#the hunting party tour

[feelingsofaithless]

[rock--band]

100+ Rock Band Posters and Canvas Prints

Print Option: ♦ Framed Poster Print ♦ Canvas Print ♦ Metal Print ♦ Acrylic Print ♦ Wood Prints 🌐 Worldwide shipping

[chaussetteblanche]

and they were roommates

pairing : Spencer Reid x fem!student!roommate!reader summary : you are Spencer Reid's roommate, the team finds out about you when a case brings them to the university you study at word count : 2.5k warning : canon-typical violence A/N : the university is a random one I picked in Virginia, bear with me because I don't know how US university systems work, thanks :) I think this is a part one, there may be a part two or even more, idk, but tell me what you think !

part 2, part 3, part 4

"I- I'm sorry, what university did you say?" Spencer's frantic tone was immediately noticed by his colleagues. Suddenly, he seemed hyperaware of everything in the room. The loud AC, Derek's pen-clicking and the overwhelming smell of Emily's coffee. "Mary Washington University," JJ answered swiftly, eyes narrowed as she sent Reid a confused glance. The man in question mumbled a few words under his breath and shot up, grabbing his coat and scarf. "We need to go." His tone, unusually urgent, left no space for debate or questioning. He was out the door within seconds, followed closely by Morgan and the others.

When you'd applied for Mary Washington University, you had known you would have to get an apartment. You lived too far away to even consider taking the numerous trains and buses and subways to get there. So, when you had been accepted into your first choice of universities, you'd started apartment hunting. Or roommate-hunting, to be more precise.

To say you had been unlucky would have been quite the understatement. You'd visited four apartments so far and could not even consider living in one of them for a second. The first had been full of frat boys who made your skin crawl, the second was with an old, far right-wing couple, the third had been two sisters who'd yelled at each other for the whole time you were there and the fourth had been so crowded your were certain it was neither sanitary not legal for another person to live there. With the deadline of university starting and having to move all your things, you were starting to get quite anxious. But call it chance or fate, one day you stumbled upon an advertisement for an apartment in a nice neighbourhood with one person who seemed quite normal. This person was a state-employee (which meant a stable salary and that meant you wouldn't have to compensate for rent) who travelled often for work and liked to keep mostly to themselves. Not one for big parties, they preferred a night-in and rarely had people over.

So you'd put on your big-girl pants and had walked over to what you hoped would be your last apartment visit. You hadn't been expecting such a young person to open the door because of the way the advert had been written and because of what it said. "Hi, I'm Dr. Spencer Reid." You noticed he didn't hold his hand out and mirrored his behaviour. "Hi! I'm here for a visit!" You introduced yourself somewhat shyly, feeling intimidated. This man was at the most five years older than you and he was already a doctor?

He showed you around the apartment, which you liked very much. The rooms smelled like books and tea and everything was kept very clean. On the whole, it was tidy, even if a few books or articles were stacked in some odd places. The bedroom you'd stay in was large and luminous. After the tour, he made you a cup of tea as you discussed formalities.

"Uh, so, you’re a student, right?" he'd asked politely as he added a worrying amount of sugar in his earl grey. You bit back a teasing jest. You hoped maybe one day you'd get to place where you could comment on his daily sugar intake. "Yeah, um, I'm studying English Literature and Cinema." You stirred your tea, looking around the kitchen. Even though it was painted a dark, forest green, it still seemed luminous in the afternoon sun. "Oh, that's super interesting! I’ve always found texts in Middle English particularly insightful! I- I read the Canterbury Tales when I was about 10 years old. It’s fascinating the way in which issues which were already current then are still very present today, like in the Wife of Bath’s tale, for example-“

He cut himself off, leaning back into the couch. He rubbed the back of his neck, cheeks dusted pink. “Sorry, you probably don’t want me to ramble about what you already know.” “No, I think it’s amazing that you would know that, actually. What else did you like in the Wife of Bath’s tale?” Spencer seemed to brighten up at your words and thus ensued a lengthy discussion of the avant-garde themes evoked by Geoffrey Chaucer. You were fascinated by his knowledge and found his passion especially endearing. Lots of your professors weren’t even that passionate when talking of late 14th century literature.

After discussing rent, which you would afford by waitressing at a local bar, lightly touching upon political subjects (on which you seemed to agree on), he finally told you that he was an FBI agent. "Excuse me?" you spluttered, leaning backwards in shock. "I'm a profiler with the BAU, the Behavioural Analysis Unit. I can show you my badge if you want." He stood up and reached for his bag, but you stopped him in his tracks. "No, no, that's okay, I believe you. I'm just surprised, that's all, sorry." His expansive knowledge of so many things seemed fitting for an agent of the BAU. After realising you were the first person who didn't demand his badge as proof of his profession, Spencer granted you a small smile. "You don't need to apologise. I- I know it can be a bit... off-putting." He sat back down and looked you in the eye. "Is that a problem for you, living with a federal agent?"

You thought about it for a second. As a general rule, you weren't a big fan of cops. Even more generally, you didn't believe in the structure of today's society. But that was a big topic. Plus, a profiler wasn't really a cop, was he? "No, that's not a problem for me."

You'd moved in a month and a half later. Things had been slightly awkward at first and you'd had to figure out what kind of dynamic Spencer and you had. But eventually, you’d found your rhythm.

When Spencer left for work, you took care of his plants and sent him pictures of Geoffrey. Geoffrey was the cat you’d found on the street and taken in. He was named after Geoffrey Chaucer, author of the Canterbury Tales, your first common point of interest. Spencer had been reluctant at first, but you’d taken him to the vet, where he was tested and vaccinated, and the man had finally accepted him into your shared space. Now, he loved the little creature. Sometimes, you’d call him to ask how he was doing and whether he was safe. He’d always reply that yes, he was doing fine and no, he wasn’t in any danger, don’t you worry. He’d ask how you were doing and if you were staying on top of uni work and if you’d eaten and if Geoffrey wasn't being too annoying. As an orange cat, he had his particular tendencies.

When Spencer was at home, you'd always look forward to getting back from class. There was always that sense of comfort and ease when he was around. You had found a lovely routine quite easily. You'd both work or study, then cook, eat together and afterwards maybe you'd watch a movie or something. You were at a point where you could comment on his daily sugar intake, which he's started correcting since meeting you. He loved the Big Bang Theory and though you weren't such a fan, you loved the little laughs he let out and all the corrections he'd make. In general, you liked when he talked. Even more generally, you liked him. You also liked Friends and though Ross got on Spencer's nerves, he enjoyed being able to discuss it with you afterwards. The two of you got very close without even noticing.

Sometimes, you'd remember he wasn't just your roommate, but also a man. He'd make you a cup of tea and you'd stare at his hands a little too long while he stirred the honey in. Or he'd help you reach for a cup with his impressive height, his front just skimming your back with a shiver. He'd tell you to breathe and sit down when you were upset about something. A few times, he drove you home from a night out with your friends and laid his hand on your knee. He was the only one who remembered how you'd told him you wanted to kiss him.

With you, Spencer discovered many things he had never experienced before. A healthy, comforting and peaceful routine. A supporting, non-judgemental, healthy friendship. Easy laughter in the middle of the night and tired "good morning"s at dawn. Butterflies in his stomach whenever you touched him. A budding romance which kept him awake at night.

So when that was threatened, he just about lost it.

"Oh my God." "I can't believe this." "Is this a prank?" "Did someone call 911?" "What about her parents?" "Oh, that's sick."

Voices swarmed around your head, making you dizzy. Your hand rested over your mouth as you stared at the body strewn on the lawn. Much of the student body stood next to you, just as shocked. Mary Goldman had been her name. You'd crossed her just this morning in the main hall and had exchanged small smiles. You had thought that she looked really pretty today, but hadn't told her. You regretted that now. At the moment, her mascara had run down her cheeks and dried and her lipstick and been smudged. Bruises and cuts decorated her bare arms and legs and a big red stain sat on the side of her stomach. The contrast between her dead body and the green, thriving grass beneath her was haunting.

You turned away, feeling sick. You felt your friend's hand on your shoulder, a small source of comfort anchoring you to reality. Facing the road as you turned, you were surprised to see three big black SUVs speeding towards the crowd. You'd been expecting an ambulance, or cops. Not whoever these guys were. They screeched to a stop, drawing everyone's attention. A small dozen of people stormed out, all dressed differently though they all held the same aura of importance, knowledge and authority. You turned back to your friends. "Who are these-"

You stopped mid-sentence when you heard your name being called out urgently. You'd have recognised his voice amidst a thousand others. He spoke your name like no other. You frantically looked around, pushing your way to the large vehicles. When you finally spotted him, tears started pricking your eyes. "Spencer," you breathed in a half-sob. His eyes ran you over once, twice, assessing any damage. When he saw there was no physical wound, his shoulders sank in relief. He opened his arms and you rushed inside his warm embrace almost reflexively. Neither of you noticed the numerous pair of curious eyes observing your intimate exchange.

"Oh my God, Spence- What- What are you doing here?" you'd cried into his cardigan. You buried your face into his neck, inhaling the comforting scent he always bore. He wrapped an arm around your waist and another around your shoulders, holding the back of your head in a consoling manner. "We're- We're taking this on as a case, sweets. Are you all right?" He knew it was a stupid question but all the emotions and tension were barely wearing off and he didn't know what else to say. You pulled away but he kept you at arm's length, holding your cold, shaking hands in his warm, steady ones. "I- Yeah, it's just- I- I saw her this morning! How could she- Why would someone do this to her? To- to anyone?!" Spencer cooed and pulled you into another tight hug as you continued to ramble through your tears. When you'd eventually calmed down thanks to his words of reassurance, he pulled away softly.

Spencer understood what you meant perhaps more than anyone. The sadness, the shock, the anger, the need to understand. He gently wiped away the mascara under your eyes with his thumb. "I know, I- It's- Even I don't always understand, sweetheart, so don't- Why don't you go home? I'd come with you but-" You nodded, biting your lower lip. He gave you a sad smile. "I promise I'll join you as soon as this is over. You- you can make yourself a cup of tea and process all this and pet Geoffrey, okay? Classes are going to be cancelled either way." "I don't want to-" The look in his eyes kept you from arguing further. You nodded, giving him another hug. Before you left, an older man came over to you.

"I'm sorry to bother you, miss. I'm Agent David Rossi. I just had a question-" "Rossi," interrupted Spencer with a stern tone you'd never heard before. The older Agent raised an eyebrow at him. "Just one question." He turned back to you. "At what time did you say you saw the victim?" You inhaled shakily, running a hand over your face. "Uh, it must have been around quarter to eleven. I think- Yeah, somewhere between ten thirty and eleven." "Thank you, miss." You didn't miss the glance shared between the two men before Rossi retreated.

"Who was that?" asked Emily as soon as you'd left and Spencer had joined them behind the police tape. "No one," Spencer brushed her off as he kneeled next to the victim. Strangely, he hated the idea of someone who knew you dying. It felt too close to home. "C'mon, man, you lost your shit this morning, a girl you clearly know very well runs into your arms, you snap at Rossi and you expect us to believe you?" Derek raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest. Spencer sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before looking up at the rest of the team. All were staring at him patiently. He stood up, swallowing.

"That was my roommate." He informed the team of your name and of how you'd been living together for a few years now. "Spencer, you've been living with a woman for years and you've never told us?!" Derek was all but hysteric. Hotch reminded him that everyone was entitled to a private life. "So, are you dating or something?" Emily prodded again. Spencer hesitated a second before answering. "No." Derek scoffed, appalled. "You mean to tell me you've been living with a beautiful woman like that for years and nothing's ever happened?!" "Not everyone is like you, Morgan," Emily reminded with a teasing smirk. Derek sent her an unimpressed look. "Look, let's all grill Spencer later, we have a case to focus on right now." Rossi, ever the voice of reason, directed everyone's attention back to the corpse laying next to them.

Needless to say, the BAU team did not need to interrogate Spencer or attack him with incessant questions to find much out. They'd seen by his behaviour that very morning how much he cared about you. They'd seen how relieved he had been when he'd seen you safe and sound. They'd noticed you'd only started crying when you'd seen him, a big sign of trust. They had never heard him call another by pet names such as "sweets" or "sweetheart". They'd read both of your body languages like a children's book and translated it easily.

Love. Comfort. Peace. Ease.

[toxycodone]

Cupid’s Breath (Kabru of Utaya x Beastkin/Monster!Reader)

header cred.

rating. nsfw

content. reader has monster genitalia (vagina + clitdick), sex pollen, hate (kinda) sex (kabru is very conflicted), penetration (both on reader and kabru), no foreplay--just crazy monster sex. Ending is angsty, so...proceed w/caution.

word count. 6k+

summary. You are a beastkin hired to guide Kabru’s party through the dungeon. Despite all the time you’ve spent with the party, its leader, Kabru, continues to elude you. He’s consistently nice and polite, yet you can tell it’s not genuine, causing you more and more discomfort. Why doesn’t he seem to like you? While exploring the end of the fourth floor, you and Kabru are separated from the other party members. Given this time alone, you’re finally able to have a heart to heart with your party leader. However, things get a bit heated—in more ways than one.

There’s a sharp swishing sound in the air as a blade slashes through the undergrowth. The brunette sighs, then wipes sweat off his brow.

“I’ve heard rumors of this place, but I’d never seen it for myself.” Kabru mutters, positioning his sword to swipe at another tangle of vines. He looks angry, but only for a second, before flashing you his usual pretty boy smile. “Thanks to your help, we’ve managed to almost get past the fourth floor.”

The other party members smile too. Theirs are much more legitimate. Rin’s the sole member that keeps her usual scowl, but it softens to a neutral glance for a few seconds. You’ve learned that's her way of smiling.

“No problem. It’s what you hired me for.” You smile softly at the others. When your gaze trails to Kabru–-it instinctually falters. Your keen senses have yet to fail you. There’s something off about him. He smiles, laughs, speaks words of praise…but there's a lack of genuineness behind it. You hold back a shudder. “And don’t just slash at those tentacles like that. You never know how a species will react. You could get poisoned–or worse.”

Kabru’s eyes widen. He looks to the plants, then visibly recoils. Mickbell seems more interested now. You catch him mumbling about how their extract may work on his darts. Thankfully, Holm heeds your warning and guides the curious half-foot away from the plant.

“Thanks. Perhaps I got too hasty.” Kabru chuckles, then rubs the back of his head. You want to grimace when you see the action. It’s akin to an actor you’d witness at the opera. You wonder how many times he’s practiced the motion in his head.

“Let’s continue.” You turn back to the dungeon floor. It’s teaming with more and more vegetation. It seems to be growing at a rapid pace. The dungeon must be getting more unstable. It won’t be long before you’ll have to discontinue these tours for your own safety. But that brings on another pressing matter….

Where will you live?

Someone of your makeup, stature, species–whatever one may call it, is not particularly welcome on the Island. Or anywhere on the surface for that matter. You’re thankful to the orcs that treated you with such hospitality since you first began making a living here. You help adventurers who wish to delve deeper into the dungeon, purposefully showing them longer, more tedious routes that  allow for the orcs to travel and maintain their territory unbothered. With the money you make, you’re able to buy things for yourself from the first floor and bring back useful items for the orcs. In return, they let you stay in their many settlements, allowing you to live peacefully–unbothered by monsters and adventurers alike.

A discussion has been continuing with you and Zon, however. Dungeon crawlers are getting more aggressive and greedy. Despite you preaching the safety and quickness of your routes, they’ve begun cutting through orc territory, now intent on hunting the demihumans specifically. Along with that, the Dungeon Lord appears to be going through something themself, as well. You’ve recently heard confirmation of the Red Dragon appearing on the fifth floor. Something you found hard to believe until shown the carcasses of burnt wargs. You’d have to be careful to avoid that route when you guys pass this floor, maybe–

“Something on your mind?”

A familiar voice cuts through your thoughts. Kabru, curious as ever, is looking at you. His deep blue eyes and friendly smile would charm just about anyone aside from yourself. Your sense of smell keeps you hesitant. He’s not asking purely out of concern for you. It’s most likely to satisfy his own curiosity. You look away.

“No, I just…”

You look back to him. Those same blue eyes, brow quirked in curiosity. Ugh. You regret making eye contact. “You seemed lost in thought. You know, you’re welcome to voice any concerns. I’ll happily listen.”

You catch Holm smiling from the corner of your eye, as if he’s admiring his party leader. Of course, Kabru is playing the good guy again. Seeming as if he’s  wanting to get to know you better, but in reality, there’s something underneath the surface. Kabru’s demeanor gives off the vibe he’s analyzing everything you say, probing each word and implication for a valid reason to assess you as a threat. You’re sure he’d flip if he learned about your alliance with the orcs.

You know better. A smile of your own crosses your face.

“It’s alright. Just planning our route in my head. We’ll be set to descend by the evening.”

Disappointment flashes across the man’s features, but he’s quick not to let it linger.

“Sounds good. Thank you again for your expertise.”

Before much else can happen, Mickbell suddenly halts. Everyone’s quick to follow suit. Your first reaction is the thought that he might have touched a tentacle and gotten paralyzed, but he speaks.

“Do you guys hear that?” Of course the others can’t. Your hearing, however, is the closest to his. You still and pay attention. The sound of rocks scratching against each other in the distance fills your ears, it’s faint, but moving closer. You’ve only ever heard this when the dungeon starts to change.

Oh no.

“A tremor!” You shout. Each fur on your body prickles. “Everyone, stay clo–!”

Before you can finish your sentence, the dungeon floor begins to shift underneath you. You hear frantic footsteps, the clattering of equipment on the ground, before…

You’re falling. It’s a seemingly short distance, but it hurts nonetheless when you hit the ground. You hear something fall closeby–likely your own equipment. A dull ache forms at the base of your skull. Fuck–that hurt.

You lie there for a few seconds, before scrambling to your feet. The walls of the dungeon have appeared to swallow you, separating you from other members of the team. A string of curses leave your mouth. Just your fucking luck. This is gonna add extra time to your venture. And knowing Kabru’s party’s history, you’ll be lucky to find them again alive.

The sound of armor clanging and steps in your direction snap you out of your thoughts.

 “Are you alright?”

That voice. You turn around. Those eyes. That crop of curly black hair. Fuck. It’s him. Of fucking course you had to be stuck with him.

“I’m okay. Just bumped my head a little” You answer, attempting to be polite. “And you?”

“Same here. But otherwise, I’m okay too.” Kabru flashes an awkward smile. You start to smell something odd on him. Fear pheromones. Is he scared to be stuck alone with you? 

“Are you sure?” You’re not sure if it's the head injury or what, but you’re feeling a bit bold. “Because you clearly seem bothered by something.”

Kabru looks confused.

“No, the fall wasn’t that bad. I mean, I think we need to find the others, but–”

“I don’t mean that. You’re nervous.” You state, stepping a bit closer to him. “Are you feeling weird about being stuck alone here with me?”

He looks put on the spot. The usual calm, collected persona he portrays cracks a tad.

“What? No, no…” He’s not a particularly good liar. “It’s the circumstances. We’re on a new floor, just got separated from the rest of the party, it’s just–” 

“I can smell it on you, Kabru. Every time you speak to me, it’s like you’re sizing me up. Trying to see if I’m a threat.” There’s a hint of a growl in your voice. You’re careful not to flash your fangs, he doesn’t need any more evidence to back up his prejudices. “Just be honest. I know you don’t like me.”

Silence fills the air. The way Kabru’s face falls is cinematic. It sends a shiver down your spine.

“I thought I was doing a decent job.” He mutters, clicking his tongue in annoyance. “But it seems I’m not as good as I thought. Of course you’d pick up on it.” 

You figure he’s talking more to himself than you. His cobalt eyes lock onto yours.

“I don’t like monsters.” He says in earnest. “They decimated my village when I was younger. I  seek to understand this dungeons secrets, but I’m not keen on the inhabitants.”

“ I’m a monster.” You retort, tilting your head. “And yet you chose to hire me?”

“My party needs your services. We haven’t been able to make it far without a guide, especially one who specializes in monster information. After encountering another adventurer with this information…I realized how important it was. I wasn’t particularly ecstatic to hire you, but it was a necessity.” 

You scoff. Is he serious? You’ve guided his party through three floors already, even risking your life to ensure their safety. And yet this is still what he thinks of you?

“You realize I’m not some feral beast, right? I have consciousness. Sentience. Morals. I wouldn’t just kill you in cold blood.”

“But you’re still a monster. You’re unpredictable.”

When Kabru says this, he’s honestly not even sure how much he believes it. Despite his history with monsters, you have proven to be quite the ally to his party. Even with all his probing, Kabru’s yet to find any useful evidence you may be a threat to his party. Or his mission. But he has to keep his guard up. He must. He won’t let himself be caught off guard again.

On the other hand, his words make your blood boil. You knew it. All this time, he despised you. Stupid human.

“Fuck this,” You growl, turning in the opposite direction. “I quit. Find your own way out.”

You’re careful to avoid the path full of dungeon vegetation. A usual beginner's mistake. You hope Kabru steps on a tentacle and gets paralyzed. Heh. That would make you feel a little better.

Kabru’s unsure of what to say. For one, you are very useful. You have guided his party further  than they’ve managed on their own. However…he’s felt odd from the start. As someone who trusts his intuition, he wonders if letting you go might be the best option. Gods help him if you decide to turn your back on them at the last minute. He should know better than to trust a monster. 

But you’re not like other monsters. Or are you? The concept still frustrates him. He doesn’t understand you. He honestly wishes he could.

As Kabru walks away, he unsheathes his sword to clear a path. You’re about to walk around the corner, before you notice where he’s heading. The plant in front of him lines the dungeon wall and unfurls into large pink blooms. Wait a minute–that’s not just any dungeon vine. It’s a Cupid’s Breath. You’d seen them around before, but rarely ever in bloom. When threatened, they release a cloud of hallucinogenic pollen to deter predators (but also turn them into potential pollinators themselves). If he disturbs that plant…you’ll both be in trouble!

“Kabru, wai–”

As his sword makes contact with the flower, a pink mist comes rushing out, coating the air in a pink haze. Kabru immediately starts coughing, falling back onto his behind. You curse and rush forward, attempting to drag him out of the mist.

“What did I tell you about swinging your sword at things? You have to be careful!” You curse again. No wonder his party’s never gotten far. They don’t know a thing about monsters. “That thing could’ve got you killed!” You hiss, your ears falling back as you scowl.

Kabru’s still overcome by fits of coughing. After a few seconds, you start to feel it too. Of course you’d been hit by the blast. Thankfully, you’re certain it’s just residual fire. You may be a little out of it later, but you’re sure you’ll be fine. Well, you hope.

“Sorry…” Kabru sputters, wiping his mouth on his arm. “I wasn’t thinking…”

“I know.” You growl, still agitated by your earlier interaction. “You don’t seem to do that much when it comes to encountering monsters.” Kabru’s about to respond, but his voice catches in this throat. He’s still for a few seconds, and you notice his dark skin seems to deepen more with color. Your brow quirks.

“...I feel…strange.” Kabru states. 

You sigh.

“Yeah, you got hit directly by a Cupid’s Breath. You’ll likely be tripping for a bit.”

“No…I–” Kabru’s demeanor seems to change. He’s embarrassed. “It’s a different feeling.”

You want to ask more. But you start to feel it too…what he’s describing is unmistakable. There’s a familiar warmth beginning to fill your core. Arousal. So that’s the effect of the plant, not just mere hallucinogens. You mentally curse. 

“Oh.” Your own cheeks heat up now. This…is awkward. Kabru shifts in place.  you had no idea that these plants had this effect on anyone from what you understood they were purely hallucinogenic

Now you're stuck in a tight place with the leader of your party both steadily growing hornier and hornier. Just your fucking luck.

“Lets be rational.” You say, trying to maintain your composure. “ This is just the effect of the plant. if we try to stay calm and collected we could just let this pass over us. Then we'll go search for the others.”

Kabru  nods but he seems almost lost as if his mind is elsewhere.  It's clear the pollen is starting to have a major effect on him. Before you know it, you start to feel it too. It’s…instinctual. As if something primal is taking over. 

Has Kabru always looked this handsome?

No, no. You have to fight it. You try to stay normal, feel normal, think normal thoughts. Until. 

You’re warm–no, hot. When did it get so hot in here? You have to take off something, anything, everything. Your claws move to undo your armor, letting it fall to the floor. It takes what’s left of your willpower not to tear off your other clothing too. You’re shocked you manage to remove it without tearing it to shreds.

Kabru’s in a similar state. He struggles to take off his upper armor, then his hands seem to be unable to understand the mechanisms of his pants.  You drop to his side, perception starting to become altered. The rage you felt before dissipates as you crouch by Kabru. It seems his disdain has followed suit when your lips meet for a kiss.

You’d expect something like this to be awkward, revolting, entirely out of the realm of possibility—yet it feels perfectly normal, enticing, even. There’s only a split second the two of you remain parted before you go in for another. Kabru’s lips are soft, remarkably so. If you keep your eyes closed, you could easily imagine a girl in his place. However, your body remains focused on him. His presence, his warmth—slowly but surely, your mind becomes consumed by Kabru.

A sharp claw links under his shirt. There’s no time to bother with taking it off, you drag it down the linen of his undershirt. It tears without much resistance, the sound causing your ears to perk in anticipation.

The sight of his upper body is a surprise, but not an unwelcome one. He’s skinnier than you imagined. Wait, not that you imagined him unclothed. Because you never did that. But if you imagined it before, the sight before you now wouldn’t exactly match. It seems the cost of revival has done a toll on his body, causing him to lack much body fat. However, he’s attractive all the same. His dark skin is dotted with the occasional scar, evidence of prior years of training. His muscles are also easily visible under his skin. Each time his chest rises and falls, you can see the hint of them start to show. Kabru is ultimately average body wise. And for some reason, that makes the heat between your thighs grow.

His shirt now fully discarded, you feel the need to touch him. You’re not sure whether to do it with your hands or your mouth, mind fuzzy with arousal, so you just let your body move as it pleases. Your lips connect with the skin of his neck, eager to taste whatever lingers on the surface. Kabru gasps, then sings the sweetest moan into the silence. It rouses your interest, sending warm tingles down your groin. Paired with the saltiness of his skin, your senses are beginning to become overwhelmed by him.

As you adjust your body over his, your knee lies square between his legs, poking his groin. Kabru’s body eagerly responds to the touch. He moves to grind himself against your leg. You can feel how hard he is already, the heat radiating from his groin makes you want to tear it off and release him—letting him feel just as good as you. The air between you two is stuffy.

You continue to lick Kabru’s skin, nipping him not so gently as you move down his chest. At his collarbone, one of your fangs accidentally pricks his skin. The man jumps, but doesn’t yelp—instead letting out a wanton groan of pleasure. His eyes are widened in what you think might be fear, but you’re proven wrong when he lets out a needy whimper. In this state, even pain must feel good…The delirium starts to take over you both.

Your tongue dives out to lap at his skin. The coppery taste of blood fills your mouth as you do so. It’s intoxicating. As if you’re tasting the sweetest nectar nature has to offer. Kabru’s panting underneath you now, desperate moans and whimpers now filling the air . His fists grasp at the fur on your back, anchoring himself in place as he continues to grind on your knee. He’s enjoying this just as much as you do—the stiffness of his length is more than proof of that.

Seeing him come undone underneath you is engrossing. With each passing moment, you feel you’re finally seeing something real, aside from the act he puts up. His scent even matches with the moment—proving to you that despite what he’s said, he wants this just as much as you. Perhaps more.

 Your own legs link around his now, allowing you to drag yourself along his clothed thigh. The friction is absolutely delicious. It elicits a deep growl from your throat as you start to pleasure yourself. Juices leak onto his pant leg and your clit starts to harden. Just how visibly you’re turned on now would be mortifying if it weren’t for the situation at hand. It must be the effects of the pollen, because you’re leaking slick all over Kabru’s pants after only a few motions. The linen starts to stick to the skin of his thigh, which only makes the feeling even more gratification as you grind against him.

Kabru starts to take more initiative now. He grits his teeth, brows furrowing as his hips grind into you with fervor. You continue to hump his leg as well—the two of you desperate to keep this pleasant feeling going. Grunts and growls fill the silence, only aided by the noises of fabric shifting and your claws scraping against the dungeon floor. Kabru slows without warning and shudders. His fists hold onto you with a vice grip, keeping him as tethered to reality as possible while an orgasm rips through him. There’s a graceful moan as he reaches his peak and a visible wet spot forms in the crotch of his pants. If you weren’t in an equally pathetic state, you’d have loved to make fun of him for that.

Despite cumming, Kabru still remains hard as a rock. His tent is much more visible now due to his wet pants. You start to drool from your mouth and from your hole. You need that inside of you. Now.

Your hands perch on Kabru’s shoulders, holding him firm against the ground as you move your crotch above his. Grinding against his cock is much, much more relieving than simply doing it on his thigh. The indent of his length glides nice and smooth down your wet slit. You frot your clit against him too, relishing in the shocks of pleasure it sends down your thighs. This is absolutely heavenly. 

The pollen from the Cupid’s Breath sends your mind in a haze. There’s nothing left besides chasing that sweet, sweet feeling of release. You’re humping the outline of Kabru’s cock with fervor, his hands move to rest against your hips and guide you up and down his length. Just like that. You bite your lip in anticipation. Your orgasm is right on the brink. Just one, two more movements…and you’re cumming. Your body seizes, thighs twitching and your ears fall back. You let out a high-pitched moan before it evolves into a frustrated hiss. 

There’s no relief. That wasn’t enough. Your body is just as on fire as it was before. The wetness between your legs continues to leak out, coating Kabru’s length which lies his pants. It’s soaking wet now, leaving nothing to the imagination.

And you need it. Bad. 

It seems Kabru has the same idea. Before you can tear into his pants, his hands grasp your wrists. He wants to be in charge now. You scowl at him and growl, flashing your fangs in a feral attempt to make him bend to your wishes, but he doesn’t budge. There’s a bit of fighting and scratching, but eventually, he wrestles you to the ground, pinning your wrists above your head. After a few deep pants, his eyes trail down…before he grimaces.

“What is that?”

It must be the total shock of the moment which snaps him out of the misty haze of the sex pollen. Kabru gestures to your inner thighs. It’s hard to tell whether you should be offended or not. He looks grossed out, but the crotch of his pants looks like it’s about to tear at the seams.

“Does it matter? Because you’re gonna stick your dick in it no matter what.” You sneer at him, panting in between your words. Kabru doesn’t seem impressed, but his fingernails start to dig into you now.

One of your clawed feet lunges out to scratch at his pants. Kabru gets the message and releases you to tear the garment, along with his underwear, off. The hastiness only makes him able to get it under his ass before he’s lining his cock up with your hole.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Kabru mutters. Maybe the prior orgasm didn’t provide enough relief to feel normal just yet, but it makes the two of you at least cognizant enough to speak. “But if I don’t fuck you, I think I’m gonna go crazy.”

“Same here. Y’know, I have standards too.”

Kabru grits his teeth. He’s angry. And totally conflicted. But he can’t not do this. The head of his cock lines up with your hole, and it barely takes a thrust from him before you’re greedily sucking him into you.

The two of you moan in sync, yours sounding more like a growl. Your hands anchor themselves on his shoulders, claws pricking his skin deeper and deeper with each thrust. Your hole swallows him like it’s starving. There’s zero resistance due to how wet you are, each time he thrusts in and out there’s a sloppy sound. The pheromones that hang in the air make your mind hazy. You feel utterly perverted doing this, letting this man you barely know–who’s you’re sure hates you, fuck you senseless.

One of your hands reaches down to stroke your clit. Underneath the pressure, it grows harder and harder at your touch. You feel your orgasm start to build once more. Kabru’s hands dig into the dust on the dungeon floor as he slams into you. His previous apprehension may still reside in his mind, but his body shows no resistance. His balls slap loudly against your ass, echoing against the rocky walls as your carnal sounds fill the silence.

Your genitals aren’t like those of humans. They’re designed to promote sexual intercourse and milk males for everything they’re worth, ensuring proper insemination. It’s something one like you could handle, but it’s an incredibly new sensation for Kabru. The fact that he’s been able to last over ten thrusts so far has you impressed. His stamina is something to be praised. 

His face is twisted in bliss as he continues to pound into you. He’s close, you can tell, but doing his best to last as long as possible. You’re unsure if it’s due to the fact he wants to indulge himself in this or if he’s actually thinking of your pleasure too…your thoughts are confined when he sits up and hikes your calves over his shoulders, now pushing your thighs against your belly in a mating press. He presses one palm against your upper groin, allowing him to more effectively hit your g-spot.

The new position has your toes curling. Of course he’d know how to heighten your ecstacy—all that time spent learning anatomy and he did end up with something useful. Not only is Kabru abusing your rapacious hole, but this position even has him grinding his pubic bone against your enlarged clit as he splits you open. You cry out at his pounds into your g-spot, grunting and groaning in a bestial sense enough to rival your own. The length of his cock drags against your greedy walls as you tighten around him. The brutal onslaught on your hole has you crying and cursing, burying your nails into him and slicing his skin. 

When he spills into you, you eagerly soak up every last drop. Nothing goes to waste like this— you’re bred effectively and purposefully no matter the circumstances. Kabru slides out of you with a sickeningly wet plop, then falls to the floor. His chest heaves as he attempts to catch his breath.

Meanwhile, you still have some steam left. Being affected by the pollen secondly must mean it’s still lingering. You remain under the influence.

You stalk over to Kabru now. He looks like prey, weak and vulnerable. His chest continues to rise and fall heavily as he quirks his brow at you.

“What…are you—“

You pounce onto him like a cat would a mouse. His seems to understand the reality of the situation, noticing that carnal hunger in your eyes. Kabru swallows—a mix of trepidation along with anticipation.

“I’m not done yet. I wanna fuck you now.”

You speak, frotting your clit against his cock. Kabru shudders and moans. He’s not exactly in his right mind. But all things considered, are you? After what the two of you have done already, there’s really not much left to be held sacred.

He opens his legs, almost shyly, as he allows you to center yourself between them more comfortably.

“Don’t…don’t go too crazy…” He whimpers when your wet clit rocks against him again. “I’ve never really—“

He’s embarrassed now. This type of sex is totally unorthodox. Especially with someone like you. In the back of his mind, he’s a bit concerned you may rip him in two with that monster strength.

“No worries. I’ll stay calm.” You lick a stripe up his neck. “As calm as I can be, that is. You’re the one that got us hit by the Cupid’s Breath. So you can’t run from the consequences now.”

Before he can reply, you let your fangs sink into the skin of his collarbone again. You wanna taste his blood again. You want everything his body can offer you.

Kabru yelps, and while he’s distracted, you sink your clit in between his cheeks, thrusting into his ass. The sex from earlier left more than enough lubrication between them, and the effects from the pollen and orgasms have his body much more relaxed than usual. Therefore, it’s easy to push yourself inside him.

The taste of his skin is still so delicious. You savor the taste as you lap up his blood, before moving down to suck on his hard nipples. Kabru grips at the dungeon floor, before ultimately deciding he needs to hold onto your arms. His teeth grit as a sharp exhale leaves his nose. Despite the tight squeeze, no, it doesn’t hurt—it actually feels really good. When you pinch his bud in between your teeth, the whine he lets out is carnal and desperate.

Meanwhile, you’re preoccupied with just how tight he is. Holy shit, he wasn’t lying, there’s no way anyone has ever fucked him like this before. You rut against him, slapping your thighs against his with each powerful thrust. Your pelvic fur is damp with slick. There’s an audible plap each time your hips meet, and when you pull out, you can feel the stickiness still connecting you and Kabru together.

Fucking his ass is greater than you could’ve imagined. Which admittedly you have quite a few times before. You always thought it’d be the perfect way to shut this guy up and get him out of his head. With your skills, you could get that stupid facade of his to crumble into pieces and make him a dumb cumslut. And your imagination proved correct. Kabru’s become reduced to nothing beneath you. He just lies there and whines, his breathing ragged and eyes squeezed shut as you thrust into him.

You’re curious. As good as this feels and as much as you want to cum already, you want to try something. You reach over and start to stroke his limp length in one hand. Kabru gasps, eyes shooting wide open to look at you. You chuckle as he leaks precum all over your palm.

“Gods, no-“ He sputters. “It’s too much. I can’t, not again.”

Kabru struggles under you, wanting to remove your hand from his crotch, but you just thrust into him harder, causing his body to seize.

“Don’t be like that. Just one more. I don’t ever get to see your real reactions to things.” You pant. “Let me have this.”

Kabru whimpers. Another thrust has him falling limp under you. You pick up the pace, now fucking his ass throughly as you pump his cock. Drool leaks from the side of Kabru’s mouth as he moans and whines with fervor. You take the opportunity to lick it up, then gently kiss his lips—which he reciprocates.

That action was oddly intimate. You pull back. You’re not sure why you did that. Whatever.

Your thrusts begin to get faster, lazier, and then you’re cumming for a third time, spreading warmth and slick all down your thighs again. Kabru manages to cum too. He bucks his hips, letting out a harsh cry as watery cum pours from his head. As the two of you lie in the afterglow, both trying to catch your breath, residual shocks of pleasure cause you and Kabru to involuntarily twitch and writhe.

Your own lips move to gently kiss his skin now, trying to soothe where you bit along with just coaxing Kabru through the aftermath of all this. Your mind is just starting to come down from the haze along with his. And you know that last orgasm must have hit him hard. Warm lips press against his throat, his cheek, his temple—until you finally meet his lips again. Kabru doesn’t resist. Almost reacting on instinct, they press back against yours.

You pull back. Your mind seems a lot clearer now. You can actually think rationally. And the regret slowly begins to sink in. 

Did this really just happen? What if the others heard? You’re praying they got trapped somewhere nice and far away. Ideally fully soundproof as well.

Kabru starts to sit up. You take this as a sign to hop off of him, now awkwardly seated beside him.

“We need to get cleaned up.” He states, running a hand through his hair. He looks a mix between upset and exhausted. You’re not sure what to make of it. But for now, you’re happy to just move on from the situation at hand.

“Right.”

Thankfully, the fourth floor hosts plenty of opportunities to bathe. You can tell there’s running water nearby, too. In the direction you were going before this incident, you could hear it.

You grab your clothes, chuck your bag over your shoulder, then beckon Kabru to follow. He does without question.

The walk to the bathing pool is silent. Neither of you really want to address what happened, at least not now. Thankfully though, when you reach the pool, there’s no awkwardness with getting undressed…considering the two of you have been exposed for quite a while.

The water is cool, but refreshing. As you sink into it, you let out a relaxed sigh. The feverish feeling from earlier starts to finally melt away. Kabru stands about ten feet away, his back turned towards you. You take a moment to appreciate his frame. He’s pretty. You can admit that now without feeling the need to berate yourself for thinking that.

However, his back’s coated in angry, red scratches. A few still dribble blood. He does deserve it for what he said to you earlier. Still, oddly enough…you feel bad. It was hot in the heat of the moment. Now he’s probably left with the residual soreness other pain for a while. There’s no way he’s going to ask Holm to heal that for him.

“Hey,” You tread water towards him. “Let me wash your back for you.”

Again, you know you don’t have to offer him this relief. But you want to. Kabru doesn’t react much. He shrugs. You take it as a yes, then move to take the washcloth from him.

Now, Kabru’s far cry from his usual self. There’s no remnants of the charming, charismatic leader from hours before. He’s exposed in a physical and emotional sense. Seeing him so vulnerable in front of you like this is akin to watching a newborn fawn. You feel like the predator in this situation now. None of this was your fault, if anything Kabru is to blame for disturbing the flower, but you’re still guilty. Kabru’s feelings about monsters don’t stem from usual assumptions about them. From the way he’s acting, you can tell something happened. Something terrible. You wonder if it really is best for you to be interacting with him right now. 

“I’m sorry.” You mutter to him, gently washing his wounds. “For this. Whatever happened to you.” 

He’s silent. You can hear his mouth open, and there’s a sound as if he’s trying to say something, but he doesn’t. Kabru sinks into the water.

“I’d like to be left alone.” He says. His voice is shaky, back still turned to you. Gods, you feel shitty. You place the washcloth on his shoulder.

“Okay. Let me know when you’re ready to leave.”

You don’t spend much time at the freshwater pool. Your bodies and clothes are clean from pollen, along with other contaminants now. The only reminder of what happened is the damage to the clothing, but that can be explained to the party with a quick story of a monster, which they’d easily believe. Rin and Holm could patch them up quickly. And due to Kabru’s acting skills, they’d do it without asking unnecessary questions. (Mainly why the tears seem to be so uniform and focused on intimate areas.)

“Ready to go?”

There it is. That voice. The overly perky tone he uses as if he’s forcing himself to be polite again. You want to pull your fur out. His mask is back on.

“Yeah, let's.” The heavy weight of your travel pack is nothing compared to the burden weighing on your mind. 

Your own curiosity about the man grows. You wonder if he’s ever going to address this. Give you a chance to get closer to him. You’d be willing to open up to him as well. 

Kabru smiles. You pretend its legitimate. His footsteps and musings on where the others might be linger in the dungeon halls.

Probably not, you figure. Questions for him bubble in your throat, but you swallow them down. You don’t need to get close. 

This is just another job. 

[imaginesig]

"I think he knows... he's gorgeous"

Paul Aron x singer!Reader

SMAU

I had such a hard time hunting down f2 wags so only Estelle is mentioned despite me wanting others-- sorry! Also the timeline doesn't fit reality but I do what I want and I made up a new gp for my own personal gain

Inspired by: Eras Tour Stockholm Night 1 Mashup

All songs mentioned are tagged at the very bottom

yourusername

liked by taylorswift, paularon_, user54, and 829,938 others

yourusername: I've taken my final bow on the eras tour stage today... I'm so upset it's over but so so happy to have had the experience. Taylor, you've been such a fantastic mentor and supporter! Thank you for bringing me along 🫶🫶🫶

tagged: taylorswift

taylorswift it ws an honor to have you!! Can't wait to work with you in the future 🫶🫶🫶

user1 omg collab????

paularon_ you were incredible! now hurry up and get to Melbourne

yourusername otw 🏃‍♀️‍➡️

taylorswift thank you for letting me borrow her on off season!!

user2 my fav opener!!!

user5 lmao Paul's comment 💀

user6 they're literally my fab couple on the grid

user7 same!! I need more songs about him

user3 im so glad I got you for my show!!!!

user4 ugh you put the rest of us swifties to shame

load more

Paularon_

liked by yourusername, kimi.antonelli, dinobeganovic, and 927,838 others

Paularon_: "I remember how we felt sitting by the water, and every time I look at you it's like the first time"

tagged: yourusername

yourusername you did not need to expose me playing mermaids

paularon_ you looked to cute, what's a man supposed to do 🤷‍♂️

oscarpiastri enjoying Melbourne then??

paularon_ you know it

hitechgp our fav couple 😍😍

user1 the rings 😭

user2 ok Paul with the Taylor caption

user3 he's every girls dream man

user4 I need to know where Y/n got her swimsuit-- I love that color

load more

yourusername

liked by lettiemng, olliebearman, taylorswift, and 783,939 others

yourusername: 🏄‍♀️🌺

tagged: lettiemng

paularon_ so nice to see you left me out of all the fun

olliebearman right

yourusername you guys had gp stuff

lettiemng plus being a surfing wag was way more entertaining and I got to work on my tan

lettiemng please teach me soon!!!

yourusername ofc ofc

user1 Aussie surfing is the best

user2 this post is to Pinterest

user3 you look gorgeous

load more

paularon_

liked by user5, user58, hitechgp, and 968,976 others

paularon_: thats P1 in Melbourne!! My good luck charm is back baby🍀❤️

tagged no one

yourusername THATS MY MAN

yourusername WHOOOP WHOOP

yourusername CELEBRATION TIME!!!!!!!

yourusername I LOVE YOU MY CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER

paularon_ I LOVE YOU TOO

user5 I love that they match each others energy

user1 Y/n is the gf we all need

hitechgp there's no way to beat Y/n, but congratulations anyway 👏

user2 yes sir 💪💪

user3 not him calling her his lucky charm 🥹

user4 ugh Pauls out here raising relationship standards one post at a time

load more

Time Skip: a few races later, about midseason

yourusername

liked by paularon_, danielseavey, user54, and 928,938 others

yourusername: I've spent these past few weeks traveling the world with the love of my life and the best group of friends I could've ever asked for!! I've enjoyed our endless lights of exploring, partying, and racing 🩵 To celebrate, my newest album, "Little Calm," will drop next Friday!!

tagged: no one

taylorswift so excited!!! I can't wait to hear the rest of what you cooked up, Enchanted is already so special 🫶

yourusername thank you for adding you special sparkle to the mix 🫶

danielseavey best writing season ever, thank you for reaching out

yourusername ofc!! It was magical to see how closely our experiences were and how they shaped into such a beautiful song

paularon_ so so proud!! I can't wait to hear it ❤️

yourusername I love you much ❤️ but you've def heard all of these to some degree

paularon_ but I can't wait to hear them all put together

lettiemng ugh the perfect soundtrack for our epic summer ☀️

lettiemng I say we have a windows down in the car listening session

yourusername yesssssss

user1 oh please have songs about Paul!!

user2 right I've listen to Gorgeous so much we NEED more

user3 and they weren't even together when she wrote it, imagine the stuff now!!!

user4 AHHHHH TAYLOR COLLAB

user5 yk its a good summer when Y/n covers One Direction and Billy Joel

user6 duality of man

load more

paularon_

liked by yourusername, hitechgp, user84, and 244,937 others

paularon_: wonderful album, kullakallis 🩵

tagged: yourusrname

yourusername ma armastan sind 🩵

dinobenganovic wonderful album, me and my gf love it!!

user1 Im not crying you are

user2 who's cutting onions in here 🥹

user3 "we can follow the sparks, ill drive"

user4 not Paul beating all of us (including Y/n) with the post

load more

yourusername

liked by user4, lettiemnd, user5, and 928,389 others

yourusername: "Little Calm" out now!!

tagged paularon_

user1 omg I NEED surfer Paul content

user2 this IS the summer of Y/n with this drop

paularon_ so so so amazed by you

yourusername so so so amazed by YOU

danielseavey on repeat 🔁

taylorswift adding to the pre-eras playlist now!!!

user3 this album is gonna own my sporty wrapped

load more

paularon_

liked by yourusername, user5, user9, and 893,039 others

paularon_: "Feels like I'm falling and I / I'm lost in your eyes / You make me crazier"

tagged: yourusername

lettiemng I just looked at my boyfriend and signed

olliebearman HEY

yourusername LMAO ESTELLE

username awww baby 🥹

paularon_ ❤️❤️

user1 God its me again

user2 yes marriage is scary, what if he doesn't treat me like Paul does Y/n

user3 live laugh love PaulY/n

user4 the paddock pic 😭 she's so us

load more

yourusername

liked by user3, taylorswift, lettiemng, and 829,093 others

yourusername: I'm going on tour!!! Dates/tickets on my website 🩵🩵

tagged: no one

user1 not the tour dates lining up so she can be at Paul's races

user2 we praise him for being the ultimate boyfriend, but Y/n is the ultimate girlfriend

lettiemng do I like that you'll be away from me, no, am I still so so happy, yes

yourusername 💋💋

paularon_ so proud!! You're gonna kill it

yourusername with your support?? Yes I am!!

taylorswift brb grabbing tickets now

user3 just got my tickets!!!

user4 im so excited

user5 wdym Y/n's going on her own tour?? Didn't she just drop her first album?? She's not popular enough for her own?? She's still out little secret??

user6 me fr fr

load more

Time Skip- a few more races

paularon_

liked by yourusername, hitehcgp, user54, and 839,928 others

paularon_ so blessed to win at my home race!! Thank you to my family for supporting me

tagged: no one

yourusername so so proud baby!!

paularon_ ❤️❤️

user1 this was enough to make me cry

user2 more points closer to the championship

user3 I love this!!!

user4 first I get to watch Paul win and tomorrow I get to see Y/n perform

user5 what a life!!

load more

paularon_

liked by user3, yourusername, aronralph, and 827,720 others

paularon_: ma armastan sind ❤️

tagged yourusername

yourusername ma armastan sind ❤️

user1 estonia won best show

user2 right im so jelous

user3 a Paul win and a love mashup?? I can't take it

user4 when will it be my turn

user5 looks like ill be sleeping in traffic tonight

load more

yourusername

liked by taylorswift, paularon_, olliebearman, and 823,929 others

yourusername: Estonia you've been my favorite show, but im a bit bias ;)

tagged paularon_

comments have been disabled

Bonus, sometime in the future

paularon_

liked by auroralf, dinobeganovic, lukebrownracing, and 983, 938 others

paularon_: "Home was a place, now home is a person and you're looking at rings 'cause you swear that you're certain"

tagged yourusername

yourusername ❤️

aronralf I've waited too long for this, congrats!!

lettiemng ahhhh im crying!!!

olliebearman congrats!

dinobeganovic so happy man!!

lukebrownracing party time!!

comments have been limited

~~~

Songs mentioned:

I Think He Knows by Taylor Swift

San Franciso by 5 Seconds of Summer

Fearless by Taylor Swift

You, Me, and the Beat from Liv and Maddie

Crazier from Hannah Montana

You're On Your Own, Kid by Taylor Swift

The Older You Get by Daniel Seavey

Enchanted by Taylor Swift

Live While We're Young by One Direction

Vienna by Billy Joel

Gorgeous by Taylor Swift

[novaursa]

Between Pride and Fire (heirs of a lion)

- Summary:  It was a challenge of the hunt that drew the lion to you, but it was your fire that made him yours.

- Paring: targ!reader/Jason Lannister

- Rating: Mature 16+

- Previous part: the tour

- Next part: royals

- Tag(s): @sachaa-ff @oxymakestheworldgoround @punk-in-docs @barnes70stark

The sun was still rising when Jason Lannister rode out of Casterly Rock’s gates, his cloak trailing behind him like the banners of his house. The air was sharp and cool, heavy with the smell of pine and damp earth, as he led a small hunting party into the western woods. At his side rode Lord Andric Lefford, a stout and affable man whose booming laugh seemed to echo louder than the calls of the hunting horns. The pair had been in good spirits since dawn, their conversation filled with tales of hunts past and whispered wagers about which of them would down the first stag.

“This forest is thick with deer this time of year,” Jason remarked confidently, gripping the reins of his horse with practiced ease. “You’ll see, Andric. By midday, I’ll have you carrying my prize back to the Rock.”

Lord Andric chuckled, his large frame bouncing slightly in the saddle. “Your confidence, my lord, will be your undoing. I’ve a fine hand with the bow—better than any knight in the Westerlands.”

Jason shot him a smirk, his green eyes glinting in the morning light. “Then let us make it a wager. A cask of Arbor Gold to the man who brings down the largest stag.”

“Done!” Andric replied, slapping his thigh with a laugh. “I’ll make certain your wine tastes all the sweeter when it’s poured from my hand.”

Their banter carried easily between the trees as the hunting party made its way deeper into the woods. Dogs darted ahead, noses to the ground, while Jason’s squires lingered a few paces behind, ready with bows and spears. The stillness of the forest was broken only by the soft crackle of hooves over fallen leaves and the occasional bark of a hound catching a scent.

Jason, for his part, felt alive. It had been moons since he’d had the chance to ride out on a proper hunt, with the demands of his new marriage keeping him close to home. It was good to be in the wild again, the wind at his back, the thrill of the chase whispering through the trees.

“Married life suits you well, Jason,” Andric said suddenly, steering his horse closer. “You seem—what’s the word? Settled.”

Jason snorted, though he couldn’t help but grin. “And why shouldn’t I be? My wife is a dragon, Andric. It’s enough to keep any man on his toes.”

“Aye, I’ll bet,” Andric replied with a knowing laugh. “And soon you’ll have a little cub at your side as well. You’ll be a doting father, no doubt.”

Jason arched an eyebrow. “A Lannister doesn’t dote, Andric. We roar, and the child will learn to listen.”

“A roar can be gentle when it needs to be,” Andric countered. “Mark me—you’ll be as soft as a lamb when that babe is in your arms.”

Jason rolled his eyes, though his smirk lingered. “We’ll see about that. For now, let’s focus on finding this stag before your boasting puts it to flight.”

Andric laughed again, and the two pressed deeper into the woods, the sun now fully risen, its light filtering through the canopy in broken patches. The hounds picked up speed as they chased a scent, their barks echoing through the trees. Jason urged his stallion forward, his pulse quickening as he readied his spear, certain the hunt was about to reach its climax.

It was then that the shout came.

“My lord! My lord Jason!”

The voice, frantic and breathless, tore through the morning stillness, startling the birds into flight. Jason reined his horse sharply, turning to see one of his men—Ser Thom—burst through the underbrush, his face red and his chest heaving as he scrambled to reach them.

“What is it, Thom?” Jason barked, his mood darkening at the interruption. “You’ve just cost me a prize, man!”

Ser Thom staggered to a halt, his hands bracing on his knees as he gasped for air. “My lord… the princess… her labor has started.”

The words struck like a hammer, and Jason’s easy demeanor vanished in an instant. He stared at Thom, his knuckles whitening around the reins. “What did you say?”

“Princess Y/N, my lord. Her labor began not an hour ago. The maester sent me to find you.”

Jason’s heartbeat thundered in his ears as the world around him seemed to sharpen. He turned to Andric, who watched the scene with wide eyes, clearly uncertain how to respond.

“You’ll have to win that Arbor Gold without me, Andric,” Jason said, his voice tight but steady. “I’m needed at the Rock.”

Lord Andric gave a sharp nod, his expression one of understanding. “Of course. Go to her. The hunt can wait.”

Jason didn’t wait to hear more. He turned his horse with a swift tug of the reins and spurred it hard, galloping back through the trees as Ser Thom struggled to keep pace behind him. The forest flew past in a blur of green, the thundering hooves matching the frantic pounding of his heart.

Her labor. Gods be good.

The thought burned in his mind as he pushed the stallion harder, branches whipping against his cloak. Jason was no stranger to chaos or urgency, but the idea of not being there—of not being by your side—left a taste of fear on his tongue that he couldn’t quite swallow.

By the time Casterly Rock came into view, its towering walls rising above the cliffs, Jason’s face was flushed with wind and sweat, his pulse racing as if he’d just fought a battle. He rode straight into the courtyard, dismounting before the horse had even come to a full stop. The servants barely had time to react as he stormed inside, his boots echoing through the halls.

“Where is she?” he barked at the nearest maid, his voice sharp.

“The princess is in private chambers, my lord,” the girl stammered, bowing low as Jason brushed past her without another word.

He took the stairs two at a time, his chest heaving as he reached the door to chambers. Maester Ronnel and several midwives bustled in and out, their faces tense with concentration. The sound of hurried footsteps, the low murmurs of instruction—it was all too much, yet Jason pushed forward, forcing himself to stop at the threshold.

For just a moment, he paused to catch his breath, his hands bracing on the frame as he forced himself to calm. His world was behind that door, and he would not let his own fear follow him in.

Then, he stepped inside.

The chamber was warm, the hearth blazing and the sunlight softened by heavy curtains. You lay propped against a pile of cushions, your face damp and your silver hair clinging to your brow. Your eyes, tired but sharp as ever, found Jason immediately.

“You made it,” you said breathlessly, though there was a faint, teasing smile on your lips. “Did you win your stag?”

Jason strode to your side and knelt beside the bed, his hand curling around yours as he searched your face for any sign of distress. “You are far more important than any stag,” he said gruffly, though his tone was soft.

You squeezed his hand tightly, letting out a slow breath as another pain seized you. Jason’s jaw tightened, his thumb brushing against your knuckles as he murmured, “I’m here now. You’re not doing this alone.”

“I would hope not,” you retorted weakly, though there was a flicker of your usual spirit in your voice.

Jason pressed a kiss to your temple, his other hand brushing soothingly against your arm. “You’re stronger than any dragon,” he whispered, his voice low and certain. “We’ll see this through together, Y/N.”

The hours that followed passed in a haze of pain, sweat, and the constant hum of whispered instructions from the midwives. The chamber seemed both too loud and too still, the crackling fire and faint scrape of footsteps blending into a rhythm that matched the slow, unbearable pace of your labor.

Maester Ronnel arrived as the pains began to grow sharper, the old man bustling into the room with his robes flapping like a raven’s wings. His face, lined and solemn, betrayed nothing but calm as he inspected your progress. Jason, seated at your side with his hand still firmly grasping yours, glanced nervously between the maester and you.

“She is strong,” Ronnel said as though speaking to no one in particular, his voice even as he straightened. “But we are nearing the final stretch.”

Jason let out a breath, though his thumb continued to stroke your knuckles. “You hear that, wife? You’re nearly through it. The babe will be here before we know it.”

You gave him a look, sweat beading at your temple. “If only you were the one pushing a child into the world, my lord,” you managed between shallow breaths.

Jason smirked faintly, though there was worry in his green eyes as he leaned down to kiss your damp brow. “I’d do it if I could, my fierce dragon. But you’re far braver than I.”

The pains came stronger now, sharper, each one stealing the air from your lungs as you bit back your screams. You didn’t want to cry out—you wouldn’t. A princess of the blood, a dragon’s daughter, did not scream. But no amount of pride could still the meek, strangled yelps that escaped you when the contractions tore through your body.

Jason flinched every time you made a sound, his free hand tightening into a fist at his side as though he could fight the pain for you. “You’re doing well,” he murmured softly, his voice low and steady despite the tension lining his jaw. “You’re stronger than all of them, Y/N. I swear it.”

Maester Ronnel leaned closer, his hands moving gently to examine your progress as another contraction gripped you. You squeezed Jason’s hand so tightly that he let out a faint grunt, though he didn’t pull away.

“The head crowns, Princess,” Ronnel said, his voice calm but firm. “You must push now. When the pain comes, bear down as hard as you can.”

You nodded weakly, teeth sinking into your lower lip as you braced yourself. Jason’s hand was your anchor, his voice low and close to your ear. “Push, Y/N. You’ve fought harder battles than this. The babe’s almost here.”

With a scream—one you could no longer stifle—you bore down, every muscle in your body straining as pain wracked you. The world blurred at the edges, your vision tunneling to the faint, distant cries of the midwives urging you on. Jason’s voice rose above the noise, firm and insistent. “That’s it. You’ve got her. One more, love. Just one more.”

And then, suddenly, the pain broke. The tension snapped like a bowstring, leaving you trembling and gasping as the cries of a babe filled the chamber.

“It’s a girl!” one of the midwives cried out, holding the small, squirming child aloft as the others bustled to wrap her in clean linen. “A beautiful girl.”

Jason let out a shaky breath, his hand falling to your hair as he pressed a kiss to your temple. “You did it,” he whispered, his voice rough with relief. “You did it, Y/N.”

You sagged back against the cushions, chest heaving, too spent to speak. Tears pricked at your eyes as one of the midwives brought the babe to you, swaddled and pink-faced, her cries soft but insistent. Jason stared at the small bundle as though he’d forgotten how to breathe, his face a mix of awe and something deeper, something you couldn’t name.

“A girl,” he murmured, reaching out with tentative fingers to brush them against the babe’s soft cheek. She squirmed at the touch, her cries quieting slightly as Jason’s expression softened into something like wonder. “She’s perfect.”

You smiled faintly, exhaustion tugging at your eyelids as you held the babe against your chest. “She’s ours,” you whispered, pressing your lips to her brow.

But the moment of peace was shattered when another sharp pain tore through you, sudden and unexpected. A cry burst from your lips, louder this time, and Jason jolted as though he’d been struck.

“Y/N?” he said, his voice rising in panic. “What’s wrong? What’s happening?”

Maester Ronnel stepped closer, frowning as he inspected you. “The afterbirth, my lord. It is nothing to—”

Before he could finish, one of the midwives cried out, her hands trembling as she looked at the maester with wide eyes. “No! It’s—it’s another babe!”

Jason froze, his face going pale as he stared at her. “Another? What in the Seven Hells do you mean another?”

Ronnel’s calm demeanor slipped for the first time, his eyes sharp with surprise as he turned back to you. “Princess, you must push again. There is another child.”

You could barely comprehend his words, the shock and pain mingling into something unbearable as Jason stood there, panicked and helpless. He turned to the maester, his voice taut with disbelief. “You told us nothing of twins!”

Ronnel shook his head briskly, already moving to guide the midwives into action. “It happens, my lord. Rare, but not unheard of. Princess, you must push.”

Jason dropped to his knees beside you again, his hands cupping your face as he leaned close. “Y/N, can you hear me? Another child—another little lion. You can do this. You’re strong enough for this.”

Tears streaked your cheeks as another contraction ripped through you, stronger than the last. Jason’s words were a distant murmur as you braced yourself, summoning every ounce of strength left in you.

“Push, Y/N!” Jason urged, his voice fierce with desperate encouragement. “Push, for them. For us.”

And so you did, screaming through the pain as your body strained against the impossible once more. The sounds of the midwives’ shouts, Jason’s whispered pleas, and the blood pounding in your ears became a cacophony that only ceased when the cry of another babe—thin and sharp—pierced the air.

“It’s a boy!” the midwife shouted, holding up the small, wriggling babe, his face flushed red as his cries echoed through the chamber.

Jason sank back onto his heels, staring at the child with wide, disbelieving eyes. “Twins,” he muttered, almost to himself. “By the gods… twins.”

You could barely keep your eyes open as the midwives moved to clean the boy and wrap him in soft linen, his cries mingling with his sister’s as they brought him to you. Jason hovered close, his face a mix of awe, exhaustion, and something near reverence as he took both babes into his arms—one in each hand.

“A son and a daughter,” he whispered, turning to look at you with eyes that glistened faintly in the firelight. “You’ve given me a son and a daughter, Y/N.”

You managed a faint smile as Jason leaned close, his lips brushing your damp forehead. “You are a miracle, wife. A fierce, impossible miracle.”

The chamber had quieted, save for the soft crackle of the hearth and the faint cries of the twins. The weight of the moment hung heavy in the air, a mixture of awe and exhaustion. Jason sat on the edge of the bed, cradling the babes carefully in his arms, as though afraid they might shatter if he held them too tightly.

You watched him through heavy-lidded eyes as the midwives tended to you—cleaning away the remnants of the ordeal and whispering soft words of comfort. You hardly heard them, too focused on the sight before you: your husband, the lion of the Westerlands, reduced to something soft and reverent by the two small lives in his arms.

Jason’s green eyes were fixed on the babes, his expression one of wonder as he studied them closely. “Gods,” he breathed, his voice low, almost as if speaking louder might disturb the fragile peace. “Look at them. They are…” He trailed off, shaking his head slightly, unable to find the words.

“Perfect,” you murmured hoarsely, watching as Jason turned his attention to the firstborn—your daughter.

The little girl was already calming, her cries softening into small, hiccupping breaths. Her tiny face was smooth and pink, her nose small and delicate. A dusting of pale silver hair crowned her head, unmistakably Targaryen, though Jason’s features were already beginning to show in her brow and the shape of her jaw. When she blinked open her eyes—still cloudy, as newborns’ often were—they seemed a deep blue, though you knew time might shift them to the famed violet of your lineage.

Jason tilted his head slightly, his thumb brushing tenderly over her cheek. “She has your silver hair,” he said softly, pride mingling with tenderness in his voice. “But look at her chin—that’s Lannister through and through. The best of us both.”

You smiled faintly, your exhaustion lifting slightly as you watched him. “She already has you wrapped around her little finger, doesn’t she?”

Jason didn’t deny it, his smirk barely there as he looked back down at the babe. “A lion’s daughter, a dragon’s blood,” he murmured. “A queen among women, I’ll wager.” He glanced over at you, his gaze softening. “She should have a name worthy of her.”

You nodded, shifting slightly as the midwife adjusted the pillows behind your back. “Have you one in mind?”

Jason paused, looking thoughtful as he studied his daughter again. After a moment, he smiled. “Leona,” he said firmly. “For the lion’s pride.” He glanced at you, his green eyes searching for approval. “Do you think it suits her?”

“Leona,” you repeated softly, tasting the name on your tongue. It was strong, but sweet—perfect for a girl who would bear the blood of both Targaryen fire and Lannister gold. You nodded, a faint smile tugging at your lips. “It suits her well.”

Jason grinned, visibly pleased as he shifted his attention to the boy in his other arm. The secondborn was fussing more loudly than his sister, his tiny face scrunched into a scowl that made Jason chuckle under his breath. “A fierce one already,” he murmured, brushing his thumb across the boy’s cheek. “By the gods, look at him.”

Your son was nearly identical to his sister in his coloring—pale silver hair curled in soft wisps on his head—but there was something undeniably lion-like about him. His nose was straighter, his chin strong, and though his eyes were as clouded as his sister’s, Jason swore he could see a hint of green beneath them.

“This one’s going to give us trouble,” Jason said fondly, his voice quiet as though sharing a secret. “Look at the way he holds his fists—he’s ready to fight the world.”

You let out a soft laugh, wincing slightly as the midwife adjusted your blankets. “And what shall we name this little warrior?”

Jason thought for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly as he considered the boy. “Loren,” he said at last, the name slipping from his lips with certainty. “A lion’s name. Strong, noble—like the last king of the Rock. He’ll carry it well.”

“Loren,” you repeated, the sound firm and proud. You smiled faintly as you looked at Jason, who now cradled both babes with a care and reverence you had never seen in him before. “Leona and Loren. Our children.”

Jason’s smile softened as he turned to you, his expression unguarded and filled with something far deeper than pride. “Our legacy,” he said quietly.

One of the midwives approached carefully, bowing her head as she gestured to the babes. “Shall we take them, my lord, to be cleaned and swaddled properly?”

Jason hesitated, as though reluctant to let them go, but he nodded after a moment. He stood, carefully passing each babe to the midwife’s waiting arms, his movements slow and deliberate. “Be gentle,” he said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. “And bring them back to their mother when you’re done.”

“Yes, my lord,” the midwife replied softly before retreating with the twins.

Jason turned back to you, his expression still touched with awe as he sat carefully at your bedside once more. He reached for your hand, holding it gently in both of his as he brushed his thumb over your knuckles.

“You were incredible,” he said softly, his voice carrying an uncharacteristic reverence. “You gave me two perfect children, Y/N.”

You exhaled slowly, exhaustion tugging at you even as warmth filled your chest at his words. “I could not have done it without you here,” you murmured, squeezing his hand weakly. “Though I think we both know they will inherit your stubbornness.”

Jason laughed softly, shaking his head. “Stubborn? My children? Never.” He leaned closer, brushing his lips gently against your temple. “Rest now, wife. You’ve done more than any dragon or lion could ever hope to.”

You let out a faint hum of agreement, your eyelids already growing heavier as the exhaustion pulled you deeper. Jason remained by your side, his hand still wrapped around yours, his presence steady and unwavering.

As your eyes fluttered closed, the faint cries of your babes still echoed softly in the distance, a reminder of what you had brought into the world—Leona and Loren, a perfect blend of fire and gold.

And as Jason watched over you, his gaze softened with pride and love, he knew the truth: no treasure in Casterly Rock, no gold forged from the mines of the Westerlands, would ever compare to what you had given him this day.

The great hall of Casterly Rock was a spectacle of splendor, every inch dripping with Lannister grandeur. Rich crimson banners adorned the walls, their lions roaring proudly beneath the soft glow of countless candles. Tables groaned under the weight of roasted boar, glazed venison, spiced wines, and platters piled high with fruits and honeyed delicacies. The hall smelled of roasted meat and sweet pastries, mingling with the sharp tang of fine wine.

Jason Lannister had spared no expense for the feast to celebrate the birth of his children. A moon had passed since Leona and Loren came into the world, and the lord of Casterly Rock saw fit to remind his bannermen and kin of the legacy he now carried—twins, the pride of both lion and dragon.

The golden-haired lord presided at the head table with you at his side, seated on a raised dais that overlooked the hall. Between the two of you sat the stars of the evening, Leona and Loren, nestled in ornate cradles trimmed with crimson velvet and rich embroidery. The twins were quiet, their faces soft in the candlelight as they slept through the sounds of the feast—completely unfazed by the din of music, laughter, and conversation.

Jason, dressed in a fine crimson tunic trimmed with gold, raised his goblet high as yet another toast was called for. “To Leona and Loren!” shouted Lord Andric Lefford, his voice carrying easily over the noise. “May they bring glory to House Lannister and House Targaryen both!”

“To Leona and Loren!” the hall roared back, goblets raised and wine spilling as men and women cheered.

Jason grinned broadly, pride radiating from him like the sun as he drained his cup in one long pull. He set it down with a thud, leaning toward you with a glint of mischief in his green eyes. “You hear that? They’re already beloved.”

You arched an amused brow as you sipped your own cup—watered wine, at your insistence. “Or they’re beloved because you’ve filled every cup with your finest wine.”

Jason chuckled, unfazed. “It matters not how I buy their affection, only that it’s mine.” He glanced at the twins, his gaze softening despite the jest. “Look at them. It’s as if they know they’re the most important people in the hall.”

You smiled, brushing a strand of silver hair behind your ear as you looked down at your children. “They are,” you replied softly, though your tone carried a quiet pride of its own.

Jason’s grin widened before he turned his attention back to the hall, where more musicians had begun to play. Lords and ladies danced on the cleared stone floor, their laughter rising above the sound of fiddles and drums. Across the way, Andric Lefford raised his cup toward Jason with a knowing smirk.

“You’ve outdone yourself, Jason!” he called, his cheeks flushed with wine. “A fine feast to honor a finer family.”

Jason raised his goblet back in acknowledgment, his voice carrying easily. “Why should I not celebrate? I’ve given Westeros two lions worthy of a song!” He turned to you, nudging your shoulder playfully. “And in two moons, when we arrive in the capital, they’ll have to concede that I am still King Viserys’s favorite son-in-law.”

You gave him a skeptical look, though there was amusement behind it. “You truly believe that?”

Jason smirked, leaning closer. “Of course. Who else could claim that title? Certainly not Ser Laenor Velaryon. That match is as dull as driftwood.”

You sighed, shaking your head even as your lips quirked into a faint smile. “You’d do well to keep those thoughts to yourself when we reach King’s Landing.”

“Why?” Jason asked, his grin unfaltering. “The king loves me, and Rhaenyra… well, she’ll need someone to lighten the mood at her dull, dutiful wedding. And besides—” He swept a hand toward the hall, indicating the merriment and wealth on display. “Who can say their son-in-law throws finer feasts than this? Or gives him grandchildren as splendid as ours?”

Your laugh escaped you before you could stop it. “You are the most arrogant man alive.”

Jason tilted his head smugly. “And yet, you love me.”

“Perhaps I’m mad,” you teased, though your gaze softened as you looked at him. He caught the look and grinned in triumph, lifting his cup for another drink.

The sounds of laughter and music swelled as the feast carried on into the evening. Lords congratulated Jason with boisterous back-slapping, ladies cooed over the sleeping babes, and the wine flowed like water. For all his bravado, you knew this was Jason’s way—lavish and loud, ensuring that all within his halls knew that House Lannister thrived and that his children were the beginning of a golden legacy.

As the hour grew later, Lord Andric Lefford joined your table, a cup of wine in one hand and a broad grin on his face. “My lord, my lady,” he greeted, bowing his head briefly before lowering his voice conspiratorially. “A wager, if I may?”

Jason raised an intrigued brow. “A wager? You’ve come to the right man, Andric. Name it.”

“Your son, Loren,” Andric said, pointing toward the cradle, “will grow to be a knight of renown—his Lannister blood demands it. But your daughter…” He smirked faintly. “I say she’ll prove fiercer than her brother. You can see it in her face already.”

Jason laughed loudly, clearly delighted. “You think so? The girl is barely a moon old, Andric. But I like your faith in her.” He turned to you with a grin. “What do you think, wife? Will our daughter outmatch our son?”

You smiled softly, glancing down at Leona and Loren, both still sleeping peacefully. “I think they’ll be whatever they choose to be,” you said simply. “Dragon and lion are a potent mix, after all.”

Jason lifted his cup in salute, his eyes warm as they met yours. “Aye, they are. And they’ll have you to thank for the fire and me for the gold.”

Lord Andric roared with laughter, clapping Jason on the shoulder before turning back to the wine. Jason leaned close to you again, his voice softer this time, meant only for you to hear.

“When we arrive in King’s Landing, let them look at our family and see what true strength is. Rhaenyra may wed her Velaryon prince, but no one—no one—will doubt our power.”

You watched him for a long moment, taking in the pride and fierce determination in his expression. For all his arrogance, there was no mistaking Jason’s love for you or his children.

“You’ll be careful with your words, though, won’t you?” you murmured, brushing your hand lightly against his. “Rhaenyra’s wedding is not our feast.”

Jason smirked but nodded, pressing a kiss to the back of your hand. “For you, my fierce dragon, I’ll behave. At least until the wine flows.”

The night stretched on, the hall alight with laughter and song as Jason reveled in the joy of his growing family. And as you sat there, watching your husband bask in the attention of his bannermen while your children slept soundly at your side, you couldn’t help but think that Jason’s confidence—arrogant though it was—might not be entirely misplaced.

After all, who could deny the strength of a lion and a dragon united?

The day had dawned crisp and clear, the first light of the morning spilling in amber shafts over Casterly Rock. Jason Lannister stood in the courtyard, issuing last-minute orders to his men and overseeing the preparation of the procession to King’s Landing. Wagons were being loaded with trunks of clothing, banners, and provisions, while squires scrambled to ready the finest horses for the long journey ahead.

Jason, ever the lion of the West, was in his element—barking orders with an authority that brooked no argument, his crimson cloak rippling behind him like a flag. “See that the carriages are stocked with food for the princess,” he called to one of his stewards. “I’ll not have my wife or the twins suffering on the road because you forgot their comforts.”

“My lord,” the man stammered with a bow, “it will be done.”

Jason turned his attention to the stablemaster, who was busy preparing his stallion. “And what of my armor? I’ll not have it rattling like a butcher’s cart when we ride through the city gates.”

“It’s already secured, my lord,” the man replied nervously.

Jason gave a satisfied nod, adjusting the cuffs of his fine tunic, when a voice broke through the commotion.

“My lord Lannister!”

Jason turned sharply to see two Dragonkeepers approaching him, their robes of black and red marking them as servants of House Targaryen’s ancient tradition. One of them, an older man with a bald head and a sharp nose, bowed low. “Forgive the interruption, my lord, but it is a matter that cannot wait.”

Jason frowned, already suspicious. “What is it?”

“It is about the princess’s dragon, Morrath,” the elder Dragonkeeper replied, his tone grave. “We’ve found something.”

Jason’s brow furrowed. “What sort of something?”

“The dragon has laid a clutch of eggs, my lord,” the Dragonkeeper said carefully, as though the words themselves might be dangerous. “Deep in the old mines given to her, where she has made her lair.”

For a moment, Jason could only stare at the man, as though he’d spoken some foreign tongue. “Eggs?” he repeated slowly, his voice uncharacteristically quiet. “You’re telling me there are dragon eggs in my mines?”

The younger Dragonkeeper, a wiry man with dark hair tied at the nape of his neck, stepped forward eagerly. “It’s true, my lord. Morrath has hollowed out a chamber deep below, where the stone is still warm from the earth’s heat. There are at least three eggs—large, intact, and promising.”

Jason let out a long breath, running a hand through his hair as he processed the news. He looked toward the towering cliffs of the Rock as though he might see Morrath herself perched somewhere in the distance, watching. “Gods,” he muttered. “And you’re certain?”

“We would not bring this to you otherwise, my lord,” the elder keeper said firmly. “The eggs are there, nestled in her lair. We must decide what is to be done.”

Jason’s mind raced as he considered the implications. He knew dragons were rare, their eggs rarer still. This was a blessing of sorts—or a curse, depending on who you asked. He didn’t know whether to be in awe or deeply unsettled that his mines now hid such power.

“And what do you propose?” Jason asked at last, his voice sharp as he looked at the keepers. “You’re dragon men. Tell me what should be done.”

The elder Dragonkeeper inclined his head, his expression grave. “We have two choices, my lord. The eggs can be left undisturbed to their fate—perhaps they will hatch naturally under Morrath’s care, or perhaps they will wither in the dark, as many eggs do.”

“And the other?” Jason asked, his green eyes narrowing.

The Dragonkeeper’s voice lowered slightly, almost conspiratorial. “We could take the eggs. With care, my lord, we can attempt to hatch them using methods known only to the keepers—fire, heat, and prayer. If we succeed, the eggs could provide dragons for your children, Lord Loren and Lady Leona.”

Jason stared at the man, the weight of the suggestion settling on his shoulders like a stone. Dragons for his children. His mind conjured the image of Loren astride a black beast like his ancestor, Aegon the Conqueror, and of Leona, her silver hair gleaming in the sun as she rode a dragon that could swallow armies whole.

Yet the thought unsettled him just as quickly as it intrigued him. Dragons were not horses or hounds to be tamed. They were fire made flesh, beautiful and deadly—and the Lannister mines were not meant to cradle such power.

“You’re suggesting I steal the eggs from her lair?” Jason asked, his voice tight. “Morrath is no dog to be trifled with. If she catches wind of this…”

The younger Dragonkeeper shifted nervously. “It is not stealing, my lord, but preservation. Dragons do not always tend their clutches. There is a chance she may abandon them entirely—many dragons do.”

Jason let out a sharp breath, glancing back at the flurry of preparations in the courtyard. The idea of dragons hatching beneath Casterly Rock was a vision to inspire both wonder and terror. He thought of his children, still only babes, and what it would mean for them to one day claim a dragon of their own. Power untold, yes—but at what cost?

“What if they fail to hatch?” Jason asked, his tone measured. “Or worse, what if Morrath decides to burn half the Rock to cinders in a rage?”

“It is a risk,” the elder keeper admitted. “But all dragon eggs carry such risks, my lord. It is a choice only you and the princess can make.”

Jason turned toward the Rock, his eyes narrowing as he considered the unseen depths beneath his home. Dragons, eggs, fire and blood—it all felt so foreign, so unnatural here. Casterly Rock was a fortress of stone and gold, not of dragons. But you, his wife, were a dragon’s daughter, and Morrath was your beast.

“I will speak to the princess,” Jason said at last, his voice firm. “She is the dragon’s rider—her judgment will decide this. Until then, no man is to disturb those eggs. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, my lord,” the Dragonkeepers said in unison, bowing low.

Jason dismissed them with a wave of his hand, his mind still whirling as he turned to oversee the last preparations for departure. The news weighed heavy in his chest, and as he moved through the courtyard, the image of dragon eggs buried deep beneath the Rock refused to leave him.

When he finally returned to you later that morning, he found you seated in your chambers with Leona and Loren close at hand, their soft cries breaking the quiet. Jason paused at the door, watching you as you murmured softly to the babes, your silver hair catching the sunlight that poured in from the high windows.

“What troubles you?” you asked suddenly, not even looking up. You always knew when something was amiss with him.

Jason crossed the room slowly, sinking onto the chair opposite you. He ran a hand through his hair and exhaled deeply before speaking. “Morrath has laid a clutch of eggs.”

Your eyes widened slightly, your gaze snapping to him. “Eggs? Where?”

“In the mines,” he replied, leaning forward. “She’s made her lair deep beneath the Rock. The keepers found them—three, large and whole. They say they could try to hatch them for the twins.”

You sat back slowly, your expression thoughtful as your eyes flitted to Leona and Loren. “Dragons for our children,” you murmured, your voice soft.

Jason sighed, rubbing his jaw. “It sounds like a dream—but dragons aren’t dreams, Y/N. They’re fire. I don’t know if we should risk it. If Morrath—”

“She won’t abandon them,” you interrupted softly, your voice certain. “She wouldn’t leave them if she’s guarded them so far. But you’re right—we must tread carefully.”

Jason looked at you, searching your face for answers. “And what would you have us do, wife? Let the eggs lie, or take them?”

You were silent for a long moment, your gaze lingering on your sleeping children. Finally, you looked up at him, your eyes sharp with the fire of your blood. “We will not steal from my dragon,” you said firmly. “But we will not abandon the eggs either. Let the keepers watch, but let Morrath decide their fate.”

Jason nodded, relief flashing briefly across his face. “A fair compromise.” He stood, crossing to the cradles where the twins slept. “For now, let’s focus on our children and the journey ahead. Dragons or not, Loren and Leona will make their mark.”

“And so will we,” you added quietly, your eyes meeting his.

Jason smirked faintly, though his gaze was still shadowed with thought as he looked toward the window, where Casterly Rock loomed strong and proud. Beneath its stone depths, secrets stirred—and whether they brought fire or ash remained to be seen.

From The Testimony of Mushroom, corroborated by Grand Maester Mellos in The Histories of the Dragon’s Heirs

The arrival of House Lannister to the royal wedding of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Ser Laenor Velaryon was a spectacle unlike any other in the memory of King’s Landing. Jason Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock, brought with him the full power and grandeur of the Westerlands to the gates of the Red Keep, and his entrance remains the talk of both noble courts and lowly taverns alike to this very day.

The Lannister procession was seen days before its arrival. Word spread that Jason had brought nearly five hundred retainers, knights, banners, and wagons laden with gold, crimson silks, and gifts of fine artistry. Those who lined the streets claimed the sun itself seemed dimmer when the golden lions marched through the city gates.

The Lannister banners were legion—rich crimson fields adorned with lions roaring in gold—and they snapped boldly in the wind above their gleaming knights, each man armored and arrayed in fine formation. The knights’ capes rippled like a river of blood as they rode, their gilded helms and polished armor catching the sunlight, blinding all who dared look too closely.

Mushroom, hiding amongst the crowds and no doubt lurking for scraps or skirts to chase, described it as follows: “They came not as guests but conquerors. If Jason Lannister had set his mind to stealing King’s Landing, he’d have needed only a few thousand more men. As it was, he needed nothing but his gold to make us feel poorer for seeing it.”

At the head of the procession rode Jason himself, golden-haired and clad in a tunic of crimson velvet with gold-thread embroidery that made him seem a lion made flesh. Beside him rode his wife, Princess Y/N Targaryen, a vision of Valyrian beauty with her silver hair glistening like moonlight beneath the morning sun. She wore a gown of deep Lannister red, trimmed in black and adorned with dragons wrought in golden thread—her husband’s house and her own woven together in perfect harmony. The twins, Leona and Loren, were presented proudly, held aloft in a grand carriage lined with silk, the babe's cries all but drowned by the cheers of the crowd.

Mushroom wrote of this display with his usual crass wit: “One would think the princess had birthed dragons themselves, the way Jason Lannister puffed his chest. He may have ridden a horse, but he strutted like a rooster, crowing over the twins as if no other man had ever sired babes before him.”

Nonetheless, the crowds adored the sight. The people of King’s Landing, ever hungry for spectacle, cheered wildly as Jason lifted one gauntleted hand in greeting, his smirk unmistakable even at a distance. Coins were tossed from the wagons—Lannister gold, glinting in the sun as children scrambled for them on the cobblestones. Women threw flowers and silk ribbons into the path of the carriage, crying out blessings for the babes and praises for Princess Y/N, the dragon who had given the proud lion his heirs.

When the Lannisters reached the Red Keep, King Viserys I himself stood waiting at the gates. The king, though aged and worn from the cares of rule, looked resplendent in his black and gold finery, his crown gleaming atop his head. Beside him stood Princess Rhaenyra, radiant in white and silver, though her expression—if one believed Mushroom—was less than pleased at the scale of her sister’s arrival.

The moment Jason Lannister dismounted, he strode forward with all the confidence of a man who believed the kingdom belonged to him alone. Bowing with an exaggerated flourish, he greeted the king: “Your Grace, the lions of the Rock come bearing fire and gold for you and your house.”

Viserys, who had always held affection for Jason (and perhaps no small admiration for his wit), laughed heartily and clapped the man on the shoulder. “You never do things by halves, do you, Jason?”

“Not when it comes to matters of family, Your Grace,” Jason replied smoothly, turning and extending his arm to help Princess Y/N from to dismount from her horse.

When Y/N stepped forward, holding the swaddled babes in her arms, the king’s face changed entirely. Viserys, who had doted on his daughter since her birth, looked upon the twins with open joy.

“Grandchildren,” he said softly, his voice touched with awe as he approached. “My first grandchildren.”

He peered down at the babes, who squirmed quietly in their silk wrappings. Mushroom, ever the exaggerator, claimed, “The king wept openly. A soppy sight it was, a dragon king humbled by two squalling babes. I half-expected him to crown them both on the spot.”

Grand Maester Mellos, in a far more measured account, recorded that Viserys took each child in turn, cradling them with surprising tenderness for a man of his years. He marveled at Leona’s silver hair—so like her mother’s—and Loren’s fierce scowl, which Jason swore was proof of his Lannister blood.

“They are beautiful,” Viserys declared, his voice carrying so all in attendance could hear. “A blessing to both your houses.”

“Fire and gold,” Jason added, his hand resting lightly at his wife’s back as he grinned, clearly pleased. “A match as strong as the Rock itself, Your Grace.”

Viserys chuckled, handing Loren back to a waiting maid. “You’ve done well, Jason. I trust you’ll not let them be spoiled.”

“Only as much as their mother allows, Your Grace,” Jason replied with an easy laugh.

It was then, Mushroom claimed, that Princess Rhaenyra stepped forward, her expression polite but cool as she regarded her sister. “You’ve brought quite the spectacle with you,” she said softly, her words carefully measured.

Princess Y/N, ever the dragon, replied with a faint smile. “Did you expect anything less, sister? My husband believes a lion should always make an entrance.”

Jason’s booming laugh echoed across the courtyard at that, though some claimed Rhaenyra’s smile thinned ever so slightly. If there was tension between the sisters, it remained unspoken—at least for now.

As the feast for Rhaenyra and Laenor’s wedding preparations began, the arrival of the Lannisters was on everyone’s lips. Grand Maester Mellos wrote: “It was a day that belonged to Lannisters, a day when lions and dragons shared the stage, and for a moment, the kingdom seemed full of promise.”

Mushroom, of course, had a less charitable view: “Jason Lannister preened like a cat in cream, and the princess gave him cause to. They came, they roared, they conquered the city with smiles and silks. And in that moment, the king’s court forgot all else but the twins—the babes of the West, whose cries were already louder than most men’s swords.”

Thus, Jason Lannister and Princess Y/N entered King’s Landing as a family united by blood, their children heralded as a symbol of strength between the two most powerful houses in the realm. Yet even then, whispers began to swirl like shadows beneath the splendor, for where dragons and lions walked together, peace was rarely known to last.

[team-avia]

Time's up! Thank you for all your submissions, dear audience! We've compiled a list of all the submissions for your viewing pleasure.

My! You all make for quite the artists! We're tempted to hang these all over the manor, but alas, a certain someone has taken it upon themselves to hog all the picture frames. Ahem, Finch.

With only three frames to spare, as Willow is hanging up entirely too many mirrors (again), we ask that everyone lend us a hand in choosing which selections should be hung up.

How? It's simple, really! Just vote for your favorite piece in the poll below! Now, allow us to guide you through our options.

@autovillv

https://www.tumblr.com/autovillv/764528544940539904/devilish-tea-party

@k0rek0wee

https://www.tumblr.com/k-0re/764992831235522560/devilish-tea-party?source=share

@kasdim

https://www.tumblr.com/kasdim/765023299590815744/theres-no-party-in-my-devil-ish-tea-drawing-aw?source=share

@expiredsoda

https://www.tumblr.com/expiredsoda/765097240638472192/team-avia-drawing-these-characters-sure-make-me?source=share

@azeolus

https://www.tumblr.com/azeolus/764934753998749696/eurmm-heres-my-submission-teehee-team-avia-using?source=share

@tubillari

https://www.tumblr.com/tubillari/764945732368252928/thirsty-for-more-team-avia?source=share

@khonspiracy

https://www.tumblr.com/khonspiracy/765054432817922048/1159-pm-this-is-honestly-so-last-minute-but-i?source=share

@shititsarobyn

https://www.tumblr.com/shititsarobyn/764947421907353600/heres-my-submission-for-the-2024-my-hunted?source=share

@rosestarlightkatarina

https://www.tumblr.com/rosestarlightkatarina/765035721180545024/be-careful?source=share

(This one is one of those new fangled moving pictures those humans are always raving about.)

And now here we are, at the end of the tour! How was it? Did you enjoy browsing our collection? You ought to give these lovely creators a follow, goodness knows they're more than deserving of the support!

Ah, but I suppose that's enough chit chat for now. I've kept you long enough.

So tell me, what do you think? And don't forget to look for the second poll to decide which written piece will become part of the library.

[rainbowdaisy13]

There’s nothing I can ever write on here that’s gonna match Anna’s NYT piece—it could’ve been a dissertation—so I thought I’d show some visuals instead (thanks @kwyw for the inspo with that Eras tour GIF)

Visuals of Taylor being Imprisoned

Visuals of the concept of there being more than one Taylor Swift

Visuals of Taylor not feeling seen

Visuals of Taylor being trapped or chased by a 3rd party/parties

So the repeat visuals over the years that Taylor has continued to use aka that must mean something to her:

1) feeling imprisoned

2) there is more than one version of Taylor Swift

3) feeling unseen

4) feeling trapped or chased by a 3rd party

How do these themes correlate to the Taylor Swift persona of the beautiful rich heterosexual white pop star? One who supposedly has fun flirty loving public relationships with men? One who has rabid fans that will kill for her? One that has endless amounts of money and connections to do whatever she wants whenever she wants?

Why would *that* person continually feel trapped, imprisoned, unseen, hunted, and like there’s multiple versions of herself?

I don’t know what is going to happen, but I know damn sure I won’t ever stop seeing her for who she actually is while she keeps actively making music and videos trying to tell us

[ysmtttty]

Neris week: headcanons

@nerisweek

• Nesta has cold hands. She loves getting her hands under Eris’s shirt since his body is a live heater. He doesn’t mind, he likes to hold her hands and warm them up, always saying she needs a better coat. And he does buy her a new coat.

• They both are clueless on how to express their love. So they both are like… ‘unfuck you??? I guess???’ at first. Eris’s display of affection is also buying her everything he thinks she will like. Jewelry, dresses, flowers. He can winnow throughout all Prythian, visit every court just to find the best things. Nesta’s one is that she joins Elain’s baking lessons with Nuala and Cerridwen, making him sweets.

• They both were surprised about each other’s sweet tooth. Eris now hires the best bakers in Prythian so Nesta will always have the best chocolate cake. Even though he will always say that anything she bakes will be ten times better. Nesta doesn’t bake often, it’s not her thing, but once in a while she does enjoy doing that for her and Eris.

• Once Eris tried to bake a chocolate cake himself. He was embarrassingly bad at that. He prefers not to recall that evening

• Nesta is clueless about most of fae stuff. So Eris always has something to explain. He explains very patiently and never shames her for lack of knowledge about anything.

• Eris takes her on a tour around Prythian to introduce her to different courts’ cultures. Nesta buys small souvenirs from every court to remember about the visits.

• His hounds LOVE Nesta. From the first time they saw her, they’d been charmed! Eris was kinda perplexed because never once his hounds were THAT friendly to a stranger. Nesta says it was others’ skill issue. She loves to spoil his hounds. Eris grumbles that she makes them too soft for hunting hounds.

• Whenever they argue the hounds are like children of divorce. Because they have to take sides. There are some who vary their side from time to time, and there are some hounds that always go to Nesta and some that always go to Eris. Because sometimes when they argue they sleep separately and hounds go to their beds, keeping them company.

• Whenever they argue too badly, hounds do not like that at all and tug on their clothes, pulling them closer to each other and barking at them as if saying go apologize!!

• They both freak out when Nesta gets pregnant. Not because they don’t want a child. They do. Very much so. But they both are very worried about possible mirroring their abusive parents’ behavior. Nesta reminds Eris he is not his father; Eris reminds Nesta she is not her mother. They both become the most loving parents.

• LoA adores Nesta, they often have tea parties. Eris is offended he never invited to one. They say it’s girls only. Soon it becomes tea party with LoA, Nesta and Elain where LoA always tell some embarrassing stories about Eris and Lucien — they both are mortified.

• Eris learned how to dance because it was a good training for his body, and it was a good skill for political events. He never dislike it, but never truly loved it either. Then he danced with Nesta and started liking dancing more.

• Nesta arranges girls nights very often. Eris always gives her the full manor in her access and leaves for the night to a different estate, not wanting to interrupt her personal time with friends. They both need their time separate from each other, they are also mature enough to talk about it, so they have a schedule.

• Eris likes making schedules. For everything. Nesta says he’s weird, often messing with his physical schedules, writing there something silly or drawing something on them. Eris secretly likes that.

• Eris teaches her how to light the sword with fire. He thinks he might create a monster by that. Because Nesta with silver flamed sword? Unhinged!! The first thing she does is she goes to scare big bats. She giggles evilly when she does.

• Nesta once left her book open on the nightstand. Saying Eris was flabbergasted would be understatement. He asks about that directly and Nesta blushes. He then offers to recreate a few certain scenes that he oh so accidentally already read. Nesta blushes more. Nesta agrees.

• Once in a while they recommend books to each other.

• Nesta gets a cat. And if they both were worried hounds will scare the poor thing off, they didn’t. Instead, the little kitten became their leader. And as she turned into a big cat, the hounds are kinda scared of her. Nesta always laughs about that. Eris says it’s because she and the cat share the same eyes.

• Eris is touch starved at first. He clings to her as much as even possible. Cuddles in bed, hugging her from behind whenever she stands her back to him, holding hands whenever they can.

• Sometimes Feyre asks Nesta to look after Nyx, so the boy stays in their manor. Eris calls him ‘it’ and refuses to even acknowledge that little pest at first. He has constant beef with him for Nesta’s attention bc apparently Nesta is Nyx’s favorite auntie. Eris secretly likes Nyx but will never admit that. Instead he will just silently give the boy the most expensive chocolate he has and shoo him away. Nyx once calls him his favorite uncle in front of everyone. Cassian has heart attack.

[vanillablankcanvas]

Part 11 Trolls Headcanons/ Theories/ Thoughts/ Ideas

I know what I said but I thought of some more okay. 💕

Branch - all those times that Branch thought the Bergens were coming? It was actually Creek harshly pranking Branch to make him look like a fool.

Poppy - would have many pillows and plushies on her bed.

Bruce - has the world's best hangover cure but it's a secret.

Bruce - there have been times when he has muddled up his kids names and he hates himself every time.

John Dory - claims to be holding back grey hairs with sheer will power

John Dory - believes in love at first sight, just not for himself.

John Dory - will wrestle and roughhouse to bond with people.

John Dory - if there was a couple sitting on a couch, JD will sit between them and not even realize what he did!

Floyd - has tried on dresses and corsets before. Prefers overskirts.

Floyd - in a desperate attempt to try and forget V&V, Floyd nearly shaved his head.

Floyd - he actually wrote all of those songs for Velvet and Veneer!

Clay - tells John Dory that some appliances are voice activated when they aren't. Will watch JD yell at the coffee maker. 😈

Clay - gets random nosebleeds.

Clay - is writing an autobiography. It will not be kind.

Clay - can read Latin.

Clay - overachiever. Was good at academics and sports in highschool.

Clay - a gambler, can count cards, good poker face and good at reading people's 'tells'.

Viva - rubs it into Clay's face that the ONE time he leaves is when Bergens show up. Uses it as leverage for the most petty of things. "Oh you want the last cupcake? Remember that time you left and Bergens came?" She's not even mad about it she just wanted the cupcake.

Viva - has made a list of all the things she's wanted to experience with Poppy. Makeup, planning parties, dealing with heartbreaks etc. they may not be the first times they've both done these things, but their excited to try them together. 😊

Brandy - after watching Bruce, she now puts little things in her hair. Nothing huge, maybe a pen and a food order pad, a snack and bandaids for the kids. Depends on the day.

Yodelers - Hickory and Dickory had a brother named Dock. He was the one that was rumoured to be crushed by an avalanche. He was the one to hunt down John Dory when everyone thought he was the last Pop Troll. While chasing him down a cliff side, he swung an ice pick straight through John Dory's left hand.

Putt-Putt Trolls - that coordinated attack to capture Bridget and Grissle? Clay was the one who planned and trained them.

World Tour - I think Creek moved in with the Rock Trolls and told them everything about Pop Village. (I mean how did Barb know where to send Debbie?)

Trolls - have their own version of godparents. Museparents.

Trolls - Can you imagine how many shades of foundation a Troll makeup store has to stock?! I mean, they probably don't need foundation but could you imagine?!

[feelingsofaithless]

[gayforanthonyjcrowley]

So, I have this writing idea, but I might need some help from you guys.

I have this idea where Crowley and Aziraphale go on abc dates, but I need some ideas. This is the list I have so far:

A: alpha Centauri, amusement park, arcade, aquarium, …

B: baking, boat ride, botanical garden, berry picking, backyard camping, bowling, …

C: cooking, circus, concert, craft night, chocolate fondue, …

D: dinner order, drag show, drive-in movie, …

E: eventing, eating escargo, Everest, estate sales, escape room ( no miracles ), enchilada date, elephant back riding, Easter egg hunt, Eden garden, …

F: fishing, filharmony, fruit picking, firework show, …

G: gaming, getting matching tattoos, goat yoga, …

H: hair tutorial remaking, hiking, horseback riding, historical museum, …

I: ice cream, ice skating, ikea shopping, …

J: jazz club, jogging, jacuzzi, jigsaw puzzle, …

K: kayaking, Karaoke, …

L: live music, Lego building, …

M: movie night, museum, mini golf, magic show, …

N: national park, Nintendo game night, …

O: oven baked cookies, opera, open mic night, origami class, …

P: pancakes, planetarium, pottery, painting, picnic, …

Q: Queen concert, quiz night ( triple date ), … 

R: roller skating, Ritz, …

S: swimming, sushi, stargazing, …

T:  tour with the Bentley, thrifting, trampoline park, train ride, …

U: ugly sweater party ( triple date ), …

V: vintage car rally, vinyl record shopping, vineyard experience, volunteering, Venice trip, Venus, …

W: wildlife sanctuary, wine tasting, waltz lesson, …

X: Xylophone concert, Xylophone lessons, Xerox, X-Rays, Xbox gaming, xtreme sports, xylophone, …

Y: yacht ride, YouTube marathon, yoga, …

Z: zurich mini break, zero-proof cocktail making class, Zumba class, Z A Rob Zombie concert, zen garden, zoo, …

So let me know if you have another fun idea! I’ll post a poll on my tumblr, so you guys can decide what they are going to do on their date! ( If no one votes, I’ll choose myself, but I hope I’ll get at least some votes )

I’ll be posting this story on my AO3 account, same as my tumblr, GayForAnthonyJCrowley.

[torupinwheels]

⊹♡ BREAKING NEWS: TORUPINWHEEL’S MAP OF KINKTOBER ISLAND DISCOVERED!

⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡ - welcome to torupinwheel’s first ever kinktober map! ever since discovering the aforementioned map, our geologists have been hard at work and have found a mysterious island full of steamy spots! we've managed to piece together some of the old writing on the back of this map so adventurers like you can have fun.

hope everyone has a great tour of the island--

𐙚₊˚ taglist open!

𐙚₊˚ as always, this is 18+ content: minors do not interact! you will be blocked accordingly.

📍October 6th: Breathless Hill

werewolf! toji fushiguro & asphyxiation.

𐙚₊ summary - the big bad wolf is after you and you have to do what you need to survive, including choking him out. but in a twisted turn of fate, looks like he might just be into that. the air is getting hotter and as you notice his claws tighten on your waist, maybe you can show him a new kind of hunt.

cw: werewolf au, blindfold, manhandling, physical tussling, penetration.

📍October 10th: Speed Freak Creek

racer! suguru geto & car sex.

𐙚₊ summary - you'd like to remind your boyfriend that most people have car sex while they're parked. not during one of the biggest races of the season. you scoff at his bashful grin but can you really call him a pervert? after all, why did your breathing get deeper when his hand ghosted over your thigh?

cw: car racer au, car sex, reckless driving, penetration.

📍 October 16th: Smooth Arch Bay

satoru gojo, wax play & foot fetish.

𐙚₊ summary - you're getting real tired of Satoru messing with you and turning his infinity on to avoid consequences. after wracking your brain, you come up with the perfect punishment. you've seen the way Satoru not-so-subtly adjusts himself when he sees you massage your feet after work. why not show him what infinity really feels like?

cw: footjob, wax play, orgasm denial, masturbation.

📍October 22nd: Tombstone Beach

kento nanami & ghost sex.

𐙚₊ summary - working the overnight shift isn't supposed to be this dangerous or romantic. when a curse finds you at your part time bakery job, you're eternally grateful that Kento stopped by. but what's this? he's been turned into a ghost and the only way for him to get back to normal is to release his inhibitions in more ways than one. of course you offer to help as a good samaritan. it has nothing to do with the way his back ripples or the moon bouncing off his cheekbones, right?

cw: penetration, ghost sex (phantasmal dick), praise kink.

📍 October 28th: Port Fig

keigo takami, food & temperature play.

𐙚₊ summary - you worked hard to get here: a michelin star restaurant, an admiring staff, and the respect of almost every chef in the city. so when a clip of the #2 hero dismissing your food as "lacking sensuality" goes viral, needless to say you take it to heart. but you didn't become the #2 chef in the country by giving up. you invite Keigo to a private dining experience with high hopes. after all, from the way he eyes your every sway and turn, it seems like your first bad review could turn into something more.

cw: penetration, gratuitous use of food play, temperature play, descriptions of food, descriptions of fire and cooking.

📍October 31st: Ginger Haven

hiromi higuruma, scent kink & body worship.

𐙚₊ summary - it's halloween night and where are you? working late at the office yet again because of your boss. of course, you admired his persistence at his job but you were hoping to make it to your friend's party tonight, even going as far as to buy a mysterious "love perfume" to celebrate. little do you know, the perfume is working its wonders one office door over. no one's at the office except the both of you, why don't you check in on Hiromi?

cw: penetration, questionable office dynamics, scent kink, desk sex, oral (both receiving), body worship.

Taglist open!

TORUPINWHEELS 2024

dark blue divider - @animatedglittergraphics-n-more

[thats-the-teen-spirit]

Linkin Park - From Zero - Album Review

Well, a few months ago I didn't think that I would write such a review but here we go. So Linkin Park announced their return in September followed by a tour and an album, to everyone's surprise. The new singer after the great Chester Bennington's passing was announced to be the former Dead Sara vocalist, Emily Armstrong. The announcement was followed by many controversies which I'm not gonna touch on in this review, I'm just here, purely for the music, so take all my opinions with a grain of salt.

From Zero (Intro)

A very short, barely even 20 seconds intro is a Queen-like gang vocal/choir harmony followed by Emily asking about the name of the album. It sounds like they recorded her first reaction to Mike's idea for the album name, which is - as Mike mentioned many times throughout the promotion of the album - a double entendre. From Zero means from the ground up, a new beginning which is definitely true for the band after losing a beloved former member and a friend, but also From Xero which was the first name of the predecessor band of Linkin Park. It's genius if you think about it, and by the short and cut end of the intro Emily realizes this as well.

2. The Emptiness Machine

The first single and the song that started the return. The video and the song are both great, though it left a sour taste in some fans' mouth, expecting either a Chester-imitation or someone completely different (rumors were Amy Lee and Deryck Whibley). The Emptiness Machine opens up with a modern beat and Mike's rapping, he even sings the first chorus hinting at something new to come. The second verse starts with Emily singing and while at first I thought she lacks the power Chester had, by the end of the second chorus she proves her place is right among the boys. The lyrics are about an abusive relationship to someone or something which left people thinking about Emily's past (imo the lyrics definitely fit into Linkin Park's past catalogue as well). The passion of the last chorus and the "I only wanted to be part of something" bridge will leave you wondering though: how would this song sound with Chester?

3. Cut the Bridge

Already a non-single with a choppy hard rock riff and octaves, Mike starts rapping and you realize this is definitely a Linkin Park song. In my personal opinion this sound would have fit into The Hunting Party as well as this album. I'm not the biggest fan of the chorus but it's a fun song that might get a few headbangs at concerts. Emily definitely carries this song, the bridge melody by Mike is... not the best, a little jarring and does not fit his vocal style and range. We'll hear a few moments like that in the coming songs.

4. Heavy Is The Crown

Heavy Is The Crown was the second single and the anthem of this year's League of Legends championship which gave to already one of the biggest bands of the planet some extra boost of publicity. If I had to describe this song with old Linkin Park songs I would say this is a renewed version of Faint with the breakdown of Given Up. The beat and the melody throughout the song is very Meteora-era and the "THIS IS WHAT YOU ASKED FOR" breakdown pretty much calls out the fans who wanted a nu-metal banger. It's like they knew their return was controversial and they have to do the maximum nostalgia factor to appeal to the same audience that once loved them. Emily shows her real power in this one, letting out the beast and hinting at what's coming.

5. Over Each Other

A pure Emily song and the third single. Mike is not singing nor rapping in this one, and in the video we see Emily being in a relationship, breaking up and fighting with her girlfriend until the story takes a dark turn when she fakes her own death to get away from her now ex-girlfriend. It's a very honest and upbeat song that really arrives by the second half. The lyrics show a burnt-out relationship that seems to be over soon. This one I cannot even imagine with Chester's vocals, which is the first and the last time this happened during this album. The instrumentals in the second half are (in my personal opinion) very much Minutes to Midnight-like, almost as if Rick Rubin produced this one as well.

6. Casualty

Undoubtedly the heaviest one on the record, there's barely any clean vocals, (even Mike is shouting for most of the song) and there's even a hardcore punk beat in it. This is basically like their song Victimized was on The Hunting Party instead of Living Things. The guitars and drums are filled with rage and in the bridge we hear a new sound from Emily which is very In This Moment/Maria Brink. I didn't expect a hardcore song by Linkin Park but in 2024 even that could happen.

7. Overflow

After a very lengthy intro the song arrives to a space-y, flowy verse which is reminiscent of Deftones and I.O.U, the song Mike recorded with Chino Moreno off his solo record, Post Traumatic. The chorus keeps up the same slow pace and by the bridge I figured that this song would be very fitting to A Thousand Suns. Which is possibly the only song on this record that I can say this about. Like a more modern version of a medley of that album, strange sound and it's not gonna be my most listened song but I think it will find its audience.

8. Two-Faced

Ever wanted to hear a Meteora/Hybrid Theory song sung by a female singer? Well, here you go. Imagine if Figure.09, A Place for My Head and One Step Closer got together on a drunk night and had a lovechild. The verses are also very much like Nobody's Listening, another song from Meteora. The breakdown is so much fanservice to the HT fans that it's almost exactly the One Step Closer riff (even the turntables are there). This will be one of my favorites for sure, it gives me that Cure for The Itch for a old-new HT sound. The fans who can get over to be ready for the new era of the band and only love the first album will be happy to hear this one.

9. Stained

Another song that is hard carried by Emily's vocals, I swear it's like they're doing this on purpose. Mike is one of my favorite songwriters and musicians but man, is he boring in this song. This is the first song where I felt like it's a filler. Chorus melody is alright especially in the last one where it's much more epic, but the verses, the instrumental and the overall vibe of this song is very forgettable. If I wanted to be really harsh I would say, this one is a more pop-ish song of One More Light got rerecorded with a different vocalist and distorted guitars.

10. IGYEIH

IGYEIH or I Gave You Everything I Had is another heavy banger. The riff is very nu metal, reminding me of Burn by Three Days Grace. It's another one that Emily is carrying on her back, her performance is 110% again. Mike's "the clock keeps tickiiiiing" call-ins are very much forced, and in my opinion lack chemistry with the rest of the song. The yea-yea-yea-s by Emily are also somewhat forced before the chorus, the buildup and the breakdown are great though. It's not as mid as Stained but I honestly expected better from the riff.

11. Good Things Go

Probably my favorite song of the album, straight up. The modern rap beat and Mike's work on the rapping and the wonderful vocals by Emily make this composition a pleasure to listen to. Some people I saw online compared it to Leave Out All The Rest, I don't think that is true. While this is a ballad of some sort having very emotional lyrics, it's an unfair comparison to LOATR. The delivery by both Mike and Emily is amazing though and the buildup is one of my favorites of this year, it's both relieving and cathartic. This is this album's take on Good Goodbye and this one undoubtedly wins both the message and the delivery battle.

Overall I'm not gonna lie, I expected more. Upon the second listen I realized that I lost recency bias already. Some moments turned out to be probably the worst in their catalogue while others were highlights of this year's musical journey for me. The singles are definitely the stand-out songs, though Good Things Go and Two-Faced are up among them. Emily carried most of the songs as I mentioned many times before and it's clear that the band's intention was to make the audience love her as much as they loved working with her, even if this effort cast a dark shadow on the rest of the bands' performance.

7/10

[myth-blossom]

Thoughts on Max Valliant (The Splitter)

To avoid spoiling anything for those who haven’t played the new elusive target, read on below the cut:

First, I want to hug our bestest murder clone boi so badly. You can really tell how rough of an assignment this is for 47 as he deals with Valliant and his clones. His response to one of the guards calling the clones “freaks” (“Think you’re the freak”) and describing his numbness about what he does just really hits that point home.

As @dianaburnwood has pointed out, Valliant’s clones are essentially children, and just as we’ve seen with Ort-Meyer, their creators find them very expendable. They’re so innocent, even to the point where if anything chaotic happens (like the death of one of the clones in an accident), that one of them seems to wander off and has some sort of breakdown about it.

Definitely not a happy pay day for 47.

Second, I did my best to explore the level and hear all of the extra dialgoue between various characters, including sticking behind to hear a call from Valliant about the sale of his secret project to other buyers. As the target video pointed out prior to the mission, Valliant has been known to play multiple sides, so it was not at all surprising to hear him conducting business with another party despite claiming exclusivity if the ICA accepted. But that leaves me wondering: what if he’s already sent someone clones or the setup to do so prior to Pritchard’s arrival? I WISH they had Pritchard call the ICA while he waits in the room after the tour. Even if it would have stalled out at some point, I’d like to know the boards’ stand on it (gimme names, dammit), and who may choose to go rogue with that program just like Travis did with creating Victoria.

Third, what the hell was going on with Dr. Hei? The fact that 47 isn’t tasked to take her out as well is very interesting, but also her behavior with Pritchard was odd, too. She very much seems up her own ass about her clone work—something that was a bit fun to fuck with if you do the tour and choose to challenge the “perfect” clone in an example of combat training (to which the clone can die and she scowls “Motherfucker” at 47)—but despite her air of superiority, she also seemed to be a cautious player. Whether you choose to challenge the clone on the tour or just let him destroy a brick, she still pulls Pritchard aside and warns him to be careful with Valliant because he’s dangerous if he doesn’t get his own way. It seemed out of place at first, but I think it’s more that she knows the ICA would be a good source of financial backing for her to continue her work, and so she warns him not out of concern for his safety, but for the security of her future progress. I definitely don’t think this is the last we’ll be seeing of her.

Speaking of which, Diana tells 47 they have a team on standby to come in and take care of everything else after he takes care of Valliant and the clones. I trust Diana on this, but I think even she would admit that the team wouldn’t just come in and lethally clear out both the armed guards AND the scientists. At the very least they would be interrogated for information, if not paid to trade allegiances and work for them.

In terms of where this takes place in the timeline, it definitely seems to be when the ICA is still around (i.e. before the end of the Agency in Hitman III). However, with 47’s emotional responses during the mission, I have to wonder if this takes place after Hitman II’s antidote scene??? I’ve wondered about Diana and 47 working for the ICA still for a while after meeting Grey and Olivia, a good way to keep their Providence hunting under wraps for a bit longer until the shit hit the proverbial fan. But considering the Chongqing facility is meant to be quickly assembled/disassembled as needed, it’s not farfetched to imagine they removed all traces of the hostile takeover and cloning work and reset it back to what we see in the original H3 Chongqing level. It would explain the extra security measures later on (Pritchard needing the P41 form and scan to tour the facility, the heavier security presence, the entry code changing constantly, etc).

To stir the pot a bit about future plot theories: there is material here to make a new game. One thing to think about is Pritchard’s visit to the facility in H3 in the first place—why was he there? In theory, the damage and remodeling happened immediately after the Splitter mission was over. Was he there to make sure all traces of Dr. Hei’s work had been removed from the facility? Was Imogen Royce in on it and he wanted to investigate? Hell, even Hush could have been in on it—can you imagine if that sick bastard had an endless supply of clones to test his invention on in addition to the poor unhoused souls he was preying on?

In any case, 47 and Olivia (and technically Diana) were being hunted by the ICA at that point. If any board members wanted to pursue the cloning information the Agency should have obtained after the Splitter, they could’ve done that then….

HOLY HELL—WHAT IF ANY OF THAT INFORMATION CAME OUT BECAUSE OF 47????? WHAT IF HE AND OLIVIA ACCIDENTALLY REKINDLED THE CLONE INTRIGUE BECAUSE THAT WAS AMONG THE ICA FILES SOMEWHERE??? AHHHHH *scribbles furiously*

Okay, shouties over. For now. Probably.

There’s also the bit that @lucas-grey brought up recently about Lucas Grey possibly returning. At this point, I fear that if we did get Grey back, it’d be as a clone of our Grey, and as @bourbonthesecond pointed out, it would be quite the heartstring puller if 47 has to then help that Grey break free of his control and learn about his creation and past. But the way that would just fuck with 47??? My boi has been through enough.

I would really hope the next game would take a strong direction like this, and I’d love to see them have (and use, not kill or fridge) Diana, Victoria, and Olivia as well. I want to see them in the field and help 47 with things! I’d like that for Grey as well if we can get him back in some way.

I’m sure more thoughts will tumble out through plot bunnies and chats with friends. Hope you enjoyed this long read!

[tsururoach]

can you give a recap on the cupsleeve event?

Absolutely! Though there's only so much I can say as cupsleeve events are primarily just for fans to meet with fans, though I have a few photos!

Here's Me! We just set up the tables at the event, arriving two hours before time! Luckily we finished right before event start...!

Wait woah... Whos this!?!?

It's Big Al and Oliver! Ready to take pictures with you!

Big Al was drawn and designed by the lovely @mystsaphyr !! And he stands tall!

And next to him... part of the PowerFX family... It's (drum roll) Oliver! Designed and drawn by... the one and only ... Me!

But that's not all folks....!

To your left you'll see....

Ta-Da! It's the (condensed) AHS family! Starring SF-A2 miki, Hiyama Kiyoteru, and Kaai Yuki! Designed and drawn by @.untramentaro on twitter and bsky!

Here's a shot of all of them! (oops I'm sorry I cut off a bit of Miki...) ...

Wait... What's this? We have a lovely cosplayer to help us give a tour?

Ta-Da! It's Sam Oliver!

He wants to show us... The poster in front of the counter!

The owner had the poster up in front of the counter! She's the sweetest person ever... If you're interested in more So-cal events (general) you should follow @.4seasonsteacafe on instagram!

She was the life of the party and the perfect host!

Not only can you take pictures with our life sized standees, we had three different stations you could hang out at: The Doodle station where you could leave a message, The Deco Station so you could decorate your own top loaders, and the beading station so you could make your own kandi!

But that's enough excitement inside, it's getting busy! Lets take you back outside!

What the-!?!?!?! Miku you parked your car so badly!!!! Miku!!!!!!!! 10000000000$ Parking ticket to you!!!

Just kidding! That's our special itasha guest: @.andexinspi on instagram! Here to show off his special car wrapped with racing Miku!?! Isn't that cool!

"What's those tables in the back?" I'm glad you asked!

It's our Vendors! We couldn't have an event like this without them!

First off tabling to your left is... Cozytune ft. Ranagain!

Starring the cutest merch you'll ever set your eyes on from hairclips to mini-figures !?!?! Huh!?!? Isn't that way too cool!?

They weren't lying! The vibes are so utterly cozy with those desk buddies!!

Next up is the organizer table!

What's this?!? There's a treasure hunt!!! I wonder where all 5 of them are... (Genuinely don't know)... maybe someone could tell me........

Here is where you'd redeem the activies and pay for my co-organizer's side of the merch!

You see the things to the right?

That's the raffle, to help fund this (and future events)! We aren't just taking donations though... there's very real prizes! From the Big ALbum to lovely donations from our vendor Lady Pau... and standees? That's pretty cool, those acrylic standees are fancy enough-

WH!?! Life-Sized!?!? How would you ever fit that in your car!?!?

No. seriously how do you?

Oh. 😨

Uhm... very street-legal driving aside, let's go back to the vendors!

Ta-Da!

Me and @ladypau shared a table! Isn't her merch way too cute!??! It took my all not to pre-emptively buy everything!!!

...and the fact i forgot to bring cash...... (BOOO!!!!!)

.... I wish i indulged and got some before the event... Lady Pau was the absolute delight to have and had an amazing selection of merch! I hope to see her again soon!

Hi Sam! Hi Charlie! Hi Me! That's my merch!

I didn't announce it but I was also selling touched up postcards.... why did no one tell me I misspelled Ibuprofen until the event..........

uh... is it obvious I forgot to take close ups of my own booth....?

The Venue was also playing songs sung by the focus vocaloids... It felt so cool listening to Oliver singing on the big speakers!

But the event starts and... surprise to no one... I got busy with running my table and such!

(NOT MY OLIVER) but I got to hold his REAL original physical box.... Isn't that so cool... That was the craziest thing in the event...

And yeah... Rana ended up getting freed from her cage!

If you're curious at what people made at the Kandi and Deco stations, check on twitter or bsky to see what people psoted, since @.socalloid rted everything we were tagged in!

However we do have a picture of the end of the day doodle station!

Wow... so cool! Synths as far as the eye can see!

We even had two cosplayers! Sparkle On Longya! And a lovely Kaai Yuki!

So uhm.... I bet you're wondering now who got my Oliver standee...

Well... Uh...

Good night!