#also carmilla leading him into the woods… typical fae/ will-o-wisp behaviour jshhshs

[the-travelling-witch]

no clue if i'm doing the valentine's ask game right at all BUT-!!

i'm curious how cass & leona / selene & angelica / carmilla & jade would spend valentine's day 👀 (you can pick which ones to yap about i know it's a lot ghdlkjs)

omg ian, hiiiii!! first of all happy valentine's day, i hope you're having a great day <3 also i think it's less of an ask game and more of a "i'm okay receiving valentine's day asks" kind of thing, but !! ofc i'm more than happy to yap about my ocs (when am i not, is the real question)

i originally wanted to write sth for all of them but i have such a headache (+ i'm still struggling with wrist pain bc i just can't give them a break), so i decided to write a drabble for carmilla and jade bc it came easiest to me and then give my brief thoughts on the other pairings instead

Carmilla & Jade [Surf and Turf]

“I admit I’m not closely accustomed with land dwellers’ Valentine’s Day traditions, but to think that it would encompass kidnapping your beloved into the woods… How very intriguing indeed.”

“Oh shush, you. It’s not much further now,” Carmilla giggled, continuing to lead the way into the woods just shy of NRC’s campus. The sun had already begun to settle in for the night, cosying into her bed behind the horizon and illuminating the students’ trail with the last golden rays. It wouldn’t be much longer, however, until their path would be lighted by the flickering blue flames at Carmilla’s command. “So Valentine’s day isn’t a thing under the sea?”

“Hm, as many of humankind’s customs do, it has started catching on with merfolk. Though mainly with those living closer to the surface,” Jade answered easily, still placidly letting himself be led up one of his favourite hiking trails by their intertwined hands. His mood had been rather cheerful ever since the fox had appeared in his dorm with an enigmatic grin and the promise of a surprise. “It has yet to sink into the waters of the deep sea, if you will. And I reckon our Valentine’s gifts would be rather unique, too. Perhaps I could interest you in a seaweed bouquet?”

“If anyone could make that sound appealing, it would be you, I’m afraid,” the fae laughed, equally bright. With all her Valentine’s shoots wrapped up ahead of time, she’d been eager to spend time with her merman. Though confident in what she had prepared for him, there was still an undergoing current of nervousness within her. “Without wanting to spoil anything, I guess you could say my gift isn’t your typical bouquet of roses either.”

Putting his free hand over his chest, Jade gasped in faux surprise. “And here I was thinking you were leading me up the mountains to grant me with an overpriced armful of cut flowers and a heart shaped box of chocolates.”

“I should have known you’d figure it out. Oh dear, you know me too well, it appears,” Carmilla played along with a heart wrenching sigh. Then, she stopped in an inconspicuous part of the trail. “Ooh we’re here already. You trust me, right?”

“I do, of course,” Jade replied, tilting his head to the side, intrigued by the implications of her question. When Carmilla untied a silky ribbon from her outfit, he understood her intentions immediately. A shiver of electricity zapped down his spine in anticipation as he leant forward slightly, so she could tie it gently around his eyes. My, wasn’t she the most darling girl ever, keeping him on his toes and surprising him at every turn?

In the end, the blindfold didn’t stay on for long in this terrain, only serving to ramp up his anticipation even more at the last moment. After a few careful metres over the forest soil -though he noted that someone seemingly removed all tricky obstacles- the ground beneath his shoes became softer with the texture of grass and moss, leading him to believe they’d arrived at a forest clearing of some sort. With his vision blocked, his other senses had sharpened but instead of taking in nature’s sounds, Jade honed in on the company of the person next to him. He didn’t need to see her to be conscious of Carmilla’s presence surrounding him, flickering in and out like one of her fairy lights but never leaving his side.

Then, the knot in the silk scarf came undone, the ribbon fluttering down to rest over his shoulder. Jade blinked a few times, trying to process what it was he was seeing.

“So, what do you think?” Carmilla supplied, slinking next to him and wrapping an arm around his, gently encouraging him to take a closer look.

They were indeed standing in a small glade, one Jade had never noticed despite his frequent hikes around the area. Looking back over his shoulder, he could say with certainty the path the two of them had taken had not been there before. Or had been very well concealed. Small, floating lights illuminated their surroundings, dipping the pine trees and moss in warm light. What caught his attention most of all though was what was growing inside clearing. Mushrooms of varying shapes, sizes and colours -some even glowing with bioluminescence- were sprouting all around them, decorating the area. It was clear they were not native to Sage Island, for he had never seen them before. Also obvious was that someone had taken great care in growing them.

“Do you like your gift?” Prodding the eel a little, Carmilla carefully studied his reaction. Perhaps the silence would have felt intimidating if she couldn’t spot that particular gleam of fascination in his heterochromatic eyes she loved so much. “I remembered how interested you seemed when I told you about the mushrooms I saw back in Briar Valley. So I contacted an old friend who still lives there to see what I could do.”

Strong arms wrapped around her in response, pulling her fully into his space, coaxing a surprised laugh from her. Reciprocating the action, Carmilla leaned fully into him, savouring the closeness and the safety of happily burrowing into his chest. Even as Jade let go, he didn’t allow her to float past his reach. Instead keeping Carmilla anchored to him by cupping her cheeks in his gloved hands.

“My dearest pearl, you didn’t seriously believe I would dislike this surprise of yours, did you? Surely you know me better than that.” He sealed his warm words a telling kiss, one that Carmilla all too happily tip-toed up into. There was rosiness to both of the students’ cheeks as they parted again, their fingers intertwining instead. “In case I must make myself even more clear, I doubt I have ever received a more thoughtful gift. You’ve set a high bar for me to clear when it’s my turn.”

“Well, I wouldn’t want to make it too easy for you, right? I’d hate for you to grow bored of it,” Carmilla teased, giving his hand a fond squeeze. There was a mischievous gleam in her eyes as she added, “Perhaps, however, you should check the entire gift before you start scheming with revenge.”

“Oh? What else could you possibly have prepared? You really do love going all out, don’t you?” Shaking his head affectionately, dual-coloured eyes tracked the movement of her arm as she reached behind her and pulled a book out of thin air. Handing it to him, Jade recognised the handwriting on the cover as hers immediately. “Is this-“

“A compendium of sorts, written by yours truly,” Carmilla offered, winking at him. “Someone once imparted on me the importance of taking notes when it comes to horticulture.”

“How is it that you make me fall in love with you even more than I already have?” Carefully flipping through the pages, ghosting his fingers over delicate writing and detailed illustrations, it really started to sink in how much planning had gone into this surprise. It spurred his motivation to plan what he would give her in return. Oh, he couldn’t wait to return to his room and get creative.

For now, however, he was content to stay in this small sanctuary a little longer. A blanket was spread over the grass for the two to settle down on, Carmilla happily leaning her head against Jade’s shoulder as he poured over the book and compared it with the mushrooms in front of them. Every now and then, she would point out certain things to him, adding bits and pieces to his fascinated rambling. Mostly though, she was just happy to listen to his voice, basking in the tranquility and peace of his presence and letting his excitement infect her, too.

Even without using her unique magic, Carmilla could feel the love between the two of them, spreading a warmth throughout her like no other. A few years ago, the fae couldn’t have phathomed going out of her way for somebody else like this, let alone spending days and weeks on a mere present. Now she was glad she did.

Cass & Leona [Golden Hour]

“Oi herbivore, do you know what day is today?” 

“Friday.” 

“…It’s Valentine’s Day.” 

“So you guys have commercial holidays too huh?”

In a total reversal of expectations, Leona is probably the one who brings up Valentine’s Day as a topic during lunch break in the botanical gardens. While Cass is also aware of the traditions, it’s not something she particularly cares about and she didn’t think Leona was the type to either. Which she is kinda right about, to be honest.

The only reason Leona entertains the custom in the first place is because, despite himself, he really didn’t want to disappoint any expectations he thought Cass might have. And, secondly, he’s not dumb. He knows Cass is well-known and well-liked by quite a few people and he’s normally not all in people’s faces with their relationship. Meaning, he wants to shut down the possibility of anyone getting any funny ideas about confessing to her.

So, he very unceremoniously gives Cass a present in the form of a piece of jewellery. This could either be a beaded or golden bracelet, a necklace or a charm for her camp necklace or a hair accessory he can braid into her locks. As long as it’s unmistakably his and easy for others to identify as such, he’s content. There’s a high chance it’s actually a piece of his jewellery that he already had on hand and decided to give her on a whim. Definitely not because he cares about some herbivore and enjoys the idea of her always carrying around sth that he gave her. Definitely not. (He cares. So much.)

Cass lets him do as he pleases, both because she is actually a little flustered over the fact that he’s very openly staking a claim over her and because she thinks his attitude about it is funny. Sure, he is very nonchalant about it, which probably would’ve soured the day for others, but Cass is all about someone’s actions and the meaning that’s read between the lines. 

Leona’s lucky she knows he cares for her because if she didn’t, he wouldn’t get away with pulling her down for a nap after that circus. As Cass tells him about his day, he’ll hum and absentmindedly run his fingers over the jewellery, half considering if he should get her to also wear his jacket.

(At least other beastmen should get the hint by now not to try anything funny…)

Selene & Angelica [Shipname tba]

Selene and Angelica’s Valentine's Day is a lot more low-key than others might first suspect. Not because they’re not head over heels for each other. No. It’s because for them, every day is Valentine’s Day (more or less). They give each other gifts and affections throughout the year as the mood and inspiration strikes them. So sure, they’ll hang out but it’s business as usual for these two.