#the bargain

[lesmisscraper]

The Traveler suggests to take 'the Lark'. Volume 2, Book 3, Chapter 9.

Clips from <Il cuore di Cosette>.

[dragonagegallery]

Miscellaneous Mage Staves

[fafnir19]

The Bargain

I noticed Maya's agitation for the past few days. She seemed distant, lost in her own thoughts. Concerned, I finally mustered the courage to ask her what was wrong. "Maya, what's been bothering you lately?" I asked, my voice filled with genuine concern. She sighed deeply, gazing down at her hands.

"Tristan, I made a foolish mistake," she confessed, her voice trembling. "I... I summoned a demon to help me pass my exam." My heart skipped a beat. Summoning a demon? That was risky business. "Did it work?" I asked cautiously. She nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. "Yes, I passed the exam, but now... now it's time to pay the price." My heart sank, a mixture of sadness and fear flooding my emotions. "What... what's the price?" I stammered, fearing the worst. Maya shook her head, avoiding my gaze. "I... I don't want to talk about it."

Determined to help her, I searched through Maya's belongings and found the summoning materials she used. With trembling hands, I summoned the demon she had called upon, Incedis. A swirl of dark energy appeared before me, materializing into the form of a demon. Incredibly muscular, with fiery red skin and horns that curled elegantly above his head, Incedis gazed at me with piercing crimson eyes. "What do you want, mortal?" he bellowed, his voice booming and menacing. "Please," I pleaded, my voice shaky yet resolute. Summoning all my courage, I looked Incedis in the eye and said, "I'm willing to serve you for a week in the underworld if you release Maya from her debt." The demon laughed, his voice filling the room. "A week? Very well, Tristan. Your sacrifice amuses me. We have a deal." Excitement and trepidation coursed through me as I shared the news with Maya. Maya stared at me, her eyes filled with disbelief. "You did what? You're going to serve in the underworld for a week?" I nodded, determined to show Maya that I would do anything for her. "Yes, I made a deal with Incedis. He agreed to release you from your debt." Maya sighed, a mixture of frustration and affection evident in her voice. "Tristan, I appreciate you trying to help, but my debt was merely my favorite handbag. I never wanted you to go through this."

Days passed, and the agreed-upon time arrived. A magical portal opened before me, and without hesitation, I stepped into the unknown. As I emerged in the underworld, I couldn't help but notice a strange sensation. I felt stronger, more agile than ever before. Then I saw them—horns protruding from my forehead.

Incedis appeared beside me, his menacing aura unyielding. "Well, well, Tristan," Incedis purred, his eyes flickering with amusement. "You look even more tempting with those horns." He ran a finger along one of the spiraling horns that had grown atop my head, sending an unexpected jolt of arousal through my body. Startled, I took a step back, my face flushing. "What... what was that?" Incedis chuckled darkly. "Seems like the underworld has bestowed you with a few gifts, Tristan." He winked impishly before leading me off to my first task. As the days passed in the underworld, I found myself assisting lost souls in their journey to their interrogation rooms. It was a somber task, but the work itself was relatively straightforward. However, on the second day, my duty took a seductive turn. I was restrained in a chair and shown films of powerful men while Incedis stood behind me, caressing my horns. The sensation sent waves of pleasure coursing through me, building towards an explosive climax. But just as I was on the brink, Incedis would remove his hand, leaving me panting and unsatisfied. This ritual continued on the third day, leaving me both frustrated and bewildered.

But on the fourth day, everything took an unexpected turn. While standing at the gate, a handsome CEO of a large corporation entered, catching my eye. As my body responded with a familiar stir of arousal, Incedis noticed and smirked. "No need to return to the room from the previous days this afternoon," Incedis hissed, his voice dripping with wicked delight. "Congratulations, Tristan. You're officially gay." My mind spun in a whirlwind of confusion and betrayal. But amidst the storm of emotions, one thing remained clear - my determination to prove Incedis wrong. "G-gay? No, that can't be right," I stammered, my voice quivering with denial. "I have a girlfriend, Maya." Incedis laughed, a wicked sound echoing through the underworld. "Are you sure about having a girlfriend, Tristan? See for yourself!" With a flick of his wrist, Incedis conjured a swirling mist that enveloped me, revealing a startling image. Maya, entangled in passionate embrace with my supposed best friend, their bodies moving in rhythmic synchronicity.

The image cut through me like a thousand knives, pain and anger blending into an explosive mixture. "Maya," I whispered, my voice tinged with hurt and betrayal. "How could you?" Incedis licked his lips, relishing in the chaos he had birthed. "Seems you've been mistaken about having a girlfriend, Tristan. And perhaps you're also mistaken about not being gay. Let go of those mortal attachments. Embrace who you truly are." My fists clenched at my sides, my body trembling with conflicting emotions. The world around me blurred as my sight narrowed to focus on Incedis. "No," I hissed through gritted teeth. "I won't let you define me. I won't let you take away my identity." Incedis smirked, unfazed by my defiance. "Very well then, my stubborn mortal. Come with me." Confusion seized me as Incedis snapped his fingers, I found myself dressed in tight leather and silk riding pants that clung to every curve of my body, a velvet shirt open to the waist.

The very fabric seemed to whisper against my skin, igniting a strange and illicit fire within me. I looked down at myself in disbelief. "What is the meaning of this?" I demanded, my voice laced with frustration. "What have you done to me?" Incedis led me through the twisted corridors of the underworld, until we reached a grand temple.

I stood in the dimly lit temple, surrounded by flickering candles that cast dancing shadows on the walls. The air was heavy with anticipation as I faced the demon standing solemnly before the altar, his eyes glowing with an otherworldly fire. It was at this moment that I hesitated, unsure of what I was about to agree to. "Do you want to be a demon of lust and desire for eternity?" the demon asked, his voice reverberating through the room. "If so, seal your agreement with a moan." I opened my mouth to refuse indignantly, to reject this twisted offer that would condemn me to an eternity of debauchery. But before the words could escape my lips, Incedis sensually caressed my horns, causing a wave of pleasure to course through my body. A gasp escaped my lips, and I felt my resistance crumble. Incedis smiled wickedly, his voice dripping with satisfaction. "That's it, Tristan. Give in to your deepest desires." My mind was clouded by an intoxicating cocktail of pleasure and confusion. In that moment, the realization hit me like a bolt of lightning – perhaps my own desires were more complex than I had ever allowed myself to believe. And perhaps, deep down, I yearned for something different, something wild and untamed. As the demon's touch lingered on my horns, I felt a dark hunger stirring within me, a craving for unimaginable pleasure. I tried to fight it, but with every stroke of Incedis's fingers, my resolve crumbled further. Was I truly giving in to temptation? With a voice filled with both mischief and power, Incedis whispered in my ear, "Seal your agreement, Tristan. Embrace your inner demon." The pull was too great, the allure too strong to resist any longer. In a moment of surrender, I let out a moan, a sound that sealed my destiny. The demon before me nodded, a sinister smile playing on his lips. "Welcome, Tristan," Incedis purred. "Welcome to your new existence."

As the words echoed in the temple, the room seemed to shimmer and warp. Reality twisted around me, and when the haze of change cleared, I found myself standing in a different realm. The colors were vivid, the air crackling with an electrifying energy. I had become a demon of lust and desire. My first task awaited me, beckoning me towards a new purpose. I was to enter the dreams of straight men and engage in gay activities with them, to awaken desires they had never known existed.

This was my new reality, a path filled with temptation and forbidden pleasure. I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what lay ahead. There was no turning back now. I had become a creature of the night, a vessel for desire. And as I stepped into the swirling dreamscape, I couldn't help but feel a stirring of excitement, a thrill of anticipation. My journey had taken a dark turn, leading me down a path I had never expected. But in this new existence, I would discover truths about myself that I had long buried. But for now, my focus was on the task at hand. The demons within dreams awaited, their secret desires ready to be uncovered. And as I took my first step into the ethereal realm of untapped longing, I couldn't help but wonder – how deep into the abyss of desire would I allow myself to sink?

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

The Bargain 7

Masterlist

Warnings: financial stress and abuse, coercion, noncon, and some possible unmentioned triggers.

Character: Nick Fowler

Summary: You realise you don’t know Nick anymore.

Note: I'm still on a short hiatus for my novel but might drop tiny tidbits here and there between.

As always, I appreciate all kinds of feedback. A like and reblog means so much to me! <3

You pull the straps over your shoulders, the satin sheet cool around your figure. The frigid night ekes in through the window as you move through the dark. Your ears are pricked for the measured breaths keeping tempo. He’s asleep. You’re not free, but you can catch your breath.

You think of closing the window before you go. It nips deep into your flesh but he’ll be fine in the heaps of down and fabric on the bed. You ease open the door and edge down the hallway, careful not to do more than scuff the floor with your bare soles.

You take the stairs one at a time, careful not to creak on your descent. You go into the den, nightie swishing around your legs as your impatience boils over. You unclasp the glass doors framed in walnut and take out the bottle of Shiraz. You take it to the window bench and nestle up to watch the night gales stir the autumn leaves.

You wiggle free the cork, left loose by your last indulgence. You take a swig and sigh at the relief of the bitter flow across your tongue. You used to hate the flavour of wine, now you live for it. Those few minutes a night you can wash away the day.

You’ll have to replace the bottle. Again. Eventually he’ll figure you out. He’ll notice the label or the charge on his statement. You don’t really care, it’s just wine.

The billowing winds offer a soothing backdrop for your inebriation. You finish the bottle to your surprise. You want more. Anger brims in your drunken veins at the realisation that even this stolen delight is bound in his control.

You get up, the room jittering in your vision. Oops. You’re drunker than you thought. You hadn’t eaten enough at dinner. 

You teeter through to the kitchen and fill the bottle with tap water. You go back to the den and find the cork, forcing it back into the neck. You pause and stare at the shape of the bottle in your hand and belch. You’re pathetic.

You close your eyes and pout. How did it end up like this? You’re not supposed to be here. Not with Nick. Not like this. He’s your friend, now your keeper. It’s supposed to be different.

The vision of you walking down the aisle, white petals raining down in what can only be a fantasy, a man in a tux waiting for you at the end. Your eyes wet as you see Curtis watching you with a glimmer. Your heart pulses as you resist the urge to rush into his arms. Then you see Nick, across from him, watching with snakish spite.

The bottle slips from your hand and shatters at your feet. You gasp and look down, shaken from what could have been. What should have been.

You spin and look around at the ghostly darkness swathed over the space. You hate this. You hate it all. Each step you take is off kilter and reckless. You grab the low table before the artificial fire set into the wall and push it on its side with a deafening boom. You clatter the arm chair onto the floor, then that ridiculous chess table her never even touches.

Your rampage cannot be stopped even as you’re aware of the ruin, of what this will get you. You don’t care anymore. No matter what you do, it will always be torture.

You swing open the liquor cabinet and pull down a bottle, dropping it onto the hardwood. It smashes and the contents splash up your skirt and leg. Another and another. The sour scent brews around you with each crash.

Then the light flicks on and gives sight to your destruction. You stop with a bottle of scotch clutched in your fist. You wobble as you turn to face Nick, watching with sleep consternation. He grips the door frame and grits his teeth.

“Sweetheart…” his eyes scan the room with disappointment.

You don’t think, you just hurl the bottle at him. He side steps as it hits the wall just beside him, a shower of glass and scotch smattering down. He stares at the brown stain on the wall then slowly turns to you.

You waver as he stays silent. Marching towards you calmly even as his eyes blaze. You gulp as you look back at him, senseless. He brings his hands up to frame your face.

“Sweetheart,” he bows to look down, “what’ve you done to your feet?”

You let your head drop and look at your feet. Little cuts bleed along the side of your soles and red prints stain the wood beneath. You shrug and let out a sob. You know he’s angry, you just don’t know what he’ll do next.

[silvereddaye]

Will you finish Of Silk and Gold and The Bargain?

No pressure, I just wanted to know bc they, mostly Of Silk and Gold, live rent free in my mind

Anyways, you're great writer :)<3

My goal is to finish them yes. I don’t when though. I’ve been having a hard time getting back into writing. But I was thinking about both of them this past week about trying to work on them.

[soulmaking]

[thepiecesofcait]

Will you be like a papa to me?

[keyblades-and-kingdoms]

in any other context, a man telling a little girl to “show me where you live” would be cause for a felony but local dumbass jean valjean thought that emerging from the darkness in the woods while singing was the least terrifying course of action