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bountycancelled · 5 months

Text

dirty secret

coriolanus snow x reader

tip me on kofi

requested: nope, I pulled this out of my ass, but if you want more coryo stuff lemme know 😜

warnings: suggestive content, coriolanus snow (derogatory), speaking of derogatory, snow has a degrading kink in this so yeah, mentions of cockstepping, faceslapping, just... be prepared

content: im p sure i dont mention readers gender but pls correct me if you catch anything, hella ooc snow (like, this dude would never act like this but I'm a writer which means I can make him do whatever I want), readers a bitch but snow likes it, sub!coryo, lowercase intended because fuck grammar, unedited

smut under the cut♡

a/n: give me more submissive coriolanus you cowards (I'm kidding ur not cowards but pretty please write this man begging for mommy to let him cum or whatever, not for me, I swear.) also, this is my first time writing full smut like ever so, idek what came over and I wanna apologise😭😭

here me out, academic rival!coryo with a little secret...

the two of share a friend, for lack of a more fitting term, in clemesia, and find yourselves in each others presence often as a result of the fact. and this would be good and well, if the two of you didn't despise each other down to the bone.

besides the fact that the two of you felt the need to prove yourselves due to differing circumstances, you both also shared an insatiable need for power, the kind that could only be obtained by bring the very best at the academy.

it was almost comical how much you wanted to beat each other, and this rivalry bled into your non academic interactions, making them just as sour.

coriolanus found genuine enjoyment in getting under your skin, and you retaliating only made him want to poke at you more, which led to you retaliating once again, and so on and so forth.

as time passed, you'd somehow found yourself tolerating snow, even going as far as to enjoy your occasional back and forths with each other when you were the only two in the library, sitting at same desk even though you didn't need to (coriolanus insisted on planting himself directly across from you just to be a nuisance, and it worked.)

your banter turned more and more friendly, confusing your peers as you walked side by side, your arm linked with his as you bragged about receiving a higher score than him on a test, to which he just responded that you had gotten lucky and that it wouldn't happen again.

you didn't turn completely soft though, your insults were still as sharp as ever, even though you now said them with a playful smirk. they were cruel, and always seemed to send coriolanus into a spiral as he attempted to get the last word in, which he never did, always waving the white flag at the end.

you had always held that over his head, the fact that you could always best him in a verbal battle, on top of beating him in assignments and the like. but what you didn't know was that you were mistaken.

coriolanus didn't always relent because you were better at verbal lashings (which you were, but that's besides the point), he always stopped egging you on before your words escalated because if he let you degrade him any further, he wouldn't be able to hide how much he liked it.

he was almost shameless, as if he wanted you to know just how much you turned him on during you spats with him. like today for example, where you had been particularly harsh to him, even going as far as calling him useless. it wasn't his fault, someone had passed you off before you had met up with him in the library and you were more agitated than usual.

he excused himself to the bathroom shortly after, and you found yourself wondering if what you said had affected him so heavily that he needed to get away from you.

oh, it affected him alright. he thanked the universe that 1) something had happened to make you as harsh as you were and 2) that the bathroom he entered was completely empty because he knew that he would have a bit of trouble keeping himself quiet.

he had barely made it to a stall and closed the door before palming himself through his pants, shudders moving through his whole body as his hips canted to meet his hand.

a whine tore through his throat as he imagined you catching him like this, and he quickly unbuckled his belt and slipped his hand in his underwear, stroking his dick firmly at the image.

you would probably laugh at him, dishing out every degrading name you could think of, calling him a dirt slut, saying that he was disgusting pervert for being so turned on at you being mean to him. and he would nod his head vigorously, because he was a slut, only for you.

maybe you would slap him across the face, leaving him with red cheeks, or maybe you would step on his poor weeping cock until he came on your shoe. would you make him clean it off? god, help him if you did.

his hips stuttered at the thought of eating his own cum, it was just so dirty and the fact that a simple look from you could turn him into such a depraved shell of the image that he excuded in his day to day was enough to send him over the edge.

he came with a groan, his hips not ceasing their thrusting into his fist until every last drop was out. as he cleaned himself up, fixing his uniform in the mirror, he wondered if maybe, just maybe, you knew what you were doing to him. and if the look you gave him when he came back, timidly taking his seat, it seemed that you had some idea.

"you know, I think you need to punished for what you just did, coryo. for what you've been doing. do you like the sound of that, hmm?"

and if the way the cock pulsed in his pants, already hard again was any indication, he loved the sound of that.

#coriolanus x reader #coriolanus fanfiction #coriolanus snow #coriolanus x you #coriolanus smut #corio x reader #coriolanus snow x reader #coriolanus snow x you #coriolanus x y/n #coriolanus snow x female!reader #coriolanus snow headcanon #coriolanus snow angst #sub coriolanus #tbosas x you #tbosas x reader #tbosas #the hunger games

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blues824 · 7 months

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Can i request dorm leaders with a Mario reader (the Mario odyssey version) and how they would react to their hat and their ship

it goes like this : the reader has been a janitor for a long time because their ship crashed in twisted wonderland and they can't leave until their ship is repaired . When riddle's overblot happened they helped defeat him by throwing their hat on riddle's head and controlling him to help him calm down. After that, they obtained power moons from the ink monster, then realized they can get power moons from defeating bosses and so on...

please and thank you

Gender-neutral reader, not Yuu, who lives at Ramshackle and is in their 2nd year. More platonic than romantic, but is very vague. I’m an English-server player, so Chapter 7 events have not happened yet.

Riddle Rosehearts

You were the student who got in on a free scholarship because you volunteered to be the school’s plumber. It was technically a well-paying job, as you got free housing, free food from the cafeteria because of a special pass from Headmage Crowley. You did, after all, have superhuman abilities of your own. While they don’t count as ‘magic’, they do put you at an advantage of sorts.

Riddle had noticed you around NRC, and he’s even had to call you when the pipes under the sink were leaking. You were very friendly, and you came with a rather peculiar red hat upon your head. But, you did your job quite well. The pipes were fixed… after you literally went into the pipes to the sound of an 8-Bit arcade game.

When he overblotted, your red hat came in handy. You threw it at him, and it grew eyes of its own. Once it knocked the crown off his head and replaced it with itself, Riddle found himself in the backseat of his own mind. You were there, directing the ‘ship’ as well as helping him to calm down. You must have had a younger sibling or something with the way that you were so encouraging and positive, despite him almost killing you.

Eventually, you got ejected out of his mind and you were dizzy once you got outside. You sat down, your legs spread out on the grass, your head spinning and with stars and swirls and tweeting birds circling around you. Riddle was in a similar state, so you were both about to be taken to the infirmary. However, something dropped from the heavens above. It was a moon. You, stumbling about, got up and walked over, and picked it up. Your vision focused for a few seconds to see that it was a Power Moon, before you passed out.

The Housewarden of Heartslabyul woke up a few hours later, only to find that he was alone. From what he remembered, you were brought here as well. He got up from his bed and started asking around, only to find out that you were at the old Ramshackle dorm. He knew that was where you lived, but how did you get all the way over there in your condition? When he got there, you were working on a rather large and weird-looking steam-powered ship. You attached a strange moon-shaped object, and the ship rattled with life, spooking the 17-year-old.

A jolly laugh emitted from you, but you turned around to see Riddle behind you. You were surprised that he was there, but you asked if he was alright. This was overwhelming for him, so you decided to just roll with it. If Luigi could deal with this, so could Riddle. You explained that the ship in front of the two of you was called the ‘Odyssey’, and that you were looking for a way home. The Power Moon that you just attached to it powered the ship a bit, but you needed six more. He promised that he would help you and Yuu get those moons as payment for your help.

Leona Kingscholar

You were an agreeable person that he tolerated. He wasn’t particularly fond of your social personality, but you were at least able to pick up on it and keep conversations professional. He, too, has had to call you a few times for plumbing issues, and you would keep talking to a minimum as he showed you where the issue was. The first time you disappeared into the pipe itself, though, made him sort of freak out. He thought you weren’t magical and that you were just an ordinary plumber.

Well, whatever you did, you did your job well. The plumbing didn’t have any issues for a while after that, and he gave you a small (but still considerable) sum of money as payment. You immediately invested it into Ramshackle, as you wanted to help Yuu and Grim out as much as possible. You and Leona did not cross paths after that, you understanding that he wasn’t a very friendly person.

That was, until Leona overblotted. You are called because of the work you had done for Riddle. Once again, you threw your hat, and Capps landed on the lion’s head. Leona took the backseat in his own mind and you were, once again, steering the ship. Your presence was somehow calming, but he noticed that your normal red hat was not on your head. Instead, it was on his head. You encouraged him to keep fighting for #1 in any race he went through, and he really felt it in his soul.

Anyways, you were a bit more used to taking control over the overblot monster by this point, so you had consciousness for 5 minutes instead of 5 seconds. Of course, you were tired. Your father had not trained you, and thus you were having trouble adjusting to taking over someone/something else’s body. You were able to get the Power Moon and make it about 30 steps before passing out.

Leona woke up in the infirmary wondering where you were. He knows that you had been there to recover from taking over his body, and you probably needed a longer recovery period than he did because you didn’t really have magic. He walked all the way to Ramshackle in search of you just to see the Odyssey firing up once again after you added the second Power Moon.

You explained that this could be a way to help Yuu get home as well as yourself, and for some reason, Leona resented the thought of you leaving. You were the only person who knew his weaknesses as well as his strengths, and if you were gone, he would have no one he could be vulnerable with. However, he did also vow to help you restore your ship, because you deserved to go back to the Mushroom Kingdom.

Azul Ashengrotto

Neither he nor any of the other mer-students know the first thing about plumbing, so when the pipes get clogged because someone flushed something they were not supposed to, you were the person he called. You were actually very friendly and very willing to do your work with a smile, and he offered you 3 weeks’ worth of vouchers for food and drinks at the Mostro Lounge. What he did not expect was for you to go inside the pipes.

Because you were employed by Crowley himself, there was no need for actual payment from Azul. However, he almost felt obligated to compensate you for your work. Thus, the vouchers. You were there the next week, actually, and Jade was your server. He told his boss that you were there, and the cecaelia found himself rushing out of his office to sit with you and speak with you. It was a very nice conversation, actually.

Anyways, when Azul overblotted, you were immediately called. You were well-versed in battling and swimming, plus you now had experience with battling overblots. Cappy flew through the water like he flies through the air, and you took over the body of the overblot victim. Inside, you saw a small version of Azul… when he was more ‘squishy’, as Floyd had so kindly referred to him. You went up to him and patted his head (which had Cappy on it) before telling him that he was doing a good job, and that he shouldn’t give up.

Spending this amount of time was really stretching yours and your hats’ boundaries, and you flew out of Azul’s mind like you were ejected from something. You spent a total of 10 minutes in the cecaelia’s mind, and you were exhausted. You thought your condition after Leona was bad, but this was worse. You were hallucinating as well as stumbling. You saw three Power Moons, and used the very last of your energy to target the middle one. Unfortunately for your dignity, you missed it completely.

Azul was in no better state than you were, and he woke up the next day in the infirmary. However, from what he remembered seeing, you had collapsed. Thus, shouldn’t you have been in the infirmary as well? He asked the nurse attending, and they said that you had woken up only a half-hour later and went right to Ramshackle. So guess where he went? To get himself spooked by you adding the third Power Moon to the Odyssey. The ship rattled with life, floating for a few seconds before sinking back to the ground.

You turned around and spotted your cecaelia friend as well as Leona and Riddle. The latter two were there out of obligation, as they felt as though they should be there to commemorate the progress you were making with getting you and Yuu home. Azul greeted you before asking about your weird ship, and you jumped up into it and told him as well as the other two, and Yuu and Grim, everything there was to know.

Kalim Al-Asim

He called you regularly, mainly because you were his friend, but also because people keep flushing insects that they find down the toilets after they pick them up with toilet paper. All that toilet paper caused it to get clogged multiple times, but you didn’t mind. Every single time you came, Kalim knew that you were going to do a good job, and after he would pay you a handsome sum of money. That money went right to Ramshackle dorm.

The first time you went over to fix the plumbing was a time of wonder for the Housewarden. You went inside of the pipes, and you came back out completely dry. He was absolutely amazed by your ability, and the pipes were completely fine from that point on for the next few months. That was, until the plumbing was clogged again and he got to call you again. This started a very cute friendship between you both.

When Jamil overblotted, Kalim was even more startled when you threw your hat at Jamil before you got teleported. When the dust settled, the Octotrio, Grim, Yuu, and he noticed that you weren’t with them. You were, instead, inside the mind of Jamil, trying to get him to relax. However, this was unlike anything you had seen before. By the time you had gotten out, you were throwing up because of the overexertion that you had caused yourself.

Kalim returned just in time for you to pass out. You didn’t even reach the Power Moon this time. However, in the infirmary, you woke up just 30 minutes later trying to leave. The nurses as well as he were wrestling and arguing with you so that you could rest. However, you used your superhuman strength as well as your ability to jump to your advantage. You ran to Ramshackle, the young Al-Asim trailing after you as best as he could.

There, he saw Yuu and you adding a moon-shaped thing to a weird-looking ship. You gave him a hug like you didn’t just fight against him, and you took him aboard the Odyssey to give him a tour. He was like a kid in a candy store, completely amazed at the piece of machinery. Sure, Twisted Wonderland was known for many sorts of odd things, but he hasn’t seen anything like the Odyssey. There was nothing in T.W. that actually could travel between dimensions like you promised it could.

However, if you and Yuu were going to leave, Kalim would definitely miss you both. After all, you both became good friends over the course of his friend’s unfortunate downfall. But, he offers to help you as well as the other three you have called your friends. Actually, Riddle, Leona, and Azul showed up not long after, congratulating you on the 4th Moon. This little group of friends you were creating reminded you of your dad’s friends back in the Mushroom Kingdom.

Vil Schoenheit

He made sure that everyone knew proper bathroom etiquette, as he believes it’s very important. That being said, he calls you at regular intervals to keep up maintenance on the plumbing. Again, it typically follows with some money, as it is a rather filthy job. And again, the money just goes straight to bettering Ramshackle. After all, Grim needs his fancy tuna, and you are the sole breadwinner of the dormitory.

The first time you went into the pipes to perform the proper maintenance, Vil freaked out. You just disappeared into the tubes to the sound of an 8-bit sound. He looked inside of the opened pipe and he saw absolutely nothing. There was no sound, and he didn’t know what happened. He was about to use magic to find you but you came back out with the same sound not five minutes later, raving about how those were the clearest pipes you have seen thus far in the two years you’ve been at NRC.

When he overblotted, he also knew your routine, but Cappy has this thing where it’s like a missile, and it won’t stop until it’s reached its target. That being said, it wasn’t without difficulty that Cappy finally found its way onto Vil’s head after removing his overblot crown. You went into his mind, and found him screaming and pacing. You sat down on the floor and made him sit down in front of you, and you made him go quiet. You reminded him that a story could not exist without a villain, but a villain could exist without a hero, and thus he was technically the hero of the story.

Getting him to a point where you could actually talk to him took a lot of time. Another 10 minutes was spent, and your exhaustion showed. You threw up again, your body unable to withstand being in someone’s mind for that long. However, it was long enough to get the Housewarden of Pomefiore to calm down. Cappy was exhausted as well, and you both passed out. However, you were able to get the Power Moon this time.

After an infirmary trip and a speedy recovery from the two of you, as one has superhuman abilities and the other has a healthy lifestyle, you both made your way to Ramshackle. Because of what you had gone through that day, you decided it was time to show him the Odyssey, and he was honestly impressed by the craftsmanship on the ship. You obviously cared a lot, and because this was the 5th Moon, it was starting to operate and hover above the ground.

The Odyssey groaned, becoming awakened at the addition of the Moon. Yuu and Grim started to celebrate and cheer at the prospect of Yuu and you finally being able to go home. Sure, the pyromaniac of a cat would miss his Ramshackle dorm-mates, but this was not a time for sad thoughts. Vil was later joined by Riddle, Leona, Azul, Kalim, and Jamil as they congratulated you on the progression in your journey.

Idia Shroud

The first time he sees you, your hat reminded him of a sequel game in the series I Need to Rescue the Princess From an Evil Turtle Trying to Marry Her!!! However, the reason for your visit was rather embarrassing. One of his inventions kind of went haywire in the bathroom, and the pipes were no longer working. But, you weren’t judging! This was your job, and you were happy to meet new people.

You went inside the pipes, making Idia and Ortho freak out. Where had you gone? You came back out with soot all over your face and clothes. Your expression looked shell-shocked. You quickly shook everything off as you shook the Housewarden’s hand before heading off to your next job. Before you left, however, Ortho rushed to you and gave you a blue sack of money as payment for what you just went through.

When Idia overblots, you were already on-scene. You needed that Power Moon, after all. However, it was going to be much more difficult to obtain it because of the mechanical overblot. Cappy even had a hard time getting into Idia’s personal bubble, much less onto his head. You were close to your limit when your hat finally made it, and you were transported inside his mind. You found him sitting at his older brother’s burial site, and so you laid a flower on the ground before extending your hand to him. This is the first step to moving on, you said. He accepted your hand, and that is when you were ejected out of his mind.

Luckily, you weren’t there for very long. 5 minutes, and you were pretty much fine. You were definitely very dizzy, and you were still stumbling about, but with the help of Ace and Deuce, you were able to get the world to stop spinning for a second. Idia collapsed, and you ran over to see if he was alright. Then, you both were taken to the infirmary, and that was the last thing either of you remembered.

A few hours later, the Housewarden of Ignihyde woke up in the infirmary bed, recollecting his memories. Ortho was right next to him, but he wondered where you had gone. The young robot informed him that you had gone to Ramshackle to add the Power Moon to the Odyssey, and he was so confused. Weren’t those items only in that video game you reminded him of? This was nonsense.

It was not nonsense, as when he made it to Ramshackle, the Housewardens of the other dormitories were there along with Yuu, Grim, and yourself. The Odyssey seemed almost fully functional, save for just one more Power Moon. Everyone knew where that last Power Moon would most likely come from, and to say that you were scared would be an understatement. However, you have Idia’s vow that he will help you prepare for that battle if it’s needed.

Malleus Draconia

He actually has no reason to call you. The plumbing at Diasomnia is always in perfectly functioning order, and no maintenance is needed because it’s his magic that makes it run perfectly all the time. But, he did find the fact that NRC had a student plumber to be rather interesting, so he decided to have Lilia call you to run general maintenance on the plumbing system anyway.

You showed up with your toolbox and a smile on your face, not even being deterred by the spooky appearance of the Diasomnia dormitory. The Koopa Castle was much scarier back in the Mushroom Kingdom, anyway. You knocked on the door, and it was answered by two knights, one you recognized as your classmate, Silver. They led you to Malleus, and he was a lot taller than you imagined. Anyway, you asked where the most accessible location to the pipes was, and he showed you one of the restrooms. He did not expect you to enter the pipes.

This little job actually started a friendship between you two, and he would ask many questions about your occupation as well as your homeland. You told him about your father and mother, and how you were technically the heir to the throne of the Mushroom Kingdom, but you needed to find a way back home. That brings up the Odyssey, and he goes with you to visit it and see what it was. At this point, it was right after Riddle’s overblot, so there was only one Power Moon.

One thing he was surprised to see was that his magic did not work when it came to powering the Odyssey. It required a more powerful type of magic that not even he had. He was sure that his grandmother nor any of the other 3 most powerful mages in Twisted Wonderland could even attempt to power the ship. It was made to transverse between dimensions, and their magic was made to transverse between the realms of Twisted Wonderland.

Six overblots later and you’re terrified. You tell him that you are terrified of him overblotting because you were just exhausted. You knew that you would not be able to defeat him, and you didn’t want him to overblot at all because you knew that it would kill him. Malleus was saddened to hear your pain, and how you were very close to giving up on your dream as well as Yuu’s dream just because you physically couldn’t handle it.

But, the two of you knew that only overblots brought Power Moons. As much as the Housewarden wanted to deny it, he knew that if anyone were to overblot, it would be him. He also knew that there was no way Cappy, your hat, would be able to stay on his head long enough for you to be able to calm him down while you are in his mind. If he could, he would assure you that you had nothing to worry about, but because you knew of his tendency to get attached to those closest to him, you had everything to worry about.

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yaekiss · 8 months

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Congratulations on the 400! If I'm not too late, may I send a #mailroom open letter to a yan!Albedo? Any gender neutral or feminine nickname would work and, if it so pleases you, a nsfw reply would be lovely.

__________________________

To my lovely Albedo,

How are you, love? Are you taking care of yourself while I'm away? As I sit here, working away in Inazuma City while I enjoy a sweet dessert, I cannot help but think of you... and your tendency to get swallowed up by your research when I'm not there to reel you back.

I was hoping that my business here would be done far faster than this. I suppose it isn't all bad, though. I can't say that I've ever been a social person, but people have been nothing but kind to me thus far. I may have even made a friend. But still, my heart belongs to you- and as such, no matter how I may enjoy my time, I can only eagerly await the moment I am able to return home.

I miss you dearly, my prince. I'll make sure to work even harder so that our time apart may be shortened by even a little bit. I can't to have you in my arms again, to feel the warmth of your embrace and know that everything is right with the world.

We both know that I could go on with the sweet words for pages and pages, so it's probably best that I stop here. Stay safe and take care of yourself, alright? I love you so, so much.

May my affections cross what feels like an eternity apart,

Your Wistful Lover

(Alongside the letter are various, shockingly well-preserved Inazuman sweets including Sakura Mochi and Dango milk, as well as a small pouch containing a handful of carefully-chosen Sakura Blooms. Lastly is an intricately designed silken blindfold, with its own little note attached that reads, "I had this custom made for you. I wanted to make one myself, but I couldn't find the time. Hopefully you like it anyway!")

꩜ Letter Content: Dom! GN! Reader x Yan! Sub! Albedo, no gendered terms for reader, Albedo calls you "my constant", mentions of blindfolds and a vibrator used on Albedo, unhealthy and obsessive relationship from Albedo, lmk if I missed anything ! ꩜ Delivery Notes: Albedo sure is a busy man to track down... I had to look for him all over Mondstadt since he was gathering quite a collection of alchemy ingredients. It was quite the staggering assortment too... I never understand what he's planning. ꩜ Wanna write a love letter yourself? Check out it out here!

Placed at your hotel doorstep is an innocuous package. It's decently sized, the box a lovely shade of pale indigo and shifting it slightly under the light shows an underlying iridescence hidden in the pigment.

Undoing the sturdy rope securing the lid down, you gain access to the contents within the box. You first retrieve a wondrous blooming bouquet of cecilias, wrapped in a sheer gauzy yellow fabric and tied with a teal satin ribbon. The petals are soft under your caress and for a moment, you reminisce about the first cecilia Albedo gifted to you after showcasing his alchemy.

Next, you fish out a cloth drawstring pouch. Peering into it, there's an assortment of all your favourite Mondstadt candies, enough to last you weeks. A little tag is attached to one of the strings, it reads: “In case you miss your usual sweet treats and need a boost of energy. ♡”

Unwrapping one, you pop it into your mouth before you pull out an envelope. The paper is smooth under your fingers and an impressive sketch of Dragonspine decorates the front. Flipping the envelope over, there's a wax seal, a cursive letter “A”, with flecks of gold dotted in it.

Carefully, you open it and obtain the parchment inside. His handwriting is a sight you've missed, from days spent watching him jot down his hypothesis and findings in his laboratory. Albedo's response to you reads:

“Replying to: My beloved constant.

Thank you for writing to me, my constant, I was growing somewhat nervous with your prolonged silence and I feared something unsavoury might have happened to you. As such, I am writing back to you to assure you that I've been doing alright as well. Though, I'm sure I would do a lot better with you by my side.

Next, I must thank you for the gifts you sent me. I shared the sweets with Klee and she has been pleading nonstop with me for more. Also, the sakura blooms were of high quality and proved immensely useful in my research. If you're willing, I can share my findings with you when you return, my constant.

Now, I can't help but ask what went through your mind, gifting me such a sly gift as a blindfold. What scene did you picture in your head? Was I blindfolded and tied up on your bed while begging for you to please touch me? Or perhaps I'm laid on my laboratory table, my sight obscured with the silk, pliant and willing as you drag a vibrator across my skin in an attempt to find my erogenous zones? Did you fantasise about muffling my moans with a kiss as you toyed with me? You should reenact it with me as soon as you get back, my constant, I feel as if I'm about to burst with how much I long for your embrace.

Ahem, getting back on track, I too have been working hard. (Fret not, I have not been overworking myself. I do not wish to worry you after all.) And I've made discoveries of my own and uncovered intriguing new possibilities whilst ruminating alone in my laboratory. I heard of the Inazuman archon's dedication to eternity.

Eternity... goes against natural orders, but lately, I have been finding myself relating to her obsession with such a concept. You might think it strange, my constant. However, I can understand how fearing the loss of someone close to you can affect your decisions, despite the morality of said actions.

You are golden in my eyes, unforgettable, and the time I spend with you feels like I'm the closest to unravelling the truth and meaning of this world. Is it my greed talking when I say that I want more time to uncover all of you, to understand the very fibre of your being, to see what has irreversibly drawn me to you and what makes you stay by my side? Maybe it is, but that is a question best saved for another day, my constant.

I shall end my letter here. I sincerely hope that the rest of your stay in Inazuma goes smoothly and safely, and that your return will be swift. I cannot wait to have you by my side once more, my constant. I love you so, so much as well.

Ever and eternally yours,

- Albedo -”

You fold the parchment and place it back into the envelope. One last item rests in the box. It's a handpainted painting of you, framed in an intricate wooden frame. Albedo captures your smile in the sunlight, the background featuring one of the picnics the both of you went on recently before you left for Inazuma.

However, you notice that one of the corners is a little wrinkled. Removing the backing of the frame to fix it, you discover another layer of canvas material behind that first painting. Gingerly, you peel it back to reveal a haunting portrait of the both of you.

In dim lighting, you're seated on his laboratory table whilst he's knelt at your feet, his head resting on your lap. You almost don't recognise yourself. You're familiar with his art style but in this, you're ethereal to an eldritch degree... almost devoid of humanity. It's unnerving, to say the least.

Perhaps Albedo's research has veered into more forbidden territories, challenging the principals of nature, all in the name of love. You muster one more look at the portrait.

A matching star rests delicately on your neck. In the bottom corner, he titles it “New birth.”

Thanks for reading! Consider supporting me on kofi if you enjoyed this or check out my other works hehe ♡

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sleeplesssmoll · 22 days

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I can't sleep again, so here's what's on my mind:

Do you think ancient arcanists had completely different ideas on gender but then had to conform to humanity's rules, so a lot of those ways got lost in time?

Almost like the Numbers and their soul system.

What if your gender was defined by the arrangement of planets? Like an astrology chart.

What if it was defined by a ritual and based on elements in nature?

What if it's something you obtained through trials and how you solve them? You don't obtain a gender until a certain age.

Heck, arcanists are so biologically different that even the sexes could be defined differently too. No reproductive organs, both, half-and-half, some kind of Rebis situation (Reverse has references to Basil Valentine and his alchemy).

But here's the thing, do arcanists need reproductive organs or can they magic up a baby?? It sounds silly, but if that's the case what even is the purpose of having said organs if form follows function? It wouldn't matter what your born with and they wouldn't even have categories based on what humans percieve as sex. Maybe the idea of sexes used to be based on something else entirely, like the arcanum that gets passed or the mixing or arcane skills. These are biological things that humans wouldn't understand, the same way arcnanists don't understand humans obsession with what's going under their pants. Even their "reproductive organs" as defined by humanity could be totally different. To an ancient arcanist, were these things even related to sex?

What if they were all comfortable with their varying body types, but some magic stuff was taboo and not be done in public. It'd be an entirely different system of values! But then humans came and started calling them freaks and deviants for existing, especially the ones with different bodies than what they're comfortable with.

History is written by the side that wins and humanity won. They made the rules and arcanists were forced to live under those rules, to feel shame for being who they are, all in the name of humanity's order and comfort.

It's been so long that those golden years are forgotten, but arcanists bodies are still different. Places like the Foundation reinforce these values and over-emphasize forms of gender that don't fit the malleable Arcanists in their care.

They live in a world constructed to hate them.

#reverse 1999 #what is gender to an arcanist #where do babies come from #eggs?#dreams?#if we're going down the arcanists are batshit crazy in every way route #then im assuming gender and sexes are the same way #because its 3am

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ilariyalavorowrites · 1 month

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Stalking Me, Stalking You (CSI Nick Stokes) Part three

Imagine: You never saw it coming, you never knew he was there until the moment he struck. For months, this individual had stalking you from the shadows, trying to find a way into your life. Never quite able to but in his mind, time was running out and soon enough you would be completely out of reach. This was the moment to act, to ‘rescue’ you and steal you away.

Warnings: Angst with a happy ending, kidnapping, hurt but eventual comfort. Suffering, lots of suffering, slow-moving plot, stalking, obsessive behaviour.

Pairings: Nick Stokes x Reader and Reader x OC (one-sided)

Word count: 3,068 words

Universe: CSI

Reader gender: Female

Part three of ten

Tagged: @just-call-me-the-old-hag @horsedragonllama @space-helen @kneelforloki @flopiboni

Previous / Next

Monday, Midnight

Greg and Morgan sat side by side, as Archie worked his magic on the various clips of CCTV. Each of the three larger monitors displayed different parts of a timeline that had been created by the day shift’s visual and audio tech Franklyn. They watched as their friend exited her known and preferred coffee shop with her piping hot beverage alone. This had been the last place that she had seen when Officer Sawyer had taken the barista’s statement.

“This is the only first clip that Dayshift obtained after the warrant for her finances came through” Morgan stated with the matching report in hand. The short clip showed nothing out of the ordinary. There was no one tailing her, no strange car parked with a window partially wound down with the driver trying to look casual as their eyes trailed after her.

“It confirms the Barista’s statement at the very least” Greg replied as his gaze shifted to the second screen. Archie paused the first clip and then slid the cursor to the play the next one.

All of them were teetering on the edge of professionalism. Trying their best to push aside their personal feelings. They needed to try at the very least to view the evidence collected like any other case. It was going to be a long night especially as Greg and Morgan had been the ones assigned to review what was already there for this shift.

The plan was for hands on deck over the next few shifts, to hand over the new details and brief the incoming day shift at the end of their night then repeat the process with a fresh set of eyes the next night.

“This one isn’t the greatest quality, it’s a wall-mounted camera from one of her neighbours that was discovered by the door-to-door interviews” Archie stated as the pixelated footage started. Both Morgan and Greg noted the timestamp, it had been captured at 2:30 in the afternoon.

“This camera will only record when the motion detection is triggered as you both know” Archie reminded them as they all watched as a battered, Silver Chevrolet Cruze drove past. It did not match the make and model of the car that the Detective had, which had yet to be located even with the BOLO that had been put out with all the necessary details. It had vanished into thin air.

Notes from the lead CSI Ava Dane stated that none of the neighbours had recognised the car when they had spoken after reviewing the footage. One neighbour had commented that he noticed the vehicle when he had returned from home at around 3:10 but he had heard tyres screeching loudly about twenty-five minutes later and when he looked at the window, it was gone.

There had been a slight skid mark noted and photographed from outside that particular address which had been run through the system and matched commonly used wheels. It had the first dead end.

“Franklyn managed to recover a partial plate after cleaning up the image, I won’t be able to get much more than that due to video quality” The tech apologised, knowing that this was not what the two of them wanted to hear.

“It’s a start at least” Morgan responded, trying to remain positive as she turned to the next report. Her eyes rapidly moved over the data displayed there. “It looks like the day shift ran that plate, there’s a fair few listed but they eliminated half”

As her eyes drifted down the page, they stopped over one particular name. As memories of the case that she had worked on came flooding back. The Detective had been waiting for her at the scene.

Vaughn Mikhailov was a two-bit drug dealer, he and his older brother Artem had been targeted and shot at in a drive-by gangbangers after they had tried to move in on the turf of another local dealer. The initial warnings had been ignored by the pair, and this had led to the car being targeted. Vaughn had been in the backseat, he had barely been clipped by a single bullet in his left shoulder but Artem hadn’t been as lucky.

He had died at the scene, bleeding out whilst waiting on the paramedics. Vaughn had been cooperative to a point, but eventually, he just screamed at her friend when she had in his eyes failed to get justice for his brother.

It was not always possible to reach a satisfactory end to every case, it had been one of those which slipped through the crack when the leads had all run cold. Morgan remembered that her friend had noted that this had not been her first rodeo with either of the Mikhailov brothers.

“The first time I met them was when I was working the beat, I arrested Artem for soliciting a working girl and Vaughn for dealing. Both of them had rap sheets as long as your arm. It's their mother, I feel for each time one of them ends up in court”

There had been sympathy that lingered as she listened, as it turned out their mother had raised both the boys single-handedly after their father had run off. She had tried her best but they had been drawn into the fast-paced lifestyle of wheeling and dealing. As she watched, the detective informed the woman of her son’s death.

“What is it, Morgan?” Greg asked, noticing that Morgan had not spoken and became transfixed by one of the reports further in. He leaned, to see what she had been reading. It was the list of cars compiled by the plate search.

“Vaughn Mikhailov,” She said looking up to meet his gaze. Greg’s gaze narrowed perplexed as he did not recognize the name. However, before he could reply, Morgan beat him to the punch.

“It was a drive-by shooting case, I worked a few weeks back and she was the lead detective assigned work to the case alongside me” She started, knowing that she would need to give him more than that if they were going to start to seriously look at him as a potential suspect.

“He and his older brother were targeted after trying to move into another dealer’s turf. His brother died at the scene. He was far from happy with how things went but he had a chip on his shoulder as she had arrested him more than a few times in the past” Once she had finished speaking, Morgan waited for Greg to process the information that had been dumped upon him.

“So he held her responsible for not finding his brother’s killer then. Greg asked, Morgan nodded before one last comment. “He had an axe to grind”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------Tuesday, 4 am

With one hand poised, Nick firmly knocked upon Russell’s closed office door. In a roundabout way, he had expected the text summoning him to the supervisor’s office but not this soon. He had hoped that he would be one way approaching Russell but then again, at least this way soon enough everything would be out in the open.

This was not the way that he had hoped that this conversation would be initiated. He knew that she had already started telling her partner and fellow officers about her boyfriend whenever she had a spare few minutes. She had also scheduled a meeting with HR on the day that she was meant to be returning to work. Nick then would approach Russell around the same time as she would have been seated down with HR. Effectively killing two birds with one stone

This had always been their plan when things became more serious between the two of them. Multiple discussions had arisen, on when, where and how they approach their collective jobs regarding their romantic relationship and the potential impact on both of their jobs that would need to be addressed and solutions put into place.

She had planned to offer to be moved from Graveyard to Swing or Day if no other compromise could be reached. Where it would be possible for both of them both work the same shift pattern without any issues. Departmental policy had previously torn Sara from the team when her relationship with Grissom came to light, they had wondered how it would have played out for them.

Yes, they were still colleagues working alongside another one, but not under the same direct supervisor. They crossed over for Homicide and Forensic evidence collection and investigation came hand in hand. Without one, you couldn’t have the other.

“Come in” Russell’s voice called from behind the door, bringing Nick back of his thoughts as he pushed the handle and then the door inwardly. “Hey Russell…” He greeted the man sitting behind the desk but what he hadn’t expected was Catherine being in the room, standing off to one side behind Russell.

“Shut the door Nick” Russell continued as he went through the motions of crossing the threshold and closing the door behind him and moved further into the office to stand before the pair staring straight at him.

“I know this is about Detective..” Her name rolled off his tongue, one that had fallen on his lips many times before. “Look, I know that I should have told you..” Nick started to try and explain the position that he had found himself in.

“Nick, I need to know that you’ll be able to recuse yourself if you cross that emotional line where you start to lead your heart, not your head. For as long as you can remain objective then you still work on the case but the moment, that you step over that line. I will remove you and you’ll be treated just like every other significant other or next kin on every other case that had past through this department” Russell spoke with a conviction that could not be ignored or overturned. This was a promise that he would not go back on.

Nick quickly nodded, happily agreeing with his supervisor’s conclusion. “This will have to be logged with HR and I’ll arrange the meeting shortly” Russell said before turning to Catherine. “Anything you want to add?” He said, pulling her into the dialogue. Catherine had been quietly observing the short back and forth between the pair.

“Nicky, from here on out, we’ll be watching closer. Please understand, that we want to bring her home as much as you do. Still, we have to follow the rules and ensure there nothing can be challenged further down the line” Her words held a warmth that Nick had felt before, the familial love that had developed and grown over the many years that they had worked together. Once again, Catherine was looking after him, all whilst balancing the integrity of the crime lab and their necessary work on top of that. It was a well-practice balancing act that she had perfected over the last decade.

All it took would be one step in the wrong direction and it would come tumbling back down. That could not happen, no it would not help.

------------------------------------------------------------------------Tuesday 2 am

As the night rolled by, evidence was processed, reviewed and reported, with the new findings and avenues to venture down next added to the ever-growing list.

The one initially weak lead that had cropped up early in the shift strengthened as prints from the scene which had been set running whilst the sun was still up bore fruit. Morgan’s theory now seemed more plausible as the same name popped up once more, this could not just be a coincidence in the name of bad blood.

Morgan turned to Greg, still trying to wrap her head around this as there were still too many variables that did not make a lick of sense. She could understand the steps taken to enact some twisted form of payback by breaking into the detective’s home and destroying everything that she might hold dear. There were no signs of a struggle, no blood splatter or trail to imply that they had been lying in wait for her to return.

With the crime scene photos laid out on the table between them, this felt much like the pieces of a puzzle waiting to be put together to reveal the image displayed upon the box when a handful of key tiles were missing, creating holes in the image. “This isn’t the primary scene, there is no indication that she ever came back. Two separate indications with one connecting factor, her” Morgan said, churning over the thoughts in her head out loud as she tried to make any sense of it all.

“What do we know about Vaughn Mikhailov, beyond his last arrest report?” Greg started before listing off what had been discovered thus far “His prints are all over this crime scene, his car matches the mark and model spotted on the neighbour's CCTV but why would a dealer break into a cop’s home in broad daylight?” He posed the question to Morgan, the blonde’s face twisted in confusion as she tried to gather together a logical answer but found none.

“How did he find her address? That’s what bugs me unless he tailed her previously but according to the neighbour’s statement” Morgan replied, fishing out the relevant document from the box on her side of the table and turning to the right page. “That car had never been caught on camera before that day and those cameras had been up for more than six months”

“The only way that we’ll get satisfactory answers is that Vaughn Mikhailov needs to be found and brought in for questioning” Morgan nodded her head in agreement, the two-bit criminal had a lot to answer for.

“Brass put has BOLO out on Mikailov’s car”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------Tuesday, 4:30 am

The blinding flash of blue lights and screeching sirens were not out of place as the convoy of vehicles pulled up in front of the homestead. Its chain link fence had seen better days, half still attached to the poles that marked the edge of the property and the rest lost within the depths of the tall grass that desperately needed cutting.

The property itself was registered to one Nikolai Mikhailov, the cousin of their prime suspect. It was not out of the ordinary for Vaughn to crash on his cousin’s sofa when his mother threw him out for the third time that week. Officers had called the property in the past, more often than not on matters of public nuisance or disturbance. Nikolai loved to party well into the small hours and was not shy about using violence to silence any complaining neighbours if they dared to call the cops on him.

Detective Captain Jim Brass surveyed the scene from behind the cruiser’s side door and soon found what he was looking for. With the garage door half enough, it was plain to see the car parked within, its license plate matching the suspect’s known vehicle of choice. No lights could be seen from the street as Officers tentatively approached the front door, ready to burst through the door and apprehend whoever was on the other side.

With the fury of valkyries leading the charge, the officers breached through the threshold as calls of LVPD came and went as Jim watched them disappear inside. This had to be it, this had to be the end of the road.

He was not the only one listening in, as the Officers inside cleared the scene. The investigated interest ran through from the bottom straight up to the top. She was one of them

‘419’ The code of a dead body came crackling over the airwaves, a dead body had been discovered. A chill rushed through him as he envisioned the very sight of her lying there, with empty, glazed-over eyes staring up at him as he wondered why.

’It’s not her’ The voice of Officer Mitchell soon followed as Jim released the breath that he hadn’t known he was holding back, then again he wasn’t the only one. Nick stood silently by, with bated breath as Morgan and Greg left with kits in hand. This was their scene now as they had been the ones to discover the connections that led to this.

Hodges stood in the doorway, reading the scene before him. The air was still tense as they all waited for the relief to set in but yet that felt too premature. The lab tech cleared his throat to try and catch Nick’s attention. He watched for a moment then tried a different approach.

“Nick, this was left at Reception for you” Hodges called into the room, as he held out the unstamped manila envelope for the other man to take. Nick Stokes was scrawled across the front in a large and unfamiliar hand.

Nick frowned, he was not awaiting any post as he took it. “Thanks, man,” He said as he turned it over, inspecting it from every angle. There was nothing about the envelope that stood out, it was a standard A3 office stationery that was stocked by countless suppliers but the question arose of who had sent it.

As he carefully opened the sealed flap and reached inside, Nick quickly found the content. A series of photographs which he slid out. Hodges slid up beside him as he turned over the first which revealed little other than what he already knew to be true.

“Is that…” David questioned at the sight of his friends and colleagues locked in a rather passionate embrace. “Yes,” Nick curtly replied, annoyed at the very prospect that they had been followed and their privacy had been invaded like this as he turned over the next one.

It was the last one that drew a shocked gasp from Hodges, as he shook with a rage that he hadn’t felt for some time. The sight of her bound and unconscious in the boot of an unidentifiable vehicle with the words I WIN STOKES, SHE IS MINE written in bold, block capitals across the top of the image.

Each had focused upon her, she was the object of this maddening desire. A tail had been placed as her routine was documented. He held pride of place in a number of the images, whether he liked it or not.

He was taunting him, this was just his opening move.

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bg-brainrot · 6 months

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Day 3 of winter fluff! A bit more sappy than fluffy but hey, sometimes they need some sap.

Prompt: Gifts

Featuring: Astarion x Rogue!Tav

Series: Part of Love at First Knife, AO3 link here

Premise: Astarion and you love stealing gifts for each other all the time, so when it comes to a Winter Solstice present, you’re stumped on what to give him. You’re not particularly talented at things that aren’t killing, so you ask your good friend Shadowheart for advice. It turns out Astarion had much the same issue.

Tags: POV Second Person, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Fluff, Holidays, post-canon

Word count: 1.5k

“Shadowheart, I need your help!” you say to the cleric, who’s currently sitting at your dining table. She'd come over for drinks and stayed the night, providing you with the perfect opportunity to get her opinion.

She looks up from her morning meal to your sudden, panicked appearance. “Good morning to you too.”

“Good morning,” you say with a huff. “Now, would you please help me?”

“That depends,” she says, lolling her head to the side pensively. “Are you here for the exact same reason Astarion ambushed me this morning?”

You give her a confused look, as if to say, ‘how-the-hells-am-I-supposed-to-know-that’ and respond with a pleading, “Shadowheart.”

"You're both so predictable," she says with a sigh. "Very well, what do you need help with?"

"It's almost the Winter Solstice and I don't know what to get Astarion." It's the first Winter Solstice you'll spend together, and while you were looking forward to having some company over for a Midwinter celebration in a few weeks, this holiday would just be for the two of you.

Shadowheart purses her lips knowingly, and you belatedly realize what she'd meant.

"He asked you too, didn't he?"

"He did," she says, taking an excruciatingly long sip from her goblet of what you strongly suspect is more wine. "And I'm going to tell you the exact same thing I told him: you're the only one who knows what would be meaningful."

"What kind of advice is that?" you ask with a scoff, before you start to walk off.

"Funny, he said the same thing."

Despite your complaints, Shadowheart's advice does prove useful. When you finally sit down to think, you come up with a few strong candidates for presents.

A new dagger– he keeps talking about how one of his current ones has a hilt that cuts into his thumb.

A new pomade for his curls– he’s noted a few times that the kind he uses doesn't take well to the cold.

A skeleton key – you're not sure how difficult it would be to obtain, but he's mentioned one more than enough times that you're certain he would make good use of it.

But all of these things are so… normal. After all of the adventures you've lived though together in such a short amount of time, none of these items feel like enough.

What can I get him? You pace, you yell, you assure the man in question that you're perfectly fine, thanks for asking.

It's not until Astarion's distracted by his meditation that an idea finally clicks. Aha!

"Well darling, I know we said nothing too much this year– after all we found each other, the greatest gift of all," Astarion says with an exaggerated hair toss, to which you give an amused snort. "But I couldn't help myself."

He hands you an ornate metal box, atop which a large red ribbon is expertly tied. "Astarion," you say with a gasp. "This looks too nice!"

"If you think the wrapping is nice, wait until you open it," he says with a cheeky, fanged grin.

"Wait– before I open it!"

You're both seated before your fireplace, cuddled up on a couch. So when you suddenly jolt up, ruining Astarion's cozy lean into you, you just hear a disgruntled, 'really, darling!'

Paying no mind to his complaint, you go to where you hid your present for him. You have a quick moment of concern, is it enough? Will he like it? But your excitement to give him the gift overrides all others, so you scoop it up and return to your lover.

"Here, let’s open them together,” you say, depositing your far-less-impressive gift box on his lap. It’s still a nice wooden box with a gold ribbon tying it together, which Astarion gladly takes.

“Oh darling, you shouldn’t have,” he says, with unabashed joy on his face.

You sit facing one another and open your gifts on the count of three. 1… 2… 3!

A moment later you have the ribbon off and the box opened in front of you to see a set of three items, each more beautifully embroidered than the last: a silken black scarf, a pair of delicate black lambskin leather gloves, and a black hooded cloak.

On the first, you see a pattern of red azaleas along the edges, a flower with nectar often used in poisons. Your knowledge of toxins was one of the things you’d first bonded over– you remember entering a vivid conversation with him over the merits of various poisonous plants and which venoms were worth using in combat.

On the second, you see a gold pattern of thieves’ cant symbols along the rim of the gloves. You take a moment to read the text, easily slipping into the written language of rogues. The left glove says, ‘together we fight’ and the right glove says, ‘together we stay.’ How appropriate for a matching set of gloves, you think.

On the third, the cloak, the embroidery is done in a dark gray thread, likely to keep it practical for hiding in the shadows. The effect is subtle but beautiful, as you see that Astarion has detailed out two sections of the cloak. On one side is a deadly looking dagger, a snake wrapped around it. Next to that is a matching dagger with a bat hanging from it. You smile at it, a deep affection gripping your heart– it’s the two of you.

“Oh Astarion,” you say, looking back to him with a lump in your throat.

The man in question is still absorbed with one of your gifts, and you realize he’s likely unable to hear you right now.

Before him lay your own presents: a new dagger, like you’d planned for, a new pommade which it appears he’s already opened, and the object he’s currently using. In his hands is a smooth, fist-sized orb, glassy in appearance but clouded over now as Astarion uses it. With some assistance from Gale, you’d managed to procure a memory orb, an object that allows you to store up to ten minutes of memories and relive those memories by concentrating on the object.

You’d filled it with memories of the two of you, including hugs, kisses, moments of love and excitement. It was a cacophonous melody of your time together so far, and one that seems to be a tune to Astarion’s liking, judging from the smile on his face as he concentrates on the object.

After the ten minutes elapses, he emerges from the memory to find you already wearing the gifts he’s made you. “Astarion, I can’t believe you made these in such a short amount of time,” you say, as soon as he’s back. “They’re amazing.”

He laughs breathlessly, head still swimming with memories. “I’m glad you like them, dear. It certainly helps that I can embroider while you sleep.”

“Well, you outdid yourself,” you say, showing off your gloved hands to him. “Every little detail is just so perfect. Thank you, love.”

“Of course,” he says and his smile overwhelms you with its brilliance. “And your gifts, especially the orb... darling, that was…” He trails off, looking at you with glassy eyes.

“It wasn’t too sappy?” you ask him, knowing how uncomfortable he gets when things get too mushy.

He shakes his head at you, and grabs your gloved hands in his. “Not at all. It was fantastic. Seeing myself through your memories… I guess I see why you fell for me.” His fanged grin is wicked, but the love behind his eyes is unmistakable.

“You were annoying easily to fall for, love,” you say with a wistful sigh. You pause a moment and tug on his arms. “I confess, I also wanted to get you a skeleton key, but I’m starting to think those are a myth.”

Astarion laughs, placing the rest of the presents on a side table and pulling you closer. “Isn’t that sweet of you? No need dear, there’s nothing behind a lock that I need that badly, not when I have you.” He presses a soft peck on your lips as he drags you onto him.

“Wintertime has done something to you, love,” you say, curling into his lap. “I’ve never seen you so sappy.”

The man grimaces, but holds you close all the same. “Please don’t say that near Shadowheart, she’s already accused me of something heinous.”

“Oh? What’s that?”

“She said I was ‘getting into the holiday spirit’,” he answers, all but gagging on his own words. “Ridiculous. I just enjoy lavishing you with gifts.”

You wrap your arms around his neck and say, “You are quite good at that.”

“Mmhm,” he murmurs happily at your praise. Carefully unwrapping your new scarf from your neck, he begins peppering you with kisses. Each sends a jolt of electricity down your spine and you only hold him tighter. “You know, some of those memories were quite… well, memorable. Would you care to recreate any?”

The only response you can manage under his fervent kisses is a pleased hum. Somewhere in the back of your mind, you make a note to thank Shadowheart for her sage gift-giving advice.

#astarion #astarion x tav #rogue + rogue #fanfic #astarion x reader #bg3holidayfluffle23

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rose-bride-bracket · 11 months

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alright, while I work on deciding who to include in the bracket (+ other things), here are all the utena submissions I got. only one shall survive to the actual bracket. I could make a mini-bracket, since there are 8 different characters, but I don't really feel like it. therefore,

propaganda below (note - some of these characters had multiple submissions, so if they are eliminated here, the rest of their propaganda will be released afterwards):

shiori: You wouldn't really vote against Shiori, would you? 🥺 Even if she knows you must hate her, don't you want to mend your relationship? 🥺 When she's depending on you with all her heart? 🥺 She knows what she wants this time, really; this must be it. She's winning, right?

touga: Victim of CSA forced to perform an impossible gender expectation that is unhealthy for him and will ultimately kill him(metaphorically or literally depending on how you view him in Adolescence). Betraying the only people in your life that may have ever seen even a sliver of vulnerability from you and manipulating them for both your own goals and playing your role as a pawn in Akio's fucked up game. Honestly? It's about being forced into a position of inferiority and a feeling of being used and using that vitriol to hurt and manipulate others to gain back that sense of power no matter how superficial. Just kinda choosing to live in your coffin because the idea of anything else is so foreign that it's terrifying and feels like a death in itself and to make that choice would mean abandoning everything youve done to adapt to the current system.

kanae: shes soooo rosebride. shes so desperate for the princess role which she technically has achieved but which she'll never actually have. the way she's compelled to blame anthy. ough

idk who this is but it's not mamiya guys right. mamiya has purple hair and he set the fire and both of us are alive and we will obtain eternity together right guys. right: hes such a rose bride. literally. but to me hes his own kind of rose bride. at least before. yknow

juri: Underrated as Rose Bride to Ruka. Forced to swallow down her emotions because he decided he knew what's good for her.

saionji: he needs a W. but also he's kind of a rose bride in relation to touga specifically--being manipulated by him to continue playing the role he's been given

nanami: oh you know ;) (ridiculously loyal little sister being manipulated by her older brother)

utena: 39 episode run of Akio trying to rose bride her

#csa mention #utena #revolutionary girl utena #rgu #brackets #tournament polls #the rose bride bracket #uhh I gotta tag them all uhhh #shiori takatsuki #touga kiryuu #kanae ohtori #mamiya chida #juri arisugawa #kyouichi saionji #nanami kiryuu #utena tenjou

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ryohell · 1 year

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ˏˋ°•⁀➷Douma with demon!reader

ੈ♡˳ Reader: Gender Neutral

ੈ♡˳ Warning(s): Fluff also Douma is a bit possessive

❥ There's two likely ways you've two met, when you were human and he turned you into a demon or you both met when you were already a demon. If you were human, he likely got attached and because he knows how fragile human life can be he decided turning you into a demon to spend life eternally with him was the best choice.

❥ If you were already a demon when you two met, then you stumbled into his Eternal Paradise Cult looking for a meal, not knowing that place was owned by Upper Moon 2. Words couldn't describe how terrified you were coming into contact with him, but he didn't mind because he knew you couldn't touch a hair on his body, so instead he helped you to the meal he had already prepared for himself. You were grateful for his generosity, and he told you to come back any time.

❥ Douma treats you like royalty and makes sure everyone else does too, especially the cult members. If he hears anyone speaking badly about you or to you... huh, for some reason they've disappeared... He doesn't let anyone land a finger on you. ❥ Even though you most likely can hunt for yourself, he takes a certain time out of his day or, I suppose, most likely night to prepare a feast for you to eat. You'll never have to worry about hunger again with him; he'll always pick the best humans for you. ❥ One of his love languages is touch; he'd greet you with a hug, a kiss, or both at the same time. He can be quite clingy at times too; if you're away from him for too long, he'll go out himself, trying to find where you went and bring you back. Good luck getting out of his clutches. "You were gone for far too long! I had to make sure you were okay."

❥ On certain days of the week, he spoils you for the entire evening, and nobody is permitted to interfere. Douma enjoys hearing about your worries or anything that has recently happened to you; he makes a great listening buddy. However, don't count on him to offer good advice. He enjoys spending a lot of his time cuddling with you. Embracing you gives him an emotion he's never experienced and can't put into words, but it's a comforting feeling considering how cold he can be a lot of the time. ❥ Douma enjoys giving presents! He pays close attention to what his partners enjoy and will go out of his way to acquire a lot of it, such as a particular flower. He'll now spend the majority of the evening attempting to obtain said flower for you. ❥ If it's clothing, he enjoys watching you try it on and wants the world to see how stunning you are. He'll either get it for you or he'll make one of his followers acquire it, so if you want anything, just ask. Every time he shows you something he thought you'd like, he looks forward to seeing your face light up; your smile gives him a heartache in a good way. ❥ Douma doesn't really grasp what love is, but he followed the advice of his followers and read books to better understand how to care for and meet your needs. Every time he's near you, his heart beats faster, and he always wears a smile that everyone thinks is fake on his face. However, he isn't forcing it; it just happens without him knowing. ❥ He is still unfamiliar with the new emotions he's experiencing, but according to the research he's done, they are brought on by his love for you. You're the reason he feels after all these centuries; he doesn't want to ever let you go."I don't know what's wrong with me, but whenever I'm close to you, my heart starts to feel strange. Oddly enough, I don't dislike the sensation. Is this what others refer to as love?”

♡ Thanks for reading ♡

#douma x reader #doma x reader #demon slayer x reader #kny x reader #demon slayer headcanons #douma headcanons #douma x you #douma #doma #demon slayer fluff #douma fluff #kny douma #kny doma #demon slayer douma #demon slayer doma

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moongothic · 5 months

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There is something so interesting to me about the whole "Devil Fruits are manifestations of people's desires" concept... Mainly because, when you think about it, a lot of characters do end up having Devil Fruits that like, suit them, you know?

Althought people do tend speculate about it, we can't really say for sure that a "Devil Fruit chooses its user", like it's not canon yet. But if there was some funny thing of FATE that somehow leads specific people to certain powers that they, subconciously or not, desired and wished for... It would explain how so many characters end up with powers they're happy with, abilities that really suit them, even if/when they can't know for sure what powers they might end up with

Like we have Kaku and Kalifa who both seemed happy with the abilities they obtained despite having no idea what powers the mystery fruits the Government offered them would grant them. And that's just those two. Aokiji is a very Chill Dude so his Ice Fruit suits him, same could be said for Ace who was a bit of a hot head. The Wapol's ability to nom on literally anything goes well with his appetite, while Iva-chan and Bon-chan both obtained powers perfect for exploring their genders and identities. Luffy is a ridiculous ray of sunshine, while both Moria and Perona got the most goth-ass fruits available. Buggy's circus acts aside, Shanks did split his heart into pieces that have not come back together yet (though this did not kill the clown, just left him in pieces). Law's fruit was best suited in the hands of a doctor and not only was he was the son of doctor, but he specifically needed its power to not die. Kuma needed the hands of liberation to save not just himself but so many other slaves at God's Valley, and so many others later in life. All Robin wanted was to hold hands with her mom.

With that all in mind. How does Crocodile's ability... suit Crocodile..?

Like sure, on a pure surface level, it suits him in the sense that he was The Final Boss of the Sand Level. You go to a desert, you gonna find some sand. And of course, Alabasta was suffering from severe drought that Crocodile was manufacturing. The Drought Man taking the rain from a country makes sense.

And maybe there isn't anything more to it than that.

But also like, think about it with me for a second

The man who once dreamt of becoming fucking Pirate King ended up a Sand Logia. And I don't even mean that in the "lmao water is his weakness" kinda way (though it certainly doesn't help, all you need is one (1) battle in the middle of a storm and you're dead), I mean like. How doth one rule the seas when your power is to rule the earth instead. That Logia in particular is about as fitting for a Pirate King as a beach is a fitting place for a whale to live on. So if Devil Fruits are somehow drawn to people whom they might suit the most, then how did the Sand Logia end up with Crocodile? How was that the most suitable fruit for him? Was it just bad luck? Was it fate? Did Crocodile even really yearn for that throne to begin with, or was it just the idea of absolute power and fame instead?

Sidenote, but it is worth pointing out that we don't know when Crocodile ate his Devil Fruit. For all we know, it could've been years after he got his ass kicked by Whitebeard, when he had already given up on his dreams. If can't become the king of the oceans, then a Desert King is okay too

I do also want to point out... Was Crocodile drawn to this fruit because it's sand? Because nothing can really grow and blossom in nothing but dry sand, nothing can live in it. Because deserts and wastelands are lonely places. None of Crocodile's plans have ever turned out like he wanted them to, nothing has come to fruition from his ventures. And Crocodile if anyone knows a thing or two about solitude.

#Moon posting #OP Meta #OP Spoilers #Sir Crocodile #My pondering aside I'm sure he got his fruit only because he was The Final Boss of The Sand Level #Like I doubt it was any deeper than that #But there is a cruel irony to his Devil Fruit ngl

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ofstardustanddreaming · 2 months

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Not sure what your request rules are but I had an idea I wanted to pose to you. Karlach mentions early on she is one of zariel's 'least mutilated' pets. I was thinking imagine if Tav was another of those. There could be many ways how but I was thinking they were given mechanical wings but in the process of adding them their spine was removed and replaced with an infernal one which gives them issues from time to time and pain. It would be so interesting to have this Tav and Karlach on the adventure as both look to find ways to fix it. Perhaps they knew each other in Avernus or perhaps their escapes just lined up.

Hope you enjoyed the idea, I'm sorry if it wasn't to your taste, I'm pretty new to requests.

Oh yeah, this is such a good idea! And this is a perfect way to request, no need to worry :) If you would like to send more in the future, feel free to!

I'm also trying a few new fic layouts right now, so it might be a bit chaotic with the set up as I'm trying to figure out what I like. So please bare with me lol.

part of each other

headcanon summary: up above

content warnings: slight mentions of a rough backstory in avernus. mostly talking about obtaining the mechanical wings and spine, and how it was painful.

fandom: baldur’s gate 3

character: karlach x reader

gender neutral reader

anon request

you guys had initially met when you found her hunched over, looking as if she was in pain. wyll had let you guys in on the slight back story the two had with each other, and if anything it made you perk up. you didn't think you'd encounter someone who had a similar backstory to you, where you were both from avernus. you were shocked yourself you hadn't run into wyll, but you had heard of the blade of frontiers.

upon finding out a bit of what happened with her down in avernus, it made you curious. you had invited her with the group, and was glad that she had agreed to do so. anytime the group was walking along the routes you needed for your end destinations, you tried your best to talk to karlach as much as you could to know more. the strong connection you had found through her was comforting, it made you feel less alone about what you went through.

she was very curious about your story with avernus, wanting to know as much about your story without crossing your boundaries. she was always by your side at camp, when everyone was winding down, wanting to become a closer friend to you because of your similar stories. and how could you say no to her sweet, upbeat nature?

you told her your story about your time in avernus. the searing pain you endured as your spine was removed and quickly replaced with the mechanical spine. you distinctly remember the sound of the grinding joints, your muscles trying to reject the pain it was feeling from an unwanted procedure. the wings were added afterwards, connected at the upper spine and at the halfway point of the wings, pinned to your shoulder blades for better stability.

"my wings don't do much flying, so they feel useless, and they burn at my shoulder blades. the muscles around the spine feels constantly pulled at." you tell her, and she gives you a sympathetic look. the group had taken a small break outside of emerald grove, soaking in a bit of the sun before going onto the next mission.

"they really tried to make us their best warriors. our own autonomy be damned." karlach says, the rage and upset twisting in her words. but she looks towards you with hope. "oh tav, we'll make it through this. there's gotta be way to stop the infernal heat that plagues us."

her earnest hope makes you smile, the warmth behind her optimism making you feel like you stand a chance against this. "yeah, i'm sure we'll find something to help." even if you felt it was a halfhearted saying to her, you hoped that she believed you.

she let you hold onto your cynicism for a little while longer, wanting to give you time to work up to her optimism, knowing it's a hard time. she let you lean on her, when you aimed to do so. the two of you soaked in the moment, happy the both of you had someone to confide in. anytime you needed to lean on someone, you knew you could count on her for that. the both of you had similar body heats, relying on each other for comfort was very much needed.

eventually, the two of you found dammon. he helped you two with the infernal iron, gathering that for the both of you. it gave you the first glimmer of hope in this journey, in terms of your own personal path. sure, you felt and gave hope for the road to baldur's gate and helping the others with their journeys, but for your own self? you thought it was futile. but now it wasn't. you could have your pain lessened.

you and karlach that night shared your thoughts about it. karlach was happy to see your cynicism turned to optimism, happy that you could start to trust that things can work out for yourself. because she knew you deserved the happiness.

#karlach #karlach headcanon #karlach x reader #karlach imagine #bg3 #bg3 imagine #bg3 headcanon #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate 3 imagine #baldur's gate 3 headcanon #bg3 x reader #baldur's gate 3 x reader

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tangledinink · 11 months

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Ok! Ok! Just one more ask (for now-)!

Does big mama find out that the twins are bio girls? If she does, is she happy or upset? Is she upset they didn't tell her? Does she try to make this a profitable thing (take this how you will)? Is she supportive or not? Did she just not know or did she not care to confirm?

Also!! I just love the tail you gave donnie!! Does leo have a tail? Is it as long as Donnie's? Also which twin is older? Do they share a room? Or do they have their own rooms? If they have their own rooms, do they have like a floor of the hotel just to themselves? Are there plans for any love interest in this au? Are Mikey and Raph also girls? Or did draxum accidentally get two girl turtles? What are all the boys (and Cassandra)'s sexual and gender identity?

Thank you!!! Again sorry for the question spam

lmao sorry for the wait for some reason my brain said i could not possibly answer this until i completed the egg saga and therefore answered the first part of this question. but now im also gonna do an additional part showing donnie and mama's conversation, so it'll get even more answer...

tldr; she finds out about donnie, but still does not know about leo. she is upset and essentially forbids donnie from telling anyone about this-- (cause imagine the pr nightmare.) she wasn't previously aware that they were biologically female.

also!!! thank you!!! leo does also have a tail, but it's a lot shorter and stubbier than donnie's. he's privately a bit jealous of donnie's long, pretty, expressive tail. likewise, donnie is privately a bit jealous of leo's short, simple tail, which is never stepped on or caught in doors-- but neither of them would ever admit it and would in fact claim superiority of their own tail if asked.

donnie is the older twin.

they do not share a room, but they do share a floor of the hotel. they each have their own massive bedroom, complete with en suite bathrooms, balconies, and every other bell and whistle you could ever dream of, and are 'next door neighbors' so to speak. Mama occupies the top floor just above them, and everything below them is the actual hotel.

i don't currently have plans for any love interests!

all four of the brothers identify as male (at least right now, anyway,) and mikey and raph are both biologically male. draxum did not really care about the gender of the turtles he obtained for his experiments; he just needed strong, healthy specimens. (plus, turtles are, like, notoriously hard to sex, anyway.)

leo is pretty sure that he's gay, but hasn't breathed a word of this to anyone. he's well aware that being a prettyboy bachelor and making the girls swoon or whatever the fuck is a part of his 'brand' as a performer, and that messing with this would NOT be well received by his mother.

donnie is bisexual, but hasn't really noticed or processed this himself yet, because he doesn't spend very much time or energy considering what is or is not attractive to him. he has other things to worry about, thank you. (and he's not as...... easily impressed as leo is.) it's not like either of them are out socializing with people their age or going on dates or anything, anyway.

mikey isn't into labels u w u but also hasn't really ever put too much time or energy or thought into dating or anything like that. he's busy trying to eliminate humanity <3

raph, bless his soul, has never once in his life even considered thinking critically about his gender or sexuality or anything else. that's not even a little bit in his world sphere. he has no gotdamn idea.

cassandra is definitely a lesbian lol.

#asks #sokda lal ashes #gemini au asks #gemini au #long post #its okay i like answering questions! :D

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leavingsunsets · 1 month

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I heard you wanted a request?

So i will request!

Could you write some fluff for ryusui from dr stone please?

Could you please write about ryusui trying to catch an oblivious crush attention?

Thank you!

Yes! Omg I got a request 🥺🥺🥺. I should re edit my acc to be open kehehe. Anyways, since there's no specified gender, it's an automatic gender neutral, okay?

"ᴅᴇꜱɪʀᴇᴅ, ꜱᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟʟʏ."

(GN! reader x Ryusui Nanami)

Extravagant, bold. Two definitive terms that quite describe the heir of the Nanami conglomerate. He wasn't Ryusui without that, was he?

He does not shy away from stating what he wants, nor does he wither from encouraging anyone from doing the same. A person who knows himself. Direct, precise.

Yet, he somehow starts to doubt those very same facts the moment when it comes to you.

With how much Ryusui talked about desire more than the average person, it was easy to get used to how he worded his wants and his passionate pursuit of it. In fact, you nearly choked when he yelled out what you thought was a confession.

"I desire you!" was what he said, leaving you to awkwardly stand with your hand out to shake his. Luckily, this misunderstanding was quickly cleared, and your hesitance faded out the more time you've grown used to his presence.

And so, it seemed that same desensitization was like a curse for him.

As you were part of the power team, he always made sure to meet with you at the end of the day. Walking with you from the field back to where the others were.

"[name]! Great work today! Any plans for tonight?"

"Mhm! I have to go help out Kaseki. He asked me and Kohaku to help him out in carrying some woodworks after dinner."

Then, the time where you were both on the ship. As you both stood out on the deck, overlooking the sea.

"You know, [name], this view is even more beautiful, now that the person I desire most, is right here with me."

"Haha! I just saw a turtle!"

It was frustrating, but also gave a thrill, to which he didn't mind playing along with. The pursuit of passion, how far would he go, for this? Finally, one a little bolder, when the perfect opportunity comes as you're both one of the last ones by the dining.

Here, you both sit across from each other. The sound of the sea outside are faint, and gives the perfect ambience to the silence.

Swirling the wine in his glass, he takes a small sip. "When it comes to desire, I believe that there is nothing that should be worth stopping you from obtaining it."

You nod along, just as tipsy. The wine in your glass sways along. "So true, king."

He rests his elbow on the table, leaning on his fist. His other hand holding the wine glass, points at you. "Your ignorance may know no bounds, but so does my desire. And I'll let you know, that I've never denied myself of anything I've truly longed for."

Groggily, you nod. "You said a lot of fancy words, but whatever you say, king."

Ryusui watches you blink in a daze. Yeah. He's no quitter. Downing the rest of his glass, he decides to just go for it.

"[name], I desire your heart. I desire you." he goes quiet after this, staring intently. His expression is unreadable, and you would tell if you weren't still a little tipsy.

"I'm afraid I still need it, sorry." Your eyes get droopy, and you put your glass on the table. "Not... not a registered donor." you mumble.

Ryusui sighs, putting down his own glass. Nevermind. "I think it's best you go to bed now." Grabbing your arm, he throws it over your shoulder, hauling you up. Drowsily, you only nod. "Yessir.."

Luckily, you weren't that far gone, and could walk properly. So, it was no problem getting you to your room. But before he could leave you by the doorway, you suddenly reach out, surprising him.

"Hey, Ryu." you mutter, leaning on the door. He looks at you curiously, listening. "Yes?"

"I like you." you sway your head, a little sleepy. "It's fun every time I'm with you."

Ryusui stills for a moment. You yawn, letting go of him. "Well, g'night, Ryu." is the last thing you say before entering, closing the door behind you.

A beat, and one more, before, a tint of pink dusts his cheeks.

It wasn't much, but it was progress. He went straight to bed after that, eyes curving with a little more mirth that night.

#x reader #dcst fanfic #dr stone fanfic #dr stone x reader #sen writes !#sunset prints !#dr stone #dcst #ryusui nanami #dr stone ryusui #dcst ryusui #nanami ryusui #ryusui x reader #ryusui nanami x reader #IM SORRY ITS A LITTLE SLOPPY

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spacebarbarianweird · 2 months

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The Dhampirs of the Sword Coast - Chapter 3

Part 3 of Astarion's daughter adventures and consequences of releasing 7000 vampires into the Underdark. After saving Tara from the smugglers, Alethaine finally meets her parents' friend, Gale Decarios.

Read on AO3

Link for Part 1, Part 2

Thanks @queenofthespacesquids for beta-reading!

The List of Chapters

Masterlist

Headcanons

Alethaine (High Elf/Necromancer) - age 25. Astarion's daughter. Lawful Neutral.

Ulsha (Half-Orc/Paladin) - age 26. Lawful Good.

Theris (Tiefling/Bard) - age 27. Chaotic Neutral.

Mierni (Human/Wizard)- age 14, Gale's foster son. Suffers with selective muteness. True neutral.

Alethaine jumps on the floor and faces the owner of the tower.

The archwizard of Waterdeep, Gale Decarios, is standing in front of her with the tressym in his hands.

“I suppose you are Alethaine Ancunin, my friend’s daughter? – He asks. – And who is this young man with you? Sorry if I've assumed his gender or age incorrectly.”

“This is Theris. I am afraid he has some prejudices against wizards”

“I don’t blame him, to be honest. If I weren't a wizard myself, I would be biased towards them, too, – He smiles wide. – I am happy to welcome you to my home, Alethaine – and finally talk to you. Last time your father visited he didn’t shut up about you”

“Oh?” Alethaine suddenly feels a wave of embarrassment. “Did he?”

“Of course! You see, I've recently gotten an interest in dhampirs, and as a man of science I couldn’t ignore the opportunity to obtain new knowledge first hand, – Gale shrugs, showing his unexpected guests the way out of the library. – Well, technically, second hand, since I interrogated your father about it. I must admit I used to think it’s not possible to manifest dhampir abilities at the age of five months old! But Astarion was very proud when I told him you are that peculiar. But I also would love to hear certain details from you directly. Both of you.”

Theris tries to hide behind Alethaine’s back which falls flat due to the height difference.

“I will not let you vivisect me! I will fight!”

Alethaine thinks Gale will be offended but instead, the old wizard laughs.

“You probably mistake me for someone else, Theris. I prefer arcana and theory, not butchering young… dhampirs. I welcome you to my home, feel free to make yourself at home.”

“Yes, you have nothing to worry about, children,” Tara yawns.

An hour later, Alethaine sits in the hot tub. The warm water relaxes her muscles and feet.

It feels nice.

Sharpened hearing catches the distant echo of the conversation. Gale interrogates Theris – how old was he when his dhampirism manifested? Were his parents tieflings? Does he drink blood? Does he know other dhampirs? Has he ever been to the Underdark?

Five years old. Mother was a tiefling. Sometimes he drinks blood but he feels bad after. No, physically. The bard has no morals! He knows Ulsha the Half-Orc. No, devils save him!

Alethaine submerges herself under the water. She doesn’t need breathing, and she curls in the fetal position on the bottom of the tub, allowing the water to cover her body like a blanket.

If she closes her eyes she can imagine it’s her home in Daggerlake.

Alethaine could lie like that for hours before the water turned uncomfortably cold and she had to get out of there. Water deafened her sharpened dhampir hearing, and she could relax in silence.

Suddenly Alethaine realizes there is someone else in the house.

She can hear Gale and Theris from below and Alethaine is also aware of Tara’s presence in the hall.

The tressym hisses, and the dhampir hears someone else’s embarrassed footsteps.

“My dear, I didn’t know we were hosting a Sea Elf!” Tara jumps on the edge of the bathtub. “Well, maybe your mother’s father was one of them? Though Tiriel never struck to me as a water lover.”

Alethaine sits up and wet hair sticks to her face. “I don’t need to breathe, that’s all”

“I know, I know. You, dhampirs, are peculiar creatures! Who knew saving seven thousand vampires could lead to such a drastic change in the Swords Coast demographics?”

“Is that sarcasm?” Alethaine gets out of the bathtub and puts a towel on her head. Her waist-length silver hair will take an eternity to fully dry.

“Maybe! But you know… vampires or not, they were still thinking creatures. Your mother is a true hero for saving all of them!” Tara jumps on the chair and Alethaine sees a dress and a bathrobe which were not there when she entered the bathroom.

Tara disappears, and Alethaine puts up the clean clothes. The dress is nice, probably made of much finer fabric than the dhampir has ever worn. The robe is fluffy and warm and Alethaine has a glimpse of a thought to steal it once she is ready to go.

Though stealing from a wizard is probably a bad idea.

When she goes down to the dining room, Theris is already there devouring an enormous plate of food. Gale looks absolutely unbothered – more than this, he looks like a scientist observing a specimen.

“Alethaine, sit down with us!” Gale waves at the empty chair in front of him. “Hope the food will be to your liking”

Alethaine stares at the plates. Well, either Gale has a very good cook somewhere in the tower, or the wizard himself spends his free time in the kitchen.

Everything looks fucking delicious.

Alethaine decides she has never had table manners and probably never will and starts eating in an even messier manner than Theris.

“If you don’t like it, just tell me,” Gale smiles.

“Honestly, sir, my father is a vampire, my mother can eat raw meat, and I’ve been adventuring for six years. I have very low standards,'' Alethaine answers with her mouth full. “If it hasn't burnt, I can eat it. And if it’s burnt, I can give it a try.”

“I was the camp cook back in the day. Your mother really had weird habits even in comparison to the rest. Well, she wasn’t from the Sword Coast, after all”

Suddenly Gale’s gaze becomes dreamy. He looks left and smiles, remembering something.

“Your parents…” he suddenly says. “They are… still together?”

“Of course. They moved to Luskan a few years ago”

“Not far away! I think I should pay a visit. Besides, I haven’t seen Tiriel for, let me think, 45 years. But I bet she hasn’t changed much”

Theris suddenly elbows Alethaine. “It seems like the wizard had a thing for your mother”

“What? No!” Alethaine probably responded much louder than she intended because suddenly Gale stares at her as if trying to see familiar features in her face.

“Oh yes, you mother… Well, I actually thought I would be in charge since, of course, I was the most competent of the whole gang! Me, a renowned wizard! Who else? – Gale chuckles.But you know sometimes you should let people do what they are fit at.

He is silent for a few seconds.

“Tiriel led us all through the pain, fear, and misery. Saved us all! Told me she would break all my bones if I tried to recreate the crown of Karsus and, hells, she was right – it’s not the power a man should obtain, – Gale looks away, reminiscing. – She made the Duke of Ravengard beg his only son for forgiveness… Dragged poor Shadowheart from the cult. Tiriel… She is one of these people who couldn’t care less about power, but she made us all fight for our personal freedoms. Me, your father, the rest of us.”

Gale chuckles.

“Well, Tiriel could have become the leader of Baldur’s Gate – people would love her. But she preferred to stay on the road, to do things she liked. Well sometimes I think what could have been…–Gale sigs. – But, honestly, your mother would have been bored in Waterdeep''.

Alethaine stares at Gale. So he did have a thing for her mother. That is definitely something new.

Gale notices that and smiles.

“Well, I will be honest here. Tirie caught all my attention. I made a mistake thinking that her friendliness and kindness were a sign of romantic interest. Tiriel was just kind to everyone, I wasn’t special. And when I finally got a grip and wanted to talk to her, she was already in your father’s tent, – he smiles bitterly. – Never thought I would be jealous of a vampire. But six months after I met your mother for the last time I saw how happy she was. How happy Astarion was with her. He was literally a different person. And, to be honest, he deserved it. After everything he’d been through.”

Alethaine looks at her plate. Her mother and that wizard? She can’t imagine that.

Suddenly she hears light footsteps.

“Mierni! Come here, say hello to Theris and Alethaine!”

A fourteen-year-old boy with dark skin and protruding ears enters the dining room. He wears a pair of trousers and a white shirt but his feet are bare.

Tara immediately rushes to him and starts bumping her head on his leg.

“Mierni, darling, put on your shoes – it’s rather cold here!”

Mierni shakes his head and approaches the table. His dark skin is rather pale as if he’d been dead for a few hours. Two fangs are visible on his lips.

Another dhampir!

The boy quickly grabs a meat pie and rushes up to the wall. In a few moments, he sits in a dark corner of the ceiling like a huge bat.

“Don’t be offended,” Gale says. “This is Mierni. He is a good boy, he just sometimes doesn't want to speak. But very talented! Can cast fireballs like a battle mage!”

“Mierni is going to be a fine addition to the Decarios clan!” Tara adds.

“Is he your son?” Alethaine asks.

“Yes and no,'' Gale sighs. “His mother is a storm sorcerer. She'd gotten it into her head that if she had a child with a vampire, he'd be the most powerful wizard in the world. She'd found an undead somewhere, more an animal than human, one of those poor things that had gone mad over centuries of captivity in Cazador's dungeon, – he makes a sip from his glass. – Unluckily, Mierni had no special innate abilities other than dhampirism. I'll spare you the details, but this child was mistreated poorly. Beaten, starved. I found Miernilocked in the attic, and he'd never seen sunlight before.”

“So we kidnapped him,” Tara says.

“I prefer the word adopted,” Gale corrected. “Mierni is very smart! And knows many more spells than I did at his age, Though, unfortunately, you need to be able to speak to pronounce the spells – and it’s an issue”

Alethaine looks up at the ceiling. Mierni turns his head and casts a wary glance at her. Human-dhampir probably doesn’t see a lot of people.

“Is he mute?” Alethaine asks.

“From time to time. Maybe he will want to talk to you, though.”

Alethaine stands up from the table and walks up the wall to sit close to the boy.

“My name is Alethaine Ancunin. And you are Mierni, aren’t you?”

He nods.

“What are you reading?”

He points at the hardcover. “Crests, flags, and banners of the Moon sea. Interesting?”

another nod.

“THERIS!”

A loud scream forces Alethaine to stir and she almost falls down from the ceiling. Mierni jumps on his feet pressing the book to his chest.

“Sir, whatever lies she is going to say, it’s not true, it wasn't me and it never happened!”

Standing in the doorway, a half-orc paladin is fuming.

“Ulsha” Gale approaches her. “Please, calm down.”

“I won't! Gale, I am sorry, but he is dangerous!”

“But he is my guest. It would not be nice of me to betray people I shelter”

“He’s a dhampir”

“So what? Since when did you dhampir have fewer rights?”

Ulsha looks up at the ceiling, and Mierni immediately jumps on the floor.

“Ulsha! I am so happy to see you!” he rushes to her, and the half-orc hugs him.

“I am happy to see you, little wizard.”

“I’ve finished the book you brought me!” Mierni shows her the heavy volume.

Alethaine jumps back on the floor. Theris stands behind her using her as a shield and Black Death squeaks.

“Don’t give me to her,” he whispers.

“Ulsha,” Gale invites her to the table. “I am aware Theris is a notorious troublemaker, but he and Alethaine retrieved Tara from smugglers. I suppose it’s enough”

“You don't understand!”

“I think I do, Ulsha,” Gale’s voice sounds more stern, “Please. Can I ask what brought you here?”

“it’s personal”

“Not a problem, Mierni, show Theris and Alethaine the library.”

Mierni nods and grabs their hands.

The boy doesn’t shut up the whole way up to the library. By the time they reach the room, he suddenly realizes Theris is a tiefling and he starts asking to touch his tail and his horns and also asking what it is to be a tiefling.

Then he switches his attention to Alethaine - mostly to her ears, so different from his own.

For some reason, it doesn't annoy her. The boy is so innocent, so open-hearted that Alethaine decides she is going to kill anyone who would threaten him.

“You are a necromancer!” he exclaims. “I wanted to learn necromancy, but my father told me I shouldn't indulge in such dark sciences! Can you animate something dead?!”

‘Well, to animate something dead, you need to kill something first,” Theris chuckles.

Mierni rushes to the dark corner of the library and proudly brings a dead mouse. The animal has probably been dead for a few days.

Theris closes the rat’s eyes. “Don’t watch, my friend.”

Mierni places the dead rat on the floor and steps back.

“Please! Please!” Now Mierni sounds like a five-year-old who has found a new toy.

Alethain sighs and kneels in front of the tiny corpse.

Dark strings pierce through the tips of her fingers and connect to the body.

The dead mouse opens its eyes.

Alethaine feels the strings tense. Now the animal is all in her power.

“Climb his shoulder,” Alethaine orders and the dead mouse climbs onto Theris.

“Don’t do anything stupid!” Theris hisses still covering his living rat’s eyes.

Mierni laughs and picks up the dead mouse. “Can you teach me? I want to know necromancy!”

“I think Gale will kill me,” Alethaine smiles.

“He won’t!”

“No, Gale, I am not doing this!” Ulsha enters the library. Gale follows her. “I am not going to work with that… thing”

Theris bares his fangs almost indistinguishable from his tiefling canines. “Are you pointing at me or the elf?”

“Answer your own question.”

Theris shrugs. “Aletahaine, I’d be really offended if someone called me a thing”

“Shut up”

Ulsha shakes her head. “No. I told you it wouldn’t work”

“What is the problem?” Alethaine asks, putting the mouse to rest. The small body stills and Alethaine catches a pleasant scent of decay.

She still isn't sure if decay smells nice to her because she was born half-dead or because of her sorcerer's nature.

“You see, Alethaine, ever since Ulsha left the Underdark where she grew up among the vampire spawns, she’s wandered the Sword Coast, saving the less fortunate from their peril, true to her oath to - “

“Of devotion,” she finished. “I serve Lathander, the Morninglord.”

‘Morninglord? Is she insane?’ Alethaine wonders. The god hates the undead so much that he demands the slaughter of vampires and other creatures of the night.

“What’s so funny, elf?” Ulsha asks.

“Listen, I am not a woman of spiritual nature,” Alethaine explains. “But couldn’t you choose a god that doesn’t despise you for your mere existence?”

“He doesn't despise anyone,” she says sternly. “We, dhampirs, have a choice of which side to take. And I’ve chosen the light the moment I left the disgusting tunnels of the Underdark. But everyone makes their own choices,” Ulsha pushes the dead mouse away with her leg. “Some prefer to enforce their vampiric side. Bloodrinking and death worship.”

“I do none of that,” Alethaine comes close to the half-orc.

Gale takes Ulsha’s hand and offers her a seat. The half-orc obliges, but Alethaine physically senses the hostility coming from her.

“Returning to our matters,” Gale smiles. “It's difficult to be a sole adventurer – and people get suspicious when Ulsha spends too much time with them. Folks just don’t see a difference between a vampire and a dhampir and very few of them want to educate themselves.”

“So?” Theris gets impatient. He drums his fingers and frowns.

“I think you would work perfectly together.”

“I am not going anywhere with her,” Theris says.

But Gale doesn’t listen to him.

He keeps talking about some spellbook of old that was lost without a trace centuries ago. And he thinks he knows the exact location of the volume, and he doesn’t trust anyone but Ulsha to retrieve it.

“Ulsha’s oath forbids her from using dark magic. Besides, the Bowgentle of Silverymoon’s spellbook doesn’t lie in the open. You will need to break into the lair. I will pay you generously, each of you.”

“How much?” Alethaine asks, doing mental math. Gale definitely isn’t poor and retrieving a book of magic doesn’t sound simple. Besides, a wizard spellbook must be worth a fortune.

Gale chuckles. “I see you take after your father. Your mother would agree first. 150 gold for each of you. Yes, including you Ulsha.I doubt Lathander would want his paladin to die in poverty.”

“200,” Theris says. “The task is rather dangerous.”

“150, Theris, you are not the first adventurer I have to deal with.”

“Let me,” Alethaine approaches Gale. “ 250. You know we can always sell the spellbook.”

“No one will buy it.”

“Don’t underestimate my intimidation skills,” Alethaine bares her fangs.

Gale cringes. “Two hundred and twenty gold.”

“Agreed, and we take all the treasures we find.”

“I doubt you would know how to use all these artifacts, Alethaine,” Gale smiles behind his beard.

“Oh, trust me! I am full of secrets!”

… Hours later, when Alethaine stands in front of a stall with weapons, choosing between a longbow and a short sword, she laughs at herself for tryingto get more money from the wizard.

Well, she was taught not to sell herself too short.

“Do you know how to shoot arrows?” Ulsha asks as she prepares her armor.

“If I am an elf it doesn't mean I am an archer.”

“But do you?”

“Yes. I am an archer.”

“Great. Then you are in the back. Avoid getting in the middle of the fight, that’s my job. Do you know any healing spells?”

“I am a necromancer. It’s the opposite of healing.”

Theris switches the daggers from the stall. '`Wait, are you going to allow Ulsha to be in charge?!’

“She is a fucking paladin!” Alethaine takes the bow and the arrows. “Of course, she is going to be in charge and take all the blame if we fuck up. And we will fuck up.”

Gale places healing potions at the stall. “It’s very mature of you to understand there is sometimes just a much more competent person in the team than yourself. It took me days to finally put trust in your mother but I never doubted her choices after. So, maybe, we should have left Duke Ravengard to suffocate in his prison.”

Mierni, dressed in his traveling clothes, takes Gale’s hand. “I don’t want to go.”

Gale pats the boy’s head. “Mierni, you need to see the world outside my tower. Besides, even though you are mostly human like I, you are still a dhampir and you should be with your own kind to figure things out for yourself. Besides, what would a wizard do without their own stories about adventures?”

“But I like it here!” he pouts.

Alethaine looks at the wizards. Yes, they are more like father and son rather than one wizard and apprentice. Besides, he is only fourteen! When Alethane was fourteen she was afraid to go to the nearest village on her own and found a dozen excuses to stay home. She can’t imagine becoming an adventurer that young.

Besides, her own parents wouldn’t have let her go, that's for sure.

“It’s your home, Mierni, and you are always welcome to come back. But I don’t want you to waste your youth in the company of an old man.”

“Yes, Mierni,” Theris tugs the boy to himself. “You can waste your youth in the company of a necromancer and a delinquent bard.”

…They leave the city at night. Ulsha is in the front with her shield and a longsword, The paladin armors make her look much bigger than she already is. Mierni, who probably has never left Waterdeep on his own, whirls his head like a five-year-old on the market square.

“How the hell did you manage to persuade him to pay us more?” Theris asks as they walk along the Long Road in the direction of Amphail.

“Hm, two options. My own charms or he has flashbacks of having to deal with Astarion Ancunin,” Alethaine shrugs. The night makes her feel better - after all, she is a creature of the night as well.

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