#built in bookshelves around fireplace

[rolandsbeanies]

Library Enclosed in Philadelphia

Family room library idea: large traditional enclosed room with medium-tone wood flooring and brown walls, a traditional fireplace, no television, and a stone fireplace.

[hibernas]

Library Enclosed Family room library - mid-sized mid-century modern enclosed light wood floor and brown floor family room library idea with beige walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

[killthemwithyourawesome]

Enclosed - Family Room

Photo of a medium-sized, elegantly enclosed family room with a stone fireplace, beige walls, and a dark wood floor and brown floor.

[scofieldshumway]

Enclosed Family Room

Example of a mid-sized classic enclosed dark wood floor and brown floor family room design with beige walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

[konigsblog]

What do you think about könig's house?

I mean, what do you think could be his house style?

i think könig would live in a two story, large cabin type house!!

könig grew up poorer than everyone else he knew, so he was always determined to become richer than everyone he once knew out of pure spite, and to pay his mother a large chunk of money for all the things she did for him growing up. he's grateful for his loving mother, and makes sure she'll never, ever have to worry again about deciding to pay the bills, or being able to afford food shopping.

könig's house has many, many built-in bookshelves around his fireplace, with books and picture frames of his loved ones and his adorable, ginger cat - spice. könig has a large, comfortable couch and an ottoman around, a lot of decorations, such as vases and precious ornaments that he values a lot.

perhaps, a rustic interior design? i'm not sure what type of interior design, but with lots of built-in bookshelves and darker colours.

[burntsecrets]

Sweet Chaos

Pairing: Sam Winchester x Reader Word Count: 1784 Summary: While staying in a cozy inn during a case, Sam surprises you with a gingerbread house kit he picked up at the local store. Warnings: Fluff, playful banter, NSFW, explicit sexual content, consensual intimacy A/N: This is for @moosekateer13 I'm your secret Santa for @spnfanficpond's Secret Santa 2024. I'm using the prompt for the @fluff-cember challenge, day 6: gingerbread house. I hope you like it!

The sound of the wind whistling outside the inn’s window pairs perfectly with the crackling of the small fireplace across the room. The case has been quiet so far—too quiet—but for tonight, you’ve managed to carve out a rare moment of peace. You’re curled up on the couch, flipping idly through an old book you picked up at the local thrift store when the sound of Sam clearing his throat pulls your attention. He stands in the doorway, his tall frame slightly hunched to accommodate the low ceiling. In his hands, he holds a brightly colored box, his dimples deepening as he grins at you.

“What’s that?” you ask, sitting up and tucking the blanket around your legs. Sam steps closer, holding up the box—a gingerbread house kit. It’s kitschy, with cartoon snowmen and candy canes decorating the front, but something about the gesture warms your chest. “Seriously? You bought that?”

Sam chuckles, setting the box on the coffee table in front of you. “I figured we could use a break. And hey, it’s festive.” You can’t help the smile that spreads across your face. “Alright, Winchester. Let’s do this.”

The table is soon transformed into a sugary battleground. The kit includes walls, a roof, frosting in a plastic bag, and an assortment of candies that look slightly questionable but smell undeniably sweet. Sam carefully arranges everything with the precision of someone who has built a thousand IKEA bookshelves while you eye the frosting like a hawk–already scheming. “Okay, we start with the base,” Sam says, his brow furrowed in concentration as he pipes a line of frosting along the edge of the cookie walls. His big hands are surprisingly steady, and you can’t help but admire his focus.

“That’s cute,” you tease, picking up your own piping bag. “But my side is going to blow yours out of the water.”

“Oh, we’re making this a competition now?” Sam raises an eyebrow, his grin growing. “I thought this was supposed to be a team effort.”

“Teamwork is overrated,” you reply, nudging his elbow just enough to make his line of frosting wobble.

“Hey!” he protests, laughing. “You’re going to regret that.”

It starts innocently enough. You’re both diligently working on your respective sides of the gingerbread house, each stealing glances at the other’s progress. Sam’s side is neat, with perfectly aligned gumdrops and a roof that could be in a magazine. Yours… well, it has personality. “Why do you have all the gumdrops?” you ask, narrowing your eyes as Sam sneaks yet another piece of candy onto his side.

“Because I got here first,” he says, popping one into his mouth for good measure.

“That’s cheating,” you declare, grabbing the frosting bag and aiming it at him. Without thinking, you swipe a dollop of frosting across the bridge of his nose. The look of pure shock on his face makes you burst out laughing.

“Oh, you’re gonna pay for that,” Sam warns, his voice low and teasing. Before you can react, he dips his finger into the frosting and smears it across your cheek. You gasp, feigning outrage as you grab a handful of flour from the nearby bowl and toss it at him. It’s chaos after that—frosting, flour, and candy flying in every direction. Sam’s laugh is loud and carefree, the kind of sound you don’t hear often enough from him, and it fills the small room like sunlight.

By the time the battle subsides, the table is a disaster. Flour dusts the air, and bits of candy stick to your fingers. The gingerbread house stands in the center, a wobbly, candy-laden masterpiece that looks like it barely survived a storm. You’re both out of breath, sitting side by side on the couch and surveying the mess. “Well,” you say, brushing a streak of frosting from your arm. “It’s not winning any awards, but it’s ours.”

Sam leans forward, inspecting the lopsided roof with a critical eye. “It’s got character,” he agrees, his voice soft. You glance at him, your heart skipping a beat, when you notice the frosting still smeared on his nose. Without thinking, you reach out and wipe it away with your thumb. His green eyes meet yours, and for a moment, the room feels impossibly quiet.

“Thanks,” he murmurs, his voice barely above a whisper. Before you can respond, he leans in, closing the space between you. His lips are warm and soft against yours, the kiss slow and sweet, like the moment itself. When he pulls back, his hand lingers on your cheek, his thumb brushing away a stray bit of flour.

The air between you shifts, charged with something deeper, something you’ve both been skirting around for weeks. His eyes darken, flicking down to your lips before meeting your gaze again. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that,” he admits, his voice husky.

Your breath hitches, and before you can think, you’re tugging him closer, kissing him with a fervor that surprises even you. His hands find your waist, pulling you onto his lap as the kiss deepens, his tongue brushing against yours in a way that sends a shiver down your spine. Your fingers tangle in his hair, and he groans softly against your mouth, the sound making your pulse race.

Sam’s hands slide under your sweater, his touch warm against your skin as he trails his fingers up your back. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmurs, his lips moving to your neck, kissing and nibbling along your jawline until you’re squirming in his lap.

You tug at his flannel shirt, pushing it off his shoulders to reveal the toned muscles underneath. He’s breathtaking, all broad shoulders and lean strength, and the way he’s looking at you makes your knees weak. “Sam,” you whisper, your voice barely audible as he shifts, laying you down on the couch and settling between your thighs.

He pauses, his hand cupping your cheek as he searches your eyes. “Are you sure?” he asks, his voice gentle despite the tension in his body.

“Yes,” you breathe, pulling him down for another kiss.

Sam’s lips trail fire down your neck as his hands caress your sides, the warmth of his touch chasing away every thought but him. He shifts his weight, pressing his body against yours, and the heat of him sears through your clothes. Your hands slide over the planes of his shoulders, gripping him as his mouth moves lower, leaving a trail of open-mouthed kisses along your collarbone.

The soft glow of the fire bathes the room in flickering light, casting shadows across Sam’s face as he pulls back to look at you. His hair falls slightly into his eyes, his lips swollen, and his chest heaving. “You’re incredible,” he murmurs, his voice thick with desire. “I don’t think I can take my time with you.”

Your fingers skim over his jaw, your thumb tracing the edge of his lips. “Who says I want you to?” you tease, your voice breathy. The words light a spark in him, and he leans down, claiming your lips with renewed intensity.

In one fluid motion, he sits back, lifting you into his arms as though you weigh nothing. You let out a soft laugh of surprise, wrapping your legs around his waist as he carries you to the bed. He lays you down gently, his eyes never leaving yours as he settles over you. The tension between you hums like a live wire, the weight of his body grounding you in the moment.

His hands are sure as they slide beneath your sweater, pushing it up and over your head. You shiver as the cool air brushes your skin, but Sam’s touch is quick to warm you. He leans down, his lips brushing across your shoulder, then lower, kissing along the curve of your breast. Your back arches as his hands explore, every touch sending sparks skittering down your spine.

You tug at his shirt, desperate to feel his skin against yours. He obliges, pulling it over his head and tossing it aside. Your hands roam over his chest, marveling at the heat and strength of him, the way his muscles flex beneath your touch. Sam groans softly as your fingers trace the lines of his abdomen, his hips pressing against yours in response.

“God, you drive me crazy,” he murmurs, his lips finding yours again. His kiss is fierce, all-consuming, and you lose yourself in the sensation of him. His hands trail down your sides, hooking into the waistband of your pants and tugging them down. You help him, shimmying out of them as he follows with his own, leaving you both bare and vulnerable in the firelight.

Sam pauses, his gaze raking over you as though committing every detail to memory. “You’re perfect,” he whispers, his voice reverent. His words make your heart flutter, but there’s no time to dwell on them as he leans down, his lips brushing over your ear. “Let me show you.”

What follows is a blur of sensation—his lips and hands exploring every inch of you, the way he whispers your name like a prayer, the way his body moves with yours in perfect rhythm. The fire crackles in the hearth, the snow falls softly outside, and the world narrows to the heat between you, the way he makes you feel like you’re the only thing that matters.

Time seems to stand still as you reach the peak together, his name spilling from your lips as he groans yours into your neck. He holds you close, his body trembling slightly as the moment washes over you both. The room is silent except for the sound of your breathing, the fire casting a warm glow over the two of you.

Sam rolls onto his side, pulling you into his arms. His hand brushes your hair back from your face, his lips pressing a soft kiss to your forehead. “I think we make a damn good team,” he murmurs, his voice low and content.

You smile, resting your head against his chest. “Only when you don’t steal all the gumdrops,” you reply, your tone teasing but affectionate.

He chuckles, his laugh rumbling against your cheek. “Fair enough. Next time, I’ll share.” His arms tighten around you, and you let yourself relax into his embrace, the warmth of him and the fire lulling you into a blissful haze.

The snow continues to fall outside, blanketing the world in quiet, but inside the inn, the earlier chaos has given way to something softer, deeper, and undeniably real. For now, the case and the danger can wait. Tonight, it’s just you and Sam, and that’s more than enough.

[thesunloveschips]

Eye of the Storm - Chapter 8: Conflict

Summary: In the wake of Rhysand’s ascension as High Lord, the Bone Carver gifts a prophecy. More than five hundred years later, Azriel continues to wait for the one who is finally reborn as his High Lady’s sister. All it takes a dip in the Cauldron for things to start falling into place.

Chapter Summary: Powers. The fight between the newborn fae. Elain's first prophecy.

Click here to access the Masterlist of the Eye of the Storm

****

Nyra looked around. The room she had been given had crimson walls and her bed was a very large one—large enough that all four of the sisters could sleep and they’d still have space. Wooden nightstands stood on either sides of the bed and the large ceiling to floor window towards the left. The entrance to the room was at the farthest left hand corner of the wall to her right.

Empty bookshelves stood tall and proud on the wall facing her, flanking a fireplace with two armchairs for a casual evening. There was also a table with bare minimum stationary and a chair. She did not recognise the decorations hanging on the walls. Two of them on each wall.

Nyra removed herself from the bed and found a door leading to a very luxurious and spacious bathing chamber. She also discovered that the wall to her right was not actually a wall but had a sliding door. She opened the sliding door and found neatly folded clothes and gowns. She headed to the windows which had a handle opening to an unnecessarily spacious balcony with a few plants.

She walked towards the edge and found that the building she was currently in was at a great height. And down on the earth below, a city sprawled with structures of different colours with streets snaking between them. There were open spaces and she could actually see the fountains, street lights, shops and people as clear as though she was right there. She could even read the names of the shops and the contents of their display boards. Far beyond, she saw the sea.

“Lady Nyra.” At the sound of her name, she flinched and took a step back. Nyra looked back and saw Nuala.

“What is it?” Nyra asked, not knowing what to do now. Should she be afraid? Should she ask this lady something? But what should she ask? She didn’t even know the first thing about this place to be having doubts. But this lady had just told her that she was in Velaris and Feyre ruled the Night Court with Rhysand. Feyre was High Lady.

“Is that Velaris?” Nyra asked quickly. The fae smiled and joined her near the railing.

“It is, indeed.”

“Will you tell me something about it?”

“A city of dreamers built ages ago—for dreamers, built by a dreamer. There are different parts of the city where the arts are promoted but the most prominent is the Rainbow. The High Lady would probably give you a tour if you asked.”

Nyra remained quiet and then she looked at the fae. “You’re not Nuala, are you?”

The fae’s eyes widened just a bit before she composed herself. “My name is Cerridwen. Nuala is my twin. She stepped back for some work.”

“And what about my twin?” Cerridwen tilted her head in confusion. “Nesta Archeron, my twin. And Elain Archeron, my younger sister.”

“Your twin and the High Lady are waiting for you outside. Lady Elain is in her room right now.”

“Thank you.” Nyra turned and headed inside. As she marched towards the door, it opened from the outside to reveal Feyre. The youngest dashed towards her sister and hugged her but Nyra couldn’t find it in her to reciprocate. She felt her sister tremble and eventually start crying but Nyra felt far too empty to care for Feyre.

“Where are the others?” Nyra asked plainly. Feyre released her from the hug partially, horrified at the similarity between Nyra and Elain. Nyra repeated her question again and Nesta emerged at the door. Something sparked in her eyes as she saw her twin. “You…”

Nyra removed herself from Feyre’s arms and headed towards Nesta. She took her face in her hands and inspected her. The pointed ears, the sharper face. Nesta had become devastatingly beautiful. It reminded Nyra of the days when Nesta dolled herself up for parties just so she could enjoy the music and dancing. Once upon a time, Nesta was steel and now, she had been forged into a blade. And Nyra released her face.

“You’re fae.” Nyra's voice held her disbelief. She released Nesta's face, not understanding why her twin felt so unfamiliar. She did not know this person. With Nesta's appearance and amplified beauty, Nyra felt like she had lost her twin.

“So are you.” Nyra froze at that. Nesta panicked, not understanding what was happening. For the first time, Nyra seemed to be losing something personal.

“Why?” Nyra whispered. She had already started feeling like Nesta was another person. Like she had lost her twin to some strange world. And now, she was also there in that strange world. Nyra felt something come alive within her. Something that had never been there before but it felt like it had always belonged within her. And like a beast waking up after almost an eternity, it rumbled within her. The tears welled up in her eyes. Why are we in yet another place where we don’t belong?

Nesta gathered her in her arms and held her tightly. Nyra cried and the twins descended to the ground. They remained unbothered by the spectators, most of whom had retreated silently.

Nyra felt so exhausted. Everything was a mess. She had never belonged in the life she was born into. Never understood why she was born in a world where woman was limited to matrimony and breeding and child rearing.

And she did not even understand the world she was now forced into. She did not even want to understand but she would have to. To learn the way of life here. But she did not want that. She felt too tired for all of it. She did not even agree to this.

And the bloody Cauldron. It took something from her and gave her something else. It violated her. The woman in there gave her too much of everything she never wanted. She felt like she’d been in there for ages and maybe that was true. Nyra looked at her hand and summoned a bit of power. Lightning thrummed at her fingertips, exactly as much as she had summoned. She had been taught how to control the power by that strange woman in some strange way.

Nesta saw the lightning on Nyra’s fingers. “You have power?”

Nyra looked up at Nesta and then at her hand. She summoned the lightning again and raised her hand.

“I didn’t get this power. It got me.” Nyra spoke and stopped manifesting it. She then stood up, offering a hand to Nesta to help her up. “I want to know what you saw.” Nyra began. Nesta stepped back, removing her hand. “Please.” Nesta did not ignore her plea. She could never ignore Nyra. And so, she held out her hand and Nyra grabbed it.

There was so much. She felt so much. Like a thousand knives stabbing her and tearing her flesh apart. Like a fire burning her soul to extinction. But Nesta did not burn easily. She clawed at whatever force that had pushed her down. Her nails found something and she struck it hard. The flame subsided and Nesta loomed over that force, grabbed it by the throat and took a bite. She relished in the resulting scream, the taste of cold liquid in her mouth.

But then another scream pierced at her. Nesta looked around, thinking it was another prey to hunt. But it was something else. Someone else. Was that her? A body with long golden brown hair and that pale skin floating. Was that her? That person’s eyes were shut tightly as though she was in agony. The woman screamed again.

Nesta watched a figure rip the girl’s chest with her bare hands and a light was released. Upon closer inspection, the figure had an expression of cruel enjoyment. But the light that appeared out of the girl’s chest material into another figure—a woman of pure light. The girl struck into the one who tore her apart and ripped its head off and threw it away.

More figures materialised. The woman readied her stance like a warrior, preparing for a battle. A spear of some sort materialised in her hand and she used it for her first attack. Nesta watched as the figure eliminate everything and everyone and bathed in the black blood of her foes. Once she was done, the woman looked at her and came near. It was Nyra. Her twin's eyes were closed and she wore no clothes but the light her skin emitted ensured her nakedness was not all that visible. And that wasn't even light. It was just a faint glow with lightning crackling all around her. Nesta recognised her sister in awe and anger. Nyra gently raised her hand and placed it on her chest, pushing her down some abyss.

The next thing Nesta remembered was rising from the Cauldron. Threatening the King, pushing away Lucien, taking Elain, looking for Nyra and losing consciousness at some point after arriving at another location.

“That’s what I remember.” Nesta spoke once they had exited her memories.

Why was it so natural for her to use these powers? To control them was one thing but to use them was completely different. When she had lived her entire life as a powerless mortal with death looming far too close then why was power so real? As if it was inherent? The beast within her rumbled again.

"What was that?" Nesta asked. Before Nyra could say anything, Nesta had touched her bare hand. And she was suddenly transported to another place.

It was completely dark. Nesta looked around for a source of light. And two blue orbs lit up at the same time. Appearing as though they had been unveiled. The blue light blinked once and a deep growl echoed all around. Nesta looked at the orbs and silver glowed in her eyes. The roar of a beast made everything tremble. Nesta felt the smooth embrace of something like a blanket. It wrapped itself around her waist and tugged her back.

"What was that?" Nesta was now breathing heavily. Her eyes were still silver but she was back in the House of Wind. Nyra was in front of her, her blue eyes glowing. Nesta had the horrifying realisation that the blue orbs she had just seen were Nyra's eyes and the growl was hers. But what terrified her to the core was when she recognised the roar of the beast as her own.

"You know what it was." Nyra replied. The twins now sat on the ground properly.

Nyra had recognised the beast Nesta was the moment she saw the silver eyes. Gods, they were beasts now and not just fae. She didn't even know if there were any fae who were just fae. She sighed. "What the hell did we get dragged into?"

"I'm sorry." Feyre's voice reached them. That was when the twins remembered that she was still there. "This is all my fault."

"Where is Elain?" Nyra asked. "Is she like us?"

"Yes. I'll take you to her room. Before that..."

Nyra looked at her, waiting for her to continue. Nesta spoke. "You're wearing a nightgown. Take a bath and dress up. We'll meet Elain soon. She's fine. Physically, at least."

Nyra frowned but she made no move to oppose. She stood up and entered her room. Nesta followed her in.

"I can't use that." Nyra whispered. She remembered how she pulled herself up to rise from the Cauldron. The Cauldron's liquid felt like acid on her skin, tiring her before she could even step out. Something had helped her get out. But before she could care for how she got out of the Cauldron, she was consumed by the thoughts of how she did not want to enter the bath tub. The image of it filled with water made her flinch.

"I know. There are buckets and mugs." Nesta headed towards the taps where the buckets and mugs were. While she waited for the warm water to fill the buckets, she watched Nyra look at her reflection in the mirror with the fascination of a child.

"I look young." Nyra poked her cheeks and grabbed them before letting go. She touched her arms and turned to see her hair. "My hair looks better." She grabbed them in her hands and admired how soft they had become. Her hair was a cascade of rich golden brown the Archeron sisters shared. Each strand seemed to catch the light and hold it for a moment, before releasing it in a warm, inviting gleam.

"You're healthy." Nesta spoke. "The healer said your body is completely fine. No illnesses. Everything is perfect. That's the only thing good about this situation." Her voice was soft as if she couldn't believe her own words. "My gods, you're okay." Nesta wiped her eyes before the tears could escape.

"I... I'm.. healthy." Nyra looked at her reflection. For so long, she had seen a sick face look back at her. How many years had passed since she had seen a healthy Nyra reflect in the mirror? She touched her cheek and held her hair. "I'm okay."

Nesta beheld Nyra as a fae. Her sister had become divine, glowing with health and power. Her eyes spoke of ancient mysteries and Nesta felt like Nyra's transition had been something different from what she and Elain had gone through. And she felt like she could not speak, not because her sister had rendered her speechless but because Nyra had become overwhelming in every aspect.

Nyra undressed and proceeded to bathe. Nesta sat at a distance now, handing her the bottles of liquids and gels for her skin and hair. Her twin had truly come into her element. She wore her beauty like a customised dress, measure to fit only her. Nesta had believed Nyra could truly attract suitors had her health permitted it. But now that they were fae, not only was she in good health but she looked ethereal. Once Nyra was done bathing, Nesta went to the shelf opposite to the bathroom mirror and took a towel and bathing robe.

"Dry yourself. I'll get a dress for you." But Nesta knew that Nyra was not that good at toweling her hair and that she'd have to do it herself.

She walked over to the sliding doors of the wardrobe filled with clothes for Nyra. Rhysand had provided Nesta and Elain with a similar room. She looked at the gowns and found a grey silk gown with leaves and flowers threaded in a darker shade towards the bottom. The skirts were not as wide as their gowns from the other side of the wall. It was a gown not too fancy but not too plain.

Both Nesta and Nyra looked at Nyra in that gown. She looked very different when she wore it. Like she was meant to be immortal. And then they looked at each other. "You look good."

"I wish I felt good." Nesta took her by the arm and made her sit on a stool before the mirror. She dried her hair and began brushing it gently.

The twins exited the room where Feyre and Cassian were waiting for them. They were talking to each other and leaning against the wall facing the door when they saw them. The pair immediately stood straight and ceased their whispers. Feyre moved forward. "Come with me."

And the four of them headed towards Elain's room. It was only two doors away. Feyre watched with bated breath as Nyra and Nesta entered the room. Elain sat on an armchair near the window, looking outside.

"Elain." At the sound of Nyra's voice, she turned to look at her immediately. Brown eyes widened and Elain stood up and walked over.

"When can we go home?" Elain asked hurriedly. "I have to get married." Her eyes glossed with tears. "I have to go home."

Nyra watched her sister cry in front of her and yet she couldn't find it in herself to hug her. Her own tears silently ran down her cheeks. Elain sobbed too loudly, too heavily, too much that she had started hyperventilating. Nyra did not process as Nesta took Elain's hands into her own and made her sit on the armchair. She was barely aware of Nesta leading her somewhere in the room and helping her sit.

Feyre and Cassian had been kicked out of the room and Nesta locked the door, walked over to Elain. Nyra was now looking outside the window, not caring about how Elain cried over getting married and wanting to go home.

"Do we even have a home left?" Nyra whispered, but her sisters heard it.

"What do you mean?" Elain cried out in agony.

"Fae and humans don't coexist. Even if we go back home, will we be welcome?"

They knew the answer to that. They had discussed that when Feyre had become fae. "Feyre had a home even when she had become fae."

"Feyre had us. Who do we have now that we're like this?"

"Father. Graysen. Lord Nolan. I'm sure they will understand." Elain sounded desparate.

"Father might. Graysen and Lord Nolan will not." Nesta shot back, logic taking over after her remembering her own analysis of these three persons.

"Why do you keep saying such things?" Elain had now raised her voice. "Neither of you want to go back. Why would you? You had nothing on the other side."

"We have nothing here!" Nyra shouted back. "What do we have here? Do we have anyone we can trust here?"

"We have Feyre." Elain retorted.

"They took us because they wanted to get to her. They took us because we hosted those meetings with the queens." Nesta snapped.

"At least, we're not dead!"

"Is this better than death?" Nyra asked coldly. She did not like Elain at the moment. She did not like anyone. "Is being tossed into that gods damned bathtub better than death?"

Nesta and Elain did not answer. They did clench their fists. Nyra watched them, wishing she could feel pity but she felt nothing. She compared their own situation with Feyre and realised that their younger sister had people and a future in Prythian to look forward to before she even became fae. Nyra looked at the moon in her palm. The three of them had no friend, no future, no home at the moment. And it slapped her in the face too many times for her liking.

"I don't know what either of you saw in there but I remember exactly what I saw. And I would've rather died than go through that." Nyra's voice had lowered. She had started spiralling into the whirlpool of her memories from inside the Cauldron.

"Of course, you'd rather die." Elain muttered, looking outside the window. The sea she could see remained tranquil unlike what was happening inside the room.

"Elain!" Nesta snapped. Nyra looked at Elain, waiting for her to continue. Challenging her to continue. She felt a tremor on her nerves, readying her for a verbal spat. The thrill of it shot down her spine and she watched her sister, like a predator poised to kill.

"Of course, you'd rather die." Elain repeated, louder and unafraid. "You were waiting for death ever since you fell ill." This was not enough. Elain only had to say more for Nyra to get the opportune moment.

"And why wouldn't I? With those disgusting medicines and chest pains and spitting blood at any given moment. Why wouldn't I choose death over all that?"

"You're a bloody coward." More. Nyra was waiting for more as she gave another answer, inviting Elain's words. Her words were still not sharp enough.

"Of course, I'm a coward. If I had any more nerve, I would've slit my own throat the moment I found out I'd probably never recover." Nyra knew that both of them were being selfish. And just a bit more and Elain would lash out.

"Enough!" Nesta shouted. Nyra glared at her for her interruption. Nesta knew exactly what she was doing. She was baiting Elain. Nesta was the one who struck first. Nyra was the one who waited for the right time. Both of them were different types of predators, but predators regardless. And Nesta knew that and felt this had to stop. "This is not what we need right now."

"I'll tell you what I need right now. I need to go back."

"To a place where you'll be hunted for being fae?" Nesta questioned, hoping Elain would see the reason she saw.

"To the place where I had a chance at a future."

"Graysen and his father are going to kill you." Nyra warned, not because she was worried about it. She would wield whatever power that her body housed against anyone who hurt her sisters but Elain had been sheltered far too long. She had to learn even if it was through the hard way. How much of a hypocrite was she at this moment?

"You don't know that. He wanted to marry me. I..."

"His affections for you are insignificant compared to his hatred for the fae." Nesta immediately began lashing out the moment she figured what Elain was going to say. About how she had given herself to her fiancé. Nesta paused and breathed. She wanted to stop but she didn't know how. The only thing she knew was to continue. "He wanted to marry you because you were the most convenient option. A face pretty enough for him to be smitten and the money from your dowry. Money to be used for Lord Nolan's fae-hunting quests."

Nesta only stopped speaking once the killing blow had been landed. She looked at Nyra, hoping that her twin would reprimand her like she had always done. Nyra did not and sat down looking at the skies.

"Say something." Nesta spoke.

Nyra looked up and met her gaze. "What do you want me to say?"

"I don't know. Anything!" Nesta wanted to be reprimanded. That was the only punishment for the sin she'd just committed.

"How about the fact that we don't have anything or anywhere to go, hm? All because we have pointed ears, meaninglessly amplified beauty and powers with no purpose and glowing eyes."

"No, no, no, no, no, no..." Elain kept on repeating that one word.

"We don't have a place to return to. We don't have a home. Is that what you wanted me to say?" Nyra attacked again.

The sound of the door being banged reached them. "Nesta! Nyra! Elain!" Feyre screamed. "Open the door! Please!"

"Go away, Feyre!" Nesta shouted back.

"Please! We can talk about this!" Feyre yelled desparately. Nesta marched over to the door, determined to give her youngest a piece of her mind. She opened the door to find a crying Feyre. Rhysand stood behind her solemnly and Nesta was quick to glare at him.

"Why are you here?" Nesta coldly asked Feyre.

"Nesta! Please! I'm so sorry about this. All of it. I-" Nesta raised a hand to command silence. Feyre stopped speaking.

"Why are you sorry?" Nesta asked.

"This is my fault. I am the reason why you were kidnapped and Made."

"We're not idiots, Feyre." Nyra spoke. Nesta moved to the side to reveal her twin. "We know you're not at fault for this mess." But Nyra did not sound kind. She sounded distant as she walked over to the door. "But we don't want to be here."

"You cannot be human again, girl." Another voice spoke. Nesta and Nyra stepped forward to see who it was. The twins noted Azriel, Cassian and Morrigan standing against the wall and Amren taking a step towards them. "We are the same. What is inside you is now trapped in this body, forever."

"Don't lump us in with the likes of you." Nesta snapped. "You can be released from your body. We can't."

Nyra's blue eyes shone with the power she now possessed and Amren took a step back. "The fact that we can see that your real form means that you can be released and regain it. On the other hand, we were thrown inside the world's most disgusting bathtub and our real forms were altered. Do you understand the difference? Your skin, the one that we see, is like a wrapping paper over your real skin. Our skin was ripped apart and remade."

Nyra felt rage, ready to take over, lightning crackling on her fingertips. What she did not notice were the shadows that had reached for her hand, dancing with the lightning, ready to strike wherever she commanded.

Azriel, despite his best attempts, could not completely control his shadows. Why the fuck was he even trying to control them when he felt every part of him wanting to accept her rage and hold her hand through it? To let her wield his shadows and strike anywhere and everywhere. Was that what she wanted? How easy it would be to hold her hand and raise it? To watch her lightning and his shadows dance. And why should it be restricted to their hands when every inch of their bodies could indulge in it?

Would lightning strike whenever she felt the mating bond? Would it strike if she were to ever accept it and offer him food? Would it strike during their first kiss? He would peel off her clothes and take his time before entering her. Would lightning strike him when he gave her an orgasm? The anticipation of it definitely struck him like lightning. His chest tightened. The leathers now felt stuffy. He had to loosen it before he ripped them off and grabbed his pretty little mate.

Meanwhile, inside her own head, Elain felt herself drawn into a black hole. She crumbled under the storm that had started. And under the gust of the winds and the thunder that rumbled all over, she found light and tried to walk over. She felt her hair and skirts be blown by the wind, fighting to be attached to her scalp and her dress respectively. But the closer she felt to the light, the more she felt warm.

Nesta and Nyra looked over to Elain who was now next to them. Their younger sister's eyes were now completely white as she spoke. Nyra was startled to see this for the first time while Nesta took a cautious step closer to Elain.

"Stars and night."

"Flames and steel."

"Lightning and shadows."

"Greens and fire."

"Elain!" Their sister's eyes fluttered and closed before her body dropped from where she stood.

****

TAGLIST:

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[hometoursandotherstuff]

This is an okay 1918 Craftsman style home in Valparaiso, IN, for under $400K. It has 4bds, 2ba, and is $360K, reduced $9.9K, but Zillow estimates that it's worth $342,900. Therefore, it's overpriced.

There's a small enclosed porch.

And, a tiny foyer.

The living room definitely has the Craftsman flavor with the built-in bookcases, even though they're not low nor have the glass doors, like a traditional Craftsman. Also, it does have the windows above the bookshelves, but they're modern and not leaded glass.

The fireplace isn't brick, it looks non-functional with a painted white wood facade. It has a few beams on the ceiling and moldings around the walls.

Nice double doors to the dining room. Looks like there's a built-in cabinet on the right.

The kitchen was completely renovated. If you're going to redo a kitchen in a Craftsman, I think that it looks best with painted cabinetry.

They say 2 baths, but this is a powder room. I don't care for the barn door sink cabinet, but the floor is nice.

The child's bedroom actually has little roads inlaid into the floor. I've never seen that and it's permanent, so I wouldn't choose it.

Bedroom #2 isn't used.

Bedroom #3 is an other child's room. It has a nice bow window.

In the finished attic there's a dormitory style bedroom, but I guess it doesn't count.

This is pretty. The principal bedroom is up here.

There's a patio in the backyard.

And, there's also a side yard. It's a 5,793 sq ft lot.

A driveway to the garage under the house.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/107-Institute-St-Valparaiso-IN-46383/81527252_zpid/?

[thestarlitmidnight]

🌙A Court Under the Mountain🌙

Summary: Long before the events of the Court of Thorns and Roses, there was a lot happening in Prythian and the Continent. This is my humble take on trying to play with the idea of Amarantha's oppression of Prythian and her dystopian take on being the queen Under the Mountain. Kaela, a heiress to the throne of Ufalme Kingdoms located far away in the desert of the Continent was sent to warn Prythian of Amarantha's intentions. The next thing she knows is that she wakes up Under the Mountain, bargained to be part of a concubine program with memories missing. Fandom: ACOTAr Pairing: RhysandXOC Warnings: This story is dealing with very a heavy themes, I suggest you to do not read this story, if you are easily triggered. Imagine the worst things Amarantha would do and add some more and there you are, it is in this story... So please, really, 16+ at least! Word Count: 220 927 Chapters: 55 Master List Previous Chapter

Chapter Six

"Kaela! Kaela!" Cry of joy echoed through the air as I walked through a hallway of a house that felt like a home into a sitting room with a black marble fireplace, lots of comfortable, elegant,  worn furniture, and bookshelves built into every wall that were full of books.  

Soon after I entered, two bodies crushed me in a bear hug, limiting my breathing abilities for a moment.  

"You both are acting like I was away a whole year," I laughed at the in shadows and darkness hidden faces, but those two were more visible.  

One was a female, tall, gorgeous female with a warm, welcoming smile.  

The other who was crushing me in the bear hug was a male with a bright, cheeky smile and large, enormous even, hands.  

"It was over two months, Kaela," another voice joined the reunion and when I turned my eyes, there were two other shadowed figures standing, coming into the room from what I assume was a kitchen.  

The one who spoke, a male, he was covered in different kinds of shadows and piercing eyes were watching me with a warm, gentle look.  

"Really? You know, time flies quickly when you are enjoying your journey," I grinned cheekily at him and it was me who came and crushed him in a bear hug, thankful to be back with them.  

"You are a terrible liar girl," the other figure, slender female, commented and patted me on my back while I was still hugging the male and she walked towards the sofa, sitting down nonchalantly.  

"Believe whatever you want, I don't care," I gave her a cheeky smile as well and winked at her, letting go of the male and I looked around, searching for another person who was supposed to be there already.  

"He is on his way, don't worry, now, tell us the news!" The taller female, the one with a warm smile, gestured for me to sit down as well.  

Indeed I sat and sighed. I truly wished to see him again. I hoped he would be there when I got back.  

"Nothing what I didn't expect," I raised my feet up on the coffee table in front of me and my eyes kept moving towards the door. "They don't want to be publicly connected to this mess and wish for me to aid you in a quiet and settled way that cannot be traced back to us."  

"Assassins through and through huh?" A male wiggled with his eyebrows and smiled brightly.  

"Don't worry, we will handle this," the slender female gave me a reassuring look and I nodded sharply, not pleased with the way things turned out.  

"Not gonna lie, it would be nice to have a whole butch of those like you, but we will be just fine even if it would be only you who will aid us," the male followed the lead of the slender female and I rolled my eyes at his comment.  

"A whole bunch of assassins that would kick your ass?" The other male with piercing eyes mused from his place by the fireplace.  

I bursted into laughter and soon the room began shaking with roaring laughter at the memories of how I beat his ass in the training ring a few months ago and how big of a fuss he was making about it.  

"So the reason why I'm building a temple for the Mother is back? Shall I order the workers to start working again now that you are back?" A voice of the stranger I was longing to see finally echoed through the air and I jumped back on my feet immediately.  

When I set my eyes on him, a large smile landed on my lips and I ran right into his open arms, hiding there from the whole world.  

"You shouldn't have ordered them to stop! That brings bad omens!" I squeezed him even more and he laughed, placing a gentle kiss into my hair.  

"I thought you prefer bad omens?" He chuckled and I raised my face to look at him, my heart melting over the love and affection in his bewitching eyes. 

"I missed your ugly face," I mumbled and he charmed a heartbreaking smile and leaned down, placing a loving kiss on my lips. 

"I missed you too darling," he whispered against my lips and then deepened the kiss, making me laugh a little when he sneaked his arms down my body and picked me up.  

"Gross!" The male loudly complained. 

"Mom and dad are being disgusting!" The taller female joined the male in the teasing, forcing both me and the stranger to burst into laughter at their comments. 

"Get a fucking room," the slender female commented practically. 

"That we will do," the stranger winked at them and just like that darkness wrapped around us, winnowing us away.  

Yet it didn't winnow me nowhere, only back into the all consuming darkness, that threatened to consume me whole how intense it was.  

I started to panic as the feeling of missing something important crashed in full force back on me and breathing was becoming impossible as the darkness started to close around me.  

I tried to fight, to push back the chilling void, but it won like any other time and kicked me through the void into endless fall.  

I woke up with a desperate need for air. I was trying to catch my breath and unwrap the sweat soaked sheets from my body that wrapped around me as I was tossing in my sleep. 

Ever since the two females took their lives, waking up from those nightmares was more intense and difficult. 

It was like my mind tried to get me to see something, tried to fight against that consuming darkness that clouded all of my memories and made me remember. 

Was I losing my mind? With  everything that was going on, I think that I was losing my mind. 

Those dreams, they were just work of my wild imagination that was trying to get me through this situation. It was probably working on scenarios to help me understand this mess and get me something to think about so I wouldn't think all the damn time about the hell I was living in. 

But that was just a damn good excuse I was using to explain what was happening. 

In reality I was confused and disoriented of what was happening. 

Why was my mind showing me those pictures? Was it my power? Did they come somehow back in weakened form and now they were tormenting my sleep with glimpses of future? 

Or were they really my true memories? Then why would they be clouded in darkness? Was this the thing Amarantha did with my mind to forget how I ended up there? Did she use some spell to cloud my memories? 

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

I was walking next to Rhysand to the throne room, where another ball was in full swing. 

We got rid of the duty rather quickly in the sterile, professional manner as always so both of us would be able to compose ourselves and be ready to face this another nightmare. 

One would see that with time it would get easier, yet it never did. Having him take my body, even when he tried to be respectful, it was always difficult and not just for me. 

He was always looking ready to throw up right after me, his shoulders shrinking and his eyes were always full of despair and pain. 

Instead of this getting easier, it only seemed like it was getting more difficult. 

And I was not sure what to blame. 

Was it the length of how long this was going on and both of us were just tired?

Or was it the fact that even when both of us very successfully ignored this fact, there was something more between us. 

He felt familiar, sounded familiar, smelled familiar yet I couldn't place my hand on why. Was it because those years were spent together as we were trying to survive this hellhole in a joint alliance? Did I just connect with him with a sense of some kind of familiarity? 

We probably spend way too much time together and he simply grew on me. 

All those years in each other's presence just somehow pooled together and instead of a stranger, who was my supposed tormentor he became someone I learned to trust? 

Either way, it was getting worse and worse for us. 

The throne room was filled with offbeat music and High Fae dancing around dressed in their best clothes, drinking their evening away. 

It was madness to think that this lifestyle was lasting for over six years.  Every other day was a ball, where they all got drunk, danced and mingled together, playing at the elite of this world. 

There was no normality in this. No proper life led by anyone. Only partying and then recovering from it. Was this Amarantha's tactic to keep them all in a dazed state to avoid any kind of resilience from anyone who might be bold enough to do so? 

"Do they enjoy this?" I whispered to Rhysand who had his hand around my waist and led me through the throne room.

"I would say so, most of them do," he looked down at me with those bewitching eyes for a moment before he turned his eyes back in front of himself. 

People were watching us. They always do when we join them there. Most of them are looking at us with amusement and openly judging me without even trying to cover it. It was nothing that could bother me, over the years of this kind of show it's easy to get used to their endless stream of attention. 

On the court Under the Mountain is not many things that could entertain you, something you can enjoy so even someone else's suffering can be their greatest pleasure to entertain themselves.

And Rhysand made sure we delivered a thrust worthy show for them all, so Amarantha would be out of our hair and not breathe on our necks. 

He would touch me in improper fashion all over my body, give me a sly looks and smirks, he would comment on my looks and when someone walked very close to us, he would comment of his impatience for this ball to end so he can fuck me again. 

Yeah, it was safe to say that everyone turned to trust that both me and him submitted to our fate and both of us support in some ways Amarantha and her stupid project. 

"Rhysand!" Amarantha called him when we stood by the table with drinks and I rolled my eyes as I stood with my back to her. 

"Be back in a minute, stay here and don't move," he winked at me and leaned down to place a soft kiss on my cheek, which left me feeling baffled and he left.

Sometimes it's impossible to tell if he does those things for a show or out of his own mind. Times like those, the way he looks at me, the way he gently brushes his lips over my cheek, it leaves me feeling all confused how much he can affect me. How my heart skips a beat and my cheeks cover in soft blush. 

"Kaela," a whisper of my name echoed through the air and when I turned my head to find the source of it, I noticed two females standing near me, each of them looking at me with urgency. 

Sen who was with the High Lord of the Dawn Court and Lanette who was with the High Lord of the Day Court.

I looked to the throne where Rhysand was now standing and talking with Amarantha in hushed voices and unease washed over me. What can she want from him? Is everything alright? 

"What is it?" I whispered back and walked to the section of where small sweets were plated, pretending I'm choosing what to eat and not that I'm talking with them.

If anyone would notice this banned conversation, then we were in for a problem, yet after what happened with Asia and Brucie, I cannot ignore them. What if they need my help? 

"There is a way out," Sen whispered back and dread ran down my spine at those cursed words. 

"You don't know how it ended last time someone tried to run away?" I gritted through my teeth, doing my best to look like I didn't react at all, taking one small piece of sweet treat and making it look like I was tasting it. 

"Helion and Thesan would help us," Lanette mumbled slowly and kept her eyes on the room, but her fingers were trembling slightly, she was nervous. 

"We closed a bargain, if we put any obstacles between her and the deed we are sworn to fulfill, we would die just like Asia and Brucie did," it came out of me like a harsh whisper, picking another sweet, pretending the last one was terrible and I washed it down with some juice. 

"Helion and Thesan are working on untangling the bargain magic, they can get us out Kaela. Don't you want to go away? Back home? Away from Rhysand? You can't be truly so alright with what is happening like you are pretending to be," Sen walked a little closer, her eyes roaming across the room as she spoke behind her glass of red wine. 

I froze for a moment, my hand in the middle of picking another sweet treat, but I quickly pulled myself back together and raised the sweet pastry closer to my face, studying it. 

"I don't know what made you believe there is a safe way out, but I cannot risk to endanger my life, my kingdom counts on my return and I cannot afford to die in some foolish act of rebellion," I gritted through my teeth and then took a bite of the pastry, flinching at the sharp taste of lemon in it and I quickly took a tissue, discarding of the bite there. 

Of course I wanted to get out! Who wouldn't? If I would get out now, there would be no baggage that would tie me to this place. No unwanted child that redhead bitch would take away from me and raise it like her loyal soldier. 

I wanted to get away from those forced evenings with Rhysand, where both of us suffered. I wanted to take him away with me. 

Wait-

I wanted to take him away with me? Since when?

"It will be safe, I swear!" Lanette insisted and I felt two pairs of eyes on me and when I followed my instincts, I noticed Thesan and Helion watching us. 

"Does Rhysand know? Did the other High Lords tell him?" I demanded, picking up another sweet treat, this time a small piece of cake. 

"Of course not. He is the right hand of hers Kaela, we cannot risk her finding out," Sen turned her eyes my way, watching me with disbelief. 

"I'm not going to leave him behind in this hellhole," I returned her sharp look and took another bite of the cake. 

He was in the same position as the rest of us. The fact he knew how to play his cards better than the rest of us was not reason to leave him to this kind of fate. He did everything in his power to prevent anything from happening to me, he was playing at Amarantha's loyal pawn, just like I did, to prevent any unnecessary damage from us. 

It would be unfair to just run away and leave him to deal with his mess on his own.

"Are you serious Kaela? Did you lose your mind? You need to get away! Listen, you are spending a lot of time in the library right? Tomorrow morning I will find you there. You are going with us," Sen whispered with urgency in her voice and her green eyes were pleading with me to not be stupid. 

I gave her a glimpse, my eyes harsh and unforgiving for that slip of a second before I turned around and left the place where sweets were. I spent way too much of my time there and it was a miracle nobody noticed. 

It was a foolish hope they had. Foolish hope that would get them killed. Just like Asia and Brucie. I'm sure they as well were full of hope and determination to run away. Who knows how long they were planning their escape and it didn't work out for them in the end. 

Yet now there are two High Lords who are willing to help the girls to escape. Is it a sign that this time it could work? Sena was speaking of the bargain magic being untangled? Is that even possible? 

If it would work out, then soon I would be out of there, free and able to return back home, where Amarantha and anyone from Prythian would not be able to reach me. 

I could already see the picture in my head. Dad hugged me, crying with joy to have me back home. The kingdom would celebrate for a whole week, welcoming me back home and I would be able to finally begin to heal from this trauma we all were living through. 

Yet what would become of Rhysand? The male who was kind to me, a male who was making sure that I was safe and far away from any wimps of Amarantha. A male who was there for me anytime I broke down and held me through my tears, whispering words of comfort? A male who didn't enjoy hurting me and suffered just as much as I did the whole time? 

A stranger, who was supposed to be someone who would be hurting me, turned out to be someone who was important to me. Someone who I could count on when times were rough. 

"You alright?" In a midnight comfort covered voice echoed next to my head and soon a hand wrapped around my waist. 

"Yes, why?" I turned to look at him, looking for any signs that Amarantha was planning something that would involve him, yet he looked completely composed and polished.

"You look troubled," he replied and his violet eyes were searching my face for any giveaway of what was happening. 

"I worried about what she wanted with you, is everything alright?" I turned the tables and chose to be the one who would be asking questions. The reasons behind my troubled look were not for this room to be discussed in. 

"Nothing to worry about that pretty head of yours," he smiled down at me and I needed to bite my cheeks to not grin or to not shoot back some nasty remark, knowing very well why he chose to brush it away.

I looked at him once again, taking in his appearance and even though he tried to hide it, there was a tense in his body. 

"There are troubles brewing," I leaned closer to his ear and whispered, playing it out as if I raised my hand to brush one stray lock of his hair swaying from his head. 

"You have no idea," he smiled brightly at me, pretending that we talked about something else and he led me to the dancing floor. 

I felt another wave of dread washing over me at his confirmation and let him lead our dance, ignoring his hand that was way too low to be considered polite. 

"This dance and we can get lost?" He gave me a wink as he his whisper was little louder so the Attor that was walking across the dance floor could heart us and thought we were impatient to fuck again. 

I nodded and tried to enjoy this dance. He was an exceptionally good dancer and with the court training I had myself, we both glided across the dance floor with elegance and proper manners worthy of those of our titles. 

I felt Amarantha's eyes on us, watching us dance with a satisfied gleam over her cruel eyes. That was a good sign. Whatever troubles Rhysand was talking about, they didn't included directly the two of us. 

It was easy to make sure that she was satisfied with us. All it took was to play loyal puppies who answered her calls without questioning her authority and she was happy to leave us more space to breathe then the rest of the pairs, who were still causing unnecessary drama most of the time. 

Just a mere public complaint was mostly enough to reach her ears and she was very unhappy with them. I noticed times when the other concubines or High Lords were missing for a few days and I don't want to know what was happening in those times when Amarantha was being moody. 

And that's why I'm so skeptical about their little plan. 

I'm in somehow good position right now. Yes I'm still in the program of her little concubines, but considering everything around, I could be way worse than I am right now. Against all odds, it turned out that even in the pairing I won and was being paired with a High Lord, who is not that bad in the end. I could have ended with Autumn or Summer High Lord and that would be a nightmare, I am so sure of that. 

I cannot risk my standing right now, it would be my end if it wouldn't work. 

And I wouldn't endanger only myself, but even Rhysand as well and I cannot force myself to put him into bad situations just because it will serve my own purpose. 

And so we danced and pretended that we are not Under the Mountain, we are not being forced to be pawns on Amarantha's chessboard. I pretended that I was in the cabin and he was there with me and we were dancing the evening away in a slow, steady rhythm. 

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

We were in my room, he was sitting on his regular place on the sofa with his feet up on the coffee table and I decided to take place beside him instead of sitting on the chair behind my table. 

"Is it possible to untangle the bargain magic?" I finally spoke up and looked up at him. 

"If anyone would be able to come near enough to manage something like this, it would be Helion," he nodded and shiver ran down my spine. 

"Even if he was robbed of his powers?" I leaned back onto the sofa and made myself comfortable. 

The violet eyes, now curious, were looking at me, trying to see deeper into my mind, to understand the reason behind my questions. 

"It would take him years to manage that with the scraps of magic she left us to play with, but eventually, with consistency, he would be able to untangle it," he nodded again and I bit my lips, deep in thought. 

So it's possible, even if it would take time, it is not impossible to free us from the bargain magic and help us escape. 

Yet what would it solve? There would be other females brought to replace us. Just like with Asia and Brucie, who were replaced very soon afterwards. If we run away, we would sentence other females to suffer the same fate as we are facing now. 

Would I be able to live with myself if I knew that while I was free and living once again happily in my lands, there would be another female who would replace me and she would suffer so I could be free? 

And I'm not speaking of Rhysand. He cannot escape. Amarantha would destroy the Night Court, she would punish him for running away and destroy the very same thing he swore to protect. 

I was so torn. 

"What did Amarantha want?" I decided to ignore the whole escape thing for now and focus on other important things on our hands. 

"She was informed about the underground market of contraceptive tonics that is operating there," he sighed and his eyes turned to look across the room, purposefully ignoring the area where my bed was. 

"Oh? And why does that matter?" I raised my eyebrows, not getting what was the problem there with this. 

"Because, Kaela darling, I'm a regular customer there," he said and his eyes turned to look at me. "How else do you think it's possible that you didn't fall pregnant yet?" 

All color run away from my face at his words. The amount of importance weighed down on me. 

I was not aware he found another loophole in how to avoid the feared outcome of this whole program. Why didn't I think about it sooner? Did he risk her finding out about his actions to make sure he would be able to push the issue as far away as possible? 

"She shut it down and banned all the ingredients from Under the Mountain," he added and his eyes turned apologetic as he kept watching me. 

I was not sure what to say. I was speechless. Just staring back into those bewitching eyes. 

"And if I would be you, I would skip the little date in the library tomorrow Kaela, there is planned check up of the whole court and if someone would find you and Sena alone there, it would cause unnecessary trouble," he added and I was not even surprised that he was aware for the conversation that happened with the other concubines. 

"Thank you," I finally managed to say something. 

I don't know for what I was thanking him, if for the heads up about tomorrow or the fact that he was finding all possible ways how to avoid the worst outcome of this whole concubine program for me. Maybe for both. 

"Don't stay behind on my behalf, if it would be a safe way out, then go and don't look back," he reached for my hand and squeezed it in a reassuring manner. 

"It's not fair towards you," I whispered, unable to avert my eyes away from his. 

"That's not your concern," he squeezed my hand once again and offered me a gentle smile. "I want you as far away from here as possible Kaela." 

I needed to blink away the tears that came to my eyes as he spoke. 

"I want you to come as well," I said with a gravely sincere voice, the need to not leave him behind was almost as crushing as the need to take this opportunity and run away. 

"I know I would, without any second guessing I would, but I can't," his eyebrows crushed together and all over his handsome face showed the weariness of his soul. How much he himself was fighting to not let this hell crush him. 

"Then why don't we focus on how to kill that bitch instead of escaping?" I leaned forward and placed my free hand over his, my eyes full of determination. 

"I'm trying to find out a way to weaken her enough to get through her defenses, yet so far any possible solution I managed to find didn't work," he sighed and his thumb caressed the skin of my hand. 

"Then let me help you, let's kill that bitch so the both of us would be able to leave?" I pressed on the idea, feeling more hope than for the damn escape plan. 

"I'm touched by your care Kaela, truly I am, but you need to get away from here, especially now with the contraceptive tonics banned, I will speak with Helion, see how far they are with their plans and make sure that it's safe way out for you," he insisted and I felt my heart breaking for this selfless male. 

"What would my escape fix Rhysand? She would put another female into your bed instead of me, I would sentence another female to this fate and I will be on a run away from her for gods know how long till she will be defeated, if she will be. I cannot be sure that I will make it across the continent to reach my kingdom before they catch me. This way we will fix this whole mess, get rid of her and both of us would be able to walk away with our honor restored," I rambled and rambled, not wishing to agree to that damned plan of leaving him behind. 

"What it would fix is that you will be far away from here. That's all that needs to be fixed right now. You were not supposed to be there in the first place, so please Kaela, stop thinking about others for once and think about yourself. You would not be returning to your kingdom for a while after your escape, I will secure a safe place for you to hide, a place where she wouldn't be able to reach you," his voice was covered in desperate need to protect that it knocked air out of my lungs.

What does he mean that I was not supposed to be there in the first place? 

"You yourself said that it would take him years to untangle the bargain magic, we can make a compromise," I replied in a similar tone in my voice and fought the need to cry at the helpless feelings that were consuming my body. 

"Should I be afraid?" He raised his eyebrows at my proposal and I needed to hit his hand to get some emotions out of my system. 

"There will be enough time for us to work on how to take Amarantha down, the time where Helion would work on untangling the bargain magic, we would spend on planning her fall, promise me, that you would try to make sure to walk away with me once the time will be right, we both deserve it," I insisted and pleaded him with my eyes to agree, to don't argue and just for once think about himself as well. 

"Alright, but you need to promise me, that when the time comes and we wouldn't be anywhere close to defeat her, you will go, no question asked, you will escape and don't look back," he shared his own demands for closing the compromise and I wanted to slap him across his handsome face for being this damn good with closing deals. 

"Alright, even though it's not fair," I mumbled and leaned forward, wrapping my arms around his neck. 

I needed to hug him, not sure why, maybe with everything that was going on, I just felt the urge to hug him and so I did. He didn't hesitate and returned my hug back with all affection, keeping me away from this cursed place for a small moment.

Chapter Seven

[fallenasleepyetagain]

Competing - Blue/Nightmare Fic

Media: UTMV/UTAU

Genres: Human AU, normal multiverse, homoerotic chess game, flirting or threats? who knows!

Characters: King Nightmare, Blue, Dream (mentioned), Ink (mentioned)

Pairing(s): Nightmare/Blue

CW/TW: Threats, Nightmare vaguely taking about his Evil Plans™️

Word Count: 1434

Read it on ao3!

"Have a seat."

Nightmare sat on the opposite side of the large living room from the main entrance. The room was large, and if Blue was there for any other reason, it would've felt homey.

The living room contained a multitude of different activities scattered around the place. There was a large fireplace on the far wall, large and ornate, no fire burning in it at the moment. The floor was a dark wood, but there was a variety of teal and black carpets around the room, specifically around the couches and chairs.

The walls were filled to the brim with tall, wooden bookshelves. On most of them, there were rows and rows of books, as to be expected. Large books with damaged spines and withering covers were located at the top, out of reach, and out of danger. On the lower shelves were magazines and books clearly deemed less important by Nightmare.

On others were rows and rows of video game cartridges, as well as music CDs and cassettes. If Blue had to guess, there were also VHS tapes and recordings of TV shows and movies, but he wasn't close enough to see the exact filmography Nightmare had.

Wherever there weren't book shelves, there were small tables with unfinished projects and board games on them. There were some whittling projects scattered about, as well as a board game with an obvious loser who wasn't willing to throw in the towel.

All of that pales in comparison to, truly, what was the star of the show. On the left side of the room was a beautiful and ornate chess table, built from a dark marble with silver accents.

The pieces were likely hand carved, no two pawns looked the same despite the similar shaping to them. One side was made from a dark metal of some kind, decorated with teal and blue gemstones, the other set being a light silver with orange and white gems.

"Pretty, isn't it?" Nightmare said as Blue stared down at the chess set.

For a moment, Blue forgot where he was, what the stakes were. He nodded, fidgeting with his scarf.

"Shall we play, then?"

"What?"

Nightmare gestured for Blue to sit on the opposing side of the chess table: the side with the silver pieces. He obliged, although his body tensing as he sits down, the bottom half of his face hidden in his scarf.

"Have you ever played chess before, Blue?"

There was some hesitation; Blue's eyes darted to the board, the beautiful chess pieces, before back up at Nightmare. "...Yes. Not recently, but I have. I know the rules."

"Oh wonderful, I was worried that I'd have to teach you. That'd be a lot less fun," Nightmare hummed as he ran his thumb across his nails. "I get to skip to why you're here, which is preferable."

"I'm here to negotiate Dream and Ink's freedom." Blue said, his teeth grinding together. He knew a diplomatic conversation was the only way to succeed. Fighting Nightmare and his gang on his own was out of the question, and he couldn't rely on stealth to free his friends.

Not when Nightmare could hear the quickening of his heartbeat.

"But that's so boring, don't you think?" Nightmare fidgeted with the rook on the far left of the chess board. "We could have an intellectual back and forth, and with you I always do adore it, but this will just be a whole lot more fun."

"I- I mean...I guess so."

"So glad we're on the same page. Now, let me tell you about the stakes of the little game we are about to play."

Fidgeting with his rook, Nightmare allowed the suspense to build for a moment. "It's simple, really. We're playing for Dream and Ink's freedom.

"You win, and you all get to go home! No fights, no stakes, you just get to leave this castle untouched." He sat back in his chair, a sly smile on his face. "We end in a draw, and you take their place. Dream and Ink will be forced out of this universe, and you stay with me."

Nightmare leaned against the table, getting as close to Blue as physics allowed him. "If I win, on the other hand, then you'll never see them again."

"What? What do you mean?" Blue's hand gripped the arms of the chair, his fingers twitching, ready to summon his sword. "You'll kill me?"

"Oh, no no no, you misunderstand. I have uses, for the both of them, you see. And they cannot fulfill those roles until I've got all of you in the palm of my hand."

"And what about me?"

"What about you?"

"They have..." Blue ground his teeth, "uses. I don't?"

"No." Nightmare answered simply, smiling at him. "You're incredibly handsome though and that alone makes me want to keep you."

A shiver of discomfort shot through Blue's spine.

"So, shall we play then? I'll let you make the first move."

"Okay."

Blue looked down at the pieces, there were only a few options for what he could choose as a first move. All of the pawns; he could start with a queen's gambit, and the two knights.

What was Nightmare expecting him to do? Do something classic? Something unexpected? Was something truly unexpected if someone was expecting that was what you're going to do?

"Take as much time as you need."

The knight on the left side of the board reached his hand and he placed it down in front of his pawns.

"Oh, I knew you would make this fun."

Each and every turn was agony. Barely any actual words were spoken, just small hums and the occasional curse word. Blue's heart was pounding the entire time, trying desperately to get into Nightmare's head, and to play unpredictable enough that Nightmare couldn't get into his.

Nightmare's poker face never changed, even as Blue would capture his pieces. Just the softest, saccharine smile on his lips.

"Checkmate."

With ringing in his ears and his heart threatening to leap right out of his chest, Blue glanced down at the board. His throat was dry and he gripped down on his thighs.

"What?" Nightmare looked genuinely shocked. His eyes widened slightly as he scanned the chess board, working through each and every possible move with the remaining pieces on the board. "...Would you look at that. It appears that you've mated me. Congratulations."

Suddenly, Blue felt like his life was on the line. Nightmare stood up, slowly walking to the other side of the board. His nails tapping against the edge of the board.

A shutter left Blue's body as Nightmare got closer, his eyes squeezing shut. He was expecting pain, a fight, something, but it never came. Instead, Nightmare placed a small, shiny key in his hands, his lips close to Blue's ear.

"This was fun. We should do it again sometime." Nightmare said softly, his hand gently caressing Blue's reddening cheeks. He paused after taking a few steps. "Go get your friends. No one will stop you."

"Wait-!" Blue staggered to his feet, clutching the key to his chest. "You were going easy on me, weren't you?"

"Was I?" Nightmare glanced back, a smirk on his face. "Come to me again some time. We'll play again, and maybe you'll know."

Blue watched as Nightmare sauntered away, heart fluttering in his chest. As terrifying as it was, knowing Dream and Ink, and his own livelihood were on the line, it was thrilling.

Thrilling. Exhilarating. No one had ever looked at him the way Nightmare had during their game. Even though Nightmare often referred to him as "mortal," Blue felt as if they were on equal footing.

Is this what Sherlock felt like when he came across foes who could keep up with him?

Nightmare's thought process was a mystery to him, and something deep within Blue's mind wanted to solve it. Nightmare had such power, such control over his magic, his abilities. Blue was almost jealous.

To know Nightmare's mind, every square inch of how his brain works, every part of Nightmare's body-

With a shake of his head, Blue turned on his heel and sprinted to the dungeon. He couldn't be thinking about Nightmare, not when Dream was his best friend.

But...perhaps...in the middle of the night, when Ink and Dream were fast asleep, he could escape to the castle, and play once more. Challenge Nightmare's wits with his own.

As his hands placed the key into the lock of the cell, he knew that he had to come back.

Shit.

[salemsimsrender]

Blender Tutorial: Building a Scene Part 2: Creating the Room & Adding Lights

Welcome back!

Let's get started shall we!

I built out my set behind the scenes using the same process as in Part One, so for Part Two I'm staring with this:

Some things will need to be moved once there are walls, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

If you want to create the same scene, here's the objets/cc used:

Sofa, loveseat & small globe (base game)

Fireplace (vintage glamour)

Hand & hanging plant (paranormal stuff)

End table (realm of magic)

Rose vase by Natalia-Auditore

Crocus rug by Wondymoon

Step 1: Adding a Room

I'm sure there are "better" ways of doing this, or ways that'll result in thicker walls that more closely mimic real ones, but for my uses, this quick solution has worked really well without adding too much render time onto my work. So let's add in a room the simplest way possible, by adding a cube:

Adding it in gives us this mess, but it's ok! I'm going to size it up and move it around using the axes keys (x, y, and z) so we get this:

The shape and size of the room doesn't super matter for this specific render because there are no windows or built in bookshelves or anything like that, but that said - Make sure your floor is at 0 (on the grid) and the back wall is right behind the fireplace so you don't get any weird shadows when you render, like this:

Now, adding texture to this style of room can be a little tricky, but once you learn this process it's not too bad. First, we have to separate the pieces. Scroll/zoom out until you see the whole cube and select it (it'll outline in orange), then press the Tab key to go into edit mode:

Points appear at each corner of the cube, this is what we want. Select the four points that make up the ceiling using shift+click until only the top face is highlighted orange, like this:

Then press P on your keyboard to bring up the separate menu, and select "Selection," this will separate the ceiling from the cube so you can adjust its textures independently

Do the same for the bottom of the cube to separate the floor. Be sure to stay organized by renaming the pieces in your outliner! Now let's add the floor texture first, select the floor We're going to follow the same process we use to texture objects, but with an additional step. So go into the materials tab and select "new"

Like with any other object, add in an image texture node, but this time we're going to use a floor texture. You can get these from Sims 4 Studio by selecting CAS from the main screen then saving down the .png files. After adding in your nodes and switching to alpha hashed, you should have something like this:

It's a floor texture alright, but it's way too big, let's fix that. I like to adjust the sizing and rotation with vector mapping, which is way easier than it sounds! In our shader editor, we're going to add in a vector map node, like this:

Then we're also going to need a texture coordinate node, added like so:

Arrange them like this:

That will appear to have done nothing:

But that's because we need to adjust the values! I adjusted mine (as pictured below) and now I have this:

For floor textures, it's super simple because you only have to adjust the scale. For walls, it's a little more complicated, but follows the same steps. So let's add in a wall texture. I follow the same steps, and, yikes:

This is obviously not what we want, but we can adjust it with texture mapping! The most important step is to adjust the Z axis rotation by 90, so that the pattern is vertical instead of horizontal. After that it's a game of adjusting the scale value until it looks how you want it to, like this:

Look at that we have a scene! I'm going to change my floor texture to match and add in the painting I just realize I forgot to add, so now I have this: Now I have this:

Step 2: Adding Lights

Adding physical lights (like the wall sconces in my original render) works like any other object, we just need to add in a point light to actually light the space. Usually I would fight these to make them transparent so I can put the point light inside the fixture, but for this simple scene I'm content to let the point lights hover just in front of the fixtures, like this:

I accomplished this by adding in point lights (shift+a -> light -> point) and using the axis keys to move them where I want them, then I adjusted the light values like this (please note that I'm set to Cycles):

There's a long and tedious process to add real fire (which I'll cover in a separate tutorial), but because we don't actually see the fire in the fireplace, I'm going to mimic it with area lights (which will also shorten render times) Add in an area light in the same way as a point light - Shift+A -> Light -> Area:

Then it's a matter of using the axis keys to move it inside the fireplace and rotate it

I like to rotate the lights to be facing outward and down, and I do duplicate the area light and make one more orange and the other more yellow. Then I added in a point light and placed it inside the fireplace so it all looks realistic. I ended up with this arrangement, but you'll have to play with it to find what's right for you!

From the front (my camera view), it looks like this:

I learned early on in my render journey that using "realistic" room lighting isn't always possible, so I'm also going to add a point light and move it up closer to the ceiling, to mimic a chandelier or ceiling light Now we have a bit more even lighting:

From here, all you have to do is add your sims and run your render! I hope this helps! Please comment here or send me an ask/submission if you have any questions!

Render School Homework

Your homework, should you choose to accept it, is to build your own scene and run a render of it! You can include sims or not, but if you do it and post it please tag me so I can showcase it!

[stardustndreamsofsilver]

Almost

Part Eight

Jake x Reader (f)

Warnings: None

Find All Parts Here

Carefully placing a stack of wrapped plates in the cardboard box, you ease your hands out and close the flaps, taping them shut. With a huff, you blow the stray hair out of your eyes and lean on the top of the box. You take a look around the kitchen and across the counter into the living room. Boxes had been scattered everywhere. Each one labeled for the room they’re meant to go in once at the new house. Bookshelves that were overflowing with books now sit empty. Everything but this box had already been taken to the new house.

You look beside the box and grab the black marker and sprawl the word ‘Kitchen' across the top and side of the box of plates. Putting the cap back on the marker, you turn and lean against the counter. Spotting your coffee from this morning by the stove, you walk over and grab it. Taking a sip, it’s long grown cold, but it’s still caffeine. You take another sip and lean against the stove and sigh. You start to think about the weeks that had led up to this moment. 

Jake had been very eager to find a place for the two of you and had you going to open houses almost everyday. The houses were all beautiful but nothing was feeling like home. House after house you would like certain things of each one, but nothing that just spoke to both you and Jake. That is until on a rainy afternoon, Jake’s realtor Kathy gave him a call and said a house just came on the market and she thought it would be perfect for the two of you. She said if the two of you could get there in twenty minutes, you’d be the first to view it and could be the first to put in an offer if you liked it.

You and Jake practically flew off the couch and threw on some shoes, not caring that you were both in sweats and baggy shirts. Putting on your jackets, you ran out to Jake’s car and headed over the address that the realtor sent Jake.

You pulled into the driveway fifteen minutes later. Getting out of the car, you looked up at the house. It was a beautiful Queen Anne style house. The veranda stretched across the entire front of the house and off to the right, it featured an octagonal extension similar to a gazebo. Then to the left side, it had a three story tower. The brick exterior wasn’t exactly what you would have gone for, but you couldn’t discount the beauty of this house. 

Looking over at Jake, you held out your hand. He took it, and you walked up the steps and to the front door. Just before Jake could knock, the realtor opens the door with a smile.

“Hey you two! Come on in!” She says, opening the door wider and extending her arm out as a sign to come in.

You walk in first and are met with the beauty of the entryway. A large staircase is directly across from the door and to your left is what you assume is a sitting room. Without even thinking, you find yourself walking over and exploring it further. A beautiful semicircle window takes most up the outer most wall, a custom built in bench extends the width of the window. A fireplace is featured on another wall, with built in bookcases on either side. You walk around the room taking it all in. Running your hand along the fireplace mantle, you catch sight of Jake.

Jake has his hands in his pockets and is grinning as he watches you admire the room. “Hey, there’s more rooms to see babe. Let’s go take a look at the kitchen. I have a feeling you’ll love it.” He chuckles.

You nod your head and let him lead the way. Walking back through the entryway, you walk through the formal dining room and into the kitchen. The original custom cabinetry immediately takes your breath away. A large table sits in the middle of the room, to serve as additional counter space. The kitchen is quite big and has a large pantry. A beautiful gas stove grabs your attention next. It’s the exact one you’d dreamed of having. 

Turning to Jake with a huge grin, you say, “Well, that settles it. We’ll take it!”

Jake throws his head back and laughs. “We haven’t even seen the rest of the house.”

You shake your head and say, “Don’t need too, it’s perfect.”

Jake shakes his head and chuckles, “Come on, let’s just look around a little more before making a decision.”

You pretend to pout and say okay. You and Jake walk through the rest of the house. Each room is more perfect than the last. Everything about the house is exactly what the two of you wanted. There’s one last room to see before heading outside and seeing the guest house. Jake opens the door and you gasp. It’s a library. Bookcases fill each wall, only leaving space for three windows that stretch from the ceiling to the floor and an enormous fireplace. 

“Jake!” You gasp, covering your mouth.

He grins and says, “I know. It’s perfect. Our own little library. Kathy told me about it while you were exploring the sitting room down stairs.”

You turn and look at him. “Jake, you can’t deny it. This house is our house.”

“I'm not denying it. I already had her put in an offer for us.” He laughs.

“Did you really?” You ask excitedly.

“Yep, we should know in a few days if they accept it.” He smiles and walks over to you, wrapping his arms around your waist. “I have a feeling they will though.”

“I hope so.” You sigh.

Jake kisses you and says, “Come on, we still need to go see the guest house. I need to see if I can have it converted to a home studio.”

You and Jake go out and look at it. With quite a bit of remodeling, it can be turned into the home studio of Jake’s dreams. Heading back inside, you thank Kathy and the two of you leave. On the drive home, you talk about the house and all the things you love about it. Growing more and more excited and nervous. A couple days later, you got the call that your offer had been accepted and you would have the keys in hand as early as two weeks from then.

You smile and the memory. The sound of footsteps pulls you back to reality. Jake walks in and clears his throat. You look over at him and grin.

“Is that the last one?” He asks.

“Yep! That’s the last of it.” You say with a sigh.

Jake walks over and lifts the box off the counter. “Do you want to take a look around before we leave?” He asks.

“Yeah, I just want to make sure we got everything.” You say.

Jake nods his head and leans over to give you a kiss on the cheek. Turning away, he carries the box out of your old apartment and down to the car. Taking a deep breath, you dump the rest of your coffee in the sink and rinse it out. Grabbing the marker you’d been using and your purse, you take one last look around the apartment. Finding nothing else that needed to be brought with you, you walk back into the living room. 

Jake is already standing at the door waiting for you. He smiles and asks, “Did you find anything we missed?”

“Nope, we didn’t miss a thing.” You say.

“Are you ready then?” He asks.

“Yeah, I’m ready.” You say.

The two of you walk out and you turn to lock the door behind you. With the door secured, you and Jake head down stairs. Jake goes on to the car and you go to the office to drop off your keys. Once you’ve left the keys at the front desk, you go to meet Jake at the car. Getting in, you get settled and buckle your seatbelt. 

Jake turns to you and asks, “All ready to go?”

You smile from ear to ear and say, “Yep. Let’s go!”

Jake grins and starts the car. Pulling out of the parking lot, he heads to your new home. Reaching over the middle console, he takes your hand.

“I love you.” He says, bringing your hand to his lips.

“I love you too.” You reply.

It doesn’t take long before you’re pulling into the driveway. Turning off the car, you and Jake sit there for a moment. 

“Welcome home.” Jake says softy.

“Welcome home love.”

taglist: @demolitionndann, @ichoosetheroad-gvf, @gvfjakesjooty, @gretavanloverleaver, @lolipopsandgumdrops, @lightmylove-gvf, @positivegvfthings, @myfavsstuff-blog, @gretavangroupie, @sunfl0wer-power, @writingcold

[whump-me]

Whumptober Day 20: Found Family

This is a standalone story in my original Mind Games universe, a modern-day sci-fi/fantasy thriller setting about ordinary humans with superhuman abilities and the people who want to use or destroy them. Full description in my Whumptober masterpost, which is linked in my pinned post.

This story contains: queerplatonic relationship, emotional whump, sad/bittersweet ending

Words: 2800

---

Not many people wandered into Sleepy Owl Books these days. And of the ones who did, hardly any stayed long enough in the used bookstore to find the door that led to the narrow basement stairs. Those who did, however, were rewarded by discovering one of the best-kept secrets in the city.

The ambience was somewhere between a casual basement den and an old-fashioned scholar’s study, with mismatched furniture strewn everywhere and ornately carved bookshelves of dark wood lining the walls. On winter afternoons, a fire burned in the fireplace. Sneetch, the bookstore cat, slept in front of the fire whenever it was burning. No one who had visited Sleepy Owl Books had ever seen Sneetch awake.

A small table in the corner of the room held carafes of coffee, hot chocolate, and some kind of spiced herbal tea. Jonathan had never figured out what the tea was, or how to find it anywhere but Sleepy Owl Books. Maybe it was made especially for this place. Maybe it was a hallucination brought on by the sleepy aura of the cat and the smell of old books.

He poured tea into an old chipped mug and settled in on the nearest couch, waiting for Xander.

The basement was built for relaxation, but Jonathan wasn’t here to relax. This was a business meeting—at least in theory.

In theory. But Jonathan and Xander were long past childhood training, when PERI had driven false wedges between members of their cohort by setting them against each other. Now that they were full operatives—living in the outside world full-time, with fake names they used more often than their old PERI designations—no one worried anymore about members of their cohort developing social bonds with one another. Their respective handlers had even noticed that the two of them worked well together, and started assigning them to missions together on a regular basis. It certainly wasn’t because they had complementary powers—they were both just ordinary telepaths.

Even so, old habits died hard. For most of their time growing up in PERI headquarters, friendship had been forbidden, a harshly punished luxury like candy or solitude. So even on days like today, when they were ostensibly meeting to discuss their next mission, they maintained the old habits of secrecy. Xander, who had discovered a love for books since moving out into the outside world, had discovered the basement of Sleepy Owl Books three years ago. Now they had most of their meetings here, and each watched for surveillance on their way in and out.

Footsteps on the creaky stairs made Jonathan jerk to attention. He turned his head, shoulders tense. Almost no one knew about this place, but there was always the chance someone else had happened to find their way down here. And if they had, it would no longer be suitable for a clandestine meeting today, and Jonathan and Xander would have to leave—separately, their conversation postponed for another day.

Not only because they would be discussing PERI business. But because even now, friendship felt forbidden. And anyone could be a PERI spy.

Jonathan needn’t have worried. The footsteps on the stairs belonged to Xander, who stepped into the room with a grin and opened his arms for a hug.

His grin looked… wrong. Tense. Waxy, almost, like he had to force it. But when Jonathan looked again, the wrongness was gone.

He set aside his misgivings and stood for a hug. He wrapped his arms around his best friend, careful not to spill his tea. The warmth of Xander’s hugs always filled a spot in him he had forgotten was empty. Each time, he could almost understand why PERI had forbidden friendship.

Sex was an enjoyable experience, as far as it went. It, too, had been forbidden during training. But once they had become full operatives and left headquarters, their handlers had pushed them toward the prospect of finding regular partners, extolling the mental health benefits of sexual release. But friendship was a deeper warmth, and more enduring. Friendship was a thing of the heart and the soul, not the body and its random electrical impulses.

It made sense, then, that friendship was something their handlers still danced around warily. It wasn’t forbidden, exactly, not anymore. It was even halfheartedly encouraged if it was useful for PERI’s purposes, as in their case with all their missions together. But they were certainly not told to seek it out. Underneath every conversation with Jonathan’s handler, when the topic of Xander came up, was a thread of silent judgment.

Jonathan tried to give himself over to that warmth now. But like Xander’s smile, the hug was different. Jonathan wasn’t imagining it. Xander felt stiff in his arms, and gave him an awkward pat on the back instead of his customary breath-stealing squeeze.

Jonathan pulled back, almost sending tea sloshing over the edges of his mug. “What’s wrong?” From this close, the sheen of fear in Xander’s eyes was unmistakable.

“I need to talk to you.” Xander placed his hands on Jonathan’s shoulders. He ran his fingers down the arms of Jonathan’s jacket with a slow, deliberate motion.

“I know,” said Jonathan. “You need to tell me about the next mission. You said your handler had something for us.” Jonathan took a step back, away from Xander’s hands. “What are you doing?”

“Checking for bugs.” Xander closed the distance between them again. He patted the underside of Jonathan’s arms, and unzipped his jacket to check the insides. He ran light fingers down the outside of Jonathan’s legs, all the way down to the ankle, where he squeezed before sliding a finger into each of the heels of Jonathan’s shoes.

He stood. “You’re clean.”

The fire burned merrily in the hearth, and the mug radiated warmth into Jonathan’s hand. Even so, Jonathan felt as cold as if he were standing outside on the sidewalk with his jacket still unzipped. “Xander… what is this about?”

“I’m leaving,” Xander said, his voice hushed.

“Leaving… the city? You’ve been reassigned?” The chill intensified. Jonathan wrapped his arms around himself. PERI wouldn’t reassign one of them without reassigning both of them. Would they?

Xander shook his head. “Nothing that simple.”

But he didn’t clarify. Jonathan quested for other meanings. “Leaving… me?” he ventured. His voice was small.

He had heard about breakups, of course. He watched enough TV to understand the concept. But he had always assumed it didn’t apply to him. He didn’t date—he wasn’t interested in the intricate dance of social negotiations it entailed. Besides, dating meant sex, and whatever the mental health benefits, he had always found it a lackluster experience.

Breakups were for romances. Not friendships. Certainly not friendships strong enough to be family, or more than family. And breakups were for ordinary people, not people raised in the crucible that had formed them. Not friends who had taken their first breaths in the same underground laboratory, who had spent their first years in the same nursery, who had begun operative training on the same day at five years old.

But then, who ever thought the concept of breaking up applied to their own relationship? No one. He had learned enough of the outside world for that. Everyone thought their own romance—their own friendship, their own family—was special. The reasons always differed, but the sentiment was the same.

But Xander shook his head. “No, never,” he said fervently. He bit his lip. “Or… I hope not.”

The chill reached Jonathan’s heart. “What do you mean, you hope not? Isn’t it your choice?”

“It is.” Xander gave him a slow, strangely grave nod. “I’m making a choice, Jonathan. A real choice. Maybe for the first time in my life.” He drew a shaky breath that made Jonathan’s heart clench. “I’m leaving PERI.”

“I don’t understand.” Jonathan searched Xander’s eyes for illumination. Xander’s anguished gaze shed no light on his words. “We don’t… we can’t leave PERI.”

“I can. I’ve thought it through.”

When? He had never spoken a word of this to Jonathan. “But… what do you mean, leave? We are government program. They made us. They created us to work for them. Without them… what would we even be?”

“I’m not sure.” Xander flashed him a brief, sickly smile. “But I’d like to find out.”

“They’ll catch you. You know they’re always watching.”

“I have a plan,” said Xander. “I’ve been working on it for a long time.”

“How long?” How many missions had they been on together while Xander had been thinking about this, never breathing a word? Had he been plotting this during the assassination in Munich? Or when they had plucked the secrets of the planned coup from the government minister’s mind in Belgium?

“It doesn’t matter,” Xander said, his eyes darting away. That was answer enough. “What matters is I have a plan—a good one. I can disappear.” His eyes found Jonathan’s again. “I can help us both disappear.”

“How?” But then Jonathan shook his head, because that wasn’t really what he wanted to know. “Why? Why would you want to leave?”

It was as unthinkable as a fish leaving water. PERI had chosen their DNA, strand by careful strand. PERI had cut them from their genetic mothers’ bellies. PERI had trained them, honed them, forged them into the weapons they were. Did a weapon choose to leave its wielder’s hand?

“I’ve been thinking about it on some level ever since we left finished training,” said Xander. “Maybe even before. Haven’t you?”

Jonathan stared at him in blank incomprehension. For the first time, he wondered if maybe he didn’t know his best friend at all.

“Back in headquarters, I didn’t really know what freedom meant,” said Xander. “I just thought it might be nice not to spend all our time training. But after we got out…” He spread his arms wide, as if to indicate the whole messy and terrifying outside world. “Haven’t you wondered what it would be like to live like everyone else? Being able to choose what we do with our lives? Not having to lie, and hide, and kill?”

Jonathan could honestly say he had never wondered that. Not for a single second. Why would he have? He wasn’t like everyone else. “We’re not them. We’re PERI operatives.”

“They told us this is our purpose,” he said. “They told us what they made us to be is the only thing we’re good for. They told us we don’t have a choice. They told us.”

“They created us for this! Our genetics don’t lie.”

“Who says we have to be what we were created to be?” Xander challenged. “Children rebel against what their parents want for them all the time. Haven’t you watched any TV?”

Jonathan had, of course he had, but apparently not the way Xander watched. Jonathan watched to learn about the outside world, and about how its people thought. Not to pretend he was one of the people on the screen, that he could step out of his skin and into theirs as easily as changing clothes.

“I was assigned to work in the library for a year back at headquarters,” Xander said. “Back when PERI thought they might assign me as an instructor instead of making a full operative.”

Jonathan remembered. He hadn’t known Xander well back then. And Xander hadn’t been called Xander then, of course. He’d only had a designation, like the rest of them. Back then, he had only been the one the other spoke of in hushed tones, as if to talk too loudly would be to draw his fate down on the rest of them.

Xander’s combat scores were too low—his reflexes too slow, his choices too timid. His telepathy was too weak. The threat of recycling had hung heavily over him—not as a punishment, but as a simple consequence of not being good enough.

The instructors, too, had spoken about him in whispers. They had talked about his brains, about what a waste it would be. They had tried to find some possible alternate use for him—but what other use could there be for someone bred to be an operative?

And then Xander’s telepathy had matured, and his scores had gone up, and it all became a moot point anyway.

“While I was working in the library, I did some research,” Xander continued. “Our powers are just a genetic mutation—one PERI figured out how to successfully breed for. But PERI didn’t create it. People in the outside world have it, too.”

Jonathan shook his head.

“It’s true,” Xander insisted. “Even some operatives know it—the ones whose missions involve going up against other Enhanced. That’s what we’re called—did you know that?”

“We’re called PERI operatives.” Jonathan didn’t see why they had to be anything else.

“They told us our abilities mean we have to work for them,” said Xander. “But it’s not true.”

“Even if you’re right,” said Jonathan, “why does it matter? Why would you want to leave?”

Now Xander was the one looking at him like he was an alien, like they had never understood each other at all. “Doesn’t everyone want to leave? Don’t we all think about it sometimes?”

“I’m doing what I was born for,” said Jonathan. “I’m using my gift for the greater good. I have the chance to make the world a better place with what I can do—we all do. Because of PERI.”

Xander shook his head slowly. His eyes were equal parts uncomprehending and pitying. “You actually believe all that, don’t you?”

“If you don’t want to be what you were made to be,” Jonathan said, “then what do you want?”

“I want to live,” Xander said. “And… I’d rather not do it alone.” He held out a hesitant hand to Jonathan. “Come with me.”

“We are living. We’re living the lives we were born for—how many people can say that?” Jonathan stared into Xander’s eyes, pleading. “I don’t know what you think you’ll find, but there’s nothing out there for you. You already know your purpose. Stay.”

Slowly, Xander lowered his hand.

“When are you leaving?” Jonathan’s words came out in a whisper.

“Tomorrow,” said Xander. “I couldn’t risk talking about it before now. Too much risk of being caught.”

It made perfect sense to Jonathan. Even so, Xander’s silence felt like a betrayal.

Xander opened his arms to him again. Jonathan carefully set his cup down. Then he wrapped his arms around his friend for what he knew was the last time.

This time, Xander’s hug was exactly as it should have been. There was no hesitation; there were no awkward back pats. Xander squeezed so hard Jonathan almost couldn’t breathe.

Jonathan squeezed back.

He knew what he had to do now. He knew it as surely as he knew what he had been born for. He had to report Xander to PERI. Otherwise, a fully trained PERI operative would be loose in the world, a weapon with no one to aim him but himself.

Either that, or Jonathan should end Xander’s life himself. It would probably be kinder than what PERI would do.

Slowly, reluctantly, he let his arms fall back to his sides. Xander squeezed for a few seconds longer, then let go.

“Goodbye.” Jonathan couldn’t speak above a whisper. “I hope I’ll see you again.”

Xander shook his head. “I won’t be able to come back. It would be too dangerous—I’d be caught.” Again, he held out a hand. “But it’s not too late. You can come with me.”

“Goodbye,” Jonathan said again, and waited until Xander lowered his hand and turned away.

As Xander started back up the stairs, Jonathan understood what he had to do. He also knew he wouldn’t do it.

He knew, from the look he had seen in Xander’s eyes just before he had turned away, that that wasn’t enough for him. Xander thought Jonathan had chosen PERI over their friendship. Xander thought Jonathan had never cared about him as much as he had thought.

But Jonathan knew the truth. He knew he was doing all he could to protect his friend. What more could he do? He was a PERI operative. Even this much made him feel squirmy inside, like his skin didn’t fit right.

And he would do it for Xander. Even though Xander was leaving him. Even though he had never really known Xander at all.

That truth would have to keep him warm now.

---

Tagged: @cakeinthevoid @gala1981

Ask to be added or removed from my Whumptober 2023 taglist.

[asikubi-soda]

2022 Xmas『1983』

Chapter 1

There is only one window with a light. The residential area is asleep, and a thin moon floats in the night sky. A silent snow scene covered the area.

The houses that are built in a row are long vertically, and the snow that has been falling since this morning is stored on the roofs that are connected. One of them, the window on the second floor, was drawn with a curtain, and the repeated creak of the bed stopped in the magic-covered room in the leaking light. Embracing each other's rough breathing, wiping each other's sweat, putting on shirts and underwear and lying down.

"Not cold?"

Remus Lupine lifted his wand and pointed it at the bedroom fireplace. The room has a fireplace, a sofa in front of it, bookshelves across the fireplace, and a bed under the window on the other side. The December air was pleasant to my burning body, and it gradually melted into the warm room.

Severus Snape, who was looking up at the ceiling next to Lupine, looked back at his beard. Pulling up the comforter that was pushed against the wall, Snape sat up and picked up the notebook on the nightstand. A cane and a bookmark are sandwiched between them.

There is a nightstand next to the bed. Above it lay a table lamp, Lupin's watch, Snape's half-read book, and a glass.

He leans back on his pillow, puts the notebook on his lap and traces the bookmark. Snape looks down next to him. Then Lupine's arms hugged him around his waist and buried his face in his side.

"Is there anything you want?"

"No."

"nothing?"

"Relentless."

Snape groaned in the back of his throat, and Lupine laughed through his nose, inhaling his lovely scent and thinking about it. Snape's knotty hand stroked Lupine's thoughtful hair, reaching down to his beard. This gesture of stroking him to check his length was his habit at this time.

"I'm so happy right now, I can't imagine..."

As Lupine said this, Snape turned his attention from the letters in his notebook to beard face.

"You are."

"yeah?"

"Is there anything you want?"

Lupine looks up at him as he kisses Snape's hand as he pulls away.

"Hmm... I'm really worried, are you going to give it to me?"

"Otherwise, why are you asking?"

"Haha, that's right."

Lupine looked at the hands he kissed and held them together, looking at the bookshelves in the room and an idea. Then he looked up at Snape, who narrowed his eyes.

"How about another new book?"

"you?"

"No, to you."

Snape furrowed his brows, and Lupine smiled happily again.

"Is there a book you want? I'll look for it again."

"I said no."

"I want to give you a present. I don't know what books you don't have anymore. Is there nothing you really want? ”

This bedroom isn't the only book Snape has. The bookshelves in his room on the first floor are filled with the books he has read so far. In addition to that, the vacant room across the street is also filled with things that overflowed from his room.

Looking away from Lupin's expectant gaze, Snape seemed to be thinking about the bookshelves in his room. Lupine looks up at it and wraps his clasped hands as he speaks.

"I'm going to see my parents tomorrow, and I want to go see James after that..."

Lupine also stared at the bookshelf thoughtfully, then saw Snape looking at him.

"...You should stay the night."

Snape furrows his brows and squints, and Lupine smiles and leans beside him, hugging his shoulders.

"Have you decided which book you want?"

Snape more frowned and looked at Lupine.

"Let's go shopping together. I want Lily to buy something and then go to James."

"Do not ignore."

"No, I want to be with you."

They looked at each other, Snape looking away first. He looks down at his notebook and squeezes back Lupin's hand next to it.

"I thought you were going today..."

"Yeah, but since you came home early, I wanted to be with you."

Lupine shook his hand and kissed Snape on the cheek.

"I'm going to see my parents in the morning tomorrow, so shall we meet outside? Where would you like… Hogsmeade? ”

"There are students there."

Snape shook his head, and Lupine frowned in thought.

"Well then..."

"Don't overdo it. I stay home."

Snape lifted up the wand that had been in his notebook next to Lupin, who was seriously thinking. From the sofa in front of the fireplace, quills and ink bottles follow Snape's wand. It landed on the nightstand.

Snape put his wand on his nightstand and grabbed a quill, and Lupine leaned forward to put his wand next to him. Then he looks at Snape and smiles embarrassedly.

"I want to eat the chocolate you bought me."

Lupine muttered, and Snape lifted his head and closed his eyes on his lips that slowly overlapped. After a tender kiss, Snape lifted his eyelids to see the same bearded face staring back at him. Kiss him again and he smiles happily. That's enough, but...

"Chocolate is sold everywhere."

Snape frowned slightly and dipped the tip of his quill into the ink bottle. Lupine had a loose mouth as he stared at his profile.

"together?"

"Even if you buy it and wait here"

"Nope, let's go together."

Lupine hugged me with his hands, and even when he groaned, I put my arms around my waist and didn't leave. The notebook that Snape looked down on was filled with his writings without gaps. It was something he always had when he started teaching at Hogwarts.

“Are you already in class for next year?”

When Lupine asks, Snape looks down at his notebook and sees the grades written next to each student's name. and put a check mark there.

"Starting next year, we will limit the number of students who can receive advanced magic potions. Those who didn't get a good grade in the next owl don't deserve it."

After checking, Lupine blinked in surprise as Snape looked next to him.

"If you can't get good grades, then you can't expect to be a newt. It's going to take a lot of time and effort. It's better to concentrate on other classes than to continue doing boring classes by inertia."

"Well, I guess it depends on the you,professor, but you must be busy. Are you okay?"

Turning to the next page, Snape didn't look up, but added ink to his quill again.

"No problem. This will make things easier again."

“Isn’t there also a job for the dormitory superintendent?”

"It just puts your dormitory first. The penalties are still a bit tricky...but you'll get used to it."

Under Lupine's worried gaze, Snape seemed to be writing additional ingredients for the class' concoctions.

"Rather than say us, shall we tell you what James and the others have been doing? If you don't know...wouldn't it be helpful..."

When Snape stopped his hand and looked up, his eyes met the face that was looking at the notebook.

"If I can help you, I want to be your strength."

The bearded face staring straight at me kisses my cheek and embraces me as if to be considerate. Snape sighs into his arm and tells the truth.

"Penalties are recorded and kept in the castle."

"I see…"

Lupine let out a small sigh of disappointment.

"But if it's a story that slipped through it, it wouldn't hurt to hear it. Besides, I've heard most of the information."

Lupin's face lit up as Snape spoke.

"Haha, you're right. Of course, I'll tell you all about it. James and the others graduated without a hitch. Would you like to keep it to yourself?"

"I promise."

Snape chuckled, and they both laughed, but Lupine felt sorry for his friend.

"Yeah, tomorrow..." Lupine leans forward and looks at his watch on the table with an itchy smile. "No, it's already today. Shall we meet for lunch and talk then? I'll be able to meet James later."

"Yes, do what you like."

Snape snorted and went back to work.

"Yeah, I'll write down the location and send an owl."

To enjoy this time, Lupine lay down again, hugged him, and fell asleep. Snape read his notebook again and looked down at the sleeping face next to him as he heard soft breathing. He dismisses his bangs and puts his hands on his cheeks, but there is no sign of getting up.

He puts the notebook back and places it next to Lupin's wand. Then he puts aside his arm, who seems to be sound asleep, and lies down. As Snape reached out his arm to pull the string of the table lamp, he awoke behind him and was held close to him. Lupine puts his nose into the back of Snape's neck, takes a deep breath, and falls back asleep... before that…

"...good night, Severus..."

[saetine]

. * _ MODERN SATINE APARTMENT, + NOTES:

in any of satine's modern verses, including but not limited to dc, vampire, and her simply modern verse, she lives in a small one bedroom one bathroom apartment.

living room: satine's living room has many plants within it, it's a small habit she's developed, trying to keep them alive ( she's not bad, but she's not great either ). one of her walls is painted a sage green color, and for the most part she has a semi-maximalism aesthetic in her living room. most of the art she has is gifted or thrifted, but she has a great appreciation for any and every form of decor. she has a rug in the center of the room that is deep red and patterned with tan and green pieces. her couch is l-shaped, and is a light grey. while she doesn't have a tv, she does have two bookshelves filled with only fictional novels, she loves stories and particularly loves fantasies and romances. she has one small coffee table, that often has some books scattered on it. she also has a record player in the corner of the room, and a small collection of primarily jazz and french music. she also has a wood burning fireplace that she lights around the wintertime.

bedroom: her bedroom itself is almost the opposite of her living room, it is plain white with white bedding and only one piece of art that sits over her bedframe. it's a sketch of paris with a gold frame. she also has a small bench sat underneath windows on her wall. the bench is a green velvet bench with gold accents. she prefers her room to be for sleeping, a sanctuary with nothing to overwhelm her. she spends very little time in her bedroom, unless she's with christian or another partner. no one from the moulin has come into her bedroom, ever. it is her room specifically and hers only.

kitchen: her kitchen is quite small, with only two small countertops, both on either side of a small, four plated gas stove. she is not a great cook, but does enjoy her kitchen. she has a coffee maker, not an expensive one, but a simple $20 one from a general store, and she prefers her coffee completely black. she also has a kettle, because she loves herbal teas. she doesn't have a dining room table, but does have a small countertop as seen in the bottom right, with two bar stools made out of light wood.

bathroom: her bathroom is fairly old, and doesn't have a shower, but does have a shower head attached to the bathtub. the bathroom is extremely tight, but is fairly warm and one of satine's favorite places in her apartment. the floors are in a small tiled pattern, and the sink is a stand alone porcelain sink with gold faucet and handles. the bath itself is built into the wall. she also has a few plants sitting on the windowsill of her bathroom.

[superpolishyeti]

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