#but the core thing is that the fae have cut off contact with the human realm after seeing what horrors they were wreaking with technology | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

ratabrasileira · 4 years ago

Text

Him and Her and Nothing Else

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Characters belong to Sarah J. Maas.

Summary: When Helion found a young beautiful lady whose hair was like fire, he could not take his eyes from her.

That year's Equinox Ball was spectacular; Faeries laughed and talked so much that it echoed throughout the Summer Court. Some couples danced in the center of the palace while human servants (the most beautiful that the Summer Court held) passed carrying trays and trays, full of drinks and typical spring foods. The servants did their best not to be noticed when they passed between the tables.

Tables which, in one of them, was a beautiful and young lady. Her fiery hair contrasted strongly with the blue and green tones of summer, his white skin, like porcelain, seemed to reflect the golden tones of sunlight that hovered over the place. Helion was intoxicated by her beauty, to take his eyes off her would be the same as committing an unfaithful and even sinful act. So, since the beautiful lady had set foot in the palace, Helion had not been distracted by anything else.

The afternoon went on, the dance floor becoming fuller as drinks and food became useless. The moon was beginning to break when Helion finally found herself exchanging glances with the red-haired female who, now in the night darkness, seemed to have come to life. The young woman's russet eyes called to him, invoked him. That female, Helion realized, had woken up something deep and hungry, very hungry, which lay in the deepest core of his soul.

The moon was now over them. During this period, hands and eyes were in contact, but none of them took the trouble to take the first step, whether out of cowardice or pride. However, if Helion was sincere with himself, he didn't care. In fact, he even liked it. If she wanted to play ... Well, then make him a worthy opponent. Let the desire consume him completely, let the craving make him crazy, dirty, immoral.

She was not stupid; she had noticed since she arrived at the Summer Court the warm look that the beautiful faerie fixed on her person. By the edges of the Cauldron, he was divine. His short hair was as dark as a starless night, his brown skin seemed to emanate from the sun's rays as well as his gaze ... She did her best not to match those flames that invoked her into his arms.

But by the end of the afternoon, she had already burned herself in those eyes that eroded all her skin.

And it was for the last bump of hands that she found herself driving between pillars until she reached the ground level of the beach, where at the end was a pier, latter happily filled with ships and barges. She knew that he had followed her. She felt all of his attention on her person, on her ass ... Well, she really had something to show, anyways, and she even liked it. No other males. Other males she thought it to be dirty, disgusting; despicable. But, gods, when he looked at her like that there was no morality whatsoever that would make her be the good girl she was. When he looked at her like that it was just her and him and nothing else.

She entered a barge that appeared to be empty, adrenaline rushing through her vein like a shooting star through the sky. Both seemed to be so desperate to touch each other that they barely noticed the boldness of what they were doing. Helion, however, didn't care at all. All her attention was on her, on her ass that rolled gently with every calculated step, in the long curly hair that fluttered over her back. For the Mother, he was dying to touch them, smell them.

When he found himself, he was inside a partially empty room. It looked abandoned. Helion could have stuck looking around if it weren't for the russet gleam in her eyes, cutting off all the bonds that held them back. Clothes were thrown on the floor when, without saying a word, his mouths intertwined and formed a dance that pulsed throughout his body in a single rhythm. That the Cauldron boils him, that was divine. The heat of her small body against his, her smell of roasting chestnuts and crackling fires, her hair tangled in his fingers and the sounds that came out of the back of her throat. It all made him crazy. Maybe he was indeed going crazy.

"Wait." It was breathless and hurried along with a groan. Even so, Helion could hear the essence of her voice: sweet and delicate, prettier than many songs. He pulled away enough to watch her countenance, her eyes. Eyes that were no longer on his. She had looked away, the shyness now consuming her.

"I never ..." Helion uselessly waited for her to finish. Not that it was necessary, as he understood exactly what she meant.

"Do you want?" The thick voice boomed for her whole being. Yes, she did, but she was afraid. Not because of the location or even of him, in fact she was already experienced in some things, she knew what was waiting for her. But what would her situation be if she was promised to another male? Still, what she felt for this fae in front of her was unique; never in her life had she felt this way, especially for someone who had only communicated with glances.

Slowly, she looked back at him. If through glances is how they talk, let it show what she wanted.

And he realized precisely what she wanted.

***

A few months had passed since she last heard of Helion, heir of the Day Court and ... Her first time. That night, after both were ecstatic, the two spent hours and hours talking about everything and nothing. There was a connection with him so unexpected and intense that it was impossible not to remember how full and happy she had felt with him, as if she had met herself. She even dared to wonder if he was her mate.

Now she was in her room waiting for bedtime and practicing the crochet that her mother insisted she to learn. As if crochet could prepare her for the war. Perhaps she would use one of the needles to pluck the enemy's eye. The thought made her laugh with scorn, even though her stomach had been twisting.

The war, fortunately, had not broken out, but she knew that something was to come, either in a few years or in a few decades. The Loyalists, those who defended slavery, were feeling increasingly threatened by the abolitionist movement that some courts in Prythian as well as some territories on the continent were in favor.

The Autumn Court, however, had not released the slaves who served there. She wisely was not content with that; she had seen the happiness of some humans who heard news that the Solar Courts had freed their servants, the desire shone in the eyes of those dark creatures. She wanted to have the power to deliver them. She wanted to have the power to make the world a just and peaceful place.

A knock took her out of her reverie. She tried to locate where the noise had come from, but nothing inside her room seemed out of the ordinary. It was then that she heard it again. It came from the window, which had her full attention. This time she got to see. It was a stone, or at least it looked like one, except the fact that when it hit somewhere it shone. It shone like him ...

She ran to open the window. If it were really him ... Gods, she would jump from the window’s height to receive him.

But Helion's tall, dark figure was nowhere to be found. In fact, there was no one in the gardens. A weight settled on her chest. She felt stupid and silly; how would someone from another court find out where she lived? Who was she for Prythian, besides the youngest daughter of a noble family at the Autumn Court? Plus, what if everything she felt that night was not reciprocal, but something that only she felt as an emotional female. For Helion, perhaps, that moment meant nothing.

Disappointed, she stepped out of the window to brood for the rest of the night, but from her peripheral vision she saw something sparkle between logs and bushes that made her halt. The glow was the same golden that the stone had gleamed. This time, however, she just watched the spot where something had blinked, she waited for the second signal.

And it was as if it had read her thoughts, because in a few seconds she was already running on the autumn grass, ready to receive her beloved.

Helion wouldn't admit it, but he was nervous to meet the beautiful lady with the fiery hair. They had long ago met, what if she hadn't found anything special that night? What if all the feelings in her russet eyes were just a prank in his mind? What if she hadn't received a signal from him and he was waiting for her there, on the cold autumn night, alone? However, when faced with the barefoot and disheveled figure in front of him, he forgot all of the concerns. Whatever if he was in a court that defended slavery? At that moment it was just him and her and nothing else.

"How?" She gasped. Even if messed up, she was still beautiful, marvelous.

“Come on, Sunshine. A courteous man never says his means.” He replied, giving her one of his best smiles. A smile that made her lose all the air in her lungs, not that there was any air in there anyway.

"As long as no one died for that, I'm happy, in fact." She returned his smile and Helion was sure that the world had stopped.

It was him and her and nothing else.

***

Three months had passed since the last time she had seen Helion. That night they intertwined in a different way, there was something intimate and affectionate there, not that her first time was not, but that night in the forest the sex was less ... fiery, but still, more ardent than the fire that crackled under her skin. Fire which some yearned to tame, a matter now discussed by her and her sisters.

"I heard mom talk to dad that maybe the High Lord will choose you!" Her older sister squeaked. Apart from the eyes and the nose, the two were very similar. Both had their mother's red, curly hair, although her sister's was slightly smoother.

“Gods, the High Lord! When did you hear that?” His other sister, younger than the other, questioned. Among the three, she had taken after her father; wavy brown hair, gentle eyes and a thin mouth that now displayed a mischievous smile.

“Last night, when I was going to bed. I accidentally caught part of the conversation.” A half-timid smile opened, although there was pride hidden there. "Anyway, if the High Lord really wants you, sister, you should prepare yourself, especially to train your resistance for the wedding." More boring ceremony seemed to have been added quietly.

Wedding. Since she was a child, she was prepared among with her sisters to be chosen by an important High Fae. This was how things worked in some Prythian courts: females were chosen by some important male in order to be able to reproduce the lineage. The more powerful, the better. Case of the three sisters. The older two, for the happiness of the parents, had already married, leaving only she, single and with the probability of a High Lord asking for her hand in marriage.

Her thoughts unconsciously turned to Helion. They had exchanged a way of communicating other than by glowing stones or bribes to find each other's homes. Now they spoke for a spell that Helion had mastered and taught her. Simple and practical: just write something on any piece of paper and he would be notified by the magic of the mind, he said, and the person would have the choice of accepting the note or not. She thought it was great, although she couldn't quite understand how the magic of the mind worked. It was simply a tug that seemed to come from the core of her brain, it was like some type of instinct.

"I don't know if I want to marry him." The question was said weakly.

"What?" Her sisters exclaimed in unison. The three knew there was no choice.

"I ..." She took a deep breath. "I met someone and he is ... perfect."

When she saw the sisters' arched eyebrows, she was sure that she had said something wrong, but now it was too late, she then proceeded to explain about him.

She talked about how they had met. About how his swagger and looks had won her over. About how beautiful and profound that night on the barge had been for both of them. About how, with a few words, the two could understand each other as equals; one soul in different bodies. About how the smiles he kept for her made her forget everything else. About when they were together it was just her and him and nothing else.

However, when finished she did not expect a silly look from her older sister, let alone an incredulous look from her middle sister.

"Sister, do you think this Helion could be your ... Mate?" As always, the older sister had come straight to the point. There was no fooling around with her. Maybe that's why it had always been easier for her.

“No, we cannot think that way. Be logical and stop thinking with your heart” The other sister answered. "If all my passions were my mate, I would have several!"

"But what we have ... I don't know, I don't know how the bond works, I just know that ... If I accept Beron's request. That is, if he proposes something to me–.” The two rushed to assert that there would be a request. "Okay, but ... What am I going to do with Helion? Mother above, how will the High Lord deal with the fact that I am no longer a virgin !?”

"Sister, when the High Lord comes to propose you will have to forget-"

"But what if he really is my mate?!"

The three fell silent before the proposition. It was the oldest who broke the silence:

"Do you love him?"

Do you love him? Was it possible for someone to love another person knowing so little about him? Was it possible that only in two meetings and some (many) exchanged letters such a deep and beautiful feeling grown up there? Deep and beautiful like the conversations they had in person.

"What if I do?"

Notes: I'm willing to make this a long fic which shows a little about Helion x Lady A relationship, but eeww it'll be hard to not make something ambiguous (sjm pls give me Lady. A's name)

#acotar #acotar fic #acotar fanfic #helion's fic #helion x lady of autumn #my writing #helion #lady of the autumn court #my fic

21 notes · View notes

jmoriarty-221b · 4 years ago

Text

New AU idea: I’ve found out that there’s some versions of the Batman comics where Tim Drake becomes Red Robin straight off the bat (he was never Robin & didn’t go to Batman) so I’m running with that

This Tim Drake doesn’t find Batman all that amazing, he recognizes Batman as a hero and as a symbol of Hope for Gotham, but he also sees him as just one man trying to make a difference, he holds more admiration towards Robin, specifically Jason’s Robin since he knows Gotham in ways Batman doesn’t, he checks on the street kids and the homeless, makes hot chocolate runs for the working girls when he can, and he is more interested in helping those in Crime Alley, a place where Batman and the previous Robin didn’t tend to patrol before Jason

And Tim has never been a normal child, there’s really no way for him to be human but there’s also no way to prove that he isn’t human, he passes the DNA tests, he doesn’t have a meta gene, he doesn’t have a mutation nor a difference in genetics, physiologically? There’s nothing to prove that Tim is anything other than human. In practice? Tim isn’t exactly limited if he cut off a limb, if he were to be shot in the head it would take approximately five minutes for him to heal back up, he can decide whether or not a wound will leave scars on his body, he can choose whether or not a mortal wound would put him in the ground permanently, most importantly, he can choose whether or not to contact his crew from the Isle that was supposed to be his home

There’s a reason as to why Tim isn’t exactly fond of heroes, after all, heroes decided to sentence countless of children yet to be born to a life of pain, suffering and poverty amongst an island filled with villains, heroes are the ones who put a barrier over the Isle that prevented its occupants from accessing their magic, heroes are the reason that his fae sisters and djinn brother and sea witch cousin and pirate friends are unable to access a part of themselves, he reason that they are unable to grow up properly and learn to control and feel and channel their magical cores, heroes are the reason for why him and his family hide behind fake names, and if it wasn’t for his parents’ quick thinking and preparations to flee then heroes would’ve been the reason he would’ve also grown up imprisoned and unable to access an integral part of himself

So no, Tim isn’t exactly impressed by the Batman

But Gotham exudes a similar signature as the one of the Isle of the Lost, making it the one place to where his parents could establish themselves undetected as the pollution would obscure their magical signatures had anyone looked for them, of course, Tim wasn’t old enough to learn how to lock down his own magical core in a way that wasn’t detrimental to himself, so he couldn’t be taken out of Gotham to accompany his parents on their numerous trips around the world, and such was his boredom that he decided to take advantage of his lack of adult supervision and explore Gotham

Having been taught about what became of the people he would’ve known as family from his parents as well as reading up every book he could in the ancient family library regarding long distance communication with magical kin, Tim ends up with a plan to meet with kids on the Isle as soon as he can, it turns out that establishing communication with the Isle requires for him to be in a part of Gotham that has the same atmosphere as the Isle, so Little Tim sets up shop in a semi secure rooftop in Crime Alley and establishes communication, needless to say he’s in for a surprise because “Oh wow why are you there Mr. Hades, you could escape any time and there’s no way those mortals could hope to contain your power, so why are you on the Isle?”

Turns out that attempting communication from a place surrounded by death and sorrow would lead to Tim establishing a magical video chat with the Lord of the Underworld, who’d’ve thunk? Anyway, Hades is literally just chilling for the next hundred years on the Isle because it’s easier to agree to mortals’ demands than obliterate them, and it’s less paperwork too so win-win, and one afternoon he’s suddenly communicating with one of the cutest little chipmunks he’s seen (kids are cute, and Tim is still a baby so he’s Tiny Cute) who introduced himself as Timothy Dwake and isn’t that just precious that the little tyke still has trouble with his r’s but how is he able to communicate with him on the Isle oh, that’s Janet’s kid, well shit guess he has a godson now (Janet had always wanted for Tim to be protected and that’s why she had been one of the few to escape the Isle, she had been a good friend back in the day so it seemed only fair for him to return the favor by looking out for Tiny Tim; it has nothing to do with Tim’s very cute face and slightly chubby cheeks that he kinda wants to pinch and his cute little lisp no Persephone I’m not attached-)

Anyway, so Tim ends up learning from his Uncle H on how to control his magical core and how to defend himself against physical and magical threats, he has a talent for using shadows to conceal himself as well as to listen in on others and gather information, if he concentrates really hard he can even manipulate shadows into solid figures, once he told this to his Uncle new training lessons began and now Tim is able to maintain his shadow constructs solid for longer periods of time as well as give them shape, over time he would learn more control over his ability and it will become easier to make weapons from shadows, his Uncle H also trains him in combat, particularly lost forms of combat from ancient civilizations

One particular night Tim wasn’t able to go to their meeting spot in Crime Alley, there was an Arkham Breakout and he wasn’t about to be caught up in that shit because could he fight off some villains and protect himself? Sure, but that would mean a possibility of getting the Batman’s attention and he’s not about to do that so staying at home it is, and now he is walking alone in the Drake gardens, he has no one to practice his fighting techniques with, no one to talk to, no one to teach him about what’s happening in the Isle, no one to teach him how to control his powers and his parents are gone for most of the year and they say that they’ll take him with them when he’s older but they’ve been saying that for years and now he’s much better at concealing his power and the King of Auradon believes he put every villain away for good so it’s not like they’re searching for his magical signature anyway so WHY WON’T HIS PARENTS TAKE HIM WITH THEM!?!?!? WHY IS HE ALWAYS LEFT ALONE!?!?!?

As he got progressively angrier, Tim hadn’t noticed how his power became stronger, how shadows grew larger, nor how the ground seemed to tremble and crack, it wasn’t until the ground literally split in front of him that he realized that maybe his power may have gotten out of hand, a bit, maybe, to be fair, he didn’t mean to summon a skeleton warrior with who he could practice his fighting with but hey, silver lining and all that, and he has something else to tell his Uncle H about in their next meeting (Hades may or may not have blessed his godson, and the blessing may or may not have given Tim some sort of control over his domains)

Anyway, eventually Tim learns how to see what’s happening in the Isle on his own from a sort of bird’s eye view, he sees what kids his age are going through and tries to find ways to alleviate the pain, he begins to talk to the kids and establishes rapport with them, he becomes friends with little Uma and Harry by bonding over swordplay, he gives Jay and Carlos tips for how to find the best hiding spots, he learns from Evie how to hide more stuff in his clothes and how to add more protective fabrics to his wardrobe, he and Mal bond over high parental expectations (she reminds him of Hades sometimes, and he thinks her eyes are a very pretty green with gold flecks sprinkled in, he may have a crush???) (Psssst, Mal likes Tim’s eyes too, she thinks it’s very pretty how they seem to change shades depending on his mood and when he’s happy they match her purple hair) *cue cuteness from these unfortunate little beans because yes*

Anyway, Tim has been working on creating a portal to a secluded part of the Isle from where he could send supplies to kids there, he was 8 years old when he started looking into this possibility after managing to make friends with the kids and now, at 13, he has finally managed to make it happen, he can only send non-living things through the portal tho, because although theoretically he Could send himself over, then he’d be stuck behind the barrier and couldn’t access his magic so that’s a big no, and he also can’t take the risk of getting someone from the Isle out because he can’t guarantee their safety (he tried with small insects and one time with a mouse; they died); the first thing he sends are medical supplies, food and bottled water, at first it’s only for his close friends, then they all establish a sort of routine and plan to get these supplies to other kids while hiding what they’re doing from their parents behind the guise of building their own gang on the Isle, Uma with the pirates and Mal with the inner city, Tim becomes their sort of advisor on important matters having seen what strategy tends to work when recruiting people as well as how to better approach street kids, he gets nicknamed the Shadow Angel for helping from behind the curtain, literally

Tim continues to learn as much as he can from his Uncle H, shadows Robin around Crime Alley, avoids gaining Batman’s attention and acquires supplies to send to the Isle three times a week from different places (he’s gotta cover his tracks, otherwise he runs the risk of getting Batman’s attention even if it’s just because the same person keeps buying food, water and medical supplies from various stores each week) but Tim has money, and he has experience regarding gangs and their recruiting and internal works (he’s helping his friends make their own gangs after all) and these people are in need of help as well, so he decides to make his own ‘gang’ by hiring people to do supply runs for him, he poses as a recruiter and gives fliers with information about his own gang and the benefits that joining will have (health insurance, dental, payed maternity leave, payed recuperation period, payed physical therapy and medical bills in case Batman decides to pop in, education is provided for anyone who wishes to get their GED and continue their education, etc); in the end, Tim keeps the Boss’ identity a secret until he reaches adulthood because no one would take a kid seriously, but he ends up amassing his own gang in Gotham while at the same time improving the life of people in poverty areas like Crime Alley and the Bowery

Of course, everything comes to a head when Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos are elected to go to school in Auradon leaving Uma as the only leader on the Isle, meanwhile Tim has been keeping tabs on Robin and gets to save Jason from Joker in Ethiopia (turns out being able to summon a skeleton army comes in handy when rescuing Robin from a deranged psychopath like Joker) so Tim is simultaneously saving Jason while still trying to remain anonymous to Batman (he’s built and maintained an entire gang in the most crime ridden part of Gotham for years, he’s not about to get involved with the Bats now)

So Tim only finds out about what happened to Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos until they’re already in Auradon and decides you know what? Fuck it, I’m gonna meet my friends face to face, besides, he can handle maintaining a gang in Gotham, he’s sure he can handle Auradon (update: he cannot, he’s this close 🤏 to rocking someone’s shit, he proposes overtaking the kingdom twice a day, he knows they could do it, and it’ll be easy even, but it’s the paperwork that’s holding them back, meh, let Ben do the grunt work and become an advisor, at least their manipulations would be in favor of improving the life of kids in poverty unlike other people who just want to get more money from their position close to the crown, gotta love politics)

Anyway, Tim Drake does become Red Robin, gang leader and benevolent overlord of Crime Alley and the Bowery, helping Gotham citizens and being the Shadow Angel of the Isle, plotting Auradon’s downfall for fun on his slow days as well as working on taking out the kids from the Isle and setting up safe houses for them for when he and his friends figure out how to save the kids

#tim drake #humor #Evie #Jay #Carlos #Mal #Uma #Harry #Villain Kids #Ben whatever his last name is #Auradon Kids #the Isle of the Lost is basically Crime Alley but worse somehow #Janet and Jack used to be on the ‘villains’ side #Janet used to help Hades #Hades sees Tiny Tim and decides he has a godson now #Tiny Tim and Little Mal thinking each other’s eyes are pretty #they have crushes on each other but they’re good friends and it’s cute #they deserve love #Tim becomes the Shadow Angel #he helps Uma and Mal make their own gangs on the Isle #then decides to make his own gang in Gotham because he could do it better #and he does #Batman doesn’t even know of the Red Robin gang #Tim still likes Robin tho #because Jason cares about Crime Alley and the people there #Tim saves Jason #Jason Lives #as he should #Tim goes to Auradon with Mal🤘🏻#he suggests treason everyday because it’s too sunny

27 notes · View notes

big-bad-ulf · 4 years ago

Text

It’s All Fun and Games || Ulfric & Tasmyn

Timing: Sunday 28th of June Parties: @tasmyn-pearce, @big-bad-ulf Summary: Ulf and Taz go to the carnival. Strength is tested. Prizes are won. The mythical dog lion is found. Warnings: None guys everything’s fine!

Ulfric could hardly believe he had set foot on the carnival grounds again, but as he’d emerged through the ever-present fog and stepped across the threshold this time, he’d found the pressing desire to leave immediately that had come over him before wasn’t there. In fact, the flashing lights seemed less glaring and the screams of the patrons less grating than they had during his last visit, despite both his vision and hearing having sharpened since then with the waxing of the moon. A small part of that had to do with the fact he’d remembered to wear dark tinted glasses to help with the light problem, but he suspected the larger part of it had to do with the reason for this visit. Rather than attending out of obligation, like he had with Orobas, he was there this time by his own choice simply because he enjoyed Tasmyn’s company.

It had been so long since he’d gotten the chance to spend time with anyone for that reason that the occasion necessitated a special effort. Which was why he’d showered in an actual shower for the first time in weeks in preparation (though, he thought, in his own defense, when eyeballs had been trickling out of people's plumbing the mountain stream on his property had seemed the more hygienic option) and why he’d arrived early to purchase a greeting gift before he headed to their agreed-upon meeting spot. “It’s good to see you again, Tasmyn” He greeted her warmly when he got there, carrying a stick of cotton candy bigger than his head. “I must confess, I did already have to pay the carnival a visit, though purely for business reasons.” Or in the interest of the pack, anyway, which was close enough. “I used my familiarity with the venue to get you this though.” He offered the humongous confection cloud to her, almost in apology for not being able to enjoy this experience with her completely unspoiled, before adding as an explanation for its sheer volume, “The person at the stall insisted on giving me the ‘for two’ size when I said I’d be bringing it to someone else.”

Tasmyn usually tried not to make friends when she moved to new places. She had no real intentions of staying in White Crest for long when she had first arrived, but between the fae presence and the constant strange occurrences, and well… the people, she’d come to enjoy living here in a very short amount of time. So what was supposed to be her first stop in America had turned into a place she wasn’t quite ready to leave. And while she didn’t really know the implications of it all just yet, Ulfric was a surprisingly big part of that desire to stay. Which is why she was so thrilled that he was willing to accompany her to the carnival. It had been ages since she had been to one.

She was a little late to the meeting place they agreed on. Or maybe she was right on time? She couldn’t quite remember what they had agreed on. As Tasmyn saw Ulfric approaching, her eyes widened a bit - far more focused on the cotton candy in his hand than anything else. “Oh my goodness that thing is massive!” She exclaimed, a wide smile spreading across her face. Humans always did do the strangest things with food. “Oh, sorry. It’s really lovely to see you again too.” She said, turning her attention properly to Ulfric. “That’s okay! You can use your past visit to steer us away from things that aren’t worthwhile!” As she spoke, she reached over and pulled a clump of cotton candy from the stick, then began to eat it piece by piece. “Wow! This is fantastic. I’m glad the person gave you a ton of it.”

“It’s fine, that’s the response I was going for,” Ulfric laughed at Tasmyn’s reception towards the giant treat, surprised at how much his mood seemed to instantly improve in her presence. Maybe she wasn’t merely human after all, but some kind of… reverse empath? No, he was fairly certain such a thing didn’t exist, and it would’ve been foolish for him to hold out hope that she was more than human when she’d given him no concrete evidence to the contrary. Better to just enjoy this night for what it was instead of pondering what-ifs. Her request had him scratching his beard though, uncertain how to proceed, all of entertainment seemed worthwhile now if it meant prolonging their time together, but none of it had seemed so before. Well, except one thing, he remembered. “I never did find the dog lion. In fact, I’m beginning to think it’s just a myth they spread to lure people in here,” He informed her, caving to curiosity and trying some of the cotton candy himself. It was about as sugary as he expected, but he found himself liking it, nonetheless. For someone who was a natural carnivore, he had recently begun to develop an unexpected appreciation for sweet things. “But if you’re up for hunting a mythical creature,” Ulfric continued, carefully adhering to the human etiquette of swallowing his food before talking for her sake. “It might give us a chance to get to know each other better while we look for it?”

Tasmyn laughed softly, remembering the dog-lion they had talked about earlier. “Well, I don’t know if I’d call a dog in a wig ‘mythical’, but should be a fun hunt regardless! Let’s do it.” Even having only been there for a few minutes, Tasmyn could already feel the energy and admittedly the chaos of the festivities pulsing through her. She could even catch the faintest reading of a fae, no multiple fae nearby. Unfortunately, she knew it wasn't Ulfric since she hadn’t sensed anything last time they were together. What a shame too- he’d be a great fae. After she grabbed another chunk of cotton candy, she started off in a random direction, not really sure where they would keep a dion? log? Dog-lion. “Get to know each other better, right, of course.” She echoed, trying to keep her enthusiastic tone despite the fact that the idea of opening up to someone else terrified her to her core. Especially when it was someone new and she didn’t know how they felt about fae, about spriggans. “So, uh, how long ago did you move to town?”

Ulfric immediately found himself regretting his suggestion as soon as he heard her question. His move and the events that had led him to it weren’t things he wanted to talk about, not if he couldn't be honest about it. Being inauthentic quickly became exhausting and he tended to say what he was thinking too quickly to be a very effective liar in person anyway. That was why he usually let his natural intimidation ward off curious humans and save him the trouble of having to deceive them, but she waited for his invitation to ask, so he’d try and give as honest an answer as he could. “Sixteen years ago, or thereabouts. I left Norway at 19 and traveled around Europe visiting a few family friends before I got my papers together to come in here. I’ve got a few —distant cousins in town,” the werewolf quickly caught himself before saying human cousins. “They assisted me in finding me my first job at a tattoo parlor.” He followed the trajectory in which Tasmyn took off until he spotted the familiar row of gaming stalls, remembering that the Museum of Monstrosities booth and other ‘attractions’ were supposed to be on the other side, a likely location for the elusive dog lion. “Let’s try this way,” He urged, gently grasping her elbow to steer her in that direction. “How about you? I don’t think I’ve ever asked what you do for work. It must be exciting if it took you all the way to Canada for—” At that moment, Ulfric was interrupted by an overeager hawker wearing what looked to be traditional ringleader garb. “Care to try the strength tester?” The young man waved a prop hammer in his face emphatically, gesturing towards an old-fashioned seeming game with a sign that read, ‘Find out what your strength is worth!’. “Prizes awaited only the most fortified among us,” the vendor continued, “And you look like a strong candidate, pun intended. It’s sure to impress your lady friend!” He looked between Ulfric and Tasmyn. Ulfric had only paused to avoid being hit with the flailing hammer, but the hawker’s insistence he replied, “I’m sure she’s impressed by much more worthwhile things,” meaning for that to be the end of it and resume his quest for the dog lion, but finding himself glancing over at her, unsure how she’d want to proceed.

Almost immediately Tasmyn could sense that her question had struck a nerve. She normally tried to avoid questions that dug in too deeply to someone's past, so maybe that wasn’t the right thing to be asking. But he did say that he wanted them to get to know each other better. Isn’t this how humans did that? Maybe she was wrong. As they moved about the carnival, Tasmyn listened to his story about moving here, nodding along and shoving the sweet cotton candy into her mouth. When she felt his hand on her shoulder, she was surprised at the fact that she didn’t tense up or recoil like she usually did when people she didn’t know very well touched her. She didn’t have much time to think about why that was as Ulfric turned the questions back to her now. It was not an easy question to answer. She had been up in Canada selling some names to a contact she had. But that had nothing to do with her actual job at The Codfather. A human could twist words into half-truths and lie their way out of the situation, but she was not graced with such an option. “Well, I work at The Codfather as a hostess.” Taking a moment to choose the right words she wanted to use, “The Canada thing was more like … a favor. For an old friend. More like running an errand, really.” She was thankful that their conversation got cut off by one of the over-enthusiastic carnies. Ulfric was right, she really wasn’t the type to be impressed by brute strength, but when she caught his eye she saw a bit of an opportunity to put a full-stop to this Canada/job conversation. “I dunno, it might be fun!” She said, looking at the prizes in the booth, pointing over to a strange-looking green creature, noticing that none of the prizes resembled real animals, “Besides, that thing’s kinda cute.” She added, looking over to him with a shrug and a smile, leaving it up to him but tipping the scales slightly to change the conversation at the very least.

Ulfric wanted to ask her more about the fish restaurant, find out if she could maybe point him towards a wholesaler who could give him a discount on herring. It had been so long since he had spare to pickle with multiple plagues that had sullied the town’s waterways. But the vendor was still staring at them with urgency, and she hadn’t given him the easy out he’d expected. “Oh, well, sure, In that case…” he stalled for a moment, but hadn’t he said the goal of this outing was to make her happy? If taking a moment to play this game would achieve that, then he wouldn’t turn down the simple request. “Alright I’ll give it a shot,” He relented, giving Tasmyn a small smile but fixing the vendor with a glare as he passed him and slipped him a dollar to play. “You’ll be needing this,” the young man tapped him on the shoulder, waving the hammer at him again. The werewolf took what he offered, barely putting any effort into his swing as he brought it down on the target. Nonetheless, the indicator on the strength meter whizzed to the top with a flurry of lights and clanging bells. “Congratulations, we have a winner!” the vendor called out to the crowd over a megaphone, and despite the ringing in his ears and the ridiculousness of the situation, Ulfric’s inner competitive streak was satisfied with the victor and he broke into a genuine grin. “Here you go!” He plucked the stuffed ‘animal’ Tasmyn had wanted from the display, and presented it to her triumphantly. “I suppose it is sort of charming, in an unconventional way,” he said of the large, oddly shaped creature. It also felt surprisingly heavy, like they sewed a few weights inside it to prevent patrons who lost from running away with it, but he didn’t mention that part.

For a moment, Tasmyn felt a pang of guilt for encouraging Ulfric to participate in this game. Especially since it was becoming apparent that most of the vendors were fae. Traveling fae in a traveling carnival probably meant trouble of some sort. But this was just a silly game, even with Ulfric being human, or at the very least non-fae, a few moments playing the game then moving on couldn’t be much trouble. Could it? Before she could change her mind and suggest they move on, Ulfric had the hammer in his hands and was slamming it down on the machine with a sort of ease. Her face lit up when all the bells and lights began and she instinctively clapped. See?, she thought to herself, harmless. A feeling of happiness swelled over her when she saw him smile - there was a good chance that was the happiest she had seen him look. “Unconventional charm is the best kind there is!” She stated as she accepted the strange green stuffed creature from him. “Thank you for this.” Tasmyn looked up at him with a smile, then leaned in and wrapped her arms around him in a quick hug. She’d never known a stranger to be this kind to her for no real reason. “So… off to find this mystical dog now, huh?” she asked as she started to make her way in the direction they were headed before they got distracted by the game.

Ulfric was caught off guard by the unexpected hug. Physical affection had been fairly common amongst his old pack, wolves were social creatures by nature after all, but since he’d been forced into exile he had gotten used to being isolated in all ways. The only other person who’d hugged him in years was Ari, and he couldn’t remember ever allowing a human to come in such close contact with him outside of a fight, but he had to admit it wasn’t unwelcome. “Don’t mention it,” He shrugged, pulling back and hoping Tasmyn would interpret any hesitation from him as just the awkwardness of having to maneuver around both the giant stuffed animal and half-eaten cotton candy to return her embrace. “Yes, I will not be discouraged in my search this time,” He agreed, taking after her. They passed the Museum of Monstrosities with its display of various pickled specimens in jars, some possibly supernatural others clearly pieces of mundane animals sewn together. Eventually, he spotted a podium, with an attendant standing on top of it dressed as a lion tamer, complete with plastic whip and next to him was a golden retriever in a messy blonde wig.

“There you are!” The werewolf climbed the podium to pet the dog, which nuzzled into his hand eagerly, recognizing the kinship between them. “Uh, Sir? If you want a photo with our lion it’ll cost you five bucks,” the attendant protested half-heartedly, clearly reluctant to start a conflict with a man of his stature and determination. Ulfric had to tamp down on a small growl before it escaped his throat. The kid was only doing his job, but the exploitation of noble creatures for profit was one of the worst aspects of humanity. Instead, he leaned down quickly, looked the golden retriever in the eyes and stated, “I will make sure these people don’t mistreat you,” vowing to himself that he’d return to check on it before the carnival left town. “My apologies, humans don’t deserve dogs,” He said to Tasmyn as he jumped back down from the platform, huffing a little from the exertion. Which might have struck him as strange except, he couldn’t really think about much else in the presence of such a spectacular beast. “Isn’t he magnificent though? Thank you for indulging me.”

Tasmyn was mystified by everything she was passing by on their search for the lion/dog. There was just so much energy radiating off of everyone around her. She had spent a lot of her time over the past few decades alone, but not really isolated. She was used to feeling alone while surrounded by crowds of people, and while she had convinced herself a long time ago that she preferred it that way, being here and enjoying these festivities with someone else was truly refreshing. “By the way,” Tasmyn started as she less-than-gracefully finished eating the last bit of the sugary treat Ulfric had given her, “What is this called again?” After spending years both hating and fearing humans, it was nice to be near one who she felt some sort of security around.

As they rounded a corner Tasmyn was so captivated by all the foods she was smelling that she almost didn’t realize Ulf run off towards the dog. It didn’t take her long to follow him over to the podium though, laughing heartily when she saw both how enthusiastic Ulfric was and how bewildered the attendant was. She was still smiling widely when he left the dog and came back over to her. However, she wasn’t too caught up in the moment to notice his phrasing. ‘Humans’ don’t deserve dogs. Was he … not human? That’d have to be a question for another day, perhaps. “Truly magnificent! I’m so glad we got to see him. He seemed to really like you, ya know humans say that if a dog likes you that means you're a good person.”

“Do people say that?” Ulfric carefully used ‘people’ this time to counteract his earlier slip-up. Having to close the shop for the duration of the eyeball plague had left him sorely needing to brush up on his mundane conversational skills. “I don’t know how true that is,” he mulled over the statement. He’d always tried to follow the teachings of his pack elders and do what was right for his community, but he’d never really thought of himself as good, more as someone willing to make the hard decisions necessary to keep people better than he was safe. At times, he thought he was more shield than man… But now he’d remained silent for far too long after what was clearly just meant to be a polite compliment. “I’m glad I can at least do something good,” he shrugged and gave her a small smile, trying to dissolve the awkwardness. “Show you a good time.” At that, he stopped and turned back to her fully, suddenly unsure. “Are you having a good time?”

Tasmyn got a bit worried at his question, maybe they didn’t really say that? Maybe she just heard one human say it once and presumed it was a common saying? “That, uh, might just be an English saying.” She added, hoping that would cover her tracks. But his silence made her wary, maybe she had let too many weird things slip… maybe he was putting the pieces together. Finally, he spoke, and she relaxed slightly. His words made her blush ever so softly. She smiled softly and nodded, “I’m having a very good time so far. I got to eat a fluffy sweet candy, you won me this,” she continued, lifting the stuffed creature up a bit more prominently, “and you looked so happy when you got to see that dog! So a great time, really. Are you having a good time?”

“Yes, surprisingly so,” Ulfric laughed as Tasmyn held up the odd stuffed creature again, before quickly adding, “not that I didn’t expect to…” in case she thought he meant he wasn’t expecting to have a good time with her. He had a wonderful time at their first meeting, even with the whole smoke monster debacle. The memory of it had been one of the few things to elicit a smile from him in the disastrous weeks that followed. “Good times have just been hard to come by lately.” He explained and then found himself asking without giving it too much thought, “Would you mind if I saw you again sometime now that you’re back in town? It would be nice to know I’ve got another good time waiting for me if I ever need it.” It was a small defiance of the natural cycles that guided his destiny, to try and line up another pleasant moment and keep it stashed away for a rainy day. But after weathering all the foul things the winds of fate had sent his way recently, he was willing to cop whatever punishment they’d dole out for the minor infraction if it meant he had something to look forward to.

Tasmyn had been expecting to find a fae community in this new town, she had not been expecting to find such a sweet and lovely maybe-human though. Her smile widened and the soft flush on her cheeks reddened at his question. “I’m sorry you haven’t been having many good times recently… though admittedly I do know what that’s like.” For so much of her life, Tasmyn had needed to live from moment to moment. She rarely made plans because plans just make disappointments. However, here in the moment with him it felt foolish not to make plans. Save when she thought her husband was trying to kill them with a smoke monster - every moment spent talking with him and spending time had been the highlights of her time here in White Crest. “I’d love it if we could get to see each other again. The sooner the better in my book. You’re really my first… well, only friend in town. And I always seem to be smiling when we spend time together.”

Her only friend. Ulfric could count the number of humans who genuinely considered him their friend on one hand, and all of them had ties to the mystical world in some way. He normally tried to keep a polite, civil distance from the rest of them as a species, partly because they just didn’t seem to get him and partly because his family would have objected. The former hadn’t proved a problem where Tasmyn was concerned so far, and the latter? Well, he’d finally made the long-overdue decision to stay and build his life in White Crest, hadn’t he? The half-finished cabin in the outskirts was a testament to that. Though his family’s approval still weighed heavily on his mind, earning his place back wasn’t his goal anymore, so it reasonably followed that he was no longer bound to follow their rules to the letter. “It’s a deal then. We’ll see each other soon,” He nodded, the affirmation a measured deliberate choice. There remained limits to how far this companionship could go, considering the danger both of them could be in if his true nature were revealed, but he didn’t see the harm in playing the part of this good man she thought he was, if it was bringing her joy as well. To that effect he added the caveat, “And as your friend, I give you permission to throw rocks at me again if I do anything to make you stop smiling.”

Tasmyn grew up being told there was a hierarchy to the types of beings in the world. Spriggans, all other fae, witches, other supernatural beings, humans, then wardens dead last. But ever since she moved away from her village, she very quickly began to realize how untrue that all is. Spending time with Ulfric continued to prove that to her. He was kind, understanding, and gentle with her - things she used to think were impossible for humans. She laughed when he told her she could throw rocks at him. “I’ll keep that in mind. But I do seem to always be smiling when I’m talking with you.” She took a little look around, taking in the last few seconds of this evening. “Well, I look forward to seeing you again.” As she said that, she got on her tippie toes and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. When she returned her feet firmly to the ground, she looked up to him and smiled before pivoting and making her way towards the exit.

#chatzy #tasmyn #its all fun and games #wickedswriting #wickedsevent #//all wholesome stuff here #//don't worry about any implications >.>#arc: a test of strength #//read the dates on my calendar wrong rip the 28th

11 notes · View notes

magnuslightwoodbane · 5 years ago

Text

in bloom

written for @skullgirl808 in the malec secret santa 2019, ~2k words, read on ao3

It is a universally accepted truth that all humans have soulmates.

They can be platonic, romantic, or even antagonistic; some have marks, or words, or initials on their skin; they can be present from birth or appear when two fated souls meet – or worse, when they part. Whatever the circumstance, all humans have them, though whether you meet is purely up to chance.

In the Shadow World, however, it’s… less so.

It’s not impossible for half-human hybrids to have soulmates – they are, after all, half-human. The fae, as angel and demon, don’t, nor does it bother them in the slightest. Nephilim have a higher rate than most species, owing to their angel blood, but it’s still not guaranteed, hence the parabatai bond – much like their very creation, why let nature run its course when you can force it into shape?

With werewolves and vampires, former humans, it’s slightly more traumatic. Vampires always lose their bond whether formed or not, given they have, in fact, died – however, if a connection has already formed, it’s possible for it to be restored in the first 24 hours after resurrection with a powerful enough warlock.

Magnus has attended more re-bonding rituals than he can count, at this point. But sue him; he’s powerful, and a romantic.

Werewolves have a sixty percent chance of losing theirs due to the demonic infection & mutation; those cannot be restored. Those who are lucky and keep them are strongly warned not to flaunt this.

And warlocks? Their chance of having a potential bond is one-in-a-thousand. For the children of Princes of Hell, it’s an impossibility.

Magnus had been fascinated by the concept of soulmates as a child. His mother had Javanese edelweiss adorning one of her hips, running up and over into the small of her back – it had been buds, she explained, until it had blossomed upon meeting a young and handsome foreigner at a Jayakartan market stall.

His father was harsh on him sometimes, always pushing him to do and be better, but Magnus was glad that he loved his mama, that they were soulmates, even if sometimes it felt like his papa didn’t seem to be that invested in Magnus’s own life.

Even much, much later in life, the idea that they had been soulmates that had defied the odds at the time by crossing half the world to meet, and that Magnus’s very existence had caused their partnerships’ tragic end, was one that hounded him in his darker moments.

Asmodeus, posing as a father who loved him, was the one to tell him he would never have a soulmate and why. Magnus, who had still been barely 10 at the time, had been brought to tears by the loss of something he’d wanted so desperately – prompting Asmodeus to become truly angry at him for the first time.

Magnus, who also wanted desperately to not make his father angry at him again, never mentioned soulmates, instead pouring his energy into fulfilling his fathers’ wishes.

But that never stopped him wishing, or lamenting on alcohol-filled evenings, alone in wherever he was currently calling home.

He did come to learn that any relationships he pursued, no matter what type, were in no way inferior for his lack of a soulmate – he was, after all, not alone in this. He made friends, made rivals, took lovers and paramours and taught himself to live in the moment.

He couldn’t help, however, the fear whenever a romantic relationship began to develop deeper than surface-level attraction, the constant fear that his partner would leave him for their own soulmate one day. It was a different fear than the one that others would leave him for who he was, or what he’d done – both of those he could cover up, could change himself for the benefit of his partner and hope that that would make him actually become better. This was something he couldn’t change.

Camille, in wreaking her havoc on his heart, at least stopped him feeling that way – simply because he refused to allow himself to feel anything.

But oh, how he felt anyway.

Alexander had been a revelation. Four hundred years and he was continually surprised by him; a Shadowhunter in his early-mid-twenties redefining values Magnus’d held since he was barely a century old; a man who’s very core was burning bright with passion and justice that his people and culture had tried desperately to smother.

Being with Alexander… it hadn’t fixed Magnus, hadn’t solved all his traumas and anxieties, but for every new one it dredged up it seemed to soothe two. Magnus was meant to love – and here was this impossible man who loved him straight back. And yet.

The soulmate question.

Magnus had seen a mark on the left side of Alec’s ribs, the first time they’d made love. It fit in with the rest of his runes, stark black, but it didn’t look like any rune he’d seen before. It was almost like a lowercase a, but with an embellished tail, and a circle over the top.

He would have asked then, but Alec pressed a kiss to his forehead.

“Beautiful,” Alec murmured. “I’ll tell you every day until you believe it.”

“It might – ah – it might take a while,” Magnus whispered back.

“That’s okay. I don’t mind.”

And the strange rune slipped his mind, to be replaced with only Alec for a night.

Then things sort of went to hell, and it wasn’t until after they’d confessed their love that Magnus spotted the strange rune again as Alec was dressing for work. Alec was rushing around, in no small part to them having spent the morning entangled in the duvet and each other; Magnus found he couldn’t summon a single ounce of regret as he sipped his tea.

But, curiosity built and eventually got the better of Magnus.

“Alexander,” he called out as Alec began to step through the portal Magnus had made. Alec hummed through his mouthful of toast, looking back, but Magnus waved him off.

“I’ll text you,” he said. It wouldn’t do to distract Alec in a portal and have him end up in Siberia, or something.

M: Alexander, that rune on your side

M: By your heart

M: What does it mean? I’ve never seen it before.

A: It’s my soulmate mark, it just looks like a rune

M: Oh,ok

A: You okay?

M: Yes, darling. Just curious

A: okay. I love you

Magnus knew he’d fallen for Alec far too quickly; his defences crumbling in the face of earnest smiles and bright long-lashed eyes and honest words. He could hardly help it – Alec had been a lot of things Magnus had hoped for without any kind of pretence on either of their parts. They simply worked, and Alexander loved him back, and it… it may not even be enough.

Because Alec had a soulmate out there, and it wasn’t Magnus. It could never be Magnus.

He put a brave face on; attended all his meetings and saw clients without betraying the cloud eating away at his heart and mind, until the evening found him without distractions, nursing a glass of whisky in his own loft.

“Hey, Magnus?” Alec called out, pushing open the front door with his recently given key. Magnus didn’t respond, too lost in thought, until Alec came around the back of his armchair, resting a gentle hand on his shoulder. Magnus startled.

“Alexander! You’re early,” he exclaimed, standing far too quickly in order to kiss Alec on the cheek.

“It’s 9pm,” Alec said, accepting the kiss with a frown.

“It is? Oh, too late to go out for food then, we’ll have to order in. Or I’ll cook! You must be famished.” Magnus waved his hand nonchalantly, heading towards the kitchen without breaking his speech or indeed, making any eye contact.

“I came over to see if you were alright. You haven’t responded to any messages today and even if you’re busy, it’s not like you. Are you… you know… okay?”

“I’m perfectly fine, my dear. Now, drink first? Or dinner first? I alw-“

“Magnus.”

Alec’s firm, yet pleading tone cut deeper than Magnus had expected it to, and he halted in his tracks, shoulders dropping as though their strings had been cut. He exhaled slowly, turning around to face Alec, stood tall in the centre of the room.

“Will you tell me what’s wrong?” Alec said, quietly.

“If you promise to hear me out?” Alec nodded. “It’s about… it’s to do with soulmates. I don’t – can’t – have a soulmate. While it is possible for warlocks, my lineage is… it means it is physically impossible. And you have one anyway. Alexander, if you… if you found your soulmate, and if they were… if your connection with him was of a romantic nature, I would never hold it against you, and I want you to know that, okay? You deserve that connection, and I- I-”

Magnus had noticed but hadn’t fully comprehended Alec moving towards him during his speech until he was stood barely a foot away, his eyes soft in a way that reminded him of when Magnus’s glamour had first dropped around him. Alec reached out for the glass still in Magnus’s clutches, gently setting it aside and replacing it with his own hand.

“Magnus,” he said, voice gentle. “I promise you, it’s okay, you have absolutely nothing to worry about.”

“I will not be the thing that stands between you and that potential, Alexander. I won’t do that to you.”

“No, you’re not listening. You won’t be because my soulmate is platonic, and it’s Izzy. Izzy is my soulmate, Magnus. That’s one of the reasons why Jace and I became parabatai, because then the three of us were linked through me. Look-“ Alec used the hand not holding Magnus’s and began unbuttoning his shirt clumsily.

“It’s getting remarkably easier to get you naked,” Magnus murmured, making jokes despite being still somewhat dazed. Trapped within his own insecurities, he hadn’t really dwelled on Alec having a platonic soulmate, his mind too eager to rip itself apart and bring him down.

Alec grinned at him, shrugging off one shoulder of the shirt. “You see? It’s a lowercase a, and a lowercase i. That’s what it means.”

“Ah. I fear I have made myself a bit of a fool.”

“No,” Alec shook his head, before leaning in to press a kiss to Magnus’s lips. “You’ve just been through more than most, than I can even begin to understand. But, Magnus – you know what this means for us?”

Magnus quirked an eyebrow at him.

“It means the universe doesn’t decide for us our fate. It means that while the universe has decided that Izzy and I choose each other, and protect each other - I get to decide, with all my, my heart, and my soul? I chose you. I’m choosing you, Magnus. And it means that you can choose me too, if you want.”

A tear escaped Magnus’s eye, his glamour slipping away with it. Alec raised a hand and wiped it away, and Magnus smiled for the first time since he’d learnt of the soulmark’s existence. His other hand, the one not still holding Alec’s, pressed over the bare skin above Alec’s heart, his palm spreading and feeling its steady beat.

“I love you,” Alec whispered.

“I love you too,” Magnus whispered back, and leaned into Alec.

As they held each other in the opening to Magnus’s kitchen, the only light from the outside city, Magnus revelled in what it was like to feel chosen by someone for no reason other than because they wanted to choose him.

If he was being totally honest, Magnus thought it felt a little like Javanese edelweiss, finally in bloom.

#malec #malec fic #alec lightwood #magnus bane #shadowhunters #mine #my writing

27 notes · View notes

malecsecretsanta · 5 years ago

Text

Merry Christmas, @skullgirl808!

I saw you liked soulmate aus, and I hope you enjoy my take on it! Merry Christmas <3

Read on AO3

*****

in bloom

It is a universally accepted truth that all humans have soulmates.

In the Shadow World, however, it’s… less so.

Magnus has attended more re-bonding rituals than he can count, at this point. But sue him; he’s powerful, and a romantic.

Werewolves have a sixty percent chance of losing theirs due to the demonic infection & mutation; those cannot be restored. Those who are lucky and keep them are strongly warned not to flaunt this.

And warlocks? Their chance of having a potential bond is one-in-a-thousand. For the children of Princes of Hell, it’s an impossibility.

Magnus, who also wanted desperately to not make his father angry at him again, never mentioned soulmates, instead pouring his energy into fulfilling his fathers’ wishes.

But that never stopped him wishing, or lamenting on alcohol-filled evenings, alone in wherever he was currently calling home.

Camille, in wreaking her havoc on his heart, at least stopped him feeling that way – simply because he refused to allow himself to feel anything.

But oh, how he felt anyway.

The soulmate question.

He would have asked then, but Alec pressed a kiss to his forehead.

“Beautiful,” Alec murmured. “I’ll tell you every day until you believe it.”

“It might – ah – it might take a while,” Magnus whispered back.

“That’s okay. I don’t mind.”

And the strange rune slipped his mind, to be replaced with only Alec for a night.

But, curiosity built and eventually got the better of Magnus.

“Alexander,” he called out as Alec began to step through the portal Magnus had made. Alec hummed through his mouthful of toast, looking back, but Magnus waved him off.

“I’ll text you,” he said. It wouldn’t do to distract Alec in a portal and have him end up in Siberia, or something.

Alexander, that rune on your side

By your heart

What does it mean? I’ve never seen it before.

It’s my soulmate mark, it just looks like a rune

Oh,ok

You okay?

Yes, darling. Just curious

okay. I love you

Because Alec had a soulmate out there, and it wasn’t Magnus. It could never be Magnus.

“Alexander! You’re early,” he exclaimed, standing far too quickly in order to kiss Alec on the cheek.

“It’s 9pm,” Alec said, accepting the kiss with a frown.

“I came over to see if you were alright. You haven’t responded to any messages today and even if you’re busy, it’s not like you. Are you… you know… okay?”

“I’m perfectly fine, my dear. Now, drink first? Or dinner first? I alw-“

“Magnus.”

“Will you tell me what’s wrong?” Alec said, quietly.

“Magnus,” he said, voice gentle. “I promise you, it’s okay, you have absolutely nothing to worry about.”

“I will not be the thing that stands between you and that potential, Alexander. I won’t do that to you.”

Alec grinned at him, shrugging off one shoulder of the shirt. “You see? It’s a lowercase a, and a lowercase i. That’s what it means.”

“Ah. I fear I have made myself a bit of a fool.”

Magnus quirked an eyebrow at him.

“I love you,” Alec whispered.

“I love you too,” Magnus whispered back, and leaned into Alec.

If he was being totally honest, Magnus thought it felt a little like Javanese edelweiss, finally in bloom.

#skullgirl808 #malecsanta19 #*fics19 #*gifts19

16 notes · View notes

rem102 · 8 years ago

Text

Twist of Fae

Ch. 1

Summary: A seemingly normal human is thrown into an unfamiliar world. With the help of some friendly princes may help her discover her own magic, and the strength in her heart.

Rating: M for violence, blood, and language

Authors Note: I had to break this into two chapters, I was getting ahead of myself and wrote way too much for a intro chapter. I’ve had this sitting around for a while and I thought I might as well post it.

I made this up on my own so I had to attempt to create a foundation.

Running. The first thing I could remember after closing my eyes was running.

Why was I running? I kept asking myself turning behind me quickly before maneuvering through the dense trees. My clothes soaked from the dense fog and wet leaves I found myself awakening on. How long had I been laying in the forest? Was it hours or minutes? I grabbed onto the thin tree trunk catapulting myself forward to the next group of trees. The sound of my feet hitting the crunching decaying leaves beneath me. I reached for the next tree and suddenly falling short. My foot caught in a hidden tree root protruding from the ground. I braced myself for impact hitting the floor of the unfamiliar forest hard. I could feel warmth radiating from my knees as I tried to get up quickly. I reached for the tree just inches away from me to pull myself up. My leggings ripped open and blood running down my leg.

My mind yelling at me to keep going, to keep running, but from what I still did not know. I could feel the water pour off of my face and trail its way into my soggy shoes. Maybe I was kidnapped there wasn’t a dense forest this close to my apartment in the city for hundreds of miles. I paused trying to catch my breath as my lungs burned in my throat. I put my aching hands on my knees trying to fill the air back into my deprived lungs. I coughed trying to swallow whatever moisture I had left in my mouth to coat the back of my burning throat. I desperately needed water, and soon. There was a loud snap on a large branch just a few feet behind me. I immediately took off running in any direction.

There had to be a road close by here. A trail from hiking or a sign to point me out of the forest right?

I felt as if I was running for hours with no sign of any road or hiking trail in any direction I ran. This can’t be happening to me. The skin on the back of my arms raised, my pulse quickened frightened by the thought that something was chasing after me. I could feel the peering and glaring eyes drill into the back of my body. I looked up trying to get a sense of the time of day the seemingly unmoving as the lighting of the fog making visibility unclear. I could not even see the top of the trees. I stopped suddenly when my mind that was once overflowing with questions stopped. The entire forest that was once buzzing with noises of bugs, animals, and streams immediately ceased. My heart was pounding in my chest, the loud ringing in my ears from my elevated heart. I looked around me the fog still covering the ground and growing thicker the longer I looked at it. A shiver ran up my spine, and my feet dug into the ground ready to run at any sound.

Run. Run. Run you idiot. My mind was screaming urging me to run as far as my feet would carry me. I knew that I was stupid for standing there waiting and listening. I was smarter than that. I didn’t want to be the person in horror movies that just stood around when they felt something was wrong. I didn’t get a college education to let myself be killed by something chasing me a forest. I had to get help, and more importantly water before I got dehydrated. Far off in the distance the sound of a large wolf could be heard howling loudly.

My hands immediately covered my ears trying to block out the piercing sound. This wasn’t good, the wolf was more likely signaling to the others in the pack to move in on their prey. That prey was more than likely me. The ground suddenly gave away to a large river that cut through the forest. The water fortunately calm for the time being. There was no clear path across the calm river, but there was no other option than to cross at that very moment. I slid down the hill as dirt and mud kicked up from the gorund as I landed in the riverbed with a loud splash. I threw away any and all hesitation I had in attempting to cross the river with no regard to what could be lying underneath the surface of the water.

The cold freezing water stung against my skin against my open wounds and already numbed body. I kept walking as fast as I could into the water as it rose from my ankle height to the depth of my shoulders. I needed to get out of this water quickly or risk freezing to death. I clung to the grassy side of the river as I tried to blow warm air into my icy hands before digging them into the cold ground again in attempt to climb up the hill of the riverbed that cut into the forest. If the wolves didn’t know where I was then, they probably more than likely do now. I was relieved reaching the top of the hill on the opposite side as the landscape dipped down into a hill once again. My heart sunk when I saw that it looked the exact same with the dense fog and large trees I could vaguely see.

I stumbled over rocks, and through every bush in my path as I tumbled down the side of the hill. My path stopped as I hit a hollowed out log downed for some time. I looked back at the top of the hill where I had fallen. I realized the seeming hill was a large rock formation and was much steeper than when I first began my descent. I wiped my hair out of my face looking at how far I had fallen.

That’s when I noticed that part of the rock formation was moving. I looked once again and the object had moved again. I crawled into the hollowed out log hiding within the deeper parts of the fallen tree where the core was still intact. Looking carefully sticking my head out where the hole I crawled into was I could make out a clearer image of the animals that were hunting me.

The wolf was covered in black hair, and its eyes red. It looked as if it was a moderately sized elephant. Their body towering over my own. I covered my mouth to avoid screaming as I made out the sound of four large paws near the log I was hiding within. The large wolf began sniffing at the ground. The force of its large paws making contact on the hollow log caused it to roll slightly. I choked down my screams trying not to give my safe position away. Its wet nose stuck inside the trunk of the tree, but unable to get its snout fully in the hole due to its large size. The river must have taken away my scent making it hard for them to track me once again. The wolf pulled its large snout out of the hole and I could hear the large feet getting more and more distant away from where I was hiding. The wolf howled loudly once again notifying the pack.

I waited in the tree trunk just a little longer, slowly making my way towards where I originally got into the tree. The wolf would have killed me right then if it had smelled my sent then. I had at least hoped that the wolf wasn’t just waiting outside of the tree just to kill me. I had to be quick about getting out of the tree or risk the wolves catching my scent again. I quickly squeezed through the hole and taking a minute to adjust to the foggy surroundings once again. This was the perfect opportunity to get away without being hunted down. I was cautious in case the wolves were still attempting to pick up on my scent.

I could feel one of my wounds on my leg break open once again, “Shit” I cursed myself as I urged my feet to start moving once again. I let my feet carry me as fast as they would take me. Under fallen trees into ditches, and valleys, across muddy streams, and mossy woods. I felt as if my lungs would collapse.

Just run a little further, I told my aching legs. The effects of running for such a long time causing my legs to start to go numb from the cold and pain. The burning sensation getting gradually more and more unpleasant as I became more and more dehydrated and fatigues. I have to keep running. I have to use whatever strength I have left in me to will my legs to continue going. This was not how I wanted to die.

If I keep running just a little further I can take a break I told myself. If you keep running a little further you can just rest. If you just push yourself a little further you might make it out of here alive. I promised my mind trying to make my legs cooperate just a little longer. I threw myself forward leaning onto a tree and pushing off with my hand to the right. It was as if someone had heard my pleas for help from above. The fog began to lift and I could see further, and the amount of trees between the next became fewer and fewer. Suddenly light began to trickle into the forest warming my skin as I pushed forward. I looked ahead trying to ignore the spottiness of my vision from exhaustion could almost make out a clearing, a way out of the forest.

I laughed as I ran just a little bit faster. I could see the tall yellow grass blowing in the wind just a few more yards ahead. Focus. If I just get to the clearing I will be safe, I told myself over and over again the air feeling like acid in my lungs. I was choking for any breath I could take, feeling my throat start to close off, and my legs trembling and lurch themselves into an uncontrollable spasm as they reached their limit.

I was almost there I just needed to reach my hand out and I would be safe. My legs slowed their pace as I dragged my feet inches forward just to feel the sunlight on my face and warm my body.

My vision began to go white, but I could feel the tall blades of grass tickle my hands as they touched my damp and aching body. I fell to my knees with a loud thud. My feet finally giving out on me just outside the clearing of forest. I could not tell if my eyes were closed or my vision completely gone but it felt as if I was supporting my body with my hands. I dragged myself away from the border where the trees met the clearing. The grass would at least hide me somewhat from whatever animals were trying to have me for their dinners. My arms gave out as I collapsed onto the soft warm grass. I missed my bed at my apartment and the warmth of my blankets wrapped around my head. My ears ringing loudly my lungs heaving to catch their breath.

I willed myself to close my blinded eyes letting my eye lids rest just for a little while. For the first time in a long time I prayed that this was all just a dream.

_______________________________________________

This was one of the longest trips I have ever taken visiting my brother in his lands to inspect the border. “I can’t believe you dragged me all the way out here. I don’t see anything.” I groaned loudly hoping my complained enough we would have to turn back around. I generously came at his request to see in person the damage caused on our borders. It wasn’t completely worthless however, noting many areas in which the Lycans attempted to cross over our lands, and destroy neighboring villages. Important farming lands burned and small houses abandoned.

“Elrin please relax you barely get out of the capitol anyways,” my older and snarky brother snapped back at me annoyed. How unfortunate. I thought trying to not think about my 5 older brothers who find gratification in tormenting one another. Luckily the youngest brother isn’t as terribly influenced by their egos and bickering as much as I was subjected to.

I sighed looking at the back of his blonde head, and without even looking at him I could tell he had a smug smirk on his face. There was nothing but trees on our left where our border started and ended, and endless grassy fields and farm lands. It seemed to go on forever in the spring lands here. This was the first time I was seeing the border here with my own eyes.

One of my brother’s enchantments that protects the border was triggered by a creature. Per my brother he assured me that it was not one of our own people but something completely different but it was powerful enough to break the defensive barrier. Alaric kicked his horse to run at a faster pace, and I followed his lead doing the same with my own steed. Were his spells as powerful as he thinks they are in protecting the lands here? How the hell did he know where the border was breached? This was taking entirely too much of my time that could be spent talking to the other leaders in the area.

“Alaric you are sure that the border was breached around here?” I called out to him if his border spells were as strong as he claimed them to be. “We have to have passed it already” I shouted and we slowed down our speed once again and he turned around to look at me.

“Yes I’m sure of it. Some non-Lycan creature crossed the border I’m sure of it and made it past the protective barrier. The Lycans would have left a bigger hole in the spell if it was them. I fear that their people are getting stronger with each passing day.” Alaric replied a pained expression on his face of worry and concern. Maybe I should take this a little more seriously, we could be attacked out in the open like this and with no one around for miles to reach for help.

“They probably chased the creature into our lands,” I mumbled thinking aloud examining the dark vast trees that no one dared enter unless you had a death wish. I got the sense that someone was watching us from the tree line. What if I saw something move? Or the peering red eyes of a wolf in the trees? The thought sent a child down my spine.

“You need to have a more serious conversation about this situation with the Lycan ambassador. Lucian, and Kasen are having the same problems with in their territory as well. The people are beginning to worry.” He stated reaching over to touch the top of the tall yellow grass that brushed the bottom of shoes.

“I do constantly talk to the ambassador and my words fall on deaf ears. Their King is loose on his laws about Lycans crossing our borders. Their people are just itching to send our nation into disrepair” I quickly snapped back in frustration. The “alliance” between our two nations was beginning to fall apart between tensions of our people for the past 200 years. The restrictions placed on both of our nations was beginning to boil over. Tensions were always high since the last war we had with the Lycans.

All I know from my father is that it resolved by the previous king’s death. I was thankful that our family was spared from the atrocities the wolves inflicted upon our people. My brothers and I were fortunate to be helping civilians find shelter when the palace was invaded, killing everyone on the council and every advisor to the king. All but my father was killed in the aftermath, and my father never the same the kings death.

“What’s with that stupid look on your face?” Alaric asked with a smirk on his face as he turned around to look at me. “That face you are making looks just like the one you made when that Slavenen girl stuck her tongue down your throat,” he laughed holding his stomach and onto the horse to keep from falling off. I couldn’t help but smile at the comment. “You were a jumbled mess, the first girl to ever kiss you,” He continued laughed loudly drawing attention to himself as always. Siblings will never let you live things down.

“Shut it, I was thinking about father,” I spat at him even more annoyed at his comments than I was before. “This upcoming year will be what 4 years since his death?” Alaric questioned uncertain. What kind of child was he to forget the day his father died? I could remember it so clearly. “It was 18 years ago how could you forget?”

“Because it seems such a short time ago. We do live until we are hundreds of thousands of years old. 18 years seems such a short amount of time to one of our kind.” Alaric said in a quieter tone of voice. “Elrin, we all miss him. I know it has been harder on you the most but you are not alone.” He said looking ahead of him into the dense forest next to him. “Poor little Rhys was just a child then and has very few memories of father.” I couldn’t bring myself to look at my brother. They all were pining to have the throne to themselves as the next in line. They fought continuously with one another immediately after his death. They all were heartless, but my older brother more than anything. He didn’t even show up to the palace after father died. When he did a week later he just sat there quietly, showing no emotion at all on his face.

“You all began fighting for who the next king should be, not even paying respects to our own blood. Connell never seems to care about anything it seems.” I said hoping that Alaric didn’t hear me. “Connell handles things in his own way, have you tried talking to him about it?” he replied nudging my shoulder with his hand towards me causing me to shift on the horse, and I laughed in response. Connell never looked like anything interested him at all not even his own concern for his family. There was no way I was going to visit him in his dark realm. If I wanted to be surrounded by darkness than I would go jump through those trees just ahead.

Our horses became more and more restless the closer we got to where the suspected breach was located. My brother’s knuckles were white from his tight grasp on his sword. “Why do I have a bad feeling about this?” I asked worrying about the tense appearance my brother had. “You haven’t seen anything yet. You need to get out of the palace more little brother.” he said sternly and a hint of sarcasm in his voice. We stopped moving for a few minutes, listening for anything suspicious. “We should be here,” he whispered in a quiet voice his hand extended towards me to talk in hushed tone. Luckily the grass where we had stopped was lower than and not as tall as the grassy field around us. Alaric dismounted his horse and rubbed the nose of the animal comfortingly. “Stay with the horses,” he said and I got off of my own horse as well grabbing the reins to hold our horses. “Keep your knife close,” my brother said and ruffled my hair out of place. “Really? This isn’t the time for playing around!” I said to him fixing my hair that was displaced by his gesture. “You really need to find yourself a woman to take that frustration out on” Alaric said as he walked into the taller grass making it difficult to see him from afar.

____________________________________________________

I laughed to myself at my comment to Elrin. He was always so uptight and anxious about everything. I was convinced that there was not a fun bone in his body. Out of all our brothers, he takes his duties the most serious and strictly. It would take a special kind of woman to get that boy to relax just a little bit. I took a deep breath trying to calm my own nerves and focus my thinking. Looking for any sign of an animal or creature using my tracking abilities.

I was not afraid to walk close to where the border was between the two nations. Elrin would have had a heart attack if he could see me from our horses. I walked along the edge of the border and peered into the forest to ensure that the Lycan would not come to finish the job or attack while we were tracking their prey as well. I reached the area where the spell was broken. I stood facing the trees to fix the enchantment. Holding my hands outwards drawing out the magic diagram to fix the broken area. With a flash of purple light the small opening was closed. I had to be even more careful to not use my magic in an event of an attack.

I turned once again my back to the trees to try and see where the creature went into the field. “Do you see anything?” Elrin called still scared stiff at coming off of his own horse. I closed my eyes my hand against my head shaking it in annoyance, there goes our cover. “Whatever creature was near here is now more than likely gone if you keep yelling.” I called back to him there was no sense now in whispering and speaking in low voices.

“Hurry it up then,” Elrin said with agitation. I rolled my eyes at his impatience as I tried to look at the ground. I noticed that there was a path where the creature ran into the grass. The bowing of the grass getting larger as it went along. I walked closer to where it looked like the creature went into the field. I bent down to examine the ground. The tracks looked like a two legged creature and a foot shape similar to ours. I walked towards the field where the grass began to bow. If it was one of our kind I would know wouldn’t I?

“Blood” I murmured under my breath as I touched a blade of grass that had blood still on it. I rubbed it between my thumb and index finger meaning that it is still fresh and the creature wasn’t too far behind. Whatever it is, it left a trail of blood behind it to follow. “It’s here,” I called out to my brother who immediately unsheathed his blade from the sound of the metal against the leather casing. “Where is it I’ll kill it myself,” I laughed at his response. “Relax it might already be dead, it’s lost a fair amount of blood.”

“I’ll be here to help you then.” He said as I heard him re-sheath his blade. I quietly followed the trail the animal left behind. I noticed the grass bent over significantly more in the area I was standing in. There were two divots where its knees must have hit the ground. It dragged itself on all fours through the field. I found myself almost in the middle of the field from the nearest path to the main farmhouse. I looked ahead as the bowing grass turned around an angled corner unable to see if it was directly ahead. I grabbed the hilt of my blade prepared to draw it at any moment. I hoped it was not Lycan bait testing our borders once again for weakness. As I walked around the last bend of the trail I noticed that in a few more feet the grass stowed bowing. The animal was still here just ahead. I proceeded with caution as I walked to see what exactly managed to break an enchantment as strong as that one and as small as it was.

I peered over the tall grass where the creature was lying. It did not move at the sound of my feet on the ground, or the yelling between my brother and I. I quietly crept closer and closer to get a better view. It looked like it had two feet with foreign shoes, with two legs sprawled out on the soft ground. There was hair covering where its face would be. I must be insane to reach out to try to touch this thing. My hands touched the dirty hair and moved it out of the creatures face. I gasped covering my mouth with my hand at the sudden noise I made losing my balance causing me to fall on my ass. I could not believe my eyes at what I was seeing. It was no Lycan, nor an animal for that matter. It was a girl.

Usually the Lycans would try to cross the border in their human forms but they still could not cross. What was she then? If she was not a wolf or one of our own people what was she exactly? Her clothes were not of this realm. Her clothes still, parts of her trousers were ripped and missing. Half of her sleeves were ripping at the seams. Her hair clumped with mud and blood. I looked for her hands that were clutching her sides tightly looking for the markings of our people. All children have a mark on their hands. She was covered in scratches on her face, and her arms. None compared to the large slice that was actively bleeding into the ground beneath her on her legs. I should have studied in healing magic I cursed myself. I couldn’t just leave her here to die, and the only way to get help is to bring her back to the palace. Would she survive such a journey?

“It-It’s a girl,” I yelled trying to have Elrin come over with our horses. “Lumos” I called sending a flicker of light into the air to indicate where I was. I leaned my head close to the girls mouth to listen. The girl was breathing shallow breaths catching in her throat. I wiped away the dirt from her face as best as I could. The girl stirred on the ground and she let out a loud murmur at the touch against her skin. Thank the gods she was alive.

“Is it still alive?” I heard the close sound of my brothers voice and approaching hooves. I slid my hand underneath her head carefully. My other head turning her body to the side as I pulled her into my arms carefully trying to protect her head.

“It’s a girl not an animal,” I said walking over to my horse. My brothers eyes were wide with fear as he looked at the girl in my arms. “Are you sure I don’t sense any magic from her?” He put his blade away examining her closely. “Its hard to tell what she is with the dirt everywhere. This could be a trap set by those dogs.”

“Shes alive, but if we don’t get her help soon she is going to die,” I lowered her limp body to touch the ground I wrapped an arm around her waist as I adjusted my saddle.

“what is she?” he asked obviously not going to help me get her the help she needs. “I don’t know but if we don’t get out of this area by nightfall we could be in for a fight. I also know that the kind of wound she has is not one so easily fixed at my place, she needs medical attention at the palace.” I lifted the girl onto the horse so that she was straddling it and I leaned her against my horse’s neck.

“We can’t just take her back!” Elrin called, “That is a whole two days journey,” he protested grabbing my arm firmly. “You don’t suggest that-“ he paused as I grabbed the girl and swung myself onto the horse. I grabbed her shoulders and pulled her against my chest. “If we don’t use it she could die.”

“Good!” he called getting on his horse in protest. I started to bring my horse into a sprint before he immediately cut me off. “What do you think you are doing?” he yelled. “She could try to kill us! We could be very well be bringing back a spy.”

“Do you want to know the answers to your questions or do you not?” I yelled jeering the horse to the side around my fuming brother. “If you want them then we need to make sure she doesn’t die on us first.”

He looked as if he was weighing the options in his head. I didn’t have time to wait around for him to choose to make a decision. I started to bring my horse back into a sprint once again. “Alaric if you use that spell you could unintentionally splice yourself together,” he said yelling as he ran right beside me giving into reason. “Who said I’m doing the spell,” I smiled at him getting a good pace going for our horses. “You are kidding me right?” he asked and sped his horse up once again. “Ugh fine but we have to get to your home to draw the damn circle. You would probably screw it up anyways and I don’t want to get spliced together with that girl anyways.” He said looking at the small girl between my arms trying to keep her from falling off.

“Ah I know you would come to see that brother knows best!” I called out to him as he sped ahead. “Yea right” he said leading this time towards the main village. I should more than likely send mother word of our arrival and our new guest. At least mother won’t yell at me for bringing back a “woman with loose morals” at least this time. I looked down at the bobbing head of the girl leaning against my chest. She started to cough sending her lurching forward on the fast moving horse. I grabbed her tightly with an arm around her waist. Once the girl found her breath she relaxed once again. She is at least still alive. Her head returned to its original position as she moved her head closer against my chest.

She was at least comfortable between the uncomfortable horse and having to hold onto her to keep her from falling. The horses flew as hard as they could go as we passed through 3 small villages at a rapid pace. The girl slumped forwards and I fought to keep her upright. I placed my hand against her head, she was freezing cold. “She feels like ice.” I yelled at my brother who was still leading the way ahead. “Is she even still alive?” he asked slowing his pace next to my own. I placed my hand against her chest.

Her breaths were slower, and labored. “We need to get there soon, she might not make it.” I looked at her leg that was bleeding through the makeshift bandage I had applied to her earlier. “Keep her alive, and I’ll make sure we will get there in once piece.” He said pushing his horse once again moving quickly ahead of us. My hand still placed on her chest to make sure that she was still breathing. “Don’t you die on me girl” I said unknowing if she could even hear me. I noticed that my hand was angled as the bottom of my palm touched the top of her covered breasts. Maybe not a girl after all, besides she won’t remember this or my hand when she’s finally awake.

I had to make sure she was still breathing, as slow as it was. Horses still would have been faster than using wings. The village was just a few meters ahead I could see my home sticking out the cluster of pink trees blooming. The spring village was notorious for the most beautiful blossoms in the realm. “Hold on just a little longer.” I said to the limp woman in my arms.

The horse sped down the gravel road leading to my private residence. Elrin already scrambling to find chalk and clearing an area for each of us to stand. I got off the horse first to keep her from toppling over. “How much time you think we have” he asked visibly sweating.

She was much paler than before, her breaths were short and staggering. “We need to go now,”

“Prince Alaric,” a servant asked bowing taking the saddle off of my worn out horse. “Send a message to my mother immediately,” I said and the servant nodded scrambling to send a message using their magic. “Would it be better to hold her or to place her in the circle separately,” I asked noticing that one circle was already drawn. “Since she is unconscious, and unsure about magic receptiveness I’d say you are safe holding her.” He said working on the symbols around his own circle. “Prince Alaric, Prince Elrin anything you wish us to convey to the people here?”

“Tell them I apologize for missing the blossom festival I looked forward to the drinking and feasting every year,” I said and they nodded. “I won’t be gone too long as always,” the servant nodded again as they began swarming around the two of us and our unexpected arrival. The girls chest stopped moving as the girl in my arms let out a heavy breath of air lingering on her pale lips, “we need to go now she’s not breathing,”

“Alright, alright you want to get spliced I swear it sounds like you do if you rush this,” he said standing in the circle for himself.

“No girl no answers” I yelled at him and he closed his eyes, as he said the ancient words rarely ever spoken even by those who are well versed in old magic. I used mine for quick fighting and helping plants grow in the spring lands. The world around us began to glow a yellow bright light i shut my eyes closed in fear of what was to come next.

The ability to transport into another location instantaneously was a high level skilled mastery that obviously someone like my little brother would be able to master. I was warrior and relaxed demeanor and little to no self-discipline or patience to master such a skill. I closed my eyes in fear of getting spliced with the dying girl in my arms. “hey you sissy your home.” I heard my brother say and I opened my eyes. Elrin looked at himself making sure that he was still the same. Elrin opened his wings for inspection, “still perfect” he muttered quickly concealing them once again to finding a seat collapse into. He flopped himself in the chair resting his head against a desk. Where even were we? Why the hell did he bring us to a study?

“Elrin don’t fall asleep where the hell are we?” I asked looking for anyone to help. I noticed two large double doors just a few feet away. Someone should know where we are to get help.

“The library you idiot, you wouldn’t know that because you never pick up a book!” He said exhausted turning his head on the desk away from me and the girl in my arms. I started to run as fast as I could towards the large doors. Immediately the doors to the library were thrown open with an echoing bang and my mother a physician and a nurse ran to my side. “Thank the gods you are both alright,” my mother said looking at the woman I held in my arms.

“She’s not breathing, too much blood.”I managed to say the as i placed the woman on the cold marbled floor.

“Prince Alaric we can handle this thank you,” the older woman said looking at the girl lying lifeless on the ground. The woman waved her hand over the girl and immediately she began to breathe once again. “She needs blood,” my mother said looking at her wound on her leg.

“Has she spoken to either of you?” My mother asked searching my eyes for any clues as to who this person we just let into the secure capitol of our people.

“No, she was like that when we found her.” I told my mother who was looking at Elrin. “You should not have risked your brother or your own life with that spell. Both of you could be dead right now, or worse spliced with the dying girl. You know better than exhausting all of your magic at once. There are reasons spells like that are forbidden.” She said looking at my face. The doctor lifted the now breathing girl in his arms and quickly left as quickly as we appeared.

“Call your brothers immediately,” my mother said as I grabbed Elrin and threw him on my back to carry him to his rooms. There was a crowd of onlookers peering into the library. “You never cease to draw a crowd,” my mother said with a laugh. Elrin was still snoozing soundly on my back noted by the drool on the back of my clothes. “You need to let him out of the palace more often, he was trembling with fear just looking at the border.” I said setting him down in his large bed with a plop and making my way over to the door.

“Alaric,” my mother said tucking my brother into bed as if he were a child. She looked out the large windows at the setting sun. “We need to summon your other brothers immediately.” She said with no hint of fear or apprehension in her voice. “I shall find all of you when she awakens,” my mother said closing the door behind in Elrin’s rooms. “What is it?” I asked confused as to why it was needed to summon all of the brothers together. The last time we were all summoned to one place was when father had died. “She is not from this realm. She is a human.”

“But that’s-”

“Impossible.” My mother finished for me as I walked behind her. “We will uncover the truth when the girl awakens, for now we let her heal and rest comfortably.” My mother smiled kindly at me as she continued going about her normal day as regent of the crown. I needed a drink, but much more desperately needed to change out of my bloody clothes.

I had to break this chapter into 2 because i realized that i had a lot going on all at once. We get to meet all our princes next and the MC finally wakes up.

Let me know if ya like it!

#fic #fantasy #magic #smut #fae #fairy #Lucan #high lords

0 notes

thecrossingroleplay · 5 years ago

Text

D E M O N S

Description and History: Demons are one of the darker species, known famously for their cold nature, warring with angels and being the personal army of Lucifer. Demons are troublemakers to the core. They look to cause chaos and destruction wherever they go. While they’re not at the top of the food chain power wise, they maintain their status by numbers and careful calculated plotting. Originally, a demon was not supposed to be a creature meant to exist. But then Lucifer was born. Lucifer was the result of an affair between the Maker and Rhea. Rhea was not known for being faithful to her husband, and though the Maker had created the archangels to serve him, he ended up having an intermingling with Rhea that popped out a new celestial being. Lucifer was mostly angel, with very few little from his mother. Other than godly arrogance. Slowly but surely, the rebellion began, and eventually Lucifer fell. He remained an angel, and unfortunately that meant he was still under a great deal of control from his father. So he told his brother Hades to change him into something, anything else. Hades didn’t know what to do, so he simply used his powers to contort Lucifer into something knew, something composed and built from Lucifer’s own twisted soul. And thus the first demon was created. From that, Lucifer created other demons, starting bloodlines and building his own race. He turned hell into a whole other dynasty, modeled after his father’s heaven, but with methods of continuous control. Such as making it clear women were lowly and other things to control his population, to build what he wanted in his own work. The demons became an immense population. Eventually, Lucifer was killed by his own children and hell was passed first to his son Bradley, and then his daughter Clara. Psychology: Demons are psyche is based on Lucifer’s own twisted mindset. The basis of Lucifer’s turn from angel to demon was meant to reflect his soul inside, and thus, most demons are cold like he was. Cold, power hungry and chaotic: seeking destruction and mayhem everywhere they go. Demons are known for being cruel vicious and uncaring, unless they’re being spiteful and power hungry. Despite a demon’s predisposition to a cold, unwavering nature, it’s more than possible for a demon to experience emotions. Most demons simply block out emotions for most of their life, if not all of it. But with the right emotion trigger, they lose their footing and get tossed into the seat of emotion. When this happens, all that they missed tends to catch up with them and it takes weeks if not months for them to get ahold of themselves and learn to live with their emotions. Appearance: When in demon form, a demon’s eyes will turn black, completely engulfed by an inky, haunting black color. Their auras usually carry a darkness noticeable to those who can see them, marking them as identifiable. Weaknesses: For a demon, the most obvious and universally known weakness of a demon is holy water. Holy water is a mixture of a toxin and acid to a demon. Externally, it burns them. Depending on reaction time and exposure levels, this can lead to any degree of burn, even fourth. Internally, holy water wrecks havoc. If enough is ingested, it can damage the system enough to cause a coma. Usually it’s only enough to cause a demon a brief unconscious period and pain. Some demons use low doses of this to terminate demon pregnancies. While demons are immune to human illnesses, with the seelies incredible reverse healing abilities, they can create ones demons are not immune to, which in some cases can result in sickness, and in others can result in death. They’re not immune to hexes and spells from a witch either, but typically witches are not strong enough to manage this. Weaker demons are susceptible to mind manipulation of stronger demons and other creatures who are capable of mind manipulation, such as gods. Demons are also known to fall victim ritualistic chants of ten faes, this will result in the death of lower, weaker demons and convert them to ash and will cause excruciating, agonizing pain for higher demons. The more power involved in the chant, the more likely to kill a stronger demon. Some species can absorb the power summoned by these chants and channel it into charms or weapons and use it to kill demons. These charms are rare, as most are found and destroyed by demons, but there are a few known demon blades left in the world. These are usually also charmed by angel magic, which will make even the strongest demons fall victim. Angel magic and demon magic are like fire and ice, and if desired, angel magic can be turned on a demon and used as a deadly weapon. This magic, when used directly will turn the weaker demons into ash, or stronger demons based on the number of faes involved. The weapons however need to be used in a mortal wound spot. They can be used as torture devices, to cause non-mortal injuries. Demons can also fall victims to dragon and phoenix fire, as it almost falls under a more magically born fire. They can be burned to death by it. While they’re immortal, their immortality can be taken from them. This usually happens when powers are drained from a demon. In this incident they can still make their eyes turned back, but lose all contact with their powers, and become mostly human. Abilities: Demons have a wide range of powers, some of which they share with their enemies, the angels. Demons have the basic powers of most supernaturals. They have heightened senses, speed, strength, agility and dexterity. They’re immune to all human illnesses, though if exposed it will remain in their system until destroyed by their natural immunity, meaning they can still pass it on to other humans. They are also immortal creatures. Naturally, they can live for eternity, given that there’s no intervention. Demons born that way control when they stop their aging. And those that are turned have no choice but to remain the age their frozen at. Demons have telepathic and telekinetic abilities, meaning they can read and communicate with others through a thought, which makes it easy for detecting lies, as well as move things with thoughts as opposed to physical force, or levitate them. They can see the aura’s of other creatures, although often times it takes a skilled reader to be able to identify what the color means. Most demons use a type of blindness to cut off telepathic and aura reading abilities unless they focus so they’re not ambushed by thoughts and auras. Demons can manipulate the weaker minds. All of them can block off chunks of memory, and put in fabricated memories, although this leaves an evident magical signature. The stronger the demon, the harder the block is to remove. And the weaker the demon, the harder it is to make a block or fabricated memory stick properly. Demons can possess humans. This is the only species they can physically possess, as possessing a fae would quickly result in death due to conflicting natures. Angels are simply too strong to be influenced by possessions. And most dark species are either armed against possession, or are simply too strong to fall influence to it. Demons have the powers of materialization, which is essentially teleporting. The only limiting of this power comes with magical blocks that makes it impossible to teleport through. Some demons can absorb the powers of other demons and bestow them upon others, but this takes a strong demon to do so, or can be done when the demon is already weakened. They also have the ability to incinerate someone from the inside out, and some demons in rare cases are born with the ability to control and resist fire. Demons can also heal, but rarely do it as they don’t have many reasons to care for others. Demons are similar to angels because they almost instantly recover from wounds and injuries. Creation: Demons can be turned, or are simply born as they are. The turned ones are turned by the blood of another demon, consumed in large amounts before they’re killed, arising as a demon. If there wasn’t enough blood involved, or if bodies are too weak, or too strong for the blood introduces, there is a chance the person will stay dead or become an undead. The strongest and powerful demons are those turned by members of the Adams family, even distant relatives. Though sometimes the demon’s strength is based on their personal energetic strength when they were human. Nutrition: Demons have no needed nutrition. Much like the phoenix, they don’t require any nutrition, unless of course they are possessing a human in which case their host will require food. Most times, demons simply don’t require food and eat more so out of habit or desire than need.

#demons #species101

0 notes