#the continuity error is intentional

[phenomanemone]

oo5

cw: references to csa and the effects of it over the system.

Ed sits on the porch, observing the rolling, lush hills of Risembool— his home town. He regards them with a detached sense of nostalgia, with his cheek resting against his mechanical fist.

Today, he wears a black undershirt along with his typical black leather pants. His feet are bare, soaking up the warmth of the wooden step they rest on.

"They're late," he observes with the mildest sense of annoyance; he understands their struggle, but he doesn't like being under constant scrutiny without the others there to field it.

There's no response.

"Hey, I know I'm not supposed to talk to you, but I wanted to thank you for your help lately."

Ed addresses the figure sat upon the rustic barrel, back against the wall of his home.

"Oh," I say, blinking. Adjusting.

"Sorry, if that breaks the process. I just felt like I had to say something."

I smile politely. "It's quite alright. I'm happy to help."

"Your job is kind of important, huh? I hope we're not keeping you."

"No less important than anyone else's," I respond honestly. "It's nice to get out, instead of filing illegible paperwork all day.”

Ed pulls a face at the mention of paperwork, but he sees an opening to sate his curiosity.

"You work with Kuro, right? What's he like?"

"Mysterious," I answer immediately. "He works in the shadows. It's rare to ever catch him around, but he's usually watching. He's called the Dreamkeeper, but I think he just kind of deals with the subconscious."

Ed nods, "I guess that explains how he does the cat thing, then."

Then, he notices two figures trudging up the path to his house. He perks up, only to be confused when he saw Chai was not being accompanied by Sage, but another man.

"Hey, sorry about the wait!" Chai calls, cheerful as he approaches the house. "This is Hunter. Sage is caught up with work."

"Nice to meet'cha," Ed says as he stands to shake Hunter's hand. He notes that Hunter's physical appearance is more stable and solidified than Chai's.

He's tall. Being taller than Ed isn't really a feat, but he's a few inches taller than Chai. He's dressed in black slacks and a white tank top, with a dog tag on a chain around his neck. His posture is somewhat slouched, and he has shaggy hair falling into his dark eyes.

His eyes are startlingly un-emotive, but he smiles kindly in greeting as he offers a soft, "Likewise,"

His grip is firm, but unassuming.

"I made tea this time," Edward announces as he pushes open the door. "I know drinks were kind of a big deal, but I felt better with one."

There is no hall, this time. They enter straight into the sitting room. This time, there is a fluffy beige rug spanning between both couches.

"I like tea," Hunter says, surveying the room.

"Thanks," Chai says as he drops into his regular seat with a level of familiarity. "I'm not usually a tea guy, but I won't say no!"

Ed grins as he sits, leaning forward with his arms crossed over his knees. "Maybe with time, we can get you something stronger."

Chai places a hand on his heart, pointing to Ed. "My man,"

Hunter sips his tea quietly.

They all ignore the cartoonish black cat that wanders in from the kitchen and begins to lick its paw.

"Didn't your brother have a thing with cats?" Chai asks.

"Yeah," Ed remembers fondly. "Al was always saving strays from the rain. It wasn't practical— we didn't have any way to take care of them! —but that didn't stop him."

Chai laughs, and Hunter smiles behind his tea.

"Anyway, where'd they find you? What role do you play around here?" Ed asks Hunter, who scratches his neck awkwardly.

"I'm not exactly sure," he replies softly. "I'm just... here and available."

Chai throws an arm around Hunter's shoulder like they're old pals.

"Sage isn't doing well, after, y'know. Becoming unwound. She has a lot to face." Chai explains. "Not that I don't— this guy's here to help me out."

Ed glances between them, curious. He had assumed Hunter was Sage's replacement.

"How does that work?"

Chai removes his arm, and instead folds his hands into his lap. In response, Hunter rests his arm over the back of the couch with his legs spread. He looks confidently nonchalant, and receives a messy smile.

"Well," Chai says quietly, forcing down a mouthful of tea. "Sage is like, head of this group made up of mostly women. When she unravels, so does the group. On a good day, they struggle to tell themselves apart, so on a bad day..."

Silence descends. Edward hums, understanding.

"I know... of my origins, so to speak." 

Ed had gleamed an idea through the grapevine, that Chai reflected a perspective of abusive circumstance 

"So, these girls, carrying different levels of emotional memory from male anger and serial quasi-incestous sexual abuse, unravelling around the figure they see as a big brother..."

His voice is thick and refuses eye contact, staring instead at the mug cradled in his lap. It's black, with a fantasy map scrawled along its outside.

Hunter watches with a silent understanding, whilst the reality of Chai's origin begins to creep upon Ed— along with a dawning sense of horror and sympathy.

"Anyway, I don't know how to interact with them on a good day," Chai lets out a shaky laugh before forcing his posture to loosen up. "so my bro is here to give me a little support."

"Little sis can't be around when big bro is hanging out with his friends." Hunter says quietly. 

Chai pales in response, before patting his pocket in an almost panicked matter, asking "Is it okay if I smoke in here?"

"Yeah, go ahead," Ed responds quickly, pushing the ashtray closer.

Chai lights up and takes a heavy drag.

"I know they're obsessed with being around me. Why wouldn't they, after what they experienced? Like, that sensation is following them everywhere. Then, they have to unravel with me, and— well, you know what it's like to lose structure, right? Or do fictives not experience that?"

"Uh, I think for us, it feels different." Ed responds thoughtfully. "Keep going."

"Well—" Chai frowns. "They see me as this comforting big brother type who is there to make them feel safe and special. I like that role, and I'm happy to fill it. We've even set a few music triggers up for when they need me. I'm happy to be that. But when I get tangled up with them like that, they realise I'm not this perfect "dream boy". I experience negative feelings, and negative feelings associated with men has become a serious trigger."

Ed takes a moment to think.

"You can't just ask them to stop rooting around in your head when you guys lose structure?” he asks, knowing it's a stretch.

This no longer feels like a job to him, but something that needed to be seen through.

"Hah— well, they're stubborn." Chai responds, taking a moment to enjoy his coffee. "It's almost a compulsion. As soon as you say it, they're already doing it. I started wondering if this whole ordeal has been put into place to prevent them from digging into things mindlessly. They get quite obsessive over it, and it consumes their thoughts, day and night."

Ed genuinely doesn't know how to respond. Instead, he changes the subject.

"For the sake of the medium, I need to point out that Sheska just kinda disappeared a little while ago, and Hunter is now observing."

Chai nods his agreement, moving with the change in subject easily.

"Sheska, that's so weird. We call them Violet, or Vi usually." He admits. "Just kinda the overworked guy in archiving. I forget they're also Sheska."

"I don't think that's all they are." Edward responds cryptically, swirling his tea with grin. "I'm starting to see the outlines, so maybe there's something to this plan after all."

[cupcakeslushie]

three reacts to galios from third from the son (if you've read it)?

OF FLIPPING COURSE I’VE READ IT!!!!

As if it could be that easy to convince Gale those stalkers that keep popping up are telling the truth. I know @faiakishi wouldn’t end our pain so soon (which I can certainly appreciate 💕).

[babybeel]

imy cass, hope you're doing well 🤍

hello my love! im so sorry for the late reply, ive been away on a research programme and just got back, but thank you so much for the wellwishes! i miss you and miss being on here so so much, i hope the day ahead is good for you too <3

[protagonists-catastrophe]

they're*

the anon laughs and runs away as fast as they csn

// You were going so strong on my grammatical errors that you two fumbled the bag... Shuckeronis...

[charliespringverse]

i don't usually add commentary outside of tags but i have so many feelings about this

i genuinely believe that "writers can create symbolism everywhere" has been painfully misinterpreted as "writers DO create symbolism everywhere". the whole point of literature (and,,, any art, really) is to be consumed and interpreted and understood individually. yes, there are often some obvious (or even hamfisted) instances of symbolism that are very intentional and massively enhance the reading, but not every adjective has to be a clue.

and i think the way literature is taught (especially in high school) is actively damaging. it matters less whether the author described the curtains as blue to represent the protagonist's self-imposed darkness and depression and more whether a teacher makes a child feel stupid or inadequate for thinking they described it that way because they like the colour blue. there's a difference between what symbolism is necessary to notice for the purposes of the exam and what symbolism intrinsically alters the meaning of the text.

there's truly NOTHING that can make a teenager hate reading like an authority figure telling them they're doing it wrong. encourage a kid to look for deeper meaning and they're probably capable of doing so. force a kid to find deeper meaning in the exact same places & the exact same manner as the exam board expects and you'll probably piss them off enough to never seek it again.

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

average United States contains 1000s of pet tigers in backyards" factoid actualy [sic] just statistical error. average person has 0 tigers on property. Activist Georg, who lives the U.S. Capitol & makes up over 10,000 each day, has purposefully been spreading disinformation adn [sic] should not have been counted

I have a big mad today, folks. It's a really frustrating one, because years worth of work has been validated... but the reason for that fucking sucks.

For almost a decade, I've been trying to fact-check the claim that there "are 10,000 to 20,000 pet tigers/big cats in backyards in the United States." I talked to zoo, sanctuary, and private cat people; I looked at legislation, regulation, attack/death/escape incident rates; I read everything I could get my hands on. None of it made sense. None of it lined up. I couldn't find data supporting anything like the population of pet cats being alleged to exist. Some of you might remember the series I published on those findings from 2018 or so under the hashtag #CrouchingTigerHiddenData. I've continued to work on it in the six years since, including publishing a peer reviewed study that counted all the non-pet big cats in the US (because even though they're regulated, apparently nobody bothered to keep track of those either).

I spent years of my life obsessing over that statistic because it was being used to push for new federal legislation that, while well intentioned, contained language that would, and has, created real problems for ethical facilities that have big cats. I wrote a comprehensive - 35 page! - analysis of the issues with the then-current version of the Big Cat Public Safety Act in 2020. When the bill was first introduced to Congress in 2013, a lot of groups promoted it by fear mongering: there's so many pet tigers! they could be hidden around every corner! they could escape and attack you! they could come out of nowhere and eat your children!! Tiger King exposed the masses to the idea of "thousands of abused backyard big cats": as a result the messaging around the bill shifted to being welfare-focused, and the law passed in 2022.

The Big Cat Public Safety Act created a registry, and anyone who owned a private cat and wanted to keep it had to join. If they did, they could keep the animal until it passed, as long as they followed certain strictures (no getting more, no public contact, etc). Don’t register and get caught? Cat is seized and major punishment for you. Registering is therefore highly incentivized. That registry closed in June of 2023, and you can now get that registration data via a Freedom of Information Act request.

Guess how many pet big cats were registered in the whole country?

97.

Not tens of thousands. Not thousands. Not even triple digits. 97.

And that isn't even the right number! Ten USDA licensed facilities registered erroneously. That accounts for 55 of 97 animals. Which leaves us with 42 pet big cats, of all species, in the entire country.

Now, I know that not everyone may have registered. There's probably someone living deep in the woods somewhere with their illegal pet cougar, and there's been at least one random person in Texas arrested for trying to sell a cub since the law passed. But - and here's the big thing - even if there are ten times as many hidden cats than people who registered them - that's nowhere near ten thousand animals. Obviously, I had some questions.

Guess what? Turns out, this is because it was never real. That huge number never had data behind it, wasn't likely to be accurate, and the advocacy groups using that statistic to fearmonger and drive their agenda knew it... and didn't see a problem with that.

Allow me to introduce you to an article published last week.

This article is good. (Full disclose, I'm quoted in it). It's comprehensive and fairly written, and they did their due diligence reporting and fact-checking the piece. They talked to a lot of people on all sides of the story.

But thing that really gets me?

Multiple representatives from major advocacy organizations who worked on the Big Cat Publix Safety Act told the reporter that they knew the statistics they were quoting weren't real. And that they don't care. The end justifies the means, the good guys won over the bad guys, that's just how lobbying works after all. They're so blase about it, it makes my stomach hurt. Let me pull some excerpts from the quotes.

"Whatever the true number, nearly everyone in the debate acknowledges a disparity between the actual census and the figures cited by lawmakers. “The 20,000 number is not real,” said Bill Nimmo, founder of Tigers in America. (...) For his part, Nimmo at Tigers in America sees the exaggerated figure as part of the political process. Prior to the passage of the bill, he said, businesses that exhibited and bred big cats juiced the numbers, too. (...) “I’m not justifying the hyperbolic 20,000,” Nimmo said. “In the world of comparing hyperbole, the good guys won this one.”

"Michelle Sinnott, director and counsel for captive animal law enforcement at the PETA Foundation, emphasized that the law accomplished what it was set out to do. (...) Specific numbers are not what really matter, she said: “Whether there’s one big cat in a private home or whether there’s 10,000 big cats in a private home, the underlying problem of industry is still there.”"

I have no problem with a law ending the private ownership of big cats, and with ending cub petting practices. What I do have a problem with is that these organizations purposefully spread disinformation for years in order to push for it. By their own admission, they repeatedly and intentionally promoted false statistics within Congress. For a decade.

No wonder it never made sense. No wonder no matter where I looked, I couldn't figure out how any of these groups got those numbers, why there was never any data to back any of the claims up, why everything I learned seemed to actively contradict it. It was never real. These people decided the truth didn't matter. They knew they had no proof, couldn't verify their shocking numbers... and they decided that was fine, if it achieved the end they wanted.

So members of the public - probably like you, reading this - and legislators who care about big cats and want to see legislation exist to protect them? They got played, got fed false information through a TV show designed to tug at heartstrings, and it got a law through Congress that's causing real problems for ethical captive big cat management. The 20,000 pet cat number was too sexy - too much of a crisis - for anyone to want to look past it and check that the language of the law wouldn't mess things up up for good zoos and sanctuaries. Whoops! At least the "bad guys" lost, right? (The problems are covered somewhat in the article linked, and I'll go into more details in a future post. You can also read my analysis from 2020, linked up top.)

Now, I know. Something something something facts don't matter this much in our post-truth era, stop caring so much, that's just how politics work, etc. I’m sorry, but no. Absolutely not.

Laws that will impact the welfare of living animals must be crafted carefully, thoughtfully, and precisely in order to ensure they achieve their goals without accidental negative impacts. We have a duty of care to ensure that. And in this case, the law also impacts reservoir populations for critically endangered species! We can't get those back if we mess them up. So maybe, just maybe, if legislators hadn't been so focused on all those alleged pet cats, the bill could have been written narrowly and precisely.

But the minutiae of regulatory impacts aren't sexy, and tiger abuse and TV shows about terrible people are. We all got misled, and now we're here, and the animals in good facilities are already paying for it.

I don't have a conclusion. I'm just mad. The public deserves to know the truth about animal legislation they're voting for, and I hope we all call on our legislators in the future to be far more critical of the data they get fed.

[crabcrabcrabmeat]

The style of this narration is killing me bc it bounces between "here's X character's truth" and dry sections of lore super arbitrarily. Tomino I just need to know if you know which ideologies n pop sci are total junk. Pls.

[chuusmuts]

imagine losing your virginity by helping catboy!kabukimono

smut. afab reader, lactation, fingering. grammar errors 🥲

the idea of him fucking you while you rub his ear, his tail swishing back and forth, and purring is so 😳😳

you rubbed your eyes, opening them sleepily and were surprised to see catboy!kabukimono on top of you, straddling you. "kabuki, wha- do you need anything?"

he could feel himself getting hard as he saw your nipples through your thin, white nightgown. oh, imagine how tasty your milk was. and you're so pretty, laying underneath him like that. he wanted– no, he needed to fuck you right now.

"i... umm... need your help." kabukimono replied, trying to sound as innocent as possible while maintaining eye contact with your breasts. his ears twitched, signalling his growing arousal. "you see... i'm experiencing some discomfort, and i was wondering if you could help me relieve it." he bit his lower lip nervously, hoping that you wouldn't notice the blatant desire in his eyes or the throbbing between his legs.

his tail swished back and forth behind him as if he was nervous and excited about all this. it took you a while, but eventually you got what he meant. "are you in heat..? how can i help you, then?" this was both you and his first time so it was a little nerve-wracking, at least to you.

kabukimono hesitated for a moment before nodding his head slowly. "y- yes... i am. and i was hoping that you could help me find relief from my symptoms." his voice was low and seductive, almost purring as he spoke. "you see, as a cat hybrid, it's natural for us to seek out mating during these times." he licked his lips, looking at you intently. "would you be willing to help me?"

as he spoke, he couldn't help but let his gaze drift downwards towards your exposed nipples. the sight of them made his mouth water, and he could feel himself becoming even more aroused than before.

noticing his gaze, you covered your nipples with your hands as you felt yourself heating up, your cheeks turning pink. but then again, he needed your body relief him from the symptoms. sighing, you lowered your hands to your side as you glanced away, "okay, fine. do what you need to do. just... try not to be so rough, okay?" you said shyly, your voice small.

kabukimono grinned, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he heard your agreement. "i promise to be gentle with you." he then leaned down and gently nuzzled into your neck before moving his face closer to one of your breasts. with a soft purr, he began to lick at it slowly and carefully, taking his time to savor the taste of your skin. kabukimono began to lick and suck on your exposed nipples, tasting you full. he used his tongue to tease and stimulate them to their fullest extent until you moaned and squirmed ever so slightly. his other hand grabbed the second one, massaging and squeezing it gently until the light liquid started coming out of the nipple. your hand moved into his dark cat ear as you started rubbing it gently.

kabukimono purred loudly as he felt your hand on his ear, and he continued to lick and suck on your breast with renewed vigour. he could taste the sweetness of your milk flowing from the nipple, and it only served to make him more excited. as he drank from you, kabukimono became bolder in his actions. he slid his hand down your body, gently caressing your thigh before moving it up to cup your pussy through your nightgown. the sensation of your wetness against his fingers sent shivers down his spine, and he couldn't resist the urge to plunge them inside you.

arching your back, you cried out as he plunged three fingers inside you, causing your eyes to get teary. he continued to suckle on your breast, using his tongue to play with your sensitive nipple while his fingers abused your hole. you gripped the duvet tightly, this was the first time you had sex and you didn't expect this at all. moans poured unabashed from your lips as he scissored your walls, stretching them apart.

kabukimono moaned softly as he felt your walls clench around his fingers, and he increased the pace of his thrusts, pushing his fingers deeper into your pussy. the combination of the warmth of your body, the taste of your milk, and the sensation of being filled by him was overwhelming for him. he couldn't hold back any longer - he pulled his fingers out of you and positioned himself at your entrance.

"s- slowly!" you cried out as he pushed his erected cock between your folds, your legs spread apart. tears streamed down your face, both from the pleasure and pain.

sure, it felt good to be filled up, but it hurt especially since you're a first timer. he pushed his cock so deep until it hit your g-spot, he could literally see his bulge poking inside your stomach.

he hesitated for a moment, hearing your cry of pain and concern. he pulled back slightly, his eyes meeting yours with a mix of love and understanding. "sorry, i should have been more gentle with you." he whispered the words before leaning down and giving you a tender kiss on the lips.

slowly and carefully, kabukimono resumed his thrusts, this time going at a much slower pace. he focused on making sure that each movement was gentle and comforting rather than forceful and overwhelming. as he did so, kabukimono leaned down and captured one of your nipples between his teeth, gently nibbling and suckling on it while continuing to fuck you. his thumb found its way to your throbbing clit, rubbing it in a circular motion. bucking your hips up into his fingers, you moaned as you felt yourself getting close to your orgasm.

kabukimono moaned softly as he felt your body responding to his touch, and he increased the intensity of his ministrations. his fingers continued to work their magic on your clit while his teeth played with your nipple, sending shivers down your spine. with each thrust, he felt himself getting closer and closer to his own climax. he could feel the pressure building within him, and he knew that it wouldn't be long now before he reached his mutual peak.

kabukimono purred loudly before he was sent over the edge, his hot seed shooting into you as he pressed his face into your neck. the feeling of your warmth and tightness around him was incredibly intense, he couldn't help but moan into your ear, muttering something in japanese. you could feel every single twitch and jerk as his hot load spilt into your hole. soon, you came with him, the knot in your stomach tightened and you squirted on his cock, your arm over your lips as you moaned, trying not to be so loud. more tears rolled down your cheeks, your face getting warm and you felt like you couldn't move your legs anymore.

when he finally came, kabukimono collapsed onto your body, panting heavily as he felt the last remnants of his seed trickle out of you. he laid there for a moment, simply enjoying the sensation of being connected to you in such an intimate way before rolling off to the side and pulling you who was still breathing heavily into his arms, his cock still kept buried deep inside you. "that hurts a lot than i expected." you huffed, wiping off the tears that stained on your cheeks.

kabukimono held you close as she spoke as he could feel your wetness still coating his member. he smiled softly, knowing that he had given you something special. "it can be overwhelming at first," he said gently, "but once we get used to it, it will become even more pleasurable."

it was his way of saying that this wasn't the last time you're gonna help him.

[chiasfeu]

pt 2!! hehehe + again apologies for any grammatical errors

part one here

SECRET ADMIRER - clark kent x reader

“Hmm it’s getting late.. how about we pick back up tomorrow?”

Clark lets out a shaky breath, his eyebrows furrowing slightly, “y/n that’s not fair..” Your lips curve slightly upwards at his remark, letting your fingertips trace upwards on the exposed skin of his arms you ask, “What’s not fair, Clark?” He stares at you intently, gulping, unable to let his thoughts out. You move closer to Clark, positioning yourself slightly above him, reaching a hand to push his hair back, you whisper lowly, “tell me what you want, Clark..” He looks up at you, his eyes glued to your lips. “You..” he whispers shakily, wrapping his arms around your waist and peering up at you. Smiling at his words you bring your hands down to the hem of your shirt, lifting it off your head and tossing it to the side. Hovering your face over his, you bite your lip, “kiss me, Clark”

He wastes no time delving into your lips, slipping his tongue into your mouth. You feel his strong hands grip your hips as you slowly rock them on his thigh, running your hands through his hair. He looks at you, brows furrowed and eyes glossy, “please…” he whispers, his hands travel up your back, gripping you with despair. You feel his dick grow in his pants, poking you as you straddle him; the thin fabric of your panties and his pants being the only separation between the two of you. You blush to yourself, noting his shaky breaths as you feel the pulse of his erection through the thin fabric of your underwear.

Clark looks at you with desperation in his eyes, his hands gripping harder onto the sides of your hips. Biting your lip, you slowly come down to his neck, kissing him. You feel his body relax into you as you trail your kisses lower and lower down his body. His muscles tense as your kisses reach his v-line. “y/n” he groans, “I don’t know if we should be doing this” he says bringing a hand out to tuck a strand of your hair behind your face. “But I need you too, Clark” you whisper, sitting back up straight and reaching behind your back to unclasp your bra. He watches intently, gulping as your bra unclips and your boobs fall into their natural position. You watch him squirm on the bed, trying to create some friction for himself. You lean back down to his v-line, not breaking eye contact, and tug undo the button on his jeans. “Is this ok?” you ask. “Yes,” he says, almost too quickly. You smile as he blushes, “I’ve thought about you.. like this a lot..” he whispers.

“Yeah?” you ask teasingly as you unzip his pants and pull them down. You feel yourself clench when you catch a glimpse of his bulge; a wet patch already on his boxers from the precum. “Me too,” you say breathlessly, reaching towards the top of his boxers, pulling them down. His cock springs out, tip already leaking and veins pulsing. You swallow before looking at him, his eyebrows pointed upward as he pants breathlessly. You reach your head down at the base of his dick, kissing it before licking a long strip up to the tip. Clark moans, and you push your legs together feeling a familiar ache form at your core. You lick the precum off his tip before slowly taking his dick down your mouth. Clark reaches towards you, grabbing a fist full of your hair as you sink down towards the base of his cock.

As you continue working your mouth on his dick, you feel a twitch and stop. You pull away as a string of saliva connects your swollen lips to the tip of Clark Kent’s dick. You climb back up on him, kissing him sloppily as you rub your ass on his dick. His hands find their way to your ass, he pulls away from you. You feel his fingers tug your underwear to the side, and the ache in your core gets stronger. “Clark” you moan into his neck, “I’ve wanted this for so long, y/n” he whispers softly in your ear. You feel his tip against your entrance, your hands move to his head, gripping his hair softly to brace yourself. He sinks into you, filling you up entirely. Clark lets out a groan, throwing his head back as he slowly thrusts upwards into you.

You bury yourself into his neck, muffled moans leaving your mouth as Clark speeds up his pace. “y/n” he moans, wrapping his strong arms around your body, “look at me, please, baby, I need to see your face.” You pull yourself up to look down at him as he ruts into you, his mouth open from pleasure, a small smirk forming across his lips as he sees your face. You bite your lip, trying to supress a moan from falling out of your mouth. Clark notices, smiling before attaching his lips to yours, kissing you messily. You struggle to keep up in the kiss as he increases his pace, you pull away moaning, feeling the knot in your stomach get tighter, before you finally come undone; clenching around him as you ride your high.

You get off his dick and bring your mouth up to it for the second time, taking him in all the way. He whines as you quicken your pace while sucking him; feeling him twitch in your mouth you stop. His cum gushes out into your mouth, you watch as he convulses after ever load he lets out before he stops. You slide your mouth off his dick and swallow before crawling besides him to cuddle. He smiles, wrapping his arms around you, “I’m really glad I wrote that letter.” He says chuckling.

[neil-gaiman]

Hello Neil! First of all, I loved s2 and felt the ending was perfect.

It was brought to my attention that somewhere between ep4 and ep6 the Bentley changed slightly. The bullet holes are missing and the brown leather seats are black when Crowley drives away at the end. Was this intentional or a continuity error?

P.S. My good omens book arrived today and I am over the moon.

Thank you in advance and good luck in the strike!!!

It's the same Bentley, with the same bullet-hole transfers on the windows. Same seats as you've seen before...

[jo-com]

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ ➛ Mine

Charles Leclerc x fem!reader

Summary: He's yours, and you're his. That's how it should be.

Tw: DARK, implied smut, obsession, manipulation, possessive behavior, branding, angst, jealous charles, some grammatical error, not proofread, google translated french cause i can't speak french and sorry if i wrote it wrong i just started writing again so idk if this is good or not.

words: 1.1k

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ➛ My Masterlist (Part 2)

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── ───

From the start, Charles was nothing more than amazing—he would give you endless adoration and assurance, and overall was the perfect boyfriend. He would worship you like you were some kind of goddess—well,  in his eyes, you were. 

But Over time, his once pure love became a crazy obsession.

The need to always be by your side and not let any other guys come closer to you, talk to you, or even breathe the same air as you intoxicated his mind and clouded his judgment.

And you start to see changes that would never occur in the past—changes that weren't good. Like that time when you and Carlos were just casually talking and catching up—that sight alone was enough to make his once-puppy dog eyes become piercing ones. Burning a hole in both the backs of your heads, from across the room you could see how tensed he was, his jaws clenched and his hands gripped the seat making the texture of the seat all crinkly.

At that time you only shook it off as a "concerned gesture" and never said anything about it to him.

But then it was constantly happening; he would always get riled up whenever someone would just approach you, whether it was a girl, boy, kid, or even animals; he was getting jealous over almost everything. 

You started to worry that things would get even more complicated as they continued. So you stood your ground and got up the courage to voice your concern to him. 

...

"Charlie?" you said softly, entering the room, where he was reading. Your eyes scanned around the room then stopped when you spotted his figure.

There he was, sitting by the fireside with a book in his right hand and the other resting on the armrest. He looked like one of those guys that were sculptured to perfection, but you knew that, underneath that godlike demeanor was one possessive beast that was hard to tame.

Hearing your voice, Charles looked up from your direction and immediately lit up. "Oui? Mon chéri," he responded with his thick French accent. 

You smiled half-heartedly and slowly walked to where he sat. From your action, he could tell that something was bothering you. 

His face scrunched up with a frown as he stared intently at you as you sat down on one of the armrests. 

"Is there something bothering you, Mon cœur?" he asked, lowering down the book he was reading and then slowly snaked up his free hand to rest on your waist.

You let out a deep sigh before answering, "You'll tell me when something's up right?"

He didn’t answer but just tilted his head and stared at you blankly. At that moment there were many questions running through his mind, but one particular thought stood out: Why would you ask something out of the blue when everything has been perfect? not unless someone put thoughts into that pretty little naive head of yours. 

He let out a low chuckle—the grip on your waist tightened as he sucked out a breath—your eyes met his. Seeing the lack of emotion as he stared back at you, sent shivers down your spine, and what scared you even more was when he gave you a calm but menacing smile.

"What makes you think that there's a problem sweetheart?"

You bit your lower lip, holding back the urge to just blurt out your thoughts.

That small gesture was not left unnoticed by Charles. He raised his other hand and touched your lower lip, softly grazing his thumb to where you sunk your teeth. "You know you can tell me anything, right? Mon cœur? he assured.

His expression didn't change; the loving eyes that you once knew were now an emotionless void. With that look, you knew he was getting impatient the longer you stayed silent.

Breaking the silence, you slowly nodded your head and smiled lightly. "Yeah, I know baby, it’s just that you’ve been off lately and you get so riled up easily, mon amour—I know that you mean no harm, but it’s just too much and i-"

“Do you think I like being that way? ”Charles cuts you off.

He gazed at you—eyes filled with rage from what you just said. You squeaked at his burning glare and were quick to look away. The hand that used to rest in your waist was now at the bridge of his nose, pinching it with frustration. 

"You know i wouldn't be that way if not for you, y/n. I am just keeping you safe from all those disgusting men at the paddock, tu ne sais pas de quoi ils sont capables y/n (you don't know what they are capable of)."

You kept your head down and stayed quiet, not wanting to say anything further that might ignite more of his anger. 

Charles stared at your weak state and sighed heavily. 

He stood up, standing in front of you. His hands are cupping both your cheeks, forcing you to stare at him. Charles rubbed your rosy cheeks soothingly, making you lean in on his touch.

"Everything I do is for you, mon chéri, okay?"

You looked at him through your eyelashes and smiled. Charles just wants you to be safe and there's nothing wrong with it, maybe your just overthinking it?.

Charles smiled and kissed your temple; hugging you close to him as if you'd leave once he let's go.

Only a fool would believe that Charles's "just wants you to be safe".

Y/n was a fool

...

Your body jolted at the sensation, your hand moving to your mouth as you bit down the urge to moan out loud.

The two of you were inside a closet room in the pit. Charles decided to pull this stunt the moment he laid eyes on you and Max talking. Like usual, he got riled up and dragged you somewhere secluded to "teach you a lesson".

Tears swell up your eyes, making your vision go blurry. Your other hand was pushing his head away and attempting to stop him from diving into your cunt and eating it like there was no tomorrow. 

"Stop," Charles hissed, grabbing both your wrist and pinning it above your head—restricting your movements.

"What did i tell you about talking to others?"

You gulped down the lump in your throat and shook your head. "I am sorry, mon amour" your eyes pleading for him to stop.

Charles scoffed, gripping your jaw tightly. "espèce de salope (you slut), you just want everyone's attention, don't you?"

"Charlie, no, it's not like that," you begged, your voice shaking as his grip on your jaw tightened.

"Oh, I'll give you attention alright, Chienne (bitch)," he cussed, his accent making his aura more frightening.

...

You lay emotionless on the table, tears falling down your face—your clothes on the ground, your hair a mess, and your body filled with his markings.

In the corner of the room, Charles was fixing his clothes. Acting as if nothing had happened. 

He then went over to you and pulled your body towards him, crassing your hair and kissing your temple. "Je t'aime tellement mon amour."

...

Should i make a part 2?? Btw hope you like this idk if i did it okay i just wanted to write again and like always my request are open!!

[starsofang]

simon riley x blind!reader requested by @wareagleofthemountain <3 tw: none!

Simon never expected to meet you, nor was he remotely looking for somebody to enter his life and completely flip it around. He didn’t attach himself to people, and interactions with strangers with the intent of becoming more than that was a far-fetched idea for somebody like him. Being on his own was something he greatly preferred, and his task force were the only people he ever needed.

That was what he thought, anyway, up until you.

Even when you had accidentally bumped into him in the middle of a rundown convenience store late at night, you didn’t cower away from him. The sight of his mask didn’t cause you to turn away and mumble out a half-assed apology in order to leave his vicinity as quickly as possible, and at first, he didn’t understand.

That was until he noticed the furball standing next to you, staring up at him as if scolding him for getting in the way. The harness was glaringly obvious now that he looked at it, and he felt a bit stupid for not noticing it in the first place. You had a guide dog, with words boldly lettered indicating that you were blind.

“I’m so sorry!” you said, and he caught himself staring at you as you began rambling out genuine, sweet apologies, explaining that you didn’t mean to bump into him, that you hoped you didn’t hurt him by accident.

Simon didn’t get attached to people, no. But that didn’t mean he didn’t notice cute people who had hearts of gold that made his look rotten in comparison.

“S’alright,” he assured you, fighting so hard to push back the smile that threatened to curl up under his mask. Smiling meant he felt amused, and amusement meant he saw something in you that intrigued him. “What’s his name?”

When he asked about your guide dog, you practically lit up like a damn Christmas tree and oh, he was fucked. That smile wasn’t fair.

“Peanut,” you introduced affectionately, and when he glanced down at your dog, Peanut, the little thing looked almost prideful at that.

“Hm,” he hummed in acknowledgement, and before he could detach himself from the conversation, before he could bid you farewell and leave you behind for good, he found himself speaking once more. “And yours?”

Simon never expected to meet you, nor was he remotely looking for somebody to enter his life and completely flip it around. But you did, and he found himself so engrossed in you, he couldn’t ever imagine life without you.

He thinks fondly of the day you two met, where he was in a mindset of pushing everybody around him away. He’d never given himself an opportunity to live a normal life, then you came around and had him seeking out the future.

The future was never a possibility until you, nor was it a possibility without you in it.

Simon never made you feel incapable just because you were blind. You had worked your way around the world just fine before him, and you’d continue to do it during him.

That didn’t mean he never tried his best, though. In fact, Simon took pride in helping you out with things as his way of showing his undying love for you. He may not have been the most affectionate person physically, but doing things for you was his favorite form of care.

Cooking was one of many. Simon was naturally a lover of cooking, so teaching you how to do it was something he took to almost immediately.

When it came to chopping vegetables, he’d gently guide your hands with his own, closed around the kitchen knife and showing you how to chop away without nicking yourself. If it was an excuse to hold your hand and watch your joyful smile light up your face, he’d never admit it.

He’d explain every step of a recipe to you, wanting to give you your independence of cooking on your own while also involving himself enough to be useful. He’d explain in soft ways how to properly cook meat, how to make sure it’s not undercooked or overcooked, guiding you through every part of the meal and watching with pride when you’d figure it out after a few trial errors.

Simon had never thought a meal could taste so good until it was cooked by the one you adore.

Reading was something you could do on your own. Your entire collection were books geared towards your blindness to help make it more accessible to you, but Simon quickly found out that he specifically liked reading for you.

It became routine in your apartment, the one that he was staying in so much that it might as well had been his as well, for the two of you to snuggle up close on the couch with a book you mentioned hearing about in those silly videos you listen to on your phone. His arm would tuck you into his side while the other held the book he’d gone out for, venturing to find (even if it took going to multiple stores), while Peanut laid content at your feet.

The books might not have been his personal favorite, but he’d spend every night reading them to you, his voice soft and quiet as they executed every page. You’d listen with a smile on your face, head resting in the pit of his shoulder, allowing the warmness of his voice send you into a peaceful serenity that almost always had you falling asleep twenty pages in.

Simon never minded that you’d fall asleep, and with a sweet kiss on your head, he’d string you along to bed, bookmarking the book for the next night when he’d read to you once again.

Being blind had never bothered you, and it was something you were never embarrassed or ashamed of.

Simon aided you in whatever you needed, but never made you feel an inkling of being broken or unable. He was passionate in the way he cared for you, while remaining stern in letting you be your own person.

The one thing that did bother you was that you’d never be able to see Simon’s face for all the true glory it was. The man you’d come to love over the time spent together was so close to you, yet felt so far when your brain would remind you that you didn’t know what he looked like.

The more time went on, the more you failed to grasp on to those strings, enough for Simon to take notice. When you finally had the gall to express this concern of yours, he understood completely why you’d upset yourself over it.

Thankfully for you, Simon had an easy fix for that.

“No need to worry yourself over that, sweetheart. Here.”

You may not have been able to see him, but you could feel him. Simon took your soft hands into his own, gently guiding them to cup his face. He bore himself naked to you, adorning no mask, all scars and rugged skin on display.

Your fingers traced along every feature of his, taking it in and mapping them out. You felt the thickness of his brows, trailing down to the flutter of his eyelashes, gently swiping your thumbs across them. You felt every bump of old, healed scars that indented his skin, every prickly stubble of his unshaven face.

You may not have been able to see him, but you knew he was beautiful.

Simon didn’t rush you. He remained patient and willing, face relaxed as you felt every crevice and divot. Your fingers were so careful in the way you handled him, like dealing with fragile glass, that he could’ve easily fallen in love with you a second time.

“You’re pretty,” you breathed out, hands halting their movements to lay flat on his cheeks. You were holding the world in your hands, and after getting a feel of what lay beyond it, you never wanted to let go.

Your words had dazed him, and he felt his mouth go dry as he stared at you, sinking in your own lovely features just as you did his own.

Simon had no words to speak back to you, but you knew what he was thinking without him having to say it – he loved you, more than any word could express.

Simon might not have been the type of person to get attached. You were the last thing he’d been looking for in life, but you came rushing into him like a flood, engulfing him in a forever calmness.

His body was permanently sinking in a sea of passion, and you were the life vest keeping him afloat.

i promise i didn't forget about u lovie! work was a bit crazy and my brain was a bit fried but it's here and i sincerely hope u enjoy it! thank u for the request, i love soft simon sm

[lint-beetle4]

Silly forgetful reader wears a peach body mist the day wukong starts his heat/rut

Perfumes and Pheromones (Sun Wukong x Reader)

Wukong warned you about his body's strange cycle before you started dating

It was a learning experience for the two of you, something that took trial and error through the seasons

as much as Wukong tried to push you away, you simply stayed by his side which was something he ended up appreciating greatly

When he's close to his heat, you've noticed how clingy he becomes, how his hands rarely leave you-- acting as if he'll die without your presence-- and the way he bares his teeth at those who come too close

Wukong felt great shame in his lack of control, but you dared to say it was actually pretty cute the way his fur puffs up and his tail quivers as a warning when one of his subjects gets 'too touchy' with you

You also notice how when it's his time, the smell of peaches is much more stronger in the forest during his heat--something you figured was either a mental shift in you or just a simple seasonal thing

you saw how he could be moved to tears during his season of heightened hormonal shifts, and it only made you want to stay near him more

Wukong seemed intent on staying in bed during his heat, complaining of his heightened sense, the way the air stung his nose and chilled him to the bone

Thus, every heat season was nothing more than a glorified cuddle session--maybe something more is Wukong was particularly desperate

"I don't know--I just--hate this!" Wukong groaned, holding his stomach. "This sucks--I just--"

"Don't worry, Wukong." You chuckled, wrapping your arms around him. "We'll get through it like every other heat. I'm here for you."

"Yeah," Wukong sighed sadly, burying his nose into your shoulder.

You hummed happily, stroking his soft fur. "Do you think you'll need anything? Heating pads, water?"

"No, I--" Wukong paused suddenly, his nose twitching as he sniffed you. "What's that--Is that you?"

"Huh?" You sniffed the air, eyes widening as Wukong continued to smell your neck, his mouth getting dangerously close. "Oh, no."

You had forgotten about Wukong's sensitivities during his heats, and Wukong seemed to forgot himself as well, his teeth sinking deep into you as his tongue gently lapped up the blood that beaded through the wound. You shivered, hands clenching around his mane.

"Wukong?"

"Sorry--Sorry." Wukong breathed heavily, his body tense as his claws dug deep into your hips. "You just--smell, so good."

Wukong growled underneath his breath. "I think you should go."

"What?" You pulled away from Wukong, watching his tail slap heavily against the ground. The sage's claws dug into his hands as he looked at the floor, his lip trembling underneath his fangs.

You shook your head, cooing to your lover as your hands returns to cup his face. "I made a promise to you, Wukong. I wouldn't leave your side when you need your mate."

"Plus, you've already marked me, silly." You chuckled fondly, revealing your blood-stained neck.

Wukong hugged you tightly with teary eyes. "I'm sorry--I'll do better, I swear."

"Come on, you silly ape." You drag Wukong to his bed, already set up in a neat little nest that you two built. "What is it today? A comfort day, or a release day?"

"I need to be inside you." Wukong whined quietly, grinding against you. "Can--Can I?"

You didn't need to be asked twice, intent on making sure your partner was feeling better. Wukong in such distress made your heart shatter, you couldn't comprehend how much pain he must be in to tremble and fall to his knees for nothing more than a temporary pause at his suffering.

Wukong--ever so patient-- groaned pitifully, tugging at your arm.

You smiled sadly at him, your hand slowly tugging away his clothes as he ripped yours off.

What a shame, you kind of liked that outfit.

Wukong usually wasn't rough with you, always afraid of breaking you somehow. Yet, the way he grinding his cock inside you, the way his claws tear at your skin and the way his face is pulled back into a feral snarl, you could barely recognize him anymore.

You groan against Wukong, his body nearly suffocating you. Wukong's dick pressed against you, scraping your walls roughly as his breathy moans and the sounds of skin slapping echoed through the room. Your hands tangled around Wukong's mane, twisting into his fur as you held onto him, crying his name.

Wukong's eyes looked down at you, boring into your scratched skin like you were nothing more than to be used. You clenched around him, intense sensations of adrenaline and euphoria choking the breath out of you. Suddenly, Wukong pulled out, flipping you to yourn stomach as he plunged deep into you with a rumbling growl.

You came around him, feeling yourself getting filled up by your lover. Wukong's nose pressed against your shoulder, nose taking in your scent deeply. Wukong slowly came to, an apologetic purr rumbling through him as he stroked your scratches, imbuing them with the gentle healing magic.

"I'm not sure what happened, blossom." Wukong spoke with despair. "Can you forgive me?"

"Wukong."

"Yes, dear?"

"You gave me the performance of a lifetime. Shut up."

"Yes, dear."

[vanteguccir]

── ୨୧ !　𝗦𝗟𝗘𝗘𝗣𝗬

　　　　　　　　　𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐 x reader

SUMMARY: Where Matt had a busy day and just wants to sleep in his lover arms.

WARNING: None.

REQUEST?: Yes, by @mymoots

AUTHOR'S NOTE: That is my work, I DON'T authorize any plagiarism! | English isn't my first language, so I'm sorry if there's any grammar error.

　　　༻✦༺ 　༻✧༺　༻✦༺

Y/N sighed in relief after closing the door to her house, locking it before placing her set of keys on the plate next to the entrance, next to Matt's car key. The girl took off her shoes, placing them up against the wall next to Chris' sneakers, making a mental note to clean them both the next day, or ask Chris to do so.

Y/N walked to the kitchen still with her purse on her shoulder, not wanting to put it on the counter, knowing that if she did she would forget to pick it later to put it in its proper place. The girl walked to one of the cabinets and took a glass of water, filling it and drinking all the contents there, before finally going to her room, which she shared with her boyfriend.

She was excited to see Matt, after a busy day at work she always loved sitting and listening intently as he recounted everything he did alone or with his brothers from the moment he woke up, her favorite stories being about what it was filming the video that would be posted the next day, or sometimes, on that same day.

And this was one of those days, when the boys left the recording of Friday's video to be recorded exactly on Friday, which made the day busier than normal and, consequently, more tiring.

Y/N quickly arrived at the room, knocking twice on the door before carefully opening it just enough to enter, before closing it again, finding the room completely dark, only lit by the low white lights that decorated the corner of the walls.

Matt was lying on the bed, on top of the covers, face down and his face turned to the other way.

The girl placed her purse on the chair closest to the door, removing her jacket and walking lightly towards her boyfriend, not sure if he was awake or asleep, and the last thing she wanted to do was disturb him.

"Matt? Baby?" Y/N whispered, bringing her face closer to the side of Matt's head, enjoying the fresh smell of shampoo.

"Hmm?"

"Are you awake?" She continued, now bringing her face closer to his, noticing his half-open eyes and sleepy face.

"I am, I haven't slept yet, I wanted to wait for you." He responded in a low whisper filled with exhaustion.

"Oh my love, there was no need. You recorded today's video during the day and you mentioned that you were going to the market, I imagine how tired you must be." Y/N spoke back, remembering the brief text that Matt sent her right after lunch, letting her know that he was going to stop by the market to buy some items that had run out of the fridge and cupboard, and that Y/N had written in the notes on his phone as it was the closest to her at the time.

"It's okay, I like seeing your face before I sleep." Matt whispered again, turning completely around to face Y/N, smiling slightly, his eyes almost closing completely.

"I love you." The girl spoke, approaching and kissing Matt's lips, without moving them, just a seal full of love and affection.

"Hm I love you more."

"Are you hungry? I can get a quick snack." Y/N asked, pulling away.

"A little, but I miss you more than I'm hungry, so lay here with me." He responded, pulling her arm lightly.

"Are you sure, honey?" He responded with just a nod. "Alright, let me just take a shower first."

"Nooo, don't leave me here all alone." He asked slyly, raising his arms. Y/N laughed at his whole drama as his blue eyes barely opened.

"It'll be quick, I promise."

"I'll go with you." He said, getting up and almot falling, what kept him from doing it was Y/N's hands on his shoulders.

The girl shook her head, knowing that asking him to lie down again would be a losing fight, so she just guided him to the bathroom, sitting him on top of the toilet.

The girl quickly took her clothes off and discarding them in the laundry basket, before entering the shower, casting a quick glance at Matt, who was half-bent over with his eyes half closed, the side of his body resting on the counter, making her smile, he was so kind to her.

It didn't take more than ten minutes and she was already drying herself, fulfilling her promise to be quick.

"Matt, go to bed, I'm almost done here." She asked, placing her hands on the boy's cheeks and lifting his face, bending down slightly and kissing his forehead, helping him to get up and gently pushing him to the room.

As she left the bathroom, her eyes traveled to the bed, smiling when she saw Matt in a half-sitting, half-lying position, with his eyes closed and his hand off the side of the bed, as if he was ready to catch her when she climbed into the comfort of his side.

Y/N went to their closet, taking fresh panties and Matt's shirt from her side of clothes, putting them both on before walking back to bed, lightly touching Matt's hand, which made him open his eyes quickly and look around, feeling a little lost.

"I'm awake, I promise." Y/N laughed, rolling her eyes at how stubborn the brunette could be when he wanted to.

"Go a little to the side, my love." She asked, pushing him away lightly with her hands, making space for herself. "When we wake up tomorrow, I want to know everything about your day." Y/N added in a whisper, getting under the covers and placing Matt next to her, before pulling him into her arms, letting he lay his head on her chest, knowing that the sound of her heartbeat calmed him down.

"And I'll tell you everything." He spoke back slowly, placing his hand around her waist before giving up to sleep.

Y/N paused for a few seconds to just watch her boyfriend's expression soften, the tension in his body giving way to lightness, and she couldn't help but smile. There was no better place for her than in Matt's arms.

REQUEST:

[remusawoooo]

oh.

_____________________________

additionally (just searched the text after seeing your post!!):

In the forest-

“I didn’t want you to die,” Harry said. These words came without his volition. “Any of you. I’m sorry— ”

He addressed Lupin more than any of them, beseeching him.

“— right after you’d had your son . . . Remus, I’m sorry— ”

“I am sorry too,” said Lupin.

Actually, there is one moment in the series where Remus transitions from 'Lupin' to 'Remus':

'As Ginny and Hermione moved closer to the family, Harry had a clear view of the bodies lying next to Fred: Remus and Tonks, pale and still and peaceful-looking, apparently asleep beneath the dark enchanted ceiling.'

[feyascorner]

wish you would look at me

summary. convinced that you’re in love with another, when you approach him with a serious expression, he readies himself for the inevitable—rejection. but is it ever that simple?

pairing. astarion x GN!reader

warnings. light angst, fluff

a/n. this is inspired by the ppl who have love triangles w gale and astarion in act 2 and what he says if you pick him bec when I saw that I almost cried pls let him be happy

If you asked him a few weeks ago, he’d laugh at the mere suggestion that he could ever be jealous of someone like Gale. That blasted wizard couldn't go four steps before begging for a magical shoe or pathetically limping his way behind the rest of the group while you frantically searched for the said shoe. And when he found out the wizard was a few errors away from exploding, somehow Astarion felt even more pity (not really) for the lad.

Yet here he was.

He’s not sure when the hell you and Gale had gotten so chummy, but it rubbed him the wrong way. Even if his expression would never show it. He sips at his wine while Karlach and Wyll continue to chat about God knows what, too busy peering from the corner of his eyes as you lean into Gale’s shoulders to look closer at the book he was holding.

Perhaps the tadpole had finally made you lose your mind. He'd almost dropped his goblet when you denied his invitation to his tent tonight, spouting the excuse that you'd asked Gale to help you with something, and now this?

God knows why you ever found the wizard charming. If Gale could do something, he could too—much better, in fact. He was sure of it.

His grip tightens around the goblet when he hears you laugh.

Sure, his original intentions for approaching you had been less than noble…and he might have seduced you for more selfish reasons than you originally knew, but as much as he hated himself for it, he'd grown rather fond of you. In his own way, of course.

He’d only realized that the anxious squirming in his stomach was not of fear but of affection when you'd defended him from that vile drow at Moonrise Towers. He'd half expected you to ask him to throw himself at her, yet you stood your ground, showing nothing but respect to his own boundaries while you failed to realize that he'd deceived your own.

He truly had no reason to feel this way. He was selfish, he knew, for feeling so possessive because not once had the two of you established being exclusive. Though you'd respected him, you saw him for just that. A friend to respect, and nothing more. Sure, you'd spent a few nights together, but it was a mindless night of passion and he knew he'd continue to be your fling until you found another to truly love. He had just hoped it wouldn't be someone like Gale, of all people…or Wyll…or Shadowheart…or anyone for that matter.

He shakes his head. The wine must be getting to him. Serious relationships aren't a luxury he can afford, he reminds himself, relaxing his shoulders. He’s perfectly okay with being your ally—nothing more or nothing less. Ecstatic, even.

But when Gale flips a page of the book and both of you lean closer again—this time dangerously close—he feels a sharp pain shoot up his hand.

“Uh, Fangs, you alright there?” Karlach stares at the cracked glass in his hand and even he blinks at it in disbelief.

Apparently not.

He sighs irritably, dumping the glass elsewhere. “I’m quite alright. Seems I just need a nice comfortable mattress than a thin bedroll on the ground, but it’ll do for now.”

“Need help patching that up? You're bleeding.”

He almost laughs, if it weren't for the giggle coming from your direction. “Blood’s my specialty, darling, remember?” Without another word, he paces into his tent, closing the flap behind him for the universe signal that screams ‘don’t bother me.’

So when half an hour later, when he no longer hears the crackle of the campfire, he sees your shadow emerge from the other side of his tent flap, he squints.

“Can I come in?” He fails to respond, and hears you shuffle. “Ah, are you asleep?”

At this, he can't help but snort. You instinctively peek inside, and he runs a hand through his hair, sighing in defeat. “If I'd been asleep just how would I answer that question?”

He motions you closer and you take it as a sign to step inside, careful to avoid stepping on any of his belongings before situating yourself in front of him. “It was rhetorical, obviously!”

“Of course,” he doesn't seem convinced, lips curling into a teasing grin. “Now tell me, what brings you to my palace this late at night? Surely not for a cuddle. I'd thought you declined my offer earlier?”

Usually, you'd smile, but instead you only look down at your clasped hands, seemingly in thought. “I needed to talk to you—without everyone else watching.”

The usual brightness to your tone is missing.

Oh, he thinks. You've come to end things with him.

“Ah,” is all he says. He can tell his smile hasn't dropped, but it doesn't feel that way. “I hear you've found a new lover. Perhaps you want to keep yourself for this one, true love? How romantic, darling.”

You frown at this, and he wonders if he’s done something wrong. But it does little to stop his defense mechanisms from springing into action, because he’s immediately slipping into his usual mask, grin stretching wider but never reaching his eyes.

He hates the words coming out of his own mouth as if they taste of poison. Still, his voice is steady, almost teasing. Perks of the 200 years spent shamelessly lying, he supposes. “So, is this the end of our late night trysts? Even though they were an awful lot of fun?”

He doesn’t think he could stand watching you with that damned wizard. He doesn't even want to think about it quite frankly, because all he feels is his chest tighten when he imagines someone else holding you the way he does. And gods, if had to watch Gale’s poor attempt at flirting one more time…

But then again, you'd be with someone who doesn't manipulate you. Someone who doesn't toy with your feelings, or someone who doesn't seduce you for protection.

His smile twitches, and he just braces himself for your response.

“I’d rather be with you.”

He stares at you, eyes wider than its ever been since he'd gotten this damn worm in his brain.

“What? Why?” he blurts, embarrassingly so, before he composes himself again and clears his throat. “I mean, well, I know why—but I thought you'd had something more…with Gale.”

As much as he despises the idea, he'd seen the way you'd laughed with him. And while it was a new experience for him to be fond of another person, he'd found that these feelings had led him to rather you be happy than dragging you down with him. If it meant you wouldn't regret your choice, he’d been willing to deal with it.

So why?

“I want something real with you, Astarion,” you say softly, eyes meeting his. “I don't know if you feel the same way, but Gale and I are better off as friends, and I told him before I came here. And besides, it’d be cruel of me to lead him on while my heart is with another.”

He thinks he might have died again just now. For the first time in decades, he’s actually at a loss for words. “I—if that's what you truly want—we can try. Be lovers, I mean.”

You finally smile at his words, and Gods above if that doesn't lift the excruciating weight of the past few weeks off his shoulders. He feels the warmth of your lips when you lean forward to give him a peck on the cheek, everything happening so fast that his mind is spinning. He snaps back into focus when you pull back.

“I’ve wanted to do that for a while.”

You could have—should have, done it earlier. With a smile of his own, he leads you back to him, this time planting a soft kiss on your lips. It’s short, and not nearly enough, but it’ll do for tonight.

“Well then, consider yourself wholeheartedly taken then, my dear.”