#sourfruited

[sergejbiohazardov]

Aristokrāts. Teika. Sour-Fruited. 10.2% Крепкий соур на шампанских дрожжах. Кислосладкое. Неплохо, но не восторг. Но что-то достаточно необычное в этом сорте. 4.0 #Aristokrāts #Teika #SourFruited #beer #craftbeer #alcohol #sergejbiohazardovbeer #sergejbiohazardov #быстрыйобзор https://www.instagram.com/p/CoICvA3MyDW/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[foibles-fables]

actually yes headcanon that the Desert Tenakth have reinvented Gatorade. Gotta keep the squads hydrated and electrolyted out there. Sourfruit juice, salt from the flats, diluted with a liiiiiiittle bit of water. Trade salt with the Lowland Clan for other fruits.

Aloy likes the new “blue one” best

[simaiela]

The BFFs by simaiela

[ BFFs MAKEOVER PART 1 ]

I decided to take on a little makeover slash revamping project and I thought the BFFs would be the perfect first try. It's also my first attempt at doing these lookbook thingies. Obviously the lookbooks are meant to showoff the custom content other simmers make, but in my case, I tend to mix and match items in-game with custom content. So, these are my lookbooks for the trio!

I like color-coding my sims so I just took whichever defining color they had in their default design.

Travis Scott is our red boi. He looks kinda like tom holland, if I'm being honest but that's because of the eyes. the eyes are custom content so he looks real good. I didn't spend a lot of time on him. I, surprisingly, find it easier to speed through dressing up male sims because of how minimalistic men's fashion are and it's not necessarily a bad thing. Because of how categorical men's fashion is, it's also easy to know what to look for when dressing them up. Travis should give off basic white boi vibe, and that's okay!

Liberty Lee gets purple and yellow, mostly purple, tho, which I think is a really mystical color palette and suits how out of the three of them, she probably has the most defining trait. Travis and Summer are pretty straight to the point, and one could argue Liberty is as well, but I kinda revamped her as well and I played her as this Luna Lovegood type of character who surprises you with her hidden depths.

Summer Holiday is your typical cheerleader, popular girl trope but I gave it my own twist and instead of being this Regina George character, I wanted her to be someone who, yes, is a cheerleader and popular, but she's really just friendly and comes from old money, hence the more toned down, but still fancy looks.

I also headcanon that she gets along well with Liberty despite what the game wants for them and even gives Liberty some fashion advice, and Liberty has also grown comfortable in telling Summer about her troubles as a fellow young lady. They both DO love Travis, but I reeeeally wanted to develop it into a more platonic bond.

PACKS USED:

For Rent | Growing Together | High School Years | Cottage Living | Discover University | Get Famous | Seasons | Cats and Dogs | City Living | Get Together | Dream Home Decorator | Spa Day | Parenthood | Fitness Stuff | Vintage Glamor Stuff | Perfect Patio | Incheon Arrivals

All CCs/Mods:

Default Eye Replacement by elysiantrait Lip Presets by lutessasims Male Eye Presets by nothernsiberiawinds Male Hair 1 from Mail Hair Pack 1 by wistfulcastle Violet V-Neck from Greenhouse Collection by greenllamas Leila Hair 1 by aladdinthesimmer BY JIUSSIMS Canvas Platform Sneakers from Flats Collection 04 Star Platform Oxfords from Lollipop Collection 02 Over The Knee Boots 1 and Snow Boots 3 from Winter Collection 3 Velvet Platform Sandals 02 from Crystal Collection 1 Ankle Boots 3 from Martins Collection BY CHIH Lipstick C2 Nails P3 BY TRILLYKE Candy Crush Sandals by trillyke Butterfly Effect Top by trillyke BY TWISTEDCAT Naive Eyebrows & Silk Eyebrows from Brow set No 4 Stardust Outfit Taffy Dress Spiceberry Lipstick Pyrite Makeup Set Eyebags and Eyelids Soft Glam Glitter Overlay from Soft Glam Makeup Set Heatwave Lipstick from Heatwave Makeup Set Sourfruit Blush from Sourfruit Makeup Set Dark Hour Eyeshadow from Dark Hour Makeup Set Frosty Eyeshadow from Frosty Makeup Set Mirage Eyeliner from Mirage Makeup Set Glow Lipstick from Glow Makeup Set Slated Eyebrows from Eyebrow Set No 8 3D Lashes No4 BY SIMSTROUBLE Sybil Female Hair Viola Female Hair BY HUIEN Gem Earrings from Mulani Set Lucy Shirt from Floraful Set Claire Jeans from G!rls Set Ember Dress from Lovito BY MIIKO Eva Hair from Eva Set Peach Hair Fox Hair 2 Emma Hair 2 3D eyelashes Part 3

If any of the links are not working, or if you have any questions, please feel free to send me a message. Please show some love to the cc creators! Again, please read my guides page in case you get confused.

--

I'll be posting the house makeover soon so, stay tuned!

Find me on the gallery! simaiela

[charcherry-weekly]

Charcherry Weekly - Issue 192

Hello! Mage of Light Nick Card here! April is upon us and spring is in the air! Let's get to the news.

Eggs and Hatched Sightings!

On trans day of visibility (which easter happened to also land on this year), a great deal of assorted pokemon eggs were spotted in Unity Village. A number of people went out to search for them and claimed an egg or two without any particular protest. Meanwhile, a number of openly transgender members of the dungeon crashers displayed their colors on this day. I will not mention them all in publication because there's so many of us that it would take up the whole paper. In tangential news, a certain kid's eevee evolved into sylveon on this day as well. Reportedly they adore their sylveon just as much as before.

On Korous, a holiday known as "save your childhood day" was celebrated on this day, as a replacement for the infamous "burn your childhood day". Reportedly, Save your childhood day involves greenhorn temporics going through their old toys and figuring out which ones they wish to keep, and which to pass down to those next in line. At the end of the day, there was a grand foam sword fight with all the children against a chosen trusted adult figure in each town. Each child who got involved was given a commemorative collectable token, as well as a blank journal to document and plan their rite's journey with. It is hoped that this experience will ready korosian youth for the future, rather than scar their past.

A Fool's Errand

The day after happened to be april fool's day, and the tricks and jokes were out in full force! Warlock of Time Coleman was seen looking particularly wonky this day, while Brae Emit and her pokemon enjoyed a fun little role-swap. There was also a green gastly sighting in unity village. Reportedly there were a number of pranks gone wrong in Neo Alternia, but thankfully a particular 7 foot tall wigglytuff with questionable medical expertise was able to step in for any local emergencies.

Also of note, reportedly Voidco HQ had lost power on this day due to a prank gone right. It was restored hours later by a pair of employees, though the ones that worked in the power department have since gone missing, most likely for their own safety.

Classified ads

Searching for new and interesting fruit! Please contact awesomeSwordfish if you have any fruit to offer, suitable offers will be compensated. These fruits will be used for a juice bar that will eventually open in Unity Village. If you are interested in working at such a juice bar, job openings are available.

Help Wanted! Brae's produce stall is hiring pokemon from Plit to watch her stand! Please contact sourFruit or stop by the stand for details.

Do you want an ad here? Contact lavenderSiren to get an ad for whatever. If you don't write it yourself, you risk the newsletter writer writing it instead, do be warned.

This week’s known market stands in Desertia Town:

DTA train ticket stand

Katie’s potion stand (Not available to plitlanders due to regulations, available to all others however)

shinyjiggly pokesnacks stand

Brae's produce stall: - Potted vegetables - Jarred vegetables - Various jams - Hisuian herbs (medicinal leek, pep-up plant, king's leaf)

Traditional Shop: - Mirror, small steel (10 gp) - Shovel (2 gp) - String or twine (50 ft.) (1 cp) - Vial (1 gp) - Sack (1 cp) - Scent cloak (20 gp) - Carpenter's Tools (15 gp) - Chair, folding (2 gp) - Horn, signal (1 gp) - Tent, small (10 gp)

canvas shoes stand

I think that does it for this week. One of the Skyes is out on a train trip and left beef is slowly moving forwards. we'll see what happens though. https://letssosl.boards.net/thread/429/charcherry-weekly-issue-192

[daveb]

Sonnet

having made peace with the rocks thatI call shoes, grown accustomed tothe furry creatures living inmy sinuses and the shows theywatch into the deep oven night I watch one fork of lightning freethe tree that dropped only small sourfruit, and return to arrangingoyster shells to resemble awave and ask is this the dream it’s so quiet here it’s hard to hearthe song of my empty stomachor the rattle…

[patilrohan]

🌿🍈

🌀 @patil.rohan03

Wild fruits Sour sweet 😋

करवंद हे एक काळ्या रंगाचे छोटे फळ आहे. करवंदे महाराष्ट्रातील पश्चिम घाटात व कोकणात खूप प्रमाणात मिळतात. डोंगरकपारीत आपोआप उगवणारी करवंदाची काटेरी झुडपे अनेकदा पाहण्यात येतात. एप्रिल आणि मे हा हे फळ लागण्याचा काळ आहे. कच्ची करवंदे तोडल्यानंतर पांढऱ्या रंगाचा चीक येतो आणि तो हाताला चिकटतो.

Karwand is a small black fruit. Taxes are abundant in the Western Ghats and Konkan in Maharashtra. The thorny shrubs that grow April and May are the fruiting seasons .

#summerfruits #palghar #saphale

#karonda #sourfruit #ranmeva #photoholic_goan #tropicalfruits #rural #summerfruits #wild #fruits #natural #green #kokan #villegelife #grarden #park #jungal

🌿🍈😋. Thanks 🌀

[seasidewineandspirits]

Just Arrived from BLDG8 Brewing Sour Series Peach 5.0% #bldg8brewing #sourseries #peach #sourfruited #florenceMA #homegrowndistro #SeasideWineAndSpirits #LiquorLegend #LegendForAReason #TheLegendContiniues #bridgewaterma (at Seaside Wine & Spirits) https://www.instagram.com/p/CZfC3PUJZKB/?utm_medium=tumblr

[michaelhein]

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀10 delicious beers in July.🍺 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ With Westvleteren Abdij Sint-Sixtus (Trappist Westvleteren XII), @cloudwaterbrew (Bellini Slushie), @thewhitehag (Beann Gulban Irish Heather Sour Ale), @cloudwaterbrew (DIPA), @omnipollo (OMNIPOLLOSCOPE #2 SUPERSTITION STRAWBERRY BOURBON MEAD BARRELS, SUPERSTITION APHRODESIA SYRAH MEAD BARRELS, VANILLA BOURBON?BARRELS and BUFFALO TRACE BARRELS BLACK BARLEYWINE🤪), @cascade.brewing (Cuveé Du Jongleur 2017), @wylam_brewery (NLM), @bullfrogbrewery (Le Roar Grrrz Blackberry), @de_moersleutel_craft_brewery (Going Real Nuts) and @branta_brauerei (Wilde HefenTraubenmost). Good job guys!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #CraftBeer #Beer #Bier #belgian #belgianquadrupel #trappist #sour #fruited #sourfruited #sourale #dipa #ipa #barleywine #cuvee #vintage #newenglandipa #neipa #lambic #stout #imperialstout #BeerWineHybrid // All beers bought at @beyondbeer (Germany) & @mikkellerwebshop (Denmark) (hier: Hamburg, Germany) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0vVRIVI2hi/?igshid=kmai5565iskw

[evilvanilla]

#yuzu #wendanyuzu #citrus ##sourfruit #fruits #autumnfruits #taiwanesefruits #lowcaloriefruits #diabeticfruit #diabeticfriendly #fruit https://www.instagram.com/p/CE0O7I_paTk/?igshid=1ovkoltu6hmq7

[santypoker]

Country Of The Wild Sour Fruited 6% ABV 10 IBU De color rosada con espuma blanca poco persistente, en boca se sedosa y de cuerpo ligero. En aroma y gusto predominan las notas ácidas cítricas y de frutos rojos aportadas tanto por levaduras salvajes y fermentos lácticos de la fermentación como los arándanos y frambuesas acompaña de una Coques vegetal de Hummus, ensalada, tomate, queso y pepinillo 🤪🤪🤪 @cervesaespiga @mager_brew @conesabeerbarcelona #beerphoto #craftbeerlife #craftbeernation  #craftbeer #beerporn #beerreviews  #craftbeerlover #beerphoto #craftnotcrap  #craftbeerpics #craftbeercommunity  #properglassware #sourfruit #untappd #craftbeerreviews #beergram  #instabeer #beersofinstagram #beergeek  #craftbeerporn #instacraft #sour #beerblog #saltbeerfactory #ilovebeer  #beeroclock #drinkcraft #picoftheday #report (en Conesa Beer Barcelona) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGCdnx8FbyY/?igshid=1v19eptcwfmvt

[jumponthevape]

If you love Sour E Liquids than you're in for a treat, we have some of the best Sour E Liquids deals in the UK. Whether it's sour candy, sour fruits or sour soda drinks we have flavours sourced globally just for you.

[rxvape-blog]

Sweet is never as sweet without the sour, and that is a fact. . . . #rxvape #beekvape #sour #apple #sourapple #vapejuice #nicsalts #vapesales #vapeusa #vapeeurope #sourcandy #sourfruit #vapefam #vapefans #vapefrance🇫🇷 #chill #vibes #picoftheday #instadaily #dopesoul https://www.instagram.com/p/CB8UE5gF3sI/?igshid=179mrnqk747ep

[maimedmarshal]

[  BEG ] ;  the sender begs the receiver to touch them.

This was a new brand of torture Kotallo was wholly unprepared for. He found himself pushed back against a wall in Memorial Grove after having just returned from his duties at Hekarro's side for the day. Alarmed, he captured Aloy's left wrist in his hand as she attempted to wrap both arms around his neck. The glazed cast to her eyes was unnerving enough that he looked over her flushed cheeks and easy smile with a frown.

Immediately, Kotallo glanced over Aloy's shoulder to where Drakka, Ivirra, and others had gathered around to drink one of Desert Clan's famous brews. The scent of redthorn peppers and sourfruit was stark enough in the air around their fire that he realized what had happened.

"What did you do to her?" he demanded with a gruff growl at Drakka while Aloy tried to fumble at the clips of his armor.

With patience he didn't feel, Kotallo softened his voice as he lowered his gaze to the Nora huntress. "Aloy, stop. It's the drink."

"We're just having a night off! Join us, Marshal! It'll be good for you! I envy your position right now," the new Desert Clan Commander said with a bright laugh. "It's not everyone who can get the Champion fighting to rip their clothes off."

"You should have warned her," Kotallo snapped back with irritation.

"Relax, Marshal. She's an adult. I've no power to stop her curiosity."

"You didn't have to encourage it," he grumbled as Aloy finally did manage to free the first fastening of his chest plate. Kotallo cursed the lack of his other hand when he couldn't keep her from pressing her lips against the leaping pulse at his throat. By the Ten, she was going to kill him, and she didn't even need a weapon to do it.

"Aloy," he said again on a frustrated sigh, trying to find a balance between discouraging her behavior without hurting her feelings. Sourfruit had a way of...overriding one's emotions and inhibitions even without the aid of fermentation. "You don't want to do this," he said softly.

"Why won't you touch me, Kotallo?" She pressed another open-mouthed kiss to his throat and the Marshal let his head fall back against the wall as he groaned. Killing him. By the Ten, she was killing him right here. "Don't you like me? Is it because I'm not Tenakth?" Despite the way her hands now spread across his bared abdomen with want, the innocence in her question was enough to bring some semblance of logic to his poorly functioning brain.

The laughter of those around the fire nearby reminded Kotallo of just where they were. His eyes met Drakka's smug, smirking gaze over Aloy's shoulder. Kotallo's promised violence. Later.

Dipping his gaze back down to Aloy, he worked to reassure her with quiet, soft words. "Aloy, you're drunk. It doesn't matter that you're not Tenakth. I like you as you are. But you're asking for things you don't mean."

"How do you know?" she asked with a pout. Kotallo could see that stubborn set of her shoulders despite the way she draped her arms successfully around his neck this time.

"Because I know you wouldn't want an audience if you really meant what you were asking."

Aloy looked up at him from beneath her lashes as she smiled sweetly. "We can go somewhere else," she suggested, one of those sneaky hands of hers dipping down for her to hook a finger in the front of his armored skirt. Quickly, his hand whipped down to recapture her wrist to prevent her from discovering exactly what he thought of her. He pulled her wicked hand away from his groin and encouraged it behind his neck instead since it was undoubtedly a safer place for her to hold onto him.

In a singsong voice, Drakka piped up at the fire. "Have fuuuun, Marshal. You can thank me later!"

And even as Aloy was killing him, Kotallo vowed to end the smirking shit in the arena tomorrow. Or at least take him down a few pegs. Hekarro was unlikely to allow him to kill Desert Clan's Commander even if he deserved it.

Managing a deep breath to gather every ounce of his restraint, Kotallo finally dipped his head to press a soft kiss on Aloy's forehead. "We'll find you a cot to sleep this off," he muttered.

He staggered in shock when Aloy leaped up to cling to him, even wrapping her legs around his waist. It wasn't her weight so much as the unexpected action that had him fighting for his footing. This was most assuredly not helping his erection. Using his arm to hook under her, Kotallo hiked her higher to ensure she didn't discover it pressing against her backside as he carried her from the fire. The sound of Drakka's taunting laughter followed them.

Not trusting the troops to not take advantage of an inebriated Aloy, Kotallo carried her straight to his own quarters and settled her down on his bed. It was a mistake, he realized, for the moment he saw her sitting there and waiting expectantly for him, desire swamped him. But he was not a randy recruit to give in to baser wants.

When he stepped away, Aloy made a sound of disappointment. "Where are you going?"

"It's not right, Aloy."

By the Ten, were those tears? His throat clogged with panic when she indeed started to sniffle. "You don't want me?" she asked, her voice broken.

Unable to resist the urge to comfort her, he stepped close again and dropped down to his knees in front of her. His hand reached up to cup her cheek while his thumb swiped at her tears tenderly. "Not like this, love," he said softly.

"Why?" she asked, her hands moving to grip desperately at his wrist. She held his hand close to her like a lifeline.

"You're drunk, Aloy. I can't take advantage of this."

"But what if I wasn't? Would you want me then?" she asked as more tears fell.

She undid him. In such simple ways, she could unravel any amount of control he had. Hadn't he vowed not to make his feelings a burden for her? Aloy already carried the world. She carried the expectations of entire tribes along with the unwanted feelings of far too many. He didn't want to add to that burden. But here, in a moment of weakness when she wasn't likely to remember, he found his tongue loosened.

"I always want you, Aloy." The admission was quiet and private, but the words seemed to bounce around the confines of his quarters. Already, he wished he could recapture them and swallow them back until they never left his lips.

But then, there she was smiling with such sweetness that he found himself feeling too greedy. He ached to kiss her. To taste the lingering alcohol in her mouth and share in some of that reckless abandon it had granted her. Instead, he reached forward to plant a chaste kiss on her cheek followed by another on the end of her nose.

"Sleep, Aloy. You'll feel better in the morning."

Before he could move away, she tightened her hold on his wrist. "Can you stay? You don't have to touch me. Just stay."

Logic argued it was a bad idea even as the rest of him reasoned something as platonic as sharing the same space in sleep was harmless. Staying won, only because Kotallo found he'd lost the will to resist any more of her pleas.

"Scooch over, then," he murmured, smiling when she beamed at him and immediately made room for him on his bed.

Despite his intention not to touch her, he woke the next morning with his arm wrapped snugly around her and her face pillowed on his chest. Kotallo closed his eyes again and willed the moment to last forever.

[charcherry-weekly]

Charcherry Weekly - Issue 189

Great changes are on the horizon, and I'm not just talking the seasons. This is Mage of Light Nick Card and its time for the news.

Trying to Make a Point

Early this week, mspfa webcomic Pointerstuck had a major update, finally revealing the guest panels that your dear newsletter writer submitted after finding them labeled in a zip file a month or two ago. It involved a certain young (but likely still pretty old) page of void showing up at an unexpected time. Regardless of what this might mean, its apparent that the events of pointerstuck are becoming more and more relevant to events and people over here. I can only hope that the version of Skye involved there makes it into the medium.

The Alternian Project

Late last week, a certain anonymous individual took a journey to planet Alternia in another universe, in order to seek out a high quality sample of sopor slime, among other things. The visitor had been keeping in contact over the past few days, though it is apparent that time is flowing relatively slower compared to how it flows here. Currently, the visitor has reported that they will be returning to Gene on monday, and will reportedly be bringing a very large amount of troll refugees with them, to save them from the Vast Glub. To prepare for this, a grass planet from the Desertia system has been earmarked and moved to the Spectra system to accommodate the trolls that will be arriving. Knight of Space Zowera Careon managed to fulfill the feat of swapping the locations of two different planets, for the sake of providing ideal living conditions. This planet has been dubbed Neo Alternia, and is under korosian jurisdiction. It is unknown what shape the more local governmental body will take on Neo Alternia, as the primary inhabitants are expected to be children with minimal qualifications for such responsibilities. Maid of Void Skitis does not want to take the role. Also of note, a troll that has been traveling with the anonymous visitor has been delivered to safety, as the police chases were getting to be a bit too much for them. They are currently under dungeon crasher care until the visitor returns on monday.

Korosian progress

Planet Korous is getting closer and closer to entering The Federation. The korosian government has recently completed the Grand Mapping Project, now publicly viewable on kor.grandmappingproject.gov . Please note that this link only works if you're accessing it from a connection in the Gene universe. As it stands, the only known remaining task is for korosian laws to be check and aligned with standard federation laws, with this task having been reported as being halfway completed.

Classified ads

Help Wanted! Brae's produce stall is hiring pokemon from Plit to watch her stand! Please contact sourFruit or stop by the stand for details.

The Desertian Transit Authority is hiring new staff for the stations! Do note that most if not all work will likely take place in a dark (but properly lit) realm beyond conventional time and space. Please contact theUnderground for details.

Experts on childhood trauma counseling, rehabilitation, and/or Alternian ecology (still) needed! Contact artificedAttendant for details if you have any of the individual credentials listed, or something of a similar nature.

Do you want an ad here? Contact lavenderSiren to get an ad for whatever. If you don't write it yourself, you risk the newsletter writer writing it instead, do be warned.

This week’s known market stands in Desertia Town:

DTA train ticket stand

Katie’s potion stand (Not available to plitlanders due to regulations, available to all others however)

shinyjiggly pokesnacks stand

Brae's produce stall: - Potted vegetables - Jarred vegetables - Various jams - Hisuian herbs (medicinal leek, pep-up plant, king's leaf)

Leatherworking stand: - Musical Instrument (30 gp) - Artisan's Tools (5 gp) - Light Armor (10 gp) - Adventuring Gear (2 sp)

Blacksmith's stand: - Lantern, Hooded (5 gp) - Hammer (1 gp) - Greatsword (50 gp)

I think that does it for now. Charles mentioned something about wanting to challenge the unovan pokemon league lately? Also, there's been reports of a certain jo-baddie lurking around lately. You know who you are. As for me, I've got a hot date soon. Seeya next week! https://letssosl.boards.net/thread/425/charcherry-weekly-issue-189

[pikapeppa]

Aloy/Drakka smut: Midnight Snack

Me: a little birthday-week Drakka smut treat for myself 🥰 Also me: BUT WHAT ABOUT SOME BACKSTORY FOR THE BOY

Read here on AO3 instead. ~6000-ish words. Smutty, of course. 

************************

“Hey,” Aloy said.

Drakka startled and whipped around. “By the Ten, Desert Flame. You almost gave me a heart attack.”

She lifted one eyebrow. “You let me sneak up on you? That’s not very commander-ly of you.”

He gave her a chiding look and went back to smoothing out his blanket on his cot. “Listen, the one perk to being the commander of this clan is that I don’t have to do guard duty. Gotta trust the scabs down there at the gate to stop suspicious intruders from getting in.” He shot her a winning smile. “Guess they thought you sneaking up on me would be a nice surprise.”

“Uh-huh,” she said. Her eyes dropped to his now-tidy cot, and a wary expression crossed her face. “Were you about to go to sleep?”

“Yeah,” he said. “It is past midnight, you know.”

“It’s past midnight?” 

“Yep,” he said wryly. “I might not have to do guard duty, but I still wake up at the same time as all the other soldiers around here.”

“Damn, I didn’t realize.” She took a step back and jerked her thumb over her shoulder. “I’ll—”

“Hang on, hang on,” he said quickly. “You don’t have to go running off. What brings you?”

“I just stopped for a quick rest and something to eat on my way back to the mountains.”

“Right, right,” he said knowledgeably. “Your mysterious mountain camp.” Aloy had mentioned that she and her squad had a camp somewhere near the mountains that marked the edge of Tenakth and Utaru territories, but she’d never offered him more information than that. He didn’t mind her taciturn moods, though; they were part of her charm, and every time she shared a tidbit of information about herself, it made him feel like she was giving him a little treat.

She smirked briefly, but her face quickly became serious once more. “I just thought I’d, um, see how things were going here while I ate. But if I’m getting in your way…”

He sighed. “Aloy, Aloy. You keep putting words in my mouth.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I never said you were getting in my way. In fact, have a seat.” He gestured gallantly at the tidily-made cot.

She shot him a suspicious look, and he lifted his hands. “No funny business, I swear on the Ten. I’m just being a good host. It’s Tenakth hospitality.”

“I’m pretty sure that ‘Tenakth hospitality’ just means giving a verbal warning before you shoot.”

He grinned. “You’re not wrong. And yet, you’re still here. Admit it, you like our earthy charm.”

She huffed and hesitated for a second longer. Then, to his delight, she stepped into his private quarters. “All right. I’ll sit for a minute. Thanks.” She started removing her weapons.

“No problem,” he said. “You’re hungry, you said?”

“Yeah. It’s late so I know there’s nothing hot on offer, but I’ve got my own dried meat, so I was just going to eat that.”

“Hold that thought,” he said. He ducked under the privacy curtain and jogged down to the cook’s area, and a couple minutes later, he was ducking back into the commander’s quarters once more. 

“Try this on for size,” he said, and he held out a dish.

She peered into the dish. “Half a sourfruit and some roasted scorpions?”

“Yeah,” he said, and he crouched on the floor. “Here, I’ll make you my favourite snack. Give me your meat?”

She took the dried meat strips out of her pouch and handed them over, and Drakka quickly prepared the snack: he squeezed the sourfruit over the spicy roasted scorpions, then rolled each scorpion in a strip of dried meat. 

He triumphantly offered the dish to her. “Here you go. I call it ‘the Drakka special’.”

“Huh,” she said. “Okay, let’s have a taste.” She bit into one of the scorpion rolls and chewed it thoughtfully, then nodded. “It’s good,” she said. “You could take over as a cook in a pinch.”

Feeling inordinately pleased by her approval, he clicked his tongue. “You watch your tongue, Desert Flame. Some soldiers might take that as an insult.”

She paused with the rest of the scorpion roll halfway to her mouth. “They would? Why?”

“‘Cause cooks are usually cooks because their fighting skills aren’t, you know, the best.”

Aloy frowned. “Wait, really? Is that the case for everyone in the settlement who isn’t an active soldier?”

“Pretty much, yeah,” he said. “Stitchers, herbalists… I mean, we’ve all gone through basic training, but that’s where it stops for some people who aren’t as strong with their combat skills.”

Her frown deepened. “So that makes it an insult to imply that someone should be a cook or a stitcher?”

“Kind of, yeah. It’s like a mild insult,” he explained. “And really, it’s not even that accurate if you consider that a cook could knock you out with a well-aimed swing of a pot. My mother was a cook, actually.”

She raised her eyebrows and swallowed her food before replying. “Really?”

“Yeah, and she could kick my ass in hand-to-hand combat until I was fourteen years old.”

Aloy smiled. “I like the sound of that.”

He gave her a mock-hurt look. “You like the idea of my mom knocking me on my ass?”

Her smile widened. “That too. But I meant the idea of a cook kicking a high-ranked soldier’s ass. A nice lesson not to underestimate people.”

“You sound like you know that from experience.”

She shrugged. “I know what it’s like to be underestimated.”

He scoffed. “You? Seriously? Who was ever that stupid?”

“You’d be surprised,” she said flatly. “People back east don’t have the same attitude toward women as your people do.”

“What attitude is that?”

“The attitude that we’re just as capable and lethal as you men.”

“Oh,” he said. “I mean, that goes without saying.”

“Not east of Barren Light,” Aloy drawled. “Not for every tribe, at least.”

“The Carja, right?” Drakka said knowingly. “Those guys are the worst.”

She pursed her lips, then took another bite of scorpion roll. “The Carja, yes, but also the Oseram.”

”I take it back. Those guys are the worst.”

She swallowed her mouthful of scorpion and gave him a frank look. “I’m not doing this, Drakka. I’m not here to play the ‘which tribe is the best’ game.”

He waved her off. “I know, I know. Besides, it’s not a game, since we both know my tribe’s the best.”

She scoffed before taking another bite of scorpion roll, but Drakka could swear there was a hint of a smile at the corners of her lips.

Feeling very content with her company, he stretched out his legs on the floor. “So, Desert Flame. What kind of adventures did you have since I saw you last? It’s been, what, a week? Eight days?”

“Something like that,” she said around another mouthful of scorpion roll. 

He waited for her to continue, and when she didn’t, he tilted his head. “And? Anything exciting that you wanna share? Did you take out another dozen bandit outposts? Another killer combo of a Thunderjaw and a Stormbird?”

She swallowed and shot him a tart sort of smile. “No, thankfully. I think the… forces that make machines saved that combination just for you.”

“For us, because we make a great team,” he corrected. Then he gave her a shrewd look. “‘Forces that make machines’? Something tells me you know more about those forces than you’re letting on.”

“Maybe,” she said, and she took another bite of scorpion roll.

He sighed. “Fine, fine, keep your secrets. But at least tell me what you’ve been up to recently.”

A little scowl crossed her face while she chewed. She swallowed her bite of scorpion, then shook her head. “You tell me something. I’m eating.”

He gave her an exasperated look, but her expression was closed, so he gave up for now. Besides, if he told her something that interested her, it might prompt her to share something in return. Tit for tat, a favour for a favour and all that.

“All right, champion-killer, I’ll entertain you,” he said. “What do you want to know?”

She thoughtfully nibbled a piece of scorpion before speaking. “You said your mother was a cook, but the cook here looks too young to be your mother. Does she live in Arrowhand?” 

“Afraid not,” Drakka said. “She died during the war with the Carja.”

Aloy froze. “She—? But you said she was a cook, not a frontline combatant.”

“She was both,” Drakka said. “Besides, no one needs a good cook more than soldiers on the frontlines.”

Aloy’s expression was somber now. “Drakka, I’m sorry. I didn’t… I had no idea.”

“It’s all right,” he said kindly. “She died a good death — took down a couple of Carja with her. She was a hero: an example to live by. I’m proud of her.” 

Aloy nodded slowly. “And… and your father? Do you have a father? Is he…?”

“Dead too, I’m sorry to say,” Drakka said. Then he huffed. “Actually, I’m not really. That’s more of a ‘good riddance’ situation.”

Her eyebrows rose. “What… actually, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I didn’t mean to pry.”

“You’re not prying,” he reassured her. “You’re just asking questions to your most handsome friend.”

She huffed and took another bite of scorpion roll, and Drakka grinned. “Not denying that I’m your most handsome friend, huh? Aloy, you sly fox.”

She rolled her eyes. “Look, if you want me to stop asking questions, all you have to do is tell me to stop.”

He chuckled. “Nah, I’m just teasing. It’s not a big secret, anyway. My dad used to be the commander of the clan.”

Her eyes went huge. “He — what?”

“That’s right. Commander of the Desert Clan.”

She stared at him. “But… wait a second. How…?”

Drakka chuckled and patted her knee. “Settle in with your snack and I’ll tell you the whole story. My dad was the commander before Yarra, and he was a real bastard. His idea of training was to encourage our squad leaders to whip us when we didn’t perform up to snuff.”

“You’re kidding,” Aloy said.

“Nope. Also, he rationed out the water more than necessary to try and weed out the weakest members of the tribe. Wounded soldiers, the few old veterans still kicking around, you know.” 

“Fire and spit,” she breathed. “Drakka…”

He smirked. “I’ll assume that’s Nora slang for ‘that guy needs to die’?”

“It’s Oseram, actually,” she said. “But…” She trailed off with that serious look on her face, then put aside her dish. “So how did Yarra become the Commander? I was under the impression that Tenakth military ranks are lifetime positions.”

“They can be, if everyone thinks you’re doing a good job. If someone doesn’t think so, though… well, you saw what happens.”

Her eyebrows rose. “A formal challenge, like how you challenged Yarra,” she said.

“Exactly.”

“And that’s how Yarra ended up as the commander? She challenged him?”

“Yeah, she did,” Drakka confirmed. “After we defeated the Carja, some people started getting sick of how punishing his style of command was. Yarra challenged him, and she won. You wanna know what’s ironic?”

“What?”

“I was glad when she won,” he said dryly. “I thought she was going to do a better job than my old man, and for a while, she did. Then, bit by bit, she started getting just like him. I mean, she wasn’t telling the squad leaders to whip soldiers and stuff, but she…” He frowned as he remembered how stern Yarra became, how her governing was more about punishment of mistakes than rewarding hard work. 

He leaned forward. “Aloy, you haven’t been here for long. You didn’t see how things were with Yarra on the day-to-day. When the Wound went dry, that was the last arrow in the machine, you know? She—”

Aloy cut him off. “Drakka, it’s okay. You don’t have to explain it to me. I saw enough.”

He nodded, then sighed and gave her a smile. “Anyway, that’s the story of my old man. Overthrown by the woman who would later get overthrown by his own insubordinate scab of a son.”

Her eyebrows rose. “That’s how he saw you?”

“It’s what I am, isn’t it?” he said with a smirk.

She frowned thoughtfully. “Is that why you…” She trailed off.

“What?” he said. 

She shook her head. “Nothing. Never mind. Does… I assume Jetakka knows about this?”

“Of course he knows,” Drakka said. “He’s a chaplain, and they know everything.” He lowered his voice to a dramatic whisper. “Their skin is full of secrets. That’s why they’re so wrinkly.”

She huffed. “And… the rest of the clan?”

Drakka shrugged. “Sure. It’s no secret that my dad was a tyrant. And a dick.”

“Huh,” she said. 

She was still gazing thoughtfully at him. He tilted his head. “What? What’s with the thinking face?”

“I’m just surprised,” Aloy said. “That… I don’t know. Maybe I shouldn’t be.”

“What surprises you?”

“That your whole clan knows all this, but I didn’t hear about it while you and Yarra were, um, butting heads,” she said. “I mean, even you… why didn’t you tell me this before?”

“When should I have told you?”

“When you and Yarra were putting me on the spot before you almost started a clan war?” she said pointedly.

He shrugged. “I mean, it wasn’t relevant, was it?”

Her expression became incredulous. “You don’t think it was relevant that your father was once a notoriously harsh commander?”

“It’s not relevant,” Drakka replied. “Not to how Yarra was running the clan.”

“And you don’t think it has any bearing on how you govern the clan now?” she said. “I mean, it sounds like you’re — like you run things really differently than he did.”

“Hey, you better not be suggesting that I’m a pushover around here,” he said, only half-jokingly. “I think discipline and training’s as important as the next soldier. I just think it’s okay to not have a spear up our asses all the time.” He pointed at her dish. “You’re going to finish that, right? We don’t waste food around here.”

Her eyebrows rose. “Yeah, of course. Sorry.” She picked up the dish, then offered it to him. “There’s two left. Do you want one?”

“Don’t mind if I do,” he said. He picked up a scorpion roll and bit into it with relish, and Aloy did the same. They were quiet for a while as they ate, but Drakka was aware that she was studying him as she chewed.

He swallowed his tasty bite of scorpion, then shot her a winning smile. “See something you like?”

She gave him a chiding look. “I’m just… thinking. What you told me is… a lot.”

“Hey, you demanded entertainment,” he said. “I seek only to please.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

She rolled her eyes. “Drakka…”

He chuckled. “Okay, okay. Well, since I told you my life story, it’s your turn to tell me something.”

Her expression became wary. “Like what?”

“Like whatever mysterious thing you were doing today before you got here.”

Her brows puckered. “What — I wasn’t doing anything mysterious.”

“It’s mysterious when you change the subject so you don’t have to tell me about it.”

She sighed, and he lifted his eyebrows entreatingly. “C’mon, Aloy. Tell me. I wonder about you when you’re off on your adventures, you know. Sometimes I stand around just thinking, ‘I wonder what kind of machine the Flame of the Desert is blowing up with its own canon today?’ Cheers me right up when I’m bored.”

She tsked, but the corners of her lips were curving into a tiny smile, and he knew he’d convinced her. She finally sighed and ran a hand over her hair. “Fine. But it’s going to sound stupid.”

“I love things that sound stupid,” he said. “Why do you think I keep that ugly vulture around?”

A brief smile lit her lips — an actual smile that made his heart flip. “Okay, fine. Uh… you know the survey drone north of Arrowhand?”

“The what?”

“Oh. The, um… There’s a machine that flies around in a big loop near the Thunderjaw that prowls just north of Arrowhand. It’s about the size of my torso, covered in white armour — it doesn’t attack anything, it just flies around…?”

“Oh, that?” He waved dismissively. “Yeah, fuck that thing.”

She blinked. “What?”

“Our people’ve tried to shoot it down for years. No can do. You know, for a while there we used to challenge each other to fly on it. Like flying on the Wings of the Ten,” he said with a grin. “I actually managed to stay on it for a whole two seconds before I fell off.”

She stared at him for a second before speaking. “You… you actually rode on it?”

“Yeah. I mean, kind of.” He shrugged. “Then I fell off. Then we had to run like hell before the Thunderjaw killed us, and me with a cracked rib.”

She didn’t reply. She just stared at him with her eyebrows raised, and he smiled. “What?”

“I can’t decide if that makes you brave or a complete idiot,” she said.

He widened his eyes. “Who said they can’t go hand in hand?”

She snorted. “If you say so. Anyway, those things are called survey drones. They collect… information about the terrain, and I have a way of reading the information off of them.”

“That relic of yours?”

“No,” she said. “Another way. Something at my mountain camp. Anyway, there’s a drone like that around the Stand of the Sentinels, and I couldn’t…” She sighed and ran a hand over her hair. “I couldn’t reach it.”

“You couldn’t reach it?” 

She shook her head. “It’s just barely out of my reach, even at the closest vantage point I could find. I spent about half an hour there trying to grab hold of the damn thing. One time I almost got it, then…” She made a falling gesture with her hand.

He stared at her in growing delight. “Wait. So you’re telling me you spent half an hour today just jumping off of a tree over and over, trying to catch one of those drone things?”

She pouted. “Look, I told you it was stupid.”

He started laughing.

She shot him an annoyed look. “This is why I didn’t want to tell you.”

“What do you mean?” he exclaimed. “I love that you told me! The Chief’s Champion, the ruthless rebel-killer, bested by a machine that flies around in circles like an oversized bee.”

“I wasn’t bested by it,” she said defensively. “I just… couldn’t reach it.”

“It evaded you,” he teased.

She wrinkled her nose. “You make it sound like it was using strategy. It just — it was just out of reach, that’s all. I’ll get it the next time.”

He snickered. “Look at you. You’re so pissed that you couldn’t grab it!”

She scoffed and looked away. “Shut up.”

“You shut up,” he said, and he pinched her bare waist.

She gave him an affronted look. “You told me to tell you something,” she retorted, and she punched his arm.

He grinned at her, then shifted his seat on the floor so he was facing her. “You know, in most parts of the clanlands, that would be considered a come-on.”

“What would?”

“That little punch you gave me.”

Her expression became deeply skeptical. “It would be considered a come-on to punch you?”

“A sweet little punch like that? Sure would.” He reached up and playfully chucked her chin.

She tsked and slapped his hand. “It wasn’t a sweet little punch.”

“No? How about a sweet little pinch?” He pinched her waist again.

She smacked his hand again. “You’re really pushing it, Drakka.”

“Do you want me to stop?” he said.

She darted him a look, a furtive little glance, and his heart skipped a beat. That was promising. 

“I’ll stop if you want me to stop,” he said seriously. “Just say the word.”

She quickly wet her lips. It was a quick movement of her tongue, done in the blink of an eye, but it was enough to get Drakka’s blood stirring.

He shifted into a kneeling position at her feet and slowly curved his palms around her calves. “Do you want me to stop, Aloy?”

Her sardonic expression was gone now, replaced by a more intense look that he remembered very well from the time they’d spent together in the wading pool — the first and only time he’d had the pleasure of fucking her. 

Damn, his cock was already swelling at the memory. But he kept his expression serious and waited for her to speak.

Finally, she replied. “No. I… you don’t have to stop.”

His belly hopped with excitement. “Do you want me to keep going?” he said in a low voice. 

She swallowed visibly. “Keep going with what?”

He didn’t reply. Instead, he slid his palms up her calves toward the backs of her knees.

Her lips parted slightly. Encouraged, Drakka shifted his hands onto her knees. Then, very slowly, he started smoothing his palms up her thighs.

Just as he was hoping, her thighs moved apart slightly as though to welcome his touch. Yes, he thought excitedly, and he looked her in the eye once more. “Do you want me to keep going?” he said.

She wet her lips again, then finally nodded. “Yeah. Keep going.”

He smiled at her. “All right. Then take off your clothes.”

Her cheeks went red: a flush that he could see even in the dim flickering warmth of the torchlight. “Why me?” she said. “I mean, why just me? What about you?”

“Hoping to get me naked, are you?” he said slyly.

She gave him an arch look. “I’m hoping you’ll answer me before I change my mind and decide to leave instead.”

“All right, all right,” he chuckled. “You drive a hard bargain, Desert Flame.” He stood up and started stripping — a task that thankfully didn’t take long, since he was only wearing his fatigues: a lightly-armoured vest and leather tassets over his shorts. 

Aloy, on the other hand, took almost twice as long to strip off her armour. By the time she was finally down to just her underwear and her chest wrap, he was naked and his cock was hard, and he was starting to get impatient.

He folded his arms and raised his eyebrow knowingly. “Now do you see why I wanted you to take yours off first?”

She shot him a dirty look as she tried to untie the halter-neck of the scarf that made up her chest wrap. “Really? You’re going to complain now?”

He shrugged. “I guess I can’t complain. There’s other things I could be doing with my mouth instead.” He kneeled at her feet and slid his palms up her thighs. 

Overhead, he heard her sharp little inhale. “What are you doing?”

“Something that I remember you really liking the last time,” he said. He rested his hands on her hips, then placed a kiss right between her legs. 

Blood of the Ten, he could smell her through her underwear: musky and sweet and warm. He pressed his lips between her legs again, and she exhaled and rested her hand on his shoulder. “Drakka,” she said.

Her voice was already a little husky. Proud of himself, he shot her a quick look. “Yeah?” he said, and he kissed her again — this time an open-mouthed kiss with a little bit of tongue.

She gasped again and pressed her fingers into his shoulders. “Shouldn’t you be w-waiting until I take off my…” She trailed off with another little sigh, and for good reason: he was licking her through the thin fabric now.

He slid his palms back down to her thighs and smoothed his thumbs along the velvet-soft skin just inside her thighs, and she made a little moan-gasp noise before squeezing his shoulder again. “Drakka, just take my underwear off,” she panted.

“Take your top off first,” he said, and he kissed her through the fabric again. 

She clicked her tongue. “Are you trying to piss me off?”

In truth, he was — in a way. He was purposely trying to rile her up in the hopes that she’d get all fierce and fiery with him like she had when he’d blooded her. He remembered only too well how eager and enthusiastic she could be when she was properly horny, the way she’d lunged at him and started sucking on his neck…

His cock pulsed at the thought, but he resisted the urge to stroke himself. Instead, he lifted his hand and started petting her pussy through the fabric of her panties.

Blood of the Ten, she was already so wet that he could feel her through the fabric. “Take your top off, Aloy,” he said, and he licked her through the fabric again. 

She growled — there she was, his fierce and fiery warrior! — but she didn’t say anything more, and he knew she was doing what he’d told her. He continued to kiss her and pet her through her panties, breathing in her salty-sweet scent and enjoying the growing pulse of need in his cock—

Her scarf dropped to the floor beside his knee. “There,” she said. “Are you satisfied?”

Her tone was acidic but her voice was husky, and it made him smile. “Not yet,” he said. “But I will be.”

“Yeah?” she retorted. “When?”

He shot her a grin. “When you say my name while you’re coming on my tongue.” 

A look of pure lust crossed her face, quickly followed by a petulant pout. “Just for that, I won’t say your name.”

He raised his eyebrows. “You won’t? Are you sure?” He pulled aside the crotch of her panties and dipped his tongue between her legs.

She gasped and grabbed his shoulders with both hands, and a hot spear of lust pierced his gut and made his cock jerk. The taste of her, the way she smelled, how fucking wet she was: she was salt-sweet and perfect, and he’d been thinking about this every night since she’d left. 

He slid his tongue through her slickness and kissed her clit, and her fingers bit into his shoulders. “Mm! F-fire and spit…”

He forced himself not to smile as he caressed her clit with his tongue. He rolled his tongue carefully around the swollen little nub, then lapped at her folds before sealing his lips over her pussy with a greedy open-mouthed kiss, and when she was whimpering and pressing her hips toward his mouth, he lifted his mouth.

He looked up at her. “Are you sure you don’t want to say my name?”

She groaned and shifted restlessly. “No,” she breathed. “I’m not saying your name.”

He made a mock-sad face. “You sure?” he said, and he smoothed his fingers between her legs. 

“Yes!” she gasped. “I-I mean, yes I’m sure, yes, y-yes…” She dug her fingernails into his shoulders and started thrusting her hips against his fingers.

A hot rush of saliva filled his mouth. She was so fucking wet and she was practically fucking his hand, and his cock was pounding as though it was getting jealous of his fingers. 

Unable to resist, he sealed his lips over her pussy again and lapped at her clit. He stroked the little nub with his tongue and enjoyed the bite of her nails in his skin, and then he was caressing her folds while he swirled his tongue around her clit, and her breathing was growing high-pitched and sharp and her thighs were starting to shake…

He could tell she was close to finishing. He lapped at her for a moment longer, then lifted his mouth and eased off his touch until he was barely petting her. 

She gasped shakily and clenched her fingers on his shoulders. “Drakka! Wh-why — don’t stop, don’t stop!”

“Say my name again,” he said, and he lightly brushed his fingers over her folds.

She made a fantastic sound that was somewhere between a moan and a growl. “You’re such a pain in the ass.”

He grinned at her, then placed a tiny chaste kiss on her pussy. “Say it, Aloy. Just say my name.” He kissed her a little more firmly, then lapped very gently at her clit. 

She whimpered and twisted her hips, then moaned loudly when he leaned away again. “Drakka, come on!”

“That’s it,” he said encouragingly. “One more time.” Another open-mouthed kiss, a slow swirl of his tongue around her clit, her thighs were taut and shaking again and her nails were an exquisite pain on his shoulders, she was going to come, he just knew it…

She gasped and thrust toward his mouth. He caressed her folds with his fingers and caressed her clit with his tongue, and a shudder rippled along the length of her body. “Ah! Ah yes, Drakka, y-yes—!”

He shot her a grin. “There it is,” he said, and he slid one finger inside of her.

She cried out, then slapped her hand over her mouth and shuddered violently as she came. He curled his finger inside of her and greedily licked her clit, his cock pulsing in time with the rhythm of his finger moving in her depths. He could feel her giving her weight to him as her legs shook with pleasure, and he could hear her moaning and whimpering into her palm…

It was too much. She was so ready and she smelled so fucking good, and he was going to blow his load if he didn’t get inside of her soon. 

He pulled his finger free and stood up, then took a step toward her until his chest was brushing her breasts. “I’m going to fuck you now, okay?” he said.

She took a step back, then stumbled and sat on his cot with an oomph, and he smiled at her. “I’ll take that as a yes,” he said, and he stepped closer, ready to chivvy her onto his cot.

But she took him by surprise. Instead of lying back on the cot, she grabbed his cock and licked it. 

A red-hot jolt of shock and pleasure ratcheted through his body. Speechless, he watched as she dragged her tongue along the length of his cock. 

She looked up at him, and his heart stuttered at the ferocity of her expression. “Is this okay?” she said. “Is this — how do I, um, do this for you?”

He stared stupidly at her for a second before realizing what she meant: she wasn’t sure how to do oral sex. “Uh,” he said. “U-uh, yeah. Yeah, you can lick, but it’s — you should suck it.”

“Suck it?” she said.

His cock throbbed in her hand. “Yeah,” he panted. “Yeah, suck my cock—”

She dipped her head down and took him in her mouth, and a groan burst from his lips. Blood of the fucking Ten, her mouth, the way she looked with her lips wrapped around him, sliding up and down his length… Oh fuck, fuck she was looking him in the eye as she sucked him off.

His body throbbed with heat and tension, and he hastily squeezed her shoulder. “Wait,” he groaned. “Wait, wait.”

She immediately let him go. “What?” she said. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” he panted. “Nothing, it’s… ah, sand-blasted fuck.” He dragged in a breath, then shot her a grin. “You were great. I just… I want to come in your pussy, not in your mouth.”

Her cheeks flushed, and she wrinkled her nose. “I feel like that should offend me or something.”

“But it doesn’t, does it?” he said.

“No,” she admitted. “Why is that?”

“Because you’re horny as hell,” he said. “Lucky for you, so am I. Lie back for me.”

She shot him a suspicious look. “Why?”

He gave her a pleading look. “So I can fuck you, Aloy, what else do you think?”

She scoffed but shifted onto his cot. “You Tenakth really don’t mince words, do you?”

“Nope,” he said. He kneeled on the cot and pulled her underwear off before pushing her knees apart, and for a second, he just stared at her. 

Ten save him, she looked fantastic. The flames of her hair, the rosy puckered peaks of her nipples and the lightly-golden tan of her freckle-smattered skin, and there, between her legs, veiled by the damp russet curls between her legs: her exquisite pussy, swollen and slick and waiting for him.

Her green-gold eyes were hot with lust, her face alight with anticipation, and for a long second, Drakka just stared at her, his blood surging with the torrid heat of his lust.

She finally groaned and arched her spine. “Drakka, come on,” she complained. “What are you waiting for?”

He finally dragged in a breath, then shot her a smile. “I’m just feasting my eyes,” he said. “It’s not often I find a flame of the desert in my bed.”

She huffed a little laugh. “I hope not, or you’d only have ashes here instead of a bed.”

“That might be the case by the time I’m done with you,” he said. He looped her knees over his arms and planted his palms on either side of her hips. 

She scoffed. “Oh please, you’re so full of—” She broke off with a gasp: Drakka was sliding his cock through her slickness, coating his cock with the sweet juices from her sex and his mouth, and in the space of a few seconds, she was writhing beneath him and making these gasping little moan sounds that sounded so fucking good.

“Drakka, just do it,” she mewled.

“Okay, okay,” he gasped, and he slid inside of her. 

Fuck, she felt amazing, and she made the most amazing sound when he filled her up, like a cry and a moan mixed together. He lifted his hips and thrust into her again — Ten save him, how was she so fucking tight and warm? 

He thrust into her again, and she gasped and grabbed his arms. “More!” she moaned. “More, more—”

Riled by her demands and the desperate tone of her voice, he thrust into her hard, and her face twisted with pleasure. “Drakka,” she gasped, and she dragged her nails along his arms. 

A ripple of ecstasy bloomed through his body. His name in her whimpery voice, the scores of pain that her nails were raising on his arms, the fantastic feeling of her body taking him deep: it was all so good, so much better than the fondly detailed fantasies he constructed to get himself off at night, and the next thing he knew, he was fucking her fast and hard. 

She cried out, then clamped her lips shut and dug her nails hard into his arms, and Drakka burst out a breathy groan. By the sandblasted Ten, she looked and smelled so good, and this felt so fucking good, and she sounded so pleasured and that also made him feel good, and he was so… he was so desperate for her, desperate for the rushing heat that was rising and building tension in his abdomen, like a Ravager rearing back and getting ready to spring — a Ravager deep in his gut that was made up of all the fantasies and memories and realities of Aloy’s naked and arching body…

He gasped and thrust into her, he was going to come, he was — fuck, fuck please: he was shuddering and gasping, his blood sparking with the rapture that was spanning from his pulsing cock through his abdomen and all the way down to his toes. 

She let out a long and satisfied sigh, then loosened her grip on his arms. “Well, the bed’s not burnt to ashes,” she said.

He burst out a sound that was half-laugh, half-groan. “You’re so fucking mean,” he gasped, and he thrust into her one last time. 

She gasped and gripped his arms, then let out a breathless little laugh of her own, and Drakka shot her a grin before releasing her legs and pulling out of her.

She sighed languorously and stretched, and Drakka admired the smooth lines of her muscles before reaching up and smoothing his palm over her breast. 

She scoffed and lightly smacked his hand. “Hey.”

“What? They’re soft,” he said, and he plumped her breast before giving her nipple a little pinch.

Her breath caught on a little gasp, but she didn’t push his hand away. Instead, she folded one arm behind her head. 

He was a little surprised by her unspoken permission to keep touching her, but not at all unhappy. He contentedly fondled her breasts for a moment, enjoying the puckered peaks of her nipples and the bizarre-but-attractive expanse of her uninked skin, but most of all, he enjoyed the way she looked so casual and comfortable sprawled naked on his cot.

“What about you?” he finally said. 

“What about me, what?” she said. Her voice sounded lazy, almost like she was dozing off, and something about that made his heart squeeze in a warm sort of way. 

“You have any family?” he said. “Parents back east who would be all horrified about you getting naked with a blood-drinking Tenakth?”

Unfortunately, she didn’t smile; her relaxed expression became serious, and she sat up on the cot. 

Damn, Drakka thought. He must have hit a nerve he didn’t know about. He watched ruefully as she started getting dressed without meeting his eye.

He stretched out on the cot with a sigh. “Look, if you’re disappointed that we didn’t burn the bed down, you don’t have to leave. We can just give it another try.”

She shot him a quick chiding look, and he relaxed a little; at least she was looking at him again. She continued getting dressed, though, and he resigned himself to the fact that she was going to leave again, with no certainty of when she’d come back.

She sat on the floor to pull on her sandals and greaves. “I have no parents,” she said.

She wasn’t looking at him as she said it. This was obviously a sore point for her. “Did they die in battle?” he asked quietly. 

She nodded slowly. “Yeah. They… you could say that, yeah.”

That was a bit of an odd answer, but he wouldn’t pick at it too hard. He didn’t want to make her even more skittish. “I bet they were fierce. You must be proud of them.”

“Yeah,” she said softly, and she continued lacing up her sandals. When she was done, she rose to her feet and started racking her weapons on her back.

He watched her a little wistfully as she geared up to leave. When she was fully dressed and armed, she turned to face him and looked him in the eye. “I’ll see you later, Drakka.”

His heart lifted a little. That meant she’d be back. “Anytime, Desert Flame. I’ll be around.”

She nodded. Then her gaze slid over his naked body. “Nice tattoos,” she said.

He grinned. That was the flirtiest thing she’d ever said to him. “That’s an interesting way of saying ‘thanks for the sex’, but I’ll take it.”

She scoffed, then ducked under the privacy curtains and disappeared. Drakka sighed happily, then rose from his bed and put out the torch. 

Alone now in the cozy darkness, he flopped onto his cot once more and tucked his arms behind his head. It was too bad that Aloy had run off again, but at least she’d implied that she would come back. And when she did come back… well, he’d just have to keep giving her reasons to keep coming back for more. 

He smirked at his own dirty pun, then sighed and closed his eyes. I knew she had a thing for me, he thought contentedly, and he fell asleep.

[claudiaeparvier]

any more Alva and/or Beta headcanons to share? (they're my favorite characters :D)

First of all ilu 🥺❤️ and yes I do have some!!

Alva has a very contagious laugh, one that no one on the base is immune to. Not even Aloy, Beta and Kotallo. It starts soft but the harder she laughs, the louder it becomes and once the snorts come out it is a done deal. Everyone will be laughing right along with her.

The Quen also holds a lot of admiration for Zo and asks her to help her sing better. In return she teaches the Utaru how to sing the scales her people regard with reverence. Before long her favorite past time is singing Utaru spirituals with Zo while she plays with her hair, braiding it with seashells, beads and flowers. Zo even makes her a few new accessories that Alva immediately fell in love with. Her favorite piece is a circlet crafted with flowers native to Plainsong.

Erend has a handful of songs that he will listen to religiously, some from Aloy’s database and others that he found in Las Vegas. It’s incredibly annoying to Zo and Varl but Alva “enables” this behavior by jamming alongside him. She too is a big fan of Concrete Beach Party.

Beta has a very smart mouth. One almost superior to Aloy’s but she reserves it for Sylens because she abhors the way he talks to and treats her sister. When Sylens referred to Aloy’s friends as “tribal savages” in the presence of Kotallo and Varl, Beta responded by saying, “Bold words for an amateur student of knowledge who’s never so much as set foot in a classroom. From where I stand the only savage present is you.” Afterwards Varl had some trouble picking his jaw up from the ground and Kotallo merely gave her a smile, albeit a wide eyed one.

Beta struggles with the concept of jokes so most of Erend’s attempts to get her laughing only result in a deadpan stare, which amuses Varl to no end. Thanks to Oseram stubbornness Erend won’t let go of the issue until he makes her laugh so he continues to try, determined to at least get a smile. Varl and Zo however can make her smile almost effortlessly, especially the former. Varl even manages to get a giggle every now and then.

Beta also adopts Zo’s diet because it pains her to hunt small and helpless animals. Aloy taught her to hunt in the wilds but any skills retained are reserved solely for machines. She’s surprisingly strong with a spear, knocking down bristlebacks with a single hit. She’s fond of the Sourfruit tarts that Kotallo likes to bring back and won’t ever touch Erend’s ale because she’s seen how it makes everyone who drinks it. She prefers to keep a clear and level head at all times.