#i cant trade shifts easily

[sneakyspades]

work has become such a shit show holy fuck why did you people give me supervisor without asking if i wanted it

[sminiac]

Smut! Ep.2 of ‘What is x-list’ has me thinking about

Sumin successfully claiming his spot with you in the back of the van after Yujun had relentlessly tried to persuade him into trading seats prior to leaving the hotel, and Sumin’s the type to hardly ever resort to becoming loose lipped with the twisting jealousy that wrings his neck tight, at the most he’d place a gentle hand on you, subtle in reminding whoever it is that he’s the one who’s welcome to touch you without having to ask beforehand as he rubs at your waist, or your shoulder.

Surely the pure domesticity in the gesture would be enough to warrant a satisfactory response, right?

But this time due to the jet lag his exhaustion took prominence over any rational decision he’d normally opt for instead of being petty, you’re quick to notice the difference in his face once you’re buckled in by his effort alone, a short tug at the belt to make sure it’s secure before he falls back into his seat with an exasperated sigh, his boyish grin melted down into this almost agitated frown that hangs heavy from his lips is highlighted under the mixed blur of streetlights.

“You okay?” You ask softly, in a brush of a whisper as to keep Yujun’s ears from picking it up, not that he’d notice that easily with the banter between him and the camera, too occupied by narrating tonight’s activity to care. Without a word Sumin reaches for your thigh, shifting his body towards yours, closer, so that your legs can rest comfortably over his and his arm can slip behind your neck.

His fingers work at brushing any stray hair back from your eyes, the point of his chin digging gently into the crown of your head as he nods. “Jus’ tired,” he says, his voice is heavy in his throat which adds an underlying rasp to it that pokes through his words, it makes your hips shift, knees knocking together. “‘n I missed you.”

His head shifts, pressing a kiss into your hair once before you’re smiling, “Missed me? I was with you the whole time, silly.” craning your head so he can reach your forehead, he works with you in silence, familiar with the way your brain works by now. “But I didn’t have you to myself, there’s a difference.” This time he presses a real kiss to your forehead, one that’s a little wet, but sweet nonetheless.

His hand comes up to the side of your head, gently tucking you into him, his other spread over your thigh, running warmth into you from his motions, chasing away whatever remains of the nippy New York air. “Is that why you’re pouting? ‘Cause you almost couldn’t have me alone back here with you?”

He silently nods, reiterating “Missed you, so much.” As his fingers skim quite quickly up your thigh, holding you tighter against him as he runs against the band of your sweats. “I’m guessing this is why you told me not to wear jeans.” He nods again as his fingers disappear under the fabric. “Wanted you to be comfy… among other things.”

The band hugs him tight to you, but with the continuous strength training that pertains to his arms the most due to his career he easily maintains a steady hand as his fingers poke past the smaller, thinner band of your panties, a soft gasp you manage to bite back at the end note leaves as he slips his way between your folds, the contrast between what you’ve been keeping warm between your thighs since you met him in the lobby and how quickly the air turned his skin cold makes your hips cant in surprise, opposed to him, who is rather unsurprised by the pooling slick that greets him.

The pad of his middle finger works effortlessly to find your clit, and he doesn’t waste time with easing you into a slow pace, he rubs and flicks at it, direct and fast, a smile cracking at his face at the way you jolt and cling onto him to try and restrain yourself from allowing any noise to fall from your mouth.

“Sumi—” you attempt to complain, but he merely stares blankly at you in return, “You can handle it.” He states before dipping down so he can catch you in a kiss, and he’s not shy about letting his tongue lick into your mouth, it’s almost teasing, you know he finds entertainment in the failure of your weak kisses, too fuzzy of a feeling creeping up through your thighs to the bottom of your stomach to be conscious of how slack your lips are against his.

“Close?” He asks, but you can barely get out a squeak or else every other sound with come clawing its way out of your mouth too, instead you fist firmly at his shirt, curling yourself further into him to try and find cushioning for your sanity from the potential embarrassment that’s about to happen, too far gone to ask of him to stop now, the feeling of his fingers already has you engulfed.

Your teeth bare down on nothing, mentally prepared for at least a soft whimper to fall astray, and his pace only quickens with you.

“Hey— what was that song again? The one about Newww Yooork, concrete- that one, what’s it called?” Yujun turns around in his seat, the recording camera pointed directly at his face now, and the way you’re almost completely burrowed into him.

A soft incoherent sound of complaint bubbles up as his fingers still, the warm pulse of your clit twitching at the sudden loss of contact.

“Uh- I don’t- I don’t know, let me look for it.”

Sumin shuffles out his phone from his pocket , pretending the work at typing in any keywords from the song as he’s leaning back into your slumped figure, “You’re awful.” You whine before he can get a word out, his hand pulling free as he smiles apologetically, still glistening with your arousal.

“I know baby, I’m sorry, more when we’re done today.” He reassures, returning to press a short kiss to your lips before abruptly his fingers are in his mouth, tongue pulling against the skin to suck whatever remains of you on them.

Your fist knocks into his chest, but he only laughs to himself.

“Hey, did you find that song yet?”

[dokutah-exe]

the routine

wake up (i slept in the same clothes as usual, helmet and all)

enter the factory

pocket my gold, then hand it to my financial consultants(tm) to trade up to lmd

pocket that lmd for Rhodes Island's funds

walk into the reception room. say nothing, greet no one, inspect clues made by my peers and also alternate universe doctors (i call them my "cousins" as a code word against the other operators as to not scare them)

realize i dont have that one specific clue again for fucks sake i need clue one not clue five everything else comes so damn easily what the fuck

dont send clues to my """""""cousins"""""""" unless i literally have no choice and need to reduce my clue count because get fucked i like chaining exchanges back to back for maximum currency

revisit all of the other areas again with my Oversized Wheelbarrow to haul away Overexhausted Workers (or OWs for short)

haul my owies to the dorm and start evicting people like a landlord on heroin who just got all the rooms cleared by an air bnb company shitting lmd

drop my owies into said dorms (time starts from the moment theyre dropped for breaks, not the moment they wake up from their exhaustion coma)

go back to every factory "node" and then just ring up motherfuckers at random for their shifts (kal'sit hates it when i do this but she cant do anything about this one cause its actually a clause in our contract stating i can do this in more formal terms)

once finished, i pat everyone on the head as per the additional mandated clause of Doctor Affection for all workers as the equivalent of my acknowledgement for their work

i step into [Redacted] and visit my """"""""""""cousins""""""""""""" in their land vehicles, but only the ones that give me cash like a twice-removed relative during their birthday

with all my credits i show up to the credit store while flipping off closure and begin my purchases while also receiving extra credits because im on the Platinum Program (no relation to the lesbian)

i leave the credit store flipping off closure (you will never get my credit again)

i go to the factory again with my duly purchased gold and double dip in lmd orders thus pissing off my financial consultants

i talk to that hal 9000 looking motherfucker to get my "daily" "missions" done

i crawl back into my office and lay down for the next day

rinse and repeat

there's nothing here i wanted it to end at 20

[aphrodisiaac]

Manifestations🪷

This month I will cultivate a few things for myself to nurture my spirit and sense of self. These goals will be achieved to the best of my ability, and my life will flourish. I attract only the best of people, experiences, opportunities, and resources. Let us begin the attraction and manifestation of all things we wish to obtain and become. ~

💕 I lost 10-15 pounds. I did this in a healthy, forgiving way. I do this for my health and my own self love, and for nobody else. I love my body, and how strong and capable it is.

💕 I registered my car, and learned to drive stick shift regularly. Im able to take myself to and from work, and I love the new independence I have. I can go around the town as I please, and I can indulge whatever interests or opportunities come my way.

💕 I love putting myself out there and hanging out with new people, and I connect with my coworkers very well. We all get along, and we have lots of fun during our shifts.

💕 I love the way I look, and I know I’ve come a long way in accepting who I am. I have very interesting features, and I glow everywhere I go. People turn their heads to look at me, and I receive help and love easily. I am visually and spiritually like an angel. I am ephemeral, elegant, mysterious, and aloof. I give off an aura of otherworldly wisdom and beauty.

💕 I am focusing hard on school and my success. I love to get good grades and build my academic portfolio. I also love to learn things, and I feel more worldly with every new subject I study. I spend lots of time on projects, and truly connect with the material.

💕 I love going out and enjoying the world around me. Whether it’s going for a hike, visiting the library, or socializing at a club, I love to get out and meet new people/see the world. I trust that beautiful people and opportunities will meet with my energy.

💕 I am able to stand up for myself and what I desire. I am able to readily and confidently speak my mind, even if what I say may not be pleasing to the other person. Honesty is the best policy, and I show my true and authentic self to everyone I meet. Every vulnerability is a step to forgiving myself- and loving myself fully because of that forgiveness.

💕 I love and trust my boyfriend, and I am convinced that he loves me dearly. He goes out of his way constantly for me, and never hesitates to show his unwavering affection. I believe in his love, just as much as I believe in my love for him. 🥰

💕 I am a jack of all trades, and I enjoy giving my attention to multiple hobbies and skills at a time. I enjoy pole dancing for exercise, as well as yoga. Both endeavors have helped me with my flexibility. I love to sew, and recently I finished my first original embroidery. I am learning French, and am fairly intermediate. I draw, and make videos on a regular basis. I even love culinary arts, and I practice baking and cooking very often. I just made my first French boule bread loaf last month. I don’t limit myself to one hobby or passion, because I am limitless in my capacities.

💖 I am capable of healing, improving, and progressing with my life. My trauma does not define me, and has never defined me. I am a beautiful person, who contains multitudes. I have done bad things as everyone else has, and good things as well. I am neither a good nor bad person, but a person who simply tries to do what they think is best every day. I cant be perfect, but I can forgive myself for my mistakes. I can keep going, and keep trying everyday to be the best version of myself. I have done everything I could, and I trust myself to do the right thing.

I hope you take an opportunity today to affirm yourself, or write manifestations for yourself. To write a clear goal and intention can sometimes be all it takes to make a positive change. Everyone is capable of growth, but manifestation can lead to the outlook necessary to make real change. Take good care, and receive all that you deserve.

~ yours, one of the many daughters of Aphrodite 🪷

[scripttorture]

In what instances would ICURE fail to change someone's beliefs? Would access to outside information or (not very good at their jobs) guards discussing events without tact help someone realise something fishy was going on?

Very broad question without clear, satisfying answers Anon.

 Basically: there is no guaranteed way to change a person’s mind. There are strategies we know can’t work. But everything that has a chance of success also has a chance of failure. And it isn’t a clear cut thing that I can give you a clean list of factors for.

 Humans are difficult creatures to study because they come with a lot of inbuilt confounding factors and individual variation. This makes it very difficult to identify clear reasons why something didn’t work. Because we have to assume that multiple factors are at work and the interaction of those factors may be as important as each factor individually.

 Even if you write your villains performing ICURE ‘perfectly’ there is still a chance of failure. And therefore it is realistic for you to decide it fails for this character.

 We can’t really study which ‘bits’ of ICURE are most effective. Partly because of that little thing called ethics but partly because setting up a study would be incredibly difficult. It’s hard enough to measure belief. Finding a large enough sample size, controlling for every possible confounding factor or variable and studying people for the years it would take to get any answers… It’s a big ask. It’s probably never going to happen.

 So with the caveat that we can’t tell if any of the parts of ICURE are more important let’s talk about how they can break down.

 ICURE, for everyone who hasn’t heard me talk about it before, is a set of techniques which can (sometimes) be used to manipulate a person into changing their views. They take months or years to have any real effect and as mentioned they’re not always successful.

 The acronym stands for Isolate, Control information, create Uncertainty, Repetition and Emotive responses. And if you’re writing a story where villains are trying to apply this but not doing it well it can break down at literally any one of these points.

 I would say based on what I’ve read that different groups focus more heavily on different aspects depending on their setting and strategy. Groups that are straight up kidnapping or imprisoning people often seem to focus more heavily on isolation and controlling information but often fall down on the other three. Whereas the impression I get of cults and some extremist political groups is that they focus more on creating uncertainty and emotive responses, which they can then use to further isolate members from family and friends.

 Controlling information is a common place for ICURE to break down nowadays. The rise of the internet and the decreasing size of devices has made it easier for victims to access unauthorised sources even when imprisoned.

 But repetition is also a very common place for ICURE to break down because in large groups not every individual is going to follow the same script perfectly. Group members can also undermine ICURE by lashing out, physically or verbally, driving their target away.

 Creating uncertainty doesn’t always work. Sometimes victims straight up do not believe what they’re told. Some attempts to create uncertainty around core beliefs lead to a knee-jerk rejection of what’s being said. Sometimes targets know more about a given subject then the person trying to create uncertainty and as a result the attempt is absurdly obvious.

 Emotive responses are similarly… charged. Attempting to instil a sense of disgust or rejection of something an individual supports won’t always work. Over a long period of time it can. But I can think of a lot of cases where it has instead taught individuals to lie to the group, hide their beliefs or activities and served to drive them away from the group.

 Isolation is either difficult or easy depending on the context of the story. A character who is in a literal prison can easily be isolated from anyone but vetted individuals. A character who has been targetted by a cult, but is still going about normal day to day business, is a lot harder to isolate completely.

 Cults and extremist groups tend to rely on uncertainty, repetition and emotive responses because they know that if they can shift a target’s beliefs the target will isolate themselves.

 Let me give you an example to illustrate this. Imagine a country where there’s a big, culturally important celebration that involves eating candied orange peel and wearing red. Now imagine a cult within the country that rejects candy as sinful and wearing red as a sign of bad character.

 A character targetted by this cult might feel increasingly uncomfortable with this festival. May be at first they go with their friends and family, wear red but don’t eat the candied orange peel. May be the year after they decide not to go, missing a chance to spend time with their friends and family. May be a few years later their rejection of the festival is so deep they try to persuade their friends and family not to go.

 This leads to a big argument. They and their friends/family say things in the heat of the moment. Now all sides are upset and communication becomes harder.

 These kinds of patterns of behaviour lead to the target isolating themselves from friends and family, as their views become more extreme and drive away people who aren’t members of the cult.

 But crucially they can still choose to socialise with people outside of the cult. This will probably be met with social censure from the cult, making it difficult and painful. It is still possible. And outside friendships or activities can help a person to break free or resist ICURE techniques.

 All of this basically means you have a lot of options for your story because there are plenty of things you can weave in that would undermine ICURE.

 Your character is in prison, so breaking isolation is more difficult. But if the prison is overcrowded or there’s a sudden influx of people being transferred between facilities the character might end up with a… poor choice of cell mate from the guard’s perspective. Some one with beliefs radically opposed to the guards or someone who could support and shore up the character’s old beliefs.

 There may also be opportunities for covert communication and bonding within the prison. Perhaps prisoners can gather during breaks and have worked out a cant or code to talk about beliefs the guards are trying to stamp out.

 Control of information can break down because isolation has broken down, with prisoners trading information. It can also happen through the prisoner trading for a phone or a similar item allowing them to access forbidden information. Or it can happen through things like guards inadvertently giving out information.

 Uncertainty is difficult to create around core beliefs. The impression I get from anecdotal accounts is that pushing too hard at core beliefs too early often causes targets to withdraw from the people attempting ICURE. It can also lead to targets doubling down on their beliefs.

 People attempting ICURE can also mess up on creating uncertainty, as described above.

 Repetition can break down because guards don’t all do or say the same things consistently. They could contradict each other. Or they might just not repeat the same thing very often.

 Emotive responses can break down in much the same way creating uncertainty does. Not everyone responds emotionally to the same things or in the same way. Once again different guards can undermine the desired response. The character might dig in to their original position, they might withdraw from the people attempting ICURE. They might just learn to lie to them.

 I think as a writer the best approach to this is to use a mix of internal and external factors effecting multiple parts of ICURE. Just because I think that would create a better story.

 The readers can see the internal struggle and resistance in the character. They can also see the guards messing up and how that impacts the character. May be the importance of support from other people, fellow prisoners or cleaning staff or doctors or anyone else that fits with the setting.

 Basically including multiple elements will give you a more fleshed out story with more emotional depth and impact. That’s a good narrative reason to include it.

 I hope that helps. :)

Available on Wordpress.

Disclaimer

[jrueships]

I know its not his fault but I dislike zach a lot. He seems so boring and plain. Im glad demar has a friend in him but people being worried hes gonna replace kyle in some way? What demar loves about kyle (the asshole!)...zach cant compete lol

LMAO i get what you mean! Like it's nothin' personal but like... it's definitely a Shift. Deebo went from being paired with big biting personality to ... looks nice i guess. It's not zachs FAULT, of course, he's a good GUY. He's just like.. you know.. has that quality some good guys have where they're so.. 'Okay' you don't really wanna delve more into it. I don't Mind him, but i don't Love him.

He gives off main character energy where he's good at a lot of things, is pleasant but kinda tired with publicity, knows how to handle things etc.. & then deebo, one half of our favorite, 'for goofs by the writers but is actually really loved by the fandom', noncanon queerbait side character couple Kyle/Demar , suddenly ends up paired with Zach instead... and like. It's Nice?? it's Cute??? Zach's GOOD but he's not.. KYLE. He doesn't have Kyle's grumpy lil asshole man personality. And he doesn't have to, and it's not his fault. But it definitely makes it jarring to see the difference and be able to more easily point out all of those differences. All the things you like less than the og, etc

Kyle (the asshole) <- so true!!!! It's like... deebo I thought you liked the mean little men :( who is this... Ken doll you're with? LOL it's definitely Different. Zach HAS a more playful side to him and he's deeper than i define him, but it's like... idk. He's just so Okay to me i don't care enough TO define him any deeper than i see him already. And that's not his fault !! that's just my reason for it and that's okay too as long as i don't unfairly hate him for things i don't even know about !! It's just jarring to see!

I'm a multishipper (if u couldn't already tell by the million tags on my pinned kawhi adjusting his kaweenus post), so i can usually embrace different ideas without a worry,,,, but demar/Zach can be kinda.... idk :( IF it's done in a 'demar and kyle broke up' sense LOL. I think the ship itself is cute and soft!! Deebo teaching local man who hates hug to love hugs! BUT the idea of kyle/demar breaking up for it to happen is :((( not it... they're just such a STAPLE like! They're a two packaged deal strong enough not to be really SEPARATE even when they're SEPARATE !!! i like demar/Zach as like.. a separate entity.. it's not a ship i'd personally post content about because im not curious enough to learn about Zach, and that's fine!! but just cause /i/ don't personally 'care' for it doesn't mean OTHERS shouldn't! Everyone has their own cup of tea!!

But yea tho!!! Kyle's influence is so strong!! Deebo making more friends doesn't HAVE to mean they 'replaced' each other or broke up! I mean it can if you want (to be evil like that), but it doesn't HAVE to !! Kyle/demar make it a point to mention each other ALL the TIME!!! They are HUSBANDS!!!!!! Forever always! A trade couldn't change that , we don't have to change that! We can live on our little kyle/demar island sipping lemonade in the sun all we want! Nothing has to change that !

[featherymalignancy]

PART TWO — The Eyes of Texas: A Rowaelin Origin Story 🏐 🍺 ♥️ 

  Long before Cash and Nesta, there was Rowan and Aelin.

Rowan Whitethorn—a Navel academy graduate and recently discharged second lieutenant from the United States Navy—takes a break from studying of the police academy exam in Los Angeles to fly back to his native Hawaii and compete in a twos volleyball tournament with his ex, one of the best sand players on the amateur circuit.

Beyond Remy’s devious machinations to win Rowan back, the biggest impediment to victory is the so-called Ashryver twins, a pair of cousins from Miami with a reputation of their own. Rowan can’t help but admire the gorgeous and sharp-tongued Aelin Galathynius, who’s more than ready to give Remy a run for her money—both on the court and in the race for Rowan’s affection.

This takes place in the same AU-verse as my Nessian story In Vino Veritas, about four years before. 

This a two-shot, you can find  PART I here.

The Eyes of Texas, PART TWO

By midnight, Rowan knew he was in deep shit.

They’d migrated to another bar by that time, Aelin practically in his lap as they traded stories about college and their friends. Rowan found himself caught between despair and delight as he listened to Aelin speak, unsure if he should be reveling in the attention from a woman of her caliber, or fretting that it couldn’t last.

It wasn’t just that Aelin was beautiful, though he was admittedly so mesmerized by those blue eyes and that dazzling smile that he had to actively avoid staring.

She was funny, too.

And not “when a sexy woman makes a joke you feel oddly compelled to laugh” type of funny, either.

She was fucking hilarious.

She’d had him in stitches earlier with a story about getting the business-end of her grandmother’s chancla after she’d gone to Easter mass with blue teeth from her candy basket, and he’d hardly stopped laughing since.

Rowan had always been a somewhat serious person—even more so after Lyria’s death—but Aelin made him feel...younger. Lighter. And he might have felt guilty for that, except he’d had the oddest sensation throughout the evening that Lyria was there, laughing alongside him.

And—as if gorgeous and hysterical weren’t enough—Aelin was also incredibly bright. Despite the rigors of her volleyball schedule, she was a neuroscience and psychology double major, with plans to attend medical school and become a psychiatrist when she graduated.

It was an answer that Rowan hadn’t expected when he’d asked what she was studying, but somehow it suited her. The ambition, the focus—it explained in part why she was such an incredible athlete. Rowan knew better than anyone that it took more that height and muscles to be a success in the sport, and even among the juggernauts who’d completed in the tournament, Aelin had been in a class of her own.

She’d grown oddly bashful when he’d pressed her about her volleyball career, at which point she admitted she’d held off med school applications to accept a place on the AVP tour.

“They’ve offered you a spot?” Rowan’d asked.

Aelin’s cheeks had gone slightly pink.

“They called after the tournament,” she’d said. “A scout was there to watch me play.”

“Aelin, that’s incredible.”

At this Aelin’s smile had relaxed into something sensuous that had made Rowan’s stomach tighten.

“Couldn’t have done it without, guapo. ”

Now as Ro sat twirling the tail of Aelin’s braid around a tattooed finger, he tried to remind himself that he needed to shut all these bright and shiny feelings down. Aelin had been a danger to the comfortable numbness Rowan had been living in since the moment she stepped onto the sand of that volleyball court. Now, having heard her laugh and flirt and speak Spanish, she’d become lethal.

He told himself that if he was smart, he’d kiss her cheek right now and tell her goodnight. It would probably take him several days to extract her from pleasant place she’d settled under his skin, but he could stop the bleeding now. If he was smart, he most definitely would not sleep with her.

But apparently he wasn’t smart, because when she’d slyly tugged him to his feet and coaxed him into one of the private closets marked “For Staff Only”, he didn’t stop her.

He also didn’t stop her when she kissed him, tongue sliding effortlessly into his mouth and she hands tracked under his shirt.

It was a bad idea to want Aelin Ashryvver-Galathynius the way Ro did, but he found as her hands continued their exploration that he didn’t care. Even if he could only have her for one night, he would make it enough.

“Your body is insane,” Aelin breathed, tracing the ridges of his abs in a way that made him shudder.

He couldn’t help the self-satisfied smirk which tugged at his mouth as he kissed her again.

“You haven’t seen anything yet.”

At this Aelin paused to laugh, eyes sparkling with wicked delight.

“Was that a big dick comment?” She said. “I knew you had it in you, Whitethorn.”

Rowan debated going for the obvious joke about having ‘it’ in her soon before quickly deciding against it. He was tipsy; it didn’t mean he had to be a jackass, too.

“Let’s go, you little troublemaker,” Ro said, reaching for the door which led from the closet to the secluded hallway.

Aelin’s answering grin was staggering in its seductive force. She casually leaned against the door, blocking his exit as she pulled him towards her by the beltloops.

“Why, are you afraid of getting caught?”

He grabbed the hand that was attempting to slip into his pants, pinning it over her head and bowing into her so she could feel how hard he already was.

“No. But the kind of sex I want, you can’t give me here.”

This seemed to stun her into aroused silence, and he reveled in the victory of rendering Aelin Galathynius speechless. However, she recovered quickly, leaning in to nip his lip.

“Fair warning: I’m not easily impressed.”

Her wrists still caught in his grip, he bent to whisper in her ear, grinding a little against her as he did so.

“So you say, but I’m going to guess you’ve only ever been with boys, Aelin. You may not realize it, but I don’t think you have any idea how good sex can actually be.”

Her legs went slightly weak at that, and he slid his knee between her thighs to keep her upright.

“And you’re going to show me?” She asked.

All the things he wanted to do to her flashed in his mind, and Rowan had to fend off a groan as he hardened further. Much more of this and they would end up doing it in this closet.

“I am,” he replied simply.

Aelin’s answering laugh was husky.

“How are you the same guy who didn’t have the cojones to ask for my number this afternoon?”

He recognized the gesture for what it was: an attempt to gain back the upper hand in their continued tug-of-war for dominance.

Turned on by her bravura, he let her, adding with a shrug, “I guess I’m more of a ‘lady in the streets’ type.”

Still, unwilling to cede to her completely he shifted his thigh where it was still nestled between her legs. She moaned a little, moving against him almost involuntarily to get the friction she needed.

Despite the desire for privacy enough to make Aelin scream herself hoarse, Ro found the idea of her rubbing one out on him too hot to resist. Rotating his knee, he pushed up until she was practically riding his thigh.

Aelin’s nails dug into his forearm as the seam of her shorts hit the exact right spot. He increased the pressure, and she moaned again, the sound growing more fractured as he snapped open one her overall straps and squeezed her firm breast over the lace. God, her tits were perfect.

“Stop or I’m going to come,” she said, teeth gritted.

Rowan didn’t bother to fend off a self-satisfied smile.

“You’re this easy to set off, Galathynius?” He laughed softly. “God, the things I’m gonna fucking to do to you.”

“I thought you said we weren’t going to bang here.”

“We aren’t,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t have an orgasm.”

“You seriously want my first one with you to be while I’m fully clothed?”

He glanced up to meet her overcome blue eyes.

“I just want to show you how many different ways I have to make you scream, Aelin.”

Taking a fistful of the denim jumper, he tugged up roughly until the fabric was splitting her. Even though all her clothes he could see what a gorgeous little pussy she had. The realization he’d soon be inside of her made Ro’s cock ache.

“Fuck,” Aelin said, hips canting forward as he used the back-and-forth friction to drag her closer to release. “This is not how I imagined things going when I brought you in here.”

Rowan kissed her neck.

“Better or worse?”

“Better,” she said. “So much better. Mierda .”

Her body tightened then relaxed slightly against him, and were he inside of her, he knew she’d be clenching around him right now.

“You have a gorgeous come face,” he told her honestly.

“I bet you do, too.”

He couldn’t fight a grin.

“Would you like to find out?”

“Yes please. ”

He pressed forward to kiss her again, their tongues tangling as he breathed, “let’s get out of here.”

Needing no further prompting, Aelin reached behind her to twist open the door before slipping out, Rowan behind her.

Taking his hand, she tugged him towards the exit, her phone already out with a map pulled up.

“Where are we headed?” He asked. “I might be able to help.”

Aelin’s answering smile was cryptic.

“It’s not far. The app is saying a 17-minute walk. Hang on.”

With this she dialed  a number before bringing the phone to her ear. Whoever she was calling—one of her cousins, Ro suspected—picked up on the second ring, and she began giving orders in rapid Spanish. After a minute she hung up, flashing Ro a simpering smile as she batted her lashes.

“Shall we?”

Rowan couldn’t fight a laugh.

“Did you just kick your cousins out of the room?”

“Suite,” she said with a growing smirk. “But who’s counting?”

“You didn’t have to do that,” he said. “We could have made it work.”

Her gaze heated, burning hot enough that Ro felt his cock stirring again. He watched as her fingers nimbly went to one of the long braids hanging over her shoulder, deftly undoing the plait.

“We don’t need an audience for all the filthy things I want you to do to me.”

He groaned.

“You’re killing me.”

She smiled, working the other braid free and giving her curtain of blonde hair a shake. Christ, he wanted to run his hands though it, then bunch in it his hands while he fucked that pretty little mouth.

She smirked as if she knew what he was thinking, even biting her lip a little in suggestion.

“Something wrong?” She said.

He only laughed.

“Completely the opposite.”

She smiled, tugging him down the street for ten blocks or so before making a left and heading towards a glittering glass building.

The Ritz Carlton.

Rowan let out a low whistle as they entered the marble lobby.

“You keeping secrets, Galathynius?”

She bit her lip.

“My dad is...not poor.”

“Define ‘not poor’.”

“He owns twenty-three luxury hotels in Miami?”

Rowan’s throat felt a bit scratchy.

“You’re a millionaire.”

Her grin was sheepish and slightly guilty.

“Kinda?”

He must have looked confused.

“I mean, yeah, with a b.”

Holy shit, her family were billionaires.

She studied him for a moment when he stopped walking, trying to take it all in. He wasn’t usually one to be embarrassed about money or his upbringing, but she was stupid rich. He suddenly felt out of his depth.

“This is why I didn’t tell you,” she said quietly. “It makes people see me differently.”

At this he glanced up, reading the sadness and loneliness in her eyes.

“It doesn’t change anything,” he found himself saying.

Dating a girl that rich, especially as a cop in Vice Squad—that could be complicated. But that’s not what this was; after tonight, Ro would likely never see her again. Besides, she’d made an effort not to make it a big deal, and hadn’t thrown money around to impress him even when she easily could have. If she could set it aside for the evening, so could he.

Also, he really wanted to fuck her. She was a girl begging for pleasure, and he wanted to be able to show her things she hadn’t experienced even in her wildest fantasies.

Aelin seemed to read the acceptance in his eyes because she tugged him towards the elevator, punching 36 before pushing him against the wall to kiss him.  Sliding his hands down her thighs, he hoisted her easily into his arm, crushing her against him.

When the door opened he didn’t bother putting her down, simply breathed against her mouth, “where?”

She gestured to the left and he headed towards the single door at the end of the hall. Producing a key from her back pocket, she slid to her feet before unlocking the door and ushering him inside.

Ro told himself not to gawk as they stepped farther into the palatial space, but it was impossible.

The lavishly-appointed suite was furnished with a living room, full kitchen, bedroom, and formal dining area, floor-to-ceiling window along the far wall looking out onto the Pacific Ocean.

There was a bottle of expensive Cuban rum and several glasses sitting on the marble island, half-smoked Monte Cristo cigars resting in a nearby tray. The Ashryvvers, it seemed, were no strangers to the finer things in life.

“Do you want a drink?” Aelin asked, trailing a hand down his back and observing him as he took in their surroundings.

He turned to her to say yes, but when he caught sight of the heat in her gaze he changed him mind.

“Later,” he said, walking her backwards into the wall closest to the bedroom.

“Thank god,” she said as he threaded a hand through hers to pull her arm above her head. “I don’t think I could bear to wait.”

Rowan chuckled, teeth grazing her ear as he said, “Does that mean you’re going to be a good girl and do as I say?”

Her blue eyes snapped to him, blazing with defiance.

“What makes you think I’m that type of girl?”

“In your everyday life, you like to be in control?”

“Yes.”

Rowan nodded.

“That’s why.”

“I don’t follow.”

“You’re used to responsibility and keeping all the plates spinning, but I bet deep down, you fantasize about being able to let go; you just don’t know how.”

She scoffed, through the sound turned to a breathy exhale as he kissed her neck.

“And what makes you think that I’ll be able to let go with you, a total stranger?”

He pulled back, kissing her softly on the lips.

“Because I am going to make you feel so good and so safe, you won’t have a choice. Do you trust me, Aelin?”

“I have no real reason to,” she hedged. “We just met.”

“But...” he said onto the sensitive skin of her throat.

She paused, muscles in her neck gorgeously taut as he tugged her earlobe with his teeth.

“Díos ayúdame,” she choked out. “Yes, I do.”

“Good girl,” he praised. “Let’s get you naked.”

Throwing the overall strap he’d previously unbuckled over her shoulder, he unsnapped the other. He knelt as he coaxed the whole garment down her hips, pausing to lave her tattoo.  He resisted the urge to venture between her legs, enjoying the way she bucked her hips towards the heat of his mouth as it pressed against her low belly.

“Patience,” he said, nipping the sensitive skin.

She settled slightly at that, and Ro ran his hands up her torso with with deliberate slowness, palms skating effortlessly under her lacy bralette and tugging it off in a single, fluid gesture.

He glanced down at her and groaned.

“Fucking Christ.”

Her breasts were flawlessly round and dark enough to suggest she spend a decent amount of time tanning topless, her tight nipples framed by matching diamond studs. He ran a finger over the jewelry, laughing at her shudder of pleasure.

“Are you crazy, Galathynius? You’re a D1 athlete!”

She chuckled.

“I tape them up to play. Why, you don’t like?”

He glanced up to meet her gaze.

“I didn’t say that.”

The truth was they suited her: elegant femininity edged in wildness.

“You approve then.”

He reached down to tease her, brushing a knuckle against her left nipple until it pebbled.

“They’re gorgeous.”

Aelin preened a bit at that.

“Tits this nice deserved a little something extra,” she said with a smirk.

Rowan was inclined to agree.

“These real diamonds, princess?”

“They were a gift from Aedion.”

At this Rowan stiffened, unable to smother the discomfort the idea inspired. Aelin only laughed, catching his face in her hands and kissing him lightly on the lips.

“I’m playing with you, tonto. Obviously he and Galen don’t know about these or they’d hit the roof. Besides,” she said, pert nose wrinkling slightly. “We don’t share things like that with each other. We’re close but...not that close.”

Rowan couldn’t hold back a relieved laugh, which only made Aelin’s grin widen.

“You should have seen the look on your face, though.”

“You’re trouble,” he told her.

“You love it,” she shot back, leaning in so her breasts brushed his chest.

Yeah he fucking did.

Crushing her into another kiss, her massaged her breasts, palms scraping her nipples. When they’d grown hard from his machinations he bent to taste them, loving the feel of her fingers as they wound into his hair and tugged.

“Take off your clothes already,” she said, breathless. “I want to know if your dick is as big as it feels.”

He grabbed her wrist and guided it between his legs.

“See for yourself.”

Deft as a snake, she had a hand down the front of boxer briefs, stroking him twice with a firm grip.

He planted a hand on the wall beside her head, breathing through his nose as he bowed into her wicked touch.

“What are you thinking about?” She asked as she unbuckled his belt and pushed his chinos off his carved waist until they hung low on his hips.

“You.”

“What about me?”

He bent to kiss her deeply again. God, he wasn’t sure he’d ever been this turned on.

“About what you’d look like on your knees with my cock in your mouth.”

She gave a sensuous chuckle.

“Dream on, querido. ”

He only grinned in response.

“No one likes a liar, Galathynius.”

“What reason would I have to ever suck you off?”

“The same reason you’d let me tie you up: you want to know what it’s like to let someone else be in control.”

“I never said I wanted to be tied up,” she said, voice turning to a groan as he pushed her underwear aside to dip two fingers inside of her.

“You didn’t have to,” he said, holding up his fingers so they glistened in the moonlight pouring in from the open balcony doors. “You’re soaked.”

She didn’t respond, merely leaned forward to licked the offending digits clean in a way that told him that not only did she want to suck his dick, she was going to be excellent at it.

He hardened at the thought, even as he forced a calming breath. If this was his only chance with her, he intended to savor every second.

He wanted tears— actual tears—of pleasure from her. He wanted to hear her beg. And not just some breathy “ please, more ” bullshit, either. He wanted to her to plead—for him, for release, for anything and everything he was willing to give her.

He wanted all of it and more, but to have it, he needed to be patient with her. It meant going slow, and sending her off the edge several times before he ever slipped inside of her.

Gently collaring her throat, he pressed a soft kiss to her lips before easing her off the wall and into the waiting bedroom.

“You are so beautiful,” he told her.

She smirked, eyes flashing.

“Bet you say that to all the girls you fuck.”

“I’ve never fucked a woman as beautiful as you.”

It was out before he could stop it, and he had to fend off the the twinge of guilt it produced. Still, he couldn’t regret saying it, because it was true; Aelin was the most beautiful woman he’d ever met.

Aelin, seeming abashed by this declaration, responding by coaxing Rowan’s buttoned shirt open and over his shoulders. Chest to bare chest, her next kiss was soft and drugging.

“You’re...not ugly, either,” she said at last.

“Not ugly?” He repeated with a laugh.

“You’re...” she trailed off as he kissed her neck.

“I’m...?”

“Gorgeous,” she said finally. “But I think you already knew that.”

“Maybe, but it hits different from you.”

Aelin seemed pleased by that, and she rewarded him by dipping her hand into his unbuckled pants again and fisting him.

“I was also right; you’re enormous.”

Grabbing her wrist, he pinned it to the wall and put his hand between her legs instead.

“And I bet you’re tight,” he said, drawing lazy circles with his thumb that had her back arching.

“Are we going to fit?” She teased, but he could hear the concern underneath that she couldn’t quite hide.

The idea that some douchebag had pushed into her before she was totally ready—it made Rowan’s skin prickle in irritation.

He caught her jaw.

“After I’m done playing with you, Aelin, you’re going to be so wet that you’ll feel like my cock was made to fit inside you.”

She moaned.

“If you’re half as good as sex as you are dirty talk, I think this might be the best night of my life.”

Rowan was counting on it. What he hadn’t counted on was the fact it was shaping up to be one of the best nights of his as well. And not just because of the sex, though Rowan couldn’t deal with that right now.

“I bet you taste good too,” he said, grinding against her and living for her answering moan. “Don’t you?”

“I’ve never had any complaints,” she said, and he tried to ignore the twinge of jealousy at the thought of another guy’s mouth on her.

Her pussy was his, at least for tonight. He intended to make sure she never forgot how it felt to have him between her thighs.

Kneeling at her feet, he peeled her thong down her lean legs. He let his eyes drag up slowly, taking his time admiring the muscles in her quads before his gaze settled between her legs.

She was already wet, her thighs glistening with arousal. He imagined what they would look like dripping with his come instead. The idea had masculine satisfaction thrumming through him, even knowing it was a fantasy he couldn’t indulge. He wouldn’t put her in a vulnerable position by not wearing a condom.  Pressing a mockingly chaste kiss on her low belly, he rose to his feet.

“Get on the bed,” he said, guiding her hips towards the waiting mattress.

“Get naked first,” she countered, tracing the band of his Adonis belt before tugging him towards her by the waistband of his Calvin Klein boxer briefs.

He didn’t stop her as she skated her hands down the back to squeeze his ass before pushing them off his hips.

His dick was already rock hard, and it pressed between them. She leaned up to kiss him again before sinking down to sit on the bed. The movement bought her eye-level with his erection, and gripping him in a fist, she put her mouth on him.

He swore as she laved his length, cock twitching as she traced a ridge of vein with her  tongue. Threading a gentle hand into her hair, he took a step back, coaxing her off the bed and onto her knees. When she looked up at him, blue eyes overcome with want, he had to fight the urge to come right then.

Despite her earlier declarations, Aelin sucked him off like both of their lives depended on it, and Rowan could only hang on and enjoy the ride as her tongue worked miracles on his shaft and her hands found every pleasure point he craved.

He swore again as she massaged his stones before kneading the sensitive swath of skin behind them. As her touch grew more deliberate, he debated telling her she could push inside him before deciding it wasn’t exactly fodder for a one-night stand.

However, when her fingers trailed back to brush the tight ring of muscle, he couldn’t fight a groan.

“Yes?” She asked, keeping her touch light.

“Go ahead,” he said, breathless.

He didn’t think he’d never been so close to losing it as he was the moment she used her own wetness to coat her fingers before carefully teasing two inside of him.

His tattooed hand tightened in her hair, but he forced himself to otherwise remain still, to let her set the pace.

“Fuck, Aelin.”

Crooking her fingers to hit that perfect internal spot, she put her mouth on him again. Between her fingers and her tongue, he only lasted ten more strokes before he came hard .

Holy shit.

Rowan was no stranger to anything they’d just done, but he was fairly sure that was the best blowjob he’d ever had.

“As good as your imagined?” Aelin said with a smirk.

“Better,” Rowan said. “Way better. My turn.”

Picking her up, he tossed her on the bed before grabbing her ankle and dragging her towards him so her legs hung off the edge.

Wasting no time, he broke her legs apart and put his mouth right where he knew she needed him, sucking hard. However, he didn’t stay there for long, ignoring her attempts to manuever his mouth into position as he teased her.

“Rowan,” she choked. “You’re killing me.”

In answer he swirled his tongue around her bundle of nerves before alighting elsewhere.

“Rowan,” Aelin said.

He sucked on her this time, loving how she rocked her hips up to fuck his face. Still, he didn’t linger long enough for her release to find her.

“I’m going to kill—“

He glanced up at her, pressing a hot, open-mouthed kiss to the crease of her hip as she watched him.

“Beg me, Aelin,” he told her. “Beg me and I’ll give you an orgasm to make you cry.”

He laced her once, and she bucked.

“I don’t beg,” she said, even as he felt her contract once against his tongue.

The idea was turning her on.

“You haven’t begged before,” he corrected. “It doesn’t mean you won’t for me.”

At this he slid a finger inside of her, finding the right spot and applying pressure.

“Oh god,” she breathed. “More.”

Rowan pulled the finger out in response.

Aelin paused, heaving slightly as she considered before breathing, “Please, Ro.”

“Please what?”

“Please, give me what I want. I’m...begging you.”

Rowan slid two fingers inside of her, grinning.

“Really, this is your begging? Pathetic.”

“Harder.”

“Harder?”

He increased his speed, knowing she was right on the edge of where she needed to be. Still, he didn’t cross that line.

“Fuck,” Aelin said, voice almost a whine. “Rowan, I’m right there—just make me come.”

“If I do, will you beg me for my cock next?”

“I will give you anything you want,” she said. “Just...” she exhaled again. “Please.”

He bowed his head between her legs again, pumping his fingers as he tongued the spot he knew would set her off.

Driven the brink by all his edging, her climax seemed to shudder through her, muscles in her stomach flexing as she contracted against his mouth. He was careful to keep his touch feather-light as the orgasm crested and ebbed, knowing her body was too sensitive to be properly played with yet.

“Oh god,” she breathed, body still trembling slightly. “I don’t think I’ve ever had an orgasm that strong before. What did you do to me, Whitethorn?”

He crawled up to meet her, hands sinking into the mattress on either side of her head before he kissed her.

“Showed you what you’ve been missing, apparently.”

She arched her hips up to meet his, the contact making him harden again.

“Aelin,” he breathed, using both palms to scrape her sweaty hair from her face.

“Kiss me,” she said softly, gaze so sincere he had to close his eyes to avoid being overcome.

He did as she asked, keeping his touch gentle in an effort to to convey what he couldn’t bear to voice out loud: that this was more than just meaningless sex.

“I want you inside of me,” she said.

He rotated his hips against hers, cock brushing against her in a way that made her cry out softly.

“I need to grab a condom,” he said into her ear. “Don’t move.”

“And what if I do?”

He bent to kiss her deeply.

“Do you trust me?”

“Yes,” she breathed.

Rowan smiled, rising from the bed to grab a condom from his wallet before crossing to the window. He deftly unknotted the silk tie which had been used to hold back the curtains and holding it up for her to see.

Aelin expelled a noise of pleasure so finely edged it was almost a whine. Slowly, deliberately, she raised her arms above her head in invitation, eyes hooded as she watched him approach.

Sliding over her, he slipped the length of silk around her wrists before synching it to the  headboard.

Aelin tugged I’m experimentation.

“Too tight?”

“No,” she said.

Rowan gently collared her throat as he bent to kiss her.

“Good girl.”

Rowan drew a finger down Aelin’s torso, circling her tight nipples before tracing her navel and venturing between her legs.

“I’m going to have to make this count,” he said, sliding two fingers into her again even as he held up the condom. “I only have one of these.”

“I have some in my suitcase,” she said. “Lucky for you, I think they’re magnums. Dream big, and all that.”

He grinned, making her laugh.

“Never hurts to be prepared,” she said.

“No it most certainly doesn’t,” he agreed, putting his mouth on her again.

She bucked off the bed and he used his hands to keep her hips pinned as she twisted against her restraints.

“If only I had a spreader bar,” he told her. “I would really have you at my mercy.”

“I’m at your mercy now,” she said. “Take me.”

That, Rowan could not resist.

Quickening the pace of his fingers, he concentrated on her clit until she shattered again. Only when she’d settled back on to the bed, legs quaking slightly, did he tear open the wrapper of the condom, sheathing himself with a practiced hand.

“You’re probably going to be extra tight from the orgasms,” he told her. “So I’m going to go slow at first.”

She nodded, and he kissed her again before grabbing his shaft and sliding a few inches into her.

“Tight” had perhaps been an understatement. The pressure of her was mind-numbing, spine-tingling bliss. Still, he forced himself to pause and take in her expression.

Her brows were synched, breath ragged. He bent to kiss the tightened corners of her eyes before brushing his lips to hers.

“Talk to me, gorgeous,” he breathed. “How are you doing?”

“You’re—big,” she said, voice still tense. “I’m just trying to adjust.”

“Relax,” he coached, petting a hand down the tense muscles in her stomach. “Breathe, Aelin.”

At this she let out a shuddering exhale, even mewing a little as he reached down to play with her.

“That’s it, sweetheart,” he said, working her with the pad of his thumb. “Let me in.”

With that the some of the tenseness in her body loosened, and she moaned. He pushed in farther, kissing her deeply until she was forced to take another calming exhale.

When he shifted her hips and pulled her the rest of the way onto his shaft, she melted. He couldn’t hold back his groan of pleasure as he sank in effortlessly to the hilt, his stones brushing her soft ass.

“Fuck,” she said. “Why does that feel so good?”

He rose onto his knees, tilting her hips up on the process. She groaned.

“Because I bet no one’s hit this spot with you before,” he said.

Rearing back slightly, he thrust into her with delicious intent.

She bit her lip.

“Yours is deep,” he said.

Her answering laugh was husky.

“Are you trying to suggest you’re the biggest dick I’ve ever had?”

He smirked, unable to deny the smug masculine satisfaction that slithered through him at the thought.

“You said it, not me.”

He pulled back and thrust into her a second time. At this she squirmed a little, eyes firmly shut again.

“Yes, Aelin?” He said, repeating the gesture a third time.

She wiggled, trying to get more friction.

“Yes,” she said. “Oh god, yes.”

With that he increased his pace, loving the obscene sound their bodies made as they came together. Christ, had it ever felt this good?

He rode her hard but tried to maintain a pace that wouldn’t cause her an unpleasant amount of friction. From her moans, he was doing a better than alright job.

Rowan drank her in as she writhed beneath him, her body covered in a glistening sheen of sweat, her small breasts bouncing with the force of his thrusts.

When he reached a hand between her legs to play with her again, she swore, tightening around him.

“I’m so close.”

“Say my name," he said, left hand wrapping around the headboard for better leverage as he drove into her with increased force. “I want to hear you say my name when you come, Aelin.”

She surged forward, tongue tangled with his in a desperate kiss.

"Ro," she breathed. “Rowan.”

Rowan had to fend off a strangled moan at the reverence in her voice.

When he'd made the demand, he'd imagined her screaming it the way other women had, like it was a triumph that needed to be heralded. But hearing it whispered, as if it were a secret meant only for him, had been so much more powerful.

He instantly knew why: because this was so much more than mindless sex.

He felt the exact moment she came apart around him, loving the pressure as she squeezed him in a vice. Deftly he untied her bound hands, allowing her to wrap her arms around his neck as he kissed her.

He couldn’t hold back the pleasured groan which escaped as he found his own climax, hips nestled to hers as he drove in deep a final time.

God, what he wouldn’t give to come inside this girl for real. It was a selfish thought, but one Ro couldn’t immediately shake. He didn’t often think about babies of his own, but something about Aelin Galathynius made him want to have a million.

He shook his head slightly, desperate to rid himself of the notion of having children with a woman he’d just met. He kissed her instead, using the feeling of her lips against him to ground him more fully into reality.

When he felt he’d mastered himself, he pulled back to meet Aelin’s eye, mildly horrified to find that hers were glassy. Despite his earlier declaration about wanting to have her in tears, actually seeing them in her eyes had his heart dropping out of his chest.

“Oh god, you’re crying,” he blurted, quickly pulling out of her and touching her cheek. “Aelin, why are you crying?”

At this she snorted, the sound halfway between a laugh and a sob.

“Because that so intense I almost don’t know what to do with myself,” she admitted. “And when I get overwhelmed I always end up crying.”

He frowned, brushing her petal-soft cheek again.

“Good overwhelmed or bad?”

“Good,” she said. “Definitely good. That was just so—“ she blew out a shaky inhale, another tear slipping from the corner of her eye. “I came so hard I think my brain just stalled for a second.”

He couldn’t help but grin, even as he gently brushed the moisture from her cheek.

“I don’t think I’ve ever broken someone’s brain before,” he said. “Should I take that as a compliment?”

She laughed, the sound easier this time.

“Don’t be annoying,” she said. “You know how good you are.”

“What can I say? You inspire greatness in me, Galathynius.”

He bent to gently kiss her, his finger drawing a an ever-tightening circle around one erect nipple. Her back arched slightly at his featherlight touch, goosebumps breaking out across her small breasts.

“You are so gorgeously responsive,” he told her, bending to tug the opposite nipple with his teeth. “It’s like your whole body is a hot spot. It makes it impossible to stop touching you. I could seriously play with you all night.”

“It’s not usually like this,” Aelin admitted after a beat, threading her hand into his hair. When she spoke again, her tone was softer, more candid. “Most the time I’m too in my head, and it makes it hard to get turned on enough to let go.”

“What made tonight different?” Rowan asked, brushing the hair out her face.

He was fairly sure he already knew, but he needed to hear her say it, to take ownership of the feeling.

“I feel safe with you,” she said. “I don’t know why—you’re basically still a stranger—but I do.”

Rowan smiled, kissing her more deeply this time.

“I told you that you’d let go for me,” he breathed against her lips. “How did it feel, gorgeous?”

“Incredible,” she said, shifting her hips in search of friction as he settled more fully on top of her again. “I didn’t want it to end.”

Deftly, Rowan peeled off the condom and threw it into the trash.

“Who said it had to?” He asked grabbing her hips and rotating so he was on his back, Aelin nestled in his lap. “That was just round one.”

In response, She reached for his shaft to begin getting him hard, but he caught her wrist instead.

“It’s a marathon, Galathynius, not sprint,” he said, flipping her hand in his so he could kiss her palm. “And your body’s not ready for me to be inside you again yet.”

Aelin seemed a bit flustered at that, which left Rowan feeling torn. On the one hand, he hating thinking he’d embarrassed her or made her uncomfortable. On the other, the idea that he has the ability to make swaggering, sensuous Aelin Ashryvver-Galathynius bashful filled him with deep-seated satisfaction.

Seeming to read the intention in his gaze, she bent to kiss him, whispering, “you don’t have to.”

He pushed her back gently so he could look into her face.

“Don’t have to what?”

“Go down on me again. I know most guys don’t like to do it again once they’ve—“

“That’s amateur hour,” Rowan said, tone sharper than he’d meant it to be. “Whichever pin-headed prick told you that is a loser.”

She laughed, relaxing a little. At seeing this, Rowan settled more fully on his back, hands braced on her hips.

“Come here,” he said, voice rough with desire.

He was rewarded with a pretty blush.

“I’ve never...done it like that,” she admitted.

He smirked.

“Then I’m about to give you an important lesson in pleasure. Come here.”

Rising onto her knees, Aelin rose over Rowan until she was mere inches from his face.

“I feel like I’m going to suffocate you!” She said with a sheepish laugh.

“Then I’ll die the luckiest man on earth,” he said, gripping her ass. “Hold onto the headboard.”

She did, and he lifted his head just enough that the tip of his tongue brushed the most sensitive part of her.

Her whole body tightened in pleasure.

“Do that again,” she said, sounding more her confident self now.

“No,” he told her. “This position is about you being in control.  I don’t give you pleasure; you take it.”

When she still didn’t move, he added, “this should be no problem for an imperious little thing like you.”

He knew goading her would do the trick, and after a moment she relaxed her hips, body sinking down to meet his waiting mouth. He couldn’t stifle a groan as she rocked her hips against him in experimentation. Seeing Aelin in is position, vulnerable but in control, was hotter than her could have possibly imagined.

Rowan flicked his tongue against her and she swore.

“That feels good,” she breathed, rocking forward against his mouth again. “Really good.”

His hands on the back of her thighs, he urged her hips forward, grazing her with his teeth before sucking hard.

This proved to be her unleashing.

Using the headboard for leverage, she began swishing her lips in a rhythmic motion, panting softly through her teeth as she worked herself up to climax.

He kneaded the soft flesh of her backside while she rocked against him, trying not to imagine what it would be like to slide his cock into her tight little ass. He had no idea if she was into that sort of thing nor any desire to pressure her into finding out, but the way she rocked back into his hands—as if urging them to explore—was enough to make him curious.

Hands on her waist, he tilted her pelvis towards him slightly, waiting to see how she’d react. In response she scooted higher on his body, her knees practically touching to the headboard. In this new position, there was no part of her he couldn’t access, and when she leaned forward, the invitation was clear.

Using his hands to open her legs more fully for him, he brushed his mouth against an intimate spot that—judging by her deep moan—no one had even touched before. When he repeated the gesture and she didn’t tense or pull away, he split legs even wider and circled the tight ring of muscle at the back with his tongue.

“Fuck,” she said, voice devolving into a string of slurred Spanish. “Rowan.”

Rowan worked her in broader strokes, his free hand coming up to play with her clit. When he slipped a finger inside of her he could tell she was getting close. Not wanting to claim the victory of her orgasm with only his fingers, he pulled her hips down so his tongue could replace his hand.

Far bolder now that she’d been when they’d started, Aelin followed his lead. Her fingers twined in his hair as she rocked against him hard, and Rowan was happy enough to sit back and watch as she took her pleasure like he’d instructed.

Between the rimjob and the edging, Aelin’s orgasm—when it hit—seemed to last a blissful eternity. She was trembling slightly as she collapsed beside him, eyes still closed.

“That was the hottest thing I think I’ve ever seen,” he said.

He gently cupped between her legs, careful not to apply too much pressure when she was still so sensitive.

“You’re telling me that?” she said with a laugh. “I’ve done it that to other people, obviously, but I’ve never let anyone—“ she broke off with another laugh. “Apparently I’ve been missing out.”

Rowan smirked, if only to hide the twinging realization that after tonight, it would someone else making her feel good, not him.

“I hope I didn’t set an impossible standard,” he said dryly.

“Maybe not yet,” she said, eyes blazing with want. “But you’re well in your way, and the night is still young.”

She let her azure gaze snake down his body with exaggerated slowness. By the time it reached his cock, he was granite-hard.

“Where are the rest of the condoms?” he asked.

If he wasn’t inside of her in the next minute, he might actually lose his mind.

“Bathroom,” she said, rising to her feet. “I’ll be right back.��

Rowan didn’t have time for that. He rose from the bed to follow her into the lavish en-suite. Normally he might of gawked a little at the opulence—the marble countertops, the sunken tub—but his entire focus was on Aelin. The best he could do was shift the lens to the things in her periphery. Everything else was a blur.

She was just straightening—foil packet in hand—as he entered, and he didn’t even give her a chance speak before her grabbed her around the waist, spinning her so his chest was pressed into her back.

Taking the condom, he ripped open the package and slid it on with one hand while his other moved between her legs to ensure she was ready for him.

“How do you feel?” He asked. “Do you need me to—“

“Whitethorn, if I was any wetter I’d be Nile. Get inside me already.”

It was all the permission Rowan needed. Hand on her back, he coaxed her to bend, using his legs to push hers wider as he did. She yelped softly as her bare breasts made contact with the cold marble, and he ran a hand over the curve of her hip to settle her before sliding to the hilt in single stroke.

It felt better, even, than it had the first time. She clenched around the intrusion of him even as she moaned, and he only managed to wait a beat before grabbing her hips and setting a blistering pace.

He glanced in the mirror and their gazes caught in the reflection, her desire molten.

Wanting more, he coaxed her up until her torso lifted from the counter.

Yes, he thought with greedy satisfaction. This.

This was what he wanted. Her firm tits bouncing with each hard thrust, her hips rocking back and forth, and her eyes squeezed shut in pleasure.

Gently collaring her throat with his hand, he whispered in her ear.

“Touch yourself for me.”

She did, canting her hips forward for increased friction as she moaned.

As she increased the speed with her hand, Rowan increased his, fucking her hard through her orgasm as she tightened around him.

She collapsed against the counter as he pulled her hips flush to his for one final thrust before coming undone.

She wobbled when he stepped back to pull off the condom, and he deftly caught her around the waist before she melted to the floor like a newborn fawn.

“Easy,” he said, coaxing her into his arms.

She laid her head on his shoulder.

“I think your dick has mystical powers,” she said. “Because that was insane.”

Rowan chuckled, carrying her to the bed and laying her down.

“There’s a Harry Potter joke in there somewhere,” he said, brushing some hair off her sweaty cheek as her eyelids drooped. “I’m just too lazy to find it.”

“Harry Potter references,” she said, already half-asleep. “Are you trying to make me fall in love with you?”

She was out before he could even respond, but he did anyway, lips to her temple as he whispered, “I wish I could.”

XX

Ro woke up at sunrise the next morning, Aelin still fast asleep beside him. Not quite in his arms, but still close enough that he could feel her warmth. Christ, she smelled incredible. Like lemon and coconut.

He propped his head on a chin, admiring the way the dawn light set her skin and hair to glowing. She looked like a fallen star.

Rowan’s heart ached a bit as he studied her, trying to memorize every detail, knowing that their time together was quickly running out. Originally, he’d only planned to stay the night, promising himself that as soon as the dark was gone, he would be, too.

In the light of day, he knew it wasn’t going to be that easy. Perhaps it was only asking for more trouble, but Rowan wanted to stay at least for the morning.

He could bring her coffee from that shop Cash loved; if Ro remembered correctly, it wasn’t far from here. He could go get it while she was still sleeping, and make her breakfast when she woke up.

He wouldn’t stay all day, he promised himself, just long enough that she knew she wasn’t some meaningless screw he’d fucked and then chucked. Surely she deserved that much, at least.

Unable to resist, he ran a hand down the silky mane of her hair, slightly tangled from their numerous romps the night before, before rising from the bed as quietly and creeping towards the bedroom door. He found his boxers briefs and shorts easily enough. He just needed to find his—

“Leaving so soon?”

He turned to find Aelin sitting up in the bed, that signature smirk painted on her pouty mouth. She hadn’t bothered to pull up the sheet to cover herself, and her breasts were fully visible, the studs in them winking in the crepuscular light pouring in from the window.

“Only to get some coffee,” he said, loving the way the tension which had limned her muscles disappeared. She’d been displeased with the idea of him leaving, even if she hadn’t wanted to show it.

Her next smile was far easier.

“I have coffee here,” she said.

“Not like this you don’t,” he said with a grin. “There is no coffee on earth better than the beans for the Kona Mountains.”

Her expression grew feline.

“You dare say such things to a Cuban?” She said. “If Galen were here, he’d have you tarred and feathered.”

Rowan recalled the coffee he’d had on a trip to Havana during the short period travel when from the US to Cuba had been permitted. She wasn’t wrong; it had been fucking delicious. Still, he wasn’t going to give up that easy.

“That’s more like espresso; not the same as having a full mug with you while you watch the sun rise.”

“The sun’s already risen,” Aelin said with a smile. “And coffee should be strong and decadent, and that’s what a cortadito is. You can keep your vat of hot bean water; a little is all you need. Just enough to whet the appetite.”

Rowan couldn’t help but grin.

“Awfully set in your ways for a person who’s so young.”

“I’m only five years younger than you,” Aelin pointed out. “And I didn’t hear any complaints from you last night.”

“That’s because I have none,” Rowan admitted. “You’re—“

He broke off, not wanting to embarass himself with verbose declarations now that they were both stone sober.

“I’m—“ Aelin prompted, standing from the bed. She was still naked as they day she was born, and it was an effort not to admire her.

“You know what you are,” Rowan said.

“I do,” Aelin agreed, slinking forward and draping her arms over Rowan’s shoulders. “But it hits different coming from you.”

It was the same thing he’d told her the night before, and he decided to indulge her the way she had him.

“You’re perfect,” he said, his hand slipping around her bare waist to tug her into him.

He kissed her softly, and he could feel her answering smile against his lips.

“Yes, I am,” she said, and he couldn’t help it.

He laughed, lifting her off her feet and heading towards the bed with her still in his arms. When he was close enough he tossed her onto the wrinkled nest of sheets and pillows before crawling over her.

“What am I going to do with you, Galathynius?”

She laughed as he playfully nuzzled her neck.

“Feed me? I’m starving after your thorough ravishing last night.”

“I think I can do that,” he said, bending to kiss her.

Still, he couldn’t bring himself to get up right away. Instead he rolled onto his side so he was facing her, trying not to preen as she traced a whorl of his tattoo.

“We never talked about these last night,” she said, her featherlight touch making goosebumps appear on his skin.   “They’re...Hawaiian?”

“Māori,” Rowan said. “I grew up on Maui, but my family is originally from farming town near Auckland.”

Aelin’s eyes glittered with interest.

“Have you even been there?”

“To New Zealand?” Rowan shrugged. “We used to go every few years while my grandparents were still alive. At the time it seemed boring. Now I’m glad we got the opportunity.”

Aelin nodded, still tracing his tattoos. She’d moved from his shoulder to his chest, fingers trailing closer and closer to his heart. To—

“And this one?” Aelin said. “It doesn’t look Māori.”

Rowan’s throat ached a bit as she ran the tips of her fingers over the letters at the very center of the massive design, directly above his heart.

Λυρία

“It’s Greek,” he explained.

She glanced up at him, gaze full of emotion as she said quietly, “It looks like a name.”

He nodded, throat growing tight.

“Lyria.”

Aelin didn’t push for clarification, but after a beat Rowan found himself speaking anyway.

“She’s my—she was my—“

When he broke off, Aelin only nodded.

“What happened?”

“Non-Hodgkins lymphoma. It was stage four by the time they caught it. She was gone within six months of her diagnosis.”

Aelin reached up to gently cup Rowan’s cheek.

“I’m so sorry, Rowan.”

He’d had people apologize to him a thousand times for Lyria’s untimely death, but something in Aelin’s tone was different. It was sympathetic but also...understanding, somehow.

“Have you ever lost someone you thought would be in your life forever?”

Aelin considered this before flipping her wrist and extending  it. There, inked in neat script, were three small letters Rowan hadn’t noticed before.

S-a-m

“We were high school sweethearts and went to UT together,” she explained. “My sophomore year we lived in an apartment together in West Campus, but we’d started to talk about moving after there had been a series of unsolved rapes in the neighborhood. We were on the first floor and Sam was worried about me being there when he was on the road for baseball season. The night I finally agreed we could start looking for another place, there was a break-in.”

She paused, brows furrowed as she continued to study the tattoo.

“The guy had a gun, and told Sam that if he cooperated it would be over quickly and neither of us would get hurt. But Sam refused, and he fought the guy off while I called the cops. He got shot while they were struggling with the gun, and by the time the paramedics got there it was too late.”

“Aelin, I...” Rowan paused, not wanting to saying the wrong thing. “That must have been awful. I’m so sorry.”

Aelin nodded, rubbing the tattoo with her thumb.

“Me too,” she said. “I miss him a lot.”

That, Rowan certainly understood. There wasn’t a day that went by that Rowan didn’t miss Lyria.

“Did they ever catch the perp?”

“Yeah, the guy’s gloves came off in the struggle and he ended up leaving prints. Cairn Macgory. Turned out he was a law student, top honors, no criminal record. The only reason they had his fingerprints was because of his application to take the bar. He was going to be a family law attorney. He already had a job lined up after school.”

“I hope he rots in hell,” Rowan said honestly, hating the haunted look that had crept into Aelin’s eyes.

“He’s honestly just lucky the cops got to him first,” she said. “My dad was ready to have him black-bagged back to Cuba and cut into little pieces.”

“I’m sort of sorry he didn’t,” Rowan admitted, and this—unexpectedly—made Aelin laugh.

“Aren’t you a cop? I thought you’d be all gung-ho for law and order.”

“Even cops can want revenge.”

Some of Aelin’s mirth faded at this, and she looked up to study him. It was an odd feeling to be so exposed, but Rowan found he didn’t mind it coming from Aelin. After a moment she relented, leaning over to rest her head on his shoulder.

“Sorry, that was sort of heavy for a one-night stand.”

Rowan strung an arm around her sturdy shoulders as he ignored the twinge in his gut.

A one-night stand.

He’d never stayed the morning with his previous one-night stands, and he’d certainly never told any of them about Lyria, so how could that be what this was?

Before he could damn the consequences and ask Aelin about it, she slipped from his embrace, grinning at him over a shoulder.

“Can I make you a cortadito, or have I scared you off?”

He grabbed her hand to pull her back.

“I’ll have coffee,” he told her rising onto his knees and she sank back onto the bed half-way. “And after that I’ll take you to breakfast.”

“You’re friends won’t be missing you?

Rowan traced her hipbones with this thumbs, everything he’d done to her the previous evening flooding back.

“They’re adults,” he said breezily, leaning forward to kiss the soft skin between her breasts. “They’ll be fine.”

Aelin drove a hand into his hair, her grip light and playful.

“You phones been blowing up for 20 minutes,” she pointed out.

“That’s just Cash being nosy.”

“He’s not dating anyone?”

“Not that I know of,” Rowan admitted setting back onto the bed and tugging her casually into his lap. “But Cash has always been full of secrets; it’s part of his charm.”

“What about the other two?” She asked. “The gorgeous one and the grouch.”

“Fenrys is more a serial dater,” Rowan said. “Mostly because his taste in men is garbage. He always falls for the haole fuckboys  then cries when they turn out to be assholes.”

“Haole?” Aelin said.

“Non-Polynesians, technically,” Rowan explained. “But most of the time Hawaiians just use it to mean—“

“Gringos,” Aelin said, grinning. “They do love to make trouble, don’t they?”

Rowan had to laugh at this.

“Fen would certainly say so.”

Aelin nodded, laughing as well.

“So that just leaves—”

“Lorcan,” Rowan said. “His bark is worse than his bite.”

“Aedion said he played him in Volleyfest last year in Miami. Why didn’t y’all compete in the men’s division together?”

Rowan rubbed the back of his neck.

“It’s...complicated.”

“I assume this has to do with your ex?”

“She invited me to play in with her. Lor wasn’t even supposed to be here this weekend. He decided to surprise me last minute.”

“So there is a gooey center underneath the scowl!” Aelin said.

“To be honest, I think Lor is probably the most sensitive and caring of all four of us. He just—isn’t good at emoting. He’s also a fastidious believer in ‘boys night’, though I think that’s just because he’s not good at chatting women up.”

“Bet he wasn’t too thrilled with me last night then, huh?”

“He’ll get over it. And he still pulls like crazy, even with his terrible flirting. Usually women take one look at him and decide they don’t even care if he can talk at all.”

Aelin laughed.

“I figured as much,” she said, rising from the bed again. “I have a lot of follow-up questions, but I need a shower before we go. Care to join me?”

She was already halfway to the open bathroom door when Rowan found his feet again, and wasting no time, he quickly swept her up in his arms and carried her the rest of the way.

After they spent forty-fives minutes fooling around in the shower and another hour having sex against nearly every available surface in the suite, breakfast—inevitably—turned to lunch.

After lunch, they’d joined a pick-up “king of the beach” doubles tournament some of the previous day’s competitors had set up. They’d made such a good team that it was nearly evening by the time they lost a match and were finally bumped off the champion court.

Starving from the exertion, they’d gone back to the suite to shower before leaving again to go to dinner. Dinner had turned into cocktails on the beach, which had turned into beers  drinks at Bar 35 then tequila shots at Smith & Kings. The evening that followed was a blur of pleasure, as was the following morning, which they spend in bed together, naked and sweaty.

At every turn Rowan told himself he needed to leave, need to start distancing himself from Aelin so he could start trying to forget her. However, he’d known from the start that it had been a fools errand.

There was no forgetting a girl like Aelin Ashryvver-Galathynius. Her vivacity, her humor, her raw sexual charisma—Rowan had never met anyone like her, and he doubted he ever would again.

So how the fuck was he supposed to just let her go? It was a thought that plagued him all the way to the airport on the afternoon Aelin was due to fly back to the mainland. He’d agreed to accompany her for a last drink before her flight departed, wanting to wring every last second he could out of the weekend.

It was—he knew—only delaying the inevitable by continually putting off their goodbyes, but Ro couldn’t help it. Aelin was like the sun—vibrant and essential—and Rowan had found himself in her orbit.

Harsh realities aside, it was a painfully lovely place to be.

Ro definitely felt a shift in the vibe as he paid their tab and they headed towards the security gate. Things had gone from easy and playful to quiet and subdued, Aelin’s usual flair dimming as she continually adjusted the bag on her shoulder.

Rowan searched and searched for the words he would say to her when they were finally forced to part. They’d never even exchanged numbers; perhaps he could ask for hers and offer to call her if he was ever in Austin?

It seems so stilted and formal after everything they’d shared this weekend. He’d been inside of her, for Christ’s sake. In fact, they’d had so much sex that they’d had to buy more condoms. And she’d fallen asleep in his arms last night, and stayed there until they’d woken up this morning. That was worth more than some vague promise to “look her up” if he even came to Texas.

Still, Ro was burning daylight and he knew it. The security gate was visible now, and though they’d both seemed to slow their pace in an effort to delay the inevitable, it was approaching just the same. Finally they reached the short queue where agents were checking boarding passes and travelers were taking off their shoes and belts.

Aelin was busy on her phone as they slowed to a stop, almost as if she were avoiding looking at him.

“My cousins are already at the gate,” she said by way of explanation. “They said boarding is starting in twenty minutes.”

Rowan glanced at the security line then his watch.

“You’ve got time; things seem to be moving pretty fast.”

Aelin looked over at the line as well. Finally she dragged her azure eyes back to him, the sheer force of her gaze enough to stun him stupid. She paused, as if waiting for him to speak. He had nothing, though.

“Well,” she said finally, a small, tense smile playing around her lips.  “I would offer to shake your hand and say ‘it was nice to meet you’, but given the fact we’ve seen each other naked, I think I’ll spare us both the indignity.”

Rowan forced a laugh, even as a pit began forming in his stomach. Shit, should he give her a hug, offer to give her—

“Goodbye, Rowan,” she said, leaning up to brush a kiss just to the right of his mouth. “It’s been—“ she clearly her throat, glancing away for a second. “I had an amazing weekend.”

“Congratulations again,” he found himself saying. “For making the AVP tour. You deserve it.”

Jesus Fucking Christ, was that really the best he could do? Maybe Fen was right, and he was destined to die alone.

Aelin’s grin didn’t quite meet her eyes.

“Like I said, I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“Happy to help,” he forced out. “Have a safe flight, Aelin.”

She smiled, the solemnity in her eyes now limning her face as well.

“I put my number in your phone,” she said, beginning to walk backwards towards the TSA podium. “Call me if you’re ever in Austin.”

With that she turned, and Rowan’s heart was suddenly in his throat, beating two hundred times a minute.

His mind whirred with all the reasons he had to simply let her leave—she still in college, they lived thousands of miles apart, he was a cop in Vice Squad and she was a fucking billionaire—a perceived conflict of interest even if it wasn’t a real one. There was no way it could ever work. It was hopeless, fraught with problems, doomed to fail—

He could hear his pulse pounding in his ears as he continued to spiral, thoughts growing so jumbled that he could hardly make sense of them anymore. Then a single, cogent thread emerged through the cacaphony and chaos, spooling him back to sanity.

A voice.

“Anóitos,” it teased, the tone soft and airy. “What are you doing? Don’t just stand there!”

Fuck , he missed that voice.

It had been three years since he’d lost Lyria. Three years since he’d heard her laugh, or sing, or speak Greek.

Three long, terrible years since he’d heard her speak at all.

But even after all this time, her voice was crystal clear in his head. He often felt it was her absence—more than her memory—that he’d been left with when she’d died. In that moment, though, it almost felt as if Lyria were standing beside him.

“Go, Ro. I’ll be here.”

Rowan felt a warmth tingle through him, and as he blinked back to reality, Lyria’s voice seemed to fade. But where he’d been buzzing with doubt a moment before, Rowan felt himself suddenly brimming with clarity.

If there was anything he’d learned from Lyria’s sickness, it was that life was simply too short to waste.

Lyria had died with her would-be engagement ring still in tucked away in Ro’s dresser drawer. He hated himself for the cowardice, but when she got sick he couldn’t bring herself to ask her to marry him. He’d wanted to believe that if he put off giving her the ring it might somehow serve as a talisman to keep her from leaving him. It hadn’t though, and instead she’d died never getting to be his wife.

It was a mistake he couldn’t afford to make a second time. It was improbable that he and Aelin would get married, but he felt he owed them both the opportunity to find out.

His mind was made up; fuck, he was really doing this.

“Aelin!”

She turned, watching with bemusement as he jogged toward her.

“What—“ she began, but he cut her off.

“I don’t want this to be over,” he blurted.

Aelin sagged a bit, a genuine smile splitting her face.

“Oh thank God,” she said.

Setting down her bag, she started towards him and they met halfway. Rowan cradled her face in his hands and he bent to kiss her. She fisted the fabric of his T-shirt at the hips as the kiss intensified.

“So what does this mean?” Aelin said, slightly breathless as she pulled away. “I’ve never done this before.”

Rare for her to admit she wasn’t perfect at something.

“We’ll have to figure it out as we go,” Rowan said. “My detective’s exam is in two weeks, and then I get a week off. I can come to Austin then?”

She nodded.

“Are we...” Aelin paused, biting her lip. “I mean, do you want to be...”

“Be what?”

“Exclusive?”

“Yes!”

It was out before he could stop it, so he quickly amended, “but only if you—“

“Yes,” she said, smile easier now. “I want that.”

“And are we...using labels?”

She smirked.

“Three days in and you’re already trying to wife me up?”

Now it was Rowan’s turn to flush.

“Okay, no labels—“

“I didn’t say that,” Aelin said quickly. “I just don’t want to jinx a good thing by moving too fast. What if you get back to LA and realize you accidentally got a girlfriend you don’t want? You did drink a lot of tequila this weekend.”

“Never,” he said gently, taking her cheeks in his hands. “Doubt that I want you, Aelin Ashryvver-Galathynius. And I’m fine to wait, if that’s what you want.”

“But...”

He felt his lips tugging again.

“But it’s doesn’t feel soon, not to me.”

“So....labels?” she said.

“Labels,” he agreed.

She grinned, kissing him again.

“In that case, your girlfriend has to go or she’s going to miss her flight and turn into your live-in girlfriend.”

“Honestly, your boyfriend wouldn’t mind.”

Aelin scrunched her nose, even as she laughed a bit.

“We agree the third person thing is creepy, right?”

“Yes, thank you God,” Rowan said, laughing with her.

“Dame un beso,” Aelin said, grabbing the collar of his shirt in an effort to tug his lips closer to hers. “Or I really am going to miss this flight.”

Knowing his time was short, Rowan made the kiss count, teasing Aelin with his lips and tongue until she was slightly breathless.

“See you in three weeks,” he said, pulling away.

He set the bag Aelin had abandoned on her shoulder and kissed her quickly again.

“And text me when you get on the plane so I know you’ve made it.”

She grinned, kissing him a final time before jogging off towards security once again.

“Oh and just fair warning,” she said, spinning on a heel to grin at him as she joined the short line. “My cousins are not going to like this. Might want to sleep with one eye open for a while.”

“You tell me this now?”

“Te veo pronto, querido,” she said in response, kissing her hand in farewell before showing the TSA agent her boarding pass and disappearing into the concourse.

He waited several minutes before pulling out his phone to text her. As he did, his phone chirped to signal an incoming text.

Did I mention I also stole your number and put it in my phone? 😈 💋

Troublemaker, he wrote back. Did you make it?

Yes. Wish you were here to join the Mile High Club with me.

Before Rowan could even formulate a response to that, his phone chimed again, this time from a number he didn’t know.

This is Aedion Ashryvver, it said. Treat her right or I’ll break both your kneecaps.

His phone went off a third time, the new text also from an unknown number.

Not just your kneecaps, either.

Galen Ashryvver, if Ro had to guess.

Ignoring Aelin’s cousins, he replied to her instead, saying simply, Seems like good news travels fast

The grey ellipsis pulsed for a moment as Aelin typed.

Aedion said it was their price for letting us stay in the suite alone all weekend. Taking off now. Talk to you soon ✌️ ✈️

Then it was worth it, Rowan sent back. Have a safe flight. Call me when you get stateside.

Aelin sent back a heart, and Rowan had to fight down an annoyingly girlish fluttering in his stomach as he dialed a new number and put the phone to his ear.

It only rang twice before the line clicked.

“He lives!” Cash said in greeting. “Welcome back from the island  of puss—“

“Very funny,” Rowan interjected. “Where are you?”

“Hideaway. Where are you, honeymoon chapel in Vegas?”

Rowan rolled his eyes.

“Ha-ha.”

Cash scoffed.

“Ha-ha, that’s all I get? You’ve been gone for two days, brother! I want details.”

“I’ll tell you everything when I get there.”

“Just give me a quick teaser: do you have a girlfriend now?”

Rowan growled, making Cash laugh.

“I told you!” He said to someone on his end, presumably Lor or Fen.

“You’re seriously dating her?” Lor demanded a second later. “Like full-blown ‘exclusively-fucking, using-labels’ dating her?”

“Full-blown.”

“I KNEW IT!” Cash called, just as Lor growled, “fuck me, man.”

“You owe me a drink,” Lorcan told Rowan. “I just lost 200 bucks because of you.”

“I’ll buy you a shot of house tequila,” Rowan said, unable to keep in a smile. “Final offer.”

“Hurry up,” was Lorcan’s only response. “Before Kahukore explodes from the anticipation.”

“Getting my popcorn as we speak!” Cash called from the background, and with that Rowan hung up.

A short Uber ride later, Rowan strolled into the Hideaway Inn, his friends wolf-whistling as he approached.

Cash was on his feet first, grabbing Rowan by the shoulders an inspecting him head-to-toe.

“What are you doing?” Rowan said, playfully pushing out of Cash’s grip.

“Just taking you in,” Cash said with a disarming smile. “It feels like it’s been an age since we last saw you!”

Rowan rolled his eyes, and Fen added, “Pretty dark circles you’ve got there, lover boy. Galathynius keep you up all night?”

“I am not answering that,” Rowan said. “Or any questions about what she’s like in bed.”

“Why?” Cash cooed. “Because she’s your girlfriend?”

“You’re both clowns,” Rowan said.

“You’re the one dating a teenager,” Lor said. “So who’s the clown now?”

“She’s 21,” Rowan said. “And green isn’t a good color on your, Salvaterre, so just relax.”

Lorcan smirked.

“Jealous? Of you dating a Amazonian she-devil? I don’t think so.”

“That is exactly what a jealous person would say,” Fen pointed out. “Chin up, Lor, your time will come.”

Lorcan only snarled in response.

“What do we think Salvaterre’s  eventual lady love going to be like?” Cash chimed in. “Betting line’s officially open, gents.”

“Tiny,” Rowan and Fen both said at the same time.

“Fifty bucks says he ends up marrying a girl under 5’4,” Fen added.

“Grow up,” Lor said with an eye roll, though Ro had known him long enough to tell he wasn’t actually bothered by the conversation.

“Make me,” Fen said.

Lor jerked his head the pool table in the back corner.

“I beat you, you owe me fifty bucks and you shut your cakehole.”

“And if I win?” Fen said.

“You won’t, so it doesn’t matter. Let’s do this.”

Lor shot Rowan a quick, conspiratorial nod, and Ro realized Lor had done it on purpose, to give Rowan and Cash a chance to talk.

It was one of the things that Ro loved about Lorcan Salvaterre. He was perceptive in seeing what people needed, and not jealous or petty. Somehow, he’d seemed to sense Rowan’s need to talk to Cash alone, even if Ro himself hadn’t realized it until just now.

He gave Lor a grateful smile, and Lor turned to clap Fen on the back, leading him towards the billiards table in the back.

“So,” Cash said, flagging the bartender down and ordered two beers and two shots of whiskey. “Tell me everything.”

He clicked his glass to Rowan’s in salute and they both tipped the shots back. Rowan winced a bit at the taste before running a hand through his hair, trying to collect his thoughts.

He ran Cash quickly through the weekend’s events, skipping over the more X-rated content and ending with his and Aelin’s agreement at the airport.

“Damn,” Cash said when Rowan had finished. “Are you sure this girl isn’t a witch? Because she has you under a spell.”

Rowan laughed.

“She’s—” he began, breaking off with a sheepish laugh. “I really like her, man.”

“You’re smitten,” Cash said with a grin. “Look at you!”

Rowan opened his mouth to deny it before shrugging.

“Being with her feels different somehow. It isn’t just that she’s gorgeous or funny or smart, even though she’s all of those things. It’s more than that.”

Cash considered this, but he didn’t tease the way Ro feared he might. Instead he simply asked, “what of you mean?”

Rowan blew out a breath.

“There’s just something about her that’s almost... familiar . Like I’ve been looking for her my whole life, even without knowing it. I know that sounds crazy, but...”

Rowan shrugged again, tracing the rim of his glass.

“She’s just special.”

Cash’s smiled, a softer thing than his fiendish grin from before.

“I’ve never seen you like this, brother.” He paused, his expression growing more reverent as he added in a softer voice, “Not in a long time, at least.”

They were quiet a moment as they both silently recalled the memories that hung unspoken between them. Cash had been the first important person in his life that Rowan had introduced Lyria to, and over the years, Cash was the one who’d come to know Lyria the best; he’d been her friend in his own right.

He couldn’t see it at the time, but when Ro finally emerged from his own grief over Lyria’s death, it was realize that Cash had been grieving as well; he’d simply put his aside to focus on helping Rowan heal instead. 

It was hard to describe what that sacrifice had meant to Ro; the nice thing about a friendship as deep as theirs was that Rowan didn’t have to explain his gratitude for Cash to understand it. It was implicit in every conversation they ever had about Lyria, even this one.

“You want to know the weirdest part?” Rowan said finally. “When I was watching Aelin walk away, it felt like, I don’t know, like Lyria was there with me. Like she was telling me ‘go get her’.”

Cash smiled, his expression one of admiration tinged in sadness.

“She wanted you to be happy, Ro.”

Rowan nodded, throat tight as he looked into his glass.

“I still miss her, every day. Part of me worries that if things with Aelin ever got serious, I might start missing her less.”

Cash’s answering shrug was sympathetic.

“Is that a bad thing?”

“I don’t want to forget her,” Rowan said, marveling that he could admit that fear out loud.

“You won’t,” Cash assured him. “Ever. But you’re allowed to move on, brother; that’s what she wanted for you.”

There was something in his tone, an assurity and a promise, that had Rowan’s mouth going dry. He glanced up to meet Cash’s gaze.

“She told you that?”

Cash nodded once.

“The last time I saw her. She made me promise to look out for you, and to make sure you ended up with the right girl. And honestly?” He said, a smile beginning to grow on his face. “I think you might have just met her. I can’t let you mess that up by overthinking things, for Lyria’s sake as much for your and Aelin’s.”

Rowan felt his lips tugging up.

“You’re going to like her,” he said, and Cash grinned.

“Latin girl who can kick your ass in sports? I love her already.”

Rowan laughed.

“I’m going to Austin after my exam, but she’s planning on coming to LA sometime after that. If you’re free, you could fly out, I have airline miles—“

“I’d love to,” Cash interjected, clapping Ro in the back. “But I’m going to be out of commission for the next few months. I promise I’ll meet her properly soon, though. She seems cool as hell.”

Not to be put off by the diversion regarding Aelin, Rowan frowned, narrowing his eyes as he scrutinized his friend’s expression. Cash’s answering smile was cryptic and slightly wild. It was then Ro remembered what Cash had told him when he’d first gotten into town days ago.

“Fuck,” he said, running a hand through his silver hair. “I feel like such a dick, you said you had news. I totally forgot, I’m sorry.”

Cash laughed, the sound easy and unburdened.

“You just met the women you’re probably going to marry. I’ll give you a pass.”

Rowan thought to object to the notion he was going to marry Aelin after only three days together, but something told him not to.

“Well tell me now,” Rowan said instead.

His friend’s cryptic smile returned, mischief sparkling in his hazel eyes.

“The only thing worse than having too many secrets,” Cash always said. “Is having none at all.”

Ro had a feeling Cash was about to drop a big one on him right now.

“I’m moving to London.”

“Wait?” Rowan demanded. “Seriously?”

Cash grinned.

“Seriously.”

“Just for a change of pace?”

“Partly,” Cash said with a shrug. “But mostly to be a Master Sommelier.”

Now that, Rowan had not expected. He struggled to pick his jaw off the floor enough to speak.

“Like a wine expert?” He said, stunned. “I thought you didn’t like wine! You always ripped on your uncle for opening Merchant of Vino!”

Cash laughed.

“That’s because it’s a stupid name and Dev’s a hapless businessman.“

Rowan still couldn’t fully master his shock, though it was quickly being subsumed by an overwhelming pride.

“This is amazing, man,” he said, clasping Cash’s shoulder. “When did you decide to do this?”

Cash’s smile had grown slightly sheepish.

“When I first sat for the Level One Sommelier exam three years ago?”

“Three years?” Rowan repeated. “You’ve been sitting on this for three fucking years? Why didn’t you say anything? Every time I asked about your job you brushed me off!”

Cash rubbed the back of his neck.

“I didn’t want to tell you in case it—didn’t pan out.”

“Seems like it’s panning out just fine!” Rowan said with a laugh.

“It’s going alright,” Cash agreed with a laugh. “Considering I passed the theory portion of the Master Sommelier exam. I just have to complete the tasting and I’ll be one of 229 Masters Somms in the world.”

“Jesus Christ,” Rowan blurted. “That’s incredible. How does London fit into all this?”

“If I said the name Sadeghi, would that mean anything to you?”

“Persian billionaires or something?”

Cash nodded.

“The old man is from originally from Tehran, but the family has been in England for ages; they’re real estate royalty in the UK. Sadeghi put his son in charge opening a new hotel and restaurant in London, and I’m going to be the wine manager. Make the lists, relationship build with vineyards, that kind of thing. They’ve already hired a Michelin Star chef from Marrakech, so it’s...a pretty big deal. It’s also a good way to for me to grow my network while I study for the exam. I don’t want to be stuck in the restaurant business forever.”

“Cash,” Rowan said, grinning. “That’s amazing.”

Cash smiled.

“Maybe you and Aelin can come visit once I get settled,” Cash said in deflection, clearly at his limit for discussing himself. “You know, Aelin your girlfriend.”

Rowan had to laugh.

He had a girlfriend.

And—Jesus Christ—Cash was moving to England. It was almost too much good news for a single day.

“I’m happy for you,” he told his friend, giving his shoulder an affectionate squeeze. “And you deserve this. You’re going to crush it”

“I hope so,” Cash said. “The pass rate for the tasting portion of the exam is 32%.”

“You’re the smartest person I know,” Rowan said. “So that number means nothing.”

Cash grinned.

“You flirting with me, Whitethorn?”

“If you’re going to be friends with billionaires, you need to learn how to start taking compliments,” Rowan said with a chuckle.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Cash said, and Rowan could see the unsaid words shining in his friend’s hazel eyes. “Another drink?”

Cash turned to slip off the stool he’d been perched on, by Rowan caught his arm.

“Cash.”

Cash turned back, expression somewhat bemused. Rowan felt a lump beginning to form in his throat, but he pushed on regardless.

“It’ll be you, you know that right?”

“Be me?” Cash repeated, confused.

“When I get married—whoever I get married to—you’ll be my best man. I couldn’t have it any other way.”

Cash smiled, eyes sparkling. He considered this for a moment before pulling Rowan into a hug, one which Rowan gratefully accepted.

“Love you, brother.”

There were very few people Rowan considered worthy of this type of familial affection, but Cash was certainly one of them.

“I’m not drunk enough for this kind of thing,” Cash said, pulling away. “I’m going to get us another drink.”

Rowan’s phone buzzed with an incoming call just as Cash was sauntering away. He was surprised to find it was Aelin, and concern sluiced through him as he answered the call.

Before he could ask if she was okay, Aelin said, “Stupid flight attendant has been holding out on me. She waited until just now to tell me I could make calls on WiFi.”

Rowan felt amusement tugging at his lips.

“Should I be concerned that you’re calling from altitude? Nothing’s wrong, is there?”

Rowan could practically hear Aelin’s grin through the phone.

“No,” she said breezily “But I realized I never told you about the Cinnabon I had on my way to the gate. I figured I should call and tell you now lest I forget.”

“Oh yeah?” Rowan said.

He couldn’t help it; he was all-out smiling now.

“It was life-changing,” Aelin said.

Rowan glanced up to find Cash joining Fen and Lor at the pool table with a conspiratorial wink. When he mouthed ‘sorry’ and made to rise, Cash waved him off with a smile.

“In that case,” Rowan said, settling back on his stool. “Tell me everything.”

THE END

If you liked this story and want more Rowaelin, check out my Nessian fic In Vino Veritas, set in the same modern au-verse about four years later. If you want a sneak peak at how Lorcan’s romance check out the teaser for F*cking Lawyers, set within the In Vino timeline. ♥️ 

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[rolanberry-rebel]

Windows to the Soul

With one look into the eyes, a clever negotiator can see everything - hesitation, fear, anxiety, hubris. Few things help you distinguish the wheat from the chaff like the eyes.

As a little girl, the other kids in the neighborhood relentlessly teased Maritsa - for her scrawny stature; how her parents’ poverty left her to wear dirty rags in the street, but more than anything they teased her for her eyes - one hazel-brown and one emerald-green. To some simply a genetic quirk, but children are relentless, searching for any strangeness, any insecurity to single out and antagonize other children over.

As soon as she'd found enough gil lying in gutters to afford a pair, Maritsa began buying shaded spectacles to keep her deformity hidden. She learned young that with her eyes hidden, her pained reactions - frowns, tears - lost a key component of their meaning; with no subtle shift of the eyes from which to derive wicked joy, the children’s teasing began to subside. A pragmatic accessory she’d picked up as a mask against her tormentors began instead to alienate her peers - and, eventually, as Maritsa’s quick mind and ruthlessness expanded, they became a symbol of fear among the local children.

Now, Maritsa kir Vesicus had long ago abandoned those simple, cheap sunshades, trading them in for a molded-metal visor, its gold-flecked steel shrouding her odd-colored eyes completely. A trio of red lights fed the world in perfect detail into a viewscreen, filtering and looping and zooming and giving Maritsa both sight and insight greater than even the keenest pair of real eyes could. More importantly, though, they read Maritsa’s eyes - and with subtle twitches and blinks, a series of magitek relays fed orders straight from Mari’s gaze to the bitpack along her waist, granting preternatural control over a technology so powerful she’d not sell it for all the coin in the entire Garlean treasury.

When a man can’t see your eyes he can’t read you. When you’re in the business of negotiating arms sales to some of the most dangerous, bloodthirsty criminals, mercenaries and killers in all Hydaelyn, you need every advantage you can get. Some tried flattery and flirtation, others intimidation, but in the end all of them had a simple choice - pay the price Maritsa wanted, or end up her enemy. You didn’t want to be her enemy.

That fact appears to have escaped the man now standing toe-to-toe with the infamous arms dealer - a roegadyn quartermaster to a crew of pirates, and not the jolly, grog-swilling, sea-chantey types of pirates, either. A mountain of metal and muscle with a scar-crested grin on his face, the fearless lieutenant paced along his deck, inspecting the sleek black crates packed heavy with experimental mortals and magitek aethershells. The haul could easily give even the most cowardly and combat-inept crew the upper hand in a scuff with the Limsan navy, and the crew’s quartermaster appeared pleased.

“The cap’n ‘ad business, but rest assured lassie I act with ‘is full confidence,” the surly marauder barked, the head of his axe a rust-toned red, no doubt meant to intimidate onlookers with imagined tales of bloody battles won. The crew, assembled along the deck behind the quartermaster, whispered among themselves, a few evil grins shared in anticipation.

“Ten million. For one crate,” Maritsa stated flatly, her words giving as few clues as to her mental state as her shrouded eyes offered. Her visor blipped as it readjusted, feeding details of every single movement to the highlander. Her back stiff and her stance unflagging, the scummy laugh her offer elicited did little to dissuade her confident stance.

“Lassie, there’s scarce a cannon in all ‘a blasted Othard worth even one tenth ‘a that,” the quartermaster responded, his words oozing from between his scarred lips. “Yer insultin’ me crew. An’ me cap’n, who’d certainly ‘ave run ye through if he’d heard that. I’ll give ye a few moments to reconsider.”

“Don’t need even another second. Ten million per crate,” Maritsa repeated. The crew grew restless, clearly clamoring to teach the highlander a lesson. The quartermaster lifted a closed fist to calm them.

“Well, by ways of a little thinking, imagine fer me fer a second,” the roegadyn mused darkly. “Imagine a crew ‘o forty ‘a the nastiest, hungriest, dirtiest killers this side ‘a Vylbrand, starin’ ye down wi’ cutlass and pistol, an’ me at the front, each of us takin’ our piece of that ten million out on th’ haughty bitch who dared insult us twice,” he continued, bringing sadistic chuckles from the crew. “What’s t’ stop me from doin’ ‘at instead of payin’ yer ten million, huh?”

“Nothing stopping you from trying,” Maritsa answered, smirking. He couldn’t see the devil in the highlander’s eyes, hidden beneath the visor, which bleeped as it acquired its target. “Except maybe the shriveled little bits of flesh between your legs.”

“Wh-what? Ye little--” that really got him. The quartermaster moved fast, gauntleted fists grasping the haft of his axe and, in a fluid motion, ripping through a soaring arc downward towards the sword-tongued arms dealer. He may have been fast - but Mari was faster. Several minutes faster. She expected this.

All she needed was one look at his eyes.

Shock replaced fury in the roegadyn’s expression as his blade fell harmlessly against a barrier of force, now glowing soft blue at the power of the quartermaster’s brash blow. Safe behind her shield, Mari sighed.

“So predictable, and so boring,” she dismissed him, a subtle movement of her eyes and squeeze of her palm sending the signal to the bitpack at her waist. The device hummed suddenly to life, launching four darting high-power energy relays into the air. Before the quartermaster could blink the relays had surrounded him; each glowed and blipped quietly in sync, and flashed to life, an array of burning light vaporizing the roegadyn so fast he didn’t even have time to scream. When the blinding flash dissipated, only a pair of heat-scoured boots and a trail of dust remained where a towering mountain had once stood. The crew stood in sudden, awed silence as the darting relays floated silently back to their resting place at Mari’s waist.

“Now,” Mari stated plainly, “I’m going to take my crates with me back to the shore. Let your captain know I’m waiting for his response, will you?” she canted her head to the side, a sea of stunned, befuddled eyes watching her every motion. “Tell you what - let him know I’ll even give him a 3-mil discount on each crate, by ways of paying back for the quartermaster. Okay?” Still no response from the terrified crowd. “Hello, anyone?” Annoyed, she scoffed, dragging the mortar crates towards the deck’s rail, clicking a few buttons on her magitek bracer to call in her airship.

“Men,” she murmured, lifting her visor just long enough to roll her eyes at the dumbfounded pirates.

[nlsetsumuri]

BNHA QUIRKS!!!

I'm organizing my notes for a character-insert story I'm writing and I felt like sharing them here!!! I think people would be interested in what I came up with.

FEEL FREE TO USE ANY OF THESE FOR YOUR OWN CHARACTERS!!

No credit needed. I made Flourish specifically with Shigaraki in mind because I know a lot of people would like to have a quirk complimentary to Decay so that Tomura can touch them safely.

and hey, self-shippers? I love you so much!! you're so awesome, pls send me some self-indulgent stuff sometime soon!!

also! Quirks that are present in my stories will be marked as IN-USE. this just means that what the quirk entails might change in the future.

FLOURISH - EMITTER (IN-USE)

touch-based quirk. complimentary to decay, rendering the user immune to decay. decay users are unaffected by flourish (cannot be healed). touching something with all five fingers heals/reverses any damage

i like the idea of decay and flourish canceling eachother out because they're complimentary quirks. shigaraki can touch you and??? you don't die?? and???? you touched shigaraki but he's not healing????? fun times

BOND - EMITTER(?) (IN-USE)

user has the ability to use a diminished version of someone's quirk if they share a strong bond with said person. Most commonly found in mutated individuals with animalistic features.

This isn't really a stand-alone quirk but more of an ability, but I still decided to include it because it has really specific requirements.

JACK OF ALL TRADES - EMITTER(?)

user can give themselves ANY quirk they desire (meaning that they can copy someone else's quirk, or create a new one entirely) this ability requires a lot of energy and while in-use, will tire the user out until the stop using the quirk or pass out. (think of it like charging your phone. eventually, the battery power will lower and you'll have to plug it in. Or you're one of those people who doesn't plug it in until it dies.) The more powerful the chosen quirk is, the longer the user will be out for. "OP" quirks like take more energy to replicate/use, and consequentially, will require a longer recovery period. Quirks like Overhaul or Decay will put the user into a comatose state. This quirk is literally just All For One Juniour Edition.

so basically like? all for one but fair. also the quirks aren't "saved" or anything, so if u want to use bakugou's explosion quirk, but ur already using tsuyu's froggy quirk to restrain something with your tongue, you'd have to stop using it and let go so you can use explosion instead.

NULLIFY - EMITTER

Touch-Based quirk. Touching someone with all five fingers will render them quirkless for 24 hours. Only works on one person at a time, and cannot be used on the same person twice in a row. Made with Shigaraki in mind.

i made this purely because i want to hold shigaraki's hand without turning into dust. also... imagine having to constantly remind yourself to keep ur pinky/middle finger off of whatever you touch. idk about you, but that's too much work for me. I'd rather just wear those gloves made for drawing tablets.

GRIM REAPER - EMITTER (IN-USE)

Touch-Based quirk. touching someone with all five fingers immediately kills them, allowing the user to harvest their soul (souls manifest as little cheeseball sized lights. they're all different colors, depending on who's soul it was.) souls can be eaten (they taste like gummi bears) whoever eats it has their body revitalized instantaneously, each and every individual cell replaced by a new and perfect copy. souls can only be captured in jars. they act like fireflies.

firefly rave... also this is literally decay but it only works on living things and also u get a snack. and a corpse. although idk i guess a corpse would count as a snack to someone. also if someone doesn't have a soul, they just die. lol

VAMPIRE - MUTANT TYPE

user is easily sunburnt, does not have a reflection, allergic to garlic (regardless of genetics) and cannot be killed unless the heart is damaged. User must drink a certain amount of blood regularly to avoid loss of inhibition (will attack nearest person to feed) and severe malnutrition, known as "bloodthirst."

honestly? this isn't really that beneficial... sunburns, no garlic bread, if you cant get enough blood you suffer and go apeshit... but I mean at least you've got circumstantial immortality.

HIGH ELF - MUTANT TYPE

user has pointed ears and is considerably taller than regular humans. naturally skilled archers, and have a strong connection to nature.

i couldn't help myself, i love DnD.

BETTA - MUTANT

fish subtype. user has fully-functional gills. The user's hair reflects the different kinds of tail types (plakat = short hair, crown tail = dreadlocs/separated strands, rose tail = long and flowy) and are naturally bright colors like red or blue. lethal close-combat skills and impressive speed. natural beauty is also a bonus

im surprised i'm not including this in my character insert story. it's my personal favorite so far. fishy!!!

WEREWOLF - TRANSFORMATION

exactly what it sounds like. full moons trigger the shift. user cannot control the shift. it's basically like periods except instead of bleeding out of your uterus, you turn into a wolf.

... yeah, i don't know what influenced this the most. the fact that i made vampires and felt obligated to also include werewolves, that i'm a furry, or that this gives me an excuse to push alpha beta omega dynamics onto bnha

GHOST RIDER - TRANSFORMATION

based on that one marvel comic series. when transformed, the user takes on the appearence of their skeletal structure engulfed in flames. the user is able to control flames and a vehicle/form of transport of their prefrence. when user establishes eye contact, the opponent will suffer the pain they have caused for others (if any.) cannot transform in direct sunlight.

i am incredibly ashamed to admit that it was only yesterday that i saw the 2007 ghost rider movie for the first time in my life. i fucking loved it. it was funny, freaky as hell, and so fucking awesome. i love ghost rider, i mean, cmon, like? that's literally what being a punk is about in a nutshell. skeletons. fire. leather jackets. metal spikes. chains. motorbikes. anti-heroes. also i really enjoyed the addition of genuine demon names. i got so excited when i recognized the name mephisopholes. the movie also gave me ACAB vibes so bonus points for that. and the little details like how johnny's fire turned blue whenever he focused on roxanne. god fuck it was a great movie i will be thinking about it for the next week or so. TL;DR THE 2007 GHOST RIDER MOVIE IS AWESOME I CANT BELIEVE I NEVER WATCHED IT. i always end up getting more attatched to the manga instead of the anime and this was no different.

P.S. lmk if you wanna know more about my character insert! i post a lot about him on my twitter account and i'm generally more active there anyways!!

[zonerz]

Omg! Your au so so cool! Is Ayumi gonna stop Junko from destroying the world?! Did Seiko, Mayui Shige and Yui get revived!? Did the events off Corpse Part and Danganronpa start over again!? So many questions!!!!!

!!!!! Aaaaaa tysm!!!! I can answer a few of those things real quick by just going thru a quick timeline! It stays p true to the games aside from a few things!

So!

The first CoPa happens, but the first time through they try using Kibiki’s way out and thus instigate the timeloop with only Satoshi really recognizing it. The game plays out with all the bad endings (including Book of Shadows) until they finally get it right and get out which leads into the Blood Driving bonus chapter of BoS.

The survivors of the initial HH dive are Satoshi, Yoshiki, Naomi, Seiko, Ayumi, and Yuka (and Shig but we’re still working out the exact stuff for him, but he’s not with the main group or known to be alive). So from there the timeline continues, a few months go by and everyone’s feeling the impact of HH in different ways (more mental than physical). Satoshi is a lot more on edge and temperamental than he was, Yoshiki’s got an overprotective streak, Naomi becomes very clingy and jumpy, Seiko has trust issues, Yuka feels like someone is always following her, and Ayumi is obsessed with that school and fixing it/bringing their friends back.

Blood Drive happens next and is pretty similar, the main change however is with the ending. This time, with Seiko alive, she and Satoshi are able to stop him from running back to get Ayumi and they all escape. This time though Ayumi actually does perish at the end—a trade of her life for the memories of everyone who died to be restored. Ayumi is still remembered afterwards, and ik her not being alive conflicts the whole consuming the Nirvana thing but BDBDHHDHD we can’t win all of them so basically it’s just up and destroyed.

So now we’re down to Yoshiki, Satoshi, Yuka, Naomi, and Seiko. They finish off their school year begrudgingly and with such a public event happening in BD, ultimately their story gets out to the press and they gain notoriety as the Kisaragi Five. Satoshi however is struggling a lot with the memory of all the deaths and timeloops so ultimately he ends up deciding to part ways for a while in a type of witness protection—new name, new school, the works, in hopes of healing from the trauma he’s faced. That new persona, of course, is Hajime Hinata!

Meanwhile, using the tragedy that struck the country following BD as a spring board, Hope’s Peak pushes themselves further into the limelight as a school that makes SaviorsTM and can do no wrong. They exploit the situation and end up having a lot of people set their eyes on it for hope in troublesome times—Satoshi/Hajime included. From there, the story of CoPa shifts into that of Danganronpa without any alterations.

Around this time, Ayumi’s spirit actually comes to from her death coma, much to her own confusion. Sachiko tags along with her to help her learn the ins and outs of being a ghost and also clear some things up. She’s not a very strong ghost since most of her spiritual energy went to destroying the Nirvana (so cant be seen or interact with things easily) however she can save up strength to act accordingly. Basically, her final act was one hoping to protect her friends from danger, and now that they’re in danger again, she’s awake. What the danger is? Neither are quite sure.

During the Tragedy, Yoshiki, Naomi, and Seiko end up joining different divisions of the Future Foundation as a means to both help and keep their families safe in their protection. Aiko and Magari end up joining the squad as well. They stopped hearing from Satoshi a year or so prior to the Tragedy, so while they hold out hope, they assume he was also killed. However a bit after the DR3 anime takes place, they are ultimately (and extremely awkwardly) reunited!

Sorry if the formatting is wonky! Tumblr mobile is NOT cooperating. But that’s the basic gist of it!!! There are some other changes (like changing Kuon because why was she Like That good god) but these are the big ones! I hope that clears some things up??? This all started just cuz my friends and I joked that Hajime and Satoshi were similar when we first started DR2 BDHDHHDHDHD

[thewritingginger]

Fluff Alphabet - Mammon

Thank you Anon fo your request you are actually my first request :3

And I’m really glad you enjoyed the one I did for Beelzebub, I hope that you like this one just as much too. ^_^

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A ctivities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

- Loves window shopping with his s/o 

- Many dates have consisted of walks around the mall or different pop up shops 

B eauty - What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?

- He admires their wallet their adventurousness, likes that they are willing to go along with his wild/stupid ideas and loves him even if it fails.

- He thinks your heart is the most beautiful thing about you, everyday he wakes up still bit surprised that you had found a spot for him in your heart that will never go away.

C omfort - How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?

- Doesn’t know what to do when he sees you crying but just defaults to asking you what's wrong and cuddle you till you’re ready to talk abut it.

D reams - How do they picture their future with their s/o?

- He wants a well paying job so he can afford the things he wants but also so he can support you and your future family.

- Doesn’t want you or his future kid(s) to worry about financial stability.

E qual - Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?

- He thinks he’s the dominant one in the relationship. We’ll just leave it at that 😂

F ight - Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting?

- Very pouty 

- You kinda have to amp him back up to not be 

- but will forgive even if reluctantly especially if he is in the wrong 

- Might be a bit embarrassed to apologize 

G ratitude - How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?

- He didn’t realize how much he needs his s/o in his life until there was one fight they had that ended up with his s/o storming out with out saying anything

- He made sure that he showed how much he loves and appreciates his s/o after that

H onesty - Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?

-  He’s quicker to share or more so boast about things to you 

- Now the more embarrassing things make him more reluctant 

- And if you confront him about something you'll know the truth cuz he’s not a great lier.

I nspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?

- His s/o kinda helped him become more honest, his record to stealing/ attempting to steal has decreased (not interlay well cuz ... it mammon we are talking about).

- Made him want to work harder to be the man you deserve.

J ealousy - Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?

- The easiest out the brothers to get jealous

- Be one to wrap his arm around you

- Will be mouthy to the person hitting on or talking to you, but more of a bicker than fighting unless comes to that point

K iss - Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?

- Was questionable at first, during the first kiss b/w he and his partner he when in being confident but his true feelings of anxiety and nervousness poked its head out when he accidentally head butted his s/o coming in for the kiss.

- Once the first kiss was done his usual cocky self returned and denied the head budding ever happened. 

- Is a good kisser 

L ove Confession - How would they confess to their s/o?

- A blushing mess

- Still trying to be cool but just ends up making him more flustered 

- Mammon would try and bring it up in a casual, nonchalant way 

- Just slipping it into conversation while you guys were alone

- “Heh, wouldn’t it be crazy if I loved you?” he scratches behind his neck nervously.

M arriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

- Didn't think he would ever get married, “Why would I want to give someone half my money” 

- But that seemed to begin to shift when his love between him and his s/o began to grow and became a bigger part of his life.

- He proposes acting like he's doing you a favor “ Hey, so asking this is gonna seem bit redundant because the answer is pretty obvious but wanna marry me? I mean why wouldn't you, The Mammon is offering to share your life with him.” 

- Even tho he said that, you knew what he was really feeling but was too embarrasses to be ask in a mushy way.

- Marriage w/ mammon is not bad but in the beginning finances and budgeting was a constant discussion but after the first year him and you have figured out a balance you can work with for the most part.

N icknames - What do they call their s/o?

- Nicknames you have for him: Mam, | Dough boy (dough as in money huh?),| Mr. Money Bags (used to tease him mostly, says he hates it but secretly doesn't), |

- Nicknames he has for you: Babygirl | Babe | My ‘Lucky Charm’ |Goldie 2.0, |

O n Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?

- Very tsundere 

- Will say he does stuff for you cause you made a pack with him first and he doesn't trust his other brothers to do it right for you cause he’s “the best at everything.” 

P DA - Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?

- In the beginning he would be a bit shy, playing it off as “well I just don't want to make you guys feel jealous.” and such 

- Once the relationship isn't so fresh he is more relaxed in the act of PDA 

- Not making out on the dance floor kinda relaxed but just Having his arm around you, kissing you a bit in a semi private area.

Q uirk - Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship. 

- The ability to get into shit but somehow able to make it out of it relatively fine

- IDK I really couldn't think of anything 😅 what do you think?

R omance - How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?

- On a scale from 1-10, Mammon would be clocking in at about a high 3 low 4

- It’s not that he doesn't think to be romantic, it’s just that he doesn't really know what to do (not really his strong suit)

- When. he tries to be suave and romantic he usually will mess up and break something or fall, which in turn will make you laugh 

- When you do he’ll get all blushy and pouty about it but then you kiss him and it is suddenly like it never happened OR like he meant to do that on purpose (we all know he usually doesn't)

S upport - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

- Of course he believes in them and they “will defiantly be able to achieve their goals with The Mammon on their side”

- But really, he does support them and tries to help as best he can even tho it doesn’t always turn out right, but his heart is in the right place.

T hrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?

- Likes to try new things 

- It keeps things interesting

U nderstanding - How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?

- Mammon jokes around a lot and cracks jokes but when it really counts he does try to understand to the best of his ability 

- Sometimes he doesn’t get it but he’ll just try and be there anyways.

V alue - How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?

- His s/o really ended up being more important to him than he initially thought would be possible.

W ild Card - A random Fluff Headcanon.

- One time when you and mammon were basking in the afterglow of lovemaking, with your arms wrapped around his torso, his fingers gently playing with your soft locks. Your rhythmic breathing slowly rocking him to sleep, he professes “I wouldn't trade you for all the money in the world! I don't know how a guy like me got you.” Your heart swelled hearing those touching words. Gripping him tighter, you pressing a tender kiss on his chest before drifting off to sleep filled with content.

X OXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

- Very affectionate borderline clingy sometimes, loves being tangled up with you in bed talking or watching a movie 

- Never in front of others, especially his brothers so he doesn't get ragged on

- In front of his brothers he just plays it cool, will put his arm around your shoulder, might kiss your cheek or neck

Y earning - How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?

- He may not want to admit it but he is a bit needy at times 

- He’ll send them messages “I’m bored, when are you coming back to entertain me?” “How much longer till you’re back?” 

- Any time his brothers or others ask if he misses his s/o he just shrugs it off, but secretly not so hidden secret really misses them and cant wait to envelop them.

Z eal - Are they willing to go to great lenghts for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

- Before his you Mammon didn't really prioritize relationships, they were just there when he was bored/ needed to be around others that art his bros

- But you, you were different 

- Surprisingly to him you ended up being a person he would give everything for, even his precious Goldie He would cut that bitch in half.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you for reading my work, hopefully it was at least a bit enjoyable.

To anyone that is reading this I hope you have an amazing day!

And if you have any suggestions of what I should write next just shoot me a message and ill try my best :3 

  💛 ~

[normal-thoughts-official]

Thinkin about autistic Alec and how that would work in twi. Since he's more open and happy he probably stims more especially with the wristbands and is just generally cute. He'd be so affectionate with Magnus, like, he knows Magnus and loves him so! Touching! Is! Good! Right from the get go. And Magnus is really overwhelmed in a good way because this boy loves him so much? Ahhhh

THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE ASKS THAT IVE EVER GOTTEN so naturally it took me a thousand days and a thousand nights to answer it

tbh i never stopped to think about autistic twi!Alec specifically (i mean i hc him as autistic bc i hc Alec as autistic and he's Alec but i never stopped to think deeper about how that would play out in that particular universe) but uve pried my third eye open with the bracelets thing. i love his bracelets and yes that makes absolute sense, him using them as lowkey stim toys makes all the sense in the world, specially because like as a party planner he probably needs to "pass" as neurotypical easily, what with all the clients and the freelancing ppl who are always lowkey changing and etc. like he cant afford to lose their respect and we know how ableism is. so he probably needs to have these subtle ways to handle them. so wristbands, Good Texture™ clothing, etc

but also the fact that he has his own business means he has a lot more freedom to organize himself how he wants, keep his routine, have people he trusts as coworkers and good spaces that fit his needs. and you are right, he is a lot happier and also not a literal soldier trained to suppress every need and feeling and power through whatever issues he has, he can be a lot more open. plus, he has more friends, more freedom, a creative work he enjoys and is in control of, etc. so like :') good for him

but also this got me thinking about twi!Magnus and for him that might be the opposite, like, i get the feeling that within warlocks stuff like neurodivergence and queerness and etc is way more understood and accepted, because tbh what makes "divergent" and "queer" is a society's concept of normalcy and that changes over time. warlocks are immortal and warlock culture spans every other human culture, so it's not like they arent gonna be very accepting and open about stuff that's considered weird by our standards because of their cultural and societal context

but twi!Magnus doesn't have a warlock community (or at least that's heavily implied) and he has to live among mundanes, and that probably means that he had to learn to "pass" and reppress a lot of parts of him that he didnt necessarily reppress before. and i wonder how much of that has got to do with his magic going dormant

especially if he has to suppress his stimming and other stuff like this, because ive always headcanon-ed that Magnus uses magic for stimming a lot. like the way he'll be making those little balls around and playing with them, the sparks on his fingertips, the elaborate hand and finger movements (like i totally think he uses magic as an excuse to just wiggle and flap his hands around a bit and stim when hes around non-warlocks), the way he's always twisting and rubbing his fingers... and so having to stop stimming means having to repress his magic and possibly try to shut down things that came naturally, such as his magic lashing out when he had sensory overload, or using it to calming down, or doing sparks when he needs to stim, etc. and that sudden shift in his magic after centuries of letting it flow freely was probably very hard and smothering, and since Magic is a part of warlock's way of experiencing the world and interacting with it, i wonder if having to shut down so much of how Magnus experiences things because of ADHD didn't take it's toll on it's magic, basically locking it away from his own perception so he would be able to "pass"

and i wonder if seeing Alec and how he's handled that and created his own strategies to be able to be respected by neurotypicals and be in close contact with his neurodivergent identity and needs would help him, you know? especially because Alec is open about it with him, just like he is with his friends, and it's been a while since Magnus has had that, what with his depression (which is also obviously a huge part in his magic not working) and everything. and just like slowly bonding over that and trading experiences and helping each other out?

PLUS they both trust and love each other and are lowkey sensory heaven for each other and thats so cute and good? like Magnus will be like "god my head wont shut up, i need The Peace" and Alec will hug him like a cocoon and Magnus just sighs and it feels like a sensory deprivation chamber and it's so good and safe. or the other way around, Alec needing to calm himself down after a draining and overly sensorial day and just wrapping himself in blankets with Magnus and having Magnus koala him so he gets that good calming pressure and peace. or being nervous about something and playing with each other's hair instead of stimming....... just being so soft and clearly so good for each other always dhbdunddidndidn and both feeling so loved and understood and aaaaaa

[bjy-on-ao3]

Obedience School

(You can find the Ao3 link to this in the Masterlist section of my blog shortly.)

It’s fic upload day! So happy Friday the 13th, people, and have some fic to enjoy! Obviously Nsft! All will be under the cut! Part of a fic trade with TsuraKofuku (I don’t believe their tumblr is really used/active, but you can also find them under the same name on Ao3 - they make some great fics and I do recommend checking them out.). We each gave one another a list of characters and picked one as a surprise! Now, time to get banned in one more tag (since tumblr doesn’t really seem to like when I post this content.) (Also it shouldn’t need to be said, but this is post-Shippuden Kiba once he is an adult. Not putting a specific age after that, as there’s the whole 14-15 year span, but I am ignoring Tamaki’s existence.)

Obedience School (F! Reader/Inuzuka Kiba)

You and Kiba met that evening at your home, taking little time to make your way to your bedroom. Eager and hardly able to contain it, Kiba knew he would need to get a handle on his excitement. He tried to steel himself, knowing what he had in mind would test his patience as well as yours. You eyed him expectantly, a hand on your hip, but otherwise relaxed. “So what did you have in mind?” You asked curiously. Kiba had been a little vague about the details, so you didn’t have much to go by. 

“A little obedience training, see how good you can be for me,” He said, a crooked grin pulling at the corners of his lips. The expression was half smug, half goofy, and you couldn’t help but smile in return.

“So you want to train me like one of your dogs? Hm, I guess that’s alright,” you teased in return. Maybe someone unfamiliar with Kiba or his clan would’ve taken being trained like a dog as an insult, but you knew much better than that.

“Good. Let’s get started. C’mere,” he instructed.

You obliged him, crossing the space until you were within arm’s length. Kiba reached out, wrapping on arm around your waist and laying a hand on your hip loosely, pulling you closer. His other hand moved up, cupping your jaw and angling your head before meeting your lips. You sighed contentedly at the contact, resisting the urge to press back into the kiss aggressively and begin the typical battle for dominance. Instead, you let him work your lips with his and hissed when he nipped sharply and tugged at your bottom lip.

His tongue trailed over the seam of your lips, hot and insistent, compelling you to obey and let him in. Pushing yourself a bit closer to his body, you let him slip past your lips. His tongue swept over your own, tangling with it and massaging it, coaxing it to follow along. The kiss was far more subdued than normal - none of the clacking teeth or bruising force you were used to when you each strove to win out over the other.

But the passionate, firm slide of his tongue and his lips was enticing in its own right and you found yourself quickly feeling warm and tingly. A hint of warmth pooled in your belly and you squeezed your thighs together briefly to subdue the sensation before it could distract you over much. Losing yourself from just kissing wouldn’t do, especially if you needed to be patient and obedient.

The kissing carried on and the newly lit arousal in your gut smoldered stronger as the seconds ticked by. When Kiba finally let you break away, the tips of his nails lightly skimming your cheek, you found your breaths growing shorter, each one coming out heavier than the last. Your face and chest felt hot and each gulp of air was thick.

Kiba could easily see the signs of your arousal, though subtle, and the half-smile on his face remained prominent, contrasting the tinge of red on his cheeks. “Now on your knees,” he growled, tone light but commanding. It left no room for you to argue with him. “And don’t move until I tell you to.”

You followed the demand swiftly,  lowering yourself onto your knees on the floor,  partly bracing yourself on your fingertips. You looked up at Kiba from your position, eyes half-lidded and your lips kiss-swollen and parted slightly. The sight went straight to Kiba’s groin and he felt himself twitch and stiffen, his smile broken for a moment as his tongue darted out to wet his lips in anticipation. “Good girl,” Kiba praised in a husky tone, reaching down fumble with the waistband of his pants.

He drew them down along with his underwear until his cock bobbed free, hanging heavy and half-hard. He wrapped his fingers around his length loosely, making sure his dark eyes remained locked with yours as he began to slowly stroke himself. He watched for an instant as you flinched, as if you made to lean forward on your knees but caught yourself and pretended that you hadn’t tried to move at all. When you mirrored how he had licked his lips, eyes flickering to linger on his hardening cock, Kiba couldn’t help but groan softly, another burst of arousal hastening the process.

With each languid stroke, you longed to disobey him. Longed to crawl closer and knock his hands away and take their place with your own. You wondered if he was simply going to torment you, test your patience and force you to watch him jerk himself off in front of you. You weren’t sure if you could handle being teased like that when what you wanted was so very close - close enough you could smell the salty tang of pre-cum and musk. “Kiba…” the name slipped out as your eyes flitted up to his for a second, away from his cock before you lost control and pushed his hands aside as you desired. Your tone was almost a whine, a half-hearted plea for his permission.

“You’ll get it, baby. Just be patient,” he assured you.

If you hadn’t been so keen on curling your fingers around his cock you might have laughed at the irony of someone like Kiba telling you to be patient. As it was, you just pouted and pulled your bottom lip between your teeth. Kiba’s free hand shifted to your head, massaging at your scalp with his fingertips. The slow caress soothed your longing a little, though his touch grew slowly rougher and tighter until his fingers were tangled there, holding your head in a stiff grasp. He tilted your head, angling it to align more easily with his cock, a single bead of white on the slit at the tip. You swallowed hard, salivating at the sight, your face burning and scalp stinging.

“Good girl,” came the praise again, though Kiba’s tone was more thick and gravelly. “Open up for me,” he commanded, his hips inching closer to your face.

You didn’t need to be told twice. You let your jaw drop, sticking out your tongue so it lolled invitingly. You hadn’t been permitted to wrap your fingers around him as you had been craving, but your lips would suit even better. Slowly - too slowly for your tastes - Kiba eased his hips forward, his heavy cock sliding into your mouth and over your tongue. When he touched the back of your tongue, you worked to suppress the reflexive need to gag, digging at the floor beneath your fingers.

You let your lips mold around his cock, laving your tongue along the underside as he drew back. For an agonizing instant, your mouth was left almost empty, the slight taste of bitter salt on your tongue. Then he rolled his hips forward and sunk back into your waiting mouth. He groaned as the heat of your mouth and throat engulfed him again, the sound low and feral. It reinvigorated the coals of arousal burning in your gut and your cunt clenched around nothing, eager to be filled just as your mouth was.

You moaned around his cock as he repeated the slow rock in and out of your mouth, trying to suck him back in each time he eased out. “Fuck, you feel so good,” Kiba growled on the end of another hard, purposeful thrust. 

The pleasurable, wet touch of your mouth wasn’t the only distraction testing Kiba’s will. He could hardly tear his eyes away from the sight before him. As tempting as it was to close his eyes and bask in the feeling, it was so much better to see the way you struggled to match the rhythm of his thrusts. Your eyes were focused, but at the same time veiled with a cloud of lust that made his cock harden even further on your tongue. He could see your fingers flexing and clawing into the floor, fighting the desire to join your mouth and touch him.

The smell was another alluring factor as well, something that affected someone like him far more than the average person. It wasn’t just a backdrop to his more tactile senses, not by a long shot. The hunger in your gaze and touch of your tongue was one thing, but the musky, moist scent of your arousal was another completely. It enveloped him, making him groan and buck extra hard into your mouth, picturing running his fingers or tongue along your steadily more soaked slit.

The pitch of his hips increased and you fought your gag reflex once again, adjusting to the more wild thrusts. Each time he slipped out you eyed the length of him glistening with saliva, a bit of it trickling down the corners of your mouth. The growing volume of his feral grunts and groans only sent spikes of heat to your gut and you sucked with more fervor. You could tell Kiba was getting close and it only sent your arousal into overdrive.

Feeling his release approaching rapidly, Kiba’s hand in your hair became a vice grip and he canted his hips forward, pushing his cock as deep as possible, your throat shuddering around him. “Ooh, fuck, I’m gonna cum. You’re ready for it, aren’t you, baby?” He growled filthily.

A throaty, choked hum of agreement and approval rolled over your tongue and through his cock, the final push over the edge. With one last, rough buck, he tensed against your mouth, his cock pumping your mouth and throat full of hot, bitter cum. You swallowed thickly, as best you could around the length of him without gagging, another lewd, muffled moan escaping you.

When Kiba began to withdraw, breathing hard and short, you trailed your tongue along his retreating cock, cleaning away any lingering cum before he was beyond your reach again. A full-bodied shiver rolled through him and he took a few deep breaths to gather himself, the force of his orgasm temporarily turning his brain to mush. Around him, the heady smell of your arousal blended with the scent of his orgasm, only adding to the lusty fog threatening to drown his wits.

When at last he managed to put himself back together, his gaze returned to you and heat shot through his belly all over again. You were still waiting obediently, though the expression on your face was pleading, yearning, your lips pursed and wet as you awaited his next commands. He was impressed you held yourself together despite the intensity of the lust in your eyes. 

Hand still fisted in your hair, Kiba gave a light tug, instructing you to stand. You followed his words and, releasing your hair, he hooked his hands around you, lifting you off your feet. Your eyes shot wide for one startling moment and you curled your legs around his waist to steady yourself, a surprised shout of his name leaving you. He made his way towards the bed nearby, plopping you down on it unceremoniously.

He followed you down as you propped yourself on your elbows, his lips meeting yours again. There was considerably more fire in them when they met yours the second time and you strove harder to remain subservient. You were pushed down into the bed, covered completely by Kiba’s body, every inch of him flush against you. His cock was already stirring against your thigh again and you instinctively bucked your hips against him. He growled into the kiss, returning the motion and making you gasp.

When he moved away from the dominating kiss it was to pull at the ties and clasps of your clothes. “Off,” he demanded huskily with a gesture to them.

You obeyed enthusiastically, whipping your shirt over your head and tossing it aside before wriggling out of your pants and underwear as well. As he waited for you to disrobe, Kiba pulled at his clothes, shrugging his jacket onto the floor and stripping off his shirt. Already halfway down, he finished sliding off his pants and underwear. When you were both naked, he paused for an instant, coal eyes devouring the feast of flesh before him, his expression growing more and more hungry. You sucked your lip between your teeth, worrying it to try and contain the urge to pull him back against you.

“Get on your hands and knees,” came another growling order.

Sitting up, you did as you were told, unable to resist wiggling your backside toward him enticingly once you were in position. In retaliation, Kiba’s palm came down on one cheek in a light smack that made you jump a little and cry out softly. You chanced a quick look over your shoulder, seeing the lopsided grin still plastered on Kiba’s lips, a feral complement to the dark veil of desire on his face that boiled your blood. And then he was moving against you, hands trailing over your bare skin and massaging the curves of your waist and hips.

He pressed himself against you, bowing and laying his chest to your back, his cock twitching against your backside. He brushed his lips over your shoulders and the nape of your neck, wrapping one hand around you to grope at your breasts. You felt the sharp pinch of his teeth on your skin at the same time he rolled a nipple between his fingers, the sting on your neck quickly soothed by his warm tongue. He changed sides, repeating the motions and you let out a needy moan. The throbbing of your pussy was almost overwhelming, the desperate desire to have him fill you up maddening. You could feel just how wet you were, surprised you weren’t dripping down your thighs from it.

You whined his name pleadingly again, not knowing what else to do when you were supposed to remain at the mercy of his orders. What else was there to do but beg when you were meant to try and be a good girl for him?  You weren’t sure in the clearest state of mind - with your head fogged with lust you had no chance of figuring it out. “I need you, please,” you begged, hoping the desire you felt seeped into your tone.

Kiba hummed against your flesh as if considering your words, leaving a few more bites on your neck. “Only since you’ve been such a good girl,” he gave in, straightening back up and replacing his other hand on your hip.

He pressed his hips forward, slipping his cock through your folds and lubricating his length in your wetness before lining himself up with your hole. He sank in slowly, again not enough for your burning hunger. You wanted to slam your hips back against his intrusion, take all of him as deep as you could manage. You wanted to feel every hard inch of him buried inside you, but you held back. Your body quivered with the effort, your frustration erupting over your tongue in another moaning whine.

You heard and felt the chuckle from your lover, entertained by your neediness. You bit down on your lip to hold back any smart-mouthed words that might be tempted to fall from you. Kiba pulled back before he was fully inside, giving a more vigorous roll of his hips and sinking back into you much deeper than before. You swore in relief, a drawn-out groan following as you finally got the full feeling you were craving.

“You’re so wet for me, baby,” Kiba growled, bending over your body again as he thrust slowly, his voice a throaty whisper in your ear. “You must be enjoying yourself,” he mused, his slow pace picking up gradually.

He shifted his grip, curling his hands under your thighs and lifting your legs, pulling them towards his hips. You hooked them back, digging your heels into his ass  The angle was strange and you felt your muscles burn from the strain of holding on, but the stroke of his cock pumping in and out was more than enough to make up for the effort. Each time he drove back into you it sent a buzz of pleasure radiating outward from your core, stoking the flames in your gut higher.

“Aa, Kiba, fuck, fuck!” You cried out from the sensation of the new angle, your fingers twisting in the sheets and your toes curling, the pleasure rippling through you making it difficult to compose more than swears and gibberish.

You tried to push back into Kiba’s thrusts, though the new position made it hard and you succeeded only in grinding against him when he buried himself to the hilt. Despite the lewd sounds bubbling out of your throat and your blood pounding in your ears, you could hear Kiba groaning and growling his own mounting bliss. Each primal noise was punctuated with another hard smack of his hips and the light prick of his nails grazing your overheated skin.

The sounds only made you feel even hotter, your heart racing faster in your chest. Your pussy clenched around him more urgently, drawing him deeper and deeper with each pulse. In turn, he only pressed more roughly into your heat, the rhythm of his pace soon fading until he was pounding wildly into you, “I’m almost there, baby, so close,” he began, his words breathless and broken by pants and groans. “Be a good girl and cum for me,” Kiba growled, low and breathless, his tempo making you squeeze down on him even tighter.

Your arousal rose to a fever pitch from his words and groans and the rough stroke of his cock against just the right spot, your breath coming shorter and sharper. You bit down on your lip so hard it stung as the tight coil in your core became almost unbearable. Finally, it burst and your mouth fell open, a quickeningly more lewd series of cries exploding out of you until you were screaming Kiba’s name and incoherent curses.

“Shit, that’s it, baby, that’s it,” Kiba breathed, hands holding your body a little tighter.

The most feral noise you had yet to hear from Kiba joined your debauched chorus as his hips stiffened and slowed against you. Finally, he spilled himself inside your spasming cunt, several growling moans and pet names spilling out along with his release.

When he was spent, Kiba lowered your legs carefully back to the bed, feeling suddenly exhausted, but sated. When he pulled out you let yourself drop onto your stomach, coated in sweat and content to lay facedown and boneless on the rumpled sheets. You felt the bed dip beside you as Kiba lay down, rolling over to pull you against him and wrap you in his embrace,

Despite still feeling hot and sticky and sweaty, you didn’t fight his hold, more than happy to savor the afterglow with him. “Maybe I should listen to your suggestions more often…”

[jadekitty777]

See You Heal

Hey everyone, long time no update, right? Aha!

Alright time for something a little different but still sweet. This entry is a work entirely inspired by @ladyrobiness‘ beautiful Slow Sunrise series. I woke up one morning and the idea just hit me like a truck and well... I had to write it out.

This is a continuation to that series so, reading it first is absolutely required. But why wouldn’t you? It’s a beautiful Fix-It fic with lots of tender moments of healing for Qrow and Clover both along with them just falling in love like the adorable dorks they are <333

Here are the Ao3 links to both:

Robiness’ Story: Slow Sunrise series

My Story: See You Heal

It’s also below the cut!

Rating: K+

Pairing: Qrow/Clover

Word Count: 2800

Summary: Qrow knows ignoring the problem only makes it worse. Unfortunately, dealing with it has its own set of problems too.

~

Sometimes, Qrow wished his standard for dealing with shit wasn’t ‘‘Ignore it until it goes away’.

It didn’t work. He knew it didn’t work – and yet sometimes his traitorous brain thought: maybe this time it’ll be different. So, when the issue of Clover not liking anyone at his six came up, like a scroll that had been factory reset, he defaulted. Hoped in the most ironic ways that the problem would just fix itself or at the very least, never become a problem.

That was why, as he gusted through the air trying to spot the nearest nomadic settlement, all he could see instead was Clover’s dismayed expression.

Really, he only had himself to blame.

They’d been traveling through Vacuo’s unforgiving desert for hours. It was a six-day journey to reach Shade Academy, most of which they had to do on foot as no locals at the city border ever escorted anyone across the desert without a price. Though they’d gotten an early start, beginning their trek even before the sun had peaked the horizon, as the day waned the sands around them began to shimmer as the heat rose to unbearable heights. Add onto that an unstable ground that left them all unsteady on their feet, relentless winds that whipped sand along exposed skin and eyes, and the occasional Grimm or wildlife lying in wait for an attack, and it just seemed like a recipe for disaster.

So, when the Sidewinder Grimm leapt from the dunes they were walking across and struck out at Weiss, all but two of them either didn’t react fast enough, or stumbled when they tried. The first of the two that had was Clover, who had his fishing line around Weiss in an instant and yanked her his way. The second was Ruby, who sped above the field like a shot, petals and dust following her wake as she managed to get in the first blow.

Within seconds, the rest of them recovered and suddenly the snake had ten skilled opponents bearing down on it. It certainly wasn’t a long battle, but enough to get the adrenalin going. The kids seemed to take it as they saw it, realizing the threat was over once the smoke cleared. But more veteran huntsmen like himself kept on guard a little longer.

Or like Clover – who wasn’t expecting Jaune to come up behind him and give him a congratulatory pat on the back.

The reaction was instantaneous. Clover yelped as he twisted and swung Kingfisher right at the boy’s head.

The clang of metal hitting metal seemed to echo the world into silence.

Jaune, shield shadowing his face, looked tense and a little frightened.

Clover just looked horrified.

And then he was faltering back, dropping his weapon into the sand. “I’m- I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to- are you okay?!”

“I’m, fine.” Jaune answered a little shakily, trying to laugh it off. “I don’t think now is the time for a training exercise though.”

Clover tried to meet him, but his own chuckle rang hollow. “No. No it’s not.” He ran a hand agitatedly through his hair. “I really am sorry. I, I don’t know what came over me.”

“It’s too hot.” Weiss was the one to offer, turning the attention her way. “I’m having trouble too.”

It sounded logical. Believable. Of course the Atlesians weren’t accustomed to blistering heat like this and would be most likely to succumb to its’ effects.

Only Qrow knew the truth of the matter. Tried not to think how a desert wasn’t so unlike a tundra – open space, unsteady footing, extreme weather.

“We need to get out of this sun.” Blake decided.

Ruby nodded in agreement. “Right. Uncle Qrow, can you scout ahead and see if you can spot something?”

That’s how he ended up in the sky, canting in great big circles like a vulture and looking to every horizon as he tried to make out a camp or an outcropping or a cactus. Anything that might provide shade or water. It took a few cycles, increasing his radius at every turn, before finally managing to see several flutterings in the distance. Upon closer inspection, he knew it was the tarps of caravans, moving southwest. Which meant stable ground and civilization.

He dove back towards the group, morphing just shy of his landing. “Looks like someone’s on the move several miles that way. There’s probably a temporary camp nearby.”

Or if there wasn’t, there would be.

“Right, then let’s move.” Ruby ordered, turning to the robot beside her. “Penny maybe you can try and keep us cool in the meantime?”

“I will give it my best shot!”

Their conversation faded to background noise as his focus instead shifted to Clover who, for the first time since they’d begun traveling together, took lead instead of rear. A silent attempt to rebuild goodwill. But his posture was held straight, an unnatural rigidity to his movements.

Qrow joined him, not quite reaching for his hand, but allowing their knuckles to brush together. The effect was miniscule, but there, just the slightest drop of his shoulders as his face eased into a small, not-quite-there smile.

Okay. He could work with this.

~

It was funny how easy it was to trick a Vacuon when they thought they were the ones playing it. All it took was some altruistic speeches from the kids about wanting to help because that’s what huntsmen did and the words “free of charge” and suddenly they were traveling with a whole parade of people who thought they were getting protection for nothing. Which was mostly true – except of course, now they had a place to stay in and quicker way to the academy.

It also kept them busy, trading off shifts throughout the day to keep watch on their surroundings. Which meant it was almost two days later before he finally had a moment alone with Clover. The wayfarers who they were assisting had a strict habit of bearing down at the hottest part of the day to conserve resources and energy. With JNPR 2.0 on duty and RWBY helping with lunch, Qrow took the opportunity to retire to their makeshift quarters.

As he stepped into the tent, he found his segue into the conversation was going to be more on the nose then he’d planned for.

Clover was seated on one of the various sleeping mats, Harbinger in his lap as he tended to her gears. “Hey.” He greeted. “How’d scouting go?”

“Uh. Fine.”

Seeming to sense his unease, the huntsman paused, looking between him and the weapon. “Oh, sorry! I guess I should do this later.”

“No!” The word burst out of him, startling them both. Qrow cleared his throat, repeating more levelly, “No, it’s fine really. I told you to take care of her.”

To prove his statement, he took the few steps forward to sit directly across from him.

Clover eyed him skeptically for several long moments, perhaps trying to puzzle out if he was trying a backwards form of recovery or just talking big. He seemed to decide the former as he bent back over the sword. “Well, I’m glad you’re here. A lot of grit is getting in-between the gears. But I’m worried about messing up the mechanics.” He offered him a smile. “Harbinger’s really intricate. You did an amazing job.”

“Laying it on a little thick there, aren’t ya Ebi?” He scooted forward just a little, pointing to the correct parts as he spoke. “First loosen the spindle here. Then you can take out the suspension spring and remove this gear.”

They spent the next several minutes just going about the task. Even though he was guiding another’s hands through the motions, the work was so familiar it was relaxing. He even found it possible to keep hold of the small, easily lost pinions as they were removed. All the while, he studied Clover as he worked, the way his brow furrowed with deep concentration or how his strong hands never faltered as he took out each gear with care and reverence. As if the weapon was as cherished as his own.

“Last one.” Qrow announced as the fifth pinion was dropped into his palm.

“You know, before I really was praising you.” The smallest cog came out with a small pop, being added to the growing collection on the cloth Clover had laid out. He finished his statement with a mirthful smile, “But now I’ve determined you went too far.”

He snorted. “Sorry my sword-scythe-shotgun hybrid is a little more complicated than your basic fishing rod.”

He gasped in mock offense. “My darling may not have all your weapon’s fancy little tricks, but it gets the job done with just as much grace.”

“Oh, that’s what you call all that flailing around?”

“Watch it Branwen.”

“What? Am I-” The rest of his words ‘on thin ice’ died in his throat. “Uh-”

This time, Clover misinterpreted his floundering. “What, am I doing it wrong?”

He focused on where the other’s hands were, his own quickly reaching out to catch his, only to abort the motion just as quickly when his fingertips skimmed Harbinger’s surface. That Clover noticed.

He ran the same hand over the back of his neck. “Uh, don’t remove that unless you want her coming apart completely.”

“Alright.” Clover lifted his hand from the center plate obediently. “Are you doing okay or should we stop?”

Dropping the pinions onto the cloth beside the other parts, he tried not to let it feel like too much of a failure. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”

“Why would I be uncomfortable?” He replied with a frown.

Qrow stared. Was he being serious right now? “You’re kidding. If anything you should be more repelled to be holding her than me.”

“But I’m not. I never have been.”

The frustration broke over like a wave so that his next words flooded out like a tide of turbulent emotions, “Why not? You’re the one who got hurt! Why is it so easy for you?!”

No, no. Shut up.

He slouched over, scrabbling hands through his hair, tugging at the ends as if it would ground him back to the present.

This was going all wrong. He wasn’t supposed to be getting angry.

“I-I mean-” He started to say.

Clover cut him off. “Have you ever considered things were different from my perspective?”

He blinked. Looked up. “What?”

The other huntsman’s gaze drifted, falling down to the blade still in his lap. He ran his palm along the surface. “I never saw it. Or if I did, my mind’s blocked it out. I… remember pain. How hard it was to breathe. But as far as anything I saw in that moment? All I can think of is gray. A dark gray, almost black, but kind of green too?”

Qrow frowned, trying to piece that together. Atlas wasn’t exactly known for its abundance of greenery. The only green thing he could think of was Clover’s own pin. Maybe it was just his body going into shock, making him see things that weren’t actually there.

“Either way,” He continued, idly tracing the intricate patterns embedded in the sword’s metal. “What I’m getting at is, the only reason I know this was the weapon that struck me is because I was told it was. To me, it’s kind of removed from the whole event.” His movements stopped, that same dismayed look from several days ago clouding his features. “Instead, I have other problems.”

Seemed like they were going to have that conversation after all. “Like what happened with Jaune.”

“Yeah. I hadn’t meant to attack him. I just thought…” Clover slumped, trailing off.

“That he was someone else. I know.” Qrow said in the space left behind. “Known for awhile, actually. I knew it was an issue, but I hadn’t said anything. Tch. I should of. Maybe then-”

A flick to his forehead had him jerking back.

“Stop.” Clover’s fingers soothed over the spot, sliding down along the contours of his face to cup his jaw. “You’re not responsible for my problems Qrow. It’s my job to acknowledge them and ask for help if I need it.”

There was a lot of things he thought to say, the most prominent being how Clover never seemed to have an issue laser focusing on Qrow’s problems and addressing them (though, to be fair, those results didn’t always pan out) – but what he finally decided on saying was, “Do you need help?”

Teal eyes went wide and he drew back. The look on his face, vulnerable and lost, was heartbreaking. “I, uh. I don’t know.”

“Would you like to try something?” He pressed on gently.

“Like what?”

“An exercise.” He waved towards Harbinger. “Set her aside and take off your shirt – Don’t smile like that, I’m not gonna do anything lecherous.”

Clover laughed. “Ah, there goes all my hopes and dreams.” Still, he did as commanded, laying the blade to his left before peeling off the green shirt he wore.

Qrow managed not to stare at the metal plating built into the center of his chest, stitching his body together like a broken doll. Instead he reached forward, undoing the red bandanna around the man’s arm – one of the only things he’d kept of his old uniform, besides the boots – and tied the cloth around his eyes instead.

“Uh, Qrow?” Now blind, Clover sounded a lot more uncertain.

He ran a hand through short brown locks. “When I used to teach, I would do this with the students.”

“Lot to unpack with that statement.” He was barely containing a laugh.

It was his turn to flick him. “Shut it and listen.” He got to his feet, speaking as he rounded the other. “It was usually for typical stuff. Figuring out what movements they knew by reflex and what they needed to work on. Keeping an ear on their surroundings when their eyes can’t. But sometimes,” He stopped directly behind him. “It was to help break bad habits.”

Clover was already tense. “Really?”

“Ruby’s footwork used to be terrible. Got worse when she discovered her semblance – she was tumbling all over the place. Taking away her sight made her focus harder on every step she made. Made her more aware of everything she was doing.” Qrow reached out, fingertips brushing along the base of Clover’s neck, the skin shuddering under his touch. “That’s what I want you to do. Focus on the way your body reacts and correct it.”

“This… seems a little unconventional.”

He knelt down behind him. “Sometimes it’s the unconventional methods that work. Now,” He laid his palm flat along metalwork layered over his spine, hearing the sharp inhale. “Let’s get started.”

~

Qrow couldn’t say for how long, exactly, the exercise went on for – but it was certainly not as long as he would have kept one of his students at it. Where he’d push them to continue even just a minute longer, he was more willing to pull back with the brunette, knowing this was taking a mental toll along with the physical one. So, when he noticed Clover’s efforts were turning to frustration, he was quick to call for a break, offering that maybe they could finish up with Harbinger in the interim.

Clover, stubborn man he was, didn’t want to quit entirely though.

That was how they ended up sitting back to back as Qrow polished off the gears and pins and Clover set them into place.

Healing takes many forms, Qrow mused as he handed over the third cog and reached for the next, the anxiety he normally felt completely, blissfully absent.

Felt the stretch of muscles against his own as Clover worked, his erratic breathing and shakes having steadied a while ago.

One day, he hoped they could come out of this without their demons controlling them.

Yet, he knew recovery was a difficult, haphazard mess of a journey; so that day was in a future he still couldn’t quite discern, no matter how hard he looked.

Not that he could say he was surprised. His life had never been simple and that track record wasn’t going to let up a four decades’ long streak so easily – but, for once, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

For the one brightness he could see in all this was right behind him.

Qrow slid down, just enough to rest his ear against the metal along Clover’s back, the reassuring thump-thump-thump of his heart a gift he’d never waste.

For it beat with the promise that he was here.

He was alive.

And, Qrow recklessly dared to believe, he was his.

Another gift he’d never waste.

A devotion he’d never dishonor.

A love he’d forever hold onto.

[ussjellyfish]

my insomnia laced dragon queen season s7 au

mostly becuase it won’t leave my brain alone....

Dragon Queen snuck into s7, which a touch of Glass Believer. (it’s not a real fic because my brain doesn’t really have time for that, but if I did...)

(should probably dedicate this to the person posting in the tags about how they didn’t ship dragon queen, nothing makes me ship it harder, apparently. )

Henry, Ella, Regina and the resistance run into Lily in the EF2. Lily’s also been wandering the realms, trying to find herself. She gets lost easily, no real concept of time either, being that she’s a dragon on this side.

Henry recognizes her before she recognizes him. He’s supposed to be a kid, he’s like twelve.

They laugh about that. She comes home with him from the tavern where he was getting supplies, listening to everything that’s happened to him since he left Storybrooke.

they meet Ella who’s initially a little skeptical of Henry returning to top secret camp with strangers, but no, this is his sister.

Half-sister. Sort of.

“Oh? I didn’t know you had a half-sister.”

Henry shrugs a little, scratches the back of his neck. “The other half is dragon.”

“Dragon?” And Ella thinks that’s actually pretty amazing (if she doesn’t think about it too much, there’s some weird logistics there, but a dragon is really helpful to the cause, because it’s air support, that’s awesome.)

Lily listens and is willing to help them but when they start talking about actual combat she pauses. “You kind of want Mom for that. I can look scary, definitely burn some stuff, lots of stuff, but anything precise is still kind of beyond me. I can do sound and fury but I’m not really good at the terrifying beast thing.”

Ella takes a moment to blink and switch “Mom” for “Dad” in her head, because no one really specified the pronouns before.

Regina returns from doing something outside of camp and Henry and Lily are talking about trying to summon Maleficent and Lily jokes that it’s not the other world. She can’t just call her.

Regina looks kind of sheepish and corrects Lily that actually, there’s a summoning spell for Maleficent that Regina knows because it was in her spellbook, that Regina basically memorized as a young woman, because she’s a giant nerd and she was fangirling, and she might have had a chance to cast it someday.

Regina casts the spell, because two dragons in the resistance is pretty damn cool. Maleficent appears all drama and fury at first, old school terror, until she recognizes Regina and drops the green flames.

“I didn’t know you knew that spell.”

“I knew all of them, never thought I’d need to cast it.”

And Ella, who’s just sharp as hell, watches them kind of sort of flirting and nudges Henry who’s all.

“They broke up literally ages ago.”

“That’s not what broken up looks like, Henry.”

“They’re friends.”

“Uh-huh.”

“And they’re Lily’s parents.”

“You’re the author,  tell me, how did that story end for them?”

He doesn’t know. Regina’s never talked about it. They ask Lily and she’s also in the dark. She knows the gist of it, Regina wanted to cast the Dark Curse, Maleficent didn’t, they fought.

“Regina kept Mom in dragon form in a cave for like, forever.”

“Just the curse.”

Ella watches Regina and Mal talking across camp and there’s no animosity, none at all, they’re catching up like old friends. Really old friends who walk around holding hands.

Henry and Lily are both all “there’s nothing, really.”

Ella gives them an “uh-huh, sure” sort of look.

In Hyperion Heights, Roni needs money to fight Victoria. Some kind pf outrageous permit or something, and she doesn’t know how she’ll get it and Herny mentions something about fairy godmothers, and she laughts.

“That’s it.”

And she ‘summons’ Mal with a tattered old business card that still has her contact info, and as much as Roni is not Madame Mayor Regina, Maleficent in the cursed world is an airy sort of hippee with thick glasses and scarves and a save the rhinos t-shirt. She’s even vegan.

Henry doesn’t see how she can possibly be helpful fighting Victoria.

Regina explains that Mal is actually a brilliant financier, they met in college. Mal was day trading her way through an accounting degree.

“And?” Henry asks, because there’s some tension before Mal and Roni, kind of delicately flirty.

“And she has a cat named Lily.” Roni pours herself a drink and sighs. “We had a cat.”

“And?”

“And nothing, we went our separate ways, she went to Tanzania to save the elephants and the alligators and wildebeest, I ran this bar.”

Mal works on Roni’s books and the ordinances and can help Roni turn the bar more profitable but it’ll take a few years to make what Victoria wants.

Roni’s crushed but puts on a brave face and starts making them a ‘you tried’ drink and she sets it in front of Mal and is ready to give in and Mal takes the drink and grins.

“Of course, if you had an investor.”

“What?”

Mal takes out her checkbook and writes a check (on some “save the elephants” ridiculously cute check). “Here.”

“I cant.”

“Of you can, I can’t let you lose your lair.”

“It’s not a lair.”

“No, it’s a very nice bar and I’m glad you kept it all this time.”

Roni takes the check, drinks and pours them another set of shots. “How’s Lily?”

“Would you believe she’s still with me?”

“She must be the oldest little cat.”

“She’d remember you.”

“I doubt it.”

“I don’t.”

And they get far too close to each other, but don’t kiss. Henry catches them hugging goodbye and Roni explains the whole thing in a haze, puring herself another drink.

It’s plenty of money, enough to set Victoria back and keep fighting and--

Lily’s still alive. She’s like a twenty-year old cat, which is ridiculous. She’s just a cat.

“But you never had a cat on your own, did you.”

“Never wanted one.”

And they look at each other far too long and it just hurts us that they don’t know they’re related because they just ache for that family connection.

“Maybe you did want something, and you were just afraid.”

“It was a different time, Henry.”

“Of course, I get it.” He lifts his drink. “But you’re here again now.”

Later he’s talking to Ella and mentions that Roni might just have a crush on her ex.

“What kind of ex?”

“The kind you never really get over.”

“I knew there had to be something in her past, she’s too much of a romantic.”

Back in the EF2, Mal and Regina fall wistfully for each other again, but neither of them mentions anything. It’s just nice being togther, talking, having someone who understands everything. They gear up for a fight and it’s just like the old days.

Except they’re on the same side. With their children.

“Grandchildren even,” Mal teases Regina.

“She’s beautiful.”

“I know.”

The fight happens offscreen because we have no budget for cgi dragon battles, and its weirdly offscreen in Hyperion Heights too.

Victoria fumes and threatens Roni. Roni has the last laugh because she’s safe for the moment.

Mal asks her to host a fundraiser for whales or something and Roni teases her that she could just write the check.

Mal laughs, because she will, she donates everything she can get out of the evil capitalist stock market to all the right charities, even has several of her own, but sometimes it’s the idea that has to spread. People need to believe they can do good.

Roni smiles kind of wistfully at her, because that sounds so familiar but she can’t place it.

Back in the EF2, the fight’s over, Mal did the ridiculously dangerous thing they needed her to do, and she flies back as a dragon and shifts back, eyes shining, almost laughing, drunk on battle, but she’s injured and spent and sways a little and Regina catches her.

Mal insists she’s fine, just burnt more than she’s needed to for a very long time.

“You were wonderful.”

“As were you.”

And Ella elbows Henry REALLY hard because they’re leaning into each other, nearly kissing (and Regina’s so damn sort it’s adorable)

Switch back to Hyperion Heights and they’re walking, hands in their pockets, passing just under the Troll Bridge and it’s raining a little and they pause, waiting it out and they get a little close to each other, then closer and Roni jokes that Mal had to swoop in, save her like she’s some endangered cat in the jungle.

Mal teases that very talented bartenders are rare indeed, and need to be protected. They’re very close to each other. Mal invites her back to say hi to Lily.

“Lily doesn’t remember me.”

“I’ve never stopped thinking about you, so how could she?”

Roni hesistates, Mal starts to step back, letting her go, again, but Roni grabs her, kissing her in the chilly Seattle rain.

And we cut back to the EF2, where they’re sitting by the fire, Regina’s cleaning the last of an arrow wound in Mal’s side, healing it up.

“That’s not something you got from my spellbook.”

“No, no I guess it’s not.”

And they’re very close, right next to the fire, and Mal’s half-undressed, wrapped iin a blanket. “You’ve come so far since you broke down my door.”

“I guess I have, but you- you have Lily and you’re here, being pretty damn heroic.”

“Heroic stings a little.” Mal teases, and Regina kisses her hand.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For defending my family.”

“Of course, they’re important to you.”

“They’re everything.”

Mal’s eyes get soft, and she tears up a little. “You know, I never, ever regret you being Lily’s mother, because you love her so fiercely.”

“She’s my daughter.”

Mal touches Regina’s chin. “And I’m so grateful.”

And they’re close, very very close.

“Loving too much has always been my problem.”

And Mal kisses her, gently. “I don’t think it’s a problem at all.”

[sirjustice250-blog]

Dirty Money as dubious plan

If u kinda, fool 1 who has some spirit in him of helping hand or discerning u develop swollen face if u don’t stop but to them they know not that hinders their progress.

You can hurl the sacrifice in the boom process or mixture with like cut or mixed with water banana, sweet potato, cassava, onions, oranges, seldom apple seeds to make some foods, chemicals or machines that cant be made with normal pissing of saliva or hurl water like petrol, diesel, jet fuel, detergents, cooking oil and even houses as cars.

Kansas knows that when Internet and military vehicle can be made with any nation to finish USA then tourist and international education remains the only gateway to USA growth, so hampering the same thinking they got cooking oil from sunflower, wheat and corn but to be fools cooking oil can be made like above and Canada wheat via cargo drone can be sold to Africa cheaply and easily not as previously taken. In the Notorious movie Confrontation above, the man shakes the head to demarcate how rye made bread doe when u glance at them and not knowing NY got the same so thought will overtake NY when the above happens and get to Carli4nia to pluck like Euphobia using the drone which many now knows to bar many people from KS but alas the explained above eliminates such so left stranded.

The E-cargo drone explained above can work even during the day well not to be seen in dubious businesses to get by in nations which high mountains, lakes and sea as the drone not seen by public in high mt like Mt kenya, Kilimanjaro and like Ruwenzori and on lakes and seas u get to meet it off land using like a speed boat to take the off load and like in Kenya the luo, coast people and kikuyu are reaping out of that as portrayed below.

Don’t say i wanna kill ya the way i talk, give me my due if u wanna, cause i don’t wanna sit with ya again and that’s what u are bringing as other Eu nations and Asia nations got the same as Africa, so how will we kill ya. Stay away from me u of little faith/mind as Christ confused.

Most online cash are ransom to pay later when their economy atrophies as liquid cash eliminated, scratch my back i scratch yours and even to accommodate their own and even involves blood sacrifice so take heed dude, live within ya means as they can put that to create many deaths to facilitate casket exhumation to bring about curse and funerals to attract people from outside when showcased on like you-tube movies, that’s their hidden agendas dude.

The E-cargo drone that can carry the shaft 4 the crust dredger as well not only targets the military bases of the world to overtake those nations either shortly a few meters to the earth crust the place detonators or bombs to explode the area b4 the conquer or blow siren gas to kill b4 they do the same but as well as Central banks of major cities of the world, where they still at once and even like an economy of an African nation 4 like 200 years they put on world investment to win the women they want and a big security to them that can never fail, if they invest in E-airlines that uses fuel not, E-buses, motor bikes, cabs and hotels as well as water plants and bakeries and even Radio and Tv stations as much as buying a pay-TV from a manufacturing under their own wanted name to operate and Brazil, India and Russia are major stakeholders in this plan and even the jewelry storage buildings of the world b4 Gold or Silva was known how to make dude.

The innoson motors car picture below i categorically told them to get off the photo and cut from PS4 then hurl the sacrifice with face towel or cut sweet potato which they did and now the car company is above 5 years old yet they investigate me with such to threaten my life instead of paying me as i told them to tell them more personally. The black looking like Mercedes Benz 1 car.The price of selfish seekers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afABqsvMJzE

Now many nations got what i takes and u wont get their as groups as earlier purported but as individuals who qualifies not wanting to hang on the sweet of others as invention is 1 mans sweet not a community cause u know not who gave him the same. Canada, Russia, Japan got theirs countries of few people but with the latest knowing unknown technologies as Internet, pay TV and military vehicles they lack man-power to working those areas so offers the above to the interested on personal ground not as a community as earlier perceived. And moreover they don’t buy like cooking cylinder gas or coal or electricity as we got alternator generator to replace which if once bought no extra-cost of maintenance. Even Gold and jewelries they buy not to save their countries expenditure to use to to create other employment ventures that needs to be filled dude synonymous with nations like Canada and Russia of few population kinda now they are happy not wild as b4 on the media. No groupies or groupie love as in the song link below

https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&q=groupie+love+snoop&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

A new debate in town, now saying i want to buy the cargo drone below trading at $ 50,000 then modify the container to look like a bus and take people to different cities to make much free money yet it lies with them cause the govt should own such which eliminates their agendas with the E-buses and cars as planned earlier even taking money from people via covid apparatus and organised petty theft which now proves futile, so they are very angry at pointing fingers and looking at who to ambush. Even the wooden type of casket can have many serial numbers like on the top 1, each sides and below 1 to avoid casket exhumations which leads to the vices explained above if we did not know as the serial is taken after every morgue exist and posted online 4 us to check later if the casket to be lowered down was exhumed and even with juacali made ones they can buy side woods, below and upper casing wood serial no incorporated/circumscribed and use the mind to place it in the middle and not cut it and the above vices totally eliminated as in the link below. Worker and vineyard parable another version to bring close the above realities and Christ sayings meaning not ya own taking us nowhere dude. People or companies making such woods should be able to do the above as Govt intervenes to solve the above decay

https://www.google.com/search?q=cargo+drone+images&client=opera&hs=Sl9&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=gQAH8Ay3TeTGoM%253A%252CJ3EeopGv1IR9-M%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kTVgFHXWxzMvuQSB0KasmEjwKxpdA&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwja2dXalIjqAhX7A2MBHcrpCpEQ9QEwAXoECAoQFw&biw=984&bih=658#imgrc=gQAH8Ay3TeTGoM:

https://www.google.com/search?q=wooden+casket+images&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjpzNrclIjqAhWT_4UKHdccDiUQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=wooden+casket+images&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzoFCAAQsQM6AggAOgUIABCDAToECAAQQzoHCAAQsQMQQzoECAAQHjoGCAAQBRAeUObjGliTmhtg5ZsbaABwAHgAgAHJAYgB4hySAQYwLjE4LjKYAQCgAQGqAQtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZw&sclient=img&ei=HrDpXunFA5P_lwTXubioAg&bih=658&biw=984&client=opera&hs=Sl9

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2Ft_Fj-uPajWZe2Wc9Mh4mnfKUvOQ%3D%2F1400x788%2Ffilters%3Aformat(jpeg)%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F16330253%2F0531_Natilus_one_engine_2T_4A.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theverge.com%2F2019%2F6%2F10%2F18657150%2Fautonomous-cargo-drones-delivery-boeing-aircraft-faa-regulation&tbnid=XP2aIYcbkbPRdM&vet=12ahUKEwjpzNrclIjqAhWT_4UKHdccDiUQMygCegUIARDRAQ..i&docid=LpzzgNt-Mz00XM&w=1400&h=788&q=cargo%20drone%20images&client=opera&ved=2ahUKEwjpzNrclIjqAhWT_4UKHdccDiUQMygCegUIARDRAQ

With the saucer technology described below taking many heads to another far planet to carry many people, they should not sit as will occupy much space to carry few people, so to maximize space to carry many people the above technique in the link below should be fully employed where only at meal time and shower time u r allowed off ya cabinet to do the same b4 taken back to allow others to the same u have done and again and again till all get the same service u took by getting off ya cabinet. People placed sleeping on the cabinet like dead people to facilitate the explained above so it be fruitful and disgusting so u never want to be in like a plane again.

https://www.hitechlockers.com/best-mobile-phone-lockers-2019/

Kebi, asking a woman, that tiny boy, has he ever done this to ya,the woman get stranded as to make her understand, makes like letter O with his 1st 2 fingers from the thumb and kinda, inserting the middle finger from the other hand into it as back and forth b4 the woman sends him away. What is that joke or its meaning altogether people. Get to answer me period!!!!

Along time Nairobi and check on net many cities with such temperatures when was made good like now we know how to make roads and buildings as explained below, could take 1 to hell if u enjoyed the lifestyle, music, food or schooling as opposed to many world cities of harsh climatic conditions like snow and high temperatures or high rainfall.

They wanted to be like fucking me, so i resorted to abortion, can be excuse in judgement time to acquit ya of hell fire. Hindu their being here they think they will land many in hell fire but with excuse not, rather they stay away like shifting ya body parts as much as brain to give ya new harsh characters that makes ya to commit the very sin upon which u r judged.

Cargo drone in the link below can be used to ship electronic being ordered online from ya parent nation where what u have ordered they don’t have in store and accumulates others orders as well to form many b4 they resort to the above drone to ship their ordered machines to their nation at no extra cost thereby making super-normal profits as this the excuse they give women as security when all goes bad as China from America far from this truth as u got to pass via many nation radar watch as space that u can be traced as opposed to Kenya or TZ but the beauty is not only China has learnt to make the cheap electronics herself but all the nations of the world hampering such dubious move mentioned above thus making such people involved to grow wild and refuse to launch their very own brands cause will kill the above move if u did not know boy.

https://www.aviationtoday.com/2018/01/10/boeings-new-electric-cargo-drone-transport-500-pounds/

https://www.google.com/search?source=univ&tbm=isch&q=electric+cargo+drone+images&client=opera&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjk6pbfnobqAhVh1uAKHTMLADwQsAR6BAgKEAE&biw=984&bih=658

https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&hs=AKt&ei=PbnoXonSEraejLsPzYCl6Ag&q=how+many+pounds+can+18+wheeler+truck+container+hurl&oq=how+many+pounds+can+18+wheeler+truck+container+hurl&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQAzoFCCEQoAFQ8OwCWLvRA2CM1ANoAHAAeACAAbUCiAHlI5IBCDAuNS4xNS4xmAEAoAEBqgEHZ3dzLXdpeg&sclient=psy-ab&ved=0ahUKEwjJ5J6kqYbqAhU2D2MBHU1ACY0Q4dUDCAs&uact=5

Calculate how much people based on the weight an 18 or 53 wheeler truck can carry/hurl, worker and vineyard parable another version to equip us with get back to our planet saucer technology.

Where 45 KG is equal to 100 pounds so what about 500 pounds that is carriable by the drone above to divide with relatively 60 KG weight of normal grown up men to find out how many people of 60 Kg in approximation it can carry. Which is around 300 KG per cargo drone meaning can carry 6 people but 4 Boeing not the 1 that carries the container in the link below

https://www.123rf.com/photo_56723804_cargo-drone-with-opened-cargo-container-isolated-on-light-gray-background-3d-rendering-image-.html

They monitor ya in chain stores which egg u Crete u pick as artificial eggs can be made with an array of cut food crops such as yam, guava, potatoes or its sweet counterpart or cassava 1 that don’t denature the teeth, but if u, use 4 quit along time 1 type they know ya moves to give u another  set altogether as they heap the same on the shelves 4 ya to pick or if u pick the previous type, they say the bar-code do not read the sticker to bring u another 1 to avoid u not buying the same as u can say u got a bad teeth b4 they loose u to the other chain-store around synonymous with SA eggs they bring to the countries around like E-Africa using the very drone in the link above. They even use the people who transfigure to check if ya stock is ready to be replenished as the Colombian blooded knows ya mind of buying b4 they place the above and many commodities u wish to buy on the shelves 4 ya like to buy. Got to think twice and be wise dude.

Tell Luyasweet to stop working 4 Mr Hindu when Internet is now ready from not USA but other nations around or we will resort to the truths of these songs links above and movies below, most coast people and Jamaica people got this blood with Mr White man of marshaling their people against others if they see ya with good life

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koVHN6eO4Xg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMP-mZ-cvpU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FKAr4yEWKE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AniZERO7q1Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aVIvUiRvbc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uory2JwTHwU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTCDFy9hqxY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E3ZzTx6v9o

The round big eyed Mr Hindu got is the blood of Saudi people as well as Kamba people where the above people are very abusive of human rights with another race.

The plane air-pump to the gas cylinder can be 2 or with 1 water pump but the motors 2 tied with a belt to each other that if 1 dies the other still pulls the belt to rotate the pump to make the airplane fall not or just 2 motor air pumps with switches on the plane dashboard to-interchange with an igniting light or voltmeter on the dashboard die to its cut 1 cathode wire to locate if its working dude as with the alternator previously explained. The motor should be the type where the coil of wire aint done on the rotating shaft as this can burn but on the outer metal the shaft rotates inside as in the link below, worker and vineyard parable to bring reality of the above so we stop our daily refuting dude as of electric microwave fan motor

https://www.google.com/search?q=types+of+iner+coils+of+an+electric+motor+images&client=opera&tbm=isch&tbs=rimg:CSnsP2tX1jKHImBCBBi9C2ZWIcnTpCaa8ueJ5fjL_1jGowsSON_1pxlzxEN5HL0mqAswP3MO-UUJkwQCvXIVKFJv4DMMqWP5cWGYHobZDvj5H0-gW3DBO1fnTLMqvLVwiO2BndlL5f8B56PbYqEglCBBi9C2ZWIRE-jkd_1AhOLSCoSCcnTpCaa8ueJEXIDq3IDN–dKhIJ5fjL_1jGowsQRSBae9L8z1J8qEgmON_1pxlzxENxGqiu-7Wa6kgyoSCZHL0mqAswP3EawYFcp9T5HEKhIJMO-UUJkwQCsRgK-YCxt4MbkqEgnXIVKFJv4DMBEXTjMic5mg1CoSCcqWP5cWGYHoEW94v6wkxeD3KhIJbZDvj5H0-gURoVU8CKxjkW4qEgm3DBO1fnTLMhGxJQ3_1eMudjioSCavLVwiO2BndEXr1cpp8XGLCKhIJlL5f8B56PbYRcURMAX0VHaNhUsO-G26ls9M&tbo=u&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiX2a2DpYbqAhXHxYUKHXGQCZcQuIIBegQIARA6&biw=984&bih=658&dpr=1

http://oddmix.com/motor/mot_ac_kejing_yj61_10e.html

https://www.google.com/search?q=electric+fan+motor+images&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwiOstyepYbqAhVP3RoKHZXjA5cQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=electric+fan+motor+images&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQA1De-QRYsPwEYL6DBWgAcAB4AIABuQGIAaUEkgEDMC4zmAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWc&sclient=img&ei=_7ToXs62PM-6a5XHj7gJ&bih=658&biw=984&client=opera

The airplane can have the blinking light or voltmeter as explained above or a wireless camera on the above and on the outer side of the armored siren gas cylinder as the bulbs with convex lens so u monitor the above as those illuminating lights are of many set to replace if 1 set burn to make ya go 4 along time in air journey or replacing the bulbs altogether as to increase confidence of not replacing every now and then and that it cant fall observing the explained above security features and measures imposed or suggested dude.

With artificial milk and cooking oil u pour much on cold water then add some few cut sweet potato or seldom apple seed unto the solution and do the boom process b4 ya milk or cooking oil formed dude. Sweet potatoes even make women birth and monthly circle pills as morning pills which gives much money to the govt as calculate on the population tree how many women are above 14 years of age with the most affordable brand and come to see my truths as much is made that way b4 exported to many poor nations.

Once we got the lake I cant suffer even if am from USA or EU, i just get into my motor bike and boom in about a hours time am there, buying my fish or getting it on lonely points via a 5 year always beneath the water submarine b4 i get it back to my new city kach 4 my people to deep fry and sell like on the link below. Got to be wise and think twice dude

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJm4rdoD9S8

With petroleum u add mango juice, break fluid u add seldom apple leaves while with diesel u add either cabbage or sukuma wiki leaves and boom ya fuel dude

Kuma moch obete no, osone asoya koching,ywak marach ma, nyathino winjo nyim nyako to orwecha, okawo mag kichien, nyuma, osoyo asoya okodewi to mag ywak malich ma, chalo niowinjoludh, ana feel rod, mkwajo jo

Made in china windows link below

https://www.made-in-china.com/video-channel/xmtls2020_aBtmiHQMOvYX_Factory-Direct-Sales-Aluminium-Profile-Casement-Window.html?expoName=all_exhibitors&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=exhibition-pc&utm_content=exhibition-pc-cf&fbclid=IwAR2RwU7MVjPWU4iG_RPLD9u9txktmxOEH4ap5qvvgnaWIvyhBbbVoyDFu74

https://www.made-in-china.com/video-channel/pengxiang_bBLmlpzPODRV_Automatic-Garden-House-Modern-Design-Aluminium-Galvanized-Steel-Sliding-Driveway-Double-Swing-Entrance-Fence-Door-Fencingdoor-for-House-School-Farm-Villa.html?expoName=all_exhibitors&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=exhibition-pc&utm_content=exhibition-pc-cf&fbclid=IwAR3ZfPLzsV2nyBzZ-TuHVV-Dk5cO7Y5-KX69lziq0gPQqV_vi9gTenTSQ_0