#emerald cries arthur

[arthur-liquor]

ahh gay people

[hugsandchaos]

Full Moon Curse

Summary: Every full moon night, since Arthur was young, was spent in self isolation, often outside. It was a routine everyone who’s spent at least one full month in the castle knew. Yet very, very few knew the reason why. Arthur often wished that even fewer knew, but little does he know, this evening is going to go the opposite of how he wanted. Is the moonlight night really going to end as badly as he fears?

Notes: Arthadow Club, I’ve read y’all’s fanfics and seen your fanart and it’s amazing, but you seem to have forgotten a little concept. Eat up. Oh, and here’s your tag, @teamxdark! I hope you all like it!

Word count: 4,525

With the last bit of the sun’s comforting and powerful light gone, Arthur was left in complete darkness. He’d be lying if he said it didn’t scare him at all, being all alone in the dark, but he’d spent too many nights like this to be so fearful as to turn around and walk back to the castle. His crown had been left behind, along with much of his armor. He felt a little undressed without them, despite still wearing clothes. They were left behind for a good reason when he left just before sunset, though.

Arthur tilted his head up and searched the sky. Any minute now, the full moon would appear through the rolling clouds.

Before he left, the king made sure that every worker there knew he was not to be followed tonight. The newest knight had asked why, but luckily, Gwaine was there to tell him that it was a routine that had gone on for a long time and was simply not to be questioned. The badger seemed a little flustered and apologized. Arthur accepted it easily. Being worried about the king was practically part of the job, so it was reasonable a seemingly risky decision would raise questions.

An owl hooted somewhere to the right. Without thinking, Arthur turned to where it came from, only to relax his shoulders just as quickly as they raised up. The warm summer nights were more teeming with life now that the snow was gone and the animals had returned in the spring. Soon, fireflies started flickering their lights to the world and crickets began to sing and chirp. Combined with the pleasantly cool wind blowing through the trees, it was all a sort of quiet melody that soothed his mind when he paid attention to it, even if just for a while.

His emerald eyes found the moon when its light finally shined through the clouds. In the past, he would’ve looked at it and dreaded what would follow. Now, Arthur looked at with both a resigned sadness and some remaining fear for the painful transformation.

It started in his chest. It always started in his chest. Arthur gasped and brought a hand up to clutch the shirt he was wearing. His heart slowly, but surely began to beat almost painfully fast in his chest. Like it was knocking on it from inside. His ribcage felt as if it was starting to expand underneath his skin. At the same time, the flesh around began to grow to keep up with it. Arthur squeezed his eyes shut and started panting. He released his grip on his shirt, only to try to grip at his chest.

The pain only grew worse as it spread to his arms and legs. Arthur cried in intense agony as his leg bones began to change and shift, unable to handle it while they supported his weight at the same time, no matter how many time he’s gone through it. It always hurt too much for him to keep standing. Arthur used his aching arms to catch himself on the ground, which shot a spark of pain through them. He inhaled sharply through his teeth, which sounded a lot like a hiss.

Knowing how the next few seconds would go, the king grunted and laid onto his side on the grass. He hated it. It was his own body, and yet the best Arthur could do for himself right now was to just lay there and let it happen. His face scrunched up in extreme discomfort as he grew too big for the clothes he was wearing until they tore apart. At the same time, he had to remove his hand from his chest because of the claws starting to grow. It hadn’t exactly brought him any comfort, but not doing it somehow felt worse than doing it.

‘It’ll be over soon.’ Arthur told himself.

He gritted his teeth as they started to ache and felt them starting to grow sharper. His tail stretched and grew blue fur out of it, the same blue fur that started spreading all over his body until it was longer than his quills. He cried out as his arms and legs grew bigger, his ankles shifting and readjusting to take on a different shape. Everything suddenly seemed much louder, much brighter, and his nose stung a little as Arthur became more aware of the different scents in the air.

Every muscle was tense and his fingers that now ended with sharp claws flexed as if to grab something. Everything hurt, everything ached, it was all so bad that he wanted to rip off his own skin to make it stop.

Then, almost as fast as it came, it stopped. The king breathed out a heavy sigh of relief. The pain would fade away soon enough, but now, the transformation was done. He began taking deep breaths to try to even out his breathing and calm his heartbeat. Arthur didn’t bother getting back up yet and simply laid there, listening to the sounds of the forest surrounding the clearing he frequented for the transformation. His head was spinning a little, but he knew that would fade as well.

Slowly, but surely, the pain subsided. When Arthur opened his eyes again and looked up at the sky, the moon had barely moved an inch from the position he’d first seen it in. He put his now furry arms on the ground and began to stand up. He moved slowly, not because of balancing issues, but because his legs often suddenly ached when he stood on them after and made it harder to stay up. Luckily, this wasn’t one of those times and the king was able to properly look around, the shreds of the clothes he’d been wearing now discarded onto the grass.

The fireflies were still there, but not as many remained. The crickets had sensed the new presence of a predator in the area and gone quiet, but Arthur’s now advanced senses hadn’t yet detected anything that could be a threat. That meant it was him that startled them. Arthur despised this form, along with the urges that came with it. The hunger for raw meat, for example.

Most of his mind was disgusted by it, but the rest that felt as if it belonged to the beast he’d turn into every month salivated at the mere thought of it. Another example is that on the rare occasion he was happy during these nights, he’d catch his tail wagging. The cursed king would also eventually come to the realization that when he thought of something that made him happy enough to make his tail wag, he’d feel more excited about whatever it was than when he was back in his much more comfortable and normal hedgehog body.

However, that small boost of happiness did next to nothing for Arthur when he remembered his circumstances. It was like trying to put out a large fire with only one bucket of water. He took in a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh. Now he had to figure out what he could do next for the remainder of the night, because no matter how exhausted he might’ve been the day before, the beast was wide awake more often than not. One thing was for sure, though; Arthur had to stay away from civilization and the people who lived there.

“This is unexpected.”

Arthur’s ears and tail perked up hearing the voice, and upon realizing who it was, he was briefly overcome with nothing but sheer excitement at the thought of his beloved being there. He felt his now longer and fluffier tail move side to side rapidly, and for a few seconds, he didn’t care at all. Then that beautiful feeling was crushed by a sense of dread.

Shadow was there, and judging by his words, he was looking right at him. He saw Arthur. He could see him right now, as this... this beast.

Arthur turned to where the voice came from and his heart sank to his stomach. Shadow’s glowing red stripes and eyes, familiar and mysterious at the same time, cut through the darkness from where he was standing amongst the trees. As he walked into the clearing, the glow disappeared and the moonlight was granted permission to shine on him. The king’s beloved looked undeniably gorgeous under the soft, pale light, but he (unfortunately) couldn’t focus on that at the moment.

“What are you doing out here?! It’s late!” Arthur asked. He hadn’t meant to sound so surprised and fearful, but it was already out before he knew it. For some reason, Shadow had yet to show any signs of fear. Arthur knew how fearless he could be, but wasn’t he at least a little disgusted right now?

“Well, I was going to find a good place for stargazing, but who would’ve thought that I’d find you out here too.” Shadow replied. He shrugged his shoulders.”I thought you’d be asleep by now.” He added.

Arthur hardly processed the explanation. His mind was busy trying to prepare itself for the inevitable disaster that would be Shadow, the one who lit up his day just by being there and filled a place in his heart he didn’t even know was empty, was about to leave him. Arthur should’ve told him sooner. Maybe the heartbreak wouldn’t have been this awful. He could feel the tears starting to form behind his eyes and his throat begin to tighten already. He fought the urge to start crying down as far as he could so he could speak.

Arthur took in a deep breath.”Yes, it is... a curse I’ve had for a very long time now.” He said. He wanted to turn around and run so badly. Run from his home, run from his curse, and run from his beloved’s rejection.”I... suppose that you no longer want to be with me now that you know?” Arthur asked, fighting to keep his words above a whisper.

Shadow blinked and tilted his head slightly.“What are you talking about?” He asked. He started to come closer, but Arthur took a step back.

“Look at me! I look like a beast! A monster! I’m the very thing young children would run from in terror!” Arthur exclaimed. His voice strained a little as he spoke.”I’m the creature that hunters would go after to mount my head on their wall, believing that they’re protecting their loved ones!” He said. The dam holding his cries back was starting to break, a single tear was already rolling down his face. It almost hurt to speak.

He hung his head down and looked at the grass. He didn’t want to meet his lover’s eyes, which were probably full of hate by now.“I look like... like a demon, don’t I?” Arthur asked, sadness dripping from his words. He bit the inside of his lip to prevent it from quivering like he was a child.

A few minutes of heavy silence followed. Arthur didn’t see it, but Shadow raised an eyebrow at him.”Does me being only part hedgehog make me disgusting?” He asked. Arthur briefly forgot all about the circumstances and snapped his head up to look at Shadow.

“What?! No!” He exclaimed. He was shocked that his beloved would even suggest such a thing. Shadow’s tail may be far too long and easily manipulated for a hedgehog’s, and both of his sets of retractable teeth and forked tongue would startle many people, and of course the fact that he could make his red stripes glow was a surprise, but Arthur could only see them as what they are. An important part of Shadow that made him who he is.

He was hardly ever scared of his alien features, and even when he was, it was short lived and replaced with fascination. The lungs of a scorpion to hold his breath for seven days, the ability to find his way through sound alone like a bat, the eyes of a cat’s or reptile’s to see in the dark, and more! Every bit of Shadow’s biological and genetic makeup, as the hybrid himself called it, that Arthur learned about seemed to further prove his self proclaimed title as the ultimate life form and leave the king wondering why and how he was created in such a way.

It was simply amazing how he always seemed to have a way to handle situations. Why — No, how would someone look at him and be disgusted by the simple fact that he wasn’t a “proper” hedgehog?

Shadow tried again to walk closer, and this time, Arthur let him.“There’s your answer. You don’t look much like a beast to me anyways.” Shadow said as he took Arthur’s clawed hand into his own. It was a little surprising how much easier Shadow’s hand was to hold now, but Arthur hardly processed it. He was busy hearing his beloved’s words repeat in his mind over and over.

It was something that he wanted to hear the moment he first wondered what would happen if Shadow learned of his curse. He needed to hear it. He just didn’t think it was very likely. In fact, it was one of the reasons he gave up seeking a lover long ago. And now, after hearing those words, it felt like a weight he’d been carrying for so long that he often didn’t notice its heaviness anymore was starting to lift off his shoulders. Arthur could feel the tears that were ready to be released start to vanish, and his throat began to open up again.

“You... You do not see me as a monster? You are not worried about what I could do if I’m not in control?” He asked. He’d be lying if he said that he wasn’t worried since even now, there were times he’d acted on the beast’s instincts instead of his own.

Shadow gave a small shake of his head.“No. If anything...” The corners of his mouth turned upwards in a small smile, ”I’m actually a little relieved now that I’ve figured out what’s been causing you to feel weak for so long.” He said.

One bright flash of light and surprisingly brief dizzy headache later, Arthur was in a dark room, but the two windows up ahead made him guess that this was Shadow’s cabin. Shadow’s eyes and quills glowed in the dark with bits of lightning flickering between his red quills, something that the dark hybrid seemed to be able to control for the most part. He brought his other hand up and pressed it against Arthur’s chest. He carefully guided him backwards a few steps and lightly pulled down on his hand. Shadow wanted him to sit down, and Arthur did just that.

He reached an arm behind himself and patted the air as he slowly knelt down until he found the cushion of a couch. Arthur sat down, but Shadow remained standing. The dark hybrid leaned closer and gave Arthur a light kiss on the cheek. The soft peck made his cheeks heat up. It felt like just what the king needed right now.”Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be a while.” Shadow said. He turned around and walked to the other side of the room. He knelt down in front of something and picked up two sharp objects.

Three sharp strikes of stones against each other and a few blows from Shadow, and the fireplace was lit. He waited a little to make sure that it would stay, then walked into the kitchen that was right on the other side of the right wall when he was satisfied.

Arthur couldn’t help but smile at him, even when he left. He heard a light thumping and turned to his right to see his tail wagging against the couch. Arthur’s face felt hotter and he quickly grabbed it, but not too harshly, just to make it stop. Thank goodness Shadow hadn’t seen that. Once the tail stopped moving between his paws, Arthur released it and looked around.

A few steps in front of the couch was a rectangular carpet with a simple striped design and different shades of grays, reds, and browns.

The flames eating away at the replaced firewood sent a warm, orange light dancing across the floor, walls, and ceiling. It chased away the darkness and was slowly heating up Arthur’s front body. The wooden floors looked very clean, which wasn’t much of a surprise since Shadow had an affinity for clean and tidy spaces.

Shadow really valued having his privacy, so much so that he apparently built a cabin not too long after he appeared in Camelot. Arthur wasn’t exactly sure just how far away from the kingdom the cabin was, but Shadow told him that he ran for about three hours before stopping in the general area around the house to search for a good place to start building. Given his incredible speed, Arthur could get a good idea of how far they were.

The isolation ensured the couple’s privacy and brought relief to Arthur. No one else would see him like this. He took this moment to think.

He couldn’t remember how he’d gotten cursed, only what happened after. His mother was the first he told. She was horrified and tried to find a way to reserve or heal it, but unfortunately, it was permanent. His mother would bear the brunt of his actions during the first year. Arthur would wake up the next day with no recollection of the night before and his mother would reassure him that nothing bad happened. She often laughed and told him that he acted like a pup wanting his mother.

There were so many embarrassing stories from that first year that Arthur would often rather forget. Over the next few years, he’d slowly gotten better at regaining control over himself. Now, it was near perfect, but there were still moments that the king would not remember the next day. The lack of recollection often meant that he wasn’t in control. There were so many times in the past where he’d nearly gotten caught by either knights, villagers, or hunters. Those moments taught Arthur what fearing for your life meant.

The king wasn’t sure how long he’d been deep in his own thoughts, staring blankly at the fireplace across the room until he finally noticed something. Something that smelled amazing, coming from the kitchen. He turned to look at the doorway just as Shadow came in holding a plate and fork. As he came closer, Arthur could see that it was a piece of cut up meat on the plate, cooked and seasoned. Shadow held the plate out for Arthur.

“Eat this. It’s cooked rare.” He said. Arthur glanced between the plate and Shadow for a second, then accepted. It was a pleasant surprise when he first learned that Shadow could cook, especially when he tasted it and thought for a minute that his beloved might’ve been a famous chef he’d somehow never heard of. Shadow denied it, but Arthur still had his suspicions. Shadow sat down and stretched his arms up.

The fork was a little harder to hold, but the first bite was amazing. The meat was oddly juice and less tough on the inside, but Arthur wasn’t complaining about it. If anything, it made it even better. Besides, Shadow rarely made mistakes when it came to cooking food. Surely this was how “rare cooked” meat tasted.“This is delicious! But if I may ask, how do you think this will help me?” Arthur asked. He brought another piece into his mouth.

“If your sharper features are any indication, then the diet you should’ve been eating requires a bit more meat. Raw meat, that is.” Shadow started explaining. Arthur very briefly paused eating before swallowing the piece of meat in his mouth.“However, I also worry that too much raw meat would make you sick. Plus, you’re still technically an omnivore. I don’t have the right equipment to get the information I need, so to be on the safe side, I cooked it rare.” Shadow finished.

Arthur glanced at the dark hybrid making himself comfortable on the couch. The fork made a clink sound as he let it rest on the plate.“So all this time, my constant fatigue was a result of my meals lacking the proper meat?” He asked. The thought of hunting and eating raw meat had plagued his mind so many times that he believed it to be from the beast simply wanting to enjoy the bloody act, and not for the food itself.

Not only that, but he always felt especially tired after that night. Arthur always believed that was from the transformation, or perhaps a side effect of the curse.

When he was younger, he was so disgusted by the constant thoughts of eating raw meat, especially if it was from something or someone he killed, he’d go into episodes of sorts where he’d avoid meat all together for days at a time. That would make him feel even worse, and slipping back into eating the meat that was in his meals again would help. Was he so repulsed by his own mind that it did it not occur to him that this was the solution?

“I can’t say for sure, but it’s pretty likely. I wouldn’t have even started cooking if I thought that wasn’t what it was.” Shadow replied. He adjusted his position and turned his body so his back face Arthur’s side. He leaned back and turned his head to the side against Arthur.“Finish up and we can head to bed if you’re tired.” He said.

“Surprisingly, most nights when the moon is full, I am not tired. Rather, I am possibly more awake than before, but that sounds lovely. Thank you, Shadow.” Arthur said. He returned to his meal and the two sat not in silence, but close enough.

Once he was done, Shadow insisted on taking the plate and fork to the kitchen. He won, of course. Then, he blew out the fireplace and plunged them both into near complete darkness, the only light being from the moon shining through the windows and Shadow’s glow.“I suggest we have a sort of trial.” Shadow said. He took Arthur’s hand into his own and began walking into the next room.

Arthur was glad this part of the house was more open to make room for the stairs on the other side of the room, leading up to a small pathway suspended above a vacant doorway to another room. He could walk a little without worrying about having to duck his head any to fit. Shadow led him up the stairs.“Every weekend, I want to bring you over here for dinner, and we’ll see if this change will actually work. Does that sound like a good idea to you?” He asked. Arthur had to be careful in the dark, but Shadow leading him and moving at a slower pace than usual made him feel at ease.

The suggestion sounded like a great idea to him. Even if it didn’t actually help, it would at least ensure him having a planned date night with his beloved every month.“Yes. I’d really like that.” Arthur said. The two walked into Shadow’s bedroom, which was one of the few rooms with a door. Arthur had to duck his head and turn sideways to fit through, but at least the bed was large enough for them as Arthur sat down. He’d much rather not use blankets tonight.

Shadow began to remove his shoes and gloves, but the rings were only off for a very brief time. Arthur wasn’t entirely sure what their purpose was, but the hybrid telling him that they only come off in the most dire circumstances told him all he needed to know about their importance. Shadow placed them neatly beside his bed and the gloves went on the night stand.

He sat down next to Arthur and placed a hand on his shoulder. He brushed that hand through his quills and fur.“You know, this form of yours might not be all that bad. Surely you’ve noticed how easier it is to stay warm in the winter?” Shadow asked. Arthur had to prevent his tail from wagging and reached a hand back to rub his neck a little.

“Yes, I suppose it is. It’s embarrassing to admit, but I’ve often looked forward to the transformation so I wouldn’t be so cold when I was younger.” He replied. He reached his other arm around Shadow and pulled him closer. The form also came with a lot more strength, which Arthur had practiced controlling in the past. Still, even now, he was worried about accidentally crushing his beloved.

Shadow had no such fear and made himself comfortable leaning against his side.“And since your tail is longer now, I can do this.” He said as he closed his eyes.

Before Arthur could ask what he meant, he felt something wrap around his tail. He jolted a little feeling the furs on his tail moved and turned around to see Shadow’s tail hooked around his own. It was a small gesture, not too different from the times Shadow used his tail to hold onto Arthur’s hand or arm, but seeing it made the king’s heart swell up. He turned back at Shadow and smiled.”Let us stay like this for a while, my beloved?” Arthur asked.

Shadow turned his head and nuzzled against Arthur.”For as long as we can.” He said.

Arthur wrapped his arm around him and slowly, trying to be mindful of his size, leaned back until he and Shadow were both laying down on the bed. Surprisingly, it held both of their weight with no problem. Both of their tails moved so they wouldn’t be crushed, but Shadow kept his hold on Arthur’s tail even as it wagged. Arthur lowered his head to touch the top of Shadow’s as the dark hybrid curled up a little. His dark quills and red stripes smelled of lavender, something Arthur could now look at and be instantly reminded of his lover.

A small smile made its way across Arthur’s tan muzzle. If this was how Shadow was reacting to his curse, he regretted not telling him sooner. It eased the king’s worries and warmed his heart to know that Shadow hadn’t been disgusted or disturbed by this form. He wasn’t scared one bit of his sharp teeth and large claws, and he hadn’t found all of the blue fur Arthur would probably get on his bed gross. The only thing he seemed to care about was the fact that he believed to have found a solution for Arthur’s constant fatigue. He didn’t seem to find a need to mention his tail wagging, either.

Shadow accepted it all without a second thought, and now, Arthur would always have a nice weekend dinner to look forward to. Not only that, but something told him that this wouldn’t be the only time he’d spend the full moon in the cabin his beloved built.

(I honestly meant this to be a one-and-done-for-now type of thing, but now I’ve got a few ideas that are admittedly Shadow-centric and focus more on how they could’ve met. Trust me, I think they’re pretty good concepts. Next one (after I finish a WIP from another fandom) will be simply titled “Stars”, and honestly, I meant to finish it last summer. On the bright side, my writing’s better than it was a year ago, so it should be pretty good. I blame the Arthadow Club for this/j . Also, I’m not immune to “werewolf character being overexcited to see their partner”, so I wonder how embarrassing it would be for Arthur to wake up the next morning and ask Shadow if he was okay because he knows that not remembering what happened means he wasn’t in control, and Shadow tells him how he couldn’t even go into the next room without Arthur following him.)

[strwbrryfire]

winter warmers: day 005⋆⁺₊❅.

listen before you go

✶ prompts: praise | tree lighting

✶ ship: charlos

✶ word count: 1,258

Inevitably takes the form of four walls he’ll never see again, and a suit folded neatly on a bed. It smells faintly of white wine, and if he leans in close enough, there’s some Italian ballad playing from the garage that might as well be halfway across the world now. 

This isn’t what he wanted, to have to stay in the dark like he is now. And forever will be, until destiny decides to want him again. Carlos knows he is needed, for the very last time, in a little less than an hour. The cameras will be too bright, the noise all too loud, the cold air a chill to exhaust him further. The dream that was woven with gold and blinding red has now faded, all scratched and left to be forgotten. The halls he once walked echo a legacy with his name on it—he knows that it’s time to go, but God, it does not hurt any less. 

He glances at the clock and it’s still ticking. Nothing will stop the death rattle, nothing will make the pull of the knife any easier. This was supposed to be home, all wine soaked kisses on cheeks from mechanics and laughter that rings late into the night it was never—Carlos was never supposed to leave. Ferrari had promised him glory, infinite amounts of it and it’s like she…forgot about him. 

The only infinity he’s left with is an ever-expanse of almost. He almost reached the peak of whatever mountain he’d be forced to ascend and it’s. Enough. How far he got. The view from where he stands is still beautiful, because above him, no matter how far down he may sink—Charles is shining like the most stunning of gleaming sunlight. He’s effervescent, and undeniably so. 

Charles had been encompassed fully by joy on Thursday and for the first time since Monza, Carlos saw what comforting relief looked like on Charles’ face. He was near tears at every given corner as he watched Arthur pad about the garage, Leclerc plastered across his back. It was enough to see Charles that happy. It felt right. 

But it’s over now— all those arguments and champagne tears and hushed sighs after qualifying. It was just so quiet, Carlos realizes, when he slips into his nomex and tries to will away the cries stuck in his throat. 

“Carlos?” Cahlos. He thinks he might crack. Charles knocks at the door, “Can I come in?”

“Yeah,” Carlos clears his throat and runs his fingers through his hair. Deep breath.

Once Charles walks in, he brings in all that Italian sun and warmth with him. He smells like home and podiums and—Carlos can’t help it. He pulls Charles in for the tightest hug he can manage; Charles makes a small oof sound, but wraps his arms around Carlos’ waist without question, “Awe, are you going to miss me or something?”

“Of course,” Carlos whispers, trying helplessly to ground himself in reality instead of allowing his mind to trick him into believing it’ll stay this way, “Every day, I will miss you. I will miss everything.”

Charles’ breath falters, “Mon chéri…you will make me cry. You know I won’t leave you behind, right? You are so wonderful, so smart, Carlos. It will always be you and I together, does not matter what color you wear.”  

Somewhere behind Carlos’ ribcage, his heart skips and beats faster than he can keep up with. His lips have found Charles’ forehead, which he kisses twice for good luck like he always has, “I have never been able to catch you, mi amor. You know this, still you say I will be good in another car. It is not true.” 

Those emerald eyes blink at him, eyebrows adorably furrowed in confusion, “I thought you did not wallow in self pity,” Charles pouts for good measure, “Go on, sit back on the couch.” 

Without question, Carlos does as he’s told. (Like a dog, Lando once said, he’s got you wrapped around his finger.)

Charles slowly sinks to his knees and Carlos blushes, “Of course this is what you came here for.”

“Not really,” Charles admits, pushing up the red fabric of the nomex, “I just wanted to see you. I always do,” he takes his sweet time kissing whatever skin he can reach, “But, I want you to know how good you are. Such a beautiful boy, and always such a good racer. One day you will be on top of the world.”

Carlos thinks he might pass out watching Charles staring at him starry eyed, “My wonderful boy. I love watching you, always so quick and if you ask me, blue is a very pretty color on you.”

Charles moves up, kissing as he goes—his mouth is hot and ghosting over Carlos’ neck, his endlessly long eyelashes tickling wherever they brush against. Carlos has his hands in the mess of hair in front of him, another attempt to distract himself from the fact that this is all another last time, “But, red…red is best, you know this.”

“You are very wrong,” Charles whispers, tracing over the Ferrari logo and Italian flag that sits wearisome on Carlos’ chest, “You do not owe her anything,” and there’s a catch in his voice, a shaky breath. Charles kisses Carlos, all slow and gentle to make it seem worth something, “I have learned so much from you, vita mia. I promise, I promise, you will never be too far behind. You will be beside me again, because that is who you are.”

There is rarely a time when Carlos sinks into some self pitying mess, but it’s. This is different, he thought Charles understood it by now, “Maranello’s sun…it is difficult to amount to. You know this.”

Charles has completely forgone the purpose of his visit—of swallowing Carlos down to make him settle and take away his spiraling thoughts, even if for a bit—in favor of, again, kissing Carlos so hard it's sure to hurt later, “The ocean then, is what you are,” he mutters against the soft pillow of his soon to be ex-teammates lips, “I keep you steady, and you keep me steady. We will be…always stuck to each other. I will watch.”

A call of their names outside is the stark reminder that their time is nearly up. Every passing moment spent trying to convince each other of their own ideals—that Charles was nobody’s favorite, that Carlos wasn’t about to be thrown to the wolves to be eaten alive—was nothing but a wasted countdown to their timely demise. The knives are sharpened, the archers ready to aim. 

Charles still tries, persistent in his need to love Carlos in the way Ferrari loves the ground Charles walks upon, “Carlos, nobody will bleed the way you did. There is no one who could be more proud of you than I am, all your hardwork and there is no one else I’d rather have fought alongside. You are such a good boy, such a talented driver,” he kisses three times on Carlos’ nose, for good luck like he always does, “Such a brilliant boy, amore mio.”

“Thank you,” Carlos whispers and for a brief fleeting moment, he believes Charles and all the honey sweetness he’s been sticking to Carlos’ skin. It buries under the nomex and makes a home there, whether Carlos wants it to or not.

“Be selfish today,” Charles smiles, the crinkles by his eyes masking the sadness that lingers on the tip of his tongue, “You will be magnificent no matter what.”

[forever-eternal]

Ok y’know what

I’m interested in the time Adam got hit by a cannonball

You have a writing request now 👍

:)

——————————————————

The air is warm on the Colony shores, the ocean lapping at the rocks below like reaching hands, ready to claim any blood and flesh that falls into her depths.

The sky is dark, lit with the moon and stars; yet the light is blocked from the grass and sand below, blocked by the smoke of the raging fires that have overtaken the British Outpost.

A young man, a soldier— a redcoat by the name of Arthur— knew this was never expected.

They specifically chose this spot because it was hard to get to without scaling the cliffs facing the ocean at the East, or through the thickets and woods on their West side, and the North and South are barren stretches where they could see any foe for miles.

But, somehow…they were found.

It had been a simple night, a quiet night of joyous songs and beers around the fire. The walls of their outpost are high enough, and the men keeping watch would be able to see anyone who dared approach an outpost of the British Empire.

And then a gunshot.

One of the guardsmen falls over the walls, into the outpost, and Arthur had never seen a man’s blown-through brains before—

Another gunshot, another fallen man, and the General starts yelling. Arthur is a few steps behind getting up, the others already pulling open the doors to their small armory when—

…

Arthur will always remember the screams of his brothers in arms as the armory burst in flame with them inside, crumbling in on itself in a matter of seconds, falling too fast, faster than any other structure should.

He will remember the sound of the nurses screaming, the sounds of bones and skin and flesh ripping, the sound of cries of terror and pain as he finally— finally— moves, snatching up his bayonet—

And he will remember it.

The man.

A man with red-brown hair, tucked into a black tricorne hat with golden edges. He wears black breeches, a black waistcoat with gold buttons, and his black coat has golden trims.

The man is tall, about 6 foot, and while he is not as broad as an ox Arthur can tell the man is built for battle as much as any other soldier.

…

The man’s eyes are green.

Normally, that would not frighten Arthur, but the green is such an eerie shade— a shade that gleams brightly like emeralds in the sun when the blazing fires glitter across his irises.

The man carried a flintlock in one hand, a basket-hilted sword in the other— the hilt glimmering and the blade dripping with the blood that splatters up the side of the man’s face.

The man is smiling.

And Arthur believes that smile is the worst thing he’s ever seen.

Arthur doesn’t know how long he stares into the man’s eerie, gleaming eyes.

It’s like he’s trapped, held still, paralyzed with fear like a mouse before a coiled snake.

And Arthur doesn’t know what gave his fellow soldiers with the idea to load the cannon, but he is just barely able to snap out of it and throw himself to the side to avoid the shot.

It rips through the man’s right side, taking half his chest, the shoulder, and arm with it.

And, to Arthur’s horror, the man does not fall.

He does not waver as his body is ripped through by a solid iron cannonball, and Arthur can’t even hope to look at the injury, his head pounding and eyes glossing away every time he tries to prove to himself that the damage was done and he is not dreaming—

The man’s smiling wider, and Arthur thinks he can see fangs— needle-sharp, too many teeth, the fangs are even longer– and Arthur can feel his mind trying to tear itself apart at the seams when he realizes that is no man.

The things blade, it’s flintlock lost with its arm— its arm that is growing back, it’s body repairing itself as it moves— slices through the bodies of Arthur’s countrymen like an oar through still waters.

It’s graceful, the things body moving in ways no human ever should; fluid and coiling but tense, like a snake ready to strike.

Blood splatters onto Arthur’s face as the thing comes to a stop in front of him.

Arthur can’t move, his eyes locked onto the things face above him as it shifts and warps and—

—————————

Adam Jones stands upon a cliffs-edge, overlooking the sea to the East and a massive forest to the West, with empty terrain to the North and East.

Last night, there had been an outpost here; a British outpost.

There is nothing.

No ash.

No blood.

Nothing.

And no one will ever know there had been.

He smiles.

[jbcomic]

arthur in my dreams

" u have a beautiful heart " when his heart is full of love

laughs at my jokes i wish i could capture that moment on camera

smiles when i compliment him about his jokes

blushes when i mention his fans

hugs when i call him bestie

kisses my hair when i am upset

listens to my rants about life and supports in my emotional breakdown

argues when i am harsh on myself

recognises me in big crowds never leaves my hand

never smokes in my presence

reads articles written about him

sighs when i touch him

speaks in a serious tone even when dressed as joker

protective about me

writes in his journals and keeps it open on his desk he knows i won't read it i respect his privacy

sleeps next to me he trusts me

shares his nightmares and cried in my arms

loves my heartbeat

watches me sleeping on the sofa while he mutes the tv volume to not disturb and puts a blanket on me to keep me warm

touched my cheeks when he saw me crying in my sleep

reads my letter and gets emotional about my feelings for him

he can't believe people love him in reality he craved for that attention and recognition all his lifetime

misses his mom penny

works as a party clown and also part time stand up comedian

takes his medicines on time but i am sad it affects his diet he needs to eat

stays awake because of insomnia but he is happy i visit him in my dreams and sits close to me watching the tv

his arms are strong but gentle when he hugs me tight scared of losing me

he stopped me from self harm i heard his gentle voice " don't " whenever i was holding a razor in my hand he is the reason i don't have any scars on my wrists

arthur saved me so many times when i didn't wanna live but he said he wants me to stay here for him and myself

arthur smells so good like fresh flowers

arthur apartment is so warm it feels like home the safest space in Gotham

arthur shyness makes me weak , his laugh is music to my ears and eyes are emerald gem stones 💎 his hair is soft messy tangled but gorgeous chocolate brownies 🍫

i love arthur so much in every universe 💌

[nyeobium]

"Nyle is there not going to be any ruseng posts toda-"

"Said who bro? Feast."

Presenting idfk what to title this

----It's 5AM and he's crying----

The room was dark, illuminated only by the light from the fireplace, caused by a dying ember that still burnt brightly against the brick structure. The room was silent, except for the faint crackling of the charcoal burning in the fireplace. The room was empty, except for one lonely lad that sat on the armchair, facing the fireplace. His body was devoid of any emotions, except for the gnawing feeling of emptiness that made his chest ache. His eyes were dry, except for the fresh tears that had been recently shed.

It was 4, maybe even 5, most had forgotten and wouldn't care, as they had already surrendered their minds to a peaceful slumber; All except for Ivan who awoke at that hour on a normal day, today being no exception. Already fully dressed, ready to go outside and watch the sunrise, as he normally did but something had caused him to not do so that night: the sound of the firewood. No-one but him woke up that early and the fire was left to itself since 8 PM the previous day and a fire as small as it was then, wouldn't have lasted that long.

Ivan quickly reassured himself, telling himself that maybe it was one of the servants, his sisters or even one of his friends whom he was guesting that had decided to stay up for so long. With that thought to ease his mind, he made his way to the smaller living room, leading from his room to the staircase which connected to the rest of the house. As he walked closer to the fireplace, he heard a set of other distinct noises besides burning: sobs and whimpers.

Ivan rushed over to see who it was and froze as he came eye-to-eye with the last person he'd expect to see. The two only stared, eyed quivering, darting from one eye to the other, and no words came out. Seeing the streaks of tears on the other man's face caused Ivan's to pool with his own. The image almost felt unreal, but he could feel everything so he wasn't dreaming that's for sure. He had totally forgotten about having invited his friend over to stay with him. The silence continued on for an uncomfortably long time.

"What.. What are you doing up so late at night?" The russian spoke, breaking the silence. To which the other man only blinked, dropping his head, prompting Ivan to speak up. "...Artur." He kneeled by the armchair to become face to face once again with the other as he sighed. "Что не делай?(Tr. What's wrong?)"

With a deep breath and another shake of his head, silence filled the room once more and tears pooled his emerald eyes. Nothing brought Arthur more shame than being seen as this vulnerable by anyone and he hated the fact to he let his guard down so much that this side of his was shown to someone else. "I'm... okay... really." He let out under yet another shaky sigh. Ivan knew full well that that wasn't true, his mind flooded with worrisome thoughts, thinking he had hurt Arthur in one way or another to make him cry like this.

The guilt caused him to go silent and he didn't push the issue further, for the time being at least, and sat down on the floor. His eyes subconsciously locking onto the crying figure seated in front of him as he zoned out trying to think of a way to help Arthur feel better. Unbeknownst to him the staring caused the already tearful lad to break into sobs once more.

Covering his face with his hands, Arthur cried out, his voice quivering with shame and anxiety. "STOP STARING ALREADY!!" The volume made Ivan flinch and his chest to fill with guilt. He was about to apologize when he remembered what his sister, Natalya had told him: intimidation always gets answers, and so, he kept staring, but now with a smile. "I won't stop until you tell me what's really wrong, Artur~" Ivan cooed gently as he moved his hands up to Arthur's to move them away from his face so he could once more stare into those lively green eyes that filled his cold heart with so much warmth.

Ivan muttered desperately: "Please?"

"You'd laugh." Bluntly responded, Arthur.

"...Why would I?" Ivan asked with concern for the other's mental well being. But no response was uttered, not even a word. And so, silence fell upon the two once more. Ivan took Arthur's hands in his and gently pulled them down to Arthur's lap and he didn't bother fighting back, he was too distracted by his tears endlessly streaming down his cheeks.

The silence felt as if the two were really out of what to say. "Everyone would." Arthur finally spoke, breaking the silence and Ivan was quick to follow, pressing him for an answer. "I'm not everyone, so tell me." He reassured the broken man with a gentle squeeze to his hands. "..I don't want to.." He finally admitted, and Ivan didn't question it further and left it be at that seeing just how distraught he had made Arthur. Ivan looked down shamefully not knowing what else to say and worried that he might've made his guest feel worse. As if by divine intervention, his eyes caught on something happening behind the armchair and his face brightened up once more.

The perfect idea had come to him and he couldn't be less ecstatic. He knew just what to do to help Arthur feel better. He quickly jumped to his feet, ecstatic to ask if the other would also like to join him.

"Would you

at least like to

watch the sunrise

with me?"

The russian suggested, gently tugging at the englishman's arms, trying to get him to get up. "But-" Arthur was cut off by Ivan. "No buts! It's already too late!! We should hurry!" And with that he pulled Arthur in his arms, scooped him up and dashed off.

"HEY!!" Arthur yelped helplessly, gripping onto Ivan's clothing to prevent himself from falling to the floor was all he could do then and it made him feel so worthless but at least he stopped crying. "WAIT!!" His words fell on deaf ears and Ivan rushed to the rooftop as quickly as he could.

Feeling his heart rush, a strange sense of comfort drew the two closer to one another, making Arthur anticipate what was to happen next with piqued curiosity. It brought him to wonder if Ivan really did spend his time waiting for the sunrise every day since he woke up so early. All these thoughts flooding his mind made him forget why he was so sad in the first place, all his sorrows replaced by the joy and rush Ivan was making his heart feel.

"This will be the best sunset you've ever laid your eyes upon!!" Ivan promised with a chuckle as he opened the door to the rooftop and put Arthur down, dragging him to the edge. Ivan choose to seat down by the very edge, allowing his feet to dangle off and Arthur followed suit. Seeing how far up the sky they were made Arthur ever so slightly nervous but as long as Ivan's hand was in his, he had nothing to fear. "Feeling better?" The russian asked with an endearing smile, seeing how Arthur's tears had dried off. And Arthur nodded joyously. "Yeah, a lot better, thank you so much Ivan." And returned Ivan's smile.

The two stared off at the horizon waiting for the sun to rise and Arthur started to doubt that they were facing the east in the first place.

"So, you really were up all night?"

"Mhm."

"Doing what?"

"Hm. Thinking."

"About?"

"Sad stuff, happy stuff, all the stuff."

"Like?"

"Us."

A short chuckle left Ivan's throat at the mention of the two's relationship and he leaned his head against Arthur's and continued.

"Are we the happy or the sad stuff?"

"Um… both, I guess."

"...Both? Why?"

Arthur shrugged and yawned, putting his head on Ivan's shoulder.

"Dunno… I guess I'm just worried that you'll grow bored of me one day like everyone else and just leave me."

"What?!" Ivan exclaimed in complete disbelief. "I could never… I like being alone half as much as you do! I'd never…"

"I know." Arthur smiled. "3AM thoughts."

Ivan chuckled. "Definitely."

[angelynmoon]

"Come for your potion?" Merlin teased when Gwen entered his work room.

"Don't forget I'm your Queen, Merlin." Gwen reminded him.

"Eh, what are you going to do? Burn me at the stake? I'm fire proof, Dragons don't burn." Merlin shrugged as he chopped some roots for the potion he was working on.

"Are you okay?" Gwen asked, Merlin wasn't usually so sarcastic, not to Gwen at least.

Merlin frowned as he looked into the bubbling potion, "No, not really."

There was a pause.

"Lancelot and I had a fight." Merlin admitted.

"You had a fight?" Gwen repeated, shocked, Merlin and Lancelot never fought.

Merlin nodded, going to sit on one of the cots he kept for patients or the childrens naps.

"What was it about?" Gwen asked as she sat next to him.

"That's just it, I don't know, or well, he was yelling about me hoarding his shirts but I don't think he's really angry about that." Merlin told her.

"Why not?" Gwen asked, usually if a person yelled about something they were angry about that thing, or at least that's how Arthur worked.

"Because Lancelot usually puts his stuff in my nest and when he's down to his last few outfits I take the nest to have the clothes washed and the cycle repeats." Merlin explained, "So, it's not that."

"Oh." Gwen frowned, thinking and then looked up when Theron began to cry.

Merlin sighed and got up to fetch the baby, tucking him close to fed him on his Magic.

Gwen looked at them and thought about how having Morgana had disrupted her and Arthur's schedule, how it had taken Elyan babysitting overnight for them to talk it out and make plans for Elyan to keep an eye on Morgana a few evenings so they could have time together.

"Merlin, how long has it been since you and Lancelot had time alone?" Gwen asked, "Time where you aren't sleeping?" Gwen interrupted when Merlin opened his mouth.

Merlin frowned, "I don't..., I think it must have been before Ellie and Effie. At least for quality together time where we weren't on our way to other tasks."

"Hmm, I thought so. I think Lancelot misses you and he doesn't know how to tell you without upsetting you." Gwen said softly as Merlin came to sit next to her, Theron in his arms.

"Right, that makes sense, but how can I fix it?" Merlin asked, looking at Theron, "Thero needs my Magic."

Gwen hummed, "Can you siffon off enough for a few days? That way Arthur and I could watch him, Morgana would love to practice having a brother, and Gwaine could watch Ellie and Effie, Leon would love having a sleepover with his favorite Dragonlings."

Merlin frowned, "Magic wants to be used, actively or not, if I siffon it off it'll just give itself a job. But perhaps... Cornelius Sigan put his soul in a gemstone, maybe..." Merlin trailed off as he handed Theron to Gwen and went digging through his books.

"Ah, here it is." Merlin cried some hours later.

Gwen looked up from where she'd been playing with Theron, shaking one of his noisy toys for him to grab at.

"What did you find?" Gwen asked as she lifted the boy up to her chest.

"A way for Lancelot and I to have a weekend away." Merlin grinned, "Well, at least if Arthur is willing to let me borrow twelve emeralds from the treasury."

"Twelve?" Gwen asked.

"Oh, it's just in case, Theron feeds twice a day and once at night, but sometims Ellie and Effie benefit from feeding on my Magic too." Merlin explained.

"Right, twelve, does size matter?" Gwen asked.

"Only with Sapphires but Emeralds are better for storeing Magic, Diamonds are the best conductors and Sapphires are best used for spell or curse work." Merlin said absently as he began preparing a space for placing his Magic in the stones.

"Alright, I'll get you the gems by tonight and make arrangements so you and Lancelot can be gone for the weekend." Gwen told him as she placed a now sleeping Theron in his basket.

Merlin looked up, "Thank you, Gwen, for helping me with this."

Gwen hugged Merlin, "You're my best friend, of course I want to help you. Besides it'll be good practice for when I finally do take that potion to have a baby of my own."

Merlin laughed, "You'll do fine, but Arthur could use the practice, I'm sure, if only so he realizes he'll do just fine."

Gwen smiled and kissed Merlin's cheek before leaving him to make the arrangements.

It would be good for Merlin and Lancelot to have time to themselves, and hopefully at a future date they'd return the favor.

--

A/n: so, Merlin and Lancelot need a vacation without the kids, any thoughts on what happens, be aware I don't do sex scenes.

[milkywaygg]

The Cosmas Revamp Chapter 6

A few months had passed and Nora had made herself right at home in the Cosma Residence. She moved her clothes from her black bag to the coat closet next to the stairs, and Linnie’s parents treated her as if she were their own; almost like the parents Nora had always wanted. Cassia was much more affectionate than Mary was, though she respected Nora desire not to be hugged or kissed. However, whenever she would bring home a passing test or an excellent progress report, Cassia would wink at her and tell her, “Good job Sport!”. Not like Mary, who would scream at her whenever she was a few points shy of a perfect score.

Overall, Nora was so glad that she had completely deleted Mary’s number off her phone without hesitation, no longer considering her as her mother. After all the scratches and bruises she had endured after her father’s death, why should she? It was clear to Nora that she had no desire to be a mother, and Nora had wondered if she was only born because of her father. Whatever the reason, Nora felt the weight lift off her shoulders after she pressed the red delete button off her mother’s contact profile.

She had contemplated doing the same to Arthur, still fighting the urge to call him and flame him for what he had done. However, she decided against it. Her stomach churned as her thumb lingered over the delete key multiple times, but all the memories and good times together kept her from executing. Despite the countless nights she replayed that day in AP Lit and cried herself to sleep, she ultimately couldn’t bring herself to hate him. All she could think about was how much she wanted him back.

As the months passed on, the weather outside started to get warmer, and the tress started sprouting tiny, pink leaves on the branches. Temperatures went from nearly sub-zero to almost in the 70s over time, and Nora found herself constantly swamped with classwork and midterms to prepare her for the finals ahead. Alongside the extra classwork, prom was a week away, and Nora found herself surrounded by posters, girls getting down on their knees, and boys fawning over their girlfriends as she walked from class to class. Nora nearly passed out as she saw Willow and Arthur kissing in one of the corridors, struggling to keep herself from punching Willow square in the face.

Eventually, a few hours before prom came and Nora had simply settled for a polo shirt and jeans, while Daisy and Linnie joined her downstairs in their outfits. Nora had almost confused Daisy’s dress for a nightgown, as it was made out of a lime green silk, with flowers that reminded her of her grandmother’s curtains from when she was still alive. Linnie however, wore an emerald green turtleneck sweater underneath a soft, black jacket and matching pants, tucked inside a black belt and short boots that had a slight heel. Cassia fawned over his twins as she grabbed a camera out, taking numerous pictures and ordering several poses, despite the teens’ awkwardness. After a little while longer, Daisy separated herself from the family as her friends picked her up in a mini-van, leaving Linnie alone with Nora.

“So..you don’t have anybody for the dance?”, Nora asked, judging Linnie’s nervous stance, “Did your girlfriend ghost you or something?”

“Oh no…I’m not seeing anyone at the moment. Daisy um..was supposed to bring me with her. I-I guess she forgot.”

“Yeah. That explains your mother yelling outside right now.”, Nora snorted, hearing Cassia’s annoyed gruff as she closed the door.

“Good lord, she is so grounded when she gets home. I don’t know what to do with her Gonzo.”, she sighed before noticing Nora and Linnie, “Nora? You’re not going to prom by chance, are you?”

“Well, I had planned on it, but I was hoping on making some pit stops first.”

“It wouldn’t be too much trouble if Linnie comes with you, right? I really would rather him not go by himself. I really hate how their having prom at that ballroom downtown instead of the school. It’s so dangerous for boys like him.”

“Mom please, I-I think it’ll be ok if she doesn’t want me to go. Um..I still have Daisy’s number.”

“Young man, if she doesn’t go, you don’t go. That’s final.”, Cassia scolded, making Linnie squirm uncomfortably.

“Wait wait wait, hold up. You were perfectly fine with letting Daisy go by herself.”, Nora questioned, though trying to keep her tone in check. “Why can’t he go by himself?”

“Daisy knows how to protect herself. I know she’ll be safe. It’s not her I worry about. It’s my son.”, Cassia started, before turning her attention back to Linnie, softening her gaze, “Dear, I just worry about you. I don’t want you getting hurt or kidnapped. Downtown isn’t really the best place to be having a prom, especially this late.”

“Well I guess I don’t really have to go.”, Linnie said softly, twiddling his fingers, though he smiled sadly, almost as if he were hoping to get out of something, “It is Saturday night though. Surely someone’ll need a babysitter. I-I can just do that instead.”

“Oh come on, Linnie! Quit being a pussy. You can’t miss prom. It’s a once in a lifetime thing.”, Nora snapped, before looking back at his mother, averting her eyes from the somewhat disappointed Linnie, “If that’s what you want, I’ll keep an eye on him.”

“Oh you’re such a dear. Thank you. Now, Linnie, before you go, don’t forget your pepperspray.”, Cassia said, looking down at his pockets, “Grab them please.”

Linnie did as he was told, scurrying up the stairs to the room, leaving Cassia alone with Nora, looking at her up and down.

“Have him home by…probably no later than 11. Gonzo and I will most likely be asleep by them, so here’s the key. I would just prefer him to be home earlier just because of all the creeps out there.”

“I dunno. It’s really not that bad. I’ve been downtown before. The worst you’ll have to deal with is the occasional crackhead on the streets.”, Nora shrugged, “I mean, I don’t mind taking Linnie, but shouldn’t he be allowed to go out on his own? I mean, his sister is.”

“Well, his sister is not as…well…magically disabled as he is.”, Cassia said, “Linnie’s been having some difficulty managing his magic and casting spells. Gonzo and I suspect he was born with a deficiency.”

“Yeah. Linnie told me what happened in this babysitting class, or whatever it was called.”

“Oh yeah.”, Gozno said from behind, chuckling slightly, “Cassia let that teacher have it when she called the school. Poor guy.”

“Not Poor guy! Do you realize our son could have been killed?”, Cassia yelled as the two started bickering. Luckily for Nora, Linnie had returned with a small, green bottle hanging on one of his belt loops, and lead Nora out towards the door and into the moonlight. 

[swimmin-in-sin]

𝙸𝚏 𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚆𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚢 𝙱𝚎𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝙼𝚎

𝙋𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜: 𝙕𝙚𝙡𝙩𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙖

𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚: 𝙁𝙡𝙪𝙛𝙛

𝙒𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨: 𝙉𝙤𝙣𝙚

𝙎𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙮: 𝙕𝙚𝙡𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙂𝙚𝙡𝙙𝙖 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 5 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙃𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙧, 𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙪𝙧, 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚, 𝙕𝙚𝙡𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙧.

Dim candle light flickered on the walls of a cave, providing the only light source from the dark night outside. The stars glittered in the sky above like small diamonds, twinkling alongside the full moon. Zeldris smiled as he stepped forward, his hearts nearly bursting in his chest as he wrapped his arms around a slender form. Finally, after nearly five months of searching, he had his Gelda by his side again. 

He felt her slim fingers brushing his hair back, her nails gently scratching his scalp as he closed his eyes, breathing in her scent. They were both silent, simply holding each other. Words did not need to be said. “My love,” Gelda whispered, Zeldris finally tilting his face up from where he had pressed his face. 

Zeldris could see her beautiful ruby eyes glittering with unshed tears, one hand cupping under his chin. Her sharp fangs peeked out from her upper lip as she smiled at him. “I’ve missed you,” Zeldris whispered, his chest tight as he struggled to maintain his composure, feeling tears starting to slide down his cheeks. 

The vampire’s smile remained gentle as she leaned forward, brushing a soft kiss to his forehead. “I did as well, Zeldris.” Zeldris turned around, holding his arm out. He paused, the young man he had been traveling with had slipped out. 

Arthur Pendragon. The young adult had helped him search for Gelda from the very first day they met. And now he had disappeared. Zeldris was not too fond of humans. They were weak and easy to kill. But Arthur? He was different from the others. 

“Go,” Gelda murmured, Zeldris turning back to her. His eyes widened slightly at the easy look on her face. She stepped back, dropping her hands. “Catch up to him, Zeldris.” Zeldris studied her for a few moments. It was like she knew his emotions. As cold-hearted as he seemed to be on the outside, Gelda always seemed to read him like a book. And this time was no different. 

With a quick nod, he slipped out from the cave to search for the human that had slipped away from him. Thankfully he didn’t get too far. He saw the familiar ginger hair as he walked through the mountain valley. “Arthur!” Zeldris cried out, forcing his feet to move as he tried to catch up with him. 

Arthur turned around at the sound of his voice, blinking in confusion as he allowed Zeldris to approach. “Wait,” Zeldris panted as he stopped in front of him. “You don’t have to leave.” Arthur raised a brow, his easy smile lighting up his face. “What do you mean?” he asked, his eyes flickering to the cave where Gelda was. “I helped you find Gelda. My job is done. Why don’t you go back to her?” 

Zeldris paused, hesitating slightly as he tried to think of the right words to say. How was he going to say what he wanted to say to Arthur? And this was his last chance to come clean. If he let Arthur leave now, he may never get another chance like this again. 

Arthur placed his hand on his shoulder, the two men looking at each other in the eye. Emerald and amethyst. Glimmering in the dim light of the moon above. “Where will you go now? Your home has been destroyed by the Goddesses.” Zeldris pondered. Arthur shrugged as he let his hand fall back to his side. “I’m not sure. Maybe I’ll see if anyone else has some righteous quest to find someone,” he chuckled. 

His smile fell, a solemn look sliding into place as he looked at the demon. “Look, I had a lot of fun with you these past few months. I got to experience things that I’ve never even heard of or seen with my own eyes. I mean, dragons? And riding a dragon in the sky with you? Facing off against a god? That was so much fun. And I will forever treasure those memories. But now it’s time for us to go our separate ways again.” 

Zeldris swallowed as Arthur stepped back, smiling sadly at him. “But I-.” His voice faltered, his words choking up in his throat once more as he looked at the human with pleading eyes. “I’ll always care about you, Zeldris. And who knows? Maybe we’ll meet again in a few months.” Arthur gave Zeldris a cheeky wink, before turning back once more to head down the road. 

“Arthur, wait!” Zeldris blurted out, watching Arthur’s retreating form. Arthur paused, turning around once again. Taking a deep breath, he started to hurriedly explain himself. “Look, I’m not good with words, and I may be a dumbass at times. But I… I care about you. Deeply. I enjoyed spending time with you with the dragon and fighting the god. B-but I can’t stand to see you leave. Not after everything we’ve been through.” 

Arthur turned around, focusing on Zeldris. “I care for you. Not as just a friend or a travel partner, but… something more.” His voice started to crack as tears welled up. The ginger sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes widening as he started to stride forward rapidly towards the demon. “I know that you want to go, but I don't. I love you-.” 

The demon was cut off sharp as he felt Arthur’s lips press firmly against his. Zeldris’ eyes fluttered shut,  sighing with deep relief as he melted into the kiss. Arthur’s hand tangled in Zeldris’ hair, their heads tilting as they shared a passionate kiss. Zeldris clutched Arthur close, his fingers digging into the humans’ shoulder blades as he forced himself not to cry. After a few moments they separated, Arthur’s hand sliding to his shoulder and squeezing softly.

“Will you come back to the demon realm with me? With us?” Arthur smiled, his amethyst eyes shining as their hands slid together, their fingers lacing. “I’d love nothing more.” Arthur leaned down, pecking Zeldris on the lips once more as they walked back towards the cave, seeing Gelda smiling at them from the dark entrance.

[icebear4president]

Alfred as y/n because he’s so quirky✨This hurt so much to write, I almost cried.

I woke to my alarm clock playing my favorite song, 'Fight Song'. I walked over to my mirror and stared at myself. I had a muscular frame, bright golden hair, and piercing blue orbs. I wish I wasn't soo ugly. I'm not like other guys, you see.

I threw on my favorite jacket and tight jeans that showed off my thicc ass. I tried to put my blonde-golden hair into a bun, but my hair was too short. I blinked, tears swimming in my sparkling blue orbs. Why was my life so horrible?

As I walked to the UN building, I remembered when my father went to get chocolate milk, then got hit by a train and landed on a land mine. My mother and goldfish died in a plane crash 07.4 seconds later. I almost started crying again before I realized I didn't have parents or a goldfish.

I hate world meetings because everyone was soo fake and I would never be able to fit in with them. They all wear fancy clothes and tons of makeup, while I wear jeans and sweatshirts and only apply lip gloss. I'm not like the rest of them, I'm quirky.

As I headed inside the building, I slammed into a 9'7 body and fell backwards on my toned ass. Why must I be so clumsy? 

“S-s-s-s-s-s-s-sorry,” I stuttered.

"You better be," the voice snarled. I looked up and stared at the man. It was Ivan, my uwu baka crush. He was also a vampire, and so sexy that all the girls and guys wanted him. Except for me because I'm different.

"O-o-o-o-o-okay," I whimpered, even though I could totally beat him in a fight if I wanted to. Ivan shoved me against the wall, intense violet orbs staring at me. I shivered because this was hot and totally not textbook red flag at all.

"Just remember I will always be watching you," he purred, his tongue rubbing against his sexy vampire teeth.

"W-w-w-w-w-w-w-what do y-y-y-y-y-y- you mean?" I gasped.

"I own this public building that multiple people use, and that means I own you," he hissed. He got off me and walked away.

I got up and ran away, falling down twenty flights of stairs, tears falling from my electrifying blue orbs. I couldn't believe this was happening to me, so I ran to the roof. I grabbed the edge of the railing and starting singing.

"This is my fight song, take back my life song," I sang at the top of my lungs, because I'm not normal, I'm quirky.

"Wow..." I heard a voice behind me and saw a handsome guy standing behind me. He had blonde hair and emerald green orbs. 

"You sounded amazing," he said. "T-t-t-t-thanks," I stuttered.

"I'm Arthur, alpha of the local werewolf pack," he said. "I'm Alfred," I said back.

"I know we just met 17.76 seconds ago, but do you want to come to a party I'm throwing tonight later?," he asked? "O-o-o-course, I said.

"Great, see you then," he said, walking away.

I couldn't believe this! I walked to the stairs, however, I tripped and crashed down 30 floors. I got up completely unscathed, because my thiccness saved me. I was going to a party. I wonder if my uwu baka crush would be there.

But Alfred was so ugly everyone at the party died. The end.

(I’m so sorry, please don’t kick me out the fandom)

[richardsphere]

Rwby Catchup V7E10

Writing this after the fact, so non-chronological order: Weiss mom has a drinking problem, in the same episode that reminds us Qrow is trying to kick the same habit. To indicate exactly how terrible a parent Jaques is, she cries happy tears from hearing her daughter isnt coming back home. Whitley hates his sisters for abandoning him to his father. (great scene, great characterisation. Love it entirely). I dont ship it (yet) or anything, but i do hope they’ll join the same AA group at some point. Imagine the thrill of getting to arrest your own dad. Arthur is still sort of generic, but he’s earned a trait besides Smarm and Science: He’s a half-decent salesperson. Also a bit of a showman with a sense of drama. Innocents are about to freeze, and i’ll admit that i like seeing a businessman turned corrupt politician actually face accountability but i dont know if thats the writing or my frustration with the having access to the internet during the Trump Administration. I hope this’ll be the end of his character, he seems like exactly the type of villain whose presence is better felt in absence. (as in the scar on Weiss’ face is enough presence on its own, we dont actually need his presence that much. I might be wording it badly. Basically im worried they’re gonna stage a breakout scene for him and he’ll overstay his unwelcome as a character.) Neopolitan is back, and she still leaves me feeling as cold about her presence in the narrative as the icecream she is named after, but that’s largely because its hard to characterise a character who does not speak. (but then, her being a one-note character is actually a strength. The same as Wile-E-Coyote being one-note is a good thing).  This brings me to a little segment that I call “Richard struggles to figure out what the deal with Emerald & Neo even is”. Today on RSTFOWTDE&NES: I’ll openly but shamefully admit it took me verry long to realise that neo’s semblance was some kind of pseudo-illusion thing? Though at least some have seemed semi-tangible. In my defense her earliest appearances mostly had her use it to vanish into thin air so i thought she was just a teleporter like Ruby. Then when i finally figured out Neo had illusions, i sort of got confused and thought a lot of Emeralds things in the tournament where actually Neo doing that. I guess what im trying to say is its kind of weird for the villains to have 2 different illusion-based characters, and for one of them to have an “only one target at a time” limitation. like thats sort of weird isnt it? I might be misremembering, but did Maid!Neo talk to Weiss? Or was that a different maid who has been stuffed into a closet off-screen so Neo could take her place afterwards? Its sort of unclear to me. Cinder is also here, God i hope she gets a character besides “generic hunger for power” at some point but if there is i havent seen it yet. But its nice to know that Ozpin isnt the only one whose lieutenants can betray them at least, not much to say she’s still spending most of the plot looking ominously. Whitley crying on the stairs, This family needs more hugs and less alcohol. Robyn, you’re nice. I dont know what more to say. You’re the only character in Atlas i would trust to run a popsiclestand, Not a lot of deep going on with her, but Robin Hood parodies live and thrive by virtue of their simplicity. They finally tell James that Salem cant be killed and that they lied about the relic’s number of questions, i’ll admit i only ever understood one of those two lies. (They could’ve just claimed “ozpin told us she cant be killed/do you really believe that if she could be killed Ozpin wouldnt have succeeded a thousand lifetimes ago). Does this mean the tower is cancelled? Is operation “100 Shions at once” finally cancelled? NO because Oscar said to stop keeping Salem a secret, so that plan is still a go apparently.  The Penny and Winter Dont Understand Eachother scene was great, and i adored the moment Winter thought “oh shit, did i just pull a robo-racism?”. Verry “Pyrrha accidentally implies Jaune should jump off the roof” energy there.

[arthur-liquor]

art dump cuz i keep forgetting to post here

[ozcarma]

This episode was all I ever could have wanted and more

This episode was so good y’all

Mercury backstory, Emerald feelings, Tyrian tail, everything Pyrrha, suicidal Jaune closure, Oscar’s safe with a pimpin’ outfit, Ruby standing up for her team and calling Qrow out...wow

[viiisenyas]

Ahem. For that smutty prompt list: "sex on a countertop/tabletop/sink because we couldn’t wait to get somewhere with cushions" forrrr Val/Artie, maybe? 😌

Send me filthy prompts!

#3. sex on a countertop/tabletop/sink because we couldn’t wait to get somewhere with cushion

“Love, I know I haven’t been here in a while,” Arthur started between kisses, “but I’m fairly certain there’s plenty of beds upstairs.”

“ Venhedis, I’ve been waiting for your return for months.” She pulled back to look at him, as she settled herself on the surface of the table. “I’m not waiting a moment longer.”

Valeriana reached for his belt, and pulled him closer, impatiently. Amell was slightly taken aback by her eagerness, and before he had a moment to ponder on exactly what had gotten into her, Valeriana slipped her hand between them to palm his growing erection through his trousers. His eyes fluttered shut, and he groaned softly as he involuntarily rutted against her hand.

Arthur kissed her with fervour, pushing her back against the table before her soft lips moved to his jaw. He let his hands wander to her breasts, kneading them through her embroidered gown.

Heat pooled into the pit of his stomach as she hastily began her attempts in unfastening the belt around his waist, and Arthur pulled back from her to pull the leather glove from his right hand with his teeth, and carelessly tossed it behind him.

He pulled the skirt of her dress above her knees, letting his bare hand roam against her soft thighs before he squeezed her arse. Valeriana moaned against his neck, and Arthur slipped his fingers beneath her knickers. Her breath hitched as he began to rub her clit in quick circles, and she let her head fall back against the table.

Valeriana clutched the sleeve of his coat, and she rolled her hips against his hand. Amell could feel her folds growing wetter as she moved, and he exhaled through his nose. His eyes became lidded with desire, and he plunged two fingers into her cunt.

Her chest rose as she arched her back, and he couldn’t help but lower his lips to her neck. He traced his tongue against her heated skin, and curled his fingers against her most sensitive spot. Her lips parted, and the lovely sound of soft moans spilled from her full lips.

“Maker’s breath, I’ve missed you.” Arthur murmured into her ear as he caressed her hair with his opposite hand.

As she began to tremble, Arthur pulled his hand from her and while she emitted a frustrated huff. Her emerald eyes cracked open, and she shot him a glare. Amell offered no reply, and simply pulled her hips toward the edge of the table, kicking the chairs aside as he ignored the sharp groans against the marble tiling.

He nudged her thighs apart before he knelt in front of her. Before she could react, he dipped his head between her thighs, gently hooking her leg over his left shoulder while he pushed the other to the side.

Amell looked up to meet her lustful gaze and offered a smile before he pushed the skirt of her gown above her hips and began to tease her inner thighs with his tongue. A small giggle erupted from her as his stubbled cheek tickled her skin. He took the opportunity to remove his other glove, and he kissed her folds through the fabric of her knickers.

He reached up to cup her breast, squeezing gently as he slipped her smalls to the side, and he slowly tasted her cunt.

His tongue swirled around her clit as he inched his fingers into her once more. He let his eyes fall shut as he savoured the taste of her, and he closed his lips around the bundle of nerves while he began to move his fingers faster.

Her cries reverberated within the vast dining hall, and Valeriana trembled. Heat bloomed in her core as she edged closer towards euphoria, and Arthur curled his fingers against her spot.

“Arthur…” She gasped, tangling her fingers into his hair.

“Come for me, love.” He murmured against her before flattening his tongue against her clit.

Her cheeks flushed, and her slick coated his fingers as she clenched around them. Her thighs quivered when she finally tumbled over the edge. Amell slipped his fingers from her centre, and slowly ran his tongue over her sensitive folds, chuckling softly as her body tremored.

He pressed his lips against her inner thigh, leaving a trail of kisses to her calf before he moved to hover above her. Amell kissed her with urgency as settled his hips between hers, and he began to rut against her.

Her hands wandered to the buckle on his collar, and she began to unfasten it, impatiently. As she attempted to push the scale mail coat from his shoulders, she quickly realised that it was still fastened to his arms.

“Maker’s breath, why are there so many buckles?!” She huffed with frustration against his lips, earning a low chuckle from the Warden-Commander.

“I’ve never known you to be so impatient, Val.” He teased, offering a crooked grin.

Valeriana returned his smile for a moment before she firmly grasped the back of his neck. “Take off your fucking armour.”

His cock twitched from the intensity of her stare, and he obliged her request as he pushed his weight off the table. In his enthusiasm, he struggled in his attempts to remove the heavy belt from his waist, and his cheeks reddened as she giggled softly. Amell finally managed to pull it free after a moment, and it clattered to the ground, forgotten as his coat and tunic soon followed with an equal amount of effort.

As he began to unlace his trousers, Valeriana slipped her knickers off, and tossed them aside. He kissed her hard as he pushed her back against the table, and rested on his elbows. He settled his hips between hers. He pulled his cock free before he began rutting against her once more.

She slipped her hand between them and grasped him. He inhaled sharply, and involuntarily thrust into her hand as she guided him into her wet folds.

Arthur’s eyes fell shut as he pushed into her, emitting a low groan against her lips. He exhaled through his mouth, shakily at the sensation and his breath fanned against her face. Breathing deeply, he slowly inched himself inside of her as he savoured the soft feeling of her cunt tightening around him.

Valeriana wrapped her legs around his waist as she caressed his scarred cheek, moaning softly. Amell rested weight on his forearms as he began to move at a slow rhythm. He leaned forward, and pressed his lips against her neck before he slipped his hand beneath the plunging neckline of her gown to cup her breast.

As he ran the pad of his thumb against her nipple, he began to thrust more deliberately. Her lips fell open when cock brushed against her spot, and he grazed his teeth against her skin. A familiar warmth grew in the pit of his belly, and his muscles tightened when he felt her trembling against him.

“Does that feel good, love?” He panted against her skin, and she nodded fervently, unable to form coherent words.

Amell leaned forward and nipped her earlobe with his teeth before slipping his fingers between them. He teased her clit, rubbing circles, and she shivered. Her cries echoed within the confines of the dining hall. Her cheeks flushed, and Arthur groaned when she clenched around his length. His rhythm became erratic, and Valeriana shuddered against him. She let out a string of curses as she came undone, and his hips stuttered. He groaned softly in her ear as he spilled into her.

Arthur rested his forehead against hers, and Valeriana shivered from his wandering hands.

The two were still for a moment, listening to each other’s breathing until he slipped his softening length from her centre and began trailing kisses from her collarbone to her neck. Her eyes met his half-lidded gaze, and he kissed her tenderly. As she brushed her nose against his, Arthur hummed contentedly, running his fingers through her crimson hair.

“Welcome home, amatus.” She murmured.

[aspoonofsugar]

Ironwood and Cinder: The Final Word

Cinder: And that’s… checkmate.

The Final Word of the volume is Cinder’s and it is meaningful she says it to Ironwood.

As a matter of fact Ironwood and Cinder are two sides of the same coin on many levels. This is conveyed also structurally.

Volume 7 is mostly about Ironwood’s tragic spiral. We are shown him struggle with his flaw throughout the whole volume, but in the end he loses to it and becomes just as dangerous as Salem:

Oscar: Then you're as dangerous as she is, James.

Not only does volume 8 close with Cinder instead, but it also opens with her:

And it even gives us her backstory:

Why does it happen? And why is Cinder’s final line so important when it comes to her foiling with Ironwood?

GRAVITY

It is not by chance that Watts calls both Ironwood and Cinder out before the climax of respectively volume 7 (Ironwood) and volume 8 (Cinder). This is because, as stated above, volume 7 is Ironwood’s volume, while volume 8 is Cinder’s. So they both are confronted with a truth about themselves and their reaction to it influences their stories in the Atlas arc.

In a sense, even if Watts is the one dangerously hanging over an abyss... it is actually Ironwood and Cinder who are on the brink. They are deciding Watts’s survival, but they are also deciding their own destiny.

They are choosing if to fall because of gravity or if to fly in the sky victorious.

At the same time, the two scenes with Watts show how Cinder and Ironwood are both similar and opposites.

AS ABOVE, SO BELOW

Ironwood and Cinder are nothing, but two products of Atlas’s society.

Ironwood was born at the very top:

Watts: You just stood atop it and called yourself a giant!

Cinder existed at the very bottom:

Watts: You think you're entitled to everything just because you've suffered, but suffering isn't enough! You can't just be strong, you have to be smart! You can't just be deserving, you have to be worthy! But all you have ever been, is a BLOODY MIGRAINE!

Watts is in the middle and he represents the worst traits of both.

He wants everything, just like Cinder:

Ironwood: I gave you everything you could have wanted!

But differently from Cinder it was no true he had nothing. He was successful, had food, clothes and respect. Still, he was never satisfied and ended up disgracing himself in the search of something more.

He also disregards feelings in favor of rationality, just like Ironwood:

Watts: Our tin soldier’s heart has cost him his mind.

And he sees people under him as inherently inferior:

Watts: Yes, yes, please keep your posse in check.

This is why his death is fitting:

Cinder: I merely added more flames to the fires of Atlas.

He burns with Atlas aka the city he wants to destroy, but also a symbol of who he is deep down.

What is more, his death happens specifically because he blindly follows his wishes:

Watts: Oh, believe me, this is everything I've ever wanted.

And because he is outsmarted and manipulated by Cinder:

Cinder: You deserve this, Arthur. We'll be back.

He is proud of his genius and rationality, but in the end he dies because of his feelings of pettiness.

In short, Watts, Cinder and Ironwood represent three social classes of Atlas and how the system corrupts people at every level. In general, all three want to be at the very top, but disreguard and mistreat the ones below.

-This is why Ironwood seeks control even in situations where he is not in charge, like the Vytal Festival. He also challenges Ozpin’s authority and leadership because he is not used not to be the one deciding. At the same time, he is shown ready to discard Mantle in multiple occasions.

-This is why Watts can call out Ironwood’s arrogance without seeing he is exactly the same as him.

-Finally, this is why Cinder lashes out at people she sees as Atlas elites (the Schnees, Ironwood, Watts), but treats those below her just like she was treated:

Emerald: We don't need him! Everything was going fine! (a slap is heard, and she cries out in pain)

Cinder: Do not mistake your place.

Mercury: Oh yeah? Tell that to--

Cinder: Quiet.

THE ENEMIES OF TRUST

Both Ironwood and Cinder’s left arms are artificial. Ironwood’s is mechanical, while Cinder’s is Grimm.

Their respective arms convey opposite approaches to things.

On a more general level, they are respectively linked to Creation (Ironwood’s mechanical arm) and to Destruction (Cinder’s Grimm arm). As a matter of fact a robotic arm is a human creation, while Grimms are nothing, but the symbol of destruction.

On a personal level, their arms hint at the two characters’ opposite personalities.

Ironwood’s arm can’t feel pain.

Cinder’s is instead linked to pain and feelings in different ways:

Raven: Aura can't protect your arm, it's Grimm.

Salem: You chose to disobey my specific instructions just to fail again.

Cinder: She’s back…

Cinder feels great pain whenever her Shadow Hand is cut because she can’t protect it with aura. At the same time, it is used by Salem to torture her. Finally, it links her to Salem to the point that she knows when her Master is back.

In other words, Cinder’s arm lets her feel more, while Ironwood’s lets him feel less.

This difference is mirrored by both the ways Ironwood and Cinder respectively attack Watts and by their semblances:

Ironwood’s Mettle lets Ironwood suppress his own feelings, so that he can pursue any objective, no matter how cruel or immoral it is. It makes him “superhuman”, but in a very negative sense.

Cinder’s Scorching Caress represents Cinder’s explosive emotions. It is a form of self-expression, which is both destructive and self-destructive.

Ironwood’s semblance is about repression, while Cinder’s is about lashing out.

Similarly, Ironwood goes after Watts at the cost of his arm and he ignores the pain he feels:

Watts: I wouldn't do that if I were you. I mean, unless you're hoping to add more metal to that body of yours.

Cinder instead goes after Watts to vent her anger:

Cinder: What do you mean, she'll destroy herself? How am I supposed to take her power if she's dead?!

Both are extremes and both are wrong, as Winter explains:

Winter: But yes Penny, we must still acknowledge our personal feelings, wrestle with them. It ensures us that we’re on the right path. It’s what makes us human.

Ironwood and Cinder should aknowledge their own feelings not to be consumed by them.  It is also the only way for them to truly be humans, not machines or monsters, but simply people.

Both characters almost succeed just before the climax of their respective volumes.

Ironwood tries to open up to others:

And Cinder shows vulnerability:

However, none of them is able to capitalize on this chance for development. This is ironically because of each other:

Cinder messes with Ironwood’s insecurities, while Ironwood’s ultimatum gives Cinder the perfect chance to ignore hers.

The result is that Ironwood goes back to control, while Cinder goes back to manipulation. Both do so because they are unable to trust.

Interestingly, they take after their respective mentors in this.

Ironwood takes after Ozpin:

Ironwood: Did you really think you were the only one who got to work on a new plan after Beacon? WIth Ozpin gone, I needed my own team of people I could trust.

Oscar: General? Earlier, you asked for my advice.

Ironwood: I wanted Ozpin's advice.

Oscar: And his advice probably would've been to keep your secrets.

Cinder takes after Salem:

Salem: When I chose you as my vessel for the Maidens, I put my trust in you. So, I trust that you wouldn’t possibly return to me empty-handed.

Ironwood’s whole struggle in volume 7 is his search for a “new approach”. He wants to be like Ozpin, but better. This is why he founds his own group, but wants to trust the world with the truth about Salem. However, he confuses trust with control.

Cinder instead wants to become just like Salem and suffers when she sees she is not. This is why she collects assets, just like her master. This is also why she does not trust anyone, but manipulates others.

That said, what is the difference between Ironwood’s control and Cinder’s manipulation? It has once again to do with feelings.

Ironwood’s attempt to manipulate others is about suppressing feelings. He uses Atlas’s military hierarchy and social structures to ask for his subordinates’ blind loyalty.

Cinder’s method to control people lies instead in making use of others’ feelings. She uses both wishes and fears to her advantage.

In short, control and manipulation are nothing, but the same inability to trust declined in opposite ways. They are both “enemies of trust”.

This is why both Ironwood and Cinder find a strong enemy and a foil in the character, who embodies friendship in these volumes:

Deep down, Ironwood and Cinder not trusting others is because they fear betrayal:

Cinder: I won’t have to run now.

Rhodes: That’s all you’ll ever do.

Ironwood: I've chased a lot of shadows over the years, always expecting betrayal. But never once did I think it would ever come from you.

However, Penny too is betrayed and mistreated by others:

Penny: I do not like it when friends fight.

Ruby: I know. Yang and I may not agree on how best to save Mantle but-

Penny: No. I mean Winter. The general. They were our friends. But then the Ace Ops attacked you. And the general, he said people were going to die, because of me.

 However, she does not give up on the ideal of a genuine bond:

Attached but not By strings

Still, if Penny is a positive foil to both Ironwood and Cinder, why does she die?

RISK

Weiss: Trust is a risk.  

Yang: Ruby, they’re not called sure things, they’re called risks.

These two lines taken together are why at the end of volume 8 Penny dies, our heroes fall and the manipulative Cinder wins.

It happens to show the main theme of the two Atlas volumes. Trust is not a “sure thing”. It is a risk and it does not always work. Still, it is necessary to trust as it is necessary to take risks:

Yang: You were being optimistic. Look, blind optimism isn’t great, but no optimism means we already lost. We need hope. We need to take risks.

Giving up on trust and risks means giving up on hope. It means to give in to fear.

Still, this does not mean your trust will always be paid back. And it does not mean that the risks you take will always work, even if you come up with a wonderful plan:

Cinder: I knew your plan would be bold, but I never could have predicted all of this...

Sometimes people will betray you:

Sometimes your risk will end up in a fall:

However, it is still worth to trust, even when you have no guarantee it will work:

And sometimes It is even worth to risk the fall because it may lead to people being saved:

This same idea is conveyed also through Penny’s final choice:

Penny: Trust me.

Winter: Thank you for trusting me with this.

Penny dies tragically, but she still manages to pass the Maiden’s power to a person she trusts.

This is especially meaningful because the Winter Maiden power, just like Penny herself, has been subjected to both control and manipulation.

Ironwood does all he can to make sure the power ends up to Winter. At the same time, he is the one most responsible for Penny feeling as nothing, but a robot:

Ironwood: As the official report stated, that footage was doctored. Penny is completely under my control.

Cinder tries to steal the power three times. She also manipulates Penny’s feelings towards her friends:

Cinder: I was hoping your friends would be here. But it looks like they left you to do all the work. You’re just a tool to be used!

In the end, Ironwood treating Penny as a machine (control) and Cinder using Penny’s love for her friends against her (manipulation) are among the psychological factors that lead Penny to be mortally wounded by Cinder.

Still, while dying Penny negates both Ironwood and Cinder and frees the power and herself from both control and manipulation.

The fact she chooses Winter works well to illustrate this.

Winter is the person Ironwood wants as the next Maiden. However, Winter becomes a Maiden not because of Ironwood’s control, but because of Penny’s trust:

Ironwood: So… the destiny I chose for you has arrived.

Winter: You chose nothing. This...was a gift.

Winter is a Schnee, so she represents both what Cinder hates and what she herself wants to be:

Cinder to Winter: You Atlas elites are all the same! You think hoarding power means you’ll have it forever, but it just makes the rest of us hungrier.

Winter is a symbol of Atlas and so she is a reminder to Cinder that Atlas is not really destroyed:

Robyn: What do you think a kingdom is? The people, or just the chunk of land they live on?

Just like Cinder’s past isn’t.

WORTHY

Cinder wants to be worthy. Ironwood wants to be a hero.

Deep down, Ironwood and Cinder want the same thing. They want to be above others. They want to be more than humans.

However, they go at it in opposite ways:

Ironwood: I have sacrificed everything!

Cinder: I want it all...

Ironwood thinks that victory lies in sacrificing everything, while Cinder sees it as taking it all.

These opposite viewpoints mirror their respective social stances.

Ironwood can say he wants to sacrifice everything because he has everything.

Cinder thinks happiness lies in everything because she has nothing:

Cinder: You’re right. Without you I am nothing. But because of you, I am everything.

In the end, Ironwood and Cinder are each other’s true enemies, but they fail to see it and lash out against the wrong people:

Ironwood and Cinder’s respective fight against Winter and Weiss is exactly this.

Ironwood fights a Maiden he sees as an enemy of Atlas, while another Maiden is attacking the people he swore to protect.

Cinder lashes out at Weiss because of her origins, while Weiss has decided to leave her status and money behind to make the right thing.

Still, Ironwood and Cinder are too hypocritical to see the truth. This is why they attack people, who could have helped them, if they were given the chance.

This is also why they receive a warning:

Winter: No, you have sacrificed everyone else!

Winter: You… are going to pay… for everything you’ve done!

Ironwood claims he is ready to sacrifice everything. However, he never sacrifices himself:

In the end, he is unable to sacrifice his life to fight Salem.

Let’s highlight he has nothing to lose by this point. He is falling with Atlas anyway. In his final moments, he is given the chance to prove true to his words:

I would die Without regret, I’d offer up my life With zero reservations I would fly Into the sun If that would keep our dream alive

Instead, he gives up. He has been shooting his allies until the very end, but freezes in front of his enemy.

Cinder thinks she is closer to her final victory, but in the end she has accomplished nothing of what she truly wants.

She wants to kill RWBY, but they are alive. She wants the Maiden powers, but she fails.

At the same time, Cinder is still far away from what she truly needs:

Cinder: You have everything you need?

Watts: Oh, believe me, this is everything I've ever wanted.

She is given a perfect mirror of herself in Watts. Still, instead of seeing it, Cinder uses his flaw, which is her same flaw, to kill him. Watts’ wants lead to his death and the same thing might happen to Cinder if she does not stop herself in time.

Finally, there is this:

Salem: This game is not yours to win, Cinder, it’s mine. Just because you’re more valuable to me than a pawn, does not make you a player. Everything is already in motion. All you need concern yourself with is your ability to act when I tell you to.

Ironwood and Cinder share a chess motif.

Ironwood thinks of himself as a player and specifically as Salem’s opponent.

Cinder is instead told she is no player.

However, in the end, Ironwood becomes a mere pawn to the point that all Watts has to do is to open his cell to be sure he is going to unwillingly aid in Cinder’s plan.

What is more, he is so fixated on Salem that he fails to aknowledge the people below him. This is why his true opponent is a slave that Atlas exploited.

Cinder frames herself as a player instead. She is the one who truly makes the first move against Ironwood and ultimately she is the one who defeats both him and our protagonists. Finally, she is the one who calls checkmate.

Still, is she really playing her own game?

In the end, the one who gets what she wants is not Cinder, but Salem:

And all she has to do to obtain it is one small move:

Salem: And I’ve realized, it’s all my fault. You’ve fought your whole life unwaveringly for what you want and here I am holding you back instead of lifting you up.

While Cinder is once again letting her talent be exploited by those above her. She is choosing to be Salem’s Queen instead than a player of her own life.

She is the Black Queen defeating the White King, but nothing more.

[mermaid886]

They had nearly made it to the storefront when a voice called out, “Bet you loved that, didn’t you, Snape?!”

Ellery jerked to a stop as Harriet halted and turned around with her emerald eyes narrowed in the direction of that familiar sound.

She scoffed as she watched Draco slowly descend the nearby staircase, with his pale, blonde hair slicked back, and his black cloak billowing at his sides.

“Loved what, Malfoy?” Harriet snapped, “What are you doing here? Don’t your parents order your books to be shipped to your house or something?”

“My father came to meet Professor Lockhart, Snape, if you must know.” Draco snapped haughtily before he sneered at Ellery.

Ellery cowered at Harriet’s side as she shrugged and retorted, “My father works with Professor Lockhart so it’s really nothing to him at all.”

A tense silence fell between the three children before another voice called out, “.....Alright there, Harriet?”

Harriet, Ellery, and Draco both looked over at Ron, who frowned at them nervously.

“Ron!” Harriet cried.

The happiness in her voice as her eyes fell on her best friend caused a visible veil of jealousy to cloud Draco’s handsome features.

Ron came closer as Ellery blinked while Harriet introduced him, “Ron, this is my brother, Ellery. Ellery, this is Ron Weasley, my friend.”

“How do you do?” Ron asked Ellery, who nodded politely, but shyly remained quiet.

Draco grit his teeth as Ron turned his head and called across the shop, “Ginny! Ginny, come over here!”

The children watched as a small, red-headed girl came to stand beside Ron before he introduced her to Harriet and Ellery, “This is my little sister, Ginny.” He nodded proudly, “Ginny, this is my friend, Harriet Snape, and her brother, Ellery.”

While the Snapes and Weasleys exchanged introductions, Draco stood on the steps with a frown.

Despite his wealth and noble status, he realized that he had become a pitiful outsider in the current social situation.

He had no siblings to introduce and only his history of Harriet’s dislike to keep him disappearing from the scene altogether, but cold, grey eyes carefully watched them all as the footsteps of heavy, black boots approached.

Severus knew of the mission that Voldemort had recently assigned to Lucius Malfoy, though he did not know where, why, or how his friend would carry out the order he had been given.

With a small, black book hidden between his belt and his glove, Lucius approached the children as he slapped a polite smile of deception on his face.

“Well, well, Harriet, how good to see you again…….Ellery.” He nodded at Severus’s son and daughter.

“Hello, Mr. Malfoy.” Harriet said politely as Ellery nodded in response.

“Let’s see…..” Lucius stared at Ron and Ginny, “Red hair, vacant expressions…..” He frowned as he lifted a book from Ginny’s cauldron, “And second-hand texts, you must be a few of the Weasley children.”

“.......They are indeed, Lucius.” Arthur Weasely said with a firm frown as he stepped from the crowd of shoppers to face his colleague.

“Ah, Arthur….We missed you at the office on Friday.” Lucius said as he slyly slipped that small black book from under his glove to hide behind Ginny’s thrifted volume without anyone noticing.

“Did you?” Arthur asked, “I entered my holiday time a month ago, perhaps you missed the memo, along with the rest of your department?”

As the two fathers verbally sparred, Draco took advantage of the attention being focused on them to glance Harriet up and down.

He was ashamed of his own musings as he contemplated how sweet and soft her pink lips looked.

If he had been alone with Harriet, he could have leaned forward and pressed his mouth against hers…..

While Draco drooled over his fiancé, Lucius let a cocky, feigned chuckle escape his lips as he shrugged and said, “Perhaps so, Arthur. Unlike your department, mine is so very busy we have little time for such menial tasks. I’ll speak to our secretary about it on Monday.”

———————————————————————

https://archiveofourown.org/works/33703366/chapters/100644081