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doloniaxdiegesis · 24 days

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The Pale Princess and the Six Pygmies

Volume 1

A fairytale story that has been told throughout Teyvat for ages. This is part one, which tells the story of the Land of Night and the Moonlight Forest.

In the distant past, the Night Mother ruled over the faraway Land of Night. Here, no light touched the earth, nor did a single tree grow, and there was no life here but the horrendous denizens of the dark.

The Night Mother was the source of all sins, and the Land of Night was the embodiment of her evilness. The cruel Night Mother, who had neither heart nor mouth, was always watching the Land of Night, and her punishments were always unexpected. The only thing she could not bear was the occasional ray of moonlight that made it through the clouds. The light that penetrated the walls of darkness always irritated her.

The Moonlight Forest was the only place free from the rule of the Night Mother. Only there could the people bask in the bright moonlight and enjoy the grace it brought to the living. Everyone in the Kingdom of the Moonlight Forest was born with fair skin, light-colored hair, and bright blue eyes. Perhaps the constant lack of sunlight and the nourishment of the moonlight was the reason for their beauty, giving them an appearance different from the abhorrent creatures lurking at the edge of the forest.

Volume 2

A fairytale story that has been told throughout Teyvat for ages. This installment tells of the meeting of the Pale Princess and the Light Prince.

The monarch of this kingdom was a beautiful princess with skin as white as snow. Just like the moon, she had the brightest skin, the purest eyes, and the kindest soul. People of the kingdom all vowed their loyalty to her and referred to her as The Pale Princess.

The Pale Princess ruled her kingdom with kindness and gentleness. She always knew what was best for her people. Under her rule, the people of the Moonlight Forest never knew the threat of the Night Mother's wrath, and the creatures lurking in the dark never dared to set foot in the forest.

However, the Princess had her own troubles. To her, the silvery moon hanging in the night sky seemed like a tiny hole through which the light could pass, and she felt that by following the light back to its source one could almost see the world on the other side. Just like all other people, the Pale Princess would often sit on the stone plate in front of the palace, imagining a world beyond the moonlight.

"Will I be able to bring my people there one day?" The Princess thought to herself.

"You will."

She had not expected to hear an answer.

The Princess turned and saw a young prince.

Volume 3

A fairytale story that has been told throughout Teyvat for ages. This installment tells of the Pale Princess and the Light Prince's decision to save the Moonlight Forest.

"I am the Prince of the Kingdom of Light from the other side of the world," the prince said to the shocked Princess.

The Prince shone with an extraordinary light. The people of the Moonlight Forest had never seen such vitality. For as the Prince strolled through the forest, life flourished around him: new leaves sprouted and the Princess and her people grew stronger.

He had come to save them. He would eventually save her from the darkness and take her to a kingdom free from all shadows. Although the Prince didn't say it explicitly, the Pale Princess had sensed the possibility of his arrival through her years of meditation.

So, she asked.

"What's the world like on the other side of the moon?"

The Prince had already told her about the Kingdom of Light hundreds of times before, but at that moment, the Prince realized that she was determined to find out for herself.

So, having sworn to save her people, the Princess and the Prince left the Moonlight Forest and walked hand in hand into the dark forest of the Land of Night.

Volume 4

A fairytale story that has been told throughout Teyvat for ages. Installment four describes the meeting between the Pale Princess, the Light Prince, and the Six Pygmies.

Having slogged across the swamp blazing with dark flames and passed the cave overgrown with poisonous mushrooms, the Prince and the Princess finally arrived at the Kingdom of Pygmies.

"Princess of the Moonlight Forest, please save my five brothers. We will vow our loyalty to you in return for your kindness," begged a deformed pygmy who had just popped up from behind the branches.

The kind Princess, sympathizing with the pygmies, promised to help them.

They climbed up the dark mountains and saved the pygmy on the ridge, who was blind.

"Oh, silly me. I climbed all the way up here to try and get a better view." The blind pygmy apologized profusely.

They dragged another pygmy out of the muddy wetland. This one was a fool.

"Hehehe." The foolish pygmy thanked the Princess.

They walked into the cave where the Nightgaunt resides and saved another pygmy, who was timid, from the top of a stalactite.

"Not... not to brag, but I... I came here to have a fierce fight with the Night Mother's minions!" The timid pygmy explained.

They set foot on a barren field and found a shrunken pygmy in the quicksand.

"I wanted to see my garden but somehow got lost." Rubbing his withered palms, the shrunken pygmy grinned.

They snuck into the nest of shadows and rescued a carefree pygmy from the clutches of carnivorous mushrooms.

"I was out for a walk and somehow got trapped here." the carefree pygmy sighed.

One by one, the Princess and the Prince saved the deformed pygmy's five brothers. The kind Princess said to them:

"Now that you are all my people, please let me take you to the Kingdom of Light. It's a place that can bring sight to the blind, wisdom to the foolish, courage to the timid, and reinvigoration to the shrunken. As a princess, this is my gesture of gratitude to you."

On hearing this, the pygmies were elated. To show their gratitude, they went along on the journey to serve the Prince and the Princess.

Volume 5

A fairytale story that has been told throughout Teyvat for ages. In this installment, the Six Pygmies' sinister scheme starts to unfold.

On the surface, the six pygmies were true to the Princess and Prince, and followed them everywhere. But they were still heinous creatures from the Land of Night, and corruption flowed in their veins. As the days traveling to the Kingdom of Light grew long and dangerous, the root of evil would again blossom in their hearts.

Fear gave root to malice, and out of malice grew evil scheming. The six pygmies started to devise their nasty plot.

The blind pygmy opened his sightless eyes and enjoyed the sunlight greedily.

"Why not keep the Prince with us forever? Instead of believing in unfathomable promises, securing the sunlight before us is our best bet."

The foolish pygmy gently patted his scabies-ridden head and gulped the light-filled air rapaciously.

"Hehehe, I... I think we should kidnap the Prince and use... use him to make us smarter. That's the smart way!"

The timid pygmy swung his tiny fists in the air and yelled.

"All that rascal did was save our lives and now he acts so condescendingly, treating us like servants. I shall challenge him to a duel!"

The shrunken pygmy squinted in disdain. His complexion wrinkled up like a piece of crumpled paper.

"Brothers, you have been hiding in the shadows for too long. The darkness has clouded your judgment. It is new life that we need in order to survive. I say we use the corpse of the Prince as fertilizer so my garden might flourish again."

The carefree pygmy sighed and looked sullen.

"We'd better get this over with quickly... If it weren't for them, these evil thoughts wouldn't have entered my mind, and I wouldn't have become so somber."

There was one pygmy who did not join the discussion. This is not because he was not evil, but because the guilt of betraying his savior overcame his wicked nature enough to make him keep his mouth shut. He couldn't even say a single word. Nevertheless, the guilt could not completely suppress his corrupt nature and the pygmies all agreed to the scheme. They decided to poison the Prince's water.

Volume 6

A fairytale story that has been told throughout Teyvat for ages. This installment tells of how the Six Pygmies managed to implement their nefarious plot.

At that moment, the Pale Princess was in a deep slumber and had not an inkling of how the pygmies had played her and her lover for fools. Under the cover of the night sky, the six pygmies made their first move.

The poison had sent the Prince into a coma as the Pale Princess slept. The six pygmies' scheme started to unfold.

In her sleep, the Princess had no idea how the Prince was being tortured. In her dream, her lover's body glowed with luminous colors and light scattered gently like satin. The sweet sunlight finally broke through the dark clouds and sprinkled on the living. The orange glow of the setting sun painted a layer of caramel on the blue lake, making the water as sweet as nectar. New colors were painted on the black hills and the ruined city was turned into a candy castle. However, when the Princess called the Prince by name, all she heard in reply were indistinguishable words.

The poor Princess had no idea that the Prince could no longer respond to her calling.

Lightning flashed and thunder echoed in the silent night sky. The six pygmies carried out their scheme successfully. To celebrate, they set up a huge pot and cooked a pot of thick soup with moss and poisonous mushrooms. But just as the culprits were enjoying their feast, the Prince's broken soul used up all its remaining power to curse the pygmies. For the rest of their lives, they were tormented by a curse that made them feel as if they were being cooked in a huge cooking pot, unable to ever see the light of day again.

However, during the celebration, one of the pygmies wrapped the Prince in the dirty tablecloth, intent on carrying him back to the dark forest to seek help from the Princess, hoping to wake him up. No one knows if this was out of a lingering sense of loyalty to the Princess, or simply born of his fear of the curse.

Volume 7

A fairytale story that has been told throughout Teyvat for ages. The final installment brings everything to a conclusion, and includes the Night Mother's prophecy.

This pygmy spirited the Prince's body away from his wicked brethren, plunging into the damp bushes. Following animal tracks, he searched for the Fountain of Purity where the Pale Princess slept.

What the pygmy didn't know is that the vicious Night Mother had already found the Princess. She followed the pygmy stealthily, like a wild cat stalking its prey, her shadowy figure blotting out the moonlight and starlight.

When the pygmy arrived, the Princess was already gone. The sorrowful howl of a night owl was heard as the Night Mother arose from the now-corrupt fountain.

"Pitiful creature, are you here to see your master?" The vile smirk of the Night Mother exuded the breath of the abyss.

"If so, I'm afraid all you will find here is despair, you sad little thing."

"That foolish princess is now in chains. I destroyed the Moonlight Kingdom and cursed her people before her eyes. They will be in an undead state, lingering at the point between life and death forevermore. No soul and no moonlight." The words of the Night Mother landed like cold raindrops on a forgotten tomb.

"Look at you, you poor pygmy. I wonder what your master will think when she finds out what you have done."

Fear crawled through the pygmy's veins and grabbed his feeble heart.

The Night Mother left the pygmy to wallow in grief. But first — whether out of some hitherto unknown sense of pity, or simply to see him suffer more, we shall never know — the Night Mother left a glimpse of hope for the wretched pygmy.

"In thousands of years time, my greatest foe will descend. He wields a sword that heralds the dawn and wears armor that can reflect the shining sunlight. He shall destroy my kingdom and bring the Prince back to life. The Princess will then be free from her eternal torment. Until then, I fear not a single soul in the Land of Night, for nothing will bring an end to my kingdom except for the catastrophe foretold by the prophecy. As for you, the treacherous slave that poisoned his master... fate shall see that you get what you deserve."

The Night Mother then collapsed and became a pile of sludge consisting of mud and worms.

Devastated, the pygmy wandered around in sorrow and regret. He hid the body in a tree hole and walked off alone into the night, and into a self-imposed exile.

#･｡ * ｡ ☆ * :: (( about ))#･｡ * ｡ ☆ * :: snezhnaya | a heavy heart to carry : words of love never felt like any blessings |#･｡ * ｡ ☆ * :: Tsaritsa #Tw long ass post #oh boi #so my cryo archon is in fact based of these storys so um -#I very much needed this on my blog -#no you don't need to read them to rp with my cryo child and not everything is one for one but -jazz hands-

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ottokallenhonkai3rd · 9 months

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⚜ 𝒯𝒽𝑒𝒾𝓇 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝒾𝓃𝓉𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝓊𝒷𝓉𝑒𝓍𝓉 #1 ⚜

I have selected some sources that can confirm the love between Kallen and Otto again. Citation: In the distant past, the Night Mother ruled over the faraway Land of Night. Here, no light touched the earth, nor did a single tree grow, and there was no life here but the horrendous denizens of the dark. The Night Mother was the source of all sins, and the Land of Night was the embodiment of her evilness. The cruel Night Mother, who had neither heart nor mouth, was always watching the Land of Night, and her punishments were always unexpected. The only thing she could not bear was the occasional ray of moonlight that made it through the clouds. The light that penetrated the walls of darkness always irritated her. The Moonlight Forest was the only place free from the rule of the Night Mother. Only there could the people bask in the bright moonlight and enjoy the grace it brought to the living. Everyone in the Kingdom of the Moonlight Forest was born with fair skin, light-colored hair, and bright blue eyes. Perhaps the constant lack of sunlight and the nourishment of the moonlight was the reason for their beauty, giving them an appearance different from the abhorrent creatures lurking at the edge of the forest. The monarch of this kingdom was a beautiful princess with skin as white as snow. Just like the moon, she had the brightest skin, the purest eyes, and the kindest soul. People of the kingdom all vowed their loyalty to her and referred to her as The Pale Princess. The Pale Princess ruled her kingdom with kindness and gentleness. She always knew what was best for her people. Under her rule, the people of the Moonlight Forest never knew the threat of the Night Mother's wrath, and the creatures lurking in the dark never dared to set foot in the forest. However, the Princess had her own troubles. To her, the silvery moon hanging in the night sky seemed like a tiny hole through which the light could pass, and she felt that by following the light back to its source one could almost see the world on the other side. Just like all other people, the Pale Princess would often sit on the stone plate in front of the palace, imagining a world beyond the moonlight. "Will I be able to bring my people there one day?" The Princess thought to herself. "You will." She had not expected to hear an answer. The Princess turned and saw a young prince. "I am the Prince of the Kingdom of Light from the other side of the world," the prince said to the shocked Princess. The Prince shone with an extraordinary light. The people of the Moonlight Forest had never seen such vitality. For as the Prince strolled through the forest, life flourished around him: new leaves sprouted and the Princess and her people grew stronger. He had come to save them. He would eventually save her from the darkness and take her to a kingdom free from all shadows. Although the Prince didn't say it explicitly, the Pale Princess had sensed the possibility of his arrival through her years of meditation. So, she asked. "What's the world like on the other side of the moon?" The Prince had already told her about the Kingdom of Light hundreds of times before, but at that moment, the Prince realized that she was determined to find out for herself. So, having sworn to save her people, the Princess and the Prince left the Moonlight Forest and walked hand in hand into the dark forest of the Land of Night.

Having slogged across the swamp blazing with dark flames and passed the cave overgrown with poisonous mushrooms, the Prince and the Princess finally arrived at the Kingdom of Pygmies. "Princess of the Moonlight Forest, please save my five brothers. We will vow our loyalty to you in return for your kindness," begged a deformed pygmy who had just popped up from behind the branches. The kind Princess, sympathizing with the pygmies, promised to help them. They climbed up the dark mountains and saved the pygmy on the ridge, who was blind. "Oh, silly me. I climbed all the way up here to try and get a better view." The blind pygmy apologized profusely. They dragged another pygmy out of the muddy wetland. This one was a fool. "Hehehe." The foolish pygmy thanked the Princess. They walked into the cave where the Nightgaunt resides and saved another pygmy, who was timid, from the top of a stalactite. "Not… not to brag, but I… I came here to have a fierce fight with the Night Mother's minions!" The timid pygmy explained. They set foot on a barren field and found a shrunken pygmy in the quicksand. "I wanted to see my garden but somehow got lost." Rubbing his withered palms, the shrunken pygmy grinned. They snuck into the nest of shadows and rescued a carefree pygmy from the clutches of carnivorous mushrooms. "I was out for a walk and somehow got trapped here." the carefree pygmy sighed. One by one, the Princess and the Prince saved the deformed pygmy's five brothers. The kind Princess said to them: "Now that you are all my people, please let me take you to the Kingdom of Light. It's a place that can bring sight to the blind, wisdom to the foolish, courage to the timid, and reinvigoration to the shrunken. As a princess, this is my gesture of gratitude to you." On hearing this, the pygmies were elated. To show their gratitude, they went along on the journey to serve the Prince and the Princess. On the surface, the six pygmies were true to the Princess and Prince, and followed them everywhere. But they were still heinous creatures from the Land of Night, and corruption flowed in their veins. As the days traveling to the Kingdom of Light grew long and dangerous, the root of evil would again blossom in their hearts. Fear gave root to malice, and out of malice grew evil scheming. The six pygmies started to devise their nasty plot. The blind pygmy opened his sightless eyes and enjoyed the sunlight greedily. "Why not keep the Prince with us forever? Instead of believing in unfathomable promises, securing the sunlight before us is our best bet." The foolish pygmy gently patted his scabies-ridden head and gulped the light-filled air rapaciously. "Hehehe, I… I think we should kidnap the Prince and use… use him to make us smarter. That's the smart way!" The timid pygmy swung his tiny fists in the air and yelled. "All that rascal did was save our lives and now he acts so condescendingly, treating us like servants. I shall challenge him to a duel!" The shrunken pygmy squinted in disdain. His complexion wrinkled up like a piece of crumpled paper. "Brothers, you have been hiding in the shadows for too long. The darkness has clouded your judgment. It is new life that we need in order to survive. I say we use the corpse of the Prince as fertilizer so my garden might flourish again." The carefree pygmy sighed and looked sullen. "We'd better get this over with quickly… If it weren't for them, these evil thoughts wouldn't have entered my mind, and I wouldn't have become so somber." There was one pygmy who did not join the discussion. This is not because he was not evil, but because the guilt of betraying his savior overcame his wicked nature enough to make him keep his mouth shut. He couldn't even say a single word. Nevertheless, the guilt could not completely suppress his corrupt nature and the pygmies all agreed to the scheme. They decided to poison the Prince's water.

Source

#honkai impact #honkaimpact3rd #ottokallen #kallen kaslana #otto apocalypse

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navigating-through-gray · 1 year

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Hello, I’m Marmo! (@pygmy-marmo) And like you, I’ve been ghosting/lurking for a while, but I finally made a sideblog for all my g/t and vore needs! Super excited to finally talk to everyone!

(This is a not-so-subtle way of me saying “hi you’re sorta new and i’m plenty new lets be friends!”)

Oh hi there! Just saw your reblog. My phone broke just an hour ago and it just saved my day. (emotionally, my phone is still broken XD)

Welcome to the light! Everyone's been just as nice as they seem so far and I hope you have a similar experience.

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roll-a-troll · 11 days

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Name: Ms. Revilo Boldir Ancestor: The Progress Strife Specibus: nailgunkind Blood Color and Sign: Olive; Lerius Handle: triteCalibrator Lusus: duarf parent Pronouns: they/them Age: 10 sweeps Interests: radio-controlled car racing and water polo Sexuality: aroace Class: Mage Land: Land of Deceit and Rain, a dreary place, with borrish Western Pygmy Rattlesnake consorts. It is a place full of a forest of concrete and troubled faith. Rhea lurks in this land's seas. Quirk: use |Y| for your capital M's via roll-a-troll https://ift.tt/rKjYXWZ, do as you please

#IFTTT #fantroll #homestuck

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homestuck-human-generator · 2 months

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Name: Miss Juan Madison Color: Yellow Tan #Ffe36e Symbol: holly Strife Specibus: spoonkind Handle: tastefulCards Animal: anaconda Pronouns: she/her and she/her Age: 19 Birthday: 336th day of the year Sexuality: This person hasn't, would, and never would think about sexuality. Interests: animation and mountaineering Dream Moon: derse Classpect: Rogue of Light Land: Land of Green and Showers, a fancy place, with lovely Western Pygmy Rattlesnake consorts. It is a place full of a fetid swamp and windchimes. Hemera lurks in this land's tracks. Instrument: lysarden

#IFTTT #homestuck #oc generator #homestuck kid

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hongkongoceanpark-unofficial · 7 months

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香港海洋公園熱帶雨林探險徑 Hong Kong Ocean Park 🇭🇰 Expedition Trail

youtube

熱帶雨林是一個孕育奇珍動植物的寶貴天地，踏上這條探險徑，你將會遇上各種雨林中的稀有動物！率先亮相的包括巨嘴鳥家族中體型最大的托哥巨嘴鳥，體型嬌小的綠簇舌巨嘴鳥，還有顏色如寶石般奪目耀眼的毒箭蛙！旅程中你還會發現號稱淡水魚巨無霸的海象魚，以及眼仔碌碌的蜜熊等其他珍貴動物。可愛的侏狨和外型趣怪的水豚更會展示牠們的生存絕技，讓你一邊發掘動物們的有趣習性，一邊領略保護熱帶雨林的重要性。

Take the Expedition Trail into the heart of the Rainforest, where strange and beautiful creatures roam. Hear the calls of world’s largest and smallest toucans, the toco toucan and the green aracari, and spot the brilliantly coloured poison frogs. Discover one of the world’s largest freshwater fish, the arapaima, and the wide-eyed kinkajou. More of the world’s most astounding animals lurk beneath the leaves, like the pygmy marmoset and the capybara, whose incredible adaptations to their habitats make them interesting to learn about and crucial to protect.

香港海洋公園, 熱帶雨林探險徑, Hong Kong Ocean Park, Expedition Trail,

#香港海洋公園 #熱帶雨林探險徑 #HongKongOceanPark #Expedition #Trail #Youtube

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theloveinc · 7 months

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Looooooves!!! Dont let it stress you k 🙏🙏 if you dont feel like it, forcing is not good oki, dont be hard on yourself, go buy you something nice 🫶

EEEeee!! don't worry about me, pygmy!! I'm honestly now kind of okay with waiting to answer something (even if I do feel a little bad abt it) because I'm at the point where it's way more pleasant for me to just take all the time I need to capture the right vibe VERSUS feeling bad that I've forced something out for better timing. plus i think it's more respectful of your thoughts too!

BUT i appreciate this so much! And all the patience and grace and kind words you've given me before, too🖤🖤🖤i'm hoping this means you won't be hard on yourself either!!

#i bought heirloom tomatoes #hope you got yourself something too!!#i love u adore u kiss u🥺🥺🥺#and ur so cute with ur little oki and k #wahhhh #caitie answers #pygmy lurks

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katsukisprincess-archive · 4 years

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gala night jealousy | tamaki x f!reader

a/n: hi hi hi! it’s been forever since i’ve written something and it felt so good to get this out. the jealousy aspect of the relationship is obviously dramatized for the smut. pay attention to red flags in ur personal relationships! i hope you enjoy! my requests are open <3

genre: smut, jealous smut

wc: 2.4k

tags: @tomurasprincess @keigos-dove @carwolinee @catlover7722 @shoutodoki @kimm-ie @jennatheebaby @dabilove27 @ttaste-the-rainbow @buferfliz @dragonchildyuki @dymphnasprose @usernamekate94 @katheriinr @holopoem @engel-hageshii @egghoarder @kyberhearts @mstakami @cadesgay @noamizu @lazywinnerpersonpasta @scawberry @luxivii @flutterfalla @pygmy-lurks @lastminaddition @hisoknen

The flashes of cameras as the door to the limousine opened were immediate.

For a moment, Tamaki was thankful that you were sitting closest to the door. He watched you step out, careful to accept the hand of the driver and make sure your heel was planted firmly on the ground before rising. He had to think through every second of motion he made to prevent an accident or making a fool out of himself; as he saw the light flicker off the sequins of your dress, he wondered if you had to do the same- or if the gracefulness you carried in your movements was just included in the irrevocable marvel that was you.

“(Y/L/N), over here, over here!” The paparazzi yelled out for your attention as Tamaki tottered his way to your side, and he couldn’t help but let out a shaky sigh in relief as you laced your hand through the bend in his arm. Even in his mid-twenties he still hadn’t found comfort in any form of public emergence… you were the only thing that grounded him, but especially so tonight.

You had been off in America for nearly a month with your agency, taking workshops, keeping up appearances as you were being called one of the new Pro-Heroes to keep eyes on. It was nearly two years after graduating with your class from UA High, but still, you were making waves in the Hero scene all around the world alongside your agency partner, who you had grown up with and now worked with- Mezo Shouji.

Tamaki didn’t dislike Shouji. How could he? He was one of the most respectable people he had ever met, even while going through school years. There was no denying that he was a good friend to you, as well- there were no signs pointing otherwise. You had been dating Tamaki for almost seven years now and while there were mishaps he comforted you through with your other friends, nothing ever went astray when it came to your multi-limbed agency partner. There was nothing to hate.

Well… maybe one thing.

You spend so much time with him.

It nearly had Tamaki itching at this point. He understood the insane schedule of a hero as he lived the life himself, just in a different agency. Time together was sparse, so when you had it, you had to make the most of it, especially now that you were back from such a long trip. The anxiety he felt bubble in his stomach as he watched you be whisked away for pictures with Shouji annoyed him beyond coherent thought. What was the point of getting so upset over this?

He tried to reason with himself while he stood off to the side, sometimes taking pictures with Kirishima and Togata as they passed, sometimes answering questions for reporters that he wished would just walk away. He trusted you, he loved you more than anything, and he genuinely considered Shouji a close friend at this point. Still… when his pointy ears perked up at the sound of compliments towards you and him, he wondered if he was going to be sick.

“You two look so good together! Can we get another pose?” One of the reporters chirped, holding her camera up as you and Shouji stood in another position for her. He didn’t realize he was zoning out until he felt Mirio’s hand on his shoulder, breaking him from his reverie.

“Relax, Tamaki, we’ll be out of here soon! Wanna start walking up?” Always positive and always having his back, Tamaki was thankful that Mirio saw his clenched fists and dark eyes as general anxiety and not shooting arrows into the hand- hands?- that Shouji had currently gripping your hip.

Giving a short nod in response, Tamaki and Mirio began their trek inside the building, all the while Tamaki prayed for this night to just be over.

***

He learned quickly that it was far from over.

If anything could go wrong that night, it seemed to happen. He got to sit next to you for the awards, but Shouji was on the other side of you. This was normal, Tamaki kept reassuring himself. You two were nominated for an award together, which symbolized the best duo currently in the field. You won, of course, and while Tamaki was so fucking proud of you, he couldn’t help but feel that same twinge of jealousy. You looked so beautiful in the dress you were wearing, and all night he could feel his cock straining against his slacks in response. He hadn’t been able to touch you in weeks… and that was all Shouji was doing tonight.

Little did he know, you were completely aware of how he was feeling. Jealousy wasn’t a new feeling for Tamaki, and you were both very open to each other communication wise. Judging by the way he was groping you in the back of the limo on the way to the gala, you knew you were in for it already. Tamaki tended to take a lot of emotion out during sex, knowing that what he couldn’t possibly describe with words, he could show through actions. Would it hurt to… encourage that kind of roughness? You didn’t think so, fueling your own desires and setting yourself out to be the thing Tamaki couldn’t take his eyes off of all night.

After the awards, you focused on the little things. Reaching out to touch Shouji’s arm when you laughed at something he would say, or pressing your ass against Tamaki’s boner and pulling his arms to lace around your chest to make it look like a normal, sweet gesture.

The sharp intake of his breath was enough for you to know you hit a nerve.

“Careful, bunny.” Tamaki whispered in your ear, rocking forward against your ass just slightly and raising goosebumps across your skin. “I’d be more compassionate if you want that dress,” His hand trailed up your chest, his thumb sticking out to trace the fast-pulsing vein in your neck, “to still be in one piece by the time we get home.”

Your response was out before you could think about the repercussions. “The reporters said it looked stunning against Mezo’s hair.”

Wrong move.

Suddenly thankful that no one around you was paying attention, you barely had time to gasp before you were being yanked out of the ballroom and down a secluded hallway. He was bold to assume that you were able to keep up with his lanky legs in the heels you were wearing, but your fashion didn’t seem to be his top priority at the moment. You played catch up with him, nearly being dragged the rest of the way before he found a bathroom.

“A bathroom Tamaki? Seri- hey!”

Your dress was being unzipped and pulled down your body before the door was even closed. After pushing it shut and locking it, Tamaki lifted you out of the mess of fabric and kicked it to the side. You wanted to make a comment about how expensive it was, but judging by how he was literally holding you in the air to kick your heels off of your feet, you figured now wasn’t the best time to talk.

“What is it about Shouji that has you so enamoured?” He asked in your ear, dropping you to your feet before ripping the panties you had off of your hips. Your complaints fell on deaf ears and you were thanking the universe at that moment that your dress had a bra built in.

“What? Tamaki, I’m not-”

“That’s not an answer. Is it the arms? Do you think about what he could do with arms like that, bunny?” His voice grew deeper towards the end, sounding like it was scratching out of his chest as his arms suddenly turned into a multitude of tentacles, each finding one of your limbs to grab onto to hold your back against his chest. You were on full display in the mirror in front of you, and Tamaki was looking over your shoulder at the complete show he was making of you. “Do you want to feel what all of those can do?”

With one sticky tentacle trailing up and wrapping around your neck, you had very little room to speak. Instead you laid your head back against his shoulder and tried to look up at him, open-mouthed whimpers ringing off the bathroom walls and drool trickling down your cheek.

You felt your eyes roll back into your head as his limbs squeezed and pulled at your nipples, one just barely finding your clit between your folds and running small circles onto it. You weren’t able to control the whimpers, or silence the sounds in any way, and you could only wonder through the fog if anyone was listening.

The thought had you soaking.

Tamaki, truthfully, was just as much of a mess as you were. With his dress shirt sleeves rolled up, tie undone, and buttons popped on his shirt, he still felt like he was in a sauna. It took very little to get him worked up when it came to you, and seeing you spread eagle against him and nearly crying in his ear before he even took his dick out had him questioning if he would cum in his boxers.

“Yeah bunny, that’s a good girl,” He panted, pressing a kiss to your temple as he quickly used a tentacle to undo his pants and release his cock. There was no waiting- he could feel your abdomen rippling the way it before you hit your peak and he needed to be inside of you. “Such a good girl-”

Stumbling forward with his pants around his ankles, Tamaki lifted you up onto the countertop between two sinks so that you were on your knees. He was at the perfect height to slip into your dripping cunt from this angle, his tentacles pulling your arms behind your back as he began the process of stretching you out around his dick. You spread your knees just a little wider, causing him to hit a spot deep inside of you that made you yell out for him and fall back against his chest. He used this position to his advantage, beginning to pump himself inside of you.

“Fuck, you’re so tight.” Tamaki breathed out, his left hand turning back to normal so he could hold your neck again, but this time against his own skin. He picked up his pace with this, but as he sped up and your moans and whimpers grew even louder, he pushed you forward so your hands were bracing yourself up against the mirror.

This gave Tamaki the perfect angle to watch your reactions, seeing your mouth fall open and the glass fog as he pounded balls-deep into you relentlessly. “Oh, Tama, right there, please, please~” Your strings of words began to barely make sense as he held your hips in a bruising grip, but still, it wasn’t enough.

Slipping you off of the counter, Tamaki dropped you to your feet and brought you back against the cool tile wall. He wasted no time in picking you back off the floor, utilizing one hand of tentacles to wrap your legs around his waist as he buried himself back in your pussy.

This position was much more intimate, and fuck did he look like a beautiful mess above you. No matter how many times you two spent time like this, neither of you would ever get sick of it. Tamaki was convinced that you were the best thing he would ever have in this lifetime, and he would be damned if he wasn’t going to spend a lot of that lifetime making you cum around his cock.

“You feel so good, Tamaki~” You whispered, your lips crashing against his in hopes of swallowing some of the ridiculous noises you were sure were floating through the building at this point. He responded with a long, drawn out groan, his eyes pressed tightly closed as he fought to not cum that second. Your arms fell around his neck and you let your hands wander up into his hair, yanking at the indigo tresses and forcing his thrusts to stutter inside of you. You could tell he was fighting off his orgasm, but you wanted nothing more in that moment than to make him release. “Cum in me, Tama, fill me up, please cum in me~”

Another groan from him, but this time followed by now two human arms wrapping around your torso, pressing you hard against the wall, and fucking you with absolute reckless abandon. Tears fell from your eyes at the sheer impact, and as you bit down on his shoulder, you came harder around him than you ever had in your relationship. You worried your nails drew blood with how harshly you were grasping at him, but with the sheer force of his own hands, you knew you would probably face similar marks.

Tamaki came deep inside of you, stuffing his load and filling you to the brim. Your first thought once you caught you breath was to clean yourself up since you were already in the bathroom, but before you were even off from against the wall Tamaki had stuffed your pussy with a plug he pulled from the pocket of his slacks.

Once he backed away you looked at him incredulously, and he couldn’t help but take in your entire look. You were a mess, ridiculously so, and he used the pads of his thumbs to wipe off excess eyeliner and mascara. As he tried to gently fix your hair, he pressed the softest kiss to your forehead. “I’ll help you zip the dress up. Long night ahead.”

***

Even as you walked back to the main party, you questioned how you didn’t notice Tamaki had a fucking plug in his pocket. You whispered to him about it the whole way there, commenting on how there was still so much to do that night and it could have been so uncomfortable.

Tamaki could only smile. If you didn’t notice the plug in one pocket, you surely didn’t notice the ring box he had stuffed in the other.

#tamaki x reader #amajiki x reader #tamaki amajiki x reader #amajiki tamaki x reader #suneater x reader #my hero academia x reader #boku no hero academia x reader #my hero academia #mha #boku no hero academia #bnha

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char-lotteral · 3 years

Text

It's Different When You're Here

Day 2: Battle Couple- A threat lurks outside of Konoha. And after they capture him, Naruto doesn't enjoy the smug faces the guy shoots at his wife.

Crimson.

Everywhere they looked, everyone was bathed in crimson.

The wretched smell of burnt flesh poignant in the air. Kunais flying left and right as the enemies continued advancing. Rogue nins kept appearing out of nowhere, one by one circling the vicinty.

Naruto, now on his last fuel of chakra, never withdrew, binding the enemies with his make-shift fist from Kurama's chakra.

"Where the hell are they coming from??" He cried out, a huge wave of pygmy attackers assaulting him from every corner. The size of a dwarf, three latched onto his leg, another two clung onto his arm and dozens more kept dashing towards them.

***

@nhweek

#nhweek2021 #nhweek #naruhina #naruhina fanfiction

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dev-the-dm · 3 years

Text

Creature: Pygmy Kraken

They were barely in the boat or the wood on the outside began to creak as they were set upon by a swarm of squid-like creatures. "What is this?" Thuras asked, lifting one with the tip of his warhammer as it writhed, attempting to reach him. "Pygmy kraken," the fisherman sighed, "they are a nuisance."

Kraken's little sibling. Pygmy krakens are distant cousins of the much larger, much more dangerous kraken. Despite this difference in size, pygmy krakens act as if they were gigantic monsters, fighting among themselves and attacking fishing boats left and right. They seem to be unaware of their smaller size. Where you find one pygmy kraken, many more often lurk, waiting for you to get into the water.

Hunted at sea. Pygmy krakens live in both sweet and salt water, swimming through the oceans with other marine creatures, and occasionally found near their larger cousins, but also disturbing calm fishing villages by swarming their lakes. Despite their ability to climb a boat and their willingness to attack anyone, even on land, pygmy krakens are often a target of fishing expeditions, and any central fishing area that is not too hot may catch them regularly.

#d&d #dnd #dungeons and dragons #dnd5e #d&d5e #d&d 5th edition #monstrosities #cr1/2 #dev's homebrews #5th edition dungeons and dragons

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honeywithblueberries · 3 years

Text

The Perks- Face to Face

I told you I was writing another one. It’s a bit meh, but I hope you like it! And there’s some light smut in it too :).

…………………….

Jack sat at the table across from the small ewe and glowered, the badge around her neck displaying her name.

Even her fucking name is annoying, the buck thought. Dawn Bellwether… Phft! Dawn! This bitch ain’t aptly named.

Skye had been initially excused from the meeting, though she took it as recommendation rather than an order. Her arms were crossed as she stood behind Jack. Her blue eyes were afire with rage but for all the good it did, she may as well have been in the kitchen. Still, the rabbit buck was comforted by her presence. The ewe simply sat calmly in front of them, unfazed by the angry predator.

Bellwether clacked away at the bulky laptop, a smug grin on her face as she did.

“Such a disgusting little shop,” she said, her eyes flicking up at the audible grind of Jack’s teeth. “My sister was here last week. Told me all about the filth and muck that was lurking here.“ The ewe tsked and paused her typing. “Can’t say I’m surprised. An owner that lets their morals fly as loose as yours? No wonder this place is a garbage heap.”

“Yeah, fresh sani buckets, sanitized sinks, up to code refrigerators and freezers with everything in them labeled and dated, and all of my employees have their food handler’s cards. Not to mention my grease trap and kitchen have been recently inspected and the fire department has already given their ‘OK’ after our last inspection.” Jack gave the inspector an almost friendly smile. “But you’re right! Such a filthy dump of free love and expression. Stick around long enough and you may get invited upstairs for our… What would you call it, Skye?” The buck gave a mockingly confused look over his shoulder at the vixen, who shot the ewe a toothy grin.

Her paws went to his shoulders as she leaned over him. “I thought we were good with calling it an orgy, handsome.” She maintained eye contact as she grinned, showing off every pearly white tooth, and lightly nipped Jack’s ear.

The buck grinned at the look of horror on Bellwether’s face, trying not to shiver when she hit a sensitive spot. His paw rose to cover Skye’s and gave it a small squeeze. With a shake of her head, her jaw obviously, painfully clenched, Bellwether tapped away at her computer.

“Fortunately for you,” she began, her eyes focused on the screen, “the law prohibits me from inspecting a private residence.”

“Yes, I feel myself drowning in fortune,” Jack remarked with a sarcastic smile. Bellwether merely huffed at him and continued to type.

“But be that as it may,” the ewe continued, “there’s still enough around this hovel to fail you. Or at least not give you the A you think you deserve.”

For the first time since they sat down, Jack let his temper rise out of his control. A bolt of righteous anger shot down his spine and he shot to his feet. His fur fluffed out and his ears were stiff as boards on his head.

“Like what?” he demanded. “The only thing you have on us is a grudge. The last three health inspectors have always rated us as one of the cleanest restaurants in the city and we've followed every code down to the letter. My mammals called me the Striped Dictator for the first six months we were in business!”

Skye looked at him in surprise before her ears picked up the sound of light laughter. Sandra, Bobby, and Kari were trying to hide their amusement by the register. Sandra caught Skye’s eye and nodded.

“It’s true,” she confirmed. “That was the nicest name we had for him.” Skye bit the inside of her cheek before turning her attention back to the ewe.

“So?” demanded Jack as he crossed his arms and looked at the ewe expectantly. “What possible reason could you have for giving us a less than perfect score? Or do I need to file a complaint with the health board and alert them of our previous exchange.”

With a falsely sweet smile, Bellwether stood and closed her laptop. Facing the buck fully, she gave him a look so cocky, Skye automatically put her paws on his shoulders to keep him from punching her.

“Minors under the age of fifteen can’t get their food safety cards in Zootopia.” Bellwether turned her smile towards Nick, Judy, and Gideon, who could be seen peeking out from the kitchen. Facing Jack once more, she handed him the inspection slip and gathered her things. “C minus. Tsk! Such a shame. Maybe next time we can bump it up to a C plus." Pulling her laptop case behind her, Bellwether marched towards the door. “Toodaloo!”

Both Jack and Skye glared after her, Skye more composed than her boss, who was practically quivering with rage.

“I will snap her,” he growled, his bright blue eyes still narrowed on the closed cafe door. “I will snap her like a fucking twig.”

Skye ran her paws up his arms to his shoulders, giving the tense muscles a reassuring squeeze.

“We can contest the grade, can’t we?” she asked him. Jack looked over his shoulder at her. “I mean, we can go to the board and file a complaint still. And challenge the grade she gave us. Clearly it was motivated by a personal vendetta and was undeserved.”

“We could, but that doesn’t rule out the fact that she’s right. The kits are too young to get their food safety cards so we’ll have to go through our parents.” Jack sighed and rubbed his muzzle tiredly. “We're going to have to get documentation."

Skye cocked her head at him. “So what’s the issue?”

“It’s not really an issue. Just annoying.” The buck shook his head and stood. “I can bet she’s going to use that against us. If she won’t change our grade after the extra legwork, then we’ll go big.”

Sandra blinked at him before looking at the todd in question. Nick just shrugged at her before the doe turned back to her boss.

“How could you, Mr. Nit Pick, overlook those details? It’s not like you at all.” All eyes turned to the astounded buck. Sandra let a small smirk cross her face before flicking her eyes over to Skye. “Distracted much?”

Jack frowned at her, his crimson ears falling to his back as the fur of his cheeks tinted pink. He opened his mouth to speak, only to be cut off by the sounds of angry yelling. Screeching, more like. Very familiar screeching. Jack, Skye, and everyone else present rushed to the windows to see what the commotion was. A snort escaped him when he saw the ewe rush out of the shop across the street, chased by a predator less than half Skye’s size.

“Cami,” Jack and Sandra said together, laughter in their voices.

“Who?” Skye, Gid, and Nick looked at them curiously as Judy giggled.

“Did someone let Cami out?” Jon asked from the kitchen, excitement in his voice as he rushed to see the spectacle.

All eyes turned back to the window as a vixen only a few inches taller than Finnick chased the ewe down the sidewalk. A broom was waved at her in a threatening manner, her angry tirade audible even from a distance.

“You get out here, you horrible, awful, dirty little creature!” Cami shrieked. "Get out before I shove this broom where the sun don't shine! I deny your entry to my business!"

“It’s a routine health inspection! It's required by law!” Argued Bellwether as she tried to re-approach only for the kit fox to wave her broom and gnash her teeth.

“Get her, Cami,” mumbled Jon, his fists closed in excitement. The mammals in the shop all looked at him. “Get her, get her!”

“Routine inspection! Ha!” Cami scoffed. “Routine inspection, my sweet, little tail! You’re targeting predator friendly shops and I WON’T STAND FOR IT! Hi-ya!” The broom was swiped at her and Bellwether leapt back to avoid getting hit. "That's what I think of your silly law!"

That set off another round of giggles from the occupants of the Perk. Trying to push down his amusement, Jack remembered he actually liked Cami and her being arrested for assault would do no one any favors. Least of all, the family waiting for her inside.

“I’ll be back,” Jack laughed as he headed for the door. Skye watched with interest as the buck raced over and stepped between the two, his paws raised in a soothing manner towards the vixen.

Her furious eyes were still ablaze as she tried to duck around the buck. Skye snorted with laughter as Jack succeeded in scooping up the pygmy fox and sling her over his shoulder. He spun to face Bellwether and address her. Though his words were drowned out by Cami's shrieks of rage and indignation.

“You will put me down right, Hopps, or I’ll yank that sad excuse for a tail out! Put me down!” She thrashed about, Jack nearly losing his hold on her. "I WON'T STAND FOR THIS! AFTER I'M DONE WITH THIS BITCH, I'M COMING AFTER YOU!"

A round of laughter erupted from the cafe. Skye was impressed at how well Jack was handling it. She was way bigger than the kit fox, but had no doubt Cami could lay her out like a rug.

“Give her a minute,” Jon commented, taking a sip of his coffee. Sandra nodded in agreement next to him. Kari and Bobby simply shook their heads and returned to work.

“She’ll tire herself out and crash,” Sandra chuckled and shook her head one more time before heading back to the register. "This isn't the first time something like this has happened."

And sure enough, as the ewe decided it wasn’t worth the aggravation and stormed off with a final glare, the vixen slumped over his shoulder in defeat. Jack wagged his fingers after Bellwether, his “Toodaloo!” audible as his fingers dropped to flip her back off.

“I’m putting you down now,” he warned, as Cami took deep breaths to cool down. “Are you calm?”

“I’m cool, I'm good,” she assured, smiling brightly over her shoulder at him. He nodded and crouched to let her hop off. Only to snatch her by the back of her shirt when she lunged in the direction of the vanishing ewe. “I WILL CUT HER!”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m sure you will, killer.” He jerked her back and cautiously released her when she stopped struggling.

She gave up and settled for giving the sidewalk an angry kick before turning to storm off. Curses were muttered under her breath as Jack sighed in relief before looking into the window of the Perk and giving Skye a smile and wave. She wasn’t exactly sure why that made him so sexy, but it did.

“I’m so locking that down,” she murmured to herself with a smile and waved back. The warmth that spread through her tickled and she chuckled a little to herself before turning around. And she nearly ran into Judy. The little bunny giggled and allowed the vixen to put an arm around her shoulders.

“Sorry about that, Bun-Bun,” the vixen joked, giving her a small squeeze and walking towards the coffee bar.

“Jack’s thinking the same thing, if it makes you feel any better. You don't need it, but you have my blessing," Judy grinned then skipped away.

Skye smiled after her, her ears twitching at the sound of the door opening. She turned to greet the buck, leaning against the bar and crossing her arms, her eyes silently inviting him to join her. He returned her grin with one of his own, leaning next to her once he approached.

"So…." She began with a smile. "Cami?"

He huffed and rolled his eyes. But they did light up a bit with humor when the kit fox was brought up.

"She owns the little bistro across the street.” Jack leaned into her space, her muzzle moving in, nearly touching his. “Mostly caters to predators, but she has an amazing black bean burger. She's a little…."

"Perfect," sighed Jon from the coffee maker, breaking whatever trance they were under. They blushed and looked over to him. .

"Bonkers,” Sandra gave the raccoon a droll glare which he ignored while he refilled his coffee. He was obviously day dreaming about whatever a guy like him dreamed of. “Bonkers, is the correct adjective. She’s nice and fun, but balls to the wall insane. Jon has a little crush, " the bunny added with a small smile. “Nevermind Cami’s like ten years older than he is and married.”

The vixen gave a light chuckle, before turning to Jack with a mischievous smile. “Whatever gets him going. Jack, can I talk to you in private? We really should go over that… meeting.”

Sandra nearly choked on her drink. Jon ducked his head to hide his smile and reached for the kits to herd them into the kitchen. Nick and Judy looked back towards their siblings and rolled their eyes but complied. Gideon paid no one any mind as he went right back to making his cookie list.

Jack- being a red blooded male and very good at reading between her lines- got it. His blue eyes became wide when Skye gave him a final, lingering look and moved to the stairs. He was so stunned that for a moment he could only watch her walk away from him, that lucious tail giving a far too appealing flick. She was halfway up the stairs before he came to his senses and tried to not make his haste too obvious.

“Yeah, yeah,” he answered, smiling as he gave a distracted wave towards the remaining employees and rushed after her. “Totally! We gotta lot to talk about after that visit. We gotta stay…” his mouth went dry when she turned to face him at the apartment door, completely out of sight of the main lobby. One white paw undid the top few buttons of her shirt and Jack’s train of thought was completely derailed. “...on top of…” He swallowed when another button came undone and the edge of her bra was revealed, “...of the…. thing....”

The giggles and scoffs from down below were ignored. Easily, in fact. Even Sandra’s offer to start making the appropriate phone calls fell on deaf ears. Skye opened the unlocked door with one paw, the other snatching him by the collar and crushing her lips to his. They stumbled over the threshold. Jack’s paws went to her hips and the door was kicked shut. Her paws stripped him of his shirt just as her ass found the dining room table. He helped her onto it as he finished unbuttoning her shirt and tossed it over his shoulder. Once it was out of the way, his paws went to her jaw to continue their kiss.

“I’ve been dreaming of this since I first saw you,” he mumbled as his mouth and paws began to explore. Jack dragged his lips down her throat making her groan and clutch at his shoulders. Her knees went to his hips trying to drag him closer and properly wrap her legs around him. His paws moved over her body, thumbs slipping under her bra strap but pausing until he got permission. She dropped her own to his belt buckle, feeling him pause and huff into her fur, inhaling her scent as deeply as he could.

Jack pulled back, panting heavily, and both sets of eyes dropped to her paws before meeting again. Her shifting hips put enough pressure on her target that he had to bite his lip to stifle his groan. A paw left to cup his jaw and brought his gaze back to hers. Blue met blue while Jack composed himself enough to focus.

“What do you want from me, Jack?” Skye asked, her voice laced with uncertainty. Jack smiled at her as if it was obvious.

“Forever,” he answered. “I want forever.”

Again, his collar was grabbed and their lips crashed together.

“I need you,” she muttered against his lips. “All of you…”

“I’m yours…” Was the passionate response.

Both sets of paws moved to the other's pants, frantically unbuttoning. Skye had his belt undone and was ready to shove them to the ground just as he managed to slip hers away from her hips. She pressed herself close against him, lifting and shifting to get them off and onto the floor. All she wanted now was to strip him naked as fast as she could.

And she would have…. if the door hadn’t banged open.

…………

“They’re going to do it somewhere gross,” Bobby muttered. Nick, who had grabbed a bus tub, pulled a face of disgust.

"Bobby!" He protested. Judy had begun to help Kari pull orders together and shared a short giggle with her. Nick caught her eye. "Why aren't you more grossed out by this?"

Judy shrugged and gave him a smile.

"I'm a bunny," she explained, boxing up cookies. "Some of the things I've walked in on still give me nightmares." The doe shuddered and earned a laugh from the young todd. "There's a reason some stereotypes exist. Jack isn't nearly as bad as some of my other brothers and sisters. At least, not while I'm here."

"Not while you're away, either," Sandra confirmed. "The last doe I saw him with was when Adrian Bogo got married last year. They were only together for a few weeks but we didn’t really see her at all. She cheated on him to try to make him jealous because he was so focused on work. I don’t think he ever noticed she stopped coming around." She winked at Nick who was listening in curiosity. “It takes a lot for Jack to notice someone. And Skye is something else.”

Her comment brought a smile to Nick’s lips. All he wanted was what was best for Skye, being his sister and all, and he wanted to make sure any future brother-in-law was worthy of her. Being related to Judy was a huge point in the plus column, but he owed it to his big sister to keep his eyes and ears open. She had such rotten luck with todds and dates in general.

"Your sister picked a good one,” Sandra stacked the orders together and passed the slips to Judy for double checking. Taking another tray of fresh cookies from Gideon she headed out to the display counter.

“The best one,” Judy assured. She also took up a tray as she and Nick exchanged one last smile before he got back to his task. Though she almost ran into Sandra who was paused in the doorway, staring intently out the window. Kari was also frozen, her brow furrowed and ears alert, staring intently at the car that parked in front.

“Isn’t that your brother?” the corasc asked.

Nick and Judy looked past the older mammals, the doe recognizing the beat up SUV. Tom had it since high school and the thing ran on prayers and stubbornness. Nothing anyone could say would make him give that hunk of junk up and he avoided driving long distances specifically so his ride would last longer.

“What’s Tom doing here?” Judy asked to no one in particular. Tom’s dark brown ears were straight as rods, his brows furrowed as he strode to the door of the cafe and marched up to the register.

Judy maneuvered around the adults to speak with him. But he cut her off before she could open her mouth.

“Where’s Jack?” he demanded.

“Uhhh….” Her eyes involuntarily looked towards the stairs, his following before he made towards them. Panic filled her, darting around the bar to try to stop him. “Tom! Wait! You can’t go up there!”

Tom ignored his little sister and took the stairs two at a time. Judy was almost caught up when he banged the door open. The sight of his brother half dressed between the legs of a mostly nude predator had him backing up in shock, his nose twitching like mad as he took in the scene. The amorous couple gasped and Jack spun around trying to use his body to keep Skye out of view. His paws snatched up his shirt, which Skye had dropped next to the table after relieving him of it, and passed it to her. She accepted it gratefully with a blush spreading over her ears and cheeks.

“Tom?” Jack gasped out, frantically trying to redo his belt and pants. Noticing his little sister behind him (along with over half of Perks staff) only made his fluster worse. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you working the market today?”

“Mom and Dad gave me the day off because I told them I had to see you right away.” His brown eyes were focused on the vixen behind his brother, watching her slip the tee-shirt on before hopping off the table to fetch her pants. Jack didn’t care for the appreciative gleam in his brother’s eye. “Maple’s been ranting and raving since she came home this morning about how unbalanced you are.” He met Jack’s gaze, his eyes full of humor with a touch of disbelief. “I’m guessing this is what she was talking about.”

Skye, now fully dressed, turned to face the newcomer with a nervous smile on her muzzle.

"Hi, I'm Skye. I'm Jack's new… GM…" her blush intensified, realizing how their situation must have seemed to his brother.

Tom bit his lip and pulled an expression that had her confused. Like he was trying very hard not to laugh.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Skye," he croaked out. His throat was cleared before he continued. "I'm guessing you're the reason our sister is screaming the burrow down."

Skye narrowed her eyebrows in confusion. She turned to Jack, who was rubbing his temples with his back to their audience. Realizing he now had everyone's attention, the stripped buck tried to furtively adjust his pants. He turned to make eye contact with her.

"What's he talking about?" She demanded.

"I didn't want to upset you," Jack took a breath and braced himself when Skye's expression became stormy and suspicious. "My sister had stopped by and saw us at the bar the other night. She came to the shop on your day off, we got in a fight, and she stormed out. I didn't tell you because she's a major speciest bitch, Skye, you didn't deserve to be subjected to it."

She didn't hesitate to stride to him, pulling him back into her arms with another kiss.

"I don't want this to come between you and your family," Skye said as soon as they pulled apart. "This can't destroy everything you worked for."

"Everything I worked for is here in this room." Jack smiled and kissed her again. Pulling back, he gave her a satisfied grin before scowling over her shoulder. "And I would appreciate some boundaries not being broken, thank you very much. "

Tom had been choking on his laughter, leaning on the door frame with Judy patting his back with concern. Nick, Sandra, Kari, Bobbie, and Jon looked between the two brothers. From the bottom of the stairs, Gideon's tentative "Hello?" had them snapping out of it.

Sandra looked horrified once she remembered the young todd was left alone downstairs. "Be right there Gid!"

Everyone but Nick followed her to rejoin Gideon downstairs. Nick's eyes were filled with suspicion and narrowed in on Tom. The brown buck was starting to compose himself and straighten up, putting his arm around Judy while turning to face their still shirtless brother.

“Sorry!” He said before pressing a kiss to his baby sister’s head. “Judy, why don’t you and your friend head down stairs? I'll be down in a bit.”

Skye felt a bit of protective annoyance sneak down her spine at the action. Her intelectual side knew this mammal was closer to the doe than she was, but close proximity with her made Skye’s sisterly instinct kick in. She must have growled because Jack turned to smile reassuringly at her. Once the door closed, he led Skye to the couch and took a seat next to her. Tom was waved towards the chair and Jack to a breath in anticipation for all the questions. From Tom AND Skye.

“So,” Tom cleared his throat and studied his paws, “How long has this been going on?”

The couple gave each other curious looks.

“I think since day one for me…” Jack answered with a smile.

“Sounds about right.” Skye grinned back and pulled him in for a kiss he happily returned. They shocked Tom more by getting a bit carried away. His shock wore off just as his brother’s paws went up the back of her shirt and he cleared his throat.

“Okay, but what’s the time frame?” He had a bit of an edge to his voice when they parted with embarrassed expressions and even more reluctance.

“Two week-mfpt!” came Judy’s voice before it was muffled with a giggle and soft “Shhh….!”

“Nick!”

“Judy!”

“Down stairs, please!” the trio ordered together. The pair on the other side of the door giggled louder and rushed down the stairs.

Tom was half turned in his chair facing the door when he began to shake his head. “I heard from Quentin that she was talking to a fox in the city. I’m guessing that’s him?” Jack nodded with a laugh. The situation was really quite ridiculous, but at least Skye was laughing with him. And he was very aware that she was wearing his shirt; it was really doing something to him. Really, REALLY doing something to him.

“Yeah, that’s my brother,” the vixen slumped back into the couch.

Close enough to Jack so he could pull her into him. It was bizarre for Tom to see his normally uptight brother so infatuated with something other than work. SO bizarre, he had to stand up and shake off the chills he got from the constant state of shock. When he returned to his seat, he took a breath and made his request.

“Okay, I’m just going to ask you both to go back and just catch me up on what’s going on.”

Jack grinned at his brother and got up to head for the kitchen. Shooting a quick text to Sandra updating her on the situation, he pulled open the fridge and grabbed three beers.

“I hope your meter’s paid up,” he said, passing him and Skye a beer each before settling back down with his own. “It’s a long story.”

…………

Greg was hunched over in his tent with every article of clothing he had pulled on. On occasion a drop of water would drip onto his nose, courtesy of the many holes in the roof of his tent. His sleeping bag was drenched but fortunately his clothing was waterproof.

It had been raining non-stop since they had set up camp. They hadn’t even been able to start a fire, getting only as far as setting up shelter before the area was flooded with a late spring storm. Fortunately, they had all been scouts together, and thought to bring rations that didn’t need to be heated.

But that was a small comfort as they gazed miserably out at the pouring rain.

“This sucks.” Greg smiled at the sound of Marco’s voice. The badger’s eyes could be seen glowering at the rain from his own tent.

“Yeah,” agreed Andrew, the meerkat, as Victor (the ferret) laughed next to him. “Whose bright idea was this?”

“Wilde’s,” Victor supplied.

“Said the group of males who claimed camping would help them get in touch with inner predators.” The todd shuddered as a particularly large drop of rain water landed on his nose. Looking up, he groaned as the once invisible tear in the seam now showed a small glimpse on the soggy canopy above them. “Though I’m willing to call a truce in this episode of Male Vs Wild. I mean, if anyone else is interested.”

There was a brief pause before his friends scrambled to their feet to pack up their things. With much slipping and sliding, tents, coolers, and sleeping bags were broken down and tossed in a muddy heap in the car.

“All right,” groaned Marco as he climbed into the driver’s seat, “let’s get the hell out of here. And you animals are cleaning my car when we get back.”

Sighs echoed around the vehicle when the air vent warmed up. They pulled out of the camp site towards the highway, Greg stretching as much as he could in the back and relaxing. Part of him was excited to be going home early. As much as he loved his friends, he found himself wanting a bit more curvier companionship. He couldn’t go back to the bar, on the off chance Duke was there, but he had a few places in mind that wouldn’t look too closely at his fake.

But there was something to be said about vixen he saw at the gas station. She was just the sort of companionship he needed right now. And the fact that she didn’t seem the least bit charmed by him made him pant harder.

Way to be a cliche, Wilde, he thought with a smile as he dozed.

The trip back home seemed to take no time at all. Before they knew it, the wild outskirts of Meadowland became more rural and cultivated before turning into the more familiar streets Savana Central. With rain left behind, the dreary twilight they left behind was now clear and (mostly) dry city nightlife.

After being dropped off in front of his building, Greg lugged his gear up and into the apartment. It was left in a damp heap by the door as the todd savored the silence for a moment before heading towards the bathroom. He sighed in relief when the hot water hit him, soaking into his fur, taking the dirt and grime with it down the drain. Suddenly he felt very tired. The idea of going out and finding some company lost its appeal and a new idea took form. Once he was clean and dry, he fell into his bed and opened his laptop. He scrolled a bit and found what he was looking for; he leaned back and pressed play on his favorite video.

“Okay, Greg!” His dad’s voice came from behind the camera as he focused on his nine year old son in the hospital bed. “How ya feelin’, buddy?”

“Really great, Dad,” he answered, looking exhaustedly into the camera. “Nothing like having your appendix taken out to make a mammal feel alive.”

The camera shook as Matthew laughed.

“Trust me, bud!” his dad’s voice assured cheerfully. “Someday you're going to watch this and thank me for making it.”

“Oh, honey,” his mother laughed when Matty swung the camera to her. She carried a bag of Greg’s favorite fast food for dinner and set it on his bedside. “Please give it a rest with that thing and help your daughter with your son.”

On his bed, Greg laughed with tears in his eyes when his father zoomed in on his mother’s rump and whistled. Vivian swished her tail in irritation but there was humor in her voice when she addressed him again.

“Matty, you’re going to scar our children for life.”

“Too late,” Skye chirped from somewhere off screen.

He could hear himself laughing off camera and the screen zoomed out again and focused on the bedridden kit. This time, Skye had come to stand on the other side of the bed and settled their little brother on the bed with him. The youngest Wilde snuggled next to his big brother and took a burger from his mom.

“I’m just making sure everyone knows who the world’s greatest family is.” The camera was flipped around and showed a close up of Matty’s nose before he adjusted it. The familiar green eyes were as bright as they had been the last time he saw him alive. “I have the world’s greatest family,” he declared. “That’s me, Matthew Wilde.” The camera went back to the Wilde’s eating their food while their patriarch amused himself.

Greg cried but was smiling as he clicked through his saved videos. But in the end it was just salt on his wounds. He felt a tug of loneliness and curled up and closed his eyes. His mind wandered to the vixen in the gas station. She was something else and if he had been in a better mood he would have gone out to find her or a vixen who looked like her. Falling into a fitful sleep, the todd dreamed about his father and their life before that horrible day.

And part of him desperately hoped he would find what the rest of his family was finding: Peace.

…………..

It was an interesting day for Tom. A whole new world of firsts that had been busted wide open and it was (if he was being honest with himself) a lot to take in at once. He knew there was a reason why Jack and Judy were so close. Ever since she was small, she and Jack had been like carbon copies of each other. Though she noticeably lacked his skills in the kitchen. But neither of them seem to fit the majority of the stereotypes for rabbits. Jack hated carrots and Judy had less interest in dating than her big brother.

But seeing the two oddballs in the family go ga-ga over foxes was rather… disconcerting. Almost as much as seeing the foxes go ga-ga over them. And even more crazy was Tom could see exactly what Jack saw in Skye. At least, physically. Tom was a normal rabbit in almost every regard and his own pants grew tight at the sight of the beautiful vixen in just her underwear. He wasn’t proud of his reaction, but what’s a guy to do? The vixen was hot! She and Jack made sense.

It was almost three by the time the trio had finished talking and made their way back down stairs. Skye was still wearing his shirt, something Jack was still very aware of. Turning back into the lobby, Kari and Bobby both snorted and giggled behind their paws as they left for the day. Sandra gave them a knowing smirk while Jon was showing Gid how to make different decorations with a piping bag. Nick and Judy were back by the sinks, giggling and washing dishes.

“Sandra!” greeted Tom as he held out a paw to her. “Always a pleasure to see you again.” She nodded and accepted a pawshake as he looked over her shoulder into the kitchen. “Judy? I’m leaving now!”

The doe looked over before dashing towards him to say goodbye. Tom noted the look of disappointment on Nick’s face when she did, but he carried on with his work without complaint. Judy gave her big brother a quick hug and kiss, bouncing back to her friend within seconds of leaving him.

“I’ll miss you, too,” the brown buck mumbled, feeling hurt that she didn’t pay much attention to her big brother. Jack looked over at their sister and shook his head with a smile.

“She’s smitten,” he explained. Tom’s eyebrows went up.

“It seems she’s not the only one smitten.” The brother’s shared a laugh as Skye joined them. Tom smiled at her. “Take care of my brother and sister, okay?”

Skye grinned and stuck out her paw. “Deal.” To her surprise, he batted her paw away and pulled her into a hug.

“Welcome to the family,” he whispered so low, only she could hear. Not even Jack picked it up, though he did see the happy smile on her face when she looked over at him. He was almost out the door when Jack called back to him.

"Hey, Tom? Let's keep this between us, okay?" Tom and Skye looked at him in confusion. "I want to tell Mom and Dad myself, face to face. With Skye next to me. Soon," he added with a reassuring smile at the vixen.

The brown buck grinned at the pair and nodded. Giving a final wave, he left for his car. Skye gave Jack a kiss on the cheek, relishing how he pulled her close and nuzzled into her neck. They pulled away from each other to give Tom a final wave though the window as he drove away. Just as they had turned to restart their day, when Brook and David appeared, walking and chatting as they reached the door. Both teens smiled at the couple when they entered.

“Hello, Mr. Hopps,” greeted Brook politely, looking from one to the other. “Hi, Skye. Are Nick and Judy around? We were hoping they might be able to come with us to the Canal district. There’s a boat parade and festival going on.”

The pair in question had spotted their friends not long after they had entered and rushed out to greet them.

“What are you guys doing here!” asked Judy, her voice filled with excitement.

“Boat Parade in the Canal District.” David answered, winking at Nick. “There’s a really good ice cream place nearby. Are you in the mood for some ice cream, Nick?”

The young todd grinned and looked down at the doe. “I think I can go for a scoop.”

Judy rolled her eyes, but smiled and looked over at Jack.

“Can we go? Gideon will love it and it gets us out of your fur for a few hours.” Judy looked over to Gideon through the window, returning the thumbs up he gave her.

“Imma call my sister and ask her now!” Gideon called out.

“And afterwards,” Brook chimed in, “I was hoping you could sleep over tonight, Judy.”

“And my parents said you can stay the night at my place!” Dave added with a grin. ”Gideon can join, if he wants and his sister’s okay with it.”

“We’re going to have to check with your parents, but I’m fine with it,” Skye said with a suggestive smile to Jack on her muzzle. He, however, looked concerned and opened his mouth to protest only to get an elbow to the ribs from her. She gave him a look until he realized what she was insinuating.

A night to themselves, no kits, completely uninterrupted and focused on just each other.

“Yup!” He agreed eagerly. “You can go! Have fun, be safe, have fun!”

Jack double checked Gideon’s work and spoke to both Daisy and Brook’s mother before allowing the kits to leave for the day. There was electricity in the air as they completed the work day and closed up, broken briefly by Cami when she barged into the cafe, shrieking about her master plan to get rid of Bellwether for good. She didn’t elaborate beyond a cackle and victory dance, her patient husband waiting outside the cafe doors, shaking his head with amusement. Michael gave Jack and Skye a small wave and smile before dutifully following his wife back to their restaurant. Once they were out of sight, their heated gazes allowed them to go on auto mode as their employees bid them good night. Now, with the lights off in the cafe and darkness surrounding them, they calmly took the stairs up to the apartment.

But all sense of restraint and decorum flew out the window before they had crossed the threshold.

……………………….

Maple was still fuming. Pacing the house, half completing tasks, slamming things around, and snapping at anyone who came near her. Including her parents. Bonnie Hopps was massaging her temples at the kitchen table as she tried to figure out how to handle her daughter. One of her other daughters who was helping with dinner put a glass of water in front of her with cucumber and mint added to it.

“Here you go, Mama,” she said with a kiss to her head.

“Thank you, baby.” The matriarch reached for glass and smiled at her husband entering from outside, Ben following closely behind him.

“Look who just pulled up,” Stu greeted happily. Bonnie smiled and stood to greet her son, when she was stopped by the cold, hard voice of Maple.

“Where the hell have you been?” Maple stomped into the kitchen and glared at her brother. Her siblings in the kitchen paused to gaze at her in amazement. Swearing was forbidden in the warren; both Bonnie and Stu were very militant about it. But neither had the opportunity to reprimand her before she plowed on, unbothered by her words. “Why do all the bucks in this warren think they can just run off and do whatever they want? What the fuck is the matter with you?! You’re just like Jack and, if you’re not careful, you’re going to end up just like him! A pathetic loser who can only find other bits of trash to tolerate him! Do you want to be trash like he is, Tom? Should I just drag you out to the curb and wait for pick up?”

It was well known in Bunnyburrow that Tom Hopps was the most even tempered rabbit in the area. No one, not even his parents, knew of a time he had lost his temper. He frustrated most bullies because they couldn’t get a rise out of him and it was usually he who stepped up to calm any squabbling within the family. The buck was just so damn calm and likable. When Maple wasn’t breathing fire, even she got along with him. And she was his opposite in nearly every regard.

But Tom was only mammal. And he wasn’t sure why he became enraged, but he did. Like everyone else at the Perks, he had recognized how good Skye was Jack. Even if it was just an infatuation destined to sizzle out. The two were consenting adults who were enjoying each other's company. Jack had seemed to skip over the doe crazy faze of his adolescence and dived right into workaholic. Up until his first visit home from college, Tom thought he was still a virgin. Walking in on him and a neighbor doe was shocking. But what he had now made that seem vanilla in comparison.

That reaction from Maple was the limit for him. Tom was not going to sit back and listen to her insult his brother and the perfectly lovely vixen he had chosen to be his mate.

“You need to shut the fuck up, Maple!” That earned an audible gasp from the kitchen. “Just because you’re bitter no one wants to touch your fun parts doesn’t mean you can rag on him for finding someone that’s willing to touch his. Even if she is a-” The horror Tom felt at his inability to keep in the next word was palatable. “-fox!”

Bonnie and Stu stood staring at him with their jaws dropped. Maple looked equal parts furious and smug. Everyone else took one look at their parents and filed out of the kitchen. Most pulled out their cell phones and started taping away. Tom knew within minutes, everyone in Bunnyburrow would know about this. He buried his face in his paws, hoping he was in a bad dream and trying to keep his tears to himself. Jack had asked him for only one thing in their entire history as brothers and Tom failed him.

“What do you mean she’s a fox?” Bonnie’s voice was deadly quiet.

Maple chimed in, in her most viciously smug voice. “She’s a smelly, evil, horrible-”

“I don’t remember asking you a godsdamn thing, young lady!” Maple was shocked into silence by the harsh comment. Her mother’s eyes flashed angrily at her. “Leave the kitchen.” The younger doe gulped but didn’t move.

“NOW!” Stu’s voice made her jump and dash for the door. He strode over to the kitchen table and yanked out a chair. “Sit!” he ordered.

Tom didn’t think to disobey. Once he was sat and joined by his parents, he braced himself for their questions. And question him they did. He wasn’t sure what happened to his resolve and backbone as he answered every question without resistance. After they had interrogated him, they sat in stunned silence before turning to each other.

“You have to call him,” Stu decided to his wife. “If I do, I’m going to scream at him and drag him AND Judy home by their ears.”

Bonnie nodded and pulled out her phone.

“Wait!” Tom begged. His mother paused to give him a very nerve wracking glare. “Please, just wait until morning. Give yourself time to cool off and at least meet her! She’s really great and has this adorable little brother who Judy has a huge crush on! It’s really, really sweet-”

“She’s bringing more foxes around our baby?” Bonnie practically screamed. She stood from her seat, trembling in fury and panting in nearly uncontrolled rage and pulled her phone from her apron pocket. “And you want us to wait UNTIL MORNING to call him? Are you out of your fucking mind?!”

This time, some tears did escape his eyes. “Please….” he begged, hoping to reach them. “Just wait. You know how Jack is if you try to strong arm him with anything. If you don’t want to lose your son, please just sleep on it.”

Stu and Bonnie glared at Tom, both standing now, Bonnie’s thumb poised over Jack’s number.

“Fine,” she decided. She navigated away from the call screen and turned abruptly to leave the kitchen. “Stu, deal with him, please.”

Their son watched her stride away from him before he focused on his equally furious father.

“You need to find somewhere else to stay,” the patriarch ordered with ice in his tone. “If you’re going to support this type of behavior, you’re not going to do it under my roof. Get out.”

Brown met brown as both bucks marinated in silence. Tom felt a numbness seep into him as he stood from his seat and walked back to the kitchen door. His paw fished his phone out as he turned the knob. He needed to warn his brother so he can at least be prepared for the fallout about to come his way.

“Leave your phone.” The younger buck stumbled in shock and looked back at Stu. “Your mother and I paid for it. We would like it back. Now.”

His eyes looked down at his brother’s number and contact picture and he swallowed. With a sullen nod, he turned and set the phone on the table before turning to leave again. Trudging to his car, he climbed behind the wheel and broke down. There was no way Jack or Judy would ever forgive him for this.

…………………..

Skye smiled down at Jack underneath her. His paws travelled up her thighs, sitting up once he got to her hips and kissing her. Pleasure, centered in the apex of her legs, ignited and warmth flowed through her, one of his thumbs moving gently, yet firmly, in place. Her paws cupped his face to deepen their kiss.

“You feel so good,” she whimpered when they parted. He thrust slowly and kissed down her neck while cupping her breast.

“Gods, you’re so beautiful.” Jack slid his paws to her cheeks, wanting to see her pleasure drunk expression as he moved with her.

He had always enjoyed sex, but truth be told, he could either take it or leave. With Skye, however, he had no idea how he lived without it. Without her. He felt he had been waiting his entire life to find her and now that she was in his arms, his world finally made sense. HE finally made sense. This realization had his passion overflowing, causing him to roll until he rested in the valley of her legs and showed her how much he wanted her.

And her moans and begs for more drowned out the constant pinging and ringing of the cell phone still stuck in his pants pocket by the front door.

#zootopia #wildehopps #savageskye #jacksavage #skyefrost #alternate universe #cafelife

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justapipe-dream · 2 years

Text

Title: this is how i met you

Chapter: 1/1

Word count: 4469

TWs: implied child abuse, car crash, hospitals

Pairing: Andrew Minyard/Neil Josten

Also on AO3

When you're a child, growing up is something you're supposed to look forward to. Kids should be able to wonder how cool they'll be when they're the size of their parents, how many amazing things they'll have accomplished by then. Parents should be the role models that children can look up to, they should protect them from the dangers lurking outside until they're old enough to protect themselves. Sometimes though, more often than it should happen, the parent is who the kid needs protection from.

Neil had never had the time or the opportunity to let his imagination run free, to think about which job he'd like to have as an adult, or who he'd eventually love. In fact, Neil didn't have much of a concept of love at all. Looking back, he thought perhaps his mom had loved him, in her own overprotective, aggressive manner. But she had definitely not loved his father, and his father had definitely not loved anyone at all. Well, maybe himself.

Neil's father was Nathan Wesninski, also known as "the butcher". He was an enforcer for the Moriyamas, one of the most powerful families in North America. The Moriyamas sought to bring religious meaning to daemons, and they loathed anyone using science to explain them, to explain dust and its intelligent properties. Rumor had it they were attempting to successfully separate human and daemon without any deaths, which would make the person a ghostly version of themselves who would be much more likely to obey their every order. Nathan had made Neil's life miserable to the point that his mom decided to get him out of bed one night and run away with him. Later, he figured out she saved him from being a guinea pig in the Moriyamas' experiments. They'd spend years running from Nathan, but eventually they got caught. On that day, Neil, who had gone by so many other names during that time, managed to escape. His mom didn't, and he never forgot the despairing image of her hawk daemon turning to dust in the back seat. Until that moment he hadn't even noticed she was so badly hurt, but he saw the dooming wound on her abdomen before setting the car on fire with her body in it.

So no, Neil's childhood hadn't been run of the mill. He was forced into making his own decisions when he still needed someone to help him make the right ones. That was probably why he made the very bad decision of enrolling in high school and joining an exy team - there was no one there to tell him not to. Well, that wasn't completely true. Neil had always counted on Drauma's not so helpful suggestions to keep him going when he thought he couldn't. She'd been the one to push him to join the team, but it was probably because she was tired of him moping around. Drauma was a pygmy rabbit, the perfect size to be the devil in his ear, whispering about what he should do, things that, as it usually turned out, maybe he shouldn't have done. And that's exactly why he was currently in this situation. It was his senior year in high school, he'd changed his name to Neil Josten, dyed his hair a boring brown, and also wore boring brown contacts. He was going for the "guy next door" look, there was nothing other people would find memorable about his appearance. With the money he had left from what his mother stole from his father, he paid rent for a small apartment a couple of blocks from his school. Legally, he still couldn't be living alone, but so far no one had found it weird that his parents were out of town so often. The day someone questioned that would be the day he had to get a new name and move on.

Anyway...

Neil was sitting at a table outside a cafe, with his flat cap and sunglasses on despite the cloudy weather, doing absolutely nothing outside of the ordinary - unless you counted drinking plain black coffee something extraordinary, in which case he was guilty as charged. There was a peculiar animal across the street. They weren't a cat, but were definitely in that family. They had long legs and broad paws, their fur was dense, and their ears had black tufts at the tips. But perhaps the most obvious difference between this animal and your regular cat was the tail - it was so small it looked proportionally weird on their lanky body. Neil had never seen such a creature.

"Not just a creature," Drauma chided from her perch on his shoulder, "that's a daemon. Can't you tell?"

Neil frowned. He then tried moving his head inconspicuously to take a better look. He still couldn't tell the big cat with the short tail was in fact a daemon and not just a big cat with a short tail. Upon further notice though, they did look unusually upset. The daemon had an expression of shock that no normal animal could make. Their eyes were scanning everyone on the terrace, and then the searching gaze settled on Neil. He didn't quite understand why, but when the daemon turned around and started walking, Neil had a feeling he was supposed to follow. That feeling was strengthened by Drauma's urgent nudge. So, having practically no other choice, he followed.

The scene he came across when he turned the corner was nightmarish. A crowd of concerned individuals was gathered around what was clearly the aftermath of a terrible car crash. It instantly reminded him of the car engulfed in flames he'd left his mother's body in. Neil didn't resist the pull, and he pushed through the people until he got close enough to assess the situation. There were two people in the car smashed against the lamppost, the big cat-looking daemon sat next to the passenger's side, and he couldn't see the driver's daemon anywhere. Granted, they could be small enough to be trapped inside with her, but most likely they'd already gone up in dust. With the daemon's heavy stare still locked on him, Neil rushed to the door on the passenger side and frantically pulled on it.

"Call 911, what are you waiting for?" He all but yelled at the bystanders who much preferred to look and gasp than to help. Finally, after yanking on it so hard his arm was throbbing with pain, the door opened. The boy inside was not wearing a seat belt. His head was resting on the dashboard and there appeared to be no blood on it, but his left arm was bent at an awkward angle. He was also not entirely unconscious, judging by the way his hazel eyes were slowly blinking open and the way he flinched when Neil touched him.

Drauma chose that moment to get down from his shoulder and approach the stranger's daemon, who was stoically standing somewhere to Neil's right. He wasn't sure how they had escaped the car, or how they were able to get so far from their already injured human to go search for help.

"Hey, hey, he'll be fine." The pygmy rabbit reassured the big cat. While she was trying to comfort the daemon, Neil made an attempt to comfort the human. He knew some people found comfort in small touches, so, attributing the flinch from earlier to surprise rather than fear, he held out his hand with the intention of patting the stranger on his good shoulder, but he was interrupted by the daemon's threatening growl before he could make contact. He immediately took back his hand. Neil knew he wouldn't like to have some random person touch him when he was vulnerable, either. The action seemed to appease the big cat enough for them to stop growling.

"Help is on the way, just stay awake." Neil settled on saying.

Truthfully, Neil hadn't known whether or not help was on the way, but as luck would have it an ambulance appeared shortly after. As Neil had suspected, the paramedics swiftly pronounced the driver dead. They had a trickier time getting the other passenger out of the car, though. The boy looked half a second from passing out, but that didn't stop him from trying to shove away the professionals doing their job. Neil, worried and almost in a panic, tried to help by reaching out. Once again though, as he was about to touch the passenger and move things along, the daemon intervened:

"Don't." The soft, barely audible rebuke came from a distinctively feminine voice. The feline daemon unhurriedly sauntered towards his human, snout stopping just short of his face. She whispered something into his ear that made him go limp, and the paramedics finally managed to carry the boy into the ambulance.

"Go with?" Drauma, who up until that point had been silently shadowing the other daemon, voiced the question that had already taken place in Neil's mind. He got up from where he was kneeling on the surface of the road and approached the emergency vehicle. The paramedics noticed the movement and shouted at him without stopping what they were doing.

"If you're not family, you can't come!" They yelled. But the other boy's daemon had clearly taken a liking to Neil, or she just didn't want her human to be alone with people who might not understand his boundaries as well as Neil had shown he could. "He is," was her short answer, and then they let him step into the back of the ambulance without questioning it further. The fact was that a daemon speaking directly to humans who weren't their own was extremely rare. Because of that, when they did so they tended to be taken seriously. Neil didn't know what he'd done to earn the big cat's trust so quickly, and he wasn't about to ask.

***

Andrew thought he was dead. He couldn't hear anything except for the static in his own head, he couldn't feel anything even though he remembered getting seriously hurt, and all he saw was white. But he quickly realized he couldn't be dead - Virika had her head on his chest. If he were dead she wouldn't be there at all, she would have turned into dust. Sometimes Andrew wondered if his daemon had ever thought that not existing would be better than an existence next to him. He knew what he'd put her through, for so many years in all the different but equally terrible foster homes. He knew how much it hurt her to have been given hope that a life with Cass could be good, and then have that hope taken away by an evil man with a sadistic daemon. Andrew had been the one to be physically hurt, but Virika had to helplessly watch while he was... Well. He just thought that maybe she sometimes hated him for making her live through that. Even after Andrew acknowledged that what had happened to him hadn't been his fault, that the only people to blame were those who hurt him, he kept on wondering.

And now he'd hurt her again. Andrew had made a promise to a twin brother he barely knew, a promise to protect him from the mother he'd never had. He hadn't missed out on much. Tilda was aware of the consequences of laying a hand on Aaron or his bobcat daemon, Nyani (the fact his own daemon, a lynx, had settled as an animal of the same family as his twin brother's hadn't escaped his notice). And Andrew had the chance to keep that promise when Tilda tried to hit him in the car, thinking he was Aaron, and so he purposefully leaned over her and turned the wheel all the way to the left, making them hit a lamppost. She had been speeding, so it was disastrous. He hadn't cared that he also could have died. In fact, he was counting on it. What Andrew wasn't counting on was waking up with a guilty conscience because he'd once again put his daemon in a dangerous situation.

A door slamming shut captured his attention. Aaron had come running into the hospital room, speak of the devil, with Nyani trailing after him not nearly as worried as he was. His worry wasn't for Andrew, not really. He was worried for his mother, and his face was set on a very aggressive expression because Aaron had already figured out her death hadn't been just a terrible accident. His daemon didn't look mad at all, most likely because she understood that getting rid of an abuser wasn't something to be saddened by.

"What did you do?" His twin demanded to know, jaw tight, pulsing neck vein and balled fists. He wouldn't hurt Andrew, at least not physically. Mean words were usually his weapon of choice.

"Hello, brother," Andrew taunted, raising one eyebrow sarcastically to make his twin even more annoyed. "Why yes, I'm fine, thanks for asking."

Smoke could almost be seen coming out of his brother's ears, but Aaron eventually took a deep breath once Nyani put her paw on his leg in an attempt at comfort. Sometimes their closeness made Andrew jealous, not that he'd ever admit it out loud. Their trauma brought them closer instead of driving a wedge between them, as it had done to him and Virika. That one small, reassuring pat on the knee made Aaron quit glaring and slide to the floor, pulling his knees against his chest and hugging them tight like the grief-stricken child he was. Andrew relaxed back against his pillow, looking at the plain white ceiling and pretending he was all alone. Time passed.

Aaron suddenly seemed to have remembered something. He raised his head abruptly from where it was resting against his knees. "There's a guy outside!" He blurted, looking at Andrew as if he had all the answers. He didn't, and he had absolutely no idea who his brother could be talking about. Virika, however, stood to attention for the first time since he'd woken up and she seemed...guilty.

"Who is it?" Andrew asked her directly, shoving her off the bed and ignoring Aaron's outraged look at the violent gesture. Being a fairly big creature, she wouldn't have allowed him to push her if that bothered her. Andrew was no match for her strength, usually. Instead, Virika decided to take advantage of being back on the ground and trotted to the door. She turned her head towards Aaron, and demanded:

"Open it."

***

Neil had been in the waiting room for a while. The guy's daemon hadn't intervened on his behalf again, so he hadn't been allowed in to see him. The plastic chairs were hard and uncomfortable, and Drauma made sure to complain about them every time Neil made her get down from his shoulder and stay on one. The lounge was nearly empty by the time someone stepped out of the other boy's room. It was the big cat daemon, closely followed by the doppelganger he'd already seen arrive, who in turn was followed by another, shorter but very similar feline daemon. The trio stood there staring at Neil for a minute until the guy who was clearly the patient's identical twin decided to speak up.

"What are you standing there for? If you're going to stick your nose into other people's business at least do it from inside."

The rudeness wasn't surprising, the blond, short guy had a face that seemed to be permanently stuck in a frown. It wasn't welcome, though. Neil had done nothing wrong, had done nothing at all except follow a stranger's daemon to a car crash and help get the human out of there. The opposite of wrong, if you asked him (which no one ever did). Nevertheless, he grabbed his own rabbit daemon, held her close to his chest even though she didn't usually need his protection, and followed the guy into the room.

Inside, the white of the walls and the smell of some kind of disinfectant like hydrogen peroxide was overwhelming. The boy from the accident was sitting up in bed dressed in a white and green hospital gown that looked entirely too big on him, wearing a shoulder cast. He was also staring at Neil with an intensity that had him squirming. It felt like being judged before even introducing himself. Fortunately, the patient's daemon decided to break the silence, once again with a breach of etiquette when it came to directly addressing humans other than her own.

"This is Andrew," she announced, nodding towards the boy on the bed, "and that's Aaron. My name is Virika, and the smaller version of myself over there is Nyani." While Neil was not at all surprised that the daemon had spoken to him, since she'd done it before, Andrew looked almost amused by her outburst. Then, in a mocking tone, he said, "Well, she's spilled the beans. It's your turn now." His mouth was turning into a strange, vaguely unnatural, lopsided smile. It looked funny, but Neil knew forced smiling meant 'proceed with caution'.

In about a minute he had determined the boy on the bed wasn't someone to be messed with, mainly based on facial expressions and the detached relationship he seemed to have with his daemon. He couldn't forget that by leaving the site of the accident to go get help, Virika had to travel too far from her human for theirs to be a natural bond. Having that kind of independence from his daemon would have been incredibly useful, would probably still be incredibly useful, to Neil on the run. But he wasn't jealous - being able to force a bond apart in such a way wasn't good news. Only a very traumatic experience that had forcefully required them to be separated could have caused that kind of permanent stretch, the kind of thing the Moriyamas were experimenting with, and no one would willingly go through that. Neil had gone through his fair share of trauma, but nothing that had come close to that. Besides, Drauma was the only thing keeping him sane most days, and he couldn't imagine her not being there.

"I'm Neil," he started, hesitating on whether or not it would be smart to reveal his daemon's name to a stranger. Eventually, though, he determined it was a fair trade. He set his rabbit down on the floor and said, "and this is Drauma."

"That is one tiny rabbit..." Aaron mocked from his spot leaning against the wall. Drauma, who'd been cautiously jumping around the room to investigate it, turned her attention to him and sneered.

"Your opinion has been duly noted, and immediately discarded." She taunted, turning her back on him to continue looking around the room with her searching gaze. Old habits died hard.

Neil almost chuckled at her forwardness, but caught himself in time to notice that Andrew was also trying to hide the upturn (natural this time) of his lips. "Because we're so tall, dear brother?" He inquired. It was a hypothetical question, Neil was small but the twins were even smaller, which was a feat. But what Andrew lacked in height he made up for in presence. His brother, however, seemed to be small in more than one aspect.

Aaron clearly didn't like to be ganged up on, because he crossed his arms and left the room sulking, Nyani not far behind him. Andrew stared after him until the door closed, then he slowly turned his head towards Neil. Every single thing he did was accompanied by a menacing aura, and it made Neil's hair stand on end. But Drauma didn't have the same alarming feeling when it came to Virika, they were ignoring each other's presence as if their humans weren't staring each other down.

"So..." Neil started moving towards the bed so he wasn't talking from across the room, but he didn't get too close because the big cat offered him a growl in complaint. It was the same sound she'd made by the car when Neil tried to use touch as comfort. So he stopped walking, standing far enough away that it couldnt be considered an intrusion on Andrew's personal space, but not so far that he had to raise his voice when speaking. He might have imagined it, but he thought he saw the other boy raise an eyebrow in surprise when he respected the boundary. "I should probably go."

***

The idiot was attractive. Why did he have to be attractive? His clearly dyed brown hair and boring brown contact lenses should've taken away from that attractiveness, but they didn't. Not when Neil had that bone structure, that mysterious gaze, that tanned skin... Andrew swore he saw Virika giving him a knowing look when the guy came into the room. She'd seen him first. Heck, she'd chosen him. And Andrew had thought that maybe his daemon decided to get help by looking for a stranger he'd find visually appealing, but that would be stupid, and she wasn't stupid. No, she'd chosen him because for whatever reason she thought Neil was someone who respected boundaries. And his daemon was right, as she so often was.

Neil's daemon, and he hated to agree with Aaron on anything, was a very small rabbit that could fit on the palm of his hand and looked deceptively harmless. She wasn't harmless, because she wasn't afraid to speak to directly to other humans, something Andrew had only seen done by his own daemon. And Drauma was definitely not conservative with her words. It didn't quite make sense, not taking into account Neil's impassiveness, and acting like he'd bolt at the first sign of a threat. So Andrew suspected that deep down, the other boy's personality was far more like his daemon's than like the mask he was putting on.

"So... I should probably go."

Neil's words snapped him out of his thoughts. Andrew was taken aback by how much he didn't like the thought of the stranger leaving. "Why, do you have somewhere to be?"

Virika huffed. "I doubt that," she commented. "Come with us instead." The request surprised Andrew, even if he didn't let it show. They didn't make a habit of handing out invitations to people they barely knew. Some would say his daemon made the offer because she wanted to pay Neil back for having helped save him, but that wasn't it. She had a hidden agenda, clearly, and Andrew was going to make her share it the second they found themselves alone.

Neil looked to Andrew for confirmation that what his daemon was offering was okay to take, and that simple gesture of respect made him sigh and nod. Drauma had gone still and was looking up at her human, waiting expectantly for his answer.

"Neil... We could." The small daemon pleaded, and it seemed like she was desperate for something. Maybe she was tired of them being alone, as Neil didn't look like someone who trusted enough to be a social butterfly. Maybe she wanted to escape from whatever situation they had happening at home, such as evil or neglectful parents. Andrew didn't know, and it was imperative that he found out. Eventually.

"Yeah, I guess we could."

***

As soon as he was discharged, Andrew had Aaron drive them to what Neil thought was their house. The twins didn't look much older than him, so he thought they'd probably still be living with their parents. When they got to the house, though, they were greeted by another, only slightly older man that had way too much energy. He introduced himself as Nicky and seemed extremely happy to have a guest. Weirdly happy. The man also said he was the twins' cousin, even though they looked nothing alike. While both the brother's daemons were feline, Nicky's daemon was some kind of squirrel. A flying squirrel, his brain supplied after spotting a membrane going from wrist to ankle. Nicky did not introduce his daemon, but it was probably more out of forgetfulness due to excitement than not wanting to give up the name.

"Tell me again why we brought this unknown guy into our house when you were almost killed and we have a funeral to plan?" Aaron asked, clearly upset. But he didn't wait around for an answer, stomping his way to the open kitchen like a child about to throw a tantrum. Neil suspected all the sulking wasn't just because of his presence, but also some unresolved tension from the accident that he couldn't quite figure out.

"Drama queen." Drauma commented, snug in Neil's arms. He wasn't about to let her roam freely with three strangers and their daemons in a strange house.

"You don't know the half of it..." Virika remarked from where she was sitting against Andrew's knees. Andrew himself didn't look worried. In fact, he looked like he was already bored. He gave them a one shoulder (the good shoulder) shrug and started walking towards the living room. Not knowing what to do, Neil followed him. The living room wasn't big. The whole house, despite having two floors, wasn't at all big. He was used to staking out places, observing them, taking mental notes of everything, and nothing about that house seemed out of the ordinary. At least on the first floor. Neil just about managed to hide his flinch when he was pushed to sit on the couch, Andrew settling down next to him but still keeping his distance.

"You and I," Andrew started, grabbing a couple pillows to put behind his back and offering Neil another one, "we're going to play a game." Virika hadn't followed him to the couch, choosing instead to lick her paws and clean herself, like a house cat would, still by the front door. Drauma started squirming in Neil's lap, so he reluctantly put her on the floor. Curiously, she tried hopping towards the other daemon but couldn't go very far before starting to feel the painful pull on their bond. She didn't push it.

"What kind of game?" Neil asked, slowly turning his head away from Drauma and facing Andrew. The other boy gave him that forced looking grin again and leaned in to whisper in his hear:

"I ask, you answer. You lie, you're out of here. You tell the truth, you get to ask me, too."

That was no good. He didn't know how Andrew could tell if he lied or if he didn't, but he believed that if someone was a walking lie detector it would be him. There were many truths he couldn't possibly give him, even if he was oh so curious to get some answers from Andrew too. Honestly, what had Neil gotten himself into?

Notes:

credit to philip pullman for the concept of daemons and to nora for these amazing characters

daemons:

neil josten - pygmy rabbit

andrew minyard - canadian lynx

aaron minyard - bobcat

nicky hemmick - northern flying squirrel

#andreil #daemon au #the foxhole court #andrew minyard #neil josten #tfc #aftg #ao3

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