#remember that we may or may not get all of these

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

Hello, I have been following you for a while now, and I just want to ask you if you know how many people who follow you are in the US. I love your blog. I don't always understand some things, but you write so wonderfully, I love reading your posts

My favorite Phil story is the Oreos and a skunk . Thank you for sharing your life with us. Cheers to you and your family.

Hello! Yes, I see your username in my notes sometimes, I think. I am pleased to hear that my silly tales of my weird friend Phil bring you such delight! Apologies for the times I am Impenetrably Welsh.

As for how many American followers I have, I have no idea! A lot, I know. I have many thousands of followers overall these days (it all started with a walrus and got rapidly out of control), and I think a sizeable chunk are American, another chunk from the UK, and then... Well, I know I have some from Aotearoa, some Portuguese, some Lithuanian. I'm trying to think where people have told me they're from. Ooh, Nigeria, I remember Nigeria.

Actually, let's see if we can get a rough estimate!

This will not give accurate data, but it may give an Idea.

[sarcasm-is-my-form-of-attack]

Viktor fucks and idc what you think about it. That man had everyone thirsting after him in the academy are you dumb. Stop perpetuating the idea that disabled people don’t fuck!! We do!!!!!!!!

Viktor may not be the most outwardly experienced or confident but he absolutely knows what he’s doing. I think there’s an insecurity there due to his disability but that’s it, that’s the only thing that gets in his way. He’s really focused on his work a lot so maybe he forgets about it but when he remembers…bitch.

Viktor who likes making people speechless and flustered and who craves control in a situation, who is sassy as hell like of course this man knows what he’s doing the smug little bastard.

Viktor the type to see you start to blush and double down on whatever he was doing all “Oh? What a pretty color you’re turning, do I really have that effect on you?”

Viktor who - in every sense of the word - studies you, finds out what makes you tick and writhe and smile.

Viktor who is awkward at times but is not a blushing bumbling fool! I feel like people forget for most of the series he’s a grown man like cmon!!!!!

[cowplant-snacks]

Happy Holidays! 🎁 📝

There seemed to be some interest in the Mod Tracking Spread Sheet I was making for myself, so I made a public version to share!

There are almost 200 mods already added with links and tags, that will hopefully save you some time getting started.

Download link and more info below the cut.

What is it?

It's a Google Sheet that allows you to list, sort, take notes, and store links for all the mods that are added. Ideally, it'll help make updating your game easier. For example, making mine helped me see that I had way too many sitting related mods (are we surprised? no) so, I narrowed them down.

How do I get it?

Click this link (free, no ads) and then select "Make a Copy" under “File”.

How do I use it?

Right click on a row, to add or delete lines as needed. 🚫 ✅

Sorting! Select the upside-down triangle at the top of each column and use the search field. For example you can look at all the mods tagged as fixes, by searching for "Fix" and then clicking on “Select all #”. Youtube might have better explanations on this feature too, FYI. ⁉️⚠️

Tags! These are the preloaded labels that I made for my own tracking, so feel free to change them to suit your own needs (and brain). 🧠 The tags I added are:

See Notes = A reminder to look at any special notes that I've made. Fix = A mod that fixes an EA bug. Get Famous = A mod that's only needed if playing with a famous sim. NEW! = A new to me mods, that if I don't use, I want to remember to delete. Override = A mod that overrides an EA asset and may break during an update. New Interactions = A mod that adds a new interaction to the game. Gameplay = A mod that adds new gameplay to the game. Storytelling = A mod used for storytelling. Lot Trait = A mod that adds a new lot trait. Holiday = A mod that adds a custom Holiday Tradition. Need for Update = A mod that I want to update before updating my game. Why? Because mods break. But also because some mods require setup that may be lost, if removed from the game while waiting for an update, and sometimes I'd rather wait then redo the setup again, etc...

Shout out to @chereindolente for testing my links <3

[emile-hides]

I fucking love this story everyone hold on

I grew up the youngest of 5, 4 of whom were boys, and I, at the time, an undiagnosed autistic little girl. My second oldest brother had, at some point around 7 or so, caught my mom putting the presents under the tree, and of course told my other brothers, who already didn't really believe anyway.

They then, of course, tried to pass this knowledge onto me. I, however, was the stubbornest little shit fan of The Polar Express who refused to hear them out about this. They were simply lying to face as as far as I cared.

Fast forward, I'm 11 years old, the only kid in my grade who still believes in Santa Claus, and not the littlest bit shy about it. I'm proud of my beliefs and I'll talk about them every year. I went to a PreK-12 school in the middle of nowhere, you're stuck with your class for life, so everyone already knew and let my Santa Fantasies go without problem

Except for One Guy.

This one kid in my class was the worst. We'd been enemies from day one, and somehow we still ended up in the same class every year. He'd pick a fight over everything about me, and I annoyed the shit out of him on purpose. It was a whole thing.

So he, of course, is all about trying to prove Santa wasn't real, and I, an autistic little girl with 4 older brothers who'd been doing the same thing sense I was 4, simply wouldn't hear it.

Every December, like clockwork, we'd get in yelling matches over this and the teachers would pull us apart, and for a long time he'd get in trouble for it because Santa IS real when you're in 4rd grade. But then we got to 5th, and we're 10, and suddenly I'm the one in trouble for this argument because it's a Stupid thing to be arguing about at our age.

So now I'm extra mad because suddenly I'm missing recess too for something I was always vindicated for before. And we're sitting on a cold bench doing worksheets outside while everyone else is playing and something grabs our teacher's attention and she steps away from us and that gives him the perfect time to stir this shit again

I don't remember the argument well, I just know it got a lot more heated a lot faster because I was already mad. I also remember the teacher wasn't as fast on her feet as I was with my fist.

My mom had to tell me Santa wasn't real, because if she hadn't next year I may have killed that kid over it.

"Figured it out based on evidence" would include things like finding presents in your home before Christmas, catching your parents in the act of placing presents, staying awake to try to catch Santa and him never appearing, etc.

–

We ask your questions so you don’t have to! Submit your questions to have them posted anonymously as polls.

[cosmicpearlz]

christmas wishes and kisses

summary: he was determined to confess tonight. preferably under the mistletoe, but the universe had other plans.

pairing: jude bellingham x reader

jude can count on both hands, how many times he's lost y/n in the crowd. one too many times for his liking. the annual christmas party that vini threw was in full swing. from member of real madrid being there to other celebrities and friends. but all jude wanted was alone time with y/n. something he couldn't get for the life of him tonight.

"you find her yet?" jobe clasps his hand onto jude's shoulder. the older boy sighs and shakes his head.

"no! i haven't seen her since she was talking to luka's wife."

"you had a whole plan though, right?”

"yes, i was supposed to bring her to one of the spare rooms that vini has and when we stand under the door, the mistletoe is gonna be there. then, i was planning on telling her how i felt."

"well don't give up now brother. there's still time."

-

you were nursing your second drink. originally coming to the party just to see jude. possibly hangout with him. and who knows, maybe even score a kiss or two. you've always liked the boy ever since you met him. remembering the way you guys became quick friends after he accidentally hit you with the door that he was walking out of. Jude refused to leave your side, 'in case something happens', is what he kept saying.

"livie, have you seen jude?" you yell over the loud music. your best friend shakes her head.

"no, i haven't. i did hear that he's looking for you too!" your heart skipped a beat.

"i'll just continue my search for him. if you see him before I do, let him know that I'm looking for him please."

"sure thing babes," olivia squeezes your shoulder and nods. you place your hand on hers, giving a light squeeze back before making your way around the house again. this time heading towards the kitchen area.

-

moving through bodies started to become exhausting. jude was starting to give up. the boy can't remember how many people he's ran to anymore, but he knew that it wasn't the person he wanted to see. heading to the kitchen with his head down, he bumps into another body.

"sorry," jude mutters, still not looking up from the ground.

"we've gotta stop meeting like this." the boy's head perks up, hearing the familiar voice. the one person he's wanted to be alone with the entire night.

"sorry y/n. i didn't see you there."

"yeah, too busy looking at the ground. heard you were looking for me though," you smiled brightly at the boy.

"can i show you something?" jude blurred out before he could think twice. the night had been long enough, and this conversation was long over due.

"lead the way, golden boy."

jude grabs your hand, leading upstairs. vini had sectioned that part of the house off. the music becoming slightly muffed. it was perfect and away from the crowd.

"what's going on jude?" you asked, as he stopped in front of a door. you gazed at him with confusion in your eyes.

"y/n, i don't regret hitting you with that door when we first met."

"hey! that's rude," you jokingly pushed his shoulder.

"what i mean is that i'm grateful to have you in my life. you're the best person to be around and i want to soak up every moment with you, just to bottle in it a jar and keep it forever. there aren't enough words to describe how you make me feel," jude grabs both of your hands and holds them gently in his.

"what i'm about to say may ruin our friendship. but i must put it out there. i really like you." you giggled and squeezed his hands softly.

"i really like you too. i'm so glad you said that!"

"no y/n, i like you. as in like like you."

"jude are we in middle school? i really like you too is what i'm trying to tell you!"

"ohh."

"yeah, ohh," you playfully mocked him, still sporting a small smile. jude begins to smile and looks towards to the celling. you follow his eyes. finding mistletoe hanging on the doorway.

"did you plan this?"

"maybe. do you like it?"

"it's corny." jude becomes bashful and looks down. almost pulling his hands from yours, before you tighten the grip you had on his.

"that doesn't mean i don't like it. i think you're very sweet and romantic. confessing your feelings for me under the mistletoe."

"can i kiss you?"

"i've only been waiting for a couple of months now," you grin up at him. the boy matches your grin, pulling you into a kiss. certainly, this was long overdue, but it was completely worth the wait.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

azul meeting leech parents and leech twins meeting ashengrotto parents?

Family means Nobody is Left Behind or Forgotten.

Azul meeting the Leech parents!

“Ahhh, you must be Mr. and Mrs. Leech. It’s wonderful to finally meet the parents of my dear vice dorm leader Jade and my invaluable associate Floyd. Azul Ashengrotto, at your service.”

His smile was dialed up to 11 as he produced business cards from within his jacket. One for the father and one for the mother, then an extra card apiece in case the first were lost or damaged. Azul handed them over with a flourish. Only Mr. Leech accepted a single card, slipping it from the boy by pincering his index and middle fingers like a crab’s claw.

He held it out for his wife—a hand covering her mouth, hiding her expression. Mr. Leech ran his own gaze over the printed text, reading simultaneously. Name, positions, contact information. His eyes slightly narrowed, in that almost imperceptible way that Jade’s did.

Ah, there’s the family resemblance.

“I would provide you with my own, but I’m afraid you would have to sign an NDA first. Due to the nature of my… occupation, there are many legal hoops for others to jump through.”

“An NDA!! I see that you’re a man after my own heart,” Azul gushed. “I’m a businessman myself, so I completely understand the importance of keeping trade secrets. Please, think nothing of it. Just keeping my information on file is enough for me.”

With a nod, Azul’s business card vanished into Mr. Leech’s suit. “Agreeable young man.”

It was difficult for Azul to hold his smirk at bay. Bingo. I’ve gotten an ‘in’.

“Ehhhh, how strange. You’re a little different in real life than how Jade and Floyd described you,” Mrs. Leech piped up, giggling.

“Oh? And how, may I ask, did they describe me?”

“Let’s see… What was it again? Do you remember their specific wording, angelfish?”

“I believe it was… ‘A cute, squishy crybaby with an absolutely terrible personality. High-strung and hopelessly greedy. Prod him in the right places and his composure will break down completely. A treat to bully.’ Something to that effect.”

“Wh-What…!!” Azul sputtered, his jaw agape. “I-I am no such thing!! I STRONGLY refute their claims.”

Those two…! Making me sound like an utter buffoon to their parents!!

“My, myyy~” Mrs, Leech drawled, latching onto her husband’s arm. “Did you see that just now? His cheeks turned bright pink and his eyes went sooo wide. He really is as adorable as Jade and Floyd said he is!”

“Is that so? Hmm… I’m getting hungry myself. The young man is starting to look rather appetizing.”

“A-Are you joking!?” Azul demanded, bolting up from his seat. “If so, I do not find this the least bit amusing…!!”

“Fufufu. Perhaps you can kindly recommend a hearty octopus dish or two from your eatery’s menu.”

“Ehehehe~ I’m so pleased that Jade and Floyd have such a fun friend around at school!”

“This is no laughing matter!!”

Jade and Floyd meeting the Ashengrotto parents!

“Mr. and Mrs. Ashengrotto.”

“Azul’s mom and dad!”

"It's nice to see you again, ma'am," the twins said in unison. They wore a matching smile, showing all of their sharp teeth. "And it's nice to finally meet you, sir."

“Ah, I recognize you.” Mrs. Ashengrotto’s eyes lit up with realization. “You’re the Leech boys that would come by and drag him out to play with you. You used to be so small—look at you now, you’ve grown so much!”

“Yup, that’s us!”

“We were little rascals back then. It was terrible of us to pull Azul away from his precious studies." Jade chuckled into one hand. "But not to worry, we've been on the straight and narrow ever since those childhood days. Isn't that right, Floyd?"

"Yeah, Jade~"

"It must be fate that you were brought back together at Night Raven College." Mr. Ashengrotto's laugh was warm and hearty, like a stew in the dead of winter. "What do you three get up to nowadays?"

"Lotsa stuff! Azul's got this whooole operation going on, and we're there to help him out," Floyd replied cryptically. "Jade and I advertise and do crowd control! Azul's the brains, he handles the plans and money and whatever."

"Advertise" as in, "luring unsuspecting souls into making deals" and "crowd control" as in, "dealing with debtors who tried to weasel out of those deals". Trinkets, money, talents. Everything Azul collected had a chance of being paid for in blood. Dirty prizes--but it was a secret none had to know.

"You work well as a group," Mrs. Ashengrotto remarked. "Reminds me of myself and my own restaurant staff!"

"Well, Azul does often speak about how he respects you. It does not surprise me that he works to live up to your sparkling reputation." Jade's eyes cut to a table across the way, where Azul was seated and chatting with his own parents. He appeared to be flustered about something, having risen from his seat, his mouth flapping in protest while Mr. and Mrs. Leech grinned widely. Jade himself smirked at the sight.

"He's been a blast to be around!" Floyd agreed, slinging an arm around his twin. "Azul's suuuch a good leader. Think we'll be stickin' with him to the ends of Twisted Wonderland and back, hehe."

"That's right, Floyd."

Until he becomes boring, he had once claimed. It had been winter break, and they were seated on the floor of Scarabia's lounge, mancala beads in hand. Azul had agreed, had already considered that inevitability.

But Moray eels were not known for their honesty. The truth, they only spoke out of his earshot.

"It's nice that you'll always be there for each other. I envy that deep bond you share." Mr. Ashengrotto raised his glass--provided free, courtesy of Azul. "A toast? To the future of our boys and their friendship."

Mrs. Ashengrotto followed her husband's lead. Then Jade, then Floyd.

Their glasses met in the middle with a resounding clink.

[boreal-sea]

I’m not defining misandry as “men’s rights being infringed”. I’m defining it as “a hatred of men and masculinity”. Because that’s the definition.

I fully agree with the link to the patriarchy, but I argue that the patriarchy is in fact quite misandrist itself and benefits from and encourages targeted misandry.

The patriarchy upholds a very specific kind of masculinity and punishes other forms of masculinity, because it views masculinity as both a tool and a reward. You “get” to be masculine if you’re the “right kind” of man, and the right kind of man is one who is masculine in the “right way”. It’s circular logic.

So it’s not masculinity in the hands of the right people that the patriarchy hates, it’s masculinity in the hands of the “wrong people” that it hates.

When white patriarchy combines with racism for example, we get racialized misandry against men of color. A fear and hatred of black masculinity is a facet of this oppression. Black masculinity is described as more violent, more predatory and dangerous than white manhood. All the things white patriarchy likes in white men, it caricatures and fears in black men.

When talking about trans men, it’s important to remember that the patriarchy is inherently transphobic because it depends on rigid sex and gender roles to sort people into their “proper places” on the hierarchy. Trans manhood puts “women” on the wrong tier of the hierarchy. A trans man is viewed as trying to force his way into a tier he doesn’t belong on.

The same factors that play into the “ideal man” in a patriarchal society become the very things people hate and revile in a trans man. A cis man with a strong libido is good in the eyes of the patriarchy — but this same trait in a trans man is hated. A trans man on T is dangerous, a sexual predator, “roided up”. His masculinity is disguising, not appealing.

And again, I’m not saying generalized misandry is societally recognized, and I’m definitely not saying it’s a from of systemic oppression on its own in the USA. I’m saying that when combined with other factors, it can BECOME a form of oppression that is one of many facets of oppression a person may face.

Transfeminism & Transandrophobia/Transmisandry

You know what, I'm angry about "transemasculation" too.

First, no, outside parties do not get to create terms for marginalized groups they are not part of. That's a HUGE red flag. It's an even bigger red flag when you remember that one of the major problems transmascs deal with is erasure! So not only did an outsider - a trans woman - try to create words for us, she erased the words we came up with for ourselves. It is incredibly patronizing and, frankly, infantilizing - which, surprise surprise, is one of the many prejudices transmascs have to deal with.

Secondly, as many others have said, it enormously flattens and minimizes the true extent of the multiple kinds of oppression transmascs face. It makes the focus "emasculation", as if the primary concern of trans men is other people minimizing our manhood.

I wish.

As any transmasculine person will tell you if you actually talked to one, transmascs face a multitude of intersecting forms of oppression, including but not limited to:

Sexism

Misogyny

Misandry

Racism

Transphobia

Homophobia

Infantilization

Erasure

And more!

And yes, misandry is on that list. Misandry means a hatred of men and masculinity and things associated with men. It does not mean "systemic oppression of men". Misandry becomes a form of oppression when manhood/masculinity intersects with other identities. Feminists of color such as bell hooks and Kimberlé Crenshaw have spoken about this extensively.

It should be common sense for modern feminists to acknowledge that when manhood intersects with transness, it forms a new axis of oppression. This is something any transfeminist should know... if they are speaking in good faith. Unfortunately, that was not what the trans woman who coined the term "transemasculation" was doing. She was not speaking in good faith. She did not want to listen to transmasculine voices, she wanted to silence us.

When a trans man is refused gynecological care because he has an M on his driver's license, that's not emasculation. That's medical transphobia. When a nonbinary transmasculine person is refused a hysterectomy because they might "change their mind" about wanting children, that is not emasculation, that is medical misogyny.

As for misandry: when transmascs are told that testosterone will make us angry and violent, that it will make us ugly, that it will turn us into sexual predators, that is definitely not emasculation. It is misandry. When trans gay men who date cis gay men are described as "predatory cis women trying to force conversion therapy on gay men", that's multiple forms of bigotry including homophobia, transphobia, transmisandry and more. Trans men of color also face misandry in unique forms, and you should go listen to their voices about it.

To reduce all of this to "trans men are mainly concerned with being emasculated" is, honestly, insulting. It is beyond insulting - it is, in fact, transandrophobia.

[whitegownsandflowercrowns]

I’m reading the lawsuit now. I’m not sure. How can I tell if it’s legit vs lies?

Genuine thanks for this question and not just immediately assuming that she's lying.

Look, at the end of the day, none of us were there. The only people that know what truly went down are the people that were on that set (which is true of any lawsuit), but here's what's really convincing me.

First things first, Baldoni hired Melissa Nathan back in August to run his public relations (and this article even mentions the allegations that he made Lively uncomfortable). Nathan worked for Johnny Depp during his defamation trial against Amber Heard, and it has been found that a technique called "astroturfing" was used against Heard on social media during this trial. Astroturfing is defined as "the deceptive practice of presenting an orchestrated marketing or public relations campaign in the guise of unsolicited comments from members of the public." Basically, artificially creating hate or hype for a public figure but making it seem organic. If you remember the Depp/Heard trial, you remember how much social media seemed to turn against her. If you remember this summer, you remember how much social media seemed to turn against Blake Lively. The fact that the same public relations team was on the other side of both alleged smear campaigns is a red flag.

Second, the text messages that have been released between Baldoni and the PR team are, in my opinion, incredibly damning. One member of the team, Jennifer Abel, texted Nathan "I think you guys need to be tough and show the strength of what you guys can do in these scenarios. He wants to feel like she can be buried." Nathan responded "Of course - but you know when we send over documents we can't send over the work we will or could do because that could get us in a lot of trouble. We can't write we will destroy her. Imagine if a document saying all the things that he wants ends up in the wrong hands. You know we can bury anyone." Right below are some screenshots from the New York Times article:

Later texts also involve praise for this article

Now, is it possible that all of these texts have been faked? Of course. But they are also lengthy (I did not include all of them here) and considering what I mentioned above, unlikely.

Thirdly, I'm just considering who has more to gain from this. I will admit my own bias here - I've never bought the idea that women by and large make allegations to become rich or famous or to gain sympathy. Amber Heard is probably still one of the most hated women on the planet. Name five of Bill Cosby's accusers off of the top of your head.

But what does each party have to gain? If Baldoni loses this case and is found in the public eye to have sexually harassed the women on the set of It Ends With Us, that's probably the end of his career. As far as I know, he doesn't have the industry goodwill that Roman Polanski or Woody Allen or even Johnny Depp do, and he will most likely start losing acting and directing roles. If he wins, and the public decides that Lively is lying, his career won't be destroyed. It will almost certainly have been set back, and there will always be people who'll look at him differently, but overall he should be fine. He may even gain a new fanbase.

If Lively loses this case and is found to have been lying, her career is tarnished forever. She will undoubtedly be known as the "next Amber Heard," and she will lose out on acting roles. The taint may even carry over to her husband. If she wins, and the public decides that Baldoni did in fact sexually harass women on set, she will probably be fine. Like Baldoni, there will always be people who'll believe that she was lying, but she'll be overall fine. However, it's important to note that she had a third option: to not pursue this at all. If she chooses not to pursue legal action against Baldoni, both of their careers remain unimpacted. While there would still have been a negative public perception of her, it probably would have blown over eventually. A lawsuit and possible trial is much more permanent in people's memories. So to me, the fact that she's choosing to pursue this knowing what the outcome of her losing would be speaks volumes.

Finally, the fact that her lawsuit states that other women on set were harassed and felt uncomfortable. Again, could be a lie, but that is a lie that is very easy to disprove. And if the women who worked on this set testify that they never felt uncomfortable, that will permanently damage her case. It just feels like too much of a risk to play with if you're lying.

Of course, don't just take my word for it - do your own research, seek out differing opinions, etc. but those are my views. I hope they helped in some way!

[sazzynatural]

Attractions is now a part of a new Domestic Bucktommy series I've created.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

“Were you instantly attracted to me or did I unlock something in you? Like… in time?”

"What?” Tommy laughed as he poked his head out from his closet to look at Evan. Still half-dressed. Smiling so brightly as he met Tommy's gaze.

“When we first met. We're you attracted to me?”

“What of me being inside you half an hour ago doesn't scream me being attracted to you?” Tommy stepped out of the closet and invaded Evan's space from behind to press a kiss on his cheek. He stepped away just as quickly to avoid getting further distracted by the mere presence of Evan, who ducked his head and flushed at the comment.

“I obviously know that you are attracted to me now. That is not what I asked, Tommy.”

“Why are you even asking?”

He tossed Evan a shirt to wear. He was very much a walking distraction and they didn't have that kind of time right now.

“Because you kissed me. Y-you must have felt something then.”

“I thought you were adorable”, Tommy answered his boyfriend. “All excited and chatty. Asking all sorts of questions about helicopters that most wouldn't find interesting. You intrigued me. And yes. I was attracted to you. Have you seen yourself?”

“I was nervous. N-not because of the whole situation. I mean, that too”, Evan said as he put on his shirt. Tommy tried not to grieve the moment and remained at a safe distance. No time to pounce. “You were just… so hot. I remember thinking that even though I may not have realized it at the time.”

“I was wearing a blue overall”, Tommy mused.

“And now when I know what was hiding underneath it, it all makes a lot more sense.” Evan closed their distance and nudged his nose with the tip of his own affectionately. It would have been sweet if he hadn't followed that with a big squeeze of Tommy's ass with both of his hands.

“Evan. Behave.”

Evan's smirk widened. His hands remained as he pulled Tommy in for a long, sweet kiss that had Tommy groaning and immediately diving in for more, just as Evan was pulling away.

“Nuh-uh. We're gonna be late. Our friends are waiting. You behave.”

“You are going to be the death of me, baby”, Tommy groaned.

“Then I'll at least make it sweet. Let's go.”

So Tommy followed suit, only stopping when Evan paused in front of him by the front door.

“Did I tell you I'm going commando tonight?”

They ended up being late.

[thefallennightmare]

The Ties That Bind Us: One

*gif created by me. feel free to use, simply give credit.*

•Parings• Noah Sebastian x Soulmate!Reader.

•Word Count• 2,268

•Warnings• fluff, language, talks of death/sickness, angst, depression, dark thoughts, soft!Noah, smut that will include unprotected p in v, oral with both male and female receiving, hand jobs, and fingering. Pretty tame smut in this.

•Summary• Growing up, Noah’s grandparents told him the story of why everyone wore a red tie around their wrists and while theirs glowed while his didn’t.

“Yours will glow when you meet your soulmate, Noah.”

When someone moves in next door and catches Noah’s eyes immediately, he sees the red tie around her wrist glowing only to see his remains red. Convinced she’s not his soulmate, Noah tries hard to stay away from her yet small moments between them start to blossom. So much so, he can’t ignore the tie that binds them together

•Authors Note• As I previously stated, even though this is a "reader insert", there will be moments I describe the reader because it pertains to the story. I'm not quite sure how many chapters this will be, I'm thinking around ten but it could change. I'm also sorry this chapter seems very short, but I figured it doesn't need to be super long with an introductory chapter.

•Tags• @artificialbreezy @blueskylinesx @dominuslunae @lobolocaamo @lilcrazy011 @badomensls @shayeanna-ashlie @supersquirrel1996 @missduffsblog @nicelittlenightmares @curse-bearing-hips @collisionofyourkissmakesitsohard @chey-h @idontwantthemoney @heyyoplayer @amelia-acero @xmads-omensx @poisongirl616 @theanarchymuse95 @trvshdxddy @thisbicc @losingmyselfinthoughts @follow-me-down-to-wonderland @alwaysfightforwhoyouare @klutzy-kay24 @xxkatsatwatwafflexx @collidewiththesavannah @tosoundlessdarkistare @rumoured-whispers @dontwantthemoney

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NOAH

Growing up, my grandma would always tell me the same thing whenever I asked her about the weird red tie around my wrist. 

“An invisible red thread connects those destined to be together, regardless of time, place or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but will never break.”

When I asked her why hers and my grandpa’s glowed the same color, her answer was simple. 

“We’re both soulmates. Destined to be with each other.”

I always thought the idea of soulmates was a bunch of bullshit people told to make up reasons why we all were born with these ties. I spent many hours trying to cut or rip it off but it wouldn’t budge. My grandma’s words echoing in my head once again. 

“The only way to remove a bind is with death.”  

The soft breeze filtered through my hair as I adjusted the beanie over my head, opening the door wider so my guest could leave. Yet while I stood on the front porch waiting for her to stop talking with Michael, I messed with the red bind around my wrist like I typically did. I’d been expecting to see it glow for the last few years once I reached the age of twenty one yet here I was at twenty four with the still same red bind around my wrist. 

“So, can I call you?” 

Snapping my eyes away from my wrist to the woman in front of me, her bind also red, I gave her a curt nod. “Sure, I guess.” 

I didn’t miss the way her smile faltered with my words and when she crossed her arms over her chest, I suddenly regretted not trying to be a bit more upbeat. It’s not like she was some stranger, she’d come over a few times before but it was never serious. I didn’t even remember her name most of the time which might have been wrong on my end but like I said, it wasn’t ever serious. Just someone to call when the nights were lonely. 

Wow, I sounded like a real asshole. 

“Maybe we can get coffee tomorrow?” I suggested while stuffing my hands deep into the pocket of my sweats. 

Whatever her name was smiled and nodded enthusiastically. “I would really love that, Noah.” 

Fuck. She said my name which means now I have to say her name. It's the respectful thing to do. 

I rubbed the back of my neck, long strands of hair tangled between my fingers. “Uh, yeah. Same here, uh-.” 

When I trailed off, unable to remember her fucking name, her lip snarled and threw her shoulder over her shoulder, bounding down the front steps. 

“You know what, don’t call me. I’m busy for the foreseeable future!” She called back, making sure to slam the door to her car as she sat inside. 

Shrugging, I didn’t bother to watch her peel out of the driveway and turned on my heels to head back inside when a commotion to my left made me pause. The house next door had been vacant for a few months now so when I saw a large moving truck parked in the driveway. With furrowed brows, I took a few steps closer to the edge of the front porch, the side closest to this house, and watched as someone walked up the ramp into the back of the truck. 

“New neighbors.” Jesse appeared next to me almost out of thin air, taking a rather large bite of his apple. 

“Since when?” I asked, giving him my attention now. 

He tapped my shoulder with the hand that didn’t hold the apple. “Since this morning. Someone was a bit preoccupied to notice.” 

Rolling my eyes, I flipped him the bird and gazed back towards the moving van, expecting to see a group of guys like ourselves emerge from the back of the truck. So when I saw a female figure walk out carrying a large box, my breath caught in my throat. The way her hair cascaded over her shoulders and how a soft melody seemed to echo in the wind over towards me; her singing some unknown tune. 

My eyes tracked every movement of her when she walked through the front door of the house. She was gone for less than a few minutes but the entire time, my heart beat wildly in my chest. It was something Jesse noticed but didn’t bother to tease because with a wave, he disappeared back into the house leaving me alone again on the porch.

The sunset had broken over the horizon, painting the grass in a glow of oranges and slight pinks. It all paled in comparison to the brightness that radiated from the woman next door as she stepped back out, pausing for a moment to roll up the sleeves of her sweater. 

“Shit,” I muttered when I saw the band on her left wrist vivid with a glow. 

Holding my breath, I yanked up the sleeve of my shirt hoping to see my own band glowing but felt my stomach drop when it was still that stupid red color. It was foolish to think that this gorgeous woman who moved in next door would randomly be my soulmate. Things didn’t work out that easy for me. I’d been dealt a shit hand in life so I should have figured that this wouldn't be any different. 

My soulmate isn't out there. I should learn to accept it. 

“Excuse me?” 

I whipped my head up from my wrist over towards the house next door, giving a very awkward wave to her. 

“H-hi,” my voice shook, showing my nerves. 

She gave me a warm smile nonetheless. “I’m sorry if this is weird but do you know when garbage day is? I’ve got stacks on stacks of boxes that are taking over my garage.” 

Her giggle danced in the air over towards me, wrapping itself around my heart, and I had to tell myself not to get attached by her damn laugh. If her bind was glowing while mine wasn't, that only meant one thing. 

“Uh, Thursdays,” I said after clearing my throat. “Recycling is every other week.” 

“Thank you,” she beamed with a tired smile. “We just moved in and the relator failed to mention that.” 

Stuffing my shaking hands in the pockets of my sweats, I did my best to not let her realize how the way she was looking at me affected me. 

“Well, if you need help or more tips on the neighborhood, I’m your guy,” I said with a lopsided smile. 

Even from the distance between us, I could still see her brow peak while she crossed her arms. “That’s very nice of you, thank you. But I don’t even know your name.” 

“It’s Noah.” 

Very briefly, the bind around her wrist flickered which didn’t seem to phase her because she gave me a curt nod. “Well, Noah, it's nice to meet you. I’m Y/N, your new neighbor.” 

I leaned against the fence that surrounded my porch. “Welcome to the neighborhood, Y/N.” 

Both of us stood frozen for a few beats, staring at one another, and as I felt an urge to ask her something, someone exiting the house made my body go rigid. 

“Love?” He called out towards Y/N, resting a hand on the frame of the door. “Do you need any help?” 

All it took was once glance at the man's wrist to see the matching glow with Y/N’s, indicating what I already knew. 

She had found her soulmate. 

You met her less than two minutes ago, idiot. Stop being so heartbroken. 

“What are you doing, Eric?” She nearly rushed over to him. “I told you I would bring in the rest of the boxes. You should be taking it easy.” 

Feeling suddenly out of place, I pushed myself off of the porch and dragged my feet back inside, doing my best to ignore the way I had once again got my hopes up for this soulmate bullshit. 

READER

“Are you alright?” I asked Eric, slowly helping him back into the house and over to the couch. 

Even though we moved in this morning, we had a moving company bring all of our heavy furniture a few days ago and set it up. Anything to help take the load off of Eric and I since it was me that did most of the packing and unpacking. 

He playfully pushed me away and sat on the couch himself. “I’m fine, Y/N. I just wanted to make sure you were still doing fine unloading the truck. It needs to be back by 8 tonight.” 

I nodded while throwing the blanket over his lap and quickly adjusting the black beanie on his head that came askew. “I have three more boxes to bring in. Will you be fine alone while I take the truck back? I can call someone to come stay with you.”

This caused Eric to raise a brow. “Who? We don’t know anyone here.” 

Right. Nearly forgot that. 

“But I’ll be fine. I already told you I can take care of myself for a bit. It’s mostly when you’re gone for the entire day that it gets rough.” 

Guilt filled my veins for a number of reasons so instead of unpacking the rest of the truck, I sat on the couch next to him, wrapping my arms around his midsection to feel his familiar warmth spread to me. I traced the various tattoos on his arms with my gaze, burning them into my memory so I could never forget the way they looked. 

The way he looked. 

“Your mustache is getting long,” I giggled while glancing up at him. 

With everything going on in our lives the last few weeks, Eric had basically forgot the upkeep to his mustache. Not that I ever complained though, I loved how that was the only facial hair he kept. 

“I know how much you love it,” he winked and pressed a weak kiss to my forehead. 

We laid there for a moment on the couch, enjoying each other's presence in our new yet quiet home. Things would be different here, they had to be. We gave up a lot to move to this city because of the opportunities that awaited us. 

“I met more of the neighbors,” I spoke after some silence. 

“Yeah?” Eric asked, running his tattooed fingers up and down my arm. 

“Noah. He told me trash days are on Thursdays. Recycling every other week.” 

He hummed. “Is that the one who always seems to be eating some sort of fruit?” 

I giggled while playfully smacking his chest. “No, that’s Jesse. He’s the one that recommended this great taco truck a few blocks down. I was thinking maybe I grab some on the way back from dropping off the truck. Our car is at the UHAUL place so I’d drive it home.” 

“Home,” Eric repeated the word. “I never thought we’d call California home. I thought we’d be stuck in Ohio forever.” 

Tucking my legs underneath me on the couch, I buried my face deeper into Eric’s sweater desperate to have his scent tattooed into my skin. 

“We had to move though, Eric. The cancer units here are far better than Ohio,” I reminded him, doing my best to not cry. 

I’d spent the last couple of months crying because of not only Eric’s cancer coming back but the news of this time, the chemo might not stop it from spreading. We refused to give up hope so one of Eric’s doctors recommended a program out here in California that was testing some new age chemo, one that possibly could help Eric's type of cancer. 

“Which reminds me,” Eric sighed. “My chemotherapy appointment has been moved up to 8 a.m tomorrow. Is that alright?” 

Blinking away the tears, I nodded with a long sigh. “With my new job, I can work from home and clock in wheenver just as long as I work a full eight hours.” 

His tender touch lifted my chin, forcing me to look into his brown eyes; ones that had lost their light over time. 

“I hope that you remember days like this, both of us sitting here together when you're living somewhere new. These things were never clearer in my head especially when peace was in our home and needs were met. Before my cancer.” 

“Eric,” I choked out. “Please don’t talk like you’re already gone. You’re still here, in my arms. We need to focus on that.” 

Reluctantly, he nodded, knowing that he wouldn’t win this fight. It was one we had often, him trying to tell me not to dwell on his death for long if it came. He wanted me to be happy. But the glowing binds on our wrists for each other gave me hope that Eric would overcome this, like he had before. 

Forgetting about the boxes that needed to be unpacked, I let my eyes flutter shut with the sounds of Eric’s soft snores pulling me down to a slumber that my body had been craving. I couldn’t help but wonder of all the new opportunities we’d find here and possibly new friends as I thought of my neighbors, ones that seemed to be somewhat friendly. Especially the one with the longer hair out of the bunch. 

Noah. 

Exhaustion had taken both Eric and I, us falling asleep in each other's arms on the couch. Neither of us noticed our red binds flickering like a home losing its power in a raging thunderstorm.

[genderqueerdykes]

How come you use 'us' and 'we' when referring to things you've done?

Eg: our art

Are there multiple people controlling this blog?

(Srry if I seemed rude I was wondering why it seemed you were referring to multiple people in tags)

good question, not rude!

there are multiple people running this blog, but they all live in my body with me! i have Dissociative Identity Disorder, meaning that there is more that one person existing in my brain! i'm what's known as plural, or a system. :) not every plural or system has DID, but for me, my plurality was likely caused by trauma. i do believe i would've been naturally plural regardless of the trauma, but i experience very heavy dissociative episodes, black out, lose track of time, find objects in my home that i don't remember buying, am reminded of conversations that "i" was present for when i really wasn't the one there, forgetting/not knowing who i am, coming to in places i don't remember going, extremely faulty/poor memory, and other dissociative symptoms.

i have tried to force myself to ignore or try to get rid of my alters, but they never truly go away, so i just choose to accept it as part of my life. i alternate using i and we because of that! hope that makes sense! feel free to ask any more questions you may have

[bonbonly]

bon's thoughts (18+) a/n: anonsss i see your messages in my ask box, i might take a break from answering them cuz i got other... interesting thoughts LMFAO college!au daniel ricciardo who's partnered up with you for group project. only problem is that he's not doing any of his work. all he ever does is say something cheeky, wink at you and walk away to hang out with his friends. you hate him. you hate the way he sits next to you in class even though he knows you hate him, but he does it on purpose because he likes to see your reaction. you hate that he's always glancing at your answers when you're taking a test, and then boasting about how smart he is outside of the lecture hall. he never turns in his work, never texts you if he's done his part of a powerpoint and certainly doesn't respond when you're calling him at 3 in the morning, crying about how you need him to finish his slide or else you're going to get a bad grade because of him.

he always chooses you because he knows no matter what, you'll end up finishing his slides. and he merely is trying to finish inside you. he watches you cross your arms, bite your lips and frown when he's presenting to the other students. you're always unhappy with what he's doing, and he wants to see you with a smile on your face.

"a smile wouldn't hurt you know" he leans close to you to whisper into your ear. the both of you are at the library, sitting in the small cafe as you're editing your slide. you frown at him,

"you finish your slides and then i'll smile. we have to rehearse this before tomorrow. you wanna meet up somewhere this evening?" you ask.

"i'm busy this evening. what about at night? 1 am at the basketball court?" daniel asks and you scowl,

"that's across campus for me! and i know you're just gonna play basketball and not let me practice. why are you always my partner, i just don't get it, you're useless!" but you still agree, because it's either the basketball court, or no rehearsal at all.

you press record on your phone, because you like to record all your practice sessions, and you take a step back. your laptop's on the bleachers, and daniel walks over. he's sweating, having played basketball until you showed up, and he smiles at you. you don't reciprocate and roll your eyes, telling him to get started.

"remember, it's a presentation about pain vs pleasure. you need to be careful with what you say. i included extra examples on your slide, like cutting your finger on accident, and getting a good grade on your test. cuz you know serotonin is-" your words are tuned out of his mind, he's focusing on the part where you said pain vs. pleasure and he has a wicked idea in his head. he nods, contorting his face to look like he's deep in thought and listening to you intently. he takes off his cap and tosses it to the side before winking at you,

"i got this don't worry." and he turns to face the camera. surprisingly, he's doing well. very well, and that doesn't sit right with you. he never is this prepared, and the entire time you're staring at him with a look of shock. he turns to you with clasped hands, "may i perform a demonstration?"

and you're nodding your head, "of course, of course!" because you think he's being very serious and composed, you'll do anything as long as he's finally listening to you for once. he nods his head, standing behind you, and almost immediately he yanks your top up just enough for your tits to spill out and he watches them jiggle in front of the camera. the cold air of the night makes your nipples harden and as you're gasping in shock at what he's doing, he roughly takes your nipples in his hands and twists them, causing you to cry out.

"that's pain," he glances at the camera, before kneeling in front of you. he takes your areola in his mouth and begins to suck, rubbing your other nipple with his thumb. you let out a really quiet moan, a hand coming to grab the curls in his hair and he tears his mouth away from you juicy tit with a pop! "and that's pleasure!"

he crawls over to where your phone is and stops the recording, and glances back at you, leaning on his elbow with smile, "should we do some more rehearsals?"

and you're nodding your head like crazy.

[jweekgoji]

I keep laughing when I think about the scene where Motorcycle!Reader is so small that they don't have their own charging chamber and have to live in someone else's charging chamber because after all they are so small that they don't take up much space.

TFO!Chars/Motorcycle!Reader [hcs]

tw: none, i guess. word count: ~1600 additional tags: gender neutral reader, cybertronian reader, motorcycle!reader. characters included: B-127, Optimus Prime, Elita-One, Megatron, Sentinel Prime.

That is both a curse and a blessing in my opinion, but well, it depends on whom the tiny reader is stuck with 😋

I mean, >B-127 didn't even have his own place to sleep. All the yellow bot had, was a conveyor belt, which I doubt it was really comfortable, haha. Well then, after just ending Sentinel's regime, the ex-cogless group at least have some places to stay.

When Bee found out you'd be living with him for a while, he was overjoyed! First he made many, many new friends, gained the ability to transform, started working for the government, and now...he has a roommate? A real roommate? The one who can open their mouth when 🐝 talks to them? The day couldn't be any better! (Not that Bee wasn't happy with Steve's company...).

To be fair, Bee himself isn't exactly a bad neighbor either. It all very much depends on what kind of personality you have. If you really get along well with him, despite his extremely emotional state, which sometimes seems to never end, then good luck!

Sharing a chamber with him is going to be an absolute challenge. We remember that he talks in his sleep, don't we? And if Shockwave was so sick of Bumblebee in that short time, imagine how you have to recharge, but now all you can hear, instead of the silence you crave, is constant mumbling into your audio receptors.

Sometimes he's just mumbling about what a cool day he had with Optimus or what an intense training session Elita gave him.

Sometimes you notice how his servos only pull you harder against him. For a moment, you'd probably sigh wearily or try to make some space between you until he starts whispering softly about how happy Bee is to have you in his life. He genuinely, really genuinely loves you. After cycles of being alone, he really misses your company. Will you decide to move him away from you nevertheless?

The next morning, surprisingly, he has no memory of what he told you at all.

> Optimus apologizes to you so much when he finds out that now, unfortunately or thankfully (?), they don't have any time or resources at all to build new quarters. The new Prime has so many new responsibilities that he doesn't even know where to start! He has to clean up and fix Sentinel's mistakes, not to mention his divorce with D-16 Megatron, which has caused him a lot of trouble. But that's okay, our favorite Prime has a solution for that!

And as a good, true leader...yes, yes, you will be the one sharing the room. Lucky, huh? Oh, lucky you.

Optimus is actually one of the best candidates to share a chamber. I find that most of the time, he doesn't have much time to go to his room and fall asleep. You often fall asleep alone, only to wake up later...alone. Was he with you? Did he come in at all? In response to this, you sometimes notice him passed out at his desk. You should definitely tell Elita about this to scold him about such a bad habit.

Actually, he'd be happy to share the charging chamber with you. The thing is, he's extremely shy.

When you fall asleep with him, there's just not enough room! Yeah, you're a pretty small bot, he's just so huge. It takes the two of you a long time to finally find the only comfortable solution.

With you on top of Optimus, you can put your helm on his chassis. The soft shimmer of the Matrix of Leadership doesn't bother you at all; if anything, it calms your nerves. All night long, your leader may never move from his position. He's so afraid he might accidentally hit you if he rolls over or decides to stand up...poor Prime, even Megatron didn't set such dangerous traps for him!

The first few nights, Optimus doesn't sleep much. He's nervous; he thinks up to the late night, but in the end, he can't resist you, and you two can get your well-deserved rest.

I think after Prime, the best candidate for your roommate would be >Elita. I like to think she always sleeps in “mom's pose” (if you know what I mean).

She can lie on her back with her servos on her chassis and not move a muscle all night. Other than that, she's a completely silent sleeper. Sometimes, you can stay up late at night; your shared room is unlit, and you don't want to turn on the lights so as not to disturb her. If she finds out you've been out the whole night instead of recharging, she'll kill you!

You swear you didn't even make the slightest creak, and just then, you see those bright blue optics staring at you in the darkness. Without even seeing her face, you know you're in trouble...She has very sharp hearing, unfortunately for you.

Elita isn't the tallest bot; sure, she's still taller than you, but her frame is pretty slim, unlike the others'. She is not the type to cuddle, even if you are extremely close to her. The most you can expect is her servo around your waist or shoulders.

You can tease her about it, but she'll try to deny everything, saying “just don't want you to fall and hit the floor 🙄” of course we all believe you, Elita!

I can see D-16 being a similar type to Optimus, but Megatron is a different story. I have no idea where our young Decepticon leader went with his guards, but at least they have a few cycles to spend building a base, especially one with all the comforts.

Megatron himself is not a fan of sharing, and when he realizes the problem, he doesn't even ask you if you want him to or not. You will share the chamber with him, period. Should you be worried or happy...?

Megatron, especially if we're talking about a young and inexperienced leader who was only recently forced to leave Iacon, is in need of support. He won't show it in front of anyone, not even you. But you know him enough to know what is troubling him.

He is so isolated, betrayed and saddened, he is afraid to open up to anyone else. And yet, he genuinely wishes someone could just hold him.

Megatron rarely sleeps. 24 hours a day, all he has on his mind is what he should do next. It used to be so easy; the mere thought of it makes him grit his teeth. When there was Sentinel, all that was required was to just follow the protocols. Now, with hundreds of high guard members expecting him to do something, he's lost.

At some point, Starscream or Soundwave will remind him of the importance of rest, and without any enthusiasm, he'll join you.

Now, the two of you are extremely awkward.

Of course, you can't tell much from his looks. Is he asleep? Or still lying there with his optics closed? This awkward silence makes you afraid to move. But the truth is, Megatron himself doesn't know what to do. You're so small compared to him; by some miracle, the two of you can fit, but it's so extremely uncomfortable.

Eventually, he can't stand it and just lifts you up to lay you on top of him. Luckily for him, you have no intention of moving away from him. Perhaps you're afraid; maybe you're okay with this change in positions. Either option is fine with him.

He repeats in his head that this is only temporary...when resources become available, you will get your own separate quarters, and you will be able to sleep separately. And yet, he doesn't want that. Your presence around him, for whatever reason, makes him forget his worries for a while, and he can finally rest.

You may disagree with me, but >Sentinel, no matter how sexy man people try to show him to be, would be just a terrible roommate! If he can even be called a roommate? Sometimes, he forgets that you're resting here too, and even if you remind him of that, he'll pretend to “listen” to you, only to forget after a while.

In fact, he could easily order a separate room for you; he's got plenty of them in his tower, but he's like.... no. He wants you around just because he can. There's no other reason.

I think he's more or less tolerable at first? He likes to keep something small next to him; imagine it like the cybertronian equivalent of plush toys, but only that toy is you. And it seems he may see you as such.

Every night, he can grab you at any time he wants and hold you against him. One time he just held you by his side; another time he decided to put his servo around you; tonight he wanted you on his chassis! The worst part is that his berth is quite spacious. And you can lie on the very far side, only for him to snatch you whenever he wants. Not very funny.

Recharging with him is pretty uncomfortable because those damn wings keep hitting you in the face every night. He's a pretty big bot on his own, and his wings are another big nuisance. Of course, he's not that terrible. Still, his room is very large, and you're probably very cozy, but Sentinel...sigh.

It's funny, but I like to think of him mumbling in his sleep too. Only this time all you can hear from him is about how often he praises himself. Wow.

[sinnabarmoth]

Tribute for the Dragon (5/18)

Pairing: Dragon|Sylus x Fem|Reader

Summary: Sylus comes across you in the hot spring but desires burn hotter.

Content Warnings: Adult language. Mutual masturbation.

Length: 2500

Chapters: (1) (2) (3) (4) (6)

Read on AO3

To say that life in the mountain was now much harder for Sylus to stand would be an understatement. After coming into the mountain that first time and finding it filled with scent of your arousal permeating every corner, he did not know how to function around you any longer. Even when you were not aroused he could still remember the scent with clarity, could still hear your voice moaning, and it drove him insane.

He was not angry by any means. No. He was worried that this would end up with him slamming you against a wall and fucking you mercilessly one of these days. He had thought you a pretty little treasure before but now he could not focus around you. The very idea of you was so intoxicating now it made him lose all sense. It was as if that day had unlocked something inside him that he would not be able to get back.

Everything finally came to a head one misty morning when he decided to take a soak in the hot springs. He was halfway there when he caught the scent of you already out there. That would not have been a problem in itself but this time it was not your normal scent. It was your arousal again.

Really, this dragon sense of smell was a blessing and a curse it seemed. Great for tracking food and enemies, and you when you got lost in the tunnels. It was nothing short of a menace now.

Reason told him to turn around and leave. He was already having a problem keeping his wits about him when he was around you now. He didn’t need to tempt the fates by getting closer to you while you were aroused. But did his feet listen to him? No. They carried him right to the hot springs where your nude and wet body was reclining in the hot steamy water.

He stayed in the entrance, claws dug deep into the wall to keep him tethered to reality. You were humming pleasantly, the smell of your arousal getting stronger the more you hummed. He watched for a moment and realized that one of your hands was underneath the murky water. You were touching yourself again.

This constant tension around you had to stop one way or another. And by the hells he was going to see if he could swing it in his favor.

He stood and watched, waited as you worked yourself up. Your eyes closed in rapture as your hand got quicker and quicker. You were close. So close.

Sylus scraped the claws dug into the wall down and your eyes snapped open as Sylus stepped out into the outcropping. Your eyes went wide and you sunk down to your chin in the water. “Oh hello,” you cleared your throat, “I was not expecting you to be out here so early.”

Your eyes drifted down to the towel around his hips. “I um, I’ll leave.” you said.

“There’s no need for that.” Sylus knew he was tempting fate but he could not stop himself. You averted your eyes as he discarded the towel and got into the hot spring with you.

You were keeping yourself pressed against the opposite side of the spring, arms crossed over your chest. Once he was in the water you looked at him again. “Really, master, I’ve been in here for a while. I can leave.”

“If you wish to go you may.” he said.

You looked around, staring at the spot nearby where you had left your own towel. “Um, can you close your eyes?”

“No.”

“Sylus!”

He knew he was getting under your skin when you forewent any title and just called him by his name. It made him grin. “There’s nothing for you to be ashamed about. The naked form is a very normal thing. No one judges the deer for not wearing clothes.”

“That’s because it’s an animal.”

“And so are we. Sentient thought does not excuse that we have instincts. We crave food when we are hungry, help when we are injured, and a companion when we are lonely. That’s about as animal as it gets.”

You groaned. “Well unlike animals, and I guess dragons, humans have a certain amount of privacy when it comes to their naked bodies. So please close your eyes.”

“I will not.”

You huffed, dropping the subject. Seemed you were intent on waiting him out. And all for what? So he wouldn’t see you nude? Granted, he wasn’t sure how he would react to seeing that either but your certain eccentricities were odd to him. Why were humans so cagey about their bodies? It was just another part of their society that he did not fully understand.

“If you’re not going to leave you can lather my hair again.” he said. He watched as your eyes widened, your arms clutching tighter around yourself.

“I’m still naked!”

“And does that really bother you? Do you think I’m going to do something to you?” Well, he may end up doing something to you but he had a feeling that you may not mind all that much if he did. Not if that new wave of arousal that sprang up around you was anything to go by.

“No, but--”

“Then there should be no problem. Come here.” he sent his tail out to wrap around your body, tugging you closer.

You gave a surprised yelp as the water rippled around you as you were yanked. Sylus had to grit his teeth against another fresh perfume of your arousal. You rolled your eyes but he was noticing you liked when he threw you around like this. There was so much he was learning about you.

He turned his back to you so you had some modicum of privacy. You had to sit on your knees to comfortably reach his hair and he could tell that it left the top half of you exposed to the air. All he wanted was to turn around and see more of your body, watch the way your nipples turned hard against the cool air of the mountain wind. Fuck he was salivating just thinking about it.

Deep breath. Control. Don’t scare her.

You grabbed the soap and went about washing his hair like you had last time. Your hands felt heavenly, so soft against his scalp. Fuck! He wanted to feel your touch all over his body.

Without thinking he leaned his head back against you, his head resting on your chest. He could hear your heart hammering behind his ear. You did not stop. Your hands moved further up and around the area of his horns. He took in a deep breath, the sensitivity of it rocketing down his body straight to his cock. It was a good thing the water was so murky so you couldn’t see how hard he was right then. It was made no better that with every small sigh of pleasure that escaped him your arousal grew. It made his head foggy with want. If he wasn’t careful he was going to do something reckless.

He needed to get a handle on this before he snapped. “It has come to my attention that despite the freedoms I’ve given you, I’ve still deprived you of something.” he said.

You tilted his head back to rinse out his hair. “What are you talking about?”

“Then again,” he continued, trying to control the growl in his throat, “you have probably been deprived on if since all the young men went off to fight the king’s war.”

“Can you speak plainly?”

Well, no avoiding it now. Either this was going to go one of two ways. “Do you know that dragons have a unique sense of smell? It is not a myth when people say that we can smell fear. But we can smell lots of other things too.”

“What does this have to do with anything?”

“Oh my dear little wildfire,” he grinned, “You want to know what I can smell on your right now? Your desire.”

“What?”

“It is a strong and heady scent. The other day I came back to the mountain and the halls were choked with it.”

“You must have been smelling something else cause I--”

“There’s nothing to be afraid of.” he turned finally but you had sunk back into the water. “I do not judge. You have urges just like any animal, it’s nothing to be ashamed about. I can smell it now. The steam cannot mask it. It rolls off you like perfume.”

He was closing in on you, your back pressed against the wall as he hovered over you. He leaned in close to your neck and inhaled deeply. “Intoxicating. Even now, I can smell it getting stronger and stronger.”

“Sylus…”

“I didn’t let you finish earlier, so you can do that now before you combust.”

You raised your chin high, an effort at exerting some control over the situation. “The reason I am going to combust is because you are talking about this with me. If you knew the entire time, why not tell me sooner?”

“More fun this way. Now, what are you going to do?” he leaned back just enough to look in your eyes, your pupils dilated wide. “Are you going to finish yourself off like I know you want to or are you going to run back to your room? The scent won’t go away any case, not until your body is rid of the feeling.”

He could see you debating. Your knee jerk reaction was to run but that lovely little brain of yours was not thinking rationally. He knew what you wanted. He knew the idea of it intrigued you. You wanted to touch yourself. You needed to touch yourself and it was driving you mad.

“I…I will do it myself. But you have to leave.” you turned your face away from him.

“Why?” he grabbed your chin and pulled your face back to his.

“Because I’m not touching myself while you are watching!”

“Do you want me to touch you?” he asked. More pleasure rolled off you and his eyes slipped closed as he inhaled it. Fuck he was so hard. “The idea intrigues you.”

“Stop sniffing me!” you shoved his face away.

“It’s impossible to not smell it.” he grabbed the hand that had been shoving at him and gave a small bite to your fingers. “Now, do you want me to touch you or are you going to do it yourself?”

“You think I’d let those claws anywhere near my cunt?” you eyed his hands.

“Oh that,” Sylus concentrated, the armor and claws around his hand retracting to reveal a normal human hand. Fucking hells. There was a reason he never did this and it was because it hurt like hell to do. But if it meant that he could sink his hand into your pussy it’d be a pain worth enduring.

You watched the claws retract into the armor of his arm and your brow furrowed. “If you could do that this entire time then how come I’ve been washing your hair?”

“Because it takes a lot of energy.” You didn’t need to know how badly it hurt to do. “But this isn’t about me, this is about you. Now answer the question. Are you touching yourself, or are you going to let me?”

You ducked out from his grasp and pressed yourself against the opposite wall. You were facing the wall so your back was to him and he worried for a moment you were going to leave. But the smile nearly split his face when he saw one of your hands disappear under the water.

Brave girl.

For a minute he indulged in basking in the scent and sight before him. Though you were facing away he could see the way your muscles flexed as you drove yourself higher. You tried biting them back but you couldn’t stop the hums and small gasps of pleasure.

Sylus could not take it any longer. His cock was aching to be touched. So he took himself in hand and began to stroke himself, all the while watching you.

He groaned aloud as his cock finally found some relief and your head turned to look at him. He caught you looking and you tried to turn back around but he wasn’t losing this too. “Don’t turn around. Look at me.”

You glanced back at him. “That’s an order from your master. Now turn and face me.”

If you had disobeyed he would have been disappointed but he would not press it. So he was so very pleased when you did turn around. One arm was slung over your breasts while the other played with your pussy. All the while you kept looking at him. Your eyes darted down to the place in the water where he knew you could tell he was stroking himself.

The scent of your arousal was so strong he wondered if it would permanently stick to him. You were getting close. And knowing that he was watching you pleasure yourself only turned you on more. He wanted to say something. Encourage you. Tell you to keep going until you finally came. But he kept it back. Another time perhaps.

Your attempts at hiding your pleasurable moans had dissipated and you let the free into the air. Sylus wanted to swallow each and every one. He gritted his teeth, the end almost upon him but he’d be damned if he came before you did.

Your breathing got shallower and your head tilted back, eyes closed as you neared your finish. You had stopped trying to protect the modesty of your breasts, instead pulling and pinching at the sensitive material of your nipples. He imagined taking one of those breasts into his mouth, teasing the nub himself with his tongue until it was a hard peak. Then he’d pull on it with his teeth and watch how you moaned and squirmed for him.

You covered your mouth, muffling the final sharp cry as you came. Sylus was not far behind and he came just a moment after.

You were slumped against the wall trying to catch your breath, your body shaking slightly in the aftermath. By the hells your were beautiful when you came.

“There,” he said, “Does that not feel better?”

Your head whipped to him, remembering that he was still in here with you. “This--this was an anomaly! It won’t be happening again!”

“If you say so.” he reclined against the wall of the spring, “But if you do ever decide you desire a partner for such activities, I’d be happy to provide such assistance.”

“You--you--” grabbed the bar of soap and hurled it at him. Sylus was shocked enough that he reached to grab it, stretching his arm up high to catch it. You had taken the moment he was distracted and leapt out of the hot spring and ran back inside the mountain.

“Well, that went better than expected.”

[herpsandbirds]

I'll be out looking for smallmouth salamanders today, I'll post photos if we find them. 

You may notice that I usually take a break from the blog on Sundays and Mondays. That's my work weekend, and I'm usually away from the computer on those days. You're still welcome to submit and ask if those links are open it may take a couple of days until I get to them.

Have you seen the show Silo? It's really good.

Remember for submissions: all non-mammalian animals, please no pets, please only photos you took.

If anyone has dinosaur or prehistoric animal toy collections or newly acquired nature and science books that you would like to share, feel free. 

[catbountry]

I feel like I should probably say something about the final TF2 comic finally coming out after seven years, considering I'd been in the fandom since 2009 and had the honor of writing a (non-canon) comic for a community update, a gig I only got because Cantsman wanted help with writing and just picked me as a good enough writer. I think that might be the thing I'm going to be most well-known for (hopefully).

A lot has changed since 2009. The community helped me improve as an artist and as a writer. I made friends through the fandom who are still my friends to this day, and we talk on a near daily basis. The fandom helped me get through some very rough and traumatic periods of my life. I don't really play the game anymore but we got a friend into it and he fell in love and it made me remember what it was like when I dove headfirst into the game, buying just TF2 for like $20 at Best Buy because I didn't shell out the $60 for the Orange Box, which I kinda wish I had.

Seeing that the fandom is still alive, still has many of the people who even if we haven't talked in ages, I still consider my friends because I'd just want to pick up where we left off. There were so many immensely talented people there, incredibly creative and funny and witty, people whose talent inspired me to try to push myself so that I might belong amongst them.

I miss it sometimes. I distanced myself from the fandom in 2014, to my detriment in the long run. But then something happens with the fandom, or the game, or with the voice actors, and it's like the community is still there. We all still love this silly war-based hat simulator, this goddamn meme machine, this fountain of inspiration for just so much gay porn, this beautifully crafted game that has become a weird mutant version of itself over many, many years of updates that have added new things. I don't really play anymore but sometimes I'll just watch my friends play and just remember what it was like to play in shitposty 4chan servers with obnoxious mic spam and the nastiest sprays you've ever seen in your life.

I still love this game, though. I still love the community. I still get comments on fanfic I wrote 15 years ago, gushing about how much they loved it when I can barely even bring myself to reread the old stuff because sometimes when you're an artist, you're just super critical of art you did ages ago. Lord knows I am.

A merry Smissmas to you all. May you get some rare drops and many dominations. Love you. <3