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greenbergwrites · 1 year ago

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I am on my KNEES begging for another part to the feral omega steve and etienne prompt!!! it's so GOOD and I cannot stop thinking about it 😩 (please take this as inspiration and not pushing, I understand the creative juices are difficult to control ❤️)

I was very excited about feral Omegas yesterday, both this story and the original one, and had a whole bunch of ideas that I wanted to get started on today.

Unfortunately, my sleep aid is being wonky so I didn't get a good, deep sleep last night and my brain was rather hazy today. I did manage to cobble together what's below, even though it's not quite as many words as yesterday.

Hope you enjoy it, though!

Part One | Part Two

Bucky doesn’t want to think about what happens when the local Alphas arrive and so he doesn’t. There’s not much to be gained from dwelling on it, anyways.

Instead, he focuses on the Omegas.

He coaxes the feral Omega onto the gurney beside his blue-eyed companion. They cling to each other, their hands entwined, as he finds each of them a blanket to shield them from the cool weather. Once they’re bundled, he manages to scrounge up a couple of chocolate protein bars. He isn’t sure if they were left behind by the medical personnel or if it was something on hand to feed the other humans found in the warehouse.

He supposes it doesn’t matter.

Methodically, he unwraps two of them and hands one to each Omega. Pulling up a chair next to the gurney, he watches them both take hesitant bites. The feral Omega doesn’t seem to care much about the taste, but the blue-eyed one makes a face.

Bucky laughs softly.

“I know,” he murmurs, rubbing the boy’s arm through his blanket. “We’ll get you proper food soon. This is just to tide you over. Do you want some water? It helps.”

He takes a bottle from the table, unscrewing the cap and holding it out. The Omega doesn’t take the bottle from him; instead, he puts his lips around it, allowing Bucky to tip the water into his mouth.

The feral Omega pauses in decimating his protein bar, scowling at Bucky until he’s given the same treatment. After draining half the bottle, he goes back to his food.

Watching them settles something in Bucky’s chest. For the first time since he saw them, he doesn’t feel quite so suffocated. They’re warm in blankets he found, their hurts tended to at least partially by his hand, now eating the food that he’s provided. He’s taken care of them and because he did, they’ve calmed considerably.

That knowledge is a living thing under his skin, filling him with a primal sense of pride and satisfaction. This is what he was born for–what every Alpha was born for. To take care of an Omega.

He touches the blue-eyed Omega again, tilting his chin gently until the boy meets his gaze.

“Do you think you can tell me your names?” He asks softly.

The feral one has been more vocal, technically, but for all his hissing and growling, he’s yet to speak an actual word. He might not be in a state of mind where words are possible, as unsavory as that thought is.

The blue-eyed Omega glances at his companion, who shrugs as he eats the last of his protein bar. It’s the most human gesture Bucky’s seen him display so far.

The Omega sets aside the remnants of his protein bar. He takes Bucky’s hand in his and turns it over, tracing his finger along Bucky’s palm.

Letters. He’s drawing letters.

S - T - E - V - E

“Steve,” Bucky says, once the Omega pauses and looks up at him. The boy nods and taps his own throat.

His name is Steve.

He looks down and draws again.

E - T - I - E - N - N - E

“Etienne,” Bucky repeats, just to make sure he has it right.

Steve nods and points to the feral Omega.

Steve and Etienne.

Bucky smiles, touching Steve’s cheek.

“Thank you,” he murmurs.

Steve smiles shyly, nudging his fingers.

“Is there something wrong with your throat, Steve?” Bucky asks. “Did they do something to you?”

He shakes his head.

“You can talk?” Yes.

“You just don’t want to?” No.

Steve frowns, looking down at where his fingers still rest on Bucky’s palm. His lips part, breath hitching, but whatever he wants to convey seems too complicated a concept. He shakes his head again, his shoulders slumping. His scent isn’t sour, but it also isn’t as calm as it was a minute before.

Etienne snatches up his discarded protein bar, shoving it into Steve’s hands as he glares balefully at Bucky.

Bucky’s lips quirk. He doesn’t say anything as Etienne successfully distracts Steve from whatever is going through his head. As Steve starts to eat again, Etienne knocks their foreheads together. Steve’s answer is a small smile.

Once his scent has evened out again, Etienne turns his hard gaze back to Bucky.

Don’t do that again, he seems to say.

Bucky pats Etienne’s cheek.

“Don’t worry, pup,” he says softly. “I don’t want to upset him, either.”

Etienne harrumphs, turning his head to bite the meat of Bucky’s palm. He doesn’t sink his teeth in deep enough to break skin. If anything, he gnaws almost gently.

It isn’t quite a playful gesture, though–-more like an acquiescence and a warning rolled into one.

On the other side of the tent, a phone pings. Suddenly, Bucky’s reminded that they aren’t alone. The Enforcer is still there, though he’s given them space so that both Omegas can feel comfortable.

He turns just in time to see the Enforcer look up from his phone.

“The Alphas are here.”

#nani asks #greenberg replies #a/b/o dynamics #feral omega #etienne and steve #part 3 was supposed to be the Alphas coming in but then they didn't #part 4 it is #i definitely started editing part 1 though to make it a Proper Story instead of just a tumblr blab

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clochanamarch · 11 months ago

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hello my besties i intend to be here tonight!!! i also intend to write over the weekend!!! and i've also decided that several people on the multi are gonna be switched around! but i'm a good mun so here's who's leaving and who's being unwillingly abducted into the squad!

leaving:

etienne monet: the best and happiest and sunshiniest of boys is moving to vancouver to start his own bakery.

ramsay gordón: the king of spices and seasonings is joining the cast of judges in a new and lovely cooking competition, which he also happens to be co-directing!

tre.nt crimm: he's moving to ireland to be with ajay, so not leaving leaving?? but like. special guest status now!

bella raymond: bella moves in next door to the wwd.its family, after jennifer realized that at least 80% of her migraines stemmed from bella not being able to control her vampirism.

JOINING!:

mae.ve wiley (sex edu.cation): maeve joins as a waitress in order to gain insight into american livelihoods and relevant and current issues affecting the american people. she also happens to be fantastic friends with everyone there, which she didn't expect in the least.

edw.ina sharma, anth.ony bridgerton and kathani sha.rma bridger/ton: all three? yes. don't judge me, i have zero self control. also, they happen to be rani's ancestors, and they portalled in too, so there's gonna be so much fun to be had with them trying to adjust to modern life!

annal.ise keating: the squad's new lawyer and the only one who seems quite happy to meet them each time she arrives. they contain their crimes nicely, they have good alibis, they're a dream come true. she shows up for the specials and nate's hazelnut mochacinos.

#( OUT OF SOULS. )#( also since when do i only have twelve weeks left before i go home?? )#( quel fuck??? )#( anyway happy iw day u lovely angels i'll be here later! )

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behindthesemasks · 1 year ago

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Back in New Orleans, something is going on....

There was a knock on the heavy wooden door to Etienne Gautier’s office in the Meir Enterprises office in the Central Business District of New Orleans. He had just returned from a meeting in Baton Rouge, so it was no surprise when shortly afterwards Ambrose Meir opened the door and entered. Not only his boss and the CEO of the company, but his best friend’s grandfather, there were few days that he did not see Ambrose at one point or the other.

“And what do I owe the pleasure of today’s visit Ambrose?” Etienne asked as he slid off his suit jacket to drape it across the back of his leather desk chair.

“I assume your meeting with the trustees in Baton Rouge went well? Financing for Melania’s affairs are all in order?” One of Ambrose’s brows rose as he shut the door behind him and walked to one of the two black leather wingback chairs opposite Etienne’s large mahogany desk.

“Of course, did you doubt me? Nic left very explicit instructions before they left to make sure that there were no hiccups regarding this trip. What is it over there they are looking for?” Etienne had been curious, but his friend had been evasive. Often when it came to Melania he was. Of course he was, there was history there and Nic had to walk a fine line. Ambrose walked fine lines like a frat boy during Mardi Gras.

“There is an artifact there, a very powerful one. Maybe more than one. Beau Davenport is also after it, and Nic doesn’t want him to get to it first. Of course if my granddaughter knew Beau was involved, she’d work with the bastard. So, we may have used a little subterfuge to make her think it’s someone who would use it against her mother.” A devious smirk started to form on Ambrose’s debonair features. “This could be just what I need to finally eliminate Davenport and his family from meddling in our affairs and from competition in the business arena for good.”

“Beau is certainly not the man his father is.” While this was true, it was not quite the statement that Ambrose might think it to be. In some ways, Beau was more ruthless than his father, who did not have the loyalty to Ambrose that his father had due to a former friendship. Beau would not do anything to harm Melania, who he considered a friend, but to Ambrose he had no such loyalty. It was one of the few things that Etienne could respect the other man for.

“I doubt, dear Melania would be as fond of him as she is, if he were.” Ambrose scoffed. Truly he did not know that to be true. Often times he wondered if his granddaughter did things just to spite him. Why couldn’t she be more like Nic?

Etienne bit his tongue. It was not for him to say what his ex would or would not like. He had managed to fuck that up situation long ago on his own, or had it been all on his own? The ghosts of that experience oft haunted him, taunting him that there was more than met the eye. It had only been since her divorce from Preston in the last year that they had started to even develop a friendship again, the woman she was now was not the girl he had dated, but he loved her no less.

Ambrose sensed Etienne’s reticence to say more and understood it on some level. The man was still like a lovelorn lost puppy around Melania, even if he was one of the best corporate attorney’s on the Gulf Coast, a man he was glad was in his pocket and not someone else’s. “Enough on that. Have you started the contracts I asked about?” Ambrose inquired, a brow raising.

“Of course. I don’t understand what you’re wanting to do with these though, you know what will happen if you put these in place?” There was a touch of trepidation in Etienne’s voice as he looked up at the man he’d looked at like a father since he’d first become best friends with Nic as a small child. There could be no way that Ambrose didn’t know what would happen if these contracts were executed. War might be a nice way of putting it, there was no way around it.

“These are contingency, son. Nothing more. Hopefully they won’t be needed. However, there was Peru…” Ambrose allowed the last word to draw out there, then the statement to hang in the air, swirling around like cigarette smoke without the dissipation. He saw the stutter inhalation from Etienne and knew that his point had been made. “If war is what is required to maintain an empire, never has an emperor flinched in the face of it. Nor will I.” There was something in Ambrose’s voice and countenance that sent a dagger of ice through Etienne’s heart. These contracts were not contingencies; they were plans, just waiting for the perfect moment for execution. He could only hope that the woman he had been in love with for over two and half decades was not in the crossfire when the war started. If she was, he’d have to remind all of them that he was no less lethal than the rest of them.

#bombs bodyguards & broken artifacts #writeblr #my writing #my ocs #new chapter #new writing #chapter 5 #fiction #original fiction #drama #suspense #thriller #action #original writing #original story #original character #original post

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first-impressions-gaming · 2 years ago

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The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales

Developed by DO MY BEST

Published by tinyBuild

Release Date 2023

Tested on Xbox Series X

MSRP 13,49 USD

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I’ll drop the mic and just say it: The Bookwalker is one of the rare unique games I’ve played in recent years, the game is so successful at being a memorable experience for the player without trying too much or attempting to implement plot-twists here and there, I checked The Bookwalter after watching release trailer, and there was one scene that caught my eye particularly (which you can find below), if you played Disco Elysium you will recognize what I mean: the scene where we, as the protagonist, come to find the hanged man in the backgarden of the hotel we reside in. I am not sure if this was a nod to Disco Elysium by the developers, but it feels too much of a coincidence to happen. Even the dialogue window and character frames are inspired by Disco Elysium as far as it goes.

Let’s cut to the chase, what’s this game about that I highly appreciate so far? Well, you’re an author named Etienne Quist and you’re banned from writing books for 34 years due to some disclosed reasons, we start in medias res, and before the beginning of the games, we had contacted with some people through our associates and this stranger, that we don’t get to meet in person, says he can help reduce our sentence by taking some chores and completing side jobs that he tasks us. Since we are unemployed, we also face the risk of being evicted from our cubicle-size flat as well, when you take all these into consideration, we don’t have a better alternative not to go along with this stranger’s jobs. The stranger communicates us through the phone in our flat, he calls us, sends somebody to drop off a bag in front of our door, we receive the door and bring it to our table. What are the jobs, you shall ask? In this world, the stranger sends us a bag containing novels, a compartment and some pieces that contain in-depth info about the authors of the novels, we are tasked with dive into the novels themselves, live in it, and extract specific items, objects etc, hence the name of the game, Bookwalker. The game has two different camera angles by the way: first on e is the “real world”, the world the protagonist dwells in, second one is the world of books. The first one is in first-person camera, whereas the second is in almost top-down camera angle. I thought “oh boy, this is gonna be disorienting for me for sure” but don’t worry you spend %90 of your time in “books”, in other words, you are not going back and forth so often.

I wish to mention the setting a little bit: the game’s budget and development are mostly spent in “books” not in “real world”. There is no exploration in real world, only limited interaction with your neighbours in your apartment. You have a compact flat, and there is only two floors you can travel to in the apartment, you can deliver the bag after retrieving the item from the novel on base floor, then you return to your flat, sleep through night, you’ll receive a phone call, then a new bag is dropped at your door and repeat.

At first I was not certain if the books we will dive into are real books or made-up, out of 7 books in the game, I have completed two of them so far, and they are not real books. This made me question: would it have been spectacular if we lived in actual books, would that worked out at all? The developers can have more freedom by creating made-up books instead of taking an actual book and try to make it work that way, still it could have been a unique experience. The books we find ourselves in are linear, they are not open-world, and you can feel the intended flow of the game as you progress. The first book is “A Drop of Infinity” where we are asked to extract a magical potion, we wake up in a basement-type dungeon, we get to meet our companion, which is lantern-size cage that we name Roderick, who claims that s/he has read A Drop of Infinity fives times and knows all the minute details of the book and can be a help for us. We continue our journey with him/her on our hand, and we interact with it often, at every possible action. Not to spoil the books, I won’t go much into them plot-wise.

The game has a mechanic that I was surprised to see: you can access your belongings and items in the books that you have in your flat. For example, there’s a wall that needs to taken down, Roderick asks us whether we’ve a hammer in our own room, we don’t. Then we knock on our neighbour’s door and ask them, he lends his hammer to us, bring it to the room, we dive into the book once again and take down the wall.

In two clips below, you can more clearly understand what’s going on:

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The game has lite-combat too: this does not take up much of the game to be honest, let’s say, each book lasts around 60 minutes, and you will spend at most 5-10 minutes for combat. The variety of it is not diverse, you have a handful of abilities, heavy-attack, light-attack, stun and shield. These fights are not challenging and you’ll be able to heal yourself during the fight with food.

Furthermore, the game has inventory mechanic with 4 categories:

Healing: you will be finding food such as apple and bread around for health

Craft Parts: you will need to craft certain items along the way, such as crowbards, shovel on workbench

Stuff: random, unneeded items, you will be melting them and redeem ink

Quest Items: specific objects that you will be extracting from the book as required by the mission

With a never-before-experienced approach, The Bookwalker is a must-play for all players who enjoy narrative-driven games.

#games #gaming #game review #xbox #playstation #nintendo #the bookwalker #Youtube

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glenrocklibraryteens · 1 year ago

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High School Romance

High School Romance:

My Life With The Walter Boys by Ali Novak

Book turned Netflix show! I like this book a lot, and the tv show is just as good. Jackie’s family dies in a car crash (mother, father, and sister). Left alone, her mother’s childhood best friend takes her in, but what Jackie doesn’t know is that she’ll be living with 11 boys. Her previously perfect organized life is turned upside down. Moving from New York City to Colorado is a big change. She’s surrounded by all boys, so of course she falls in love (love triangle). This was a lighthearted easy read. If you like the stereotypical good girl and bad boy trope this is a good book for you. I also like this book because it’s not completely smooth sailing, everything is perfect.

The Upside of Falling by Alex Light

Becca’s former best friend “teases” her about not having a boyfriend, so she lies on the spot and says she’s seeing someone. Brett is the perfect, popular, sport playing student. So when Brett overhears Becca’s lie, he jumps at the opportunity and pretends to be her boyfriend. This fake relationship leads to more! This is a stereotypical predictable high school romance. It’s a cute read, but if you’re looking for something super complex and sophisticated this is not the book for you.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna is shipped off to boarding school in France, something she’s not happy about. There she meets Etienne, the problem is he has a girlfriend. Read to find out what happens between them :) This book is cute and witty. Etienne is very likable. You root for Anna and Etienne to be together. It was an easy pleasant read with happily ever afters.

A Field Party Series by Abbi Glines

Until Friday Night

Under the Lights

After the Game

Losing the Field

Making a Play

High school sports romance that takes place in the south. Each book has a different plot, but Until Friday Night is my favorite by far. Maggie is the new girl in town, moving in with her aunt, uncle, and cousin. Tragedy struck, causing her to stop talking. West is the golden boy, but the town doesn’t know he’s dealing with things too. His father is dying of cancer, and his mother is disliked in town. They help each other through their problems. I like this book a lot. The characters evolve, and aren’t perfect people. They help each other move forward from trauma. It isn’t a completely realistic book, but it’s cute nevertheless.

A Million Kisses in Your Lifetime by Monica Murphy

Wren is perfect, a model student. She’s loved by everyone and is the person everyone strives to be. Crew is the school’s bad boy. Crew thinks Wren thinks she’s better (than)/above everyone. When they get partnered for a project, Crew realizes they have more in common than he originally thought. I have mixed feelings about this book. It was super popular on tik tok. Some things were debatable, but there were other parts I liked.

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Samantha grew up envious of the Garrett family who were affectionate and messy. Samantha grew up with the expectations of perfection. Jase Garrett climbs Samantha’s terrest, and from there they fall in love. Samantha is able to experience the family/life she was always envious of. I liked this book a lot. It was a cute read, and the characters weren’t dramatic and problematic. The end gets a little more intense, but overall I really enjoyed reading this book.

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etiennepaddywrites · 2 years ago

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The Curse by Etienne Paddy: Chapter One

Present

I had decided to labour away at school over December break instead of heading home to celebrate the winter solstice like the rest of my friends. With sixth-year exams looming, it was a more useful application of my time. Plus, I vastly preferred schoolwork to being lodged in the crossfires of my parents’ divorce, particularly when surrounded by sarcastic jubilations of the season.

That’s not to say it wasn’t lonely. Unexpectedly lonely. My half-brother was spending the holiday with his mother and my boyfriend of a few months, Edward Minnulwood, had dumped me the night before he’d journeyed home.

And that’s how I found myself alone in the school library one day in early January, sniffling into my Herbalism notes like an idiot.

A group of Kiltrasner students barged into the library and slung their bags over the far end of my table. The cause of their excitement became apparent when a familiar figure was ushered in through the heavy oak doors like a champion, with a friend’s arm over each shoulder.

The boy in question tossed an airy look my way before turning his attention back to his friends. The reminder of his unsettling beauty triggered a knee-jerk animosity within me. A dislike that had me grating my teeth against the blow as though he’d thrown me an insult and not just a glance as the rabble approached. I tensed, gripping my pen and quickly dabbing my eyes with my sleeve.

“Duclair’s back!” the boys chanted before being shushed by Madam Padfield, the librarian, as she disappeared into the dark labyrinth of towering shelves in the seemingly endless ancient room.

I kept my head firmly downward, pretending to be absorbed in my work but really just praying they’d ignore me. I wondered what had kept Rafael from school this past term and hoped it had nothing to do with the rumours circulating about the nefarious activities of his uncle.

Whilst the majority of the group ruffled Rafael’s curly hair and slapped him on the back, Verner Asp, Rafael’s rat-faced, mud-haired and thoroughly sadistic sidekick took stock of his surroundings and pieced away from the crowd. He sauntered up the long mahogany table towards Freddie Jameson, a third-year Carisbrooke student, who had consequently turned a rich crimson.

“Oh, that was clumsy of you, Jameson. Why did you do that?” he asked in mock concern. The blonde boy looked up at him quizzically before Asp cast his arm out and swiped all of his belongings onto the floor.

I shot my gaze back to my work, hiding behind the curtain of dark brown hair fanning over my notebook. If he was picking on someone else, it only meant he hadn’t spotted me yet.

Asp’s cruelty knew no bounds and I could attest to that from experience. I really didn’t want to get involved, but Rafael was watching and that made me nervous. His right-hand man had become ungovernable of late and was clearly hoping to cling to some semblance of dominance now Rafael had returned. I sincerely hoped Jameson was not about to get caught in the middle of a chest-beating contest, but if that was the way it went, well that was the way it went.

I was skimming the page of my book, taking in nothing, when Asp found me.

“Ah, look who it is! Fleur Never-would.”

I loathed how my heart sank even though I’d heard the cruel play on my surname before — a nod to my supposed lack of allure.

Sitting up straight, I reluctantly met his eyes and forced myself to sound bold. “Do you ever tire of being such a colossal twit?”

The group roared at my embarrassing choice of phrasing and I instantly regretted opening my mouth. I noticed Rafael surveying me and I turned to meet his curious gaze. He frowned in surprise, as though he’d just remembered I even existed.

As far as everyone else was concerned, though, we had always been complete strangers. In public, his eyes had only ever slid over me as if I weren’t there, my presence no more significant than that of a door or a light switch in a room. But when he’d stopped meeting me, the finality of his absence had felt like the loss of a limb. They say taking poison in small doses can build immunity, but I’d still struggled to stomach that bitter pill when the time officially came.

To now see his attention fall upon me with purpose and interest made me feel strangely anxious, like I didn’t know what to do with myself. Judging by the way his eyes were roving over my body, I surmised that my emergence through puberty was the only reason he’d deigned to take note of me now. I folded my arms over my chest, my jaw set.

Asp swooped in once again, not yet content with the scale of my humiliation. “I’m surprised you haven’t lost your voice after a whole term of ‘Please, sir, pick me, pick me!’” He imitated me, jumping up and down with his hand in the air as everyone howled at his impression.

Cheeks hot, I clambered over the mahogany bench and made my way down to help a frozen Jameson collect his things.

“Thank you” the boy whispered, and I tried not to notice the tears in his eyes as I crouched down to pick up a stray textbook.

As I reached for it, Asp kicked it hard from under my hand, shooting it into the wall, eliciting an echoing thud for the whole library to hear. The Kiltrasners erupted once more into laughter and jeering. Burning with shame, I scooped the rest of Jameson’s belongings off the wooden floor, emptying them into the waiting cradle of the trembling boy’s arms.

“Oh dear, Everwood,” Asp tutted, his amber eyes saturated with malice. “You know what they say” he addressed his friends, “half-breeds are pretty slow.”

Feeling Rafael’s eyes on me, I steeled myself against the prickling heat of embarrassment. He’d not looked at me properly in years, only now to stand here and observe how cripplingly pathetic I’d become.

Red hot fury flew into my brain out of nowhere. It barrelled through all logic, caution and sense and I found I was withdrawing my wand before I even registered my intention.

With an aggressive flick, I sent the book hurtling towards Asp’s head. The laughter died on everyone’s tongues, with Asp barely having time to think before I jerked the book to a sudden halt, a hairsbreadth away from his throat.

“Quick enough for you, dickhead?” I quipped through gritted teeth.

The unmistakable cadence of Madam Padfield’s sharp footsteps had all students blanching, the threat of detention thundering towards the commotion. I stood there frozen, faint with shock. My fingers still gripped my wand, ready, as if one further wave could take it all back.

The boys all grappled for their bags as the footsteps reached their climax, and they dispersed promptly the minute the fiery librarian rounded the corner.

Rafael had stayed put, studying me like he was trying to unravel a difficult equation, before turning and following suit.

#yafantasy #yafiction #yaromance #writers on tumblr

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freydis-freydat · 4 months ago

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Aventia was brutal in its own way, but Freydis doubted the tone and atmosphere was altogether unfamiliar for Rykard. It was eerily and unfortunately familiar to her, and she wished it wasn’t. Grief hung heavy in the air as it had in Nornwatch Tower and a sense of powerlessness over an encroaching fate was worn on everyone’s face. The veil maiden had to imagine it had been worse for the Isakarans after she and the five other women were taken in the tunnel collapse but given no one had suggested they’d thought of her beyond the vengeance a few witchers had expressed desire to exact and Etienne’s gentle welcome back, she hadn’t really taken the time to ask others about their experience. It seemed the other part of Taravell was getting their first introduction of just what the refugees had been running from. It was disheartening and brutalizing.

Silently, she watched the moon through the haze of clouds and smoke, the edges of its illumination fuzzy and foreboding. Her eyes shifted to Rykard when she spoke, and she gently shook her head no. “Aurea asked me to lead for her, and that includes the ugly parts,” she responded solemnly. “Besides, even if she hadn’t, I wouldn’t ask someone to take on a task like this alone.” When he had finished placing the elements and victims of the pyre, she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. The boy before her reminded her too much of her own child she’d left behind, and she had to look away. Her heart ached with the knowledge that someone assuredly waited at home for news of him, and what they would learn would create a rift in the rest of their life. Instead of answering him directly, Freydis simply nodded and lifted a hand to brush her knuckles at the threat of her tears before they had a chance to fall. She had been told several times over that war meant death, and these matters would be unavoidable, but those words and living that reality night after night didn’t soften any of the edges of experience.

Freydis’ head bowed as Rykard delivered some last rites for the deceased, only lifting it to track his movement to the cart. She lifted her hand to accept the torch, her eyes shifting from a muddied brown to mossy green as she watched its twisting and flickering light. She knew that his judgment that she ought to be the one to ensure their true rest was meant to be an honor, but they had been under her command, and so the role ached in her chest like the twisting of a knife. But he was correct, it was right that she should do it, if only to face the consequences of the faults in her judgment and failures in her strategizing. The corner of her mouth twitched slightly and she took in a deep breath to steel her resolve before lighting the kindling between the bodies and stepping back.

“You are very brave for not abandoning the cause,” she said quietly, after she was sure the pyre would light properly and purify these martyrs to the cause effectively. It wouldn’t surprise her if doubts in their chances or her leadership dwindled, and abandoners ran for safer ground. “It’s more noble still that you see that they were laid to rest–not disposed of.” The difference was significant, and she suspected Rykard knew. “I collected a small sum of gold from their personal effects and added a small amount more of my own to send to the families in hopes they can either put them toward replacing wages lost to make ends meet or finding a way to memorialize their kin. A few had sentimental items. I made sure to organize them accordingly… Could I rely on you to help ensure they make it to their next of kin?”

For: @freydis-freydat Where: Aventia When: Siege Week 3 Notes: sad awoo

The third week of the siege was marked with significant losses on the side opposing the Dark One's army. With every death, morale inside the war-beaten walls of the fortress plunged even lower. The nights were alive with the sounds of mournful wails as the survivors grieved for those who had not returned from the battlefield.

A sliver of a crescent moon hung directly above them in the sky. The hour of the wolf was upon them. How fitting. "You didn't have to help me with this," Rykard said to Freydis as they carefully placed the last fallen werewolf onto the pile of wood that would act as kindling for the cleansing fire. His expression was grim as he recognized the mangled face of one of the deceased. The boy was young, probably no older than nineteen. His family had a bakery in Haven, he tried to picture the wolf's warm smile as he handed out loaves of bread to the Iskaran refugees the day they had arrived in their settlement. He had never learned his name. He wondered if the boy's mother even knew he had left to go fight. If only his bravery was enough to keep his heart beating. "They deserve to rest."

"You will be free from the bonds that bind you," He spoke solemnly to each of the corpses that had been laid upon the make-shift funeral pyre. "You are free from the bonds that bound you." Rykard walked over to horse-drawn cart they had used to transport the corpses, grabbing the torch that had lit their way. He handed the torch to Freydis, glancing away from the unlit pyre as if he was trying to steady himself. Though he did not know these wolves personality, their loss felt like a stone resting on his chest. He swallowed the lump in his throat. "They we're under your command, you should be the one to send them off."

#rykard #rykard 01 #they're not having a very nice day are they?

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grapecaseschoices · 3 years ago

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Meet My OCs: Irvin Etienne from KOTSAM/KOTDAN ( @keeperofthesunandmoon)

(Thank you to @lizzybeth1986 for the questionnaire form! <3)

Name: Irvin Etienne

Age: 19

Pronouns: He/him

Height: 5 feet and 11 inches

Hair Color: Black hair .

Eye Color: Brown.

Family Background:

Species: Lightning-Drakaina

Best Childhood Memory: It’s a bit of a mix bag. But during an ‘after show’ of a school play, one of the parents made this potato salad that he didn’t like. She saw him going to throw it away and ‘lectured’ him how it was rude to throw away someone’s hardwork. So, he made himself eat it and got sick. (Literally.) Some of the kids made fun of him. He got pretty upset.

His parents aren’t necessarily the mushiest of people but Irvin knows they love him. And moments like this, where his dad cancelled a business dinner to stay home with him, give him a hot shower, and make him canned chicken noodle soup always showed that. His parents found out the story the next day from one of his friends. His mom called up that other mom and Laid. It. Into. Her. Then a month later they made the time to take him to the special dinner they’d originally planned for him (but that’d been cancelled because he got sick).

It was one of those things that kept him warm when his parents were so busy or couldn’t make an event. Sure, yeah, sometimes it got disappointing but he knew that at the end of the day, they always had his back.

Favorite Color: Is the khaki color of cargo allowed? He’s not quite sure? Grey or blue, he guesses. His mom used to pick a lot of his suits in those colors.

Favorite Season: Any. Most his sports can be done indoors or outdoors. He’s flexible.

Cat or Dog: Sure! He thinks most animals are cute.

Chocolate or Vanilla: Chocolate

Sweet or Spicy: Sweet.

Coffee or Tea: He doesn’t really like either but he supposes he leans toward tea.

Best Friend: Cressida Monroe. He wouldn’t call her his best friend but he really likes Thalia. They have a strong vibe.

Love Interest: Leon Dalton.

What Initially Attracted Them to Their Partner?: Leon is cute.

And not just physically. Sure, he noticed that but Irvin actually was crushing on Thalia when Leon came in being his cute self. He’s cute in ways people don’t consider Leon Dalton being cute. Irvin finds Leon’s sweetness to be overwhelmingly so adorable.

He also thinks it is cute how Leon acts like he’s Too COOL For School but is really just an adorkable goober. He just has a fondness that radiates from his chest whenever he looks upon Leon, and Irvin decided to follow that sensation.

How Do They Express Affection (are they a hugger? More private?): He is relentlessly supportive. He’s more of a sit by your side, give you a shoulder to cry on, is a great listener sort than a hugger. But if that’s what you need, then he’ll give it a go. He’s flexible. His affection is encouraging and supportive and willing to meet you where you need, but also not looking to let you skulk off on your own. He’s your friend and he’s there for you whether you like it or not. I would say Irvin is probably Quality Time with a strong dash of Words of Affirmation (and a willingness toward acts of service; but that last is a more general the boy’s a hero sense).

Do they Have/Want Children? How Many?: He’s not sure, he thinks maybe one day. It’s not something he really thinks about right now outside of a vague ‘man, i have great parents, i hope im as good as them one day.’

Any Pets?: Nope.

Do They Have a Temper?: One would not think he did, at all. But Reyna could attest to the contrary. It’s there. It’s just that Irvin is so sweet and supportive and kind that it’s hard to miss, but if he gets pushed hard enough … it flares like a wildfire. Let sleeping dragons lie, exists for a good reason.

Hobbies?: Sports!

Do They Hold Grudges?: Generally, no.

One Random Headcanon: He doesn’t like clowns.

#leon x mc #leon x keeper #kotsam #kotsam mc #kotdan #meet my ocs #grapecasedits #irvin x leon #oc: irvin etienne #leon dalton #introboard*#moodboard*#grapes chars #irvin crushing on thalia and his bff being cressida is so funny to me #because irvin generally is ...not ...like them ... at all #and by generally. never. lmao.#there was the ONE time with reyna and he tends to squint at the 'authority' but his default is 'oh that nice boy'

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vicoliciechi · 5 years ago

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@midnightwalkin HAS FOUND A DARK CORNER.

HE GROANED in his (stolen) scarf as he walked out of the jazz club and back into the cold city. Rain had finally let go of the buildings and streets, but thick clouds still hovered above the skyline, threatening to bring wet havoc back at any given moment. As long as he was given time enough to find a good shelter, it was all good. Irial shoved his hands in his pockets, fingertips brushing against the wallet of his latest victim. Luckily for him, he had left home with a bunch of bills, unwillingly guaranteeing Irial’s survival for a few more days. His smile was a crooked moon on his face. Unforeseen kindness was always the best.

The door opened again - the bell rang again. Irial turned to look over his shoulder and sort of recognized the man now talking towards him. He was sitting all alone at a table not too far from Irial’s, but after a couple of glances Irial had focused on the rest of the club. However, he now addressed his smile at the unknown man - although now it was less scary and more amiable. Grins dripping darkness better fit other, better moments. “Great show, uh?” His earring shimmered in the light coming from a nearby lamppost (not near enough to underline the lack of a shadow at his feet). “Are jazz bands always this good in town?”

#| ɪᴄ. |#| sᴛᴀʀᴛᴇʀ. |#midnightwalkin #meet my worst boy right after Etienne (but less dangerous)#i love him but i hate him

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mcyt-amber-tftsmp · 4 years ago

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𝐑𝐮𝐧 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐘𝐨𝐮 {𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫}

Request?: none

Character: Ranbutler (For the sake of the story let's name him Mark since we don't know his name!)

Side Character(s): Niki Nihachu, Captain Puffy and the SBI family + Kristen and Tubbo!

Story-type: slightly platonic but mostly romantic and a bit of angst but not so much!

Story Length: 5100 words

AU or Not: Basically an AU that has nothing to do with a red egg or Sir Billiam's constant complaining smh

Time Period: Medieval sort of Au! Technically he same time as the Masquerade but of course that doesn't exist cause if it did I would be making an omelette!

Plot Summary: You are the princess of a very wealthy kingdom known as Y/K/N (Your Kingdom's Name) and the only daughter who is basically being forced to marry a prince from a different kingdom but you happen to love a certain butler and plan to leave it all.

Small Info: Both you and Ranbutler are 18 in this story cause why not?

Keywords:

Y/N = Your Name L/N = Last Name B/N = Brother's Name Y/F/C = Your Favorite Color Y/K/N = Your Kingdom's Name R/K/N = Random Kingdom's Name F/N = Father's Name M/N = Mother's Name

Trigger Warning:

- Very strict parents - Mentions of arranged marriage - My very poor writing skills plus English (Fun fact: when i talk I speak good English but write poor English for some ungodly reason smh!)

Normal Warning: Huge as heck Oneshot!

--------------------------------------------------

Third Person Point of View~

You woke up to the sun coming through your window and light yet slightly loud sound of knocking coming from outside of your door. Yous lowly sat up from your bed as you heard a voice coming from your room.

"Your highness are you awake?" You heard Niki, your personal maid and good friend call you from outside.

"Yes Niki I am awake." You said as you saw the door slowly open to reveal a woman with black hair with blonde highlights in the front, Niki.

"Good morning your Highness. I hope I didn't wake you or disturb you." She said in an apologetic tone as you shook your head.

"It's alright Niki. You didn't wake me up or disturb me and you do know you can call me Y/N right?" You asked as you got up from your bed and went over to get ready.

"I know I am still trying to get used to it since I have to call 'Your Highness' in front of your parents. Oh! I also have to help you with getting you ready today!" Niki said as she went over to help you.

This made you slightly curious as to why. Normally you would get ready with no problem unless there was a guest or some formal event that you have to look good and everything. To be honest you didn't like this life at all and just wanted a normal life.

"Is there a reason for this?" You asked as she slightly shrugged.

"I am not really sure why Your High- I mean Y/N. Though I did hear from your father that there may be another family coming from a distant Kingdom." Niki said which made you even more curious.

You had many questions as to why all of a sudden another family is coming from a different Kingdom but the one thing which was coming in your head was the idea of a an arranged marriage. You shuddered at the thought cause you didn't want to marry someone you never met before or gotten close to.

"And done! You look very pretty!" Niki said as she finished helping you get ready. It was just a simple but elegant Y/F/C dress. You smiled at Niki as you thanked her. At that right moment there was another knock from the open door which revealed to be a boy with heterochromatic red and green eyes and slightly messy brown hair slightly covering his left side of his forehead who happened to be Mark, your butler.

"I hope I am not interrupting anything Your Highness..." Mark asked as you shook your head with a smile.

"No you aren't Mark and what did I say about calling me that? You know you can call me Y/N right?" You said.

"Sorry Y/N. I am still trying not to call you that when your parents aren't around. Oh and your parents are calling you for breakfast." He said as you smiled with small giggle.

"It's alright Mark. I understand." You said and before you could go you heard him say, "Y-you look very beautiful today Y/N." This technically caused you to blush a bit.

"Thank you Mark. You are very kind." You said as you headed towards the dining room where your parents were waiting for you to join them.

Once you were out of earshot and basically out of sight, Mark face palmed at what he just blurted out of his big mouth and was mentally trying not to beat himself up for that. He was going to be honest about having feelings for you. Niki looked at Mark who was currently red in the face.

"You okay?" Niki asked him as Mark nodded.

"Yes I am okay just not sure what to do. I mean what's the point in liking someone when you know you can never get them to love you back and the fact that she's a princess and I am just a mere butler..." Mark said as he looked down at the pristine marble floors as Niki patted him on the back.

"Hey come on! Cheer up! You never know if she likes you back or not. I mean she doesn't really like the entire royal life much to be honest." Niki said as Mark nodded.

He knew this before but he really didn't have much of a chance. He and you would talk a lot and became very good friends and this lead him to have feelings for you. He kept somewhat of his hopes up but then again it was still a one in a million chance at this point.

"Come on! We have to get ready for the guests coming from another kingdom!" Niki said bringing the butler's attention as they went their ways.

Your Point of View~

Breakfast was quiet. Normally it would be me taking with my brother, B/N but of course my brother got married and has gone for his honeymoon. He was to be honest knew about my crush on Mark and has supported me but I knew my parents would forbid it if I told them. As I was thinking my mother spoke up.

"How are you doing my sweet daughter?" My mother said as I quickly swallowed the food in my mouth.

"I am doing well mother. Is there something I should know about for today?" I asked as my father set down his cup of tea.

"Well as you should know that a family from a kingdom is coming. They are from R/K/N Kingdom. You know the prince of that Kingdom right? I believe his name happens to be Prince Jason?" He said as I nodded. I have heard of the name yet I never talked to him at all cause I wasn't so interested in talking to other families much.

((Author: I know very vague name! 'Jason'! Like bruh! xD at least it ain't good as Mark! LOL))

"Well we are planning on making an arranged marriage between you two." My father said as my eyes widened at his words. No way in hell am I getting married to someone.

"I am not getting married to someone I have never met properly!" I said snapping a little and I knew I would regret doing this as my parents glared at me.

"That's not how you speak to your father young lady." MY mother spoke to me as i looked down at my lap still feeling frustrated.

"This is best for the kingdom and you will be getting married whether you like it or not and just so you know you will be getting married to him after five days. The prince himself has already agreed to this" My father said as I fought back tears.

I seriously didn't want to get married to prince Jason. I barely knew him and I knew I wouldn't be married to him by love but just because I got forced to do this. I just want to run away from this life.

Timeskip brought to you by me simping~

I waited beside my father and mother as we waited for the family of R/K/N Kingdom. I looked behind me to see Niki giving me a smile of reassurance. I looked at Mark who gave me a smile and a thumbs up. I smiled back at them and looked in front quickly.

I was blushing after seeing Mark. To be honest i loved his smile. It always made my day. I was snapped out of my thoughts when our Advisor announced that the family has arrived. I looked to see the door open to reveal the Queen, King and Prince of the other Kingdom and followed my parents to greet them.

"I am so glad you could join us with your lovely family King Etienne." My father started as they shook hands.

"I am glad to join you as well King F/N. This must be your daughter Y/N am I right?" King Etienne said as he looked at me. I curtsied as I greeted him.

"Yes I am Your Majesty." I said as he chuckled.

"No need for formalities as you will be marrying off my youngest son, Jason here." He said as he gestured to the blonde boy with brown eyes who came forward to meet me.

"It's lovely to make your acquaintance Princess." He said as he smirked.

"Likewise." I said trying not to feel irritated with him.

"Looks like our children will be getting along just fine. Don't you think so M/N?" Queen Aliyah asked as my mother nodded.

"Why don't we talk more at lunch. You must all look exhausted after traveling. Come along I will show you to your rooms." My father said and before I could go Prince Jason stopped me by taking my hand and kissing it.

"I will see your around Princess" He said to me in a flirty tone as he walked towards the rest. I seriously hated him even more.

((Author: Anyone wanna kill of Jason with me? Only me? Okay!))

Ranbutler's/Marks' Point of View~

As I saw that bloody prince kiss the palm of Y/N's hand I gritted my teeth in slight anger and jealousy. I seriously couldn't stand and watch this anymore.

"I can't look at this anymore..." I said walking away fast from the place without anyone noticing but of course Niki did and was coming behind me.

"Mark wait!" I heard Niki whisper yelling but I just continued to walk but I gradually stopped and leaned to my side against a wall as I wiped my face. It hurt a lot and Niki who finally caught up saw the distraught in my eyes.

"Mark look at me. Please?" She said as I slowly looked at her. She looked worried and I hated seeing this. I looked away and at the floor.

"Am I really this much of a bad friend that doesn't want her to get married to that prince just because I love her?" I ask fighting back tears as Niki hugged me.

"No you aren't and you will never be a bad friend because of that. She loves you no matter what alright? Good!" Niki said as I wiped my face.

"Thank you sister." I said as she nodded.

"Anytime little brother!" She said as I followed her.

I basically knew the rest of the five days starting from tomorrow would be something which I hate cause I have to see Y/N and that Prince nearly hanging out everyday because King F/N. God I am gonna go through such a huge roller coaster and am not gonna love it.

Third Person Point of View~

The five days seemed to have been passing by pretty quick. Prince Jason and Princess Y/N would be hanging out most of their time. Of course it wasn't Y/N's idea to talk to him but she had to since his father and mother were not going to leave her be without talking to him.

Y/N would mostly make small talk wit the Prince while the Prince would boast around most of his time and would just go on and on while Y/N just listened. She seriously didn't enjoy talking to him like how she enjoys talking with Mark.

Meanwhile with Mark and Niki, they seriously did not like the Prince at all. The royal family may not know it but the Prince has been really demanding towards Niki and the other maids and those maids did not like them either along with the butlers that are here around the castle.

The most mistreated butler here by Jason was Mark. Jason would always do something and apologize but he and a few people knew besides the the Kings and Queens that he meant to do that but of course they had no power and if they did something of course it might lead to some sort of punishment.

This has been going on for four days straight and at this point all the maids and butlers disliked Jason and knew that Princess Y/N did too but they all knew she had no choice.

The fifth day rolled by and Y/N would be getting married after the fifth day and she knew she had no time to get out of this. She had already accepted her fate which was to get married to Jason as she had no choice.

But... a certain maid had other plans. A risky one but she knew that it would work out well and she set her plan into motion without anyone's knowledge.

Y/N's Point of View~

It was the fifth day and it was two hours till midnight. I knew I had no choice and no plans of escaping this. I sat on my bed with my nightgown on. I looked at the clock to see it was 10 o' clock at night. I can't believe this was happening and I couldn't even tell Mark how much I loved him way more than a friend. My thoughts were broken when a knock came through my door.

"Come in..." I faintly said as I heard the door open. I looked up to see it was Mark.

He came towards me and I motioned for him to sit beside me. He slowly sat down on the bed and there was a moment of silence between us. It would have lasted longer but Mark had spoken up to break the silence.

"So... I guess you are getting married tomorrow huh..." He said in a neutral voice as I nodded.

"Seems so..." I said and there was silence once again. In those silent moments I randomly started to tear up.

"Mark... I don't want to get married tomorrow to Prince Jason..." I said as my voice slightly broke as tears feel down my face.

"Why not? I mean Prince Jason is a really nice guy and would treat you well..." You heard Mark trail off but you did notice his tone was different. Was it that he was sad? You brushed it off.

"Mark listen. I don't love him at all! I don't want to be with someone I barely know and love! Jason is that person I barely know and love. I love someone else but I don't even know anymore..." I said wiping my face. I hated this so much yet I have no choice.

Before I could do anything else, I felt two hands cup my cheek and felt a pair of lips meet mine. Before I knew it, Mark was kissing me. It was passionate and loving. He broke away from it and had a face of worry and quickly stood up.

"I-I am r-really s-sorry Y/N I-I didn't mean to-" I cut him off by kissing him while standing on tippy toes and bringing him slightly closer.

((Author: Don't get any ideas please! Or I will go shoot shoot on that dirty mind of y'alls! 😃🔫 Be careful! Now shoo!))

Ranbutler's/Mark's Point of View~

I was in shock cause SHE was kissing ME! I kissed her back. The kiss was long and passionate and didn't really last that long since we had to break away for air. At this point both our faces were red from blushing.

"I guess that person who you love is me...?" I asked as she nodded hugging me.

"Yeah it is." She said sighing not letting me go.

"I love you Mark." She continued as I kissed the top of her hair.

"I love you too. I don't want you to marry that Prince..." I said as she nodded.

"I don't want to either Mark but we have no plan to escape this easily and I don't know how to either." She said.

It was true we had no plan and if we escaped without a plan it would be very difficult. Gosh I wished we had a plan or we could have escaped smoothly. My thought was broken by someone coughing and we both looked in a panic to see who it was and luckily it was just Niki.

"Be ready 12 o' clock at night. Pack a few things and especially wear a cloak to hide yourselves. Don't question cause I am getting you two out of here." Niki said as she left.

Y/N and I looked at the door trying to process what just happened but understood. We did as she said and got ready. When it was 12 at midnight Niki set her plan into action.

"Come with me you two. I know a friend who can get you out of here with no issue. But be very quiet." She said as we followed her through the halls as quiet as possible.

She led us down a secret tunnel which was unknown to everyone accept her but of course me and Y/N know about this. After minutes of walking we were outside but near the docks. I looked around to notice a huge ship docked nearby with a person leaning against the wall of the ship.

"Is this it Niki?" I asked as Y/N stood beside me adjusting her cloak and hood to not get noticed. Niki nodded.

"Yep!" She said walking towards the ship as we followed.

When we came a little closer, the owner of the ship was revealed to be a woman who was half ram and had half white and brown fluffy hair up to their waist. She smiled as she looked at us and shook my hand.

"Captain Puffy at your service! I am guessing you are Mark and Princess Y/N?" She asked as we nodded.

"Yes but please call me Y/N Puffy. No need for formalities." Y/N said with a smile as Puffy nodded.

"Alright! Right this way." She said leading Y/N and me to get on the ship.

Before I did that I stopped to look at Niki who had a sad smile on her face. I was going to miss her a lot. She is my sister and it will be hard leaving her.

"I will miss you brother. Please take care." She said giving me a quick hug as I hugged back and nodded.

"I will sister. Do the same." I said as I got on the ship and it set sailed.

I looked out at sea and my sister who was waving farewell. I waved back along with Y/N. At this point I didn't care about anything other than what was going to happen now. I just hoped things don't go downhill when they find out the Princess had run away.

Niki's Point of View~

I quickly went back to the castle using the secret route I always used to meet Puffy. It was going to be a matter of time in the morning when the king and queen and the other royal family found out that Y/N was missing. I already had an excuse for my brother which is fool proof. Right now I was going to get some sleep and wake up tomorrow.

The Next Morning~

I woke up as early as I could and I saw the other maids and butlers preparing the food and other things for the arranged marriage today. I was the one who knew the entire marriage thing was going to go down real fast.

I went with the Queen to 'wake up Y/N' for the big day today. At this point no one has asked about Mark or where he is other than the butlers and maids but I told them that he was sick and had to leave for home. As I was thinking the Queen spoke up.

"Where is Mark today anyways? I haven't seen him since morning and he normally wake up early." She said.

"He was really sick so he had to leave for home later in the morning." I said as she nodded.

"I am glad he left to take care of himself and so my daughter doesn't get ill on her wedding day." The Queen said as we stood out of Y/N's room.

"Y/N! It's time to wake up for your big day!" The Queen called out but as expected from me, no answer.

"Y/N?" She said as she opened the door to reveal no one was there.

The Queen had a look of panic and me being the good actor I am had the same look of panic. We looked around everywhere. Even Prince Jason and his family looked around but couldn't find her. The King even went to town to ask around but of course no one saw her.

At this point no one suspected it to be Mark or had any suspicions of it. They didn't even suspect a thing from me since I acted out pretty well. The other maids and butlers were worried but glad at the same time that Y/N wasn't marrying that b***ard. I for one was very glad.

Y/N's Point of View~

I quickly got dressed the minute I woke up and went out of the deck to see Mark slightly leaning against the rails as he looked across the horizon and saw Puffy sail the seas. She noticed me and smiled.

"Good morning Y/N." Mark said with a smile.

"Morning Mark!" I said a bit cheerful.

"I am glad you are all dressed up cause we will be reaching the dock in five minutes." She said as she continued sailing and looking ahead.

"Where are we going exactly?" I asked.

"We are going to Minecraftia Kingdom which is ruled by the one and only Philza Minecraft." She said.

I have heard of the Kingdom but my father didn't really have any sort of connection with the king of the kingdom plus this kingdom was in a sense very mysterious as the Kingdom would 'move' and by that it was only found by people who needed it the most.

After five minutes we reached the dock of the kingdom and carefully got down. I looked around to see many people running around working. Children were running here and there and were having fun.

"MOM/DAD!!" My thought broke as I heard someone yell these words and noticed five people run towards Puffy and engulfed her in a hug.

"Hello my Ducklings!" I heard puffy say. I practically guessed they were her children.

"I am glad you got back safe papa!" I heard the who had shark-totem like features say.

"Who are they?" I heard the girl with blonde hair ask.

"They are the ones I was supposed to pick up from the Y/K/N Kingdom." Puffy said.

"Y/N and Mark, meet my adopted children. This is Dream (As in DreamXD), Clay (As In Dream), Foolish, Drista and Michelle. My children meet Y/N and Mark." Puffy said introducing us.

After all this we headed towards the castle. To be fair the castle was really huge and I was really nervous and hoping the king would allow me to stay here like Puffy said he will. We were led to the throne room which revealed King Philza, Queen Kristen and three other who I guessed were his sons.

"I am so glad to see you three safe and sound. My name is Philza but please call me Phil and this is my wife Kristen and my three sons: Technoblade, Wilbur and Tommy." Philza said introducing themselves.

"Don't forget my best friend Tubbo!" I heard the younger blonde say as I saw another kid come out from behind him who I guessed was Tubbo.

"Hi Tubbo." I said as he nodded with a toothy smile.

"Also I will show you to your rooms. You and Mark can stay as long as you like here." Philza said as he showed us our rooms.

I settled down in my room as I put my things away. To say the least the room was pretty big like a bit bigger than my old room. After I settled down as freshened myself up, I heard a knock on my door and hearing Mark's voice I let him in.

"Hey Mark." I said as he smiled.

"Hey Y/N" He said.

We both sat down on the bed as silence once again came towards us. It was pretty much normal at this point. I mean we both ran away from my kingdom and there might be a chance that my family might find us but at this point I prayed that they just don't.

"I am actually thinking about Jason's reaction right now that you are out of his picture." Mark said as he chuckled at the thought. I also laughed cause it was pretty funny to say the least.

"At this point I don't feel like looking back and just focusing on our future." I said as Mark nodded.

"Me too." he said as leaned down and kissed my cheek. At this point we were staring at each other longingly but that was broken by a screeching off a child as we looked at the door to see it was Tommy.

"What the f*** did I just walk into!? Nope not today! I am a minor!" he said as he walked away screaming like he was in danger. Then Tubbo kind of peeked through the door.

"We just came to tell your guys that dinner is ready. Also please don't mind Tommy." He said as he ran after Tommy.

We were just looking at the door and then after a few moments burst out in laughter at what just happen. This was really funny to say the least. We got up and walked towards the dining room. As we did my mind went back to my parents. I hope they aren't mad but who am I kidding to think that? Of course they are going to be mad! But I shook the thought out of my head. The only thing I could think about is what else is going to come after me and Mark.

2 years later~

It's been two years since mark and I have ran away from my Kingdom. We still live in Phil's Kingdom but live in a separate cottage together. Niki recently came here to live with Puffy and everyone else. She told me that she quit her job and that my parents gave up on searching me saying that I was a disappointment but I didn't really care. My brother learned that I ran away which he wasn't mad about so that was good.

Right now I just pushed those aside and just focused on spending the rest of my life pretty normally. I made a few friends here like Hannah, Alyssa and a few more. Mark also became friends with Technoblade and Tubbo. You were glad he was able to make new friends.

I was just sitting on the hillside as I looked into the horizon. The sun was setting and it was my favorite time of day. The sky looked really pretty with it's twilight colors. As I stared into the distance I noticed someone sitting next to me and it was Mark.

"It's pretty comforting isn't it? Watching the sunset with no forms of burden?" He asked. I nodded at his words.

"Yeah. It feels nice knowing I have no burden to deal with. It's nice." I said as I continued to look at the sky. After moments of silence it was getting dark. We were about to head back but Mark stopped me.

"Mark is there something wrong?" I asked as he looked at me.

"Y/N I want to say that we have been together for two years and I loved you days after I met you when you were still a princess and I didn't just love you because of that. I loved you for you. I loved your personality and how you treated me and everyone else well. What I am trying to say is that I want to take our relationship to the next step." He said as he started to kneel down. I was beyond shocked at his words and could probably tell what he was going on about.

"Mark..." I said as he fully knelt down in front of me.

"Y/N... would you do me the honors..." He started as he took out a box and opened it to reveal a ring. "... of making me the happiest man alive and marry me?" He asked.

I was shocked beyond everything. At this point I felt the world stop and the only people were me and him. Tears started to well up in my eyes as I nodded.

"YES!" I said as I tackled him into a hug. We were practically crying and laughing in joy.

He popped the ring in my finger as we laid down on the grass for a while. I didn't care if it was very late and dark outside. I was safe enough to be with him for the rest of my life and nothing could ever change this. Right now all I could think of was the bright future ahead of me and how I was going to spend it. But most importantly...

It was going to be with Mark!

--------------------------------------------------

#ranbutler #ranbutler x reader #ranbutler x you #ranbutler x y/n #the masquerade #tales from the smp #fluff #oneshots

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fmsplrs · 3 years ago

Text

Unlovable 4/25/22

There was a bar in Toronto called Unlovable that was great to drink in and even better to DJ in, and I miss it dearly. Here are some vibes, also greatly indebted to various compilations from the early aughts.

Saint Etienne - Nothing Can Stop Us

Liquid Liquid - Cavern

Can - I Want More

The Rolling Stones - Emotional Rescue

Spectral Display - It Takes A Muscle

La Bionda - I Wanna Be Your Lover

Tom Tom Club - Kissin Antonio

The Slits - I Heard It Through The Grapevine

Delta 5 - Mind Your Own Business

ESG - My Love For You

The Cleaners From Venus - Only A Shadow

Paul McCartney - Temporary Secretary

Daphni - Sizzling

Bran Van 3000 - Astounded

Haircut 100 - Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)

James White & The Blacks - Contort Yourself

Sexual Harrassment - If I Gave You A Party

Squeeze - Cool For Cats

Can - Moonshake

Talking Heads - Pulled Up

Heaven 17 - (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thing

John Maus - Rights For Gays

Joe Jackson - Steppin Out

The Cure - Boys Don't Cry

The English Beat - Mirror In The Bathroom

Theoretical Girls - You Got Me

MIA - Jimmy

Vicious Pink - Cccan't You See

The Rapture - Out Of The Races And Onto The Tracks

Medium Medium - Hungry So Angry

A Certain Ratio - Shack Up

The Glimmers - Physical

Gichy Dan - Cowboys And Gangsters

Peter Gordon & Love Of Life Orchestra - Don't Don't

New Order - Temptation

Was (Not Was) - Wheel Me Out

A Certain Ratio - Do The Du (The Graveyard)

!!! - Me And Giuliani Down By The Schoolyard

Le Tigre - Deceptacon (DFA Remix)

Human League - The Things That Dreams Are Made Of

Bush Tetras - You Can't Be Funky

Lizzy Mercier Descloux - Fire

The Chemical Brothers - Let Forever Be

Alexander Robotnick - Problemes d'Amour

Peaches - Lovertits

Was (Not Was) - Tell Me That I'm Dreaming

Yoko Ono - Walking On Thin Ice

Psychic TV - Godstar

Bumblebee Unlimited - Lady Bug

Santa Esmeralda - Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

Konk - Love Attack

Sparks - The Number One Song In Heaven

The Go Team - Huddle Formation

Gang Of Four - Damaged Goods

The Gories - There But For The Grace Of God Go I

The B-52's - Give Me Back My Man

The B-52's - Dance This Mess Around

Gonjasufi - Candylane

Bjork - I Miss You (Remix)

Luscious Jackson - Citysong

Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing

The Jellies - Jive Baby On A Saturday Night

Devo - Satisfaction

Grace Jones - Warm Leatherette

Deee-Lite - What Is Love

George Michael - Father Figure

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astoryinred · 4 years ago

Note

31 or 32 w/ enjonine & wamp kids in modern era? ☺️

A/N: Oh my, I have never plunked this iteration of the family into the modern era! But let’s try having them here at the beginning of the world’s longest lockdown. Tw for mentions of the rona.

All The Time for Slow Cooking

March 2020

“Will it be ready in one hour?”

“No. Guess again.”

“Two?”

“No.”

“Three? That’s so long, Mama!”

Eponine only laughed and shook her head as she scraped the last of the spices into the large pot on their stove; “Five hours, otherwise it will be too tough to eat,” she said before closing the Dutch Oven. “It will be worth it. “

Of course, the three children in front of her just groaned and griped. “But we’ll be starving by then!” Etienne wailed.

“You need three days to starve, I heard?” Julien said. “But we’ll be very, very hungry----”

“Can’t it cook faster, Mama?” Laure asked. “There has to be some way!”

“That’s not how it works,” Enjolras chimed in, now making his appearance in the kitchen doorway. He was still dressed in a polo shirt and pants, having clearly come from an online meeting. “What is it you are cooking?”

“Chili con carne. We have to get rid of the ground beef to make room for everything else,” Eponine replied. It was all that she could do not to think of how long their food would last before she or her husband would have to make a risky run out to the store, or order in groceries. “Any word from the boys yet?’

“Still locked down on campus, but the dean will be making arrangements,” Enjolras said. “They’ll be fine, and should be home within the week.”

“I hope so,” Eponine said, biting her lip even as her thoughts went to her three brothers at a campus a hundred miles off. It would not be easy for them to cross quarantine checkpoints to get back into the city. ‘Perhaps we should have moved out of this city a while ago,’ she thought.

In the meantime, the children had long given up on peeking into the pot, and were now poring through a recipe book on the counter. “Mama, can we make dessert?” Laure asked innocently.

“Well something simple, like cookies,” Eponine suggested.

Julien smiled gleefully before pointing to a picture of chocolate chip cookies stacked on a plate. “These ones!”

‘It just had to be those,’ Eponine thought even as she saw Enjolras now going for the larder. “What are you doing?”

“We don’t have chocolate chips. We’ll just have to melt chocolate bars instead,” Enjolras said.

‘How hard can that be?’ Eponine wondered even as she began to put together the rest of the ingredients, hoping that the five of them would not regret it.

#enjonine #modern #tw: covid

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caddy-whump-us · 4 years ago

Text

I feel like the things I’m writing lately for the vampires aren’t so much whump as they are angst or just “scenes from a captivity.” So if you’re still reading this stuff, I hope you enjoy it. I’ll get back to Etienne in a bit; it’s Nikolai time right now. And I’ll get back to some more “classic” whump soon.

This piece also involves a character named Cyprian who I think was mentioned before? All the backstory you need should be here anyway. He’ll be showing up a bit more hereafter.

I also highly recommend this playlist for some mood music.

---

“Glad as I was to hear from you, do you truly believe you can mend the rift between you?”

“I was hoping you could tell me.”

They were sitting before the fire again. They were always sitting before the fire, with the night pressing in like black walls. But this time there was a stranger with them.

His Lord sat on the couch to one side of the fire, and Nikolai sat on the little velvet stool beside him. Across from them, though, was the stranger--to Nikolai, at least. Adrastos seemed to know him all too well as they spoke across the elaborate, twisting patterns of the carpet between them.

White faces, such white faces, like moving marble statues when they spoke, one to the other. But this stranger, their guest, seemed, although they both had the same smooth, grave-marble faces, younger in some way. The way he lounged on the couch, the tilt of his head.

But his Lord was just as nonchalant; the comfort of a lord in his own home, of course. Nikolai was beginning to fidget: twisting the ends of the ribbon around his neck, pulling at his jacket draped over his shoulders, worrying at his fingers.

Nikolai watched them from under his brows. All of this sitting before the fire was for show, pantomimes and shadow-plays of life as it had once been and could never be again for these two monsters. Yes, pretend to be cold and weary after riding out to this house and come warm yourself by the fire. It was a play for the two of them only, a game. After all, Nikolai and the postulants all knew them for what they were. Perhaps this was their only entertainment left.

Adrastos reached out and began to stroke Nikolai’s hair.

“After everything you’ve done, Cyprian?”

Cyprian shrugged, his eyes closed, white palms turned up in the dark. His hair was auburn, dark in the shadow but copper bright in the light of the fire, in loose waves that fell across his forehead.

“Or is this because you know Viktor will have to choose an heir someday?” Less question than statement. “Perhaps Ruslan told you--”

“About the new boy he’s caught? No. But I heard tell of it.”

“Cyprian, please.”

Cyprian rolled his eyes. “Black swan,” he said, then went on, “I’m quite comfortable as I am. I don’t know that I’d need an inheritance.”

“You’re living a bit like Ruslan these days.”

“I enjoy it, the squalor down in the shadow of the university.”

Nikolai’s eyes flicked up to Cyprian’s face and he found Cyprian looking back at him, eye to eye. Cyprian shifted in his seat, rested his chin on his hand.

“I only ever met Ruslan perhaps twice, you know.”

“Viktor tolerates him but there’s no love lost between them.”

“They’re too different. And your master needed you to bridge between them.”

“Is that why you wrote to me, then?” Adrastos said, leaning forward across the span between them.

Cyprian matched him. “I’ll have a lineage of my own someday.”

“After what you did?” Adrastos hissed.

But Cyprian went on: “As will his new” a pause “black swan. What is a disagreement between us now could become true factions within a few years. Think of that.”

Adrastos sat back, considering. “You could as easily be killed. Kill the serpent in the egg, as they say. After all, you know what you’ve done, as do I, as does he.”

Cyprian looked disinterested and was looking sidelong at the fire.

“In fact,” Adrastos went on, “some scrap of what you have done has made its way back to him.”

Cyprian still looked towards the fire. Nikolai tried to see the color of his eyes in the firelight, with no success.

“So. It’s not inheritance, it’s not envy, it’s not guilt, it’s purely to prevent this speculative ‘war’ between the lineages. You’re a fool if you believe that could happen.”

“I am already outnumbered, that is true.”

“You’re only half a fool, then.” And Adrastos leaned forward again, his fingers steepled before his mouth. “So why are you here?”

Cyprian was still turned aside. He closed his eyes. “Because I need him. And I need you to help me back to him.”

Adrastos scoffed. And Cyprian turned on him, blazing.

“I do! You know the things I’ve already done. I’ve crossed paths with--” and he paused and closed his eyes.

Adrastos gave a low, slow sound of understanding. “Is that it? You’ve found the first of your impossible creatures, your own black swan.”

Cyprian dropped his forehead to his hand. “How do I resist it? Or how do I accept it? I don’t know what to do.”

“And you mean to go to him to ask.”

“He is still my maker even if I refuse to call him my master. He knows me.”

“Indeed so.”

“I understand the break between us. I promise you I do. But I need help to cross it. He needn’t speak to me again after this, so long as he answers me. If I write to him I’m sure he’ll burn my letters before reading them. I would have gone to Ruslan, but I know how things stand between them. And so--”

“So you wrote to me. I can’t say I’m flattered that I’m your last recourse, but here we stand.”

Cyprian was looking up at Adrastos and his eyes were wide and pained. “Will you help me?”

Adrastos sat quietly a moment, looking into the darkness beyond. Nikolai found himself twisting his fingers again and willed himself to stop. This unexpected meeting had pushed back his first dose of the day (call it that) and he was beginning to want for it.

“I think,” Adrastos said, “I can do something for you. But more than half of it will still lie with Viktor. I can intercede, but only so far.”

“Any help would be welcome. I don’t expect forgiveness or for him to welcome me back with open arms. I only need his help. And I can promise him that he won’t hear of me again if that’s what he wishes.”

Adrastos set his hands gently atop Nikolai’s to still them. Nikolai looked up towards him, then down and aside, ashamed. But he could feel that strange fever beginning to come over him. His eyes were hot. The skin of his back was tight and itching.

“Then I will write to him on your behalf. You’ll be in my debt, you know.”

“I do know, but I think perhaps it is worth it.”

Adrastos laughed, softly, and drew the jacket off Nikolai’s shoulders. “Now, come: we’ll pledge our cooperation.” He set his hands on Nikolai’s shoulders, “This is my black swan.”

Nikolai fixed Cyprian with his dark eyes.

“And his name?” Cyprian asked.

“Nikolai,” Adrastos answered, rising and going to the writing desk set against the wall beside the fireplace. He opened a drawer there and Nikolai breathed a sigh, almost a sob, of relief. He knew what was kept in that drawer. He opened his eyes again to find Cyprian staring at him and he ducked his head, all humility.

But still, he watched his Lord come back to the couch with the wooden box, the bottle, and the delicate knife; he kept his eyes most on the box and the bottle.

“This is, perhaps, a bit taboo? A bit questionable? But you must experience it for yourself.” He spun a spindle-footed table from around the arm of the couch to stand on the rug among them all. “Consider this quite a demonstration of trust. But we’re pledging our good faith, aren’t we?”

Now Adrastos was laying out his tools: the syringe, the needle, the cord (a cord this time?), the harsh liquor to clean the implements, the knife, the bandages for after. Nikolai was trembling slightly.

“Have you ever drunk from one who was drunk, Cyprian?”

Cyprian looked at him quizzically. “I have.”

“Then you know that sensation.” He had opened the grappa and let the stinging smell fill up the space around them. “In my life before,” Adrastos said, “I was at times fond of the spirit of the poppy. As content as I am now--” Cyprian interrupted with a scoff, but Adrastos went on “--I do miss those dreams sometimes. And knowing what we know about drinking from a drunk…” he trailed off.

Cyprian’s eyes narrowed. “It seems dirty, somehow.”

Adrastos held up the syringe and fitted the needle to it and began to clean it, gently, with the grappa. “Perhaps it does.” He drew up a full syringe of the grappa then shot it into the fire where it flared blue for a moment, then died. “But you must try it.”

Cyprian was quiet, but he looked from Nikolai to Adrastos and back again.

With everything laid out to his liking, Adrastos slipped Nikolai’s jacket from his shoulders and helped him up onto the couch. Nikolai pulled off his leather slippers and set them neatly beside the clawed foot of the couch. Adrastos surrendered his place to Nikolai and Nikolai lay back, looking up into the ceiling, chewing at his lips in anticipation? Frustration?

Adrastos crouched on the floor beside him, and smoothed Nikolai’s hair back from his forehead.

“I’ve been increasing his doses for several days now,” Adrastos said, not looking away from Nikolai’s face, “in anticipation of your visit.”

“Whatever for?”

“So he can endure the dose I will give him tonight, which he will share with us.” He began rolling up Nikolai’s sleeve.

Nikolai breathed deeply once, and closed his eyes. The tightness had gone from his forehead and around his eyes. Already he seemed close to sleep.

Adrastos took up the cord and wrapped it around Nikolai’s bare arm. That blessed numbness and thickness spreading down his arm from the pinch of the cord--Nikolai licked his lips.

With the needle in hand, Adrastos drew up the dose of morphine from the bottle, pressed a few drops back into the bottle and let a few more drops slip down the needle as he held it upright, examining it. He turned back to Nikolai and smiled.

“I could hold a drop of laudanum on the tip of a pin and I think he’d crawl across stones and glass to lick it off.” He smiled. “Or let me prick him with it.”

Now Adrastos had Nikolai’s hand in his. Now the chill of glass and metal against Nikolai’s skin. Now the pinch and sting of the needle. And now the hot rush of blood back into his fingertips as Adrastos untied the cord around his arm.

“Come,” Adrastos said, “Sit here beside him.”

Soft shuffling in the dim firelight and Cyprian came to sit at Nikolai’s feet.

“Just a moment more,” Adrastos said and, as he did, Nikolai’s eyes drifted open, rolled back to show the whites, and fell closed again. And in that moment he fell limp, boneless as a ragdoll, or as the old adage went, like a puppet with its string cut. His breathing was slow and deep and, to Cyprian, it seemed that he was almost smiling, as one would smile in a sweet dream.

Adrastos was leaning over him, smoothing his hair and his forehead. “You’ll be a wretch after our guest leaves, won’t you?” he whispered into Nikolai’s ear. “No, you can’t stay so blissful forever.” He kissed off the bead of blood from the needlemark and then he reached for the silver knife.

Adrastos took up Nikolai’s hand. “I won’t sully him with scars,” he said to Cyprian as he unfolded Nikolai’s fingers, a white flower blooming in the dark. “You needn’t worry: he’ll feel nothing.” Drawn so close as they were now, Adrastos whispered velvet in the dark to Cyprian.

With the silver knife, he cut small nicks and cuts into Nikolai’s fingers; the blood trickled down to pool in his palm. Adrastos cut him again low on the palm (the Mount of Venus and the Mount of the Moon, that was what a fortune-teller had said once when there was a traveling carnival passing through the town out beyond his house and Jonathan’s house and the forest and the fields and they had bears and wolves but maybe those were only dogs and a girl who would balance on the hand of the strongman and…)

Adrastos held Nikolai’s hand like a cup, letting the trickles of blood gather there, then offered Nikolai’s cupped hand to Cyprian. “Try him,” he said.

Cyprian paused a moment, holding Nikolai’s hand, then sipped at the collected blood once, twice, enough to finish it. Salt, sweetness and copper. And heat. And something bitter, but that was his own mind: there seemed to be nothing he could do that was not a sin in someone’s eyes. He sat back again, leaning against the couch, licking the last tastes of sharp metal from his mouth.

Adrastos looked at him and smiled, then set to freshening the cuts on Nikolai’s hand, to start the flow of blood again. He waited, letting the blood collect in the cup of Nikolai’s hand, and watched Cyprian.

Cyprian had been sitting, waiting, with one arm on his crooked knee and his back straight against the seat of the couch when, suddenly, his posture slackened. His mouth dropped open. He leaned forward at first, then laid his head against the seat of the couch. His leg slid out before him, another puppet with cut strings. He raised his eyebrows in surprise and blinked slowly.

“How quickly the thirst can be slaked,” Adrastos said, watching him.

He brought Nikolai’s hand up to his mouth but stopped short and, instead, toasted to Nikolai with Nikolai’s own hand and own blood, then drank up the collected blood.

He laid back against the couch as well, but with his shoulder pressed against it so he could go on stroking Nikolai’s hair a while, so he could go on lapping up the last droplets from Nikolai’s fingers. But he succumbed as well, and nearly as fast, with his head leaning on the couch.

Perhaps this oblivion was the nearest to death he would come until some madness took him and he killed himself out of boredom or frustration or because he had become some gaunt monster cursed with a nigh-endless life and buried in darkness as if buried alive--for so he was buried alive in a sense. Any number had taken their own lives, if the consciousness he endured could be called life, ending some of the great lineages, destroying their masters in the course of it, causing some great cascade of despair among some houses.

But he had this sweet bliss now, for now, like wandering through an endless house of dark rooms, unhurried, unafraid, only passing from room to room, unaware that they were rooms, only moving without knowing he moved, gliding, existing without existing, persisting…

---

Some time later, Nikolai awoke, vaguely sick, his body still like wet sand and wet velvet. The two vampires were still unconscious, one at his head and one at his feet. And, yes, he did consider that he might kill them both in that moment. Or, if not kill them, make clear his rage, perhaps, though he felt only cold inside, with no heated rage. How long had it been since he had felt it? But still he could take the knife they had used on him and he could use it on them, make them bleed as they had made him bleed.

He was reaching out for the knife where it lay near Adrastos’ hand when he saw the dried tracks of blood in his fingerprints and in the lines of his palm. He held his hand in front of his face, considering it: he had not been bandaged.

He looked to Adrastos, who had always been so careful to bandage the tiny cuts he made when he was finished, even when he took from Nikolai after a large dose like tonight. But the bandages were still in the box and the box was on the table and the table was perhaps a mile, perhaps two miles (or so it felt) from where he lay. He did reach out for it, but fell far short.

He sighed and then wrapped his hand in the hem of his shirt in case any of the wounds opened again, and turned to lie with his face towards the back of the couch. Soon enough he would feel the fever of wanting again, his head would ache, he would shake, he would sweat and feel sick to his stomach. And whether that was better or worse than the leaden feeling now--he looked over his shoulder at the two vampires, still asleep if they did sleep, and envied them. He was past that bliss now, left in a useless stupor, and with only the fever to come.

He pinched his eyes shut to stop from crying and willed himself to sleep just a bit more, just a bit more.

#whump #vampires #Nikolai #adrastos #cyprian #Drugging #caution: drug use #Blood #captivity #dehumanization

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whatdoesshedotothem · 4 years ago

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Thursday 5 July 1838

4 50

10 5

awaked 2 or 3 times during the night, so terribly bit by something – had slept between my 2 cloaks (my old maclean plaid and 8 years old green and black Paris merinos) – my artillery man, lance-corporal Colin Morrison, an Edinburgh man, was waiting for me – a fine looking soldier-like, civil man of apparently 24 or 25 – very fine morning – off at 6 – soon passed the little fortified gate (drawbridge and double trench) out of the town, leaving (left) the sandy inlet and the long bridge over the river (Urumea) and the road to Passages – we soon passed thro’ the ruined village (vide line 2 above) and pursued our road by a steepish ascent towards Hernani distant 4 English miles – about a mile or more from St. Sebastian, a fort, (left) on the hill [manned] by Spanish soldiers – hilly road – hilly country – but not much wood beyond bush wood – Colin talked all the way and explained their positions at the useless siege of Hernani – for what have the chistianos got by it? merely a little more elbow-room about St. Sebastian and a walk of 4 miles into the country – nothing else – the carlists are still all roundabout – the Christianos destroyed the convents and village and houses about St. Sebastian for fear of their affording shelter to the carlists – whatever the carlists do, the xtians and British Legion rob just as much – and Colin has often been ashamed even for our artillery (about 120 men at St. Sebastian but entered as marines because we have no right to send a land force tho’ everybody sees thro’ this flimsy subterfuge) – Colin has seen our artillery ordered to go to the different villages 8 or 10 miles off and take even the very beds the people slept and what was worse oblige them to carry their own things thus plundered to St. Sebastian – the artillery men are quite sick of all this – but the officers wish to stay – they like to be on service – and the commandant has extra allowances and Lord John Hay has £6 a month extra for table money as commodore etc. etc. – Colin cannot like the Spaniards – they have no heart – give us no thanks whatever we do for them – They think they can do anything and everything, and can do very little – will not stir themselves more ambition than the English but not courage to follow it – they themselves (the Xtianos) could have done nothing at Hernani without the English - the Carlists fight better – never saw men behave better than some of them did at Hernani – but they are all light armed – have nothing but musquettry - or else he agreed with me they might easily take even St. Sebastian by a corp de main and Hernani – I see nothing to prevent it – the 200 or 300 of the British legion at Hernani, look miserable – whatever happens they are always put into the worst quarters and have the worst of everything and cannot get paid – they live on their rations and plunder and as they can – they had confidence in the bravery of general Evans, but not in his talent – he brought the artillery into action at Hernani much too close to the enemy’s fire – if Don Carlos had had any artillery, all our men would have been blown to pieces – Hernani a poorly walled little fortified town, Colin said of about 500 inhabitants – 1 longish narrow street opening into a little grande place and one or 2 little side streets – more picturesque than good – a few of the houses handsomely carved on the gable front towards the street and seeming to have been inhabited by better sort of people – porte cochère into large room where stood carts or what not and au fond the large wide stone (handsome perhaps if clean) staircase – altogether Spanish – walked thro’ the town to the last xtiano guard perhaps ¼ mile from the town – 4 or 5 men there one with a telescope watching the carlists in force on the opposite hill, and taking care that the last xtiano sentry at a house a little distance below us was not surprised – the women with the legion are chiefly if not all Irish – I saw the serjants’ wife bargaining in the street – she contrives to do pretty well for she washes etc. for the men, and when they got paid she gets something, and they can live on her husbands’ rations and her allowance of ½ ditto – I think Colin said they had per man 1lb. beef (very good considering) 1lb. bread 1/4lb. cheese – I forgot what of potatoes and I think a gill of rum – 20 or more above proof – would bear 4 water and still be as strong as our rum in England – the artillery have all this for 5d. English and Colin said they (the artillery) could sell it to the [pursuer] at St. Sebastian if they chose for 10d. that is the price it cost him at St. Sebastian – a road direct from Hernani along the valley to Passages but not open because the middle part of it in possession of the carlists – or I should have liked to walk the round back this way to St. Sebastian – 12000 of the legion at Passages – 12 companies with 4 officers to each = 48 that is the colonel and major and two more I forget what he called them – I had thought of breakfasting at Hernani – Luisa had said there was a café there where I could breakfast – but seeing no signs of it, I said nothing but turned back – off from St. S- at 6 at the last guard (about 1/4mile out of Hernani) at 7 35 and back again at the fonda at St. S- at 9 10 having just gone on the ramparts to see the breach made under the d. of Wellington – breakfast immediately – café au lait – I was thirsty and thought the warm breakfast would quite refresh – the café seemed to have a queer taste – took the milk by itself – it was hardly down before it was up again! (surely it was goats’ milk which never did and perhaps never will agree with me) – lay down for 50 minutes till 10 and was dozing when the Captain rapped at my door – said I had not breakfasted but should be ready in ¼ hour – I had luckily brought up my wine from dinner last night – ate a little bit of bread and drank a little wine and water which did very well for me – had Luisa up and got her to write

SH:7/ML/E/21/0141

me out the bill – myself 20 réals – George 12 reals and 4 reals = 1 piastre or 1 franc .:. my bill was just 8 fr. – gave la fille 1 piastre or franc (took it from George who had exchanged a 5fr. piece) and in paying Madame veuve Iriarte gave her two 5fr. pieces saying that the 2 fr. over where for Mademoiselle Luisa – at the quai in 2 or 3 minutes but no captain – waited for him 20 minutes and embarked and put off from the jetty at St. Sebastian at 11 40 – dawdled a little in the port for one of our rowers (3 now instead of 4 as in coming) to pick up a bottle of wine or something – we were now myself and George our captain and 3 rowers – doubled the rock island to the westward as in entering and rowed 20 minutes till 12 – then hoisted 2 sails and went I should suppose at the rate of 5 knots an hour – a good deal of surf (considering the fineness of the day) under the citadel-rock and between this and the rock-island – we had considerably less to the westward of the island under the tower fort which Colin had told me they (our men) fortified without ever receiving anything for their labour – they did a great deal of work at first – they understood our government set all down to the Spanish debt – yes! said I, but Spain will never pay I think – In sight of Passages at 12 35 – sick at 1 ¼ - again at 2 ¼ and Fontarabia in sight at 2 35 – St. Sebastian-citadel, and rock-island, and tower fort – Passanges – all high green rock to the bay of Fontarabia (i.e. to the striking projecting rock called Pointe de Figuier [Figueres?]) – at the French end of it (north side of this bay as I call it, of Fontarabia – embouchure of the Bidassoa) red rock head looked at a distance like a red-tiled town – then while from this end all the way to St. Jean de Luz – land at 3 50 at St. Jean de Lux near the douane – the solider or douanier seemed afterwards ½ ashamed to have questioned me about my little packet of night things but I went in and opened it out – a good deal of surf in entering the little harbour at the embouchure of the little river Nivelle – I can well believe the difficulty and danger of getting in a bad weather – soon walked to the Inn – M. Junca and all glad to see me – followed me to A-‘s door, as if to see the happy meeting – but they fell back for all was deadly still – poor A- was poorly and all had seemed more glad to see [me] back than she – I had thought to try the land-way or at least go to the frontier, and stand on the bridge between the French sentry at one end and the Spanish at the other – no danger or difficulty so far – but A- wanted to be off immediately back to Bayonne – a diligence would go at 5 – But I fell faint – ordered a mutton chop – had it in the salle à manger and M. Junca and Conigo and others came round me – M. Junca had discovered that I was carlist – found it out from my manner on embarking yesterday – Conigo a contrebandier – M. Junca the means of getting formation for Mr. Mitchell shewed me one of the notes Mr. M- pays him weekly I think for conveyance of messengers M. Junca a very good sort of little man – said I had trusted him and he would do the best he could for me – paid Conigo the 50/. as agreed and gave him 5/. over for his crew – all parted good friends – the diligence, an omnibus à 6 places de chaque coté (12 persons) horsed by M. Junca – about 7 persons besides A- and myself and George 6 women and a boy inside, and a gentleman on the box outside with the cocher – waited ¼ for us – off at 5 ¼ at the barrier at 7 ¼ - to leave our passport and take a receipt for it – I got impatient of waiting, and A- and I walked to our hotel St. Etienne – 12 minutes and arrived there at 7 ½ - ordered dinner – then had Josephine to do my hair at 7 50 – then a minute or 2 with A- all had heard of A-‘s not going to St. S- our coachman had not returned when she got back to St. Jean de Luz – poor M. Junca had looked after us, and not seeing the boat (while he turned aside we had put into the port of Socoa to land A-) was quite alarmed was just going to give orders for sending out after us when he saw A- returning and heard what had happened – A- said she had not got back till 5, and if I had not left her the umbrella could not have got back at all – the people told me she had got back between 3 and 4 – however I thanked heaven she had turned back – she could not have borne the boating and the impossibility of getting her anything comfortable at St. S- would have been terrible – with her a minute or two after my hair was done but I soon came to my room and wrote the following in pencil in my little note book she means to trouble everybody as little as she can will do for herself I gently said well if you can do better I shall be very glad I saw before she was all wrong and guessed the nature of her illness it is astonishing how little I care I was guiltless of thinking of her yesterday or this morning till my arrival when at the moment I forgot my anticipations and ran up to the people and then to her I was soon set right how different my last reception on returning from Spain to Lady S. de R-! dinner at 8 ½ to 9 25 and then had Josephine ¼ hour very fine day tho’ a light shower just before leaving St. Jean de Luz F71 ½° at 9 55

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