#midnight roses

[iobsessoverfictionalmen]

Midnight Roses (2)

This fic contains canon-typical violence and behaviours, manipulation, mentions of death, murder, orphans, pain, blood, blood drinking, torture, memory manipulation, prison, and criminals.

Chapter 2

The relief on Aro’s face as you stepped into the throne room was visible for everyone to see.

“Our family is whole again.”  He purred, “Welcome home (Name).”

You grinned, “I apologise for the delay in my return.  There were a few pests I needed to deal with.”

“And have they been?” Alabaster inquired.

You shook your head and gazed at your friend with a touch of annoyance, “If they weren’t dealt with, I wouldn’t be standing here right now.”

“Just checking.  Claymore told me to say hello.”

“Please give my regards to him.”  You replied before greeting Sulpicia, Athenodora, Felix, Jane, and Alec.

Moments later, you climbed the dais and Aro held out his hand.  Without hesitation, you placed your hand in his.  Aro’s eyes glazed over as he viewed your memories.

“You did well,” he praised, releasing your hand.

You greeted Caius with a nod which he returned and after promising to sit down with him for a game of chess, you made your way over to Marcus’ throne.  When you were close enough, the King rested his elbow on the arm of his throne and you linked your fingers with his.

Had you not had visitors, Marcus would have pulled you onto his lap and held you close.  You felt a brief stab of resentment that that wasn’t the case.

“You’re Marcus’ mate!” A golden-eyed, auburn vampire cried.

“And you’re rude.”  Alabaster snapped back. 

“Edward, control yourself.”  Aro chided.

“So, you’re the mind-reader Aro told me about,” you fixed the young-looking vampire with a glare.

“Indeed he is.”  Aro allowed.  “Permit me to introduce you to the Cullens.”

Quickly Aro introduced you to each member of the Cullen family.  Aro introduced Bella last, as she was the youngest of the family, and you focused on her as Caius spoke.

“To further prove that your relationship with Edward is not a good one, can you explain why you were okay with Edward climbing into your room at night to watch you sleep repeatedly?”

“That crosses so many lines,” you spoke before Bella could.  “At the very least, it’s breaking and entering.”

Bella winced, “He said it was soothing.”

“I’m noticing a pattern here,” Jane remarked.  “Everything seems to come down to Edward’s wants and desires.  I believe that is called manipulation and it has no part in a meaningful relationship.”

“I agree,” Rosalie spoke.  Had you met her when you were at Camp before you met the Volturi and found out that you were Marcus’ mate, you would have asked her for styling tips.  There was a casual elegance to her that you found yourself admiring.

“Rest assured, we will definitely be bringing this to Carlisle and Esme’s attention,” she continued.

“There’s no need for that.”  Edward protested, “I was there to protect Bella from harm.  Yes, I did find it soothing but my main intention was to protect Bella.”

“I find that very hard to believe,” Alabaster leant forwards.  “Despite the liberties that some immortals take in our world,” each member of the Volturi knew that he was referencing the Greek gods and not the vampires around the globe, “there are lines that even they do not cross.  Well, except for one immortal.”

“Yes, but he’s never been very good with self-control.”

Alabaster immediately understood who you were referring to.

“What happens now?” Jasper inquired.  There was an undertone in his voice similar to the one Sulpicia had when she spoke.  Like Sulpicia, the undertone in Jasper’s voice suggested that he was much older than he appeared to be but you doubted that he was as old as Sulpicia who had been the last Roman demigod born before Rome fell.

“That is part of our dilemma,” Aro admitted.  “The last time that you visited us, you were permitted to leave under the condition that you were changed into a vampire in the near future as we believed that you were truly Edward’s mate.  Knowing what we do now,” Aro gazed stonily at Edward.  “I do not believe that it would be in any of our best interests if you were to leave here with Edward and resume your relationship as if nothing had occurred.”

“You’re going to force me to stay here?!” The volume of Bella’s voice and the outrage in her tone had the Volturi guard snarling.

“NO!”  Edward roared before going rigid.

“Perhaps then, you would prefer my second suggestion.”  Aro continued as if there had been no interruption. 

“I’m not listening to anything you have to say until she” Bella shot a venomous look at Jane, “stops hurting him.”

“And the gods thought I was petulant,” Alabaster muttered.  You did your best to stifle a snort of amusement.

Edward remained immobile on the floor.

“Jane, you’ve had your fun.”  Aro chided.  “While some of us have eternity to wait until Edward learns manners, others do not.”

Clearly disappointed, Jane released Edward from her control and the young vampire laid on the floor panting unnecessarily.

“My second suggestion is that members of the Volturi guard and perhaps a King,” Aro looked at Marcus from the corner of his eye, “journey with you to Forks.  There we will monitor your relationship with Edward and should we deem it necessary, permanently dissolve the relationship.”

“You have that much power?” Bella gasped.

Demetri smiled mockingly, “And more.”

Marcus’ thumb rubbed reassuringly across your knuckles as he tried to ease your mind.  You knew that he wasn’t fond of leaving Volterra and would not do so unless he absolutely had to.  You forced down the desire to complain.  You had just returned to your mate and now Aro wanted to send him on a mission despite his clear reluctance?  It wasn’t fair.

“You know why he would suggest Marcus over Caius.”  The more rational side of your brain whispered, “Marcus is known for his skills throughout the vampiric world as a diplomat while Caius is known as the ‘blood-thirsty one.’  If a situation were to break out in Forks, Marcus would diffuse it unless it threatened your safety or the Volturi’s.  Then he could be even blood-thirstier than Caius.”

“May I propose a third option, Aro?”

Startled, you gazed at Alabaster who was regarding the Vampire King with a contemplative expression.  Aro’s lips twitched and you realised that Aro had planned this.  The Cullens had acted exactly the way that he knew they would.

Silently and with an amused lilt to his lips, Aro gave Alabaster permission to voice his option.

“I propose that I cast a time distortion spell which will allow Bella and the Cullens to remain in Italy for a week.  Then based on the observations we have made with our own eyes; we shall pass judgement and decide upon our next course of action.”

Emmett stepped forward, “If we spend a week here, how much time will pass in Forks?”

“One hour.”  Alabaster replied.

Emmett grinned, “His proposal sounds reasonable.”

“EMMETT!” Alice shrieked in betrayal.

Rosalie’s jaw locked as she glared at her ‘sister.’  “Be careful how you address my mate.”  She warned threateningly, “Emmett speaks the truth.”

“I agree,” Jasper drawled. 

“Even if Alice and Edward disagree with Alabaster’s proposal, like I think they’re going to, there’s one more opinion to consider.  It’s Bella’s.  The question is: will she agree with Alabaster’s proposal?  Or will she try and maintain her standing in the Cullen family by siding with Edward and Alice?”

“Will the magic have different effects on the different residents of Forks?”  Bella questioned.

Alabaster arched a critical brow, “No.  My magic does not discriminate between what some might call the mythological beings of the world.  One hour for a human will be one hour for a vampire.”

“In that case,” Bella chewed her bottom lip for a few moments before coming to a decision.  “Your proposal makes sense.”

“Splendid!” Aro crowed triumphantly, “Then we shall proceed with Alabaster’s plan.  Cast the spell if you would, Alabaster.”  The delight on his face was visible for everyone in the throne room to see.  Caius, Athenadora and Sulpicia, as well as the guard, had cottoned on to the fact that Aro had manipulated the visitors and it had turned out exactly as he planned.  There were varying degrees of amusement, admiration, and victory on the faces of the vampires in the room. 

Said demigod climbed to his feet and stood at his impressive height of six feet and two inches and focused on his jeans brushing some imaginary dirt off of them.  When his head snapped back up, the varied gasps from the Cullens told you that his green eyes were glowing with the power that he had inherited from his mother.

“Incantare: tardus tempus!” He boomed.

The air around Alabaster flashed green for the tiniest second before the air around the demigod flattened itself out like a wave and pushed forwards rising and accelerating at a rapid, increasing speed.  It passed over the Cullens and Bella.  You had the oddest feeling that the magical wave knew exactly who its intended target was.  Knowing Alabaster as well as you did, you wouldn’t be surprised if the demigod had focused on the destination and beings prior to releasing his magic.

“Now that that has been resolved,” Aro stated smoothly when he was certain that Alabaster’s spell had left Volterra, “perhaps we should show our guests to the rooms that they will be using for the duration of their stay?”

[claraoswalds]

They're made of plastic. Living plastic creatures. They're being controlled by a relay device in the roof, which would be a great big problem if I didn't have this. So, I'm going to go up there and blow them up, and I might well die in the process, but don't worry about me. No, you go home. Go on. Go and have your lovely beans on toast.

HAPPY 19TH ANNIVERSARY! (March 26, 2005)

[homestuck-archive]

BR8KING NEWS!!

SEVERAL old merch prints have returned! This is the first return of old Topatoco merch in ages? Could this mean something? Probably not.

[parsleysaauce]

hi i saw the new rosé silhouette and promptly. went insane

BUT YEAH HOW WE FEELING DRAWTECTIVES FANS!!!!!!! MIDNIGHT ALLEY LETS FUCKING GOOOOOO IM SO EXCITED IM BOUNCING OFF THE WALLS IM EATING THE CARPET

[c4tsc4pe]

matchy

[court-jester-stuff]

Sharing a room with a not so stranger

Azriel x reader

Warnings?: reader is shorter than Azriel, not beta we die like suriel, kinda rushed? idk it's 23:54 so meh enjoy

Note: the library is based of off the acropolis and what I image Olympus would look like, so is all the rest of the Day Court. pictures from pinterest

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"So sorry to bother you," a voice said from behind you. "Can I ask you for a favour?" Turning around you came face to face with Elain. She was dressed beautifully, a light pink coloured dress with a corset with flowers embroidered onto it, sleeves of the shoulders with on the shoulders and wrist embroidered the same flowers as the corset. Her hair was loose with a few braids which all had flowers in it. Truly you’d be lying if you said she didn’t look pretty.

“That depends on what the favour is of course.” You answered her with a smile. In all honesty you hoped it would be something entertaining, these past couple of days have been fun here at the Day Court but you were slowly growing bored. This whole event was to celebrate summer solstice, the Night Court was specifically invited by High Lord Helion as a means to grow a stronger alliance. A full two weeks of celebrating and getting to know each other.

Elain looked behind her and when you followed her gaze you could see Lucien standing in the doorway smiling at her and giving her an encouraging nod.

“Would you, by any chance, …” she trailed of looking at me with an air of hesitance. Giving her a little push you asked:

“Would I…?”

Elain sighed a little but finished her sentence. “Would you mind if Azriel and I switched rooms?” She paused to let the words sink in. “I would really like to try giving this a chance and we already asked Azriel and he’s fine with it, but only if you are. And I know you two aren’t all that familiar with each other but I would really appreciate this.”

At last she stopped talking to gage your reaction only to see a little smile on your face. “My dear, I would not mind at all. You two deserve this moment to try and see where this all leads you.” She perked up at your words and you could see Lucien visibly relax in the corner of your eye. “If Azriel is comfortable with this all then I do not mind.”

She thanked you and said that they would be sure to inform Azriel of you agreeing before they both took their leave.

Once they did take their leave you started thinking about what you just agreed to. In all honesty you and Azriel hadn’t really spoken in quite a while. As members of the Inner Circle it was kind of inevitable but that still didn’t change the conversations you had had with him.

He never seemed to speak much, especially not to you. Only during the rare times that he would ask for help with an injury would you two really talk. And even then it was mostly you talking to him about how to take care of the wound even though he has probably done so a million times.

You’d always find him looking at you with deep eyes whenever you’d look up from your work. He never really seemed to take his eyes off of you while you were working. Whether he was guarded or something else you couldn’t quite decide.

Outside of that there were a few conversations you had had with the spymaster. But lately that had started to change. You were in the habit of sneaking away during each social event to lend yourself a moment of fresh air before stepping back into the crowded rooms. However these last couple of, hell, years you always seemed to get the company of a certain shadowsinger wherever you had decided to sneak of to.

Not that you mind, in all honesty you couldn’t deny the pull you felt towards him. Each conversation, each interaction left you yearning for more. You wanted to hear him speak to you, you wanted to know who he was outside of this persona he had been given.

Deciding that you should try to make things easier for the both of you lead to you walking back to the room you previously shared with Elain with the goal in mind of tidying up a bit. Once there you put away any clothing that was lying around, noting that all of Elain her stuff had already been moved.

The room wasn’t big by any means, in fact you and Elain had specifically requested a smaller sized room. There was a wall with a huge window opposite of the door with the bed against the left wall and a couch on the opposite side next to the window.

Once you deemed the room clean enough you realized that the room might be cozy for you and Elain but Azriel would have trouble getting comfortable in the bed were there someone else in it. Deciding that there wouldn’t be enough space on the bed for both you while allowing his wings to rest comfortably and without the fear of accidental touching, you made the decision to move a pillow and blanket to the couch. Moving that what was on the night stand to the little table next to the couch.

A knock on the door made you pause. Assuming that it was either Elain or Azriel you went to open the door, only to be surprised by a smiling Helion.

“High Lord.” You said with a small bow of the head. You’ve always liked the man, he was polite and kind. A bit of a flirt maybe but still aware of boundaries. And he ruled his court exceptionally well.  All people were well taken care of and very rarely did they find themselves in conflict with other courts. Compared to the Night Court which carried the looming darkness of The Court of Nightmares and Hewn City that was very admirable.

“Oh you, there is no need for such titles. Call me Helion, please.” He chuckled a bit at the formality of it all but still kept a smile on his face as he corrected you.

“Well then Helion, is there anything I can help you with?”

His smile widened a little at your question. His eyes sparkling a little. “I heard that you take care of a large portion of all the knowledge that is stored in the Night Courts library, I must say it is quite the collection. One to be proud of.”

Mirroring his smile you replied with a hint of proudness to your voice. “Yes, indeed. I travel a lot and when I do I can’t help but try to take at least one book with me to further the collection you speak so highly of.”

“Well, the Day Court does have quite the library as well and I thought that I could interest you in taking a look around.” He gestured with his hand down the left corridor.

Your gaze followed the direction from his hand before looking back inside the room. Everything seemed in order for when Azriel would arrive. “Is it just down the hallway?” You ask.

He shakes his head with the same smile on his face that has been there since you opened the door. “Why don’t I show you there, it’s a bit of a maze in here.”

You nodded and walked out into the hallway, closing the door behind you before making your way to the library. The empty hallways were filled with easy going small talk between the two of you before you eventually reached the library.

To say that it was beautiful would be an understatement. It was truly breathtaking. It looked like a place where gods would walk, the high ceilings and windows with no glass allowed as much natural light in as possible. The walls were a cream colour with beautiful paintings on the ceilings.

You should remember to tell Feyre so she could come get a look.

The bookcases were white with golden accents, they crowded the entire room except for the space right before the window. Leaving enough space for several couches and a table surrounded by chairs. Even the wood of the furniture was a light colour.

You don’t know how long you simply admired the space but when you turned around Helion was looking at you with a proud smile and a look of admiration on his face.

He clears his throat and says: “It’s beautiful is it not?” You weren’t really sure what to say. It was beautiful but outside of the beauty of it you were also surprised by its sheer size. Maybe it was the lighting but it looked so much more spacious than the library at the House Of Wind.

“It is very beautiful, I honestly don’t really know what to say. The lighting and colours are so much brighter than those of the ones we have. Even the books match the pale colours. And the amount of books here is admirable. This truly is a fine library.”

“Well, I am more than happy to have shown it to you. Please, feel free to look around and spent as much time here as you please. I’m afraid I cannot stay with you for much longer, duty calls, but rest assured that you are more then welcome in this library. Or even my court.”

You smiled slightly at his words and told him you would keep it in mind. It wasn’t for long before he excused himself and left you to your own company.

You roamed around looking for any books that peaked your interest and finally settled on a handful of them. You found another window with seating space, albeit this on smaller, and settled down on the plush couch facing slightly away from the window.

You don’t know how much time you spend sitting there but when you finally looked up from the third book that you were reading you realized that the sun had set and the sky was now adorned with stars. Granted, there weren’t as many or as bright of ones as in Valaris but it was a sight none the less.

Deciding to call it a night you got up and realised just how long you had been sitting in that same position you stretched and gathered the books you had laying around you. Walking up to the desk you left the books there for someone to find in the morning.

The hallways were quiet now, beside your own steps and breathing there as nothing to be heard.

Ones you had made your way back to your room you were very careful while opening the door as to not startle or wake up Azriel.

When the door was open far enough to slip inside you did so carefully, the room was bathed in moonlight and given the light you could see Azriel’s sleeping figure on the bed. He had moved himself fairly far to the window leaving enough space for a second person to lay down next to him if needed.

But you didn’t need to and getting in the bed would mean having to move his left wing out of the way and you weren’t about to touch the one place that Illyrians loathed to be touched.

Quietly making you way to the bathroom you quickly changed into night clothing and treaded very lightly to the couch. You laid down and when you finally settled you felt something twirling itself around your fingers. Looking down you realised it was a shadow. You smiled at it, mouthing good night before it parted from you to return to their master and with that you went off into slumber.

When you woke up again there was not yet any sunlight in the room. You looked over at the clock on the wall above the door and noted that it was almost time for sunrise. You looked over at Azriel realising he was still fast asleep and decided to take one of the books of your little makeshift nightstand before shuffling to the open balcony.

It must be a dream for winged people to be able to simply fly up to their rooms from the outside without having to first enter and walk both the hallways and stairs.

You sat down on a sofa that was located opposite to where the bed stood so you could keep an eye on Azriel in case he were to awake.

Before long the sunrise started, it was truly magnificent. The colours weren’t simply red, pink and yellow. No, you were sure you could make out nearly the entire rainbow from the sky.

You once again felt a little coolness around your fingers which finally prompted you to look away from the scenery.

“Hello you, we meet again.” You smiled softly at it while speaking in a whisper, mindful of the early time. “What are doing over here, hm? Shouldn’t you be guarding your master?”

It moved around your fingers and palm before deciding to return to the figure on the bed. Looking over you realised you had been caught making small talk with a shadow.

From the bed a tired looking Azriel looked at you with eyes of wonder. “Good morning.” You greeted. “You should go back to sleep, it’s still very early.” Which granted it was. Looking at the clock once more you saw that it read six.

He hummed as if in thought before turning his head into the pillows and stretching. His legs coming out from beneath the blanket and his wings stretching wide. They nearly hit the wall on his right from how wide they were.

He relaxed again before letting himself fall back into the mattress. For a bit you thought he had taken your advice but alas he started turning so he could sit up in bed.

His hair was frizzled and stood a little upright. He had dark circles under his eyes and a sleepy look covering his face. He blinked a few times before moving to sit with his legs over the side of the bed. The blanked had fallen and you couldn’t help but look at his chest, the muscles well defined, quite a few scars, some bigger than the others and a tattoo covering the entirety of his upper chest. It looked just like the shadows that had started swirling around him again.

Curling through his hair and around his ear, likely whispering little things they noticed or deemed important enough.

Deciding the stop gaping at the male you moved your eyes back to the other side, the sunset nearly over by now. Even though only a matter of two to three minutes could have one by the sun had risen fast. Likely a Day Court thing. It shone brightly and you could feel it’s light gently ceres your skin.

Feeling a presence nearby you noticed that Azriel had started moving towards you, yawing in the process before settling down next to you in the sofa.

You sat in comfortable silence for a bit before he spoke. “The sunrise is likely the only thing I enjoy about this court.” You smiled gently at his words before looking over at him.

He was looking at the sunrise with a small smile on his face before he turned his attention to you. His eyes seemed to soften a little bit more when they met yours.

“How did you sleep? I heard you come in quite late and you were up early.” He noted with a small furrow of his brow. Although the gentle smile stayed on his face.

“I slept pretty decent actually. I had lost myself in a book in the library so I was back rather late, I am sorry if I woke you.” You replied back, spoken in soft voices.

He assured you that you had not awoken him, rather he himself were still awake.

“I noticed one of my shadows with you this morning, they don't usually do that. Have they done that before? Because I’ll tell them off if they make you uncomfortable, although I must say that it did not seem that way just now.”

You beamed slightly at his words. “I don’t mind at all, in fact they are rather nice.” You smiled a little brighter as some of them immediately darted towards you, some playing with your fingers other roaming around, a few even went into your hair.

Azriel looked slightly startled as they did this. “I think last night while I went to lay down was the first time. Whichever one it seemed to have wanted to come say goodnight to me.” You thought for a bit, admiring them before realisation hit you. “Wait, actually, I think they might have done that before. Back during Solstice a few of them curled around my arm when I passed you. I completely forgot about that.”

You looked over at him and he seemed to be deep in thought, his brow was really furrowed now and his smile was no longer. When he didn’t seem to snap out of it you placed your hand on his wrist.

He blinked in surprise before looking at you hand on him which had him frowning once more.

You removed your hand before clearing you throat. “Sorry, I would have taken your hand but you seem to always shy away when people do that. I shouldn’t have assumed that your wrist would be any different.”

He looked up at you expression unchanging. He opened his mouth to say something right as a knock sounded from the door. You looked over at it before deciding to go over and see who it was. You looked back over at him to see him still staring. You gave him a little smile, after apologizing again you stood up and made your way to the door.

You opened it just after another knock sounded and were surprised to see your own High Lord.

He looked slightly surprised by you before giving a smile. “Well good morning, it seems our dear Azriel is in good hands then.” He chuckled softly, mindful of those still sleeping.

Just as you were about to ask him what was wrong or what he had meant you felt a hand on your waist. While the other grasped the door besides your head.

“Can we help you Rhys?” Azriel sounded kind of agitated, a clear difference from simple moments ago. You couldn’t help but wonder if it was because Rhysand was here or because you touched his wrist.

“Not necessarily, I simply wanted to check in on you both. I had heard from Feyre that Elain and our dear Azzy here had switched rooms.” He said the last part while grinning at you.

Before either of you could say anything else Azriel decided that the High Lord and his brother had overstayed his welcome. “If you aren’t here for a decent reason could you let us be?”

He surprised you with that but the high fea before you seemed unbothered, maybe even pleased.

“Of course, of course. I wouldn’t want to bother you two. Remember that meeting we have at nine.” He barely finished speaking when Azriel pulled you back into him begore closing the door.

You both stood there for a moment until you decided to turn around. Only then did you notice how close he really was and how very bare his chest still was.

After a second of standing in a daze staring at his chest and tattoo you seemed to come back to reality when you moved backwards a step, which in turn caused your back to hit the door. You looked up and Azriel followed your step until his arm was pressed into the door above your head.

He leaned in slightly while you tilted your head upwards to try and look at him properly. If you didn’t know better you’d say he was blushing.

“I don’t mind you touching my wrist. Or my hand.” He paused while looking at you. He leaned in even more, noses nearly touching. “I never mind when it’s you.”

You both held eye contact between each other until his gaze flicked over your face as if searching for something. Eventually he pulled away and you smiled at him, hoping he couldn’t hear the loud drumming of your heart.

Later you found yourself once again in the library. Azriel left at eight, presumably for the meeting Rhysand was talking about. And given that you were once again alone in your room and that you could read the books you had with you you could read another time you decided to return to the library.

A good portion of the day had passed, before you knew it the empty plate upon which the dinner that one of the helpers had given you had been cleared and replaced with coffee.

You finished yet another book and decided to try and find a book you had been looking for for a while. While strolling through the aisles you couldn’t help but have the feeling that you were being watched.

You wondered if it was something alike the House or Byraxsis. Although you doubted that something as ‘terrifying’ could be found in the Day Court.

Not to lie you had always enjoyed the presence of Byraxsis, you would read to it after a long day. And sometimes, just sometimes they would ask a question or ask for a book you could read.

You missed them sometimes, although the same cannot be said about Cassian.

When you reached for a book you noticed that you were once again joined by a little shadow. You smiled at it before returning to looking for your book.

When you were about to enter another aisle the little shadow decided to pull you a different way. You ended up three aisles down from where you were going. The little shadow kept going before stopping before a specific bookcase. You looked around it for a bit, curious at what the littlz thing would want to show you and that’s when you saw just the book you were looking for.

When you went to thank the little one, you realized that it was nowhere to be found.

Shrugging it off you decided to focus on the matter at hand. To get the book that was placed about a meter and a half above you. You tried to reach it by standing on your tiptoes before someone reached out above you to take it of the shelve.

You immediately recognized the scars on the hands, the siphons and the little shadows that had once again decided to dance along your skin.

Lowering your hand you turned around to see Azriel leaning over you in the same way he had been that morning. Except this time he was smiling softly, it tugged on a heart string to see him smile like that. Gods what you wouldn’t do to see him smile like that more.

“A bit short aren’t you.” It wasn’t a question as much as it was a tease. You huffed but smiled and thanked him for the book. But just as you went to reach for it he held it out of your reach. The smile on his face widened at your playful glare. You reached for it again but this time he held it above his head. So you decided to step closer until you were practically chest to chest and place one hand on his chest and raise one to reach for the book.

He seemed surprised by your boldness and movement that his arm went slack and you managed to lower it and grab the book.

You smiled at the look on his face and patted his chest. You took a step back.

“I’m surprised to see you here. Wasn’t expecting it.” You said softly to respect the space.

He shrugged and smiled. “Maybe I wanted to read and saw a damsel in distress.” You laughed a little, denying being a damsel or in distress. He leaned in closer with is head and upper body and added. “Or maybe I just wanted to see you.”

You flushed at that and he laughed quietly, deciding that you were red enough he gestured for you to follow while he offered his arm. Which you took.

He led you to where you had sat yesterday and took a book of his own. He sat down besides you on the couch and started reading.

You finished your book rather fast and decided to read another and another. As did he, only he didn’t read nearly half of what you read.

Once it started getting late, and both of you began to get hungry he announced that you should be retire to the bedroom. You obliged, still you toom the books with you to the front desk so they could be placed where they needed to be. He smiled at you once that happened and once again offered his arm.

Back in the room, you both decided to wear something more comfortable. Azriel had once again ditched his shirt and opted for loose black sweatpants instead of his leathers.

The food was delivered to the door and you both ate in silence until he spoke up.

“Why did you sleep on the couch tonight?" You raised your head from your food and blinked at him. “I mean there was enough space for us both and as much as it is pretty that couch does not look comfortable.”

You smiled perhaps a bit sheepish and said: “I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable, you had already moved so for to the right and still there was little space. I definitely would have touched you, which I thought you were uncomfortable with. And I would have had to move your wing and even now that is a boundary I will not cross. Especially not in your sleep.”

He smiled softly at you and his eyes softened. “I wouldn’t mind you sleeping in the bed with me. Not at all.”

And so that’s how you ended up next to the shadowsinger. It was well past midnight and it appears that Azriel had found sleep, the same could not be said for you.

The blanket had little weight and was very thin. But getting out of the bed would mean waking Azriel zo you bared with it.

After a count you turned your head to Azriel to find him already looking at you. Startled at first your eyes widened before turning into a smile to match his own. You turned on your side to look at him better and did he look good.

His sleepy smile paired with that dammed look in his eyes.

“Why do you look at me like that?” you asked.

A beat passed, then he sighed and said: “Because you are simply stunning.”

A blush crept up your face. “So are you, dammed handsome truly.”

You thought that he would laugh or say something back but instead his face faltered. It hurt to watch that, you frowned and wondered why that happened. Did he not believe you? Does he think you’re lying?

No, that’s not possible, I mean look at him. But his smile went completely and you felt such dread seeing it ago, and that’s when it happened.

Snap

…

“You…. You’re..” You weren’t sure what to say. It’s like your entire world got flipped upside down.

“Wait, you can feel it?” He said, leaning on his elbow. Your mouth opened and closed before you nodded with disbelief. He knew?

His smile started returning before he started reaching for me. Although he stopped abruptly, he looked at his hands and before I knew is I had taken them in mine and placed a kiss on the knuckles, the back of them and both palms.

His eyes glossed and his voice sounded so little as he asked: “You don’t mind? You don’t mind that it is me that is your….” His voice trailed off at the end.

“I do not, truly I am utterly delighted.” You took the side of his face in your hand while guiding him to lay back down. “I am more than happy to be your mate, Azriel.”

His eyes scanned mine for a lie, a single hesitation and when he found none he said upright and brought both wings to the correct sides. He gestured for me to sit up so I did. He laid back down with now the wing beneath me.

I hesitated and he told me once again: “I don’t mind when it’s you.”

So begrudgingly you laid down on his arm atop his wing while the other draped over you, along with his arm and shadows. The added weight was welcome and so was the warmth against the chilly air.

“How long have you known?” You ask.

“Remember Solstice two years ago, when we were having one of our conversations again?” You nodded. “And how all of a sudden I had to make the worst excuse ever to leave?” You nodded again.

“Well, you had said that my shadows were adorable and you called them ‘little ones’ ande then it just… snapped. I panicked cuz I did not know what to do, I almost spilled it all right then and there but I felt like you deserved better… or at least for it to be natural. Honestly even before the bond I really liked you, you should ask Rhys and Cass. They have some stories of me trying to impress you and it going terrifically wrong.”

You laughed and stared in wonder, you mate is a dork. And you love him. So you told him just that.

“I would love to het to know you better, truly. But know that even before and now still, I love you. My mate is such a dork and I’d love to hear all the stories.”

His arms wrapped around you tighter and the shadows seemed to do the same. And so you both laid there in each other’s arms.

[friendlybatteringram]

Feel like posting these again. They’re “title pics” for the first five acts (plus intermissions) that I drew on notebook paper way back in 2013 when I first discovered Homestuck. Admittedly, these pieces are pretty important to me, so reblogs are appreciated!

[midnightdemonhunter]

Simulacrums of luck, day 5: CONTORTION

He's yours to mold as you like @sillysiluriforme!

[too-funky]

Tenth Doctor | Midnight

[scrublord27]

This is probably the stupidest thing I’ve ever made

[iobsessoverfictionalmen]

Midnight Roses (3)

This fic contains canon-typical violence and behaviours, manipulation, mentions of death, murder, orphans, pain, blood, blood drinking, torture, memory manipulation, prison, and criminals.

Italian Translations:

amore mio - my love

Anche tu mi sei mancato - I missed you too.

Chapter 3

Once the Cullens and Bella had left the throne room, escorted by a very displeased Jane, Alec and Sulpicia, Caius and Athenadora swept from the throne room in step with each other.  Aro took one look around the room, sighed, shook his head and then he too left.

Marcus was clearly at the end of his patience and so, using his grip on your hand, he lifted you over the arm of his throne that was in between the both of you in one fluid movement and onto his lap.

“I missed you, amore mio,” he purred into your ear.

You snuggled into your mate’s embrace “Anche tu mi sei mancato”  You replied in a soft tone.

“Did the Romanians give you any trouble?” He rumbled.

You peered up at him, “If they didn’t give me any trouble, they wouldn’t be the Romanians that we knew.”

Marcus let out a dissatisfied growl at the fact that the Romanians’ stubbornness had kept the two of you apart for longer than necessary.  He rose from his throne and instead of letting out a yelp at the sudden movement like you had earlier in your relationship, you wove your arms around his shoulders and rested your head against his broad chest.

It didn’t take the two of you long to reach your shared quarters and Marcus placed you carefully on the bed and took off your shoes before laying down himself.  You immediately curled into his embrace and he cupped the back of your neck to keep you in place.

Without any prompting, you answered his unasked question, “I think Bella has been provided a biased view of our history.”

Marcus’ hand dropped and he massaged your shoulder gently, “You aim to correct this.”  He stated.

“You can’t make a decision if half the information is missing.”  You yawned as the battles, travels and meeting in the throne room caught up to you.

“You can,” Marcus disagreed.  “But it won’t be a well-reasoned one.”

You yawned again.

“Rest my beloved.  You are home.”

The next morning you woke up still cocooned in Marcus’ embrace.

After reluctantly extracting yourself from your mate’s presence hours later, you found Bella standing in the portrait corridor.  She was facing away from you and staring at the numerous paintings that adorned the walls.

“Art has a way of making the darkest parts of our history glow with a secretive light.”

Bella spun around to face you, “Edward said that I shouldn’t be alone with you.”

“There’s that phrase again: Edward said.”  The last two words were oozing with venom as you gazed at the teen.

You felt a rush of air and then Rosalie appeared at your side.  “There.  Now you’re not alone with her.  Problem solved.”  

Bella shook her head with a faint sneer and turned to face the paintings again.  Rosalie glared at her before switching her gaze to the paintings.

“Did Great King Marcus paint these?”  She asked in awe.

Some of your anger vanished at her amazement, “My mate has a passion for art, especially painting.”

Rosalie’s gaze moved to the next painting on the wall, “Why did he paint a portrait of so many immortal children?”

You saw Bella’s head turn slightly in your direction, “It was his way of remembering the children when they were innocent and mortal.”

Still facing away from you, Bella spoke.  “What are immortal children and why did Marcus feel the need to honour them?”

“Immortal children are children who were transformed into vampires.  Like all other vampires, they are frozen in time but there is one crucial differences.  Immortal children cannot develop mentally.  Children can be infuriatingly stubborn, especially toddlers which was what the majority of the immortal children were.  You cannot reason with a toddler when they are in the middle of a tantrum.  Now, imagine that that toddler had vampiric abilities as well.  Every thought, every impulse would become an action.”

“Why were they turned to begin with?”

“Their creators wanted to preserve them in time due to factors such as war, famine, disease, poverty.  The list is endless.  Part of the problem with immortal children was that their sire would become obsessed with their existence.  That extended to other vampires as well.  To know them was to love them.”

“The portrait of the immortal children I understand but why is there a portrait of the Romanians and Strigoi on the wall?”  Rosalie questioned.

“To ensure that we never forget how damaging and unexpected alliances can be.”

“Who are the Strigoi?”

You frowned at Bella’s back, “What has Edward taught you about this world?”

Bella chose not to answer so Rosalie did, “Very little.  It appears that Edward,” she sniffed disdainfully and a memory flashed in front of your eyes of Hera doing the exact same thing, “taught her only what he thought she needed to know when he thought she needed to know it.”

“He told me all about the Volturi!”  Bella shot back.

“Did he really?” Rosalie argued, “Or did he only tell you about the most important vampires in the Volturi coven?  I know my brother much better than you do.”

“There were three main types of vampires in the world.”  You spoke over the two of them, hoping that your words would prevent the brewing argument and they did.  “The Empousai who were the servants of Hecate and some believe inspired the legend of the vampires to begin with, the Strigoi who were the deadliest and most feared of all vampires and the vampires you know today are the only ones who survived.”  You explained.

“The Cold Ones.”

You inclined your head, “That is one of the names for them.  Years ago, when the Romanian coven ruled the vampiric world, they joined forces with the Strigoi and for a time, they were the deadliest combination of vampires.  However this alliance had an unintended side effect.  Due to their power and their egos, the Romanians became reckless and arrogant.”  Bella pivoted and gazed directly at you, completely enthralled in your recount of the past.

“They began to hunt in the day and draw attention and so, as the legends of the Romanians grew, the power of the Strigoi faded because the Strigoi depended on their reputations and the humans fear of them to survive.  At this time, the Volturi were growing stronger.  They decimated the Romanian coven and destroyed the Strigoi.  When the Romanian coven fell, leaving only two members alive, the Volturi became the rulers of the vampiric world.”

“The last time that Edward, Alice, and I were here, Caius said that the Volturi don’t give second chances.  If that’s true, why did he, Aro and Marcus let the Romanians live?”

“Because they weren’t living Bella.  The Romanians were forced to spend the rest of their immortal existence in their castle with only the memories of their glory and power to keep them company knowing that the power they once enjoyed was now lost to them.”

“You used the past tense when talking about the Romanians just then” Bella observed shrewdly, “Did the Romanians have something to do with the fact that you returned to Volterra after Alabaster?”

“They did.”  You admitted with a small grin at Bella’s perceptiveness.  “We received a report that the Romanians were marshalling their remaining strength for an attack on Volterra.”  You omitted the fact that the report had come from Alabaster after he had a dream about the chaos that would ensue if the Romanians were successful with their plan.

“Aro dispatched Alabaster and I that same day to deal with the Romanians.”

“What were they planning to do?”

“They were planning to revive an army of Strigoi and challenge the Volturi for the crown.  Because they would have been the ones to raise the Strigoi, the Strigoi would have been completely loyal to them unlike the Strigoi that the Romanians allied themselves with in the past.”

“You and Alabaster obliterated the Romanian coven, didn’t you?”  Rosalie inquired.

“By the time we arrived, some of the Strigoi were raising their hands out of the dirt outside the Romanian castle.  When the Romanians were destroyed, the spell reviving the Strigoi was broken and the Strigoi lost their tether to this world.  They were sucked back into the earth and imprisoned there as their consciousness faded and they crumbled into dust.”

As soon as you finished speaking, you realised that you might have been a bit too matter of fact in your explanation because Bella was now gazing at you with a look of disgust on her face.

“I almost believed that you and the Volturi were different but what you just said proved that Edward was right.  The Volturi are monsters.  I don’t know how I thought they could be anything more especially after Heidi led that tour group into the throne room to their deaths.”

Rosalie stepped forward angrily, “You are a guest in Volterra, Bella.  Act like it.”

“Don’t you think that it would draw too much attention if several official tour groups were to go missing while they were in Volterra, Bella?”  You demanded at the same time.  “The Volturi would be breaking their only law to feed and while the Volturi have been called many things that are historically true, only the ignorant call them hypocrites.”

“You’re a liar!  You’re exactly like them!”

“Did you know that Volterra and her neighbouring regions have the lowest rate of crime in all of Italy?” You asked conversationally.  You knew that the vampires in the castle and Alabaster would be able to hear what was going on but you also knew that they had enough faith in you to diffuse the situation.  That being said, you were certain that your eyes weren’t playing tricks on you when you saw two blonds and one brunet zip past the three of you.

“What has that got to do with anything?”  Bella cried.

“Those ‘tour groups’ are dangerous criminals.  Heidi, Jane, and Alec visit the prisons, find the most dangerous criminals, and take them out for a day tour.  The heads of the prisons are all vampires and they are loyal to the Volturi.  The criminals are dressed in expensive clothes, taken for a luxurious tour of Volterra before they are ushered into the castle.”

“No.”  Bella refused, “We saw children.”

“Alec and Jane escort the children into a side room and Alec uses his gift to keep them calm and dull their senses.  The children are not blamed for their parents or caregivers actions.  After the Volturi have fed, we have some vampires who use their gifts so that the children forget what they’ve seen, heard, smelled, or felt and Jane finds the children new homes after extensively researching prospective parents.”

Bella’s expression cleared and she looked thoughtful, “But what if someone was wrongfully incarcerated?  Is there a chance that they would they end up in the group?”

Now it was your turn to shake your head, “That’s why we have vampires running the prisons.  They examine the evidence and if someone is truly innocent of the crime that they’ve been convicted of the evidence that demonstrates their innocence is presented to the courts and the innocent is freed.  And yes, as a precaution, a vampire will examine their mind to ensure that there is no chance of the innocent being aware of the hidden supernatural world.”

Bella’s stomach grumbled and a rosy tint appeared on her cheeks.  With a quiet, embarrassed goodbye, she walked out of the corridor leaving you alone with Rosalie.

“You handled that much better than I would have.”  The blonde remarked.

“After a lifetime of people making assumptions about you, you learn how to react to it.”  You replied, “What were you doing before you came to the corridor?”

“Watching my mate spar with Felix.  It wasn’t an uneven fight; Emmett was holding his own against Felix.”  Rosalie answered proudly.

“Felix would enjoy the challenge of fighting someone who matched his strength.”  You hummed.

[unicornofthemidwest]

Ghost Quartet + textposts 1/

[ourstaturestouchtheskies]

The Language of Flowers: An Alphabet of Floral Emblems – published by T. Nelson and Sons (1857) // Maroon – Taylor Swift

[illustratinghan]

Rose Leaves ~ Please Believe Me 🍃

- a recreation of Mark Blackthorn’s flower card -

characters by @cassandraclare 🫶

follow me on instagram! @/illustratinghan

[b0nkedmehead]

Been watching sm drawtectives, season 3 will be insane 🧚‍♂️🧜🧞‍♂️🧟‍♂️

[hillwench16]

Enough positivity. Enough hope. Enough cheer. I ask you all, which of the Beta Kids is your LEAST favorite?

Before your answer, let yourself get really mad and angry about them. Feel the rage. Do not forgive Milton for what he has done. Do not forgive. Do not forgive.