Discover Top Posts Tagged with #overused trope

Jul 15, 2025

The kicked out artificer gets adopted by a party of non-humans!

This is pretty much the most I've seriously written... EVER.

Hope you guys like this cuz this took me way too long for me to get this done lmao

Word count: 5795

Estimated reading time: 21 minutes

Warning: This one shot is rated a LIME on the citrus scale, DNI if you're underaged. This is also VERY GAY but what on my blog isn't lmao

With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy my hard work.

————————————————————————

It would be a lie to say it was fun while it lasted. Well, it would've been true at first, but things slowly got worse and worse.

As our party’s rank got higher, my teammates grew to be colder towards me as well.

I felt like I was holding everyone back, and they made me feel that way whenever they could. But I really tried my hardest to keep up.

Despite all that, I got fired.

The worst part isn't how much of a dead weight I allegedly am, but the sexual harassment and radical political views.

Don’t get it twisted; I agree that sexual harassment is vile and has no place in the workforce.

My ex-party leader found out that I like men and didn’t want me to pursue him, despite him not being my type.

The controversial political views?

I don’t hate beast folk or non-humans. Whoops! I mean “DEMI-HUMANS.”

Worst part is I can’t combat this since this is TECHNICALLY NOT ILLEGAL!

it’s 1525 and we’re still being assholes to minorities.

So here I am, sitting in this tavern. Feeling sorry for myself.

Although there are some redeeming qualities in my dilemma. I always wanted to open up a shop and sell my inventions to travelers.

Now that the responsibility for the wellbeing of the strongest party on the continent has striped away, my focus can finally go back to the things that I love!

No more pitying myself! It's time to go out and-

*POMF*

Ow… Who put this fluffy yet firm wall here?

Wait, no, this isn’t a wall, this is a huge and fluffy person.

You can tell this man is a tabaxi with how well groomed and smooth his golden fur is. Although most of their race grows up as rogues, druids, bards, or monks, this one is a fighter, maybe even a barbarian with how beefy he is.

I look up at the muzzle of the tiger, staring straight forward, unaware of my presence, let alone that I bumped into him.

“...Uh-”

It’s only with the lack of words leaving my throat where I get the big cat’s attention. He glances at me with a bored expression that’s common with kin. Then looks back up to continue reading the menu. He does a double take, his yellow eyes widening in surprise as they meet mine.

“Aldous?”

The Tabaxi’s deep voice reaches my ears as a wave of nostalgia crashes into me. I know this person. Aldous: “Swift Smoke?”

A huge smile grows on the tiger’s muzzle, and suddenly I’m hoisted up into the air by the cat’s enormous arms. He spins me around with a mirthful laugh as I cling onto his broad shoulders, fearing of falling off this ride.

He stops to raise me higher so he could nuzzle into my chest. I can feel his purrs course through his body.

Wait, do tigers even purr?

I can feel the other patrons gape at the two of us.

One has to be very close to a tabaxi if you want them to be comfortable near you, but a big one showcasing this level of PDA is nigh unheard of.

Swift: “Old friend, it’s been so long since I’ve last saw you!”

Aldous: “I’ll say! You’ve gained so much height that I didn’t recognize you at first!”

Swift leans into my palm as I scratch behind the tiger’s ears. Good thing he sets me down when I subtly give him the command. There’s too much people staring at us and I don’t want Swift to get the wrong attention.

Now that I got a better look at the big cat, he really is much more different from our last meeting.

He has black leg wraps, don’t know why he would need one on his left since its steel, but it still looks fashionable. His trousers, battle skirt, and loincloth are also black with red highlights.

On his right hip, I see a big Sikin Panjang. It’s most likely custom made due to how much longer it is than the normal ones I've seen.

His pair of Vambraces follows the trends of the rest of his clothes. His entire right arm and shoulder is also a prosthetic made by yours truly.

The tattoos on his upper body are also new, reminds me of marron and brown fall leaves.

Swift’s pecks start dancing and I realize I’m staring for far too long. He gives me a toothy grin when I finally look back up at him.

Aldous: “Well, look at that! The prosthetic arm and leg I gave you are doing well enough!”

Swift: “Yeah! I know you said that the metal will grow more broad if I exercised as if it was a normal arm, But I was still worried that it wouldn't keep up with the rest of my body! Your handy work really saved my career!”

The tiger grins as he flexes his silver arm. Just like normal muscle, it bulks in size on Swift’s command. He then turns around and shows off his gunmetal leg, winking at me as he continues his gun show.

I applaud the tabaxi and my own handy work. Both the arm and leg could use a bit of a fix, but they still do the job done.

Swift: “What brings you to this side of the continent, Aldy?”

Aldous: “Well, we completed a mission nearby, and we heard that the town had amazing shish kababs.”

I look down with a sad smile on my face. The pain of being kicked out of my party still stings.

As I glace back up at my feline friend, aloofness replaced his cheerful demeanor. He’s no longer making eye contact, finding whatever he sees on his right more intriguing than our conversation.

Swift: “The S-rank party, right? How are they? You having fun with them?”

If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he’s quite annoyed with the topic of my old party members.

Aldous: “About that… we’ve been having a lot of disagreements lately and today they had enough of me and gave me the axe.”

Swift Smoke looks back at me with wide eyes and raised brows.

Swift: “They… Kicked you out?”

Aldous: “Yeah… And it was for a really dumb reason too-”

Swift: “SO YOU’RE NOT IN A PARTY ANYMORE???”

The tiger’s muzzle is uncomfortably close to my face, and he’s staring deep into my eyes.

Aldous: “uh………………. Yes?”

Just when that last word leaves my lips, the big tabaxi grabs onto me and tosses me over his shoulder.

I could've sword I heard the man said ‘mine’ under his breath but my brain is too busy trying to keep up with my body as the tiger shoots out the door and into the streets.

Aldous: “wait, wait, WAIT, MY STUFF!!!”

On a dime, Swift turns back around into the tavern and grabs my bag with all of my belongings. And just like that, we’re back outside.

It’s hard to make sense where I at or going because of the buildings being nothing but a blur and the wind roaring in my ears.

Aldous: “DON’T WORRY EVERYONE! I AM NOT BEING ABDUCTED!”

A part of me wants off this ride, but I rather not have Swift face any legal trouble. He doesn’t need that.

After 15 seconds of being a shoulder princess, I regained my composure and submit to my fate.

I’ve been in worse situations, and I’m very much in excellent hands.

...Right?

Swift: “We’re here!”

Gods, finally! I had my fill of being handled like a sack of potatoes for the day.

Aldous: “Okay, Swift, you can put me down now!”

Swift, however, does not put me down. Instead, he carries me into the building, still resting on his shoulder.

This establishment looks like a rather cheap inn, but maybe I’m just used to the S-rank life.

There are many more beast-folk, dwarves, elves, and other non-humans here, which makes me sad considering where I once was.

These people deserve better, no matter if they were born human or not.

Swift passes some coin to the front desk, and we both head upstairs.

Swift: “YOU GUYS! YOU GUYS! I GOT US A NEW MEMBER FOR OUR PARTY, AND HE’S REALLY COOL!”

A what now for a who now?

Aldous: “Yes, okay, cool, Swift Smoke?”

Swift: “yeah, best buddy? Do you have questions, comments, or concerns about our amazing, powerful, and sexy party?”

Aldous: “Put me down, or I’m going to turn your arm into a plunger.”

His ears perked up at the sincerity in my voice; inch by inch, Swift placed me on the worn, somewhat splintered wooden floor, his eyes softening as he offered an apologetic smile.

The room is small compared to what my old party considers as acceptable; I, for one, would find it roomy.

It seems big enough to store 3-4 people of Swift’s size, but there’s only an orc here.

Hold on, wait a minute. I’m not sure if I’m becoming racist, but that orc looks INDEED FAMILIAR.

The red-eyed orc and I locked eyes; it became too overwhelming for him, and he buried himself in the book he was holding.

Aldous: “Wrurak?”

The orc jumps at my voice and places the book on his lap. He clicks his tongue and acts uninterested.

Wrurak: “That’s my name; What’s it to ya?”

Aldous: “It’s really great to see you again! It seems like you became a talented wizard!”

Wrurak: “Wh-How would you know? You didn’t see me do any kind of magic yet!”

Aldous: “I like to think I have a good eye on someone’s skill!”

The orc looks away, muttering a response I can’t decipher.

Aldous: “By the way, did you get new clothes?”

Orcs usually wear minimal clothing to show off their muscles and battle scars, but Wrurak here is covered head to toe.

His leather boots seem to be old, but I can sense some charms on them. He has dirt-stained light khaki pants with an auburn and gold tunic tied together with a loincloth.

Despite being a primary magic user, the green-apple-skinned orc is very buff. Could it be that he works out while studying magic, or does his genetics do the heavy lifting?

The cloak the orc is wearing is a dark red with a trim the same color as his pants.

Wrurak seems to have more facial hair as well; his blond Verdi beard is growing in well.

Oh look! It’s the glasses I made for him. Wrurak was born unable to see anything, so I made him glasses that not only makes him see but also enhance his sight and make him sense magic.

How does it work? Magic. And some advanced neuroscience where the magic itself connects to the wearer’s brain through intricate neural pathways, a process too complex to detail here.

Wrurak: “S-Stop staring at me like that! If you must know, then the glasses you made for me are working just fine!”

Aldous: “I’m happy to hear that. I see you're also friends with Swift here. You two gained a lot of muscle over the years.”

Swift: “Hell yeah, we did! You need a rigorous training regimen if you want to be as muscular as we are!”

Wrurak: “Don't get the wrong idea. It’s not like we wanted to impress you with how far we’ve gone on the off chance we’d meet again…”

Swift: “Speak for yourself. I got bigger so Aldous can see how cool I am!”

The taxbaxi pulls his orc friend off the chair and tugs him towards my direction.

Swift: “Ruru! Let’s sandwich Aldy in-between us!”

The wizard swats the warrior's paw away and scurries to the farthest corner of the room. His green face turned a mortified red.

Wrurak: “WHY WOULD I AGREE TO DO SOMETHING SO LEWD?!?!?!”

Swift: “So he could see whose pecs are bigger, duh!”

The tiger says this as if this were an everyday situation; I’d think so if the orc wasn't so horror-struck.

Swift slides to me and leans down in a hush voice.

Swift: “His robes cover it, but Wrurak has some juicy meat under there. Hairy as hell as well!”

His words kick-start my imagination, and I can't help but wonder what he looks like under traditional orc clothing.

Wrurak: “I can hear you!”

The big cat snickers at his teammate’s dismay. I glare at Swift as I shove at him.

Aldous: “Wrurak, you really don’t have to do anything you’re-”

Wrurak: “IF YOU WANT TO SEE THEM SO BADLY, THEN HERE YOU GO!”

With zero warning at all, Wrurak tears his tunic in half by the collar, revealing his hairy chest and stomach.

Swift: “YEAH, WRURAK! FREE THE NIPPLE!”

My jaw drops as I behold the male orc flashing me before my eyes. Compared to Swift, the orc has more of a gut, but I can still tell he works with his abs and core. Swift wasn't lying when he said that Wrurak has a lot of body hair.

Wrurak: “You can look, but no touching!”

Never in my 32 years of adventuring has anything gotten me so flabbergasted. My throat is begging my brain for anything comprehensible. Nope, brain.exe is not responding.

Aldous: “Wru… Ripped… Tunic…. Your...”

Wrurak: “UGH, FINE!”

The wizard closes the distance between us with a few stomps and grabs my right arm.

Before I know it, I’m touching something firm, plump, and hairy.

Now it’s my turn to be mortified seeing this large orc on his knees, forcing me to cop a feel of his male tits.

Wrurak: “You can touch, but only for a bit…”

This is the first time he’s maintaining eye contact. The orc’s face is still rose-tinted, but not as much anymore.

His grip on my arms isn't painful, but it's still firm enough that I won’t be able to escape.

As if things couldn’t get worse, I feel something round and fluffy in my free hand.

Swift winks and sticks his tongue at me as he uses my left hand to make biscuits on his chest.

This really isn’t how I was planning to spend my Saturday.

Wrurak: “You're such a pervert, being so rough with me and everything.”

Swift: “So, Aldy… Who has the better jugs?”

I have half the mind to ask if they could crush my skull with their chests, but this is going way too fast for me.

The pair awaits my answer. The tiger gives me an aroused smile while the orc glares at me with anxiety.

All I could do was look back-to-back at the two while stammering like a fool.

Aldous: “I… I… I-”

???: “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!?!?!” The three of us look back at the door and see a sky blue Lizardman, aghast at what he just walked into.

Aldous: “WAIT, I CAN EXPLAI-”

Before I could finish my sentence, the blue lizard flipped over me and grabbed Swift and Wrurak by the domes.

They kiss the ground, freeing me from groping the two adventurers.

Lizardman: “PLEASE FORGIVE THEM!”

The Lizardman bows to me, keeping the other two face down on the ground.

There’s so much happening that my legs give out and I fall on my ass.

The Lizardman looks up at me with a panic-stricken expression, fearful of my presence.

Lizardman: “I SWEAR TO YOU THEY ARE GOOD PEOPLE; THEY’RE JUST REALLY COMFORTABLE WITH OTHERS!”

The blue lizard bowing towards me. I was about to say it wasn't a problem, but then I saw something in his ears.

I made those hearing aids a while ago.

This world is surprisingly small.

Aldous: “Brakikzo, please! I’m not mad at all!”

Brakikzo stops bowing and looks up at me, finally realizing that I’m not a random human.

Swift and Wrurak rise to their feet when they're finally free from their comrade’s clutches.

Swift: “Ow…..”

Swift holds his muzzle in pain, checking to see if anything's broken, and Wrurak mends his ripped clothes together by zipping them up with magic.

Aldous: “I say, you three must be really close if you’re THIS comfortable with each other!”

Brakikzo: *hic*

The three of us look down at the blue-eyed Lizardman still on the floor. Tears are falling down his face.

Wrurak: “...Braki-”

A loud wail escapes Brakikzo’s throat, and Brakikzo becomes the world's loudest water fountain.

We all scramble to comfort the Lizardman. Swift Smoke carries Brakikzo into his arms and places him onto the bed.

With a clap of his hands, Wrurak calls forth tissues and wipes the blue lizard's face.

Swift rubs the lizard’s back while giving his friend comforting words, nearing tears himself.

Brakikzo tries to speak, but only sobs exit his mouth.

I should do something.

Aldous: “Shhhhh.”

To comfort the lizard, I scratch under his jaw and rub his head, cooing at him like one would do to a child.

At my touch, he stops sobbing, surprised to be touched by me.

He leans into my hands, sniffling; his breathing slows drop by drop.

We stay like this, consoling Brakikzo for a few minutes until he calms enough that he can converse.

Brakikzo: “I’m… I’m so sorry…”

With a tissue, he blows his nose, clearing his nasal passages with a loud and somewhat unceremonious sound.

Wrurak: “You don’t have to apologize for anything, Brakikzo; we were being nothing but dummies.”

Brakikzo: “It’s not that…”

Aldous: “It’s all right, friend. Talk to us.”

Brakikzo: “I wanted our reunion to go better than this. I wanted you to see the cool, talented, and mysterious rogue I’ve become, but I made myself a fool instead.”

Aldous: “If it means anything, I thought the flip you’ve done was really cool.”

The rogue looks up at me in surprise, as if not expecting me to praise him at all.

Aldous: “Not to mention the way you subdued two immense men in quick succession; you really know your craft!”

The lizard blushes and gives me a shy smile, his mood returning to normal.

He pulls me into his arms and gives me a soft yet firm hug; I return the sentiment and pat his back.

Brakikzo: “T-thank you…”

Aldous: “It’s very much all right, old friend. So glad to see you and that things are going well!”

The rogue chuckles as he lifts himself off the bed and back onto his feet.

He’s taller but more lean than the other two, but he still has a considerable amount of meat on his bones.

From the bottom, He wears a pair of cotton leg wraps and a loincloth that’s both granite gray with blood orange tassels.

I expected him to wear more…

Oh yeah! Lizards have it inside of them.

...Wait, why is my mind going there? What the fuck?

Back to clothing! The rogue has a navy blue cloak. Red edges frame the cloak, and repeating rectangular and circular geometric shapes arranged in long, symmetrical lines cover the rest of the cloak.

His armguards are silver with similar patterns in his cloak; the top of his head has a cerulean crest.

In the lizard’s ear openings, it's the hearing aids I made for him. I made them the same color as his scales and had it look similarly like elf ears.

Brakikzo blushes and his hearing aids wiggle… somehow?

Brakikzo: “Do… do you like the way I look?”

Aldous: “I think you look fantastic!”

The lizard’s blue face becomes even more red as they stare at the floor. Swift covers a giggle with his paw and Wrurak look daggers at me.

Wrurak: “Are you seriously going to flirt with every man that talks with you?”

Aldous: “but he looks fantastic; why should I lie to him? Brakikzo looks well, so I said he looks well; that’s not flirting, it's an astute observation.”

Wrurak: “Well, for my astute observation, I say that you’re a fool who doesn’t think before he speaks.”

The orc crosses his arms and tuts at me with the attitude of someone with a higher tax bracket.

I don’t know why, but it’s kinda cute, like seeing a kitten act aloof.

Swift: “Someone’s jealous.”

Wrurak: “I am not!”

Swift continues to tease Wrurak about something he’s jealous about and the orc keeps on angrily refusing his speculations.

Wonder what’s up with them?

Aldous: “So, Brakikzo. What’s the story between you and the other two?”

Brakikzo: “Oh! Well, after you helped me out with my hearing, I wanted to leave my homeland and use my gifts to help people!”

He waves his hands to his two companions, engrossed in their own conversation.

Brakikzo: “I met Swift Smoke and Wrurak 3 years ago when the three of us had a mission around the same area. They were already an established duo when I met them, and they help me out when I was in a bind.”

A smile forms on the blue lizard, remembering his first meeting with the two.

Aldous: “So it’s been the three of you these past three years?”

Brakikzo: “Well, no. We have a 4th member that joined us a year after I did. He’s an easygoing, and mild-mannered, warforged druid with a heart of gold. I believe you two would get along!”

Okay… there’s no way he's talking about who I think he is…

Aldous: “This druid, being very round, earthy tones, has an ibex, and a choker around his neck that glows every time he talks?”

Brakikzo: “W-Why yes!”

This is getting ridiculous.

Aldous: “Swift, did you purposely make a team of people I helped in the past?”

Swift: “A team of what, now?”

The tiger looks at his teammates as if seeing them for the first time; the pieces slowing coming together in his head.

Swift: “Y’know, I never asked where you got those cool gizmos from, but now that I really look at them…”

Wrurak: “You seriously didn’t realize that Aldous made our aids?”

Brakikzo: “I was also under the impression that you were seeking people who Aldous helped.”

Swift: “I was actually seeking hot dudes who I can work out and go on silly adventures with!”

Aldous: “At least you’re honest about your intentions.”

Brakikzo: “By the way, where is Beetle?”

Wrurak: “Ah, yes, he’s under the-” The sound of snoring breaks the orc's concentration and the four of us turn towards the bed.

Wrurak: “...Bed.”

The wizard points to the source of the noise under the bed. I take initiative and look under the bed.

The sleeping brown chubby cat is almost invisible to me in the dark.

Beetle: *snore*

Aldous: “Does he always sleep under the bed?”

Wrurak: “Beetle refuses to sleep anywhere that’s for sleeping.”

Brakikzo: “I respect being a contrarian but I worry about his health; one shouldn’t sleep on the floor like a beggar if there’s a better option.”

I have half a mind to wake him up, but he looks so peaceful and adorable sleeping like that.

Aldous: “As much as I wish to talk with him, I don’t have the heart to bother him.”

Swift: “What a shame! Guess Beetle will have to miss dinner.”

Beetle: “Did someone say dinner?”

The sudden appearance of the metal cat amongst us causes Wrurak and Brakikzo to recoil.

Swift: “Hey fat ass, nice to see you up!”

Beetle: “First, thank you for noticing my plump rump; I’ve been doing squats. Second, you know me well enough to know that I’ll do anything for a good meal.”

The druid shifts from a cat to his original form and stands on his two legs.

The first thing I notice is that he’s the shortest out of the four, yet still a foot taller than me.

His metallic legs are an old moss green and shaped like a goat’s, and his hooves are a bister black.

He wears a tattered skirt and loincloth made of golden brown leather and linen, adorned with scarlet braids.

There are lime green cloth suspenders connecting the loincloth to a leather harness with leaf shoulder guards.

He has arm guards covered in leaves similar to his shoulders.

More belts wrap around his upper arm and dark gold body, leaving his huge and round belly bare.

I observe additional greenery around his body in places where body hair would typically grow.

Adorned with red beads and a flower crown, long vines formed the warforged’s braids.

His horns are long, black, and curled. And his eyes glow a lime green.

Despite his metallic build and languid appearance, he's ever so well kept.

Swift must occasionally groom Beetle, or perhaps it’s Wrurak who does.

Beetle: “Oh, hi Al. Didn’t notice you were here until now.”

The metal satyr scratches his underbelly, regarding me with such casualness as if it hasn’t been 3 years since I’ve last saw him.

Aldous: “Hello, Beetle. I hope you enjoyed a refreshing and restorative nap. How did it go?”

A yawn escapes the metal satyr as he methodically, at a snail’s pace, stretches each of his mechanical joints, the sound of his movements—a series of clicks and whirs—filling the otherwise silent space around him.

Beetle: “I had better naps, but thanks for asking. Anyway, what’s for dinner?”

Wrurak: “As much as I want to drill the proper etiquette of regarding visitors to you, the tin-head speaks for me; I’m hungry.”

Aldous: “I know of a place in town that serves amazing cutlets if you four would like to try. I’d be happy to pay, of course!”

Swift jumps on his toes and claps his hands at my invitation; the other three look at me as if they finally noticed I'm here.

Brakikzo: “That would be lovely, Aldous, but would you be okay with someone from your station being seen with us?”

Wrurak: “Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Wouldn't your influential party have a problem with you being chummy with demi-humans?”

Oh, yeah… All the excitement and surprise reunions made me forget my current predicament.

Swift: “Well, excellent news! Aldous got kicked out of his party, so now he’s joining us!”

Beetle, Brakikzo, and Wrurak let out an excited “Really?” at Swift’s announcement.

The orc catches himself showing too much enthusiasm, and coughs into his fist.

Wrurak: “Well, I guess we’ll have to take you in if you don’t have anywhere else to go…”

Brakikzo: “That’s wonderful! I mean, I’m really sorry that you’ve gotten kicked out by your party, but you can always stay with us!”

Beetle: “You already won me over when you volunteered to pay for food.”

Everyone talks amongst themselves about my joining while I stand there dumbfounded.

Swift: “It's decided then! Aldous will now be our new-”

Aldous: “Hold on! I didn’t agree with anything!” Everyone freezes and looks at me. I feel self-conscious with all eyes on me but I brave forward.

Aldous: “Swift practically kidnapped me from the tavern I was in; he didn’t ask at all if I was interested in joining any party.”

Swift’s teammates turn to the big cat, and he shrinks at their stares.

Swift: “I… I just thought that Aldous wouldn't have any issue with joining us…”

Aldous: “Well…”

Now that I think of it, I don’t really have a reason to decline their invitation… well, besides one thing, but…

Wrurak: “Is it because I made you grope my pecs?”

Aldous: “Well, no. I actually enjoyed that quite a bit-”

Wrurak: “I KNEW IT!!! YOU PERVERT!!!”

Brakikzo: “Wrurak!”

Beetle: “Do you believe your reason isn’t good enough?”

We all look at the metal satyr in response to his query; he keeps on looking at me with a calm, albeit drowsy expression.

I take a deep breath and prepare myself.

Aldous: “Well, I always wanted to be a shop owner and sell my inventions. Adventuring is something I do to gather supplies or gain inspiration.”

I take a moment to collect my thoughts. The four men before me stay silent and I take that as a sign to keep going.

Aldous: “I will admit that adventuring is fun, but I don’t do it for the thrill of battle or for the glory. I just want to help others, one product at a time.”

It’s hard to stop myself from looking down and holding myself. Usually, this is the point where the others brush away my wishes or concerns, but I press on either way.

Aldous: “I don’t want to hold you guys back, or be too much of a bother, or…”

Words stop coming out of my mouth.

My mind is racing with worries and uncertainties.

I’m already regretting explaining myself.

Maybe I should’ve just nodded along and agree to join.

They’ve been so nice to me and I’m just spouting out excuses.

What am I even doing here?

This is the reason you got kicked out of your party, because of how weak-

Swift: “Aldous.” The big cat’s voice snaps me out of my trance. He’s on a knee and his paw is on my shoulders.

He’s being serious instead of carefree right now, but his yellow eyes contain an abundance of emotion.

Swift: “Do you want to know why I kept on being an adventurer?”

My mouth fell open, but the words remained trapped in my throat, so I nodded instead.

Swift: “At first, it was purely out of boredom. I wished to escape my mundane life and throw myself into a life of risk and excitement. I was aimless, chasing after thrills to run away from everything.”

The warrior looks down. His metal paw on my shoulder tightens ever so slightly, but it doesn’t hurt.

Swift: “I did something stupid, and it cost me an arm and a leg. Worst day of my life, that was.”

The tabaxi looks back up at me with a compassionate smile.

Swift: “And then I met you. You saw me in such a sorry state and then you made me these prosthetics. And I didn’t even ask for anything; you just helped me, expecting nothing in return.”

Memories of our first meeting return to me. I really just wanted to help someone in need; no one should suffer a fate like that.

Swift: “You are effortlessly kind and generous, and that inspired me to be better. I wanted to use the limbs you gave me in a way that you’ll approve of. I wished to help others in any way I can instead of indulging on flights of fancy.”

Swift holds both of my hands in his. We both stare into each other’s eyes.

Swift: “If you desire to help others the way you helped me that day, then our goals are the same. Let me help you make your wonderful dream come true.”

He… He wants to make my dream come true? He also thinks it’s wonderful?

Am I dreaming right now? There’s no way he could've meant what he said, as much as I want it to be true.

Swift: “I hope that’s okay with the rest of you. I’d hate to see any of you go, but I won’t stop you if our goals don’t align.”

The three men look at each other, taking what Swift said to heart.

Wrurak: “And leave you alone with Aldous? If I let someone as trouble-prone as you with Aldous’s ‘help before you think’ tendencies, you’ll be dead by the end of the week!”

The orc huffs and crosses his arms, pretty sure he’s staying then.

Brakikzo: “I… I had so much fun with all of you, and I feel like I could help around in Aldous’ shop. Only if you’ll have me!”

The lizard bows down towards me, shivering like a leaf.

Beetle: “Well then, guess you’re not getting rid of us that easily.”

The satyr shrugged while smiling at me.

Aldous: “You guys…”

What is this feeling? I feel so warm. My chest is pounding so hard, but it's not painful.

Is this what being in a team is supposed to feel like? Is someone with my skills allowed to be respected like this? The best of the best has abandoned me, and yet I’m being taken in by another team. Should I even accept this? Do I even deserve this?

Swift: “Well then, Aldous? Should've asked you this before dragging you here, but do you want to join a non-human party?”

The tiger gives me the sweetest smile I've ever seen. His happiness is infectious and I feel one forming on my face.

Aldous: “I would love to.”

The warrior’s pupils dilate, and his grin grows wider. He picks me up by the hips and tosses me into the air.

Swift: “FUCK YES!”

He catches me and twirls me around over his head; we both laugh as the world spins around us.

His comrades share the huge tabaxi's excitement in their own unique ways. Wrurak is trying to not look too joyful, but his little smile and his hopping from heel to heel give him away. Brakikzo, with a soft smile plastered on his face, gingerly jumps in place and claps. Beetle gives me a thumbs up and shoots petals at us from his other hand.

After a few seconds, he puts me down after giving one last hug. Beetle keeps me steady from falling on my dizzy rump.

Beetle: “Are we still going to that place with cutlets?”

Wrurak: “Do you even need food?”

Beetle: “Food tastes good; besides, I need to keep up my figure.”

The satyr gives his belly a good slap. It wobbles despite being metal.

Aldous: “Yes, yes, dinner’s on me, but don’t get too comfortable because I still need funds for my shop!”

Beetle: “All I heard was dinner is on you, so that’s fine by me.”

With a worried look upon his face, the apprehensive rogue, his voice etched with concern, trailed behind the druid as they departed from the room.

Brakikzo: “Wait, you shouldn’t take advantage of Aldous’s hospitality, it's simply not right!”

The wizard follows suit with a groan and throws his hands up in the air.

Wrurak: “Good grief, do these idiots even know where they’re going? I should really invest in collars if they're going to run off with no plan in mind.”

Now it’s just me and the warrior, alone in the now empty room. He holds out a paw at me and gives me a toothy grin.

Swift: “Aldous, shall we?” I return his eagerness and take his paw, walking through the door and into the evening with new friends and the promise of fun adventures before me.

Aldous: “Let’s. Old friend.”

That special day will always have a place in my heart. From what I thought would be the worst day of my life… To something that will bring better days.

And I couldn’t stop myself from hoping.

That those days wouldn't end.

#monster x human #gay #one shot #buff men #buff furry men #orc x human #tabaxi #orc #lizardfolk #warforged #robot x human #beastman x human #beastfolk x human #d&d inspired #dnd inspo #himbos #fluff #so much fluff #mc is getting that harem #a group of himbos #satyr oc #lime fic #lime #long post #making fun of anime #overused trope

ogdegenerate