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carewyncromwell · 2 years ago

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“I wasn't looking for this, but now you're in my way.”

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featuring Darian Zain @kathrynalicemc (yes, this is almost entirely for her and me, so sue me 😜) and referencing the crew of the Empyrean @thatravenpuffwitch @sirfluffig @oneirataxia-girl

x~x~x~x

In the 1930′s, the Wizarding World was in turmoil. With the rise of the Dark wizard Grindelwald, many lived in fear of what another Great War -- this time one waged with magic -- could look like. It’s unsurprising, therefore, that many sought an escape from those fears -- and one of those things that provided such an escape were the tales circulated of Jules Aquila, his crew, and their ship, the Empyrean.

The Empyrean was a ship that British wizard Jules Aquila had stolen from a Muggle museum back in the 1920′s and enchanted to fly, so that he and his associates could take flight across the world. And sure enough, the Empyrean had known its fair share of adventures, questing for the likes of long-lost magical sights like Atlantis and Dolorous Guard. However much the magical governments of the world gave the flying ship a very critical side eye for flirting so frequently with breaking the Statute of Secrecy, most mainstream wizards and witches were enchanted by the rebellion, adventure, and romance encapsulated in the crew’s lifestyle.

Although Jules Aquila was and would inevitably always be the most famous of the Empyrean’s crew as captain, however, that didn’t mean that other crew members didn’t get their fair share of glory. Aquila’s best mate and quartermaster Kath Alton was purportedly one of the most talented magical engineers on Earth, while his first mate, Desiree Lestrange, had been a well-regarded Cursebreaker for le Banque Decristaux before abandoning her cushy position and lifestyle to set sale with the sky Captain. There were also much more interesting, but less provable rumors circulated -- those of Aquila having recruited a wanted thief to his crew in exchange for keeping him from getting arrested; those of Aquila having stolen his beloved pet occamy from the infamous French magical gangster Claude Macnair; even those of a certain crewmate with large, eagle-like wings sprouting out from his back like some mythical angel. Some stories claimed the winged crewmate was a wanted man, though others still -- even more wild -- claimed he was descended from royalty, or even a Djinn.

One story Darian Zain hoped would never be passed around him, though, was the time that he flew right into the window of a Muggle airplane.

The Empyrean had been traveling up the far-eastern coastline of the Americas, on its way up toward Greenland. Desiree had determined that there might be some magical Viking settlements in the area, and Jules was eager to investigate. On the way, though, the crew decided that they’d have to stock up for a journey so far north, not just in the essentials like food and water, but more importantly, of warm blankets and clothing. Most of their crewmembers weren’t used to such cold temperatures, after all -- especially not Darian, who grew up in a much hotter desert climate. So, in preparation, Desiree and Lugh had gone to the wizarding village of Gravesville, right in the heart of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, so as to fetch some of the magical supplies needed, while Kath and Felix went into the “Muggle” side of town to pick up the more mundane kind. Once the others had purchased everything they needed, Darian then played “carrier pigeon” and flew it all back to the Empyrean.

Many people in Darian’s place might’ve been a little resentful of having to play the role of an owl just because he had wings -- but the runaway prince honestly was eager to help. After nearly an entire life of being locked up indoors with nothing to do, it was fun to get out and actually do something. And it was kind of cool, to be needed for once. He’d become rather fond of his crewmates, over the years, and being given any kind of responsibility made Darian feel included in a way he hadn’t really known at home, when his father the King kept him so cloistered away from everyone else. Lugh, Kath, and Felix had taught Darian a lot about weapons, ships, record players, magic tricks, and lockpicks -- heck, even Jules had taught him how to navigate using the stars, if he ever got lost. And even though the ship’s resident taskmaster Desiree always gave him a lot of chores to do, Darian knew that was just because of her own strong work ethic. From what Darian gathered, he’d also reminded Desiree of her younger brother upon first meeting, due to how privileged their upbringings had been...and frankly, after having met the spoiled, pigheaded, self-absorbed blood purist that was Marius Lestrange, Darian hated the thought of ever being the least bit like him.

At least Desi should have enough to make a good meal, once we’ve all gotten back to the ship, Darian thought to himself with a smile. Maybe she might even make some naan, if I make really good time?

This thought cheered him up significantly. Desiree had first learned how to make naan while they were traveling through Iran, and she’d taken to baking some as a treat sometimes, whenever Darian’s work had impressed her. The fresh bread always made him think of home.

The satchel on Darian’s back was heavy. He moved to adjust it, only to have to fumble a bit to keep it from opening and its contents from spilling.

“Whoop -- !”

He shifted the satchel around in his arms, latching it back together a bit more tightly as he flew.

“There we go,” he mumbled with a smile, as he tossed the satchel back over his shoulder. “Now then...back to it -- ”

WHAM.

Because Darian hadn’t been looking where he was flying, he didn’t see the thing whose airspace he was entering until it was far too late.

His head pounding with pain, Darian tried to orient himself, even as it felt like his world was spinning.

He’d hit something -- what had he hit? A wall? A wall of glass?

Blinking rapidly even as colorful stars winked in front of his eyes, he could feel the thing he’d collided with shifting downward. There was something moving behind the wall of glass -- was that a person?

Darian flapped his wings, trying to fly back a bit so he could get a better look. Unfortunately when he did, he found his right wing was having trouble straightening out.

“Ow -- ow -- !”

Pain pulsed through his wing as he flapped it. He tried to lean more on the other to support him, but when he did, he could feel the satchel sliding over again. In trying to catch it, he lost his balance, and suddenly he was falling right through the air.

“WHOA!”

Darian lashed his arms out, securing the satchel of supplies close to his chest so they wouldn’t fall out. He tried to flap his wings, thinking to slow himself down -- but his right wing was throbbing in pain -- he must’ve sprained it --

Blinking rapidly, Darian tried to focus. The ground was coming up fast -- way too fast -- !

He lashed an arm out desperately, his eyes focusing blearily on the ground even as his head pounded with pain.

“Come on -- ” he choked. “Come on -- stop falling, stop falling -- stop, stop, stop, STOP -- !”

A burst of air abruptly puffed out of his hand. It wasn’t enough to stop Darian from falling, but it did partially counteract the pull of gravity, blasting him ever-so-slightly upward again. As fate would have it, it was just enough to hoist him up onto the wing of the weird, red-painted metal thing that had dived down to try to catch him.

Darian looked up, startled.

I’ve seen one of these! he realized, recalling a picture in a book he’d read a piece of over Desiree’s shoulder one day. It's one of those...‘aeroplanes!’

Through the hard glass window, Darian could see a pilot dressed in a brown leather hat and coat and thick goggles, who gave him an encouraging smile.

“Hang on!” the pilot shouted over the sound of the plane’s propeller. His voice was husky and laced with a strong Boston accent, but his lips were upturned in a rather handsome smile. “I’ll go in for a landin’!”

Stunned and still nursing a throbbing headache, Darian did what he was told, clinging onto the edge of the wing for dear life. The plane glided down much more smoothly than he’d expected, and within moments, with a light bump, they’d collided with the ground. The pilot then parked the plane safely on a hanger set up in the open field.

Darian carefully eased himself up onto the edge of the wing, stretching out his right wing as best he could.

“Ow...”

He winced, only managing to spread it half the way out before the pain stopped him. Yep -- definitely a sprain.

The plane window opened upward, and the pilot hoisted himself up and out of the cockpit onto the lower wing just below Darian.

“Uh...hey!” he called up. “You all right up there?”

Darian straightened up abruptly.

“Yeah!” he answered at once, almost on impulse.

I will be, anyway, he thought more sheepishly. Once I can brew myself some Wiggenweld Potion, back on the ship...

Darian’s stomach sank.

The Empyrean. How was he going to get back up to the ship, if he couldn’t even fly? He hadn’t even thought to bring any healing potions with him, just in case something happened...

The pilot’s handsome smile broadened a bit as he slipped off his goggles. His beetle-black eyes were long-lashed and sparkling.

“That’s a relief. You hit my window pretty hard...I thought for a minute I might’ve killed you...”

Darian laughed. “And I thought for a minute I was going to die, until you caught me! Thanks for that!”

“No problem,” said the pilot brightly. “I mean, heck -- s’not like I coulda just let you fall, could I?”

He paused. His dark eyes ran over Darian’s face, along his shoulder to up at his right wing.

“...Are...are those real?” he breathed after a moment. He seemed enchanted.

Darian blinked. Oh, right -- for a split second, he’d almost forgotten that his wings were anything strange. But hey, was that surprising? His wings were a bit weird to wizards, let alone to a Muggle like this pilot was -- or at least, he figured it must be weird: he’d never talked to a real Muggle before...

This thought was like a two-by-four to Darian’s head.

A Muggle. He’d been seen by a Muggle -- a Muggle was staring right at him, at his wings -- !

“No!”

Darian choked out the word like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He quickly tried to fold his wings, even as his right one spasmed with pain.

“No, no, they’re -- uh -- mechanical!” he lied quickly. “Like your aeroplane! Lots of gears and metal, underneath all the feathers!”

He laughed weakly as he tried once again to fold his wings over his shoulders like a cape, holding his right one in both hands to try to mitigate the pain pulsing through it.

The pilot blinked slowly at him, his expression becoming much more amused. “...Really?”

“Yeah!” said Darian, his mouth spread into a very nervous smile. “They’re completely normal! Just like me -- normal and Muggle as can be -- ”

Wait -- Muggles don’t call themselves Muggles, do they -- do they use No-Maj -- ?!

“ -- I-I mean...just a normal mug, you know -- that’s me. Heh...”

His voice sounded pathetic in his own ears. He had to sound like a complete idiot!

Rather than looking suspicious, however, the pilot only seemed to smile broader and more sincerely than ever. He seemed almost charmed.

“Well...any normal mug I reckon would be a bit shaken, fallin’ outta the air like that,” he said. He extended a gloved hand to Darian. “Here -- lemme help you down.”

Darian blinked, a bit confused. Then, hesitantly, he accepted the hand. It was smaller than his, but the pilot held his hand securely as he helped Darian down onto the lower wing, before they both climbed back down to the ground. The pilot was the exact same height as Darian.

The embodiment of tall, dark and handsome, the prince thought amusedly, reminded of Kath sarcastically using the same term for him, when the crew of the Empyrean had to go undercover at a masquerade party and a bunch of the ladies had abruptly all started flirting with Darian.

Once they’d made it back to solid ground, the pilot took off his helmet at last. A wave of beautiful, long black hair swirled out, cascading around the pilot’s face like ocean water.

Darian blinked in slight surprise. Seemed he’d been saved by a tall, dark handsome female pilot.

Cool.

Several more planes flew over their heads. The pilot watched them, her dark eyes narrowing a bit.

“Here,” she said lowly. “Best hide those away, ‘fore anyone else sees...”

She leaned over the edge of her plane and took out a blanket from inside the cockpit, wrapping it quickly around Darian’s folded wings on his shoulders.

“Oh, uh -- thanks,” said Darian sheepishly.

The blanket was small enough that he’d have to keep his wings completely folded, to hide them under it. He glanced over his shoulder at the planes soaring overhead.

“...Who are they?”

“The other cadets,” said the pilot as she put down her helmet on the wing and worked to tie up her hair into a messy bun. “They’re all pretty swell, honestly, but that don’t mean they pro’lly wouldn’t flip a bit, seeing your... ‘mechanics.’” She shot another furtive look skyward. “Best be gettin’ on.”

Picking her helmet again and tucking it under her arm, she then gave Darian a smile.

“Are you hungry?”

Darian was startled. “Huh?”

“Well, I did knock yeh plum outta the sky,” she said good-naturedly. “Reckon I really should apologize proper for that. My car’s just ‘round the corner from the hanger, we can always drive out and grab a bite. Then maybe I can drop you somewheres, so you can make your way home...”

Darian rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably as she started to walk across the field and he followed along close behind. “Well, uh...that might be a bit hard, I mean...I’m not really from around here...my crew and I are just passing through...”

“Could one of your buddies come and pick you up somewheres?” asked the pilot in concern.

Darian considered this. Truthfully, all he really needed to get airborne was a healing potion...or just the ingredients for one -- he could more than brew it himself. And even if he obviously couldn’t brew anything in front of his new Muggle friend (this thought made Darian feel a bit giddy despite himself -- he’d made friends with a real-life Muggle!! Not just that, but a fly girl!!), he could probably manage it somewhere a bit more magical...like Gravesville!

“...Well, there’s a place in Philadelphia...my friends were shopping there, just a little while ago. I could meet them there.”

Gravesville would have owls, right? Darian thought to himself.

The pilot smiled. “In Philly? No sweat! That’s just over the river from Camden...I can drop you off there, after we eat.”

Darian’s face lit up. “Great!”

They reached the pilot’s car. Darian for a minute couldn’t help but just walk around it, entranced. It was a bright and shiny ruby red, with a lightweight black roof propped up by metal rods, and it had two spare wheels mounted to either side of its nose, almost like decoration.

“You like her?” asked the pilot.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Darian. “Her, I mean...”

He was reminded of how Jules always called the Empyrean a “she” -- he’d said that all ships were called that.

I wonder if all vehicles are ‘she’s?’ Darian wondered to himself.

He beamed at the pilot. “She’s beautiful!”

The pilot couldn’t bite back a proud smile as she flushed a dark red.

“Old Apple’s kinda old-fashioned -- I got her second-hand,” she explained bashfully. “But I was able to fix her up some, ‘round my studies.”

She opened up the passenger door, extending a hand to invite Darian in. Once he sat down inside the car and had put his bulging satchel gently down on the floor, she darted around the other side and began to unfold the car’s top and stow it away. It seemed clunky to do -- the top made a lot of weird noises when it was tamped down, and Raye had to twist and smack parts of it just to compress it, but she did it with such little fuss that it seemed like an inconvenience she was very used to.

“I just realized -- I haven’t introduced myself!” said the pilot with a sheepish smile. “The name’s Raye -- Raye Davies. Short for Rachel -- but really, just Raye will do.”

Darian beamed. “Pleased to meet you, Raye! Darian Zain -- that’s what most everyone calls me.”

Raye cocked an eyebrow at him as she smiled. “‘Most everyone?’ Well then, I guess I’ll follow suit.”

Climbing in herself and closing the door, she put the key in the ignition and turned on the car, making it rumble to life under Darian. The noise and movement startled the prince, but only to the extent that it made his tanned face light up with excitement -- a reaction that made Raye’s face seem to glow that bit brighter too.

“Now, then...hm...” Raye mumbled thoughtfully. “Reckon we can’t be strollin’ on in to any diners: you’d look weird, bein’ all wrapped up in a blanket. And some joints ‘round here can be right rotten to ‘out-of-towners’...”

Her black eyes then lit up with a thought.

“Ever been to the park-in theater, up in Pennsauken Township?” she asked.

Darian blinked. “No.”

Raye's face lit up. “Oh, it’s the berries! They just opened it a couple months ago...but the dames there just come right up to your car, take your order, and then bring it on back to you, so you don’t miss any of the movie...”

Darian racked his brains. He’d heard of movies -- the Empyrean’s ship doctor sometimes talked about one of his friends who made those for a living...what was his name, ‘Fawcett’...?

“Sure, they don’t play anythin’ that great and the sound quality’s kinda bum,” Raye rambled on a bit more awkwardly. “But well, folks don’t really get outta their cars there, so no one’ll pro’lly look at you funny if you’re wrapped up in a blanket. And even if it’s cheap, their food’s still pretty jake. Whaddya say?”

For all of Raye’s insecurity about the place, Darian seemed perfectly undaunted. The idea of such a new experience excited him to no end, so when she asked his opinion, he answered both immediately and brightly.

“Sounds like fun!”

Raye beamed, visibly relieved.

Once she was sure Darian was holding on securely, Raye put the car in drive and stepped on the accelerator, driving off down the road with speed.

Darian had to grab the blanket around his wings before it flew off with one hand and hold onto the bottom of the car’s window frame with the other, but the speed still made his heart race and his chin-length dark hair flap in the wind. He couldn’t stop himself from giving a loud “WOO!” over the air loudly rattling in his ears.

~*~

Raye drove Darian up to Pennsauken Township, into the quirky new park-in theater. The vendors there sold lots of candy, popcorn, and chips, alongside all the soda pop, ice cream, and hot dogs. Raye had offered to treat Darian, which turned out to be a big mistake, since Darian immediately went hog-wild and bought absolutely everything available.

“Guess I’ll be havin’ beans for the next week,” Raye muttered to herself as she handed over her hard-won earnings to the vendor.

She found she couldn’t be too upset, though, seeing how excited Darian was when the vendor handed him the full contents of her tray. Even the pretty woman giving Darian a sassy wink only seemed to make Raye smile grow amusedly, particularly when the winged young man brightly accepted the assortment of snacks, completely oblivious to the woman’s overtures.

“Wow,” Darian said excitedly. “Look at them all! There’s so many...”

Raye’s black eyes sparkled a bit when they squinted. “Yeah, there’s a lot more selection, closer to the bigger cities. Easier to ship and store stuff in bulk here...”

Darian considered this. “...I guess that makes sense...”

He’d had dessert almost every day, when he’d still been at home -- it wasn’t as common that he got to have it on board the Empyrean, since they were so on-the-go. The rareness of it hadn’t really disappointed Darian, though -- if anything, it made those sweet treats that bit more special, not to have them every day. Plus he’d gotten to try a lot of different sweets than he’d never had previously, and most of them were great! Except for meringues -- Darian was still baffled that chalky-tasting stuff was somehow considered edible.

He curiously rifled through the different colorful wrappers, reading them one by one. Babe Ruths, Twizzlers, Twinkies, Fritos, Lay’s Potato Chips, Tootsie Rolls, Goobers, Milk Duds, Ritz crackers...

“I’ve never had anything like this before,” he admitted.

Candied fruits and dates were much more par the course, where Darian was from. In fact, Jules and Kath had only just given both him and Desiree a crash course in commercial magical sweets like Sugar Quills, though Darian took to them much better than Desiree did.

Darian looked up at Raye eagerly. “Which one should I try first?”

Raye considered this.

“...Well, d’you like chocolate?” she asked after a moment.

“Yeah,” said Darian. “I’ve had Cauldro -- I mean, chocolate cakes before...they’re great!”

If Raye had heard his slip-up, she paid it no mind. Instead she merely smiled.

“Maybe a Tastykake would be good, then!”

She took out a tiny cupcake with chocolate wrapped in plastic, taking it out and handing it to Darian. He took a bite, and was startled when along with the chocolate cake, he tasted a sweet buttercream filling.

“Mmm!” he said. He licked his lips of it quickly so he wouldn’t make a mess and beamed at Raye. “This is delicious!”

Raye grinned seeing how happily Darian devoured the cake. He then proceeded to pick out another similar-looking yellow pastry in a wrapper labeled “Twinkies” and unwrapped it. When he bit into it, he was once again delighted when it was full of creamy filling.

“Mmmm!”

Raye laughed. “You like it?”

“Mm’yeah!” Darian said with his mouth full. He then quickly swallowed, wiping his mouth bashfully. “I mean, yeah!”

Raye only laughed harder, which made Darian laugh too.

“Here,” said Raye, her face a bit brighter than before as she reached into Darian’s pile and snagged a small handful of unlabeled wrapped brown candy squares, “try the caramels next -- those are my favorite.”

The caramels were indeed pretty tasty. Darian enjoyed how chewy they and the candies called “Tootsie Rolls” were. He also really liked the Mallocups, Raisinets, potato chips, and popsicles. He was fine with just one bite of the black licorice -- he ended up washing it down with some Coca Cola, which was probably his favorite thing of the entire night. He’d never had anything so bubbly before, nor anything that simultaneously tickled his tongue and nose so much, and when it made him belch more loudly than he ever had in his life, both he and Raye couldn’t stop laughing. It even prompted Raye to -- upon several people in other cars shooting Darian disgusted looks -- gulp down quite a lot of soda herself, just so she could belch just as loudly. It ended up being hilarious accompaniment to the cheesy monster movie playing over their heads on the projector screen.

When the movie was finally over and they’d had their fill of all the food they’d ordered, it was already night. Raye put on a fedora, wool coat, and gloves for warmth, and then she drove Darian over the Delaware River into Philadelphia.

Darian directed her to the street corner around which lay the wall that obscured the magical borough of Gravesville and asked her to drop him off there. When Raye parked at the street corner, though, she suddenly looked incredibly unsure. Her shoulders had become very tense.

“Are...you gonna be all right from here?” she asked hesitantly.

Darian gave her a reassuring smile. “Oh, sure! I know where I’m going.”

Once he was in a more magical environment, he could heal himself without anyone paying him any mind...

He glanced down at the blanket around his shoulders.

“Oh! Here...”

The exiled prince made as if to take it off, but Raye quickly threw out a hand to grab his and stop him from taking it off.

“Don’t!” she said quickly.

Darian blinked. Raye flushed a bit as she withdrew her hand.

“It’s just...folks will see you,” she mumbled self-consciously. She glanced around at the various passerby anxiously.

“Well, yeah,” said Darian with a frown. “But you said it’d look weird, if I was walking around with a blanket on. And you need it back, don’t you?”

“I can get another one,” Raye said very quickly and dismissively.

She kept looking around, almost shrinking a bit against the steering wheel. It was almost like this neighborhood made her nervous, for some reason...

“Are you all right?” Darian asked, concerned.

Raye forced a smile. “Well, sure -- just...just don’ come down here that much...”

She tried to brush off her nerves, putting on a slightly braver expression.

“...Just...go ahead and keep covered, ‘til you’re back with your crew. Reckon they’d be able to protect you from anyone who might give you grief for your...mechanics.”

Her eyes flitted down to Darian’s folded wings obscured by the blanket around his shoulders. Darian glanced down at her blanket around his shoulders and then back up at her, offering her a slightly gentler smile.

“You didn’t give me any grief for them,” he pointed out. He smiled a bit sheepishly. “I thought you might actually -- I’m sure you’ve probably never seen a flying man before...”

Raye smiled self-consciously as her eyes fell down to her steering wheel.

“I’ve seen weirder,” she said dismissively.

Not letting Darian press her further, she changed the subject, forcing her smile that bit more.

“Well, um...it was nice meetin’ you, Darian Zain,” she said formally. “Best of luck gettin’ back to your crew.”

“...Thank you...”

Darian felt himself deflating a bit despite himself. Guess this really was the end of this weird little adventure, wasn’t it...?

Picking up the satchel up off the car floor, he hoisted it up over his shoulder again and put on a braver, more sincere smile.

“...Raye? I know I just said it, but...thank you. I haven’t really ever been able to go out and just have fun with people that much, and...well, this day was one of the best I’ve ever had, in my whole life.”

He grinned.

“I had a lot of fun! The ride-in was great, and Apple’s a beautiful car -- and you’re a pretty swell friend. So thank you.”

Raye blinked, taken aback by the winged man’s sincerity. Then her black eyes grew a little smaller, sparkling with a bit more fondness.

“...You’re welcome.”

She paused.

“...Hey, um...if you ever end up ‘round here again, you can always look me up, near Camden Airfield. I’m there most days, and just about all the pilots there know me -- even the ones who don’t think lady-folks should be flyin’ planes,” she added with a wryer smile. Her confidence then faltered a bit as she rambled on, “We could always go for a drive somewhere else...we could go to Newark and visit a brewery -- maybe even go to Steel Pier, if there’s time...”

Darian’s grin spread so wide, it nearly took up his whole face.

“Yeah!” he said, thrilled. “I’d like that!”

Raye’s face flushed happily as she beamed.

“Great,” she said, her voice a bit breathy despite herself. Her black eyes crinkled up to make room for the big smile on her face. “Well, um...see you ‘round, Darian.”

His face still bright with his big grin, Darian waved with his hand not holding his satchel.

“Bye, Raye!”

And with this, he departed around the corner, right up to the enchanted wall leading to Gravesville. Tapping the three left-most bricks with his knuckles, and then kicking the lowest right with his foot, the wall suddenly became as translucent as mist, and Darian slid right on through.

~*~

As fate would have it, Desiree and Lugh had gone back to Gravesville to look for Darian, after he didn’t return to the Empyrean. Desiree scolded Darian in both English and French for worrying them, and Darian was very apologetic, not just to Desiree, but to the others when they all returned to the ship. Kath ended chewing Darian out even more than Desiree did, especially after Darian told them about the new friend he’d made.

“You seriously just climbed into a complete stranger’s car and drove away with her?” said Kath, flabbergasted. “It’s a bloody miracle that you haven’t gotten yourself killed, with how blindly trusting you are...”

“She waz only a Muggle, Mon Ami Alton,” said Desiree lightly. “I doubt she would’ve been able to ‘urt Monsieur Zain zat much, even if she tried...but even zo.”

“Don’t underestimate Muggles, your Worship,” Lugh reminded Desiree. “They can be just as helpful or dangerous as any of us.”

“Well, fortunately, it sounds like this one was helpful!” Jules said optimistically. “So we can be thankful for that, at least...”

He smiled at Darian. “Just be more careful next time, all right? Felix, Kath and Desi were all really worried about you.”

“Don’t put words in my mouth,” Felix and Kath shot back in nearly perfect unison. It made Lugh, Darian, and Jules all burst out laughing and made Desiree fail to bite back a smile.

“I will,” said Darian, smiling slightly as Jules’s pet occamy Zephyr flew up to nuzzle his shoulder affectionately with his beak.

Definitely should make sure I have some healing potions on me, when I travel alone, he thought to himself.

~*~

After Darian had left the street corner, Raye stayed parked off to the side for about a half-hour, just in case he reemerged needing more help. It was just as she was about to head out that she caught sight of a familiar face rounding the corner with several other people -- that of a dashing dark-haired man with a pointed chin and nose and sparkling black eyes, dressed in an unusually flowing suit not unlike robes.

At the sight of Raye, the man stopped mid-walk, staring at her. His eyes were very critical. Raye met his gaze head-on, but her attitude was not hostile or even confrontational -- on the contrary: her posture seemed to shrink a bit against her steering wheel again, even as she stood her ground and stared at him.

The people around the man glanced over at where he was looking, curious. Muttering something to them under his breath, the man quickly steered them away, shooting another cold look back at Raye as he went.

Raye looked down at her own hands on Apple’s steering wheel, sighing quietly through her nose.

It was so much less uncomfortable when the MACUSA was still back in New York City, rather than in Philadelphia...

At least Seph showed his face after Darian left, Raye thought to herself uncomfortably.

She didn’t even want to think of how many questions Darian might have, if he’d figured out she had the same last name as the new Head of the Federal Bureau of Covert Vigilance and No-Maj Obliviation...nor how much grief Joseph would give her, for entertaining a clueless foreign wizard with a set of giant wings he couldn’t even hide from Muggle view...

With a cringe, Raye shifted the gears of her car and, with one last look over in the direction of where she knew Gravesville was hidden, she drove off, back over the Delaware River into Camden, New Jersey.

#fantastic beasts and where to find them #my writing #darian zain #raye davies #julio aquila #jules aquila #desiree lestrange #kathleen alton #lugh hopper #felix witt #my fanfiction

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theladyregret · 2 years ago

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Drow Name Tables

Something I did as a special favor to @kimmurielsscryingmirror (@eldritchmist ) who showed interest. Because it’s...pretty big I decided to make it into it’s own post.

These are a few Drow naming tables that were originally found in an issue of Dragon Magazine. It’s two d100 tables of prefixes and suffixes commonly used in first names. The second couple of tables is a list of common house name prefixes and suffixes.

EDIT: Just a little something for those who care which I didn’t add before because it took me so long to finish the transcription I just wanted to post it lol. The gender difference is noted in the related Dragon Magazine article as being significant. Non Drow may not notice but a Drow will notice the difference. Female names sometimes borrow parts that are normally only considered male and this is considered fine...but a male with a name that borrows a typically only female part would be seen as extremely taboo.

Prefix (Female/Male) - Meaning

Akor/Alak beloved, best, first

Alaun/Alton lightning, powerful

Aly/Kel legendary, singing, song

Ang/Adin beast, monstrous, savage

Ardul/Amal blessed, divine, godly

Aun/Ant crypt, dead, deadly, death

Bae/Bar fate, fated, luck, lucky

Bal/Bel burned, burning, fire, flame

Belar/Bruh arrow, lance, piercing

Briz/Berg graceful, fluid, like water

Bur/Bhin craft, crafty, sly

Chal/Chasz earth, stable

Char/Kron sick, venom, venomed

Chess/Cal noble, lady/lord

Dhaun infested, plague

Dil/Dur cold, ice, still

Dirz/Div dream, dreaming, fantasy

Dris/Riz ash, dawn, east, eastern

Eclav/Elk chaos, mad, madness

Elvan/Kalan elf, elven, far, lost

Elv/Elaug drow, mage, power

Erel/Rhyl eye, moon, spy

Ethe/Erth mithril, resolute

Faer/Selds oath, sworn, vow

Felyn/Fil pale, thin, weak, white

Filf/Phar dwarf, dwarven, treacherous

Gauss/Orgoll dread, fear, feared, vile

G'eld friend, spider

Ghuan accursed, curse, unlucky

Gin/Din berserk, berserker, orc, wild

Grey/Gul ghost, pale, unliving

Hael/Hatch marked, trail, way

Hal/Sol deft, nimble, spider-like

Houn/Rik magic, ring, staff

Iiv/Dip liege, war, warrior

Iim life, living, spirit, soul

Illiam/Im devoted, heart, love

In/Sorn enchanted, spell

Ilph emerald, green, lush, tree

Irae/Ilzt arcane, mystic, wizard

Irr/Izz hidden, mask, masked

Iym/Ist endless, immortal

Jan/Duag shield, warded

Jhael/Gel ambitious, clan, kin, family

Jhul/Jar charmed, rune, symbol

Jys/Driz hard, steel, unyielding

Lael/Llt iron, west, western

Lar/Les binding, bound, law, lawful

LiNeer/Mourn legend, legendary, mythical

Lird/Ryld brand, branded, owned, slave

Lua/Lyme bright, crystal, light

Mal/Malag mystery, secret

May/Mas beautiful, beauty, silver

Micar lost, poison, widow

Min/Ran lesser, minor, second

Mol/Go blue, storm, thunder, wind

Myr/Nym lost, skeleton, skull

Nath/Mer doom, doomed, fate

Ned/Nad cunning, genius, mind, thought

Nhil/Nal fear, gorrible, horror, outraged

Neer core, root, strong

Null/Nil sad, tear, weeping

Olor/Omar skin, tattoo, tattooed

Pellan/Relon north, platiunum, wind

Phaer/Vorn honor, honored

Phyr/Phyx bless, blessed, blessing

Qualn/Quil mighty, ocean, sea

Quar aged, eternal, time

Quav/Quev charmed, docile, friend

Qil/Quil foe, goblin, slave

Rauv/Welv cave, rock, stone

Ril/Ryl foretold, omen

Sbat/Szor amber, yellow

Sab/Tsab abyss, empty, void

Shi'n/Kren fool, foolish, young

Shri/Ssz silk, silent

Shur/Shar dagger, edge, stiletto

Shynt invisible, skilled, unseen

Sin/Szin festival, joy, pleasure

Ssap/Tath blue, midnight, night

Susp/Spir learned, skilled, wise

Talab/Tluth burn, burning, fire

Tal/Tar love, pain, wound, wounded

Triel/Taz bat, winged

T'riss/Teb blade, sharp, sword

Ulvir/Uhls gold, golden, treasure

Umrae/Hurz faith, faithful, true

Vas/Vesz blood, bloody, flesh

Vic abyss, deep, profound

Vier/Val black, dark, darkness

Vlon/Wod bold, hero, heroic

Waer/Wehl deep, hidden, south, southern

Wuyon/Wruz humble, third, trivial

Xull/Url blooded, crimson, ruby

Xun demon, fiend, fiendish

Yas/Yaz riddle, spinning, thread, web

Zar/Zakn dusk, haunted, shadow

Zebey/Zek dragon, lithe, rage, wyrm

Zes/Zsz ancient, elder, respected

Zilv/Vuz forgotten, old, unknown

Suffixes (Female/Male) - Meaning

a/agh breaker, destruction, end, omega

ace/as savant, scholar, wizard

ae/aun dance, dancer, life, player

aer/d blood, blood of, heir

afae/afein bane, executioner, slayer

afay/aufein eyes, eyes of, seer

ala/launim healer, cleric

anna/erin advisor, counselor to

arra/atar queen/prince

aste bearer, keeper, slaver

avin/aonar guardian, guard, shield

ayne/al lunatic, maniac, manic, rage

baste/gloth path, walker

breena/antar matriach/patriarch, ruler

bryn/lyn agent, assassin, killer

cice/roos born of, child, young

cyrl/axle ally, companion, friend

da/daer illusionist, trickster

dia/drin rogue, stealer

diira/diirn initiate, sister/brother

dra/zar lover, match, mate

driira/driirn mother/father, teacher

dril/dorl knight, sword, warrior

e servant, slave, vessel

eari/erd giver, god, patron

eyl archer, arrow, flight, flyer

ffyn/fein minstrel, singer, song

fryn champion, victor, weapon, weapon of

iara/ica baron, duke, lady/lord

ice/eth obsession, taker, taken

idil/imar alpha, beginning, creator of, maker

iira/inid harbinger, herald

inidia secret, wall, warder

inil/in lady/lord, rider, steed

intra envoy, messenger, prophet

isstra/atlab acolyte, apprentice, student

ithra/irahc dragon, serpent, wyrm

jra/gos beast, biter, stinger

jss scout, stalker

kacha/kah beauty, hair, style

kiira/raen apostle, disciple

lay/dyn flight, flyer, wing, wings

lara/aghar cynic, death, end, victim

lin arm, armor, commander

lochar messenger, spider

mice/myr bone, bones, necromancer, witch

mur'ss shadow, spy, witness

na/nar adept, ghost, spirit

nilee/olil corpse, disease, ravager

niss/nozz chance, gambler, game

nitra/net kicker, returned, risen

nolu art, artist, expert, treasure

olin ascension, love, lover, lust

onia/onim rod, staff, token, wand

oyss/omph binder, judge, law, prison

qualyn ally, caller, kin

quarra/net horde, host, legion

quiri/oj aura, cloak, hide, skin

ra/or fool, game, prey, quarry

rae/rar secret, seeker, quest

raema/orvir crafter, fist, hand

raena/olvir center, haven, home

riia/rak enchanter, mage, spellcaster

ril bandit, enemy, raider, outlaw

riina/ree enchanter, mage, spellcaster

ryna/oyn follower, hired, mercenary

ryne/ryn blooded, elder, experienced

shalee/ral abjurer, gaze, watch, watcher

ssysn/rysn artifact, dweomer, sorcerer, spell

stin/trin clan, house, merchant, of the house

stra/tran spider, spinner, weaver

tana/ton darkness, lurker, prowler

thara/tar glyph, marker, rune

thrae/olg charmer, leader, seducer

tree/tel exile, loner, outcast, pariah

tyrr dagger, poison, poisoner, scorpion

ual/dan speed, strider

ue/dor arm, artisan, fingers

uit/dar breath, voice, word

une/diin diviner, fate, future, oracle

uque cavern, digger, mole, tunnel

urra/dax nomad, renegade, wanderer

va/ven comrade, honor, honored

vayas forge, forger, hammer, smith

vyll punishment, scourge, whip, zealot

vyrae/vyr mistress/master, overseer

wae/hrae heir, inheritor, princess

wiira/hriir seneschal of, steward

wyss/hrys best, creator, starter

xae/zaer orb, rank, ruler, sceptor

xena/zen cutter, gem, jewel, jeweler

xyra/zyr sage, teller

yl drow, woman/man

ylene/yln handmaiden/squire, maiden/youth

ymma/inyon drider, feet, foot, runner

ynda/yrd captain, custodian, marshal, ranger

ynrae/yraen heretic, rebel, riot, void

vrae architect, founder, mason

yrr protector, rival, wielder

zyne/zt finder, hunter

House Name Prefixes - Meaning

Alean the noble line of

Ale traders in

Arab daughters of

Arken mages of

Auvry blood of the

Baen blessed by

Barri spawn of

Cladd warriors from

Desp victors of

De champions of

Do' walkers in

Eils lands of

Everh the caverns of

Fre friends of

Gode clan of

Helvi those above

Hla seers of

Hun' the sisterhood of

Ken sworn to

Kil people of

Mae raiders from

Mel mothers of

My honored of

Noqu sacred to

Orly guild of

Ouss heirs to

Rilyn house of

Teken' delvers in

Tor mistresses of

Zau children of

House Name Suffixes - Meaning

afin the web

ana the night

ani the widow

ar poison

arn fire

ate the way

ath the dragons

duis the whip

ervs the depths

ep the underdark

ett magic

ghym the forgotten ways

iryn history

lyl the blade

mtor the abyss

ndar black hearts

neld the arcane

rae fell powers

rahel the gods

rret the void

sek adamantite

th challenges

tlar mysteries

t'tar victory

tyl the pits

und the spider's kiss

urden the darkness

val silken weaver

viir dominance

zynge the ruins

#Dungeons and Dragons #Drow #The Legend of Drizzt #dnd #dark elves

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pheoblitz · 2 months ago

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Set 1 and set 2 of Dnd eyeballs! Featuring all the eyes of people relating to or important to my character!

Things to note:

-Nym and Oren are the same person, so Nym's is simply how he holds them in more modern times, being tired and all.

-Xerxes has a crystal inplace of his right eye. It glows slightly to his dismay but it's all he can get (a gift from another).

-I am not wholly a fan of how the colours for the mother and sibling(?)'s came out.

-April and Apricot are based off one another like Oranges and Oren. April May be cursed, so there is also a chance that Apricot is April

-Its really funny to me that his father and father figure (Alton) both have very red eyes.

-Dominous is the Big bad! He has killed Nym once and tried to kill the party atleast 3 2 more times after that. He may be the reason Nym has no memory.

-Chester is his displacer beast, toothy is his mimic.

-Apricot and Oranges are Elerwyn.

-Phoenix, Pocket, Petunia, and Artimis are the other players! I do not own them, but they are here because they are part of the Party Nym is in.

-The last four are non direct family members. Like distant cousins. Wolf, fox, and bear are not their names. Just like friend 1, 3, and his mother, father, and sibling, I do not know their real names. 3 people are also missing, Beetle, Salmon, and Elephant. I have yet to design them. So they were skipped for now and will be found in a later dnd eye set.

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thevalicemultiverse · 2 months ago

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The group playing gang beasts be like:

Alice & Me: CAT FIGHT!!!

VD: Trying not to fall off the map and die

Smiler: Not doing anything (Legendary Strategy)

Cuddlepile

Alice: That's that fighting game where you play ridiculously floppy critters trying to throw each other off boats or into the paths of subways and suchlike, isn't it? I think your initial assessment of me, you, and Victor playing that is accurate, but I suspect Smiler would be wobbling around everywhere causing as much chaos as possible.

Smiler: Oh I don't know, I'd probably stop long enough to watch the cat fight. [grins] And then see if I could sneak attack the winner.

#toonsisters #~M: I want some questions! now! (ask)#~V: Cuddlepile #~T: Running Headlong Into The Bullshit #valicer gang beasts #~C: Alice Liddell #~C: Smiler Alton #((I've only ever seen this game played by other people #not really a battle royaler myself #but it looks amusing #and yes I can see Smiler deliberately setting off map hazards and watching fights #only to attack the winner once their back is turned XD #good stuff :P))#~M: with this hand I will lift your queue

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beast-towers · 9 months ago

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So…. ;w;

Here is my version of human Alton Towers.

This version, he is an retired Abyss Hunter, but he still assists the Abyss Watchers and Uri’s Grandmother with helping lost pure soul supernatural creatures to become guardians for anyone who is struggling, the Watchers, or with him in his park, Alton Towers. Of course he wants to make sure if the creature is comfortable enough to not only be around with people, but to help make his park interesting and safe for both worlds.

If the beast refuses, he will allow them to choose their own path with the Watchers or with any Soul who is struggling in life. However, if a beast wish to prove that not all supernatural creatures are not this scary, he will welcome them with open arms.

Those who have been willing to go with him, they will be placed to protect a coaster. Not only forming a mascot for the coaster, this also creating new abilities to those creatures. Whichever ride they’re with, they will gain the ability to mimic the ride’s power or personality. Creating a safe and an actual fun experience for both normal and supernatural worlds, in exchange, Alton makes sure the beasts are protected and safe. If a rogue hunter tries to kill one of the creatures, he will personally fight them off from his park. If there are beasts that are not getting along and on a verge of a Turf War, he will quickly stop them and find the root of the problem… but there were cases where he was too late to stop the fight, and sees one of the Beasts lying dead while the other stood victorious… only for that beast to have their abilities stripped away from them and banished back to the Abyss Watchers.

That sadly never lasted once The Ministry of Joy formed. Bringing Otsana into the picture. Alton was very uncomfortable with the fact he now has a werewolf in his park, but was threatened by MOJ if he doesn’t allow her in, they will take away the X-Sector, permanently. He reluctantly agreed, as Otsana became The Smiler Guard for the ride… he will soon find out it was a horrible mistake.

Charmer, an ex-guardian beast was protecting his Coaster, Wicker Man. Until he noticed Otsana trying to lure a poor soul into the X-Sector, to the Ministry. The former beast told Otsana to back off and leave his area, but the werewolf refused to leave without collecting her subjects.. creating a Turf War. Alton received news that two beasts are now fighting, causing him to worry as he quickly went out to the scene… he didn’t make it in time.

Otsana now had the dying Guard in her jaws, teeth holding Charmer’s neck as he struggled to breathe. Alton was furious, just before he was ready to take Otsana’s powers away, MOJ stopped him and reminded him of there deal. The man felt defeated, as he now watched Otsana freeing Charmer and returned to the Ministry. Alton apologize profusely to Charmer, as healers are doing everything they can to save him… but the wounds were very deep, Charmer asked Alton to find the right beast to take his place and make sure Otsana and the Ministry are burned to ashes. As much as Alton didn’t want to promise such thing, he accepted Charmer’s last wish. He also hated the Ministry, not only they took people away from their families, but they took away a friend to all.

Alton reported to the Watchers, as they understood his pain, frustration, and struggles. Both he and the Watcher secretly hatched a plan to slowly take down the Ministry piece by piece, to make sure not only they have no control over the X-Sector, but strip Otsana’s abilities and permanently banish her. While that, Uri was presented to Alton. Upon seeing her fire like energy and valor for fighting back darkness gave him a small smile, and Uri can see he is in pain, tired, and very defeated under his mask. Gently starting a conversation with the man as he explained what happened, the girl huffed as she formed into a beast. Fur up and spiky with anger, hoping one day to go to his park and fight the werewolf for him.

Uri’s Grandmother saw and heard them talking, soon an idea formed. She looked over to the two as she then spoke to her granddaughter, assigning her to be with Alton, and protect Wicker Man and guests. The two were surprised by this, but Alton was worried that something bad will happen to Uri. Yet the old woman looked unfazed, she has full trust in Uri and Alton. She knows they’re going to be okay, but if something deeply negative and heavy does happen, Alton has to contact his former leader immediately.

After that, Uri was now off with Alton, to protect and fulfill Charmer’s final wish. Looking over to see the Wicker Man Coaster, to this day, she is still impressed. Alton has seen Uri struggle with her assigned coaster, but seeing her and helping her out made her pick up everything quickly. As much it was reliving, it didn’t last as his worst fears came true. Otsana began to fight with Uri.

He raced over to stop the fight, to only see Uri ignite into flames and push back Otsana. She didn’t want to kill her, not only because of the guests, but she can see the Werewolf herself was somewhat in pain. Physically and mentally. Thus the two left each other alone to recover from their fight.

Alton and the healers ran over to inspect Uri, thankfully and thanks to her new fire abilities, her wounds somewhat healed on their own. Deeply relieved, Alton now makes sure to inspect and inform the beasts if they began to fight, they will have to go to him to sort it out or get away from each other. Thankfully, all of them agreed and some began to learn how to get along or left each other alone… the only one who hasn’t agreed was Otsana and the Ministry. To them, this is a test ground to show off their might. Little did they know, that ego of theirs will crumble.

Now Alton makes sure everyone is safe and having a fantastic time, even the beasts make sure to spread that same positive energy to all. Uri would visit Alton to make sure he’s doing well and ask if he needed anything or share information to the other Beasts. Deeply appreciated for her help through a tough time… almost, as he would scold her for trying to set fires to the Ministry and Phalanx.

All in all, he deeply loves his work and helping Pure Hearted Beasts… yet struggled with the binds of the Ministry and Phalanx.

In short with Phalanx: They want to control all of the beasts for government purposes (their purposes), but Alton and the Watchers said “How about you fuck off with that idea.” But professionally. So Alton never assigned a beast to protect Nemesis, fearing that Phalanx would take advantage of them and might do unspeakable harm. Let alone… Nemesis herself IS a beast.

Extra thing: If the coaster is retired, the beast’s power would also fade away. Yet Alton would allow them to stay to help him out or assist with Watchers to fend off darkness. Some stayed as a form of guidance for the newer beasts and some went of to join the watchers.

———————

Writing hurts! But I did it ;w; so yeah, this man has non-threatening monsters in his park to show that both worlds can indeed coexist. Yet there are a few who would love to mess that up. But thanks for his connections, he hopes life would return to normal without the fears of control and Turf Wars. He still spots Otsana and Uri ready to fight each other again, but thankfully he is there to stop the two.

Also, here is him without his hat.

This man never takes off his mask, unless it’s to wash or sleep, but even if you try, another one will appear lol

Uri and some of the beasts would sometimes play a joke and try to take off his mask, only to find another and another. The only people who had seen him without his mask, was Uri’s grandmother and old retired hunters.

This one was just a layout on how he’ll look like. Gonna now officially make his ref. Might use this pose or make a new one. For now, I hope you enjoy! :D

#alton towers #alton towers oc #alton towers human #Alton Towers the Beast Protector

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