#i want to play more red mage suddenly

[chicinlicin]

i like this glam a normal amount

[flowerbetweenfangs]

Cream Filling: Chapter One

Warning: Use of drugs and dubcon.

(MC is dosed with an aphrodisiac and is all too willing... But you know)

This was originally posted on A03 and is my most popular work, so I thought I'd put it here.

I hope you enjoy.

Lightning flashed overhead, lighting up pitch black streets for an instant. Elle Shepard nearly slipped on a horribly placed patch of mud. Windmilling, she caught a streetlight and came to a stop. A crack of thunder made her let go. Another bolt struck, enveloping the buildings and pavement in a brightness that was almost blinding, before a loud boom shook the windows.

Finally, she came upon a neon sign, showing a drink being shaken, then poured into a martini glass. The glass then changed to a coffee mug, the shaker into a pitcher. The words read: Ramses Brew, Bar and Café.

Pushing open the door, Elle stepped inside and pulled down the hood of her raincoat. Closing her umbrella, she stuck it in the container with the rest. Music played, pool balls cracked, conversations blurred together in one continuous hum. A bartender passed out drinks, moving with inhuman speed.

Walking up to the bar, Elle took a seat on the stool near the end. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a stack of papers and set them on the polished wood.

“What will it-” The bartender flinched at her, their nostrils flaring. Their voice sounded like many people talking at once.

“Oh, you’re the human.” They reached into their pocket and pulled out a phone. Tapping on the screen, they sent a quick message and put it away. They dropped their voice and leaned in closer to her. “Sorry, our drinks are a little too strong for your kind.”

They were most likely a demon, with horizontal lined pupils and a pair of antlers. Their sunken face showed a skeletal structure that was more deer than human, with a slight brown fuzz instead of fur. Their hands were coal black, their fingers tapering off to a clawed end.

“Can I just have water?” She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry, her heart fluttering. Focus! The job was more important than a one night stand.

“Of course.” They bowed their head, before going to a new arrival at the bar.

Sighing, Elle debated pulling her hood back up when she felt the eyes on her. No, she’d have to get used to the stares if she wanted to get this job. A human woman, with dark hair and hazel eyes, wearing dress pants and a button up peach blouse. No horns, fangs, scales, or a tail. Not even markings that would signal she was a mage or tied to someone with magic. 

Swinging her leg back and forth, Elle sipped at her water, looking around the bar. There was a pair of trolls playing pool. A pair of drow were in the corner, looking like they were discussing more… Intimate plans. A human looking man sat on the couch, a cane between his legs. A spread of cards were on the table in front of him, small black wisps curling around them. He seemed to be the shortest occupant, he was probably a head and shoulders taller than her. 

“Ms. Elodie Shepard?” The voice made her turn.

An angular face stared at her. It was human in appearance, but black scales appeared like freckles, shimmering in the low light. A pair of ram horns curled around cheeks, the ends sharpened and looking ready to puncture anything that got near them. He was dressed in a white button up shirt and a red vest, with a black tie. He was young, appearing to only be in his early to mid 30s.

“Yes!” Elle held out her hand. The speaker took it in shimmering black hands that were very large compared to his body. They left a residue on her skin that she tried to discreetly wipe off when he turned around, looking at the loft above. "But please, call me Elle." 

“Let’s go talk more privately.” He walked to the bottom of the stairs, unclipping a chain that indicated the area was closed until the morning.

Elle nodded and followed him. Stepping aside, he allowed her to go first and clipped the sign back in place. Once the links were formed, a small bit of magic rumbled through the floor, making Elle’s knees weak. Gripping the handrail, she kept herself from falling and quickly climbed up.

Once they were in the loft, Ramses clapped his hands and a few candles lit. The light was warm and calming. There were a few couches set up, with a coffee table between each pair facing one another.

Taking a seat, Elle set her papers on the table and cleared her throat. Even with the water, there was still a tickle in her throat.

“Alright,” The man sat down. “So, as you may know, this is my business. Ramses Sesbrun.” He pushed his glasses up his nose. “I appreciate you coming out so late, but since demons don’t do so well in sunlight…” He shook his hand back and forth like he was tipping a scale. “I still have a limited staff, so I don’t have much of a day shift.”

Elle nodded. “It’s fine. I’ve got this.” She reached into her shirt and pulled out a silver chain, with wire wrapped around an obsidian stone.

Ramses flinched at the charm, before clearing his throat. Elle quickly stuffed it into her shirt and shuffled her papers.

“Alright. So as you may have noticed, we have a bit of a uniform.” He gestured to his attire. “It doesn’t matter if you prefer skirts or pants, just make sure it’s got a white button up shirt under your apron and a tie or scarf.” Inhaling sharply, he adjusted his glasses again. “We have a very diverse staff. If you do get the job, expect to work with all kinds of people.”

Elle simply nodded. “I know it is probably a strange thing, getting a human to apply.” The thought of being around so many demons and patrons of the “other side”, it was somewhat exhilarating.

“A little. But your safety is promised here,” Ramses insisted. “I’ll do what I can to make sure that you and your fellow employees are comfortable in this environment. Everyone here is just looking for a place to unwind.” He smiled at her, showing his teeth were fangs.

Shifting uncomfortably, Elle gave a smile. Those fangs looked like they could leave some decent hickeys. Wait, no, she had to remain professional. “Erm, not to sound too forward, but the job posting mentioned pay?” Right. Stay professional.

“Oh, right.” Ramses picked up a staff of his own papers from a table next to the couch. Flipping through the stack, he left small black thumbprints on each page. No wonder he needed help with the kitchen and other places. He probably couldn’t even touch the food he served his customers.

Finally, he stopped at what he was looking for. “I know the pay is high, but that means I’ll be expecting more from you. But if what I’ve heard about humans is correct…” His cheeks flushed. “Sorry. I don’t mean to rely on stereotypes, but I know humans are known for getting things done faster.” He clicked his mouth closed, not wanting to insert his foot into his mouth.

“Then you’ll be happy to know I fall into that!” Elle said quickly, hoping her tone didn’t sound too desperate. “I promise I’ll be fast and get the work done!” She clasped her hands together. “I just really… Need a job.” A job that seemed to offer a lot of eye candy...

Ramses nodded, taking her papers and flipping through them. “I’ve already read what you sent me, but I just want to make sure…”

He made a couple more noises of affirmation, before setting the now spotted pile down. “I don’t know if you’ll have a uniform on standby, but I think we might have something in your size. If you are willing to come in tomorrow, then I can have Wrecks and Horac show you the ropes.” Tapping a finger to his lips, Ramses’ brows knit together. “You don’t have Arachnophobia, do you?”

*** “Welcome to Ramses!” Elle called out, bowing her head. When she straightened, she ignored the look of befuddlement from the new arrivals. “Just two?”

After seating the pair, she bid farewell to some patrons as they left. They acknowledged her, but seemed more confused than anything else in her presence. When the door closed behind them, she went to quickly clean their table.

Despite looking bulky, the maid outfit they had provided her was light and cool, with a long skirt, deep pockets in the apron. She’d brought her own tights and comfortable shoes. Her hair was tied into a pair of buns to keep it out of her face.

The morning rush was a surprise. Most demons were supposed to be unable to walk in sunlight, but that didn’t stop the clientele from coming in, carrying parasols, charms to protect them, and even wrapping themselves in bandages.

The newly arrived pair were dragonborn, who had quickly fallen into an in depth discussion about maidens and maids. When she approached them with her notepad, pencil to the paper, they quickly quieted.

“Can I recommend one of our Ashburnt Scones?” She asked. “They’ve got an arsenic glaze!”

After taking down their order, Elle quickly scampered to the kitchen and placed the paper on the counter.

“A pair of Coalpressed Muffins with Ashen Dustings!” She called out.

The Drider at the stove nodded, pulling out some blood red pancakes with a tar like topping that he set on plates, the two smaller legs at his waist doing small clean up details. A pair of triple lens spectacles balanced on his nose, which he was constantly adjusting to allow a different pair of eyes to see. Despite his name being “Wrecks” he actually seemed rather dexterous and nimble.

The second was the boarman, Horac, who was frying several cuts of meat and eggs. He seemed immune to the open flames, casually reaching across them to turn over a large slice of ham. Elle tried to not think too hard about the implications.

“Breakfast rush is almost over, rookie.” He said, his voice barely audible over the chaos of the kitchen.

“Thanks!” She took the plates and lined them up on trays, before rushing back out to the main room with the orders.

“I can’t believe a real life human is here,” A goat headed man said as she passed.

“I know. And so fast, too.” Their companion appeared human, but their teeth were too sharp. Enough to pass the line from sexy to frightening.

Just smiling, Elle passed over their food, which they quickly began to ravenously tear into. The remarks, while strange, seemed mostly positive.

By the time the morning rush was over, Elle’s feet were killing her. She collapsed into a chair once the last customer left.

“Elle, can you tell Ram I’m coming in late tomorrow?” Horac said, not giving further details as he went out the back. The bell chimed as he left.

“Sure.” She merely lifted her hand to give a wave he wouldn’t see.

“I’m going out for a smoke,” Wrecks said, his voice jolting through her. He hadn’t spoken all morning, only cooked and passed the orders to Elle. The dishes and counters were clean, so she wasn’t going to complain.

Once the ache had mostly gone, she got up and went to change the menus over. The bell chimed again when her back was turned, and she quickly turned back around.

The newcomer had silvery hair, a pair of fox ears twitching on his head. His eyes were closed, his mouth pulled into a vulpine grin.

“Welcome to Ramses!” She tried to pour in the sugary sweetness that customers loved. “I’ll be with you in just a moment.” Hopefully, Wrecks wouldn’t mind serving up breakfast still. “So, he did have a human on his payroll.” The new patron muttered to himself. “How quaint.” A bushy silver tail waved behind him.

Elle felt herself blushing. “Can I get you anything? Our Blasterjelly rolls are a customer favorite, along with our Hadesfire Pomegranate Tea.” She reached for a menu to shove in his hands. His gaze seemed focused on her, despite his eyes being closed.

“No,” He held up his hand. “Thank you. You served my friend earlier.” Reaching into his sash, he pulled out a box about the length of his hand, the width of two put together. “He’s too shy to show his gratitude in person, so he sent me in his stead.”

Setting the box on the podium, he turned on his heel and gave a backward wave, the bell chiming as he left.

Frowning, Elle used her pen to open the corner of the box. Inside, she saw a small flat pastry, the side of one showing a beet colored paste. Picking it up, she realized they were covered with powdered sugar. Setting it back down, she closed the box and stuffed it under the podium. How odd she’d been given a human friendly dessert.

“Ready for round two?” Wrecks asked when he came back in, wiping his hands on a towel.

“You know it!” She brushed back her hair, pushing the fox man out of her mind.

The bell chimed, a trio of trolls coming through, looking like they’d gotten off a construction job. A goat headed woman burst through the door behind them, looking frazzled. By the end of the second shift, Elle was nearly laying on the table. Her feet and back ached, her hair was a mess, and the uniform was rumpled.

“And my favorite part of the day…” Wrecks said, flipping the sign to indicate they were closed until the bar opened. He laughed to himself as he went to tally up the totals.

“Count this for me to make sure my math is right.” Taking the cash from the drawer, Wrecks slid it to her. He poured himself a sludge looking coffee, enough steam and heat coming off it to fog up his spectacles. Sweat trickled down his brow.

Elle’s stomach growled, and she found herself blushing. While his lower half made her nervous, his upper half was certainly handsome.

Right. Focus.

“Oh, right.” Wrecks paused. “You can’t…” He struggled to find the words. “Eat anything on our menu, can you?”

“Not without getting violently ill,” Elle admitted, before remembering the podium. “Oh! Right!” Rushing to it, she pulled out the box. “I was going to pack my lunch, but I woke up late!” She’d actually slept in her car because she was terrified of missing her first shift. It wasn’t like there was anyone waiting for her at home. And driving nearly half an hour both ways seemed like a poor use of her time.

Sitting next to the money, she took out one of the cakes and took a bite. Powdered sugar flew around her in a cloud, sending residue all over the uniform.

Keeping the cake in her mouth, she nursed at the paste and counted out the cash, keeping notes. Once she finished, she paused over the calculations and finished eating. Then, she quickly ate a second, barely tasting it as it went down.

“Get some actual food,” Wrecks chided. “I can smell the sweetness from here. Where did you get that if you didn’t pack your lunch?”

“Apparently one of the customers really liked my service and gave me a gift.” Elle shrugged. She looked down at her tips for the day, her breath catching in her throat. How much money did this damned clientele have!? Pulling out her wallet, she quickly signed off on the amount and collected it. Looking down at her uniform, she excused herself to the bathroom.

There was no way she was going to risk getting it dirty and looking unprofessional. If she was going to be making money like this every day, she was going to take this job seriously. Going to the restroom, she did what she could to clean up her uniform. No way was she going to take a dock in her pay to pay for the outfit.

Her face felt hot. Slipping off the apron, she unbuttoned her blouse and splashed water on herself. Looking in the mirror, she saw her cheeks and neck were crimson. The blush spread even further, hidden by her shirt.

Slipping off her blouse, she stared at the sleeveless shirt, which only showed off more of her flushed skin. It was still hot, but more bearable. And she was NOT undressing more. Splashing her face again, she got her hair damp. Slicking back her loose bangs, Elle took in a deep breath.

When she walked out, she saw Wrecks looking at the cakes. Holding one between his thumb and forefinger, he squeezed it. The paste oozed out, dripping onto his fingers. He had his phone to his ear, waiting for someone to answer.

Elle was about to complain he’d ruined part of her gift, but his expression was serious. It sent a twinge of worry through her, followed by another hot flash. This one made her head spin, and she quickly sat down.

“Where did you get these?” His voice was sharp.

“Some guy dropped them off. Um… Foxy.” She started to recall his face, but all it did was cloud her mind with other details she’d overlooked. The way his collar bone peeked out over his robe. How veiny and strong his hands looked. His lips, perfectly glossy, the fangs peeking out with his grin.

“Shepard?” Wrecks asked.

“Hmm?” She smacked her cheeks to try and refocus. “Where was I again?”

Before Wrecks could answer, the person on the other end picked up.

“Yeah.” Wrecks tossed her a damp towel.

Wiping it across her sweaty skin, Elle began to inhale deeply. She felt hot all over, her body starting to shake. Every fiber of her clothing brushed against her, scraping her raw.

“I’m sure it was him,” Wrecks’ voice sounded like it was coming from the other end of a tunnel. “Bet my first born on it. I could smell fuckery on the box.” He looked over to Elle, licking his lips nervously. “She seems fine now, but I don’t want to touch her, could you get a hold of a human doctor?” He paused, nodding along with the speaker, small grunts escaping his mouth.

“Alright.” He hung up, inching closer to Elle.

“That was Ramses. He’s on his way.” He pulled another towel off the counter and soaked it in icy water, before passing it to Elle. “Those cakes were laced with… Something.” He frowned, brows coming together.

“I guess it was Tanpopo’s way of saying hello…”

“Who?” Although Elle was sure she had a good idea who the Drider spoke of. Her insides twitched, needing to be filled. Sweat trickled down her neck and back. Slowly, she laid down in the booth, her legs facing the wall.

“An asshole who runs the bakery down the road.” Wrecks jerked his thumb behind him. “He thought it would be funny to “prank,” He added air quotes. “Some of our staff last year by spiking some cakes and tea with Hellfire Mint.” Three pairs of eyes watered at the memory. “Most of them were fine, but one of our hosts got sent into early labor and had to go to the hospital.”

Fanning herself with a menu, Elle panted. “I wish I’d been warned.”

“Well, there hadn’t been any problems since then,” Wrecks explained. “Horac was a pretty decent deterrent.”

Elle’s mouth was suddenly dry. The heat was becoming unbearable. Her legs refused to budge, each breath making another flash of arousal go through her. “I’ll get you some water.” Wrecks excused himself, quickly coming back with a glass. He passed it to her. “Now, I’m not sure how long this is supposed to last, but Ramses seemed pretty sure he knew what it was.”

Their hands touched. Elle let out a cry, dropping the glass. She shook, nearly convulsing as the need seized her.

Wrecks jumped back, his legs skittering across the floor, unable to gain traction.

Elle was on her feet, grabbing the front of his vest and pulling him to her. Their lips nearly brushed.

“No no no no no no!” He said rapidly, using his front legs and arms to push her away. “It’s flattering, but you are in no condition to be initiating this!”

His skin was scalding hot against hers. She grabbed his clothing so tight she thought it would rip. Pulling him close again, she ignored the impact of his front legs against her skirt.

“I’m terribly sorry, Shepard.” Wrecks said, before she suddenly couldn’t move.

Looking down, she saw she was covered with white bindings. Webbing kept her still, binding her legs together below the knees, and her arms below the elbows. He then pushed her back into the booth.

The bell chimed. Nostrils flaring, Elle thrashed around to try and sit up as the scent of Demon hit her.

“Oh, thank Arachne.” Wrecks backed away. “You made good time.”

“Of course.” Ramses' voice thundered in her ears. Elle’s lips parted slightly as she continued to wriggle around, trying to get free of her bindings. “Leave us. This is easier if there’s only one target.”

Wrecks didn’t have to be told twice. He picked up his scant belongings and quickly scampered out the door.

Ramses stood in front of the booth, his crotch the perfect height for-

And he was gone.

The door locked.

Then, he was back.

“You’ve ingested Asmodeus Fruit,” He explained, pulling out a knife. “Better known as Lustberries.” Looking at the blade, he set it down on the table. “Hold still.” His visible skin was wrapped in bandages. To protect him from the sun?

The order made Elle still, the only movement was her shaking with desire.

“I’m going to cut you loose. But you have to promise me you’re not going to jump on me. Okay?”

Despite the words barely registering, Elle nodded, her body still trembling.

Ramses cut the bindings, his bandaged hands brushing against her. Unlike with Wrecks, it didn’t send a jolt through her. But his scent, the way he panted with exertion… She found herself leaning forward.

“KNIFE!” He yelled, shoving her back. His hand hit her protective charm, and both of them went flying back. She hit the wall hard, and he slid into the front counter in front of the kitchen. Wincing, he slowly got back up, rubbing the back of his head.

“Are you okay?” Her legs were still bound. She started to climb out of the booth.

“Stay!” He commanded, getting up.

Elle’s legs became weak, and she nearly face planted on the floor. Catching herself, Elle held onto the corner of the table. Her charm hung low. 

Ramses rushed over, cutting her legs free.

“Now. Listen.” He shook his finger in her face.

Nodding, Elle leaned forward.

“Go to the loft.”

She rose up, the charm snagging on the corner of the table, the wire wrapping coming undone and the stone falling to the ground, sliding under the booth. 

Her feet slapped against the floor, she nearly tripped over the chained sign as she ran. But she was up the stairs, lungs and chest heaving. Collapsing onto the couch, she felt the heat rolling over again, almost unbearable. Clothes continued to rake against her skin so roughly she thought it would make her bleed. Her hands went to her top, trying to pull it off.

“Okay, Elle. I need you to listen to me.” Ramses said, coming up in the loft. “Normally this stuff wears off after a few hours. But it’s demon fruit, so humans suffer-” He let out a surprised noise as Elle rushed over to him.

When her hands touched his shirt, she realized he wasn’t wrapped under his clothes. Working her fingers through the gaps between his buttons, she touched her fingertips to his bare chest. The heat of his skin made her shudder.

Dropping to her knees, she started to unbuckle his belt.

“Elle!” He said sharply. “Hold on!” Grabbing one of her buns, he held her head in place. Lips parted, she looked up. Panting, she reached for him. Despite denying her advances, his erection was growing quickly.

“Here.” He pulled out a vial, a white liquid inside. “Drink this first. I know it’ll be nasty, but-” As he spoke, the white liquid suddenly yellowed and seemed to become crusty.

She grimaced.

“I know. But the other cure is… Not ideal.” He offered her the vial. Uncorking the top, he pressed the glass to her lips.

Slowly, he tilted it. Once the liquid touched Elle’s lips, foul gelatinous sludge tried to worm its way into her mouth. Pulling back, she sputtered and coughed. Eyes watering, she shook her head.

There was glass breaking, and the liquid spilled all over the floor. The fog was gone, but Elle suddenly felt so hot she started to claw at her clothes.

“You’re going to hurt yourself!” Ramses grabbed her arms, straddling her. His erection dug into her as he pinned her to the floor.

“Elle, listen to me.” His breath was warm against her skin, caressing skin, the wetness from it sliding down her body. 

Closing her eyes, Elle thrust against him. Ramses let out a distressed yelp, before gripping her tighter.

“Fuck me…” She moaned, rubbing against him. A wet spot was left on Ramses pants, although she wasn’t sure if it was from him or her.

It was getting so hot she felt like she was going to pass out, black spots filling her vision. Her clothes felt like they were tearing large chunks of her skin off.

“I’m… So sorry.” Ramses picked her up off the floor, setting her down on the couch.

“For what?” She grabbed his shirt, pulling him down. Their lips almost touched, but he turned his face so she kissed his horn.

“You’re in no state of mind…” He knelt between her legs. “Just let me try something.” Taking her tights, he clumsily pulled them down. Catching the waist of Elle’s panties, Ramses left her completely bare. At the sight, averting his eyes, Ramses cheeks turned crimson.

“Yep…” He struggled to find the words. “That’s certainly Asmodeus fruit.”

Elle touched herself, spreading the soaking lips wide. Grinding against the couch, she felt herself drenching the fabric.

“Okay.” Ramses draped her legs over his shoulders. “I’m going to try something. If it doesn’t work, then we have one option left.”

Elle nodded, but her mind was buzzing. Grabbing Ramses by the hair, she shoved him into her drenched folds. Whatever response he had was muffled, making her shiver.

His tongue began to trace her lower lips, before he slipped it inside. Ellen held his head in place, biting her lips as he continued to lick. Reaching up, he seized her thighs and spread her legs wider. His breath made her tingle.

Closing her eyes, Elle focused on the sensation, the heat now concentrating in her lower half. Ramses’ head bobbed back and forth, the sounds of licking and sucking so loud in the empty loft. She let out several moans, trying to lock her legs around his head.

Keeping her legs open, Ramses continued to lick, before exposing her clit and swirling his tongue around it. Elle moaned, releasing his hair and grinding against his face. “Come for me, Elle.” He groaned into her, his breath so warm. “Come for me, please.”

Letting her head lull back, Elle moaned and grabbed the couch tight enough to feel the fabric start to rip. She felt the orgasm start to build, each lick eliciting another cry from her. Eyes watering, she nearly screamed when Ramses plunged his tongue inside.

But before she could release, it was like slamming into a brick wall. White filled her vision as the heat became a searing pain. A scream escaped her and she shuddered, falling to the side.

“S-stop…” She panted, tears streaming down her face. “It… It hurts.”

Ramses pulled back, his bandages around the lower half of his face now loose. They were soaked with Elle. Small bits of skin were visible. Despite the pain in her lower half, Elle grabbed Ramses by the shirt. She then climbed on top of him, rubbing her aching groin over his crotch.

“Fuck me, please.” She begged, continuing to grind against his hardness.

“Hold on.” Ramses pushed the table to the other couch, his glasses askew. Picking Elle up, he placed her on the couch. Unzipping his pants, he let them fall to the ground. His fully erect cock came forth, beads of precum dripping from the tip. Elle leaned forward, wrapping her lips around it.

Ramses let out a surprised moan, knees nearly giving out as Elle sucked. Once the few drops of precum were swallowed, the heat drastically reduced. Panting, Elle pulled back and let her tongue swirl around the tip.

Then, she felt herself blushing. The reality of the situation began to crash around her. Pulling her head back, she quickly let go of Ramses cock and put her hands at her side.

“Um…” The wetness between her legs was almost unbearable. “I’m… Sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Ramses panted, sitting down on the table. “It wasn’t your fault. I understand if you want to leave now.”

Elle stared at his cock, swallowing hard. It was glistening with her saliva. She should leave. This was not only inappropriate, but they were both in a bad spot. But her body was literally hurting with need.

“Ramses.” Her face was probably tomato red. What had she just done? Ramses probably thought… “This wasn’t your fault.”

“I know. But I should have warned you.” He was attempting to put his dick back in his pants, which seemed to be a challenge.

“Erm…” She prodded her forefingers against one another, biting her lower lip. “This is super inappropriate. But is the antidote for this fruit…” Her voice trailed off as she became more flustered. “You know, demon semen?”

Mutely, Ramses nodded. “I didn’t want you to either get too excited or too disgusted.” He looked up at her when she stood over him. “Because I’ve been told it can be rather potent.”

“So, are you sure you gave me enough of a dose?” She lifted her skirt, showing him her wetness. “Because I would, uh, prefer not to go back to how I was.” Her legs shook, the blush filled her entire body.

Ramses’ eyes went wide, and he took off his glasses, setting them down on the table. “I’m not sure. It’s not an exact science. But…” He was cut off when Elle kissed him, straddling his lap.

“Oh.” He kissed her back, looping his hands around her waist.

“Elle,” He said, his voice muffled by her mouth. His pupils dilated slightly, the blood vessels thickening.

“Hm?” She pulled back, her arms around his neck.

“If you want to wait, the lust will wear off.”

Elle thought about it, but shook her head, “I want to do this.” She nibbled at his exposed skin, hands running up and down the nape of his neck.

“Very well.” He stood, keeping her legs wrapped around his waist.

Setting her back onto the couch, Ramses straddled her, pinning her arms above her head against the armrest.

“Are you still hot?”

She nodded.

Taking Elle’s shirt, he slid it off and let it fall to the floor, leaving her in only her skirt.

“Aren’t you?”

“Sunlight.” He gestured to the windows.

“Oh.”

“Consider this… Paid overtime.” Nudging her legs open, Ramses lined himself up, prodding against her slit. Each touch made Elle gasp, grinding against him.

Then, he slid inside. Elle gasped, instantly clenching around him. Ramses gripped the back of the couch, letting out a surprised whimper. Leaning down, he wrapped his arms around her and began to thrust. Once her arms were free, she let her hands explore him.

The touch seemed to encourage him further and he hilted himself.

Elle screamed in pleasure, digging her nails into Ramses’ shirt. Covering her mouth with his, Ramses began to pound into her, each thrust making her see a flash of color.

“God,” He said between thrusts. “You’re so tight.” His breath was warm against her face and neck. Leaning down, he nibbled her neck. “I…” The blush returned to his face.

Elle pulled him back, their lips meeting again. Pushing her tongue into his mouth, she let them dance as he found his rhythm and continued to pump back and forth. Each moan encouraged him, and he went harder.

As the thrusts went deeper, Elle cried out, her back arching. She ran her hands down Ramses shirt and vest, the fabric chafing against her skin. Unlike her own clothing, it pushed her closer to the edge, but she felt herself hitting the wall again.

Her breasts began to bounce, and Ramses groaned, his legs and buttock suddenly clenching.

“Please!” She begged, squeezing him tightly. “Finish inside me!”

“Fuck!” Ramses yelped, before he released, the fluid spilling out of Elle. Panting, he shuddered, placing his hands on either side of her head. Sweat trickled down his face. Clenching, he thrust against her as he emptied everything inside.

The orgasm finally came, and Elle clenched, wrapping her legs around his and pulling Ramses close. Shivering, she panted and closed her eyes.

“I think… That’s enough.” He slipped out of her and sat up on the couch, his softening cock still shimmering with her wetness.

Elle shuddered, then slowly sat up, rescuing her shirt from the floor and holding it up to her chest. She was covered with the strange black residue from his hands.

“I am very sorry about that.” Ramses zipped his pants up and buckled his belt. “I completely understand if you want to quit.”

“Umm…” Elle worried at her lower lip. “You see, I didn’t exactly dislike it and I really need this job.” She couldn’t even look at him without blushing.

“I could tell.” Ramses eyes went wide and he put his glasses back on. “Although I’m not sure how much of that was me or the Fruit.” He rubbed his face. “I’m going to kill that fox the next time I see him.”

Elle swallowed hard, thinking of the cakes. “Um, before you get all worked up, shouldn’t you get ready to open the bar?”

Ramses rubbed his face with a sigh. “I’ve got some time.” He looked her over. “I know you live farther away, but do you want to get cleaned up at my place? Er, not that I’m inviting you back over for...” He let the silence hang in the air. 

Sighing, Elle nodded. “One thing at a time. I need to get this ‘antidote’ off me before it leaves a stink.” The scent of sex was already making her dizzy and flushed.

Helping her up, Ramses helped her dress and helped her back down to the main gathering area, collecting the charm from the floor. Stopping at the umbrella holder, he pulled out a parasol and opened it. When he took a few steps outside, he suddenly staggered.

Wrapping his arm around her, Elle helped him walk.

“It’s not too far," Ramses explained. “Erm, so, about what happened.”

“My lips are sealed,” Elle mimed locking her lips and throwing away a key. “As long as you don’t tell the others about me trying to blow you. And everything else.”

Ramses stifled a noise and looked away. “It’s fine. Just erm… Expect a bonus on your first check.”

“A bonus?” Now she was starting to feel like it was some sort of hush money.

“I take… Very good care of my employees.” Ramses frowned. “It’s hard to keep them on.” Swallowing hard, he sighed. “Elle, what I did back there, I promise I’m not normally like that. I know demons have a reputation for being sinners, but I don’t want you to feel I took advantage.”

“Too bad, I had a lot of fun.” Elle blushed at her words. “Sorry, was that too much?”

Ramses bit at his lip. “No, but I am your boss. I don’t want rumors to spread.”

“I understand.” She felt the rest of the heat finally leave her body, leaving her head clear. “But don’t… ever be afraid to ask. I um, headed after this job for a reason. Not just for the pay.”

Ramses hid his face and nodded.

If every day was going to be like this, then this new job was going to be interesting. She’d have to apologize to Wrecks tomorrow.

At least there was hazard pay.

[tokkias]

nalu fluff fic rec list a list of my personal favourite fluffy reads on ao3! (+ a few of my own too :])

* indicates my must reads :]

Anything For You by goldviolet Despite Natsu's childish desire to know anything and everything, he's decided that there are somethings he's okay with not knowing.

Eye of the Beholder by madartiste Natsu realizes something about Lucy after seeing her in her old habitat.

your heart, my heart by aitnes * "Is that how you want to fall in love?" He asks, drowsily, quietly. She jerks around, staring at him for what feels like an eternity. Emotions brim brightly in the brown of her eyes, as if she's about to give up the most important, vulnerable part of her. As if all that she's ever wanted was to give it to him. "Yeah." Her voice, no louder than a whisper. "Yeah, I think so." Of windows, seasons, and slow change.

it takes two (it takes us) by aitnes She throws her arms over his shoulders, her fingertips brushing across the back of his neck and setting his skin on fire, and suddenly nothing is funny anymore. The team goes undercover at a ball for a mission, but Natsu winds up catching a little bit more than rogue mages.

The Colours Are Brighter, When I'm With You by RyuuSha * They say that you see the world differently when you’re in love. Lucy supposed that was true enough.

i’ll make you a promise (watch you dance with your keys) by tetsuryu * She cracks her whip across the earth and he thinks he might be in love.

what it feels like to fall in love by tokkias "Natsu?" "Yeah?" There’s a brief pause between when he responds and when she manages to articulate a reply. She looks almost contemplative, as though she hasn’t thought her question through or perhaps, that she doesn’t know if she even wants to ask at all. "Do you think you’ve ever been in love?"

Something Bubbly, Something Blue by madartiste Natsu discovers that he likes weddings.

Natural Progression by snickerdoodlles Epiphanies sucked. They made idiots boyfriend material and her mind more perverted than a trashy romance novel.

Your Hands Are Warm by chikachoo Lucy discovers that absence does make the heart grow fonder. Contrary to what she would have everyone believe.

A Matter of Time by shizutans You don’t know much about the stars, but you are certain in your belief that she is a supernova. Her gentle touches are explosions on your skin, and all you can see is her. She is blinding.

a thousand red roses by natsudragneelswh0re Natsu and Lucy come back from a mission that puts pressure on not only them, but also their relationship. There only seems to be one option to resolve their conflict, but the 'only option' seems to be different to either party.

ten baby dragons (or less) by tokkias Making a family of his own is not something Natsu had ever given much thought to, but as he holds one of the guild's tiniest new additions in his arms he catches a glimpse into his future.

Amazing by Kaleidoscope_777 Natsu and Lucy's monthly routine is interrupted by a seemingly harmless question.

Post-Job Rituals by GemmaRose It's not something they've ever really talked about, but Natsu has long since stopped being surprised when Lucy pulls his head into her lap to play with his hair after a job well done.

i would say all of this, but i don't wanna ruin the moment by luckymio * As he sat on his bed, only the sounds of his fingers clicking against the controller, the monsters in his game groaning, even though the game was paused, and the flipping of pages, he realized that he couldn’t remember a time where he wasn’t in love with Lucy. It had always been him and her, Natsu and Lucy, them. Always them.

Furry by TheTinyFoxtail Lucy's embarrassed, Natsu's gone too far, and Happy's always in the wrong place at the wrong time. No, this wasn't what Lucy had pictured her first kiss with Natsu to be like.

night drives by luckymio Those nights were magic. For him, they were magic. Lucy’s face in the side mirror, her eyes gentle, slightly dazed, and trained on the blurry houses and apartments. She would sing softly, close to a whisper, her voice almost drowned out from the sound of tire against pavement. But he heard it, because he never focused on the music, because he only focused on her.

taking the hint by tokkias In which Natsu tries his best to let Lucy knows how he feels, but she just can't seem to take the hint.

Winter by bumblebeehugs Lucy has the worst morning known to human kind, until Natsu comes to her rescue. (but you should read the whole Lovely Seasons series anyway)

[simping-impact]

Kamisato Siblings, at your Service!

A/N: This is just pure brainrot. Planning to give this a part 2 but we will see if my motivation is still up to do it.

Summary: Honestly it’s just you whaling for the siblings lol

Warnings: SAGAU (i think thats it honestly)

Ever since you were isekai’d to the world of genshin. You were expecting for the worst outcome because of the countless impostor AU’s you’ve been reading, instead you were greeted by peaceful winds and kind npc’s who couldn’t identify who you were.

People weren’t enraged when you set foot in mondstadt. They saw you as a traveler from a different nation. Though the 5 star characters did recognize you. They recognized you and they all got down to their knees and worshipped you. They were all quick to offer their riches and services to you. Diluc even offered to be your personal bodyguard. Which made venti jealous and proceeded to fight the red haired man, claiming “I’m Barbatos! The god of anemo! I should be the one protecting their grace!” Which just further resulted to more conflict. You didn’t want to be caged and constrained. So while everyone was at each others necks, you flee from mondstadt and seeked shelter in an abandoned house somewhere in between liyue and mondstadt.

It’s been months since that predicament. You heard from passerby’s that mondstadt has spread word to the other nations that the divine creator is somewhere in teyvat. It honestly just made your life a hassle. You were constantly moving from one abandoned house to another. You even have tried to stay at the island near mondstadt that wasn’t on the map but to no avail. Apparently jean and venti remembered you taking them there (when you were doing the quest) and stationed guards there to assist you just in case you went there.

Liyue, on the other hand, had the adepti’s travelling from place to place everyday just to see if they can finally find their missing creator. Xiao was the one who always finds you. Which was irritating because you’re just so tired from going to another place on repeat. The geovishaps try to buy you time from escaping but they were only 2 hits for xiao before they die. You curse yourself from giving xiao such monstrous build. You were lucky at the last time you escaped xiao he was fighting cryo and hydro abyss mages with multiple cryo and hydro slimes. He was getting freezed constantly, buying you enough time to run to liyue harbor and fitting yourself in a box that was in a ship headed to inazuma.

Yeah- your acolytes are annoying to escape from.

As you stayed in an abandoned house somewhere in narukami island, you found out that genshin still works in your phone. You spent your days playing genshin even though you’re inside the game. When you heard that Ayato was the new character being released, you were on a nonstop grind. Apparently playing genshin while inside genshin has it’s benefits. You had infinite welkin and BP, making your life so much easier when farming for primogems. It wasn’t long before you managed to get enough money to bring the yashiro commisioner home. As you stared at his banner, you prayed to any archon and even to yourself (because you’re God, apparently) and wished for him. The night sky was suddenly filled with shooting stars in the colors of blue and occasional purples. You were in awe at the sight. ‘So this is how wishing looks for them’. Unbeknownst to you, everyone from inazuma went out of their houses, relieved to see the creator still well and alive. They wonder who is the lucky person who will be given the blessing of connecting with the divine creator. Who is the person that will get the golden star. As you hit 75 pity, you finally saw that golden star. And when you looked above the sky, that golden star brightly glowed in the dark sky. You even mistook it as a firework. But it wasn’t. You closed your eyes, fearing on losing another 50/50.

Ayato was calmly watching their creator blessing them a myriad of shooting stars. Feeling the relief of their creator being well and still caring for teyvat. His eyes widened as he saw the golden star that was glowing brightly. He felt a pang of jealousy hit him when thinking that it means their god had blessed someone in inazuma with their everlasting presence. He remembered the countless times Ayaka and him waited for their golden star, only to not be blessed. Those feelings were amplified when thoma received not one, but three purple stars. He wouldn’t mind getting atleast a purple one. Even a blue one. But all those feelings and memories disappeared as he saw the golden star was directly falling to him. “No..” he whispered as he held his hand out to the star that slowed down when it came near his palm. The star glowed brightly and he was instantly filled with warmth. Ayaka was also shocked at the sight in front of her. Ayato tears fall from his face as he heard a faint voice of the divine creator telling him “Welcome home, Ayato!”

You squealed when you saw ayato came home. “WELCOME HOME AYATO!!!” You exclaimed as you jumped up and down in joy. You were so overjoyed that you forgot the one problem you encountered while farming.

You couldn’t farm their ascension and talent materials for some reason.

As you sat down again, being bummed out by that. In the corner of your eye you saw your phone glow. Glancing back down to the device you were shocked to see the banner changing again.

It was Ayaka’s banner now.

You looked at your phone and to the night sky and thought ‘well, there’s no harm in wishing for the other sibling is there?’ And with that, another wave of blues and purples filled the night sky.

You swear you heard a distant cry when the gold star fell somewhere near the kamisato estate again.

[jq37]

The Report Card – Fantasy High Junior Year Ep 5

Attack of the Rage Mages

Welcome back to the Report Card where the Bad Kids are ready to fucking fight dude! Even the battle episodes this season are super beefy and I am having a crazy busy week so I’m going to do my best to try and strike a balance between giving y’all all the key details and being efficient. 

To remind you guys of the setup: The Bad Kids have just been portaled to the Synod Mall by Adaine who was working there when Cassandra (there with Kalina to pamphlet) suddenly cried out in pain and started expelling crystal shards that are turning the mages that interact with them into beefy rage monsters who are attacking indiscriminately.

Also, a detail I didn’t mention last recap but is relevant in this one, hanging from the ceiling, kinda looking like the one in Grand Central Station, is a shifting interdimensional clock (since people visit the Synod from lots of places/dimensions and need to know their specific time). 

OK, that’s everything you need to know! I’m gonna do this fight in bullets and focus on just the key points, and then jump into the things that matter more in the thoughts section. Onward!

Adaine clocks the crystals as being from the school of Enchantment. She uses Dimension Door to get Kristen right next to Cass who is getting bigger and more pissed. She’s even MORE pissed when Adaine asks Kristen if she should hit her with her sword. 

Cass tries to cast Hold Monster on Kristen (ow) and Fig dispels it. Cass is also not happy about that and her skull flashes to her Nightmare King form for a moment. 

Fabian clocks that things are about to get real and then does a TON of very cool, very impressive combo fighter/bard stuff. Everyone is playing really mechanically smart this episode but I have to say, he especially impressed me. 

Riz checks the clock and sees that even though it’s only been a few seconds in the Synod, it’s been like 40 minutes in Spyre. Fabian checks in with the Hangman telepathically so he can do damage control and Fig wonders if they can use the clock to go back in time and not be late for the party. 

Kalina goes invisible but Adaine can see her with her Divination powers and can see that her eyes are slitted and narrow and her tail is twitching. 

Several of the red crystals have infected mages at this point and after Riz goes, using Tasha’s Hideous Laughter to distract one of the mages, the crystals whisper Cass’s name and the mages who aren’t distracted go for her. 

Fabian attacks one (an attack of opportunity I believe) and Brennan notes as he slices them that they seem to have way more blood than usual under a lot of pressure, which is odd enough that I wanted to note it. 

One of the mages does a whirlwind attack that hits Kristen, Adaine, Kalina and Cass. Cass and Kristen have at least this in common: they both fail the save and take the full 30 points. Cass yells for the mages to stop attacking and the red within her glows brighter.

Fig uses Suggestion to recruit one of the uninfected mages to help by Counterspelling anything harmful cast on Kristen. Luckily, Conor Counterpsell happened to be at the mall that day and is now at her service! She also hits Cass with a bardic saying that they’re there for her and that she doesn’t think she’s scared so much as pissed which is totally valid. Very rock and roll. 

Cass commands everyone to get back and does a wave of necrotic damage to everyone around her. It seems a bit indiscriminate–even Kalina is hit which she wouldn’t usually do on purpose even as the NK. 

Gorgug asks for an insight check to know if the crystals here are in any way related to the crystal in Lydia Barkrock’s chest that is keeping some evil at bay with her constant rage. Brennan gives a surprised but pleased Cheshire Cat grin. No roll necessary: they’re def related in some way. These pulse and move much more rapidly though. Hers pulses like a heartbeat. 

On Kristen’s turn, she gives Cass a heartfelt apology about dropping the ball in general and missing this meeting specifically. She says she didn’t realize she was supposed to be here this time and she understands Cass being upset. Because this is season 3, I don’t even need to tell you what Ally rolls on this Persuasion check. But I will, because that’s what a recap is. 

On Kristen’s Nat 20 (this is why she keeps getting gods despite her track record), Cassandra is instantly calmed and brought down to her regular size. She expels 7 more of those shatter star crystals and she’s bleeding and scared. She clearly internalized what Fig told her though because she also says that she’s pissed. All she wanted was to help! The red in her pulses as she says, “It isn’t f–” She doesn’t seem to be able to get out the word “fair”. And she sees that she’s freaking out Kristen with the red pulse so she tries to calm down. 

Round 2 (Breaking This Up Because Tumblr Hates Big Text Blocks)

Adaine summons a mall cop but even a wizard mall cap is still a mall cop and thus, useless. Adaine offers to Dimension Door Cass away but Cass wants to stay and fight. “How are they back here?” Cass says about the stars. “I thought you were dead.” (On an Insight check, Kirsten doesn’t think that this is NK related).  

Adaine has her coolest moment of the episode here (imo) where she casts True Strike and Steel Wind strike and then attacks again and again and again with her Sword of SIght doing 41 damage each to 4 of the stars. Brennan narrates it as the hits being foretold by her divination. It’s very cool and I’m glad Adaine can do melee attacks now. 

Kalina turns back visible as it looks like the battle is turning in their favor. She shoots Riz  a low, playful , “Hey Riz,” because of course she does. 

It’s now Cass’s turn. She’s back to herself, she’s a goddess, it looks like she’s about to end this fight super early into the runtime. But then…

OK, things go bonkers for a sec. Stick with me. 

Cass thanks Fig for the advice–seemingly utilizing her Bardic. She’s about to do some kind of Mass Dispelling. But then Fig starts to feel all weird and hot and her stomach gurgles. A fire elemental who I assume is on autopilot offers Fig a sample of shrimp and, for SOME REASON, despite her stomach feeling weird and them being in PITCHED COMBAT (Ally’s words lol), Fig takes a shrimp. The plate flips which starts a series of Rube Goldberg ass events that end with Cass choking on a piece of shrimp/having an allergic reaction (a thing that can apparently happen to a god) and going unconscious. At the table, the Intrepid Heroes are baffled except for Emily who is laughing hysterically. 

Riz notices a drip of tartar sauce on Fig's shirt and finally realizes that she’s exhibiting some real Gilear behavior. He puts together that the effect that Cass didn’t save from (hmmm) was somehow connected to Fig giving her Bardic. 

Fig quickly explains what happened with her unlocking something to help with the Night Yorb fight in ep 1 (she calls it an ancestral curse which is funny bc she’s not blood related to Gilear. Diversity win! This ancestral curse recognizes that non-traditional family structures are still just as valid!). Conor Counterspell is like Y’ALL there is a FIGHT happening to try and get them back on task. Before she does though, Fig (and Adaine) see a vision of the gleaming, golden Pride armor from the Bottomless Pit that Gilear wore back in SY. A voice says, “It was not yours to take” Ominous! Adaine’s vision has a fun Oracle bonus: Fig in the Pride armor, years in the future, causing Gilear-esque bullshit to happen on an apocalyptic scale. Goofy yet still ominous! 

Adaine almost gets all raged up by a shatter star but she saves. Conor gets hit (much to Emily’s dismay) but he doesn’t turn on them. Put a pin in that. 

Kalina yells for her mistress as she goes down but then also gets hit with a shatter star. Before the rage overtakes her she struggles to get out last words to Riz, “Ragh Barkrock.” And then she doesn’t grow, but she becomes very still. 

Fabian is still VERY shrimp party focused and wants to try and use the clock to turn back time or something similar. He climbs up and sees a vision of an old version of himself lamenting the fact that he never got to be a maximum legend. Now he’s even MORE party focused. He tries to get the wizards to fight on the premise that they finally have the chance to beat up some jocks but they refrain because they know the rage mage’s are possessed and not true jocks. Welp, worth a shot! 

Kalina gets the shrimp out of Cass’s throat to bring her back up which is enough time for Cass to give a hazy, “Kalina,” before her familiar says, “I liked you better as the Nightmare King” and slits her throat. Cass drops to zero. 

Riz casts Compelled Duel on Kalina and Adaine uses a portent roll to make Kalina fail her save. He then hides. Some attacks happen, Kalina vanishes–away from Adaine’s 10 feet of vision but still within range of Riz because of the Compelled Duel. 

The mages attack, dropping Kristen. Cass does a TON of saves and only fails one with a Nat 1. But that’s enough to trigger her partial transformation. She comes to, once again getting huge and riddled with red light through her veins. 

Fig brings up Kristen. Cass gets even bigger and redder. She’s furious, but not at them anymore. She looks like she wants to murder Kalina. Kristen, with decent Insight, sees that the Rage is giving her power but it’s making her unstable. This isn’t like healthy embracing of valid emotions, this needs to be stopped. 

She jumps on Cass’s back and says, “There's plenty of time to be angry! We can definitely talk this through, and your anger is not scary to me. I totally understand.” She casts Dispel Magic with her Staff of Doubt. A DC 23 is needed and she rolls with advantage. She missed by ONE. Brennan lets her roll again with advantage. Even worse rolls. She gets two more chances with Advantage. Nope. She rolls AGAIN, with an added d4. STILL NO. By my account that’s NINE rolls, none of them successes. Adaine tries as well and just misses. The dice REALLY don’t want this to happen it seems. 

Cass prepares to cast a 9th Level Circle of Death (14d6 necrotic or half on a save). Fig and Adaine both try to Counterspell it and Fig tells Conor to do it as well. He says he has bigger fish to fry. She doesn’t see how that can be possible, but they’re OK because Adaine succeeds. 

Conor then throws his staff at the clocks and shatters it, sending them through a trippy Labyrinth-esque (think Sarah falling out of the World Falls Down ball) scene that lands them back at Seacaster manor, ten seconds before they left. As they leave, Cass is getting bigger and bigger and she throws some kind of twilight energy spell at Kristen that follows them out. It seems like Conor saved them from something major that was about to go down. 

But now, they’re back at the manor, watching themselves about to walk into the Synod fight. They yell some advice and their doubles disappear. Fig rolls a Nat 20 to understand time loops. She’s been a secret honor student this whole time is what I’m getting from this season.  

Riz questions whether they won or not but this feels like a situation where if you have to ask, the answer is no. 

OK, phew. That was a lot, but we still have a bit more to go. 

Kristen tries to check in with Cass and she gets this ominous message: “She is at my side once more.” The Bad Kids try to parse that but don’t come up with a clear answer. The voice asks Kristen if she wishes for divinity and says they’ll give her the master she deserves. A portal opens and a slimy, rotted, Yes! slides out like a sick joke. Kristen dispels it and when the voice says, “I am coming for you. And when I find you, I will break you in a way that none who loved you will recognize the ruin I have wrought. Lean your soul in closer, that I might give you more than words,” she breaks the connection. 

She also gets some images of the shattered mall, the dead mages floating in Astral Space, and she puts together that the Astral Realm is both where the mall is (*was) and where dead gods go. 

Ragh shows up all buttered (sure) to tell them that the ramp is buttered (sure) and though Riz wants to question him right away (both because of Gorgug’s epiphany and Kalina’s last words), this party is HAPPENING so it’s gonna have to wait. They decide to go with the Fig Disguised As Kristen plan for the shrimp jump because Kristen is, very understandably, having an existential crisis. Riz makes her invisible and Fig goes to do the jump (much to the Hangman’s delight who likes her much better than Kristen). 

Everyone gives Fig buffs but she does need it as she rolls a NAT 20. She uses her leftover spell slots to do some flashy pyrotechnics and leaves the tartar sauce filled pooled “like Daenerys”. The crow is in tearful awe. They cheer, they cry, they declare Fabian a minimum legend. They know for a fact that this is gonna be a killer year. 

Honor Roll

Gorgug for Some Serious Sleuthing 

At least once per season Zac has a genuine Jimmy Neutron Brain Blast about a plot thing and this was it for Junior Year. What a pull. He def beat me to it by a WIDE margin. And it ties in super neatly to things Gorgug would notice and have a sense about since he knows Lydia and knows rage. I don’t care what any of his teachers say; he’s smart in all the ways that count. 

Detention 

Adaine for Poor Timing

Adaine I love you so much but mayhaps, “Your God is dying again, you’re gonna fail junior year” isn’t the most helpful thing to say in the middle of a traumatic life event that is also a life or death battle. 

Random Thoughts

Unironically the biggest W of this combat? Adaine losing her job. That was gonna cause more issues than it solved and she CAN get a better one. Or, you know, road trip with Aelwyn for some light matricide. Either would be better than her leaving school to work an 8 hour graveyard shift. 

I wonder if Brennan meant for that clock to have time traveling properties and the party just clocked it (ha) before it came up or if they said it and then he used it to snatch them out of the fight that it didn’t seem like he wanted them to auto fail because he gave them so many rolls to try and save Cass! I really badly wanna know what he was hoping for out of this fight. 

OK so I’m Pepe Silvia-ing a bit. In the previous episodes, there have been at least two moments where Brennan describes a character getting kinda hot under the collar. One is when Kristen is confronting her parents and the other is when Riz is mad about the Rat Grinders. And in the Kristen instance, she then got advantage on her next roll but Brennan didn’t say why. It struck me as odd both times and now I’m wondering if it’s related to whatever these shatter stars are.

Speaking of, we get a lot of tidbits about them but no real info. Cass saying, “I thought you were dead,” and also there’s a moment that didn’t make the recap where the stars almost go for something but then don’t because it wouldn’t be tactically the smartest and that feels like a level of active sentence, right? Plus the fact that they literally said Cass’s name to get the wizards to attack her. I wonder what a Detect Thoughts would have gleaned. 

Lmao at Brennan making Emily profile the minis. 

“By the laws of this ancient mall.” Bruh, it JUST opened! 

Shocked that when Brennan described the crystals moving like a flock of birds, he resisted the opportunity to use the word “murmuration”. 

Cass doesn’t seem able to get the word “Fair” out. She’s struggling like there’s a geas spell on her or something else compelling her. The obvious thing to jump to is KP’s campaign which emphasized “fairness under the rules” but it’s hard to see how those things are connected yet. Just throwing some stuff up on the conspiracy board for later.

Also, while pseudo-connections are being made, I wonder if Gorgug’s rage storyline is going to intertwine with whatever is happening with these rage stars.  There was mention of like rage that is helpful vs rage that makes you unstable and that reminded me of Porter talking about how Gorgug only really rages to protect his friends. I dunno. We’ll see if it ends up going further than just the parallels. 

My favorite moment of the ep didn’t make the recap but I wanted to highlight it here. When Adaine is targeted by the rage star, she saves but Brennan asks her what the world would look like if she was consumed by rage and she said Falinel would be destroyed as revenge and Sylvaire would be destroyed–not on purpose but as collateral damage in the quest to hunt her mother. I think questions like that for flavor and character insight are so fun! 

The Hangman’s adoration of Fig is so cute. He was lamenting his shrimp costume that he of course had to wear for the shrimp jump (shoutout Torek) but when Fig said she thought it was cute he got all blushy. I love him. 

I have to mention that Riz cast Tasha’s Hideous Laughter by flossing (like the dance). Who taught that goblin how to floss? Is Riz on Fantasy TikTok?

Lmao at Kristen suddenly being like, Shh, don’t mention the arty-Pay in from of ass-Cay in this fight as if she hasn’t been putting her foot in her mouth for the past four eps. Took 5 eps but her tact finally arrived. 

“Your anger isn’t scary to me,” is a genuinely sweet sentiment in this context. 

When the Bad Kids are speculating about what the hell happened after the fight, someone asks Kristen if Cass has a dad or something she can talk to. Idk if she has a dad exactly but closest would be that Sol and Galicaea are her older siblings, right? (I thiiink that’s right. Def about Gal. Taking the wiki's word for it re Sol). I’m more and more suspicious about this turning into a family affair. And it would make sense for them to get involved right? It parallels Kristen’s relationship with her family coming back to the forefront. And Tracker is still in the mix as Gal’s cleric. I dunno, it feels like it’s gonna be important. 

It’s likely that Kalina prob met whatever fate Cass did but we’ve seen that Kalina can operate kinda separated from Cass (like she did in SY) and Brennan said that Cass can’t truly die unless Kristen and Craig do so I guess we’ll see where that goes. 

Are Fig’s Bardics now a game of Russian Roulette? If so, uh-oh! We don’t have a ton to go on for the exact mechanics of what’s going on yet, but it seems certain that a trip to hell is gonna be necessary to start getting this sorted (which she really needs to do anyway being an archdevil with responsibilities and all). 

These have been getting too long for Tumblr to handle lately so I’ll end on these last two bullets. In the AP, Ally said that Kristen really does want to be a cleric to Cass, she’s just suffering for lack of organization. And at least to me, that’s not how it’s come across so far, but taking that into account puts her actions in a different light. It’s still all irresponsible of course but if it’s supposed to be more just genuinely scattered than callous/indifferent then this feels more like a storyline about looking for middle ground than finding yet another new path whole cloth. She was for sure more in serious mode this ep than she has been the last four eps so we’ll see if this side of her sticks around.

I ended the last recap by saying I was worried for Cass and, guess what? Still am! Galicaea, help your sister!  

[zaceouiswriting]

Fairy Prince - Hearts of Leviathans - Ch.16

Character: Sky x male reader, Riven x male reader, Brandon x male reader

Universe: Somewhere in Winx Club/Saga

Warnings: None

A warm summer breeze blew over me and tickled my skin. As soon as I entered the old training field, once used for both mages and specialists, I could see that everything was in such a dilapidated state that attempting to clean anything was a task no one could accomplish alone.

The sword-fighting area was completely overgrown. Some flowers have even dug through the hard soil and bloomed on the ground, which has seen more blood than most battlefields.

Saddest of all is the location for target training, where easy-to-build golems once simulated combat. The place is completely covered, but the roof had long since collapsed, so the weather had made things difficult for the poor golems. They look in bad shape, and their power cores seem empty for a long time. This is truly unfortunate, as these golems were built to grow with each fighter who uses them for training, helping them improve their skills.

My heart aches as I see all this, for this was once one of the few prides my family still has outside of our planet and empire, which is why it hurts me so much to see it in such chaos. With turbulent feelings, I just let myself fall to the ground into the soft, warm grass. As I lie there, I play with the grass and even pick a few of the colorful flowers.

After waiting a few minutes, I start making some flower crowns to pass the time. I even ignore the first steps that get closer and closer to where I lie peacefully in the grass.

I know those arrogant snobs will whine when they see the dilapidated state of the place, with broken pillars, massive stones lying all over the ground, and the literally impossible to fight upon uneven ground.

And as if I was waiting for the cue, not too far away, I could hear the first few people complaining about not being dressed for a trip into the supposed "wilderness."

Their ignorance annoys me to no end. Why were they so problematic about things like this? For my own good, I ignore them and continue to relax on the green floor. A few flower crowns sit on my chest.

I can once again feel disapproving looks on me. For some reason, they start to get to me in ways they've never done before, perhaps because it feels more disrespectful since they're doing it on grounds built by my ancestors. An area that only listens to me.

Out of nowhere, a hand suddenly appears in my field of vision. The skin structure is flawless except for a scar that is almost invisible at this point. But my anger, simmering deep within me, wouldn't let me take his hand. So I jumped back to my feet without help, the flower crowns hanging on my left hand.

I didn't even look back to see how Cory reacted to my simple but effective refusal to take his hand. As in ancient traditions, if a King or his Heir does not accept the helping hand of one of his knights, he is in disgrace or on the way there.

I leisurely walk to the stands, carefully setting down the freshly made flower wreaths before I finally turn around and face the few hundred people intently staring at me.

The few teachers who came with the classes look down on me as much as the students. What in the name of the red darkness is wrong with these people?

I had to close my eyes and concentrate on my breathing to calm myself down because their vile behavior is starting to get on my nerves. I wonder how far their faces will fall when they find out I never did anything wrong. Just the idea puts another smile on my face. It quickly turns into a sinister grin that seems to unnerve the others.

“Then can we get started?”

The teachers look at each other. Except that Saladin steps forward as the others seem unwilling to test me. With a crack of his staff on the ground, which he magically hardened, he says, "We chose Artheon to-"

“No,” I say without hesitation. "I want to fight the three idiots who 'captured' me. We'll see how far they get when I have a weapon, too." My sinister smile only grew, bringing chills to most that I could see their face sweating profusely.

Even Saladin seems unsettled by my authoritative manner of speaking. I don't even know where it came from. Maybe because I don't feel like I belong to any of their factions and therefore view the older teachers as mere human beings and not as authority figures? Or maybe even their complete disregard for my person? Who knows?

Anyway, I turn away from them and stare in the direction of the three idiots.

“You first!” I point directly at the purple-haired guy.

He steps forward, teeth clenched, a fierce anger in his eyes so blazing it makes me want to fight him even more. As he approached, the others backed away, led by their teachers. The girls were taken to the dilapidated stands. Most of them look disgusted at the dirty or broken stones, which makes my anger flare up again.

“Look here!” The bold guy suddenly called out to me. Two green daggers in his hands.

“That’s a joke, right?” I ask quietly, looking him up and down. My eagerness to fight him died when I saw his weapons. His footing is good, but I could already see that the uneven ground would be problematic for him. “Do you need more stable ground?” I ask him directly, my left eyebrow raised questioningly.

He scoffs and is ready to say something, but then he loses his balance as he tries to change his position just a little.

I roll my eyes. The only thing I want is to watch him eat dirt, but I also want no one to be able to say it was unfair when I wipe the floor with his stupid face. So, instead of reaching for the weapon Cory brought, which he is holding out to me, I close my eyes. The people actively watching start chatting quickly, talking about me again, and nothing flattering.

But everyone's eyes immediately widened when I opened mine again. Pure magic flows through my veins and shows itself in the intense brown glow of my eyes. I could feel the entire training ground buried under soil and plants. As I feel everything up and down to ensure I have everything under my control, the whole place suddenly shook under the power of my magic. Fear coursed through everyone who saw the extent of my abilities.

“Stay still!” I shout to my first opponent. He's shaking more than the others, obviously scared out of his mind.

As I expected, he didn't stop but tries to escape the violent quake. I didn't let him out of my sight. Even when he finally freezes, as it becomes clear to him that I'm peeling away the dirt from the cut stone underneath and don't want to attack him.

His eyes widen in shock. Suddenly, tons of dirt literally pour into the air. Magic and dirt swirl around us. Soon, a massive shadow hangs over our heads as the small arena beneath us is clean again. A rectangular flat surface appears: the stones are pure white marble, from my home world, as this stone is almost indestructible.

Usually, this stone is a single slab forming a ground. But here, they have been cut into large individual bricks. There is a staircase with three steps around the edges. It makes it appear like a small fighting pit.

The only dirt left is under my opponent's feet and under my own. Since he's still frozen solid, I take the first step. As soon as I left the dirt, it swung up and crashed into the other flying dirt.

Even after this spectacle, the other didn't move, even though he had seen what he had to do. So that the last bit of dirt can finally leave this field that once produced some of the best fighters in the magic and specialist fields.

It got so annoying that I was almost ready to walk up to the guy and knock him off the little platform he is standing on, only for him to suddenly step off the platform himself as I only have taken one step toward him. As soon as he did that, the dirt makes its way up.

When all the dirt was finally together, I let the lump fly to the side, to a spot on the opposite side of the benches where I have already placed two pieces of columns that once stood proudly and held up the roof of an outbuilding. I use this to keep the dirt separate from the rest of the place, as I don't want any more work to be done in the future.

"He didn't even use a spell," one of the teachers muttered. One I hadn't seen before. A peculiar man with pointy ears and a terrible fashion sense. His eyes were curious, not a hint of contempt on his face.

And here I was, always thinking elves were the arrogant ones. How foolish of me.

His little comment even makes me blush. It was hard training that I had to go through to do that. My magic teacher, a two-star grandmaster in the field of earth magic, an eccentric, strict man, but he taught me well. After I did it, he confessed to being jealous because it had taken him almost a hundred years to learn it, while I did it within four years.

Back then, I still had to think about the magic, the effect, and the spell. These days, I only need to know what I want to do.

The only problem is that the magic used for this is not fairy magic but regular magic, in which I'm far more competent than I could ever dream to be at my inherited fairy magic.

However, the situation is different with fairy magic, as this form of magic is bound within one's self and cannot be strengthened by the surrounding magic. And even among fairies, there are differences. Ordinary fairies can only use their own magic, but guardian fairies can draw on their planet's magic.

While other fairies, such as protectors or healers, have powerful magic in their respective areas, guardian fairies are exceptionally powerful, so much so that they defy logic and push the boundaries of nature itself.

While a healer fairy can defeat disease, guardian fairies can stop global disasters.

“Thanks,” I murmur quietly, rather embarrassed by the compliment.

But the teacher stares absentmindedly into space, seemingly far away in his thoughts.

Taken aback by this, I turn my attention to the purple-haired guy, still shaking slightly.

“Do you need a moment, Purple?” I ask. “If so, Blondie can take your place in the first fight,” I continue to tease him.

The guy stares at me with his violet eyes, glowing at me in silent anger. His teeth gritted, strengthening the feeling of his rage. If he had been any other guy, I might have been softer. But I'm just worried about whether I can stop myself from killing him.

“I knew you are still afraid of me,” he says suddenly. His angrily clenched teeth have turned into a wide grin.

Suddenly, the guy takes out the two small pieces of metal. I didn't even notice that he put them away. Still, I feel the need to make fun of him. But when I open my mouth, out of those two pieces of metal come out the two green blades I saw before. My desire to make fun of him only increased. He has such a big mouth and yet such small weapons.

Suddenly, I could see a similar weapon. An older man, probably a teacher with a face of five hundred years of rain, extends his hand to me. For a second, I look over at Corey. Silently, I wonder if he gave the man the weapon, but he only stares at me blankly. The moment I take it from him, the man is already walking away. I look at it from all sides, but I couldn't figure out how to use it. So I tap on anything that seems strange, but nothing happens.

The teacher quickly returns, turns the metal over, and activates it. A yellow blade comes out that is the size of a long sword. It feels strange in my hand, too light.

“Ready!” the same man suddenly shouts, startling me.

His words take me out of my thoughts. I move the sword in front of me. Just from this small movement, I can tell that the sword is too light for me. But I still get into position. My eyes fixed on my opponent the whole time. Even from a distance, I could see that while his stance is pretty shaky, he still has significant potential to master his weapons. It's a shame he obviously never received any real training outside of the academy. Although, a year can only do so much.

“And go!“

[Masterlist]

[comfort-questing]

18. too weak to move

I'm playing fe3h again and the Holy Mausoleum fight kicked our collective tails. so. (academy phase = TW whump of minors [teens])

-

Ashe was a little surprised, somehow, to wake up again.

there were only so many arrows you could reasonably have sticking out of you, and live to see a better outcome. but then Mercie and Manuela were very good healers, so surely that helped...

but - the flaring torchlight and the dark wet underground air of the Mausoleum, and the blood on the floor, and the way Felix's scream had choked off as the dark miasma surrounded him, and the bite of an arrow between his ribs and stopping his breath -

"Ashe."

someone's hand on his forehead, someone's voice. he blinked his eyes open, and there was the soft cloudy dusk outside the window, and worn linen sheets beneath his cheek, and Professor sitting on the edge of his bed with her small, still face even more small and still than usual.

he tried to turn his head, and managed that much with an effort. he tried getting an elbow under him to sit up, but all he could do was twitch his hand a little underneath the coverlet, and wake the sharp pain that came with breathing in too deeply.

"Professor. what - happened?"

"we made it to the Tomb," Professor said, her flat voice quieter than usual, "and - the seal was broken, but I defeated the mage. and then Catherine and the others came."

"we won? Lady Rhea's safe? and - " and the others he wanted to ask, but taking in the breath for speaking was starting to be too much. his mouth was sticky with thirst, and he licked at his dry lips.

"we won," said Professor. "and - we're all here."

"we're a mess," said Sylvain, red hair catching a hint of candlelight somewhere beyond Professor's shoulder, "but we're here."

"yes. I'm sorry. I should have done better." Professor pulled one of her lips in between her teeth, a gesture that suddenly reminded Ashe of his little sister in confusion. "if I had lost any of you - I don't know what I would have done."

Ashe wanted to see them. the others. his friends. he tried again to brace his hands against the bed, holding his breath to keep from jarring the pain again. he made it maybe a hands-width off the mattress before falling back, his body limp and heavy as lead.

"here. do you want me to help?" a pause, and then Professor's arm was under his shoulders, and another across his chest. he shut his eyes against a sudden wave of dizziness as she lifted him, slow as she went, but got them open again a moment later, to green hair and dusky light and candles.

they were all there. Dimitri in a cot by the door, Dedue sitting next to him with a bandaged head and shoulder; Ingrid curled up with her yellow hair loose all over the pillow, Annette leaning back on the pillows next to her, and Mercedes shadowy-eyed and weary at the foot of the bed; Felix pallid-faced in a chair by the window with one leg propped up on a footstool; Sylvain wrapped in a blanket with a fading pink half-healed scar crossing one cheek. even Yuri, the odd quick quiet boy whose eyes looked so much older than his face, frowning over his bloodstained cloak.

over Professor's shoulder there was a new swordhilt, pale as bone, strange as Catherine's relic.

"did you - get a new sword, Professor?"

Professor sighed. "I guess I did."

[nyctophiliq]

oneshot where kiriko notices that you’re feeling uncomfortable at a party, so she pulls you aside to get your mind off of things?

— ✮ ( 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐘 𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐔𝐑 )

minors dni; nsfw ! — lowercase writing intended, sub! reader, dom! kiriko, semi-public sex, mirror sex, fingering, hair pulling, cum play, mention of alcohol, no real end :/

moss' notes; LEGS MOSS IS SO HAPPY YOU REQUESTED FROM THEM AHAHA hope you enjoy, and thank you and mage for the mirror sex headcanons, heavily inspired it here is the link

⠀⠀( pairing . . . ) — kiriko kamori + f! reader

you knew that coming to this party would be a mistake but kiriko was far too persuasive and insisted on you tagging along with her. the two of you arrived late, when the party was already in full force so her arrival made bigger of a scene than when she would arrive in time. a bunch of people who you could hardly remember the name of dragged her away, leaving you to figure out what to do.

there was a calm corner at the party where you could stay, where the music wasn't too loud and the drunk people seemed to not look. so you headed there after a few times filling your drink, looking above everyone else's shoulder to see kiriko downing her drink and leaving the ping-pong table before disappearing into the sea of drunk people.

"uncomfortable?" kiriko popped up next tot you, questioning as she takes your hand.

"i... maybe a bit. it's a big crowd..." you look at the people dancing in the middle of the room before your gaze shifts to your hands hanging next to your thighs. you look up at kiriko who has a little blue spark behind her eyes, whipping your head away you clutch the red cup in your hand before downing it all at once.

kiriko expected you to not be too fond of the party she brought you to, but hoped with her keeping tabs on you and with your friends also there you would be more comfortable. she didn't want to let genji down because nothing beats her watching as genji going out of his mind after she beats him at beer pong. well, nothing... except maybe you and certain features of yours.

"come on, let's go somewhere quiet. promise it's gonna be good." she says sweetly as her hand takes the cup from you and settles on the small stand next to the two of you. her fingers laced with yours before pulling you through the tipsy, dancing people towards the short staircase that led up to the second floor's small corridor. "so good."

"y-yeah?" you don't mean to stutter, following her without a doubt into the bathroom on the left.

"yeah." she hushes tenderly after you are through the sill, closing the door behind the two of you and the darkness eats the room up. her hand lets go of yours, instead an arm wrapping around your waist and pushing you up against something cold. you gulped, feeling kiriko's chest rubbing against yours as she leaned into you. the small bunch your panties were in your pants felt cold and wet, suddenly your spine felt like soda was replacing the spinal fluid and you could hardly contain your head from moving side to side. your thighs rubbed against each other as you tiptoed, one fold of the scrunched-up damp fabric caught onto your clit and you tried fighting back a groan that choked in your throat, but your hands slipped and it got out.

click !

the lights were finally on, bright and burning your eyes. "kiriko..." you breathe, and you wonder what was taking so long with the lights because she seemed like nothing had changed from before the two of you waltzed inside.

a small groan left your throat as her tongue delved into your mouth, eagerly swirling against yours. your arms wrapped around her neck, pulling her impossibly close to you, relishing in the heat of her body on you. as her lips trailed a line down your neck you rolled your hips against her, begging for more. kiriko's teeth sunk into your skin and you whimpered, groaning at the feeling of her fingers digging into your hip, tugging gently at the waist of your pants. your breath hitched as you felt her other hand running up your inner thigh, a gasp escaping your lips at the feel of her cold hand palming you through the fabric.

"kiriko...." you practically moaned at her teasing. this party was hectic, she completely abandoned you to compete with the shimada brothers and now you were absolutely aching at the thought of her fingers.

"turn around for me," she murmured, her lips coming up to take your lips between hers for a short kiss. you gave her a somewhat puzzled look, still trying to make a sentence in your head in the middle of a fog that your brain was. "promise it will be good." she repeated for the hundredth time it seemed and you once again just silently nodded, complying with her request and turned around.

multiple things run through your head when your eyes catch hers in the giant mirror on the wall, expecting her to embrace you from behind but what you haven't expected was the force which she did it with. you gasped when she pushed you back up against the cold granite counter of the sink, bracing yourself on your arms in front of you.

kiriko played with the golden button of your pants for a minute before ripping it from your pants and slipping her hand inside. your head hand as her fingers slowly traced your folds, teasing you, drawing your witness out as she tormented your clit. you heard footsteps outside of the room, and realizing someone might just step inside and see you two kicked you back into the same anxious mindstate before, causing you to panic. the shrine maiden's free hand clasped over your mouth, muffling any panic word that was about to come from your lips and have you forget about the party once again. you bit down on your lips when she buried a finger into your pussy. her pace was torturously slow, her thumb tracing around your clit as her fingers pumped in and out of you.

"look at you, such a pretty mess." kiriko whispered, hand slipping down to grip your chin, and forcing you to look at your reflection in the mirror. her eyes found yours, a smirk taking over her face as she plunged a second finger in, you let out a breathless gasp, doing your best to stay quiet as her fingers curled against your g-spot.

oh, you were a mess, tears of drool slipping from the corner of your mouth as she twists her fingers inside of you, her knuckles assaulting your clit. your chest was heaving, breath still heavy from kiriko's hand silencing you. and she, she was staring at your lust swollen face while her fangs sink into your smooth skin. "it's so g-good... kiriko!"

she wished she could wrap her lips around yours as her fingers continued to torment your cunt, but instead used the chance to torture you. she rutted light against your hips before thrusting a third finger into you, pumping it quickly, putting more pressure on your clit, rolling her harder and faster than before. you continued mewling, whispering half-audible words of application. your head sank even lower, sobbing as your walls clenched around her fingers and your arms shot backward to grab into her side. you caught her jacket, your knuckles turning white as she rubbed you through your orgasm, an army of choked-back moans erupting from your throat.

you whine once again, moving your hips to meet her trust like an impatience child while riding the last of your high, your arms giving out and having to resort to keeping yourself up by your elbows. she tutted you softly, relishing in the wetness wrapping itself around her as you tried to gather yourself. her finger pads collected your slick as she pulled out of you before bringing her soaked finger up to her lips. you finally opened your eyes again, catching her reflection's gaze as she stuck her tongue out, placing her fingers on it and deliberately licking your juices from them.

"hmm, you want a taste?" she coos into your ear, forcing her finger back deeper inside of your sopping cunny. you didn't even really know what you were saying to make her laugh before she was sticking her hand into her own pants and offering it to you.

"good girl." she kissed your neck as you wrapped your lips around her fingers, your tongue slithering between the three fingers to clean and suck on them lightly like a baby.

kiriko was pleased and you seemed to be worrying about anything but the party and all the people around, the fact pulling a smile to her face. her hand that wasn't in between your lips found its place in the middle of your back, soothing a spot between your scapulas.

[maintitle]

I’m a big fan of the dialogue option in Inquisition where you talk about Orsino with Varric.

Inquisitor:  “In the book, you say that First Enchanter Orsino turned himself into a giant monster made of corpses.  How?  Why?”

Varric:  “Do I look like an expert on magical weirdness to you?”

VARRIC SLIGHTLY DISAPROVES.

Now, this could be read in a few ways by Varric himself, but I don’t see it like that at all.  It’s always felt like the writers tilting their head toward the camera and staring directly into the lens.  At the time people were entirely confused by Orsino’s actions, forcing a confrontation with the guy you’re siding with for what can be amounted to as no reason.  

Now, granted, there is in fact an in-game letter that can be found during your chase after your Mother that infer’s Orsino is dabbling in more than he lets on.  

My dear friend, I have obtained the books you requested. I'll leave them at our usual hiding spot. Please collect them as soon as possible. I would hate to see them in the wrong hands! Your last letter was fascinating! You have proven me wrong, once again, by doing the impossible. I shouldn't have doubted your resolve, and I hope you will keep me apprised of further progress. Your friend and colleague, O

This is a Codex found just before the confrontation with Quinton in Act 2, one that’s overshadowed by the horror Hawke goes through in that quest.  I, personally, feel like it was an afterthought put into the game in order to explain why the seemingly straight arrow First Enchanter is suddenly using necromancy to make a person meat shield.

The biggest thing that makes me think this is the Inquisition writing team acknowledging this, however, is Mark Darrah’s wrap-up video on his memories and the lessons he learned leading the project.  

Mark Darrah:  “We’ve talked about the level reuse, which I think is probably one of the weakest things in Dragon Age 2.  The thing that actually makes me feel the most regret for Dragon Age 2 is the way that the endings go.  So, I guess spoilers... but you get to the end of Dragon Age 2, and you have to deal with the mages and the Templars, there’s the whole question of the mages and the Templars.  But regardless of the choice that you make there, you end up fighting both Orsino and Meredith and the mages end up going all crazy regardless.  You’ve made a different choice, you’ve come down on this decision in a very different way... and yet the game has you play through basically the same content, in a slightly different order, but it’s basically the same content.  I think that’s a mistake... I mean, I’m pretty sure that was my decision, but I think that’s a mistake because it undercut the mage/templar question quite a bit.”

Mark Darrah:  “Now the reason why it is that way in Dragon Age II is that the games under incredibly tight constraints.  Orsino isn’t worthy of being an end boss all on his own, so the decision is that you gotta fight Meredith no matter what.  Okay.  So... that’s actually, I think, defensible, you could say.  Meredith has been corrupted by red lyrium, you gotta fight her no matter what.  You can still make the choice.  I think the place where Dragon Age 2 crosses the line is that we also make you fight Orsino no matter what, and I think that’s the mistake.  And the reason we do that is, it’s content, we want players to consume as much of our content as we can, because it feels like waste if we have content that isn’t seen by a player.  And I think that is a mistake, and I think that’s a lesson that maybe video game studios are just waking up to now, that actually it’s NOT waste, content that isn’t consumed by the player ISN’T a problem, that actually you should WANT that.”

Now, that summarization to me covers a lot of DA2, and I’m glad he’s had that reflection, even as the man that pulled the trigger.  DA2 deserves a bit of grace considering they had to take an idea for an Origins DLC and make it a full game because EA demanded it, and I’ve certainly been far more forgiving of the game as time has passed.  But that’s STILL a decision that drives me bonkers.

Now, that leaves us back at where we began.  It’s a FASCINATING moment with the writers, when we get that disapproval at the question.  It almost feels defensive.  Had they learned the lesson Mark Darrah later learned at that point, or where they still a bit upset by how badly that fight was received by folks who sided with the mages?  I’m really not sure, but I love it just because it has such sass attached to it.  It’s a moment in Inquisition where Varric once again becomes the voice of the writers, telling the plot of their previous game in a really defensive manner.  It’s a unique little moment that stands out so much to me.

[swordlux]

Amusement | Gilgamesh x Reader

The Holy Grail War was a problem in itself, but what was more was the servant I had found myself stuck with.

What was it that Gilgamesh wanted? Was I really just a source of amusement to the cold king? And what did he mean when he called me his treasure?

***

This time I heard it for sure, a honeysuckle laugh echoed through the dark space.

“Very well, you'll take me as your servant then.” ***

Chapter 1

I entered the church. The room was dark around me, the only light coming from the subtle lamps hanging along the length of the walls.

I checked the address on the invitation again, at the same time checking if the strange mark on my hand was still there. Its red ink burned in the darkness, denying any possibility that this was a dream.

“I see you’ve made it just fine,” a voice boomed out in the empty space.

I startled and looked around.

From the front of the church stepped a man.

I could see why I had missed him—he was dressed head to toe in a black, his expression as dark as the shadows themselves. The only thing that stood out about him was the gold cross hanging in front of his chest, which looked brightly accusing on his accosting form.

“You’re the one who sent the invitation?” I said, my voice steady.

“The paper was sent by me, yes,” he said, “But the divine invitation comes from the gods themselves.” The man lifted his hands up in reverence.

As he did the red mark on my hand began to burn. “Divine invitation… you mean this?” I held up my hand to present the mark that had mysteriously appeared a few days ago.

He nodded. “You are quick to comprehend. This won’t take me long then…”

“You have been selected to participate in a war of the gods. The candidates are among other talented mages such as yourself, people the grail have deemed worthy…”

Talented mages? But I had only ever practiced magic in my spare time. Surely that wasn’t enough to qualify me as a mage. And why me out of the hundreds of magicians out there?

The man continued with his explanation, but it made less and less sense as he went on.

Heroes fighting over some mythical object? All for the chance of having one wish granted? Were they really able to trick such esteemed beings into performing in this play?

When he finally finished, I let out a long breath. “Yeah… thank you for the opportunity, but I think I’ll pass.”

“What?” The man’s eyebrows narrowed at me.

“I politely decline,” I repeated.

“…Maybe I have not explained it well enough. You do understand that to be selected by the grail is a huge honor. A once in a lifetime oppor—"

“Once in a lifetime opportunity, yeah, yeah, I get it. Like I said, I’m good.” I turned to walk back down the aisle.

“You–” the man started, “Do you not have any desires?”

“Oh, sure. I have plenty.” I shifted to look him directly in the eye. “But there isn’t a single wish on this planet that I cannot grant for myself.” I sighed. “Honestly, I’m surprised you were able to convince such esteemed characters, as you say, otherwise. The whole thing sounds rather… sad.”

At that moment, I swear I heard a laugh ring out through the empty church seats.

The man blinked at me as if I was the one that had just come to him with such a ridiculous proposition. “Are you really—” He sighed. “Fine, if that is what you wish, then I must ask you to surrender your command seals.”

“Oh, you mean these?”

I looked down at the red markings on my hand. They burned with untapped power. I imagined my hand without them and suddenly found my chest feeling bare.

“You mentioned these would allow me to summon a servant, correct? A distinguished figure from history? Yeah, I think I’ll keep them.”

The look on the man’s face turned from contempt to downright outrage.

I continued my walk to the door.

“But– you–!” The man shouted after me. “To keep them means to declare your participation in the war.”

I paused and looked at my hand once more. The red markings already felt like a part of me. “Fine, I’ll participate,” I said. “But I won’t run around like a puppet for that stupid thing. I’ll do it simply for the experience of having someone to call me master.”

Again, the sound of that invisible laughter.

The scowl on the man’s face darkened. “The holy grail war is not a joke. Only one person can ever come out victorious. To participate, and to not win, is suicide.”

I sighed. “Then I guess I’ll have to convince the others that this is all a bunch of horseshit before it’s over. That, or find myself a servant strong enough to protect me.”

This time I heard it for sure, a honeysuckle laugh echoed through the dark space.

“Very well, you'll take me as your servant then.”

Continue reading...

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

Do you think it's possible for the farmer to join The First Slash? 🤔 Like the farmer has been through a lot, slaying Apostles and undead mummies in the Badlands, not to mention saving the entire underworld (is that what it's called??) for Raeriyala and Belinda.

It seems to me that the Farmer may already be running for the member of the most famous Guild in Castle Village, because they alone can do much more than many seasoned adventurers cannot - the Farmer is just like a diamond that you want to take for yourself. Also, Lance has repeatedly expressed the desire of the Farmer to join The First Slash Clan. Considering how the Farmer successfully coped with growing monster crops, destroyed Bully (a dinosaur bitch in the Highlands), freed a dwarf from captivity, which even Lance did not know existed (although he patrols there), catching many Torpedo trouts from ocean waters and just protecting civilians - and all this on pure enthusiasm. Imagine what the Farmer will then be capable of if given a clear goal and unlimited possibilities!

Although, on the other hand, just the giftedness of the Farmer can play a cruel joke with them and not allow them to join any other Guild. Because the Farmer causes the leaders of these Guilds... fear and suspicion. A youth who came from nowhere and became such a wonderful adventurer, + hidden potential in magic, with an all too sincere desire to help everyone and always pry into other people's business. Moreover, the Farmer is already a member of Marlon's guild, why did they suddenly want to join them? What are they up to?

I had a headcanon about where my OC Farmer Julian gets invited to the Castle Village Guild for his services in fighting monsters and rescuing some adventurers from the Crimson Baldlans. However, he politely refuses, saying that "his body and soul belongs to Stardew Valley forever" and that he will not leave his first teacher and friends in his life as an adventurous mage (referring to Magnus, Marlon and Gil). Besides, “no matter how beautiful and luxurious the walls of other Guilds are, a cozy wooden cabin at Adventurer's Summit will always be sweeter to my soul." Julian added that if they need his help, he will never refuse them.

Pretty cheesey headcanon, I know, but I love fluff. Even though I didn't want to talk about it before 2.0 came out, I've been running this scenario over and over in my head.

And so... The Farmer has every chance to join any guild, but again, such a talent can, on the contrary, become an obstacle to joining The First Slash or Castle Village. Although, if Jolyne decides in matters of accepting newcomers, then the chances will be much greater. After all, as for me, she sees a gifted, but still too young person who needs to be trained and kept an eye on them, and not as an agent sent by apostates who wants to find out weak points in the defense of the Guild.

I'm not sure, however, how Farmer's help in freeing Ridge Forest from dark magic will affect the introduction, since this, as far as I understand, is kept secret from everyone, even from Farmer's close friends. It will also be fun to see the reaction of monster hunters and wizards who find out that the undercover adventurer was Farmer's grandmother. Will it be positive, because the Farmer, one might say, "has the blood of an adventurer", or vice versa, due to the secrecy of the cult of the Lady with the Red Tail? Can't say for sure until I know the whole Ridgeside Village lore.

[autumnbrambleagain]

ultimately i think our real complaint with pathfinder wrath of the righteous is that its "difficulty" isn't so much "the enemies have very clever positioning and tatical advantages--how will you manipulate the situation to overcome it?"

it's not like the incredible oil refinery battle in Divinity Original Sin 2, where it gets WEIRD and you're fighting the environment and a new faction shows up and starts overrunning everything with weird resistances and forces you to outthink it, out-position it,

every single battle in Wrath of the Righteous is already decided long, long before the battle starts.

did you look your build up on metabuilds.quick? did you pick the Correct Feats and spells? did you reload the second combat started and then pre-buffed 30 different spells before combat began?

that's what defines the difficulty. is your build meta enough? did you read enough spreadsheets before this battle started?

i LIKED blackwater, I'll be honest. the super-high ACs meant i had to use spells i'd never used before, didn't NEED to use before, to deprive enemies of their AC bonuses! it felt like i was figuring out a puzzle, it was great, it was an outlier

im' on normal difficulty, which coddles and protects and forgives you. i'm on normal difficulty, and combat is either "i curbstop everything without trying, or i die instantly because i didn't get the gimmick right"

but on higher difficulties, there's no room to play with your build. in divinity you could be a teleporting assassin who dips into an elemental magic for extra fun, or a wizard just go full magic and you'll never be at a loss for things to DO. i put some levels of metamorphosis on my assassin just for the wings and tentacle slap, no problem. want a wizard who casts gun turret and then hits you with sword? that's fine.

in this shitty DnD inherited system you can't go "red mage". you can't casually dip. you can't do something Interesting. a sorcerer who spends a feat or two to use a cool sword? no. spell penetration. spell focus. you can't hit anything in melee after level 3 anyway so don't try. turn into a dragon? too bad, you still don't have the BAB to hit anything. you're a weak-ass nothing of a dragon.

the challenge isn't "here are all these pieces you can use--how will you use them to overcome the challenges before you?"

the challenge is "here are all these pieces. if you put them together in the right way you win. if you try to do anything fun with them you lose."

and for what? for what verisimilitude? ADnD had classes as CLASSES. you were a WIZARD. you had NO TIME to learn how to fight. your spells all had a dozen things to keep track of. you were a FIGHTER. at level 9 you literally get a Castle and a small ARMY as a class feature. as you leveled up you gained titles of nobility as a matter of course. you had to worry about taxes and harvests. of course multiclassing was hard back then--each CLASS was a career path. a druid leveling up had to do druid politics just to be ALLOWED to reach the next level. the fluff and crunch was INEXTRICABLE

but 3.x and 3.P threw that all out for the most part. just look at people talking about builds--they ALL talk about level 20 builds, and they're all ridiculous 3 rogue/1 monk/6 cleric/ 10 asshole builds that mix and match class features at will. i've seen it recommend that everyone take an entire level of monk just for the bonuses--ignore that it makes like, no sense everyone suddenly becomes an ACTUAL MONK. you don't just pick up the skills you pick up a level in the CLASS.

it so desperately wants to be a classless system where each level-up you pick what you get, but it can't escape its inheritance. it makes sense, to a degree--if you divide your time poorly in your study, you'll become not great at anything. a mediocre sword-fighter and a mediocre-wizard! but. but we're beyond ADnD aren't we?

why isn't it more gameified? I guess pathfinder 2 is more like that? i haven't played it, and i'm dealing with pathfinder 1 for WotR. taking a level of monk doesn't require you to add being a monk to your story--you don't need to find a cloister and dedicate time to it, you just pick the class to get the bonuses it gives you. why have it tied to classes at all at that point?

just like how multiclassing poorly leaves you unable to do anything well, picking both "classes are a career/lifestyle" and "classes are just a set of bonuses you get for this level" leaves the entire system poorly functional. you really can't do both.

why can't my sorcerer fight in melee when turned into a dragon? i don't have the BAB for it. how do i get the BAB for it? can i spend a few skill points per level to learn how to fight? no, i need to take a fighter class. retroactively all my experience is only into fighting. you can't multitask, you can't learn things outside your class--a sorcerer can't FIGHT with a SWORD! that's silly!

but a sorcerer can take a break for a level and become a knight, and a monk, and an alchemist, and a rogue. you can't be a sorcerer who sacrificed a bit of time mastering their magic to be competitive in a melee--that would make no sense! but you can be a sorcerer who stopped being a sorcerer and joined a convent for a short while and then became a squire for a knight for a week and now they can use a sword, sure. that's the option that makes sense.

just let adventurers be good at shit. let me block out two schools of magic in exchange for being able to fight in melee. let that just be a default fucking thing. you wanna make "classes" just a selection of bonuses you can freely pick from each level up, just let it be a la carte already. untie it from the canon. if everyone can take a level of sorcerer let magic just be something you can pick when you level up.

auroral oceans is a very different beast from a generic fantasy setting and the tabletop system im making for it is far from finished or perfect, but one of the base assumptions it makes is, if you're a player character, you're some kind of adventuring asshole enough that you can both: use a sword, and fire a gun, with enough competency that you can kill a person with it.

like yeah, someone who spends all their points on sword techniques is going to have more dice and way more options in a fight--a wizard with a sword just rolls their dice, a dedicated swordfighter has options to reroll a missed die or turn a point of damage into a disarm or a forced movement--but the wizard with a sword is still a dude with a sword and they can still fuck you up.

altho i guess it helps there's no generic "wizard" in the setting i guess the closest to wizard is worshipper of nirix who gets powers by virtue of emulating its example or like, a hwual channeler which is just a thing you can do it's fine

im off topic

my point is wow DnD fucking sucks and i wish it died from the meme pool already

[motheatenscarf]

I've been working my way to getting all classes leveled up for Talia because... I'm insane and love to set impossible goals for myself. I haven't been talking about too many of them bcs I have nothing to say about most of them, but since I've played through 9 now

Here is a quick summation of my thoughts, ranked from least to strongest reactions I've had;

Paladin: This is boring. I'm bored. I don't care about any of these people or their dumb problems, let me kill class enemy lalafell.

Astrologian: I don't care about these people or their problems, I already know from MSQ and better job stories that Ishgard sucks. These outfits DO rule tho.

Dancer: Huh, that dance to cure people of the morbs turned out surprisingly relevant... too bad it didn't matter! Oh well. Who are these people? What are their problems? Nevermind, I don't care. Dancing scenes are pretty at least.

Red Mage: These outfits rule. But wow, I don't care about these people. I actually weirdly hate this amnesia girl? Not for GOOD reasons, just for like. Trope reasons. Not her fault, but still, I hate when she's here.

Samurai: I don't care until suddenly for 2 minutes at level 60 it stops just being fun Samurai movie homages and tropes and gets REAL with Musosai trying to suicide by WoL. A momentarily beautiful moment that reincorporates and recontextualizes a silly moment from earlier in the story, describing atonement through having to LIVE and make amends, arguing that remorse is what separates good from evil, and wow! This was great! I legit loved- oh, they immediately ruined it with the Stormblood quest to uphold the status quo of a corrupt regime and made Musosai's student morally in the right thus making his death and guilt meaningless.... well, I hate this! Least favorite class story now.

Reaper: I love a mean old battleaxe so Drusilla is rad as fuck and this is some fun lore on Emet and Garlemald in general. I choose to care about this because I headcanon that my own WoL is from Garlemald and this is relevant.

Ninja: This is boring and kinda sucks, but Karasu is here and I love him. An eccentric theatrical weirdo here to test the hero and cause problems for drama? Yes, I DO love trickster figures, thank you. Oh wait, he's not a villain, just a decent dude trying to get out of a bad situation and being cagey to cover his own ass and help you so you can get him out of this jam? Rad. But why can he control bats as his Children of the Night if he's not evil? ... Don't worry about it! I don't know if he's a GOOD character, but my god is he a FUN character. That's all I care about. Look at how much I love Zenos; I DON'T need depth to have a good time. That said;

Dark Knight: I am WEEPING inconsolably over Fray and Myste, chortling over Moogles and Sid, and Rielle is but one of my many, MANY adopted kids from this game. It is perfect. I could talk about Dark Knight for hours, I lost an entire day of progressing through story just having to be insane about the reveal that Emet Selch was a Dark Knight, perhaps the FIRST Dark Knight, because OF COURSE HE WAS. Dark Knights are about LOVE and grief manifesting tangibly, and oh my god, everything ties in together as a coherent whole. I'm not normal about Dark Knight. I'll never be normal about Dark Knight. It invades my brain and gives words to the Things I'm Trying To Say about characters and what I want out of stories. Finding out that the woman who wrote Dark Knight took over as lead writer got me through the worst of how much I HATED base Stormblood and thank god it did because it meant I stuck with this game long enough to play Shadowbringers and Endwalker and didn't consider Heavensward just a fluke. Dark Knight saved this game for me. Dark Knight is incredible. Dark Knight has more to say about storytelling, motivation, and a player's role in and relationship to a story than anything I've ever seen from a SINGLE PLAYER RPG, let alone an mmo. Dark Knight is fucking transcendent.

Fishing: This is the dumbest story so far and I fucking love it. I love traveling the world with this lunatic who took up work as an ASSASSIN to fund her fishing hobby. She has her priorities in order, she is the most correct about the point of this game and I love her.

[quietly-by-myself]

Fearless - Chapter 2

Masterlist

CW: fantasy whump, vampire (dhampir) whumpee, human whumpee, fae whumper, guns, war, revenge-driven whumper, disproportionate retribution, multiple whumpees, bonded whumpees, creepy whumper, fantasy racism (surrounding vampires/dhampirs), run away, noncon drugging, implied family death, stabbing, implied abusive/absent parents, begging

===

Dhampirs never should have existed.

It was something that Kaloyan understood every second of his life. Not many understood in return that he had never asked to be born. Marked by the sins of his parents by his white hair and red eyes, Kaloyan was known as a dhampir everywhere he went.

Worse yet, everyone seemed to know who his father was. 

Kaloyan always bore the consequences of something he had no control over. What kind of life was that? Was it even worth living? His mother couldn’t look at him. His father wanted to pretend that he didn’t exist. The only reason he was still alive was the mage-servant that had taken him in.

Danger followed him everywhere, the mage-servant had once said. She warned Kaloyan more than once to be careful while going out, but Kaloyan found himself caring little for his worthless life.

Well, at least, that’s how he saw it at the time.

Some things never changed, though - Kaloyan was too fae to be human and too human to be fae. 

One day, when Kaloyan was wandering around outside one of the human villages, looking for nothing in particular, a group of vampire hunters found him.

“Well, it’s our lucky day!” the leader exclaimed. He pointed his gun at Kaloyan’s back, a silver-iron bullet loaded and ready to fire, surely. “The son of Lord Casimir.”

Kaloyan froze when he heard his father’s name. He was his father’s only son - a bastard at that. Nobody who uttered that name meant him well. He was aware of the angry stares that were digging into his back. 

The barrel of the gun was pushed into his back.

“Turn around very slowly and we might not shoot you on the spot. I bet that would make Lord Casimir very happy, huh?”

Kaloyan was shaking. His breathing was gradually becoming unsteady. He put his hands up and turned around slowly, facing the hunters and their guns. 

“Now, you have two choices: be killed now or play a game with us and we might spare your life. What do you say, bastard?”

Kaloyan froze. As much as he hated his life, he didn’t want to die. What would the mage-servant think? She would undoubtedly be sad. Kaloyan couldn’t do that to her, but his magic was usually in such a situation. He had no persuasion. He had no charm. Too fae to have human magic, too human to have pure fae magic. 

“Leave him the fuck alone!” a voice came shouting in the distance.

The hunter turned around, hitting Kaloyan across the head with the barrel of his gun. That little bit of vampiric strength kept him from being completely knocked out, but still landed him on the ground, shaking.

“Who the fuck are you?”

The man didn’t have much time to speak before the ground beneath him began to shake. The air around them clouded up with fog. The hunter’s gun twisted and bent his hand, turning into a knot, writhing almost, as though it were alive.

The head hunter glared at the boy in front of them. He had dark, almost black hair, brown eyes, and carried himself with great pride. 

“I said get the fuck away from him. I can do more than just some magic tricks.”

The head hunter’s eyebrows furrowed. “He’s our hunt. Fuck off, kid.”

Suddenly, the head hunter’s head began to twist. He grabbed at his neck. However, it was over as soon as it began. The hunter soon gained his ability to breathe. 

The head hunter took a moment, breathing panicked gasps, before he looked up at Kaloyan’s savior with fearful ire in his eyes.

“Come on, the dhampir isn’t worth it.”

The boy watched the hunters walk away, returning their glare with his own. Once they were safely out of sight, he walked over to Kaloyan and offered him a hand up.

“Sorry if I scared you.”

Kaloyan shook his head. In truth, he was unphased. Eastern-bound magic paled in comparison to the magic of his father. Kaloyan shuddered at the thought of having to face his father’s magic head-on. No, twisting someone’s limbs was nothing in comparison to what a strong Southern-bound magic user could do. 

“Thank you for saving me.”

The boy nodded. “It’s okay. I quite like the fae. Just don’t tell anybody I’m here. I ran away.”

Kaloyan nodded. He took a deep breath, trying to shake off the nerves of the encounter, but ultimately failing. 

“Do you want to come to where I live for a bit? If you’re looking for somewhere to go?”

The boy considered it for a moment. “You don’t even know my name.”

“But you saved my life.”

“That’s true.”

The two of them went silent for a little while longer, before the boy agreed.

“Nikolay. Now you know my name.”

Kaloyan smiled shakily. In truth, he just wanted to know if the boy meant him any harm, well and truly. The mage-servant would be able to tell him that. After all, a half-blood could never trust the words of a stranger, not one so valuable. 

“Kaloyan.”

—

Kaloyan was the first to wake up from the drugging. Something in his body told him that Nikolay was still fast asleep, close by, but not in the same room as him.

Pain quickly came into focus. He had a thick, iron band around his neck. It was burning into his skin and when he lifted his hand to it, his hand came back bright red. 

What… What happened?

Kaloyan vaguely remembered, with guilt, the man who’d appeared at their door. Nikolay and him had gone away for a reason. After one hundred years, they were sure nobody would ever find them, not even the Dragon King. 

They were wrong.

Very wrong.

A brown-haired, blue-eyed figure with a snake around his neck was quick to come into the room. In fact, Kaloyan wondered if he’d been there the entire time or not. 

“Kaloyan, I see that you’re awake before your friend.”

The man had black sclera. Kaloyan’s blood ran cold. 

“Who are you? Where’s Nikolay?”

“Nikolay is sleeping pretty in a different cell. A mage and his pact fae are too strong to keep together after all,” the man said with a wicked grin. “Somehow, I have a feeling that you’ll be more cooperative than him. Nikolay always had a rebellious streak, didn’t he?”

Kaloyan’s lungs constricted. A lump formed in his throat. He couldn’t swallow. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t tell what was real and what was fake.

“Don’t hurt him! He’s had enough trouble in life.”

The man laughed. “And what? I’ve had it easy. Tell me, Kaloyan the kind bastard son of the late Lord Casimir, do you recognize me?”

Kaloyan looked at the man. Something about him was familiar, but Kaloyan couldn’t place it.

His silence told the man everything. His smile quickly faded. “You’re so cold you don’t even remember who you’ve hurt, huh? And you call yourself kind, Kaloyan,” the man said with mock disappointment.

Kaloyan’s mind raced. I can’t be like Dad. I can’t be like Dad. Think, Kaloyan, think! 

“Were you from one of the villages?”

The man nodded. “There you go! I knew you were smart. Oh, it’ll be so much fun to break you.” His smile spread across his face again. “I’m Dimitar. You and I will get to know each other quite a bit, so don’t worry too much about not knowing a lot about me.”

“What- what are you going to do to him?”

Dimitar laughed. “You should ask what I’m going to do to you, no?”

“My life has always been worthless. I should’ve never been born. Nikolay had people who loved him. Please, hurt me instead.”

“That’s not how it works for you mage types, now, is it?” Dimitar kneeled down to where Kaloyan was chained by the neck to the floor. He took Kaloyan’s chin in his hands and made him look up at him. “I know how to hurt you mage types. You will regret ever stepping foot in my village. In fact, you’ll regret the day you didn’t just die to those hunters.”

With that, Dimitar stabbed an iron, silver-coated knife into Kaloyan’s side. His movement was so fast that Kaloyan felt the pain before he saw the knife. Kaloyan screamed.

“Please. Please. Have mercy.”

“Save your words. It only gets worse from here, my little bat.”

===

Tag list: @whumpsday @i-can-even-burn-salad @whumpworld @darkthingshappen @pigeonwhumps @rabass @whither-wander-whump

[icylook]

Promise

Pairing: Leon x Leri (MC)

Rating: Teen and Up; Word count: 1281; Read on AO3

Tags: Spoilers for the AMR demo; Not canon compliant; First Kiss; Developing Relationship

A Mage Reborn demo 👑✨ @mage-parivir

[Masterlist]

The flaps of his tent flutter open when Leon barges in with an apology on his lips.

“Forgive me Leri, but this cannot wait. I-” 

The words seem to leave him and Leri’s watching him freeze in place. 

Leon’s eyes rake at Leri’s back, quickly, with a hint of hunger of the one who sees something they know they shouldn’t but really wanted to.

Leri doesn’t move, elbows caught in a shirt he was in the middle of pulling on.

Leon has a very good view of markings covering his skin. 

This is why he usually bathes alone. To avoid questions he just knows are at the ready to spill from Leon’s mouth. During his adventures with the White Fangs he was able to keep them covered most of the time. Oh, his companions chanced glimpses of them on his arms and legs but not like this, not in full. It's the first for Leon.

And he stays silent.

Suspiciously silent. 

Leri swallows, throat suddenly tight. He can’t properly read the look in Leon’s eyes, that inappropriate hunger changing into something he’s not sure he likes seeing. It looks close to pity and he hates to see that.

He’d rather it to be disgust. Never pity. It’s like an insult to everything he molded himself to be.

He turns away and puts the shirt on, unhurriedly, like he’s in control. He must be in control. Ignore the open chasm in the pit of his stomach.

“Peculiar sight, isn’t it?” Leri’s lips stretch in a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “What do you need from me that it couldn’t wait, Your Majesty?” He aims for a light tone. “What if I was still in the bath? Completely naked.” 

That seems to shake Leon off of what mesmerized state he was in. He clears his throat, a hint of red spreading on his cheeks. 

He steps closer. “You seem to be better.”

Leon doesn’t need to name it for Leri to know what he’s talking about. 

His little fainting problem. 

He might have taken it too far this time, pushing his magic until he collapsed under the strain. He feels that every time the limit is a little bit farther, so he’s not worried. Beside the help of a healer he chugged enough potions to keep him up for next two days. 

Not that Leon needs to know that.

“Ah?” Leri shrugs. “It has been taken care of, you don’t have to worry about my performance tomorrow.”

“About that.”

Leri tenses. He just knows he won’t like what he’ll hear in a moment. Leon’s hand rubs the back of his neck, eyes glancing to the side before his shoulders seem to straighten on his next exhale.

“Tomorrow's battle. I don’t want you to take part in it.”

He stays silent. Meeting Leon’s gaze right on. Slowly, he unclenches his jaw.

“May I know the reason, Your Majesty?” 

“Leri, don’t-” Leon rakes his fingers through his hair, making golden strands stick in every direction. He recognizes the lack of playfulness in the title Leri used before, a hint of formality taking its place. “Don’t do this now.”

Leri tilts his chin up. “Do what?” He can’t help himself asking, silently hoping to steer the conversation where he’ll come out on top. Knowing Leon though, it may be a challenge. He opens his mouth to tease him further, to make him change his mind. He doesn’t have a chance because Leon beats him with what he says next.

“Watching you being on the verge of death every time, I… I just,” he shakes his head, like he’s clearing his mind of unwanted memory. “I see how much it costs you.”

“I have to give something to get something. It is what it is.” 

He stays his ground when Leon stops just before him. “No. It’s more than that. Don’t think me blind.”

Leri blinks, watching the emotion play in those emerald eyes. “Is it fair, though?” 

A wrinkle appears between Leon’s brow as he continues speaking. “You want me to stay and watch you risk your life on a battlefield from afar. Without intervening.”

“You need more rest.” Leon’s answer wafts over his face. He shifts closer. Leri dares to reach for his hand, his fingers brushing Leon’s own. 

“What I need, is to stay beside you.”

From this close he can see the pulse on Leon’s neck speed up. Their fingers intertwine and he lets himself be pulled until his body gently collides with Leon’s. 

“I can order you to stay back in the camp.” Leon speaks straight to his ear and a pleasant shiver runs down his spine.

“Will you order me to?” He asks softly, his own breath hitching when a warm mouth brushes his temple. He feels his heartbeat going faster, because he knows what it is about. They talked about it, those feelings that have grown between them, slowly but surely. And it was it, only them acknowledging that they care about each other. It was a realization and Leri felt both lighter and afraid because of it. 

They talked with stifled words but not with their bodies, not like now. Leri can feel it, the same realization when Leon puts his hand over his jaw. It shakes a little and Leri’s lips part as he waits for something to happen.

Something he’s been waiting to happen for some time.

He sees the same want and hesitation on Leon’s face and meets him half-way. Leaning in until their breaths mingle in the lightest of kisses. His fingers curl in Leon’s tunic, pulling him in as he tastes him once, twice then pulls back to lick his lips just to let Leon kiss him again with more force. He sighs when a hand cups the back of his neck, tangling in his hair, bringing him closer.

He’s giving as much as he’s getting. It’s not enough, it’s too much. There’s no finesse in it, no calculated movement, just raw passion and warmth. 

They step back, resting their foreheads together. Breathing the same air, their mouths reddened and tender. 

“Will you order me to stay?” Leri doesn’t recognize his voice when he repeats the question.

Leon shudders, hiding his face in Leri’s neck.

“If I have to.” His arms wrap around Leri as he doesn’t want to let him go, but he doesn’t move. Exhaustion, in a sudden wave coming out of nowhere makes him lean further into the embrace. He stays quiet, listening to the muffled noises outside his tent. Feeling the shift of Leon’s muscles under his hands. Hearing the lightest plea in his voice that makes his throat tighten.

“Don’t make me order you. Please.”

The words sting his skin just as Leon’s mouth does, peppering his neck with light kisses, down to his collarbones. 

He sighs, tilting his head up, closing his eyes. A knot in his chest keeps loosening under Leon’s careful touch. 

Maybe.

Maybe he can trust Leon to stay safe.

Maybe it won’t turn against him. 

Maybe he won’t see him bleed because he wasn’t there to unleash his vengeful spirits upon whoever dared to creep close to his lover. 

“I’ll stand by.”

Leon raises his head. “You will?” 

A hint of wonder in his voice makes Leri smile. He leans to leave a soft kiss against those tempting lips.

“Yes.”

He seals the promise with one more peck against a pliant mouth under his own, swallowing silent thank you with his tongue finding his way into Leon’s mouth.

He’ll stand by.

But he’ll stay vigilant.

And there will be no mercy for anyone who makes Leon bleed, for as long as he breathes.

[heinrix]

i gotta..talk abt barnabas. hold up uhh rambling under the cut

so barnabas in the og campaign i played him in got this scar that i absolutely love from being infected by a fractal-like alien and his body got ripped open from one of his eyes down to his stomach when his companions were attempting to remove the infection. the scar was this damascus-esque texture that ran across his body where he had been split open.

i want him to have this in bg cause i just find it the coolest thing ever (and he could do insanely advanced math/science after having gained the scar) so i was thinking that when he was around 16/17, he was feeling rather rebellious and wanted to travel outside of candlekeep for once so he snuck out one night, wanting to at least explore the closest town by himself

on his short-lived journey, barnabas stumbled upon a semi active ritual circle deep within the forest and decided to check it out. upon further investigation he discovered that it was some sort of sealed gate spell, similar to ones he’d seen in advanced grimoires. taking a closer look, barnabas accidentally tripped into the circle and it began to glow and flow with arcane energy.

in mere seconds, a portal flashed in front of him and he looked inside to see what appeared to be an abandoned cityscape; flora having taken over well crafted buildings and cobblestone streets. but he also saw a creature climb over the walls of the buildings, something alien and unexplainable at first (he would later draw a rendition of this creature within his notebook and it resembled simply a square shaped monster with several limbs and claw-like hands but no orifices to be seen).

upon gazing at the creature a few hundred feet away, barnabas felt suddenly dizzy, sick, and fatigued enough to immediately pass out but wake up mere seconds later to the sound of thumping limbs running toward him. in his haze, barnabas scrambled to run away and as he exited to ritual circle, the portal closed a moment before the horrific monster could reach him.

walking back to candlekeep was far more exhausting than barnabas could have expected even for someone as un-athletic as him and he soon passed out once more nearly a mile away from the castle walls. luckily, guards had found him in the early hours of the morning and brought him back and immediately took him to the infirmary.

barnabas awoke a few hours later, being tended to by healers and mages alike, attempting to figure out this affliction he held within his eyes; his eyes were riddled with fractals swirling in the cornea and the surrounding skin was pulsing with red lichtenberg figures as well. they all came to the conclusion that barnabas needed his eyes replaced with a set of arcane spheres that would work just as good, if not better than his natural eyes.

as they were attempting to take one of barnabas’s eyes, something within him reacted in defense and from his right eye, down to the lower half of his stomach, a void ripped forth, red fractal figures as deep as the abyss were within him and barnabas screamed in utter horror and pain. gorion had been in the infirmary, looking after barnabas alongside the healers and with some quick thinking and a telekinesis spell, ripped both of barnabas’s infected eyes from his body. once he had done that, the void closed itself and left barnabas with the demascus textured scar from where the infection had ripped him asunder.

this experience drove his ambition for knowledge even further, wanting to find out what this creature that infected him was and where it came from and made him decide on becoming a transmutation focused wizard, wanting to be able to control every aspect of not only his life but the material plane around him

side note: when he turns into his slayer form, the scar rips back open and reveals that fractal filled void :)