#i just got those new daggers and sheathes

[nerdsbianhokie]

Alas, poor Yor-chick

[azrielsdove]

Forbidden Love: Lucien x IC!Member Reader

Warnings: Angst

***

You couldn’t help the way your eyes drank in the fire-haired male currently speaking to your High Lord. You sensed the animosity radiating off of Azriel and Cassian from next to you, their annoyance with the Spring Court ever present. You knew that it was wrong, that it would never work. You didn’t want to imagine the way your friends would react if they discovered your little crush on the emissary.

Lucien’s eyes drifted over to you, cold and hard. “Any new plans to attack the members of my court, assassin?” You rolled your eyes at his question, spinning the dagger you held between your fingers.

“As we have reminded you and your High Lord several times, those fae were traitors and not to be trusted. They were not true members of your court.” He scoffed at your answer, shaking his head.

“Why should we ever believe you? All these meetings consist of are you all acting holier than thou, speaking as if we should automatically trust you.” He sneered in your direction, his hatred for you and your court palpable.

“Please, spare us the melodramatics. Not only did I do my job, I kept your court and its members safe from further harm.” You smiled sweetly at him. “A thank you would be nice.”

You could almost feel the fire that radiated in his eyes before he turned back to Rhysand. “Tamlin has requested a personal meeting after Calanmai, to discuss ongoing efforts of rehabilitation at the Spring Court. Can we fit into your insufferably busy schedule?” Annoyance was dripping from his voice, as it usually got by the end of these meetings.

“I suppose I can squeeze you in. I’ll send a message with available days and times at my convenience.” Rhysand gave a smile that showed all his teeth, a deadly threat thinly vailed as a friendly gesture. Lucien gave an equally fake smile back before turning and leaving the room. Azriel and Cassian immediately flanked to Rhys’ side, prepared to fly back to Velaris and debrief. You headed towards the door Lucien had left from, tasked with making sure he didn’t try snooping around the Hewn City. You spotted a flash of red hair turning a corner and started after him.

The corridor you entered was empty, your senses immediately on high alert. Where had he gone? You scanned the alcoves as you passed, one dagger held ready in your hand. You were halfway down the hall when an arm wrapped tight around your waist,

pulling you back into the dark alcove you had just passed. You twisted in the hold until your blade was

pressed tight against your assailants neck, a strand of red hair brushing against your hand.

“Quick little thing, aren’t you?” He hummed, looking down at you with his arm still wrapped around you. You sneered up at him, pressing the blade a little harder on his neck. He chuckled against the dagger, his free hand coming up and tugging your hand away. You sheathed the weapon, placing your hands on his chest with a small smile. Lucien tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, hand cupping your face. “I’ve missed you.”

You pushed up onto your toes, lips brushing gently against his. “I bet i’ve missed you more,” you teased, blood heating at the wicked grin on his face.

“Is that so?” His hand moved to the back of your neck, angling you up to him, lips pressing hard to yours. You sighed into the kiss, the familiar warmth spreading through your body at his touch. The love and joy you felt with Lucien was unlike anything you had ever known. Your fingers dug into his shirt, clutching onto him as if he was your lifeline. His hand flattened against your back, pushing you tighter into him. You gave a small moan as Lucien’s lips moved to your neck, kissing and biting the soft skin.

This was what life should be.

The thought sent a bitter chill down your spine, body tensing in Lucien’s hold. A change he noticed instantly, pulling away to look into your eyes. “What is it, my love?” You felt the tears coming, the overwhelming emotion that attacked when you were most vulnerable.

“I wish we didn’t have to hide like this.” Your voice was small, Lucien sighing at the conversation you’ve had countless times.

“You know I would tell them all in a heartbeat,” he said, looking over you carefully. “My position in the Spring Court means nothing to me, if it came to that. The only thing that matters is you.” Your throat tightened at his words, the love that he held for you.

“I know, Lu.” You bit your lip, thinking. “Rhysand would never forgive me.” Your eyes fell from his in shame, focusing on your hands that still rested on Lucien’s chest. He gave another deep sigh, his hands coming up to cover yours.

“Do they not wish you to be happy?” His question was quiet, cautious. You peeked up at him from under your eyelashes, shaking your head.

“They would never accept my happiness lies with you. I’d be sent away, marked a traitor to the Night Court.” Lucien tucked one hand back under your chin, pulling your face up towards his.

“Then they don’t deserve you here. We could go somewhere else, live with each other. I’d go to the ends of this world to see you happy and at peace.” Your heart squeezed at his words as you pushed up to kiss him again. Lucien, the king of your heart.

Maybe it was time to talk with Rhysand and your friends.

***

You and Lucien stayed in that alcove for as long as you could dare, kissing and touching and whispering sweet nothings. Every goodbye got harder, an inevitable end to your little peaceful bubble. You brushed away the fallen tears as you watched Lucien head out, preparing to winnow back to the Spring Court.

You hated these moments.

You composed yourself before going back to Velaris, putting your cool and calm persona back on. A fact that bothered you, that you now felt to hide your true self from your friends. From your family.

You had been in the Night Court for a hundred years, the feared assassin that Rhysand set on his enemies. You had created a name for yourself, deadly and dangerous. You never cared about the fear you instilled in others, not until you met Lucien.

The first time he had come to your court, you instantly felt drawn to him. It had knocked the air out of your lungs, the deep connection you felt to this unknown male. By the flash of shock in his eyes you realized he had felt it too. After that meeting you had cornered him in the hall, demanding to know what magic he had used on you.

It was only minutes after that he had you pressed up against the wall, his lips doing sinful things to yours.

You knew, in your heart, that he was your mate. He knew it too. The bond you couldn’t accept, not yet. Not when you lived in two rival courts, only seeing each other when meetings were called by either High Lord.

You took a deep breath before pushing the doors open to the townhouse, a smug smile on your face. Rhysand turned towards you, raising his glass of whiskey in greeting. “Get that Spring Court scum out of my town?” He teased, a flare of anger igniting in your chest. You pushed it down, laughing instead.

“Don’t I always?” You cooed, heading towards the ever-stocked liquor cart. You grabbed whatever was hardest, only caring about easing the pain in your heart. How long could you keep this up? You loved your family, you loved the Night Court, but you knew you would never be complete without Lucien at your side. You kept your breathing calm as you poured your drink, acting as if nothing were wrong.

“I wish they’d send someone else. How did he even manage to become the Spring Court emissary? He was not born there.” Cassian was musing, his dislike for Lucien strong. He didn’t like any of the Vanserra brothers, regardless of the fact that Lucien himself didn’t care for them either. “I wonder what kind of pity story he told Tamlin to rise up in that Court. I’d wager that he is only there at the order of Beron, probably with some plan to take the High Lord title for himself.” He shook his head and took a deep drink from his glass. “We shouldn’t let him keep coming here, Rhys. Who knows what he’s really doing?”

Your hand tightened around your own glass, raising it to your lips to try to hide the rage coursing through you. It was always like this after the meetings. They would talk about how horrible Lucien is, theorize about his life. You often kept quiet, throwing in the odd comment to not seem suspicious. It felt like a stab in your gut to hear your family speak so terribly about the male you loved.

“Now, Cass, he has never given us a reason not to trust him. Any of the deals we have made he has held true to.” Rhys swirled the liquid in his glass as he spoke, a smirk on his face. “I would rather never have to see that garish face again, though. He carries himself as if he is so much better than everyone, and for what? Being the disgraced son of the Autumn Court, forced to run to his little friend for safety? Pathetic, if you ask me.” You shot back more of your drink, vision turning red. As if you are any different, you thought, immediately checking that your mental shields remained up.

“I think you give him too much credit, Cass. I’ve sent my shadows after Lucien several times and they never have anything interesting to report. He’s just a sad, lonely male.” Azriel shrugged, as if it should be obvious that Lucien had nothing going for him.

You poured more alcohol into your rapidly emptying glass. It got harder and harder to listen to them as your love for Lucien grew. “What do you think, our deadly assassin? You always follow him out, has he ever tried to speak with you? Glean any extra information about our home?” Rhys asked, cocking his head as he did.

You swallowed the drink you had just taken, forcing a cold smile onto your face. “I think Azriel is right. He never says anything, never strays from leaving. He comes to do what was instructed and then he goes. Everything he does is at the hands of another.” You felt sick to speak about him so, but you were too scared of the repercussions the truth would bring. Perhaps that made you a coward, someone undeserving of Lucien. Soon. I’ll tell them soon, you told yourself, shooting back another drink.

***

This had to be a nightmare.

You stared blankly at Rhys, unable to keep your usual calm demeanor. The look of concern on his face told you that you were blowing your cover, that he was going to know something was amiss now.

You couldn’t get yourself to breathe.

“I can select someone else, if this is an issue? My apologies, I didn’t think this would be the most difficult task i’d ask of you.” You wanted to laugh at his joke, to shake your head and smile and go along with his plan. He was right, out of all the things you had done as the Night Court Assassin, this was far from the worst. You simply had to pretend to be betrothed to Azriel.

At the next meeting.

With the Spring Court.

In front of Lucien.

As if the pain of being separate from him wasn’t enough, you would parade around in front of his eyes with a male who wasn’t him. The thought sent a stab into your already injured heart, a reminder of how pathetic you were for not just telling Rhys.

You blinked, clearing your throat. “No, uh, I can do that. Sorry, it just took me by surprise.” You knew it was a weak response, and by the narrowing of Rhys’ eyes he knew it too.

“I don’t trust that Lucien has been coming completely innocently. I have seen the way he looks at you during our meetings when he thinks no one will notice. I am worried he has been sent to try to trick you into a courtship, some sort of sick pairing between the Night and Spring courts.” His scoff of disgust sent another pang through your heart. “By alluding to your engagement to Azriel, we can observe their reaction. See if they slip up with any emotion, anything that proves my theory.” A smirk appeared on his lips. “Besides, what better pairing than my feared Assassin and Spymaster?”

You forced yourself to laugh, nodding along to his plan. “A deadly pair.”

***

You slid your hands down the front of the elegant dress you wore, looking over yourself in the mirror. You looked beautiful, a deadly angel donned all in a blue so deep it was nearly black. Your hair had been twisted up, exposing the expensive earrings and necklace you wore. The gems on them direct matches to Azriel’s siphons, a silent claim that you were his.

As if the giant diamond on your finger didn’t make that clear enough.

You knew it wasn’t real, that it was all a facade. You truly did love Azriel, just not like this. Somehow even pretending to be with another male made you nauseous, uncomfortable in your own skin. You couldn’t help but worry about how Lucien was going to feel when he saw you. Would he understand none of it was real? Or would he fall for the trap Rhys had laid?

“You look lovely.” You turned to the low voice coming from your doorway, a small smile plastered onto your face. Azriel knew something about this plan upset you, cornering you about it earlier that week. You had insisted it was nothing to do with him, that there was no real issue. You faked “confidence issues”, worry that you wouldn’t be able to pull it off. You felt like he hadn’t believed you, but he did not argue further.

“As do you,” you complimented back, the words truthful. Your friend looked as handsome as ever, dressed in his finest to escort you to the meeting.

As his betrothed.

You walked over to him, placing your arm delicately in the crook of his elbow. “Let’s go raise some Hel.”

***

He believed it.

Lucien’s eyes were full of pain and betrayal as he took you in at the side of the Shadowsinger. He stared far too long at the ring on your finger, far too obvious to everyone else. Rhysand smirked from beside you, confident that his plan had succeeded.

You wanted to scream.

Azriel’s arm wrapped around your waist, holding you protectively. Typically you would feel safe in his hold, but every touch from him felt like razors across your skin. Especially with the way Lucien looked at you.

There was anger there. He truly believed you had tossed him aside for Azriel. You felt sick again, swaying slightly in his grasp. Azriel’s arm tightened around you, concern on his face as he looked down. “You okay?” He murmured, not wanting to draw any extra attention to you. You nodded, looking away from him. You didn’t trust your voice.

“Allow me to extend my congratulations to you and yours, Rhysand.” Tamlin spoke smoothly, a genuine smile on his face. You realized that he didn’t know about you and Lucien. You couldn’t help but to glance over at him, your heart aching at the empty expression on his face. You wanted to scream. This plan was ridiculous.

“Thank you, Tamlin.” Azriel spoke politely, his body against yours all of a sudden too hot. Every instinct told you to run to Lucien, that it shouldn’t be Azriel you are stood next to.

“I must say, Tamlin, that you may be more clever than I gave you credit for,” Rhysand began, inspecting his nails as if this was a mindless discussion. No. No. No.

Stop this.

You need to STOP THIS.

Your mind was screaming at you, but your body was frozen in place. Horror coursed through your veins, disgust in yourself twinning with it. Why hadn’t you spoken up sooner? You looked to Tamlin, his brows furrowed as he listened to Rhysand.

“An alliance between our courts would be something extremely beneficial to you, wouldn’t it? So beneficial, in fact, that you would resort to such lowly measures to try to secure it.” Rhysand glanced up at Tamlin then, lips pursing as he took in the genuine confusion on his face. Rhysands eyes narrowed, looking between Lucien and Tamlin. “Or did you not know? What your emissary has been doing here?” Tamlin now turned to Lucien, eyes wide.

“What are you talking about?” Lucien spat out, his typical cool demeanor gone. Rhysand smiled gleefully, gesturing over to you.

Say something. You need to say something.

“Your little game you’ve been playing with my assassin. Trying to win her heart, her hand in marriage.” He laughed. “It’s too bad our Shadowsinger here got her first, isn’t it?”

Coward. Coward. COWARD.

SPEAK UP.

Lucien turned slowly to you, eyes rimmed in red. “Is this true?” His voice was quiet, broken. Your hands shook as you took him in, the heartbreak so strong you could almost taste it.

“I-I,” you stuttered out, looking to Rhysand in a panic. How could he do this to you?

How could you LET him do this to you?

You shot away from Azriel, sucking in deep breaths of air. You turned wildly to Lucien, tears streaming down your face. “No.”

Rhysand gave a cruel laugh, drawing your attention back to him. “Whatever do you mean?” He asked, venmo dripping from his words. You wanted to cower at his anger, to back away and continue on with the plan.

But you had remained quiet long enough.

You shook your head, voice growing stronger. “No.” You looked back to Lucien, every inch of you hoping you could fix this. “I do love Lucien, Rhys. But it is not how you think.” You took a step closer to him, a pathetic relief soaking through you when he didn’t back away. “I have loved him from the moment we met. I have loved him secret, hiding this part of myself from you all.” You took another step. “I wait, heart aching with the pain of being apart from him, for these stupid meetings. I stay awake at night and watch the stars, imagining him doing the same.” More tears fell, matching ones trailing down Lucien’s face as you took another step towards him. “I live for hidden moments in dark corridors, for whispers of love only when no one else can hear them. And i’m tired.” Your voice cracked as you took the final step, bringing you right in front of Lucien.

“I’m so tired,” you whispered, slowly holding your hand out to him. You needed his strength, his warmth. He glanced between your hand and face, expression unreadable.

And then he took a step back.

The air disappeared from your lungs, your knees shaking as they struggled to support you.

No. No. No.

You had to fix this. You looked towards Rhys, Azriel, and Cassian. They wore similar expressions of shock and…pity. Pity.

You fell to your knees. “He’s my mate,” you choked out, the already silent room going even quieter. As if time itself stood still at your proclamation.

“Lucien is my mate,” you said again, anger with yourself charging through you. “He is my mate and I never told anyone. I allowed us to suffer in silence, too scared to tell you the truth. I thought you’d dismiss me from Court, from your life if you found out, Rhys.” More tears fell as you watched the flicker of pain go across your High Lords face.

“No, I would never-“ He started, moving towards you.

“Wouldn’t you?” Rhys stopped as you cut him off, gazing down upon your tear stained face. “Look what we are doing right now, Rhysand. The mere thought of Lucien being interested sent you to create a whole plan to catch him.” You looked down in shame. “And I let you do it.”

You felt like you may die right there. You had waited too long to say anything, you had allowed Lucien to be humiliated in front of his High Lord and yours. You had hidden your heart too deep, too afraid of what would happen if your friends found out about Lucien. All for you to lose him in the end.

A hand appeared in front of your blurred vision.

A familiar, welcoming hand.

You looked up to see Lucien’s face, a small smile on his as he helped you up. You stood in front of him, unsure what to say.

“You want this?” He asked quietly, tucking his hand under your chin. You swallowed, nodding.

“I only want you. Now, and forever.” It was true. You realized now how silly you had been, how you never should have feared losing your friends and court. All that mattered was Lucien. The male created just for you.

“My mate,” he whispered, before pulling you in and pressing his lips to yours. The kiss was full of fire and love, the now acknowledged mating bond singing. You melted into him, holding him as tight as you could. The rest of the room disappeared, leaving only you and Lucien. You felt as if you were glowing, wrapped up in the love he exuded.

You pulled away only when your lungs cried for air, smiling up at Lucien. He was yours. It didn’t matter what anyone else thought.

You turned to Rhys, grasping Lucien’s hand tight within yours. “If you wish me to go, then I will. But I will not sit and suffer and lie in fear any longer. I love you, all of you.” You looked at Lucien next to you. “My heart and soul belong with Lucien. I hope that you can accept that.”

Rhys rushed over to you, grabbing your hands into his. “How could you ever think that? I made this plan thinking he was trying to use you. If I had known, I would never-“ his voice cracked as he looked at Lucien. “I hope you can accept my sincerest apologies. I would never do anything to compromise her happiness.” You felt new tears slide down your cheeks, both relieved and embarrassed. You should have trusted Rhys, not hidden away in fear. You squeezed his hands, bringing his attention back to you.

“I should’ve told you a long time ago. I’m sorry.” He shook his head, pulling you in for a hug.

“No, i’m sorry. I never should have created an environment where you didn’t feel safe telling me this.” His eyes were shiny as he moved away, releasing you back to Lucien. “Whatever you want, I will grant. If you wish to live here I will accept you with open arms.” Tamlin stepped up next to him, nodding in agreement.

“My Court will always be open to you as well. I can’t imagine anyone who deserves this joy more than Lucien.” He gave him a broad smile, happy for his closest friend. Lucien nodded once in thanks, an arm wrapping securely around your waist. His fingers traced the diamond ring on your hand, slipping it off easily.

“I think we should replace this, don’t you?”

***

Some Time Later

You were admiring the elegant gold ring on your finger, watching the way the suns rays bounced off the firey ruby in the center of it. No matter how much time had passed you couldn’t help but be stunned by the beauty of the thing. The balcony door opened behind you, arms wrapping around your waist. A pair of lips met your neck, kissing you as you hummed softly.

“Early morning?” Lucien asked, teeth grazing your skin. You leaned harder back into him, welcoming his touch.

“Mmm. Rhys wanted to go over my upcoming assignments. He’s…worried about me completing them.” One of Lucien’s hands slid down over the slight curve of your stomach, the beginning signs of the life growing inside you.

“He’s not underestimating my wife, is he?” Lucien asked with a playful bite to your neck.

You laughed, shaking your head. “I told him it was fine, and if I felt I could not complete a task I would tell him so. He still didn’t seem convinced, if i’m being honest.”

“Hm. Perhaps i’ll have to talk to him.” Lucien turned you in his arms, pressing a searing kiss to your lips. “Let him know how perfectly capable you are.” You smiled up at him, kissing him again. Lucien tugged you close, opening your mouth with his. Ever since he found out you were carrying his baby, he hadn’t been able to keep his hands off of you.

Not that you were complaining.

***

[the-marshals-wife]

Angel Shot (John Wick x Reader)

─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─ 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄��𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 ─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─

A/N: Just a little something because I missed writing for John and watching all the movies again on winter break has got me feeling inspired. ♥

Description: John Wick x Fem!Reader, protective John fluff | Warnings: mild language, alcohol, suggestive themes, Y/N is harassed/threatened and John intervenes | Setting: before Helen (or AU without her, you decide) | Word count: 1,474

Gif credit: user johnswick

Imagine John coming to your defense when a former associate won't leave you alone

It had been a long week. All you wanted was a moment of peace and a cold drink. Normally, you had no trouble finding that at the bar within the New York Continental. On this night, however, you found yourself wishing you had gone elsewhere. No sooner had you taken the first sip of your cocktail did Rico Augustine spot you from across the room.

You keep your eyes fixed forward and pretend not to notice his approach on your right.

"Look who it is," he announces, mockery in his voice, "The rooftop sniper."

"Rico," you acknowledge placidly. You could already sense this interaction would not remain civil. A quick glance his direction allowed you to take notice of his haggard, unshaven face and wrinkled suit. Even in the subdued glow of the mood lighting, you could see the wildness in his bloodshot eyes as he clutched the edge of the bartop.

"I'd offer to buy you a drink," he starts, leaning in closer, "but considering I'm a little light of funds right now, maybe you should be the one getting me something, huh?"

The alcohol on his breath was strong enough to burn your nose. Apparently, he'd managed to evade both sleep and sobriety since you last spoke.

"I already have one," you say, gesturing with your glass, "And I'm not sure you need another."

"It really is the least you can do, after what you stole from me," he provoked, his disgust poorly veiled.

His proximity, paired with his odor and audacity, set a fire in your blood.

"Are we really going to go over this again?" you ask, turning toward him, "I didn't know you were there last night. I wouldn't have taken the shot if I had. I don't work like that."

"You know that's my territory. I followed that mark for two hours and you took him right out from underneath me. I needed that money," he seethes, drawing out his next words, "You owe me."

You pivot back to the bar, your temper flaring. "It was an open contract, Rico. Just because we worked together on the Morocco Exchange doesn't mean I owe you," you state, taking a swig before speaking once more, "I already gave you a 30% cut, from a profit you didn't earn in the first place. That means we're finished."

His hand flies up to grab your wrist, causing you to drop your drink. The glass rattles and liquid sloshes out as it hits the bartop, but it does not fall over. With the dull roar of music and conversation filling the room, the noise isn't enough to catch the distracted bartender's attention.

"What if I say we're not?" he asks, his voice growling in your ear, "What if we're only finished when I say we are?"

Before you can answer or go for the dagger concealed in your shirt sleeve, you feel the cold steel of a concealed blade begin to dig into your ribs.

"I tried being polite, but you just had to keep flapping those lips of yours."

"You don't want to do this," you warn through gritted teeth.

"Wrong again," he sneers, his gratified tone sending a shiver down your back, "Why don't we continue this conversation up in my room, hm?"

You try to make eye contact with the bartender, but his back is still turned toward you, occupied with a chatty patron. Only one option remained: be even less civil. You try to free your dagger slowly from its sheath on your forearm without Rico noticing. It starts to slide loose as he pulls you toward him with a sickening laugh. The hilt is almost in your palm when, in the mirror on the wall of liquor bottles, you catch a glimpse of someone approaching from behind. They come to stand at your left a few seconds before you hear a voice that brings immediate relief.

"Hey, Y/N."

"Hey, John," you say.

"Nice night," he remarks.

"Sure is," you reply, glancing to him from the corner of your eye.

"Evening, Rico. Can I buy you a drink?" John asks.

"Thanks John, but Y/N and I are about tapped out for the night. Ain't that right?"

You attempt to turn your head towards John, but Rico pushes the blade harder into your side in response.

"Yeah," you say unconvincingly, wincing from the sting, "Thought about ordering an Angel Shot though."

There's a brief silence before John speaks again. "That so?"

"This doesn't concern you, Wick," Rico snarls, his fake cordiality gone in an instant, "Mind your business."

"Actually, you made it my business when you pulled that knife," John responds calmy, "Now, how about that drink? Or shall I make a dinner reservation instead?"

You feel the grip on your arm loosen a bit. Your assailant knew as well as you did what that meant. One of two things awaited him: a whiskey, or a body bag.

Despite the warning, Rico scoffs, looking past you to glare at John.

"Come on, Wick. You and I both know you don't have the balls to break hotel rules," he retorts, his thin lips curling into smirk.

John doesn't blink. "You willing to bet on that?"

You suppress the urge to smile as you watch the reflection of your harasser's face lose its gusto, along with most of the color.

"Last chance, Rico," John says, "Take your hands off her, and walk away."

Your pulse pounds in your ears.

Rico narrows his gaze, but lets go of your arm. "Of course. Whatever you say, Baba Yaga," he jeers, rubbing his mouth with his sleeve.

You exhale, but the sweaty brute leans back in close to your face and hisses, "The Boogeyman won't always be there to save you. This isn't over."

Rico starts to walk past you, but John grabs his arm, and tilts his head ever so slightly. "I didn't catch that last part."

He clears his throat, avoiding John's piercing stare. "It was nothing."

"Uh-huh," he deadpans, "Didn't think so."

"What's the matter, Wick? We're all professionals here, aren't we?" he poses; more a begrudged plea for mercy than an inquiry.

"Some of us more than others, it would seem," John replies, proceeding to lower his voice, "If you threaten her again, you'll find out just how professional I can be."

Rico clenches his jaw, his eye twitching in rage. Even as he choked on his own venom, he knew he was beaten. He violently recoils as John releases his arm, straightening his jacket and running a trembling hand through his disheveled hair. You, John, and the rest of the room watch him retreat until he's completely out of sight.

Boogeyman or not, John had a way of drawing attention. The hush that had fallen over the room fades as customers return to their drinks and conversation, no doubt now discussing what sort of gruesome scene they were nearly witnesses to.

John finally turns to you. "Are you alright?"

You nod and smile a bit, "Thanks to you."

"I'm sure you had it handled."

"Yeah, but I wasn't looking forward to scrubbing his blood out of this fabric. You can never find this color, I'd hate to toss it," you chuckle, looking down at your shirt.

"We wouldn't want that," he says, amused.

You replace your tousled hair behind your ear and meet his softened gaze. "Thank you, John."

"You're welcome, Y/N," he says, reaching into his jacket pocket, "You look like you could use a refill."

He holds up an all-too-familiar gold coin, then places it on the bartop. "On me."

"That's two I owe you then," you counter, giving him a knowing look.

"No. You don't owe me anything," he states, kind but firm. The look he gives you in return makes you feel that you shouldn't argue.

"Fair enough," you say, watching the now attentive bartender top off your beverage, "But at least let me get you a bourbon."

John retrieves his phone from another pocket, reading the screen and stowing it back as fast as he'd produced it.

"Thank you, but I'll have to take a raincheck," John says, touching your shoulder before walking away. "Take care of yourself, Y/N."

"You have business elsewhere tonight?" you question, calling after him.

"Yeah," he answers, pausing a moment, "But I won't be checking out for another day or so."

You smirk. "Be seeing you, then?"

He nods, the smallest trace of a smile on his face.

"Be seeing you."

He turns to leave, and your eyes follow him until the last. Drink back in hand, your heart continues its excited drumming. You press the cold crystal to your lips and grin. Perhaps it wasn't such a bad night after all.

"Give 'em hell, John."

[smolvenger]

A Court of Mischief and Purpose Chapter Thirteen (Loki x fem! Reader Hiddlesverse Crossover Series)

Series Summary: Based on Sarah J Mass's A Court of Thorns and Roses series with the Tom Hiddleston characters. You are a woman of 1885 in Aldwinter in Essex, England, dying of tuberculosis. Never to be married to the local Lusty Vicar. When Loki appears to you and offers to heal you...if you spend a week of every month with him.

Chapter Warnings: You and Loki journey to Jotunheim to find the orb. But when events turn for the worse...you decide to ask for help.

Chapter Warnings: Using an oldie but goodie fanfic trope (Court of Mist and Fury does it, so I decided to use it too), some insecurity and mutual pining, and mentions of past cheating with a character who isn't Loki. Fluff and Angst.

A/N: I am not 100 percent certain about the cannon world of Jotunheim, so I threw my hands in the air and cried "fuck it! Give them horses". The next chapters are coming in fast since work was slow and I used the time to write some first drafts. Hence the fast posting.

Series Masterlist

A03//My Ko-Fi//My Etsy Shop//Masterlist//Wattpad

Taglist: @asgards-princess-of-mischief @jennyggggrrr @five-miles-over @fictive-sl0th @ladycamillewrites @villainousshakespeare @holdmytesseract @eleniblue @twhxhck @lokisgoodgirl @lovelysizzlingbluebird @raqnarokr @holymultiplefandomsbatman @michelleleewise @wolfsmom1 @cheekyscamp @mochie85 @fandxmslxt69 @skittslackoffilter

Dressed in your warmest coats and sheathed with daggers, you both went through the portal.

Jotunheim was still as bitter cold as ever. If only Loki could just create a portal within Jotunheim to land you right in the cabin! But no- that wasn’t in his abilities, as he kept reminding you whenever you began to complain. You had to travel through the blasted tundra. You trekked through the sharp wind and snow with Loki for a few hours. Thank goodness your fire floated in your hands and the movement gave you warmth. But you had yet to sense out where the cabin was. And now it was getting dark.

You used a certain creature to travel through- horses only known in Jotunheim. Like a regular horse. Only this one was a little bigger than normal. Bright white as the snow and that had crystals of ice on him. The Jotunheim Horses were immune to the cold- it was where they thrived. In fact, it grazed to eat the snow, swishing its blue tail and mane.

When you both got tired of walking, he used some of the money you had brought to rent a special horse of Jotunheim from a village. Like a regular horse that had crystals on them. Horses that were immune to the cold- it was where they thrived. Only barely larger than normal. You eyed the saddle nervously.

“I never even rode a normal horse before,” you said.

“Now, don’t be nervous my dear- here, I will show you how...” Loki guided.

He helped you up onto the saddle, you in front and him behind. You swung your legs to the side like you saw horsewomen in photographs back home do. He guided the reigns and as you both rode, gave you small instructions- keep your heels down. Stay calm. Flick the reigns to make them go faster, tug to make them stop or go slower. He even let you practice riding it for a couple of miles forward, the horse trotting at a calm pace.

“We’ve traveled for hours…but we cannot lose our place…” Loki said.

He checked the book again.

“It should be close…but it means it’s several hours of riding…”

He looked at you shivering.

“And we’ll need to stop…”

There was a city nearby. Some of the Frost Giant people gaped at you, but you ignored their starings. You checked the few inns in town. But it seemed many were full due to Starfall and those traveling to celebrate.

Finally, there was the third and last inn You both went inside, going up to the innkeeper at the wooden desk in the lobby. Her blue skin seemed to shine in the light and her red eyes were bright.

“We have good news, there is one room available for the night…” she announced.

“Oh, wonderful!” you cried.

She looked between you both.

“However, there is a problem…” she began.

There was only one bed. One comfortable, blanketed, bed in that room.

It was far too cold to lie on the floor for hours. You both would have to sleep in it.

Your heart raced a little- something so intimate! Something you would have never agreed to do a year ago…but now, what choice did you have?

Loki had nightclothes conjured for both of you. You fought back the memory of seeing him sleep semi-naked. You both had warm, thick nightgowns that were as white as the Jotunheim snow. You felt your eyes continue to flutter down to see the V of his own nightwear. The little bit of hair that poked out of his chest. But then forced them away.

Once it got dark, you both got into the bed. You and Loki turned around, him staring at the window and you at the wall.

The wind whistled sharply. Outside there were constant flurries of thick snowflakes. The cold air seeped through the room. Contrasting with the warmth of the blankets…and of your bedmate. Turning about, you had not fallen asleep yet. Your mind refusing to shut down despite the long day.

You kept thinking back, despite yourself, remembering the day you first spoke to him. The day he saved you at a price. But there was one little thing he said that still kept bugging you like an itch you weren’t allowed to scratch.

“Loki… are you awake?” you asked.

“Yes,” he answered. “Why aren’t you asleep by now?”

You heard him flip over and you followed suit. His dark curls out of the way of his face. Both of you on your sides, facing each other.

“Because I was thinking of the day you appeared to me when we made the bargain.”

“Oh yes…and what made you recall that?”

“Well, the fact we keep ending in each other’s rooms in one way or the other!”

His own eyebrows briefly shot up, and there was a smile on the verge of a little laugh on his face, yet he remained quiet.

“It happened when I first met you- not counting when you were a cat…but there’s one thing you said I still muse on…it still makes me a little mad!” you blurted.

“Which one? My dear, I’m sure I said several things that enraged you back then…” he prodded

“That you were surprised I could talk back just because I’m a woman from my time.”

The other thought that was floating in your head was the memory of the letter to Cora you found- that one phrase that seemed like being stabbed in the gut. The one phrase that solidifed her superiority over you-“You are truly not like other women!”

Loki said no reply but merely listened.

“We’re people, like anyone else. We have feelings, like anyone else. Did you assume Just because we embroider and wear corsets that it means we’re boring or weak? We don’t enjoy being pushed around! We don’t like being mocked or hurt. And perhaps we aren’t all warriors, but that does not mean we are unworthy of respect! You should have seen my mother. I think she was far more in charge of our family than Papa ever was. Even Stella-Stella-said so to me that she wants Grendel and his army to, and I quote, ‘burn in hell.’”

“Norns above…” Loki muttered in reply.

“I can’t blame her after what they did to her…” you commented.

Loki furrowed his brow. He kept listening as you continued.

“It’s usually those who don’t know us who make such judgments. Who won’t even try to get to know us it…it…it’s comments such as these that make me so mad that I…I…”

The rest of the words failed you, and you paused. How much were you ranting about what he said…and how much were you ranting at the phrase in the letter? Perhaps he could tell. You were quite sure your shield was down. Loki only looked at you- realizing he had permission to speak.

“You were right back then. When I met you, I knew Thomas…but I never got to know a woman from your time. I made judgements and even jokes about it…but I didn’t truly know you then. I’m sorry,” he apologized.

“Thank you. I forgive you, Loki,” you replied.

You turned around. Facing the wooden wall with a chair and table on the other side. The fireplace in the room was a mere, dying ember. The smoke was so thin, it was nearly invisible.

“I hate to disappoint you, Loki, but there is not much to me other than my magic. I’m just like every other woman…” you said.

You tightened the blanket around you, your knees hugging up to your chest. A lump in your throat. But you heard the trickster god shift forward. His voice right near your ear and his warm body against yours. Part of you fell stiff, yet also…comforted.

“There’s nothing wrong with that,” he consoled you.

You turned back over to look at him. You accepted his closeness as you faced each other. His nose mere centimeters from your own. His eyes were as blue as the skies of Asgard. You could smell your dinner on his breath.

“There are far worse things in life to be…but…”

His voice went back to that of teasing, a small smile on his face. He had to be at least a little mischievous while he was still awake.

“You could still improve your taste in wedding gowns…” he poked.

You cocked up an eyebrow.

“That’s rich coming from someone who wears ruffled blouses with his tuxedoes!” you shot back.

You both burst into laughter. You could still hear his rich baritone voice in his laughter. You could feel the rumbling in his body, his chest seemed to vibrate with the mirth.

“What can I say? I enjoy dressing with a little bit more flair...” he sad.

You shot him a smug grin.

“Well, if I can wear a ‘monstrosity of lace’ as you called it, you can wear your foppish tuxedoes!” you teased.

He laughed a little more. Then his voice became gentle.

“Though you did look lovely at the ball the other night,” he said.

“As did you,” you replied.

So close…he was so close. You could have just wrapped him in your arms. Perhaps you should have. His closeness made his warmth radiate toward you. Your own thoughts and memories were spoken, and your concerns were heard like the breaking of a long-held dam. And now that it was released, you began to feel sleepy.

You curled up next to each other, merely brushing each other’s skin. Warm and safe despite the howling wind. You whispered goodnight and turned around to your other side. At once, you drifted to sleep.

When you woke up briefly, it was still dark. Perhaps it was early in the morning. You were facing the wall on your side, but something felt different. Something solid and heavy was draped over your waist. Too heavy to be the blankets.

You looked down and realized with a small jolt of your nerves that it was Loki’s muscular arm.

He wrapped an arm around you while asleep.

Dammit, dammit, dammit,��you kept repeating silently.

Should you move him? Wake him up? Oh dear lord, you felt his chest and stomach against your backside. If he was asleep it was likely he wouldn’t be…well, aroused. You would be in the uncomfortable position of feeling something against you that you didn’t want to right now. No- it was a sleepy, chaste embrace from behind.

You heard his small snore. Like that of a cat. It was adorable, you had to admit. So no…you didn’t have the heart to move. You felt in his arms that you were safe…no, more than just safe…wanted. Wanted so badly that his subconscious needed you close.

No, YN that’s an illusion, you mused.

And yet…

This is what my life could be…yet he’s a trickster god and full of mischief and flattery, if I became his beloved, he’ll betray me for another…I’m so…so horrible that even a vicar would break what he preaches for another woman’s bed just to get away from me. If that’s what he did, then, what would a god of mischief do!?…and yet-

It was warm and comfortable. If it was an illusion, One that felt real- one that was only real. If only for a few minutes. The embrace was known to husbands and wives and lovers when they slept with limbs entangled. An embrace you were destined to never know… except for now.

Pretending like it was that domestic, loving comfort…you found your own eyes drooping. Back asleep you fell and deeply.

When you woke up that morning, you saw the window on Loki’s side. You felt no arms and no weight anymore on it. It was empty, save for you. The sun seemed especially bright with the snow reflecting off it. It shot into the window, making you squint.

Shifting over in the bed, you realized Loki was already wide awake. Sitting on a chair near the bed, concentrating on the little vanity with a shiny red apple he placed there. With a flick of his hand, the apple vanished in green smoke. Then it would reappear in the next corner. He gave you a smile in greeting.

“Good morning,” he greeted.

“What are you doing?” you asked.

“Practicing, my dear. It’s one thing to make a portal. It’s another thing to make something just vanish and take it somewhere else,” he answered.

“You’re working on it?” you cried.

“Practicing all morning. The furthest is four things that are not me. They can be sent several miles away…”

You felt the soft blanket, pulling it up to your chest.

He then used magic to have the apple reappear. He then placed it in his hand, shined it on his clothes, and took a bite with a loud crunch.

“It’s actually pretty easy. If I do it enough, I can do it without thinking.”

“Hmmm, It’s impressive…but please save an apple for me.”

He conjured one and threw it over to you. You caught it with both hands and thanked him.

After gathering more food, both of you mounted the horse and continued your long ride to the cabin. Stopping when needed, especially to check the map.

By now it was the late afternoon. But since Jotunheim was a land of eternal winter, the sky was dark. The snow kept falling and the cold wind kept howling at your side. But Loki’s company made it seem not as bad.

You finished the last of your bread and wiped the crumbs off of your mouth when you dismounted. Loki smiled as he showed you the map.

“Here- it’s not far…we’re almost there,” he promised.

You got out a carrot. The horse perked its ears. You offered it and the creature bit into it. It seemed that carrots were the universal favorite food of any kind of horse. You smiled and patted his long nose.

“What do you think of riding, my dear?” he asked.

“It’s a little nerve-wracking being on a living animal…but it can be fun. I’d like to learn more about it- I’m rather new and here we are.”

“When we return, I should let you practice with the horses we have. Perhaps I could show you how to ride with your legs over or even bareback! I’ve had years of training, you can trust me as an adequate teacher,” Loki proposed.

“Oh, Loki tell me- What kind of lessons does a prince have? What kind of classes or education? It must be interesting!” you commented.

He smiled at you. Going up to lift a hand to gently stroke the horse, brushing against the smooth ice crystals on its body.

“Well then, I remember there were etiquette lessons. Which is as fun for a little boy as you can imagine, but I managed to do well. Then we learned about how to use a sword and then we had to learn all of the history of-”

FWOOSH!

An arrow landed near your feet. You jolted with a small cry of surprise. The horse let out a cry with a raise of his front legs. Loki grabbed the reigns to try to calm him.

“Where did that come from?!” you cried.

You turned around and saw the answer.

Behind you were four men on Jotunheim horses of their own. The sadistic smiles on their faces and the dark armor on their clothes made your stomach heavy. They continued to ride, as one reached behind to get another arrow for his bow.

The breath stopped in your chest.

“Grendel’s men,” Loki breathed.

At once he threw you onto the horse and then got up himself. It was everything in you not to panic on the spot.

The horse galloped and held onto it for dear life. Looking back at the laughing, already triumphant soldiers with terrified eyes. Then you gritted your teeth in defiance of them. You let out a shaking hand, and the next arrows that were fired, you burned to ash to vanish in the wind.

But they were still gaining speed. The hooves of their own horses are like that of the drums before an execution. Loki kept urging the horse forward, too focused to create a duplicate or an illusion.

As all of you raced, you gained some distance away from them. Then they then fired another arrow. Faster than your flames could catch it.

Loki let out a yell of pain. You screamed out of instinct- an arrow landed in Loki’s right shoulder. It was black, full of grey smoke out of it like it was burning.

“YN, get it out! Quick!” he urged at you.

You let out a gasp and a small cry on instinct. But he kept riding. You turned around, and swiftly jerked it out, Loki letting out another groan of pain.

He then looked at the arrow in your hand, its swirling magic around it. His jaw dropped.

“No!” he exclaimed.

“What is it?” you asked.

“t’s a Kunnigr arrow! They are known for eventually draining one of magic!” he explained.

“What?! No!”

Loki shot out only a little green light from his hands.

“It’s still there, but it’s running out…”

He then suddenly stopped the horse. He at once pulled you down to your feet.

“Loki- what are you doing?!” you cried.

He looked at you. Sadness and resolve on his face. Your heart beat hard in your chest. He then grabbed your shoulders and looked you in the eye.

“Quick-listen to me- listen to me, YN darling! While I still have a little magic- I’m going to send you far from them. Go. Go find the Cabin. Find the Orb. Here-”

He gave you a pocket watch from his pocket, placing it in your hand.

“When you do, Get a signal to Asgard. Someone will see it- and they will get you.”

“Loki- no! Just transport yourself too! I’m not leaving this realm without you!”

An arrow was shot, and you both narrowly dodged it. But a few inches and- you realized with dread- it would have hit you.

“I am armed, I can fight them- but we’re outnumbered. Their arrows could make you lose your magic. And they won’t stop until they have at least one of us. I only have enough magic to save the horse and the brave woman I made a bargain with. …”

Deep in your gut, you knew he was right. And you hated it. His smile was so beautiful, so sad. You felt as if your heart was both being ripped into pieces and bursting at once.

“This is for you…I’m proud of you, my little mortal.”

“Loki-” you voiced.

He lifted a hand and flicked the wrist.

With the last bit of magic he had left, green smoke appeared around you. The horse whinnied as the smoke surrounded it too And you vanished from the scene.

The Green smoke surrounded your vision. Then at once it drifted away and you were far off into a snowy woods in Jotunheim. It was lined with fur trees full of beautiful snow around them like necklaces. Only some were normal trees where they settled on their branches in blankets. You heard the horse trotting around, brushing its lips and shaking its mane.

You felt light headed You were safe, alive. A far distance off.

Then a few uncontrollable tears began to stream down your face, feeling like they could turn to ice against your skin. You felt like there was a hole in your chest. But your senses were alerting you…the cabin was close. Wiping your nose with your sleeve, you took the reigns of the horse and you both walked forward. It wasn’t too long- only ten minutes of walking, despite the frigid wind paining your face…

And there it was. Sure enough, there was the cabin.

The door was unlocked. Already there was a blazing hearth in fireplace, a warm bed full of thick quilts, and a table full of food that was still fresh. Chopped wood for the hearth sat in a pile next to an iron pot to use for cooking. When you walked over to the hearth, you could tell, right in the fireplace was the orb glowing bright orange. The source of this light and comfort, though you were certain no one lived here.

You got out the pocket watch from your side… you knew you should alert them. You knew you had it. It was what he told you to do…but could not make it to twelve to give the signal.

Loki…Loki…it then hit you, the weight on you. What he did…for the mission. And for you.

He was armed. He could fight them. The training he had all of his life couldn’t have been for nothing. But he was outnumbered. But still…without magic and outnumbered! Perhaps killed already!

You couldn’t stand it. You couldn’t abandon him…and that was if he was still alive.

Despite your shaking, and your crying, your senses reached back. There was a mountain nearby. A familiar mountain…

And someone who would know if Loki still breathed.

You gathered a bundle of firewood and put them in your bag. Then you mounted the horse, both legs swinging off the saddle. Despite your nerves, your determination shot you forward. You were going to learn of Loki’s fate.

If he was dead, then you would go back to Asgard. It would be too risky to get his body. Tell the AllFather and AllMother of his last deed. So at least after his life, he would finally be seen as an equal, as a hero. And if he lived…you would do whatever you could to find him. Get him back.

You led the horse towards where you sensed the mountain and found the entrance. The place where the Jotun Prophet lived.

You rushed inside the cave. You down some of the wood and lit it with your fire. It crackled against the cave in echoes, its light illuminating the dark cave.

“Prophet! Prophet! Here’s my offering! Hurry! Please! It’s an emergency! I must speak with you- now!” you begged. Your voice echoed off into the infinity of black inside.

Sure enough, there were blue lights that glowed on the wall. And out walked the Jotun Prophet. Still with his proud, knowing smile.

“Oh, Mortal Lady, it’s you again…have you gained the wisdom to become engaged to an ugly priest this time? As you must have figured out by now, They don’t get half the attention from other women as the handsome ones do!”

You took a few steps forward. His red eyes remained calm and his smile remained gentle.

“This isn’t about any of that! It’s about Loki! He’s in danger! He could be hurt- or worse! Grendel’s soldiers ambushed us and he used the last of his magic to send me away! Please, Prophet, tell me one thing at least- is Loki still alive? Or are they going to kill him? Is this how he dies?”

The Jotun Prophet scratched his chin.

“Hmm, a god in distress...” he mused. He accepted the firewood. With some magic, it floated up in the air.

“They might have killed him by now- please! I’m begging you! Is Loki alive?”

The Jotun Prophet held up a hand as if to get you to calm down.

“They have abducted him. They’re tormenting him…but he is alive. There is nothing they love more than toying with their victims before they kill. But Loki is too valuable a prisoner for them to end his life just yet. They could use him to bribe the royal family of Asgard, hold him for the price of their domination of the kingdom or an alliance…so at least no killing yet. Even the most foolish of Grendel’s men know that.”

You breathed a sigh of relief, the dizziness washing down you. Your vision blurred from the high and then returned back. The Prophet wasn’t retreating- so you asked another question.

“Tell me where he is! Where have they taken him?” you pleaded.

“They are…southeast from here, a few leagues.”

The Prophet lifted a blue finger and pointed in that direction.

Once you journey down there, you will sense where they are clear as day. They are camped at the ends of another great mountain. You will see smoke- a fire they made there. There you may find Loki. There you may save him. What a lucky coincidence you found that cabin…just take him there after. Let him rest his injuries..”

New tears came down your face, tears of deep gratitude.

“Thank you…”

You began to turn to hurry off. But after a few steps, you heard The Prophet call out.

“Oh! Mortal Lady! One more thing!”

You turned right around, nearly skidding on your feet. He walked up to be closer to you, the firewood floating by his side.

“Brunhilde flowers,” the prophet said.

“Brunhilde flowers?” you repeated, tasting the words in your mouth.

“Named for the strength of the renowned Valkyrie. They grow in Jotunheim. You can find them growing outside the cabin. It will restore strength and even magic to anyone. The petals and bulb are very bitter to the taste but crushed up and steeped in boiled water, it makes a decent tea. To make it work faster, It should take two days and one cup of tea or one flower per day. Along with long hours of rest. If he exerts himself, it will slow the healing down. Then his magic will return in its entirety. So be patient,” the Prophet explained.

He began to turn and walk into the dark. But you took one step closer to where he walked.

“So all I do is find the flowers and give it to Loki?” you questioned.

The Prophet paused. Then he turned around, with a small, if not mischievous smile.

“That is, if you wish to complete your True Love’s healing.”

[topaz-witch-tea]

Yanqing’s Happy Family AU: Yingxing’s Parenting

It’s been a while since I last posted something for Yanqing’s Happy Family AU. I took a much needed vacation from work so now I am a lot more energized and ready to write. Work and the fact that my free time is 9 PM - 12 PM makes it hard to write, which is why my work has a lot of typos. I try my best to catch all of them but some do slip through.

Please enjoy my head canons on Yingxing’s parenting. Please feel free to send me asks and messages, you can also send them anonymously if you wish. You can ask about head canons, current, or future works and anything that strikes your fancy. I am opening to answering most things. I hope to have a proper writing schedule set up for me so I can write more. My brain keeps cooking food but I can’t plate and serve them efficiently. 😂

1. Yingxing makes all of the swords Yanqing uses. From his main sword to the spares on his back and even the daggers he hides on his body, Yingxing forged all of them. This was his child after all, how could he let anyone else but the best make his son’s weapons and he was the Furnace Master, and therefore, the best. Improperly made weapons could decide life and death in the battlefield and he would be damned if the reason his child was buried before him was because of poorly made weaponry. He poured countless hours and funds into creating these weapons all to ensure that it was the best. Yanqing, in turn, shared his father’s love for swords and loved collecting them, especially ones his father made. Private auctions or competitions were the only way to get non-custom swords made by the Furnace Master and Yanqing competed in them constantly. Sure, he would spend his entire allowance for the next two weeks just to get his hand on a sword his father crafted completely out of jade, but it was absolutely stunning from a collector’s point-of-view and he simply could not let the opportunity pass him by.

2. Yanqing would collect the swords of other master’s as well, but he would never use them on the battlefield. Until one day, when a new craftsman who had transferred from the Yaoqing arrived on the Luofu. He was an expert in daggers infused with qi and Yanqing was absolutely smitten with them. So much so that he replaced the daggers Yingxing gave him with the qi-infused ones during an minor expedition. The expedition was successful and Yanqing was more than happy with his purchase. Yingxing, however, was not happy to hear he was been replaced with someone else. To him, swords were his and Yanqing’s thing, so to hear that Yanqing no longer carried his daggers but those of another craftsmen was a strike to his heart. He fretted over whether it was due to his skill as a craftsman or maybe the designs were not in style. He took this matter so personally that he had suddenly burst into tears right as he and his husbands were going to sleep. Of course, Yanqing got tired of the daggers in a week or so and returned to using the ones his father crafted for him. They just felt more comfortable and far more suited to his fighting style then anything else he could buy at the market.

3. Yingxing, out of the three, is by far the strictest. His success in life was due to self-discipline and perseverance, something he hopes to impart upon Yanqing. However, “strict” should be taken with a grain of salt. Yingxing will say no to Yanqing when it comes to certain purchases but a successful sword lesson or an excellent exam score is enough to make Yingxing open his wallet. He does try his best to teach Yanqing financial responsibility, but it’s hard for him to preach that when he was doing the same thing at Yanqing’s age.

4. Before every mission, Yingxing checks every weapon Yanqing is bringing with him to the battlefield. It doesn’t matter if Yanqing has polished and inspected each item the night before, Yingxing has to look at it. The sharpness and sturdiness of the blade, the quality of the sheath, even the way it is attached to Yanqing- everything has to be checked. While Yingxing will tell his son that it is for his safety, it is more for Yingxing’s own anxiety. There are times he is unable to follow his child onto the battlefield, and in those moments, his mind spins a thousand horrible scenarios of his child’s fate. To know that all of Yanqing’s weapons are in order is the only thing he can do as he waits for his child to return home.

[inquisimer]

WIP Whenever

I was tagged by a handful of people in WIP games recently, but fell behind on accident and then it became an insurmountable thing to tackle, you know how it goes. So! Starting fresh with a little WIP whenever, from my Zevran/Tabris help Lucanis fake his death pre-Veilguard WIP >:]

tagging forward for whenever! @shivunin | @greypetrel | @dreadfutures | @the-rebel-archivist | and @skinwalkingxana

-

He could still hear the whistling of her dagger as she flipped it between her hands, waiting for…what? If she’d been told to kill him with flair, or humiliation, she’d just had the perfect opportunity and done nothing.

Well she did say…

“If not to kill me, then what?”

“Oh, I’m just keeping you occupied,” she said casually. “He needed a few minutes of your attention divided.”

“He?”

“That would be me.” Lucanis whipped around as someone new spoke, concerning but also not for the familiar Antivan accent that wrapped around his ears. A black-cloaked elf that could only be Zevran Arainai pulled the cord of the curtains and light flooded back into the room. “Shall we put our blades away and have a civilized conversation? I believe we were invited.”

“You were.” Lucanis pointed to the other elf with his chin. “I have no idea who she is.”

The dagger vanished from the elf’s hands and she hooked a thumb in her belt, holding her cloak back from the badge pinned there. Lucanis sheathed his sword.

“Of course,” he murmured. “Warden-Commander Tabris.”

Ariya let her cloak fall back over the badge. “I don’t really use that title anymore.”

“It is mighty useful in tense situations, however,” Zevran said cheerfully. He swept out a chair and gestured for Lucanis to sit. Grumbling, he retrieved his now lukewarm coffee and joined the elves at the table.

“Took you long enough to get here.”

Now that he wasn’t actively targeting them, Lucanis got a better look at the former Crow and the legend he called a lover. Both were strapped with weapons, as he would have expected. There were the obvious: the catch of her cloak on the hilt of her sword, his daggers strapped flashily on his belt. And there were the more subtle: a hilt all but hidden at the lip of her boots, stiletto blades tucked into her plait, throwing daggers nearly invisible at his wrists.

They’d come prepared. Or they just always traveled with a small arsenal. He would, if he was doing what they had been doing.

Their faces were lined with age and the kind of stress that only sat on those charged with holding the world together. But there was laughter written there too, and love. When they moved, they adjusted to each other naturally, automatically, covering each other’s blind spots without a second thought. Not just covering, Lucanis noted, gaze lingering between the elves. Tabris was actually sitting in Zevran’s blind spot, and he seemed even more relaxed for it.

Blind trust. Lucanis had never given it to anyone. Knowing the Crows, and House Arainai, he could only imagine what it must have cost this woman to earn it. Unwavering loyalty, at least. And a great deal of blood—others, and hers, most likely.

“Ran into a bit of a scuffle at the border,” Zevran said, smiling until Tabris coughed pointedly. “Yes, yes. If you need to call any covert meetings in the future, do try to avoid Rivain, if you would. But enough of that,” the elf clapped his hands together and both their gaze’s sharpened on Lucanis. “I believe we are here to speak of information. And skills. So what does the great Lucanis Dellamorte want from us?”

“And what does he want in return?” Ariya muttered under her breath.

Lucanis sipped his coffee, swirling it with his tongue before swallowing. There would be no going back, once he spoke. Of course, that was rather the point, wasn’t it?

“I’m going to fake my death,” he said. Only the second time he’d spoken it out loud, and it fell from his lips with finality. “I want you to help me do it.”

[d-dixonimagines]

Number 2 on the enemies to lovers prompt list?? Please 🥰🥰

Thank you for your request!! I hope you like it!! ^_^

Prompt: "Are you crazy? I'm not leaving you!" This is going to take place a little earlier in the show, like before Hilltop and Alexandria got taken over.

I’m hoping this will post!! I don’t know why it’s not working, but I’m running out of ways to see if it will let me. I hope you like it once I get it posted! I’m sorry if it’s horrible, it’s been a while since I’ve written anything, so I’m a bit rusty.

You grumbled under your breath as you trudged through the woods. For someone who was an expert tracker, Daryl sure did have a way of getting you lost. Or most likely, it was just his obnoxious way of making you think you were lost. Wandering around aimlessly for seemingly no reason at all.

Whatever the case may be, you were beyond over it. You were annoyed that you got stuck to do the run with him and annoyed at him for... being annoying. He seemed to enjoy getting under your skin, and you knew he enjoyed the fact that he could. He might have been one of those strong silent types, but those were the ones you had to watch out for the most!

Being at Alexandria was very different than what you were used to. After separating from your previous group, you had been on your own for quite a while before you met Aaron and the rest of the community. Right from the start you and Daryl seemed to clash. He was very straightforward and blunt with his thoughts, and if he wasn't giving you some kind of scowl, he was making sure you knew stupid you were being.

Granted, you secretly agreed with him the majority of the time when he called someone out for their stupidity, but still.. he didn't need to be that straightforward with you. Before Alexandria, you had gotten into a cemented mindset that you could do everything on your own. Mostly because you had to. There was no one else around to help you. So it was an adjustment that you were still working on when it came to accepting help from others. It was felt nice being part of something and helping out and doing your part, but when it came to you and others helping you, you had a difficult accepting that.

And thus lies the main reason why you were so annoyed. You had offered to go out and gather supplies and anything you could find and had no problem going on your own, saying that you would be fine and it wouldn't take that long, help wasn't needed. But it was insisted that someone went with you, safety precautions or whatever, and for some reason Daryl was the best option out of 300+ people there. And Daryl made sure you knew how stubborn you were being.

But here you were, following the "leader" of YOUR excursion.

Another groan escaped your mouth, your eyes piercing daggers into the back of Daryl's head. "Are you done with all your moanin'?" Daryl asked, the first time in a while since actual words were spoken. "No, I'm not. Thanks for checking, though." You responded sarcastically. You knew he rolled his eyes at your response, you could hear him huff out a breath.

"Just tryin' to gage how long you intend on griping." This little shit had the audacity.... "I wouldn't have the need to gripe if I was just able to do this on my own. And FYI, I would have been back by now. How long have we been circling these trees for? With what supplies we were able to pick up? This empty bag is absolutely killing my shoulders.." "Quiet." Daryl interrupted you as he stopped a moment. You were too busy staring at him in surprise to notice that he was picking up on something.

"Excuse me?" You were about to rip him a new one when you heard faint sounds of sticks and leaved shuffling around in the distance. It could have been some deer or something, which is what you always hope for, though it was most likely a walker.

It was seconds later that one came into view. Taking your frustration out was the least you could do to release some tension. Brushing past Daryl, you pulled your blade from its sheath and lunged for it, striking it in the head. You both were about to continue on your way when you felt something grab at your foot, a hand appearing from the brush.

You let out a startled yelp, stumbling backwards and tumbling down a steep embankment. Daryl shot into high alert and wasted no time in following you down the hill to make sure you were ok. You landed roughly at the bottom, taking a moment to get the air back in your lungs before assessing the rest of yourself.

"You ok?" Daryl asked as he got to you. There was a sharp pain in your knee, but you didn't know the extent of it until you turned over. "For the most part, I think." Your hands and arms were cut up and the legs of your jeans ripped and seeping with red. Daryl took it upon himself to get a better look at your knee, the sudden jerking as he tore the fabric caused you to flinch in pain.

"It's already swollen, you won't be able to walk on that." He declared, kneeling back a bit. "Well hold on, you don't know that. I've managed in worse conditions before.." Your brows furrowed, determined to prove him wrong. It wasn't going to be easy getting back, but you were convinced that you would be able to do it.

You just weren't putting into account that besides your bleeding, swollen knee, you also managed to sprain your ankle. You adjusted yourself and attempted to stand up, Daryl keeping his arms steady in case you needed help keeping balance.

Grimacing and fighting through the pain, you finally managed to stand up but was only able to take about half a step before stumbling down again. Daryl catching you and helping you settle. Letting out a frustrated sigh, you wracked your brain on what you were going to do.

"What's your game plan now?" He stared at you with an even expression. You half expected to some kind of hidden proud smirk on his face because he was right about you not being able to walk, but there wasn't. "I don't know. You could go back to Alexandria, bring a cart or something, extra hands." Daryl just shook his head. "That ain't an option." He stated simply. "Why not? You asked."

"No. The sun's going down and it'll be dark before anyone gets back here. It'll be cold, you have no solid way of defending yourself in case walkers come by. So no. Not an option." Look at him calling all the shots! Taking charge and being all cute and bossy!

"If you're worried about the sun going down, why don't you get a head start, then! I just need a minute and then I'll catch up. Last thing I wanna do is slow you down, and there's no way in hell I'm gonna be carried back." You folded your arms across your chest, wincing slightly as the scrapes brushed against your clothing.

"Are you crazy? I'm not leaving you!" He stood up now like he was putting his foot down on the matter. "Whether you believe it or not, I am capable of taking care of myself. I've been on my own a long time before I came to Alexandria, I'm pretty sure I know how to handle myself." "Well, if you weren't so stubborn you'd see that you don't have to do it on your own.. Believe me, I know a thing or two about learning how to accept others' help."

You weren't sure if you should be angry at him for it or if you should feel some other type of way. "What your game plan, then? We don't exactly have anything to help set up camp for the night, I have no idea where we are or if there's any shelters near by... what's your plan?" Daryl shrugged. "I don't know just yet, but we'll figure it out. You may need to trust me a little bit, though. I'm not gonna carry you, but we'll need to hold on to each other so we can at least move somewhere. You think you can manage that?" "Oh I'll try." It was a snippy, sarcastic response on the surface, but you really were appreciative of his effort and willingness to help.

There was a lot of gasping and grimacing and cursing, but finally you were up and steady. You gripped on tightly to his shoulder as he gripped tightly to your waist. "You ready to move?" Taking in a deep breath, you mentally prepared yourself and gave a nod and slowly you both set a steady pace back to camp.

"For the record, you're probably just as stubborn as I am, Mr. 'You're not going by yourself'." You looked up at him, a hint of smirk fighting to stay hidden at the corner of your mouth. He just shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Let's keep movin', gimpy, it's a long walk."

[acim-ed-ortsac]

Time on the Oro Jackson: 1

This is in Second POV Summary: Being adopted by the Roger pirates was the last thing that came to mind. Note: This is a Mihawk Harem Series

Getting adopted was never part of your plan. Ever.

Or should you say abducted? It doesn’t matter because what happened was that you were stuck on the Oro Jackson with the infamous crew in the world. And you blame Rayleigh for this. No, Roger is the most logical target, the jolly old fool. Perhaps you ate the dinner promised ravenously after starving for a while and fell into a food coma, but you were occupied by the hunger and the excitement of Rayleigh, The Dark King himself, buying you a new sword! That’s a one-in-a-million chance of happening!

However, you couldn’t bring yourself to leave no matter how much you force yourself to. When you first realized that you were still on the ship, you had asked one of the crew members, Gabon you think, to request the captain to leave you off to the next island. But the man just ruffled your hair with a grin, saying “And leave a kid like you alone? Nah, plus I don’t think Rayleigh would let you go. Roger might back him up.”

And really, you couldn’t stand against two grown men who were more powerful than you. You know better than to fight battles you can’t win.

On the ship, there was another child besides Shanks, a blue-haired boy with an orange beanie, ocean-blue eyes, and a comically large red nose. From your memories, you remembered that this young clown will grow up to become the most pathetic captain who managed to fail his way up to the top, Buggy the Genius Jester…Best not to judge.

Still, your adjustment to the jolly crew was in process, but you could not doubt that there was no danger amongst them.

(_(

“Mihawk!”

You glanced at the redhead boy who was, surprisingly, without his blue-haired companion. Your eyes scanned the deck before finding Buggy running to Rayleigh, map in hand. Alright, so the clown is preoccupied.

You look down at the six-year-old, “What is it?” you ask, sheathing your sword.

Shanks beamed up at you with an excited smile, holding out a dagger by the hilt as he pointed it at you. “I challenge you to a duel!”

Any activity that was going on stopped at his declaration. You, on your part, stared at the kid for a minute longer before flicking his forehead. “You’re too weak for me.”

Shanks pouted at him while he held his forehead, “No I’m not!”

“Are too, get stronger first.”

You dodged a thrust of the dagger by Shanks, who let out a war cry as he did so, before hitting his head with the butt of your sword. You raised a brow when the kid dropped the dagger and clutched his head, whimpering sounds leaving his lips. You sighed through your nose in annoyance. You did not want to deal with a crying child and get scolded by the adults.

Kneeling beside Shanks, you look at him with half-lidded eyes. “Don’t cry, I didn’t even hit you that hard.” Shanks still had tears in his eyes and was pouting with a trembling lip. How did you comfort children again in your past life…you rub the place they got hurt, right?

Hesitantly, you rubbed his head in an attempt to soothe him, albeit awkwardly. That is the maximum level of comfort you can offer since, honestly, you suck at comforting children with words less you come off as rude and uncaring to them. The children at the church told you so. Still, it seemed to be working since Shanks stopped crying and looked at you with wide eyes. Deciding you did enough, and preserving your own comfort, you pulled away to stand. “If you want to fight me, get stronger first so that you have a chance.”

With that, you walked away. Mostly to find Rayleigh and ask him to buy you a knife, similar to the kogatana you have in the future. As Rayleigh trained you more, you began to notice how much power you possessed and were still amassing, so it wouldn’t be fair to those weaker than you if you fought with your sword. As the future you had said at the Baratie, ‘Don’t hunt rabbits with a cannon.’

< >

Masterlist

[strangesthirdeye]

Chapter 7: New face

Unspoken Love Masterlist /Chapter: 8

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"It's already 2 weeks you've been here, now you're learning some complicated spells. I can't believe it"Dhani murmured with her head placed on the table and looked to the side to see you who was sitting on her bed reading a book of spells with reading glasses.

"Well, what can I say that I'm a fast learner" you smiled quickly at Dhani and looked at your book again.

"Fast learner, eh" Dhani yawned then straighten her body to crack her spine and groan in relief. "You know, this kind of evening is the best time to take a nap"

"well, for you it is but not for me, Dhani. I need to learn more. Things are getting more interesting" you told Dhani. Your eyes are still closed.

"yeah yeah, Doctor like you really thirst for knowledge." Dhani leaned back in the chair. "how's your leg?"

You looked at Dhani for a moment. "good.. yeah. It doesn't hurt as much as before and I don't really need to use walking stick anymore. Migraine? Still have." you answered while rolling your legs left and right.

Dhani nodded. "That's good" Dhani yawned for the second time. "Oh god, I'm so sleepy"

"then go to sleep" you replied looking back at the book.

Dhani groaned lowly. "i can't. John needs me"

"for what?" You furrowed your eyebrows at Dhani.

"some relics hunting he said. Probably there are bandits who smuggle relics" Dhani murmured.

"relics?" Now it's getting more interesting.

Dhani sighs. "it's weapons that contain magic, some very powerful, some are only middle level of powerful and some are used for daily life like protection or immunity. Also some are millions of years old, some are thousands of years old but still in good condition. You can have relics if the relics are ready to choose you to be its master."

"do you have any relics?" you questioned

"yeah, The Wren and The Nightingale are my relics" Dhani took out her relics from the sheath on her waist and showed them to you.

"they're called the Songbirds. they're twins"

The two daggers in Dhani's hand are very sharp and deadly with its handle having a diamond in the center of the two daggers. Silver and shiny, maybe Dhani really takes care of her daggers so well. With those two daggers that have their own names The Wren and The Nightingale in addition to their own different abilities make these relics even more interesting.

"That looks stunning" you complimented.

"i know right! they have their own abilities. You see, This two daggers connection is like Thor's hammer. They always know where the other are. It's like twins instinct, you know. They always stitch with each other." Dhani exclaimed excitedly then put the two daggers in the sheath around her waist and gently patted the sheath.

"when can i get my relics?" You questioned.

"Like I said, when the relics feel like you are ready to be their owner. Think about it like the magic wand in Harry Potter. The wand chooses it master" Dhani explained then got up from where she was sitting and stretched her body. "aight! I should probably go now, it's not good to be late, anyway. So, don't forget to return the book you read to the library.. if you don't, Wong will be mad at me because I should have returned that book today..Tata" Dhani pointed her index finger to the book you are holding then waved her hand towards you and left her own room where you are right now.

You just nodded in understanding and continued reading the spell book calmly. But then, before you could turn to the next page, the sound of knocking on the door started to be heard outside Dhani's room. You raised your head from between the books and looked weirdly towards the door of the room.

"Uh, That was a pretty quick mission that Dhani went on" you said under your breath and just sat down.

But the sound of knocking is still heard making you sigh quickly and put the book on the table then get up and walk towards the door of the room. The door of the room was opened by you and there stood a middle-aged man with a rather thick-built body and a stoic face and short black hair looking at you in front of the door of Dhani's room with both hands on his hips. Looking at the way he wears the dark brown tunic, he must be one of the Masters here. You gulped looking at the Chinese man.

"Hi?" You greeted the Chinese man. You don't know if he's good at speaking English or not so the word 'hi' means the same, right?

"new face? Finally i see your face around here." said the man with a gruff voice.

"yes.. And you are?"

"Wong" the man simply said.

"Wong.. Ok.. um you-"

"I am one of the library custodians here and my job now is to collect back the book that Dhani borrowed for 3 days. Now where is Dhani?" Wong explained.

"she's just gone out to do a relics hunting mission," you answered.

Wong raised one eyebrow. "again?"

"I don't know how many times she did that mission but that's what she said." you raised both hands as if you were surrounded.

"Never mind that, I need to collect the book that Dhani borrowed before the Ancient One checks around the library later" Wong massaged the bridge of his nose.

"oh, yeah.. the book.. right." you turned around but before that you looked at Wong with a glance. "wait here" and you went to the table where you put the spell book.

A few seconds later, you handed the spell book to Wong. "here"

Wong took the book and held it by his side before nodding his head towards you as a sign of thanks and walking away. But then you decided to follow Wong to the library too.

Wong just ignored your appearance next to him and carried on walking to the library for the next duty.

To get rid of the awkwardness, you try to open a conversation with Wong. But your chance to start a conversation was interrupted by Wong.

"How long have you been here?" Wong asked. His eyes are not looking at you.

"I've only been here for 2 weeks" you answered and tried to keep up with Wong's steps.

"2 weeks and you already read a complicated spell book" Wong acknowledged you with an impressive tone of voice.

"well, I quite like the teaching method here so it's quite easy to keep up" you exclaimed.

"Great, you like our teaching method, but sometimes there are methods that you can't follow yet," Wong responded and opened the library door.

The two of you stepped into the library. Cozy and quiet is what you feel after stepping into the Kamar Taj library. Everything is arranged nicely and neatly. The bookshelves are organized by category while there are several books on chains in some sections, perhaps the most complicated spell books or just the books are banned. Perhaps it was a restricted area and only Masters could be there and take the book.

Wong then turned on the light in a section of books that were chained and then pulled the grill to hook the book to its original place and pushed the grill back to its original place.

You raised one eyebrow. "What area is this? Why are the books here chained?"

"The Ancient One's private collection." Wong answered and walked to the other grill to make sure the books there were tightly chained. "Books here are chained because they are not to be taken at will" Wong added

"So only masters can take it? Does that mean the book I read is forbidden?" you worriedly said.

"Not all knowledge in the Kamar Taj is forbidden but for the first question is yes it is indeed for Masters but students can borrow it too only for certain practices and there is a time limit which is why I need to collect the book that Dhani borrowed back. Though she is already on the way to be a master doesn't mean she can take care of the books well" Wong mumbled.

"besides those books are far too advanced for anyone other than the Sorcerer Supreme." Wong added.

You nodded your understanding and looked around the area with wonder. But then what catches your attention is a book that has an iron-like cover and in the center of the book there is a large circle complete with a shining orange crystal.

"that book looks beautiful" you pointed out towards the book by nodding your head towards the book.

Wong looked at you and saw where you nodded. "That's the book of Cagliostro. The study of time. A few months ago one of our ex students Kaecilius stole a ritual from that book after beheading the former library master here. Not only that," Wong walked to the library desk to check some book return forms. "He gathered other students and tempted them with power to follow in his footsteps."

"he stole the ritual for what? Only one page? Why not the whole book?" you frowned in question.

"No more questions. And one more thing, if any of the collection volumes here are lost again, I will look for you until I find it and I know who took it. And you can't imagine how bad the punishment you will get." Wong warned you sharply and looked at you with narrowed eyes.

"but what if I'm like Dhani? You know, if I forget to return it on that day or it's overdue, is there some late fees I have to pay or punishment for returning it late?" you joked trying to light up the tense situation. But then shut up when you saw Wong's serious face.

You then looked down in shame. "I shouldn't have said that" you mumbled quietly then looked at Wong again and nodded as a sign of retreat. "Uh, thank you for lighting up all the awareness in me and giving me a wonderful warning. Hope we can meet again" and you walked away.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

2 ꂵꄲꋊ꓄ꁝꇙ ꒒ꋬ꓄ꏂꋪ (2 Months later)

"Try to conjure your own weapon first" Mordo instructed you while pointing the wand of Watoombs at you. Sometimes, Mordo corrects your stands and hands positions to be perfect.

After 2 months of training there, you can finally feel free to walk without any help. You can feel your legs light after some weight is removed. Your migraine seems to be decreasing but still not gone even a little.

Sometimes there are times when you think about many things, the migraine will appear uninvited and sometimes that can cause you to lack focus in certain training. After several mind trainings with Dhani, even though Dhani is sometimes the cause of your migraines, you are able to train your mind to be calm and think broadly without any pressure or any other things that are not relevant in your mind, so your migraines decrease little by little.

Sparks of fire splashed at your fingertips as you braced your hands forward with your eyes focused intently on your fingers while your mind was trying to clear what you were thinking and just focus on conjuring a weapon as instructed by Mordo.

And then after the spark of fire seemed powerful enough to form, you started to pull the orange magic hue like a spring and suddenly Mordo swooped down and hit the wand of watoombs on your half-finished makeshift weapon causing you to lose focus.

Mordo then swung the wand of watoomb again quickly and you managed to reflect it with your half makeshift weapon. Sparks of fire flew into the air as the wand of watoomb made contact with your mystic weapon.

As if Mordo senses an opening around you that you don't defend, Mordo then swipes your leg until you lose your balance and kneel to court training. And then Mordo raised the wand of watoomb above your head and swung it at you. You then reflect with your barely there makeshift weapon. But then your makeshift weapon disappears as soon as you make contact with the wand of watoomb. And there goes Mordo finishing you off.

You pant a few breaths trying to get some oxygen into your body again. You who were lying on the side looked at Mordo's face tiredly.

Mordo lightly chuckled looking at your defeated face and extended his hand towards you. "I see you're getting better lately"

You reached for Mordo's hand and got up with a groan. "still can't fight you"

"Train more persistently and you will be able to achieve what you want" Mordo simply said.

"you've said that many times" you stretched your shoulders a few times trying to get rid of the pain.

"and yet, I can see the results" Mordo reassured you.

"well thanks to you I have a great trainer" you smiled a little before brushing yourself from the dirt on your attire.

"how was your casting spells with the Ancient One? any progress now that she allows you to learn complicated spells?" Mordo glanced at you before placing the wand of watoomb back where it came from.

"still in progress but almost there" you stretch your hands forward and crack your neck slightly to the side. you breathed a sigh of relief.

"You and your strong memories were created specifically for mystic arts. So study hard and train a lot" Mordo admitted then put his hands on his waist.

"Is that a compliment because I don't know how to react" you joked.

Mordo chuckled lightly while shaking his head. "you and your sarcasm." Mordo sighed. "Now I have to go out now to scout around so go training or do something. Dhani will be with you this late afternoon"

"I hope she's not with John again." you muttered quietly.

"Those two I don't know what would happen if they weren't together." Mordo said simply then walked down the corridor to his room.

You hummed. "the two of them really can't go far from each other.. makes you wonder" you paused. "well, i better go.. you can't be late for duty right? bye bye"

Mordo nodded then turned and went to his room to change his attire. You hummed and walked to your room to freshen up.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

꓄꒐ꂵꏂ ꇙꀘ꒐ꉣꇙ (Time skips)

"Did you hear? The Ancient One just kicked someone out of the Kamar Taj.. Don't know why. But it's kinda rare because this is the first time she rejected someone so quickly" Dhani told you while stroking the fur of a black cat in the floor of your room.

"really? They must have pissed off Ancient One, that's why she kicked them out"You replied, eyes not leaving the book in your hand as you tried to make yourself comfortable on your bed to leaned against the headboard.

"It could be. She looks calm but don't trust her calmness. She has a lot of tricks up her sleeve" Dhani cooed at the cat while poking the cat's stomach. The cat then jerked and clawed Dhani's hand gently.

You looked at Dhani with wonder. "You told me that Mordo brought them here. Any chance you saw their faces?"

"why? do you want to change him like in the Wattpad book I read? 'oh, look at me! look at meh. This isn't you!'" Dhani said dramatically as she lifted the cat and pouted towards the cat's face. The cat meowed softly.

"Ehh, not really but what I know is that he's wearing a Balenciaga sweater and his hands are bandaged" Dhani shrugged her shoulders and put the cat on her shoulders like a baby and gently patted the cat's body. The cat nuzzled into her shoulder and purred lowly.

"rich person then. Must have a high ego that's why the Ancient One kicks them out" you shifted your gaze to the spell book again.

"of course" Dhani murmured then fixed her glasses that fell on the bridge of her nose.

The room becomes silent for a moment. Only the sound of bells and the wind could be heard in the late afternoon. The sky is getting browner and becomes a dark orange mixed with gray indicating that the moon will appear soon. A gentle breeze enters your room through the window. The once busy street around Kamar Taj becomes more and more deserted as the night approaches.

Dhani then started standing with the black cat still in her hand. Dhani yawned slightly. "I should go take a shower and feed Moon" Dhani gestured at the cat in her hand. "see you at dinner, Y/n" Dhani waved her hand  and putting on her shoes before walked out of your room.

You nodded without looking at Dhani. Your eyes are still on the page of the book. You only have five pages left and you can return this spell book to the library. Otherwise Wong will demand like a debt collector later. It's been a while since you heard from Stephen. Well, it took a while because you turned off your phone so you didn't really know what was going on out there because you were focused on the Kamar Taj.

So you haven't heard any news from Stephen or from the hospital. You just shrugged it off. After all, Dhani has become a messenger for you because she likes to share something that happens out there. At least you know what's going on in the world now. While Dhani is quite busy with relics hunting and recently with Kaecilius' cases. She actually became more serious and firm with the training you both went through. According to her, your skills should be honed properly because at any time something undesirable will happen. Must be something that Dhani is a bit stressed with what is happening now.

You don't mind at least you can focus on trying to move the remaining sore muscles that are still tense. Migraine should not be mentioned. Well sometimes there are things that cannot be cured. You looked at your walking stick that was leaning against the corner of your room. You are quite satisfied with your progress to go back to walking as usual, but you still feel empty. Like something is a bit wrong. You have recovered, but do you want to go back to work in the hospital again?

As if you were hit by a dilemma, you shook yourself from your empty reverie and looked out the window. The sky is already dark and you can see some stars that are quite faded in the sky starting to appear clearly. While the moon seems in the phase of appearing. Full moon tonight You wonder if werewolves exist. If magic exists, does it mean that mystical animals such as dragons, unicorns or vampires also exist?

Now that's pretty interesting. You sighed lightly and chuckled softly at the thought of such a thing. It is possible that they exist but we ourselves do not see them, that's all.

You then put the spell book on the table next to the bed then got up and walked to a cabinet to prepare your night clothes. It's been a long day so you deserve a hot and relaxing bath. You took out a short-sleeved blue t-shirt and black pajamas from the cabinet and then you put them on the bed.

Your hand then reached for the towel hanging on the hanger. As you were getting ready to undress, you heard a chatter outside your window. Weird, you put your tunic back on and looked out the window curiously.

There Mordo and a man were busy walking in the dim courtyard. Mordo, who was still wearing his duty tunic, seemed to be accompanied by a stranger behind him while explaining certain things. The tall stranger who seemed to be carrying a bag with a sweater that Dhani explained before seemed to nod and look around the place.

Now there you can see from afar that the man's face is full of beard and his hair is unkempt. His face is smeared while his hands are full of bandages just like what Dhani described to you.

So that's the guy that The Ancient One kicked out a while ago? Now he is accepted? weird. It's as if the Ancient one saw something in the man that's why he was accepted again even though he was initially rejected. Mordo seems satisfied so you assume he is the one who confronted the Ancient One. You don't know but you're just guessing.

Not long after, you lost focus on the guest as they both entered a hallway and didn't know where they were going. You just shrugged it off and closed the window of your room and decided to refresh yourself before heading to dinner.

But no matter what you do, you still think about that mysterious man. Something about him just triggered a button in your mind.

[league-of-starlight]

Katarina Voice Update concept:

Sorry to keep you waiting.

First Move:

“Who’s my target today?”

“Ready for some trouble?”

“All it takes is two knives to make a lady happy.”

Long move:

“I used to want to be my father. Now, I just want to be the best me.”

“A lot of people ask why I kill. They don’t really want to know, they just want me to stop.”

“True strength isn’t following orders, it’s about making your own decisions.”

“My Sister is missing, my brother is my enemy. The house of Du Couteau is my responsibility.”

First encounter:

“You’ve earned a death by my hand, fight for it.”

“How long can you last?”

Joke response:

“If you’re trying to make me spare you, it’s not working.”

Taunt response:

“Those are your last words? Okay.”

*yawn* “Sorry. What was that?”

Killing:

(General):

“Amateur.”

“Blood for Noxus.”

“Done.”

Recall:

“Need to sharpen my daggers.”

“Don’t miss me much.”

Death:

“No!”

*Gasp.*

Respawn:

“Oh, now it’s personal…”

“Lucky swing.”

*Brief chuckle* “Oh, that’s how we’re playing?”

Character specific dialogue:

First encounter:

Cassiopeia: “Are you turning on me now?”

“You had your big sister worried, Cass.”

Draven: “I think I hear a breeze going through your ear and out the other.”

Fiora: “Two daggers against one sword? I like my chances.”

Garen: “Ready for a rematch?”

Kindred: “A true Noxian never backs down.”

*shaky exhale* “About time.”

Kled: “I… what are you?”

Leblanc: “I’ve always wanted to throw a dagger into one of you.”

“Don’t play any mind games with me.”

Lux: “You’d be a good Noxian.”

“Oh, look, Garen’s baby sister came out to play.”

Swain: “Let’s get this straight, you don’t own me.”

Tahm Kench: *Embarrassed* “Look, I’m not starving my heart, okay? Shut up.”

Talon: “Two blades, one free, the other stuck in another’s sheath.”

Ally:

“Together again, Tal?”

Vladimir: “Could you be any more of an eyesore?”

Taunt:

Annie: “I’m not a tea party type of person, kid.”

Cassiopeia: “While you were gone, I borrowed your perfume. What are you gonna do about it?”

Darius: “There’s more to strength than size and power.”

Demons: “Finally, a real challenge.”

“Let’s see if a demon bleeds!”

Garen: “Prepare to be gutted, dog!” (Whisper) “I missed being with you.”

*teasingly* “Who’s hiding under all that armour?”

Rell: “You’ve got anger, kid, but not enough direction.”

Shurima champions: “My sister visited one of your tombs. She turned into a half snake monster. So, not a fan.”

Swain: “All due respect, a demon doesn’t sound like a good choice for a new arm.”

Taunt Response:

Cassiopeia or Talon: “Aw, I missed you too~”

Kill:

Cassiopeia: “I’ll remember you, sister. I promise.”

Darius: “What’d all that armour do for you?”

Garen: “It was a matter of time.”

Leblanc: “I don’t care if you’re a fake. That. Felt. Good.”

Lux: “A shame, you had potential.”

Swain: “Better I kill you than your demon.”

Talon: “It didn’t need to end like this.”

Vladimir: “Ugh, you’re such a creep.”

[karoiseka]

20) Duel

((Second of the night, this takes place before 5.3, just for a little fun! ^_^))

Steel clashed together, as Karo desperately crossed her daggers to block the overhead move, before lightly feeling the flat of Thancred’s second blade tap her hip.  Scowling, she took the two steps back, panting from the excretion.

“I’m never going to get the hang of fighting in melee range,” Karo lamented, panting with the excretion.  

“Well, not like that you aren’t,” he grinned in response, taking a stride forward and placing a kiss on her forehead.  “You’ve been doing well with the sword and shield, and despite your opinion, you’ve been doing quite well with the daggers,” He eyed the long knives held loosely in her hands.

“You said Jacke got you started with those, right?”  Karo sheathed the blades, grabbing a towel to wipe the sweat away, while nodding.

“Yeah, during one of my longer stays in Limsa,” she smiled thinking of the rogues, and their surprise that she knew Thancred.  Of course, she couldn’t find him at the time since Lahabrea had his talons in him, but after the Praetorium, the mutual friends had come up in conversation, and they had shared stories.  Thancred had handed over the blades he had been using back to their actual owner, Ryne, who had been watching the pair spar.

“I think it’s your turn to go,” he mused her red hair affectionately with a grin.  “Duel it out to see who is better with those.”  Karo’s heart sank.  In most forms of combat, she could easily trounce Ryne, but with the twin daggers?  The girl was a natural, and despite the daggers feeling at home in her hands, Karo still had a few movement problems with guarding while pressing an attack.  Masking her dismay, she stretched in place before striding out to the center of little clearing they had claimed in Lakeland to make a practice arena.  Ryne grinned, drawing her own daggers (that fit much better in her hands than in Thancred’s large ones) as Karo dropped into a mirrored fighting stance, ready to let the duel begin.

It started with basic circling, Ryne testing her reach that was almost as long as Karo’s.  Easily parried, Karo’s tail swayed behind her, aiding in last minute balance adjustments, her ears twitching lightly as she listened for the slight change in breathing or the minute stance shift that would indicate an attack was imminent.  Blows were traded evenly, slowly at first, but gaining speed as Ryne warmed up.  Karo was playing defense more often than not, luckily able to keep her footing due to how much she usually moved while using her bow, but it didn’t help her from having to backpedal and fend off furious flurries of blows from the younger girl time and again.

Finally, Ryne pulled away minutely before leaping up, and surprising not only Karo but Thancred who was still watching as she leapt over Karo’s head, twisting, and tossing out several small throwing knives before landing, and springing at the Warrior, knife at her throat, neatly ending the bout.  It had been Thancred’s signature move when he still fought with two knives instead of a gunblade, and she had carried it out perfectly.

“When did you learn that move?” Karo had held up her hands in surrender as Ryne preened under the praise.

“Well, I didn’t teach it to her, if that’s what you’re asking!” Thancred had joined them in the clearing, staring down in awe at his adopted daughter.

“You used it several times when hunting when we were traveling together and you didn’t want to use the longer blade,” Ryne explained.  “I’ve been trying to work on it for a long time, but I wasn’t sure if I could jump over you.  Karo’s shorter, so I figured it would be a good time to test it against a real person.”

“Well, as you know, that move only works once on someone,” Karo grinned.  “I’ll be watching for it next time!” Ryne smiled sweetly in return, delivering the final killing blow to Karo’s ego.

“Oh, don’t worry, you’ll never surpass me with these, I’ll have a new trick next time we duel!”

[rocknroll7575]

Sunshine: Too Far Already

"Why are you still up?"

Vernal heard the voice from the window and was brought out of her thoughts, she grabbed her dagger and looked at who it was, and when she did, her eyes widened. He was sitting outside, out on the fire escape, and he was not in the best condition. He had bruises and cuts in certain places, his cloak was blood stained as was his shield, and her worry grew.

"What the hell happened to you!?" She cried.

Jaune put his finger to his lips, he then slipped into the room and groaned in pain before standing up straight and looking back at her

"What happened to you?" Vernal asked, her tone much quieter.

Jaune looked at her and smirked, "I-I'm fine... Ver-"

"You're covered in blood!" She seethed, "You are not fine, you're covered in blood for Oum sake!"

Jaune chuckled, "Would... would it make you feel better to know that most of this isn't mine?" he asked.

Vernal glared at him, "Get your ass in the shower, put these clothes in the basket, and put on a new pair, I'll wash them later," She told them, "Ass in the shower, now!" She ordered.

Jaune did as he was told and sets Crocea Mors on the little table, he then walked over to his bag and picked grabbed a fresh pair of clothes, and before he entered, Vernal threw him a towel, and he caught it and went inside the bathroom and took a shower. Once she heard the shower turn on and knew that Jaune was inside, she opened the door and grabbed his clothes, threw them in the laundry, and waited outside.

Her attention turned to his weapon, which lay on the table and she walked over to it and looked it over. She looked over the shield and saw the blood that was on the edges and on the face of it, she then unsheathed the sword from the shield and looked it over and saw the blade and it saw blood, or what remained of it as it appeared to be wiped away but there was still red on the blade, he would have to clean that himself. She sheathed the blade and deactivated the shield, morphing it back into a simple sheath.

She went to her back and pulled out a few things she needed after Jaune finished showering and set them on her bed, once she had everything, she zipped her bag up and set it on the ground.

Eventually, she heard the shower turn off and waited for Jaune to dry off and get dressed. After a minute or so, Jaune came out of the shower, his hair was damp and he wore a dark brown shirt and a pair of light blue jeans.

He then turned to Vernal, "Better?" he asked.

Vernal looked at him, "Almost," She said. "Take off your shirt," she told him.

Jaune looked at her confused, "Why?" He asked, "I just put this on," he told her.

"Yeah, my mistake," She said, "I gotta clean and bandage up those wounds of yours because if you had any Aura, those wounds would've healed themselves already," she said, glaring a bit.

"Right..." he said with a nod. Jaune was looking down like a child caught doing something.

Jaune did as he was told and took off his shirt and Vernal saw the number of cuts and bruises he had all over his upper body and torso. Vernal then pointed him to sit on her bed and he did so as he sat on the edge of the bed, Vernal got onto the bed and sat right behind him, her legs crossed and she grabbed a cloth and dabbed it in disinfectant, and began dabbing the cloth his wounds.

Jaune winced in pain as he felt the slight sting of the disinfectant.

earing him wince, Vernal looked at the back of Jaune's head, "How did this even happen?" She asked him. "Your semblance allows you to boost your aura, how did you get cut?" She asked him

"I... I kinda didn't focus on amping my Aura," He told her, "During the fight, I didn't focus on boosting my aura, I just... I focused on killing them, and so I... I forgot to boost my aura, some of the impacts of the bullets really affected me, that's why I got a few bruises, but I killed the ones with guns before my aura broke, but I kept fighting, and then I kept on fighting, some of them cut me with their Machete's and some picked up a few iron bars and struck me with them," he told her.

Vernal glares hardened and if she had laser vision, she'd burn a hole through the back of his head, "You let your anger get the better of you, didn't you?" She asked, her glare hardening.

Jaune didn't answer right away but then gave her a quick nod. "...Yeah," He told her.

Vernal growled and stopped cleaning his wounds. "How could you be so stupid!?" She asked, "What if they killed you!?" She asked.

Jaune shook his head, "They weren't going to," He told her.

"You don't know that!" She told him, "You aren't invincible Jaune! Just because you're a huntsman doesn't mean you're immortal! For Oum's sake Jaune, look how cutup you are! All because you were more focused on killing them than staying alive!"

"That's not-"

"It's true and you fucking know it!" Vernal yelled. "Don't tell me that isn't the fucking truth! Why can't you just admit it? You are...! You're such an asshole!" She said, her voice breaking.

Hearing her tone change abruptly, Jaune turned his body around and looked at her, worry on his face "Vernal?" He asked.

Vernal still glared at him but he could see tears begin to form in her eyes. "D-Do you have any idea how worried I was? Your out there starting a war against a whole gang! You're outnumbered and outgunned! And you choose to go out there and fight them all and you don't consider how that would make us feel! W-What if you died for fuck sake!? How do you think Oscar would feel!? H-How do you think I would feel!?" She asked.

"Vernal-" Jaune began

Vernal cut him off before he could say more, "Damn it Jaune! Why is it you!? Why does it have to be you out there killing them!?" She asked angrily as tears fell.

"Because it has to be me!" Jaune cried.

Vernal stopped and looked at him with wide eyes, slowly, her shock turned to confusion. "Wh-What...?" She asked him.

Jaune looked at her with a solemn expression, "It has to be me, Vernal," He told her, "I... I need to do this because I can't- I won't let you or Oscar get blood on your hands! I am not letting you or Oscar muddy up your souls for this! Not you two!" Jaune told her, his voice stern and angry.

Vernal glared at him because what she heard pissed her off greatly. "You don't get to decide that Jaune!" Vernal told him, "You and I know I have plenty of blood on my hands as it is! Killing those motherfuckers out there isn't going to change a damn thing!"

"It isn't!?" Jaune asked with a raised brow, his expression then turned to anger, "You know damn well that it is! If Oscar kills Malachite he won't come back from it! If you kill her..." Jaune began but didn't finish.

Vernal looked at him with an angry expression and a raised brow, "If I kill her what!? What Happens Jaune, huh!? Are you afraid I'll go back to being how I was before I talked about my past!?" She asked him, "Because if you are, you have no right to say or even think that! What happens to you if you kill her, huh!? What the fuck happens to you!?" She asked him.

Jaune glared at her, "It doesn't matter what happens to me!" He told her with a furious tone.

Vernal glared back at the blonde, and pointed her finger at him, "That's what you think! Because it doesn't matter what happens to you!" She cried, she then jabbed him with her pointer finger, "But it matters to me! It fucking matters to me! You're my partner! We keep each other safe! We watch each other's backs! Remember!?" She asked him.

Jaune looked at her and he looked back down to the bed, feeling terrible, knowing what she said was true, and because he realized he was being inconsiderate to her feelings about the whole thing.

Vernal's anger died down and her face turned to one of sadness, "We are all going through the same," She told Jaune, "Were are all dealing with Melissa's death, we are all blaming ourselves for what happened, Oscar the most! We all are angry at Spider, we want them to suffer, all three of us, do you know how hard it was for me to meet her and not shoot her in her fat face? But this... this isn't good for us Jaune," Vernal told him, her voice breaking down once more.

Jaune's expression shifted to sadness and he could feel his emotions begin to rise to the surface. Finally, he began to cry, and seeing him do so, so did Vernal. Vernal moved closer to him and hugged him and he hugged her back, both held the other tightly as their tears continued to flow.

Jaune sniffled and tried to compose himself, "We can't stop this, Vernal..." Jaune told her.

Vernal composed herself and nodded, "I know... I know..." She replied with a sniffle.

"We've already started our plan, and with the members of Spider I killed, they won't stop until we kill them all," Jaune told her.

"I know," She replied again. She then broke the hug and looked at him, but he looked at the bed, so she gently grabbed him by the cheek and moved his head to look at her. "But when the time comes, when we finally do that bitch in... we do it together, got it?" She asked.

Jaune nodded slowly, "Got it," he said, his tone still somewhat sad.

"Arc's word?" She asked.

Jaune nodded once again, "Arc's word," He replied.

"Good," She said, "Now turn back around, I gotta finish cleaning the one's on your back," She told him.

Jaune nodded and faced her fully, as she dabbed the cloth with more disinfectant and cleaned his wounds, he winced again as he felt the cloth touch another cut.

Jaune looked to the floor of the room before the front paws of the Beowulf manifested and seeing the paws, Jaune glared in anger as his head slowly looked up and when it did, he was face to face with the Beowulf, the beast's nose was only a few inches away from Jaune's face, and the Grimm looked the young knight in the eyes and it back to cackle.

Jaune glared at the beast and gave it a look, asking what was so funny, but the beast began to laugh louder.

'What have I told you about making promises you can't keep?' It asked him.

Jaune tensed up and his anger grew as he continued to glare at the Grimm.

'Stop making promises you'll never be able to keep... You can promise whatever you want on your name, swear on your life, but they'll be broken, one way or another, they'll be broken,' It told him 'It is easy to make a promise, but it is harder to keep them in this world you now live in,' The Beowulf told Jaune with a chuckle.

Jaune glared at the beast, as it continued to laugh before it disappeared, but Jaune could still hear the faint laughter of the Beowulf, and its words began to weigh heavily on his mind.

"Jaune?"

Jaune stopped thinking of the Beowulf when Vernal called to him and he turned his head, "Yeah?" he asked.

"You ok?" She asked, "You tensed up for a bit there," She told him.

Jaune nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine Vernal, just lost in that is all," He replied.

Vernal accepted his answer and went back to cleaning his wounds, and once she was finished she told him to face her and he did so, but when he did, he felt a little uncomfortable as Vernal cleaned the cuts around his stomach and chest, he knew she wasn't really paying much attention to his body, but he still felt a little bashful and a tinge of pink formed on his cheeks.

Jaune looked at Vernal and saw her concentrate on cleaning his wounds. "Hey, Vernal," he called.

"Yeah?" she asked as she remained focused on the task at hand.

"Thanks, for this," he told her.

Vernal smiled, and nodded, "I-It's no problem," she said as she continued tending to the cuts on the young blonde's chest. Unbeknownst to the knight, Vernal had a light shade of pink on her cheeks as well.

[queenangst]

19 i take off my hands and i give them to you + percabeth perhaps?

19. i take off my hands and i give them to you + percabeth | read on ao3

"...Percy?"

She didn't loosen her grip on her dagger. Not that she'd ever hurt him, but he still might.

"Hey," Annabeth said, to get his attention. "You with me?"

Percy had his back to her. He was still and silent save for his breathing. Then his shoulders sagged. The fight drained out of him; he turned a soft cheek towards her, blinking rapidly.

That was enough—Annabeth sheathed her dagger and stepped closer.

"I was just thinking," he told her, then tried to offer a smile. "Sorry."

He hadn't let go of Riptide yet, still holding tight with white knuckles and those callused palms that came with years of holding a sword. They only took a month to form. Annabeth, at seven, had found her skin peeling where she'd gripped her hammer, then her new dagger, hard.

She slipped her hand in his blazer pocket and found the pen cap, then took his wrist to guide him. The sword winked out and back until Percy was left with just the pen.

They'd been on a date. He'd dug through the back of his closet to find a slightly-too-small suit to squeeze into, and had given up on a tie, but he looked handsome when he opened the door to meet her. Not anywhere upscale by any means, but a little nicer than pizza on the sidewalk or diner burgers, to celebrate the new job.

"I'm sorry," Percy muttered. "I just got mad. It's supposed to be over."

She tugged on his hand; reflexively, he finally put Riptide away, and laced his fingers with hers.

"It's over."

The remains of the two dracanae stuck to their shoes. Annabeth stepped over the dust.

"Not this fight, the—" he struggled wordlessly for a second, then, "the fighting."

Two wars, countless prophecies, and quests, and monsters. Annabeth hungered for that kind of adventure at twelve; at twenty-two she knew why Percy was angry, because she felt tired, too. There were internships, and the semester, and dates to worry about now.

Ordinary things. Mortal things.

"Yeah," she said, and squeezed his hand. The calluses might still fade. "Let's go. You got room for dessert?"

[starlit-hopes-and-dreams]

Chapter 20 ~ Surprise surprise

Hidden Depths

Previous ~ Masterlist ~ Next

Also on ao3

Genre: Fantasy whump

CW’s: not much really. brief mention of a minor character death? huh. congrats y’all. welcome to the first chapter I’ve posted here with no warnings :’) 

WC: 3046

In which there are a few surprises... shocker with that title, right?

AN: Really, in which I should've foreshadowed a certain something but never could figure out how exactly to pull it off. So, uh. That's why posting as you write is considered a first draft, yeah?

This is a bit of a filler chapter, I suppose, but I felt it was necessary so here you go. As a reward, you get some new curses from Carr. Enjoy lol.

Carr

Carr didn’t find Resh at the top of the hill. 

She spent what felt like hours searching every dip, every patch of shrub and undergrowth, growing increasingly worried as the light started to fade. It would be pitch-black in this forest long before the sun actually dipped below the horizon. 

Occasionally, she’d call out to Orla, less and less concerned about a bandit overhearing as there seemed to be nothing and no one around them. Birds and bugs and small animals began making their little noises again, which she took as a good sign. She thought. Wilderness wasn’t exactly her specialty. 

Small scratches and welts criss-crossed her exposed arms and hands, itchy, irritated evidence of her search efforts. 

Every time she climbed out of one hollow, she told herself he would be in the next. 

Or the next.

Or the next. 

“Are you done with this fruitless search yet?” a low, masculine voice asked. 

Shit! Who the fuck was that, and how hadn’t she noticed them? So much for the sounds of nature warning her. She crouched in the fucking thorn bush she’d been looking under, withdrawing her daggers. 

A man stepped out from behind a massive tree on the other side of the path, dressed in black from head to toe, and pushed a hand through thinning, light brown hair. 

Wait. Was that– 

“Brant? The fuck are you doin here?” Carr asked incredulously. She couldn’t think of one godsdamned reason Nykim’s second would be here, in the fucking forest so far from the city. 

He gave her a look. The same one he shot the vermin back home when they’d fucked up, insinuating with his glare just how fucking dead they’d be if they’d tried whatever they’d done anywhere else.

“You telling me you didn’t know I’ve been following you since you left? Seriously?” 

Carr gaped, her mind automatically circling back around. She’d been a little too concerned about other things to pay that much attention–hadn’t thought she needed to. Shit, how much did Brant know? She hadn’t been binding her chest; it was uncomfortable as fuck when they just sat around in a carriage most of the time. Did it even matter if he did know? 

Brant shook his head and crossed the path. He extended a hand, which Carr just stared at, confused. 

“I’m disappointed you didn’t notice, Carr. Now take my damned hand unless you want to continue slicing yourself up getting out of those thorns on your own.” 

Her heart actually sank at the criticism until she remembered she wasn’t fucking vermin anymore. She sheathed her knives and slapped her palm in Brant’s hand with more force than was strictly necessary. 

“Don’t give a fuck,” she muttered as Brant bodily lifted her out of the thorn bush. Show off. “You gonna answer my question?” 

Brant ignored her, crossing his muscular arms while she brushed herself off. “I know where the bandit camp is. They got the boy, if that’s who you’re looking for.” He scratched his head at that. “Although, wasn’t there a little girl with you?” 

Fuck, Orla. Carr gave Brant a sideways glance and rushed over to where she’d climbed up. It was getting late, and the ravine was pretty shadowed. Luckily, she didn’t have to look far, as the girl was already halfway up the hill. The fuck–how was she doing that? 

Sweating a little–the fall from the girl’s current height would not be pleasant–Carr reached out with earth… only to find that Orla was already using the element herself. Huh. Carr rocked back on her heels, realizing only then that she had no clue what elemental abilities Resh’s sister possessed. Well, she knew one now, anyway. 

When Orla got close enough, Carr grasped her hand and helped her the rest of the way up. 

“Anything?” Orla gasped, hunching over her knees. 

Instead of answering–because what she was doing was answer enough, wasn’t it?–Carr turned back to Brant. 

“You saw him?” She thought her knees might buckle when Brant nodded, but she locked them and took a deep breath. “Take me there. Now.”

“Carr–”

“Don’t ‘Carr’ me,” she snapped. 

Brant stepped into her space, snarling as he glared down at her. “I still outrank you. Don’t interrupt.” 

She backed down for a moment, the response ingrained after a decade of following the pack’s chain of command. But then her gaze sharpened. “I’m not part of the pack anymore. You can’t outrank me. Take. Me. To. Him.” 

“I won’t get in the way,” Orla’s soft voice interrupted. 

Carr twisted at the same time as Brant, the pair of them peering at the child they’d already forgotten. Fuck. 

“You’re gonna need backup,” Brant said, stepping back. “There’s too many, is what I wanted to tell you before you started ordering me around. Could send her.” 

“Is there even a town close enough for that? A town, mind you, with a fuckin guard.” Carr scrubbed her hands over her face. Shit, could she even send the girl? By herself? 

“There is,” he said slowly, like he didn’t think she’d like the answer. Paper crinkled as Nykim’s second pulled a map out of his pocket and held it under one of the last beams of dying light. 

Orla and Carr crowded around him. 

“Here.” Brant pointed to a triangle with a name over it that Carr couldn’t yet read beyond its initial letter. “We’re about half a day’s ride from the forest’s edge, and Hallin is roughly a day’s ride from there.” 

He was right–she didn’t like it. 

“That’s three days turnaround, and that’s if they come right away, no questions asked.” Carr sighed. “I can’t wait that long, Brant. I won’t.”

“You will if you don’t want to die.” Brant folded up the map and glared at her, but she just pursed her lips, so he turned to Orla. 

“Hello there. My name’s Brant. I work… used to work with Carr.”

“Nice to meet you,” Orla said primly, looking at him like he was daft. 

Carr snorted. “Pretty sure she’s figured that out already. Kid’s smart like that. Saw me talkin instead of stabbin, you know?” 

He cleared his throat. “Alright then. Guess the real question is, can she ride?” 

They both turned to look at her. Shit, she was a city kid. On top of that, she would’ve been… what, nine or something when she’d lost everything? Carr had no idea how long she’d been ill prior to that. She held her breath, watching as the girl considered. 

“Not very well,” Orla finally admitted, wringing her hands together. “The queen… she wanted me to learn to ride like a lady. I had a couple of lessons, but…” 

“It’s okay,” Carr said, but the girl’s eyes welled anyway. 

Shit. How did one comfort a child? Most people liked to be touched, Carr had noticed, so she reached out and placed her hand on top of Orla’s soft brown curls. 

The tears overflowed, tracking silently down the girl’s face while she stared up at Carr with her big doe eyes. 

Oh no. She’d fucked it up. Carr snatched her hand back and turned to Brant; he dealt with the vermin–maybe he knew? But the man just shrugged, looking about as freaked out as she felt. Great. 

While she was trying to think of something, thin arms wrapped around Carr’s waist, about stopping her heart. 

Just Orla, Carr told her rapid heartbeat, holding her hands awkwardly off to the side to give the girl room. 

Resh’s sister promptly buried her head in Carr’s chest, her shoulders shaking. Everything was catching up with her, most like. Brant started pantomiming behind her, but Carr was already moving, placing one hand on the girl’s head and the other around her shoulders. A hug. She should’ve thought of that to start. 

“I’m sorry,” Orla babbled into her shirt, her voice muffled by the fabric. “I’m in the way, I-I can’t go for help, I’m…” Great gulping sobs cut off the rest of what she was trying to say. 

“Shhh,” Carr said, stroking her hair stiffly. What did you say to something like that? Orla was in the way. Everything she said was true, but it wasn’t her fault. She was just a kid. 

She was only twelve. Of course, at twelve, Carr had been anything but a kid. She wasn’t truly sure she’d ever had the chance to be one; kinda hard when one scrounged on the streets for years before joining a pack at the tender age of ten. But she’d heard the saying before and was pretty sure it applied to someone like Orla. Someone who’d grown up with people who loved them, someone who’d never hurt another person in their life. Someone innocent. 

Brant bent to pluck a stem of grass, the movement catching Carr��s eye as he stuck it in his mouth and chewed, appearing deep in thought.

“Whatcha thinkin?” Carr swayed gently from side to side, still holding Orla, who stiffened at her question. 

“You could ride to Hallin with the kid,” Brant said, “fetch help while I keep an eye on the camp.” 

Carr scoffed. “You’re insane if you think I’m leavin. You take Orla to Hallin, and I’ll keep an eye on the camp.” An eye, and a hand, and a dozen knives, maybe, but he didn’t need to know that. 

He raised a skeptical eyebrow, proving that he probably already did know that. What the fuck ever. 

“How about… we go check out the camp before we make any decisions.”  

It was Carr’s turn to raise an eyebrow. 

“We won’t get close enough for the girl to be in any danger. Just close enough for you to see what a shit idea it is to do anything before the guard gets here,” Brant continued, twirling the grass stem in his fingers, one end chewed down to a nub. 

Orla’s crying had quieted, but she still hadn’t released Carr’s middle. She appeared to be listening, her muscles taut with tension. 

It–wasn’t the worst idea. Carr sighed and nodded. “Fine. But then you take her and go.” 

Brant flicked the stem away. “Follow me.” 

~~~

Carr stared down into what should’ve been nothing more than a fly-infested piss trap and cursed under her breath. 

Brant was a godsdamn cumguzzling cockweasel. But he was also right. 

That didn’t mean she had to like it. Son of a buggering fuckbag. Fucking shit. 

They’d left Orla several yards behind them with the horse. Still within eyesight–or what was left of it anyway, with the rapid approach of nightfall–but marginally safer than creeping in on the boundaries of the bandit’s camp. 

Camp, hah. 

A full-ass fucking village was more like it. 

Maybe it had once been a camp, set up on the banks of a small lake in a clearing at the base of two tree-covered hills. The forest surrounded the clearing on all sides; anyone who didn’t know this was here would stumble into the open area and find themselves surrounded by the resident bandits… and their families? 

There were still plenty of tents set up. But there were also a few cabins, with evidence of more being built. These bandits were turning this place into a permanent camp. 

Because of course they were. Godsdamned cuntknuckles. She clenched her hands into fists, stewing inside. 

“So,” Brant said softly from where he crouched beside her, “are you still eager to go storming into this place, or will you wait for backup?” 

A noncommittal grunt was Carr’s only answer as she scrubbed a hand over her face, wincing as her fingers brushed over the cut on her brow. Fuck. 

She sensed more than saw Brant roll his eyes. 

“The kid and I need to leave. You should find a place to rest–you’ll need more light to case the place properly.” 

She grunted again, an affirmation behind the sound, and began picking her way through the brush back to Orla, Brant following her lead. Some light still fell on the bandit’s valley, but beneath the trees were nothing but ever-deepening shadows. 

“Did you see him?” Orla whispered when they got closer. “Is he okay?” 

Carr wrinkled her nose. “No. Actually…” She turned, squinting at Brant as he rose and strode towards his horse. “How do you know Resh is in the camp?” 

The horse whinnied as Brant stroked the animal’s muzzle, and it began nuzzling at the second’s pockets. He pulled a root vegetable out, allowing the horse to snatch it from his palm. 

“After you crashed, I hung back while the bandits found a way down into that ravine and raided the remains of your carriage. They already had Resh slung over one of their horses; he was unconscious but had to be alive, or why would they bother? Then I trailed them to that valley before I returned to see how you had fared. He’s in there somewhere. In what state, I couldn’t say.” 

There was a strange buzzing in Carr’s ears; she shook her head violently, trying to get rid of it, which only served to disorient her. Gods. Squeezing her eyes closed, she crouched and rubbed her aching temples. This wasn’t happening again. Why was this happening again? Hadn’t he been through enough? 

Her world narrowed to the tightness of her throat, her wildly beating heart, her breath sawing in and out in short bursts. Stars burst behind her closed eyelids, and she… she didn’t have time for this. Couldn’t panic like this in front of Brant and Orla. So she forced herself to hold her next breath, letting it out slowly, counting in her head. 

After a moment, she stood back up, feeling light-headed but steady. Steady enough, anyway. “Hit my head,” she said by way of explanation, feeling the way their gazes lingered on her. 

Brant’s expression was skeptical, but he played along. “You aren’t in top form after that crash. Be careful and don’t do anything stupid. Your lover won’t thank you if you get captured or killed trying to rescue him.” 

“Not my lover,” Carr automatically said, but her gut clenched at the denial. He wasn’t–but he was something. Something she had no name for. 

“Sure.” The sarcasm was thick in Brant’s voice, but he turned away to help Orla into the saddle, encouraging her to ride astride rather than sidesaddle. After some protests over the way her skirts rode up to her thighs, Brant got her comfortable and then took the reins in hand. 

“Take care of her,” Carr said sharply as he started walking away, guiding the horse. 

There was a barely visible nod and a wave from Orla before they disappeared into the false twilight beneath the canopy. 

Carr’s stomach twisted as she crept back onto the ledge they’d used to spy on the bandit’s camp. She’d study the place for a little longer, then find someplace safe to rest for a few hours. 

~~~

The next morning found Carr back where she’d started, munching on some sweetroots found using elemental earth and rinsed in a stream on her way there. 

What she witnessed in the bandit camp as she watched their early morning activity made no sense. 

A light-haired woman with a babe strapped to her back made rounds of the tents and cabins, carrying a large basket that appeared to grow heavier and heavier. When she’d nearly finished, a large man dressed in patchwork leathers approached and snatched the basket from her arms, carrying it down to the shore of the lake, the woman appearing to scold him from behind. He put the basket down, then pulled her into an embrace, kissing her, then the babe before taking his leave. 

The night watch filtered in from the fringe of the forest surrounding the camp, joking with their yawning replacements. 

Several more children appeared, some playing, some helping as men and women alike began working around the valley. There were several small patches of land where it looked like they were growing crops. What looked like a fucking blacksmith fired up a forge. Over to the side was a lean-to serving as a stable for several horses, some of whom were being brushed down while the others roamed a fenced-in portion of the valley, grazing. 

The place looked idyllic. Carr wouldn’t have realized it was a bandit camp if she hadn’t known in advance. 

But these fuckers were bandits. They’d attacked them, uncaring if any of the people they were robbing survived. The carriage driver certainly hadn’t; Carr had caught sight of his body while searching for Resh. 

They’d taken Resh. 

Why? She couldn’t figure it out. Why would they take an outsider into this community they were trying to build and maintain, risking its security? 

Her eyes darted around the camp, noting small details here and there. She would need to move to a different position soon, observe from another angle. Perhaps try to sneak past the sentries, get a closer look, do a little eavesdropping. 

Although her chest was tight with worry for Resh, she forced herself to think as she started picking her way off the ledge.

She ran various scenarios through her mind while she knelt by a stream to assuage her thirst. Obviously, she couldn’t just sneak in and start stabbing people. She’d probably be lucky enough to get in, but no way would she be getting back out after doing something like that. 

If the camp had been smaller, she might’ve just slit every bandit’s throat and been done with it. But she wasn’t killing women who’d likely done nothing wrong. And she sure as fuck wasn’t harming a child.  

Her reflection wavered in the pool of water she held in her palms. Carr watched the ripples distort her dirt-laden features and raggedly chopped hair. They seemed to have some good people among them–this clearly wasn’t a typical rag-tag band of criminals. 

The corner of her mouth kicked up at the thought. Maybe… she cut off the idea before it could fully form. It might work, it might not. It would certainly be better than waiting three-plus days for her supposed backup. If Hallin’s guard ever even came–which she had her doubts about. 

Carr took a deep breath, then raised her hands to drink. First, some subterfuge was in order.

Next

Image Description

[ID: The banner is a blue-green background, with tree branches arching over a set of blue-green eyes, forming an approximation of a face. The words Hidden Depths are written in white above the eyes. Any other images are purely decorative lines. end ID]

[lizard-shifter-noms]

Broken Bloodlines Chapter 5

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Hello everyone! Have a part 5!!!

also the chapters for arc two will be shorter for ease of reading.

this Story contains Vore, Dont like dont read.

have fun reading!

and as always reblogs are appreciated! (Also ASK’s are open so feel free to bother me!)

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Though as surprising as his agreement to this was, I had no doubt he’d hidden some sort of weapon on him somewhere.

And I definitely had learned from last time!

“Okay, but i'm pretty sure you have at least one weapon on you so please remove it first”

He looked surprised for only about a second.

“You got me there, give me a second”

he moved to pull a dagger out from under his shirt and one strapped to his leg.

I really hoped that wasn't the same one as last time, but it probably was considering that it had been an expensive looking one.

“Two this time? Really?”

He pulled out another knife from god knew where.

“Three actually, Paranoia does not help me sleep”

I huffed an unamused sound.

“But knives do?”

“No, not really, but if another assassin is sent my way I'd rather have something to defend myself with”

Yeah, that made sense, still three of them? How could he lie down without any of them poking him?

“How the fuck can you even sleep when you got those things jabbing you?”

He let out a sarcastic laugh.

“Maybe that was the problem, at least i put all of them in a sheath”

Yeah, I'd rather not hear the news that the new king has died because the hidden knives he had sliced him to bits when he slept.

“So, three knives, you sure that's all of them?”

He nodded.

“I'm not dressed up in fancy gear right now so i don't think i could hide more than three anyway”

I'd bet he'd find a way somehow, but I wasn't about to speak that out loud.

“Sooo, that's all, right? And you are sure about this?”

Rikaad stopped where he was for a moment.

“I'm not sure about anything at the moment, But I do know if i don't get sleep i won't be able to function tomorrow.

And i already worked trough last night trying to find those stupid papers”

He HADN'T slept last night?!? While I had a hunch for a while now that he needed less sleep than the average person that could not be healthy.

Also, the papers? It was still about these stupid papers? He was still searching for them? Why? He had bigger things to worry about.

“You know what? Forget the papers for a bit, they aren't that important, at least right now, you can go back to looking for them once this madness is over, okay?”

He didn't look like he believed that the law papers about Fae weren't important but also didn't say anything against it.

“If you say so, well then, we better get on with this or it'll be morning before we even started”

That Was true. 

While it had been barely midnight by the time I found him in the throne room, it must be at least one in the morning by now.

“Okay, i'll go slow, and if you wanna back out just say so and i'll stop”

He nodded and then stood up before looking a bit confused for about a millisecond.

Oh, right, he'd never done this calmly before so he had no idea what to do.

Well good thing I did.

What a strange thing I'd better not dwell on it for the sake of my sanity.

I shuffled myself into a more upright position because choking on a person was the last thing I wanted, especially right now.

Also Rikaad wasn't freaking out this time, And I wasn't in an adrenaline induced rush.

As for Rikaad, well he just stood there so i decided to put him a bit more at ease.

By gently bonking the top of his head with the underside of my jaw.

It made Robin laugh so maybe it would soothe some of his fried nerves?

Well it didn't make him laugh, he just looked confused now.

Well better than stressed at least.

Though I had probably drawn this out for long enough, even if half of that had been to make sure he left any knives outside this time.

So I gently put my jaws around the broad shouldered man and let him slide onto my tongue.

He tried to brace himself so I stopped moving with his legs still outside my mouth.

I had said I would stop if he told me to and that also meant listening to him in case he wanted to say anything but also to take enough time to be able to reassure him.

He went back to semi relaxed pretty quickly and I surmised that bracing himself had been reflexive more than anything.

With that settled I slowly tipped my head back again and this time his legs disappeared from the outside world, now fully framed by teeth.

I stopped again for a few seconds to make sure Rikaad was still onboard with this before I continued.

Besides, getting a person out of my throat was sheer impossible, so if he did freak out he'd have to wait till he was all the way down before I could get him out again.

But I did hope that wouldn't happen.

He was still calm, only shifting slightly, so I tipped my head back even more to signal what I was about to do.

I couldn't exactly speak when my mouth was full, so this would have to do.

He didn't protest or anything so I took it as my sign to keep going.

Tipping my head back a tiny bit more I swallowed, and then had to swallow again as Rikaads broad shoulders stretched the surprisingly elastic flesh of my gullet.

Why was he more buff than half the castle Guards anyway? Well knowing Rikaad he probably had trained obsessively to get to that point.

And since he was halfway in my throat I couldn't get him out anyway.

When I felt like he was slowing down I swallowed again to get things moving again.

I did have to admit that Rikaad trusting me enough to do this again after last time went so horribly made me happy.

Sure, the entire thing was strange as fuck but this time Rikaad actually trusted me! Trusted me enough to put him in the same place he thought he was gonna die in.

So he did consider me a friend also, actually did, and not just said so.

Sure he'd said we were friends but reading the stoic man's expressions was hard on a good day.

And growing up I had become all too aware that there were people who would call you their friend just to get their way.

But Rikaad trusted me, trusted me enough to tuck him away from the world for a few hours and then release him unharmed.

The paranoid and almost overly self sufficient man trusted me to take control for a little while.

Not control of his kingdom or anything but control over himself.

He had no weapons, at least I hoped so, and no way to get out on his own, or maybe he really was just that tired?

Swallowing again I felt him slide into the pouch and then shift a little to get situated.

“Well, this is a lot less adrenaline inducing than last time”

I huffed amusedly.

“I sure hope so, you ARE supposed to sleep now, and don't worry about assassins or whatever, If anything wants to get to you it has to go through me first! literally”

That got an amused sound from him.

“I guess so, but please do not put yourself in harms way for my sake”

“Don't worry, I won't, now go to sleep already!”

I could sense more than hear him hum an agreement and feel him crossing his arms to sleep.

I shuffled slightly in front of the bed so that if anyone barged in they wouldn't immediately see the empty bed.

As tempting as it was to use it as a pillow there was a chance it would be full of green hairs the next day, also it wasn't mine and now that Rikaad was finally going to sleep I wasn't about to disturb him.

Right now the man had settled into a warm and relaxed lump with his breathing slowly evening out.

Besides, I was used to sleeping on the floor and I could just use one of my own arms as a pillow.

Which I promptly did, joining Rikaad in sleep while he dreamt about who knew what.

I was woken up sometime later by the door creaking open and I opened one eye to look at what had disturbed the quiet.

“Well that's one way ta deter possible assassins!”

It was Nea, standing in the doorway and leaning on a crutch.

Oh fuck.

Luckily she couldn't see the empty bed from the door but I hoped she wouldn't ask where Rikaad was, or notice that anything was amiss.

Better play it cool then and ask why she was up or something.

“Nea? Shouldn't you be asleep? Or at least on bed rest?”

Well asleep might be exaggerating, judging by the light coming in from the window it was morning already.

“Eh, yer Brother voiced his concern at yer disappearance so i said i’d go look fer yer fuzzy ass, well ye're okay so i'm going ta go again, I don't wanna wake our poor tired King! Heaven knows he needs sleep! Oh and tell him the next meeting is around noon! Byee!”

She slinked out again and closed the door,  Well, that was easier than expected.

Well she did say she did not want to wake Rikaad, and neither did i but i would later when he had to go to that meeting thingy.

Luckily there was an actual clock in this room.

But for now the man needed all the sleep he could get.

I yawned a little and just kept lying on the floor where I was, barely moving so as to not disturb the tired man.

Though that left the problem that Fable was probably worried about me, Nea did say he was looking for me but she’d tell him I was alright.

Besides Fable could go an hour or so without me, he was the older one after all, and Robin and Arthur were also there.

He'd be fine.

For now I would just chill here with Rikaad fast asleep in my pouch.

It really was weird, after the last time I really believed he'd say no when I told him the idea but he had actually agreed!

Okay there was a very good probability that he had been just so tired that he would have agreed to whatever.

Oh well, there was a zero chance he'd ever agree to this again so I'd better enjoy it while it lasted.

But of course just my luck that was when he decided to wake up.

I felt him move a little and then he spoke in a way less tired voice than yesterday, even if it was still a bit sleepy.

"Morning… Did I really agree to be put here last night?"

I smiled, relaxing a little. 

"Yeah… you said you needed to hide from the world for a bit"

Rikaad sighed, relaxing slowly. 

"Just had to check that…"

I nodded, rubbing over him where he sat in the pouch very gently.

"Are you feeling any better this morning?"

Rikaad yawned before speaking.

"Believe it or not, yes, I think I've at least gotten a little bit of proper sleep"

I smiled, it was nice to hear he was doing better.

"Good, so you're not overly tired anymore?I was worried last night that the Rikaad I knew suddenly wasn't there any more…"

Rikaad gave a soft chuckle at my comment.

"Yeah… I think he wandered off for a few hours there and just kind of left me vacant"

Rikaad was shifting slowly then, as if checking all of his limbs were still functional.

"Can I come out now then? I should have a shower and get ready for a meeting that's scheduled later"

Oh right, Nea mentioned a meeting, what did she say again? Ah yeah according to her it was around Noon.

“Sure, Nea said it was around Noon, also don't worry she has no idea about this! 

Now gimme a second”

I stood up to the best of my ability with he narrow ceiling, well narrow for me, and turned to face a side door that had a stupidly elaborate bathroom sign.

He probably appreciated it if he didn't have to walk around slimy anymore than he absolutely had to.

“Okay, for the sake of not making me choke please don't move”

After hearing his agreement to that I began to bring him out, finding it easier to manage now which probably was due to him being more relaxed and less tense.

Oh wait that was because this time he'd put his hands over his head, thus slimming his shoulders.

Smart move actually.

Due to this he was out in no time.

“Well, I better get this… Whatever off and make myself presentable again”

Fair point, even if he was less covered in slime than I had expected he couldn't exactly go out like that.

“Sure, i'm going to shift back and look for my brother, he's probably worried”

He gave a nod before tugging a bit on the hem of his shirt, probably trying to get it to stop clinging to him.

“You do that, i have to do meetings and paperwork later, you know i actually don't like this job but your suggestion to have other people sort papers is a good one so i'm definitely going to look into that” 

Oh, he actually was considering my suggestion? That was nice, and maybe he'd be less stressed then!

“Good to hear, well, see you around”

Shifting back to my human size I went outside so he could make himself ready and went to go and look for Fable as well as Robin or Arthur depending on who I found first.

Navigating unknown parts of the castle at day wasn't any better than at night but at least there was less chance of walking into a wall in broad daylight like this.

It took a good twenty minutes until I found a familiar part of the castle and was able to go down to the throne room from where I could better navigate around.

As luck would have it, that's where Fable currently was! And Robin too!

“Donovan! Where have you been?”

Robin barreled into me and I almost fell over while he clung to me.

“I got lost when i tried to get water in the night, don't worry i'm fine”

He muffled something into my chest that sounded like  ‘Someone should make a map of the castle’ before he let go.

Fable had been just standing there in the meantime so I crossed the three or so steps it took to get to him and also gave him a hug.

He didn't reciprocate but at this point I didn't really expect him to.

“Sorry for worrying you, the castle layout is just really weird to navigate, especially at night”

For once he actually answered to something that wasn't outright a question.

“It is rather strangely built i agree on that”

I let go of him and then tried to gauge what time it was, which considering we were inside a building wasn't working out that well.

“So, does anyone have an idea on what to do today? I don't think we are supposed to go further from the castle than yesterday and i have no idea what else there is to do”

That much was true, a nd going to the Library once again would get old real quick.

Robin looked thoughtful for a moment before an expression of Elation crossed his features.

“I heard there is an empty tower! The one on the left right over the cliff!

If we can find a telescope we could look really far!”

Huh, that might actually be fun! But I could not recall any place that would have a telescope that was nearby.

The only one i could imagine having one was Oakley, but we hadn't seen the fucker in a while now and had no idea what he was up to.

Not to mention that we weren't allowed to go that far away from the castle, maybe we could ask a guard to carry a message?

“That's a good idea! You know where to get a telescope? The only one i can see having one around here is Oakley and i don't think we are supposed to go that far at the moment”

He tilted his head, likely in contemplation.

“I think Barsen has one, i've seen him with one at least, i think he uses it to see how the treetops are doing”

Really? I hadn't exactly expected the Gardener to have one,  but if he lent it to us that would be great!

Well given he doesn't need it himself today.

“Didn't think he would have one,  it is quite different from a shovel after all,  but if he lets us use it i'm all for it”

Now we just had to find him, which considering that it was Barsen we were talking about would either take five minutes or three hours if at all.

“He is over there”

Both mine and Robin's head turned to Fable who was currently pointing at the entrance to the throne room where Barsen was leaving through.

“Oh good eye Fable! Let's go ask before he disappears for the day!”

It didn't take much to catch up to him as he was watering some of the potted plants right in front of the entrance, and as all the flowers under his care the roses he was tending to looked stunning.

“Hello boys! What brings you to me?”

He set a heavy looking watering can down and turned to face all three of us.

Robin immediately sprang up front.

“Barsen, I've seen you walk around with a telescope, can we borrow it? Please? We want to go on top of a tower and look at things!”

“Telescope?.. Oh yeah i know which one you mean, it's in my hut i can get it after i'm done watering these plants but you have to promise to be careful with it! It used to belong to my great grandmother and is very old”

Oh, that was an old telescope, no wonder he told us to be careful with it.

And if he kept watch over it like he did with his plants it was probably still in very good condition.

“It was your great grandmas? Wow, that must be an antique then! We promise to look after it”

He laughed a little at that and moved to the next row of potted plants.

“Y’know it was said that my great grandmother was a dryad or Nymph of some sort so technically im also partly Fae, even if that part is tiny”

I blinked in confusion, I hadn't known that, and I really hadn't expected anyone that was working in the castle to have any such heritage.

But this was probably the first time he said that and since it was his great grandma that was Fae there literally weren't any tells in his appearance.

He grinned at the confused faces we made.

“Didn't expect me to be working here eh? Well to be fair the old king never knew, well nobody really did, but also nobody asked”

“Is that why you work as a Gardener?!”

Robin exclaimed in excitement.

“Hah! I suppose so! I've always had an affinity for plants so I just made it my job, and then I got good enough to be asked to work at the castle so I thought why not? 

There are a lot of Plants here though so it's perfect for me”

He moved to the next and last row of potted plants.

Well if he had a heritage like that it made sense for him to choose such a job, and also why he didn't bat an eye at my shapeshifting antics.

He poured the last of the water in the last pot and shouldered the now empty watering can.

“Well if you can wait a second here i'll go get the Telescope now”

We nodded and he went around the castle opposite the side of my shed.

Robin immediately turned to me, basically vibrating with excitement.

“Oh that's so cool! He also has Fae heritage! But I have no idea what a dryad is, do you?”

A dryad? Uhh i wasn't sure but i was fairly certain that those were the tree ladies that sometimes took root in random places and sometimes didn't move for years.

“Uhh i'm not sure but i think they are like humanoid trees? Like the only thing i know is that they can take root like an actual tree and then look likea woman from the waist up, but i have no idea if i'm correct in that”

My eyes flitted to Fable to see if he knew or if I was just plainly wrong but he just gave a tiny and elegant nod.

Huh, so i had been right, nice.

Robin still looked a bit confused and was likely trying to figure out how something human shaped could take root but Barsen was already on his way back.

He'd just rounded the corner of the castle with a long and prettily decorated Box in hand, the Telescope no doubt.

“Here it is boys! Just remember to be careful and treat it with respect!”

He held the box out and opened it to reveal a beautiful brass telescope that had strange vines engraved on it that I had never seen before.

Well if it belonged to a plant based Fae the pattern was a perfect fit.

“This is a beautiful Telescope, are you sure you're okay with us borrowing it? It looks really expensive”

Barsen just nodded and closed the box before handing it to Robin who very carefully took it and then held it secure to his chest.

“I know you boys are not stupid, and i know you're going to be careful with it, i just ask you only take it out of the box when you are at your destination to avoid dropping it”

We all nodded and Barsen waved once before he turned away to go do whatever he still had to do.

“You boys have fun now, and tell me if you see something interesting, I might take a look myself sometime!”

With that he disappeared once again into the greenery.

I bent down a little to look at the violet painted wooden box that contained the telescope.

“I do have to say that is a really pretty piece of craftsmanship, well we better find our way to the tower now because i am curious how well this thing still works”

As pretty as it was, it was still old and therefore might not work as well as it did in the past, not to mention that the glass might not be the best anymore.

Eh, as long as it was fun.

So we set off to find the entrance to the tower which took a good half an hour or more until we found the door to the staircase.

As soon as we opened it we realized that we had to walk quite a lot to get to the top.

We were even joined by the cat as soon as we had taken the first few steps to go up.

Well the cat likely hadn't been in this part before judging by how dusty some of the things were and was just as curious as we were to explore this part of the castle.

I wasn't sure how long it took us to get to the top but by a rough estimate it was at least a good fifteen minutes and we were pretty out of breath once we reached the top.

Well me and Robin, Fable was perfectly fine and not even sweating or breathing any different.

The guy had a lot of endurance it seemed.

After we had catched our breath we staked out a spot on the stone wall that functioned as a railing and carefully opened the Box Barsen gave us.

Since he gave the Box to Robin he was first.

To make sure he didn't fall I was holding onto the back of his shirt as I knew how excited he could get and I really did not want him falling off of this.

He looked right ahead at first where there was nothing but water for miles and then maybe some more land that belonged to Maringand before he swiveled right and out onto the ocean where he might be able to catch glimpses of various ships.

“This is actually a really good telescope! There's not one speck of dirt on the lenses and the sight is very clear!”

Really? That was awesome! 

Well no real surprise considering Barsen had been taking care of it.

I wondered what I might be able to spy when it was my turn.

Robin then swiveled the telescope way Left and then made a confused face.

“What is that? And there are a LOT of people near Lormount”

“What? wait, lemme see!”

He climbed down from the wall and handed me the Telescope.

Stepping up the wall myself I made sure I was standing steady and then took a look at what Robin had seen.

That was Lormount alright, the place between kingdoms that was divided by a river in the middle.

And as Robin had said there were a LOT of people, they were also dragging caravans and wagons behind them and there was one structure that had a big tarp over it that was towed by at least six oxen.

That could not be good, and i had absolutely no doubt what this was the Maringand army.

But already? Then again Winton must have had this planned for months if not years and considering the recent change in Kingship here it was the perfect opportunity for an attack.

Rikaad did not have much experience and didn't even get settled in as King so starting to attack now was basically the best opportunity they would get.

We needed to tell Rikaad, and NOW!

“Guys that's the Army, and not ours, we need to tell Rikaad, or Norrin if you find him first!”

Suddenly Fable was standing on the wall beside me and if I wasn't already used to him appearing right next to me I might have fallen off.

He took the telescope from me and was looking at it himself.

The puppet-like and eerily symmetrical smile which graced his features previously had dropped from his face which wasn't any better really and stared with a weird and calculating look in his eyes through the lens.

“In my estimate they will reach the river in about five hours”

What?! Nevermind how Fable knew that but five hours would never be enough time to ready our own army to the same level.

“This is bad, we need to tell Rikaad NOW!”

Fable gave the telescope back to Robin who put it neatly back into its case and we nearly fell down the stairs in our hurry to get back.

As soon as we reached the bottom Fable darted past me and Robin faster than any of us could ever hope to be and disappeared into the castle.

Aside from the fact that he finally finally took action for himself we still had to sound an alarm or whatever we could find.

Well, sprinting to more familiar parts of the castle would surely help already.

It was only a minute or so until we found ourselves back in the throne room as apparently every hallway eventually ended here.

Fable was already here and talking to both Rikaad and Norrin who had rather grave expressions on their faces.

Nea was there too looking extra grimm today and severely displeased.

her foot was still not really functional so she would not be able to go and fight, and if there was one thing i knew about her it was that she loved fighting.

Still, we had a rather big problem on our hands and as we reached Fable and the others Norrin darted away to somewhere outside, no doubt rallying all of the troops and soldiers as well as the guard.

“Rikaad! Are you okay? Do you need help with anything?”

The taller man turned to us, well taller than me and Robin at least Fable was still the tallest person in the room.

Where was he anyway? He'd been here just a second ago.

I could look for him in a moment right now Rikaad needed help more.

“I'm fine for the moment, Norrin has it handled outside and Nea can still Order people around even if she's unable to properly fight and Arthur has his own division to take care of.

You just get to safety, I'll be back once this is over okay?”

Get to safety, get to safety meant staying in the castle while both Rikaad and Arthur risked their lives in battle and I had to admit that I came to like both Nea and even Norrin too.

Yeah I had finally made my mind up after seeing the army,  i would not stay back, 

for once in my life i would fight back to the best of my ability.

And my abilities included turning into a big green Beast! 

The shock factor alone would be great.

As for Robin, well I really did not endorse him going anywhere near the battle, besides he still had a Barsens telescope.

Oh now I had an idea, telling him to have an eye on the kitchen staff and protect them from possible intruders would surely help boost his confidence while also keeping him away from the main fight.

Rikaad had already left to manage Weapons or something and I currently didn't know where Fable was so I would tell Robin to give the telescope back and then keep an eye on the kitchen staff.

Myril had a soft spot for him so surely she’d help.

I turned to the ginger who was still clutching the telescope in its box.

“Okay, Robin i think you ought to give that back to Barsen-”

I pointed at the telescope.

“-And then i want you to go see if the Kitchen staff have a Guard, if not stay there and protect them, it's possible for single people to slip through our hastily built barricades and assault any of the castle staff”

He nodded and stood up straight before saluting like he surely learned as a recruit and then left through a side door, probably to find Barsen and then check on the kitchen staff.

Alright now that Robin was out of harm's way I could focus on helping Rikaad, after I found Fable of course.

So I ran outside to try and spot the tall and pale man.

I didn't see him for a good minute or so and almost started to fear he had bailed as I noticed him walking back inside though the busy gate carrying both a beautifully swung bow with who knew how many thin and perfectly straight arrows as well as what I assumed to be a Rapier.

Where the fuck did he get them? They didn't exactly look human made so it was possible he'd hidden them before he entered the castle.

Also that he had brought weapons meant he was going to fight, But why? He wasn't a citizen of this place, hell he wasn't even human.

“Fable! Thank God I found you! You do know you don't HAVE to fight, right? This isn't your Kingdom and not even your own folk, you don't have to put yourself at risk!”

He stared me right in the eyes with his uncannily red ones that seemed less dull than the day he arrived.

“Yes, but you are going to fight, i have seen it in your eyes, and they might be not my Folk but they are Half yours and you are my Brother so if you fight i will fight too”

He was right, unconsciously I had made up my mind since the start.

I was going to Help fight Maringand, or at the very least try to protect the people that had been nice to me.

Maybe that had been why I was so confused when Rikaad didn't ask for my help.

No matter now, we needed to get to lormount, and that fast.

They also needed help pulling some of the carts as there were not enough Horses or oxen present to tow all of them.

Well I could tow some of them, at least three or four given that there was enough rope, 

and we also had to find Rikaad and tell him we were joining the battle.

Well finding Rikaad had priority seeing as he was calling the shots.

“Fable, have you seen where Rikaad went? We do have to inform him were joining”

Fable blinked and then pointed somewhere to our left.

Looking over I saw that he was mounting a massive Gray speckled Draft horse ready to lead Soldiers into the fight.

We went over as fast as we could as he could ride off at any moment followed by the rest of the horsemen.

“RIKAAD”

He stopped for just a bit as he saw both me and Fable going in his direction.

“Donovan? I told you you don't have to fight! What are you doing here? And Fable too! This isn't your Kingdom you don't have to fight”

As true as all that was, He overlooked the fact that we could make decisions on our own.

And ours was to fight alongside Kamerasca.

“We know! But we want to fight! I know this place hated me but not anymore! Thanks to you! I want to help you! And I want to protect all of the people that have been kind to me!”

For just a second he looked genuinely touched which bled into confusion soon enough at the sound of flapping wings.

We all looked up to see Oakley, who had ditched the cloak and was instead wearing a crazy array of belts strapped this way and that with a ton of unknown trinkets attached to it.

“Oakley? What are you doing here? And what is all that?”

Rikaad gestured to the wildly arranged Belts.

Oakley just cocked his head in that birdlike way of his and then grinned.

“Well Donovan already got the touching stuff out of the way so i'm here to tell you i want to go kick ass! 

But joking aside I JUST got settled into the tower and if Maringand wins I'll have to move again, and without my stuff too!

As for what these are-”

He pointed to the countless trinkets strapped to him that had a strange oval shape with a ring on top.

“-well these are Granatas! Easy to use! You just remove the ring at the top and after some seconds they go BOOM!”

Explosives? He had EXPLOSIVES of all things? I believed those things to be a myth, really why would I believe that something the size of an apple could wreak just as much destruction as a cannonball.

On another note, why did he have them? Did he MAKE them?

“Oakley, WHY do you have that?”

Rikaad questioned him but the winged man just continued to smile.

“Well i made them, and no i am never going to tell anyone how to make them nor am i giving any of these away to any of your soldiers, i'm not even giving any to you and i know you are the most responsible person here”

Well it WAS Oakley so that checked out, and we could ask later when the hell he even made them, for now we had a battle to win.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Oakley putting on those weird claw gauntlets he had already used to defeat the ice mage and lift off into the sky while Rikaad was directing soldiers this way and that with the help of Norrin.

“You two! Go try and help the carts! Donovan I think the Ardua would be fit for this, and don't worry all the Guards already know!”

Rikaad then rode of towards where most of the troop was waiting at the bottom of the slope that led to the castle.

Well of course he had the foresight to avoid a mass panic like that should I shift in the battle.

Better do what he said then, i took a few steps away from Fable so as to not topple him over and twisted the Gem on the bracelet.

In just a second I was back to being the big green beast.

Dragging carts like this would be easy!

“I was not aware you were able to do that”

I looked down at Fable, what? But wasn't this entire bracelet thing Elven magic or whatever? Well Oakley once mentioned it being rare so it was entirely possible Fable hadn't known what it was.

Well fuck me, i would have liked to know that sooner but Fable never really asked questions of his own.

No matter now, I could talk to him later about this for now we had more important things to do.

“Doesn't matter right now, let's go and help with the carts already!”

I turned to leave in the direction we needed to go before I turned to him again and made a hop on motion with my head.

He had jumped up and climbed onto my back before I had even a chance to duck down so he could use my arm as a step.

Well that was one way to do that.

Faster too.

We reached the carts pretty quickly considering that my legs were taller than Rikaad’s draft horse and over the course of twenty minutes managed to tow at least six wagons and carts to me.

It took another hour or so to get the carts where they needed to be in the defense line.

All the while Fable sat on my back with his bow at the ready and was shooting at scouts from the enemy.

One time he managed to get an arrow right inside the slit of the visor of one, the man went down and did not get up again.

I did not want to think about that, at all.

After that was done we went to help with the next carts and the like and after that was done did it again and after a good three hours we had distributed all of them on our side of the river.

We didn't get too close to the river as the ground was sometimes swampy and soft and could open up sinkholes if too much weight was put on it.

Also it had the advantage that the enemies had to cross the river first which was not an easy feat in itself.

There were a few bridges sure but they were easily set on fire, and the river itself might look calm but right under the surface were extremely dangerous currents and Rapids that would sweep one away in barely a blink.

And speaking of enemies, they had gotten a lot closer than before and I had to admit that Fable's estimate was scarily accurate.

We both were currently resting behind a large tent per Rikaad’s orders as he didn't wasn't us to be tired before the fight even began.

He was right of course, even if I was just itching to go and do something to help even more.

Fable just bridged the time by fine tuning his Bow that he had admitted to hiding before he came to the castle to appear as non threatening as possible.

His Sword, which was as I had correctly guessed a rapier, was also polished to the point where it functioned perfectly well as a mirror.

It was very clear that Fable had used both of those weapons before and I didn't want to think about that.

I was aware that it was entirely possible that he had killed before, especially considering that he had to travel through human territory to get here.

But i didn't want to believe that, so i just wouldn't and instead closed my eyes to the violence that was about to start in barely half an hour.

Half an hour, huh, half an hour and bloodshed would commence and all because some guy decided to be greedy.

I briefly wondered if Winton was even liked in his own kingdom or if everyone just did as he said because he was the king.

Probably the latter, and if Arthur was right Winton had a group of radical followers behind him who did his bidding.

I spied out past the tent to see if it was time to move while Fable was still busy with his arrows.

It looked like a smaller group had split from the army and was walking towards the middle bridge.

Rikaad also gathered a small fraction of his soldiers and went up towards the bridge.

Squinting I could see winton on a white steed with thin legs, well that definitely wasn't a war horse.

It took a few seconds to click what was going on.

They were talking one last time before the battle to see if any of them surrendered.

Of course neither of them would considering Winton was a stubborn tantrum throwing bitch and Rikaad just wasn't the type to give up.

What worried me was the big tarp they had brought with them, It worried me even more than all of the trebuchets and catapults.

But I had no idea why.

——————————————————————————

NEXT / PREVIOUS / OVERSIGHT

[hot-footed-heir]

<Zzt!? Hey prince, was the knife you got always red like that, zzt?>

Hm? What are you...

...Oh. Well that's new.

<Zzt, did it just change while it was in the sheath, zzt?>

I know I have an influence on weapons I've wielded in the past, but all of those were infernal arms. Legendary weapons held by many a great combatant. This was... just an ordinary knife. Right?

<Zzt. Search me, zzt.>

I won't question it. A crimson blade feels at home in my hand.

[} Unlocked: "Paradidomi", Dagger of Treason, Aspect of Zagreus {]