Soothing Light

"Why do you hesitate, child?"

The question from her goddess was poignant, and cut deeply. It was not fear that gripped her heart, but the uncertainty and trepidation of choice. Yet as she sat immobilized, no punishment came - there was no pain lashing a limb of hers, making her hitch her breath and stumble - instead the moon simply gazed down at her in silence.

Like it had all the time in the world.

Shadowheart let out a slow, steady breath, heart beating in her chest as she allowed herself to, again, size up the lycanthrope from the corner of her eye. They were all men, standing on two legs, towering a good head or three above her if she was to raise to her full height, and they were all... excited. Her eyes darted down, and then back up again, as the nearest of them lowered his head slightly, something resembling a grin spreading on his face. A short scoot closer on her stool, she leisurely turned her back towards them, her bare skin bathed in the moonlight, and set to propping up a candle that had started to lean just slightly.

"You must decide to go yourself. Your protectors will not pounce and drag you into the forest, as you so keenly desire."

Shadowheart's cheeks burned, and she straightened up again, the teasing tone of her goddess not passing by unnoticed. She cast another glance at the gathered men, and felt a tug in her stomach, one of longing, which was only tempered by shame.

Her own shame, at her own desires.

"They will not pluck you from your bedroll, to mate with until morning comes."

Shadowheart blinked, but then nodded, slowly.

"They shall not whisk you away in the night, to take turns with your supple form until your desire's flame is all but spent."

"I-I get it, I understand." Shadowheart interjected, her tone of voice raising just a few tones higher. A bird stirred from a nearby branch, flying off into the night, and barring the occasional breath from the nearby lycanthropes, silence reigned - one laden with amusement.

Her moonlit nights had been sleepless lately, because she kept denying herself. Legs shaking, she found herself standing, breaths animating her chest as she stumbled, slender hands reaching for the nearby tent pole for support. Her fingers were instead caught by calloused ones, claws curling gently around them as she took a few unsteady steps away from the candles' warmth.

"Thank you." She breathed, looking up to find a small sea of lights, glowing in the dark, eyeing her with caution and care both. Her savior, a towering barrel-chested man of black fur and a wolf's head, slowly lowered his hands - yet she found herself holding on to his.

What were a few more steps, after all.

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Was time for another BG3 piece I felt like, and while I haven't had a shot at finishing the game myself I am very much still in love with its characters. Fingers crossed I get some time to play it some more in the future, particularly with the upcoming patch supposedly adding a ton of more stuff. But I digress, hope you enjoy some Shadowheart folks :)

Thank you, as always, for your continued support and for all of your kind words. The weather remains tepid, with no proper winter really having lasted for long this year, so it remains to be seen if we're suddenly blessed with snow again come March and April like last year. Truly weird times, so hope you're doing well out there, all things considered.

Take care of yourselves out there, as well as each other!
/DH