Meh

Looking up and arching a brow at Calwen, a fellow healer whose wry smile always hinted at mischief, and had taken to delight in troubling you at any available opportunity.

“Depends,” you replied, brushing a strand from your forehead with the back of your wrist. “Are you bringing news of another poor soul who mistook a sword for a walking stick?”

“Worse,” she said with a grin that immediately set your internal alarm bells ringing. “We’ve got a new patient in the east wing. Rather urgent, or so he says. Requested you specifically.”

That alone prompted you to frown. “Is it that reckless idiot who tried to cauterise his own arm last week?”

Tilting her head while her lips twitched, she bore a ‘clueless’ expression. “Couldn’t say. Though I do recall a certain someone promising to throw the next fool who lit themselves on fire into the nearest fountain.”

“Glad you’re keeping track of my threats.”

“Always. They bring such flavour to the place.”

You narrowed your eyes. “Why do I feel like I’m walking into a trap?”

There was no reply, only a suspiciously bright smile as she handed you a rolled up parchment of paper and turned sharply on her sandals before disappearing around the doorway with the flounce of someone who knew far more than she was willing to say. You didn’t know what else to possible say or do. Being around a class of people in a league entirely above you, left you exhausted as you tried to understand their love for being poetical, theoretical, hypothetical and metaphorical. You didn’t have time for such a brainrot moment.

Keeping the last of your two brain cells sane, were your jot and comfort in this foreign land.

Sighing, you set aside your tasks, you wiped your hands on a cloth, and snatched up the parchment as you moved out of the back room and into the airy corridor that connected the treatment wards. The moment you stepped through, the lingering scent of sweet herbs gave way to a subtle waft of chocolate and something else…something suspiciously like burnt flour. It made you wrinkle your nose.

“Great,” you muttered under your breath as you stalked toward the east wing, muttering to yourself as though you were gearing up for war. Maybe you were because dealing with people who lived like ‘you only live once’ didn’t exist since they were allowed to have second chances. “If this is that same overconfident fool who thought boiling salve didn’t need gloves, I swear I’m going to light him on fire. One more elf walks in with a burn injury and I’m submitting a formal request to ban anything fire from existing.”

Protesting like a lunatic to yourself as you marched through the hallway, your footfalls echoed faintly along the marbled floor. That glimmer of the halls glowing with that ever-present soft illumination that Valinor seemed to bestow on everything it touched, but you paid it little mind, too preoccupied with rehearsing a scolding worthy of the ages.

“I’m starting to regret opening my mouth and go “Hey, I know medicine!” the minute I dropped out the sky to save my ass. I should have let them throw me into the ocean or something.”

Rounding the corner with the intention of storming in, expecting the worst—probably someone trying to show off for one of the fair-haired maidens in the training courts again—and flung open the door, ready to unleash hell. But alas, it wasn’t some arrogant warrior sprawled dramatically on the healing cot.

It was him.

Fingon.

His dark hair was half-loose, braids falling lazily over his shoulders, the ends tied with a golden ribbons that looked slightly singed. From your angle, his cheeks appeared flushed, and fingers emerged in cool spring water which, from the look of it, had been mercifully given to him by someone with enough grace to buy him time but not much more. And then there were his robes, ever finely embroidered, were singed at the sleeve, and in his uninjured hand he held a covered dish carefully balanced on a folded towel.

For a long moment, you just stood there, the words you’d been crafting, caught somewhere between your brain and your throat.

Sheepishly he looked up, but hopeful, as though he wasn’t entirely certain whether you’d laugh at him or throw him out. “…Hello,” he said, with a slow dimpled smile that would do dangerous things to anyone’s composure. “I seem to have run afoul of the culinary arts.”

You blinked, dumbfounded. “You…cooked?”

Gently he lifted the dish. “I tried.”

There was a beat of silence passing before you exhaled, letting your shoulders drop with a quiet sigh of disbelief as you closed the door behind you. “Ah, uh, what, how, um—What did you do, throw yourself into the oven to see if it was warm enough?”

“Not at all,” he cheerily beamed, holding back a laugh, “just the tray. Though in hindsight, I do wonder if it had it out for me.”

Stepping forward, already reaching for the bandages and ointments, your eyes flicked toward the dish he held with curiosity now tinged with concern.

“Is that the dish? What did you whip up?”

There was a small puzzled expression crossing his face, resembling a puppy, before recognition. “A peace offering,” he replied shakily, as though all his confidence vanished at his pre-confession. “Brownies. I followed Glorfindel’s instructions. Mostly.”

There was a sudden pause as you looked him over, teetering on the edge of disbelief. “Glorfindel taught you to bake?”

Fingon nodded with utmost seriousness. “He claimed it was the quickest path to someone’s heart. Though he failed to mention how hazardous the process would be.”

And in spite of yourself, you laughed softly, like a bubbling spring because the image of the fierce and golden-haired Balrog-slayer teaching Fingon, High Prince of the Noldor, to bake brownies for the sake of wooing someone was so utterly absurd and endearing that you couldn’t help it.

Turning to set down your supplies, you shook your head. “Well, I suppose we should take a look at the damage. Your hand, I mean. I’ll see about the brownies after. Hopefully they’re still alive.”

“It isn’t burnt that terribly,” he whispered depreciated, feeling as though you might view his attempt as failure if you deem it needing ‘saving.’

As you began to gently unwrap the compress, your fingers working with the familiarity born of long hours spent in this house, you caught the way his gaze lingered on you with the an observational reverence of someone who saw more than what you showed to others.

It was the same look he always wore when he visited under the guise of wishing to see Elrond and learn more stories about Middle Earth through the ages.

Shaking your head at the notion, you drifted your focus to the warmth of his skin beneath your fingers—warmer than usual, reddened and delicate where it had come into contact with the offending tray. You handled his hand with practiced care, gently dabbing the cool salve along the burn in slow, even strokes, watching his knuckles twitch ever so slightly under the cooling touch. Callouses had decorated his broad hand from years of training, strong and sure in ways you had always noticed and tried not to dwell on.

The silence in the room shifted into something softer, the kind that always stretched between you and Fingon whenever he visited—full of things unsaid. It was filled with his quiet, steady gaze and the careful way he spoke around you, never too forward, always leaving space for you to step toward or away. His gesture always made you flustered and you hated how your heartbeat sped up at his nearness, how his mere presence made the room feel smaller, warmer. More intimate.

“You really burned yourself baking brownies?” you asked again, anything to resist awkwardness settling, though your voice had lost its earlier sharpness. “That’s a new low, even for you.”

There was a faint tilt of his head, and a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth, his gaze never leaving your face. “It is a rather undignified wound, is it not? Shall I conjure a better tale? One involving a great hunting tale, perhaps?”

“I might believe it more,” you airily chuckled, smoothing a salve-covered thumb across the edge of the burn. “You’d look more at home hunting than in a kitchen.”

“Then it pleases me you’re tending to me now. You’re far gentler than Glorfindel was with his ‘lessons.’”

That led to a soft snort. “I’m surprised he didn’t teach you with a sword in one hand and a spatula in the other.”

“You are quite the seer. That is close to how he appeared,” Fingon beamed with all the solemnity of someone recounting a great personal trial. “It was chaos. I nearly lost an eyebrow.”

You couldn’t help the grin that tugged at your lips, though you kept your head ducked slightly to focus on his hand. “Well, I suppose it’s commendable you’re still alive. And you made it all the way here without dropping the brownie, so really, you should be proud.”

“I am,” he whispered quieter, almost thoughtful. “Though I might be prouder if you agreed to share it with me later.”

That made you looked up slowly, your eyes meeting his, and there it was again—that look. As if he were studying something he didn’t quite understand but very much wanted to. As if the room contained only you, and nothing else in Valinor could possibly matter. You held his gaze for a moment too long before you cleared your throat and gently set his bandaged hand aside to retrieve fresh gauze.

“I’ll wrap this,” you muttered, more to yourself than to him. “It’s not severe, but you’ll want to avoid using that hand for a few days.”

A silence fell over you two once again as he watched you work without flinching, unmoving, and when he spoke again, his voice was lower, softer, almost hesitant.

“You know,” he murmured, “when I asked Glorfindel to teach me, it wasn’t only for the brownie.”

You paused, not looking up. “Really?”

“No,” he reassured, and now his voice carried a note of quiet conviction, the kind that unnerved you more than a storm ever could. “It was for the question I intended to ask you when I brought it.”

A pregnant stillness lingered in the air, forcing you to halt, fingers hovering above the bandage, your breath catching before you forced yourself to resume wrapping, slower now. “What kind of question?” you asked, though you felt like you knew, though you felt the answer humming under your skin already.

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he flexed his uninjured hand slightly in his lap, his expression unreadable.

“You’re not from here,” he spoke up at last. “You’re not of Arda. Not even of the race of Men that my people once knew. And yet…you are here. Amongst us. Amongst me. And I find myself thinking of you more often than I ought.”

You swallowed, fingers tightening just slightly as you secured the gauze and fastened it in place.

“That’s not an answer,” you said softly, unable to stop the tremor in your voice.

He leaned forward, not enough to invade your space, but enough that you could smell the hint of chocolate still clinging to his robes, enough that his gaze became inescapable.

“I wanted to ask if I might court you,” he announced, simply. No fanfare, no embellishment—just quiet honesty. “Properly. Despite what separates us.”

You froze, fingers resting lightly against his wrist, your heart hammering as your mind tried and failed to conjure the right thing to say. There wasn’t a time when you had imagined this moment in foolish, lonely hours—always dismissing it as impossible, as something out of place and time. Because he was Fingon. High Prince of the Noldor. Reborn from the halls of Mandos, a song made flesh, heir to a house that shaped the fate of kingdoms.

And you were just…you. A human, displaced and strange, a creature of science and sarcasm, stitching wounds and fetching herbs in a world that still felt too luminous, too vast for your understanding.

Looking up at him slowly, words suffocating somewhere behind your teeth but refusing to come out. And he saw it—your hesitation, your disbelief. So he did what Fingon always did best.

He smiled.

“I know it is much to ask,” he said gently. “And I know our paths were never meant to cross. But they have. And I would not ignore that.”

You breathed out shakily, forcing yourself to step back and busy yourself with cleaning up the used bandages, because if you stood still any longer, you feared you might say something you weren’t ready to understand.

“Fingon,” you began, then faltered, eyes on your hands.

“I am not asking you to decide now,” he corrected quickly and earnestly. “Only that you think on it. That you know it is not a jest, nor some fleeting interest.”

Dared not to glance back at him, but you did and saw the sincerity etched in every line of his face, every soft curve of his lips, and something ached inside you, deep and old.

He didn’t press.

He only stood, slowly, cradling the brownies with his good hand and offering you the faintest of bows.

“I will return once the hand has healed,” he said, though something in his voice hinted he would return far sooner than that. “You may decide then whether to eat this with me…or scold me further.” And with that, he turned and left, leaving behind a strange warmth in his absence, and the faint scent of cocoa and burnt flour lingering in the air.

The healing house had grown quiet by the time the sun dipped low beyond the pearl-white trees and into the soft gold veil of twilight. Most of the other aides had long since gone home, leaving only a hush behind—the kind that settled thick over stone corridors and turned idle thoughts into wandering ghosts. You remained at your corner station, but your hands had grown still, unmoving for a while now, your mind elsewhere entirely.

You hadn’t been able to shake Fingon’s voice from your ears. The way he had said it—I find myself thinking of you more often than I ought. So simple, and yet spoken with the same conviction you imagined he might’ve once used before galloping into battle. No elf had ever spoken to you like that before, and certainly no prince. Not with intention. And definitely not after burning his hand trying to impress you with dessert.

A short, unwilling laugh escaped you at the memory.

He had really done that. The valiant, golden and hearty son of the House of Fingolfin had burned himself making brownies. For you.

When the door to the healer’s quarters creaked open, you were certain it was one of the senior healers come to check on late records. You didn’t glance up right away. But the moment you did, you found Fingon standing there again—cloaked now, though still informal, the hood pushed back to reveal the soft unbraided tumble of his dark hair, loose in a way that made him appear younger, more relaxed.

He held the same small covered dish in one hand. The other, the burnt one, was still wrapped in your handiwork. And you stared at him, stunned.

“You were meant to be resting,” you said dumbly.

“I did rest,” he replied, stepping inside. “Long enough to convince myself that if I waited until morning, the courage might drain right out of me. And then you’d be left with half a brownie and a full silence.”

You blinked. “Sooooo, you came back tonight?”

“I had hoped,” he said, a little more carefully now, “that you might be willing to share it with me. Now. If it’s not too bold.”

That should have been your cue to send him home. You should’ve told him you were tired, that it had been a long day, that patients were exhausting, that you needed to sleep and think and breathe—but you didn’t say any of those things. Instead, you stared at the hearty dish in his hands, the scent of sweet chocolate wafting from it as he stepped closer.

“Are you sure it is edible?” you asked warily.

“That depends,” he chuckled with a slight smirk. “Will you eat it even if it’s not?”

Your expression twitched. “If I die, Elrond will kill you.”

“Then it’s fortunate you are the healer,” he said, arching an eyebrow. “I assume you know how to revive yourself.”

You huffed, unable to help the small laugh that escaped as you shook your head and moved to the table near the corner hearth. Fingon followed, settling across from you as if it were the most natural thing in the world—as though he had done it a thousand times before and would again, for years still to come.

Producing two forks from the drawer, you slid one across the table toward him. He uncovered the dish with a flourish that would’ve been comical had it not smelled absolutely heavenly. You blinked at the warm, brown crust, bubbling edges, and faint caramelised glaze across the top.

“Well fuck me,” you muttered. “You actually pulled it off.”

“I am capable of more than I appear,” he proudly boasted with mock gravity, lifting a fork with the grace of someone raised to dine beside kings. “Though I dare say the presentation is Glorfindel’s doing. I only barely avoided burning it twice.”

Humming at his words, you took your own bite, and to your immense surprise, it wasn’t just edible—it was good. Warm and bright and syrupy with melted chocolate. You made a soft, delighted noise despite yourself. That response made Fingon’s eyes lit immediately. “That sound,” he said, too quickly, “—forgive me—it pleased me.”

Your fork paused halfway back to the bowl, and you looked at him across the modest firelight and shadows of the stone walls, feeling suddenly shy in a way that annoyed you.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” you reminded him. “I still haven’t agreed to anything.”

“I know.” He didn’t flinch. “I said I would wait.”

And he meant it. It showed in the steady way he looked at you, never pressing, never insisting, only offering his presence—his real presence—as if to say, Here I am. If you want me.

It had been a long time since anyone had made you feel like the choice was yours.

“I don’t know how it would work,” you admitted finally, the words barely above a whisper. “I’m not from this world. I say strange things, do stranger things. I don’t have kin here. No lineage. No...destiny. And human-elven relationships…” You trailed off, glancing away. “They never end well. You know that. You’re ancient, Fingon. I’m a blink.”

He didn’t reply right away. Instead, he leaned forward slightly, spoon still resting untouched in his bowl.

“And yet, for all my age, I have never met another like you,” he whispered quietly. “Not in all my days of fire and war, nor in all the years I have wandered since. You carry strangeness like a torch. You shine in ways that make my kind curious, and sometimes confused, but never unmoved. You remind me of the world we nearly lost—the one we fought for.”

You blinked fast, your throat tightening at the rawness in his voice. Then he placed his fork down, looking suddenly uncertain, hesitant.

“I do not ask for forever,” he said. “Only…for a beginning.”

And it was then—only then—you understood. It wasn’t just affection he was offering, it wasn’t about courtship the way your world understood it. He wanted to build something with you. Whatever shape it could take. He wasn’t afraid of the human-elf barrier because to him, the time he had now meant more than the memory of what time had taken.

You didn’t speak for a moment, only reached for his hand again—the one you’d wrapped in bandages earlier—and rested your fingers lightly over his wrist.

The gentle touch of your hand upon his, he looked down at the contact, then back up at you with a quiet, surprised hope.

“I’m not promising anything eternal,” you reminded, a smile tugging weakly at your lips. “But…we can start with brownies.”

Just hearing your response, accustomed to your playfulness, his laugher echoed softly, yet disbelieving, eyes shining in the firelight.

“I would’ve burned both hands for that,” he proudly stated. “And I’m ready to try another sweet.”

Taglist: @lilmelily @ranhanabi777 @rain-on-my-umbrella @mysticmoomin @asianbutnotjapanese @batsyforyou @involuntaryspasms @stormchaser819 @aconstructofamind @addaigio @lamemaster @feanorynz @6esi @will-0-wsps @the0twst0shrimp0mc @ella-error505 @xximmortalkissxx @gauntletgirlie @zheiya

"Aw, what'd I do?" He whines.

"You got so drunk you took a piss in one of the plant pots!" You frown. "You can barely stand even right now." Your shoulders drop as you sigh. "Don't you have anyone you can call?"

"Uh..." He fishes his phone out of his pocket and drops it on the floor. When he tries to bend down and grab it he ends up toppling over. "Damn, I'm soaked," he says, and he is. Literally.

You make a face at the wet spot growing on his pants. "I'm never going on a date my friend's schedule ever again," you mumble, grabbing his phone and holding it to his face to unlock it. His home screen is a dick pic.

"Oh god." You sigh.

"Just give me one more chance," your date slurs up from the floor. "I'll sober up and we can hit up another place, yeah?"

"Honestly, I just want to go home and curl up with a book about fictional men," you mutter, scrolling through his contacts.

You're distracted enough that you don't take much notice of him getting to his feet, but you snap to alertness when he makes a grab for you and misses.

"Come on, let's dance! Under the stars, nice and romantic!"

"I don't think so!" You almost shout.

You're frustrated because as much as you want to go home, your conscience won't let you leave him out here without calling someone. He'd just end up stumbling into traffic otherwise. You dodge his next grab, grumbling as you dial the number he called last.

"Hello? Liam is very drunk and he needs some help getting home."

"Not again," a woman's voice sighs on the other end. "What's your location? I'll come and pick him up."

You tell her and hang up, trying to give him his phone back.

"A kiss before I go?" He begs.

"I can and will pepper-spray your ass if you keep pushing," you warn.

He wobbles towards you, a dopey smile on his face. You reach into your purse for the pepper spray but before you can use it a large dark shape swoops through the sky and picks him up. He hollers and struggles in the hold of the large winged creature, which you realize is a gargoyle. Vakito.

"Wow, I'm being abducted!" Liam slurs drunkenly. "Help?"

Vakito flaps his wings once, skimming so low to the ground that the toe of Liam's shoe scrapes against the ground, leaving a black rubber mark. He soars a little higher in the air and drops Liam into a nearby fountain and he shrieks, most likely from the shock of getting submerged in the chilly water. With a neat wheel in the air, Vakito flies the short distance back to his pedestal and lands in an agile crouch, claws scraping against the stone as he adopts his familiar pose. The whole thing happens in less than a minute, leaving you standing there with your mouth agape, listening to Liam wallow in the fountain background.

"I knew it!" You murmur, walking over to the gargoyle. "You're one of the real ones."

Those stone eyes don't blink, and the barrel of his chest doesn't heave with a single breath. He's back to being a statue.

"Thank you," you say.

"You're welcome. Pick better dates next time." His voice enters your mind like a whisper of wind, but you can tell it belongs to him.

"You know, I think I'm done with dating," you sigh. "It hasn't been great so far. I bet you've seen me come out of the bar alone plenty of times."

"You can do better."

Before you can think of a response the beam of headlights cut across the square. Liam's ride has arrived.

"I have to go, but I'll see you tomorrow!" You say to Vakito.

The woman turns out to be Liam's very exasperated sister. She offers you a ride, but you decline and take the bus again, so you can be alone with your thoughts. You want to know more about Vakito but you don't know where to start. The public archives are probably the best place. Tomorrow, you tell yourself.

❀•°❀°•❀

Baldur's Gate 3

Canon/Canon

• The Lady's Embrace, Shadowheart/Abdirak, Mature/18+, SH accept Loviatar's blessing.

Halsin

dance me to the end of love, NSFW/18+: Fem!Tav and Halsin admit to their feelings post-Moonrise and fuck on a balcony.

Silence, NSFW/18+ : Fem!Tav and Halsin fuck in a closet

Do Unto Others, NSFW/18+ : Fem!Tav wants to give Halsin some attention and convinces him to let her be the giver for once.

Enver Gortash

body more than just a flesh, you can sell it for success, NSFW/18+: Fem!Tav is invited to dinner with the Archduke and things get a little heated.

i will give you all that you need, NSFW/18+: Sequel to the above, Fem!Tav and Gortash bathe together before Enver gets a little handsy.

gracious men are those who suffer, NSFW/18+: Fem!Tav and Enver w/ a free use kink.

legacy with no memory, NSFW/18+: Fem!Durge and Enver Gortash w/a pregnancy kink

I wanna know my god, At least enough to fear Her, NSFW/18+: Fem!Durge and Gortash have a lil bit of hate sex

Gale Dekarios

be my nightfire, NSFW/18+: Fem!Tav catches Gale mid-alone time. Feelings and sex ensue.

Abdirak

sanctify you bedsheets with the sweat along your hips, NSFW/18+: Fem!Tav is fascinated by Abdirak and nervously asks him to teach her about Loviatar.

Raphael

delightful little detour, NSFW/18+: Canon rewrite for what happens when Fem!Tav tells Raphael he's bad at sex.

Let the Dream Begin, NSFW/18+: Fem!Tav/Raphael Phantom of the Opera AU, slowburn

Office Hours, NSFW/18+: Fem!Tav/Raphael College AU

she keeps the candle burning, NSFW/18+: Fem!Tav/Raphael post-game

Yuletide Yearning, NSFW/18+: Fem!Tav/Raphael post-game holiday fun

Haarlep

Ask prompt, Haarlep/Fem!Tav when Haarlep shows up at camp.

Rolan

i wanna have a home, i wanna share it, NSFW/18+: Fem!Tav and Rolan get together post-saving the tieflings from moonrise.

❀•°❀°•❀

Pirates of the Caribbean

Hector Barbossa

The Pirate Lord, NSFW/18+: Barbossa/Reader post-Elizabeth being kinged.

All That Glitters, NSFW/18+: Longform Barbossa/Reader canon rewrite pre-CotBP

Liar's Bet, NSFW/18+: Longform Barbossa/Reader canon rewrite during CotBP and DMC

❀•°❀°•❀

feel the edges start to burn, NSFW/18+: Barbossa/Reader where reader is friends w/Carina

Adoration as Reassurance, NSFW/18+: Barbossa/Reader where he is insecure and reader reassures him.

Harry Potter

Severus Snape

isn't it lovely (all alone), NSFW/18+: Snape/Reader closet sex

no death in rebirth, NSFW/18+: Snape/Reader longform amnesia oneshot

Brought to Life, NSFW/18+: Snape/Reader marauder's era classmates to lovers lol

❀•°❀°•❀

Dead by Daylight

Canon/Canon

Contention, NSFW/18+: Ace/Meg against a tree hatesex

Breaking Point, NSFW/18+: Megmillan first time

It's Alright, Teen/16+: The survivors and killers recover post-entity

Anna/The Huntress

Not so much taming as growing accustomed, Mature/16+, Huntress/Reader friendship to lovers

Herman Carter/The Doctor

Untethered, NSFW/18+, The Doctor/Reader where reader annoying him but in the fun, bratty way

❀•°❀°•❀

Resident Evil Village

Karl Heisenberg

Business Partners with Benefits, NSFW/18+: Heisenberg/Reader where reader is Moreau's niece

❀•°❀°•❀

Spider Man

Dr. Otto Octavius/Doc Ock

Working Overtime, NSFW/18+: Otto/Reader where reader is his lab assistant

Bedside Manner, NSFW/18+: Otto/Reader where reader is Doc Ock's lover

❀•°❀°•❀

Labyrinth

Jareth the Goblin King

Midsummer, NSFW/18+: Jareth/Reader at the midsummer fae ball

don't leave me lonely, NSFW/18+: Jareth/Reader sequel to Midsummer

❀•°❀°•❀

The band Ghost

Papa Emeritus IV/Cardinal Copia

Better Than, NSFW/18+: Copia/Reader where he's a little insecure about Terzo being better than him

❀•°❀°•❀

Dracula

Dracula (lol)

Nice Costume, NSFW/18+: Dracula/Reader in a modern setting at a party

❀•°❀°•❀

Our Flag Means Death

Israel Hands

we do get desperate, now and again, Mature/16+: Fem!Reader/Izzy hurt/comfort unrequited love.

i wanna be yours, Mature/18+: Fem!Reader/Izzy first time together

❀•°❀°•❀

The Quarry (2022)

Travis Hackett/Laura Kearney

• fell in love with the fever, Explicit/18+: Travis and Laura are forced to spend some time together 6 months after the incident.

• perspiration and alcohol, Explicit/18+: Travis and Laura meet again and become gym buddies. Laura pushes the line as per.

❀•°❀°•❀

DC Comics

• to fear the solitary, Mature/18+ themes, Doctor Johnathan Crane flirts with his favorite intern.

• Alibi, Explicit/18+, Fem!Reader/Oswald Cobb, Penguin TV show edition, Reader gets into the club as thanks from Alberto Falcone and has a run-in with Oz.

❀•°❀°•❀

Sinners (2025)

Remmick

• There's a Devil at the Door, Mature/18+, Remmick/Reader|You, Remmick shows up at your door one night.

• Sun Goes Down (and so does He), Explicit/18+, Remmick/Reader period pussy eatin'

Stack + Mary

• Devil Makes Three, Explicit/18+, Stack/Reader/Mary threesome in the 1980s

❀•°❀°•❀

Swallowing lightly was impossible, there was nothing in your dry throat as you smacked your lips once to get yourself grounded as you faced almost impending doom, there was no solace as you traced a finger against the bowl, the minor idea that the cool ceramic was going to keep you calm floating away as you looked out of your peripheral to the Bonobo who had vast amounts of ideas of how to make you suffer for his condolences.

You--- Hovering your fingers above the paint, you contemplating just rubbing it into your eyes in a bid to become blind yourself so you had an excuse to go back to Caesar with as to why you were unable to complete such a face-forward easy task that would take less than half-an hour with any other Ape of the Colony. You wanted to look at him, but he wouldn’t let you, fingers finally dipping themselves and casing in the vividness of lacking color, white falling down your fingertips and sweeping down your palms to taper near your wrists.

Nothing was said between the two of you, there was nothing to be said as you looked around the room once more, trying to find something to enjoy before Koba picked you up and snapped you as easily as he could to a fish that he wanted for dinner, probably relishing in how it felt to have the crunching of the bones under his very sturdy and pained touch. 

There was no way for you to even ask him if he was prepared to feel the delectation of distressed touches against him as you would swipe the face first, the hardest piece as you knew he was capable of biting your fingers off, then you would graze your hands downwards to encase his body with the ceremonious rib cages. Dragging your knees together, you thought about that. How thinned out his fur was along his chest and you knew then --- the morbid curiosity peaking -- that you were going to displace some paint direct to skin rather than fur at some point during the endeavor and Koba would hate that even more some how, vulnerability always resting in contact that was so familiar.

It was terrible - the casings of the thickets of wood on the wall, some of them dented in freshly from very obviously thrown objects that lay now on the floor. Most likely, your gaze widened and you felt your heart quicken in anticipation of your next move that your mind was refusing to process, tossed in a fit of anger once he was alone, having gotten the news from Caesar that you were to arrive the next morning to apply paint.

There was no argument to be made between the two friends, once again, Caesar’s demands were finite and Koba, out of acute loyalty to his confidant for saving his life and giving him a restored purpose, begrudgingly took it on. That was clear in your vision as you finally looked at him straight on, twisting your body from the unnatural position you had it in in the first place as to avoid any unnecessary contact with the seated council and right arm of the King himself.  

Just because it trickled in from Caesar---That did not mean he had to like it, Koba looking at the form you were in. That did not mean he couldn’t imagine what it would be like to kill you in such close quarters and drag your remains to the woods and give Caesar an excuse that you had just run off and never showed up. Hunched forward, every motion that you took tore into the tensing of his muscles as they awaited you to touch him.

 The fall of your hair was grossly adjusted by your free hand, Koba looking at the curvature of your ear and how easy it would be to roar in it to deafen you. Your hearing for his eye, it made sense to him by proxy to take from Humans what he was taken away from. To graze him and bless him with the markings of a Warrior he knew he deserved, just not from you was bile inducing, the sensation resting in the back of Koba’s mind that in parallel you also felt in your esophagus out of panic. 

The prospect that any set of Human hands, their fingertips weak and frail, would give him any satisfaction once in the middle of the Hunt. Absurd, what was Caesar thinking offering you to Koba so brashly like he would accept, like his intense stares of detestation meant more than that? Koba huffed, the feeling of his breath against your cheeks making your entire face wash away of color. There was nothing felt for you other than the testator of hate, mixing like dirt and water into a muddle mess of underlying feelings that Koba would never allow himself to delve into. 

Why Koba found interest in your hands- Beyond him, but there they were. About to laden him, about to touch him and there was an animalistic want to see what would happen if you did. 

If they… Were any different than the hands that had touched him previously. Koba yelled inside of his mind. NO!  What did your hands know of Apes? Virgin, you’d probably never touched one of them before, Koba preened with pride at taking that away from you before potentially taking more as carnal intent set into his mind, those sorts of thoughts hard to stop for the race had already begun. What were the delicate phalanges mixed within tendons going to bear for him? Nothing, he snarled and admired the way that you seemed to cower even further, the evident nature of your sweat, salty and tasty against his tongue and his nostrils flared in defense. 

All this to say, there was no doubt that Koba did not gain empathy from you, your hand raising against his cheek, his face turning itself away from you as you scooted towards the very edge of your seat, almost falling as you were unstable against the uneven wood plackets that made the floor, tightly bunched together for security but you felt like falling through was a better option as the heart that was beating so quickly in your ribcage finally fell to the pit of your navel, further than your stomach as you had never been this…

Close to him before and barely made the scarcest touch of white against his roughened skin and it was stark against the blanket of darkness underneath, swiping downward and watching it paint itself into his wrinkled skin, getting caught in his beard. Koba’s mouth was open, almost whispering to you as you began work, how much agony this was causing him as the inside depths of his core were yearning for a bit more delicacy just to cure the macabre he had that danced wildly at the base of his neck and no amount of wrought moves were going to help it subside.

He never allowed you near to him, your lips parting in a strangled cry of sorrow as you captivated looking at the minor cut he had along his nose as you worked against the least scarred part of his face, taking the paint in to the very edges and trying to ignore the rattling inside of your mind that Koba was trying to get away from your touch, your instinct telling you to grasp his head to force him to remain stagnant but you consciously knew that he would rather cause himself inflicted agony than have you touch him anymore than was needed.

All in the name and respect of Caesar you thought with a dropped frown of minor disappointment that he was only allowing your touch as a result of an order. The scar on his nose… it branched upwards to taper off and rested directly in the middle of the flattened peak and you just ad to take a lingerance on it, such a small, tiny and delicately placed scar against the scabs of the others… 

Nothing so innocent about it, but it felt lonely and out of touch. Just like you did. Just as you imagined he did at times, your heart sinking further down with rapport that you wanted, never willing to admit to anyone, with Koba. Humanity… Had scorned you, not as terribly but the underlying reason you were both even in this situation rested on a group of murderous Humans who took everything from you. 

Koba would never see that though, you rested on that earlier on in the first argument that tore through the council regarding Caesar’s allowance of your presence amongst the Apes. And every day, he tore you down a bit more into the pigeon-hole he had Humans as a whole. Not that you could blame him, your breathing quickened for a split second. You hated them just as much. 

Hated… Yourself for the things that were bookmarked along Koba’s body, his position out of defense, out of the fear that had to have tickled at the very coating of fur that lined his body. Such a shame, you thought in the throes of sadness towards him, there was much potential for more, but neither one of you wanted to take away from the delicate nature of the tight-line of which you walked. He hated you and with every seeth of his mouth in your general direction, you just wanted to ask him why you as if it were personal. It wasn’t, you reminded yourself and dipped your fingers in for more paint.

The proximity you had gave you so… Much of Koba that was often lost in the white casings that dripped from his face around his mouth as if he had already been painted by someone and Koba chose to whip it off, facing the detail that he’d much rather do it himself. He was terrifying, surely, there was doubt in the animosity of his stare as you swept upwards to encase his brow with white, the liquid dripping off the ridge almost like faux tears and ricocheted to the ground. From here though, as you drew your fingers in for more paint, you were able to see him for what he was not what he showed the world, though there was always still a wall there. 

The lightened white became pink on the left side of his muzzle of his face, upwards until it tapered around the curve of his nose. That… was not noticeable from a distance and you felt selfishly gross for taking advantage of the closeness. The same splattered scar was evident downwards, around the left side of his bottom lip, peppering the color against them and it was so clear and scaped when you looked at it compared to the darkened nature of his fur and skin. It was time, you drew in a shaking breath that felt riddled in your chest like you were dragged underwater and were drowning, coughing a bit as you cleared your throat in an attempt to clear the way for a verbalization, ‘Left side now.’ 

You signed at him, realizing quickly that any sort of speech was impossible. Left side, scarred… Koba’s irritably rolled in his shoulders in an attempt to prepare himself, his neck stretching upwards towards the heavens and then crack'd from side to side in intense discomfort. 

Eyes traced over him once more at a farther distance as you coated your fingers with paint and drifted back forwards, his entire stance stiffened and waving at you with exasperation. The Bonobo still made your stomach churn, not out of disgust, but out of… A need to understand what happened to him in the past even though your questioning on the matter in the past rendered you nothing more than a loud bark at you and left you nearly flattened on the ground like a leaf that Caesar had to defend as Koba was nearly ready to tear into you for asking something that was clearly not your business. Too slow to move and Koba was an advantageous sort of Ape.

There was no means to defend yourself, the glazing of your gasp coating your throat as you had no reaction time to Koba’s quickness once you decided to move to the aggravated skin of his left side, coming to rise on your feet instinctually once you felt the sting of the action Koba had finally presented to you by grasping the hand that was paint-free, resting closer to your body, locked you in what appeared to be a death grip. Koba, hoping in his mind that ignoring you would just be a means to get you to go away, ignoring your signing warning that you were going to press on despite the desperate need your senses were fluttering towards him, finally shifted from his statue position.

The tense perception yelled at the Ape that you wanted to run, that you were afraid of him, as you should when he bared his teeth in a smile of sorts that caught the breath in your throat, his teeth so sharp and jagged, one swipe against your throat would cause death. Immediate and painless but you had a feeling that was not the way Koba would want it for you.

Nothing Koba had done before worked, you were relentless with reckless abandon, stupid and naive to actually think that you were going to break down the tower that he build himself on. Stupid Human Woman. He had dragged himself through the trench to even let you do the one side of his face that was less to work around and now you dared to come back for more? No. Here he gave you an adamant denial of Caesar’s demand, his scarred face shredded with guard as he held your wrist and twisted it narrowly.

Koba slitted his eyes in admiration as you grunted out of pain, letting the sound reverberate in his mind, noting the flurrying gaze you had on him, between the golden and green hazes and the milky nature of Koba’s set of irises, the left… You swallowed out of self-loathing that you thought he’d let you work peacefully. The left eye even pierced at you, having been attacked and riddled through with an intimidating pink-ish hued scratch down from the brow and releasing itself against the wrinkles under his eye sockets. If you touched them, there’d be absolutely carnage he told you with his touch that began to burn the inside of your tendons and muscles.

Death seemed like a good way to get out of this, the primal fear finally radiating through your entire body as you whimpered and were brought nearly to your knees, adrenaline finally captivating your senses, each sounded plea falling deaf on Koba’s mangled hearing and you had resorted to reaching up and smarring your own forearm with the white paint as you tried to get him to release you. Koba did not- his calloused hand grasping even tighter with every wringing you gave against him as he nearly had you on your knees for even contemplating touching him with your Human hands. “Koba, let me go!” “Go,” He got a bit closer and snarled his teeth, your eyes frantically looking at them and feeling the back of your skull like an alarm telling you to just break your arm and that it would be more merciful, “Tell… Caesar… His little Human… Failed.”

“Just let me,” Growling yourself, Koba’s amusement skyrocketed as you finally displayed something that was universal. Rage. “GO!” Your hand was snapped back and allotted back towards you, staggering feet below trying to catch yourself from falling back. “For fuck sake!” You felt tears hitting the back of your eyes as you looked down at your tender wrist, reddened and beginning to swell from the intensity of his hold. “If you would just let me do this then we could both satisfy Caesar!”

“Koba… Not here… To Satisfy Caesar.” He uttered, looking over at the paint and cupped some wildly into his own large hand before he almost slapped it on his left side and gave you a sickening grin of self-indulgent satisfaction.

Horror sat through you as you watched him apply the other side, so different in nature to the delicate take you had given his right side. It was hard, his bad eye falling shut for only a moment as Koba bore a hand around the outer edges of his eye socket to give him the appearance of a skulled mask. 

“Stupid… Human too slow to… work. Looking at Koba like---” He did not finish that and barked at you when you tried to get yourself situated to potentially help him again. It worked, you thought and brought your hands to rest against your chest and sat back on your seat fully. The way he dressed himself, the face first, followed by the ribcages, slashing himself in self-loathing of what happened from years of abuse, self-torture to sooth himself of the riddled notions that he even allowed you to touch him in the first place. 

They were curved and mimicked his own ribs that were just under the skin that you had wondered about earlier, no longer curious, no longer fleeting in the moment of tenderness that you had for him you imagined as your fingers twitched against your chest. Bottom lip quivered as you felt the tearing of trepidation drip throughout your center.

You knew looking at him was wrong, you knew taking in the minute details of his scarred nature was wrong. You knew that feeling anything but fear and accountability for your immature actions was right. Empathy did not rest regardless as Koba cased his left ribs first then moved to mime the paint on the left side. 

“I-I---” “Do not understand Ape,” The infliction on the ‘P’ spat at you as he drew in a bit more, now on his feet as you cowered below him and avoided any semblance at eye contact, “How to touch, what paint even… means. Warrior.” He dipped his thick pointer finger straight into the red and you looked at it, admiring now the white that had taken itself in the center of where he placed his touch before dragging the movement of your eyes with his hand. A swipe down, straight between his eyes and it cried bloodied color down to his nostrils and tapered off.

“Hunter,” A small inch long indentation of red near his nose, to the right, “Not fragile,” Then to the left to give it the appearance of an upside down arrow and finally… Your heart stopped when you looked into the Bonobo’s eyes. “Like… Human.” “I’ve never done anything to you!” You defended yourself wildly, standing up shakily and cursing inside of your mind that your legs felt like they were unable to carry your measly weight. “Wh-Why are you---”

“You are… Weak!” “I’m the weak one!?” You squealed at him, “You’re nothing but a scared Bonobo who won’t even let me touch him for five minutes and you want me to believe I’m WEAK?!” 

Your eyes widened at that as the words seemed to echo against the scape of the wood that shielded the two of you from the outside elements. They were mean and ridiculing in form, something you weren’t even sure you were capable of as you shook aggressively, not anymore out of fear of what he could do to you… But…Out of the regret that was quick to follow your flared temper, feeling a tightening in your diaphragm and you hadn’t even noticed the quickening of your breath as you looked straight at him, finally garnering a bit of self-confidence to do that as if you were words were. 

As if you weren’t aware that the impression of your words were no more than a bitter jab at his past, Koba’s teeth exposed to view as the statement you had made rested against his eardrums. The rise and fall of his shoulders were rapid as he had been hard to move, hard to catch himself from stopping the desire to make you suffer as he did. Koba gave you one deep and rumbling growl as he held out his forearms. Paint, he demanded, the only part of himself that he had not thrown any coating on. 

You were quick to smear your fingers white, four this time to give the definition of the radius and ulna that was underneath, nearly forceful with your actions as you took his left arm first, grasping his hand tightly with your free one to the point where your fingernails were tearing into his skin to adjust it properly and dragged his dry fur to moisten downwards from the outer edge of his forearm to the wrist, there was no enjoyance anymore from you, but Koba let it sink into the skin, watching in piqued interest as you went for more paint and let yourself slam nearly your entire palm to the left side, not even bothering any sympathy or care towards the jagged scar that was on the inner part of his forearm there.

Koba flinched at the action, looking off to the side, refusing to meet you in the middle anymore for his first attempt at that ended in a splendid reaction from you. One Koba had never seen. Outrage. You pulled apart, whipping the paint off on your pants, knowing it was going to dry into a splatter like white blood against the fabric. You were done.

“Tell Caesar I am never doing this for you again.” You looked at the bowls and began picking them up, careful as to not drop any of them as your hands were evocative with increased trembling. You were trying to keep it together but there was nothing there to help the seams that were beginning to crack alongside the drying paint on Koba’s face.

“Tell… Caesar yourself,” He snapped as you bent in front of him to get your jacket that you had shed in a bid to not get any paint on it earlier, Koba’s eyes only admiring the sickening way that your spine curved with the motion for a minute before he looked off to the side, now seated and rested in critical contradiction that he let a split second pass where he liked the visual you had given him.

“Since he loves… his ignorance… little Human." Koba masked whatever slight of envy he had that you'd rather spend time with Caesar and brushed it off with ease. He did not want your affection or attention, it had no purpose for him other than to ease the hatred he had towards all Humans, burdening you with it all as a scapegoat of sorts. Koba would watch you crumble under it all with such interest and he was intent on keep it that way, enjoying the look you gave him as you paced towards the door.

Enjoying more the way you lingered there, staring at him, looking at the scar encrusted body he had, the black fur that thinned and tapered against pieces, the arrogant shake in his shoulder. With a chortle, you were gone and left him with nothing more than some paint against his body, attention paid where it needed to be and the draw of your smell that lingered in the air, sickening him and tickling the inside of his throat like smoke. He hated it, the way it coated him like a fine dress of paint itself.

Caesar:

- Caesar immediately goes to attack the human, hooting and screeching for some other ape to come to him, it doesn't take long for Rocket to come barreling towards him with Blue eyes not far behind.

-He damn near barks at Blue eyes to go to you, who's laid out on the ground choking for air, hands around your throat as you try and take in oxygen. Blue eyes gingerly pulling you towards him, hooting softly to get your attention on him.

- Returning his gaze to the human man in front of him, it takes every ounce of composure Caesar has to not rip him into shreds, his mind flashing with images of you being choked out against a tree.

- Whether this was Dawn! Caesar or War! Caesar, will decide the outcome of if he kills the man or not.

- Younger Caesar wouldn't, at most roughing up the man, letting Rocket handle dragging the man off to do whatever he deems fit after the Ape king gives him his permission. He doesn't ask what Rocket does, trusting that Rocket followed his words in not killing.

- Older Caesar isn't as merciful, the man is dying. After all he's been through, he is just not willing to take a chance, there is no way he will put you at risk again, nor will he let the other apes possibly be harmed. It's a no brainer.

- Once he finds you being tended to, curled in on yourself with the boys by your side, does he finally sigh a breath of relief.

- Cornelius is hugging you, latched onto your chest as Blue eyes sits by your side, protective of both you and his baby brother.

- Caesar settles himself beside you, a hand running through your hair as you sleep off all the pain and adrenaline that you've suffered through.

- Gets even more protective than thought possible, if you thought it was overkill before that Caesar wouldn't let you be alone without any other ape present, he himself personally will follow you around like a shadow now, to the best of his abilities.

Noa:

- Noa goes to you first, swooping you up into his arms to make sure you're still alive, cradling you against him as he bares his sharp teeth at the human.

- Noa doesn't like killing in general, hes never agreed with taking a life unless necessary. but he considers it when he hears you whimper from the pain, eyes scrunched shut as you bury your face into his chest.

- Anaya and Soona have the the human pinned down, squirming against their hold but it's to no avail, there is no way for them to escape their grasp.

- He has to make a decision on what to do, and eventually calls for Anaya to come and grab you and take you back to the clan, it takes everything in him to let you go, ignoring that you keep whining for him to not leave. But he has to, so Anaya carries you as fast as he can back to the clearing where the horses are, trying to comfort you and crack jokes as best as he can.

- He nods at Soona to let him take over, now looming over the man who put his disgusting hands on you and the growl that escapes him is spine chilling.

- Soona won't tell you what Noa did, nor will He himself. Your questions go unanswered and you realize it's not worth it. Do you really need to know? Noa handled it, he saved you, that's good enough.

- Takes care of you himself, fetching you whatever you want without any hesitation, his duties on hold temporarily until he's seen improvement. Humans are just, so fragile and he's terrified that your injuries will cause permanent issues.

- Noa lets you cling onto him as much as you want, usually one to tease you about you being so physical with him but after the scare you both had, he's the one who wraps himself around you, tucking you into himself so tightly as if to protect you from any threat once so ever.

- Never let's you out of his sight, and while he may not hate humans as a whole, he definitely doesn't the thought of more being out there, you're the only good one, and he has to protect you at any cost.

Koba:

- Koba is immediately killing the human, there is no other way he's gonna go about it.

- Despite what the Bonobo may feel about you, no matter how much he said he'd let you rot and die because the only good human there is a dead one, you're apart of the colony.

-He justifies the overwhelming pit in his stomach from worrying about what Caesar would go through if you were killed, no it isn't due to him secretly enjoying the affection you still bestow him, no, he doesn't care.

- The reality that the other human is dead, covered in warm sticky blood doesn't set in until he turns to make his way to where you lay eerily still on the forest floor.

- He hears other apes coming towards you both, he can hear his heartbeat in his ears and he hears screeching.

- It's coming from himself, his chest rapidly rising up and down as he panics.

- For the first time, Koba is afraid to touch you, scared that if he does, there will be no pulse, and he's yelling for Caesar to do something, his hands moving to painfully grab at his own fur, almost tearing clumps out.

- Koba won't carry you back to the colony, but Luca does. The gorilla trying his best to ignore the tweaking Bonobo following him.

- Doesn't visit you while you're recovering, ignoring everyone's attempts to convince him to, the fear he felt when he thought you were gone was too much, unexpected emotions filling his mind.

- Old man is stressed the fuck out over you, save him.

Proximus:

- You're off with Sylva on am excursion, permitted by Proximus. It's a common occurrence at this point, so there isn't any cause for alarm.

- The Silverback has to leave you just for a moment, and that's when you get attacked, and he feels his heart drop.

- Has to make a choice to either hunt down the human who attacked you, or bring you back to Proximus and have medical treatment.

- He scoops you up as carefully as he can, taking you home, dreading what the leader will say when he sees that Sylva had failed ro protect you.

- When Proximus sees you knocked out, blood pooling at your temple, he fucking loses it.

- Snarling and snapping orders for apes to come and help you now, his fur standing on end, his eyes feral as he looks down at you on your cot, growling.

- Sends a search party out for the human that attacked you, he doesn't care how long it takes, he's gonna exhaust every ape if he has to.

- He himself doesn't leave your side, fingers busy with brushing your hair from your forehead, only moving when another ape who's in charge of treating you comes by.

- When whoever attacked you gets inevitably caught, he doesn't get his own hands dirty though. He's not above it, but gives you the choice in killing the person, or Sylva himself doing it.

Crouching at the river's edge, you watched your reflection ripple with the waves of the peacefully flowing water. You observed the gap between your eyes and the shape of your nose, which marked the boundary between the two. The little dimple formed by your upper lip just below the bridge of your nose and the plump of your lower lip. The thin line they formed, neither a smile nor a sad pout, a straight line free of expression.

〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️

The hunting had been good that day. A stag, one of the biggest bucks in the deer herd. Euphoria had spread throughout the colony when none other than Noa, the leader of the Eagle clan, had returned from a long day's hunting with a few of his own. Anaya and Soona, of course, were part of the group, and you watched the two friends squabble with Noa over who had the best approach to killing the deer. Anaya was certainly trying to take more of the credit, puffing his chest out, but he quickly shook it off when Soona gave him a light punch in the ribs, complaining that he had no right to take full credit for the success of the hunt.

It was, of course, a team effort, and success depended largely on following the instructions given to each individual after agreeing on the best strategy. And this time, the best strategy was Noa's.

You watched them bickering, bragging about their feat, and could only smile at Noa's proud face, knowing full well that he had been the most astute on this hunt. The most astute and therefore the best provider for his clan.

And then his gaze met yours.

The cocky restlessness that radiated from his stance subsided. He glanced at the carcass strapped to his horse's saddle before locking his green irises into yours again and untying the animal, which fell to the ground with a thud.

Noa grabbed the animal by its antlers and began to drag it with one hand behind him, as he made his way towards you.

It seemed you were the only one who didn't quite understand what was happening. Anaya wanted to follow Noa, but it only took one look for Soona to understand and stop Anaya in his tracks. Anaya gave her a quizzical look before his mouth formed an 'O' in realization.

Dragging the animal's carcass seemed effortless, even though it was obvious that Noa was trying to hide the uncomfortable strain he had to exert on his arm muscles. Despite his thick fur, you could easily see the strength he was capable of, his muscles becoming more prominent with the 200kg of inert weight he had to pull behind him. He moved on all four, really only using three of his limbs, and the force of the pull made his shoulders even bulkier. The whole scene was rather impressive, but you had question marks plastered all over your face as Noa drew closer and closer to you.

Earlier in the afternoon, you had sat down by the big communal fire to work on making a spear more suited to your build. You didn't leave the log you were sitting on until the hunt was over. For a brief moment, you thought Noa wasn't really coming to you, but rather dragging the animal to the bonfire to share it with the rest of the colony. You wanted to believe it, because the wrathful looks of some disapproving apes were beginning to weigh heavily on your shoulders and you didn't quite understand what you had done to endure their judgment.

The carcass fell in front of you, and at the same time you heard an ape… Ezio, if you remembered his name correctly, who had taken part in the hunt, utter a muffled growl of… protest?

If you heard it, Noa must have too, but he decided to ignore it, preferring to keep all his attention on you. His stunning green eyes landed in yours and, like every time he gazed into the immense depths of your irises, you were afraid he'd discover a secret you'd been keeping under lock and key ever since you'd discovered it yourself. A secret that drew you irrevocably to him, but which you suppressed and buried deep inside yourself when the eyes of apes like Ezio landed on you.

You chose to avert your gaze towards the dead animal in front of you and prevent him from discovering it. Noa placed his hand firmly on the beast, pushing it further towards you until it touched your feet.

Why… was he bringing you the carcass?

You looked up at him again, and though you tried to give him an unsure smile, the silent question could be read in your eyes as they settled back on Noa.

No matter how much Noa saw you doubting, he couldn't help but feel proud to have brought you such a trophy. He wanted you to see it, to realize the strength it had taken him to kill it, bring it back and drag it to you. He wanted you to see his qualities as a leader, his qualities as a hunter, qualities that made him a perfect mate and that he would be perfectly capable of providing for all your needs… whatever they might be. He'd killed that deer for you, as proof that he was the best match for you. And any doubts you might have had could only be swept away by those 200kg of fresh meat he'd hunted.

At least, that's what he told himself in the back of his mind. That's what he wanted you to acknowledge in him.

In front of his attentive and expectant gaze, you remained unable to understand why he had placed the body of this animal at your feet.

On closer inspection, the stag was of impressive size, and there was no doubt that its remains alone could feed the entire colony. Your eyes followed the animal's shape and you couldn't help imagining its life before it unfortunately crossed the path of Noa and his hunting team. The animal must have been majestic. Its antlers were broad and you could count 14 points. An old creature. From the way its body was laid on the ground, you could only see one of its eyes, and the lifeless black iris squeezed your heart. A wave of empathy for this beautiful animal swept through your body and you instinctively leaned towards its corpse. With tentative fingers, you stroked its shoulder, as if to soothe the soul of the animal that had just given its life to provide for others. Its light-brown bristles were rough against the delicate skin of your fingertips, but it didn't matter, especially as you were certain to feel the gazes of the entire colony scanning your every move. Some approving. Others tolerant. And the last, disapproving.

You tried to push away the burning sensation in the back of your head caused by all those eyes on you, and uttered in a whisper addressed only to that deer, and perhaps, to Noa too, a heartfelt "thank you" for this animal's sacrifice.

Noa tilted his head towards you, seeking your gaze as he tentatively brushed your fingertips to capture your attention. A cloud of tingling ran up your fingers, from your hand to the hollow of your collarbone, creating a mass of tingles there that spread down your spine.

"He fought well."

Noa's gruff voice was meant to be reassuring. He understood your sympathy for the deer and wanted to be sure to let you know the animal had given everything to survive, but that Noa had been the strongest of the two.

You nodded silently and quickly wiped away a tear you hadn't felt rolling down your cheek. You took a deep breath, sharing a glance with Noa.

"Now it can rest." You say. " It'll serve us well."

Noa breathed through his nose proudly at your approval. It was all he needed, all he asked of you, and he grabbed the deer's antlers again to take it away in preparation for dinner.

〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️

You ran your tongue over your teeth, and if you weren't showing them off to the little fish that passed by, oblivious to the giant you were compared to them, you made a mental note of the shape of each of them. Smooth, not particularly sharp, and even the teeth you used as canines weren't particularly well-suited to forcefully shredding any fish or animal flesh.

Not… suitable.

〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️

That evening, Soona joined you for dinner. Sitting cross-legged, you had set a bowl of vegetables and fruit in front of you, and on a thick piece of cloth was a piece of meat from the deer that Noa had brought you earlier.

Crouching beside you, Soona was biting into the animal flesh, and you admired the ease with which she was able to detach the raw meat and chew it as she would on the juicy flesh of an apple. Your meat, on the other hand, was cooked.

Soona glanced at the sharp little blade lying delicately next to your meat. Even though she was used to seeing you use it to cut small pieces of meat or fish, there was still a kind of fascination in her eyes. The Echos jaws weren't as powerful and efficient as those of chimpanzees, and while she didn't think they were very practical for everyday life, she was fascinated by your ability to find tricks to make life easier.

Her gaze was always benevolent, and you were never afraid to show her all the human tips and tricks that enabled you to navigate your daily life without too much trouble. Even in the troubles your three friends sometimes got you into.

Something as simple as biting into a piece of meat became a challenge, in all proportion, for a human, and this was quite fascinating for Soona.

But tonight, there was a glitch. Like a feeling of discomfort towards this piece of meat. Normally, you would have started by eating meat, or fish depending on the day. Meat, then vegetables, then fruit. A very specific order that you followed at every meal, even if Soona didn't understand the point of always having to "start with what's salty and finish with what's sweet", as you'd explained to her when she'd asked you. "I prefer to have a sweet taste in my mouth as a last bite." Soona hadn't had the heart to argue otherwise, if that was what you preferred then so be it.

And tonight, you had left your meat aside.

How odd.

Soona briefly moved her hand to show you your meat before signing.

" Not eating?"

Your eyes fell on the untouched meat. Usually, you would have taken the time to cut it up before starting your meal. But not this time. The blade you had taken out of your satchel after cooking the food over a fire had drawn more than a few questioning looks, some almost suspicious.

How long had people been watching you like this? Had it been a long time? And if so, how had you managed not to notice before?

Maybe you'd been blinded by the kindness and acceptance that Noa, Soona, Anaya and even Dar - who more than once had left you stunned by Noa's mother's tenderness towards you - had granted you. Your human condition had never been called into question, and although it had taken several weeks - months for some - for your presence among the clan to become as natural as taking a breath, you had never felt… rejected.

So why now? Why were you suddenly aware that maybe… your mere presence was perceived as that of a virus that needed to be contained. Like an underlying disease that had taken several months to blossom into its first symptoms.

Ezio and his gang of three other apes were stationed right in front of you, on the other side of the communal fire. The contemptuous look they gave you knotted like ropes around your wrists and you found yourself unable to move them to grab your blade and cut your meat.

You didn't know what to say to Soona because you really weren't eating your meat. Not because you didn't like it, nor because you weren't hungry, but because the judgment weighing on your shoulders blocked any will to move a muscle in the pit of your stomach.

Your gaze stopped for half a second on Ezio, who took advantage of your brief attention to challenge you, a small huff piercing through his muzzle, letting his cheeks formed a light puff.

You chose not to dwell on it and focused instead on Soona, who was looking at you with concern. You hesitated over your words before blurting out:

"I… I wouldn't want to… wouldn't you feel awkward watching me cut up the meat?"

Your question was genuine, but Soona widened her eyes, astonished by the implication of your sentence. She almost wished she'd laughed at you, because in all the time she'd seen you do it, it was about time you started worrying if that was really how you felt.

"Why would I bother?" She asked back.

And you sighed. Point scored for Soona. Your question made no sense as far as Soona was concerned. Of course she didn't care, and if she had, you were almost convinced she'd have asked you about it by now.

Seeing your defeated face, Soona went on to sign.

"I understand." And she gestured to your jaw. "Weak. Easier in small pieces to chew." She paused for a moment to gauge your reaction, and you seemed to accept her silent words. "I understand." She repeated aloud this time, her voice slightly rocky on the edges. "Anaya understands." She went on, and as if she could read the real reason for your concern in your eyes, she finished by directing her gaze towards the clan leader who was sharing his meal with Dar. "Noa… understands."

But Ezio and his friends didn't understand.

〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️

Your hand plunged into the river, shattering your reflection, which had suddenly seemed too hard to look at. You didn't like what you saw. The water seeped through your fingers and its coolness slid under your skin in a vain attempt to bring some sanity back to your brain.

The delicate nature of your skin suddenly jumped out at you. Your hand bore various scars, large ones from sharp stones, small ones from bramble thorns, scratches from tree bark…

〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️

You'd looked for it everywhere.

Earlier in the morning, you had wished to go outside the village boundaries in search of a particular plant. It was about to be that time of the month when your period pains would start, and valerian, a plant with small white flowers, could help ease those painful cramps.

Soona would usually accompany you, but today she was busy with Dar. So you decided to go alone, but to your surprise, Noa refused. He argued that it was too dangerous for you to venture outside the territory of the eagle clan, almost forgetting that you had been living outside its boundaries for several months.

After extensive negotiation, he gave you permission to go, on one condition: that you take your spear with you and that Eagle Sun go with you.

But the spear you usually left at the entrance to your hut had disappeared. After spending an hour looking for it, Eagle Sun became restless and an unfamiliar ape, whom you'd seen hanging around with Ezio, informed you that he'd seen a spear… in a tree.

So you ended up right there, and the longer you stared at the top of the tree, the more you felt dizziness creep into the back of your skull.

Your spear was probably 8 meters, maybe 9, above your head. The ape who had shown you the way had pretended to have urgent business to attend to, and left you to ponder how you were going to climb a tree whose first branches were 3 meters above the ground.

After a minute's thought, you decided that with a sufficiently high first support, you'd certainly be able to pull yourself up onto the first branches and climb to your spear. There was only one effective way to do this: a horse.

Surprisingly enough, it had worked. It had worked so well that it had angered Ezio, who had been watching the whole scene in the hope that you'd end up making a fool of yourself and proving that you had no place among the eagle clan.

A split second was all it took. You had begun climbing down, having previously dropped your spear to the ground, when a sudden jolt made you lose your balance. The branch your foot was aiming for slipped away, and your hands suddenly clutched the trunk in a vain attempt to hold on to your body, which you felt falling like a mass toward the ground. The bark burned your skin and cut into its surface as you tried to slow your fall and, fortunately, your feet hit another branch before your body finally hit the ground with an impact you could only imagine would cause severe pain.

Okay, 5 good minutes.

Your forehead pressed against the rough trunk, trying to calm your suffocating breathing. You felt as if your heart was threatening to burst out of your ribcage, its beats hitting your ribs so hard. Your trembling hands, still clasped around the trunk, curled in on themselves, leaving only the bottom of your palm touching the bark that had bruised them.

You didn't want to make a move. You closed your eyes, unable to bear the sight of the ground a few meters below you. You didn't want to move, and anyway, even if you wanted to, the pain radiating from the inside of your hands prevented you from gripping anything. You didn't even dare examine your hands, for fear that the mere act of bringing them towards you would cause you to lose your balance again and end up on the floor.

And even when your name rolled off Noa's lips, you didn't react. You tried to breathe deeply, trying to calm the heart that had started a race faster than it could keep up with, but you couldn't get rid of the fear that had gripped your insides the moment you fell.

Fear. You felt it keenly now. It ran through your veins and forced you to hug the trunk as tightly as you could, undeniably tightening your legs around the branch you'd suddenly found yourself sitting on. It was fear, too, that made you jump when a large hand came to rest gently on your shoulder.

Noa.

Unlike you, he had climbed with incredible speed and fluidity. His build was made for it. His hands, his feet, all his muscles - everything was designed to enable him to pull himself up any structure without difficulty.

He gave your shoulder a gentle squeeze, urging you to look at him, but you stubbornly kept your eyes closed, your forehead almost wishing it could sink deeper into the bark which would most likely leave a mark on your skin.

A soft hoot escaped his mouth, hoping that this time you'd turn your head towards him, but fear gnawed at your stomach too much to dare move a muscle.

And yet, you had to.

You wanted to rage at yourself for your inability to move, for your stupidity in climbing that tree, for your stupidity in not being smarter and realizing that your body wasn't made for such a feat. For not having enough strength or balance or dexterity. But your trail of destructive thoughts ended when you felt the knuckles of Noa's fingers brush gently against your cheek, carefully beckoning for your attention.

His thicker, rougher skin turned out to be much more tender than it first appeared, and your eyelids fluttered at his touch before opening fully, allowing your eyes to look at him.

His cheeks puffed up slightly letting out a gust of air, twice as content that he'd got what he wanted and that you'd accepted his touch. How about thrice as content when his scent, faint as it was, had just mingled with yours in the exact spot where his knuckles had landed.

His hand clung to the tree trunk again, and your skin felt quite cold all of a sudden as it lost his touch.

"Come." His low voice danced in your eardrums.

He locked eyes with you and promptly adjusted his posture to match with where you stood, making it easier for you to slide onto his back. And if fear had made you reluctant to leave your pitiful safety on that branch, it was quickly swept away when Noa gently grabbed your wrist and wrapped your right arm around his neck.

The sudden proximity of your face to his enclosed you in a protective bubble that belonged only to the two of you. You couldn't remember ever having seen him look at you in such a warm, loving way, and the softness of his green eyes felt like a barely perceptible touch, only leaving you longing for more. A brief floating moment in which you were both ready to lose yourself as his fur tingled the skin of your bare forearm, and you almost thanked it for keeping your feet on the ground.

What could he possibly see through you to look at you in this way?

When you took the time to look at him, you saw strength, benevolence and an insatiable desire to meet the needs and expectations of his clan; you saw reliability, commitment and, more than anything else, safety. He didn't have to do much to make all these things shine through in his features. Through it all, Noa was radiant to your eyes. And you were easily swept away in languid admiration if you weren't careful.

And then there was you. Unable to climb a tree. So what did he see within you?

You left the safe mental bubble in which you'd both found yourselves entangled inside to finally hoist yourself fully onto his back, wrapping your legs around his slimmer waist and your arms around his powerful shoulders.

In less time than it took to say it, you were back on solid ground for an inspection of your wounds.

〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️

You hadn't been here very long, but you could already feel your thigh muscles screaming with discomfort, in this position so unnatural to you.

Not wanting to fight the tugging sensation, you let yourself fall on your bum, choosing a cross-legged position, more comfortable and less demanding for your… weak muscles.

The water clung to the fabric of your pants with little splashes, gradually flooding the inside of your shoes in the process. Although the coolness sent shivers down your spine, it didn't stop you from contemplating your body's constitution with a certain contempt.

An unsuitable jaw. Delicate skin. Weak muscles. It was an inevitable conclusion shared by many.

You could see them now. Those stares.

Those stares that said "weird".

Those stares that said "weak".

Those stares that said " not belonging ".

And the more you saw yourself in the waves of that river, the more you realized they were right. You didn't belong.

A raindrop slammed into your reflection, just above your cheek, creating a halo of tiny waves that distorted the features of your face. Then another raindrop clattered with a silent " splash ", and yet another, until it blurred your vision.

It was only when you had wiped the tears from your eyes that you noticed the reflection of a second figure appearing beside yours.

Without bothering to look directly at him, you let out a deep sigh when his shoulder brushed yours as Noa came to crouch beside you. His eyes were glued to your reflection as it danced in the gentle swell.

What did his irises see within your reflection?

You sensed a form of understanding, as if he knew what was going round and round in your head, and in a slight moment of comfort, you felt his shoulder press so lightly against yours that, if you didn't know better, you might have thought it a mere happenstance.

"you belong here." The light touch on your shoulder seemed to tell, and a tear dropped down your cheek again, "Look at me," it seemed to tell him. "I'm looking at you," his careful gaze told you. A second tear joined the first, " Look at me properly." and he huffed through his nose, confident but eventually his eyes acknowledged and conceded to your human condition. Another tear rolled down your skin, clinging for dear life to the tip of your chin before crashing into the water, "you see it now". Noa shifted his eyes away from your reflection, "I see it", putting an end to the silent talk.

His reflection disappeared from the surface of the water, leaving only a sensation of emptiness as his massive body moved from its spot beside you.

Courting

if you're an Ape... it honestly happened almost on accident. You didn't mean to give him any signs you were interested since Oda never seemed interested in you—or anyone, for that matter. But you couldn't help it. It started off as small things, showing casual interest in what he was up to, spending more time with him, talking to him while he remained his usual quiet self. And it eventually escalated to sharing your food with him, foraging for his favourite fruit, helping him around the village in any way you could. He got the hint quickly but rather than confront you about it he lets you continue your oblivious courting of him—mostly because he finds it amusing and cute. But he was also uncertain if you truly meant it. Oda was by no means past his prime, quite the opposite, but you were still way above his game. Younger, faster, quick-witted... and beautiful. He did not want you to waste it on him.

if you're a Human... courting isn't really a thing humans do. Perhaps once it was but old traditions had quickly died. Instead, you struggled with your feelings towards Oda for weeks. An uncomfortable knot growing ever tighter in your stomach every time you were near him. Yes, he scared you and almost killed you when you first met—but he had also saved you from certain death. He was no friend to Echoes but you were different... you were like Ape, and you had been injured. The way he had put his prejudices aside to help you had struck a cord in you. Selflessness was rare these days. Even more so, you were surprised he came to check up on you as you were healing. It was an unexpected gesture but one you appreciated—and one which did not help your conflicted feelings. Little did you know Oda was puzzled by a wave of similar emotions. He was not one to catch fancy easily, it took something special to make him fall. He wouldn't say this was falling but he was tiptoeing on the edge of a slippery cliff. He was... curious.

Mated Pair

if you're an Ape... it had been the happiest day of your life when Oda had asked you to be his mate. As was tradition, he signalled the end of the courting period by presenting you with gifts—a hare he had hunted himself and a new band for your arm, one that matched his. It had been the most romantic evening, beyond perfect. You spend an entire month planning your wedding ceremony together. You didn't think it was possible to fall for him even harder but once you saw him on your wedding day, dressed up in feathers and pelts, his paint cascading down his body—you were awestruck.

If you're a Human... becoming mates with Oda was a confusing experience. You had a huge culture gap you were desperately trying to close by learning and understanding the Apes. Your courting period had already been a big mess of feelings and insecurities and now you had to somehow pretend you understood what it means to be mates? It was obvious the word meant a lot more to the Apes than it did to you—married, would be the closest Human word for it. But humans did not practice marriage anymore—hadn't for a 100 years or more. It was as foreign to you as any Ape custom. And yet Oda has asked you to marry him. He made it clear he wanted you to spend the rest of your life with the Clan, with him. And to you that meant more than any words, Ape or Human, could describe.

Oda as a Lover

—★ sfw

if you're an Ape... there are things that come to you as simple instinct. Grooming each other, nesting together, using Ape Sign to communicate... they are all intrinsic, everyday things. Comfortable and familiar. Safe.

if you're a human... it's a bit more complicated. Oda had to explain and teach you basically everything about Apes, their language, their culture, everything. Including how Apes showed affection. You quite liked it... the forehead touches. You liked being so close to him. It felt intimate in a way you didn't know was possible.

whether Ape or Human... Oda is a perceptive and attentive mate/lover. He'll notice the small changes in your mood almost instantly and he can tell if you're trying to hide something from him—whether he'll confront you about either depends on if he's worried for your health and safety. He knows you're a strong individual and trusts you to come to him if there's something bothering you but he will intervene if he feels he must. (if you haven't been eating lately, have started isolating yourself, other telltale signs of mental stress. you're strong but no one should handle those things alone)

Oda will always take you into consideration and will always be thinking of you. He'll notify you if he's due for a hunt or patrol on any given day. He won't ask you if you'd come with him, rather he'll leave it open and let you decide for yourself. He's like that with you when it comes to anything, really. He lets you know what's happening in a casual way and let's you think on it.

That being said, Oda isn't good at talking about his feelings. He's very blunt and honest but it takes a while for him to open up about himself, even with people he's comfortable with. He's always thinking of others rather than himself. He would sacrifice himself for you a thousand times over to prove his love for you, but saying it outloud? impossible.

That isn't to say he never expresses his love for you in words. He'll ask if you've eaten, slept well, etc. He calls you 'Rabbit' because of that cute thing you do with your nose when you're thinking. When you're in his nest together and he thinks you're asleep he can't help but get sentimental. He'll talk at you, sweet nothings, his feelings and thoughts, how glad he is to have you. He may be the strongest and bravest of the Eagle Clan but with you... he feels inadequate. Afraid. Undeserving of you.

Actions are his love language. He'll regularly get you things you like—fruit, nuts, flowers, feathers. He'll also be close to you as often as possible—when eating, riding on his horse, or sleeping together...

—★ nsfw

if you're an Ape... he is ON you as often as possible. On your wedding night there was only ome thing on his mind—claiming you. Body and soul, become one. You'll tease him sometimes, glance at him over your shoulder, brush up against him just enough for the tips of your furs to touch. His bristles along his shoulders. It's a back and forth with the two of you. The tiniest of unspoken signals amd signs. And once you're alone he'll mount you, teeth nipping at your nape, a growl vibrating in his chest.

if you're a Human... he is very unsure of the how with you. At first he kept a respectful distance when it came to his sexual desires. He also doesn't want to scare you off or make you uncomfortable. Sex with an Echo was unheard of—even outright disgusting to think of. But you were different. He knew that, the others knew that. But he couldn't—and wouldn't—assume that meant you'd want to bed him. He gave you the reigns but you for the longest time hadn't even realised you were holding them.

whether Ape or Human... oh boy you're in for a ride. Oda is an experienced lover, he experimented a lot in his youth and he was quite popular among the females (and a few males as well). Although, he hasn't had a mate in a long time it doesn't hinder his performance—if anything, now he wants to prove he's anything but lost his vigour.

For him sex hasn't truly begun until he's made you cum once or twice with his mouth and fingers. He loves to pleasure you and does so any chance you'll let him. He loves to make you cum over and over again until you're crying from ecstasy.

Even when he's fucking you, he's focused on your pleasure. You'll always be his priority—not that he won't indulge in his own pleasures every once in a while...

His favourite foreplay is to chase you down in the woods, tracking you, stalking you like prey. Oda is the best hunter in the Clan, even when you think you've given him the slip he's always two moves ahead. The next thing you know you're hanging upside down, caught in a trap, and Oda is walking towards you, the faintest smirk playing at his lips. "Caught you, Rabbit."

Oda was made for stamina and brute strength. He can go a few rounds without a break, although, he likes to have a pause after the third one. Mostly for your sake. Have a snack and some water, replenish your energy. He'll leave it up to you if you want to continue or if you'd rather go to sleep.

When you have sex with Oda most of the time it'll be him who does the fucking. He is a service top and loves to pleasure you but that doesn't mean he wouldn't let you top him. In fact, he'd love to see you be more dominating whether you top or not. He likes it when you're more assertive, when you challenge him.

Sure, fucking you in a mating press is a fantastic way to spend the night. But when you look at him like that... with that fire in your eyes, determined to make him yours. This time he would be your prey.

Oda enjoys the thrill of sex, be it hunting you or having you dominate him. Sometimes you might have a cheeky quickie behind the fish hut when the sun had set over the horizon. Sometimes he'd take you up to the trees or vine covered buildings and take you there, admiring the view (you).

His goal through sex is to express his love and devotion to you, to keeping you safe. The words he'll never be able to say outloud he'll whisper between your thighs, against your neck, through gasps and grunts, through fingers digging into your skin.

That was the first time Lae'zel got happy for being wrong about someone.

"Perhaps I've judged you too hard. You are fierce, foracious, as sharp as my sword and as brave as a red dragon. Keep on surprising me and a istik you'll be no more."

Shadowheart

Shadowheart couldn't care less about the tieflings and their problems, but it was endearing to watch you wandering throught the Coast in an attempt to ensure their safety. It was a sight she couldn't expect to observe in this journey, not when considering the worm twitching behind her eye and the artifact messing with their dreams.

Still, you could shut down her biggest fears with ease. While she tried to remain quiet, you were full of kind words to share with whoever was near. You care for all beings, great and small, and Shadowheart can respect that. A person without a truth to follow is empty, but one with a mission turns into so much more than just a walking corpse.

She focused on protecting you during fights. Always giving you some sort of magic shield, casting sanctuary, begging you to drink potions and elixirs that would keep you safe.

Goblins attacked, and for a second everyone was too surprised to react properly. Except by you. You were quick to defend your party, to fight for them, and won a fight no one was preparad to.

Shadowheart decided not to underestimate you again. Kind words, gentle actions, caring gaze: she was so focused on her own view about you that forgot to pay attention to the way everyone else saw you.

You're powerful. The kinda of powerful that their party had to be grateful that you were fighting besides them.

When you revealed your beast form to her, Shadowheart already knew you were a sight to behold.

"You are full of surprises, aren't you? Good. I like how you keep me on my toes, love."

Astarion

In theory, he should've been delighted with your personality. You were the perfect prey. A leader so sweet, he could change your mind at his will and you wouldn't even noticed. Others respect you. Astarion would be safe and sound.

But Astarion isn't capable of forgetting how easily you fought back when he tried to fool you. How he didn't even saw you moving, and was alone on the floor before he could understand what had hit him.

Instead of a person, you were a walking question mark. How can you be so sickenly adorable, and still so ready to strike down your enemies? Were did the sweet half of you finished and the other one started?

People know you. He saw respect in druid's eyes, fear when goblins heard your name. Halsin knew about you. And so did Minthara.

Few are able to live up to their reputation, but you're one of those. So strong, so brave, but your kindness wasn't ignored by him. It was as if in your head the whole world deserved your kindness, until it did no more. Only then you react.

Astarion don't know what to think about it.

When you attacked as a beast, tearing spiders apart as if they were a piece of meat in your plate, Astarion laughed until his belly ache.

How could be so right and so wrong about someone?

"Don't mind me, darling. I'm just rejoicing at the sight of your bloody hands. Come here. Let me taste your heroic mess."

Gale Dekarios

Gale learned two things about you when you pulled him out of stone: you were kind, and so damn strong.

You were adorable. A perfect equation between what people must do in order to survive and what they must do in order to live well. He can't see you not being surrounded by friends and admirers, all enchanted by your sweet words and rightful attacks.

He feared the party's reaction to the Orb, but a part of him knew you would let him stay. He never imagined you would give him magic artifacts without a second question, or that you would hug him after he told you his whole story.

You didn't let him go. Neither did Gale.

To say he was willing to agree with whatever you did was to say his heart beats. It was only natural. Maybe you both differ on the path you want to take, but the destination is usually the same.

When he saw you feral, body changing to give space to something else, Gale wondered if he was one of those enchanted people surrounding you. If he wasn't fighting for his life, Gale would gadly gaze upon you for the rest of the day.

"Disgusted? I was unable to look away from you! You are the one I love, no claws or tentacles will ever change that. Must I add, my love, your light remains strong in whatever form you decide to use."

Wyll Ravengard

To say the least, he's a fan. Oh, how lovely are the tales of your adventures through Faêrun. He remember arguing with bards about the accuracy of their versions and the reason behind their choice of words. You were what a hero must aim to.

How long were the nights he spend wandering after he was casted out of Baldur's Gate. Lonely nights, but never silent. Wyll's mind fought against itself. He lost everything to help and protect others. Sometimes he worried if he had lost himself too.

Your tales weren't his salvation. None of them shut down those voices that insisted on telling him about the mistakes he made, neither did them shut Mizora. But they inspired him. If you did all those things, remained human even as a beast, he could survive a talkative cambion. Wyll Ravengard can defeat her by staying loyal to himself.

Wyll didn't had to hear your name to know you were fighting next to him, defending the grove against goblins and worgs. He saw enough drawings of you to recognize you from miles afar. When you asked him to be a member of your party, Wyll felt as if a million fireworks exploded inside his chest at the same time.

He did felt anger and pain because of the tadpole, but never fear. Fighting beside you, Wyll knew he didn't had to fear for his future. And after seeing how willing you were to argue with multiple cambions, he started to have hope.

"I used to read about legends, myths of bravery and rightousness. Some see it as just tales for the naive. Thank you, my heart. For proving them wrong time after time."

Karlach

She's the only one with an excuse for not knowing who you are. When strangers call you by your entire name, when companions use your epithet: Karlach just never thought about it. She ignored it, paying no mind to others.

But Karlach did knew you were a absolute sweetheart. What you didn't had of height you compensate with a gigantic personality. For her, the way you behaved was simply alluring.

While many prefer to think the world is a bad place and no one living there can chose to be or do better, you are just another reason for her to know that it's bullshit. Because Karlach is good, despise it all. And Wyll. And you.

And Minsc!!!

You had a fire on you whenever you had to fight. She didn't need to know your story to see how great you can be. Some people just have that. She don't know if that fire is born or forged, but some people just have it.

To see you as a beast made her the most happy woman in Faêrun. She got speechless, all she could do was laugh and run around to have a better view of you ending the Steel Watch.

"You got 'em, soldier! Go on, bite his arm off! You see that monster over there? The one with glowing eyes. That's the love of my fucking life."

Halsin

He saw you before. Druids and harpist fought against sharrans, and you were one of the heroes who joined their cause. At that time Halsin didn't talked to you, but he knew you fought until the very end and stayed to help with the infirm.

When you rescued him, Halsin knew you remembered him too. There was some understanding between you both, a companionship that only those who foght together can share.

He knew you were a hero, one of those who fight wars that don't affect them because someone needs too, but your personality was a good surprise. Halsin haven't imagined you so easy going. Always offering smiles, light jokes, being clumsy without a care when danger was far away.

After the battle against sharrans, he thought those who refered to you as a monster were trying to make others understand how eficient you were. It surprised him to see they were just being honest.

Nothing would stop Halsin from turning into a bear and joining you.

"In this damned city, you are a beacon of hope. The Oak Father graced us with your light. From your fiece strikes to your honey soaked words... I am lucky to live at the same time as you, my love."

Jaheira

As a fellow adventurer, it surprised Jaheira that you weren't already tired. You both lived for so long, did so much, it would be only natural for you to give a pause on your endless smiles and envied patience. She was wrong, but that wasn't a bad thing.

Jaheira knew how this life can steal things from you. Peace feels like a threat, to stop make you feel like a prey, to laugh makes you wonder if it will be the last time. Is impossible to be a hero without losing. She's glad you didn't lose yourself in your path.

There was an unspoken pact between you both. The stories, the songs, the faux memories. So many think to know everything about you two. Sometimes Jaheira will read you a book you're in when she knows it's a shameless lie, and you sing her songs about adventures she did not lived.

Your laugh could make her feel younger. Alive. You both were so differents, but knew each other in a way few could.

Whenever you chose to strike as a monster, she would join you as a myrmidon and had her fun. You both deserve it.

"I did well not underestimating you, cub. It is impossible not to laugh at those who can't see how your bright smile hides sharp fangs. As pretty as a diamond, and as fierce too."

if you enjoyed, please reblog! i promise it makes a difference ♡

BALDUR’S GATE 3 TAGLIST: @citrusbunnies