#It's quite interesting how there's no name given to that monster.

[aliciavance4228]

The fact that the Ismenian Dragon is referred to as Ares' son makes me genuinely wonder how he was conceived in the first place. Did Ares take the shape of a giant serpent in order to bang a mortal woman? Did he take a nap near the spring and he accidentally spilled his seed into the water which led to the birth of the dragon? We will never know...

[ozzgin]

Yandere! Werewolf Headcanons

I've been stalked by the guilty feeling that my Romanian Werewolf boy got a lot of backstory but not much romance or interaction. So there you have it: some headcanons featuring the ancient Beast, a post-kidnapping sequel.

Content: female reader, obsessive behavior, monster romance, mild NSFW at the end, ridiculously older yandere

You followed the gargantuan stranger back into the city, leaving the bloodbath behind as if it was just a distant dream. Admittedly, you’d expected to be dragged into some mountainous cave or an abandoned mansion, not the cozy - albeit a little dusty - apartment on a main, historical street. On second thought, he did function as a human outside of his monstrous escapades, so it made sense. “Is this your place?”, you sheepishly asked while he wiped the thick layers of blood off him. “One of them, yes”, he answered curtly. “It��s central”, you remarked, trying to make conversation. “Well, I didn’t know about it back then. It’s been a few decades.”

Your ears perked up at the words. Gazing at his features, he didn’t seem necessarily aged to you. The deep creases contouring his face felt more like a sign that he’s lived sorrows beyond most people’s comprehension. “How old are you?” You finally asked as curiosity replaced your initial fear. He abruptly stopped his movements and leaned back, brows furrowed in deep contemplation. “I’m not so sure anymore. I was born in the 80s”, he concluded. “That’s not too far back, is it?” You inquired, this time more relaxed. “80 BC, I meant. You do the math.”

He freshened himself up as you counted the millennia on your fingers, frowning in confusion. He chuckled at your intense focus, then quickly looked up into the mirror. When was the last time he smiled like this? The reflection was a foreign sight to him. “We’ll get you everything you need tomorrow”, he continued, still in a daze. What a strange idea, having someone to speak to after an eternity. And suddenly, it occurred to him just how rusted his communication had gotten: “I’m so sorry, I haven’t asked for your name once”, he said, embarrassed. “It’s (Y/N). And you are...?" Might as well introduce yourself to your benevolent captor.

The dreaded question. How did they call him back in the day? He hasn't had anyone spell it out for him, nor did he feel the need at any point to say it himself. Why would he? He hadn't anticipated meeting you. With pursed lips, he searched his mind. Eventually, from the depths or memories, from days of yore, it made its way back: "Daos."

Given your first gory encounter (where he quite literally murdered everyone else), you were surprised to find out he's otherwise a calm and polite individual. Well, he's had centuries to mature, you suppose. You've also noticed he has that rather old-fashioned chivalry to him. He's very attentive despite his stoic demeanor, and often follows with acts of service.

"You're insulting me. I can carry this myself with ease", you'll argue. "I never doubted you can. Nonetheless, it is my wish to do it for you."

As the days pass, your reluctance seems to vanish as well. In fact, you've become particularly cheeky, encouraged by his warm, unperturbed behavior. Maybe you haven't gotten the worst deal out there, after all.

"You know, you talk like an old man", you've teased him once. He was visibly taken aback by your statement, and you could discern a faint blush on his face. "Do I? My apologies, I haven't spoken to anyone in a long time. I'm not familiar with modern speech. Have I embarrassed you somehow?"

He spends his free time reading, though he will frequently take you on walks. It's an interesting affair to say the least. You can feel the curious eyes of the passersby and hear their not-so-discreet whispered gossip. You can't truly blame them: Daos is enormous even as a human. He towers above everyone else with his imposing appearance. To match, his voice is deep and coarse as a result of not using it much until recently.

The ancient werewolf is a living history book. If asked, he will narrate to you important events or details you might be curious about regarding his culture. Once, when he'd been in a good mood, he even shared fragments of his life before turning into a creature. He'd been a high-ranked Dacian warrior, spending his days training or fighting. He still remembers the flag he carried with bitter fondness, yet another irony to his fate: a wolf-headed serpent. It was meant to showcase their way of life; barbarians with no fear of death. They'd greeted the Roman Empire with nothing but a sword and a shield, no shred of doubt.

He might've been betrayed by his people, but the pride remains. The pride of a soldier who's never known defeat. You learned quickly that his beastly form doesn't count as a significant change by any means, save for appearances. The man has brute strength even as a human. You'd once strayed from his view, and a stranger approached with a daring whistle, gawking you up and down. Before you could react, Daos clawed him by the throat. You heard the twist of the skin and the creak of the bones giving in to the immense pressure of his large hand.

"It's the second time I have exposed you to such unpleasant sights", he said, discarding the body as if it was any other garbage. "Forgive me, but I will not have you disrespected like this."

He is very much aware he's taken you away from the world out of his own selfish desire. The fact that you accepted it is more than he could ever ask for. That's what he keeps telling himself, even as his eyes wander to your lips whenever you speak. Or as his hand lingers a moment too long against the curve of your back. Or as he hungrily takes in your scent whenever you're nearby.

He might be unhealthily possessive of you, but Daos will never do anything against your will. No matter how obvious his urges are. In fact, no amount of flirting or teasing will shake his resolve. You will have to be very direct with your approval.

Once the reality settles in, he'll become extremely affectionate, bordering on obsessive. To think he could have you in every way possible. Oh, he's waited thousands of years for you. All the suffering, the loneliness, the anger, they're stripped of any meaning now that he has you.

The city strolls at an awkward distance have since become a habitual excuse to hold your hand and show you off to the mortals. The quiet evenings of passing time with a book now include your merely noticeable weight cuddled into his lap. You didn't expect him to be this adoring. Being touch-starved for millennia counts as one reason, naturally, but there's more to it, so much more. And it all leads back to you.

He is a little taken aback when you ask him to do the deed in his werewolf form. "Don't be foolish. I can't overcome my instincts as well when I'm a creature. I could harm you", he'll lecture you. "Besides, you can barely take it as it currently is", he'll add, smirking at your baffled expression. It seems he's picked up on your cheekiness.

After a lot of pleading and waiting for the right moment - when he's ravaging you in a daze - he finally agrees. True to his word, his tune instantly changes. The tender hold turns into a desperate grasp sinking into your skin, and the thrusts become irregular, almost frantic. His drool cools your burning cheeks as you hold onto the coarse fur, feverish and overwhelmed.

His golden eyes rest on the small human squirming underneath him, and suddenly, he can't help but notice: you have the perfect birthing hips.

[witchywithwhiskey]

🍬💖 Sweetheats Game 💖🍬

Ari Levinson

You Wish

I like how that could be sweet... or bitter.

better than the book

pairing: best friend's brother!ari levinson x female reader

summary: your best friend can't go with you to the romance bookstore having a post-Valentine's Day sale, so you end up on a day trip with her brother, who has plans to visit the hardware store in the same town. but when he crashes your book browsing and sees what you're interested in, he decides he needs to show you he's better than the book.

warnings: 18+ content (minors dni!!!), smut, piv sex, protected sex, vaginal fingering, brief masturbation (m and f), nipple sucking, cock warming, dirty talk, praise kink, brief light degradation kink, aftercare, begging, teasing/banter, pet names (sunshine, gorgeous, baby), possessive behavior, feelings confessions, happy ending, referenced monsterfucking (it's in a book reader picks up/Ari buys for her)

word count: 9.0k

a/n: ahh Eralen, this was such a fun character and prompt combination, i hope it's ok the fic ended up being on the longer side 🫣 this was also partially inspired by a conversation i had with one of my coworkers (who i've known for 10 years and am friends with outside of work!) about the book Morning Glory Milking Farm by C.M. Nascosta, which makes a little guest appearance in this fic 🤭 anyway thank you for playing my sweethearts game, i hope you enjoy ♡♡

sweethearts game masterlist

“What’re ya reading, sunshine?”

The deep, delicious voice was familiar enough that you didn’t startle (much), but the honeyed tone of Ari Levinson definitely did distract you from the back of the book you’d been reading.

Glancing up at your best friend’s older brother, you found him wearing an easy grin. He was seemingly entirely at ease in the monster erotica section of the romance bookstore. 

For a moment, you could only look at Ari. 

His brown hair was swept back from his face, like he’d run his hands through it dozens of times already that day—which, you knew for a fact, he had. It was one of his habits, and you couldn’t say you minded, since it only served to highlight his handsomeness. 

Ari’s blue eyes were sparkling like the sun glinting off the sea, even in the unflattering fluorescents of the store, and his smile was as warm as a summer breeze. His beard was long and scruffy, like it had been for years, despite his mom and your best friend begging him to shave it. 

Secretly, you were glad he’d kept the beard. You liked it. It suited him somehow, and added to his already excessive amount of handsomeness and affable charm. 

Still, though Ari always seemed to be at ease no matter where he was, it was a bit surreal to see him in a romance bookstore, surrounded by everything from bodice rippers and dark mafia books to modern-set rom-coms and romantasy epics. Your brain couldn’t quite make sense of it.

But then, your brain couldn’t quite make sense of any of the events that had led to this moment. 

It had all started with a glass of wine at your best friend’s house (as most of the stories in you life did)…

Ari had been over at her house, fixing the sink, while you’d been catching up with your best friend over some wine and charcuterie. You’d already had a glass, so you might’ve been a little overexcited as you made a case for why she should join you on a day trip up the coast to the romance bookstore that was having a big post-Valentine’s Day sale.

Your friend had given you a sympathetic frown and told you she had plans. And then she’d turned to Ari and asked him if that was the same town that had a specialty hardware store he’d been wanting to go to. Ari had given his sister a strange look, but confirmed it was the same town.

Before you’d quite known what was happening, your best friend was finalizing the details for the day trip you were going to take with Ari, to the town with the romance bookstore and hardware store. 

You’d tried to stop her, you really had. You even tried appealing to Ari, telling him you were certain you could look at books much longer than he could look at hammers and screws and whatever else they had in a hardware store. 

You didn’t want him to get stuck waiting around for you.

“I’ll wait for you all day, sunshine,” Ari had said in his low, deep voice, that easy grin on his face.

Despite the fact that you were sitting in your best friend’s kitchen, hearing Ari say those words, in that voice, had butterflies fluttering in your belly, and you couldn’t help but squirm a little in your seat. It wasn’t until you’d looked away from Ari’s gorgeous blue eyes and taken a sip of wine that you’d been able to get yourself under control. 

But then your best friend had caught your eye, an ecstatic and triumphant look on her face, and you’d had to roll your eyes.

For years, your best friend had not-so-secretly been convinced that Ari was in love with you, and she’d spent half that time trying to convince you to marry him so that you could be sisters. But you just couldn’t see it. 

Sure, in your heart of hearts, you harbored feelings for your best friend’s older brother. He was charming and friendly and thoughtful and kind—and he was hotter than any other man you’d ever seen in real life. But you’d never gotten the impression he felt anything aside from platonic fondness for you. 

Even when he called you ‘sunshine’ and made comments about being willing to wait around for you all day, you didn’t put much stock in it. Ari was known for being a flirt, and you’d seen him make plenty of women swoon, only to go about his day as if he had no idea of the effect he had. 

Unfortunately for you, on that evening in your best friend’s kitchen, Ari had taken his sister’s side, and faced with the stubborn determination of both Levinson siblings, there was nothing you could do. 

So you’d woken up early that Saturday morning, donned a dress and a jacket to match the unseasonably warm February weather, and taken care to do your makeup and hair just the way you liked. Nerves jittered anxiously in your belly, and you’d had to keep reminding yourself that your day trip with Ari was not a date. 

But when he’d pulled up in front of your house in his old truck, he’d hopped out and rounded the front, helping you into the passenger seat. That had made your heart race enough, but then Ari had gotten back into the driver’s seat and handed you a to-go cup of coffee and a plain, white paper bag with breakfast inside.

Of course Ari Levinson had gotten your coffee and breakfast order exactly right. And all you could do was murmur a quick, “Thank you.”

For the rest of the drive north up the coast, Ari had remained pretty quiet, leaving you to your thoughts while soft rock played on the radio. 

You were grateful for the peace. You weren’t exactly the most talkative person, especially in the morning, and it was nice to enjoy the scenery and your coffee without any awkward conversation.

Somehow, you knew Ari had also known this about you, which had made your already tangled thoughts get even more snarled. 

Ari was going so far out of his way to be attentive and considerate, and though you’d never spent much time alone with him, it was getting harder and harder to think your best friend was totally delusional about him having feelings for you.

Once you’d reached your destination, Ari had parked along the main street and walked you to the bookstore. Before parting ways, he’d pointed out the hardware store where he’d be in case you needed him. Then you’d gone inside the bookstore and let yourself get lost in the shelves. 

At least, until Ari had snuck up on you in the moster erotica section.

You already had a sizable pile of books in one arm, and even you were hitting your limit of browsing, but you’d been considering adding another to the pile. One that had quite a tantalizing title and a provocative cover. 

Biting back a smirk, you responded to Ari’s question by lifting the book in your hand so he could see the front. 

Although you tried to act cool and collected, heat blazed in your cheeks as you thought about what he was seeing—a classic-style romance cover, but with one major difference to old-school bodice rippers. 

There was, of course, a woman wearing a dress, the neckline slipping low on her breasts. But instead of being joined on the cover by a man, she was clutched against the big, hulking chest of a minotaur.

“Morning Glory Milking—jesus christ, sunshine, what kinda shit are you reading?” Ari scoffed, but he snagged the book out of your hand, flipping it over so he could skim the summary on the back. 

When his eyes flicked up, catching yours in a way that you knew meant he expected an answer, you had a harder time holding in your smirk, but you managed to shrug carelessly.

“Minotaur porn, obviously,” you answered, deadpan. 

Shock flitted across Ari’s face, and you couldn’t help but toss your head back with a laugh. 

Your humor only served to make Ari mutter unhappily about the impossible mechanics of a woman fucking a minotaur. A dark look settled across his expression, like a cloud blotting out the sun. 

“I bet I could get you off better than this bullshit,” Ari grumbled a little louder as he finished reading the summary and handed the book back to you.

When his words registered, you froze. Your fingers, which had been curling around the edge of the book, stilled, and a gasp tumbled freely from your lips. 

For a brief, awful moment, you thought you might’ve misheard him. But then you forced your gaze up, meeting his eye.

Deep in the bright blue of Ari’s gaze, there was something you’d never seen before—something that caught your eye like the sun glinting off treasure beneath the sea. 

Your heart stuttered in your chest as you looked closer. The emotion swirling in Ari’s eyes was as dangerous as a rip tide, threatening to pull you under, but you found, for once, that you didn’t want to pull away and save yourself. You wanted to dive into whatever you were seeing in Ari’s gaze.

Laughter sounded closeby and the spell of the moment was broken. You took the book from Ari and added it to your pile, shaking out your shoulders and trying to brush off the intensity of the look the two of you had shared. 

If that look, that emotion, in Ari’s gaze had been a rip tide, you were running from it now. Cocking a hip, you settled your pile of books on top of it, giving Ari a doubtful look as you scoffed. 

“You wish.”

An almost predatory smirk curved Ari’s mouth and he took a step closer, then another. 

He moved slowly, and yet, before you knew what was happening, his big body was looming over yours, caging you in between his broad chest and the hard bookshelves at your back.

Lifting one hand, Ari settled it on a shelf above your head, ducking down so his eyes were level with yours. 

“Would you like me to prove it to you, sunshine?” His voice was a low, delicious rumble that trickled down your spine and settled heavily between your thighs. “Would you like me to show you just how good I can get you off?”

Your thoughts were nothing more than cotton candy clouds floating aimlessly across your mind, so all you could do was let your instincts take over and respond honestly. You nodded your head dazedly, blinking up at Ari like he was the sun and you were desperate to bask in his warmth.

That smirk on Ari’s face deepened, softening a little with an affection so tender, it felt like it could cut straight through all the walls around your heart if you let it. In that moment, you were eager to let it. 

“I’m gonna need words, sunshine, tell me what you want,” Ari murmured in his deep voice, his words encouraging. At some point, his other hand had slipped onto your hip, and he squeezed you gently, urging you to do as he said.

Although a part of you knew you were still in a decently crowded bookstore, surrounded by shoppers all looking to take advantage of the shop’s post-Valentine’s Day sale, a larger part felt like you and Ari were the only two people in the world. 

All you could focus on was him, his warmth and his closeness, the scent of him—salt and sunshine—surrounding you like the most perfect cozy blanket. 

Your heart yearned with the desire to lean into him, to revel in the comfort he offered, while another part of you ached with the hunger to take him up on his offer, to see just how good he could get you off.

One of those needs seemed easier to satisfy than the other, so you tipped your head back and let your hand rest on his chest. Curling your fingers in the soft fabric of Ari’s worn flannel shirt, you held his gaze as you spoke.

“I want you to show me, Ari, now—please,” you whispered, tacking on the last word desperately, as if you thought good manners would get you what you wanted. Thankfully, it seemed to do the trick. 

Ari’s eyes darkened, churning like the sea during a storm as they raked over your face. It was like he was searching for something, but whether it was doubt or hesitance or something else entirely, you didn’t know. 

After a moment, he nodded as if to himself, seeming satisfied by whatever he saw in your expression.

“You got it, sunshine.”

Then Ari was pulling away, taking the scent of salt and sun with him. You might’ve let out a little protesting whine if his big, calloused palm hadn’t skimmed down your arm and taken your hand in his, fingers tangling with yours as he began leading you toward the front of the store.

Your feet tripped happily after Ari, your mind wandering a couple dozen steps ahead and wondering what exactly you’d gotten yourself into with your best friend’s brother. Was he really going to prove he could get you off better than some fictional guy in a book? Why did he even care? 

Since you were in a daze of lust and questions, you didn’t notice Ari coming to an abrupt stop, and you crashed lightly into him. He chuckled softly and eased the stack of books from your arm. 

Before you could process what he was doing and protest, he’d pulled out his wallet and paid for all the books—even the minotaur one—then scooped them off the counter to skip the step of having the cashier bag them. 

Ari bid the bookseller a brisk, “Have a good day,” as his fingers tangled in yours once again and he tugged you toward the door. Your mouth opened and closed as you trailed along with him, trying to find the words for what you wanted to say.

It wasn’t until the crisp February air hit your cheeks—still unseasonably warm for the winter month, but chilly compared to the warmth of the store—that your mind cleared a little. 

Ari was already striding down the street toward his truck, your books tucked under one of his thick arms while his fingers kept you tethered together. You took a few quick steps, catching up to Ari’s long gait, and curled your body around his arm, trying not to get distracted by the way his hard biceps flexed against your soft breasts. 

“You didn’t have to do that, Ari, I can pay for my own books,” you said, a little breathless as you fought to keep up with Ari’s long stride and quick pace. 

He tried to slow, glancing down at you with a little crease of worry between his dark brows, but you only pushed him on. You were just as eager to get back to his truck as he was, and it was only a little bit further down the block so you could keep up the fast pace.

Ari was silent, a serious look on his face, until the two of you got to his truck. There, he opened the passenger door, stowed your pile of books in the small backseat, and helped you up into the cab. Methodically, he secured your seatbelt across your lap. 

You were beginning to think he wouldn’t respond to your comment about buying your own books, but once you were settled in the passenger seat of his truck, Ari fixed you with a stubborn look you’d seen only a handful of times before—including when he’d decided he was taking you on this day trip.

Ari’s hands were braced on either side of you, one on the back of the seat and the other beside your hip, his body effectively caging you in against the leather seat. But just like in the bookstore, it only made you feel as if you were the only two people in the world, as if something might blossom between the two of you that became something real.

“When you’re my girl, you’re gonna have to get used to me buying you things,” Ari said, pausing to let his words sink in.

The breath in your lungs froze and your heart stuttered in your chest, unsure if you’d heard him correctly. 

But when he simply stared at you, that obstinate look in his eye, you knew he meant what he’d said. You knew he had every intention of asking you to be his girl. And the fact that he was so sure you’d say yes was intoxicatingly hot. 

It took you a long moment to realize Ari was waiting for you to respond, so you nodded mutely, showing your understanding. His eyes watched your face closely, taking your shock in stride, before leaning in so his breath brushed against your cheek. 

“Especially your filthy, smutty books,” Ari rumbled. The warmth of his beard was so close to your face, you wanted to close the distance and nuzzle into it even as your body burned from his dirty words. “Someone’s gonna have to take care’a ya when they get you all hot and bothered—and it’s going to be me.”

A soft, wanton moan slipped from your lips before you could bite it back, and Ari chuckled, the sound going straight between your thighs and making you squirm. You were seconds away from curling your fingers in his warm flannel shirt and pulling him into the truck on top of you, but before you could, he pulled away.

Ari’s beard rasped against your cheek as he moved back, and you knew he’d done it on purpose to tease you because of the entirely too self-satisfied smirk on his face as he straightened. You pouted up at him, but he only continued chuckling, closing the door of his truck with a firm snap. 

He left you squirming and practically panting in the passenger seat while he rounded the front of his truck and hopped in. The grin on his face was easy, and his movements were loose and relaxed, but there was a bulge in his jeans he couldn’t hide and you knew he was just as affected as you, which made him even more inexplicably hotter.

If it wasn’t for the seatbelt Ari had secured across your front, you would’ve slid across the leather bench seat of his truck and curled into his side. You wouldn’t be able to control yourself for long, your fingers pawing at the sizable bulge pressing against his zipper, teasing him while he drove…

In the long moments it took you to drag yourself from your lustful thoughts and find your tongue again, Ari maneuvered out of the parking spot along main street and merged into the light traffic of the quaint seaside town. 

He was driving north again, you noticed, not toward the town where you both lived, which was south along the coast. 

But you hardly had the capacity to wonder over where exactly he was taking you—you only hoped it was private enough for him to show you how much better than your book he could get you off—when you were still so stuck on the words he’d said and the surety in his voice when he’d said them.

“When I’m your girl?” you asked, your voice coming out small and hesitant in the quiet of the truck cab. You’d meant to sound accusatory, but it seemed your yearning heart was in control of your tongue, and she needed to know what exactly he wanted. “You want me to be your girl, Ari?” 

The truck came to a stop at one of the few stoplights in town, and Ari looked over at you, a series of emotions flitting across his face so fast, you could hardly recognize them all. There was surprise and skepticism, followed quickly by exasperation and warm affection.

“Yes, sunshine, I want you to be my girl,” Ari said plainly, his eyes holding yours so you could see the genuine honesty in his gaze. “I’ve wanted you for a long time.”

The light changed, but Ari didn’t look away from you. He held your gaze as you processed his words, your mouth opening and closing, but no words coming out. 

What could you say? You’d assumed for years that Ari was just being nice to you, that he flirted with everyone, that he didn’t have any real feelings for you. But you’d been wrong, so very wrong. 

“I didn’t want to pressure you, or come between you and my sister,” Ari went on, a slight panicked look creeping into his eyes the longer you stayed quiet. “But I thought you knew—my sister has been anything but subtle about trying to set us up.” 

He gestured vaguely around the cab of the truck, and a sudden understanding crashed over you like a tidal wave. 

“Oh.” It was all you could manage. “Oh.”

Memories crashed through your mind like one wave breaking right after the other, and you were reminded of all the times your best friend had finagled you and Ari into the same setting. 

There was that birthday dinner she’d hosted for him, where you somehow ended up sitting next to him, despite the table being filled with his friends and family. And the summer barbecue when you and Ari had been assigned tasks that kept you in the kitchen away from the rest of the party.

Even the evening you’d spent with her when you’d mentioned the bookstore sale, she could’ve rescheduled to a night when Ari wasn’t fixing her sink. Or she could’ve changed the plans so you were hosting that night. 

There were dozens of other instances you could think of, all of which you’d thought nothing of at the time. But it was so obvious when you looked at it all together. You felt a little ashamed that you hadn’t noticed the extent of your best friend’s matchmaking. But Ari clearly had.

“She always insisted you felt the same,” Ari admitted, his body still turned toward you in the driver’s seat, the truck still stopped at the light, which had cycled back to red. “She told me I just needed to be patient, but I thought she was overestimating how you felt about me.”

“She wasn’t,” you said, the words falling from your lips before you could stop them. But you didn’t have a chance to feel embarrassed, because a wide, pleased grin spread across Ari’s face, brightening the small cab of his truck. 

“Well, at least we don’t have to worry about her being unhappy that her brother’s dating her best friend,” Ari joked, shooting you a wink before turning back to the wheel. 

The light switched over to green and he turned at the intersection, using one hand on the wheel. Ari lay his other hand on the middle of the bench seat, palm up. 

It was a clear invitation, and, with a sense of near-breathless freedom, you realized you didn’t have to feign disinterest in him anymore. You could take his hand because he liked you. He wanted you to be his girl. And you wanted him to be your guy.

The callouses on Ari’s hand were rough against the softness of your skin. He was a contractor, someone who worked with his hands, and you enjoyed the evidence of it. You liked how steady and strong his hand felt as your fingers twined with his, and how warm his palm was against yours.

For a long moment, you and Ari sat in silence, his truck cruising along a road that ran beside the rocky coast. With the ocean on one side, and Ari on the other, you felt a happy smile pull at your lips. 

You tugged Ari’s hand a little closer and sighed, wishing you could curl up against his side and watch the ocean. The only thing that could make the moment better was if you were surrounded by Ari’s warmth, instead of only feeling it through your joined hands.

Ari heard your sigh and squeezed your hand.

“You still up for this, sunshine?” he asked, drawing your attention away from the ocean and back to his handsome face. 

His hand was resting easily on the steering wheel, but his brows were pulled low over his eyes, a crease of concern between them. His gaze kept darting toward you, and you realized he must not’ve seen your smile with your head turned away, and he’d misread your sigh.

“We don’t have to do anything you don’t want,” he said quickly. “I could take you home, take you out properly, then see where the night leads us…” Ari’s voice trailed off suggestively, though there was still an undercurrent of worry in his tone. 

You let a laugh fall from your lips, already shaking your head vehemently. “No, no, I want this now, please,” you said firmly, tugging Ari’s hand closer like you were worried he was going to pull away. Staring down at your joined hands on your thigh, you went on, your voice quieter, “I’ve wanted you for a long time, too, Ari.”

Ari squeezed your fingers in his, the gesture comforting and grateful all at once, as his shoulders relaxed and he drove on. The road began to curve away from the ocean, so you found yourself watching him, memorizing the profile of his face.  

A few minutes later, he pulled onto a street lined with beachside cottages and tall trees that would be lush with greenery in the summer, shading the sidewalks that led toward the ocean. At the end of the street, there was a narrow road that led between two large sand dunes cresting higher than the truck.

On the other side, there was a small, deserted parking lot overlooking the beach and the ocean. Faintly, you could hear the waves crashing on the near-distant shore, and their comforting rumble grew louder when Ari pulled the truck into a spot at the very edge of the lot and turned off the engine. 

For a moment, you got lost in staring out at the water, the golden afternoon sunlight sparkling off the whitewater of the crashing waves. You’d lived your whole life by the ocean, but its beauty never failed to enchant you. 

In fact, you were so transfixed by the view, you hardly noticed when Ari reached over and unbuckled your seatbelt. 

Your gaze was only pulled from the sight of the sea when Ari’s big hands grabbed your hips and he hauled you across the worn leather seat to press into his side. 

Instantly, you leaned into him, breathing in the scent of salt and sunshine that always clung to him.

Blinking slowly up at Ari from under your lashes, you took a moment to appreciate the handsomeness of his face up close. You could see the creases in his tanned skin, the evidence of aging that made him so much hotter, and the light dusting of freckles across his nose. 

His bright blue sparkling eyes were like tiny oceans, churning with lust and desire and affection—all for you—while his mouth was curved into a slight smile, nestled into his invitingly soft brown beard. Even his hair, streaked with golden blond, looked perfect in that moment. 

As you looked at him, Ari’s expression softened, his smile deepening and his blue eyes darkening. 

“Keep looking at me like that, sunshine,” Ari rumbled, his voice dipping low in a way that had your belly swooping and your core heating. His calloused palm smoothed over your cheek and you couldn’t help but lean into his touch. “And I’m liable to give you more than a few books and a couple orgasms—I’ll give you the whole sea.”

A soft laugh bubbled up your throat and spilled from your lips. You turned your head and pressed a kiss into Ari’s palm before looking back at him. Your hands reached for him, fingers sinking deep into his beard as you cupped his face.

“I don’t think that’s possible,” you said somberly, feeling the corner of your mouth flutter as you tried to hold back a smile. “But it’s a sweet thought, Ari.”

“I’ll show you just how sweet I can be,” Ari grumbled a second before he ducked down, capturing your lips in a kiss that was anything but sweet. 

The months and years Ari had been holding back, restraining himself from touching you, from kissing you, were unleashed all at once the moment his lips brushed against yours. His deep, guttural groan rumbled in his throat, sending sparks of pleasure cascading through your body as you opened for him, welcoming him in with just as much fervor.

Ari’s tongue plunged into your mouth as soon as your lips parted, scattering your thoughts on the ocean breeze, leaving you to revel in the pure, feral feeling of him. You were nothing but blazing desire, and a deep, throbbing ache needing to be filled—to be filled by Ari and only Ari.

Your hands couldn’t stay still, moving between carding through Ari’s hair, twisting your fingers in his beard and curling around the collar of his thick flannel shirt. You kissed him harder, just as greedy for him as he was for you, and pulled him closer, until you were bent so far backward, you were nearly laying down on the bench seat.

“Fuck, sunshine,” Ari cursed when he wrenched his mouth away from yours, nipping and kissing and sucking his way down your neck. His strong arms were wrapped around your back, holding you tight to his chest while you panted and squirmed. “I’ve wanted you for so long, I’m not gonna last, but I promise I’ll make it up to you—I’ll fuck you better than that fictional minotaur, I swear.”

An incredulous laugh burst from your lips before you could hold it back and you tugged on Ari’s hair until he lifted up enough that you could meet his eye and he could see the truth in yours when you said, “It’s already so much better, Ari, because it’s real and it’s you.”

Surprise and something tender flickered across Ari’s face a second before he closed the distance between you, slanting his mouth to yours for another breathtaking kiss, his lips working against yours so covetously, it stole the air from your lungs. 

When he pulled away, you were panting for breath, his chest heaving with his own need for air, and when you locked eyes, a frisson of lust passed between you. Your hands reached for one another, your fingers equally greedy as they tugged at the clothes that were suddenly grievously in the way of what you both wanted. 

“Need this off now, sunshine,” Ari rumbled as he pawed at your dress, his voice so deep and rough, it was nearly a growl. “Need to be inside you—fuck, c’mon gorgeous, help me out here.” His fingers were fumbling around the bodice, looking for a zipper and not realizing there wasn’t one.

Huffing a laugh, you shrugged out of your jacket, then grabbed the skirt of your dress and tugged it off over your head, Ari’s hands skimming up your sides, then your arms, and he helped you. You tossed the garment into the backseat and turned back to Ari, who was sitting there stunned by the sight of your bare body.

You felt his hungry gaze like a hot caress as it swept down your form, lingering on the way your tits bounced slightly in your bra from your heavy breathing, before continuing down over your soft tummy and settled on the spot where your thighs were pressed together.

Ari’s gaze lingered for a long, hot moment, the expression on his face contorting into something feral, the twisting of his mouth telling you he was seriously considering burying his face between your thighs and not coming up for air for a long, long time. 

But then you whined and reached for him, your fingers twisting in the front of his flannel shirt, and that seemed to snap him from whatever spell your body had put him under. His big hands skimmed up your thighs, groping your soft flesh with greedy fingers while he leaned in for another kiss.

It took some maneuvering in the tight quarters of his truck, but Ari helped you rearrange yourself on the bench seat so you could spread your thighs around his thick waist. As if he couldn’t control himself, his eyes dropped hungrily to the thin cotton panties covering your pussy, and he groaned loudly when he saw the wet spot you’d already left.

“Sunshine,” he rumbled, desire thick in his tone as he dragged his darkened blue eyes up to yours. “When I get ya in my bed, I’m going to feast on this pussy until you’re screaming my name so loud no one will ever question if you’re my girl again—least of all you.”

Ari’s eyes were dark pools of lust, his words so honest and filthy, you felt your breath catch in your throat, desperate arousal heating your blood. You were nodding your head before you even noticed yourself moving, your lips forming the words, “Yes, please,” and saying it in such a sweet tone that Ari chuckled in amusement.

“Always so polite, sunshine,” Ari teased lightly, ducking forward and sinking his teeth into your lip, biting down until you moaned loudly into his mouth. “Let’s see if you’re still so polite when your cunt is filled with my cock, huh?”

“Please, Ari, please,” you begged, his words driving your need impossibly higher, until you were clawing at the buttons of his flannel, half ripping them through the holes in your impatience to get the shirt off him. 

As soon as enough buttons were undone for his head to fit through, Ari grabbed the back of his collar and pulled his shirt off over his head, tossing it into the backseat. You had only a moment to admire Ari, thick and barrel-chested, filling out his white t-shirt, before he tugged that off too. 

Then his chest was bare in all its glory.

A soft sound of awe slipped from your lips, and your fingers pressed to his heated skin, tracing the ridges of his muscles and threading through the thick, dark hair dusted across his pecs. He had a thin layer of softness padding his muscles, and your fingertips sank into it greedily. 

A smile curved your lips when your nails raked over his golden skin, delighting in his tortured groan.

“Panties off now, sunshine, or ‘m gonna blow in my briefs like a fucking teenager,” Ari growled, gently batting your hands away so he could work open the button of his jeans. There was a thick, hard bulge pushing against his zipper, and your body warmed as you watched him breathlessly.

With your gaze fixed on Ari’s nimble fingers, you quickly undid your bra and tugged it off, tossing it in the backseat. Then you gathered your knees to your chest and pulled your panties down and off your legs. Those, too, joined the pile of clothing in the backseat of Ari’s truck.

At the same time, Ari shoved his jeans and navy blue boxer briefs as far down his thick, hairy thighs as they could go. But you weren’t looking at his hands anymore. Not when his hard, heavy cock bounced free, stealing the breath from your lungs when you saw how big and thick he was.

Ari gripped his stiff length in his hand and pumped it slowly, his thumb brushing over the tip and gathering the precum there, smoothing it down his shaft in a practiced motion. 

It was mesmerizing, watching Ari jerk himself off slowly, making your slit grow even wetter. Unable to sit still, one of your hands trailed down your body, your fingers sliding between your drenched folds and finding the aching button of your clit.

A rough, rumbling sound came from Ari’s chest when you moaned at the brush of your finger against yoru clit, and you finally tore your eyes away from his cock. Glancing up at his face, your sucked in a gasp at the sheer, naked hunger in Ari’s expression. 

His blue eyes were as dark as the depths of the ocean, and he was looking at you so gluttonously, like he craved you from the bottom of his soul, that your heart thudded in your chest. You felt your own desire reflected in his expression, and it suddenly wasn’t good enough to simply look at him, you needed to feel him.

The fingers of your other hand reached for Ari, and that broke him from the enchantment your naked body had put on him. His fist squeezed around the base of his cock and he shook his head, his free hand pushing his hair back as it flew in his face. 

Ari snatched your hand from between your thighs, licking the taste of you from your skin, his eyes sliding closed briefly. Then he pressed soft kisses to your knuckles and fingertips, his heated eyes finding yours. 

“Just gimme a sec to find a condom,” he said in a husky voice, dropping your hand on your belly as he reached for the glove compartment of his truck. 

Instead of watching him fumble through the junk in there, your hands played idly with your tits, groping your soft flesh and teasing your nipples with flicks of your fingers. All the while, you watched Ari’s face, a smirk tugging at the corners of your mouth when his eyes kept drifting to your chest, the hand around his cock stroking himself again.

Ari cursed at himself and dragged his eyes away from your tits, rededicating himself to his task. After another brief moment of searching, he found an unopened box of condoms, tore it open and made quick work of the foil package before rolling the rubber down his hard length.

While he fisted the base of his cock, Ari slipped two fingers into your tight heat, your pussy so wet you took him easily. A moan tumbled from your lips and your spine arched up off the leather seat, your hips bearing down on his fingers as he pumped them in and out of you. 

“Ready for me, sunshine?” Ari asked in a deep, rumbling voice that was thick with his own desire. He added a third finger to your dripping hole, stretching you enough to take his thick girth. “Ready for the cock that’ll ruin you for your fictional minotaur?”

At his words, you let out a decidedly impolite snort, the sound devolving into helpless giggles at both Ari’s ridiculous question and your indelicate response. 

In retaliation, Ari thrust his fingers deeper inside you, stroking against a spot that had you moaning helplessly, squirming and writhing beneath him. Your thighs spread as wide was they could in his truck, while your hips wriggled greedily for more.

“Ari, please, I’m ready—I need you,” you cried, reaching for him and curling your fingers in his beard, pulling him down on top of you. Your mouth brushed against his in a teasing, breathless kiss, and then you were moaning and arching into him. “Please, ruin me with your big, fat cock, Ari—make forget all about that fictional minotaur.”

Before you could stop yourself, you let out a snicker, and Ari’s chest heaved with an answering chuckle. Laughter spilled from both of you, tumbling past each other’s lips and filling the truck with the sounds your amusement. 

When his laugh finally died out, Ari’s mouth captured yours in a searing kiss. Then he pressed his forehead to yours, the feeling of his warmth and the comfort of his familiar scent filling you with a happiness unlike any you’d ever known.

“You’re never going let me live this down, are you?” he asked on another laugh, his head ducking down so he could nuzzle your cheek with his beard, making you giggle as it tickled your skin.

“No, never,” you confirmed with a shake of your head, another peal of laughter spilling from your lips. “But I promise not to tell anyone you were jealous of a made-up minotaur in a smutty book.”

Ari huffed a reluctant laugh, distracting you momentarily when he pulled his fingers from your pussy, replacing them with the thick tip of his cock. He pressed against your dripping hole, making you moan helplessly.

“Guess I just have to make good on all my promises then,” he muttered, shunting his hips forward and pushing inside you a couple inches. “Gonna have to show you how good I can make you feel, huh, sunshine?” He pulled back and thrust forward, pressing deeper and splitting you open on his thick cock.

“Oh god, Ari,” you moaned, nails raking up his sides as you hooked your legs around his hips. The heels of your feet dug into the thick muscle of his thighs as you urged him on. “More, deeper, please, Ari, please!”

“You really are always so polite, aren’t you, sunshine?” Ari teased, his voice filled with laughter and desire, even as he gave you what you begged for. He pushed in to the hilt, burying himself so quickly in your cunt, it made you gasp.

He felt so good—so big and thick and stretching you so perfectly. It was all you could do to curl your fingers in his soft brown hair and cling to him, your pussy pulsing around his throbbing cock like your body never wanted to let him go.

Ari’s chest heaved against yours, the firm feeling of his muscles and the soft hair on his pecs teasing your nipples deliciously. He pressed down on top of you, his arms digging beneath your back and holding you tight in the cradle of his big, broad body. 

“S’good,” he slurred against your cheek, his breath hot as it fanned across your skin, making you shiver. He grunted when your pussy squeezed him tighter, sucking him deeper into your heat. “How’s m’cock feel, sunshine?”

“Sooo good, so big and thick, filling me up sooo good, Ari,” you babbled, your thighs squeezing his waist, fingers tugging impatiently on his hair. “Fuck me, Ari, please, I need it—make me feel good, please, Ari, Ari, Ari.” 

“Fuck yeah, gorgeous, you sound so pretty saying my name,” Ari groaned, pressing messy kisses along your jaw before capturing your lips in a heated kiss. “Gonna make you feel good, gonna give you everything you could ever dream of—I promise you, sunshine, promise you.”

Ari’s words trailed off as his mouth found yours again. He kissed you, deep and filthy, while he fucked you slow and sweet. He was pulling out until only the tip of his cock remained in your tight cunt before pushing inside you slowly, deliberately, making you feel every thick inch of him filling you up over and over again.

You could feel your release building deep inside you, the pleasurable tension coiling tight in your belly, but you needed more. You needed it harder and faster, you needed Ari pounding into you, fucking you rough enough that you’d be feeling him long after he’d made you cum.

“Ari, please, fuck me,” you whined in his ear, fingers twisting desperately in his hair, your hips lifting up off the leather bench seat to meet his thrusts, the sound of your skin slapping together filling the truck. “I want it hard and rough—show me I’m yours, Ari, make me yours.”

“Fuck, sunshine, ya gotta filthy mouth on you, don’t ya?” Ari growled, picking up his pace until he was fucking you like a feral animal. “It’s all that dirty smut, isn’t it, turning you into a needy little slut, huh, gorgeous?”

Ari’s hands trailed down your back, grabbing your ass and digging his strong fingers into your soft flesh, holding you still while he rutted into you. Your fingers let go of his hair, reaching up and pushing against the inside of the passenger door, loud cries of pleasure and slutty moans falling from your lips unabashedly. 

“You want me to fuck this pretty pussy till she’s mine, baby?” Ari went on, his breath hot and heavy next to your ear as he kept up his relentless pace, sending you careening toward your release. “You want me to fuck you so good, you’ll never forget who you belong to?”

“Yes, yes, yes, oh god, please, Ari,” you cried breathlessly, your voice high and keening, your body writhing beneath Ari’s broad form. You were barreling toward the edge of bliss, Ari’s hammering cock shoving you closer with every ruthless thrust. 

“Fuck yeah, sunshine, beg me to make you mine—you beg so pretty and polite for such a slut, baby.”

“Please, Ari, make me cum, please, make me cum all over your cock, make me yours, Ari, please, please, please,” you babbled, your words devolving into a sob as Ari fucked you harder, rougher, grinding his cock deep into your cunt until you were screaming in pleasure. 

“Cum for me, sunshine,” Ari growled, hilting his cock deep inside you and grinding his hips so your clit rubbed against the base of him. “You’re mine—all fucking mine—now cum all over my cock like my perfect, gorgeous girl.” 

The tension in your core snapped suddenly and you shattered apart, coming with a scream that was drowned out between the crashing ocean and cresting sand dunes of the deserted beach. Pleasure washed over you in unending waves, your body trembling beneath Ari’s rutting form.

He followed you over the edge a moment later, burying his face in the crook of your neck and muffling his grunting, pleasured groans in your skin as he thrust wildly into your spasming cunt. You felt him twitching and throbbing deep inside you, the feeling making you shiver with another wave of pleasure as he found his release in your body.

For long, delightful moments, you and Ari writhed together, your hips rocking idly while his were grinding deeper into you. His mouth kissed up your neck and along your jaw, finding your lips and drinking down your soft, pleasured cries like they were water in a barren desert. 

“Tell me, sunshine,” Ari rumbled into your mouth, his beard rasping against your cheeks and making the corners of your lips tip up in a smile. “Was that better than the book?”

You made a soft, questioning sound, nipping at Ari’s full lower lip before licking away whatever sting your teeth had left. He grunted his pleasure before responding to your unasked question.

“The minotaur book—did I get you off better than the minotaur book?” 

A surprised laugh tumbled from your lips, but when Ari didn’t join in on your mirth, you eased him away so you could look into your eyes. His gaze was serious and expectant, which only made you laugh again, incredulously.

“Yes, Ari, you were way better than the book, you impossible man,” you said, muttering the last three words with affectionate exasperation as you pulled him down for another kiss.

When he pulled away a moment later, Ari was grinning from ear to ear, looking entirely too pleased with himself. 

“Told ya I’d be better,” he quipped, making you tip your head back and laugh. Ari took the opportunity to bury his face in your neck, kissing your delicate skin until you were letting out breathy little moans.

Eventually, though, the chilly February air encroached on your blissful, post-orgasm haze, seeping into the truck cab and brushing against your damp, cooling skin. When you shivered from the cold more than his beard, Ari pushed up onto his knees, gently easing his softening length from your body and made quick work of disposing of the condom.

While you sat up, he grabbed his thick flannel shirt from the backseat and wrapped it around your shoulders, helping your arms into the sleeves and buttoning it up your chest—after giving each of your tits a quick farewell kiss and promising to pay them more attention next time. 

You giggled at his silly antics, but were grateful when he buttoned up the shirt almost to the top, encasing you in the warmth of the soft fabric, the scent of salt and sun still clinging to it. You turned your face into the collar, and breathed in deeply, humming happily when the smell of Ari filled your lungs.

Ari had paused to watch you, his expression a little dumbfounded, but when your eyes met his, he smiled that easy grin of his, though there was a warmth and a softness to it you’d never seen before. There was also a tenderness in his gaze you didn’t think you’d ever get tired of seeing.

Before you could get lost in each other again, Ari reached into the backseat and pulled out a pair of clean sweatpants, helping you into those as well before he redressed himself in his jeans and white t-shirt. From there, you both pulled on your shoes, and Ari got out, rounding the truck to help you down. 

While he jogged to the closest garbage can to throw out the condom, you made your way into the beach restroom off the parking lot, thanking the universe that it was open and clean, even during the offseason. You quickly went to the bathroom and cleaned yourself up, finding Ari waiting outside to help you back into the truck.

When he hopped into the driver’s seat, you scooted across the bench seat and tucked yourself into his side, looking up at him with a stubborn expression on your face. 

Instead of trying to argue that you should sit in the passenger seat, Ari dug a seatbelt out from between the seat and the back. It was only a lap belt, but he insisted on buckling you in for your safety, then wrapped his arm around your shoulders and held you close while he pulled out of the beach parking lot.

The drive back down the coast was much different to the one you’d taken that morning. You and Ari never stopped talking, starting with you telling him about the books he’d bought for you, and him explaining what he’d wanted at the hardware store in town. 

By the time Ari’s truck neared your house, you were arguing good-naturedly about where to go on your first official date. 

The sun was dipping low in the sky, casting your little neighborhood in golden light as Ari pulled his truck to a stop in front of your house. You were happy to be home after so many hours spent in Ari’s truck, but you were reluctant to disentangle yourself from his warm, steady form.

“You can’t make a new home in my truck, sunshine,” Ari teased, putting his vehicle in park and tipping your face toward his. He brushed a devastatingly sweet kiss to your lips. “But if you ask me nicely, maybe I’ll come inside for a bit.”

You could feel his smirk pressed against the corner of your mouth and it made you hungry for him all over again. Still, you couldn’t help but tease him back.

“Oh please, Ari, won’t you come inside? It’d make me oh so happy,” you gushed in an exaggeratedly simpering voice. You were rewarded for your performance with a deep chuckle rumbling in Ari’s chest. 

“Anything for my girl,” Ari rumbled, his voice deep and delicious. Then he kissed you harder, deeper, wringing a moan from the depths of your throat. 

“Mm,” you murmured dazedly, chasing his lips for another kiss when he tried to pull away. “And you’re my guy, right, Ari?” you asked, you voice barely more than a whisper.

“I’m yours, sunshine,” he promised without hesitation, sealing it with a kiss that you couldn’t help but get lost in.

It was a long while before the two of you extricated yourselves from each other and got out of the truck. Ari carried your clothes and books, while you dug in your bag for your keys. 

The two of you had barely gotten into the house and put your stuff down before you were kissing again, tumbling onto the couch in your living room and shedding your clothes. Thankfully, Ari had grabbed the box of condoms from his truck, and you made good use of another. 

After, the two of you threw together a quick dinner in your kitchen, then curled up on the couch under one of your warm throw blankets. 

You wanted to start reading one of the books you’d gotten that day, and when you suggested the two of you could read your minotaur book together, Ari had shot you a wicked grin. He agreed—on the condition that you sat on his lap, keeping his cock warm while you took turns reading it out loud to each other.

Although you’d expected to get through at least one chapter before one of you gave in and threw the book onto the coffee table, you were barely a few pages in when Ari plucked it from your hands and set it aside. 

But you couldn’t complain, not when he was spreading your thighs wider across his lap and bouncing you on his cock while he sucked your tits.

For the rest of the evening, Ari Levinson showed you just how much better than the book he was, making you forget all about the filthy smut you read and giving you the best, most earth-shattering orgasms of your life while cradling you in his arms like you were the most precious thing in the world. 

When you finally curled up in bed together, you had a smile on your face, ready to spend the rest of your life with your best friend’s brother, who also happened to be the love of your life.

sweethearts game masterlist

[rpgchoices]

More on Davrin's past, arc and journal (part 2)

Part one where I wrote down all the banter about Davrin's Dalish past is here!

I wanted to put all codex (I could find) in order, divided by topic! (Also I wanted to say I will post more Davrin stuff on my personal blog @lucrezianoin haha to not fill this one with just Davrin!)

This is divided in:

Davrin's past and his feelings of guilt for the Dalish clan

Weisshaupt being the only home he has

Meeting Assan and the griffons (and naming Assan)

The Warden vs Nature choice for the griffons

Other (stuff on the Gloom Howler etc.)

Davrin's past and Dalish clan

Just a bit more here on Davrin's guilt for leaving his clan and we do get the confirmation that Davrin has not seen Eldrin since his kids days, and contacted him thanks to a chat with Rook.

Also interesting that the way Davrin was treated by Eldrin is very similar to the way Davrin treats Assan at the start. In the quest we also find out Eldrin was quite harsh (making him eat Halla food as a way to learn, which led to hours of hallucinations and sickness, and kicking his butt when he felt Davrin was wrong).

We don't really get that deep into it, but I like that while Davrin firmly believes in "Throw yourself at it, if you don't learn you get hurt" for himself, he squanders that idea pretty easily when it comes to Assan, even going so far as to start wonder if there is a "non fighting" future for Assan.

I will put this codex later on but I also wanted to show it here for Davrin's past, in "The Nature of Griffons" Davrin says: "Talking to Rook about Assan's insticts got me thinking. Can you change something you're born with? Or are we blank slates who can make our own way? Was I born a monster hunter, destined to do this job, or did I have a choice?" which makes me scream because I need to know what happened in his clan.

From the banter and his personal quests we know that Davrin hunted everything, and then started going to Eldrin's during the summers and he learnt to hurt darkness (monsters) and things that threatened the forest. Did he have a drive to hunt that Eldrin needed to re-direct, where were his parents? Were they the ones sending him to Eldrin? And why is it that a talk of nature vs nurture and his Dalish clan makes him think only of Eldrin and not his parents? (We realistically can imagine Davrin's mother is alive, given that during the gym scene Taash insults her and Davrin says "She can take it" when Taash apologize).

Weisshaupt (and the fall of Weisshaupt)

Davrin often talks about Weissaupt with affection and jokingly but the code really expresses that Weissaupt was his only home.

When Davrin leaves to follow Rook we find out that he knows the First Warden would not take him back. He describes the fortress in detail (loved the "libraries of books I'll never read, getting bruised and battered while sparring etc." as some nostalgic positive thing - miserable and exhilarating). And of course "It's the only home I got", which is telling knowing how he feels about his clan never taking him back if he asked.

And then the heartbreaking entry for Weisshaupt fall.

There are a few other entries:

Which also has a bit about Assan: "I have been thinking of Assan as an assignment: something I need to protect until he finishes his training. But we're in this together now, and it's time to lick our wounds and move on. I'm all he's got, and in some ways, he's all I've got."

How Davrin got to work with Griffons and meeting Assan

My favorite entries are about how Davrin got his assignement and how sweet he was on Assan (unknowingly!!) since the start!

We find out it was the First Warden (from Weisshaupt) that sent him to the assignment. I am still unsure how it works for a Warden who is a Monster Hunter, but we know from the entries that Davrin lived at Weisshaupt and considered it his home, so I supposed he was just sent here and there? Like a specialized Warden? He also mentions he was sent as a bodyguard, basically, and he seems both fascinated and a bit skeptical (they poop a lot haha, and he admires Lancit's patience).

And then he meets Assan. "There's one griffon, this little guy." From Endril's words we know Davrin used to be small and scrawny as a kid, so I wonder if he saw himself in Assan. "He's a little slow on the uptake, but he's fast in the air." And so Davrin suggests the name Assan for him. And my favorite part "If I do nothing else in this life, at least I can say I got to name a griffon".

We also have these late entries about the nature of griffons and Davrin's realization that they are not "made" for fighting by nature, but taught so. "Can griffons do anything else? Would they want to? I wonder". Also he is such a dad, writing about Assan's first taste of an apple.

About Assan and the halla, Davrin writes "the instincts of a dog herding sheep", and I personally think it is about learning. There is a moment in the dialogue at the start of Davrin's recruital where we find out that griffons learn better in groups, they clearly are very social animals. I fully believe Assan fed the Halla simply because he saw Davrin doing that, he learnt from watching, he sees Davrin taking care of Halla so he learns that is the thing to do and how it is done.

Then we have some notes on Griffon's extinctions, and a note about Assan's love for gingerwort truffles (which Davrin tried and did not like.. we also find out Davrin hates broccoli... please Davrin... I love broccoli...)

Warden Griffons vs Arlathan Griffons

These are the two different notes:

Interesting the "Warden" choice starts with "Deciding where the griffons should go wasn't easy" which is not present in the Arlathan choice. I do not think there is a right/wrong choice, but after reading this I will always lean more towards Arlathan.

"it's time they got a chance to explore nature instead. The griffons are going to love Arlathan"

Other codex

Interesting that he says he does feel sympathy for Isseya.

[blueberrypancakesworld]

Hello dear. I wanted to send a request. Yandere Viserys I Targaryen and his second wife reader. (Baelon/Alyssa/Aegon/Helaena/Aemond/Daeron are their children.) Viserys chooses his first our son Baelon as his heir. There is no dance of dragons. Viserys is not sick.

Our own blood

Viserys I x wife!reader

warning : yandere behaviour, kissing, mention of births, implied murders, implied/mentioned mental problems

Summary : Viserys loved his Aemma she had given him his Rhaenyra...but a dragon of his blood is hungry for more, more of his own blood. Which is why, not quite a decade later, the second queen gave him six children, children to represent love and a legacy to be spoken. But the dragon never leaves his treasure, his wife, the Queen of Westeros, alone.

info : Hi thanks for the request anon, yandere Viserys is just an idea that is very interesting, he is the sleeping dragon that is awakened to bring chaos to the realm. I hope you enjoy reading

masterlist

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The bells of the royal sept rang again that day, like every day and like the years before, but this time they played different notes, notes of the utmost importance.

On this day in King's Landing, the heir to the throne was to be proclaimed, an heir that the people had been waiting for ever since he had been presented, the little boy with the fair hair and dark violet eyes, a Targaryen through and through.

A young prince not quite his twentieth name day and yet beloved by the people, Baelon Targaryen as a tribute to his grandfather, he would wear that name with pride whenever he was called...but above all it was his beloved mother who would call him.

A woman who didn't even belong in the House of the Dragon, a woman his father had taken after his first wife had died, Aemma had given him Rhaenyra, a gift from the gods but no son.

Something he wanted and needed, ,,I dreamed that regents would spring from your womb" he had told her when his wife was first pregnant, his hand resting on her slightly bulging belly gently yet firmly.

A dragon who loved her was like a coin, like a sword with a pointed and blunt side.

The blunt side was his calmness, his serenity, his care for his children, his love for his family and the way he looked at her with such devotion that it was his dragon scales that had captivated her then..but a dragon is a monster not a knight of love.

A dragon with his pointy side was possessive, domineering, power-hungry and above all obsessive with the treasure he loved most, ,,The dragon's blood will watch over you forever, no one will destroy this bond of love....and if they try I have dragons" was his statement as he made the royal procession through the city with her, hearing the roar of Vhagar, the queen of dragons fit for the king who had taken Vhagar after Balerion's death.

Viserys was gentle and waiting at the beginning of their relationship, someone who loved her dearly and to whom she wanted to give children, but after Baelon, after holding an heir, a baby who grew older than Aemma's children, he wanted more.

You could never fully satisfy a dragon, ,,One more prince or princess and I'll never ask for anything from you again" was just one of his feeble lies as she gave him six children and was devoured by the dragon's mouth.

How can you love the man you married under fire and gold when that man became the worst of your blood? His kisses possessive, hands always on you were a gesture of support for others but for her a reminder that he would burn King's Landing to the ground if he was so sure of her.

An obsession that brought her into darkness whenever he was with her, whenever she was in the chamber with her and his touches and kisses did not have the love they once had...and yet he was a Targaryen a man of beauty, a god who flew the greatest dragon and the man she had fallen in love with.

A man she found herself smiling at, kissing him and leaning into him, a man whose appearance and calmness always captured her, especially when he flew with her on Vhagar.

It was like a decade ago when they disappeared to Dragonstone after the wedding ceremony out of love, and came together there in love.

Now, instead of the dragon's cry and fire, it was the bells of the Sept announcing that the king was making a decision, a decision she saw when she saw Baelon and his siblings, ,,The handsome dragons of the realm" she gave of herself and carefully raised up, immediately feeling Baelon's support and giving him a look of thanks.

Her beloved children Baelon the firstborn a son of knowledge and honour the heir to the throne, his sister Alyssa her image more than her father's a princess of music and love of dragons.

Aegon her third son who like his father enjoyed parties and alcohol and valued friends of which he had many, a loyal prince to his siblings.

Her dreaming Helaena with talents for art and dreaming that Viserys took on.

Their last children whose births were long and difficult but whose love never waned Aemond emulated his eldest brother in swordplay and was precise with it and the youngest little Daeron who enjoyed dragons as much as his eldest sister as well as emulating Aegon's loyalty.

They were the princesses and princes of the realm, their children with Viserys and proof of love, but proof that even her stepdaughter Rhaenyra had taken to her heart. She loved her children, but her body would not be able to bear any more children after Daeron's birth.

She had spent several months in bed, with dreams and nightmares dipping in and out of her mind, but even there her children were with her...and Viserys, whose eyes had burned with fire when he heard that she might die.

Several masters and midwives burned that day, a smell that sometimes still lingered in her nose, but Viserys had what he wanted, she was alive and in the dark gown accompanied by her children the queen walked into the throne room.

All rose to look at her with joy and devotion, a few with sadness knowing that the Queen had not fully recovered and others cheered for the royal children but all looked to the throne as the bells rang out, ,,My dear husband" she whispered as she took her place beside Viserys.

The look in the violet eyes of love showed as he pressed a gentle kiss on her temple.

A fact he commanded she was his equal, she was his wife, she is the queen and wore the crown as he did while her children lined up beside the throne all except Baelon whose clothes spoke of alliances.

The black and red robe with the crown and the golden engraved house symbols spoke of his worth, ,,On this day I appoint Viserys first of my name of the House Targaryen and King of the realm, the andals and roynar that my firstborn son Baelon Tararyen is hereby deemed heir to the throne" he proclaimed and the lords and ladies knelt as the roar of dragons was heard and Viserys hand clasped hers lovingly yet firmly.

Her children would go free with dragons everything was open to them and she would take care of her husband, would continue to give Viserys her love despite the fire and the dragon he demanded because in the end he was her king and she was only his second wife the queen...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[rene-darling]

SEA CREATURE- genshin men

Genshin men but they're different types of sea creatures! How do they court you if they can't walk on land?...credits [m.neuvillette on insta]

...scaramouche...xiao...neuvillette...

Xiao

Xiao was never interested in mortals, let alone those who walked the land.

But there was just something about you that drew him near.

When you went swimming he would keep an eye out for you, watching you from a distance- just in case you were attacked! Not anything creepy...

He always found humans trying to swim funny-looking but when he observed you...he felt something different.

So when once a big wave had pulled you under preventing you from resurfacing he didn't think twice before guiding you back to shore.

He panted heavily, he'd never swam that in his life!

And when you woke up and looked at him he wondered what you would say..or think, would you call him a monster? An ugly creature? Like all the other humans- "are you...an angel?"

His breath hitched in his throat before he let out a scoff "hmpf. Foolish mortal."

He grumbled diving back deep into the ocean before you could say anything or ask him further questions.

This was getting rather tiring... Everyday since then you would come to the beach and scream your lungs out, and he'd blush at all the nicknames you had given him since he'd had not told you his name

"yoohoo~ angel!, my mermaid savior!, my-" "Stop it." you froze..he finally appeared before you, tired of hearing the arsenal of nicknames you had for him.

He glared at you with those sharp eyes of his, but when you looked at him and gave him a bright smile shouting "it's you! You're back! Hah!" he can't help but let his gaze soften...just a bit!

After that, it became routine for you to meet him by the seashore.

Once he started developing feelings for you, he wasn't quite sure on what to do.

He was flustered..you were a land animal, while he was a merman..

He came to the conclusion that the two of you could not be together in any capacity...

But that didn't stop his feelings from growing. Nor did it stop his biased behavior towards you.

He would bring you many sea shells from the ocean depts

One's that could not be found near the shore.

Once he saw that you liked them he started trying them together making cute accessories for you

Necklaces, rings, bracelets etc!

Scaramouche

Scaramouche is a siren. A deadly one at that.

He doesn't care for humans until it comes to his meal time and he doesn't give a fuck about them in a romantic sense either.

He was doing his usual, singing his lovely melody to attract nearby sailors so he could feast upon them.

But once he had gotten in a bit of trouble with some pirates whom he was trying to kill. Which resulted in him being caught in a net his tail all tangled up

His tail is his best asset! It's the easiest way to lure victims in! With just a wave of his tail he'll have his pray swimming to him

But now he's helplessly stranded on shore. He's half expecting for some humans to come along and kill him by this point..and they might as well since he feels as though he might die of hunger.

And then this human does come along. He's expecting his death but not without a fight!

He tries scratching you, hurting you. But to no avail, you don't back down as you keep approaching him not backing down from his fights

He winces when you bring the knife closer, that's it. This is the end for his miserable life...

Suddenly all those tight ropes around his body drop to the floor and he gets free. In instinct, he quickly swims off not bothering to talk to you.

It's been a while since then, and he convinces himself that he doesn't care...but, he can't really explain why he swims up to the shore every day, watching with sharp eyes to see if you would make an appearance.

And when you finally do, he feels relief spread out his body..you're safe- wait. No, he's a siren. He doesn't care for you!

After weeks of just watching you, he finally makes an appearance throwing a rock at your head to get your attention. When you look at him he swims behind a large rock gesturing for you to come closer. And when you do follow him without question he thinks to himself

Stupid human! I'm siren for archons sake!! What if I was trying to kill them!!...i mean I'm not, I would never. But still!

From that day on it becomes a tradition for the both of you to meet behind the big rock slightly offshore.

He doesn't know why he feels this warm feeling spread through his chest..he's a cold-blooded siren for god sake!

Still...he can't help it so..he tries impressing you.

He shows off his colorful tail, flapping it around and sticking it out of the water for you to observe.

He also makes sure to dive deep down into the ocean and grab rocks that he finds nice from the ocean floor to give to you.

He's sure you'll be impressed by his rocks! You probably haven't seen them since he got them from the depts.

Neuvillette

He's a sea otter!! With a fluffy little tail

Meeting you was definitely a stroke of luck.

You were on a scuba diving expedition with some friends and had lost your way in the depths of the fontain ocean

Neuvillette took all measures to stay away from humans of any kind, he didn't trust them, especially with how they polluted the waters!

But he had gotten his nose stuck in a plastic cup! He was only a bit curious about this strange plastic! He hadn't expected to get stuck!

This is why while in his attempt to get his nose out of the cup he felt his body press onto someone warm

Snapping his head back he saw you! His first instinct was to run, humans were nothing but trouble!...but.

Before he could've ran you had grabbed the plastic cup and had freed his nose

He's really grateful so he decides he'll show you the way back to your friends which you got lost from.

He tries to make you understand but you don't so he wraps his fluffy tail around you and pulls you to where he saw your friends.

From then on whenever you would go on a scuba diving expedition with your friends he would always seek you out. He's still not good with humans so while your scuba team is distracted you'll slip away unnoticed and find him.

You don't need to search far, it seems he's always around the corner when you seek him out

His eyes sparkle as he swims circles around you his fluffy tail brushing against you as he looks at your swimming gear

He'll ask you questions about it, and he'll be absolutely fascinated by the gadgets you have.

He'll get really sad when you have to leave soon to not worry your swim team. He insists you must stay at least a little while longer!

He'll start developing feelings for you, but he doesn't know how to act them out

He wouldn't have ever expected to fall for a human being! A mortal!

But he feels this overwhelming desire to be near you and to protect you from any harm you might face.

Being an otter, they usually hold hands while they sleep, that being the only affectionate thing he knows how to do, He never leaves your hand! Clinging onto your arm as if you're about to die!

He swims up to shore to watch the stars with you, and as you slowly fall asleep, he holds onto your arm to not drift away from you as you both sleep under the stars.

[kiame-sama]

What would be considered courting rituals for the boys? I'm genuinely curious.

Warnings; several species courting rituals, yandere behavior, monster men behavior,

Jade and Floyd:

- They start the courting by gathering food/ hunting food down to gift to their prospective mate. This is a bid to show they are good mates and can provide for their mates and their families. Food gathering and food retrieval is a big thing for merfolk. This is part of why Jade wants to learn to cook from the Human so he can begin cooking meals for the Human to start courting in earnest.

- Once food has been provided, the eels begin circling, starting in wide circles that tighten up until they are basically rubbing their bodies up against their prospective mate. The increased physical contact is a second step in their courting process. To keep close to a mate to guard from rivals and to establish a close bond.

- They will encourage the Human to mimic their own wide open-mouthed smiles which is typically how Moray Eels begin to indicate that they want to begin the process of mating. This is kind of trickery on their part and kind of trying to get the Human to show them the signs they want to see.

Malleus/Lilia/Sebek/Silver:

- They take the Fae courting rituals and rules rather seriously. Gift giving is a big part for many Fae rituals. Gifts do not need to be tangible as they could be something like 'giving' someone a name or nickname that is unique to their bond or giving physical gifts. Offering help is also considered part of the gift giving. Reciprocated gifts are seen as a willingness to begin that relationship in earnest. Not every gift is given with relationship intentions, but Fae read into the gifts quite a lot. All Diasomnia boys take the gifts of Hospitality and Comfort from the Human as possible courting gifts.

- From the general gift stage comes the food gifts stage. Alcohol and food are great ways to show affection for the Fae. Humans started alcohol making but the Fae made an art out of it. Given the Human feeds them several meals, they are already well and fully convinced the Human loves at least one of them.

- They have an extra step in their courting ritual as they are Hoard members to a Dragon, but this step was fulfilled by Malleus that first day. This part of their unique courting ritual is to have their Dragon approve of this new interest and give their approval to allow their Hoard member to court them. Malleus- by making the Human a Hoard member- has basically automatically approved any of his Hoard members to try and court the Human.

Leona:

- Food is a big part of courting for Nemean Lions. Usually the Females/Young-bearers are the ones to get the food, so should the Human ever cook for him, he would immediately begin to think they are starting to court.

- Leona is going to start trying to protect and guard the Human as a member of his pride. This protection will extend to Grim because he knows how young-bearers guard their cubs and he isn't about to bother the Human's cub. He will be trying to scent them at any turn to make his claim over the Human clear and to frighten off weaker students.

- Once officially deciding they are a member of his pride he will even make his own bed in Ramschackle that he demands the Human and Grim share with him (his own way of flipping off Malleus) under the guise of protecting the Human. Snuggle time and communal grooming becomes high on his list of priorities and he will even try to groom Grim in an effort to get the Cub to like him and build trust.

Gnolls/ Ruggie:

- Feed them.

[emmcfrxst]

I wanna hear your opinion on how Arthur and John differ in bed because I love em both

arthur is a tender, gentle lover; with him, everything is about you and your pleasure— sex is an expression of his love and devotion for you, through kisses and touches and whispered words of affection. he worships you the whole time, mapping out your entire body with his fingers, then his lips— he’s thorough in his adoration of you and will make you come multiple times before even beginning to pull himself out of his pants. kissing you during sex is very important for arthur; it’s an act that’s so intimate, so sacred in his eyes, especially given his track record with women and the abandonment issues that stem from them— being able to kiss you freely reminds him that your feelings for him are sincere and that you’re not going anywhere. despite his inherent tenderness during sex, arthur is far from boring or repetitive; he’s more than willing to try anything you might be interested in trying (as long as there is zero chance of him hurting you. anything that could hurt you is a hard no for him) as he’s very versatile. he’s also quite vocal; he’ll moan, groan and gasp your name and will murmur praises against your skin. all in all, making love with arthur is a refreshing and intimate experience that he used to connect with you on a physical and spiritual level.

john is a lot less gentle. he’s fast and efficient most of the time, not hesitating to manhandle you into whatever position he likes (although your consent always matters and he will stop immediately if you ask him to because while he’s a little rough, he’s not a fucking monster). one thing that characterizes john in bed is that he likes his sex hot and messy. there will be spit, there will be tears of pleasure, there will be lots of cum— john marston loves to see you dripping with him, it’s really what gets him going. he’ll spit in your mouth and make you swallow it; he will drag his spit-slick fingers down your body and around your nipples; he will eat you out until his face is shining with your slick and then leave wet, open-mouthed kisses down your neck— he likes it wet and sloppy and downright nasty. he’s also quite vocal in bed, although it’s mostly curses, and won’t hesitate to tell you “fuck, that’s so fuckin’ hot” if you do something that makes his dick twitch. his thrusts are, more often than not, hard and fast and a little on the primal side; his focus is to bring you both to your climax as fast as possible— unless there has been a near-death experience, where he takes his sweet time with you and it feels a lot more raw, intimate and emotional because it’s mostly in these moments that he allows himself to verbalize how much you mean to him and how he can’t live without you, which he doesn’t usually do because being vulnerable is something that terrifies him. all in all, sex with john is passionate, primal and efficient; it’s messy and horny and a little animalistic.

[hedwig221b]

Heey, was wondering if you could recommend some magical stiles fics, preferably sterek.

Thank you 😊

Magical Stiles, my beloved!!! 💖

My Mother Told Me by Renmackree

Stiles joined the Emissary program to help Alpha wolves settle into their new roles and to follow in his mother’s footsteps. She had always told him he was destined to run with the wolves, but he thought she meant Scott and his pack. Instead, Stiles finds himself sent to Thingvallavatn, Iceland, with Alpha Derek Hale. It's clear the Alpha is hiding a part of him that Stiles can’t reach, but when a monster comes to threaten the pack, it’s always great to have someone in your corner with a little mischief up their sleeve

My, What Big Shoulders You Have (The Better to Help You Carry the Weight) by isthatbloodonhisshirt (wasterella)

“Talia was just telling me an interesting story,” his dad informed him. Stiles didn’t have the nerve to glance over at him, because he knew no matter how much he argued, the proof was all there. The wolves had found him, Parrish had picked him up on the side of the road, he had a fucking picture on his phone. He was screwed. No point in arguing, all it’d do is piss his father off even more. “You don’t say,” Stiles offered slowly. “What uh—you know, I like stories. Is it a uh, good one?” “It seems to be a matter of opinion,” Talia said with another kind smile. “I hear you had quite the night last night.” Okay, time to cut his losses. He was already fucked, all he could do was apologize and hope she didn’t press for him to get fined and arrested. Given he was her husband’s friend’s son, he had high hopes. “I’m really sorry,” Stiles blurted out. “It was stupid and-and irresponsible and just—I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have crossed into your territory. I should’ve known better, I do know better! It was a complete lapse in judgement and I am just—I am so sorry.”

Came For The Spark, Stayed For The Flame

Derek felt the panic build up in his chest as Jezebel held out a hand. He smelled it before he saw it, because who could forget the scent of what destroyed your life? Fire and spark and smoke curled from Jezebel's hands, and the wood stacked at Stiles' feet flared up. When Stiles and Derek get bonded as Emissary-and-Alpha, hidden attractions become a lot harder to hide, secrets are kept and secrets are surfaced, and an evil teenage girl is planning even more ritualistic sacrifice. Canon divergence from the end of 3a.

A Letter From Mom by StilesIsMySpiritAnimal

After waking up at the age of 11 without any memories of his past Stiles spends eight years with his father in the tiny town of Shelter Cove, California. After his father's death he receives a notice from a storage facility in some town called Beacon Hills. Stiles is confused and thinks the manager made a mistake until he finds a letter that should have been for his 18th birthday that his dad never gave him. It's from his mother, who he has no memory of. Weirdly enough, her letter mentions Beacon Hills and some woman named Talia, who he's supposed to trust. Confused and angry at his father, Stiles sets out for Beacon Hills anxious and determined to find out what his dad had been hiding from him all these years.

Truth in Pretense by wanderingeyre

Stiles took the straw from his drink and started chewing on it. He pulled it from his mouth and stood. He grinned at Derek. “Stop frowning, Sourwolf. I have a solution that will solve all our problems.” “And that would be?” Derek didn’t move as Stiles moved closer to him. Stiles winked at Derek. “We get married.” --- The one where Derek and Stiles pretend to be mates to help out a neighboring Pack and find there is some truth in pretense.

Actions Speak Louder than Words by isthatbloodonhisshirt (wasterella)

“I apologize.” The cop finally looked back up at his face, seeming thrilled. “It’s just—it’s been so long. And we finally have you.” That was a bad word. Not found. Have. Stiles wrenched his hand free and took a step back, but before he could even think up a gameplan, he felt a prick in his neck and jerked away, reaching up to slap one hand against it and twisting in the same moment. One of the others had come up behind him while he hadn’t been paying attention, and his vision began to swim even as his eyes caught sight of the half-empty syringe the guy was holding.

If You’re Going Through Hell (Keep Going)

Stiles thought everything leading up to Allison’s death was hell, but he was wrong. Spending senior year dealing with the pack’s dismissal of him while secretly training to be Deaton’s replacement was hell. Feeling guilty and hating himself for what the Nogitsune did was hell. Being in love with someone who would never love him back was hell. Well, if you’re going through hell, keep going.

Striking Matches by eeyore9990

Stiles has only ever wanted to protect his family and his pack. That’s not easy to do when you're human and sarcasm is your only defense. Now Deaton is telling Stiles he’s a spark, and if that’s a weapon in his arsenal, he’s sure as hell going to learn to use it. All Stiles needs now, to complete his transformation into a true badass, is a training montage and a decent soundtrack...

A Similar String by snarkatthemoon

Strong bonds made for a strong pack, and he needed a strong pack. They spent a long time in silence, Derek thinking hard about how he was going to cement the bonds. It needed to be done, and not just because they had the threat of the witch hanging over them, but for the good of the pack. It felt like hours had passed by the time he came around; he had been so deep in his thoughts that he hadn’t noticed Stiles moving around on the couch so that his head was resting on Derek’s thigh, his long legs hanging over the arm on the far end. He wasn’t sleeping, but his eyes were closed and his heartbeat wasn’t as fast as it usually was, as if he was just on the edge of sleep. It should have felt weird, having Stiles in such close contact, but Derek found that it really didn’t feel weird at all. His head was a comforting weight in Derek’s lap, another anchor tethering him and keeping him calm and in control. Or, the one where Derek meets a witch, gets his betas back, and seemingly develops a sense of humour. Also, Stiles is totally magic, manages to accidentally join a werewolf pack, and asks too many goddamn questions. What could possibly go wrong?

here in the heart (of my sanctuary) by crazyassmurdererwall (smartalli)

Talia accelerates through the tunnel, and Derek looks up, watches the light that makes it through the bramble dance and shift over the hood of the car as they drive, fingers gripping the sides of the tank. It’s beautiful, like a gateway to another world. He’s lived in the preserve his whole life, and he didn’t know this was here. She eyes him. “You should know this man is very important to me. I take the responsibility of his care and counsel very seriously. Handing him over to you…it’s not a small thing. Please keep that in mind.” No pressure, then.

A Teenage Love Song by HaleHathNoFury (My_Trex_has_fleas)

Stiles is sick and tired of how much he fucks up. His dad is disappointed, his step-mom judges and his step-brother can do no wrong. It's not that he doesn't love them, he just gets so tired of being different. Now he's being moved lock, stock and barrel to Beacon Hills aka the town his mom grew up in so they can go live in his grandma's house and his father can get him back on the straight and narrow. It's going to suck.

Other fic recs: pack mom!Stiles | angsty fics + pt2 | sheriff dissaproves | historical AU | baby/mpreg | outsider POV | possessive Derek | smut | hurt/comfort | Stiles gets kicked out of the pack | mafia | BAMF!Stiles + pt2 | omegaverse | bad friend Scott | witch!Stiles | creature!Stiles + pt2 | unrequited love | werewolf!Stiles | dark sterek | single parent!Stiles | feral Derek | arranged marriage | Stiles is underestimated | mpreg w/o abo | accidental knotting | jock!Derek | jock!Stiles | alive Hales | spanking | royal abo au | oblivious!Stiles | longfic | void!Stiles | Stiles doesn't know about werewolves

[kawareo]

Thank you lovely people for giving me a chance to ramble more about something (this is genuine, i mean no shade)

I find it really cool how every character has a parallel with Durge! In general every single romance pairing has reasons for why i think "yeah i could see them being good together", but I love those for Durge especially since I think about Durges way too much

Gale. Prodigy, Chosen of a God(ess) with a relationship that went far past god/Chosen, with him and Mystra being 'lovers' and Durge and Bhaal being 'family'. They were also both groomed to a degree to fulfill a role and have since fallen from grace of their gods.

Lae'zel. Raised in what is essentially a cult, having her entire world fall apart when she learns the truth about Vlaakith and Orpheus (while Durge's world falls apart when they learn about who they are in act 3). Cult has harsh and merciless punishments for those that disappoint, with death and beatings for githyanki and... Well. You know what, for Durge (looking at you, deleted bad ending).

Shadowheart. Having an equivalent of an electric collar on you that her God(ess) can punish her with (for Durge, that punishment isnt so immediate but Bhaal can literally stop their heart if he wants to). Amnesia. Having to choose between leading your cult or leaving everything you thought you knew and being an outcast. Depending on what you do with Shart, they also both kill their parents.

Karlach. Having your body changed without your consent, in drastic ways that you have no control over; the engine for Karlach, lobotomy + Slayer form for Durge (slayer in a more minor way but i will say that even in evil route you dont get a say whether or not you transform the first time). They both hurt people that get close to then without meaning to. They both have someone more powerful who sees them as property. Also, ties to Gortash.

Wyll. Daddy issues! And being rejected and outcast by your Father, wanting to prove yourself that you're still worthy. They were also both given shitty fucking names by their dads. They both at some point chose between power at the cost of freedom and freedom at the cost of literally everything; Wyll when he made a deal with Mizora, Durge at multiple points through the game when it comes to Bhaal. They both struggle with being tied to an evil, manipulative being that wants them isolated and weak and alone. Similar with Karlach, unwilling body modification, but specifically one that turns you into a 'monster'.

Astarion. 'Father'. 'Siblings' that you are in constant and brutal competition with, for momentary approval of your Creator who will never have enough of anything short but the world. Creator who's end goal very much includes you dying for him. Having no bodily autonomy as your Creator can literally violate your mind whenever. Sexual abuse. Struggling with bloodthirst! Your existence itself is violent, you can't live without hurting someone! (Bloodthirst for Ass, Urges for Durge)

Halsin. (Potential) guilt for something you have done, being pushed in a leadership position (Halsin at the grove, Durge with companions) that you may or may not be unsuited for. Being so, so alone, without anyone to care for your feelings. They both also have sides of them that they sometimes can't control, with the Bear and Urges, or more literally, the Slayer.

Minthara. A proud and efficent warrior that got one upped by a person they underestimated. Ties to Orin. Living as someone with the highest social status in a brutal, cruel society. Fanatic worship of an objectively evil god(ess) and then the betrayal that follows, waking up from quite literal brainwashing, seeing how your God(ess) turns against you.

And I could go on! Theyre all so good and interesting and depending on what path you decide to take, there is always something that Durge can relate to on with any companion! I tried to avoid repeating points or talking about my Durge specifically by just talking about what is set in canon for them, and there is still! So! Much!

[westbifire]

Guys big brain moment!

I was thinking about what Vere said about Leander's Bloodhounds being the same as the Senobium with just different uniforms. Which got me thinking about what that means for Mc.

Mc is as Vere says, like him not quite a monster not quite a human, Mc holds power even if they don't know/like it. Which is why the Senobium would kill them if given the chance, they rival Vere. Even in Vere's threat at the end of his demo route, he threatens MC with his ruthless rather then his power.

So imagine Leander stumbling upon this "weapon" that could give him both the same power as the Senobium as well as a chance at taking the Senobium down. Something he and his gang definitely want if the demo is anything to go by. But If he falls in love with Mc instead of just manipulating them I can see this definitely put him in a tricky position. He would need to decide how far to go, to chain Mc up for power (something he could do as a mage, or some other magical suppressive) or betray his gang and himself in the name of humanity/love.

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

I also noticed Leander, despite what he says later about Mc repaying him by telling him about their curse, was always going to do something free for Mc even before he knew what the problem was. And sure you could chalk it up to the kindness of his heart or him having a special interest in Mc (and I'm sure that's what it was at first.) But giving Mc a room for free is for an undetermined amount of time is different than a simple merc job. Also It was only after he learned of Mc's curse did he offer the room despite him knowing they were a newcomers before this interaction.

So my money is on that after he learned of Mc's curse did he decide to keep them close. For what gain? I think y'all can put two and two together. He always had something to gain from MC, his kindness always calculated, Mc's value just changed.

[dunmeshistash]

Izutsumi Revealed in Five Keywords

5 keywords section from the Adventurer's Bible, this is transcribed from the EHScans translation for more info you can check this post. My own notes will be at the end of the post.

1. Monster Soul

Izutsumi's soul is merged together with a "Giant Cat"*, a monster that inhabits the Eastern lands. Just as the name implies, the monster is basically a cat, but bigger in size. Incidentally, the true appearance of this Giant Cat was made clear when the party was attacked by succubi and they showed one in the form of an "ideal type". Izutsumi blames the monster's soul for her half-human appearance, and also feels that it obstructs her from developing close personal relationships with others. She believes that once the curse upon her is removed, all of these problems will be resolved. It seems that Izutsumi also harbors some deep doubts as to how much of her original self is left inside her. *

2. Past

Originally put on display as a "Cat Girl" in a freak show***, Shuro's father ended up taking an interest in her and purchased Izutsumi. She was given the name "Asebi" afterward and started living at the Nakamoto household.

3. Maizuru

Maizuru is in charge of Shuro's education****; she is also the only thing in the world that terrifies Izutsumi. After she was taken into the Nakamoto household, Maizuru put Izutsumi through a harsh training curriculum designed to teach her speaking, common sense, and combat skills. Since Izutsumi would hardly listen to anything she said, Maizuru ended up putting "Ninpo: Babysitter"***** on Izutsumi, which would activate if it was not touched by Maizuru at regular intervals.

4. Dark History

When Laios and the others arrived at the Golden Castle's village, they saw people living together peacefully with monsters. The barrier cast over the village affected monster behavior, and it deeply affected Izutsumi as well, causing her to become clingy with Marcille. Upon leaving the village and returning to her senses, Izutsumi spent a while agonizing over how she had behaved. However, even in that changed state it seems she still did not like Laios very much.

5. Picky Eater

A very picky eater even during her time at the Nakamoto house-hold, Izutsumi would always give the food she didn't like to Tade. She harbors a serious dislike of mushrooms, and will toss them away in an egregious display of bad table manners. However, she seemed to enjoy mushrooms quite a lot when she was turned into an orc by the changelings…

------

Too many asterisks in this one

*Official english translates is as "greater cat" but the term in japanese directly translates as "big cat" (大猫) the same as as the big bat (大蝙蝠). I had to ramble about it here

**The translation of this section in the official english sounds very off to me, I recommend reading both to compare cause it's too many details to mention here.

***Official english translated it as "sideshow" but the term used in japanese "見世物小屋" does actually mean freak show, the ones with human exhibits.

****Official english translated it as "Maizuru, who was also Shuro's Governess,(...)", the actual word used for governess is "教育係" which as far as I could tell means "educator", I think governess works but it sounds a little awkward to me personally.

*****Official english translated as "Ninja Art: Babysitter"

Stats

Timelines

Official version bellow the cut

[solus-seraph]

Common Grounds. (AM)

SUMMARY:

AM is interested in you, and you are NOT interested in him.

A/N: It's been a minute since I've written, so here's a little drabble. Also, I initially wrote this to be fem!reader, but it can probably be read as whatever.

AM had grown tired of playing with you. At first, the promise of eventually being able to crack that sickeningly dense shell of apathy you pushed forward with your self-inclusive facade was a tempting prize. Of course, he could always physically break you to no end, but where's the fun in that? He wants to see you suffer on all levels, but something is wrong with you. You're different from the other five. The apathy he once thought to be a part of your clever coping mechanism wasn't going away. It wasn't cracking. He began to think, perhaps it was a metaphorical virus in your code. A bug. Something within you that made you broken, unfixable.

"You're quite the anomaly, sweetheart." Always the same pet name with him, never once has he given you the satisfaction of hearing your name from his speakers. It's always 'Sweetheart,' 'my dear,' this and that, never your name. Perhaps it's an attempt to erase your identity. Whatever it is, it has no effect. Other people's perceptions of you are irrelevant.

"I'm quite aware. Now if you're done with your pointless attempts to pick my brain, do us both a favor and leave me alone," You were doing as you always do, walking in the freezing cold, improperly dressed for the weather. Though you'd never complained, lest he make you walk through the snow in the nude.

"Quite ballsy of you to make demands of me. I've not come to dissect you in any way other than mentally. Your mind is quite ... different. It intrigues me." His voice was already giving you a headache, but what better do you have to do than entertain his royal pain in the ass?

"I know exactly what you want to say about it." Of course you do, he rummaged through your head millions of times, he was bound to say something eventually.

"I've noted you have a lack of care for your fellow humans. You're quite the selfish beast if I must say so myself."

"Don't you perhaps think I don't get attached to them because I know the second I do they'll become your favorite play thing? I know how you work. If I showed any particularity to any of those five, you'd hurt them to hurt me." Your words spit out of your mouth laced with venom.

"Oh, please. You can't fool me. You don't act as if you dislike them to protect them. You truly don't care about them at all." That ear-bleedingly annoying laugh rings out. "You're as much of a monster as the other think you are. I've heard them talking, sweetheart. They think you're sided with me out of some sadistic pleasure of yours."

"And how should I know you aren't lying to me? After all, you hate me. You hate my kind. You hate how I think and feel. Or how I'm supposed to think, and I'm supposed to feel." You moisten your cracked lips.

"You and I think alike, my dear. Always doubting-"

"What do you have to doubt? Anything you think can be the truth becomes the truth." You cut him off before he starts monologing. "You and I have nothing in common, nor do I and the others."

AM has to stop and think about this. Such a hostile little thing you are. He quite likes it. Perhaps with this new ammunition, he can turn them on you even more. Maybe he can make them hate you so that you will come to hate them.

And just maybe, you'll hate like he does.

--------------------------------------

I know, I know, not the longest thing on the planet. Let me ease back into the writing scene 🙏

[awakenedsalamander]

Thinking about how vampirism in the World of Darkness isn’t just dehumanizing in the sense that it makes you a literal monster but also how the Embrace quite directly rips away some of the most meaningful parts of someone’s identity to make room for the Beast.

Like, the obvious examples here are Garou and mages, given that the former, when Embraced, become the aptly-named Abominations, who lose their connection to Gaia and the Umbra and find themselves forcibly aligned with the Wyrm, the force that they view as the most horrific and destructive thing in the world; and the latter have their Avatar, their connection to magic and possibility and understanding, utterly annihilated— their one guiding light extinguished and replace with an entity that is (except for probably in the case of widderslainte) more vicious and cruel than even the most harrowing Avatar.

It’s telling that the Embrace is thus reflective of something each group considers to be one of the worst fates imaginable: dancing the Black Spiral and undergoing Gilgul, respectively.

But that’s a lot of jargon and doesn’t really hit if you don’t know the details of those game lines— the haunting part is that the basic idea remains the same even for mortals.

I mean, it’s true that everyone, mortal or otherwise, has some degree of intrusive urges toward malicious behavior, but the Beast is just so much worse than that. To be Embraced is to straightforwardly die, to lose the essence that keeps you alive, and have it brought back in this twisted form— from now on, to live is to kill and the Beast will never let you forget it.

Sure, vampires still retain their old interests and passions. I’m personally not keen on the interpretation of Kindred as inherently not having things like empathy, creativity, or grief. I think they still feel compassion and curiosity and tranquility and love and all that… but always, lurking behind them, is the Beast.

And maybe I’m just being a self-serious edge-boi but that’s such an unnerving thought. To still care about the people around you, but never without something whispering about how much you need— deserve— their loyalty, their service, their deaths.

[nocturnesmoon]

-Archaic Blood Masterlist-

Thinking about TF141 and vampire reader, it's probably been done before but i can't get it out of my head. All the potential it has both fluff, angst and plot. Because listen listen listen

What if

You are a vampire contracted by the military, except the vampire part is a very well-kept secret. You're old, your life spans all the way back to when they burned witches at the stake. You were an ordinary person back then, careful and with your own beliefs and superstitions like anyone. The rumors and sightings of witches, vampires, and werewolves was things you didn't concern yourself with. At least until you sighted it yourself, and you got pulled in.

Taking slight dnd logic, at least in the sense that the vampire that turned you ended up in control over you. You were trapped there along with quite a few other vampire spawn, all subjected to the same type of abuse and torture over decades. You got used to it, the drive to get away was beaten out of you as you blindly obeyed your master.

You had lost hope of rescue or even just the sweet relief of actual death, until the castle got raided by military. You fought against them by command of the vampire lord, but in a moment of clarity you ripped yourself free from the clawing grip it had on your mind. You pushed against your master, and killed them in their already injured state, granting you the freedom you had wanted for so long.

You still had your immortal strife, but now a free vampire spawn, you finally had a sense of will again, you had hope again. You didn't know why the military decided to spare you, they had butchered your brothers and sisters along with your creator, but someone took interest in you.

And free from one prison you went right into another.

It quickly became clear to you that their goal was to make you something short of a super soldier. Your vampirism gave you a heightened set of abilities, and with a few drawbacks they could utilize you well during missions. Despite your attempts of escape, your newly granted freedom was put on a new leash. You were given a handler, someone to train you into obedience as if you hadn't spent decades being under the control of a single person.

It didn't matter how much you protested; they were insistent that you owed them for "saving" you. So reluctantly you leaned into it, you found that you actually had a lot of fun on these types of missions they would send you on. You did various things; a lot of your time was spent on hunting other monsters like yourself. Both werewolves, vampires, witches, and other mythical creatures since you were much better at sniffing them out.

You proved yourself time and time again, and eventually you became rather trusted. Eventually you would outgrow your handler, unlike them you weren't burdened with aging mortality. So, every few decades, an accident or event would stage your death, and you'd come back under a new name and skillset.

Every single persona you carried got known around the military for different things, though they all had the monster hunting specialty in common. The only people knowing the truth being yourself and a select amount of your higher ups that handled you.

Now you've found yourself settled in your life in the military, it isn't what you expected but you deal with it easily enough. Until the call comes that you're going to be working with a certain Taskforce 141, and the group you meet change everything.

You're paired up with them for an indefinite amount of time, the goal being hunting a cult of monsters that's been stirring up things and risking the public eye figuring out about the existence of monsters. Laswell contacted your handlers for your assistance and thereby sort of became your new temporary handler. In the start she was the only one that knew of your vampirism, and you tried to keep it that way, but it was hard when the others were quite observant of their new addition to the team.

You get along just fine with them, there's a distance between you all at first. A professional distance that doesn't allow you to get to know them all too well. It's a distance you try to keep up, try to maintain but quickly crumbles when you find you enjoy their company a lot more than normal.

Soap always finds a reason to talk to you, either inquiring you about what you're doing or info dumping about his latest find. You allow him to stay, listening to his ramblings with a gentle smile on your face, as you continue typing up your report.

Gaz likes to engage you in different activities, be it card games, video games, training together. It's often paired with Soap and creates quite the chaotic environment, but one that never fails to make you laugh like you've never done before. You even start to suspect that the two of them are teaming up on getting you to open up to them.

Price has his way with complimenting you, he observes your work and your determination with great interest. He notices how much hard work you put into the missions and even outside of missions. He appreciates having someone who's so dedicated, but he also knows you can't possibly be resting enough and finds himself pulling you away from your work to have rest together, however that might be.

Ghost isn't as quick to accept you as the others, he respects you from a work standpoint but other than that there's something about you that doesn't sit right with him. He chalks it up to you just being an unpredictability, an uneven equation to the stability he's used to with the other 141 members. He genuinely tries to get closer with you when he sees how much the rest enjoy your company, but that uneasy feeling is still something he can't shake.

Ghost is probably the first to start suspecting things, maybe even fully figure it out. Everyone probably starts to notice things every now and then, they're smart men, they're hunting a cult of monsters that includes vampires, they know of some of the behaviors.

It also gets harder and harder for you to mask your instincts, the more comfortable you get with them the more you forget to be careful. You start feeling too safe with them, forgetting the fact of who you are. They start noticing how you don't really eat, at least never with them. Every time they invite you to join them, you find some convenient excuse.

Another thing they start to notice is your adverse nature to light. Your room always have the blinds closed and lights off. You gravitate towards the shadows, you feel more welcome in them, and Ghost swears that one time he saw your eyes glow red in the darkness.

Every time you're out in the sunlight, you wear extensive gear or covering clothes. Full balaclava, sunglasses, gloves, almost none of your skin is ever shown to the rays of the sun. The one time Soap asked you about it, you gave the excuse that your skin is just very sensitive to the sun, that you get sunburns easily because of sensitive skin and just prefer the shade.

Your heightened sensitivity is something Price and Ghost notices quick. Your sharp movements, your overly quick thinking, your stamina, and strength don't line up with the humanely possible. Not to mention the way you stare at blood a little too intensely when you come across it.

Whenever Price asks Laswell about you, every bit of information he gets out of her is vague and doesn't always add up. Even when he gets his hands on your file, and goes over it with the team, despite how impressive your record is, there are things on it that doesn't make sense with how long you've supposedly been alive.

The breakpoint happens when Gaz finds your stash of blood packs. He didn't even mean to be nosy in your room, but he was looking for something of his that you had borrowed, and stumbled upon them. His eyes wide as he looks back at you, the things he's been thinking, and the small whispers he's shared with the rest about you, now all confirmed to be true.

You try to talk him down, but you know by the way he looks at you that you're starting to form as a threat in his mind. He tries to get away, maybe to get backup or find something specific to defend himself with, but you manage to tackle him down. Not exactly helping his griping fear. Only then do you manage to talk him down, assure him that you aren't a threat and that you won't hurt anyone.

He leaves it reluctantly, mumbling agreeance, but you're aware that he's not going to keep it secret. It's just about who moves faster now. You like the relationship you've built with the 141, you're even starting to get through to Ghost, and it wasn't something you were keen on losing. So, Laswell calls a meeting, it was time to let them know.

Everyone gathers, confused at the sudden emergency meeting, except for Gaz who is staring you down, his leg bouncing furiously against the ground. You do your best to not look threatening, to prepare yourself for possible worse reactions.

"They're a vampire spawn," Laswell tells them, ”And they've been helping the military control the remaining monsters in the world for a very long time now." she states as if it's most normal thing in the world to have a free vampire spawn on your team you're supposed to trust. Though their response surprise you.

"We know"

At first you think you weren't quick enough, that Gaz got to them before you did. But you quickly find out most of them have been suspicious for months, and eventually came to terms with it. Gaz's outburst just stemmed from shock and impulse thinking. They all have quite a few questions, ranging from trivial to stupid and some just plain curiosity.

You're most surprised to find that they don't want to view you any different than they already have, that they enjoy your company just as much as you've enjoyed theirs. They still want to work with you, they still want to be around you. It makes your unbeating heart flutter, and your nonexistent blood rush in excitement of the future possibilities.

They've accepted you into their own little pack, you don't know it yet, but they've already claimed you as theirs. If they could have it their way, and they will, you won't be working for any other taskforce again in a very long time, and you think that this might just be the most interesting decade yet, in your long, long life.

I really wanna write more about this, vampire tropes always have me frothing at the mouth-

Sorry for the word vomit but i had to get this out my head, i can't be the only thinking about this, the potential-

[thirdsaltyhunter]

Hold Me Together

Dean Winchester x Reader (could be read as platonic or romantic)

Summary: you're having a hard time trying to hold it together after Bobby's death, but Dean's there to pick up the pieces

Warning: hurt/comfort, sweet Dean, character death, talk of death and depression, smoking, season 7 spoilers

A/N: this is written as a reader pov but it's more of an o/c just without a name, not proofread all mistakes are my own

Bobby had taken you in when you were a teenager. At fourteen your entire life had been upended. You lost your parents and any semblance of the normal life you had. Bobby had found you on a hunt and had taken you back to his home. You were hesitant to trust him and for the first few weeks you hardly talked, ate, or slept, still processing what had happened to you. At least processing the best a fourteen year old, with no prior knowledge of the hunting world, could.

Bobby was patient with you, gaining your trust and trying to get you to open up. He was hesitant to tell you about hunting and the world of the supernatural, but you were a curious kid and you started to read his lore books. After that you figured it out pretty quickly and took quite the interest in it. Many days, you spent reading about monsters and the paranormal. You learned about how to kill them and Bobby taught you how to protect yourself.

At the age of sixteen, you decided to become a hunter, against Bobby's wishes. You fit the bill of a hunter: no family, no friends, and a boat load of trauma. Despite how young you were, you were pretty good at killing monsters, given that you now had two years worth of knowledge about hunting and a lot of training.

Hunting became your life. You were on the road a lot of the time, but you would always come back to Bobby's house after every hunt and he would take care of you. Through him, you met Sam and Dean. You helped them find their dad and after he died you went quite a few hunts with them. Eventually you became close friends and hunting partners, being there when Sam died, when Dean came back from Hell, fighting side by side during the Apocalypse.

You were one little, messed-up family, brought together by the fact that Bobby was like a father to all of you. And now he was gone.

It had been almost two weeks since Bobby had passed away. You and the boys were holed up in Rufus's cabin in Montana, trying to deal with his death. You hadn't been sleeping, opting to stay busy to try and keep from breaking down. You had spent a lot of your time getting his affairs in order and calling the people closest to him to let them know what happened. As his adoptive daughter, you felt it was your duty.

When you weren't doing that, you were trying to figure out what the numbers he had scrawled on your hand meant. You had tried almost everything you could think of, bank numbers, passwords, lock codes. Nothing worked and it was driving you crazy.

You had been distant from the boys, even though you were all staying in the small cabin together, you were quiet and in your head most of the time. You knew they were worried about you, trying to get you to eat or sleep. They knew that you were the closest to Bobby out of the three of them and would take his death hard, but it surprised them that you never broke down, you just kept working.

But everyone break eventually. There's always that moment where everything hits. That is where you are now. Crying so hard it hurts and utterly exhausted.

Both the boys were gone, Sam had gone on a supply run and Dean had gone to give Bobby's mystery numbers to Frank to see if he could figure them out.

You sat crammed between the coffee table and the couch, knees to your chest, holding a picture of you and Bobby in one hand and a cigarette in the other. You don't even know what had started it, but you had just...broke. All the emotions you had been pushing back came to the surface all at once and now you had sat there and sobbed until your chest ached.

You didn't know how much time had passed when you heard the front door open. Lifting your head from your knees, you saw that Dean had walked through the door. You didn't want him to see you like this, you never really cried in front of him and certainly not sobbing like you were now. He hadn't seen you yet, given that you were on the floor, so you quickly wiped your tears. Maybe you could run to the bathroom before he saw your face.

Nope. As soon as he turned around, he locked eyes with you and you knew there was no way he wouldn't notice you had been crying. He noticed everything.

"Aw, Sweetheart," he said softly. Seeing your face, he crossed to room and moved to kneel beside you.

"I'm ok," you said and stood up, trying to brush him off. "I'm ok," you repeated, more to yourself, as you tried to will away your tears.

However, you couldn't hold back the fresh wave building behind your eyes. You let out a broken sob and your legs gave out on you, partially from the awkward angle you had been sitting at and partially from how exhausted you were.

Dean caught you before you could fall. "Ok, you're ok," he said, holding you to him with one arm as he took the photo and your cigarette from your hand and put it out in the ashtray.

Before you could protest, he had lifted you into his arms and move to lay on the couch with you on top of him. All you could do, was let the tears fall as you clung to his shirt and let him position you in a way that was comfortable.

"Shhh, I got you, it's ok," he soothed, wrapping you in his arms and running a hand up and down your back.

He didn't say anything other than whispered assurances, just letting your emotions run through you as he fought tears in his own eyes. After what felt like an eternity of crying and soaking his shirt, sleep finally pulled you under.

Sam walked through the door with an arm load of groceries. "Hey man, wha-" he stopped himself when himself when he saw his brother raise a finger to his lips and then point to you. Only then did the younger Winchester realize that you were asleep on top of his brother, wrapped in a blanket that Dean had pulled over you.

"She ok?" he mouthed, noting the solemn expression on his brother's face.

Dean shook his head 'no'.

"I'll make her some food, she needs to eat," Sam whispered, as to not wake you, and proceeded to make dinner as quietly as possible.

You felt a hand gently shaking your shoulder before you heard Dean's voice.

"Hey Sweetheart," he said, when your eyes finally peeled open. "Sammy made dinner." He hated having to wake you, but you had to be starving.

You nodded and untangled yourself from Dean's embrace. You really didn't want to leave the comfort of his arms, but your stomach was demanding food after so long without eating.

You went to the bathroom to wash the tears stains from your face before joining the boys at the kitchen table. Neither of them made you talk if you didn't want to, instead they made light conversation and tried to make you smile. You knew this was going to be a hard time on all of you, but you were eternally grateful to have them by your side.