i have no idea what i’m doing

It takes some working up to. Zayne, despite wanting physical affection and contact, doesn't really... show that he wants it. Or says that he wants it. Or in any way seems like he would want it. And even with Valko loving the personal space of others, he does manage to stop himself from encroaching on those boundaries, redirecting it to fidgeting (mindlessly petting/rubbing the material of furniture when talking, messing with keys or things, etc) or to you if you're nearby

Slowly, over a couple months, as Zayne gets more comfortable having another partner, he does start initiating things himself. Light touch to Val's lower back when he passes by, an awkward pat on the shoulder when he figures out a tech problem

During that time, Valko also learns a lot about Zayne (and vice versa, of course). He learns about Clopidogrel, and his encyclopedic knowledge on various animals. And that all the cats at the cafe avoid him. And how Zayne will watch animals around him with rapt attention, hands closing in his lap to remind him of what he can't seem to have

So one day, you're gone for a while, and Zayne is working on the couch. Valko is going a little stir crazy. There's an itch in his soul that needs to be scratched and he cannot be the one to soothe its needs. But Zayne is right there and surely he needs a break about now right?

He tries to act casual. Sits on the couch a little too close, arm thrown over the back, thighs almost touching. Zayne pauses briefly, but continues without saying anything. Valko casually widens his legs to touch their knees together after a while. Zayne doesn't pull away

But Valko is starting to lose his patience. He needs to be pet now. His other leg is bouncing restlessly, ears twitching, tail fidgeting. So, in an act of pure desperation, he crosses those invisible walls Zayne seems to have put up

It's a stir of motion: he suddenly lays down in a huff, plops his head in Zayne's lap (typing some random nonsense in the process) and let's out a whine. The kind of sound a dog would make begging for a bite of food from the table

Needless to say, Zayne is a bit shocked. His report is left waiting as the head of his partner takes up its space, impeding his workflow. But... he likes it, too. He thrills at the contact; he has after that first month when he really started to get to know Valko and adjust to his mannerisms. It's the same way he is with you when it comes to contact, subtle yet longing. You've always seemed to know he secretly craves touch, so starved for it, for the warmth. Valko must not have fully put that together

Seemingly realizing what he's done, he quickly says, "Sorry, but I just- I really need to be pet. It feels awful without it, just, a little bit and then I'll get up, promise." He's being selfish, he knows. But all he needs is a small pat, please, gods, anything

Zayne hesitantly runs his hand over burgundy hair. The steady thump thump thump of Valko's tail merges with a relieved sigh from the wolf. Zayne awkwardly continues, taking the time to study him. The contentment of closed eyelids. The muscles of his shoulders relaxing. The way his leg, once restless, seems to finally still and calm. It's fascinating

But after only a few pets, Valko reluctantly starts to sit up. "Ah, I'm sorr-"

Only for the precise touch of a surgeon to pinpoint the sweet spot behind his wolf ear, scratching just right to cut him off. Valko groans, lashes fluttering, sinking back down against his will into his lap. "I think a break is in order," he excuses, slipping his laptop free with one hand and closing it, setting it aside. Experimentally, his fingers comb through hair, feel along fluffy ears, scratch where Valko seems to be receptive. The man is putty in his lap, mouth open around soft (somewhat vulgar) sounds of delight, the smack of his tail against the couch even faster than before as he fully sinks into it, melting into a puddle

Imagine, after decades of your world becoming colder and colder, you are saved. A single Eridian, the only one of twenty three to survive, arrives in an alien ship, accompanied by a creature you can barely conceive.

Everything about the alien is so loud, hinges formed from tissue thumping and stretching in constant movement, even while unconscious. Completely organic, reliant of oxygen and hydrogen. Instead of a protective carapace, it regrows its damaged tissues. It has senses you do not, and technology so unlike your own, both able to utilise a force you have never heard of. The same force that killed almost your entire mission team. Highly adaptable, able to teach itself how to fly its ship in under a week, able to become fluent in the engineer's dialect in less than four years.

And if Erid's best engineer is correct (and there's no reason it wouldn't be), this creature not only managed to breed a predator of the warmth-taker to survive in various atmospheres, including Threeworld's, but also turned around to provide aid when it discovered that the predator could escape xenonite.

And you think: Surely, this creature which protects itself without a carapace, which sleeps so lightly and knows so much and learns so quickly, which saved two planets at the cost of ever returning to its thrum, surely, a creature so extraordinary must have a name to match

And you think: Perhaps it is strength, Mountain-Base or Lonsdaleite-Carapace. Perhaps it is intellect, Diamond-Claw or Lockpick-Mind. Perhaps it is courage, Song-Through-Silence or Path-Carver

And you think: None of these names hold the true weight of what this creature is to them. How do you describe something like that, which aids without expectation of anything in return, which risks its own life for the sake of a species it cannot touch, which performs miracles simply because it was asked.

Wah!

Fat hasn't become a bad word because fatness is somehow inherently undesirable or bad--it has fallen out of public favor because of what we attach to it. We take fat to mean unlovable, unwanted, unattractive, unintelligent, unhealthy. But fatness itself is simply one aspect of our bodies--and a very small part of who each of us is. It deserves to be described as a simple and unimportant fact.

The lands your family saw over were minor, barely above the needed area to gain a landed title in your kingdom.

So it is no surprise that the list of servants and attendants available to your family is short, longer than a title only noble family, but not as long as some of the noble families with bigger land holds or towns under their sway. You have only really become aware of how short the list is when your last ladies maid retired, she'd come to fall pregnant and your family had let her retire, to go raise her family safely.

Now comes the trial and testing stages of finding a new ladies maid.

There were plenty that came and tried, but eventually you settled on one of the few that hadn't come from another noble family's recommendation. They were tall, almost deathly pale, with such strikingly beautiful features that would be the envy of any court lady, yet they took to the overly dark halls of your home like no other, the heavy curtains and candle lit halls almost seemed natural to them, towards the end of their trial they disclose their nature as a vampire spawn, a creature unable to make other vampires and somehow this only made the choice easier.

The family estate is kept far darker than most due to your mother's sunlight sensitivity, as such finding servants that are willing to dwell in the dark with your family tends to be difficult.

However, since your new maid had started you have grown curious, the previous maid you had didn't shy from speaking about topics usually chatted about when bathing or applying the oils to your skin, but this one simply hummed and tended to you like they didn't know how to contribute to the small talk you were trying to encourage.

Some days you tittered at them about how often they go to the stables at night, cooing in jest about being into the stable workers, being surprised when they bluntly say no, it's just for feeding. It's hard to understand if this bluntness is simply nerves or if there is something truly odd about your new maid.

Your curiosity is unintentionally quelled one evening, it had been a complete accident, the chair for your dresser had been moved and you tumbled into it, grabbing onto your maid as you did. Falling into a heap and ending up sprawled across their lap, you're surprised by what you can see under their upturned skirt. The usual stockings greet you, but looking further up your staring at smalls that you had only seen on the laundry lines, ones that you remember being told are for the male servants of your home, something about them being made for 'additional space'.

The maid your family had hired to tend to you, to bathe, oil, and dress you was a man, a beautiful androgynous man.

Time seems to drag on as you awkwardly stare at your maid, while trying to think of what you can say to somehow ease this moment. Helping smooth their skirt before standing and offering them a hand, you only respond to this particular discovery by informing them that good help is hard to come by, and that some differences between the usual ladies maid and themselves shouldn't mean anything at all.

After all, it was already strange having a vampire spawn as a servant, so what's a little more oddity in your home but character building.

It's while you have your head turned mid ramble about how this changes nothing, and you're perfectly fine having them as your ladies maid so long as they're happy to continue working for you, that you miss how red eyes soften and apprehension is replaced with budding affection.

But I need you to take a deep breath and breathe with me.

Valko appearing on the ninth was a longshot. Infold has had two major holidays, been at AX, and is still under investigation. This whole thing, because of *content has never been as simple as 'oh we can just push him out without issue if there's enough hype'.

We have to remember it is much, much bigger than that.

I have already seen a lot of disappointment and spiraling, and I am here to remind you to breathe.

Spiraling before any announcements gets you no where.

Yes, I know the silence is frustrating. Yes, I know how exhausting it has been looking for correct information and only having Infold post on XHS. I am right there with you.

But you have to remember that when the government is this involved, they have to be careful.

Valko hasn't been fully taken down - including their own discord channel. Valko's WU is also still there. Once the system is up, someone can confirm if the 'Coming Soon' is still under the LIs. Last I heard it was.

We cannot spiral. We can keep pushing.

Please - remember people on the other side of the screen are human. Do not attack people for their choice on how or if they choose to continue this fight.

As promotional videos for linkon’s favourite hunters come out, so do the people they're protecting. (lmfaooo) AKA: Fan-edits of you are made and Xavier isn't happy!

rafayels ver | zaynes ver | calebs ver | sylus ver |

Whilst being his bodyguard, you attracted a little more attention from his fans than anticipated. AKA: They make fan edits/thirst traps of you and rafayel finds out!

xaviers ver | zaynes ver | calebs ver | sylus ver |

In collaboration with AKSO hospital, a certain hunter demonstrates how to perform CPR. Unfortunately, the audience isn’t taking notes on what to do, but of who is doing it.  thank you to everyone who has supported! <3

rafayels ver | xaviers ver | calebs ver | sylus ver |