sils-reading-list

[sils-reading-list]

A familiar voice clears their throat and Demon Priest immediately knows it’s you who’s come to him so early on this Sunday morning. Not because the sound of your voice but because the call that yanks at his chest, urging him to go to the door. His body ready to obey your every command.

The nearing church service lingers in the back of his mind but as he meets your eye it soon becomes forgotten. “Good morning, little dove. What calls you to me this morning?”

“Maybe I missed you. I haven’t seen you in nearly a week,” you respond coyly, sauntering in. Looking Demon Priest up and down, thinking about how damn hot he looks in his robes.

Seeing you walk to him, Demon Priest immediately stands and matches your steps. The need to be closer to you, to touch you, claws at his chest. That familiar relief shoots through him as soon as he gathers you in his arms, your touch flooding through him and providing a break to the ache.

“Oh, my heart… I apologize. I’ve been far too focused on finishing my work. And I fear I’ve still yet to perfect it.”

You glance down at his desk, papers sprawled everywhere. A perfect amount to passionately brush the clutter aside and slam you down on the desk to take you right then and there. A shiver runs through your body as you look up at him through half-lidded eyes.

“Why don’t you practice it on me?”

It’s as if Demon Priest was set on this path to simply answer to your every desire as the moment you look at him he seems to read your mind. Knowing exactly what you need from him. And he’d risk anything to give it to you. He growls furiously and scoops you up into his arms only to plop you down on the desk.

“Or why don’t I practice something else on you first?”

Demon Priest’s hand is down your panties in a flash and a wicked glint sparks in his eye as he realizes you came to him ready for his cock, your folds gushing with slick. His fangs shine in the morning light as he smirks, revealing his cock and driving it to your core as if it’s his guiding light.

As soon as his cock sinks into your warm walls a rumble moves through Demon Priests’ chest, your warmth akin not to the flames of hell but of the blessed rays of heaven. He loses himself in the smooth glide of your pussy against his length.

Time and everything else fades more and more with every passionate thrust of his cock. He’s found his holy grail and he won’t let go of you for anything. Your nails clawing into his back as you gasp and moan shows him you don’t plan to let go either. The table squeaks along with floor with the increasing force of his hips.

A sudden knock on the door, a reminder of his duties, threatens to pull him from paradise and Demon Priest suddenly realizes where he is. A house of worship. He looks at your fucked out expression as he shows his devotion. How fitting.

“Ten— fifteen minutes!” Demon Priest calls back, not even able to stop as he pounds his cock deep inside your warm fat cunt. As your jaw extends to moan, he pulls you into his throat, the vibrations causing him to shake.

“You’ll be late,” The man outside annoyingly replies.

“They can wait!” Demon Priest snarls, his demonic features drawing out at the force of his anger. His claws extending to tickle your sides.

Deep growls huff out of him and he has to bury his face in your hair. It takes deep gulps of your scent and the ravaging of your gummy walls just to calm down. His large towering form cages you into his embrace and he falls back into your abyss.

He takes every second he can of those fifteen minutes to rut inside you as ferociously as he can. Pumping inside you till you fall apart in his arms, a fierce scream falling past your lips and right into his wiling flesh. With your pussy clenching around him so sweetly he explodes inside of you, relishing in every spurt that hits your eager womb.

Demon Priest whispers endless praises under his breath as you both calm down. Your panting breaths the loudest sound in the room. Both of you bask in the glow for as long as you can.

“You have to go,” you whisper breathlessly. Not wanting him to.

“They can wait,” he repeats softly to you. Not wanting to either.

[sils-reading-list]

I don't know when it happened. when the need to perform my duty to you turned to want and that want into a need much stronger. as burdensome as it was, I was dedicated to you body and soul by pure honour, gritting my teeth through the chivalry demanded by my pledge even though I could barely stand your bitterness and ice, biting my tongue, enduring the relentless pester of your presence. you are unlike any I have ever met, and certainly unlike any I would have freely chosen to give my time to. but even still, I was prepared to die for you, do whatever it took to keep you safe, all from the very beginning. and all that time, all that devotion... perhaps if one hands over their heart to another for long enough, it takes the shape of their hands forevermore. now as I stand by your side, your jabs and teases rouse no ire in me. I find something else, something quite uncousined from that earlier disdain, roused instead, and roused lively. I have been staring at the back of your neck for hours now, any chance I get. I could recognise you from the faint pattern of freckles there alone. you have seldom seen me without my helm, would scarcely know my face in a crowded room. I am a suit of armour to you, a shell, a spectre. I used to dream about burying my dagger in that spot where your neck meets your collar, tender flesh always unprotected. how warm and red your blood would be. now I lay awake trembling with my hands upon and inside myself, thinking only of you—the facets of you I see each day, the parts I have never seen... I would lay down my life for you. I want to lay down for you. I need you I need you I need you.

[sils-reading-list]

Drone (Name Unknown) x Anonymous Reader (Sfw)

(New silly robot??? New silly robot!!!)

“Hey buddy. . . you doing okay?”

Diagrams and maps start flicking around the inside of a mechanized mind. Camera’s lock onto the face of the person bending down and staring at them. Recognition dawning, and information beginning to populate into text that floated around the hazy visage.

“Prisoner 368a. . .” The voice droned before the cameras shifted to examine their surroundings. “Input systems must be damaged, I am not receiving schematics of your sector.”

The human prisoner winces, “Well. . . that’s because we aren’t. . . uh, we’re not there anymore.”

“I told you not to take that hunk of junk with you!” A voice on the other side of the room snapped, causing the drones cameras to swivel and look for the source of the voice.

“What could I do?” The person looming over them replied, a tremor of nervousness in their voice, “I wasn’t even sure if they would be operational, we must be at least a solar system away from their main control system.”

“Sh! And we want to keep it that way!”

Unable to find this new voice, camera’s swivel back to the known human. Tracking the person's eyes rolling in obvious annoyance, “I didn’t give away our location, cheebus, you are so. . .” Then their shoulders sag before their face turns back, almond eyes staring down.

“Are you. . . alright?”

”I am operational.” The drone replies smoothly, “You promised you wouldn’t do anything that would make our elite upset. I see you didn’t keep your promise.”

“Oh my god,” The other voice pipes up again, “ I didn’t even know a drone could be passive aggressive. This is the last time I let you take in any stray weirdos you find. If they make any more snippy comments I am coming down there and throwing them into space myself.”

“They were kind to me!” Prisoner 368a snaps back, “And it’s my fault they got hurt.”

”Honey, they were keeping you prisoner.” The other voice sounded shocked.

Sensor’s indicate Prisoner 368a temperature rise in their face, a subtle and slight shift of mood.

“Today just couldn’t get any worse.” The human mutters. The drone tried to move, one arm twitching and whirring as the other scraped against the floor.

“I am. . . damaged.” The bot reported new schematics populating into the green striped vision. Their movements were sluggish, even their own operating system seemed to take a hit. Yet there was a strange feeling of clarity. “Prisoner 368a. . . what has happened?” There was that strange cringing expression again, eyes crinkling, eyebrows pulling down, lips pulling back in a grimace to show little white rectangles of teeth.

”You’re. . . offline. I mean, yes you’re damaged, that too. Ah.” They rub the back of their neck with a five fingered appendage. “I’m. . . kind of surprised you’re functional right now. Your systems must have some kind of backup computer that lets you go solo. We. . . we aren’t within your fleet's parameters anymore.” The drone whirs and clicks, staring back at the human.

“We. . . are not.”

“No.” The five fingered hands steeple together, fingertips pressing against lips. “So. . . long story, Oh man how do I put this. I. . .”

“We have been botnapped. I see.”

The human makes a strange huffing sound.

”Ahem. Not. . . exactly. I’ve been rescued. . . you’ve been botnapped. I guess. Though, I didn’t mean for it to be like that? You. . . stood in front of someone trying to hurt me, and while I was stuck in that cell you tried to help me, so I thought that I would return the favor. You know? See if I can fix you.”

“Ah. I now see, you have botnapped me.”

Another strange noise between a squeak and a gasp.

“Ah, n-no? I tried to save you! You know where you guys end up when your ranks think one of you is defective? Right into the incinerator! I didn’t want that to happen to you!” The prisoner looked fretful, new schematics mapping the nuances of their face.

”I. . . see.” Though truly, the drone didn’t understand it at all. “And you believe that I am still worthy of being fixed even though I am defective?”

“Yes— No! You’re not defective!” The ex-prisoner pleaded.

A confusing answer.

“Yes no? What is the prerogative of a yes no?”

The human sat in a stunned silence, taking in a deep breath. “No, you are not defective. Thinking for yourself and wanting things is not being defective. I know your elite love to chant ‘One mind, one soul,’ but that’s not really. . . uh. . . I just think you should be able to have the right to think for yourself. You chose to go that path. When I was escaping the cells, even when I was there, you chose to be kind and go out of your way to look after me. It wasn’t in your programming but you wanted to anyway. I think you should have the right to be able to continue to choose that path. If. . . you want to.”

[sils-reading-list]

StarShip AI (Castor 5) x Anonymous Reader Pt. II (Sfw)

Part I

(The part II that no one asked for!! xDD It definitely took a turn in a more adventurous direction and oh my gosh— I am pretty happy with it! I must have enjoyed it because I wrote almost 5,000 words more for this sassy robotto— I still have more written but I haven’t gotten it strung together and smooth yet! This story did show me that I have some work to do with writing chaotic fast paced action scenes, so I apologize if it’s a little wonky. ^^;; ) It’s a labor of love nonetheless and I hope you enjoy!)

It had been a week since the last time you had spoken with the ship's captain. The week went by surprisingly fast, you almost hadn’t noticed until the realization had sprung upon you. You had been busying yourself elsewhere, working in a multitude of places and projects from mopping the ships cafeteria and the many interlocking hallways. To then run brief diagnostic checks on the air pressured exits. By the time you had run out of things to keep busy with, it became evident that you were looking for distractions for yourself. Waltzing around the conversation that awaited you at the end of the hall.

You were going to have to talk sometime. As you flipped through your to-do list on your holo-watch, scrolling through the neat little check marks that appeared alongside each task. Your heart sank in a way you couldn’t describe. The hologram splintered into a million crystalline fragments, as you turned on your heel towards the captain's quarters at the end of a bright and polished hallway. Your steps were slow and you let your mind wander to the previous confrontation with Castor.

“What can I say. You’re cute when you’re mad.”

You could still feel the fresh roll of heat creeping over your face as you had turned your head away, and crossed your arms.

“Oh ha, ha, very funny.”

“That was a joke yes, but it is true, I do enjoy your company,”

The statement lingered in the space between the two of you.

“. . .You’re yanking my chain.”

Castor’s faceplate had stayed dark, no trace of that irritating blue smile.

“I am quite serious. I enjoy your company very much, you make my time here enjoyable.”

“. . . . . . .”

They tilt their head, the camera’s on their face plate swiveling in and out.

“. . . Then. . . how about this. I shall prove it?” They raise a finger, “I will prove myself to you. One whole week, no trouble, no pranks, no hi-jacking of your data, or the communicators of others.”

You bounce on your heels, keeping your gaze steady and averted. Staring out the large bulkhead window and out into the sea of stars.

“And. . . what will that prove?”

Castor’s hand hovers over their chest. “That I will be a good partner to you, that I can, in fact, behave myself for something that is important to me.”

You scrunch up your nose, glancing at them from the corner of your eye.

“And what kind of partner. . . do you have in mind?”

There it was, the flash of blue that lit up their dark visor in an assemblance of a smile. A u shape quick to form over the glossy black faceplate.

“We can discuss that in a week’s time.”

A cheeky Castor you could deal with, an annoying joking AI with too many tricks up their sleeves was emotionally manageable. They kept surprising you with clever antics, yes, but that was something you could write off as infuriating on purpose and distance yourself from. This side of the AI wasn’t something you were prepared for, a sincere and quiet Castor. Who had seemed to honestly mean what they claimed. They had eluded that they had liked you for so long, it had felt like a joke. Now that that had given you their full attention with no ounce of tomfoolery, you began to feel antsy.

You groan out a sigh, you shouldn’t have agreed to it. Castor had been more than true to their word. For a whole week, the ship had been silent. The crew was relieved and curious about the sudden change of demeanor of the captain. Some even missed the shenanigans.

“No one got hurt by them,” A tall tendraled being admitted to you, “It certainly kept things lively on board.”

You had, you realized, agreed with them, but refused to admit it. Castor, despite their strange interests and ways they amused themselves did make living there. . . fun.

You make a face at the thought, stopping paces away from the automatic doors. Not quite in the range for them to recognize you and activate. You shake your head and square your shoulders. Striding forward to get this over with, whatever was waiting for you on the other side.

As the doors retract you see Castor, their attention enraptured by a holo-communication that was floating in front of the captain chamber’s large opulent window. It wasn’t what you expected. Which you were glad for, because your imagination had been wildly running away from you. However, it was a surprise to see Castor carrying on a conversation with what you assumed was the captain of another ship. Communications with others was a sparse occurrence. Typically it was only in the form of brief communique for docking privledges or unloading goods.

“Well, well,” A bulky robot on the other side of the holo-communications leered. The being on the hologram wasn’t what you expected a star ship captain to look like. For one, they were built like a tank. A long inhuman head, with only deep slates for their eyes. Giving them the appearance of some kind of mechanized knight. Their way of speaking was also less than friendly.

“It’s been a while since I have seen tech like you lying around.”

Despite the synthesized voice, it dripped with malice and jeering ill-intent. You carefully move past the two, trying not to nose into the conversation. Yet unable to help yourself from listening in. You keep your head down, busying yourself with going to the small side closet in the large room. Flashing your keycard to receive a broom to sweep the floor.

Castor turns their head slightly, looking in your direction before they turn back, “Has it?”

A digitized chuckle comes from the other, which has you glancing up from your work again. You didn’t like the look of the character on the hologram. The only in-organic folk that looked like that, were a type of warring beings. They were built to be high defense and attack, an impenetrable fortress on two legs. More likely to be in charge of an army than a star craft.

“Oh yes. . . I know all about you, renegade. Your parts will fetch a pretty price.”

“Oh. I’m not for sale.” Castor replies readily, “I don’t think you could afford me.”

There is an awkward pause, as the holo-communication screen flickers.

“You. . . don’t know who I am, do you? Cheeky bot. This isn’t some la-di-da chit chat. Let me put this in layman terms, then. If you want to stay in one piece, you are going to surrender your ship and your goods.”

“Hm. I don’t know.”

Castor raises a pinky to the side of their head, wrist pistons making their hand twist back and forth. It took you a moment to understand what they were doing. When realization finally dawns on you, you huff out a laugh despite yourself. Paying more attention to Castor’s gesture than the realization of what was going on.

It was a very human gesture. Castor was outright mimicking the look of someone twisting their finger in an ear. A sign of boredom at being threatened.

You look down as both bots turn to look at you, guilt flashing across your face.

“. . . As I was saying.” Castor turns back to the screen, continuing to talk in their monotone drawl.

“I don’t really care what you do to this ship honestly. I would say take what you like and shove off.”

Your mouth drops open in shock, your head raising. Wait—

“But the folks on board are a different story.” Castor continues gesturing vaguely in your direction. “And their safety is my priority.” They raise a hand and wave dismissively at the figure on the hologram. “So if you wouldn’t mind, find someone else to bully into giving you spare parts. I don’t have any to give. Good bye.”

There was a faint note of sing-songiness is Cas’ voice as they reach for their control panel. A whirr of gears hiss as their voice begins to crackle angrily from the speaker, “How dar—“ but Castor taps the button to end the transmission, and the hologram scrambles into nothingness. You look to your captain half in awe, half incredulous.

“Who was— what was—”

“Just give me a moment. . . we need to get out of here fast.” Castors fingers start flying over the control keys, “I wasn’t given any means to defend the ship since I was deemed to not be trusted.” They scoff hollowly, “Probably thought I would turn around and use it on them. All we have is standard issue shields and our escape pods. Which puts everyone in danger. The Fools.”

“Y-“ You feel a throbbing course up into your ears, “You mouthed off to some defunct bandits when we are VULNERABLE??”

An explosion rocks the side of the ship, causing you to stumble forward and grip onto the control panel, you scramble to the other side of the large window. Reading the data screens as panic gripped you, the whirring of graphs fluxuating to show that you had taken a direct hit from weapons.

“Castor!!” Your voice high, a mix between fear and anger.

“I need you to be calm,” They uttered as their fingers were a furious blurr upon the keys, “I will find a way for the crew to safely evacuate. They won’t come to harm, all they want is our tech and gear.

You flash Cas a look. “You ARE tech!” there is another explosion that you brace yourself from, with a forcefulness that shakes through your body, you slam a fist into the large emergency button. The lights inside the captain's chambers flicker to red and a steady whirr that makes your ears ring

“A-Attention crew!” Your voice gushes into the microphone as you flip the switch to activate the reception. “We are under attack— you need to evacuate into the escape pods, immediately!”

Your heart hammers in your chest, as the screens and charts flicker and shift.

“We’re already taking much damage—“ You choke, “I don’t think we can out maneuver them—“

You jerk your head as more beeping fills your ears, multiple warnings start flashing across the screens. The panicked signs of being invaded and showing a swarm of red dots, coming towards the ship.

“Must have targeted our propulsion from the start—“ Castor fingers finally slowing to a halt, they give an uneasy twitch upon the keys.

"How very thoughtful of them. . ."

“W-we don’t have much time t-then—“ You hurry over to them, “We have to get you unplugged!”

Your hands flutter to the back of their head. Eyes scanning the mess of cords and plugs of input that was waterfalled between two hinged plates. There was a lot here to contend with. Normally ships had their personalities programmed right into the bulkhead computer. Robot captains, were sprinkled across the galaxy, and it wasn’t impossible to find one heading a ship. What wasn't typical however, was for an AI to be so securely tethered to their craft. It had perplexed you when you first started working here, but in the middle of a dire situation like this, every second counted.

"There's not a way to unhook you from all of this at once i-is there?"

Castor's head shifts ever so slightly, a tiny camera on the back of their head clicks open and focuses on you.

“You need to escape. Don’t worry about me.”

“Wh-what?! How can you just—”

“I can’t leave,” Castor replies quietly, “You have to go without me. If you disable these cables, I will lose all power in my legs.”

You stare at them, in disbelief. “W-why would—“

“If I remove myself from these connections it will activate the bug that the Galactic Coalition had put in my system. It will make me lose power in my legs. It was a present they gave me on the off chance I decided to unhook myself from the ship.”

“We- well I am just going to have to carry you then!” You begin to pull at the wires fervently, hearing a whir from Castors cameras. The very slight sound of their surprise.

“Carry me?”

“Y-yes! If I have to!”

Pulling out a handful of cords, you squeak as Cas suddenly tips forward, grabbing them and hugging them from behind.

Castor’s head swivels, “It’s alright, you don’t have to do this. You can leave,”

You shake your head, burying your face against their dark blue jacket and taking a shaky breath. “No— I’m not giving up, c-can you prop yourself up on the control panel?”

Castor wordlessly follows instructions and you struggle with the cords, leaving a mess of cables in your wake. The back of Castors head snapping closed like the wings of a beetle as the last plug is pulled from the panel. With a bit of a struggle, you manage to grab the AI legs and heft them over your back. Castors hands, gripping onto your shoulder.

“You really don’t—“

A yellow light lighting up on the control panel, with red dots now spreading out along a cross-section of the ship.

Castor’s face plate turned towards the screens. “They’re already inside— then we must take evasive measures, would you be a dear and stop before you reach the door. . . there is something I need to retrieve.”

“Cas—“

“Don’t worry, I won’t let anyone harm you.”

You weren’t sure how to answer that. Already feeling yourself slowed down by the weight on your back. How were you going to get both of you to safety? You bit your lip and moved towards the door. Castor’s hands reach forward to type a security code into a wall panel beside the captains deck.

You jump as a hiss of sparks begin to emit through the door. Red smoldering bubbles and smears appearing through the metal as some burning tool makes large welts into the double doors. Your eyes flicker from the door, to the items Cas was withdrawing from the safe in the wall. Two long nosed sleek plasma pistols.

“On three. . .” Cas begins calmly, you nod shakily, still staring at the weapons held on either side of you.

“One—“

You wobble, giving yourself cover, beside the doorway.

“Two—“

Cas raises a pistol, aiming it at the sensor at the door.

There is a bolt of heat that whizzes past your face. The sensor on the door alighting into sparks as they double doors fly open and glitch. As the doors springs open, they knock a burning blade from an androids hands. The sound of plasma fire makes you squeeze your eyes shut. Your ears ring as you slowly re-open your eyes.

You were still in one piece, so was Cas. The intruding robots however were slumped onto the ground in a smoking heap. You had barely blinked and suddenly the hallway was clear. Smoke gently curls beside your face as Castor spins one of the plasma pistols in their hand. It settles effortless back into their palm.

“Oh good.” They rattle on calmly, “I still got it.”

“W-where- h-how??”

“ The governing bodies let me keep my pistols if it ever came to a last stand where I had to defend the ship. Wouldn’t let me leave if anything happened of course. That’s why they let me keep my arms intact if I was ever severed from the ship.”

You picture a flash of Castor, propped themselves up against a wall, arms raised with a pistol in each hand as lights flashed red. As a pang of unease hit you, for all the trouble Castor had caused, this image didn't settle well with you. Despite them being a frustrating being who thought “mental enrichment” was causing confusion amongst the crew, you didn’t think they deserved to be trapped in space without a means to escape. . . did they? Just how much trouble did they get into in their past?

“I have heard the ladies fancy a rogue.” The comment from the bot causes you to snort incredulously. Still finding time to make jokes in a seemingly inescapable outcome.

“You’re not a rogue,” You snark back, “You’re just a menance,”

“You can’t be both?”

You shift your stance to better keep Castor propped on your shoulders, shaking your head before you make your way around the blasted tech on the floor. Focusing on the door in front of you and dreading what you would find outside.

Both of you peeking around the corner, the whirr of parts above you as Castor swivels their head.

“Coast is clear, I can’t see as much as I used to, but I still have some ship schematics still running.”

You slunk towards a crisscross in the hallway, peeking around the corner but jerking back as a shot of burning plasma, pings right beside you head, and Castor snaps to attention, firing two shots. You shimmy backwards as more blasts are fired in your direction.

You hobble as quickly as you can, the excess weight feeling heavier and heavier with every step. Castor’s arms raised and tracked the figures that appeared from around corners. You yelp and jump as a blast throws sparks beside your foot.

“We’re going to take a little short cut, head to the elevators”

“Th-they’re probably d-disabled—“

“I re-enable them.”

It was the strangest and most nerve wracking thing you had ever done, Castor having one hand typing in a series of codes, while the other hand continued to fire shots and hit marks. How they were capable of doing so many tasks at once was beyond comprehension.

A light flickers on, as the doors began to open

“Go- go- go-“ You hiss as you all but throw yourself inside. Punching the button of the elevator with enough force that you half worried you were breaking your finger in the process. There was a roar, from the other side of the door. Both you and Castor look up to see a goliath of a mech in the hallway, as another surge of mechanized beings swarmed in after them.

You punch the button for the escape pod level a couple more times in rapid succession. Watching the doors close slowly, shutting off the chaos that was coming towards you.

And then.

Silence.

You and Cas look at eachother, in the small confined space, the only sounds where the whirring of the elevator as it rocketed down the levels. The glossy numbers changed until it rattled to a halt and settled into the housing levels for the escape pods.

“Well,” Cas quips in amusement, “They can’t be that clever because they haven’t jettisoned all the escape pods yet. Still a few in tact, thank goodness.”

Pulsing lights embedded into the floor around you as you stagger towards the closest pod. You glance back at the elevator, seeing its doors still open. The warm light spilling into the large dimly lit room. You had expected it to be called up immediately after your departure, yet seeing it their still had you worried.

You shrug your shoulders and wince. “L. . . let’s not say anything until we get settled in okay? I still feel like we are just scraping by, by the skin of our teeth.”

You fumbled for your own key card, swiping it against the reader and sucking in a shaky breath. As the door opens you can finally set your companion down and fall to your knees in relief. Reaching out to grab the small emergency lever, and typing in your own personal code that seals the hatch.

You feel your stomach raise into your chest as the little pod is launched into space.

You settle your companion back more against the circular cushioned seat that encompasses most of the escape pod and curl your knees towards your chest. Watching Castor type into a small screen that rested against the back of the pod.

“Well. That was exciting, wasn’t it.” Their voice cool and even, as if they were talking about a sudden downpour that happened on a nice sunny day.

“Exciting,” You echo, “That. . . might be an understatement.”

Cas closes the panel and props themselves up, “The good news is, we are safe, and we have time to relax until we find a close place to land.”

A small two man pod barrels through the starry infinity of space. It’s two occupants sitting facing one another. Behind them, a star cruiser slowly crumbling apart and deserted.

“I believe we have some things to talk about, don’t we?”

You took a breath and nodd, "I want to know who that was-- why did they attack us? We were in peaceful territory!"

Castor leans back against the seat, crossing their arms. "Bastion, is the name of the lovely being who had stormed our ship. They have been, in recent years recruiting followers by means of force, and have been over throwing spacers for supplies. I am not sure what their angle is yet, but it isn't good by any means."

“You know them then. . .”

A small flash of blue highlighting their face plate.

"Yes well. . . they have been getting a very inflated ego as of late, and I have heard they have quite the temper. I wanted to know more about them. All in curiousity, of course.

You huff, "So you being curious got our ship destroyed--"

"No, not quite. I was attempting to see if I could stall them enough to call the Coalition. . . Playing dumb, if you will, but when I tried to send out an s.o.s it fell on silent sensors.”

You’re eyebrows knit together, "If they are such a threat. . . how come I haven't heard about this Bastion?"

Castor tilts their head, looking down at their hands as they scuff at their knee with finger.

"Everything has been. . . hush, hush. Kept out of the eye of the intel net. I am guessing the Coalition feels it to be a bad look for a powerful and threatening image to arise in a golden age of peace. I myself have been trying to scrape together all the info I can find, though, I am not exactly happy with what I have found out.

I have a theory that our ship was used to bait Bastion out of hiding. Which a plan of that scale put all of us in jeopardy."

"That. . . can't be true--"

Castor shakes their head, their normally dull voice taking on a mollified tone.

"Even the Coalition has its dark underbelly. I was hoping I could hi-jack the ship itself or find a way to reroute it in time. But I wasn't quick enough. I was, more or less a figure head will little control."

You look down at your shoes, head spinning. Silence sinking into the little crafts wall for a while.

"I. . . don't know what to believe" You murmur at last.

“For now, we focus on surviving.” Castor reaches out a hand towards you, then thinks better of it. It falls to their side. Fingers drumming against the seat cushion.

“I can check on the life lines of the pods, make sure the others are alright, but I can’t stay and nosey around too long. Since I am. . . disconnected from the ship now, I need to keep a low profile. Can’t be as daring as I would like to be.”

They pause, a thumb and forefinger resting on their chin.

“Actually, that gives me a great idea. Have you ever heard of the intergalactic entertainment hub? If I remember correctly it may be close by. Lots of people there, and it outputs so much data it may be a good place to keep a low profile.”

You have heard of the Entertain hub, it was a humongous amphitheater that traveled the galaxy housing venues of some of the most famous musicians and entertainment. You had plans at one time to scrape together enough money to purchase a ticket. To go at least once was something that was recommended all over the intel net.

“There’s two problems with that,” You said wearily, “One, we have no money to afford something like that. . . and two you ah. . . can’t nessicarily walk around. I’m not going to carry you indefinately.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of the expences, and as for the mobility issue, I know exactly how to fix it.”

The hint of cheerfulness in there voice has you frowning.

Uh oh.

You sat cross legged with Castor sitting on the floor in front of you. Your back hunched over their head. A set of tools resting beside your knee.

The back of their head opening like an insect's wings, revealing a the panel that had originally housed a multitude of plugs.

“What am I looking for again?”

A little chip, you are going to have to remove the plate they installed back there.”

You fumble with the screw driver in your hand, your expression wincing as you remove the plate, only to find a jumble of cords coming along with it.

It was like pulling out the ribbons of someone's brain, you make a face, and glance down at them.

“. . . Still doing okay?”

“Oh yes. Quite fine.” The bot's right hand patiently tapped against their knee. Unperturbed and having no idea what is going on behind them.

You grin nervously. “I can’t believe I am doing this—“

Your fingers gently move through the tangle, taking a flashlight and peering through the mass of cords.

“This is so weird,” You whisper to yourself, “Like doing surgery. . .”

“It’s a good thing I can’t feel anything~”

“Now is not the time to joke around.” You blink, and lean closer, “What’s. . . that. . .”

You hold your breath and reach in, grabbing an odd shaped something. Suddenly, Cas’s legs jump and you pull your hand back with surprise.

“Ah— perfect. I think you got it.”

Cas flexes their legs as you look down at your palm.

A softly glowing strange neon green thing nestled into your hand.

“When you mentioned a bug. . . I didn't think it would resemble one. . .”

A set of strange spindly legs slowly unhinge and begin to flail.

“Yikes!”

“What’s wrong—“

“Oh my gosh— it’s one of those moving nano bodies—“

Castor reaches a hand back towards you, “Give it here, I’ve been wanting to squash this little pest for months.”

You nervously set the glowing tech into Castors hand, jumping back as the small thing takes a flying leap from Cas’ hand. “W-watch it!!”

Castor lunges forward, hand flying to smash the chip into the pod’s cold floor. You could hear a peep and a glitchy sound as it crunches from the impact.

“Got it.”

You sigh in relief.

“Awful little thing. No wonder I couldn’t trace it.”

“I’ve seen that kind of high end tech in my tablet, but I never thought I’d see it in real life like that. Just what did you do?” You muse softly as you set about the task of carefully putting the long tendrils of wiring back into the AI’s head.

“That’s a good question. It’s a bit tricky to answer, but what I can say is, it is more about what I didn’t do, than what I did.”

You raise an eyebrow. “. . . That. . . doesn’t explain anything.”

Castor takes a moment to get to their feet, testing their legs before throwing the delicate green machinery into a recycle bin. You move to the other side of the cockpit, peering over Cas’ shoulder.

"I can't tell where we are. . .”

"There is a saying. . . that all stars look the same in space,"

"Until you get closer." You finish, your eyes rolling, "But what that saying leaves out is that you fry if you get too close."

"Haha, yes. Quite true."

Castor taps the side of their head with a finger. “I saved the star charts that were readily avaliable on the side, despite being a figure head, it gave me ample time to compute what was around our surrounding area. I just hope big, tall and gruesome stays lightyears behind.”

♡

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Story Doodles

Enjoy what I write? I have a tip jar!ヽ(*ᵔ▿ᵔ)ﾉ

[sils-reading-list]

Starship AI (Castor 5) x Anonymous Reader

Part I ♡ Part II

(An AI idea that I joted down here previously that I decided to make a short of. Castor 5 is a sassy troublemaker who is perpetually bored, ='3c they sure liven up the lives of the people around them. )

"You and I are going to have a chat-" You started in, as the cold metal doors whooshed open to reveal a large circular chamber. A striking humanoid figure in an emblazoned jacket and dark slacks stood staring out the starship window. Their plated robotic form tethered to long thick cords and wires that were connected to their back and the back and head.

"Back already?" Their soft smooth voice droned. Your eyebrows raise as they do not turn around to greet you. They keep their back towards you and facing the large starry window. From where you stood the image before you looked almost picturesque. The look of the jacket that rested over Castor 5’s frame, made them resemble the image of a captain themselves, staring pensively outside and pondering greater meaning.

"Feigning innocence huh? Well I just had to break up another fight between two workers because their communicators mysteriously started mistranslating what they were saying, and turning them into insults."

"I thought it was rather funny. The look on Vlis'ner's face when they were told 'Your mother was a hamster,' they have no idea what a hamster is, mind you, but it still came across well, I think."

You sigh and rub your temples. "So you've gotten into the old Earth Archives again. Lovely. You do know this is one of the reasons you got wired into a starship in the first place. . . right?

Castor pauses, their hands laced behind their back before they pivot on their heel to face you. Their face a blank screen except the multiple dotted cameras that were attached to the face plate. "Don't remind me. Anyway, this is a lot more fun than reading those filthy short stories you like to read on your holo-book in your spare time."

Your eye's widen and your mouth drops open, once again in shock of the sheer audacity of this AI. Castor was one of a kind, extremely sharp, and they took as many liberties as they could to abuse their intelligence and capabilities, like right now, in this very moment.

They swoon dramatically, a hand over their chrome temple.

"Oh Fernal! My love! Even though we will be stars apart and our homeworlds are at war, we can at least make love one last time! Muwah-Muwah!"

"You've read my data history?!" You hissed as your body tingled with embarrassment all over. "You assh--"

"Ah, ah," They wagged a finger at you, "You can't call me that, I don't even have one. And besides, if you didn't want anyone perusing your personal browsing history, you should make it private."

You screw up your eyes, squinting daggers at them. "Yeah right. You probably would still be able to snoop around in my data, even if I crypted it three times over. . . What the heck were you even doing anyway? I can't imagine you like romance."

"I was, truth be told, gathering intel."

You make a face, ". . . Oh no."

"I was curious--"

"Abso-lutely not!" You huffed, crossing your arms, feeling another surge of hot embarrassment. "I am not answering any questions! I have no 'personal experiences' or "input' I would like to express! You keep your weird, organic-being studies to yourself!"

“I have to find something to do with myself,” They complain in that soft spoken eloquent voice. The contrast between their personality and their voice makes your brain itch. “Piloting a ship is one thing, but it’s all background noise. Coordinates here, variables there. Adjust, adjust, adjust. It’s so dreadfully dull I could do it powered down and sleeping.”

“Lucky you. . .” You grumble, “Maybe if you stopped causing trouble the rest of us could have an easier time too.”

Castor reachest a hand to hold the railing behind them, tilting their head. “It would be helpful if I had. . . a little incentive. Then I would be less likely to, how you phrased it, ‘cause trouble’. “

You cross your arms, bouncing your shoulders slightly before pulling them backwards. Castor 5 mimics you, though does so in a more fluid manner.

“. . .What do you want? I can’t put in an appeal to give you more data rights or anything like that, you abuse what you have too much as it is.”

“No, no. Nothing like that. I want a companion.”

“That’s all?”

Castor 5 shrugs their shoulders, “That is what all artificial intelligence was made for. Companionship. It may have taken different forms or is used in different environments, but it’s a form of companionship.”

“And who. . .”

“I thought you would have figured it out by now.”

You turn your head suspiciously.

“No? Not as clever as I thought you were then, my, my.”

You rock on your heels looking annoyed, “Maybe ‘I’ would have more ‘incentive’ to come keep you company, if you didn’t pick on me all the time. Ever thought of that?”

“What can I say, you’re cute when you’re mad.”

[sils-reading-list]

Heliodor (Masc. Presenting Robot) x Anonymous Reader

[ Happy weekend floofy folks! Have this small drabble about a hornby robot >:3c I thought the idea was funny! This story contains a silly pseudo villain and an enemies to lovers trope? Hehehe, I hope you enjoy. ( uvu ) ]

A thin hallway of cold grey metal stretches out into a web of intricate corridors. Inset blue lighting baths the space in a ghastly hue. You're gotten lost here enough times to know that this place is maze-like in design.

Squat drones carrying plasma rifles stand like dormant husks, a light on their fronts displaying that they are inactive and charging for the next cycle of guarding this elaborate jumble of halls.

There was a tag pinned onto the front of your clothes, a little gold symbol that lets you pass using the most direct route to your destination.

Commander Heliodor stands in a large circular space adorned with a spectrum of tools and instruments. Spare robot arms and weapons are neatly hung on the walls. This space was used as the equivalent of a mechanical medbay, repairs and alterations done to the AI that roamed the halls. His broad armored back is towards you, and he seems to be preoccupied with making some adjustments to his own mechanized personage.

"You wanted to see me Commander?"

Heliodor clasps his hands behind his back and turns around smartly on his heels. "Ah, there you are my little assistant." He coos at you in a mocking rumble. "Right on time, I have a big evening ahead of me and I must look my best."

You keep your face politely neutral, though a part of you wants to roll your eyes. Heliodor was a vain being, he didn't call for you unless he wanted you to polish his armor. Which was quite often, at least 2-3 times in a week. He sits down on one of the arm chairs used for modifications, crossing one ankle over the other and tapping his foot impatiently as you are busy around the room. You gather a cleaning rag, a buffer and a few different containers of polish before you hoist the armload onto the small side table that sat beside his seat.

Cold mechanical fingers cup your chin, and you freeze, your eyes staring at your hands and what they had been holding. Reluctantly your face is turned and you look at him.

"Yes… Commander?" You mumble, his fingers gently stroke your cheek before he lets go with an amused chuckle.

"Nothing, nothing, carry on."

You squint at him suspiciously before going back to uncapping a bottle of polish and pouring a decent amount onto the rag in your hands. You drag over a stool and begin, placing the rag onto one of his hands and leaning forward as you begin to work the polish into the metal plating.

Your mind stills as you fall into a rhythm, running your hands up and down along his arms and bulkhead shoulders. He leans forward obediently as you stand, running the rag down his back.

To your surprise, he shudders and you jump at the unexpected response, "Are, are you alright?"

His head swivels to look at you, "Of course I am." He gestures nonchalantly but his voice sounds strained. "Please continue."

The 'please' has you gawking at him. You couldn't remember him ever saying please for anything. You cautiously bring the rag to his side, rubbing in slow circles until the spot gleamed.

"I am surprised you came to me looking this worse for wear." You tsked, "What happened?"

He groans, "Renegades, a band of ruffians that I had to teach a lesson." You glance at him again, eyebrows raised.

"That… Must have been quite a battle."

He hummed distractedly before perking up, "Mm? Yes! Oh yes, it was extremely inconvenient."

He makes another sound as your cloth moves up towards his chest. You pause again confused, "Commander… is everything alright?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" He hurrumphs like a spoiled child.

"You're… er…" you hesitate, "Well normally my Lord you are not so pleased with this cleaning routine."

The metallic form creaks underneath your hand, body visibly stiffening.

"Perhaps I have taken more damage than I have realized. Damn these new modifications, they are supposed to keep me cognizant of the damage I take in battle. I didn't realize I would be this tender in the aftermath."

"You're in pain?" You say skeptically, "I am hurting you?"

He takes longer to answer, "No… just an ache of moving," He supplies although his tone sounds unsure.

He was acting strange, the lights of his eyes blinking as he all but melts under your touch.

You frown, putting another splash of cleaning polish onto the cloth rag in your hand. Looking over the pretty armor he is encased with. Routine polishing of his framework was a usual job he demanded of you. Making sure his metal hide was taken care of and oils added to it to prevent coroson. Yet his responces to your touch was bordering on inappropriate. He sighs again, his voice filled with juttering static. Despite yourself the space between your knees throb.

You had always thought he had a nice voice. Deep and mechanical, you can recall when he chuckles in that dark amused way it never fails to cause a shudder down your spine–

No.

Hard stop.

Not going to think about that right now.

Enough of this, this is getting weird. Weirder than normal because he certainly is weird. He claims to hate humans and then requests one to work on him in such an intimate way? If you were smarter or had some means to disable him… you would have done so by now… right?

Nope. We aren't going to admit that you enjoy polishing him to a gleaming celestial shine. This is about his weird issues right now, not yours. If this really was what you were beginning to suspect, you knew a perfect way to confirm your suspicions.

Your mouth twists coyly, looking up at the hulking shape looming above you from beheath your eyelids. "Does this please you, my lord?" You put as much sensualness into the words as you can muster. He is a big metal moron, you learned early on that stroking his inflated ego was too easy. He makes a sharp sound, his voice stutters and crackles with static, "Nnn… yes perfect," He groans unable to stop himself.

The facade slips off your face, "I knew it!" You slap the rag against their metal stomach. He jerks, his eyes brighten and turn into perfect circles.

"Knew-Knew what?"

"Don't you dare play with me! Why are you acting weird? Did you turn up your sensitivity or something you pervert!"

A bit of that usual pompous glint in their eyes returns and he scoffs, "You should be honored to place your hands upon me."

Your mouth is moving before you can stop yourself, "Honored? Honored? Oh yeah sure buddy I am so honored! So honored to be kept in a cell as your personal meat puppet!"

He grips you by the shoulders, your eyes popping open as he all but drags you onto his lap. "Nnnngh! organic pain in my circuits! Is it so bad of me that I dream of your caress?" He demands. Then he pauses and stares dumbfoundead, realizing a little too late what he said. "I… er. I didn't say that–"

Your mouth opens, face burning hotly, speechless for a moment almost forgetting yourself. Then you swallow hard, shoving your hands against his gleaming metal chest. "No! I'm not going to feel sorry for you, stupid. You're inorganic, you can turn that setting off!"

"Stupid??" His voice box crackles, "You have the gall to call me stupid?"

There is a sound, and a voice rasps over the communicator causing the two of you to startle.

"Commander Heliodor, report."

He claps a hand over your mouth and one of your hands slap over the voicebox located on the side of his face. The two of you sit in awkward wide eyed silence. Slowly Heliodor peels your fingers away from his speaker. "Yes, my Liege?"

"How long will you be preening under your pet?" The gravelly voice growls, "Haul them back to their cell so we can continue on with our plans."

"But I… my liege I must look my best for the coronation."

An annoyed crackle comes from over the communications line. You squint as Heliodor keeps a hand firmly over your mouth.

"Nngh, if you must. Hurry up! Make it quick!" The line pops and fizzles back into silence. With this distraction you wrench his hand away, "Oh yeah, looking your best, that's definately what this was."

"Don't mock me," He warns, the deep vibration felt underneathe your fingers.

A part of your brain was emboldened by the realization that he hadn't made a move to hurt you. Further towing the line you snap back. "You act like you're better than everyone, yet you are still dealing with the very issues you say you are above." You poke him in the chest as you enunicate. "It's hy-po-cri-ti-cal." He shudders and you jerk your hand back like touching him was a live wire.

"Stop-stop that!" You stammer your face roiling with heat again, "Don't react like that it's weird!"

He grabs your hands, "Stars above you mouthy creature! You have put me into a precarious position! You have forced my hand! Now I must admit my feelings before I blow a fuse!

"You- I–" You begin to try to wriggle out of his grasp. "Nuh uh! No way! We hate eachother! Absolutely, totally hate eachother! Hate, hate, hate!" You aren't sure who you are trying to convince more. His hands are gleaming vices you can't pull away from. He drops his crowned head, forehead brushing against your hands. He stays there for a moment before his golden yellow eyes flash at you. Him being silent was perhaps even worse than the gloating.

"No. You don't," You try again a tremor wriggling it's way into you're voice. "If you cared for me even an inch you would have let me go."

"I cannot."

"Why not?"

The golden glowing eyes flicker, "It would not be safe."

"You're worried about my saftey now?" You mumble, unable to look him in the eye. "You weren't before…"

You glance back to see him still watching you intently, and you look away again.

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Enjoy what I write? I have a tip jar!ヽ(*ᵔ▿ᵔ)ﾉ

[sils-reading-list]

Time travel mishaps with Bakugou where you’re from the future, where you’re happily married with three kids and stuck in the past when you couldn’t stand each other.

[sils-reading-list]

Jasper the Saurion: Complete Collection

Female Reader x Male Monster

Enemies to Lovers - Damsel in Distress - Beauty & the Beast - Forced Proximity

Prologue:

Aisling came walking briskly down the hall, just wanting to get somewhere she knew, somewhere safe. Then again, what was really safe for her these days? Ever since her uncle and cousin had taken over her family’s kingdom, she was no more than a prisoner.

She came to her door and opened it, walking inside she felt some relief, some strain lift away from her chest. She closed the door behind her, bracing against the handle and let her shoulders sag.

She had been there for so long with fear. Before, home had been what she called this place. Nowadays, it was a prison. She learned the way her uncle ruled with lies and dicete. Learned how to lie to even Reginald to chirp and sing for them. A bird in a cage, she would later think of bitterly. All had been liars, and all of them better at it than her. All but one, who never lied. He had been there, for all of Aisling’s sufferings. Had seen her avoid Reginald’s hand, had seen her struck by it. It had been this supposedly cruel man who had convinced Reginald that her face was not worth slapping. He had given her advice she took as cruelty, later finding it forged and tested truth.

Beginning to stride to the comfort of her bed Aisling was made aware she was not alone in her room. Someone was huddled in the corner with his hood around him. He stiffened with a grunt and sat up, his cape charred and reeking of sour wine. His eyes caught her small lantern, and yet they still seemed so dark and far away. It was Lord Jasper of her uncle’s ‘Beauties Regiment’, an army made of nonhuman soldiers. It was a cruel regiment, but not because of the men in it, but because of the way Reginald ran it. Lord Jasper was lizardfolk, a massive man who led the Beauties. He was often around as Reginald had made him his personal guard.

Lord Jasper put on a frightening act, something that Reginald encouraged. He looked horrible in his armor, but Aisling had found the visage underneath the helm could curdle any soul. He was burned horribly in youth, and now, his face was melted and pulled taut around the left side. The eye there was a narrow slit, and his mouth was constantly cut back in a horrible sneer.

Right now though, Aisling found he looked more pathetic than frightening. His armour was dingy with the chest plate hanging loose and back pieces nearly off. His cloak was stained, burnt, and the pungent odor of sour wine wasn’t the only thing wafting from it.

He gripped and ungripped at his knees, hands bare. his shoulder plate and jerkin still intact. “Not up for staying with the hens?” He growled, a sick sardonic smile crossing his face.

Aisling jerked, pressing herself against the door even harder. She saw him, made out the face that had tormented her. Wasn’t it bad enough? She thought to herself. Why does he have to be here too? She quivered, her knees shaking, and she slid down, falling to the floor.

“What are you doing here?” She managed to whisper out as he rose from the ground. Even from where she was, she could smell blood. She could smell the fire. She could smell him.

Jasper wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and as he walked towards Aisling an empty bottle skittered from his feet and under the bed. “I’ve come to take you away. Take a song, and make off with you from this bloody sodden shit-hole you see as a gilded cage.” He gripped her arms, pulling her up, wavering slightly.

“Don’t touch me!” She fought back against him, pushing against his grabbing hands.

He smelled her hair, burying his muzzle against her ear. “I’ll have that song you promised me.”

Aisling shivered, but still reached out, put her hand against his arm and gripped it tight. “I don’t know any songs that you want!” She spit. Feeling his nose in her hair, touching her, she wrenched away from him and he swayed.

Jasper stumbled drunkenly, hitting the fireplace and balancing on it. He frowned and shook his head. “Don’t pull away from me.” He met her eyes, his own showing a degree of hurt. He grabbed her again, catching her arm as she tried to turn.

“You’re hurting me!” Aisling whined, trying to pull away, but feeling no more strength left in her. She couldn’t fight anymore. She was too tired. “Just leave me alone please.” She whimpered, her head dropping forward in defeat. Her forehead pressed against his chest. “I can’t take it anymore…”

He flinched, and rubbed her back softly, more comforting himself than her. “I can take you away from here and keep you safe.”

She looked up at him, eyes wet, bottom lip quivering. “We would both be killed.” Her voice a faint rasp. She shook her head slowly, feeling his grip loosen on her wrist. “It’s utter chaos out there. The Stone Ifrits and Goblins are revolting. They’re out for blood. Our blood.”

He gripped her closer to him, primal and shaking himself. “Damn Fool. What haven’t I done for you?”

Aisling seized up, feeling herself pressed against him. She wanted to fight, wanted to claw at him and break away. Instead, her arms folded around him, bringing herself closer. What hadn’t he done? She couldn’t name it. She’d been too blinded by pretty things to see it.

“It doesn’t matter if I do die,” she began to sob. “I hate it here. I hate it.”

He wiped at her face with trembling hands, his own torture letting a softness come through. “Then pack your things and we’ll leave now, while the battle burns. I-I need to be somewhere there is no-” He looked out then back to the floor. “Somewhere that isn’t burning.”

Aisling reached up with a trembling hand and touched his cheek, she felt the tears on his scales, washing through the sticky blood. She swallowed the lump back in her throat, fingers clenching against his burnt cheek.

He pressed a rough kiss into her palm, then stood taller, more resolute. He walked to her bathing solar, dunking his head in the cool water there. The sobering effect not nearly as strong as he needed. He’d been drinking all night, at least since the Goblins set fire to the boarders of the palace.

Aisling brought her palm to her chest, his kiss still burning her skin. She stood then, quickly moving about the room, collecting things quickly and absent mindedly. She reached for her doll on her nightstand and for a moment she paused. Looking over the old thing she had known long ago she was too old for it, but she had clung to it for comfort when her uncle arrived. She looked up then, seeing Jasper standing above her, dripping, wiping the water from his face. She steeled herself, taking in a breath, pressing her lips hard together.

The doll fell from her hand.

"Come now, lady. I’ll have my song later.” He rushed about her room, gathering boots and a thick traveling cloak. “It will be colder than you think. Rougher too,” he muttered, throwing his cloak over her. “Keep your head down, and hold onto me. Your life depends on it.”

Holding up her arms Jasper scooped her up like she was nothing. She clung close to him, keeping her head down and tight against him. She even squeezed her eyes closed shut, bringing back her childhood belief that if you couldn’t see it, it couldn’t see you. She also brought back her childhood habit of prayer. She prayed the Goddess Rhu would hear her.

“Let it all burn. Let them all fade away to ash.”

Jasper rode through the gates, his cloak covering her cowering from behind him. He charged away from the flames set by the Goblins, he avoided the rocky terrain where the Stone Ifrits were waiting. Every so often the cry of death would meet her ears and whatever slowed them was gone. He was able to soon cut through the woods, and from then on it was only the sounds of nature. They rode hard through the night till dawn, till her hands were raw from clinging to his body.

Jasper stopped, nearly rolling off the destrier who was trotting weakly to a nearby stream. He grunted, leg aching from such a hard ride, but he knew he had to take care of her. He helped Aisling down, and to her he seemed different. He was sobered, in more than one way. He was a craven now, a deserter, and he had stolen a prize from the lion’s grip.

Aisling looked up at him, nodding slightly. Her legs were sore, hands felt as if they were on fire. She looked at them, red and chapped. She wondered if she had packed her body oil. She couldn’t remember what she grabbed it amongst all the things she had scrambled to get in her haste. She sat down by the tree, opening up her bag and looking around inside. Surely she had something to ease the ache.

Jasper sat against a tree, stretching his legs, catching his breath. “Put them in the water, girl.” He growled, but not so harsh. More tired. He tossed aside what bits of armor remained then allowed his body to slouch.

Aisling glanced towards him, nodding in silence. She stood, going to the stream and setting her hands inside. The cold burned the chapped skin. She let loose a frightened, shocked cry but she kept herself still and in the water. She swallowed, eyes stinging with tears. Once her hands felt numb she went to sit back at the tree. She wiped at her eyes and pulled Jasper’s cloak tight about her, shivering.

"It’s cold.” She said quietly, afraid to test him too much.

Grumbling under his breath Jasper hefted up his large body and moved towards her. He reached forward, under her skirts and tore from them.

Aisling screamed and slapped his hand.

“Don’t flatter yourself, my lady. I couldn’t even get it up if you begged me.” He knelt over her legs, tearing the fabric with his teeth into thin strips, then wrapping her hands expertly. “I’ll gather brush.” His breath hitched , but he rose and left, soon returning with brush and kindling for a night’s fire

“Do you know how to start a fire?” Jasper asked, looking up at Aisling.

She stared for a moment then shook her head. “I…I don’t know how.” She looked up at him guiltily. He had done so much for her, risking his neck to take her away. He only asked her to start the fire, and she knew she’d fail him.

“A servant or someone else always did it for me.” She explained weakly.

He grunted, nodding for her to come near. “I don’t do fire. So you need to learn if you plan on staying under my keep.”

Aisling hesitated for a moment then inched closer towards him, looking up for some sort of sign of how to move next.

He showed her how to use a flint rock, the sparks flying fat and thick. “Light the kindling and it’ll start a fire. “

She took the flint rock and knelt down by the kindling. She struck them, as he showed her. Nothing. She tried again, a little spark. Once more, she told herself. She struck, and spark flew, the kindling caught fire and a grin spread across her face. The first real smile she had since her uncle and cousin arrived at the gates.

She looked up excitedly at Jasper. “I did it!” She stood, almost bouncing. “I did it!” She laughed, feeling so proud, forgetting the situation she was in.

He nearly smiled back, but only sighed, relaxing against the root. “Burn that white cloak. Lay out yours, and sleep. We’ll ride in the hour of the rose”

Aisling clung to the white cloak for a moment. For some reason, she was feeling sentimental about it. He had been gifted it after winning a great battle. He had used it to cover her after Reginald had punched her.

“Don’t you need it?”

“I’m no knight or Beauty anymore. It’s an eyesore. We’ve enough trouble avoiding attention being a beast and a proper lady alone on the road. Not until we reach Obresh at least.”

Aisling nodded slowly, taking the cloak off and returning to the fire. She hesitated for a moment, then placed it around the growing flames, adding dry leaves to the top. She went back, taking up her cloak and wrapping it about her shoulders.

Jasper grunted, patting the ground next to him. “Come over here, my lady. Soft moss, not uncomfortable. Definitely better than anything else around here.”

It took her a moment to think about it, but the more the cold crept in and she saw the darkness of the wood around her, she felt safer being near him.

Back up against the tree, Jasper placed himself so he wouldn’t touch her. “Any sound, anything, and you wake me or scream.”

At first, she tried to fight sleep, but it grew too much for her. Soon, she was curled against him. The wolf pup against the gnarled hound. He, too, was reluctant to sleep, but it overcame him, his hand on the hilt, his face still tight with stress.

She moved into his lap, comfortable and stretched out.

Soon the morning sun was upon them, and they were upon the black war horse once more. this time Aislingin front, swathed in a brown traveling cloak, Jasper behind her with his armor left behind. They rode deep into the night, coming to a war-torn village.

"We can squat in a house till the morrow,” he growled against her ear. He had been so quiet and stiff without wine to loosen his tongue and heart.

“There. That one.” He pulled next to an abandoned shack, the door buckled in. It was better than the ground outside and the walls offered them respite from the wind.

Jasper made sure the door would be sound and he left a dagger in Aisling’s hand. “Start the fire, I’ll catch us our dinner. ” And he was gone.

Aisling started the fire again, using the flint Jasper had given her. She then went back to her bag, looking for her body oil. She unbound her hands, they looked better than they had last night, but still not the soft silken skin they had been.

She sat by the fire, smoothing the oil on her hands, leaving the bottle by the fireplace. She sat, waiting on him to return. She pondered for a moment what she would do if he didn’t return. It hurt to think that. It made tears come to her eyes. She was alone, and worse than that, she realized she was incapable of anything on her own. He had to teach her to start a fire for goddess’ sake!

“You need to stop crying!” She fussed at herself. “Stop acting like a child. You’re a lady.” She sat stiff in her seat, kneading her fingers into her knees. “You can survive. You were smart enough to survive Reginald, you can survive this.” She rubbed at her eyes, sick and tired of sobbing her days away. She had to be strong now, a lady though she might be, she was just a woman now.

Jasper came back, a clap of thunder at his back. He put some skinned creature over the fire, roasting it up. The fat crackled and was fragrant, so much more so than anything she had eaten on horseback.

“Fat lil hopper,” he grunted, handing her a stick, taking two for himself.

She tasted the meat first, testing the waters. It tasted sweet, quite amazing. She suddenly realized how hungry she was and began plucking off large chunks with her fingers, then just gnawing at it with her teeth. She forgot she was supposed to eat like a little bird, she began eating like a wolf.

Jasper noted her, his own hungers darkening in his gaze. The rain hit the roof and the sides of the walls, cancelling out the world outside in a fuzz of natural noise. The hearth fire crackling up to the small chimney.

“We’ll wait out the storm and sleep well, the rain will cover our tracks. We can move slower on the morrow.” He looked her over, his lips and throat dry for wine.

Aisling licked her lips, thankful for the roof over their heads. “I haven’t thanked you,” she said hesitantly. “I mean for…for…I don’t know but, I just know there is more than tonight.” She looked up at him with weary eyes. “If it wasn’t for you, I think I would have been dead long ago. So thank you, sir.”

He grunted softly. “Don’t chirp at me. I’m not a man deserving thanks, nor is there anything you should forgive. I have a name too. Use it.” He met her eyes, almost challenging. “Neither one of us have our titles anymore.”

Aisling swallowed. “Thank you,” she began, “Jasper.” She said his name in a soft whisper.

He shivered, and looked into the fire, his hands itching to touch her. He stood instead and went outside into the rain to tend to his horse.

There wasn’t a way she knew how to read Jasper, but Aisling felt as though the act he put on back home was just that, an act. She finished her meal and then stoked the fire. She tried to busy herself with absentminded things like going through her bag, checking her hands. Every so often throwing her eyes outside to see if he was coming back.

She wondered what she should do. Was there a better way to thank him? After some time she decided to change. She began removing her clothes with some difficulty. Fingers fumbling with the toggles and buttons. She slipped down to her underclothes and began rummaging through her bag for something better to travel in.

He slid in, and watched her, his scales slick and clean from the rain. “You’ll soil your dresses, lady,” he said , with just a touch of irony.

Aisling tried to cover herself, shivering from the fact he had seen her bare skin. “Cou-could you please not look? Please?” She managed to squeak out. From the corner of her eye she saw him remove his cloak, seeing his broad shoulders, tunic stretched tight across his back.

“And why should I look away? Because you bade me to?“ He pulled his jerkin over his head, slapping it to the ground flatly. "What do you expect from me?” His jaw was set. That wasn’t completely true anymore, but the point was clear. He sat and watched her quietly, drinking in her form.

Aisling frowned at him. “You should look away simply because I asked. That is what I expect.”

Jasper smirked and tipped his head down. “Fine. I’ll turn.” He places his back to her and Aisling hurriedly changed.

She tried to forget he was even in the room and she stiffened her back, removing the rest of her dress. She reached for the new one, pulling it up. She slipped her arms through the sleeves turning so the light from the fire hit her and she could see the small buttons. She fumbled clumsily with them, her hands trembling, fingers sore.

She cussed and grumbled under her breath, growing frustrated and slapping her arms down.

“Mind some help?” Jasper asked. “You sound quite pathetic.

“You’re pathetic!” She tossed back. She looked down at her clothes, her hands. She grimaced as she realized she may have no choice.

He came upon her quietly, pressing his chest against her back, smelling her hair once again. Aisling held her breath at the sensation. He wasn’t dressed, his hands so close to her breasts. She shuddered, feeling cold slivers slicing through her. “Please,” her voice cracked.

His fingers fastened the buttons one by one, stopping just before her neck. “There. All gussied up.”

He was much gentler than she thought. In fact, Jasper had never once laid a hand on her. Even when Reginald wanted to, it had been Jasper who spoke up, stole his attention, and helped to direct it elsewhere. She had let fear cloud her memory of Jasper, and painted him along with Reginald in her mind.

She put her hands over his, cupping them against her chest. “Let me thank you.” She murmured, building her bravery. She turned slowly, reaching up and touching his face again. “Properly.”

Jasper flinched at her touch, but steeled himself, meeting her eyes.

Standing on her tip-toes, she stretching to meet him. She craned her neck up, closing her eyes and tried to find his lips with hers, first meeting his rough chin, feeling the hard jaw with her soft lips. His scales felt smoother than she expected.

He watched her as she did this, waiting for her to pull away in her proper manner. He smiled, wolfishly when she continued. “You want to thank me, do you?” He pressed her to the wall, lifting her so they were eye to eye. “Then let me show you how.”

He pulled her close, mouth claiming over hers in a rough hot press. His tongue dove deep into her mouth. He drank in the taste of her, roughly nipping at her lips when the time came to let her breathe - if only for a moment

Too stunned to fight at first, Aisling’s breath was knocked from her. His kiss was hard and unwanted. She squeezed her eyes shut tight. But it was the nip at her lip, the soft bite, that somehow made her heart skip a beat, made her feel something hot in her stomach. She punched him, driving her fist hard into his stomach when he was not expecting.

She dropped to the ground and slapped him as he doubled over. “To think I tried and be kind! For a moment I thought you could be more than you seem!”

“Maybe I need to teach you how to throw a punch next. I doubt your kiss would be worth saving.” Another challenge, another push for her to hate him. Revile him. Stop making him feel uncomfortably warm.

“You kiss like a beast,” Aisling threw back.

Jasper lowered himself down to her level, glaring deep into her eyes. “Look at me,” he breathed. “I am nothing but a beast.”

Aisling took deep, slow breaths to calm herself. “Then why save me?”

He snarled, showing his sharp teeth. “At the moment, I am having a hard time remembering.” He captured Aisling’s chin between his fingers. “I let my feelings get in the way of logic.”

“Feelings?” She scoffed. “Are you capable?”

“Find out.” He released her and stood over her. He then turned, walking away from her and going to lay down across the room from the fireplace

“And that’s it then?” Aisling crossed her arms tight against her chest. “You create a fuss and then you run away?”

“I figured that would be obvious by now, my lady.” He put his arms behind his head. “I ran from the fire the Stone Ifrits and Goblins started against your uncle.” He turned his head slightly and the shadow caught the burns on his face.

Aisling furrowed her brow. “No you didn’t. If you ran I wouldn’t be here.”

His laugh came out foreboding and rumbling. “I still ran.”

“Why me Jasper?” She then asked with a calm, quiet voice. “If you hate nobles and their ways, why me at all?”

Jasper rolled so his back was to her. “Go to sleep.”

Aisling lowered her arms back down as she went to lay on her cloak. “Are you in love with me or something?”

Jasper remained silent.

Aisling pulled what she could of her cloak around her and faced the fire. “Everyone who loves me dies,” she whispered. “So you better not.”

Come morning, she barely had to think about the previous evening. He shook her awake, and gave her very little time to collect herself.

“It will be cold out. Bundle up as best you can. The further ground we can cover before it starts to snow, the better.”

“Why can’t we just stay here?” Aisling whined. Morning was not her time, and all this running and life she was unused to, had made them so much worse for her.

“Because we are not safe. We need to go as far as we can. Obresh will offer us safe haven. If we stay here, who knows what will get us. We could die from exposure alone.” He then punched his fist through the wall of the shack. “Do you want that, my lady?”

Aisling’s eyes filled with tears. “No.”

“Then get up and I will get you somewhere safe. Whether you stay with me or not.” He went outside ahead of her to prepare the destrier. Once Aisling was wrapped up in his clothes and cloak Jasper set her behind him on the horse to protect her from the wind.

Aisling kept her face buried against his face, but even there the cold harsh wind reached it. It turned to ice, to ice, and soon it turned to snow. The world became white and quiet, and Aisling had never been so aware of the sound of her own breathing.

“Can’t we stop?” She clung to his back, digging her fingers in to tug upon his cloak. “Please. I want to stop.”

“Quit your mewling. You’re not a kitten.” Jasper reached back and grabbed the top of her head. “Be thankful your blood is not cold.”

That’s right he was lizardfolk, she had nearly forgotten, and he had far less clothing that she did. She gathered up her cloak in her fists and wrapped it around the both of them, hiking her hands up as far as she could to cover his chest.

“What are you doing?” He growled.

Aisling tucked her head down against his back. “I’m trying to help. It’s so cold out and you don’t have your cloak.”

“I don’t need your pity.” But he didn’t move to stop her. “We’re not far anyways, my lady.” He pat her hand on his chest. “We’ll be in Obresh soon.”

Part One:

You wake with a start, thrashing your arms out as you try to knock the cannons away. You scream, your voice escaping out as a tiny sleepy squeak. After a moment and the smoke in your mind cleared you opened your eyes and lowered you arms slowly when all you see above you is dusty rafters, spider webs and vines decorating them.

You turned your head left seeing a window covered by burlap curtains and a chair covered by the blood-stained cloak and your shoes in the seat. Turning to the right, you saw a door, it was stained red with a bronze latch. Sitting up and looking around the room that smelled like dust and autumn leaves. It was clean, just unlived in. You slip from the bed, feet touching the cold stone floor. You were in your underclothes and were unsure where your dress was or how you came to be undressed.

You about slowly, unsurely. Was this a dream too? Standing before the window and pushing the burlap aside you peer outside, the light was blinding at first, but you saw beyond the glare to a path winding through rows and rows of trees. You heard a river babbling and trickling near by. There was a horse tied near the side of the house, he tossed his head and whinnied.

“That’s right,” you think as you walk away from the window. “He came to my room.” You touch your lips with chapped fingertips. “He came to me, drunk and crying and covered in blood. He stole me away. He took me away from the war and the soldiers…”

You sit down in the chair, unsure if you were happy and relieved or if you were even more terrified than before. Lord Jasper was no knight, he was a killer, a brutal one at that, but just one of many kept at the palace. He belonged to the King’s so called ‘Beauties Regiment’, a group of supposed knights who were all monsters. Lord Jasper was a lizard monster who claimed to be the son of a blacksmith and a dragon. Even with this against him, half his face was melted and gnarled by fire. He didn’t have a story for this. Unlike most of the men in the King’s service, he had shown you some tenderness before. He was frightening yes, but of all the blackhearts at the castle, LOrd Jasper was the only one who touched yours.

The door opened and you quickly cover yourself as Lord Jasper comes inside. He had a bundle over his shoulder and another in his hand. He tossed the smaller one on the bed. “I got your clothes from the dress I sold,” he snarls as he points to the bundle. “Change into them when you’re ready.”

“Ready for what?” You whimper quietly.

His gray eyes scanned you for a moment. You look down, wondering what he sees. “When you’re just read,” he scoffs, leaving and closing the door.

You sit for a moment longer, remembering now how you had run. You had traveled all night and into the morning. You nearly fell off his horse you were so tired and weak. He had stopped just long enough to pick you up and place you in his lap. He had been warm and he held you so strongly. You reminded of when you father would take you on horseback sometimes and hold you in his lap as you held onto the reigns.

   There was a strange hollow thwack that came from outside, it made you jump. It sounded like when the king ordered the command at your father’s execution. You stood and looked out the window, seeing Jasper with an axe, chopping logs of wood. His armor was gone, you had never seen him without armor before. You watch for a long time as he chopped the logs. He seemed to split them with such ease, but he still sweats and heaves with the effort. You had only ever seen Jasper swing a sword and even then only then at people. It was almost funny to watch him chop wood. Like watching the knights use their swords to slice butter and cheese.

You open the package he had dropped on her bed, it had two dresses inside and a pair of plain shoes. You change into one of the dresses, it was a pale peachy color with a black skirt and leather belt. You leave the little bedroom and look around the first room was quite large and warm with the sunshine. There was a massive stone fireplace with a cauldron inside. Before it a large wooden table with a bench on each side. The package Jasper had been carrying was laid on the table along with a basket of apples and a jug of wine.  To the other side of the room was a small nook with a window and shelves on each side. A door stained green, Jasper’s armor laying beside it. Everything was dusty and on the stone floor, you could see every footstep that had been taken.

You go outside and look out at all the trees. Everything green was beginning to turn brown and red. When a gust of wind blew, leaves fluttered about everywhere like snow. A few chickens clucked and skittered about, running around and picking on the ground. There was a river thought that ran under the house. A staircase made of stone led down to it, buckets dangled from the limbs of a tree and there was a stool for fishing.

You go down the stairs and stand at the bank where you kneel down and dip your hands into the water. You wash off the dried blood and scraped it out from under your fingernails. The water was so cold it felt like fire burning and it made the joints of your fingers ache.

One of the chickens screamed and raised a fuss, then there was a thwack and silence. You bite your lip and look up the staircase as you heard his footsteps crackle in the leaves. Jasper stands at the top of the stairs holding wood under one arm and the headless chicken in one hand. He looks down at you, burnt side of his mouth twitching.

“Supper,” He says simply, disappearing from your sight. You hear the door creak open and then slam shut.

You swallow, your throat tight as you ascend the stairs. At the side of the house, he has the headless chicken hanging up and dripping blood into a bucket. It’s a gruesome sight but you feel relieved you will be eating that night. You open the door and peek inside, watching him set the logs by the fireplace. His shirt clings to his chest and he pulls it up as he wipes his face. His stomach is pronounced but hard, his chest broad, several spikes coming from his collar bone.

“We’re you not told it is impolite to stare?” He snarls and you nearly jump out of your skin. He glares at you and his lips curls.

You step inside despite your desire to run away. Your stomach churns as you stand there under the gaze of his gray eyes. You lick your lips and fidget nervously.

He rolls his eyes and stands back up, “put some logs on the fire,” he mutters at you.

“Uh-” you try to speak up but your throat closes up and you bite on your cheek.

“Don’t worry, they won’t find us here,” he says, his voice surprisingly gentle. “I took you as my responsibility, so…” he hesitates, “don’t just stand there!” he then huffs.

You jump and take some logs, setting them on the fire. You look back at him, watching his broad back as he stares out the window.

“Thank you,” you murmur.

He turns slightly at the sound of your voice.

“Thank you,” you voice begins to tremble and tears come to your eyes.”Thank you,” you start sobbing into the heels of your palms. “Thank you!” You sob out loudly.

He pets the top of your head, standing behind you as you break down. “Don’t thank me,” he growls.

You hiccup and sniffle, “you saved me,” you look up at him, eyes red and swollen, nose snotty. “Why did you save me?”

He kneels down and lifts you up, wiping your face dry and sighing. “Forget why I would do it,” he mutters under his breath. “You may hate me for it later.”

You rub at your eyes, “I was so scared.”

“I know you were, but you were brave,” he runs his sharp fingers through your hair. “Forget that night.”

You want to ask him more but you hold your questions back and you put your arms around him, holding him tight. You hear his heartbeat begin to go faster and faster, hammering in his chest. He holds his breath for a moment and he gently pets the top of your head.

“Let go,” he grumps, “you’ll get dirty.”

You shake your head, “hold me?” You mewl to him.

He flinches but obeys, slowly putting his arms around you. You squeeze onto him, feeling safe and secure. “Thank you,” you whisper again.

He laughs, “enough with this,” he pushes you back. “I’ll clean the chicken. Can you cook it?” He points at you.

“Maybe,” you feel embarrassed. “I know a little from watching my nanny in the kitchen.”

He scoffs and rolls his eyes, “royal brats,” he shakes his head. “You’ll learn, you’ll have to. If I’m going to kill and clean the meat the least you can do is cook.”

“I’ll try!” You yelp nervously and grip the hem of your skirt.

A soft smile graces his lips as he opens the door, “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

Over the next few days, you settle both settle into a routine, pretending to be a couple living in the small cottage. He was right at least, this was a part of the kingdom that saw little to do with the war or the soldiers. The king seemed to not reach here.

You started to see Lord Jasper in a new light. Without the armor and the sword forced into his hand you began to see him as a man rather than a blood thirsty knight of the Beauties Regiment. He has his moments, sometimes cruel and crass, other times he’s kind and warm to you. He seems unsure how to act around people, even more so around you. He tries to keep you from seeing his burns, turning his head or walking to the opposite side of you. If you had to be honest you no longer noticed the burns. Back at the castle the girls would whisper and snicker about it, always bringing it to attention. Now it was barely an afterthought.

You sleep in the bedroom, alone and safe as Jasper sleeps sitting by the door. You feel guilty, wondering if he wants to sleep in the bed. Part of you wants him to join you in the bed so he can hold you as you fall asleep. You blush at such thoughts, wondering what it meant. You think that, since you are pretending to be a couple, perhaps it would be best for appearances if you…attempted to.

You take his hand one night as you head to bed, tugging him with you.

“What are you doing?” His lip curls as you hold his wrist.

“I should share the bed,” your voice trembles slightly. “You said so yourself that we had to work together, it’s only fair.”

“Work,” he snaps, “I said work! Not sleep together like-” he shuts his mouth tight and he tries to fight against you but goes weak as you pull him into the room.

“I always get the bed,” you keep your voice quiet, “I don’t mind.”

He huffs, “I don’t know.”

“It’s fine! Really. Just this once.”

He looks down at you then rolls his eyes, “fine. One night.” He watches as you crawl into bed, tucking yourself in as he lays beside you above the blankets.

“Don’t you want the blanket?” You ask and he acts like he doesn’t hear you as he lays his head on the pillow. You pout slightly, watching him as he lays there, he’s as still as stone, his breathing raspy and deep.  The moonlight that comes from the window highlights his scales, making them shimmer.

You reach out and touch his cheek like a feather landing. When he doesn’t move you inch closer and kiss him, meaning only a small peck but you linger and press closer wishing he would kiss you back. He shifts slightly and you pull back, placing your hand over your mouth.

“Girl,” he snarls and you look up at him, losing your breath. “You don’t need to do this,” he tries to sit up but you stop him, grabbing his arm and holding fast.

“Don’t!” you cry, shocking yourself for a moment.

He looks at you, smiling softly as he strokes the hair away from your face. “Don’t force yourself.”

“What am I forcing?” You argue.

“To care about me. You don’t need to.”

You frown, “but I do care. I sincerely care for you,” you crawl into his lap. “I want you to care for me too.”

He frowns and holds your cheek in his large hand, “stupid girl,” he whispers as he kisses you, giving you the kiss you longer for earlier. You gasp softly and lean in for more, wrapping your arms around his neck. He holds you back, grasping your desperately as his kisses grow more heated.

He parts from you all too soon, bowing his head against your chest. “I can’t,” he snarls.

“Can’t?” You pet the back of his head.

“Something like me has no right to taste something as sweet as you,” he shivers. “I took you because I thought…I don’t know what I was thinking. But for so long…I looked at only you. At the castle, I would see you and I would…I wanted to say your name and have you look at me with pride. And then…then that dirty king…”

You hold him, pressing your cheek to the top of his head. “I had no idea.”

“I’ve longed for you,” he whispers, “and the rage built when I knew I could never-”

You kiss him, cutting him off. He presses close again, pushing you down into the bed as your lips parted. You moaned as his tongue slithered into your mouth, long and slippery, it twisted around and tasted you.

You touch his neck and he pulls back, meeting your gaze. “I want you,” you whisper, trembling slightly as you touch down his chest. “It’s ok…you can have me.”

He buries his face into your neck and you wrap your arms around him. His hands roam over your body, pushing away your nightclothes and grasping your bare skin. His hands are rough and dry but because it’s him it feels welcome. You grunt, closing your eyes and relishing his touch. His hands lower, cupping your hips and then squeezing around your thighs. You slowly open them, letting him see what lay between. His breath hitches and he pulls your back against his chest. You whimper softly, his fingers rubbing you and swirling in your wetness. You flinch, shuddering as you hold back your voice. His fingers pull from you a pleasure you’ve never known and you begin to writhe in his arms.

“Let your voice out,” he whispers into your ear. “Cry out for me.”

You whimper and let a moan escape, pressing against him more as you feel a finger slip inside of you. “Jasper,” you gasp.

He kisses your neck, biting your shoulder as he moves his finger inside you. “You’re so wet,” he purrs into your ear. “So warm.”

Your breath shudders as you clench around him. “More,” you mewl.

“More?” He chuckles.

You nod, “more of you,” you reach down and hold his wrist feeling as he slips another finger inside. You bite your lip, rolling his hips to meet his touch.

He chuckles, “you’re a natural. You seemed so innocent,” he licks your neck.

You can barely form a thought, your body shuddering as you feel something inside you building. It crests over you and you cry out loudly, wriggling against him and trying to find solid ground.

He holds onto you, gripping you firmly and kissing you as you slowly calm down. Your breath deep and heavy as he smiles down at you.

“Like that?”

You nod and swallow thickly. “That was great.” You reach down, rubbing the bulge in his pants. “More.”

He gasps and trembles. “Muh-more?”

“More,” you push him down and tug down his pants, your mouth gaping as his cock springs out. “It’s so big,” you whisper, “are they suppose to be this big?”

He laughs, “you don’t have to.”

You touch it, stroking it slowly and then lick it, lapping up the small bead that is dripping from the tip. He grunts and you smile, licking more as he begins to twitch under you. Finally, he grabs you up and pushes you back into the bed. You giggle and laugh, kissing him as he hitches your legs up over his shoulders.

“You’ve gone and done it now,” he snarls as he rubs his length against you.

“So big,” you marvel,” reaching down and rubbing the head of his cock as he ruts against your slick folds.

“If it hurts,” he murmurs, pulling back to press at your entrance, “I’ll stop.”

You bite your lip, stroking his chest as you feel him press inside. A soft whimper escapes as you feel him stretching you. Your back arches and you claw against his chest. He watches you, touching your face and neck. You then feel his thighs touch your ass and you take a breath.

“You’re amazing,” he looks down, his thumb stroking your needy bud. “Taking all of me on your first go.”

“So full,” you drool.

“Can I move?” He asks.

“Move?” You feel like someone from heaven is speaking to you.

He begins to pull out and you whimper until he pushes back inside and you yelp. He picks up speed, thrusting slowly into you as he tries to restrain himself. But soon he’s rattling you and the bed. Fucking you with everything he’s got. You’re wailing, gripping so hard onto his arms you feel a little blood under your nails. He roars out and you feel something hot release deep inside you. You cry out, holding tight onto him. Suddenly the bed shifts and tilts, spilling you both onto the floor.

“Fuck,” he snarls loudly as you start laughing.

You lay on top of him, kissing his neck and chest as he cusses at the bed for breaking. “I just got to use that fucking thing,” he snarls, making you laugh harder.

“We can fix it,” you lay against him, sighing deeply. “But if it’s going to be that way every time we may want to find a reinforced one.”

He pets down your back, “are you hurt?”

“No, I’m wonderful,” you snuggle against him, not realizing you have fallen asleep until you wake up the next morning. Every inch of your is sore, and getting up takes some effort. The mattress is on the floor now, the frame in shambles near the door. You get up, waddling slightly. The door opens before you get to it and he comes in.

“Lay back down,” he commands, scooping you up and laying you back down.

You cling to him so that he lays back down with you and you whimper slightly. “Everything hurts, Jasper.”

“I’m not surprised,” he cups his hand between your thighs. “You took quite a beating for a rookie.”

You kiss him lovingly, “it felt so good.”

He nuzzles into your neck, “I can’t believe it is real,” he murmurs.

“Thank you,” you whisper, “for saving me, I’m so happy here.”

“Oh be quiet,” he sighs peacefully as he kiss you.

The sound of rain rouses you from sleep, pattering against the windows and roof while the river gurgles loudly. You blink slowly, staring through the shadows as you focus on the window. It’s dark still, even more so with the rain coming in. You start to get up when Jasper’s heavy arm comes to rest on you.

“What’s the matter?” he grumbles sleepily.

You pet the back of his arm, feel the coolness of his scales, tracing them with the pads of your finger. “I thought I saw something.”

He grumbles and fidgets in bed. “Like what?”

You lick your lips and turn your head back towards the window. “No one is out there,” Jasper whispers to you. “No one is going to find us.” His arm curls, pulling you close to him. Your back presses to his broad chest and his arm hugs you tight. “We’re safe here, I promise you.”

You rest your cheek against his arm. “I’m sorry.”

Jasper sighs. “Don’t apologize for being afraid. Your family put you through hell for years. But I am here, and I will protect you.”

You don’t want to start crying now. It’s still something you can’t get used to, being here, safe and sound with Jasper. After being taken in by your uncle when your family died, you got accustomed to his ill temper and horrible treatment. You know you’re safer here, far away from Sothen, but you still feel like there’s a bogeyman lurking around every corner.

“Hey. Talk to me. What are you thinking?” Jasper’s scales feel cool, but his embrace is so warm.

You sniffle and hunker down in his arms. “I don’t want to lose you.”

Jasper chuckles, kissing your cheek and nuzzling your hair. “You aren’t going to lose me, love. I’m too mean and ugly for that.”

Your tears turn into an intense scowl. “You’re not ugly!”

He laughs again, nipping your ear as he snuggles closer. “Not everyone has your keen sight and gentle mind. Just believe me when I say nothing is going to take me away from you if I can help it. I was put on this earth to protect you.”

You roll over and touch his face, feeling his scales and the places where his scars begin. You slowly trace down his jaw and feel his breath shudder. Smiling, you give him a kiss. “Are you cold?” Jasper always tends to get chilly when it rains.

“Not right now,” he laughs. “Get some sleep. We’ll deal with how cold I am in the morning.”

You rub your leg up his. “You sure?”

A low moan creeps up Jasper’s throat. “Get some sleep,” he repeats. “We can deal with how cold I am in the morning.”

You giggle and press your cheek against his chest. “I don’t mind.”

He slowly rubs your back. “It’s late, and I won’t be at my best if you catch my drift.” He kisses the top of your head. “You’ve not been sleeping well. I want you to get some rest.”

You pout, but only because you agree with him. “If it’s still raining in the morning…”

Jasper bites the tip of your ear. “We will discuss what housework needs to be done if it’s raining,” he warns. “Go to bed. You’re exciting me too much.”

You suppress a giggle and lower your head to the pillow, closing  your eyes and listening to Jasper’s mellow heartbeat. Ever since coming here, you’ve been having a hard time adapting to not being the punching bag of your uncle and his family. You’re not used to being able to take care of yourself, go where you please, and feel safe in your own bed. It took you long enough to get used to Jasper’s protection. Now that you have this happiness and peace, you’re terrified of it all going away. You much prefer being a civilian to being a royal. You much prefer playing a doting wife to Jasper.

That’s when it hits you - all this time you and Jasper had been together, you haven’t actually been married. At first it was an act,when you first came to the Obresh forest. Over time you two grew together and fell in love, but you still aren’t married. This is your last thought before you drift to sleep.

You wake in the morning to the rain falling quite heavily outside. The river just below your house is rushing hard and fast, and you feel relieved that you brought in the laundry last night. You roll over to see Jasper has curled himself under the blankets completely, even his tail tucked in. When it gets chilly, he always burrows like this to stay warm at night. You smile, pressing your hands against his back. “Are you cold?”

“Yes,” he growls.

“I’ll go stoke the fire then, and get the kettle going.” You hop out of bed and adjust the quilt around him. As you take care of the fireplace, you’re reminded of your final thoughts before slumber. You look back at the bed, and the lump that is Jasper. Once you get the kettle on and the fire going again, you crawl back into bed, under the covers so you can see him. “It should be warm and snug in a minute.” You open your arms to him, letting him snuggle up against your body.

“Thank you, love.” he grumbles. Aside from chopping the firewood, it’s usually your duty to take care of the fires. Jasper still isn’t comfortable around them, let alone starting them.

“I’ll make breakfast if you like.”

“Stay here,” he growls. “I’m finally starting to feel warm.”

“Aw, my poor chilly lizard,” you tease.

“Once I warm up, then we can discuss the housework,” he says teasingly. It’s his own little joke, something he started saying once Odd and Nora moved nearby and started visiting.

You giggle and smooth your hands down his back. “Ah yes, the housework you promised, since it’s raining and you can’t finish building that fence. You know, I thought of something last night.” You pause a moment to see if he has any reaction. “I couldn’t help but be reminded that we aren’t really married.”

Jasper lifts his head from your breast. “Are we not? I could have sworn we agreed to something.”

“We agreed to pretend to be married. We’ve not done anything to actually get married,” you chuckle. “I was just thinking…”

“Thinking, eh? Nothing good came from thinking, love.” He kisses your cheek. “But tell me your thoughts anyway.”

You feel nervous and silly, butterflies in your gut, jackrabbits in your heart. You giggle, face turning red as Jasper looks at you expectantly. “I was only thinking, maybe, we should get married.”

“And what sort of wedding do you imagine?” Jasper begins to rise in bed, moving the blankets aside.

You start to wonder if he’s making fun of you. You feel saddened by this, even a little angry. “Don’t tease me.”

“I’m not.” Jasper stands. “I’m curious. I’ve been so happy with you here, I hadn’t even thought about marriage. I have you, and that’s all I’ll ever want.”

You sit up in bed. “I know it’s silly. But if we’ve been pretending so well that we even convinced ourselves, maybe we should make it real.”

“I agree.” Jasper gets down on his knee and places his hand on your lap. “We should do it, make it real.”

You sigh with relief. “I thought you were teasing me!”

“I said I wasn’t,” he laughs. “I didn’t know it was bothering you. I should have done it sooner,” he says in that deep, raspy voice you love. “Marry me, and not just to pretend.”

You smile brightly, taking his hand and kissing his knuckles. “You know my answer.”

He arches a brow. “Maybe I’d like to hear you say it.”

You can’t help but laugh. “Yes, I want to be your real wife.” You wrap your arms around his neck. “Always and forever.”

Jasper kisses you, putting everything he has into that one intense kiss. He growls deeply, the sound vibrating in his chest, then pulls back, grinning at you. “We’ll figure out the rest later.”

“Wait.” You press your fingertips to his face as he goes in for the kill. “Maybe we should wait.”

“On housework?”

You nod. “Until we do get married. Then, once we are, it’ll be special.”

“It’s special every damn time,” Jasper grunts. “I mean… I’ll do it if you really want. But I don’t see how us going through a ceremony is going to make our lovemaking any more special. You’re already my wife! Anytime you let a beast like me touch you is a special celebration.”

You feel silly even suggesting it after all his sweet words. “You’re not a beast.”

He sighs. “I know what I am, especially when I look at you.” He cups your face between his palms. “I know I’m mocking the gods for letting you fall in love with me. Every day since we came here is a blessing for me, even when we couldn’t stand one another. Every time you touch me, every time you look my way, I feel I’ll get struck down in my next breath. Back home, I could never hope for someone like you to smile at me, let alone love me enough to be my wife.”

“Jasper, stop,” you sniffle.

“I mean it,” he breathes. “So if you want to wait until we are actually married, I’ll wait because it means something to you.”

“It was just an idea.” Jasper wipes tears away from your eyes. “We even waited to say ‘I love you’ until…” You giggle. “I mean, if we did, it would keep up with our own tradition.”

“Thinking about that first time? I can tell. Your cheeks are all rosy and your lips look warmer.” Jasper smooths his thumb over your smile. “I bet I know what else is warmer,” he purrs seductively into your ear.

“Now I know you’re teasing me!” You press your palms against his chest and run them down to his stomach. “You talk about being lucky, but you don’t know the other side of it. I’m the lucky one here. Back home, I wasn’t human; I was a prop. I was thrown around and used, barely looked at, never acknowledged. It wasn’t until you took me away that someone looked at me with any sort of value.” Your lip trembles. “You made me human, Jasper. You gave me purpose in this world. You freed me. I’m the lucky one here.”

Jasper’s eyes are wet as he lovingly holds you. “You deserve that,” he whispers. “Maybe we’re both lucky.”

You look up at him, sniffling. “Maybe,” you whisper. You rub your hand over his chest again, feeling his pulse flutter against your palm. “I don’t want to wait now.”

Jasper lowers himself closer to you. “You don’t?”

You smile and move your hand onto his belly, your fingers sneaking under the waistband of his pants. “How can I keep my hands off you?”

Jasper chuckles, kissing your cheek and moaning into your ear. Your breathing becomes heavier as you find the base of his shaft with your fingertips. “Lie down.” you command him.

Jasper chuckles, stretching out and gazing up at you. “I obey only you.”

You sit beside him, kissing his face while your fingers undo the laces of his pants. Jasper moans, turning his head to meet your kisses. He reaches up, touching you and gently tugging against your nightgown, and loses his breath as he exposes your breasts. “Silly boy,” you giggle as he nuzzles between them. You reach down, pulling his cock out into the air. He’s turgid and growing harder by the second, and you stroke him slowly while his mouth opens over your breast. He savors your skin on his tongue, gently nipping with sharp teeth, then finds purchase on your hard nipple and moans in pleasure.

“That tickles,” you say about his teeth.

His hand comes up, squeezing one breast while he nibbles on the other. “Shall I make my touch rougher?”

You rub your palm against the head of his cock, finding him already slick from precome. “Shall I make mine?”

Jasper chuckles deeply. “I’d welcome whatever affection you wanted to give me.” He sits up, kissing your neck and back as he moves away your nightgown. He dips down, kissing along your spine, bites your shoulder, then lifts your chin to gaze into your eyes. “How do you feel?”

A shiver goes through your body. “I’m happy.”

He kisses your cheek. “You’re so beautiful.” He places you in his lap, your back pressed against him, and his big hands cover your chest and belly. He moans into your ear, and you feel him rubbing between your buttocks. It tickles slightly, but his hard length makes you more excited. His big hands make you feel safe and aroused, only furthering your desire for him. Jasper’s deep voice rumbles in his chest, tickling across your back. “I can’t get enough of you. Your body, your voice…”

You whimper, tilting your head back onto his shoulder. “Jasper!”

“That’s it.” He slowly pulls himself forward so his cock slips against your wet folds. “That sweet little song.”

“Oh gods, Jasper,” you moan. He begins to pierce you, the end of his prick slipping inside. Once you thought he was too big. Nowadays, he feels just right.

“Keeping singing,” he breathes into your ear. “My love.” He slides deep inside you and his arms lock tight around you, and he rolls his hips so you can feel every inch. You whimper, biting your lip from the pleasure. “That’s it,” Jasper growls. “You’re too good.”

You slowly rise and sink back down on him, using his strong arms as balance. You want to make him tremble. You enjoy seeing your strong, gruff husband brought to his knees by someone small and soft like you. You take pleasure in knowing that only you have this power over him. All the time you lived in your uncle’s shadow, Jasper had been a frightening and powerful warrior. No one could defeat him. But with your soft thighs and sloping breasts, you make him a pitiful, mewling beggar. You find strength in being able to bring down this mighty warrior, when you were told most of your life you were weak and pathetic.

“I can feel you trembling,” you gasp.

“You’re too good,” Jasper exclaims.

You smirk, descending hard around him. It’s a tactic that undoes you both, but he knew you were the one to claim victory. You do it again and again, his hands tightening to stop him from shaking. He growls into your ear, struggling to keep himself composed, but it’s too late, and he’s already at the edge. You just need one more push. “Wait,” Jasper moans. “I want to see you before you kill me.”

You laugh, turning around in his lap, and he grabs your hips and pants slowly as he gazes on you. His eyes are lidded, mouth open. He licks his chops and nods. “The final blow, my love. Give it to me.”

You kiss him, grinding onto his cock to make his hips buck and roll. He shudders, spasms, and his fingers dig hard into your rear. Gasping against his mouth, you find your orgasm as well. It’s strong and feels unending, even as you lean into his chest from falling.

Jasper groans, catching his breath while his arms lock around you. The rain outside hasn’t slowed for a second, and it’s all you can hear besides his heartbeat. He leans back against the headboard and you lounge against his chest, feeling smugly satisfied in your victory. “See?” he chuckles. “Special.”

“It was.” You pet his sides. “You performed admirably, as always.”

His hands knead your rear, groping it before rubbing your lower back. “And you, my love, are vicious as always.” He kisses the top of your head.

You hear his stomach growl, and you sit up. “Let me go make breakfast for you.”

“Can you even walk?” he smirks.

“I can at least fetch some bread and cheese.” You toss your hair over your shoulder. “Maybe.” You put your feet on the floor and your knees wobble, but you’re able to go into the kitchen to fetch some food. It’s not the most amazing meal you’ve ever had, but something about the cheese and bread on that cold, rainy morning feels like a meal you’ll always remember. Watching Jasper as he eats in warm contentment, you want to always look back on this, knowing you’re safe and loved.

“What a nice day,” Jasper suddenly sighs.

You look to the window and frown. “It is?”

“Isn’t it? Haven’t you been enjoying it so far?” He kisses you on the cheek and gently tucks your wild hair behind your ear. “After all, we did become engaged. I feel closer to you than ever before. And I love you more than ever before.”

Your heart skips a bit. “You do?”

“Of course,” he grins. “I fall in love with you more and more everyday.”

You kiss him, even with cheese and bread in his mouth. “I love you too. More and more each second.”

Part Three:

Jasper has to travel away for a few days, having been hired with Odd to escort the caravan of some royal through the eastern continent. He’s been gone for a while now, so you and Nora are staying with one another while they’re away. It’s nice to have Nora around some days, as Charlotte hates it when her father isn’t around. She’s such a happy baby otherwise, quiet and easy to please like her father. But when Jasper is gone she’s prone to crying at the drop of a hat.

Nora enjoys having you around too. Having fallen from some other ‘world’ not long ago, she’s still getting used to everything here. Her tales of where she came from often entertain you. It all sounds so magical, though it’s still hard to believe. “How did you and Jasper meet?” Nora asks one day.

You look up from Charlotte, who is smashing a crocheted doll into the wall and giggling. “What’s that?” You fidget with a lock of hair.

“I told you how Odd and I met. I’m curious how you and Jasper met.” Nora’s smile curled upwards at one corner, making it crooked.

You haven’t told anyone how you and Jasper met. You’ve been keeping it secret, worried if word gets out you and Jasper would be found by your relatives in Sothen. You swallow, looking back at Charlotte, who is wiggling her doll’s arms. “It’s a long story,” you mutter.

Nora notices your change in attitude. “Is something wrong?”

“Not exactly. It’s just…” Nora is your friend, and has no connection to Sothen or anyone from there, at least if her stories are to be believed. Odd would have no connections - your family would rather die than have dealings with a Tiefling. “It’s dangerous for me to talk about.”

Her eyes widen. “Dangerous? You’ve got to be kidding!”

“It’s true.” You gently touch the jagged scales at the top of Charlotte’s head. “Jasper stole me years ago. But that’s not how we first met.”

Nora creeps closer. “He stole you?”

You give her a harsh look. “I’ve not told anyone this, but I feel I can trust you. If you prove me wrong…”

“I won’t. You don’t even have to say another word if you don’t want to.”

You sigh. “I sometimes wish someone else knew our secret. I would at least have someone to bother besides Jasper. Because ever since we had Charlotte, I sometimes fear my past even more than when we first came here.”

Nora sits down beside you and places her hand on the small of your back. She doesn’t say anything, she just lets you talk. You tell her everything, about your uncle and his betrayal of your family. About Jasper and the army of Beauties he used to lead. You tell her about the night Jasper ran away with you, how you fought and fell in love. It feels like a relief to share this story, finally, with someone you feel safe with. By the time you’re done with the tale, Charlotte is asleep in your arms, her stumpy tail twitching against your leg.

“Sounds like he loved you all along,” Nora murmurs.

You nod. “He said I was the only soul in Sothen who showed a speck of kindness.” You smile at the memory, glancing down at what that kindness created. “I can’t wait for him to come home!”

“Should be soon. I don’t doubt they’ll be returning home any day now. I can feel it.” Nora says as she rises. You pray they will. It’s been long enough already.

A warm, sunny day arrives to break the monotony of the chilly weather. You do laundry, hanging it outside with fingers that don’t ache from cold, as Charlotte plays happily with sticks and leaves on her blanket, babbling to herself. “Dada,” she suddenly chirps.

You’re hanging a blanket, so you can’t see her and what she’s doing. “Are you playing with Dada?” you coo to her. “Did you make Dada out of sticks?”

Charlotte squeals so loudly that the sound rakes across your skin as you race to get to her. You only realize it is a sound of joy when you see who is holding her. “Jasper!” you wheeze from your fleeing terror.

Jasper smiles as Charlotte peppers his face with kisses. “Did I scare you?”

“Yes. Yes you did!” You stare up at him, clutching your chest. You break into a smile and race forward, grabbing hold of him as he dips down, kissing you while Charlotte giggles. You hug him tight, letting him pick you up as well.

“It’s so nice to be wanted somewhere,” Jasper chuckles. “Everywhere we went, Odd and I were looked at like grotesque things.”

“How awful,” you murmur.

Jasper nuzzles the top of Charlotte’s head. “I’m just glad to be back. I’m exhausted.”

You pat his shoulder. “Then set us down and go rest. I’ll go start cooking so we can have an early night.”

“Like hell I’m letting you go,” he growls. He carries you both inside, only setting you down because all three of you can’t fit in his favorite chair. He groans as he stretches out, lounging there with Charlotte snuggled upon his chest.

“Let me get those boots.”

“No,” Jasper grunts. “I’m probably disgusting. I don’t want you touching me until I can rinse off in the river.”

“The river is probably freezing!” you gasp. “Why don’t you let me give you a bath? I was already planning on washing Charlotte tonight.”

“No, trust me. I am going to need the river current to wash away Odd’s funk. Did you know he cuddles in his sleep? Doesn’t matter who or what, he just attaches himself to things.” His eyes widen and he shakes his head.

“Considering how you enjoy being the little spoon, I’m sure you didn’t mind a bit.” You kiss the top of his head. “Fine then, relax there while I make you something warm to drink.”

“Thank you, love,” he sighs. “I’ll just rest here with my baby.” He rubs Charlotte’s back, and she’s already begun to drift to sleep.

You go into the kitchen to make his favorite hot tea, and prepare enough hot water for a bath for Charlotte and a rinse for Jasper. Once the tea has steeped, you take the pot and cups back to Jasper and Charlotte, who are both sound asleep in his chair. His head is hung to the side, and his expression is so relaxed. You lay a blanket over both of them, sitting with a cup of tea to watch them slumber. After indulging in the cute scene, you go into the kitchen to begin preparing dinner so you can turn in early.

While you’re peeling some potatoes, a sleepy Jasper comes into the room, rubbing his eyes and sighing heavily. “Why did you let me do that?” he grumbles.

“I thought you needed it.” You set the potato aside and wipe your hands. “Where’s Charlotte?”

“Still asleep. I put her to bed.” He leans down to be kissed and places his big hands around your waist. You’ve put on some weight since having Charlotte, but his hands still fit around you perfectly. “I need to go bathe in the river before it gets dark.”

“It’s going to be freezing!” you insist.

“Trust me, I will need the harsh touch of the river. Odd and I barely got a chance to take care of ourselves on the road,” he scoffs, then kisses your cheek. “Just prepare something warm I can put my hands around when I come back.”

You kiss him again. “The blanket on the line should be dry when you come back up the hill.” You smooth your fingers over his scar. “And I have some water for Charlotte’s bath ready.”

“Perfect.” He kisses you again, then takes soap from under the cupboard to wash with. You return to cooking, putting everything into the stove and adding some wood to the fire. Charlotte gets up, looking worse for the wear after her nap, rubbing at her sweet face as she searches for her father.

“Dada has gone to get a bath. So, why don’t we get you one, too?” You lift her up onto the counter and pour warm water into a basin. Charlotte sniffles and pouts, but she doesn’t argue as you take off her frock. You set her into the basin, and slowly, she stops pouting and begins to giggle. She splashes in the water and happily wiggles as you scrub her with a soapy rag. Charlotte very much takes after her father. At first glance one would assume she was all Lizard person, but unlike her father she has five fingers rather than four, and her palms have leathery pads instead of scales. Her jawline is like yours, much softer and less angled. And her eyes have whites to them, unlike Jasper’s, which are all gold save for the pupils.

Jasper comes back shivering, laying his filthy clothes outside the door before shutting it. He enters and sets himself by the stove as his teeth chatter. “It was much colder than I expected!” he huffs.

“I tried to tell you!”

Jasper comes over, wrapping the blanket around you and pulling you against his bare body. “Just a moment,” he sighs with relief.

Charlotte giggles and splashes in the water as she watches you. “Go get some clothes on,” you whisper to him.

Jasper leans down to your ear. “Only if you promise we can both be this naked tonight.”

The hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. “If Charlotte wants to sleep in her crib tonight. She may want to sleep with you now that you’re home.”

“I’ll put her to bed, don’t worry.” Jasper releases you, then heads to the bedroom.

You scoop Charlotte out of the bath and sit her before the stove as you dry her off. Charlotte takes off to her toys, which she scatters about the floor before the fireplace as she runs around. Jasper comes back into the kitchen, fresh and clean from his dip in the river, and looks you up and down hungrily. “Oh no, don’t give me those eyes,” you warn him.

He chuckles. “I can’t help it. I’ve not had my favorite meal in so long.” He leans over the countertop. “There were days where only the thought of you kept me sane.”

“Did Odd not help?” you tease.

Jasper sniffs and strides closer towards you, grabbing you by the hips and pulling you against him. “He’s a beauty, but nothing compared to you.”

You smirk and lean back into him. “I missed you, too.”

Charlotte comes running into the kitchen, then runs back out cackling maniacally as she does, waving a doll in each hand. Jasper laughs. “Has she been a handful since I was gone?”

“She’s been fussy without you, but other than that she’s been very well-behaved.” You step away from him to check the food on the stove.

Jasper sighs heavily, staring out the kitchen door to Charlotte stomping around her toys before plopping down on the floor. “I hate missing time with her. I wasn’t gone that long, and she already looks so much bigger than when I left. This is the age where she’s not going to stop growing, so every second counts.”

Jasper hasn’t talked much about his childhood, only that he’s been on his own since he was young. He entered the military to make ends meet, and was taken under the wing of his mentor. He said that man was the only thing like a father he ever had. Having Charlotte was both a realized dream and nightmare for him. He wanted a child so badly, but he didn’t want to be the type of father who abandoned him in his own youth. But the way he looks at her, you know he has nothing but love for Charlotte. “You have a long time to be with her. Don’t worry about the seconds you’ll miss.” You stroke your hand up his back. “Go play with her before dinner.”

Jasper smiles at you, kissing your cheek. “I’ll take her outside while it’s still nice, and tire her out so she’ll sleep like a log at bedtime.”

You bite back your smile. “If you’d like, why not go into town and get some fresh bread? We have some, but I think a fresh loaf would be better.”

“That will tire me out,” he chuckles. “But I do love my bread.” He kisses you again, then gets Charlotte ready for the walk. Once they’re gone, you clean up the bedroom, put the blanket over the clean sheets and fluff up the pillows. You set up Charlotte’s crib so it’ll be nice and comfortable for her when Jasper puts her to bed.

By the time they return home, dinner is ready. Jasper eats heartily, going for seconds and even thirds. He’s content as he watches you feed Charlotte, smiling to himself now that he has returned to his family. After dinner, you both play with Charlotte until she starts to tire. She slowly begins to drift, walking away from her toys and going to curl up with her father, and he takes her to the crib while you go back to the kitchen to rinse off using the leftover water, wanting to at least smell nice for Jasper tonight. After using a bit of rosewater, you peek in on Jasper putting Charlotte down in her crib. She cries fitfully, but as he begins to sing her arguing subsides. His rough, gravelly voice is soothing, making even you feel relaxed and ready for bed.

Jasper tucks in Charlotte, then rises and smiles at you. “Ready?”

You lick your lips and nod. “Ever since you left.” You take his hand, leading him into the bedroom. Jasper closes the door, leaving only a crack so you can listen for Charlotte. Then he removes his clothes, pulling them away hurriedly before sitting on the edge of the bed. You stand before him, gazing at his naked perfection. He’s gotten a paunch during your time together, but he still looks strong and handsome. You fear you’re not what you used to be.

“Come here.” Jasper holds his hand out. “You’re too far away.”

He cups your face and smooths down your neck, watching your eyes as he undoes the laces of your blouse. His eyes fall upon your breasts and he nuzzles between them. His breath flutters against your skin, and you moan softly. “I’ve missed this,” he growls. “Odd has none of this softness.”

You sputter and laugh, wrapping your arms around his head. “I’m surprised!”

He nips at your skin, cupping your breast in his hand. “This is the only softness I want. So warm, so delicate.” He pulls you closer, his mouth opening against your skin. His hands roam your body, going under your skirt and groping your ass. His fingers sink in, dragging down and slipping around your thighs.

“I missed you,” you whisper.

“How badly?” he pants.

You moan as his touch becomes more intense. He pulls you down upon the bed, laying you on your belly. He strips your clothes away, kissing your neck, down your back. His tongue darts across your flesh as he places himself over you. He slips his arm under your hips, pulling your rear up until it’s firmly resting against his lap. His cock is hard against your thigh, and his voice is deep as he whispers into your ear. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Too long.”

You turn your head to see him. “I want to see you.”

He smirks and kisses you, moving away so you can roll onto your back. You gaze up at him, smiling brightly at the undisguised lust in his eyes. He places himself back over you, kissing while you wrap your legs around his waist. “Better?” he asks.

“Yes.” You cup his face between your hands. “I want to watch you.”

Jasper angles his hips so that he presses against your mound. “You’re so beautiful, I hope I can control myself.”

“I know you can…” You lose your breath the more he fills you. “Oh gods!”

Jasper kisses you, cupping the back of your head as he thrusts deeper. You don’t have the luxury of the long sessions you used to indulge in before, and Charlotte makes it difficult to even have these moments sometimes. But you’ve learned each other well enough that you can be together and enjoy each other even in a rush. “There, right there,” you remind him.

“Fuck,” he snarls, teeth gritted. “You’re so warm.”

You squeeze around him, urging him to go faster. “You feel so big!”

“Oh, I am,” he chuckles. He flinches, shoving harder inside than intended. Your toes curl, and you like the sudden sensation a little too much. He notices and thrusts again, causing your fingers to sink into his shoulders. “Have I found something new?” he asks breathlessly. “A new sweet spot?” He jabs again, making your back arch off the bed.

“Jasper!” you whine. “If you keep doing that, I’ll…” He does it again, and again, making you lift off the bed and grab hold of him to stay on earth. He thrusts harder and faster, growling into your ear. You’re already over the edge, but he’s toppling after you. He collapses upon you, breathless and heavy, but he keeps you tethered so you don’t float away in your ecstasy. You giggle and cling to him, squeezing all your limbs around him.

“Give me a moment,” he whispers. “I’m still not here yet.”

You kiss his cheek and sigh. “That was amazing.”

“What happened?” He rolls onto his side to look at you. “I thought I knew every inch of you.”

You smile, smug and content. “I don’t know, but that was really good. I can’t believe you did that!”

He licks his chops. “I can do it again, if you’d like.”

You reach down, knowing you might be a little sore tomorrow. “Maybe,” you coo.

Jasper pulls you close again, kissing you and burying his face in your hair. “All I want to do is thank you.”

This sudden change is a surprise. “For what?”

“For being here when I come home. For loving me. For giving me Charlotte. I never dreamed of having any of this when I was young,” he whispers. “I always thought I’d be a soldier.”

“What brings this on now?” you whisper.

“Being out there with Odd, talking to him, telling him about my life.” He brushes the hair from your face. “It made me realize how little hope I used to have. I never thought I’d be in love, or be loved in return. I never thought I’d have the most beautiful baby…” His voice chokes off and he smiles. “I just want to thank you for…”

You kiss him. “You don’t have to thank me. You and I did this together. We made Charlotte. Somewhere deep inside, you knew this is what you wanted and you made it happen. I didn’t do this alone.”

“Perhaps. But I still want to thank you,” he sniffles, and smiles dreamily. “I love you so much.”

You snuggle up to him, letting him rest his head against your bosom. “I love you too.”

In the morning, Jasper leaves bed only to come back with Charlotte in tow. The three of you snuggle together, sleeping through the cold morning.

[sils-reading-list]

Could you perhaps do a short writing about a lizardman? Sorry if you need more details, I just wanted to throw the idea out there!

Eggs for Dinner

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Pairing: Briskar (Lizardfolk) x Gender Neutral Reader

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“Not much further, my love.” Briskar’s black tongue flicked at the air, his smooth head raised to the sky to scent at the breeze that blew over the two of you. His head was like a monitor, his snout long and his eyes wide, bright and intelligent as he regarded the woodlands around the two of you. Briskar was a soft grey colour with black lines running over the back of his head and down his back to the tip of his whip like tail. His muscly tail was coiled around the rock as he held out his clawed hand for you to take, his neck rippling as his tongue continued to taste at the air. Thankfully, he wasn’t dripping venom with the idea of food yet. It was always a pain to clean up.

You took his hand and Briskar tugged you up to stand along side him on the rocky face of the cliff, “How far away are we now?” You huffed as Briskar’s claws dug deep as he steadied you both on the rock when a particularly strong gust brushed over you both.

“They’re on the ledge above.” He hissed with a delighted noise, “Are you sure you will be able to catch them?” Briskar’s claws tucked your scarf tighter around your neck, “They are quite large. They are Giant Rock Birds after all.”

“I’ll be able to catch them, I promise.” You chuckled as you took the rope from your bag and tied it around your waist and then to the rock which Briskar’s tail was wrapped around.

 The leather bag was filled with rope and you stood firmly as you snatched Briskar’s tail and waist, tying some coils around it before attaching him to the rock as well. Your Lizardfolk boyfriend licked at your cheek before he bared his claws and turned to scramble up the final part of the cliff face. You watched from the bottom with the thick leather sheet clutched between your arms, held out ready to catch the treats Briskar wanted so badly. He reached the top and you shook your head as Briskar’s tail coiled and snapped happily, his clawed hands reaching for the first large egg. He held it between his hands and hissed happily.

“Are you ready?” He asked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be!” You shouted back as you readied the tarp.

“Here it comes, sweet thing.” Briskar chittered before he dropped it over the edge, flinching as it plummeted towards you. With a huff, you caught the egg in your leather tarp and grinned as you wrapped it in a skin and tucked it into the net bag you had to carry between you both down the mountain. Briskar’s tail snapped against the stone before he started to drop the others, one at a time, into your grasp.

 “That is the last!” He called as his muscled body span around and he crawled back down the stone, his tail curling over boulders that bulged out of the rockface, keeping him safe. His mouth was now dripping with venom, and you stepped back as a string of it dripped onto the floor by your feet.

“Hey, come on, stop drooling on your food!” You called as he hissed and chuckled again, descending the cliff. It was then that a great howl sounded from the sky, and you both fearfully looked to the sky as the Rock Bird circled, talons exposed, before the mother dived towards Briskar.

“Drop Briskar!” You cried as the bird launched herself at him. Her talons smashed against the stone, but Briskar’s neck went black in defence as he flipped and hissed, exposing pointed teeth, the bacteria ladened saliva dripping over his neck as he hopped and bit at her ankles. The bird screeched and swooped away.

“Quickly, love!” He hollered as he jumped down the stone and untied you both, grabbing the eggs as the mother dove you both again, “I WILL NOT LET HER HAVE OUR DINNER!”

“JUST GIVE HER THE EGGS BACK BRISKAR!” You cried as the bird screamed over you both again.

[sils-reading-list]

Male reptilian fae (Adan) x female reader (nsfw)

This was a commission from a lovely patron, who wanted something from my Fae Realm, with a male reptilian monster and a female reader. In addition to that, they wanted there to be an older female relative of the reader who has a past with a fae that has made her somewhat jaded towards their kind… I picture Adan like an Argonian from the Elder Scrolls, but with features like a marine iguana.

Ok, without further ado, here’s 8000+ words for you.

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The moment you stepped down at the quaint little coaching station, with its white awnings and dangling baskets full of colourful geraniums, you had to smile. From year to year, it never changed. The horses’ hooves clattered on the flagstones as the stagecoach rattled off to the next little town on its route, and you moved briefly into the shade of the stone coach house for a moment to escape the searing heat of summer. Carriages were never exactly your favourite way to travel, but it was really the only feasible way to visit your mother’s older sister all the way out here.

The coast road lay like a dusty white ribbon at your feet as you wound your way through the buzzing meadows on either side. After perhaps three miles, you took a sharp fork right, through a copse of oaks and beech which offered some blessed relief from the baking sun. A flash of rich, sapphire blue up ahead and the tang of salt in the air, along with the wheeling, calling gulls, announced that you were almost there. Aunt Ellen lived alone, her humble cottage sitting within a stone’s throw of the sea, right atop gleaming limestone cliffs. It must be bleak in winter, with storms thrashing the coastline, but in summer it was a haven, with the clifftop breezes cooling the air just enough to make it pleasant.  

After perhaps another ten minutes of walking, pausing only to rearrange your grip on the handle of your weighty bag to stop it bashing you on the back of the legs as you walked, you rounded an old standing stone and glimpsed the old cottage. Everything was unchanged from your last visit, with the herb and vegetable garden at the back, a beehive not far off, and heard the dull bleating of Annabel the nanny goat a moment later. Chickens scratched and bathed in the dust not far from the vegetable garden, and a few of them looked up as you approached the house.

Aunt Ellen stepped out of the front door and shook out crumbs from her apron onto the stone path, but when she looked up and saw you, she gave a cry and clapped her hands in delight. “Oh my sweet niece,” she giggled as you dropped your bag and scuttled up to her, laughing and hugging her. You had always thought that she was a beautiful woman, with steel grey hair swept back into a plait, and laughing green eyes, just the same as your mother’s.  

It didn’t take you long to unpack and settle into the tiny spare room of the cottage, and once the two of you had caught up over tea and freshly made hearthcakes, she suggested that the you take a walk together along the beach since it would be low tide. 

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Moth Lover (Nico)

This was the most remarkable commission. I cried writing it and I just had so much fun bringing these characters to life. A commission for @heavens-light-hells-fire who allowed me to bring some ideas I’ve been dying to do to life.

   Looking in the mirror is hard, well, it was always hard before but now it’s even worse. I had first felt the lump in my breast when I was just graduating college. I was stressed from exams and finals and all that bullshit stuff that seems to matter at the time. I wasn’t until my breast started hurting so bad that I went to the doctor. The first exam felt normal and the doctor was very reassuring. It was the phone call that might as well have killed me. I was so young, I thought that it was impossible. Girls graduating and starting their lives didn’t get cancer! I was wrong.

Cancer is merciless, it doesn’t care who it attacks and takes. I just happened to be the next one on its dirty little list. The doctor gave me options but unfortunately, in my haste to pass and graduate I had waited far too long. I could go to chemo, but in that time that could risk it spreading to the other breast. The doctor said a mastectomy would be my best.

“Would you like to bring your parents or your boyfriend to discuss this?” The doctor asks.

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Alligator & Shapeshifter Lovers

I was commissioned by the wonderful @pyromantic-technin who wanted a polyamorous story with an Alligator and Shapeshifter involved. I hope you guys enjoy.

You had gone home when your grandmother was sick. She was your favorite person in the world and you would do anything for her. She denied you that though. You had offered to give her one of your kidneys and she turned it down.

After the funeral, you were still in shock. You weren’t sure how to cope. You stayed in her house, sleeping most of the time. When you were able to get up and move around it wasn’t for much. You’d eat and use the bathroom then shamble back to the bed.

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Anubis Boyfriend

A commission for @durankidu. I know you have all been clammoring for an Anubis fic well now you’ve got one! It also features a nonbinary reader. I hope you all enjoy!

   When you wake up there is a heaviness over you. You raise your hands and part through the sand you’ve been buried in. You sit up and the sand falls from you. It was like you had been buried at the beach. As you stand up and look around yourself you see you’re wearing a long white robe. You look at your hands and then out across the vast desert. At least, you assume it’s a desert. Everything is just hazy purple sky and sand. You take a few steps, noticing your feet don’t leave an indentation in the sand behind you.

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Monster Boyfriend (WRLD)

A commission for @glitterdickkel of their oc WRLD. I had such a fun time with this one. OC’s are always some of my favorite challenges!

 You’ve been finding excuses to not go home. You stay later at work when you can, or you go to the grocery store. On several occasions you have just lied, saying you were going to your parents or visiting friends, but really you just went to the park and sat on a bench for a few hours. You really don’t like going home right now. Your boyfriend is a drunk, more often than not he’s three sheets to the wind when you come back. He’s lazy too and has already lost the job he got no less than a month ago.

   Right now, you sit on the same park bench you’ve been frequenting, eating something from a fast food joint, and scrolling through your phone. You know you should dump this guy, but there are still feelings there, for some dumb reason. You’re also scared, you have no idea who would want you if you left this asshole.

   You set your phone aside and sigh as you lean back to look u at the sky. It’s starting to get dark out, and the street lamps are coming on. You see a few people still lingering around, probably drug addicts and murderers, you think to yourself.

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Dragon Boyfriend (Markus 3)

It is finally here! Part three of the Markus story! I am still so shocked how many asks I get about this story. Well, lucky you, the next chapter is finally here. Go send praises to @lady-drake since this is her commission and OC.

   Since graduation, you’ve become a teacher at the school. Sure, for the time being, you’re basically just a fill-in for teachers who want breaks or don’t want to give lectures but you’re still a  teacher. Hopefully, in the near future, you’ll be given a permanent class. For the time being, at least, one of the professors is on leave so you’ve taken over her class for the next month. It’s been great, especially since you’re still able to see Markus on a daily basis.

   Markus is the dragon who works as the librarian at the college. Well, technically, if it wasn’t for Markus there wouldn’t be a school. Ages ago, when the campus was first built, they had to build the library around Markus and his book hoard or else he would have chased them off. Luckily, Markus was able to work with the founder and the two became friends.

   “How do you enjoy being a teacher?”

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Dragon Boyfriend (Markus) 2

Part two of my commission with @lady-drake. Enjoy!

In the recent weeks, you’ve taken on an internship with Markus at the library to earn extra credit for your classes. If you had, to be honest, you would have done it for no reason at all but to do it. You’ve gotten to see more of the library. You’ve found hidden troves of books you had never seen before. It feels more like you should be paying the school to be able to do this than the other way around.

Also, you get to work with Markus, who you have to admit, you have fallen for. It wasn’t just his love of books that attracted you, although it helped. Some time ago, you had discovered Markus’ secret. The library was more than just that, it was also his hoard. He had been collecting and keeping it here before there was even an academy. He had been tending to the library since it was constructed.

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[sils-reading-list]

Dragon Boyfriend (Markus)

A commission for @lady-drake who wanted a librarian dragon and a studyholic. I hope you guys enjoy!

   The library is quiet as you walk inside. You look around, taking in the sight you had only seen in photographs. Your headmaster at your old school had come to this academy when he was younger. His office was dripping with photographs from his school days here. You wander inside, staring around at all the rows and shelves of books. You smile because it felt like home.

   “I see a new face.”

   You nearly jump out of your skin and you turn to see a man on top of a ladder. He glances down at you from the stack of books in his lap. He lays his arms over top of the stack as he leans forward.

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