#{Aodh Drabble

[arcxnumvitae]

Brecaea

"The sea..." The prince murmured to himself as he stared out at the expanse of the ocean. His mother would have found the sight beautiful. Waves lapped at the shore only inches away from his feet. If he took another step he could even...

"Wow, it sure goes out pretty far!" Eilidh's voice shattered the momentary peace that had fallen over him. The other gentry stood several paces away chatting among each other. In the midst of them stood Tara, as she usually did. Eilidh and Iomhar chattered amongst themselves, tripping and talking over each other in the midst of their excitement. Aodh did not speak from his spot beside them, yet his gaze never strayed far from Eilidh.

Standing alone, Camhlaidh's gaze trailed inland to rest briefly on his father and Seòras deep in discussion. Guards surrounded the king, alert for any danger. They hid it well in view of the denizens from the other lands, but the prince could sense their discomfort in a land other than their own. His father was harder to read, and Seòras near impossible. He could only hope things went smoothly, or that he at the least would make his father proud.

For the second time in only a minute, Eilidh's voice broke through his thoughts as the woman pointed at figures further down the beach.

"Look! A baby!"

[ichiigotsukii]

Aislan practically sprints down the marble hallway, not in the best shoes for such movement, but the monarch doesn’t care, heart thudding against their ribs. They’re feeling.....nervous? Excitement? ......Longing? It an emotional cocktail that is unlike what they are used to feeling, but then again, the man had been pretty good at getting Aislan to feel all sorts of things they never expected they would.

Aodh. Their flame. 

They stop at the double doors to the audience hall, where one of the thrones sat, manicured fingers going over their hair quickly, making sure not a single strand was out of place and their face smoothed over. Couldn’t have Aodh see what his absence had done to the Aeserea fae ruler.  

With one last breath, they push through the doors. “Well you definitely took your sweet time to-” Words die in their throat and whatever excitement they were feeling shatters like a glass pane thrown to the floor.

“That’s the thing about secret lovers, darling. Very few people know what they look like. One of your maids was beside herself with happiness thinking you and this Aodh guy were about to be reunited. I’d have felt bad if getting you to agree to meet me were easier.”

Aislan can hardly respond as they take in the figure in the center of the room. Like the shock of a bucket of water being poured down ones’ back. They can’t move, can’t even think; and the speed in which the heat is practically sucked out of the room would be alarming, temperature quickly dropping. Fae did a lot of word twisting themselves perhaps to be so upset when they were tricked themselves, but to have his name out of any used in such a way....!?

“You.....How dare you!?” The ruler’s hair seems to get paler, ice seemingly splintering across their skin , eyes seemingly blue as the temperature continues to drop.

“I need you to listen to me! Okay, maybe this was a bad tactic on my part, but how am I to talk to you about William Sakurai’s eldest son if you don’t give me the opportunity? Aren’t we practically famil-”

Qrowley’s words get drowned out by ice shards being hurled where the pureblood stands, the vampire practically dancing out of the way as they push off the floor so it misses, tile cracking. Well the floor would need to be redone it seemed.

“First, we think you dead for years, only for you to reappear spewing nonsense about my father’s murderer. But then you lie your way into my court under a name you have no business uttering?!” Aislan throws another shard. Then another. Qrowley uses each step to bring himself closer, shortening the distance between them even as marble floor is being ruined in his wake. 

He almost steps directly in front of the seelie leader too, arm almost able to grasp Aislan’s wrist and stop this wasteful fighting, until cool steel rests at the back of his neck as if out of nowhere.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

Qrow utters a curse under his breath as he tilts his head to meet the glowing red one, a rare sight from its normal place beneath a curtain of hair. Vel. Of course. It was stupid of him to not be keeping an ear out.  But perhaps he’s a little desperate, too many of his chess pieces on the board showing resistance. So he has little time to swap pleasantries with the dragon.

“Aislan....Gaius lives. I swear it.”

The seriousness in Qrowley’s voice holds the desired impact as the fight in Aislan seems to drain, monarch almost tiredly walking to drop onto the ornate chair at the head of the room, Vel allowing Qrow to take careful steps behind. 

“If you care for this Aodh person even a fraction as much as I cared for your father...then you’ll understand why I’m working so hard.” 

It’s uncharacteristic of the pureblood to sound so quiet or solemn about anything, so Aislan’s eyes rise to meet the one, waiting.

“Kaede Sakurai is well known as being one outside council life and pureblood society. Not interested as much as his father wishes he were. Though I tried in the past to have correspondence with him regarding his father’s position, I received little more than an anatomy class. But I���ve found his bargaining chip.” And funny to Qrow how Aislan and the Sakurai eldest seemed to have similar weaknesses. “I just want to look through some files in William’s office. If what I get my hands on is not to your satisfaction-” 

“Then you drop this crusade you’re on?”

“Then I drop this ‘crusade’ I’m on.” Qrow echoes. 

Aislan still feels the sting of....what? Heartbreak? Disappointment? Deceit? They don’t know but there’s an ache. Despite it, maybe Qrowley deserves more credit. Or maybe the monarch understands more what the biting loneliness feels like.

And if he’s telling the truth....Gaius lives. That itself brings some of the life back to the fae’s eyes.

“Alright then, Qrowley. Tell me about this bargaining chip.” 

[ofviolentdeathmuses]

name: Jason Davies

what: Werewolf

age: appears mid to late 20’s

birthday: August 28

occupation: General pack duties

location: Tennessee/Kentucky border

faceclaim: Reeve Carney

status: Single Verse

relationship: Mated to Jake

parents: Aodh Davies (alive) and Addilynn Davies (Deceased)

siblings: Jaxon and Jericka, Ariella, and Zane

kids: None

Jason is the middle child of the Davies brood and probably the least trouble. He’s charismatic, friendly, loyal and just an all around good guy. Him and Ari are almost complete opposites.

He and Jake met in a bar and hooked up, forging a mate bond almost immediately. He has since brought Jake back to the pack.

Other Info Threads Face Drabble

[vargatheapprentice]

A quick drabble of my hunter preparing to leave for Lunaris.

.

.

“Aodh? Cardwell Aodh? Can you hear me?” Cardwell’s trance ended with a snap.

“Right, uh, sorry. Where were we?” Cardwell sighed, the lull of paperwork had him quickly slipping back into his thoughts soon after.

He’d just got the news that morning, he was to report to a new station- in a place called Lunaris. He’d hoped they would station him north this time, where he belonged, to home- no one was left for him there, but his heart ached for the silhouette of the cliffs along the sea and the cold ocean spray laced with the sting of ice.

Yet the man from the North was stationed too far south again. Away from the quiet forests and rough seas he had lived in so long that they seemed to have permeated his being.

He missed it.

Feeling another pang of homesickness in his heart, he pushed back the memories of his seafaring days in the North. Begrudgingly he went back to the mundane paperwork before him.

In the very least, he heard Lunaris was by the sea. Perhaps too warm of waters for the fisherman-turned-hunter, but it was comforting nonetheless. He hadn’t seen the ocean in a long time, but his body still ached for the spray on his skin. Even now his dreams were laced with adventures on treacherous waters and voices yelling above the rumbling of the sea.

He was set to leave the next evening, and solemnly began to pack his woolen rucksack, rolling his various sweaters and linen shirts tightly so they fit.

Cardwell was not one to follow latest fashion- his clothing was always functional above all else. He wasn’t one for finery. Simplistic sweaters and linen shirts and trousers, a heavy, hooded wool cloak that took up the majority of his form and made him look twice as large than he was.

He swung the bag over his shoulder and sighed as it thumped against his back. He wondered what stories this new place would give him to tell.

He steeled himself for the long venture before him, rolling his broad shoulders. Taking a deep breath, he walked down the steps on onto the road- to Lunaris, unaware of just how many mysteries were awaiting him.

[nebula-horizon]

🍏 {the-5-tribesmen} Wulfric giving Celeste some nice, roasted-over-an-open-fire, boar meat. A delicacy where he comes from uwu

Send a symbol for a drabble or thread [ Not Accepting! ]

🍏 to give my muse food

I listened to orchestra renditions of the Kingdom Hearts soundtrack. Mostly Dearly Beloved

((THIS WAS 9 PAGES ON GOOGLE DOCS AAAAAAAAAAAAA))

   It had been two months since Celeste had begun traveling with Wulfric and his group. Although she was better acquainted with everyone, she still felt rather out of place amongst them. It wasn't such a far fetched idea; she was from another dimension after all! It, however, was still disheartening that she still felt like a stranger especially since it seemed like these five were going to be her traveling partners for quite some time.

   They all tried to make her feel included in their own way to some extent. Eoghan brought Celeste into different towns to shop for spices and temporary potions, teaching her about the history of every place they visited. Sweet Cao liked to keep Celeste company when everyone else was away or busy. Showing her all the stuff he's recorded in his journal while traveling, Cao was very happy to share all the cool stuff he's seen with her. 

   Aodh was a bit of a tougher guy to crack. Being a far more stoic and diligent man than his older brother, he was less soft around Celeste. Yet he still found a way to bond even with her without breaking that facade as she needed someone to show her how to defend herself in their world. Always holding her from behind and teaching her how to swing different weapons. Tristan was… a bit different and not in a good way. His way of making Celeste feel like one of them was rather strange and more straightforward, but Celeste always found herself being cornered while Tristan leaned over her, giving her a shit eating grin when they were alone. 

Despite all their efforts to make her feel welcomed, there was still a sense of distance between her and every one of them. Well… everyone but Wulfric. Although she was scared of him at first, he went up to the plate and proved that he was at least there to protect her. 

Celeste watched as the five of her new friends scrambled around the campsite, setting things up to stay for the next few days there. As much as she wanted to help them out, it seemed like everyone already had a role and job to fill. So she sat on a log with her knees pulled up to her chest as she watched everyone around her do their part. 

Wulfric was helping out in every area he was needed; setting up the tents with Cao and Tristan, carrying heavy logs of wood and stones to make a fire pit with Aodh. As he went to see what Eoghan needed, the elder of the group stopped him. 

"Thank you, Wulfric, but I think you should help someone else out." Eoghan suggested. The larger bearded man tilted his head to the side. 

"But don't you need help with cooking?" He asked. "Besides, who else is there to help…". Wulfric's voice drifted off as Eoghan tilted his head to the side to gesture over to the lone purple haired girl sitting on the log.

"We still need a boar for tonight's dinner… maybe you could take her hunting.". Eoghan suggested, as Wulfric for a brief second had an unsure look on his face. He rolled his eyes at the younger man. "You've seen the powers she holds, I think she'll make a great hunter if someone shows her.". Eoghan was right -- If not a good hunter, maybe Celeste could at least be useful to help Wulfric run away quickly. Though who would blame Wulfric for being unsure about Celeste helping him hunt? She was small, scared, and the only times she's ever displayed her powers was when she would run from danger. Of course Wulfric was a little skeptical in her abilities. 

Despite his reservations, he saw the way Celeste sat alone looking lost and he couldn't help but feel that maybe she did just need a push in the right direction. He strode over to her log, plopping down right next to her with a heavy thump of his whole body. Celeste jumped naturally from the sudden company, looking right at Wulfric. 

"So…" Wulfric began. "Eoghan said dinner for tonight is mostly set, but we need one more thing…". 

"Oh…? Do you want me to go back into the city and grab something?" Celeste asked, perking back up a bit. Wulfric gave a chuckle as he gently patted her head.

"No no, for this dinner it's better if we killed it fresh.". Celeste tilted her head to the side in confusion. "You're gonna help me hunt for a live boar." Wulfric said with a confident grin and a heavy handed pat to Celeste's back as he helped her back up. "Ya think you got what it takes to help me catch a boar?".

At first he had asked that to give her an out if she wanted, but the way he saw her eyes light up made Wulfric feel a little nice inside. Maybe she did just need someone to help out and give her some direction -- after all she spent these last two months feeling lost. 

“Yes! I-I wanna help!” she beamed.

“Well, then grab your gear and two spears! We’ll need to find a big boar before it gets too dark out!.” Wulfric bellowed before watching Celeste nod and scurry off to ready herself for the hunt. Her energetic smile and enthusiasm to do something was quite infectious, it reminded Wulfric of his first solo hunt. The pastel haired woman took a few minutes to get ready, but she came back with a small backpack and two spears in her arms. She had a large dagger strapped to her side -- a gift from the younger Wexler brother. Wulfric grabbed one of the spears. “Eager to hunt, eh? It won’t be easy, you know, after all wild boars are hard to subdue.”. 

“Y-yeah… I-I think I got this! I mean if you’re there then, there shouldn’t be anything to worry about right?”. Celeste said that with such assurance and trust in her voice -- she really was putting her faith in Wulfric to protect her and it made him somewhat flustered. The two of them let the others know where they’d be at and went off into the heavily wooded area nearby.

As they walked through the woods, Wulfric talked about his experience with hunting and giving little old Celeste pointers on what to do. The sun drifted across the sky as they walked and Wulfric took note of it, saying that they should hurry along. 

“Have you truly never hunted before?” he asked. “What about your father or your brother, were they never pressed to hunt for food for their family?”. Celeste laughed, but not at him.

“No! I keep saying I’m from a time where people don’t need to hunt anymore.” She explained. “Though some people hunt for fun and sport still.”.

“Sounds like my own father!” Wulfric bellowed. What a strange world she came from! “Perhaps one day I’ll be able to visit your world to see what it is like.”. He smiled, but that quickly faded when he looked over at Celeste. Her smile wasn’t as big as before and she looked as though she were deep in thought. Wulfric knew that she was beginning to feel homesick again. That’s when he began thinking: How were they going to get Celeste home anyhow? Sure Eoghan had some clues here and there on a sort of portal for Celeste, but they were all so vague and information about these “interdimensional rifts” were in books far older than wulfric. 

However, that wouldn’t deter him -- he was a hard-headed Wexler! There wasn’t anything that could stop him from helping Celeste and returning her home! They stopped nearby a large thick oak tree and Wulfric placed a firm hand on her shoulder, turning her to face him. The  two of them were so different and he knew it. Celeste was smart and knowledgeable, yet a strange girl especially with the way she presented and spoke. The way she spoke of the stars made Wulfric almost believe Celeste had come from there.

"We'll get you back home, Celeste… we're all trying our hardest to help you." He reassured, giving Celeste an uncharacteristically soft and gentle smile. "I promise…". Wulfric stared into her starry eyes as they lit up with hope but still sensed her hesitation to fully trust him.

"All of you…? Really?". It was a little hard for her to believe at first. She didn't really get the sense that they cared for her that way, but if Wulfric said so she had to at least consider it. Celeste was the type of person that needed things -- especially feelings -- spelled out for her to really give her input. "Th-thank you, Wulfric… I-I guess I just need to hear it from the others to really believe it, but I'm glad you think so.". Wulfric gently brushed Celeste's hair out of her face and behind her ears, making her blush. 

"I know so… You know, Eoghan is actually working on something for you." he said, not noticing Celeste’s attention diverting from him and rather focusing on behind him. “I know I shouldn’t tell you this, but…”

“Wulfric…”.

“It’s something he’s been working hard on with input from all of us and-”

“Hey that’s nice,but Wulfric-”

“We just hope that you’ll like it is all and-”

“WULFRIC LOOK OUT!”. Celeste tackled him forward onto the warp star, shooting them upwards into the air as a large wild boar attempted to ram into them. She began panting as she sat on top of Wulfric and looking back down at the boar that was trying to attack them. “You okay, Wulf? Sorry I had to tackle you back there.”. The bearish older man gave a hearty laugh as he sat up with Celeste on his lap, patting her on the head.

“Good job! I hadn’t noticed the thing sneak up on us!”. He shifted on the warp star, moving Celeste carefully off his lap. Wulfric gripped his spear as he stared down at the wild boar that seemed to have gotten confused. “I have a plan. Do you think you can fly the star quickly by so that I can spear it without giving it a chance to run?”. Celeste was still a bit stunned by the whole ordeal, but she nodded, determined to try her very best to prove herself. 

The warp star whirred as Celeste directed it to take a sharp turn back towards the wild boar. It looked like the beast was ready to escape, but before it could the star flew quickly over it allowing Wulfric to drop down and impaling the boar right in it’s back. Celeste cheered, thinking the hunt was already over as did Wulfric. 

However, the large beast wouldn’t go down without a fight. It thrashed angrily as hard as it could to get the large Wexler off its back, ramming its head into Wulfric's abdomen; its tusks digging into him. He winced in pain, mistakenly leaving an opening for the boar to continue pushing him until he was up against a tree. Celeste gasped as she watched Wulfric struggling in pain from the tusks digging into his stomach -- she had to act fast! Without thinking, she readied her spear before dropping down mid air onto the feral hog. Her spear pierced right above where Wulfric had landed his, but not quite as deep into it’s back. The boar reared its head back, squealing and flailing wildly to try and get Celeste off its back, but she was determined not to let go no matter how hard it thrashed. Yelling and screams of help echoed through the woods as she was practically dragged along by this large wild animal. 

Wulfric took the chance, pressing down on the small tusk wounds in his abs for a moment to ease the pain. He charged back in as Celeste was roughly thrown off the animal’s back  after being dragged around like a ragdoll. The boar readied to ram her with its tusks as she laid on the ground trying to recuperate, causing Celeste to recoil with her arms up in a defensive manner. Luckily for her, Wulfric managed to take hold of the two spears already lodged in the boar’s back and jammed them farther into it. Yet the beast wouldn’t go down! It hesitated for a moment, but still had enough energy to try and wriggle out. Celeste had to finish it off!

Quickly, she unsheathed her gifted dagger and dragged it across the boar’s throat -- a messy, but sufficient kill. The wild beast slumped in Wulfric’s hold and he double checked to truly see if it was dead. Celeste’s panting slowed down before she gulped and wiped the boar blood off her knife with her sleeve. She’d have to thank Aodh later for the gift. Once the adrenaline subsided, she fell flat on her back, wanting to pass out after that whole ordeal. Her knees stung in pain from having her legs dragged against the forest floor. 

Wulfric, however, wasn’t going to let her rest just yet. He scooped the worn out young lady in his arms, giving her a tight hug and triumphant laugh -- he really hadn’t expected her to dive bomb the boar like that! And she seemed to have gotten good with that dagger his younger brother gave to her!

“That was fantastic, Celeste! That boar almost did a number on me, but you were quick on your toes and with that spear. Amazing job!” he bellowed, setting the small pastel girl down and firmly patting her back. 

“Haha… It’s no big deal, Wulf… really!” she chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her neck.

"That’s ridiculous, let me give you your flowers while you're still with us! Don't downplay your own achievements here!" Wulfric rebuffed. "Now let's get this boar back to the others! The sun is about to set.".

The large dead boar laid on Wulfric’s shoulders as he spoke about his other hunting ventures -- it made Celeste feel a little nauseous, but she could keep her sick down till they were able to drop off the boar. Though Wulfric wouldn’t let her keep her distance, holding the boar over his shoulder with one arm and holding Celeste close to him with the other. Although she did like being this close to him so she could pay the price of being this near literal dead meat. 

“Eoghan will have to ask Cao to go with him into towns from now on! Aodh and I need you with us when we go hunting!” he joked, not realizing how flustered he was making Celeste. She didn't know how to respond to this much praise even from just one person. At least the overflow of serotonin from being complimented was helping her ignore the stench of dead boar.  Fortunately for her, they would be back to the campsite in no time. Wulfric dropped the boar body onto a tarp laid out so Eoghan could clean the meat and prep it before they roast it over the large fire pit.

"You're back! How was hunting-... Oh my, Are you two alright?" Eoghan rushed over to the two, mostly giving Celeste attention as she was the smaller weaker one with the most obvious cuts and scratches to her legs. "Oh dear… I'll go get my med kit and-". Wulfric chuckled and stopped the elder from worrying too much. 

"It's fine, Eoghan, I can patch her up. Besides, it looks like I need a bit of it too. You and Tristan should focus on cooking so we can all eat before it gets too late.". The eldest of the group gave Wulfrice a skeptical look before conceding and getting to cleaning the dead boar, enlisting Tristan for help. Now that he was distracted, Wulfric could spend some time with Celeste and-

“A-ah! Celeste, are you alright? Here I have some first aid supplies if you need some.”. The bearish leader spun around and watched as the blonde archer sat Celeste down next to him on a log. Cao held Celeste’s hand before reaching in his belt pouch for some alcohol and cotton balls to dab onto her legs. As Celeste winced, Cao gave her an apologetic smile as he slowly but surely patched her up. “Y-you should be more careful next time, Celeste, I-i get worried for you when we all get in battle!” he admitted with a flustered stutter. Wulfric squinted a bit as he noticed that the young man’s charms were actually working on Celeste as she was blushing and laughing along with him. He couldn’t blame Cao for doing this though -- it seemed like from day 1 the both of them were competing to get Celeste’s attention in some way. As Cao finished patching up her legs for her, he gently patted her thigh and smiled sweetly at Celeste. “Th-there! Does that feel better?”

“Way better… Thank you, Cao!” Celeste gushed before leaning over and giving him a small peck on the cheek, making the archer freeze up and short circuit. That’s when Wulfric decided to barge in. The large Wexler sat himself down on the empty spot of the log next to Cao, grinning from ear to ear before patting his abdomen. 

“Mind patching me up too, Cao?” he laughed, knowing very well the young blonde wouldn’t touch him anywhere on or below the abdomen. Cao recoiled a bit, giving a bit of soured look to Wulfric before having his arm nudged by a chuckling Celeste. 

“Oh cool it. Here I’ll patch up Wulfric if you’re gonna treat it like Gay Chicken.”. Cao was about to protest, but eventually sighed and gave in to her request. Handing her over the first aid supplies, he stood up and left the two alone and allowed them to close the gap between them by scooting very close to one another. Carefully, Celeste lifted Wulfric’s shirt up -- hand gently grazing over his abdomen and his tusk wounds. The look on her face shifted to a more worried expression as her eyes met with his. “Did the tusks really jam into you that hard?” she asked.

“I guess so...  Barely felt it though haha.” Wulfric boasted, somewhat showing off to impress her. Celeste dabbed a bit of alcohol on him, making him wince. “O-okay I felt that. Heh…”. At first he wasn’t sure if she found that funny, but he was reassured as he saw the slightest cute smile appear on her face while she focused on fixing him up. Wulfric watched as she diligently went to work. The smell of roasted boar slowly filled the area as Eoghan and Tristan took turns keeping their eyes on the roast over the open fire. After a bit of silence, Wulfric wanted to instill some more confidence in Celeste. “You know, I really was glad that you wanted to go hunting,” he began. “I’ve seen how you tend to isolate yourself from us when we’re all scrambling around the campsite and I just wanted to know… Why is that?”. Celeste sighed as she kept quiet for a bit, still focusing on Wulfric’s wounds before speaking up. 

“I… I guess you could say I still feel somewhat out of place here, ya know? I-I know I’ve been here for a little while already, but that doesn’t stop me from feeling the obvious gaps between me and everyone else here.” She admitted with a somber tone in her voice. “As much as I want to hurry home, I still kinda want to feel like I’m one of you guys, but I can’t. I feel useless.”. There was a moment of quiet between them as Celeste finished up Wulfric’s wounds. Afterwards, her hands carefully slid off his abs before she went back to sitting like how Wulfric found her earlier when she was all alone. Wulric began to think that perhaps the best medicine to this insecurity was to hear it from the others besides himself, but how was he going to initiate that conversation without feeling forced. For now, Wulfric decided to not press her. He changed the subject to lighten the mood, telling her stories of the adventures he's been prior to meeting Celeste. 

For the next couple hours they joked and told stories, Cao eventually coming back and joining them. Meanwhile, Aodh was nearby sparring with a training dummy and occasionally had Celeste cheering him on. On most days, he’d just ignore her, but today he didn’t mind giving her a stoic “thank you”. Even that small little change made Celeste smile. Not long after, Tristan strolled up to the group, arms crossed. 

“Oi! Eoghan said dinner’s ready!” he shouted, getting everyone up off their feet to help set up everything for dinner. They all went over to the eldest of the group standing over the fire pit with the boar roasted nicely.

 "Ah, Celeste, can you help Tristan lay out the straw mat while Cao and Aodh get the banana leaves? Wulfric I need your help cutting up the boar.".  And with that, everyone split off. Celeste made a beeline towards Tristan and the two of them kicked away any large rocks so that they could set the large straw mat down. The two of them took corners and divided it to lay it flat across the floor a few feet away from the fire pit -- setting a stone on each of the corners of the banig.

 When Celeste first joined them, she realized they just sat around on logs or on the bare floor. Aodh and Tristan scoffed at her at first for seemingly being pretentious about sitting on the ground or a splinter filled log. Though after she went into town and bought a large straw mat that she called a banig, Eoghan quite liked using it! Which Celeste found pretty funny -- it seemed all old asian folks in her life really liked banigs. Ever since then they’ve kept it around and busted it out whenever they were just chilling or eating around the campsite. Even Aodh and Tristan like to relax and take a break on the banig.

The two of them sat down together on the banig while they waited for the others to gather everything else. Aodh and Cao came back with the cleaned banana leaves, handing them to Eoghan and taking their place with the other two. Wulfric and Eoghand took the larger banana leaves and used that to hold the rice that they spooned out of the steam basket.  Wulfric used the dagger to slash up huge chunks off the roasted boar and portioned it evenly for everyone on different banana leaves; Eoghan handed each leaf out to everyone and brought his and Wulfric’s over to the banig. The leader made sure to move the boar  so that it wouldn’t burn over the fire pit and stabbed his dagger into it before taking his seat with everyone else and right next to Celeste.

“If anyone wants to get more boar, just use the knife to slice up some meat!” he said before digging in. Celeste could never keep up with how much these dudes eat -- Especially Wulfric. All six of them talked around the fire as they had dinner; Eoghan being the one asking questions to the more quiet ones of the group. 

“So, Celeste, how was hunting with Wulfric? I see you’ve had a bit of scrap -- I’m sure it wasn’t easy!” he chirped. Celeste took a moment to chew and swallow her food, eyes nervously darting around before  she wiped the corner of her mouth. 

“I-it was alright. I got scared cause I thought Wulfric was hurt badly.” she admitted. “But it ended up working out! I was able to help get a kill on it!”. Tristan snickered, not at all trying to hide it.

“Wulfric, you seem like you’re slipping up if little Celeste had to save you!”. Cao and Celeste chuckled at that, quietly snorting until Wulfric became defensive. 

“Don’t be ridiculous, Tristan! I didn’t slip up,” he huffed. “Celeste was just quicker on her feet -- I personally think Celeste has come far with her training, isn’t that right, Aodh?”. The elder brother turned to the dirty blonde younger brother with a big grin and a firm pat to his back.

“I would say she’s definitely not as defenseless as she used to be when we first found her.” Aodh admitted with a stern and stoic look on his face as he spoke. “It is a bit impressive if you ask me. A bit.”.

“Thank you, Aodh!” Celeste beamed. “I wouldn’t have been able to kill that boar without that dagger you gave me!”. She gave him a delighted and mushy smile, making the paladin look away and trying to maintain his stoic and gruff exterior with a slight pink tint to his cheeks. Eoghan took notice and gave a slight chuckle. 

“Sounds like you did great, Celeste. Glad to see that you’re adjusting well to… well everything!”. Eoghan always ended speaking to Celeste like she was his child which worked out for both of them as it helped her feel a little at home with everyone. Cao nodded, agreeing with Eoghan.

“Y-yeah, Celeste! Eoghan’s right. You were so flighty when we first met, haha,” he murmured shyly. “But I’m happy you’re comfortable with us!”. At that moment, Celeste looked around at all the friendly faces that she'd come to know. It was strange how just this morning she had felt like she was alone and isolated from everyone and everything in this world; because right now she felt as though she was finally getting used to everything. No, she was finally realizing that they'd always saw her as one of them for a while now -- she was just the one that hadn’t seen it herself yet. Wulfric noticed the softened and watery look in her eyes. He signaled to Eoghan with a head tilt that maybe now was the time to give Celeste that gift they all had suggested for her.

“Celeste, there’s a gift we wanted to give you.” Eoghan began. “I made it myself, but everyone suggested this gift to begin with… Wait right here.”. The elder stood up and jogged over to his tent, digging through it for something held together in beige wrapping paper. He came back, handing the gift to her with his usual fatherly smile. “Go on! Open it.”. Celeste looked down excitedly at the wrapped gift and then at Cao who returned her excitement with a smile, gesturing for her to open her gift already. She carefully peeled back the wrapping paper  with her eyes closed and once she was done, she could feel a smooth, sand down, wooden… thing? She wasn’t really sure at first, but once she opened her eyes to get a good look…

“You guys…” she muttered softly. In her hands was a wooden mask, made and painted in the same exact style as Wulfric’s and the others. Like theirs, her mask was color coded as well: a purple pigment was used to color the sigils and markings in the same fashion as the others. Only difference to hers was a crescent moon drawn on one side of the mask. “I don’t know what to say…” she replied with a slight quiver in her voice. 

“Well? Put it on!” Wulfric urged. Celeste wiped her face with her sleeve of any food that she still had on her mouth before pulling her hair back into a high bun. She carefully placed the mask on her face and fidgeted with the straps on the back of her head and until she was sure that it was secure on her face. Letting her hair down, Celeste looked back up and peered at her friends through the holes of the mask. Wulfric had a huge smile on his face as he looked at Celeste with a flutter in his chest. 

“H-how does it look?” Celeste asked. Tristan was the first to speak up.

“Looks like a mask!” he joked. “Otherwise, it looks good! Don’t get used to it though, that thing is gonna get scratched and banged up if you’re not careful in battle.”. Cao gleamed before adding his two cents. 

“It looks so nice, Celeste! The mask is so pretty on you!” he said with a blush on his face. 

“Eoghan’s craftsmanship is something else,” Aodh began. “It certainly fits you.”. Celeste blinked from under her mask at them all feeling a bit tender. It fits her, huh? She didn’t know quite well what to say. 

“Well? What do you think? Do you like it?” Eoghan asked. Celeste nodded in response as she was unsure of how to respond. Wulfric’s hand reached over carefully and subtly to hold her hand, giving it a slight squeeze to get her attention. 

“I think… It suits her very well…” he said in his deep husky voice. Up until this point, she had been quiet, but Wufric’s words resonated with her deep down. It suited her… It fit her… and at that moment Celeste finally felt like she was one of them. She finally was able to feel that they cared for her. Slowly, she lifted the mask up to reveal her face -- starry eyes watery and smile sweet and gentle. Wulfric held her hand a bit tighter as he watched tears ever so slightly stream down her face before she finally spoke up. 

“I love it…! Th-thank you, guys…”.

[fiery-assassin-arc]

Drabble a convo between Iris and her brothers talking about Millikan

Drabble Meme | ACCEPTING

“So,you and a Tark, huh?” Nick leaned back on the couch, giving hissister a side-eye, a smirk appearing. “Never thought I'd see theday.”

“HalfTark,you moron.” Iris rolled her eyes. “And he's a great guy, if youget to know him. Millikan, is his name.”

“Milli-khan?”

“No,Milli ken. Ya know, like the Ken doll?” She put her hands out,letting them bounce as she pronounced her lover's name. “Mill. Le.Ken.”

Aodhstrode in the room, carrying a tray of sandwiches. A BLT with picklesfor Iris, and a Ham & Swiss for Nick, while he had a simple clubsandwich. “Talking about your boyfriend without me?” he teasedIris, handing her the plate. “I'm hurt.”

“Bothof you are so dramatic it's not funny.” Iris snatched a bite out ofher sandwich, sighing in satisfaction. “Oh my god, you used arugulainstead of lettuce. You clever genius.”

Aodhwalked around, motioning for Iris to scoot as he sat down beside her.“Figured you need a change of taste. Nick, can you tell me aboutthis guy while she stuffs her face?”

Nickpicked off the crust, one piece at a time, looking at his olderbrother in the eye to explain. “So, Millikan is this child of theformer Empress of Outworld, Mileena. I know, he's half Tarkatan. And,here's the kicker: they met because he spilled coffee on her. And ourlittle firecracker—” He plucked a piece of arugula from Iris'ssandwich, stuffing it in his mouth, “—did not get mad at him,bless her heart. And now, they're . . . what are you guys exactly?”

Iris'sface felt warm, taking another huge bite of her lunch. Her cheekspuffed out as she chewed methodically slow. They were slowly dating,although it began with moments under sheets and caught breaths. Butshe won't say thatoutloud. For starters, her brothers might criticize her, or wonderthings about Millikan.

“We'retaking things slow,” she said after swallowing. “Oh, he's also anamazing hunter, if you need another reason why I like him. He's quitesmart, good-looking.” She paused, punching Nick in the shoulder ashe snickered. “He is!Youhave to see him. What else is there . . . he's funny, strong, veryfocused on Outworld matters.”

Aodhstroked his beard, squaring his ankle on his knee. “Does he makeyou happy?”

“Yes,yes he does.” She answered clearly.

“Whatdo you think, little brother?” He leaned over, steepling hisfingers. “Think he's a good fit for our little sister, our ONLYsister who has fire abilities?”

“Hmm..”Nick hummed, grabbing a lock of his sister's hair, drooping it infront of her face, before finallytakinga bite of his sandwich, exhaling when he finished. “You know whatwe have to do to ensure he's a good fit.”

“Oh,gods.” Iris groaned.

“Huntingcontest. First one to bring in a buck, wins.”

“Iwas going to suggest we meet him, but Ilike your way better.” Aodh chuckled, before kissing Iris on herforehead. “Don't worry, we'll be gentle with him.”

“That'swhat I'm worried about.”  

[afmccarthy]

Drabble #1 • September 13, 2018

Aodh looked down at what he had just created. Ever since the idea struck him, Aodh had been practicing. There was a pile of broken wand-shaped sticks coming out of his scrap wood bin from all the times he’d messed up. He had almost given up entirely on the idea until today.

It wasn’t a wand, it missed the crucial core, but it had the shape. The wand was about 10 inches long carved out of a beautiful piece of cherry wood. The end tapered down to a triangular point, and the wand itself was sleek. Each ridge was angular yet fit into the hand perfectly. He had a cut of brown leather he would use to go over the grip, and when he was completely done Aodh knew it would be beautiful.

He glanced at the clock, his eyes widening at how late it was. 2:30 pm. But he was so close to finishing his first model wand, he couldn’t just stop. So he took a breath, closed his eyes for a moment, and went back to work.

It took another hour for him to apply the varnish and use magic to cure it faster. Another thirty minutes to properly attach the leather grip. And then it was done, and a surge of pride filled his chest. He could totally do this.

[arcxnumvitae]

Part 1

Yes, this was the door. He could feel the aura of his seed emanating from just beyond. A child he'd had no clue existed, until its aura suddenly appeared one day and stayed. He had an inkling as to the reason why, but to confirm it...

A fist rapped at the door and keen hearing picked up a shuffling of noise. Light footsteps, barely louder than a brush air, approached and the door to the apartment opened.

"Yes?" A dour-faced person with brilliant red hair stood in the doorway, and the scent of glamour hung in the air.

A fae? The puzzle pieces were beginning to fall into place. He could see the other's confusion at finding a demon on his (was this home his?) doorstep, but the aura that radiated from him was undoubtedly that of his seed's.

He smiled, "What a surprise this is about to be for you!"

[arcxnumvitae]

Part 2

They stood in the living room of Samir's apartment, and if fae could have a heart attack then he was sure the kid would've already had three by this point.

"What do you mean my sire is a demon?! Mother never spoke of my father much, because she said it did not matter, but I had assumed he was some inconsequential human!" Flames flickered among the fae's hair, visible now that the glamour had fallen. Flaming hair that mirrored his own despite the insistence of the Seelie fae that their blood ran "faithful" or whatever it was. The heat that radiated from him despite the distance between them also spoke to his state of shock.

"Mother does not even like demons! She finds them distasteful, the same as vampires and other unnatural creatures!"

Thelmaron chuckled, "Oh, well Eara liked me well enough that night. Several times, if I recall correctly."

The temperature in the room shot up ten degrees.

"Anyways, I had some business, before we, heh, got down to business--"

Another five degrees.

"Either way, it was a one night thing and the fair lady never reached out to me afterwards. I had no idea that I'd sired a child that night." He knew the fae could be rather standoffish, but yeesh. The child had to be several centuries old by now.

"Well..." The fae-- Aodh, he'd said his name was-- raised a brow. He'd at least seemed to calm down some. "What exactly do you want?"

He'd looked as if the man had stumbled across him during his lunchtime, and was wondering how long this minor intrusion would take. A hand clapped against his child's back, nearly sending him forward, and Thelmaron laughed.

"I've missed out on quite a bit, wouldn't you say? I want to get to know my son, obviously!"

[arcxnumvitae]

🎥 for Eilidh

@soulsxng || A scene from my muse's life

She waited until his breathing beside her evened out with the deep peacefulness of slumber. Waited some more. After several long moments had passed, Eilidh pushed herself up in the bed, ready to push her sheets away. She needed to move, before some small sound or movement woke her husband, but the woman found herself unable to keep from glancing down at him.

The flame-like flickering of his hair shone gently in the darkened room and its usual brilliance was quieted with his slumber. Her Aodh. Her heart hurt for what she was about to do, what it would mean to him, but as time passed she had begun to realize that she would not be able to give him the one thing he ever hoped to gain from her-- her love.

He would never demand it of her, no, but just the knowledge, the startling realization she had of her husband's feelings for her had been enough to feel an iron grip of panic over the woman's heart. The scariest part of it all was that Aodh himself seemed to notice at least to some extent as well. His actions had grown more grand, more overbearing as the days passed.

Was it cruel to stay knowing that she may never be able to return what he felt for her? Or was it crueler to leave as she was? Could she even be so certain that time wouldn't turn Aodh's heart, and that he also wouldn't feel the weight of his unreturned affections clouding his heart. What if...he turned cruel?

Her mind had long since been made up and Eilidh took what may be some of her final breaths of home. She would have to go somewhere he could not, or would not, retrieve her from. Somewhere that would be protected from the reach of a gentry of Seelie.

With her mind made up, Eilidh quietly slipped from their bed and disappeared into the night, leaving her husband behind slumbering peacefully.

[arcxnumvitae]

A Love for a Love Masterpost

A compilation of drabbles featuring Aodh’s deal for Eilidh’s love

A Deal is Made-- Part 1 || Part 2

Seelie Ensnared

False Awakening 

Questions

The Illusion Cracks

Summons from the “Prince”-- Part 1 || Part 2

A Deal is Undone-- Part 1 || Part 2

True Awakening

Consequences-- Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3

A Promise Made

Goodbye

[arcxnumvitae]

Consequences || Part 2

He had never seen Aislan particularly angry before, but it was obvious now in the icy chill that radiated off of the monarch in waves, not to mention that chilly glare that seemed to freeze Aodh to the spot. He wanted to look away, shy away in t he face of their anger, but this was part of what he deserved, wasn’t it? He would not allow himself to turn away from the consequences of his actions, even if he knew that the vampire’s claws through his chest would hurt far less than being forced to face the fact that he had upset Aislan.

Before anyone else could move or speak, Camhlaidh stepped forward with a rare moment of agitation written upon his usually stoic features as he waved away the guards that had clustered around the door behind Aislan in response to the commotion.

“Enough!” The single command reverberated through the air with power until even the skies outside seemed to shake with the force of the king of Seelie’s anger. “I understand that everyone is upset, but Aodh Murdoc is a fae of Seelie, and as such is under my protection.” The solid wooden doors to the room swung shut behind the hesitantly retreating guards, and the king allowed his eyes to rest on each person in the room. “I will not allow one of my subject’s blood to be spilled before me in the borders of the land that I command. To harm him will be considered as an act of aggression towards Seelie itself.”

���But your Majesty!” Eilidh stepped forward with indignation. “Look at what he’s done! How can you stand on his side after the way that he’s acted!”

The ma’s dual-tones gaze met hers evenly. “The same way that I would protect you or any other of my subjects should the need arise. I believe that Aodh made a mistake, but I do not believe that he should pay for it with his life. Now,” he turned towards Aodh who finally ripped his gaze away from Aislan, “tell everyone the story of what happened.”

He would rather be run through actually. 

“I...” Aodh swallowed hard and found himself unsure of where to look as he spoke. “One night as I was in distress, I came across a hut. In it was a being who made me an offer of what she described as a ‘second chance’ to--” his gaze dropped, “to be with my wife again.” Despite his insistence to face whatever came for him, he was unable meet Eilidh’s gaze. Perhaps he truly was a coward after all. “I-- paid what was asked of me,” he stumbled quickly over his words, “and when I awoke again, Eilidh was there. I had thought that the hag had worked some sort of magic to reverse time. That we were now living some path that had branched from the previous in which I had done whatever it was I needed to in order to earn Eilidh’s affections in return. I never realized-- I had not thought that--” 

Finally, he looked up once more to meet Eilidh’s eyes and the accusatory glare in them. “I had no idea that your actions were not your own, Eilidh, I am so sorry. Nor did I realize that others would have been dragged into the spell the way they had.” He forced himself to meet the vampire’s eyes and the roiling hatred within, then the king’s, but Aislan’s he could hold only a moment before his fell once again.

“I know that offers little comfort regardless, and it still does not change what I have done nor what everyone has gone through because of me. I--I had believed that maybe I had done something during out marriage to drive Eilidh away, and that were I given a second chance I might be able to fix my mistakes.”

“Do you wish to know why I left that night, Aodh?” Startling after her long silence, Eilidh’s voice cut through, causing Aodh to flinch. “I had wondered afterwards whether I had done some disservice to you by never sharing why I left, but I avoided you afterwards out of a fear that you would invoke our vows to force me to return regardless. When we were wed, I had thought our union was one of our parents’ doing for gain towards our families’ names.” 

Eilidh took a step closer with an unreadable expression. “At first I had thought us near strangers with no love between them. You were always a dour person around others, but that had never bothered me. And...you were always kind to me in our marriage. So kind. ...Too kind. I realized that despite what I had thought before, you did love me, and despite what I had hoped would blossom, I did not love you back. Even then I had hoped that time might bend my heart differently, but with every sweet gesture, every breakfast that you brought to me in bed, it became too much for me. One night,” she took a quiet breath and Aodh felt himself still, “I realized that despite my best efforts, I would never love you.” A truth that he must have realized long ago, and yet one he had refused to accept. It took the realization that even the hag’s magic did not truly sway her heart for the truth to make itself known to him, and yet...

Hearing it like this from her still hurt.

“It was through no fault or your own,” Eilidh continued. “Nor any flaw in your personality. In truth, it was nothing as grand and monumental as that, Aodh. It was simply that I would not ever fall in love with you. And so, in the face of those flowers and the gestures and the breakfasts that increased as you seemed to realize something was wrong, I left. I fled. Were I to do it all over again I would like to give you a proper goodbye, but I do not regret my actions nor the life I have lived since.”

Aodh nodded slowly in the quiet of the room as he grappled with the overwhelming weight of the truths now laid before him. Was it comforting to realize that it was by no fault of his own? Or devastating to have to acknowledge the futility of it all? He had loved or, or he had experienced some version of love, since he was a young boy. It was all so much, and yet he knew what must be done.

Slowly, Aodh sank to his knee before Eilidh. In some far part in the back of his mind, he was reminded of the fact that the pose was one often used in mortal proposals, and, as his hand rested over his heart, the irony of it all considering what he was about to do struck him.

[arcxnumvitae]

Consequences || Part 1

The king sat before him in his guest room in an almost cruel mockery of a cordial guest visit. As if this were merely a normal house call to sip tea and gossip and not as if Aodh had just possibly ruined everything, on top of maybe starting a war with another land or two. The king looked at weary as he felt. 

“Of course you, the deal maker, will remember the ordeal even after the deal had been broken. And I, having broken free of the spell while in the midst of it, and possibly due to my connection with Seelie, can remember what has transpired as well.” King Camhlaidh’s fingers curled around the handle of his cup of tea as if to lift it and take a drink, but soon the tea was forgotten as he lapsed into thought one more. It was the fifth time he had done so, and the tea had long since grown cold. 

Aodh had not even touched his cup.

“From what I can tell of the servants and guards I have seen so far, none seem to remember the event. A few have complained about an odd dream and ‘deja vu’, a mortal term I believe, but it looks as if any oddities is being chalked up to the world of fiction. Of course,” he heaved a heavy sigh, “we do not know if that fact will be the same for some of the...main players.” Aodh flinched.

Alastair. Eilidh. ...Aislan. They would all hate him, and rightly so. They had been made puppets, forced to act in a play that would seem as if he had been the one drawing the strings, and all for what? A woman that he thought he had loved? The guilt that churned inside of him was as bitter as the blackest of coffees, and to make matters worse Aodh felt the threat of hot tears blurring his vision. As if this entire mess wasn’t bad enough, now he was blinking back tears in front of that accursed king who, even more infuriatingly, suddenly seemed too preoccupied with staring out of the window as if he had noticed something far more interesting in the front of the house.

As Aodh took the awkwardly given excuse to wipe his eyes, the king’s intentionally “disinterested” expression suddenly shifted to something more urgent.

“Eilidh...and that man.” In an instant, King Camhlaidh rose from the table and Aodh followed suit, feeling dread curdling in his gut. Eilidh was there, and with her lover in tow. Of course they would remember. And now, whatever punishment they threw at him, he would take with no complaints.

The sound of her approaching was akin to a storm as it grew closer, devouring all in its path and stopping for none, the confused voices of the king’s guards outside within the mix. The moment his wife threw open the doors to the room, Camhlaidh stepped forward with his hands held out peacefully.

“Now, Eilidh, I understand fully that you are upset, but we should all take a moment to--”

TWHACK. 

The sound of her punch echoed solidly throughout the space and Aodh stumbled backwards with the force of the blow, his cheek throbbing in pain where her fist had connected, stunned and yet not surprised. The punch hurt, but what hurt even worse was the expression on her face as the king stepped between them in an attempt to calm her down.

“How dare you?” Yet her eyes remained past the king, focused solely on him. “HOW DARE YOU?!” 

Everything seemed to happen in a moment after that.

Beyond the king and Eilidh, Aodh saw her lover approaching with murder in his golden eyes. Long, deadly claws slid from his fingers, and as he began to rush forward, Aodh dully realized that the man intended to run him through then and there. The king seemed to notice as well, and panic entered the ruler’s gaze as plants sprung up from the ground below, reaching towards the man in an attempt to halt his assault? Would they reach him in time? ...There was no telling, and, well, he had already decided that he would accept whatever punishment they saw fit to give hadn’t he? Be it a punch or his life they required...he would not attempt to fight it. 

Right as Aodh’s lids fluttered closed in acceptance of his fate, in that small moment that seemed to stretch for an eternity, the temperature seemed to plummet without warning. Aodh was almost sure it  must have been the icy chill of death welcoming him, but when his eyes finally cracked open he found that he had not been stabbed through the heart by the man. 

Instead, a giant spike of ice had cut off the vampire’s approach, jutting up from the ground to shield Aodh. The temperature in the room continued to fall, and the fae’s breath misted in front of him. Confusion rose, the king had never been able to summon ice before, and by the king’s own startled expression it was clear that the ice had not been of his own doing. But when movement by the still open door caught his gaze and he realized the source of the ice and cold. 

The name left his lips unbidden, the first word he had spoken that entire encounter ghosting out with another curl of icy breath.

“Aislan...”

[arcxnumvitae]

Send 💞 for Muse A to comment on Muse B’s relationships and/or people they know (Ru & Aodh)

@lunarxdaydream || multimuse grape vine

"You come here under the pretense of relaying a message for the king and all of a sudden I am supposed to believe that you are now past your infatuation for Eilidh and you are now staying in the mortal realm for the foreseeable future?! Eilidh will not enlighten me either!" His hands waved through the air as he spoke, pacing with each agitated word. "I know nothing about what happened and I--" Ruaidhri spun around, a finger poking Aodh in the chest with every word are his golden, serpentine eyes snapped," know! everything!"

Every piece of gossip in Seelie he either knew or started! And now some thing, some major thing, had happened and no one would fess up! Where-- he began whirling around the kitchen, clearly in search for something.

"Where is that cooking pan of Mikael's...! I will torture the information out of you if I must! What, is that annoying, overblown, overconfident, tacky excuse for a ruler making conjugal visits here?!"

Aodh, who had been silent throughout the entire tirade, finally winced at that and Ruaidhri stopped short.

"Oh? What, are things over between the two of you now? Do you want an apology from me for my careless words? You are lucky that I have not kicked you out of this apartment yet and only the rules of hospitality we follow keep me from truly taking an iron knife to your hand," Ruaidhri hissed as he stepped closer, and it was in that dangerous moment that Aodh was truly reminded of the man's resemblance to his father.

"Eilidh had to flee from Seelie-- her home-- to a land of strangers to escape your overbearing grasp. She allowed herself to be turned into some undead being in hopes that the politics of their alliance would keep her safe from your coming to retrieve her. She did not return to Seelie out of fear that you would see her and invoke your oaths to force her to return by her side." Ruaidhri glowered at him. "And I do not know what happened this instance, and apparently things are resolved now, but do not think that the years Eilidh spent with your shadow hanging over her life will be forgotten so easily."

"...I know."

Ruaidhri stopped short, a flicker of surprise alighting across his features only a split-second before his expression shut once more. "What?"

"I know. I have no delusions that I will ever make up for what I did to her, and I have sworn, on pain of death, that I will never interfere with her life again. I understand."

"...You speak as if you are talking about some other thing. What exactly happened?"

"If Eilidh wishes not to speak on it then I will simply be grateful for her mercy and respect her silence on the matter. I," Aodh's lips parted, the single word hanging in the air before he shook his head. "I have overstayed my welcome. I thank you for your time and hospitality."

And without another word, Aodh quietly turned and left through the front door, leaving the other fae to watch his departure with a perplexed look.

[arcxnumvitae]

More Aftermath

“I have decided to take a leave of absence from Seelie for a time.”

Oh? That was a surprise. “I see.”

“My mother will handle the rest of our affairs in my absence. As she has not yet passed on her seat at the Council to me, there should be little disruption.”

He should ask...he should ask, right? “That is good to hear.”

A moment of silence.

“This is a temporary leave, correct?”

“Yes. I feel that some time away will be good for me. Grant me perspective, allow me to set my head straight on some matters, things like that.”

“That is good to hear.” What happened with Monarch Aislan?!

He bowed. “Until the next time, my king.”

“...Until the next time.”

[arcxnumvitae]

Consequences || Part 3

“Eilidh Deòireach.” Eilidh’s galaxy-filled eyes met his. Eyes that he had first seen crinkled with laughter. Eyes that he had seen turned up to the night sky the day that he had fallen in love with her. Eyes that may never regard him with warmth again. “I, Aodh Murdoc, hereby release you from the vows of marriage we made before our kin and before the land of Seelie itself. Do you release me from mine?” Eilidh’s eyes widened at the declaration, and the woman stumbled back half a step, no doubt already feeling the unraveling of their marriage vows.

“Wha...?”

“Do you release me, Eilidh Deòireach, from our vows of marriage?” Aodh prompted again gently. Finally, Eilidh seemed to collect herself, and she nodded.

“I--I, Eilidh Deòireach, also release you, Aodh Murdoc, from the vows of marriage we made before our kin and before Seelie. Aodh, what are you--?”

“Good,” he nodded quietly, feeling the last vestiges of the bond dissipating away, until nothing remained. “Next. I understand that my words alone will not suffice to ease your anxieties, with good reason, and so... I, Aodh Murdoc, swear upon my life that I shall never force your hand again, nor will I ever act in a manner that will force you to act against your will again. I have now left our marriage in the past, and you will no longer have to worry about my interference in your live. I-- truly apologize to you for the pain that I have caused.” 

“Aodh!” The faces of both Eilidh and the king spoke to the seriousness of the vow that he had spoken, one that would claim his life if he were to break it, but it was too late. The words hung heavy in the air, and the telltale weight of an oath made reverberated within them. 

Yes, his life was the collateral offered, but after this, he needed Eilidh to be able to live her life without looking over her shoulder in fear. He had now lost every ounce of trust that she may have once held towards him, and that was simply the price he would have to pay for those actions. 

“It is done. I cannot apologize enough. And...” Taking a deep breath, he looked at the vampire. “I can see why she cares so greatly for you.” A small, sad smile touched his lips. “I offer my apologies to you as well. I have not been an exemplary gentleman regarding your presence and I am glad Eilidh has found someone who cares for her in return.” 

Soft footsteps echoed against the floor as Eilidh approached with something soft in her gaze. Her hand rose and Aodh half expected to receive another blow, but instead her fingers ghosted gently across his cheek. “I understand the enormity of what you have promised today, Aodh,” Eilidh’s eyes seemed to be searching his, and some understanding dawned in them. “And though I may never be able to fully forgive you for what you have done, still, I thank you. I...” the words hung in the air as if she were going to say something else, but instead she shook her head with a melancholy smile. “I wish you well in life, whatever that entails.” 

Pulling her hand back, Eilidh turned to the vampire and approached with a small smile on her lips and a look in her warm gaze that Aodh had never seen before. She took the man’s hand, fingers intertwining with his, and gently pulled him towards the door without another look back towards the still remaining group.

In the silence of their departure, the king cleared his throat and finally spoke as he glanced between the two remaining. Seeming to come to the conclusion that Aislan might not pose an imminent danger to Aodh, he said, “Well, I think I should take my leave as well and offer some manner of explanation to my guards, lest who knows what manner of gossip spreads.” Though it was doubtful they would ever actually reach the truth of the situation, gossip regarding all of these players would no doubt be a headache to the king. He awkwardly paused ever so slightly for but a moment before taking his leave as well.

And as the doors shut behind him, Aodh stood in awkward silence before Aislan, unsure of where to start, where to even begin apologizing.