Cregan Stark*Princess

Pairing: cregan x princess!reader (team not specified)

Kinktober Day twenty-one: face fucking with Cregan Stark: to gain his loyalty Cregan demands that you earn it, and he enjoys watching the tears streak down your face as you do

Warnings: cregan being a bit of a dick, arguing, m!reciving oral, face fucking, tears, deep throating, slight praise, suggested further smut, smut 18+

Word count: 1535

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You were a princess, a Targaryen, the future queen of the seven kingdoms and this stubborn northerner who had tried to refuse your stay. Cregan stark was a fickle man at best and an arse at worst. You had tried to talk to him in the halls, but he left, tried to join him at his table but he moved his plate, tried to catch him at the gods wood but he walked faster than you.

Now you found yourself rattling on his bedchamber door as his guards rapidly approached. You span on your heels, glaring at them, “Dreamcatcher is on the other side of that wall. Try it,” you spat at them when you saw them reach for their swords.

“If you’re done threatening my men,” Cregan’s voice had you spinning back around to glare at the tall northerner, “Can I help you with something princess? After all it is far past your bedtime,”

“Let me in now,” you demanded, ignoring the squeaks of the men behind you, “I didn’t come here to be ignored,” you stated, pushing past him into the bedchambers.

The doors shut behind him with a thud as you angrily began to pace the room, “You’ll wear a hole in my carpet,” he warned, moving to sit on a chair by his desk.

“I didn’t come here to sit in a cold room twiddling my thumbs- “

“Then why are you here?” he barked, cutting you off with no care of rank. Your pacing paused as you turned to glare at him, “Here to buy my loyalty with some false promise you never deliver on? The north doesn’t need your Targaryen nonsense,”

“This isn’t nonsense,” you spat, arms flailing in shock of his attitude, “This is the crown, the kingdoms future- “

“No Targaryen king nor queen gives two shits about the North and you know it,” he said, standing up from his chair, “So why should I care for wars that will do nothing but starve my children and kill my men?” he questioned as you began to take in the sheer size of him.

Not only was he tall but his shoulders were broad, and his hands could break through several inches of ice you reckoned, “Perhaps we have something you need. Gold or ships- “

“What use is a ship on frozen lakes?”

“Grain and livestock then,” you sighed, “The queen-my mother, we need the North. You care about your people well I care about mine. So, tell me your terms since you clearly don’t want to listen to mine,”

Cregan paused for a moment before his head dipped and he sank back into his chair. You were ready to huff and leave on dragon back when you noticed his eyes trailing up your frame, “If its marriage you want- “

“I want a dragon,” he said, his head finally raising to meet your eyes.

Your eyes grew wide for a moment, but you quickly tried to cover your shock, “The north is far too cold for a dragon and there’s no way I’d hand over my child to- “

“I didn’t mean that kind of dragon- “he said, cutting you off once more as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, “I want you,” he stated, his eyes hungrily trailing your frame, “I want to tame a dragon,”

You felt your mouth grow dry, “My betrothal has already been set- “

“The north is far too cold for a dragon,” he cut you off once more, this time standing from his seat and slowly crossing the room towards you. you felt your feet carry you backwards, but he did not pause, “I don’t need a wife. I need proof of your loyalty,”

Your back hit against the cold stone wall, your eyes gazing up at his in shock as he moved only an inch from you. “You want me to tarnish my maiden head? That is the price of a stark’s loyalty?”

Cregan’s chuckle was dark as were the eyes that hungrily gazed at your lips, “You may keep your maiden head, it would dishonourable of me to ruin your virtue,” he said, his deep voice making your mouth grow dry, “But if you want my loyalty,” you didn’t move even as you felt his hand cup your jaw, his thumb running over your bottom lip, “You’ve got to earn it little dragon,”

Your jaw was already slack in shock, so it did not take much effort for his thumb to slip in, pulling down your mouth for a moment before resting on your tongue, “Suck it,” he commanded. You weren’t sure if it was his tone or the way his eyes looked at you like a hungry wolf, but you soon saw him smirking, “Good girl,”

His hand slipped away from your mouth but not before he smeared your spit across your bottom lip, “Tell me princess,” he commanded as his hand trailed down till it past your breasts, “Have you ever been touched like this?” he said, his hands squeezing your tits suddenly over the fabric of your dress making you gasp.

“No, my lord,” you stuttered out, biting back a whimper as he leaned his head down to the crook of your neck, catching a peak of what lay under your clothing.

“Ever been kissed?” he asked but he said nothing else when he felt you shake your head no. instead his lips crashed onto yours, his hands grabbing your arse tightly as he pulled you flush against his chest. You gasped into the kiss, your hands clutching at his broad shoulders, but it only allowed his tongue to slip in.

It knocked the air out your lungs and no sooner than it had started it had finished. His hungry eyes met yours again, “Kneel,” he commanded, and you did without complaint. You looked up at the man who towered over you now, seeing how sharp his jaw truly was from down here.

As his hands tugged at his waist bands he asked you a final question, “Ever had someone use this pretty little mouth of yours?” as he spoke, he slipped his breeches down, revealing an already hardened cock, precum leaking from its tip. You were too shocked to answer his question, but he no longer cared about that.

“Kiss it,” he said, and your eyes darted up to his, sudden insecurity washing over you. his hand moved to cup your cheek, a single tender action in this whole time.

Your hand moved up slowly to grab his shaft and you heard a small groan come from your touch. You looked up one last time before leaning in, pressing a soft kiss to his tip making a louder groan fall from his lips. “again,”

more confident now you began to place soft kisses down his shaft, then trailing back up to his tip. Cregan’s hand moved from your cheek to the back of your neck, groaning when he felt your tongue run over his tip. “Fuck,” he murmured, his hand slowly tightening in your hair, “Open,” He commanded and as soon as he felt your lip’s part you gasped as he thrust his member in.

“Fuck,” he groaned loudly, hand tightening in your hair. Your hands reached out, grabbing at his strong thighs to keep yourself steady. Slowly he began to guide your head down, bobbing around his cock as his spare hand moved so he could lean against the wall, caging you between him and the stone.

“That’s it,” he muttered, drawing in breath the further down you reached. Your movements became more confident with each praise as a warm feeling spread through your stomach. You felt his tip hit the back of your throat, your movements faltering for a moment, but a switch seemed to snap in the Stark.

A low growl left his throat as he swatted your hand off what had not been able to fit. You couldn’t even question him before you felt his hips begin to buck. You tried to speak but your mouth was otherwise occupied as Cregan began to fuck your face, curses and groans falling from his lips.

“Fuck,” he gasped, and you could feel his cock twitching in your mouth as spit dribbled around the edges. Your hands snaked from his thighs to his balls, cupping them gently in your hand making him groan loudly.

His thrusts were messy and hard but grew sloppy as you squeezed gently. You felt his body tense but before you could tell what was coming a salty taste filled your throat. Cregan’s hand moved to hold the back of your head gently, his thrusts far slower as he rode out his orgasm.

“Fuck,” he murmured as he slipped his member out your mouth, his hand moving to cup your jaw. He tilted your head, forcing you to face him with spit dribbling from your lips and a few stray tears that had fallen during his fun. “Get on the bed, “

“But- “you tried to object despite a flutter rising through your chest at the suggestion.

His hand tightened around your jaw, “Now princess. You’ve earned my loyalty now let me return the favour,”

Taglist: @clairacassidy @valeskafics @starkleila @jacesvelaryons

Penny poll round 2 match 3

Penny Lamb/Jane Doe (Legoland / Ride the Cyclone) vs

Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

Propaganda under the cut

Penny Lamb (Legoland / Ride the Cyclone)

• Okay I am not the person to be propaganda making for her but she's so cool she died once and then came back she's also a bit uhh deranged is a good word

• Penny Lamb (and her younger brother Ezra) lived in a hippie weed growing commune until she was thirteen and snuck out to a walmart, eventually leading to the entire thing burning to the ground. Then they lived in a tiny town named Uranium City and she got relentlessly bullied and even set on fire until she was given a cd by another girl from a band called Seven Up. She formed a parasocial relationship with the singer, who then turned into a misogynistic rapper. She travelled from northern Saskatchewan to Florida to meet him and thank him for basically making her life tolerable and enjoyable, and then ended up tearing a chunk of flesh out of his face with her teeth all at the age of 15 years old. Two years later after a concert with her school choir, she was beheaded on a fair rollercoaster called the Cyclone, becoming a Jane Doe until she was voted back to life. While she was Jane Doe, she wore the head of a porcelain doll as to not freak the other kids out!

• she was born a hippie, she bites and maims a famous rapper with hot coffee, she has a little brother obsessed with german philosophy, she plays the ukulele, she has a fuck ass bob. she gets fucking DECAPITATED by a roller coaster but survives because she is so offputting. what else do you need in a woman

• Where do I START with Penny. Basically she grew up socially isolated on a community pot farm until the age of 13, where she and her brother ran away to Walmart and started pretending to revive him from seizures because of how much attention she got. She was eventually driven back home where the entire community was drug busted burned to the ground, their parents being arrested, friends taken away, entire home destroyed. Instead of being sent to foster care, she’s and her brother are sent to a catholic boarding school, where they live mostly unsupervised. Penny is relentlessly bullied for supposedly being a lesbian, and diagnosed as bipolar and manic depressive while her brother (three years younger than her) sells his adhd medication to college kids to make ends meet. Soon after having her backpack lit on fire by bullies, she starts to fall into a deep depressive episode, not coming out of her room for days, until a catholic girl takes pity on her, and gives her a hiphop/boyband CD for her to listen to called 7-up (important later). Penny obsessed on the lead singer Johnny moon to an unhealthy degree until the band breaks up and Johnny rebrands to JK47, a misogynist gangster rapper who penny can’t stand. Penny and her brother run away from middle of knowwhere Canada to Florida to meet him so penny can win him back and remind him of how much she loves him and how cool he used to be. This doesn’t go well, as he doesn’t drop his gangster persona, calling her the same insult all her previous bullies did, leading to her throwing hot coffee on him, tearing a chunk off flesh out of his face with her teeth, and subsequently being arrested and later out on probation. Penny ALSO gets her own movie (in the play) and tells the audience this very story in a presentation with goofy puppets. Penny’s story is funny and absurd but at the same time incredibly tragic and heartbreaking. She also appears in ride the cyclone where she’s revealed to be the identity of Jane Doe (who had her head cut off before she was found dead in the rollercoaster accident with the other choir kids and was therefor never identified)

• she is a femamist lesbian and I am in love with her

• She's known as Jane Doe throughout the musical because she doesn't know who she is in death, her head is a doll's head because she lost her real one in the rollercoaster disaster that killed all the characters, she's the one who wins the prize of coming back from death which is when we learn her true name Penny. Her song is absolutely *beautiful* (The Ballad of Jane Doe) and she is the Penny of all time because I love her

• Girlie already lost her head we can’t take her victory too :(

Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

• arthur #1

Pollrunner note: the propaganda came from your submissions. Feel free to add more either in reblogs or asks

A Life He Never Had - Part 1 (Son’s POV)

➡️ Father’s POV ⬅️

I don’t think I’m ever gonna get used to this. Just a month ago I was young, hung and shredded with a fit as fuck girlfriend. Now I’m old, fat, hairy as fuck and no girl whatsoever… And it’s all thanks to my body thief of a gay dad!

It all started a couple of months back when my 51 year old dad finally came out as gay on his birthday after being closeted for so long. Suddenly his and moms divorce made a hell of a lot more sense. Yet everyone, me included, supported him and was happy that he was finally embracing his true self. Little did I know this was only the start of what was to come.

After this my Dad and I would occasionally have chats about how he wished he’d had the strength to come out earlier so he could’ve enjoyed his youth more. Saying things like people my age are lucky to live in a time where we don’t feel as though we have to hide who we are. Of course I’ve never had to, being straight and all, but I certainly understood where he was coming from.

“You know Son. Some days I just wish I could be your age again so I could give myself a real shot at young love and all that.” He said to me one day and at the time I just disregarded as my dad having regrets. But looking back I wish I hadn’t…

Some time after this the two of us were having dinner at his place as we usually did on a Friday night. It was like tradition at this point. Sometimes we’d have some other people round as well like my girlfriend or one of my aunts or uncles. This time however it was just me and Dad. He’d whipped us up some spaghetti and meatballs which was amazing as always before suggesting we sit and watch the game in the living room. He even got us both a couple of beers to drink as we watched… only the more I drank, the more tired I felt. It wasn’t until it was already too late that I started to catch on. My dad had slipped some kind of sleeping powder into my beer!

After that everything was a blur. I was fading in and out of consciousness as he put my arm over his shoulder and walked me to his bedroom. I can’t remember much more than that other than him tilting my head back and pouring some weird liquid down my throat. I think he drunk some as well but it was hard to tell. Either way I blacked out fully after that.

The next thing I felt was dream. A very lucid one at that. I was in the deep, endless void that was lit up by beams of light in the sky that somewhat resembled the northern lights. I remember looking down at myself to find my smooth muscular body fully naked and on display but before I had any time to process I heard someone calling me. Whipping my head around I saw only a could of feet away was my dad. Needless to say he was just as naked as I was which would’ve been more than enough to make me look away in embarrassment had I not suddenly felt my body freeze in place the moment I locked eyes with him. We stared at each over for a moment until a smirk broke out across my dad’s face. He reached out an arm and the very second it touched my chest, our visions flipped. Suddenly I was looking through his eyes, using his hand to touch my former chest. I was looking back into my own eyes with terror as he only grinned at me with glee. And then it all faded to black.

I found myself waking up the next morning and feeling very… off. Blinking my eyes open I looked around to see that I was in my dad’s bedroom for some reason. The events of the previous night hadn’t quite come back to me yet until I sat up. I instantly noticed something was extremely wrong. Not only was I on my Dad’s bed but I was wearing his clothes and my body… even under the shirt and jeans I could tell it wasn’t mine. Honestly I was afraid to look but I had to. I grabbed the underneath of my shirt and pulled it up to reveal something that made me scream in horror. A big hairy gut! But not just any gut. My Dad’s big hairy gut! My suspicion was only further confirmed as I inspected the rest of furry, out of shape body in a panic. I swear I almost had a heart attack when I felt the lack of hair on my head and the thick beard.

By this point I pretty much knew what had happened but I refused to believe it. Even when I looked into multiple mirrors and my Dad’s phone camera to see non-other than his middle-aged face. My world only truly came crashing down when I heard a knock at the door…

“Hey Dad. How’re you liking your new body.” I spun around upon hearing my own voice and what I saw was something impossible. It was me. My body. And if I was in my Dad’s body then that could only mean…

“What the fuck is going on!? Dad is that you?! Why the hell do I look like you!? And why do you look like me!?!? And… what the fuck are you wearing!?” I shouted frantically as he simply sipped on a freshly made cup of coffee.

“Oh this?” He said pointing down at the extremely revealing underwear. “It’s just a little something I picked up weeks ago. Thought it’d look good on this body is all. And damn was I right!” He claimed before turning around and giving what should’ve been my ass a swat.

I was in complete and utter disbelief. Somehow my own father had stolen my body overnight and was now parading around in it like it was his own. Needless to say I blew up at him, demanding that he fix this shit right now and get me the hell out of his body and back into my own. Yet through all my theatrics he stayed frustratingly calm before just flat out denying.

“Sorry kiddo, I’ve been planning this for the better part of 2 years now. Even if I did wanna swap back with you, the stuff I used is a one time thing. Once you swap there’s no going back.” He said as he made his way over to the mirror I’d just been freaking out looking at simply to admire his young 23 year old body and features. “So I suggest you get used to being a fat old man while I turn this body into the sluttiest gay this town has ever seen.” When he said that I had half a mind to beat the shit out of him right there but seeing my own face and body controlled by someone else was too jarring and off putting. Instead I just watched as he smirked at me with such smugness before strutting out of the room and leaving me to come to terms with this new reality.

Since then my life has felt like an endless nightmare. Every morning I get up with the aches and pains of a middle aged man, feeling distraught seeing my Dad’s face every time I looked in the mirror. Part of me also hated how hairy this body was and I would’ve shaved it all off had I not been worried that doing so would only make my fat all that much more obvious. That’s why I couldn’t help but feel an intense streak of jealousy whenever I saw my “Son” walking around the house almost naked just to show off his young fit body.

I resented him even more when he started to change my body for himself. Before all this I’d always kept my face and body perfectly clean shaven as a lot of chicks, especially my girlfriend, preferred smoother guys. That in mind I didn’t mind shaving often if it meant I got to taste my girlfriend’s pussy almost every night. But now that he’s in control of my body he stopped shaving all together, letting my body hair sprout again and even allowing a small beard grow in. I doubt my girlfriend would be much of fan, not that it matters since he broke up with her the first chance he got. “Sorry Dad but this dick ain’t going anywhere near a pussy ever again!” Is what he said to me after he told me about the breakup.

Since then he’s been living here and it’s been absolute hell. I’ve had to watch him bring a new guy home almost every before leading him to the bedroom. After that I can’t even bare to listen. I just either plug my ears with headphones or turn up the TV volume so I don’t have to hear him violating my body with another man. Even then he would still end up telling me about it afterwards. Saying how good it felt to finally get his hole stretched like he’d always wanted in his youth, even if it used to be mine…

I’ve tried to accept this new life but it’s hard knowing all that I’ve lost. At this point I just wish I could have a hot girlfriend again but I’d probably need to find a girl with serious daddy issues if I wanted to get one that was young like my old girlfriend. And even if I did my new dick is old and like half the size of the one I used to have. Safe to say I didn’t get that from dad… speaking of I think I can hear him now. He always likes to leave his bedroom door open when he decides to start pleasuring himself just so he can tease me that little bit more.

God I hate this so much. I hope someday I can find a way to reverse it…

The JD argument of “jons too loyal and honourable to lie/cheat!” is a completely shit fandom double standard. He has to be completely loyal to D, because he’s honourable?

But taking everything he did in s7 at face value and him honouring his loyalty to D means he betrayed his people who elected him as he represented their interests, his brother and former king who died fighting for northern independence, his sisters who supported him and the memory of his family who died because of, and faught against the mad Targ reign.

But oh no, please ignore the fact Jon said he was loyal to the north, his home and his family first and foremost. Please ignore the fact he was ‘loyal’ to the wildings and their cause, fought alongside them, fell in love with one of them ... and then betrayed them and bailed with their military info back to the nights watch, where his true loyalty lies.

Oh no, please let this 4 episode, 5 second bullshit ‘romance’ take over everything and be the be all and end all of the series when we have literally been shown no basis for why it should overpower anything he’s learnt or been through because ‘B*atbang’.

We know you only care about D. We know you think this is the Kh*lessi show and she, who does not know how to and has proven she is shit at playing the g*me of thrones, is the greatest, despite the fact that the crux of the show is in the politics. That the human interaction and ones ability to play and survive the w*sterosi game is what the show is all about. But no, no, D is all that matters, and the superficial portrayal of an honourable fool who disgraces his family’s memory and his people’s trust is exactly what it is.

Spookinktober 2021 Day 28

Welcome to Softly Savage Mint Yoongi’s week of spooky and sexy stories to count down the last week of the best month of the year! Please enjoy these seven stories, about a zombie, a vampire, a witch and her familiar, a werewolf, a serial killer, a grim reaper, and a monster hunter- respectively. Each story is standalone, so you may read them however you like, and remember to stay scary, and sexy. ;) Spookinktober 2021 Day 28 Pairing: Bang Chan x f.reader Spooks: The softest vampire boyfriend the world has ever seen. Vampire feeding and physiology. Kinks: unprotected sex, begging, biting. Pretty mild. Words: 3k

You can’t deny you’re interested; you always have been. It would be worrisome if you were in a consensual relationship with a vampire if you had never given some thought to his needs and his appetite. Still, it’s been almost a year, playing this frustrating game that stopped being such quite a long time ago. You had talked about it before to a certain degree, just brushing your fingers around the edges of the discussion about his feeding on you someday. About the line it might cross. Your sweet, loving Chan is the perfect gentleman, or so he tries to be. Sometimes, when you notice he’s swept up in his head a little more, you can feel his eyes automatically rove your features as you go about doing the most mundane of tasks. You know he’s thinking about what he wants to do to you- and yet he refrains. Other times, when in the throws of your shared passion, he struggles if he hasn’t fed for a while. He tries to stay away from your bare skin during those moments, but when you’re begging him to fuck you how can he say no? His fangs protrude, and he slows down to both savor and control every careful moment his stiff cock is stuffed inside of you. It’s gotten worse over the last two months, and although you welcome the notion of stepping over that line, your lover is quite hesitant. Bashful, awkward, and endearing in his love and devotion to you and your beating heart. Ever the masochist, he suffers on occasion at the hands of his supernatural thirst. Tonight, you’re tired of seeing him suffer. You’re tired of his crankiness and tired of meeting his eyes- wide and red-brown and conveying every emotion and ounce of pain he’s going through as he swallows around nothing but the dryness of his throat. “Chan,” you call to him, barely above a whisper. He hears it no doubt, with his superhuman senses and abilities. He doesn’t acknowledge you from his place cooped up against the headboard of your shared bed, smaller than the one at home while you’re staying in this resort. In the wilderness of Norway, on a trip to see the Northern Lights. It was all magical to see the stunning autumn foliage across the mountain forests on your hike yesterday, all the way up until the night sky opened up to the beautiful display of natural lights that danced across the sky. Chan had agreed much of the same, excitedly shaking his fists together with a boyish laugh. He could breathe easier up in the fresh air, where it wasn’t as polluted with humans and blood. That was, until you had come back to the hotel and Chan had immediately pushed you behind him as he entered the room; the scent of another caught in his nose. He followed it just to the corner of the room where your suitcases stood against the wall. Chan’s backpack was on the floor, dumped open, and the item he most needed on this trip was gone, stolen. The two blood packs he brought with him, “Fuck.” “How could this happen?” you wonder aloud, coming to stand beside him to look at the mess. One stony hand flew to his hair, shoving the dark brown locks roughly around his skull. He sighed as you began to pick up his things from the floor and pack them up neatly into his bag. His laptop remained, fortunately. Chan stooped down to help you, “Had to have been another vampire.” “But how could they know?” you wondered, “Could you really smell a sealed blood pack from outside of this room?” He shook his head, “Maybe, but if they could smell me and they were desperate enough, they probably knew there was some chance of me having a pack on me.” He immediately regrets waiting to drink it and knows that every hour that passes until you’re both home will be the worst. So here you were, the following night, sitting in front of the fireplace of your room with a book while Chan tries to keep himself occupied even though he will be starving well before you’ll get back to Korea. Well before he can get home to feed. “Chan,” you call again to him, setting your book down and kicking off the blanket in your lap, approaching him on the bed. He catches the sight of your movement and peeks up at you. Your

lover tries, really, to smile at you like there’s nothing wrong. Like he isn’t worried or hungry. Maybe tonight, finally, he will listen and let you have your wish. If nothing else, for the risk of everyone’s safety, including his own, if he can’t control himself during the trip home. You start by taking his computer out of his lap and gently pushing his headphones down around his neck. He looks at you with a flurry of complex emotions flitting around in his eyes; the color a little more of his natural brown today. The red is just barely visible as if there were a gentle scarlet glow to the edges of them. The clearest indicator that his stomach is very much empty. He lets you do as you wish, automatically lowering his knees to let you slide onto his lap. There’s a fond sense of ‘home’ as you look upon him in his comfortable attire- a simple pair of sweats and a hoodie, all black as night. Your arms come to rest across his shoulders casually as you sit perfectly still against the chilly stone of his form. “Can you kiss me?” you wonder quietly. Just the corner of his lips tilts, and he leans forward to kiss you delicately. Chaste as it may be, it still ignites the fire in your veins, and Chan suppresses a chuckle at the sound of your heartbeat picking up just enough when he pulls away. His hands find your legs, tapping at them awkwardly with his palms as he gives you that flattened smile. The fake one that tells you he’s a little uncomfortable. “No,” you say to him, planting your hands over his own and bringing them to your waist, “Can you kiss me?” Chan hesitates, closing his eyes and furrowing his brows, uncharacteristically silent. His jaw locks as he wars with himself. You push his limits, pushing your chest to his and letting your fingers run down the length of his neck, his chest. Your legs widen imperceptibly to anyone except him as you settle your weight directly over his clothed crotch. “Please,” comes the quiet pout from your lips. Your fingers tug at his neck, gently curling in the nape to fidget with his hair. Your lips ignore his stillness, going straight for his lips. Then to his cheek, his jaw, his neck- where you feel him swallow again. Then lastly, to a place you know makes him weak as your mouth plays at the space just behind his ear. His speed never ceases to amaze you- eliciting a gasp of delight as he caves and pulls you flush against him while his lips capture yours in a momentous joining. All cold breath and wet tongue pushing into your mouth and hands that push and pull your flesh in a show of need that works your hips down against his own, harder and desperate. His eyes flash when you pull away to breathe momentarily, warning you to stop here. The sound of your heart pounding in your ears with excitement makes him swallow again- the ache of it scrunching his face just the tiniest bit. “I wa-” you start, but he cuts you off, looking away. “Don’t,” he bites out. You slide off of him much to his relief, but only to stand beside the bed and remove your clothes. Chan can do nothing but stare, sighing deeply when your pink, rosy breasts are exposed to the firelight and his eyes. He swallows again, closing his eyes, only to find you standing there naked and beautiful when he opens them again. It isn’t a question when you move over him again, ignoring his slight protest when you resume your position over his lap. “I’m not asking, Channie.” His fingers betray his resolve as they gently rub at the skin of your hips, “We can’t.” It makes you smile, and understand his frustration and worry, but he underestimates himself. “We can. You need it,” you say, cupping his cheeks and forcing him to look at you, smiling at him. You bend to kiss him, and he lets you, more pliant this time as you move your lips against his. “I want you, and I know what I’m doing. What I’m asking for,” you coo, dropping your hands to play at the hem of his hoodie, intending to pull it over his head. He complies, at least temporarily- leaning back to pull the swaddling fabric over his head, landing in a heap on your

side of the bed. Chan looks at your face while his hand rises to move some hair that’s fallen into your face behind your ear. His gaze is warm, especially when you kiss at the pads of his fingers as they pass over your lips. In the glow of the firelight, he appears more human- the soft flames blending with the color of his skin, creating soft shadows across his plush lips, the width of his nose, the angle of his brow. Just for a moment, you’re watching one another; appreciating the intimate proximity and the visual artworks you find so interesting about each other. Of course, you give in before he does. He’s been alive for hundreds of years- waiting is child’s play to him. Chan doesn’t seem to mind though, a hum vibrating his throat when you initiate the next kiss. Your hands roam his chest and feel the tension in his shoulders without stopping, letting your nails scrape lightly across the planes of him as they go. Typically, Chan is a little bit more enthusiastic about sex and often initiates contact first. He isn’t one to be chatty during the whole ordeal though, so his lack of words doesn’t throw you off one bit. Where you might be nervous, given he usually leads, the swelling of him that you can feel at the apex of your thighs and his responses to your actions give you enough confidence to continue. You know Chan well; he's letting all of these decisions be yours tonight. He is giving you every opportunity to stop, and you’re certain if you said the simple word, he wouldn’t question or chastise you. At least not verbally. But his apparent lack of directing tonight doesn’t dissuade you as you gently tip him, just enough for the broad plane of his back to press into the wood of the headboard, giving you the leverage you need to press your palms against his pectorals and roll your hips. He hisses quietly, handling the globes of your ass in his palms and meeting your core with the slightest raise of his own hips. It will be tonight that you get your way, you think idly. Tonight you will tease and tantalize him, and the moment he is fully seated in your velvet heat you will beg. Several moments pass between you this way, admiring each other with lust-filled grazes of fingertips and lips, without urgency to free Chan’s cock from the confines of his loose sweats. His hands switch to your breasts, squeezing and teasing your sensitive buds between the chill of his dexterous fingers or his pillowy lips. He is still very meticulously orchestrating every move he makes. If this doesn’t count as foreplay that’s fine, but you’re sure there will be none necessary- you’re dripping wetness over the cotton of his pants and you are aching to be impaled on the perfect length of him. Not so thick and long he causes problems but just enough to make you ache with the stretch every time he is first fully seated inside of you. He seems to understand it too, and quite frankly he looks ready to devour you despite his control. A slight unhinging to his features, screwed up tight with tension and desire. Your arms snake around his neck and into his hair, consoling the strain this is clearly putting on him. “It’s okay,” you shush quietly as he breathes in your scent deeply, “You’re okay.” You use one arm to keep his head cradled to your chest while the other descends to his hip in an attempt to begin working the waistband of his sweats down to his thighs. Chan notices, and at the sound of your whine, moves his hands with vampiric speed to shove them down before they’re back at your waist, squeezing and encouraging your flesh. He hugs your curves to him immediately, appearing to have snapped at the feel of your slick cunt against his length- stealing a kiss and keeping your lips together and he lifts you effortlessly and brings you down over the head of his erection. Chan groans lowly against your neck the whole way down, and you plant a kiss to his head just where your lips touch him. Your lover only waits for a breath before he sets a languid and quick pace, guiding your hips where they undulate against his own. He wants to

indulge, but he is also afraid of hurting you. In his mind, the faster he sends you reeling into the clouds the faster he can get away from the rhythmic siren’s call of your pulse. Your fingers take hold of his head, cradling the back of it against your body, working your hips to move yourself up and down his cock. Chan groans when you push yourself down hard, wiggling your hips back and forth to drive him deeper every few thrusts. His lips fall open against your collarbone and his fingers tighten their grip on the flesh of your hips. “Chan,” you moan, pulling your nails against his scalp. His lips are too busy to answer, licking and nibbling at the skin until his mouth reaches your breast. You feel it then, the protrusion of his fangs where the front of them bumps against your skin with his kisses. The sensation has you squeezing him within your walls, and he releases a choked hiss again. “Look at me,” you breathe to him, and his head snaps up to catch your gaze. You rock yourself harder against his lap, “Please.” Chan’s brows furrow even though he thrusts into you a little harder. He doesn’t answer except for a distinct growling that sits in his chest like gravel. Hands pull him harder against you, and again he lets you as you push your entire body against him as if you wanted him to absorb you into his being. “Please,” you whimper at him. “We can’t come back from this,” he says immediately, and his voice quakes. “I know,” you answer, soothing his fears, “I trust you.” He moans at those words from you. With your love and affection for him, and your ability to believe in him to take responsibility for your safety while he’s nestled so deeply in your cunt frays the last inch of his restraint. “Please,” you beg one last time, and it breaks him. His arms cage you to his chest, wrapping around your waist solidly before one climbs to your hair. He tugs your face down to meet his gaze one more time before he kisses you. All of the pent-up hunger spills from him as he burns your lips on his until you have to lean back and pant for breath. “It’ll hurt for a second,” he soothes, kissing his way down your neck, to your chest. His place of choice as he drags the flat of his tongue across the swelling of your breast, and then he hesitates for just a moment. Chan’s brows furrow, and then a pricking sensation- a feeling akin to when you have your ears pierced or get your blood drawn. Just enough feeling of two thick needles passing through, and then it’s gone. Replaced by the rigidness of his cock doubling its efforts inside of your now sopping core as his frenzy begins. Like a form of dark magic, there’s an unmistakable shift in the pleasure that takes you. His tongue laves over the wound as he drinks, moaning deeply with every swallow. Your cheeks burn, and suddenly your orgasm is thundering, crashing around you. Your lips open on a silent cry, near shaking as Chan fucks you through it. It feels like there’s cotton candy filling your veins and you feel dizzy as you come down, entirely spent. Chan looks proud the next moment, just as your tired eyes find his face. He’s already finished feeding, and his lips are plump and red with your blood. His face contorts as the next moment- moaning loudly as he screws his eyes shut and follows you to ecstasy, holding you close. Several hours have passed before you open your eyes, not realizing you had fallen asleep the moment Chan reached his peak. Your bones feel tired, but there’s a pleasant weightlessness to your limbs, almost like you’re drunk, without the mind fog. The weight of Chan’s body is beside you, back in his hoodie and sweats with his laptop in his lap. He smiles down at you when he notices you’re awake, immediately curling into your resting body to cradle you close and kiss your hair. “Thank you,” you whisper, curling into him just as much. He hums, “I think I’m the one who should be thanking you.” You don’t answer him, instead curious about your skin as your eyes wander down to your bare chest beneath the blanket he’s wrapped you in. Two very tiny dots

adorn the top of your right breast, and you poke at it to notice only very mild soreness. Perfectly alive and fine. Chan eyes you with amusement, trying to hide how happy he is now that he’s actually succeeded in giving you both what you want. He must still be careful, but there’s nothing left to worry about or try to fight off. He feels lighter, even if he’s a little more damned. And when you turn your head to look up at him, your world is perfect in that moment. He is here with you and he is happy. You crossed the line together and you finally feel like he really has all of you, much to your desire. You give him a dazzling smile, proud to see his eyes are brighter, and barely any brown is noticeable among the deep scarlet.

From the beginning to the very end.

Seeing the one you love fall for someone else hurts.

Pairing: Diluc X GN reader (unrequited), mentioned Kaeya x reader (not focused on) Words: 3.3K Warnings/ tags: Alcohol/ drinking mention, unrequited love, reader drinks to cope at one point, general angst. a/n: This was requested by anon. I’ve taken the prompt and altered it a bit, Kaeya and Diluc are both emotionally complicated men *sigh* Someone help them.

Your arrival into Diluc’s life is with all the grace of a baby fawn attempting to stand. Choppy. Awkward. A tad pitiable.

It’s a Friday night at Angel’s Share. The worst ones to be bartender, and precisely why Diluc always drags himself into town to suffer for a few hours. It’s the days where the knights, both seniors and new recruits, gather to spend their weekly wages of mora. He knows the tradition well, after his time with the knights. He used to always sit in the back corner with Kaeya, the two giggling as they drank non-alcoholic cider.

…but the past is the past, and he refuses to dwell on it any further.

They trickle in sometime around 9pm. They’re easy to spot. Uniforms too pristine, armor too shiny. He watches as wide-eyed recruits alongside experienced knights file into the reserved table at the back.

The brave one is sent from the flock to the bar, to order drinks for the table. Diluc gives you his best intimidating stare, arms crossed over his chest. You fiddle with the front of your uniform as you approach the bar, nervously shifting from foot to foot.

“Hello Sir, uh, could I have uhm…” you take a second to count on your fingers. “Ten drinks, please?”

Well, at least you can get your sentence out. (Sawyer, one of the new recruits from a few months back, mumbled everything. It took Diluc ten minutes to figure out what he wanted.) “What kind?”

“Oh…the regular kind?”

He could make this easier on you, but he decidedly doesn’t. “There is no regular kind. Dandelion wine? Lamp-Grass cider?”

“Uh, ten glasses of dandelion wine, please.”

He raises a brow. “Everyone is of age, even the recruits?”

“Oh, yes, the younger ones’ curfew ended an hour ago.”

One quick glance over proves your truth. Fine. He gets the drinks ready quite easily. It’s just pouring wine from the barrels into their tankers. Once he has them on a tray, he says, “Ten thousand Mora.”

“Oh…uh…” you stare at your feet in embarrassment, apparently just realizing that yes drinks cost mora. “I-“

“If you can’t pay,” he starts, annoyance seeping into his voice. “Then I suggest you get out.”

Maybe that was a bit too harsh. Your jaw clenches. Your hands tighten into fists. Diluc thinks you’re about to burst into tears or run out the front door when a hand lands on your shoulder.

“Not to worry, I’ll cover the costs for this.”

Of course. He’d be here, of all nights.

You look to your saviour, lighting up. “Oh, thank you, Captain Kaeya.”

Kaeya smiles amicably, patting your shoulder. “My pleasure. Join the others, I’ll carry the drinks there shortly.”

You hurry off to the table, not one to disobey your superior’s orders. Diluc and Kaeya are left alone at the bar, the former frowning, the later smiling.

Kaeya places a sack of mora on the counter. “Feel free to count it, every coin is in there.”

Diluc snatches it, tossing it under the cabinet. (Kaeya always pays in full. Either that or he purposely omits a single coin, just to fuck with him. But it’s not worth it for Diluc to count ten thousand coins individually.)

“Corrupting fresh recruits already, aren’t you?” Diluc says.

Kaeya chuckles dryly. “Why, Master Diluc, I’d never do such an atrocious thing.”

Kaeya picks up the tray before Diluc can make some sort of witty retort. “Now, I’ve got to amuse myself. Enjoy your night, Master Diluc.”

Kaeya remains out of his hair for the rest of the night. By all accounts, it’s a good thing, but tonight, it only makes Diluc moodier. Especially when he glances over at the knights table, spotting the captain’s arm strung over the back of your chair.

---

“What on earth are you doing?”

You jump, turning to face Diluc, leaning against the nearby tree. He’d been patrolling the area for threats when he’d noticed you, swinging your sword about in the middle of Windrise. The fact that he’d managed to catch you by surprise unnerved him. (You were a knight; you’d need to learn to be alert.)

“Practicing, Master Diluc.” You wipe the sweat from your face with your shirt and Diluc quickly averts his eyes to a group of slimes slugging around the Anemo Arcon Statue. He’d have to deal with them later.

“Don’t the knights have a dedicated training area?” They do. He knows this, outside the city walls or on the northern shores of Cider Lake, he used to go there and take recruits when he was a captain, make them run up and down the sloping hills all afternoon in full armour.

“Ah, they do, yes, but I mostly prefer to train alone.”

Diluc chews on your words for a moment, before pushing off from the tree and striding towards you. “Hold your sword again.”

You hesitate, drawing your sword and holding it like you were doing previously.

Diluc covers his hands with yours, moving them along the sword. “Adjust your hands like this. You’ll have more force when you swing and you’re less likely to hurt yourself if you hit something solid.”

He steps back, allowing you to swing a few times in the air. “Use your chest more, not just your arms – good. Again.”

About an hour passes, with Diluc giving instructions, doing a very bad job of hiding his stares, and with you doing as he says. He doesn’t realize how long it’s been until you sheath your sword, and the sun has set over the horizon.

“I apologize, Master Diluc, but I’ve got to get back to the headquarters now.”

“Oh.” He says, stupidly. Of course, you’d have to leave, to go back to the knights, but that thought hadn’t crossed his mind. “I see, yes. I suppose you should.”

You bow respectfully. “Thank you for your help, you really are as sweet as Captain Kaeya says.”

He suppresses the growl that rises from his throat. Figures, Kaeya would call him that. “Mhm.”

You salute him, the standard knight’s salute. He nods his head as you start back towards Mondstadt, pondering why he decided to help you, until you fade from sight.

---

He swears, he doesn’t mean to keep meeting you like this.

He had been exploring an abandoned domain north of Wolvendom, looking for any members of the abyss order. Fortunately – or unfortunately, there hadn’t been anything but slimes and old artifacts inside, and he’d come out soaked head to toe with water.

He was starting up the path when he saw you huddled by an electro crystal, poking it with your sword and jolting back when it shocked you.

“…you can’t break those with normal attacks,” he says. “They’re elemental crystals.”

You turn around, not surprised by his sudden presence (good, you’re learning.) “You can break them?”

Arcons, do they not teach the knights anything anymore?

Instead of arguing, he simply demonstrates, calling flames to his claymore and slicing the rock. An explosion of pyro and electro occurs, shattering the crystal into purple chunks.

You gape at the crystals. “Wow, you’re amazing, Master Diluc.”

He flushes at your praise, coughing and adjusting his tie. “It’s nothing. What are you interested in with the crystals anyways?”

“Captain Albedo requested them. I guess I’ll have to get outrider amber to gather them, or klee, perhaps…'' you collect the chunks into a small bag, standing up and brushing the dust from your pants. “Thank you again, Master Diluc. You always seem to be helping me out a lot.”

“It’s no trouble,” he says, swallowing for a moment. His throat feels tight and his palms are sweating in his gloves.

You salute him. He nods. They’re your usual goodbyes, nowadays. He watches you march off, the crystals clinking around in your bag.

“Wait,” he splutters, the objection coming from his throat without thinking.

You turn around, waiting expectantly. Diluc swallows, again. (When did he get so warm?)

“Next time, please just call me Diluc.”

You blink carefully, then smile. “Alright, Diluc.”

The sound of his name on your tongue makes his heart race and sends electricity through his stomach.

(And not just because of the nearby electro crystals.)

---

Two days later, a bag of purple electro crystals appears at your doorstep in the Knight’s headquarters. There is no name from the sender, but you suspect who it is from the emblem of the dawn winery logo upon the bag.

You smile to yourself, then hurry to deliver the goods to Captain Albedo.

---

“Do you have a crush on someone, Master Diluc?”

He nearly drops his teacup in his lap, sputtering into his drink. Adeline doesn’t even flinch, handing him a handkerchief to wipe his mouth with. His owl preens herself on its stand, indifferent to her master’s squabbling.

“P-pardon?”

“I asked if you had a crush on anyone.”

“…what would make you consider that?”

She clears the table swiftly, shrugging. “You seem to be in good spirits. You’ve been smiling more, and you’re more pleasant.”

He frowns. “Are you suggesting I’m usually moody?”

Adelinde’s face remains blank. “Not at all, sir.”

She bows and leaves him to his thoughts and paperwork.

A crush. Ridiculous…he’s not a schoolboy. And besides, he hasn’t been acting differently. Sure, he’s taken more shifts on Friday night, and he’s been visiting Windrise more often in hopes of maybe running into a certain knight, but that doesn’t mean anything. It’s all justifiable.

…

His owl cocks her head at him, even she knows when he’s lying to himself.

“…don’t look at me like that.” He huffs, turning around in his desk, back facing the owl.

---

Once the thought is in Diluc’s head, he can’t get it out. It doesn’t help that over the next few months, your presence around him only amplifies his feelings.

Every breath you take, every little movement you make - it transfixes him. He feels drawn to you naturally, wanting to be closer to you, coming up with more and more ridiculous topic ideas just so he can hear you speak.

He feels happy. He begins looking forward to the next day and the next week, not apprehensive about what new problems might arise.

And just as soon as he’s settled into the norm, the world decides to rip it away from him.

---

The knights file into their usual spots on a friday night. Diluc greets them with the same, stiff nods, except this time, his scowl isn’t as deep, and the furrow in his brows is loose. For the knights coming to celebrate means that he might have a chance to see you.

And he does. Diluc can’t stop the way his lips turn upwards when the door swings open and you file in. You give a wave, he nods back.

He does his best to not stare as you socialize with the other knights - (there really are a lot of them here tonight. Even Captain Albedo is among them) - but he fails miserably. So much so that he forgets to serve the other patrons up front.

It’s a relief when you eventually wander over to the bar. You don’t even need to tell him your order anymore - he just gets to doing it immediately.

“Big celebration?” he asks.

You slide into the seat and smile. “I suppose you could say that.”

He raises a brow and pushes the drinks towards you, leaning on the bar. “Oh? Is it a knights secret I’m not privy to know about?”

You swat at him harmlessly and his breathing hitches at your chuckle. “No, not a secret. It’s just nice to celebrate for celebration's sake, you know?”

He does not, but nods anyways. “I suppose it is. In any case, you seem very happy.”

You cover your growing smile with your hand. “Do I?”

“Yes, did you get a promotion? Replace Kaeya as Cavalry Captain?”

“No! No, nothing like that…” you laugh and shake your head. “But Kaeya…”

He hadn’t expected his joke to actually hold some truth. He presses, “Kaeya?”

“Well, we -” you avert your gaze, eyes softening in bliss. “We’re um - a thing. Now.”

Diluc pales, nearly falling off the bar.

“Oh.”

“Yes...please keep it a secret, we don’t want anyone knowing just yet.”

Diluc’s head spins. It feels like a lump of coal is stuck in his throat. He swallows and tries to stop his breaths from becoming erratic.

“Congratulations… I hope-” his voice cracks and he clears his throat. “I wish the best for the both of you.”

“Thank you, Diluc.” you reach over and pat his hand. He barely conceals a flinch, wanting to rip it away. “

You walk back to the knights, and for the rest of the night, he operates on autopilot, picking at the remaining shattered pieces of his heart.

---

It hurts.

Rain and sweat get in his eyes. He ducks to avoid a swing of a club, swinging his fiery claymore in retaliation. He doesn’t know how long he’s been here, only that his hands are numb from gripping his weapon for so long. A long gash runs up his side, stinging each time he moves.

The ache in his chest hurts more.

How naive, how silly, to entertain the idea that you’d ever like him back.

Diluc closes his eyes, and consumes himself in violence once more.

---

He doesn’t frequent the bar for the next week. Enough to collect his thoughts. Enough to smother the pang of hurt he feels whenever he gazes at you.

He’s above this, above being debilitated by his emotions.

(He knows he is not.)

---

Things get better, as they always do. Things always go back to a level of normal. He returns to work at the bar. He returns to looking forward to your visits.

The front door swings open. He expectantly turns, smile dying on his face when he sees who’s entered.

“Jeez. You think I’ve just murdered someone how you’re looking at me,” Kaeya sighs.

“What do you want?” Kaeya’s the last person he wants to see. Especially since - since -

“Can’t I just drop by for a drink?” Kaeya takes his seat at the corner of the bar. Diluc resists the urge to throw the glass in his hand. He never gets to the point, always meandering about the issue, chatting about this or that until the other party is exhausted trying to humour him.

Not Diluc.

“You’re never here to just drink. Out with it.”

“…I was just wondering how you feel about our newest knight.”

He inhales through his teeth and sets the glass he was polishing down. Fine, if that’s the game Kaeya was going to play, he’d play along. “I think it’s improper for you to be engaged in a relationship with your subordinates.”

Kaeya grimaces, keeping his eye on the wood counter. “Do you say that because you care for workplace standards, or are you perhaps-”

“No.”

“ - jealous?”

The towl ignites in his hands. “Fuck off. Get out of my bar. Now.”

Kaeya sighs, but gets up from his seat, hands raised. “Alright, fine...but If it’s any consultation, I understand how you feel.”

“You don’t get to know where I’m coming from,” each word feels like acid down Diluc’s throat. “You don’t ever get to understand how I feel.”

Kaeya smiles sadly. “I know. And because of that, I’m not gonna come in the way between you two.”

Kaeya opens the door and waves before Diluc can question him. “Good night, master Diluc.”

The door shuts behind him as he leaves. Diluc tosses the towel in the trash, blood boiling underneath his skin.

---

He doesn’t see much of you or Kaeya for a week. (Which he supposes is good. If he saw Kaeya now, Barbados wouldn’t be able to stop him from getting into a fight.)

The next time he sees you is late one night, when most of the patrons have left. You look a mess, hair disheveled, feet dragging against the floor. You mumble your order to him before dragging yourself upstairs, one foot at a time.

Diluc brings what you requested up – one of his strongest liquors – to find you staring off into space. He sets your glass down gently, and you snap from your reprieve.

“Here’s your order. If you need anything…just let me know.”

You nod, keeping your eyes focused downwards. “Thank you, Diluc.”

His heart breaks at how defeated you sound. He returns to his post for the remainder of the night.

Never once does the cavalry captain come in. Diluc has a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

It’s many hours later when the tavern closes for the night. Diluc shucks on his coat and goes upstairs, finding you half-asleep on the table, empty glass clutched tight in your grasp.

He shakes you gently and you stir with a moan. “It’s closing time. Do you need help getting home?”

You laugh bitterly. “Where is ‘home’?”

Diluc wordlessly slips the glass from your hands. “Come on, let’s get you back to the knights headquarters.”

Exhausted, you relent, leaning on Diluc heavily as he escorts you out of Angel’s Share. The smell of alcohol is strong on both your breath and clothes. It makes Diluc’s nose wrinkle.

You stumble over stones and steps. The walk back to the knights headquarters takes twice as long as it normally would. Diluc doesn’t mind, instinctively activating his vision when he feels you shiver from the cold.

“I thought Kaeya loved me,” you say suddenly, resting your head on his shoulder. “He said he…”

Diluc doesn’t – can’t – say anything, not when the lump of guilt in his stomach threatens to tear him apart from the inside out.

---

Truthfully, he’d thought you would have left the Knights after that incident. It must have been beyond difficult - having to see the person who broke your heart every day.

But you don’t. Diluc already knew how determined and strong you are, and you prove to be stronger than he could have ever foresaw.

It’s rough. There are nights where you show up to the tavern, barely coherent and full of grief. But there are others where you show up with Albedo, or Amber, and he gets to see you smile again.

He observes you from afar, at windrise, training with Noelle, getting quicker and quicker with your sword each day.

The seasons come and go, snow falls and melts, and when the dandelions grow again, before he ever knows it, you’re a Captain yourself.

The tavern is full for your celebration. Wine flows freely - free of charge thanks to Diluc - and the air is abuzz with joyous conversation.

“My highest congratulations, Captain,” Diluc says, raising his own glass (non-alcoholic) in toast.

You clink cups with him, smiling in your new uniform. (You’re radiant, he thinks to himself). “I can’t thank you enough, Diluc...for everything. I’ve always seen you as one of my closest friends.”

Friends. The word cuts deeply into his heart. Yes, friends. But being friends is something that he is ok with. He can watch you thrive, watch you live your life, he can keep your presence in his life, a small candle flickering in the dead of winter.

He knows your heart is elsewhere, he sees it in your eyes whenever you see the colour blue, or whenever the scent of death-after-noon waffs through the air. Your grief isn’t as prominent, but still there.

He doesn’t know if your feelings for Kaeya, if you even have any after the breakup, will ever go away. Perhaps they’ll stay over you like a looming shadow for the rest of your life.

If only – he’ll think, on nights when you’ve fallen asleep on his couch, bottle of wine beside you – if only he hadn’t said anything, maybe you’d be happy with Kaeya.

But the past is the path, and he must look to the future. The future where he can stand by your side, in whatever way you’ll accept him.

(Alone from the beginning, alone in the end. Fitting, for someone like him.)

Thinking about Estonia and Sweden and loving how just-

Estonia went from "Fuck off, keep away from my territory. You know what? I'll raid and destroy your property and be a menace in your life until you leave me alone!" during the Viking ages

To "PLEASE don't leave! No-no-no! Don't let Russia take us. Rootsi please you're the best we've ever had! You can beat him - I'm sure you can - please!" during the Northern war

Ah how things can change. Really it feels like what has changed about Estonia himself over the years most is his relationship with others. So many of his enemies becoming one of the people most closest to him in his life (Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, Denmark, it goes on.)

Especially painful to think about considering how Estonia first became apart of the Swedish empire by willingly handing himself over to get protection from Russia... Probably thinks it's the best decision he ever made considering well... Vana hea Rootsi aeg. Gave hope and pushed him forward to keep fighting for their freedom, even if everything seemed grim. Sweden even sent help for the war of independence, standing by his side when he needed it the most. Quite insane to think they used to once be at eachother's throats huh?

Bran being king as confirmed by GRRM makes me tread on the fence regarding Sansa's endgame. As you said being a king of a region while your own country doesn't back you and gets independence with another of your sibling presiding there as monarch, this idea just seems out of place. What do you think about Sansa's endgame ?

All that toying around with Jonsa in the last 3 seasons and not providing a definite conclusion to it 😓. Might be my shipping Goggles and probably the books are so vast that any support of my ship could be only a textual coincidence but jeez with that many coincidences I would be really surprised if there is no pay off to it . Doesn't necessarily have to be a happily ever after but some sort of a resolution.

Love the concept of Sansa being QitN but as said king Bran is certainly happening, I don't see how both the instances will occur. I don't see Sansa ending up in South but still harbour doubts about her being QitN. What do you think about Sansa's endgame on reread after the show ?

I have no doubt that there will be something about jonsa that is resolved, but I mostly doubt there will be any HEA. Grrm is too grimdark for a Tolkien-style ending. I think they'll realize their feelings, and know that they're reciprocated, but I don't believe they'll marry, or even be slated for the setup of having children later unless Grrm goes full-tilt on a timeskip.

I will admit Bran has a lot of setup and foreshadowing for a King, for power, etc....I hypothesized in a different theory that Bran being king wouldn't have meant he'd be king of Westeros, but that he'd be on his way to "godhood" as a protector-king of mankind to combat the forces of the Great Other and Rhllor. Still falling in his desires of being a knight, of protecting people, etc. But that bc D&D hated magic and thought Bran was boring af, they gave him the crown of "protector of the realm" so they never explored him being a god - but again, just speculation and theory on my part.

What sat weird with Sansa being QitN and Bran being Ko5K, is exactly as you said - that it'd be tandem. Why would the 5 kingdoms, if they are indeed going in the direction of an elective monarchy, throw a Northern man's/boy's hat into the ring, a Stark at that (lords and once kings of the north?) While the North gets its independence with its own king/queen? It's an odd setup, not to mention imbalanced. Wouldn't the 5K want one of their own lords seated there? Why agree to install a king from another independent country, when that king will have direct familial ties to the Northern royalty?

It doesn't make me tread carefully over Sansa's ending. I've speculated she may not end as QitN, and may be Queen Regent for Rickon, so at the very least she will be a political force to protect the North.

But it makes me wonder if D&D took the implications Grrm meant to leave more open and hammered them out so the ending felt more like a complete finale? Maybe the setup isn't that the North gets its freedom so simply, and it's part of the "future" grrm won't write but wants us to envision.

Or maybe Bran being king is a more temporary thing that it seemed, with him simply watching over the throne as a caretaker until another monarch is chosen? Idk.

D&D's ending is just so off. I know they intended it to be a send-off, all loose ends tied up, completely finished, "no we won't clarify or answer questions" but if they did just completely write in the implications grrm only meant to be, you know, implied...then they kind of fucked up, Mm?

Just my thought. I'm down for king Bran and Queen Sansa, but it's not a good look simultaneously, imo

A couple of days ago, I came out of Tumblr hibernation to say that I was working on something and here it is. As per usual, it’s a drabble that turned into a 3486-word one-shot. Featuring Miguel Galindo (duh) and YOU (or a character of your choice; I have one in mind but I’ll keep her a secret for now). 

Warning: Sexual Content 

--- 

Arouse

Summer of 2009 - Santo Padre, CA

A blur of neon lights swirl across your eyes as the brass and accordion swell with the sounds of Santo Padre’s annual summer fair. The desert air tastes like cotton candy with a heat that surprises you in the back of the throat. It’s customary when La Feria’s in town that you and everybody’s cousin come out to gorge on elote and tacos, ride rollercoasters on rickety tracks, and watch people in this dying town momentarily forget they live in this dying town.

Your best friends are all about tradition, and as much as you hate to admit it, so are you. So you indulge and join them, because, really, anything is better than spending another Friday evening home alone, wallowing in sadness over your cheater of an ex-boyfriend. It’s been six months, but it still stings — like a papercut that refuses to heal. Why would it when you insist on picking at it with questions of whether you should have followed him to San Diego instead of staying here to work at your tío’s restaurant? You think moving out there would have solved the distance problem, which caused the unwanted celibacy problem, which made every college-aged girl an irresistible temptation in your ex’ eyes. He can’t help it; he has needs. It’s tough when you know he’s wrong, but you still blame yourself for not doing enough to keep him happy.

You’ve never been at your best when threatened with the fear of being alone.

—

The crowd grows denser as you pass through the stretch of colourful carnival games. Desperate for cool relief, you wrap your hands around your hair sticking to the back of your neck. A cool breeze rushes up the length of your spine, and you close your eyes, savouring the sensation before it’s gone. When you open your eyes, the first and only thing in focus is a face so sharp and crystal clear that everything else blurs into the background. You hold his smouldering gaze. You follow every line and every curve of his face, memorizing the slope of his nose and the mischievous curl on the corner of his lips. That steady thrum of a heartbeat drowns out the noise, and time has conspired to stand still for just the two of you.

Until you hear your name. You break the stare, ducking your head as hair falls over your flushed face. Someone takes your hand, and it takes a second before you realize it’s your friend dragging you farther into the crowd. “What’s wrong with you?” She laughs, totally indifferent to what had just happened. “It’s like you’ve seen a ghost.”

—

As the night deepens from a haze of purple to black, you go through the motions of listening patiently to stories you’ve heard before. You love your girls, but your head’s not present in the moment. You try not to give yourself away, but you’re searching through the throngs of people, hoping to catch a glimpse of that man in the blue shirt. Maybe your eyes were playing tricks on you; maybe it was just a mirage of a gorgeous man. God knows you’ve been thirsting for affection from the opposite sex. As much as you hate to admit it, your ex-boyfriend had a point — long distance relationships are nearly impossible because you lose that ability to have sex whenever you desire. It’s frustrating. And ever since you broke up with him and blamed yourself for simultaneously not doing enough and doing too much for someone who didn’t deserve it, the frustration has only grown tenfold.

You’ve tried. You’ve gotten close with your own fingers, but you’ve just never gotten to that place. Last week, you agreed to go on a date with an old acquaintance from high school before you chickened out when he asked you if you wanted to cap off the night in his apartment. You’ve always been known to go after what you want but, lately, it all feels as if there’s nothing worth wanting.

Except a strawberry-chile raspado.

—

The man scoops shaved ice into a plastic cup and prepares your treat right in front of you. Your mouth waters at the mere thought of the sweet and spicy flavours on your tongue and the refreshing ice down your throat.

“Dos piñas, por favor.”

The voice is warm and deep like thick honey poured into a glass of intoxicating amber. A flash of blue creeps into your periphery, and you find yourself standing shoulder to shoulder with, what you thought was, your desert mirage.

He looks straight ahead, just as fascinated as you were moments earlier, but this time you’ve got something new requiring your utmost concentration. You study him from the corner of your eye, noting his clean-shaven face and his genetically-blessed bone structure. He’s well-dressed — almost too well-dressed for La Feria — but he carries himself with so much confidence that he doesn’t look out of place. He’s got a boyish charm to his features, but the lines on the corner of his eyes suggest he’s older than you, but not by much — maybe in his late 20s.

“Aquí está su fresa y chile, señorita.”

He smells really good, too. Like being cloaked in expensive leather while sitting in front of a crackling fire in a log cabin nestled deep in the Northern California woods.

“Your raspado,” the stranger says, while handing you the plastic cup with the domed scoop of red shaved ice.

“Sorry. Thank you.” You say quickly, taking the cup from his hands, skin stirring upon contact. A little bit of the ice falls onto the back of his hand. “Shit. I’m so sorry.” You grab a stack of paper napkins on the counter to help wipe it off, but he’s already ahead of you, placing his hand to his mouth and licking the trail of sweet, red juice. Not once does he stop staring at you.

Suddenly, the thought of submerging your body in a vat of shaved ice doesn’t sound all that terrible. It’s boiling hot, your cheeks are burning, and your limbs feel so loose, they’re melting. Your heart races. Your breath quickens. It’s been a while since you’ve genuinely had this feeling but you recognize it straight away. You’re aroused.

—

“Holy shit!” Your friend manages to yell and whisper at the same time. “What was that? You and that guy were totally eye-fucking back there.”

“What?” You scoff. “We were not.”

“Who is he?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, you have to find out.” She pushes you back in the direction of the food stall, where he’s still waiting for his order. “Go!”

“No way!”

“Why not?”

“Because he ordered two drinks so he’s probably getting it for his girlfriend or his wife.”

“Nope.” Your friend says, crossing her arms over her chest. She nods in their direction, and you look over your shoulder to see the man hand one pineapple shaved ice over to his mother. “Awww, isn’t that so sweet? Total hubby material.”

“Lorena,” you warn her.

“You’re so into him.”

“Cállate.”

She rolls her eyes and flips her long, dark hair over her shoulders. “Ay, maybe you should let him fuck all that negative energy out of you.”

You playfully shove her and make a disgusted face, but in your head you’re thinking that may not be the worst idea in the world.

—

You love your girl friends but you also want nothing more than to kill them in this moment. The teasing is relentless. And now that they’ve caught onto you being “hot for the hot guy”, they’re making a conscious effort to stalk him around the carnival. You follow him a few feet away as he walks the fairgrounds with his mother, your heart warming as he places a hand on the small of her back to guide her through the crowds.

She pulls him toward a line for a ride. He puts his hands up and looks like he’s telling her it’s a bad idea, but she insists, smiling brightly at her son. As soon as they fall in line, your friends are dragging you to the same ride of spinning, vomit-inducing cars.

He doesn’t even notice you’re standing right behind him until your friends start giggling, pretty much giving away the fact that you’ve been following him all night. The stern expression on his face softens and he smiles at you and your friends, before turning back to his mom to place an arm around her shoulder.

As you approach the gate to the ride, his mother steps out of line. “No, no creo que pueda hacer esto.”

“Mamá, esta fue tu idea.”

“Lo sé,” She says as she takes another step back, looking over her shoulder like she’s in search of something or someone. “Pero no puedo, Miguel.”

“Mamá.”

“No. You stay in line. You’re already the next one to go,” she tells him with motherly authority. “Encontraré a tu padre.”

Miguel hesitates to follow her but stops when he sees her flanked by two burly men in black. He breathes a sigh of relief and shakes his head, and a seed of doubt plants firmly deep in your belly. You already know he’s not from around here, but something in your gut tells you he isn’t supposed to be here either.

The alarm bell rings and the gate opens. As the tide rushes in, you hear the faint laughter of your friends standing on either side of you. They exchange a knowing look and, in hindsight, you should’ve known they had something up their sleeves. As you near the brightly-coloured two-person cars, you feel a nudge toward a very specific red car decorated with metallic gold lightning bolts.

“What are you doing?” Panic rising in your voice.

“Trust us,” they say as they practically shove you into the tiny space next to the man you and your friends have been stalking all night. Before they abandon you to a slow death, one of your friends leans into your ear. “You’ll thank us later.”

Neither of you say a word as people climb aboard the cars and the outdated speakers make their choppy safety announcement in both English and Spanish. Arms and legs in the car at all times. Seat belts securely fastened. Eyes straight ahead so you can pretend the sexiest guy you’ve ever laid eyes on isn’t studying you with a morbid, heated curiosity.

“What?” You blurt out. “Do I have something on my face?”

Miguel chuckles but doesn’t answer the question, leaning back into the seat to look straight ahead.

The ride starts like a gentle cycle — slow rotations around a pole smattered in multi-coloured, seizure-inducing lights. As if a traffic light signalling GO, green flashes before your eyes just as you feel that first contact of skin. The back of his fingers brush along your thigh. They linger even as rainbow bursts into vision and the ride picks up speed.

As you spin in circles, metal tentacles raise you high up in the air and drop you in stomach-turning speed back to earth. The first time the sudden drop hits you, your hand grabs onto his knee. You’re about to let go (even if you don’t really want to) when he turns his head to face you. Miguel’s shaking his head. Streaks of neon burning brightly behind the sly smile.

It emboldens you and you grip tighter, your hand rising higher up his leg. He follows your lead, fingers tracing the top of your thigh, dancing hotly over smooth skin, pressing down with every sudden drop. The tips of his fingers disappear under the hem of your short dress, teasing you and making you ache for him to go that extra distance. But he doesn’t. Not yet.

His eyes are molten chocolate, fixed on yours like he’s daring you to go even further. You don’t know if it’s the ride or the man in front of you, but you’re dizzy, your stomach feels light as air, your nipples are sharp points poking through the thin material of your dress, and your panties are soaked.

The ride slows down like a spinning coin flopping on one side. And it’s over just like that. Miguel pulls away, head looking straight on and hands nowhere near your body. You miss him already — the way he touched you, the way he looked at you, the way his breath kissed your face you could almost taste his sweetness.

When the ride finishes, you’re both breathing a little heavy. You think this is the point he runs, never to be seen again. Instead, he surprises you when he takes your hand and helps you hop off your red thunderbolt. He ushers you down the line of people leaving the ride and, momentarily, you spot your friends just outside past the gates. You begin to raise your arm to wave in their direction, but he pulls you the opposite direction before your friends have a chance to see you.

Everything you’ve ever been taught about strangers and avoiding dangerous situations fly out of the window when this man is holding your hand and leading you into a white canvas tent. Miguel unzips it, guides you in, follows you inside, and zips it closed until you’re swallowed by darkness.

You don’t even have time to ask him what’s going on before you feel a pair of strong hands on your waist, pulling you flush against him. Immediately, you become aware of the fact that the arousal you felt on that ride was shared unequivocally with this man right in front of you. He’s hard. He’s pressed up against your body and he’s turned on because of you — and if that doesn’t make your body ache in need for him, surely a kiss will.

Miguel’s lips find yours in the dark. Warm and soft and pliant — he searches to be satiated. You wrap an arm around his neck, deepening the kiss, pulling him backwards until you bump clumsily into an equipment crate. He lifts you and settles you on top, positioning himself between your open legs.

Hot kisses pepper your neck, and he asks if this is ok. And you want to scream that it’s more than ok, but all that comes out is a catlike stretch to expose your neck and a throaty “yes.”

Hands explore your hips, your back, gripping your neck before gently tugging at hair. Miguel’s a mix of tender and rough. A mix of beauty and danger.

You kiss along his jaw until you find his mouth. Your tongue swirls with his. Your fingers trail along the edge of his jeans to pop off the button, shimmying them down his thighs, which feel sinewy with muscle under your touch. “Eager,” he says with a quiet laugh, almost as if he’s mocking you. But you don’t care because you know he wants you just as much. You can feel the weight of him pressing against your inner thigh, and you scoot just a little bit closer, squeeze just a little bit tighter.

He hikes up your little dress to your waist, one hand reaching higher to cop a feel of your tit, thumbing your nipple into a stiffer peak. Next, panties are off so quick, they drop from your ankles onto the floor — gone forever. Whoever finds them when the lights are on is going to be in for a surprise.

Fingers are on you, in you. You gasp at the sudden breach but you savour it like every morsel of the best meal you know you’ll ever have. He breathily laughs into your kiss as he discovers just how wet and wanton you are, like he can read your mind and figure out how long you’ve gone without this kind of intimacy. You moan when he slides his coated digits across your sex, thumb and forefinger manipulating you to a level of arousal you don’t think was ever humanly possible.

You’re seeing bright lights dance across your shuttered eyes. The work he’s doing is testing your limits not to scream, but you don’t think the carnival music is loud enough to drown out all the noise your body is begging you to make. So you repress. And he only works harder. You’re panting now. Sweat beads at your temples as he retrieves his fingers and runs them over your lips like a hot glaze. Without words, he orders you to take them into your mouth. It’s so fucking dirty, but you secretly love it. Your taste on your tongue, you take his two fingers deep in your mouth, gagging when he hits the back of your throat.

Miguel is quick to kiss you fierce. “You’re so fucking hot in this little dress.” He kisses you again, tongue darting out to wrestle with yours. “I bet you had no idea what you were getting yourself into when you were fucking me with those eyes out in public.” He sucks on your bottom lip. “So naughty. I could tell you wanted to hold more than just my knee on that ride.” He grinds his clothed erection against your sex and you both moan in anticipation. “You think the ride’s over? Baby, I’m about to give you the best fucking ride of your life.”

In seconds, he’s got his underwear off, a condom ripped open, and the tip of his cock probing at your entrance. He kisses you longer and harder, and just enough to stifle the moan when he enters your tight heat. It’s been a while since you last got fucked, but even then, you know you’ve never been stretched full like this, never had someone reach you in places that surprised you. “Fuck me.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do.” Miguel rocks into you, settling himself down to the base and breathing out a “holy shit.”

Scooting yourself to the edge of the crate, you wrap your legs around his hips. He grabs a handful of your ass, kneading the flesh before pulling you completely off the edge. And, holy shit is right, because he delivers on that promise to give you the best ride of your life.

He lifts you effortlessly, rising and crashing down on his cock. You wrap your arms firmly over his shoulders, grasping onto his back, feeling the muscles work under his shirt. His breath is hot on your neck, hot grunts matching the breathy moans you can’t contain. You’re already so aroused that it doesn’t take very long before the relentless pounding and the way he’s sucking on your neck and the filthy words in your ear take you over the edge. Your whole body is electrified. It feels like you’re shaken from your core and everything is tighter and looser at the same time.

Miguel groans as he feels your release wrapped around him, and it seems like he’s coming close as well. He plants you down on the equipment crate, and leans over you, forearms on either side of your head. His eyes are so intense they scorch you; it almost feels as if, in that moment, he’s branding you like cattle. Something about the way he looks at you hurts your pride, but you love the way he feels too much to push him away. He fucks you. Harder. He fucks you so good tears well up behind your lidded eyes. Faster. Your belly tightens like a coil put under so much pressure it can only spring free. Deeper. He buries himself deep, deep inside you; he kisses you gentle and sweet while his fingers brush over your clit. It releases the pressure and you’re crashing again — this time, with him as you feel his heart pound like a drum against your chest.

—

When it’s all over, it’s over. Miguel doesn’t say anything except you should leave first. Once you’ve pulled your dress down your legs and tied your knotted hair with an elastic, he unzips the tent and motions for you to leave. The light from outside filters into the tent and you get a clearer picture of his stoic face. You stand in place for a few seconds and he blinks with impatience. You want to see him again, but you’re under a very strong, chilly impression this was only a one-time thing for him. That, maybe, it’s something he’s already regretted.

You lower your head and begin to walk past him. This night was incredible. A night to ruin all the succeeding nights trying to find something that can even come close to replicating what you felt in that dark, dingy tent. But you deserve better. You deserve someone who can return what you give. And, just from the distant look in his eyes those last few seconds together, you know Miguel is not going to be that someone.

He doesn’t even bother asking you for your name.

No Haven 0.903

Main highlights for this one are cheerleaders, titfuck training, forced encounter expansion, other new assignments, new commissions, and more.

Download links can be found on the No Haven page. Update notes can be found under the break.

If you don’t have RAGS and you need a copy to run it there’s one on the help page here or the one pinned on the patreon you can find a link to in the attached read me which is more up to date. If RAGS has never worked on your system despite the help page suggestions then it might be worth trying with one of the alternate players. There’s also improvements on there to the RAGS player that can also help with performance.

v0.903:

Personal assignment improvements: ---Added a chance in Town boosted by Sneaky and Perceptive to get some extra supplies for free when you would normally have had an uneventful day. ---Added a chance in the Tavern boosted by Friendly and Resilient to get some more extra supplies without extra gold spent when you would normally have had an uneventful day. ---Increased the Tavern supplies result where you would gain 20 to 40. Training improvements: ---Advanced Bimbo Training - Anyone with this training will count the traits Bimbo (Bim) and Sex Addict (Sex) as fully favoured. Crit no longer grants Bimboborn and instead If trained by someone with Hypnotic/Dominator/Corruption/Malevolence will fully embed the bimbo mantra. ---Heal Slut Training - Anyone with this training will count the traits Healer (Hea) and Slutty (Slt) as fully favoured. ---Advanced Sissification Training - Anyone with this training will count the traits Feminine (Fem) or Beautiful (Btf), along with the Exceptional version (Exc), as fully favoured. If trained by someone with Hypnotic/Dominator/Corruption/Malevolence will fully embed the sissy mantra. ---Exquisite Fellatrix Training - Anyone with this training will count the traits Submissive (Sub) and Seductive (Sed) as fully favoured. If trained by someone with Hypnotic/Dominator/Corruption/Malevolence will fully embed the suck cock mantra. -Changed the calculation on forced encounter making you a puppet leader. Previously you needed to have five different people forcing encounters along with paying out 100g or more to the current forcer. This made it potentially impossible for it to happen if you kept getting hit by one repeatedly. I've changed it now so that it's a separate roll for each forcer with it being adjusted for how much you're paying out making it much more likely if there's more than one but still possible if you have just the one. -Bimboborn removal protection now only applies to slavers. -New powerful racial for Draki giving them the chance of rerolling the assignment result when their magic/elementalism would be a positive. -Oozes now can use their racial to avoid Week's End rejection. Also fixed the typo in regard to Male/futas getting a +50% penalty instead of 30%. -All three versions of Kiruna have gained a substantial buff to her butt variable. Recruited Kiruna now correctly is Draenei Wright like the playable one. Her and the Orc Wright will now have the new Wright racial. -Added an extra ten days length to the expiry of the Male Perfidity critical success opportunity. -Fae have now also lost their auto aspect after it was turned into a Racial a while back. -You can no longer make use of golems, driders, and legion. -Northerner cheerleader may be an inch away from succumbing to her orc cum habit, but for now at least remembered how to dance. -Marshlands training is back to being once per slaver again after somehow that condition mysteriously disappeared. -Demi-Angels will now get regular surnames while True-Angels will get the old Demi-Angel ones. -Insatiable should now also count as Sex Addict for fulfil opportunity assignments. -Succubi can now properly shun the other. -Removed the mention of having a tail from the draki Their view. -If the slaver scouting the Ever Forest is lost on the Fail you will no longer get the scouted assignment. -Fix for the short trait gained when getting Cunning from marshlands training. -Fix for an CT error referencing Orc Cum Addict training. -Fix for the (Exc) rejection check on Week's End comes. Also fixed former Cheerleaders getting rejected, for city elf cheerleaders having the fallen examine, and the correct rejection result not showing. -Fix for a name change issue due to becoming a succubi.. -Fix for being able to send the slaver you're betraying on Whore Makers. -Fix for the new enflamed/heightened senses, nipple chain, and sensitive nipple checks. -Fix for an order of encounters with Donella and the witches that could lead to getting a blank result. -Fix for a bunch of errant text on Advanced Sissification Training. -Fix for opportunity assignment displaying a random image for the result. -Fix for Fulfil Opportunities not being removed on expiry correctly.

v0.902:

-Critical fix for Elven Farm locking up the game. -You can now unlock the Arrogance Subjugated assignment by sending anyone with corruption to Treachery Most Foul rather than having to do it yourself. -To make oozes less samey they will not get an extra trait on average, and there's a new trait package with minimal traits to reflect oozes that break out of the usual mold. This will mean it is also a bit less likely for them to start with bimbo. -Before slavers would only try to start a forced encounter if they were unscrupulous (or a Wisp). I've changed it now so if they feel they have a case for revenge so badly failed hypnotic/dominator attempts, you being possessed, or them having less than 50 morale will override that. I've also made it so there's a bonus to the attempt at less than 50 morale and an increased one at under 20 morale. -Fix for the High Elf dominatrix getting their aspect for free. -Fix for being able to remove a second-in-command due to them being a leader who dislikes the role overriding checks for being a bimbo, thug, or whatever. -Fix for not having the option to make use of slaves made into slavers. -Fix for not getting slaves or slavers on critting Goblin Village if recruitment focus is set to beginners.

v0.901:

New assignments: ---When Week's End Comes. A new Uncommon City of Aversol assignment with a whole bunch of special text as it's affected by the weather and two of the events in Cold Front and Ragestorm. Has commissioned artwork also used for five 'semi-unique' slaves like the city elf bride and lago'mae priestess. Anyone from this one has their own special racial and with enough of them unlocks a new encampment upgrade. ---Basic and Advanced Titfuck Training. Both have commissioned artwork. There's now a chance boosted by this training for slaves to be titfucked when normally they'd have been fucked instead. New commissions: ---A Corner of your Very Own. Also used for Amazon Bimbos. ---Most Impropa. Also used for Orc Slaves. ---Cheap and Cheerful. Also used for Neko Bimbos. ---Raid Isolated Elven Farm with two versions with the entirely naked version used for a Crit or Success. As part of this redone the intro and added a chance of the crit to get a Shadow Outcast. Added some text to the Critical and Success when you got to reflect that. ---Pillow Talk with two versions. This was contributed by a patron so my current plan is to use them for now with the first one as the intro, and the cum version for a Crit or Success unless one of the current placeholders would work better, and then in future I plan to commission a more generic one while only using these ones if the player or slaver sent is Futanari. Because the former placeholder used to be also the Wood Elves examine I've replaced that with two new more fitting placeholders for males and females. ---Not a new one specifically. However I have used closer crops of the succubi from Truly Divine female slaves. One if the slave in question has a tail, and if not, the other will be used in general. Assignment trait adjustments: ---Fel Tainted is now a Failure on the Marauding version of Spectacle of the Sacred rather than being Catastrophic. Swapped the positions of Clumsy and Magic: Corruption. ---Fel Tainted is now a Failure on Mistress of Torments rather than being Catastrophic. Follower is now a Disaster, and removed Feminine as a trait checked on that one. ---Fel Tainted is now a Success on Seduction of the Light. Very Rare Race (160+ Value) is now Critical, and Depraved has been moved from Success to Disaster. ---Added Lengthy Tongue as a Success to all Lesbian and Blowjob training. ---Replaced Submissive as a Disaster on Basic Dominance Training with Unruly and Friendly. New racials and racial adjustments: ---Made the auto Fel Tainted that Succubus, Legion, Nethemir, and Fallen get into a properly listed Racial. Now will have a reduced effect if they don't also have Fel Tainted as a trait. ---New racial for High Elves which both reduces the power and penalty of them frequently having Fel Tainted at the cost of losing access to Shadowplay. If they get the corruption Forehead Branding will lose this racial and can take that aspect as normal. ---Oozes have gained an extra save to avoid wounding/removal. ---New racial for Wrights to reflect what bonuses they had already. Also gained an improved extra save to avoid wounding/removal and will now be immune to most corruption gained on assignments. ---Added mention to racials where races don't need supplies or have resistances to biomancy and/or corruption. -Legion have now lost their auto aspect after it was turned into a Racial a while back. -Redid the placeholder composition for Shadow Outcast slavers removing the inappropriate troll design. Also redid the placeholder for Wedding Crashers as on looking at it again it's a pretty rough composition. Now broke into two using the same pieces. Left one for starting the assignment and examine for former briders with smaller chests, and right won for Crit or Success and the examine for above massive titted and above enslaved brides. -Outside of expanding the encampment other upgrades may not be purchased in the Golem scenario. -Fallen and Succubi no longer always start with Fel Tainted automatically and so should come with 1-2 extra traits on average compared to before. -Blowjob training has an increasing chance to turn feeling up into a blowjob. -Made it so the assignment profane ritual special result and others like with an increased chance of better results reduces corruption resistance. -Bimbo Shadow Outcasts now use the Expert Cumslut commission. I've also polished up that composition. -Updated Kat's new lore page with two new quotes, one from a new character. -If you're a puppet-leader you're now immune to being overthrown as well that's pretty much happened already. -Added Dancer to the Disasters caused by Hard Carry and blocked Lurg specifically from trying out as a cheerleader. -Moved the faith skill checks out from being dominated. Now Dominated/Obedient will just block them if they'd be a negative. -Fix for Basic Sissy adding (Fem) on top of (Exc) -Fix for the Sneaky from Mistweaver also not applying to the Mistweaver themselves. Did the same for Meticulous Plans on solo assignments. -Fix for the amazon maiden from Tall Tales, and the cathayan maiden from Cathayan Caravan not having the right traits caused by a previous bug fix. -Fix for a bunch of stuff involving slave selection like Biomancy/Corruption when Share the Wealth was the last assignment you went on. -Fix for becoming a puppet leader during a forced encounter repeating text twice and not showing correctly. -Fix for the recruited Kiruna not having a cock. -Fix for Tsumi Harpies being a favoured region for Cathayans rather than a favoured race. -Fix for repicking on assignment not clearing some of the tracked info about assigned slavers including whether or not more than one Ooze Caller is present. -Fix for the Imbued Symbol of Shaping saying it gives you Summoner instead of Biomancy. -Fix for not actually being able to take the aspect Old Hand. -Fix to ensure Aesandril is female. -Fix for Scout the City taking seven days instead of eight. -Fix for some oddness with Switch caused by Submissive being checked first, and if they have some form of Sub, Dominant checks would be skipped. -Fix for two successes on Lady-in-Waiting resulting in another part 2 being generated. -Fix for several traits being missed on skill checks when the character is obedient. -Fix for some issues with golem mercenaries.

v0.90:

-New assignments: ---Wayward Temptations. A new uncommon Dreadsea Coast assignment with specifically commissioned art and a hidden reward. Also used for the recruitable slaver unique Kaara de Sindero Oscuro's examine which gives you a pretty big clue of what that hidden reward might involve. Crit and Success have different descriptions on the outcomes based on your slaver's traits and aspects to reflect how they might go about accomplishing it. Specifically there's ones for Anointed One, Submissive, Depraved, mental powers like Dominator, Mind Reader, Faith: Shallya, and Seductive in that order along with the more basic approach for none of the above. All with altered/expanded versions when you go personally. ---Quicker than they Like. A new rare assignment on the Great Plains, and a follow up with some impressive rewards to the first QAYL. Only available for player characters who have run that first assignment themselves and were fortunate to return relatively unscathed. As part of this there's now a bonus to QAYL for you based on how many times you've run it yourself up to a maximum of five times which will also increase the chances of having a forced encounter. ---Spectacle of the Sacred. A new rare assignment on the Dreadsa Coast using patron provided commissioned art. Available from the second month onwards. First time you go on it has unique rewards (including an encampment buff), and text with two alternate approaches. Can be repeated after that with the two goals but with somewhat different text and rewards. -Other new commissions: ---To Hunt a Paladin. First part for the assignment and then another part for the successes. ---Raid Human Village. Also used for Human Commoner male slaves. Now should always respect the gender to enslave general order with specific traits if you get a male on the Crit. ---Raid Goblin Village. Now moved to the Dreadsea Coast, and has expanded text to reflect that. Two day version is no more and has been replaced by a five day version with improved rewards to reflect the additional time taken. Has alternate versions of the commission including one only seen if you do send an ogre futanari and succeed there. Now should always respect the gender to enslave general order. ---The Encampment. Will be used on finish day to show up randomly along with the title page, the blank background, your character's examine, and the map. It also will be replaced if there's an assignment completing or a slave is being used. Crops of it are now used for the Male Wright and Female Neko slaver examine (the old Female Neko slaver examine is used for now as the Futanari one with the old Futanari one being removed). ---The Encampment for the Golem Scenario. Crops with variants of it are now used for Kreen and Cathayan slave examines. Due to this I've added a new placeholder for Female Cathayan slavers. ---Female/Futa Human Cityborn Slaver Examine, Female/Futa Marlsune Slaver, and Female/Futa Marlsune Slave Examines depending on the version used. There's also another version to be used in a later update when a certain advanced race is added.   -Forced Encounter expansion: ---Failing to implant a trigger can now result in the target slaver returning the favour if they are Hypnotic/Dominator/Psionic and will be more likely to attempt to start a forced encounter. It's also a bit more risky to fail to use a trigger or dominate during a respect check against a Hypnotic/Dominator/Psionic slaver. ---New text with variations for forced encounters due to being subjected to Malevolence and being Possessed. ---New variations based on whether they've done it before, and new variations with improvements for being subjected to Hypnotic and Dominator. ---Possible now to gain the Puppet Leader status with enough repeated visits and if the right requirements are met. -New racials: ---Kestrae Harpies now better reflect their forest flying abilities. ---Demi-Angels boost healing both in encampment and on assignment by being present. ---Neko may ignore the first Disaster gained on Infiltration assignments. ---Kitsune now do better on Diplomacy against the easily fooled, but less so against the more cultured. ---Humans help other races work better together. ---Fallen having gotten so corrupted to fall from being demi-angels now get even more corrupted. -Two new unique starts: ---A seductive Sea Elf male using the Chained Melody commissioned art with a new aspect and lore page. ---A big Forest Goblin male using commissioned generously provided by a patron with a new aspect and lore page. -Updated the Art Sources to include all current commissions including for some future assignments. -Overhauled the text on Hard Reality. Mainly the critical success which is now twice as long as it used to be, but there's also improvements to the success and intro. Also fixed the issue where she was not coming with Magic: Illusion. -You can now get level ups from the encampment even when you're at the max aspect slots meaning you can get a chance at getting free aspects like Dark Pact and Practitioner to Arch-Practitioner. -Jacked up the odds on the scouting upgrades for the mid level and most expensive ones. -The recruitable form of Kat is now inexperienced, has picked up a new outfit, seductive and a more specific lore page, along with pumping up her ass to the next level. -Biomancy flexibility may now be done if the target is agile but hasn't got the exceptional result and is not an elf. Also corrected the breasts to show when they've hit maximum.   -Arisin' on the Storm will only be generated now from the second month onwards. -Convent slavers and slaves will now come wearing their habits like in the Heretic scenario. -Convent rather than having their own specific skin description now track what they were before joining the sisters. Using the skin description tables from their various possible origins and will have extra description noting what they were before. This will also come with some potential extra value bonuses. Witches already worked like this before with the various human subtypes, but now have a chance to also be elves and neko like Convent can with their own set of new specific descriptions. -Expanded the Convent lore pages a bit mainly to better flesh out some of the faith's hidden places of worship. -Small expansion to the City Elf lore page. -Added a check so that Shadriel has to be a slaver for the owned relationship when her former matriarch is promoted to happen. -Added a note to the start and to the Art Sources that all non-commissioned art is now considered placeholders with the intention to replace in time with commissions. As part of this replaced the petrified examine for the Artistry in Flesh assignment art. -Reduced the bonus gold and supplies from Marauding rank ups as at max rank they could be way, way too high. Bonus is increased now on Rare/Special assignments. -Reduced the rate that the recruited ooze caller calls oozes. -Reduced the expiry length of all versions of Saving Glory by 40 days, and increased all versions of Shark of the Cards Expiry lengths by 4 days and Board the Crossbones by 2 days. -Mad Schemes due to potential inconsistencies based on how that aspect is worked out will no longer show in suggestions. -Biomancy Flexibility will no longer show as completed if the slaver hasn't got Elven Flexibility and can be attempted if they already have Agile. -Forest Goblins have some skin colour variations rather than just the one. -Added some tall male descriptions where they have dancer, sneaky or agile which would make the 'built like an orc' mention inappropriate. -Fix for an issue with Reputations where on a positive result you could still go down in an illogical manner. -Fix for the check for hates it on guard assigning was using the camp bitch one instead. -Fix for Switch not generally doing what it should do when it comes to trait checks. -Fix for formatting on Ballet of Brutality, Queen's Gaze, Private Dancer, Rules of Nature, Scourge Artiste, The Seven Veils, Dawn's Radiance, and Shallya's Mercy. -Fix for the following having the wrong short abbreviation for their Trapper trait which was preventing them from getting the Booty Snatcher aspect: One of the Forest Goblin trait packages, The Ooze Caller start, and the unique from Deluge of Oozes. -Fix for Obedient slavers not getting the Sub crit version on Decadence Like No Other. -Fix for the description for Beautiful not being shown under Full Custom. -Fix for an issue with Brief Foray where there was only a minimal amount of gold rewarded. -Fix for getting the sub version of possession despite being dom/corrupt due to running out of trait slots. -Fix for the abbreviations of Greedy being incorrect which could result in drow ex-soldiers picking up double greedy from corruption. -Fix for an issue with high value/veteran rewards such as the Asanei leader from Best Left Sealed. Due to them getting the chance for extra traits the minus for that was potentially setting them back to 0 making the game think they didn't have any traits and so when they got the generated one the fixed ones were being overwritten. -Fix for the outfit from Ponygirl training turning up on random assignments. -Fix for dominant characters not having access to zoomed driders.   -Fix for Arrogance Subjugated only being able to be done once. -Fix for being able to take Strong Right Arm with 6-7 points. -Fix for the unique starts keeping their set physical attributes after taking different physical attributes in full custom. -Fix for being able to start Advanced Blowjob Training with only a partial in Basic Blowjob Training. -Fix for Corner of your very Own being set as Uncommon causing expiry issues.   -Fix for an issue with Slave Wear, Street Walking Attire, and Dresses were incorrectly changing the clothing total and could result in a message saying there's no clothing available.   -Fix for change of liking encampment roles in the morning text only showing if the slaver had a status effect. Thank you to Donna the helpful Werebear for highlighting this! -Some text fixes.

Fantasies become Reality - by Titan (part three)

This is the second scenerio continuation where we see what would happen if Ben had escaped Alex kidnapping plan, though his knight in shining armor, Rick from Rick's Cutz, may be more like Alex than first appeared. Part 3 - Scenario two: When I returned home, grateful to have escaped Alex thanks to Rick the barber, I poured myself a bourbon looking briefly in the hallway mirror. I was somewhat disappointed it hadn't been cut or trimmed by Rick, it was too long and thick and I was sort of hoping he would give me a much shorter style, or even shaved clean for that matter. Yes, the barber managed to warn me about Alex and his kidnap plans for me, but I still looked the same hairstyle wise and that's all I could focus on besides my thick stubble. As I looked at myself I pulled my fringe back exposing my self- inflicted, uneven hairline. As I stared in the mirror I could hear a voice in my head, it was the husky barber, Rick. "We have another day planned when Alex will be away, call me at my shop, I'll be waiting with clippers ready." It felt so clear but why? And why would I even consider going back with all the inherent dangers? What I was unaware of was that my beer had been spiked and the drug used was able to break anyone's will very quickly but didn't stay long in your system. As the drink had reached its effectiveness, I was unaware of Ricks added talents for hypnosis. When he'd said in the shop," I see your are having a problem with getting out of my chair, don't worry, we have time to go on with your haircut at another date." I was unaware of his mind manipulation. The beer had taken affect and I was already floating a little unable to move for a moment. Rick started to massage the back of my neck, I could feel myself becoming very tired. I heard his deep voice but it seemed melodic and soft. My eyelids grew heavy and my body so much lighter. "As you relax knowing you are in safe hands with me all you can think of is becomming a sexy, bald man, just like Rick. A smooth, pink crown and a ring of healthy hair with a big bushy beard. You can visualize it, see it happening and you feel good. Relaxed and breathing normally you are so happy and excited. You need to feel that baldness and the sooner the better." My dick was growing hard as I heard the message. "You trust me and feel turned on by me and what I can do to you; I will turn you into a virile man and it's all you can think of as you see yourself in the mirror. Bald and bearded that is the new you. Every time you look in the mirror it's all you can focus on; making your biggest desire come true." Then Rick repeated some phrases over and over before bringing me out of my drug induced state.  "Rick can give you a permanent smooth crown and a beautiful horseshoe of hair joining up with a real mans beard. You can trust Rick to make you sexy Ben." Over and over he said this before, unaware I had been under I'm sitting in his chair feeling very relaxed and not so nervous. I was very lethargic at first finding it hard to leave the chair. The drug would take a little while to wear off. "Well you'd better be on your way Ben, no telling when Alex arrives." "Oh! Yes, ah thanks......" I said wanting to escape Alex. And now safely in my apartment, I gazed deeply at myself in the hall mirror where I could almost visualize my head with a smooth crown under my hand. As I moved my hand down to my chin the whiskers felt rough at first, then I imagined a dense, soft beard growing bigger and bigger. At the same time my cock was growing. Putting my drink down I went to lower my jeans, imagining my new self in the mirror, totally turned on to becoming bald and bearded, I started to stroke slowly on my cock. It didn't take long to return to Ricks shop. I finally phoned his shop feeling compelled to after a few more days of seeing myself in the mirror and hearing that inner voice convinced me I had to go back and have him make me into that man I could now see.  "Hello Ben! Nice to see you haven't shaved the beard, it's coming along nicely." The barber seemed friendlier and more interesting than I had first thought on meeting him those few days ago. I marveled at his shiny tanned scalp. "Ah!....well I just can't seem to shave it off. Every time I try something stops me." I said nervously. "Good though someone needs a haircut too, that hair is looking way too preppy." And turning away he went out towards the back, "and someone needs a drink to loosen up." "Oh ah...no I'm fine." I tried to sound convincing. "No you're not, and don't worry, Alex is away at the moment, in Cairns I believe." Relaxing a little now at the news he was a few thousand kilometers away in Northern Queensland, I still knew this barber meant business. The thing was I wanted it and hoped he would take my hair permanently today. After he caped me up and the beer had started to work, it was of course spiked again, he went to close the shop. "So ready to have your new hairstyle?" Rick started to rub my hair on top. "I...I think.....just a sh...shorter..." Rick didn't let me finish. "Just look at yourself in the mirror, that's it - keep looking. Bald and bearded is the new you. Every time you look in the mirror it's all you can focus on, making your biggest desire come true." As I stared at myself I could see the new me. Fuck, I wanted this more than anything and my cock was proving it.  "So ready for your haircut Benny?" Rick said as he grabbed some oversized clippers from a hook on the side of the counter. "Yeah." I murmured as I rubbed my crotch under the cape. "So how short do you want me to go?" Switching the clippers on the noise filling the room. "Smooth like you...." "Male pattern bald like me?" "Yes....smooth and shiny on top....just like you Rick." "Your wish is my command." And without wasting any more time he ran the clippers down the center of my head leaving light stubble behind. Despite my drugged state my eyes widened and my mouth dropped. Finally I was being made bald and I was so excited and turned on. As row after row of hair was cleared I didn't want the clipper action to end. Suddenly the shop was full of silence as I realized he'd stopped the clipper action. "So you still want to go shorter?" He leant down and whispered in my ear. "Y..yes...sh..shorter..." I stammered hoping to hear those clippers again. Rick turned to the counter and picked up a smaller pair of red clippers. "These should help make that hair much shorter boy!" Their high pitched sound put me on edge and I wanted to cum right there in the chair but what I didn't know was the drug was preventing me from getting too aroused down there. Rick knew it would help not only keep him in charge of Ben's transformation but prolong the euphoria Ben would be feeling. As the red clipper took the remaining hair away I couldn't even see stubble, only white pale skin. Shit, he was really making me bald. He kept going over the top leaving the buzzed hair on the sides. I could now see how I would look as a young man with severe male pattern baldness. The beard seemed to show up even more now and I wondered how long it would take to grow. It's what I wanted wasn't it? To be bald and bearded, a virile, masculine man, the voice inside my head kept saying. Rick always loved this part where he started to design how much baldness the customer would have. The balding clipper went well below the crown, Rick deciding this boy would be even balder than him. "Yes, I'm giving you a nice sexy dip at the back Benny, you're going to love it." I couldn't believe what I was hearing but in my relaxed state I could barely react. As he worked lowering the side a little more he added, "We are going to grow the fringe out a bit more on the sides, it will go so much better with your new beard." As I watched I wondered how long that beard would take to grow? As if sensing my thoughts Rick said, "Oh and don't worry, I have a little special help for that beard to grow into a luscious, full beard." When Rick had finished creating the area of baldness with the trimmers he turned back to the counter and took a plain tube of something then pulling on some latex gloves. "Ready for permanent smoothness Benny?" "Hmm....y..yes.....smooth and shiny....." I almost moaned as I realized he was using some sort of hair remover. What I didn't know was along with many of the other products in the shop, this depilatory was developed in Alex's lab and was a very strong hair remover barely needing a second or third coat for permanent results. As he spread the cream over my bald areas he said something about leaving it on for just a little bit longer as my shadow was quiet dark. He changed gloves and got another big jar of gel-like substance. He took a big glob and started to spread it over my thick stubble. "A couple of coats of this will help you with that beard too." He rubbed it carefully wherever the whiskers were growing. He seemed to spend a little more time on my top lip and after a while it started to tingle. When he finished up I could hardly believe the way I felt. This man was changing me into a bald and bearded man, someone I wanted to be more than anything or so I thought, I hardly noticed the big hair dryer he rolled over. "This will help you become that virile masculine man so much quicker." he said as he switched it on. I could feel warm air on my newly denuded head, the sensation wild and exciting. I wanted to touch my scalp but I couldn't really move my arms. After awhile the skin started to tighten as it got hotter under the dryer. He lowered it more as even my face was being blowdried. "Now why don't you just relax and let Alex's potions work their magic and let me take a break eh Benny?" He was rubbing my neck and shoulders again giving a relaxing massage and I felt so good. I closed my eyes hearing the barber briefly at times telling me how good I would look when I woke. I was aware of light at times than I would feel something being applied to my head, more rubbing and more heat from above than something being applied to my face. All the time I just felt lethargic and heavy. At one time I woke up to having some tube in my mouth. I couldn't move as something was being pumped into the tube leading down my throat, it was beer. I was now lying down on some bedding, Rick having moved me onto a portable camp bed in the shop where he could keep me drugged with the copious amounts of beer he was feeding me along with a special, weight gain mixture. I heard him say while I was being fed, "Yes Benny, you're coming along nicely. You are going to really get a taste for beer real soon." LATER Then all of a sudden I smelt something odd under my nose. It almost made me gag but I was aware of light and my eyes tried to open.  "Wake up Benny, its time for you to see the new you." A familiar voice said. As I tried to focus I realized I was still in Ricks barbershop. How long had I been here? "Come on sleepy head, we haven't got long as I want to get you home before Alex comes back." Suddenly everything came rushing back, and I was aware of Rick standing in front of me. I felt tired and as I moved my head I felt something on my chin. As I looked down I could see hair below my nose. I licked my top lip and could imeadiately feel thick whiskers. "Yes, that mustache is already looking good, nice and big; ready to see the new you Benny?" Rick said jovially while turning the barber chair around to face the mirror. "Ta da!" He sang. "What do you think?" "Wh....what....how did you.....?" I just stared at myself in the mirror. It was a very different me, I barely recognized myself. How long had I been here?  The strong shop lights reflected off my shiny, smooth scalp that no longer looked white. The stubble that had been left around the sides was now a very thick, manicured horseshoe of hair, darker and matching the color of the beard that flourished on my face. It had the same careful manicuring by the barber. I took my hand and touched my head drawing it down to the perfectly trimmed hair beneath. I loved the feel, it was so much better than I thought, no shadow or hair showing on top. The balding looked very natural as the edges had been carefully blended with a epilator. That must have been the pulling I felt at times. I now looked as though I'd been bald for many years. "What about the beard?" Rick asked marveling at my changes himself. I began to run my hand over the lush beard that was now full and surprisingly soft. The mustache was a little thicker hiding my top lip and it curled a little at each end. "How...could you...do all this so qu...quickly?" I asked mesmerized as I took in all the changes. "You've been here for three days and I thought we should do everything you needed to have done straight away before you changed your mind." Rick replied. "Th...three days?" I was shocked but something told me not to make a big deal out of it, Rick was just trying to help me become the bald and bearded man I was craving to be. "I like the added weight too, it suites you!"  My eyes looked down to my lap where a small ball belly stretched my t-shirt exposing my stomach a little. Then I remembered the tube going down my throat. "So how about a beer to celebrate?" Rick asked noticing where I was looking. "Fuck yeah!" I said wondering where that had come from all of a sudden. "You sure can put them away and their sure helping you grow that belly you wanted." I was confused but what Rick was saying seemed to be right wasn't it? I was too thin to be a bald and bearded virile, masculine man. I wasn't aware that the phrase 'so how about a beer to celebrate' was the trigger phrase for my new personality to kick in. Rick had been working on re-wiring me while in his shop. He was more than pleased as he noticed the change in me. Rick had worked hard to achieve the new man before him. He wasn't going to go this far but once he started he couldn't stop. A little of his Alex inspired side took over. He'd used Alex's potions on the beard and horseshoe multiple times, surprised at how well they worked quickly growing the hair. He'd tanned the skin and ensured no stray hairs would be appearing in the future. He'd also arranged for Benny to tender his resignation at his workplace; well he couldn't return with the extreme changes. None of this could happen while on a few weeks leave. No, Benny was going to be doing more manual work from now on as Rick built him up and out. And that beard needed some more work, but first he'd have to get Benny home and start organizing his new life. He had to make sure Alex never found out what he'd done. As they both left the barbershop in the growing darkness of early evening they were unaware of being watched.