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potterandpromises · 1 year ago

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sorry for not winning you an arcade ring: chapter 1

I had Thoughts™ on a potential Theobel fake engagement storyline in season 3, which delightfully morphed into this.

Also on AO3

Secretly, Mabel had suspected her next real conversation with Theo would be when the bodies began to pile up again.

The first ASL words she googled, late one night in her aunt’s apartment, were ‘blood,’ and ‘stab,’ and ‘gun.’ As a visual thinker, she noticed the similarity— although extremely slight— immediately. Fluttering fingers, blood and glitter. Dripping.

At the stoplight, Theo watches her. “You okay?”

“Just thinking,” she signs back, and smiles. It shouldn’t be this easy with him.

What happened with Zoe was an accident, she’s almost entirely sure. And she doubts letting Oscar take the blame was his idea.

But how much does she care that he tied her and Oliver up, gaged and blindfolded them, put them in the back of a van with a bunch of corpses and drove around all night? However much she cares, she should care more.

(Probably.)

For a minute or two, she’d thought he would murder her and Oliver in the basement of that funeral home. Then he shoved Oliver against the wall, started to bind his wrists. Surely, it would be easy to kill two people in the building with the drain in the floor and human sized refrigerators. He would not go through the pointless trouble of kidnapping them if that were the plan.

(He hadn’t seemed all that confident in himself, though, had looked almost panicked grabbing for spare cloth while she stood by, her instincts screaming at her to freeze, her learned memory saying something about secondly locations.)

One (normal person) might say that seriously and completely believing someone was going to kill you should be enough to disqualify the two people involved from ever dating. Yet, she could counter that statement. She is a true-crime addicted, New York millennial woman for fucks sake. She regularly thinks random men are going to kill her and prepares accordingly. So, there.

Theo pulls up outside the Arconia.

Mabel turns to him. Dajia vu sets in as she thinks through the correct signs. (‘it’s a callback!’ Oliver’s voice rings in her ears.)

“Thank you for helping me steal a dead guy’s hair.”

He grins at her, shakes his head.

(She knows she got it right.)

Winter breeze bites Mabel’s cheeks. She shuts the car door, flings her bag over her shoulder.

She glances back as he drives away.

If her life is going to be full of murder, who better to share it with then a reformed grave robber?

—

Nobody on the internet cares why her and Theo were dressed in all black. Nobody guesses their bags were full of PPE. At least they were caught, via unnoticed IPhone flash, in Manhattan, and not anywhere close to that funeral home in Connecticut.

No, the internet doesn’t notice what points to the weird, weird truth. The internet cares that Bloody Mabel Mora was seen with Theo Dimas, a man she accused of two murders, standing by a street light pole, perfect smiles painted on as they looked at each other.

“It could’ve been worse?” It comes out soft and uncertain. She scrolls through #bloodymabelandtheo.

“No, this is fantastic!” Oliver exclaims, somehow with complete sincerity.

“How is it ‘fantastic?” The disgust in Charles’ voice sets off a tiny, easily ignorable ping in Mabel’s chest. She gives him points for his correct use of air quotes, though.

“Because we need a big event in order to lure the killer out from the shadows, a party everyone will be talking about.” Oliver’s hands shake with excitement, or with something he should see a doctor about. “Honestly Charles, we were just talking about this.”

“I’m also not following,” Mabel says, although in the back of her mind, she already has a guess as to what he means.

“Star-crossed lovers, a couple who takes everyone by surprise with their passion, the wedding of the century—“

“Are you suggesting they get married?”

Mabel chokes on her gut milk.

“Well,” Lucy says, “you do look sort of cute together. Oh! What should your ship name be for the tag? I’m already seeing Maeo, Theobel…”

“Of course I’m not saying they should get married, Charles, I’m saying we should host a wedding.”

The plan makes an unfortunate amount of sense.

—

Lying atop his comforter, the afternoon sun an annoyance he won’t bother to close the blinds for, Theo considers moving back to the Arconia.

He’d been back to the apartment a few times since his father’s sentencing. He’d cleaned out the fridge, wondered why the freezer was full of steak, dusted.

Three years, maybe less if Teddy behaved himself, or the prison got too crowded. It’s almost nothing to the people whose loved ones passed through the funeral home, or so he’d read. Probably, it’s almost nothing to Oscar Torres.

To Theo, though, it’d been a gut punch and the first time he realized his dad is old.

There’s that background dread. One more thing he can’t change. Another guilt to wrestle with when his body is still.

He forces his thoughts from his previous crimes and shortcomings to the crime he committed just last night, in the name of truth, justice, and not-quite-friendship.

Mabel had shown up at his door with an apprehensive smile and a detailed note explaining the twist in the case and what she was asking of him. (After he read it, she ripped it up into tiny pieces and dropped them into his garbage disposal.)

He didn’t even hesitate.

I’ll go with you, he wrote, and replied to her questions about security cameras in mortuaries and obtaining hair samples useful for DNA analysis.

He still has her white coat in his front closet. Soft dry cleaning plastic brushes against his hands whenever he gets the broom. Her knitting needle, too, is stashed in the back of a drawer.

They’d exchanged greetings about half a dozen times since their shared day at Coney Island, but it’d never been a good time to bring it up. Even in the elevator, just the two of them, when his cheeks hurt from smiling.

He’d meant, somewhere in the back of his mind, to reach for her things when she showed up at his door. They do have each other’s phone numbers now, but it’s probably too late to bring it up. It’ll definitely be too late whenever they see each other next.

Does she still have his coat? Or rather, what had been his coat? He’d found the beanie she’d borrowed on the floor of his car. Does she also not know what to do with her incidental souvenir?

The residents of the Arconia didn’t notice him before and they don’t notice him now. It’s not like he’d be subjecting himself to constant glares for the occasional smile. Hell, he shared an elevator with Oliver once and the man hadn’t reacted at all. Though, he’d been engrossed in a phone call at the time. The only person, aside from Mabel, who treats him differently is Lester, his subpar ASL replaced with tense gestures.

Does Theo want to live in his childhood home again, with all it’s secrets and dark corners? Does he want to live here, among a revolving sea of neighbors? Does he want to sleep in this bed that came with the place, and dream of Mabel?

Just seeing her face makes his day and that’s… pathetic. He’s completely, painfully aware of why it took them a year to exchange phone numbers, why they can’t ever—

But she’d surprised him by signing sentences, had said it just seemed useful to learn ASL. Useful, and fun.

Maybe if he lived in the building again, the label ‘friends’ would become less dubious.

The light by the door flashes. Theo isn’t expecting anyone and a non-specific suspicion takes hold. He checks his phone, but he hasn’t received a text saying: flee, all is discovered.

A pause. The light flashes again.

He crosses the apartment, checks the peephole.

Mabel.

He opens the door, blinks. Her expression is sheepish, almost apologetic.

“I need your help again,” she signs, “please.”

“Anything.”

#theobel #only murders in the building #omitb #mabel mora #theo dimas #fanfiction #my fanfic tag #fic: sorry for not winning you an arcade ring #oliver putnam #charles-haden savage #lucy omitb #gonna try to finish this before the premiere #we’ll see how that goes lol

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erabundus · 2 years ago

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@custosavis &&. said... xiao isn't entirely sure why he's doing this. he spends a lot of their time grumbling and growling at the wanderer and listening to his snapping and snarling in return. they foolishly attempt human experiences together. they hunt demons side by side. aside from the traveler and their tag-alongs, the vagrant is the closest thing xiao's had to a.... companion, in a long time.

it doesn't take him long to figure out where the wanderer is staying. he is the prime authority at wangshu inn, after all.

it's a fast motion. xiao, teleporting into the thankfully empty room and leaving behind the items before dipping.

on the bed is a parcel; a little box. inside is a disc of stone that shimmers and glows bright cobalt in the dim light of the room. left with it is a note.

[ "this disc is pure Noctilucous Jade. it glows bright blue, as do you... i felt you should have it. it's known to bring good fortune, as well as maturity. i find you could use both.

-- thank you for the sakura mochi. you have a gift. ]

and speaking of maturity... left with it, is one more item. the inn's now-empty mochi plate. he's left ren his dirty dish.

sleep being a matter of choice rather than necessity affords the wanderer many conveniences. first and foremost among them is requiring very little in the form of accommodations. he needs not concern himself with finding a safe place to wait the night away — for he will never be VULNERABLE enough to warrant it. as a direct result, it's quite rare for ren to find himself spending time at an inn. perhaps he may occasionally stop by to sample the food, or prod for information. ( such locations can be quite the treasure trove in that regard, provided one knows where to look. ) yet actually booking a ROOM of any sort feels like an abhorrent waste of mora he no longer has the luxury of burning.

so to have a place to actually RETIRE to for the evening is quite the oddity indeed. in return for his help in the kitchen, or so he had been told — well, ren supposes it would be pointless to refuse. ( he can respect an exchange of services, even if that wasn't his intent. )

when the wanderer opens the door, he's still brushing traces of flour from his clothes. he clicks his tongue; cooking, for all its myriad of benefits, is an obnoxiously messy process. it's the primary reason why he tends to cling to the most basic of recipes when making a meal for his own enjoyment — fewer ingredients, fewer tools, fewer things to clean. yet the chef downstairs, gruff ( in such a way that rings oddly FAMILIAR ) mannerisms aside, holds quite the passion for the culinary arts. out of respect for a kindred spirit, ren simply had no choice but to delve deeper into his repertoire. admittedly, it wasn't an unpleasant experience. dabbling in cuisine both old and new, exchanging tips and tricks — yet the clutter left in its wake was irksome, and the wanderer refused to leave until the mess had been properly taken care of. as a result, the moon now sits high in the sky.

he stills as his gaze settles upon the bed — upon the odd little box that rests atop the sheets.

ren tries to think. he knows certain inns are wont to leave gifts for their guests as a show of hospitality. ( perhaps this is more of the same? ) silent steps guide him to the bedside. he lifts the lid from the parcel and blinks in surprise — both at its contents, and the luminescence it spills across the darkened room. the wanderer's lips part in a soundless gasp. a rock. a gem. a treasure. yet one of exemplary beauty. for just one fleeting moment, his usual layers of suspicion and cynicism are stripped away; he can only ghost careful fingertips across its cool surface, as though fearing it may CRUMBLE beneath his touch. what ... how — ?

he snatches up the note, reading it by the blue-tinted light of the precious stone. ren laughs — a soft, melodious sound like the chiming of a tiny bell. so it seemed the vigilant yaksha knew some manners after all. he's a bit surprised to see xiao actually took the time to return the FAVOR. ( he won't waste time dissecting why he did the other a kindness without expecting compensation. ) ren has long since worn the label of an eccentric, yet he would argue he's met his match in the adeptus. he's a strange person — quiet, stubborn, loyal to a fault ( even if such loyalty comes at the cost of his own destruction ) but for all that they clash, the wanderer can't deny he sees a reflection of himself in him. they are outsiders, perpetually looking in on a world they cannot touch for fear of tainting it with impure hands. BROKEN things that should have perished long ago, yet continue to persist in spite of it all.

he doesn't know what to call them. rivals. friends. miserable creatures dragging each other, biting and kicking and hissing, down the winding path of life. perhaps their dynamic is not something that can be conveyed through a single, concise description. it has levels. layers even the wanderer is hesitant to peel back for further examination. he makes him feel strange. he makes him act with an undercurrent of something carefree and reckless and light that's so hard to come by these days.

( and ren ... ren wants to see xiao learn how to live for HIMSELF just as much as he wants to be a thorn in his side. )

he glances at the plate and shakes his head. another mess for him to CLEAN, huh? such a pest. ( as if he has any room to talk. )

#custosavis #long post #( unintentionally loving the background ren x smiley yanxiao friendship arc DSJKD )#( they are buddies now it's canon i said so )

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theinnerunderrain · 2 years ago

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The Synthetic Pride [Yan! Scaramouche x Saintess!Reader]

Warnings: Yandere themes, intrusive thoughts, slight swearing.

Repost

Knowing that Scaramouche was a self - righteous man shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone.

Given that he was structured with the properties of an Archon, it wasn't abnormal for him to be so prideful, so arrogant. It goes without saying that he was significantly more powerful and much more intelligent than the average man.

That meant he wasn't obligated to be subservient to a God, much less a human.

But there he was, perched on a wooden pew within the Snezhnaya's cathedral, peering listlessly into the monument's main stage that was occupied by a herd of young children. He couldn't give a single damn about the prayer that the group of young Mormon kids were chanting, since he—didn't like kids or cared much about some prayer devoted to a God. But oddly, he was unable to muster the motivation to move, perch still and motionless on the wooden bench.

His attention was drawn to the person standing within the center—it was you.

You presided over the prayer with parted lips and a soft, clear voice that prompted him to think of the nightingales he frequently heard whilst dwelling within Inazauma. Even though your voice was tender, it managed to be powerful enough to reverberate off the columns of the cathedral, enthralling the audience, enthralling him.

Even if his barren heart prevented him from feeling anything, Scaramouche felt strangely at peace which was odd given his normal characteristics. Nevertheless, he hoped he could say that whatever sensation he was experiencing was akin to a peaceful feeling, since it was his first time experiencing such an odd sensation.

There was nothing in the world that he could be troubled about. Regardless of how many people were fighting for his head, he didn't give a damn. If the Fatui was pursuing him, it didn't matter to him. Even if it was the Shogun or her subordinates, it didn't matter at all. He was completely unconcerned.

Besides that, the Fatui are powerless to stop him. Not while he is within the sacred land of Snezhnaya, a land worshipped for its holiness. Violence of any kind is prohibited there since it is considered to be God's precious sanctuary. If he really wanted to, he could even stay here forever and sleep. But that isn't truly the issue at hand.

The singing abruptly came to an end, and the audience proceeded to quietly applaud as each person on the stage bowed. After patiently awaiting the departure of everyone else from the cathedral, Scaramouche rose up from his chair to leave, ready to continue his journey with the gnosis.

But just as he approaches the midway of the hall, a soft voice interrupts him.

"Sir."

He whirled around, anticipating some obnoxious kid trying to start a pointless conversation, ready to scowl at whichever unfortunate child it was.

But it was you.

"You've dropped something."

You spoke while extending a handkerchief he had acquired while circling Snezhnaya. He wasn't sure why he would bother wasting mora on such a pointless item of clothing, but the fabric's pattern somehow reminded him of home. A nonexistent place, yet sometimes he yearns to feel the love of his own creator, his mother, despite her abandoning him merely because he wasn't a suitable puppet to her grand scheme.

How laughable.

"...Ah, thank you."

He murmured as he stretched out and pulled the handkerchief into his palm, pressing the velvety cloth against his skin.

"Are you perhaps a new visitor? You are a new face to me."

Perhaps you're a lot more perceptive than he thought? In an effort to blend in, Scaramouche even tucked his hat aside and dressed only in a plain black coat on top of his customary attire. It would be unpleasant if some Fatui agents were to notice him and sought to engage with him. He didn't want to have something as trivial to obstruct his progress, and didn't feel like dragging some dead body either.

"...Yes, I'm simply a wandering vagrant of Inazuma. Following your arrival, the Cathedral of Snezhnaya has gained enormous prominence."

Your smile seems to grow wider in response to his remarks, and your eyes appear to look brighter due to the bright cathedral light scattering off of them, creating a scene that somewhat reminded Scaramouche of the stars within the sky. Blindly beautiful yet superficial.

"I'm delighted you made the effort to visit."

Scaramouche seems to be captivated by some peculiar kind of brilliance within your eyes as he peers into them. His eyes aren't quite as dreary as his comrades', but they weren't particularly luminous either, especially when contrasted with your protruding large doey eyes. Still, they weren't as bad as his junior's eyes.

Despite the fact that he had seen plenty of stunning women whilst travelling, none of them could compare to the way that you captivated his attention. Your body was well concealed by the silky white robe; only a few of your curves were apparent. Your feet were covered, yet with every step you took the fabric would drag against the floor. He could even bet that you have probably stumbled upon your feet once or twice.

He imagines what it would feel like to glide his hands along your curves, caressing your delicate skin and folding the bud of your breasts between his fingers. He would laugh at your wails, mocking your dignity as the divine Saintess and how the Captain would react to your sinful face. Even more, he pondered whether the Captain would interrupt him or succumb to his own desire for you.

"Sir…?"

Your gentle voice pierced through his ear, suggesting that he had been too long immersed in thought. His attention shifts from your chest to your face, an awkward smile gracing his lips.

"I apologise, Saintess. It appears that I was too preoccupied with my thoughts. However, it appears that I should depart now."

Your presence alone would suffocate him if he waited any longer.

"Ah that's right."

You smiled, then moved a few steps toward him, stopping only one arm's distance away. Your movements nearly compelled him to flee, but he was able to firmly plant himself within the Cathedral's marble floor.

"Why don't I bless you before you depart to assure your safe travels?"

Scaramouche could nod as he watched you approach him and stretch out an arm. A warm sensation emerged on his skin as you gently rubbed two of your fingers across his forehead, prompting his breath to hitch at the gesture. As you moved away from him, a dazzling light emitted before dissipating into a few speckles, and he nearly wished to indulge in your warmth a bit more.

"There you go."

In an effort to recapture the warmth from earlier, he reached out with his hand to stroke his forehead, but the skin on his fingertips was only frigid. He mutley expressed his gratitude as he turned to leave you, feeling the way your gaze linger on the back of his head. Scaramouche took a moment to gaze at you before exiting through the door, having a sudden shift in his train of thought.

Your eyes met him as you smiled at him, a look of confusion lace within your eyes. The wicked man, who is full of conceit, does not pursue God since there is no place for God in his thoughts. Yet he found himself to be captivated by you, a mere vessel of an angel sent from above.

A truly magnificent being, one he's willing to abandon his reckless pride for.

"I'll be sure to visit soon, My Saintess."

He paused, a visible grin growing onto his lips as you waited for his words, eyes pique in curiosity.

"However, perhaps by the time I come back, our relation will be comparable to that of a worshipper and a god."

#yandere genshin impact #genshin impact #yandere #yandere genshin x reader #yandere genshin au #yandere x reader #genshin imagines #genshin x reader #yandere genshin imagines #fatui #yandere scaramouche #scaramouche #kunikuzushi #saintess

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innerunderrain · 2 years ago

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A man of Pride [Yan! Scaramouche x Saintess! Reader]

Part of the Harbinger of Misery [Yan! Capitano x Saintess! Reader] series

Warnings: Yandere themes, perverted thoughts, negative mentions of religion, light swearing, objectifying the reader.

Word count: 1.1k

Knowing that Scaramouche was a self - righteous man shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone.

Given that he was structured with the properties of an Archon, it was not even abnormal for him to be so prideful. It goes without saying that he was significantly more powerful and much more intelligent than the average man.

That meant he wasn't obligated to be subservient to a God, much less a human.

But there he was, perched on a wooden pew within Snezhnaya cathedral, peering listlessly into the monument's main stage. He couldn't give a single damn about the prayer that the group of young Mormon kids was chanting. But oddly, he was unable to muster the motivation to move.

His attention was drawn to the person standing within the center—it was you.

Even if his barren heart prevented him from feeling anything, Scaramouche felt strangely at peace. Nevertheless, he hoped he could say that whatever sensations he was experiencing was akin to a peaceful feeling.

Besides that, the Fatui are powerless to stop him. Not while he is within the sacred land of Snezhnaya. Violence of any kind is prohibited there since it is considered to be God's precious sanctuary. If he really wanted to, he could even stay here forever and sleep. But that isn't truly the issue at hand.

But just as he approaches the midway of the hall, a soft voice interrupts him.

"Sir."

He whirled around, anticipating some obnoxious kid trying to start a pointless conversation.

But it was you.

"You've dropped something."

"...Ah, thank you."

He murmured as he stretched out and pulled the handkerchief into his palm, pressing the velvety cloth against his skin.

"Are you perhaps a new visitor? You are a new face to me."

"...Yes, I'm simply a wandering vagrant of Inazuma. Following your arrival, the Cathedral of Snezhnaya has gained enormous prominence."

Your smile seems to grow wider in response to his remarks, and your eyes appear to look brighter due to the bright cathedral light scattering off of them.

"I'm delighted you made the effort to visit."

"Sir…?"

Your gentle voice pierced through his ear, suggesting that he had been too long immersed in thought. His attention shifts from your chest to your face, an awkward smile gracing his lips.

"I apologise, Saintess. It appears that I was too preoccupied with my thoughts. However, it appears that I should depart now."

Your presence alone would suffocate him if he waited any longer.

"Ah that's right."

"Why don't I bless you before you depart to assure your safe travels?"

"There you go."

A truly magnificent being, one he's willing to abandon his reckless pride for.

"I'll be sure to visit soon, My Saintess. However, perhaps by the time I come back, our relation will be comparable to that of a worshipper and a god."

Now that his vision is unquestionably apparent, he is more than committed to achieving his objective of reaching the celestial.

He had made up his mind that you would be his first worshipper. Perhaps he would even get satisfied with only having one worshipper, if that worshipper was you.

#yandere genshin impact #yandere genshin x reader #yandere scaramouche x reader #scaramouche #genshin impact #yandere scaramouche #yandere genshin imagines #genshin imagines #yandere #yandere x reader #genshin x reader #kunikuzushi #scara #genshin scenarios #Scaramouche #gaming

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mxthtea · 4 years ago

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believe or not,, this was completely unintentional !! on the day this is written and released it's ventis bday for me so,, happy birthday venti !! sorry your first fic on my blog is hurt/comfort ,, i am sad,

fic is inspired by the fact i get bad dreams for a week straight each month, don't worry they just happen and i am fine. very rarely do they scare me that much as i've gotten used to them by now. usually i wake up, process what the hell i dreamt of, (depending on the hour) stay up longer, fall back asleep later.

venti x gn!reader warnings: nightmares, lack of sleep/sleep deprivation, physical contact (hugs), venti refers to the reader as 'love', grammar + spelling mistakes, lowercase writing, tell me if i forgot any description: venti has an s/o that doesn't sleep often because of nightmares, only making the nightmares more frequent. he decides to try and help them this time. word count: 1k

"loooove?"

venti's call to you was basically pointless. you only continued to doodle meaningless pictures onto the sheet of paper.

"darling? apple of my eye? the best lover i could ask for?"

you gave a tired exhale as you turned to look at venti. he was playing with his sleeves when you turned to him. his green hat and cape being put onto the bed a bit away from your desk in the corner.

"yes venti?"

"are you gonna sleep soon?"

he should've known the answer, he probably did know the answer. venti wasn't stupid, despite the kind of drunkard he played himself down to be.

"i've got so much to do though.. just go to sleep without me tonight. please?" you lied. "i'll try to get in bed as soon as i can."

you heard a sigh from the bard as you turned back around. then shuffling as he changed clothes and laid down in bed.

"would you like me to go out of the room? so you can sleep in the dark without a candle," you asked, still not looking back. you know he had the sad eyes and by now, you just couldn't look at them.

"please just stay in here..."

"alright," you muttered back, hearing more noises as venti settled down.

the candle lit the sheet of paper you continued to doodle on. in truth, there was no letters, no stories to write, nothing to do really. you just wanted something, anything, to distract you from sleeping. nightmares and bad dreams plagued your mind a lot of the time, leaving sleep to be more of a hassle than something to want at all. in the end you just barely slept. venti was aware of it.

he was used to you saying you were busy with something and would then sleep by himself. you'd join him at the end of the night to rest your eyes and your body, but sleep was kept to a minimum.

and you could tell venti hated it.

the bard knew of your nightmares, in the first few months of dating you he had figured out they plagued you at times. you'd wake in a fright and bolt up. then you'd lay back down as you processed what happened and hugged venti tight as you shoved your face into him.

he'd wake up when you jolted up awake and try to pretend to sleep. though the more unbearable nights, one when your cries and sobs were heard by him, he'd ask to pull you into his arms as comfort.

and so, after staying up for a few more hours and running out of papers to doodle on, you walked over to the bed. venti lay facing your side of the bed, hair unbraided and a peaceful look on his face. you lifted the blankets and laid down beside him. a small hum come from venti as he wrapped his arms around you and pulled himself closer.

you played with his hair for a few extra minutes before slowly starting to doze off. you didn't want to sleep. not yet. not when the only thing to greet you were upsetting scenarios and imagery. ones you couldn't get out of until the very end.

but your body refused.

venti's eyes flew open as your body lurched forward. heavy breathing was all that filled the room as he looked up to you, hunched over with your head in your hands.

ah, one of those dream tonight. he thought.

the bard sat up slowly and looked at you for a second.

"venti," you whispered.

"yes love?"

"please-" you sobbed into your hands. "please just hold me for tonight, please?"

he gave a nod in response and wrapped his arms around you. you turned yourself over and put your head against venti's chests.

for a considerable amount of time, you two sat in each others embrace. venti rubbed circles onto your back as you started to calm down. he didn't have to ask or talk. he just wanted to be with you for tonight.

though, he swore he'd try to help you more in your sleeping endeavors.

the next night, you were doing the same. sitting at your desk and doodling more things into pages with nothing to do.

"love, can we talk?" venti asked.

"hm?" you turned around to look at him. "is something the matter, ven?"

"i just wanted to ask- is- is there a way i can help you with your sleeping?"

"what do you mean?"

"i want you to sleep more, and take care of yourself more. you can't keep going on like this," venti walked over to where you were sitting and placed his hands on your shoulders. "i'm worried about you love, you're hurting yourself more than you think."

you looked down at your hands, tears already welling up into your eyes as you looked up at venti. he looked worried. he looked serious. it was making you nervous.

"i-" you took a deep breath. "i can't venti... 'm tired of those dreams. i don't want to see them anymore."

"then we can get help for it. please, stop hurting yourself like this. i love you and i want the best for you..."

you looked up at venti, down at your hands, and up again.

"venti..."

"i'll get the mora for it i swear."

you gave a short, sad laugh as tears welled into your eyes.

"fine..."

venti smiled at you as he hugged you, bending down further to put his head on your shoulder as you continued to sit down.

"thank you, love. i'll get the mora and i'll cover everything. promise me you'll at least try to take care of yourself."

he pulled away to look at you, leaving a peck on your forehead as well.

"it's weird seeing you so serious venti," you gave a slight laugh.

"it's hard for me to be that serious as well."

you both laughed as venti lead you to the bed. getting each other under the covers. there was no promise of no nightmares that night, but you both hoped it'd at least become more tolerable over time.

#tw nightmares #genshin impact #vennys tales #venti #venti x reader #genshin x reader #venny writes about venti dsdss

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dyedviolet · 4 years ago

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Pointless Genshin headcanons I can't stop thinking about

Beidou has a prosthetic eye, but she only shows it off for formal events. She's got an eye cap made of melted mora.

Signora got her vision purely for political reasons.

If you look at diluc's model you'll see his tie is fucked up. My explanation for this is that he invested Dawn Winery resources into creating synthetic cloth, just so he could melt two ties together. The motivation for this was that he can't tie ties.

Xingqiu and Hu Tao are friends but they only hang out when one has a prank and need the other to help pull it off. At all other times their interactions are solely bullying each other.

The traveler twins are not mammalian, but fungal. Aether is a vegetarian.

Baal has a king-sized safety blanket

Albedo and Lisa have probably boinked at least once? Mostly I'm confused that nobody has shipped the two smartest people in the Ordo together. No hate to sucrose.

Venti accidentally gave most of Mondstadt his acoholism coping mechanism.

I firmly believe Kaeya's friendship banner thing is meant to be a metaphor and he lost his eye by perfectly mundane means.

Thank you for your time, I will add more when new thoughts consume me.

#genshin impact #headcanons #someone confiscate my brain i need less thoughts

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aph1wonderland · 4 years ago

Text

Achilles Come Down(Songfic)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_V76Dm42bY

(by Gangs Of Youths) Happy late birthday Kay {1/11}]

Achilles

Achilles come down, won't you

Get up off

Get up off the roof?

She heard stories, how people get visions blessed by archons, when they know they have lost something dear to them. It's selfish for her to claim she has so much, but how can she bare face with the honorless daughter who selfishly granted a wish to her desperate mother? To be given freedom, but at what cost? The obedient daughter can no longer learn because her household refused her to excel in her gifts they sold her.

You're scaring us

And all of us

Some of us love you

Achilles, it's not much but there's proof

She could only acknowledge the sacrifices of her mother’s paranoia and insanity driving her to act out of her driven mind. Forced to push her first daughter gifted to leave the nest before the danger of a curse to seal her away. What a feeling she learned when fought as a child, not entirely understanding why her fragile and injured mother could dare teach her violent arts of breaking bones. No matter what she could with the trait passed down to obey like she did, the inhuman strength was supposed to be her brother’s. Was she supposed to be a man, or play a coward of a woman like she was last time she saw her.

You crazy assed cosmonaut

Remember your virtue

Redemption lies plainly in truth

Perhaps it was insane to teach her child to fight and out of turn for her to act this way on the day she was supposed to depart away to Fontaine. To run, a virtue truly from her heart, passion but plainly she didn’t know how to fly by herself if she nested warmly alone in her noble home. But maybe it was a better hesitation than she thought distracted by the differences of Liyue Harbor the sounds, the unknown to the factors of cultures shifted from them and herself.

Just humour us

Achilles

Achilles come down

Won't you get up off

Get up off the roof

She was bringing too much attention to herself. A distraction to few of the many bustling crowds, it did not help if she was holding her vision from Inazuma. The crafted origin of her homelands if only it was possible to cover it up, but she cannot do anything to god blessed item. Afraid to break such a glorified object that could possibly bring her even more fear brought among her. She could not say much but the expensive silks of her layers of clothing on her and mora tied as the side of her sash. Perhaps this was a better choice to exchange for more temporary stability.

Achilles

Achilles come down, won't you

Get up off

Get up off the roof?

Parting for her meticulous layers, as if she felt bare to foreign weather. It was an uncommonly shifted need to adapt. To live is to survive the world that felt dangerous in the as if shores she arrived at the port, soaking her soles. As the hydro element felt attuned as she gazed over it, perhaps she mistaken it for cryo for a few seconds. The newly acquired clothing felt perhaps embarrassing to be seen wearing it, but it must be done. Exposing skin could throw them off of her, needing eyes to attend too afforded a pair of glasses to wear. No longer blinded and blurred by the setback.

The self is not so weightless

Nor whole and unbroken

Remember the pact of our youth

She planned back to see the village of her mother, in which she thought would be best to rely on them for a settlement. As quick she wanted to live again, the feeling of the forest life once again she’ll dearly make it possible to work away her favor and honor. The face of her selfish wish from her mother’s demands, for once she’ll do her justice in living in the truth then the lie. She was the selfish one in the end to drink the god’s gift in the journey of living outside the box.

Where you go

I'm going

So jump and I'm jumping

Since there is no me without you

The hardest part was truly talking to the leader of the community of Qingce Village. Basic knowledge of contract is the word of the old in Liyue, for that it must be fair to do so as a way to be accepted. As long as she can work what she can there’ll be no one to stop her from becoming something unexpected. Perhaps if she’ll survive the jump she’s making herself take, someday she’ll see her mother smile once more. One day she will not need to hear rumors of the walls that could speak about her siblings and the warmth of the sun not the gaze of cold expectations.

Soldier on

Achilles

Achilles come down

Won't you get up off

Get up off the roof?

As if her eyes hesitated at the time she heard from the old woman, she warmly laughed off her noble character she played. She felt warm, her own layer of her mask cracking and her face wrinkling in confusion. Perhaps one day she’ll understand why she left, accepted into the community and warm tears to the location to her new home. Gazing at the moon and the stars among the indigo sky, on the roof. Feeling alone at the end of the ledge wondering why does she feel this sadness?

Loathe the way they light candles in Rome

But love the sweet air of the votives

Hurt and grieve but don't suffer alone

Engage with the pain as a motive

It had been an additional two years she had hesitated a few times to work her way into the community once again, when the old woman told her to visit the night of the lantern festival and live a bit. Scolding her for something as tedious as working too much for others and not herself. She wishes to stay, tending her home, to the children in the village. Listen over to the elderly and middle aged for things to do, when she returns from the commissions in the early morning before. She could not see herself anymore as a woman who could stand sitting looking beautiful in wealth in silken in silence without someone or a book in hand. Yet here she is fidgeting to do something in Liyue Harbor, gazing at the port away from the festivity waiting for it to end. Hands shaking over the candle lights, flashing sounds of fireworks behind her.

Today of all days

See

Leaning against the stone fencing far away from the peaceful cold tones wondering about Inazuma. Her 2nd younger sister, Kaori was already sent to Fontaine after her brother 3rd youngest Daichi was prepared. Who knows where, but hope the best for him. That his wife would not stop him from doing what he loved in the end. Becoming an alchemist and a doctor, something she felt taken from her life however perhaps this is the exchange of her natural build taking away his inhuman strength. She loved every single child born in that house. Chie, she has yet to entirely meet, but she must have been close to a mischievous child she was when she was younger running in the fields. Last time she remembered from her nanny telling her before sending her off from the interception of her mother that week she fled.

How the most dangerous thing is to love

How you will heal and you'll rise above

Thinking about it now she was alone on the side of this world, the chills returned. It felt suffocating and an uncomfortable delusion to find herself drowning in the sea of doubt. The constellation of her verse was a siren, or a mermaid. They long and lost their dreams and here she was living the dream not of hers but someone else's, what could she say now but choke back the mourning not of death but the new life given to her. Perhaps she’ll love the gods for this life for hers, the opportunities to breath in the beauty of Liyue. Live for the virtues of Justice, but for now she shall wait for the day to be taken back home, not alone but with others in strength.

Achilles

Jump now

You are absent of cause

Or excuse

She flinched when she turned to look to the side to see a tall man, he was beautiful. Awed at the sight of the strangely encapsulating man who was glowing entrancingly from the lights and the moon as well. Mostly his vision of his eyes from the mid ranged distance, she panicked once again when he caught her staring. Flustered in beyond her life had she met a man who made her feel so out of place. He was confused why she suddenly looked away, “Miss? Perhaps you are a traveler? Considering I have yet to see you before in this country? Have finished experiencing the festival in Liyue?” She froze, right the festival that is taking place right now. Was she dreading for so long to not realize the time?

So self-indulgent

And self-referential

No audience could ever want you

One thing is for sure she was embarrassed herself once again, no way to correct the fact she had nothing to tell this man to answer that. “Perhaps you are asking for an introduction from a stranger like myself, but it does not seem fair if you do not return the favor first. In all honesty I did not partake in the event, I tend to busy myself too much in working around Liyue as an Adventurer from the guild. Well I don’t know how to experience these events. It’s best for me not to attend and perhaps ruin it all. Good night Sir.” She shouldn’t bother this man at all, leaving was the only thing on her mind.

You crave the applause

Yet hate the attention

Then miss it, your act is a ruse

“Would it be possible for me to guide you through the festival? Of course I am Zhongli of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, a consultant, may I ask for the name of your Miss?” She stopped, “I would not mind if you were to show me the knowledge of yours of your beloved Liyue. I am Kay of Haru, please do not mind my hesitancy and not honor among me to be called anything as Miss. Kay is enough for me to be called in such a fluency.” Returning a feeble gaze up to him, taking him as her guide for that night to return alive that day.

It is empty, Achilles

So end it all now

It's a pointless resistance

For you

Achilles

Just put down the bottle

Don't listen to what you've consumed

Open to opportunities and refreshed and ready to work her life for another day to look for Mister Zhongli had inspired her to take on learning the world the best she can starting with Liyue. From the whole trip listening to him speak the loveliest tunes of a tone, enchanted possibly. Yet she began to notice how little time she spent on her commissions in which she decided to ask Katherine in a few hours for more things to do. In which she began to enjoy the thrill of control she realized of her life envirgated by the thought itself grew her confidence and growth in her skills. Passing 5 years had affected her bond with Mister Zhongli to increase in size on her personal affections to his personal side of feelings towards simple things in life. Someone who could answer her curiosities in the best way they could and confide, not once thought about leaving the country of Liyue.

It's chaos, confusion

And wholly unworthy

Of feeding and it's wholly untrue

Yet with few time he found her as often as he could in Liyue in finding her in returning to Katherine filing in the many commissions built as she carried on her shoulders. He gave her glaze lilies on her birthday each year, not sure how he knew, but perhaps the old woman told him. Cooking was one her specialties in which she began collecting recipes after trying to find a way to return back to Mister Zhongli to acknowledge his distaste in seafood as a reminder. Perhaps he was too addicting to let go, however was that alright to call him something close to a friend. Would that be alright with him?

You may feel no purpose

Nor a point for existing

It's all just conjecture and gloom

Yet she would miss him as much as she thought when Childe took on his arrival. Perhaps the fact alone that she took on now is the gnawing hunger, she was childish to share a desire of hers with him. Considering the truth, he always found her and never the other way around. She did not see him that much anymore, feeling like a distant memory that returns every week he does. Never once complained for the fact she enjoyed his company, for the returning fact, she was lonely.

And there may not be meaning

So find one and seize it

Do not waste your self on this roof

Perhaps for once a longing will not leave her and let her stay on the roof of her home given to her and the children of those who breathed in this village. The moon was always lucky to know it was never alone, possibilities of her insecurities to eat her. Was she not worthy to know the fact she is not considered in the spotlight, but entirely on being known? Still he gave her glaze lilies on her birthday.

Hear those bells ring deep in the soul

Chiming away for a moment

Feel your breath course frankly below

See life as a worthy opponent

Driven to bite back the petty thieves in Liyue with her strength reporting to the adventurer’s guild and stealing treasures and effort from others. She did not like them, she made sure to take note of base locations from each leader she fought, monsters she battled and planned meticulously in a clean beat down. Same old same old, spending Mora on things she could think of. To one she could tend to a bird; Kyu a loving bird with a blank expression but a silent affectionate one in the end of it all, who carries packages and wordless secrets of her loneliness. Perhaps her own feelings she can express is what tearing her apart over and over again. Life was hers to learn more of as her commissions made her wander to Monstadt’s region but never once thought about entering into the city of freedom.

Today of all days

See

How the most dangerous thing is to love

How you will heal and you'll rise above

Crowned by an overture bold and beyond

Ah, it's more courageous to overcome

She faced Childe in a confrontation when Mister Zhongli brought him over for dinner that week at her home. Why did it take a year for her to finally meet Childe, Mister Zhongli? She frowned, but bonded slowly with Childe, he was pretty sketchy around her, but nonetheless she wasn’t alone if Childe actually had something to confide with family. Considering they had similar visions from the same values of Justice but different archons blessed. He gave white lies with reason, sometimes it was cruel to keep to himself. While Kay herself was one who hesitates but nevertheless her strength is for the good reasons that are proven. Yet even the harder things get she won’t give in so easily she rather die fighting for things that are right, failing to do so does not mean she’ll stop. The moment she’ll stop if she dies breathing blood. Perhaps that’s why she talks with him often, even that does not satisfy her.

You want the acclaim

The mother of mothers (it's not worth it Achilles)

More poignant than fame

Or the taste of another (don't listen Achilles)

But be real and just jump

You dense motherf*cker (you're worth more, Achilles)

You will not be more

Than a rat in the gutter (so much more than a rat)

You want my opinion (no one asked your opinion)

My opinion you've got

You asked for my counsel (no one asked for your thoughts)

I gave you my thoughts

Be done with this now

And jump off the roof

Can you hear me Achilles?

Mister Zhongli lowered his visits to her compared to Childe who was able to find him whenever he needed to talk to him. However another person, the traveler, arrived in Liyue a few weeks ago. However Mister Zhongli had briefly mentioned her if they needed any assistance. Not sure how to feel if he was using her, unsure if their bond would be truly mended and here she was letting him into her own heart every time he came. Why does she hesitate when it comes to him? Someone who could destroy all her defenses and weaken her to the point she doesn’t help but stutter. She’s not sure if Mister Zhongli realizes as she doesn’t entirely, she is hurting. She is selfish to continue this cycle she let herself eat till he leaves her. This is not entirely healthy, she’s disgusted to look how encapsulated when it comes to him. Perhaps it’s better to give up before it ruins her, she thought. She’s selfish to think he would see her again. Does this mean she’s drowning by the sea with no shores for her to rely on.

I'm talking to you

Achilles come down

“Kay.” She stood by the cliffs and turned around to see Mister Zhongli with the Traveler. She is confused yet a bit sad by her own thoughts of self pity. “Mister Zhongli. It’s been too long hasn’t it?” The Traveler worriedly looked in between them. “Hello dear Traveler, I hope you’ve been well, I hope I did well to help you in Liyue.” She ignored the fact Zhongli was about to respond to her, but ended letting him continue since the Traveler nudged him to do so. “I apologize, if I left you too much in the dark. Perhaps we could mend for a few moments with a story to tell. I will confess the fact I was not honest in my reasons for disappearing too much.” Her eyes conflicted, whether or not he was truly speaking his mind, but knowing him for years regardless of his disappearance. She sighs, bitterly but allowing his invitation to tell about the salt goddess that late evening.

Throw yourself into the unknown

With pace and a fury defiant

Clothe yourself in beauty untold

And see life as a means to a triumph

Today of all days

See

One thing she could even do was not judge him, but comfort him as a human like she was born to do. Sure she was angry, but nothing could compare over the immortal and emotional wounds that cut deeply over time and left a swollen temperament of a situation. She cannot help but relate once again leaving her fragile over the fact she wasn’t smart enough to understand him, but connect through the empathic nature she was. In the end she knew she'd join the Traveler to Inazuma to finish her parting justice for her country. Perhaps one day she’ll understand to feel more, if they joined them. Perhaps she’ll tell people in Liyue about her choice in following the Traveler.

How the most dangerous thing is to love

How you will heal and you'll rise above

Crowned by an overture bold and beyond

Ah, it's more courageous to overcome

She loved this man to the end of her aging life, even if he would not take it for granted compared to her existence. After following her beloved traveler to the end of their journey, healing her country she must take over duties as next head with the revived honor of her clan. She realizes Mister Zhongli will wait for her, not the reason she wants to believe. In which she cannot return the sentiment that he plans to give back in the end. That is not the love she needed from him, nor can force it. For that she will settle for another, her children will remember the age or gods in her place. She will heal and forgive him over and over again. For she will love him to not feel forgotten for eternity. Perhaps he was right to compare her to glaze lilies on her birthdays.

#genshin impact #genshin impact oc #oc #songfic #angst #zhongli #the traveler #mc #oof #why did i take 6 hours #cause i started fking crying and shit #happy late birthday #sduhfkjvsiodjk

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hmratking · 6 years ago

Text

Silent Chaos

continued from One Last Goodbye, Part II

Arriving at the apartment in Dalaran, the Flea and Mora arrived in her bedroom and he walked away, deep in thought. "This isn't ideal," he said softly before sitting on the edge. "No, this is a mess. And when he finds out, we're dead." He grumbled and shook his head.

It was with his steps that Mora was through the portal, looking back at Daeli until she couldn't. Getting into the room, Mora sat on the bed quietly. After the Flea had shaken his head, Mora stood again and walked to her door taking a look out to see if she could see Loli and the babies. Satisfied, she closed it again and walked over to the window facing out over the city before looking back to the Flea. "I am sure he will kill me before you. He knows…it’s me. You should go, leave us money, but go and don't come back for a while. I will stay out of Silvermoon…" She rubbed her arms some. She wasn't sure what to think.

He lifted his head and glanced at her by the window. "Right..." He sighed and shook his head. "You know I won't do that." He threw himself back on the bed and covered his eyes, simply lying there, lost in thought. "I haven't spoken to him. The last time I went was to deliver a package. He didn't speak to me or ask me for you, although I know he wanted to. He's trying hard to move on, but others have noticed. And others are offering sympathy, and he hates it. I can't imagine what his reaction will be when he finds out about this."

Mora bit on her lower lip lightly looking up with her eyes as she still faced the floor, "HE didn't ask of me?..or them?" Her shoulders rocked as if she was trying to relax the tension from them; she started to pace some, slow. “How hard is he trying to move on?” The glow of her eyes moved from his lap up his body as she studied him while repeating things that stood out to her. "What are they saying there? In the Kingdom. What is it they think they notice?”

He chuckled, his smile brightly visible, "He has an entire organization to command, Dahlia. It's obvious that he's struggling to be without you, but he can't show it or everything is going to collapse. He isn't spending the night with others if that's what you're thinking." He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling.

She crossed her arms and gave a light shrug as she looked at the bone comb that set on her dresser. "He knows what's best, for himself. Who am I to interfere with his ongoing? Just an idiot. Right... He's moving on…" She faced the window and went quiet again.

"They're saying you're not coming back. That he's lost you for good. He hates it when he catches those comments. Silvermoon is on his mind right now.”

"How do you know who he's spending the night with? You are here with me now. You have been. He will do what he pleases. I know him." She rubbed her bottom lip some, thoughts of her King taking up her mind. A soft smile pulled her lip from her fingers as he said the King was struggling, followed by a frown. "I just need him to show me, not everyone..." She didn't like it when she didn’t know what to do with herself. Moving from the window she went and sat on the bed, one leg on and one off as she rested her back to the headboard.

"Well, considering that I'm the one who takes him everywhere and I haven't, and Sarinna told me he hasn't asked for her, I would say he's not fucking anyone unless he's going off on his own, but no one has seen him leave." He turned and looked at her. "He did try to talk to you..." but that was a pointless argument now. He saw her sit on the bed and he pushed himself up on the bed further, placing his head on her lap.

Mora would bring her legs up on the bed and cross them as Jhon moved his head into her lap, her fingers pressing through his hair and every so often trailing down his neck only to play right back into its repetition. "So bring him here, Why is it only one night that he can talk to me? I didn't want to be around him then. No, why? why... " she laughed some and hit her head as she laid it back on the headboard making a face as it stung. "Bring him and take Loli and the twins out... I will talk to him. But I am not sure if I am going back, Jhon, not for nothing. I can’t change this hurt..not on my own" Her hands stopped and small sniffle was heard as she blinked and looked up to compose herself. She didn't like to think of it all.

Her touch caused him to close his eyes as he simply enjoyed feeling her fingers through his hair and on his cold skin. "Bring him? Just like that? Mora, he's afraid to try again. You know him. He hates rejection. In his eyes, he already tried."

He heard her sniffle and he leaned his head toward her. Then he felt the tear on his cheek. He opened his eyes and looked up at her. He hated seeing her crying. He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a white handkerchief, handing it to her.

"He won't come."

The Flea remained silent and he tried to find a way to change the topic. “Oh, and…there’s the even Evan issue." He chuckled. "An ironic statement, but he's planning something for the so-called Rat Prince."

"Evan? what is he planning for him?"

He then looked up at her and said, "He's going to kill him."

She looked down and a tear would fall from her cheek onto Jhon's own "What? how?"

"Distractions. He's trying to find things to do. From what I heard, he's poisoning him." He shrugged. "I wish I were there to see that."

Bright eyes looked down into his, only shifting to look over the handkerchief he was holding up to her now. "Heh.." She smiled some though her eyes did not, "Poisoning him?, That is different. I have not seen him do that. I wonder why he does not have him dragged back to pluck out each organ one by one. Why poison?”

“Who knows why he does what he does.”

Mora used the soft cloth to carefully wipe her eyes. She hesitated but she found herself returning to the previous topic. “Yes, bring him just like that. " She folded the cloth and held it in her hands as she spoke. “He doesn't get to be afraid. Not now. I do. And I am...fuck.. am I.." she laughed but a few more tears said differently, "If he comes or does not. It's going to hurt,but..” With the tip of her finger, she dabbed the tear, a small bubble of sadness sparkling with the setting sun, placing it to the flea's lips "The end…the bigger end of this is that I can not be hurt that way again. Stay or go. It can only hurt this way once." She placed her finger back up to her own lips sucking over the tip.

He watched her as she spoke, his undead heart breaking for her. The teardrop on his lips slowly dispersed as his lip parted slightly. “I will find a way to bring him if that is what you want,” he said, hoping he sounded sincere although it was starting to pain him to defend the king.

He reached up for her hand and he took that little daring finger she had just licked, placing it between his lips, gently suckling the tip before he kissed her hand.

Mora's eyes watched the way he took her hand, finger still poised as it slid from her lip and over the coldness of his own. The small movements of her iris noticeable in the ways they processed all before her at such an intimate distance, a curious look of 'what if’, and 'why, always why. "It will always be what I want. I need to know what he wants and what's worth keeping." She smiled again as he kissed over her hand, letting it rest over his chest as she leaned back again.

"Besides, I am sure he will want to say something, even if it's goodbye. I would have liked to know what he has planned for Evan. Let me know how it goes. " She looked over to her nightstand. "He wrote me,” but her brows furrowed some as she thought on how the hell he would have known where she was. "That means he knows where we are."

He shook his head a bit as he caresses her hand on his chest and he smiled faintly. However, when she mentioned Evan, he looked at her. “He wrote to you? Why didn’t you say something? When was this? What did he say?” He looked at her curiously, his mind racing with strategies and many thoughts.

Her fingers laced into his, "Yes, a letter over there. " She tilted her head in its direction but looked over to the window watching the last rays of the light die, stars spread out blinking into existence. "He said he would love me like I should be loved.” Laughing lightly as she talked, "I would not have to worry, if I were his ‘Queen’,” she smirked. "I'll tell you one thing, beasty." she let go of his hand to tap his nose, "I am not going back to no fucking sewers.”

There was a touch of jealousy in the way the Flea moved, but he didn’t say a word until she was done. “I see. And if he wasn’t in the sewers? Would you go to him?”

Small dimples dipped in as she smiled and wrinkled her nose some. "I haven't before. I don't need another King and he doesn't love me all the same. House, castle, sewers…it matters not if the intent is just for a trophy. Could you imagine?” she laughed again. "He is something else though, such...a shame"

His demeanor relaxed a bit and he continued to play with her hand. “He was always a tool.” The Flea smirked. “I won’t miss him.”

"Perhaps letting him out of the Kingdom was not the best choice. At least a tool is useful in your possession. He is thinking that he has an upper hand, and he just might. I don't know" Mora sighed. "Look how fucked up it all is." She giggled some and lay her head back, her hand and fingers still playing with his. "What are you going to do?”

He shrugged and closed his eyes. “Whatever I’m told to do.” Although he had already decided that he wanted to deliver the package to Evan. “What are you going to do?” He felt perfect bliss in her lap.

Mora sighed. She smiled, but it is just left over from before, "I..will be here for now. I have to figure out what to do on my own. One day…even you will not come for me.” She looked down at him with just her eyes. "And I will miss you"

He looked up and into her eyes. “And why would I not come for you? I have already been with you this long...” He smiled at her.

“Because, Jhonathan, you are not mine. And if he wishes it so, one day you will not come. I cannot be alone. I am not alone and so for them…even that nanny, I have to think of how to keep them alive." She sighed and her hands went limp. “If something happens to him while you are with me, Sarinna will never forgive you. I am sure she would make you understand you should not be here as well."

He was ready to tell her no, that she was lying, but she was right. He took her hand in his cold hands and kissed it, his lips lingering on her skin. He wanted to tell her so many things, but he simply closed his eyes and remained still.

Mora closed her eyes and sighed again, smiling some as he kissed her hand. "You should be going. I will have to stay out of Silvermoon now. His sister..." she laughed some. “She's braver than I thought"

“I will stay as long as I’m not being summoned. Where else would I go?” He chuckled and nodded, “Yes, we’ve been spying on her for years. She does surprise a lot of our Ratz.” He chuckled. “She is the King’s sister, after all.”

"I think I like her. I did not expect to, and his mother. It was weird to meet something..that is…" She opened her eyes again with a confused look, searching for the right words, " him but not him. They are not him. He …I can see him in them. Does that make sense?” She waved her other hand. "His brother…” she looked down at Flea "That is something else. His voice…it curdles my insides,” she snickered some.

He looked up at her and very plainly said, “His brother is an asshole. He’s a blood knight, but one who uses the title for his own advantage. A different woman every night, drinks, drugs, manipulations.” He chuckled and closed his eyes. “Kinda sounds like his brother...”

Mora wrinkled her nose some, "So do you know anything about his father too then? Daeli made it seem like he wasn’t one to run into either"

“From what we know, he was the reason our King was set out into the streets and abandoned. He rarely walks out. He’s always in his home. We see the other three a lot more than we do him.” The Flea opened his eyes and looked at Mora.

Mora glared at nothing in particular as the Flea spoke, sighing slightly. "He suggested once that I leave our babies with his mother and sister, but that his father and brother were an issue. I must admit that I wanted to see his mother and sister just..in case he was right." She shook her head. "There is no way I would or could leave them, even with the best intentions. No…”

Mora shifted some sinking further into the bed and half laying on a large decorative pillow. Jhon would feel his head resting over her belly now as her soft rhythmic breathing lifted his head and lowered it in its pattern. "Winterveil is here. I want the babies to have a tree.."

He shifted with her and turned his head to look at her. “I’ll get you whatever you want.”

Mora smiled. "A big tree with lots of things to hang from it." She closed her eyes. “They won’t remember it. They are too little, but I want it.”

“Very well.” He kissed her hand again and prepared to get up. He sat up against the edge of the bed, his back to her. He ran his hands along his hair and checked his pocket watch. “I’ll be back in a while. Anything else?”

Her stomach grumbled as he moved and she didn't even bother to open her eyes, "Foood...Jhonathan. It's funny. I kinda miss Bunny's cooking"

He smirked and nodded. “It may take a while. I have a stop to make. I’ll just walk in if you’re asleep.” He rose off the bed and reached for his jacket.

"Nooo... Ok, maybe just a little sleep." She snuggled into her bed as he grabbed his jacket .”I will wait for you... here.” She opened one eye. "You will come back tonight?"

He placed the jacket on and grabbed his hat. “The night is young, Dahlia. I’ll come back eventually.” He bowed and walked toward the bedroom door.

(co-written with @loveherdekay )

#The Kingdom #Mora Black #The Flea #Jhonathan Cress #Dalaran #Prior to Winverveil #Silent chaos #long read

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the-nwah-embassy · 7 years ago

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The Daedra as schoolmates

Azura: The ultimate mom friend, to the point of total annoyance. Always nagging you about doing homework and paying attention in school. Perfect grades, perfect attendance, and has no time for frivolities like relationships. Although she’s extraordinarily pretty and caring in a maternal way, she’s also extremely terrifying when angered. You’ve seen her rip apart lives piece by piece in a calculating and cruel manner because someone bumped her in the hallway and didn’t say “Excuse me”, and then blame their lack of manners for their suffering.

Sheogorath: The random and uncomfortably loud class clown. He spends more time laughing at his own jokes than he does anything else. While occasionally entertaining, he’s also very unpredictable. He once knocked a kid out because he said “Oh yeah, I’ve heard that one before” to one of his jokes. He was also suspended for a month for putting a cherry bomb in the principals desk, which caused a minor fire in the office and caused a school-wide evacuation. Because of his crazy antics, he doesn’t have many friends, and the friends he does have are just as nutty as he is.

Namira: The girl with a greasy mop of hair who smells like mildew and body odor. You’re not entirely sure she even owns a shower. People avoid her in the halls, but she doesn’t seem to mind because she’s too busy picking her teeth with her fingernails and smelling it. During lunch, you can usually find her swirling all her food into a disgusting slop and putting it in people’s faces, or behind the school building picking up bugs playing with them. She usually wears the same two or three outfits every day, with the exception of her gym clothes, which you know for a fact haven’t been washed all year.

Hircine: The kid who is constantly wearing camo for no apparent reason at all. Camo jackets, camo hats, he even has camo interior in his ridiculous truck. Like literally all camo, all the time, for no reason. He’s the kid who goes hunting every single weekend and brags about the giant deer antlers hung up in his living room that his dad killed a few years ago. Needless to say, he’s president of the archery club and an NRA fanatic. He’s always bringing his own lunch to school, which looks eerily similar to a pile of freshly cut meat. You’re fairly certain he has a collection of animal skulls and organs hidden away in his closet ‘for trophy purposes.’

Boethiah: The infamous two-faced backstabber. She acts sweet and kind to your face and then talks shit about you to her ‘friends’ when you walk away, and the same thing over again when they walk away. However, whenever you confront her, she somehow always convinces you that it never happened, or maybe you heard wrong, or perhaps the other people were lying. She always comes out looking innocent. And Divines forbid you date someone who she takes a liking to, because you’ll find yourself with a nasty breakup on your hands and shortly after, her on their arm. At least for a few weeks until she gets bored. Then she’ll come to you and say how sorry she is, and that she genuinely thought it was true love and how she never should have betrayed your friendship for him. And when you forgive her, and you always do, she’ll walk away smirking, planning her next bitch move.

Peryite: This kid is always sick. Seriously, it’s always something with this guy. He spends more time out of class than he does in it, which you can’t say you’re not grateful for, because he’s also disgusting. He constantly sneezes without covering his mouth, and in the direction of other people. He sniffles all the time which sounds more more like snoring, and it makes everyone gag. You’d feel bad for him, but you know he does it on purpose. He’s also weirdly obsessed with learning about plagues. At first, you thought it was because he was so sickly and might be worried about himself, but now you’re not so sure.

Mephala: The school rumor spreader. You have no idea how, but this girl knows everyone and their business, and she has no shame twisting it to her pleasure. She’s ended relationships, friendships, and even scholarships. Somehow her tangled whispers find their way all over the school halls. For whatever reason, her word is taken as law, and she’s an authority on everyone else’s business. Maybe it’s because she’s cute, or maybe it’s because her skirts are a little too short, but whatever the reason, she has a way of convincing everyone else that her word is infallible. Most people try to make themselves invisible to her, but everyone finds their way into her web of lies eventually.

Mehrunes Dagon: Mehrunes is the quarterback of the school football team, but contrary to cliche, he’s very disliked, to say the least. Even the rest of the team can’t stand him because of his anger issues. While he has experience and ambition, he’s just an absolute jerk for no reason at all. Even the coach knows there’s something up with him, but won’t take him off the team because he’s so good at what he does. He’s fairly well known as a bully and an all around asshole throughout the school. Divine’s help if the school loses a game, because when they do, he ends up smashing in lockers and breaking sinks in the locker room. Seriously, this guy needs to be locked up because he can cause some real damage, and you have a sneaking suspicion he’ll be in jail less than a week after his 18th birthday.

Meridia: Meridia is the class president and voted most likely to succeed. She’s the perfect school princess who always does what she’s supposed to, and makes sure that others do too. You know that outfit you love that is just a tiny bit out of dress code? She’s the one that comes up and says “You know, that outfit doesn’t meet the dress requirements!” a little too loudly in front of a teacher, and then smiles and flounces off. She’s constantly making pointless, boring speeches at the school assemblies and deludes herself into thinking people she doesn’t know legitimately care about her plans for after college. The teachers roll their eyes when she’s around, and even the principal is tired of this chick.

Jyggalag: This dude is OCD as hell. He arrives at school every day at exactly the same time, sharpens every single pencil he owns so they are the exact same length, and reorganizes his notes before class. Every. Single. Day. Every notebook he owns is color coded and even page numbered so that he could make an index, and his handwriting looks like a typewriter wrote it. He’s been hall monitor for like two years now even though the limit is 3 months. He also absolutely detests Sheogorath, so much so that a rumor is going around that he switched schools just to get away from him.

Vaermina: Mean. Just mean. No rhyme, no reason, just mean. She never says a word to anyone, but everyone has a horror story involving this chick. New to the school? She’ll welcome you by tripping you in the hall. Have a new crush that you think is going to ask you out? Don’t worry, she’ll help you by making sure you sit in water in the class you share with them and don’t notice it until it’s too late. Having a bad day? That’s good, cause she’s going to make it worse, and she’ll enjoy every second of it. For real, this girl is a real nightmare.

Nocturnal: The school goth girl. You’re entirely certain she doesn’t own any clothes that aren’t black, and she’s always got her headphones in listening to bands you’re fairly certain you’ve never even heard of. No one ever sees her arrive or leave the school, and no one can ever find her unless she’s attending a class. No one really even knows her name, even the teachers. She doesn’t have any friends, but she does have a weird occult following that obsesses over her. She doesn’t seem to notice or care. Strangely, things constantly seem to go missing when she’s around, but it couldn’t possibly be her because she hasn’t moved from her seat all period... Has she?

Hermaeus Mora: Ah, this guy. The know-it-all. Why does he even bother attending? He already knows everything. The teachers hate him because he’s constantly showing them up. His most used phrase is “Well, actually.” You know that kid who is constantly yelling out answers in class without being asked? Yep, that’s him. When he’s not in the library hoarding books like a dragon, you’ll find him stalking various students around the school who intrigue him, and referring to them as his “subjects.” You have a sneaking suspicion that he’s the one that has been using the lab supplies without permission and also the reason behind why the school banned animal dissection in science class.

Malacath: This dude could use some help, like a therapy session or maybe a hug. He’s rude for no reason, but only because he assumes you’ll be rude to him first. He’s constantly trying to prove how tough he is by getting into fights over, well, everything. He and his group of friends are exclusive and reclusive, angrily calling themselves ‘misfits’ unironically, and will only accept you if they think you’re as outcasted as they are. The rest of the school either shuns or ignores them, so it’s understandable. Rumor has it that disputes in the group are settled via wrestling match in the parking lot after dark.

Sanguine: The walking leather jacket. Girls fawn over this dude, and all the guys want to be like him. He comes to school late on a motorcycle smelling like cigarettes and drinks vodka out of a sprite bottle in history class. Don’t worry, he’s always down to share. He is the walking embodiment of “Screw you mom and dad, my band is definitely going to get big!” He’s sort of friends with everyone, and he can’t walk down a hallway without being a part of at least 8 or 9 separate conversations. Teachers can’t stand him, mainly because if he’s even a minute late to a class, he says ‘fuck it’ and hangs out on the bleachers until lunch, and he’s always late. His yearbook quote was “Life is too short for school, so screw it and drink it down and party it up.” He also has his own ‘bachelor pad’ and wants to move to New York and play guitar in the street after graduation.

Molag Bal: So, you know that guy that you’re absolutely terrified will shoot up the school one day? Yeah, that’s this guy. This guy is angry as all hell, and you swear he can literally smell weakness. If he ends up making it through school without ending up in jail, you’re fairly certain he’s going to become a serial killer. He just terrifies everyone. The people who have tried to get on his good side (you know, just in case) ended up making things worse, and they won’t talk about why or what happened. Chances are, he has a manifesto saved on his computer. He has this weird thing with Boethiah and you don’t know whether they dated or what, but those two really don’t like each other. Or they just really need to tension bang.

Clavicus Vile: You know, you’re not sure this guy even goes here. He’s always hanging out in the parking lot with his dog that they don’t allow in the school. He calls himself ‘the hookup’ and seems pretty cool at first. He offers to get you discount cigarettes, beer, drugs, whatever you need for cheap. However, it’s probably better not to trust him. Maybe it’s just a feeling, or maybe it’s the fact that your friend said the weed he bought from him tasted funny and gave him a panic attack, or maybe it’s because the beer he brought to a house party once tasted strangely like the swill that bars throw out after closing. Either way, you don’t trust the guy. He’s just trying way too hard to get you to trust him. He tried to offer you a cigarette the other day, but why was the tobacco white and fuzzy?

#Daedra #Elder Scrolls #THE DAEDRA #AS CLASSMAAAATES!#Sorry i got bored #tag yourself im nocturnal #sorry for the long post

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sgtnutmeg-blog · 8 years ago

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Kiki Mora

Kiki stood back up. Still breathing heavily and her arms were sore, but the cold was starting to sink back in. Serves you right for waiting this long, could of been inside but you decided to not have any firewood spare so here you are like a fool. She brushed snow off her shoulders, pushed her sleeves down her pink arms. Going to have to pull them back up in no time. Her axe started it have snow building on top of it, nearly had to dig it back out. She didn't mind the cold stabbing her fingers. The ice had a thousand promises of taking them away from her. She didn't worry a single thing about that. What she did mind was the little pain in her spine. That kind of pain that you shrug off. You can keep going. Just be a little more careful that's all. It's just a little pinch. No harm in that. It'll go away once you put your mind off it. But it creeps, and creeps. building up until to hurts too much to simply stand. She felt that little pinch and that little fucker is just going to make itself home unless she stopped now. If you stop you'll both freeze. Kiki cracked her neck, crunched her finger, stretched up high to reach the sky on her tip toes. Sniffed the cold air, grabbed a log, stood it up right. Aimed then swung. Whoosh. Spilt. The two pieces of the jumped apart. Splinters flying up to fall with the snow. Next one. Aim. Swing. Split. Repeat. Breath in deeply through the nose. It warms the air before it gets to the lungs. Would be coughing them up if you breath improper. Any ice that builds up in her nose, she just digs it out and continues. Split. This once had been hard for her. Bubbling blisters bursting and burning. Got good thick skin now. This is nothing. Get the right stance, the right swing, nothing stood in her way. Split. She built this cabin in these woods by herself. Split. Kiki had no experience in something mundane as building a house from scratch. Split. Strangely, the mundaneness was what made it fun. Being used to living in luxury. Never got the chance to actually create something for the sole purpose of being comfortable. Split. She pushed up her sleeves now that she was getting too hot. Pink arms. Split. Kiki heard little awkward crunches in the snow. Split one more log and turned around. Mora with her messy red hair looking down at her boots, carefully lifting one up in front of the other so she doesn't fall over. Snow crunching under her boots. "Hey there love," She softly said, "What you up to?" Mora rose her head. Big toothy smile, "ye." "You hungry?" She shook her head. "Cold?" Shook her head. "I'm too busy to play love, I've got a lot of work." Mora pointed at the split logs, "ye." "The logs? What about them?" "Ye." "You want to help?" "Ye!" She interlocked her fingers and jumped in excitement. "You want to help me out darling?" "Ye." "Okay," she rubbed her nose. Numb. "Okay, get your gloves on and you can take some of these split logs inside, okay?" "Ye!" Mora turned back to the cabin and went back through the snow. Kiki continued slicing down the logs. Mora returned and carefully picked up a log over half her size and slowly brought it inside. Kiki looked up inbetween each stroke, making sure Mora wasn't going to trip over. She never did.

When Kiki decided enough had been chopped for a day she started to assist Mora in piling up the wood. On the last trip back she ran up behind her unsuspecting daughter and picked her right up. She wiggled and giggled in her mothers arm. They made their way inside and Kiki walked up to the fire pit. It had died down a bit. Needed feeding. "Ok Mora, in we go," she held Mora in a throwing position, "A one, a two..." Mora shook her head and made complaining noises. "Aren't you cold love?" "Ye." "Well the fire is hot, you'll warm right up." Mora shook her head back and forth, humming loudly. Kiki laughed. "Oh maybe another time," She bent her knees and placed Mora on her feet. "Here I want you to help me make this fire bigger." Mora shook her head. "C'mon darling we'll get it right this time. Here I'll help." Kiki grabbed some tinder and balled it up in her hands. "Okay, so hold this. Mora, c'mon hold it in both hands... both hands. Yes that's it. Now here comes the hard part alright? I want you to feel the warmth and fire in your tummy." She placed a hand on Moras' belly. " I want you to feel it build up in you then let it rise up up body, through your mouth and release it on to the tinder. You can do it love. Just like Mummy showed." Mora concentrated hard, brow low, staring at the ball of tinder. She looked pale. Concentrating harder and harder. Sweat on her brow. She then puked, mostly on the floor, some splating her clothes. "Okay okay that's enough for today," Kiki started to while the puke off her clothes and her mouth. She saw tears in Moras years. "Oh don't worry my love," she switched sleeves to wipe the tears, "now go change and I'll get you something to eat. Okay?" "Ye," Mora mumbled, she ran off Kiki watched her go. She smiled. She grabbed and struck her flint at he tinder, some of the spark catching hold and making themselves home. Kiki blew lightly on them and build on to feed it. As it got bigger and more hungry she built around it with sticks and log halfs for later. Shortly Mora came back in new clothes and stood next to her mother. Kiki sat Mora on her knee and hugged her warmly. Watching the fire dance and illuminate the cabin. They ate silently then went to sleep together.

The next day Kiki refueled the glowing embers. She grabbed a pot and approached the door. The cold and some snow flakes rushed in when the door was opened. Kiki scooped up some snow into the pot and returned inside. Kiki hung the pot over he fire so the by the time she came back it would have melted. She got dressed, grabbed her fur coat, a basket she made but really needed to fix, knife, gave Mora a kiss on her warm head and stepped out into the winter wonderland. The snow powder was up to her knees, but there was no wind which all she really wanted. Not that is would stop her, it was just nicer if it didn't feel like someone was stabbing her in the eyes with a frozen hedgehog. Kiki loved it in the middle of the forest. Before they left her sister told her not to. That it was pointless to live out here. To force yourself into living a day at a time. While true it took her a while to be comfortable not washing every day, getting used to foodless weeks and she was still not used to the winters. Nonetheless, this was her home now. She had herself. She had Mora. She was happy. Kiki waded through the snow, following the marked trees which she had carved the bark off of years before. Before long she was upon the shallow river. She walked up stream, soon finding a plot of watercrass she had been saving for today. She had harvested what she could in a reasonable distance down stream and avoided upstream in case of emergencies when food was scarce. Kiki squeeze through the grabbing bushes that lined the river, removed her boots, folded up her pant legs and waded into the water. She took out her knife, grabbed a handful of watercrass, sliced off the tops. She hummed to herself to make the monotonous work ever more enjoyable, and to distracted herself from the freezing water. There were sudden splashes down stream. She twisted and looked. On the opposite side of the river a man wearing thick boots and a heavy riding coat was kneeling on the edge, his hat was off, gloves lying next to him. He cupped his hands, allowed them to fill with water, then wiped his face and bald head. He gave out a faint gasp when the water contacted his face and kept his eyes closed breathing steadily as it trickled down his face. Kiki left the river silently, never losing sight of the man. She knelt and picked up her boots down the beach. Her legs were numb and she shook to keep herself steady. She walked slowly and carefully down the beach, concentrating on not losing her footing. Each pebble she stood on shifted and creaked. She become more nervous. She shook more. Her footing gave way and she feel down, bruising her knees. Kiki swung her head around. The man was looking directly at her, fists clenched. She pushed herself up. She had to get to her daughter, she had to get away from here now. the bark of a tree exploded followed by a roar in the woods. She slowly turned around. He had lowered his dragoon pistol, pulling a lever to re-chamber it then raised it back up at her. "I need you to hold still right there m'am. I will not miss and I will follow your tracks to find where you came from," he ordered, "All I want is your hospitality." A younger second man holding a blunderbuss in one hand came out of the woods. He looked at his partner, then towards Kiki. She saw the first man mumble to the second man. He nodded, glanced at Kiki and returned into the bushes. "What is your name?" His hand was steady. She made no reply. "If you want to put those boots back on you may." She still didn't move. "We need accommodations, food and direction. If the frost gets to your legs that will be no concern to my friend and I's. If you choose to not have to saw them off, I heavily suggest you wake up and do what is important for your own survival." He was right of course. She had allowed herself to panic and wasn't thinking straight. She had to do better for her daughters sake. She slid her fur lined boots back on her feet. As she was knelt down she saw the handle of her knife in the basket. She steadily reached for it, to put it up her sleeve. Taking it out in one fluid motion to take down at least one before taking out the other. She was fast enough if given the chance. "No," he shouted, "Leave the basket. Stand and look at me." The second man returned with their hastily packed bags and tent, along with something long and thin wrapped in a thick cloth that was strapped on his back. The first man received his leather purse from the second man without lowering his pistol. The second man held his blunderbuss at waist height towards Kiki. He began to walk towards her through the stream that reached his knees. The first man set his hat on his head, picked up his gloves and followed through the river Once the second man got to her he checked her wet basket filled with the watercrass. He pocketed her knife, grabbed a handful of the water crass and crewed on it. The first man came to her and looked her hard in the eye. "I'm going to have to check you for anything that could do us ham. We are your friends and all we want is your help, are we understood?" She raised her eyebrows and glanced at thee blunderbuss pointed at her, "You must have a lot of friends if you're always like this." "Are we understood?" He held is eyes. She stared back at him. "Yes," she said through a toothy grin. He nodded and had her raise her arms. He patted her arms, sides, waist, legs. Checked around the insides of her boots, stood back up and nodded towards his partner who lowered his gun, but didn't holster it. "I am Jacques, he is Vincent of house Valois. We have traveled far and seek shelter until land clears." "You haven't traveled this far North often have you?" "No," he admitted. Kiki smiled, "Just two outlaws in way over their heads, eh?" "Don't you speak to us like that," she lazily glanced over at Vincent. "We will not be talked down upon." "And I will not be threatened fool," she said, "You're a little under dressed for this far north aren' t you? And the way you're holding your arm there boy, "she pointed with her chin, "You're not going to survive much longer." The men said nothing "So how about, "she continued, "you think of your life and your choices, then in the next one you won't be as stupid." Vincent brought his gun and around in a solid arc into the side of her head. She didn't remember falling down, Kiki just found herself using a tree to help her back up groggily. She took her time getting up from her knees. Her toes were still numb and she nearly tripped. Then her head started to throb and the low drone of burst ear drums sank in. She dug her nails in tree bark to help her up, but as the cold sweat hit mixing with the steady stream of warm blood trickling down her face, her stomach seezed and she coughed up it's contents. Jacques and Vincent were shouting at each other. She heard Jacques and Vincent shouting. They were already on edge, so maybe feed their fear and paranoia? Turn them against each other as the hours pass, ask them questions, give praise to the older one and subtly humiliating the other. She saw blood drip from her face and land in the snow. She already tried that plan, angering the men when Mora was around would be a terrible idea. Jacques approached her and held her arm tight. "Take us to your home, now." She knew he was losing control. Panic was in his eyes. The younger one had an injured arm. No doubt they'll require her to inspect it. Probably bandage it. Did she have anything she could use to her advantage? "Just kill her-" "You will remain silent!" Jacques shouted, he turned back to Kiki. "Take us to your home. Now." She felt her brow, it was sticky with blood. "Allow me to clean my head first." Jacques breathed heavily, his darting into hers. He grunted and waked her to the river. She bent her legs, cupped her hands into the water and gently rubbed her head. She did have something to use on Incidents arm. Clean the blood off, sneak some fungus in. She didn't know what it would do. She tested it on a young injured doe she found. In hours it appeared to be reliving its least favourate nightmare. An injured doe and a full grown man were different things, would she get the same result? "That's enough," Jacques yanked her back to her feet and pushed her towards the tree line. "Take us to your home." She cracked her neck, grabbed the basket and walked on through the snow. She couldn't just poison the food, they'd be expecting it. She'd need to time it right. If she could get her mushrooms into Vincents' arm, at one point he'll collapse. Jacques first instinct would be to check on him. Then it's only a matter of which pointy object or blunt instrument to use from behind. She took out her Handkerchief and dabbed it on her head. The plan was shit but it was the best she had. And since they were outlaws and panicking there are going to be hunters tracking them which would be the start of a whole other problem. And then there was Mora. Dear Mora. She couldn't risk hoping they will stay the night and leave. If the hunters found the house that will be a new level of danger, whether or not she killed the men or they left. She needed a plan fast. She opened the door to her home. Apart from the blazing fire it was dark inside. She dropped the basket to the side and went straight for the boiling pot above the fire. She picked it carefully and quickly and poured it into a bucket. As the men entered, taking off their hats and pocketing their gloves, Kiki scanned around for her daughter. She was out of sight. That was for the best. Vincent had taken off his heavy coat and was by the bucket of hot water. He kept on his red waist coat and white cotton shirt. His upper right arm was strapped with stained bandages. He tested the heat, then dipped one hand in and started to wash his face. She wished she had the opportunity to poison that water. She needed to use every opportunity she had at her disposal. Very aware that she won't be able to use the poisoned hot water trick again, she took the steaming pot and filled it with more snow to melt. Might as well. Kiki returned the pot. Jocques was walking around the house with his satchel open. He was finding any knife, sharp object, anything she could of use to bludgeon the men and dropping them all into the satchel. Vincent finished washing and was now drying off his face. His arm was still cradled close to him. She and Jacques' faces were pink as their blood rushed back into their heads. Vincent on the other hand was still as pale as the snow. "Do you want me to look at your arm?" "It's fine," he grumbled. He tried his best to casually look at the house and hide his arm. "At least let me get you new bandages," she made a movement to where the mushrooms were hidden. "You won't do a thing," Jocques was walking towards her closing the satchel. "An imbecile like yourself can see that they need changing." "An imbecile like myself knows that you're not wanting to do it out of pity," he tapped his satchel, it's contents clinged together. "We have our own bandages and we will change them when the time comes." "When the infection takes his arm?" "Shut her mouth." "Remain calm Vincent," Jocques ordered. He turned back to Kiki, "you will take every opportunity to kill us. We are not killers-" "Just thieves." "-or thieves. We will stay until the snow passes then we will leave." Kiki gave a throaty laugh, "Why did you come this far North if you know nothing of it? You didn't come here by choice and judging by your friends arm," she could feel Vincent glaring at her, "You've been forced here because you have killed and because you stole that." She pointed at the thick cloth wrapped tightly around the object it was hiding, Vincent looked at Jocques. "I have seen a lot of killers and a lot of thieves in my life time and you are no better and no different." Jocques said nothing. "So Jocques of house Valois," she spat, "if you are to be under my household, we best learn to get along. Because your plan is not going to work. If a hoard of hunters came knocking on the door, they will find you and they will burn me in here. I will make you a map of the best way to escape these lands, I don't care if you trust me. All you should care about is how well you treat me." Silence. Kikis' heart was ripping itself from her chest. If Mora is found she'd have no leverage. They'll take her, thearten to kill her and force them to show them the best route and they will all die out there. "So," she resisted a stutter. "Give me a knife so I can prepare supper." The water in the pot started to bubble. The popping was the only sound to go between any of them. Jocques gave in, rummaged in the satchel and pulled out a small knife. "I will help you so you don't poison us, Vincent?" He looked up, "sit in the corner, if she tries anything, shoot her in the leg," Jocques handed over his pistol, "Your blunderbuss will blow us both away. We need a route out of here." "With pleasure," he grabbed the pistol, chambered it and walked over to the bed. As he sat down Kiki was screaming in her head, praying that Mora wasn't going to be found. Vincent sat heavily down, pistol on his lap, looking as threatening as possible. He concealed the pain in his arm fairly well. The stew she made for them all wasn't imaginative. Jocques had been carefully watching her throw food in. He did not allow any of the mushrooms to be used. Vincient was quiet, not always watching though. Kiki took the occasional chance to look around to him. He was always holding his arm, picking at the dried blood on his bandages. "When has the last time you changed those bandages?" "Are we talking about this again?" Jocques murmured. "It appears we are." "How unfortunate." "Losing the arm would be unfortunate." Jocques clenched his fists and mutter under his breath. "You know I'm right." "Be silent." She returned to work, Jocques took a second to look away over to Vincent. Kiki slipped three hidden spotted mushrooms under her sleeve. Jocques turned back. "Is this done yet?" "It was done a while ago." "Then why didn't you say something?" "Was hoping you'd be inspired to add an actual flavor to this stew." Jocques said nothing. He spooned out a bowl and handed it to Kiki, "Yours." She nodded, walked over to the table. Vincent saw this and stepped over to the table too. He reached over to her bowl and she slapped his hand. "Mine." Vincent stared at her, she looked back. "Here," Jocques came up and placed a bowl down for Vincent. He reluctantly accepted it and sat down. Both Kiki and Jocques sat down with him. The men rested their elbows on the table as they ate, while Kiki hand one hand to spoon up the stew. The other she used to let the mushroom on her lap. Her wrist as already irritated from touching the fungus. She used a Handkerchief to pick up the mushrooms and she slowly crushed them inside. "This tastes awful," commented Vincent. "Not my fault," replied Kiki. The mushrooms were in small lumps inside the rag. Jocques begrudgingly lifted the bowl and swallowed the rest. He closed his eyes and made a face. Went to get more. Vincent just played with his food. "You need to your bandages changed Vincent." He sniffed and smiled gravely. "And you would want to do that?" "I don't feel like holding you down as Jocques saws off your arm." "That's enough woman!" shouted Jocques. "These are long winters my lordship," she spat, turned back to Vincent, "If I'm stuck with you I might as well keep you in one peace." Vincent tapped his spoon rapidly on the table. "And what would you do?" Vincent asked. "My best, inspect it, clean the wound, do what needs to be done." "His arm is fine," Jocques said, "he received a cut so I burnt it to seal the wound to stop any infection." "And when was the last time you inspected it? Last time you cleaned it?" Kiki demanded. "Enough!" yelled Vincient. Kiki and Jocques looked at him. "You," pointing at Kiki, "do what you need to do. If I get suspicious I'll shoot you in the leg are we clear?" Kiki nodded, hiding the victory she was feeling in her eyes. "The Hell are you doing Vincent?" "I don't know," he said honestly, "For some reason I'm stuck in this house in the snow. It was supposed to be a straight forward mission and a lot of people died. All under your command." "Don't you blame me for what happened!" He stormed over. Kiki jumped out of the way as Vincient flipped the table to confront Jocques. "I will blame you! It was your mission and you failed all those men back there." Kiki looked between the men. In the darkness she could see her child, still as stone and hidden well. She felt a mass amount of strain leave her. "If we did not retrieve the Hammer, many more of our people would die!" Kiki started to pay attention. "Those men died for a nobal cause, they will not die in vain because this woman poisons us!" "We both have been watching her all afternoon and will still be watching her look at my am," he said through clenched teeth.

High tension and heavy breathing. Kiki gave her daughter a wink to imply that everything will be okay and under control. She wondered if Mora knew she was lying. Vincent turned the table back up and sat back down, clicked his fingers at her. "Come tend to my arm," he rested it on a table. She glanced at Jocques. "He doesn't need healing, over here," he didn't even look over at Kiki. She sighed. Kiki grabbed the bucket of water and a large piece of cloth. Started to unravel the dried bandages. As each layer slowly came off they started to stick more and more and become harder to take off. Vincent twitched breathed through his nose. "Be more careful." "Being as careful as I can." "No your not, do better. She stopped what she was doing, "The blood has dried up and these bandages are stuck to your wound. That's because you didn't use a wet cloth directly on to it. What I'm going to have to do is tear this dirty rag off and reopen the wound." Vincent twisted his head to her with wide threatening but scared eyes. Pale as the moon and sweating. "I'm going to need to create an ointment to help your arm from infection." "You'll do no such thing," Jocques ordered. "And what we you have me do?" Questioned Kiki, "apply cold water and kiss it better?" "Stay out of this Jocques." "I will not put your safety in her hands man!" Vincent shrugged, "We both already are." He nodded to Kiki. She continued "I will not be part of this," growled Jocques. . Blood trickled down his arm onto the table. The bandage ticked as it unstuck itself from the black dried blood. He held a fist not moving, only allowing his face to flinch. Kiki came to a the last bit. It was dug in there with the careerist wound. "After burning it did you rub ice to cool it down?" "Yes," Vincent panted. "Well after this I doubt you'll have any nerves left in your upper arm. I'm going to have to rip this right off. Here give me a moment, "she turned to Jocques and held out a bloodied hand, "Give me a bullet for him to bite down on." He huffed at her and continued to sharpen hit knife. "Your gun is right next to you. Give me a bullet, I can't do anything with a ball of metal." Jocques made no move. "Some in my satchel," Vincent gasped. Kiki stood up, balled up rag with crushed mushrooms being held tight. "No!" Jocques check his satchel and pulled out a bullet, "here." Jocques threw it, which Kiki purposefully missed catching, letting it drop. "You're not getting another," chuckled Jocquess. He continued to sharpen his knife. She bent down and searched for the bullet, allowed some dirt and wood chucks to be caught on her bloody fingers and picked up the metal ball. She slipped it into the mouth of Vincient, who accepted it begrudgingly. "Couldn't of cleaned it beforehand?" He made a motion to spit out the chunks. "No," she tore off the rest of the bandage. It was hard to say how much skin she took off. She sat back down next to him, took out of the mushroom rag and dipped it into the bucket of water. "This is going to sting." "Fuck you!" Kiki squeezed the rag and rubbed it into the the bloodied arm. She ignored the shouts, wiped the blood, forced mushroom into his arm, let it bleed more, rag in the bucket, repeat. He was sweating violently and banging his free arm on the table. Jocques must've felt sympathy because he went out side and came back with his Handkerchief covered in snow. He dabbed Vincents' brow to cool him off. When Kiki was sure a decent amount of hallucinatory mushrooms was in his arm and blood stream, she did a final wipe down, folded and wetted a new rag. She applied it carefully on to his arm, got Jocques to hold it in position as she started to wrap around it. The knot was tied and no blood was seeping through. Jocques rubbed the back of Vincent head. "How d'you feel?" Vincent spat the ball into Jocques chest, who laughed hard and pulled him in for a hig. Kiki could tell that this was the closest thing to fuck they've both had in weeks.

Kiki predicted that Vincent will be affected in 30 minutes. As soon as he was down and Jocques made a move to check on him she had to acct fast. Jocques lay Vincent on her bed. Jocques had every sharp object in his satchel. Her axe was outside. It'd take too long to get it, she had maybe 5-10 seconds of Jocques being distracted by Vincent. To get the axe she'd have to run outside grab it and run back in. And that's hoping He wouldn't notice her suddenly running away. She could not risk that. Maybe there's a usable weapon in Vincents' satchel? Jocques was stroking Vincients hair by the bedside. Another idea was to sneak Jocques knife from his belt, or maybe his pistol. Although she was never a great pickpocket he may not be too aware of much as soon as Vincent starts to have his hallucinations. There are too many maybes in this scenario. Jocques walked over to the table and chairs rubbing his eyes. "Long day then?" "Long day," he rubbed his nose. "Well I dont suppose you'll be sleeping." "You suppose correctly," he started to tap his fingers on the table. "Here, sit down, lets talk." She folded her arms, "about what?" "About anything." "And if I don't?" "Well if you don't feel like talking there's not much I can do about that except talk at you. If I'm going to be awake all night I'd like a bit of company and he's not talking much so I'm left with my second best option." He looked over at her. He made a motion with his hand to beckon her over and he sat down. SHe kept her arms folded. He took out his sheathed knife from his belt. "See this?" He threw it onto the bed next to Vincent, pulled out his pistol, cocked it, pulled the trigger, empty, laid it on the table. "I'm disarmed, don't worry." "And your satchel?" "What of it?" She raised her eyebrows. Jocques removed the satchel and dropped it to his boots. "Happy?" "Haven't felt this good in days, why?" "Well it's about to get better because I'm great company so sit down." Maybe she could club him to death with the butt of the pistol. Too many maybes. Kiki stepped over to the table and sat. No words were passed. "Why live out here?" Jocques questioned, scratching his stubble chin and looking around. "What do you get from this? Why live by yourself in the middle of no where surviving?" "You must be a lord." "Don't what that has to do with anything." "Of course it does." "If, you're implying that I don't enjoy living off the land and traveling you're wrong. It's the seclusion I don't understand. You're living out here on purpose." He had his arms folded as well, "why is that?" "There doesn't have to be a reason," she shrugged. "It's more interesting if there is." "Sorry to disappoint you, I'm not interesting," she smiled. "Why are you out here?" "I like the weather." "Must do since you're not wearing the right gear and don't know where you are." ""Makes it more fun." "Oh yes it does," she said dryly, "why are you out here?" He picked his nose with his thumb not looking at her. "On a mission." "What mission?" "I'll tell you my secret if you tell me yours," he flicked his noses contents. Kiki didn't look away. "Was in an arranged mar ridge and had to get away from it." "Are you seriously taking that route?" "It's true." "No," he said, "No it's not." "What are you expecting to get out of this?" "I need to pass the time and haven't had a good conversation in weeks," he rubbed his face and leaned forward, put his elbows on the table. "I'm trying to get a good chat, that's all." "That's all?" "Yes," he cracked his knuckles, "that's all so lets start over and stop this going around in circles. How are you?" Vincents' mushrooms weren't kicking in fast enough, "I'm fine." "That must be nice, how's life in the house?" "Quiet." "Why's that?" "I live by myself." "Were's your husband?" "Never married." "Why's that?" "Never interested me." "See?" He smiled, "being social is fun, isn't it fun? "Fantastic." "Your turn." "With what?' "Ask me questions, good friends get to know eachother so lets get to know eachother." He lowered his head in a 'get on with it' fashion. Kiki sat still, "You're a soldgier." "That I am." "Why are you out here?" "I volenteered." "That was a mistake." "Never noticed." "What did you steal?" "Secret." "I stole a child, what did you steal?" Jocques paused and looked at her straight in the eye, "Something very dangerous that will help my people." "That's not vague." "Not as vague as your secret. What child?" "One that was going to be sacrificed." "Where is it?" "Dead," she shrugged, "living, I had to give it away." "Why? You're fairly secluded out here, couldn't you of kept it?" "That was before I came out here." "Is that so?" He rubbed his chin. "What did you and your men steal?" "None of your buisness." "Of course it's my bloody buisness," she yelled. Caught him by suprise. "You gave me no choice to let you in and your friend thanks me by bleeding everywhere. If it's so dangerous why can it help your people and why did you sacrifice your men to get it?" He pointed a finger and growled ,"I didn't sacrifice anyone and you don't raise your voice at me." "Then why aren't you dead? This thing of yours," she pointed at it, "is so important to your cause, it must've been well guarded and you used a suicide attack so you could sneak it away." He stood up holding his breath and pushed hard against her chest. her chair leaned back and threw Kiki to the ground. She was winded for a second. She raised herself up to have Jocques force his boot on her to keep her down. All his weigh on her chest. Hard to breath. She saw a handle of a knife in his boot "I sacrificed no man out there," he growled. "They all died for a good cause." Vincient made a noise of a mouse being crushed. Jocques looked round to him. Kiki gripped the handle and yanked. Not coming out. Jocques felt the tug and looked back down. Then raised his foot and stomped on her hard. Now she was windedd and unable to breath. "What did you do?" He accused, grinding his boot on her. Still couldn't breath. "What did you do? While her vision was blured she could she smoke coming from him. He noticed the smell first, looked around to see his sleeve burning and smoking up. Then he saw Mora. "I knew you were lying," he stomped on Kiki one more time then knelt and held Mora by both arms. Mora didn't skip a second due to being so young and not in control and she screamed. Loud. Jocques winced then he felt his face getting hot. He didn't understand. Kiki regained her breath and coughed hard and crawled away as fast as she could. Jocques began to shout as well. Which someone would do when their beard, eye brows and hair on top of their head started to erupt in flames. He let go of her and attempted to put it all out. Mora was still screaming. Kiki got to her feet and went for the door, into the dark and grabbed her axe with both hands and came back. Jocques had failed to put out the fire for now his entire head was a balled of pained screaming flame. Kiki ran towards him, raised the axe above her head and brought it clean down. His screaming stopped. Moras didn't. Jocques collapsed down and the rest of his body caught on fire. Mora was red in the face. Kiki crouched down and held her steaming body tight. It's okay love, love it's ok, mommas' here, she rubbed her back. She couldn't here a thing other than a loud ringing in her ears. She'll deal with that later. Kiki repeated her words over and over until Mora stopped and just cried. Her body was stiff and steaming. Heat and smoke filled the house. They needed to get out now. She lifted up the burning Mora and ran outside into the cold. Kiki trudged through the snow. Mora held on tight with arms around her neck and legs wrapped on her waist. Kiki turned. The house hadn't erupted into flames, but if she didn't go in now for supplies they'd be left with nothing. Mora, she said. Her ears screamed as high pitched as her daughter. Love listen, I have to let you go. She felt her daughters chest vibrate and her body clenching tighter. Babe, I will be right back, I'm going to get your boots and your blanket, then we're going to go for a long walk just you and I, okay love? As tight as Mora held on, Kiki was stronger and released Moras' clasp. She was wailing, her hands together and chewing her fingers through her tears. I'll be right back, She kissed her cheek, I love you and I will be right back. Mora shook her head and moved her mouth. She could not hear her and ran into the house. It became apparent to Kiki that holding her child actually burnt her arms and hands. They were hot read and stang, biting and twisting every second up and down. She shouted when she clenched the door and swung it open. A rush of heat embraced her. Hot skin cold sweat. She was going to be sick. Must concentrate though. Needed whatever she can carry. Kiki grabbed boots coats, she grabbed Vincients satchel (he wasn't going to use it anymore). She then made her way to grab the blanket. A a strong arm from behind wrapped around her neck and tightened. He was saying something so wouldn't of wanted to listen to so she interrupted by digging a nail into the blood spot on the bandage. Vincent fell down crippled. She turned and saw the pale wet mass of confused horror clutching its arm. She kicked it in the nose until she was satisfied then grabbed the blanket. Besides the door lay a burnt pile of rags. Inside was a black hammer. It looked very familiar. Which was the point of it. The hammer was a fake. Kiki knew this because it was the last thing she built. What the men wanted was taken years ago and to stop suspicion her people replaced it. She spat down on it and ran out to Mora. She was met with a hug as soon as she crouched. Hey there I'm back, I'm back, Kiki repeated. She picked out Moras' clothes ad boots and began to dress her. A small hand touched her ear. Kiki looked up to a concerned and confused Mora studying the wet blood on her fingers. She kissed her again and continued dressing the child, their house burnt down. Then monastery Jocques and Vincent stole from would see the smoke and follow it. They'd be there fast. Luckily Kiki was faster.

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