There are worse things than being lashed.

Gentrification is the consumption of the working class.

Brandon and Phillip have an arrangement. It isn't a game; it's closer in spirit to a contract.

Some species remain colonial year round while others only gather together for winter hibernation.

Evening is the customary time for intercourse, David has helpfully informed her, but it makes no difference here. Nothing makes any difference.

Silly little ficlet.

“Why do you wear your face like that?”

Nie Huaisang's hand comes up partway to Meng Yao's face before his fingers curl inwards. Meng Yao's eyes go wide and tremulous before the corners of his mouth curl into a small smile, like one of the soundless laughs shared between them in the midst of a banquet speech.

An operative from the future tells Wade that he has two options: kill himself before he has a chance to live 2000 years and become Cable's accomplice in dictatorship, or kill Cable. So now, Wade has thirty days to figure out a way to die. Unfortunately, most of his ideas involve convincing Cable to kill him. Fortunately, most of Cable's ideas for stopping him involve sex.

On Bazzard's first Christmas in London, the thorn of anxiety is keenly felt, and then drawn out a little.

Luo Binghe looks at Shen Qingqiu’s face carefully for any sign of recognition but finds none. Instead, Shen Qingqiu looks impressed, like he can’t imagine it. Luo Binghe preens at impressing Shen Qingqiu and he chooses to take this as a win in the series of battles in the war to make Shen Qingqiu remember. Luo Binghe just hopes that the battles will eventually come to an end.