#phoenix knows the feeling of gentle arms and stolen sweets!

[thequeenofthewinter]

Work-in-Progress Wednesday

Back again, I see. Didn't get enough from the last snippet? I don't blame you. Today I have a special treat in "Idiots being idiots" for you. Still working on my latest chapter and almost done. I'll be posting this Friday!

All I have to say about this snippet is: YOUR HONOR I LOVE THEM.

I was tagged by the lovely @ladytanithia @mareenavee and @elfinismsarts.

And I would like to pass the tag to: @oblivions-dawn @rainpebble3 @paraparadigm @tallmatcha @changelingsandothernonsense @dirty-bosmer @frankensonnet @blossom-adventures @gilgamish @rose-like-the-phoenix @archangelsunited @orfeoarte @skyrim-forever

Without so much as a glance to the other occupants of the room, Ulfric swiftly makes his way over to his wife, taking one of her warm hands firmly in his and pulling her up from her throne to lead her out of the Great Hall.

“My heart,” he begins as he looks down at her, the corners of his lips pressed down in concern.

“I know what you’re going to say Ulfric, but—”

He stops suddenly, turning her to face him and placing a hand under her chin so she is forced to look up at him. For a moment, he says nothing more, only looking at her with gentleness in his eyes, before leaning down to press his lips to hers.

The kiss is soft and sweet—reminiscent of those first days with her where they were guided only by their wants and not forced so much to think about their needs nor obligations. Slowly, his arms come up to wrap around her and draw her in closer, pressing them as close as he can while his hands roam up and down her sides in carefully-measured circles. By now he knows very well the answer to what she wants as much as she needs: a bit of warm affection until she yields to him. 

And after a few seconds, there it is. A shiver which rolls down her spine, comforting like the cooling rains after the unbearable heat of Last Seed. She sighs as she leans into him, and he takes advantage, slipping his tongue into her mouth and deepening their kiss. He breathes her in as much as he can, selfishly enjoying the feeling of her in is arms and what his touch does to her.

No one ever said he was always a good man. This is as much for him as it is for her.

Eventually, she pulls back from him, inhaling deeply as if he had stolen the very air from her lungs. When she regains her voice, it is barely above a whisper. “What was that all about?” 

A hand moves to cup her cheek before burying itself into her hair. “Do I need a reason to kiss my wife and mother of my future child?”

“Well, no but…aren’t you going to scold me for being out of bed?”

“Do you want me to?” His hand moves from her hair to slide down to the small of her back.

She sighs.“No, not particularly.”

“Then, I won’t but—”

“Here it comes…”

His lips turn up into a teasing smile. “—you should be in bed.”

Dahlia shakes her head but laughs despite herself. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist.”

“You’re quite right.” He leans forward to kiss her again, this time on the forehead. “I can’t resist you, but you still need to go back to bed.”

[thethistlegirl]

🛁 for Mac, 🤕 for Robin, please and thank you, give me all the softness™

🛁 warm bath“Kiddo, you feeling okay?” Jack asks.“Just tired,” Mac says. “And sore. And muddy.” He runs his hands through his hair, although he’s not sure which of them is dirtier. He’s been crawling through mud for the past three days. The rain hasn’t ever been strong enough to actually clean it off, just enough to be miserable. He’s been cold, wet, and tired for the entirety of the mission. He just wants to go home.Jack rests his hand on Mac’s shoulder. He’s not muddy. Jack got to spend the op schmoozing their target, thanks to his old CIA cover that meant he knew the head of a home-grown militia…and his penchant for working with illegal arms dealers.Mac isn’t jealous. He’s not. Jack’s job was to convince the man he wanted in with the whole organization and get the locations of his weapons stashes (the guy is a stickler for staying off the grid, which meant Riley didn’t have any digital footprint to hack), and Mac’s was to disarm them. Which meant crawling through the mud in a bunch of abandoned camp sites. He shivers and rubs his arms. He still feels cold. Jack glances at him. “You are definitely not okay. When we get to the safe house we are gonna get you warm and clean. Got it?”Mac nods. He huddles a little closer to Jack in the seat of the stolen military truck Jack broke them out of the compound with. He’s still driving hard, pedal to the metal even over the rough roads, although Mac thinks his log pile trick probably stopped any pursuit.It seems like forever before the truck stops outside a small cabin. Jack turns off the engine and hops out, and grabs a key hidden on the side of a tree to open the door. Inside, the building is chilly and damp, but at least protected from the wind. Jack starts a fire in the potbelly stove, and Mac gets to work on an old radio he pulls out of a cupboard; they had to ditch comms to avoid getting outed (for as long as that worked) and they need to tell Phoenix the op is over and the threat has been neutralized.Jack pulls a tin tub out of a corner, and walks outside. When he comes back in he’s carrying two large pails full of rainwater that must have come from a barrel outside. He sets them on the stove and pulls a blanket off the end of the cot in the corner, shaking it out and then hanging it over the back of a wobbly chair he pulls up near the fire. It’s little enough, but Mac knows what he’s doing and he’s deeply grateful. Just the thought of warm water is heavenly. Spending a few days roughing it in the woods (without the possibility of a fire, or he’d have been found by the militia guards) has made even this seem as much a sign of civilization as his own shower back home. Mac steps out onto the porch and tries to shake out his hair and scrub his hands and arms under the drip of the eaves. This water is chilly, but at least he won’t carry as much mud into the bath water with him. He steps back inside. Jack is testing the water on the stove, shaking his head. “Little longer, kiddo. It’s still kinda chilly.” Mac nods, and starts working on the radio again. His fingers are sort of cold and numb, but he could fix radios in his sleep. He’s zoned out putting the right pieces together when he feels a hand on his shoulder. It’s Jack. “Hey, kiddo, ready when you are.”Mac nods. He sheds his clothes beside the tub, once he’s clean he’ll wash them out, and with any luck they’ll dry by the stove by the time exfil shows up. Jack’s already poured one pail of water into the tub, and it’s steaming invitingly. Mac sticks his sore feet in, then settles down in the water, scrubbing at the mud that seeped into his boots and caked his ankles. Jack pours more water over him and rubs at the dirt still in his hair, occasionally leaving to refill the empty pails and keep a constant supply warming on the stove. Mac leans back into Jack’s touch, especially when his hands move from Mac’s hair to his neck and shoulders, easing out the stiffness that’s gathered there from hiding and huddling and crawling under things. Mac lets the aches and dirt fall away, sitting there until the last of the water Jack pours in starts to go cold. When he stands up, Jack wraps him in the warm blanket, and then settles him on the cot with a camp mug of powdered soup he must have found in the supply crate while Mac was working on the radio, before getting to work washing the mud out of Mac’s clothes. When the grey henley and flannel, and the olive pants have their natural color back, he hangs them over the chair and sits down next to Mac. Mac leans against him, listening to the rain beat harder on the roof, and lets himself finally really rest. 🤕 taken care of when injured“You can drop the glamour, kiddo,” John says with a sad smile. “I can see the blood.”Robin does. He kind of forgot he was even doing it, after spending three years being ordered to hide anything wrong, it’s become force of habit to toss up a basic glamour whenever he feels pain. He’s finding it all too easy to forget that isn’t how things work here, now. But everyone is patient. And besides, the glamours don’t work on John anyway. John’s hands are gentle as they peel his jacket away from the ragged claw marks in his upper arm. “Looks like you and this are gonna need some stitches,” John says with a wry smile. “Jacket stopped most of it,” Robin insists. “Just need to go home.” Once he can put an herb poultice on it and sit down outside he’ll start healing. Stitches are annoying, they feel wrong in his skin, and he hates the sensation of something foreign. He hopes John will agree that this isn’t bad enough to warrant them. “Let me see.” John moves blood-soaked cloth aside to get a good look at the gashes. Robin sways on his feet a little when John’s fingers brush the raw wounds. “Here, hey, sit down.” John guides him over to a curb and helps him sit. He skims a hand carefully over Robin’s shoulders. “You’re not hurt anywhere else, right?”Robin shakes his head. He’s not. John took the vamp down before he got any further than that claw swipe. “You’re bleedin’ a lot, but those are pretty shallow, all things considered,” John says. “I still think you should stop by medical just to get them cleaned out. But I don’t think you’ll need stitches.”“I don’t want medical to clean them. I want you to.” Robin blurts it out before he realizes exactly what he’s saying. He’ll blame it on the blood loss, that he’s being so honest. Usually he’s better at twisting his words around. But he wants to be cared for by someone he knows. Someone he trusts. John shakes his head, but he’s smiling. “Okay, fine. I’ll take you home and we’ll patch you up there. But if Maira finds out and gets mad, it’s your fault.”“She likes me. I can take it.” Robin stands up and settles the glamour back into place. He just has to keep it up until they’re on their way home.The debriefing is mercifully short, and then John heads for Rowan House. He drops Robin off after work every morning, but lately he’s taken to sticking around at least long enough to help Robin feed his rescue animals. Once they’re inside, Robin drops the glamour and his jacket, and John unties the cloth he was using to stop the flow of blood. Robin glances at the cuts; they’re fairly shallow and have mostly stopped bleeding apart from the deepest spots.The Rowan twists a branch under his face, turning his head to give itself freer access to the wound. It tugs at the blood-saturated cloth, freeing it gently from the cuts as Robin removes his shirt and sits down at the table.John sits down in front of him, reaching for Robin’s arm and holding up a cloth he’s dipped in a bowl of clean water. It stings when he carefully washes out the cuts, but Robin bites his lip and holds still. That pain is insignificant compared to some of the things he’s experienced. Once John is almost finished, Robin hears the Rowan start rummaging through cupboards. Branches set a small brown bottle and a roll of cloth bandage on the table beside John, who opens the bottle and spreads a small amount of the mixture inside onto each of the cuts, before wrapping Robin’s arm in the bandage and tying it just snugly enough not to fall off.Robin doesn’t say thank you. For fae, that’s not a word to be taken lightly, and his nature balks at ever using it. But he does twist his fingers into John’s hand before he stands up. And he knows John knows exactly what he means. 

These got VERY LONG, but they are nice and fluffy and sweet I think!

[loki-fanfic-whore]

Forgive Me

Warnings: mentions of rape/suicide/post partum/self harms kind of talk. Etc.

One Shot!

I could feel my hands tremble as I looked down at the crumpled note. It was splattered with blood and written in a shaky cursive.

"I cannot live with myself after everything that has happened...forgive me..."

The handwriting...was mine.

The door swung open and closed with a soft click as loki walked in to a tear stained face and trembling welp of a human. My tear blinded brown eyes looked up to his pale flushed face and green eyes.

"W-what is this? Loki-" he quickly came forward and snatched the note from me. He forced it to disappear with a wisp of green smoke.

"Darling- There was a reason why that desk was locked...." he tried to redirect as he attempted to envelope me in his long slender arms. My trembling changed from shock to anger. I had no recollection of writing such a note nor of the events that caused me to write and do such a thing... but yet... it was my writing and surely my blood.

"Explain." I demanded softly, my eyes betraying my gentle voice. This was not a request.

"My dearest- I...I altered your mind to help you...you suffered from...from-" his green eyes looked hardened and cold, but it was a facade.

"From what?" I hissed as I took a step closer to him. My heart beat thrumming in my throat.

"You were pregnant with a babe... you had been raped...I didn't realize and acted cruelly...you miscarried due to stress and a broken heart...I-" he cleared his throat a moment and I realized he was trembling. I remembered him yelling, calling me all sorts of accusations before saying I would 'never be his queen.' That I didn't care 'who satisfied me as long as they could fill my quim!' I was trembling. My face pale and my body on fire.

"I found you...with the- the babe... you had-" his voice cracked and I watched as his hardened facade melted away into a teary eyed shaking man. He didn't look powerful or cruel...this was no joke...Loki-my sweet caring Loki- was traumatized.

"Finish Loki...I what?" You spoke calmly but it too was a facade. You were waiting for the punch line in this sick joke.

"You had slit yourself open...displayed to all...to succumb to the agony of bleeding out...that note was all I had...until I remembered a very old book that mother forbade me to use." His gaze looked down at the floor now. I remembered the book. An old tomb on blood magic, but it came at a hefty price to use those spells.

"So you resurrected me...and altered my mind to forget everything before...you let me continue to live on stolen time..." I could feel my heart sinking. What was the price he had paid to allow me to be resuscitated?

"What did you offer in return for my life Loki?" I spoke with a small trembling voice.

Loki looked down and paused, it seemed he had refused to answer until,

"I love you so much...I couldn't live without you my darling..." he spoke still looking at the floor. I pressed a trembling hand to my flat unscathed stomach...I had carried a babe and lost it...I had failed as a woman.

Loki looked up and realized the spiral I was falling deep into and pulled me against him as I wept.

"Please...don't do this...not again...I dont know how many times my heart can break." He spoke as he tried, to no avail, to soothe me.

It clicked.

I wasnt on stolen time...I was on repeating time. While the world moved on I was stuck on a never ending loop of reliving my demise. This...this was the price he had paid. Trying trial and error until he could change my fate.

"How many times have I died?" I whimpered out feeling drained and utterly depressed. A slightly startling sob escaped Loki as his grip around me tightened.

"Seven moons...The longest you have stayed before the inevitable has been two moons straight....no matter how I destroy the truth you always find it...and you always succumb to it." He looked utterly broken. This God had been tricked and bested by his own godsforsaken seidr.

I held him gently by the back of his neck pressing my forehead to his.

"Loki...you have to let me go...you are only torturing yourself." I whisper, I felt utterly defeated. I had failed as a mother, lover, and fighter...and now I needed to go...to allow him to move on and live. Loki held me tighter and snarled.

"Never! I forbid it! I will NEVER let you go!" He roared as I felt my ribs bending from his grip. I shushed him and rubbed his neck gently.

"Loki...I am no Phoenix...and what I am doing is not living...you have to let me go." I gently kissed his cheek, tasting his bitter tears.

A dagger appeared beside us...the gods of old thought they were funny...I silently slid it off the table and held it with trembling hands.

Loki had stopped sobbing and stared into my soft brown eyes with pain and suffering. I handed him the dagger and smiled.

"I have to go..." I whispered.

"...I know...." he croaked out hoarsely. I felt the pain of the blade biting my skin. He had created a clone who had stabbed me from behind. I felt the warm liquid begin to seep into my lungs as I fell forward into his arms. He was crying again.

"Forgive me..." he croaked out as I smiled a bloody half lucid smile. I could feel the coolness of his tears, but everything was blurring into a blissful darkness.

Smiling I awoke to the sun shining through my window and looked to see my still sleeping lover next to me. Loki looked absolutely haggard. I touched his forehead worried he may have a fever, only to have him grab my hand and open his eyes worriedly.

"Are you okay?" I asked gently staring back terrified.

"Forgive me....I am fine now..." he sighed relieved and crushed me lovingly against him.

[aharrypotternerd]

Valentine’s Day Surprise, Part 8

I woke up Thursday morning exhausted; Harry didn’t leave till the early hours of the morning. I went into the bathroom to take a shower; I looked in the mirror and my lips are swollen from earlier. What am I suppose to do? I can’t go out there with swollen lips, people will get suspicious especially if Harry’s is too. I took a shower to see if it would help. When I got out, they aren’t as swollen as before but they aren’t back to normal either; the only way you can tell is if you’re really looking.

I quickly put on my clothes, grabbed my school bag, and headed out the door. I noticed a letter magically taped onto the outside of my door. I took it down and opened it.

Draco,

I’m going to tell you some things that no one or very few people know about me.

1.) My birthday is July 31st.

2.) My parents died when I was a baby and I never met my grandparents because they died before I was born.

3.) Everyone says I have my mothers eyes but i don’t. They are different colors.

4.) When my parents died I had to live with my uncle, aunt, and cousin. I’m on good terms with my cousin but not my aunt and uncle.

5.) I lived in a cubbard under the stairs till I came to Hogwarts. I wasn’t well taken care of. I’m scared of small spaces, it feels like I’m back in the cubbard and i get panic attacks.

6.) I have my own chocolate frog card.

7.) I have a flying motorbike.

8.) I can see thestrals.

9.) My wand is 11- inches made out of phoenix feather and holly.

10.) I want to be an auror; I got a job offer to be one but I’m going to wait till after i graduate Hogwarts. I already done my training over the two years we were out of school.

11.) I have a godson; his parent died in the war.

12.) I used to speak parsletongue.

13.) I died and came back to life the same day.

Love,

Anonymous

Some of this strangely sound like Harry; I think it is Harry. I’m not going to accuse him because i want to be sure it is him first. I don’t want to accuse him and it not be true.

I put the note in my school bag and headed down to breakfast. Harry is sitting by himself at the Slytherin table. I made my way over to him and sat down beside him.

Harry comments, “Since you asked me last night what it would be like to have me as a boyfriend, you got me curious about what it would be like to have you as a boyfriend. So what would it be like?”

“Well, I’d be extremely protective. I would trust you with anything. I don’t want secrets between us. There would be a lot of sarcasm but i figured you already figured that out.”

“Yeah, you wouldn’t be Draco without it.”

I smiled, “There would be sneaking around a lot. There would be late night broom rides. I’d probably give you unexpected gifts too. Studying by the lake.”

“Excellent place for distraction.” Harry smirked. He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

I rolled my eyes, “Hugs from behind, neck kisses, always playing with your hair, holding hands in public.” Harry moves his hand on top of mine in my lap, he gives my hand a gentle squeeze. I can feel my face heating up and i swallowed, “I would get extremely jealous of other people talking to you. We would have lazy Sundays, stolen kisses, secret kisses, and cuddles. You would be my lucky charm at quidditch matches and back rubs after long matches and practices.”

“Would there be bickering?”

“Yes, probably.”

“Would there be notes in class?”

“Yes.”

“Good because i like getting those. Would there be name calling? Would that change?”

“No, that will be name calling.”

“Good because I think I’d miss that loads.”

“M-me too.”

“When we cuddle can i sometimes be the big spoon?”

“Yes.” I swallowed, “We could have midnight dates if you’d like.”

“I would.”

“I’d probably ask you to wear my ring.”

“Really?”

“Yes, i mean when we’re together, i mean if we get together....” I can feel my cheeks redden.

“You’re cute when you blush.” If it were possible, i blushed darker. Harry asks, “Would you like to skip class today?”

“We can’t.”

“We can if we don’t get caught.”

“What would we do?”

“Anything you want.”

“I’m already in enough trouble as it is, I really shouldn’t.”

“Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find me.”

***

By lunch time, I regretted not ditching with Harry. I don’t know why but everybody seems in a foul mood which makes them take it out on me. Maybe it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if I don’t attend the rest of the day.

I ditched lunch to sit by myself in the library. I had my face buried into my potions book when someone sat down beside me with a sigh. I wish people would leave me alone, they’ve made their point today. I’ve already been laughed at, tripped, trampled, and spells have been thrown at me. I reluctantly looked up from my book and Harry is sitting there looking at me.

I swallowed, “How did you find me?”

“Well, when you didn’t show up for lunch i thought maybe you was in your room but you wasn’t. Then i thought the library; i thought i would find you here reading your potions book for the hundredth time.”

“Why are you here?”

“I wanted to make sure you are alright.” He came to check on me, how sweet.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I blurted, “Does the offer to ditch with you still stand?”

“Yes.” he smiles mischievously, “Would you like to ditch with me?”

I nodded,

He smiles, “I was thinking we could sneak out of the castle to diagon alley.”

“I don’t know, what if someone sees us and tells on us because with my luck that would happen.”

“Alright, what about us sneak up to the roof and hang out there till school is over?”

“Okay.” I agreed.

“We should head that way before lunch is over.”

We managed to get to the roof without anyone spotting us. It feels good out here; the fresh air and cool breeze is exactly what i needed. I looked out into the yard; it seems so peaceful out there but i know better. Although I know I deserve all this ridicule and torment, I wish it’d be over soon. Hopefully, one day it’ll end or at least get better.

I turned around to find part of the roof covered in blankets and pillows. Harry is standing beside the blankets with a picnic basket in his hand. I swallowed, “How...”

“I thought since we both missed lunch we could have a picnic. I put warming charms on the blankets and pillows to keep them warm. And to answer your question, i got Winky to arrange all this.” I couldn’t get my voice to work so i didn’t say anything. He sets down the picnic basket and walked over to me. He takes my hand and leads me over to the pallet. He sets out all the food; he set out meatloaf, mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, and biscuits; it looks delicious. We also have chocolate pudding for dessert.

“When did you plan this?”

“Before I found you in the library.”

“How did you know i would agree to come up here with you?”

“I didn’t. I figured if you didn’t agree than i would’ve probably came up here myself.”

We ate in silence while we look out into the yard and watched people go to class. The bell rang to head back to class a couple minutes after we got onto the roof.

Once we finished our lunch, Harry waved all the dishes away and he lays down to look up at the sky. I lay down beside him. He reaches over intertwining our hands together. He scoots closer resting his head on my shoulder. I wrapped an arm around him. His hand rests on my stomach; his hand goes under my robe and moves south till he gets to the end of my t-shirt, his hand goes under my shirt, and rests on my stomach.

He whispers, “Has anyone ever told you, you have soft skin?”

“No.”

“Well, it is. I like touching it.” he stuttered, “Can I touch you in other places?”

I swallowed, “Where would you like to touch me?”

“Your stomach, chest, shoulders, arms, and back.”

I thought for a moment, “I guess that’ll be alright.”

“Can I take off your robe and shirt?”

I swallowed, “S-sure.” My voice was a little higher than i wanted. I can feel a blush forming on my cheeks.

He unbuttons my robe, pushes it off my shoulders, and places it behind him out of the way. He props up onto his elbow, leans in, and kisses me; this kiss is slow, sweet, and passionate. Is it bad that I wanted this all day? Actually I wanted it since he left this morning.

His hand slowly, gently unbuttons my shirt, untie my tie, and puts them behind him with my robe. He pulls back to look at my chest; his eyes started to look sad. I asked, “Harry?”

“I’m really sorry Draco. I didn’t know what that spell was when I used it. If I had known I wouldn’t’ve.”

I sat up and placed my finger onto his lips, “Shhhh.... it’s alright.”

“No, it’s not. You must hate me.”

“I don’t hate you.”he looks at me in disbelief, “At first i was upset but i’m not anymore.” I paused, “Do you think I would skip class to be up here with you if i hated you?”

“No, i guess not.”

I laid back down and he places his hands on me. He gently moves them up my stomach, abs, chest, to my shoulders, and with every touch he left tingling sensations in it’s wake. I love this feeling i hope he doesn’t stop soon.

He leans in and kisses my lips, he continues along my jawline to my earlobe. He kisses my sweet spot behind my ear and i couldn’t help myself from moaning ; i can feel him smiling against my skin. He kisses down my neck, he kisses my shoulders, chest, my nipples; he gently tugs and nibbles them, another moan escapes my mouth. He continues down my abs and stomach till he reaches my pants. He places his lips in the middle of my hips and rubs his lips up the center of my body until he reaches my lips again. He kisses my lips and my hands go to the back of his neck into his hair while i deepened the kiss.

We stayed like this for hours, i like being here like this with him. I don’t know if i love him. All i know is that I'm going to be sad with this all over. I’m going to miss him till I see him again.

Hello, everyone. I’m sorry it took so long with finishing this part up and posting it. I’ve been very busy with the holidays that passed and school. I don’t know when i will be able to post the next part but i will post it as soon as i can. I hope you enjoy this.

[forksofwisdom]

Embers of the Sun - chapter 3

Pairings: Bella/Paul, eventual Angela/Leah

Chapter summary: Bella gets a lesson in gravity while grocery shopping, and later picks up an unexpected hitchhiker in La Push.

A/N: I’ve posted this on ff.net!

The sky was a dreary grey.

Bella sat in the kitchen with a glass of water, feeling heavy-eyed despite having slept like a rock throughout the night. She’d dreamt of sprinting silently through a green forest. It hadn’t been an unpleasant dream, but the sound of heavy footfall outside her window had roused her. The pale light had greeted her as she struggled between waking and unconsciousness. Bella wasn’t used to having such vivid dreams, much less remember them after she woke up, so it had taken her a moment to realize that her dream had been void of the sound of footsteps. She’d rushed to her window but found nothing when she looked down into the yard.

Bella was still trying to will the sun to materialize through the heavy clouds when Charlie came down. She welcomed the distraction. He appeared surprised at seeing her awake, and they exchanged quiet good mornings. He got himself a glass of water and gulped it down like a man dying of thirst. The bags underneath his eyes were impressive, and Bella realized that he was nursing a hangover.

“What are you doing up so early?” Charlie asked and had to clear his throat when his voice came out hoarse. He wouldn’t meet her eyes, and Bella knew that he was embarrassed, which was understandable but entirely unnecessary since it had been a rare treat to witness him so carefree. Bella had the inkling that it wouldn’t happen again. She knew that Charlie’s pride had taken a hit and wanted to reassure him that he hadn’t harmed her ‘delicate sensibilities’ but it would only drive him further into his shell.

“I just woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep,” Bella answered vaguely instead. There was no need to worry him about the work of her overactive imagination.

“That’s too bad,” Charlie muttered, and Bella watched with barely contained horror as he poured some oats and water into a bowl and put it into the microwave. It cooked until the two-minute mark, and the ensuing ‘ding’ was jarring. He took it out and stuck a spoon in it. The porridge behaved like wet cement, and the spoon stayed in place.  

“How can you eat that?” Bella asked with thinly veiled disgust.

“What? It tastes just fine to me,” Charlie said as he got himself another glass of water. “I can make you some if you want.”

“No, thanks. I’ll stick to toast.” Bella shook her head, which got a small smile from him. She counted it as a victory.

He checked his watch and wolfed down the rest of his breakfast while Bella fixed her meal.

“I’ll be home late,” Charlie told her as he rinsed his bowl in the sink. He dried his hands on the dishcloth. “Know what you’re going to do today?”

“I’m going grocery shopping,” Bella answered through a mouthful of toast. She’d originally intended to stay at home and recharge, but there was no way that she would let Charlie do any more cooking while she was here. “You still like beef stroganoff, right?”

“Yeah, it’s my favorite,” Charlie said, his features softening.

“Dinner will be waiting for you when you come home,” Bella smiled down at her plate and Charlie patted her on the back like he wasn’t sure what to do with his hands.    

“That sounds good. I’ll see you tonight, Bells.” He grabbed his holster and was out the door.

Bella grimaced and huddled deeper into the coat, already feeling the chill despite not having open the front door yet. She’d stolen Charlie’s coat again and had her key in hand, an empty tote bag in her pocket, and a determination not to let the-three-on-the-tree gear shift intimidate her. She’d made it home last night with Charlie in no state to offer her helpful advice. Granted; there hadn’t been any cars on the road and luck had been with her when it came to the timing of green lights, but she’d done it nonetheless. With that in mind, Bella squared her shoulder and stalked out the door.

With her seatbelt on and her key in the ignition, Bella only hoped that she wouldn’t publicly embarrass herself in the grocery parking lot. News traveled fast around these parts, and it would surely reach La Push in no time.

She wondered if Paul ever bought his groceries in Forks.

Blindsided by her desire to catch another glimpse of him, Bella shook the thought away and turned the key. Her metal beast roared to life, and Bella backed onto the street gingerly. Besides, Paul would probably freak out at the sight of her again.

Her ego was still smarting from that.

Bella turned on her radio to shut her traitorous mind off. She did not need to think about rude boys and giant wolves. She shuddered. Were the Quileutes aware of the beast that might be lurking in their woods? Bella desperately wanted to believe that those footprints had been a prank, but doubt nagged at her.

The drive to the shop was short since nearly everything in Forks was a five-minute drive away from her house. The parking lot was blissfully uncrowded, and Bella slid into a spot close to the entrance. She put her truck in park and pulled the handbrake for good measure.

The store was decently sized and had a much better selection than she’d anticipated. Bella was pleasantly surprised when she found everything on her list easily. The only thing she had yet to find was a can of beef broth. It took her a few minutes of searching to track them down, and her stomach sank when she realized that they were on top of the highest shelf.

Cursed with her mother’s short genes, Bella went onto the tips of her toes and reached up in a futile effort to grab for it. Her fingers didn’t even come close. Looking around, Bella wanted to avoid having to seek help from a stranger. She might be able to hold her own in a conversation with acquaintances but speaking to strangers when not strictly necessary was stressful.

Fortunately, there was a stepping stool resting down the aisle, and Bella nudged it in place. The workers must use it while they were stocking the shelves, and if Bella had been a little taller, it would have been the perfect height for her. She had to go on the tips of her toes again, which forced her to lean forwards. Her fingers reached the edge of a can, and she slipped it towards her. It spun in a few circles and Bella cursed. She hitched her shoulder and closed her hand around the accursed can.

Of course, just as she was about to announce her victory, she slipped.

“Watch out!” Slim arms wrapped around Bella’s stomach and jerked her to a halt. Heart pounding, Bella took a cautious step down and was helped with her descend. They let her go when she was on safe grounds again. Bella turned around.

“I’m sorry for grabbing you like that; I just saw you slip and reacted.” Her savior was a girl who appeared to be her age. She had light brown hair with streaks of honey, and a pair of glasses framed gentle brown eyes.

“No, it’s fine.” Bella was taken by surprise. “You have good reflexes.”

“Are you new around here? I’m sorry,” the girl blurted out. “It’s just you look my age, and I haven’t seen you around the school - it’s a small town.” The poor girl looked increasingly embarrassed as she rambled. Bella knew the feeling and smiled when she paused to take a breath before introducing herself. “I’m Angela Weber by the way,”

“Hi, Angela. You’re right; I’m new,” Bella said and stuck her hand out for her to shake. Angela took it shyly. “I’m Bella Swan.”

“The Police Chief’s daughter?” Angela asked. It didn’t feel like she was prying in the way those eager for their share of town gossip did.

“That’s me,” Bella said and held up her can awkwardly. “Thank you for catching me - this was the last thing on my list.”

“Think nothing of it! I’m just glad you didn’t get hurt,” Angela smiled. “Will you be attending Forks High?”

“Yeah, I’m a senior.” Bella was proud of how well she was handling the conversation. Angela seemed like a sweet girl, and Bella hoped that she was in her year.

“Me too! Maybe we’ll have some classes together, if not, we could sit together for lunch,” Angela said eagerly, but blushed when she realized how forward she sounded.

“No, that would be great. I don’t know anyone around here so it would be nice to see a familiar face,” Bella reassured her.

“Great,” Angela said, her smile reappearing, and bounced back on her heels. “I guess, I’ll see you in school next Friday.”

“Yeah, it was nice meeting you and, again, thanks for saving me; not a good look to start term in a cast,” Bella joked, and Angela laughed in agreement.

“See you, Bella.” They parted ways, Angela resuming her shopping and Bella going to the checkout, both wearing small smiles. Starting at Forks High didn’t seem too scary anymore.

There wasn’t much for Bella to do in Forks while she waited for school to start. It was Thursday now, and Bella was beginning to get cabin fever; school would start tomorrow, and the last thing she needed was to be alone with her thoughts. Being the new girl in such a small town was bound to draw attention from the other students, and Bella was dreading it. Hopefully, Angela would make good on her offer and let Bella blend in by sitting with her. Bella had spent plenty of lunches sitting on her own in Phoenix but thinking about doing it in front of people who were bound to judge her was uncomfortable.

Charlie was at work, and it was an odd experience for Bella to have the whole day to herself. She was so used to taking care of the household back in Phoenix because while Renée had a zest for damn near everything, she was a complete disaster when it came to taking care of anyone, much less herself. Charlie was the complete opposite; he remembered to pay the bills and cleaned up after himself. The only thing Bella took over was the cooking. Charlie hadn’t protested, especially not after she’d caught him putting a can of beans inside the microwave.

The man was a menace inside the kitchen.

She spoke to her mother daily, both through emails and phone calls. It was amazing how much her mother could prattle on and make the most mundane things seem exciting. Bella should buy a mobile because they were starting to run up Charlie’s landline bill with their routine of calling each other in the evenings and spend an hour chatting. Renée did most of the speaking while Bella listened. It eased her mind to hear how happy her mother was. It was sometimes a little disheartened how Renée seemed to be thriving without Bella there to look after her.

Bella dismissed the thought as soon as it reared its ugly head inside her mind. Renée was happy, and that was enough.

Senior year was upon her and Bella should use the time to find out what she wanted to do with herself. She couldn’t help but feel adrift during those empty moments sitting at home and waiting for something interesting to happen.

Sick of her train of thought, Bella decided to go for a drive. A change of scenery should help her clear her mind. She grabbed the CD Charlie had given it to her for her fourteenth birthday. She’d found it while going through the stuff that had collected on her bookshelf throughout the years. Charlie had found most her favorite songs from his collection and mixed them onto a CD. Bella was ashamed to admit that she didn’t remember what songs were on there, but her mood brightened significantly when the first pluck of guitar of ‘Here Comes the Sun’ by the Beatles started playing. Charlie knew her better than she’d thought.

She had no direction in mind when she pulled out of the drive, but all too soon she was at the intersection of the 101 and 110. Without thinking she took a left onto the La Push Road, but Ben E. King’s crooning voice distracted her from any worry. All thoughts of mutant wolves and Paul were absent from her mind as she jiggled shoulders in rhythm with the bass of ‘Stand By Me.’

Bella turned on her windshield wipers when it started to rain.

She was nearing the village’s border when she saw something strange. Sam was standing by the treeline, flanked by Jared and Paul. They were all shirtless and wore shorts like they’d been out for a jog when they’d been caught in the rain. Across the road was Leah. She was standing on the sidewalk and appeared to have been caught out in the rain as well; her flannel shirt was slowly getting drenched. Leah didn’t seem to notice it though as she glared at Sam. The venom on her face was impressive, but it didn’t distract Bella from how her shoulder slumped forwards as the rain grew heavier.

Bella was reminded of a standoff in one of Charlie’s old movies about the Wild West.

She was already stepping on the break when Paul’s head suddenly snapped up like he’d felt her gaze. Her stomach clenched, and she wanted to sink into the ground when he jolted with a look of surprise crossing his face.

What the hell was his problem?

Jimi Hendrix’s guitar solo jolted her into reality, and Bella quickly lowered the volume. Leah’s glare was losing it heat and the sadness in her gaze alarmed Bella. After making sure there was no one driving behind her, Bella slowed to a halt.

Paul was still staring at her and Bella’s frustration got the better of her. With a stubborn tick to her chin, she trudged up the nerve to give him a small wave with a sickly sweet smile. He blinked in surprise and Bella was bewildered when his lips quirked up into a toothy grin. He rose to his full height and his chest puffed up in that cocky way that seems universal among young men. Jared nudged Paul in the ribs teasingly, and Paul hit him in the shoulder with enough force to make him stumble.

Men, Bella thought disparagingly. Paul didn’t seem to hate her as she had initially thought, but Bella had more pressing matters at hand. Sam didn’t have eyes for anyone besides Leah. He appeared just as unhappy at seeing Leah, but there wasn’t any of Leah’s rage in him. He seemed weary.

Why hadn’t Leah left? It was blatant, even to an outsider like Bella, that she wasn’t comfortable with Sam’s proximity. There was bad blood between the two of them, and while Bella was curious by nature their history, it was none of her business. However, there was no way she could leave Leah in a situation that was causing her distress.

Bella hoped that she wasn’t about to get humiliated in front of these guys. She attempted to roll down her window, but it stuck after an inch, so she opened her door instead with a huff. Rain immediately pelted her hair and shoulder, and cold dops rolled down the back of her collar. She ignored the men and lifted herself to stand on the car door sill and leaned over the wet roof of her truck to call out to Leah.

“Hey, need a ride?” Leah snapped her attention towards Bella in surprise. Bella shivered as she waited for an answer. There was a tense pause where Leah gave Sam one last mutinous glare before stalking silently to Bella and her truck. She got in on the other side, and Bella let out a breath.

“Yeah,” Leah snarled as she slammed the door shut. Bella all but tumbled back into the driver’s seat and closed her door with more care. The car was cold now that Bella had let out all the warm air and she set to close her window. It gave her a chance to take one last peek at Paul. His eyebrows were approaching his hairline, and even Jared appeared slack-jawed. Bella suppressed the urge to stick her tongue out at them; there was no need to look so surprised, and Sam’s apparent gratefulness was also unwarranted because Bella certainly hadn’t done it for him.

“Where do you want to go?” Bella asked Leah and cranked up the heat when she noticed Leah was shivering. She started driving.

“Just go wherever it was you were going,” Leah dismissed, huddling down into the seat with crossed arms.

“I was just driving around,” Bella explained. “Want me to take you home?”

“No, just keep on driving,” Leah said and dialed up the volume on Bella’s radio. The scent of wet clothes filled the cab, and they stayed silent as Bella drove further into La Push. There wasn’t a lot of roads, and she took a circle around the Quileute Tribal Council building and pulled back onto the Ocean Front Drive, heading out of the village.

“Is it okay if we keep going?” Bella asked when they came to the 101.

“Yeah,” Leah said. She seemed to relax with every mile they put between them and La Push. She did not indicate being affected by the initial strained silence like Bella, but soon the calm that came with driving eased any tension between them.

Bella was struck by how weird this was but Leah’s calm demeanor was also kind of nice. She wasn’t inclined to strike up a conversation. Bella wasn’t ready to return to Forks, and Leah seemed to agree with her because she asked her if she had any more music when the CD finished.

“No, but you missed the first a couple of songs,” Bella said like she’d always intended to pick her up and Leah’s features softened. The first song with the Beatles started to play again.

Neither spoke again until the CD finished for the second time. Bella asked if Leah knew any good radio stations. They were driving past the tiny hamlet of Shuwah, which resided on the other side of Forks when Bella felt the urge of getting to know her passenger a little. She searched for something to say to break the ice.

“So, um. What do you do for fun around here?” Bella asked and winced when Leah raised her eyebrow at her pitiful attempt at small talk. “Yeah, that was pretty bad.”

Leah took a moment before answering. “Hiking. The forest is beautiful around here.” There was a note of pride in her voice. “Then there’s fishing of course; our dads still fish together, and then there’s hunting if you’re into that kind of thing.”

“I’m not a big hunter, but hiking sounds nice,” Bella said. Then she remembered her disastrous attempt at walking in the forest by Billy’s house and laughed awkwardly. “That is when I’m not tripping over roots and falling onto my ass.”

“There are a couple of good trails by the Second Beach which should be free of any roots,” Leah said dryly. She appeared to deliberate for a moment. “I could show you my favorite one when the weather is better.”

“That would be awesome,” Bella said, a little surprised at Leah’s offer. She tapped her steering wheel, feeling absurdly proud of the fact that Leah wanted to meet her again.

It wasn’t until Leah remarked that it was getting late that Bella turned around to head back. She was startled when she noticed that the sky was already darkening as evening approached. They’d been driving for a little over an hour. Charlie would be home soon, and Bella hadn’t intended to let an empty house greet him.

The trip back was somehow quicker, and they were entering La Push before they knew it. Bella remembered the way to the Clearwater’s home from her last visit and pulled up in front of their driveway.

“Thanks, I needed to get away for awhile,” Leah said after a pregnant pause.

“Don’t mention it,” Bella said with a shake of her head. “This was  nice; I’ve never driven around with a friend before.” The words were out of her mouth before she had time to think and Bella was mortified when she realized that she’d called Leah her friend.

Thankfully, Leah sent her a faint smile before she could start backtracking.

“See you around, Swan.” She jumped down and jogged through the rain up to her house.

Bella drove back in a bit of a daze and soon pulled up by her house. She would need to fill her tank tomorrow after school.

Charlie was laying the dinner table when Bella came in.

“I ordered some pizza, hope you don’t mind,” he said and motioned to the pizza box on the table.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to stay out for so long. I just lost track of time, and then I had to drive Leah home.” Bella explained as they took their seats and Charlie seemed surprised.

“Leah Clearwater?” he asked and handed her a slice. “I didn’t know you were friends. What were you two doing together?”

“Just driving around.” Bella shrugged and took a bite. She was starving.

“Have fun?” he asked, and Bella nodded, chewing silently.

“Leah’s cool,” she said and smiled to herself. “It’s almost intimidating.”

“Huh,” Charlie accepted Bella’s newfound friendship readily. The pizza was almost gone when Bella remembered what she’d wanted to ask Charlie.

“Hey, dad. Think you can make me more CD’s? It’s nice to have something to listen to in the car.”

“You still listen to that old thing?” His brows twitched up as he smiled. “Of course, Bells. Just write down what songs you like, and I’ll fix it.”

“Thank you.” Bella took their plates and put them in the washer.

“Billy called,” Charlie said, stretching his back and handed Bella his glass.

“Oh?”

“He invited us to dinner as repayment for ‘putting up with his drunk singing’ as he put it,” Charlie said sheepishly.

“Your's as well, if I recall,” Bella said teasingly.

“Yeah, well.” Charlie coughed gruffly.

“I had fun,” Bella reassured him. “Tell Billy I’d love to have dinner.”

“It’s a date.”  

Next chapter: Something's fishy about the supposedly suave Cullens, and Bella's not impressed. Dinner at Billy’s, featuring the hazards of climbing in grocery stores when your name is Bella Swan and more Paul.

[ghoultramp]

the phoenix & the raven [four]

▷     �� original fiction

↳ content: fantasy, mutual pining, romance, action/adventure, angst

↳ words: 1.2k

▷       [ I ] - [ II ] - [ III ] - [ IV ] - [ V ] - [wip]

The autumn leaves made a satisfying crunch under their boots and the air brought a gentle chill that kissed their skin as they strolled under a canopy of trees along a well-used cobbled road. Dark's nose caught a whiff of maple and confectioners sugar as they ambled closer to the town that neighboured The Weary Monk. He glanced over and down at Rae, he could almost envision the scolding she was bound to give him for this.

"Look--" but before he could say anything else, her delicate hand grabbed hold of him and pulled him into a quicker pace.

"We'd better hurry," she spoke above him. "You have to try these!"

Rae took large, wide steps while Dark trailed behind her, barely doing half of his natural stride, heading toward a stall that the delicious smell was emitting from. Standing next to each other, Rae barely reached Dark's shoulders and he had to stop himself from playfully resting his arm on her head.

He watched her interact with the little old woman. An elderly man, who Dark presumed to be this woman's husband, was busy skilfully flipping and tossing maple leaves in a batter. With far more speed than Dark though possible, the elderly man flipped the cooked leaves to a rack and sprinkled them with - aha - confectioner's sugar.

Rae's beautiful laugh rang in his ears, he felt far more intoxicated by her than anything else.

"Thank you both, may the goddesses bless you," he heard her voice chime.

She strolled toward him carrying a slim paper bag in one hand while she fumbled with the coin bag at her belt with the other. Dark only required to take one large step to be at her side, aiding her by taking the bag from her. He anticipated a smile but found that her face was solemn and it made him uneasy. Turning, she proceeded further toward the town taking a left via a stream and under some shade.

"I like to come here sometimes," she told him, her voice unsteady, "it helps when everything gets..." She didn't finish her sentence, glancing at him over her shoulder she watched the color drain from his face.

Dark accompanied Rae through the foliage for a short while before stepping through to an opening, a rather unassuming clearing with a wider division of the stream. He found it peculiar that although they were still quite near the town, there was nothing to suggest otherwise in this untouched space.

He fidgeted with the lip of the paper bag as he watched Rae lower herself onto the grass, she beckoned him toward her by patting the patch of grass next to her. Dark stood motionless save for his fidgeting fingers; he perceived that this entire distraction was to make him talk, he was sure of it, and he didn't like it.

His footfalls were weary as he made his way closer to her, and as he did, he felt the weight of his unwillingness try to pull him back.

He stopped.

"What is this, Rae?" he asked, frustrated, he towered above her as she sat. She didn't need to say a word, so only grasped for the bag in his hands; he let her take it. "I can't..."

She watched his knuckles turn white as he firmly clenched his fists, his arms shaking with his exerted force. Rae rose to her feet, taking his fists into her palms and lifting them to her chest. She held his hands close, breathing in deeply before testing eye contact with him.

But when she looked up, his face - now ashen - was concealed in shadow from the hair that fell in front of his hanging head.

"I know, I'm a brooding bastard," he groaned with a self-deprecating chuckle before correcting his posture to meet her eyes, feeling his heart drop once again.

"Whatever you think I'm doing," she gently told him, shuffling slightly closer to him, "that's not it." She saw his expression change to one of uncertainty. "I thought you could use a... time out." There was an audible exhale that passed Dark's lips; relief.

Letting go of Dark's hands she brought up the paper bag; the remnants of grease from the frying oil had made it practically translucent. He watched her slender fingers reach into the bag and pull out the bronzed treat, the sugar already dissolved.

Rae held one out to him. "A peace offering?"

Dark could hear the crunch echo in his skull as he bit into the deep-fried leaf; the moment the outer-shell cracked, the sweet, thick taste of maple and sugar erupted in his mouth.

* * *

The air grew cooler as the afternoon dwindled on, nothing but the sweetness of running water and birds disturbed them in their shared pocket of calm. Very little words had been shared between them, but their naive and childlike gestures of affection for each other had made up for their lack of communication with stolen glances and soft, tender brushes against each other's skin.

Rae was sat with her back inclined against a bankside tree, and Dark was now resting his head in her lap. She looked down at him with her fingers caressing the outline of his long, pointed ears. Her other hand rested gently on his bicep that rose and fell with his breathing.

She remembered the boy she had set off on their mission with, they were no more than children freshly turned 17 and nothing could have prepared her for the statuesque man he had become.

Dark had been a masterful swordsman even then and the circumstances they had all endured only made them stronger. Rae remembered Dark the last time she had seen him, now 10 or so years ago; his hair had been shorter and he hadn't sported any facial hair, she estimated he had grown at least 6 inches and his muscles had increased exponentially.

"Dark?" Rae's voice was little more than a whisper. She heard him grunt in response. "I know you've been lying." She felt his muscles go rigid and she gently squeezed his arm in reassurance. "Let me help you." Her voice was strained as she held back her sadness, but Dark could hear her anguish.

He hesitated for a moment, deliberating whether or not to move, but ultimately deciding against it.

"You can't, Rae," he told her, "not this time."

"Whatever it is, I can tell it's eating you up," she responded, her fingers dancing across his temple and cheekbone. "It's different this time, I understand that, but-"

"That's the thing, Rae," his voice sounded like a low purr, "you don't understand. It's an entire clusterfuck I'm not ready to unpack, and one which is probably going to get me killed pretty soon."

Rae reached her hand around to the cheek Dark was laying on and brought his head to meet her. She tried searching his face for an answer yet only saw how fearful he truly was, that look he had the night before he left her.

"I promised you, didn't I?" He took note of the concern in her face and he raised an open palm to her cheek, stroking her it. "I won't leave you." A tear fell to his hand.

"You say you won't leave yet you think you're going to get killed?" Rae's voice cracked as she held back her tears, leaning her cheek into his warm palm; she enveloped his wrist with both of her hands. "What happened? Don't shut me out, Dark, I can't do this again."

"Soon, I promise," he whispered. "But not here. It's not safe for me." He brushed a strand of her hair away from her eyes. "It might no longer be safe for you, either."

[mountphoenixrp]

We have a returning citizen in Mount Phoenix:

                       Yoon Bora, who is known by no other name,                                    a 30 year old daughter of Loki.                               She is the owner of The Flower Mill.

FC NAME/GROUP: Yoon Bora / Sistar CHARACTER NAME: N/A AGE/DATE OF BIRTH: 30; January 30, 1990 PLACE OF BIRTH: Seoul, SK OCCUPATION:  Owner of The Flower Mill HEIGHT: 165 cm (5’5″) WEIGHT: 46 kg (101 lbs) DEFINING FEATURES: Her body is covered in scars. A majority are on her back, arms, and calves.

PERSONALITY: Originally, Bora was a sweet, and gentle child. She was outgoing, expressive, and caring. However after her encounter with Louis and her time at the Gourmet, she has became distant. She has had trouble trusting anyone since her time there. She has grown quiet and timid. She struggles with interacting with others by her own resolve and often finds herself incredibly lonely. She feels heavy guilt over her past and the lives she took, and it makes it harder for her to form close relationships with others. Her heart is soft for those whom with “bad pasts” who need some form of guidance, and she is willing to form a type of motherly relationship with anyone, taking them under her wings. Now that she tends to a child, she is much more defensive and protective while she is out, willing to harm anyone who threatens those close to her.

HISTORY: tw; Abuse, torture, murder, death

Background uses elements from Tokyo Ghoul

The Seoul native had been a popular lady. She spoiled her friends with affection, and she was a studious girl. On an errand to help her single mother, she met a man named Louis. Though older than her by several years, he befriended her and would meet her daily to help her in running errands, often treating her to desserts. Innocent and naive, she would betray her mother’s wisdom of keeping her powers private and relay the information to the man she trusted the most. He was the epitome of “stranger danger,” and now being sure of the powers of which she possessed, he would test her out. He would call upon his companions to bring him the most exotic of animals. She touched lions, tigers, bears, jaguars, hippos, rhinos, and more. Her inner database of animals expanded dramatically.

Unknown to her, his actions were motivated by greed. Satisfied by her powers. he would drug her on a trip to a nearby ice cream shop. Hours would pass before she would awake to find herself in a cage in a dimly lit room with chains around her arms, legs, and neck. Confused and afraid, she would find her supposed companion laughing before her.  He would reveal his own quest. She was simply now his pet. Louis ran an underground fighting ring for the rich and twisted to watch. Weekly, he kidnapped unsuspecting humans and pitted them against each other. However, she was a spectacle. She held a force that could bring him spectators from around the world and entertain those whom he called his regulars. He would demand her to turn into the animals he showed her so that his spectators would get even more of a gruesome sight.

Bora would immediately be unwilling. She could never steal someone’s life. She was far to sweet and delicate to do such. Her resistance was strong, but a few power tools and a few days of frequent torture forced her into being a servant to his wishes. The first kill was the worst, and the shows were off and on for weeks. Tens of masked figured stood on platforms above jeering and cheering as she decimated the poor humans who stood no chance. Every performance was graded, and if she did not meet Louis’s standards, she was punished with the same torture she met at the beginning.  Fear captured her, and she remained with Louis for years, doling out pain that shattered her soul.

Before one match, a sudden realization would hit her. There was only one way to prevent death to anyone else, and it was the death of Louis. Straining against her chains to escape, a small rodent would crawl within her cage, and gently laying her fingers upon it, she was transform and finally escape her cage and chains. Emerging from her prison, she was prepared for death or freedom. Anyone who stood in her way felt her piercing claws and sharp teeth. By the time she reached Louis, the building reeked of death. Asleep in his bed, she would pounce upon him in her jaguar form, and as he awoke, she struck the moment she saw the fear in his eyes. Her keeper was no more in minutes.

Transforming back into her human form, she knelt on the floor before a mirror. It had been ages since she saw her reflection, and the woman looking at her was not the woman she knew. Freedom was bittersweet, and as she allowed herself to break down, a bird would appear before her with a message. Her escape was waiting in a location called Mount Phoenix. She had no clue whether she should trust this, but at this point, she had nothing else going for her. With her newest bird companion, she cleansed herself from the blood and headed off to a new life.

At Mount Phoenix, she found a new start, and she reconnected with people from her younger days. Despite the years of suffering she endured, she started to finally free herself from the crushing weight of her horror. Bora felt that her future finally looked bright, but soon, she would be shook to her core as news that the man she despised so much had been revived from the dead. Flashbacks from her past haunted her nights and day, and she finally decided that there was no way she could keep hiding on the island. Bora left her friends without a word, knowing so many would stop her if she left.  She rather be dead than leave other unsuspecting people to his hands.

Bora sought out the man through the few clues she had, and as she finally reached the den of her enemy, her greatest nightmare was real. He was alive and breathing, and she had to end this. In a swirl of chaos and a recreation of her past, he was torn to pieces in a surprise attack. Louis seemed different from when she last saw him, which was probably due to some side effect of his resurrections. Blood covered the floor, and the only way she thought that she could truly end this chapter in her life was through fire. So as the demigoddess set the house on fire, she heard the cry of a child just moments before her exit.

Even with danger presented by the quickly consuming flame, there was no way that she could go leave the innocent child, and though a close call, her and the child get out of the collapsing building. Bora has a more pressing questions. Whose child is this? Where does she go from now? So, Bora works on the reunification of child with her parents, and in her journey to find them, it leads her to a mother who sold the child to Louis knowing she could get good profit off of them and their powers. Bora knew that there was no way she could leave the child in the hands of this woman, and for the right price, she paid the woman to give all control and guardianship over to her. Her and the child needed a new start to the lives that had been stolen from, and she knew that the only place that would give them that was Mount Phoenix.

PANTHEON: Norse CHILD OF: Loki POWERS:

Shapeshifting: Bora has the ability to shift into the figures of different animals. This power requires that she has touch them at some point, but there is no determined length required for it to be added to her ability to shift. Any clothes worn during shift either fall around her or tear depending on her change. All scars on her human body translates onto her animal body. Despite the appearance of an animal, she is unable to converse with other animals, and most other animals are aware there is something different with her. Due to her history with Louis, she has a wide arrange of animals from domesticated to wild, exotic animals.

Disguise: Bora has an uncanny knack of disguising herself, through a creative combination of clothing, makeup, and hair styling. This power is not something she explores much or is even aware of.

STRENGTHS: Compassionate, Reliable , Strong Fighter WEAKNESSES: Guilt-Ridden, Quiet, Distant