#𓆩✧𓆪 vesper

[fox-buried-in-maple-leaves]

Got this beautiful commission of Vesper and Alee from @msirawski!

Vesper belongs to @cerasus--flores and Alee belongs to me!

My beloved messy sorcerer couple<3

[realcube]

YOU GOT: HAJIME IWAIZUMI

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ matchup for @4unnyr0se

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ if you would like a matchup, read this!

'her love language is gift giving and physical touch'

𓆩♡𓆪 iwaizumi is very much a physical touch + acts of service typa guy

𓆩♡𓆪 but he does appreciate receiving gifts because he doesn't get them often

𓆩♡𓆪 and he finds it impressive and endearing how well you know him / how much you care

𓆩♡𓆪 like if he mentions his favourite hoodie has a whole in it and you get him a new one.. he is just like.. dumbfounded

𓆩♡𓆪 so confused as to why you would do that for him but so silently appreciative at the same time

𓆩♡𓆪 although he does (playfully yet sternly) tell you off for spending money

𓆩♡𓆪 he's not extremely traditional or anything like that but he does think he should be the one spending you

𓆩♡𓆪 (but inside his cold , frozen heart starts to melt whenever you buy him literally anything)

𓆩♡𓆪 (and i mean ANYTHING. it could literally be one of those cheap ass chocolates that you get from the convenience store and he'll secretly cherish it)

𓆩♡𓆪 (metaphorical tears streaming down his face as he eats it)

𓆩♡𓆪 he's just a big ol softy sap in disguise tbh

𓆩♡𓆪 oh and whenever you get him something he NEEDS to outdo you by a tenfold

𓆩♡𓆪 like if you buy him a cheap little chocolate bar, next time you see him he will have got you one of those luxury chocolate selection boxes

𓆩♡𓆪 y'know the kind made for rich ppl birthdays

𓆩♡𓆪 LITERALLY THIS LMAOOO

𓆩♡𓆪 he's too much

𓆩♡𓆪 so yeah his love lanaguage isn't gift giving but he will BECOME gift giver in response to you

𓆩♡𓆪 as for gifts that don't cost anything (like a spiky rock you found that reminded him of you) he will pretend to be non chalant about it like 'thanks' then put it in his hoodie pocket

𓆩♡𓆪 but secretly whenever he is bored at work, he'll take it out of his pocket and jyst start admiring it

𓆩♡𓆪 or when he's on the train home

𓆩♡𓆪 SO cheesy but he can't help it 😓

𓆩♡𓆪 he likes physical touch too, that somewhat comes naturally to him

𓆩♡𓆪 he's not a 'hold your hand as you walk down the street' typa guy

𓆩♡𓆪 but rather a 'wrap his arms around your waist from behind while you are doing your makeup in the mirror/cooking' typa guy

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

'her ideal first date would probably be ordering takeout and watching a movie or two in pajamas'

𓆩♡𓆪 iwaizumi in pyjama bottoms 😫

𓆩♡𓆪 he would so enjoy this though

𓆩♡𓆪 even for an athletic trainer i think he'd enjoy the occasional takeout

𓆩♡𓆪 just him with him arm around your shoulder the whole night

𓆩♡𓆪 THE CUDDLING AFTER YOU FINISH YOUR FOOD HSFGSFU

𓆩♡𓆪 but omg this next hc also relates to the thing you said about 'but don’t piss her off or else she’ll make you wish you were never born'

𓆩♡𓆪 bc imagine if like there was a mix-up with your takeout order ; like either they sent you the wrong thing, or you guys didn't receive your order at all

𓆩♡𓆪 omg y'all would be the most unhinged duo about it 🤭

𓆩♡𓆪 since iwa is known to have a bit of an attitude and temper on him too, y'all perfectly match each other's energy when you call up this poor takeaway trying to start beef

𓆩♡𓆪 well okay they might initially call being very mild and calm to the best of their ability like 'hi, we are just calling to check on our order and what's happened with it bc it hasn't arrived yet?' nothing crazy YET bc vesper and iwa know it might be an innocent mistake or maybe the takeaway is just hella busy

𓆩♡𓆪 who knows!

𓆩♡𓆪 BUT god forbid the person on the phone takes an attitude with y'all or is generally unhelpful

𓆩♡𓆪 the savagery that would commence after that is unreal bc y'all do not play about your food lmao

𓆩♡𓆪 you and iwaizumi will storm down to that takeaway yourselves and throw hands !

𓆩♡𓆪 (couple bonding excersises lol)

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

'she’s a writer, an artist, and she loves to cook'

𓆩♡𓆪 okay iwaizumi does not know the first thing about art or literature so you're gonna have to teach him a lil smth if you want him to understand lol

𓆩♡𓆪 BUT i do hc that he'd be a decent cook

𓆩♡𓆪 so y'all could cook together , all sorts of meals

𓆩♡𓆪 and try new recipes !!

𓆩♡𓆪 some more rage inducing than others haha

𓆩♡𓆪 but i could imagine iwa getting invited to some potluc style event (probably with smth to do with oikawa or his other work clients)

𓆩♡𓆪 where everyone needs to bring their own dish (and ofc you're his plus one duh)

𓆩♡𓆪 and even if it's not a competition, he will MAKE IT ONE

𓆩♡𓆪 he has gordon ramsay type energy in that kitchen the way he is bossing you around

𓆩♡𓆪 'the meat is still RAW and flavourless!!!'

𓆩♡𓆪 but vesper doesn't take any of his shit and screams at him right back lol

𓆩♡𓆪 'don't come for me when your coleslaw tastes like ASS'

𓆩♡𓆪 but overall it's all in good fun and ofc they end up bringing the tastiest dish to the function, what else?

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

for @4unnyr0se: i thought maybeee tsukishima but i think the ideal date fits iwa more. also ik i fluctuate between 2nd n 3rd person 😣 pls excuse that

[soleilphnx]

𓆩☆𓆪 ― 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 ╱ 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝑮𝑨𝑳𝑨𝑿𝒀 .

₊˙ ◌ ⁎˚ 〇﹒guess who was almost late for their shift at vesper lounge again?? that’s right, it was phoenix lee! it’s a wonder their job as a bartender isn’t in jeopardy. the 22 year old has been working at sunset galleria for two months, and is well known for their jovial nature. on bad days, they can be rather sarcastic, though. when the mall is dead at night, they can usually be found setting high scores at xpixel, but don’t tell their boss!

𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝐉𝐄𝐓𝐓.

[fox-buried-in-maple-leaves]

Blood

The man looked at himself in the mirror, lilac eyes reflected back at him. There were stories creatures like him couldn’t appear within the glass, stories he’d long since known were false. He sighed, picking up his brush on the counter. 

He began to run the brush through his long periwinkle hair, looking down at the wavy locks of hair. Ohm gave his hair enough of a brush he could separate the strands in three, setting the brush down on the counter once more. He easily braided his long hair, tying it off with a navy blue ribbon. 

Ohm turned the sink on, running his hands under the water. He then brought his hands up, smoothing his bangs with wet fingers. Lilac eyes flicked to the mirror and he paused, eyes widening at his reflection. 

His bangs coated in red, the water that dripped down his cheek was red. He looked down at his hands, fingers and hands stained in red. The doctor hesitated, quickly plunging his hands underneath the still running water to try and wash the blood off of his hands. 

He choked back a sound as the water just ran over the blood, the clear liquid did nothing to clean his hands. Ohm pulled back, reaching for the towel on the hook, patting his face clean, and then rubbing his bangs clean. His breathing became laboured as he shakily rubbed his hair between the black towel.

Ohm looked at the mirror again, stopping in his tracks. No blood. His hands were clean, his hair was clean, his face, the towel. The doctor wet his lips, looking down at his hands, he looked at his left one, back, front. Clean. He was clean. Ohm exhaled, he shook his head, put the towel back, then he turned off the sink.

Katsumi groaned as he woke up, he stared up at the partially covered sky above him. The sky was orange, and trees reached above him. The kitsune sat up, groaning at the pain in his ribcage. He held his ribs, looking around the mostly empty clearing. It was just him, his weapon, his bag nearby.

He looked down, pulling his hand away from his ribs quickly. His hands, the bandages that fully covered his hands were deeply stained in blood. Blue-green eyes searched his body, looking for any bloodied wounds, anything that said it was his blood on his hands.

But his heart sank when he couldn’t find any. 

“What did I do?”

Katsumi whispered to himself, looking at his hands, they were both stained in blood. It even stained down his arms, splatters covered every visible part of his gloves. His bracers were cleaned, but his gloves weren’t replaced. He swallowed thickly, pushing himself up on his knees, but he could only collapse.

He crawled towards his bag and weapon. He needed to find a stream, needed to find water. He couldn’t remember the night, he couldn’t remember what he’d done. He was afraid. “Masuyo.” He gasped out, shrugging the bag onto his shoulder. But Masuyo didn’t respond.

“Don’t want to explain yourself?”

Silence.

Katsumi sniffled, turning his head to listen for running water. His ears twitched, hearing something in the distance. He had to use a tree to help himself up, leaning against different trees to get himself towards the water. His thoughts ran a thousand miles a minute, what had he done? Who did he kill? It was too much blood, it was too fresh.

He didn’t want to sniff the air, what if he smelled the flesh?

He collapsed beside a stream, submerging his arms into the water. 

Lilliane woke from a nightmare, running her scarred fingers through her hair with a sigh. The smell of burning wood was still in her nose, but she did her best to ignore it as she stood up. Gus stirred in the bed on his side and she paused, waiting for him to settle down before she escaped to the bathroom.

She turned the bathroom light on, closing the door behind her. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, making a small face at herself. Her eyebags were particularly bad, but she ignored those too. They always were. 

The sniper turned the sink on, turning the water slightly above lukewarm. She looked around, grabbing one of Gus’ hairties from the counter. She didn’t know where hers were, his would work. She tied up her long brown hair in a ponytail, tucking her bangs behind her ears.

Lilliane leaned down, splashing water over her face with a deep sigh. She rubbed her face, cleaning it of the sweat and residual tears from her nightmare. It also cleared the smell of burnt wood from her nose. It was exactly what she needed. She flailed to the side, grabbing the hand towel and using it to pat her face dry.

Green eyes met her reflection and she screamed.

Blood covered her face and hands and the white hand towel. She dropped the towel in fear, taking a step away from herself. Lilliane looked down at the sink, the red gushing from the tap. Her back pressed against the wall, arms wrapping around herself as she could only stare. Utterly horrified.

The bathroom door was yanked open and Gus stared at her, concern clear in his eyes.

“B-Blood-”

He relaxed his shoulders, tugging his wife into his arms. Lilliane collapsed against his chest, clinging onto him. “It isn’t there.. It’s okay.”  He promised.

Alee slid the blade against the man’s neck, his body crumpling to the ground as blood sprayed out. Vesper stared at him, xyr eyes wide at the action he’d just taken. The fox sorcerer swallowed thickly, dropping his knife to the ground. 

He looked down at his hands, now covered in blood. Then he looked further down, his body was covered in blood, he was standing in blood. It was a lot more blood than he expected. He looked up at Vesper, fear visible on his face as the man on the ground twitched pathetically.

Vesper stepped forward, kicking the man’s gun away from him. “It’s okay- It’s-” Xe paused when Alee took a step away, gripping the alleyway wall, he couldn’t help but throw up. “Oh, babe.” Vesper quickened their pace, reaching up and pulling his hair back out of his face.

“What have I done? What have I done? What did I do?”

He threw up again and the mercenary grimaced, hushing him quietly. Once his stomach was emptied he wiped his mouth on his sleeve, only to whimper at the blood now on his face. Vesper dropped his hair and went for his knife, picking it up from beside the now dead body.

“Come on, we gotta wash you up.” He nodded to Vesper’s words, staring at his hands as xe led him back into the bar’s back door. “You were just protecting me, it’s okay.” Xe promised, bringing him to the employee bathroom.

Alee was sat on the edge of the toilet, tears in his eyes as he looked at his hands. Vesper wet the cloth from their apron with water, and then bent down to start wiping Alee’s hands clean. To some degree, the mercenary knew he didn’t have this type of blood on his hands. But his reaction surprised them.

It hurt xyr heart to hear his soft sobs.

[fox-buried-in-maple-leaves]

Autober #24 Espionage

Prompt List Here

Vesper belongs to: @cat-buried-in-tall-grass

Taglist: @cerasus--flores

Well its technically my pre-established hitman au but yk close enough.

Vesper loaded the bullets into xyr revolver, it was a practiced motion. Something they had done before hundreds of times.

The number one hitman for the Mixtio Clan. 

Xe was marked by blood, forged by the hunt, and all too enthralled for the next contract. Vesper wasn’t sure who they were without the power of the stars and xyr gun by xyr side. The night smiled upon him, feline tail stilled for extra balance.

They never missed a shot. The gun cocked as their arm extended, steady even as xe took in a breath. Two breaths. They squinted their eye.

Then they fired.

Blood painted the walls and they felt nothing in their chest. 

Vesper lowered xyr arm, watching the aftermath of his shot. They always scrambled, voices yelling out but it didn’t matter how quickly the medical attention arrived. Vesper always shot their targets dead where they stood.

That was the glory of never missing. Of always hitting the mark.

That was the reason xe was coveted for what they really were, a killer.

So when did it become hard to pull the hammer back, to lift their gun and line their eye up with the rear sight?

Vesper squinted, staring down the sights of his gun. 

But their finger hesitated, sitting beside the trigger rather than on it.

Was this target even worthy of death?

And when did xe start thinking about that?

For a hitman, hesitation is how you get killed. 

The blade against their throat was covered in poison, it reeked of a certain man’s special substance. Only one man could have created it, and xe knew immediately who held xem at their mercy.  

“Alee.” They breathed.

“Cat got your tongue, Vesper?”

Xe looked at the target on the phone through the window across the street. 

A young woman, an up and rising politician his father told him to get rid of. She wasn’t aligned with the Mixtio’s goals.

But she’d done nothing wrong.

“I want to do the right thing.” 

Xe admitted, voice soft, full of…

Desperation.

They could feel Alee follow their gaze out the window. Xe’d lose xyr shot soon, xyr fellow hitman knew that. But Alee didn’t release xem, no, he’d been sent for the exact opposite purpose.

Stop the Mixtio hitman.

And for the empathy he couldn’t feel, he did understand Vesper's newfound position. If one is never forced to think of the consequences and is suddenly faced with them. He brought his blade from Vesper’s neck, a thin line of poison sizzled their skin.

Vesper lifted his arm again, getting ready to shoot.

Xe had a mission, a contract. 

“People like us don’t do the right thing.”

But that only made them hesitate more.

People like him, the man meant. People like Vesper never did the right thing. They only ever did the most useful thing, the thing that got them furthest, the thing that had to be done.

“People like us do what must be done.” Vesper recounted, chewing the inside of his cheek, his father’s words like poison on his tongue. The words burnt more than the poison that ate through thin layers of skin.

“But you do the right thing.”

Vesper lowered xyr arm, looking at Alee with mismatched eyes that held a level of grief that the younger man could never admit to relating to.

Alee stood there, glowing blue blade at his side. He offered the hitman a weak smile. 

“I try to.”

“Teach me how to do the right thing..”

[fox-buried-in-maple-leaves]

MerMay Day 4 ; Healer

Prompt by: @mossypidder

Vesper awoke still submerged under the water, mismatched eyes widening as panic rose through their body. They had to calm down, they needed to calm down. But they couldn’t, arms tangled in ropes around them, barbed and sharp. 

Their tail caught up in the ropes was in a similar predicament, but it hurt more, the barbs tearing at xyr scales. Xe pushed the water through xyr gills, trying to focus. Blood, their blood filled the water around them. Xe could feel themself starting to get hoisted up onto what they figured was a treasure ship.

They blinked against the reddening darkness of the night water, a figure moving against the water. Something glinted under the pale light of the moon that breached the surface, and suddenly they along with their net were tumbling. 

Vesper hit the ocean floor with a thud and tried to untangle themself from the barbed net. But every move they made only served to push the painful metal into their skin. There was another glint and they followed the knife as it began to saw away the net keeping them tangled.

Suddenly the actions stopped and they were hit by the water being propelled down as the person went up. Legs? They were definitely legs. Which meant it was somebody who had to surface to breathe. At least their tail was free from the net, but even just slightly moving it sent pain shooting through them.

How careless, getting caught in a net like that. Xe could only curse xemself, wishing xe had been more careful.

The person came back down after a few minutes and once more began to shred the net away. In the water, xe could smell more than just their own blood. They’d hurt themself too on the net. The smell would attract predators, they looked around the dark water. Bubbles escaped them as they were suddenly dragged upwards.

Above the water they could blink the water from their eyes, staring at the person who had saved them. Cuts covered his face, old scars lined his throat, he looked tired but smiled at them nonetheless. 

“Hi- I’m-” he coughed, shaking his head, dark hair- ears. Vesper stared at the ears on his head. He was a landwalker, but not like the human ones. “Blegh, I’m Alee. I can heal you, but it isn’t safe here.” Vesper tried to swish their tail, flinching at the pain. Alee seemed to understand.

Alee unwrapped a rope from around his waist, carefully wrapping it around Vesper’s torso before xe could argue. Xe was admittedly taken by surprise by the man, especially as he fastened the rope so he could do most of the swimming for both of them.

He seemed practised. Like he’d done this before. He must have.

Vesper grabbed onto him when he picked them up, carrying them onto the dark shore. Alee stumbled slightly in the wet sand, carefully setting them down as quickly as he could so as to not hurt them further. 

“Why..?”

The landwalker fell into the sand beside him, breathing hard, he untied the rope from around his waist. “Right thing to do, ain’t it?” Alee pulled a flashlight from within the pouch he wore, cranking the handle a few times so it lit up.

The man squinted as he shone the light over Vesper’s tail, chewing his lip visibly as he inspected the wounds. It was difficult for Vesper to fathom this level of kindness. Especially as Alee set the light on a rock and then pulled a flask from the pouch.

He carefully washed the tail and Vesper’s cut up torso, letting the cold fresh water wash over their skin. “I’ll heal the physical injuries, but the strain will still be there. So you’ll have to take it easy.” Alee explained as he gently touched Vesper’s arm.

It was a warm sensation that flowed through xem, kind of like sunbathing on a nice warm rock. It made xem feel tingly inside. A sensation they never quite experienced. They watched his concentrated face as he traded his energy for their health. 

They could feel the injuries close, a sense of relief flooding through them. Getting wounds like that was always a risky venture. The seas were filled with less than sterile things. Alee removed his hand after a few minutes. 

“I’ll take you back out.”

“Will I see you again?”

Alee tilted his head at the question, torn fox ear twitching in confusion.

“I’m always here.”

Vesper nodded, allowing the man to pick xem up once more.

He then threw them back into the sea carefully, collapsing in the shallow water to watch them swim away.

“Vesper!”

They called back to him.

“Nice to meet you Vesper!”

“And you, Alee.”

taglist: @cerasus--flores

[fox-buried-in-maple-leaves]

Engagement

Trying to figure out what to do for Pride Month is quite the difficult task for Alee Destan.

Vesper belongs to: @cat-buried-in-tall-grass

taglist: @cerasus--flores

“It's our last pride month as boyfriends.”

Vesper looked up from their laptop, eyeing the man standing in front of the living room mirror holding various outfits up to him. Xe supposed that was true, they were getting married in a few weeks. 

“Do you want to do something special?”

Xe questioned and he hummed, frowning slightly at his reflection. “I liked that dark blue bodycon dress.” Xe watched him rifle through the hangers to find the dress in question again, he held it up to his body with a sigh.

“It's so hot I wish I could wear short sleeves..”

“You can.”

But Alee gave xem a look, tossing the dress onto the clothing pile. “The baking school in town is holding a baking class next week for Pride.” He abandoned his outfits, he didn't know what he was gonna wear to Vesper's work gala. He flopped onto the couch, careful of the cat's laptop, he leaned against xem.

“That'd be fun, wanna sign up?”

Alee hummed as the mercenary began to pet his ears, his head falling to xyr chest. He liked the idea of going out with them and celebrating the season. But he did also prefer to be inside. He thought it over audibly, humming and hawing and purring loud as xe scratched behind his torn ear.

“I don’t know.. Maybe we should just throw a party or something.”

“You want to throw a party?”

The fox frowned, ears flattening at Vesper’s genuine surprise. Alee hated people! That was why they didn’t do anything for pride since they got together in 2021. Vesper held onto his ears, making them stand up again with their hands. The fox snorted, his ears going up naturally afterwards.

“It’s our last month as a dating couple!”

“I know.”

“So we should do something special!”

“We’re doing something special next month, we’re getting married.”

“Veeeesperrrrrrr..”

Vesper laughed, moving their laptop onto the ground so they could lay on the couch with him on top of them. “A party would be nice, but our friends are already going to pay to come out of state for the wedding.”

Well, the living friends.

“That’s true..”

Alee dropped his head into the crook of their neck, ear pressed against their pulse point. The feeling and sound against his ear comforted him. “I guess we can go learn how to bake pride cakes..” He melted onto their chest with a small huff. 

“We don’t have to do anything.”

“But-”

“I know~ You said.”

“You really should wear that blue dress though, it makes your chest look great.”

“Vesper!”

Vesper laughed, arms wrapping around his waist securely. “How about this. We have my gala this weekend, next week we’ll go to that class, and then after that I’ll get you fruity drinks at the bar.” Xe offered, nuzzling the top of his head.

“And then we get married on Tuesday!”

Xe nodded, a goofy smile on xyr face, at times like these, xe still couldn’t believe it. Even when they looked down and admired the ring on their ring finger. The one he bought after xe proposed so that they could match. 

And xe supposed he felt the action, pulling his arm out from underneath him so he could hold his hand up to theirs. His smaller hand clasped theirs from behind, fingers interlacing, both of their engagement rings visible.

“You know tomorrow is the day we started sleeping together as totally normal friends.”

“Is it? I forgot..”

“Mhm! Fates, we were blind.”

Not blind, they both just didn’t want to admit their feelings for the other. Both unable to express that level of commitment to another being. Vesper brought their hands up, kissing the back of Alee’s cold hand. 

“I love you.”

He giggled.

“I love you too!”

[fox-buried-in-maple-leaves]

Knight's Reprimand

“The kingdom would falter under such weak rule. I, Knight Sam Taylor, challenge the prince’s guard to a duel for the title of the throne.”

The surprise was immense, the knight standing before them, helmet tucked under his arm, looked entirely too serious about his challenge. Vesper stared at him, green eyes narrowed back at xem. Xe couldn’t exactly turn down the challenge, even if xe knew how this would go for the wayward knight. 

“Very well. This time, tomorrow. The dueling grounds.” 

Vesper and their father watched the knight leave the grand hall, the prince shaking their head at his audacity. Lumio rolled his eyes from his position beside the king, they really had no words for what had transpired. A human challenging the Mixtio head guard? Unthinkable.

Alee stood nearby, red eyes watching the door shut behind the knight. It was only a few moments before the current king also left to attend other duties. “Sir D’Stella.” Alee stepped closer to the thrones, arms crossing over his chest.

“Yes, Advisor Destan?”

The advisor swallowed thickly, he was still watching the door. “I would like to take your place as the prince’s Champion tomorrow.” That earned the attention of both the knight and the prince, he could feel their eyes on him. He wasn’t a knight, wasn’t a guard. He wasn’t trained that way. They all knew that.

“Alee, are you-”

Alee looked back at them, his expression, it silenced the prince. There was something distant about the look in his eyes. He came from a powerful house himself, one often escorted by knights of the kingdom. It was a look that solidified his request.

“You have my sword.” Lumio nodded at him, they’d willingly trade places with him. They’d sparred before, he wasn’t to be underestimated, even if his skill didn’t compare to theirs. “We’ll get you suited up tomorrow. Should we practise tonight?” Alee nodded, uncrossing his arms. He’d be ready.

-

Lumio adjusted the helmet on Alee’s head, making sure it fit perfectly. “You don’t have to do this.” They let go of him, taking a step back as he adjusted his gauntlets. He had to borrow a suit from another guard, but at least it fit his body well enough. Alee held his hand out to Lumio, the head guard pulling their sword from the scabbard, they handed it to him.

“I need to do this.”

They nodded, leading him to the gateway of the dueling arena on the castle grounds. “I’ll be here, standing by.” The knight gave him a nod and he stepped out into the evening sun. Oranges, pinks, and reds painted the sky above him. The man was already in the middle of the grounds, his helmet no longer under his arm, but on his head.  

Alee flipped the sword easily in his hand as he approached. Duels were meant to incapacitate, other kingdoms may even execute the loser of said duel. But the advisor had little regard for the true rules of a duel. That was not why he was here. He had no honour of his own to uphold, and he cared little for honour in regards to House Mixtio.

But he wanted Sam Taylor dead.

Sam held his hand out, and Alee’s hand slid into his to shake it.

“Seems I won’t be facing the reputable Sir D’Stella.” 

“No, you will be facing me.”

In the small section of his visor, Alee could see his green eyes widen. But the advisor held little care for that too. He pulled his hand back, taking a few steps away from the knight. A man stood by, to watch the duel, to yell the commands. A man that Alee would soon be ignoring.

“You know the rules, knights. May the best one win.”

He adjusted his grip on Lumio’s sword. Sam flourished his weapon, a one handed arming sword. He just had to remember what he learned from watching the guard, the movements he’d practised when he was younger. They circled one another, watching each other’s moves with sharp eyes. 

Protecting the prince was one thing, making sure Lumio didn’t have to deal with him was another thing. But his reasons were so selfish, the blood boiled in his veins. He hated the man across from him with every fibre of his being.

Perhaps to the man’s surprise, Alee struck first. Fast and small, he was easily able to duck under strikes without need for parry. For a time, they seemed equally matched. Sam was a trained knight, but Alee was more determined. Their blades struck one another, Sam attempting to use his height and strength to crumble Alee to his knees.

To no avail, the man once more ducked under the blade, he maneuvered around it easily. Sam then attempted to slash at him, the sword’s blade coming in contact with the space of his shoulder plate. Alee could only grit his teeth as the blade cut through the clothing underneath, his arm stung.

Sam grabbed him from behind, doing his best to grapple the advisor’s much smaller frame. Alee was quick and strong, but not as strong as him, they both knew that. But what Sam didn’t know, was that Alee wasn’t here to incapacitate. He was here to kill. He flipped his sword in his hand, stabbing backwards with pure anger and adrenaline fueling his movements.

The knight stumbled off of him, hand coming to the area that connected his torso plates. The advisor turned quickly, using the guard’s blade to strike Sam’s wrist, causing him to lose his own blade. Each strike that came afterwards were ones filled with aggression, his heart raced in his ears, and he would be damned if he lost.

His arms were grabbed from behind, but he threw his head back, coming in contact with the guard that tried to stop him. The man cried out, grabbing his now bleeding nose. But he released Alee, who took two steps to sweep Sam’s legs out from under him. No weapon, no heart, no honour. 

The advisor stabbed downwards, imbedding Lumio’s blade into the man’s neck. A mercy kill. One that he did not deserve. His blood coated the armour he wore, his chest heaved underneath the plate. He ripped the sword from Sam’s skin, spewing more blood that he barely reacted to. He couldn’t even feel the various injuries to his arms. 

“You’ve lost this time.” He whispered to what little soul may have remained in the man on the ground beneath him.

It wasn’t long before both liege and knight came to him. 

“Take him away, Sir D’Stella.” 

“You can throw his corpse to the dogs.” Alee muttered as he watched Lumio hoist the dead knight’s body onto their shoulder. His tone was grim, rage still interlaced every word of his. “I apologise, Sir Reys, I didn’t mean to hit you so hard.” Alee apologised to the knight nearby, whose nose still bled. With a slight wave of his hand, the knight’s nose was repaired. 

“Come, Advisor Destan.”

“Yes, your highness.”

Alee followed Vesper back through to the knights’ quarters, barren beyond them. Each knight was already stationed at their respective duties. Vesper looked around them before he faced Alee, pulling the helmet off of him. His hair fell around his shoulders, sweaty from the heat of the battle.

Vesper held his face, looked into his eyes. They were still so full of anger, it was an emotion xe didn’t often see. Not on him at least. He was always calm, even in the face of grave danger. Vesper had experienced that, seen it. This was out of the ordinary to xem.

“Are you alright, my love?”

Alee brought his hands up, resting them on Vesper’s wrists. He inhaled and then exhaled, shaking his head slightly. “Y-Yes, I’m fine. He didn’t get me too badly.” He averted his eyes from Vesper’s mismatched ones. He then swallowed thickly, he felt like he was going to throw up.

“Not just physically, my dearest.. Look at me.” 

The advisor blinked up at xem, still trying to catch his breath. His chest hurt, squeezed and tightened.

"There was rage in your strikes... Anger in your eyes..." Vesper’s voice was quiet as xe spoke, resting their forehead against Alee’s. The man’s expression softened as he looked into Vesper’s eyes. “Is your heart alright, my lover?"

Alee leaned forwards some, his nose rubbing against Vesper’s as he nuzzled xyr face. "Ah.. He.. I'll be okay. Now that he is no risk to you, my prince." There was more, of course there was more. But he couldn’t bear the thought of how one may look at him if he told that story to anybody. Even a lover.

"It didn't look like it was just about the threat to my safety..." Vesper’s lips gently brushed against his, a small soft peck. “Is it something else then?” It had to be. “Something you can’t tell me?” It was the only thing xe could think of.

Alee could only avert his gaze.

“Yes, it is. I’m sorry.”

Vesper smiled softly, their expression softening considerably. “It’s alright.” Xe promised, stroking his cheek with their thumb. “All in due time, sweetheart.” Vesper trusted him, trusted he might one day tell xem. And he hated that he was so afraid to.

“I love you.” Alee squeezed the hand on his cheek ever so lightly. “And I’d do anything to protect you.” That much was true, as their advisor, as their lover. His duty was their protection, now and always.

“I love you too, my dutiful guardian angel.”

Alee exhaled a chuckle, but it was dry and somewhat bitter. "You give me too much credit. You or Lumio would have dispatched of him much faster.."

“And? You stepped forward to protect us.” Their kiss was gentle, but more there than the last one.

“Always. I always will. I promise you that.”

“I love you.” 

“And I you.” Alee pulled away to look down at the armour and clothing he was wearing. “I should… Go change.. I’m not sure whose clothing Lumio even gave me..” Vesper snorted at that, releasing his face and shaking their head at him.

“Yes, yes. We’ll get you sorted, my handsome knight~”

taglist: @cerasus--flores

[fox-buried-in-maple-leaves]

SPICED MAPLE WEDDING SOON

[fox-buried-in-maple-leaves]

laser for spiced maple?

Ask Game!

laser. our muses go to a laser tag event and test out their stealth and aim as they try to hunt one another down to tag them.

Vesper always won at laser tag.

Whenever they suggested the game, it was an easy loss. But that was part of what they wanted for their bachelor event, Alee gave into xyr request.

But not without planning.

Of course whoever ended up on Vesper's team was going to win, Alee knew that, he didn't really care. He'd make it work with just Cirino if he had to. And to his credit, he did go along with it.

Cirino's chest rig went dark after Vesper shot him with the laser gun, the Italian sighing in momentary defeat at the buzzer sound. "Boo." Alee muttered, the foam knife coming into contact with the back of Vesper's own rig, also snuffing the light on the rig and sounding the buzzer.

"Sneaky." The cat muttered, standing up from xyr hiding spot on one of the many walls. From below, Cirino gave xem a grin and a thumbs up. Alee merely laughed, jumping down from the wall and disappearing into the dimly lit arena.

Now, Vesper was still going to win. Of course he was. Between xem and Lumio?

Vesper exhaled when xe was pulled into a dark crevice, none of the arena lights shone in the area. Warm lips pressed against xyrs, xe let out a confused exhale, before it dawned on xem who it was. Their grip on the laser gun loosened as xe kissed back.

Alee smiled into the kiss, one hand on Vesper's chest as he kissed xem eagerly. Vesper dropped their gun to place their hands on his waist, pulling him in closer. The buzzer went off in the distance, but xe paid it no mind, paying attention to xyr fiance's lips instead.

The light beneath them both got significantly duller, another buzzing sound.

Vesper's eyes snapped open, Alee's foam knife against xyr rig. "Shouldn't fall for the enemy, love." Alee smirked at xem, watching the flurry of emotions cross xyr face. Xe was not pleased. But he didn't care. Vesper was going to win anyways.

He tapped their rig again and took a step to the side, disappearing back into one of the main hallways of the arena. "I'm going to get you for that." Vesper promised, voice low as xe followed him. But Alee just winked at xem, heading off to go find some other poor prey.

Vesper did win anyways.

[fox-buried-in-maple-leaves]

6 from the kisses post w spiced maple :D?

Ask Game

6 - Character A giggling when Character B trails kisses down to their neck because they’re sensitive/ticklish there, which causes Character B to laugh along with them

Alee was always ticklish around his neck. Something the choker he wore aided with for the most part. But in his vulnerability to reveal the scars on his neck to his lover, he also revealed a rather sensitive part of his skin too. It was something Vesper took advantage of.

Xe always enjoyed the way the man giggled, a loud snort escaping him as their lips brushed against his throat. He always flailed beneath xem, pinned down under xyr weight as xe kissed his neck with feather light kisses, the ghosting of xyr lips against him.

"Vesper!" Alee whined, a loud laugh escaped the sorcerer as he tried to wiggle out from beneath xem. "Stoppp-"

Vesper chuckled against his skin, lips pressing over the layered scarring on his throat. "You're too much!" He complained between laughs.

Vesper pushed themself up some, black and blue hair a mess as xe looked down at him with an amused expression of their own. His slit pupils were round and blown, cheeks red from breathless laughter. He was free, he looked free and happy. It made xyr heart swell with pride.

"I love your laugh."

"I sound like a pig."

Vesper shook their head, kissing his nose. "You sound like you're happy." Their words were perhaps softer than they intended, sweeter than they even realised they were capable of.

He was still teaching them things about themself. Teaching xem what xe could be, what xe could feel. Alee wasn't the only one that was safe and free, no longer haunted by the image of a man he feared. Vesper was safer too. Something that the fox sorcerer ensured every day.

Alee reached up, his knuckles brushing against their warm skin. His expression softened, his pupils returning to their usual slit like appearance.

"I am happy." He clarified. "You make me happy." He promised.

"You make me happy too." Vesper smiled softly, turning their head inwards to kiss the inside of his wrist. He more than made them happy, he gave them the purpose they so sorely lacked. He made them feel like they could be more than the destiny they tried to deny.

"That's all I want, Vesu." Alee giggled, nuzzling their cheek with his. Vesper dropped his hand so they could nuzzle him back. Xe purred softly as Alee's soft fox ear brushed against their skin. The natural cat instinct xe couldn't always help. It was embarrassing, but he made it feel…

Normal.

He made xem feel normal.

Not a weapon, or the byproduct somebody else wanted.

But a normal person, with normal needs and interests. With normal love. Xe owed that to him.

Vesper exhaled, suddenly dragged from their thoughts by his sharp fingers digging into their sides.

"Ow! You have little daggers for fingers-"

Alee laughed maniacally, very pleased when they began to unravel too.

Alee couldn't help his own giggles as xe tried to wiggle away from him. It was their turn to face the music, but not like this. This was somehow cruel and unusual punishment. Alee managed to flip their positions, easily overpowering them with his raw strength alone.

"Noo!"

"Too late!" Alee pinned them down, knee on either side of them as he tickled their sides. Vesper laughed, voice high pitched and breathless as xe tried desperately to get out from underneath xyr hyper boyfriend.

"This is revenge, cat!" He teased the cat sorcerer, a gleeful smile on his face as he watched xem laugh beneath him. The sound was like music to his ears, his torn fox ear twitched happily.

"Menace!" Vesper breathed between loud laughs.

"Maybe so, but you love me!" Alee giggled at their laughter, it was infectious.

"UNFORTUNATELY!" Xe announced, pouting up at him with red cheeks. Alee relented, leaning down and pressing a chaste kiss to their lips instead.

He loved them too.

[fox-buried-in-maple-leaves]

Me, sees post about soulmates:

(Sits up)

And the Ambros Twins are soulmates doomed and that familial connection could have made them so strong.

And also soulmates don't even exist in ad vitam and Alee would be damned if his energy wasn't connected to Vesper's energy in some cosmic fate assigned way. They ARE soulmates

Now don't get me started on Dec and Galin anyways

[fox-buried-in-maple-leaves]

[fox-buried-in-maple-leaves]

Wide Awake

If you spam replay the alan wake 2 soundtrack you will be cursed with thoughts of Alee Destan and Sienna :thumbs_up:

“I miss her every day and it feels like I am dying. You don't understand. You don't understand no matter what happens no matter how much.” He paused, his voice shook but he wasn't sure if it was the fear or the anger.

“No matter how much help,” He did air quotes as he said help out loud, as if to drive home a point. “I get. I lost what I can never get back.” His head hurt, he could feel the migraine impending, one he couldn't prevent.

“Alee..”

Alee gestured to the fireplace mantle, the photos there. Of his family, of their family. “This doesn't fix the hole! It doesn't repair anything. Nothing changes!” As his voice rose in volume, his anger and pain manifested. The physical magic he had little control of manifested too.

The photos shattered, the loud sound and flying glass caused Vesper to step away quickly whilst flinching. Their eyes were wide as the frames, glass and wood, and photographs fell to the wooden floor. Alee blinked, looking down at his hand as he lowered it.

He swallowed thickly, his eyes burned with tears unshed. His throat hurt as he swallowed the lump. Vesper lifted their head from the destruction, looking at their husband. The expression on his face broke their heart.

The horrified expression, the dull eyes, the way his jaw tightened and his lip quivered. A soft fluttering sound came from behind him but he didn't turn around and Vesper didn't look at them. “Are you okay? What happened?” Heath looked between the two of them, attempting to assess any injuries in relation to the shattering they heard upstairs.

“We're fine.”

Vesper responded as Alee looked at the floor, his tail rigid, his ears flat. The reaper took pause, looking between the sorcerers. “Am I interrupting anything?” They inquired, they couldn't quite read either of them.

“No.”

Alee breathed out, his voice steady and monotone, quiet. Usual. Vesper could feel his betrayal to himself in that one word, that one tone. Xyr eyebrows furrowed as they looked at his face. Watched the way the neutrality spread over his expression again.

“Alee, you can't keep bottling this up.”

“I have to go out. I'll get new frames on my way back.”

Alee walked away to Vesper calling his name but he ignored xem, the front door slamming shut behind him. Xe thought he had begun to manage his grief, he spoke to Lumio, the therapist. Told the kids about their aunt. Xe didn't understand where this was all coming from, why his grief was suddenly so overwhelming again.

But xe knew where he was going. Xe just wasn't sure when he'd want to come home again.

“Should I go after him?”

Vesper shook xyr head as xe walked over to the fireplace, bending down to pick up the photographs. “I'm not sure that's the best idea right now.” They'd text Lumio later. Maybe he could help him. Heath nodded, opting to crouch down and help Vesper pick up the broken glass.

[fox-buried-in-maple-leaves]

Inktober Day 2 - Spiders

Vesper opened the oven with one hand, sliding the tray inside of it with their free one. As they stood straight, they used their knee then hip to close the oven door. Mismatched eyes looked at the clock on the oven, rubbing their face, they gave it a quick thought. Probably an hour, they reached over, pressing the timer button.

The sorcerer moved back to the counter, picking up their knife once more to continue chopping the onions for the sauce. Vesper strained their ears to try and hear the other man in the house, last they checked he was upstairs in his potion room. The floorboards above them creaked and they turned their attention back to their knife work.

They picked up the cutting board, using their knife to push the chopped onions into the awaiting pot on the stove. They set the cutting board back down alongside the knife and went to wash their hands. They heard music begin to play upstairs, closer to directly above them, and figured the other man was going for a shower.

They dried their hands off on the towel swung over the handle of the oven door. Vesper looked around, spotting the wine they left on the island. They opened one of the drawers to grab their corkscrew, pulling it out wordlessly. They popped the cork on the wine bottle, tipping it into the pot to cover the onions and garlic they’d already crushed and thrown in there.

A sudden scream startled them, the sorcerer dropping the at least empty bottle on the tile floor. The bottle rolled away as they dropped the corkscrew and cork. “Alee?!” Vesper recognised his voice easily, making a beeline for the stairs. Another shrill scream and they bolted up the stairs, turning the corner quickly towards the bathroom where his scream came from.

They let out a small ‘oof’ as the man exited the bathroom hastily, smacking right into them. They struggled as he threw himself at them, jumping up and clinging to their torso. “What’s wrong? What is it?” They held him as his arms scrambled to wrap around them, his large tail wrapping around their leg.

Alee said something, in French, maybe? Vesper couldn’t quite understand as the man all but wailed loudly. He was wet from the shower, but from what they could tell, he wasn’t in any way hurt. Alee pointed towards the open bathroom door, red eyes wide and panicked, his glasses also nowhere to be seen.

“The shower!!” 

He let out a sob as he clung to them with all of his might, which, was more than they could usually handle, their grip on him slightly slipping thanks to the water as well. Vesper looked down at the man, raising an eyebrow slightly. “Evil creature!” Ah. Vesper nodded, setting him down on the ground beside the bathroom door.

“Spider?”

Alee aggressively nodded, pouting up at them. “Fates, you worried me.. I- ahem, I mean. Yes, my dear, I’ll protect you~” Vesper hid their smirk as they entered the bathroom, quickly locating the offending eight legged creature on the shower curtain clinging on for dear life. They grabbed it carefully, bringing it to the open bathroom window. They then tossed it outside.

Vesper checked the rest of the shower and bathroom, making sure there were no more spiders to frighten their lover. “Is it gone?” Alee poked his head into the doorway and they looked over his shoulder at them. “Are there any more? You checked right?” He tentatively stepped into the bathroom, pout still present.

“I checked, the bastard got in through the window. You’re safe.”

The fox sorcerer nodded, quickly moving to cling to Vesper once more. “I don’t care if they eat mosquitoes, they’re evil, you hear me?” Alee pressed his face against their now damp shirt. “Why the shower… Why my shoulder?” He shuddered and Vesper bit the inside of their cheek so as not to laugh. 

“There there, my love.. It’s okay, they’re gone now. Go clean up, dinner will be ready in a bit.”

“Hmf.. Okay.”

Vesper chuckled, kissing the top of his head between his ears.

[fox-buried-in-maple-leaves]

thinking about vesper and alee's relationship rn

-

-