#caelum butterfly

[froppy-butterflyfan2000]

Caelum the Defender, @n0r4g4m4’s Starco Kid.

[cecilioque]

[Lost Humanity]

Caelum is constantly weighed down by something he can't name. At times it manifests as discouragement or cynicism. It would be all too easy for him to just give up on people and isolate himself. Good thing Emerson is there to ground him and remind him that the future he fears is not a fact set in stone, but merely a possibility. And if we get caught up on the worst potential we lose sight of the wonderous things that could be.

It is all too easy to look at the future and see something dark and empty...but it isn't. We do what we can to do good, to bring attention to issues, to work towards a better future. It is a little light amidst the darkness. And while it can seem like a drop in the ocean; great storms made many rivers and broke down old mountains. Within the hopelessness, there will always be good and kindness, good people, and progress.

Emerson belongs to @fronomeeps . They are the main character of an indie game in development called Star Summit.

[sageteapost]

| Sweaters |

[ Noctis Lucis Caelum x M! Reader ]

CW + Tags: None, just fluff! A bit suggestive for a bit. (Established relationship. Male reader.) Summary: Your boyfriend has been wanting to cuddle with you all day. This time, however, he tries something different.

[(A/N): YEAHHH, something for the boys. This made my trans-masc heart so happy to write about. I love Noctis so much as well as the other boys, but there's so little stuff for the guys. Anyways, hope I cooked!]

"Damn, stop moving. I'm trying to cuddle you."

"Kinda hard to stay comfy when I'm being crushed, babe," you murmur into the large sweater Noctis stuffed you in with him. He thought it would be a fun idea to sleep together sharing a sweater.

On paper, it sounded great. Y'know, sharing a sweater with your boyfriend as you cuddled to sleep. Couple goals, right?

What you didn't count on was being crushed by your boyfriend from how tight he's holding you and the fact the sweater felt so suffocating. At least when you two cuddled together, you could spread out a bit and not feel like you're overheating.

Plus, every time you moved; you would unintentionally (or intentionally) wiggle against Noct. And that's a whole different can of worms.

Noct, who seemingly noticed your bashfulness, couldn't help but smirk a bit. "What's that, is my boyfriend embarrassed?" he teased softly, his pointer finger lightly tracing patterns along the skin of your arm. "We've been dating for, what, six months now?"

"Aw shut up babe," you reply with a small huff, though it had no malice. He chuckled softly, kissing your shoulder, settling his chin right there.

For a while, the two of you stayed that way. Mumbling about the day and other random topics that came to mind. Plus, it was a good way to unwind and send you both to dreamland.

And just as you were about to fall asleep, Noct quietly says, "..Hey babe?"

"Yeah?"

"I... still can't believe I get to call you mine. But I love you, so fucking much," he replies in that soft and vulnerable tone only you got to hear.

It was moments like these made you swoon for him in the first place. Despite all of the teases and jabs at you and each other, he felt so happy and safe around you. And it made you feel so happy to see him so open with you and your relationship.

With a gentle and loving smile, your lips grace his knuckles, a gesture that would bring him butterflies (no matter how he tried to deny it).

"I love you too, hun. More than you could ever imagine, don't you dare forget that."

A smile grew Noct's face, as he curls up closer to you like a cat seeking warmth. And soon, after some gentle kisses, the two of you fall asleep. Like peas in a pod.

...Honestly, this sweater idea wasn't so bad after all.

[no-see-um-incorrect]

Demon baby fever

⚠️Babies⚠️ lack there of being able to conceive child⚠️ slight NSFW because Gavin⚠️

No proofread 



Gavin and Freelancer were at the park waiting for their friends to go on a hike freelancer was feeding breadcrumbs to the birds, and Gavin was standing by a tree, taking a photo. All is well and good until he hears a little voice

“cuse me!” Gavin looks around before looking down. In front of him, there’s a little girl. no older than four. She was wearing a pastel pink dress, covered in flowers with little butterfly clips throughout her dark curls.

“Cuse me!” she repeated.“are you lost? little one” Gavin replied confused but amused at the child’s pronunciation 

“Your verry pwetty!” The little girl bounced on her tiptoes, with a joyful smile. Which made Gavin's heart squeeze.

“Why thank you. You're a little princess peach yourself”

“Tank You sir!” Gavin here’s an older woman’s voice calling “Delaney! You gotta stay by Mama baby!” The little girl looks back at Gavin and waves goodbye before running back to her mom. Gavin looks and sees the little girl's mom sitting on a blanket on the grass with a smaller baby crawling around in front of her.

Ah yes. babies 

One of the most confusing forms of humans.

Gavin stood there and thought about it for a few minutes. he’s seen photos of his friends and even his partner as little squishy babies. and his heart fills up every time. Similar to seeing a puppy, or a kitten.

He and freelancer had babysat for some friends in the past. And every time it was the same feeling. The baby would smile and giggle. and Gavin's heart would squeeze. and his smile would grow. The best example of this feeling would be their empathy demon Bestie Caelum.

Gavin thought about when he would come to visit and how he would ask to do Gavin’s hair. And They would sit in front of the TV and eat snacks until freelancer would come home and see them cuddling passed out on the couch. Or how anytime Caelum would be upset Gavin would give him a big hug and a kiss on the forehead telling him everything was gonna be OK.

He was so occupied with his thoughts he didn’t even realize freelancer was calling him 

“GAVIN!” he snapped out of it and looked to see Freelancer, signaling him over “The boys just got here! You good?” “I’m fine deviant just lost in. Thought is all”

The hike continued. The group was walking  enjoying the scenery. Gavin and Huxley being a little further behind. Huxley was paying close attention to the flowers and the vines. Gavin was simply lost in thought.

“you good Gavin?” Huxley nudged his shoulder as they kept walking “What?. oh. I’m fine just thinking” “about what? If you don’t mind me asking” “……babies” Huxley cocked his head like a confused puppy “Babies? Like human babies?” “Yes. I have been seeing babies and younger kids a lot recently. Freelancer says that that’s common in the spring. but it’s weird” “Weird how?” Gavin hesitates before speaking “Babies are like little confused. Adorable filterless creatures, and every time I see one, it makes my heart squeeze” Huxley thinks for a moment “….. so like baby fever?” Gavin gives him a slightly concerned look “…..what does that mean?” “at least how my moms described it. Baby fever is when you see a really cute baby or really cute baby-related things and it makes you want one. My mom always described it as babies giving your heart a little hug”

Then it clicked.

“I’ll think about that. Thank you” “No problem dude!”

They continued to hike until sundown then they headed back to their cars. After saying goodbye Gavin and freelancer left for home.

The car ride home was silent for about five minutes until 

“freelancer…..I want a baby” Freelancer slowly opens their mouth, letting it hang a gap before speaking “i’msorryWhat?” “you heard me a baby….a mini squishy deviant with horns”

Freelancer sat there completely flabbergasted 

“……how long have you been thinking about this?” “Well, I’ve noticed it for quite a while but didn’t have a name for the feeling until now. I want a baby” freelancer quickly looks down at Gavin's crotch before looking at their own and then looking up at the road

“Gavin…..honey….do you know how mortal babies are conceived?……we can’t….do that…” “Then let’s do it like Huxley’s moms” “baby that takes a lot of time and money and research…and I’m still in school…”

Freelancer catches a quick glance at Gavin’s face. “I…um..hey….I would love to have a family. Especially a family with you so……let’s sleep on it OK” Freelancer puts a hand on Gavin’s thigh and Gavin looks up at them with bright eyes “Let’s give it a week and if you’re still thinking about it… then will do some research for a little further in the future….ok” “You don’t have to say that if you don’t want one deviant” “No Gavin. It’s a really good idea. I just haven’t thought about it much at all..but that’s definitely a conversation that we should have just…..maybe not while I’m driving”

Gavin nodded. And the car ride continued as normal. when they got home and were getting ready for bed the conversation continued.

“so Huxley told you about baby fever?” Gavin laid down and arched his back into a stretch “I thought it was some form of human illness until he explained it” “You know I didn’t even know demons could get baby fever..” “Oh, deviant~ I do remember me saying, in the heat of passion that I wanted to Breed yo-UGH” Before he could finish freelancer shoved a pillow in his face  “That’s enough of that! I have class in the morning!” “Well just know. It was always on the table~” Freelancer turns off the lamp and lays next to him, resting their head on his chest

“good night my love”

“Good night baby”

“also let it be known that we would have the cutest Kids”

“goodnight Gavin.”

————————————————————————

as someone who can’t have children, and has no desire to have a child. This one was not easy to write. so forgive me if it’s dumb.

TAG: @puffin-smoke @froggytimemachineinternet @evansotherthoughts @themeridian

I forgot to tag someone I’m sorry 



[jpegelf]

waiting for the butterfly. gen_and_caelum_files

oc belongs to @aurorartz, the bestie. gen is yapping to caelum about something cool that valheri did, hehe.

[who-knew-a-sheep-can-write]

Reunions: Older!Noctis Caelum x Fem!Reader (NSFW)

Contains: Reunion sex, Noctis lives, vaginal fingering, soft sex

You stumbled into the room, nearly tripping over your wobbling heels and the long petticoat and skirt. Whipping your head around, you swallowed thickly as you watched Noctis shut the door behind him, turning the heavy lock until it clicked in place before turning to meet your gaze. His ocean blue eyes were dark, glazed over with lust, pupils blown so wide that they nearly swallowed those beautiful irises of his.

You couldn’t help but feel excited. The butterflies in your stomach were fluttering, you swore you could hear them. Your heart was beating against your chest, your brain was running in a maze of fog.

The music was still raging on behind that door that Noctis blocked with his body, you both could hear the orchestra clashing and playing beautifully for the dancing crowd from where Noctis had pulled you out of. In a crowd as thick as that one, everyone dancing and laughing and drinking in celebration that the king is back, he could still pick you out of the group with such ease.

Even after all of these years, the passion you both had for each other had yet to settle, only growing like a sylleblossom bush.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were here?” Noctis broke the tense silence in the room first. His eyes were trained on you, practically undressing you. He hadn’t seen you since Lestallum over ten years ago; In his eyes, you really didn’t change at all - you were still as beautiful as ever. “Gladio, Ignis, Prompto?”

“I almost didn’t come, if I’m being honest.” Saying those words hurt your heart, dulling the butterfly tingling sensations in your gut just a bit. You saw the look of carnal hunger soften quickly in Noctis’ eyes, dark eyebrows pinching together. “I thought you wouldn’t have remembered-”

“I did,” he cut you off. “I still do. I remember everything.” Noctis took a few steps forward towards you, with every step he took it made your heart beat loud in your ears like a tightened drum. Even as he stood before you, you still felt like a giddy school girl. “Of course, I remember you. It’s impossible to forget someone like you, I could never forget.”

You felt tears stinging at the back of your eyes like glass shards. Your throat tightened up and your chest had started to ache. Just the look of worry overtaking Noctis’ face was enough to make your heart start to break.

Even though you both hadn’t seen each other in ten years, he was still as handsome as ever. He still had those dazzling eyes that rivaled royal jewelry, he still had those boyish good looks that aged like fine wine, and he still had those tender moments that made you fall in love with him all those years ago. Even while standing before you, you knew exactly what you both wanted to do.

Noctis had reached a hand out, carefully taking your hand in his. He glanced down as he carded his fingers with yours, locking your hands together. He missed this. He missed you; So much that it fucking hurt. It was almost like it wasn’t real at first. Even with your skin pressed against his, it almost felt too real to even be real. Even as you’re standing before him, your warm flesh touching his, your perfume in his nose, your voice in his ears, he almost believed it all to be lies.

Noctis reached his other hand up, brushing his knuckles against your face, moving the stray hairs out of your face allowing him to see how well you’ve aged. His hand rested on your jaw, his thumb on your chin as he tilted your head up to really look him in the eye. He felt his chest starting to tighten with emotions digging up the past ten years he’d spent all alone.

“You’re just as beautiful as I remember,” he murmured.

The emotional dams had broken on both sides as tears started to fall. Your hands had grabbed onto Noctis’ coat, dragging him in as close as your bodies would allow as he connected your lips in a desperate kiss. His hand that was now empty grabbed onto your back, fingers tangling with your hair and pressed your head as close to his as he could. You both moaned into the kiss, the taste of salt slipping in from where your tears had met your lips. You grabbed at more of his coat, nearly tearing apart the expensive material from just how tightly you’d been holding it when you both had started to move before you even realized what was actually going on.

Your feet moved backwards, the two of you stumbling around the room until your ass had struck a lounge chair. You both tumbled down, your back landing against the stiff padding while Noctis braced himself on top of you, the kiss breaking for just a moment as you both looked at each other stunned.

“Noctis,” you whimpered. Your body felt like it was on fire, like you were a diseased woman and the only cure was the king now propped up above you. “I missed you, I need you.”

His hands snatched at the damned petticoats you had under that dress of yours - Astrals, you looked so radiant in this dress, Noctis almost didn’t want to remove it - and bunched them up at your waist. You eagerly grabbed onto them, helping him lift up your skirt at the same time, pooling everything just under your breasts. You shivered as Noctis’ hands gently caress your thighs, the once familiar feeling of his cool hands on your warm skin brought back such great memories. He hesitated, fingers curling up instead of re-exploring lands he’s ventured across before, and looked up at you with those beautiful eyes of his.

“Can I?” he asked in such a small voice, you barely heard it over the music still going on in the ballroom outside.

Your mouth had gone dry so you nodded quickly, swallowing thickly as your body hummed in excitement.

“Please,” you managed to croak out.

His slender fingers wrapped around the hemline of your panties which were starting to get wet before he slowly dragged them down your parted legs and eventually off of your person. Noctis hummed softly, his fingers were cool to the touch when they slowly stroked at your pussy. His fingertips slipped between your folds as if they were rose petals, soft and delicate and seemingly dripping with honey he so desperately wanted to taste. You sighed contently, sparks connecting in your nerves like long awaited surges of power, your eyes fluttered shut as you struggled to take in full breaths. You swore you would cum just from Noctis carefully fingering you alone. He slipped in another finger, both digits teasing at your slick entrance before delving in like they did once upon a time. He remembered how you felt, how you tasted, he swore he could already taste it without his tongue even touching you. He curled his fingers inside of you, drawing out a high-pitched whine from your throat as your eyes nearly rolled into the back of your head.

Noctis withdrew his fingers after another moment, mesmerized by the slick that coated his two fingers before licking your sweet nectar right off of them. Your eyes connected once more, you could see the carnal intentions bubbling to the surface once again in those galactic blues.

“You taste just as sweet as I remember, too.”

You couldn’t help the heat that rose to your face, turning your head away as your face felt flushed from how sweet and how soft Noctis was being with you right now. You knew what he wanted to do to you, hell, you wanted him to do it too! But he’s taking his time, he wants to take his time.

His hands had started on his belt, fingers unlatching the silver clasp and unweaving the expensive black leather from the loops of his dress pants before dropping it to the floor with your wet panties. His fingers quickly fumbled with the front of his pants, undoing the buttons and peeling down the zipper to show off the erection that Noctis had been hiding under his clothing shockingly well. Your eyes widened at the sight of the bulge, your cunt cried for it.

Noctis slipped himself out of his underwear, fingers wrapping around his shaft and head and pumping his cock once, twice, three times before he guided it across your dripping pussy. You whimpered as you felt it tap at your passage, wincing at the painful stretch and quickly sighing at the overwhelming pleasure that filled your core without a second thought.

Noctis groaned loudly above you, his hands flying to your hips to steady himself, his hair falling in front of his face.

It was a good thing that the orchestra outside was still raging on and the crowd had still yet to notice that he had long since slipped out.

[sirowsky-stories]

The Old Prince

Part 10

Author's Note: I had hoped to post this on Friday, but a pesky work-weekend got in the way. Also, this was one of those chapters that never wanted to end! Which is why it's easily the biggest one yet.

Description: Your confrontation with Simon reveals some very big obstacles. (Sorry, it's a bit short, I don't wanna spoil anything.)

Rating: Mature 18+ONLY Warnings: Monster Oberyn Martell x Female Reader, AU fic, obviously Halloween themed, reader cusses. Smut. And a kinda weird situation occurring in relation to the smut. Word Count: 9862 Author's Masterlist

   He reacts to the name as if he too remembers it, and somewhere deep within him, a rumbling which could rival even the toughest thunder starts to build.    It’s so immense that the very air vibrates with it, and when he opens his jaws to release it, you can hardly believe what you’re seeing when actual lightning accompanies the flame of magmatic intensity, destroying trees and unnatural creatures alike everywhere it goes.

   Then, just as your hope rekindles with the apparent shift of odds into your favor, the dying flames reveal that the spirits have finally arrived. But the reason for their tardiness becomes painfully obvious when you realize they’ve all been corrupted.    No longer the lightly glowing figures of mystical energies, they now appear to be solid, straining under their own weight, looking as though something’s tried to rip them apart, leaving strangely thick black smoke pluming out of their open wounds.

   Positioning themselves in a circle around the two of you, their new master commands them to destroy, and as if they’ve become puppets on strings, they obey without hesitation.    The polar bear, Ursa, is supposed to be able to freeze things at will, but her powers have also been mutated, so when she tries to create frozen spikes, like spears out of the ground, what happens instead is that she cleaves the ground, creating massive crevasses from which more roots and evil beings spring.

   Lupus normally channels the power of the earth to make things grow, and she still does, except there’s only darkness to feed. Only the destructive and malicious beings brought to life by the Darkling are aided by her efforts, doubling in size in mere seconds.    Meanwhile, Caelum is generating multiple twisters where she would ordinarily only manage to spark sudden microbursts for a few minutes at a time. The butterfly is somehow creating toxic spores where she would usually just be able to pollinate anything that grows.

   How Octopus is managing on land you have no idea, but she’s covering everything she touches with some kind of corrosive grey slime, which is especially bad considering the area she can affect with her size and the reach of her tentacles.    The bat’s normal power is giving sight to those who wander in the dark, but she’s now creating clouds made of soot, removing all visibility wherever she flies. Although she’s struggling so badly against the forces of gravity, usually not able to affect her much at all, that she’s barely able to get off the ground.

   Scarabaeus is supposed to be able to move through any solid structures, but her corrupted form is instead incapable of remaining solid at all, changing from liquid to gaseous form at random, which also has the very disturbing effect of leaving anything she passes through, completely disemboweled.    As for the deer, Cervus, who’s original power is the absorption of both energy and matter, she seems to be in a state of continuous implosion, like a star perpetually about to collapse, sucking everything into its core to be crushed.

   In your human form, you’ve never met the spirit of summer before, although you do know her from your other life. She’s easily the largest of the land-living spirits, rivalling Oberyn’s green dragon, although her current mass is much more concentrated than his was.    Also, she wouldn’t normally have much mass at all. But tonight, her might has been transformed from a benign gigantic horse, capable of bringing warmth even to the coldest of places, into a burning demon, seemingly made of oil.

   They attack without any coordination, or pre-determined plan of any kind, it seems, coming at Tyrannus from all angles at once. His size puts them at a disadvantage since only the flying ones can reach further up his body than his legs, but they’re unfortunately also highly tolerant to his flame, even with the lightning.    His scales are thick, though, shielding him from their mutated powers, leaving him mostly concerned with keeping you out of their reach.

   You know that even Lux has never witnessed all the spirits succumb to the dark one’s power before, because it’s never been allowed to get this far. But Simon’s clever deceit must’ve blinded them until it was already too late. Which begs the question:    Why are you not turning dark as well?    If the Darkling can have such a crippling effect on all the others, how is it you’re not feeling so much as a tingle in your fingertips?

   It could be your connection to Oberyn, since love is still more powerful than anything, but the more you think about it, the more it seems like it’s your human form which shields you from his influence.    Strangely, it makes a lot of sense. Because ordinary humans can’t see or be directly harmed by spirits, so logically, your alter ego should be impervious to his manipulation.

   However, your body might not be safe from his powers or the spirits’ ability to cause you serious physical harm.    You have demonstrated that you’re capable of incredible healing, but you don’t know how far that reaches. Even Oberyn isn’t completely immortal, so it stands to reason you might have a few limitations as well.

   He moves incredibly fast despite his size, having lost none of his usual agility since his body is still the same snakelike shape. So, even though his enemies are repeatedly attacking him from all sides, he manages to evade them while striking both punches and flames at them, slowing them down if not seriously damaging them.    Until Caelum manages to slip past his limbs and teeth, using one of her twisters as camouflage.

   Staying in your blind spot, she sinks her claws into your back before you’ve had a chance to notice her, and aside from the fact that having your skin ripped open is always terribly painful, it seems that the black oily stuff which covers them all is also either poisonous or acidic when it enters your blood. Because holy fuck, does it sting.    You’re already laying down as flat over the base of the dragon’s neck as you can manage, but the sharp, lasting pain makes you lose your grip just as Oberyn turns sharply to the left.

   “Kaivalya!” you hear a thunderous roar exclaim while you’re falling through the air, which confuses you.

   He can’t speak. Not as himself or as Tyrannus, his mouth and throat are incapable of forming words, so how did that just happen?

   It doesn’t matter much anymore when you realize you’re falling much further than what should be ground level, which must mean you’re careering into one of the many crevasses Ursa’s made in her attempts to unbalance the dragon.    Your front is facing up, so you can see the darkened sky as you continue to fall, until you drop far enough that the edges of the abyss come into view, crawling with roots and other malicious things, feeding off the conflict and the violence above.

   Then suddenly, a bright white tail is breaking through the increasing darkness around you. It effortlessly breaks through the meager defenses put up by the wormlike appendages of this evil Earth, reaching you with such speed and forcefulness that it sends you hurtling upwards instead, as though you were a tennis ball and his tail the racket.    And once you’re back above ground, easily reaching a thousand feet height at the crescent before you begin to fall back down, all three of the flying spirits are converging on you.

   A twister forms right beside you, sucking you in and then spitting you out even higher up, before Vespertilio sends a cloud of absolute darkness around you.    You know you’re far enough up that Oberyn has to fly to reach you, and if he was, his wings would create a thunderous sound as they beat against the air and the atmosphere, and you can’t hear anything like that.    But you can hear the rapid, strained flaps of the bat’s wings as it struggles to get to you.

   The darkness is so thick you can’t see your hands in front of your face, but you can feel that you’re once again falling and without seeing, you have no way of knowing how long it’ll take before you hit the ground.    Can you survive a broken neck? You don’t know. Just like you don’t know what happens if you get torn to pieces by the spirits. You might simply revert to your spirit form, but then that would likely make you corruptible again.    And maybe that’s exactly what Simon is after. Maybe all this is just about darkening you, because if he can do that, then there won’t be any more hope for the world.

   A sound reaches you from somewhere below, and then a strong huff of warm air disperses the cloud underneath you, letting you see that you’re still hundreds of feet from the ground. But you also see a pair of bright blue eyes, which then quickly disappear from your view when the largest jaws ever to exist on this planet are opened wide, right beneath you.

   “Trust me,” the same rumbling voice as before sounds, even though his mouth hasn’t moved.

   But it’s him. Either inside your head or somehow speaking to you through the ether, but you know without a doubt it’s your Oberyn.    And you do trust him. Which is why you let yourself fall forwards, straightening your arms out in front of you, turning your body into a spear so you’ll fall quicker.    It’s not without fear you pass his rows of giant teeth, falling paralleled to his tongue and heading right for his throat, held perfectly straight to facilitate your journey into his stomach, but he must have a plan.

   He closes his jaws in the same moment you reach the bottom of his mouth, and everything becomes pitch black.    You can feel your body continue to fall, even as the walls of his throat begin to close around you, slowing your descent surprisingly gently. And before you know it, you’re at the bottom. Although, it’s not how you might’ve imagined a dragon’s stomach might look, if you’d ever had the crazy idea to imagine being swallowed by one.

   There’s no fluid in there at all, to help break down your components and extract the nutrients from your body. And it’s anything but dark.    Just like with humans, his stomach sits adjacent to his lungs, so when the fire is sparked, his entire torso is lit up internally.    You can only see the shine, nothing of what else is actually inside of him, but it’s kinda beautiful.

   There’s an intricate and very symmetrical network of veins within the lining of the stomach, and when the fire illuminates them, the heat within his blood makes them glow. And yet, the temperature inside remains unchanged. Probably around forty degrees Celsius, feverishly warm for a human, which is how Oberyn has always seemed to you.    However, the sounds he makes are even louder in here, so when he suddenly roars, you’re instantly on your knees and doing your best to cover your ears, hoping your eardrums haven’t already burst.

   “Stop!” you try to yell when it never seems to end, but you can’t even hear yourself over the deafening vibrations.

   Apparently though, he can, because he immediately goes quiet, and then that deep voice finds you again.

   “Are you alright, my lady?”

   You must be hearing him inside your mind somehow, because even if you haven’t already gone deaf, your ears can’t possibly have recovered enough for you to hear normally yet.

   “No!” you half-shriek, confirming at least partial damage to your auditory system because you can hardly hear your own voice. “Keep it down, you just blew my ears out!��

   “Oh… My apologies. In my defense, I have never done this before.”

   “No shit…”

-=<>=-=<>=-=<>=-

   He knows you will be safe within him as this much older dragon ate only stone and magma to support his being when there was no other life on this world yet. It has no means of digesting human tissues and bones, nor the need for it.    From the beginning of this battle, the spirits have aimed almost exclusively at you, leading him to the conclusion that Simon has no interest in him, merely in acquiring the last free spirit and completing the Darkling curse.

   If this happens, the entire planet will become as the North American continent in a matter of minutes. All of it consumed by death, darkness and despair, with no hope or end in sight. And without Lux to bring back the sun, it will likely remain so for thousands of years.    Tyrannus is too powerful even for all of them combined to vanquish, but Oberyn is equally unable to annihilate Simon while the spirits fight for him, so until the two of you can discover how to liberate The Decem from the dark one’s sickening grasp, the best he can do is keep you safe.

   Gambling on the notion that these debased beings all seem unwilling to stray too far away from the group, he remains airborne after swallowing you, intent on leaving the scene as quickly as he can.    Of course, Caelum, Vespertilio and Papilio do not approve of this plan, and follow as he departs due east, back towards the coast.

   Their perverted powers are thrown recklessly in his path, the desperation to not disappoint their master now the single goal of their altered reality.    But their quarry is not only much larger than before. He is also armored with scales so thick not even the pressure and heat of the planet’s core could undo him, leaving their mediocre displays of strength little more than an irritation to his ascent.

   His theory about their tendency to remain with the group prove accurate when the three flying spirits veer off and return to the blackened landscape before he’s even left the American continent. This thought, however, offers him no peace. For they are stronger as a group, and the longer they remain so, they will fuel and feed the growing energies of hate and depravity until it eventually transforms them completely.

   They are still only darkened versions of their original selves, but if Simon has his claws embedded within them for long enough, he will turn their hearts to stone, and then they shall truly become the monstrosities of men’s most feared nightmares.    If this comes to pass, they will never again be returned to their former glory, no matter how much light you might shine upon them. And without them, the world will never truly recover.

   He heads northeast across the Atlantic, flying fast and very high now that you are travelling safely hidden from the extreme temperatures and lack of oxygen. The sky is remarkably clear once he leaves the ashes and unnatural darkness of America behind, and he wishes that you could see the beauty of the world from the thermosphere, nine kilometers above the surface.    As Lux, you probably have, but as a human, you never could.

   And there is something truly beautiful within such fragility.

   It doesn’t take long once he returns to the more familiar troposphere, before he is joined by yet more man-made flying machines, although this time, they wisely keep their distance and merely follow his journey, rather than attempt another confrontation.    Oberyn is glad for this, because aside from the fact that he does not wish to harm them, they may also become most important to the survival of the world, as even their relatively small firepower could prove crucial within the larger picture of this war.

   So, he makes no attempt to frighten them, flying calmly even as they dare a closer look.    Despite their oxygen masks, he can see their eyes quite clearly, and when one of the pilots pulls up alongside him, he can see how she tries to measure him from nose-tip to tail-end, raising her eyebrows in disbelief at whatever number she settles on.    He estimates roughly five hundred yards himself.

   These are British RAF fighters, which must mean that word of his existence has spread since his latest encounter with such crafts. Although, they all probably think there are two dragons at this point, as there is little resemblance between Tyrannus and his comparably puny longtime green alter ego.

   Whatever they believe is irrelevant. So long as he must not fight both humans and dark souls the world’s armies may create their own explanations for his presence. He requires only that they act to protect their lands, as even a small grenade lobbed at the spreading weeds of death will slow their advancement somewhat.    For now, the darkness is contained on the North American continent, unable to spread further until the air and the oceans have also been sufficiently infected. But it is only a matter of time.

   As he crosses over the British Isles, a warm updraft fills his wings, allowing him to soar effortlessly. Which is good since just one flap of his enormous wings will displace enough air to potentially create massive wind-shifts on the ground below.    The warm air sits lower in the atmosphere, however, leaving him quite visible to anyone who happens to look high enough, and given the sudden changes in the sounds he can hear from down there, at least some people do spot him.

   To that end, the fighter planes are no help, as their noisy engines easily draw people’s eyes upwards, but again, this is largely irrelevant.    Unless the two of you can discover how to defeat Simon, these people will know of worse things than dragons soon enough.    Dodging numerous commercial jets at various altitudes as he crosses directly above Manchester, Oberyn then leaves Great Britain behind, heading for the quieter skies of the Nordic countries.

   The RAF apparently are not cleared to continue following him into Norwegian airspace, veering off well before he crosses over land again.    For a moment, he amuses himself by imagining the communication between these pilots and Norwegian air traffic control, because he could picture how it must have sounded if they requested permission to continue following a dragon into Norway’s domain.

   Once certain he is alone, he finds a nice large mountaintop with a solid flat surface and sets down as gently as he can to avoid kicking off a rockslide.    You have been quiet since he accidentally broke your eardrums, and he hopes you will have healed already, but he worries that the injury might have nothing to do with your lack of interaction.

   “Valya?” he prods, keeping his volume low, and he can feel how you begin to move inside of him.

   “Yeah?” you reply, and you sound mostly tired.

   “We are safe for now. Would you like to come out?”

   “That depends… Would I be going back up, or continuing further down?”

   “Up, of course, my dear.”

   “Okay, just tell me what to do,” you sigh, but it is clear from your tone that you were only asking about the direction as a way of relieving tension.

   “I would prefer not to regurgitate you, but if I lay my head down and keep my body standing, you should be able to crawl out on your own.”

   “Alright, give it a try.”

   He does as he has suggested, and then experience the peculiar sensation of what a human might compare to an ant trying to crawl out of their throat.    It tickles, but not enough to cause him discomfort, and before long he can feel your footsteps pattering over his tongue and then climbing past the row of teeth on his lower jaw, before a muted thud lets him know you have hit the ground.    Closing his mouth and raising his head enough that he can see the ground directly before him, he finds you brushing snow off your pants, and you appear unharmed.

   “How are your ears?” he asks, and you stop moving to meet his eyes.

   “Better. But how am I hearing you? Is this some kind of telepathy?”

   “No, not quite. As I understand it, this is only possible between the two of us, and only because of the unique bond we now share.”

   “Right. Which bond, though? I can think of at least two.”

   “Love and Tyrannus?” he guesses, to which you nod, so he elaborates. “All these years, you’ve carried the white dragon within you, unknowingly becoming one with it, so familiar with its energy that you didn’t even realize it when you began to feed it to me. Because to your heart, there is no distinction. We are the beings you love, and we love you equally.”

   “Do you feel different? I mean, like there’s two of you in there?”

   “Tyrannus has not been alive for eons. He is only energy now. But I do feel some things so deeply engraved into his soul they cannot be erased. His anger… and his hope. Mere echoes now, and yet, so undeniably clear.    He was truly mighty.”

   “So are you, Oberyn,” you say softly, smiling slightly as you admire his new form, before you seem to will yourself to return to darker matters. “Unfortunately, we have less pleasant things to talk about, starting with where we are.”

   “I believe it’s called the Scandes. The mountain range between Norway and Sweden.”

   “Okay. And why are we here?”

   “Because we need to think, and this place is quiet. This far north there’s hardly any air traffic and aside from the occasional hiker, not a lot of people. This time of year, it is a bit cold, but nothing I cannot shield you from.    I have wandered these hills and mountains many times in my life, and they have always helped to soothe my worries.”

   “I believe you. I feel calmer already. And it does seem prudent to steer clear of the States until we at least have a plan.”

   You cross your arms over your waist but then remember that you are still wearing the same torn clothes as before, and this seems to deflate your energy somehow.

   “So, can you still change back, or will all that,” you gesture to his general enormity, “not fit within the human form anymore?”

   “It will. Although I am hesitant to leave us so vulnerable. My human form is still the weakest part of me.”

   “And who’s gonna come after us here?”

   “It is the threats one doesn’t see coming that are the most dangerous.    But I see your point.”

   Strangely, it feels exactly the same to return to this shape despite the extreme change he has undergone. The dragon folds away as fluently and easily as it always has.    But it does throw him for a moment, to suddenly lose the higher perspective, and he hadn’t considered just how much better Tyrannus’ senses are. He feels almost blind at first, even though his own senses are still far superior to ordinary humans.

   “Are you alright?” you ask, noticing his disorientation.

   “Yes. Just slightly jarred. The difference in size is a bit befuddling at first.”

   “I’m sure it is, but at least I can hug you now,” you say while closing the distance between you and wrapping your arms around him in a firm embrace.

   “Oh, I have missed this,” he admits while he mirrors you, breathing in your scent once more and relishing in the feeling of your body pressed against his.

   In that regard, there is no comparison. Nothing ever feels as good as your skin against his own, no matter how incredible the dragon’s senses are.

   “It’s hard to believe it was still just this morning that we woke up together in your bed. I mean, we’ve been jumping between time zones, so the actual hours might be more, but it’s still the same date.”

   “Indeed. How strange that everything seemed so simple then,” he observes, recalling the hours he spent watching you sleep, thinking of nothing but you and how you make him feel.

   His entire world had fit into that bed in those precious, serene hours.

   “Fucking Simon…” you growl after a minute, pulling away from him as your stress once again increases. “I can’t believe he manipulated all the spirits. I mean, I know they’re emotionally driven, but aren’t they supposed to have better instincts than to be fooled by a Darkling?”

   “Well, no, actually,” he replies simply, to which you seem quite perplexed, so he continues. “The only way for any spirit to discern the presence of a Darkling is by the effect it has on the world. To find the being itself, only its capacity to see and interact with them is what provides them a definitive answer.    They can immediately sense if darkness is tainting the world, and where, but they rely on evil to reveal itself, as it always does.”

   “Wait… that would mean Simon must’ve understood more about them from the start than any other dark one before him, to let him use their blind spots against them like that.    But I don’t get it. He said he’d been practicing, using his powers, honing them for a long time. How could he do that without them reacting to it, at some point?”

   “How he knew about his powers I cannot fathom. No Darkling is born with this understanding. However, if he discovered a way to use them without allowing them to infect anything, then it is possible The Decem were unable to detect it.”

   “Not even Caelum? She can’t just sense darkness in the air somehow?” you wonder, getting frustrated enough to start pacing around him, but remaining close since his warmth is all that shields you from the Nordic winter chill.

   “No. Only if that power manages to dilute the air, as it now has over the American continent,” he answers, and you throw your arms out to the sides in a gesture which he interprets to be burgeoning anger at Simon’s apparent advantages.

   He understands your feelings, especially since you cannot recall any of the details surrounding the spirits and their capabilities, but unfortunately, your foe is the very worst this world has to offer.    As much as he wishes to shield you, he must also make sure you realize exactly what it is you are up against.

   “I don’t know if you noticed, but the clouds there are no longer clouds, just dead spores and ashes, remnants of nature now reduced to particles of death. And once he gathers enough of them, he can send those clouds across the seas to infect other parts of the world.    In time, his evil will turn all oceans into vast fields of mud and oil, impossible to travel over or through, filled with the same mutated monstrosities we saw over there. And eventually, the air will be so thick with these ashes that no sunlight will reach us anymore, at which point… salvation will no longer be possible.”

   You stop pacing then, once more wrapping your arms around yourself as if the winds have sent a chill through you, despite the heat he radiates towards you.    There is fear in your eyes as you are probably imagining the world his words are painting for you, but you bite it back, determined to find a solution.

   “So, what can we do? How do we stop him? Because I doubt we can save the spirits without first freeing them from his darkness.”

   “You are correct. Only the destruction of the Darkling will end his reign.    Unfortunately, aside from the spirits, I know of nothing which can kill him,” he admits, but you are undeterred by this.

   “You were there when they killed the last one, right?” you recall, to which he merely nods since he can guess where you are going with this. “So, how did they do it?”

   Oberyn has avoided visiting the details of this memory for a very long time, but you are right to ask this question, as even though the spirits are not going to be able to help you this time, their methods might reveal some useful information.

   “It happened nearly four millennia ago. He was a simple farmer, a good man by all accounts. Until a conflict in their settlement broke out and his wife and two children became the victims of circumstance.”

   “The Darkling had a family?” you skeptically question.

   “Unlike Simon, they are usually unaware of the evil within until something happens to them which is so painful that their souls are torn apart. This unleashes the darkness and forever destroys the person they once were.    This man went from a loving husband and father to a vicious beast, holding nothing back and sparing no one from his rage. He turned the lands upon which he had lived from a jungle teeming with life, into a pit of death into which countless thousands of people and animals were pulled and tortured to death. He had no wish to corrupt them or turn them into evil beings, he merely wished for all things to die as painfully as anything can.    Today, the place is known as the Lonar crater of southern India, but it was neither made by a meteor strike, nor as long ago as science estimates.”

   “His evil created a crater?”

   “When living things rooted to the ground are tainted with darkness, they spread it through the bedrock in search of other things to infect, which can lead to the collapse of entire mountains, given enough time.”

   “How much time?” you ask, and he can see in your eyes that you are worried about how long it might take before Simon’s evil will create eternal scars upon the Earth.

   “This Darkling reigned for three centuries before The Decem was able to stop him. And at that point, the entire European, Asian and African continents were covered in darkness.”

   He gives you a minute with that, because it seems to affect you most severely, but the story is not yet over.

   “I had no intention of joining the fight, as I could simply fly away from it, not wanting to realize that as it continued to spread, there would eventually be nowhere left to go.    But in the end, it was not the understanding that the world was ending which convinced me to go back, but simply the thought that I would not be the worst monster among such things. That in their midst, I might actually appear… beautiful.”

   You step closer to him then, unfolding your arms to place a gentle hand over his cheek. A silent reminder of how you see him, regardless of his form, and he takes a moment to lean into your touch.

   “I was late to the party, however,” he continues then. “For a mere fortnight I battled the darkened vegetation at the heart of its outbreak, trying to carve a path to the man responsible, unaware that I was closely monitored by the spirits.    At this point, only four of them had avoided getting caught by the darkness. Ursa, Papilio, Cervus and Equus.”

   “The elements,” you observe. “Are they somehow stronger than the others?”

   “Not stronger, but perhaps more resilient against corruption. Although, I don’t know why.    In any case, my efforts eventually led them to the Darkling, and once they had access to him, he never stood a chance.    He couldn’t see them coming, so when they all charged him together, he was immediately overpowered.    Ursa impaled him with her icicles, and then each of them took one limb and one direction, pulling him apart, not at the joints, but at the weakened area at the center of his chest where the spears of ice had already broken his spine and sternum.”

   “And that was it?”

   “No, he was still alive afterwards, bleeding black goop into the soil which seemed to superpower the mutated vegetation. Roots the size of redwoods erupted from the ground, all aiming for the spirits, because so long as he was still alive, the Darkling could reassemble himself.    But the elementals knew better. They had already abandoned the severed pieces, locating his heart instead. Not a lump of red flesh, but rather a small grey stone covered in coiled up vines.”

   “So, his heart has to be destroyed before he’ll ever really be dead? How predictable.”

   “Indeed. Had Scarabaeus been able to, she would’ve been the one to do it by simply passing through the stone, turning solid in the middle of it. But as she was already dead, Equus was the one who delivered the final blow,” Oberyn finishes, recalling the quaking bedrock in the aftermath of the horse’s powerful stomp.

   He closes his eyes for a few seconds then, hoping you have not detected the sorrow which plagues him at the memory, for he knows not how to explain it.    As much as he wishes to ensure you will be well informed of all aspects of your foe, he is leaving out one detail of this gruesome story. Which is that the man, the grieving human, had reemerged once his body had been broken and the darkness within him begun to pour out.    In those final moments before his life had truly been ended, he was just a devastated father, as tortured and tormented as those whom he had killed.

   Simon might be different, but he was not born with malicious intent. At some point, something must have happened to him to make him aware of his own darkness, and rather than fear it, he chose to embrace it. But before this, he was likely a normal human boy, with normal human feelings.    Which means if you succeed in stopping him, he might revert to that being in the moments before his end, and if this should happen, you will be forced to watch that boy die in agony.

   “Okay, dumb question maybe, but it still needs to be asked,” you sigh, while attempting to massage your own neck. “Can’t we just drop a small mountain on top of him, then? I mean, if all we need to do is crack his dead heart to pieces.”

   “Unfortunately, that won’t work, because even if his body is damaged, he can heal it so long as his heart is intact.”

   “And, let me guess: because it’s made of stone, the vines around it are enough to make it nearly indestructible from the outside?”

   You read the answer in his eyes without him even changing his expression, and you let your head hang low for a minute while you try to think.

   “You said that the other Darkling couldn’t detect the spirits. Is the same true for Simon?”

   “Yes. But since you’re human, he will be able to detect you.”

   “God damned it. Can’t we just catch one fucking break!” you end on a scream, turned away from him, sending your voice out over the mountain range where it echoes around for much longer than your ears can hear.

   He steps closer and wraps his arms around your waist from behind, feeling you relax into his chest almost as if unaware of it yourself.

   “How do we stand a chance without the spirits?” you ask, and in your voice, he can hear such pain.

   Not for fear that you will suffer, if he knows you as well as he believes to, but for fear of how much the world will suffer in each moment you stand idle, unable to act because of the staggering lack of options.

   “As Oberyn, I was able to carve a path for them through the death-lands. As Tyrannus, I am certain I can do the same for you, however powerful our foe might be.    The question we face is not how to reach him, but how to get close enough to rip his heart out when he is protected by the mighty nine.”

   For a long while, you stand silent within his embrace, although he feels certain he might be able to hear how hard you are thinking if he should focus well enough.    Then, something moves through you. He can feel it, not because you actually move, but through a sudden and very distinct shift in your energy.    No longer somber and despondent, you whirl around and take his hands, abruptly confident, as you appear to have uncovered something workable.

   “I might be human, but I’m also light itself. And if there’s any reason I can think of to keep me separate from the other spirits, it must be because I’m their protector.    My place in all this isn’t to fight the Darkling, it’s just to save them. That’s my purpose,” you animatedly explain, your eyes alight with understanding, while he remains uncertain.

   “But… how can you? They are no longer spirits at all; their very essences have been destroyed.”

   “No, I don’t believe that. Because if it was true, their mystical powers would’ve disappeared completely, but they haven’t, they’re just corrupted. I can bring them back, Oberyn.    Don’t you see? My light heals me because that’s what it was always meant to do: heal spirits.”

   Suddenly your confidence becomes infectious, as he realizes how much this all sounds true and right.    There must be a reason for your detachment to the others, a reason behind the fact that not even the protectors of this world can recognize you, and this might well be it.    But his hope is still stunted by one stubbornly persistent problem.

   “Alright. Then I suppose all you need to do is figure out how to use it,” he says, and sees the optimism disappear from your frame as if an arctic wind has swept by and stolen it.

   He takes a deep breath to re-center himself, reaching the conclusion that none of this is going to be solved right here and now. The world suffers while solutions evade you, but there is nothing to be done about that. If you rush in without a plan, one that actually has a fighting chance, you may well doom the earth to eternal darkness.

   “Come, my love. You need new clothes, food and a night’s rest. There’s a village close by; we will go there to recover for now.”

   You are not happy with this suggestion. He can see protests wanting to escape your mouth in the way you repeatedly search for the right words to voice your complaints. But in the end, you find none, allowing his reasoning to stand unchallenged.    Backing away, he brings forth the ancient beast, once again slightly offset by the extreme shifts in perspectives and sensory input. You look so small as he offers you his front paw and then lifts you up to his shoulder.

   Not wanting to scare people with a dramatic entrance, he decides to walk down the mountain, surprisingly well camouflaged against the snow and protruding rocks in the dark. But this does not prevent him from being spotted by a couple apparently living on the damned mountainside, where no one should have been able to build anything.    Slightly shocked to suddenly hear voices beneath him, he stops, finding their house perched on an outcrop, seemingly without any road or lift leading up to it.    How do they even get to the village for supplies?

   They are understandably equally shocked to see him, merely standing paralyzed as he observes them for a few moments.

   “Norwegians are unusual people,” he says to you in his mind, to which you chuckle.

   “The Vikings wouldn’t have been nearly as successful in their conquests if they’d allowed terrain to stand in their way.”

   He does not argue this point, as he has seen Vikings for himself and knows firsthand just how hardy and resilient they were.    You are still several miles from the village at this point, so the couple will likely not cause any widespread panic. He leaves their home untouched, walking carefully past it so as not to trigger any avalanches, and when he reaches the little town down by the fjord, it looks perfectly calm and still.

   Creeping as close as he dares, he doesn’t change back until he is just a few hundred yards from the closest houses, to keep the distance you will have to walk as short as possible since it takes so much more time. But no one seems to notice.    It’s late, but the tourist center should still be open, and they often have emergency supplies for unfortunate travelers, such as clothes, in the event someone’s luggage is lost, and stores are closed.    It is easy to find, sporting large flags on top of the single-story building, and it is still open.

   “Hei, vhordan kan jeg hjelpe deg?” a tall blonde woman behind the reception greets when you approach her desk.

   “Hi, we’re American,” you start, and the woman immediately repeats her greeting in English, which you politely thank her for before continuing. “As you can see, I’m in dire need of some new clothes. You wouldn’t happen to have some sweaters and jackets for sale, would you?”

   “Certainly, follow me and I’ll show you where,” the receptionist smiles while getting up to assist you. “May I ask what happened?”

   “Oh, that’s a long story and I’m very tired. Do you know if any hotel in town might have a room available?”

   “There’s only one hotel here, but last I heard they weren’t fully booked for this week. It’s easy to find, just head down to the water and follow the road, you’ll see the signs.”

   “Thank you,” you reply as you arrive in the gift shop area of the center, where there is an entire section devoted to equipping both humans and common pets to survive arctic weather.

   You know your size and pick a thinner sweater along with a thicker jacket, to give you more options based on where in the world you and Oberyn might end up next. But as you are beginning to move back towards the receptionist’s desk, where the items must be paid, you lean closer to him and whisper.

   “Uh, I’m assuming you have some way of paying for this, because I don’t.”

   “Not to worry, darling. I never go anywhere without this,” he says, while pulling out a blank card from a concealed pocket in the side of his coat.

   It connects to a bank account in the name of one Christopher Wilkins, who does not exist except on paper, but has a few million dollars all the same. Oberyn has twenty of these identities, all of which have similar accounts at dozens of different banks around the world, which all together adds up to over one billion dollars.    He offers the card for payment and the purchase goes through without difficulty.    You get changed in the bathroom before you leave the tourist center, walking towards the hotel hand in hand, when northern lights suddenly appear above you.

   “Are you doing this, Valya?” he asks with a smile, knowing he is probably wrong but wanting to believe it could be true.

   “If I am, it’s not by choice,” you sigh, looking up at the dancing green spectacle with awe. “I wish it were, though.”

   The hotel is as easy to locate as the receptionist suggested, and you arrive to find the doors open despite the clock on the wall next to it reading nearly 11 pm.    Only half of the thirty rooms are occupied, so he pays for a night in a larger suite even though the two of you do not require so much space. He just wants you to be comfortable, and the suite has a bathtub, which he feels might be needed to get you to relax.

   The hotel uses old-fashioned keys for the rooms, so once inside, he drops them into a plastic bowl on a sideboard in the hall, and then immediately begins to work on the buttons of his coat.    You hang up your new jacket, kick off your snowy wet boots, and head straight for the double bed to lay down.

   “I feel like I could sleep for a week. But you’re probably not even tired.”

   “Not like you, but I could do with a few hours. Adjusting to Tyrannus has taken a bit more effort than my usual transformation. Plus, we don’t know when we might get the chance to rest again.”

   Shrugging off the coat, he hangs it up in the hallway closet and sits down on a stool helpfully placed beside the closet, to unlace his shoes.

   “And what about food?” you inquire, turning your head towards him as you have undoubtedly not forgotten the green dragon’s appetite and likely draw the conclusion that the much larger white one must require much more.

   “Strange though it may seem, aside from a rather unusual craving for pistachios, both my alter ego and I are perfectly fine,” he explains, momentarily wondering if the hotel restaurant might be open, and if he should go in search of some nuts.

   However, once the moment passes, he feels only confused by his own hankering.

   “But you haven’t eaten anything all day, and you’ve been fighting a lot.”

   “Actually, I did eat some unfortunate bystanders in Detroit,” he recalls, which prompts you to sit up on the edge of the bed.

   “Detroit was horrible. In every way. All those emergency responders… they died horrifically, and I just stood there,” you remember, and tears form in your eyes at the images which must be burning the insides of them. “I couldn’t do anything.”

   “No, you could not have helped them. Those creatures may have been alone, untethered to the greater darkness, but that is also what made them so erratic and unpredictable, though still just as deadly.”

   “Yeah…” you agree, turning your gaze down to your own hands, but then something seems to occur to you, as a crease bothers your brows. “But I made one of them stop.”

   This surprises Oberyn, who is just about to stand having finished with his shoes, and instead remain still as he waits for you to elaborate.

   “I yelled at it to stop, and it did. Just for a moment, and right before you came barreling onto the same street, but it stopped. And it looked angry about it.”

   “As if it had been halted against its will?”

   “That’s what it felt like, but I can’t be sure. Do you think I could’ve managed to command it somehow? Is that something Lux could do?”

   “Possibly. The true power of Day is her ability to spread hope. If you were desperate enough, it is conceivable that you could have forced this creature to stop by using the sunlight as a physical barrier.”

   “I can do that?”

   “I should think so. You created an entire human being with it, I’d say you could definitely stop one little monster if you set your mind to it,” he winks at you, before getting up and moving towards the bathroom.

   “If only I knew how the hell I do these things,” you say as he disappears into the tiled space and turns on the tap for the tub.

   “You’ll figure it out, I have no doubts about that,” he replies while checking the temperature of the water, returning to the bedroom before he continues. “On a more positive note, the innocents I killed in Detroit will be the last innocents ever to fall victim to my beast. Nothing like that will ever happen again, because this dragon doesn’t need food of any kind.”

   You have your head resting in your hands when he emerges from the bathroom, but you straighten out as you hear his words, and quietly trace his path over to the bed where he takes a seat beside you.

   “Really? How can you be certain? You’ve only had it in you for a few hours.”

   “Did you not notice the complete lack of stomach acid in there.”

   “I did, but I figured maybe you had another stomach somewhere and I just wasn’t far enough through the system to be at any risk of digestion.”

   “No there’s only one stomach, but this dragon stopped eating long before Lux changed him. And even when he did eat, it was at a time before organic life had evolved into actual creatures, so he fed only on magma and rocks. It’s what made him grow to such a size and develop those incredibly thick scales.”

   “Yeah, I’ll bet. Who needs protein when you’ve got minerals.”

   He smiles at you then, even though you are not trying to be amusing, delivering the phrase with sarcasm rather than joviality. You are too tired to enjoy yourself now, so instead of contesting your mildly snarky attitude, he sweeps you off the bed and into his arms in a swift and soft movement, returning to the bathroom where he puts you down in front of the just filled up tub.

   “Are you trying to tell me I’m dirty without using any words?” you ask, still presenting the same general irritation, which is why he merely continues to smile warmly while he undresses you.

   It takes only minutes for the hot water to begin relaxing you, while Oberyn gently helps you wash your back and shoulders, then your feet, before leaving you to just soak and warm your battered muscles while he steps over to the shower and rinses himself off.    He is surprised to find that he has neglected to notice you leaving the tub, when your hands are suddenly returning the favor, rubbing liquid soap into his back. But he loves the feeling, having never experienced such care from a partner before, and remains still to let you work.

   Before long, you are both clean from head to toe, which is when the caring touches change character, becoming craving instead.    He brings you back to the bed without bothering to grab a towel on the way, abruptly needing you so badly he cannot wait long enough even for you to squeeze the bulk of the water from your hair.

   Last night had been soft and tender, but when he enters you tonight, it is with fervency, perhaps even a streak of frenzy, giving you hardly any time to adjust before he is already working up a strong rhythm with firm snaps of his hips, making you jolt with each one.    He feels strangely uncontrolled. Fully aware that such treatment could hurt you, but utterly unable to stop himself. Something drives his body which is not so simple a thing as lust. There is a deeper purpose at work, one he cannot discern, but remains a slave to for now.

   You seem only pleased with him, though, showing no indication of distress or discomfort, meeting his forceful movements with an equally firm resistance, as if under the same spell he is.    The need drives him so relentlessly that he reaches his peak in mere minutes, coming hard within the depths of your being, where he is so warmly received.    But you do not follow.

   As he stills above you, your body remains unsatisfied, which gives him a sickly feeling to his stomach, because however much he seeks his own pleasure, yours is the real price. But this entire copulation has felt off, which intensifies his disappointment with himself, so when he pulls back, seeking your eyes so that he might beg your forgiveness, he is more than ashamed of himself. He feels rotten.

   The feeling leaps away, however, when shock takes its place as he sees your face.    Your eyes are frozen, staring at nothing, and the tension in your body has given way to complete relaxation. Too complete.

   “Valya?” he whispers, unable to bring any strength to his voice because what he sees within your eyes now is not life.

   “Lux?” he tries, even weaker now, hoping merely your human form is lost to him, while the spirit remains.

   Your own alter ego taking over, much as the dragon has done to him in the past.    But there is no response from you. No breath. No pulse.

-=<>=-=<>=-=<>=-

   You feel wonderful. Even when he pounds into you, all you experience is pleasure, wanting more no matter how good he makes you feel. The pressure builds and shifts, flowing through you at different intensities depending on your breaths, which muscles are tense and which nerves are most directly affected.    It feels like flying through clouds of pure pleasure, devoid of thoughts or intentions.

   And then it just… stops.    You feel how he comes, and you’re just one moment away from following up with the best orgasm of your life when everything suddenly goes quiet and still. Not just around you, but in you. No more pleasure, no more heat or sweat or even the cold sensation of the sticky fabric underneath your head, drenched by the water from your hair.

   Opening your eyes, you find yourself elsewhere. There’s no Oberyn, no bed, no hotel room. You’re not even sure there’s an Earth.    But there is a presence.    Nothing around you is identifiable, the best you can come up with is that it looks like something Jackson Pollock might’ve painted if someone had asked him what life on a gas-giant might look like. And yet, something here is familiar.

   It’s neither light nor dark, and at the same time it’s both, but it’s almost like your eyes and brain aren’t designed to interpret what they’re seeing, so all you get is a colorful mess with the appearance of a flashlight slowly spinning around in the middle of it.    Then you seem to blink, and suddenly you’re staring at yourself, as if there was a mirror in front of you. Only your reflection doesn’t move with you.

   “Hello?” you try to say, but no sound comes out, leaving you wondering if you even have a mouth here.

   That’s when you realize you aren’t breathing either, so wherever you are, this is a place outside of normal space.    You wonder if it could be some form of heaven, although you don’t believe in that, but it also doesn’t seem like it would be.    No, in your heart you know this is something else. Important to you, specifically.

   Your reflection doesn’t move, but you feel certain it holds answers for you, so you try walking towards it. Your legs don’t seem to move at all, but you still glide closer to the other you, so perhaps all you need to do is think of the movement.    When you get closer, her chest starts to glow, as if there’s a shining gem halfway between her throat and her breasts. Then she raises her hands to show you how they’ve started shining as well, right in the centers of the palms, getting brighter with each passing moment.

   Eventually, the light becomes so bright you can’t see anything anymore, but your eyes remain open, unbothered by the complete whiteness.    And that’s when you suddenly understand what this is.    Why it happened in the middle of a moment of passion, you have no fucking clue, but given how important it is, you don’t linger on the inexplicable, taking the win instead.

   Because you’ve finally found Lux. Somewhere within yourself, she connects you to this other place. Her world. Outside all other aspects of reality, by the looks of it, but clearly also able to interact with everything, everywhere.    She made you, but at the same time, she is you, and here in her world, you’re able to see things the way she does. You understand the power of light and the ways in which you can bend it to your will, as if you’d done nothing else your whole life.

   And once everything is clear to you, once you’ve unlocked all this knowledge she put in you from the start, the whiteness turns to dark, gravity returns, your lungs expand on reflex as oxygen once again exists, and you open your eyes to find that the darkness was just the insides of your own eyelids.

   Surprisingly, though, it isn’t Oberyn’s face you look up at, but rather two very shocked paramedics, who despite their training, freeze when you come to.    Apparently, you’ve been “dead” for a while.

   “Oh… Well, this is awkward,” you say to try and relieve the tension, and then there’s a loud racket before Oberyn appears beside you, having risen so quickly his chair fell over.

   He doesn’t speak, but his eyes scream of the pain he’s suffered in however long a time you’ve been unresponsive, so to ease his worries, you ignore the urgings of the medical staff for you to remain still, and sit up to hug him. He trembles like a leaf in your arms, holding you very tightly, before he reaches down behind you to pull the covers up over your bare shoulders. You hadn’t even reflected on the fact that you’re naked.

   “What happened?” he finally asks, his voice sore with how hard he must’ve cried.

   But you smile in return, so filled with hope now that not even his sorrow can dampen your spirits.

   “You brought me to the light, honey,” you tell him, and his sadness gives way to confusion.

   There’s no quick or easy way to explain what you’ve just experienced, so you settle for the most important part, which can’t be seen, only felt.    You reach out and place one hand on the shoulder of the paramedic closest to you, locating the darkness in her heart without effort.

   “Don’t worry about your father, Nora. He’s not going to hurt himself, he just needs you to stop and listen to his pain,” you say, feeling her father’s agony through the bond of love between them. “You always want to fix everything that hurts, but sometimes pain has a purpose. Let him tell you about it, and I promise you, he will be alright.”

   The middle-aged woman looks at you as if you’ve just reached into her heart and given it a good twist, which in truth, you sort of have.

   “H-… How do you kn-…?” she tries, but then sorrow rocks through her, stealing her voice.

   To answer her, you let the hand at her shoulder channel the light from your own heart, and it glows for just a second as you pour hope into her being.    Her sorrow immediately lessens, brightening her eyes and smoothing the tense lines around her mouth.    You smile softly at her, and she nods in gratitude, even though she doesn’t understand what’s just happened, before starting to pack up their gear. Her colleague looks like one giant question mark, but apparently decides not to argue.

   They leave a minute later, and Oberyn places a hand at your jaw, drawing your gaze back to him.

   “I do not pretend to understand anything of what has just transpired here, but… you are ready now. Aren’t you? To fight.”

   “I am,” you confirm. “I know what we need to do.”

   “Does that mean we’re going back to America?”

   “No,” you firmly state, finally without a shred of doubt within you. “It means we’re going everywhere else.”

Part 11

The Ten Spirits of the World Air - Forest - Water - Stone - Night - Autumn - Winter - Spring - Summer.

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! If you wish to be notified when this story is updated, follow @sirowsky-stories and turn on notifications, or just ask nicely, and I'll tag you.

@harriedandharassed @kittenlittle24 @joelswritingmistress @pedrostories

[mr-laveau]

-hands you my Love listener and also all my actual love ily booboo-

One. They have been called Love and/or Asset and will name themselves Ariel.

Two. Unfortunately, we already know all there is to their backstory 😭

Three. They’ve played around with the idea of lots of aesthetics and have settled on a sort of pastel, casual look with academia elements.

Four. They’re gender-fluid, so they switch from male, femme, and androgynous presenting on a whim.

Five. (Now that I’m really reading these questions, I’m so sorry for sending you an Android 😂) Marcus is an anime nerd in the worst way, so Ariel was deffo made with East-Asian features.

Six. They were made to look in their early twenties.

Seven. Slender and androgynous.

Eight. A Scorpio, though I’m not confident about that answer, I’ll admit.

Nine. Anton, who is the only person they feel likes them, and James, who is the only person who they feel respects them.

Ten. They’re still discovering hobbies and interests but so far, they’re enjoying listening to music and learning piano.

Eleven. Hmm, I think it’d be interesting if it was Psyche, Greek Goddess of the Soul, since it could be argued whether they have one.

Twelve. RedactedAudio ��

Thirteen. Ariel is a sex-neutral/averse ace, so when they do sex without the obsession-code, it’s done with curiosity and the partner’s pleasure as the main priority.

Fourteen. Hmmm… that’s a new question for me. I think they actually don’t know yet.

Fifteen. I am Not a Robot by Marina and the Diamonds. It unironically makes them feel a lot of things.

Sixteen. Lowkey Natalie Portman’s character in Ex Machina.

Seventeen. Almost like a stock photo or a model’s shoot. They are symmetrical and physically attractive, beautiful almost, but there’s something impersonal about the stiff way they hold themselves and the lack of emoting on their face.

Eighteen. They really want to meet a dog. EDM music confused them and holds up appeal. They wish they could try coffee and lemons.

Thank you, my love 🧡

LaVeau-gue - design #003 - Asset/Love - Ariel - Lexi Sun

You are most welcome Lexi, always an honour to get to work with my first redacted friend, especially when it comes to this bean, Ariel! I still remember a few of the details from our previous conversations in regards to how you see them so I hope this does them justice!

Design Notes

Approaching Ariel's design, I had already had remembered conversations with you in regards to previous inspirations you'd mentioned for your take on Love. I also added in a bit of my own inspos to the mix to see what would take

For Ariel's design I wanted to keep in mind the solid collection of notes you'd written up so I could incorporate as much as I could whilst also condensing the design so I could make it simple to redraw (as I do with some of my other designs). My main focus when getting into this design however was to create a human and android Skin similar to how I'd made my Asset, Prim.

A big inspiration I had for them was Jenni from My Life As a Teenage Robot and Hatsune Miku so I decided that white metallic plates reminiscent of Jenni would work and blue hair similar to Miku would tie things together. Additional, I also chose to include colours from the PM title cards to establish that visual parallel .

As for clothing, I followed your instructions as best as I could, creating an androgynous fit that was pastel and had hints of academic elements! On top of that, I incorporated musical notes as a reference to the singing Ariel from the Tempest and the little mermaid does and to reference her proclivities for piano music. To reference back to your choice of Psyche as a god to represent Asset, I included butterfly designs on their overalls. To balance the whole pallette I combos the PM pallette and the pallette of their clothes which ended up being pretty readable overall! Another fun fact is that I also ended realizing that Ariel shares a clothing pallette with my Caelum!

Wanna have your listener designed by me? Check out my rules for LaVeau-gue and send an ask my way! Also, currently I am looking for money to replace my computer so any interested parties who wanna help can check out my commissions!

[biteforblood]

[ HEADCANONS #1 ] various.

✶ notes : gn!reader, fluff, sillies being silly, cursing, brief mention of blood / bugs, 0.4k

gavin is always whispering close in fl’s ears, especially at the most inconvenient times ( e.g. doing the dishes, on the phone — specially important calls, studying, … ) they’ve gotten in the habit of holding him at arm’s length like ya hold a kid back by their head

( pre-turning ) when vincent was running low on energy ( i.e. in need of blood ), he would hang off of lovely. that, or push his face into their neck and gently nip at the skin; not so hard as to draw any blood ( not without permission first ) but not so light that they couldn’t feel it

asher adores wearing skirts — especially with fishnets or thigh highs underneath. the shorter the skirt, the better. he knows he looks hot and he is going to flaunt it

also also, speaking of asher in skirts, you cannot tell or convince me otherwise that he doesn’t love fucking around with gender norms / gendered clothing ( same goes for guy 100%, these bitches would trade outifts, ideas, tips )

caelum randomly head butts people like a ram. not like super hard, but like a little nudge, like a little ‘bamp!’ y’know…that, once or twice, has knocked the wind outta people…it’s fiiine

damien and huxley are plant dads to so so…so many plants. and, yes, huxley has given them all names, some more serious than others, and yes again, he refers to them as such, and yes yet again, he will tell you all their names and why he chose it just for that plant

anton loves bugs — moths, butterflies, ladybugs, spiders, all the bugs and crawlies. he can identify nearly every single one and knows most of their latin names

the second sweetheart or milo so much as sits or lays down — on the couch or on their bed, whether to do work or relax, wherever and whatever the reason — aggro is jumping up onto them and laying down. could be snuggled in their lap or loafed on their back, he is there. if he’s not right on top of them, he’s right up next to them

furthermore, aggro will not move until he is happy and ready to. if they try to move him, he will cry until a) they stop or b) they stop. there is no other way, sweetheart or milo is stuck

honey is not a very touchy person ; they never really have been. they’ll share hugs with friends and family, but even then it’s slim and anyone outside of that is only slimmer

and then guy, mr. touchy-touch-starved himself, popped into their life and, slowly but surely, honey grew to like physical touch and affection. they’re still not super comfortable with touch, but with guy…they’ve found themselves craving it juuust a little bit, not that they’ll ever really admit it

© biteforblood. please do not translate, repost, or redistribute in any way on any platform.

[saturniasxenos]

Shadow ID Pack

Inside this pack, you will find: Pronouns, Titles, Names, and Genders that relate to the Dark, Shadows, the Color Black, and anything alike!

Pronouns:

Sha/Shade/Shadow/Shadows/Shadowself

Sha/Shae/Shade/Shades/Shadeself

Da/Dar/Dark/Darks/Darkself

Dar/Dark/Darken/Darkens/Darknessself

Um/Umb/Umbra/Umbras/Umbraself

Vo/Voi/Void/Voids/Voidself

Sil/Silhou/Silhouette/Silhouettes/Silhouetteself

Fo/Fog/Foggy/Fogs/Fogself

Ny/Nyct/Nycto/Nyctos/Nyctoself

Ni/Nigh/Night/Nights/Nightself

Night/Nightmae/Nightmare/Nightmares/Nightmareself

Mo/Mot/Moth/Moths/Mothself

Co/Coa/Coal/Coals/Coalself

Obi/Obsid/Obsidian/Obsidians/Obsidianself

On/Ony/Onyx/Onyxs/Onyxself

In/Ink/Inky/Inks/Inkself

As/Ash/Ashy/Ashes/Ashself

As/Asph/Asphalt/Asphalts/Asphaltself

Or/Orc / Orca/Orcas/Orcaself

Smo/Smok/Smoke/Smokes/Smokeself

Spa/Spac/Space/Spaces/Spaceself

So/Soo/Soot/Soots/Sootself

Gra/Graph/Graphite/Graphites/Graphiteself

Mel/Melan/Melanite/Melanites/Melaniteself

Ca/Car/Carbon/Carbons/Carbonself

Hem/Hema/Hematite/Hematites/Hematiteself

Lav/Lavasto/Lavastone/Lavastones/Lavastoneself

Magne/Magneti/Magnetite/Magnetites/Magnetiteself

Shu/Shun/Shungite/Shungites/Shungiteself

Dio/Diori/Diorite/Diorites/Dioriteself

Fli/Flin/Flint/Flints/Flintself

Jet/Jetsto/Jetstone/Jetstones/Jetstoneself

Aeg/Aegiri/Aegirine/Aegirines/Aegirineself

Fer/Ferber/Ferberite/Ferberites/Ferberiteself

Ra/Rav/Raven/Ravens/Ravenself

Cro/Crow/Crows/Crows/Crowself

Ma/Magpi/Magpie/Magpies/Magpieself

Co/Cor/Corvid/Corvids/Corvidself

Titles:

The One Who Lives in Shadows

The One Born From Darkness

(X) Who Craves The Dark

Guardian of The Shadows

The Dark Entity

The Living Shadow

The Walking Shadow

Deity of The Dark

(X) Who Creates Shadows

Lover of The Dark

(X) Who Forever Lives in The Dark

The Void Entity

Eye of The Night

Night Dancer

Shadow Dancer

Sword of The Night

Dancing With (X) Shadow

Umbra Eye

The Void Bringer

The Gothic Crow

Bringer of The Murder

(X) Living Shadow

Shadow of The Raven

Names:

Fem: Adrestia, Astraea, Adrenna, Circe, Corvina, Corvana, Dabria, Darci, Deianira, Esmeray, Elaila, Eimi, Eris, Elvira, Enyo, Keres, Keket, Luna, Lunar, Loralie, Lilith, Melany, Moriti, Morana, Mallory, Morrigan, Maniae, Makaria, Melantha, Nereza, Nocturna, Nephthys, Noxaina, Ombretta, Ombra, Saiya, Scathach, Senka, Sombra, Selene, Salem, Umbria, Verena, Visha, Zillah, Zilthai

Masc: Acheron, Astaroth, Adrian, Azrael, Casimir, Caelum, Cethin, Ciaran, Damon, Dargan, Dell, Draven, Duncan, Deimos, Erebus, Erebos, Hadeon, Kieran, Keir, Kage, Khaos, Kek, Kaelar, Lucifer, Lonan, Mephisto, Moros, Mavros, Necro, Ozul, Osiris, Orpheus, Phobos, Thanatos,

Neu: Ardere, Amate, Achlys, Adie, Amaya, Antumbra, Apsephion, Ash, Blackwell, Cary, Crow, Delany, Duana, D'arcy, Doyle, Ena, Eyphah, Ivory, Krow, Nemesis, Nyx, Nycto, Goni, Grimshaw, Onyx, Raven, Shadow, Shade, Tenebris, Umbra,

Genders:

Plus a small explanation of what the gender is!

Luxumbral - Connected to Shadows and Light

Shadowgender - Influenced or linked to the darkness, shadows, ghosts, cryptids, etc.

Sanctudark - Related to shadows, darkness, the night, and a feeling of safety.

Shadowgender - Related to your own shadow. This could include getting gender envy from your shadow.

Nyctogender - A colorgender where one's gender is pure darkness.

Blackgender - A colorgender where one's gender is related to the color black.

Genderdark - A xenogender and a kenochoric gender that feels dark or distorted.

Gothcoric - Related to gothcore.

Gothgender - Your identity as a goth is strongly tied to your gender identity.

Noirgender - An aesthetic gender based on being goth.

Mothgender - One's gender comes and goes depending on the light.

Mothogender - Strong connection to moths, either identifying with moths or just wanting to incorporate them into their gender

Blackbutterflyic - Connected to black butterflies. can be related to being a black butterfly or just loving them.

Blackmothic - Connected to black moths. can be related to being a black moth or just loving them.

Blackdollic - Under the genderdollic system related to the color black and being a doll [gender system by: chronoport]

Ivsidirosen - A colorgender connected to the colors pink, black, and white.

Blackredcoloric - Related to the colors black and red.

Noirantag / Noirvillain - Related to both the color black and antagonists/villains.

Shadowravengender - Related to dark or "shadow" ravens, can also be connected to emo/goth culture.

Chaincoric - Related to chains, punk styles, goth styles, and emo styles. It may feel dark and gloomy or metallic.

Moricrow - Related to crows, darkness, death, and night.

[mrsmiagreer]

“I haven’t had a crush in a long time”

Lasko whining to the DAMN crew about how hopelessly in love he is with Coworker

Warnings: Fluff, a little cussing

It was 8:48 in the morning on a Sunday. Lasko was up, showered and dressed, and sitting on his couch, butterflies lingering in his stomach from the night before. He had a wonderful night, even if it started like a shit show. And he was very grateful that they still wanted to be with him even if he was a mess, because lord knows if he was in their shoes, he probably wouldn’t.

He sat on the couch of his apartment and called Freelancer as soon as possible, letting it ring a few times before he heard them answer

“Hello??”

“Freelancer H-hi! I-I-im sorry to-to call you this early i-i-in the m-morning I know you were p-p-probably s-sleeping but I just want to- to tell you about m-my date! Uhh are you busy?”

“Yeah no i’m just uhh—”

They looked over at the mess in the kitchen, powdered sugar all over the counters and A certain special incubus and a cute curly-horned daemon trying to make donutholes

“—just gimme a minute and maybe you can come over and we can talk about it here?”

“Yeah! Yeah O-of Course. What time d-do you think I should head over?”

Gavin came over, politely interrupting for them, Freelancer immediately leaving him with the phone and going over to help Caelum with the donuts so it can be over quicker. They loved him but they also wanted alone time with Gavin before spending the day with Lasko.

“Hey Lasko, really happy to hear that you want to talk about your date, it must’ve went well, and we’re glad to hear all about it around…11? How’s that sound?”

“Oh! H-hey Gavin. Yeah, yeah 11 sounds g-good to me. Okay i’ll see you soon. Well not- not soon soon, 11 is-is in three hours. W-w-w-well i guess th-that wouldn’t make it a-soon at-at all because three hours is k-kinda a long t-time…Y-you know w-w-what I m-mean. Bye—”

And he hung up, not wanting to over speak like he usually does. He also texted Damien and Huxley to meet him at Freelancers house so they could talk about it collectively. So there he sat, maybe putting a show on or doing some chores around the house, waiting for 11 to roll by so he could tell his friends allll about how much he liked his date.

————————————————————————-

Freelancer sat on their couch with their legs on Gavin’s lap, his hands caressing their thighs and rubbing their feet from time to time. Damien and Huxley sat next to eachother on the other couch, next to Lasko who was uncontrollably smiling

“Alright Lasko. Spit it out, How’d it go?”

Damien spoke, tired of looking at eachother in silence

“W-well at first…at first it was a f-f-fucking d-disaster! I-I made a fool of myself and- and spilled their drink i-in their lap, A-AND s-s-stood up i-into the waiters’ p-platter of f-food and i-it got all o-o-ver the table! God I wanted to j-just CEASE to e-exist!”

“Oh my…Lasko I thought you said it went well” Freelancer said, a little concerned with how he was describing the night

“Well this is just the beginning…i-i-it got better I-I promise!”

Lasko went on to explain how his date still wanted to go on a walk with him, even though he was super clumsy and constantly inconveniencing them. They had a really nice conversation, the nicest Lasko’s had in a while. He emphasized how calm they made him feel and how they were considerate of his anxiety and let him take his time. After a while of him describing the night and the date themselves, Freelancer quietly noticed that Lasko wasn’t stuttering anymore, it become a slower, more admirable way of speaking. And they were really happy for him.

“They’re so beautiful and sweet and funny and their lips are so soft and- and they’re really fucking intelligent…I-I mean I really don’t know what they see in me…b-but I’m happy that they seem to like me. I really really like them. Gosh I haven’t had a crush in a long time” He put his hands up to his face, cooling his warm cheeks with a light gentle breeze.

“Aweeee” Huxley replied, also really happy for him. “That’s great buddy!”

“Yeah Lasko that’s amazing. When’s the next date?” Damien followed up

“And when do I meet them?” Gavin spoke, Freelancer cutting him off with a small hit to the chest “What? I have to approve first. I know Lasko and what’s good for him…really well actually—”

“U-uhm! I-I-I’m not s-sure but I’ll see. I r-really cant wait for y-you you all to meet them. Y-you’re gonna love them” He smiled, all his friends smiling back.

“Alright! Now group hugs?” Huxley spoke, standing up

“Yeah!!” Freelancer spoke also standing up, taking Gavin with them. He was smiling contentedly, knowing this was coming.

Damien rolled his eyes, never admitting to actually really liking the hugs. They all stood and pulled Lasko to their chests, Huxley squeezing a few people together a little too close.

“I love you guys”

“We love you too Lasko”

————————————————————————-

A/N: Hey guys! This took me a little while because of Lasko but I love him too much to give up, so here we are! @guyspizzapie I believe this one is for you, thank you for giving me the rec… I really enjoyed making this, and you actually have like 3 or 4 more coming so please stick around😊

[frog-0n-a-l0g]

Ok headcannon time

I don’t know the names of all the races I just know what they look like to me. This is a long one

David: I don’t think he’s white but idk what he is. I think he’s like mixed bc I see gave as white. I just know that in the summer he COOKS. Like this man is constantly tan but in the summer especially. I’m guessing Mexican and white

Milo: he has olive (I think that’s what it’s called) skin. Like he’s fairly dark but in a smooth way. I think he’s Filipino or Italian.

Asher: I think he’s white. I saw a post where he had heterochromia and it just goes lol. Also makes sense cause this man CANNOT cook

Lasko: he is PASTEY. like bro is almost see through. He stays in his office or his classroom and gets pretty much NO sunlight

Huxley: I can’t tell what he is but he’s kinda dark. It could either be his race or he can just be hella tan from his sports. One of his moms is Mexican or Latin I can tell you that.

Damian: I can’t pinpoint it. When I focus on it his image gets wavy. I think he’s white though.

Gavin: he’s got something going on. His skin tone is white but I don’t think he’s like actually white. Let’s blame it on him mixing things up when he made his human form

Laskos listener: I don’t have a clear image of most of the listeners but I’ve seen enough fan art for their image to be ingrained in my brain. They’re black with mid arm length butterfly locks. I think the skin tone is called umber

Caelum: he’s white with pink fluffy hair that makes him kinda look like a pink sheep. He’s also got light pink eyes?

Sam: he’s giving country man and most of the farm rootin tootin men I’ve seen have been white so I guess he looks like that. He’s also got shoulder length blond hair that he keeps in a man bun. When he was a human he used to have a gnarly tan but since he turned and can’t go into the sun he’s pastey as hell

Vincent: most of the time I see him as white but if I think about his character he kinda has the same skin tone as Milo just lighter. He’s still brown but since he hasn’t had sun for quite a bit somehow he lightened?

Guy: even before his cosplay I’ve always seen him look EXACTLY like Eric

Cam: he’s somehow a light blue?? Like a very soft blue

That’s all the people that have a constant picture in my head to be able to write it down. I hope this actually makes sense😭

[replaycamera2]

Flowers I Associate With Redacted Characters Part 2

Avior - Aster I've actually had this one for years. This fall-blooming herb with daisy-like flowers stands for wisdom, faith, and valour. Named after the Greek word for "Star" due to its blooms resembling a star. The Aster flower blooms in pink, red, white, lilac, and mauve. This flower became a symbol of love when in Greek mythology it was placed on the altars for the gods. So now, when you send a bouquet featuring this vibrant bloom, the message of "take care of yourself for me" is implied. It conveys deep emotional love and affection for someone.

Vega - Lavender You'd think this one would be for Cam, but while Lavender is known to have calming effects, signifying peace, it also represents distrust as the asp that killed Cleopatra hid in a lavender field. I thought that was fitting given the seeming "two sides of the coin" we see in Vega being both caring towards Pet in the Imperium and his ruthlessness in his campaign against the Sovereigns.

Cam - Cosmos Peace Lily was too on-the-nose and too clean to be Cam's flower. While Peace Lilies only represent pure, uncontested peace; Cosmos not only represent peace, but also order, stability, and balance. Cosmos comes from the Greek word "Kosmos", which means "balanced world". Cam is still very much figuring himself out. He doesn't always make the right decisions or have all the answers, but he's trying. He's not quite adding something as black and white as "good" or "light" into the world to eclipse the bad, but he's doing his best to bring some peace and perspective to those who need it; to help them find balance in their own worlds.

Caelum - Daisy Daises are ambassadors of springtime, thus are linked to new life and renewal. Dasies represent new beginnings, cheerfulness, hope, purity, innocence, joy, loyalty, and love. Their petals close around their sunny yellow centre at night and open up in the morning.

Ollie - False Indigo Giving the most normal of normal guys a flower known for its use in witchcraft because I can lol. False Indigo is heavily associated with protection and healing. In witchcraft, it is used in protective spells and amulets while in ancient medicine, it was used against all manner of infections from topical to internal. False Indigo is also an important plant to butterflies and other pollinators in the ecosystem, providing them with food and shelter.

Aaron - Protea These imposing, scale-like flowers (also known as Sugarbushes) rely on fire to spread their seeds. They are commonly seen sprouting up shortly after forest fires, their colourful blooms in stark contrast to a blanket of ash. These flowers don't just survive in harsh conditions, they thrive in them. Native to South Africa and popular in Australia, these bold-looking blooms represent strength, resilience, and the power to survive anything. Burgundy Protea flowers in particular represent luxury, success, career growth, maturity, wisdom, and devotion.

Elliott - Moonflower Many of us are familiar with Morning Glories, the flower that opens up its petals with the sun, then shuts them as the day goes on, but not too many of us know the Morning Glory's counterpart: the Moonflower (sometimes known as the Tropical White Morning Glory). So named for its resemblance to the moon; an antithesis to the Morning Glory, the Moonflower opens its petals with the moon and closes them when touched by the morning dew. Moonflowers are heavily associated with dreams and romance. They emit a sweet, intoxicating perfume when they bloom during the night. This fragrance is thought to represent the transformative power of our dreams, as well as their ability to transport us to new places and new experiences. White Moonflowers represent the power of dreams, they also represent hope, not only blooming in darkness, but reflecting the light of the moon for others to find their way as well.

[clover-46]

I just got done with an 8 hour shift. How are you doing dearest?

At least I had Musician Gavin to keep me company!

Gavin who has kiddie merch that has a design Caelum made while the adult merch has him on it. Gavin who is trying to convince his PR manager to let him pull a Red Hot Chili Peppers and be naked on stage with just a bass guitar covering his personables. (they keep telling him no, even if they put a 18+ warning on the concert ticket site.)

Gavin who just sheds his shirt during concerts instead. And really, who can blame him? Those stage lights are hot and he's doing physical activities. He gets hot. And so does the person who catches his shirt that he throws out into the crowd. And so does the front couple rows that can see the sweat drops trace his skin and every muscle. 🥴

And he'll dance to his songs too. The edits that come from that really should be illegal or behind a paywall. I'm talking about like these types of edits:

https://youtube.com/shorts/EUNjng_hj34?feature=share

or

https://youtube.com/shorts/mT3woQTdGw0?feature=share

(I got flustered finding these clips omg)

Freelancer who got a backstage pass because they caught Gavin's shirt and the pass was clipped onto it. They go backstage, just clutching onto his shirt and butterflies are in their stomach. Because they get to meet THE Gavin face-to-face. The manager ushers them into a room with a couch and tells them to wait here because Gavin is getting some water and such. Which they're okay with because they need time to calm their nerves.

So Freelancer is just pacing and trying to calm their racing heart, not realizing that Gavin is already in the room, but his manager didn't know that.

"If it helps calm you down, you can wear my shirt Deviant." And they nearly jump a couple feet in the air because he came out of fucking nowhere. And then they realize that he's still not wearing a shirt. But he is aware that he's still half nude? So they hold the shirt out to him and he just smiles that arrogant little smile of his and moves closer to push the shirt closer to their chest again.

And so they get to have this conversation with Gavin, getting more comfortable as they talk about any topic under the sun while he's just lightly tracing patterns on their knee or lower thigh while they sit on the couch.

Gavin who's so unused to fans wanting to just talk to him, usually they flirt and such with him. But this a refreshing break. So he's content to listen as Freelancer talks about forestry, mushrooms, how much they want to help people, how they love his music, ect.

Freelancer who realizes they've just been talking his ear off for the past hour, grows quiet again while apologizing. But Gavin just takes their hand and presses a kiss to the inside of their wrist.

"You don't need to apologize for having an interests and talking about them, Freelancer. I like hearing you talk." He says. And Freelancer just feels all warm inside.

"You're one of the few that do." They respond and Gavin smiles before handing them his phone. They're different from the other people he's met in his life. He tells them that they can call or text him whenever they want to talk, and they can even hang out when he's in this area again.

And maybe he tells his manager that he wants this location to be a permanent spot on any future tours, press runs, retreats, all of it.

Who's to say?

-🙊

i just got done with a 2 hour shower!! sorry i didnt answer this sooner i took a reallyyy long nap and then the shower BUT HERE I AM.

STARTING OFF STRONG I SEE and is caelum his adopted son or something because 🥺🥺🥺

i have no words to describe how i was feeling when i read this part

mushrooms and forestry lmaoooo once again and i am a freelancer kin

god. i love them AHHHHHHHH 💖💖 (i was also feeling warm inside 😭)

i just watched the edits and omg why did i have a feeling it was gonna be jackson wang

@messenger-of-stupidity

[starlitmothart]

Butterfly Pea Tea - Crystal

18 year old Crystal is a part time waitress at the tea shop to pay for college. Her older siblings Caelum and Serenity are constantly worried about her because she seems so small and defenseless. She comes from a rich family, but is very down to earth and works hard. Her best friend is Rosalina, who is a pastry chef in training.

About the tea: Butterfly pea flowers, also called Asian pigeonwings, can be made into an herbal tea that's a unique blue color that changes to pink when lemon or lime juice is added. Fresh or dried flowers can be used. Steep the tea for 3-5 minutes, then let cool. Add ice and simple syrup, and mix with lemonade/lime juice for a refreshing summer drink!

[capriciouscatx]

Welcome!

I post my fics over on AO3. Feel free to check them out through the links below sorted by fandom and character. Ratings are included as well, also please pay attention to additional tags when visiting the links. Thank you!

A few additional disclaimers:

Most all of my writings are NSFW 18+ so please proceed at your own discretion and know that minors will be blocked. These are works of fiction that are not supposed to be accurate to the story or characters, neither do I own any of the characters or story elements. Please refrain from reposting or translating any of these works without my direct permission.

With that being said, have fun!😊

E = Explicit

T = Teen

Death Note:

L:

Chain Link (E)

Sickly Sweet (E)

Warmth and Desires (E)

Persona 5:

Akira Kurusu (Protagonist):

Butterfly Kiss (E)

A Matter of Feeling (E)

Call Upon my Name (E)

A Fever you can’t Sweat out (E)

Enjoy the Silence (E)

Lovesick Holiday (E)

After Class (E)

Summer Vacation (E)

Goro Akechi:

Until you Fall Apart (E)

The Strength of Jealousy (E)

The Blessing of Partnership (E)

Ryuji Sakamoto:

Detention for Two (E)

FFXVI:

Joshua Rosfield:

Returning the Favor (E)

Library Pictures (T)

Too Shy (E)

FFXV:

Prompto Argentum:

The Seating Arrangement (E)

Working Girl (E)

Practice Makes Perfect (E)

Breaking Point (E)

To Help Each Other (E)

To the Edge (E)

To Her Aid (E)

The Joys of Parenthood (E)

True Feelings (E)

To His Aid (E)

Crimson Tide (E)

Episode Prompto (E)

Only One Bed (E)

More Than Just a Friend (E)

A Long Train Ride (E)

A Certain Holiday (E)

Noctis Lucis Caelum:

White Wedding (E)

By the Seaside (E)

Between me and you (E)

Unexpected Reunion (E)

Third Time’s the Charm (E)

Late Night Driving (E)

Sleepless Nights (E)

Your Highness (E)

Multi:

A Helping Hand (Prompto Argentum, Noctis Lucis Caelum, Ignis Scientia, & Gladiolus Amicitia.)(E) For: ItheBEEZbitch

Excursions with Two (Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum)(E)

A Not So Secret Crush (Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum)(E)

Sharing is Caring (Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum)(E)

Friendly Competition (Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum)(E)

A False Identity (No pairing.)(T) For: ItheBEEZbitch

Red Dead Redemption 2:

Arthur Morgan:

Vacation in the Woods (E)

John Marston:

Got a Name Missy? (E)

There’s a First Time for Everything (E)