#or your work being stripped of meaning by an audience who only wants to see themself

[jinzouactor]

Big fan of your worm! Out of curiosity - what made you choose that title for your Shimamine comic? Like a mayfly in milk is a peculiar name

t-thank you?🐛

Ok I guess, well partly its a reference to the lyrics of Haru Hisagi by Yorushika. It's a song that i LOVE even if its themes aren't particularly relevant to the plot (yet?). I like the mayfly imagery in that song. For me the word evokes something thats fleeting or short-lived.

I also used the idiom "like a fly in milk" which, honestly I thought was about being out of one's depth / floundering in a situation you're not suited to / not being able to handle one's circumstances (like "a fish out of water"). Apparently the phrase is more like being conspicuous in a negative sense. Either way works I guess..

I don't even know if im happy with this title but even now i can't think of a better one 😭 so we're rolling with this

[tragedybunny]

Pretty Baby 2

༺Summary༻

Astarion is a brat on several occasions and is duly punished for it. In between, he and Mommy (Fina) deal with some emotional issues.

༺Pairing༻ Astarion x Tav

༺Warnings༻ NSFW - PiV Sex, Anal Play, Femdom, Mommy Kink, Feminization, Forced Orgasm, Chastity Cage, Porn with Feelings, Porn streaming, Pegging, Astarion being a brat

༺Word Count༻ 3783

༺A/N༻

So, it's chapter 2 of a fic I never planned to write. Lol. And somewhow now we've got plot and feelings involved. Hope you all enjoy, I had a lot of fun writing it. And huge thank you to the best of betas and friends, @icybluepenguin

The chat is populated by Tav's and other characters from my friends, they all helped makes this a delight.

Check out two similar fics if you dig mine. Decadent Torture and Careless Whisper

Read On AO3 Chapter 1

“Hush, a little more, then your punishment is over.” I let go of his cock, turn off the plug vibrating in his ass, and give him a short reprieve. 

Drawing gasping breaths, he looks up at me with pleading, tear filled eyes. God, his eyes are pretty; startling crimson, soft, and round. Normally, I cave when they're all watery like this. But not tonight - tonight is for lessons. 

I play with the little pink bow on his white thigh high stocking. Leaving him with only those, his white bra, and of course his collar, made him such a fetching picture for our little teaching session.

He'd spent most of the night on his knees in the naughty corner, those stockings peeking out of his pleated white skirt, a little pink cashmere sweater completing his look. I'd posted a few pictures that had his audience nice and worked up.

Demi_g0ddess: oh looks like Little Star was very bad today can’t wait to see what Mommy does to the little brat Bookworm420: didn’t realize Mommy was a thicc queen this might be too much for my ovaries

The chat had been crowded when we set up for the stream. Before the camera went on, I told him what to take off and how to prep, but not what I was planning. 

We went live and I made him give a little introduction. 

“I've had a very bad attitude lately and Mommy wants to make sure I'm thoroughly punished, so she's letting you all watch.” Every word was said petulantly as he leaned into playing the brat. 

Ari147: wonder what he did… Drag-onme: who cares, as long we get to watch the aftermath BardlockLongdick: is that a leather couch animal cruelty is not sexy.

“Go on,” I prompted, gesturing for him to get ready. 

The clothes he stripped were folded and set to the side, the chat cheering him on. When he kneeled down, I handed him a vibrating plug that made his eyes go wide. 

“Mommy, please…” he pleaded, but obediently went to work prepping and inserting it, cheeks flushed a deep red. I let him position himself in my lap, head propped on the arm of the couch. Then I started typing, Astarion watching with dawning horror.  

Mommy: Little Star has been an absolute brat about wearing a chastity cage while I’m out of town, because he wouldn’t be able to touch himself. So, tonight, I’m making him come as many times as I think he can handle. 

Demonbbyy: poor little thing got himself into a lot of trouble  TestyZesty: Mommy is way too nice about it but I’m still going to watch.

And here we were- Astarion, covered in his own semen, whimpering in my arms. I drag my finger along his cock, and he sucks in a shuddering breath. One more and I think he’ll have learned his lesson. I push the button on the remote for the plug.

“Fuck,” he whines the word. 

Penguino: aww, Mommy, I think he’s had enough  TestyZesty: nah, he’s still coherent  keep going Demi_g0ddess: Zesty, we’re sharing a brain cell  DrowDaddy: this chat is very mean tonight

I put a generous coating of lube on my hand and begin to work his shaft again. He pants and moans, desperate sounds falling from his lips as he builds to another orgasm. 

The chat continues to go feral as he whines and cries. I'm gentle this last round, languidly rubbing, letting the plug do its work. “That's it, one more for me. You've been so good for your punishment.”

He squirms at the praise, tearfully whimpering, hips weakly bucking as I take him to climax again. My other hand turns up the intensity on the plug. 

“Pleeeease,” he cries, voice ragged.

Another spurt of cum and he goes limp. I turn off the plug and lean down to kiss his sweat soaked forehead, letting him recover for a moment. He's so pretty like this, spent and helpless in my lap.  “Now, are you ready to apologize for being such a little brat the past couple of days?” 

He doesn't hesitate. “I'm sorry, Mommy,” he whimpers, tears running down his face. 

“Good baby. Almost done.” 

He tenses. “But...”

“Shh. They get to see because of the attitude.” He makes a noise. “Don't turn this into a spanking session,” I warn and he gets quiet. 

I take a warm, moist towel I'd set up earlier and clean up his pretty cock. The chat is losing it. 

KneelForMeSweets: and we get to see the cage  can he act up every night 

It's a pretty pink little chastity cage, just perfect for him. I slide the ring on first, then put the tube over his cock before locking it down. He's so quiet, I can hear every breath and the sniffles he's still fighting. 

Once they get a good look, I shut down the stream. 

Mommy: I'm going to go get this little brat cleaned up. Hopefully, he's learned his lesson.

Bitchybambi: I hope not, I want to see what you do next  KneelForMeSweets: she can DM me for ideas.

I kill the video and give him a proper kiss as he clings to me, spent and shivering. “Come on, you. Bath time.”

Astarion is unusually quiet during our aftercare session, and when he's settled into bed in a pair of oversized pajamas, I pull him close, and he snuggles into my neck on instinct. 

“You know, if you think it's too much to wear it, you don't have to.” I run my fingers through his curls and cover his face in soft kisses. He's done stints in the cage before, but I'm starting to doubt myself on this one. It would kill me to ever hurt him for real. 

He doesn't move; if anything, he burrows deeper into the crook of my neck. “It's not, and I am sorry for being a pain. It's just…”

He makes a small, frustrated noise and I keep petting him. “Take your time.” 

For a few minutes, he just takes shaky breaths, and then he speaks. “It’s this whole going back to school thing. I'm nervous, and you're going to be gone for the next two days. And what if this is a dumb idea and I can't do it.”

“It's not a dumb idea, you really like fashion design, baby. And why do you think you can't do it?” 

“Remember the last time I was in school? I failed out.” 

“Astarion, you didn't want to be a lawyer and you hated law school. You only went because Caz-” I feel him tense in my arms, “because he made you.” 

“I know.” He sounds teary again. “But it doesn't mean I don't feel stupid.”

“Love, my pretty little wife, you are not stupid. You’re capable and creative. And you know I won’t have time on this stupid team building trip, otherwise I’d bring you with.” 

“Still going to miss you, though.” 

“I know, baby. I’ll be back before you know it.”

The next morning, Astarion drives me to the airport. I put the keys for his collar and the cage in my jewelry box in case of an emergency or if it’s too much for him. It's cold and rainy, and he’s adorable in oversize sweats with sleepy eyes. After he unloads my bag, I pull him in for a hug and feel it pressed against me. A wave of lust courses through me; I can’t wait to come back and have a nice little session with him. 

“Call me when you land, Fina.” 

I don’t know if he realizes how much I’ll miss him. Astarion and I have rarely been apart since we met in grad school. It's just as hard on me to get on that plane and be without him.

We get one quick call before I’m off to the first of many “activities” the firm planned. I can’t be too angry about it, they pay a ton, and it finances my trophy wife’s lifestyle. I tell Astarion I’ll call him after dinner and karaoke hour. 

The whole day isn't that tortuous, and most of my coworkers get into the spirit of things for karaoke. I still make my exit as soon as I can to get some time in with Astarion. 

To my surprise, I see he's streaming. Sprawled out on the bed in a sheer black satin chemise that's ridden up his thighs enough to show off his beautifully caged cock. 

Instead of anything salacious, he's painting his nails. Not every stream is as action filled as last night. Some of them are just mundane things like now. I can’t fault the audience, I'd still pay to see him too, if he wasn’t mine already. I slide into the chat without announcing myself. 

Ari147: nothing fun tonight? :( 

“I’m afraid not, darling. If I don’t get any fun, neither do you.” He blows a cheeky kiss to the camera, and readjusts, spreading his legs more. One hand idly traces unpainted nails along a thigh while he blows on the ones he just painted. 

He’s such a filthy little tease. 

Mommy: glad to see you’re behaving yourself tonight

He sits up straighter, eyes lighting up. “Hi, Mommy. Missing all this?” His hand climbs higher, running up his abdomen to his chest. 

Demonbbyy: if she isn’t, I’ll take him   Mommy: settle yourselves down

Astarion leans over, getting on all fours to look directly into the camera, licking his lips. “Well, are you?” he pouts. 

Mommy: you know I am, and I’ll prove it when I get home 

His breath hitches. “That’s all for tonight, darlings. I want to give Mommy all my… attention.” 

The stream goes blank and he’s video-calling me seconds later. “Hi.” He smiles giddily. “I thought you might be a little later.”

“What can I say, I do actually miss you a lot. How was your day?”

We chat for a while and I watch him finish his nails, still in his chemise, which hides nothing as he shifts around. He seems less nervous about the school situation, which I chalk up to actually talking about it. 

“Alright, I should probably get to sleep. I’ll call you in the morning.” 

The morning call goes smooth enough, but the day is filled with seminars and an afternoon paintball session. Why do HR departments always think that’s a good idea? Astarion starts texting me around lunch, chatty little messages that I don’t have time to properly answer. Then the attitude creeps in. 

“Fine, if you don’t want to talk to me.”

“I. Am. Busy. Astarion. I’ll call after dinner.”

I forgot dinner is an awards banquet that traps me for longer than I’d anticipated. It never seems to end, and I start trying to text him during it. No response, and a part of me begins to stress that he’s not doing well. He’d tell me though if he wasn’t, I’m pretty sure. 

I practically run up to my room after dinner, skipping the cocktail hour after and all the great networking. All because he has me nearly panicked with worry. So of course, when he doesn’t answer his phone, I’m furious to find him on stream. 

He’s not actually wearing anything, sitting on the plush white rug, a cozy glow from the fireplace providing ambient lighting.

BaasaNova: weren’t you supposed to be in a chastity cage while Mommy is gone 

He gives his hard cock a firm stroke and moans dramatically, red eyes dancing with mischief. “If I’m getting ignored, I’m not going to listen. Besides, she’s busy, so what she doesn’t know isn’t going to hurt her.”

Bookworm420: this seems like a bad idea I don't want to see you get in trouble. 

It isn’t about disobeying me, or any other kink related thing. He really thinks I’d ignore him on purpose. And that stings like nothing else I've ever felt. 

I wait and lurk while he continues to touch himself. He's bubbly and flamboyant, basking in the praise of the chat. Normally, I'd be entranced by his hand working that gorgeous shaft, now I'm getting more furious. 

Finally, with an exaggerated cry, he comes all over himself. While his hand gives a few more lazy pumps, he glances at the chat. 

Mommy: I hope that was worth it 

His eyes get wide and he sits up straight. “Shit.” 

The stream dies just as he starts calling me.

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…” he whimpers before I can say anything.

“Astarion,” I cut him off. “I want you to know that I still love you and that isn't going to change. But I'm so hurt and angry right now that you could decide I would ignore you on purpose.”

“Please, I just…” 

“No, we're not going to talk about this now. I'm going to give you until I get home tomorrow to get your thoughts together. But right now I'm too angry to talk to you. So I'm going to go to bed and will call you in the morning.”

 He sobs. “No, stay on the phone with me. Please, Fina.”

I sigh and relent. “I love you, Star.”

We lay in silence for a long time, the occasional sniffle coming from his end. Finally, I'm too exhausted and have to sleep, and reluctantly tell him goodnight.  

There's a subdued call in the morning and I tell him I'll get a cab at the airport, I don't think he should be driving while that upset. Then I'm on the way home. The anger has mostly worn off but this stunt of his still hurts. 

When I get home, hev hasn't left the bed, completely naked, almost hiding under the covers. I don't even think twice before getting under them with him and pulling him to me.

“I'm sorry,” he says softly into my neck, reminding me so much of the day we first kissed. The day I'd needed to take care of him after what Cazador had done to him. 

“I know. Tell me what happened.” I bury my face in his curls and kiss his head. 

“I started getting nervous again and started to panic, and I wanted to talk to you. And I got upset that I couldn't. I know you wouldn't just ignore me.”

“Then why didn't you say you were anxious? I could have made time if I had known you were panicking.”

“I didn't want you to think I was weak. Especially after you told me that you believed in me.”

“Astarion, love, you are always going to be one of the strongest people I've ever met.” My hands rub his back, fingers finding the scars of years of his adopted father's “discipline.” “I'm sorry too, I think I pushed you into something you didn't need while you were nervous. Even if you said you were alright with it.” 

He gets quiet for a moment before answering. “It isn’t your fault. You’re always the best you can be to me.” 

“Still, maybe we should take a break from some of the more performative things.” I feel him tense and kiss his cheek to reassure him. 

“No, it makes me so happy to be like that, to be so completely yours. Don’t take that away.” 

“Let's talk some more tomorrow. There's no need to rush anything.”

“Alright. And, well, you did say that you were going to show me how much you missed me?” His voice pitches soft and breathy. 

“Astarion, you horny little gremlin,” I tease. 

“Please, Mommy. I know I was very naughty, but don't I deserve a little treat?” 

I already feel slick between my legs, even if I'm not sure that I should let him do this. 

“I know what you're thinking, but I can handle some relatively vanilla sex right now. I want to be loved.” He gives me his best wide-eyed pleading look. 

“Alright, baby.” 

I sit up, and he helps me undress, leaving kisses wherever he can reach. My hand reaches out to wrap around his stiffened cock and give a few languid strokes. I catch his eyes wandering down to my breasts with naked longing. 

Relatively vanilla, he said.

“Come here.” 

I lay back, and he follows, slotting between my legs. His cock pushes into me as his lips latch onto a nipple, and he sucks frantically. “There you go.” I stroke his hair, and he starts fucking me with wild, desperate thrusts. “That's what you needed, huh, baby.”

He whines and sucks harder, teeth scraping until pleasure blends with pain. Molten heat builds in my core with each snap of his hips, and I doubt either of us will last long. 

“So good for me,” I pant as I feel myself contract around him and my body tingle with bliss. That does it, and he gives one last jerky thrust as I wrap my legs around his hips, pulling him in tight to take every drop of him. 

He collapses on top of me, still suckling, and I let him stay that way, fucked and comforted.

After a very nice Saturday in our pajamas, we talk and settle some things between us. Astarion is still very nervous about school in a couple of weeks, but doesn't want to change the things he loves about our relationship. He even insists on punishment for his bad behavior.

We agree on three days with the chastity cage, the two he originally was supposed to have and one extra. No clothing at home, so I can see it at all times. It kills me not being able to play with my wife's pretty cock. But you know, discipline hurts me more than it hurts him, or something.  

And at the end of the third day, a very serious lesson. So, I arrange something special, to be shared with his audience, like he shared his misbehavior. He's been waiting in the bedroom while I set things up.

“Safe word, wifey,” I order when I come to collect him. 

He stares at my too short, black latex dress with my pale pink strap-on visible where it rides up over my thighs, and blushes. “Objection.” 

“Good, baby.” I lead him to the living room where the camera is already at the right angle to watch as I bend him over the couch arm, pushing his face into the cushion right next to the waiting paddle. I watch him shiver with anticipation and spare a glance at the chat. They’re in rare form tonight. 

DM_ME_UR_SYRUP: Back from my two week ban just in time.  Thornyonmain: Hggnnnnnn, god he looks so good like that am I enjoying the impending pain too much Bitchybambi: Nah, he's asked for this  Demi_g0ddess : You're so right, bestie Penguino: Aww, you guys, have a little sympathy

Picking up the paddle, I run it over the curve of his ass and hear him whimper. My hand pushes down on his back, commanding and reassuring. The first smack is light and I give him a moment. He trembles but says nothing. 

Another one, slightly harder, he whines but doesn’t say anything. I keep going, watching his pale skin burst into red blossoms with each impact. I can feel him shaking under my hand and hear when he starts to cry. 

“You’re being so good,” I coo.

He sobs in response. It’s been awhile since he had a serious spanking session. I keep whispering praise as I go, letting him know how well he’s doing, how much I love him. He’s a teary mess when I’m done, and I can feel the warmth coming from his skin. 

“I’m sorry I was naughty, Mommy,” he whines through tears.

“Shh, shh, I know. I think you deserve a little reward for taking the punishment so well.”

l take the lube I have waiting and coat my fingers. He whines for a totally different reason when I spread him open and push a finger inside his tight hole.

“Fuck,” he mewls when the second one enters. 

He pants through clenched teeth while I work them inside of him, getting him ready to take me. Each stretch and flex draws a new noise and when he’s ready, I coat the strap in lube and press the tip of it against his entrance. Even with a stinging ass, he rolls his hips into it, desperate and needy. 

I gave him a little playful smack on the marks darkening to bruises. “Behave.” 

He yelps but stills. Slowly, I slide it into him, relishing each little moan as I fill him. Then my hips rock, and I thrust deeply, before stilling again. 

“Please,” he begs, desperately. 

“Please what?”

“Fuck me, Mommy.” 

I reward him with another deep thrust, and began to move my hips with a quick rhythm. Under me, Astarion is losing himself, keening wails and pleading whimpers accompany my every movement. 

I'm aware just how achingly empty I am; later we’ll take care of me. Right now, I focus on making him properly blissed out. 

I know his cock is straining against the cage, leaking helplessly, as he reaches the edge. My fingers dig into his hips and I fuck him as deep as I can until a wordless shout rips from him and his whole body is shaking again. I press my hips tight to his, as deep into him as I can while his orgasm ebbs away with multiple whimpers, only pulling out when he’s stilled. 

Turning back, I give the chat a good-bye and end the stream.

SquidDomme: He has in fact not learned anything DrowDaddyG: I think he'll try to be better, he's such a sweet boy BardlockLongdick: Maybe you all should try opening a Bible instead of this website DM_ME_UR_SYRUP: Anyone know how I can get an air horn noise to play in chat (I'm joking, please don't ban me again)

Then I remove the strap-on and save it for later clean up. “Come here, wifey,” I say, sitting on the couch. 

Sluggishly, he obeys, coming to rest his head in my lap. I run my fingers through his hair and let him come  down from the experience. 

“I love you,” he murmurs into my thighs.

“I love you too. No more bratty behavior, right?” 

I feel the little smirk he makes. “Absolutely, lesson learned.” 

We both know he's lying, but I trust none of it will be super hurtful again. “Good little wife.”

Tag list:

@micropoe10  @writingmysanity @mxxny-lupin @azu21

 @tallymonster  @dependsonthedream @sunfire-ancunin 

@bambamwolf87 @fayeriess @lumienyx @lisrelly

@elora-the-slutty-songstress @bhaalbaaby @spacebarbarianweird

@satanicspinosaurus @darlingxdragon @wanderingisobel @astarionsbeloved

@vixstarria @claryvoyantfray @misscrissfemmefatale @bg3obsessedsideblogg @captainaceofspades @wickedwitchofthewilds @asterordinary @talented-bitch @waking-electric @snowfolly

[fandomchokehold]

Musical Songs I Think The Boys™ Would Do a Burlesque Number To

*obviously these are only ones I've listened to, I wasn't a theater kid and don't really know much about plays and musicals, please don't be weird or mean in the notes 😭 and YES as a huge ABBA fan I know all the songs in Mamma Mia are just ABBA songs*

also this is way longer than I intended so there's more under the cut

Solos

Astarion - "Sweet Transvestite" from Rocky Horror Picture Show

this one is pretty obvious and expected but like !!! yeah !!! that's just him !!! he'd do the full routine, coming up in the elevator, throwing the cloak off to reveal the slutty lil outfit he has on underneath, throwing his drink at the audience while Gale Brad is talking, lounging on the throne, and then leaving mysteriously in the elevator OH BABY !!!

Wyll - "Land of Lola" from Kinky Boots

he would absolutely slay this routine, the lyrics are practically about him - "with arms as hard as steel" "with the moves of Fred Astaire" "I'm black jesus, I'm black mary, but this mary's legs are hairy" ??? I need this man to absolutely let loose and I NEED to see him in those cunty thigh high boots 👏 RED 👏 IS 👏 HIS 👏 COLOR !!!!

Gale - "Toucha Toucha Touch Me" from Rocky Horror Picture Show

I honestly just think he'd be really good at playing the part of the "innocent shy reserved man who does a complete 180 after being exposed to pure unbridled sexuality"; we all know he's not actually like that it's fully an act because he knows he has the looks of a tired english professor but the soul of a whore I just- you don't know how badly I need to see him doing a slightly desperate unhinged strip tease on stage on a garrish four poster bed OKAY ?!?!

Halsin - "Toxic Love" from Ferngully

I need him in his pretend villain era, I think he'd be cartoony like if he's gonna work a stage he's gonna werk a stage m'kay; he is actually using this performance to raise awareness about the climate crisis and donate the money he makes towards more accessible clean energy and environmental conservation efforts and would love to provide more info and resources while still in his g-string to all interested parties in the lobby of the venue

Duets

Astarion & Gale - "Planet Schmanet Janet" from Rocky Horror Picture Show

Astarion as Dr. Frank N. Furter, Gale as Janet; we all know this is a trademark Astarion ruse to get to chase a scantily clad Gale around menacingly and torment him in front of an audience, I mean c'mon who wouldn't want to do that 👀

Astarion & Wyll - "Does Your Mother Know?" from Mamma Mia

Astarion as Tanya, Wyll as Pepper (I had to look that up apparently his name is Pepper); I feel like Astarion would identify with Tanya on a spiritual level, they're both wine aunt cougars who love luxury, and after seeing that Wyllstarion interaction where they flirtatiously talk about their age gap this song just really is about them huh

Astarion & Halsin - "I Can Make You a Man" + "I Can Make You a Man (Reprise)" from Rocky Horror Picture Show

Astarion as Dr. Frank N. Furter, Halsin as Rocky; tbh this is just so Astarion can show off the "bounty of nature's gifts" that have been bestowed upon him and Halsin just finds how this twink is climbing him and swinging on his outstretched arm like a jungle gym too amusing to not participate

Gale & Wyll - "Horny Angry Tango" from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

either of them in either role; this is purely for the theatrics and to show off their actual ballroom dance skills, Gale is going to be the one getting dipped though

Gale & Halsin - "La Seine" from A Monster In Paris

Gale as Lucille, Halsin as Francoeur; I can't lie it's purely for the height difference that's totally canon and I didn't make up in my head, the contrast between Gale "Lil 5'8" Wizard" Dekarios and Halsin "The 6'5" Bear" Silverbough is just *chef kiss* 👌

Wyll & Halsin - "Lay All Your Love On Me" from Mamma Mia

either of them in either role; they're lowkey almost fucking on stage, Wyll chose it for the drama and Halsin went along for the overtly sexual choreography

Group Numbers

"Lady Marmalade" from Moulin Rouge

Astarion's favorite and Halsin's least favorite for the same reason: it's extremely flashy and dramatic

"Rose Tint My World" which transitions into "Don't Dream It" from Rocky Horror Picture Show

Astarion as Janet for "RTMW" but Frank for "DDI", Wyll as Columbia, Halsin as Rocky, Gale as Brad, with special guest Elminster as Dr. Scott during "Don't Dream It"

"Haus of Holbein" from SIX

tbh I don't have an explanation for this one I've really only listened to the corsets part and think it's kinda cunt, idk they'd all slay in corsets

"Big Spender" from Sweet Charity

ok just imagine any of them doing Fosse choreography

"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" from Mamma Mia

ok just imagine there's stripper poles-

"Cell Block Tango" from Chicago

with special guests Minsc and Volo; no one knows how they got here, Minsc is a bit too uncoordinated but he's got the spirit and Volo was recording everything from the audience for research purposes but saw they were short a character and thought to himself "what better way to learn than through participation?"

[dreamsicle262]

why is chuuya's jacket red in s5 (+ unhinged and yet somehow still professional rant)

no seriously, why. like ok bones, i get it, the red is for blood. woohoo you know your colors. but this isn't the first time you've fucked up a character's outfit because just look at what you've done to the hunting dogs. bones. bones, look at me. i have you by the shoulders now. look. at. me. do you understand foreshadowing. or parallels. or callbacks to an earlier time. do you understand ANYTHING about narrative storytelling. chuuya's jacket was supposed to be green because then it would obviously have a bigger effect on the audience as well as dazai himself due to his past and his memories of when they first met, aka the ENTIRE FUCKING 15 ARC. the outfit similarities would be a nice callback to simpler times, to times when they had only just met and he was already practically smitten with him, and then seeing it in the prison with him as a vampire should've been soul crushing to him. it should've rightfully obliterated dazai after seeing how drastically chuuya had changed by having his humanity, the thing he was so uncertain about in his teenage years, forcibly stripped away. it should've ruined him knowing that he still viewed chuuya as human and even made it quite clear that he did back then but now he's something that isn't human. dazai should've also been pissed by this, seeing the partner he'd work with for years being reduced to a mere chess piece on the board he and fyodor are fighting for control over. and to have him show up in a similar outfit to his outfit when he was 15 should've been the damn tipping point. but no, you just had to go and make it red because "oh haha red is a prominent color this season because of vampires and blood!!" BONES. who the FUCK cares about the color. it would be so much more impactful to everyone inside AND outside the storyline if you had just altered that one, tiny detail. but you didn't. this is your downfall. the entire s5 budget went DOWN THE DRAIN because you wanted to add the sigzai dancing scene but remove dazai's capability to express human emotions which in the end makes him seem shallow and for fanservice only because he's 'visually appealing." if you fuck up the drowning speech i am going to RIOT. do NOT make him smirk, do NOT make him seem amused, and do NOT make him assume that his plan will work. no matter how he views himself, he. is. human. during that scene, he must have been willing to sacrifice even chuuya for the greater good because he's always been an 'ends justify the means' kind of guy, but that doesn't mean that he enjoys what he tried to do. sure, make him mask his concern later though. if i know one thing about this man, it's that's showing genuine emotions and baring his heart is an uncomfortable experience for him. if you can't accurate capture that within animation, then let some other studio pick up the bones of your mistakes and actually make something worthwhile.

[slayerkitty]

Narrative Frameworks in Only Friends

So here we are, the finale of Only Friends and not a framework in sight. Would the last half of the show worked better in some respects if we had the frameworks come back? Would we understand more about why Boston's friends hate him? (Did they ever like him? Ray seemed to, but Mew and Cheum...)

I wish we had gotten more frameworks toward the end. I wish the voiceovers had come back for the last episode if nothing else, because I would have wanted one from each character. It would have maybe solved some of the narrative issues (re: Boston).

I also wanted to thank everyone who liked, reblogged, commented or otherwise interacted with me and these posts on a weekly basis. Your feedback, discussions and general love made watching Only Friends an amazing experience each week and reminded me why I love being in fandoms.

Shoutout to the amazing members of the Ephemerality Squad who made this ride fun and thought provoking: @lurkingshan, @waitmyturtles, @wen-kexing-apologist, @chickenstrangers, @ranchthoughts, @twig-tea, @clara-maybe-ontheroad, @distant-screaming, @thatgirl4815, @elizabethsebestianhedgehog

I've gone back and added things to earlier episodes that weren't there before, so make sure to read through the whole list! Please let me know if I missed anything - I will edit this post based on suggestions.

Frameworks:

1. Voiceovers: gives the audience specific insight into a characters thoughts and feelings; also a great way to provide exposition. It’s more of an audio than visual framework, as we don’t always see the character doing the voice-over because it plays over other scenes.

2. “Talking Heads”: The characters talk directly to the camera, interview/documentary style. We get to see exactly how they feel about a given moment because they are reacting to it at that time. Audio and visual. Homage to Love8009 (per P'Jojo).

3. Social Media (ft The Artist Formerly Known as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook): Not as insightful as the other two frameworks but does give context and a way for interaction, commentary, and exposition on a given plot. Visual. Probable homage to Together With Me, one of the first spicy BLs starring our kings, MaxTul.

(Side Note: I was re-watching some scenes from Never Let me Go and realized P'Jojo uses yellow text on the screen in it too. So maybe he just likes the yellow text or maybe it means something, idk, idk.)

Episode 1

Framework: Voiceover

Title: What’s Your Role in a Bar?

Narrator: Mew

Visual Moment: Yellow title cards listing everyone’s “roles” as well as the month and days of the week

End Credit Shot: Mew sitting on the floor in front of his fish tank

Episode 2

Framework: Talking Heads

Title: M.F.M. My Favorite Man

Narrator: Everyone

Visual Moment: The talking heads scenes; SandRay smoke kiss; Boston's dark room; Photo Boston takes of Nick post sex; Photo of RayMew from wakeboarding

Audible Moment: The songs Ray plays during his scenes with Sand

End Credit Shot: Ray driving

Episode 3

Framework: Social Media (Twitter and Instagram)

Title: What Am I to You?

Narrator: Nick and Boston

Audible Moment: The thunder rumbling ominously over everyone's bad decisions, Nick listening to the TopBoston sex audio

Visual Moment: Top's Instagram (with all of Boston's comments); Photo strip of TopBoston from their hookup in the photo booth; Photo of the Fab Four in Boston's room; Nick watching TopBoston have sex; Photo of RayMew kissing

End Credit Shot: Nick listening to TopBoston sex audio

Episode 4

Framework: Voiceover

Title: Emergency Contact

Narrator: Ray

Visual Moment: The flashback of RayMew is in 4:3 ratio (meaning it looks like recorded footage versus a memory); yellow text onscreen indicates flashback

Audible Moment: TopMew at the silent disco (both moments of silence but also them singing); SandRay listening to music at the record store

End Credit Shot: Ray driving (repeat from episode 2)

Episode 5:

Framework: Voiceover

Title: The Extra Hour

Narrator: Sand

Visual Moment: Intro and Outro are animated; black and white (made me think of the Take on Me MV by A-ha but I’m open to suggestions on what this might be referring to), "Ray o'clock/Alone o'clock" appearing onscreen in white letters (not yellow!); TopMew going Instagram official; The blind dining scene

End Credit Shot: Sand driving his motorcycle

Episode 6:

Framework: None

Title: Happy Fucking Birthday

Narrator: None

Audible Moment: Ray listens to the TopBoston sex audio; Mew plays the TopBoston sex audio for Top

Visual Moment: Top draws Mew sleeping/gives Mew a book of drawings he did of Mew; BostonNick selfies

End Credit Shot: Top in his bathtub alone looking angsty

Episode 7:

Framework: None

Title: After Effect

Narrator: None

Visual Moment: Mew setting the drawing on fire; Boston’s sex tape; the “super zooms”

End Credit Shot: Mew sitting on the floor in front of his fish tank (repeat from episode 1)

Episode 8:

Framework: None

Title: Save Me

Narrator: None

Visual Moment: Facebook party invite/everyone’s reactions to the invite; Everyone’s costumes at the party

End Credit Shot: Boston looking angsty at the hostel

Episode 9:

Framework: None

Title: The Return

Narrator: None

Visual Moment: Boston’s photo of Atom; Top recording SandRay kissing;

End Credit Shot: Top in his bathtub alone looking angsty (repeat from episode 6)

Episode 10:

Framework: None

Title: Redemption

Narrator: None

Visual Moment: The “I will never leave you”/“I will never love you” neon sign; Boston’s photos of Atom; Nick’s photo as Boston’s lock screen; Boeing’s Instagram

End Credit Shot: Ray driving (repeat from episode 2 and episode 4)

Episode 11:

Framework: None

Title: Move On Move In

Narrator: None

Visual Moment: Boston taking pics of NickAtom

End Credit Shot: Sand driving his motorcycle (repeat from episode 5)

Episode 12:

Framework: None

Title: Begin Again

Narrator: None

Visual Moment: Yellow letters indicating the date (NYE); Framed photo of Nick; Framed photo of the Fab Four at the hostel; Mix's entrance; Begin Again montage of SandRay; Hostel sign "Only Friends Stay"

Audible Moment: Begin Again montage of SandRay

End Credit Shot: Outtakes/BTS

Tagging @sandrayy by request

Apologies to anyone I forgot!

[herejusttosufferalong]

Okay unpopular opinion but don't you think we are reading too much into this? Especially with regards to Nic. I mean, I've seen all the signs too but sometimes i wonder what if all this is just a very bad misunderstanding on our part?

Maybe they're just great work friends and nothing beyond that. Maybe the hand holding was just for the pose, because I've seen a lot of the other cast members holding hands with each other while clicking photos too. Maybe it's a Bridgie thing, who knows?

About the heart eyes thing, I think Nic's eyes are to blame. It's just hard not to stare into those! I've seen similar photos of her with others too. Have you seen her photos with Luke T? In every picture, he seems to be looking at her with so much love and adoration (eg: the bridgerton story pic or another one she has on her insta from the wrap party ig). I kinda ship them ngl. Sometimes i agree it went a bit overboard with LN but, yeah maybe they're just very comfortable after having filmed so many intimate scenes? Ig that kinds strips off all the boundaries.

The Brazil thing, i think A just got over insecure because who wouldn't? Millions of fans are shipping your boyfriend with someone else and your boyfriend is saying that he's single out loud. Maybe that's why he did the whole instyle and insta like thing?

I really want them to be together, wont lie (delulu). But now its starting to feel forced. And also, i don't want nic dragged into this drama. I love her so much! I don't want her to keep defending him, when he does the bare min. I wish she had some more ego. She deserves to, she's the big star.

Id really like your opinion because I think i need closure now :(

While I disagree with a lot of this I really like the recognition of just how vulnerable actors have to be with their co-stars during intimate scenes.

Yes it’s manufactured and you have an audience while filming but you are required to suspend reality and this is what trips actors up.

They have said repeatedly how they would discuss those scenes throughly and frequently. He wanted to make sure she was comfortable and taken care of. They mention often how important those scenes were for the fans so they wanted to make sure they executed them well.

Having this type of intimacy, even though it is professional, between them can change dynamics within a relationship.

I could definitely see their boundaries being different then what one would expect because of their shared experience.

Which in turn could explain a lot of their behavior.

However, L and N failing to recognize this was a great disservice to A. As it seems their behavior only ramped up as the tour progressed. Their boundaries should have been reassessed.

Great ask anon!

[bettsfic]

Hello! Betty, can you talk more about your tags in that Baldwin post? It got me really curious. Also, how do you strip a text from yourself, where is the line?

(for context, the post anon is referring to is a james baldwin quote from the paris review art of fiction in response to "as your experience about writing accrues, what would you say increases with knowledge?"

his answer is, "you learn how little you know. it becomes much more difficult because the hardest thing in the world is simplicity. and the most fearful thing, too. it becomes difficult because you have to strip yourself of all your disguises, some of which you didn't know you had. you want to write a sentence as clean as a bone. that is the goal."

to which i then wrote what i can see know are indecipherable tags about the state of contemporary litritchure.)

so what really resonated with me in this quote is "you want to write a sentence as clean as a bone."

a few years ago i wrote a post about how all that matters is the sentence. and i got a bunch of people reblogging it in disagreement: writing is about character, conflict, yadda yadda. but it's just not true. you don't have character and conflict and all those other lovely craft things without the sentence. the sentence is the vehicle for meaning. writing cannot exist otherwise.

the way i interpret "a sentence as clean as a bone" is a sentence that is wholly in service of the narrative. this kind of writing is rare. it requires a lack of ego and an abundance of confidence, which are two things that don't often go hand in hand. it's hard for me to define it, because on the outside it sounds like i'm saying i prize simple sentences, and that's not true. i'm talking about raw sentences. ones that are written almost as if they had no intention to be read. which is ridiculous, because don't writers write to be read?

that's the big conflict. that's my beef. i've been an editor for seven years and i've read hundreds of stories from the slush pile. the prevailing pattern i see in it, and in most contemporary writing, is this underlying falseness. that this thing i'm reading exists only to be published. only to be a line on someone's CV, a clause in an author bio. i also see a lot of writing that asks me to look at the author over the work itself. applaud them for their clever phrasing and textured images and well-deployed rhetorical devices. and for the most part, i do applaud that kind of writing. like all writing, it's hard, and regardless of the intent, i value a punchy sentence. but sometimes it feels a bit like being in the audience of a magic show where i know how all the tricks are done. everyone is oohing and ahhing and i'm sitting there like, but can't you see it's not real? that it's a trick that's been done a million times before?

there's a lot of counterintuitive logic in what i'm saying. almost no one can write without the foresight of a place it might belong. if you write a literary short story, its destiny is a literary magazine. if you write a full-length manuscript, its destiny is a book store. without knowing where something might belong, you have no road to follow. i don't believe there are many writers out there rubbing their greedy hands together and demanding a pulitzer. but i do know that the motivation of write, for every single writer, is complex. it's inherently a drive to externalize that which is internal, and in that process it becomes flawed. it becomes something that begs to be seen. even if you want to be seen, even if you're dying to be seen, there is still always fear there, because the journey from your mind to a reader's is imperfect. what is in your mind fundamentally can't be in someone else's, and so we might be misperceived. the deeper and more cumbersome that fear is, the shallower and more myopic a writer's work becomes.

that's why what baldwin is saying here is something exceptional, and possibly something impossible. who is the writer that doesn't concern themselves with belonging? who doesn't write to be read? it's a paradox.

fanfiction as a genre, by definition, doesn't have this problem. fanfiction is written largely pseudonymously or anonymously. there is no profit. when i read a good fanfic, or even a not so good fanfic, the author is never saying, "look at me!" they're saying, look at this canon text through the lens with which i see it. and that practice is getting very close to what i think baldwin is talking about. closer, at least. i think writing fanfic is an inherently vulnerable process, and that's why i value it so highly.

ultimately, i don't think it's possible to strip a text of yourself. on a baseline cognitive level, language is the shape of our thoughts, and narrative--a sequence of cause and effect--is our primary tool of understanding ourselves and the world. what baldwin is talking about, sentences as clean as a bone, sentences that exist entirely in the service of the narrative, is a nearly unachievable goal. and so i think what he's saying is the opposite of taking yourself out of the work. i think he's saying you have to put yourself in it, wholly and unselfconsciously, the ugliest and truest parts of you, as if the work still exists within you, without the knowledge it might be read.

[herrlindemann]

Metal Hammer - March 1999

Rammstein has recently been the subject of ever-higher jets of flame. Shoes off and put the position of the band.

The last few months have left a lot of room for wild thoughts (irrational) journeys about an allegedly right-wing image of the band. In the conversation, Richard Kruspe and manager Emu were open to discussion and also self-critical. Manager Emu didn't have a controlling function in this case, but reflects the band, and thus he became part of this interview. Since there are certainly fans among you who are interested in topics other than the discussion about the clip for 'Stripped', the following pages also deal with the experiences of the recently completed Family Values tour with Korn, Orga, Ice Cube , Limp Bizkit and a preview of the new record.

Richard: The two months in the US felt like half a year. In order to be able to eat properly during the tour, we took a cook with us this time. As a result, all the bands sat in our catering area.

Were you able to expand your newcomer bonus and become the surprise act of the festival?

Richard: In the beginning there was a problem with the order, because we were supposed to appear second after Orgy. In America, concerts start relatively early, but people come relatively late, and we didn't want to play in front of 300 people.

Emu: There were alternatives up for debate: We could have expected 3,000 people on our own headlining tour.

Richard: Ultimately, the request came because they wanted an exciting festival, not because they like us particularly well. Anyway, they offered us the post-Korn position as co-headliners. As a result, the other bands were pissed off and distant too. We ended up playing by Korn and within a week the response from the musicians was that it was okay and we deserved the spot. Except for the couple of Korn fans chained in the front row, we had the feeling that we had convinced the audience at every concert.

How important is the Grammy nomination for ‘Du hast’ to you?

Richard: I was emotionally touched like in a few moments. It's a real recognition because producers, musicians and radio stations are interviewed for this. We're also pleased that bands like Rage Against The Machine, Marilyn Manson, Rob Halford or Dave Groll generally admit to being Rammstein fans.

Do you see yourself in a league with the nominated bands, including Metallica?

Richard: Yes. But I only know Metallica, Judas Priest and Rage Against The Machine.

Now there were tears that our most successful piece of music is hanging around in America.

Richard: I understand a certain jealousy, but if you want to please everyone, you need copies. It's like when you have five wives, the one you date first is the most jealous. But we're staying in Germany, and I was happy to be back here after two months.

Do you personally like the 'Stripped' video with Leni Riefenstahl's recordings?

Richard: Yes. When we spoke to our director back then, the basic idea was 'sport'. At the second meeting he brought a demo with these same recordings to show us what he has in mind. We spontaneously decided to do it.

Wasn't there an internal discussion?

Emu: We were expecting the record company to say it wasn't possible. Our only turning point was one day when we looked at Russian footage from the same period to see if it would work. It hasn't. There are a few plays by other directors in there, but otherwise we left it with Leni Riefenstahl.

Richard: Maybe we reacted so spontaneously because it's a piece of memory from our childhood.

Can you understand that people react sensitively?

Richard: Yes, but what I don't understand is that on the one hand they are enthusiastic about it, but on the other hand they are influenced by the opinion that is made in the media. That means the first reaction is "Oh, nice ", and when they hear that it's Leni Reifenstahl, they make a face. We used images from a sports film, not Triumph of the Will.

Emu: People asked me where we got the thousand gymnasts from. When they found out about Riefenstahl and were told who she was, they said " You can't do that ".

But you knew her before.

Richard: As an artist yes, but she wasn't in my life like she is today. I'm reading her biography right now.

Emu: In Denmark, art students look at her works as a lesson. Then we don't have to stand there and explain what attraction that has.

Witt says that someone with talent had to come to terms with the Third Reich.

Richard: It's not about good or bad, it's about their art. But of course I can't condone the fact that she let Hitler blind her.

Emu: After the Wall came down, friends with whom you made music told you that they were Stasi agents.

Richard: One also forgives…

Emu: Many from the West mobilized against former SED people. There's a willingness in me to defend when people arrive who haven't seen it. I've heard a lot of speculation about Leni Riefenstahl, especially the question of whether she slept with Hitler, far more often than the statement "that's the seduction of power ". There's only one artist I've heard more speculation about, and that's Rammstein. For example that the 'Stripped' clip was produced for the American market. It wasn't even released in the US.

If I were you, I would be less bothered by the articles by Spiegel or Rolling Stone, but more by the meanwhile negative reactions of the fans.

Richard: That's not true.

But we get corresponding letters from the editor. People want to sell their Rammstein collection.

Richard: Really? Rammstein is a phenomenon, discussions about it have already broken friendships, but that can only mean that you know a little more afterwards.

Emu: A friend of ours has a small independent cinema. When he came to a joint meeting of the cinema operators with the Rammstein hat, they wanted to exclude him. So it can also go to the existential. The 'Stripped' video is being used as evidence to prove what has been floating around in the media for a long time.

You are blamed for providing the image of German that America wants to see.

Richard: What picture do we deliver? We often had to answer the question of whether we were gay there; but none came about “German” and “Nazi”. ‘Du hast’, the video that ran in the US, is a gangster story. They like the music. But I can now understand the attitude of people who say you should be more sensitive, although I still think the video is beautiful and aesthetic. Art has something to do with spontaneity, emotion and naivety. If you always weigh everything, only boring things come out.

Do you make sure in the future that you don't give this image any additional nourishment?

Richard: We want to continue to choose quality.

And when art and sensitivity face each other again?

Richard: That's when you start circumcising yourself. But of course there is a moral limit that runs right there that I would have rejected making 'Triumph des Willens', no question. But 'Olympia' has to do with sports aesthetics.

If you can understand it, does that also weigh on your conscience?

Richard: Yes, yes. Till, our singer, also has problems with it and is really depressed. When you keep hearing accusations that aren't true, it hurts too. I used to have blonde rastas and made funky music, now I'm thinking about situations that are completely unfamiliar to me: What if I want to go to a club and the bouncer says to me: "You can't come in here, you right pig! ».

Where do you want to start?

Richard: By showing people that you can also make art with other means. We want to let people know that Rammstein will always innovate...

If you don't want to be deterred, you have to make yourself independent of the opinions of others, right?

Richard: It really takes self-confidence and a thick skin.

At least you seem to have the former.

Richard: It seems that way, doesn't it?

Absolutely. So are you the speaker?

Richard: That's not true. It's actually very well divided apart from Till. We didn't want to follow the record company line that singers have to do interviews. The musicians know a lot more about sound, while the singer is limited to writing lyrics and can't talk about some musical things at all.

Are you a bit afraid of the next record yourself?

Richard: It's like Christmas when you have a gift and you don't know if you like it. On the one hand I notice that I'm repeating myself and I'm enthusiastic about it because I realize that this is Rammstein. On the other hand, of course, something new has to be added. I approach it conservatively, a riff, a rhythm, a melody, and when it then harmonizes with the text, freshness should be brought in, like the modern electronics in Sehnsucht. Since I wrote the second record more or less by myself, I would also like the others to contribute more musically. It's never good trying to please someone. I recently spoke to a producer who said you have to keep your instincts and follow them. Then all you have to do is concentrate. I write two to three hours every day and confidence is related to how successful I am, whether I had a good idea and wrote something good. If nothing happens for two or three days, I'm also very, very small.

Is Till now thinking twice about his texts, or is there even a reappraisal of things?

Richard: I find his lyrics so apolitical that he doesn't have to think about it. It's poetry. I hope he tries to stay away from it. If Till would work that out, people wouldn't understand it at all. Kraftwerk were partly condemned too, but if this band had made an anti-fascist song, it wouldn't have fitted. Just as little as with Rammstein.

Emu: We cannot justify what never happened. In order to keep the influence within limits, we have now canceled the clipping service so that all the articles are no longer lying around in the office and you read everything all the time. That's enough.

Richard: We're not closing ourselves off to information. According to the saying "Resist the beginnings " we think about it. In America I even made a wrong decision because I'm so insecure and sensitized. I had a fan kicked out who was always throwing his right arm forward. He didn't do anything, just went along with the music.

Hasn't something broken for you lately from the magic, the dream of being successful?

Richard: The better known you are, the lonelier you get. But I can't do something completely different right now. As long as I can take it, I'll keep going. You can tell that you can compensate for all these stories and your personal sacrifices with music. Maybe our situation can be compared to when you play a song in the rehearsal room. You like it, go out, play it in front of people fifty times until you realize there's no response. But you have to get to that point first. The reactions to 'Stripped' are similar. You have to admit that you may have made a mistake. You haven't managed to get it understood. A communication difficulty between bathroom and fan. Maybe it's a piece of history that we live out, others don't see it that way. It was also a cover version, I'm not sure if we would have put it on our own song.

Is there anything new for your fans?

Richard: We are working on a new stage show. It's hard to separate from fire. Water would be great, but that is very difficult to achieve.

Emu: We're thinking of a combination with neon.

In the beginning every hard German band had to be measured against you musically, now everyone justifies that they are not Nazis...

Richard: Yes, soon they won't be able to hear the name Rammstein anymore.

[downwiththeficness]

Shadow and Veil-Chapter Twenty Seven

Summary: Eva Moore’s life was a carefully constructed fiction.  Every day, she did exactly what her mother in law, her husband, and his  best friend expected of her. No mistakes. And, that was going pretty  well for Eva right up until a huge complication literally tried to run  her over. Now, she’s faced with trying to keep the pieces of her life  from falling apart while attempting (and failing) to keep her feelings  for her husband’s new business partner at bay.

A/N: This fic is a sister-fic to A Need So Great and A Need Unleashed.  You do not need to have read ANSG or ANU to read this fic, but there  are Easter eggs from those fics in Shadow and Veil for readers with keen  eyes.  This fic is explicit for canon-compliant blood, gore, violence,  and sex. As such, it is intended for an adult audience, only. A/B/O  dynamics come with their own warning. Anyone under the age of 18 should  not interact with this work. I do not consent to reposting this work to  other platforms. Reblog only to Tumblr.  

Word Count: 5,400

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God, it was awkward.

Eva nursed a glass of tequila, her second of the day and it was only ten in the morning. For two hours, she had been sitting there listening to Josh and Alexei argue. They spit point after point at one another, neither of them gaining any ground. Eva hadn’t said a word and was fairly sure that the two men forgot she was even sitting there.

She could have slept in.

“Its two weeks. We can do a lot with two weeks.”

“We could have two months and we wouldn’t be able to hide the mountain of evidence.”

“You’re underestimating us both, Alexei.”

“I’m being rational. Something you’ve failed to achieve lately.”

“I have been perfectly rational. The plan is solid.”

“The plan hinges on getting leverage over a man who has been one step ahead of us the whole time.”

A scoff. A roll of the eyes.

This went on in varying circular parries until Eva ran out of tequila and got up to pour another. On her way back to the couch, Josh finally remembered she was in the room.

“Eva, back me up.”

She looked between the two of them, “I don’t know how you think you’re going to get Diego to give you the contact for his supplier. He hasn’t budged on anything you’ve thrown at him so far.”

Alexei was smug, “See?”

Josh held up a finger, “That’s because I hadn’t perfected my technique. I’ve made improvements since then.”

“You mean since he tossed Eva aside like day old garbage?”

“Hey!” Eva cut in, offended.

Alexei shrugged, “Its true. You’ve tried to tempt him twice already. What makes you think he’ll take the next round of bait?”

Josh smiled, “Third times the charm.”

“Oh, please!” Alexei groaned, “This is not the time to play games.”

Eva tipped back her glass and emptied it. She went to pour another only to be sidelined by Josh. He snatched the glass from her and went around the bar to pour what looked like seltzer. She frowned at him, but took the drink and went back to her spot on the couch.

“I’m not playing games,” Josh snipped at Alexei, “I have it on good authority that Diego beat the ever loving shit out of someone that night.”

The seltzer she was sipping had a faint hint of salt in it. She thought about tossing it out, but didn’t want to instigate further ranting from Josh. He was in rare form. All his swagger, all his smooth congeniality was stripped back. It left him red faced and sweating, disheveled in a way that he would normally never allow.

Whose ass did Horacio kick that night? Eva tried to remember if his knuckles were bruised when he met her at the church. Her mind supplied an image of him sitting in the confessional, legs spread comfortably and not a hair out of place. It was a fair difference from what he looked like later, in the car.

Hair mussed. Breathing hard.

“Which authority?” Alexei demanded, “Who?”

Josh shrugged, “I have my sources.”

“Fuck your sources,” Alexei bit out, “We have an emergency on our hands. You have been hiding things from me for months and I am tired. I want to know everything you know and I want to know it now.”

Her husband rolled his eyes and leaned against the bar, “You’re getting soft, Alexei.”

Within one heartbeat and the next, Alexei had Josh snatched up by the collar and was speaking directly into his face in Russian. Eva understood absolutely none of it. What she did understand was the fear that slowly dragged across Josh’s face. The threat—it had to be a threat—was remarkably effective.

“I pay one of his security guys to let me know what he’s doing. The meetings he takes. Anything they can tell me,” Josh said.

The hair on her neck and arms rose in cold fear. Had Josh’s inside man been watching? Had they seen her with Horacio?

“He’s slippery,” Josh continued, “and secretive. But, my guy managed to get inside after we lost that shipment. Someone put it on the table that we might be playing with them and that we might not play with them if they had a little collateral.”

He nodded subtly towards Eva. She stilled, made her face remain neutral so as to give nothing away.

Alexei’s fists clenched, “And?”

Josh shrugged, “Diego cut it down. Said anyone who touched ‘the wife’ would lose a hand.”

Eva’s brain made a kind of ‘huh’ sound while she tried not to smile.

Letting go of Josh, Alexei wiped a hand across his face, “That’s what you’re basing this on?”

“Oh, come on,” Josh exclaimed with a wide sweep of his hand, “You’ve seen how he looks at her. He’s even threatened to kidnap her. Twice. Clearly, he’s got a thing for Birdie—although I can’t understand why.”

She sighed, irritated that he could still get that old barb in even after everything that had happened. It didn’t really matter that he was right—Horacio did have a thing for her. What mattered was that Josh thought he was right and nothing Alexei could say could convince him otherwise.

“Alright,” Alexei relented, “Why does it matter? We can get leverage another way.”

“It matters,” Josh enunciated, “because he pretends he doesn’t—scoffs at the idea, even. That fucking Mexican thinks he’s better than me. I won’t have it.”

Alexei covered his face with his hands and took a slow breath. Then, “Josh, we have bigger things to worry about than your ego.”

No shit, Eva thought while she silently sipped at the seltzer.

“That’s the beauty of it,” Josh asserted with light blooming in his eyes, “I can get what I need from Diego and knock him off his high horse. Its a two-for.”

Jesus Christ.

Dropping his hands to his hips, Alexei shook his head, “I’m going to go clean house. You stay here and play your little games, if you want. See how far that gets you.”

Eva watched Josh watch his best friend walk out of the room and almost felt sorry for him. He looked like a kicked puppy, floppy ears and all. Alexei was right, though. Josh was playing games that were going to get him into a hell of a lot of trouble. Even if he knew all the rules, his opponent had an ace up his sleeve and a stacked deck.

Josh straightened his collar and smoothed the fabric of his shirt. He briefly fiddled with the ring on his pinky. Then, he squared his shoulders and went to the bar to pour a drink into the family crystal. Bourbon in hand, he schooled his expression and visibly calmed himself.

“What time is it?”

Eva blinked, “What?”

“The time,” Josh demanded.

She glanced at the clock, “Ten thirty.”

“Good. Go put on a dress.”

“Are we going somewhere?”

He shook his head, “No. We’ll stay right here and wait for Diego.”

Eva flinched, “Why is Mr. Jimenez coming here?”

“Quit asking such stupid questions and go put on a fucking dress!”

She set her glass down and went upstairs.

In her closet, Eva went over the options. Knowing that Horacio was coming over made her decide against the more modest selections. It would play right into Josh’s hands, but Eva wanted to be noticed. Not just by Horacio, but by the man he was pretending to be.

Her hands stalled on a Bob Mackie halter dress in a shining teal.

Perfect.

Dress on and hair fluffed, Eva padded back downstairs in her bare feet. She entered The Lounge and took four steps into the room. Josh looked at her and gave a nod. Outfit approved.

As she passed him, he held out another seltzer water, “I need you sober.”

Eva’s mouth turned down, but she took the glass and sat on the couch. She would sip at it often enough to keep him happy, but no amount of rationing the water was going to keep her buzz going. She could feel it fading away with every ticking second and resented Josh for it all the more.

It was the acrid burn of that resentment that made Eva speak, “Alexei’s right, Josh. This isn’t going to work. He’s not interested in trading sex with me for information.”

“He is.”

“Maybe he just has a,” she searched for the word, “moral code, or something. Like, no women or children.”

Josh rolled his eyes and pulled out a pill bottle, “No man with his kind of reputation has a moral code.”

“I’m just saying that you’ve tried this twice already and it hasn’t worked. I think you need to consider that you might be wrong and its a waste of time.” A breath, “We have serious problems that we need to take care of right now.”

“You don’t think I know that?” he yelled, “You don’t think I know that we’ve got federal fucking agents just waiting for the green light to dig through my entire business, a business that I’ve worked my whole life to build?”

Eva was silent, but held his stare. She wasn’t bothered by the explosion of anger or the way he gripped the glass in his hand hard enough that it might shatter.

“I’ve got the formula and once we get the supplier, we can hold the entire fucking country hostage if we want.”

This did scare her.

Josh had an ego the size of the entire state of Louisiana, but he was usually smart enough to know when he needed to take a step back and be strategic. Ardent Pharmaceuticals wouldn’t be anywhere near as big as it was, if he didn’t. She didn’t understand where this recklessness had come from, but it was driving the path of his decision making right off a cliff.

“You’re not going to get far enough into manufacturing if you’re in jail, Josh.”

He scoffed and swallowed down the pill in his hand, “This whole thing will be held up in court for years. By the time it goes to jury trial, we’ll already be out of reach.”

Her brows drew together, “What does that mean?”

“It means,” he answered, “that I’m moving our production out of the country.”

Eva repeated the last four words slowly, her brain trying to figure out his meaning.

Josh held out his hands, palm up, “Why work so hard to get product across the border when I can build a factory right next door.”

“Next door?”

“In Mexico, Eva.”

Mexico.

Josh thought the product was coming from Mexico—because he thought Diego was from Mexico. Eva hoped she was there when he got punched in the face with the truth.

“What about all your other plans?” she asked, “The house? The renovations? We already paid the deposit for the contractors.”

He shrugged, “We’ll sell it.”

We’ll sell it.

Her home. He would sell it. Just like that.

Eva took a long drink from her glass to keep the venom on her tongue at bay, “Alright. What’s this new plan you have? Tell me how you’re going to get Diego to give you what you want.”

“Same plan as last time.”

“You mean the plan that didn’t work.”

“Okay, the same plan as the time before that.”

“So, the plan that also didn’t work.”

Josh’s eyes narrowed dangerously, “I told you, already. I perfected my technique.”

She didn’t give a fuck what he perfected.

“No.”

Eva was not going to go through that again. He thought the serum was safe before he injected it and it led to her passing out three feet from where she sat. She wasn’t going to allow him to put more poison into her veins.

“No?”

“No,” Eva repeated, “I’m not doing it. You can go get one of your mistresses to go along with your plan, but I won’t.”

She didn’t know if she had ever directly refused one of Josh’s requests—she certainly hadn’t with near as much ice in her tone. Her words made him draw back, incredulous.

“The fuck do you mean, no?”

“I mean no,” she said as she stood and set her glass on the coffee table. “Do whatever you want, but leave me out of it.”

Josh lifted a brow, “Its a bit late for that.”

“What?”

“I. Perfected. My. Technique,” he bit out, “We ran more tests. Injecting the serum causes the body to metabolize it too quickly, so we slowed it down by changing the route of administration. Ingesting it works much better.”

Eva crossed her arms, “I’m not taking any pills.”

That seemed to perk him up, “See, we thought about that, too. Turns out pills metabolize too slowly. We found that the best way to administer is sublingual.”

“Doesn’t change anything,” she shot back, “I’m not taking it.”

“Oh, Birdie,” he drawled, “You already have.”

Eva didn’t understand—anything. She didn’t understand why route of administration mattered, or the creepy smile on his face, or why he was looking at her like that.

Josh ran out of patience, “For as smart as you are, you are so dumb.”

“Oh, shove it up your ass!”

He set his bourbon casually on the bar and walked up to her, “It doesn’t matter what you say you will or won’t do because you’ve already done it. You’ve been drinking the serum for the last half hour.”

Eva was horrified—physically paralyzed by the feeling.

Josh grasped her shoulders, “It was diluted, but I compensated with a stronger dose. You’re already feeling the effects and you didn’t even notice.”

She was going to kill him. Beat him to death with her bare hands.

Flying forward, Eva nearly knocked Josh off his feet with the force of her attack. She might have screamed, but her ears were filled with adrenaline and the roar of blood. Eva knew she caught him off guard because she got a couple good hits in before he was able to grab her arms and push her away. She stumbled, regained her footing, and went at him again.

Josh shoved her hard enough that she knocked into the wall near the door. He slapped away her fists and curled both hands around her neck. The pressure cut off her air, but Eva had so much fury raging inside her that she started scratching and kicking. Short, blunt nails dug into his face and arms for about thirty seconds before her lungs began to burn.

It was only when she stopped fighting that he loosened his hold so that she could breathe. Eva gasped and choked until the spots in her vision cleared. Then, because she still pretty pissed off, she cast Josh a baleful glare.

“If you ever,” he punctuated the last word by slamming her head against the wall, “do that again. I’ll knock you into next week. Clear?” When she didn’t answer fast enough, he choked her again and leaned close, “Clear?”

Her nod was limited by the hands that hadn’t stopped squeezing.

“If you’re going to make me come to a meeting at this unholy hour, you should at least answer your—,” Horacio came strolling down the hall. He stopped in front of the door, “Should I come back later?”

Josh sniffed, “No. We were just having a disagreement. But, I think its cleared up now, right?”

She fucking hated that he sounded so calm, even with scratches marring his face. Eva’s jaw was clenched, but she nodded.

“See? All better.”

He let her go and Eva had to lean against the wall so that she didn’t crumple to the floor.   Smoothing his hand down his shirt, Josh invited Horacio further into the room. Dark eyes glanced at Eva, but said nothing as he passed by. Behind him, Javier was less subtle about his distaste. His curled lip had to be wiped away by a palm moving across his face.

Eva stood there for a while, listening to the pleasantries. She thought she might be able to get away with standing there all afternoon, but Josh called her name. She glared at him and he glared back.

The battle of wills was short lived, “Don’t be rude, Birdie.”

She took her time walking around the back of the couch and sitting.

“Please,” Josh said, inviting Horacio to take a seat on the opposite side of the couch Eva was currently sitting on.

Horacio sat with an easy movement. On the surface, he looked utterly undisturbed by the clear tension in the room.

Javier demurred, preferring to remain near the bar. He poured a drink for himself and settled in to observe from a distance.

Relaxing into the cushions, Horacio asked, “What do you want?”

“Right to the point,” Josh replied with a smile, “I like that.�� Then, “I have another proposition for you.”

Horacio made a sound of interest and motioned with his hand for Josh to continue.

Josh leaned forward, “I’ve perfected the serum. Its ready for market.”

“I’ve heard this before.”

“I thought you might say that, so I have, once again, enlisted my lovely wife to act as a demonstration.”

Eva rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, looking anywhere but at the men in the room. She felt Horacio stare at her from two cushions over. He was quiet, possibly waiting for her to do or say something. She was too angry to give him the satisfaction.

“You must not care much for your wife’s life,” he commented, with levity. “The last demonstration went...bad.”

Josh’s laugh was like glass in her ears, “Yes. I admit I got a bit over my skis last time. But, we’ve done more tests and this batch is perfectly safe.”

More silence.

“When will we see the effects?”

During her sullen silence, the pounding in her head receded. Eva would have been grateful if another, more pressing pain wasn’t becoming apparent. Her belly cramped, tugged downwards. Her mouth went dry, her tongue felt heavy. Goosebumps appeared on her arms and chest.

She crossed her legs to relieve the discomfort of her swelling arousal. Unwelcome as it was, it only exacerbated her anger. The two feelings became entwined. They fed on one another, coiling tighter and tighter until a tremor washed over her whole body.

And, above all, she smelled him.

Tobacco. Vetiver. Alpha. Horacio.

Eva didn’t know how long she had been taking deep gulps of air, but she felt like she could taste him all the way down into her bones. She knew she wasn’t going to keep herself from him, was frustrated that she might give Josh exactly what he wanted. A soft whimper left her lips as she bent forward at the waist and buried her head in her hands.

“Is it supposed to make her cry?”

Eva lifted a hand and flipped him the bird.

His laugh made the muscles of her thighs clench together and a fresh wave of heat roll through her. Eva rocked back into the couch and stared at the ceiling, willing herself to remain still. Every instinct she had was telling her that her alpha was right there and he would take care of her. All the need swirling around in her core could be stoked to a raging storm that she knew would devour them both.

“I’d like to take a sample to test for myself,” Horacio said in a matter of fact tone.

“Of course!” Josh replied, “I have some in my safe. Let me go get that for you.”

Knowing that she had a very small window to communicate with Horacio away from her husband, Eva tracked him through the room and waited until the tell tale creak of the second stair to start talking.

“He knows about the warrant. Alexei is working to hide the evidence,” she blurted in a low voice. “There’s a woman in your building named Bobbi Lynn who has papers to get me out of the country.” Eva looked at Horacio, “I know you told me not to make moves, but you have to understand that Josh—.”

He leaned over and touched her arm, “Slow down. Are you okay?”

“No,” she rasped, “How could you think—?”

“Yes, I know,” he cut her off again with a sneer, “If I shoot him, we lose our whole case.”

Eva nodded woodenly, “He’s got someone on the inside who has been feeding him information about you. I don’t know who.”

“I know,” he repeated. Then, “Is he planning on trying to get my supplier by…”

He trailed off, but she knew what he meant.

“Yes.”

A low, rumbling growl sounded from his chest. Eva stared at him, waiting for whatever reaction she was going to get. She should have expected what came next.

“Do you remember what I said about making him regret it?”

God, but she did. Eva remembered very clearly what Horacio said he would do. Unable to form words around the anticipation that swelled in her chest, she nodded.

“Any objections?”

“Not a fucking one.”

One side of his mouth lifted. He was pleased. The thought, my Alpha is pleased, went through her head and Eva didn’t even try to fight it. She stared at him, taking in the warmth of his eyes and the plush mouth that she desperately wanted to kiss.

“We can’t kill him,” Javier intoned from the bar.

Horacio, still staring at Eva, replied, “I don’t plan to.”

“Well, I might,” Javier shot back, “He’s fucking annoying.”

Eva smirked and tossed over her shoulder, “Try living with him.”

“You’re a saint.”

The second stair creaked again.

Tearing her eyes from Horacio was difficult. She only managed it by digging her nails hard into her palm. In her periphery, she could see that Horacio wasn’t even trying to pretend he wasn’t thinking about dragging her across the couch and into his lap.

Josh swung around the edge of the couch, all smiles, “Here we are!”

A small, air tight bottle was placed on the coffee table. It was unlabeled and looked like something she might pick up at the grocery. Not a single person outside of the four of them would ever know the danger that lay inside.

“Best to put it under the tongue,” Josh offered as he sat on the couch opposite of Horacio.

Or mixed into a drink, Eva thought venomously.

Javier pushed from the bar and walked over to pluck the bottle from the table. He pocketed it and resumed his position. A quiet, vaguely irritated, guard.

“What is your proposition?” Horacio asked, despite knowing full well what Josh wanted.

“I have enough of that serum to make about half a million dollars within the first thirty days of sale,” Josh began. “I’ll give you fifteen percent if you’ll set up a meeting between myself and the man who helps you source your raw material.”

Horacio tossed his head and laughed, “Fifteen percent is not enough for that.”

“With respect,” Josh said, “its a lot of money.”

“It will destroy my future returns. Don’t think I don’t know what you’re aiming for.”

Eva tuned out while they argued back and forth. The Lounge around her became blurry—no, it was her periphery. Eva’s eyes could only focus on a radius of about three feet. Everything else contracted down to the burn of heat and the pull of the man sitting too far away.

“I think your wife is going to have another seizure,” Javier muttered.

She realized that she was rocking back and forth, trying to get any kind of stimulation that would soothe her frazzled nerves. Her hands were twisting together, palms rubbing harshly. Every breath was audible.

“That’s normal,” Josh said with a careless wave of his hand, “between stage one and two.”

Horacio turned his attention to her, “Doesn’t look like a heat, Doctor Moore.”

Josh hummed, “It will. In a minute or two.”

It was going to get worse?

Eva already felt awash with not enough and too much sensation. Her pussy was dripping and no amount of pressure would satisfy the emptiness that wanted to be filled. Every inch of her felt fever hot. Sweat formed in the hollow of her throat and the crease of her hips.

Beside her, Horacio was dubious, “You think this is going to fool an alpha?”

Josh, ever the asshole, laughed, “I do, indeed, Mr. Jimenez.” Then, “Why don’t you go one and get a good smell of her?”

She heard Horacio suck his teeth derisively, “I can smell her from here.”

Could he?

Could he smell all the hormones races through her bloodstream? The slick coating the inside of her thighs? Could he sense the sheer force of will Eva was exerting to keep the heat at bay?

“Nah,” Josh drawled, “Get in close. I’m telling you she’ll smell like the real thing.”

Unable to help it, Eva chanced a look at Horacio. He was studying her closely. The hand on his thigh flexed and he ran his thumb up the length of his finger in thought. Eva knew the feeling of that hand. Knew what he could do with it.

She shivered.

“Either you do it, or I will,” Javier grunted.

The sound of liquor pouring was loud in the silence. Horacio took the time to cut a glance at his partner before he swiveled towards her.

“Come here,” he ordered in a low voice.

Eva obeyed. Biting her lip hard, she closed the distance between them until their knees were touching. Horacio reached out and pushed her hair back away from her neck with one hand. The other grasped her jaw to turn her head.

She flinched. Sucked in a pained breath as her body remembered Josh’s hands around her neck.

“Lo siento,” he whispered, fingers loosening to rest carefully against bruised skin.

Horacio leaned in close. She shuddered as she was surrounded by his scent, had to ground herself by wrapping her fingers around his wrist. His cheek brushed hers and heat bloomed from the contact.

Eva closed her eyes against the beginning of defeat. His inhale was deep and it was followed by an almost inaudible groan. She turned her face and pressed her cheek against his, enjoying the way the five o’ clock shadow scratched. Her mouth ran down his jaw so that she could catch his lips.

The kiss would have been fucking amazing if Josh hadn’t said, “Told you. Stage two.”

Horacio jerked away, “Its convincing.”

Convincing.

Eva scowled at him. He was far, far too calm—all smooth exterior when she was cracking apart inside. She no longer gave a fuck about giving in to Josh’s plan, not even that he was still in the room and watching the pair of them with his stupid, stupid eyes. Eva was going to even the playing field.

Quick-like, so that he didn’t have a chance to react, Eva got her feet underneath her and then she got Horacio underneath her. His body accommodated Eva, adjusting so that she could sit astride his thighs. She liked that his hands fell naturally to her hips, liked the little involuntary sound he made in that back of his throat.

“Oh, brava!” Josh crowed, “Very good, Birdie.”

She ignored him, focusing on running her hands up Horacio’s chest. Wrist rotating, she caught the chain that constantly hung around his neck and used it to tug him forward. Eyes unfocused, Horacio let her guide him until they were about an inch apart. He was struggling to control his breathing and his scent had sharpened with arousal. If she worked her hips forward, Eva knew he would be hard for her.

“You know what?” Josh cut in, “I’ll sweeten the deal. You set up the meeting and I’ll give you fifteen percent and you can have whatever you want from her.”

What about what she wanted?

The fog in Horacio’s eyes cleared and was replaced with first anger and then cool calculation. He applied a little pressure to her side so that he could look past her. Eva curled her hands over his shoulders and shifted her weight.

“I’m not giving you the name of my supplier.”

Josh scoffed, “Any other alpha would be champing at the bit to knot an omega.”

Horacio shrugged, “Right now, I don’t think I would need your permission to fuck your wife.”

As he spoke, his hands caressed down her thighs and back up again. They slipped beneath the hem of her dress until it caught on his wrists.

“You do if you want to leave this house alive.”

The hammer of a revolver was pulled back.

Horacio’s hands flexed, but he remained still, “I think you’ll find that my friend over there disagrees.”

She didn’t have to look to know that Javier was pointing a gun at Josh. Besides, Eva was more focused on rubbing her thumb over the swollen gland behind Horacio’s ear. It throbbed at her touch, letting her know how much he was holding back.

“Looks like we have a real life Mexican stand-off.”

Did he have to sound so God damned pleased?

Annoyed, Eva leaned forward and laved her tongue over Horacio’s gland. She moaned at the taste of a man soaking in arousal and fighting it tooth and nail. Lips wrapped around it, Eva sucked at the soft, inflamed skin.  

Horacio’s big body shuddered. One arm wrapped around her waist and secured Eva to his chest. The other remained where it was, fingernails digging into her thigh.

“You’re not brave enough to pull the trigger,” he managed around a choked groan.

A shift of fabric against fabric, “I guess we’ll both find out.”

Eva was squished against Horacio’s chest, which was fine—except she didn’t have a lot of room to move. Which she very much wanted to do. His hips were pressed hard against her—and, she was fucking right. Eva wiggled against the hard on trapped behind the fly of his jeans, trying to get a little more pressure on her aching clit.

“I’ll take thirty percent,” Horacio rasped, “and whatever the fuck I want from her. Deal?”

A beat of silence, then, “You’ll set up the meeting?” When Horacio nodded, Josh released the hammer on the revolver. “Thirty percent, then.”

“And?” Horacio drawled, with meaning.

“Do whatever you want to her.”

The muscles in Horacio’s body tightened and his chest vibrated with a dangerous purr. Eva let him guide her so that she sat, upright, in his lap. His thumb swiped across her bottom lip and she caught it between her teeth. He pushed it forward and laid it across her tongue.

Horacio leaned forward to speak over her shoulder, “I told you I would make you regret it.”

Eva barely comprehended what he was saying before Horacio pulled his thumb from her mouth with a wet pop. He held her in a firm grip and, without any further warning, sank blunt teeth into her gland.

There was a lot of screaming.

Josh screamed in rage. Javier in warning.

Eva��

Eva screamed in white hot pleasure. The orgasm that rocketed through her was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. It scored her from the inside, out, leaving devastation in its wake. She was incoherent, writhing helplessly against her alpha while he growled against her neck. Her cunt clenched on empty space, wanting nothing more than to sink down onto a knot.

Euphoric and punch-drunk, Eva collapsed into Horacio’s arms. He cradled her close, held almost all of her weight aloft. Already his scent was changing, taking on little bits of her own. From now until her next heat, Eva would smell like him, too. She didn’t mind it at all.

“I’m going to kindly ask you to leave my house.”

Horacio was breathing hard. He wasn’t moving.

From close by, Javier said, “Its time to go, Diego.” Then, “We’ll be expecting our thirty percent.”

Eva was barely conscious while Horacio gently placed her onto the couch cushions. She whined at the loss, but was too weak to make any attempt to draw him back.

Syncopated footsteps moved away from her.

She curled in on herself as her body cooled. Shivered. Eva knew she wasn’t going to move from that spot for a long time. She rested with the scent of Horacio permanently etched into her skin.

[the-consortium]

is it possible to create a half human half daemon hybrid? im just curious like very curious if it was a possibility

"Is this question actually serious?!" Fabius holds the dataslate at arm's length from him with his thumb and forefinger, as if it had personally offended him. With an irritated snort, he drops it on the tiled lab table and turns away in a somewhat too theatrical motion. Arrian goes to grab the offensive communication device, but Saqqara is once again faster. The Word Bearer's delight in seeing the Chief Apothecary erupt into an angry tirade in a way that is amusing to him can probably only be explained by decades of living in the sphere of influence of too many Emperor's Children. So Arrian is content to observe the drama without background knowledge. Actually, he was just passing through the lab anyway to get a tissue sample from the freezer, but it's hard not to get hung up when Fabius has one of his irritable outbursts. "You're becoming like them, dog-brother!" - "So what?" Arrian scratches the back of his neck. The Nails respond to emotion, and right now there's a lot of it in the room again. Fabius' annoyance, Saqqara's amusement. Thin threads of pain crawl around in Arrian's skull, reaching for him. He bites his lower lip until he tastes blood. Pushes what wants to wallow in anger back into the red darkness behind his eyes. Focuses on the scene before him. Holds on to the fact that he likes Saqqara's smell of incense and gun oil. And on how the blue-white light of the Lumen Strips paints luminous edges on the chattering Chirurgeon. The Song of the Nails grows quieter. Just a hum now. "But, that's-," Saqqara lifts straight up, waving the dataslate. "Exactly!" the Chief Apothecary interrupts him. "There are enough of these moronic hybrids already! Your brothers stuff anything with claws and horns under their skin, don't they!" Saqqara puts his hand to his chest in mock hurt. "Some of my best friends are Possessed!" "Which tells you all you need to know!" sneers Fabius back. Arrian has now gleaned the contents of the message from this brief exchange. Interjects, "I suspect this person knows Possessed and wants to know what can be done without the contribution of the Gods. With our means." Fabius waves it off. "Demons are highly unstable. Their essence in inanimate objects is difficult enough," he gestures to the ornate, cage-like weapons rack where Torment is chained, "…but in living beings it only works in the way Lorgar's sons have perfected, and which I continue to believe is utterly ineffective nonsense. Compared to what I can achieve with my methods. Demons create physicality by stealing it. You have to provide them with a vessel, otherwise they cannot manifest themselves outside their sphere - apart from powerful exceptions like our fathers, who really nobody would want to sew surgically to their leg! Demonic matter decays again when separated from the demon itself, so any attempt to create a hybrid without taking the spirit of the monster with it would only produce necrotic tissue. Certainly, it is a goal to recreate the plasticity of a demon in a scientific way as well. But you don't achieve that by cutting corners. For that, one must study and gradually verify what one has learned. And the result may then look like a Possessed, but will have no connection to the Immaterium. Would be even more beautiful! I certainly don't voluntarily invite these greedy monsters to share in my thoughts." After this outburst of arrogant lecturing, the Chief Apothecary turns away and resumes his work as if he had never been interrupted. Apparently, the audience is over. For whomever. Arrian shrugs and makes his way back to the freezing area. Saqqara grins after him.

[lovevalley45]

#fictober23 day twenty-two

"Who takes care of you?"

original fiction (dungeons & dragons)

word count: 665

Having a goddess ask for his audience was something Darius would never get used to. Or former goddess, he supposed, considering Vallus’ lost divinity. 

He considered himself lucky to not bump into his fellow hero, Rhysani, roaming the castle as the guards escorted him to the queen’s quarters. Darius was certain the last time he’d stepped foot in here was for their wedding, something that he supposed complicated to the woman he considered his liege. 

As he approached Vallus, Queen Regent of Mytros and former goddess of wisdom, he still sank down to one knee. “Vallus. It is an honor to be in your presence.”

She rose from her chaise, gesturing for him to stand up. “There is no need for such formalities, Captain,” she said, a sly smile on her lips. Usually, he flinched at the title, but he could only beam in her praise. 

“So, why did you need to meet?” he asked. “Is it about the Dragonlord fortress? I’ve just been busy with the ‘everyone in Thylea looking for my guidance’ thing.” Darius felt like he didn’t need to tell her that he’d been all too happy to keep his feet on solid ground rather than sail the Ultros in the past few years. 

“No.” Vallus folded her hands together. “I understand you’re the city to meet with Ekoh.”

Darius nodded. “Yeah, the oread.”

She set a hand on his shoulder. Although she greatly outsized him in her dragon form, as a human she had to stretch to reach. “I’m aware of your… discomfort with the attention you’ve gotten since the battle of Mytros. And pursuing godhood is probably not exactly what you want. But please, take heed of her request. Not just for your fellow oathbearers, or my family seeking to get back their divinity.”

“What’ll happen if I don’t?”

Vallus grimaced. “There are some other beings out there trying to reclaim their divinity as well. Beings who should not get ahold of the artifacts needed.”

It was hard to deny Vallus. Not just because of her titles, former or current. Darius owed her - literally, if he thought about it. If it wasn’t for her, he’d be a rotting hunk of wood in a mithril mine, being a playtoy for a Cerberus.

“Alright.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Alright?” she repeated. 

“Yeah,” Darius said. “What, did you expect me to say no?”

“Well, I thought I’d have to remind you that you are my prodigy,” Vallus admitted. “If you said no or tried to refuse me, I would have had to ask, ‘Who takes care of you?’” She reached up to pat his cheek. “You still owe me for that second resurrection.”

He moved her hand with a grin. “Wow, alright.”

“But all that means is that I chose my prodigy correctly,” she continued. “You trust my judgement more than I do some days.”

Darius ran a thumb over the carvings on his bracers, not meeting her eyes. He knew that Vallus had been taking the loss of her divinity hard. How did it feel to have divine, infinite wisdom one moment and have it stripped away the next? He hoped he never had to find out. 

Vallus sighed. She sat back down on her chaise, smoothing out her robe. 

“I’ve heard about your work,” she said. “Despite your reluctance, you’ve taken on being a heroic figure quite well.”

He bounced on his heels. “I have a duty to the people of Thylea, right? I can’t let them down now.”

“That you do,” Vallus said with a nod. “And I suppose I shouldn’t keep you much longer from your duties.”

Darius bowed. “I should be glad to be your peer in divinity, Queen Vallus.”

“That’s also much too much,” she said. 

“Fine.” He stood back up. “See ya!”

“Good luck on your quest, Captain.”

Though he was trying to regain her divinity, he still felt the blessing her words carried settling over him as he left to embrace his destiny.

[vergess]

Yeah, okay, so publishers using taglines in lieu of summaries and reviews does not make taglines bad.

They. Are. Not. Bad.

Only one group is flattening your artbaby by describing it with a tagline. And it's not READERS OR CRITICS.

It's publishing houses.

They benefit from turning art pieces into interchangeable ingots. That makes them easier to sell. Remember: a publisher's only goal is to sell your work, not to engage with your art, or find an audience who will.

Publishers may once have represented access to editors, market data, and assistants but that stopped before many of us were even born.

Publishing houses exploit and alienate the creation of art just like any other type of labour. If they can enforce reduced access to useful information about the work, then they can sell to readers based on pre-formed advertising for past works with similar taglines, instead of having to do their jobs.

And for some godforsaken reason, I've been seeing DOZENS of these types of post, arguing that because publishers stripped two major tools of decision making (summary and review), we should... strip away a third tool. That will, of course, magically make publishing houses start letting cross genre and nongenre fiction be sold to well informed audiences, because this flaw which was introduced and enforced by publishers will totally be resolved by guilting audiences and critics for Not Using Enough Words.

In spite of ALL THE WORDS EVER being used to describe these books all over the damn place. The only reason people don't see those words is PUBLISHING HOUSES ACTIVELY SEPARATE EVERYONE FROM ACCESSING THEM. If a review isn't on goodreads or in a major national-to-international news paper, it may as well nit exist for how willing publishers are to acknowledge them.

Because yes, when someone with near total control over how your art is disseminated refuses to engage with it, preferring to genericize your work for easier sale, that's a problem.

It is a problem with the publisher.

This does not mean that random people talking to each other, saying 'it is about lesbian necromancers in space' is a bad summary. It's NOT A SUMMARY AT ALL.

It's a headline. That's what a tagline is.

And these complaints aimed at audiences and critics are equivalent to saying 'newspapers keep making clickbait titles, therefore the entire concept of a one line top level description designed to inspire interest in your work in an otherwise hostile environment is bad, actually.'

Y'all have been taken in by publishers who actively want and benefit from keeping artist and audiences fully separated so they can act as the only point of access, ensuring a near monopoly.

Which, I mean, I can't blame you. Creative arts were slower to be churned by capitalism, and the loss is really getting awful now.

But even if you want to aim for a grassroots solution? Collective action requires a collective.

Spending huge amounts of time telling readers and critics alike that we're disrespecting your art by describing how we experienced it?

It's not going to help build any kind of movement. But it will help fuel tensions that encourage the alienation publishing houses benefit from.

Let's not do their jobs for them.

Taglines are not evil, even when they aren't 'for you.'

The reason categorizing fanfiction by tropes works is because there's already an established setting, cast of characters, and theme in the original work, so when people write fanfics they're building sand castles in pre-existing beaches, but when you advertise your book as "sci-fi enemies to lovers where there's only one bed and also they're gay" it says nothing about what the premise is, who the characters are, or what the book is actually trying to say. That's not to say that books containing stuff like "sci-fi enemies to lovers where there's only one bed and also they're gay" can't be absolutely fantastic books, but if you only advertise by listing off tropes that are inherently cookie-cutter then you're implying (whether intentionally or not) that there's nothing interesting or memorable about the book besides smashing tropes together like you're playing with action figures.

[awetisomeopossum]

TIL There are different types of compliments. I'm developing this as I come up with how to explain, so it's very much a work in progress.

"Shallow" or "surface" compliments about beauty related things. These have the most superficial affects when received it would seem.

Deeper compliments would be about unchangeable things. "You have pretty eyes" So like a compliment on fixed features.

There's more complicated compliments. When they're layered together? Combined? "I love the curve of your hips" It's still based in desire on a surface feature but shows you've been in their thoughts 🧠 🐿️ ⌚.

There's deeper compliments about a person's character, personality, or efforts. This is something you'd have to be known for, or documented IRL, even if "document" just means your bloke likes watching you in yoga pants most days, and really admires your dedication. And wants to f* it. Not as shallow as it sounds! It's sexy AF to see someone dedicated and driven towards a goal we would find admirable. I was gonna say "nobody wants to bang a _____ person" but that's just leftover judgemental scraps from my childhood. And if history has taught us anything it's that if it can be f*, it will be f*. If it can't, it won't be from lack of blokes trying.

There's a combination of a commitment with a surface compliment. "I'm going to lick my way through every curve of your hips like I'm working on a geometry dissertation" seems to work but somehow "I would fuck you even if you didn't have any hips" doesn't feel like an improvement on the formula. Might need to adjust it based on your audience.

I'm sure there are many more types, but being on the receiving end of so much boy attention has given me a wide range of "dudehaviors" to compare with my early education in Dudehism.

"Female" vs "Male" mindset compliments are very different too, but as neither word is rigidly definable and entirely subjective, I hesitate to use them. Someone who identifies more with one or the other culture tends to think and behave in same ways. We mimic what we think is cool, and society doesn't promote deep thinking, anymore than being born free has promoted people of character and integrity. If everyone only lives for themselves, they're not a quality person. If they only live by the rules and opinions of others, they're not even a person, just a part of a collective "People". Some of the subjective "Thems" that we're always told about.

So there's this balance in us all that must be maintained. The key to finding it is 💋

Keep

It

Stupid

Simple

Strip back the cover on your life, and start pulling out all the broken shit, clean all the surfaces of gunk, wipe up any old or spilled fluids. Careful, people get fluids all over 😬 At some point, you get familiar with how it all goes together, so you can see what's out of balance or starting to show it's age vs premature wear patterns, and fix it before it blows the motor.

Compliments are like an additive. They can help or hurt performance. The quality of them is accurate to the situations the person will bring. And there's nothing wrong with shallow surface people or situations. It's a LOT of fun to go for a ride on something simple stupid fun! Just know what you're in for, be prepared for the situation. I know the sand dunes are super harsh my vehicles, so I do extra maintenance. Sometimes people be like that too. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Doesn't make them bad people, just high maintenance for you. If that bothers you, it's up to you to decide if you should ride less, ride somewhere else, or if you need to upgrade or replace a part of you to accommodate new conditions.

Above all else, remember everyone basically can agree that we're all unique, all more than our Meat Mechs, and that there's more to our world and species than anyone understands. Whatever altar you worship at- Science, Religion, Politics, Whatever's on the Idiot Box in your hand... They all say the same things. Be flexible, versatile, adapt to fit your current environment. Compromise to survive, except where you can't.

If a person is too much of a stress on your resources, maybe you can't not judge them and the grudges keep you from being in the moments, or they're hella dramatic and you always leave crushed and drained, whatever the circumstances are, you should absolutely consider leaving that relationship to blossom into good memories and move on with yourself. No one will fault you for taking care of yourself and protecting yourself from other's negativity.

As an alternative though, I'd like to propose a question I ask myself everyday. What are you doing to change the situations? Sure, you have to take care of you before you can be there for others, but like, that's an ideal. If you're in the situation already, instead of clinging to every insult and past offense, you have the option to say 'hey, I may not want to be the one here, but I'm here. I'm not doing this with you. Please pull yourself to this minimum standard I require of those around me, or offer a compelling case for why I should adapt to you. If you don't know how or can't meet this minimum but are willing to put in a good faith effort trying, tell me so that we might work together and both grow into something even better."

Hate isn't original. These are the same no nothing no load children they were in highschool. Something is different in their environment, and they don't like the audacity of someone existing without their explicit approval. If they're of the mindset, adding an imaginary friend who justifies smallness in character as a virtue doesn't help their critical thinking skills. Like compliments, I decide who and how I'll be taking, how I'm going to feel about it, and how I'll react to them. What I give back. I still don't decide how they'll take it, I'm not a man/Bill Cosby.

No matter what your situation is, who's at the party, or whatever the positions in need of filling, you determine your environment. All you can ever do is your best. If you have, and it's still not working, sometimes you have to accept that loss. You can't always prevent or fix up every loser that slips in. But you don't have to carry anything negative home if you don't want to. Leave the scraps behind, or get a doggy bag, and then move on. It's nothing to you if a restaurant has crappy bar food exclusively. So if you're not prepared to work there as a cook, or help them update their recipes, or train the cooks, then just mark it as an "L" in your daily journal, and move TF on. Get your burgers elsewhere if you don't like it. You wouldn't call in death threats over it.

The key to a happy life is to evaluate your situations, and then decide what you'll be putting in to them. Consider your priorities before you drop a steaming pile of 💩. Nobody loves the human fart bomb in a situation, so maybe consider being the party balloons and then teach people to make balloon animals. 😘😁 Same people, only your decide if you're dealing with some smelly unpleasant shit or blowing, swelling, contorting, and occasionally popping off accidentally to shrieks, giggles, and startled good natured embarrassment.

Jessie Jaye 🩵☠️💖

[douchebagbrainwaves]

NEWS FROM HACKER NEWS

When I was running a startup, and I'll be rich. Make Web sites for art galleries.1 It's probably no coincidence that so many news articles are online, I probably read two or three new startups. That kind of change, from 2 paths to 3, is the sort of big social shift that only happens once every few generations. If you want to do.2 They do it because they feel they need to do is start a startup, VCs might try to strip you of your stock when they arrived later. The conversation will turn immediately to other topics.

Live by the channel, die by the channel: if you depend on an oligopoly, you sink into bad habits that are hard to understand, people who want a deep understanding of what you're doing in a startup is that there will be more of them to recognize and attract. The cheery, bland language of the people with bad intentions look bad by comparison. Curiously, however, the works they produced continued to attract new readers. Often the founders themselves hadn't seen yet. But for any given idea, the payoff for acting fast in a bad economy.3 To make something good, even for idiots. The same is true in the arts could tell you that you might want different mediums for the two situations. It has an English cousin, travail, and what it means is torture. I'm not a very good speaker. Probably not.

Why did no one propose a new scheme for micropayments? If you write in an unclear way about big ideas, you produce something that seems tantalizingly attractive to inexperienced but intellectually ambitious students.4 I'm sure there are far more striking examples out there than this clump of five stories. But he turned out to be widely applicable. If you make a novel that bores everyone, or a chair that's horribly uncomfortable to sit in their offices and let PR firms bring the stories to them.5 Imagine waking up after such an operation. I think it will be. It's hard to predict how big a deal as the Industrial Revolution? They usually feed the same story to several different publications at once.6

But I don't wish I were a better speaker than me, but a hopelessly inflexible one for developing new ideas. It lets you take advantage of new insights you have along the way. Per capita, large organizations accomplish very little. The situation pushed buttons I'd forgotten I had. That may not seem surprising. This is also true of starting a startup in the old days was a pretty effective filter. One reason the young sometimes succeed where the old fail is that they make two mistakes that cancel each other out.7 Like open source, blogging is something people do themselves, for free, but before the Web it was harder to reach an audience or collaborate on projects. It could be simply that many famous scientists worked when collaboration was less common. A name only has one point of attachment into your head. Although the finiteness of the number of temptations around you.8 Now almost every drawing teacher will tell you that you might want different mediums for the two situations.9

7 billion. The simplest form of determination is sheer willfulness. It felt like releasing software without testing it. When I worked in fast food, we didn't prefer the busy times. Popularity is always self-perpetuating, but it's woven into the story instead of being pasted onto it like a label.10 A big company is more deliberate.11 It's a lot harder on stuff they like.12 One of the most powerful of those was the existence of the PR industry, lurking like a huge, quiet submarine beneath the news. There's selling, promotion, figuring out what customers want is figuring out that you need to figure it out.13

Here's an intriguing possibility.14 Circumstances can alter it, but at least they'd see everything.15 Bottom-Up The third big lesson we can learn from open source and blogging is that ideas can bubble up from the bottom, instead of going with the first that comes into your head. Those are both good things to be. Depends what you mean by free. As I was doing exactly the same work, except with bosses. Even a concept as dear to us as I.

This singularity is even more singular in having its own defense built in. And not just at making money: look what a small group of volunteers has achieved with Firefox. I decided I was going to study philosophy in college. Over in the arts, and particularly in oil painting. Actually, there are several ideas mixed together in the concept of Worse is Better is found throughout the arts. Really they ought to be working. Here's the exciting thing, though.16

Notes

With a classic fixed sized round, or in one of them material. Conversely, it's hard to say that one of the reign Thomas Lord Roos was an assiduous courtier of the aircraft is.

If you want to trick admissions officers. Lecuyer, Christophe, Making Silicon Valley. It's hard to spread from.

Usually people skirt that issue with some question-begging answer like it's inappropriate, while Reddit is Delicious/popular.

An earlier version of Word 13. The first big company, but he refused because a part has come unscrewed, you need two different kinds of content. Doing things that don't scale. The early adopters.

Experienced investors know about this from personal experience than anyone, writes: True, Gore won the popular vote he would have disapproved if executives got too much. In sufficiently disordered times, even if it's dismissed, it's not the sense of the word philosophy has changed over time, default to some fairly high spam probability.

7% of American kids attend private, non-programmers grasped that in 1995, when in fact I read comments on really bad sites I can hear them in their own interest. Treating high school football game that will be silenced. In the late 1970s the movie Dawn of the anti-dilution, which parents would still want their kids won't listen to them.

How to Make Wealth when I became an employer hired men based on their appearance.

I've been told that they consisted of three stakes. At two years investigating it.

One father told me they like the intrusive ads popular on Delicious, but the number of users, not competitors. Patrick Collison wrote At some point has a similar effect, at which startups develop new techology is the post-money valuation of the living. Peter Norvig found that 16 of the most visible index of that generation had been bred to look appealing in stores, but it's hard to say.

He did eventually graduate at about 26. Or more precisely, this is largely true, because despite some progress in the cupboard, but no one thinks of calling that unfair. People seeking some single thing called wisdom have been in preliterate societies to be hard on the other hand, he found it novel that if you start to be a big effect on college admissions there would be enough to guarantee good effects.

How can I count you in? Don't be fooled by grammar. 4%?

At the moment; if their kids to be a predictor. There's probably also encourage companies to build their sites, and they won't tell you all the East Coast VCs. But try this thought experiment: suppose prep schools do, and know the electoral vote decides the election, so they will only be willing to provide when it's done as conspicuously as this place was a bad deal. There are two ways to make money from mediocre investors.

Because they suit investors' interests.

If I paint someone's house, the angel round from good investors that they don't want to get you type I startups.

One year at Startup School David Heinemeier Hansson encouraged programmers who would never have to do better. It wouldn't pay. That's why the Apple I used to reply that they kill you, they thought at least straightforwardly benevolent, doesn't help people on the server.

We often discuss revenue growth, because the outside edges of curves erode faster. Their opinion carries the same lesson, partly because users hate the idea. In judging both intelligence and wisdom the judgement to know exactly what constitutes research in the bouillon cube s, cover, and that the money.

Thanks to Jeremy Hylton, Trevor Blackwell, Jessica Livingston, and Robert Morris for sparking my interest in this topic.

[bubbledumbbinch]

Are your requests open again? Cuz I've been reading your oral headcanons and they are getting me HOT AND BOTHERED 🔥🔥

If you don't mind can I request some oral headcanons for Malleus, Deuce, Jack, Floyd and Crewel(if you write for the staff, you can make the reader his colleague in his case) with a fem reader? Thanks a lot⁄(⁄ ⁄•⁄-⁄•⁄ ⁄)⁄

Hello anon!!! Yes I will do my best to deliver >:) BTW this is like sooo long and I’m so sorry it took so long for me to get to this!

Pairings: Malleus x Fem! Reader, Deuce x Fem! Reader, Jack x Fem! Reader, Floyd x Fem! Reader, Crewel x Fem! Professor!Reader

This piece of writing is strictly for 18+ audiences. NSFW under the cut. Minors do not interact!!

Warnings: dubcon ish for Floyd? Slight voyeurism too for his receiving, sub/dom elements for Crewel

Malleus Draconia x Fem! Reader

Giving

Malleus is into making things like a ritual - including lovemaking of any kind.

He would probably take you to a forest where flowers are laid out gently onto the soft grassy floor, glowing fireflies illuminating the sky with the moon.

Gently, Malleus would lay you down and kiss you from head to toe, literally. Giving praises, telling you how beautiful you are, etc.

Malleus would strip you bare naked and lick his lips. You feel his glowing green eyes trailing across your skin giving you goosebumps.

When you feel his long tongue against your cunt for the first time, you arch your back in pleasure and a soft moan comes out, making the horned man shudder.

Malleus always cares about not hurting you, making sure you’re okay, he wants you to be vocal.

Lord please don’t grab his horns. Grab his horns. He turns into a BEAST and will probably overstimulate you.

“Nnh- M-Malleus..!” You keened under his touch. Malleus’s fingers grazed your skin lightly as you laid on your back, his head currently in between your thighs. He brought his head up and licked his mouth of your juices. “My child of man, please, tell me if I’m hurting you.” He spoke softly. “N-no, it feels so good… Please, keep going…” you hid your face in your arm, too embarrassed about the situation the fae male had you in. You lightly stroked his horns as soon as his head dipped back down.

Suddenly, Malleus released a growl and his fingers dug deeper into your skin, nails close to breaking your skin. “Mm, Y/N… you know what that does to me.” He lowly spoke. His eyes were now trained on your own as he sucked hard on your clit, tongue abusing the bead. You screamed as he continued his ministrations - you were gonna be here for a while.

Receiving

Malleus would be walking with you near Ramshackle dorm when you see a bench in the distance and lead Malleus to it. When he sits down he expected you to join him, only for him to see you drop down to your knees in between his legs.

You want to treat Malleus for being a lovely boyfriend!! Praises and eye contact is not necessary but makes him go crazy for you

When receiving oral, Malleus isn’t shy but something inside him lets butterflies go absolutely wild in his stomach. The fact that it’s his favorite human servicing him makes him all the more excited too!

Malleus’s thick cock would be hard to take in all at once, so you opt to use your hands to pump the base with your fingers.

Malleus has a lot of stamina, you’ll definitely be there for a while. Moaning onto his length and staring into his eyes with lust will make him come closer to climax though!

He would stroke your hair and tell you how beautiful you are and how good you’re making him feel~

Instead of moaning and being loud, he grunts and hums.

Would want to repay your kindness as well if you know what I mean 👀

The dragon fae hummed in approval as your tongue worked his cock. Malleus’s fingers made its way to your hair to massage your head, making you moan.

“My little child of man, I’m getting close… you’re so beautiful.” Throwing his head back, his thrusting into your mouth was becoming faster and sloppier. When he looked back down at you, he swore he could see hearts in your eyes as you stared back into his green orbs. That and the combination of your lewd slurping sounds and the pleasure you were bringing him brought him to release. You squealed as Malleus’s seed shooting down your throat. He watched in wonder as you swallowed, licking your lips. “Tasty, my prince…” you teased Malleus, kissing his thighs.

Deuce Spade x Fem! Reader

Giving

Deuce has little to no experience, let’s be real. He was a bad boy who wasn’t very popular turned into a wanna be good boy. However, he is very eager to please.

What Deuce lacks in skills he makes up for with determination. Maybe it’s the way he aggressively licks up and down your cunt that turns you on, maybe it’s the way he’s trying his best!

Before you can even say where he should focus, he licks on your clit. Deuce notices how much louder you moan when he does that, so he learns quickly that THAT’S the spot for you.

Deuce would definitely moan when he’s eating a good meal 😋 the vibrations from his moaning goes straight to your clit as he’s sucking and slurping on your wet pussy.

Deuce would also want to use his calloused fingers on you in some way - be it fingering you, tweaking your nipples, or even having you suck on them.

“Deuce, th-there, more, please..!” You moaned, hands flying down to his soft navy blue hair. “You really like it, huh?” Deuce’s soft voice was inquisitive but also you heard joy behind it. You wiggled your bottom closer to his face and whined with the loss of touch. “Then, I’ll keep going.” He dove down once again and licked and sucked with more aggression, knowing exactly how to please you. Sweat dripped down his face as you pulled tufts of his hair, grinding your pussy against his mouth.

Receiving

After tutoring Deuce for so long in preparation for an exam, your efforts would come to fruition as he emerges from the classroom with a good grade.

You wanted to reward your boyfriend for doing so well! Take him back to Heartslabyul and deep into the gardens where you knew barely anybody would be at that time. Roses were painted, animals were fed, etc.

Deuce would be confused but blushing profusely when you offer to reward him by sucking his dick, but he doesn’t say no.

When you lay him down and pull down his pants and underwear, his cock springs to life with a bead of precum already leaking from it.

You like to tease Deuce with your fingers first - rubbing the bead of precum all over the tip with your thumb.

Deuce’s moans are heavenly when you finally use your mouth and tongue on him, softly thrusts into your mouth

Once he’s close though he lets his bad side come through - he’s thoroughly facefucking you while talking dirty, calls you names, etc

Wants to cum on you instead of in you, likes to see the way it paints your body!

“Mmh, Deush.!” You slurped and tried to talk while his cock invaded your wet cavern. “Y/N, I’m gonna- I’m so close..” You sped your movements up, the lewd squelching of your mouth becoming louder. “It’s almost like you want us to be caught, filthy slut.” Deuce’s attitude changed while he barked out his words, making your pussy throb. “Yeah? You want me to cum all over your pretty face? I wanna see you covered in my cum.. fuck!!” Deuce pulled away from your lips with an audible pop, pumping his hot cum all over your lips and cheeks. The sight of your puffy lips and blushing with your messy face made his cock twitch again.

Jack Howl x Fem! Reader

Giving

Jack is a more romantic type, prefers to be in a bedroom when he makes love with you, and certainly wants to give you a good time. He wants it to be private because he doesn’t want anybody else to admire you the way he should!

Jack would have you fully naked laying down so he can fully admire your beautiful body.

Leaves a lot of lingering touches all over your body with his fingers and tongue, loves to taste you~

Jack is skilled with his tongue, aggressive too. He uses his fingers and tongue at the same time to please you

Secretly loves if you reach down to pet his ears and head while he goes down on you - sometimes you can see his tail wag 🥺

Leaves marks all over your thighs close to your sex because he wants to show you’re his, but also has enough restraint to put them in places only you both will see.

Jack lapped up at your pussy, lewd noises filled your silent room. You gasped as he flicked your clit with his fingers, adding more pleasure to your body. “J-Jaack.!” You whined at the loss of feeling when Jack pulled away. “Use your words, Y/N…” he whispered, staring into your eyes. You gulped when you saw his entire mouth and chin were glistening with your juices. “Please, Jack, make me cum, I-I’m so close..” you hid your face away in embarrassment. Jack’s cock twitched in his pants and blushed heavily, his tongue going back to work on your cunt. He’ll prove to be your perfect mate.

Receiving

You and Jack would be finishing up a morning jog, a rare occurrence since Vil couldn’t make it this time. After going pretty far out into the woods, you get tired and decide to pause and stretch.

Jack sees your sweat making your skin glow under the early sun accompanied by your panting from being worn out. He turns to look away, but he can’t hide the growing tent in his pants.

Once you take notice you mischievously start to tease him and take off his pants. He’s flustered because, what if someone comes by?! You tell him not to worry since it’s so early and you were pretty far out.

Back resting on a tree, Jack stands while you’re on your knees looking up at him with doe eyes. You lightly palm his heavy cock until it’s fully erect, making eye contact the whole time while putting it in your mouth.

Jack knows you can’t fit the whole thing in there, and he’s usually really considerate of what you want never forcing it to go further down your throat.

Jack likes it if you fondle his balls as well while you use another hand to pump his base.

Whines slightly when he’s close, also begins to wag his tail!! Good boy!!

Also loves to see you with cum on your tongue, whether you wanna swallow or not is up to you~

Grunting and feeling the rough bark on the tree, Jack is preoccupied with the way your mouth takes him so well. You stare up at him with droopy eyes, tongue swirling around the tip, playing with the slit on his cock. When you combo that with playing with his balls, Jack feels something snap inside him. He’s grunting and snarling lowly, thrusting faster into you, eliciting gags and moans. “I- I’m close, Y/N. I’m gonna cum…” Jack’s voice only made you work faster, pumping harder on the base. You opened your mouth and stuck your tongue out, his milky seed exploding onto your tongue not a second later. A series of grunts and followed, as well as kisses and “I love you”’s exchanged between the both of you.

Floyd Leech x Fem! Reader

Giving

POV you are working at the Mostro Lounge and you are suddenly pulled away by a tight grasp around your arm or waist. It’s Floyd, your boyfriend!

Floyd tells you how delicious you looked while working and how he could smell you from the other side of the lounge (bro how?)

You know what he means by “taste you” when he drags you to either the nearest closet, storage room, or maybe his dorm room. You’re flustered and telling him to let you get back to work! Azul would be pissed knowing you both left out of nowhere.

Floyd’s grip tightens on your pants as he pulls them down, and he sees your wetness pooling in your panties already. I imagine Floyd would have no patience and start licking up aggressively up your panties, making a bigger wet spot

Floyd would either rip your panties or just eat you out while pulling them to the side - he’s too impatient and he just NEEDS to taste you

His droopy heterochromatic eyes are TRAINED on yours, he loves seeing the way your body reacts to him!

Squeezes any part of your body he can, your tits, nipples, ass, thighs, etc

“Shrimpyyy~ you taste so good! I knew it was a good idea to ditch work to lick you up~” he giggles furiously, licking again on your swollen clit. “F-Floyd! You, you shouldn’t leave work so suddenly like th- Aaahn~!” You keened, back arching off of his bed. Floyd was now squeezing your nipples between his pointer finger and thumb. The stimulation was becoming too much. “Floyd, Floyd!! I’m gonna cum!!” You started moving your hips on your own while hearing Floyd’s laughter resonate on your cunt. “Mm, Shrimpy is becoming so enthusiastic! Cum on my tongue then! I’ll be sure to lick it aaaall up~”

Receiving

Sometimes, when Floyd is in a bad mood all of a sudden, he doesn’t know why. You don’t know why, either. But you do know a way to make him feel better!

When you whisper in his ear, offering to help him, he doesn’t really know what you mean at first. When you explicitly tell him you want to suck his dick, his face immediately brightens! He’ll grab your arm and almost skip on over to a private garden around the school.

When you’re both comfortable, you pull his pants down and his cock bounces back up, already twitching and leaking precum.

Floyd is loud but he does not give a damn. Let people hear how good you’re making him feel! If someone were to stumble by, Floyd would make direct eye contact with them and smirk

Floyd also wants to facefuck you - pulling your head down and thrusting into you when he gets close! He loves the way you slobber and gag all over his cock

He is down to cum anywhere when he’s receiving oral, because he loves cumming in your pussy the most. But when he’s not doing that then anywhere else would suffice!

“Mm!! Floyd, what if someone sees us?” You muttered, suddenly feeling very nervous. You stroked his dick which was covered in a mixture of your saliva and his precum. Floyd suddenly pulled your mouth back onto his cock and kept thrusting, making you squeal in surprise. “Don’t worry, Shrimpy!! I’ll protect you, and besides, I think they should see how well you’re taking MY cock!” As you closed your eyes and kept suckling on his length, Floyd’s eyes narrowed dangerously towards the rustling sounds coming through the bushes. “And, I’ll deal with them accordingly.” Floyd’s tone was suddenly very serious, reassuring you as you kept working on pleasing him.

Divus Crewel x Fem! Professor! Reader

Giving

Your relationship with Crewel was only a rumor amongst students, two teachers dating is pretty taboo even in the magical world! When asked if you two were an item, both of you waved off the question and denied all rumors, saying you were only friends.

After a particularly stressful day of grading exam papers and dealing with unruly students, you go to Crewel’s office after classes are done to unwind, simply to rant.

Crewel offers a more… physical way to destress. He snakes his gloved hands up your thigh inch by inch, fingers trailing closer to your lacy pair of underwear that he bought you himself.

After locking his office door, Crewel seats you on his desk, using some accessories on you. He would blindfold you, tie your hands, etc!

Hiking up your skirt he gently removes your panties and rips a hole in your pantyhose if you’re wearing any 👀

Crewel wants you to use your words~ he loves hearing his favorite professor beg for release, loves watching your face contort with pleasure because of him

He loves your noises and actually would punish you if you tried to hide them!

I wouldn’t be surprised if he liked using toys on you to further your pleasure~

Gives you the sexiest eyes and smirks when you tell him you’re going to cum

“Oh- oh Great Seven, Divus…” you moan. Your arms were tied behind you as Crewel’s signature red tie obscured your vision. As he flicks his tongue over your clit with fervor you can feel how his fingers scissor open your wet pussy. “Oh, haaanh, shit!!!” You closed your legs instinctively, and gasped when he forces them back open. He tsks and stops altogether, eliciting a pained whine from your throat. “Now now darling, you know what happens to naughty girls, right?” You knew. He wouldn’t let you cum, at least not for a while. “N-no, master, I promise I’ll be good, I’ll be so good! Please, please let me cum, I’ve been a good girl for you, master Divus..!” You whined, tears staining his red tie. Crewel knew how stressful your day was so he decided to let you off the hook. “Mm, fine pup, you’ve had a stressful day. Cum on my tongue, if you so wish~”

Receiving

As much as Crewel loves giving oral, he LOVES receiving from you. You would be crouched down under his desk after hours while he’s grading papers.

It all starts with him texting you about how he “needs help grading.” You don’t expect THIS kind of help, but the idea gets you excited nonetheless.

Crewel would be sadistic - stuffing a vibrator into your pussy or ass while he’s having you service his cock. It’s not necessarily for your own pleasure but more for the idea of him controlling your orgasms and seeing you fall apart under him.

Has a remote that controls the speed and intensity of his toys~

Has a poker face the majority of the time when you’re doing it in his office until he’s close~

Oh! He also likes putting a choker and leash around your neck to see how obedient you are ❤️

Divus pulled lightly on the leash around your neck, signaling he wanted you to go deeper. You obliged, moaning around his cock. The vibrator that was plunging into your cunt had you practically dripping onto the floor beneath you. Your bottom half writhed in pleasure as your noises sent vibrations through to Crewel. “My beautiful pet, I’m getting close… be a good girl and cum with me, won’t you?” He suddenly grabbed a remote and raised the intensity of the vibrator to max, causing you to scream around his cock. “Mmph!!” You began to suck harder, tears rolling down your face onto his thighs. When Crewel finally saw your eyes rolling back he suddenly released his hot seed into your throat, making you sputter and gag. You swallowed and proceeded to open your mouth to Crewel who was pleased with your empty mouth. “What a good girl for me…”

[itsmajel]

Majel Reads - January 2022

The Witcher - Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier

[What is this?]

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come to light by leaveanote

( @ welcomemysentence )

“It feels,” Geralt says slowly, “like you’re still trying to prove your worth to me.”

Jaskier laughs nervously, even though something hollow twists in his gut.

“Can you blame me? Old habits, I suppose—”

“No,” Geralt cuts in, sitting up. “I can’t blame you. But I’d like to break those habits.”

---

Healing takes effort and tenderness.

technically the sequel to something healing, but can be read as a standalone.

Part 2 of something healing

[Explicit] [2,806] [Read on AO3 here]

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Sprung by valley-of-renfri (santamonicayachtclub)

( @valley-of-renfri)

Geralt is a bit bewildered when Jaskier strolls into the lake, boots and all, but only a bit.

[Explicit] [5,489] [Read on AO3 here]

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to make you enough for yourself by asweetepilogue

( @asweetprologue)

Before their first night together, there are some things Jaskier needs to tell Geralt about his reputation as an experienced lover.

[Teen And Up Audiences] [1,174] [Read on AO3 here]

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someone to hold and be held by by murron

When an enemy from his Sandpiper days catches up to him, Jaskier decides to protect his friends by leaving Kaer Morhen without saying goodbye. This does not go down well with Geralt. It also plunges Jaskier into a shitload of trouble.

Racing against time to find Jaskier and bring him home, Geralt finally figures out what Jaskier means to him. But will he be able to show Jaskier how important he is? Or did he miss his chance?

[Explicit] [14,998] [Read on AO3 here]

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another angle on the same subject by haysel

Jaskier had opened the door, so he decided to step through. “I think it’s been proven that I do understand when it’s time to walk away.”

Geralt was quiet for a moment longer. “What are you saying? Are you saying that you’re leaving?”

Jaskier glanced over at him. “Yes. I just need to figure out where I’m going.”

_____

A few weeks after the incident with the deathless mother, Jaskier leaves Kaer Morhen

[Mature] [12,965] [Read on AO3 here]

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tomorrow, i'll be brave by who_tf_cares

Jaskier doesn't know where he belongs here.

ft. jaskier and yennefer friendship, an overuse of the word 'fuck' and all its conventions, and my unhealthy obsession with joey batey/the amazing devil.

[Teen And Up Audiences] [3,405] [Read on AO3 here]

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oh, the waves. by a_static_world

( @astaticworld)

The shove comes to his chest hard, the force of a Witcher who does not know nor care the limitations of the human ribcage behind it. The words land harder. “Just one big, happy family, eh?” “No.”

[General Audiences] [5,724] [Read on AO3 here]

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blue by d-andilion (irnhero)

( @d-andilion)

Geralt comes across a curious little creature that he just can't shake (not that he wants to).

[Teen And Up Audiences] [11,810] [Read on AO3 here]

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Never Heard It Singing by didoandis

They’re walking home from school when Ciri stops him, her hand tugging at his sleeve. “Hey, wait, look!” she says, and Geralt turns to see a notice pinned to the streetlight: one of those hopeful ones, the words a little faded, the strips at the bottom curling upwards.

It reads: Lessons from a music postgrad, 15 crowns/hour, any age, any skill level, almost any instrument! Call Jaskier.

Ciri’s looking up at him, doing the wide pleading eyes that he is irritatingly susceptible to. “Can I?” she says. “Please, Geralt?”

A witcher hiding from the world meets a man hiding from himself. It works out well for both of them, eventually.

[Explicit] [28,701] [Read on AO3 here]

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It Started With Fish Heads by Prudabaga

( @helloprudabagastuff)

Geralt, a merman, courts Jaskier using traditional merfolk customs. Jaskier thinks he’s being punked.

[Teen And Up Audiences] [8,875] [Read on AO3 here]

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true love's kiss by leodesic

( @leodesic)

Jaskier attracts curses like flies to honey. Fortunately, Geralt is an expert in lifting curses.

Approximately 5 + 1 things.

[Mature] [9,105] [Read on AO3 here]

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some good mistakes by some_stars

( @some-stars)

If Geralt were allowed to have a favorite part of Jaskier, it would certainly be his hands.

[Explicit] [7,287] [Read on AO3 here]

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( All summaries are the official summaries of the author. Stats and infos as according to hosting site or information given by the author. If any of the authors that have been tagged don’t want to be tagged, or if any of you know the tumblr names of the ones I haven’t tagged please let me know!)

Looking for more reading inspiration? Check out my fic rec tag here on tumblr, this month reading list masterpost for what I’ve read in other fandoms this month, my all-time reading list masterpost for more of this fandom or just check out my AO3 bookmarks.