wonders if she could live another 4 years

Your pleasure is his pleasure and you always come first (literally and figuratively) - very soft service dom kinda energy

He LOVES giving head/eating out and will never rush; that man will savor you like you're his last meal

He's got the thiccest, juiciest butt

Gets very clingy, needy, a little whiny when horny

Loves praise

Very quick and enthusiastic learner

Surprisingly sensitive to praise; he likes it quite a bit and is very intent on earning it

Has a thing for undressing you slowly; will take his time with buttons, zippers, straps. The anticipation is part of it for him

Loves morning sex, especially the slow, half-awake kind where you're both still tangled in sheets

Gets weak when you say his name

He takes his time learning what makes you lean back into him. What makes your breath catch. How long he can keep you wanting before wanting becomes need.

Dmitry smiles against the curve of your neck, dark hair brushing your cheek as he moves closer. His mouth closes over your skin, soft at first, then a little firmer when you shiver.

One hand cups your jaw while the other dips below your waistband. Your whole body tenses, air caught tight in your throat as his fingers slide lower. Then, just when your body starts to chase the touch, he draws his hand back up.

Your breath leaves you shakily. You sink against him, spine softening into the broad line of his chest behind you.

His thumb strokes over your lower lip.

“Thank you.” His teeth catch your neck lightly, making you still beneath his hands. Then his tongue follows, soothing the place with a tenderness that only makes it worse. “But I thought we said I was going to do the talking,” he reminds you, voice low against your skin.

“Your mouth seemed kind of—” you choke on a sigh when his thumb sweeps over your nipple, drawing it tight through the fabric of your shirt. “Busy…”

“I know,” he breathes. “I’ve been keeping you waiting.”

His fingers close around the sensitive peak.

“Mm-hm…”

“Will you tell me what you want?”

“Mm—mm-hm…”

His hand slides up, fingers stroking the column of your throat. “With your beautiful words?” he asks, kissing just beneath your ear. “Will you let me hear them?”

Your throat works beneath his touch. “Yes…”

His mouth lingers at your ear, lips grazing skin as he speaks. “You can say a little more. I’m listening.”

“Touch me,” you finally say. “Please.”

“Of course.” Dmitry’s smile presses into your skin. “I’ll take good care of you.”

"Yes, chellakutty! Amma. Am-ma." She's already calling for you, her face glowing with pride. "Darling, come here. They said it. Can you say it again, my lovely?"

Dmitry: He's holding them in his lap, bouncing them gently on his knee. He's been trying to coax the word out of them for weeks, but so far, it's only earned him a lot of enthusiastic babbling.

"Pa-pa. Can you say papa?" He waits, then sighs when they only stare back at him. "You're not ready. That's okay, kiddo. We'll get it eve--"

He stops when they finally say it back. The baby says it again, louder this time, and Dmitry's eyes are already watering as he calls for you.

"MC! Come here--they did it!" He presses kiss after kiss to their chubby cheek, laughing when they keep repeating themselves. "I know. Papa's right here."

Jong-woo: The baby is sitting on his chest, drooling directly onto his shirt while he patiently sounds it out for them.

"Appa. Appa-rago malhaebwa. Ap-pa." He takes their little hands and bounces them against his chest in time with each syllable. "Uri aegi hal su isseo. Appa. Appa-appa-appa."

He's starting to wonder whether he's been talking to himself for the past ten minutes when they finally answer him. Jong-woo's mouth falls open. "Mwo? Dasi haebwa. Appa?" They say it again, and he bolts upright with a shout of laughter. "Yes! That's right! Appa!"

He scrambles to his feet and carries them around the room in one excited lap, laughing through the tears gathering in his eyes while they stare up at him, delighted by the commotion.

Kailee: She's made teaching them their first word part of the daily schedule. Same time, same high chair, same stack of flashcards--although most sessions end with the cards on the floor and food smeared across both of them.

Today, the baby ignores the card in her hand and reaches impatiently for the spoon instead.

"Mama," they whine, tugging at her wrist.

Kailee's eyebrows shoot up. "Did you just say mama?"

Her whole face lights up and she immediately pulls out her phone. "You did. Oh my gosh, you did." She hands over the spoon without a fight, kisses their sticky cheek, and calls for you before she's even finished celebrating. "MC, come here! Our genius finally said mama."

Kalea: She hasn't been trying to rush them. They'll learn and grow at their own pace, and she's content to wait until they're ready. She's sitting outside with them in her lap, humming under her breath, when they grab one of her curls and yank.

"Ah--ow. That's mama's hair, baby. Can you let go, please?"

Their little voice echoes, "Mama," followed by another determined tug.

Kalea goes still, happy tears gathering along her lashes as she stares down at them. She doesn't even try to rescue her hair. She just gathers them closer, laughing as the tears spill over. "Yeah. That's me."

Luca: They're sitting beside his easel in their high chair, happily gnawing on the end of a clean paintbrush while he works. He glances over whenever they fall too silent, but they're perfectly content until the brush slips from their hand and clatters to the floor.

Their little fingers open and close toward it. "Dada," they call, staring at him expectantly.

Luca slowly peers around the canvas. "I see. Your first word, and you're already using it to order me around." He retrieves the brush, swaps it for another clean one, and presses a kiss to the top of their head. "I'm proud of you, kid."

Lucia: She's dead tired, slumped against the couch with the baby sprawled across her chest. Her eyes have only just drifted closed when they grab the front of her shirt and pull.

"What?" she mumbles, opening one eye. "I'm here. I'm awake."

The baby pats her cheek and says, "Mama."

Lucia stares at them, sleep disappearing from her face. "You waited until your other parent left the room?" She grabs her phone without loosening the arm around them. "Okay, do it again. Mama needs evidence." When they finally repeat it, her grin is so wide that she has to restart the recording twice because she keeps laughing over them.

Makai: He's settled them in his lap with a picture book open across both their legs, reading every sentence as though they fully understand the plot. The baby keeps slapping both hands against the illustrations, and when he tries to turn the page, they plant their palms over it.

Makai chuckles and nudges at one chubby wrist. "I can't tell you what happens next if you don't let me move."

They look up at him and say, "Dada," as though that settles the matter.

His fingers stop against the edge of the page. He looks down at them for a long while, his expression softening into a smile. He leans down to press a kiss to their cheek. "Yeah," he murmurs. "I'm Dada."

They still refuse to let him turn the page, so he reads the same one again without complaint.

Misty: The two of you have been locked in a competition over who gets the first word, and Misty is determined to win.

Every time she has the baby to herself, she's whispering, chanting, or singing some variation of, "Mama. Come on, bug. Suuuper easy. Ma-ma."

This time, the baby watches her with a gummy smile and finally copies her. Misty gasps, then throws both hands into the air. "Yes! I knew you could do it!"

She scoops them up and parades through the room, calling for you so loudly that the baby starts laughing too. "Tell them, bug. Who won? Mama won." Later, once the competition has been thoroughly celebrated, you catch her holding them close and asking them to say it again in a much softer voice.

Santiago: They're perched on his shoulders while he floats around the kitchen, fixing their snack with one hand. "Bananas or steamed peaches, amorcito?"

They slap the top of his head excitedly. "Peaches it is. Excellent choi--"

"Papá," they interrupt.

Santiago stops mid-step. "Qué dijiste?" He brings them down from his shoulders and holds them in front of him, already smiling. "Dilo otra vez. Papá."

When they repeat it, he breaks into laughter and kisses both of their cheeks until they start squirming. "Papá," he says, spinning them around the kitchen until they're both laughing, the snack completely forgotten.

By the time you walk in, they've turned it into a whole song--"Papá, papá, papá"--Santiago dancing with them in his arms and looking far too delighted to ever stop.

Santina: She's giving them a bath, piling bubbles onto their head until they've got a lopsided little crown. "Uy, qué linda/o! La reina/El rey del baño."

The baby splashes her square in the chest and chirps, "Mamá."

Santina gasps, one wet hand flying to her mouth. "Mamá? Sí, amorcito! Mamá!"

Kailee: Hugs you first, long enough to let you sag into her. Then she pulls back, looks at your face, and decides you need something. Water, tea, your favorite drink, a snack, something warm. She brings it back and sits beside you, close enough for your shoulders to touch. "Start from the beginning," she says, already annoyed at whoever upset you.

Kalea: Worries immediately. You collapse into her and she freezes for half a second before wrapping both arms around you. "Oh no. What happened?" Her voice goes soft, her hand rubbing carefully over your back. She might not know how to fix it, but she's very good at making you feel like you don't have to carry it alone.

Linden: They hold you for a while first, giving you space to breathe before asking anything. Then they tuck you into their side and say, "What do you need right now? Comfort, advice, distraction, silence?" Whatever you choose, they follow through.

Lu: Lets you rest back against them, arms loosely wrapping around your middle. Their chin tips near your shoulder while you complain, expression darkening at all the correct points. They don't do empty reassurance. They listen, judge everyone involved, and co-sign your frustration. "No, you're right. That was idiotic."

Makai: Doesn't say much at first. He just curls his arms around you and lets you stand there, breathing against him until some of the tension leaves your body. Then he presses a kiss to the side of your head and mutters, "Bad day?" If you nod, he runs you a bath, gets you something comfortable to wear, and climbs in behind you if you want him there.

Marcel: Immediately wraps you up and makes a scandalized noise. Their first instinct is distraction: kissing, touching, dragging you to bed if that's what you want. If you're not in the mood, that's fine too. They'll pour drinks, pull you onto the couch, and host an extremely committed shit-talking session. "Who do I have to hate? Names, mon coeur. I need names."

Misty: Pulls you into a hug, gives you a second to breathe, then starts trying to make you laugh. She just knows sometimes you need someone to make the day feel less heavy. "Okay," she says, rubbing your back. "Do we need food, a walk, or should I start insulting people I've never met?"

• Scout: An Apocalypse Story by @anya-dev. Five years later I still think about the Orange Plains. We miss you, Anya. Hoping you're okay and thank you so much for this story. Your legacy carries through time like the cough of the Rover through your desert world. E, you were destined to be my soulmate but Sabine doesn't give a f*ck about destiny. The image of a guy using his very limited electricity supply to iron his clothes in the apocalypse still lives in my mind rent-free.

• Since I already mentioned it College Tennis: Origin Story by @allieebobo. Very slice of life, great dynamics among characters that go beyond their interactions with MC. You'll come to this story for the romance and you'll stay for the community feel and the engaging tennis descriptions. I love playing the matches so much I don't even unleash the kraken anymore. There are lots of customization for you to enjoy and countless little things that get acknowledged by the story (including race and gender). Y'all know I'm a sucker for that kind of flavour text. Same author of Merry Crisis which is being adapted as a visual novel (you go, author!) and is also a very enjoyable read. Coming-of-age vibes.

• The Golden Rose by @anathemafiction. Can't wait for the second book. Welcome to a new version of Tarragona! Explore the city; fight with your horse; get your face Halloween-ed; feel like a rich bastard after meeting a street rat and remember how dirt poor you actually are after meeting actual rich folks; enjoy the flavour text you'll get (including differences depending on your MC's sex). Alessa, I will make a simp out of you. Or not. I'll love you anyway because I'm a soft-hearted fool. Never had I ever raced an old woman who pushed her steed to its limit. She also pushed my buttons. In a darker playthrough the memory of this hag might just be the last straw for a corrupt and likely insane Romanus.

• Love After Death by @loveafterdeath-if. The kind of story I enjoy immensely and that I know I will never be able to write because I'm no good at writing confrontation. Won't leave you indifferent, will make you feel. May be rage, may be hope, may be hurt but it will definitely make you feel. You'll get your heart broken, though it can be mended by a grumpy cat with a liberal idea of what a litter box looks like. Then again, your heart is the least of your concerns if you let your sanity suffer blow after blow. Be damned, Juliet. Heaps of customization, flavour text and reactions to choose from. Solid 10.

• The Wayhaven Chronicles, by @seraphinitegames. Need I say more? Insane branching across books, good and varied romances great plot and dynamics. You can have mommy issues! Honestly, what else could you possibly ask for? In Book Two a little girl may be told that all she has to do to achieve her goal is to work hard and she may answer 'oh, I don't want to do that'. If you can't relate... Have bought all three books. Will defo buy the fourth when it's out.

• The Cruel Palace by @tispyyyyy. Every single character the author introduced feels real. Gorgeous writing, flows like a calm river going downhill; it's solemn and poetic but also fun and witty when the story allows for it, and the writer sure knows when the story allows for it because the tone is always on point. The missives are top notch. MC's mother and older sister are severe but still managed to worm their way into my poor little heart. The fact that they are so similar and yet don't get along didn't escape my notice.

• Blood Moon by @barbwritesstuff. A lot of branching and different paths for such a "short" story. Very straightforward and not the tiniest bit less interesting for it. It's refreshing to read something that doesn't need to be incredibly convoluted to earn the 'good plot' badge. I might be biased because it's very rare that I don't lose interest in complicated games, even worse if they rely heavily on stats. I'm so incredibly envious of writers that can tell a story without losing sight of the big picture. This is it. I adore werewolves, I adore this story and I sure adore the fact that whoever wrote it also knew about ducks' corkscrew dicks.

• When Life Gives You Lemons by @when-life-gives-you-lemons-if. This one is strange for me because I remember playing the demo when it first came out and I didn't like it that much. Maybe because I'm not a messy player and I wasn't interested in any of the ROs. BUT. It has a very distinct style, there's humour galore, a soft comfy vibe all throughout and it updated recently. Boy, I was hooked. It's like those open-world games that let you explore and before you know it you've got 100 hours played and you never did a single main mission. You can skip romance (or devote yourself to Fiffer and Fiffer only, like moi) and it's still such a wholesome game. Slice of life is rare in the IF community. I saw a post the author made and I was shocked to learn she only gets 25% of the revenue. It may be fair for shorter games since HG gives you the program to actually make the game but man, for a story that has almost a million words? It seems a bit unjust. Still will buy it. 25 is more than 0.

• A Taste of Heat (formerly Spices of the Heart) by @when-life-gives-you-lemons-if. Again, very distinct style. If you read a story by this author you know it's hers. Slice of life, lots of smut but you're good to play without it and still feels like a very special game. Fun and funny, the MC feels like an actual person with their flaws and their virtues. We'll save your pizzeria, Alexis! Screw the Michelin Restaurant! Descriptions are great and the writing really makes you feel like the food is important. Lots of content and many ROs to choose from, all of them quite different from the other. I also like that stats are present but not the be-all and end-all of the story.

• Cantata by @fir-fireweed. Unique story, great worldbuilding, marvellous cast even outside of the ROs, lots of flavour text (I can only take a guess at how draining it must be keeping track of all those variables in Twine so my utter respect). It's very wholesome but bittersweet in certain parts. Super original premise and very imaginative. Calliope's gadgets are incredibly interesting and I've played several times and changed my MC's attunement just to see what her daddy came up with. The kind of writing that tells a lot without being convoluted and still manages to tell it beautifully. The kind of story I read and think, 'man, I wish I could write like this'.

• Season of Shadows by Krisis. Sooooooo goddamn gooooooood. Funny as hell, awesome dialogue, perfect and mocking depiction of sensationalist press, sensible understanding of what being a social pariah looks like (applicable but not limited to MC's situation). Very different characters that all manage to be interesting, not a single page is boring to read. Quantity and quality because who said you can't have it all? I adore this story. Every word and punctuation mark. Jane Austen would be proud (and probably also very low in Lady Blackwood's list. She ended up a spinster, anyway). One of the few stories in which I genuinely don't know who I'm going to romance first. So probably whoever has the earliest lock-in.

• Such Happy Campers by @girlfromthecrypt. What a shame the author had to deal with certain comments that made them put the game on hold. If you read this, author, I love this game to bits. DashingDon is gone and so is the demo as far as I know but I still remember it and do so very fondly. Flo saying that people are drawn to him because he comes across as mysterious only to leave him behind once they realise that "under all that 'me' there's just more 'me'" still haunts me in a beautiful way.

• Mantle: Mask On by @jjdove. I am so hyped for this story. I love the banter and dialogue choices; they really make MC feel like their own person and it allows for a lot of freedom as a player. Tilly is already growing on me (and I'm befuddling her with Xtreme kindness) but I'm mostly dying to know more about my darling Bee and whatever happened to her. Ain't no bathtub high enough that she can't conquer it but I'll be nearby in case she ever wants help. Or two buff, strong arms to cradle her Not letting us hug her right there is a crime, by the by.

• Soulmates Inc by @soulmatesinc-if. Love the concept. Super original, lots of options on how to carry out a mission. MCs company is shady as fuck but Romero and I don't see eye to eye so here's to hoping I'm mistaken. Sam, dearest, I don't need a machine to tell me about you, I'll simply court you the traditional way. I like to think this is how Tinder actually operates, then the amount of weirdos that use the app would make sense. Those profiles belong to infiltrated soul-links, people. "Anne Nonimmus, 25. 'I have 3 kids and 4 baby daddies (we're still sorting out who fathered the youngest one). If you're less than 201cm and will make a fuss about paying for my and my kids' meals on a date don't even bother'."

• Apartment 502 by @apt502-if. Sitcom vibes? Immaculate. Option to ignore and/or be spiteful to the person who made you move to another city/country? You betcha. Calli, I'll wait for you (or get charmed by Lani) while your relationship crashes and burns. Either way, I'll support you, girl. I would tell Rainn to go eat glass but we're not on speaking terms and I blocked her number. Which is funny because I choose to act all high and mighty when we happen to meet face to face. Good news is, if you're not happy with this ex you can have another one! Yay!

• Étreinte by @etreinte-if. Criminally underrated. Criminally, I'm telling you. Even if it is fairly popular. The contrast between playing the innocent, proper girl like mommy dearest taught us while she narrows her eyes, 100% aware of the duping and yet her being completely unable to smell the bull if you go the humble way because she's completely unacquainted with the notion of humility will never not be funny. Lots of flavour text depending on your choices, nice plot, solid characters and a very clearly horrible person so that everyone can agree on whom to hate. Nothing creates communion like a common foe does! Also, the drastic way my poor Lena changed from a vibrant little girl to a subdued young woman kills me every time.

• This one may be a little of a hear me out but I f*cking stand by it. What Makes a Shinobi by heeheehaw. I must confess I didn't expect much of it. I thought it would be just another Naruto fanfic but in a different format and I guess in a certain way it is, but the writing sucked me into the author's world. There's a lot of insight in the way we're told about MC's progress. I still remember the instructor explaining the lower rank missions and saying something along the lines of 'most of you won't ever go beyond these. This is not failure, this is the job'. I will keep that sentence in my heart for as long as I live. It's hard to surprise a fan of the original when you're borrowing a very well-loved and popular manga. This one did it for me!

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex) - Loving, sweet; likes taking care of partner after (like getting them water, giving them a massage, etc.)

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s) - Likes partner's thighs/legs; he likes his hands and shoulders

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically) - Likes swallowing, loves cumming inside partner (with or without condom)

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs) - At their request, once covered up a client's affair by moving money through enough polished, boring channels that the spouse would never notice what it was really being spent on.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?) - Pretty experienced, he knows what he's doing, but he'd prefer to communicate during so it's better for his partner

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying) - lotus, kneeling bodyguard, doggy

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.) - Tends to be more serious, but will be playful if that's what his partner is in the mood for

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.) - Keeps his pubes and happy trail neatly trimmed, has a moderate amount of chest hair

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment?) - Gently commanding; he's a soft service dom, so he likes to take care of his partner, compliment them, etc.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon) - Likes to masturbate once a week or every other week; doesn't really like porn so when he touches himself, it's usually to his imagination (unless he's dating/sexting with his partner)

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks) - Breath play (likes being choked)

L = Location (favorite places to do the do) - bedroom or shower

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going) - Begging sweetly, touching his chest, running your hands through his hair, kissing his neck

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs) - No leashing or degrading his partner

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.) - prefers giving, though he'll receive if his partner begs; exceptionally skilled

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.) - Prefers slow and sensual; really enjoys taking his time. But if his partner wanted something rougher/faster, he'd oblige, but he would check in to make sure he's not hurting them

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.) - Doesn't mind a quickie in the mornings, especially during the work week; if it's after work or a weekend, though, he'd rather take his time

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.) - If his partner really wants it, he'll try, but he won't do anything harmful, super painful, or degrading

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?) - He can go maybe 2 rounds with a 15-20 minute break in between; can last pretty long

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?) - He's got a flesh light that he uses sometimes and a vibrating cock ring that's his favorite; he'd rather do all the work with his partner instead of use toys on them

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease) - Depends on his mood or how playful his partner is; if he's also in a playful mood, he'll for sure tease; if he's feeling especially turned on, he'll definitely tease to make it last longer

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.) - Not super loud; drawn out groaning from deep in his chest

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character) - Got caught sexting at work (someone walked in on him with his pants down)

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes) - Nice firm butt, but not huge. Dick is def proportional with his height, but not cartoonishly big.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?) - Moderately high; relatively easy to get him in the mood