#because vesper is worried okay

[scintillyyy]

anyways just my personal opinion but i think the dick and tim tension in the fugitive/murderer arc is vastly superior to the reborn era tension (although i do still love the reborn era tension when it's actually, you know, correct)

gotham knights #26

like. you can feel how much they love each other despite their disagreement. how disappointed they are in both the other one and *in themselves* for not being able to be what the other one needs at this moment. and i know that there's a lot of talk about how tim places dick on a pedestal sometimes (which he does), but idk to me this arc is a good showing of how dick sometimes will place *tim* on a pedestal too. like to dick, tim is a fantastic robin who embodies what the role should be, this easygoing and wonderful little brother who always goes along with dick's worldview and when dick is forced to deal with the fact that tim will push back on him with this, it actually shakes him quite hard. he feels a bit betrayed! like it's telling to me is that he feels like he just needs to remind tim of how safe tim will be with them and as long as tim knows that deep inside tim will be okay (and agree with him again) and then it doesn't work! because tim has a fundamentally different life experience from him and he can't just fall in line all the time! because tim has to be open to the possibility that maybe bruce did it based on his experiences with bruce. and the fact that tim doesn't fall in line shakes dick up quite a bit. i'm also reminded of gotham knights #1, where there's the case where the little boy murdered his parents and bruce has a blind spot about it and dick and tim talk about that!

and how much of the vesper murder at this point is tim worrying about dick potentially having a blind spot of his own wrt this case. (now, dick is correct and bruce was framed, but based on what they know at this point in time and how bruce is acting/refusing to cooperate they probably should keep an open mind about the possibility. also keep in mind. tim is very open to bruce being innocent, he's just having a crisis of faith here and thinks they need to explore all avenues and not let themselves refuse to look at the possibility that bruce is guilty).

#dick and tim

[eldritch-spouse]

MY BIRTHDAY IS THE 20TH UH SO UH WOULD THE ICONS CARE ABOUT THEIR SO’S BIRTHDAY? HOW WOULD THEY CELEBRATE IT?

(Or Just Livius cause he’s my bbg and I loooove him)

[Happy barfday, you aged. 🎉]

Icons during your birthday

Vesper wakes you up with birthday head. Sure, you get that plenty of times, but this one is special!! Because he's going to eat you out to the table and then, as you're having breakfast, someone else is between your legs. The whole ring knows, so you probably have a plethora of gifts that are usually some variation of degenerate or filthy and funny. Vesper does pay attention to what you say however, so he'll make sure to get you things you actually want aside from just whatever he thinks would look sexy on you. The day goes by in a hurry because you're too fucked out to think honestly.

Rinx throws the largest party ever. It's embarrassing. It's super embarrassing. But hey, you get a house-sized pile of presents. You're going to spend most of the day opening these while Rinx peels himself for your approval. Put it on! Put every cloth and jewel he gave you on! Let's face it, he probably gets a bit of everything, since usually when you want something Rinx just gets it instantly. He knows it's selfish of him to ask you this on your birthday... But can he fuck you on the pile? Please?

You like piñatas? Kalymir likes piñatas... Okay, now bash the fuck out of this prisoner's brains! That's a fun way to start. You're going to play all sorts of games, from aim to raw power, all of them resulting in some por sod's death. If you have a favorite type of weapon or sport, he's one hundred percent going to bet on that too. You're going to be eating like a real Queen too, so don't worry about breaks. You're going to celebrate every birthday with Kalymir just like you did the first one in your life- Naked, screaming, and covered in blood.

Zizz will ask if you want to spend the whole day in bed. He'll get up and go anywhere you want since it's your day, but he also had a perfect setup ready just to stay with you in his room the whole time and watch movies or play stupid games and nap together. Your presents are buried under endless piles of plushies, and he's going to enjoy watching you dig around for them, especially when you get stuck in a tower of stuffed animals and pillows and he gets to see you wiggle your ass in a struggle. Do you like video games? Zizz will get you into them today.

You've never had a real birthday cake until you become Vorticia's lover. This woman will get you such a magnificent, delicious, mouth-watering, gorgeous, unbelievable cake that you will cry for more, and probably get a stomach ache. She's content to sit with you on her lap and feed it to you, maybe even make you lick her fingers clean. But, eventually, she might just drop you on it and let you go ham. Watching like a pervert before scooping you up to lick you clean, and dropping you again. After that, it's a relatively normal day, she has plenty of cute presents for you and will take you to her son's esteemed sorbet establishment to have all the fun you want.

Livius is very good at listening to the things you want, that's why his presents are usually always the best out of all Icons, as he seems to hit the nail on the head every single time. Since he assimilates plenty of your tastes, he's likely to guess correctly what you'd most like to do for your birthday, and has no issue slipping into the surface to rip his way into the theaters or go to a water park, whatever the Hell you so please! Nothing will stop him from giving you everything you want, so that you feel so special in that one day that you'll never feel jealousy ever again in your entire life. Because you deserve that.

Cero is too fucking extra. This is the definition of being treated as a Queen. You're forbidden from moving a muscle since the moment you wake up. He's already dolled up with the best attire he has, the servants will start piling in the room to bathe and dress you like a doll, preparing you to go out into the halls and greet all sorts of people you've never even heard of as Cero apparently organized a dazzling party while you were fast asleep. You feel sorry for the imps. Since the spotlight is always on you, it will feel a little exhausting, but Cero's always there to make sure others definitely give you space, by shooing them away, or speaking for you. You're complimented and praised the entire time by everyone, including him, and you get some of the most elegant gifts ever out there. Then, of course, you're gently fucked in your get-up while the King of Pride whispers about how well-behaved you were.

#Vorticia oc #Rinx oc #Cero oc #Kalymir oc #Zizz oc #Vesper oc #Livius oc #notamonsterfucker

[snowe-zolynn-rogers]

The Gay Baby Box

Pairings: None

Word Count: 1,100 Words

Summary: The beginnings of the gay baby bonding box.

Warnings: Angst (& Fluff), Hurt/Comfort, Fighting, Hallucination (mentioned), Delusion (mentioned), , SFW Tickling, Fainting, let me know if I should add anything else.

Chapter 1: Sun And Charging

Sun was annoyed being in a box. His brother really thought putting him in a box for a time out was a good idea? What was he even meant to do? Stare at himself and hate himself? Pass time by naming all his mental issues? Maybe stare at his reflection until he hallucinated?

Maybe he was hallucinating already, actually, because the area around him in the box was teeming with almost glitter in the air, a sort of magic maybe from the box itself. Maybe Moon meant this as a charging feature of the box, since Sun was at barely 20% battery.

But no, it swirled into in front of and behind him. What was this accursed box doing? Sun looked from one to the other as he was suddenly between a red bot and a pink bot forming themselves in front of and behind him. He came face to face with Blood Moon as he woke up from reforming while what he assumed was the other twin was pressed to the wall behind them.

"Bloody?" The other twin asked from behind Sun. "Sun?"

"Yeah?" Sun asked.

"VES!" Blood Moon suddenly launched the three into the wall together, pressing Sun against him to hug 'Ves' behind Sun.

"Blood, I can't breathe." 'Ves' wheezed behind him.

"You two can't be real." Sun shucked from between them and was pressed against the opposite wall from the twins. These had to be hallucinations. Is this what Moon meant by the voices?

"Vessie, I couldn't hear you! I worried about you! You were not original, I worried you may not come back with me!" Blood Moon cling to his twin in tears, pressing close and refusing to release 'Vessie'.

"I'm here. We're okay. We're safe now, Bloody. I'm okay." 'Vessie' assured his twin.

"How could I ever survive without other? I'm so happy you came back with me!" Blood Moon sobbed out.

"I know. I'm happy you made it too. I love you, twin, we're safe, just breathe." 'Vessie' assured his twin. It took a few minutes for Blood Moon to calm down while 'Vessie' rubbed his twin's back.

"Why are you here? I don't feel bad about it!" Sun growled after having been ignored in favor of the ghosts of the dead's tantrum.

"Shut up!" Vessie growled, glaring at Sun as he kept Blood Moon close to him.

"No! I don't feel bad about killing you! You shouldn't be haunting me if I don't feel bad!" Sun growled back. His face suddenly got hit hard enough to smack his rays into the wall of the magic prison.

"What...?" Sun felt his face and rays, looking back to Ves fuming at him.

"I don't care if you feel bad about it, Sunrise. You tried to kill us. Do you understand how hard it is to reform yourself from broken machines!? When there's two of you!? We could have lost each other! One of us could have just not come back! I don't care what delusions you think you're having, we are not part of them!" Vessie growled protectively.

"H-How do I know you aren't lying?" Sun asked.

"Aside from that punch?" Vessie asked.

"Yes, something I don't know." Sun confirmed.

"My name is Harvest Moon. Only Blood Moon knows that." Harvest Moon.

"I thought it would be Vesper with 'Vessie'." Sun gave a sigh. This wasn't some hallucination or dream. They were real, they were here after having reformed, probably after hiding within Sun's mind quietly for the time they'd been 'dead'.

"Good enough?" Harvest asked.

"Yeah, yeah, it's good. Not fake. Okay." Sun slumped against the wall. At least he wasn't alone now. Even if the twins hated him, them being here was better than being alone with his thoughts. "How is Blood Moon?" Sun asked.

"He's asleep." Harvest confirmed from the red twin grasping to Harvest.

"I think you should rest too." Sun told him.

"So should you, Mr. Murderous Rampage." Harvest warned him.

"Okay, okay, we'll all rest." Sun huffed and sat on the floor, urging Harvest down too. Harvest cautiously set Blood Moon onto Sun's shoulder and then took up his other shoulder, holding his twin close.

Sun watched the seemingly younger twin, given the difference in name, fall asleep against his left shoulder while Blood Moon adjusted against his right shoulder. Surprisingly, the urge to protect them was there, just as it usually was for Lunar and Moon. His big brother instincts, he guessed.

But he held them close and looked at the mirror mocking him for only a moment before looking back to the twins and deeming the mirror a liar and shut his eyes to go into rest mode.

Sun woke up sometime later with his battery at 25%, meaning Moon had absolutely put a sort of charging feature into the magic prison, but it was a slow-acting charger only for when he was sleeping, probably to keep him inside a longer period of time. Harvest Moon and Blood Moon were awake now and Sun saw them seemingly wrestling.

"What are you doing?" Sun asked rather groggy with his still-low battery.

"Brother pinched my nose to wake me up!" Blood Moon complained.

"And that means you wrestle and wake me up?" Sun asked.

"I was tickling twin." Blood Moon tilted his head at Sun, who looked over Harvest, who was suitably giggly at the moment. Oh, he missed that.

"You wake me up with tickling?" Sun redirected.

"Well, I could've woken Sun Man with tickles! And I still could!" Blood moon seemingly took this as a means to tickle Sun. Harvest was busy giggling and cuddling to the other corner of the magic box while Blood descended upon Sun.

It felt nice to get tickled, Sun finally was letting himself laugh for the first time in at least a week or so. Sun thought he'd hate it, hate having Blood Moon touch him but he had him giggling like Harvest was in no time.

Sun was so enthralled with getting tickled by Blood Moon he didn't notice warnings popping up in his vision. Granted, his vision was full of tears from laughing so hard and his fans were running higher than the alarms in his body were. He was low it battery, it seemed.

His systems were at 2% already? He must've expended a lot getting tickled for, how long was this now? Sun didn't remember. Sun giggle right past his error screen until he felt himself shut down hearing Blood and Harvest screaming back and forth in a panic over what he assumed was his shutdown.

#five nights at freddy's #fnaf #sun and moon show #sams #this is our bonding box au #the gay baby prison chronology #fnaf sun #fnaf bloodmoon #fnaf harvest moon #snoweywrites #tw angst mention #tw fighting mention #tw fainting mention #tw hallucinations mention #tw delusion mention #sfw tickling

[kivaember]

For the couples, what’s one thing they like about each other? Like a core aspect of themselves.

HMMM okay let's see:

Rusty likes a few things about 621. There's the usual shallow stuff off he thinks he looks incredibly hot and is carnally attracted to him, but what really draws him is 621's brutal efficiency and cleverness on the battlefield. Rusty is attracted to competency, which there is a worrying lack of in a corporate setting, where people aren't promoted due to merits but nepotism or brown-nosing. So, seeing an pilot who can do sinfully amazing things with a junker of an AC gets him all kinds of hot and bothered...

What 621 likes about Rusty... well, he's not quite sure LMAO he likes that Rusty listens to him when he 'talks', and asks questions and seems genuinely interested in what he has to say. 621 is used to people brushing him off as strange or socially awkward, and while Rusty does think he's strange and awkward, he isn't put off by it and actively tries to understand him. Ofc those feelings became a little complicated when 621 realised Rusty was a spy and likely was profiling him as a future enemy BUT STILL. He liked it. It was Nice.

He does wish that Rusty stops being so confusing to deal with though...

Right, time for the jupiter lads. It'd be hard to get Walter to admit to liking anything about Michigan, but he does like some things about him. He gets easily annoyed with his loud and boisterous personality, and he hates how nosy he is, but he does like how Michigan just... rolls with things and is actually very open-minded, considering. Michigan is unbothered when Walter's in an anti-social and snappish mood, and knows when to give him space and when to pester him. Walter just likes that with Michigan he doesn't have to actually tell him things for Michigan to kind of get what he needs... but he wishes he stops being so fucking nosy lmao

And what Michigan likes about Walter is that he respects and admires how driven he is and all the hardwork he puts into stuff. Like, he understands that Walter had to work himself to the bone to succeed for that scholarship to Furlong Dynamics' pilot academy, that he began from a very disadvantageous position but clawed himself into something half-way decent. Michigan respects that kind of grit! He does wish Walter stops being so stubborn and acting like he's carrying the galaxy on his shoulders though...

(also michigan likes that walter bussy ok)

BONUS ROUND: freud/rusty time. Freud likes that Rusty is seemingly on the same wavelength as him when it comes to refining their craft as AC pilots. All the other Vespers are pencil pushers, with the exception of Snail who's. well. Snail. Freud also likes that Rusty presents a very intriguing mystery for him to pick at, because quite a few things in his past don't make sense, and O'Keeffe should've picked up on those discrepencies but hasn't... so there's a mystery for him to unravel here... it seems like a fun time :)

Meanwhile, Rusty hates Freud bc he's a corporate dog, but he respects his skill as a pilot and somewhat empathises with his position (from decoding, where he realises that Freud has little to no control over his life, thanks to Arquebus micromanaging everything). I feel that if Freud was an independent merc, though, Rusty would be just as attracted to him as to 621 because... competency, brutal skill on the battlefield... Rusty finds that so hot...

#armored core ramblings #writing this at 2am instead of sleeping for work #probably kinda incoherent...

[oh-nostalgiaa]

Hi, @vesper-1898, it's me, your Rebelcaptain Secret Santa! The prompt was vibrating panties / modern au, and I admit it did throw me for a loop at first! But once motivation took hold (after I was sick for so many weeks, ugh), I got there in the end! I really hope you enjoy your gift, and I hope your holidays have indeed been merry and bright.

(You can also find this fic on A03.)

and give me your electric touch

Cassian was in trouble. 

Or - he would be, when Jyn got her hands on him. Thing was, he didn’t entirely mind the prospect. It was only fair, he thought, after the torture he was currently inflicting upon her, at her company’s holiday party, no less. 

He played the dutiful boyfriend role to perfection - mostly because he was totally dedicated to the little firebrand, but also because he didn’t want to raise anybody’s suspicions that something a little untoward was happening. Plausible deniability and all that. 

He’d never say something as ridiculous as she ‘belonged’ to him, because a: people weren’t property and b: if she belonged to anyone, it was wholly to herself, unapologetically so. It was one of the reasons that he’d fallen so head over heels for her. 

Jyn Erso didn’t need anybody - but she was choosing to share her life with him anyway. 

Hopefully, she would take it (marginally) easy on him once the night came to an end and they were blessedly back home. 

Doubtful, but maybe. 

After making the rounds, catching up with her co-workers he’d become familiar with over the years, Cassian took a seat away from the majority of the action - the drinking and dancing and general holiday carousing - grateful for his uncanny ability to just blend in, an ability that he had been cultivating his entire life.

And it wasn’t because he was antisocial or because he’d rather be anywhere else than at such a tedious function. Because it wasn’t. Tedious. He quite enjoyed most of Jyn’s co-workers and was happy to count them as friends, just as she did. 

He simply did not want an audience for what he was about to do, fingers idly tapping at his phone, making it appear to anyone that might look over that he was fully invested in whatever he was doing or whoever he was texting. But looks could be deceiving. From under his eyelashes, Cassian was busy. Watching. Waiting. 

Cassian knew that he couldn’t just play with the new toy willy-nilly. He had to wait for exactly the right opportunity. 

This game wasn’t the least bit about embarrassing Jyn. No - it was all about the tease. And to be honest, Cassian had needed a little convincing to even take part. Okay, it wasn’t as though he was 100% vanilla, but it had taken Jyn to light the spark of … experimentation. 

And boy, had their experiments yielded some positive results!

Cassian still wasn’t the biggest fan of overt public displays of affection … but he only pretended at uncertainty when she inevitably got bored at whatever function they were attending, grabbing his hand with a gleam in her eye to lead him somewhere semi-private so they could engage in some hasty, handsy fun. 

And, as it turned out, he really liked it when she took control. 

He loved giving it to her, trusting that he was in good hands and that whatever happened, she would take care of him.

If that wasn’t love, Cassian didn’t know what was. 

They had thoroughly tested out the remote control vibrating panties Jyn was currently wearing, but this was the first instance of taking their new toy into public and it was … interesting, to say the least. 

He found he really rather liked holding off and keeping Jyn on edge, the way he could see her clearly take a breath and surreptitiously look to where he sat, her expression a perfect mix of curiosity and wariness, like she was surprised that he hadn't raised the frequency of the vibration from its low baseline, like she was worried that he had changed his mind and wasn't going to do it at all. But Cassian Andor never backed down from a challenge - especially one that Jyn leveled at him. Meeting her eyes, he gestured toward the phone and mouthed 'my sister' even though that was, perhaps egregiously, a lie. 

Even from across the room, Cassian could see the relieved breath that Jyn took, could observe some of the tension dissolve from her taut shoulders, allowing them to drop, her rigid spine loosening enough to let her relax, at least momentarily. He let her relish the feeling for a little while longer, but as she ended a conversation with her boss and seemed to be heading toward the refreshments, Cassian decided that her reprieve was over. 

Oh, and he wasn't going to ease her into it. Where was the fun in that? All it took was a series of taps and suddenly, the vibrations increased from a tolerable level one to level five and Cassian felt what could only be described as a thrill race up the length of his spine to see Jyn react in real time, to watch how she practically jumped and shivered and pressed her thighs together in vain to try to muffle, somehow, the heavier vibrations wracking her body. He was impressed with himself for keeping his composure when Jyn found enough of hers to whip her head in his direction, glaring daggers from across the room before remembering that they weren't alone and turning her attention to making sure that nobody had caught on to what they were doing. 

Cassian did much the same, once he managed to tear his gaze away from Jyn long enough to scan the crowd and ensure that their little game hadn't been noticed. Only when he was satisfied that they were safe from prying eyes did Cassian tap a few more times and up the frequency from five to seven. 

And what a delectable sight Jyn made as her teeth bit into her plush bottom lip and her hands curled into fists at her sides and she wavered from side to side on shaky legs. Exquisite, the way he could see the flush of her cheeks darken all the moreso in the instant before she seemed to realize how openly she was enjoying the toy and their game and pulled herself together, shooting a heated glance at Cassian before making the move to slip away from the party. 

He was a smart enough man to realize that she wanted him to follow. 

It took no time at all to lock the phone and slip it back into his pocket, and barely any effort at all to slip from his seat and follow the path that Jyn blazed, cordially acknowledging those that acknowledged him first along the way. Soon enough, he ventured into the hallway just in time to watch Jyn disappear into an unlocked room, most likely an office, empty. Enough to hide them away for a while, but not to offer perfect privacy. But then - that just added to the excitement.

He reached the door in record time, curling his fingers around the handle, only pausing to give a cursory glance down one end of the hallway and then the other, ensuring again that they weren't being followed. Once he was certain that they weren't, he quietly opened the door and stepped inside - only to find himself crowded against the door in the instant that he closed and locked it behind him, Jyn's trembling hands pinning him where he was, her voice low as she growled for him to give her his thigh, which he did without preamble, curling a steadying arm around her middle as she parted her legs and positioned herself in exactly the right way to give herself the pleasure he'd been denying her all night. 

If Jyn wanted to use him as a toy, well, Cassian was more than okay with that. He could feel heat building under his collar as she began grinding against him, nothing slow or exploratory about the way she circled her hips and pressed down on him, her panting breaths and soft moans more than enough to set his mind racing with thoughts of all the things they could do while they were safely locked away from the world at large. But - this wasn't about him. Jyn didn't have to tell him so - Cassian could prove just how good he could be without being ordered to do it. And he was more than happy to sit back and watch Jyn chase her release, relish in the pink of her cheeks and the perfect little 'O' of her mouth, all the beautiful noises she made for him, the way she clutched at his sweater like he was the only thing keeping her feet on the ground. Christ, she never failed to set the blood in his veins on fire in the best ways. 

She didn't have to gasp a warning that she was close, the tightrope tautness of her body was a dead giveaway. And for as much as he didn't want to have to tear his eyes away from her, even for a second, he still needed to glance at his phone momentarily once he fumbled for it in his pocket and retrieved it successfully, the smirk on his lips slowly growing wider as he opened the app once more and jacked the frequency up as high as it would go, rewarded in the way her eyes widened and he gasped something incoherent, riding each vibration wracking her body just like how he imagined a seasoned rodeo rider would. 

It hardly took much more than three or four stuttered rolls of her hips and Cassian found himself witnessing Jyn falling, falling, falling into an abyss of pleasure, her body shuddering from the force of her orgasm. He cared little of his own pleasure - and why would he - when this was everything he needed and more, the ultimate gift made all the better knowing that he was partly responsible. 

As he adjusted his grip, Cassian was surprised by Jyn surging up on tiptoes to capture his lips in a fierce, possessive kiss, his breathless laughter muffled by her lips pressing against his. His expression must have registered the question on his mind, because Jyn didn't even give him a chance to ask it before she supplied an answer, her voice low and hungry. 

"I'm gonna fucking wreck you."

Cassian's eyes darkened in response, and he let his free hand drop to her waist, squeezing gently. Words, who needed words? They both already knew the truth of the matter. 

He couldn't wait. 

#rebelcaptainsecretsanta #vesper-1898 #stuff which lauren writes #stuff which lauren watches #rogue one: a star wars story #jyn erso #cassian andor #jyn x cassian #it's au time! #modern au #felicity jones #diego luna #pretty people being pretty

[rafor]

Chapter 36 - You can't go - The Glitch

“Who is the father of your son?” I asked Freya, hoping to learn more about her past. She shook her head and said, “I’d rather not talk about that.” I persisted, saying, “Please, you can trust me. I won’t tell anyone. I just want to help you feel better.” She sighed and said, “It’s not a secret, really. Many know about it. But I don’t want to change how you see me.” I frowned and said, “What do you mean? Do you think I would judge you for that? You’re still a queen in my eyes, no matter what.” She gave me a sad smile and said, “I know, you’re too kind. Even after I told you to stop calling me that, you still disobey my orders.” I shrugged and said, “Maybe it’s a habit by now. I’m sorry.”

She seemed to relax a bit and open up to me, like she did on the first day of training when we were on our way to the arena. She told me her story in a soft voice. “I lost him shortly after Vesper was born. He left one day and never came back. I sent everyone to look for him, but they only found some charred bones that they said belonged to a dragon. I couldn’t even recognize him. Since then, I’ve been alone.” I felt a pang of sympathy and said, “That’s terrible. I’m so sorry for your loss. How did your son cope with it?” She shrugged and said, “He never cared. He never asked about his father or showed any interest in him. Even when he found out the truth. That he was dead and not just missing. He didn’t react at all. He just told me calmly and went on with his life. He’s such a screw-up, just like his mother.” I shook my head and said, “Don’t say that. You’re both fine. You’re strong, brave, and smart. And I’m here for you until they come for me and take me away. Until then, I’ll do anything to help you. Don’t worry.”

She suddenly changed her expression and looked at me with alarm. “Oh no, how long have you been here already?” she asked. I blinked and said, “Uh, I think a couple of weeks." She gasped and said, “They should have been here by now!” I felt a surge of fear and said, “Don’t worry, maybe they got delayed. The weather has been bad in the south lately.” She shook her head and said, “No, that’s not an excuse. They should have made it anyway, or at least sent a message back. Or we should have heard from Aura herself directly in the palace.” I asked, “What do you mean by that?” She grabbed my hand and pulled me into the palace, which was a labyrinth of corridors and rooms. She ran so fast that I had to fly sometimes to keep up with her. She seemed to glide through the air with her wind powers. She finally stopped at a room that looked like an office full of papers and started rummaging through them frantically. I asked her, “What are you looking for?” She said, “A message from Aura. She must have sent one.” I asked, “How do you know that?” She explained, “She always does when she receives one of our messengers. There has to be one here somewhere.” I said, “Okay, I’ll help you find it. How can we tell it apart from these other papers?” She said, “It’s usually written on paper with red and pink borders. It’s easy to spot. Like this one.” She showed me an example of a letter that said something about “confirmation of the peace treaty between the cities”. I was curious about it, but she snapped at me, “Stop wasting time! Search!” I nodded and said, “Right, sorry. Let’s look for it.”

I had spent an hour rummaging through the room, looking for the elusive message. I tried to tidy up as I went along, not wanting to create more chaos in the midst of confusion. Finally, I gave up and said, “We’ve checked everything. There’s nothing here. Please, let it go.” She ignored me and continued to sift through the same pile of messages again, as if hoping to find something new. Then she stopped and said, “The messenger never arrived.” I knew that was not true because Akira had told me otherwise. “I’m sure he did. Maybe Aura just didn’t write anything this time?” I suggested. She shook her head vehemently. “She always writes something. She never misses a chance.” She picked up the most recent message from Aura and handed it to me. “Look at this. When did you send the last messenger to the Kingdom of Aura? And when did he come back? This is over a month old. How often do you usually exchange messages?” She said, “Every couple of weeks or so. Whenever a messenger returns, we send him back after a few days.” I said, “Then there should be a newer message than this one, right? This is just a reiteration of your old plan.” She snatched it back from me and scanned it quickly. “Oh, I remember this one. The messenger delivered it to me personally.” I said, trying to sound hopeful, “Then maybe she’s changed her way of communicating, don’t you think?” She said sarcastically, still clinging to her side of the argument, “The messenger should have been back by now anyway. It’s taking too long.” The discussion was going nowhere, so I said, “You told me it takes about a week to get to the city. And another week to come back. Maybe they had some delays or complications along the way.” She looked at the papers again, searching for something else. She found a report and handed it to me. “Look at this! You’ve been here longer than you think.” I took it and read it. It had the date of my arrival written on it, and indeed, I had lost track of time. I had been here for a month already, and that was not normal. I felt a surge of worry too. It had been a while since I heard Akira’s voice in my head, calling me or telling me anything. I wondered if something was wrong on the other side. But I also knew that Sol and Cyrus should have made it by now. I said, “Damn, I didn’t realize how much time had passed.” She yelled back at me, “You think?! Neither did I!” I tried to calm her down while hiding my own anxiety. I said, “Okay, listen, there must be an explanation for this. Don’t panic. Maybe we can send another messenger, or I can go back myself.” She replied instantly, “We don’t have another one who knows the way to the Kingdom of Aura!” Surprised by her answer, I said, “Don’t you have a map or something? I can read maps.” She said, “The maps that show the kingdom are inaccurate and outdated. You wouldn’t be able to follow them. And I’m not going to send you on a suicide mission. I don’t want you to get lost forever in this vast world.” I said, “Fine, then what do you suggest we do?” She was silent. She didn’t know either. I said, “I have another idea. What if I look for someone here in the city who might know the way there? There has to be someone. I’ve seen merchants coming and going sometimes, claiming they have goods from the Kingdom of Aura.” She said, “Merchants are not trustworthy, and I wouldn’t rely on anyone here for such a journey.” I said, “Maybe they could just tell me the direction, and I could take notes and follow them.” She said, “That’s impossible. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get to a place you’ve never been before with just some vague instructions? It’s impossible.” I gave up. She was right. It was too risky and uncertain. I thought there was nothing wrong with asking for some help from someone who knew the area better than us, maybe even offering a reward for their guidance, but no, she wouldn’t agree to that either. She wanted me there, safe with her.

#chapter #dragon #dragons #elements #fantasy #literature #mystery #story #poetry #adventure #the_glitch #the rise and fall of raphael

[katsigian]

1 for all three kids

3 for Vega

8 for Vesper

9 for Valen

Please and thank you! 😚

Thank you, love 😚 from this ask post

1. How does your OC feel about their full name?

Both Valen and Vesper were named by their dad, plus they have his last name. As most people know by now, Callen was an evil man who abused his sons. And yet, both boys have his name. Why? Because while their dad is nothing to be proud of, their bloodline is. The Kinlaw name is revered in many circles and both Valen and Vesper appreciate that. So they like their names.

Vega doesn't mind her first or middle names, she doesn't worry about them too much. But 'Flores' she picked herself and she does like it very much.

3. How does their social personality differ from how they act when they’re alone?

Vega honestly doesn't change too much. The switch from public to private is hardly noticeable because she is very true to herself in the majority of situations. Laid back, observant, calm, confident. Those things remain true regardless of where she is.

8. How much jewelry do they wear, and do they have a favorite or distinguishing piece?

Oh, Vesper 😂 he wears so much jewelry. Anything that really catches his eye and he thinks looks pretty. Whether that's chokers in various styles or chains that range from gold to silver, he wears them all. Rings and bracelets are also heavily rotated. But probably his prize piece is a 14k solid gold, snake chain style necklace. It sits right below his Adam's apple and was a gift. He rarely takes it off. Plus his wedding ring, which is very important to him, obviously.

9. Do they have a word or phrase that they tend to overuse?

Valen probably uses 'fuck' far too often 😂 that, or choosing to replace words with various sounds (not all the time, it's mostly with people he works with and people he doesn't know - he's chatty with loved ones) Rather than saying 'Okay', he goes 'Mhm'. Rather than saying 'I understand' he goes 'Mmm' with a small nod. Rather than saying 'No' he goes 'Mm-mm'. This tends to happen more often when he's in a bad mood. Which is...often. Though he does use Fuck an awful lot and that might be in first place.

"You fuckwit." / "Fuck out of here." / "Fuckin'--" / "Fucking hell." / you get the point 😂

#cyberpunk 2077 #cp2077 #asks 💌 #⠀- ̗̀ ⸨ 𝔳𝔢𝔰𝔭𝔢𝔯 𝔨𝔦𝔫𝔩𝔞𝔴 ⸩⁺☀︎⭒๋ #⠀- ̗̀ ⸨ 𝔳𝔞𝔩𝔢𝔫 𝔨𝔦𝔫𝔩𝔞𝔴 ⸩⁺☀︎⭒๋ #⠀- ̗̀ ⸨ 𝔳𝔞𝔩𝔢𝔫//𝔩𝔬𝔯𝔢 ⸩⁺☀︎⭒๋ #⠀- ̗̀ ⸨ 𝔳𝔢𝔤𝔞 𝔣𝔩𝔬𝔯𝔢𝔰 ⸩⁺☀︎⭒๋

[romeoandjulietyouwish]

there was one day after keyleth kissed him that Vax accompanied her to the market, collecting some stuff for vesper and for dinner, there were a few moments where things got Busy and Loud and she lost track of Vax, even after all the time they've been gone from syngorn it still made her panic hard, she was suddenly alone in somewhere she didn't know, and Vax was gone, she can't find Vax he's gone he left her- then there's a hand on her shoulder and Vaxs worried face leading her away from the market. on the walk back the sun was setting, Vax still keeping his hand tight on hers, they slowed their pace to grab from wild flowers for the house, she took a moment to just watch him, he came back for her, he found her again and prioritized keeping her safe and okay, it was then she kissed him, deeper and harder then before, one that really felt like it was going to be okay for them.

god I love that

Because even though where they are is not nearly as racist to half elves as Syngorn was, she can't help but be anxious being in the market and places especially without Grog and Pike. Vax is with her and things are still a little weird between them, but she hasn't realized how much she relies on him to calm her until she loses him in the crowd and all the panic comes back.

Vax is able to pulls her to a quiet garden, find them a bench to sit on while he calms her down and gets some water in her and adjusts her hair so it's covering her ears better.

When they get to the front porch of their house, Keyleth stops him before they go inside and just kisses him exactly like you described and thanked him. Vax just shook his head and kissed her again before pulling her inside.

#royalty au #critical role #vaxleth #vox machina #lis makes hcs

[essayofthoughts]

For Ghost!Cass: what does she think of many of the fan favorite NPCs - Kima, Allura, Gilmore, Victor, their sort [my interrogation mark key is glITCHING with the askbox I am sorry pretend there's one right here]

It's okay!

So they meet Allura first and Cass loves her. Cass thinks she's kind and patient and clever and it reminds her a bit of Vesper and certain of the aunts she was closest too - Cass wants to tell Allura the truth of her existence from very early on and does at the first opportunity because Allura is someone she likes and thinks is trustworthy and feels is safe to tell. If ever Cass gets re-embodied she wants to have so many cups of tea and nice conversation with Allura.

She's delighted by Gilmore, because who isn't? I don't know that she's ever terribly close to him, but I think she enjoys his company and if, perhaps, he turns up at those hypothetical future tea parties with Allura, Cass would be very happy.

Cass quite likes Kima. She has a lot of respect for her, and she has her own reasons to be doubtful of Clarota, even as she'd like to trust him, so when Kima's unhappy about his presence Cass... doesn't really disagree. She does think Kima's a bit gung-ho at times, and kind of things Kima might need a restraining influence at times, rather as she tries to be for Percy. Remembering that Kima and Allura are friends very much makes Cass think that they probably work well together, Kima encouraging Allura to be more willing to take a risk while Allura probably keeps Kima from going off the rails. When she finds out they've got a History she feels deeply vindicated.

She's delighted by Victor in very specifically the vicarious joy of a younger sibling watching an older sibling be baffled and a little embarassed and/or self-concious. She feels a bit bad for him and worries about him aside from that, but mostly she really likes the sheer reaction he gets out of Percy.

As a bonus - she also quite likes Vanessa Cyndrial though she's also intimidated by her and feels that if she revealed her presence things would go... badly. After all, Vanessa heads a monster-hunting organisation and Cass is a ghost - arguably, a kind of monster.

She's iffy on Kynan. She feels bad for him for being put down like that by Vax (and she gives out to Vax for that, because she thinks it's hypocritical and unfair to nix the dream of a kid like that when said kid is, really, arguably older than Cass is given she died age thirteen, and Cass gets to join them yes because she's with Percy but they've also never tried to stop her) but she also very much comes to resent the fact that uh. He helped to kill her brother! She doesn't particularly like him after that, until Percy realises and makes it clear that he's not holding it against Kynan and that he'd appreciate it if she could find it in herself to forgive him. But she remains iffy about Kynan for a while.

She has Opinions about Desmond. Namely, that Percy owes that poor boy an apology and a half, and if he won't, she is going to make sure Desmond gets whatever he needs to help right the wrongs Percy committed.

She likes Assum. She likes the confidence he gives Vex by teaching her further, and when she finds out about Raishan she is pissed. Also, Assum teaching Vex to be sneakier absolutely prompts her plan to ask Vax to teach her to be sneakier if/when she gets re-embodied, because hell, it's a useful thing! (And maybe... if she'd been sneakier... she wouldn't have died. Yes she absolutely guilts Vax into teaching her.)

#ghost cass #allura vysoren #shaun gilmore #kima of vord #blorbologist #kynan leore #desmond otham #seeker assum #ask

[blorbologist]

26 and 37

26. You must swap one nat 1 die roll with one nat 20 die roll. They must both be from the main campaigns, but can be cross-campaign. Which are they, and why?

Ooooof, how dare you make me have to do research for this? :vvv

See, I'm torn between making them both of similar magnitude or pulling a cheap shot and taking a nat 20 that didn't matter much to swap for a nat 1 that did matter.

Okay, let's take two important ones and make them both WORSE, because I'm a bastard

For the 1 -> 20, hmmm let's say Caleb trying to persuade Essek to pretty please let him invite mages that want to kill them both onto this expedition. Gives Liam his bisexual maelstrom early, and it would so badly fuck with their dynamics. Would Caleb backshift into bad coping mechanisms? Would Essek call him out? Would Trent or Astrid or Wulf try to kill either of them? What the fuck! Just about one of the few times I think a high roll would actually be worse for everyone involved. Another that came to mind was Kaylie's initial confrontation with Scanlan. (A good one to turn into a 20 would be the Sunken Tomb 'Sam immediately jokes it's instant death and SIKE IT IS', because it would change SO MUCH of the campaign.)

For the 20 -> 1 :) well since you got me in an angsty mood :) True Love's Nat 20 made into True Love's Nat 1. Even if the roll had succeeded over-all thanks to the other contributions, I can't see Percy coming back if he didn't hear Vex specifically. We'd have Molly in Campaign 1. Vex might do something reckless and Briarwoods-esque to bring him back (winks loudly at Nova). Completely derail everything. (Of course, there's any number of villain Nat 20s turning into Nat 1s would likely be huge net positives, but I don't feel like researching any more than I already have :V)

37. You have to take a 16 hour road trip with one NPC from each campaign (all at once, ie, three other people). The NPCs cannot shorten the road trip in any way and the road trip must be via driving but you can do it in two 8 hour days and share a motel room if you'd like. Who do you pick?

... I read this as PC at first FUCK ME. Including the two I'd written for PCs + why I didnt pick my fav under the cut as a lil bonus.

a) Essek. Okay, hear me out: yes he is a war criminal, but he's also dealt with trying to get grant money and as someone procrastinating on two deadlines rn? mood. I'd poke his brain for hours about blasphemous magic if I could. Also, soup is cheap for when we're done for the day and an easy meal. I think he'd either be a perfectionist backseat driver or a panicky one and either way the research talk is worth it to me ok. I'll survive.

b) Vesper - never said specials were excluded, and she IS in her 30s by this point in the timeline! We have no clue about her personality, but I think, given her family, she's likely very smart and good conversation. Has money to throw at any problems we run into. Also allows me to get De Blorbo lore without wanting to throttle her dad. If she doesn't count because she's a Baby in the oneshot she's in, I guess Cass? Look I adore her but I worry she's never driven a day in her life + trauma + is a noble would make her a pain in the ass to be stuck in a car with, BUT I love her enough I'd take it in stride For Her.

c) Imahara Joe. Look! He's a vibe! If anything goes wrong he can fix it! He can keep conversation going! I have huge Mythbusters nostalgia!

a) Caleb! I think we could talk about our respective cats for hours, or I'd hope we could, and talk magic-science, and Keen Mind would make keeping rest stops/the time/maps/etc. in mind a breeze. And if he isn't up to talk he would just! be quiet! and read a book! which is good for my stress brain! And if both of us are overstimmed that's a 50% vote on getting people to turn the music fucking down so we can relax.

b) Fjord, actually? He's captn' Tusktooth, he knows how to organize a voyage and what goes into sharing cramped quarters with other people for hours on end and how to keep distracted and not kill eachother. Plus, Star Razor is a convenient flashlight if ever. His music selection would also likely be fun to sing as a whole car together - shanties or good roadtrip songs.

c) oufff this one's hard.

(I'm Not saying Percy because so help me I'd want to throttle him within the hour. Beau would bully me I think. Both are also so hot and my favs I think I'd die and be incapable of driving. Laudna would also make Noises with her Existing and I think I'd lose my marbles, sorry babe :c)

#ask game #campaign 1 #campaign 2 #critical role

[eldritch-spouse]

Hello pinnieeee :DD, I'm currently disintegrating rn so how world the Icons deal with a sick queen? I have a stong feeling snake mommy will be the most calm (and probably most normal) about it, or she could also have a mental breakdown, who knows? 🤷‍♀️

I think you did an ask like this with the clergy sluts but I'm not sure if you did one with the big dicked/titted man/womanchildren

istg daddy-big-dick's gonna make our condition worse

[To be fair, I don't know if answered this for the Icons too, but I can't really find it, so I assume I didn't. Also, I hope you get better soon!]

Icons with a sick Queen

Vesper has to be reminded he can't quite literally fuck you out of illness. It's common sense that sharing lust with a concubus can help them survive harsh conditions, but you're only a human for now. Vesper forgets this, and tries to eat you out... Nevertheless, he may be severely misinformed, but he can drag a human doctor to Hell without trouble. They're staying in the manor until you're okay. Their payment is getting ravaged by imps. Vesper will sit next to you while you rest and possibly read for you. You have to tell him to stop anxiously bouncing his leg because it shakes the little bed you're in.

Zizz will be your personal bed. In fact, for most of the duration of your sickness, you're carried everywhere like a baby. You may have trouble sleeping because of pain/discomfort, so he'll be there to make sure you don't spend too much time agonizing awake, only to take care of basic needs. He's stressed enough to lose his own sleep balance, and it shows a little as he becomes sluggish in his work. He's calling several people, and conversing with you amidst your dreams, getting as many opinions as he can regarding your condition.

Rinx has brought ten bags of wildly different medicine types home, and he has no idea what to do. Do not let him load you with drugs. He just doesn't want you in such blatant misery, and he had to be sure he was getting the right stuff, so he got everything there was. He's curling around your laying form and worriedly asking if you're okay every single time you shift slightly. If you make him move away (probably, because demons are hot and you're likely overheated), he's going to whine about it. Rinx isn't above getting you high so you can feel better.

Kalymir is a disaster. Get up. Come on, get the fuck up, don't make that deflating balloon face at him, you look like a corpse (very flattering). He has good intentions, but he's the worst. He doesn't really like pills, so you're going to have to yell at him to get them. Don't ask- Scream. The King hates to see you so down and placid, so he'll taunt you in hopes of getting a rise out of you. A half-hearted "go fuck yourself" will suffice. Catch this fucker dumping the juiciest steak on your lap and demanding you eat. If you want a doctor (which is recommended with this hysterical fucker around), yell at Kalymir until he gives in.

Vorticia is, predictably, a touch calmer about this. Although, given humans are so frail, she's far from remotely secure in her ability to cure you. She worries that you'll perish at any moment, simply because surface-dwellers are that weak. Most of your time awake is definitely spent eating, if you can, a variety of soups and broths and every dish under the sun that's said to have healing properties. Other than that, the woman keeps you company, makes sure you're comfortable, and gives you things to entertain yourself with. She looks perfectly calm around you, but inside she's running a mile a minute. If you start losing your appetite (something possibly fatal for a glutton), she's going to really panic. Possibly drag an entire human medical team into Gluttony.

Cero is not waiting more than a day for you to overcome it on your own. If you're still sick, or worse, by day two, he's picking you up and forcing his way into a good enough hospital in the surface. He's not waiting in lines, or checking in, or bothering to present documents- He demands to see the best doctor in the premises, and if he's denied, he threatens to start impaling random people in the waiting rooms, by the minute. Everyone is sweating bullets throughout the duration of your stay, as Cero is always present to scrutinize everything each doctor and nurse does. When asked about it, he says you're overreacting about it and he's just there to be sure you won't make a scene.

Livius is, hilariously enough, in as shitty a mood as you are. He's an emotional sponge of a person, so he's going to be as uncomfortable and tired as you are. He's very worried, and less than composed about it, tearing up because humans are so weak. You're going to DIE. You're going to KEEL OVER AND DIE and he doesn't know what he's going to do- He might as well die too!! Please get this man a fucking breather or he will hyperventilate himself into a bed next to you. Your fate is almost entirely on your hands, as Livius will simply freeze and eerily wait for you to tell him what to do. He's very ominous and quiet when you're sick, it's as if his confidence vanishes in the blink of an eye, and he has this vacant look.

#Cero oc #Zizz oc #Rinx oc #Vorticia oc #Vesper oc #Kalymir oc #Livius oc #monsterwhorre

[vvanessaives]

all of angst for ur current fav oc <333

CRYING TIME I SEE, thank you anya <33 i'll go with miss vesper again because i can't get enough of her

Angst

💔— What could their partner do that would absolutely break their heart?

Literally what Fenix did with her, be absent. Like imagine needing your partner by your side during something traumatic, hurtful, a difficult time, and they are not there. When you wish you could get their comfort but you have no idea of where they are. It's the absence that hurts her the most, she feels left alone, all by herself, as if she doesn't mean anything to her partner. Also her mother was completely absent from her life, she left her own child alone, being neglected again by a loved one? That would absolutely break her heart. Again...

🥀— How well would they handle a break up?

Depends on wich terms the relationship has ended. If she feels like she let some asshole go? Then good, it's mostly disappointment she will feel. But if it's like a break up with someone she truly loved, for whatever reason then it's gonna be so hard, bittersweet if she's the one letting her partner go. Memories will plague her thoughts and she will need to remind herself that there's a reason why the relationship ended.

⛈— How often do they get emotional? Are they open with their partner about it?

She tries to be strong most of the time but she has her moments, she just thinks she isn't allowed to show her emotional side. With a partner i think they will need to help her understand that it's okay to show her emotions, to be vulnerable, to talk about them and not hide from them. She needs time to come to terms with it, she grew up thinking that even one tear could be read as weakness.

☔️— What are they like when they’re emotional? How quickly do they recover?

Answered here!

🔪— How would they react to injury/misfortune befalling their partner? Do they feel at fault?

Answered here!

🚪— What would kill their trust in their partner/close them off? Could this ever be amended?

Betrayal. Of any kind. So cheating for sure, it's a no way back from there, or like using something personal and traumatic she shared with her loved one against her. That would be considered such a low blow for her because she found the courage to open up her heart about something she can't speak easily about and what they did? Make a mean comment? Insult her? That's gonna be the end.

💧— Random angst headcanon

OH BABY. She thinks that no matter how hard she tries to build a good relationship, in the end she's gonna end up like her father: left alone at her worst, her lowest point, by someone she considered a lover. That's why sometimes she tries to hide at best her most fragile times, she's worried that if she shows that she's flawed (like everyone else), that she's human and can make mistakes, then she's gonna be left alone.

send me an emoji for oc asks!

#ask #ask games #montliyets #oc: vesper #i read this ask as a open invitation to sigh and cry about my most loved oc rn and i jumped on it so fast djskfhsj #THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN !!! ILY <33

[princess-of-the-corner]

Ask HC: Vesper here, and assuming it’s the same guys as in our dimension, congrats on your new positions, ZVKE and ZVKE! Wait a sec… ZVKE, ZVKE, okay, the apparent identity censors are probably for the best, I blurted the names without thinking. Also what does Falun’s name mean/reference? Our redhead just went with Cockerel. And also I think there’s another Multiversal Separation here because our Goat has wildly different powers over here.

Falun Feather: "Oh it's. Falun or Falu red is the color that's commonly used on barns. Since I'm an artist and have a rooster theme, I figured it made sense."

Capricorn: "Even with the censors should we be worried about people knowing who we are?"

Bunnyx: "On here? No. Most of these people are either irrelevant to our Main Timeline, and/or powerful enough that if someone can get our identities out of them, we have other problems."

#hc answers

[interxstitial]

If your muse went through something traumatic, what are some things they usually avoid now? how are they handling things now compared to how they did when it first happened?

character questions

the following answers are in reference only to the hit-and-run 👀 (insert that law and order noise) jiwon has made tremendous progress in handling things that used to throw him into anxiety attacks. he used to freak out over simply seeing the street if he was exiting a building, worried there would be a car just out of sight. this doesn’t bother him nearly as much now, but he still takes a few extra seconds to look both ways before walking out of doorways. jiwon feels similarly about crosswalks. even when the walk signal flashes, he waits at least 5 seconds to make sure all the cars have stopped to wait for pedestrians. then while crossing, he still watches every lane like a hawk. because of this, he takes anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes longer than usual to make his daily commutes. jiwon feels much safer if he can hold someone’s hand while crossing the street! going to parties also took a while to get back to. jiwon had to start small: just going out to dinner with one friend, then having a small get-together at his flat, then having one at another friend’s place... he still doesn’t go out as much, but he’s been to several parties and clubs in the last year with close friends. as for things he usually avoids now... jiwon still has a hard time riding in a car that isn’t being driven by vesper ( @grmpywlf ). he won’t even get in a taxi. he’s okay with the subway though! and finally—bright, sudden lights are a huge no for jiwon. they remind him of the headlights of an oncoming car, and he will immediately freeze. (jiwon has some depersonalisation tendencies when it comes to his triggers.)

#itsacriime #//thank you again !! i loved answering this c:

[thecagedbard]

Oh Look, another Tav story! This is currently posted over on AO3 in its entirety but I thought I’d post it to tumblr as well. If you’d like to sneak a peak at some of the chapter names, if you don’t want to read the whole thing yet, have a listen to the title playlist: here.  There is also just the ‘Here’s what I was listening to while writing' playlist, and my Faetrala Uncaged playlist which serves as inspiration for Vesper’s siblings.  A lot of the songs tend to overlap but who knows, you might find one you enjoy. 

Rating: Mature

Pairing(s): Astarion/Tav (Vesper), Astarion/Halsin, Astarion/Halsin/Tav(Vesper); Mentions of Karlach/Shadowheart/Wyll; Mentions of Gale/AFAB OC

Warnings:  Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Physical Abuse, Canon Divergence, Child Death

Word count: 8,897/300,000+

Summary: Vesper needed someone to protect her from an abusive husband should he appear after she was abducted by mind flayers. Astarion needed someone to fall for him so he had protection from Cazador. He's got two hundred years of manipulation and she has the soft heart of a lamb being led to slaughter. While subconsciously healing each other they both realize they also need to heal the druid of all damned people.

Chapter Nine

“You know, I have to say,” Gale said as he perched on the boat next to Vesper, “that was quite the farewell you got from Astarion this morning.” He kept his voice low so the duergar who had boarded their vessel didn’t overhear. “I hadn’t realized the two of you were so close,” Vesper turned and looked at the wizard, thankful that the illusory image of her sister kept him from seeing her flushed cheeks, though it didn’t do much to hide her rounded eyes as she looked away quickly.

The corners of her mouth were upturned, “You may be the only if even Halsin caught on.” Gale lifted his hand to his chest, “You wound me. I knew you were close but not so close to have such a passionate goodbye in front of everyone. Though, perhaps, I am just a little more conservative in my own acts of affection.” The bard’s head tilted and she leaned close to the wizard, her voice low as she teased him about his own relationship with Mystra, “Conservative or just astrally adventurous.” Gales's mouth formed an ‘O’ shape as he chuckled, “Fair enough. I’m done teasing I suppose…truly I just wanted to keep your mind clear. After our breakfast intervention and knowing what we’re coming up to…I must admit I’m worried. About you, I mean.” 

Sparing him a glance as she turned to look behind them, Vesper nodded, “Thank you. I’ll be okay I think…as long as they don’t turn their rods on me at least.”

That morning, Vesper had awoken to several terse voices not far from the tent. When she emerged, her hand rubbing her tired eyes, she saw everyone around the fire. “None of you thought to tell her that you saw into her dreams?” Astarion had said and Karlach glanced behind her as she rounded the corner. “It’s not that, Astarion,” the tiefling said, keeping her eyes on the drow, “We didn’t know how to bring it up. That’s part of the reason I want Vesper to wear that ring of mind shielding…not because I don’t want to share your dreams,” she began to address the bard in the back who was trying to disappear back into the tent, “but because I don’t want you to share something you’re not comfortable sharing. That’s all!” 

Astarion turned and looked at the drow before crooking his fingers, “None of you thought how she’d feel learning about it later, did you?” He turned and looked at Shadowheart, “For someone so secretive about her own self you don’t seem to mind sharing others' histories…even things they haven’t told people themselves.” When Vesper got close enough he looked at her again, “We all have a past. Karlach was sold to Zariel. I was tricked into my slavery to Cazador. Wyll is Mizora’s little bitch…none of us want to talk about the horrible things that happened to us. No one has poked at Wyll about what he experienced as he was dragged through the hells.”

The warlock opened his mouth before closing it. The bard was unsure if he was going to share or defend himself.

“All I’m saying is that perhaps you could all have a little heart and not tell everyone the awful things that have happened to our bard,” Astarion tilted his head as he looked at Shadowheart. The cleric was watching Vesper though, she adjusted her jaw before speaking, “I’m sorry, Vesper. Astarion’s right…I had no right to share what I did with Halsin or Gale and Wyll.” Vesper nodded and Astarion huffed, “That’s it? Just going to forgive them that easily?”

The bard turned to look at him, “What can I say?” she shrugged, “First apologies in ten years may sway me more than anger…” The high elf cleared his throat and pursed his lips. Karlach’s face fell, “I’d give you the biggest hug if I could Vesper…” she turned to look at them around the fire and showed a tense smile.

There was a tense silence as they all looked around before Lae’zel spoke up, “Who is this Mariwen…why did that man say it was your fault?” The other’s heads whipped around to the githyanki, “Just because the rest of you prattle on and gossip does not mean I too did not experience the dream.” Slowly the attention of those around the campfire turned back to the bard and she took a shaky breath, warmth enveloped the middle of her back. Looking up Halsin stood on one side of her, his head bowing in a nod; with another breath, Vesper launched into her story about her children again. 

Unlike the night before where she kept glancing at the druid, this time she kept her eyes on the fire as it danced within the pit.

“Someone hug her, I can’t…” pleaded Karlach as Vesper finished. Wyll was quick to acquiesce to Karlach’s request, his arms encircling the bard’s shoulder, “I’m so sorry for your losses,” he whispered to her before stepping back. The redhead lifted her eyes to meet him, she knew her body had gone stiff the moment he embraced her, “Thank you.”  

She listened to them as they talked more agreeing that from now on if there was a dream shared through the tadpole to talk to the person they believe it came from. Karlach approached her as the others began cooking and held out the ring she’d received for telling Omeluum the story of how they’d gotten to the underdark, “Seriously. Keep this. If it’ll work to keep your thoughts your own, you deserve it.” Vesper tilted her head up and gave the tiefling a genuine smile before nodding, “And if we have to go to Baldur’s Gate, point that prick out to me the moment you see him. I’d like to have some words…between his arse and my foot.” 

Preparations to leave had been started, Gale had been the one to suggest she disguise herself before leaving camp. Astarion jerked his head up and moved rather swiftly to her side, “Before you do,” was all the warning she had before he grabbed her hip with one hand and pulled her close. Vesper had practically shrieked when she was forcibly moved, and frozen for just a moment before melting into Astarion’s kiss. Thankfully she couldn’t hear the low whistle Karlach let out as her hands fisted in his cotton tunic, but the tangy metallic taste against her tongue after she opened her mouth to the rogue’s prodding made her push at him just the tiniest bit. He leaned back, his tongue wetting his own lips, “I was going to wait but I’d rather see this than a false image of that sister of yours.” The bard was dazed as she stepped away from him and nodded, “Right. That….that makes sense.” 

Thinking back on it now, on this rickety little boat, her lip began to tingle as she pressed them together. Gale pointed just past her, “My spell isn’t nearly as powerful as your eyesight, but there’s something just ahead.” Vesper pulled back from her musings to look in the direction he pointed, he was right. Large statues loomed ahead, she stood up and braced herself as they neared.

Thankfully, Vesper’s lack of knowledge of how Lloth's sworn drow behaved didn’t cause any issues. She just pulled on all the mannerisms her sister embodied over nineteen years of knowing her. At the very least these underdwarves couldn’t tell the difference. 

“Something wrong?” questioned Shadowheart as the spiders ran off to find Lloth’s faithful. “Oh, I’m just beginning to wonder if my sister was perhaps darker than I thought…” replied the bard as she continued to look around, “Have you found anywhere worth trying to summon the others?” Gale nodded, “There’s a locked door in this direction, I had to agree to throw some gnomes into the dark waters but it should be safe for you to…” he cleared his throat, “unlock.”

Lae’zel searched the pockets of the dead gnomes while Shadowheart and Gale kept an eye on the duergar; Vesper kneeled at the door her tongue poking between her teeth as she worked on the lock. “Any luck yet,” asked Shadowheart. “This is different from the locks he had me practicing on last night…it’ll just take a minute…Oh, I got one,” the bard bounced before focusing again.

“It’s almost adorable how excited you are about your criminal education,” Gale said with his head turned, so the bard could hear him. “Not that there’s anything wrong with it, but I didn’t exactly take you as a sneaky thief type,” he waved a dismissive hand. Shadowheart laughed softly, “Not everyone is as they appear, Gale. Not to mention besides the bad we know about our dear bard, we don’t know much about your life before.”

Another pin stuck, and the door shifted, “Got it, let's go.” She stood and began pocketing the tools before she pushed the door open, “And we,” she looked at the wizard as he stepped up beside her, “did whatever we had to do to survive. I’m a much better pickpocket…” Gale raised a brow as they walked through the Nightfeast. “Is that so?” he pressed a button that was against the wall, “Much practice doing that?”

Vesper nodded as she balanced over the unleveled floor, “When I was much younger my brother Vale would play while one of our sisters danced, people would be so caught up in their drinks or the entertainment they never saw Perris and me rifling through their pockets. And of course, if they caught us we were fast enough to get away and Lothaire would just bully them into leaving us be.” She smiled fondly, “I miss them sometimes.”

Carefully sneaking by the two acid pools, Lae’zel spied the two large acidic blobs that clung to the ceiling, Gale found an area to begin his ritual. “I’ll leave the chalk markings here in case we need to come back later, just give me enough time to gather the others,” he looked at Lae’zel and Shadowheart who then looked at one another and nodded. It was Vesper they had to stop from wandering off though, the bard was too curious about what else this area of the place was hiding. 

When the others arrived, it took a little bit of time for Gale to perform the ritual the second time, they set out. They found a gnome with a large container of rune powder, the bard was practically a sweaty mess when the gnome gave them a vial of the powder and left with the larger one. She had to sit down after that.

“I think we’re better off trying to save the drow…or well, are we saving him or leaving him to die. Either way is fine with me, we just need his head,” Astarion said as he walked around the area where the gnome had been hiding. He was searching the bookshelves and looking over the stone tablets.

“We have to save the gnomes, Astarion,” Karlach said.

“Ugh, why must it be gnomes…”

Wyll pointed at the spawn, “You said something similar when we saved that man from the goblins back in Moonhaven. What do you have against them?”

“Nothing I suppose, just one of Cazador’s spawn…I assume they’re most like him really, so why save any of them,” he pocketed something from the bookshelf. “Weren’t we supposed to find something about the Nightsong in a Sharran temple?” he picked up one of the tablet fragments again, “This mentions the lady of loss more than once…”

“What? Let me see,” Shadowheart rushed to his side and began trying to piece the tablets together.

“You cannot hold an entire race of people responsible for the acts of one person,” Wyll shook his head, “Just because one of your spawn siblings bothers you, doesn’t mean that they’re all the same.” Astarion scrunched his nose in annoyance, “I think you’ll find I can. I’ve yet to meet a gnome who amazed me…”

“Did your gnome brother tattle on you or something?” Gale asked as he helped Vesper back to her feet.

“More than once…”

The others got quiet before Karlach cleared her throat, “Right well…let’s annoy the piss out of Astarion and save these gnomes. Because slavery, Astarion,” she pointedly looked at him, “is bad.”

They entered the hottest portion of the area, lava flowing just under their feet, and Vesper had to adjust her illusory image to give her sister’s face the appearance of sweat. She met with the sergeant who didn’t have a tadpole but seemed to be a believer of the absolute anyway. With the mention of a vial of rune powder the dwarf practically pushed her forward toward the gnomes. And there was a familiar face.

“Barcus Wroot?” she said softly and one of the deep gnomes turned and looked at her, “Hello. I’m not supposed to talk but…do I know you?” Her eyes widened before she remembered the face she was showing, while it was just like her own even the change in complexion and the different hair might make her look like a different person. “We met at the windmill, I–I saved you from the goblins,” he looked her over and nodded slowly, “Right. Well…if you could be as heroic now that would be great…they won’t likely keep us alive after we get the drow out of here.”

Vesper nodded, “Stay away from the lava,” she took the vial of rune powder out of her pocket, “try to avoid being used as a shield. The blonde doesn’t mind collateral damage.” The gnomes paused and looked at the vial, “Go, run for cover.” She turned and walked back to Astarion’s side, “Don’t shoot the vial yet…” he glanced at her through the corner of his eye, “Why?”

Vesper tried to make sure the man behind the rubble wouldn’t hear her as she used the tadpole to speak to the others, “Kill the dwarves. We risk the gnomes if we don’t take them out now.”  She saw Karlach begin to stretch and heard her, “Right then.” She glanced at the others and received subtle nods from Wyll and Gale. Lae’zel began to stretch and reached for the hilt of her long sword while Shadowheart hid her face behind her shield, though she could hear the cleric as she began to say a prayer.

“Go ahead,” she said to Astarion with a nod.

The rogue still seemed unsure as he hesitated for just a moment before he lifted his hands, “Ignis!” A flame lashed from his fingertips and hit the sergeant right in the back, “Oops…I missed.” The sergeant turned and drew her sword, “Traitorous bastards!” 

The under dwarf let out a yell for help that was eclipsed by Karlach’s rage as she rushed forward and shoved the sergeant into the lava. It didn’t stop the scrying eye that had been hovering around them from calling for help though.

Barcus and the other gnomes did as they had been told and ran for hiding places, two taking the opportunity to shove the dwarves or to try and trip them as they came running. With her rapier in one hand and the other holding her crossbow, Vesper focused on the dwarf that was trying to shoot them from above. When she missed twice she dodged the blow of a dwarf near her and called to Wyll. The warlock misty stepped onto the balcony and with an eldritch blast threw the duergar off of its perch.

Shadowheart pulled one of the illithid bombs they’d found on the nautiloid from her side and threw it in the center of a group of the duergar, “Gale!” The wizard swung around and summoned a fireball atop the grouped dwarves before jumping back from the swing of one near him, “Karlach! A little help please!”

It wasn’t the strength of the duergar that gave the party issue, but rather the sheer amount of them and the room’s hazards. Vesper danced on her toes around the duergar trying to avoid their weapons while at the same time trying to steer herself away from the lava, the two duergar clearly trying to push her in its direction.

Astarion came up behind one and stabbed his daggers into each side of the dwarf’s neck. Despite armor upgrades and careful dodging, the group did receive injuries and as Lae’zel beheaded the final dwarf, one wearing a mask that had been a particular annoyance for Astarion, they each took a moment to heal themselves. 

Barcus ran forward while they collected themselves, “You did it! I can’t believe it…but inside there are more of us…please.” He stuttered the last bit, staring at Vesper who nodded, “Right, hide again.” She looked at Astarion and Gale who glanced at each other before Astarion turned and cast another firebolt cantrip at the rune powder.

As the dust cleared, Vesper stepped forward, watching gnomes run out and a male drow stepped from the rubble. He swore at one cowering female before shoving her into the lava, Vesper jumped forward, “Stop that!”

The drow looked her over, and Vesper realized where she’d screwed up. Yasmine didn’t care about another’s pain. She quickly schooled her features and narrowed her eyes at the man in front of her. “What happened here?” he questioned looking at the bodies surrounding the area. The bard licked her lips, tasting her own sweat and blood that ran down her face. Shit, there was blood on her face but probably not Yasmine’s. “True believers against traitors…we survived,” she said, her voice faltering as she was unsure if she wanted to say that they were True Souls.

Nere looked her over and stepped forward, “Very well. You will dispose of the gnomes, they have–” “No I won’t!” she said and felt her tadpole writhe in answer as it pushed into his head. The Absolute has other plans for these gnomes. His head tilted, “Yes…yes–” he frowned and shook his head as her attempt at charming him failed, “Lies!” Vesper’s eyes widened and she turned to try to avoid his lunging hand.

His fingers slid through the illusion of Yasmine and found purchase on the lip of her collar, not chancing it he gripped tightly and jerked the bard backwards. Like lightning thrumming through her body, Vesper screamed as she felt the threads in her shoulder pull before snapping as she was thrown behind him. She rolled as she landed and hiss as the lava popped hitting her boots, “Shit, shit, shit!” Vesper cursed as she tried to crawl away from the most dangerous part of the room. Unfortunately for her, every time she moved her arms to pull herself up the pain in her shoulders thrummed through her.

“Save her!” she heard Astarion yell and felt three sets of hands pulling her arms and pulling her away from the molten lava. She released a pained cry as the gnomes dragged her away from the fight and she felt the loss of the magic over her appearance as her disguise fell away.

From their hiding spot she could hear Karlach’s enraged yell and the sound of metal cleaning against metal and then just hard breathing. Footsteps pounded against the grate and she felt hands on her hips turning her over, “Vesper!” Shadowheart’s panicked voice met her as she turned and lay flat on her back. The cleric began unbuckling her armor, “Your collar.”

The bard nodded, “Take it off…just fucking take it.” Tears rolled down her cheeks from the abrupt pulling and the jerking that had happened at her throat. Barcus Wroot was still hovering over her as he watched the cleric strip the bard of her armor and then there was Astarion a knife in hand, “It’s alright, darling, we’ve got it from here.” Brandishing the blade just in front of her Vesper felt herself slipping and soon found herself within her own mind. In that boat where she’d been during her night with the high elf. 

She could barely hear the sounds as the boat rocked in the dark waters. Shouting was softened to a whisper, something cool across her forehead and cheeks while her shoulders burned. Until there was nothing but the burning where she ached. No sound besides the water lapping at the sides of the boat, she was safe again. The pain would lapse and she’d awaken to new aches and bruises.

“I just hope I can move my arm after this…”

─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─

“Use your tadpole, it’s a connection to her.” Vesper frowned as the new voice, deeper, but with an underlying worry she wasn’t used to. “Let me,” that was…Gale? Vesper sat up in the boat and looked around before an image of Gale materialized in front of her. “Gale?”

“There you are…you can wake up, we’re out of the Grymforge now. Wait–can you wake up?”

“How did you get here?” she tilted her head as Gale just sat there in front of her. This image of the wizard had none of his mannerisms, his hands stayed rested on his thighs as he spoke and he didn’t emote in the way she was used to.

“I’m using the tadpole. We’ve brought you back to camp…we need you to wake up, we need to know that you’re alright. Going comatose as you did gave us all an awful fright, please…wake up.”

There was a warmth surrounding one of her hands, her shoulders…didn’t ache or burn any longer. She flexed her hand and felt the warmth tighten around it.

“That’s it, you’re doing wonderfully. Can you move the other hand?”

She turned to look at her other hand and wiggled her fingers before looking at Gale. “Perfect, though you just scared Wyll with a little tickle. Careful of your legs, but move one of them?”

Slowly she reconnected with each part of her, Gale giving her encouragement each time a new part of her responded in the waking world. As her eyes opened she was shocked by the golden glow over her, she turned to the hand that had been held so warmly and found Halsin smiling down at her, “There you are,” he said in relief. 

Shadowheart let the spell fall and bent until her forehead was pressed against the bards, “Lady of Sorrows, Vesper don’t do that again. We tried everything to wake you and nothing…nothing worked.” The cleric choked as she repeated the second nothing, when she sat up Vesper looked up and saw tears in her companion's eyes, “We didn’t know if it was the worm or if we’d just lost you. You were breathing, and your heart was beating but–”

“I’m okay,” Vesper said softly and flinched when she heard the barking laugh of Astarion. Slowly she looked around, they were surrounding her. Even Lae’zel stood behind Shadowheart, worry etched on her face as Vesper made to sit up.

Halsin used the hold on her arm to help pull her up and Vesper paused when she realized it didn’t hurt when he pulled. Her free hand came up to her chest and felt…nothing. Astarion sat at her feet, Gale just beside him, “Nere ripped the back threads, nearly detached the whole thing…” The wizard nodded as Astarion spoke before adding, “If the gnomes hadn’t acted so quickly…we thought you were going to go in.”

She heard a surprising voice pipe in and turned to see Barcus as he nodded to her, “Hardly seemed appropriate to let you die after you had just saved us. Consider us even…” Vesper nodded mutely and continued to rub her fingers across the bare skin of her sternum before her right hand reached up to feel the raised area where her bone hadn’t healed right.

“Careful,” Halsin said, “in their haste, it looks like the people who saved you may have agitated the break. I wanted you awake before I healed the fracture.” He looked toward all of them, “It will only take me a moment, the rest of you should go and relax. I have it from here.” One by one the others got up, Wyll placed a careful hand on her shoulder as he left. Shadowheart pushed past Lae’zel, the gith hanging around before she began to remove her armor. The only one who didn’t leave was Astarion who stared at her injury.

‘It could end the whole thing if it’s not enjoyable.’

He’d just uttered those words the night before. Unconsciously she covered the area and looked at Halsin, “I didn’t mean to worry everyone. I just…” Halsin shook his head as he assured her, “You don’t owe anyone an explanation. You’ve learned a technique that many have when in a situation similar to yours. Escaping to a safe place, though I’m sensing not many here knew about you doing that.” Vesper cut her eyes to Astarion who cleared his throat, “I’ll get some rags and water, to clean your neck.”

She watched as he got up and walked away, her eyes trailed him as he retreated to his tent before she felt Halsin begin to manipulate her arm. Gently he lifted it to straighten it before bending it more, his eyes watching her face for any hint of discomfort. “This is alright?” she nodded, “Perhaps I healed more than I intended the first time. Astarion made something of a mess of your shoulders trying to find the threads, Wyll mentioned he seemed determined to remove them all while Gale came to retrieve me.” 

The wood elf continued to stretch her left shoulder, up and down, pulling it back and then in front of her. When he was satisfied he moved to her right arm and this time Vesper tried to move with him. She stiffened when she felt cold water touch the nape of her neck, “It’s only me. I’ll let you wash the front, but let me get the back.” She had expected it to be Astarion, but he had apparently passed the task to Shadowheart who scrubbed heavily trying to get everything off of her.

“How long did you wear that device?” Halsin asked as he lowered her right arm and began prodding at the marks on her shoulders, “Two years maybe? Possibly almost three, I can’t remember exactly.”

Shadowheart paused before returning to washing. Halsin wet another rag and held it out for the bard, “I know I’m pushing for us to reach Moonrise, but if I may suggest to the group…take a day before moving on to this crèche Lae’zel would like to reach. If only to be certain there are no other surprises from the collar’s unexpected removal.” Vesper didn’t reply to the druid, she just took the rag from him and began to scrub at the dirt the collar had hidden and left behind after all this time.

There was a clinking sound and Astarion kicked a crate over to the fire before he set down several bottles of wine, “I think we all need a drink after this.” Picking one bottle up he glanced at it before removing the cork. Pouring two goblets full he set them beside the bard and cleric before picking up a third for himself, he glanced at the silver cup before tossing it down and tipping the bottle to his mouth. “Very classy, Astarion,” Shadowheart said as she finished cleaning the back of Vesper’s neck and shoulders, “but thank you.” She lifted the goblet to her mouth with one hand while the other reached up and tugged the bard’s hair loose from its bun, “If you’re self-conscious we can figure out a way for your hair to cover your shoulders. I can’t imagine it’s easy to go two-three years of them being hidden to suddenly being exposed.”

Vesper nodded dumbly as she continued to scrub at her throat. Eventually, the others joined around the fire again as Gale began cooking. No one mentioned the collar, no one even brought up that she’d gone comatose. Thankfully no one brought up the fact she’d nearly died. Again.

─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─

Astarion had been correct, they all needed a drink or twenty that night. Vesper settled in Astarion’s tent after only two goblets full, though she does carry her third into the spawn’s space. “I didn’t realize you were planning on staying with me tonight as well,” she heard and turned, careful not to spill the contents of her cup. Astarion kneeled just outside the flaps of his tent with a smirk on his face, “Don’t mind me, you go right ahead and get comfortable. I’ll just enjoy the view.” The bard frowned before she realized she would have been on her hands and knees crawling into the tent when he followed behind her, “Astarion,” she admonished while her cheeks flushed.

“What? Am I not allowed to watch?” once the drow was settled against some of the cushions in his tent, Astarion followed behind her, settling across the way, his legs resting on top of hers as he stretched. “Someone has to be admired and as I can’t see my own face, I guess yours will have to do,” he said as he continued to stretch lazily. “You can’t see your face? Right…mirrors,” she frowned and took a sip, “do you miss it?” A gray brow lifted as he lowered his head to look at her, “Do I miss petty vanity? Of course, I do! I haven’t seen this face in nearly two hundred years, I don’t even remember what it looks like anymore.” 

“It’s a good face,” she said as she lifted her goblet to him, “a beautiful face.”

His smile softened under her compliments, “Could–” he stopped and shook his head. “What?” Vesper moved to fully sit up asking again, “Could I?” Astarion took a breath and held it for a moment before he breathed out the question quickly, “Could you draw me?” The bard, who had been waiting patiently, frowned and shook her head, “I wouldn’t do you any justice in a drawing. Portraits require details that I’ve never gotten right…” She looked down before her hands paused reaching over to her goblet, “but there is something I can do.”

“Are you going to recite poetry about how beautiful I am?” he retorted, trying to fight the crestfallen look that had come over his face when his request was denied. But when he looked back up he jumped back because Vesper was right in his face, “Hold still,” she said as she moved her eyes over his features. 

“What are you doing?”

“I want to make sure it’s right…where’s your mirror?”

“I’ve already explained–here–I cannot see myself in the mir–”

He stopped talking as she spoke a familiar incantation and her own facial features began to morph. Her long red hair became a silvery blonde, in the mirror’s reflection he could see her teal and violet eyes become red and…sad, her cheeks hollowed, and her cheekbones were higher. “Is that…”

Vesper stared in the mirror then turned to look at him, “One second,” she moved the mirror behind him and adjusted Astarion so she could compare her reflection with the real thing. “Alright, now I’m just a tad bit drunk but I think I’ve got it right,” it was so odd hearing her voice come out of this masculine appearance but Astarion was in awe. Swallowing hard he reached out and turned her chin to have a better look at her, “This is me?”

The pallid face smiled at him and she nodded, “This is you. See, what I meant about you being a very pretty man?” When he reached for the curls on the illusion’s head his fingers first met air before he felt the bard’s own, just a couple of inches below where it was supposed to be. “It’s still only an illusion,” she said softly, “I can try and adjust it to be closer to my face, but yours is just a tad longer than mine.” “No,” he said as he looked into the red eyes he’d never seen before, “no, this is…this is perfect. How often can you change this…” She pursed her lips and Astarion watched as his face made one he recognized as hers immediately, “Don’t do that…” he chuckled, “Your expressions on my face are…well, I suppose I wouldn’t know if they were wrong per se, but it's odd.”

She laughed and shrugged her good shoulder, “I can cast this a couple of times if I have enough magic. Changing its appearance though takes some time, especially when I have to keep concentrating on the spell. If you were a wizard I’d say we go ask Gale how he summons his mirror image.” Astarion’s lip curled but then he stopped sneering, “I don’t think he’d be up for teaching me how to use the weave. It’s so precious to him.” 

“It wouldn’t do any harm in asking, he asked me the other day if I wanted to compare magics. If the way I cast magic felt the same way he did…he might enjoy teaching you,” she offered and Astarion shook his head. “No,” he said with a whine, “He’d enjoy teaching you. Not me. We just don’t get along, my dear.” He still had a hold of her chin and was now turning the face in different directions, pausing when he realized he could see two scars on the side of the neck. “You included those as well?” his voice warbled as he pulled back. “Should I not have? I didn’t want it to be a false image,” she sat back and crossed her arms over her middle.

“No, it’s… it's fine…thank you, now please, drop the illusion?” 

She let her concentration fall and looked in a mirror again. Gone was the visage of the high elf in front of her and instead, she just saw herself. Astarion caught her as she quickly looked away and frowned, “What is it?” 

“Hmm?” she glanced toward him as she settled back on the opposite side of the tent and sipped at her wine. “Don’t ‘hmm’ me, you looked disgusted after looking in the mirror,” he said, his tone accusatory while she shook her head and kept her head down. “I don’t know what you mean…I saw myself and I decided to sit back,” Astarion’s eyes narrowed at her answer before he pulled his legs under him to lean toward her, “Do you think you’re disgusting?”

“Don’t you?” she asked, lifting her chin higher. She was biting the inside of her cheek to try and keep control of her emotions. There were mirrors at home but for the most part, she avoided them, no one ever cared how she looked, only if her body was satisfactory. Astarion eyes scanned her face and stopped on her lips, “No. Not at all…why would I? And think very carefully about how you answer that question.” Vesper’s eyes darted upwards as she choked out a singular laugh, “Don’t be ridiculous, Astarion. Caz–” she stopped when she saw his lip begin to curl, “That bastard chose you because of your beauty…I was a pawn to Issac. Handed over to whoever had enough coin or a big enough debt that Issac didn’t want to pay off. I’m no more than a piece of gold to be passed from hand to hand.”

She lifted the goblet and drank. Vesper was barely able to swallow for a third time when a cold grip pulled the cup from her mouth, “Those sounds like your bastard’s words, Vesper.” When she didn’t answer he moved closer until he straddled her legs, “Look at me.” Her chin lifted, no need for him to do it, but she still wouldn’t look at him, “Vesper, darling, eyes on me,” when she finally lifted them she knew he would see the tears welling. He was right of course, it was Issac who made her feel this way. Issac, who constantly told her how worthless she was besides being passed off.

“I’ve spent two hundred years bedding any beautiful soul that would follow me back to, as you said, my bastard’s palace. Do you know what they had in common? How beautiful they were…” he said as his hands bracketed her cheeks and his thumbs wiped away the hot tears from her eyes. “I had thought to seduce you the moment I laid eyes on you,” he paused, and his head bounced from side to side, “once we became allies I mean…the moment I saw you I thought you worked alongside those tentacled freaks.” His smile spread when he heard a soft giggle from her lips, “Nevertheless, two hundred years of orders kicked in when you invited me to join you. A beautiful little elf, all red hair, and charm…”

“Are you saying that you would have taken me to him?” she asked her eyes growing round.

“You would have been just fit for him to invite me to dine with him…I would hate doing it, taking you to him, but it’s true,” he said as he swiped his fingers under her eyes again. “Even with your dark circles and scars, you’re incredible.”

She blinked twice before pulling her head away from his hands, “I don’t know if you’re telling the truth or if the wine has muddled my head.” Astarion frowned and sat back, “Let’s just say that if you didn’t have your issues I’d have bedded you several times already. As horrible as it all was I did like having gorgeous people writhing beneath and on top of me…” 

Her teeth ground together as her face flushed more and she heard his chuckle again. “You think it’s funny when I blush,” she said softly and Astarion hummed in appreciation. “Yes, these little flushes of purple on your cheeks do delight me,” he admitted, he didn’t go back to his side of the tent. Instead, as he got off her lap he settled just next to her and leaned close to her ear, “It has me curious if you flush like this when you’re actually enjoying sex.” Her face lifted to his, “Must everything be sex with you? You’ve got your own problems…I thought you’d be happy to not be–”

“Performing? I am…but is that not what couples are supposed to do? Find fulfillment in each other bodies?”

“I don’t know. I thought so…”

“So,” he said as he tucked a bent knuckle under her chin, “should we try?” Her mouth opened and closed without an answer. Pulling her closer until his nose touched the tip of hers, his voice lowered to a whisper, “I should thank you for your gift after all. It is all because of you I know just how beautiful I still am.” Her face betrayed her sadness and Astarion pulled back, “What’s the matter, my sweet?”

“You shouldn’t want to sleep with me because I did something nice for you, it feels…like a payment. I,” she pulled back again and shuffled away, “I don’t want this,” she motioned between the two, “to feel like it used to. I…” Vesper trailed off her focus now on her hand as she pulled it back to her, Astarion tilted his head and shifted closer to her, “You what?”

She looked up at him and blushed again, “I want it to be real…” a breathless laugh left her before she shook her head, “Don’t listen to me…I’m being drunk and silly.” The bard leaned forward and took up her goblet again, missing the flash of confusion before Astarion smirked. She finished her goblet before the vampire’s spawn took it from her again, he leaned close to her, “Then let’s be real.”

He glanced away long enough to set the cup on the ground before turning and placed his hand against her cheek, coaxing her forward, “Tell me no…” he hesitated, waiting for her to stop him. When no answer came, he pulled her closer until his lips met hers. Vesper allowed him to lead, numbly allowing herself to slip away until she felt a fang nip at her lip, “Oh no, stay with me…” he whispered against her mouth. 

Her eyes sprung open and met his crimson stare, she could see and feel when he smiled, “You said you had kissed someone before…try and remember then. Unless you want to say no?” Astarion glanced down at her mouth before looking up again, “Do you want to say no?”

The rogue was so close that when her tongue darted out to moisten her lips, she touched his mouth and he took it as a sign. His mouth shifted over hers and he used his weight to push her onto the floor of the tent. The hand not cradling her face found her side and gripped tightly, taking his time to move underneath the flimsy leather top she still wore. He chuckled when she shivered as his hand grazed over her skin, “Just make sure you’re quiet, darling.” He sat up and quickly pulled the ties of his tent flaps allowing them to flutter closed before he removed his shirt, “We wouldn’t want the others peeking in now, would we?”

She lay there staring up at him, though she could see the glow of the underdark’s flora through the stitching of his tent he was still cast in the greyscale of her dark vision. Even then he was breathtaking. Languidly she reached out a hand for him and he took it into his hands placing a kiss against her bruised knuckles before flipping it over and kissing her palm. 

When he kissed her again she tried to recall those nights from ten years before. The now faceless boy she had rolled down the hills with, the way her body had responded. “Out of your head,” she heard a whisper in her ear and opened her eyes again to see the high elf’s raised brow, “where are you?” She frowned at the question. Astarion’s hand cupped her cheek and he ran his thumb across her brow, “Where are you?”

“We’re in the underdark…” he nodded and bent his head lower pressing his lips to her now naked throat. A chill went up her spine and her breath caught in her throat when he nipped his teeth across the now-exposed skin of her throat. She heard his appreciative hum and flushed, he lifted his head and captured her mouth again. The hand that had rested on her side slid lower, tugging at the lacing of her leather trousers. 

On instinct, her hand moved quickly to grab his wrist and he stopped before whispering, “Who are you with?”

Her eyes fluttered open and she looked him over, “I’m with you…” his head shook, “Not good enough, little bard. I want to hear my name.” He bent down and caught her ear lobe just between his teeth before he whispered again, “Who are you with?” Despite her holding his wrist he tugged at the lace that held the panels together, “Astarion,” she answered in a hushed voice.

“I want you to enjoy this,” he said as he pulled his hand from the lacing and began to trace the top hem of her pants against her abdomen. “I won’t fuck you unless you let me, I just want you to know how your body feels when it enjoys it.” Astarion dipped his head back down to her throat, his tongue tracing a path down until he met the junction of her throat and shoulder. He easily found the raised area where her bone hadn’t properly healed and pressed a gentle kiss to it.

“But you–” 

“No, I’m fine. I’ve enjoyed myself most thoroughly,” he used his other hand to wiggle the metal fastener of her top, “I was right about how far your blushing goes.”

 Further down he moved until his mouth closed around a nipple. Her hands flew up to cover her mouth as she stared up at the roof of the tent. Between teeth and tongue, she felt an unfamiliar tug in the pit of her belly and a warmth that she could only recall once. 

When he switched to her right breast he pressed a kiss to the scar just above before he began to tease her again. His hands worked on her pants, tugging at the leather that hugged so tightly. Curiosity had her planting her feet on either side of the elf and lifting her hips, and the warmth in her core multiplied as he chuckled against her skin.

As he trailed down he nipped at her softer flesh on her middle. She reached down to stop him with one hand but he caught it and pinned it to her side, “Use your voice.” Astarion paused as he glanced upward but she didn’t say anything, still looking upward and covering her mouth with her hand. “Vesper?” she shifted and looked at the rogue who smirked and leaned up to move her hand and kiss her again, “You can still say no. Tell me to stop and I will…” She watched his eyes bounce back and forth before she licked her lips again, “Do you want me to stop?” 

Blood was rushing in her ears, she wanted to keep going but wanted to stop all the same. “Would you hate me?” she asked and he shook his head, “Not at all, my sweet.” He started to back away before she grabbed him, “I don’t want to stop…”

Astarion’s smile grew and he bowed his head, “Alright.” Bending to catch her lips again she heard his chuckle as she copied him and placed her hand against his cheek. The rogue used his foot to kick her pants further down her legs until they were off. This time rather than just holding her side his nail divoted into her hip as he pulled her close and bent down to her throat once more.

His mouth paused over her pulse, the hard beat of her life pulsating under his lips and for a moment she wondered if he would bite her then. It was enough of a distraction that she didn’t realize his hand left her hip until it found the apex of her thighs. A surprised gasp left her and she removed her hand from his face to cover her mouth again, to his amusement.

As his finger slid between her lips, his mouth came back to her ear, “I think you know what desire feels like now.” He lifted off of her and brought the finger he’d run through her to his lips, her eyes wide as she watched him taste it. 

“Delicious.”

He made no move to toy with her body again as he moved downward, settling his body between her lifted knees. Pressing a kiss to the top of one of Vesper’s knees, he descended, and again her eyes found the roof of the tent very interesting. Astarion had not done this in the woods, she expected his tongue to be just as cold as the rest of him but was surprised by the not-icy feeling against her sensitive flesh.

Then he found something, one nudge and she shuddered, her hips jumped, and her knees attempted to close. Astarion didn’t allow them to, just as he had held her arm pinned before he now held one of her legs open wide while he used the other to spread her lips.

A breathy moan left her when that tautness she had felt before tightened again and the chilled air of the underdark made goose flesh of her skin. Or was it Astarion’s doing?

There wasn’t much room for thought as he continued moving his mouth over her. His tongue danced between that sensitive bundle of nerves down to her entrance. The tightness in her belly twisted, tighter. She kept mentally repeating the answers to his previous questions. She was with Astarion. They were in the underdark.

Astarion. Underdark.

His nails scratched over her mound, slipping down the junction of her thighs and core. 

Underdark. Astarion.

Her hand not covering her mouth gripped the bedroll she laid on. There was no longer a difference in temperature between his tongue and her body, it was just the ghost of pressure as he teased that spot with the tip of his tongue.

Underdark.

There was a distinct difference when she felt cold fingers press into her, her hips tried to raise and were pushed down. The motion was neither rough nor gentle. She lifted on her elbows and looked down, a shudder running through her as she met Astarion’s unwavering gaze from between her thighs. “Astarion,” she whined in a whisper before biting down on her lip to stop another noise from passing through her lips as the tightness broke in her and a rush of heat flooded her. 

Vesper’s head fell backward and she felt him move over her, his teeth finding purchase on her neck while her hips still stuttered, and his fingers were still there. They were still in her thrusting through her rush of elation. At the height of her orgasm, she couldn’t feel when his teeth punctured her throat, but the rush of blood leaving her made her heady feeling…more. When the quaking of her body halted she could feel him pulling more from her and ran a hand over his shoulder, her fingers raising when she would catch the raised edges of his scars.

Astarion settled back, laying the bard down gently after removing his fingers from within her. His gaze was still on her throat, where she felt the warm droplets run before he reached past her and pulled a healing potion from his armor, “Drink.” She obeyed his command and watched as he poured water from a jar into a chalice he kept in his tent. He wet a rag, and then another, cleaning his face and hand with one he threw it down and took the other before leaning towards her, “I can do that…I’m used to it.” She said with flushed cheeks.  

With a lifted brow, Astarion finally nodded and passed the rag to her. Once she was clean he reached for his discarded shirt and passed it to her, “We’ll find you something more comfortable to wear soon. Maybe Lae’zel’s crèche has an abundance of laundry somewhere.” He grunted as he laid down on the outside bedroll, “Surely they cannot wear that armor all the time.”

Vesper pulled the ruffled shirt over her head and grabbed for one of the blankets to cover her lower half.

He turned to her, his hand twisting in her direction to lift her chin to keep it from bowing to her chest. For a moment she thought he was going to kiss her again until they heard Karlach’s voice.

“Are you two finished? Shadowheart and I want to go to bed but we also don’t want to listen in….” Vesper’s jaw dropped as her head twisted out of his grasp to stare at the tent’s opening. Astarion’s own eyes rounded in surprise before he started cackling, his eyes squeezing together tightly as he laughed. He ran his hands across his face, “By all means. Have the sweetest of dreams, darling Karlach.”

“Yep,” the tiefling grunted out before they heard her shoes scuff as she walked to her tent just behind Astarion’s. The drow’s face was drained of color as she turned to look at Astarion, who laughed harder when he got a look at her, “I did tell you to be quiet.” 

More scuffing was heard outside the tent and a horrified Vesper looked at the close flaps, “If he bit you during that I won’t be restoring you tomorrow.” The bard buried her face into Astarion’s naked side and groaned. The rogue wrapped an arm around her shoulder as he shook from his laughter and daubed his eyes with his other hand. 

“Are you finished?’ she asked as she lifted her head. Astarion looked down at her and shook his head, “No. But I’ll stop…for you.” Vesper sat up and reached for her pants, “Maybe I should sleep by the fire…” Astarion reached for her hands, pulling lightly, “No. Don’t go. What will the others think of me if you leave after such a pleasant evening? I’ll go get another blanket if you’re cold.”

Vesper looked down to her naked thighs and then at Astarion, “I’d have to fight with my trousers anyway wouldn’t I?” He nodded, “Unless you wanted to give Halsin a show…not sure that he’d mind.” The bard lifted her head, her eyes wide again and Astarion chuckled, “It’s true…I don’t think he’d mind if the whole camp was nude. He’d probably be happy to walk around without clothing.” Relief flooded the bard and she shook her head, “I thought you were implying something else.”

Astarion’s tilted his head and pursed his lips, “I might…though I’d rather not consider you with someone else when I only just got a taste of the real you.” He gave her wrist another tug, “Stay with me.” Heat stained her cheeks as she laid down on the inner mat and shifted to her back beside him. Just as she assumed he would, Astarion shifted to his side and laid his head against her breast, her heart pounding against his cheek. “Even this feels nicer, no leather digging into my face,” he said as he closed his eyes.

#the caged bard #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate 3 fanfiction #bg3 #tcb: vesper #astarion/tav #astarion/halsin/tav coming later #halsin/tav later #astarion/halsin later #tav's story

[short-hot-stories]

Avenging the Handmaidens: Part 4

Exposing the Debauchery In Christian Disguise

In 4 parts, By Carole_n_Nice.Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories.

The Next Day Aftermath

The next morning, Prudence and I sat on pillows at the kitchen table and broke fast. Grace had left to take care of both Melanie's and her children. Melanie made a large breakfast that we ate in silence. We finished clearing the dishes and looked at each other.

"Okay, Last night needs to be discussed," Melanie stated. "First off, how did your father let this get so far out of control?

Both Prudence and I shook our heads not knowing.

"This is too strange." This just happened?" "You both get picked for this Eden Conference out of the blue," she went on. "Why?"

I had no clue and I just shook my head again.

I heard my sister Prudence whisper from the side, "I might have said something to Prelate Mathias?"

Both Melanie and I looked at her stunned!

"He kept asking me how things were at home," Prudence continued. "How was our father since the divorce?" "How were you acting, Chastity." "Did I noticed anything different in the house?"

"Oh my blessed mother," I cried! "How could you say anything to the Prelate?"

Melanie shook her head visibly shaken. "Sister PRUDENCE you know better than to let the bishops and prelates to have knowledge of our inside family!" "What in Lords sake were you thinking?"

Prudence broke down in tears. "Father spends all his time with you, Chastity." "Even at the family Eden Conference he was with you, not Melanie who he rightfully should have been." "It wasn't right!"

"And you told the Prelate that, Prudence?" "PRUDENCE," Melanie repeated again at a shout.

My sister just nodded.

Melanie kissed Prudence on the cheek and told her not to worry about it. Just go up and get some rest. Prudence kissed me and apologized. She then went up to her room and slept again.

"Melanie?" "What are we going to do," I implored her.

She took me by the hand and we went up to my bedroom and laid on the pillow. Melanie I think had a fairly good grasp of the danger we were in. Prelate Mathias was a vengeful man and he somehow took slight at something our family had done. In addition, he knew that something was going on between my father and I, (although she didn't think he had figured out that we had married each other). Excommunication was a real possibility. The community owned all the land our houses stood on. If we were excommunicated, we had to vacate the land and the house that stood on it. We would be homeless and probably without employment.

Melanie held my hand as we lay on our bed, heads together on my pillow when a loud knocking came on the front door. Both of us jumped up and came out of the bedroom. Prudence was already standing out on the second floor landing, looking frightened to death.

"It is Prelate Mathias and his two grandsons, again."

Melanie turned to both of us and told us to hide. She walked down the stairs and opened the door. Upon seeing Prelate Mathias, she curtsied to him and bid the twins good morning.

"Good Morning, Sister Melanie," he said pleasantly. "I have come to collect the sisters Chastity and Prudence so that we might finish our Eden Conference from last night." "It wasn't properly consummated and, of course, it continues from vespers of the day until the evening vigil of the next."

Melanie nodded unsure if the scriptures he was quoting were correct and said, "My sisters are not here." "I think they went to the Holy One's house in an attempt to see their mother."

The Prelate nodded in understanding. "That is unfortunate because if it is not consummated, I would be bound to commence another twenty four hour period tonight or the next?"

With that, I watched down the stairs as one of the twins whispered into his grandfather's ear. He listened intently and said, "Why of course!"

"Melanie, my grandson has properly corrected me and explained the time would not restart if a surrogate were to replace them." "Perhaps you would like to substitute for one of them and maybe another woman?" "Your sister-in-law Grace maybe?"

Hearing this I ran to the window and went onto the second floor roof. I told Prudence to hide and be quiet. I slid down the second floor rain gutter, (something I had not done for several years), and ran around the building to the front of the house.

"Prelate, Melanie explained, Sister Grace is watching our children." "I am also certain that many women would be honored to share this moment of atonement with your Grandsons." "However with the late notice they would not be able to give up their household duties that quickly."

"That is unfortunate," the Prelate said.

"Eminence, I am an experienced woman and have attended a dozen or so of these conferences." "Surely I would suffice to satisfy two young men and we could..."

Before Melanie finished her sentence, I opened the door and feigned surprise to see the prelate there. I was driven not to have Prudence go through what we had done the last night. I quickly curtsied to him and the twins and thanked them for the honor that they had given me the previous night.

Prelate Mathias smiled and brushed my face. "It is nice to see you daughter Chastity." "I was just asking the whereabouts of your sister Prudence and was explained that she would not be back shortly?"

I nodded.

"Well the Eden Conference is not finished because it was not vaginally consummated last night." "We don't have your sister Prudence here but Melanie has volunteered to be her surrogate." "I think we have the required number of people here so we should go to my house."

With that, he took both our hands and led us off the porch and to his car. As he reached the door, he waited, expecting to have his door opened for him. Melanie quickly ran around the car and opened the driver's side door.

The Twins stood there looking at me. I swallowed and opened the door for them.

The Prelate started the car and stopped for a moment. "Wait!" "I forget myself!" "I should call your father so that he should finish this most sacred occasion with us."

"NO," Melanie said! "Father is out of town on business and will not be back before Vespers."

"I see, well maybe I or one of the twins might be able to find a surrogate to fill in for him?"

The Twins just nodded and off we went to the Prelates house. As we drove, the Prelate swerved into the auto shop my brother Thomas worked at. He got out of the car. Without a word, he went to the bay my brother was working in and started to talk to him. My brother listened and looked up, looking at his wife Melanie and shaking his head no. After several minutes of discussion, my brother Thomas threw the oily rag he had in his hand on the ground and grimly nodded yes.

Several minutes later, he approached the car. Prelate Mathias turned to me and said, "Chastity, would you be kind enough to open the door for your brother?"

"Yes your Eminence," I stated and scrambled out of the back seat to open the door for my brother.

The prelate started the car and commenced driving towards his house again. After several minutes, he turned and said, "I know we all have had this occasion happen to us without planning." "It would probably be wise to shorten the time spent of consummation as much as much as possible?" "This would allow us to get back to our primary order of raising our families and flock?"

We all nodded willing, no praying to get this over with. The two obese twins squeezing my sister-in-law and me together because they took up most of the back seat to themselves.

"Sisters Melanie and Chastity, You may perform your self-stimulation rite in the back seat while I drive."

Thomas immediately flared up, "That would be unseemly to have two women stimulating their vaginas in the back seat of a car while driving in the community, Prelate!"

"Nonsense Elder Thomas!" "You just heard your sister and your wife agree that saving time would be of benefit to everyone."

Melanie looked at me and we both knew we had to get this over with. I lifted my skirt up and bunched it around my hips. I reached into my panties and pulled them down my legs. I took them down to my ankles and then kicked them off. Melanie did the same with her panties.

"Melanie, give your panties to one of the boys to safeguard them while you masturbate," the Prelate dictated.

"Chastity, give your panties to your brother," he nodded to Thomas.

I took my panties and bunched them up in my hand. I reached over the front seat and handed them to my brother.

I spread my legs open slightly and moved my hand reluctantly over my mound. I started to stimulate myself. Melanie reached over and grabbed my hand. She squeezed it and we both concentrated on making ourselves wet.

Several minutes later, the Prelate had another idea, "The twins are innocent." "Maybe you should show them how to stimulate a woman so they will know how to do it when they have wives?"

I was bewildered.

Melanie leaned over and said, "Watch."

She took the hand of the nearest obese one and moved it between her legs. I watched as he took his finger and moved it along her slit.

"Melanie, tell him how to do it and you help also Chastity."

I grabbed the other twins hand and put it between my legs. I opened them more and watched Melanie, desperate to mimic her actions. Trying to mimic everything she did.

Melanie spread her legs wider open, draping one of them over mine and pulling me open at the same time. She took the hand of the twin removed it from between her legs and kissed his fingers. Sucking them into her mouth. I continued to do exactly as she did.

She turned to both of them, "Watch between our legs." "Look at our intimate places so that you will know how to finger fuck your wives."

I was a little shocked at the language coming from my sister and how graphic she was. The Prelate seemed pleased with her lesson while Thomas just stared out the front window with my panties in his hand.

She took his fingers back into her mouth and got them wet, "Make your wife spread her labia for you," she said as she opened herself up. "Have her wet your fingers like I did so that you will have lubrication on them." "This will place you in your rightful position as in command of her cunt."

She took his fingers and placed them between the opening in her vulva. Spread wide she grasped several fingers and nodded, "Insert two or three fingers inside her." "That way you'll know if the muscles of her pelvis is responding to your stimulation." "Most women respond better if they have some bulk in their pussy." "Two or three fingers inserted inside her will make her go crazy for you."

She took three fingers and placed them inside her pussy. I took TWO fingers and moved them inside me. Dreading that I would have to take three.

Melanie reached and took his other hand. With the index finger she moved it just below the base of her mound. "Take the tip of your finger and find the hood of her clitoris." "Massage it until it starts to grow under your finger."

"That is it, you have it," Melanie gasped!

I did the same thing but I was far behind where Melanie was at. I could see her hips thrust upwards against her fingers.

Suddenly, she was screaming, "Oh MY GOSH." "No one has ever made me feel this way!" She ground hard against him and screamed, "I'M COMING!" "I CAN'T STAND IT!" "YOU ARE A STALLION!"

I looked up and noticed that the Prelate had pulled over to watch Melanie. She had this incredible orgasm. I couldn't believe it. She had a hard time controlling her breathing. My brother turned around and looked her straight in the eye. She looked up at him and they both smiled!?! Oh my gosh, She faked it. She faked having an orgasm! My brother was having a hard time controlling his laughter.

I was not to be outdone! I could put on an award performing performance myself! I arched my back, feeling the obese boy's hard penis pressed between my butt cheeks. I squeezed my legs together and trapped his hand between them. I circled my arm behind me and over his leg and shouted, "PLEASE, allow me to cum, beloved!" "I need to feel your finger inside me." "I... I..."

I pushed my backside against him one more time and screamed out, "I am cumming." "YOU MAKE ME FEEL MORE LIKE A WOMAN THAN I HAVE EVER FELT BEFORE IN MY LIFE!"

All of a sudden, as I finished Act 1, Scene 2, I felt this wet sticky squirt on my back and dripping down the crack of my butt. He came. He ejaculated because I talked to him? He came all sticky on my back and pressed against his fat tummy.

My brother gave me a funny look and looked to the steering wheel. I scooted up on the twin's lap looking like I was trying to get more comfortable and looked to where my brother's eyes were fixed. The Prelate was masturbating!

We drove to the Prelate changed his mind and drove to our community house. It appeared he could no longer wait and this was ten miles closer. He had us clean his grandsons' tummies clean with our tongues. We took up their seed in our mouths as they giggled as if we were tickling them.

When we entered the house, we were led to the great room. Prelate Mathias took a breath and was about to instruct us when my brother Thomas interrupted him.

"I am my father's surrogate." "I will conduct the ceremony Eminence."

The prelate was shocked for a moment but smiled and nodded his agreement.

Thomas turned to us and ordered us to kneel. We both knelt in front of him and assumed our position of prayer.

"Chastity, What are you," he asked?

"I am a Woman, brother." "I created the first sin against our beloved lord and I am responsible for having us exiled from Eden."

He turned to Melanie and said, "Wife, what are you?"

"I am a Woman, husband." "I created the first sin against our beloved lord and I am responsible for having us exiled from Eden."

"Wife, as a woman, how will you atone for your sins," he questioned?

"Husband, I will pray daily for our salvation, I will obey you, my ordained Elders and my Father in all things." "I will work for them to be accepted into heaven and I will strive to reach the next step of reincarnated myself and blessed into manhood in my next life."

"Chastity? And you," he asked?

"Brother, I will pray daily for our salvation, I will obey you brother, my ordained elders and my Husband in all things."

He quickly went through our requirements by the covenants and had us stand.

"Chastity?" "Melanie?" "You may disrobe."

Melanie and I turned to each other. She brushed my cheek and actually kissed me lightly on my lips. "This will be over soon, sister." "It will pass." "Let us make the best of it."

With that she turned me and undressed me. She would not let me take any garments off myself. When she went to take my panties off, she got on her knees, looking straight at my mound, and pulled my panties from my hips. She smiled up at me and padded the front of my mound for a second, a slight graze actually and stood up. I helped her unbutton the back of her dress and assisted in helping her to disrobe. When we were finished, we stood in front of the twins.

"Sister!" "Wife!" "Undress your communicants," he commanded.

We both went over and unbuttoned their shirts. I pulled the shirt of one of them, off his arms with some difficulty. I pulled mightily on the shirt and pulled the tail from his pants. I knelt before him and fumbled trying to find his belt buckle. After finding it, I pulled it lose and unbuttoned his trousers. I pulled his zipper down and his pants off his hips. I then pulled his under garments off and he stood naked in front of me.

"Take their clothes and fold them neatly on the table."

We both looked at him strangely and did as we were told. We took the clothing and folded them onto the table that the donation boxes sit normally at the entrance to the church.

Thomas took the ottomans that had been used for Prudence and I the prior night. He placed them in front of the twins.

"Elder Brothers, these women are unworthy to earn your cocks." "They must prove their worth to you." "Bend over on the ottomans and present your ass to them." "Have them open you wide and clean you with their tongues."

I could see that they were excited because they got hard with my brother's words. I was in shock with my brother's words.

My brother walked over to the prelate, took him aside and talked to him for several minutes. When he came back, the Prelate had a pale look on his face.

"Now, Brothers, You may order these slut bitches to lick your asses."

They both shouted out, saliva actually dripping down their chin, "Lick our asses, sluts."

My brother turned to us, "Wife!" "Sister!" "Do as your betters tell you to do!"

I was going to vomit. I knew I couldn't do this but I did what my brother said to do. I stood kneeled behind one while Melanie did the other. She nodded to me and I parted the ass cheeks of the one in front of me. As I started to hold my breath, and bend over, I felt my brother jerk my head back. There was a horrible scream and I saw a wooden croquet stake up his anus. I watched Thomas go to the next one, pull his wife away and slam another stake up this one's ass.

"I am going to tell you fat pigs, exactly what I told that coward of a grandfather you have." "IF you EVER harm my sisters again, come near our family again, ever say anything against our family again?" "I will damn you in front of God, I and my brothers will stick your asses impaled on a telephone pole like a child's sucker and we'll light the pole on fire." "I will watch you burn on earth before you start your eternal burn in hell."

With that, he forced the Prelate to disrobe. Thomas told us to dress. He slapped the Prelate in the face and had us gather their clothes. When we got outside, he ran to his truck and came back with a can of Kerosene. He sprinkled their clothing with the liquid and lit them on fire.

"Wife and Sister, it is time to go home."

At Home

When we got home my husband was waiting for us at the table with Prudence. I kissed his cheek in front of Thomas and said, "It is nice to see you father." He smiled up to me weakly.

Thomas shook his head no. "Chastity call him what he is."

I looked confused and turned to Melanie who nodded his head.

I bent over and kissed him on the lips and said, "It is nice to see you, Husband."

Thomas then turned to Prudence. "Prudence, our family was in grave danger today caused by you telling the Prelate family things." "It was caused by your jealousy." "That will not happen again do you understand?"

Prudence nodded her head and Thomas bent over and gave her a kiss.

"I am my father's surrogate today and I will not cede that right this day." "Chastity, you will not sleep with your husband tonight." "You are the cause of some of this by taking your father away from his first daughter, Prudence."

I nodded.

"Prudence, you will take father to his bed, please him and take his seed." "You will remain obedient to him this whole night." "Do you understand?"

She nodded.

I watched my husband go up the stairs with my sister. I felt emptiness as they walked together, hand and hand. I realized my sister had been seriously hurt by our marriage.

"I plan on going to spend the evening with Mathew and Grace," Thomas stated. "Melanie will stay here with you, Chastity."

I stood up and kissed my brother's cheek. "That is not necessary, Thomas." "I am perfectly fine in the house by myself even with Prudence being with my husband." "Thank you but Melanie should be with you."

"Chastity, you do not really understand much, do you sister," he said?

I was at a loss. I had no idea what I did wrong.

"Sister, you not only hurt Prudence." "You tore Melanie apart," he said to me.

"How?" I turned to Melanie. "I've tried to be a good sister to you, Melanie." "I love you," I pleaded to her.

Melanie stood up, looked at me and said, "And I love you also, Melanie."

I looked even more confused.

"Melanie, I love you more." "Like a husband loves a wife." "I've always loved you." "I have loved you since we were children."

Thomas turned to me and nodded. "She has always loved you and I have known it before we were married." "She told me that," he said. "she told me as part of our marriage and it has made our marriage stronger for the truth of it." "We sometimes pretend during love making that we share you in our bed." "For I love you also."

"So tonight I am still your father as your husband has gone to bed with your sister, "he smiled. "You will do as I say and Melanie will bed you." "She has earned this one night with you and tonight it is in my power to give it to her." "So sister Chastity, you will take the Eden oaths in front of my wife tonight." "Now both of you go."

With Melanie

Melanie opened my door with a silence that almost shattered my eardrums from the echo in my ears, "She has earned this one night with you and tonight it is in my power to give it to her." I got into the room and immediately fell to my knees in front of my sister-in-law. I commenced the recitation without prompt and I felt her palm clasp over my mouth.

"Chastity, lovers do not get on their knees and pledge to obey because someone did something thousands of years ago and they want to take some guys seed."

"They hold each other, make each other feel safe and wanted."

With that, she took my hand and brought me to my bed. I felt her lean towards me and place my lower lip between her two lips. She sucked on it momentarily and then kissed me softly, fully on my lips. Her tongue caressed my lips between her kisses and her hand gently caressed my shoulders.

Melanie laid me on the bed and twisted my legs counter clockwise so that my head would be on the pillow and my feet at the foot of the bed. She lay down beside md and kissed my ear, saying nothing but kissing. Her hand across my tummy and holding my waist to her. Her tongue licked my ear, slowly boring inside it until I found the nerves in my ear connect with my pelvis area. She swabbed inside it and curled her tongue upward as she withdrew it from my ear canal.

I felt her hand move to my bonnet. I straightened up automatically, rigid and said, "NO!"

"That is for my husband."

Melanie pushed my bonnet off the back of my head and stroked an absent strand of hair off my forehead. "Chastity, it is just hair." "It is supposed to be something that only a husband sees but no other male." "I am your sister, Love." "It is allowed."

She stroked my forehead and my eyes started to close as if she was hypnotizing me. I felt her arm move and I looked up and she had taken her bonnet off also. She laid her head next to mine and our hair spread over the pillow, intertwining each other.

The softness of her breath on my neck and the warmth of her body next to me, made me close my eyes and shortly later, I had fallen asleep. When I awoke, darkness had taken over the sky and she was still looking at me, stroking my hair.

"How long have I been a sleep, sister," I asked her?

"Two plus hours," she said as she looked at my face.

She was a truly beautiful woman and with a grace that few of us achieve. I smiled across to her as she lay next to me.

"Go shower and I will be with you shortly."

I showered in water so hot I could barely stand beneath it. I washed thoroughly and felt completely refreshed. There was a night dress set out for me and I quickly robed. As I was brushing my hair, Melanie came in and smiled.

"Sister Chastity, come with me onto the bed."

She had changed into a night dress also. I sat down and she had prepared a light meal of fresh slice fruit, yogurt and cocoa. As we munched, she started to explain.

"Sister, they teach us how to make ourselves wet so that men may gain entrance to our legs." "The church teaches us to spread our legs so that we may atone for the sins of someone I have never met and died eons ago." "Tonight, I will teach what our bodies are truly meant for."

With that she told me how my brother Thomas had an open relationship with my brother Mathew and his wife Grace. Now that I was married to my father, they wanted me to be included in this group. She had been chosen because she actually was in love with me. They all agreed it would be done better with a woman who had a non-blood relationship with me and one who enjoyed being with another woman.

She cleaned our plates off the bed and came back on it. She gently pulled me down on the mattress and began to kiss my neck. Her tongue was licking my neck as she made her way up to my ear. I felt a light kiss on my ear and her tongue starting to probe in it. She stroked my cheek with her hand and she continued to send little shock waves with her tongue in my ears.

She moved her hand across my cheek and presented two fingers to my lips. I realized I was to take it in my mouth. I took the wrist of her hand, opened my mouth and took her fingers into it. I sucked on her fingers, as if it were a man's penis. I held her wrist and my tongue licked the fingers and sucked on them. I pulled her fingers nearly out of my mouth, holding the wrist taut enough to ensure I could suck on her fingertips.

She withdrew from my ear and sat me up. I could feel her reach for the hem of the long night dress and tug it from underneath my rear. She knelt on the bed and took the night dressed, bunched around my waist and lifted it over my head. She kissed me fully on the lips, her tongue teasing mine and laid me back down. I lay naked but for my panties in front of my sister.

She moved down the nape of my neck and started kissing again. She went down with her lips until she was barely touching the beginning swell of my breast. I pulled her head against me, forgetting me with another woman. Her hand moved up and cupped my breast fully. Her fingers teasing over my nipples.

"Sister, take your breast and offer it to me." "Give me your breast and feed me as if I were YOUR child, Charity."

I cupped my breast in my hand and held it to her. She hesitated and I pulled her head gently onto my breast. She suckled me as if she was a nursing baby. I squeezed my breast between her lips as if to give her my milk. I had this flash, my eyes closing and all of a sudden I realized; I was going to orgasm. My toes went rigid and I closed my legs tightly as she sucked my nipple harder.

"I think I'm going to cum, Melanie," and with that... I did! Crashing inwardly onto myself with a whispered moan. I kept coming in soft waves for a minute or so and finally collapsed on my bed. After catching my breath, I turned to Melanie and questioned, "How did I do that with you just on my bed?"

Melanie smiled, "I have heard a woman can cum with just someone sucking on their breast." "I have never seen it and certainly have not experienced it myself." "Clearly you can!"

She lay down again next to me, but lower. Her eyes level with my belly button. She was at my tummy kissing it, her tongue again tracing wet spots across it. She came to my belly button and took her tongue. She wet it, and then pushed it inside me as if to clean it. It was like she did with my ear but this time I felt I had an almost direct connection between my navel and my vagina.

"Open your legs for me, Chastity," my sister told me.

I opened my legs for her and felt her hand press against my mound. Her hand trailing over my vulva and pressing against it. I pushed my hips up to meet her palm. Her middle finger started to make teasing little forays between the lips of my vagina. Never much more than the fore finger but so teasing, I kept trying to push it in.

"Chastity, say it." "Tell me what you want, Sister."

I looked at her hopefully. "I want you to finger me, Melanie."

"Finger you where," she questioned?

"My vagina, Please, Melanie?"

She would not go in further. "No Chastity." "Your brothers Thomas and Mathew will want you to be explicit." "Tell me." "Talk dirty, Chastity," she urged.

"I want you to finger fuck my cunt, Melanie." "Please make me take your finger deep inside me."

She took her fingers and started to plunge in and out of me. Her thumb, pressed against my clit. My clit exposed itself to her thumb and I swell under just the simple pressure she put on it. I was gasping when she knelt between my legs. She bent over my pussy and started to lick my clit. I curled my toes involuntarily.

She moved her fingers out of my pussy and I was about ready to shout, "NO!" I felt her take those two fingers and manipulate them between my butt cheeks. She moved in gently and I reached down to spread myself for her.

"Slowly," She said. "Take my fingers slowly and slide yourself onto them."

I did as she told me and pushed myself onto them until I had them both inside my ass. She took her other hand and placed two fingers into my pussy. She started finger fucking both holes. I could feel her stroking the wall of my butt as if it was but a paper thin layer between my ass and my pussy. She leaned over and blew against my swollen clit, finger fucking me the whole time.

"I have to cum, sister." "Please??"

With that she sucked my clit in between her lips. Her fingers in my pussy she used to impale me to the bed and the ones in my ass she started to fuck me with. I jumped upwards in a semi sitting position and my ass started to squeeze her fingers. My muscles started contracting and I could not hold it any longer! This time I just screamed, "FUCK ME!" I did it over and over until I finally stopped. I fell to the bed some minutes later.

Melanie let me rest for several minutes. I felt her move her hand over my mound and thought to myself, "Not again?" "I can't."

She moved between my legs and I could feel her straddle my leg. She clutched my thigh with her leg and started rubbing her vagina up against it. At the same time, she pushed her thigh against my pussy and urged me to rub myself against her thigh.

"I'm going to teach you to trib, Sister."

I looked at her completely confused.

"I'm going to teach you how to fuck another women."

She was moving very fast, sliding along my thigh as if in a race. I then remembered I had cum twice and she none. She slowed down trying to let me catch up to her. After several minutes, she lay down with her head opposite to me. She took her legs and pushed down so that her pussy made contact with me. We were like two inverted scissors with our middle connecting spot pushing against each other.

She looked down and said, "Fuck me sister." "Make me cum little sister, harder than I made you cum."

I took her leg and wrapped my arms around it. I used it as leverage and pushed my cunt hard against hers. I moved back and forth across her pussy and pushed my hips forward as if I were a man trying to fuck her.

"Oh yes, Chastity." "That is the way to fuck a woman," she said.

With that, I could feel her pussy start in contractions.

She grasped me hard and said, "NOW!" "MAKE ME CUM NOW!" "FUCK ME."

She grasped me hard. Pulling at me as she continued to cum. As she reached half way through her orgasm, incredibly, I had a third orgasm!

We pulled on each other and sang a duet of "Oh Blessed One!" "Oh fuck yes," together.

We finally finished. Melanie came up next to me tugging on the blanket and pulling it over us. We spooned together with me in the front.

She wrapped me in her arms and said, "I love you."

"I love you too, Sister," I whispered.

I fell asleep shortly after that.

By Carole_n_Nice for Literotica