#handsome peacock sorcerer au

[spycethra]

Train of Heart (part 1)

WOW, this was long overdue. But hey, I finally finished part 1 and commenced part 2 a bit for this mini Handsome Peacock Sorcerer AU. @handsomepeacock drew an amaaaazing version of Peacock Jack as a kickass sorcerer. 

Anywho, so yeah. =D Had to make a story and I finally found the vital bit of inspo I needed to continue this. Thus here we are.

AU: Handsome Peacock Sorcerer Pairing: Rhack Summary: Long ago, Jack was a total dick across the land. In laymen’s terms, he was too much of a jerk for the rest of the world to handle anymore. So the heroes came along and defeated him by cheating. [Just kidding, they cursed him to become an immortal peacock without his train (AKA that bundle of feathers at his butt.)]

Many years have passed since that fateful encounter until finally he happens across a certain fanboy that might be his only chance at breaking his curse.

Hope you enjoy part 1, Handsomepeacock!

Once upon a time in the tiny hamlet town of Flamerock, there was a simple commoner by the name of Rhys. He was a fairly vanilla individual as he worked the usual afternoon shift in the only bookshop within town. The villagers found it fairly odd how the man sincerely enjoyed working alone amongst the yawning pages of strange almanacs and forgotten biographies as well as not-so-fictional bestiaries, but they still accepted him as one of their own.

He was a boringly normal guy with just as dull a lifestyle. Even as his twenty-sixth birthday arrived, he looked back on it all with a soft sigh of disappointment into his mug. Where was the thrill? When did he ever feel his heart pound? Did he ever?

The incessant questions created an unpleasant yearning in his chest as he rose from his stool at the bar. With every step taken away from it, his mind seemed to have a new reason to put him down. After all, his most notable traits were that of hushed mentions within the townsfolk of his missing right arm and unseeing eye. Hardly something he wanted to be remembered for if he were to suddenly kick the bucket, but it was something he was forced to deal with.

That was the most mystery he had in his life as he couldn’t remember what happened to either of them. Much less what most of his life had even been about prior to showing up to Flamerock. Not that anyone was aware of it, of course. Rhys was very careful about keeping his ‘mild’ amnesia on the downlow. The last thing he needed was to have people thinking he had been bewitched.

With another dejected sigh, he made for the backway while avoiding any eyes that might trail his movements. He needed some time alone to think, or at least reassess his life. In his mind, there honestly had to be more for him, but the young man consistently felt himself at a loss on how to find it.

Rhys successful slipped away unnoticed from the lively party his friends had thrown for him in the local tavern. The gaiety beheld for his birthday was very real, which he could appreciate, but the heavy weight of wasted years effectively distracted him from the celebration. He decided a bit of air might do him some good as he took a stroll down the unkempt road.

“At least tonight is nice…” he murmured toward the cool night air, trying to cheer himself up.

Rhys raised his mismatched gaze to enjoy the starry sky in all its magnificent wonder. Hundreds of dazzling specks decorated the sky with their varied hues of colorful glow. The rest of the town was quiet. Every home and shop seemed ready to serenely slumber away into the tomorrow as not a single window shined with candle light.

His little world felt at peace… and for some unexplainable reason that made Rhys very sad.

Were the days of the Handsome Peacock Sorcerer truly so far gone?

The birthday boy’s face fell as he stopped staring at the mystical constellations above him and instead fixated at the uneven cobblestone path before him. His shoulders slouched while his pace slowed. His unseen burdens became heavier with every unwanted step toward his equally mundane abode.

Would he never escape such a mundane existence?

He used to almost be something before… Didn’t he? The ache seemed to agree within his chest, but Rhys still couldn’t pinpoint its cause as he gripped the front of his shirt.

A surprising squawk followed by a livid hiss struck the air. It was coming from a nearby alleyway that was thrust between the barber and the florist shop. It sounded as if there was a struggle as the grunts and strain of an unknown man invaded the air followed by more inhuman noises of pure rage.

The safe (and sane) choice would have been to silently return to the party while pretending he didn’t hear a thing, but after having mentally berated himself for never taking risks, Rhys couldn't help himself but to investigate. He was tired of always playing it safe. He carefully made his way toward the violent conflict, hoping it was just one of the chickens that may have gotten loose or-

“Grah! Blasted bird!! Grrrhk!” the man yelled furiously before a thud.

Rhys lingered closer, wholesomely terrified. Murder wasn’t exactly a norm anymore… at least not by wild birds. The sorry gasps of a dying man tempted him to examine the scene.

“Wh-what’s… going… on?” He inquired, barely over an audible whisper while squinting his eyes to better see through the shadows.

By the time he arrived, the man was already sprawled dead upon the ground. Blood drained from his freshly torn throat, trickling between the gaps of stonework underneath him. Rhys’ hand flew to his mouth as he fought off the oncoming waves of nausea that now swirled repulsively within his stomach. He had no chance to identify the man in the dark, but he had a far more pressing issue at hand as the unsettling sound of something large scuttled behind him, forcing the auburn haired man to turn with a frightened yelp.

“Agh!!”

At first, he whirled around to find nothing in front of him besides the empty road. He began to calm when he thought the creature to be gone until an unhealthy scritching against stone caused him to dip his eyes downwards toward what was unmistakably a stray peacock standing directly in front of him - draped unpleasantly in blood. Rhys could see drops of gleaming scarlet dripping from the ruffled avian.

It eyed him threateningly, holding its ground for any potential provocation. He could tell the bird was definitely sizing him up, but for what, the one armed man couldn't tell. Though Rhys should have been much more terrified of the dangerous creature before him, instead he felt an overwhelming sense of awe.

“Wow… You’re an actual peacock… I didn’t think there were any left,” he whispered while inspecting the bristling peacock from where he stood, “Nice birdy… I'm not looking for any trouble...”

Or so he claimed. Rhys attempted to step closer to the avian but the flustered bird squawked warningly at him to keep his distance if he knew what was good for him. The man stepped back with heightened fright. There was no question for the stranger's cause of death. It clearly stood right in front of him with an unbridled fury as its bloody talons continued to scratch at the ground, much like how a bull would indicate its readiness to charge.

A few scared back steps was all it took from Rhys befor the peacock to begin charging straight at him with massive wings outstretched and a battle cry of livid squawking.

“Wait! Waiiiit! Ahhhhhh!!”

Fleeing desperately for his own life, Rhys continued to yell and shout in hopes of getting someone to help him, but it seemed all the residents of Flamerock were heavy sleepers as none of them came to his aid. Sprinting as fast as his long legs would take him, Rhys eventually reached his home. His trembling hand patted desperately around every pocket he had until feeling the familiar lump that was his keys.

He wasn't even sure where the crazy peacock had gone but he wasn't about to risk being killed on the night of his birthday over it. He had his fill for danger to last the rest of of his life as far as he was concerned. The jingle of metal clinking together became the beautiful sound of salvation as Rhys quickly stabbed them into the lock of his door, quickly swinging it open before sealing himself safely inside.

The door rattled against its hinges as talons scraped furiously against splintering wood. Rhys pressed against it with his shoulder, placing his full weight in fear that the cheap rusted hinges would soon give out.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he pleaded while the bird carried on destroying his door, “You just reminded me of the Handsome Peacock Sorcerer!”

And just like that… the assault on his door ceased entirely.

Rhys lifted his head, now covered in sweat, as he waited for some sort of additional sound to indicate the bird was leaving. Fear still stung at him while adrenaline pumped through his veins, gluing him a moment longer against the door. When the silence continued, he chanced taking a breath and removing himself to call it a night.

“...Talk about a close one,” he panted while rubbing at his side before trudging toward his bedroom, “I wonder why it stopped though… Could it have understood me?”

He shook his head with a chuckle. A peacock understanding English? It was far more believable that the avian simply grew tired and left out of loss of interest. Though a part of Rhys felt it was nice to dream a little. As frightening as the encounter was, he was grateful to have had something happen. His only regret was that he’d probably never see another peacock again for the rest of his life.

With a dejected sigh, the young man made it a few steps inside before he heard the indignant squawk just beside him...

[handsomepeacock]

Here’s the colored version of the picture I’ve been working on all day

[handsomepeacock]

I just imagined Nisha in the Handsome peacock Sorcerer au and she is wielding a crossbow