#raine and kade

[dutifullynuttywitch]

Oh my god. What a turn of events 🤯😭

I was so very much enjoying the lovely, heartfelt Kade and Raine childhood snapshots... then you punched me in the gut with those later scenes 😭

Still not over how good this is... and traumatic. I may need some fluff now to recover

Fables & Falsehoods

Book: Blades of Light and Shadow

Characters: (F!Elf!MC) Raine & Kade

Rating: Teen

Warnings: Fantasy violence, blood, depictions of scarring/injury.

Length: 4.7k

Summary: Alternate timeline where Kade was shadow-scarred during the fight against the Dreadlord.

Tags: @lawrencebarkley @watatsumi-island @choicesficwriterscreations

A/N: This turned out wayy longer than expected 😅 For maximum emotional damage also read this fic.

It was morning when Raine set off towards the outskirts of Riverbend, with a light mist still hovering over the hills and the sky a pale shade of daffodil yellow as she followed the river upstream to the wild meadows.

The young girl crouched with her basket in hand as she found a patch of blue chamomile flowers, ignoring how the pollen made her sensitive nose itch while she recalled the instructions the farmer had given her.

Harvest them during early morning, when the dew has evaporated but before the sun is fully shining.

Their scent was reminiscent of the sweet hay kept in the village stables, and she took great care to gently remove the flower heads without damaging the stems before she placed them delicately in the basket.

Once she had collected enough and the sun was higher in the sky, she stood and followed the dirt path back to the village, with her basket bumping against the side of her leg as she went.

She skipped up to the old wooden cottage she and Kade lived in with the farmer, and left the basket on the table near the fireplace so he could use the flowers to make tea, having been unable to collect them himself in his older age.

When it was ready, she tentatively carried the mug to the small room they shared. Inside, Kade’s slight frame laid in bed shaking from fever, his limbs occasionally wracked with tremors as he coughed.

“Kade,” she whispered, unsure if he was asleep. When he stirred and opened his eyes, she sat down beside him. “I brought you tea.”

She helped him sit up enough to lean against the bed frame, and looked inside the mug where the drink had been infused with golden honey that shimmered and swirled within like liquified sunlight. It looked magical, and that gave the young girl enough hope in her heart that it could heal him.

Raine lifted the mug to his mouth so he could take a sip, only six years old and too weak to hold it on his own.

“It’s made with flowers!” She explained. “I found a whole field so I’ll pick some more tomorrow. The farmer said using them in this tea will help you feel better.”

Her expression filled with worry. “It is working, right?”

“Tastes good,” he murmured before glancing back down at the mug. “I’m drinking flowers?”

She giggled and placed the empty mug on the bedside table when he was finished. Kade sighed and laid his head back down on the pillow, and just when Raine thought he was going to fall back asleep, he opened his eyes once more. “Can you read me a story?”

“Which one?” She asked.

“The one about the dragon.”

She picked up the book he was referring to and sat close enough for him to see the penciled illustrations. “Once upon a time, at the top of a great mountain peak, there was a dragon of light whose scales shone brighter than any jewel…”

As she continued to read, dark clouds began to gather outside and her voice was soon accompanied by the soft pattering of light rainfall.

“…The nearby villagers feared for their safety and so they shot the dragon out of the sky, but they didn’t know it had been defending something. Not a hoard of gold but something far more precious, a shimmering egg that now sat alone in the darkened cave.”

When she glanced back up, Kade was fast asleep and raindrops trickled slowly down the window pane. She closed the book and traced a finger along the cover, where the dragon’s scales reflected the sky with an opalescent sheen that caused rainbows to ripple across its large body.

With a yawn, she put the book away and crawled into her own bed, and as she drifted off to sleep her head was filled with dreams of someday crossing paths with a dragon for herself.

A few years later, they were playing in an old stable where the worn grey bricks of the exterior were lined with moss, and eating berries they had collected from the nearby woods. Kade had recovered from his illness, but the elderly farmer had sadly passed and now it was just the two of them on their own.

“It’s broken!”

“What is?”

“My bow!”

Raine sat among the straw as she frustratedly tried to fix it. Although the stable had not been used for years and the outside looked uninviting, it was surprisingly warm within and filled with large bales of hay that were perfect for hiding and climbing.

She frowned when her attempts were to no avail. It was only a toy made of fragile wood, but the bowstring had snapped and she had no means of repairing it by herself.

“Every great adventurer needs a weapon, Kade!” She sighed. “And mine’s busted.”

“What about my slingshot?” He asked, holding up the one he’d crafted out of twigs that morning after seeing a drawing in one of his books.

She looked at it doubtfully. “That’s okay, you can keep it.”

“But slingshots make great weapons, look!” He picked up one of the berries and placed it in the sling before firing, and it hit Raine directly in the forehead before falling to the ground and leaving a small purple juice stain marked on her skin.

“Hey!” She rubbed her head with her forearm. “I’ll get you for that!”

As she glanced around the stable looking for something to help enact her revenge, she found a dark piece of wood sticking out from one of the straw piles. When she lifted it she saw it was a small toy sword, carved roughly but still intact despite being in the old building for years.

“I found one!” She said, her payback forgotten as she and Kade studied the sword.

“A fine weapon.” He nodded with approval. “It will aid you well on your quest.”

Raine giggled. “What’s my quest?”

He turned and pointed to the highest hay bale in the room. “Climb the great mountain and defeat the beast that lurks there!”

She leapt up onto the lowest pile, adjusting her footing as she climbed higher. She was almost at the top when she slipped and nearly fell, and a few loose strands of straw drifted to the ground. “Woah!”

“You can do it!” Kade cheered from the bottom.

With one final haul, she pulled herself up to the top and triumphantly waved her sword in the air. “I did it! I slayed the beast!”

“I knew you could!” He clapped as she sat there for a moment to catch her breath while her mind wandered off in deep thought, a look of immense concern on her features that looked unusual for the young girl.

“Kade, do you…” She said slowly before trailing off. “…Do you think even heroes get scared?”

“Of course. I know if I had to fight a massive dragon I’d be scared.”

“Then how do they do it?”

He was silent for a moment. “Because they care more about doing what’s right.”

Raine grinned, her eyes sparkling. “You’re such a goody-goody.” Then she brandished the sword at him and leapt from the hay bale, tackling him to the ground where they both collapsed into a pile of laughter.

Above their resounding joy, Raine heard a creak and looked up in time to see one of the large wooden beams from the ceiling swing and come falling down straight towards them.

With a squeal and a hard shove, she pushed Kade out of the way and rolled to the side just moments before it crashed to the ground, sending straw flying.

She sat up dazed and with a few pieces in her hair, and Kade helped her back onto her feet.

“That was too close,” he said.

She nodded in agreement. “I’m not sure we should play here anymore…”

“What would’ve happened if it fell on us?” He asked.

“Well, you’d probably have gotten a concussion at least.” Raine answered. “And you don’t need another one of those.”

Kade shuddered as they both remembered the time he’d been hanging upside down from a tree branch near the riverbank, and how he said he “wanted to know how bats slept that way” before he fell and landed on his head.

She laughed at his expression. “Come on, no more old buildings for a while. Or trees. If we’re not careful we’ll run out of places to play.”

He sighed. “The fields it is, then.”

“Race you there!” Raine said, and he was quick to follow, but both of them were too distracted to notice the wooden sword lying on the ground forgotten once more.

Time seemed to move forward in a blurred whirlwind after that, from the carefree joys of childhood to helplessly watching Kade get trapped in the Onyx Shard and the long, arduous journey it had taken to rescue him.

She had seen all the beautiful and treacherous places of the world in that time. The sun setting across the ocean at Port Parnassus, the glittering city of Undermount, even a place as harsh and nightmarish as the Deadwood held its own secret places of wonder.

Although she savoured every moment of the adventure, there was still a hollow ache through it all that reminded her they were supposed to be by each other’s side. He was the only family member she had left after what had happened to the farmer and her parents, and she couldn’t lose him too.

Her determination to save him ignited an ember in her heart, one that carried her onward through every challenge they faced along the way, no matter how perilous. One that led them all directly into the realm of shadow, a twisted land of darkness no one had ever returned from and to face an enemy proclaimed impossible to defeat.

For a brief moment, all of the danger lurking ahead was forgotten and the pain they had been through was worth it when she was finally able to save Kade. His weakened frame sat in a cold, lonely cell, bruised and beaten but alive, and seeing him alive was what had mattered to her the most.

Their quest led them to a chamber of ash and smoke, where the Dreadlord rose from his tomb while possessing the body of their friend, wearing her skin like a ghost and controlling her movements as a puppet with strings woven of shadow and malice.

Soldiers swarmed them like an oncoming tide of darkness, with magic rising and falling in turbulent waves and weapons that surged and clashed mid-air. Through it all, she could feel her strength waning.

With every soldier that fell a new row appeared, and she fought until she was wounded and bleeding, until her whole body felt like it was made of lead as she struggled to take each step.

The ember that had carried her so far began to fade out when her legs could no longer hold her upright, and she sunk to her knees, too weakened to fight any longer. She had used up all her strength on this journey, only to run out right on the threshold when she needed it the most.

“And here I thought you’d be more willing to put up a fight.” The Dreadlord spoke with a voice tainted by dust and rot, hovering above her as an omen of death. “How pathetic.”

It used Nia’s hand to summon a jagged lance of weaponised darkness, pointed and aimed straight for her heart. “Now you will meet your end.”

Raine’s body slumped forward as the lance soared through the air and she braced herself for the final hit, eyes closed as she expelled her last breath.

It never came.

She looked up to see a figure standing in front of her, with the lance meant to kill her piercing clean through his right side.

“Kade!” She screamed, and his fingers trembled as he reached for the wound, dark blood seeping across his hand as shadow slowly began to spread throughout his body.

Even in this state, he still managed a weak smile.

He was always smiling, she remembered. While bedridden as a child, running through the woods, and playing songs at the tavern. His optimism even under such dire circumstances throughout their lives often made her think he was more of a hero than she was.

She knew it to be the truth.

“You…always saved me.” His voice was barely a whisper as he spoke, and tears welled in Raine’s eyes before spilling down her cheeks. “Now it’s my turn…to save you.”

He swayed on his feet and she rushed to catch him in her arms before lowering him to the stone ground. “No, no.” She whispered. “Not again.”

His eyes fluttered closed as his breathing grew shallow, and she reached for his bloodied hand. “Kade, I…I can’t lose you again.” Panicked desperation took hold as she uttered a silent plea. “Please.”

He stirred for a brief moment before using all his remaining strength to open his eyes once more. “Leave me…Get to Nia.” He let out a painful sounding cough as blood dripped down his chin. “Be the hero I…know you are.”

With a strangled sob, she hauled herself to her feet with her weapon in hand. The rest of the battle passed in a blur, from wielding the Blade of Light to opening a portal back to Whitetower, all that mattered was ensuring her brother’s safety.

She called for a healer and helplessly watched his body be carried away, knowing that if she had just been able to hold on a little longer she could have prevented the worst of it.

He was too injured to attend the medaling ceremony, but Nia assured her that he was recovering. That he was talking and laughing with the healers when he wasn’t asleep, and although the shadow scarring would be permanent, he was going to be okay, and that was what mattered the most.

Raine took a deep breath as she gazed around the city, at everyone they had worked so hard to save. It might take a while but she hoped that maybe, someday, it would all be okay.

Kade wasn’t there when she was taken.

He was still recovering from his injuries, warring with the shadow while under the constant attention of the palace healers. The last time he had seen Raine was late afternoon when she came to visit, telling him she was going to the palace terrace to celebrate the Dreadlord’s defeat with a victory toast.

“Bring back a drink for me?” He asked, grinning.

“Of course,” she laughed, before turning her back as she walked out the door, and he picked up one of the large books she’d bought for him at the festival. He knew she still felt guilty, but hadn’t yet had the chance to reassure her that he didn’t regret taking the lance in her stead and that he would do it again if he must, even though he knew she would disapprove.

He was still reading when her companions barged into the room in a frantic hurry a few hours later, and he panicked when he saw she wasn’t among them. “What’s going on?” He asked, and everyone started speaking all at once.

“They took her,” Tyril scowled. “Back to the Shadow Realm.”

“A portal opened on the terrace and their army swarmed through.” Mal said.

“We weren’t strong enough to fight them.” Nia frowned, and Kade used all his strength to push himself from the bed, even though his body burned in protest.

“Kade, your leg-” The healer tried to warn him but he gritted his teeth as he leant against the wall, ignoring the sharp pain pulsing in his leg until it was too much to bear. “I have to…have to find her.” His eyes almost rolled back as he began to collapse and Imtura lifted him back over to the bed.

“You won’t be able to save her if you make yourself worse.” She said, helping him sit back down.

“We have to get her back.” Kade said, looking determinedly at the group before realising none of them had any answers, their expressions looking as hopeless as he felt. “How do we get her back?”

He wished he had been there, but he knew that even if he had, there wasn’t anything he could have done. He wasn’t a fighter or a mage, he couldn’t hold his own in a proper fight and he felt out of his depth and as helpless as he had been when he was a sickly child.

King Arlan permitted them access to the Royal Archives, and since Kade wasn’t in a state to go there himself he insisted they bring their findings back to him, and as weeks went by his room ended up a mess of scattered books and old scrolls where everyone gathered to share their resources.

As he slowly recovered he was able to visit the archives more frequently, being offered a position as the head archivist that he hoped would give him the information he needed to save Raine.

For a short while he performed at the taverns in Whitetower, always having found solace in music throughout his life. But the songs he sang of legendary heroes felt like a mockery, and the strings of his lute only strummed empty taunts that reminded him he could be doing more, that he should be doing more to find her.

Then came the day when the others decided the archives didn’t hold the answers they needed. They decided to set off to search the realms instead, and he had wanted to go with them but knew it was for the best if he stayed at the palace.

Someone needed to be there if she returned, he told himself, but it felt more like an unconvincing reminder he could still be helpful, that there were hundreds of books still unread that may yet reveal some small glimpse of hope and a way to bring her back.

The others patted him on the shoulder, telling him they would do everything they could to help save her and that they would be fine if he stayed. Kade promised them they were all welcome back in Whitetower and that they could use the archives at any time in the future again if necessary.

It was all he could offer.

And yet he knew it wasn’t enough.

Raine’s return was not a forgettable display for those who had witnessed it.

The guards were going about their usual business when a portal appeared, a vibrant shade of electric purple that crackled with energy before a figure flew through, as though she had tumbled through a storm and right into the palace throne room.

“I need to…see the king and his advisors.” She wheezed. “It’s…important.” Her vision began to flicker as she knelt on the cold, marble floor and before she knew what was happening, she found herself being pulled from the ground and into a pair of familiar arms.

“Raine, you’re…you’re really-” Kade’s voice sounded disbelieved, and although she returned the hug, she leaned back when his hands trembled and more people began to gather nearby.

“I’m…glad to see you too, but what’s going on?”

Kade shook his head as though he still couldn’t believe his eyes. “Raine, you’ve been gone for a year.”

“What?” Her voice barely came out as a whisper as the world began to sway around her. “What do you mean a year?”

Part of her wanted to believe it was some sort of joke, though a glance at his healed wounds and more polished outfit suggested that surely some time had passed, but a year sounded impossible.

Some of the shadow spread across his face had receded slightly, leaving scarred cracks across the skin, but it wasn’t healed. Nia said it would never be fully healed, but he did look healthier. He was standing upright now that his leg had recovered and he wore that same old mischievous grin on his face, all too familiar to her after years of causing trouble.

His right eye looked better too, almost swollen shut when she had seen him last but now fully vibrant, although the iris had been permanently changed from grey to amber.

“Kade, that’s…” She frowned. “That’s not possible.” She knew it was the truth based on what she had seen, but she didn’t want to have to believe it.

“I wish that was the case,” he sighed, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Come on, let’s talk about this somewhere else.”

Having multiple swords pointed in her direction wasn’t exactly how she imagined her return would play out, but was also the least of her concerns as Kade waved the guards down and led her to the indoor gardens away from the commotion that had begun to stir.

She sat down on the fountain’s edge, surrounded by flowering bushes as the water trickled slowly, too serene of a setting for the tumultuous wave of emotions crashing inside her.

“What happened while I was gone?” She asked.

He looked down for a moment, as though even the memory caused himself pain. “After you were taken, we spent weeks trying to find a way to get you back. When that didn’t work, the others went to search elsewhere. I was offered a job in the Royal Archives and I took it because…” he trailed off for a moment, uncertain, “because it was the only way I could help bring you back.”

Under normal circumstances he was sure she would have teased him about being appointed head archivist, that she would have been thrilled for him working in the palace of all places and surrounded by books all day as he’d always dreamed. Instead she was unusually quiet, glancing at her hands for a long time before she finally spoke.

“Everything is different now, isn’t it?” Her voice carried a solemness even she couldn’t quite place. She felt like a ghost brought back from the dead at his side, feeling alone in a world that seemed to just move on in her absence, a world where everything had changed.

“Nothing has changed,” he tried to reassure her, but they both knew it was a lie.

She looked at his arm, where the shadow marred and twisted his flesh. “Gods, Kade, I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be, I don’t regret it. Not when it saved you.” He frowned as her gaze shifted to the floor. All their lives they had been inseparable, having always been side by side up until Kade had gotten trapped inside the Onyx Shard.

Ever since then it seemed like they were set on opposite sides of the same path, and it felt as though a series of cracks had begun to form between them, like fragile glass on the verge of shattering apart.

“I wasn’t like the others,” he spoke slowly, his voice low. “I didn’t want a hero, I just needed my sister back.”

Raine took a deep breath, trying to maintain her rising nerves. “I didn’t exactly ask to be trapped there, you know.”

“That’s not what I meant.” He took her arm, but she gently shrugged him away.

“Look,” she sighed, glancing out the ornate stained glass window before dragging a hand through her hair. “It’s getting late. We’ll talk about this in the morning.”

He gave a brief nod. “I’m sure you’re exhausted. I won’t get in your way.”

“Kade…” She shook her head. “Goodnight.” Her tone felt distant but she still took care to place her hand on his uninjured shoulder, giving him a half-hearted smile although she couldn’t bring herself to look him in the eyes.

“…Goodnight.” Kade whispered, and as she walked away they could both feel the cracks between them only growing deeper.

The next morning, the sun was rising over Whitetower and the palace was the first part of the city to awaken as its light painted the turrets a brilliant shade of gold, making the scarlet spires resemble rubies amongst the regal splendour of dawn.

Raine was making her final preparations at the castle entrance, tacking up a horse from the royal stables with a white mane that cascaded like snowfall when Kade ran towards her.

“Raine! I’ve been looking all over the palace for you!” He reached her side with evident relief on his features before confusion set in as he glanced at the horse. “Where are you going?”

“I have to gather the others,” she said firmly as she adjusted the leather bridle. “The Ash Empire is on their way and we need to stop them before-”

“You’re leaving?” The disbelief in his tone made her movements halt and look at him properly, seeing a flicker of betrayal in his gaze that only further stirred her remorse. “Raine, I just got you back.”

“I have to, Kade, I-”

“Why do you always have to be the one who saves everybody?”

Her pause was brief before she turned her attention back to the horse, and any softness in her voice had faded. “This is my fault, I’m the only person who can fix it.”

“You don’t have to do this just because you think you failed me.”

“And what makes you think that?”

“Because you look at me and all you see is guilt.” She stilled, her fingers trembling along the reigns, and they both knew deep down that it was true. “You’re scared of me because you think…you think I’m one of them.”

Dark images of the Shadow Court flashed through her mind, with sinister smiles and shadow pulsing through their veins, and she vehemently shook her head. “No, Kade, I could never-”

He took a deep breath. “I don’t want you to blame yourself, but you need to know I did it to save you, not so you could go putting yourself in danger again.”

“You know the risks at stake! Do you want me to just stand by and do nothing?”

“I never asked for any of this! I went to the temple with you so you could have the adventure you’d always dreamed about, and look where that got us. Do you think being tortured in the shadow realm is what I wanted?”

“Of course not!” She snapped, all her guilt and frustration rushing to the surface. “You know I would have prevented you from getting trapped there if I could, but I can’t do anything to change that. All I can do is try to make up for it.”

“And you think the best way to do that is by risking your life?”

“If the Ash Empire finds a way to the Light Realm they’ll destroy everything. I’m doing what’s best for us!”

His expression turned stormy, a dark contrast to his normally cheerful self, and one that made her blood run cold. “And how would you know what’s best for us? You weren’t even here!”

As soon as the words came out he wished he could take them back.

For her, it felt as though a knife had been cleaved through her chest, severing her clean in half and leaving her to shatter into a thousand pieces. She recognised the constriction forming in the base of her throat and the familiar sting of tears that threatened to spill before she pushed the feelings down, away.

“Raine, I didn’t mean-”

The wave of emotion froze over like a river in winter, and Raine was silent for a long moment before her eyes turned cold. When she spoke, her voice didn’t carry its usual warmth, but was instead flat and harsh like ice.

“I worked my ass off travelling across the continent to find a way to save you when I didn’t even know if it was possible, and I come back just to learn you’ve spent a year playing librarian?” Her tone was deathly still as she turned on her heel, barely sparing a sharp glance over her shoulder. “I thought you would have done the same for me.”

Before Kade could even utter an apology, she mounted the horse in one swift movement and took off, leaving him alone with regret festering in his heart as the coloured banners above swayed in an empty breeze.

Further south near the forests surrounding Riverbend, an ominous shadow was cast on the ground far larger than any cloud as a great beast soared overhead, the beating of its wings like the rolling of distant thunder.

And somewhere in an old stable, a wooden toy sword laid, burning.

[cheekycheesecake01]

IMPORTANT HIATUS ANNOUNCEMENT!

Due to the death of my grandfather, I will be on a hiatus indefinitely. All projects and requests are on hold. I have to prep for a funeral and handle some things. Thank you for your understanding, and I apologize for the inconvenience. Inbox is currently closed for an indefinite time.

[therealbl0om-blog]

Night Drive 2/3

Part 2 of my small story about two complete hotheads! (Kade & Heatwave), if you have any ideas feel free to ask or message me!

As Kade poked his head out of the window, letting the fresh warm wind blow into his face. He looked down at Heatwave's screen and smiled softly, ''Thank you, Heatwave.'' - Heatwave's optics widened as he heard Kade's response, but he smiled and nodded his helm and focused on the road.

Kade sighed and looked through the window again and watched as they drove, he hadn't felt so relaxed like this for awhile now. He felt thankful for Heatwave, he let out a soft yawn and laid his head down on the side of the window. ''Getting low?'' Heatwave spoken, he didn't really know how much humans are in need of recharge, but that was fine.

''Kind of, I haven't slept the whole night.'' Knucklehead spoke back, with no surprise at all that the big ol' bot realized that his human was getting low on energy. Heatwave chuckled as a smile appeared on his cheek plates, ''You can go in recharge, I don't mind.'' - Surprise, surprise. The hothead let his human sleep in his cabin? Kade was surprised, but he appreciated it and closed his eyes.

Heatwave watched his human fade into recharge, in that case, he decided to make his driving soft and smooth for Kade. Just to keep him at ease and comfortable. He was curious, how come Kade wanted to go for a drive? They known each other for a few days, but Kade never asked for a drive. He sighed and looked back on the road, not to crash or anything.

After a short while, it started to rain.. Heatwave felt the water droplets fall from the sky on his armor, it felt nice. Comforting too. Now he understood what Kade meant when he said ''Rain relaxes me, It's not just the sound, but the touch too.'' He thought about that sentence and now, he understood it.. He looked over at the knucklehead and watched him wake up. ''Awoken from his slumber already, hot shot?'' The fire-bot chuckled at his own sentence.

''For now.'' The human spoke back, with no expression whatsoever. He looked at the raindrops on Heatwave's windows and watched them slide down. He chuckled and looked over at the screen, ''How does the rain feel on ya?'' He asked with a curious tone, the bot looked at his window and smiled. ''Relaxing, just like you said.'' Kade smiled and looked back at the raindrops and leaned his head against the window, ''Told ya..''

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

That's all for now! Part 3 soon! Sorry that I haven't posted in awhile, been busy with life and now I had the time! Expect part 3 this weekend!

[joncronshawauthor]

It’s High Time to Get Cosy with Indie Fantasy Books

Picture this. You’ve got a hot cup of tea at your side, you’re snuggled in your favourite armchair, the rain is tapping politely on your window. What better time to crack open a good book? You reach for the latest fantasy epic from a big-name author, but then you remember…you’ve already read this tale a dozen times. Elves, dragons, magical swords – been there, done that, got the t-shirt. Don’t…

[duckprintspress]

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[pupsmailbox]

ZOMBIE ID PACK

NAMES︰ adrien. aj. altair. ambrosia. amy. angel. anomaly. antidote. arius. arrow. ash. asher. aspen. atticus. augusta. bane. banish. benny. bernadette. biter. blah. blood. bones. brain. brains. briar. brute. brutus. caden. canni. casper. chomp. ciaran. claud. claudia. clay. clementine. cobweb. coffin. corpse. corrose. cryptor. damion. deathesse. deb. decay. decompose. destroyed. doom. dredge. echo. ectoplasm. edward. elkridge. ellie. ember. everett. fang. flesh. fracture. frank. frankie. ghost. ghoul. ghoulia. gloome. grave. graves. grayson. griffin. grim. grimace. grimm. gutesse. gutz. havoc. hela. hex. horrell. horrelle. hunter. husk. jack. joel. john. junkyard. kade. kilian. klaus. labyrinth. lagoon. laverna. lee. lethe. liam. lilith. lily. lola. lurk. maggot. mangled. mara. marion. marionnette. medusse. mera. mira. mona. morella. morgan. morganna. morrigan. mortem. morticia. mortis. mortui. mourne. muerto. mura. muzzle. myra. myrtle. necro. necros. nekane. nick. nox. nyk. nyx. octavia. ominous. ophelia. organz. orpheus. osten. perish. perseus. plague. priscill. quille. rain. raine. rayne. red. rob. roman. rose. rosie. rot. rotten. rottie. saifu. sam. scar. scratch. sedna. shade. shadow. shamble. shaun. six. skull. slug. sour. taint. tank. theta. thorn. thorne. travis. trickie. tristan. undeadesse. valentine. vamp. vane. venom. vetus. vex. victor. violet. viro. virus. waila. wren. z. zack. zed. zeke. zob. zoe. zomb. zombz. zomi. zon.

PRONOUNS︰ axe/axe. beast/beast. bi/bite. bite/bite. bleed/bleed. bleugh/bleugh. blood/blood. bo/bone. bone/bone. br/brain. brain/brain. break/break. chain/chain. coff/coffin. coffin/coffin. con/contagiou. cor/corpse. corp/corp. corpse/corpse. corr/corrupt. corrode/corroded. craw/crawl. creepy/creepy. dark/dark. de/dead. dea/dead. death/dead. death/death. decay/decay. decay/decayed. di/dirt. die/dying. dir/dirt. dirt/dirty. eat/eat. empty/empty. end/end. fang/fang. fear/feared. fiend/fiend. fle/flesh. flesh/flesh. freak/freak. fu/fungi. ghou/ghoul. gloom/gloom. gore/gore. grave/grave. grim/grim. grim/grime. grr/growl. grue/gruesome. gun/gun. gut/gut. holy/holy. hu/hunger. hu/hunt. hx/hxm. hy/hym. inf/infect. infect/infected. it/it. ix/ix. ki/kill. kill/kill. li/lich. living/dead. mold/molded. monster/monster. monstrous/monstrosity. morbid/morbid. morg/morg. mortal/mortal. muck/muck. nec/necro. ni/night. pla/plague. prey/prey. rain/rain. reap/reaper. rib/rib. ro/rot. rot/rot. rot/rotten. scar/scar. shatter/shatter. shx/hxr. shy/hyr. skull/skull. slit/slit. spoil/spoil. spook/spook. teeth/tooth. ter/terror. thxy/thxm. thy/thy. thy/thym. to/toxic. un/dead. undead/undead. vir/viru. zo/zom. zom/zom. zomb/zomb. zomb/zombie. ⚠️. ⚰️. 🍖. 🎫. 👁. 👻. 💀. 🔍. 😱. 🥀. 🧟. 🧟‍♂️. 🧠. 🧪. 🩸. 🩹.

[whatwooshkai]

Heyyy for the Heatwave one: 15!

"It's raining," Heatwave growls, pulling his helm back over the threshold of the garage.

"Well, you can't predict the weather," Blades hums, defeated. Heatwave rumbles his engine, because he should be able to predict the weather, but apparently Primus doesn't think that's important enough to know in advance. But Blades wouldn't know any of that. None of them do.

"What, afraid of a little rain?" Kade jeers, leaning against the frame of the garage's door.

"No," Heatwave snaps. "Just... not a fan."

Chase makes a weird noise behind him. "I do not like how it feels," he says, seeming unsure, his finials pressing back.

"Well, rain means plans are cancelled, right?" Heatwave says, trying to come across as reassuring as he pats Chase's shoulder. "So you don't have to go out in it-"

It's just then that Heatwave feels his tanks cramp and his world darken, as he watches lighting split a tree in half, fire racing out around it despite the rain.

Guess not, then. Sorry, Chase.

If only I could predict the weather, huh.

[songstress-of-dreams]

KADE

HI

HOLA

RAINE

HIIIIAJDNAND

[choicesficwriterscreations]

Thank you to our creators who have submitted their Top 5 fics of 2023! I know this is a terribly difficult task. After all, I did it myself! But I've always felt this list was the more important of the two - it's not about the numbers; it's about the works that nourished their creator's souls and brought them joy. So, thanks to each of you for sharing with us! Links to all stories can be found below the break!

@aallotarenunelma ✒️

Moonlit Hearts (IL/ID Crossover/AU) - Original Characters

Childhood Memories (ILW) - Lincoln McQuoid x NB!MC

Close to the Flame (ILW) - Lincoln McQuoid x NB!MC

Another Sun Will Rise (ILITW) - Dan Pierce x MC

Indigo Blood (ID) - Cas Harlow x MC

@angelasscribbles ✒️

The DeFacto Queen (TRR) Ⓜ️ - Drake x MC, Liam x MC

A Fervid Fixation (TRR) Ⓜ️ - Drake Walker x MC

The Dark Kingdom (TRR) Ⓜ️ - Drake x MC, Liam x MC

In Your Room Masterlist (TRR) Ⓜ️ - Drake Walker x Leo Rys

Laws End (TRR) Ⓜ️- Drake Walker x MC, Liam Rys x MC

@baldwinboy5ive 🎨and ✒️

Aerin Prison Visit (BOLAS) 🎨- Aerin Valleros x F!MC

The Right Path (BOLAS) ✒️- Aerin Valleros x F!MC

Name on the Wall (BOLAS) ✒️- Aerin Valleros x F!MC

Bye-Bye Baldur (BOLAS) 🎨- Aerin Valleros

Aerin x Raine Fanart (BOLAS) 🎨- Aerin Valeros x MC

@cariantha ✒️

All He Wanted (OH) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

Hey Stranger (OH) Ⓜ️ - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

For You, I Will (OH) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

War & Peace (OH) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

A Solid Strategy (OH) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

@coffeeheartaddict2 ✒️

Everybody Hurts Sometimes, Ch. 7 Ⓜ️(OH) - Ethan Ramsey, MC

Love in all Forms (OH) - Ethan Ramsey, F!OC, Tobias Carrick

Power to Overcome (OH) - F!MC, Aurora Emery

Everybody Hurts Sometimes, Ch. 15 Ⓜ️(OH) - Ethan Ramsey, etc.

Desire Ⓜ️(OH) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

@inlocusmads ✒️

Past Lives (COP) - Trystan Thorne x F!MC

Music for the Lost (and Found) (COP) - Trystan Thorne x F!MC

The Feverish Itch (Guinevere) - Guinevere, Queen Artura, F!Lancelot

Cross Your Heart and Set it Ablaze (COP) Trystan Thorne x F~!MC

The Bow That Burned Bright (BOLAS) - F!Elf!MC, Kade

@jerzwriter ✒️

A Mother's Journal Ⓜ️(WTD) - Eli Sipes

What's Forever For Ⓜ️(OH/AU) - Tobias Carrick, F!MC

Breathe Again (COP) - Trystan Thorne x F!MC

A Bit Dark (OH) - F!MC x F!OC

I Do, Me Too (OH) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

@ladylamrian ✒️

Welcome to the World of Night (NB) - NB Side Characters

A Meeting in Wyoming (NB) - Nik Ryder x F!MC

Towards the Future (NB) - Nik Ryder x F!MC

Duty & Pleasure (NB) - Nik Ryder x F!MC

Sweet & Tender Hearts (NB) - Original Characters

@liaromancewriter ✒️

La Vie Avec Toi (OH) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC, Sienna Trinh x M!OC

Late Shift (OH) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

The Reluctant Valentine (OH) - Sienna Trinh x M!OC

When the Clock Strikes Twelve (OH/AU) - Sienna Trinh x M!OC

Breaking News (OH) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

@moominofthevalley ✒️

The Haunting, Part 1 (COP) - Trystan Thorne x F!MC

Turpentine (COP) - Trystan Thorne x F!MC

The Girl With the Glass (COP) - Trystan Thorne x F!MC

I Will (COP) - Trystan Thorne x F!MC

Future Days (COP) - Trystan Thorne x F!MC

@peonierose ✒️

Wildflower (OH) - Keiki Lahela x M!OC

Kintsugi (OH) - Original Characters

Summer's Kiss (OH) - Bryce Lahela x F!OC

I'm a Sucker for You (OH) - Bryce Lahela x F!OC

Rose All Day (OH) - Bryce Lahela, Keiki Lahela, OCs

@stars-are-within-me ✒️

The Rain (COP) - Trystan Thorne x F!MC

Reflections (BOLAS) - Aerin Valleros

A Day Off (COP) - Trystan Thorne x MC

In the Gray (COP) - Eveline Goncharov, Maksim Thorne, etc.

The Lonely Prince (BOLAS) - Aerin Valleros x MC

@storyofmychoices ✒️

Shadows & Deceptions: A Royal Murder Mystery (Crossover/AU)

Can I Have This Dance? (OH) - Bryce Lahela x F!OC

Shadows of Hope (BOLAS) - Mal Volari x F!MC

The Quest for Daenarya (BOLAS) - Mal Volari x F!MC

Dealing with a Narcissist (COP) - Trystan Thorne x F!MC

@tessa-liam ✒️

Smoke & Mirrors, Ch. 11 Ⓜ️(TRR) - Liam Rys x MC

Cappadocia Ⓜ️ (TRR) - Liam Rys x MC

Marabelle, Ch. 2 Ⓜ️ (TRR) - Liam Rys x F!OC

Turning the Page, Ch. 5 Ⓜ️ (TRR) - Liam Rys x F!OC

Ti Amo Molto Ⓜ️ (TRR) - Liam Rys x MC

@trappedinfanfiction ✒️

Fast Break, Epilogue (OH/AU) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

What's in a Name? (COP) - Trystan Thorne

Crossroads Ⓜ️(OH) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

By Your Side (COP) - Trystan Thorne x F!MC

A New Neighbor (COP) - Trystan Thorne x F!MC

@zealouscanonindeer ✒️

Dangerous Games Ⓜ️ (OH) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

Naughty & Nice (OH) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

Like Whom? (OH) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

Roots (OH) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

Drunken Nights (OH) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

[natashasfilms]

Revelations - Season One

Summary: FBI agent Leila Kade faces a profound life change after giving birth to a baby girl, supported by her loving husband. Despite the challenges of motherhood, Leila returns to her role as a dedicated agent a few months later, ready to confront gruesome and haunting cases with her BAU team.

Pairing: BAU!Fem!OC x Male!OC , EVENTUAL Aaron Hotchner x BAU!Fem!OC (Like much later)

Warnings: This story contains mature themes such as sexual content, strong language, violence, mentions of alcohol and drugs, blood, gore, and death. All the usual Criminal Minds stuff. And there is NO CHEATING.

Note 1: I imagine Leila Kade as South Asian but I have decided to let you, the reader, imagine her appearance, hence the reason why I have not given her a face claim. However, her race does not affect the story, whatsoever. You, as the reader, are free to imagine her however you want. If you don't see her as South Asian, then that's fine. It won't affect the storyline. I also imagine the OC!Male as South Asian, but again, it won't affect the storyline.

Note 2: The team will consist of the main cast (Emily, Derek, JJ, Spencer, Penelope, Aaron, and Rossi) but will also include Elle Greenaway and Jason Gideon because they were some of my favorite characters and I wanted to include them with the rest of the team. Basically, Elle and Gideon never leave when Emily and Rossi join.

Note 3: There will be multiple time skips throughout this series. For example, the first chapter will begin on the first season and episode of the show but then there will be a time skip to later episodes (because there are obviously way too many episodes to write this series on and I wanted to include specific episodes that would help the plot of this story). This means that this series will be a slow burn romance but I believe it to be better this way. This will also stray from the actual show a lot, so don't expect it to follow the plot precisely.

Series Masterlist

•• Chapter One: Extreme Aggressor

•• Chapter Two: Compulsion

•• Chapter Three: The Fox

•• Chapter Four: Derailed

•• Chapter Five: The Tribe

•• Chapter Six: Local

•• Chapter Seven: A Real Rain

•• Chapter Eight: Machismo

•• Chapter Nine: Charm and Harm

•• Chapter Ten: The Fisher King - Part 1

[lovehugsandcandy]

tongue of silver, taste of blood

Pairing: Aerin x f!MC, Blades of Light and Shadow

Ratings: M (blood, illness, pain, swearing)

Word Count: ~11,000

A/N: This is set after Book 2, with the assumption that Nifara will be the villain? Idk. Thank you to @choicesficwriterscreations for all the work you do on the archive!

Summary: In which Aerin meets the vhampyrs. In which the vhampyrs learn the tale of the mercenaries of Lord Kelvin Gillbottle. And in which that tale gets the ending it deserves.

He feels it, the telltale prickling in his head, a subtle but undeniably present static behind his forehead. 

There’s someone else in his mind.

Aerin clears his throat and speaks aloud, alone in the empty cell. “I know you’re there.”

Hello, Little Human. Apparently, you know my tricks. She’s probing, delving into his psyche, but he bats down everything rising to the surface as he desperately searches for a thought to cling to, something innocuous, unrevealing, something that won’t put his entire mission in danger.

“I will tell you…” He cuts off to cough. “I will tell you the story of Lord Kelvin Gill-“

Little Human, I don’t want stories. The voice hisses, but Aerin is certain; he knows, if he can keep his mind focused on nonsense, there will be nothing of value for the voice to discover.

“Well, it’s not about Lord Gillbottle, per se, but more about his mercenaries.”

And so he starts the story, a fanciful tale of roving adventurers becoming heroes, and it continues until the static leaves his mind and, exhausted, he slides into unconsciousness.

~~~~~

“What do you mean the vhampyrs can read minds?”

Aerin jerks awake. It’s cold wherever he is; he’s since lost track of where the vhampyrs led him, somewhere through a maze of never-ending stone stairs and dusty crypts, and even rubbing his hands over his arms doesn’t quell the chill. There’s one blanket, threadbare, draped over his legs, but he refuses to clamber into the bed he was given so when he lies on the floor, the cold of the stone seeps unyielding into his bones. 

Searching through the recess of his brain, thankfully, it’s quiet - his thoughts are clear. No static. During the day, the vhampyrs sleep, so he’s alone in his mind; besides, he knows that voice that just echoed in his head. 

It wasn’t the vhampyr.

It was a memory. Mal, leaning over a tattered map, in the Palace Archive.

More of the memory returns to him, unbidden.

“What do you mean the vhampyrs can read minds?”

“Not all, but some. The powerful ones. They can delve into your head,” Kade says, a stack of tomes towered beside him to match the two spread open before him, his fingers flipping carefully through weathered pages. It appears that he has pulled every single book he could find on the creatures from the entire Palace Archives; Aerin is almost impressed.

“Can you stop it somehow?” Raine asks, already in planning mode.

“No,” Tyril says, shaking his head. “Not to that I know of. An Elven lord once tried to create a charm of sorts, but it failed miserably. And then they drained his blood and put his head on a stake.”

“Vile creatures.” Imtura crosses her hands over her chest as she speaks. “Are you sure we need to meet with them?”

Rain frowns. “Yes. We need them as allies.”

“But we managed before, with allies that can’t read our minds.” Imtura says.

“The stakes are even higher now.” At least Raine looks apologetic as she continues. “We need anyone we can find.”

Aerin frowns before offering a likely unwelcome interjection. “And, there is something you can do. You can’t stop them from trying to get their way into your head, but you can stop them from finding anything.”

“What do you mean, princeling?” Tyril asks.

Aerin sighs, glancing away. “When someone else is in your mind, you can sense it, feel it. It’s a bit like static in your brain. So, when you sense it starting, you need to think of something else, something you don’t want them to know. Or they will learn everything.”

“Of course you know what it’s like to have voices in your head,” Mal sneers, and Aerin glares back. 

“Well, they couldn’t read your mind, as there’s nothing of value there.”

“Enough.” Raine speaks, cutting off the brewing brawl. “It’s not much, but it is something. Time is of the essence here; we will need to split up.” Aerin waits and doesn’t breathe while she surveys the group. “Valax and I will work on that unstable rift. Tyril, could you and Mal travel to the Cliffs of Colaris? Imtura, you will go to Necropolis and meet with the vhampyrs. Nia will accompany you. And…” Aerin shifts his feet as her eyes meet his. “Aerin will go, too.”

Imtura grimaces, swatting his arm; Aerin tries not to wince at the sharp ache. “Looks like it’s you, me, and Nia, princeling.”

At least Raine looks apologetic and hangs back, waiting until the others have left to catch his arm. “Are you ok with this? Going into the vhampyrs’ lair?”

“Where no one has come back from alive?”

“Those are just stories.” 

Aerin grimaces and says, “Even the stories are unsettling.”

“They are sentient; I am sure we can reason with them.”

“Are you sure I can’t accompany you instead?”

She sighs. “Kade filled me in on everything he knew about the vhampyrs. Their ways of living, their power structure. I need a diplomat, someone who can drive agreement with them.”

“Imtura can’t do that?”

Raine laughs softly, and it’s so much like music that he’s compelled to smile back. “She can get you physically out of there if need be, and Nia will protect you all with her Light. But I need you to get through to the vhampyrs. Just like you struck an accord with Baroness Isador, I need someone clever to do the same with the immortal.”

He rubs the back of his neck; while he would rather travel with Raine, he can’t doubt the logic. He does have half a mind to doubt the faith she shows in him, but decides to only reply with “I’ll try.”

“I know.” She glances around, making sure that their companions have departed before stepping forward, catching his cheek in her palm. “You’ll come back to me, right?”

“Of course.” He smirks; judging by her raised eyebrow, she’s thinking of all the times he left. And yet, each time, he returned. “Raine. I will always come back to you; I told you, until you order me away, I will be here.” He tangles their fingers together.

“I know. But I am sorry to make you do this.”

“It’s alright.” She has no idea what he would do for her and, before he can profess that lengthy list, she leans forward to press her lips to his. 

Aerin’s eyes fly open. They cannot have this part of his memory; he would die before he lets any of the bloodsuckers take it from him. This one is his - and Raine’s - theirs alone.

These memories come like a dream, but he’s unsure whether he’s still sleeping. All he knows is that it’s night.

At least he thinks it is. With no windows, the passage of time has become choppy, incoherent. The servants, clad in dark shrouds, deliver food twice a day; assuming it was dusk and dawn, it’s been two days. 

Four meals.

He eats little.

Aerin clambers from the floor, just as the familiar static returns. 

Hello, Little Human. The voice speaks, disembodied. He’s alone in the cell, the words only in his mind and, if he weren’t familiar with whispers calling out to him, he’s sure it would be thoroughly disorienting.

“Hello.”

I would like to ask you something. Lady Lilith is still surface level, not digging yet, so he entertains the query.

“What?”

What does the Commander of the Armies of Light want with creatures of darkness?

“You live in this realm, so you have an interest in its continuation, do you not?”

The issues of the human world do not concern us anymore.

“This is bigger than just one race, truly.” The static grows louder and he winces; she’s now deeper, looking for the truth in his words. He begins the story anew. “So Lord Gillbottle had asked the mercenaries to travel through the deep, dark forest.”

This again?

“Yes, it’s called the Deadwood, where I come from. You’d fit right in.”

Very funny, Little Human.

“So Lord Gillbottle sends them to the Deadwood, but he never expected that they would run into the drakna.”

What are drakna?

“Giant monsters. Horrid things. My brother - I mean - anyway. The monsters were chasing a pair of princes.”

Human princes?

“Yes, human princes traveling the kingdom from Whitetower.”

Why were there princes in the Deadwood?

“They were traveling. Do you want to hear the story or not? The mercenaries bravely fought off the drakna and saved the princes.”

Why?

At this, he loses focus. “What do you mean, why?”

Why did they save the princes?

Dumbstruck, he’s not quite sure how to respond. “Have you never done anything because it was the right thing to do?”

There’s laughter, and it’s a brittle, olden sound that seems to travel over centuries. What do you think, Little Human?

“I think you have. I think you have done good before.”

The voice only snorts at that.

“They saved the princes because that is what heroes do. But there was gold involved. Later.”

Later in this interminable tale?

“If you would rather discuss terms of joining the Unified Forces of the Light Realm as we fight the Olden G-”

Enough! The scream echoes around his skull and he winces, palms jumping up to cover his ears. But they do nothing to dim the screech coming from his own mind. It is an insult that the Commander did not come. We will not engage in discussions with feeble diplomats.

Aerin drops his hands, stung. “I’m not just a diplomat.”

What do you mean? The voice changes to a purr and he realizes, a split-second too late, that he lost control.

“I mean to say, would you like me to continue the story?”

If you are not just a diplomat, then who are you?

Aerin doesn’t reply, only runs through times tables in his mind until he feels ready to speak. He doesn’t want to give them any ammunition. 

Indeed, he’s not quite sure he knows the answer himself. 

Finally, when he has assured himself that his thoughts and voice are all under control, he speaks. “The princes gave the mercenaries gold to accompany them through the forest. Well, they promised them gold. But before they got the gold, they needed to set up camp for the night. So they all set up camp by a lake, and settled down.”

And so the story continues until the static subsides, and he is finally left alone with his thoughts.

~~~~~~

Would you like to see my fangs?

The buzzing in his skull howls, and he forces it aside. “That is a very odd question, not something polite company generally asks.”

Lady Lilith giggles. Would you? The others always seem fascinated.

And then she’s there, the door flying open at her inhuman strength; Aerin can just glance through the doorway to see a milling servant before Lady Lilith closes it again, the slam shaking the walls. 

“Hello,” he says, rising from where he had been picking through his meal (breakfast or dinner, who could ever tell?). “I’m flattered to warrant a visit.”

“You cannot see my fangs without my presence.”

“I am not sure that -“

“When the humans come, they always stare. Wouldn’t you like a peek?”

He doesn’t yet know what to make of her. She looks remarkably like a child, a rather pale one, but still small. Her bony wrists peek out from her shroud and her smile is almost impish in candlelight, but, when she speaks, Gods, Aerin cannot believe he ever considered her young. The weathered tone of her low voice carries eons, millennia, and it echoes dully in his ears. “I am not interested in your fangs. I am interested in your alliance.”

She’s at his side in an instant, the superhuman speed a blur to his human eye, and her thin fingers drag his hair back so his neck is bared. It’s an uncomfortable angle, the crown of his head tilted so far towards the side of the room that his throat feels stretched and his eyes water, but he forgets the pain when he feels two pin-sharp teeth, right at his jugular.

“I could do it. Right now.” She’s so close her lips brush against his skin with every word, breath tickling the curls that graze his neck, and his heart leaps into a frenetic pace in his chest. “I can see your pulse, Little Human. So close. May I just- may I taste?”

“No.” 

“But it smells so delicious. You don’t understand, do you, what it does to us. Like metal and vengeance and pain. May I?”

It’s a struggle to stay still, but he does, though the nails digging into his scalp make his eyes water, though all he can see is the uneven ceiling above his head. If he sways closer, the sharp points will pierce his skin and, if he moves farther, the hand gripping his curls would snap his neck. “No.”

Finally, with a low groan, she releases him. “You’re lucky you are somewhat amusing. Little Human.”

“Aw, you noticed? I’m touched.”

“I do hope your Commander comes for you.” She steps toward the door, turning as her hand grasps the handle. “It would be a shame if you perished before she arrived.”

By the tone of her voice, Aerin is not sure she considers it any shame at all.

~~~~~

When he is sure it’s daytime (at least he thinks, he thinks, he thinks he is losing his mind) and the vhampyrs are asleep in coffins of their own, he tries to remember, as much as he can, anything, anything at all, that would prove useful.

He remembers packing for the trip, a satchel long lost.

He remembers leading horses over uneven terrain and then, when the path was too treacherous, walking on foot, for days.

And he remembers the starkness of the ruins, Necropolis empty and falling into dust before his very eyes.

“Where are we supposed to look?” Nia asks, carefully stepping over a fallen column. 

“The crypts.” Aerin answers. It feels a betrayal (yet another one) to hope they don’t find it.

They pass ruins and more ruins. Buildings, crumbling to dust. Town squares, desolate and silent save for the howling wind. It’s old, deserted, and they walk down streets of rubble until they come to the center of the city and one solitary mausoleum.

Aerin has seen his share of palaces, but this stands alone in his mind. It’s the only structure truly standing for miles, four stone walls seemingly untouched by the ravages of time. The walls are a deep gray, imposing and strong; if not for the rays of twilight glinting across the stone, they would look almost black. They enclose a space no larger than a single room at the Whitetower palace, short and squat. There are no windows, only an imposing metal door stretching into a pointed arch.

“Is this the place?” Imtura’s eyes are dubious as she takes in the stone. “I don’t know if I can fit inside.”

“Must be. It must go down, underneath the city.” Aerin answers.

Imtura cuts her eyes to him before she turns to the iron-wrought door with a shake of her head. “Shall we?”

“No, let’s wait. We need to give it a few minutes.”

“Why?” Nia looks curiously at him.

“The vhampyrs won’t be awake. They sleep during the day and… and hunt at night. We need to catch them right as they wake up.”

“How do you know all this, landrat?”

“Books in the Archives, research.” He shrugs. “It’s mostly fable, but better than nothing.”

“Anything else we should know?” Nia asks.

“They do not feel temperature; those receptors on their skin are all dead. They drink blood, obviously, but also eat things full of blood, organs, the like. Don’t eat the food. It’s not meant for human or orc consumption; legends claim that ingesting food touched by the hands of an immortal can make you ill. Like, incredibly, deadly ill.”

“Sounds pleasant.”

“Indeed.” Aerin wracks his brain for any other tidbit of information he has gleaned from the archives. “The clan is about fifty individual vhampyrs, all sharing a fang line.”

Nia glances at him. “A fang line?”

“The clan is all descended from the bite of the clean leader. Very hierarchical, and we will be expected to show extreme deference to the leaders. And they are very devoted to those in the clan; loyalty is highly valued.”

“So they probably won’t take too kindly to betrayers, will they, princeling?”

Aerin shakes his head, something like dread pooling in his stomach. “Probably not.” Not one race in the world takes kindly to traitors; it’s not like the vhampyrs would be an exception. “I don’t remember much else. It’s been so long since I dove into that section of the archives.”

“It’s fine.” Nia smiled reassuringly. “I’m sure it will be enough.”

“Reckon we can enter now?” Imtura asks.

Aerin surveys the horizon. The sun has just dipped below treeline; while the hazy clouds above reflect a few pale rays, it is undoubtedly dusk. “Yes. We should go.”

Imtura leads them closer down the path, weathered and crunching beneath their feet, and they stand before the unnervingly imposing door of the tiny building.

Something tickles in Aerin’s memory, something about visiting.

Before he can parse the recollection, Imtura knocks and the door creaks open. A tall, thin vhampyr stands before them; Aerin tries not to gape, but he’s sure his mouth is hanging open. This is the first vhampyr he’s seen in the flesh and, while he knows that staring is a rudeness, he can’t help himself. The vhampyr is pale, his flesh almost glowing like moonlight, and his eyes beam a pale red that seems to overshadow his entire face. His cape is deep obsidian, flowing out behind him in the evening breeze, and thin fingers curl around the door.

Those red eyes stare at them for entirely too long; Aerin shivers under their weight but, if Raine is relying on his diplomacy, then he has no choice but to step forward.

“Hello. My name is Aerin Valleros, emissary of the Commander of the Armies of Light,” Aerin bobs his head in greeting and gestures to each of his party, “and these are my companions, Imtrua Tal Kaelen, of the United Clans of Flotilla, and Nia Ellarious, Head Priestess of the High Temple of Whitetower.”

If the vhampyr knew of them, he did not react, only continued to drive his eerie gaze straight into Aerin’s soul.

Aerin inhales before continuing. “We are here on behalf of the Commander to discuss a matter of deep import that would affect the entire realm.”

Still, the vhampyr says nothing, the silence eerie and cold, though his long fingers tighten against the doorway. Slowly, he steps back, and Aerin shares a glance with Nia and Imtura. Shrugging, Imtura takes a step forward and, as her foot hovers over the threshold, Aerin grabs her arm, stopping her in her tracks. She only raises an eyebrow but obliges, taking a step back.

Aerin addresses the vhampyr. “May we come in?”

His heart hammers as he waits but, finally, there is a slight smile and the ghoul speaks at last, voice like the rattle of a scroll over every consonant. “Please be welcome.”

They follow his silent footsteps and, in a low tone, Aerin whispers, “We need to be invited inside. It’s important to them.”

Imtura only shrugs and ducks as they follow down a pale stairwell, torches lighting the way on each side. Aerin loses track of how deep into the earth they travel, but, eventually, the stairs open into a wide entryway where three additional vhampyrs await them. This is obviously the ruling family. There’s a broad man clad in a black cape, looking impossibly tall in the flickering torches. The woman beside him is adorned in a dazzling deep red gown, lace dancing up a gray collarbone to highlight a dazzling blood-red gemstone dangling from a satin ribbon. And then there’s a girl, perhaps twelve, looking intently at them, clad in a simple dark shroud clamped tightly around her torso with thin hands that taper off into pointed nails.

“Hello.” Aerin nods and, though his mouth runs suddenly dry, he curls his fingers into his palms and continues. “I am is Aerin Valleros, the emissary of the Commander of the Armies of Light, and these are my companions, Imtrua Tal Kaelen, of the United Clans of Flotilla, and Nia Ellarious, Head Priestess of the High Temple of Whitetower.” Imtura and Nia step forward, Nia with a small curtsy.

The three vhampyrs turn and look at each other before the man steps forward. “I am Baron Claudius, and this is Madame Miriam.” The woman curtsies as she is introduced, and a hint of fang peeks out underneath burgundy lipstick. “And this little one is Lady Lilith. Thank you for respecting our customs; as we would not seek to enter your home uninvited, we appreciate your courtesy of the same.” The child smiles, a tight, forced movement, and terror creeps up Aerin’s spine.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, and we thank you for your hospitality. We come about a war brewing in the realm of Light and seek your assistance.”

“A war?” Madame Miriam, mouth agape.

Imtura jumps in. “And it will come for you if we can’t stop it.”

“Ha. War does not concern us,” Baron Claudius scoffs. “We have seen many wars over the millennia and outlasted them all.”

Aerin tries not to shiver as he speaks, but the underground chill winds its way through his tunic. “This war is different. The Old Gods come for the Realm, and they shall spare none.”

The Baron stares at him, eyes narrow, before turning back to his companions for another round of wordless conversation. Aerin barely has a moment to wonder if they’re in each other’s minds when there is a hum, right in the center of forehead, and then a soft whir of static stretching to his temples. 

‘No.’

He purposely clears his mind, surveying each of the vhampyrs in turn, the frown of the Baron, the smirk of Madame Miriam’s rouged lips, the forceful eyes of Lady Lilith.

‘Begone!’

With a sigh, the static recedes. He tries to catch the eye of one of his companions, to see if they had felt the same, when Madame Miriam speaks.

“We could… we could discuss the matter over our evening meal.”

“Splendid,” the Baron nods, but his smile stays contained to his lips. “Come.”

With only a worried glance between each other, Aein, Nia, and Imtura make their way further into the crypts.

Aerin wonders if he should have turned around then, should have fled, given up on the vhampyr allies and ran, like a coward. 

He has plenty of experience in that, after all.

No. Not anymore. Not now, he wouldn’t have. He remembers his last conversation with Raine, the earnestness on her face, her hands sure and soft in his.

Even knowing his fate rests within these damp walls, he would do it all over again.

~~~~~

On the third day, Lady Lilith brings him a tray of food in person.

The blanket is still wrapped around his legs, accomplishing nothing against the frigid underground floor, but he scrambles up as soon as he sees her.

“Lady Lilith, hello.” He bows his head. “To what do I owe this visit?”

“I come with your breakfast.”

“Thank you.” He doesn’t need to lift the lid to know it is the fat and muscle of some unfortunate animal. Raw. The smell is familiar enough by now. “I would offer you a seat but, as you see, I have no chair.”

“I prefer the floor.” She gracefully lowers to the ground, knees tucked primly beneath her, and studies him under eyelashes that are tinged with white. “You know, we do get some word of human events.”

“Truly?” he asks, placing the platter down before joining her on the ground. 

“Yes. We know a bit of the outside world, but had no idea the emissaries of Light would dare come see us.” Lady Lilith looks about him, almost bored, but there is an edge to her voice that sets Aerin nerves aflame.

“And what do you hear from outside?”

“Snippets. Stories of those who live in the Light Realm.” She waves her hand, dismissive, unaffected. “The Elves have magic, the Orcan do not. And there are humans, like you.” Her violet eyes darken as they glare at him. “They serve a King. A Valleros King.” 

Aerin freezes, breath shallow. “Oh?”

“You did say…” She leans forward so they are at eye level; he can see her pupils narrow in the center of her violet irises. “You did say your name was Aerin, correct?”

He doesn’t answer until her hand drapes over his shoulder, and those gray talons dig into his skin. “Yes.”

“Aerin Valleros.”

“Yes.”

She straightens with triumph in her eyes. “So we have a Little Prince, do we not?”

“You’ve heard of me? I’m flattered.” He’s sure his smirk wavers, and it takes every focus to steady it.

“Why does a Prince follow the Commander? Is that how it works in the human world?”

He takes too long to answer, and soon, the buzzing is back. Little Prince?

“Don’t call me that.”

Why not?

A memory resurfaces, Itty Bitty Prince, and he shoves it down, away, away. “So the two princes and the mercenaries awoke, and the drakna had recaptured them.”

This again?

“They all awoke inside the drakna nest, a vile place, these gross cocoons suspended over the forest floor. Just a mass of goo so thick the sunlight cannot penetrate.”

I don’t like sunlight anyway.

“I’m aware, but humans live in sunlight; we need it to see. So our mercenaries and princes were all trapped in this vile goo cocoon, and the hero rescued them.”

Wait, who is the hero?

“One of the mercenaries, please keep up.”

Ah, of course.

“She used her sword and arrows to free her friends and the princes and, while they all were rescued, they actually killed the drakna queen, the biggest and baddest of the monsters. But there was still trouble afoot.”

Does this story ever end?

“The princes were actually evil.”

Oooh, a twist. I like it.

“Yes, but the mercenaries didn’t know that. The princes are hiding their evil nature, one better than the other.”

Are they really evil? Or do people just think that they are evil because they don’t understand?

Aerin stops and stares at her, watching the violet in her eyes dim. He knows he’s out of practice dealing with emotions, but he is clever, quick-witted, and, after years of deception, he understands people. There’s something here. “Lady Lilith, will you speak with me? In person?” The static recedes.

“Aren’t you going to tell the rest of the story?” she asks aloud.

“I don’t think you’re evil. You know that, right? And neither does the Commander. If we did, we wouldn’t have come here. We wouldn’t want to be allies.”

Lady Lilith studies him for so long that he starts to fear he read her wrong. But then she leaps to her feet, her shroud swirling about her like a ghostly mist. “I will…” She opens the door and fixes him with an inscrutable glance. “I will speak with you tomorrow.”

~~~~~

And on that day, he’s starving.

“You know we don’t really eat this food, right?”

There is a pause in his brain. What do you mean?

“Humans need different food than you. We don’t drink-” He eyes the copper pitcher at his side dubiously. “-blood.”

There is a longer pause. You don’t?

“Do you remember being alive? Being mortal?”

Vaguely. It was so long ago.

“Well, when you were, I assure you, unless you were a mosquito, you did not drink blood.”

It’s been so, so long.

“You must have seen a lot of change.” Aerin wonders what it’s like to watch time flow past you while you yourself remain still. Probably like watching Whitetower from a prison window, he supposes, or watching the walls of an underground crypt. Time passes somehow while you yourself don’t move.

It’s hard to keep track of, sometimes. I guess we forget how to care for a human.

“You should have started with a dog.”

She chuckles and the static blooms in his mind before trailing away and Aerin is, once again, alone with his thoughts.

He waits, watching the door, and when she doesn’t return after an interminable time, he peeks at the food under the platter. As he guessed, inedible raw meat of indeterminate origin. However, he’s out of options. 

Snatching a torch from the wall, he does his best. Tilting the platter lets him rotate the meal without touching it and, though it burns his fingers a few times, eventually he can make enough of a char that at least it isn’t raw.

His own warnings about the vhampyr food echo as he takes his first bite. And then his second. And then he is losing count, for the bites that follow consist of him ingesting the food as fast as he can.

His stomach roils as he finally empties the platter and, while his vision is a little wonky, he feels decent - well, as decent as one can be when trapped in a crypt full of vhampyrs. So he supposes that’s something.

~~~~~

Worse than the hunger is the solitude. It's tedious, pacing the four walls of his cell, one direction and then the other to break up the monotony. And it's also terribly lonely. Ever since he rejoined Raine and her party, he had thought - hoped - that the heartache that followed him since birth might be healing, every jovial conversation and gentle caress sewing up a deep pain like mending a rip in fabric.

Unfortunately, it's easier to be alone when it's all you know; now that he's known friendship, love, well, this loneliness is excruciating.

On day five, Lady Lilith finally returns with some water. 

“Oh, hello, Lady Lilith. You’re awake.” He clambers up and bows; time seems to flow differently within the four walls of his cell. Wasn’t it the middle of the day? “How can you spend your time speaking with me? Don’t you need to feed?”

Her laugh is bitter, older than time itself, and it sends a shiver down his spine. “I have servants to hunt for me. Here. Drink.”

He looks into the pitcher, eyebrow raised. There is a fir sprig floating at the top, and three shiny pebbles glint at the bottom. “Thank you.”

“It’s from the river in the woods. Far from Necropolis. It should be safe.”

He takes a tentative sip, and then another, and soon he is gulping his way through the entire pitcher. “It’s perfect. Hint of pine.”

“I can get more. Tomorrow. The sun will be up soon.”

“It will?” Without a window, time is meaningless.

She sits across from him, gnawing her lower lip where a smear of red appears to be drying. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

“Are you one of the princes?”

“Who? … oh, from the story.” He pauses. “I’m flattered that you’re actually invested in my tale.”

“Well?”

He checks his mind and, thankfully, he is alone; it’s much harder to deceive someone who can hear your thoughts.. “I am a prince but, Lady Lilith, it’s just a story.”

She frowns, as if his answer is unsatisfactory. “And how does it end, Little Prince?”

“Please stop calling me-”

“How does it end?”

“I… I’m not sure.” He knows how parts of the story end, of course, the defeat of the Dreadlord and the Ashen Empress, and the rise of Nifara. But the entire story? “I guess we will have to see when I get to the conclusion.”

“I like happy endings.”

“... I would not have guessed that.”

She giggles, hand over her lips, and only the pale skin and purple eyes give away the fact that she is not a normal child. “Who doesn’t like a happy ending? Will this story have a happy ending? Please?”

Aerin looks around the room, the windowless walls, the coffin as the sole piece of furniture, the fact that he hasn’t seen the sun in a week, and the only answer he can provide is “I’m not sure.”

~~~~~

“Please, be seated.”

The table is adorned with a tablecloth of deep red, a couple servants smoothing the edges while another carts pitchers to the table. Four serving platters sit covered, the closest just inches away from the ivory plate and crystal wine glass placed in front of him.

It smells of decay.

Imtura sits to his right, muscles tense and ready, while Nia’s face is only calm and curious. He sometimes envies her inner strength, her fortitude under challenging conditions, and never more so than now, as six unnaturally colored eyes follow his every move.

When the servants lift the platters’ covers with a flourish, Aerin can only stare in horror at what emerges underneath, more innards than he has ever seen - entrails, one platter stacked with hearts glistening so vividly that he can only imagine they were beating just hours ago, red jellied concoctions dotted with organ meat. Then, servants pour red liquid into his wine glass, and he needs to fight the dry heave as the smell of iron wafts up. Nia turns to him and all he can do is shake his head, subtly; they cannot and should not consume this.

“Thank you for your hospitality, but I regret that we cannot partake of your generosity this evening,” he says, swallowing down the bile, “Unfortunately we cannot eat a single-”

“Why?” Lady Lilith looks at him, tilting her head. “I assure you, these are from animals. No… humans were harmed in the making of this meal. You are a human, yes?” The last question is a purr, and all of Aerin’s hackles rise.

“I am. And we eat our meat-”

“If these delicacies were created from people, would you eat them?” Madame Miriam asks, and he could almost believe in her naivete had her eyes not been gleaming like the ruby at her throat.

His stomach turns. “Unfortunately, I would rather spend our time discussing the great threat to our Realm. The Commander of the Armies of Light is gathering allies-”

“And where is this Commander of yours?” Lady Lilith lifts her fork, sharp points of her fingernails gleaming like a knife edge, and, too swiftly for his eyes to catch, stabs it into the center of a heart, plucking it triumphantly from the platter. “Could they not come to beg for assistance themselves?”

Imtura crosses her arms over her chest. “Unfortunately, she’s busy at the moment.”

“But we are her trusted emissaries and I assure you that any agreement we make will be-” Aerin jumps in, but it’s too late.

“We would prefer to discuss the matter with your Commander.” Baron Claudius interjects around a mouthful of liquid. Aerin is watching a drop of red pool at the corner of his lips, just beginning to descend down his graying chin when he feels it - again - the buzz in his mind.

Quickly, he surveys the table; the Baron still swigs his blood, Madame Miriam is cutting a piece of jellied carcass, but Lady Lilith, the young one, is staring at him as if she were trying to drill through his skull.

He imagines that she is.

‘Begone from my mind.’

He realizes in shock that he has found the leader of the fang line, in the guise of a small slender child.

Her voice is a hiss in his head. ‘You’re clever, Little Human.’ It’s nauseating, the familiarity of another’s voice in his brain, another’s whispers he can’t drown out; this time, there is no stone to rip from his chest to end the hushed tone rattling his brain.

‘Begone,’ he grinds back. ‘Leave my head.’ When the static doesn’t abate, he fills his head with song, as loudly as he can without moving his lips. Just when Gartho is about to abscond with the queen’s buttons and hood, it’s gone. The roar leaves his head, and he is left with blessed silence.

“Do you really think we should get involved in the affairs of mortals?” Madame Miriam is asking once his attention returns to the table.

The Baron opens his mouth to reply, but Lady Lilith beats him to it, standing with a clatter. “We may, but only if we can speak to this Commander herself.”

The other two vhampyrs stand, and Aerin is wise enough to know they are being dismissed, so he stands as well, Nia and Imtura following.

“We will relay this information and return post haste. I am sure that -”

“Not all of you will.” Lady Lilith’s mouth opens into a smile that showcases her shiny, deadly teeth; Aerin averts his eyes. “One of you will stay. To ensure she will come.”

“Excuse me? No one is staying.” Imtura takes a step forward, as if to go through the table, but Aerin stops her with a hand on her bicep. 

Lady Lilith’s eyes flash molten violet, and she says, “I want an assurance that your Commander will visit us in person. Either two of you leave or none of you do.” 

Aerin has made many misjudgments in his life, far too many to count, but he���s sure that this could play out one of two ways. In one scenario, he, Nia, and Imtura die. And in the other? “Fine,” he replies, directly to Lady Lilith and her fanged smile.

“Aerin, what do you-?”

“Nia, it’s fine.”

Lady Lilith’s smile grows wider, and she claps her hands together in murderous glee. “Excellent. It’s decided. The human boy will stay.”

“No.” Imtura moves as if to reach for her axes, and his fingers tighten.

“Imtura, stop.”

“Have you lost it, landrat?”

“It’s fine.” He grinds out, dropping his voice to a whisper. “They could kill us all before you manage to pull one ax, I assure you.”

“We can’t leave you here, Raine will-”

“Raine will come. We will have our detente. It will be fine.” He holds her gaze, just long enough that she softens, and then he drops her arm with a sigh. Turning to the vhampyrs, he speaks louder. “And you assure me that they will have safe passage out of the city?”

“Surely. We’d never go back on our word.” Lady Lilith’s smirk does not give him confidence, but none of this plan gives him any kind of surety.

He steps forward with one last glance to Nia and Imtura, hoping they can read his plea to flee. And then, turning to the vhampyr leader, he nods. “I will stay.”

“Splendid. Follow me. I will show you to your quarters.”

He doesn’t watch Nia and Imtura leave - he can’t. Unfortunately, he lacks the bravery to watch them go silently, to not call out to them and beg them to wait, so he doesn’t even turn. He only follows Lady Lilith’s careful footsteps down more steps than he can count, mind-boggling pathways carved of the earth and inhabited for thousands of years. Just when he is sure he’s seen these particular cobblestones previously on their trek, she stops, pointing to a doorway.

“And this is where you will stay.”

Aerin’s eyes widen as he takes in the room. He’s definitely stayed in worse accommodations, but, with the past year at his back, his hackles rise at yet another prison cell. His fingers tremble, and his breath hitches shortly, hints of gray at the edges of his vision, before he can return to himself. Vaguely, so long ago it may have been another life, he remembers telling Raine to take a deep breath, right when the current of pain threatened to tear her away, and he is grateful for the reminder even as he stores it as far out of reach as possible. He inhales, slowly, and glances around.

There is one large room, windowless like all the others, and the three torches are too few to provide much light in the chilly chamber. To the right is a small door, almost certainly leading to a washroom or lavatory, but his gaze is transfixed by the deep mahogany at the center of the room.

“Is that… is that meant to be my bed?”

“Yes?” Lady Lilith eyes him, and he tries to stifle his discontent. “Is something wrong?”

“It’s just… humans don’t sleep in coffins.”

“Then what do you sleep in?”

“Beds?”

She narrows her eyes, pondering. “You know, I vaguely remember beds.”

“Do you? Because this is not exactly…”

“It will need to do.” Her voice sounds curt, eyes assessing. “If your Commander is all you claim, you won’t be here for long.”

“She is all I claim and more.”

“Well, then.” 

She turns to leave, but Aerin stops her with one more question. “Am I truly to remain stuck in this room?”

“It’s safer for you if you do.” She yanks open the door, forcefully, and Aerin is struck, but the incongruity of her slight frame and the fearsome strength it holds. “But this lock here will make sure of it.”

The door closes with a slam, and his shoulders droop. He should be used to prisons. He’s been in his fair share recently. 

But none so unnervingly creepy.

When his eyes fly open, his mind is ablaze in static and he sits up in a panic, shockingly thrown awake in a mere instant. “I can sing you the ballad - it’s a good one. How Gartho Swindled the Elven Queen.”

No need.

“Did you know that the mercenaries helped at the Battle of Whitetower?” His stomach aches, an empty yawning sensation that makes it hard to focus on his words.

Do you dream often?

“Never. I never do.”

Don’t lie to me, Little Prince.

He squints his eyes, trying to fight back the buzz in his mind. “Perhaps I prefer to keep my dreams to myself.”

Why? That was a boring dream. And I was there for it; I already knew what happened. Do you know why I wanted you to stay?

“Stay here?”

Yes.

He’s not entirely sure he wants to know the answer. “Why?”

Because you fought me. The others, the green one, your pretty friend, they didn’t even know I was there.

“You mean they didn’t know you were in their heads?” So much for his advice.

The green one thinks of her mother. And the pretty one wanted to help us. But you? You fought me. And after so long, I do like a challenge?

“So if I had let you see into my mind, you would have let me go?”

Maybe. Maybe not. It may still have ended up like your dream. Who knows?

After a life lived as a miserable failure, it’s only fitting that his success lead him into a vhampyr’s lair. “Do you dream?”

Lady Lilith hums, and it makes his brain shake. Sometimes. Sometimes I dream of things far past, of people I once cared for. Do you?

I do not, I do not, I do not. Perhaps if he repeats it enough, it will be true.

I can tell you are lying.

“I dream of the mercenaries.” He will never reveal the dreams he revels in, keeps close to his heart. “Where did I leave off in my tale?”

Your stories are tiresome.

“I am tiresome. So the mercenaries were just leaving the forest with the evil princes when they had to part ways.”

Why?

“They were going in separate directions, but one of the evil princes knew they would meet again.”

How?

“Uh… evil ways?” Aerin shrugs, even though she cannot see it, and continues on. “But they do meet again. Later. The mercenaries go on their way to the Elven city, and the princes return home to the palace.”

What is the Elven city like?

“I’ve never been.” He’d always wanted to visit, had read tomes about it at the Archives, but only King Arlan and the Crown Prince had been permitted to visit. “I’ve heard it chiseled into a mountain.”

So there is no daylight. Maybe I could visit.

“Would you like to?”

Yes. There is… much in this world I have not seen.

“Odd, since you’ve been alive for so long.”

Most places do not take kindly to immortal visitors and most people do not visit us. We’ve never had a human visitor before.

“Can’t imagine why,” Aerin mumbles.

We’ve had humans come, a few, but only to request to be turned. Or to hunt us.

“I can imagine that those hunters turned into the hunted.”

She chuckles. Yes, very quickly… and deliciously.

“Did you turn any of them?”

The ones we took a liking to. Sometimes, it doesn’t work and they perish, most painfully.

He shudders. If his current predicament is bad, he can’t imagine worse.

What is it like in the human world?

The question seems honest, curious, and the static doesn’t deepen - she’s not probing his thoughts and memories for information. “It’s not underground, for one. Our buildings are above ground since we can be in the sunlight, and there are towns and cities where many humans live together, much like this.”

Are they all related? Like us?

“Not everyone in a city, but families will usually share a home.”

Do you have a home?

His gut twists and his fingers tremble, a curious unsettling shake, so he curves his hands into fists so tight his fingernails dig into flesh. “I did. Once. But now I travel by the Commander’s side, mostly.”

So you are always working.

“It’s not always work. We share meals, for example, share stories. Campfires and adventures and… other things.” Aerin needs to screw his eyes shut to hide the tears welling just behind his eyelids. Thinking about Raine hurts.

You are very loyal to your Commander.

“I wasn’t always.” It might be a mistake to divulge, but his situation can’t get much worse. “We went through a lot of struggles to get to where we are.”

Why? Is… Is your Commander mean?

“What? No! The struggles were mine and mine alone.” He swallows hard. “The Commander is… incredible. You will see when you meet her.”

Do you still think she is coming?

He doesn’t answer the question. In his heart, he knows that she would never leave any of them behind. But in his mind, well, he can see the danger of bringing the entire party to Necropolis and, if she had to lose a member of her party, unfortunately, the non-magical weakling betrayer would be the most logical choice, regardless of whatever undefined attachment existed between them. 

Lady Lilith continues. Or do you think she will leave you to be locked away with the vhampyrs, never to be freed?

He doesn’t answer that question either, but shoots back one of his own. “If she does come, what will you do when she arrives?”

Lady Lilith doesn’t reply.

~~~~~

It starts slowly. 

His mind starts to play tricks on him, a flash of light where none exists, a phantom touch when he’s alone. He opens his eyes to see Raine, standing in a corner looking downcast; when he leaps up to greet her, she disappears, his hands wrapping around cold air.

He could almost brush it off as a symptom of imprisonment when the cough begins, settling in his chest as a heavy weight.

His voice cracks in the middle of the tale. He’s just recounting how the mercenaries are gathering troops to fight the Ashen Empress when Lady Lilith interjects.

Do you need water?

“From the river? Sure, thank you.”

When Lady Lilith returns, he’s overheating despite the chill, traces of sweat beginning at his hairline, slipping down his face.

“Are you alright?”

“Of course.” He wipes his brow. “Now where was I?”

“The evil Ashen Empress. Was she evil like the princes?”

“I…” It takes him far longer than he’d like to answer this question. “No. The princes were different. The Empress wanted to kill everyone.”

“Sometimes those that the world thinks are murderers are actually something different.”

His head begins to throb. “Lady Lilith, are you speaking in riddles?”

“No, continue, continue. So the mercenaries prepare for war.”

“Yes. So they all get ready, very exciting. Even the bard is there.”

“Who?”

“The hero’s brother. He tells stories, sings tales of old.”

“Like you?”

“This isn’t a tale of old! This was about the Battle of-”

“I thought it was just a story.” Lady Lilith narrows her eyes.

“Of course it is.” 

“Then, will you ever tell me the ending? How does it end?”

He doesn’t know; he can only pray - not here, not here, please, not here. “I will tell you the end, but-” He’s cut off by a cough. “Do you… do you mind if we continue the story later? I’m not… I forget the words.”

Lady Lilith looks confused, but nods. Aerin doesn’t look up as she leaves, only focusing on a singular point on the stone floor to keep the nausea at bay.

~~~~~

Seven days.

Fourteen meals.

Though he may have lost count.

~~~~~

Ten days.

The world sways, as if his vision were failing or if he were no longer on solid ground, instead tilted at stomach-churning angles.

That morning (or whatever ill-defined time the exhaustion threatens to take him away), he can’t take the chill of the floor any longer, so he grabs the wispy blanket and crawls into the coffin.

The walls are green velvet, soft, and it’s absurdly comfortable.

Dimly, before sleep takes him, he thinks that he might want to stay there forever.

~~~~~

Thirteen days.

The blood in his veins burns. Is it his own?

If they were going to come, wouldn’t they be here by now?

~~~~~

“And then the portals opened, and the battle began.” Aerin tries to move his eyelids, but they only open halfway. He can see the ceiling through the flutter of his lashes, and the sweat pouring off him has soaked the velvet of his coffin. If he could get up, he’s sure he would see a wet imprint of his body in darkened green, but he can’t even imagine moving. 

“Were they all there?”

“Hmmm…. Who?” Aerin’s losing his mind and he’s pretty sure he lost the plot of his own story, but he can see the moon from his cell twirling in frantic circles before his eyes but he’s underground (he thinks, he thinks) so he’s sure he’s seeing things but can he truly be sure of anything anymore? What story was he telling? 

“The mercenaries?”

“Where?”

“At the battle against the Ash Empress!”

“Ah, yes. They were there. They all were. The Hero, the priestess, the Orcan princess, the grumpy mage, the insufferable rogue.”

“Was the bard there?”

He blinks. The walls appear to be dripping blood. “Yes. Why? Is that your favorite character?”

“I appreciate a good storyteller.”

“Ah…” Aerin trails off as his vision is almost entirely red. “Well, I do… I do apologize that I am not…” And then there is only darkness.

~~~~~

It’s dark. 

It’s always so dark.

~~~~~

“Wake up, wake up, wake up, Little Prince!”

It’s painful to open his eyes. His head hammers in pain, almost overpowering Lady Lilith’s words, but he can hear the years in her voice over his headache. “What?”

“You need to stay awake, Little Prince.”

He is exhausted, so bone-weary that the strength to hold her gaze is painful. “I want to sleep.”

“No.” There is panic in the word. “No, you mustn’t, you mustn’t.” He nods, but his eyes slide shut. “No! Please. Tell me… tell me about the story.”

“What about it?” he murmurs.

“It’s always been real, hasn’t it?”

His lips are so dry that he tastes blood every time he licks his lips. “What has?”

“The story. The mercenaries.”

“Of course… mostly.” Even his bones are tired, but he doesn’t need to defend himself from the outside voices in his brain anymore. His mind is empty.

“Little Prince.” Lady Lilith grabs his shoulders and shakes; he winces. “Sorry. Tell me the story again.”

“Which one?”

“Any one.” His eyes flutter shut, and she rubs his shoulder, gentler this time. “Aerin!”

“The Heroes went into the forest and defeated the monsters and saved the princes. And they all fought a God of Old. It was real.” 

“You were there.”

“Yes, we all were.” The cold has seeped into his brain, and every inhale audibly cracks his ribs.

“Your companions? The travelers we dined with? They were there?” He can only nod. “And who is your green friend?”

“The tough one.”

“And the pretty human?”

“The kind one.”

“And which character are you?”

There are spots in Aerin’s visions, dark masses that sway about the periphery. “The one who either leaves…” He breaks off with a cough so deep it feels like it’s scarring his lung with every forceful exhale. “Or gets left behind.” And then the black spots enlarge and swallow him whole.

~~~~~ 

There’s sunlight. Aerin looks around him in awe. There’s sunlight!

He takes a deep breath of the fresh forest air, looking around in utter delight. The canopy of trees about his head is sparse, allowing ample daylight to filter through, and the harmonies of song and merriment carry down a dirt path. 

As he steps forward, he realizes in an instant where he is. These are the woods outside Riverbend and, as he turns the corner nearing the temple, he stops short at the figure waiting for him, lounging on a boulder.

“Raine!” He jogs forward, smiling growing wider with every step, until he slows when he is mere feet from her. As she stands, there is fury painting her flawless features. “Raine, what’s wrong?”

Her voice drips venom. “You lied to me.”

“What?” He wracks his brain for deception and nothing comes. “I… no, no longer. What do you mean?”

“You said you would come back.”

“I… I am here now.” He’s not quite sure what she’s referring to, but he’s standing right before her, in the flesh. “I am here. I will always be here.”

“That is not true, Aerin. That is what you do. You leave.”

“But I -”

“You leave me.”

“No.” He shakes his head frantically. “No, I never wish to be parted from you, you know that. I would never, never again.” His legs carry him forward to embrace her, but she only steps away, tears brimming in her eyes.

“You promised.” A sudden wind whips through the wood as she turns away, leaden steps taking her further from him. “Aerin,” she calls over her shoulder, “you promised.”

“Wait.” He wraps his arm around his torso; the wind turns frigid, so cold, always so cold, and she crests over a hill and out of side. “Wait!” His useless feet won’t move and the chill settles in his bones. Is this his destiny? Doomed to be separated from the one person whom his heart beats for?

The chattering of his teeth awakens him.

When Aerin opens his eyes, Lady Lilith stands above him, worry lines etched in the pale skin of her forehead.

“That’s not concerning.” A cough cuts him off, and he waits until his lungs stop rattling to speak. “Not concerning at all, waking up to a vhampyr staring at you.”

“I would change you.” She whispers, urgently. “If I had to, I would.”

“No.” More coughing. “No.” His mind flashes to a millennium without sunlight, missing the golden rays of sunshine peeking over the Cartesian Sea, the bustle of the Whitetower marketplace, the sun gleaming off Raine’s hair, her smile as they hike through woods bathed in the afternoon warmth. “Don’t change me.”

Lady Lilith blinks back tears, though a few break free to edge over her cheekbone. They glisten in the torchlight, like dew at breaking dawn, a sight he shall never see again.

His own eyes start to sting, sweat trailing down his face, and there’s salt on his tongue. Lady Lilith grabs his hand, clutching it carefully in her corded strength, holding tight until the darkness welcomes him again.

~~~~~

Days fifteen, sixteen, and seventeen don’t count.

He doesn’t wake up for them.

~~~~~

He can hear the voice above him, and it could be a dream; it must be a dream. 

His mind is his own, but it’s playing tricks on him, assuredly, because it sounds like Raine is standing right above his head.

He’s flying, the room spinning in circles about him, and if he looks at the walls about him, they blur as if he turning around and around, faster and faster, and there is a light, somewhere, from outside, or maybe inside his skull, and he is dying, he is dead; he has been reborn, and he cannot breathe. 

He rolls over and vomits.

As he’s wiping bile from his lips, the door opens and Lady Lilith storms in. “Let’s get you up, Little Prince.”

“Please stop calling me that.” He wipes his lips on his sleeve and his teeth chatter against the fabric. It’s so cold.

“You need to get up. We have guests.”

“What- who-”

With superhuman strength, she jostles him until, while he may be on two feet, he is mostly leaning on her, draped over a small shoulder as he takes one stuttering step after another. They travel through the crypts, torchlight causing shadows to jump across the walls, making him nauseous anew, but finally, they reach a wooden door.

Even though it’s latched tight, he can hear voices on the other side. Loud. Unyielding. “I demand my diplomat.”

Aerin raises his head. “Raine? Is it really-”

The static invades his skull again. Who is she?

“Stop, please stop!” He tries to sing Gartho the Trickster but he can’t focus; his temples throb and besides, all that matters is that Raine is on the other side of this damnable door. 

Who is she?

“She’s the Hero.”

Who?

“The Hero of Morella, Commander of the all the Forces of Light, Savior of the Reams and Champion to All, please just-”

Lady Lilith shifts him so she can peer into his face. She speaks now, out of his head, her voice a whisper in the hall. “Is she the same hero from the mercenary tale? With the princes?”

“Yes.” Aerin is too weak to lie; he can’t even raise his hands to wipe the moisture pooling in his eyes. “Please, just- I just need to see her.”

The vhampyr leader is silent for far too long before she lowers him to the ground, crouching in the dirt beside him. “Aerin.” Her palm graces his cheek and it’s cold, so cold, and the shivering hurts his teeth. “How does the story end?”

And he doesn’t think, just replies, too weak to manufacture any artifice. The story ends the only way possible, the only way it can truly end, and, when he trails off into silence, her violet eyes glisten with unshed tears.

Finally, she stands and speaks. “Wait here.” With that command, she strides through the doorway and he hears the dull sound of a latch locking.

Aerin could almost cry, in an inglorious heap, with one measly door between him and Raine. He crawls forward over the rough earth, stones digging into his fingertips and leaving bloody droplets in the dirt. When he makes it to the door, he lifts his hands to bang against the wood but his fists barely make a sound; he is so weak, so tired, and the grains of the wooden boards are swirling before his eyes. He can’t even yell, voice a mere croak, and he slides in defeat down to the floor.

He has failed, he realizes. He was not able to broker an accord, was not even able to get any kind of agreement, and he wasn’t able to protect Raine.

And then the ground rushes up to meet his face and there is only silence.

~~~~~

He’s in the air, he’s flying, he’s falling.

There’s yelling, but it’s not him; his mouth feels like it has been stuffed with gauze, and his eyes only open wide enough for his lashes to flutter tremulously in his vision but he’s on his feet, somehow.

There’s the unsheathing of a sword.

More yelling.

The sheathing of a sword.

A flash of yellow and gold in front of him, steady arms holding him up as his boots struggle and fail to find purchase on the floor.

Safety.

“I’m sorry,” he says the words into the armor mushed into his cheek, but he’s not sure anyone can hear him. His throat is so raw, he can barely hear himself. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. For all of it.”

More yelling.

Static and buzzing, traveling from his forehead to his ears, just a roar frying his brain cells, and he can’t even fight it as he passes out again.

He awakens again to a flash of green, and he’s soaring through the air anew; while there is less screaming, he’s numb and cannot feel a thing. The world spins and that’s when his brain shuts down.

~~~~~

When he awakens, actually awakens, he is in a plush bed, and light streams into the room. It’s been so long since he has seen the sun that he only gapes at the golden rays streaming through the window. The room is warm, especially under plush covers, and it’s been so long since he’s seen sunlight and felt warmth on his skin that he props up on one wavering elbow and stares for minutes until he realizes, with a start, that he’s in Raine’s palace room.

“Good morning.”

He starts again at a voice to his left and, though it aches, he turns to see Raine perched on a chair, staring at him and gnawing on her bottom lip. He means to say hello, truly he does, but all that emerges from his mouth is “Oww.”

“Are you ok?” She’s at his side in an instant.

“I love you.” It’s raspy but audible, and he sighs as he sinks back into the plush mattress.

“That… is not an answer to my question.”

“I know, but I spent the last few weeks wondering if I could ever say it again, so I didn’t want to miss my moment.”

She shakes her head fondly and threads a hand through his curls before carefully sliding onto the bed next to him. “I love you, too.”

“I had a feeling,” he replies; she chuffs his shoulder and, for the first time in weeks, he feels like he can relax. “I told you I would come back.”

“Do not- Do not joke about that. Do you know what state we found you in?”

 “A state befitting of my heroic deeds?”

“I thought you were going to die!” The arm that has wound its way around his waist squeezes tighter. “Don’t scare me like that.”

“Eh, I was fine. I will be fine. Just a few more minutes, and I will be right as rain.” His eyes flutter shut, only to fly open again. “Did they agree?”

“Who?”

“Lady Lilith. Did she - did she agree to have the vhampyrs join us?”

“She did…” Raine’s words are careful, slow. “We had quite the discussion while you were close to death.”

“Sounds enlightening; my apologies for missing it. What did she say?”

“She said you taught her a lot about humans.”

“Hmmm… like that we don’t drink blood?”

“Among other things. She said that if you personally go to inform them of the battle, their forces will join.”

“Couldn’t someone else go? Mal? He would love the trip, I’m sure.”

“She specifically requested you. She seemed to like you.”

He quirks a shoulder. “I didn’t know what to expect of the vhampyrs. They seemed… lonely.”

“She said you told her stories.”

“I did.” He chuckles at that. “She kept trying to read my mind. And you know how I like my secrets.”

“She said you told of the mercenaries of Lord Kelvin Gillbottle.” A sad smile plays on her lips. “Aerin? Did you truly believe I would leave you?”

“What do you mean? No! Not really. “

“What do you mean, not really?”

“I guess - the longer it was there, the harder it was to tell the difference between what was real and what was not. But I knew, in my heart, I knew you would come for me.”

“Then… why is that not the story you told her?”

“What are you talking about?”

“She said that, every night, you would tell her the story of us meeting in the Deadwood. And that, in every telling, the mercenaries realized the princes were evil and tortured them. Killed one in cold blood. And I locked the other away with the vhampyrs, never to be freed, as revenge for his disloyalty.”

He blinks. “That’s not how I said the story ended.” He tries to sit up, but it is futile until Raine slides her arm around him, a line of solid strength and care propping him up.

“That’s what she told me.”

“That trickster… Raine, that’s not the ending I made up.”

Her eyes, large and bright in sunshine, bore into his. “Then how did you end the tale?”

“I said…” He breaks off with another cough and she hands him a waterskin; the liquid is mercifully cool on his throat. “I said that the mercenaries met two evil princes in the forest.”

“Aerin, that’s not…”

“Shhh, it’s my story. I said that the mercenaries met two evil princes in the forest. One died.” Raine’s face softens at this, but she doesn’t interrupt, so he continues. “The other realized the error of his ways. He- he fell in love with one of the mercenaries, the hero, and stayed by her side, forever, until the end of time.”

She bites her lip, eyes welling with unshed tears, and, just as Aerin moves to apologize, she nods. “Yes. That is exactly how the story ends.”

[lungsandlips]

@euphoriaemporiae cont'd from here

"It started pouring rain, they called it for tonight."

It was the only explanation Kade gave, his attention focused on touching Fane. He'd been caught up since this morning on set, various locations, and he'd had Fane tag along for awhile until things started to drag and he'd told him to just go back and enjoy himself. "You're gorgeous," he remarked softly, giving his rear a squeeze before ducking down to kiss along his shoulder. "Never get to see you like this, just doing your own thing. It's kind of hot."

[cheekycheesecake01]

ALRIGHT! Let's try this again! Stupid Tumblr primary secondary account..... Anywayyyyy

Hi there! My name is Cheeky Cheesecake and I'm new to writing smut fanfic. As of right now, I'll only do nsfw headcanons. Obviously, this blog is all smut, so this is 18+ minors, please do not interact.

DISCLAIMER:

I do not say "Minors DNI" to be a dick. It's to keep everyone safe. It is technically illegal for a minor user to sexually interact or engage in adult entertainment, especially when an adult is involved. This includes fanfiction. I can not stop anyone from reading my stuff since it is public, but if you are a minor, there is no shame in your sexuality, but you are not welcome here. You are legally and morally not welcome here by me. Do not interact. Interacting includes:

Sending me asks or messages

Liking

Commenting

Reblogging

Following me

If you are a minor, DO NOT DO ANY OF THE ABOVE! YOU WILL BE BLOCKED! THIS INCLUDES AGELESS BLOGS! I am 18, do not interact with me if you're an ageless blog or minor!

What I WILL write:

NSFW within boundaries

LGBTQ+

Poly x reader

Disabled reader

Reader of color

Mentally ill reader

Gentle femdom/gentle dom

Petplay

Fluffy smut

Angsty smut

Comfort smut

What I WON'T write:

Rape/noncon in general

Underage characters

Aged up characters

Loli or shota

Age gap

Proshipper stuff

Furry

Raceplay

Yandere

Dubious consent

Fetishized age regression

Piss, shit, vomit, fart or foot fetish

Enemies-to-lovers (I'm not good at it)

Stepcest/incest

Any fetishism of the LGBTQ+ community.

Turning a gay character "straight" for the reader's sake.

Gore

Ageplay

Extreme degradation

Fandoms~💚

Please note that this list can expand at any given time :)

Your Favorite Martian

Sweet Home webtoon

Pigpen Webtoon

The Walking Dead Game seasons 1-3

The Last of Us

Transformers Rescue Bots

Detroit Become Human

Heavy Rain

Life is Strange

[therealbl0om-blog]

A DAY OFF

The Burn's Family and the Rescue Bots were on a mission observing the Mainland, Heatwave was the one who denied to go to the mission so he can keep the firehouse and the Griffin Rock secure. He should be fine due to the Griffin Rock knowing about the Bot's identities.

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

In the morning... It was around 7 A.M. Heatwave woke up at 6 A.M., watching some TV as he didn't know what to do at the time. Suddenly, a soft rain was heard outside, including a little bit of thunder in the background, it caused the scenery to be a lot more relaxing for Heatwave.

"How perfect..." Heatwave spoke with a sigh, leaning against the soft couch.

As he watched the TV he suddenly heard a crash in the garage. "Huh?" He looked up toward the bot-elevator and decided to check it out.

He was ready for anything that was in the firehouse... As the elevator took him up to the garage he saw nothing, but a flipped over table with Graham's tool box on the ground. He groaned and walked over to it and picked it up.

"Okay, whoever is in here... Graham will be mad about his tools!" Heatwave shouted as he scanned the area, looking quite pissed as his relaxation was disturbed.

Another crash was heard again, but this time in the bunker. Oh for primus sake... He went back down the elevator and looked around, the TV was turned on... Heatwave swore that he had left that thing on. He walked near it and turned it back on. He saw a small flick of ginger hair on the ground, he crouched down and scanned it... That hair color looked similar... But there were other humans with ginger hair. It couldn't be him... He knows that he went with the others.

As Heatwave scanned the hair flick on the floor, another crash happened but it was right in front of him. Kade stumbled upon the chair and swore. "Kade! Watch your language!" Heatwave shouted as he saw Heatwave. "Wait, KADE!?" He stood there with shock in his optics.

"What in the name of Primes are you doing here!?" He lifted his servos in the air, growling... He thought Kade went with the others on the mission. Well apparently he was wrong.

"What in the name of God are YOU doing here? Aren't you with others?!" Kade shouted back at the fire bot.

"I told them I'm staying here to secure the firehouse and the island, now why are YOU doing here?! I better hear a valid excuse!" Heatwave shouted as he pointed down at Heatwave.

"I, uh, uhm?!" Kade tried his best to think of an excuse, course he is bad at making them anyway... "I just wanted to stay here too.... Uh... help you?.. Heh?" Kade chuckled with nervousness in his tone.

Heatwave face-palmed his face plate and growled. "You just stayed here because you were too lazy... Weren't you?" Heatwave scoffed and looked down.

"Okay, yeah..." Kade giggled softly and softly rubbed the left upper arm. "But hey! You at least got company, am I right? Hehe!?" Kade giggled as he made out a pose.

"Right..." Heatwave growled and turned around. "I'm going to stasis, don't do anything stupid around the firehouse!" Heatwave pointed his digit at him. "I ain't going to babysit you as I usually do on rescues."

"Pfft, whatever!" Kade lifted his hands in the air and walked away. Heatwave growled and went to the bunker where the stasis were located at.

It didn't pass long... about an hour or so. Heatwave woke up and stretched himself from the deep sleep. "Ah, now that's what I call relaxation!" Heatwave smiled and then looked around, it was quiet... Too quiet.

"He probably went to sleep as well, still raining... He shouldn't be outside should he?" Heatwave questioned himself and looked around the firehouse... Nothing changed, it was just quietness in the area... But then he heard noises up on the roof top.

"Of course he's still awake..." Heatwave growled and face-palmed himself. He went up to the roof top by using Blades' elevator and decided to check what was going on.

When he arrived at the roof top it was... nothing. Just the wind hitting against a metal. He growled. "... Paranoid me..." He walked over to the metal object and placed it straight on the ground so it doesn't make any noise from the wind.

"Prime.. this storm is getting kind of harsh. Hopefully there aren't any lightnings or thunder near us." Heatwave scanned the storm, it was going to be quite the one... He went back inside the firehouse and saw Kade sitting on the couch, clearly in stress.

"What's got the tough man shaken up?" Heatwave chuckled at his own joke as he walked over, placing his left servo on his hip.

"Nothing, I'm just... not a fan of thunder..." Kade gulped and looked outside the window. Right... Kade was a bit tad scared of the thunder, nothing worse can happen, right?

"Oh, I'm surprised the brave little captain cuddles is strong. That he fears nothing!" Heatwave spoke in his sarcasm and giggled.

"SHUT UP!" Kade shouted at him. "Stop calling me that! And you clearly DON'T understand what I'm trying to imply here!"

"Wow look at that! Someone is trying to stand up for themselves huh?" Heatwave shrugged and crouched down to Kade's face level. "I'm surprised you didn't come to me first and begged me for comfort."

"Don't you fucking dare..." Kade growled as he stared down at Heatwave.

"Would I now? Whenever you need me, you always come crying to me! Hailey that, that person that, work here! But when I need you, oh your face just vanishes off of the face of this meatball of a planet!"

"That is not true-" Kade tried to speak up, but he was clearly interrupted by Heatwave.

"I'm not done, knucklehead. Others keep on questioning me on why don't we talk? Maybe because the little Kade doesn't want to, nor does he care. All he wants is just the help from me! Or, wait, I'm lying to myself. All that he wants is me to do everything for him! And what does he do to me? Absolutely NOTHING!" Heatwave shouted at the end of the sentence, staring down at Kade.

"Can you let me talk?!" Kade growled at him as Heatwave just kept on complimanting.

"No, because all that I would hear is you keep saying no that's not true, when it clearly is!" Heatwave then crouched down and used his ring finger and thumb to hold Kade's chin up and face him directly. "Maybe stop talking to me and think of your selfishness and jerk-ness and try to act like a real partner for once." He let go of his chin and walked out of the room.

Kade stood there in silence... That completely hit him. But what Heatwave said, wasn't 100% true... Kade just didn't know how to explain it, nor would Heatwave let him try.

Kade growled. "FINE! I don't need your help, nor did I even need it!" Kade shouted loudly so Heatwave could hear him and went back to his room.

Heatwave was now in the garage, watching through the window as the storm was really coming down. "Finally... Some peace and quiet from him. I'm so glad I'll manage to find someone else..." Heatwave sighed and transformed into his alt, maybe a quick nap wouldn't be a problem...

Hours later, it was around 6 P.M. Heatwave was wide awake and quite confused. "This is getting quiet, too quiet." Heatwave looked around the firehouse and didn't see Kade anywhere. "Oh I'm sure he is fine! Not like I care anyway..."

It had been the next day... Ever since the argument Kade and Heatwave haven't spoken. In fact, Heatwave hasn't seen Kade the whole day... It's now 3 P.M... Still raining as usual.

Heatwave was watching TV, quite peaceful at the moment but nothing was seeming to happen. He looked down at the empty couch beside him and sighed. He started to massage his side face's and growling.

"You don't care about him... You don't care about him... You finally have peace... He isn't annoying you... Get it together Heatwave-"

"Hey, Kade?!" Heatwave knocked all of a sudden on the door. Well that was a sudden change of behavior. "Come on, I haven't seen you the whole day after the argument. I'm quite worried and that is a surprise so you better take that as a compliment!"

"Kade come on man, please tell me you didn't take that stuff seriously, right!? Even if they're true??" Heatwave kept knocking on the door but there was no answer.

"Fine! Be a drama queen, if you need me, DON'T look for me!" Heatwave walked away from the door all grumpy and pissed...

Kade was inside his room, completely locked. He did hear Heatwave loud and clear, and he did take all that stuff seriously because he knows that Heatwave didn't joke about it. He sighed and kept laying in bed as he was completely covered under the blanket.

As it was raining softly outside, Kade looked up at the picture frame on his nightstand of him and Heatwave the first time they met... They didn't look so happy... But they still had the nerves to take a picture together. Kade stared down at it and growled, he tightened his fists and threw the picture near the door as the glass of it smashed into pieces and fell on the ground, with the wooden frame cracked and broken as well.

Later Heatwave was cleaning around the firehouse to at least dust it and have it clean before the others come. Sure, there's still a week and a half till they come back... But he was bored. "I have to do everything around the house while I'm with that lazy ass..." Heatwave growled to himself and sighed.

He placed the broom back where it was and placed his servos on his hips. "Looking fresh!" Heatwave spoke as he sniffed something. "Ugh, what in the name of Primus is that smell...?" Heatwave covered his nose and walked over to the trash. "Disgusting..." He picked up the bag and threw it out in the container.

"Much better." He smiled softly and looked around the clean firehouse. "Time to rest... Hopefully Kade later comes down and finally sees the work that I done, I deserve a break from him and this damn job!" Heatwave growled to himself and sighed.

He went near the elevator and transformed, taking a quick nap while in his alt form. His engine making soft snores. Suddenly he was awoken by a sudden smash. "The hell?" He transformed and looked around... "It sounded like it came from... Kade's room?" He titled his head and turned himself to a smaller size and went up to Kade's room.

"Okay, this is the last straw! Open the goddamn door!" Heatwave banged on the door and tried to get his attention. "That's it." He busted through the door and shoved it open. He saw Kade on the bed completely covered under the blankets. He growled and clenched his servos.

"Oh, wait till I get you-" Heatwave paused as he felt something underneath his feet. He lifted his left right foot up and saw a picture frame. "... What the fuck?" He crouched down and saw the glass around it and the broken picture frame, the picture rotated.

"Kade do you not know how to keep your room dust-" He was interrupted when Heatwave lifted the picture. He paused and looked at it with a clear sight. It was him and Kade together when they first met. Oh they didn't look so happy. He frowned and looked up at Heatwave.

"Kade?..." Heatwave's voice softened.. That was new. He walked over and placed his servo on Kade's shoulder. "Hey, uh... I'm uh..." He didn't really know how to properly apologize to Kade, since it is a rare sight for him to apologize to Kade anyway.

"I'm sorry..." He frowned and looked at Kade with a concerned face. He slowly turned Kade over to see him directly in the face... His face was shocked.

"K-Kade?!" Heatwave winced with concern. "Oh, primus, oh the primes.." Kade looked malnourished and unwell... He frowned and took out an emergency hunger box. He fed Kade a small soft sandwich and gave him water.

"It's going to be alright, oh, this is all my fault. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that..." Heatwave spoke with guilt in his tone. He laid down beside Kade and wrapped his hands around him. "It's going to be alright, bud..."

"Heatwave...?" Kade spoke with softness and exhaustion as he looked at Heatwave. "You're... you're here?..."

Heatwave nodded softly and rubbed the back of his scalp. "Yes, of course I am you jerk... What the hell happened to you?.."

"... I'm sorry I-I just couldn't stop thinking about that argument we had..." Kade let out a soft sniffle as he spoke, looking away.

"Kade, you seriously took the whole argument for real?! I wasn't being serious!" Heatwave shouted, but with a soft tone.

"You did take it serious. You never let me explain, it's not my fault that I don't talk to you! I just don't know how to properly communicate with you, without making you pissed or annoyed! Each time we talk, your ass is mad!"

"Kade-" Heatwave tried to speak.

"No, you hear me out this time! Each time I try to talk with you, your smile just fades away, which makes me so damn insecure! Like, did I say something wrong?! What did I do? I just want to talk, not make him angry! Others keep on neglecting me that I don't care about you!" Tears started to stream down Kade's face. "BUT I DO! I care about you more than anything! More than myself, I just don't know how to show it properly! I'm scared that I'll do something wrong! Again! I don't want to act like a softie in front of others!"

"Kade..." Heatwave spoke as he lifted his chin up. "I'm sorry that i misunderstood you..., but you don't have to cry about it." He slowly wiped the tears off of Kade's cheeks. "I know I may not be the best bot to talk to, but you can always come to me if something bothers you..." He smiled softly.

He laid down on the bed and opened his arms. "Come here..." Heatwave spoke, smiling softly.

Kade resisted... But then he laid down on Heatwave's chest and let Heatwave embrace him. He had to admit. He loved the warmth from Heatwave's embrace. And listening to his spark beat was also comforting. He buried his face underneath Heatwave's chin and closed his eyes.

"There we go..." Heatwave smiled softly as he massaged Kade's head, while with the other hand, he massaged Kade's back. He started to rock him softly left and right as he hummed. "Can't believe I'm doing this, but... I love this..." He smiled and scratched Kade's head while humming.

Heatwave stayed awake the night and listened to the rain outside while humming and rocking Kade. It felt odd to do so... But it just felt right... He wiped the remaining tears off of Kade's cheeks and even planted a kiss on the forehead.

"My little human..." Heatwave whispered with a soft tone and continued to hum. He secretly enjoyed this... But if others found out about this, he'd deny it. He closed his optics and continued doing his thing as he let Kade sleep...

"Don't worry, Kade, I could never replace you... It may seem that I don't care about you.. but oh oh ho, no one can replace you, buddy. I care about you more than anything. I may not show it, but I'll always be there for you, no matter the cause... No partner will replace you. You're beyond perfect for me..." Heatwave smiled and kissed his cheek.

"I love you, Kade..."

[thefundiedata]

Family Overview | Tori & Bobby Smith

Pre-Court: February 2016 Courtship: October 2016 Engagement: September 2017 Marriage: December 2017

Pre-Marriage Relationship Length: 671 days.

Their Family: Robert Ellis Smith IV "Kade" - November 2018 Kolter Gray Smith - March 2020 Charlotte Raine Smith - June 2021 Cambree Layne Smith - August 2022

So What's Next? Tori and Bobby are imminently expecting Smith 5. They are expected to announce Smith 6 in July 2025 for a birth in December 2025 - assuming they do announce.

[skatermusic]

Based on this fanart by @frost-the-ice-dragon. Artist has given me permission to use their work in the story.

Heatwave had seemed off that day. Or, at least, that was how Kade would have put it. For starters, the firebot wasn't beating the shit out of his training dummy as he did every morning.

And then, when Doc Greene's supercharged cotton candy machine literally made the sweet treat rain from the sky, Heatwave kept his visor down and spoke as little as possible, even though the town knew his true identity by this point.

It came to a head when Kade dropped Haley off after their date and was driving home, another red flag, as Heatwave usually did that. "Alright, man. Out with it. What's eating you?"

"Nothing." Heatwave's voice cracked, on the verge of tears. When Kade looked at his face on the screen, coolant was in his optics, and his bottom lip plate trembled slightly, an extremely rare occurrence for the firebot.

"If nothing's eating you, then why are you crying?"

Heatwave felt his composure slipping. He tried his best to hold the coolant in and stop his jaw from trembling. "I'm not crying, I just have some-" Heatwave let out a couple of sniffles here and there, letting Kade know that the waterworks were imminent.

Kade raised a skeptical eyebrow.

Heatwave sniffed, his olfactory sensor having begun to run. "Okay, fine! I'm crying! But if you tell anyone, I'm gonna.....I-I'm......" The dam broke before he could finish his threat. Heatwave covered his face with his servos and started to cry.

Kade immediately pulled Heatwave over. As soon as he was old enough to drive, Chief Burns had drilled into his head, and Dani's and Graham's, once they came of age, how horrible a combination crying and driving was, both for one's own safety and the safety of others around them.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, you're okay." Kade soothed. "I've pulled you over, and we're the only ones on this street."

Kade thanked every force of nature in existence that Heatwave had started crying in vehicle mode once he saw his coolant pooling on the bottom of the screen. If he had cried in bot mode, the streets would have been flooded.

The fireman was more than content letting Heatwave cry for as long as he needed, but when he started gasping between sobs, Kade intervened.

"Heatwave, just listen to my voice. Breathe."

Kade talked Heatwave's non-existent ears off, about anything and everything he could think of. Once his conversational well ran dry, he spoke. "You can tell me me what's wrong. I won't judge you."

"I-I...nnnh, just realized today w-w-was our last time leaving Cybertron." Heatwave's voice shook, and it was terrible-Kade had never heard him waver. "I miss our home!" Heatwave bawled harder, both for Cybertron, and out of embarrassment for crying in front of Kade.

"It's fine, it's okay, there's nothing wrong with crying." Kade reassured, patting the horn gently enough to comfort Heatwave, but not forcefully enough to honk it.

"I'm not w-weak. I've had worse." Heatwave gasped wetly. "I've h-h-had worse." He repeated for emphasis. The incident with the energon eater that forced himself and his team into stasis immediately came to mind.

What the hell could be worse than losing your entire planet? Kade knew now wasn't the time to ask. "I know. I know that, alright, Heatwave?" Kade tried to brush the tears off of Heatwave's on screen face with his thumbs, like he would for Cody, but since Heatwave's screen wasn't a touch screen, which Kade had momentarily forgotten, the tears continued to fall as if he had done nothing. "Crying doesn't make you weak."

Once Heatwave's sobs had been reduced to sniffles, Kade had a question for him.

"Have you been holding this in?"

Fresh coolant rolled down Heatwave's cheeks as he nodded.

Kade shook his head. "Bottling up your feelings isn't healthy, man." He left it at that, saving the lecture for later. "Hug?"

As much as Heatwave hated to admit it, he needed a hug. He shifted into bot mode so quickly, Kade didn't realize what was happening until he was in the iron giant's right hand.

Kade immediately threw his arms around Heatwave's neck, hugging him as tightly as he could. "C'mere, bring it in."

And, if Heatwave and Kade didn't return until long after Cody's bedtime? No one commented on that, the drying coolant trails on Heatwave’s face, or the stains on Kade's jacket that resembled chocolate milk.