#[ the second one cinder was just

[theuberadventurer]

Remember how Cinder wanted revenge on Ruby for what the Silver Eyes did to her, formed a plan to kill her at Haven, shot a fireball right at her through Raven's portal, and then got immediately sidetracked when Jaune tried to 1v1 her?

What was that about?

[skrs-cats]

thinking about cinderlion kits and how hollytufts reaction to flywhisker and snaptooth leaving to become kittypets was to aggressively call them traitors

[etruatcaelum]

[ @livestosteal | arthur // cinder ]

“Why should I apologize for being a monster? Has anyone ever apologized for turning me into one?”

How pathetic.

Cinder didn’t know, or care, what had happened to sculpt this pompous, self-serving fool in the image of Atlas’ finest. She knew Watts had been one of the military’s top scientists before his disgrace, and that was enough: he’d made the choice to align himself as a cog in that machine, and proven too heartless even for them. Even still, he wore their trappings. The false niceties and lofty affect of the Atlas elite.

Maybe his hands hadn’t fashioned the collar she had worn, the monster in their gilded cage, but that his own self-interest had drawn him into Salem’s orbit did not absolve him of what he is. Just a man pleased to pull the blood-soaked levers of power until the day the monster he bowed to turned against him.

Her expression cooled. “What makes a man a monster is his choice,” she said, voice honeyed. Polite. “I don’t believe you have anyone to blame for you but yourself.”

[dont-let-me-eat-pears]

cress! finally! i’ve been waiting two whole books for this. my favorite character in all of the lunar chronicles. because cress is precious.

[camping-with-monsters]

oh yeah it’s pride month omg I should post these

Don’t worry about what’s over Cinderella’s face it’s a canon event

[bestworstcase]

the way the fandom talks about watts deciding to trust cinder after blowing up at her is sooo obnoxious. he viciously lost his temper and then she spared his life, walked away, and sat down to cry; the next we see of him he’s hovering awkwardly behind her, and from that point on he’s 100% no arguments no complaints following her lead. the man obviously feels bad about making her cry and is obviously trying to make up for it by reversing his behavior even though he has all the social graces of a grizzly bear just woken up from hibernation. it’s not his fault cinder pretended to reciprocate that and then stabbed him in the back

(and he really could not have predicted that she would use the staff to seal him in and then set the room on fire—the danger that she just wouldn’t keep her word to come back was merely a danger that he would need to saunter down to the nearest docking bay to help himself to an airship. lmao)

[constantvariations]

"Why do you like Adam Taurus when Cinder is right there" is a sentiment that's been popping up lately and it's so fucking stupid. The two have a lot of similarities, but only on the surface

Both Adam and Cinder were abused during their childhoods, but Cinder was bought by a business woman who enforced servitude via a shock necklace while Adam was forced into hard manual labor due to his race by a powerful, far-reaching company and permanently disfigured while under its thumb

Both have hurt the people they've worked with, but the dynamics are completely different. Adam and Blake were presented as equals while from the start Emerald and Mercury have been Cinder's underlings. While it's unclear how Adam and Blake's relationship started, we know for certain that Cinder found E&M while they were desperate and vulnerable and made them an offer they couldn't refuse, thus creating a power imbalance. In the voiceover in The Beginning of the End, we hear her slap Emerald for speaking out of turn. When Adam slaps Blake, it's for her perceived naiveté about a peaceful path to equality

Both use violence to gain influence, but only one is a proper terrorist. While the definition of terrorism isn't entirely agreed upon, one of its main hallmarks is the targeting of civilian spaces. The White Fang were explicitly said to go after businesses that refused to service Faunus and people associated with the Schnee Dust Company. It's more akin to assassination than terrorism. Cinder, on the other hand, targeted a school during a major event that was being broadcasted live across the world with the express purpose of spreading fear. She even blackmailed Adam into assisting her

Both have lost an eye, but while the source of Cinder's wound is unknown, Adam is branded with the initials of the company that stole his childhood

Both present themselves as cool and collected to cover up short tempers, but Cinder is clad in Femme Fatale while Adam is more Gentleman Criminal

One thing Adam has that Cinder doesn't is the fact that, at one point in the writing time, Adam did fight for a noble cause. "We are a force of revolution," he'd once said. "You're asking my men to die for a human cause. That's not an idea I'm willing to entertain." He clearly cared about his people, even agreeing to work for Cinder to stop her from harming them more. At no point has Cinder ever indicated she cared about any of the people around her

Yet Cinder is the one that gets both narrative and audience support. She's the one that gets a whole flashback to her sad childhood. She's the one that has a moment of vulnerability to endear her to the audience. She's the one that gets to live despite impossible wounds and falls. People look forward to a potential redemption arc despite her never once showing any remorse over her actions and actively fucking over every person unlucky enough to be in her path, like the woman she robbed and potentially killed at the beginning of V6. She does the same thing over and over again - uses brute force to plow through obstacles, mistreats her allies until they leave or die, does whatever she wants even against orders - and somehow fails upward

In a word, she's boring. It's boring for her to have no real consequences, no arc, no unique characteristics, and no real endgame

Compare that to Adam. His goals are tangible: uplift the Faunus by any means necessary and fuck over the partner who betrayed them all for human favor. Even as atrociously shitty as the writing is, his negative arc is still interesting. After his failure at Haven, he's lost his respect and standing within the Fang. Everyone turns against him, so he fights like he always had to. It's all he knows, all he can do. But the game has changed, the new rules are constraining, and he can only ever lose

There's plenty of other reasons folks might like Adam more than Cinder. He's got a cooler design, his weapon and semblance are badass, Cinder's voice is annoying, etc. I'm personally drawn to characters that get fucked over by the narrative and misconstrued by the audience. I didn't like Adam any more or less than other background characters until I saw the constant vitriol against him and now he's my poor little meow meow

Also, it's not cute or progressive to suggest people like one character over another because they're sexist or an abuse apologist. Y’all are just drinking the radfem "all men are evil"/white liberal "violence is uwu bad" propaganda koolaid cocktail

[waffultaim]

Being a firegray shipper in the warriors fandom is such a drama, you think you have problems with your rarepair or unknown ship well you really don't understand real pain, it's supposed to be simple this generic basic shipping that could have amount of content by default because they are "BFF" in canon yet still nothing no sound no much talk, they have amount of paragraphs, lines, phrases, iconic moments in the books; the "Always Firestar", "I would give my life for you", "no cat would feel the same he felt for Graystripe for four long seasons"...yet still nothing it's so goddamn funny that makes me laugh 😂 and cry 😭 at the same time!! how doomed this pair can be tell me!

[ciphers-fr]

y’know one thing i really enjoy about the ancient drops is looking through all the new genes to see the accents and finding combinations that might use less popular colors 

[er1nne]

fix this

⸝⸝⸝ ⑅ —໒ྀི ִֶָ rafe’s impulsive actions and failed attempt to fix things with a ignite a heated argument, leaving you feeling unseen and misunderstood.

word count 1.7k

warnings : yelling & arguments so angst but ends on a good note / fluff

AN: the problem is left ambiguous & left to the imagination so you can make up the problem, you guys loved the last one lol :) i have plenty more in the vault so let me know if y'all want them. enjoy!

(please do not copy or plagiarize, this is my original work subject to copyright)

Rafe knows he’s in deep shit. He can tell he’s in deep shit. And he barely knows how he got here...nope he totally know how he got here.

The weight of it presses on his chest like a cinder block, a suffocating reminder of the mess he’s made. It’s the first thing he feels when he hears your footsteps stomping up the stairs on to the porch. The tightness in his stomach churns, and his hands instinctively find the edge of the counter, gripping it hard enough that his knuckles pale.

He rubs his hand over his jaw, rough and restless, staring at the front door like it might swallow him whole. It doesn’t. The door swings open, and there you are—eyes already blazing with fury, every bit of it directed at him.

You slam the door behind you with a force that makes him flinch. The sharp crack of wood echoes in the silence before you speak.

“I can’t believe you, Rafe!” you snap, your voice trembling, sharp enough to cut. “Do you ever think? Like, at all?”

The way you look at him—like he’s the worst kind of idiot—makes him stiffen, though he leans back against the counter, trying to feign some level of calm. It doesn’t work. He hates that look, not just from you but from anybody.

“I didn’t think it was that big of a deal,” he says, shrugging in what he hopes comes off as nonchalant. But his voice falters just slightly, betraying him. He knows it’s the wrong thing to say, even as the words leave his mouth. Way to put a foot in your mouth.

“Oh, my God.” You throw your hands up, your movements jerky, overwhelmed. “You didn’t think it was that big of a deal? Of course, you didn’t. You never think!”

The accusation hangs heavy in the air, sharp and piercing. He runs a hand through his hair, yanking at the strands in frustration. There you go again. Can't you tell he's sorry. Why'd you have to go there of all places. Why’d you have to say it like that? “Alright, just—calm down for a second,” he says, his tone already edging into defensive territory. “You’re making it sound worse than it is.”

“Calm down?” you repeat, and there’s a bitter edge to your voice that makes his stomach twist. “You think I’m overreacting?”

“No, that’s not what I’m saying,” he fires back, the words snapping out of him before he can stop them. His shoulders are tense, his movements jerky as he gestures vaguely between the two of you. “I’m saying I didn’t mean for it to be—whatever this is.”

You scoff, shaking your head as if the audacity of his explanation is too much to comprehend. “Unbelievable. You don’t even get it, do you? You don’t care how this makes me feel. You just do whatever you want, and I’m supposed to just—deal with it?”

“That’s not fair,” he says through gritted teeth, his jaw clenching as he pushes off the counter. “I didn’t do this to hurt you.”

“But you didn’t care enough to stop and think about me, either,” you shoot back, your voice rising with each word. “Do you have any idea how that feels? To know that I don’t even cross your mind when you make these dumb, impulsive decisions?”

The words hit him hard, like a gut punch he didn’t see coming. He exhales sharply, his frustration boiling over. He paces a few steps, his hands restless, like he’s trying to find an outlet for the tension coiling in his chest.

“Look, I—I’m trying, alright?” he says, his voice rough and strained. “I know I screwed up. That’s why I got you this.”

He gestures toward the counter, where an expensive box sits, perfectly wrapped with a crisp bow. It’s something he picked up earlier, certain it would fix everything. Now, standing here under your fiery gaze, it feels like a monument to his failure.

Your eyes flick to the box, then back to him, your expression darkening. “Are you kidding me right now?”

“What?” he says, his voice rising with confusion and a touch of defensiveness. He throws his arms out, his frustration bubbling to the surface. “I was trying to—”

“It’s not about the damn gift, Rafe!” you yell, your voice cracking slightly under the weight of your emotions. “This isn’t something you can fix with money. Do you think I’m that shallow? You think you can throw a couple of thousands at me and it'll make my feelings go away?”

Your breath stutters for a moment before continuing, “Do you think I’m like all the other girls you’ve bought? You can’t do that with me. You can’t just throw money at this and expect it to go away. You have to be a person—a human—with me.”

He flinches, the words cutting deeper than he cares to admit. “No, that’s not—I’m just trying to fix it, okay?” His voice rises in desperation now. “I don’t know what else you want from me!”

“I want you to feel something!” you snap, the tremor in your voice betraying the raw hurt beneath your anger. “I want you to stop throwing money at everything and actually care about how I feel. But I guess that’s asking too much.”

The accusation lands like a blow, and he’s left staring at you, at the tears brimming in your eyes. The anger drains from his face, leaving something raw and uncertain in its place.

“I do care,” he says quietly, his voice rough and uneven. “I just—I don’t know how to… do this.” His hands move in an awkward, aimless gesture, like the words he needs are somewhere just out of reach. His voice is low, almost a whisper. It’s the kind of vulnerability he doesn’t like showing—doesn’t know how to. But he can’t bring himself to look away from you as he peers at you with those icy eyes.

You scoff, shaking your head again, but you don’t storm out. He notices this, clings to it like a lifeline, grateful in a way he doesn’t know how to put into words.

“Look,” he says, stepping closer, his movements hesitant, cautious. His hands twitch at his sides like they’re drawn to you, but he doesn’t touch you—not yet. “I’m not good at this, alright? I screw up—a lot. But I swear, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I hate seeing you like this.”

Your shoulders sag, and for a moment, you look just as tired as he feels. “Then stop making me feel like I don’t matter,” you murmur, your voice softer now, but no less weighted. “Stop acting like I’m just… an afterthought.”

“You’re not,” he says quickly, his voice firm and insistent. He steps closer, his hands finally settling on your arms. “You’re not an afterthought, okay? You’re—you’re everything to me. I just don’t know how to show it sometimes.”

For a moment, you don’t respond. You just stand there, his hands warm and solid against your arms, the tension between you palpable. Then, slowly, you look up at him.

“I just need to know you’re willing to change, I need you to try...” you say softly, your voice thick with emotion.

The room feels smaller now, the space between you charged but quieter. His hand moves, almost hesitantly, until it settles lightly on your arm. “I don’t know how to do this,” he repeats, his voice rough and uneven. “But I want to. For you.”

You search his face, your gaze lingering on his eyes like you’re trying to find something—sincerity, maybe. And when you finally nod, your body relaxing slightly in his grip, it feels like the first breath he’s taken in hours.

“You better,” you say, your voice quiet but steady now.

“I will,” he promises. Rafe’s lips twitch upward, his own smile soft and unsure. He leans down, pressing a tender kiss to your forehead. His arms wrap around the entirety of your body, holding you in his warm embrace like he never wants to let go. You feel his heartbeat against yours as the remenants of his anger fade away.

It’s not a perfect fix. Not even close. But as he holds you close, he feels like maybe, just maybe, he’s finally starting to understand.

divider by @crazyfrm!

[hadesisqueer]

One thing I really like about RWBY as a show is that the heroes do not have a strict no kill rule. Like, obviously, they very much prefer not hurting or killing anyone at all, but if it comes to that, they do not hesitate.

-Tyrian is trying to capture Ruby and kill her uncle and her friends? The moment he gets slightly distracted, Ruby takes the chance and cuts his tail off without a second thought.

-Cinder is affected by Ruby's silver eyes in the Battle of Haven? Jaune doesn't hesitate and the moment she lets her guard down he tries to stab her in the face; had he gone for a slash instead, Cinder would be dead.

-Tock has blinded Maria and is about to kill her? There you go, Maria will decapitate her. Bye, Tock.

-Adam keeps trying to kill Blake and Yang? Oh, he gets stabbed by both of them. No more Adam.

-Ironwood tries to shoot Winter again with that weird gun even though she's a Maiden now? Winter just sends the blast back at him and leaves. Doesn't even check if he's still alive.

-Neo just pushed Yang to the void and they think she's gone? Blake WILL try to cut Neo's head off. And while they're fighting Ruby doesn't hesitate to push Neo off the bridges even if she thought that would kill her.

Which are all like, normal. Those other people are actively trying to kill them or their loved ones as well. Which is why I used to be really confused when I kept seeing some people complaining mostly about the Ruby with Tyrian and the Blake and Yang vs Adam things. Saying they are supposed to be the good guys and they should set an example to viewers instead of maiming or killing their foes.

What example do you want them to set? That letting others kill you and your loved ones is okay? Because that's what was gonna happen; Tyrian had just poisoned Qrow, actually he's lucky Ruby only went for the tail. Adam was not going to stop and he going to take Blake's sword to continue to try murdering her and Yang, who had no Auras either and were as vulnerable as he was. They either did it first or they could die, and they did. It's self-defense. Tyrian and Adam were trying to kill them and they were the ones who started the fights. You fuck around, you're gonna find out.

[feyascorner]

Please please please I am in desperate need of Astarion comforting Tav.

Like Tav is always comforting everyone else, but there is never anybody to hold their hand when they are scared or hug them when they are sad. Please let them be scared. Let them be sad, let them be vulnerable and let them feel their own emotions.

Tav needs a hug :,)

a/n. no you're so right because I AM ALWAYS OPEN TO TAV LOVE!!!!! This ended up a lot more fluffy and lighthearted than I expected but I hope that’s okay! :) also this is not proofread pls excuse me for the grammar errors that are definitely in here.

You don’t mind helping others, really. You don’t mind guiding Shadowheart to escaping her evil goddess, you don’t mind finding a way to aid Gale’s ticking time bomb, and you don’t mind spending hours in battle to find a piece of infernal iron for Karlach. It’s natural after all, because they’re your precious companions.

But it’s also made the thought of being something else—the one being comforted—more shameful than anything.

It was just a bad day, honestly. Bits of your life being pricked at with needles. The whole week had been hellish, but today seemed to be bent on finally wiping you clean. A battle going wrong, the lake freezing over and preventing you from taking a bath, the pot of soup you were in charge of burning to cinders—they’re all small, but they add up. And when you find that your favorite pair of gloves are splitting at the seams, it’s your final straw.

You stumble into your tent, barely holding back tears as you close the flap shut behind you, signaling that you wanted to be alone. You collapse into your bedroll, face first as even the blanket beneath you isn’t enough to cushion you against the hard floor.

Gods.

You squeeze your eyes shut, begging your tears to leave. The others have a lot more problems at the moment—ones that wager between life and death—but you can’t help the overwhelming burst of emotions you’ve kept bottled in for weeks now. So many bad things are happening, but there’s no time for you to mourn, because the least you can do is stand beside your companions in their own grief. It forces you to constantly stay alert, keeping your heart open for them but shut closed for yourself.

It’s so, so overwhelming. It almost feels like it’ll swallow you whole.

“Are you alright, darling?”

You hadn’t even heard him entering the tent, and immediately your shoulders tense as you shoot up into a sitting position, wiping desperately at your eyes. You know they’re red, but you hope he ignores it. “No, I’m just tired. I’m turning in early for tonight, sorry.”

He stares at you, making his suspicion blatantly obvious to urge you to continue but you don’t, forcing your eyes to the ground. “No need to be sorry, my love. I was just making sure.”

You want to throw yourself into him. To let him hold you as you complain about the more mundane parts of life as well as the feelings wracking the sobs of your chest. To let him soothe you as all you can do is cry.

But you don’t. It’s just not what you do.

“Pity, these pretty things of yours,” he lifts your gloves that had been discarded on the ground with a cock of a brow. “I quite liked them. But…they don’t seem to be at a complete loss yet.”

You finally look at him.

“Why it just needs a bit of stitching and some polish. It’ll look even better than it did before with my handiwork,” he inspects the fabric closely. “Hm, I was finished with fixing Karlach’s shirt anyway, I suppose I could spare some time for your gloves.”

Despite his words, his eyes are gentle as they shift over to you, and it makes your lip quiver.

“I’ll ask again,” he says softly, and you know it’s an effort in vain to resist. “Are you alright?”

Like a river breaking through a dam, you fling yourself into him, tears already slipping down your cheeks as they smear against his shirt. You worry about the snot for a split second, yanking away, but he just pushes your head back to him, sighing with you practically wrapped on top of him.

“You should have told me before things had gotten this bad, my love,” he says, no true judgment laced in his words. If anything, he sounds amused. It makes you cry even harder as you wail loudly into his chest, with his hand rubbing soothing circles into your back.

It’s like a breath of fresh air.

“Would you like to talk about it?” He asks eventually after what seems like eternity, and your sobs have calmed to sniffles.

“…not now.”

“Very well,” he laces his fingers with yours, and you tilt your head up just enough to see the fond smile stretching on his lips. “I shall remain here until you’re ready. Until then, I have no quarrels with our current arrangement.”

You mumble against him as he lifts your knuckles to his lips. “…thank you for this.”

“You needed this,” he replies, as if it’s obvious. “I’m not you, of course, which is why comfort is not my strong suit, as charming as I am. I much prefer blowing off steam in a bloody battle, but this—“ he runs a hand through your hair, gentle enough not to pull at any strands. You resist the need to sigh into the feeling. “—this, I can do as many times as you need.”

[3amfanfiction]

Our Girlfriend pt 3

Based loosely off of this reblog, i loved the artwork and the first drawing made me think of Johnny stuffing his cheeks with the muffins. so i had to write about him bringing the muffins into work that morning. 1k snippet that technically happens before part one, enjoy!

Part One || Part Two

To say that Johnny had a pep in his step on his way to work was putting it mildly.

In his bag was proof. Proof that you were falling for the guys just as much as they've been falling for you. He was whistling on his way into down the hall to the rec room, the sound bouncing off the cinder-blocked walls and echoing back to him with every step.

Throwing open the door he was greeted with an empty room. That was okay. He'd just wait for the others to get there and then he'd share the good news. It's not like he was vibrating out of his skin in excitement or anything.

Pulling out a chair, he took a seat at the table and pulled out one of the muffins. Biting into it, he couldn't control his groan of delight. How did you always manage to make them taste so good? He's watched you bake them before, knew you didn't put any special ingredients in, so why were they always so delicious?

The muffin was gone within four gigantic bites, nothing but the limp liner remaining and even that had been scraped clean as best it could. Balling it up he tossed it into the trashcan and settled back in to wait. Why were the rest of them taking so long.

Five minutes later saw him staring at the bag with a furrowed brow. He shouldn't touch the other muffins. They weren't his, they were for the rest of the team. They were your muffins that you gave to them. He shouldn't.

But he did.

It started with just one. His reasoning that he could give the two remaining to the first two in the room and promise double muffins tomorrow for whoever missed out. That would work.

With a plan firmly in place, the second muffin soon met its fate. He tried to slow down, really savor this one but it was a struggle. This forbidden muffin. Honestly it was the other's fault for not being on time. If they would've been here he would have already passed out the treats and this wouldn't have even been an issue. In fact, it was only right that the last person in shouldn't get a muffin. They should've been here when they were supposed to be if they really wanted one.

Making peace with himself he enjoyed the last few bites of goodness and the second wrapper was quickly discarded.

How long had it been? He looked at the clock but couldn't remember the exact time he'd gotten in. He knew it'd been at least 15 minutes though. His foot bounced as he fidgeted with his phone, sending a cute gif off your way before pocketing it once more.

Back to waiting.

Seriously, did the team get called out on a mission and they just forgot to tell him?

This was ridiculous.

It was with annoyance that he bit into the third muffin. If they thought they could just leave him here with no repercussions then that was on them. Now only the first person in the door would be getting a muffin. The other two would have to wait. And he might not even give them one depending on how long they took. It served them right for making him sit here all by himself. They knew he didn't do good with the quiet.

He had just shoved the last bite of the third muffin into his mouth when the door opened behind him. He swung around with a glare just to see the other three all walking in together.

"Why do you look like you want to murder us?" Kyle asked with a laugh, pushing to reach the table first and sit down, knocking a foot against Johnny's in greeting. "You're never the first one in, what got you up so early?"

With the reminder Johnny beamed.

"My lass sent you muffins!" He mumbled around his mouthful, reaching into the bag to pull the last one out and set it on the table. He swallowed the rest of his bite, "She let me know this morning that she was thinking about you all and she wanted to make sure you had something to help get you through the day."

With the air of someone imparting a great secret he dropped his voice. "You know, she's really warmed up to you three. She asks how you're doing and worries about you. She's been begging for you to come over," he thinks back to you mentioning how you'd love to meet his teammates. You'd made your wishes well known—and he was able to read between the lines.

With a non-committal hum Price looked down at the singular muffin sitting on the table, a piece pinched off by both Simon and Kyle already. "I thought you said muffins. Where's the rest?"

It didn't take more than a glance at Johnny's innocent face to know exactly what happened. Looking over into the nearby trashcan only confirmed it. Three balled up wrappers sitting innocently on top of the trash.

"An extra lap of PT for each muffin you ate, sergeant," he sighed before walking over and swiping the remaining treat that the other two were silently arguing over. Kyle gave an affable hum and leaned over to start picking at Johnny but Simon turned to look at the captain with a frown.

"You two got a piece, the rest is mine."

Furrowed brows.

"I don't have to share with you."

A tilted chin.

"Damn it, I'm the captain and if I want the muffin then I get the muffin."

That finally got a grunt of disappointment out of the stoic man who turned watch Kyle in his quest to tease Johnny for eating their muffins. Kyle was poking at Johnny's cheeks, pointing out a bit of missed pastry.

"Dinner tonight?" Price asked, frowning in thought at Johnny's eager nod as he swatted Kyle's hand away. "I'll try but I don't know if I'll be able to get away. I've got a full day ahead of me."

Kyle left off teasing Johnny and jumped up from the table as Price started to walk back towards his office, jogging to catch up to him. The two remaining men could hear him offering to help speed things along. Another pair of hands to quicken the work.

Turning to look at Simon as they turned the corner, Johnny offered, "Dinner tonight, LT?"

A single, silent nod was all the response he was given but Johnny's face lit up like a sunrise. His favorite people were finally coming together, what more could he want?

[saintsanddevils]

Never Alone - pt 4

Aaric Graycastle x Fem!Reader

Summary: It’s time for Threshing! You and Aaric are separated and try to find a way back to each other. If you can stay alive.

Warnings: very graphic violence, blood, swearing, dragons being dragons, yearning, idiots in love

Author’s Note: part 5 might be turning up the heat for this slowly burning slow-burn👀

Word Count: 5.3K

Part Three | Part Five

————

-Threshing-

(Aaric POV)

The sharp blade of a dagger hovers inches from Aaric’s throat. Any closer, and the edge would cut open his artery, making him bleed out all over the forest floor.

With heaving breaths, he meets the eye of the enraged cadet. Snarling, the first-year tries to press in, throwing his weight, but once his eyes snap to his knife, Aaric takes his shot. He throws his elbow into his opponent’s gut, before leaning forward and biting his fingers. He coughs a yell, dropping the dagger on instinct. Aaric doesn’t waste time. He throws every ounce of strength into tackling the cadet to the dirt. The stolen dagger slides into his grip as he quickly slices the man’s throat.

Blood sprays, and Aaric dives out of its path. The man’s hands come up to stop the bleeding, but it’s too late. He heaves and chokes, flailing, before his body suddenly stills.

He’s dead within seconds.

Aaric stares at the body for a moment before glancing down at the blood-covered blade. He recalls Y/N’s words from this morning. “Threshing will be a breeze.”

He scoffs, wiping the dagger off the dead cadet’s trousers to clean it. He recalls the rattled smile she gave him before reluctantly walking away. He knew she was trying to be positive, even though she was obviously worried and afraid. Aaric felt the same, but not for himself.

That’s why he has to find her. Immediately. He has to make sure she’s okay, that she’s alive.

Looking up at the golden leaves of the trees, he takes a deep, steadying breath.

She’s alive. She can take care of herself. She’ll bond a dragon.

Aaric chants this over and over in his mind as he scales down the forest mountainside towards the valley. Distant roars echo through the trees as he treads carefully.

A sudden feminine scream that’s immediately cut off causes him to freeze. It was close by.

It’s not her, it’s not her, it’s not her.

The chant carries him through scaling across boulders, one eye on the sky as he tries to take cover under a tree. The grumble of a dragon shakes the ground he’s standing on before he sees a flash of red.

Shit.

For years, Aaric has been gifted the best education by highly acclaimed tutors. Part of that education was studying everything their kingdom knew about dragons. What he knew about Red dragons: if you find yourself cornered by one? You’re already dead.

Red scales gleam in the sunlight. Smoke fills the air as Aaric catches sight of a charred body in cinders lying in the dirt. He takes quick notice that the body is far too short to be Y/N. It emboldens him, but he keeps an eye on the Red as it breathes deeply, snarling.

By the luck of the gods, the dragon hasn’t noticed him yet. He stands near the dragon’s tail, which he notices slithers through the leaves, nearing him. With all the calm he can muster, he slowly backs away, inch by inch, to not draw the dragon’s attention.

Another distant roar suddenly echoes through the valley. But this time, it comes from behind Aaric. He curses every god he can name when the Red’s head swivels to look right at him.

The gleam in its gold eyes, where scars abound its hide, looks entirely too murderous for Aaric’s liking. He stills to appear less threatening, but it’s too late. The Red’s eyes narrow on the bloody dagger in the prince’s hands.

Fuck.

Aaric has seconds to dive out of the way before a stream of fire consumes the tree he was standing in front of. The fire follows him as he runs as fast as he can down the mountain, sliding through mud and leaves. He keeps his footing and just as the dragon’s fire stops, he ducks behind a boulder. He hears its growl as it prowls forward, toying with him.

If this is supposed to be a breeze, like Y/N said, it’s quickly turning into a cyclone.

Panic tries to choke him, but he uses her method of counting backwards from 100 to keep calm and stay centered. If he can’t focus and stay present, he’s dead.

A flash of black in his peripheral is what saves him from being this Red’s next meal. Three cadets stumble upon the scene, enraging the Red further and drawing his attention. Fire singes the air once more, but far from where Aaric hides. He doesn’t waste a second before bolting through the trees.

Where are you?!

Panting, he pumps himself faster. He sees the rise of a cliff up ahead and knows that he can get a good vantage point of the whole valley from there. He could try and see if Y/N is anywhere near him. If not, he’ll assume she’s on the other side. Being on that cliff would leave him entirely exposed to any dragons flying overhead that think he’s better as a snack than someone to bond with.

It’s a risk he’s worth taking for her.

Once Aaric stands on the edge of the stone cliff, he scans the horizon. He sees smoke and wings darting through the trees to the west. A river cuts through the mountains to the east. Basgiath’s towers can be seen to the north.

With a quick surveying of his surrounding area, he knows Y/N isn’t nearby. That seed of hope that was guiding him slowly dies.

What if I find her and it’s too late?

Flashes of the nightmares that plague him nightly flash to the forefront of his mind. Her lifeless eyes trained on him, haunting him for the rest of his life.

A chill slides down his spine.

Aaric and Y/N have known each other for most of their lives. He’s spent every birthday, for as long as he can remember, with her. If this is how she dies because of him, he’ll never forgive himself. They’ve both come too far for this to be their end.

Withering dread slowly fills him to the brim. He can’t imagine life without her. A day without her laughter, her charm, her threats, her smiles, is a day not worth living.

If she dies, she’ll never know that I—

Something large and sapphire-hued streaks through his vision, cutting off everything he can see before he finds himself staring up at very large golden eyes trained entirely on him.

The dragon assesses the prince before landing in front of him, sending Aaric scrambling backwards. He stares up at the looming dragon, fear and apprehension coursing through him. But the previous emotions of panic and worry from earlier echo through him in sudden shades of rage.

Y/N is out there, and he has to find her. He’s going to find her. She’s alive. And if the only way through this damn valley is to fight every dragon he can find to get to her? So be it.

He grips the dagger in his hand, standing his ground. A pregnant pause weighs heavily between them before the dragon throws back its head. With a deafening roar, the Blue levels their head to look Aaric directly in the eye.

“I have been looking for you.”

Aaric’s stomach drops as a deep, gruff voice rings through his mind. The golden eyes of the Blue Clubtail narrow on the dagger.

“Do you wish to kill me, Camlaen Aaric Tauri?” A wave of sulfuric breath washes over the prince. The dragon’s slitted eye contracts as a grumble fills his chest, resembling thunder. “I must warn you, if you try, your mate will surely die.”

—————

(Reader POV)

I’m going to die.

The thought echoes in my bones as fire singes at the heels of my boots. My feet pound through dirt and leaves as I race through the forest.

The Orange Scorpiontail is gaining on me, and the burning trees aren’t helpful as ash and embers rain down from their limbs. I duck and roll beneath a falling branch as the Orange roars loud enough to startle me. I lose my footing and stumble, sending myself sprawling to the ground. Mud cakes itself all over my leathers as I roll to a stop.

Taking quick stock of my limbs to ensure nothing is burned or broken, I stare up at the sky.

Holy shit, I’m alive.

I breathe a heavy sigh of relief. Once I establish only a few bruises and aching ankles, I glance over to see the other cadet who crossed my path just before the dragon showed up. She’s sprinting towards a boulder when a scaled jaw, full of sharp teeth as long as my arm, clamps down on her leg and drags her, screaming. I take my chances, hoping this will distract the Orange, and haul myself out of the dirt.

Smoke covers me as I bolt through the trees. I run as far and as fast as I can, putting as much distance between me and the Orange.

Crashing through bushes and twigs, I hurl myself out of the woods at the sound of rushing water. A river cuts through the forest, sparkling in the sunlight.

I catch my breath, relief washing through me when I notice no one is around. The Orange didn’t follow me.

Looking to the sky, I take stock of what I can see. Mountains line the valley where wings tumble through trees and various dragons fly in circles. I didn’t realize bonding a dragon would be so difficult.

Late last night, Aaric had snuck out of the men’s dorms to meet me. We stole away to an alcove with a window overlooking this very valley I’m standing in now. Aaric’s face was tense with concern and worry. We both knew we wouldn’t be together during Threshing. It made everything harder, but we had to trust we would stay alive.

I close my eyes, letting the wind caress my face in the brief stillness.

He’s alive. He’s too stubborn and arrogant to die.

Aaric remained the top of the class for the last month, whether that be in academics or training. It’s not hard to guess he’s breathing and probably already bonded.

I swear to Malek if he’s bonded before me, I’ll—

A dagger whistles by, inches from my face, before embedding itself into the trunk of the tree I’m standing next to. Heart in my throat, I whirl to see two broad cadets standing in the trees. It’s plain to see the murderous intent on their faces as they asses me.

I don’t turn my back on them as I begin to walk backwards towards the river’s edge.

“Looks like we caught ourselves a mouse,” the one with a large, imposing nose drawls.

The other smiles, cold and menacing. Old burn scars cover the left side of his face, making him look even more threatening. “Let’s catch it,” he snarls.

Big Nose darts forward, daggers in hand. I reach behind, finding my throwing knives strapped tightly to my waist. With the flick of a wrist, two blades sail through the air. Big Nose dives out of the way, but the Burned Guy shouts in pain.

“You bitch!” The knife sticks out of his upper thigh. His eyes burning with hate as he limps forward, blood seeping through his pant leg.

“Careful,” I smirk. “The next one will castrate you.”

This mouse has sharp teeth.

Big Nose bounds towards me, trying to tackle me to the ground, but I maneuver out of his reach, backing onto the rocks lining the river. My hands brace my knives in my grip as I try to keep both cadets in sight.

As if he’s reading my mind, Big Nose whistles low to Burned Guy. They take either side of me, forcing me to choose. Burned Guy is injured, his limping growing more severe as he gets closer. He’s not much of a threat. Big Nose, however, with his daggers extended, is more intimidating.

Choice made, I face Big Nose fully just as I throw a blade towards Burned Guy. I hear him swear just as Big Nose aims to punch me in the face. I swerve before slashing at his chest, hard enough for the leather to give beneath the blade to draw blood.

Big Nose hisses before barreling towards me. I dive between his legs, tripping him with my foot as I go. Just as I turn to watch him fall into the rocks head-first, pain rackets up my skull as someone yanks my hair. I gasp in pain as I’m dragged backwards.

“Two against one,” Burned Guy huffs. “Stop fucking around and die already.”

Using my hair, he turns my face to look up at his, blood trickling from his injured leg and arm. I smile at the sight of my knives sticking into him like a pin cushion. Too bad he’ll have to deal with one more.

With every ounce of strength I possess, the throwing knife already gripped in my palm slams to the hilt into his crotch.

The scream Burned Guy unleashes is hair-raising. He lets me go as he falls to the rocks, crying and panting. His screams are blood-curdling as my knife’s grip sticks out of his pants right where his dick is.

“Told ya I’d castrate you,” I wink.

One down, one to go.

As soon as I look away, I’m caught around my middle by two large arms and thrown to the ground. The air is knocked out of me, causing me to wheeze as sharp rocks dig into my back. Big Nose holds his arm to my throat, crushing my windpipe. His body pins me to the ground.

Spots fill my vision as I scramble to punch him in the ribs, kick him in the groin, the leg, anything. He doesn’t budge. He only holds me more with his full weight, not holding back like Aaric does on the mat.

Panic begins to grip me as I try to reach for a knife, only to find the holster empty.

“Out of toys, bitch?” Big Nose spits in my face. His other hand grips my arm, pressing it into the sharp rocks before skin begins to break.

“You didn’t have to fight like that, ya know,” he huffs. “We would’ve taken care of ya. Made it quick. Besides,” he leans closer, my head swimming from lack of oxygen. “I’ve always loved a woman on her back.”

A shriek dies in my throat as he shifts his weight, pinning me to grab something I can’t see. The dagger gleams in the sun as he holds it flat against my cheek.

“You’re pretty,” he smirks. “Not pretty enough to live.”

A sudden roar echoes through the air, startling the cadet on top of me. His attention is briefly torn from me, and I take my shot. I bite his arm as hard as I can before the skin splits and blood rushes into my mouth. Big Nose hollers, bucking off of me, but I’ve already reached for his loosened grip on his knife. I tear it from his hand and throw my weight into tackling him to the rocks, pinning him as I thrust the dagger downward, straight into his eye socket.

Blood sprays from the wound, pooling into the soaked rocks beneath. He screams and thrashes as I rip it back out before plunging it into his throat, opening his artery and cracking the bone of his spine.

He’s dead instantly.

Sharp air slices my lungs like knives as my fingers let go of the pommel. I slide from his body, heaving.

The spots in my vision have begun to fade, and the flow of oxygen in my lungs slowly steadies me. The smell of autumn leaves and wet stone grounds me before I remember the roar from earlier.

A Red Daggertail, with scars covering the entirety of its scales, prowls towards me. Its tongue licks the air like a serpent, tasting the scent of blood.

I’m so fucked.

My heart stops as I freeze on the riverbank. I stare at the golden eyes, wondering if I’m supposed to be feeling something apart from fear. Is this dragon debating between bonding with me or eating me?

A snarl fills the silence as its lips curl, revealing sharp teeth that could crack me in half. It definitely wants to eat me.

Just as I try to move backwards, it lunges.

Another roar cracks the air, but this time, from behind me. I don’t take my eyes off the imminent threat as the dragon stops just before me, eyes snapped up to what is surely another dragon behind me.

I find myself caught between two dragons and I pray to every god there is that this isn’t the Orange Scorpiontail from earlier.

Sulfuric breaths heave behind me, shifting my hair. I freeze on the rocks, hoping the two dragons don’t notice me.

When the Red’s burning eyes snap to mine, I know I’m dead.

I’m so very, very fucked.

The Red darts forward, widening its jaws as it dives for me. In a blink, the dragon behind me rushes in, massive jaw clamping around the Red’s exposed throat and tearing it open. The dragon’s blood sprays the air, masking the world in a brief kaleidoscope of crimson.

The dragon behind me gleams like emeralds as it rips the hide of the Red and cracks the bones of its neck. The fight is over in a minute, and I sit there, dumbfounded and terrified, as the Red’s body slumps into the stream. Blood trickles from its torn neck, turning the crystal water red.

My breaths come out shallow and rough, jackhammering through me as I stare in shock at the dead dragon.

Holy shit, I just watched a dragon kill another dragon.

The ground rumbles like an earthquake as the Green dragon that’s hovering above me roars into the sky. When it’s done, the dragon huffs steam into the dead face of the Red before snapping its attention to me.

“Krik wanted to make you his next meal. I could not allow that to happen.”

The voice that carries into my mind is feminine. It’s soft as the wind and thunderous as a storm. Her eyes are a deep gold, like all dragons, but there’s a ring of green tinted silver around the slitted iris.

I stare in both wonder and bone-rattling fear as she moves her body closer to me.

“Do not be afraid, Y/N Y/L/N. It does not become you.”

I huff an incredulous laugh, but it’s cut off by the sounds of branches snapping. I twist to see the Orange Daggertail from earlier, snarling and kicking at the dirt as it emerges from the tree line.

And it looks pissed.

The Green (I glance to the tail of the dragon that just fucking talked to me as if that was completely normal) Swordtail stands tall, raising her head as she settles herself above me. Almost like she’s… claiming me.

They’re definitely communicating to one another as snarls and growls fill the space between them. The Orange begins to look more and more hostile, maybe even a bit rabid with blood soaking its teeth. I quickly get to my feet, backing into the Green since she saved my life already. She might do it again.

The leaves of the trees rustle and the branches bend as the wind picks up. My hair whips in my face just as a large shadow soars above before landing between the Orange and the Green. Shimmering sapphire scales that end with a tail in the shape of a club sit before me and the Green. A Blue Clubtail. And it’s the biggest dragon I’ve ever seen. It’s stunning.

The Green Swordtail isn’t happy to see whoever this is, that much is obvious. She snarls and bends forward to flash her teeth at the Blue. The Blue whips around as if chastising the Green.

I look up at my dragon. “Is he a threat too?”

The Green huffs. “One of the most stubborn, territorial, protective, and dangerous males in the Empyrean.”

I nod. “So, you’re not on good terms, I take it?”

“He interferes to protect us.”

I furrow my brows. Why would he do that?

As if in answer to my question, a cadet slides down the leg of the Blue dragon with ease. As if he’s done this a hundred times. Sandy-brown hair whips in the wind as he races towards me.

My heart pounds in my chest erratically at the sight. Aaric.

Unbidden, tears spring to my eyes as he rushes to me. I take quick stock of his body, noticing only a few cuts and fresh-blooming bruises before he tackles me into a hug. I laugh into the embrace, a tear falling down my cheek as he holds me.

The embrace is so familiar that it brings me back to every moment I’ve ever held him. Every breath, laugh, and smile I’ve shared with him.

He’s here. He’s alive. I’m alive.

I grip him like my life depends on it, gasping a sob into his shoulder. I don’t even care if dragons surround us, not even if this Orange attacks us while we hold one another. Nothing matters but Aaric.

I can feel his arms touching me in various places to ensure I’m all here. That I’m whole and uninjured. I smile before a blush rushes to my cheeks when his hands find purchase low on my hips.

“Are you alright?” He says into my ear. “Molvic warned me you’d be dead if-“

I pull back, smiling at him. “Molvic? You bonded?”

He nods, looking over his shoulder at the Blue Clubtail. Molvic. “He found me.”

Like she found me.

Molvic growls again, this time, raising his body to stand over the Orange in an obvious play for dominance. I notice the Green above me shake her head as if she’s rolling her eyes at him.

The Orange cowers before snarling again, lunging forward and snapping its teeth. The Green snaps back, but Molvic intervenes and cuts the Orange off.

Aaric shifts me further behind him as he turns to face the scene. I gasp as Molvic snaps his teeth inches from the Orange’s throat. He roars in its face, loud enough to make both Aaric and I cover our ears. The Orange finally relents before readying its wings and taking off into the sky.

Aaric’s tight grip slackens as the Orange fades from view and we’re left with Molvic and the Green.

“Did he just save us?” I question aloud.

“His involvement makes me look weak,” the Green snarls in my head. “I can protect my own.”

“We flew over as fast as we could,” Aaric turns back to me, only now noticing the blood staining my chin. His fingers automatically touch the skin, sending a jolt of awareness through me. “What the hell? Are you okay?”

I shrug. “It’s not mine.”

Aaric raises a brow before surveying the area around us, catching sight of the two dead cadets and the blood soaking the ground. “What happened?”

“They cornered me, followed me, maybe they were even hunting me,” I shrug before bending down to retrieve one of my fallen knives. “Either way, they’re dead and I’m alive.”

Aaric stares at me. “Obviously.”

His gaze finds the knife embedded into the crotch of Burned Guy’s dead body, and his eyes go comically large. “Holy shit, Y/N.”

“The prick deserved it for pulling my hair. I even warned him that would happen.” I nod to the other dead cadet. “Big Nose was harder to take down.”

Aaric whips around to me. “Big Nose?”

“Didn’t really have time to ask for his name while he tried to slit my throat, you know?”

Aaric tenses, his eyes honing in on my exposed neck. “Did he hurt you?”

I step closer to reach for his tightly closed fist. I smooth my fingers over his skin until he finally opens his and wraps them around mine.

I won’t ever lie to him. “Yes, he did. They both did.”

Aaric’s posture is rigid from the confession. If the cadets weren’t already dead, they’d be slaughtered by now. By his hand. The overprotective bastard.

“Did they suffer?”

I smile, squeezing his hand. “You bet.”

He relaxes slightly. “Good.”

The snarling of the dragons behind us has us turning to look at them. Whatever conversation they’re having is not going well.

“You think your dragon is going to kill mine?” Aaric whispers under his breath.

I shake my head, warmth spreading through me as he claims the Green as mine. “She’ll kick his ass, just like I can kick yours.”

That makes Aaric smirk. “Try taking me on tomorrow, and we’ll see about that.”

The snapping and gnashing of teeth have us tensing as the Green whips her tail around to face away from the Blue. Molvic closes his eyes as if he’s frustrated.

“Guess our dragons aren’t friends,” I whisper.

“Molvic and I can hear you,” the dragon hisses in my mind. I startle at her clipped tone. “Also, I have a name. I am Kesilarryium, Sword of the Realm. Not “the Green” as you keep calling me.”

A chill runs down my spine from her full name, just as warmth rushes to my cheeks in embarrassment. Nothing like being called out by your own bonded dragon.

I try to attempt her name in my mind, but she stops me.

“Call me Kesi.”

A strange, overwhelming sense of rightness fills me, as if her name and our bond are something I’ve been missing for years. I feel found, whole.

“As do I,” her tone is softer now as her large eyes snap to mine. “And to be clear, Molvic and I are not friends,” she sneers at the Blue who bows his head in submission as she flashes her teeth.

“We are mates.”

————

By the skin of my teeth, we make it to the flight field. I’m shocked I’m still breathing when Kesi lands. My teeth rattle in my skull from the force. I breathe deeply, staring out at the other dragons on the field. My fingers are raw and bleeding from holding onto her scales for dear life. The mud on my leathers is now fully dry and begins to crack as I maneuver myself off Kesi’s back. I practically fall from her leg before landing on my feet in the grass.

“We will have to work on your dismounting to ensure you do not break your neck.”

I wince. I guess it looked worse than I thought.

I catch sight of Molvic soaring overhead before landing next to Kesi with his wings fully extended. It looks like Kesi rolls her eyes as she shifts away from him. Molvic huffs, steam billowing from his nostrils as he stares at her in annoyance.

If I didn’t know they were mates, I’d assume they hate each other.

Mates. The word echoes in my head like a church bell. They’re rare and unheard of nowadays. The only mates I’ve heard of are Violet’s and Xaden Riorson’s dragons. At least Aaric and I are in the same year, so it won’t be difficult to deal with a mating bond.

Kesi growls low at Molvic, who huffs smoke in her face.

Oh gods, if they keep this up, they’re going to prove me wrong.

Aaric comes into view on Molvic’s shoulder before he slides down his dragon’s front leg and lands gracefully, to my utter annoyance.

“Of course you’re a natural at this,” I shake my head.

Aaric gives me a cocky grin as he comes to stand with me. “Jealous?”

I give him a sly smirk. “Why should I be jealous of a royal know-it-all?”

“Just admit it,” he winks. “I’m good at everything.”

I roll my eyes. “Not everything.”

His eyes slide to my mouth, causing my breath to get caught in my throat. ”Care to find out?”

Holy shit.

My pulse is racing as Aaric takes a step closer. I’m very, very, aware of every single part of him as his fingers come up to move a strand of loose hair out of my face.

“I was terrified I wouldn’t make it in time,” he whispers. “Molvic was super cryptic and made it seem like you were close to dying and—“ he visibly swallows, my eyes tracking the movement. “I couldn’t stand the idea of it.”

My eyes slowly meet his. “Of what?”

His green eyes are dark and enticing as he breathes out, “Losing you.”

His hand reaches up, sliding across my cheek. From months of hard training, his skin is calloused. It’s rough and warm against my skin, but comforting all the same.

I lean into him, gazing up through my lashes. “I thought I’d lose you too.”

The confession hangs heavy between us as we stare. As if gravity pulls us together, my face lies inches from his. Any closer and my lips would be—

“Uh, are your dragons alright?”

The voice startles us, springing us apart. I look over to see Sloane staring up at Kesi and Molvic, oblivious to what she just interrupted.

I can’t even meet Aaric’s eyes as warmth floods me. Gods, did we almost just—?

“We think they’re fighting,” Aaric coughs out, his voice strange and thick. “They’re mates.”

Sloane’s eyes are huge as she looks at the both of us. “Mates?! Holy shit.”

I nod, my cheeks still flaming, but I press on, still not looking at Aaric. “Yeah, it was a surprise to us, too.”

She looks between us for a moment before a smile curves her lips. “Honestly? Makes sense this would happen to you two.”

I tense. “What?”

Just before she answers, Rhiannon Matthias calls all the first-year cadets to attention, motioning over to the Scribe table where they’ll record our bonded dragons’ names. I catch sight of Violet standing next to her, who’s beaming at me. I smile back.

Aaric is at my side again, this time looking flustered. He won’t meet my eyes as he nods to the end of the field. “Guess we should—“

“Yeah,” I rush, interrupting him awkwardly.

Silence blankets us for a moment before Aaric begins walking ahead of me, his fists tight and shoulders bunched. I wonder why he’s so uptight.

“Your mate is frustrated he did not get the chance to kiss you.”

I startle, whirling to stare up at Kesi in bewilderment. My what?!

If dragons had eyebrows, she’d surely be raising hers at me. “Your mate. Your partner. Your lover. Whatever you humans like to call your significant others.”

I trip over my boots, catching myself before I fall into the dirt. Aaric?! He’s not my mate! He-he’s my best friend.

Kesi just stares at me. “The prince tried to kiss you.”

I shake my head. No, he didn’t. Nothing happened.

“You are in denial. Lying to yourself does you no favors, Y/N.”

I balk.

“Molvic agrees.”

I glare up at her. Don’t you dare give me relationship advice when you clearly are having issues with your own mate.

“So you agree, the prince is your mate?”

No!

I stomp away from her, frustration wracking up my spine as I find Aaric in the crowd of cadets lined before the waiting Scribes. His brows are furrowed and his jaw is clenched as if he, too, seems to be arguing with Molvic like I was with Kesi.

When his eyes meet mine, my stomach drops. I truly think I’m imagining the longing shining in his eyes. The obvious regret of something I wish I understood.

I tear my gaze away, panting. If my feelings for Aaric were complicated before, now it’s worse with two nosey dragons in our business.

We’re friends.

Friends.

I keep chanting it to myself to keep the doubt at bay. I’ve had years to keep my feelings hidden, ensuring Aaric never knows how I feel about him. It’s better if I get a grip on myself before it leads to eventual heartbreak.

We’re just friends. Right?

————

• moodboard of Kesi & Molvic below •

the fanart of Aaric is by etherealbookart, all other images are from Pinterest

Taglist: @bookishnerd1132 @abysshaven

@annthepenguin

‼️anyone can be added to the taglist so please let me know if you want to be tagged in the future

[howi99]

A Knight second chance 7.5

Pyrrha: *looking at Jaune and Penny walking hand-in-hand together* ... Am i allowed to be jealous?

Blake: You... Do know she basically had her mind fractured and he's doing everything in his power to repair it, right?

Pyrrha: ... Without context, it sounds like a premise from one of your books.

Blake: Mind-break plus healing BY the same guy? *Pensive* ... Sounds like something i'd write about the Rusted Knight. That's hot.

Pyrrha: *frowning* Could we please not imagine my crush having... *Sigh* Nevermind.

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Velvet: So... You want my help choosing a gift for your girlfriend?

Russel: *sheepishly* You're... Kinda the only Faunus girl i know.

Velvet: *surprised* You're dating a faunus!? B-but i thought- weren't you-?

Russel: ... You know, if you thought i was gay, you can just say so.

Velvet: N-no! I thought your gang... Didn't like faunuskind...

Russel: Oh. Ooooh! Well, Sky has a phobia of arthropods-like faunus, that's gonna be fun with my girlfriend, and Cardin... He has history with the white fang, from what i was told by Dove.

Velvet: O-oh! W-well, what kind of faunus is she?

Russel: She's a spider faunus...! Speaking of, she makes beautiful scarfs using her silk, and-

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Roman: *smoking cigarettes, one after the other* Neo, we are FUCKED!

Neo: *binge eating her ice cream*

Roman: Either we help Cinder and bring the end of the world, or we go against her and we fight an armada of grimm!

Neo: *double her speed*

Roman: *doubling the number of cigarettes* We are so DOOMED!

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Nora: *relaxing with Ren* Ah~ It's nice to take a break once in a while~

Ren: *drinking his tea* It's really hot for September, the perfect time to go outside.

Nora: Yeah, we should do that more often. Maybe bring Pyrrha and Jaune?

Ren: Well...

*pan out to the grimm cadavers covering the ground, slowly disappearing*

Ren: You think they like camping?

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Ozpin: *on the phone* Like i said, nothing bad has happened to your son, i just-. Ms Arc, i just wanted to know if anything bad could have triggered fear from him and-... Ghost? Really?.... Make up?... Wearing make up? Ms Arc, what in the gods name have your daughter done to your son!?... What do you mean, you have a book!?!

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Jaune: ...

Penny: *worriedly* W-What's wrong? Are you ok?

Jaune: I dunno, i just felt as if a part of my history i tried to repress as just been dug up.

[munano-theprophet]

Clipped Wings

Dark!Rafe x Reader

You had been dating Rafe for a few weeks now and noticed some odd behavior. One day, when the truth of his sanity comes to light, you’re taught just how hard it is to get out of Rafe’s clutches.

Warnings: Dark! Rafe, non-con, forced pregnancy, breeding kink, slight dumbification, forced marriage, controlling husband, stepfordization (technically?), sexual and psychological torture, freeuse kink at play, minors dni

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Word count: 2.8k

(has not been spell and grammar checked)

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And in a sudden moment, your legs felt like heavy cinder blocks. You’ve been running in the woods for ages, never once taking a moment to stop and hold your breath. It’s been close to 15 minutes of continuous running, and you just started getting tired. You found yourself both cursing and giving him props for giving you the advice to work more on cardio and core or else he would have found you by now.

“Come on y/n…” you heard him in the woods. He was close…

…too close.

“If you come out now I won’t be as mad,” he said in a sinisterly sing-song voice that did nothing but evoke shivers down your spine.

You started to tread lightly, any snap or any step out of place and it was all over. Faster than you could even react, you were whipped around and you were face to face with ocean blue eyes that pierced right into your soul. Rafe smirked, “Gotcha”.

His iron grip was held during the entire trek, nearly dragging you back to his car with the long strides he took. He placed you into the passenger seat, and before he could close the door, your right foot attempted to connect with his face. While you were quick, he was quicker, he caught your lower leg before it could make contact.

He quickly turned it in a way that caused a quick second of severe pain, it was like he was hitting a pressure point. Upon impact, you yelled as loud as you could so that someone--anyone--could hear you. The corners of his mouth twitched into a smirk, “That’s it princess,” he said sinisterly, he knew your attempts were futile. “We’re in uncharted territory, no one can hear you from here.”

You slouched your arms, you felt hopeless. Your phone was dead, and even if it wasn’t, no satellite signal reached the uncharted territory of the island. You tried thinking of other ways To escape, but before you knew it, a cloth was on your mouth and nose. “Take it all in sweetheart. Remember that it was. You who brought us to this point…” he said to you as your vision started to darken and your eyes grew heavier. Your limbs felt jumbo and as you fought to stay awake, he just applied more pressure to the cloth you were breathing in.

—

You wake up in a dark room, your vision was groggy and you didn’t haven’t much feeling in your limbs yet. You heard someone coming out of the bathroom, and quickly made out Rafe’s shape. You pretended to fall asleep and he sat next to you in bed, your body went rigid. “I know you’re up baby,” he said with his eyes piercing through you. You could could feel his lingering gaze roam your body, and if you weren’t so concentrated on keeping your breathing even, a shiver would have accompanied his statement. He exhaled, “I can either take it from you like this, or you can wake up and cooperate” he said, irritation growing in his voice.

You didn’t move.

He waited a few more seconds and then huffed, “Fine, have it your way then”. You opened your eyes slightly and he moved a bit closer to you placing a syringe to your arm. You started to panic, “W-wait Rafe no!”

But it was too late. He quickly injected it in your arm, and if you couldn’t feel your limbs before, they felt like jelly now. He sighs in satisfaction, “There we go, I say use this as a time to think about what you did earlier. Actions have consequences y’know y/n. Don’t they?” He said in a condescending manner. When you didn’t answer him, he quickly flipped your frame ove and spanked you, hard. “What did I just say?” You whimpered, “Yes,” you slurred. He spanked you again, “Yes what?”

You swallowed, you were not surviving this night easily. “Y-yes daddy”. You say in defeat. He made an animalistic groan once you said that, and being to furiously take off both yours and his clothes. “I wanted our first time to be special y/n,” he starts, taking off your shorts, a tear threatens to escape your eye, “but something tells me you like it rough”. You whimpered again when you could feel him struggling to take off your panties. The thickness of your thighs and the friction of the fabric made it harder for him to get it off. You heard a loud ripping sound, and saw your panties go the other direction. “P…please Rafe…” you tried to say, you were trying to wake your head up to almost no avail. He leans down, trailing kisses on your backside, “Don’t worry beautiful,” he unbuckles his pants and you hear them drop to the floor, “you’ll enjoy it”.

___SMUT STARTING BELOW___

He pressed his tip to your folds, and you can feel the smirk oozing off of him, “My baby’s excited isn’t she?” Your body had betrayed you, and your folds were slick with anticipation. Before you could even register his sentence, you felt him pound into you with excessive force. You cry out as he continues pumping into you. He exhales, “You feel so tight y/n, so tight and so right for me,” you could barely formulate words and only managed to get out sounds, “Mgskghdj fhdh”.

Rafe’s cock was as big as his ego—and Rafe has the biggest ego on the island. He filled you in a way you didn’t even know was possible and the pleasure he brought you from stretching you out started to have you in a blissful state. You didn’t know if it was the drugs or the dick that had you feeling good, but your body has never ever felt this good. After a few more strokes, you found yourself entering a much more docile and submissive state (maybe it was the drugs taking over, or you had chalked it up to your body succumbing to pleasure as a survival instinct). Your eyes crossed from the pleasure, and he used one of his arms to make you look up at him while the other played with one of your nipples. The extra stimulation was sending you over the edge as your brain felt like it had been switched off.

“That’s right y/n,” Rafe said, looking down at your complacent face, “don’t fight it. You wanna make daddy happy right?” You babbled a few incoherent words and were met with a slap to the face. This made you clench around him even more and you answered him, “Yes daddy”. He chuckled at you, “Looks like I’ve fucked my girl stupid, hm? My dumb baby making a mess on my cock”. You babbled a few more incoherent words with the grunting in his ear, he started muttering, “you’re only mine” and “this pussy belongs to me” “anyone who tries to take you from me is a dead man”. He used the hand that was playing with your tits to choke you, this caused you to clench on him even more and you could feel yourself about to cum. “Daddy wait I can’t take it anymore,” the pressure was building up inside you, but Rafe didn’t let up, “yes you can,” he growled while pounding into you even faster. You tried to lift an arm to hold him back, but all he did was laugh at your attempt, moving the arm out of the way and smacking your ass in the process. “I’ve waited so long to finally put a baby in you,” he wildly grins, “bearing my child so I can be a great father and provide for our family. Everyone on the island will know exactly who you belong to then”. You tried coming back to your senses, “N…no” you said, still in a daze. “Yes y/n, you’re gonna look so good filled with my babies, they will be heirs to the family company and have Cameron blood running through their veins”. You could feel his cock pulsing and knew he was close. “Please Rafe…not…inside!” You choked out as he went back to choking you. “A wife needs to shut the fuck up and know her place,” he said, pushing your head into the bed and placing your hand there to make you stay. He then exhaled as ropes of cum began to fill you up. You both orgasmed at the same time, and he thrusted a few more times as you came down from the high you just experienced.

Tears fell, you sniffled and laid there, wishing you were in another place but Tannyhill, wishing you were out of Rafe’s reach. He got off of you and pulled you close to him, “Good girl,” he said, placing kisses along your back before falling asleep.

———————

Four Weeks Later

You stared at the positive pregnancy test. This was the third box you’ve done, but you knew it was futile to try and live in denial.

You were having Rafe Cameron’s baby.

You haven’t left Tannyhill since that night, Rafe took your phone and texted your family that you’ve been staying at Tannyhill due to helping Sarah while she’s sick (while she wasn’t sick, she’s been off the island for a while, so the lie would stick for the time being). Your hands trembled as you were ready to break into a fit of tears, just then, you heard Rafe come into the house. You wiped your face and tried hiding the tests in the sink cupboard. “Y/n!” He called out for you, you hurriedly ran to him, plastering a fake smile on your face. “Good afternoon daddy,” you greeted him with a kiss. This was how you were expected to greet him every time he returned to the house, and if you didn’t, there were consequences that you knew all too well you wouldn’t want to go through again.

———————

3 Weeks Ago

You lashed out at Rafe for keeping you confined in the house with refusal to let you go. At dinner, you threw your food onto the floor, he swiftly got up and made his way over to you. He pulled your hair back and forced you to look up at him. “So you want to be a bad girl tonight? Fine, I’ll show you what happens when you want to disobey daddy’s rules”.

He spanked and fucked you mercilessly the entire night, and made sure his load stayed in you even after he was done by inserting a butt plug. He made you wear it around the house, especially since it vibrated, and was controlled on an app through his phone. Any time you misbehaved, he punished you by using it. There were extended times he would spend “re-educating” you back to living a “proper kook life”. He would make you repeat, rules, mantras, and statements. By the end of the day, you knew them like the back of your hand, but it wasn’t just one day though, it was multiple.

Rafe was slowly breaking you down and building you back up.

He wanted to mold you into something of his own creation. He wanted you obedient and docile, and available whenever he wanted. Slowly but surely, that was what he was getting.

————————-

Present

“How’s my girl doing? Hope you didn’t miss me too much” he says kissing you back whilst holding you in his arms. “I tried not to,” you lied. “What’s for dinner tonight?” he asked. One of the other rules was that you were tasked with making breakfast, lunch and dinner. He was a bit early today and you got caught up with the pregnancy tests. “Salmon,” you said, “I was going to pull out the Cheval Blanc from the wine cellar”. He hummed in response and you noticed how he hadn’t let go. “But then again, it wouldn’t really be wise for a mother-to-be to be drinking…correct?” You furrowed your eyebrows at him, not knowing what to say. “You think I wouldn’t notice you delivering pregnancy tests to a house full of cameras y/n? You deserved to be punished just for thinking so stupidly”. His grip on you tightened and you felt pain in your lower back. You instantly started shaking your head, “No Daddy wait—” he grabbed you by the neck and pushed you against the wall, applying more pressure to that area as he spoke. “When are you gonna understand y/n, you’re mine and mine only. No one can take you or that baby from me. You can’t go to the police—I own the police, and if you try and step foot off this island, you will regret even thinking that idea was smart”. You clawed at his grip on your neck, “You and our baby are both Camerons, you will live in this house like a good housewife and take care of our children. And if anyone on this island even tries to help you, they’re family will have a new member to bury…if I don’t burn their body first”.

Children, he said.

He was going to do this to you more than once.

“The faster you learn your place, the better. Do we understand each other?” You nodded your head, barely any air for you to try and speak through the chokehold. He let you go and you slid to the bottom of the floor. “And y/n?” He knelt down to your level and picked your chin up,, “If you do anything that will jeopardize our baby, I can promise you that there are fates far worse than death. I have no problem with us starting the process over and over again”. He said before dropping your chin and leaving. You cried silently to yourself, but not loud enough to hear so that Rafe wouldn’t get worked up again. You put a hand to your stomach and sighed. something broke in you that day, and that piece of you that broke is something you’d probably never get back. You were going to carry out this pregnancy, for you knew the consequences you’d receive if you didn’t.

__________________

1 Year Later

It was evening time, you were washing the plates after cleaning the kitchen, your son was fast asleep. As you were drying the plates, you felt a pair of hands come behind you, snaking their way to your waist. “The beautiful Mrs. Cameron”. He said proudly, you smiled at him. Rafe worked to make the wedding happen as fast as possible. Your parents were surprised and shocked that you never told them you were engaged, especially to THE Rafe Cameron. Everything was perfect and the day breezed by and you found yourself getting fucked by your newlywed husband at the end of it. The giant rock on your ring finger only further established his ownership of you, as the inside of the ring had the last name Cameron and the family crest there.

“Good evening daddy, I hope you enjoyed dinner,” you say as he places a kiss on your cheek. “I always enjoy your cooking. I felt the need to reward you for your good behavior”. He smirks, lifting up your dress. He pushed you back a bit as you automatically spread your legs, you knew the drill. Rafe had access to you at all times, whether it be in the morning or evening, bathroom or kitchen…whatever and wherever he wanted, it happened. He always had the final say, and you could only agree. You knew the consequences you’d receive if you didn’t. You were already wet and he plunged into you, fucking you at a steady pace while you tried continuing with the dishes. He grabbed and fondled you anyhow and everywhere on your body, and you let him because you felt your mind starting to float away. Through Rafe’s re-education, you were the perfect Kook housewife, you never spoke out of turn, always followed the rules and you never talked back. Every time he would use you, your brain always seemed to turn off, and the mantras that he forced you to memorize would play back in your head like an audio recording. You could feel he was close, “Tell me to cum in you,” he demands. You look back with pleading eyes, “Please cum in me daddy, I need you to breed me with your seed so bad baby”. You felt so docile and obedient in this position, taking cock and fulfilling your domestic duties. It felt so right to do as your husband says, to serve all of his needs and let him use you. You were a babbling mess again and he just chuckled at you, “Such a dumb bitch,” he said as he pumped you with his cum. You bobbed your head along, and as he came in you, your mouth watered as you began to get on your knees to taste him. You loved tasting him, it felt right to kneel down and choke on his cock, even if it made did you choke.

Before you could get the chance to put his tip on your mouth. Your son was crying from the nursery. Rafe lifted you up, “You get cleaned up, I’ll take care of him”. And with that you obeyed,

because you knew the consequences you’d receive if you didn’t.

Please let me know how I did! I lowkey miss writing dark content. Also, please take the time to vote on this poll xx

-M