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sorcerous-caress · 2 months

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I'm so jealous of Daniil. Having only played the Haruspex route so far in both game, each time I'm invited to the Bachelor's place I turn green with envy at how he resides at an actual proper house with a real room and a real bed.

A real bed with a whole bedframe. A pillow with an actual pillowcase!! His bed even has sheets!

He has WINDOWS. His house is in a nice neighbourhood, and his roommate is a very attractive woman. There is actual furniture in his room. Not one hint of fungus growing on the walls or rust!

Can you imagine living there as your lair? Spending the whole game knowing you have a real house with a real bed to go back to at the end of each night? Seeing Eva's face every day before leaving to do quests?

Meanwhile, Artemy is stuck in this dumpster room of an abandoned factory. Cuddling with rats on his makeshift bed, held by nothing but a wooden panel, some boxes and a dream.

A pillow so yellow it has its own ecosystem where bugs established real estate. Is that even a pillow or is it some random rock Artemy found and chucked in there? Is it a stale loaf of bread?? Why is it hard looking?

But no, you don't even get to keep the rock roach pillow because in P2, they take it away.

Fuck you Artemy, you had it good for too long. No pillow now because what are you gonna do about it?. Fold your mattress instead to have a resemblance of a faux sense of protection under your most vital organ during the long hours of death rehearsal that you call sleep.

Somehow, they made the bed even more unstable looking. As if that thin panel in the middle could hold Artemy's weight without caving in. Oh, and apparently, I ran out of boxes to use for furniture because the bed and the table have to share custody of the same box.

We have downgraded into barrels now, as you can see :) No, I don't know what they used to contain inside.

Waking up every day to Sticky's snotty face telling me not to spit in the wind and nagging me about cleaning up the week-old human organs thrown around that are stinking up the place.

THERE IS MOLD GROWING ON MY WALLS. RUST FLAKES FALL FROM THE EXPOSED METAL PIPES DOWN INTO MY CEREAL EACH BREAKFAST.

This single wall holds so much mold and fungus that they started crossbreeding and evolved into new, never seen before types of bacteria. Satan's asscrack is more hygienic than whatever biohazard plagues of Egypt this slab of concrete contains.

I live in the gutters. My only neighbours are an illegal gang of minors with a hatred for furries and another illegal gang but of adults this time who sell me bullets way above the market price. A dangerous neighbourhood where you can't have shit because SOMEONE STOLE MY BULL.

The basement I reside in has no windows, the smell is pungent and fucking vile down here. There isn't even a space for a bathroom.

This is my kitchenette/bathroomette/showerette/cupboardette/surgery tools disinfection stationette/sinkette/watercoolerette/toilette/fridge.

also my buckets yk.

One bucket for the makeshift bathroom, another for holding important organs and loose guts during surgery, a third one as a cooking pot for making tasty meat grub soup and the final one for murky water after sweeping the floor.

What do I use to tell them apart? Oh nothing :) I just mix em up every now and then, oppsie daisy.

Oh and the floors are CONSTANTLY wet for some reason. Yeah sticky slipped and almost broke his neck the other day so watch your steps.

There is also this eerie room with literal garbage and broken furniture right next to the entrance. Don't worry about it, sometimes I hear someone crying and screaming for help when I'm trying to go to sleep but it's just the factory being silly lol.

Now this? This is where the M A G I C happens. This is where Artemy the Menkhu makes his famous herbal remedies and natural mixtures. This is where the Panacea for the infamous sand plague gets made!

In a rusty empty food can.

Falling into a bucket with shit stains.

MEDICINE BABBYYY. GET YOUR WEAK SOFT BONED ASS BACK TO THE CAPITAL BITCH, THIS IS HOW REAL MEN MAKE REAALLL MEDICINE!! RAWRRRRR🦅🦅💥💥

Meanwhile, dickovsky has the view of the cathedral and polyhedron just around the corner from where he resides. He has a backyard with a lake, and all I have is a swamp behind my basement. I trudge through the mud each night, collecting weeds and herbs to mix and trade so I and the two orphans who adopted themselves into my life don't go starving.

Not to mention the gaggles of herb brides loitering outside and giving me a false bad reputation.

That dandy douchbag has a pharmacy, a grocery, and a tailor right next door. The closest establishment to my shrekcore place of resident is a dingy basement bar with shady drinks and no bouncer to check for ID, I saw two kids in there once.

Pov: a qt3.14 surgeon says his dad isn't home and invites you over.

#♡otherfandoms #♡pathologic 2 #♡pathologic #artemy burakh #daniil dankovsky #pathologic 2 #pathologic classic hd #the haruspex #pathologic

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a-small-writer-in-a-big-world · 1 month

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Cold: wintersoldier!reader x simon ghost riley

Warnings: hints of torture, amnesia, brainwashing, angst

There's a warm fuzziness at the edge of your mind just out of reach. It was different from the cold sterile walls of concrete around you or the artificial fluorescent lights that bordered on too bright for comfort. Yet there's nothing you can place it with, no prior feelings or memories to associate the warmth.

You don't know where it came from. You wouldn't know anything that would give you that kind of feeling within this musty room that you slept in.

It started after you saw the mask.

You knew the man, Ghost, as he was called by your handlers. A member of the task force 141, an expert infiltrator and ambusher, the man with no face, one of your targets. You had studied his mask in the picture they gave you but nothing compared to the real thing.

The fuzziness started when you spotted him on the roof.

The springs in your bed dug into your thighs with a cold edge. You stared at the empty concrete wall across from you, your eyes burning from the cold blankness as you waited.

You don't think.

But as you stared at the wall your finger drew short circles into the dingy mattress beneath you as you held onto the warmth. Nothing had ever sparked that feeling in you before, you had no memory. Yet in the very back of your mind, on the very edge of your psyche you can't help but feel the familiarity from it.

You don't think.

You were supposed to wait to be told to do so. You were supposed to wait for your next instructions.

Your eyes fluttered shut. You tried to think, tried to grab ahold of the warmth that stubbornly stayed on the edge of your mind. Too far to grasp, too far to even recognize or see before it slipped from your mind.

All that was left was the concrete wall.

The door opened and you turned your head without a word, your feet firmly planted on them ground.

"Soldier," the man greeted you in Russian with a grin. "The target is dead, yes?"

"Yes." You answered back, short and monotone, in Russian.

Andrei's smile widens and he beckons you to follow him. He doesn't wait, he knows that you'll be right behind him because you follow him blindly with a blank mind.

"And what about the other targets?" He wondered with a cold glance back at you.

"No."

He stopped and you did as well. When he turned around his smile was more relaxed and stared at you with a calm demeanor. However you saw the chilling venom in his eyes as they looked you up and down, sizing you up carefully as if he were waiting for the right moment to strike.

"That's unfortunate. I hope it wasn't due to a lapse in your judgement and only because the police got involved." He said and no words came to mind as you stared back at him with blank eyes. "You tried to shoot them, yes?"

"Yes."

He nodded and titled his head. He still smiled as he stepped forward and grabbed your shoulder with a small pat. The tips of his fingers dug into you ever so slightly but you didn't react, you didn't look away from him or say anything.

You don't think.

"We are getting closer to our leader being freed. You have done well, but it would be a shame if you were to relapse when he comes back, yes?" Andrei kept his voice low and he glanced to the side before he forced you to look as well.

An iron door stood in front of you. The rust on the metal reminded you of the way blood stained surfaces when it was left for too long. It reminded of what was on the other side, the same cold and fluorescent lighting but the room itself had it's own chill to it despite being incredibly suffocating.

Your muscles twitch involuntarily as phantom pain surges through you for just a moment before you mind stifles it.

"Yes."

He pats you a couple times and steps away, humming while he shrugs before he starts walking again with you in tow.

"It's been a while since you've relapsed, so I'm not worried. You've done excellent soldier, the best yet, I know our boss will be happy. You will be the first he sees when he is freed but until then, there is more work to be done. The 141 will strike again soon."

You don't say a word as you follow him. The iron door plagues the back of your mind as a sense of unease tries to sink into your stomach but is quickly pushed away in favor of nothing.

You don't remember relapsing. It doesn't sit on the edge of your mind like the warmth does but you know what happens when you do.

You don't reach out to the warmth.

You don't think.

Tags are closed!

A/n: does this make sense? it will later on

Tags: @bucky-lents @theweirdgeninistuff @igotchuuknj @rafaelacallinybbay @yyiikes @paintlavillered @tacticalanklebiter3000 @spicyspicyliving @cod-z @whiskytoast @soapscannonwife @bossva @agustdpeach @shinchanboi @catkatchuck @luluzinha444 @blush-haze @pepsicolacoochie @mercurysjoy @keiraslayz

#wintersoldier!reader #simon ghost riley x reader #simon ghost riley x you #ghost x reader #ghost x you #simon riley x you #simon riley x ghost #simon ghost riley #call of duty #mw2 ghost #ghost mw2

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stargirlly · 4 months

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my random donatello headcanons. . !

── he's awkward in nature, but that doesn't stop donatello from calling you fascinating. the touch of your fingertips tracing the creases of his hands as he rambles on about your differences and familiarities. embarrassed, donatello stops his mumblings if he realizes what he's saying

── when donatello has feelings for someone, he might just be...softer, partially because he's confused about what he's feeling. he doesn't really want to feel it either. he might isolate himself more so it goes away. it however, doesn't.

── two words. parallel play. sitting together in the same room doing your own tasks. donatello at his desk as you do your own enjoyments beside him. some days it's a comfortable silence, other times you'll ramble, he likes to hear idle chatter. he might not know what you're talking about, but he loves the noise.

── donatello likes the way your heart beats against your chest. it’s never the same every time he lays his head on your chest, but there’s the same sense of relief he gets from it.

── donatello gets easily irritated/overstimulated by strong, bad smells. even with the ones he doesn’t actively dislike, he’s very picky with the scents he does like. however, one particular night while you were looking over his shoulder, he caught a grasp of your scent. whether you prefer the flowery kisses of roses and fresh cut daisies, or the earthy tone of left over raindrops on blades of grass. he found that it was a... pleasant surprise.

── future!donatello smells like cigarettes and metal rust—but in the smoke and sterile way. he'd try to cover it with eucalyptus. when he stresses out, he turns to cigarettes. he tends to wallow in his own sleepless pity.

── yandere!donatello who's mind had gone blank. his heart pounding within the bony confines of his chest, unable to move as your laugh replayed in his head multiple times. and what a scary feeling, terrifying to experience something so.. conflicting. his heart aches, but it feels good. he wants—no needs to know why?

── yandere!donatello likes to experiment on you. mentally, physically. you're so fascinating. your biology is different. desires are different. needs are different. there are many ways to make someone delirious, and he intends to explore each and every one.

── donatello listens to weird al yankovic because i said so.

── donatello likes someone who will understand his boundaries. he likes someone who listens. he likes it when someone seems interested in him or what he's talking about. donatello likes someone who will be quiet with him.

── i can definitely see donatello as a gray ace. (i mean he's purple he's literally asexual core/hj) i do project a bit of myself onto him in having anxieties about other people and myself that's stopping me from getting in relationships. "i'm busy. i have other things to do. i don't need to worry about it." and while true, that doesn't mean it's not nice. it's him using his hobbies and work as an excuse to not be with people even though, deep down, i think he wants it.

── donatello says he prefers his coffee black, but he enjoys it with creamer. french vanilla baby! something to keep in mind for the early mornings, the quiet yet comfortable silence of the fresh day as you press the palm of your hand on his shoulder or between his shoulder blades for a second as you set down a coffee you made for him. it's a small gesture, but it's domestic. it's sweet, he appreciates it.

── donatello really loves the little things because it feels mundane and human to him.

donatello prefers black teas. april introduced him to a strong one with cane sugar and mint once. but he also likes pure green tea, lemon with ginger, and a special rose-strawberry tea on the occasion. but it has to be a subtle taste, not to sweet, spicy or heavy.

── donatello likes all sorts of dumplings and is not a fan of overly sweet food + most desserts.

── donatello would be willing to watch greys anatomy with you because he's a bitch and likes to point out inaccuracies which is hilarious coming from some bitch who doesn't have a medical license. however he does have respects for dr. gregory house, so he's decent enough when watching house.

── donatello's favorite body part of yours? "whichever parts are the farthest away from me, thank you." your hands. your palms which press against his plastron, your fingertips that send shudders down his spine when you trace over his shell. every crevice, every knuckle, every detail. need i say more?

#giggling and twirling my hair. i just love projecting my autistic tendencies on donnie<3 #rise!donnie #rottmnt donatello x reader #rottmnt donnie x reader #rottmnt x reader #rise donatello x reader #donatello headcanons #donatello hamato x reader

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ghouljams · 10 months

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can we hear from konig and fetch? I love her powers and how konig actually READS the manual first unlike ghost boy smh

mwah much love

Of course! I love them, they're so silly(I say as I'm about to write Blacksite prison shit)

You perch, nice and pretty on the edge of the table, watching the man in front of you sweat. König is looking over a tray of surgical instruments. He rubs his chin through his hood, picks up a corkscrew and sets it down. You swing your feet while you wait, at least the man you're interrogating is smart enough to keep his mouth shut. It's no fun if they get started begging too early.

"Schöne, where are the curved scissors? The snippy ones, not the wiggly ones," König asks you. You summon a pair of pruning shears and hold them out to him. The metal blades are just starting to rust from the poorly cleaned off blood. König looks at them and you can see his eyes crinkle at the edges as he smiles under his hood. "Thank you, those will do nicely."

His gloved hand takes the shears gently from your outstretched palm. The subject of your stalled interrogation thrashes against the ropes binding him to the chair. "What the fuck did she just do?" He asks, eyes wide on you. You flash him a smile with all your teeth, let's your horns burn into visibility, just to hear his panicked heartbeat.

"Go on and show off," König hums, watching you, "it might make this faster." You push yourself off the edge of the table and lean close to your victim.

"Don't worry," you tell him, pressing your fingers over his heart, "this won't hurt, but you'll remember it the rest of your life."

You push your fingers in, feeling the skin and cloth give way to your insistent push, ribs bend out of your path, and you feel the rapid inhalation in the man's lungs as your fingers brush past the organ. You wrap your hand around his heart and extract it, careful not to sever anything important when you rip the still beating organ from his chest. The heart drips blood onto the man's lap as you hold it in front of him, it squeezes and pumps, continuing its thankless work even outside the body. It picks up pace, anxiety and fear spiking it into a rapid race of desperation as the man stares down his own life.

"You should really take better care of this thing," You turn the heart over in your hand, examining the stress markers on it.

"That's my-"

"I think I'm going to start with the fingers," König tells you, cutting the man off.

"What?" The man transfers his panicked stare to König as he grabs his hand, holding the shears open around his pointer finger.

"Keep monitoring his vitals, I want to see how many I can get off before he starts talking." König holds his hand still with an iron grip as the man thrashes and struggles to free himself. The blades of the sheers hardly touch the man's skin before he's begging.

König dots his pencil against a small notebook, large hands dwarfing the writing instrument, his gloves resting on the blood stained table between you. Your victims heart is still beating in your hand, though the body is slumped in the chair. As far as you can tell the intel supplied is good, and though it's a bit of a stretch to say you can "fetch" the truth out of people, you pride yourself on being able to get the information you need.

"Good work Colonel," you purr. He looks at you with heat in his eyes, you know he likes when you call him that. Now isn't the time or place and you both know it, but teasing him now means more fun later.

"Have your snack Schatz," König says, going back to his notes. He flips a page back and forth with his fingers as you tip your head back and drop the heart into your waiting mouth. You're careful to bite through the muscle, sharp teeth slicing clean through your victims last lifeline. You swallow both halves to keep the blood from squinting everywhere as the corpse in the chair spasms with its last dredges of life.

König shuts his notebook and goes to bang on the metal door three times. You're quick to jump in his shadows as the latch clicks and the gears start turning to let you both out.

"I don't know man, it's just weird that's all," one of the cleanup crew grumbles. You cling to König's back, his hand reaches back to brush up your thigh, dragging against unseen flesh.

"Just do your job," the other advises, "Don't think too much about it, I mean, you've heard the rumors right?" You smile, press your lips to König's hood over his ear.

"They're talking about you," you whisper. Their eyes follow him as he walks past, their footsteps avoid his shadow.

"They're talking about you, Miene Liebe," König mumbles, turning his head to make sure its only you the hears him, "they're always talking about you."

#cod x reader #fetch just unhinges her jaw like a snake lol #könig x reader #könig x oc #könig fanfiction #könig cod #könig call of duty #x reader #x oc #oc: fetch #demon!darlings au #tw gore #tw torture #i love how clingy Fetch is #shes so playful and fun and absolutely insane #they are in fact always talking about König having a demon #hes not hiding it but hes not not hiding it yknow

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jaehyunsbreadbasket · 2 years

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Kinktober '22 Day 25: Bucky Barnes

Prompt: Mirror Sex

Word Count: 601

Synopsis: Bucky's gonna finger you, and you're gonna watch.

Consists of: Dom!Bucky, AFAB Sub!Reader, Mirror sex, Fingering, Dumbification, Breast play, Mention of Buck's mental hand rusting, Brief temperature play, Implied oral (reader receiving) at the end

"Look at you, Baby," Bucky lifts your chin up, "So fucking gorgeous. And look at that little pussy, all pink and puffy. I can barely move my fingers, Darling, you're so fucking tight."

"B-Buck-" You start, even though you're so spent it's doubtable you could even make a full sentence in the first place.

"Shh, Sweetheart. It's okay, you don't have to say anything, just watch. I bet it'd take forever if we waited for you to rack up words in that dumb little head of yours, anyway, Honey. So fucking stupid for me," Bucky moves his warm hand up your body, finding your breasts and giving your nipples little pinches. His cool one was still slamming in and out of you, so wet that it might just rust.

It feels so good, two contrasting temperatures on your body all at once; it's a sensation no one but Bucky could give you. Watching him watching you in your reflection is just the cherry on top. He's so out of breath, so desperate looking, as if he was the one with fingers inside of him. I doubt anyone derives as much pleasure from pleasing others as he does. Bucky notices you watching and gives you a little wink before curling his fingers inside of you. You're head lolls back against his chest as your back arches, Bucky lets out a deep chuckle at the sight.

He continues curling, "You're close, aren't you Doll? Cum for me Baby...please," He pauses before adding the "please" as if he had forgot his manners, as if there was proper etiquette for asking for an orgasm, "Come on, Honey, do it. Do it for me."

He uses his metal thumb to rub harsh circles on your clit, and suddenly you're more aware of the wet sounds your cunt is producing. It's so dirty, so fucking nasty, and just what you need to fall over the edge.

"Bucky, Bucky, Bucky!" You grip onto his arm for dear life as you begin to shake.

"Keep your eyes open," Bucky roughly grabs your chin with his flesh hand, "Look at yourself. Watch as you fall apart on my hand," You struggle to stay in the moment as you spasm around, Bucky not letting you tear our eyes away for a single second. Bucky places bites on your neck as he speeds up his hand, and before you know it, you're cumming. Covering his metal with your cream, cream that he'll undoubtedly make you taste afterwards, either from his hand or from his tongue.

"Good job! So good for me, so pretty," Bucky immediately praises you, while his mouth continues to rest on your neck. He kisses it gently now in an attempt to soothe you.

"So messy," You mumble as you see in the mirror how sticky the situation is.

"Yeah, Baby," Bucky speaks inside his laugh, "That pussy made such a mess. But don't you worry about it okay? I'm gonna clean it all up, I promise," Bucky pulls his fingers out of you and sucks them clean, humming in satisfaction as he does so. He then grabs your body, lifting you like you’re weightless, like you really are nothing but a little ragdoll, and sits you up higher on the bed, finding a resting place for himself in-between your legs. Bucky smells your cunt, "I want you to watch your face okay," he points back at the mirror as if you'd have no idea what he was referring too otherwise, "See how good I am at cleaning up your messes," your pussy throbs and Bucky dives in.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Prompt from: @kinktober2022

My Kinktober 2022 Masterlist 🎃

#bucky barnes #bucky barnes smut #bucky barnes x female reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky barnes fanfiction #marvel kinktober #marvel fanfiction #marvel smut #mcu smut #mcu kinktober #bucky barnes kinktober #kinktober #kinktober 2022 #marvel kinktober 2022 #mcu kinktober 2022

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foone · 1 year

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Robots in temporary bodies. You agree.

Their gorgeous humanoid chasis, packed full of the latest noctua servos and the Samsung sensor package, is sitting on a bench somewhere at the repair shop. The whole damn main bus got completely fried by that EMP they got off the exploding transformer (not the Optimus Prime kind), so it's going to be at least a week before it can get rebuilt.

So now they're in the body of some toy you had gotten for your birthday a couple years ago. They barely come up to your knees and their hands don't have thumbs. They keep complaining that they only have visual and audio sensors, so they feel half-blind (once you have radar you never get over losing it) and they're constantly worried about crushing anything they pick up. You get a phone call at 2am and have to go rescue them from the bathroom. They accidentally closed the door behind them and that's the one door in the apartment you haven't replaced, so it's big and heavy and made of thick wood. Their little hands couldn't reach the doorknob.

You ask why they were in the bathroom with a smile, and they explain they needed to clean off their treads because they spilled coffee creamer on the floor. These damn hands can't grab anything.

Their job offers them a loaner body but they decide to stay on medical leave for now. Body swaps are a big hassle and no fun to go through, so they don't want to do any more than absolutely necessary. Besides, they'd just barely be getting up to speed in the loaner body by the time they were ready to switch back out. Plus they know all the loaners are those budget model combat drones. They don't want to wear a body like that. I'm sure someone wants to look like "draw Arnold Schwarzenegger from memory", but it's sure as fuck not them.

They'd tried on one of those early in their career, and it's not just the dysphoria of looking so completely different from your mental image of yourself, it's also the change in how people treat you. Yeah, if you're a cop, maybe having people flinch when you walk in the room is a good thing, and maybe it's good that most people instinctively don't want to even try attack you. But they're not a cop, and even if they were, they couldn't handle looking like that during downtime. Maybe some people like making everyone in their life scared of them. Everyone from their partner to the guy handing them their coffee... But people who like that aren't the kind of people you want to be or hang out with.

Besides, metal and motors and servos has a distinct strength advantage over muscles anyway. If you want to be able to lift a car over your head with ease, you don't need to look like a bodybuilder to do it. So it's even more obvious that the only reason you would look like that is because you either really like that aesthetic, or you want to intimidate people. And you know they are in neither camp.

They ask to cuddle one night. They don't need to sleep and they don't have the sensors to enjoy it in this body, but they want it anyway. It's not about the sensor experience anyway, it's about the intimacy and the closeness. You put up with getting poked in the chest by their square edges, and if they their current form could cry, they'd be at serious risk of rusting.

You get it. You fortunately don't have to worry about how it'd feel to spend a week without your body, but you can't imagine it'd be fun.

A few days later, you wake up to the smell of maple syrup. You start to get out of bed when they burst in the room, wearing only a cute "fdisk the cook" apron. They've got pancakes and waffles and coffee for you! Breakfast in bed, to celebrate getting their body back.

While you're sitting in bed with them finishing up your breakfast, you ask what happened to the plan for you to drive them to the repair place, since their previous body couldn't exactly work the controls of your old car, even with the wireless link? They took a cab, they say. Their body's repairs finished up at 5am and they didn't want to wait around until you got up, they were just too excited.

You ask about their previous body, the temp one? Oh, there was a minor accident. See, they were still getting used to having all their main body's senses and strength back, so it accidentally fell of the trunk. At 15,000 feet. While doing Mach 1.3 over Arizona Bay.

They promise to buy you a new robot toy. Maybe one a little... More adult? It'd be just as annoying to be stuck inside when their main body is out for repairs, but at least they could have SOME fun with you while on medical leave. You're firm on the "no creepy sex dolls" front, though. FINE! but they want at least opposable thumbs for the next temp body. You make the obvious crude joke at why they need hands that can grip, and their cheeks go gallium-arsenide-red with embarrassment. You ask if they're having cooling problems again, their face feels warm. They push you over onto the bed, laughing and telling you not to tease them.

The maple syrup goes everywhere. Somewhere downstairs your laundrybot wakes up in annoyance, already annoyed at all the extra work they're going to have to do.

#Robots #my writing

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neonghostlights · 1 year

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A/N: I'm taking a break I swear.

Summary: You haven’t been the same since you woke up in the hospital with memory loss after the earthquake hit Hawkins. When strange things start happening and you feel like you’ve started losing your mind, a group of strangers offer to help. Even though you’ve never met them before, they seem to know you better than you think.

Wordcount: 4k

Warnings: Nosebleed, brief mention of church, Angst, Readers kind of mean to Eddie but she is starting to go really downhill and it's just gonna get worse from here. 18+ ONLY, MINORS DNI

Series Masterlist

I am no longer doing a tag list for this series.

Part Seven

Saturday, September 27th, 1986

The afternoon sun beat down on the top of your head. The sweet tea you were sipping on kept you from getting too overheated. The weather would start to change soon. It was nice to enjoy some warmth before the fall.

Eddie had the upper half of his body under the hood of your car. The hem of his black t-shirt rising slightly to show the pale expanse of his lower back. You could catch a sliver of the band of his boxers peeking out.

Had you shut yourself away from the outside world so much that a pair of blue checkered boxes were scandalizing? If he kept this up you were going to have to start fanning yourself like the women in those old films to keep yourself from swooning.

The past hour of Eddie working had been silent, making you wonder if he even remembered you were out there with him.

When he showed up to your house he didn’t mention anything about your episode the other day. His eyes traced your body up and down, like he was making sure nothing was out of place. Like he was afraid asking if you were okay would set you off. When he saw everything still in place, he asked you to sit with him while he worked.

Eddie peeked over his shoulder at you, catching your shameful staring. The sides of his mouth twitched at the sight.

You diverted your eyes quickly, pretending to be entranced by the hunk of oiled metal in his hand.

“So,” you started off timidly, hoping he wouldn’t bring up your gawking. “What’s left for the car?”

Eddie turned around to face you fully at this, arms crossed over his chest.

“Why? Are you trying to get rid of me?” He asked smugly.

“No,” you said firmly. “Just wondering. I feel bad for not asking questions about what you’re doing. I also need to know how much I’m going to owe you for all this.” You waved your hand at your car.

“Well, not sure on the price yet. I’ll let you know when I know. There’s a few things I’m waiting for to arrive at the shop that I ordered. Plus, I’m trying to get my hands on this really important part that might take a while to get here. They’re really hard to find,” he announced with a shrug.

“Really? What part is that?” You sat up with your spine straight in your chair, suddenly more interested than you had been. Whatever this was, it sounded expensive. If it came down to it, asking your mom for money wouldn’t be the worst decision you could make. Putting up with her lectures would just be something you’d have to deal with.

“It’s this….thing. It holds the whole car together. Yours is super rusted so it’s a wonder the whole car hasn’t fallen apart while you’ve been driving.”

“Oh, god. That sounds bad.” You pressed a hand to your forehead, anxiety causing a headache to start. You dropped your hand, focusing on the weeds that grew through the crack in the pavement below your feet.

Eddie must have noticed the grimace on your face. “Hey, don’t worry. I’ll get you back on the road before you know it. Do you trust me?”

You bit your chapped lips. Did you trust him? Despite his reputation, you had no reason not to trust him. He had shown you nothing but kindness since he started coming around.

You slowly nodded your head.

A wide, beautiful smile spread across his face. That traitorous organ in your chest stuttered at the sight. You worried that you might have to start pounding at your own chest to get it back into a normal rhythm.

“Good,” he sighed like it was a relief, still standing and staring at you.

You shifted your hips in your chair, feeling your skin buzz under his stare. You decided to stand and walk over to the radio propped up on the roof of your car. The feeling of his eyes on you as you sauntered over made you feel alive.

Probably more alive than you had felt in a while.

You loved it.

You fiddled with the station, flipping from a static filled metal station to a country one. Daring a glance at Eddie, you noticed the dramatic nose scrunch he made at the music change.

His face made you laugh. “Got any good tapes with you?” You asked.

“Hm…I think I definitely have a few that you would like in there.” He gestured towards the parked van.

You moved towards his van, a hand placed on the handle, but his body suddenly blocked you from opening the door. You looked up at him confused, wondering if maybe you had overstepped by trying to go into his car.

“Sorry. I just remembered it’s really messy in there. I’ll look around for something, okay?” His voice was urgent. You fought the urge to peek through the window.

“Okay,” you agreed, stepping back and walking back to the radio to allow him some privacy. You could hear him shuffling and cursing under his breath as he dug around in search of whatever tape he had in mind.

It was funny to think maybe it was you causing him to be so flustered.

He held the tape up in his hand triumphantly as he walked back towards you. His body crowding yours as he reached onto the roof of the car to put the tape in. He didn’t move away, he just watched your face as you heard The Smith’s start to play.

You raised a curious eyebrow at him as you let out a little laugh. “Didn’t take you as a Smith’s fan,” you stated.

“They’ve got some alright stuff. Are you a fan?”

“I love them.” You couldn’t help the smile, so wide it was aching your cheeks.

The feeling in the air shifted as ’How Soon Is Now?’ played. His eyes flicked from yours down to your mouth then up to your eyes again.

When had he gotten so close to you?

And how could you get him even closer?

For some reason, the decreasing space between the two of you felt so right, like it was clearing the fog from your head. You wanted to hold onto this brief moment of clarity. A moment in time where your head didn’t ache, your nose didn’t bleed, and the nightmares couldn’t get you. Being here with him felt safe, like Eddie was a protective cocoon that wrapped you up and shielded you from all of the bad things.

“Good,” he muttered, reaching to run his thumb gently across your cheek. So softly like he was afraid you might shatter if he put an ounce of pressure behind his touch.

You wanted to shatter in his hands though. Only because it felt like when you were nothing but pieces, only he would be able to put you back together again.

His eyes searched through yours, a silent question that you didn’t know the answer to. But you wished you did.

His face was closer now, his thumb still on your cheek. You tilted your chin up to reach him as he tilted his head and brought it down towards yours. Your eyes flutter shut, scared that if you keep them open your mind will find a way to ruin this one ounce of happiness.

And just before you could feel his lips on yours, he pulled away.

You snap your eyes open to find him standing a foot away now, hands tucked tightly into the pockets of his jeans.

“Shit, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t- I should probably go now,” he blabbered.

You couldn’t help but feel hurt. He was turning you down. It was a harsh slap to the ego to see him so regretful over almost kissing you.

“Right,” you agreed, keeping your voice light like your feelings weren’t hurt.

His face fell as he took you in. His pity was definitely not what you wanted right now.

He didn’t look at you as he packed up his things, shoving them into the back of the van.

You made it up the porch steps when you heard your name called behind you.

Eddie stood at the bottom of the steps, looking up at you.

“Do you want to go out sometime? With me?” He asked, sheepishly. You could see the way he fidgeted with the rings he had put back on his fingers.

“Like on a date?” You prayed you didn’t sound as giddy as you felt on the inside.

“Yes. A date,” he nodded enthusiastically.

“Okay. I think I’d like that,” you agreed, trying to keep your cool. You could already imagine the happy dance you would do once you shut the door.

“Cool! Okay. Let me get my schedule from work for this week and I’ll let you know when.” That smile was back now. His dimples in full force.

You said your goodbyes, both of you hardly containing your happiness. Once inside, you did your little happy shimmy behind the door.

You peaked out the curtain and laughed when you saw Eddie doing his own happy dance on the way to his van.

Sunday, September 28th, 1986

“I’m going to be late for church,” your mother fretted as she maneuvered down the roads of Hawkins.

You kept your head turned away from her, focusing on the window. It was weird driving by sites where the earthquake still left its proof in the earth. It seemed like some people in town lived their everyday life pretending it didn’t happen, like half of the town didn’t fall into the deep chasms in the ground.

Like there weren't men in suits and people in hazmat gear still hanging around.

Your mom was one of the people who pretended it didn’t happen. She found ways to distract herself, mostly by throwing a fit over something new everyday.

She didn’t go to church every Sunday, but on the Sundays that she did, she made sure everyone knew about it.

And if she happened to be late, she would make sure everyone knew it was because of you.

Her attitude has gotten worse lately. Everything you said was met with a snarky remark. You missed the days where you felt like she worried because she loved you. Now it just felt like you were a burden.

You couldn’t wait for Eddie to be finished with your car so you could feel an ounce of freedom. You loved your mom, but if you had to go grocery shopping with her one more time you were going to lose it even more than you already had.

Butterflies erupted in your stomach at the thought of your favorite mechanic.

You didn’t tell your mom that Eddie was working on your car. As far as she knew, you were saving money and trying to get worked into the schedule of the very busy mechanic shops in town.

You chanced a glance at your mother, scared that somehow she can read your mind now and will start berating you for thinking about Eddie Munson.

‘The maniac devil-worshiping serial killer’ she once called him when she saw a picture of him in the newspaper.

You nodded along, agreeing with everything she said because you didn’t know him then. You hadn’t even looked at the picture in the newspaper, His name sparked didn’t spark interest in you like it did now.

You can remember another time, you were having a bad day, the headaches and nosebleeds were constant. It wasn’t long after you left the hospital and you were struggling with the fact that you couldn’t even remember your high school graduation.

You sat on the couch in your mothers living room hugging a throw pillow to your chest. This was before you moved out, watching the evening news with her and trying to act like you weren’t on a downward spiral. His face and name were on the news, discussing his charges being dropped.

Your mom gave you a long lecture that night on who he was, and why you should stay far away from him. Even going as far as saying that if you saw him in the same store as you, then leave.

Back then, you agreed. Willing to do anything to keep yourself safe and your mom happy.

Now you knew she didn’t know him like you did. She would take the gossip and things she heard around town as fact.

“Why would a video store be open on a Sunday anyways?” She asked, bringing you back to the present.

“I don’t know, mom,” you sighed, eyes never straying from the landscape. You fought the urge to roll your eyes. Sometimes you felt like you reverted back to your moody teenage years.

The car pulled into the parking lot of the shopping center. “Shoot,” she muttered under her breath.

“What’s wrong?”

“I forgot I’m supposed to be volunteering with some ladies for a food drive after church. I really can’t miss it…” She chewed on her lip as she stared at the front door of Family Video.

“Do you need me to get a ride? I can ask Robin,” you offered quickly. You would walk all the way home if it meant you could get the hell out of the car and let her go on about her day.

Your mom thought for a second, like she was pondering if that was allowed or not. You wanted to scream, tell her that you were an adult. Despite your issues, you could still make adult decisions.

“I suppose that’s okay,” she finally said.

You sighed and climbed out of the car.

Steve wasn’t at work today, leaving just you and Robin to man the store on your own.

It was probably the best day you had since you worked there.

“I forgot to ask,” you said as you picked up a stack of tapes that had just been returned. “Do you think you can give me a ride home? It’s not too far from town. I can give you some gas money too.”

“Oh, sorry. I don’t drive. Steve’s picking me up. I can ask him…” She trailed off awkwardly. The unspoken words hanging in the air. Steve probably wouldn’t give you a ride home. If he did, it would not be a fun car ride.

“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.” You waved your hand in the air like it wasn’t a big deal. You wracked your brain for a moment before an idea dawned on you. “Actually, do you have Eddie’s number?”

Eddie agreed immediately when you asked him for a ride home.

He showed up 15 minutes before closing to pick you up. He waved enthusiastically through the store window when he noticed you staring.

All thoughts about being a burden for needing a ride disappeared when you caught sight of his joyous face.

Robin nudged you playfully when she noticed your bashful smile.

“Come on. Let’s finish up so you can go see him,” she said with a smile.

You rushed through closing, excited to get going. By the time you and Robin locked up for the night, Steve was standing next to Eddie’s van. Eddie leaned up against the passenger side door, a forgotten cigarette burning in his hand.

The conversation looked tense. Steve’s hands moved through the air while Eddie kept his mouth pressed in a thin line, his jaw tense.

Eddie lit up when he saw you approach. He tossed the cigarette to the side, stomping it out with his boot. He waved his hand in the air to try to clear the smoke before you got closer.

And they say chivalry is dead.

“You ready to go?” He asked, cutting Steve off mid sentence.

“Yep,” you chirped. “Hi, Steve,” you say politely.

He nodded his head at you as a greeting, not saying anything to you. You could see the way Eddie’s hands turned into fists for a moment as he glared at Steve before seeming to remember that you were standing right there.

He turned and opened the door for you to climb into the van. You could tell based on the crumbs and small pieces of trash on the floor that he had done his best to clean it up. A strong smelling air freshener hung from the rearview mirror.

When he jumped in the front seat he turned and smiled at you.

“Hi.”

“Hi. Thank you for picking me up. I’m really sorry for having to call you…”

“I told you I can give you rides!” He exclaimed. “It’s really no problem. I’m happy I get to see you again.”

There were those damn butterflies again. You covered your mouth with your hand to hide your traitorous smile.

Eddie pulled out of the parking lot. You noticed he was going slightly under the speed limit, surprising because he usually pulls into your driveway like a bat out of hell.

“Do you mind if I stop by the gas station real quick? I just wanted to run in and get a few snacks,” he explained.

“Yep! That’s fine,” you said. Even with him going under the speed limit the car ride was going by way too quickly. Before you knew it, you were pulling into the gas station.

Eddie hopped out of the van. “Do you want anything?” He asked.

You shook your head no.

“Okay, well, I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere,” he said with a wink.

You watched as he crossed the parking lot. People loitering around the building eyed him suspiciously. Luckily, no one bothered him.

You looked around the van a bit, hoping to get an insight into Eddie. It wouldn’t hurt to snoop a little bit. You were positive if the roles were reversed he would definitely go through your things.

The cloth seats were surprisingly comfortable. You ran your finger over what looked like a cigarette burn that left a hole in the seat. You wondered who sat here before you to leave that permanent mark in his van.

You glanced back over at the gas station, seeing Eddie still roaming the aisles through the large windows.

Deciding the best place to snoop was the glovebox, you popped open the latch and started digging around inside.

Scraps of paper and some trash fell out first. You pushed some tapes aside, thinking that there would be nothing of interest until your eye caught onto pink cloth.

You reached your hand tentatively to grab it.

You held up the cloth to realize it was a pink scrunchy. You checked back to make sure Eddie wasn’t coming out of the store.

You were confused. Eddie wore black all of the time. He didn’t seem like the type to wear a pink scrunchie in his hair. But what did you know?

Setting the scrunchie in your lap, you reached your hand back into the glovebox to see what else you could find. Your hand made contact with smooth glass. You pulled it out to inspect it.

Your stomach dropped when you saw what it was.

Perfume.

Girl's perfume.

You shoved the perfume and scrunchie back where it belonged and slammed the latch shut.

Eddie has a girlfriend.

And if it’s not a girlfriend, then he has a girl in his car enough for her to keep her things in here.

Your stomach dropped and your chest felt like it was cracking in half.

If he has a girlfriend, why would he flirt with you and ask you on a date?

No wonder he didn’t want you to go into his van yesterday to find a tape. He didn’t want you to find out and ruin the little game he was playing.

The driver side door swung open. “Hey, sorry it took me so long. I couldn’t decide on which soda I wanted. But I got you this,” he said as he handed you a bag of M&M’s and a Dr. Pepper.

“Thanks. These are my favorites,” you said quietly.

“You okay?” He questioned. A concerned look crossed over his face as he looked at you, making you wonder how awful you looked right now.

“Oh, yeah. I’m fine. Just really tired.” You did your best to muster a smile.

He looked like he didn’t believe you but decided not to press any further. The rest of the car ride to your house was awkward and quiet, filled with Eddie’s attempts to joke and make you laugh. You could tell your one worded answers were hurting his feelings but you didn’t really care.

He pulled into your driveway and opened the passenger side door to help you out of the van. He walked beside you silently up your porch steps and to your front door.

“Look, are you okay? Because you’re being really quiet, and I don’t know if I did something or if you’re not feeling well…”

You looked up at him, his hair and face illuminated by the porch light you always left on. He twisted and turned the rings on his hand as he searched your face for a clue on why you were suddenly acting so distant to him.

The fact that he was acting so innocent made you even more mad.

“Do you have a girlfriend?” You asked, the words coming out as a harsh accusation.

Eddie looked taken aback for a moment. “Yes- I mean no-” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment before speaking again. “No. I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Then why did you just say yes so quickly?” You pressed.

“It’s complicated,” he sighed. “I didn’t mean to say yes.”

“He’s lying,” a deep voice whispered in your head, surprising you with its intensity.

The voice was right. Eddie was lying.

Your temples pounded. The edges of your vision start to turn black from the incoming pain.

You needed to go inside.

“I don’t believe you,” you gritted out.

“Why? Did Steve say something to you?” His voice came out strained and angry.

“He’s hiding something from you,” the voice informed you.

“No, no one told me anything. If you don’t have a girlfriend, then what is there for Steve to tell me? And if you don’t have a girlfriend then why is her perfume and scrunchy in your van? Am I some kind of joke to you?” Your voice was growing louder with each word you said. You could feel the anger pouring through your bloodstream.

An unnatural anger that you had never felt before in your life.

You didn’t care if you were overreacting or not. You just wanted to get him away from you.

You turned and unlocked your door quickly, ignoring the pleading look from Eddie beside you.

He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “Look, can I come in and we can talk about this?”

“He’s trying to use you. Don’t let him in,” the voice that only you could hear stated.

You listened to the voice, trusting it fully. You couldn’t trust Eddie.

“Shit, are you okay? Your nose is bleeding, and you look really pale.” Eddie’s hand reached towards you, but you pushed it away.

“Stay the fuck away from me, Eddie. Don’t come back here or I’ll call the cops and tell them how much of a creep you are,” you spat.

Eddie reared back like he had been hit. His mouth opened as he stared at you in shock.

He didn’t move to reach out to you again as you swung the door open and stomped inside, turning to lock it immediately after it shut.

You even shut off the porch light for good measure, leaving him in darkness.

You crawled to your bed, not caring if he made it back to the van or not. Not even bothering to clean the now drying blood on your face or change out of your work clothes.

How had you not seen he was messing with you? Was he just trying to get in your pants the whole time? Or was he going to butter you up in hopes of getting more money out of you when it came time to pay him for his work? Were he and Steve acting like highschoolers and teaming up to make you miserable? Was Robin in on it too?

One thing you knew for certain, was that you would never trust Eddie Munson again.

#eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson #eddie stranger things #eddie munson x you #eddie munson au #eddie munson series #mechanic!eddie munson x reader #mechanic!eddie munson #mechanic!eddie #mechanic eddie munson #eddie munson angst

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foodandfolklore · 4 months

Text

Kitchen Witch Essentials

I want to preference this by saying your priorities of tools for your craft will vary as you get more experienced. If you get more into baking, you may choose to invest in a kitchen mixer. If your path goes more down drinks, you might want to get a French press. This list is for those starting out or looking to maintain general witchy cooking. Nothing on this list is mandatory, so don't feel like you need to go spend money just because it's on this list.

This list will also assume you have general kitchen stuff, like pots, pans, and knives. You may not have everything, but you have enough to cook.

Wooden Spoon

If for whatever reason you don't have a wooden spoon, and you want to do kitchen magic, I strongly recommend you go and get one. You can get them at any store that sells Kitchen Utensils, including the dollar store.

For some kitchen witches, the wooden spoon is like a magic wand. Allowing the witch to direct energy. Personally, I just enjoy using natural materials whenever I can. Also, it's just such a useful tool to have when cooking. You can stir your food on stove top, and since it's made of wood you don't need to worry about damaging non stick surfaces. If you're boiling pasta, stirring with a wooden spoon helps get rid of the foam overboil. You can also just leave the spoon over the pot to prevent pasta water overboiling. Baking bread? Flip the spoon around and use the handle to bring the dough together.

Some people choose to add sigils or other symbols onto their witchy spoons. If you decide to do this, please do not use paint or stain, as this can come off while cooking. Unless this will be a display only spoon, of course. Safest way is to laser burn a design. Check etsy for custom spoons.

Herbs/Spices you know the properties of

I'm sure you already have some non perishable Herbs or Spices in your pantry or spice rack. Black Pepper, Garlic powder, Cinnamon, Paprika, that kind of thing. I want you to pick one and deep dive into the history of that Herb/Spice. What it's been used for in the past, what are some common magical properties and associations; what do YOU associate with it. Write down the magical association, like protection, banish negativity, prosperity, ect. Start with one, work your way up to three. If you have trouble memorizing, keep a little cheat sheet near by.

Now when you add these seasonings, you know what energies you can add/attract with your food.

Mortar and Pestle

If you already have another way to grind spices, like a coffee grinder, this does not need to be a priority. And if you have arm or shoulder issues, I don't recommend using. The main benefit to using a mortar and pestle is the crushing style of grinding tends to release more aroma and flavor then the cutting style of a coffee grinder. If you plan to just use for dry spices, you won't need a very big or fancy one. 20 dollars should get you something small and solid.

Make sure you are getting one made of stone. I tried a wooden one and it's garbage. I use it to hold messy spoons. There are also metal ones, and while I've never tried one, I encourage caution. I worry about long term use stripping whatever coating is stopping it from rusting.

Jars

Glass Jars are so great to have in the kitchen. Leftover sauce? Put it in a jar. Suddenly made a jam? We got jars to put it in. Meal prep overnight oats? Jars are here for you! They're just great for storage. And you don't need to buy them. Lots of things come in jars; just give them a hot soapy soak, scrap the label off, wash and reuse. If you prefer mason jars, I recommend washing the lids by hand. The lids aren't meant to be reused for jarring, so they rust fairly quickly after a few washes. You can buy replacement lids, however.

Plastic Containers

Jars are great, but things get a little dicey when you want to put stuff in the freezer. Water likes to make sure everyone knows it's cold by puffing up bigger; like look at me, I'm freezing here! Which means, there's a chance your glass jar can shatter.

But freezing food is the best way to preserve food since you don't need to add anything like extra salt or sugar. So get some freezer safe containers. I love making batches of broth and stock, and freeze it for later. Or if we have a lot of leftovers, I'll freeze enough for a dinner another week, incase I don't have enough spoons to make dinner one evening. And don't worry, you can wash and reuse plastic containers too.

I'll also freeze food I notice is starting to go weird. If I buy a huge bag of baby spinach, but can't get through it all, I'll transfer it to a freezer bag. Adding frozen spinach to food as it cooks is one of the easiest ways to up your nutrients. You can also freeze other vegetables, just make sure you cut them up first.

Crock Pot/Slow Cooker

Every Witch Needs a Cauldron, and these are Electric Cauldrons. Prices vary mainly based on the size you want. There are different brands, different colors; you can even get some in the theme of your favorite fandom. But they all have the same 3 core settings: High, Low, and keep warm.

Slow cookers are....well, slow. Which is great for certain kinds of food that need to sit for a long time, like meats. But it's also great for Kitchen Witches with a lot going on. Non witches will "Set it and forget it" but it's a good idea to stir every once in a while. Which is where the magic comes in. So, if you're a scatter brained Witch, Like me, or have ADHD and have trouble focusing, an electric cauldron might be for you. Throw everything together in 15 minutes, then give it love and attention when you remember. Normally that happens when you start to smell the food.

Again, this is my preference. Some Kitchen Witches I know prefer to identify a specific pot as their cauldron. Some went and got an actual full size, cast iron cauldron; which is amazing but not feasible for most. I grew up using a slow cooker, so I'm very comfortable around one. But if it's not your thing; that's fine. Maybe your cauldron will be a rice cooker or a Boston Shaker.

#witch #kitchen witch #kitchen witchcraft #klickwitch #food and folklore #Food magic #magic #witchy #witch tips #pagan #February #kitchen magic #house witch

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seraphiism · 1 year

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hiii ms kay!!! congratulations on your milestone!! you deserve it so much :) may i request "dreamscape event: dusk + ☁️ gojo + bellflower" for your event? thank u so much and best of luck in school!

𓆩 ღ 𓆪 𝐁𝐄𝐘𝐎𝐍𝐃 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘

( yes, i need you, my fairytale. )

chara : gojo satoru fandom : jujutsu kaisen quote cr : quote by vladimir nabokov a/n : hello friend !! thank you so much <3 i appreciate you and your kindness! the luck is very much needed!

・❥・[ dreamscape event ] ༊*·˚ ⌛fluff • ☁️ gojo • 💐 bellflower : everlasting love

gojo satoru doesn't really believe in fate. there are too many abstracts in this world, too many musings, too many-- well, whatever-- the point is that he finds no purpose in dwelling on things that exist as mere concept and not reality, because what's the use? in a life full of burdens and ongoing loss, there is no safety in slowing down and contemplating the woes in sentiment.

-- is what he would say, naturally, about love, because what does he know of it? maybe he has loved before, and he has, of course he has-- but the people he loved are long gone and turned into something born from his own faults. he has loved before, but he doesn't say it; the words turn to a rust that lines his throat, reminds him of a past unforgotten.

he loves now and it's a different kind of love with you : hopeful, light, and maybe a forever kind of love he doesn't think he wants yet desire so-- because in a shitty world where happiness is a stranger, maybe he wants this silly typical happy ending, after all.

it's just a thought at first, fleeting, then gone. but it grows so quietly with time, creeping into his life, and it is almost painful because he believes it could be possible.

he runs his hands through his hair, sighs a little louder than intended. there's a glint in the corner of his eye, a brief reflection of the gentle sun on the cool metal that rests on your finger. you pause, head tilting instinctively in question.

"i'm almost done, satoru." your hands gingerly peel the clementines. "that hungry?"

he stills, nearly forgets every heavy thought that has weighed on his mind by the knowing of such kindness. he approaches with a grin, rests his hands on your waist.

"hungry for y--"

you shove a slice in his mouth, roll your eyes despite the quiet laughter that escapes you. you are more than used to his nonsense, days gone by filled with joyful banter that shines a light in dark days.

"too sour." he mumbles, brows narrowed in dramatic discontentment. "have anything sweeter?"

"oh?" you grab another slice, unable to hold back the smile that blooms on your lips as you feed him again. "better?"

he shakes his head. another slice, then one more.

"too bitter this time. you don't taste it? are you getting sick on me?" there's genuine concern in his voice, a rare expression of worry surfacing in bright blues. "here--"

you think to respond, tell him that it tastes fine, but he presses his lips against yours, overwhelms your senses with a sweetness that lingers for longer than either of you expect. the moment he pulls away, you stare at him with utmost bewilderment before your countenance turns into something of embarrassment and false annoyance.

"you're so fucking embarrassing, satoru."

he hums, content, wraps his arms around your frame as he kisses you on the lips, on the cheek, on the nose-- you laugh, unable to pull away from his grasp, and he knows that this is true happiness.

( no, gojo satoru doesn't quite believe in fate, but he knows that there is something between you two in forevermore, and he knows it will be a love lasting. )

#jujutsu kaisen x reader #jjk x reader #gojo x reader #gojo satoru x reader #.: writing #.: event!fic.dream of me 🌿

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l0vergirlwrites · 2 years

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come over ; peter parker

warnings: sweet angst & fluff post no way home (btw i didn't really edit this, don't judge)

also, listen to "pistol" by cigarettes after sex while reading <3

it was cold, considering it was the start of december. snow continued to fall from the sky at a steady pace, adding to the snow-covered streets & buildings upon where spiderman sat. peter dangled his feet off the edge of the building, gloved hands resting in his lap as he peered out onto the busy streets. "last christmas" by wham mixed in with "all i want for christmas" by mariah carrey blasted from the shops below, families eagerly trekking up & down the sidewalks with gifts & winter attire.

peter sat alone with that familiar ache in his chest. he couldn't suppress it any longer. it overtook him, making him feel both heavy like a brick & as light as the wind. heartstrings likely snapped as he caught the figures of his former friends below, faces full of smiles as they headed to mj's work.

he was happy his old friends were safe, but it was still bittersweet. more bitter though.

moving away from the ledge of the building, he dusted off the snow that gathered on him, ignoring his cuts & bruises that made him wince, & he swung to his apartment window to sit on the fire escape. while his head rested against the rusted metal, feet moving back & forth to pass the time, he waited for you--the only person he has left-- to call.

he soon heard the sweet bluebird tweeting from his phone, the ringtone he picked for you, & felt a bit of tension ease from his muscles. swiping right on the call, he put the phone up to his right ear & lifted his mask to be just under his nose.

"hey, i just got in" your voice told him, sounding soft like sleep due to the yawn you let out.

"you sound tired" he noted, looking up to see if he could catch a glance of your apartment window, only to see a bit of light seep through the curtains a few windows above.

"i can say the same thing about you. so, come over" you insisted as you plopped onto your couch, letting out the smallest sigh as the cushions enveloped you after a long day of studying.

"i really miss you & i don't know what else to do..." you admitted, hoping that'd be an incentive.

feeling his chest grow a little lighter now, the ache going away, peter gave in. he didn't like being alone anyways.

"give me five minutes?".

he could almost feel your smile beaming from the phone "see you then, peter".

ending the call off with a smile, you reluctantly rose from the couch to pull out some cleaning supplies from your bathroom, knowing that he'd likely have a few things he'd refused to patch up, so you'd do it for him.

taking a quick shower to get off any sweat & body odour, peter closed his eyes as the water pelted his skin. he grew tired of looking at all his scars, so he learned to do his routine blindly. once his body smelt of an aloe body wash he bought a few days ago & his hair was freshly clean, peter didn't bother to look at his reflection as he threw on a pair of sweatpants & a hoodie, locking his door to make his way to your apartment. lightly knocking on your door, peter could hear a few pill bottles rattling & a kettle going off, making him furrow a brow as he listened in.

but once you opened the door, his senses tuned out & he felt somewhat normal again. your warmth pulled him in, & he held you close, even though his bruised ribs weren't fond of your body's pressure; but he didn't care. his eyes closed & his arms held you tight. the comfort of your body against his felt nice.

"i missed you" you mumbled into his shoulder, smelling the aloe on the skin of his neck, which was littered with some light bruises. pulling away to get a better look at him, your hands scaled his skin before resting on his slightly hollowed cheeks as you inspected an old cut that was healing quite well.

"i'm okay, you don't have to clean me up tonight" peter whispered, knowing you worried too much cared for him.

you looked into his eyes & gave a knowing a look, a look that said "i don't completely believe you".

"okay, just checking" rubbing your thumbs along his soft skin, his hands did the same to your waist before you pulled him inside, locking the door & heading for the couch.

as he got comfortable on the cushions, you nudged his knee to look at you pointing at the tea & pain pills on the small coffee table. looking back at you with a "really, i'm okay" look, you nudged him again, urging him to take them. smiling happily when he took a few sips of hibiscus tea & the two pain pills, peter nudged you this time, a small smile forming on his lips.

"thank you" he said, his eyes twinkling at yours in the dim light of your apartment, feeling your hand slowly reach out to hold his, waiting for him to accept your touch even though you were pressed into his side.

"you're always welcome" you smiled back, heart fluttering when he rested his head against your shoulder.

comfortable silence overtook you both for a while. peter was enjoying your presence, your touch--just being there with you seemed to somewhat cure of him.

resting your head on top of his, your left arm taking a hold of his left upper arm, you asked him "do you want to talk?"

the question made him shift to peer up at you, his tired face looking at your slightly concerned one, & he tightened his lips.

but you squeezed his hand again, "no pressure, okay?" you nodded to him, just letting the option be out there because you knew he needed it.

with his eyes faltering a little, peter became conflicted. "i don't want to burden you" his hesitant voice said.

"it won't burden me, spider boy" you squeezed his hand again.

putting his head back on your shoulder, peter squeezed your hand three times, a sign that he'll talk. he quietly updated you on everything you've missed for the last few days: seeing happy again at may's grave, his old friends continuing their lives during their christmas break from MIT, the loneliness that continued to creep at him--he slowly broke through his hesitation & took off the things that made him grow hollow.

as he spoke, peter took notice of your heartbeat, your hand in his & how they both grew with empathy as he went on.

"... i-i just feel a little lost" he ended his vent, sighing deeply & shutting his eyes as the emotions he keeps trying to hide break through the surface.

you stayed silent for a minute or so while you gathered your thoughts, rubbing his arm with your left hand & rubbing his knuckles with the other.

"peter, you know you don't have to be strong right now, right?".

unsure of what you meant, peter moved his head to the the couch pillow behind him & looked at you, trying to read you.

"i-i, i-i don't know what you mean by that" he didn't understand.

biting the inside of your cheek, you tried explaining it. "you've been through so much in these last few months-- hell i could even say these last few years-- but throughout everything, you've been so strong haven't you?" you asked him, seeing him nod his head.

"i had to be" he added, to which you agreed.

"right. so you haven't had much time, until now, to process everything & take your time with it, right?" he nodded again, slowly seeing what you were getting at.

moving your hand up to his cheek again, you sighed at him, looking so fragile & precious, so vulnerable.

"you don't have to put up a front or ignore what you're feeling, even in front of me" your sincere voice told him like a vice, coaxing him out of his old isolating habits.

"it's okay to not be strong all the time".

in response, peter just nodded his head & felt his eyes begin to water, feeling more & more comfortable to be in this state with you.

"c'mere, it's okay," you cooed at him, letting him rest in the safety of your chest, hugging him as he held onto you tight. "i'm here for you" you told him quietly, lips pressed against the top of his head.

peter hasn't felt so cared for in so long after it being an official year since his old life came to a stop. you reminded him whats its like though--his light through the fog, through the tears & the endless nights where he didn't feel worth it, where he wished his dark thoughts would just consume him to the point of no return--you, the girl he met on the roof while stitching himself up, helped him through it one by one.

retreating from your chest, peter rested his forehead on yours as your hands ran through his hair, the act so domestic; so normal. his teary eyes closed as he breathed you in, the hollowness in his chest was there, but it wasn't so bad this time.

"it's been on my mind for so long... i've been meaning to properly thank you but--".

sadly smiling, you almost paused him but he shook his head, his nose bumping yours a little.

"i need to tell you how much you mean to me, 'cause you're all i got. i wait for your calls every night. i feel normal when i'm with you, i feel okay & i don't get to feel that much anymore... i-i..." opening his eyes to look at you, he genuinely smiled with so much ease where he looked almost like his old pictures from his homecoming he once showed you.

"i wasn't sure i'd get another chance at this..." he hinted, throat becoming dry due to his nerves.

"what is it?' you asked, even though you knew. you needed him to say it.

"love. i didn't know i'd get another chance at love" peter finally confessed, squeezing your hand in hopes you felt it too.

he was still hurt. he knew he still needed time to heal. but, he loved you & you need to know it.

with teary eyes, you lifted his hand to your heart which was beating loudly against your chest, & you both chuckled. tapping his hand to make him open his eyes, peter looked at you with an adoring gaze, immediately knowing you felt the same.

"i love you too, peter" those five words sounded like heaven to his ears.

they became his favourite.

#tom holland au #tom holland one shot #tom holland imagine #tom holland fanfiction #tom holland #peter parker angst #peter parker imagine #peter parker x reader #peter parker fanfiction #peter parker #tom holland spiderman #spiderman x reader #spiderman mcu #peter parker fluff #spiderman no way home

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slamminslamminmcgill · 1 year

Note

had a thought where lalo shoves a gun up reader's pussy HAHAHAAHA

ME WHEN MY BRAIN IS HUGE AND MY ASS IS FAT AND JUICY

warning: gunplay, possible cnc/dubcon/noncon

anatomical terms: pussy, dick

Lalo loved giving you head. Almost as much as you loved getting it from him. You were sitting on the edge of the bed, legs over his shoulders, fingers knotted in his hair and tugging as he sucked the IQ points out of you. That was only a slight exaggeration, mind you. You could feel yourself getting dumber as he pushed you closer and closer to the edge.

He pulled away for a second to catch his breath. His lips were glistening with your need. “Tan delicioso, chiquito. Haría esto todo el día. (So delicious, baby boy. I could do this all day.)” He growled into your skin before getting back to work, lips wrapped around your dick, tongue twirling around it.

You were a wreck, pulling his hair to get him to take more of you in, to make him work harder. You couldn't get enough, and you made sure to let him know. "Please, ah... Lalo, Lalo... m-more..."

That caught his attention. He took his mouth off you to verify what he had just heard. "More? Are you sure? You want it?"

You bit your lip and nodded, hips swiveling on the bed, desperate for him to finish the job.

Lalo laughed, "Okay, okay, relax. I'm here. I got you, baby. I'll take care of you. We're gonna have fun together, okay?" His strong hands squeezed your thighs, a reminder that he had you in his grasp.

You whined, completely unaware of what you were getting yourself into. "Okay, just... please."

Lalo cooed, "So needy. I'll give you what you want, chico. I promise." He got up from the floor and stood over you, his warm, calloused palm caressing your cheek. "Mi cielo lindo (My cute little sky). Now, I just need you to lay back and relax, okay? Close your eyes, and don't open them until I say you can, got it?"

You hummed in agreement and laid back against the plush mattress. Your eyelids dropped, and you waited to see what Lalo had planned. You thought you knew. You were waiting, no, expecting to feel his cock inside you, his thighs pressing against yours, his body heat against you and soothing your worries.

What you were not expecting was cold, lifeless metal inside you.

You jumped up, eyes flashing open, and looked down. Lalo's hand was wrapped around a pistol and pumping it in and out of your hole. You were stunned. You couldn't even scream. If you could, you wouldn't even know what to say. The thoughts were racing through your head faster than you could identify them. You just stared in abject horror. Your whole body had gone numb with panic. You couldn't even feel what the hell he was doing to you. Your eyes snapped up to meet his, undoubtedly conveying a message of fear.

Lalo was unfazed. "What?" He asked, terrifyingly nonchalant, and stopped moving the gun, "Is this not more? You asked for more, right? C'mon, don't give me that look. I'm giving you what you wanted!"

You just stared at him, eyes bugging out, breath speeding up, shaking your head as if to say No! No this isn't what I wanted! What is wrong with you?! Stop it! He thrust the gun inside you again, pressing up to your g-spot to make sure you felt it, and you did. Your pussy clenched the gun, your upper body nearly collapsed in on itself, and you let out a half-squeak, half-moan.

"See? There we go! I knew you'd like it! You just gotta let yourself enjoy it, conejito (bunny)." He worked the gun in a rhythm, pulling more squeals from you and coating the firearm in your wetness. Maybe it was from fear, maybe arousal, but either way, you were soaked, and Lalo loved it. His thumb stroked your dick as he fucked you with the handgun. "Oh, that's it, there we go. Yeah, you like it. I can tell from how wet you are. I better make sure you don't rust this thing, eh?" He laughed as he continued to violate you.

Rusting it was the last thing you were worried about. You were just praying that his finger wasn't on the trigger. He pushed you back down onto the bed so you couldn't see. Maybe that was for the best.

#anon #ask #better call saul x reader #bcs #better call saul #better call saul smut #better call saul imagine #bcs x reader #better call saul hcs #better call saul headcanons #lalo salamanca #lalo salamanca headcanons #lalo salamanca smut #lalo salamanca hcs #lalo salamanca imagine #lalo salamanca x reader #gunplay #cnc tw

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stellas-et-abyssum-vincite · 1 month

Text

The Princess's Guard ~ *Kaeya Alberich*

Summary: The two of you have been engaged in a secret affair for a long time... and Kaeya wants to do something to prove how much he loves you. However, you're not sure how long this engagement can last...

Pairing: Kayak Alberich X Fem!Reader

Genre: Angstyish Drabble

Word Count: 915

Warning: Hurt no comfort

Masterlist

"We shouldn't be doing this." You urgently whispered to the man who was holding your hand, as he led you through the dark, half-abandoned tunnels under the castle.

He simply shot you a mischievous grin. "You worry too much. Everything is completely safe, I promise you. No one is going to find us down here."

You shook your head. "That's what I'm worried about. If we get caught in a booby trap, no one is going to find us and we'll die down here!"

"Then I will die with you in my arms. I cannot think of a more fitting way to leave this life."

Though his words flattered you, anxiety chilled your bloodstream, which made it harder to appreciate his poetry. You don't even know why you let Kaeya convince you to traipse through the tunnels like this. You were far more content hiding in your bedroom, where a fire kept you warm and there wasn't the fear of death, although there was another kind of fear lurking in your room.

You shook your head in an attempt to clear your conflicting thoughts. This was crazy, and you knew it. What was worse is that Kaeya knew it too. Yet you simply had to follow where he led. That's what you do when you truly love someone that much. No matter how crazy or dangerous the situation, you would always follow Kaeya, just like he would follow you.

Eventually he stopped before the end of the hallway. There was an ancient wooden door before the two of you, the metal hinges coated in rusted and the bottom of the wood was splitting. He grinned at you before he pushed the door open.

Behind it, there was an empty solarium. You were surprised to see the windowed ceiling, which was now covered in climbing vines outside. Despite the excess vegetation, the room looked perfectly habitable. How you never knew about this before was beyond you.

"One of the maids spoke about this place, back before your mother was Queen." Kaeya explained, his arms spread wide as he showed off the place. "During garden parties, if it ever rained, everyone would shelter here. The hallway gave perfect access for servants to go back and forth to the kitchens without getting wet. When I found this place again, I cleaned it up and it made it nice for you."

"You did all of that for me?" Your hand touched your heart. "Why?"

He took a step towards you and took your hand in his again. There wasn't a sense of urgency this time. It was a tender gesture that made your heart melt. "I know we can't sneak around in your room for much longer. The others are getting suspicious of how frequently we spend time together. So I needed a place for the two of us where we could meet without prying eyes."

"Oh, Kaeya." You were absolutely touched by his gesture. "That's so sweet of you. I love it!"

You pulled him into a hug and his lips found your cheek. You allowed yourself this little moment of tender love, for you wanted nothing more than to be completely lost in this moment forever. However, you knew better than anyone that some wishes aren't meant to come true.

And you knew you needed to confront a very real problem.

"Kaeya, we can't." You whisper in his ear.

He groaned. "But I haven't done anything yet! And I wasn't going to until I finally put a real bed in here."

"No, that's not what I meant!" You pulled away with your cheeks bright red. "I mean we can't keep sneaking around like this."

Kaeya frowned at your words. "Why not? What's wrong, my love?"

You shook your head and sighed as your hand squeezed his. "Kaeya, I am a princess, betrothed to a prince in an attempt to keep the peace between our two nations. You and I can never be. And the longer we keep this up, the harder it will be to break it off when I'm married."

He frantically shook his head and tried to embrace you again, but you took a step back. "No. Don't say such things. I refuse to give you up that easily."

"Kaeya-"

"I'm serious! I love you, more than anything! And I know you love me just as much! So please don't break my heart like this!"

"I'm not trying to! I'm trying to protect both of us!" You tried to explain though you could feel your own heart tear inside your chest. "If anyone were to ever find out about us, you'll be put to death. I refuse to be the cause of your downfall. So please, for both our sake and the sake of our country, let's finally break things off."

His hand tightly squeezed yours, as his eyes stayed on the ground before him. "Just tell me one more time that you love me. Tell me you will always love me and only me, no matter what divides us."

With tears in your eyes, you nodded. While you looked at him, he refused to meet your gaze. "Yes, I love you. I love you and only you and I will never, ever stop loving you for as long as I live."

As his grip loosened, you withdrew your hand. You left your love and your heart behind in that solarium as you walked down the hall to the future you were destined to have.

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jpitha · 1 year

Text

Just a Little Further 23

Part 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

It's still early, so we go and find a cafe and have lunch. Once again, I don't have to use my voice, they just give us our meal for free. I really should get an idea about money though. I know they are called Skys, I know at least part of them are small green metallic coins - actually they look like the same metal the Throne and Chairs are made out of, I wonder if they are - and I know that everyone uses them here to buy stuff. I should ask about banks. We should pay a visit to one. I'm sure they'd be... happy to explain it to me.

That's for later though. For now, we work our way to the dock, and find the internal docking bay that Omar found.

Walking in, it becomes clear that we have a lot of work ahead. High Line is in here thanks to Omar earlier and it's...

It's junk.

Even when it was operating, it was clearly made up of a hodgepodge of between three and five different starships. This thing has been limping along on patches and ad hoc repairs for centuries it looks like.

Human ships from our side of the galaxy tend to be very personalized. Riots of color, patterns, little flourishes here and there that speak to the tastes and preferences of the operator. It's probably a function of the fact that all our ships are AI operated. It's their body, and they decorate and personalize it.

High Line is... downright drab in comparison.

Grey on grey with streaks of soot and... is that rust? It looks like rust. What would rust on a spacecraft hull? High Line is all boxes and blocks stuck together where they fit or where a need was found. I'm much more used to the sweeping, flowing shapes the Starjumpers have. In addition to looking fast, they look much more elegant. Even our smaller ships, the Frigates and Destroyers tend towards looking more like living creatures than... a box.

As I walk around staring at things and - apparently - making a sour face, Starlight, Ocean and River are standing there, looking nervous and worried. "So Empress... Here is High Line. We admit, it's a little more worse for wear than the ship you came to us on, but.." Starlight stands a little taller. "It got my forebears here all those years ago and through all that time put many light-years on it shuttling people around the system and still held air and gravity. It's not much to look at, but it was ours."

I mean, they're right. Maybe I'm being too hard on it. They got centuries of use out of with with barely any maintenance. All the more reason to refit it right and make it soar once again.

Omar seems like he's having a great time. Walking around, taking measurements going in and out. "Melody, it might not be much to look at now, but it's actually a pretty good foundation! We can add some improved thrusters, beef up the armor, add a wormhole generator and some laser batteries and while we won't be able to take on a dreadnought or even a Starjumper, we'll be able to hold our own against anything local we've seen. It's got plenty of room inside too. You won't have a suite of rooms like at the Royal Dawn, but I should be able to make you an... appropriately royal room.

"At this point a starship is better than no starship so I'll take what I can get. How long will the refit take, Omar?"

He looks at the ship, at the Aviens and then at me. "It will depend on their printer and how well we can integrate the designs from my copy of the database but maybe a month? Hopefully less?"

"Well then, you had better get started Omar. You spend your time getting High Line up to your satisfaction, and let me know about your progress. For now, we will be staying at the Royal Dawn. I don't know if there's other royal quarters that we just haven't found or if the hotel is made out of the original royal quarters, but I'm satisfied with our current accommodations. Make your own schedule and if you need something or someone, just let me know. Starlight" - I look pointedly at them - "can help you with any personnel needs you have." Starlight bobs their head eagerly. "If you need to speak to me or the others, you should be able to though the Reach. Just... concentrate and it should work."

"Okay Melody, I'll get on it. Come on Starlight, show me the printer. Ocean, go see what kind of help you can find for us. River, go see about the condition of the other starships. Some of them have to be operable, how else is food getting here?" Omar looks up at us as the Aviens run off in different directions to obey Omar. "What happened to Ottarn, that Mariens who took their ship and tried to run? If nothing else, we could use that ship."

"They went with FarReach. They told me that they scooped up Ottarn and their ship and were going to take them where they wanted to go."

"Hmm, do you think that means back to human space?" Um'reli asks and she's looking at the ship.

"I have no idea, I don't think so? I'm not sure what they'd find out there to benefit them."

This time Ava puts her hands on her hips and stares at us. "You mean, other that some sympathetic ears to listen to their story about a human who has installed herself as Empress in their space and might be willing to lend a hand with a couple of Starjumpers and their assorted lasers and missiles? You did lock the Gate after FarReach left, right?"

Uh oh. I forgot.

"Uh, sure thing Ava, let me just go... double check that it's locked. I reach out and I can feel the Gate from here though it's faint and... fuzzy. The lock was simple enough though I push here... pull that... and...

"Okay, yes, it's locked."

"Good. We don't want Ottarn coming back with reinforcements or something just yet. Later though... let them come. We'll show them." Ava's grin is worrying me a little bit. She seems much too excited about showing off.

I grab Ava and Um'reli "Come on, let's leave Omar to his work. We have other things to take care of. I think we're going to have to hire on some help, but before that we're going to have to figure out money."

Ava scoffs as we walk "You're still going on about money? Just make people help us out."

"Ava we're looking to help out here, not be overthrown in a couple weeks. If I make people help us, the moment we walk away people will start to wonder why they're helping us at all."

"Melody has a point Ava. What is it that we do here?" Um'reli is really good at throwing cold water on Ava's plans. I'm glad she came. Without her I have a hunch that Ava would be talking me into all kinds of bad ideas.

"Builders seem to work like the AIs on Starbases back home. So it's not like we have no job."

"Well then, let's go back to the Throne and do some work. I'm tired of walking around trying to mooch free stuff from people because they're scared of Melody." Um'reli stars walking back towards the Throne. I really don't have anything else to do, so I follow. "You coming, Ava?"

"I guess. I don't have anything else to do." Ava looks around somewhat wistfully and follows. I wonder what she was hoping to do instead. Probably have me order people to give her something.

As we walk into the entryway to the Throne - there's still no back door, I really need to find one or make one - something catches my eye. I walk over and... "It's a shrine"

"What?" Ava peeks over my shoulder "Oh, it's beautiful."

It really is. Someone made a drawing of us in some kind of pastel medium, like pencils or chalk. It's... me at the top, my wings spread wide and I'm glowing. Below that, it's Um'reli, Ava and Omar standing tall and proud looking up. Under that is a decent representation of hundreds of people bowing before us. Written on the bottom in the same local script I see all over it says "May They Protect Us." The drawing is on a little easel and there are flowers and candles all around it in a semicircle.

Protect them from what though?

"These flowers are amazing! I've never seen ones like this before" Um'reli bends down to get a closer look. She takes a deep breath "And they smell so good, Ava, Melody, you should smell them!"

Well if Um'reli, a K'laxi can smell them and not immediately break out in allergic hives, it's probably fine for us to smell too. I bend down low and... they smell... familiar? Why is that?

Ava straightens "These were grown. We need to find out where the gardens are and visit it!"

Um'reli stands as well. "After we get some work done Ava. We need to show everyone that we do something and aren't a drain on resources because Melody can order them around and they can't say no."

"What's the point of all this power if we don't use it!"

"Ava, we 'use it' like you want to and people will come after us with guns and knives. Who was the Empress before Melody?" Um'reli is looking hard at Ava.

"We have no idea."

"Exactly." Um'reli continues up the stairs to the Throne itself. I follow and Ava pouts but doesn't say anything further.

In the Builder room, Um'reli and Ava sit down. Their bodies go distant and they are integrating. "Okay Ava, Um'reli. You get down to work, I'm going to see about finding a bank and talking to them. Any idea where one is?"

"One moment Melody..." Ava is searching. "Okay, looks like a bank is down the street from the Administration building. It's not far."

"Thanks! Just reach out to me if you need anything." I head back out and down the stairs of the throne, passing by the little shine again. It really is cute, though I wish they put something a little more specific about what they wanted us to protect them from. Oh well, with our luck we'll find out soon enough.

It's not actually a long walk to the bank, Ava was right, it was just down the street from the Administration building. As I walk past I see that a couple people are cleaning up the barricades finally. I wave as I walk by, and they stand smartly and bow. Nice.

Soon enough, I come across what I assume is the bank. It's a large building, made out of the same material as the Administration building, marking it as very old. There is a large double door in the front made of what looks like the same metal as the coins everyone uses. The doors stand open with two people (an Azurian and a Mariens) standing out front. With a little wave to them, I walk in.

It's... a bank. Really. Tellers, little booths where people can discuss finance, even a little table before you get in line to fill out small slips of paper. I walk over to an Aviens who is sitting at a desk by the front door. They look up and do a double take when they see me. I'm not wearing my wings and crown anymore, but I still have on the gown from earlier.

"Uh, good day Holy One, what may this one help you with?" Holy One. Interesting.

"I would like to speak to the Bank Manager, please."

They rush to stand and their chair slides back with a squawk. "Of course, Holy One. Please, wait right here." The gesture over to a small group of chairs up against the wall. I can't really think of a reason why not, so I go over and sit.

Next to me is one of the pressure suited people. Up close, I can see how their suits are segmented metal colored bronze and completely decorated in elaborate carvings. They really are quite beautiful. Their helmets are almost completely featureless except for a bar where human eyes would be and there is what looks like a speaker on their neck.

I clear my throat. "Pardon me, I'm so sorry, but I haven't met one of you yet. Can you tell me your name and the name of your people?"

With just the most subtle clank and whir, they turn their head. "I am known as Vaaqo, and here, people call us Falor in your tongue." His head inclines slightly. "That is to say, the language that most people here speak call us Falor. I do not know your word for us in your Builder tongue."

"Falor is fine with me." I say brightly, and then stop. "Unless it is insulting to you or something."

They make a gesture with their hands. The Nanites indicate that they are indicating no. Oh, that makes sense! If they're suited all the time, most body language markers are lost. Hand gestures could take over for a bunch of nonspeaking conversation.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Vaaqo, thank you so much for the information. I have so many questions, but I will only ask one for now. Do you have to stay in your suit all the time?"

The same gesture meaning no. "We are fortunate that the upper sunward lobe of the Reach has a pressure door. We're able to maintain our helium methane atmosphere and higher ambient pressure and live suit free. The remains of our starship are installed up there, and we use it to control our own breathing gas."

They took their ship apart to survive? "Oh but that means you're trapped here! Once we open the gates and build more ships, we can send a message to your people."

Another gesture. The Nanites say it might be a smile "That is kind of you to offer, Empress. Before... well before, we were in the middle of a war. We were offered refuge here and so we do not know if any others of our kind remain. It will be... nice to find out for sure."

They're holding something back. I think they don't want to insult you.

It's fine. I see no need to compel them to tell me what they're hiding. It's probably something embarrassing to them or they think to me.

Luckily for all of us, you have no shame.

Ha ha.

As I argue with my Nanites, a Mariens walks up, looking nervous. "Hol-Empress, what a pleasant surprise. Thank you for taking the time to visit our fine financial establishment! My name is Utaid and I am at your service." He bows elaborately.

I stand and try to tower only slightly. I want to impress, not intimidate. "The pleasure is all mine Utaid, I am happy to have met you. I wish to open an account so that I will be able to pay people for services they render me."

They look shocked. "E-Empress, of course. We will do everything in our power to help. Since... all here is yours that of course includes all the money stored in the different banks across the Reach."

I nod. "While this is true, I am not a tyrant. I wish to make sure that people are paid and that operations continue as closely to before as possible. Please accept payment requests that come in from people in my name and keep records. We will do our utmost to make sure that the money going in is equal to or greater than the money coming out... in the long term."

They visibly relax. I wonder if they thought I was just going to come in and demand all the currency?

"It will be our most sincere pleasure Empress. We are proud that you have selected us to carry out your financial orders in Your name. We shall set up everything and dispatch a runner to you when it has been completed. I assume you are residing at the Royal Dawn hotel?"

"Yes, that's correct. How did you know?"

They look smug and embarrassed? How did they manage that? "Even though Reach of the Might of Vzzx is a very large starbase, rumors still seem to fly faster than light."

"Ah, thank you Utaid for all your help. I await your runners." They bow low again and I walk out.

Huh, that was easy. I guess people are starting to realize that I really am Empress and I really am trying to help everyone. Feeling very happy, I begin to walk back to the Throne.

"Uh, Melody there might be a problem." Um'reli's voice sounds worried in my head. She figured out how to contact me directly, very nice!

"What is it Um'reli?"

"Just a minute ago, I saw what looked like an alert. Ava and I checked it out and there's something going on at the main transit hub station. We either don't understand the alert or can't ready it yet. Can you check it out please?"

"Oh neat! I haven't been there yet. Sure, I'll go down and check it out. You two stay up there and be my eyes and ears."

The transit station is right around the corner from the bank. It reminds me a lot of photos of transit stations back on Earth. platforms, people milling about, advertising. But I see no crowds or anything worrying. I connect to the Starbase and think to Ava and Um'reli "I don't see any problem here, what's going on?"

"It's not here, it's at the main station. Get on the next train and ride two stops, you'll see it."

Oh, okay. Just as Ava finished speaking, a train rolls up. Like a lot of this place, it clearly was very fancy a long long time ago. The fact that it's still working is pretty impressive, even if it looks a bit run down. I walk on, and look around. There are seats all along the walls of the train car and poles along the middle to hang on to. Mentally I shrug and sit down near the door. After a moment, there's a trilling chime and the doors close.

With a lurch and a hiss of brakes, we get moving. I wonder if this train is automated, or if someone drives it. I should ask later. I'm lost in thought for the ride through the first station stop, but then I look around and realize everyone is staring at me.

"Oh, Hello!" I say brightly.

Immediately, the people closest to me drop to the ground, bowing their heads. "Oh, thank you, but you don't have to do that right now, please just sit. I'm just riding the train over to the hub station. My Builders tell me there's some kind of issue and I'm going to check it out."

"But, Empress... Surely you have people that you can send to do that for you?" It's a Mariens sitting across from me. They look amused.

"Oh not right now. I'm... between retainers and assistants right now. One of my Builders, Omar is helping to repair the High Line, that Aviens ship, and my other two, Ava and Um'reli are sitting in their Chairs, assisting with the operation of the Reach." Oh wait. "Do you want a job? I do find myself needing more people to help out with-" I gesture "-all this. I'm not sure how much to pay yet but I did just come back from the bank, so I'll be able to pay you; I'm sure I'll work all the rest out soon enough."

The Mariens chuckles "Thank you for the generous offer Empress, but I quite like my job. If you so order it... of course I'd help. If you're just asking though, no thank you."

"Oh, that's quite all right. I don't want to order you. But, if you know anyone that would like to help, have them come to the Throne chamber tomorrow, we'll see what we can do!" I look around at everyone trying very hard to look like they're not listening in. "That goes for anyone here too! If you want a job, come see us, if you know someone that does, send them. I need help, and I would love for it to be you!"

And with that same trilling chime, the doors open and I'm at the hub station.

Ah. Okay. I see what Ava and Um'reli are talking about.

There's a riot.

Part 24

#humans are deathworlders #humans are space orcs #humans go on adventure #humans are space oddities #sci fi writing #writing #humans and ai #humans and aliens #the k'laxiverse #jpitha #just a little further

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