#ran x rora

[bdmkw3]

Why im so short

[mangosrar]

The lucky one.

Chris Sturniolo x fem reader.

an: this is not proofread ����

warnings: none

based off of this song!!!!

Somerville, boston, Massachusetts. the place you grew up loving. and the place you came to hate. not because of how cold it was or how the weather was extremely bipolar. no. boston winters were no joke but you loved winter. you hated boston because of the strings it had you on. all the ghosts that haunted every corner of it. the lost relationships.

before you left boston life was great. you, your boyfriend and his two brothers were living the high life. you were a star. your acting career had taken off when you were 16 and it was great. you loved the fast pace life. you’re boyfriend and his brothers weren’t far behind with their youtube career. they were internet sensations. everyone loved them. but all that glitter is gold and soon the glitter became suffocating. everywhere you went the media was on your tail. interviews and red carpets, talk shows, the press, they all knew you’re secrets. you had no privacy. heavy is the head that wears the crown and you couldn’t do it, so you upped and left just after you’re 21st birthday. without a word to anyone. of course you let them all know you were safe, but you left everyone behind. your family, your friends, your boyfriend, every single childhood memory you had in boston you ditched and left for dead.

2 years later, you were now 23. stood dead centre of the last place you wanted to be. every single late night adventure with your friends, every single coffee shop date with your now ex boyfriend happened here. here in this one tiny neighbourhood yet it seemed so far stretched.

your main concern for your return to boston was who you were going to bump into. you hadn’t actually thought about what you would do if you were to bump into anyone. maybe run away, maybe scream, maybe vomit. the options were endless. but as if god was dead against you, a familiar face appeared behind you in the reflection of the coffee shop window, leaving no time to decide.

“Rory?” it was if time had stopped. your heart rate sky rocketed and your mouth ran dry. it felt like someone had sucker punched you in the stomach. all of the air in your lungs made a swift escape and it felt like you were suffocating.

you turned around and saw his face. he looked different. he was taller, and more built. his hair was shorter, his facial bones were more defined. he was even more gorgeous than he used to be. but his eyes looked heavy on his face. the dark circles prominent. he looked tired.

“Chris.” you’re voice was weak and uneasy. you wanted to reach out an touch him just to check you weren’t dreaming and that your chris was actually standing in front of you.

“i didn’t know you were back in boston” chris sounded just as surprised to see you. his eyes traveled over you’re face, like he was taking a mental picture. they lingered on you’re hair for just a second longer. he noticed.

“yeah, i got here this morning” he brought a hand up to his jaw and rubbed it. his eyes were still examining you’re face. he was shell shocked.

“you changed you’re hair” he blurted out. it was true. you had always had long, curly, light brown hair. but it was now dark brown and sat just below you’re shoulders and straight.

“yeah, i uhh… needed a change” you didn’t really know what to say. this was probably the weirdest interaction you had ever had.

“you look good rora” he nodded. you internally winced at the nick name. he was the only one who ever called you that. you couldn’t even reply. you just smiled at him.

there was an abundant pause before chris spoke again.

“i’m about to go get a coffee if you wanna join me, you know, catch up and stuff” he said while gesturing to the coffee shop behind you.

“i don’t know chris i….” you trailed off. uncertainty evident.

“come on rory, 30 minutes and the best coffee in boston” he raised his eyebrows and displayed a toothy grin. there was a long pause before you replied, weighing out your options.

“how could i say no to that stupid face” you replied trying to hide your smile.

once you were both situated in a booth with a cup of coffee. you spoke first.

“does ray still own this place?” you asked.

“no uh ray died last year but you know Cody his son? he took over” chris said. glancing around the room before landing his eyes back on you. you felt your heart break a little. for years you had been coming here, almost every day after school from freshman year to senior year. in summer you would have a smoothie and in winter you would have a hot chocolate then eventually it was just coffee all year round. every time coming closer to the last. it really put things into perspective. regardless of you leaving, everybody carried on with their life and boston wasn’t waiting for you to catch up.

“oh my god, that must have been so hard. no body even told me” you instantly regretted what you said. you knew what was coming next.

“you just disappeared Rory. no one knew where you were, how were we supposed to tell you. i visited your mom and she didn’t know either. we were worried about you. i haven’t stopped worrying about you. i never even got an explanation. ” his tone was carrying a harsh undertone. helping you understand how bad it hurt. you couldn’t even look at him, the way he was obviously referring to you leaving your boyfriend in the dark, with no explanation as to why you left, making your stomach do flips.

“i didn’t disappear chris i just took my dignity and got the hell out. i had to” you told him. he nodded slowly. clearly not accepting your justification but regardless he respected you none the less. he took a sip of his coffee never making eye contact with you, before speaking.

“Nate said you bought a bunch of land,” he said breaking the awkward tension with a raise of his eyebrows in questioning. “chose the rose garden over Madison square?” he added with a smile, trying to break the tense air between you both. you let out a lousy laugh while nodding your head.

“something like that” he just sent you a knowing smile, not pressing on the subject, before his face changed into something of remorse.

“i get it tho aurora, you know it took some time but i understand it now. why you left i mean”

his eyes stayed on yours as he spoke. you said nothing as your mouth curved into a tight lipped smile. urging chris to carry on.

“cuz now everyone knows my name wherever i go and i can’t ever have that quiet life that we wanted, the one you have now, but i think you got it right”. there was nothing but sincerity plastered across his face.

“the camera flashes make it look like a fucking dream though” he hung his head again, shaking it, blowing a puff of air out of his nose, laughing.

“but you’ve had it figured out since we were in school.” you were confused. he had always wanted this life. the followers, the fame, the money, it was his dream.

“everybody wants to see hot triplet brothers having fun together and making a fool of themselves. everybody loves it.” you added, sending him an questioning raise of you’re eyebrows.

“but it’s not like that anymore, it’s big black cars and riviera views, the dates i get for the events dont even fucking know me, and our secrets end up splashed on the news front page” he said slightly raising his voice with a harsh tone, clearly needing to get it off his chest. the hand that had been waving around in the air trying to further his point comes down the fiddle with the handle of the mug in front of him.

“and they tell you that you’re lucky but it’s so confusing because like, i don’t feel good, i just feel used, and the second you’re hype is over all the new big hits line up to take you’re place you know?” he added. you did know. you knew it all too well. you didn’t even have to reply. he knew that you understood him. despite the absence between you both there was still a lot you had in common.

there was a pregnant pause, both of you just staring at each other, having so much to say but leaving it unsaid, avoiding the conversation. chris cleared his throat, breaking the silence.

“how long are you in boston for?”

“well i haven’t been back in almost a 2 years so i was planning on staying for a week or so but just being here for a few hours is make ig me hate it so i think i’m gonna get the next flight out.” you hated the fact that you were telling him this, the reason you hated it sitting right in front of you, clad in a puffer jacket and a beanie, sipping coffee.

“no!” he shouted so fast it took you back a little, your eyes widened at his sudden outburst. he cleared his throat before continuing. “um…stay for a while, come see nick and matt. my parents still ask about you all the time they would love to see you.” chris’s voice was full of hope. it broke your heart. he really hadn’t changed at all.

“i can’t chris”. you watched his face fall as you replied. your voice was small and sad.

“why rory? what’s the worst that could happen?” it was a silly question really. he knew the answer. “you know what, i know why you won’t. i know you like the back of my hand aroura. you’re scared you’re gonna love it too much and you won’t wanna leave. youre scared of this” he gestured between the two of you. “you’re scared that you’re gonna come to the realisation that you don’t hate being back in boston, you hate the fact that it’s exactly where you should be”. he had you all figured out. he couldn’t have been more correct if the reason had walked up to him and slapped him straight in the face. but that scared you even more. the way he knew you so well, after all this time.

“i’m scared”. you nodded. completely putting all your vulnerability on display as tears gathered in your water line. he reached over and took your hands in his. staring so deeply into your eyes you we’re sure he could see your thoughts.

“don’t be. whatever happens, it will all work out. you might decide to stay, you might decide to run off again in the next 20 minutes, but if you do i won’t be mad and i wont try to stop you, because i know that you gave it a chance. so please aroura, give me a chance. let it figure itself out. it’s all going to be fine. i promise” his voice was quiet and comforting, and in that exact moment he stopped talking. you realised you were the lucky one. you were lucky that even though you were both 23 now, no longer silly teenagers in love, you were still the same kids you used to be. you were lucky that he was still willing to stand by you. you were lucky that he somehow had the answer for everything, he knew exactly what to say to you. just like he always did, even after all this time. he was still there waiting for you with open arms. this was where you were meant to be.

_______________________ ________________________

i love this so much he’s so cute i just wanna put him in my pocket and eat him. 😃

@christinarowie332 @biimpanicking @soursturniolo @freshlovehacker @cupidtoast @kitaysworld @urmyslxt @kvtie444 @flowerxbunnie @lividnity @sturnphilia @sturniolostvrs @hedgehogperalta @delimeats-000 @daddyslilchickenfingers @kenzieiskoolaid

[raindrop-21]

Sunrises

Word count: 875 ish

Cw: phantom angst, mainly dew x phantom

@thatfuckinjester

Even though it was required to have two quintessence ghouls at the ministry at all times, Aether and Omega were both out helping at another ministry, and no other quint ghoul could be found. The reason for that is every now and then quint ghouls fade into stardust, and the help of another quint ghoul is needed to make sure the fading quint ghoul doesn't permanently disappear. Phantom, being the new ghoul that he is, doesn't know that this happens. It doesn't help that he hasn't been told that it will happen to him.

None of the other ghouls didn't think it'd happen just a few months after the tour ended, mainly because it took two to three years for Aether and Omega to fade away for the first time. Phantom got scared when he was walking through the ministry's hallways to go to the observatory in the loft of the library and his phone fell through his hand. He was even more scared when his hand started phasing through the floor when he tried to pick it up. He used his non-fading hand to pick up his phone and ran to the library, thinking he was just hallucinating from a lack of sleep or lack of connecting with the stars. Ue quickly made his way to the observatory.

He laid on the ground of the observatory and looked at the stars, letting his thoughts connect to them. An hour and a half later he disconnected his thoughts from the stars, sat up, and when he looked at his legs, they had turned into a shiny silver-gray dust. He was terrified. He picked up his phone and went to a group chat he barely ever texted in - the pack's group chat. He texted a small, but urgent text:

> “Help. Turning to dust. In observatory.”

It's thirty minutes later when someone finally comes to him - Dewdrop. He can hear Dewdrop groan as he climbs the ladder to get to the observatory. Dew turned on the light of the observatory and looked until he spotted the little quint. Most of the ghouls thought he was joking; it wasn't soon enough for him to fade away for the first time.

At least they thought.

With a worried gasp, Dew ran over and sat next to Phantom.

“Little Star? When'd this start?” He Worriedly asked.

“I dunno. My hand was kinda see-through earlier, but I thought it was because I hadn't connected with the stars in a while.”

Shit. Why hadn't they told him about this? Even more so because connecting with the stars whilst fading speeds up the process. Dew holds Phantom's hand and texts the group chat.

> “He wasn't lying. He's fading, fast. I need Swiss and Rora here quickly, Sunny if you can find her.”

Right after he sends that text Phantom's hand fades through his and back down to the ground.

“Phantom, I need you to stay awake as long as you can, okay? You're fine. This is normal for quint ghouls when they come top-side.”

“Does that mean I'm going back to the pit? Or am I joining the stars?” The little quint asks with his round starry eyes.

“I dunno, but I don't want to find out.”

While they wait for Swiss and Rora (possibly Sunny) to come, Dew quietly sings Ride by Twenty One Pilots for Phantom, a song they both enjoyed. Dewdrop watched as Phantom's body slowly turned to stardust. All three multi ghouls arrived when only Phantom's torso and head were left. All three quickly sat around the smaller ghoul, Sunny immediately started trying to keep his soul grounded to the Earth instead of letting it flow away with the small bit of quintessence she possessed while Swiss quickly gave Aurora a run-down on how to help keep his soul on the Earth.

While the multi's did that Dew spoke to Phantom to keep him calm. Well, it more to keep himself calm, he loved the little quint even though he didn't show it much.

“Does it hurt?”

“No, it kind of feels like I'm asleep? Like I'm here but I can't feel what's happening.”

“Oh okay.” Dew sighs.

Around fifteen minutes later, when just Phantom's head is left, not knowing if they'll be able to ground his soul, Dew softly kisses Phantom, possibly for the last time. Phantom giggles when he's kissed by Dew, like the many times he did when they shared small kisses.

“I love you, Dew.”

“Love you too, Little star.”

And then he was gone. His whole body turned to dust. Sunny, Swiss, and Rora are all trying their hardest to hold onto his soul, but it doesn't work. When Rora stops grasping at the invisible strings of his soul, she grabs at the stardust he left behind and sobs, loud and heartbreakingly.

Dew not one for tears, cries. Hard. Sunny texts the group chat a small simple thing:

> “He's gone.”

In the next few minutes everyone's there, Copia included. They're all there mourning the loss of their packmate, bestfriend, lover, and for Aurora, life mate. They're there until sunrise, and from the observatory, the sunrise looks stunning.

“You know, I heard somewhere that the most beautiful sunrises are made by the souls of those who've left us.” Aurora quietly says to the group.

Who knew the last they'd see of Phantom was his stardust?

[bubbledtee]

𝙏𝙬𝙤 𝙎𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝘼𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝘿𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙡

Warnings: none, just domestic fluff with Jamie and your daughter,

Summary: Your daughter, Aurora, has her first snow since she was a baby and James and you take her out to play.

Pairing: Death Magnetic!James Hetfield x fem!reader w/ 18-month-old daughter

Word count: 1295

A/N: forgive me if this sucks guys i didn't proofread and I finished it at 12:15 pm last night.

“Go to Daddy, baby! I’ll be right there,” you tell the toddler, gaining a big smile from her before she turns and runs to the front door from the kitchen, the sound of her little nonsensical babbles as she ran down the hallway melting your heart.

“Daddy!” she calls out, making James chuckle as she jumped into his arms as if it was the first time she’d seen him that day.

“Daddy!” she calls out, making James chuckle as she jumped into his arms as if it was the first time she’d seen him that day.

“Hi, baby.” he hums, soaking in her big bear hug as much as he could as he kisses her cheek. “I love you,” he whispers as he squeezes her for a moment before she leans back from the hug, breaking away from it. James reluctantly lets her go, picking up her shoes from the floor beside him. “Alright, sit down, hun.” he says, to which the toddler listens, plopping down on the floor.

“Shoe!” the toddler exclaims, to which both you and James laugh as you walk into the room.

“That’s right, that is a shoe, sweetie.” James chuckles as he puts the shoe on her foot and buckles the velcro before grabbing the other and repeating the same process with her other foot.

You look out of the window to watch as the snow falls, the ground completely covered in inches of white flurries. “You’re gonna have so much fun out there, Rora!” you tell her as you reach for your own coat and pull it on, your little girl smiling up at you with so much joy that you thought she could just explode.

“You haven’t seen snow since you were itty bitty last year, huh?” James asks the toddler.

“Yeah,” she nods, making you and James smile even harder.

“You understand just about everything mommy and I say now, don’t you?” James chuckles as he slips her hands through her coat.

“Yeah,” Aurora repeats with another nod.

“You’re so smart, sweetheart,” James says, slipping his own coat on before grabbing Aurora’s hat and putting it on her head.

As you slip your coat on and zip it up, you look down at her, “You ready to go play, Rora?” you ask, gaining a little nod from the girl.

“Let’s go then, princess,” James smiles and grabs Aurora’s mitten-covered hand as he opens the door, revealing inches upon inches of snow to her. Immediately, the little girl squeals in pure excitement and allows James to guide her out into the yard, snowflakes falling all around.

You laugh as you trudge behind them, watching as James lets go of her hand and she immediately plops down in the snow. She grabs a clump of the white powder in both of her hands and smiles up at you and James, “Snow!” she exclaims.

“You’re so smart, Rora,” you say as you sit down in the snow with her, James groaning as he sits too. You lean against him, attempting to absorb his warmth in the freezing temperature of your surroundings.

James looks down at you with a loving grin, his eyes soft. “Have I ever thanked you for giving me such a perfect daughter?” he asks, making you giggle slightly.

“A time or two, maybe,” you respond sarcastically, “Have I ever thanked you for being such a perfect dad to her?”

James chuckles before responding, “A time or two, maybe,”

He bows his head down, planting a few kisses on your lips as you bring your hand up to the back of his head. The kisses linger as you gently run your fingers through his hair, his beard scratching slightly at your face until you were suddenly interrupted.

“Daddy!” Aurora exclaims, standing up and running over just to plop right between you two.

You giggle as James speaks to her, “Oh, do you need love too, Rora?” he asks, wrapping her into a hug and peppering her face with kisses. The bubbly giggles that erupted from the little girls chest were enough to melt a frozen heart, her tiny voice echoing through the air while James’s beard scratches her face.

“Daddy! No!” she hiccups out between laughs as she attempts to weakly push him away, her body wriggling in his grip.

“But I thought you wanted love, sweetheart!” he chuckles before planting more kisses to her cheeks and forehead. The girl shrieks as she somehow wriggles from his grip and lands in the snow before climbing to her feet and darting into your arms.

The girl giggles as she hides from James within your arms, “Is Mommy protecting you now?” he asks with a hearty chuckle, watching as the girl hides her face against your chest with a little laugh. “You’re silly, baby.” he says before laying on his back in the snow with a firm grunt, “Guess I’ll just have to make a snow angel all alone then,” James sighs, his sarcasm making you laugh as you adjust your hold on Aurora.

“You’re not gonna make a snow angel with Daddy?” you ask the toddler, brushing a melted snowflake from her rosey cheek. She peeks over at him as snow falls onto his face, the flakes sticking in his beard and melting on his skin.

You set the girl down again, her curiosity obviously piqued as to why James was laying on the ground. She waddles over to where James’s head lays, and crouches down to observe him for a moment before deciding to lay down, too. 

“Now move your arms and legs, princess.” James instructs as he demonstrates the action. It doesn’t take long for the girl to pick up on it as she begins moving her arms and legs too, forming her own snow angel beside James. “Good job, baby! So smart,” James praises as he watches her.

“Mommy!” Aurora exclaims, trying her hardest to tell you it was your turn with the limited vocabulary she had.

“Alright, alright.” you laugh before laying on your back and repeating the process the other two had just done, making a snow angel of your own. As James stands, he picks Aurora up, being careful not to ruin the creation either him or she had made.

“Look at how tiny yours is, sweetpea.” James coos to Aurora as he stands back and observes the family art piece. “But mine’s not quite right is it, hun?” he asks the girl, setting her down on her feet as you stand.

“What’s wrong with it?” you ask as you brush the snow from your pants and move to pick Aurora back up, her head almost immediately leaning on your shoulder in exhaustion as you rest her on your hip.

James doesn’t answer you as he draws a halo around the tops of both yours and Aurora’s angel’s heads, only to draw a pair of devil horns on his own.

“Much better,” the man chuckles, making you giggle as you stand back and observe with him, your hand gently rubbing at Aurora’s back in a soothing motion. “A devil and his two beautiful angels.” he murmurs as he looks down at you, sending a red flush across your already-pink cheeks.

“Oh, shut up, James…” you laugh before he leans down and presses a lingering kiss to your lips.

“Never,” he chuckles softly before planting another kiss on the top of Aurora’s head. “‘Cause then I couldn’t tell either of you ‘I love you’,” he nearly whispers. His hand rubs a small circle into Aurora’s back as he speaks up louder again, “Alright, let’s go get you somethin�� to eat and then a nap then, munchkin.” he says as you start walking back toward the house together. “Maybe we can all nap together, how’s that sound?”

[orangetail-works]

A Phoenix and A Raven: Family Alphabet

Chapter: Family Alphabet

A/N: This one came from Tumblr.  I had put out that I needed some prompts or inspiration as I wanted some more writing to unblock my current writing block.  It's strange, but it works.  Anyway, this is kind of a continuation of the first Alphabet, now with more Selene and big sister Aurora as well.  Of course, there is still no fitting x word I could find, so again one that ended in x was chosen.  Thank you, @taradiddled!

Attachment

Diaval was an old bird by anyone's standards but now had a young fledgling of his own blood.  Something he thought he'd never have.  He believed his attachment to Aurora and Maleficent would be all he ever needed. It was true at the time, but little Selene was a blessing in many ways.  A complete surprise for her mother, a miracle to him and a welcomed sister to Aurora.  Never had he thought he would become so attached to so many that were not raven.  He believed that he would attach himself to only one other.  Now there were three.

Belong

Maleficent searched for a place to belong as there were no fairy like her in the Moors.  She thought she had found that place with Stefan as he was different from other humans.  Then the betrayal, and she was lost once again.  She thought maybe when she got her wings back, but there still wasn't that tangible feeling.  Then her and Diaval and Aurora became a little family, the feeling grew warm and comfortable.  Then on that evening that Selene came into the world, everything finally set into place.  Diaval's mate and mother of Aurora and Selene, she belonged completely.

Couple

“I have always wondered,” Aurora whispered to her parents as both Rose and Selene were down for a nap.

Diaval and Maleficent sat close together against the base of Rowen Tree as Diaval smoothed his fingers through Maleficent's feathers.

“I know those of the Moors do not marry like humans, so what title do you go by?”

“Mates,” Maleficent said casually, “As both of our kinds mate for life, we don't have to go any further than that.”

Diaval looked from his mate to his daughter, “I thought being a couple instead of a single was enough.”

Doll

Aurora doted on her baby sister every chance she had.  She let Rose babble with her grandparents during visits while she got to play with her sister.  Aurora dug into a saddle bag from her horse and pulled out a small plush doll that was sown together by one of her seamstresses. It wasn't anything fancy and even used more of the natural materials instead of silks and velvet.  Aurora took care to add feathers to the doll's back herself.

“For my dear little sister,” Aurora announced and let the toddler grab and shake the doll in excitement, “You're welcome.”

Eyebrow

As Selene and Rose both grew into childhood, they discovered the ins and outs of getting into and out of trouble.  Rose inherited her mother's curious nature and Selene had Maleficent's impishness.  The young girls jumped from rock to rock over the ponds and hid through the many forests.  Diaval kept an eye on them from above to keep them safe, but was a  push over when it came to their pouts when they found to be in trouble.  The girls had few fears, except when Maleficent caught wind of their wrong doings and an eyebrow would lift in question.

Father

The first time that Aurora had called Diaval 'father' was on a day like any other.  A small picnic shared all together with Phillip and Maleficent.

She offered him a plate, “My father, always the hungry one.”

The name warmed him from the inside out.  She was always his fledgling, but to know she saw him as her true father was a welcomed shock.

When Selene began to talk he had another blow while rocking her to sleep one night, his hands over her small wings.

“Love Papa,” she whispered as she drifted off.

“Papa loves you, too.”

Gown

Selene watched from the chaise as her sister and niece were fitted for their newest gowns.  There was a celebration in the Perceforest kingdom for the anniversary of Aurora's reign.

“Sister, why do humans have to wear such heavy cloth?” Selene asked as she pulled at Rose's skirts.

“It's tradition to wear finery on special occasions,” Aurora explained.

“Seems like a silly tradition,” Selene giggled.

“Mother, if everyone in the royal family should wear a gown, why not your sister?” Rose asked with her own smirk.

Minutes later Selene frowned on the pedestal next to Rose.

Horns

“Papa, why don't you have horns like mama and me?” Selene asked when she was four.

He looked to Maleficent for help and she only raised her brows in wonder of his answer.

“Well, fledgling, I'm a raven.  How silly would I look with horns?” he asked and tapped her nose.

“You're not like other ravens.  Who knows, maybe you would do well with horns.”

“I would look silly,” he argued.

“Do I look silly?” she asked and pulled at her horns.

“You and your mother look beautiful with your horns.  Never believe otherwise.”

Innocent

Selene never knew the evils of war and human greed.  She and Rose were innocents and if Maleficent had any say, they would never see war.  She took great care to shield her family from the ugliness of conflict. Aurora and Phillip strove to do the same.

“She will stay innocent,” Maleficent said as Selene slept.

“You can't keep her locked up.  You know as well as I do that she will see it one day.  The bad that comes with the good.”

“What do we do?”

“Prepare her for it.  That will keep her safe.”

Jewel

“Why do humans covet these trinkets so often?” Selene asked and rolled a jewel from the pools between her fingers.  She showed Rose and pushed it toward her face, “Do you feel drawn to it?”

“Father has many jewels in the treasury that are pretty enough.  I don't see the need for more,” Rose scoffed, “Return it to the pool, where it belongs.”

“Off you go back home,” Selene whispered to the jewel and dropped it into the water.

“I don't understand it either,” Rose sighed, “There are more precious things in this world.  Like family.”

Knee

At six, Selene's wings became heavy with full feathers instead of soft down.  Her wings would be able to carry her to the sky.  But now, she sat on the ground with her scrapped knee tight to her chest.

“Landing is not the easiest to do with larger wings trying to pull you back up,” Maleficent sighed and knelt over her daughter.  She put her hand over the injury and let her magic heal.

“I am mess.”

“I was too.  You truly are my daughter,” Maleficent glanced up to see the proud smile that graced Selene's face.

Leader

She knew that her sister was the Queen of the Moors, but Selene also understood that her mother was the leader of the Dark Fey.  Selene sat at the top of the hill that overlooked the meeting of the Dark Fey clans with her father sat at her side.  They watched as Maleficent kept the peace between the clans and the humans as well as command respect.

“Mother is a queen like 'Rora, huh Papa?”

“Not quite, little love. But close enough.  She will always be a queen to me.”

“Is that why you call her Mistress?”

Memory

Memories were a tricky thing, Diaval thought.  He could remember as far back as the moment that he emerged from his egg, he could remember the first time he took flight and he definitely remembered when he met his mate and the birth of their daughter.  All happy memories, each better than the last.  But for the life of him, he couldn't remember ever feeling as happy as he did in this single moment.  Both of his daughters stood on each side as Maleficent told all three of them that their family would be growing yet again.  Then he fainted.

Nursery

Diaval was hard at work on the nest to rest their newest addition. Aurora danced around the cliff side as she added touches that she had brought from the castle.  Maleficent smirked at the work that they were all fussing over for the new little one that was to come.

“I don't see why we just have them sleep with us as we did with Selene,” she offered from her seat.

“It was a shame too.  Any sibling of mine will have a proper nursery!” Aurora swore.

Rose and Selene shook their heads in wonder.  Adults were strange.

Overlook

Selene gulped as she looked down at the drop.  Her wings folded against her back in fear of the fall.  Diaval's hand rested against her back and knelt down to come eye to eye.

“You have nothing to fear.  Even if the wind doesn't catch you, your mother and I will,” he swore.  He gave her a grin, ran to the edge where he shifted into a raven and circled through the air.  He cawed at her gently.

“Follow your father,” Maleficent urged her.

She took a breath for courage and took the leap, her wings wide open.

Privacy

They knew that once they had a child, the life of privacy that they had grown accustomed to was over.  There would be less intensity with intimacy as there would always be a pair of eyes watching.  Actions that were thrilling would halt as there would be a smaller person underfoot and within hearing range.  That is the exact reason why Maleficent and Diaval were so thankful for Aurora.  Their daughters adored one another and for one day, every fortnight, their sought after privacy was restored.    But if ever needed, they would trade every form of privacy for their children.

Quiet

Maleficent rested along a thick branch that overlooked one of the many lakes as her daughter and granddaughter cooled themselves in the waters.  She leaned her head back against the branch as her hands laid softly over her now swelling belly.  She could feel herself falling into slumber in the quiet.

“It's too quiet,” she muttered and opened her eyes to find Selene over her, a hand full of water held overhead, “You think that wise?”

“I think it funny,” she opened her hands.

Maleficent's magic turned the water back at her daughter, “You're right.  It is funny.”

Related

“I understand why father doesn't have horns, but why don't you have wings?” Selene asked Aurora while they were in Ulstead's library.

Rose looked up from her book, “Why haven't you asked me that?”

“Phillip doesn't have any wings and I got Papa's wings, so I thought that's why.”

“I'm a human, Selene,” Aurora explained, “I won't have wings.”

“Papa's a raven and Mama's fairy, how are you human?”

“Mother and father raised me since I was a baby.”

“You're not my sister?”

“I am.  Never doubt that. Family is more than blood.”

Sister

Just as the sun crested the mountains that surrounded the Moors, Selene was woken by her mother groaning heavily and her father rustling the branches of the Rowen tree.  An hour later a babe was welcomed.

“Come meet your brother.”

Selene knelt next to her and looked at the babe.  Dark brown hair was broken by two swirls that would become horns.  One small black wing shifted over his shoulder as his eyes blinked slightly to look up at her.  His small hand wrapped around one of her fingers.

“This is Kieran.”

“Hello Kieran... I'm your sister.”

Teacher

After Keiran was born, he was never alone.  If one of his parents were not watching him than his sisters were.  But it was Selene who took the responsibility of teacher.  She told him all the stories that she had learned from the Moor Folk.  She told him about the Dark Fey and their once unknown culture.  And even though his flying wings would not come in for years, she told him all she knew of flying as she had just mastered landing.  He would need not question anything as she would already tell him all he needed to know.

Unfair

A year passed and Selene found an upsetting thing about having wings. Her beautiful flight feathers that she had been proud of were falling out and leaving gaps in her wingspan.

“It's a normal thing for wings with feathers, love,” Diaval reminded her as he bounced Kieran on his knee.

“This is so unfair!  Rose doesn't molt!” she pulled at the tip of her wing to see the newest gap had formed.  She tried to use her magic to grow her feathers faster, but it didn't help.

“Rose doesn't have wings,” Maleficent reminded her.

“So unfair!”

Visit

The next time that Aurora and Rose visited the Moors she had news to share with her family.  Selene met her and Rose at the boarder as usual.  This time as she approached her older sister, she noticed something different.  She was slightly bigger than before, just as her mother was when...

“You're going to have a baby!” Selene screamed out as she pointed at her sister's stomach.

“It's that obvious?” Aurora giggled and rubbed at her stomach.

“Don't be so loud, Selene,” Rose hushed her aunt and put her arm around hers, “Let's go tell grandmother.”

Wild

As daughter of the Guardian of the Moors, she was proud of her heritage.  One of the latest in line of the Phoenix, the living myth's blood flowed through her veins.  She soared over the many lakes and fields of the Moors easily on her wings as she called out hellos to many of the inhabitants.  She learned to dive and flip and bank in the air just as her parents.  She felt free and alive as she rode the winds.  The Moor Folk would laugh as they watched her.  She was just as wild as her mother once was.  

Fix

“Papa, can I be fixed?”

Diaval immediately stopped and turned to his daughter, “What about you would need to be fixed?”

“The human children never have to preen or worry of where they may hit their horns,” she muttered and looked out from their cliff home toward the Ulstead hamlet.

Diaval hugged her to his side, “Your wings may need to be preened, but they surpass any shiny thing the kids may wear.  Your horns are tall, but tell the story of how you've grown.  You don't need to be fixed.  You are perfect the way you are.”

Years

The years pass by too quickly for Maleficent.  She remembered when Aurora was nothing but a little beastie running through the fields of the forest glens outside the Moors.  Now she had two children of her own who were growing older and taller each time she saw them.  Then Selene, the babe she had birthed herself, was growing too fast and would be coming to her ninth birthday in the coming months.  Her brother turning three not too long after.  Soon they would also start their own families.  Oh, how she would stop the years from coming if she could.

Zeal

Maleficent watched her children play with the other Dark Fey at the Heart of the Moors.  They were never in need of assurance of peace, or known anything close to war with humans.  Their zeal for life only seemed to boost her own.  She still guarded the Moors with other Dark Fey, she still kept the peace with the humans with help of her oldest daughter and she still rode the winds in the early morning with Diaval at her side as he always would be.  The zeal was never truly gone, just re-sparked by the laughter of her children.

[randomnonsensedragonage]

Just Friends

Alistair x Rora Surana (plus very minor Rora x Cullen) -- 1885 words

Rating: G

Description: Alistair and Rora are just friends. Little by little, that changes.

A/N: I’ve been trying to write Alistair and Rora’s “how they got together” story for a loong time, but I was never able to get it right until now. Problem was, I was trying too hard to tell the story as a continuous narrative, even though, in my mind, their romance developed very gradually. So then I thought, why not do a story showing all the small moments that led to them getting together? This story is the result.

They were hiking through the Hinterlands on a crisp, late winter day. Rora and Alistair walked side by side at the head of the group. But with the way they swayed and joked and laughed they might have been on a casual stroll, not leading a mission to stop the Blight.

Rora wove closer to Alistair. She bumped him with her hip. He bumped her back and soon they were shoving each other in a playful competition to knock each other off the trail. They were breathless with laughter, so loud that they didn’t notice Leliana until she came right up behind them.

“Ahh,” she said. “I’ve figured it out. You two are together.”

The pair paused mid-shove. Leliana adjusted her pack and fell into step with them. Her eyes sparkled.

“You are, aren’t you?” She clicked her tongue. “I can always tell.”

Rora and Alistair moved the slightest bit apart. He scratched his head.

“You’ve got it wrong. We’re not a couple.”

“Mm-hm.” Rora’s voice was pitched higher than usual. “We’re friends. Just friends.”

Leliana looked from one of them to the other, eyebrows raised.

“I see. My mistake.”

They sat by the fire on a night when they couldn’t sleep. Alistair shivered, hugged himself and rubbed his arms. Rora made a noise of sympathy and scooted closer.

“Are you cold?”

He laughed, trying to meet her eyes in the dim light.

“You’re not?”

She shook her head. “Not if I don’t have to be.” Her skin was warm with magic, and she reached out and touched his shoulder with both hands. “See?”

Alistair tensed, but didn’t pull away. Rora did, though. She folded her hands in her lap, face hot, but not with magic. She and Alistair were close friends, but aside from occasional horsing around they weren’t touchy feely. It was like she’d forgotten.

Alistair cleared his throat and rubbed his hands together. “That’s a neat trick. Wish I could do it.”

They were battling Darkspawn in a forest clearing. Rora stood with Morrigan at the back of the group. Though her skin prickled at the presence of the Darkspawn her focus was entirely on firing spell after spell at her enemies. Until the ogre.

It charged through the forest, shaking the ground and knocking branches loose from the trees. It burst into the clearing with a roar, but before this could distract Rora, Alistair raised his sword and charged. He ran past Sten, past the few remaining Darkspawn. He leapt.

Alistair’s feet struck the ogre’s chest and it went down, but not before he dragged his sword across its torso. It hit the ground with a thud that shook the trees. Instantly, Alistair was on top of it, slashing and stabbing, until it moved no more.

He stood up and wiped his brow. Rora’s gaze traveled from his tensed muscles to his easy posture as he sheathed his sword. The sounds of the battle faded. Her mouth went dry.

“Rora! Be careful!”

Leliana’s voice. Rora blinked and turned back to the remaining Darkspawn.

They were preparing Redcliffe Village for the undead attack. Only a few hours of daylight remained, and Rora and Alistair spent it constructing wooden barriers for archers to hide behind. They worked quickly, in silence. Rora’s thoughts were scattered, flitting from the state they’d found Redcliffe in, to worries about the arl, to Alistair’s confession that morning about who his father was. Even as they worked she kept watching him, but saw nothing in his face to hint at how he was feeling.

Together, they raised another log onto the barrier. Once they set it down, Alistair stretched and wiped sweat from his eyes. Rora slapped her hands together, hoping to remove any splinters but only discovering calluses. When she looked up their eyes met for the first time in hours.

The corner of her mouth turned up, more a smile of concern than anything else. She moved closer.

“Are you all right?”

He shrugged. “Fine. Just tired.”

“But… your home.” She gestured to the battlefield being made of the village around them. “It must be hard, seeing it like this.”

He worked out a crick in his neck, then sighed. “It was never much of a home.” There was an edge of bitterness in his voice. “But I appreciate the sentiment.”

He offered her a smile, then turned to the next log. Rora watched him, throat aching. Suddenly she wanted to hurl herself between him and the rest of the world. Her head spun, it was such a strong urge.

They were in the sitting room of the Spoiled Princess inn. Days after Redcliffe, hours after the Circle. On one of the couches, Rora sobbed in Alistair’s arms. They were alone. Everyone else was asleep upstairs.

“I couldn’t do anything.” Her voice was muffled against his chest. “I couldn’t save them!”

He shushed her. He rubbed her back, stroked her hair. It seemed like the right thing to do, the sort of thing a friend should do. The front of his shirt was wet from her tears.

“You did everything you could,” he said. “You’ve saved so many people already. You’ll save Connor and Isolde and Arl Eamon, too.”

But she kept crying, breath coming in huge gasps. Her hands were tangled in his shirt collar, and for some reason it was distracting. He could feel her fingers, warm and ticklish, near his collarbone. He cleared his throat.

“You’re doing just fine.” His voice was a near whisper, quiet so only she could hear. “Everything's going to be all right.”

Little by little, her sobs quieted. Her breathing evened out and her grip relaxed. Alistair wished he could relax too. He was hyper aware of press of her body against his, of her warmth, her smallness, the silkiness of her hair. She smelled nice, like ink and rain.

His thoughts raced to that Templar they’d found trapped in the Circle, and how she nearly hurt herself trying to free him. Ice spread through his chest. He didn’t know why.

They were in the library in Redcliffe Castle, after Connor’s rescue by the mages. Alistair had gone there alone, hoping for some distraction. He was surprised when Rora followed him. They hadn’t spoken since the inn. He suspected it was because she was worn out, but worried she was avoiding him.

Now, she walked right up to him and placed something in his hands. “I think this is yours.”

He stared. The amulet was covered in hairline cracks and emblazoned with Andraste’s symbol. He knew it at once.

He tore his eyes from his mother’s amulet, finally found his voice. “Where did you find this?”

“In the arl’s study.” Her voice was hoarse and her face was pale, save for the dark circles under her eyes. But her gaze was clear. “I recognized it right away and, well, giving it to you is the least I could do.”

She looked away then, biting her lip, and Alistair’s face went hot. The memory of her in his arms came back to him, so vivid his head spun. He had to look away too, back to the safety of the amulet.

“I’m surprised you remembered.” He said at last. “I’m used to people ignoring me when I go on about things.”

“Of course I remembered.” The sudden fierceness in her voice made him look at her again. A strand of hair hung over one of her eyes, and her fists were clenched. “I care about you, Alistair.”

They were in camp, a few days out from Redcliffe. The days were growing longer, so there was still some light when Alistair asked Rora to take a walk with him after dinner. They went a little ways into the trees at the edge of camp, not saying much. They were tired out from the last few days. Alistair was in a panic.

The feelings he’d wrestled with since that night in the inn had only strengthened after she gave him the amulet. He thought of her constantly. Her deep brown eyes, her scent, her warmth. Sometimes, with a stab of pain, he remembered her with that trapped Templar. He couldn’t stand it anymore. He had to act. More than that, he had to know.

He stopped, faced her. Her eyes were wide, and he imagined what he must look like right now. Face flushed, expression wild. But he couldn’t give up now.

“Here.” He placed the rose in her hands. “Do you know what this is?”

Rora tossed and turned that night in the dark of her tent. So much that Leo, her Mabari, whined and went to sleep in a corner where he wouldn’t be disturbed. The rose lay atop her journal, next to her bedroll.

Her thoughts churned back to moments with Alistair. Long, joke-filled conversations that left them gasping with laughter. Chats in the dark by the fire. The muscles in his shoulders tensing at her touch. His strong arms holding her, keeping her so safe she could have drifted off in them. The warmth in his eyes when he gave her the rose. The disappointment when she gave him no clear answer to his question.

She curled into a ball, clutching her chest. The thought of doing something wrong and losing Alistair as a friend made her eyes sting. But more aching still was the idea of never feeling his arms around her again. She was afraid, but she knew what she had to do.

It was only a day later but it felt like an age to Alistair. This time she found him,  she led him into the trees at dusk. Though the party had hiked to a new campsite, Alistair was dizzy with deja vu. Or maybe that was just his exhaustion. He hadn’t slept well.

She  turned to face him when they stopped. There were little spots of pink on her cheeks and her chest rose and fell, as though she’d run a long way. He swallowed, then spoke in rush.

“I’m sorry about yesterday. I shouldn’tve been so impulsive. I hope you can—”

She was in his arms before he could finish, closing the space so fast he almost stumbled. He caught her and held her tight, his body reacting before his mind could catch up. She buried her face in his chest. When she spoke, her voice was muffled.

“I’m sorry, Alistair.” Her fingers dug into the back of his shirt. “I don’t want to be just friends anymore. I care for you too. I should have said.”

His ears roared. He hugged her tighter, closer, fingers in her hair, across her back. Trying to convince himself she was really there.

“Don’t be sorry,” he said. “Honestly, it was worth the wait.”

She laughed, shaking against him. Her palms whispered across his back, and he rested his chin on top of her head. They held each other for a long time in the forest, in the twilight.

[thewomenofthedas]

When Fantasy Becomes Reality

Chapter 5: Haven

Aurora awoke with a start. Blinking her eyes rapidly, the last thing she remembered was that massive green explosion. She dragged her aching limbs to the edge of the bed and sat up, she looked around, it looked like she was in a log cabin of sorts. There was a second bed which had been disturbed recently, Aurora stood up and walked over, there was some parchment on the bed which read “Woke up before you, gone for a look around – come find me when you wake up, B x”.

 Aurora stretched and thought back over the last 24? Or was it 48 hours?  She had no idea how long she’d been out of it. All she knew is that she wanted to fight again. Fight. That reminded her of the Commander. Just thinking of him brought a slight blush to her cheeks.

 She looked around and found the door; she made her way out of it. She looked around and the townsfolk were staring at her, probably as they did at Blaire when she walked out. Aurora smiled politely; she heard fighting to her left so headed out the gate to the battlements.

 There he was again, right by the tents, that Commander. Her heart pounded, blushing again, “what am I a teenage girl? You’re 29 for God’s sake control yourself” she gave herself a mental telling off. Took a few deep breaths and made her way over to him.

 He noticed her out the corner of his eye, thank the Maker she was awake. Thank the Maker that they were both awake but this one, this one had something special. He ran his hand through his hair and down the back of his neck “control yourself Cullen” he muttered under his breath.

 “Commander” she greeted him as she watched the soldiers train, she crossed her arms behind her back, “They seem to be training well, you’re clearly an expert at this” she mused.

 “Well I do have years of experience with the Templars” he responded back, and turned to face her, “I didn’t know you were awake” he says with a hint of concern.

 “I think I only woke up 5 minutes ago, Blaire seems to have been awake longer than me, I don’t know where she is. I’m sure she’ll be fine this place seems secure enough” she said.

 “Makers breath I realise that we haven’t been properly introduced, Commander Cullen Rutherford in charge of the inquisitions forces” he held his hand out for her to shake, a small smirk appearing on his mouth at the left hand side, a scar cut his top lip.

 “Aurora Trevelyan, but everyone calls me Rora for short” she took his hand and shook it, she could swear she saw him blush at the contact.

 “But Auroras such a beautiful name why would you…” Cullen cleared his throat, realising his overstepped his mark, “never mind. Are you here to train? I watched you fight out by the rift, you’re good but you could be better”

 “Then give me a sword and shield Commander,” Aurora stated, “and I’ll show you what I’m made of” she said with a hint of a flirt.

 “Makers breath” Cullen muttered, while cocking one eyebrow, he turned away to get her some weapons. He handed her a basic training shield and sword then grabbed one for himself.

 “You seem to forget you have the shield when you are fighting, like most of these soldiers do, block, it’s not hard” he teased her.

 She held her ground ready for the Commanders first blow, ready to block, for some reason she had this overwhelming desire to show him that she was a good fighter. Cullen’s first strike came, he was holding back, testing her seeing what she could and couldn’t do. She blocked him with ease and managed to use the little force he had put into the attack against him pushing him back slightly.

 Cullen raised his eyebrow in surprise, “Did you see that Inquisition? That’s how you block” the soldiers took little notice, it seemed like they were too focused on what they were doing to care much what the Commander and Aurora were up to.

 Cullen liked it that way, with her in front of him and no-one else paying attention he could talk to her or tease her as much as he liked.

 Aurora took her stance again, ready for more although this was only practice it still felt good to be moving after that battle with the demons. Cullen sent another blow her way, this time she didn’t block as well as she thought and the force from the man sent her flying. Or so she made it seem.

 Cullen swore under his breath and went to help her up, she used this against him, threw her whole-body weight into it, he ended up on the floor and she straddled his waist. She looked down at him triumphantly; she leaned down and whispered in his ear “too trusting Commander”.

 His breath caught in his chest, as she pulled away her smelled her scent, her own unique musk along with a floral hint of some kind.

 She stood up, “until next time Cullen” she smiled at him and walked away.

 He watched her go, her hair glinting in the remains of the sunlight, the way she sashayed as she walked, that bottom, those legs. Makers Breath, he was falling for her and falling hard.

 Some of the troops had noticed that last little wrestle between the Commander and the now dubbed Herald, or one of them at least, “As you were!” he barked at them. He needed a drink. He headed inside to the pub.

 Aurora went back into Haven to find Blaire, she couldn’t wait to find her to tell her what had happened. She found her with Solas, apparently, Blaire had a thing for elves with egg shaped heads from the look on her face.

 She cleared her throat, “I’m not interrupting anything am I?” she asked.

 “No, we were talking about the fade and rifts” replied Solas, “I’m sure we can continue this discussion soon”

 Blaire shot a look at her sister, one of annoyance but also of slight relief, she hadn’t seen her awake since the breach.

 “C’mon sis, let’s get back to our cabin, I have much to tell you” Aurora said.

 As soon as they were out of ear shot of Solas, Aurora started to quiz her sister, “I knew you liked him, from the minute you started speaking to him. It’s his voice isn’t it?”

 “Well yes but…” she stopped walking and looked at her sister “what have you been up to? Why are your clothes so dirty?”

 “Erm…. Well I…” she stopped mid-sentence as she saw the Commander looking rather annoyed and heading towards what looked to be the pub, he smiled and nodded at the Heralds but didn’t say a word. Aurora blushed again.

 Blaire cocked an eyebrow, “Of course you went for him, you have a thing for Army guys, don’t you?”

 Aurora rolled her eyes, “I think I embarrassed him, I beat him in front of all his men, kinda ended up with me straddling him”

 She looked at Blaire her mouth was hanging open, “We haven’t even been here 2 minutes and you’re straddling the Commander of the Guard?” she asked her sister, “well you’re getting yourself noticed”

 “Yeah ride ‘em cowgirl!” Varric chimed in.

 “Shut up Varric!” Blaire fired back and quickly ushered her sister back to the cabin where they woke up.

 When they were back in the safety of their cabin Aurora spilled about what happened to Blaire. “So erm yeah…. There’s an attraction but there’s something about him, a slight arrogance, I guess we’ll have to see what happens”

 “Anyway enough about me, tell me about your day and your time with Solas” Aurora sat cross legged on her bed waiting for the story.

[saharamae21]

All of My Wrongs - Chapter 8B

Hey guys! I might do cute little side stories every few chapters so show the guys POV’s. They will be like mini chapters! Also I made a new form for my tag list specifically for this series. Fill it out here.

Make sure to read Chapter 6 first!

Pairing: Topper x OC and Rafe x OC

Summary: Part of Chapter Eight (and a little bit of four and a tiny bit of seven) from Rafe’s POV.

Word Count: 1.2K

Series Masterlist

A/N: Sorry if this is bad, I’m concussed.

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The way she said thank you was the last thing I needed in order to fall for her. I brushed the hair out of her face and smiled at her. The way the setting sun shone on her made my heart skip a beat. I told her not to think. I pulled her a little bit closer and pressed my lips against hers. Even though I had kissed a handful of girls before, she was different. She made my heart stop.

As the rest of the date came to a close, I found myself not wanting it to end. I wanted to spend as much time with her as I could. I drove a little slower on the way home, not because she was scared, but because I loved the feeling of her arms around me. When we finally got back to her place, she got off and handed me her helmet. I flashed her a grin as a thought popped into my head.

“My friend is having a party in about an hour,” I said. She looked at me and smiled softly at me. She walked back over to me as I spoke. “How about we make us official?”

She stood in front of me and nodded. I brushed some hair out of her face and observed her expression. She flicked her head towards the front door before turning her back towards me. She was telling me to follow her. I turned my bike off and kicked down the kickstand. She went up to her room and I followed her closely, but before I went in I heard a voice behind us.

“Sneaking a boy in?” a younger boy asked. I turned around to see a boy no older than 12 in front of me. I listened to Rora tell him to mind his own business and realized that he must be her little brother. I remembered her mentioning him the first night we met.

“Hey, I’m Rafe,” I said. He observed me a little bit with squinted eyes. “What’s your name?”

“Skipper,” he said. I smiled at him and watched as his gaze fell upon my watch. “Are you rich?”

I heard Aurora scold him, but I told her it was fine. I laughed and told him we had money. His eyes lit up when I said that. Something told me that this kid was a lot like how I was at his age, the difference being that I wasn’t like that by choice. Everything I was or everything I did was in order to groom me to be just like Ward. I chuckled at Skipper as Aurora pulled me into her room. I wondered how they ended up so different.

Within the hour we were at Kelce's house. The music was blaring and the lights were flashing. I looked over at Aurora who seemed a little overwhelmed by the whole experience. I took her hand in mine and gave it a squeeze, trying to tell her I was by her side. She smiled and looked down at her shoes, a tint of red dancing across her cheeks. I guided her over to where Topper and Kelce stood. I shot Topper a look before introducing Aurora to Kelce. She politely thanked him for inviting us as I grabbed a bottle of vodka. I poured two drinks and downed mine quickly. I didn’t want to waste any time at this party. I listened to Rora cough slightly as the liquid dripped down her throat. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Topper grab the cup from her. What was his deal? He was all about Sarah a few days and now he’s like this with Aurora? I watched as she snatched the cup from him and he excused himself.

“C’mon buttercup,” I said as I noticed her face fall. Why did she look like that just because Top left? I hated it. I wanted to show her off to everyone and she just wanted to talk with Topper.

As the drinks came and went, I brought her up to the roof. This was our classic initiation. Everyone jumps from the roof at some point. I could tell she was scared. I could tell she didn’t want to do it, but I wanted her to trust me. I threw her over my shoulder like I had a couple times before. This time was different though. She flailed and hit me harder than before. I just wanted her to trust me.

“No, no, no…” she begged me to put her down and it hurt my heart. Instead of listening to her wishes, I jumped. The both of us collided into the water below, the cold liquid sending shivers up my spine. I surfaced and saw her getting out of the pool. I jumped out and slipped my arm around her waist as she shivered.

“That wasn’t so bad, right?” I asked. She flashed me a smile and shook her head. I let out a sigh of relief and kissed the top of her head. “Let’s go get another drink.”

I plopped down on the couch and slung my arm around Aurora. As much as I loved to drink, there was something a little more fun than alcohol. I called Kelce over and fished the coke out of my pocket. He high fived me as I leaned forward. I pulled the coffee table closer and scooped a little out to form a line for him. I looked at Aurora’s face and I couldn’t tell what was going through her mind. I told her she had to try this and she just shook her head. She was scared. Everyone was scared their first time. I encouraged her. I told her she would love it. I saw those mental gears rotating in her head and gave her an encouraging smile. I wanted her to experience the rush you got from this.

Finally, after a little more encouragement, she leaned over and snorted up the white dust. She wrinkled her nose a little bit as her eyes lit up. I wiped the powder from her nose and smiled proudly at her. She did it for me.

After a while, we had people lined up to take lines. Money was being tossed on the table as people snorted the drug. I was so preoccupied that I didn’t even notice that Aurora wasn’t by my side anymore. I looked around before getting up. Where could she have gone? My eyes wandered around the house until I saw Topper helping someone down the steps. Aurora. I walked over quickly and grabbed onto her wrist. She wasn’t leaving without me. I listened to her sniffle softly next to me. I saw her bloodshot eyes and drool on the corner of her mouth. She was sick. Topper grabbed onto my wrist and told me to let go. Rage ran through my veins as I told him to back off.

“Is this how you plan on looking out for her? Is this the best you can do?” Topper spat at me. Guilt flickered through me before the rage came back. I dropped her wrist and grabbed Topper by the collar. I listened to Rora beg me to stop as I pulled my arm back to deck the younger boy in front of me. Aurora sank to her knees and all the anger left my body. I just wanted her to be okay.

“I wanna go home, Top,” she said and I felt my heart ache. I watched as he picked her up, leaving me there to watch. She left me there to pick up the pieces of my heart that just shattered. Why did she pick him? Would she always pick him…?

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[randomnonsensedragonage]

Walls of Stone

Rora Surana x Cullen Rutherford -- 1359 words

Rating: G

Description: Rora works up the courage to talk to Cullen. But even with the Harrowing behind her, her possibilities are limited.

A/N: Oh my gosh, I can hardly believe I managed to finish a Rora x Cullen story. I’ve been trying for literal years, but my past attempts never came together. This one is kind of oddly paced and probably too wordy and internal, but it’s at least getting at a lot of things I’ve been wanting to explore about Rora’s character.

Rora hurried down the corridor to Irving’s office, so elated she could have skipped. Not even Jowan’s pessimism could ruin her mood. She’d passed her Harrowing. She was a true mage now.

For years, Rora had thought of little else. Growing older in the Circle, there had been days when she couldn’t breathe, days when the world crushed her like collapsing stone. She saw her future laid out endlessly, every day the same as the last, and she wanted to scream.

But she felt none of that today. The world was bright, full of color and possibility. She would move up to the mages’ quarters now, study Spirit Healing and eventually take on apprentices of her own. If she was lucky, perhaps one day she would leave the Circle to sell potions, or heal someone important. Fewer doors were closed to a talented, well-behaved mage, and Rora meant to be just that.

Then she rounded the next corner, and all these thoughts flew straight out of her head. Quickly, she backed up the way she’d come and peered around the wall, heart in her throat.

He was there, standing guard just a few feet away. That Templar. Cullen.

Sparks burst in her stomach, like they always did when she saw him. He stood straight and tall, almost unmoving except for occasional shifting from foot to foot. The torches in the corridor caught his golden, tightly curled hair so that it sparkled like a halo.

Cullen had been at the Circle six months now, but Rora had yet to have a real conversation with him. He had a good reputation, for a Templar, and the apprentices who’d talked to him said he was soft-spoken and polite. Rora’s brief interactions with him, though limited to quick glances and short greetings, seemed to confirm this. He was also extraordinarily handsome, a detail even she hadn’t missed.

A pleasant shiver ran through her. There were rumors that Cullen fancied her, but Rora found them impossible to believe. She didn’t see how the most handsome Templar in the Circle could notice her when no one else ever seemed to. Not like that, anyway.

Seeing him now, she wanted to run away or hurry past like she usually did. Talking to him was out of the question. It would just confirm what she already knew—he wasn’t interested in her, and probably barely remembered who she was. The faint hope that the rumors might be true only made the risk of disappointment worse. Better to avoid him altogether.

As Rora contemplated moving, Cullen yawned and scratched his head. There was a frown on his face—a thinking sort of frown, not an angry one—as he glanced from one end of the corridor to the other. It was like he was lonely, and she felt another pleasant shiver. Even from a distance, there was something endearing about Cullen.

The shiver settled through her, turning into a kind of warmth in her belly. She was a mage now, she remembered, not a scared little apprentice. She had entered the Fade and returned unharmed. Talking to Cullen couldn’t be any harder. At least, it wouldn’t hurt to try.

Rora took a deep breath and let it out, just as she might have done to focus herself before a spell. Then she rounded the corner.

As she neared Cullen’s spot, it occurred to her that she hadn’t planned out what she was going to say. Just “Hello,” would probably suffice, but it would also be easy to dismiss. Should she ask how he was? That might be too familiar. Luckily, before she could really panic, the decision was made for her.

“Oh, um—"

“Huh?” The sound she made was strangled, almost more of a “hah?” and she half jumped as she said it, not so much stopping as freezing in the position she landed in. Cullen’s eyes were wide and alarmed.

“I-I’m sorry if I startled you,” he said. “I just wanted to say… hello.”

“Oh.”

Rora’s fists were balled, and she unclenched them. She tried to relax her body, but she couldn’t help pulling her shoulders up to her ears. When she spoke, it was in a small voice.

“Hello.”

“Hello,” he said, smiling shyly. “I-um… I’m glad to see your Harrowing went smoothly.”

Rora stood straighter, eyes widening in surprise. He knew about her Harrowing?

“Oh.” Her face went hot. “Thank you.”

Rora’s brain screamed at her to say something, anything more, but all her mental faculties were taken up with the knowledge that Cullen knew who she was. Worse, she’d made the mistake of looking directly at him, and now she was distracted by the perfect, square curve of his jaw and it’s dusting of light-colored stubble. She was suddenly overcome with curiosity about what his stubble would feel like under her fingers, and then embarrassment that she’d even thought such a thing.

Cullen filled the silence, thankfully.

“Th-they picked me as the Templar to strike the killing blow if… if you became an abomination,” he said. His tone was apologetic. “I-it’s nothing personal. I swear.”

He looked genuinely distressed, uncomfortable. It was funny how these things worked. This information should have bothered her, but instead her mind was now grappling with the fact that he’d been at her Harrowing and she hadn’t even realized it.

“I didn’t recognize you,” she said. She pointed at her head and shrugged. “Helmet.” Internally, she winced. Maker, strike me dead on the spot.

He laughed, even though it wasn’t funny, and scratched his own head.

“Anyway, I’m just glad you’re all right, you know,” he said. “I mean, I thought you would be.”

His eyes settled on hers, gaze warm as his voice. She’d never noticed the golden color of his eyes before, and they added to the warmth of his gaze. More shivers filled her from head to toe.

“Did you?” she said.

“Of course. Everyone always says how good you are. At magic, that is.” He laughed again, nervously. His eyes were still on hers, but then he glanced away, blushing, and suddenly Rora understood. Maker’s mercy, he did like her.

 “I—” She cleared her throat, noticing a funny ache there. “I… shouldn’t distract you from your duties.”

“Oh, you’re not distracting,” he said. Horror flashed across his face. “I mean, you are, but… well, you’re not—” He wiped his brow, shook his head. “I mean, you can talk to me anytime, if you want.”

He smiled brightly, and she couldn’t keep herself from smiling back, despite the ache that now resounded in her chest. She clasped her hands to her heart. “That would be nice.”

“Uh… uh, yes!” His voice was bright. “Maybe we can talk another time.”

“Yes.”

She backed away, knowing she needed to leave but not wanting to. Her mind was already forming plans, turning over where they could meet, and when. What they could do.

She really needed to leave.

“Well, um, bye,” she forced out.

She turned, and half ran the rest of the way down the corridor.

As Rora turned the next corner that would lead to Irving’s office, her walk slowed, and her heart along with it. The plans she’d been forming fell apart even as she contemplated them, and the ache in her chest grew.

What was she thinking? It was one thing to fancy a Templar, but acting on it was another thing entirely. Those types of relationships never ended well for the mage. Templars got tired of you, secrets grew too large to keep. There were rumors about her and Cullen even with nothing to go on. Add fuel to that fire and the story would become unstoppable. It would ruin her.

She stopped walking. That feeling of breathlessness, of being crushed by stone, dropped down on her for the first time since her Harrowing. She wished she didn’t know about Cullen’s feelings for her, wished she could have left well enough alone. She saw her future laid out before her—two paths now, the tragic and the dull. Those were her choices. Her only two until the day she died.

[randomnonsensedragonage]

Anniversary

For @alistairappreciationweek​, Day 3- Angst, Hurt and Comfort

CW: Major character death (in the past)

Description: On the one year anniversary of the worst day of his life, Alistair struggles to keep it together.

A/N: Day 3 of Alistair Appreciation Week is about Alistair and angst. This story is about that, and is also a sequel to my day 2 story.

As with the previous story, takes place in a canon in which Alistair is ruling alone, but Anora is still hanging around as an advisor-y person. Past Alistair x Warden, but also light Alistair x Anora.

Alistair woke that morning from a vague dream of drifting, smoky forms and reaching for something he couldn’t touch. When he sat up his head ached like he was ill and there was a tightness in his chest. The dream, though he couldn’t really remember it, hung around him like a storm cloud. A bad start to the morning.

And then he remembered. Today was the day.

“Are you ready for your speech, Alistair?” Teagan said, falling into step beside him and interrupting the palace’s head of staff at the same time. The elderly head of staff, who’d been going over the arrangements for today’s reception with the king, glared at the bann, who smiled apologetically. Alistair scratched his head.

“I… suppose so,” Alistair said.

“I’m sure you are,” Teagan said. “After a year of ruling a kingdom, you ought to have more confidence.”

“Almost a year.”

“He will be ready, Bann Teagan.”

It was Anora, coming from another door off the corridor to join them. The palace head of staff rolled his eyes, bowed, and left, clearly not willing to compete for the king’s attention. Alistair, for his part, looked suspiciously around. Who else was going to pop into the corridor out of nowhere?

“We’ve been practicing daily,” Anora went on, falling into step with them, “You have nothing to worry about.”

“That’s good to hear,” Teagan said.

“I’m here, you know,” Alistair said.

Anora gave him a stiff pat on the arm. “I’ll see you later for rehearsal,” she said. “I need to go and dress for the ceremony.”

“Already?” said Alistair, but she had vanished down another passage. How did she do that?

“I’m glad Anora is proving so helpful,” Teagan said once she was gone. “And that you two seem able to stand the sight of each other now.”

Alistair shrugged, his mind barely on Teagan’s words. The fog that had been with him since the start of the day still hovered around his head. The other man put a hand on his shoulder.

“Are you all right?” he said. “I know it’s not exactly a happy day.”

Alistair smiled faintly. “I’m dealing with it,” he said. “I just want to get through the ceremony.”

“Once more,” Anora said.

The two of them were in an anteroom off the great hall, practicing on last time before they had to leave for Fort Drakon, where the ceremony would be held. Alistair stood holding his notes while Anora sat listening in her chair, his practice audience of one. With a sigh, Alistair rubbed his eyes and then cleared his throat.

“One year ago today,” he began, “we stood on this spot at the end of a desperate, bloody battle. Our victory, hard fought, was not without—”

“Stop,” said Anora, pressing a dainty hand to her temple. “Remember what we talked about. Desperate and bloody. Emphasize those words.”

“Fine…” Alistair said. He frowned and shuffled his papers. “One year ago today, we stood on this spot at the end of a—”

“No, no,” said Anora. She rose to her feet and started to pace in front of him.

“I didn’t even make it to bloody and desperate,” Alistair said, frowning. Anora shook her head.

“You sound bored,” she said. “Like you’re speaking from rote.”

“I am speaking from rote,” Alistair said, unable to help himself.

“You know what I mean,” she said. “Yesterday, you read with such passion. It was very moving.”

“Oh.” Had she ever complimented him like that before? “Thank you.”

She stopped in her pacing, hands on her hips. “What’s different today?”

“I—I don’t know,” Alistair said. He blinked, head still aching. “I suppose I’m just tired. I didn’t sleep well last night.”

Anora frowned, and he thought he saw a flash of sympathy cross her face. But it was quickly gone.

“More practice will wake you up,” she said, taking her seat. “Begin again.”

Alistair stood on the podium in front of Fort Drakon, looking out at the vast crowd. The day was cold but there had been a good turn out even so. It looked like the entire city, at least, was gathered to hear him speak.

He blinked and studied the paper in his hand again, trying to ignore the chilly wind on his hands and face. His head hurt again, and the scene in front of him kept fading, flickering out as his focus did.

It had been cold a year ago, too, even in the midst of battle. He could still remember the wind in his face as he fought, so strange amidst the smoke and acrid burning. He’d looked for her in the confusion and, despite everything, his heart had warmed, leapt to see she was still fighting by his side…

Alistair shook his head, eyes stinging and breath starting to come short and fast. He had to focus. He cleared his throat, looked out at the crowd, and began.

“One year ago today, we stood on this spot at the end of a desperate, bloody battle. Our victory, hard fought, was not without sacrifices…”

“You did very well,” Teagan said, coming over and slapping him on the back.

The ceremony was over and they were back at the palace for the reception. Though today was also a day of mourning, Alistair and his advisors had agreed that it ought to be a day of celebration as well. Feasts were being held across the city at the royal treasury’s expense, even in the Alienage, and the palace’s great hall bustled with nobles and important civic figures. Alistair knew this was the right thing to do—it had been a hard year for the kingdom, still recovering from the Blight as it was—but still, it felt…

Alistair brought himself back to reality, forcing himself to smile at Teagan. “Thank you.”

��The people were touched by your words,” he said.

Alistair nodded. To be honest, he could barely remember the actual act of giving the speech. At some point during it his mind had gone blank, so that at the end he’d been left gazing, unsure how he’d gotten to that point, at his tearful audience. All that practice with Anora must have made up for it.

Even now, Teagan was speaking but Alistair didn’t really hear what he said. Again, his mind drifted back to that day at Fort Drakon.

There had been a moment in the battle when she’d looked back at him. The fighting had forced them to either side of the roof, her slightly in front of him, and it was hard to see her clearly between the flashing lights and the smoke. But he remembered her turning, her expression. It was almost like the one she’d given him on the day he’d left her. Disbelieving, confused, but this time, a hint of determination too. Then, she turned from him. She ran—

The room swayed, and Alistair���s chest tightened to the point where he could barely breathe. He interrupted Teagan mid-sentence.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I can’t… I have to…”

He turned and ran from the room.

Despite the cold, Alistair went to the roof. It was one of the few places in the palace he could be alone. Servants rarely went there, and nobles never did. He stood panting, a faint sheen of sweat on his face, eyes on the vast, gray sky above him. Then, the tears came.

They were unstoppable. A sob forced its way out of his throat. He covered his face, sinking to the ground with his back against the high tower wall. His whole body shook.

He saw her. Over and over again he saw her. Quiet and contained as she’d been when they first met, giving away nothing. The way she looked when she laughed, eyes sparkling, brushing that loose strand of hair from her face, and in the mornings, gazing down at him like he was the most wonderful thing in the world. He saw the look of shock, the “oh” her mouth made when he’d told her it was over. And worst of all…

She ran. Before he could make a move to stop her, she ran. It happened fast, too fast. The sword in her hands, her leap at the Archdemon, a flash of lightning and—

A small, rag doll body flew through the air. For a moment, she was illuminated, suspended in midair. Then, she crashed to the ground.

A fresh sob burst from Alistair’s throat, too loud for him to stifle.

“Alistair?”

Anora’s voice was the first indication he had of her presence. He’d long since exhausted his tears but still sat huddled with his face in his knees. He didn’t look up, mind blank and too tired to move.

He heard her rustle of skirts and her slippers padding on the stone floor. She paused, and then came the noise of something being dragged across the stones. Not wanting to sit on the cold rooftop, she had dragged over one of the nearby storage crates to use as a makeshift seat. He heard the box creak as she sat.

“It’s cold,” she said.

He nodded, not answering.

“I heard your speech,” she said. “It really was good. The practice was worth it.”

He didn’t answer, and she sighed.

“Your words do her credit,” she said. “It is clear how much you loved her.”

This made Alistair look up, though he was embarrassed at the redness of his eyes. It was strange to hear Anora, sitting primly on the crate in her green formal dress, speak about such things. They only spoke of business when they were together, and they’d never spoken about the nature of his relationship with Rora. She must have guessed it.

He swallowed, turning his gaze back to the ground.

“We weren’t… together anymore when we fought the Archdemon,” he said quietly. His voice was hoarse. “I… I told her that we couldn’t be, if I was to be king.”

Anora sat quiet. He went on.

“We didn’t speak to each other, after that. We must’ve exchanged ten words before it happened.” He pressed his hand into his forehead, hard enough to leave a mark. “Days before her death, and I let her go over some stupid principle.”

Anora shifted, and sighed.

“You did what you believed was right,” she said. “You can’t blame yourself for that.” Then with a bitter edge to her voice, “You know Cailan was going to set me aside?”

Alistair looked up, shook his head. Her smile was cold, bitter as her voice.

“I was hurt when I found out,” she said, “But, what else could he have done?” She shrugged. “Sometimes, we must accept the lot that’s given to us.”

Alistair rubbed his eyes. The fog that had settled over him that morning was fainter, starting to lift. Perhaps the cry was what he’d needed.

“Maybe,” he said, sitting up straighter. “Or maybe that’s not fair. Maybe he and I should have been better.”

Anora stared at him, her hand close to her mouth. There was an expression on her face he’d never seen before. Surprise and perhaps… gratitude? But it was quickly gone.

“Maybes are very well,” she said, “but we can’t change the past. Or live in it.”

“I know,” he said. “Today was just… more overwhelming than I’d expected.”

“Hmm,” she said shortly. “There are days like that.”

It was such an Anora-y thing to say, so close to insensitive, that he almost laughed. And yet, she was right.

She stood, tall and willowy against the sky, and offered him her hand.

“Come back to the banquet,” she said. “If you feel poorly again, find me. We can talk.”

Alistair took her hand and got to his feet. “Thank you,” he said. He scratched his head, letting go of her hand. “You’re… you’re all right, Anora.”

She raised her eyebrows, an expression that seemed to say, “You’re just realizing now?” But what she said was: “Let’s go. It’s frightfully cold up here.”

He half smiled. “Good idea.”