with how strong it was. He also sensed her rapid heart beat, pumping and throbbing like her pulse as red tinted her cheeks the look of arousal written all over her face.

“Levi here is showing me the ways of ‘manga’,” Simeon smiled, oblivious to the way the young girl was fidgeting in her seat.

“Normie, are you alright?” The purple haired demon asked as he watched her. He’d received a message in the group chat from Lucifer to state she was, quote, in a ‘situational state’ with nothing more. Satan had replied with a smirk emoji, leaving Levi to question what exactly was happening.

“I- I need to use the bathroom.” she stammered as the rising colour of her cheeks spread down her neck and chest, making the white dress glow atop of her skin. The more she looked between the two, the more her mind wandered into dirty territory...

“Normie, you don’t look well.”

Both Leviathan and Simeon reached out to hold her arms. The young girl’s back arched at the contact and gripped the table edge as she stood up, unable to look either of them in the eye as she was unable to hold back the moan, the slight of touches having sent her in the deepest pit of lust and arousal.

“Levi-“ She finally turned her head over her shoulder to meet his gaze, her eyes swimming and lost behind a clear gaze. Cheeks flushed and her lips parted, she didn’t have to say another word for Leviathan to understand. This was the state Lucifer was clearly on about. With her legs spread a little, the aroma of her arousal quickly found itself to both him and Simeon and Levi knew in that moment just how desperate the situation was.

“Shit normie.. I-“ Leviathan scratched the back of his neck as he looked between her and Simeon, unsure of how to handle the situation.

Simeon watched her, a familiar tension building in his stomach, a feeling he often felt around her but was usually able to ignore. But in this moment it was almost overpowering, overwhelming and he was unable to fight the strong stir of emotions inside him.

“Simeon… I’m so sorry-“ she began and, as she turned, the angel felt himself crumple from the heated gaze that bore down at him as passionate lust took over his body.

The potion may have had no effect on demons, but the scent alone was enough to have an impact on the angel, sending him into an aroused state.

“Do not apologise, my sweet.” Simeon took one of her hands and pressed a gentle kiss to her knuckles. “You by far smell more sweet than anything I have come across. Do not deny yourself the pleasure you desire.” He nodded at Levi who stood up to wrap his arms around her waist. “Use my room as you please.”

“Is this okay?” Levi whispered into the shell of her ear, worried about her more than anything else. Her answer came in a quick nod and her hands bunched up the skirt of her dress to expose the white silk resting upon her skin.

Simeon’s heart was racing as he sat forward, intrigued to watch Levi slowly tug down her underwear, watching the gloss of her arousal stick to the fabric before it pooled to a heap on the floor. A groan filled the room. She was unsure if it came from Levi or Simeon.

“Please…” she whispered, spreading her legs as she bent forward, exposing her drenched cunt to both of them.

Eager eyes flitted between the two of them, Simeon still watching the couple. How Levi had knelt down, spreading the cheeks of her behind to gain better access to her before letting his serpent tongue flicker across her wet slit. How her arms gave out and she fell flat against the oak table, letting her hips buck against his face as he kept her ass in place whilst his tongue disappeared between her velvety folds. How she lost herself when her climax hit after only a few moments calling out for more.

“Leviathan,” she whispered so sweetly as she turned around once his mouth had pulled away from her, the same lips slicked with wetness pressing against her own as her tongue played with his, which had just brought her intense pleasure.

“I got you.” Hushed whispers shared against her lips as she hastily undid his belt, her hand diving into the confines of his boxers to wrap around his cock, stroking it until he was fully hard, both of them almost forgetting about their audience as he pushed her down, spreading her thighs and pushing them around his waist as he lined himself up against her, taking her with no resistance as he slid into her tight heat.

It was lustful, it was a sin, but most importantly it was love. The reassuring whispers of “I’ve got you, I love you,” as Levi drove deeper into her. His hands holding her waist as he pulled her up to meet his thrusts, her legs tightly around his waist squeezing and tensing with each rock of his hips. The thin silk of her drenched underwear hanging off her ankle, swaying with each movement, almost taunting Simeon as he watched on.

It was the soft whimpers of ‘harder’ that pulled him from his trance, shining eyes of blue meeting hers in a gaze as they stared on in wonder. Her dress pushed up just enough to bare her waist, her breasts spilling from the top half and bouncing forward with each thrust. Back arched like a bow reaching breaking point off the table, petite hands grasping at anything they could find. And, whilst he and her held eye contact, he watched in awe as she came. Her voice raising into a high pitch moans, chest rising and collapsing quickly, her body curling as they finally broke eye contact when her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Her moans were so sweet they made the angel blush. He was positive they could part the clouds and give a direct pathway to the gates of heaven.

It made him wonder how something so beautiful and breathtaking could be such a sin.

It was that which ruined the angel. He was unable to stop himself as a hand began to palm over his erect cock in his pants. Scent, sight and sound became too overbearing for him as he gave into the heat of his need.

The air in the room had changed, Leviathan too busy driving into her to notice it. His grunts and the slapping of his skin echoed off the walls, whilst she came down from her high to fix on Simeon. Watching him as he watched her, his pupils expanding as his tongue darted out to wet his parched lips whilst he continued to touch himself above his clothes.

By her third orgasm, Leviathan was unable to stop himself holding back, gritting his teeth as his pace began to falter. His eyes screwed shut as his jaw clenched, a stuttered groan came as he released inside her, pressing himself tightly against her to be sure he filled her with everything he had, her name hot off his lips as he leaned down to kiss her, keeping themselves together as they basked in their afterglow.

“You did so good,” He praised, cupping her cheek as he wiped away the tears that formed under her eyes. Until finally he pulled out of her, his seed from inside her spilling onto the table beneath. “I’ll get a towel,” he said, giving her hand a squeeze before leaving the room. She would have blissfully laid against the table not moving, but the presence of another kept her from doing so.

“Simeon…” Her voice angelic to his ears as she sat up, her breasts swaying as she stood in front of him, slowly kneeling down. “My sweet, sweet, angel…” The tan of his skin was flushed red as her eyes wandered down, his hand continuing to mess over the front of his trousers as he looked at her like a helpless lamb. “Let me.” She leaned up as she ghosted her lips against his in a way to test him, to test if he’d show any protest but instead he melted into her, letting his lips glide over hers as if that was their sole purpose.

Her hand slowly trailed up his thighs, parting his legs as she fitted between them. Her own hand replaced his as he whined softly against her. Hands slowly unpopped the buttons, the haste from before now eased into a soothing-time stopping pace. No rush, just slow, burning desire.

“Am I the first?” She questioned, gently nipping at his lower lip as his trousers and boxers slowly came down, her hand ghosting over his erect length but not fully touching.

“Y-yes.” His breath hitched to feel her hand slowly wrap around him. Her eyes widened in shock at the length of him; the gods had truly blessed him.

“Oh- I-“ His words were lost as his hips slowly bucked into her touch.

“Do you want me to stop?” Letting him free of her hand, she stared up at him with doting affection.

“Please-don’t,” he said, taking a deep breath as she wrapped her hand back around him, her face leaning close.

“My beautiful angel… my sweet, sweet angel,” she cooed, letting her hand move over him in a gentle grip, savouring the noises he made. The world was completely forgotten,the two of them sharing an intimate moment as she wetted her lips before slowly taking his head into her mouth. His fingers grasped the edge of the chair, twitching as he breathed out in a stuttered breath. His mind went blank as she took him in further, pulling him into the wet depths of her mouth. Her name left his mouth like a chant, repeated like a prayer he spoke every morning and night.

Leviathan had entered back into the room, pausing before turning and leaving the pair alone in their tender moment.

Heat pooled in Simeon’s stomach as her lips touched the base of his cock, unable to hold back the groan as the pit inside him dropped. His eyes shut tight as white heat took over him, and then he was spilling down the back of her throat with no warning.

She hollowed her cheeks as she swallowed his plentiful release, sucking him dry before releasing him. His taste was sweet, lingering, leaving a pleasant taste in her mouth.

“My perfect angel,” she said, pressing a kiss to his head as his hand moved and intertwined with hers. Nothing in all of heaven had made him feel as good as she had.

“She will be safe here,” Simeon’s face softened as he stared at the young girl asleep in his bed. After the events of earlier, she had passed out with a blissful face whilst the angel and demon cleaned up. “I’ve put a protection charm on the door. No one will be able to get in.”

“It’s not them getting in I’m worried about it’s her getting out,” Leviathan sighed, running his hands over his face. The two boys agreed to never speak of what had happened earlier, for an angel to allow lust to take over his actions especially from watching acts of a demon.

“I promise you, no harm will come to her. Have you spoken to Lucifer?”

“Yes, he was so pissed she came out. But she’s like the rest of us; never listens to him,” Levi chuckled, watching her sleeping figure cosy up in the blankets. “I guess that’s why we all love her.”

“And did Lucifer explain this- her behaviour..?”

“One guess.”

“Solomon?” Simeon rolled his eyes.

“Bingo. Something about the wrong potion, her basically being in heat, I don’t know. It’s something he needs to explain in person. He was too busy yelling down the phone.”

“She is safe here, my friend. Let us wait until Lucifer comes.” Simeon reached for a comic off the table, intending to pick up the conversation from before she had come in. Only to stop when he saw wetness that they’d missed coating the cover.

Lucifer had gone ballistic when he arrived, all his rage was bubbling through him as he yelled left, right and center. “You disobeyed me! how could you be so reckless?” He had scorned her, towering over her with gritted teeth. His words stopped and his anger subsided as her bottom lip trembled, her eyes filling with tears as she hung her head in shame. A weak, “I’m sorry,” made him pull her into his hold tightly, showering her forehead with kisses. He knew it wasn’t her fault; he was simply worried. Worried that if another had scented her the way she was then they would try to take her. “From now on, I need you to stay in the house, okay?” he said, cupping her face as he whispered softly, kissing her gently, hoping she would understand without him saying the words to show how worried he had been.

Lucifer took her home and straight to his room, informing the brothers not to disturb them. He ran her a bath with rose petals, resting her back against his chest as he cradled her close, whispering sweet words of praise as he washed her. That night, he cared for her, letting his fingers work her she was almost sobbing for him to fill her properly.

In the morning he had to go back to work. As much as he wanted to be with her, his loyalty to Diavolo came first. This time, however, he placed an enchantment on the whole house, ensuring the girl would not be able to leave; the front door, window and back door glued shut if she tried to open them. If another demon opened them and she tried to exit, they would face an electric shock, both of them. It even included the windows; he knew Belphegor had a tendency to sneak out of the attic window. Lucifer was taking no risk or chance. The only way she could leave was if Lucifer left with her or if he lifted the enchantment.

She woke up alone, throwing on one of Lucifer's shirts. Even his lingering scent was arousing, regardless of the way he’d taken care of her in the night. The potion was ruining her. None of the aches or the worn out muscles remained, only fresh feelings and a warm glow.

She left his room and walked along the corridor until she heard it.

“Sweeeeeeetie,” Asmo yelled, running, well, skipping, towards her at the top of his voice.

“Asssssie,” she laughed as he picked her up with ease, using strength only a few demons ever got to see. Her shirt lifted as she wrapped her legs around him.

“I heard someoooone’s been in a little trouble the last few days,” he teased in a singsong voice, walking with her in his arms. “I’m offended you didn’t come to me first.” He pouted as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a slow kiss.

“I’m sorry. I’m here now baby,” she whispered, letting that feeling of heat take over once more.

Asmo carried her into his room, keeping one arm around her as he ran a bath, kissing her tenderly whilst the water drew to the right heat, his hands slowly peeling off her shirt until his fingers glided over her soft skin.

“So perfect,” he whispered, letting her undo his own clothes, his trousers dropping to the floor as he picked her up and settled her into the water. He lay back with her straddling him, his mouth nipping gently at her neck as his hand dipped below the water to ghost over her thighs. “And I thought I was meant to be the lustful one,” he teased at the scent of her arousal, his eyes sparkling as he felt her heartbeat quicken.

She didn’t have time to answer back with quick wit, instead letting his fingers work inside her until she came over them, the water splashing at the sides of the tub as she rocked gently over his until he sat up and began to push her back gently.

“No,“ she blushed and stopped him, pushing him back down and taking his length into her hand. “I want to be on top.”

Asmo showed no sign of protest, holding her waist gently as his hands brushed up and down her sides whilst she lowered herself onto him. Whilst he knew he was skilled at giving pleasure to his lovers, that he liked to be in control, she needed this more. To let herself set the pace, the mood, the angle. She needed control more than he did at this moment.

One arm circled her waist to keep her close, the other cupping her breast in his palm, squeezing it softly as it bounced in his hold. Her moans were captured by his mouth, a sweet kiss at first only breathing away for air., before pulling back to each other, this time tongues slipping between the velvet folds of their mouths, desperately searching for each other.

He kept her pressed against him when she came, whining so softly against his lips. His arm around her kept her close even as she tried to pull away naturally, her walls pulsing as he felt every tight flutter over him.

“That’s it, you're so good,” he cooed softly, taking his hand off her breast to brush a strand of hair behind her ear. His lips touched her ear as he shallowly rocked up against her.

He encouraged her through another climax; he was skilled in holding off his own until finally he could do so no more. The water around them was now lukewarm as she pressed her lips tightly against his, the avatar of lust unable to resist anymore as he spilled inside her, bringing her to one final climax from the throb of his head against her cervix.

He refused her help as he cleaned her thighs and skin with a wet cloth from the side, pressing kisses to her glowing lips. He enjoyed afterwards with her just as much sex itself; she brought him a different type of pleasure. The cuddles, the kisses, the reassurance through panting breaths, the way she looked so radiant as she curled up against him, still a little hazy and drunk off pleasure. He was good at that, making her feel so blissed out that words, colours and meaning to anything no longer made sense.

“I have a class I need to start getting ready for, sweetie.” Asmo pressed a kiss to her forehead, peeling himself away from her even though she clung after him as he placed her on his bed. “I skipped biology this morning, but it’s okay. I got a more physical lesson than R.A.D could ever teach.” He waggled his eyebrows playfully. “Here, this will satisfy you until someone’s back.” Asmo pulled out a toy that curved, passing her a remote. It was her toy, one that Asmo had bought for her when they began experimenting with different ones. He peppered kisses up her thighs before slowly easing it into her. It wasn’t as thick or as big as any of the brothers but at least it did all the work for her to satisfy her.

She had already begun withering from it’s touch, the curve of it hitting against her g-spot with a humming vibration. Asmo stood for a few moments in silence, in admiration of her. She was beautiful. He didn’t have words for how special she was to him or his brothers, their human captivating the hearts of demons and giving them a piece of her own in return. He was just about to pull himself away to finally leave for class when his door open and in strolled-

“Solomon?” Looking on in confusion, the young girl quickly closed her spread thighs as the sorcerer came walking in as if he belonged.

“My, my.” He had a cheshire grin full of darkness, “So it is true.”

“Solomon, what are you- Get out!” Asmo took a step but a flick of the wrist from Solomon had him frozen in place. Asmo’s eyes darted to her in worry, unable to move any other part of his body.

“My dear, I can practically sense your heat from here,” Solomon grinned as he focused his attention on her. She was softly mewling as the toy continued on a low intensity with her legs shut. “Don’t fear, I won’t touch.” He knew that if he placed a hand on her in this state, the brothers would feel it due to their pacts and it would only be a matter of seconds before Lucifer appeared. “I just want to watch.” He’d been fascinated at Lucifer's claims, that a human had gone into heat by his doing and he longed to see the effects of it in person himself. “May I?”

The girl nodded and gently parted her thighs; she knew Solomon wouldn’t hurt her. She also knew of his ‘relationship’ with Asmo. If Asmo trusted him, then so did she. “I won’t touch her, I swear.” Solomon turned to Asmo with a soft look in his ashen eyes. With a click Asmo was free, stumbling forward slightly before stopping.

“Sweetie… are you sure about this?” Asmo placed his hand on her knee and squeezed it slightly with reassurance.

“Yes,” she breathed out in a part whine, the toy continuing to buzz inside her, making her stomach light, her eyes heavy with desire as they met Solomon’s. She let her thighs spread further, giving them a full view of her glistening folds as she gently gripped the sheets below.

Solomon watched with sparkling eyes of lust as she came, quickly followed by another orgasm as Asmo cooed her softly through them, telling her how good she was. But by that point, Solomon was losing his composure. The scent of her heat was affecting him. He knew the potion she had taken had no effect on demons, but after his conversation with Simeon and the way his own body was becoming heated, he was feeling first hand that the effects could pass on to humans and other godly creatures.

“Touch her,” he commanded, peering down at Asmo as his hand moved to palm over the bulge growing in his black slacks. He would stay true to his word, he would not touch her, but he’d never said Asmo couldn’t.

The flames of pleasure licked her lower stomach, a strong sensation she had only felt a few times before building inside.

“A-Asmo-!” Her voice was wavering and brimmed to the lid with lust, her hands shaking as they grasped at his golden-brown hair.

“"Look at that, Asmo... She cums as easily as you. Just another needy little slut." Solomon's words were sharp, mocking, with a grin on his face, "The great Asmodeus, outdone by a needy slutty human. You should be ashamed."His words were followed by a harsh blow, the sound of the slap ricocheting off the walls as his hand came down onto Asmo’s ass.

The mumbles of pleasure from the avatar of lust vibrated against her. His tongue languidly licked at her swollen clit whilst two fingers curled up against her walls, pressing over and over against the spot that was rendering her breathless and seeing stars. He wanted to gaze up, admire her body writhing in pleasure with his rose-gold eyes but the way Solomon was roughly pounding into him from behind had them rolling to the back of his skull.

The thrusts from Solomon had Asmo pulling and pushing away from her folds, her hips grinding desperately back against him in need of friction until her hands anchored his head in place to keep him where she desperately needed him. She whimpered his name, thick pools of lust beneath her eyes gazing up and meeting’s Solomon’s. His brow was knitted, his jaw clenched as he drove into Asmo, each thrust harder than the last. His perfect shade of winter eyes baring down at her was the final push she needed.

Her thighs trembled as her toes curled, gasping profoundly into the air with loud curses as every nerve inside her body set alight whilst every hair on her skin stood up. Her spine curved as she rose off the bed, thick rivulets of her arousal releasing from the build up of pressure inside her.

The hot squirt against his mouth and hand had Asmo undone; getting her to squirt had only happened on a few occasions. He whined heavily, almost louder than her as he came, shooting thick white against his torso as it dripped onto the floor. Solomon growled lowly at the tight clench of Asmo around him, his cock heavily throbbing inside him until he found his own release. His hips pressed harshly against his ass, his cock pulsing as he came inside him.

"You're just a natural slut like Asmo here. Such messy people." Solomon chuckled, slightly breathless as he gazed down at the mess glazing Asmo's skin. The demon surprisingly went red-faced under his words. "Little sluts need to be kept under control. Who knows the trouble you'd get into?" His gaze flickered to the woman. "Must be why Lucifer keeps you on such a short leash."

Solomon grinned with a devilish smile as Asmo cleaned her and himself up, resting against the door frame as he pulled up his slacks. The potion effects seemed to have worked unbelievably well, far better than any aphrodisiac he had ever seen. The girl had been able to handle multiple climaxes, each one growing in intensity until finally it became too much. Whilst she trembled with her aftershocks, she had been able to tell him that after a few hours’ rest her body would recover and be begging for more, muscle aches and bruising all vanishing as if just a dream.

The white haired sourcer pulled Asmo into a deep kiss before, in the blink of an eye, he was gone, disappearing into thin air at the sound of the front door opening andLucifer calling out. He had come to check she was still there.

“I’m here,” she panted out, Asmo helping them both to dress as she climbed under the covers. She was exhausted. Lucifer appeared with a smile which quickly faded; he sensed something in the air.

“My love, who has been here?” His question sounded more like a command as he focused his gaze on her. Asmo could feel her bashfulness at having to explain the situation which occured, choosing to save her the trouble instead.

“Come, she’s tired.” Asmo blew her a kiss before he tightly gripped Lucifer’s arm and led him down the corridor.

Asmo calmed Lucifer down, explaining everything to him. Telling him how the girl saw Solomon just as close and special to her as she did the brothers. The same applied to Simeon after Levi had told him about the previous day. And Lucifer himself knew first hand the claim to her Diavolo now held.

“As much I hate the thought of his hands on her, if she wishes to be with them as well, we must let her and respect her wishes,” Lucifer sighed. He and his brothers had to accept that she touched the hearts of many and that they simply couldn’t keep her to themselves. “I fear we must learn to share our human, or we simply will push her away…”

The following morning she rose and headed to the kitchen. Although she still wasn’t going to R.A.D, she tried to keep herself in the routine of getting up and ready. Only, a dull throb pulsed between her thighs upon entering the kitchen upon sighting a shirtless beel wearing low skimmed joggers. Her eyes began falling down his toned torso, abs chiseled by the gods themselves, to the mouth watering v-line that led directly to his-

"Pft! Quit your starin’," Mammon huffed, pulling her out of her trance after witnessing her eyes practically glow. He was still overzealous when it came to her, hating that he had to share and fight for her attention amongst his brothers and, now, three more.

“I-” a near growl rose deep within her chest to witness Beel innocently licking cream he’d spilled from his deviled puff eclair off his long, slender fingers. Unable to find words, she found herself throbbing and clenching over nothing as she rubbed her thighs on the spot where she stood. All she was able to do was shoot Mammon a look. A look he knew far too well as a smug grin took over his face.

“I could smell ya from ya room,” he said in a low growl of a voice as he stalked towards her like a predator upon prey, the avatar of greed caging her in between him and the kitchen counter. The pink of his tongue darted out to swipe across the pointed fangs of his teeth before he leaned in. “I betcha ya already dripping.” His suspicion was confirmed as she sat upon the counter, hitching her skirt up for him to witness the wet patch already staining the silk of her underwear. A small ‘please’ was all she could muster, giving into the heat surging across her body as the need grew stronger with each passing second. “I’ve been waiting for ya, to get ma time with ya, waiting to make that tight pussy feel so good that ya won’t want anyone else.”

The following few moments were a blur, her eyes held tightly shut, nails scratching indents into the wooden surface. Her mind was left blank, two fingers swirling over her clit whilst two more thrusted into her tight cunt, unsure whose hand was whose. Her body lay flat against the surface as the two brothers stood between her legs, one leg hooked over Mammon's shoulder whilst the other rested over Beels, the two of them working in perfect unison to bring her to a blissful climax before the sun had fully risen.

“Look,” Mammon’s voice commanded as he gripped her chin to keep her facing the full length mirror in front of his bed. Naked, he sat with her back to his chest, her feet placed onto his spread legs with his cock buried to the hilt inside her, giving her a full show of his cock disappearing and entering her each time he lifted her up.

His teeth caught her ear as he whispered filth, “Look how well you take me, my tight human, my lewd girl,. Cumming again? Filthy girl, ya gonna make me bust a nut squeezing me like that, that’s it, scream ma name baby.”

He held her waist with an arm around her, using his hidden strength to lift her up and down as he thrusted deeper. The girl was in the deepest of pleasure, tongue lolling to the side with her eyes thick with rapture, her head resting back on Mammon’s chest as she let him work her body.

A low growl reminded her that there was another in the room Beel sat watching from the side with his hand around himself, his eyes focused purely on her, watching Mammon stretching her and her perky breasts bouncing up and down. His jaw ached to be on them, his tongue ready to devour her and his cock ready to buried deep inside her.

“My turn,” he growled, as Mammon’s hips pressed up against her, his teeth in her shoulder to muffle his cry as he came inside her. Beel blocked the view of the mirror as he stood in front, the girl whimpering at the size of him. She couldn’t lie, his cock always scared her. Like his physical build, it was huge and intimidating.

“Wait ya turn, I’m not done.” Mammon continued to shallowly thrust as she began to tremble in his hold, clenching around him with a tight grip. A heavy groan left him, making Beel roar in anger.

The ginger dropped to his knees. His height had him now eye level with the girl as he kissed her deeply. One of his hands began thumbing over her nipple as the other toyed with her clit, making her buck violently against Mammon. The added stimulation had her thighs quaking and, if not for Mammon for holding her up, she would have fallen sideways as she came.

They helped her ride out the high, before Beel lifted her up and off Mammon, Mammon unable to match his strength as he huffed, watching Beel push himself into her. The girl shifted so her legs were around Beel, her arms around his neck as she clung to him. She was as light as a feather to him, him kissing her deeply as she felt Mammon stand and line himself up behind her. His cock, slicked with her arousal, together with wet fingers, pressed against her puckered hole.

“We’re gonna fuck ya so good,” Mammon licked the shell of her ear as a finger pushed into her, Beel slowly bouncing her off his cock, both brothers as greedy as each other as they filled her, taking climax after climax and leaving her utterly speechless. It was hard to tell in that moment which one really was the avatar of greed.

The next day, the girl had literally fucked the heat out of her body. Mammon and Beel had sent her into overstimulation as they worked together until she saw stars and came close to passing out.

But when she woke up in her own bed the next day, heading down to breakfast and seeing all of the brothers, no rush of arousal came to her. The potion’s effects had finally worn off.

“Morning!” She smiled sweetly, walking in and grabbing a slice of toast off the counter. The brothers waited a second, seeing if she would pounce on any of them but it never came. Instead, she merrily chatted and took a bite out of her food.

The girl was thankful it was Saturday so she could enjoy some free time on the weekend.

“Well, I think I might go out, get some fresh air if anyone wants to join?” she asked, turning around and heading out the door. But a leather glove stopped her, sending her turning backwards to see all of the brothers stalking close to her, Lucifer keeping a grip on her wrist.

“It seems, my dove, you overspent myself and my brothers this week.” Lucifer pulled her close, his hand cupping her cheek. “You’ve been a very needy girl.”

Lucifer caught her lips as the other brothers surrounded her, each one pulling at her for her attention, several pairs of lips finding her own, several sets of hands beginning to undress her and caress her skin.

For the first time, all seven of the brothers shared her, savouring their tiny human all for themselves. And as for getting some fresh air, that was never going to happen, since she wasn’t able to leave the house at any point that weekend, purely because she couldn’t walk the following day.

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extremelyblackandwhite · 3 years

Text

ascendance - 04

PAIRING: mob!bucky barnes x reader

WARNINGS: abduction, age gap (reader is 23, bucky is 37)

A/N: hello!! i hope you enjoy this new chapter as i dive more into bucky’s past. italics in this work symbolise a flashback in case anyone’s confused. hope you enjoy it xx

> NEXT CHAPTER | MASTERLIST

The entrance hall of the Barnes household was pilled up with people. Between his mum barking orders left to right and caterers bringing food in and out, the once silent room turned into a busy crossroads which meant James had retreated back to his room. He was sat down in his bed, cashmere black suit on and hair pushed back, Dead Souls opened on top his legs. He was lost in between the small black letters printed on the yellowing paper, so lost that the sound of his window opening went by him until a loud thump woke him up from his literary daze. Bucky looked up to see his younger sister, sat on the floor of his bedroom by the window with her dress partially on and hair messy due to the windy weather outside. He sighed, closing his book and putting it off to the side.

- Can’t you climb into your own bedroom? - Bucky got up from bed, leaning down to help her back onto her feet.

- Yours is closer. - she brushed the dirt off her baby pink dress picked by their mother. - Shouldn’t you be downstairs?

- Shouldn’t you be in your bedroom?

- Touche. - she pointed. - Can you not tell mum? She’ll freak out if she discovers that I went out on dad’s big day.

- Go on, I’ll keep mum occupied while you sort out that bird’s nest hair.

- Thank you! - she smiled, giving him a short hug. - What am I gonna do when you go to Princeton? Who’s gonna cover for me?

- I guess you’ll just have to form an alliance with the maids.

Y/N and Bucky were silent, barely speaking to each other if even looking into each other’s eyes. She merely remained there in her operatic costume, the corset doing the best of jobs at enhancing her female features and almost making her look like a femme fatale out of a classical movie in rich red and green fabrics decorated with what he guessed where heavy metal gold pieces resembling precious jewels and golden rings. He did not know which production they were putting on, he hadn’t even heard her sing before but she looked like she belonged in that stage, like she would have been showered in praise the moment the spotlight grazed her.

She paced around the living room not exactly sure what to do, the beads which made up her skirt and would suddenly peak to show her legs making a slight rustling noise as her eyes studied the book shelf which was filled with tons and tons of books from the classics to mere economy books. Maybe she could read them whenever the tension between of them wasn’t so apparent. She couldn’t help but sometimes look at the badly fixed window and wonder if she could make it, maybe when he wasn’t looking, maybe when he was sleeping yet looking at him; tall, muscular, fast, definetely much stronger than her, she knew that even if she managed to get outside, he would easily get her back. Her mind battled her positive side as she wondered if this was it, if this was home now. Suddenly, her old flat no longer seemed old and she would give everything away if only she could go back, back to being told to do errands that really did not concern her, to stepping on bobby pins laid on the ground, to way too strong makeup which looked ridiculous in proper daylight. She would give everything, if she could go back to what her life had been.

The man whose name he hadn’t even dignified himself to tell her yet was sat on one of the high chairs by the kitchen with his eyes trained on her. She briskly turned around, arms crossed under her chest with an almost child like pout of someone who had just been punished. In reality, I’m the one who’s being punished here, he thought to himself.

- You could tell me your name. - she said, not looking into his eyes, instead rubbing her worn out ballet shoes against his hard floor.

- You don’t need to know my name. - he was quiet yet imposing. Y/N could not deny he seemed to have a strong presence despite barely raising his voice. It was almost magnetic as if he was made to be looked at, yet she felt he didn’t want to be seen.

- What if I need to call out for you?

- I would know. There’s no one else here, is it?

Y/N did not reply to this, instead rolling her eyes and sitting down on the couch. There was not much to do in the small one bedroom apartment other than pace around, eat and watch television. Her hand flew over to the remote, pointing it at the TV to turn it on which opened on the news channel. She guessed this was the way she had of now knowing what was happening outside the four walls she was being held captive in. There wasn’t much happening and even if it was, all the local news could talk about was about the upcoming mayoral election. It was a circus with advertisements and rumours flying around about each and every candidate and while it was almost painfully enjoyable to see men over thirty acting like gossip mean girls in school, everyone knew who was gonna win.

She’d always been told that behind every great man, there’s a great woman and in this particular election it couldn’t be anymore true. The favourite candidate to win, Robert Moore, also known as Bobbie, was married to an senator’s daughter but not just any senator, Senator Barnes. She was too young to remember his policies or even his public persona, yet from what she knew, he had been a very well liked and well respected Senator, coming from a prominent family and building an even more prominent family. Being married to Rebecca Barnes, now Rebecca Barnes-Moore, was a one way ticket to a good career in politics. The two stood in the television screen, side by side in an almost JFK and Jackie Kennedy fashion with sunny smiles looking like the picture perfect Americana couple. It seemed all his ads showed him, his wife and their new born baby. High school sweethearts, it seemed.

- Are you gonna watch that the whole day? - she turned her head around, looking at his annoyed expression, whiskey glass in hand.

- They look good together.

- It’s a circus. - he snickered, sitting by her side.

- What are you? An anarchist? - those words flew out of her mouth without any filter, mostly out of nuisance. - Her father was a great politician and he is young and likeable.

- Young and likeable ... sounds like great political traits.

- What do you know about politics?

- What do you know about politics? Do they have a crash course in politics at whatever company you were in?

She rolled her eyes, turning the volume up to listen to the broadcaster tell the love story of the future mayor and his wife. Her face softened as she heard what was probably a highly modified version of the actual truth yet she couldn’t help but slightly smile at the idea of it. They seemed in love and as someone who had a degree in pretending to be in love while singing, it warmed her heart to see it. She liked that idea, the idea of Ms and Mrs Americana, the idea of having someone to lean in. Well, she liked the idea of someone. Sure, maybe the man whose name she still didn’t know and was starting to believe was never going to learn was right, it was a circus, all elections are but she couldn’t help but be pulled by the myth of it, by the we against the world mentality no matter how morally wrong it was.

She continued to watch the coverage of the election run as the man next to her got up from the couch to pick up a phone call. Her hearing slightly moved towards what he was doing, mind always thinking of escaping but even though he was talking on the phone, his gaze was trained of her as if she were his prey. He mumbled something on the phone before turning it off and moving his eyes to text someone yet after that his eyes were on her once more.

- Try not to escape for the next hour.

- Do you have a nameless anarchy convention to attend?

- Billy is coming to watch over you. No funny business.

- Will. - she corrected him. - He doesn’t like being called Billy.

- As long as you don’t pull a mission impossible on him, I will call him whatever you want.

Will didn’t take long to arrive, dressed in a tennis-like outfit as if he had been pulled away from tennis which sounded like something he’d do. Bucky exchanged a few words with him before leaving the two of them together. He trusted Billy, or Will, was smart enough not to let her escape or run away. God, he didn’t even want to think about what John would do to him if she escaped, much less what he would do to her if she escaped. He made his drive to John’s condo in fifth avenue, parking his bike somewhere before making his way up. The condo was always weirdly filled with chatter talk yet he could see no people, it was as if the ghosts of the people he had taken out followed him in his own home and Bucky couldn’t say he pitied him. After all, he had his own ghosts too.

He looked into John’s office where he was sat in the couch, the coverage of the election run on the television on low volume. John’s eyes immediately found Bucky’s figure looming at the entrance, never really entering, just standing behind the line which separated the hall from the office.

- How’s the roomie? - he motioned his hand for him to come in. - Still pretty?

- What do you need?

- I just got an invitation to a fundraiser. Zemo’s going so I want you to go.

- I can’t, I have her to watch over Y/N. She’s not very keen on remaining in the flat.

- Chain her up for all I care. It’s in two weeks and I’ll be damned if I’m there by myself with Zemo. Besides it’s your sister’s fundraiser, I always love to see Rebecca.

- She’s not gonna be there. - his jaw locked. - A fundraiser for the mob? It’s mostly free alcohol and networking with them not showing up.

- Maybe you should bring your roomie. She’s pretty and if anything I’m sure she can sing and if not maybe she can entertain in another form.

- The NYPD is probably looking for her, it’s not wise ...

- Do you make the rules? - John interrupted him, leaning against the couch with arms crossed. - You seem to have forgotten who makes the rules, soldat.

- I just don’t think ...

- You don’t think. - he interrupted him once more. - This election is important and since I do not have the right person here to get ahead, I will make do with what we have. I don’t give a fuck about what you do when you’re at your flat but she is mine. She is my get out of jail card. Are we clear, soldat?

- Yes.

- You can go now. - he dismissed him. Bucky turned around, eyes open wide yet emotionless face as if he were disconnected from his own consciousness. He guessed it was for the best to remain disconnected, to not know what was going on.

He drove himself back home, standing alone at night looking at his flat; the window still broken while the lights were flickering. He thought about running off, starting his bike and running off into the night and just drive until the tank was empty but he couldn’t. He had strings, strings which kept him tied to where he was right now. He guessed that now she was another string keeping him here.

Bucky sighed as he walked back to his flat, opening the door to a rather serene sight. Will was by the kitchen watching the football game while Y/N was laid across the couch, book in hand which he recognised as one of his old ones. Her hair was different, she probably had taken off her wig and for the first time since those few minutes in the costume room. It looked soft, framing her face and getting in front of her eyes as she herself got lost in the room. Will excused himself, leaving just as he noticed Bucky before he could be yelled at by using his television. Yet again, Y/N and Bucky were alone in that small flat. She looked up from the book and at him before returning to read.

He left her with the book, walking to his bedroom which was probably now more hers than his to grab one of trousers and hoodies before returning back to the living room. Still reading. At least she wasn’t trying to break any more windows. He put the hoodie and trousers by her side, turning off the television as more screams for the football match came through.

- You can change into those. - he pointed at the clothing, getting her attention as she closed the book. - Those beads can’t be comfortable.

- Oh

- The bathroom’s there. - he pointed at one of the few doors in the flat. - You can shower too, there’s towels.

- Thank you. - she grabbed the things he had put out for her before leaving him in the living room by himself.

And then it was just him once more, alone, tied to this city which screamed everyone’s name but his.

TAGLIST: @lookiamtrying @buckyswillows @blossomslibrary @juliesland @iloveshawnieboi @unmagically @red-head011 @poisonous00

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folkloreguk · 3 years

Text

Shower Thoughts

A/N: I like writing about personal emotions a lot…this feels a little like writing a diary but also like self-therapy and it really helps me. I hope anyone who also feels this way knows that they’re not alone with those feelings. Also happy birthday to the sweetest @sunghoonied!! I wrote this thinking of you and I hope you have the best day ♡ PS. I didn't proofread this so if you find errors kindly lmk please! x

genre: optional bias (male), meant to comfort you, angst, fluff, talk of loneliness / anxiety but with a good ending!

words: ~ 2.5 k

taglist: @lovely-ateez, @mochi-ficz, @soundsofminho, @runaway-fics

People said that walking was supposed to clear your mind. But then why was it, that you had gotten so lost in your worst thoughts out there? The time spent in fresh air was meant to let your mind wander to calm places and smiling at strangers should have made you feel less lonely. But with every step you took and with every passing face your body felt heavier. Not only did you carry your figure, but the crushing burden that had been nagging at you for weeks.

Watching others stroll around the streets seemed so easy. And perhaps it should have been easy, after all. It made you wonder, maybe you were the only one whose mind was constantly covered in dark rain clouds. Maybe everyone had their place in the world, and they knew just where and with whom they belonged. Surely, they didn’t overthink every conversation they had with a random stranger. Did their brain also function merely on autopilot in public, while the back of your mind was chaos of doubt and fear? Was there anybody else who spent day to day worrying about never finding someone who could deal with the burden of you and your issues? How was somebody else going to love you if you were this sad?

Those people that care about you are the ones you should be honest with, after all. There was no brushing off the How Are You question with a quick “I’m fine”. How could someone deal with the real answer you would give? You didn’t want to pull anybody down with you when you were hurting. So then again, maybe it was for the better your apartment was always empty when you came home. With no one to ask you about your feelings, you couldn’t cause anyone else agony and worry. Your own pain was enough – one person was enough to deal with it.

You shoved your shoes in the corner next to your door. If it wasn’t for your mental state, you would’ve guessed your jacket was a hundred kilos heavy. But even after you had peeled it off, nothing changed. You dragged your body to the bathroom.

You’d be so proud if only you could go one day without crying. And you had almost made it, had it not been for the godforsaken shower water. There was something about seeing the droplets on your skin and on the tiles that caused your tears to come out freely. The noise of the shower made you feel shut off from the rest of the world. Now it was just you and your salty ocean tears. The tears united with the shower water. It was hard to tell which drops on your cheek had originated in your swollen eyes and which had fallen from the shower head. This way, it seemed almost as if there was an invisible force that was wiping over your face, trying to appease your sobs.

But there was nobody. And that was why you only cried harder. If only you had listened to your own words when you tried to cheer yourself up. Then maybe you would feel better when you wrapped your arms around your own body. You were desperate. The notion that someone could hold you like this, one day, should have gifted you at least some form of hope. But no, you knew it wouldn’t happen any time soon. Not with this mindset and your sadness.

You hiccupped helplessly. This was all so tiring. Before you knew it, you sat down on the shower floor under the hot stream. At least there was no one waiting to get into the shower after you. So you wouldn’t have to feel guilty about blocking the bathroom and wasting all the hot water. For a few minutes you remained on the floor, drowning out your cries under the splashing sound. You felt the impulse to scream. Look, I’m here! I’m a person with interests and passions and emotions! Doesn’t anybody see me? I’m sick of only existing! Won’t somebody teach me how to live?

But at most, that would cause you a noise complaint. If only you weren’t so terrible at talking to people. Maybe you could make a friend someday – when your anxiety got better. Like in a trance, you finally switched off the water and grabbed your towel. You were so utterly lost in your thoughts, that everything went by as if you were only watching from the sidelines. You got out of the shower, dried off, put on some body lotion – an attempt at self-care – and got dressed in the most comfortable, baggy clothes you owned.

What on earth would you do tonight? There really were only so many ways you could have fun (or rather distract yourself from feeling down) when you were all by yourself and everything reminded you of how lonely you were. The option of just going to sleep slipped past you. But you weren’t tired enough. You knew you’d lie awake for hours, left alone with your thoughts. And crying yourself to sleep was the last thing you wanted right now.

So you opted for the most mainstream idea: Netflix. You plopped down on the sofa, a steaming hot cup of tea on the small table in front of you. Now you only had one thing left to do. You needed to choose some stupid show and let the problems of tv characters invade your brain and pray they would shove out your own issues. You weren’t even hungry. Although there was a part of you that wished it could have eaten your weight in chocolate, but you knew that had little to do with hunger.

Just as you reached for the remote control, the sound of your doorbell made you jump. I’ll just let it be. They’ll think I’m not home and leave. Those thoughts came right away. It made you curse yourself. You had just cried over feeling alone, but now you’re shutting out some random neighbor who probably just needs some tiny favor from you. Way to go. So, more to prove a point to yourself than to be friendly, you stepped to your door and opened it.

“Hi.” It was your neighbor. Your handsome, kind neighbor, who you always met at the local grocery store. You were so mentally exhausted you didn’t even feel self-conscious about looking the way you did. Although you hoped your eyes had recovered from the redness, at least a little. “Hi,” you greeted him back.

“Look, I really don’t want to be intrusive. And if you want me to leave, I will,” he said. He fumbled with his hands, as if he was nervous about his words. “But I kind of heard you…cry…in the shower. And I know you live alone, and I figured if you’re crying you probably don’t have any company. I guess I just wanted to check whether you’re okay. Do you have someone to talk to?”

With every word your heart only sped up. You felt like a trapped rabbit in a corner and the meaning of his message only sunk in slowly. Yes, of course. I’ll call my friend and talk to them,you wanted to say. But that would have been a massive lie. And you just couldn’t lie to him. Not when he stood there, in his fuzzy sweater and fresh-out-the-shower damp hair, with eyes so worried and attentive. You weren’t sure if it was from how touched you were by his concern for you, or if it was your sadness catching up to you again. Before you could swallow your tears, your eyes filled to the brim and your vision turned blurry.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” you said, not sure what for. Hurriedly, you used your sweater paw to wipe your leaking eyes. You didn’t want him to feel bad for you, but now you had achieved just that and more. Your embarrassment set in and you finally came out with the truth. “I don’t have anyone to talk to.”

“No need to be sorry. It’s alright. We all have those days, don’t we? I just want you to know that you’re not alone. And I have nothing to do…so if you need someone to talk to, or even just to keep you company…I can stay with you for a bit…or you can come over to mine. I just don’t want you to feel alone. But if you would prefer to be by yourself, that’s okay. People deal with things differently.”

You were so baffled that your ability to speak completely fell through. The idea of someone, an almost-stranger, going so out of their way to make sure you were okay blew you away. He knew nothing about you. But here he was, taking a chance on you, nonetheless. Only then you realized you probably looked like a fool, staring at him but failing to answer. Quickly, you prompted yourself to open your mouth to speak, but he beat you to it.

“What were you doing just now?” he asked. “Any plans for the evening?”

“I was going to watch a movie, I guess,” you said. “And I think some company would be very nice.”

He smiled at you like was your childhood best friend and you had just reconnected after years of being apart. That’s why it felt the more natural to let him enter your apartment. You got into small talk about what it was like living in the building and how his apartment had a mirrored structure to yours. The simplest conversation took your mind off your sorrow right away. You felt like thanking him would be a little dramatic after he had barely settled on your sofa, so you kept it to yourself. Either way, the small smile on your face felt like warm, soothing sunlight on your skin after eight consecutive days of rain.

“Do you want to talk about anything?” he asked. You thought for a moment.

“No, I think I’d rather just distract myself,” you said. Even though you were grateful for having him here, you feared if you spilled your guts to him you would only scare him away.

“Alright,” he said without judgement. “What film were you planning on watching?”

And so you started your movie. There was a respectful distance between you on the sofa. But his simple presence next to you was more than you could have asked for tonight. He was like a heater, providing safety and comfort in the coldest winter. Hearing someone else chuckle at the jokes in the movie along with you was magnificent. His laughter sounded like a rainbow. It seeped into your body and your soul straightened up and bloomed like a parched flower being watered after all this loneliness.

But even under all the light, your problems were still here, waiting to nag at you. You knew they would consume you when he returned to his own apartment later. They would laugh at you for trying to socialize but staying closed off as always. Just because someone saw you didn’t mean they understood you and who you are. And how was one supposed to make human connections if they treated their thoughts like strictly confidential information in front of everybody? No, you had to tell him.Impulsively, you pressed the stop-button on the remote. He shot you a questioning gaze.

“I- I think maybe I do want to talk about something,” you confessed.

“You can tell me anything. I promise it’ll be safe with me. Let out whatever bothers you,” he said. His lovely, warm eyes were inviting like a haven for you. So you just started to talk. All your frustrations and reasons for anxiety were exiting your lips, floating all around you in the room. Airing out your weary brain finally, after holding everything in for weeks, was uncaging and nothing had felt this good in so long. Although your sadness wasn’t something that could be fixed by doing a task, the more thoughts and worries you explained to him, the easier it became. It wasn’t long before you felt your tears well up once more.

“It’s okay,” he said with his hand on your shoulder. This time, you didn’t try so hard to blink them away. Where there were emotions, there were tears, and he was right. It was fine to let them out. Through sniffles you finished telling him your issues.

“Is this okay?” he asked, gently putting his arm around your shoulder to hold your shaking figure. You hummed and nodded in agreement. His warmth was like a blanket to shelter you from the anxiety, if even just for a short while.

“I don’t expect you to know a solution,” you said. “I need to wait for it to get better. It’ll get better, eventually.”

“You’re right. It will all resolve,” he said. “I’m sorry things are so difficult. But you’re not alone, okay?”

You nodded again.

“Time will heal, I promise,” he said. “And until then, you have to hold on and keep going. The world’s a little cruel sometimes, when it shuts out the ones who struggle and don’t do as well as others. But you’re as much of a part of it as any other human on the street. And you’re just as important as them. You weren’t born to be successful or to achieve things. You’re here to live and be happy. So promise me to take care of yourself, and be gentle to yourself. Because you’re the only person that will be with yourself every second until the end. Please don’t be hard on yourself and have patience for good things to come around. And if it all feels like it’s too much for you, don’t feel guilty about reaching out for help. You can always ring my doorbell if you need something.”

“Thank you so much,” you cried. Your cheek rested on his shoulder and you sat in silence for a while. It was unbelievable which wonders such a small conversation between two people could do. Your heart felt lighter and the thoughts were no longer racing through your head. Peace was settling in, and you welcomed it more than ever.

“Now that I’ve told you about me, what kind of person are you?” you asked through tears. He chuckled a little. All you knew until now was that he had a heart of gold. Which, to be fair, meant your impression of him was off to a pretty good start already. Your thoughts were cautious as you wondered…Maybe he could be my friend.

You abandoned the movie. Instead, you spent all evening chatting about whatever came to your mind. You discussed childhood dreams, favorite dishes, your best playlists down to the cutes dog breeds you had ever seen. It felt great, getting to know somebody. And your suspicions came true. His big heart wasn’t the only thing admirable about him. He was funny and knew just what to say when you felt awkward or shy. When you slipped into bed that night, you did so with a smile on your face. You had always told yourself that you weren’t alone. But sometimes, the most optimistic person needed a small reminder coming from somebody else. Here was yours.

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haikyutiehoe · 3 years

Text

thank you for your support! i really like it here and want to celebrate what for me once was a childhood nightmare (writing) + i hope you enjoy ! below you will find an extensive list, it’s smut central down there

☞ 𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐒

◆ please provide the prompt (various if needed), a scenario, setting and characters involved when requesting. in addition to general character x reader smut requests, i am writing threesomes, poly, gangbang

◆ (optional), include a description of the outfit of the reader and any subsequent lingerie or a photo image.

◆ this event is mainly open to the haikyuu fandom but i will accept a few jjk requests too

◆ these posts will feature the #haikyutiehoeevents and have a “read more”

◆ minors, dni

◆ these are all my own prompt creations, they are original and special, and took a while to come up with, been busy with tests and assignments

☞ 𝐄𝐗𝐓𝐑𝐀 𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐒

◆ characters of interest include; aran, kita, suna, daichi, kenma, sakusa, hinata, bokuto, asahi, akaashi, kunimi, [ for the sake of making more content with these characters that i haven’t written for much, i include them here as a general note, you can ignore it easily lol! ]

◆ i am aiming to write 300+ words per request and challenging myself to write 1k+ (possibly beyond, hehe) as well. the requests with more details and plot will likely produce a larger word count, however if you’re not certain of ideas just indicate in the request if you’re interested in a longer fic.

☞ 𝐄𝐗𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓

(this is an example of a longer request that hopefully helps you frame your idea with the context of the prompt! thank you @bakugohoex)

maybe like suna with dont speak to me like i haven’t made you choke on daddy’s cock before after reader spends all day teasing suna on their day out together and he gets so pissed off that’s he finally has enough and drags reader to a semi public location and makes her suck him off unable to speak and yeah he’s just a teasing shit not letting her get off as he gets his release

☞ 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐒

this video says differently sweetheart

i found your underwear in my pocket, thought you might need it

you can close your legs now

if you wanted my face between your legs, all you had to do was ask nicely

i only fuck freaks

put on the new makeup, i wanna watch the mascara run down your face as i fuck you

put that mouth to good use and make me cum

don’t speak to me like i haven’t made you choke on daddy’s cock before

brats belong on their knees

your kinks are basic

there’s really no explaining this to our friends, they predicted we’d sleep together eventually

take one for the team

touch yourself and don’t stop, not until i’ve cum

liars don’t get to cum

get to work

if you still think this is just sex, then why am i still here

i know i fuck you stupid, but i haven’t even touched you yet and you’re babbling nonsense baby

creaming on my fingers alone, i’ll have to teach you some manners before our guests arrive

i fucked you on a facetime with my friends and now you want to be shy about them coming over?

it’s only fair that if i caught you, i should be the one to make you cum

say please

i’ve already seen you naked, don’t worry about how you look, worry about how it feels

oh? that’s the only thing you have to say after seeing my cock for the first time when i know you’ve been thirsting over it for weeks? better get to praising my dick baby or you’re never seeing it again

that was very selfish of you baby, and you know i hate selfish people

you should have chosen your words more carefully

use your words, we’re among friends, no need to hide

i came to see a show

your friend said you’ve done this before

i prefer your legs around my neck

for someone who hates how i gawk at your tits you sure do wear a lot of low cut tops around me

i’m going to eat you out right next to your bestie, and if you behave, i might just give you a taste of my cock

is this piercing new?

are you gonna dry hump me all night or are you gonna fuck me like you hate me?

i wanna hear those pretty lips say my name and ask me to breed you like the slut you are

i heard you can show me and friends a good time

you’ve been a very busy baby, lying, evading, tricking me, time to learn a valuable lesson

let’s see what you’ve learned

we only bang on the weekends because you’re so uptight about your parents, i think i’ve been patient enough

i can’t stop looking at those lips, wondering how deep you can take me before you start crying

we...we weren’t supposed to fuck...you’re my best friends ex

dare? get on all fours and i’ll show you why you shoulda picked truth

you look so fucking sexy keeping my dick warm

has anyone touched you here before?

i’m not going to fuck you, i’m going to ruin you

it’s breeding season and i’m only getting started

you keep pretending like you don’t know me but we both know i’m the only one in your bed every other night

this ass was made for fucking

show daddy’s friends a good time

i distinctly remember you fucking my thigh last night

no wonder the rumors are so vulgar, look at that [genitals]

bondage? you really trust me to be kind to you when you’re spread like that?

what did we say about making daddy angry?

that’s really fucked up ... when do we get started?

you gonna give me a sloppy handjob all night or throat me like a real whore?

i...i don’t know how to cum (reader exclusive)

can you really blame them for talking about us? we fuck like rabbits

you have no idea of my bedroom tastes pillow princess

keep taking that cock like i know you can, good … so fucking good

shy sweetheart? why? before long i’ll be burying you in the mattress

kiss you? i can’t do more?

the teams been dreaming of these tits all year

look at the mess you made

how do you run out of condoms?

bring your legs higher, c’mon-fuck not like that, like this

i can shave it for you

i’ll fuck the attitude out of you if you don’t drop it now

one...two...don’t let me get to three

your mouth ruins it, stuff them (spoken to someone else)

stop crying, i know you like choking on me

if you keep touching yourself we’re going to have a serious problem baby, and no ones gonna come to help you

“i can fuck you better than a miya” - kita/aran exclusive quote

you’d cum in front of my friends if i told you to

i taught him how to fuck whores,

i had the volleyball manager begging on her knees for me to fuck her stupid, why should i fuck you?

don’t talk to me with that breedable mouth baby

get used to luxury of these legs baby, you’re gonna be using them tomorrow

you’re gonna be finding marks where you didn’t even know they could be

that’s not what you said on the phone last night

say that again while you’re riding my face

more? you need more? selfish brat. you’re lucky daddy loves you or he’d let his friends have their way with you at the party, you’d deserve it too, watching daddy fist his cock while you took his whole team

breeding brats like you is just another saturday night for me

threaten me again and i’ll breed you in front of your parents

holes like these were made for us

i don’t care if someone sees us, you should have known better than to aggravate me

stop dancing around, do you wanna fuck or not?

shit-wait, i think there’s a security camera in this room

no walking around naked, i have roommates

keep quiet, you don’t want the professor to hear daddy wrecking you

you’ve never looked more like the whore i know you were than letting daddy’s friends fuck you stupid

that picture was meant for me, don’t try denying it

you’re cuffed to the bed, how are you possibly going to dom me?

stupid cumslut, i don’t think you know how fucked you’re going to be when i get a hold of that mouth

you can’t argue with me and expect to win when you’re dicks that hard already

oh? you like it like that? fuck baby, we’re never doing it the other way again

i’m not surprised, you’re all bite and no bark

bring your friends, we can make it a party

i like breaking virgins

i’ll cock warm you three thousand times if it takes learning daddy’s name

no amount of makeup is going to hide that sweetheart

call him, i want him to hear you scream my name and take me

you have a smart mouth for a brat, lets see what it can do

how could you ever forget my cock, i’m the man who made you fuckable

lose the glasses, and the shoes...the gloves too...actually, just take it all off

someone’s a hungry whore today aren’t they?

you could go viral

there isn’t going to be any more confusion as to whose bitch you are after this

you fuck like a pornstar

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kichous · 3 years

Text

✧･ﾟ:* our proper distance

summary. if sukuna notices the life growing within you, separated only by your flesh as he lays his head in your lap, he says nothing. series. history lesson. bonus scene ! pairing. ryomen sukuna x f!reader. warnings. mentions of miscarriages. childbirth. word count. 2922.

You spend every day waiting for the other shoe to drop. You had already asked much of him in keeping this liaison secret. That he was willing to compromise for you was a miracle in and of itself. You do not mistake his generosity for kindness. You are well aware that your safety and well-being relies on his good will.

You have been Ryomen Sukuna’s mistress for four years. You have been his lover for roughly half of your sons’ lifetimes, and you have shouldered this secret alone for four years out of fear for their safety. And although the King of Curses, whose power has only grown since he bested your father in combat, is known to sorcerers as cruel and greedy, he cares in some way for the lives of your children. He would not hold his tongue otherwise.

Twins are a bad omen because of Sukuna, after all.

For someone whose followers regularly burn your families’ crests, Sukuna goes to greater lengths than he needs to in order to protect you. You’re still amazed that he even wants to defend you at all. He is not exactly wanting for bedmates — and you have to admit that despite the inhumanity of his form, he is still just as handsome as he was when he bore the name Shun. You do not dare to believe that you are someone special to him. You do not dare to hope.

He comes to you under the cover of night, and you learn to recognize his silhouette in front of the screen door when the moon is at its highest. You light a lantern by your door when your husband is with his other wives, though Sukuna still comes even when it isn’t there. Some nights he is content to lounge with you. His predisposition to getting his hair stroked is exceedingly feline.

That isn’t to say that he doesn’t lay with you. Such intimacy was how your relationship started, after all. From your first time in the fields beyond your father’s walls, to when he presses you into the futon in your husband’s home, Sukuna is no stranger to any inch, any measure of your body. You have come to know his as well, tracking every change with every moon. You are certain you are more familiar with him than he is with you, however, as you have never seen fit to tell them about the children.

Or, rather, the children that never came to be.

Over the years, there have been ten. Each one, you have hidden from the King of Curses. Your husband is not subject to such deceit. If anything, your infertility works in your favor. He does not come to see you as often anymore, unhappy as he is with the fact that you’ve yet to bear him any heirs besides Michimaru and Takechiyo. It gives you more time to spend with your sons — and more time with Sukuna, who does not seem particularly bothered that you have not granted him children either, despite the many times you have been together.

You wonder if you mistake his satisfaction for indifference. Perhaps he does not want the hindrance of children in his grand ambitions. He is not the most fatherly of men — although, thinking about it, you suppose you do not know any good fathers in the first place.

Sukuna’s warmongering is the last thing you would wish to subject a child to, and your sons are already afraid enough of him as it is. Your family does a good job at spreading fear and panic where Sukuna is concerned. You haven’t yet told the boys that they had already met him when he was just a man.

Regardless of his intentions, there was never anything to truly fear, as none of his seed ever took — that is, until this last moon.

You were so certain that it was impossible, that perhaps someone had cursed you. You had proved fertile enough not long after your marriage. It was strange to think that you would bear twins and nothing more. Spending the better part of your life valued only for your womb, your failure to produce more children was met with plenty of speculation, both by yourself and your immediate family. Sukuna, conversely, asked nothing of you but your company. You took solace in that fact, pitiable as it may seem.

And so, when he comes to you on a new moon, his eyes sparkling with mirth as he steps into your quarters, you are at a loss. He notices it too, as he remarks that you look like a trembling doe. It’s not the most flattering creature to be compared to, but you smile indulgently at him nonetheless. When you gesture for him to sit with you, he lays his head in your lap as always.

It is routine — you start by combing his hair away from his face, your hand tracing the familiar curve of his skull as you rub soothing circles into his scalp with the pads of your fingers. Sukuna’s eyes flutter shut at your motion, and your other hand wraps around his face to stroke his jaw. You could almost swear that he starts to purr, though you’re certain he would put you to death for ever suggesting it. At this angle, he is worryingly close to your unborn child. He says nothing to indicate that he knows of its presence.

“You look tired,” you murmur. “I could have Kinu bring us some tea, if you like.”

Sukuna lifts a hand. “Don’t bother. Just keep doing what you’re doing.” He exhales as you massage his temples. “Yes, just like that.”

“I insist.” He’s horrible to deal with when he’s cranky and you’re not in the mood. When you do not let him bruise your wrists, your hips, or your thighs, he turns to cutting words instead. He hasn’t shown any signs of displeasure yet, but you know that he is nothing if not unpredictable. It never hurts to be proactive. “Whatever you want.”

“Fine,” hums Sukuna, one of his lower eyes cracking open. “Fennel.”

Thoughtlessly, your smile drops. He notices, as the other three eyes are suddenly peering at you with suspicion.

Your servants don’t know of Sukuna — at least, that is what you are content to believe. If they have any idea that you have a lover, they say nothing to your husband and they say nothing to you. You do not want to know of their suspicions, of the knowledge that they may hold over you. You cannot spend every day looking over your shoulder from those you spend nearly every waking moment with.

But of your current predicament, they know every detail. Everything to do with your monthly blood, with the miscarriages, to the morning sickness, they’ve cleaned it all. And in doing so, you like to believe that they feel some loyalty to you. It helps you sleep at night. And because they know of the happenings of your body, they know that asking for fennel tea is asking for more blood to clean from your sheets. Infinitely more difficult than vomit, you suspect.

“Do you take issue with my choice?”

You blink, remembering yourself. Shaking your head, you try to move back, only to be pinned by the weight of Sukuna’s torso. You could shove him off, but that wouldn’t end well for anyone. “It’s fine, I just… remembered that we have run out of fennel tea, that is all.” You smile at him, and you notice through your mirror that it is too wan to seem genuine. Your heart sinks as the skepticism remains in his gaze.

“You are distressed,” Sukuna says plainly. “What have you done?”

You furrow your brows. What have you done to me? you wish to ask. You do not. “Nothing,” you hiss instead. Your scandalized tone amuses him; you can tell by the curve of his lips. He’s going to push you more. You place a hand over his mouth before he can, then yelp as he swipes his tongue across your palm. You wipe it on his kimono. “You’re disgusting. Who knows what I’ve touched?”

“It better not have been anything foul or I’ll sever these pretty hands myself.” Sukuna says the words so sweetly, they leave his lips like a song.

You run your fingers through his hair again in reply, and he chuckles.

“All right, I suppose I’ll spare you for now.” He tilts his chin up to meet you halfway when you lean down and kiss him, nibbling on your lower lip. He chases after you when you part, and he wraps a hand around the back of your head to pull you in again. “I knew there was a reason I kept you around.”

“I think I should be the one saying that about you.”

Sukuna relaxes in your lap once again, contentment flitting across his face. “That was a valiant effort at sidestepping my question, and for that, I shall reward you with leniency.”

There’s always some sense of serenity around him, even in the midst of carnage and peace alike. Like he belongs in this world, a curse that will never, ever, leave. He is tranquil in the midst of the chaos he sows — a figure of balance. That is how the commoners who champion him refer to the Two-Faced Spectre. You envy his level of self-satisfaction. Were that all the world felt as confident and assured as Sukuna, there would be a great deal less bloodshed, you think.

Rather — knowing mortals as they are, there would be infinitely more. But Sukuna would like that, you suppose.

He interrupts your contemplation by taking your hand and sliding it over his hair again. “Did I say that you could stop?”

No. He most certainly did not. With a weary chuckle, you appease him, and he takes your other hand to press a kiss into your palm. The two of you settle in silence until the candles wind down, and when they no longer provide adequate light, you lean over to blow them out and invite Sukuna to lay with you. He reads in your expression that your only intention is to sleep, and without protest, he climbs into the futon alongside you. He takes up most of it, though you are used to that.

Sukuna lies on one side. Given the excessive amount of limbs, you doubt that the position is very comfortable. He was steps and a couple of drinks away from conjuring himself a tail, though, so you suppose that most of the reason that Sukuna doesn’t sleep is because of the discomfort. Nevertheless, he likes to hold you when you sleep, his arms like a cage. As you settle into his embrace, you find that it is tighter than usual. You fold your hands over your stomach, pressing your back into his chest.

One of his hands rests on your shoulder, while his other arm on the same side winds around your waist. He lays that hand on top of yours. Though he isn’t pressing very hard, you feel every point of his nails like the tip of a blade against your belly. You roll over so that the pin-pricks are against the flesh of your back. As you tilt your head up to meet his gaze, you’re marveled by how… familial the embrace is.

Mother and father on either side, and the child sleeping soundly in the middle. It is a fool’s dream to ever think it could become a reality. But the thought still lingers in your mind — what if?

Would he run away with you? Abandon everything he’s ever worked for to raise your child (children, possibly) in obscurity. A fisherman like his father, who abandoned him as a child to be taken in by your family, ostensibly to give him a better life. You’d be a… gods, what could you do? Weave, perhaps? Something useful, at least. To show that you were not the spoiled little girl he always made you out to be.

And would your child be a sorcerer? Would they be a simpleton, like you, or would they be as powerful and fearsome as their father? Would ambition consume them, just as it had the man you loved?

Alas, you are a fool to even dream it. The four-armed could-be fisherman traces a finger along your neck, a brow arched.

“Is my face truly so mesmerizing?” he whispers, eyes sparkling. The mirth dissipates when you don’t react, and he instead leans away from you and props himself up on his lower elbow. He watches you not as one would a lover, but the way a hunter stalks its prey — like he’s waiting for any misstep he could leap upon. “All right, come out with it.”

“What?” The word doesn’t sound convincing, even to yourself. Your failure at duplicity causes both disappointment and disdain to war upon Sukuna’s face. Quickly, you lift your hands to appease him. “I’ve just been feeling a little tired these days is all. I’ve already sent for a healer, surely they can figure out what’s wrong with me.”

“Is there any better healer in the province than yourself?” he scoffs. You are not sure whether to be flattered by the praise, spoken with venom, or not. “If there were anyone with a greater grasp on reverse cursed technique they may very well be a god.”

You stroke his jaw tenderly with the backs of your fingers, rubbing a thumb across his cheek. “Not every malady can be healed by my power,” you remind him. To be fair, you did actually call for a second opinion. You could simply be suffering through some foodborne illness — but you know your body best, and you know now that there is something dwelling within it. You have called for a midwife, just to make sure. “I will be fine.”

“I don’t like seeing you upset.” Sukuna’s lips form a scowl. “Tell me what to do to make it stop.”

His words give you pause, an incredulous laugh nearly bubbling out of you. You subdue yourself, but the wonder is still there. You tuck yourself into him to hide your mirth.

Is this the closest you’ll ever get to genuine romance from him? You know that you can never tell him anything. And while you’d think yourself a monster if he was anyone else, you know the child will be safer if they had never known of Sukuna at all.

How on earth would you tell the child their father was a beast? You could lie to them, pretend that your husband was the one that sired them. You could never tell them at all, and leave it until their adulthood before they found the truth. Then you would be no better than the family you tried to escape.

You had always thought yourself a decent mother, fair and loving. But a child of Sukuna could never know a world of peace, and with how irrevocably you have become intertwined with him, you could not give the child the peaceful, happy life it deserved.

Your brother’s wife has a sister in Mino. Perhaps she will raise your baby as her own.

“There’s nothing you can do,” you murmur into the side of his neck. You can feel a rumbling in his throat, a low growl in reply. When you stroke his back, he stills. There is virtually no space between you, and you can feel the mouth on his stomach shift against your midsection. Instinctively, you slide a hand over yourself as a barrier.

He doesn’t seem to notice the defensive gesture, and for that, you are thankful. Sukuna never sleeps when he is with you, only laying in a facsimile of it in his stillness and steadiness while you actively slumber. He is always gone in the morning when you wake, but if you are (un)lucky, you can still catch his scent on you. As you lean back to rub noses with him, you find him staring at you intently. Eyes like piercing daggers, you have no doubt he has watched you like this many nights before.

“Nothing at all.” It is not a question. It is said with malice, with suspicion.

Your little fantasy of a life with him seems ever further away. A fool’s delusion.

This man does not love you — he loves how much he can control you. He loves that you sit prettily in the palm of his hand, that you give him everything without protest. He loves that he always leaves you wanting for more. He loves that you lie for him, that you live a double life only for him. He loves the feeling of turning you against his greatest enemies, even if that was never true.

He loves that he is one of the only reasons you are ever happy. He loves that you are afraid of his moods, and that you do all that you can to please him. He loves that do as he asks in all respects but one. He loves that you are so small against him, so frail. He loves you most when you are at your weakest. He loves only as a monster loves.

You cannot — you will not ever allow him to sink his claws into this child.

You press a gentle kiss to Sukuna’s lips, a false promise. “Nothing at all.”

#ryomen sukuna x reader #sukuna x reader #jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen x reader #history lesson bonus.#history lesson tag.#jjk fic.#i think my writing says something about how much i fucking love sleeping and napping #considering how often the couples end up in bed

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