#I’ll just post todays portrait to

[canarydraws]

Portrait 4/7 ~4.5hrs

[the-hilda-librarians-wife]

hiiii for ur consideration: meiri i drew on my work break

I am considering her. I have in fact considered everything about her and found it all perfect. Thank you, ma’am, I shall treasure this forever 🥹

[lovingjingyuan]

What if reader has turned into a kitten or a cat? How will the hsr boys react to that?

(got this idea from this post https://www.tumblr.com/matchaitham/717357559079665664/how-un-fur-tunate?source=share )

Pairing: Aventurine, Jing Yuan, Dr Ratio

Aventurine(Kakavasha) Would spoil you with a luxury cat life. How could this have happened?! Aventurine was just on a peaceful stroll around the IPC headquarters when a sudden peculiar cat perched its head out of the corner and started tailing him. Who allowed the cat in this building? Topaz? Oh, he wouldn’t be surprised.

Unlike Topaz Aventurine was never too fond of animals himself. It’s never that he dislikes animals but rather he feels indifferent towards pets. Yet for some reason, this cat held his regard.

“Meow~” the cat's eyes falter before Aventurine’s presence.

“Are you talking to me, kitty?”

“Meow”

“Mh? Is there something you want to say, pretty kitty?”

“Meow!♡”

Communication was harder than he anticipated, but the urgency in the cat and anomalous behavior were enough evidence that he should follow through.

“Look here, Little Kitty,” he heaved a sigh, “I really don’t have the time for this. I need to go back to work,” he gently cushioned your head between his palms so he could feel the softness of the cat fur.

But in the end, despite all his protesting, Aventurine yielded to the cat’s insistence. Aventurine trailed behind the cat into his beloved bedroom. Strange why would this cat bring him into your shared room with him? The cat directed its attention to a portrait featuring both you and Aventurine, suddenly it all clicked to Aventurine. You are the cat!

“Kitty, what do you mean? Yes, I know my sweetheart is beautiful,” he would tease you pretending he didn’t catch on to what you were trying to hint. He watched the panic arise on your kitty's face.

“Meow!”

“Just playing, sweetheart,” he knelt down, opening his arm for your embrace, “Come here you good, little kitty! Aren’t you just a clever kitty?” his fingers scratched behind one of your fluffy ears. “God, you’re adorable and lovely even as a cat.”

You profusely let out meows while in Aventurine’s embrace. You would hiss at Aventurine whenever he tried feeding you cat food.

“Well, aren’t you feeling a little feisty today, sweetheart? Okay okay, I’ll get you back in no time”

He would prodigal you in luxurious cat beds and toys, even if he realizes or knows he’ll have to turn you back into your true self sooner or later. He just wants to embrace this special moment he has with you. Plus he knows he wouldn’t be able to have you stay a cat forever. You’re his lover, not his pet. Boom! Now he adores cats! Whenever he sees a cat he would think back to the situation between you and him.

Jing Yuan He would find this situation adorable and silly. Jing Yuan strolled around his garden frowning and sighing at the weeds hanging around his garden. A sudden cat perched at his feet. His thoughts immediately wandered to Mimi, yet he knew it couldn’t be her.

“Meow~”

He gently patted the cat’s head as it nuzzled against his fingers, looking up at him with familiar eyes. It was uncanny how much this cat resembled you in his head. Jing Yuan couldn’t help but chuckle to himself thinking about how’d you react when he introduced this cat to you.

“I’m sure my love would adore you,” he muttered, scratching the cat’s chin. He couldn’t help but bring himself to smile every time the cat nuzzled, brushing his head against his touch. Such an affectionate cat.

“Meow Meow!” The cat darted off expecting Jing Yuan to follow behind. Amused by its anomalous behavior, he let this little feline lead him to the bushes.

There, he watched the cat retrieve his lover’s phone, attempting to unlock your phone. The cat meowed trying to convey a message to him as a form of communication. Jing Yuan observed the strange cat’s behavior and was intrigued by the cat’s intelligence.

Before you the cat could succeed he takes the phone away from your captive. “Sorry, kitty. I need to return this to my lover,” his eyes stay falter, stretching the cat’s chin.

“Meow!” you hissed at him trying to get him to understand you ARE the cat, yet communicating with him was inefficient.

“General!” A high-pitched voice interrupted, and a purple dragon girl appeared, recognizing her as Bailu, rushing up to Jing Yuan in panic. “I-I turned your lover into a Cat! I’m so sorry!” Bailu pleaded.

“Mhhh… how fortuitous, “ he mused, his eyes relaxing on your small frame.

“I’m so sorry General! I was giving them medicine because they came in sick! I gave them something else by accident!” Bailu continued pleading with Jing Yuan, even if she knew the General was too kind to mind.

Jing Yuan can only chuckle, kneeing to your level and patting your head. “How unfortunate, yet how adorable. I’m sure we can fix this in no time,” he scooped you up in his arms, “Right my love?”

“Meow!”

He found himself adoring every moment spent with you while you’re a cat. He even prodigal a lot of cat toys and beds for you to feel comfortable. Of course, you still choose the bed with him. When you turn back into your former self, he’ll adopt a cat who looks just like you!

Veritas Ratio Let’s say he’s certainly not the brightest when you do. Ratio would cast you a disapproving look eyeing you up and down, as you can only meow at his direction. You had somehow shifted yourself into one of Ruan Mei’s creations while messing around with the Liveform Oven, creating new Cake Cats. Due to the potential danger, Ruan Mei had to return you over to Ratio for your safety.

“You imbecile,” was the first response he came up with seeing your circumstances. He surveyed you nestling in your cake as if it’s your bed which it technically is. He shook his head in disappointment as all you could mutter out were soft meows. “What am I ever going to do with your idiocy?”

“Meow~”

His heart falters at your meows. He couldn’t deny the unbearable adorableness, yet he would never express it to keep his ego intact.

Ruan Mei did assure him the effect would wear off in 60 system hours, but could he really handle 60 system hours of this? He was certainly not thrilled knowing it would slumber his intellect. Although harsh and overly honest on the outside he did have a weakness inside of his heart for you. Ratio is just an impatient man who sounds like him who cannot keep up. He never meant to offend anyone by being honest. Needless to say he certainly enjoyed it when you nap on his lap while he engrosses himself in a good book.

I wanna start improving my writing and wording, plus i really don't know my writing style. I never had a style or anything. I was also mid writing Boothill and stopped cause idk what to do for him. I love you Aventurine ur my new obession. Still loyal to Jing Yuan. I do proof read once but that's all.

[piccolos-bigtoe]

Oouugghhh, gueess who finished their homework assiignment…. This guy!!! Smiles big with too many teeth I am normal. I do not regret all the time I spent (I may spend more time to fix a fewwww small details….) I am so ready for the summer oh my balls………. I still have a few projects and papers to wrap up here for classes, I will pull through,,, probably…. It’s been tough ngl I feel like I JUST fell into the swing of things and now it’s ova, but that’s okay I’ll adapt

I swear to god every single one of my classmates better give me a standing ovation and kiss me on my beautiful beautiful lips when I present this in critique. I swear to god………. There better be crying…. Kidding I’m not that full of myself but I’m excited to hear what my graphics prof will say teehee…. I will probably print a physical copy of this (whether or not it will be good quality paper idk).

Also I got my portrait taken today on a silver wet plate (iirc), suuupperrr old form of photography. An artist traveled to my school and held a gallery + talk yesterday and I enjoyed it very much, I typically don’t go up on Fridays because I don’t have classes but I went with a friend to get out portraits taken and then watched the washout process of the plates!! Photography is crazy I don’t understand it. The only thing I’m kind of like dissapointed by is I’m typically not bothered by my skin or acne, but this type of photograph catches stuff SUPER WELL, like it’s kind of crazy, my friend doesn’t really have prominent freckles but on the photo they look way darker than usual. Same thing happened with my dry skin and acne, I don’t mind it too bad, but I was caught off guard a little bit to be honest lol. (Picture below w/my face cut off obviously…. I just wanted to show off my dress because it’s my prized Gunne Sax dress and like the only dress I will actually wear). Me and my two friends were the only ones who dressed up?? No one else did, which was kind of surprising, because this type of photo is rare to get just cause no one really takes them anymore or gets the equipment for it. Okay I’m done rambling tbh I am just procrastinating sleeping,, augh whatever goodnight…. I always post before I sleep…

[kimsokol]

TIME FOR AN UPDATED COMMISSIONS POST! Pricing full and half-body illustrations can now vary based on complexity. (By 'complexity' I usually mean 'video game armor', as I've noticed those tend to take twice as long as I otherwise budget time for. Overly detailed armor, a complicated weapon, things of that nature.)

Also as of today, Weds Sept 18, MY QUEUE IS EMPTY AND I HAVE SOME TIME BETWEEN JOBS! Work with hard printing deadlines comes first so sometimes these can take a while; if you get in touch now you'll see a much quicker turnaround than usual. :)

If you want something more complicated than above:

These are my terms for character commissions specifically. If you're looking for a scene with a background, prices will rise pretty quickly, as putting together a whole illustration is a different process! Also, these are for personal use only, not for publication; I'm a full-time illustrator, though, and always looking for professional work! Get in touch!

Availability & Timing:

I don’t have a slot system and usually don’t open and close commissions (unless I get REALLY busy) but I’m a full-time illustrator so if you contact me when I’m booked up, there may be a delay.  I can let you know and get back to you when I’m available.

I do commissions in between my professional illustration work, so no promises on timing generally; if you have a deadline such as for a gift, let me know, and we can work something out.

Will Draw:

Human and humanoid OCs - fantasy, sci-fi, historical, etc

Portraits of real people - ONLY with hi resolution, well-lit reference; commission may be turned down if reference provided is not enough for a good painting.

Won't Draw:

Furries/anthro (just bad at animal heads!)

NSFW

How To Get One:

Contact me via email (kim at kimsokol dot com) to let me know roughly what you’re looking for, and I’ll let you know if I can take it.  You don’t need to send a long description with reference in initial contact, but at least give me a general sense of what you want. If you DO have easily available reference, such as a screenshot of a game character or prior commissions, I can let you know where it falls on the pricing scale

Once I accept, I'll send you a form to get your character information and make sure we're both clear on terms

Send payment via Paypal, and I’ll get going on your rough!

[mahiiimahiiii]

office hours

a/n: rizzard in his happily married middle aged glory, God dropped this plot in my head. finally posted, sorry for all the teasing. '

Cw: fear of voyeurism (and kind of like threatening it??), named tav, dw the door is locked, off-hours fantasy, gale is a bit chunkier, rizzard in his middle aged glory, notes on tav still looking young, (not similar life spans), lunch, notes on tav being a brown person, worship, uncomfortable (yet satiating) sex, sloppy as hell sex, breeding, notes of pain from cervix, squirting, ear play, vers gale, spit for lube (and the soreness that ensues), gale wears glasses, he also wears sock garters, I have a vision ok…….., whispering & dirty talk.

(Tav is a teifling with brown skin and some vitiligo pigmentation, she has curly hair that forms a little halo around her head, bangs with side pieces that fall longer than her typical length of hair. She is a bard!)

read here, or under the cut!

The halls of Blackstaff were magnificent as always, perfectly so. Decorated with filigree and the faint shimmer of enchantment. The halls were harder to navigate, ever turning, and ever changing.

This made delivering lunch weekly on your day off mostly difficult. Your husband, the wonderous gale of Waterdeep- or perhaps now, just professor Dekarios. he had said ‘just will the path into existence’, which you earnestly thought was stupid.

You had always been practical with magic, being a bard helps with that. But you stressed slightly, how many hours, perhaps minutes did he have left to eat and relax. And how many minutes would you have left for chores, and dinner prep.

Busy, busy, busy. Never a dull moment.

A sigh of relief left your mouth as you found his lecture door, his soothing voice echoing out in waves from the crack. Still in lecture! You gingerly slipped through the door, careful not to let the hinges creak behind you. Chalk tapped against the chalkboard as he sipped gently at a mug of tea and cleared his throat continuing with his speech. His hair was thrown back into a loose half up and down messy bun, staticky hair poking and prodding out like new spring buds. He wore a new suit vest, a stripped pattern with an argyle tie, and a light blue button down, paired with the same-colored magenta slacks. His tie pin was one of a crescent moon, (he had been on a theming kick recently). Today was on magic in other areas, written on the board were a

couple pooled questions by the students. Does music automatically equal magic? How do paladin oaths work? Is It possible for magic to be innate?

He finished off his mug tapping at pages to read on the board, waving off the students and their cloaks that looked way too large for them. A stream of bobbing heads, ears and horns followed out the door. You had to maneuver around the groups of students, slowly moving their way out, a few stragglers lounging around the professor’s desk.

“I hope I’m not too late- “you approach him, setting the tin of food wrapped in a handkerchief onto his desk.

He beamed when he laid eyes on you, cheeks flushed a rosy hue. “you’re right on time, I’ll see you in the office, I just need to help a student with a spell pronunciation- then I’ll be with you.” He caught a finger under your chin, kissing your brow. His breath smelt of an earthy green tea, sweetened with honey, and the zeal of lemon juice that followed. He turned his back to you, helping the student to write it out phonetically. You heard his bright praise as the thick office door closed behind you.

The office- you remembered dearly, you helped assemble. A room with high ceilings, decorated with diagrams of spells and sheet music. One wall was clad with photos of his family, a portrait of both of you front and center. Small linocuts of your companions sat on a bookshelf nearby, as well as tomes discussing your previous acts, which he so proudly showed off. He had asked for a new cupboard to house all sorts of dried teas, which he unhinged the doors of and installed onto the walls, framing them with delicate laces. It mirrored a little alchemical shop. The walls were a cozy and warm purple with white and brown accents. He had a little hearth and big windows facing the bay, a window ajar, the new tressym kitten may have gone out exploring. Tara the second, Gale called her.

The door creaked open as you admired the wall of portraits, you jumped within your shoes, tail swishing in a slight panic.

“I’m sorry little love, have I frightened you?” he kissed your shoulder, wrapping his arms around your waist and swaying gently. His lips found their way up to the shell of your ear, nipping it gently. He spun you around, taking in your new sundress, yellow with pops of white blooms, a pair of lacy socks and brown kitten heels to match.

“You look positively divine- are you sure there wasn’t other intentions behind this?” he cocked a brow, the settled in features of his face creasing with mirth.

You’ll be completely honest with your feelings, jobs, children, life in general has led you two apart. Intimately it seems-

This you had no problems with, as gale had all the love in the world for you. He made sure to show his affections readily and often- with you in turn.

To this- you sheepishly nodded, tucking a curl behind your ear. “Perhaps there was motive… if you’ll oblige me of course.”

Something new swirled into his eyes, a fiery spark of desire. He cracked a grin turning heel to the door. “Shame lunch will be spoiled then; I do have an appetite for something else in mind. And I wouldn’t be a smart man to waste an opportunity like this.” With a quick flit of his fingers a secure spell of arcane lock was cast. His lashes dropped in amusement, striding over and draping himself over a dark velvet fainting couch near the small hearth of the room.

You bent down, unlacing the leather straps around your ankles and stepping out of the heels, setting them down beside his desk. He mirrored you, taking off his tanned loafers and crystalline spectacles.

“You look rather dashing today, I had meant to tell you before you left for work.” You glided over to him, tail wagging as he made space for you to settle into his lap. You clambered over him, your limbs not as refined and delicate in their actions as they once were. You settled into his lap, conscious of the warm throb in his pants. You quirked a brow, as he ground up against you his hands cupping and fondling your ass.

“Already my love?”

“Already…” his words were feather light, a wonky smile plastered on his place. “I am always ready for you.”

You bent over cupping his chin, thumbs and fingers running over the rim of his ears. He groaned gently into your mouth, his lashes fluttering. His hands wove into your hair pulling you close, one leg bouncing against the floor. You hummed, rocking your hips in time with him, the sensation felt delicious on your neglected clit. You ran your tongue against his lip, he bucked his hips in response- mouth falling open sightly. You ran a hand through his messy hair gripping the base of his waves eliciting a whine from his lips. You connected panting mouths again, warm groans spilling into your mouth as you found a rhythm of pressure. His hands settled and gripped your thighs, pressing your warmth onto him for stimulation. You ran a tongue along the indents of his teeth and the ridges of his mouth, the kiss became sloppy as you gently sucked on his tongue.  He broke away, hands shuffling to unbuckle his taught pants. He paused, watching you remove the flowing dress revealing the lacy blue set of underwear, completed with pink ribbons near the ruffles.

He sighed, shoving down his pants and taking off his sweater. He bemusedly slowed down catching your eyes as he slowly undid his button-down shirt.

A whine caught in your throat, crawling towards him- shuffling his hands away to undo his buttons. Once partially removed your ran a hair through the swirling patterns of hair on his chest.  You fit yourself into his neck, kissing the shell of his ears, nibbling and biting at his lobe. He shuddered, his hands going back to busying themselves to filling with your form. You kissed down his chest biting at him with your sharpened teeth, he squirmed under your touch- his hand gripped the back of your curls.

You glanced up catching his eyes, he nodded. You unlaced his boxers which crackled at your touch, tugging them off his legs and tossing them somewhere. You exhaled, tail thumping against the cushions in slight excitement. Gale pursed his lips and averted his eyes, pink warming his already rosy cheeks. You kissed down the happy trail that lined his soft stomach, inhaling the scent of him contained by his skin. Rose water, oak, pine and musk, he smelt wonderfully fresh.

He was slightly self-conscious of this newer version of him, a body softened by age like a ripe peach. You thought it fitting- the softness of course- he aged well. You cupped his sides, squeezing them gently. “Have I ever told you how gorgeous you are?” you ask softly.

“Many times-why do you ask?” he quirked a brow.

You shrug, lifting his thighs around your hips, giving them a firm squeeze again. “Thought I’d remind you.” You mold to his body, thighs rubbing together adding pressure to his already neglected member. Your lips mark their place down his neck, staining his skin a soft pink from your lip balm.  You made your way down again, making sure your lips marked every surface of his skin. His hips strained for movement but found none to meet it.

You marred his inner thigh with bite patterns, his skin breaking into patterns of pink and red. Your tongue ran its way up his perineum sending flames to his stomach, a squeeze to his heavy sack had him tensing beneath you.

Your nose buried in his happy trail once more- you let out a contented sigh.

His hips bucked slightly his cock tapping your chin. “My dear- be kind please- “

You grinned “gale, I don’t intend to be kind- perhaps I’m trying to enable your behavior for later.”

He let out a strained moan, his lids scrunching shut. “God id like that so much- please- “

“Like what now gale?” you teased pinching the head of his pink cock, rolling the skin up and down.

His hips strained again, a low hiss through his teeth. “Gods, you know- I don’t want to spell it out, hells.”

You stopped your slow steady strokes to kitten lick the head of his member, his fists began to clench and unclench. “I’d like to hear what you’d like, professor Dekarios. Lecture me- if you will.”

He swore under his breath one open, “you-!” his chest heaved, trying to buck his hips up from under your heavy hand. “Fuck- fine- I want to be in you- I want you to bloat with my seed. Gods-! Want everyone to know your mine- so help me- going to fuck you over my desk-.” His breathing was labored, his thighs clenching under you. His eyes went wide as he covered his mouth, poor gale was surprised by even his own vulgarity.

“you’d like to try for another child Mr. Dekarios?” you squeezed his balls sucking gently on his inner thigh.

“By the weave-! Yes-!” he sounded exasperated, his lip quivering.

“Very well, you’ve been good. I suppose you’ve earned your treat” you lowered your mouth onto him, a groan rolling through his throat. You dragged your tongue against his skin, the salt refreshing to your taste. You found the small spot on his head and rolled your tongue against it. His hands shoved down your head, burying your head into the patch of curls framing his cock. He shuffled his hands moving to your horns squeezing and fondling the base ridges. Your moan reverberated around him, he lifted his hips, the garters that held his socks squeezing the meat of his thighs.

You tapped his hip, the wizard’s grip loosening from your roots. The air around you smelt like him, you sputtered a little coming up for air. His face was flush, lips gently parted in gasps for air, curls clinging to the sides of his face. Gale’s eyes, taken over by the darkness of his pupils, held only desire and need.

You cupped his ass, a growing grin on your face as your lips found his length again. He rolled his hips up, thighs snapping like a steel trap around your head. Youd hope that perhaps you’d die this way, buried in your lovers’ thighs. A heel to your back cuts off some oxygen making your head spin. You glance up at him, his eyes pressed shut in focus. You hollowed out your cheeks, taking him further into your mouth, feeling the muscle in his thighs tense at the sensation.

“li’ia- “he gasped “my darling- I’m certainly close- I’d feel bad if you didn’t have your fun as well.”

You let out a muffled acknowledgement.

His legs loosened around you, his hand gently rubbing at the sore part of your scalp. Your lips leave with a soft pop, lip balm well and truly smeared against his skin. He hissed at the cold, maneuvering around you to stand up.

“Desk.” His voice slightly roughed as he commanded. He followed you, catching small kisses on the back of your spine. He sighed happily as you bent over the desk, almost like a planned muscle memory. Gale’s knees popped as he knelt, tugging down the delicate lace of your underwear. He maneuvered to rest in the space between your hips and the desk. The professor tapped a leg to push up on the desk, giving access for him to be nestled into the wetness of your cunt. His tongue lapped a stripe between your folds, he shifted one hand on your thigh the other groping needily at his cock. You watched him work, hand steadying yourself on his desk. A framed page of your journal that you gave him of the two of you rocked gently against the desk.

Gale hummed, his lips buzzing around your clit, nipping at the bud carefully. His tongue dipped inside of you, laying it flat against your core to rock at an easy pace. He nipped the inside of your thigh, signaling his contentment. you lifted your leg out of its slowly cramping position, setting it on the floor. The wizard made his way up your body, hands squeezing and fondling anything it could touch, his lips placing gentle kisses up your stomach.

“Come- sit upon your bone throne.” He chuckled at his own bad joke, sharing a cheeky grin with you. You tucked a stray strand of hair behind his ear, kissing the tip of his nose.

“Someone with a lovely pair of thighs must sit for that feat to be achievable.” You pressed against him; his member throbbed in the small amount of space between your stomachs. The pads of his fingers trailed over your skin as he walked past. Seating himself with legs spread for better access to him.

You settled on his thighs, spitting a couple of times into the palm of your hand. The mixture of slick and spit in your palm coated his twitching member, running and cupping your hand against his length, he let out a low warble. Carefully, and as delicately as you possibly can manage, you lifted your hips and guided his tip to your awaiting entrance. He held his gaze in your eyes, both of his hands supporting your hips.

You lowered.

A brilliant flare of fireworks went off inside your head, the heavens parted for some foggy clarity of how neglected you were. Your walls stung and clenched protectively at the stretch; gales hips quickly snapped upwards out of reflex adding to the tinge of pain at your core.

You held a hand on his chest and tears pricked at the corner of your eyes, “hurts- hurts.” Your tail strained behind you, every part of your muscles tensing.

“Come here- “he wrapped an arm around you, sheltering you with his arms, your nose found the notch in his neck and pressed small weepy kisses into it. His thighs flexed under you, impatient, but concerned at the hurt that he may have caused. He kissed the crown of your head, rubbing at your back in slow motions. “Let me remove this off of you” he whispered; words filled with reverence. You rocked your hips back, a pressure shifting to nestle itself under your bladder and against your cervix. Gale hooked his thumbs underneath the hemline of your cotton bralette.

“I like these- where did you get them? Lovely color too, suits such pretty brown skin. Then again, my star, you look delicious in any color.”

“I do find that reds make me look too red though.”  She hummed thoughtfully, “in Mephistopheles, it is better to wear blue. Within infernal societies we tend to note our heritage by the color of our skin. I often get mistaken for a teifling from Avernus if I wear red.”

“Blue doesn’t look as lively on your pretty face.”

“Oh shush. The recommendation was from a lovely spawn, who recently moved to the underdark.”

“He didn’t move until now? It’s been ten years!”

“He had to convince his partner, my love. Halsin doesn’t want to live without sun so easily. He sent me an assortment of things, new fabrics he said.”

“Perhaps I have let him in too much on my fashion tastes. Never again will I gossip with Astarion.”

“A wise decision, that one.” You chuckled.

He tentatively rolled his hips as a retort, hands finding the swell of your breasts. His head nestled in the crest of your chest, hands cupping your chest, fingers nimbly pinching your nipples. Your thighs tensed again, another, but thankfully smaller ping of pain emanating through your lower abs. “Would this be more preferable?” the pads of his fingers brushed against your throbbing clit, sending little electric sparks to your toes. Your exhale told him all he needed. He curled an arm around your waist, throbbing inside in tandem of your clenching walls. He pinched and massaged the mound, your tail beginning to wag. Your core warmed to him, the stretch and pain completely vanishing. He slowly rocked his hips, a hand cupping your ass,

reclining against his chair, his eyes all but rolling into the back of his head. “Gods…” he whispered. “Oh, how I long for you… oh how much I wanted this.” Words burbled from his lips, slightly incoherent. “Gods, if any of my colleges caught me like this- I would be fired for sure-! Oh, but they would truly witness what a goddess looked like.”

“I can’t grant you powers gale.” You chided, though secretly flattered. “I would gladly worship you instead of Mystra…my devotion- its eternally, irrevocably- only yours. God if they could watch, only to witness your own glory.”

“it’s a good thing I offer my light to you, beloved.”

“Oh, it’s such a good thing indeed. A little part of me wants to show those who would witness us what it looks to worship- what it means to be- utterly devoted.”

“My dearest gale- you are babbling nonsense; may Cyril bless you with the wit and constitution to say something meaningful.” You tease, adding a playful roll of the hip.

He rolls his eyes, aiding the lift of your hips up and down his length. “With you I forget myself, we are a one connected entity. You are my lifeblood.”

“You say such sweet things” you capture his chapped lips in a kiss, the rolls of your hips and the slick pooling at the cleave of his ass wrecking an echoed cacophony in the padded room. He pants into your open mouth, his hips pacing varying from quick snaps to slow languid thrusts into your warm and waiting walls.  The wizards’ fingers rubbed against your clit in circles, pressing the rest of his fingers into your lower abdomen to stabilize his wrist.  His fingers buzzed with a slight enchantment that he rasped into your mouth in-between nibbles and kisses.

You kissed his crows’ feet that crinkled around his eyes, the furrows of his brow from focus, and the mismatched dimples in his cheeks. The curl that settled itself in the middle of his forehead bobbed gently.

“Do you want me to-?” he stammered, biting down on his lip. He was close, his hips jumping at the chance to be fully sheathed inside of you. “I wanted to- if you’d like- I know we’re getting older, but I don’t think just a cat- would be my desire... to propagate- “he continued to babble. “My mother would- greatly appreciate, a child- from her only son.”

“She isn’t satisfied with a cat?” you pretend to be against between hearty sighs.

He bit his lip again, his eyes closing, overstimulated by the sensation of how tight you were around him. You braced his shoulders for better leverage, his head hit the back of the chair, gasping out for release. You felt the knot in your stomach tighten, bumping your hips into his vibrating fingers.

“Hells- yes- id love that- Gale I’d love to be a parent with you. There is nothing that would make me happier- “he cut you off, shoving your hips into him, fully sheathed he could finally combust within you. His lips found yours for a feverish kiss, wrapping his arms around you. You ran white hot in your core, a series of fire rockets blasting off in your loins, sending dizzying signals into your head. It was like he cast cloud of mist into your head. He rocked his hips a couple of times, your walks milking him of cum. Ropes of cum spent directly into your awaiting womb. Another flash of heat, you felt a deep pressure release onto his hips below.

You press your foreheads together, exhaustion seeping into your bones.

“Can you take the day off- “you murmur into his skin, a soft sinking feeling inside of you as he went soft. His seed within you dripped out and mixed with the rest of the liquids pooled in the seat.

He snuggled himself into your shoulder, watching your tail wag idly. He finally sighs, “I have classes in thirty minutes or less…but! You are welcome to stay in my office until you feel better.” He chuckled softly “earnestly, I’m not entirely sure I want to get up. My hips hurt.”

“You poor thing…” you kissed the crown of his head, scratching small circles into the back of his head. “Let’s get you cleaned up then- I’m certain we made a destructive mess.”

“No mess can withstand the realms of magic.” He puffed his chest out with pride.

You glared at him slightly, though you gave in and finally patted his cheek. “Fine, do your magic.”

He pumped the air summoning things to help clean up. With you, he took the utmost care.

[bysaber]

Picking the perfect tree ft. Obito Uchiha

Day 02 of 31 Days of Ficmas!

summary — obito uchiha, an exiled war criminal, doesn’t understand why you’re so obsessed with a tree.

word count — 807

content — fluff, post-war!obito (he survived because I wanted him to), he’s a sad boi, longing, friends to lovers kinda

notes — hai! second fic of many I hope ^_^ obito is my fav boy and this isn’t the only fic I’ll write for him in this event even though I know not many people simp for him. on a second note, I’m really hoping I can write all the 31 days. send me good luck! <3

“I don’t see the point.”

Obito stood by your side with crossed arms, his puzzled eyes watching you cautiously as you analyzed a pine tree as if it were the most important and interesting thing in the world.

Maybe it was, but he didn’t get it.

“Nah, this one is not good enough,” you stated, at last.

He sighed, more lost than ever, not complaining when your gloved hand closed around his wrist and dragged him further into the forest.

“They all look the same to me,” he observed. “Sure, some are smaller and have fewer branches, but they’re just… trees?”

Your giggle didn’t go unnoticed by him and, as usual, it warmed his body in that unfamiliar way, his stomach fluttering from this all-new sensation.

No, not new.

Obito knew exactly what feeling was that; something he felt when he was just a foolish kid, the feeling that made him try harder to impress someone, that got him all messy and blushy and kissing portraits.

The feeling that created longing and, eventually, created hate.

Looking back, what was Obito doing if not trying desperately not to forget what it was like to feel like that? Starting a war to feel it again, even if it weren’t real.

Countless mistakes in the name of love, and Obito just accepted he wasn’t deserving of such a thing – love.

And yet, you stood there in front of him. Picking a damn tree for whatever reason, and making him feel all over again.

After being forgiven but exiled to a distant village, there you were. You knew his crimes and yet you showed up at his door every day, convincing him to take a walk with you until you became friends.

And today you showed up smiling like always, “Hey, let’s buy a tree for your house.”

And there you were.

“I liked the way you described the trees, so I’ll trust your eyes,” you said after a while, apparently conflicted. “I don’t know if we should pick this one or that one, which one is taller and has more branches?”

He wanted to laugh at you and your silliness, but eventually gave up, “That one.”

You smiled widely at him and, even though he wanted to scream at you to stop making him feel like that, he smiled shyly back at you.

Quickly talking to the couple who ran the tree business, you paid them while Obito seemed lost in thoughts and you brought the tree home with the help of some ninjas that worked there.

When the tree was installed in a corner of his living room and the two of you were left alone again, he blinked slowly with a blank expression, “I still don’t get it. Why do I need a tree inside my house?”

He was so clueless it was cute and you couldn’t help but laugh, flustering him further, “You’re such a dork, Obito! Let me finish this, ok?”

With red hot cheeks, he hummed in agreement as you placed your backpack on the table and started pulling out a lot of weird things.

Weird, but beautiful things.

He eyed you curiously as you circled the tree with some sort of wire he couldn’t distinguish, wondering what that was for, and then you started putting beautiful decorations on the branches. It didn’t take long for the tree to come to life, bringing some sort of comfort to his dead house.

“Can you help me?” you asked after a while and he nodded, standing up as you handed him a star. “Put it on the top of the tree, please. I can’t reach it.”

He did exactly as he was told – he still didn’t understand what it was for but it was incredibly beautiful and, foremost, done by you.

When the star was placed he looked at you, then at the tree, and back at you, “It looks–”

“Wait! There’s still one thing for you to see before you say anything,” you interrupt him as you run to plug in the tree lights.

When you finally did and the tree lightened up, Obito got taken aback by the beauty of it all. All the colors and decorations came together, lighting up his living room and warming his heart. Something you did for him.

“Here in the village, we celebrate something called Christmas, a time to be reunited with people we love and celebrate. This is a Christmas tree, but there’s so much more I can show you,” you finally explain. “And I was hoping we could celebrate Christmas together.”

Obito looked down, tears burning his eyes without a warning. Everything you’ve done, everything you’ve said tendering his soul like a remedy on every open wound he had.

It felt like he’d found the love he had reached for, for so long.

“Yes… yes, we can.”

[cattocavo]

WIP Wednesday!!!

Thanks for the tags @thewholelemon @monbons !! I really appreciate it!

The simon ft. Babygirl drawing from Sunday is experiencing some turbulence atm ( i tried to paint his short shorts but messed up and now I’m scared to continue) (I’m pathetic) (i cannot continue in case i mess up again. If that happens ill probably declare the drawing cursed and never return to it again)

Therefore theres no snowbaz today :(((

I do have something else tho!

It’s a self portrait i started a month ago!! (Bet y’all wasn’t expecting what technically counts as a face reveal, now were you >:) I was just doodling when out of nowhere i accidentally made an insanely good sketch, which i immediately transferred into another canvas because it had so much potential. The sketch is slowly turning into my most realistic painting yet although It’s very obviously still in the early stages. The skin looks muddy, the hair in front on the eye looks weird, the eyebrow hairs look to stark and thick, but I’ll fix all that eventually!

(It’s already taken me 6 hours so far.. I’m kind of scared how long it’ll take in total 😀)

Yeah so thats all for today

Im ridiculously proud of this so far :))

Goodbye! Cya next time!

(I would love to see what y’all are working on but i feel bad tagging anyone on this post bc that means ppl are literally getting pinged to see something non snowbaz related at that might be annoying so i wont:))

[yunarim]

⇢ ⁺ SYNOPSIS ˖ I wonder if maybe one day, when I'm a Fairy Godmother, I can go back and visit the princessess again. ಇ. INSPIRED BY ˖ 'disney princess: my fairytale adventure' in which main heroine becomes the Fairy Godmother's apprentice who helps disney princessess stop a dark spell that has been casted over the kingdoms. what will happen if she suddenly enters TWISTED WONDERLAND?

┆original take on YUU and RSA — TAGS : female reader (she/her pronouns), lowkey character & magic study, third person perspective, working tags — AO3

﹒﹒⟢﹒PREVIEW ˖

“Ah, could it be my dear Sprites turned into little mischievous Imps again?..” 

Yuu wonders, observing a mysterious mirror which just appeared in the Main Hall. Princesses portraits look as magnificent as they always were, and the crystals above golden inwrought mirror frames seem normal. 

She most certainly did not cast any wrong spells, and yet her magic wand starts resonating with strange energy waves coming from a new obscure mirror. Could it be that the princesses are in danger again? 

∘₊✧─ And always remember, young lady… If they’d lost all their faith, you couldn’t be there. And there you are!

This is right. There’s someone waiting for her to make their dreams come true. 

Yuu sees a hand in a welcoming gesture, a grip on her magic wand tightens, and she makes a step forward without any hesitation.

Every miracle takes a little time, after all.

— NOTES ˖

It’s alright if you haven't played Disney Princess: My Fairytale Adventure because I’m here to explain! 

The game dwells on Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Rapunzel, Beauty and the Beast, The Princess and the Frog Disney movies. Actually there’s another game called Disney Princess: Enchanted Journey where MC enters The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Aladdin, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Beauty and the Beast Disney realms. 

It’s implied MC knows the plot of the disney movies. In this work Yuu knows all the Disney movies existing up to today. I’ll also make a lot of references to not only listed but other disney movies too!  This is an original take on RSA and a great part of the fic will be devoted to RSA and its characters I created with the help of my dear friend. But NRC remains the crucial part of the story.

Yuu wields a magic wand, and it’s pretty much similar to the original game except for the fact I changed the design.

A lot of magic study! Yuu is quite a remarkable sorceress but she’s not imbalanced.

Yuu doesn’t remember her past, why and when she became the Fairy Godmother’s apprentice, but I’ll dwell on it as the story progresses. 

And finally, I hope you’ll have fun reading this ^^ I may be slow with writing chapters but I hope I’ll manage to post one chapter per month!

© yunarim 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝. 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭, 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲, 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐲, 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧.

[lazykim12]

‘The shane family’ Will’s beginning’s.

Wow what a happy family portrait!

‘Delilah and Jackson weren’t just going to let their image crumble, They had to keep their smiles even when nothing was okay, after all, they were the Shane family, They were perfect! And so was their son Will! Even with Will’s hesitation and slight resistance in his Future, he’d still be the next Shane after all, But the Shane family lost their slight control over Will when a new addition to the family was added…a rebellious teen with a spark in him, which influenced Will protest.’

‘Hector Gonzales..the new ‘Shane addition’.

Wow what a contrast in their family photos-

I haven’t done these Au lore explanations in a while so I figured to do one once more! Staring with a slight update to Will’s lore! Goodness there’s a lot in this post, forgive me for putting another oc into this I CANT HELPP ITT🗣️ Hector’s been a Oc of mine for a while, so decided to share him! As…Will’s brother 👀

I actually have a second post planned for Hector soon just going to post this first today! Next week, I’ll be sure to post some outsiders content too!

[ninacytosis]

For the time lost

Summary: Zuko wants to erase every reminder of his past mistakes, and Katara will take him on a journey to, quite literally, heal both of their scarrings.

Contains: Angst, Fluff, Katara has burns scars from Aang's first attempts to firebend, Katara tries to get over her resentment towards the FN, Zuko doesn't hate Azula.

Dear reader: I hope you enjoy it! <3 Let me know if you want me to continue posting.

Find chapter one here.

Find chapter two here.

┊┊┊┊☆┊*🌙*┊☆┊┊┊┊

Chapter Three

To Katara’s surprise, his scar looked pretty much the same as before. After greeting her, she got a look up close and searched for a different color, texture, or size. Maybe it was smoother? Her thoughts kept meditating on this new information while she followed Zuko through the palace.

Zuko stopped walking and turned to her. “You're so quiet today... Not complaining, though" he smirked.

The place was a bit different from the last time Katara visited. The walls, once filled with portraits of the former Fire Lords, were left with paintings of birds and rodents; some pieces were pale and ill-looking, and, to her surprise, others were unbelievably adorable. Every part of the palace seemed to be made with such delicacy, it made her wonder how much respect people had for the royals. The marble floor felt like floating through the hallways.

“How old is this place?” she asked Zuko.

“Maybe two hundred years old” he replied, with a doubtful tone. “But every now and then it got redecorated. My mom was really into gardening, so there were a lot of floral decorations until I was like twelve.”

“I guess you’re into hawkpards” she smiled. “I’ve seen like five paintings of them so far”.

“Oh, yeah… We got a lot of those in the back garden. Oh, I got to show you the turtleducks in the front!” He grabbed her shoulder. “They’ve grown so much since you last came”.

They both rushed to an open space in between the castle. It wasn’t a front garden technically, but Katara didn’t want to ruin the moment. He was so excited to take her there. And the turtleducks were beautifully bathed in the golden sparks of the setting sun.

“The little ones were born by the end of autumn”.

Her eyes followed the furry little guys as they approached Zuko’s feet. He seemed annoyed, yet patient, while their little peaks pinched his pants. He proceeded to sit down and surrender to the attack. Now the turtleducks looked at him expectantly, Katara guessed that they were pet recurrently by him.

“No treat today,” he said, in a high-pitched voice. “But we got visits. Greet Katara!”

She chuckled. Zuko’s silliness always got to her, she could tell he was comfortable if she paid attention and saw through all his awkwardness. The water that had golden sparkles some minutes ago, was now in a purplish tone, the sky was getting darker. Two guards walked in their direction with small lamps in their hands. She imagined they lit them up themselves. How cool that must be.

“The visitor’s room is ready, my Lord” one pointed out.

Katara guessed both the guards were about thirty. By the looks they gave to her, she guessed they still weren’t used to having waterbenders around. To even see them as allies. She tried to convince herself some progress had been made. Some years ago, it was hard to tell if the Fire Nation guards saw her as human. Now they’re just weirded out, she can’t really blame them. She’s feeling odd herself, trying to turn off her flight or fight mode. Trying to hold eye contact with them, because she doesn’t want to seem snobby. Trying to look at Zuko, to remember nothing bad will happen. Weirdness is progress. Weirdness is not cruelty.

“I’ll take her, thanks for letting me know” he replied. “You can go now”

With a small flame in his hand, he led her to one of the upper floors. It was a pretty place, but it felt so empty. All she could hear were their steps and the whispers of the guards. Probably they talked all night to avoid getting asleep.

"My Lord" she tittered.

"Oh, shut up" he sighed. "I can still hear Toph laughing about it."

They arrived at her room. Katara noticed a penguin plushie on her mattress. She turned to Zuko and scrunched her face. After seeing her funny covers and blue walls, she realized what he was trying to do.

“I thought it would feel more like home” Zuko whispered. “Is it too corny?”

“I love it” she giggled.

“Come here” he asked her. Katara walked to the window and saw the moon rising from mountains.

“Now, that’s too corny” she mocked. “Thank you, I feel like I’m royalty too”.

“Well, technically you are a royal of the Southern Water tribe” he squeezed his eyes.

She rolled her eyes. If she was a princess, her “castle” was a giant whale skeleton. But she couldn’t complain, it felt more sacred than most homes. And it showed her people’s historical resilience, something that would transcend centuries more than her desire for a fancier house. For a second, she feared she spent too much time in her mind and ignored Zuko’s presence.

“We’re such a diplomatic friendship” she whispered. Zuko laughed, still looking through the window.

“You know, back at the garden, I noticed you were a bit shaky” he admitted. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure” she nodded.

“Do you find it scary to come here?”

“Of course not” is what she would’ve answered to most people. Four springs have passed since the war, and even in the war, she wasn’t the type of person to hide from Fire Nation guards. It would be unlike her to fear a threat that it’s not even there. And as much as it didn’t make sense to her or anyone else, she felt her heart race when a guard looked at her for a little too long, she lost her breath when a firework sounded a little too loud. She was afraid.

“I… think so, Zuko” she answered. “Sorry if it sounds ungrateful, I don’t mean to show prejudice towards your people. I bet your guards are highly honorable and your friends here are nice. But it’s hard to see these walls and walk through this city without getting a bit sappy, you know?” she sat on the floor. “I think that’s why I usually don’t come here often”.

“I know what you mean. Well, that’s one of the reasons it’s so hard for me to go to the South” She leaned her head. “I’m ashamed, for my nation, my ancestors’ actions, and my own. I see all the empty houses and the little kids in your town and it makes me feel so unworthy of being a king.”

He covered his face with his hands and sat next to her, both on the cold wooden planks. Katara caressed his hair, gently, not really sure how to say what she thought of Zuko. At least, she didn’t know how to deliver it in a way that convinced him that he was a good person. A compassionate, caring, noble person. She put her head on his shoulder.

“You are not your father, Zuko” she mumbled. “And the Water Nation’s door will always be open for you. Not only on the North, by the way”.

“About that… I know all these traveling to the North might seem weird to you”.

“You’re Zuko, you’re always weird” she bumped his arm.

He disapprovingly shook his head.

“Anyways, I thought I should tell you I went there to get rid of my scar” Zuko stood up. “I’m so tired, you probably are too. I’m going to my room.”

“So you’re just gonna drop that bomb and leave?” Katara raised her eyebrow.

“We can talk tomorrow. I promise” he walked to the door. “Good night, Katara.”

[literaticat]

Hi Jenn. Some time ago you had a post where you - and I'm paraphrasing - advised people to buy/read 10 or 20 (I think?) current books and really "rip them apart" - i.e. analyze them, study them - to help assist with their own writing/publishing goals, get to know the market, learn from the books what worked to get them published. These weren't the exact words. I've tried using the search function but can't find the post. Could you link to it or maybe give similar advice again please? Thank you.

Sure - I know I gave this advice *someplace* on here, and for sure on twitter, but since that website has gone to the dogs I'll just paste the thread below and save it in the FAQ.

The best advice I have if you want to write for kids is, GO TO THE LIBRARY AND READ 100 BOOKS PUBLISHED IN YOUR CATEGORY IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS. Put your favorites in a special pile and buy your own copies of those so you can write in them. Tear them apart. Why and HOW do they work?

If you do this: CONGRATULATIONS, you just did much of the work for a masters degree without having to pay for it. While you're at it - make a spreadsheet of those 100 books, noting WHO PUBLISHED THEM, and agent/editor if they are listed in the acknowledgements. Note patterns!

If you do THIS step: CONGRATULATIONS, you just got a crash course in publishing and are armed with the knowledge of "who publishes what" that you will need as you begin your querying/publishing journey.

Whenever I give this advice, some folks push back and complain about "having to" read lots of kids books (which, it's the best homework I can IMAGINE doing, and if you don't like reading them, maybe don't WRITE them!), or they think it is a waste of time or I'm being MEAN... I think it can actually SAVE you time flailing in the darkness, and I'm being nice.

But hey, if you don't like it: Ignore me! You don't need to fight me about it. Like... it's free advice and this is a free country. I promise that I don't care what you do or don't do. :-)

PS: I specify "published in the last five years" bc publishing trends change; if you are relying on knowledge of the kids books that were published when YOU were a kid as your main source, you limit yourself. What flew in the 1980s would not fly today, and vice-versa.

PPS: For everyone saying this is advice applicable to any genre or category: I know! But since I’m an expert about children’s books, I’ll speak on children’s books. If I said “all books” I promise there’d be adult book writers hollering at me in the comments and I’m not into it!

PPPS: (And before anyone comes for me: I can call myself an expert about children’s books because I literally AM ONE, after 30+ years in the field. That doesn’t mean I’m better than anyone else or that you have to take my advice. You do you!)

PPPPS: ("But Jennifer how can you have been in children’s books for 30+ years when you can’t be more than 29 years old?!” I hear you say. Haha well, first of all, I started quite young, as a bookseller. And also, there may be a damnéd portrait somewhere, I can say no more!)

/fin

(Somebody followed up after I posted this and asked me to expand on the "tearing books apart" piece - so I did. That's here, clickety click!)

[sonocomics]

The holiday season is approaching, and with it comes a new commission deal! From today until December 10th, 2023, I'll be posting 12 codes on random posts that can be used in my commission forms for a discount!

As detailed above, first to use a code will get 15% off, 2nd will get 10% off, and 3rd will get 5% off. After a third person uses a code I'll delete it from the post and it won't be usable anymore.

You can still, of course, get a commission without a code! I just wanted to try a unique type of deal :> There's 36 chances overall, which is quite a few! Now's a great time to get a unique gift for Christmas - some ideas of which I've listed above.

As noted in the image above, if you commission me 5 or more times you can apply for the Regulars Program and get exclusive perks! The holiday coupons regulars get DO NOT STACK with this current 12 Days of Christmas deal, so please keep that in mind!

IMPORTANT!! You must read my information / Terms & Conditions document before filling out a form! Please make sure you’re filling out the right form linked at the bottom of this post.

All commission examples I’ve done can be found HERE!

The current work list / open slots can be found HERE!

All mandatory and extra/often forgotten data is covered in the forms, so this will streamline the process! And don’t worry, they’re not very long at all!

I’ll be using P P invoices. Work will not begin until payment is received!

THESE ARE NOW CLOSED

Click here for the REGULAR commission form link!

Click here for the COMIC commission form link!

Click here for the CHARACTER PORTRAIT form link!

Click here for the EMOTES commission form link!

[valyalyon]

3 Chromatic Residue

Previous Post | Next Post

SEA MASTER LIST OR #LYONSEA

DIVIDERS

CW: smut, jealousy, explicit language. MDNI. 1.5K Words.

Ember was standing in the art gallery, exchanging hot kisses with Arthur as he pressed her against the wall.

He pulled away just enough to talk, “we’ve been dating for a week today. I can’t wait for a month, a year, I bet I’ll shout from the roof about it.”

Her eyes widened and she met his honey eyes, “happy one week, Apollo…”

Arthur kissed her again and was about to respond when the door to the gallery opened.

The man quickly pulled away from Ember and made his way to greet the customer.

Ember stood at the wall for another minute, attempting to catch her breath before following far behind Arthur.

Even if some of the paintings were of her, she tried to make it seem as if she was shopping for art too.

She quickly noticed that the customer was a woman, maybe mid-twenties, and she was uncomfortably nice with Arthur. Ember felt a twinge of jealousy watching the woman flirt with her man, but she felt guilty…

Did she really have any room to be mad at Arthur for flirting with the customer if Ember had still not said she loved him? He had said it so many times, but Ember kept waiting.

The woman’s flirting was tame at first, but eventually she reached out and touched Arthur’s arm as she was laughing, “you’re the most interesting man I’ve ever met, Mr. Marlowe.”

Ember saw the interaction but she wasn’t staring directly at them, trying not to make it obvious that she was ready to explode.

The man laughed, removing the woman’s hand as he did, “don’t touch me, I’m a taken man. Are you looking for any art in particular?”

“Do you do custom paints for customers?” the woman asked curiously, seeming to drop the flirty attitude.

“Depends on the subject. What ideas did you have?” Arthur asked, smiling at the woman respectfully.

“A painting of me,” she replied.

“Portraits would run about…” he began, but the woman interrupted.

“I was thinking a fully nude piece. Maybe even with your inserting yourself in the final product,” her voice returned to the flirty rhythm, and she again reached to touch him.

Arthur stepped back, “I don’t do nude art for anyone other than my beautiful lover. I’d be happy to make a portrait of your face, but please behave a little more professionally.”

“I really want to fuck you, though,” the woman replied.

Arthur rubbed his head in irritation, “Jesus fucking Christ. Get out of my gallery or I’ll call the police.”

The woman left the gallery, muttering under her breath about ungrateful men.

Ember was amazed by how he handled it, almost believing that he had set up the entire situation. She turned her attention to him and his face displayed his irritation.

“Really a waste of my time to walk in here acting stupid,” Arthur commented, shaking his head and turning his attention to Ember, “you make my life better every time I see you.”

Ember’s eyes widened as she stared up at Arthur, “did you really mean everything you said to her or did you just talk like that because I’m here?”

“We’ve gone over this. I’m a man of my word. I meant everything I said, I should have called her ugly too,” the man added, voice hoarse with annoyance.

“That’s mean,” she replied quickly, and turned her attention away from him, deciding to walk away.

Before she could get far, he grabbed her arm and turned her around, pulling her to his chest. He lifted her face and kissed her, “I can show you mean if that’s really what you want.”

“You want to prove that you’re a bad man, then?” Ember’s voice sounded curious and taunting.

“Absolutely,” Arthur said, and pulled Ember’s top off her body, setting it aside and pulling her skirt down her legs, “When you left your panties, I kept them. I love smelling the scent of your pussy juices.”

The younger woman moaned slightly. She watched at him as he removed her panties and smelled them, “that’s not right, you can’t just undress me and try to fuck me wherever, whenever you want.”

“That was one of my requests from my girl,” Arthur reminded her. He let his fingers run up her legs, as he kneeled down, “do you not think you can keep up?”

“Fuck you, of course I can keep up,” Ember responded with anger, looking down at him as she continued, “why do you treat me so bad when I love you?”

“You love me?” His honey eyes opened wide and a smile spread on his face. He stood up, his fingers moving in between her legs to finger her as he kissed her lips, “I love you. I don’t treat you bad… I just want every bit of you.”

When you move, Honey, I’m put in awe of something so flawed and free.

Her green eyes rolled back as she felt the pleasure of his strong fingers inside of her, “mmm, Apollo… that feels really good.”

He went a little faster with his fingers, while his free hand focused on taking off his pants and getting his thick cock out for Ember, “you’re so wet and hot… You drive me insane.”

His muse moaned as Arthur grabbed a chair and sat down, rubbing his hardened cock. Ember slid down onto his cock, wrapping her legs around him and rolling her hips as she lowered herself, “fuuuck…”

He thrusted up to meet her every grind, groaning slightly as he grabbed her ass, then quickly moving his hands up to her breasts and squeezing those as well, “perfect. You’re the best, Calliope. My Ember…”

She bounced faster as his thrusts became harder, and her sounds echoed even louder. Ember’s panting turned on Arthur even more so he smacked her ass several times as she sped up.

Ember had been correctly taking her birth control so when Arthur started to reach his peak, he felt no need to pull out or slow down. His intensity was unreal and the girl was drunk off the feelings he gave her.

The orgasm was mutual and loud, with Ember’s vagina squeezing around his shaft and extracting every drop out of him. They shared wet kisses and their hands greedily felt the skin of the other, as they both repeated, “I love you”.

…

Two days after her love confession to Arthur, Ember was returning to the gallery from a grocery run. She had needed a few ingredients for their dinner, and had two bags she was easily able to carry with one hand.

As she entered the Artist Alley, she was caught off guard with a familiar scent.

The smell was that of an expensive cologne, accompanied by hints of cigarette smoke, whiskey and the essence of the road.

Lazarus James…

She didn’t make it very far into the aroma, quickly spotting Lazarus as he scanned the crowd for her.

Ember thought she lowered her head in time, but their eyes met and as she picked up the pace as she heard his voice behind her.

She didn’t make it far when he grabbed her hand and stopped her in her tracks. Ember looked at him, then down to their hands, “Lazarus, please let go.”

“I’ve been looking for you since you left me. There’s no one for me like you, Angel… I’m ready to change and be whoever you want me to be,” the older man told her.

His eyes were just as dark as she remembered, his hair a little longer and more unkempt but still black.

Lazarus wore his signature leather jacket and Ember caught herself worrying if he was too hot, before quickly burying the silly thought.

Her green eyes looked into his black ones, and she tugged slightly at her hand, “I’ve had to move on, Lazarus. That was a long time ago and we’re different people. You need to move on.”

“I don’t want to move on,” his voice shook as he responded, “the Cowboy is dead, I’m here… Be mine again.”

“I met someone else… I can’t just drop him because you show back up in my life,” she lowered her eyes, but her hand was still in his. She gazed over his veins, and along his strong arms.

“If you need me, will you call me?” Lazarus reached in his pocket with his free hand and pulled out a folded note, “here… please.”

“I don’t want to take this and give you false hope,” Ember responded, again tugging at her hand to get it away from him.

Honey, don’t feed me, I will come back.

He pulled her hand open and placed his note inside her palm, holding her hand closed after, “it’s not hope. I have to know you can reach me if you need me, it’s the only thing that will keep me calm.”

Ember looked into his dark eyes, but there was a storm coming that she could see behind him. She swallowed and shook her head, “don’t wait up for a call. Bye, Mr. James.”

She pulled her hand away quickly, and turned back down the alley, quickly making it back to the gallery with her groceries.

3CR and 4CR are both really short, very sorry about that but I wasn't holding back. I wanted things to feel quick, so hopefully I'm doing it semi-right.

Love u all qt pi's !

SONG REFERENCES

Movement by Hozier

It Will Come Back by Hozier

[yukidragon]

The Groom of Gallagher Mansion - First Kiss

So, funny thing. I got inspired with a random plot bunny for The Groom of Gallagher Mansion involving Elias and my version of the MC, Coraline. It’s just a sweet and silly story of spoopy fluff that came to me without knowing much of anything about the canon plot of the game. I figured that since the alpha was released on the SnaccPop Patreon today (so you might want to consider signing up if you haven’t already), I would write it out and share my raw rough draft of shameless self-indulgence before playing and seeing what the game’s story is actually about.

No doubt playing the game is going to influence me in the development of Coraline and how her relationship with Elias goes, maybe even totally changing how I’ll go about having them meet and how eager Coraline is to marry a beheaded bloody ghost. It’ll probably inspire me to make another spicy 1st person story about Elias with his living betrothed as well. Still, I hope you enjoy my silly little plot bunny that’s just an excuse to make some sweet vanilla with a hint of creepy spooky fun to keep it spicy.

Speaking of spice, don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about the winning fic about Jack from my poll. That’s another plot bunny that’s currently running away from me and growing into something a bit bigger than just the narrator having some spicy NSFW fun with their yandere boyfriend.

While this story isn’t going into smutty territory, I want to remind everyone that the Groom of Gallagher Mansion is an Adults Only series. Minors are not permitted in this fandom, or for any of the other SnaccPop Studios series.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this little story about Elias and Coraline that takes place shortly after their first meeting mentioned in this previous post, but before they actually say their vows.

...

The wedding preparations were underway in the Gallagher mansion. Furniture floated into position across the room unassisted. Small wisps of otherworldly glowing blue light hung flowers and decorations while cleaning up decades of dust and cobwebs. At the center of it all was the master of the haunted manor, Elias Gallagher, directing everything to be perfect for him and his beloved bride-to-be.

“No, no, no,” Elias sighed as he shook his head, which floated off-center above his neck. “Don’t hang that painting up there.” He wagged a reproachful finger at one of the little balls of light that had been in the process of restoring the old family portrait… the one that included everyone except for him. “I don’t want to see those ghastly faces gawking at my beloved and I as we exchange our vows to be together for all eternity. In fact, I never want to see those faces again. Throw it out! Toss it in the trash, tear it up, or use it for kindling, but get it out of my sight!”

As Elias watched the wisp hastily scramble to remove the portrait and take it from the room, he sighed again as he reoriented his head back in its proper place. “So much to do, so little time… Oh if only the staff were still alive… or at least if only their ghosts decided to stay and haunt this place as well.” He paused for a moment as the years of loneliness crept up on him. “At least then I would’ve had some company all these long, lonely years…”

Something suddenly touched the small of his back and ran up his spine, causing Elias to shriek and jolt, sending his head toppling off his shoulders into his flailing hands.

A giggle rang out from behind him, and it was the loveliest sound. It chased away all of the fright and melancholy Elias felt, and he turned, smiling, to face his beloved bride. “Oh my dearest…”

Elias froze as he saw her, Coraline. He had sent her to get cleaned up after those brutes covered her in fake blood not too long ago. He thought her lovely when he first laid his eyes on her wearing a soft oversized sweater, but the outfit he wore now was stunning, a beautiful off-white gown with lace and long sleeves. It wasn’t quite a wedding dress - that would be for later - but the pale color against her equally pale skin gave her an ethereal look that made her seem as if she wasn’t anymore meant for the human world than he was. Her newly braided hair was still damp from the bath, turning it a darker shade of brown than usual except for where it had been kissed with streaks of white. She smiled at him, and her beautiful bright brown eyes glinted almost golden when the light hit them.

If his heart was still beating, Elias was sure it would have stopped at the sight of Coraline, his bride, his fated beloved.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you to death,” Coraline said, her smile growing crooked as her gaze turned apologetic.

“Oh, it’s quite alright, my darling Coraline!” Elias said quickly as he placed his head back above the stump of his neck where it belonged. “I assure you that it’s quite impossible to kill me a second time. In fact, I wasn’t scared at all. I merely didn’t expect you to be finished with your bath so soon.” He paused to clear his throat as his blue cheeks darkened with a blush. “I-I see that you found the clothes I left for you.” He had to take a moment to drink her in, his eyes sweeping from the top of her head to the soft slippers on her feet. “You… you look truly stunning, my love.”

Coraline had to look away as a blush appeared on her cheeks to match her fiancé's. “You really think so…?”

“Of course!” Elias said emphatically. He was by her side in an instant, taking his bride-to-be’s hands in his. “Oh, my beloved Coraline… Never has there ever been anyone alive or dead who could ever match your beauty in my eyes.”

When Elias reached out to stroke her cheek to punctuate his statement, a jolt of excitement shot through him as Coraline responded by nuzzling into his hand and gazing up at him through her eyelashes. Almost on reflex, words came tumbling out of his mouth, all half-formed attempts at praising her that could only form into nonsensical gibberish as his blush reached all the way to his ears and neck stump.

“Thank you, Elias,” Coraline said softly before she turned to kiss his wrist.

Elias squeaked at the action, and he jerked back reflexively out of embarrassment. He instantly regretted it and silently berated himself as he lamented the loss of her lovely warmth.

“Y-yes, well,” Elias said after a moment, fumbling to recover his wits. He cleared his throat behind the hand that still tingled faintly from her touch as he tried to calm down an imaginary racing pulse that he knew perfectly well had already long since stopped existing. “It-it’s nothing more than the truth. There’s none who could ever hope to compare to the beautiful soul who came to free me from an eternity of loneliness.”

Coraline smiled, pleased by both his praise and fluster. “You’re the most dazzling soul I’ve ever met too.” She paused for a moment and chuckled as her smile turned lopsided. “Literally. You’re the first ghost I’ve ever met.”

Elias smiled wryly back at her. “And you’re the first living mortal to see me and not run screaming for the hills.” A dreamy look came to his eyes as he remembered their first meeting. “I’ll never forget the way the stars shined in your eyes when you looked my way for the first time.” He sighed blissfully. “Oh, never has anyone ever looked at me with such joy and rapture, even while I was still alive.”

Coraline softened at those words, and she drew closer to Elias, reaching out to take his hand. Objectively, he was cold, as cold as death, yet there was a strange warmth to his touch as well that she could only attribute as supernatural. It was a strange, contrary feeling that only drew her to him even more. “Elias…”

Elias eagerly took her hands in both of his and bent down closer so that he could better look into the eyes of his future bride. “Oh, Coraline, my beloved, my dearest, my precious love… I thank Heaven for finally bringing you into my un-life, and I thank you most of all for accepting my proposal.” He blushed again as a note of awkwardness crept into his voice. “I-I know that it was all so sudden, but from the moment we met, I just knew that we were destined to be.”

“Like soulmates?” Coraline asked softly.

“Yes, exactly like soulmates,” Elias said as he pulled Coraline closer until he could embrace her fully. “You are none other than my soulmate, Coraline… and I cannot tell you how happy it makes me that you’ve agreed to be mine for all eternity. Oh… I love you so much. Words simply cannot hope to convey just how much I love you.”

Coraline nuzzled into his embrace. She was aware that what she was doing was objectively crazy. People normally didn’t marry ghosts, let alone right after meeting them, but she couldn’t deny the way her pulse raced when she was with Elias, or the contentment she felt in his arms.

“I know what you mean,” Coraline said as she rested her cheek against his chest. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone before you…”

“Nor have I,” Elias said softly as his glowing blue eyes gazed lovingly down at his bride. “Oh, Coraline. I promise you, I’ll make sure that our wedding is nothing less than perfect.”

Coraline sighed before abruptly straightening up. “Oh yeah, that reminds me. I needed to talk to you about the ceremony.”

“Oh?” Elias asked, eyebrows raising. “What about it, my love?”

Coraline fidgeted with the ends of her lacy sleeves, her face heating up as she struggled to look at Elias. “Um… well… It was about… the kiss.”

Elias blushed deeply as his eyes dipped down to his bride’s pale lips. He wondered if they were as soft as they looked, or as warm as her cheeks. “O-oh really? Oh… oh my.” Suddenly he felt almost too warm. “Wh-what about it, dearest?”

Coraline brought her fingers over her lips, tracing the lower one nervously. “It’s just… it’d be our first kiss, and it’ll be in front of everybody who comes to the wedding, so…”

Elias couldn’t help but imagine Coraline dressed before him in her elegant white wedding gown, waiting for him to lean down and kiss her once he pulled back her veil, sealing them together as man - well, ghost - and wife for all eternity. Excitement coursed through him at the thought of it, and a trickle of blood leaked from his nose, bright and vibrant like the splatters around the stump of his neck. “Our first kiss…”

Elias caught himself after a moment, and quickly wiped away the blood, which disappeared without so much as a smear on his hand, unlike the blood around his neck. “Y-yes, well…” He cleared his throat as he tried to compose himself. “I hope you’re looking forward to it as much as I am, my love.”

Coraline glanced up at Elias before she had to look away. “I’m just a little… nervous.”

Elias blinked, surprised. “Nervous? Why, whatever for?” He gently cupped her chin, but Coraline struggled to look him in the eye. “Oh my beloved Coraline, there’s nothing to worry about. I promise you, I’m fully prepared to make that kiss, as well as the rest of our wedding, the most wonderful experience of your life, and my un-life.”

“It’s just that…” Coraline finally managed to look up at her blue beaux. “It’d be my first kiss… period. I’ve never kissed anyone before.” Her face burned harder at the admission and her eyes skirted away from him again.

Elias felt his face heat as well despite the lack of any real heat in his spectral body. “You haven’t… Oh… oh my.” He could feel his excitement start to build again, but he quickly forced himself to reign it in before it overflowed into another nosebleed. “W-well it…” He faked a cough in an attempt to stall for a moment more to gather his thoughts. “I-I know I must seem quite a bit more… experienced in these sorts of matters than you, dearest, but the truth of the matter is that I… ah… n-never had the chance to experience such things before my death… or even after.”

Coraline blinked, surprised as her eyes turned back to her groom. “You never kissed your ex-fiancée?”

The memory of his former ‘bride’ was a blade that dug into his heart as sharply as the axe that cleaved through his neck, and Elias couldn’t keep the pain from showing on his face. Centuries of loneliness, empty and without love, washed over him, heavy and suffocating. So many years he spent alone in this crumbling house, wasting away as much as his spirit did from the loneliness that carved a hole in his heart. It was just as suffocating as the years he spent when he was alive, when the mansion was filled with far more life than the withered body he used to possess.

Elias Gallagher, the sickly, overlooked and discarded Gallagher son, had been a disgrace to the family. He had no looks, no skills, no strength, and nothing but his inheritance to offer anyone. He still remembered all the days he struggled just to cross the hall in his wheelchair so that he could make his escape from his dreary reality inside one of the many books in the family library. There he could distract himself from the pain that plagued his twisted body with the fanciful stories of protagonists who found their happy endings, and dream that maybe he too would find his own happy ending one day.

“Never,” Elias said, his voice low and his gaze far away. He still remembered her, the poisonous rose that seemed so beautiful but hid such deadly thorns. She had been a brief but cruel presence in his life that filled his head with false hope before she severed it from his shoulders on their wedding day. “Not that I would want such a thing. Just the thought disgusts me like little else.” He let out a huff without air as revulsion curled his lip. “I suppose that is the only thing that woman did that I will ever be grateful for.”

A warm touch to his cheek drew Elias out of his lonely, bitter memories and back to Coraline, who looked up at him, her eyes soft with sympathy. He couldn’t help but lean just a little into her warm hand and smiled at her in gratitude.

“But let us not focus on tragedies of the past, darling,” Elias said softly before he took the hand that held him so that he could kiss the back of it. “Instead, I wish to focus on how truly grateful I am to have found you after all this time, my love, my sweet Coraline. I can’t tell you how happy I am that you’re here, my darling… and that you’ve agreed to be mine forever.”

Coraline blushed at the kiss, which made her skin tingle pleasantly. It was hard to say if the touch of his lips affected more than his sweet words, which never failed to fill her chest with butterflies. “I’m glad…” She adjusted his hold he had on her so that they could lace their fingers together. “It means we’ll be each other’s firsts.”

If Elias’s heart was still working, it would’ve started beating out of control at that knowledge. He couldn’t help but smile widely, though it took on a slightly goofy tinge as he felt positively giddy. “I suppose it does. Oh goodness, Coraline… I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. I love you so much, truly, deeply, and forever, I do.”

Coraline felt her heart racing hard and fast as she looked up into the soft, loving eyes of her soon-to-be groom. He was so precious; she couldn’t help but be drawn to him despite how strange the situation was.

Despite what ‘common sense’ might say, being with Elias just felt right to Coraline. It felt more right than anything she had ever known. It reminded her of something her mother told her that she always took to heart.

Love makes people crazy. If it didn’t, then it wouldn’t be love.

“I love you too,” Coraline said softly, her voice just above a whisper.

Elias gasped, his eyes flying open wide. For a moment he could only stare at his bride, just as stunned as he had been when she accepted his proposal. “You… oh… oh my goodness. Coraline, my darling, my love, my dearest!”

Unable to contain his joy, Elias scooped Coraline up into his arms and held her tight. “Oh my beloved, my sweetest, my dear heart, my light, no one has ever said those words to me before! You can’t know how happy that makes me feel.”

Giddy, Elias floated upwards with his bride, his heart feeling lighter than air. He lifted Coraline up just as easily and spun around with her crushed gently to his chest. She couldn’t help but giggle at his enthusiasm and held onto him just as tight, imagining this must have been what being on a rollercoaster felt like.

Finally, Elias stopped spinning, though he held Coraline with him high in the air, the both of them floating as light as a feather due to his otherworldly powers. “Oh my darling Coraline, won’t you please say it again? I’ve longed to hear those words for so long… and hearing them from you has brought me joy like nothing else I’ve known before.”

Coraline giggled again and returned his beaming smile. Seeing his utter delight and the rush she felt as he shared it with her only made her feel more certain in her feelings and her decision to marry him. “I love you, Elias.”

Hearing those words a second time did nothing to diminish their power over Elias. Tears welled in his eyes, and he pulled Coraline close to him again. He babbled out a constant stream of praise and gratitude in her ear, his sweet words washing over her like a waterfall as his joy refused to be contained.

Coraline shivered at the way his voice caressed her ear, his praise making her feel molten inside even as he surrounded her in that supernatural contradicting combination of cold and warmth. It made her crave more, more of Elias and the endless love he gave to her without reservation.

“Elias,” she said, her breathy voice interrupting his flow of praise. “Can I kiss you?”

Elias jerked upright, his face darkening with a blush that spread so far that it reached past the divide in his neck. “K-kiss? You want to… b-before our wedding? O-oh my, I… oh Coraline.”

His fluster made Coraline feel a little shy as well. “Is that a no?”

“No!” Elias blurted out before shaking his head emphatically. “I mean yes! It’s a yes! Yes, I wish to kiss you, my beloved Coraline! A thousand times yes!”

Coraline giggled at such an enthusiastic response and reached up to gently cup his cheeks. Elias jolted at the touch, but recovered quickly, his grip tightening on her just a little bit more. He let her draw him in to her and closed his eyes just as their lips made contact.

It was a clumsy kiss, his lips a bit tight from nervousness and hers fumbling a bit with uncertainty, but it did nothing to diminish its power. The feeling that sparked between them was electric, coursing through their souls in a way that left them both dazed when the kiss finally ended.

“I… my word,” Elias muttered, feeling dazed as he slowly drifted them both back down to the floor. “That was… that… I…”

“Wow,” Coraline said breathlessly.

Elias nodded as his gaze focused on his blushing bride. “Yes, that was certainly… wow.”

A delighted giggle escaped Coraline. She felt bubbly, lighter than air even when her feet finally touched the ground again. She couldn’t stop smiling up at her fiancé as she stroked his flushed cheeks. “Can we do it again?” She pushed herself up on her toes to inch in a little closer to him. “Maybe practice for the wedding?”

“Y-yes of course,” Elias said a little too eagerly. “It’s ah… ahem, I think practicing for our wedding would be a wonderful idea, my dear.”

Another giggle escaped Coraline that soon melted into a sigh as their lips met again. Their second kiss was a little softer than the first, a little more sure, but it was no less blissful for them both.

It wouldn’t be long before their wedding was underway. Even though everything was rushing so fast and common sense would tell Coraline that marrying Elias was a foolish decision, when they kissed, all doubts disappeared. Nothing else in the world ever felt more right to her than accepting the proposal of the lonely ghost groom of the Gallagher mansion.

[cafeinthemoon]

More Myself Than I Am - Chapter VI

Chapter 6/?

Wordcount 2k

Title The Mafia's Offer

Fandom Bungo Stray Dogs

Pairing Akutagawa Ryuunosuke x reader

Previous chapters

1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5

Symbols ⭕ . ➕ . 💛

Warnings: a (well deserved) threat of bone crushing from reader to Mori-san

Tagging @lasidollily @samyayaya @anzanity (If you want to be tagged in any of my stories, just leave a comment on this chapter or send an ask or a message)

N. A.: So... I'm so sorry if this title is not as good as it sounded in my head, but I couldn't find a better one 😅 I've been wanting to post this part of the story for so long, because the main scene in it - the conversation between reader and the PM'S head - was basically the reason why I've started all of this in the first place. In this one, I tried to portrait reader in her purest version, something that she would only manage to be in a strange place, out of her family's sight: an unpolished, but powerful being, as fearless as a wild beast in a moment , but as sensitive and shy as she used to be in her regular days in the next. However, my fav part was to work on Elise's depiction, in which I've put some scifi vibes by describing her as having a deep, almost symbiotic connection with Mori, given the mimicked gestures between the two.

I've spent this whole day working on this chapter because I wanted to post it today, and I did it haha Hope you enjoy it :)

Also let's change the GIF for today 💜

Dr. Ougai – if that was his real name – didn’t show half of the surprise you did when he put his eyes on you. Instead, he exhibitted an undeniable contentment for finally meeting you in that place.

– Welcome, y/n-san – he greeted you, indicating the chair with a gesture of his hand while taking the seat behind the table – I understand that everything is happening too fast, and I apologize for this, but we have no choice. I hope Akutagawa-kun has treated you with courtesy.

You didn’t reply, neither you took a step toward the table. You glanced at Akutagawa, who was as silent as yourself, but somehow he convinced you to accept his boss’ invitation.

That didn’t go unnoticed by him.

– Well, since these are how things are going between you, it will make everything easier – he commented with a chuckle – Anyway, the pleasure for receiving you here is all mine.

As you took your place on the chair, you laid your hands on your lap in a frail attempt to hide the embarrassment that made them tremble.

For a moment, none of you talked, so that even your breaths were audible, echoing around that large room, increasing the tension. You felt your body getting colder with the growing sensation of danger, in a way that the sound of a needle falling on the carpet would make you stand up and run.

And that was how you almost screamed when a door was opened somewhere around you and hurried, childish steps approached your spot. When you looked at your right, you saw a blonde, little girl with a red dress and a doll in hands approaching the table and sitting upon it, dangling her legs while giving her undivided attention to the doll, which you noticed to be a miniature of herself.

The girl didn’t look or say anything to the presents, not even to Dr. Ougai, who just kept quiet, with his elbows on the table, observing her with a discreet smile. You didn’t know why, but something about that child created an uneasiness in your senses, the kind of thing which reason you’d only understand if you had the chance to activate your ability.

But I don’t think I’ll have an opportunity so soon.

Before you thought of anything in this sense, the head of the Mafia started the real conversation.

– As I believe Akutagawa-kun has explained to you, the situation is not favorable, being worse for you than for your sisters – he started – Because of this, I ask you to concentrate in what I have for yourself instead of them, at least for now.

You swallowed.

– What do you want from me?

His response to this was to open a grin.

– So practical... That’s better. As you can see, it is not without a reason that we took interest in you. As an esper, you need a place where you can find use for your talents. We from the Port Mafia can offer you that. So, this is my deal: work for us, and you will have the opportunity to solve your immediate problems.

You opened your mouth, then closed it again without a word. He was inviting you to become part of a criminal organization, having him as your superior?

As taking your silence for doubt, Dr. Ougai continued to talk, with a calmness that implied his hope that your answer would be positive, for you wouldn’t have reasons to refuse it.

– Of course, your reward will come accordingly, not only for you, but for the ones you are trying to protect.

– Are you talking about… – you whispered.

– Your elder sister, who I used to help – his reply was cold and direct – If you say yes my invitation, the Port Mafia will provide the protection you need right now regarding your condition as an esper with an unregistered ability. If you solve this matter, you can concentrate in the other ones.

Your hands held on to each other, squeezing themselves tight.

How much does he know about what happened in our apartment?

– The other ones?

– We have our ways to keep in touch with the events outside. I am aware that things are going to get difficult for you because of what happened to that young man, not only because of the facts themselves, but because of what might be said about your participation in them.

You frowned.

What are you talking about?

Instead of giving you a clear answer, he opted for a kind of advice.

– Believe me, the authorities in this country are not so willing to work in favor of peculiar people like you. If you want to be treated with any justice, you will need help.

Well, he was right in this. You had no experience in juridical matters, and no money to get a lawyer who would be willing to defend a murderer with stranger powers.

– We can also cover all the expenses of Viginia-san’s treatment – he continued – Which, as you already know, are not low.

You moved in your seat, uncomfortable.

– My sister…

The smile that Dr. Ougai has been maintaining for the entire conversation faded a bit, something that didn’t please you at all. Your eyes turned to the girl’s direction and saw no change in her attitude.

It’s like she’s in a stand by mode. How strange.

The voice of the Mafia’s head brought your attention back to him again. He wasn’t smile anymore.

– Let me give you some advice, girl. I can see how selfless you are, so if worrying about yourself is not enough to convince you, think about her. You already told me about the whole situation. After all she has done for her family, she deserves all their support – and lowering his tone a bit – And, speaking as a doctor, I have to tell you that her condition might reach a critical point if it doesn’t receive the attention it needs right now. I understand it’s unpleasing to hurry you up, but the truth is that you don’t have much time.

You remained in silence at all those words. Yes, given your circumstances, you could say that Dr. Ougai was right: if you didn’t do anything, it could be too late to save your sister; it could be too late for yourself. And no one in this world would help you. There was so much to consider yet so little time to decide… However, that wasn’t the reason for your quietness.

You had something different in mind.

Your fingers started tingling in nervousness.

– I suppose you’ve planned all of this… – you raised your eyes at him – Right?

His expression of triumph – the certainty that you were going to accept his deal – was shaken; at the same time, the little girl’s legs stopped dangling and she raised her head at you. The synchrony between their gestures wasn’t less than disturbing.

– What? – Dr. Ougai mumbled.

– Meeting us at the most convenient occasion, helping my sister, never accepting any payment… and now, this – you started, your fingers moving upon your lap – Everything comes with a price, and in this case the price is to work for you. You waited patiently, never worrying, because you knew that sooner or later, we would end up here, having this conversation.

He shrugged.

– More or less. But it is true that I’ve been observing you for a while. Still, I didn’t have half of the work I thought I’d have to bring you here, thanks to what happened in your house.

Now you were furious. If you were the only one who was involved, you could endure the manipulation and deceiving, but having your family’s circumstances used in a bargain like that was something you just couldn’t accept.

Your powers were awakened, and the entire place was taken over by your expanded consciousness, from the book on the shelves thrown on the ground to the glass of the windows exploding in thousands of shards, one by one, the deafening sounds of your unleashed wrath in each of them; the carpet was floating on the spots that haven’t objects upon them, and even the table was shaking; the familiar pressure appeared behind your eyes while you stared at the man in front of you, eager to drown him darkness in your eyes. The girl on the table looked around, nervous, but didn’t move from her place.

– And how can you be so sure that I’ll say yes to this deal – as you raised your hand in a threatening gesture, the papers upon the table started trembling – Instead of crushing each bone in your body for messing with my family?

Despite the strong feelings you’ve been experiencing, you couldn’t help complimenting Dr. Ougai’s self control before the sight of your technique, which you knew it was far from beautiful: not showing the slightest sign of disturb, he just leaned an elbow on the table, with his chin on his palm, and observed you with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, as if your powers, when activated by anger, were as inoffensive as when you showed them for the first time, just as an example. Thanks to them, you were also able to look in the depths of his energetic signature, confirming that his calmness wasn’t a mere act. The girl, less scared now, stared at you with a similar expression, and now that you were using your ability, you finally understood the connection between her and the mafia’s leader.

He’s an esper like me, and this girl is his ability.

Before anything else happened, you sensed something hot wrapping itself tight around your raised wrist, limiting your movements. You looked at it and found out it was one of the stripes of Akutagawa’s Rashomon. It didn’t hurt you, however: it was just as a silent way he found to tell you that you reached a line which you shouldn’t cross. You felt a slight unbalance in your emotions, and the stripe slowly loosened its grip as your ability was deactivated. You sighed, putting your hands on your lap again.

Ignoring everything that just happened, Dr. Ougai spoke, as calm and serious as before.

– The choice is yours, but I must warn you that you will upset some people with this, including your sister, who will not like to hear that you ended up involved in more troubles, my Elise-chan here – for the first time, he referred to the girl, who was dangling her legs and playing with the doll again – And, of course, the true mentor of this proposal. All of this if you don’t count on facing all the struggles we just discussed on your own by the way.

You frowned.

So, if he’s not the mind behind all of this... who is it?

– True mentor? What do you mean?

Instead of giving you a verbal response, his gaze turned from you to the young man by your side. You followed Dr. Ougai’s look and, once your eyes landed on Akutagawa, he turned away in an obvious attempt of hiding his embarrassment, the black stripe moving away from your wrist as to follow his gesture.

– Akutagawa-kun…? – you mumbled.

With your face burning, you turned back to the head of the Port Mafia; on his face you noticed a sort of satisfaction with what he was witnessing, but nothing was said about that.

– It’s true that I had an interest in bringing you to our side since the start, but most of our actions were his idea – he explained – I just gave him my permission. In addition, he asked me to take care of your sister, and I did, and the rest of the story is known by you.

You didn’t reply, and he just continued to talk, now observing his subordinate with a mixture of pride and comprehension.

– You know, he has a sister too, who has only him to count on for a long time. It’s not without reason that he took the lead in this particular case, for he understands your feelings better than anyone.