#but no you can't have a substantial set up for B&C

[mejcinta]

My introduction to adult Aegon would go something like this:

He returns drunk to his chambers after his revels to find Helaena and the kids there. As she glares at him, the twins, who had been waiting to see him, attack him with a hug, oblivious to the rift simmering between their parents.

That way, Aegon is still painted as a not so good family guy or husband but the scene still manages to convey his complicated relationship with his family; as well as introduce his kids and Helaena, whose violation by B&C in s2 EPISODE 1 push him to war.

[xitsensunmoon]

I SAID THIS IN A COMMENT BUT YEAH NO ABSOLUTELY DONT TAKE THE REAL WORLD STUFF. VAMPIRES HOT. GO CRAZY GO STUPID. I just love to yell about this stuff-

The mental imagine of the fridge set up is killer though that's SENDING me.

As for the blood born diseases thing- most ones you can't really look at a person and say Ah Yes. That blood is bad.

Unless like uh. They're actively having complications from the disease/it's like. Ebola. You can tell if someone has Ebola they do not look like they're vibin. Don't get ebola kids it's bad for you.

Most bloodborne diseases aren't actually that bad/are much more easily treated now a days. Hepatitis is the best example for that tbh. If you have hep c or b exposure they can just slap you on some meds and you'll be fine. Same with HIV! So it's not like a big big threat, it would just legit be a nightmare for some poor epidemiologist. At least if everyone had bite marks you'd know the source rather than the hell that is the Trying to find out what food gave everyone food poisoning at the picnic (Hint: mayonnaise is the epidemiologist worst nightmare! Keep egg products properly chilled or get one million salmonella)

Additional!!! Most creatures that can spread diseases like a vampire theoretically could are actually immune to the effects of the disease they carry!! It's awesome and it's why bats can be epidemiology's worst enemy. They're so good at resisting diseases and also being so full of them,,, but they're so CUTE. < wants nothing more than to gently pet a bat but cannot because God would strike me down.

(But also it WOULD be hella cool if they could just like- tell if someone is sick through vampire powers. A blood vibe check, if you will)

I do think the idea of them being a problem for blood banks is a really good motivator for y/n tho!!! Makes a lot more sense than vampire disease hours tbh. There's already usually a shortage of blood so they would be a substantial threat for that alone! Way more than for hepatitis curse!

Oh no I didn't mean it like you can tell if someone is sick or not but more like vampire magic stuff lol. Idk how. They just can XD I know that if you have some problems with health your sweat changes its smell so maybe it can work like this?? They just find some people stinky sjsjjsenizkskdm?😭😭

I also was thinking about them having something in saliva to help heal the bite very quickly so people just don't have any evidence of them lmao. Will think about it properly too

[bluest-of-bells]

@proudfreakmetarusonniku I made this into a post instead of answering in replies because it was getting long. Hope it's okay ^^

I'm not sure I get what you mean, the disc finale went perfectly as far as c!Dream's plan was concerned, stuff only started going wrong in the prison.

c!Dream has this trick he pulls constantly of appearing to lose in order to lull the enemy to a false sense of security (see: the L'manburg independence war and his surrender on nov 16 for the most obvious examples). Whenever he does this, he makes sure to put up a token amount of resistance in order to not make anyone too suspicious. He's pretty good at making this token resistance convincing. The most reliable method for spotting what's token resistance and what's real is looking for logical inconsistencies and/or comparing other instances of Dream's skill and coming up short.

And we see Dream's protests against being killed in the disc finale coming up very short when compared to, say, his arguments against Tommy during the exile negotiation when Tommy tried to blackmail him with Spirit. The latter were substantial arguments, of the kind that would convince someone as logic driven as Dream. The former was a bunch of nonsense soup that barely had an actual argument in it.

I mean, if Dream really didn't want to be killed the first two times he could've just brought up the revive book earlier. At the very least he could've brought it up before Tommy started hitting him when he was on his last life.

But he didn't want to, because when you actually look at the practicalities there's not much difference between having one and three lives. Things only really change when you lose that last life. The first and second are more of a safety net than anything.

A safety net that Dream considered worth trading for two things: 1. really selling his loss (it may seem to be going overboard but it's in character for him to do so) 2. Force everyone else into a corner in terms of options.

Which ties in to the whole "he wasn't killed because of the suggestion of someone uninvolved". Dream set up the disc finale like a riddle for the people who defeated him. What do you do with someone who's so ~evil~ you can't let him loose, too valuable to kill and for whom you don't have that margin error of extra lives to risk picking wrong?

The only answer to that "riddle" is locking him up. Something Dream actually tried to make Tommy figure out with how he set up the disc finale. Sam bringing it up is actually already plan B lol. (And even if Sam didn't figure it out, the right call here wouldn't have been for Punz to outright say "lets lock him up" as that's far too suspicious. The right call would be for him to say something to guide other people to figure it out, like a hint.)

As for exile, frankly if Dream was trying to condition Tommy for "loyalty" there he went about it in the dumbest way possible. He already managed to get Tommy to see him as a friend and ally in the past (during Pogtopia) so he knows how to go about doing it again if he wanted to. Instead he went with this cruel, hot-and-cold method. Which does a hell of a lot to destabilize Tommy's sense of self worth, but doesn't directly help with loyalty to Dream. It indirectly does in the short term, because it wears Tommy down too much for him to fight back against Dream (on an emotional level too), but it starts wearing off as soon as Tommy leaves that constant destabilization and gets his feet under him a bit.

This is something which requires constant maintenance and so goes totally against Dream's style. Dream's planning style is notable for his goals always sharing 3 traits: they're achievable (i.e. he can get them by relying on a minimal amount of luck or other people's decisions), they're decisive (i.e. they always gain him a unique new advantage or something which can't be easily undone) and they're specific (i.e. they fit neatly into a binary of "happened" and "didn't happen". There's no "kinda happened".)

Conditioning Tommy for loyalty is something which fails the "specific" requirement spectaculary.

Just in general it's not how Dream does things. His style of manipulation is more like information warfare than classical manipulation. He doesn't try to change people's minds. Instead he constructs scenarios where just by being themselves people will give him the outcome he want.

If he does need to rely on someone else's decision, the way he goes about it isn't by convincing them to act the way he wants them to, but rather by blocking all their other options so that it's the only reasonable option left for them to take is the one he wants them to take. (It's exactly what we see in the disc finale, where the only reasonable choice left for them is to lock Dream up.)

And of course there's also how Dream was pretty unbothered by letting Tommy chill with Techno in the arctic and only tried to get him back once he started going into L'manburg again.

We know Dream didn't simply let Tommy's stay happen because he feared Techno, he had no problem trying to get Tommy back in front of him. We also know it's not because he needed time to get Skeppy's disc, he didn't actually have that disc during the encounter in front of the portal. So the only logical reason as to why he didn't try to pull off getting Tommy back earlier is because he deemed it an acceptable way for things to go.

Something that lines up with a goal of trying to sabotage Tommy's relationships (especially with Tubbo) but doesn't work at all with a goal of trying to condition Tommy into being loyal.

(There's also how the entire structure of his plan during that time converges on getting the disc from Tubbo during the green festival but that's a whole other tangent and this is getting long enough already).

You're right that there's definitely something more going on with Dream plan for the prison that we don't know about yet, but that's more in the realm of "why" and "what advantage does he get from being in there".

That he wanted to be there is clear, and had been clear from the start. In fact, it's how I've been able to call staged finale from the moment I viewed it, simply because the only way Dream actions made any sort of logical sense (while still being consistent with his previous characterization and tactics) is if he wanted to get locked up.

[mitchellwilliam912]

What Happens if You File Late Taxes?

Tax season can be a stressful time for many, with numerous forms and deadlines to meet. Unfortunately, some individuals find themselves unable to file their taxes by the due date. If you're one of them, it's crucial to understand the consequences of filing late taxes. In this article, we'll explore what happens if you file your taxes after the deadline, including penalties, interest, and steps to mitigate the impact on your financial situation.

1. Penalties for Filing Late

One of the immediate consequences of filing your taxes late is facing penalties. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) imposes penalties for late filing, which can vary depending on the circumstances. Typically, the penalties consist of both a failure-to-file penalty and a failure-to-pay penalty.

The failure-to-file penalty is usually more significant, amounting to 5% of the unpaid taxes for each month your return is late, with a maximum penalty of 25% of your total tax bill. The failure-to-pay penalty is 0.5% of your unpaid taxes each month. Keep in mind that these penalties can quickly add up, making it essential to file as soon as possible to mitigate the financial impact.

2. Interest Accumulation

In addition to penalties, interest will also accrue on the unpaid taxes from the due date until the time you pay them in full. The interest rate is typically based on the federal short-term rate plus three percentage points. This means that the interest rate can fluctuate, making it challenging to predict how much interest you'll owe. The longer you delay, the more interest you'll accumulate, which can make your overall tax bill significantly higher.

3. Loss of Refunds

Filing your taxes late may also result in losing any potential tax refunds. The IRS has a statute of limitations, which generally allows you to claim a refund for the past three years. If you fail to file within that timeframe, you forfeit any refund you might be entitled to. This can be a substantial financial loss, as you'll miss out on money that could have been in your pocket.

4. Legal Consequences

Although the IRS's primary concern is collecting taxes, there can be legal consequences for continuously failing to file your taxes. The IRS may initiate collection actions, such as levies on your bank accounts, wages, or property, to recover unpaid taxes. In extreme cases, non-compliance could lead to criminal charges, including tax evasion, which can result in hefty fines and potential jail time.

5. Damage to Your Credit Score

Late tax payments can affect your credit score indirectly. While the IRS does not directly report your unpaid taxes to credit bureaus, their collection efforts, such as liens and levies, can show up on your credit report. These negative marks can significantly impact your creditworthiness, making it challenging to secure loans, mortgages, or credit cards in the future.

Strategies to Mitigate the Impact

If you're unable to meet the tax deadline, it's essential to take proactive steps to mitigate the consequences. Here are some strategies to consider:

a. File an Extension: You can file for an extension to get more time to prepare and submit your tax return. This can help you avoid the failure-to-file penalty.

b. Pay What You Can: If you can't pay your full tax bill, pay as much as you can to reduce the failure-to-pay penalty and interest.

c. Set Up a Payment Plan: The IRS offers payment plans for individuals who cannot pay their taxes in a lump sum. These plans can help you manage your tax debt over time.

d. Seek Professional Help: If you're overwhelmed by your tax situation, consider consulting a tax professional or accountant who can guide you through the process and help you navigate the IRS.

Conclusion

Filing your taxes late can have severe consequences, including penalties, interest, loss of refunds, legal actions, and damage to your credit score. It's crucial to be proactive if you find yourself unable to meet the tax deadline. By using the best online tax filing services, filing for an extension, paying what you can, setting up a payment plan, or seeking professional assistance, you can minimize the impact of filing your taxes late and avoid falling into a cycle of non-compliance. Remember that addressing the issue promptly is the best way to protect your financial well-being and peace of mind.

[donnerpartyofone]

I've been trying to expand my horizons lately with some *activities* (shudder), and it's providing me with some pretty serious exercise, if not of the intellectual ilk, then just in terms of, like, managing my own pettiness. I am SO easily distracted by people's awful personalities that I almost lose sight of what I'm trying to do in the first place, and then before I know it I'm spending all my energy hating strangers instead of finding the benefits of a situation. Like I'm reading this fascinating, speculative anthropology text that traces the origins of modern show business to ancient shamanic traditions, and in the study group--largely composed of white Americans, many of whom are stage magicians or something--an alarming number of people seemed eager to proclaim that they "didn't get" a chapter involving the spectacle of Hell in modern entertainment, specifically because they're not Christian. Which is absolutely maddening, since no one complained about "not getting" the first 100 pages detailing the spiritual practices of long-extinct nomadic tribesmen in places like Siberia. These douchebags are just way to anxious to make sure everybody knows they don't read the Bible, just in case Penn Jillette might appear in a puff of smoke to shame them for not being atheistic enough.

Then on another night of the week, I'm in this Frankenstein discussion group--I've never read it before and I'm astonished by how drenched in shame and grief it is! Film adaptations usually describe Victor Frankenstein as a two-dimensional egomaniac who won't acknowledge his own hubris until his just desserts arrive, but the book (at least the first half or so) is hugely about feelings of guilt and disgrace and self-loathing. Then of course the group I'm in dogpiles on diagnosing Victor as a "white patriarchal sociopath", which like...I don't know if that really makes a point, as much as it expresses the joy people get out of saying hashtags out loud and misappropriating psychiatry terms. Like I'm not saying none of those things are construably true about Victor, but I don't think it's accurate to call someone a "sociopath" because:

A) they're shocked out of their minds by the gruesome reality, versus the idealized fantasy, of creating a zombie;

B) their actions have wildly unforeseeable consequences; or,

C) when wildly unforeseeable consequences arrive, they suffer a nervous collapse, and fail to do "the right thing", whatever that is in the outrageous world of one of the world's main horror novels.

Somebody dialed it back from "sociopath" to "narcissist", which was definitely more useful, even though it still smacked of the habit of pillaging the DSM just to be insulting, or to cover up your own inability to accurately observe and describe things organically. But uh anyway, once the words "white" and "patriarchal" slipped out, it seemed like everybody went insane with this urge to project all kinds of very modern intentions onto Mary Shelley and elevate her to the level of a Betty Friedan waging war against the folly of a male-dominated society.

And again it's like, while there are definitely socially critical strains in Shelley's writing (which was significantly a collaboration with her husband btw), I don't think the pat answer to "Why aren't there any substantial female characters in Frankenstein" has to be "because Shelley is smashing the patriarchy." Given the time frame, if she wanted Victor or Robert Walton or whoever to be female, she'd have to set up this whole thing about how each character was a genius and an iconoclast who defied contemporary sexist sanctions by launching herself, against all odds, as a globe-trotting explorer leading a crew of macho sailors to the edges of the world, or a career academic blasting through the limits of human knowledge despite the prejudices of her peers, professors, and public. The unfortunate reality is that sometimes when you want to make a strong point, you can't bring on all of your favorite thoughts and feelings at the same time, or else you wind up having to make all these justifications and explanations and contextualizations, and then before you know it, you're saying something else entirely. (People seemed sort of pissed off when I suggested this, but whatever, GOOD.)

Frankenstein was written in an era where science itself was a source of both wonder and terror, and it was ALSO importantly an era in which parenthood was fraught with potential horrors; Shelley wrote the novel in between the premature deaths of her first two children, and the notion of parenthood bringing tragic and perpetually haunting consequences is pretty much slathered all over the entire book, even in the lives of side characters. And the vanity of technology, and parenthood, are only two of the readily available lenses on the story; the book group itself was advertised as being angled toward Frankenstein's commentary on the prejudicial way in which human rights are assigned or withheld vis a vis race specifically. So like it's not really necessary to put your favorite words in Mary Shelley's mouth, so staunchly and exclusively, just because they're the words that get you the most likes on Twitter or whatever.

What I'm trying to say is not that people shouldn't do these kinds of thought experiments; I just mean like, I can TELL when someone is opportunistically using something as neutral as a classroom setting to try to get their personality validated the same way they do on social media, by being needlessly emotional or proscriptive or through basic sloganeering, and it's REALLY tiresome.

[6ix-dragons]

Out in the Open

Series: Edens Zero Pairing: Shiki/Rebecca Rating: 18+/XXX Word Count: 6,450 words

Note: This fanfic can also be found over at my AO3, FFN, and PF accounts! :)

EXPLICIT CONTENT ADVISORY: The following story contains graphic sexual descriptions, and strong language. Reader’s discretion is strongly advised!

---

Footsteps echoed into the night skies, as a young woman—with long, navy-blue hair, trudged down a path lined with trees that well-towered over her. In her yellow, sleeveless kimono, the designated Valkyrie of Edens Zero continued along said path, the heels of her boots digging slightly into the earthen ground.

"Shiki and Rebecca mentioned they would be back at the ship, before the day was over," Homura mused loudly to herself, frowning. "But, it is nightfall now…I wonder what happened to them?"

As she paced cautiously through the pathway, not letting her guard down, the swordswoman recalled in her mind, of the events that led to her current predicament.

It was way earlier, when the Edens Zero had touched down at a small planet that Hermit deemed viable enough to make a stop there. While never letting up in his quest to find Mother, it was actually Shiki who decided to bring the ship to that destination. He wanted to take a break from travelling through the cosmos, having voyaged through space for a few days.

After landing there, most of the crew stayed onboard. Only Shiki, Rebecca, Happy, and Pino had all decided to scour around the areas closest to the ship, as a group, exploring what the planet had to offer. Homura, Weisz—and, even Mosco, were tasked by the Shining Stars to guard the ship, from the outside.

Hours passed into the start of dusk, before both Weisz and Homura noticed that something wasn't right. Upon sunset, Happy and Pino returned back to the ship...but, without their human partners. Their expressions filled with great concern, they told the rest of the crew that, earlier, they were all hiking through a forested area. Somehow, they had split off from Shiki and Rebecca, and were unable to locate them. It was then that Witch had tasked Homura in finding them, and making sure they were safe—in which the swordswoman was more than inclined to do so.

"I hope the both of you are alright," she murmured to herself, looking around closely. "I seriously do."

The blue-haired female then felt a slight breeze pick up in the air, blowing past her. The whistling winds had made the branches of the trees sway in a single direction, in front of her.

Not before long, she came to a sudden stop. Her ears picked up, what appeared to be a faint commotion coming from her left. Her own instincts guiding her, Homura imminently strayed away from that regular path, cutting through the many trees, and other dense forestry surrounding her.

"Shiki! Rebecca!" The swordswoman called out, traversing around the trees. "Where are you?!"

The soft commotion gradually became louder, and clearer, the more she closed in on it. Homura continued to follow where the noise had originated from, maneuvering around the trees that narrowed her own path. As she did, she noticed that the air around her had changed substantially.

"Is it just me, or is it actually getting a little warmer than usual?"

Narrowly passing through a set of trees, Homura could finally see a clearing just ahead of the brush. Carefully sneaking towards it, she noticed, in front of her, a few thin clouds of steam wafting lower to the ground.

The swordswoman froze to a halt, when she heard another noise coming from beyond that clearing. It sounded different this time, she thought—more like it belonged to…a person nearby?

A high-pitched, feminine giggle emerged from the immediate vicinity, reaching her ears. "No, Shiki! W-what are you doing?"

An incredulous expression took hold of Homura, her eyebrows raised at who she thought was actually making that noise. "R—Rebecca?"

Resuming her advances towards the clearing, in that same, cautious pace, she heard her female crew-mate suddenly squeal—nearly causing her to stumble, and lose her balance, in the process.

"No, stop!" The swordswoman could hear more of Rebecca's cries, and giggles, as she regained her balance, and kept on moving. "Cut it out, Shiki!"

There was then a sound that, Homura swore to herself, seemed like water splashing around. Almost simultaneously, there was the goofy laugh of a young male.

Homura noted his name, under her breath. "Shiki…"

The clouds of steam became much denser, the further she made her way towards the clearing. Finally reaching it, past the brush, Homura stopped before a tree that was along the left side of the clearing. With an arm around its trunk as her own support, the navy-haired swordswoman slowly peeked around the tree, directing her attention on where those noises were exactly coming from.

She, however, was never prepared for the sights that were about to behold her, from that very moment.

What she actually witnessed, instead, had sent a great deal of shock that overwhelmed her, in almost no time at all.

Past the clearing, to her left, where earthen ground met solid stone, lay a naturally-occurring hot spring that was more than a few meters away from where she stood. Her sights were first trained on the mess of clothes strewn around the stony surface, leading towards the boulders that surrounded the spring. She could make out Shiki's red jacket amid the pile, along with Rebecca's white-and-blue sleeveless top, and dark-coloured skirt.

Her eyes then fixated on the pair, themselves.

They were out in the open, already bare as the day they were born, and were delightfully taking in the spring's waters. Making out the dark, ravenous hair of her male crew-mate, and the ash-blonde of her female crew-mate, the swordswoman noticed that the two of them were more…playful with one another, than they usually were. Not to mention that they were more intimate with each other, as well.

Suspended in place, Homura kept her attention on them, her eyes the size of saucer plates. A bright shade of red stained her cheeks, above the large gape formed by her low-hanging jaw.

---

The raven-haired male chuckled heartily, pulling the ash-blonde closer towards him, from behind. "C'mere, Rebecca!"

Releasing another high-pitched giggle, Rebecca let him wrap his arms around her, while they both settled against the side of the springs. An airy sigh of content from her had followed, having leaned her back against his chest. Almost at the same time, Shiki gave a quieter exhale of comfort, his back resting up on the slightly-curved slope of the side. His legs were spread wide open, allowing her to sit up against him, as closely as possible.

The two of them took in the great view of their surroundings, with clouds of steam floating around, over the entire springs. Their bodies had submerged in crystal-clear water, at mid-chest level, soaking in its inherent warmth. More importantly, both of them had greatly relished the company of one another, in a place like this.

Rebecca kicked out her right leg, raising it high enough for her knee, and toes, to be exposed through the water. "I can't believe you've found this kind of place, here," she remarked, elatedly. "Who would've thought that this planet would have a natural hot spring around?"

Shiki flashed his usual, bright smile, in response. At almost the same time, he brought his palms to rest over her flat, smooth abdomen. "I'm sure it was just plain luck that we did find it…but, I can already tell that you like it a lot," he grinned at her.

The ash-blonde female gave a low, amused hum at that finding of his, as she tilted her head towards him. "Well…maybe not as much as being with you, here," she winked.

Blinking for a second, the dark-haired Granbell flashed a cheeky grin at her, burning red across his face.

Admiring the charming quality of his grin, Rebecca held back a delighted hum. "You know," the blonde B-Cuber continued, teasingly, her focus still on the young male cradling her from behind, "now that we're alone…together…." Her eyes narrowed into a flirtatious stare. "How 'bout we do something, here…much like what other couples in love, have done?"

Shiki raised his eyebrows at her. "W-what do you mean, by that, Rebecca?"

A devilish smile crept upon her lips. "Oh…you know…"

Before Shiki could even inquire what she actually meant, in her words, he felt a sudden disturbance in the lower regions of his body. He groaned at this disturbance, causing him to lower his sights for a quick moment. Immediately, Shiki noticed that her lower back was much closer towards him, allowing her to grind her rotund bottom against his hardening phallus.

The naughty smile widened on Rebecca's face, as she could hear his breathing pick up, the more she ground herself against him.

"Ah…Rebecca," Shiki panted, releasing a few soft groans in between his breaths. "Please…ah…I…I c-can't…"

Her curved eyebrow lifted, above her teasing smirk. "What's the matter, Shiki?" She slowed her grinding movements against him—only to press more of her rotund bottom against his shaft, earning her a deeper groan from him. "Can't handle a little…skinship, from your girlfriend?"

Shiki struggled to keep himself composed, feeling his body heat up a little further from her contact. The way she rubbed against him had sent a flurry of sensations in his mind that he found to be rather warm and fuzzy, all around.

For almost his entire life, this certain kind of intimacy—let alone, the idea of it—came across as foreign to the Gravity Ether Gear user. It was only his crew-mate in Weisz, who helped Shiki understand more about it. Having spent the time going by his pointers, and going through the…'relevant' materials (his magazines, among them), he learned more from him, than anyone else, on these kinds of matters. He found some of his advice to be rather helpful, especially when it came to situations like this.

The raven-haired Granbell responded to her teasing grinds, skimming a palm up her torso, before cupping the underside of her breast. Rebecca's breath hitched sharply, having felt his fingers gently squeezing it.

"Shiki," the blonde moaned lowly, only to hold back another gasp, when he nuzzled the crook of her neck, closely.

His lips closed in on her ear. The warmth of his breath fanning against it had sent thrills through her body. "You really liked it, there, didn't you?" Rebecca could only respond wordlessly, with a bashful expression on her face that turned away from him, seemingly. Shiki chuckled naughtily, having observed her flustered manner. "Well, how about this?"

Smoothing his other palm further below her abdomen, his fingers darted towards her clit, rubbing against it. A gasping cry sounded out from Rebecca, her breaths picking up, upon those very fingers stroking her entrance.

"Mmmh! Shiki…." Her body trembled from all his ministrations. The combination of his fingers on her clit, and on her breast, had furthered her arousal.

He then whispered into her ear, sending shivers down her spine. "How does it feel, now?"

Before she could even respond, the ash-blonde mewled loudly, when he also pressed his lips deeply against the side of her neck.

"O-oh, God!" Rebecca moaned out, in a lilt, letting her little cries of delight spill out.

"I want to know, Rebecca," Shiki murmured gruffly into her ear, his eyes narrowed. "Does it feel that good, to you?"

Finding her mind spun around by the whirls of pleasure, Rebecca managed to find it in herself, to answer him. "Yes," she let out an airy moan, noticing that his touches gradually became gentler. "Yes, it feels that good, Shiki."

His smile widened to its boldest. "Good."

Catching her breath, Rebecca turned her head around to face him. "But…what about you, Shiki?" Her eyebrows hitched slightly, over her half-lidded eyes, and sultry smile. "Don't you want to feel that good, as well?"

Shiki nodded simply at her, grinning. "I actually do, as well."

He was then taken aback, when she quickly repositioned herself, so that she was sitting on her knees—but, also straddling his thighs. Resting her hands onto his broad shoulders, Rebecca peered into his onyx irises. At the same time, Shiki was lost in her own large, deep-blue pair of them.

"Then…let me," she softly whispered, smiling warmly under narrowed eyes.

Leaning in, right away, Rebecca seized his lips roughly. With his hands on her waist, Shiki returned the kiss, pressing his lips against her own. Low moans, and gasps, had escaped the couple, as their lip-lock gradually became more intense, and passionate. Their tongues sneaked into the mouths of one another, where they swirled around, and clashed against each other. Small vapour clouds poured out from the open gaps of their mouths, in the midst of all this.

---

Homura continued to remain in place, still peeking from around the tree. She covered her mouth, trying her best not to make any noise. The shocked, blushing swordswoman could not believe what she was seeing, this whole time.

"Oh, no…this is bad!" She hushed to herself, still witnessing the carnal scene playing out in front of her. "Should…should I just leave them be?"

In her mind, they were her crew-mates—her friends, even. She was tasked to find them, and bring them back to the ship, after all. In such an awkward situation like this, however, she found herself totally conflicted on what to do.

…And, yet, at the same time, she found it surprising that her crew-mates were more like lovers, to each other.

Unbeknownst to Homura, her crew-mates had actually been dating each other behind her back, in recent time. On the ship, it was no secret that Shiki and Rebecca were in a romantic relationship, for months—at least, for only the certain few that knew. The only ones, who knew about this, were the other Shining Stars…and, Weisz, too.

As the navy-haired swordswoman tried to figure out how to best approach this situation, a yelp from Rebecca had cut through her train of thought, and diverted her attention back to them.

Homura held back a choked gasp, when she saw the dark-haired 'Demon King' lift the ash-blonde female off from the water, with his arms. His lover simply held onto him, wrapping her arms around his back, and her legs around his hips.

---

Rebecca cried out, half-teasingly, and pouted. "Shiki!"

Said raven-haired male chuckled mischievously, as he carried her towards another side of the springs. He had carefully set her down onto the flat surface of a large stone—its slightly-declining slope and height level closer to the water being a perfect place for them.

Shiki admired the great view of her long, wavy, ash-blonde locks being fanned out all over the rock, looking down at the young woman lying on top of it. His sights then shifted to her large, doe-like eyes, irises of bright blue that bedazzled him. Shifting his focus below that, his eyes fixated on her heaving, voluptuous body. They flew to her enormous breasts, her round, melon-sized mounds rising, and falling, with every breath she took. He took note of her erected buds, having already hardened from being exposed to the open air.

His eyes finally fell to the area between her thick thighs. Underneath her small patch of ash-blonde curls, was the most intimate part that Weisz had previously taught him about. Upon glancing at it, Shiki noticed that there was clear, glistening fluid leaking out from her entrance—in spite of the fact that they were away from the water.

Her soft call of his name had brought his attention back up to her face, her pleading eyes directly meeting upon his eyes.

"Shiki," she pleaded in the same, soft tone, with a coy-like smile. "Please…I want it…put it in me."

His eyes somewhat widened in awe at her, as her name drew out under his breath. "Rebecca…"

Shiki hastily leaned in to capture her lips, for a quick, yet intense kiss, before pulling his lips away from hers. Spreading apart her thighs, he guided his hardened shaft with one hand, directing the head of it towards her vaginal entrance.

Rebecca whimpered, when she felt the tip of him brush up against her clit. She watched her lover with bated breath, her body trembling slightly, as he began to push into her opening.

"A-aah!" The ash-blonde gasped, and cried out, feeling the head of him protrude into her. She sank her teeth into her lip at the sudden, initial pain greeting her, with her inner walls being stretched apart. "I—It…h—"

Right away, she tossed her head back, releasing a pained cry, upon feeling him thrust all the way in. She arched her back instantly, and scrunched her toes at the same time.

Meters away from the springs, Homura draped a sleeve over her mouth, covering her gasp, having heard the loud cry.

Gasping, Shiki leaned in closer to his lover underneath him. "Rebecca, are you okay?" He hovered over her, face scrunched with great concern. "Did I…hurt you?"

Looking up at his onyx irises filled with worry, Rebecca smiled reassuringly at him, under heavy breath. "No, Shiki…you didn't hurt me." She sniffled, as tears welled in her eyes, while gently placing her hands over the sides of his face. "This is naturally what happens the first time, for me…our first time."

Relief slowly washed over his face, his body calmly relaxing alongside. "I see."

His breaths quieted at an irregular pace, upon being taken in by the warm and silky-wet sensations of her inner walls. It was quite an ethereal feeling he experienced—one he had never felt, prior to this moment in time.

'So, this is what it's really like…'

Shiki's eyes then flicked back to his lover's face. The raven-haired Granbell noted the tears in her eyes, now spilling down her cheeks. Leaning in, Shiki kissed away the tears on her face, Rebecca humming delightfully in response.

His lips then found her own, as they slanted over hers. Low hums and moans escaped the passionate couple, while Rebecca brought her arms around the back of his neck.

Eventually, the initial pain that panged through her inner walls had slowly faded away. It gradually subsided, only to be replaced with a warmer, comforting sensation, of his lengthy shaft inside her.

Finishing their lip-lock with a sloppy clashing of their tongues, the two of them had pulled away from each other to catch their breaths. Shiki then groaned at the sudden contraction her inner walls made around him. In his mind, it felt so snug to be inside her.

Returning his gaze towards her, he could see her angelic smile, under wide-open eyes that narrowed suggestively at him…as if it were a signal for him to continue.

His breath held back, Shiki slowly pulled his hips back, before snapping them forward. Both grunted loudly at the jolt of pleasure running through their bodies. He then began to repeat those same, slow movements of his hips, picking up the rhythm from there.

"Mmh! Shiki!" Rebecca mewled out, throwing her head back.

At the same time she arched her back, her hands found themselves clinging onto his upper posterior. Her fingers dragged against his rigid back, nails scoring down onto his skin, leaving lines of red welts.

Shiki grunted deeply, as he settled into the rhythm of his thrusts, picking up the pace. "A-ah! Rebecca!"

The ash-blonde female moaned delightfully, as her legs wrapped around his hips, riding up against them. Burying his face into the crook of her neck, Shiki continued to repeatedly plunge in and out of her. His head quickly angled over to cover his lips over hers. Breathy gasps and groans poured out from the loving couple, as they fiercely claimed each other's mouths.

Rebecca released her mouth from him to let out another gasping cry, upon feeling his cock reach deeper into her. "Shiki…ah!" Her body writhed from such pleasure coursing throughout. "Harder…please!"

Another low grunt sounded from the raven-haired male above her, as he drove his hips in with more intensity.

---

Homura trembled about, in a state of great horror, and confusion, watching her crew-mates doing the unthinkable in front of her. She was still in disbelief, over what was going down before her very eyes.

"O-oh no…this is even worse than I've ever thought!" Her loose sleeve remained covering her mouth, but failing to hide the burning red on her face at all. "W-what should I do…what should I do?!"

A terrified gasp then broke from her, when she suddenly recognized a certain damp sensation around the area between her legs.

Looking down, the navy-haired swordswoman could feel the moisture seeping out through her undergarment. A frown crossed her face, as she shifted her thighs around, tightly against one another.

"N-no…this can't be!" Her eyes widened upon peering down upon herself, eyebrows twitching. "Watching them do these…unspeakable acts has made me…aroused…"

Self-conflict and confusion massively overtook her, the designated Valkyrie not knowing what to do about her own issue, let alone the other one.

She lowered her hand closely over her most-intimate area. "I shouldn't…I mustn't give in to this temptation!" Homura then shifted her glance aside. "But, I need to relieve myself from this, somehow…"

Another loud cry from her fellow female crew-mate had snapped her out of her thoughts, causing the navy-haired woman to peek around from the tree, again. The swordswoman's eyes bulged out from their sockets, when she saw Shiki thrust into Rebecca from behind, with said ash-blonde female having her hands splayed out against a boulder.

---

"Ahh! Shiki!" Rebecca's moans came out in lilts, as she felt him bury his shaft into her. "That's it…more!"

Spreading her arms, her fingers grasped onto the smooth surface of the large rock in front of her, as firmly as possible. The water around their upper legs had rippled about, in small waves, while he vigorously drove his hips into and out of her. Her enormous mounds swayed back and forth, with each heavy thrust.

Shiki grunted rather huskily, clenching his jaw in the slightest, as his hands maintained their grip around her hips. "Ah…fuck," he hissed, at the wet, silky heat of her inner folds surrounding him so closely. "It's so tight…"

Rebecca suppressed a long, delighted mewl that threatened to spill out. "Mmmh! Oh, yes!" Panting heavily, her eyes nearly rolled back, from all the pleasure surging through. "It feels so good!"

Their moans and gasps mixed in with the sounds of skin slapping against skin that echoed into the air.

---

Unable to resist the temptation any longer, as she kept her petrified eyes on her friends-turned-lovers getting it on with each other, the navy-haired swordswoman reluctantly caved into her own desires.

Casting her glance away, Homura gave out a quiet, deep sigh. "Heavens forgive me," she murmured lowly to herself, "for what I'm about to do…"

Sneaking a hand underneath her kimono, her fingers dipped under her undergarment. The swordswoman held back a gasping moan, covering her mouth with her other hand, as she began to rub her fingers lightly over her clit.

Turning away from her crew-mates in the springs, Homura used the same tree to hide herself, before slowly creeping back out of the clearing. The swordswoman brushed past a couple of shrubs in the way, as she found the nearest tree to settle up against, in her struggle to relieve herself.

---

Shiki's eyes snapped towards the direction of where the noise came from, causing him to slow the driving movements of his hips.

Rebecca blinked, upon feeling him gradually cease his thrusts to a halt. "Shiki?" The ash-blonde female released a low, disappointed groan, when she felt him withdraw his entire phallus from her. She turned her head around to face him, eyebrows raised. "W-why did you stop?"

His hands still on her hips, Shiki continued to lock his gaze at where the sounds originated, narrowing his eyes sternly. "I thought I heard something."

Rebecca frowned at him. "Maybe it was just the wind."

Shiki maintained his stare at the trees well outside of the springs, his expression softening somewhat. "Yeah…maybe."

Rebecca's lips then stretched into a sultry smile. "Hey, Shiki?"

The raven-haired male was a little taken by surprise, when he felt her shift away from the stone she held onto, making him release his grip from her hips. He raised his brows at her. "Y-yeah?"

She stood up straight, as she turned around to face her lover. "Ah…you know we don't have to stop, at this point, right?"

Shiki blinked blankly at her, only to nod with a confused hum.

For a quick moment, her eyes darted out towards his lengthy, muscular manhood—completely slickened, yet fully-erect. "Well, with the…way you are, now," Rebecca then flicked her sights directly back to his face, smiling naughtily, under narrowed, suggestive eyes. "There's one more thing that I'd like us to do."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "And, that is?"

Her naughty smile widened below her half-lidded eyes, as she approached him closely. "I'll show you."

At once, Rebecca hurriedly sealed her lips over his, while bringing her hands over his upper-arms. Small moans were elicited from the couple, as Shiki pulled her flush against him. A breathy gasp escaped from Rebecca, having felt his hardened shaft prod against her lower abdomen, as she gently guided her lover back towards the other end of the springs.

Shiki felt her lips parting away from his own, finding himself seated on the edge of the stony ground, his lower-legs still submerged in the water. The ash-blonde female clambered out of the springs, and over his lap. She turned her entire body around, so that she was facing away from him, with a hand on his thigh as support.

Straddling his lap, on her knees, Rebecca parted open her vaginal entrance with a couple of her fingers, as she lowered herself onto his tall-standing phallus below. A lilting cry poured out from her gape, upon feeling his entire cock sheathe into her love canal. Shiki grunted behind her, experiencing the same moist and silky-warm sensation around him, while he gripped her waist to guide her.

Slowly raising her hips, and then dropping down with them, Rebecca moaned heavily at how different the pleasure had hit her very core. Repeating those very movements, the busty Bluegarden began settling into her rhythm. Her large breasts bounced, and swayed, at every buckle of her hips.

Clenching his jaw, Shiki growled at the rhythmic, but slow rolls of her hips against his. This kind of pace wasn't going to cut it for him, as he could feel the tingling sensations starting to gather in the base of his spine.

A squeal broke out from Rebecca, when she felt his hands suddenly grip under her full thighs. Shiki lifted her just above his lap, forcing her thighs to spread apart more widely. It allowed him to angle his thrusts, plunging deep, and rough into her vaginal depths.

"Aah! Oh, God!" Rebecca wrapped her arm around the back of his neck, letting her lover buckle his hips wildly against hers. "Shiki!"

Moving his hand from under her thigh, the raven-haired Granbell palmed her sizeable mound with it.

Her delighted cries heightened, upon feeling his fingers dig into her breast, and his shaft moving in and out of her love canal.

"Yes…that's it!" Rebecca's toes scrunched, as she instinctively buckled her hips against his, for every time they dropped. "Shiki! Oh, yes!"

Shiki held back a snarl, when he felt her vaginal walls tighten around him more. Craning his head towards hers, he leaned in, as close as possible, pressing his lips against the tip of her chin. Taking the cue, Rebecca lowered her head at an angle enough for her to slant her lips over his, for a searing kiss.

The ash-blonde female yelped into the kiss, when she felt him swiftly turn their bodies over. Rebecca found her back against the flat, stone surface of the ground, where she lay underneath her lover. She arched her back, as he began to vigorously thrust into her love canal.

"Shiki!" Rebecca cried out, pulling her mouth away from his, while bringing her hands over his upper back. "Ah! Shiki~!"

A rush of air escaped the dark-haired Granbell, his body tightening. The tingles in the base of his spine that he sensed from earlier had intensified. "R-Rebecca! I-I'm gonna—"

"Let's come together, Shiki!" Through her half-lidded eyes, Rebecca peered into his onyx irises above her, smiling widely at him. "Together!"

Reeling his upper-body away from her, Shiki spread her legs wide apart enough, allowing him to thrust harder into her. Rebecca's moans and cries grew louder, as she felt the pressure in her core about to burst. Clenching his jaw tightly, eyebrows twitching, the raven-haired male found himself on the precipice of his own climax.

With a rough buckle of his hips, however, the pressure had completely snapped for the both of them. Rebecca's strained cry left her wide-open gape, as she arched her back even more, her head dropping backward.

Primal grunts and groans escaped from Shiki's breath, upon experiencing the waves of pleasure that wholly engulfed him. He clenched his jaw firmly, feeling every muscle in his trembling body burn throughout. He could also feel a certain liquid heat expel from the tip of his shaft, in short spurts, as a result of her inner walls constricting around him in a binding vise. Overwhelmed by the force of his climax, Shiki withdrew his entire shaft from her snatch abruptly, pumping over it with his hand. Gruff moans poured out from under his small gape, as he felt more of his liquid heat coming out in spurts.

Startled squeals erupted from Rebecca, who felt his warm, sticky fluid all over her skin.

Breathing unevenly, Shiki released his hand from his slowly-flagging manhood, recovering from his orgasm. Parting his eyes open, they widened up right away, at the same time his body stilled. They widened at the sight of his sandy-blonde lover who remained on the flat, stony terrain.

His eyes focused on her laying body, with her bent legs spread wide. Her chest heaved, with every heavy breath she took. Her eyes were rolled back, and her tongue stuck out from her hanging gape. The most important details he made out, however, were the globs of iridescent-white fluid that gathered all over her. Aside from it leaking out from her clit, trails of his semen had ended up on her abdomen, breasts, face, and even her hair.

Recovering from her own earth-shattering climax, Rebecca slowly raised her upper body, with a bent elbow against the ground as support. Through heavy-lidded eyes, she observed the whitish fluid atop her breasts.

She dabbed her fingers against it, curiously. "So…this is your…"

Without another word, she gathered his cum onto her fingers, before taking them to her lips.

Shiki watched in awe, as she licked away the thick, pearly-white fluid on the tips of her fingers—giving out low, delighted moans, upon doing so. All these sights had sent a thrill through his spine, but had also sent blood pouring down to his loins.

In her mind, she found the taste, and smell of his essence to be…rather alright. It was mostly salty and bitter, but not too sweet. There was a pungent, musky scent to it, but she actually didn't mind that.

Sweeping her tongue across her lips, Rebecca kept her eyes on the raven-haired male in front of her. They then lowered to his phallus, which gradually became erect at full mast again.

"Hmmm," she hummed lowly, her lips creasing to a tempted smile. "It seems like you're up for more…"

---

Homura panted deeply, letting off a few quiet, but satisfied moans, as her head dropped slightly.

The navy-haired swordswoman had rested against the trunk of a tree not too far off from the clearing, her body heaving about. It was only a moment ago that she had fulfilled her need for relief, from her own arousal.

Slowing the rubs of her fingers against her damp clit to a halt, she brought them away from her undergarment.

Scorching red remained across her face, as she observed how slick they were. "Curses," she glowered, under narrowed eyes. "I really have given to my desires, after all…"

Shaking her head at herself, she wiped off her fingers onto the side of her kimono. Standing up gingerly, she smacked the bottom of her palm against her forehead, upon realizing that she had completely lost focus of her original objective.

"Of course," Homura grumbled under her breath. "I still have to lead those two back to the ship." Her head then turned to the direction of the clearing. "Speaking of them, however…." She suppressed a gulp down her throat. "I wonder if they're done already, by now?"

Returning to her previous cover by the clearing, the swordswoman poked her head out, around the base of the tree. Her eyes squinted over at the springs, they widened in astonishment at the dark-haired 'Demon King', who was the only person occupying the waters there. Seemingly, there was no sign of Rebecca, anywhere, at all.

In her view, it seemed as if he was only relaxing by himself. His back was rested squarely against the side's edge, arms spread out straight over the stone surface, and his head slumped slightly backward. Other than the bubbles rising to the water's surface in front of him, everything else was still the same.

"Hmm," Homura thought aloud behind her sleeve. "Her clothes are still there…maybe she's somewhere else around, I wonder?" She then softly bowed her head, shifting her glance away. Her lips twisted to a conflicted frown. "Maybe I should leave them alone, after all…I'll have to wait for them, when they're done, anyhow."

Taking one last look at the sights before her, the swordswoman reluctantly left the clearing—as quiet as she was when she first approached it.

---

"Haah…ahh…hah…ah…"

Small puffs of vapour left Shiki's gape, along with his low, soft moans. His fingers gripped onto the edge tightly, the muscles in his body tensing up. The raven-haired Granbell then hissed quietly, as he felt the greater warmth of his lover's mouth slide back and forth over his cock. His chest heaved, with every heavy breath he took.

He could feel the pressure rise further in the piths of his body, again, as the movements of her mouth surrounding him had picked up more. It quickly built up to the point, where it threatened to break apart, once more.

Brows twitching, Shiki released a strained grunt, as he struggled to part open his eyes. Through heavily-lidded sights, he quickly peered down at the faint shadow that formed right before him, in between his legs. Copious amounts of bubbles continued to rise to the water's surface, from underneath.

Another strained grunt was elicited from him, upon feeling her mouth suction further down his shaft. His arms flew from the stony surface, diving past the water, where his hands found the back of her head.

Gripping her tresses from there, Shiki gasped out her name, clenching his jaw. "R-Rebecca! I…I—!"

A long, primal groan spilled out from him, when the mounting pressure finally burst within his body. He could feel the muscles in his core spasm, his hips involuntarily jerking about, as he held onto the back of her head for dear life. Simultaneously, he experienced the same liquid heat escaping through the tip of his phallus, in lengthy pulses.

Shiki could feel his own body go limp, right after he reached the very heights of his pleasure. He swore his limbs felt like gelatin, as he leaned right back against the edge. His arms returned to rest over the edge, while his head slumped back skyward.

Breathing laboriously for a moment, the dark-haired male gently let his head fall back down. His eyes fell to the top of her head emerging from the water's surface, rising above it. Profuse drops of water fell from her head, as she re-emerged from underneath, panting for air.

A breathy exhale escaped from her, before she swallowed up the remnants of his seminal fluid. In spite of it being watery than before, she greatly relished the taste of his essence.

She ran her tongue across her lips, with a satisfied smile. "Mmm…"

The sight of it all had left Shiki breathless, as Rebecca leaned in towards him.

Both lovers then engaged in a simmering, yet affectionate kiss, with a full clashing of their tongues.

Pulling her mouth away from his, Rebecca snuggled right up against his chest. "So…." She lifted her eyes directly at his pupils, her small smile slightly widened. "How was it, Shiki?"

"I really liked it." Shiki gave her a hearty grin. "That was one of the best nights we've spent with each other!"

Rebecca then gasped quietly, at a sudden realization rising to the top of her mind. She raised her head, with concern scrawled all over her face, as she shifted her eyes aside.

"Eh?" Taking notice of her, Shiki peered down on his lover, his eyebrows curving upward. "Rebecca? What's wrong?"

She vocally stumbled in her response, her ashamed gaze returning to his. "I-I just r-realized that…w-we were supposed to be back on the ship, hours ago…"

On top of that, in her mind, there was another matter she needed to address, after when they return to the ship. She would have to consult with Sister Ivry for contraceptive medications, having done the deed with him.

His eyes widened within the dumbstruck look on his face, upon being reminded by her. He blinked at that realization he now shared with her. "Oh, yeah…." Shaking his head shortly, Shiki brought his hand over the side of her face. "Don't worry about it," he reassured her, with a soft smile. "We'll find our way back to them." He then turned his head towards the night skies above. "I know they'll still be waiting for us, anyway."

Keeping her eyes on him, Rebecca blinked for a brief moment. A small, partly-assuaged smile was left on her face, as she casted her glance aside. "Yeah…"

"But, for now…." His gentle smile slowly widened. "Let's just stay here, and enjoy this, together, for the next little while."

The ash-blonde female just simply simpered at him, with an elated hum. Shiki sneaked in a little chuckle of his own, resting his arm around her back.

Both lovers cuddled against each other, as they relaxed against the side of the springs, once more. They took their time being immersed in its natural warmth, and the wonderful scenery around them.