#Blissful Blackberry

[y2kbeautyandother2000sstuff]

BBW Fall Edition Blissful Blackberry

Fall 1999 or 2000

Found on Ebay, user jbg20

[cakeproducts]

Indulge in Sweet Delight: Blackberry E-Liquid Jam Monster

Prepare your taste buds for a journey of sweet indulgence with the Blackberry E-Liquid from Jam Monster. This delectable vape juice offers the perfect blend of ripe blackberries and creamy buttery toast, creating a flavor sensation that’s sure to satisfy your cravings. Paired with a reliable 100ml vape device, this combination promises a vaping experience like no other. Let’s dive into what makes the Blackberry E-Liquid Jam Monster 100ml Vape Device a must-have for vape enthusiasts.

[tatterings]

Halstarion headcanon of Halsin's love

Obviously, NSFW under the cut... but my headcanons of Halsin's intimacy style with his vampire love. <3 full disclosure i have not proofread this lol

Warning - minor mention of Astarion's trauma

(EDIT: If you like this content you'll definitely like what will be in future chapters of my current Halstarion fic!)

Halsin is the ultimate soft tender dom. Checking in for Astarion’s consent with a head nod or a raised eyebrow. Any tenseness he feels in Astarion’s body, any time Astarion’s eyes glaze over or stare into the distance (because trauma is not something you heal from after having sex once on top of a grave, it's not magically gone. It takes time and healing so this still happens occasionally), sexual intimacy is paused/stopped. Other intimacy is an option, to give Astarion a safe, soft space. For example, he would whisk Astarion away to a bath and climb in with him, lathering bergamot-scented shampoo into his hair, massaging the vampire’s scalp and neck. Or he would pull a blanket over them both, and pull Astarion to his chest and read aloud from the book they’re finishing together.

There’s absolutely no way Halsin can sit still; the man has trouble shifting into a BEAR with passion. He would buck his hips against Astarion’s teasing. He’d grind on the bed as he opened his lips over the pretty pink tip of Astarion’s throbbing cock and lapped at the sensitive slit at the tip. His hands would be in so many places at once seeking stimulation and movement. Most of the time, he’d have one hand reaching upward, fingers interlaced with Astarion’s fingers. Because, he knew, two squeezes meant slow down. Three meant stop. They’d never had to say it verbally. Halsin just knew.

He’d be absolutely down for letting Astarion take him. He’d encourage it. He wants his heart to experience all of nature’s pleasures, including being top. He’d cede control to Astarion willingly, freely, whenever asked and more. His generosity knows no bounds.

He’d be a filthy talker in bed with his vampire love; but a sweet one. “Can you come for me, Astarion?” he’d say, intentionally edging his partner at first, until: “My heart, let yourself feel bliss; one more time, come for me my dear one.” And “My darling Astarion, you’re sweeter than the ripest blackberries, the purest honey,” as he uses his wide tongue to lick Astarion’s spilled ecstasy from his pale lower belly.

Speaking of talking, he’d be so full of praise for Astarion. Astarion, who had experienced only insult or hollow praises about his body, finally experiences someone speaking to him in earnestness, in love.

He’d kiss Astarion’s bite scar, running his tongue and lips over the pinpricks. Reclaiming a mark of slavery and instead nibbling in the same spot out of love. Removing the stigma, the pain from the bite, to replace Astarion's association with a mouth on his neck with ecstasy, pleasure, and consent.

An aftercare CHAMP and I’m not talking like bdsm stuff, which might or might not be something Astarion is into, but even just general sexual intimacy aftercare. Halsin would still focus on making Astarion feel good about his body for more than just sex. He’d lay beside his vampire and rub the pads of his fingers on Astarion’s back, massaging his lat muscles, sore from pulling his short bow. Braiding his white hair in French braids, just to take them out and braid them again. Always, of course, offering his neck to Astarion after any particularly vigorous lovemaking so his little pale love is in tip-top health.

Also Halsin is just fucking super smart and would protect his smaller lover and make sure Astarion isn’t harmed when Halsin takes him. He’d formulate some sort of lubricant that also has healing potion qualities, so any potential lack of preparedness is a non-issue.

Halsin’s so intuitive, that when he is inside his lover, he would know precisely when he is at just the right spot. He would have 0 complaints about moving only an inch or two at a time, back and forth, to almost unbearably focus on Astarion’s prostate, no matter how agonizingly tempting it would be for himself to bury himself to the root.

[ni-kisno1fan14007]

stressed out

pairings: bf!riki x fembodied!reader

warnings: smut, suggestive, nudity, size kink, blowjob

Riki was a busy man. Always so hardworking and passionate he pushed himself as far as he could, cause he had only one goal. As the maknae of Enhypen, he was overworked.. from the back to back schedules that had his mind going crazy and body pushing to brink of exhaustion. But Riki didn’t care, he wanted to achieve and be the best. But at the end of the day, all he wanted was to be with you.. you helped him unwind, and relax after a long day and he wanted you so so bad. You waited for your boyfriend to come back to the dorm, curled up on his bed in his room. Your mind growing hazy and calm at the scent of his cologne that was lingering on the sheets, traces of blackberry and orange blossom stuck to the cotton fabric. You lay on the sheets, hugging his pillow, wearing a thin camisole and panties as pyjamas ready to cuddle with love of your life and the help him relax after a long day. God you missed him so much. After about half an hour, you could hear the door rattling, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps on the wooden floor. Your boyfriend was here. And all Riki could do was groan at the sight... the most beautiful girl he had ever met was now on his curled up on his bed, wearing nothing but some skimpy clothing. He swore he almost choked on air seeing the way the black cotton panties stretch over your ass, to the way your breasts strained against the thin fabric of your lace trimmed camisole. Sparks immediately shooting to his crotch at the lewd sight.. all the exhaustion from his day leaving his body. You pat the bed signalling him to sit next to you. The moment he sat on the bed you straddled his lap.. his strong arms immediately wrapping around your waist.. as small gasps leave his lips. He was down.. so so bad for you, just the sight of you in your underwear was enough to get him painfully hard.

You giggle softly at the sight of his flushed face.. hips rocking teasingly against his crotch trying to get him to admit to what he wanted from you. “Please.. please! Don’t tease me love”.. his deep voice groans out, face buried into your neck. Soft hisses of pleasure leaving his lips at the flickers of pleasure that your movement gave him. "What do you want baby?", you ask softly grinding your hips against his hard bulge, all he could do was let out soft moans of pleasure. "y- you.. I want you!", he manages to croak out, it was all you needed to press your lips against his in a heated kiss, bodies pressing together in all consuming need, as Riki's mind grow hazier. You pull away, a string of saliva connecting your lips as Riki whines at the loss of contact.

The moment your lips connect to his neck he swore he saw heaven, eyes closing and head thrown back in bliss, if only he knew what you had in store for him, as your kisses make their way down to his collarbones.

He eagerly takes off his shirt, wanting to expose more of his skin to your delicate, pleasurable touch. You can't help but bite your lip as you look down his toned chest, to his abs, lean and built to perfection after a lifetime of dancing. Your kisses travel down to his chest, to his abs as you kneel between his legs, batting your eyelashes in feigned innocence as you undo his belt. He swore he could almost come from the sight. HIs hands tangle in your hair as you pull down his trousers, exposing his hard large bulge to the cold air covered in thin boxers. His pupils dilate in anticipation as you gently pull on his boxers letting his large thick member dripping with precum spring free, making you almost salivate at the sight. You wrap your small hands around the thick base, making a deep moan escape Riki's lips, he was putty in your hands, and he almost lost his mind, his hold in your hair tightening as your lick at the tip, tasting him. "Y.. You are s.. so so good for me", he hisses softly the feeling of your tongue teasing him setting his skin on fire. You could feel heat pooling in your panties at the sounds he made. You slowly take him in your mouth, gagging and drooling as his member stretched out your mouth fully, the tip hitting the back of your throat, eyes tearing up as you look up at him. He was huge, and you were struggling to say the least, but the dirtiest parts in his brain loved it. A deep whisper leaves his lips as he looks down at the erotic, dirty sight in front of him, his normally innocent, sweet lover on her knees pleasing him with her mouth as she looked up at him, a sight that had him cursing in his mind, "F.. fucking hell".

With each swallow and bob of your head, Riki could feel him getting closer to release, the coil in his lower abdomen begging to snap and show him heaven that his stressed out mind oh so craved. And as you hollowed out your cheeks around him, he came, his mind exploding with overwhelming pleasure as he shoots his semen down your tight little throat. His head thrown back in utter bliss.

[babey-fruit-bat]

Warmer Places

Logan x Fem!Reader

Content: Logan comes to your rescue after a day spent on the lake doesn’t go as you hoped ⛸️❄️

Author’s notes: Author can’t write dialogue, I’m from the south- this is SOOO self indulgent so apologies for northern inaccuracies - I know nothing about skating or ice on lakes hee hee

TW: reader gets hurt, Logan feels sad and GUILTY, fluff with light angst- obvious inaccuracy- This is my fanfic and I say logan won’t fall through the ice with his adamantium bones because I said so.

—————————————————————————

Tranquil, homey, picturesque. All could be said of the last eight months you’d spent with Logan in his home in Cold Lake. Moving so far away to Canada had been a big adjustment for you. Logan did his best to make it bearable. With a lit fire under the mantle every night and trips up town to Spanky’s, the local bar, warming yourselves with blackberry brandy and whiskey- the long cold winter had faded away into a blissful spring welcome.

Your newest favorite pass time, besides snuggling up with Logan watching whatever movie played on his dated box TV, was to travel to your backyard and lace up your new skates. Well, that and Pepper- his painfully cute St Bernard he’d had for a few years. She’d warmed up to you quickly with temptations of Milk Bone and bacon from your breakfast plate. This morning she trailed after you as you gathered your skates from the mudroom.

You remember your first time on the ice didn’t go as expected. Your favorite pass time back home was similar, roller skating had been one of your favorites with the gravel road beneath your feet it carried you everywhere. The sun, hot weather, and wind in your hair as you flew down the boardwalk by the beach. It felt worlds away as logan led you further out onto the ice. The black skates created patterns as he skated backwards effortlessly. Your wobbly legs liken to a fawn shifted, trying to balance on the thick sheet of ice.

“C’mere baby, you can do it” he pleaded with you, he’d been nothing but patient and encouraging while teaching you time after time how to balance and move.

“I can’t Logan, I’m gonna fall..” you’d slipped serval times already, him catching you effortlessly every time.

“I won’t let you fall angel, you gotta trust me”. True to his word you slipped again, caught in his solid arms and warm embrace.

He’d set a few non negotiable rules when starting your new hobby. He had to keep you safe- especially if he was away from the house.

One- Never skate alone at home

Two- Never keep Pepper inside while you’re out.

Three- Never skate too far out in the lake- unless he’s with you. Stay in the little bay by the cabin.

Simple enough, and those rules kept you safe. As you improved he lightened up slightly on the first one believing you’d learned enough to not have him there every second. Though it was only with your convincing, and managing to skate around the lake by yourself, that he believed you. As long as Pepper stayed right there, snoozing by a fire.

The last two were absolute, pepper was trained to fetch help or fetch him if ever needed, who understood her commands in a heartbeat- loyal to her little family to the core.

This morning Logan had woken up early as usual. He threw on one less layer, claiming it would heat up come mid day despite the chill outside. You’d woken up along side him, packing the lunch and sending him out the door with a breakfast, coffee, and a kiss.

“Well, better now than never!” You said to no one in particular. You’d looked forward to your morning skate sesh since yesterday- being too busy with chores left you no time to stretch your legs before the weekends storm was set to move in.

You bounded up to your room to suit up for the cold weather outside- Logan may be used to the cold, but even with the sun coming out more you still needed to bundle up to take on the brisk Albertan weather.

Pepper barked as you opened the backdoor trailing off to her favorite spot by the fire pit. You sat on the small bench Logan built for you and him and laced up your skates. They were a soft white with sheer black bows on the back, a contrast to the sturdy black skates he wore.

You picked up yours about two months within moving there, an insistent welcome gift from Logan after you’d expressed how nervous you’d be even thinking about setting foot on the ice. He was determined to show you one of his favorite pass times and how much fun you could have just like back home.

You sat up after lacing your skates and pushed off gliding in a soft loop around the edge of the lake. You skated further out to practice your spins, you’d gotten good at them in the last few weeks and decided to keep practicing.

About an hour later you sat on the bench sipping your water. The sun had come out heating the day just like Logan said. He was always right when it came to weather. You pulled out your phone switching from your music to TikTok scrolling through the For You page deciding to search new skating tricks before landing on one you just had to try next.

A gorgeous figure skater demonstrating a beginner level jump. Yeah, you could do that- you thought to yourself. Setting up your phone you skated out a little and skated the beginning positions. You stopped, watching her jump, then skated back to your starting point to try it a few times.

After a few attempts you were ready to try a small jump- you began again and lifted yourself slightly- nearly slipping- but you landed! You actually landed.

“Pepper, Did you see? I did it!” You laughed as she ‘boofed’ in response un-phased by your triumph. You skated further out wanting more room to try a slightly bigger jump, surely it couldn’t be that different than roller skating? You’d jumped plenty of times, even once over a garbage can at the skate park.

You kept the video playing as you followed her instructions- you lifted yourself higher this time. A stomach dropping crack sounded as your skate nearly twisted off after the toe pick stood solid in the ice. You’d landed too hard and the force sent you tumbling down cracking the ice below further.

“Ahh, oh..Oh shit Mngh-ph!” A sharp pain cascaded up to your knee, tears welling in your eyes immediately. You shifted to sit up trying not to move your leg too much. You started crying as you unlaced your skate slowly pulling it off along with your socks. The sight was already awful- the chilled air not helping in any way. Your ankle now swelling before your eyes a bright angry red and painful to the touch.

“Pepper!” You hollered for her, “Fetch phone!”

She hopped up darting forward snagging it in her mouth and plopped it in your hand. She scanned the area knowing something was wrong and sat against your back for you to lean on.

Unlocking your phone you paused before calling Logan. Would he be upset with you? It was probably not the smartest idea to try this today, and if you called he wouldn’t hesitate to leave work. You quickly brushed those thoughts aside as your ankle throbbed worse than before. You needed him here.

The phone rang as you tried to collect your breathing.

“Hey Darl-“

“Logan, I’m sorry, I’m really sorry!” You panted into the phone

“Slow down Darlin, sorry for what?” He snickered over the line.

“I’m out on the lake with Pepper, I- ItriedtodoanewtrickandIfellandnowmyanklesbroken-“

“Hey hey slow down Angel, what are you saying? You’re still on the ice now?”

“I tried to do a new trick and I fell and now I think my ankles broken..”

“Angel, oh no you can’t be serious?”

“Yeah” you sniffled “It hurts Logan, I can’t get up it hurts so bad I’m sorry”

“I’m on my way now, just stay put with Pep, and I’ll take you to the hospital” You heard the door of his truck slam shut and the phone call end.

He pulled into the drive way 15 minutes later- which you’ll have to scold him about because his commute is 30 minutes on a good day.

It mattered less now as he trucked down to the lake stepping onto the ice and carefully lifting you up as you groaned. He walked you to the truck and opened the door with one hand, you tucked away in his other arm. He shut the door and called Pepper to let her inside. She whined watching you leave out the front window.

Logan grabbed your soft blanket you kept in the truck and wrapped it around you and pulled onto the highway.

You lived about an hour from the hospital and you couldn’t get there soon enough.

He pulled a snack from the lunchbox in between you in the front seat and handed it to you- the puppy chow you’d made him as a sweet treat for his lunches.

“Here, you should eat something, take your mind off the pain for a bit, yeah?” He grunted.

“Maybe” you sat in silence watching the pines fly by out the window.

“Logan, you should slow down a bit- I’m not gonna die, I’ll be okay” you prodded softly.

He flashed you a worried look and kept driving in silence.

You reached the hospital quicker than expected and were seen just as quick- thanks to the intimidating looks Logan dished out to every nurse, admin, and doctor who kept walking by without seeing you.

Finally X-rayed, they’d concluded you had a broken ankle though not terribly so. You’d be in a cast for about 4-6 weeks and would need the occasional check up. They sent you off with a pain medicine prescription to pick up and you were home before you knew it.

Now once again resting by Logan on your couch your mind drifted back to earlier, the feelings of upsetting him and worse worrying him over something you could’ve avoided by listening to him.

“Logan?”

“Hmm?” He hummed softly.

“I’m.. I’m really sorry about today- If I had known I’d never have tried that stupid trick..”

“It’s not your fault, Angel, accidents happen and it’s part of being on the ice- you slip the wrong way and it’s blam- lights out sometimes” he trailed off wrapping his arms around you.

“Really, it’s my fault- even if you didn’t try a jump you still could’ve fallen and hurt yourself. The ice gets too slick when the sun comes out, and it’s starting to thin the ice too”

You mulled over his words in a stunned quiet.

“I should have thought of that, should’ve told you..” he sighed out.

“Logan, there’s no way either of us could’ve known” you grabbed his chin to look at him softly. “Like you said- accidents happen”

“But that’s not enough, it’s not okay- you’re hurt because of me, I miss one important detail, and it’s some kind of pain for someone else all over again” he muttered

“I’m just so sorry, this shouldn’t have happened Angel, and it’s my fault for not telling you sooner..”

“Logan, you didn’t do anything wrong even if I got hurt” you spoke- searching for his eyes

“What if it’s not just a broken ankle? What if next time it’s worse- I just cant stand the thought of losing you- ever.”

You felt destroyed and reborn with his confession. You knew Logan certainly liked you but to hear him express the way he cared for you rocked you to your core in his quiet moment of vulnerability.

You pulled him in closer capturing his lips in a passionate dance.

“Good thing you never will.”

[thelandboundseawitch]

🍎Fruit Correspondences🍎

Apples:

Red Apples- Love, prosperity, lust, knowledge, sex, romance and passion, fruit of the dead, immortality, happiness, good physical health, curses

Green Apples- Money, prosperity, luck, success

Yellow Apples- Curses for money loss, greed, envy

Apricot- Love, longevity, good health, healing(physically and emotionally), sweetening things, glamour, beauty Banana- Travel, sex, fertility, potency, prosperity, comfort, pain relief, sleep, dreams; infidelity curses, impotence Blackberry- Healing, love, protection, natural beauty, lust, cursing, binding Blueberry- Healing, protection, calm, focus, communication Cantaloupe- Protection, energy, motivation Cherry- Dreams, love, divination, beauty, substitute for blood/meat/organs, happiness, emotional healing, friendship, repel negativity, relationships Coconut- Chastity, innocence, protection, purification, beauty Cranberry- Romance, cleansing, severing negative ties, ambition Date- Love, psychic abilities, friendships and repairing them, quick energy Elderberry- Protection (psychic and emotional attacks), protection from psychic vampirism, fidelity, spirit work, wisdom, cleansing, dexterity, balance (usually of body and mind), celebrations; can be used as a substitute for blood despite not being red, good for ink making Fig- Abundance, divination, energy, fertility, good luck, health, love, money, peace, power, strength

Grapes:

Green- Money and prosperity, business, grounding, creativity

Purple- Psychic abilities, divination, spirit work

Red- Strength, lust, fertility, encouragement

Grapefruit- Cleansing, confidence, cooperation, healing, inner strength, mental clarity, purification, curses

Honeydew Melon- Sweetness, refresh, renewal, energy, subtly, kindness, relationship Kiwi- Secrets, looking for answers, happiness, sex and physical longings, good luck Lemon- Love, purification, beauty, friendship, longevity, inspiration, cursing Lime- Command and dictation, emotional healing, protection, energizing, purification, protects from negativity, curses(envy, jealousy, money troubles, bond severing) Mango- Love, protection, harvest, business and legal matters, happiness, friendship and family Nectarine- Love Orange- Awareness, prosperity, love, friendship, divination, creativity, inspiration, dream work, opportunity, harvest, money luck Papaya- Love, protection, brings happiness, kindness, strength in hardship, overcoming challenges Peach- Happiness, love, protection, exorcism, wishes, femininity, female fertility, knowledge, motivation, bliss Pear- Love, lust, wealth Persimmon- Happiness, healing, luck, lust, sex, wisdom Pineapple- Relieves stress and anxiety, imagination, relieves art block, luck, prosperity, happiness Plum- Luxury, sex, lust, love, wealth, and sleep Pomegranate- Beauty, protection, lust, the forbidden, death, wisdom, blood substitute and organ substitute Raspberry- Fun, love, courage, blood substitute Strawberry- Love, curses(losing love, cheating or lost of sexual drive) Tangerine- Protection of a home or space, happiness, friendship and cheerfulness Watermelon- Purity, luck, happiness, renewal, rebirth

[serene-faerie]

Canon Mortal/Elf couples as aesthetics:

Andreth/Aegnor— a pale sunrise over the mountains, reading a well-loved book beneath a maple tree, long braided hair, autumn leaves, beaded jewelry, the golden hour, a tranquil lake, kissing the freckles of one's face, silver courtly robes, earth-coloured dresses, morning horse rides, shy smiles, the ache of nostalgia, herbal tea, writing love poems, campfire stories, forget-me-nots, flickering candles, red robins, the smell of cinnamon, a bowl of mushroom soup, amber gemstones, the taste of lingonberries, bittersweet memories, tears of regret, parting ways but never letting go.

Beren/Lúthien— hot summer nights, dancing barefoot in a glade, daisies, gentle warrior hands, sweet blackberries, fiery sunsets, flower petals caught in strands of hair, stubble tickling smooth cheeks, fireflies lighting up the night, stars that glitter like diamonds, crystal clear waters, shimmering skin, dark-green capes, flowing blue gowns, kisses upon fingertips, nightingales, blue butterflies, strolls through the forest, the sound of rushing rivers, the smell of lilacs, undying loyalty and love, the pale blue dawn, a crackling campfire, silver jewelry, emeralds, always keeping promises, a life of peace and bliss together.

Tuor/Idril— baroque architecture, eyes as blue as the ocean, braided golden hair, white doves, grandiose fountains, sparkling white towers, the smell of rosewater, grand baths with petals in the water, citrus trees, stolen kisses in flower gardens, an instant connection, rich silks, gold jewelry, blue summer skies, a shining city, snow-capped mountains, chandeliers of crystal and gold, sunlight filtering through stained glass, high ceilings, marble floors, the warmth of falling in love, romantic paintings, pink roses, rebuilding a broken home together, staying strong for others.

Aragorn/Arwen— elegant wooden archways, pale pink evening skies, all-knowing smiles, quiet moments in a library, holding hands, flowing velvet gowns, jewel tones, whispered reassurances, undying faith, a crystal pendant on a silver chain, the smell of lavender, twinkling stars above, cups of fruit wine, the taste of dark chocolate, sweet nothings, words of love, juicy pomegranate seeds, impressionist landscape paintings, romantic architecture, love sonnets, cursive handwriting, marble towers, thrushes, accepting the impermanence of life, bittersweet grief, bare trees, a cold winter.

[royalthorned]

snippet of berlin haven (my remus/nagini fic) because I need to talk about them again!

When Remus suggests blackberry picking the first thing she thinks of is a poem. It was simple, sweet and rural. Achingly English. As Remus pulls off his chequered pyjama pants and trips while pulling on striped socks she recites it for him.  

Late August given heavy rain and sun for a full week the blackberries would ripen. It was September now though, and there had been very little sun for the last week.

 Their mornings were spent dragging the duvet on the dusty concrete floor, warding off the chill of an unheated apartment. Shoulder to shoulder, warmth staying cradled as they moved as a unit. Make coffee, brush teeth, brush hair. Together, together, together. 

They come home from work on the same train, at different stops. Nagini gets on first, awkward in the vulnerability of being alone, and slides her hand bag onto the seat. Keeping her head down to avoid the condemning glares of passengers until Remus gets on, with rain dripping from his fringe onto the dip of his collarbones. 

He would smile down at her, not a toothy grin like the other young couples she sees together. Something softer, less new, less bright, less awed. 

He smiles and his cheeks dimple, he smiles and her head rises. 

On the weekends, those blissful, sacred breaks, they go on trips like these. Nagini will admit, over tea in their second hand mugs, over her school books that they use as coasters that she hasn't done something. And Remus will press a socked foot against her bare shin and promise they will.

[wafflefries13]

Twisted Teas

I don’t know a lot about tea, only that I usually like it iced and sweet, a casualty of growing up in the south. But I’ve been wanting to learn more about it, especially blends. I found this cool website, Adagio Teas, that have a bunch of fan made fandom blends for a ton of different books, movies, video games, and tv shows (#notsponsored). So I thought I would try my hand at making teas for the Twisted Wonderland cast. I tried to go off vibes, color schemes, and their favorite food. Hopefully my train of thought makes sense. If anyone wants to actually try any of these let me know how they taste. 

Adagio Teas: Signature Blend

Riddle: 

Wild Strawberry 

Summer rose

Cream 

Extra scoop: Rose hips 

Ace: 

Dewy cherry

Fiery cinnamon spice 

Vanilla oolong 

Extra scoop: Cherry 

Deuce:

Green rooibos blueberry 

White blueberry

Kentucky whisky 

Extra scoop: Blueberries��

Cater: 

Passion Fruit 

Pomegranate grove 

Orange

Extra scoop: Orange peels 

Trey: 

Cocomint green 

Assam melody 

Pu-erh hazelberry 

Extra scoop: Cocoa nibs 

Leona:

Pu-erh dante 

Tiger eye 

Turmeric bliss 

Extra scoop: Marigold flowers 

Ruggie: 

Ceylon sonata 

Hojicha 

Hazelnut 

Extra scoop: Safflower 

Jack: 

Lapsang souchong 

White pear 

Almond Oolong 

Extra scoop: Ginger root 

Azul: 

Earl gray lavender 

Black cherry 

Chocolate truffle 

Extra scoop: Lavender flower 

Jade: 

Forest berries 

Almond oolong 

Toasted mate 

Extra scoop: Raspberry leaves 

Floyd: 

Autumn mist green 

Oriental spice 

Gunpowder 

Extra scoop: Cloves 

Kalim: 

White eternal spring 

White tropics 

Coconut grove pouchong 

Extra scoop: Coconut 

Jamil: 

Cinnamon rooibos chai 

Masala chai 

Mango melange 

Extra scoop: Aniseed 

Vill: 

Blackberry 

Cherry green 

Rooibos jasmine 

Extra scoop: Cornflower 

Rook:

Assam melody 

Earl gray bravo 

Butterscotch 

Extra scoop: Lemon verbena 

Epel: 

Spiced apple chai 

Candy apple 

Rooibos vanilla chai 

Extra scoop: Apple pieces 

Idia: 

Maple cream oolong 

Almond cardamom cake 

Honeybush banana nut 

Extra scoop: Cocoa nibs 

Ortho:

Almond

Chocolate chip 

Vanilla 

Extra scoop: Candycane 

Lilia: 

Earl gray moonlight 

Black cherry 

White chai 

Extra scoop: Cherry 

Silver: 

Forest berries 

Pu-erh hazelberry 

Almond oolong 

Extra scoop: Lemon balm 

Sebek: 

Kukicha 

Green chai 

Chili lime green 

Extra scoop: Lemon peels 

Malleus: 

Dragon fruit dream 

Camomile 

Citron green 

Extra scoop: Hibiscus flowers 

Crowley: 

Earl gray bravo 

Blackberry 

Caramel 

Extra scoop: Pink peppercorn 

Crewel: 

Irish breakfast 

Currant 

Hojicha 

Extra scoop: Raspberry leaves 

Trein: 

Vanilla oolong 

Cream

Butterscotch 

Extra scoop: Apricots 

Vargas:

Masala chai 

Fiery cinnamon spice 

Spiced mate 

Extra scoop: Cardamom seeds 

Sam: 

Foxtrot 

Green rooibos key west 

Citron green 

Extra scoop: Lemon peel

[y2kbeautyandother2000sstuff]

Bath and Body Works Fall Edition Chubbies Votives in Orchard Fresh Pear, Blissful Blackberry, Spiced Vanilla and Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin

Fall 1999-2000ish

Found on Ebay, user rospag7

[growmydarling]

the way that plush fat has layered across the expanse of your hips has left me shockmed into silence. i know you had gained some weight since we'd last gone out for one of our fun days in the city, where we'd go from bakery to ice cream shop to coffee shop to more desserts to a brewery. i missed watching your tummy inflate throughout the day (mine felt comfortably stuffed as well, but the contrast in our portion and body size was vasteven then) and sometimes i'd even catch you rubbing at your stomach and cherish the blissed out look on your face. your emotions framed by chubby cheeks. today, you lumbered up to me in the way you typically did only towards the end of our hedonistic nights. your gut trembled as you stopped in front of me and gripped me up in your strong arms. we were going to be in for a long day, i surmised (correctly)! I broke apart from you to gaze surreptitiously at your plump body swathed in tight linens that framed every rotund inch. how could you appear this inflated already? had you started before we even grabbed brunch, where two years ago you'd chugged a pitcher of mimosa before demolishing a plate of waffles. i'd touched myself to the memory of your mouth munching quickly and your arms wobbling against the table edge countless times since our last all day feeding date. i stumbled into the bakery and rubbed happily at your shoulder while you ordered me a black coffee and nutella croissant. you ordered yourself a 24 ounce breve and a shot of espresso, a blackberry scone, a macaroon, and a fruit parfait. jesus christ, i thought, heat blooming down low within me. this is our first stop of the day.

[monstersandmaw]

Male werewolf x female character (Gabe & Odessa) - Chapter Twenty Two (sfw)

Disclaimer which I’m including in all my works after plagiarism and theft has taken place: I do not give my consent for my works to be used, copied, published, or posted anywhere. They are copyrighted and belong to me.

___

Well, folks, we finally did it! This is my longest-running story on here, and it’s finally come to an end. Kind of. This is the end of ‘Season One’ (for want of a better term), and I have a short interlude planned from Gabe’s POV, followed by a ‘Season Two’. I also asked you what other ‘non-humans’ you’d like to see for 2023, so I’m going to be working on some other stories too since my workshop is currently flooded and out of action for the forseeable future. Thanks for your input and ideas with that - I always welcome prompts and ideas, even if I don’t guarantee to write them!

Anyway, enough waffle. Here’s the wrap-up to G&O (if you have any ideas for actual titles for this story, please tell me - I did ask ages ago but my dumb brain cell forgot them!).

Content: After two blissful weeks, Odessa has to say farewell to Gabe and Pinewatch, and return to the city, but once she’s there, things turn out to be not quite so bleak... Wordcount: 4367

Catch up here:

Part One (sfw), Part Two (sfw), Part Three (sfw), Part Four (sfw), Part Five (sfw), Part Six (sfw) Part Seven (sfw), Part Eight (sfw), Part Nine (sfw), Part Ten (sfw), Part Eleven (nsfw), Part Twelve (sfw), Part Thirteen (sfw), Part Fourteen (nsfw), Part Fifteen (nsfw), Part Sixteen (nsfw), Part Seventeen (sfw), Part Eighteen (v. light nsfw), Part Nineteen (nsfw), Part Twenty (nsfw), Part Twenty-One (nsfw)

Odessa woke the next morning and for three full minutes, she didn’t think about having to leave.

The moment she did, she began to cry.

Silent tears slid from the corners of her eyes to melt into her hair as she lay on her back and stared at the ceiling while Gabe slept on silently beside her, curled on his side and facing her. His chest rose and fell with the regular, quiet ease of someone deeply and contentedly asleep, and she tried to focus on that instead, letting her mind drift along with each steady inhale and exhale. Memories of her fortnight in the forest scudded across her mind’s eye like little boats in a flotilla of happy snapshots: walks to the lake, shy flirting, drinks at the pub, new friends, discovering fairytale creatures were real, more mind-blowing and affectionate sex than she’d ever had in her life, pancakes, blackberry cupcakes, waterfalls and werebears, adorable wolf-dogs, Gabe’s hazel eyes and dimpled smile…

Somehow, her last day in Pinewatch had dawned, and the idea of leaving all that behind just seemed more painful and unfair than anything she’d ever experienced, even if it wouldn’t be for long. For a long time, she couldn’t move so much as a muscle as the sudden, sharp grief crushed her and buried her beneath its weight.

Beside her, Gabe inhaled deeply through his nose. “Hey,” he mumbled, coming awake sharply and reaching for her with a frown. He blinked back the bleary remnants of sleep from his eyes and brushed the tears from her face with his knuckles. He kissed her temple, shuffling closer to her and tucking the duvet up around her. “Come here.”

With Gabe wrapped around her body from behind, holding her tightly enough that she felt a little more grounded, she began to feel marginally better, and with a deep sigh, she tried to let it all go. “I know it’s only temporary,” she said, kissing his hand before he moved it to continue stroking her hair. It was too wildly curled and tangled for him to comb his fingers through it, but the way his palm skated over the contours of her skull calmed something deep within her.

“Still sucks though,” he said and she hummed. “Could I come and visit you there?” he asked after a pause.

She frowned. She hadn’t even considered that as an option. “In the city? I thought you hated it? And what about your family? And the dogs?”

She felt him smile and he kissed her again. “I hated it there because I thought I had no choice about my future. The dogs will be fine on their own in the enclosure for a few days. I’ll take them for a long run when I get back, and Tala or Carys can feed them for me once a day.”

“And… your family?” she asked when she realised that was the only thing he hadn’t answered.

Gabe gave a big sigh and Odessa rolled onto her back to look up at him properly. He had a pillow crease on his cheek that she wanted to kiss, but she just smiled privately and let him talk. “When a wolf enters the territory of another pack, unless they’re literally just passing through that day, it’s custom for them to announce themselves to the pack leader and state their intentions. If I’m staying longer than a few hours, I’ll need to go to them for permission to stay.”

Her heart rate picked up and she bit her lip. “Is that something you’d be… comfortable doing? You said your mother literally exiled you… They won’t… I don’t know, turn on you?”

He shook his head. “It’ll be… strained, for sure. I can write to my brother about it. We’re still vaguely in touch at Christmas and sometimes in between. He knows where I live and what I do for work and stuff. I could ask him if I could come and present myself to the pack in order to visit my — to visit you,” he said, his gaze drifting towards the ceiling.  

“Would he advocate for you then?”

Gabe nodded. “Yeah, probably. I think he’d stand up for me. We used to be very close.”

Something sad stabbed just below her ribs at the way he said it. “Do you miss him?” she asked in a tentative whisper.

“Yeah,” he rasped, eyes closing for a second. “He’s two years younger than me, but we were inseparable from the moment he was born. Until… til I left…” He paused and let his thumb play distractedly over her shoulder joint. “He has cerebral palsy but it’s never really hindered him doing whatever he wanted to. We did everything together: went climbing at the sports centre, running in the park, kayaking and camping in the school holidays… he played soccer after school and I’d go to watch…”

The image of him as ‘devoted older brother’ only made it more painful that they were now so distant, and she didn’t miss the way his breath caught and his throat tightened as he listed everything they’d once shared. The loss of contact with Raph — the gulf which Gabe’s actions had opened up between them — was clearly as raw to him then as on the day he’d caught that bus out of the city.

Instead of offering him some empty platitude about how sorry she was that it had turned out that way, she squeezed his middle with all her strength, and he grinned through a wheeze and looked down at her with a grateful flash of his golden eyes. She was learning to speak werewolf pretty well, she thought.

“How did the pack react to him becoming your mother’s Second instead of you?”

He shrugged, jostling her slightly. “From the impression he’s given me from his emails, they just accepted it. Mother’s word is law, after all,” he added dryly. “Raph’s thriving on it, the pack is as strong as it’s ever been, and mother got a willing Second, so it all worked out in the end.”

“So what happens if… if you ask to stay and she says no?”

A beat of silence stretched until he exhaled heavily. “Then I’ll have to leave. By werewolf law, they could kill me if I stay without their permission, but I highly doubt it’ll come to that.”

She gasped, going cold all over. “They’re your family, Gabe!”

Again, he shrugged and reached over to lay his palm on her hip. The action calmed her a little, but her heartbeat still galloped wildly. “Pack law is pack law,” he said. “It’s archaic, and while they’re probably traditional enough to give the English aristocracy a run for its money, I don’t think they’d escalate things that far. Killing a family member as a punishment is a huge taboo; no one’s done it for centuries. They’d probably just run me out of town.”

“Would I have to meet them?” she asked with no small amount of trepidation. Honestly, his mother sounded terrifying, but Raph didn’t seem so bad if he was anything like Gabe.

Gabe’s eyes flashed and a short, instinctive growl escaped his throat. “No. I don’t want any of them anywhere near you,” he finally managed to spit out around the sound that took a while to stop and die away.

She half-suspected that the approaching full moon stoked a little of the protective fury in his tone, though probably not by much.

“You’re human, and I don’t want you mixed up in werewolf politics. It’s a minefield, and they already think the worst of me for turning my back on my own family. Settling down with a human is… well, to them it’d be another insult, put it that way.”

“Oh.”

For a while, she just lay there in his arms until he kissed her. “Hey,” he murmured. “Don’t stress it.”

“I don’t want to put you in danger, or more at odds with your family,” she said. “It’s, what, a five hour drive from there to here on a good day? I can do that to come and see you. You don’t need to risk all of that for me.”

Another growl rumbled in his chest like a fading thunderstorm. “I don’t want it to be all on you,” he said. “Until we figure something out, I want you to know I’m there for you. That I’m… invested in this. In us.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. “I know that.” Vague, half-formed plans for the future resurfaced, and she began to mull them over again as they lay there in affectionate silence.

“Hey,” he said, and she twitched back to the present moment. “You want to come over to mine for pancakes before you go?”

She nodded. “Yeah, and say goodbye to the dogs, if that’s ok?”

“Don’t blame me if they corner you and refuse to let you out. They’re very intuitive…”

“I won’t be complaining if they do,” she mumbled and hugged him for a while longer.

Their sombre mood didn’t match the morning’s weather at all. Sunlight finally decided to come pouring in through the curtains following days of grey skies and rain, and after lying there anxiously for another half an hour, Odessa huffed a sigh and got out of bed.

The moment she was upright, she felt every ache and stretch from the night before in every corner of her body, and she smiled. She could still feel the way his knot had filled her utterly too, and the way he had come — eyes rolling back, his body submitting completely with a great, heaving shudder as he gave himself to her — was something that would stay with her forever. She’d have to see if he was willing to have shifted sex with her again in the future too, she mused with a bashful smile, and caught herself blushing in the bathroom mirror.  

In the privacy of the bathroom, she popped a couple of ibuprofen to help her aches subside, and showered briefly. Gabe seemed in no hurry to get up, and he watched her dress from the warmth of the duvet before finally crawling out of bed and heading for the shower himself. He emerged ten minutes or so later to find her making a cup of tea in the kitchen of the cosy little holiday cabin.

“At least you’ll have good weather for driving,” he said as he came up behind her and put his arms around her middle. The gentle pressure eased the soft ache and she hummed in pleasure.

“I think I’ll pack up my stuff here and drive over to yours,” she said, dunking the teabag a few more times to get it to the right colour. “Then I’ll just go home from there.”

He nodded and said, “I’ll let you finish up in peace then. Just come over whenever you’re done.”

Odessa deliberately didn’t watch him walk out the door, and while she did feel the urge to cry when she heard his truck tyres roll out, she pulled herself together long enough to get her belongings in order. Packing up after a holiday was never going to be a long job, and she carelessly stuffed all her clothes into her rucksack and her hold-all, slung her hiking boots into the back of her little VW, and stumped back to the cabin to make a final check.

It still looked like a fairytale.

The newly planted flowers outside had had two weeks to settle in, and they sat in the beds at the base of the log walls waving merrily in the breezes that scudded around the clearing in the wake of the previous day’s rain. Little birds flitted and twittered in the branches around the cabin, and she could hear the stream trickling along the gully behind the house. Her breath billowed in the damp, cold air, and she shivered.

With the cabin left in order, and the bed linen already stripped and stuffed into the dedicated laundry bag in a corner of the bedroom by Gabe, Odessa locked up and drove the short journey up the road to Gabe’s house.

She found him sitting outside on the back step with Axel’s head in his lap. Mia yowled at her the moment she shut the car door and walked towards the gate in the enclosure fence, and Gabe looked up and smiled without disturbing Axel.

Thunder paced slowly towards her as she slid the latch back on the gate. “Alright to come in?” she asked and Gabe nodded.

She closed it behind her and turned to find Thunder standing immediately behind her. He looked like an emperor awaiting an audience, and she held her hand out shyly to him. He sniffed her knuckles and then licked her skin gently, exhaling with an audible rumble. “I’m gonna miss you too,” she said and glanced self-consciously over at Gabe.

He smiled and said, “He can smell that we’re both kind of stressed,” he said. “He doesn’t like it. Neither does Ax,” he added, stroking the white fluff between Axel’s tense ears.

“I’m sorry buddy,” she said, gently chucking Thunder under the chin while Mia finally gave in and harrumphed over to her. She jabbed Odessa in the thigh with her pointy husky nose, and yowled like a broken car alarm. “I’ll be back to steal all of Gabe’s attention before you know it,” she laughed. “I promise you’ll barely have time to relax before I’m back and you have to chase me off him again.”

Mia growled but it was all play, and Odessa sighed as she crossed to sit with Gabe and Axel for a minute or two before her butt got too cold on the damp step and she stood up again.

Gabe dusted her backside off affectionately and she chuckled. Then he stood up too with a little grunt and said, “Come on. Let’s make some pancakes. Tea or coffee?”

“Coffee, please.”

Having forced herself to be at peace with the knowledge she was leaving, she leaned her hips against the kitchen counter while Gabe cooked, and they ate together at the dining table with their feet intertwined underneath.

“What are your plans for Christmas?” Odessa asked apropos nothing.

Gabe gently speared a strawberry with his fork and pushed it through a small tidal wave of maple syrup. “Nothing adventurous. I usually spend Christmas Day on duty at the centre, just in case,” he said. “A few people like to go camping or hiking in the snow, and sometimes they get into trouble. If I’m not working, Carys has been known to ask me over to her place,” he added with a smile. “In that case, I’ll give the dogs a frozen hunk of venison to keep them busy and I’ll have lunch with her.”

“Is she with anyone?”

He shook his head. “No. Sometimes we go for a hike if the weather is nice, but mostly we just share a meal and swap a few presents. It’s all very low-key. What about you?” he asked. “What were you planning to do this year?”

She shrugged. “Hadn’t got that far ahead, to be perfectly honest. In the past Jake and I each went back to our parents’, but if you’re around, maybe I could come up here and spend it with you and the dogs instead?”

“Your family won’t mind not seeing you?”

“No, I don’t think so. We’re fairly close, but not so close that they’ll kick up a fuss if I don’t go this year.”

He tilted his head. “Would you rather go and see them though?”

After giving it a second’s thought, she shook her head. “No. I want to spend it with just you, if that’s ok?”

Gabe’s smile lit her up inside. “Alright. We’ll do something here. But can I still come and see you before then?” he asked, hope ringing quietly in his voice.

She nodded. “Yeah. I don’t think I can get through the whole of November and December without seeing you at all…”

With that decided, they moved on to other things, but after a while it became obvious that they were just prolonging the inevitable. She ducked outside to say goodbye to the dogs, and discovered Axel standing with his front paws already up on the back step and his big, blue eyes round with worry.

“Hey, buddy,” she smiled, dropping gently down into a crouch and letting him put his fluffy little face in her hands. “I’ll see you soon.”

He whined and licked her tears and wagged his tail, and after a moment or two she felt a second nose nudge up against her elbow, demanding to be let into the cuddles, and was surprised to find Mia’s icy eyes glaring at her. The half-husky snorted, sat down heavily, then threw back her head and howled like a fire alarm directly in her ear.

Odessa lurched back to spare her left ear drum, Axel complained, and Thunder trotted over to tell everyone off for behaving like hooligans. He snarled at Mia and bowled her over with his massive size, and the two began to play-fight in the dirt while Odessa and Axel just looked at them with a mix of bafflement and amusement.

Gabe’s hands squeezed her shoulders a minute or two later and he leaned down over her. Axel looked at him and gave a soft ‘woo’ as if to say ‘I didn’t start it’, and Gabe snorted, ruffling Axel’s soft fur. “You all set?” he asked Odessa, and her heart skipped a beat.

“Yeah,” she sighed, standing and dusting off her jeans.

After a final bathroom stop, during which she adjusted her hair and wiped beneath her eyes where her eyeliner had smudged a little, she stepped out into his living room and gave a tense exhale.

“I don’t want to go,” she whispered when Gabe joined her from the kitchen.

“I don’t want you to go,” he smiled. “But it’s not for long. I’ll be here.”

“I know. And I’ll come back,” she said, because it suddenly seemed very important to make him that promise.

Gabe inhaled, held the breath, and as he let it go, he stepped in close and hugged her. He held her until she felt the stress melt away a little, and she swallowed and stepped back. “If I don’t go now, I never will.”

“Mmm, don’t tempt me,” he whispered with a smile even as he let go of her and cuffed vaguely at his nose with the back of his wrist. His eyes were glassy and his expression open and vulnerable. “Safe drive.”

“I’ll call you when I get there,” she said.

She didn’t remember much of walking out of Gabe’s house for the last time that holiday, and for the first few miles of driving away from Pinewatch, all she could see was Gabe standing on his wooden veranda, his right arm raised in farewell, his left hand dug deep into his pocket, and the muted sound of howling coming from the wolf-dogs at the back of the house. She felt like her heart made the same desperate sound for miles, and she wondered if they’d kept it up as long as her chest had kept hurting.

The drive back was uneventful, and with a sugary breakfast and too much coffee in her veins, she made it easily without even having to stop to rest.

The volume of traffic slowly built as she hit the suburbs, and as she wove through the mounting afternoon traffic, she felt hemmed in and stressed in a way she never had before. The city had always felt lively to her — buzzing with vibrant activity and people — but now it just felt over-crowded and hectic. She drew up in the street outside her apartment block and as she cut the engine, the dull hum and roar of the city beyond immediately pressed in on her.

With a sigh, she got out, dragged and struggled her bags up the stairs and opened her apartment.

Everything was exactly as she’d left it, but her light, airy flat no longer felt all that comforting. It felt empty. She ached for the barely-there tread of Gabe’s feet as he moved over the hardwood floor in his adorable woolly socks, or the sounds of wolf-dogs scrapping and playing outside; for the hiss of wind through pine needles and the ceaseless trill of birdsong in the trees. All she had now were sirens and car horns and engines.

She texted Emma and Dandy first to let them know she was back, and as she hit ‘send’ on the latter of those, a message from Gabe popped up.

>>Missing you. Hope your drive back was ok. G xxx<<

Swallowing thickly, she smiled and texted back.

A week later, Carys sent her a text asking for her email address, and the next day Odessa opened up her inbox to find a message with the subject ‘—Forwarded message— RE: Legal Policy Officer/Legal Adviser - Part-Time Post @ Three Peaks National Park Service’, and her heart leapt. She had never opened an email quicker in her life, and she hardly took in anything the first time she read it. Forcing herself to calm down, she sank down into her office chair in the bright, sunny morning sunshine and bit her lip.

Dear Odessa,

Hope you’re well and that it’s not too much of a culture shock being away from the woods. This came through to me a few days ago and I thought I would forward it to you. I haven’t mentioned it to Gabe, as I thought you’d want to have a look at it first.

All the best,

Carys

P.S. It’s obvious to all of us just how much Gabe misses you, but he’s putting on a brave show for the rest of us. For what it’s worth, I thought you make a great fit and the two of you are clearly made for each other. I hope you find something that works out for you, even if it’s not this. X

— Forwarded message —

The Three Peaks National Park Service is currently recruiting for a Legal Policy Officer/Legal Adviser to form part of their legal team, focusing on how strategic, legally sound and ecologically significant measures for nature can be delivered. This ambitious and challenging work provides an opportunity to be at the forefront of environmental conservation and recovery. The legal team is part of the… (read more)

Hardly daring to hope, Odessa clicked the job description and read it through three times. The pay was significantly less than she’d been on before, but it being part-time certainly had its appeal, and she had more than enough saved up for the time being anyway. Having no social life to speak of and a high paying job in the city had been good for at least something.

Odessa spent the rest of the day ignoring her mounting pile of household chores, and sent in her application the very next day. She did not tell Gabe, deciding to wait and see if she was asked to interview first. She didn’t want to jinx anything, and she didn’t want to get his hopes up. Or hers.

That afternoon, her phone buzzed with a message from Gabe, and she nearly dropped it with a laugh of surprise when she found a photo attached to the message which read: >>Gabe and the dogs move into the 21st century… (we have wifi and a smartphone now. Expect daily photo updates)<<

Attached was a selfie Gabe had taken crouching outside in the wolf-dog enclosure, with Axel’s muzzle tucked under his raised arm, Mia, clearly mid-lunge into the frame and little more than a blue-eyed blur, and Thunder staring over Gabe’s shoulder with a look of cautious disdain on his noble face.

Odessa cackled another laugh and sent a selfie back of her sitting on her cream coloured sofa, bathed in soft, city winter sunlight, beaming.

>>God, you’re gorgeous<< Gabe messaged back instantly. >>I was not prepared for that<<

<<Just wait til you experience the wonders of the video call, Gabe. It’s like a picture, but it moves and talks…>>

>>ha ha very funny<<

<<You love me>>

>>Yes I do.<<

[Incoming video call: Gabe Kirkbride]

She and Gabe called morning and night for another week after that, but she still didn’t tell him she’d applied for the job with the park service, even after the interview, which had turned out to be the most relaxed and almost enjoyable job interview she’d ever experienced. Her hopes were high, but until she had a confirmation email, she was determined to keep silent about it. She also begged Carys not to say anything, to which the older woman agreed without argument, on the rather preemptive condition that when Odessa surprised Gabe with the news of her inevitable success, Carys could be there to witness it in person.

One Saturday morning in early November, Gabe called her while she was still in bed, and she could tell the moment she answered it that something was different. “What?” she asked blearily, blinking and searching his hazel eyes for any kind of clue, all the while trying not to fumble and drop her phone onto her own face. He looked a little apprehensive and a fair bit excited. “What is it?”

After a tight, shy smile, Gabe said, “I’ve been emailing my brother.”

“Oh?”

He nodded. “Raph said he’ll advocate for me. I’d… I’d like to come and see you… if that’s still alright?”

“Alright?” Her heart leapt wildly and she laughed, scrambling to sit upright and letting the covers fall down a little way. Gabe’s eyes dipped briefly down to take in the sight of her bare collarbones as her pyjama top slipped down and he smiled. “Of course it’s alright! Yes! When? I was going to suggest making a trip to see you soon, but that works too, if you’re sure about it?”

“I’m sure,” he said. “How does next weekend sound?”

___

And there is where we leave Season One! A HUGE thank you to everyone who’s got involved in this, be it with asks and comments or reblogs (special shout out to anyone who screeched and flailed at me in the tags, you know who you are and I see you and I think you’re wonderful!). I know 3rd person werewolf romances aren’t every monster-lover’s cup of tea, but to those of you who’ve fallen in love with these goofballs along the way, thanks for sticking with it to the end!

In the ‘interlude’, we will see Gabe’s visit from his POV, and we are going to meet the pack... Who are you most excited to meet? Oh, and Odessa’s gonna find out exactly what Gabe’s been studiously avoiding saying in exact terms...

As always, take good care of yourselves please, and I hope you have a lovely day/night wherever you are, and whenever you read this. Thank you, and Happy New Year!

Masterlist | Ko-fi (tip jar)

[neesieiumz]

basorexia: chapter 2; a devotion

professor!Shouta Aizawa x teaching assistant!reader x professor!Keigo Takami

series warnings: 18+, smut, power imbalances, dumbification, blackmail, yandere tendencies, you’re probably not gonna like Hawks in this one, miscommunication, angst, stalking, dub-con, black-coded reader, hopeful happy ending, soft-dom!Aizawa, power-dom (I don’t know if this is what you call it, but he relishes the power he has over you.), love corner (because it’s two people liking one person, making it a corner), hopeful happy ending.

series summary: Living on the edge, sleeping, and having a relationship with your boss was never on your bucket list but here you are. Locked within a tangle of arms together, you thought nothing could touch, but soon one will find out how much obsession can open all secrets. For both you and everyone around you.

Chapter summary: you meet up with your cousin for lunch, a glimpse into your study group, a faculty meeting, and a night that ends in bliss... or does it really?

Chapter warnings: smut. 18+ soft/service-dom!aizawa. cunnilingus. praise kink.

wc: 4.2k

The restaurant was a hole-in-the-wall type of place, a small restaurant/pub that’s been passed down from generation to generation. Rumi, who most people know as Miruko, took you here when you first arrived in the city, all the way back during the beginning of your undergrad. Your mothers were sisters and the two of you basically grew up to be sisters, which was why when you got into Yuuei University, it was an easy decision to move in with her. While you pursue a career in neuroscience, she had a tenacity for exercise, making her up as a celebrity personal trainer, helping the top within the entertainment industry. She was constantly traveling, so even though you moved in with her you would barely see your cousin which was what made this lunch even more special to you. 

Opening the door, you waved over to the bartender on duty, an older man who’s been here since before you arrived in the city. You glanced around the room seeing the familiar long platinum-white hair pulled up into a high ponytail. Rumi was looking down at her phone before she noticed you approaching. She smiled, standing up and walking to meet you halfway, She wrapped her arms around you, with you doing the same, enveloping you in a tight hug. She smelled of blackberries and soft vanilla. The two of you let go of each other, before settling into your respective seats. You took your jacket off, placing it on the empty chair beside it along with your bag. Immediately a server walked over to you, placing straws down and asking about drinks. Rumi ordered a Shirly Temple and you ordered a simple Sprite. 

“So, how long are you back in town till the next celebrity?” You asked her after seeing what you want, placing the laminated folder down. 

Miruko sighed, leaning back into her chair, “I’m taking a month off, I’ve been running ragged going up and down the country these past five months.”

You raised an eyebrow, “wow, last time you took a break, you only took a week off. Is there something else going on?”

She shook her head, pressing a hand towards her temple, “nah, just looking out for myself before i have a mental breakdown.”

You nodded your head, but before you could say anything, the server came back with your drinks. You thanked them before they asked if you were ordered. You ordered one of their spicy chicken sandwiches, your usual when you came here with loaded fries. Miruko ordered a big ass burger, also with loaded fries as well. The server smiled, before walking away to put your orders in. Once they were gone, you looked back towards your cousin, concern etched around in your eyes. 

“Is everything okay, Miruko?��

She nodded her head, “I’ll be cool, just overdue for a well needed break, You know how I can overwork myself.”

She suddenly slammed her hands on the table, the bereaved look on her face disappearing, “enough about me! How about you? Anything new? Anyone new?” She wiggled her eyebrows on the last part, making you roll your eyes. 

“Nothing new going on in my life,” you fibbed, glancing around, “just been going to class, being a teaching assistant, nothing new.”

Miruko didn’t accept that, leaning in closer to you, eyebrows curling up. 

“Come on, you can tell me,” she nudged you, full on smirking at this point. 

You rolled your eyes, but your smile still showed up,  “there’s no one new, but if there is, you’ll be the first to know.”

She didn't believe you, judging by the way she looked at you but she dropped it, instead changing the conversation to your work during school. Your food soon arrived, the plates still steaming hot from the stove and oven. The two of you indulged into the food, conversation easily flowing between the two of you. You spent up to two hours there with your cousin, reminiscing on the old times when you two were growing up together. 

The time went past the two of you, and you both had separate appointments to get to. Your cousin didn't want you to take the bus, so she dropped you off on campus. You had a study group to get to, with other people in your class in the library. You said bye to your cousin before heading off, seeing her luxury car speed away. You headed inside the library, walking past the receptionist at the counter towards the elevator. The study/project group was with some other people in your class, who were in the same master program as you as well.It was only five of you, including yourself. 

Walking down the hall, you turned a couple of corners to get to the study room, the same one you had been using all year as well. You opened the door, smiling at the rest of the groups who seemed to have gotten started without you. You placed your things down before wrapping your arms around the person beside you, who immediately hugged you back. 

“Oof, I’m glad you could actually make it, that teaching assistant job of yours as you are so busy!” One of your peers and someone who you could call a friend, Akira. 

You shook your head, “sorry guys, things have been really hectic, but I’m finding a balance!”

Another one of the group, Takamori, who most just call Mori, shook his head, “don’t sweat it. Despite not showing up for a couple of weeks, you still get more work done than good ole Zenko over here!”

Mori slapped Zenko on his neck, who hissed and yelled a “hey!”, rubbing at the sore spot. You shared glances with Akira, before rolling your eyes at the same time. 

You sat down in your seat, glancing over at the last person in the group, Hikari, who kept mostly to themselves. They looked up from their computer, seeing you and giving you a wave. You waved back, with a smile before looking up at the tv which was hooked to Hikari’s computer, containing your currency 35 slide PowerPoint. You took your jacket off, putting it on your chair before grabbing your laptop and iPad out of your bag. The air soon settled amongst you all, getting into a working mode to hopefully finish the rest of the representation. It wasn't due for another three weeks but you all would rather not have to worry about your hectic schedules. 

Time passed once again as conversation flowed, a rhythm you all found while working together. You only had the room for two and a half hours, which gave you thirty minutes before the faulty meeting you were required to go to. 

You said goodbye to everyone, giving hugs and kisses to Akira and making plans to hang out next weekend should your world allow it. You split ways, with you headed right back to the swanky new science building. You entered the building, going up the long stairs and turning away from the main lobbies to the hallway where the huge conference rooms were. The meeting consists of all the sciences faculty, including teaching assistants. Aizawa was the only teacher teaching Anatomy so he was expected to be here. You were his lone teaching assistant, you couldn't help but smile at that, this meeting was also required for you to be here. 

Arriving at the conference room, you waved to some of the other professors, taking your seat in the furthest corner in the back of the room. Towards the front, you could see that familiar mess of dark hair, sitting alongside a blond man with long hair. The two of them were speaking, whatever it was you couldn't hear. You immediately pulled out your phone, and scrolled through your phone, looking through Twitter as the rest of the science professors filed into the conference room. Once all the professors filed into the room, the head of the science department, a very sweet lady by the name of Kayama, began to speak, flicking through the PowerPoint, focusing on the details of this semester and next semester. 

Jumping, you felt a pinch at your backside, turning around only to be staring into golden-brown eyes. Hawks winked at you and you gave him a small smile and wave before turning around and continuing to pay attention to the meeting. Professor Kayama continued on with her presentation, with other professors chiming in as well. You kept quiet, taking notes on things you needed to do for the rest of the semester and what was to come next semester. 

“We’ll also be introducing a new grading system next term, and we want to prepare you all for it!”

You took bullet points on everything you saw, listening to all the different questions other members were having. The meeting took well into the night, considering that today was Friday and they would like to intrude on people’s quality time with their families or loved ones. 

Soon the meeting ended, and you walked out of the building, heading down the street to the nearest bus stop. As you walked down the street, a cold breath blowing right in front of you, a car slowly came to a stop right beside you. The horn caught your attention, turning toward the car only to find Shouta parked right beside you. Blinking, you took a few steps towards him, leaning into the rolled-down window. 

“Can I help you sir?” you asked him, sticking your head into the window. 

The car was dark, dark leather, the dashboard and everything dark matching the seats. It was decently clean, save for a few things in the back seat but that was probably things from the job. You looked back at him, cocking your head to the side a bit. Aizawa glanced over one time, before jerking his head to the side, motioning for you to get in the car. You stepped back a bit, opened the side door, and slid inside the car. You threw your bag into the back seat, buckling up before Shouta zoomed off into the night, probably towards his house. Relaxing into the chair, rolling your neck, releasing all the tension. 

“How was lunch with your cousin?” He asked you, taking a left. 

“It was really good, I hadn’t seen her in so long despite me living in her house,” you said, a soft smile appearing on your face. 

He huffed, “hope she doesn’t mind me taking you away for the night then.”

You laughed at that, “stealing me away for the night? Should I be scared?”

You looked towards him as he huffed out a laugh, “yes, you most definitely should be scared.”

You rolled your eyes, a playful smile on your face as you reached in the back for your phone, pulling it out of your tote bag. Unlocking it, you pull up your messages with Mirko. 

Spending the night at a friend’s place, be back tomorrow.

M: I knew it. Just a “friend” huh?!

You rolled your eyes once again, placing your phone in your lap and looking straight ahead. The two of you soon arrived at his home, a small three-bedroom home out in the suburbs of the city, away from all the bright lights. He pulled up into the driveway, using the garage remote attached to the sun visor of the car. Shouta pulled up into the garage, immediately closing it after he did. Then you got out, with you grabbing your bag from the back seat. You entered his home through the garage door, following right behind him. The garage door entered an area right beside the kitchen and the stairs to the second floor of the house. You placed your bag on the counter right side of the door, to the left, slipping off your shoes as you did. Shouta put his things on the island of his kitchen. 

This wasn’t the first time you’d been in his house, so you knew most of where everything was. You followed the tall man into the kitchen, seeing him pull out different ingredients from the kitchen. You came up right beside him, seeing all the different ingredients being pulled out. 

“Help me out here,” is all he said before you went into gear. 

The two of you entered into a flow, with you working with the cold ingredients while he focused on actually cooking. It was quiet between the two of you but a very warm silence, as the two of you worked. The idea was a red pasta with pan-fried chicken. Cooking together was probably the second-most intimate act between the two of you, other than sleeping together. You smiled to yourself, seeing his hand place a wet towel down as you grabbed an onion to chop up. 

As he finished cooking, you prepared the dining table which was also in the kitchen. You grabbed the re-corked bottle of white wine and placed it on the table, along with two of his wine glasses. Using the tool, you pulled the cork out. As you sat, pouring the wine into the glasses, Shouta began walking over, holding two plates in his hand. He placed one in front of you while taking the other one in the space right beside you. Thanking him, the two of you soon began eating.

Soon after dinner, you grabbed the plates, taking them over to the sink. Shouta went to the bathroom as you began to clean up, washing up the glasses as well. Focusing on the items in the sink, you didn’t notice the footsteps coming up behind you until you could feel hands suddenly wrap around your waist. Gasping, you were suddenly turned around, facing Shouta who pressed you against the sink. His hands sunk down, grabbing you underneath your thighs and pushing you up, so he could wrap your legs around his own waist. Giggling, you reached behind you, turning off the water tap before placing your arms up around his neck and shoulders. Nails weaving into his hair, pushing his head down towards your own. 

He pressed you against the sink counter, lips roughly pressed your own. Your grip on his hair was harsh. You whispered a ‘fuck’ as he let go of your lips. His hands went from your waist, grabbing the bunched-up fabric of your dress, slowly peeling it up. Shouta tasted of wine and tomato sauce, you probably tasted the same. Lifting your arms up, you allowed him to take the rest of your dress off, leaving you in only your thong. He threw the fabric in some obscure corner, hands coming right up to your breasts. Your hands left his hair, going down to his black shirt. As you began to lift his own shirt up, he started to leave kisses all along your neck. He moved his hands, allowing you to get his shirt off before slowly throwing it somewhere. He attached himself back to you, his mouth moving to your titties. 

Gasping, your nails dug into his back as he sucked away at your nipple, his other hand squeezing and holding the other one. You choked on your own spit, intensity overwhelming at a rapid pace. His touch and actions were familiar yet had you going senseless every time. God, you’ve never met a man like Shouta Aizawa, you doubt you ever find someone that makes you feel intense passion. From the moment you met, till now, your life has been a set trajectory with his every touch leading the way. 

“Shouta,” gasping, hands basically ripping down his back. 

You could feel him smirk against you, taking in every detail of you. He soon let go of your breasts, leaving a wet kiss along your stomach to your abdomen, and soon reached in between your thighs. His hands slid down your things, slowly sliding the pink velvet thin cloth off your body. As it pooled on the floor, he kneeled right over, face right there in between your thighs. His hot shaky breath caused sent trembles up your body through your spine. Moving his hands to your inner thighs, he separated them placing his tongue right on your clit. 

You screamed, hearing yourself echo through the otherwise silent kitchen. Your hand flew to your mouth, covering up the onslaught of moans that were coming about. Almost immediately his hand left your thigh, flying up to your covered hand moving it from your mouth before diving in deeper. 

Backing arching, you shook against the counter from his actions. His lips wrapped around your clit, sucking away endlessly. Bracing yourself, you could feel the cold of the metal sink as he pushed back against you. The way he commanded your body, in just a few months you two knew each other. The way he paid attention to every gasp and shiver, the way you moved within his hold. 

“So good, oh my god,” the last word extended as you could feel him sink two fingers into your wet, glistening heat. 

He kept going on and on, your rash movements and thrashes unmoving to him. The two of you locked eyes for a moment, and you can feel him smirk against you. Shouta took pride in the way he manipulated your body, and that moment was one of many that confirmed that. As Shouta continued, you could feel your lower abdomen begin to shake, your legs shaking with it. That titillating, familiar beginning to rise and rise quickly. Shouta kept his pace steady, inserting an extra finger inside of you as well. 

Holding yourself was too strenuous, your head and shoulders falling into one side of the sink. You screamed at him that you were almost there, that you were gonna come soon. Your hands could no longer reach over to him, the limbs falling right by your side. 

With a final moan, back arching once again, you reached your peak, everything crashing all at once. 

Gasping heavily, you lifted your head up as Shouta stepped away from you for a moment. He gave you a single moment to reprieve, before picking up your body with ease. Immediately you latched yourself around him. In between the time he pressed me against the counter to now, he had lost his sweatpants. Legs wrapping around his waist, you pressed your lips against his own, indulging in your taste. As you kissed him, his one hand held you up as the other lost the boxers he was wearing. He pushed you up, angling your body well. Gasping as you felt that familiar pressure, throwing your head back as he pressed himself into you. Letting go of the kiss, you pressed your cheek against his shoulder as he lowered down further and further. 

“So, so soo big, fuck,” panting, tongue out and drolling as he stretched you out, filling you to the brim.

His deep raspy chuckles rattled your body, his mouth right near your ears, “just a little more, angel.”

You could let out shaky moans, nodding your head whilst laying it down on his shoulder. With one last thrust, he was all the way in. With little to no remorse, start lifting your body up and down with an intoxicating speed. You braced yourself within his hold, curling within his touch as he continued to hold you up and move within you. Your eyes were drooping, overwhelmed by his movements, your ears, and your mind buzzing with white noise. 

“Keep your eyes open, baby, look at me.”

Gasping, pulling yourself out of the trance, you moved your head to be able to look at him. 

“Yeah, yeah that’s it, keep your eyes right on me.”

Your body was sticky with sweat, the atmosphere was heated all around you, and you could barely breathe as he rocked you. You tried your best, your hardest to keep your eyes right on him. The grunts resonated in your ears as he picked up his pace, continuing to reach deep within you. He was dangerously close to your cervix, pressing just closer enough for it to hurt just right. 

“Shouta,” you convulsed in his hold, body twitching with euphoria. 

He says nothing as he continued to fuck you, finding his fast pace and sticking to it. Gasping as he leaned in close to you, placing wet kisses all over your neck and shoulder. The sudden closeness caused him to penetrate deeper inside you. 

“‘s too deep, fuck so deep Shouta,” you cursed, head thrown back. 

Your body began to quiver and shake, choked sobs making their way up from your throat. You were close, so painfully close. His movements and thrusts forced your back to arch, curling more and more into the impending climax. 

“Gonna come, fuckfuckfuckfuck gonna come.”

He smirked, continuing his brutal thrusts, with no intention to let you up.

“Go on, cum for me baby.”

 With those words, a final single cry erupted out of your lips, you writhed in his hold, pussy dripping all over him, dripping right onto the floor. Heaving, letting out a heavy gasp, your body went slack, all muscles within your body unresponsive. SHouta'’s grunts became louder and rougher, his thrust becoming erratic. However, you could barely even process anything that happened after you came, his hands being the only thing that's holding your body up. 

With a final thrust, Shouta came deep within you, not even bothering to pull out like other times before. It was silent except for his heavy breathing and your slight pants. You were floating, your mind, it was out of this world, like many times before. You could feel your body moving, him slowly pulling you off of him, the sullen feeling with the sudden emptiness. You could feel all that was happening all around you. Shouta carried you within his arms, moving you around to carry you around like a bride. He left your pile of clothes in the kitchen as he walked up and out the kitchen, up the stairs to his bedroom. Doors opened and creaked as he stepped in, sudden light flooding your closed eyes. 

He took a few steps, before kneeling down slightly and reaching for something, resting you against his thigh. A rush of water, his bathtub, you could slowly deduce within your state. He waited for a moment, for the water to be a bit sallow and warm enough before slowly placing you inside. As the water fills, the heat brings your mind back to earth a bit, boring your eyes to look up at your lover. You gave him a weak smile, pulling your hand out of the water to feel for his face. His scruffy beard and the familiar scratchiness brought a weak smile to your face as you pulled him down, placing a soft kiss on his lips. 

As you let him go, he gave you his own soft smile, before getting up, and going over to the small basket of body care he leaves near the bathtub. He grabbed it, walked back over to you, and placed it right near the tub before getting in himself, lifting you up before sitting down and placing you right on his lap. Together, the two of you cleaned each other up, rinsing off the sin of the previous activities.

As soon as you were clean, you were more grounded, following after him to the two towels he laid out for you. The two of you dried off, you get dressed in one of his thin t-shirts, and him getting into another pair of sweatpants before guiding you out of the bathroom. You climbed into his bed, with him following in right after you. The two of you got under the covers, snuggling right near each, his arm right on top of your whole body. Taking a deep breath, you smiled, easily falling into a deep and peaceful sleep. 

You woke up with a gasp, the sudden feeling of pressure within your bladder, and no, not the good kind either. Grimacing, you pushed away Shouta’s arm, holding your stomach as you pushed yourself off the bed. He was an extremely heavy sleeper, not waking up as you walked around the bed, and towards the bathroom. Glancing to your left, you noticed a familiar bag sitting against the wall near his nightstand. Smiling to yourself, he must have gotten up and gotten it as you were asleep. Then you were reminded of the impending danger that was coming. Quickly, you grabbed your phone out of the tote bag before heading right inside the bathroom. 

Scrolling through Twitter as you did your business, cleaning up and washing your hands. You were about to head back outside when you noticed two email notifications come in at the same time to your phone, one addressed to your personal and your school. You ignored the personal one, you could see that one tomorrow, but you checked the school one, making sure it was that one professor that constantly got back to you at odd hours of the night. 

Your heart stopped. Blood went as cold as a snake. 

Your ears began to fill with white noise, and your heart raced faster and faster as you scrolled through what you were seeing. Tears were welling right in your eyes, 

On your phone screen, were pictures of you and Shouta, not only from today but from days, even a date night he surprised you with a month ago in a whole new city during a school break. 

At the end of the email, was the only words within this world-shattering email, 

I know your secret Angel…  ;-) <3

taglist: @deegausserr @ryutotsukai0824 @lik0 @yaygurist @megnotfound

previous part. masterlist. next part.

[stalwart-spirit]

9. Dolce Far Niente: A feeling of pleasure from doing absolutely nothing. For Soleil!

It's time to answer more of these! Thank you for the ask!

Blackberry, sweet and a hint tart. Aroma of toasty oak, vanilla, and mint. The last drops of the rich red wine is tipped lazily into its glass, a brief moment of appreciation, a swirl, before being drank in one go.

How much had he had this evening... ?

For a time the young lord could feel the heat in his cheeks and that comforting haze across his mind, content to melt into the plush chaise lounge before the roaring fire, clad in nothing more than a thin silken robe, long hair draped in dark curtains over his shoulders.

No worries, no disturbances. .. This is what he deserved.

Of course there was the matter of setting affairs in order in regards to House Delacroix's trades, several documents to sign, missives to be sent... But why rush? The money was still steady and it wasn't like their little weapons distribution empire was going to crumble overnight.

That could be tomorrow's job. Or the next day. Or the day after that. Or perhaps not even his job?

Yes, Soleil could easily get someone else to do it for him, no? Why go and spend time slouched over a desk signing and sealing letter after letter when he could be doing this?

Blissful, absolute nothing.

[firapolemos05]

@amonthofwhump AO3

Day 2: Sensory Overload

Additional CW: poisoned, migraines, unintentional self-harm

Gajeel whump taglist: @blackberry-bloody , @ostensiblyfunctional

It was those fucking mushrooms.

The mushrooms Jet had stepped on earlier and accidentally got him gassed with a cloud of spores.

It had to be. Nothing else would make sense as to why Gajeel's head currently felt like it was being run over by a train. The fungus had smelled like shit but he'd trade that hell for this one any day.

Everything was too damn bright. Too damn loud.

The glare of the sun sharpened into invisible needles and turned up the saturation of every color around him to maximum. The too-bright grass. The too-bright sky. The eye-searing yellow of Levy's blouse.

“Gajeel? Are you okay?” he heard her ask, concern clear in her voice.

If that toxin had only been affecting his sight, he would've declined anything was wrong and moved on with limited use of his eyes. Annoying, but manageable with his ears and nose compensating and the rest of Team Shadowgear's presence.

But nope. The toxin was fucking over his senses in every aspect it could.

Of course it had to be him, as his shit luck would have it. Of fucking course it had to be the guy with dragon level sensory that already gave him migraines on a bad day.

Levy's voice, the crunch of leaves under Jet and Droy's shoes as they rushed over, the gusting wind, every single bird, leaf, bug, and brook within a half-mile radius. His own pained breathing and pounding heart. Even through his hands clutched over his ears, the cacophony of noise was ripping down the walls of his focus that usually protected his mind from being overwhelmed.

It felt like there was an electric surge under his skin and suddenly he had an acute awareness of everything touching him. The fibers of his clothes itched. The bits of metal braided in his hair scratched at the back of his neck. Something grasped his arm. Despite its gentleness, his nerves prickled and lit aflame as if it burned. That shouldn't have hurt. Why did it hurt? What the fuck was this poison? He couldn't stop himself from flinching away and uttering a low defensive growl from deep in his throat. Even that grated on his eardrums.

The touch recoiled and didn't return.

A sharp tang of blood stung his nose and only then did Gajeel realize his claws had dug into his scalp. A brief distraction before it blurred into everything else becoming too much. His chest was tight. It was hard to breathe. His brain was trying to break through his skull. It was too much. Too much. Too much!

Silence hit like the world pressed an off button.

For a moment, panic took over in the midst of his confusion, his head screaming oh gods did he just lose-

No, no wait. He could still hear himself breathing (at least through the persistent ringing). He could still hear. It's just everything else around him that had decided to clam up.

He smelled the other three around him, and with caution, opened one eye to test his vision. His head still hurt. At some point he must've fallen to his knees, as the ground was much closer than it was before. And darker.

Actually everything appeared darker.

Gajeel finally looked up, seeing the team's alarmed faces in front of him, Levy kneeling down close while Jet and Droy stood a little bit behind her. Close but not too close. He shoved aside the embarrassment to ignore again later in favor of wondering why everything was different.

It felt like a thick filter on a pair of sunglasses and he was not going to complain. It was a blissful mercy. The light was suppressed and while the colors were still a bit too vibrant, this was leagues better than the eyestrain of before. He almost asked about it when he noticed two tangible words floating above Levy's head.

‘Soundproof’ ‘Dim’

Ah. That explained it.

Levy's moving hands caught his attention and her fingers followed the gestures to substitute for spoken words.

“Are you okay? What happened?”

The assault of noise had stopped but Gajeel still hesitated before removing his hands from his ears to respond to her. Some sliver of paranoia expected something to blare out and send him reeling again, but he trusted Levy's magic to hold.

“Mushroom spores,” he signed. Making eye contact with Jet, he added, “the one you crushed a few minutes ago.”

The sound that left Jet's lips did not carry through the soundproof dome, but Gajeel could recognize a curse anywhere. A series of gestured apologies followed in quick succession. Droy shot the man a questioning glance.

Gajeel figured the two stood outside the range of Levy's magic, as the two exchanged words he couldn't hear before Droy began to address him in sign language.

“From the description, it was most likely a Red Screamer fungus,” he explained, and Gajeel almost laughed at how fitting the name was. “The toxin does attack sensory neurons and cause overstimulation, but it is temporary. It should hopefully wear off in a couple hours.”

Ugh. A few hours of this shit? For once he was grateful they chose to take a less intensive job that wasn't too time sensitive. It would've been a nightmare if he needed to fight off some monster or dark guild bastard in this condition.

The discontent must have been clear in his face, for Levy piped up. “If we make camp here and rest a while, I believe I can hold the spells for the duration.”

The nagging thoughts returned, trying to push him to keep moving and not waste time. That nagging voice that always lied to him saying he could walk it off and get work done. Key word: lied. The reality was that bad sensory days always burned him out and it was no different now.

A short, tired nod gave them permission.

[tabaaha]

enjoying some fresh-picked blackberries with vanilla ice cream... what bliss.