#cherise does stuff

[ikkaku-of-heart]

──  𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄  𝐃𝐎  𝐘𝐎𝐔  𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐃  𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑  𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄  ?

in your heart you hold your love in your heart. love is intrinsic, inevitable, love is the beating core of everything; love is also hard to talk about. your love comes out with more rareness, mostly shows up for the big things in a big way- this doesn't mean it doesn't beat for the small stuff, you feel it all, in fact you feel it more intensely than most which is why it's so hard to get out. you hold your love inside you because it matters, it might be the only thing that does.

Tagged by: stole it from @medicus-mortem

Tagging: @goshiikkuburcdo, @chillin-at-partys-bar (Cherise), @waxgentleman, @code01746, @chatcambrioleur and anyone who hasn't done it.

[be0mcore]

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ txt as boyfriends

notes: ahhh it’s my first fic! hope y’all like it!

genre: fluff

tw: none

words: 1.4k

❥ ˗ˏˋyeonjun ´ˎ˗

◦ this mf omg don't get me started

◦ absolutely adores you. cherises you. enamored of you. completely and utterly obsessed with you.

◦ he's the type to buy you something because it reminded him of you.

◦ will gladly spend all of his money just to see you smile :((

◦ very affectionate, can't go long without needing to touch you

◦ cuddles and kisses are his favourite form of stress relief

◦ after rehearsing all day, he just wants to come home to you

◦ wraps you both up in a blanket and rests his head on your chest

◦ does that cute pout of his when talking about his day

◦ steals small pecks from you when you start cuddling

◦ swears you must be made of magic or something because your kisses make him feel instantly better

◦ always wants to take photos of you

◦ has 17883920 photos of you in his camera roll

◦ he looks at them when he misses you while on tour :((

◦ let him style your clothing and he'll fall in love even harder

◦ however, as soon as you wear his clothing... mans swears he can feel his heart escape his ribcage <33

❥ ˗ˏˋsoobin ´ˎ˗

◦ baby boy is the shyest of them all

◦ hes quite introverted, so would love a partner that was also more relaxed

◦ takes you on cute dates at the bookshop <3

◦ you both buy books for eachother

◦ talks your ear off about his favourite ones, and absolutely adores it when you do the same

◦ hand holding !!

◦ this man goes absolute feral whenever you slip your hand into his

◦ the first time you did it he was a blushy mess. couldn't contain his rapid heartbeat be still my beating heart

◦ now he's comfortable with it and initiates it all the time. it's practically second nature to him.

◦ if you pull away he'll get legitimately offended (don't you understand that hand holding is a necessity?)

◦ not too big on pda around the members, but will snuggle you like crazy whenever you're alone

◦ especially since being the leader can be quite tiring at times,,,, he needs someone to just hold him :((

◦ baby him and he'll instantly melt <33

❥ ˗ˏˋbeomgyu ´ˎ˗

◦ omg this nuisance

◦ this little shit

◦ can you tell he's my bias?

◦ he would definitely be both your boyfriend and best friend all in one

◦ its a 2 for 1 deal and this man is a whole ass package

◦ loves to tease you and have fun. water gun fights, amusement parks, scaring children off of the playground, all that good stuff.

◦ honestly helps heal your inner child a lot :((

◦ however also has a serious and nuturing side to him !!

◦ would love someone in touch with their emotions. someone he can vent to and feel understood.

◦ doesn't play around when it comes to mental health. knows what its like firsthand to struggle, so he'll 100% be there for you during tough times.

◦ despite his 'childish' exterior, he absolutely loves to take care of you. will run warm baths, feed you, check up on you during the day, give you massages, etc.

◦ however don't tell the boys otherwise they'll tease him relentlessly

◦ his love language is definitely words of affirmation. loves when you praise him and acknowledge how hard he tries. tell him you're proud of him and he might just start tearing up.

◦ adores head rubs !! play with his hair, tell him he did good today and watch as he falls so much deeper in love <3

❥ ˗ˏˋtaehyun ´ˎ˗

◦ this man is a menace tbh

◦ we all know he doesn't hold back with come backs, and he definitely wouldn't stop just because you're dating praying for you

◦ he's a bit more reserved, and would probably want someone the same

◦ teases you lovingly, always giving you a kiss afterwards

◦ his favourite moments are when its late at night, both of you laying next to eachother just talking about the most random things

◦ from reincarnation to mushroom facts, he'll love talking about anything. let him talk to you about his inner thoughts and he'll be planning your wedding the next day

◦ also loves hearing you talk as well. seeing your eyes light up as you excitedly talk about your interests is when he finds you the most beautiful <3

◦ loves taking you on calm coffee dates, where he's on his laptop writing song lyrics and you're working on a school project. he doesn't need to be constantly entertained, just having your presence with him is enough.

◦ will also cook dinner for you. he genuinely values your opinion on things that he tries hard on, so pls be nice :((

◦ not huge on pda, but doesn't mind cuddling you late at night with his hand running through your hair

◦ believes that the most important foundation of a relationship is trust. hence why he adores you when you allow him to see you at your most vulnerable, and vice versa.

◦ gets particularly clingy when he's tired. won't hesitate to give you sleepy forehead kisses <3

❥ ˗ˏˋkai ´ˎ˗ ◦ absolute cutie pie

◦ i mean,,,,,

◦ cmon

◦ you've basically got a whole ray of sunshine as a boyfriend

◦ similar to beomgyu, he loves doing fun activities with you

◦ dates at the arcade, themepark, icecream parlour, kfc

◦ loves unique matching accessories !! frog headbands, psychedelic glasses, diy phonecases... just wants something meaningful that the both of you can share

◦ can be very clumsy, so don't be surprised if he accidentally spills coffee all over you on your first date

◦ he feels so bad about it but after you give him a small peck for reassurance he feels better again :)

◦ he can be a bit clueless sometimes, so expect to also probably get lost on your first date

◦ very very affectionate! he loves cuddling, hand holding and tummy rubs!

◦ basically clings to you, especially when he's asleep

◦ give him a plushie and he'll give you his whole heart :((

◦ there'll never be a dull moment with kai and his antics <3

[ink-fireplace-coffee]

You know I can't resist, so sandwich and Jasper.... ~Morri.

It's Monday. But I suddenly had so much stuff to do yesterday that decided it wouldn't be a bad idea to keep the asks for today. So yeah 😅

I had so much fun writing this and I hope it warms your heart and makes you laugh equally haha

(@memento-morri-writes)

---

"So... you eat stuff in between two pieces of bread?"

"Don't say it like that!" Kit exclaimed, and hold the sandwich almost reverently. "This might be one of the most cherised meals of our generation."

"Your generation likes to eat meat and cheese slices in between bread," Jasper deadpanned.

It's not that he wasn't getting it, this was fairly easier to understand than Instagram or social media, but the whole thing seemed...

"Simple," Agatha finished for him, going into the kitchen. Kit turned to her, as if she had said that the sky was red or thst the earth was flat, and she shrugged, "what? It's true that it doesn't take an engineer to make a sandwich."

"But... But sandwhiches are great! This one is a Kit Sandwich, Ags"

Ah yes, a Kit Sandwich. The sometimes-horrifying-sometimes-surprising-but-always-chaotic invention Kit had creates a few years ago, after trashing his whole pantry looking for whatever qualified as a topic to put in between the bread slices.

This time the concoction had lettuce, tomato, pickles and something that Agatha could only guess was pulled pork based on the texture.

Still, she took the dish off from Kit's hands, cut the square in two triangles and offered Jasper one. Without saying anything she took a bite and chew, and...

"Really? Soy sauce?"

Kit grinned. "It's not a my sandwich if it's not chaotic."

She hummed in approval and nudged Jasper to go on.

"It's edible... More or less."

After a second of hesitation he decided to try it, not really knowing what to expect.

Somehow his brain and bud tastes knew the flavors weren't supposed to be mixed together like that... But strangely it worked.

"It's... not bad, just... strange," he finally managed.

"THATS EXACTLY THE POINT, JASPER!" Kit all but screamed. He took off the plates from his friends and stacked them up in the counter, puffing dramatically. "You know what? If you stay here any longer you will be late for the concert, and it's clear as day that you can't appreciate my creations so-"

He shoved the couple out of the room and almost to the door, as they tried not to laugh. They stepped out of the house and walked to Agatha's car.

After a beat, she commented: "Don't worry, Prince Charming, I'll buy you something to eat before we go inside."

He sighed relieved and chuckled, "It was awful."

"But he does it with love."

Kit threw the sandwich to the trash when he went back to the kitchen. He had been creating this horrifying things for Agatha to eat in hopes that one day, she would break and tell him how bad it tasted. And not only that hadn't happened yet but also Jasper had decided not to hurt his feelings.

He really did have the best of friends.

[booksandwords]

Invision by Sherrilyn McQueen

Series: Chronicles of Nick, #7 Read time: 1 Day Rating: 5/5

The quote: “Well, aren’t you a cheeky one?” “So says my father. It’s ever a fault of mine that I don’t know my place. But who better to know my place than I, says I? And who so better to determine it? For I will not be hemmed in by anyone else’s expectations. This is my life, such as it is. And it will be lived under my rules so long as I have it.” — Caleb Malphas & Lilliana

I am not tagging this with a spoiler warning but read on at your own risk. Invision (and this review) contain spoilers for the wider Dark-Hunter verse.

Let's start with something important to those reading Chronicles of Nick and The Dark Hunter Universe. I'm not sure where Sherri is up to in her story of Jaden in the DH books (I'm picking and choosing my way through them), but I know Jaden is an upcoming book that should lay his story bare. Invision may contain massive spoilers for Jaden's book. That reason only Jared knows? Yeah, that is in here and that piece of lore is unlikely to change between the two. Most of the spoilers I tag in this review are relevant to not just Invision but Jaden. If you want to go into Jaden's story without prior knowledge do not read Invision. And I apologise in advance this review gets quite long.

This is another book with a whole lot of story to tell. And it leads well into Intensity, the last book of the series. Well may not be the right word it ends on a cliffhanger. There is a lot of lore added, we finally get an explanation of pith points in a way that makes sense. We meet some new characters and learn a lot pf backstory on some of the characters that we already knew. But there is a lot of time spent on family and found family as is normal. It turns out that even less of the characters than we thought are strictly human. I enjoyed this a lot it helps me understand a lot more and I live for Sherri's lore.

My queen is back. Hello, my beloved Lilliana. Never has a character so long dead had such a lasting and irrefutable impact on a series while barely appearing. Xevikan's Myone is also a powerful woman. We finally find out how Caleb met Lilliana met. Including the wonderful exchange "Are all demons as gigantic as you?" "Depends on the species." "Are all women as brave as you?" "Depends on the species." (Lilliana & Caleb Malphas, p62). She chose his name because of its meaning "the faithful, fearless warrior who defends what he believes with everything he has" (Lilliana, p66), which isn't far off the Hebrew meaning. Myone was Xev's anchor his reason for existence the reason he was willing to do so much. His story isn't this dissimilar to Braiths in a way. Blessedly the brothers are back on speaking terms.

Book random dump

Reading Cay openly admit brotherhood with Xev is something I needed to see and made me smile.

"I think I know now why the gods made the two of you so incredibly hot. You'd be insufferable otherwise"  Kody (p.85) about Caleb and Nick. I mean I can totally see why people tell Kody to ask her other boyfriend. She stopped pretending a while back.

I like the choice to interchange Kody and Nyira now. But what is Nyira? It doesn't appear to be a name.

This is the first time I've seen any indication that Simi will get her own story.  Kody knows who her husband will be. There were only three options in the room at that point. Jaden, Xev or Caleb. All will exist is the DH universe. Jaden needs good in his life. I'll take that and run.

Cadegan is more complicated than I thought. In his bio he calls Thorn his lost brother, Noir gives aways his parentage Thorn is his father. Well, Son of No One just got bumped up my tbr.

Is this the first time we've heard Caleb's full designation? Esme Daeve. Like Nick thrives on fights, rage.

Bout time we got a demon hunter. Didn't expect that character though.

“He was a chaos god, Nick. The god of blood disease, fire, plagues, famine, violent death, fear, and destruction.” (Caleb p.175) Good lord Xev. You really did get all the fun stuff, and he's the Malachai's blood slave.

As a side point, I'm adding a could of pieces of general tidbits because I keep forgetting them.

The six generals of the ušumgallu. Grim, Bane and Laguerre who live permanently earthside. The others who had to be called, Xevikan, Livia and Yrre.

Nick's six generals (chosen at the end of Instinct). "Nashira. Xev. Dagon. Aeron. Kody. Caleb." Narshira is the yōkai formerly trapped in Nick's Grimoire. Aeron the forgotten son of the Morrígan. Dagon, son of Noir and Hekate, aided Lycaon to create the Were-hunters.

The six primal gods. Those of the light; Razer, Cam and Verlyn (aka Jaden). Those of the dark; Noir, Azure and Braith. Braith is complicated, while she aligns to the dark she is more grey. Two of the primary gods are missing; Razer and Braith. Verlyn was captured. Making me wonder... is Razer in play already and just not revealing his identity. Cam is Menyara, Verlyn is Jaden both are known in DH but their identities aren't known.

So... Parentage. Who is related to who is a big deal in the CoN series. But relatives are power and mostly seem to be an indicator of where your allegiance should lie. There is a theme that appears of the abandoned half children acting out of spite for one parent at least until they find themselves. As Xev puts it “Born of both sides. Forever lured between them. Never trusted by either, and cursed by both.” (p.287).  Nick's line is particularly important. Did anyone else not realise that Xev was Nick's Grandfather during that wonderful bomb drop during Chapter 8 of Instinct? I reread it knowing the truth and yeah the indication is there. Mostly in the way he looks at Cherise, maybe she favours Myone more than we know and in the way he speaks. But it isn't said. And I really think it needed to be. In light of this and other revelations halfway through Invision, I decided I needed to make a small family tree because good lord this should not be that complicated but it feels like it is. I think there are minor allusions to Nick's tree somehow being connected to Kody's (through the primordials) but I can't figure it out. I'm writing this after I binge-read Intensity which adds a whole lot more so I'm adding it to that review instead. Beware spoilers if you go there.

One last thing from Dream Warrior... “I’m helping to train the new Malachai and I just wanted to know something.” “That is?” “Does anyone else know you’re related to him?” (Jared and M'Adoc, p.314). By Dream Warrior Nick is in his mid-twenties and everyone knows he's the Malachai. My question which is not answered there. Does Jared know? He's powerful and Nick is his blood he should be able to pick it. I've always thought Dark Hunter was the Ambrose timeline but I don't think it is. Theoretically, M'Adoc doesn't exist in that timeline.

God this review is long. I knew that anyway. My Goodreads review does have the worst of the potential Dark-Hunter spoilers, they relate to Jaden.

[camphorror]

the only friend who i coul talk about this stuff isnt really interested in talking about me anymore so im just going to type all this overhsaring cap while trying to calm down from crying for 30 minuets an throwing up from the crying

i have an :::aunt”” who hates me because she is literally a raicst who stopped talking to my mother when she decided to marry someone who isnt from the same ethnicity as her and then of course she hates me for being a tainted person for his horrible offense!! i never really knew her she neve rinvited us to birthdays or anything she did at her house with her evil daughters and we did invite them for birthdays because i just very much remember not understanding why she is so distant (compared to my “”normal”” aunt) and just always wanted her to like me up until i grew up old enough to understand why it was that they ere all like this

now fucking 7 YEARS ago  was at my grandmas and i was looking at old photos and back then i was very much into ww2 and like 30s-40s time period in europe and all and i was fascinated by all the old photos she had and she allowed me to take a lot of old photos some she wanted me to bring back so i just scanned them and brought them back and some she just let me have i swear to god she let me have them some were of people she didnt know she didnt let me have any of her old photos besides the ones that had 2 copies but she pm let me have all of my grandfather’s (who i have never met) photos from the 30s-40s and these photos were my favourite ting in the world i usedto go over them once every month since fucking 2014 to see if they ware ok i recently planned to try and get an album for them bc i dont think it’s kept well in a box if you ask every close friends i have how many times i told them want to see something cool and showed them these photos i love these photos with all of my heart and they fascinate me i even wanted to san all of them and try to find maybe some site or subreddit that can help me translate some of the writings on the back of some of them as idk what language it even is and it’s all in cursive. not once in the past 7 fucking years (ok actually once but it wasnt here it as my evil aunt) did my grandma ever ask me for these photos because she kne wi have them and i keep them and i cherise them 

then suddenly last week when my supposedly normal aunt wwas here because my scumbag aunt visited my grandma when she had fucking pneumonia and my grandma got sick and she’s generally been like weird mentally lately like she’s not 100% in the moment. anyway they were both at her house when she was sick and suddenly suddenly my supposedly normal aunt claims that my grandma wants all the photos back. but does she say it herself? no. my aunt tells it to my mother.i got pissed pff and offended that she didnt call me. i am not a child. after some insufferable back and forth my grandma says she just wants the photos she’s in. ok. whatever. my aunt says she’ll go get copies of them and bring me back i dont care. then suddrnly when i went there to give it to them my aunt asks me if i have more photos and i like yes sure i have [everything i mentioned above] she flis out like i didnt know youhave them give them to me i didn’t know it i will copy of all of them!! like ok first of all not my fault you didnt know you live in almost the other side of the country sincr 2010 youre not suopposed to know that i took photos 7 years ago. notlike i have to share every detail. second of all i liteally did tell her something about this once. ok i tell her i will give her all the photos before she goes home she has a friend who works at a photogrhy store who can copy them for cheap.

so now i know the reason this is happening is bascially my “normal” aunt and ym evil aunt literally manipulate my grandma into caring about these stuff because i know the thing here. THE CRIME here is that my evil aunt does not have these photos. i know she wants them, the reason i took them 7 years ago is that i knew there was no way on earth my mother would have these at any point and i just decided i want them (and my grandmother ALLOWED ME). but whatever. copy the photos have it your way i dont care

now my aunt came to take them todaynd i told her when she called “you  are giving me back the original photos i got them 7 years ago it’s not fair to take them” she says ok. i meet her downstairs and i chat to her and i tell her again “really you give me back the original photos ok” and suddenly when she physically has them iin her hand she says no!!! i will give you back the copies!! i say no youre lying i wouldnt have given shit if i knew you’d do this. she starts making excuses about how they need to have the originals because what f they’d want to give it to a fucking holocaust msueusm. i tell ehr why on earth give a meuseum original photos give them the copies. she says no and i was tired and irritated and i just told her whatever she got what she wants by lying so i dont care anymore. and i left her in the street and went home. i lost it on the way it happened an hour ago and im still crying. i cant believe this shit happened. these photos were mayb one of the most important things in my life. i just cried annd cried and lost it and lost my cool and started screaming and hitting everything. i tried calling her telling her it’s not fair she lied to me why is she doing this. i got sick of playing stupid and i said i know they only did this because they want my other aunt to have the photos. she then accused me (and my mother) of being the liars who took the photos and never said i had them (what the fuck?) and then lying saying we don’t have more (literally not true) and then she called me A CRAZY INSANE PERSON for crying and freaking out and telling her i know why all this shit is happening. and she said she doesnt want to talk to me becaus ei’m crazy and she hung up. i literally fell down crying and threw up and hit myself for being so stupid. i now understand why she wanted ALL the photos. including those of random who no one knows. because they just want them to have it.

i know my grandma doesnt love me as much as she loves them. my grandma also stopped talking to my mother once she got married but then she “got around it” but my evil aunt is he rfavourite daughter and her kids are her favourite grandkids and my “nrmal” aunt and them always meet toether and do family stuff together and never with us and they never see anything wrong with it.they even accuse me of “contributing to this stupid fight” even tho it’s insane to even say this like this thing started 2 years before i was born because of RACISTS and i was treated like shit as a child by these ppl but i’m still seen on par with their behaviour!!! so they dont care. i actually wholly believe my grandma want my shitty aunt to have those photos actually. i fele so stupid. this was my favourite possession in the world and i was stupid enough to let it go. i still cant stop crying until now i actually hate everything. im sick of all those insane people in every side of my favmily there are insane people on my father’s side i have sociopathic theives who dont even care their brother fucking died from brain cancer and most of which i dont even fucking know and on my mother’s side there are just a bunch fo self obsessed freaks who hate me for the crime of being born

[breyito]

the sharp edges of a flower

TITLE: the sharp edges of a flower

AUTHOR/ARTIST: @breyito (read also on AO3)

PROMPT DAY : Day 3- Protection for @geraskierweek

SUMMARY: Three times Jaskier protected Geralt without him knowing it.

WORD COUNT: ~1.8 k

BOOKS/NETFLIX/2002 SHOW/VIDEO GAME: Netflix show

TRIGGERS/WARNINGS: Angst, but mostly not. Hurt/Comfort. Violence, a bit.  

RATING: Teen and up

ADDITIONAL NOTES: I wanted to do a 5+1, but it would never be finished, so I cut it here. I *might* write the rest, but I don’t make any promeses. Some fluff to balance the angst of yesterday lol. Tho the last one went away from me a bit and ended sad again.  Sorry ñ.ñ Btw, I do like Yennefer, I just think the relationship between her and Geralt makes no sense. I think she knows what she wants and she can be very selfish (no hate there, so can I) but she's not good for Geralt, so... Oh! The two firsts are in the early stages of their relationship, the third in between those last years. I intended to do a couple more in the middle (and might, maybe, perhaps) so that it would flow better but...

Enjoy!

1-

Jaskier is at the bar, flirting with a lovely lady in a break in his set, when something catches his attention. He overhears a drunkard happily proclaiming that one of the patrons of the tavern is going to poison the Witcher's drink; to see if they really are inmune to such things, as myth and rumours go.

Geralt is upstairs, still cleaning his armor (the bard had stayed until the man was clean, but the menial tasks of leather and sword mantainance were not something he cared for much); so he can't know what will happen when he comes down to have his earned supper.

Jaskier has learned by now that, unless this is a specialized poison Made by a mage, it won't kill the Witcher. It doesnt mean it won't hurt him, though. Humilliate him in front of the townspeople if he gets sick; which is no doubt one of the reasons why every one of the men in the table of this drunkard is laughing; and why the older barmaid is going along with it.

So, instead of causing a scene, he launches into another song; pulling all the barmaids to dance, spinning them around as he marches them to their tables.

He makes sure to spill a little bit of the poison he stashes in one of his rings in all the tankards going to that table (one of the cheapest ones, and a small enough dose that it shouldn't kill, just make them spend their coin in a healer instead of more beer) and distracts the old and bitter barmaid so that the poisoned drink ends in his hand. 

If he gets pushed and ends up spilling the liquid over the man eagerly watching the Witcher drink his ale...

Well, he makes sure to act surprised and scared when the man's skin starts to sizzle and burn.

(The Witcher from then on insists on sniffing all the drinks he orders, in case somebody tries to poison the bard again; which causes Jaskier to melt a little, as well as laugh a bit on the inside).

2-

He can see the way people are looking at the Witcher. 

And it's allright, perhaps his song about the noble White Wolf has not gotten to this nowhere-town in the middle of this nowhere-kindom yet. But they needed the coin and the people here need a monster slain; so they keep their hate quiet and throw their glares just at their backs, instead of at their faces. 

But Jaskier knows how to read a crowd; and he knows that if Geralt stops at the inn they are staying at before he goes to collect his payment they will be run out of town with hateful words and the promise of violence (that happened once, just once; because Jaskier promised himself that as long as he was by the Witcher's side it wouldn't happen again) and no payment. He knows that the people of this town believe themselves to be as important as the capital of their kingdom; despite the fact that Ard Carraigh was a few towns and villages away yet. And they had no problem following their King’s policies against non-humans; which was bad but not much different than in other places, like Cintra and the like. Usually though, those policies didn’ extend towards Witchers; but in this particular town they did. So Jaskier, while Geralt left on his own on a week long and dangerous hunt (not even taking Roach!), separated himself as much as possible from the Witcher, charming people left and right.

He plays people's favorites and requests: ballads about romance and heroic deeds, plays the joyful tunes that make patrons drink more and be more giving; and only mixes in a song about his muse per performance, when he has enough coin at his feet to at least pay for supper and a few other things. 

He buys cured meats and dried fruits and stores up on flat bread and hard cheeses, vegetables and fats; flirts on with the market people (pretty lads and shy girls; amused mature women and harsh old ladies) and gets wine, soaps and candies for a lower price, and not double or triple like they would have demanded of the Witcher. It makes him a little sick; to flirt and smile at people that would spit on his friend's face; but he thinks that while this time he won't be able to provide Geralt with a soft bed he will at least be able to give him these little luxuries, and that is worth it; so he keeps at it.

When he hears the firsts whispers of the Witcher on his way back; he packs all of their stuff and saddles Roach after bribing her with some stolen apples (the vendor had tried to get him into his bed while insulting Geralt, so he had apologized profusely, citing a previous appointmet, while he snuck the best fruits for the mare, a big fake smile plastered on his face) and marches her down to the Alderman's house. Geralt sees him there and stops, and before the Witcher can get mad at him for touching his horse he starts to babble about sleeping with the butcher's daughter and the butcher's wife and the need to flee the town before he is found and butchered in a goresome fashion. 

Geralt grumbles and curses him for the lack of a proper bath to get the filth of the hunt off him; but goes into the Aldermans house to get his coin anyways. He comes out, pouch in hand and mounts Roach and they leave.

He helps the witcher wash off in a stream later, under the warm sun; and it's paceful. He's gentle as he uses the sage soap he bought for the delicate nose of the man, and as he cleans then combs the silver hair with the same care he shows his previous lute. He insists the Witcher rests the rest of the day; to sleep. Then, when Geralt wakes up, Jaskier insists he uses the free time to clean his armor and blades, instead of packing up and setting camp again in a few hours. He uses the vegetables and some meat to make a sturdy stew as a treat; and snares and roasts two rabbits for dinner. If he lets Geralt believe he does all of this as a way to pay him back, well...that is his bussines and his bussines alone.

(The butcher had no daughter and had no wife. Because there was no butcher in this town.)

3-

He protects Geralt from Yennefer once, incredibly. The Witcher is on a hunt (a nest of kikimoras and a new queen, so the bard stayed behind but the horse went along) when the witch shows up at the one tavern the bard happens to be performing at, of all the taverns in the whole city. It has been only three months since the last time they encountered her (and Gerlat has barely started to let him touch him with gentleness when he’s not injured, has just begun relaxing his shoulders and giving that barely-there smile of his that is so endearing Jaskier could die of tenderness) so Jaskier ends his set, finishes his drink like a shot and sits in front of her, and bluntly asks her what does she want to leave before the Witcher comes back.

The mage is amused and surprised; so she plays his game. She tells him she wants the silver dagger that the Witcher gave him a few years ago, for protection. She knows the emotional value that it has, she has seen how the bard sharpens it and always has it on him. She also knows its one of the only gifts the Witcher ever gave the bard, and how the bard cherises it. 

He swallows but doesn’t hesitate to reach for the sheat and put the dagger on the table between them. Yennefer is surprised but smiles anyways, and starts to gently caress the blade; and mockingly asks how he will explain the loss of something so precious. Jaskier tells her that that’s not her problem, but if she wants to know; he will say he got attacked and defended himself, and the attacker left with the dagger still inside them. She laughs at his story, asks if he thinks the Witcher will buy it. Jaskier answers yes. 

The mage then asks why he would part with this gift, when he surely knows they will just meet in another few weeks or moths; because at this point they all agree that whatever the Witcher and the Witch have between them is inescapable. He says that Geralt is not healed yet, that he needs a little more time before he’s ready for her to empty and crash his heart again. She flinches at this assesment; and when she tries to say that she loves him; Jaskier responds that she loves him because she knows she can use him and discard him and he will still be there the next time. 

She waits a moment then asks, sickly sweet, that it’s the same way Geralt treats him, is it not? The bard laughs bitterly, but explains the difference: Yennefer knows Geralt will be there and does the things she does because of this; Geralt does it because he’s still testing him, because he doesn’t think Jaskier will still be there, believes he doesn’t deserve it. So how can the bard hold it against him; when it’s people like her that made him believe he’s unworthy of love and devotion?

The war of looks makes the place spark with tension, and even the most drunk of patrons is mostly quiet. Yennefer knows her eyes are swirling with chaos, yet the poet doesn’t back down, keeps looking and looking and looking at her. His eyes are determined, even as tears escape and his lashes shiver. He doesn’t look away. Eventually, she does. She grabs the dagger and stands up, leaving.

Jaskier is lucky Geralt is dizzy with blood loss and too many potions when he comes back; because even though he washed and changed clothes the man can still smell the fucking lilac; and it’s easier to spin a lie about the gorgeous perfume seller and the dagger that is still in the side of her brother when the Witcher’s senses are not at their best. It’s also easier to deal with the dissapoinment in the men’s eyes when the other is delirious and won’t smell his tears.

(The next time they meet the mage in a town she gives him a barely-there nod before she focuses all her attention on the Witcher. Jaskier still turns around and rents a room in the rundown inn at the other side of the town. He never sees his dagger again.)

[indelibleevidence]

Favorite book?

You can’t just ask someone what their favourite book is without any reference to genre! :p

The thing that makes me laugh is that everyone assumes that since I can (kinda) write, I must have read all the classics, and all the stuff that’s touted as the next big thing. Which is completely wrong. I actually HATE the classics, and things that spend three million years setting up a scene before something actually happens send me to sleep.

As a kid, I read pretty much everything in the children’s section of the library that I was interested in, and then started nosing around the adults’ shelves for things to read. Since the kids’ section didn’t really have many classics, I just graduated on to adults’ genre fiction, and that’s where I’ve stuck, really.

Something that’s interesting to me is that as I’ve grown up, going back to those adults’ books I loved as a kid has resulted in me throwing the book across the room, because I now see the horrendous descriptions of female characters’ appearances, and the way they don’t really have any purpose in the narrative other than ‘love interest’ or ‘secretary who might make the occasional relevant observation’ or ‘villain’s love interest who puts up with domestic violence to show that the villain is bad’. The feminist in me can’t deal with most pre-millennium male authors these days (and to be honest, a lot of post-millennium male authors, either).

I get the feeling that none of my favourites are in genres you would actually like, @lurkingwhump  (with the possible exception of crime), but you opened the box, now I have to go inside...

Some of my favourite books that spring to mind (but this is by no means an exhaustive list):

Horror: The Newsflesh series by Mira Grant (including the short fiction, because it’s fantastic), the Women of the Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong (which was turned into TV show, Bitten, which totally wasn’t as good, but the first season was pretty cool), The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey.

Urban Fantasy: The October Daye series by Seanan McGuire (who also writes as Mira Grant for her horror stuff), Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniels series (Kate’s love interest, Curran, is like my ultimate book boyfriend, OMG).

Sci-Fi: The Sentients of Orion series by Marianne de Pierres (her Parris Plessis trilogy is also great, but is more of a dystopian post-apocalyptic thing than a space opera), the Innkeeper books by Ilona Andrews (kind of straddles sci-fi and urban fantasy).

Apocalypse-is-Nearing Science-Focused Kinda Atlantis Apocalypse Thing: I can’t think of a word for this genre, but Deception by Stel Pavlou is a great book.

Fantasy: Trudi Canavan’s Black Magician trilogy, the Kushiel books by Jacqueline Carey.

Crime/Thriller: Karin Slaughter’s Grant County series, Karen Rose’s books (but it does annoy me how all of her heroines - even the one who supposedly can’t conceive a child - end up Married and Pregnant by the time they’re mentioned in subsequent books).

Erotic Romance: Kit Rocha’s ‘Beyond’ series (which is a better post-apocalyptic dystopia than most I’ve read, plus has some great kinky smut, threesomes, polyamory - but it’s all character relevant and most importantly, respectfully romantic with consent... *happy sigh*), Aurelia T. Evans’ Sanctuary series (which I actually selected for publication and edited as part of my old day job - werewolves, dog-shifters and vampires, oh my!), Cherise Sinclair’s Shadowlands books (curvy heroines discovering kink with very hot, consent-focused Doms).

Young Adult: ANYTHING BY TAMORA PIERCE, but especially her Tortall series (start with the Song of the Lioness quartet). The His Dark Materials trilogy by Phillip Pullman. The Midnighters series by Scott Westerfeld is very cool. LJ Smith’s Forbidden Game series is a lot of fun too, but I first read it when I was a kid, so nostalgia might be giving me rose-tinted glasses.

Mental Health Memoir: Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen.

This is why you can’t ask me what my favourite book is. :p

[themagiciansreccenter]

Author Spotlight: @machtaholic

Every week we are going to be interviewing a writer from The Magicians fandom. If you would like to be interviewed or you want to nominate a writer, get in touch via our ask box.

First things first, tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Becky (sometimes B or Bex) and I am … *looks around* … 37 years old. Former band geek, all around nerd, movie geek, book nerd. I work in a law office and I have been involved in fandom for … a very long time LOL

How long have you been writing for?

Shit … um … since I was, like 12? 13? I can remember writing random original stories about body switching

What inspired you to start writing for The Magicians?

The characters. I didn’t actually start watching until April of this year. I binged all three seasons in about 3 weeks and was completely drawn in by the characters. Magic offers so much possibility and the universe the show had created was just so … open. I can kind of equate it to that cracked door and that delicate hand with the long painted nails (purple for me) beckoning me to follow … to open the door and step inside. There are a world of possibilities behind that door.

Who is/are your favourite character(s) to write? What it is about them that makes them your favourite?

Hmmm … I tend to migrate towards Eliot and Quentin. I think Quentin because I can relate to him. Eliot because … he’s got this confidence and swagger (even if it is a mask) that I sometimes wish I had. These two speak to me, and I connect to them in a way I don’t necessarily connect to the other characters. I also do love Margo because she has got some SASS and can be so salty, which is so much fun.

Do you have a preference for a particular season/point in time to write about?

I don’t have a particular season or point. I’ve done at least one during 3x5 and a couple that took place after, but most of my fics are kind of … in the nebulous space of ‘The Magicians’ LOL!!

Are you working on anything right now? Care to give us an idea about it?

I am working on something new - something that started as a comment fic. A ‘no magic’ universe centered around a coffeeshop called Magic Beans, an Eliot that’s getting his Masters in Theatre and a genderfluid!Q that owns said coffeeshop

How long is your “to do list”?

Short LOL! Actually just the thing I’m working on … bunnies come sporadically to me LOL!

What is your favourite fic that you’ve written for The Magicians? Why?

Oh god … my fic for @thewelterschallenge Trials … ask @trekkiepirate and @all-hale-eliot … this fic is … I had so much fun world building and writing it and just diving into it! And I really really hope everyone enjoys it because I really enjoyed writing it.

Many writers have a fic that they are passionate about that doesn’t get the reception from the fandom that they hoped for. Do you have a fic you would like more people to read and appreciate?

Not really? I mean I’m happy any of my fics are getting traction (kudos/comments)

What is your writing process like? Do you have any traditions or superstitions that you like to stick to when you’re writing?

Oh gosh. Well, I write from beginning to end. I don’t, as a personal rule, jump around and write different parts and the fill in the in between. This means, though, that when I’m stuck I tend to have to walk away for a bit until I can figure out where the fic is going.

Do you write while the seasons are airing or do you prefer to wait for hiatus? How does the ongoing development of the canon influence and inspire your writing process?

LOL! Guess we’ll see what happens when the next season starts! Like I said above, I only started watching in April, so I’ve only been writing during hiatus.

What has been the most challenging fic for you to write?

I’m gonna go back to my Trials fic. There was so much that went into that and so many things I had to be aware of and it was a bit out of my comfort zone for this fandom (yet definitely allowed me to play with some kinks of mine)

Are there any themes or tropes that you like particularly like to explore in your writing?

Hurt/Comfort is always fun. I haven’t been able to explore these yet in this fandom, but fake relationships are fun, so is arranged marriage

Are there any writers that inspire your work? Fanfiction or otherwise?

Oh gosh! I’ve been in so many fandoms over the years and there are so many writers in this fandom and others, not to mention authors like Cherise Sinclair, PC Cast and Kristin Cast that totally inspire me.

What are you currently reading? Fanfiction or otherwise?

I’m actually re-reading an old Teen Wolf fanfiction and then was probably going to re-read the Masters of the Shadowlands series (really well-written BDSM series).

What is the most valuable piece of writing advice you’ve ever been given?

Well, one of my friends just recently quoted Beckett at me: “Ever tried, ever failed, fail again...fail better”. And it rings true for me right now …

Cringe time:

Are there any words or phrases you worry about over using in your work?

No necessary phrases, but I’m trying to curb my love of commas and ellipses LOL!

What was the first fanfic that you wrote? Do you still have access to it?

Oh god … no I have no access to it anymore - I think it’s on a disk somewhere but I don’t remember. The first fanfic I wrote was in the Buffy: the Vampire Slayer fandom and I know it was Buffy/Angel but … it’s been at least 20 years and I can no longer remember the plot.

Rapid Fire Round:

Self-edit or Beta? Depends. My shorter fics I self beta, but longer stuff or if I’m feeling a bit unsure I reach out to a beta

Comments or Kudos/Reblogs or Likes? All of the above.

Smut, Fluff or Angst? Fluff first, then smut and … not really angst LOL

Quick & Dirty or Slow Burn? BOTH, depending on my mood

Favourite season? Think I’m going to have to go with Season 3

Favourite episode? A Life in the Day, The World in the Walls, and The Writing Room

Favourite book? The Magician King

Three favourite words? Effervescent, languid, love

Anything you want to add?

Just that, if you want to write, do it. Like Beckett said “Ever tried, ever failed, fail again...fail better” … just keep plugging, keep trying, keep growing and getting better. <3

Want to be interviewed for our author spotlight? Get in touch here.

[ask-the-friendly-ink-demon]

About The Characters

((saw @ask-spider-bendy do one of these on their page and i was bored and plus most people don’t know an whole lot about the gang here actually, half the art mainly the first, second and third one belongs to @anawizachu585 the brittany clapping icon belongs to @licoriceblackaliceangel )) Bendy/Mod, Zetocarnious, (Toon Form)

an very strange yet interesting being indeed, the demon here is named zetocarnious which is bendy’s dead demon name, zeto here was an hellhound demon and rumored to have lived since the beginning of earth making him very very old, how he died and had his soul reverted to an baby hellhound’s soul remains an mystery but why he died is quite simple, he was framed for murdering his father. either way his soul drifted and searched for an new host as it was slowly withering away, one day however it was lured by smelling various unknown materials that were being used in the ink machine, when the soul showed up it merged with whatever it was that was forming into the ink as thus created and turned into the beloved cartoon devil you all see before you, despite the ink chosing henry’s design over joey’s design. bendy here is an cunning and charming demon but despite him not knowing about his own past he doesn’t remember an thing about being zetocarnious only an deep part that is locked deeped inside remembers zeto, after being merged with alpha and having his seventh form back bendy here is regaining some memories he does know that he is a real demon but he still doesn’t know what kind or who he really was. Henry Jefferson Jarvis (Creator Of Bendy)

the creator of bendy and the head animator in joey drew’s studios and now an retired war veteran henry is a kind and caring people who helps anyone in need. due to his time at war he has changed he’s gained an more calm and not easily startled personality, he misses the toons and his fellow co-workers greatly during his time at war when he got the letter he was thrilled but also curious, during his time at the hellhole of the studio henry here formed an bond stronger than any other with bendy the two overcoming anything, as of now he started working on a warehouse not too far from both the studio and the lodge, usually he and bendy go there to haul or load stuff there, the demon has no clue why they always do this but henry just prefers to keep an secret, there was an time where he became an near perfect version of a bendy and had some time to get used to it, despite the powers he had he was glad to be rid of it as he did’int want to spend the rest of his life as an toon  Alice Allison Angel 

the third toon made from the ink machine, alice is a little gift sent from above. she was meant to be at first bendy’s rival due to her being an angel and him being an demon but later on she is now the love interest of bendy in the show. even outside the show both of them had a crush on eachother, she loves to make people happy and smile and won’t hesitate to help anyone in need, but she is a tough angel and looks can get someone an stab in the head for that, during the events at the hellhole of the studio allison here was very alarmed and curious to most things but head on strong when it came to fighting she can hold her own very well in a fight against an horde of various ink like creatures. as of now she happily takes care of their daughter brittany who she cherises her and bendy close to her heart, unlike joey’s design, henry’s design has her wearing an blue dress and having hair covering her eye along with wings and red gloves along with a pink bowtie along with red heels, and her halo also shows what emotion she is feeling. Boris The Wolf (Toon Form)

the second toon made from the ink machine and the best friend and brother of bendy, boris aint one for talking that much and mostly just sits around either playing his clarinet or eating, he is very friendly and kind to those who are kind back and believes there is good in everyone, like bendy he too has a monster form but he only uses it as a last resort, unlike joey’s design, henry’s design here has him wearing an shirt under his overalls and fingerless gloves, along with a tail and boots. Alpha, BeNdY (The Ink Demon)

the ink demon, the most feared and powerful creature and the mistake of joey drew’s studio, alpha here was once an part of bendy, during an certain extent of time joey seperated the two from their bodies thus bendy became bendy and the other slowly became alpha, when the studio’s curse first fell upon everyone alpha was the first and the most to suffer it all, he was controlled to being joey’s lapdog for a certain amount of time until he finally gained control overhimself but still played the part making joey think he still had full control over him, he was sadistic and cunning and murderous, hellbent of killing henry and bendy, as of now he has an more sassy and grumpy like personality and simply jokes around at times with the others, he unlike bendy is not a lust nor a romantic demon, he is part ghost and asexual after all, besides that he would build an more sibling like relationship with those that are friends to bendy. like the other demon alpha too has the burden of an monster form as well as his true form which he gained when bendy offered him his soul. Sammy Lawrence (Non-corrupted by the ink)

an false prophet and now an retired musican, sammy here is a big ol grumps and prefers others to let him work in peace, the only people he would talk to were henry, jack, and susie, despite knowing of the other two’s deaths he still retained his own personality just more bitter, he tends to snap an lot when people make fun of him for how he looks with his hair and appearance. he doesn’t give an fuck when people ask him or make fun of him for his height. as of now sammy just prefers not to bothered with everything and just simply does whatever he can around the lodge. Norman Polk (The Projectionist)

the projectionist, once known as norman polk now turned into an freak of nature, but despite that he is a really nice guy once people get to know him, he was from an african american like family hence his accent, and he has an wise and kind like personality vibe to him despite being the oldest of the group (in his early 60′s) he has moments of going ‘feral’ in the studio but they were shortlived, as of now he has better control overhimself and tends to speak an lot more than before, he helps out around the lodge by acting like an sort of guard patrolling the lodge at night. his screeches scare off tresspassers, he enjoys doing this during halloween as tons of people and kids come to the lodge thanks to henry. Brittany The Angelic Demon (toon form)

the daughter of bendy and alice, brittany here is a little princess and a gift to the two, she enjoys making people happy and smile and will feel bad seeing those who are upset, she like alice won’t hesitate to help those in need despite her size and age she sometimes acts more childish than bendy. she is very go-lucky and cheerful and whenever people see her they can’t help but smile at her. Susan The Toon Tyrannosaurus Rex (Toon Form)

the only surviving toon like dinosaur besides the snake raptors, susan here was made during an crossover like special between jurassic park and bendy in the show, she along with two other larger trexes were meant to break out and cause chaos around sillyvision town (name of the village the toons lived in during the show) when brought to life during henry’s absence from the studio susan relied on her parents for help and survival, when they fell to the hands of her enemies the ink snake raptors she mourned their deaths for hours. she is usually very quiet and very timid only making herself known when hungry, or being playful or wanting to take an walk, she protected bendy and the others an few times during their time at the studio, she like boris and bendy also has an monster form but she hasn’t gotten full control over it yet.

[denofdorks]

Well... you probably remember Cherise saying she steals candy from the carnival...

But as time goes on and as she slooowly warms up to the silly balloon man (AND gets a nice treatment to her fear of clowns on the side ;) ), it slowly becomes more of a fun competition between the two. Beppi gets to test his security stuff (which of course would be something like traps that shoot pies at any little snack thieves and whatever else he comes up with, I bet he could get very creative) and Cherise gets to test her skills in being a sneaky lil birdie.

If Cherise wins, she gets the candy.

If she loses, ... well she probably gets it anyway, but with some pie on the side :)

@fromthebushess

((Oooo that does sound fun XD Almost like an actual cartoon))

[fromthebushess]

// hey yall... if Cherise eats stuff that includes chicken eggs.... does that count as cannibalism??? Even tho shes a plant and not even a bird actually sgrtklgg

[ballsballsbowls]

Now that I’ve mentioned everything I think is really great  about the Shadowlands series by Cherise Sinclair, I suppose I can discuss the stuff I think is.....Less Great.

I feel the need to preface this by saying that I read the first 8 books in a 14 book series before I wrote this, so I feel like I’m being pretty fair about what isn’t working and I have a few of data points. I also need to say that choosing to write ONE character a certain way isn’t an issue; the issue is systematically and consistently writing a certain way.

I tried to group the Pros for the series by theme, but the Cons are going to be, roughly, in order of how annoying I think they are.

- The heroines have a wide variety of jobs - everything from grade school teacher to bounty hunter - but basically all of the heroes are armed forces veterans/contractors or cops. This ends up on the “less bad” end of the cons because I’m discovering this is actually quite common in the bdsm fiction, even though I think it forwards the idea that people who have dangerous, violent jobs are more predisposed to being into bdsm (or are better at it, which I also sincerely doubt.  My best guess is it’s playing into some other stuff cis women like? Like how cis women like strippers who pretend to be cops?). I think it also gets a pass because the plot uses their military/police backgrounds effectively so there’s a “reason” they’re all cops and military. I think it also has some pretty chilling abuses of power by the police officer heroes that are probably insanely common, even if she doesn’t address any of them, so it’s at least semi-realistic to my eyes.

- I think she leans really, really heavily on Gender Roles in bdsm. Basically every female character is submissive, basically every male character is dominant. There’s two Dommes in the entire series that I’ve seen, and only one of them is the heroine of a book in the whole series (out of 14 books, not 8). The letter at the front of every book is structured on the understanding that the woman reading this book is a submissive - “you’ll find your Dom someday!”. I’m struggling to believe that she thinks that’s the right ratio if she did enough research to get some of the other stuff right; did she think her readers thought that was the right ratio? 

- She really drops the ball on queer characters, bisexuals especially. I get that is, quite explicitly, something I’m always looking for so it’s kind of a given, but she really does a disservice to bisexuals. I can understand that it’s an erotic romance series with a primary audience of cishet women, so they feel like nobody is going to read a book in the series with, say, an m/m romance, but they could be bisexual! There’s no reason they can’t be bisexual! The gay and lesbian characters are typically one-sentence crowd establishing shots, and there’s only one named bisexual in the first 8 books and he’s a super minor character whose sex life in the club is never discussed.

- The above point would be annoying but not worth mentioning EXCEPT for the fact that she literally wrote bisexual main characters but made sure not to call them bisexual. In book 8, with the m/m/f romance, the two guys were established as sort of a Package Deal even from their introduction - they work together; they bought a house together and are renovating it together; they know each other’s parents; in their narrative sections they’re constantly watching each other to accommodate for their disabilities and pain levels. They don’t have sex with each other, but they co-top with a woman as a buffer and most scenes involve them both being involved in the sex acts. So they are obviously in love, whether they have sex with each other or not. They even SAY they love each other in the text! But it’s “I love you like a brother” and there’s never a single indication or intimation that they are bisexual, even though they very obviously are. “I love you like a brother” is a way to brush it under the rug so the heterosexual readers don’t have to look further at whether you would, in fact, enjoy watching your brother Bang Your Girl or not. It’s cowardly and biphobic because “oh, but if they’re Bisexual, the cishet ladies reading this would think about them having sex with men and be turned off” is not an excuse. And it worked, because you can find reviews that basically say that they are GLAD the heroes weren’t attracted to each other.

[cathygeha]

Spend a steamy Valentine’s Day with Aaron and Nina!

New Contemporary Romance from Rene Webb – Love Found is Available Now!

Follow the blitz and enter to #win a $25 Amazon Gift Card or one of 5 digital copies of Finding Sunshine by Rene Webb

Enter at: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b050ef29473/?

Title: Love Found

Author: Rene Webb

Series: A Pinetree Novel

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: January 26, 2018

Length: 122 pages

Format: Digital

 In FINDING SUNSHINE Aaron and Nina over-came Aaron’s dark past to find a future together. Will their Valentine’s Day go according to plan? The honeymoon is over… This is where their happily-ever-after begins...

 Available at: Amazon

 Excerpt One:

Holding myself up with one arm, I slide my other hand up along her ribcage until I’m cupping her breast. Her soft skin is chilled from the cold air. I brush my thumb over her already erect nipple and I feel a shiver move through her body.

“Are you cold?” I mutter, against the skin of her neck.

“No,” Nina laughs. “Your beard does things to me.”

“Really?” I continue to kiss and tease her.

Nina’s fingers scratch the back of my neck as she pulls me closer, wrapping her leg around my waist. She writhes in excitement underneath me, and releases her own satisfied moan.

I pull away, unhooking her leg and smile down at my sunshine. Her red puffy lips are pouting, wanting me to continue. There is nothing sexier than seeing my woman looking up at me with desire – knowing that I can and will do anything to give her pleasure.

“These tights have to go,” I tell her kneeling up so I can reach down and begin revealing the rest of her body, that I know lies hidden underneath.

“Leggings,” she reminds me breathlessly, fisting my hair as I lick and suck the skin above her hipbones, leaving my mark. If my woman can still correct me, then I have not made her mindless with pleasure, which is my ultimate goal. Nothing gets me harder, faster, than getting my wife hot and wet.

 Excerpt Two:

“Sunshine, what’s the difference between a Facebook page and a Facebook profile?” I ask, staring at the login screen. Willing it to all make sense. Online communities have never interested me, but I do realize you can’t run a successful business without utilizing them.

“What are you doing?” Nina comes out of the kitchen to look over my shoulder.

“Trying to figure out what online profiles I need to create for the pub,” I answer, looking at my notepad where I’ve listed several online communities.

“Do you want my help?” Nina wraps her arms around my neck from behind; I lean my head back into her chest and rub her arms gently.

“You wouldn’t mind?” I continue to stare blankly at the computer screen.

“Of course not.” She kisses my forehead. “All you have to do is ask.”

“I’ve got a shit ton of other stuff to do today, but would you want to come to the office with me tomorrow morning and help?” I tilt my head back further in order to see her face, which is smiling down at me.

“Sounds like fun.” She gives me a squeeze, before letting go and heading back into the kitchen. Stopping after several steps Nina turns and smiles, “I should warn you. I don’t come cheap.”

I laugh. “Don’t worry. I’ll make it worth your while.” Her resounding giggle sets me into a much better mood.

Nina has a way of always making my mood brighter!

Excerpt Three:

As I walk back into the room Aaron is tucking his phone back into his pocket. Looking up at me, he smiles and holds out his hand for the container and says, “Dessert… great idea, Sunshine.”

“I thought we’d have cookies first,” I tell him with a smile, handing over the container and sitting on the sofa next to him.

“What did Richard want?”

Setting the cookies aside Aaron reaches over and takes my hand, pulling me to straddle his lap. “Nothing. I told him I’d call him back tomorrow.”

He cups the back of my neck and pulls me into a heated kiss, while his other hand works its way up the back of my baggy sweatshirt. Our breath mingles, our teeth clash and our tongues move together in a fevered dance. Aaron’s calloused fingers move along the skin of my back. I shiver as the familiar warmth runs through me.

He pulls back just enough to groan,  “Fuck, Sunshine,” before removing his hand from where it's tangled in my hair to grab my backside roughly. I rock against him, feeling him harden beneath his jeans.

“Cookies first?” I ask, pulling away and picking up the forgotten container.

“I don’t think anything tastes as good as you,” Aaron comments, before shoving almost the entire cookie into his mouth at once.

“Not even your favorite cookies?” I grab his wrist and force him to feed me the remaining cookie from his hand. He gives me a playful scowl.

“These are pretty amazing…” He reaches over and grabs another cookie.

“How can you even taste it, when you shove it practically whole into your mouth?” I ask, leaning forward and taking another bite from his hand.

“Don’t worry, I can.” He mumbles around his mouthful, and then he swallows thickly. “Now I just need to taste you Sunshine, so I can compare.”

I smile as his eyes widened, while he watches me reach down, pull up my sweatshirt and toss it onto the sofa beside us.

After shoving the remaining piece of cookie in his mouth, Aaron glides his hands slowly up my side and cups my breasts. A shiver runs through me and I lean forward into his warmth. I nip, suck, and tease the delicate skin behind his ear as he continues to gently knead my breasts.

One hand moves from between our bodies to cup the back of my head, and then Aaron directs our lips into a rough peanut butter flavored nipping kiss. I groan, grinding my sex against his increasing hardness. A growl reverberates within Aaron, as he wraps his arms around me.

“Aaron.” I cry out in surprise breaking the heated kiss as he stands, picking me up with him. I instinctively tighten my hold around his neck and raise my legs to wrap round his narrow waist.

“Hold on,” he chuckles, walking us towards the bedroom.

 Author Bio: Rene Webb, a former Catholic schoolgirl and child of the ‘80’s, is a recovering Soap Opera addict who grew up watching General Hospital. She became weary with the relentless drama and sought out stories with happy endings that lasted. Now, Rene is an contemporary romance author, where there is always a happily-ever-after!

A graduate of The George Washington University in Washington DC, 05’, with a BA in History. Rene went on to get her Masters in Film Studies, 09’, from Chapman University, Orange CA.

She founded and runs the book blog Lit. 4 Ladies (a joint venture with her sister) and has self-published both a novella and full-length contemporary romance novel.

Authors such as Jane Austen, Kristen Ashley, Cherise Sinclair, Sierra Cartwright, Donna Fletcher, Jennifer Ashley, and Bianca Giovanni have inspired her. They all create strong female characters, swoon-worthy men, and stories that leave their readers with the hope that you, too, will find your own H.E.A.!

Rene also enjoys reading, baking, seeing movies, going to museums, and spending time with her friends and family.

Rene lives in Arlington, VA.

You can visit her online at the following places: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon | Instagram | Pinterest

http://www.barclaypublicity.com/

[shieldoflegend]

Primal Instincts

A bit of context for this; Logan was always supposed to start learning Dragoon at some point during 3.0, after Cherise, giving him a DPS class I thought would work for him, instead of just being a Paladin. But when we read the lore entry for Blood of the Dragon, we thought it would be neat if he had some difficulty with it. On top of that I saw an opportunity to use his fear of/connection to Bahamut I’ve used a couple times to help make things even worse. I’ve been sitting on this for literal months trying to figure out a way to make it feel the way I wanted it to, and I’m super happy I finally get to share it.

Cherise and Aiko belong to @awoken-zodiac Akio belongs to @edgiestshadow

“Try it again,” Cherise said.

Logan gripped his Lance, closed his eyes, and tried to find the power of the Eye flowing from his crystal. He tried to find that draconic power. He could see it, but whenever he tried to reach for it, it slid away. Like it was scared of him. Or maybe he was scared of it.

Logan inhaled sharply and his eyes snapped open. He looked at Cherise who shook her head.

“Nothing.”

He sighed and planted his lance on the ground with more force than necessary. “What am I doing wrong? I can see it, I know what I'm supposed to do, but it's not working! The crystal even showed me!”

Beside his sister stood Akio, one of the Wanderers’ other Dragoons, one who had been at this longer than either of them. The three stood together in a training area for Ishgardian knights, graciously offered to them by Aymeric, as long as they followed the same rules and scheduled their time like every other training group.

The towering Au Ra turned Cherise aside for a moment, the two talking low enough that Logan couldn't overhear much.

“...Only way…”

“No… to him…”

“Cherise…”

“...Don't like…”

They paused, and Cherise sighed and turned back to Logan. “I'm going to ask you to do something you're not going to like.”

Logan frowned. “What?”

She seemed pained to respond. “We think you need to tap into your connection with Bahamut. Whatever happened to you during the Calamity, and later when we found him in Dalamud’s ruins…”

“We think you have a connection stronger to him than Nidhogg’s eye,” Akio finished, as Cherise trailed off. “The crystal shows you only a connection to the Eye, but you might need something else. Try it.”

Logan looked from Akio to Cherise. His sister wouldn't look at him. He had been a lot better around dragons since they'd faced Bahamut, that was true. He'd faced off against Nidhogg, and argued with Hraesvalgr, become a linchpin in the Dragonsong War. But he was still afraid. Maybe that was why he couldn't reach the power. It wasn't moving away from him, maybe he was moving away from it.

“Okay,” he said finally, taking a deep breath. “I'll try it.”

Cherise finally looked up at him and they shared a glance. She didn't really want him to, he didn't have to. He assured her it was fine, he wanted to try, he wanted this to work. She relented. All in a glance. Having a twin sister had its perks sometimes.

He closed his eyes again, lance gripped tight and held at the ready. Once again he could see the power, but he largely ignored it. Instead he looked around for something else, for that fear he'd felt when he first laid eyes on Bahamut. He found it, circling above, as if waiting for him to notice. He reached for it, but it snapped at him, and Logan drew back. He could see it now though, he was the one retreating, not the power, he was scared, afraid of this primal essence and of letting it in. This was far more than facing a foe on the battlefield.

But… had he not determined to stop letting fear sway him from moving forward? No, he had to do this. Logan reached out again, and when Bahamut struck out at him, Logan found a spear in his hand and struck back. Bahamut melted into a glowing essence that overtook his spear, then his arm, then flowed over him completely.

Logan's eyes snapped open. He could feel the new energy swirling around him, and he looked over at Cherise and Akio. Their eyes were wide, surprised.

“What?” Logan asked.

“You did it!” Akio said with a grin.

“I can't believe that worked…” Cherise breathed. She then took a moment to compose herself and spoke louder. “Okay, now try to focus all that into a jump on a target. You should find that you can hit it much-”

Before she could even finish, Logan leapt into the air, then came flying back down, his spear ripping through the practice dummy on the other side of the training ground. He leapt back and landed smoothly, took a moment to ensure everything felt okay, then looked back at his dragoon mentors.

“Like that? That definitely felt stronger!” He said excitedly.

“Yes!” Akio exclaimed, and seemed overjoyed that Logan had managed to progress.

Cherise looked more unsure however. “Yeah, pretty much that. There's more to it, but keep practicing that. The crystal will show you more when you're ready for it. For now, go take a break.”

Logan blinked. A break? But he just- “Wait, what time is it?” He asked suddenly.

“Why? I mean…” Cherise looked into the sky. “Not far past noon?”

“Ooh, I gotta go!” Logan said, running past both of them, practically tossing his spear to Cherise on his way past. “Meeting thing they wanted me at, Warrior of Light stuff!”

“Logan, wait a second!” Cherise called after him, but he just gave her a wave and ran out of the practice yard. “What does he think I am, his personal assistant!? ...And what was that golden glow…?” She muttered that last bit under her breath.

Akio gave her a careful look. “I... could take it if you don't-”

She gave him a punch on his arm, and stormed off the field herself. “He's going to get himself into trouble, isn't he…”

Hours later and Logan found himself slumped back into his chair half-listening to the most boring meeting he could’ve imagined. The new group of Ishgardian leaders were sitting around the table chatting away about various politics. More changes or policies that had to be thought of following the end of the war, or something like that. Logan had stopped paying attention mere minutes into the meeting.

He knew the others often complained about how much the Warriors of Light were abused for menial tasks, but he'd never thought it was that bad. Not until now, anyway. He wanted to do something. Not sit around, he wanted a fight. That's what he was good at, right? He was, after all, a Warrior of Light. He needed to take something on, head to head, fight it, win. Like that Ishgardian knight at the door. He could beat him. He could rip him apart. Into shreds, literally, sink his blade into him and watch him-

“Logan!?”

Aymeric’s startled voice snapped Logan back to attention, and he found he was leaning far over the table, fists clenched, staring at the knight at the door, who, even with his helmet on, looked terrified.

“Wh... what?” Logan stuttered, leaning back in his chair, wondering what had just happened. “What were we talking about?”

There was a brief pause before Aymeric slowly continued. “We were just talking about how it might do some good for you to make an appearance at-”

“An appearance!?” Logan snapped back, jumping to his feet and slamming his hands down on the table. “I sat here for hours just so you could announce that I'm to be paraded around again!?”

His anger leapt back to a boiling point, and a part of him wondered why he was so angry, but most of him didn't care. He was so tired of being looked at, shown off, doing menial tasks. He was a hero! Not a trophy!

“I… I simply thought-” Aymeric tried to respond, but Logan cut him off.

“Yeah, I bet you did. Forget it, I'm going home.”

And with that, Logan spun and left the room, giving one more terrifying glare to the knight at the door, who visibly recoiled. Logan's laugh echoed through the room as the door swing shut behind him.

Aymeric turned to Lucia. “See if you can track down the Wanderers. Something is not right here.”

The trusted knight nodded and she quickly hurried off through the door as well, while Aymeric began to try and smooth things over with the others.

“He did what!?” Cherise exclaimed.

“I know, that’s why I came looking for you,” Lucia confirmed with a solemn nod. “I thought you might be able to, er, handle him.”

Cherise stormed past the taller woman. “I’m gonna punch his brains out! What an idiot! What was he thinking!?” She stopped suddenly and spun around. “Wait, where did he say he was going?”

Lucia blinked, unsure how to handle the raging redhead. “Um. ‘Home’ I believe is what he said.”

Cherise didn’t move for a moment, thoughts racing, and then she spun on her heel and ran off again. “Oh hells, this might be bad.” As an afterthought, she looked over her shoulder back at Lucia. “Oh, and thanks!”

Lucia sighed and began walking back to the meeting room. “Siblings,” she muttered with a small shake of her head and just the slightest hint of a smile.

“Hello?” Cherise called into the currently empty house belonging to Awoken Wanderers.

Their headquarters in the Mist had been somewhat abandoned after the events in Ul’dah, and with the Dragonsong War going on in Ishgard they hadn’t had time to reassemble everyone and get it up and running again. A few of them still lived here however, though they often spent most of their time away. But if Logan was headed “home”, this is where Cherise believed he’d end up.

No one answered her call however, so she opened the door leading to the private rooms, found Logan’s, and knocked. “Logan, are you in there?”

The door opened and Aiko stood in the doorway, holding a bedsheet up to her otherwise naked body. “Oh!” Cherise immediately took a step back and looked at the ceiling.

“Yeeees?” The Miqo’te asked, her voice a bit airy.

Cherise cleared her throat but continued, avoiding looking forward. “Um. Did, uh, Logan come here?” The answer seemed obvious, but she asked anyway.

“Yes. He. Did,” Aiko answered, as if answering an entirely different question.

“Ooookay, nope, oh gods, no, no,” Cherise shook her head and stepped away from the doorway, pointing past Aiko and into the room. “No, go put clothes on, I need to talk to you and this isn’t working, or happening, just. Oh Twelve, no.”

Aiko laughed a little as Cherise made a few gagging noises, but did indeed go back inside and shut the door.

“List of things I did not need to see or hear or imagine, ugh…” Cherise muttered to herself, rubbing her forehead as if it may remove the memory from her mind as she walked back to the main room of the house.

A few moments later Aiko reappeared looking back to her full senses, and fully clothed, much to Cherise’s relief. “Alright Cherise, what’s wrong?” She asked.

The Hyur crossed her arms and scowled. “Well you saw Logan didn’t you? Isn’t there something wrong with him? Acting oddly?”

“Well I was a bit distracted,” Aiko said, the slightest hint of a purr in her voice bringing out another gag from Cherise. “Though I do have to admit there did seem something a bit odd about him. And familiar, too, actually… I can’t place it though… What's going on with him anyway?”

“He…” Cherise hesitated, unsure of how much to say. “He used a technique called Blood of the Dragon, which usually uses power from Nidhogg’s eye. But he never interacted with them, not enough. So… he used Bahamut’s aether instead.”

Aiko’s eyes widened. “That's what felt familiar! He was practically drowning in Bahamut's aether! Cherise that could be incredibly dangerous!”

“No shit!” Cherise flung out her arms. “What do you think I'm doing!? Now did he say where he was going when he left?

Aiko hummed, tapping a finger against her lips. “Mmm… No… I think he mentioned he was hungry though?”

“Oh boy…” Cherise groaned. “There’s only one place in all La Noscea he’ll go if he’s hungry.”

“The Drowning Wench,” they said together.

Cherise and Aiko weren’t even halfway up the stairs to the second level of Limsa Lominsa when they heard the fighting. They didn’t even trade a glance before charging up the stairs. When they turned the corner the Drowning Wench was living up to its namesake, ale covered the floor, at least three men were unconscious, a pair of barmaids were hiding behind their serving trays, and Baderon came up from behind the bar to spot the two women.

Right in the center of the brawl, which consisted of at least ten men and a few women, was Logan. He was unarmoured and unarmed, but attacking anyone who came too close like a rabid, cornered animal.

“You two!” Baderon called out, gesturing to the pair. “Ge’ o’er here!”

Without hesitation Cherise and Aiko slipped along the wall and jumped the bar, crouching down next to Baderon.

“Wha’ in th’ seven ‘ells is goin’ on wit’ yer brother?” Baderon demanded of Cherise.

“Long story,” she answered. “What happened?”

“No idea. One momen’ e’ry thing was fine, an’ then bam! Chaos like I 'aven’t seen since th’ Calamity!”

“Okay, well stay down, we'll handle him.”

“Gladly!”

Aiko turned to Cherise. “How do we even stop… whatever this is?”

Cherise paused. “I’m… not sure. Usually it takes some effort to keep it up, and I never told him how. I’m not sure how he’s kept it going so long…”

“I could be the first to tell you that if he’s channeling Bahamut he could be going for awhile,” Aiko explained, pulling out her tome and flipping through some pages.

“Great, so what, just tie him down until he calms down?” Cherise asked as she heard a heavy thud that must've been a combatant dropping unconscious.

“Mmm, as much as I might like that-”

“Do not.”

“-I think I might be able to put him in a trance and possibly siphon it off.” Aiko pointed to a page of her tome, but Cherise didn't understand a thing on it. “But you will still need to knock him down. I'll need time.”

“Knocking down I can do,” Cherise nodded, punching a fist into her palm. “Get ready.”

With that, Cherise jumped up on the bar and shouted. “Hey! Logan! You want a fight, I'm right here!”

The fight paused and Cherise got a closer look at her brother. There was a faint glow of orange and gold, the effects of Bahamut's aether. But worse was the savage look in Logan's eyes, a look that did not belong to him. It hurt to see, but only steeled her resolve. The other fighters broke off, sensing a battle they shouldn't be a part of, and Logan stared down Cherise. A calm silence came over the tavern as everyone waited to see what would happen.

Then both of them dashed forward. Cherise slammed into Logan, but he caught her by the shoulders and simply slid back, growling and then tossing her across the rest of the room. She skittered to a halt on all fours, wiping her hands of the ale on her jacket. He shouted wordlessly and charged at her again, but she sidestepped him, grabbed his shoulder, and threw him into the wall. He smashed into it, bounced off of it, turned with a snarl, and took a fist to the face. Just like that Logan was laid down flat on the floor.

“Aiko, now!” Cherise shouted.

Aiko leapt over the bar, held out one hand, and muttered incantations from the book she held in the other. The golden-orange glow representing Bahamut’s aether flowed from Logan and into Aiko’s outstretched palm. She squeezed it shut and the aether dissipated.

Cherise kneeled down by her brother and checked his breathing. “Did it work?” It was even, he seemed okay.

“I think so,” Aiko said, sounding unsure. “I mean, it did what it was supposed to do, but whether it worked to keep him from being… whatever that was, we won’t know until he wakes up.”

Cherise sighed and nodded. “Well, help me get him back home then. We wouldn’t want him to break out of the inn rooms and terrorize the bar patrons again.”

Baderon, now back on his feet and turning tables back upright looked up at Cherise and nodded. “Aye, get ‘im ‘ome, I can take care o’ things ‘ere. Twelve knows ‘e’s done loads for us, a messy bar ain’t nothin’.”

Logan stirred and sat up. His head felt like paste, that his brain was flopping about inside his skull. What had happened anyway? Last thing he remembered was storming out of the meeting in Ishgard.

“He’s awake!” Aiko’s voice called, though Logan refused to open his eyes just yet.

“How is he?” Cherise’s voice called back from somewhere further away.

“Stop yelling…” Logan complained, attempting to wave his hand at them but finding lifting his arm to be somewhat difficult.

The next thing he felt was Aiko’s cool hand stroke the side of his face. “Are you feeling okay?” She asked softly.

“No… What hit me…?” Logan mumbled.

“That was Cherise,” Aiko said with a hint of laughter to her voice. “But you’re okay? You don’t feel um… Like you want to pick a fight or anything?”

“What? No, the thought of that just makes my head hurt more…” Logan groaned.

Lips touched his forehead. “Good. Then lay here and rest.”

“But what happened? I don’t remember anything after the meeting…” Logan insisted.

He heard someone enter the room, and Cherise’s voice was heard again, much closer. “I think it was the blood of the dragon skill… I think Bahamut’s aether took you over or something. The ability is supposed to give you extra power and combat instincts, but it does mean giving a bit of yourself over to the primal instincts of the dragon. I guess in your case it was just too much…”

Logan felt the bed sink a little as Cherise must’ve sat down next to him. “So… so what… happened…?” He almost didn’t want to know, and felt his stomach sinking.

“Well…” Cherise started. “You stormed out of the meeting in Ishgard enough to scare half the people in the room and insult the other half.” Logan groaned. “Then you came here and, uh…”

There was an awkward pause and Logan swore he felt the bed shake a little.

“You spent some time with me,” Aiko said simply, her tone pleased, though Logan felt immense disapproval from Cherise, even without seeing her.

Cherise cleared her throat. “Then you went to the Drowning Wench where you, apparently, ate more than Baderon’s seen a man eat, save for a 'starving bilgerat’, then no one’s quite sure what happened, but a fight broke out, you knocked four people unconscious - yes, they’ll be fine - and I had to smash your head into a wall to knock you out and let Aiko pull some of Bahamut’s aether off of you.”

Logan swallowed deeply. “I… did all that?” He started to shake his head but thought better of it immediately. “Just because of that dragoon ability?”

“I…” Cherise started.

“It seems so,” Aiko confirmed. “As someone with experience, Bahamut’s aether is not to be taken lightly. You just weren’t prepared. I can help you with it, if you want.”

“...Sure…” Logan said, not sounding sure at all.

There was a brief silence. “Get some rest,” Cherise said softly, and Logan felt her fingers brush his hair.

“We’ll be nearby if you need anything,” Aiko confirmed, planting her lips upon his forehead once more.

“Okay.”

Logan listened to them leave. He’d be impressed at their ability to work together, but he was far too distracted by his missing memories and the story Cherise had just told him. He’d spent so much time rebuilding their reputation after Ul’dah, and now this. Could he even truly manage the power of the dragoon if this was a possible result? Was it responsible of him to even try? He’d been so scared of Bahamut both in the past and present, even if he had overcome much of his fear. Despite his insistence to no longer act out of fear, maybe this was one act of caution he should heed.

Maybe he should just give up on becoming a dragoon.