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justreadertings · 2 years

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Till Death Do Us Part Chapter 9

Author’s Note: Ok, never (ever!) expect this quick of a turn around, because honestly I’ve shocked myself, but you all were so eager and supportive of last chapter that I sat myself down in all four of my classes, didn’t listen to a damn word, and wrote this instead. The (?) for the swearing is because I literally cannot remember if there’s swearing in this one or not, and I REFUSE to worry any more about this chapter. Next one is going to be a BIG tone shift, so I hope you’re all ready. The big 1-0 means coronation time BB! But for now... them. I’ll stop rambling now. Enjoy!- Much love, your favorite never-stops-talking-bitch, Magee

masterlist

TW: swearing (?), mentions of violence, angsty rowaelin, mentions of Lyria

2930 Words

Till Death Do Us Part: Chapter 9

The door slowly opened, and the four of them slid into fighting position before Lord Darrow, flagged with three- she rolled her eyes- royal guards, appeared on the other side. A rough exhale passed through the room.

Good Gods, she sent to Rowan’s eyes. He only shook his head in relief.

The tallest one, arguably just as tall and built as Rowan, with dark features and an angry face barked, “I’ve been here four hours, Whitethorn, and this is what I’m greeted with?”

She watched Rowan’s crisp focus dissolve, and instead, a strange mix of both annoyance and fondness filled his face.

“And why’s Moonbeam your guard?” The other one, slimmer and with long, dark hair and hazel eyes gestured. Fenrys flipped him off. Aelin watched with great perplexity.

“Get here first, Vaughn,” the blond told him.

Rowan nodded to the still open door, his body still tense. “Either this break-in is over, or you’re the worst fucking soldiers I could hire as guards.”

“Which answer suits you, Whitethorn?” Aelin’s eyes widened when she recognized the yin to Fenrys’ yang. A twin, perhaps?

“It better be the first one, Lorcan,” Rowan warned.

“It’s your lucky day,” the dark version of Fenrys answered.

Aelin remembered in childhood that Rowan had said he was lonely, that he wouldn’t mind a brother. Her heart warmed to think that perhaps he’d found them in these men. Though, based on Fenrys’ earlier statement, and her own context clues, it was likely these were the men who’d fought beside Rowan when he’d shipped himself off into the war she declared. In her name, to add to her guilt. Her stomach turned.

“Where’s your wife?” Lorcan inquired with that gruff voice.

“Fuck off.” Rowan’s voice was gravel.

Lorcan’s eyes widened. He was studying Rowan when Fenrys cut in, “we’ve got quite the day to catch you boys up on.”

Aelin swallowed. Surely they were talking about Lyria. She refused to squirm. Lord Darrow- who she’d honestly forgotten was even in the room, spared her a glance.

“Glad to see you well, Highness.”

Her eyes cut into slants. “As opposed to?”

The man seemed older when he responded, “It is not so often that you have made it out of a raid unscathered, princess.”

Rowan stepped backwards again, as if to protect her from the reminder. His large hand was still bracing her torso. She lightly grabbed his arm, and he realized it, too. Rowan still didn’t move from his perch by her side, but he removed his hand.

“What happened to your face?” The darker Fenrys asked.

Lorcan smirked, and Aelin could feel a passing resentment between the men. “Get beat up by Adarlan skum?”

Aelin’s eyes widened. “Adarlan men broke in here?” She and Rowan shared a look.

“Two,” Vaughn corrected, fingers pressed together. “Very small break in.” Aelin still very much felt violated.

“Your face, brother?” He asked again.

“Brawl with another guard,” Rowan cut in, easily, before Fenrys spoke. Aelin squeezed his arm, and though he didn’t respond, she knew he understood the sentiment. Fenrys caught their eyes, and it seemed he understood just as well.

Aelin watched Lorcan, though, and his sharp eyes were making quick work of their looks. She clasped her band behind her back, hiding her aching, bloody hand.

“And you are?” The brute asked her own guard.

Chaol had been watching them like a tennis match. He took notice of her hidden hands before clearing his throat. “Chaol Westfall, the Princess’ personal guard.”

Fenrys put his arm around her guard’s stiff frame. “He’s bushels of fun. You’ll love him, Lor.”

Lord Darrow huffed. “May we all have this glorious reunion elsewhere? I was meant to fetch you both for an emergency meeting.”

She and Rowan shared a look. “Now?” Aelin raised a brow.

The lord exhaled. “Now.”

“Can I change first?”

Rowan lifted his own brow, seeming to remember that she really was just in her nightgown in this room full of men. Of course, she was their superior, but still, he moved to cover her even more. Fussy buzzard, she thought, unbidden. Her brain was reverting back too many times tonight.

“I suppose.”

She took a final glance at the array of men in the room, all eyes on her, before slipping out from behind Rowan to stalk up the stairs with a nonchalaunt wave. “Great. See you then.” Chaol fell in position behind her, but she felt all of their gazes branded to her back.

They all seemed to suck in a breath at her horrible scars, but she only drifted up with her chin held high, never turning around once. Let them have a reminder of what could happen should they fail at their jobs.

Aelin felt a little bad, honestly, to bother her seamstress at this hour. It was hardly dawn, and here she was, knocking on the pretty double doors, covered by lace curtains. But she needed clothes. She couldn’t exactly wear her twelve year old outfits.

Surprisingly, Yrene came to the door, a chipper smile on her face. “Your Highness,” she waved her in, and Chaol stood post on the opposite wall, glancing down the corridor for approachers. She thought that perhaps he was scared of the room, knowing that she changed in there. A man with morals, she supposed. But that wasn’t much fun. He didn’t even look at the room. Gods.

“What brings you here at this hour-” She cut herself off by grabbing Aelin’s hand. “Silba, what did you do?” Aelin laughed, a bit surprised at the sudden inspection. “This is going to get infected if you don’t clean this properly.”

Aelin felt herself give a genuine smile. She liked Yrene. There was a sense of familiarity about her. She didn’t treat Aelin with kid gloves.

“I’m sorry for my-” Yrene started, realizing her unprofessionalism.

“No,” it was Aelin’s turn to cut her off. “I quite enjoy it.”

Yrene smiled. “Good.” She pulled Aelin to sit on the soft, golden couch, and kneeled to inspect her hand further. As if they’d been friends for a great long while, Yrene gave her a conspiratorial look. “Do I even want to know how you achieved this?”

Aelin winked. “It would only shock you.”

The seamstress fell quiet for a moment, grabbing a metal box under her work desk, littered with tools. “That’s ok,” her tone was a bit serious. “You don’t have to tell me.”Aelin appreciated the sentiment. Not many people gave her that grace. Men were nosy. Yrene seemed to know that fact just as well as she did.

Aelin stayed quiet as Yrene dutifully worked on her hand. She ran a warm cloth over her fist, her touch motherly. She cleaned the wound, examined the cuts, and wrapped a clean bandage around her knuckles, a bit of padding under it. When she was done, she squeezed her hand and said properly to herself, “All better.”

Aelin watched with a fondness. “You’re exceptional at this, you know,” she said, her tone casual, even if she was extremely touched by the gesture.

Yrene started, her golden eyes swimming with thought. “Oh. You think?” She stood, busying herself cleaning up.

“I think,” Aelin told her.

A silence took up the room before Yrene waved her off. “Well, needle and thread work for fabric and people. It’s not too difficult.”

Aelin stood, and grabbed her hand. They stared at each other a moment. “Yrene.” The other woman looked at her, searching. “You don’t want to be a seamstress. Do you?”

Yrene’s face grew both soft and pained with emotion. She glanced down at Aelin’s newly bandaged hand. “No,” she replied simply, a thumb padding over her handy work. “I don’t.”

Aelin squeezed her hand, hoping that she could convey her understanding with just that gesture. And because Yrene did not demand answers out of Aelin, she would return the favor. No explanation was necessary.

They stayed that way for a moment before Yrene started again, something Aelin was growing used to from the woman. “I actually haven’t properly asked you why you’re here.” She changed the subject, her tone casual.

“Yes,” Aelin sighed, remembering herself. “I need a dress.”

“For?” Yrene inquired, already searching through her boxes of dresses. Aelin ignored the gorgeous white gown still up on the platform.

“A meeting. Actually, for the day.”

Yrene’s eyes peeked up from behind a ginormous bundle of fabric across the room. “Your closet isn’t full?”

Aelin paused. She liked Yrene, she did. But she had plenty of secrets that kept tight to her. So she relied on this system of “no-questions-asked” she and the seamstress had created. “I wouldn’t know. I do not venture into that room.”

Yrene hummed, hands on her hips. She glanced up with her pretty eyes, made more golden by the rising sun peeking through the windows. “I can have them moved in here, if you would like?”

Aelin’s heart clenched. For as much of a disaster as this morning was, she was finding herself with many positives here in this room. She tried to keep the emotion out of her voice when she replied, “I would very much like that.”

“I’ll have it done today then, Majesty.”

The second time someone had called her that this morning. Aelin told her, “You know, I’m not entirely queen yet.”

Yrene hummed again, padding around the room. “By name, perhaps.” Her gaze caught Aelin’s. “But you are queen. You participate in this court as such. You should be awarded that title.”

Aelin smiled at her. “I’m glad you think so.”

“Not just me, Aelin,” Yrene told her, whole-heartedly, handing her a long, cerulean dress to match her eyes. “Many people want you on that throne.”

“We should push the coronation back.”

“Absolutely not,” Aelin objected.

Rowan said, “If we must have a public appearance, we might as well get it over and done with now. It would lower the risk of an invasion between now and then.”

Lord Ren countered, “This is the first invasion we’ve had in four years. Once they confirmed that she wasn’t here,” his eyes cut to Aelin, “They stopped coming. Flat out showing where we’re hiding her doesn’t exactly keep us safe.”

Aelin massaged her temples. This was getting exhausting.

Rowan had formally introduced her to the newest members of the Royal Guard, now some of their highest ranking men, as his Cadre.

“It’s what we were called over there,” Connall- Fenrys’ twin brother, she’d learned- had informed her. “Band of brothers who fought really well.” The thought made her queasy.

Now, Lorcan clasped his hands over the map of the realm lining the table. “Is hiding her the best option then?”

Rowan’s eyes narrowed, his features hardening. “What are you implying?”

Once again, Aelin noticed Lorcan taking inventory of how quick to anger Rowan was. Brood, she said to him with her eyes.

Brat, he shot back at her.

She watched Lorcan look at them, too. Their new Captain of the Guard said, “Not implying anything, Whitethorn. Just that perhaps we should think about the consequences of presenting her like a prize to win.”

Before actual steam poured out of Rowan’s ears, Aelin told the group, “So let them in.”

Rowan’s green eyes met hers. “What?”

She shrugged, not thinking of the actual implications of what she was saying. “Let’s hold one enormous wedding-slash-coronation, have me there as if I’d never left, like everything’s normal. Let them think I’ll be in public often. Let them all get a real, nice, good look at me.” Her council thought about it with wide eyes. Her voice dropped into something sweet and deep. “You can’t exactly steal something when it’s out in the open.”

Silence overcame the room, and she could only hear her own heartbeat as they thought about it. Her mother had told her, a long while ago, that she was to remain smart, always. She took it to heart, and delivered her lines well.

“That’s actually quite brilliant,” Chaol surprised her, from his spot behind her chair. She turned with a raised brow. He cleared his throat as the Unified Lands of Terrasen’s most important members all turned to stare at him. “It’s just- she has a point. My father was a war strategist up in Anielle, and I spent my childhood learning to plan such things. If we treat your- our-” he corrected, “people like a war to be won… we could learn to outsmart them. Make them believe they have the upper hand, when really, we’ll be watching them as they think they’ve gotten an in. They’ll think us the stupid ones.”

Aelin was taken aback- both by his admission of anything personal- and because of his support. She hadn’t been called brilliant in a long time.

Darrow lifted an impressed brow at both Aelin and Chaol. “My King?” he asked.

Aelin saw the gears turn in Rowan’s head, knew that with his Cadre watching him like that, it was the look of a calculated, smart warrior who was thinking this through. Finally, after a sigh, “As much as I want to decline in favor of my future queen’s safety… it is a wise move. And a clever display of war strategy from our princess.” His eyes cut her glance. “We should all keep her talents in mind next time we meet. Until then, we have a celebration to plan. Adjourned.”

With a nod and bow from their members, the court began to stand, all meandering and talking amongst themselves. Ren did not look happy, but Aelin didn’t know the last time that happened.

Before Rowan walked out, she caught him in the hallway. He turned, and before she spoke she shot a look to Chaol. He backed up a few steps into the hall, leaving them at least partially alone in the alcove.

“Hey,” she said, the sun warm on her back.

Rowan nodded at Fenrys to also take a hike, and he went to talk to the other members of the Cadre. “What’s wrong?”

Aelin’s brow furrowed. “Why does something have to be wrong?”

Rowan huffed a laugh. “The last few times we talked, that’s been the common theme.”

It was Aelin’s turn to snort. “Yeah, well, it hasn’t exactly been an easy transition home.” Rowan nodded, searching her face. Regret lined his harsh features.

“So what is it then?’

Aelin closed her eyes for a moment, pushing past the awkwardness of what she was about to ask. “Are you a Lyria sharing rooms?”

Rowan’s green eyes turned wide, almost scared. “What?”

“I mean- well, I- I know you’re sharing… beds,” she cringed. “But I need to know if she’s moved into your rooms.”

“Why?” Tension lay tight on his neck.

“Because if someone asks me about the situation, I don’t know what I’m going to tell them,” she told him, honestly.

Rowan seemed to be at war with his thoughts, bringing a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. In another lifetime, she would have made fun of him, telling him he seemed like an old man.

“Tell them that I was engaged to Lyria before I knew about Article 240.”

“And what do I tell them about now?” She pried.

“Tell them…” he struggled. “Gods, tell them it’s complicated.”

Her heart squeezed. “Complicated.”

Rowan lowered his hand, his body tense under his white shirt. His very distracting white shirt. Where she could see the outlines of his muscles. He’d been strong when they were young but… not like this. She snapped to focus at his serious tone. “Aelin, you are going to be my queen. You are my partner. I will defend you, protect you. I do not take that lightly. That does not mean nothing. But Lyria…”

Aelin swallowed. “I get it.” She waved him off, ready to go back to her rooms and take a long, nice bath, to try and forget this conversation. But Rowan grabbed her arm, holding it in a soft grip, but close to him. She could feel his breath on her face as she turned to look up at him.

“I-” His gaze dropped to her face, then to her body. She knew the dress Yrene had given her hugged her curves more than the other dresses she had tried on, even as it was long sleeved. She tried not to shiver under his stare. “I don’t think you do.”

Aelin wanted to spend hours dissecting his tone, his gaze, the way he was looking at her and speaking to her and defending her. Wanted to spend days with him looking at her like that, days trying to figure out all the different things they meant to each other.

Aelin tilted her head up to him. They were sharing a breath, heat dancing between them. Her chest heaved a bit. “Rowan I-”

“Majesty?” A man called down the hall. They broke apart, instantly, the moment ruined. Aelin put her hand around her collarbones, trying to calm her beating heart. Rowan’s face was flushed, but he turned to the man, professional.

Aelin swallowed, pushing her hair out of her face. “Later, then, my king?”

He nodded to her, then began to talk what sounded suspiciously like a Healer’s conversation about early pregnancies. Her stomach turned queasy, as if she were the one dealing with morning sickness. She watched Rowan tug on the very ends of his hair, something he only did when he was frustrated.

Later, she thought, warmth still filling her despite the cold reality check of Rowan’s impending fatherhood. Later.

Ok so I’m a taddd obsessed with these characters and setting them up for long, slow-bun type development. Sue me. But yeah, I can’t lie, this is a TOTAL self-indulgence fic based on a book I’m going to write in the future with name changes and a few tropes I don’t think I can get away with in the actual book lol. anyway, the point is that I want to talk about them and geek about this fic even though it’s mine, even if that sounds totally unhumble lol. Yrene in this fic just has my heart, I don’t know, raise ur hand if u agree. Ok, work in the morning, and a gentle reminder this is not a Magee- Update blog, this is a Rowaelin blog. Enough writer-rambling. Goodnight lovelies, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Much in store for this fic, so stay tuned!

-Much love, Magee

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#TDDUP #Rowaelin #rowaelin fanfiction #rowaelin fantasy au #sjm #sjm fanfiction #tog #throne of glass #throne of glass fanfiction #rowan whitethorn #aelin galathynius

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starsinmylatte · 1 month

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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧

Yet another wonderful request as part of my JJK Fic Readers Supporting Noury event!

This fic is a gift for @starlitnotes (who Tumblr is apparently against me tagging, so I will DM her 😅) Thank you so much to everyone who has supported my event and my writing so far 💜

Pairing: Nanami Kento x Afab!reader x Hiromi Higuruma Rating: Explicit (18+ minors DNI) Word Count: 9k Request: Yakuza bosses Nanami and Higuruma

Click here to join my taglist!

Warnings are found below the cut!

Warnings (besides what it says on the request): Use of pet names (darling, baby, etc), threesome, oral sex, cum swallowing, praise kink, breeding kink, masturbation, Double penetration (vaginal), cervix fucking, etc.

“Excuse me, Miss?” An unfamiliar voice rang out from behind you as you scoured hardened syrup from the wooden surface of your coffee bar.

You whirled around, tossing your rag aside and snatching a spatula off the other counter. The cafe had been empty five minutes ago, and you knew that you’d already locked all the doors. No matter how polite your intruder was, he shouldn’t have been able to get in.

“Don’t come any closer,” you warned, clutching the spatula like a lifeline and pointing it toward the voice. Even though it was just a small silicone and wood tool, you felt safer with it in your hands.

A tall young man in a well-cut black suit seemed to melt out of the shadows that lined the back exit hallway. He calmly walked closer as you brandished your “weapon” at him, running a hand through his unruly brown hair and smiling sheepishly.

“I swear I’m a friend; I’m not here to hurt you.” The mystery guest raised his hands placatingly, showing you that he was unarmed. “My name is Takuma Ino, and unless you want to be arrested for conspiring with the yakuza…. please come with me.”

There was a loud, booming knock at your front door as if on cue, and another unfamiliar male voice yelled. “This is Detective Zen’in with the Tokyo Police Department! I’m here about an urgent matter. Please open the door so we can speak.”

Ino bristled at the sound of the detective’s voice. He immediately grabbed your upper arm and attempted to tug you towards the back door, but the sudden action spooked you. Your reflexes completely took over, and you slammed the wooden handle of the spatula against his fingers with a resounding crack. The young man barely suppressed a yelp of surprise, snatching his hand back and hissing in pain.

“Owwww,” he groaned quietly, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, but we have to go now.”

The detective knocked at your front door again, and you flinched, feeling very much like cornered prey. Ino nervously rubbed his fingers, trying to soothe the sting as he glanced at the front door. “Please, Miss….. Look, you can bring that thing and hit me again if I make you feel uncomfortable in any way, but please just come with me.”

The knocking grew more insistent, and the detective yelled again, “Ma’am, we know you’re in there. If you do not comply, we will forcefully open this door.”

Ino looked at you frantically as he mouthed another silent plea and gestured toward the exit. A potent, white-hot mixture of fear and adrenaline shot through you as you realized that you had no time left; you had to decide now. You could only hope you wouldn’t regret your choice as you nodded at Ino, grabbed your purse, and followed him out the back door into the night.

As soon as the two of you reached the back alley, Ino motioned for you to stay put. He glanced around, scanning the other small, connecting road. Due to the lack of foot traffic behind the stores, there were only a few street lights in the alley, and you could barely see anything beyond your feet. Ino seemed frustrated, muttering under his breath until suddenly, lights flicked on inside a sleek, expensive-looking black car near the road. Your savoir sighed in relief as he ushered you towards the vehicle, throwing the door open and nearly tossing you in.

It all happened so fast that you barely had time to think before Ino slammed your door closed and vaulted into the passenger’s seat. The driver instantly shut off all the interior lights and revved the engine, leaving you scrambling to buckle your seatbelt in the dark. Your fingers scraped over supple, well-conditioned leather as the car shot forward, hurtling through the back roads and away from the cafe. Ino and the driver carried on a hushed conversation across the front seat as you tried to process everything that had just happened, but there was one primary concern on your mind.

“Ino-san….” you spoke carefully into the dark, “Why do the police think that a Cafe owner is involved with the Yakuza?”

“It’ll make more sense when you meet the Oyabun… er, well, both of them. They can explain everything,” Ino offered, exchanging a look with the driver. You felt so frustrated; they had left you literally and metaphorically in the dark. All you could do was sit there in the quiet luxury of your surroundings, more questions and concerns brewing in your mind as the car sped off into the night.

You passed the time by staring out the window, trying to retain some bearing of your surroundings, but the car was traveling too quickly for you to read the names of any streets or buildings. Soon, the blurry grey cityscape disappeared altogether. Lush trees began to fill your vision as moonlight poured into the car. The treeline grew thicker and thicker, seemingly stretching on forever as the road began to incline steadily. You realized the two men were taking you deeper into the mountains outside Tokyo, and an icy chill shot through you.

“Oh, god…. They’re going to kill me out here, and no one will ever find my body.”

The driver must have sensed your quiet fear, and he sighed deeply. “Ino-kun, please tell me that you explained at least some of the situation to her.”

“I figured that the Oyabun would want to tell her most of it,” Ino grumbled, still nursing his hand, “We didn’t have a lot of time with that weasel of a detective outside her door, so I just told her to come with me if she didn’t want to be arrested, and that she could hit me with that spatula again if I scared her.”

The exhausted-looking driver removed one hand from the steering wheel and slapped it against his forehead, wincing and rubbing his eyes over the rim of his glasses.

“What!?!” Ino protested, throwing his arms out dramatically. “It seemed reasonable enough to me. That thing hurts, and besides-! She’s safe, and that’s what matters!”

In any other situation, you probably would’ve found the scene hilarious. The other man gave a long-suffering sigh, pointedly ignoring Ino as the young man continued to try and explain his reasoning, complete with a dramatic re-enactment of you smacking him. The driver slowed the vehicle in the middle of the road and pulled off to the side without another word. Your hand crept towards the door handle, just in case.

“Please…. don’t.” The driver clicked on the cabin light and turned around, looking at you tiredly as your fingertips brushed the only barrier that stood between your freedom, “I give you my word that it would be a mistake to leave now; please let me explain more thoroughly.”

You gazed back at him warily, moving your hand away from the handle just enough to signal that you’d hear him out. The driver had a kind but somewhat pinched and anxious face; for a yakuza driver, he seemed strangely considerate.

“My name is Kiyotaka Ijichi, and this is Takuma Ino. We both work for the Kintatsu-ikka, and our Oyabun-”

“Our boss!” Ino supplied helpfully, turning to give you a lopsided grin.

“We received a tip that you were wrongfully associated with two different Yakuza groups and placed in danger. That detective who arrived at your Cafe is not a good man; if he had reached you first, you’d likely be jailed over false charges. The Oyabun of our family sent us to pick you up and bring you somewhere safe.” Ijichi explained calmly, adjusting his glasses.

“That still doesn’t answer why they think I know you people.” You snapped back, a little more forcefully than intended. Hot, angry tears welled up, threatening to spill over at any moment as you huffed. “I’m innocent. I don’t associate with criminals.”

“Don’t panic,” Ijichi reassured you gently. “I may not have the answers, but I’m taking you to people who will. It may not mean much coming from me, but our organization is different than what you think. Let us prove to you that we aren’t just ‘criminals.’”

“It doesn’t sound like I have much of a choice,” you sniffled, toying with the hem of your sleeve.

Ijichi smiled at you, the expression softening his face and lightening the dark circles under his eyes. “We aren’t too far from our destination, but please try to relax some.”

He left the light on as he started to drive again, quickly pulling back onto the road with smooth precision. You sighed, suddenly aware of the massive amount of tension in your shoulders and back that wasn’t there an hour ago. Ijichi leaving the light on was a small gesture, but it did help you relax. Ino remained silent in the passenger seat, and every so often, you could see him glance at you using the rearview mirror, but the atmosphere was no longer tense. Still, you couldn’t shake all of the anxiety from your mind as the car traveled on.

After a few more minutes passed, Ijichi turned the car down an almost-hidden road, and the massive outline of a house appeared through the dark curtain of trees. As you drew closer, the soft glow of lanterns lined a well-paved stone driveway, growing brighter and illuminating more of the multi-floored house and surrounding gardens. Your mouth parted in a silent exclamation as you stared out the window. It was gorgeous…. dark and sleek, like a modern mansion, but heavily influenced by the style of a traditional Japanese home. Like many other people who lived in Tokyo, you’d only ever lived in a tiny, very drab city apartment; there was no way you could fathom anyone owning something that massive.

You tried to stifle your amazement, quietly reminding yourself that you weren’t here to ogle some crime boss’s home as Ijichi pulled up and around to the front steps. Ino stepped out, opened your door, and offered his hand with a small smile. As you looked out, you were distracted by two massive stone dragon statues that flanked the steps. Their teeth were permanently bared in a protective snarl as a warning for those who entered, and you shivered.

“Kintatsu-Ikka,” Ino reminded you coyly.

Tentatively, you accepted the young man’s help, and he led you onto the beautiful wooden engawa that surrounded the entire mansion. He didn’t even need to unlock the door; he simply pushed it open to lead you inside.

Your jaw dropped despite your best attempt to keep a neutral expression; the interior was somehow even more beautiful than the exterior. Moonlight entwined with lanternlight pooled through massive floor-to-ceiling windows, shining on dark, polished wood floors. A crackling fire burned in a glass fireplace beside a common area furnished with plush-looking leather couches and chairs.

Notably, the central couch was occupied by a young boy in the most rumpled suit you’d ever seen. He was completely sprawled out in a position that made your back hurt just to look at, watching a cheesy action movie on a glossy, widescreen T.V. that probably cost more than your entire yearly salary.

Ino chuckled at your awe-struck expression, “I know, right? I think everyone had that reaction the first time they saw the place. Our Oyabun has good taste.”

The young boy perked up at the sound of Ino’s voice, nearly falling off the couch as he tried to stand up. “Kyodai! You’re back!”

He bounced onto the floor with youthful zeal, altogether abandoning the movie he had been so engrossed in and running up to the two of you. “Hi, I’m Yuji. Who are you?”

Yuji cocked his head at you in curiosity, the sudden movement causing his strawberry-pink hair to flop to one side. You smiled and introduced yourself, charmed by the sweet boy, but your inner thoughts only grew more complicated.

“This sweet boy is supposed to be a criminal?? Why do none of these supposed Yakuza act or look anything like the stories?”

Of course, you had heard more than your fair share of stories about the shady criminal organizations that Japan was so infamous for. Yakuza were supposed to be malicious gangsters who only pretended to follow an honor code. They were supposed to be rough, low-life criminals who had simply been given a spit-shine and a suit, but the young boy who stood in front of you seemed like an overeager puppy, energetic and harmless.

Yuji’s eyes shone as he recognized your name. “Oh! You’re-”

“Can’t talk now, little bro. She’s got a meeting with your dad.” Ino interrupted him, pulling you past before you could register what he said.

Ino led you past a few rooms where the glossy wooden floors gave way to traditional tatami mats. You turned down another hallway, passing more closed doors and what looked like a sizeable library before the two of you arrived at the end of the hallway, where one more door waited. The soft glow of lamplight shone out from the frame, signaling that it was occupied. Your stomach fluttered anxiously as Ino stepped up and knocked softly. A low, delighted chuckle came from inside, and your heart stopped as the door finally swung open.

“N-Nanami-san?!?” You managed to squeak out, almost dropping your purse in surprise.

You had no idea who you had expected to meet, but it certainly wasn’t one of your favorite longtime customers. Moonlight shone down on Nanami Kento's tall, well-built figure, further softening his sharp features as he sat behind a massive wooden desk on the far side of the room. Despite the late hour, he was still dressed in the tan suit and spotted tie he always seemed to favor. A few stray strands of Nanami’s beautiful golden hair framed his face as he nursed a glass of whiskey, raising the crystal highball glass to his lips for a taste of the amber liquid. He let his gaze wash over you, almost as if he was savoring your presence alongside the alcohol.

A low chuckle came from behind the door, and a raspy, darkly intelligent voice teased. “Oh? I didn’t think you’d ignore me…. I’m hurt.”

Your heart had stopped earlier, but now it just left your body entirely as Higuruma Hiromi stepped into view. As always, he was almost the visual opposite of Nanami but no less handsome in his black suit. Hiromi walked towards you, tall and lanky, darkly attractive with mussed hair and a near-permanent look of exhaustion hidden behind a small grin.

“Don’t badger her, Hiromi. She’s had a long day.” Nanami chastised firmly.

Hiromi adjusted the sleeves of his crisp dress shirt and gave you a lopsided grin that made your stomach churn. “Sorry, sorry. I was trying to lighten the mood.”

The two men were night and day from each other, but they were both your favorite patrons by far, each visiting the Cafe on the same day every week. As certain as night became day, Hiromi showed up on Monday mornings, and Nanami visited you every Thursday. You had grown to cherish their company, even allowing them to come and visit with you in the early hours before the Cafe actually opened, something you had never let anyone else do. However, neither man had ever mentioned the other, and you had never seen them at the same time. You had absolutely no reason to think the men had known each other.

A memory flashed through your mind as you stared at Nanami, gasping for air.

He had come to visit even earlier than usual one morning, walking in while you were tending to the pastry dough in your small professional kitchen.

Nanami had poked his head in to find you listening to an old song on your small radio, swaying your hips and humming along to the infectious tune. You were in your own little world, completely oblivious to his presence as you systematically filled croissant dough with chocolate and plopped them onto an awaiting tray.

You moved to place the tray into the oven but tripped over a rag on the way over, crying out as you braced to hit the hard tile floor…. but the pain you had expected never arrived. Instead, you landed against a broad chest and surprisingly muscular arms that broke your fall. The pastries hit the floor with a loud clatter, but it didn’t matter as Nanami chuckled in your ear, his low, rich voice bringing a deep flush to your cheeks as his hand stroked your waist.

“Careful, now.”

Only a few weeks later, Hiromi knocked on your front door one morning and stumbled in, tired and exhausted from “a long night at work,” but he had come anyway, wholly unwilling to miss his visit with you.

“You’d worry too much if I didn’t come,” he’d grinned at you, teasing but infuriatingly correct.

You had steadfastly ignored him, instead choosing to chastise the exhausted man for not taking better care of himself. You made his usual order from memory while making him swear that he’d get more rest. As you pushed the warm cappuccino into his hands, Hiromi’s clever fingers brushed against yours in a way that made your heart flutter.

“Anything for you,” he had said, looking into your eyes with a smile that made your knees weak.

You lurched back to reality as Hiromi led you to a plush leather armchair and gently helped you sit back. Your movements were slow and robotic, but you didn’t pull away from the warmth of his hand.

“What… what the fuck is going on?” You suddenly felt breathless, like you were drowning in the deep end of a pool. Hurt and anger flashed through you like wildfire. You had let these men in. Not only that, you had trusted them and grown to care for each of them.

“I’m sorry. We should have told you sooner.” Nanami sighed, “We both agree that keeping you in the dark was wrong, but please give us the chance to explain. The last thing either of us wanted was to hurt you.”

Hiromi reluctantly pulled away from your side, returning to take his seat next to Nanami. He nodded in agreement with the blonde man’s words and took a deep drink from his wine glass before he spoke. “We may not have been completely forthright with everything, but I promise that neither my brother nor I ever lied to you.”

“But… I thought you were a salaryman, and I thought you were a lawyer?? You didn’t ever mention each other, but now you’re brothers? I thought I knew you. What are you… Who are you?” You questioned furiously, gesturing between the two men.

All the stolen touches, all the charged glances, and honeyed words... Were they all a lie?

You’d wanted one or both men so desperately that you’d deleted the dating app on your phone, praying that eventually, you’d work up the courage to ask one of them out. At night, you dreamed about how they’d touch you; in your wildest dreams, you even thought about what having both of them at once would be like.

Both men had the decency to look ashamed as a single, angry tear rolled down your cheek. Hiromi tugged at his tie as if it had grown too tight, and Nanami sighed deeply, bowing his head. “We aren’t brothers in the literal sense, but we are ‘brothers’ because Hiromi and I joined the same Yakuza family when we were young. You may have heard Ino refer to another member of the Kintatsu-Ikka as ‘shatei’ or ‘little brother,’ which is the same concept.”

Hiromi finished fiddling with his tie, leaving it undone around his neck. “As for your other question, I am still a lawyer, and he does have some salaryman duties; Kento still handles a lot of booking-related concerns because he’s too damn good with numbers. We both started our careers in administration….” he paused, selecting his next words carefully, “...before we decided that certain things in our organization needed to change.”

You stared at the desk, steadfastly refusing to look at either man as Nanami continued, “Our family split into two rival factions, and Hiromi and I each took control of one side. We reshaped both organizations but left them separate because it allowed us a certain advantage over other, much less savory groups. My men became known as the Kintatsu-ikka, and Hiromi formed the Kageakuma-Kai.”

The names bounced around in your brain, and suddenly, something clicked. You had heard of them; some of the other shopkeepers around your district had specifically purchased protection from one of the two groups. They told you that the men were kind and honorable and could help you if any other Yakuza families tried to trouble you.

“Why didn’t you tell me who you were in the first place?” Your cheeks flushed hot, and you drew your arms around your body, desperate for some comfort from the way your heart ached. “Were you wanting to play with my emotions… to make me look like a fool?”

Both men looked instantly mortified.

“No. Absolutely not.” Hiromi said firmly, frowning as he set his wine glass down with a soft clink.

“That is the last thing we wanted,” Nanami’s handsome brow furrowed deeply as he agreed.

“You must understand that in our line of work, we don’t meet many genuine people,” Hiromi mused, studying how his red wine swirled against the glass. “Most people we meet either instantly fear us or they want something from us. You…. were an outlier; you were kind, warm, and just-.”

“Lovely,” Nanami murmured, finishing the raven-haired man’s sentence. “You were lovely. By the time we realized that we needed to tell you, neither of us knew how to. It isn’t an excuse, but we do want to make it up to you.”

“W-what am I supposed to do now?” You stammered. “Ijichi-san mentioned that the detective who showed up at the Cafe today was a ‘bad man.’ What does that even mean?”

If you had any doubt that the two men in front of you were telling the truth about being Yakuza, it immediately vanished as their expressions hardened in an instant. Nanami’s normally warm, brown gaze carried the full weight of scorched earth, and Higuruma’s dark irises glinted like obsidian.

“Don’t worry; he will be taken care of,” Hiromi muttered, staring intensely over the rim of his wine glass. His tone had a dark, glittering edge, and the implication behind his words made you freeze.

“The two of you… You hurt people, don’t you?” You questioned softly, almost afraid of the answer.

Hiromi and Nanami looked at each other briefly before the weight of their combined gaze settled back on you.

“We do, but only people who deserve it,” Nanami said plainly as if he were discussing the weather. “Both the Kintatsu-Ikka and the Kageakuma-Kai are groups that actively follow the code of bushido. We practice honor and restraint but do not show those virtues to those who do not deserve them.”

“That weasel knows that you likely have nothing to do with our organization. He’s a corrupt cop that another Association bought with their blood money; you’re innocent, and he’s trying to hurt you.” Hiromi spat darkly.

Both men radiated a fiercely protective aura that filled the room and made your heart skip a beat. You had been absolutely terrified earlier, and you had even felt betrayed by both men. They had certainly made a mistake by keeping you in the dark about their identities, but they had also done their best to fix it by helping you and answering all of your questions. A warmth began to blossom in your chest, replacing the fear and anger that previously resided there. With the intensity and honesty of your conversation, you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that both Nanami and Higuruma would walk through fire to keep you safe.

“So…. What do I do now, then?” You questioned with a soft smile, trying your best to extend an olive branch.

Their intensity faded, giving way to sheer relief as Nanami exhaled softly, and some of the tension left Higuruma’s shoulders.

“I’d like for you to stay here, at least for a little while,” Nanami responded gently. “This house is safer than almost any other place in Tokyo.”

Higuruma huffed into his wine glass, “I think you’re vastly underselling it, but I agree. My place would be the other option, but it’s in the middle of the city, and I don’t think it’s safe for you to re-enter Tokyo just yet.”

You looked down at your coffee-stained clothes and then back to the two men, trying to figure out how to ask what you’d do about basic necessities. Nanami caught on to your dilemma quickly, and he simply smiled and waved his hand. “Oh, don’t worry. One of the guest rooms is already fully set up and we can have anything you need brought in tomorrow.”

“We’ve caused you enough stress,” Higuruma acknowledged with an apologetic smile. “I can easily speak for both of us when I say that we’d like to take good care of you while you’re here.”

The lamplight reflected off his dark eyes, which were slightly hazy from the wine. You blushed and swallowed nervously at his words; your frustration had evaporated, leaving you painfully aware of the feelings you still harbored toward both men.

“You’re to treat my home as your own while you’re here,” Nanami added softly. “Ino and Yuji will keep you safe if we have to step out during the day, but both Hiromi and I will be here all night, every night. We will do everything in our power to resolve this matter and keep you safe.”

The two men shared a pointed look before turning back to face you. Higuruma and Nanami gazed at you with a tenderness that made your heart skip a beat.

“It must be obvious by now that both of us… care for you,” Hiromi murmured, his black eyes softer than you’d ever seen them. “If you allow us, we want to make up for our mistakes. We want to care for you- honestly, we’d both like to spoil you rotten.”

Your breath caught in your throat as Nanami nodded in agreement. “We both just want to see you safe and happy.”

“Thank you. I feel much better now with both of you here,” you murmured, desperately trying to keep your voice from shaking.

It was true. You did feel much better, but you were also completely exhausted from the day's harrowing events. Your body had held so much stress and tension over the last few hours that almost every inch of your skin hurt.

Hiromi noticed your discomfort, frowning slightly. “Kento, let’s save the rest of this for later. She’s beyond exhausted.”

“How about a hot shower and some sleep?” Nanami suggested softly, and you nodded in vigorous agreement.

“That sounds lovely.” You murmured wistfully, already imagining how the hot water would soothe your aches and pains.

Without further fanfare, Nanami and Higuruma got up to escort you from the office. Your legs were wobbly from sheer exhaustion, but you managed to stand and follow the two men without any major issues. As they led you through the house, it was empty; everyone else had either gone home or had long since gone to bed.

“This will be your room, and the one next to it is mine. Hiromi is on your other side, and my son sleeps across the hall,” Nanami said with a smile, gesturing at each door in turn. If you need anything, please let one of us know.”

“I will,” you murmured, returning his smile.

Both men studied you carefully in the dim lighting. They seemed reluctant just to leave you alone, but Hiromi finally broke the silence rather awkwardly. “Er, well, I can only think of one more thing you’ll need to know. We wanted to give you clean clothes to sleep in, but we don’t have many women around… Anyway, we both left you a few choices that should be comfortable enough.”

Hiromi’s voice was raspier than usual as he looked to the side and scratched his head sheepishly. A light flush had spread across the lawyer's cheeks if your eyes weren’t tricking you in the dim lighting.

“Ok….?” You said tentatively. Part of you questioned his reaction, but the tired half of your brain just decided to go with it.

“Good night, then. We are glad that you arrived safely.” Nanami whispered with a small smile as the two men headed off to their respective rooms.

Unsurprisingly, the room they had you staying in was no less beautiful than the rest of the house, but you were far too tired to inspect it thoroughly. All you cared about was the large, soft bed and the attached bathroom as you opened the door, threw off your clothes, and immediately jumped into the shower. The warm water felt just as good as you’d thought, and the spacious bathroom was stocked with any luxury product you could ever need. When you were ready to get out, your skin felt soft and wonderfully pampered.

You still didn’t fully realize why Hiromi had been so sheepish until after you had toweled off and stepped back into the bedroom. A small, multicolored mountain on top of the dresser caught your eye, and you audibly gasped when you realized that it was entirely made up of men’s clothing. There were luxuriously soft sweatpants, pattered pajama pants, socks, hoodies, and many different styles of well-loved T-shirts, all laid out for you to choose from. Honestly, there were enough clothes in the pile that you could easily have pajamas or comfortable loungewear for an entire month.

Eventually, you decided on a pair of lovely knit socks, some soft grey sweatpants that were clearly from Nanami’s wardrobe, and one of Higuruma’s old law school shirts. It was almost unfair; the clothes smelled like a perfect mixture of the two men. A heady blend of leather, aftershave, tea, and tobacco clouded your senses, and you blushed, realizing that you’d be wearing their clothes and nothing else since you had no clean underwear to put on. As you dressed, a shiver ran down your spine, but it wasn’t from fear; no, this was a shiver of pure need.

Both Higuruma and Nanami had been recurring visitors in your dreams for many months, and you had only grown more desperate to know how they’d feel and how they’d taste. You wanted to know if they’d be rough, pressing you into the mattress with deep, almost brutal thrusts, or if they’d be slow and sensual, coaxing orgasm after orgasm from you with their tongues and fingers, making you beg to feel their cocks. Maybe they’d switch between the two, or maybe they’d want you on top. Honestly, you couldn’t even tell what scenario you wanted more.

Your desire for both men had grown to the point where they were all you could think about. No porn quelled your appetite; no erotic novels brought you relief from the deep-seated desire that throbbed deep in your core and refused to leave for hours at a time. Honestly, you felt like it was driving you insane. If you didn’t know any better, you’d almost swear the two men sent you into some kind of feral heat because you were always obscenely wet every night, nearly sobbing in frustration as your pussy begged for something more than your own fingers.

You’d tried overstimulation, erotic ASMR, vibrators, plugs, and even lube meant to replicate cum… literally everything you could think of. You tried to stuff your aching cunt full of every toy imaginable, desperate to find some relief, but nothing truly worked. Sure, you’d eventually orgasm, but it was never as satisfying as you needed it to be, and it did nothing to sate your desire. If anything, it was like only being able to swat at an itch instead of scratching it outright.

Tonight was even worse than usual; the way Nanami and Higuruma had been so protective of you earlier had only added fuel to the fire. You clenched your thighs together in sheer desperation as you slid into bed and slipped your hand underneath the waistband of your—no, Nanami’s—sweatpants with a whimper.

“Both of us care for you…. We want to spoil you….”

Their earlier words rang in your ears as you slid a finger through your folds teasingly, biting the swell of your lower lip to stifle the next pitiful whine that escaped. Your poor little clit was already throbbing, so puffy and sensitive that you had to turn over and bury your face into the pillow as you circled it with your fingers. The men you had fantasized about for so long were literally on either side of you as you touched yourself to thoughts of them, and you could only pray that you were being quiet enough-

There was a single, sharp knock on the door before it cracked open, catching you right at the moment your fingers slid into your soaked cunt.

You could hear Hiromi’s muffled voice, his tone urgent as he asked, “Are you okay? We heard you cry- oh.”

Two sets of footsteps entered the room and approached you on the bed as you slipped your hand out from between your legs, threw the sheet over your head, and prayed to somehow evaporate on the spot.

“Is there something you want to tell us, sweetheart?” Nanami rasped, voice low and thick with barely restrained lust.

“C’mon now, don’t be shy,” Hiromi purred, drawing another whimper from your lips. “We want to help you.”

You babbled an incoherent mess of words into the pillow, and Nanami slowly pulled the sheet back from your body. He hooked a thick finger under your jaw, gently pulling your face away from the pillow.

“Need you to use your words for us, darling.” The blonde man murmured.

“‘M so sorry… just need it so bad. Please, I need you both.” You sobbed shamefully, fat tears rolling down your cheeks as you clenched your thighs together in desperation.

Something instantly snapped in both men. You felt the bed dip behind you as Nanami crouched down to pull you into a searing kiss. Hiromi slotted himself between your legs, pulling them apart, and you whined desperately against Nanami’s lips as the man between your legs pressed his gorgeous, hooked nose directly against your still-clothed cunt.

Higuruma inhaled deeply, luxuriating in the scent of your arousal as he growled and cursed under his breath, “Fuck, she’s so goddamn wet already.”

Nanami sucked your bottom lip into his mouth, nipping it lightly with his teeth as you moaned again, completely lost in your desire. Hiromi licked greedily at the damp patch of fabric that separated his hot mouth from your cunt, shoving his face even further in between your legs like he intended to devour you through the fabric of Nanami’s sweatpants.

“Ngh, ‘Romi,” You whined against Nanami’s lips as you kissed him sloppily, drawing a deep chuckle from the blonde.

“What about me, hmmm?” He teased. “If he gets to taste your pretty little pussy, what do I get?

Nanami trailed his lips across your jaw and down the corner of your neck, licking and biting at your pulse point before making his way up to coo against the shell of your ear, “I think I have an idea.”

You had never been so aroused in your entire life. All you could do was lay there as Nanami stepped away to undress, and Hiromi pulled you backward. He ripped off your clothes and coaxed you to your hands and knees, stroking your back and sides and whispering hoarse praises as you forced your jelly-like limbs to support the weight of your body.

As soon as you had all four limbs solidly planted on the bed, Hiromi’s patience snapped, and he lurched forward, sinking his tongue into your dripping cunt. The lawyer moaned shamelessly against your folds as he explored every inch of you with his tongue, kissing and sucking at your labia before reaching forward to stimulate your puffy little clit.

“Kento, she tastes so fucking good.” He groaned, leaning back to kiss and nip at the pillowy, soft skin of your inner thighs. You shook above him, back arched in pure hedonistic bliss as Higuruma devoured you like a man starved.

Your eyes rolled back in your head as Hiromi wrapped his hands around your hipbones, encouraging you to thrust back against his eager mouth. Nanami groaned at the sight of the raven-haired man devouring you as he returned to the bed. The mattress dipped under his weight, and your eyes fluttered open again. Suddenly, you were treated to the sight of the tall, blonde man completely nude and kneeling in front of you.

Moonlight shone through the window, once again illuminating Nanami Kento's form, and your mouth went bone-dry. Sure, you had noticed how broad his chest was and how his suit jacket clung to his form, but now you could watch the way his muscles rippled and flexed with every move. Certainly, nothing had prepared you for the massive, golden dragon proudly inked over his entire right arm. It started at his wrist, wrapping up and around his shoulder to bare its fangs in a ferocious snarl across his pectoral. Your gaze trailed further down, past defined abdominal muscles to where his erection stood proudly against his belly. It was certainly larger than average, but what stood out the most was how thick his erect cock was.

You whimpered, and your cunt throbbed around Hiromi’s tongue as your gaze traveled to the swollen tip that was already starting to leak pre-cum. The raven-haired lawyer pulled back from your thighs, chuckling hoarsely, “I think our pretty baby likes what she sees, Kento. You should’ve felt the way she just squeezed me like a damn vice.”

Nanami’s large hand cupped your jaw, stroking it with his thumb as he leaned down and pulled you forward into another bruising kiss. In doing so, he accidentally pulled you forward and away from Hiromi’s mouth, causing him to growl in displeasure.

“Don’t worry, we’ll learn to share,” Nanami whispered against your lips, trailing his hand down to palm your tender breasts. “Are you going to let me feel that pretty mouth, sweetheart?”

“Please…. Wanna taste you.” You nodded rapidly, already almost salivating in anticipation as the golden-haired man rose and shifted his hips forward. Without any further encouragement, you licked his swollen tip, swirling your tongue around it to taste the heady musk of his pre-cum. His thick cock twitched, and Nanami groaned your name softly, guiding his shaft towards your plush, kiss-swollen lips with one of his hands.

You greedily sucked the thick tip into your mouth with an audible pop as Higuruma continued to torture you with his tongue and clever fingers, still completely drunk on your taste. Nanami cupped your cheek with one of his large hands before moving that same hand into your hair, entwining his fingers with the strands. From the look of intense concentration on his face and the way his abdomen twitched, you could easily tell that he was fighting the desire to sheath his cock in your throat all at once.

“Fuck, sweetheart…. you have such a perfect mouth,” Nanami groaned hoarsely, reflexively tightening his grip on your hair.

You moaned around his cock in response, causing even more of the thick shaft to slide in.

“Perfect, hah, beautiful…. Divine.” He growled more praises as you slowly took more and more of him until, finally, you nuzzled your nose against the coarse, honey-blonde hairs that trailed up from the base of his cock.

You had never felt so perfectly and deliciously used as Nanami began to thrust his hips shallowly, sliding his thick cock in and out of your throat. Hiromi’s clever fingers kept circling your engorged clit in the most delicious way, and you launched higher and higher into ecstasy between the two men.

The band of pleasure in your stomach began to tighten uncontrollably, causing you to moan and drool even more. You could actually hear how aroused you were as Hiromi drilled his fingers into your soaked cunt, easily rubbing against the spongy spot that had you whining like a bitch in heat.

“Please cum, baby. Need to feel you cum.” Hiromi groaned reverently, almost like he was praying. He reached down to squeeze the base of his own cock hard, trying to keep from cumming in his pants.

“You're doing so well for us. Please, sweetheart.” Nanami joined in as his thrusts became shaky.

You wanted to tell them that you would, that you were trying, and that you were so close to the best orgasm you’ve ever had…. but you didn’t even get to finish the thought before your bliss hit you like a falling star, sending you shattering over the edge into hedonistic oblivion.

You cried out around Nanami’s cock, soaking Hiromi’s face in your arousal as your orgasm was ripped out of you. A shaky curse tumbled from Nanami’s lips as he felt his swollen balls clench hard. As if you’d started a chain reaction, thick ropes of his cum filled your throat, and somewhere in the back of your mind, you registered Higuruma’s hoarse cry as you greedily swallowed every last drop of Kento’s cum.

After a few minutes passed, Nanami gently pulled you off of his softening length. He held you against his broad chest, pressing reverent kisses to the top of your head and whispering praises against your skin. Hiromi remained pressed against the mattress for another moment, left completely spent from his own unexpected orgasm, but eventually, he slid up behind you, pressing kisses to your shoulder blades.

“Beautiful girl, you did so well for us,” He murmured hoarsely, allowing you to slide into his arms as Nanami passed you over and slid out of bed to run the three of you a bath.

You looked at him with eyes half-lidded in complete exhaustion. “‘Romi, didn’t get to make you feel good,” you fretted.

“Oh, but you did,” he whispered back, pressing a kiss to each of your eyelids. “You tasted so good that I came in my damn pants like a teenager.”

—

After that night, you rarely went more than two days without warming the bed of one or both men. True to Nanami’s word, he and Hiromi spoiled you rotten with anything you could ever want, and both men quickly became excellent at sharing you. You lightened up their lives in a way that did not go unnoticed by those around them, but the three of you hadn’t yet discussed what would happen with your relationship when you were entirely safe and able to return to the city. The uncertainty weighed heavily on your mind for a few weeks, and you finally decided to ask the two men.

A few nights after you’d made up your mind, the opportunity to ask presented itself when the three of you went to the onsen late at night. Both Nanami and Hiromi used the spa and the attached bathing facilities almost religiously, finding it an excellent way to relax from the stress of their day. Like other Yakuza, their tattoos barred them from entering any public bathhouse, so they simply built their own far away from prying eyes.

“Ken, Hiromi, I’ve got a question for the two of you,” You murmured, slipping into the warm water of the sizeable, man-made hot spring.

Higuruma chuckled, pulling you close to nibble the shell of your ear playfully. “This could be trouble,” he teased, passing you to Nanami, who chose to press a soft, affectionate kiss to your cheek.

You smiled at the two men, lightly smacking Hiromi’s arm for the quip. He growled at you playfully, surging forward to chase you around the small pool. Eventually, he caught you and tossed you over his lithely muscular back like a sack of potatoes, giving you a perfect view of the black, swirling Oni mask tattooed across his skin.

He returned you to your rightful place between him and Nanami as the blonde man scoffed at him, although both of you knew the stern dragon secretly loved your antics.

“You were saying, sweetheart?” Kento asked pointedly.

“Mhhmmm,” you nodded slowly, “I… I wanted to know what’s going to happen when it’s time for me to return to the city.”

Both men looked at each other pointedly, just as they had on the night your relationship actually began.

“Well, we’ve been discussing that, actually,” Hiromi started with a small smile. “Kento and I have concluded that it’ll be beneficial for the Kintatsu-Ikka and the Kageakuma-Kai to officially rejoin forces.”

You stared at them blankly, “That’s good… I think?”

“Yes, it is,” Nanami murmured smoothly. “Funnily enough, we both seemed to conclude that most important alliances are forged through marriage.”

“And we aren’t planning on marrying each other, so, naturally, the best option would be to find a willing third party to act as a proxy.” Higuruma grinned at you.

Tears of joy pricked at your eyes, “You know…. if you’re asking me to marry you, you may want to ask in slightly less legal terms.”

Nanami slid up behind you, pulling you back against his muscular chest. He leaned down to kiss your shoulder reverently, cradling your body as if you were the most precious jewel.“Then allow me. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

Hiromi grew more serious, but his smile never faded as he knelt in the water in front of you and cupped your hand in his, “And I would also like to ask for your hand in marriage. Let us make you the happiest woman in the world, darling.”

You pulled both men in to embrace you as tears of pure happiness rolled down your cheeks, splashing into the steaming water. “I love you both so much.”

Nanami and Hiromi wound their arms around you, completely interlocking your body with theirs.

“There’s one more thing you’ll need to know, love,” Nanami murmured next to your ear.

“Oh?” You purred.

“If you agree to marry us, there’s a certain…. competition we will need your help with.”

“And what would that be?” You asked curiously, glancing between the two men.

Nanami gently reached his hand to trail over your lower stomach, and your breath caught in your throat as you realized what they were about to ask.

“We want you to give both of us children, darling,” Hiromi husked, roaming his hands over your body, “But instead of planning who will go first… we want it to be a surprise.”

“You want to see who can get me pregnant first?” You asked in a daze. Both men inhaled deeply at your words, and you could feel them start to harden against you almost instantly.

“We’ve both seen the way you dote on the babies who visited the cafe… and the way you look at baby videos on your phone with that soft little smile on your face,” Nanami murmured, “Yuji could use a sibling or two… Just say the word, and we’ll give you a baby of your very own.”

Your face flushed hotly at the idea of growing round and full with their children, and you had to bite your lip to stifle a whimper. The three of you could likely fill this spacious mountain mansion with children, and you knew that Hiromi and Kento would make the perfect fathers. They both knew when to be stern versus caring, and they’d protect their family with their lives if needed.

“Fuck, you’ll be such a pretty mommy,” Hiromi groaned, palming the swell of your breasts in the water. “We’ll get to see these all full and heavy…”

“If I say yes…. Can we start now?” You ask breathlessly, drawing a hoarse laugh from Nanami and a pleased grin from Higurumua.

“I think it’d be a shame to waste any time,” Kento said, picking you up bridal-style and carrying you from the pool deck with Hiromi hot on his heels.

–

In no time at all, you were lying on your back in Nanami’s spacious bed with both of your future husbands hell-bent on bringing you to the pinnacle of bliss. You’d already cum twice, and now Kento was sprawled out between your legs with your knees hooked over his shoulders, softly lapping at your clit as Hiromi kneaded your breasts with his clever fingers. Every so often, the lawyer leaned down to pop one of your hardened nipples into his hot mouth, sucking on the bud until you cried out.

“Ken… ‘Romi, nnngh, it feels so good….. too much,” You whined desperately at the blissful almost-pain of overstimulation.

“C’mon, baby. Make another mess for us, yeah?” Hiromi begged shamelessly, leaning up to kiss you deeply. He swirled his tongue into your mouth at the same time Nanami swiped his tongue across your clit, and you saw stars, wantonly moaning into the kiss.

Nanami repeated the movement with his tongue, and your hips bucked off the bed, but the strong man simply pinned you back down with a growl that made your clit throb.

“Darling, darling, fuck- so beautiful. You can do it,” The raven-haired man praised you desperately, and your back arched off the bed as your clit throbbed pitifully. Every nerve ending in your body lit up at once as your orgasm ripped through you, causing you to shudder between the two men.

Nanami pushed himself off the bed and back onto his knees as he wiped the visible traces of your arousal from his chin and licked them from his fingers, smiling down at you in a manner that made you shiver with anticipation.

“We’re going to fill you up now, darling,” he purred roughly, “One of us is about to get you pregnant, so what do you say?”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” you mumbled over and over as Hiromi turned you over and laid you against his chest, making sure your legs were hooked over his. He palmed his erection between your legs, using his fingers to coat his thick shaft with your arousal before slowly sliding you down onto his length.

You moaned in tandem with the raven-haired lawyer as he bottomed out inside you. He was only slightly less thick than Nanami, but his cock was beautifully long. The swollen tip greedily rubbed against your cervix, almost pleading for it to accept his babies as Hiromi tipped his head back, panting heavily. You had to claw at the sheets on either side of him to keep from moving your hips.

“C’mon, Ken… ‘s not easy to stay still.” Hiromi groaned.

Nanami chuckled roughly, positioning himself behind you and threading his legs over Higuruma’s but under yours. “Baby, do you remember the word if we need to stop?”

You nodded frantically. “Please… I remember; just please, Ken.”

With another long groan, Nanami positioned his swollen cock next to Hiromi’s, doused himself with lube, and very slowly began to push in. At first, it felt as if you were being completely split in half by the two men. You were well past properly aroused, but the intense stretch of taking two thick cocks at once simply took time. Fortunately, both men were more than willing to be patient.

“Good fucking girl,” Kento moaned as he finally sank all the way in, his balls resting against your plush ass and his cock nestled directly on top of Hiromi’s as they took you at the same time. You sobbed against the dark-haired man’s chest, and he cursed loudly in return; the pressure and heat and delicious friction were almost too much for everyone involved to last any proper amount of time.

Nanami began to slowly thrust in and out of your core, which was now soaked with a hedonistic mixture of your cum, a generous amount of lube, and the pre-cum from both men. Every thrust sent him rubbing against Hiromi’s cock, creating delicious friction for both men and giving you the overwhelming feeling of being obscenely full.

Miraculously, the three of you managed to last another three minutes before you came unbelievably hard, convulsing between the two men as your vision turned white. As soon as your core began to flutter around Hiromi and Kento, both men were gone. They each came with a hoarse cry, painting your womb white with their combined seed as your cunt greedily milked it from their swollen balls.

Eventually, the two men slowly recovered their senses, but you were still absolutely floating. Hiromi pulled out of you first, motioning to Nanami to keep their cum tucked safely inside you. The blonde did so happily, gently keeping you plugged with his cock and fingers until the other man returned with enough clean pillows to prop your hips up properly. After sorting out your positioning, they quickly cleaned themselves off and returned to your side, ready to spoil completely rotten you once you woke up.

“Oh, and may the best man win.” Hiromi lazily jabbed at Kento, who simply scoffed with his own satisfied grin.

“The way I see it, we both already won.”

Tagging some friends: @pseudowho @saradika @thefact0rygirl @babygirl-leon-kennedy @hereforthesunrise @ashotofspotchka @ironandglass @amyroswell @cassandrablacker @lady-valtieri @justanothersadperson93 @orangecremepuff @belle-smith07 @outspokenbrat @enchantedsylveon @khaleesihavilliard @spam-love @silverliningsandstorms @msniks @panteramarron @eldritchbeauty @unoriginalidea @cindyneko-strider @markleeisdabestdrug @gabbyburgers @its-chickenwing-450 @luneariaa @akiiireix @tojispookiebear @dangoank0 @ifuckinghateschool @barryatsumu @voids-universe @mahgyu @themoonmonologues @byul9158 @starlitnotes @makingtimemine @mischiefmanaged71 @galactict3a @dreahmdere @mirrors-musings

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icharchivist · 1 month

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🤔🤔🤔

Okay, but easily the best part about Hekate is that she's so bisexual. It doesn't matter what gender Danchou is, she's horny for them

In the original dream she gave us to get us to sleep with her, we had a happy life with both our parents, Lyria and Vyrn and she was our childhood friend and betrothed sneaking into our room at night, but we're engaged so it's totally fine for us to be doing this, obviously, we've totally done it before, this is a nightly occurrence-

Wdym you play as Djeeta? Irrelevant. We're totally getting married, let's fuck

Like idk some female characters, especially older ones from early in the game, feel very catered to a male player and that's fair enough, but I like that it's moved away from that and Hekate feels neutral enough for anyone to feel like she wants them carnally. I know traditionally succubi primarily target men, but still

I'm rambling

Anyway, Hekate hot, bisexual icon, will fuck you regardless of what you have or identify as

hoo. I've seen most of the characters who are into Danchou make it like that for both gender option so it doesn't really surprise me per se

but yeah it's always nice to see how bisexual it makes character, especially for character who really want to fuck Danchou.

Hekate hot and bi icon, what's not to like.

#ichareply #anonymous #ichafantalks gbf

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tired-needs-sleep · 6 months

Text

i like making my friends sob in agony whenever i drop lore on my ocs in chat

#yes. keep sobbing about how sara feels like they don't deserve basic kindness and decency #keep crying about how renegade!zyria goes down the dark path because of the amount of grief she goes through in the span of a few months #scream in agony when i tell you neri feels like she doesn't belong anywhere but by herself with her serpent #cry about how lyria constantly is worried about making people mad and doing something wrong #weep over how nia has absolutely no self preservation and also has little idea what happened to her before aevium #sleepy rambles

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deck16 · 2 years

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Adventures in Lyria Retrospective

I’ve done it! DMed a campaign from minimum to maximum level. No cheats or shortcuts; the real thing. Achievement unlocked.

It happened to be D&D Fifth Edition, though really, I’d probably feel the same if I’d done it in any similar system.

This post is me reflecting back on it. Three real-life years of gameplay. I don’t know this post will be of much interest to those outside the campaign; but such readers are welcome anyway. Apologies if it’s a bit rambly: my priority was to put thoughts to paper.

This post isn’t a re-telling of the story: you can find other posts that do that here, starting here (though at the time of writing I’m quite behind and have a lot of catch-up to do).

Music

I’m putting this section first, so you can potentially listen while you read.

I think music and/or ambient sound adds a lot to the RPG experience. While I do have some generic playlists, most are customised to fit the mood and setting.

Here’s a very non-exhaustive list. You will find the inspiration behind many of these quite obvious.

Aarakocra Theme. Mostly used in the dungeon beneath Silvercap Mountain. Exotic. With quirky, sad, and menacing tracks.

Aarakocran Ghost. The theme of the flute-playing child ghost that haunted the dungeon beneath Silvercap Mountain.

Asurath’s Theme. Bygone prestige.

Breathy Combat Music. One. Two. Three. Just some of the many, many “generic combat” tracks; these would become player favourites.

Celestial Theme. Holy, yet cold and aloof.

Charun’s Theme. Ghosts of civilisations past.

Katarina’s Theme. Pure; with a mix of sad and hopeful tracks.

Lady Xilo’s Theme. Beautiful and regal; but melancholy.

Laila Akeldama’s Theme. Yeah… the NPC’s name came from the music.

Lyria’s Might Theme. Mighty, ponderous, and oppressive. Used often for Strabo.

Illuminates Theme. One. Two. Holy, yet tinged with a sinister darkness.

Moon Theme. One. Two. Rarefied and hypnotic.

Nyctimene Theme. For Ezekial’s abandoned village. Sad and nostalgic.

Port CS College Theme. Lighthearted and wacky, suitable for a shenanigans in a wizard college.

Port CS Theme. One. Two. Three. Four. Maritime and a bit roguish.

Port CS Countryside Theme. Calm and serene. For a quiet island once at the edge of the known world.

Second Legion Chant.

Valerius Family Theme. Refined yet passionate.

Yudibug Theme. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Alien and primitive.

Playing Online

The Technology

We started with Roll20’s free tier. Then I forked out for a paid tier, with API access. Finally we moved to Foundry once it was available.

Roll20 is not bad. The free tier includes a lot of functionality; and it’s totally possible to play D&D or a similar RPG with it. The paid tiers offer very useful extra tools, but in my opinion it is a bit pricey.

Foundry is cheaper than Roll20, because you pay-to-own rather than pay-per-year. (Like Roll20, players don’t have to pay to join.) But that’s not the main reason why I moved. Foundry is software you own and run on your own machine, and so not beholden to a third-party company’s whims. No-one can shut my self-run server down, and no-one can tell me what addons I can and can’t use.

The Experience

People often say playing in-person is better. I actually think I prefer online because of the tools you get with something like Foundry. If I ever played in-person again, it would be with the aid of Foundry.

An example? A tool like Foundry can handle vision for your combats, taking into account darkness, light sources, and line-of-sight. None of that is possible with miniatures on a grid. We’ve had some fantastic battles where players had to deal with incomplete knowledge due to limited vision, and it’s a blast when the player is surprised to see something when they round a corner, rather than simply role-play-pretending its a surprise to their character.

The party battle with Master Tarquin inside the Tiger’s Nest monastery. The coloured golems are part of the morality puzzle they’d have to solve next.

The System

I am not brand-loyal to Hasbro or Wizards of the Coast. I think they’re a typical greedy corporation, willing to double-dip by making customers pay for books, then pay again for online resources, then pay again for official Roll20 content.

So keep that in mind when I say I quite like D&D 5e. As a system, it manages to both be simple to understand and learn while keeping some depth. That’s no easy thing to do.

D&D 5e is a little simple for my tastes, but not by much. I enjoyed it for this campaign and would enjoy it again.

But there were some things in the system that were trouble.

The Adventuring Day

5e is balanced around “the adventuring day”, where a party has many encounters before they can stop for a serious rest.

You can make encounters harder to compensate, but that only works up to a point before combat gets very luck-based and un-fun. And you can’t ignore The Adventuring Day guidelines or you’ll be affecting class balance.

That’s really annoying as a DM. I felt like I was stuffing in encounters that weren’t needed. They weren’t fun. They weren’t necessary to the story.

There are workarounds, and some I used and they did help, but the core idea is busted. It felt like a straight-jacket limiting me from certain kinds of adventures. For example, I couldn’t have a stand-alone short-and-sweet mini-adventure that involved a bit of exploration or social interaction cumulating in a single fight; that would break the balance.

Difficulty

I remember an early combat during Vinalia that was just an optional sparring match with gladiators. Lukil requested a fighter harder than the hardest one I had put on offer. And the party won handily. That, I think, helped me realised I had to push this party a little harder than simple CR math suggested.

That isn’t a complaint about the Challenge Rating system. It worked well enough, and when I learned to factor in this “handicap”, it worked even better and consistently so. Most fights were decent challenges.

If I had to pick, I’d say I strayed on the side of “too easy”.

There were only two-and-a-half character deaths (Flutter’s is only one-half because it was loosely planned). There were many more moments of danger – low hit points or other precarious situations. But I don’t think the party were often pushed to the edge.

I have a few thoughts on that.

Firstly, that may be a valid way to play, especially with more linear adventures. It’s a bit mean to put in an encounter that the party will likely lose if they’ve no choice in the matter. Usually extreme difficulty is for optional things, like gladiator sparring matches, or ancient dragons that are safely chained up. Or for sandbox adventures with more than one path.

Secondly, I put some blame on the Adventuring Day, which I discuss above. When done the “proper D&D way”, the first few encounters of a day are not ever going to be dangerous; just a matter of how many resources they waste.

Thirdly, pushing the party to the edge is harsh. It usually means flirting with a TPK. A TPK kills beloved characters and may even derail a campaign. Very likely I was sensible to avoid this and err on the side of easy. Who knows: if I had done the opposite would I be lamenting now about being too harsh?

So in conclusion? I think I did a pretty good job overall as combat was consistently challenging. If I was to do it again I might lean harder on the party, gradually and slowly over time, and re-evaluate. I’d probably do a better job just because of more experience.

High Level Complexity

High level play is fun to experience. But I wouldn’t want to live there.

As the characters ascended above level 15, they got a lot of powers. That was trouble for two reasons:

It gets complicated. Not as bad as this. But a little like that. Mentally draining.

The balance gets a little off. There are certain things that approach the level of being “I win” buttons unless the enemy has a very particular counter. Those kinds of features are “balanced” in the sense that can’t be used often enough for every encounter. But the encounters they are used in often get trivialised, which makes them boring, which is a shame. Doubly so they were meant to be a climactic boss fight. Some examples of “trouble abilities”:

Forcecage. No-save, no-concentration crowd-control. If the trapped baddie can’t teleport, it’s screwed. It’s basically out of the fight until it can be dog-piled when it’s alone at the end.

Paladin Auras +5 to saving throws in an aura is powerful. It makes the party extremely hard to affect with certain spells (the fun ones). With a 10-foot radius it’s not too bad, but when it blooms out to 30 feet it’s pretty much always in play. I believe one of the players said, in reference to the series of encounters leading to the final BBEG, “If it wasn’t for Garo we’d be dead.”

Thankfully 5e seems to be quite linear in level progression, so the party were high level only for a while; and level 20 only for a handful of sessions.

A play is put on honouring the heroes’ exploits in saving Cantia from the lycanthrope threat. Here, the actors playing the heroes fight against actors playing the role of Strabo et al.

Story

A DM has to be a very exceptional writer to have a really amazing story that is simultaneously shapeable by the players. That flexibility destroys the careful crafting that clever twists and revelations require.

But I think this campaign had a serviceable story, given that handicap. It’s not something laden with brilliance to be pulled apart in an English Literature degree. But I think it was coherent and engaging.

Character Arcs

Every long- or medium-term PC got a story. The depth of the story was related to the character’s longevity. A few characters came and went before getting a story; either because the player left, the player swapped them out, or the character died.

Here’s my take on the arcs:

Cyrus. Lady Xilo did well as a mysterious patron, and potential villain. Cyrus had a bit of a slow-burn story that took off when the party visited Helicalis. Cyrus’ story didn’t exactly resolve, but it was left unresolved in a tantalising way. That said, it did see some kind of resolution, as the intra-party tension on Silvercap Mountain served as a satisfying chapter-point.

Ezekial. The story of Ezekial is mostly the story of Asurath. Both in game-mechanic terms and story-terms I think I could have been a bit more consistent with Asurath. Anyone looking back would find inconsistencies aplenty, but thankfully that can just add a mysterious mythic feel to a story element like Asurath. Asurath lent itself to being an end-game plot point, and it was great for that. But Zeke’s longer-term story was all about maturing from hot-headed and naive to properly heroic.

Flutter. Apparently meant to be something of a throw-away temporary character, Flutter became a mid-to-late-game mainstay. Flutter stands out to me for his Gandalf-like transformation: starting as an exasperated, put-upon (and cute) kenku driven almost-helplessly along by fate; turning into a powerful yet compassionate aarakocran wizard who steered important events. Flutter’s illumination-magic theme strongly pervaded the character concept. His story arc involving the history of his people was more of a side-story to that, though it did include a fun “mega-dungeon”.

Garo. Garo didn’t have a major plot-point introduced by me. Rather, bringing Strabo to justice became his plot-point, which led to a fantastic chapter in the campaign. There was something of a small story involving Garo’s interactions with St Cuthbert. Garo’s evolution was almost the inverse of Zeke’s: the inflexible crusader learned to chillax and see the bigger picture. Garo and Zeke are to this campaign what Leonardo and Rapheal are to the ninja turtles.

Lukil. Lukil got to free her father; I’m glad we managed to do that before the player left. But there was more to Lukul’s story. We saw the start of her emerging from her fiercely independent and proud shell. I would’ve liked to see that carry on long-term.

Trystan. I really wanted to make Trystan’s story a multi-session arc about his election to Consul. Complete with political intrigue, involvement of his family, and probably some interference in Veronica Veneno’s marriage. Trystan’s player gave me a lot to work with, and I put in the early setup work, introducing the NPCs and such. I also would have loved to showcase Lyria as a city more. Sadly, the available space in the campaign shrunk and this was squeezed out. Also, I struggled to think of ways to mesh high-level play with “lowly” politics, especially given D&D’s “need” for combat. Politics seems too easy for a party with access to high-level spells and abilities.

Zilt. First player; first story. A lovely little story about a cautious kobold with a tender heart who dared to improve life for his kin. An ideal plot for low-level play. Zilt was the perfect party member for the early-game party: his exasperated realism brilliantly contrasted and complimented the dreamy Cyrus and stoic Lukil.

Alexandros, Adan, Algo, Clever Clover, Kytah, Surkiv, Valerius. These were all short-term PCs. Alexandros and Surkiv had backstories that did tie them into the Strabo plot, but no special arc was done for either. I had an idea for a story for Clever Clover involving visiting the tabaxi homelands. As for the rest? They were too short-lived for me to think seriously on.

Special PC Mechanics

Cyrus had a variety of special magical talents revolving around chaos and disrupting magic; mostly tied to his sorcerery points. These grew over time as he destroyed powerful magics.

Ezekial had Asurath. The sword took on the powers of the things it killed, which mostly allowed him to expand his spell list. And it became very powerful indeed for the last few sessions of the game. Some of the sword’s stronger powers were meant to drain Ezekial, and I had rules in place for that, but it didn’t really play a strong role in the game. Possibly because they weren’t debilitating enough, or they were too easily rested away, or because they just weren’t used often enough.

Zilt had a poisoner’s kit. I gave him region-specific ways to collect ingredients and make special poisons out of them. The skill was crucially important in infiltrating the yudibug lair.

I didn’t give Garo any special mechanical feature. I probably should have.

Legend lore was often spiced up with a little interactive encounter. When learning about the cudgel of St Cuthbert, the players took on the roles of historic heroes battling against the arch-devil Arcadion. “I’m not trapped in here with you. You’re trapped in here with me.”

Intra-party Conflict

I like when PCs have some disagreements. Provided it doesn’t lead to hurt feelings out-of-character, or disrupt the party’s ability to adventure (and, you know, play the game).

The first conflict between Cyrus and Lukil was all Lukil’s idea, and it was a good example of this kind of thing done well. Annoyed with his sacrilegious nature and perceived lack of honour and bravery, she chided him, until he ultimately defeated her in first-blood hand-to-hand combat (with a lucky critical hit).

The conflict between Cyrus and Flutter was good, though as a DM it did scare me as it seemed to walk very close to the out-of-character cliff edge. Cliff-edges aside, it had a perfect arc to it. It was nuanced and complex and driven by the character personalities. Flutter found Cyrus’ selfish nature disgusting, and Cyrus’ reaction to being judged was to grow more cold and distant in return, thus making selfish acts more likely (or less hidden). The feud boiled over at Silvercap Mountain, after defeating that chapter’s BBEG. The two did reconcile, somewhat, after a long time apart.

I was considering a final show-down between Ezekial and Garo, likely brought about by refusal to give up an empowered Asurath. There were hints to this in prophecy and carnival divination magics. The other PCs would have to choose sides. But this ending seemed less and less of a valid option as the story approached its end. It would’ve been wrong to force Zeke and Garo to conflict, given how they had both changed.

Place and Time

We’d often joke that, in-universe, the whole story probably lasted only a month or two. Driving the plot along is good, but I should’ve given more opportunity for down-time. At least for the wizard’s sake.

Other than that, I probably wouldn’t change much when it came to place and time.

The locales were not richly detailed lore-wise, but I don’t think that’s a problem, as no player enjoys a lore-dump. But I feel that the players appreciated and understood the necessary stuff: the important NPCs, factions, history, and current events.

I like to think that the game lingered in some locations long enough to get a good feel for them while also not over-staying to the point of boredom. Places like the early swamp, Port CS, Helicalis, and even Asurath’s pocket dimension.

The party are caught by Charun on the roof of the bridge-chateau in Cortona, and are forced to flee.

The Supernatural

This is a fantasy setting in a fantasy game, so of course there will be magic spells, supernatural monsters, and such.

But I take great care to shroud the extremis of things in mystery. The nature of gods and the fate of souls is unknown. Visiting “inner” planes like the Feywild is non-trivial. The “outer” planes may not exist at all.

My approach is for two reasons:

It’s easier to focus on the fate of mortals when the fate of the rest of the cosmos is unknown and largely unknowable.

It makes contact with these things – fey, fiends, celestials, moon-creatures – all the more special. The mystery and alien-ness enhances them.

The Villains

I suppose there were four BBEGs:

Simserion the Necromancer.

Pheland Phylund the werewolf rebel leader.

Magnus Strabo the army general.

Charun the Senectifier, the ancient black/shadow dragon.

I don’t think it would be controversial to say Strabo was the favourite. Unlike the others, the party got to interact with him a good amount. His evil nature was partly motived out of an overactive sense of duty and desire to protect his nation. And he was considered by society as a hero, and so the party couldn’t just simply find and kill him.

Strabo probably also had the most interesting combat mechanics. He was powerful (of course) but not super-powerful like a dragon. It wasn’t deadly to go up and duel him, but as Zeke found out, it wasn’t easy!

Garo takes the stand as a witness in the court case against Strabo.

Happy Ending

The campaign was pretty happy overall. Apart from releasing Charun, the party had no major failings.

They can largely congratulate themselves for this. Efforts like the Feywild play or the court case against Strabo succeeded phenomenally. I am confident enough to say that’s mostly (or entirely) down to players thinking well rather than me screwing up the difficulty.

In future games I may toy with this balance. Of course I wouldn’t force bad outcomes. But I may make the pathway to the happy ending more narrow and/or harder to find. Some failures amongst the successes could make for more a more interesting story.

The party’s ending discussion hinted at some still-present foes:

Arcadion will be back at some point.

While Charun’s destructive and genocidal days are over, Lady Xilo confessed to still being a foe to Material Plane civilisation.

Laila still schemes back in Laconia.

There’ll no doubt be some political wrangling now that the churches of the Theocratic States have lost so much, and are potentially being reformed. If laws against the Tetrarchy change, the Imperial Cult might make something of a come-back.

My Favourite Bits

Strabo’s Trial and Coup. The court victory felt thoroughly earned, and the fight across Port CS afterward was dramatic and engaging. And that end fight was epic and also a little bit hilarious. (Remember the polymorphed giant pistol shrimps?)

Ascending Silvercap. An epic push to the top of the mountain. An epic boss fight that had a variety of foes and also a bit of a puzzle element with the disenchanting. Capped off by a stand-off between Flutter and Cyrus/Xanaphia. And some genuinely risky and consequential choices/rolls made by Cyrus.

Silvercap Mega-dungeon. This was an experiment using DungeonDraft. It was a big dungeon to explore, classic D&D style, but with some puzzles and a story that was revealed by exploration.

The Moon. Such a dangerous, alien place. And I loved the party’s conflict at the end with exploring the depths of the permanent shadow.

Rapid Rivers Mine. The jaunt into the Underdark was fun. But I especially liked the horror-movie vibe of the start of that section of play.

Vinalia A chance for the party to relax and RP. Not heroic, not driving the story along, but well worth it. Vinalia was my favourite “beach episode”, but I also enjoyed the Fisherman Festival at Port CS and the festival right before the false moon was revealed.

The Play. An outstanding success. Even with Tumbleclick trying to assassinate Myra.

The final battle against Strabo was chaotic. At the pictured moment, Flutter and Trystan hold off legionnaire reinforcements. Clever Clover fights Strabo’s right-hand-man Lepidus. Garo (glowing with some paladin buff) fights the Imperial Cult arcane trickster Claudius Ensis. Ezekial duels Strabo, while his daughter Katarina watches on.

Linearity

Of Campaign Story

My philosophy was to let the players drive the story, provided they told me in-advance their plans, and never changed direction suddenly. To this end, I’d ask them at the end of each session what they planned to do next. It could be motivated in-character or out-of-character.

This worked well, I think. There were times the story took a turn that I wasn’t anticipating.

Example: Magnus Strabo, the evil general and mid-game BBEG, was waging a brutal crackdown on the people of Cantia. The players wanted him stopped. I was thinking they’d maybe gather some allies and confront him on the field in a battle. What they did instead was follow a lead about possible crimes he committed. This led to the Port CS story arc, which was at least half a legal thriller and court-room drama. It worked, though; they drew him away from his crackdown and revealed him for the villain he was.

I had vague ideas floating in my head for longer-term story arcs, but these were very fluid. Figures like Strabo and Charun weren’t dreamt up too much earlier than their first metion. I genuinely feel that I would’ve been open to have the story taken almost anywhere. (As long as it was at least semi-heroic.) With different player input, the story may have gone in a totally different direction.

Of Individual Sessions

On a granular level I feel the individual sessions were a bit linear. A series of encounters/scenes/challenges that really only had one way through.

There were a few notable exceptions that could be approached however the players wanted:

Fort Nelissa, where the party infiltrated with a combination of stealth, deception, magic, and hidden marksman kobold.

Tumbleclick’s headquarters. Finding a way in to the hidden guild base, then dealing with those inside.

The “mega-dungeon” under Silvercap Mountain.

I think partly the system is to blame for my too-linear adventures. I spoke above how The Adventuring Day can necessitate encounters be crammed in. Partly, though, it’s simply easier to make non-sandbox adventures.

Going forward I want a healthier mix of the two. This is probably the biggest “style change” I have in mind for whatever I do next. I am hoping a system like Pathfinder 2e gives me flexibility to make non-combat encounters fun, and to be able to have just one or two combat encounters without it being a balance issue.

The party battle the monks of Tiger’s Nest monastery, and their summoned elementals.

Enjoyment

Overall? It was a lot of fun.

Think of your favourite actual-play RPG series or podcast; or at least the reputation of one. I think this campaign was as good as that. The only things we lacked?

We’re hobbyists, so real life had to take priority. Disruptions were inevitable.

We’re hobbyists, so we lacked the talents of actors or voice artists.

We’re hobbyists, so we couldn’t buy expensive microphones, fancy miniatures, hand-crafted battle sets, etc.

But we had what matters:

Enthused players, creating a shared-story experience.

Enthused players, knowing rules (or willing to learn) and enjoying the game-mechanic side of things.

Friendly players, who were generally fun to hang around with.

Diligent players, who showed up every session on-time. (Or as near enough as real life allows.)

Very few campaigns last the “full run” like ours did. Most fizzle out or fall apart before any kind of satisfactory conclusion is had. In some ways we’re lucky, but mostly it’s because we all put the effort in.

#Adventures in Lyria #Dungeons and Dragons #Tabletop role-playing game

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