Survived Another Year
Charles planned to spend his entire birthday lounging around the apartment. Even though he still wished Ares was there, it was nice to have the place to himself without the suffocating feeling of being in a fight and at odds with Ares, panicking every five minutes with the fear he'd never see the turian again. Ares did come back, though. They'd made up, even if it was a bit rocky, and things were going to be okay.
He laid on his bed, wearing nothing but underwear, Eezo stretched across his legs and his laptop rested on his chest. He'd watched a few vids on knife throwing techniques, and then he spent about an hour shopping online. Ares would be coming home to a few new outfits—primarily in black—turian designed dishes, and some fancier cleansing scrub he'd probably turn his nose up at. Charles wanted to get him something more, but Mr. Minimalism was kind of hard to shop for. He wanted … he wanted the apartment to feel like home for Ares. He wanted to feel like home for Ares.
The sound of the door buzzer brought a groan from him, but he closed his laptop and set it aside, easing his legs free from beneath Eezo before standing. Slipping on a pair of sweats and a shirt, he holstered his Stiletto III at his back and picked up his razor. The second his fingers wrapped around the cool metal, he felt his pulse jump, the scent of blood filling his nostrils and making his cock twitch in yearning. Sucking in a deep breath, he dropped his razor into his pocket before making his way to the door. He activated the security feed and smiled, finding Cammus and Acevia standing outside.
Opening the door, he leaned against the frame, flashing his teeth at them in a grin. "Hey. Well, this is a surprise."
Cammus fluttered his mandibles. "I mentioned to Acevia that today was your birthday, and she informed me birthdays are important occasions to humans, a time for celebration."
"Happy Birthday, Charles," Acevia said, grinning widely, mandibles flared.
Chuckling, Charles stepped back and waved his arm for them to come in. "Thanks. It's not a real big deal for me, just means I survived another year, but it's always nice to hear anyway."
Eezo came running out of the room, tongue hanging from her mouth as she let out happy sounding yips and wagged her tail. Acevia chuckled, making her way into the living room to sit down and invite Eezo up onto her lap. Cammus smiled, reaching over to pat Charles' back, not-so-subtly scenting the air. Charles wondered for just a second if he was taking in the lingering smells of sex, hoping to spend more time alone with Ares, or just trying to see if the other turian was around. Either way, Cammus would just have to make do with hanging out with Charles.
"He left for work," Charles muttered. "Sometime early this morning after I fell asleep." Making his way into the kitchen, he looked back over his shoulder and asked, "Can I get you guys something to drink?"
"I have a better idea," Acevia said, looking at him over the breakfast bar. "You go put on something more attractive and let us take you out for dinner and drinks."
He considered saying no for a moment, rather enjoying being lazy. He wasn't sure if he wanted to deal with crowds, especially with the beast bristling inside of him, but it only took one glance at the hopeful look on Cammus' face for him to smile and nod. "Alright. Give me a few minutes."
Making his way to his bedroom, he started digging through his closet and the dresser. A soft chuff of sound made him look up, finding Acevia leaning against his bedroom doorway, watching him. He raised an eyebrow at her, letting a smirk slip onto his face. "Did you come to watch the show?"
She chuckled, mandibles fluttering softly as she let her gaze roam over the room. "Not exactly what I expected."
"What did you expect?" Discreetly dropping his razor in the drawer, he closed the dresser and tossed fresh underwear and socks on the bed with the rest of his clothes.
Humming, she lifted a shoulder in a shrug. "There's just not much … turian here."
"Ah." He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Aelianus is pretty spartan. I'm working on him, though." Grinning, he unholstered his Stiletto III, making sure the safety was on before setting it on the dresser. "I'm going to get naked now, fair warning."
She flicked her mandibles, smirking. "I'll leave you to it. Do that spiky thing with your hair, too. It's cute."
He laughed. "Planned on it."
Turning, she closed the door behind her, and he stripped. He'd decided on the more casual suit Ares bought him for their time spent at the hotel on the Presidium during Maela's wedding. He made it even more casual by leaving the shirt untucked, blazer hanging open, and a couple of buttons undone. After slipping on his shoes, he glanced at the dresser again, thinking about his razor. He'd gotten so used to carrying it, he hated going without it, but considering C-Sec wanted him—even if they didn't know it was him they were looking for—it probably wasn't a very good idea for him to keep the razor on him. Ares told him to treat the Stiletto III like an extension of himself, but he wasn't completely sure if Ares acquired the gun through legal means or if he was legally allowed to carry it on his person.
After a minute, he decided against taking either weapon and put the gun up in its case. He'd look into it later. Leaving his room, he killed the light and made his way to the bathroom. He turned on the water, getting just enough on his hands to slick his hair before shutting it off again. He ran his hands over his head, combing his fingers through his hair before picking up his tub of styling wax. He worked a little into his hands, rubbing it in his palms to warm it before running it through his hair, shifting and twisting strands until it looked the way he wanted it to. Washing the excess off his hands, he glanced at himself in the mirror and grinned.
The faintest hint of jealousy still bubbled to the surface when he thought about Ares spending the entire night with Cammus, but he admitted it wasn't so bad with knowing Ares didn't actually sleep there. Still, Charles would've liked it better if Ares had come home and slept next to him, but he was alright. And after the night they spent together … well, it did wonders to make him feel closer to Ares again and soothed any burn he felt over Cammus, which really went far to keep him from resenting his friend. The whole having friends thing still felt new and awkward to Charles, and Cammus was the closest friend he'd managed to make since childhood.
Acevia insisted on taking them to a restaurant catering more towards humans, so he'd suggested Le Bleu. He liked the place well enough, and he knew they had dextro options. Being there without Ares and Jasmine, he didn't see any real reason to protest when Acevia made her way towards the interior of the restaurant instead of the patio. He wouldn't be able to smoke inside, but he didn't mind.
The place actually looked pretty nice inside. There were murals on the walls he felt pretty sure depicted places on Earth and Thessia. He guessed it made sense; Le Bleu seemed to merge asari and human cuisine. The indoor tables appeared studier, and colorful tablecloths draped their surfaces. The soft lights felt inviting, creating a sense of intimacy, and unobtrusive music played over hidden speakers.
The turian waitress seemed unusually timid but polite enough. She kept casting him odd looks when she seemed to think he wouldn't notice, and twice she caught her scenting the air around him. Finally, he realized she was picking up on Ares' scent, and he thought it probably meant Ares fucked her at some point. He chuckled softly to himself.
"What's so funny?" Acevia asked, flaring her mandibles and lifting a brow plate.
He just shook his head and smiled. "Nothing, just a stray thought."
She hummed, looking around her, seeming to take in the sights. "I've never been here before. It's comfortable, though." Turning her attention back to him, she grinned. "Tonight's on me, so get whatever you'd like. What's the food humans traditionally eat on birthdays called? The sweet stuff?"
"Cake and ice cream," he said, looking at the menu.
Cammus hummed. "I see something here that says cake but it doesn't mention ice cream."
"Cheesecake." Charles shrugged. "It's not really the same thing, but it's a good dessert."
"Oh, no, look! They've got something called a brownie served with ice cream." She glanced up at Charles, curiosity in her eyes, mandibles fluttering softly. "What's that?"
Smiling at her efforts to make sure he celebrated the way she thought a human ought, he said, "A brownie is actually a lot closer to traditional cake than cheesecake is. It's uh, made with pretty much the same ingredients, but it's denser than cake. Brownie à la mode actually does sound pretty good, maybe after I eat dinner."
Acevia grinned, eyes filled with pride, a pleased smile on her face. "Have you decided what you want to eat?"
He didn't get the chance to answer as arms wrapped around him from behind, sending a spike of panic through him. Beast growling, blood flashed before his eyes, screams echoing in his ears. His hands clenched into fists, and he nearly struck out, but Cammus put a hand on his, humming soothingly.
"You must be Lindsey," Cammus said, flicking his mandibles as he looked behind Charles.
Charles relaxed his hands, heart still pounding out a frantic beat against his sternum. Sucking in a deep breath, he forced a smile on his face and turned to look up at the woman hanging off of him.
Lindsey grinned and chuckled before kissing his cheek. "Happy Birthday, Charles," she whispered softly against his ear.
Mahlia stood at Lindsey's side, giving him an exasperated shake of her head, a soft smile on her face.
"Thanks, Linds," he said, patting her arm still around him and returning Mahlia's smile.
"I hope you don't mind," Acevia said, voice wary, "I asked Cammus to invite your friends. I thought it would be a nice surprise."
He knew exactly why she sounded like she walked on eggshells, knew the panicked scent of fear and adrenaline pouring off of him must smell overwhelming to the turians. Turning, to look back at Acevia, he gave her a smile. "It's a great surprise, she just startled me is all."
"Sorry," Lindsey said, kissing his cheek again before letting him go. She moved to sit in a chair at his left, and Mahlia filled the space next to her.
"Happy Birthday, Charles." Mahlia folded her hands on the table, glancing at Lindsey to give the woman a warm smile when she threaded her arm through Mahila's.
"Thank you. I'm glad you guys came. This is nice." And it was, really nice. He felt almost normal.
"Acevia, you're spending quite a bit tonight, let me pitch in." Charles kept his voice low, leaning against the table closer to her.
They'd gone to Purgatory after leaving Le Bleu, and even with two extra people, Acevia still insisted on paying the entire bill. Hell, she'd even pushed for everyone to order dessert. As soon as they arrived at Purgatory, she'd ordered a round of drinks for everyone and opened a tab. He knew she made more money than he did, but he also knew the woman wasn't loaded. It didn't feel right knowing she was blowing so much money on him for his birthday, especially when he still had so much of his father's money sitting in his account.
"Not a chance." She chuffed and waved her hand, dismissing his offer.
Cammus chuckled, surprising Charles when he leaned in and nipped at Charles' neck, making heat course through him and his hair stand on end. Cammus rumbled next to his ear. "Relax and enjoy yourself."
Grinning, Charles reached over and tugged the turian's mandible. "Don't be a tease."
Honeyed eyes taking on a fiery cast, Cammus rumbled again and asked, "Who says I'm teasing?"
Acevia laughed, sliding out of the booth to reach across the table, taking one of both men's hands in hers. "Come on, you two. Let's go dance."
Charles let out a soft groan, but he let her coax him out of the booth. "I'm not really much of a dancer." It wasn't entirely true. He was actually a pretty good dancer, he just didn't really care to dance, didn't like drawing the attention to himself, he guessed.
Acevia chuckled, flicking a mandible at him. "Somehow, I don't believe you."
He snorted but didn't respond as she led both him and Cammus over to where Mahlia swayed back and forth, hands wrapped around Lindsey's waist. Acevia tugged him around, wrapping her long arms over his shoulders before rumbling something at Cammus. The other turian fluttered his mandibles, pressing his keel against Acevia's back and reaching around her to grip Charles' hips. Cammus pulled Charles in closer until his hips pressed against Acevia, and Charles knew right then how the night was going to end.
Drunk Lindsey was fucking hilarious.
He wasn't sure exactly why the woman decided she needed to ride around the club on his back, but there she was, legs wrapped around his waist, arms outstretched over his shoulders with her fingers intertwined. He helped support her weight and keep her from slipping with his hands wrapped under her legs. She sang 'Happy Birthday' to him, at the top of her lungs, successfully making herself heard loud and clear despite the thump of bass coming from the bar's sound system. Her knee caught a man in his ribs as Charles navigated past a cluster of people, and the human spun, a sneer on his face.
"Watch where the fuck you're going!" The man shouted, shoving closer to Charles.
The beast growled and snarled, the alcohol in Charles' system making it harder to keep the monster at bay. Lindsey's grip on Charles' tightened, and he felt her fear, making her cower and cling to him for protection. He stared the man down, a slow, blood-hungry smile slithering across his face. The man blinked, appearing shaken as he stepped back. Inside of Charles, the beast purred and licked its chops. He continued to watch as the man backed away, stumbling into a turian before spinning and making his way through the crowd, disappearing from sight.
"What was his problem?" Lindsey asked, grip on Charles easing back to something less constricting.
Laughing, Charles shrugged, inwardly stroking the beast's head. He glanced up at Lindsey the best he could and flashed his teeth at her in a smile. "Who knows?" Moving again, he made his way to the bar and came to a stop, shifting his head a little so she could hear him easier over the sounds of the club. "What do you want to drink, Linds?"
He'd probably had more than enough himself, but he was still standing—even with the extra weight—and he was enjoying himself. He'd have just one more, though, he decided. Acevia and Cammus made it more than clear they wanted to return to his apartment with him, and he wanted to be clear-headed enough to remember every second. Not to mention still sober enough to actually get his cock hard.
"Something fruity!" Lindsey wriggled around a little, tightening her grip on his waist as she situated herself.
He chuckled and turned his attention to the asari bartender. "Mount Milgrom for me, and something fruity for her."
The asari laughed. "Right away. I'll add it to your party's tab and have them brought to the table for you."
"Thanks." He winked at the asari before glancing in Lindsey's direction. "You ready?"
She nodded her head against his and resumed her singing as he turned with her and made his way through the crowd. He stopped next to their table in front of Mahlia and held out his hands to her. Smiling softly, she settled her hands into his and let him pull her up from the booth and in against him. Lindsey let out a little, delighted sounding squeal and shifted her weight to wrap one of her legs around Mahlia and closed her hands behind the asari's neck, effectively sandwiching him between the two.
Mahlia laughed, pushing up on her toes towards Lindsey, but Charles still had to bend his knees a little to let the two women have their kiss. He smiled, something about knowing he'd played a part in bringing the two of them together made him happy. He straightened again, despite the pathetic whimper Lindsey gave him, and started to dance to the music the best he could with her still on his back. Mahlia moved with him, her gaze flicking between him and Lindsey before tilting her head back in laughter.
"My sister works in C-Sec," Mahlia said, which came as an unwelcome surprise to Charles, "and she told me tonight that Irene may be involved with whatever it was Werin had going on." She furrowed her brow, glazed eyes clouding over with momentary confusion. "I guess I really shouldn't be telling any of you this. Promise me you won't tell anyone!" She didn't relax her face until everyone gave her their nods of reassurance.
"No shit?" Charles arched an eyebrow. "Who'd have guessed? Well, if it's true—hell, maybe even if it isn't—it might mean she's out of a job."
"Goddess, I hope so!" Mahlia huffed, propping an elbow on the table to rest her chin on her hand, fingers curled around her cheek.
"You and me both." Charles chuckled, glancing at Cammus. The idea of being done with Irene for good thrilled him. Hell, maybe he'd even get reassigned to the back. He and Cammus working together would have it running like a well-oiled machine in no time.
Cammus fluttered his mandibles. "I certainly wouldn't miss her. Who do you think they'd have replace her?"
"Honestly?" Mahlia raised her brow. "Probably Charles."
Scoffing, Charles killed off the rest of his drink. "I doubt it." They didn't think he was management material when they brought Irene in, why would the higher ups promote him with her headed out?
"Why? You've been there a long time, you know the place better than anyone else, and your commissions have been pretty damn good lately." Mahlia shrugged. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see, but if I had to put credits on it, I'd say they choose you."
"Mahlia, I don't feel so good. I think I had too much to drink." Lindsey scrunched up her nose, turning pleading eyes on the asari. "Will you take me home?"
Giving Lindsey a soft smile, Mahlia stood up from the table. "Of course." She turned her attention to Cammus and Acevia. "Thanks for inviting us, I had a lovely time."
"So did I," Lindsey said, pushing herself up on wobbly legs. "Happy Birthday again, Charles."
He smiled, putting a supportive hand against her side to help keep her on her feet while Mahlia made her way over. "Thanks. You two enjoy your night."
Acevia circled around his naked body, dragging her ungloved talons over his skin, letting out a soft purr. He stood in the middle of his bedroom floor, following Acevia with his gaze until she disappeared behind him, then he turned his attention to Cammus. Waving his fingers, he beckoned the man to him. Cammus fluttered his mandibles, heat filling his gaze as he stalked toward Charles and leaned into him, scraping his teeth over Charles' neck with a low growl.
Letting out a groan, Charles tilted his head and shoved his hands between them to pull open the clasps of Cammus' shirt. Acevia's face rubbed over his shoulder blades, tongue laving his spine before he felt her teeth sink into the back of his neck, retreating again before breaking the skin. He sucked in a shuddering breath, pulling the last clasp free and shoving Cammus' shirt down. He dug his fingers into the turian's waist, earning him a low rumble of sound. Shifting his head, Cammus pressed his mouth plates to Charles' lips, and Charles pulled his head back, eyes widening in a mixture of surprise and confusion.
"Aelianus—I'm sorry, I thought—hmmm …." Regret and something else flashed through Cammus' eyes, leaving a sinking feeling in the pit of Charles' stomach.
"He kissed you." It wasn't a question.
Charles just knew. He felt it, and it hurt. But only for a second.
He swallowed, watching Cammus' mandibles jerk with his unease. Licking his lips, he reached up and wrapped his hand around the back of Cammus' neck, tugging the turian back to him. "If he kissed you, it means he trusts you." Pressing his lips to Cammus', he trailed his tongue over the turian's mouth plates, earning him a hopeful sounding purr. "And so do I," Charles whispered against Cammus' mouth.
Opening his mouth to him, Cammus' tongue met his, sliding over it before wrapping around and tugging it back into his own mouth. Cammus reached down, taking Charles' hard cock in his hand and started a slow stroke. Using his thumb, he spread precum around, using it to slicken his movements and pull a moan from Charles.
Acevia purred, the sound pleased and encouraging as she wrapped her arms around him, sliding her fingers over his chest in the scant space left between him and Cammus. She nipped at his neck again, sending a shiver down his spine before she disappeared. A moment later, he felt her move behind Cammus, tugging at his pants. Cammus hummed and lifted one leg after the other, letting her free him from his confines. His cock slid from his plates, brushing against Charles' thigh.
Reaching out a hand, Charles caught Acevia's wrist and tugged her in against his side. Cammus shifted a little, giving her more room without breaking contact with Charles. Acevia dragged her talons down his back and over his ass, nipping at his shoulder while he kissed Cammus. After a moment, he tore his mouth away from Cammus to look at Acevia, her shirt already unclasped, hanging open. He slid his hand inside, wrapping his fingers around her waist and squeezing, starting with a gentler pressure and working his way up until he saw the spark in her eyes telling him he'd found her sweet spot. Smirking, he started kneading, keeping that same pressure until she melted against him and Cammus.
Cammus turned a little, just enough to use his free hand to tug her shirt the rest of the way off of her before moving down to her pants. Rumbling, Acevia stepped back, a smirk on her face as she left both Charles' and Cammus' reach, slowly stripping off her own pants before backing away to the bed, giving them both a 'come hither' look and flick of her fingers. Charles chuckled, sliding his hand into Cammus' and leading him after Acevia.
They crawled onto the bed with her, and she laid back, tucking one of Ares' new pillows in beneath her head. Charles leaned over her, pressing one of his knees to the mattress between her legs and nipped at the edge of her cowl. She purred, reaching up to drag her talons lightly through his hair, tugging him closer. He gripped her waist with one hand and ducked his head under her chin, sinking his teeth into her neck.
Cammus stretched out on the bed next to them, dragging his talons down Charles' back, leaving welts in his wake. The beast inside stirred at the sting of pain, letting out a hungry rumble which made its way through Charles' throat. He let go of Acevia's neck and turned his face to Cammus, wrapping his tongue around the turian's when he brought his mouth to Charles'. Sliding his hand over Acevia's stomach, he reached down between her legs, running his fingers over her parting plates, feeling the slick juices seeping from the seam. They slid open easily for him, and she lifted her hips, urging him to dip his fingers inside. She let out a little gasp as he rubbed his fingers along the warm, tight walls of her pussy.
Cammus sucked a deep breath in through his nose, his tongue picking up the pace against Charles, a low growl rumbling through him. He ran his talons up Charles' thigh, the fresh sting driving his fingers deeper inside of Acevia. She rocked her hips against his hand, egging him on as she wrapped her fingers around his cock, moving slowly at first, exploring him before getting a firm grip and stroking. Charles groaned into Cammus' mouth, moving his hips, pressing himself harder into Acevia's hand.
He pulled away, nipping the turian's mandible before saying, "Come fuck me while I fuck her."
Letting out an aroused growl, Cammus dragged his talons over Charles' other thigh before pulling away and moving to the edge of the bed. He opened Charles' bedside table and pulled out the lube. Charles turned his attention to Acevia, meeting her gaze, looking for any hint of hesitancy and finding nothing but hunger. He shifted to bring his other knee between her legs as Cammus moved behind him.
Dipping his head, he traced her mandible with his tongue before whispering, "Are you sure?"
Her mandible flicked against his cheek, and she let out a sultry purr, scraping her talons over his scalp. "Show me what you got, birthday boy."
Chuckling, he slid his fingers out of her and slipped his hand under her ass, lifting her hips to meet him as he lined himself up. He took his time, easing inside of her, giving her the chance to adapt to his alien physiology. Her eyes widened a little, a curious trill seeping from her throat, but she gave him no sign she wanted him to stop.
Behind him, Cammus' lubed, taloned finger probed at Charles' asshole, and he stilled, letting the turian slip his finger inside. Cammus hummed, resting his other hand on Charles' hip, kneading softly, urging him to take the lead. Charles eased forward, settling into Acevia, sucking in a breath as Acevia's warmth surrounded him and Cammus' finger pressed against his prostate.
He set a slow, careful pace at first, wary of the talon inside of him until Cammus gripped his hip, holding him still to slide his finger free. A moment later, the tip of Cammus' cock pressed against him, and Charles pushed back, helping guide the turian in before picking up the pace. Awkward at first, finding the right position for everyone, but fuck it felt fantastic. He bucked his hips, slamming his cock into Acevia, and she let out the most delightful sounding moan, lifting to meet his thrusts. Cammus took a few seconds before moving again, finding and matching Charles' pace as his fingers dug into Charles' hips.
"Stiletto III?" Acevia asked.
Charles turned from looking out over the Citadel to glance at her, raising an eyebrow. It took a second for her question to click into place in his head. "Yeah," he said, taking a drag of his cigarillo.
She hummed, drinking from her bottle of water. "Good choice."
"Aelianus chose it for me." He took another drag and pushed away from the balcony railing, sitting down at the small table with her.
"Is it your first firearm?" She fluttered his mandible softly, gaze trailing over him.
"Yeah. I've been taking it to a shooting range, and we went to the Armax Arsenal Arena a few times." He cracked open his own bottle of water and took a heavy swallow.
"Maybe we can go together sometime." She flared her mandibles, raising a brow plate.
Charles shrugged, he didn't see any reason why not. "Sure." He probably wouldn't take her to the shooting range, it could get complicated since both he and Ares used aliases there, but the arena was well populated enough not to matter.
The front door opened, and Cammus led Eezo back inside. Squatting down, he took her off the leash, and she ran straight for the balcony, jumping up into Charles' lap when he patted his leg. She nuzzled against his face, tongue darting out to lick his cheek before settling down. She was starting to get too big for his lap, at least while he sat in those chairs. Cammus came over to lean against the door frame, a smile on his face.
Acevia chuckled and stood, running her talons over Charles' scalp as she came to a stop next to him. She bent down and nipped his jaw. "I've got to work in the morning, I'm heading out. Have a good night."
"Thank you, Acevia. I had a fantastic time." He turned his head to return the nip on her mandible. "Sleep well."
She purred and straightened, moving past Cammus and into the apartment.
Cammus hummed, fluttering his mandibles. "I should get going, too. Do you want to meet at the gym tomorrow evening?"
"Sure. Call me about an hour before?" Charles raised his eyebrow in question, stroking his hand through Eezo's fur.
"Alright. Good night, Charles." Cammus pushed off the doorframe and stepped out on the balcony to rest one hand on Charles' shoulder and scratched Eezo's head with the other. He let out a soft chuckle. "Good night, Eezo."
Eezo turned her head and licked Cammus' fingers, bringing another soft chuckle from the turian. Charles squeezed Cammus' waist, gently swatted his ass to send him on his way, and muttered a good night. He watched as the two turians left and then turned his attention back to Eezo and his cigarillo. Still tipsy and a little sleepy, he finished smoking and spent a few minutes just sitting there. Petting Eezo, he wondered where exactly Ares was and hoped he was safe.
"Come on, Eezo. Let's go to bed." He stood when the dog jumped down from his lap and followed her inside. After locking up the balcony, he made his way to the front door and locked it, too, before turning off the lights.
Charles awoke in a sweat, the beast roaring in his ears, deafeningly loud. Blood flashed before him, urging him from the bed, mouth filled with saliva. His limbs trembled, fingers itched to wrap around his razor and sink it deep into someone's flesh. The last vestiges of whatever dream lit the fire inside of him faded from his mind, leaving him grasping at straws in a crazed panic. All he knew was that he'd waited too long. He needed to kill.
He needed to feed the beast.