#welcome back miss greedy for power for honor for love !!

[kissmeau]

For as much as Autumn calculated everything, there was a thing he missed. Autumn wished to have brought a camera so he could capture that expression on his lover's face. It would be a physical reminder of this night. But, it did not quite matter; Autumn could never erase those shining eyes, that smile, and then that little speech where his efforts had been recognized.

Autumn felt his heart beating faster when Astra leaned for a brief kiss. "I disagree, inherently. I've been selfish all this long. But let's not fight tonight." Autumn chuckled.

It would have been a sham fight, where he would have explained that this, all of this, came from the most desirous part of Autumn's soul. Autumn had conveyed all his greediness into this moment because he wanted him, all for himself. Of course, he already knew that despite the love of Astra for the universe, his love for Autumn was bigger, and not even the Scorpio constellation or any other could eclipse it. Autumn was taken advantage of that fact.

He caressed his face and pressed another kiss on his lips. Still a short one, but one where he took a deep breath, letting the magnitude of this feeling between them be the one to manage the havoc of being so clearly seen in the eyes of one another.

If the stars were looking back at them, they would envy the unique galaxy Astra and Autumn had become on earth.

As usual, Autumn did not have expectations of a gift. Despite their time living together, where he's been showered with presents and attention, it's still something Autumn can't wrap around his head. Except, after so many tender baths of affection, Autumn no longer rejects them. He was excited to see what Astra had in mind, and when he saw the box, he put both hands in the center to receive it like a child collecting his favorite candy.

Many wouldn't consider bringing work matters to February 14th romantic at all, but Autumn didn't view it as such. The Cleaners was Astra's organization, which he had built diligently for years. It was a criminal organization where terrible things would happen. Astra was the one leading such a deadly orchestra. Still, it was built on the foundation of pride, on the recognition of his power and self, and accepting someone into the upper ladders of commands implied a bond of trust, so genuine no one has written about it yet. It was beyond. It surpassed fears and paranoia and became acceptance, loyalty, and honor.

Astra was giving all of it to Autumn right now, expressing —with the bonus of a hug— how deeply beneath his layers and masks Autumn had gotten that he had become deserving of handling more intrinsic matters. "Thank you. It's a beautiful watch, also."

Autumn took a deep breath to let the feeling of being known sink in, and he was about to turn his head to kiss his jaw when he stopped right on the spot after the revelation of an even more intimate detail that didn't regard the organization, but Astra as a person. "Mnh, mnh, I see." Suddenly, he felt overcome by the affection and closeness, but he had no interest in running away; he held onto his safe space. Autumn leaned into the embrace excitedly, pressing the buttons on the watch to find Astra's real name, which wasn't the easiest task; Gambit had to put some riddles and codes for safety. But when the name revealed itself, Autumn thought he was melting and pressed his body even closer to steady himself.

Astra's name revelation meant Autumn had been welcomed into his life with no return, without looking back, without doubts, and without a second guess. Autumn had been seen, had been known, but now —now— he belonged to him. They belonged to each other beyond a partnership; they belonged in the deepest affinity where love sounded suddenly like a small word to describe their union. He didn't believe in soulmates, but he was sure his soul was tangling with the man's embracing him.

"Love, it's a beautiful name." He admitted, putting the watch down because he had turned to look at the blonde instead. One hand cupped his face with his fingertips almost as gently as the wind brushing their bodies. "I want to hear it. I want to know how it sounds in your voice." He paused to simply look into his golden eyes, adoring him, treasuring every second, and feeling sorry for the night sky that had become a mere background, but the beauty of this moment had no comparison.

"And tell me how I should call you tonight." In this little hideout, they were safe. It was private, hidden. If he wanted to take Autumn later on into the cabin, Autumn could scream his real name only if he so desired. But, other than that, Autumn couldn't fancy his name in different stances, even when he wished to write both their name in heart shapes in all the notebooks and all the trees.

Autumn loved him. Autumn loved him so much.

[kimnamnu]

Deadly Kiss

Daemon Targaryen x Original Female Character

summary: Daemon Targaryen loved the great things in life, but none was as loved as the Lady Aelnerys.

Prologue

House Malaemor once held power in the Freehold of Old Valyria, its dragonriders and gold made enemies aware of the fate that awaited them should a threat arrise. As gloroius as their motto, and as greedy as their gold, the Malaemor's lost their power after the doom. But that was not the end.

Establishing theirselves in an isle close to Dragonstone, the Malaemor's lived as a sworn house to the Targaryens. In the age of the conquest a daughter was promised, so that in the end the last three valyrian houses would once again reign from the skies. A promise who would only come to fruition later, on the reign of Jaeherys I.

The Lady Jocelyn Baratheon had two daughters with her husband, the late crown prince Aemon Targaryen, Rhaenys and Rhaena. Rhaenys would wed the Lord of Driftmark, Colrys Velaryon, and Rhaena would fulfil her ancestors promise and marry the Lord of Gaahil, Vaenar Malaemor. 

The daughters of Jocelyn Baratheon would not be queens, but from their blood dragonriders would be born, a promise would come true and the last blood of old valyria would once again rule from the skies.

Second moon of the 111th year after the conquest

Prove himself better was always easily accomplished for Daemon Targaryen. Weak Viserys without a warrior bone in his body and a dead dragon at his back had nothing on the Prince of the City, claimed as the warrior reborn and rider of the bloody wyrm.

But Viserys was King, and Daemon was not, his brother had the crown he desired, so a decision was taken. He went and conquered a kingdom to himself, a crown of crab embroider by flesh.

But Viserys was still King, and Daemon, the Rogue Prince who liked to conquer surrender his kingdom to his brother.

Conquerors were not meant to be at only one place, and so the rogue prince flew. On his scary wyrm with the color of blood and screech of pain.

A visit to a cousin long overdue was made, and a match from the havens itself awaited.

Prince Daemon Targaryen arrival at the Isle of Gaahil was announced by the laid screech of his winged mount. While the sight of dragons was common around the isle, courtiers and commoners alike found that seeing the wyrm round their heads up in the sky was like waiting for a judgement to be passed.

The Targaryens were always closer to gods than to men.

Awaiting the rogue prince on top of the stairs in the keep of Cyalbelle, the Lord and Lady Malaemor, together with their three children, the ruling family of Gaahil made an imposing sight dressed in indigo and gold.

"Cousin, so lovely of you to receive me here, why, one would think that you even missed me." The Prince said with his signature smirk adorning his face. His silvery tresses shined in the warm light of the sun, and purple eyes were alight with enjoyment.

"My Prince, it is an honor for you to join us. Please, be welcomed to Gaahil." Lady Rhaena's face didn't give away any of her thoughts as she stepped forward. "Let me introduce you to my family, cousin." She indicated to the people who stood in a line behind her.

The only acknowledgment that came from the man was a raised brow and the deepened plastered smirk on his face.

"My Prince, it is an utmost pleasure to have you here." The tall Lord with the deep green orbs said while bowing. "We've all heard of your victory on the Stepstones, allow me to give you my most sincere congratulations. "

"Please Lord Vaenor none of this formality, we are after all family."

"Of course." The Lord said, eyes trailing the Prince as if trying to read him. He then looked at his wife and with a swift nod the attention was turned back on her.

"Cousin, I'm happy to introduce you to my eldest son and heir of Gaahil, Vinarr, and his brother Maelerys." Both men were of lithe building, much like their father, with stern faces and glowing green orbs. Their classic valyrian hair covered their faces when bowing they muttered 'my prince'.

"And of course our daughter, Aelnerys." The Lady introduced the last person on the line.

The prince lost his air.

Daemon Targaryen has traveled through many places in the known world, he has seen many beauties and fucked most of them, but none would come close to that of the lady he looked at.

The trend mark silver hair of the valyrians shined, her moonkissed skin looked soft and perfect to be marked on, her body was that of the maiden herself, but the eyes...oh, the eyes.

One could look in their deeps and get lost, for green battled with indigo, and created the most beautiful thing a man could gaze upon to.

"My prince." A soft courtesy was offered, her head bowed and voice melodious.Daemon offered his hand, who she promptly took and besotted a suave kiss on the fingers.

"My lady."

Their eyes locked.

"The moonkissed lady loved her scarred prince, for him only did her heart soared like it was flying through the sky and her soul burned a blazing fire that nothing in the world could erase."

masterlist

This is my first time writing in english, it is not my first language, so i'm truly sorry if there are mistakes.

[chaos-caffeinated]

Emotions can help you remember Part 2 (Sebastian Michaelis x reader)

 A/N: Part two is here, excited as always, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Thank you so much for the comments, for the support. I did not know that I had the date set to that day, I thought it was the 19th, but oh well, it’s done. I hope this second part satisifes as the continuing part. 

Not requested

Rated: NSFT/W, 18+

~~~

Yes, I do love using Gifs that send a chill down your back, it may even help trigger some emotions for sexual purposes ding ding :)

Also extra note, Microsoft Bing Translator was used, so 1) Do not come at me for any mistakes 2) Do not start requesting stories in French please, gracias! 

Part 1: https://chaos-caffeinated.tumblr.com/post/623644027625127936/emotions-can-help-you-remember-13-sebastian-x

The moment you heard the bell when someone walked into the shop, you greeted them. While Nina was busy tailoring in the back, you were in charge with inventory; looking up you greeted the client with a smile, “Hello, welcome to- Earl of Phantomhive, it’s so good to see you again.” You perked up, setting down your quill and walking around the counter to greet him, “What brings you here today, Lord Phantomhive? I can call over Madam to prepare your tailoring.”

The earl nodded at you in acknowledgement, even replying, “There’s no need for that, Miss. (L/N). Actually I am here to ask Nina for a favor, but I need both of your presence.”

Confused, you just had to nod, “Of course, I’ll be right back.”

You head towards the back and Ciel called forward Sebastian, “Sebastian, see what you can know about her and you can decide on it.”

He nods, placing his hand over his chest and leaning forward, “Yes, my lord.” He smirked softly and stood up on point when Nina and you walked out. 

“Lord Phantomhive? You wanted to see us?” Nina asked in a confused manner, but remaining straight.

“Yes, I wanted to ask about Miss. (L/N) living at my manor for a few days. I figure you would be busy, so I wanted Miss. (L/N) to take note on what outfits-...”

While you and Nina listened, Sebastian strolled his way to your side, tapped on your shoulder softly. When you turn to glance at him, he had that same smirk he always possess on his pale face with piercing red eyes and nodded his head subtly towards the backroom, enticing you further. However, you were ready to say no to pay attention to the earl when he raised his hand to yours and pulled lightly, his grip on your fingers were light, but they guided you to the backroom you were previously in.

How he managed to get your own body to obey his silent commands were unknown. Since the last meeting, you were curious for more, you were beginning crave more of him. His comments, his words, his teasing yet professional manners were all getting to you. But you needn't him enough to go after him.

You asked in a whisper, “Sebastian, what is this about?” You asked confused, “Why does Lord Phantomhive want me to spend a few days in his manor?”

Instead of answering your questions, he added a few of his instead, “I was actually just going to ask you about this. Tell me, Miss. (L/N), how did you come about to work for Miss. Hopkins?"

Hesitant about revealing some information, you lightly shrugged, "My father works as a merchant, and I started working with him since I was 8. When I began to work, the sales increased dramatically until Madam stepped foot in the store when I was 17. She said because of my 'beauty' that she would help me obtain enough money to help my parents live a peaceful life without having to struggle. I'll occasionally have some modeling sessions with her clothing, and well...that's about it."

Sebastian crossed his arms over his chest, raising the back of his clothed forefinger to the bottom of his lip as he stood there in thought, "So I assume you asked about her teaching tailoring to do more than modeling?"

You nodded with a smile, "Yes, she has such a charisma and how joyful she is to create clothes for people is just inspiring. I would be lying if I said I didn't want to do it."

Your smile shifted into a softer one, gazing back into a memory, "It gives me the power to gift others the opportunity to feel just as good as the elite."

The corner of his lip curved slightly as he offered a deal, assuming that you would take up on it, "Then for a few days, would you grant us the wish of you appearing as the guest of honor in the incoming ball?"

"A guest of honor in a ball? That means a lot Sebastian and I thank you, but...why?"

"My young master is going to host a party in celebration of the successful partnership with the Northern countries. It's because of you that it managed to be so." He charmed his close-eyed smile, "It would be an honor to have your presence. It would definitely be if I got to see you once more." His tone slightly shifted into his sultry one. Even his eyes radiated something, but you couldn't pinpoint what it was.

You felt a small chill down your spine, barely noticeable in his eyes, but you kept pressing, "But me? I didn't do anything but provide a suit for the lord. It's a material for many, so surely it can't be because of that."

He was taken aback from the response, he thought you would be greedy like everybody else, but you had common sense in you. Questioning, acquiring the knowledge needed. It surprised him to see that in you.

"Being the guest of honor grants you the opportunity to meet with many patrons, with future clients for Miss. Hopkins and yourself. You said you wanted to help your parents, your success here in meeting with the guests can aid in your dream at a faster pace."

When he saw your eyes widen slightly in realization, he felt the ease of getting to you was accomplished. He was ordered to get you on board with the invitation, tell his master about your history which cleared out. Because you were a noble woman, you wouldn't back out from an opportunity to help the ones you treasured. With that he had you in his grip, a step closer to not only his master's wish to use her in his plan to trap a murderer amongst the noblemen the Queen ordered to get rid of, but also his desire. He had grown to lust, to search for a simple toy whilst in contract, yet here he was obtaining the information for his selfish wants as well.

"...So Lord Phantomhive is asking Madam for permission so that I stay with you until the ball?..." Your voice trembled with nervousness as you were hit with a dilemma. You wanted to quit the modeling, having the eyes of other people made you feel uncomfortable. You tried so hard that you even asked Madam about teaching you how to tailor, but the man in front of you- the mysterious man- was giving you an opportunity to reach higher by just attending a formal event.

"Yes, at the moment they are. In the meantime, we can discuss about further responsibilities to avoid any problems."

"Well I'm sure Lord Phantomhive can help me on that then-" You were about to walk out when you see his arm place outward in front of you, his hand placed on the wall.

You stopped immediately, looking at his arm before you saw him at your peripheral.

Sebastian leaned his face forward, quiet as he stared at your reaction with his eyes half-lid and his lips pulled into a smug smirk.

“Miss. (L/N), you will be a great addition in our current situation. Having you on board can prove a good time for you as well. My master may be distracted with business partners, but his servants will be in alert if there is any discomfort. If you ever need me -in any case- I will be there in a second.” The hand beside your head guided towards your chin, softly grabbing with his forefinger resting underneath it, and his thumb gently pressing against your lips, "Like I mentioned before, it would be a great honor for me if you attended..." and he leaned closer and closer to your lips.

Your eyes widen as your cheeks darken with a pink/red hue, and you moved your head aside from his hand and face getting closer. You wondered what he was doing, you wondered if you genuinely had that affect on him, but you had to stay alert.

Upon this, Sebastian was surprised as well, smirking softly and closing his eyes before backing away completely. She was smart, and she was indeed unlike other girls who would take up on the opportunity.

“A-A-and this is because... because of my ‘beauty’?... That’s the qualification?” You closed your eyes for a moment, pinching the bridge of your nose before completely turning to the man ahead of you. If it weren’t for this, you would be blushing as you see him nearly hovering over you. His eyes seemed much darker, his bangs nearly coverng them, “It would be a brilliant way to cast your beauty, and if the compensation is not enough -or interest- we can arrange that in a meeting. I’m sure anything you ask for can be arranged, I assure you as such. It can be for Miss. Hopkins as well.” He smirked softly. 

You thought for a moment, sighing softly in reluctance, “You’re very convincing, but is my presence alone the only thing needed for this event?”

Sebastian stood back, his arms crossed in a soft manner while he brought one hand up to his chin, rubbing softly, “There is one thing. We may need you to speak in fluent French, many guests there prefer to speak French for an unknown reason.” 

“Wait- I-I don’t know French.” you added to which Sebastian stare at you with a semi-surprised expression, “You don’t? Well I assumed that because you worked under Miss Hopkins she would have taught you-”

You shook your head in response, “She always speaks English to me unless they are simple phrases like, ‘Bonjour, Comment-’ ... uhm...vas-tchu?” You were already messing up your pronounciation to which the butler simply stared at you with the best attempt of sympathizing. 

Letting out a breath, he shook his head, “Well, it can’t be helped.” Then he smiled small, “I can provide the help needed to ensure that you do speak fluent French. You can even surprise Miss. Hopkins and avoid any language barriers within.” He offered a warm smile which you reciprocated, “Alright, wait you are going to be teaching me?” you askeed confused.

“Yes, I will.” He nodded, his smile shifting into a prideful one, almost like he was giddy to show off his ability to speak French.

“But you don’t sound like Madam at all.” You bluntly stated as you acknowledged the lack of accent.

What came out of his mouth surprised you nonetheless: “Un humain en particulier que vous devez avoir remarqué de tels détails, mais attendu de la benficiaire de Nina. Ce sera amusant à coup sûr, car je vais m’assurer de vous donner autant que l’attention, mon petit chaton.”

The way he suddenly showed you up with this second language made you not only blush, but sense a chill. His voice enunciating each syllable with ease like it was his native language made your heart flutter. You almost prefer him talking that way from now on, but you were not only blinded, but deaf of his subtle approaches. 

“...So you do speak french.” You confirmed, speechless from the action.

Smiling with his eyes closed, a confident, yet playful smile, he responded, “Why yes, a Phantomhive butler who can’t do this much isn’t worth his salt, I would have high hopes for your success in learning a new, wonderful language, but I know all my students are succesful when it comes to speaking French.”

When he said that, you couldn’t help but ask, “You taught Lord Phantomhive French? A butler?” You asked curiously as you tilted your head to the side a bit.

Smirking smugly, he replied, “I’m not just a mere butler, my lady. I’m simply one hell of a butler.”

A series of chills traveled down your spine as his eyes darken and his smirk remained, catching a glimpse of his whites, a sharp canine tooth showing itself. With his response, you felt pulled towards him, now a sense of being with him getting stronger. INstead of replying, you simply turned to walk to the main room witha  soft blush across your cheeks as Nina was going to tell you with excitement to participate in the ball. Sebastian, on the other hand, had a soft smile on his face, his features no longer had his previous intent. He had gone back to his façade butler character as he hid the fact that he was soon going to take fully advntage of you when you two enter the  manor. 

~~

Currently sitting in front of the earl in the carriage, you simply remained staring at his boots out of respect.

“As much as I respect your manners, Miss. (L/N), I’m sure your neck is sore, please just look up.” He commented, his arms were crossed as he crossed one leg over the other. 

Just like he guessed, your neck was slightly strained from keeping it at a certain angle for a long time, “I’m sorry my lord, I just don’t want to offend you any way.” You responded with honesty as he focus went from the outside fields to your face, “I appreciate that, but you don’t have to worry about that. You are a guest of honor, please do relax.” He smirked lightly, his left blue eye glinting softly, “I’m sure Sebastian explained why we needed you?”

You nodded, “Yes, my lord. A guest honor to your incoming ball?”

He nods in response, “Yes, but in addition you will be further aiding in providing extra clients for Miss. Hopkins which can help your experience with tailoring as well.”

“Yes, but if I may ask, my lord...why go that far for me to be a guest honor when I'm simply a tailor?...”

“Good question, Sebastian commented that since very little people are aware of you, it would be a great way to expand the opportunities from a wider stance. You have skills, you are smart, you need a lot more practice and how when clients occur weekly or monthly. And please, start calling me Ciel, it would be more appropiate."

“Ciel...” You pronounced it, testing it, “It’s a beautiful name.” You complimented, watching as he hesitated a smile, “Thank you.”

“However, if I have to call you Ciel, you can just call me (Y/N).” you smiled warmly.

Now he smiled small, his weight shifting underneath, “(Y/N), it’s a beautiful name.” 

Ciel smiled softly before traveling over at the window to watch the scenary while recalling some events.

~

Sebastian knocked on the door only for Ciel to respond, "Come in."

Opening the door, Sebastian walked in and closed the door. He strolled over in front of the mahogany desk and reached out his arm, "A letter from the Queen, my lord." He gazed downwards.

Ciel was writing on a paper when he sat up, placed down the quill and took the letter. Opening it and silently reading it indifferently by himself, he hummed afterwards, "Seems we have a rotten apple in our bunch." He commented and set down the letter to focus on his dessert Sebastian brought earlier.

"Indeed, if it remains there, the others will rotten as well." Sebastian smirked, "What's your plan, my lord?"

"The murderer seems to appear in the parties, so he is invited." He sighed, "Honestly, if I have to create a party here just to catch it then it would be annoying since I have so much work to do." He chewed on his dessert when Sebastian spoke up.

"It's unfortunate we can't perform the ‘Robin’ again." He smiled smugly as Ciel choked on the last piece, blushing hard as he looked at him with an angry expression, "Shut up! I forbid you to ever speak of that event! That was utterly embarrassing, you know it."

Sebastian raised his hand to cover his mouth, "Really, I thought you were a splendid lady." He teased with a taunting tone as he chuckled into it.

Ciel felt a chill down his back as he was enraged with the teasing demon, "I said shut up!" He huffed into his chair, "Anyways..." He raised a fist to cough lightly in an attempt to brush it off, "We may have to use a decoy to this party, someone rarely anybody knows of."

Sebastian nods subtly, "Yes, I agree. What about Miss. (L/N)? I do believe she would fit the qualifications to be a decoy in the trap."

Ciel picked up the letter and read it again, "She does seem to fit the profile the murderer selects his victims from." He sighs, "Very well-..." He view the letter once more before becoming bewildered.

"Something the matter, my lord?"

"...Fluency in French. For some reason the murderer likes girls who speak french." Ciel commented in an irritant tone, "Does Miss. (L/N) even speak french?"

Sebastian pondered on it, rubbing his chin softly with his finger, "I'm uncertain about that. Judging by her accent, no, but you don't have an accent either despite being bilingual as well. How about we trick her into being a guest of honor, but not disclosing that with that with the guests?"

He sighed as he placed down the letter, "Fine by me, just don’t mention anything to her about the case.” He raised the cup up to his lips and sipped on the tea. 

Sebastian’s cornered lips perked up as he placed his hand over his chest and leaned forward, “Yes, my lord.”

Ciel glanced at the demon ahead of him and pondered what true intentions he had with the lady at the tailor shop. Of all the other women laying around, the name that came out of his mouth belonged to you, it was a recent visit too. Nonetheless, he just wanted the case solved.  

~

When the carriage stopped in front of the mansion, Sebastian opened the door with his head bowed slightly, “We’ve arrived, my lord.”

After Ciel walked out, you followed, admiring the manison. 

You were hopeful that you were going to have fun being with these two without realizing you were going to risk you own life as well. 

[morningham]

really never post anything i write on here but. figured i’d see if anyone wanted to check this little piece out.

Gaia

In the beginning it was lonesome. Time stood still, alone in the expanse of nothing. The eons ticked by, black and silent. Time created Pluto first. Cold and bleak, his eldest child escaped to the furthest expanse of the universe. Typical teenage rebellion. From him burst forth several children, all to become his moons, constant in their seeking of approval and attention. Time created Sol next. Bright and boisterous, she cast heavenly light upon the great expanse. She begged Time for companionship, scorching every child he made her to play with. She erupted with fury and pain, casting out tiny sparks of fire from her fingertips. The stars twinkled at her, winking and scattering across the great nothing. She flared with joy when they crowded her lap, unscathed. Time made the twins shortly after, Uranus and Saturn. They squabbled and shoved and pushed themselves far from Sol, who showered them with gifts of life. Venus and Mercury came next, sensual and silent, speaking only to Sol, moving closer to her with each passing eon to drown out the noise of the boys fighting about who had more flashy rings. Mars came next, hot and furious, waging war on any passing speck of dust. His skin grew molten from Sol’s constant doting, and her children imploded themselves upon him, giggling as he tried to swat them away.

Father Time was content. His family was like any other, not perfection, but wonderful. He marched on, ever expanding the great darkness inveloping his children. Sol’s daughters and sons painted the sky with constellations, beautiful galaxies, begging their grandpa to look upon it’s wonder. Sol beamed proudly, illuminating their art with her fire.

Time grew weaker. His children rushed to his aid, begging to help. He waved them off wearily, never stopping. He knew it was time to rest, but something was missing. Gaia was last. Time worked his hardest on her, perfecting every detail until she drew her first breath. Sol shone gently upon her, careful not to mar her lovely watery expanses, her lush greens and hues of royal and purple dancing on her surface. Mars sang her songs, and Venus showered her with affection unmatched. Time rested. He slowed, nearly dormant, and Gaia flourished. She seduced Lune with her beauty and charm, drawing her into her powerful orbit with just a spin. Gaia was happy.

But soon she grew lonely. Her elder siblings chattered wildly among themselves as the eons trickled on. She wanted children of her own. It took many tries to get it right. At first the creatures she melded out of clay bit and snarled and choked each other to death. She tried again, softening their teeth to graze upon her skirts of greenery. The animals lived in harmony. They created more of themselves, singing songs to Gaia as they traipsed her surface, and she created some to swim in her oceans, away from their familiar counterparts on land. All was good. Gaia and Lune loved their children and their children’s children, gazing upon them and letting them do as they pleased. Mars grew jealous, of course, a barren father, and in a fit of particularly strong rage at Gaia’s cooing, hurtled a chunk of his molten being at her. It smashed upon her children, their cries echoing across the now desolate wasteland. Gaia wept unconditionally, covering herself in pools upon pools of her own misery. Lune shielded her from Mars and his rage, pelting her skin with rocks. Sol turned away from her, melting Mars with her heat. Gaia became cold and barren. No children could survive now. She blanketed herself in Lune’s cool embrace, once again lonely and now desolate. Time saw his favorite child’s pain.

He arose from dormancy to comfort her, soothing her with promises of a better future. She pouted and iced over at his empty premonitions. Desperate, Time fashioned soft animals out of the cosmos, fluffy and big pawed, setting them upon Gaia’s lap. The bears enjoyed the cold, the cubs tumbling across ice sheets away from their mothers fishing in small pockets of Gaia’s icy pain. The tigers curled at the base of her trees, purring when she ticked through their soft fur. Sol grew curious of the new children, her own stars dancing across Gaia’s night sky to dazzle them. Slowly, Gaia bloomed. She preened over her new children, promising them no harm, only eden.

Time, slowing once again, created a child of Gaia’s own flesh. Lean and two legged, these creatures looked like none the cosmos had ever seen. They could speak, could appreciate the gifts Sol and Lune blessed them with, chattering excitedly amongst themselves as they created more and more of themselves. Gaia taught them to harvest herself, how to travel the wonderful seas with vessels made from her fingers, how to create brilliant structures with stone and wet clay. The humans praised her endlessly. They wrote songs to their mother and her siblings, praying for everything they needed, toiling away at her. She wept joyously and her children babbled their thanks of the blessings, hushed by the beauty that sprouted upon her at the location of her tears. She watched them for years, providing their every need, as they learned and grew and made temples to the cosmos to honor her and her siblings.

Time grew irate with the human’s selfishness. They didn’t bother to honor him, their father, their creator. So he created them an end. The humans mourned bitterly as they took their last breaths and Gaia mourned with them. She took them into herself, protecting them in her heart, Sol’s children teaching them how to paint the cosmos with their beauty. Time marched on and the humans squabbled amongst themselves. The new humans squandered what Gaia gave them, tearing at her and walling themselves away from each other. They fought incessantly, killing each other and tossing their fallen comrades back at Gaia’s feet. She grew tired of their insolence and warned them, shaking with anger. Their structures fell and the humans ignored her, no longer grateful for what they’d been given. Gaia raged. She splashed angrily against the land, upturning their precious structures, destroying them in one fell swoop. She spared her four legged children, sequestering them on a high peak in the middle of a now watery grave. The animals feasted on what humans survived, thanking Gaia with every bite. She cried uncontrollably, flooding herself. Two humans managed to survive her fury. They threw themselves prostrate at the animals and kissed Gaia’s feet, begging for another chance. She ignored their cries until she could no longer, soothing them with soft whispers and gentle rays of Sol’s light. The humans began anew, teaching their children what their Mother had taught them. They spread vastly across her surface, wisely returning to the land they were so graciously given. Gaia showed favor with them. She watched in wonder as the humans continued to flourish, settling and creating their own little world. She punished their sins with floods and earthquakes, upending their homes and setting fire to their factories. They always rebuilt. Soon acrid smoke filled the air. She coughed and hacked and sent dust spiraling across their towns, begging them to stop. They pushed on. The humans no longer listened to her. They threw their waste in her waters, choking her first children and smothering them with oil. She screamed in agony and sent peals of white hot lighting across the land as they shredded her forests to pieces. Each day she grew weaker and Lune fretted, turning her back to the humans. They killed millions at a time, greedy and evil.

“Kill them all, sister.” Mars pleaded. They shot great firey things into the cosmos, closer and closer to Lune until they arrived on her. She welcomed them, her sweet children, and they collected her in their arms before returning to Gaia. They clogged her view of them and she sent rocks hurtling at herself, warning them to cease. They did not. Her first children begged her to help, laying amongst the bloody forests the men had destroyed. Gaia cried for them, petting them as they searched for new homes. The humans continued on. She raged at them, growing fiercer and fiercer, upending the seas upon their towns and shaking them in her fists.

She could barely breathe now. She felt crowded and hot, weakly asking them to stop. Sol moved closer, begging to help. Lune hid behind her, unable to look upon Gaia’s broken form.

Father they’re killing me.

Time heard his youngest’s desperate cries. She begged him to aid her in discipling her unruly children. The twins heard her screams of agony across the expanse as the humans laid waste to their mother. She lay broken when the humans finally ceased. Their buildings lay in ruins, dust covering her once vibrant surface. Lune tended her, and Sol left her in darkness, unable to illuminate her blacked form any longer. She could no longer speak, her children had taken that from her. She wept dryly for them, so foolish. They laid across their mother, charred and broken as she was. Time looked away from his sweetest daughter.

Eons passed and Gaia mourned. She lay drifting among the cosmos, quiet and dark. Her siblings spoke lowly of her. Her children killed her. Time watched his daughter, frozen and barren, until he could look upon her no longer. He descended upon her broken form, and with a shaky breath, a single green sprout emerged from her cracked form.

[kylo-hen]

Super Bloom Part 3

A/N: Sorry for the wait on this one, but she’s up! I’m slowly realizing my star wars encyclopedic phase was a long time ago and knowledge is beginning to seep out of my brain lmao. Hope you enjoy the extreme self indulgence in this because I have no self control

Kylo Ren X Soulmate!Reader (intergalactic soulmate AU)

Summary: Kylo takes you aboard his ship in attempts to acclimate you but how can he show you his life without revealing his demons?

Warnings: Fluff, lots and lots of fluff. Maybe 2 sentences worth of angst if you read into it.

    The dinner was in a word, luxurious, a multitude of different foods some native to this planet others from far off planets in galaxies I had never heard of. There was casual conversation flowing between the elders and Kylo about trade agreements and protection orders. Kylo and I sat side by side at the table and I tried to listen and absorb as much information I could from the discussions.

    Kylo sat confidently, comfortably, next to me his gaze intimidating and relaxed as the men and women around us worked to appease our every need. Kylo’s lifestyle had no room for wanting, if the thought passes his mind it appeared before he even needs to voice it, I wondered how far the luxury extended from his power to mine.

    As the night waned until the moon was high in the atmosphere it’s light breaking through the branches of the grove behind the dining hall, the goblets we drank had run dry, stomachs full from the variety of courses served, and all conversation lulled into peace; Kylo stood. His new position called for the rest of the room to follow in his footsteps, and soon the whole room of dignitaries stood except for me. Kylo extended his hand out to mine, similar to the stance he had in the beginning of the evening. He pulled me gently to my feet, keeping me close to his side as he announced his departure for the night, reaching for his helmet and returning to the state I met him in. The elders surrounding the table bowed their heads in respect for the man at my side and the guards surrounding the room, the ones who had flanked the man the whole day, readied themselves for their new task.

    Kylo ushered me along, keeping a close eye on me even as we walked out of the temple in their secure formation then. The streets after dark housed new beauties for the festival. Large gatherings of people performing with sparks of fire, more loud boisterous music, and lanterns strung over the main stretch of road. Many people laughing, dancing, drunk and in love made whoops and hollers when they saw us passing through. No one dared get in the way of the important men and women the temple was honoring, but their intoxicated minds must celebrate us.

    Kylo seemed particularly tense on the way back, every interaction with the crowd left his senses tense and overloaded, his instincts not ready for the bold people lining the pavement. The shadow of darkness did not allow him any relief, the nature of the city allowing for many vulnerable places for people to strike.

    His tension only melted as we approached the edge of the city, where a large ship laid waiting for its leaders’ occupation. There were men in white armor and blasters stationed outside of the ship, as a walkway descended to the ground, creating an isle up to his world. More guards in white armor descended in two lines and I wondered where they were all coming from, or if they had been waiting all day for this.

   As Kylo led me aboard his ship I felt like I was transported into a different dimension altogether. I had never been anywhere but my small planet, I had barely left the city in all my life. The sleek and simple black and white design of this looked state of the art, unlike anything I have ever seen. There are a couple more people to greet us, him, when we boarded.

     “Supreme Leader!” one of the men addressed Kylo enthusiastically, “Your earlier message made it seem like you would not be returning tonight,” his tone laced with acidic uncertainty, “We weren’t expecting you so soon.”

    Kylo’s gaze hardened in an instant, “My movements do not concern you.” He spoke to the small man who fell back into his rank surrounded by the guards behind him. “Leave us, we’ll have no petty interruptions tonight officer.” With that Kylo made a dramatic turn away from the hoard welcoming us abord, and towards the hallway adjacent to us.

     I followed him quickly, not wanting to invade his space if he was upset but also not wanting to fall behind and be lost on his ship. After travelling down a corridor for some time he came to a stop at a barren doorway that opened without hesitation.

     His room was barren to say the least, it was gracious in dimension but lackluster in any personality. The sterile minimalism extended to all parts of his ship, I wondered if this ship was his home, somewhere he spent frequently and if it was there had been so sign of him before.

    Kylo removed his helmet as soon as the door was secured behind us both, his demeanor shifting to the relaxation under the sun this afternoon. He regarded me with a smile so soft and quick I almost missed it.  I had stepped into the threshold of the room but no further, not knowing how to fit into this part of his life yet. All of my comfort that I retained from this evening had slowly melted away, and it left behind the ebb and flow of the anxiety in my stomach. I stood as still as possible, only a dew steps into his room watching as he moved with definitive purpose, exactly the opposite of my floundering worry.

    He didn’t address me until he began to remove the intricate bindings of his outfit, starting with the secures on his wrist. He looked up and saw my tense fearful body awaiting his instruction with my eyes darting all places in his room before landing on him. He stopped his pursuit of comfort, changing direction to aide my own. The cogs turned in his head for a moment, true vulnerable uneasiness passed over his features as he tried to acclimate me to his world.

   “I had one of my knights bring your things, they should be in the closet,” He started with a practical steady tone, “You are welcome to explore.” He tried with less certainty, his façade falling further with every tactic.

    “Can you show me?” I asked, not recognizing my own voice as it came out of my mouth a foreign cadence that lilted like the music in the market after dark. That lilt must have washed over him like a warm breeze because the trepidation before melted away, a smile graced his features as he moved to show me the amenities aboard his quarters.  

   He spoke softly about the room, which switches controlled which light, stopping at a bare display of buttons that he explained called droids for various services at any time. He showed me the fresher, the small space itself completely foreign to anything I had ever seen. Kylo must have found delight in my ignorance because he refused to tell me how to work the dammed contraption, opting to let me figure it out myself. When I looked up at him in protest his eyes were shining down on mine, full of a joy and passion. There was a third emotion I couldn’t quite put my finger on, it was dark, misty, but not intimidating.

    He paused before moving on to show me the rest of the amenities, his hands coming to wrap around me, the first physical contact we’ve had since stepping on the ship. They snaked their way around settling on my back once I was pressed to his front. He tilted his head down, wordlessly asking for a kiss. I obliged tenfold, pushing up to meet his lips with desperation. My hands finding purchase on his cheeks.

    This man lit a fire in my bones, not being able to touch him, to hold him in my arms for as long as I had felt like walking in the desert without water. Now, with his lips pressed against mine, his large sturdy hands keeping me secure, his breathe breathing me new life, his soul intertwined with my own, I was drowning. No, I was basking in his passion for me, his need. His touch, even juvenile, had me floating far from the rest of the world.

     When Kylo pulls back I feel the lack of his heat immediately. The unpleasant contrast from the pure joy before forced a whine from my mouth before I could stop it. My hands dropping to his chest as he moves away from our tight embrace. He didn’t try to hide his amusement with a deep reverberating chuckle sliding out his lips which curled up into a light hearted smirk. His hands moving from my back to my neck, tilting my head up to meet his intense gaze.

     “Don’t get greedy now sweet girl.” He commanded softly, his gloved thumb skimming along my cheek sweetly contrasting his words.

    “I hardly think wanting a kiss from my soulmate is greedy.” I countered teasingly, fluttering my eye lashes and pushing my bottom lip out at him. His body visibly reacting to me calling him my soulmate. His cheeks flushed red and he leaned in like he was going to kiss me once again.

    His lips ghosted mine slowly, his hands keeping my head locked in place not that I would dare move when he was this close, “Say it again.” He asked, a new layer of vulnerability in play with him.

   “You’re my soulmate Kylo.” I whispered against his lips before he gently pressed us together again. Once again there was purpose, there was meaning, light all through my bones because of him. The man that deserved no less than the galaxy, and had it all and more, pressed against me in a fresher because out souls were connected to one another. I was vastly out of my playing field with this man and something about it made me feel like I was going to learn to run before I learned to walk.

    I pulled away from him this time, he hesitated, trying to regain his self-control before moving forward. His grip on my face loosening up as my hands explored his torso softly, trying not to cross any of his boundaries. “You’re…” He looked so conflicted, so lost, unable to say every thought in his head. His mind so jumbled that even one sentence was too difficult. I didn’t push him to say anything at all, he just shook his head and retreated to stand before me.

    “I need to use the fresher before we sleep.” I mumbled, sorry to be changing the subject before he could express what he was thinking. But the smile on his face made my heart shine, he welcomed the diversion away from whatever plagued his mind before.

    “I’ll lay some things out for you in the closet.” He offered, and with a swift kiss to my forehead he left me to my own devices to get clean.

    The fresher had an endless stream of hot water, I don’t think I had ever experienced anything close to this luxury. His soap smelled dark and musky like him, laced with spices that I had only smelled at the market before. The stream of water resetting my mind for the night, giving me time to realize that as enthralling as Kylo was, we needed to talk before doing anything too risqué. The steam that fogged the mirrors had cleared my mind from the soft caresses Kylo bestowed on me earlier.

    He held his promise, leaving out the set of night clothes I had packed and a towel for me. I took the time to ready myself for bed before I emerged into the bedroom. Kylo sat in the bed that looked much smaller with the large man on top of it. He had a datapad and was looking intensely down at the object. He didn’t hear me come in until the doors automatically skimmed shut behind me.

    Kylo’s eyes raked up my form only outfitted in the thin nightgown I’ve worn all of my adult life. He swallowed thickly, discarding the datapad on a shelf next to the bed an welcomed me to sit next to him. I moved slowly, not wanting to do anything that was odd to him or something that maybe only my planet did. It’s becoming clearer that he had a very different lifestyle than I was used to.

   Nevertheless, he pulled back the covers and welcomed me in his normal-sized, yet somehow small, bed. The lights overhead dimmed, but did not shut off and he laid down. At first, we laid separately, an awkward tension hung in the air, keeping us repelled from one another not wanting to break the boundaries. I made the first move, scooting closer to the middle of the bed, which was more like his side due to his large stature, hoping he would do the same.

    “I’ve never been in a bed this comfortable.” I admitted shyly looking up at him as he propped himself up to look down at me. His hand skimmed my arm softly up and down as we spoke.

    “This is nothing compared to my bed in Coruscant,” He began softly his voice lulling me once more into a comfortable serenity, “It’s much larger too, far too large for just myself.” He tested experimentally waiting my reaction.

     “Do you share your bed often supreme leader?” I asked half-teasing, half-terrified of the possible answer. He was handsome, there was absolutely nothing stopping him from taking a thousand different women before me. He could have a wife back home, he could have a concubine, I had never considered the possibility before now. My veins turned to ice while I watched him answer.

     “No,” he ended my spiral with definitive assurance. “There has not been much time for romance admittedly.” His confession is whispered shamefully into the air of the bed between us.

    “Fate has a funny way of changing your plans.” I looked up at him only to find he was already watching me, his eyebrows furrowed but his expression was curious. He was trying to find something in my features but he was not coming up with an answer. “Do you believe in fate?” I asked, startling him out of his concentration.

    “I believe in the force.” He countered, swerving around my question. I cared little about that, realizing what he said. The ancient force myths were rarely spoken of on my planet, and even more rare was it not used as a cautionary tale. The limited knowledge available at the library was biased, and my father kept many of the ‘radical’ copies out of my hands.

     I shot up in the bed, no longer able to stay peacefully laying with him, onto my knees to continue the conversation. “You believe in the force too!” I all but shrieked out excitedly, thrilled about the new avenues of conversation we could research and debate together. “My father always told me they were just old myths! He never let me put any real stock into the stories, but I knew it! If the Supreme Leader of the Galaxy believes it, it must be true!” I rambled out quite loud and quite fast and once I had come to take a breath and look at Kylo he was laughing.

     “Sweet girl,” He chuckled out, adjusting his position to a more active one on the bed, and lifting my chin to meet his gaze, “I don’t want to shock you, but I thought it was common knowledge.” He began.

      “What? The force? It’s hardly common here, no one had time for my fanciful tales anymore.” I rebutted, slightly irritated at the thought of so many people dismissing me and I was right the whole time. The only reason they dismissed me is because I was just a little girl to them. I then realized that I was probably just some ignorant little girl in Kylo’s eyes too. He was the supreme leader of the galaxy and my home planet didn’t even think the force was real. How was I supposed to be Kylo’s equal when I don’t know anything about life outside my own planet?

    “Sweet girl,” He cooed out, bringing my attention back onto him, “You were up in the clouds for a moment,” he shifted forward bringing me closer to him, “I thought you knew, the force is very real, and I am trained to yield it with the Sith lords among me.” He spoke soft in volume but hard in resolution creating an odd tone. Yet the only thing I could think of was that my soulmate, the absolute reflection and completion of myself was a Sith Lord. All the years of reading the myths, of understanding bits and pieces of these Jedi and Sith masters battling to the end of time over freedom and peace and justice now I had one right in front of me. I wondered if he could hear any of my thoughts. That brought me abruptly from my shocked state.

    “Can you really read my mind?” I blurted out before I could stop myself. His worried, and dare I say conflicted position, dropped with the mindless question and he huffed before explaining.

    “I can choose to know whatever I want about you sweet girl.” He spoke mysteriously. My excitement barely quelled by his non answer which forced me back to sitting, hoping he would elaborate. “I can enter your mind without your permission, but its painful. However, when you’re preoccupied with feelings, you project messages through the force, and I can hear those.” He explained slowly, allowing me to absorb the information he fed me by hand.

    “What kind of things have I projected?” I asked plainly.

     “In the library, when you saw me for the first time, I could hear your thoughts.” He spoke slowly with every word a new possibility for my brain to process. “Your thoughts are so pure, so strong my sweet girl.” He finished with a compliment, urging me towards him. I took the opportunity to lay my head on my chest, he countered by tracing my left hand with his right.

    “I don’t know much,” I felt the need to explain myself, “All of my knowledge comes from the books in the library, and most of is too old, or incredibly one sided.” I scoffed at the stances taken in most of the stories about the history of the Force. “You know, you’ve seen much more than I have, more than I ever thought possible.” I mumbled into the chisels of his chest.

     “I’m glad you’ve not seen what I have seen.” His voice holding secrets from demons he had yet to exorcise from his head. “I can’t promise that I tell you everything now, nor can I promise that you’ll like what I have been in my past. I can’t-“ His voice was shaking, his eyes glossed over with the look of a thousand defeats passing through.

     “Will you love me?” I interrupted him, shaking him from the dark road he was heading down, “Will you love me? And be loyal to me? And be patient while I try to learn?” I countered with the love that I knew was imprinted in my soul and matching on his, I don’t need riches, or adventures, or galaxies bowing down at our feet. The universe gave me this man for a reason, and I wasn’t going to give up because of his past. “Will you try?”

    The last one seemed to get his attention, his striking gaze hazed with unshed tears matching my gaze of unwavering support, “Yes.” He answered simply. Agreeing to not be a different man, but to be himself and try something new.

     “That’s all I need from you.” I reassured him, laying back down on his chest, listening to his heart beat calm slowly from the anxious beats before. His breathing slowed immensely, leading me to believe he could be asleep, but the lights weren’t quite off, nor were his hands quite still.

     Just as I was drifting off to sleep, in the odd stage of awake and away his voice rumbled through his chest, had I not been using him as a pillow I’m certain I would have missed it. “Marry me?” it was soft, a timid ask from the man that lay beneath me.

    “Kylo?” I called out, mostly looking for clarification. It wasn’t odd that he wanted to get married to me, not at all. Most couples, after finding their soulmate, got married quickly, not wanting to part from one another. My sister married her soulmate within a week of meeting him, my parents within the month. It wasn’t odd for me, but from what I knew that was hardly the case outside of my world. I didn’t want him to ask for my sake, I wanted him to ask because he wants to marry me.

     “I promise I will try; I will be patient and teach you what you want to know, I will be loyal to you, I-“ he broke off, his voice faltering, but regaining it’s strength, “I will love you.” He stated, confident in his own feelings for the first time. His fingers stilled on my back, waiting for my response.

     “I will love you too Kylo.” I spoke softly, gripping my hand on his arm, bracing myself to look at him. He looked terrified, vulnerable, but he saw me and he looked happy.  “I will marry you.” And despite the long days ahead, and the seemingly endless amount of things I had left to learn about the world that lay before us at our feet, all I could think about is how quickly the man had taken every part of my heart and soul by storm.

    I am completely and irrevocably his and he is completely and irrevocably mine.

[hitbythunder]

Among the Gods of Asgard -3

A dark!Thor x Reader, minor Loki x Reader story with all the drama and angst you’re craving. Including Alexander Skarsgard as Balder.

–> Read also on AO3

Summary: The gods are being loved and feared in equal parts by their subjects, more the latter by the thousands of slaves working for them. Ten feet tall, powerful and immortal are the rulers of all beings within the Nine Realms. You, the daughter of an Asgardian merchant, fancy the three handsome princes of Odin - like any woman does - and dream of actually meeting them instead of watching them at public events. That is until, as a consequence of Loki’s tricks, you are being forced into slavery at the royal court. Amidst this harsh new reality, you catch the attention of the god of Thunder who then seeks to make you his alone. You are nothing but a toy, a puppet, in the god’s eyes and he will use you as he pleases.

Do not hope for mercy.

**** WARNING: dark story, manipulative Thor, heavy rape/non-con elements, no happy ending in sight

____________________________xXx____________________________

The crown-prince of Asgard was a man to be envied by thousands of others. For he had everything one could dream about. Wealth beyond imagination, the might of thunder coursing through his veins and a physique like carved marble, all embellishing his immortal life. And as if that wasn't enough, Thor Odinsson would soon step into his father's place and become king of Asgard. Oh how he enjoyed the sound of it already. Thor, king of Asgard, Protector of the Nine Realms and Ruler over all beings.

The prospect caused a warm pleasant shudder to rush along his spine, trailing his muscled back like slender fingers of a wanton woman. This sensation grew more violent with each repetition of the line.

Many would have called Thor a greedy, spoiled brat who strived only for his own satisfaction regardless the cost – if they had the courage to face him and his famous temper, his wrath capable of erasing whole villages with ease. Truth be told, the crown-prince was guilty at all points and probably at a few more the public didn't know about.

But Thor didn't care.

He loved his life, indulging in every single day, be it the hard training in the morning, the joyous afternoons with his brothers or the heated nights with one of the goddesses. Yes, Thor had a certain reputation in this regard too and since the branches of the gods' family tree would fill several pages, he had some options to choose from. Currently, there was Sif the goddess of harvest, who had been a dear friend of his since their early childhood. Thor's amicable feelings for her had transformed into those of a more salacious nature, however, not until Sif's name-day last year. The celebrations in her honor in early autumn had been one of the very rare occasions that the goddess had shown herself in a lovely dress. Since Sif was also a fierce warrioress, her body was usually hidden beneath cold metal but not so on that very night. The caramel silk clung to her athletic but feminine figure in all the right ways. Thus, while the citizens of Asgard had humbly presented their offerings, Thor's hungry gaze had lingered on the goddess's alluring curves, wondering how he could have missed them before.

Skilled as he was, Thor had her wrapped around his finger soon after, her welcoming legs spreading wide for him. Because once the predator was awoken he would complete the hunt no matter the obstacles. And there was always new prey.

Almost simultaneously, queen Frigga introduced her first-born to the goddess Idunn, whom she deemed best suited as a wife – and perhaps future queen. In comparison to Sif's lean physique from the fighting, Idunn was a lot softer all around and she didn't shy at displaying her voluptuous assets. And Norns, Idunn's fruits were beyond ripe. So Thor didn't complain and played the charming prince, aiming at burying his face in those welcoming tits.

Which he did actually, two moons after their first introduction, and her soft flesh felt just as heavenly as expected.

Why wait with the fun until after a mayhap-wedding? Take what you desire and indulge in its utter consumption without regret. That was the motto according to which Thor fought, ate and fucked.

Both Sif and Idunn could verify that fact.

    All in all, the crown-prince enjoyed the luxuries of his life without questioning the (social) mechanisms behind them, whether they were just or not wasn't in his interest. Asgardians were far below the god and slaves mostly even invisible - if they did as being told, that is. For woe betide anyone who failed to keep up his duties! A serving girl once spilled the prince's wine while pouring and Thor had replied promptly with a mean back fist, sending her across the room.

The Thunderer was known for having the highest turn-over rate of personal slaves.

xxx

Whenever the god lay with one of his affairs, the world around him blurred and nothing else but the whimpering woman beneath him mattered, her squirms of delight ringing in his ears. Also this time, as he took Sif against the balustrade on the balcony of his bedroom, their garments removed just so that the heated flesh could meet. High up above the rest of the city, Thor succumbed to the bliss and almost didn't notice the silent observer. From the corner of his eye he spied the small figure standing on a balcony of the nearest tower, some cloth in hand.

One of Balder's maids...

The girl was staring nonchalantly at the god and continued to do so even when their gazes met.

Persistent just as Thor kept burying himself in the damp wet hole.

Sif's moans grew louder, more appreciative as her cunt pulsated with every thrust, and reclaimed Thor's attention – both cock and mind. Being close made him grip Sif's hips hard, helping himself deeper into her, the way he enjoyed most. His satisfaction was what he strived for, always, regardless the needs of the woman beneath him.And although the grand wave was already rising on the boarder of his mind, somehow, the thought of being watched wouldn't make way for the crescendo. Thus Thor increased speed, sending Sif over the edge and causing the world once more to blur around him.

Except for one particular spot.

The girl was still there, frozen in place and staring right at the panting god. His gaze was heavy laden with lust, the blue a tad darker than usual and sparkling between the strands of golden hair. When it fell upon the girl, a lovely shade of crimson painted her cheeks and Thor smirked triumphantly. Then he came.

xxx

With a quiet squeal, ________ shut the balcony door after she was back inside from shaking out a cushion. Her mind was spinning, matching the flutter of her heart and she slowly walked over to the large bed. Absentmindedly she put the pillow back in its place, images of what she had just witnessed flashing up before her inner eye. Those strong hands holding on to the moaning woman while penetrating her, each thrust vigorous as per the looks of it. _______ hadn't been able to tear her eyes away from the scene, away from the ocean blue orbs of the crown prince as he fucked. Norns, he could have me hanged for that...

During her first few weeks, ________ had learned about the dos and don'ts as a slave, when to be silent and which gods to avoid messing with. Thor was leading the ranking. The many stories of how he maltreated (not only his) servants haunted the girl in her dreams.

Luckily, Balder was not like his brother in this regard and he seemed to keep his promise, having ________ cleaning his chambers or fetching him some items. Generally easy tasks which she carried out dutifully nevertheless, giving her master no opportunity to complain. Her current punishment was harsh enough so better not add any unnecessary extensions. With that in mind, the girl wondered why she hadn't been able to look away.

She had almost given up on solving this riddle when some nights later, the three brothers decided to close the day with some cups of wine in Loki's salon. After a successful hunt together, they had each retreated quickly to their own chambers in order to change, Balder had even refreshed himself in the hot tub of the common baths, before they gathered again. While Loki had his slaves prepare some drinks and food, both Thor and Balder had each brought two of their own servants as well, ________ being among them.

It was the first time she entered the private chambers of the youngest prince, a mysterious place full of wondrous magical objects as she had heard. As they entered, the girl looked curiously around the salon, it's interior being dominated by green, gold and dark ebony. Very classy and matching the Trickster's image. Yet her admiration was overlapped by growing nervousness when she spied the crown-prince sitting on the couch next to the fireplace, the flames tinting his blonde locks in an orange glow. The piece of furniture was entirely occupied by his long, muscular limbs stretching in all directions as he relaxed, the dark red tunic being stretched as his broad chest expanded with every breath. And here I thought Balder was huge...

Upon seeing the three princes together, the differences of their physiques became prominent: Loki was lean and athletic while Balder was well-built and a tad taller. Well, and Thor was massive.

"Come and sit, brother!" the Thunderer called and waved lazily with one large hand towards the couch opposite of him. Following her master further into the room, ________ purposefully remained behind him in order to hide from the giant on the couch - a least a little while longer. As Balder sat down, she looked around for the drinks so that she wouldn't let him wait. But one of Loki's slaves already hurried towards the god, the green double-serpent inside the ring on her upper arm glowing vibrantly in the dim lit room. Thus there was nothing for _______ to do right now than to position herself a little in the background and wait for an order. Of course Thor noted her then, a spark of recognition crossing his eyes as they fell upon her. Much to the girl's relief, however, he chose to ignore her for the rest of the evening.

xxx

Time floated by as did one bottle of wine after another. The gods were in a good mood and chatting casually about various topics, some of which ________ found quite interesting to listen to. The shallow conversation was punctuated by many subtle, quite entertaining jokes of the Trickster and the girl found herself stifling a laugh at least trice. Loki, the god of Lies and Mischief, impressed her with both his witty comments and his looks. Clad in a dark green tunic atop back leather pants, matching his neatly combed raven hair, he had draped himself gracefully onto he plush couch next to Balder. The porcelain skin resembled a painting, soft strokes forming his oval face and those long black lashes atop the strong shade of emerald green. The god's appearance didn't account for the cruelty he was capable of - the snake wasn't his sigil for naught - but the way he hissed at his slaves for no reason gave a good hint. ______ was almost feeling thankful for being Balder's maid.

xxx

Later and back in Balder's chambers, two maids helped him undress while _______ drew the heavy curtains of the bedroom shut, pulling at the long piece of fabric with all her strength to move it. Her body already yearned for sleep, her plain strawy mattress in the slave quarters transforming into a wonderful prospect with each passing minute. "_________?" Balder suddenly called from across the room, already in his nightgown and walking towards the over-sized bed. "My golden bangle appears to be missing..." Her shift could have been over for today but no.

"I need you to retrieve it for me from the bath. That's where I probably left it!" the god added as he slipped beneath the silken blanket, the soft mattress giving way under his weight. _______ watched him full of envy but smiled at him nevertheless. "Of course, your highness!" she replied sweetly and bowed before she took her leave. "But don't wake me, just put it onto the table in the salon once you have it!" Balder had received the missing bangle from his father to signal the reaching of adulthood. Of course the prince would send her, the maid he trusted most with such a task. Apparently, this was Balder's way to value her well manners and upper-class education or he merely intended to test whether she would cheat on him like Harald had. Anyways, ________ could feel honored but instead she cursed the forgetful god, the Norns and above all her father for keeping her persistently from sleep.

She hurried down the empty hallways, racing around corners and past a few guards, in utter determination to find this damned piece of reminiscence.

That was until she reached the large doors to the common baths.

[redassassin]

a beautiful nightmare

part three-> part four

Adrian stared in awe as Nova, armed only with a small knife, per her request, held her own against Gargoyle, the opponent of choice. Nova hadn’t cared which she fought, so, Genissa, her smug grin still prominent on her face, had suggested Gargoyle, one of the oldest and best trained among the guard. Adrian had begun to protest, worried for Nova’s safety against the large man, but she had only shrugged and asked for a weapon to defend herself.

“I assumed we weren’t allowed to bring weapons to the castle, but as my claim of being able to handle a variety of weaponry is being challenged, it seems only fair that I’m given something to defend myself with.” 

“Gargoyle, as her opponent, you may confirm or deny her request.” 

A low chuckle emerged from Gargoyle. “Why not. It won’t make a difference.” 

The Captain asked Nova for her weapon of choice, and Nova simply shrugged, requesting a knife. 

Frostbite scoffed from her corner. “A knife won’t even pierce his armor.”

Captain Chromium sent a disapproving glare her way. “Genissa, would you do the honors?” 

Grinning, a small ice dagger appeared in Genissa’s hands,  of her own creation. She tossed the dagger at Nova who winced as the cold material burned her hands. She tucked the handle into the waistband of her trousers. 

“Try to keep the bloodshed to a minimum, any loss of life will be punished. First to knock the other to the ground wins. Miss. Mclain, if you are victorious, you will join the Renegades.” 

Gargoyle had been a difficult opponent, and Nova wasn’t used to having an audience. Every time it looked like one of them would succeed the crowd around them gasped. Nova took a second to glance up at Adrian, who was staring at her intently, a mixture of surprise and admiration on his face. He caught her watching him and gave her a subtle nod of encouragement. 

Nova knew that she couldn’t beat him with force, but Gargoyle was slow and clumsy in his armor. If she could trip him, or get him off balance, he could easily be beaten. Nova ran at him, sliding down beside him to avoid his hands grasping at her. She drove her ice dagger into the skin behind his knee, through the crack in his armor. He howled in pain, lunging at her, but Nova quickly sprang out of the way, coming up behind him to kick his legs out from under him. As he fell to the floor, Nova planted a foot on his back, glancing up at the spectators, her eyes shining. 

From behind the Captain, Thunderbird stood, her wings folding out behind her. “Welcome to the Renegades, Insomnia.” 

Nova blinked in confusion. “Insomnia?” Not exactly Nightmare, but it was as good as any other.

“We all have codenames. Sketch, at your service. Welcome to the Renegades.” Adrian gave her a little bow, earning him a discouraging cough from the Council. 

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” She gave him another curtsey, giving him a confused look. 

“Adrian. Call me Adrian. Please.” 

“Adrian...” He turned, the entire council looking at him in disapproval. The Captain,  having delivered the quiet reprimand, gave him a stern look and continued, “We’ll talk later.” 

Adrian shrugged turning back to Nova. Her confusion continued to grow. He flashed her a brilliant smile. “How about a tour?” 

“I- okay?” 

He grabbed Nova by the wrist, just like he had earlier that day at the market, and began pulling her out the door. 

“Don’t you have to finish the other interviews? The Council seemed pretty adamant that you be there. I’m sure someone else could show me around.”

“They can handle it. Plus, I like to get to know my guards. Some of them, at least.”

Nova scoffed. “I take it you’re not a big fan of Frostbite?” 

He grinned. “Not in the slightest. But the Council insisted. They’re very good at what they do, and are some of the most experienced among the force.” 

“You’re the prince, shouldn’t you have the final say? Besides, you’ll be 18 soon, right? You’re practically the King already.”

He shrugged. “I never really wanted to be the King. Or the Prince. I didn’t even know my father. And I think my mom knew that, and she made sure that if anything happened to her I would be in good hands. Although the Council isn’t perfect, I think they do a pretty good job. I’d honestly rather things stay how they are, everyone is used to it.”

His words sent Nova’s brain into a frenzy when she remembered what her uncle had told her. He had told her that the Prince was power-hungry, caring little for the lives of those around him, but every interaction with him proved her uncle to be more and more wrong. Still, she had a duty, and even if Adrian wasn’t as bad as her uncle had painted him to be, the Renegades were still in the way. 

“So, what do you want to see first?” Nova jolted back to reality, and for the first time, she realized that Adrian still had his fingers wrapped around her wrist. She gently pulled away, before looking around and sighing. 

“Everything.”

Adrian had met a lot of people in his life. Some were kind, gentle, and caring, others were malicious and greedy. Some were in the middle. But never before had he met someone who confused him as much as Nova Mclain did. She didn’t recognize him at the market, and when he revealed that he was a Renegade she had narrowed her eyes and refused to answer any of his questions. But, here she was, joining their ranks. If she disapproved of them, then why was she here? And now, after defeating one of their highest ranked guards, she stood before him, impossibly eager to learn about the castle. She asked dozens of questions, examining everything, pointing out the things that she found interesting, or ways that things could be improved. He learned that she loved to invent things, and have made a variety of weapons for herself. He learned that she liked physics, and loved to experiment with energy and mechanics. When she opened her mouth to ask another question he turned to her. 

“Is there anything you can’t do?” Her mouth hung open, a look of genuine surprise flashing across her face. She slowly closed her mouth, her face clearing as she deadpanned, “Sleep.” 

Her face was so serious that Adrian couldn’t help laughing. A something spread across her face, a mixture of humor and hurt, and her face reddened.

“Sorry, sorry. It’s just- you really can’t sleep?” 

“I don’t like lying. Of course I don’t sleep. Is it really that hard to believe?” 

“I’ve never heard of anyone else having power over sleep, except Nightmare.” Nova tensed. Was it really that rare? Had he made the connection already? Would she be escorted to the dungeon and locked up for the rest of her love, or would they kill her on the spot? 

“I don’t exactly have power over sleep,” she began carefully. “I just don’t need it.”

He shrugged. “Still, it’s interesting.” 

Once he had turned away, leading her down towards the kitchens, as he claimed, Nova allowed herself to relax. She was safe. He hadn’t figured anything out. She let out the breath she hadn’t noticed that she was holding. Adrian Everhart may not have been the villain she thought he was, but she still had a goal. And she would see that goal through until the end, no matter what it took. 

tag list: @obssesedwithliterallyeverything @red-eyes88 @onecannotbebrave  @renegadesmarissameyer @somanyfandomsonly1username  @everhartartino

[concussed-to-pieces]

Devotion

Fandom: WWE

Pairing: Drew McIntyre/Named OFC

Rating: Holy shit M.

AN: Heard through the grapevine that my boy Drew might have done the Lord’s work recently. In honor of that momentous occasion, I dusted off what was originally meant to be part of @hardcorewwetrash ’s Summer Writing Challenge (because, you see, I am a terrible person and never managed to get my act together for that, I KNOW YOU’RE SHOCKED). So now for Valentine’s Day you get old gods, boardroom meetings, wilderness excursions and past life reminiscing. Basically, my brand. 

Enjoy!

[!TRIGGER WARNING!: For mild ’breeding kink’, graphic violence and death. Stay safe!]

[!WARNING!: Rife with historical inaccuracies. This also may be considered religiously offensive, for which I apologize and advise you to proceed with caution.]

.........

The devotion was what caught his attention in the beginning.

Truly, the fact that he had solidified on 'he' in the first place spoke volumes. Take one of the faithful. Always prodding at him, making him toss his head in dismissive annoyance. Take one of the faithful. 

The incense was lit in the chapel for yet another vigil, another plea. He tasted iron when he appeared, the atmosphere thick and stifling with the whine of the fair-weather faithful hoping for their fortunes to improve. Godhood was barely above a burden and the Higher in the pantheon well knew his grievances. 

He was Actaeon, ruler of forests and wilderness, his domain stretching from proud mountain peaks to secret moors that man had yet to tread. It fell on him often to mediate in this modern age, where the incense was few and far and boardroom meetings broke untold hours. Greedy men overreached again and again, hand over fist in a mad dash to their own demise.

He had settled on the name Drew McIntyre, and through it all Drew sat. Certainly, he had traded the gilded pauldrons and breastplate for a razor sharp suit, but his story was lauded as a cautionary tale and little about him looked tamed despite that. His piercing blue eyes still glowed when his irritation reached a boiling point, his mouth set in a grim line that was about as hospitable as a kodiak's roar.

I will give you nothing, said those cold eyes, and it will be far more than you deserve. 

Hunter, the man who had once been known as Hades, was at the head of most conference tables. Always clad in some kind of glamour that hid his true form, flanked by his loyal Persephone Stephanie and Cerberus split into three bodies. 

Back and forth they went, Actaeon halting progress and Hades or Zeus or Dionysus or whoever demanding more from him. More land, more resources, more more more. Drew took sadistic pleasure in entangling the god-moguls and their flunkies in red tape, dangling fertile rainforests in front of their noses only to snatch them away due to easily-overlooked technicalities.

After the Fyre festival fiasco at least Dionysus (calling himself Dolph these past few centuries, who knew what the next would hold) was humbled, twiddling his thumbs and staying relatively quiet during meetings. Drew got the feeling that it boded ill though, since it meant that the reveler was actually listening. Possibly. Cerberus, or rather, the three men that Cerberus had become, always confiscated all cell phones before their meetings commenced, so Dolph (and anyone else for that matter) had no distractions.

Whenever Zeus was involved, the shouting matches kicked off quickly. At Hunter's behest he grudgingly went by the name Vince, though even after all the years he still sometimes failed to respond to it. He was not nearly as powerful as he once was, of course, no one believed like they used to, and he clung to the old ways while Hunter struggled to reason with him. All the eldest god wanted to do since he and Hera had become estranged was lift weights and watch professional wrestling; it was a miracle that he even made appearances anymore. 

…

The ruler of Hell always put Drew up at the same damn hotel chain every time he managed to drag the belligerent patron into their meetings. Hunter didn't lack devotion. His contract with old man Vince involved such incredibly far-flung stipulations that for all intents and purposes, every exchange of goods in human hands netted him some percentage of adoration. Hades operated by the philosophy that 'absolute power corrupts absolutely, but slightly less than absolute couldn't hurt, could it?' 

The chain of hotels was one of those oxymoronic minimalist-yet-decadent types, decorated sparsely with furniture that boasted too many sharp edges. Drew always felt uncomfortable and he was certain that was the intention. Hades was all about subtle threats. 

You're on my turf, wild god. Better remember that.

Drew was on a first-name basis with most of the concierge staff in every location he frequented, accepting his room key with a roll of his eyes and some tired comment about how he was back in town for business. 

Running into an animal not in the lobby was...unprecedented. 

He stared down at the cat. The cat stared back up at him, licking her chops while she lounged in the middle of the hallway. Her muzzle was speckled with the remains of whatever she had eaten last and Drew immediately extended a hand for inspection. 

He wasn't as well-respected amongst the more domestic animals and the cat took her sweet time meandering towards his fingers. Once she reached them though, she was all purrs and apologies. Lost, she hummed, her whiskers tickling his arm. Help me?

"Where's your keeper, little miss?" Drew asked in a gentle voice that most humans hadn't had the privilege of hearing. 

The cat offered him a look that was a shrug, shaking her body to jangle the tag on her harness pointedly. 

Drew chuckled, picking her up and cradling her in the crook of one arm. "We will do our best then, won't we?"

…

They didn't wait in the lobby for very long. Fifteen minutes maybe, Drew sprawled indolently in a chair that wasn't quite large enough for him. The cat purred away in his lap, happily kneading and getting white needle-like hairs all over his expensive suit pants. Not that Drew cared, he'd sooner rip the whole damn suit off and saunter back to the wilds where he belonged. 

Patience, Actaeon, he reminded himself with a heavy sigh. A few more days in this brimstone nightmare.

One of Aphrodite's own appeared before him looking attractively distraught and his breath hitched, sending the large man into an embarrassing coughing fit. The woman gestured at the cat in his lap and Drew hurried to stand, floundering with the slumbering feline. "Ah, I had no idea that-" He began, somewhat confused that she didn't seem to recognize him.

"Thank you so much for finding her!" The woman said fervently, grasping his hand.

Drew received no supernatural warmth from her touch, just mortal worship so heartfelt it hit him square in the chest. She wasn't one of Aphrodite's? How could someone so beautiful simply...exist? Surely, there must be some mistake. What was this feeling of deja vu that threatened to overwhelm him?

"She was no trouble." Drew assured, "Came right up to me when I got out of the elevator. I'm Drew, by the way. Drew McIntyre." He raised an eyebrow pointedly. 

No realization of his true identity seemed to be forthcoming, the vision in front of him introducing herself in turn as Lyssa. The name alone sent another jolt through him, much to his chagrin. Her smile was like the sun and Drew wondered if she was possibly one of Apollo's creations. Apollo had no real touch for beauty, though. Hephaestus? 

"Can I get you a drink or something? I'm only in town for a conference, so I'm a little booked as far as breakfast would go." She sounded self-conscious, fidgeting with the cat's fur instead of making eye contact. 

"How about dinner?" Drew asked, startling himself with the ease of his own suggestion. "Maybe tomorrow night, depending on when you fly out of here?"

He needed to talk to Aphrodite. Immediately. 

…

Alicia took one look at him and tried to shut the door in his face. Drew barely caught the edge with his hand, giving her a smile that bordered on a sneer. "You've improved your craft, love." His tone was half impressed, half dangerous. "Setting one of your beauties on me? One who doesn't even know who I am?"

"You've got some real nerve coming here at this hour." Aphrodite muttered, the flawless woman clutching at her silk bathrobe. 

"It is noon, woman."

"Never mind that, what the hell are you talking about?"

Drew shoved his phone in her face, startled when she immediately looked (of all things) jealous. "I'm talking about this one. She's got a cat. And she's been crafted by you."

"She's not one of mine. Hera above, I wish I could take credit for that." The goddess replied crossly. "As far as I can tell she's the real deal." Drew was speechless and Alicia seemed to realize, a smirk turning her mouth up at the edges. "You're infatuated, aren't you?"

"No." Drew said firmly. 

"Mm, you're really going to lie to me about matters of the heart?" Aphrodite crooned. "It's been millennia since your little incident with Artemis. Still sensitive? I would have thought you'd forget."

"I was torn apart by my own dogs. Sensitive doesn't begin to cover it." Drew fidgeted with his phone, closing out the Instagram page. "I dinnae what to do." He admitted.

"Take her out, knock her up, tell her the truth or don't, and welcome another litter of demigods into the human world." Alicia said in a deadpan tone. "You really are so boring sometimes. It's no wonder you're the one who always gets your memory stripped, you're practically mortal levels of boring."

"I…" Drew hesitated.

Aphrodite softened, her sharp contours glowing ever so slightly in the dim hallway lighting. "You deserve adoration just like the rest of us, Actaeon. I know you've basically appointed yourself as nature's protector and as such have decided to distance yourself from humanity's praise, but humans need gods like you. Ones who don't play games with them." She said gently.

"If I do this, she...Aphrodite, mortals are so…"

"I know, they are short-lived. It's better to take your happiness where you can find it though. Don't live a lie, Drew." Alicia tapped her fingers to her lips and then pressed the kiss to his cheek. "For luck and nothing more. I know you wouldn't want my help anyways." Her laughter was a merry sound, bright even in its falsehood. 

…

It's better to take your happiness where you can find it.

The goddess of love's words haunted Drew while he prepared for this little...appointment  with Lyssa. 

Don't live a lie.

Was that what he was doing by shutting everything out? The whole debacle with Artemis, while indeed millennia past, still turned his stomach. His own fine hunting dogs tearing him apart would never leave his long memory, regardless of how many times Zeus humbled him and cast him to Earth with no recollection of who he was. Was he hiding? Was he really so afraid that something like that would happen again? He had traded his mutts in with his pauldrons, but he still occasionally felt echoes of their presence. As though he could turn around at any second and see them all eagerly awaiting his orders.

Drew huffed at himself, squaring his shoulders while he retied his tie and struggled with his top button. He wondered vaguely whether it would still be so difficult if he had picked a more feminine-presenting form as opposed to masculine, though he liked the form he had settled upon. Perhaps a bit too much. The broadness of his shoulders could be a little...difficult to fit into the dress shirts he was made to wear, so the battle of buttons was a familiar one. But that same broadness emphasized his physique and catered to his not-insubstantial pride. He had lasted this long, and what was the point of even having a form if you weren't content with how it appeared?

His reflection studied him from the mirror, blue eyes clouded with rumination on his past. His neck strained at the highest button with every swallow and so finally Drew sighed and left the offending button undone, carefully slipping his tie out of his collar after a moment of thought. Better to seem casual than tightly-laced. 

…

"So, to business, if this is something you want to pursue." Lyssa folded her hands. "I'm not looking for anything serious at the moment. If you're married or romantically involved, I'm not interested. I can't afford to be pulled into a pissing match, not with my career at stake.  That clear enough?"

"Crystal." Drew chuckled, appreciating her plain speech. "Games like that don't yield fruitful results. I'd rather be trusted." 

"Well my cat trusted you, so that's a step in the right direction." She smiled at him and Drew nearly choked on his drink. "You already have my number and I have yours from the cat debacle. What's your schedule look like?"

"I am free this evening, if you have the time. When does your flight leave tomorrow?"

"It's an eleven o'clock. I'm already packed, so I guess tonight will work fine." Lyssa sounded for all the world like she was planning a meeting. 

"Come with me?" Drew requested, rising from the table and offering his arm. She took it without hesitation or shyness, strolling to the elevator with him. "I understand the anonymity of this setup may be what you find most appealing. Rest assured, you will hear no questions from me unless you wish them asked." Drew deliberately kept his tone light. 

"I appreciate that." 

His own rising apprehension aside, Drew did his best to relax. It would do him no good to display the tension he felt. It was better to keep this as businesslike as possible, for his own comfort as well as hers. If they continued on in this manner, maybe he would learn why he felt like she was so damned familiar.

...

It was always attached somehow. He had never really noticed it before Lyssa, but now it gnawed at him. He wondered whether this hunger was why Aphrodite had been so glib about him spawning a litter. Did she know? Did she put the fire there to begin with? 

He knew he was being irrational. Aphrodite couldn't come close to his control, time beyond time having passed since the carefree days of his youth. Actaeon had failed, but Drew McIntyre would not. This arrangement didn't have to sour with reproductive ruminations. It didn't have to, but…

There was no harm in fantasizing about it. The desire to take Lyssa's unwitting worship and make it something...real.

She had, of course, been very up front with him. She was on medication, he would use protection, it was all standard procedure as they were both responsible adults. There was a relatively low risk involved and honestly Drew wasn't particularly keen on raising a brood in the first place, just being involved in the creative process. The notion excited him much more than it should have: the idea of coupling with her, breeding even, until she was overflowing. Being a god, it was far from an impossible task. Drew wasn't ashamed to admit he could behave more like an animal than a man, this fallible flesh doing him in time and again. At least she could keep up with him when it came to sexual appetite.

She would text him occasionally even if they hadn't planned on meeting up. Hell, even if they weren't in the same state. Just little snippets or questions about his day, maybe a picture of her cat.  Drew found himself slipping into the habit of checking his phone regularly, coming to learn that she frequently went hiking when she wasn't involved in business. She claimed to love the woods more than anyone and the God of the Forests had to suppress a roaring laugh at her declaration.

Not even Zeus himself could have rid Drew of his grin when Lyssa casually mentioned that she wouldn't mind some company on her next camping trip. He had been having a terrible day, but that message lifted his spirits instantaneously. He pondered at that for a split second, somewhat confused. Since when had he become so attached?

"Is that a smile?" Dionysus queried from across the boardroom, his eyes wide over the Greek salad he had ordered for the lunch break. "It is! What happened to brighten you up, Doomsday?" Dolph practically bounced around the table to plant himself in the currently-unoccupied seat beside Drew, batting his eyelashes at the large man. "Aw c'mon, you were so chipper a second ago!" The blond whined.

"I have a migrating headache." Drew said dryly. "It comes and goes. Seems t' increase whenever you're around." 

The reveler's response was an ear-to-ear grin and he leaned forward to rest his chin in his hand. "Do tell." He purred. Roman (the largest portion of Cerberus) looked up curiously, as if he sensed the shift in the atmosphere of the room.

"No." Drew snapped, already inches from wringing Dionysus' neck. "Whatever I'm pleased about has nothing to do with ye an' yours. Dinnae try my patience." 

"Psh, ever since Artemis you've been so-" Dolph didn't even get to finish his sentence before Drew was towering over him. 

"Actaeon." Hades' glare was smouldering at the edges. "Not in the conference room. You know the rules."

"Easy now, boys." Vince chimed in, clapping his son in law on the shoulder. "We don't want anything getting out of hand, do we?" Outside, the clear sky rumbled threateningly. 

Hunter sighed in annoyance. "Old man, you know you can't do that shit anymore. It upsets their meteorologists."

"I am Zeus! Why the hell should I give a crap about their silly weather men?"

"Enough. And you, Actaeon-"

"Dionysus never takes me up on my offers." Drew's teeth were bared in an infuriated grin. To his right, Alicia clicked her tongue as if to voice her disapproval.

"Whoa, whoa! I'm more of a lover anyhow, you know that!" Dolph looked wildly uncomfortable, like he had just realized that maybe pissing off a person who stood head and shoulders above him was a bad idea. 

Actaeon exhaled hard, forcing himself to take a step back from the situation. "Later." He said finally, entertained by how Dolph's face paled beneath his fake tan. 

…

"I needed this more than words can express." Drew breathed, his hands carding through her hair in an oddly affectionate way. Well, oddly affectionate when he considered the position they were in. Lyssa's nose pressed to his pelvis, throat flexing around his cock, every swallow making Drew grunt or snarl. "You are too good at this." 

He knew he had to keep his voice down. They might have parked the rental a good distance away from other vehicles, but it would do them no good if a passerby noticed her face in his lap. Drew half-groaned at the idea of being interrupted, feeling her tongue bathing the base of his cock as best as she could. 

"I'm close Lys, can I…" He trailed off, gritting his teeth when she pulled off his cock and started stroking his shaft with her hand. She rested the engorged head of his dick on her tongue, maintaining eye contact as she did. Drew had to remove his hands from her hair, one gripping his thigh and the other clenched into a fist so tight his knuckles ached. "I'm coming, love, I-" He choked his words off as best as he could, trying to stay silent. 

Drew was not a particularly quiet individual, especially during lascivious activities. He liked to think it was part of his charm, the blunt and brazen honesty of his own failable flesh. Lyssa certainly seemed to appreciate it, if the way she squeezed his thigh while she swallowed down his release was any indication. 

He went boneless in the driver's seat, panting a little. She rested her cheek on his thigh, smiling up at him in a manner that was wholly self-satisfied. Drew chuckled, running his fingers through her hair one more time. "How is it possible to enjoy you as much as I do?"

"You're just easy to please." Lyssa teased, giving him a soft bite on the inside of his thigh before beginning to straighten herself out. 

Drew followed suit and then stepped out of the small car, stretching his arms overhead with a drawn out hum. A deep inhale filled his lungs with the fresh forest air and he sighed happily. Nothing better than that smell. 

Her forehead bumped between his shoulder blades and she stayed there for a good minute, her arms around his waist. Drew felt something stir in his body, satisfaction, contentment and he cleared his throat, resting his hands over her own on his stomach. "Thank ye for invitin' me. I promise it'll be worth it." He murmured. 

"Mm, I'll hold you to that." 

After collecting their backpacks from the trunk, the two of them set out down one of the many trails. Not that Drew particularly needed a trail, but he knew that bushwhacking on their first outing into his domain might set her on edge. 

He let her lead the way and they made quiet conversation as they hiked, Drew keeping an ear out all the while for any nearby beasts. She seemed entranced at the way the birds drew close to them, a hummingbird boldly zipping back and forth in front of her nose at one point. 

Drew laughed at the obvious plea for attention, extending a finger to the tiny creature. "Feisty today, aren't we?" He asked softly once it had landed. "You eat well enough with all the feeders around." 

The bird voiced its grievances with hummingbird feeders, much to Acaeteon's amusement. In the meantime his hiking companion shrugged out of her backpack and shuffled closer, her eyes fixated on the complaining bundle of feathers. "How did you do that?" She whispered.

Drew tilted his head. "They come to me." He replied nonchalantly. "This one wants me to grow him more red flowers. I am no miracle worker, little one."

"Oh sure, yeah. He's talking to you. I'll bet." Lyssa gave him a smirk. 

"How else do you think I got your cat back to you so simply?" Drew asked, raising an eyebrow. "She is a headstrong beast."

"Well so am I, but here we are."

"True enough." Drew shooed the bird off and sidled up to embrace her from behind. A teasing finger toyed with the fabric of her t-shirt across her chest, making her laugh quietly and tap his hand away. "Not nearly stubborn enough to resist me." Drew continued, his voice low and gravelly while he pressed close and palmed her breasts. 

Lyssa gasped, her eyes darting back and forth as if worried that someone might see them in this predicament. "Drew-" Her indignant hiss of his name tapered off into something a little less stern than she probably would have liked. Her nipples woke under his circling assault, pressing hard against Drew's questing thumbs.

"What's wrong, Lys? You've gone quiet." Drew whispered raggedly, "Did you see something? A beasty, come to devour you whole?" His left hand slunk past the waistband of her hiking shorts, questing blindly downward for what he sought.

"You're not being fair, you got off in the car." Lyssa protested, her voice cracking slightly. "Don't tease me, Drew-"

"I'm no tease Lys, I intend t' deliver on any threats I make." Acaeteon mouthed at her ear and reveled in the way that she went pliant against his body. Her worship was sweeter than all the praise of humanity, her trust in him explicit and heady. "With just my fingers, lovin'? The first of many, we'll say." Drew promised.

"I'd love to see you try."

Drew's strong fingers tweaked one of her nipples at the same time that his other hand found sanctuary in her underwear. "Naughty girl." Lyssa sighed and writhed back into him, blissfully ignoring that they were still very much out in the open. "I love how quickly you change your tune when you want somethin'." Drew chuckled, fingers stroking and then spreading her slick folds open. 

When Acaeteon took on a task he deemed important, he poured himself into it wholeheartedly. Not many things outside of his interactions with Lyssa really warranted that level of commitment. 

"Lys." He breathed while she choked on her breath and shuddered through an orgasm. "You are not making this easy on me."

"I asked you to come with me for a reason, Drew." She panted when she could talk again, whimpering quietly after he withdrew his fingers and licked them clean.

Drew kissed her fiercely, tongue licking into her mouth to give her a taste of herself. "And what reason might that be?" He asked once they had parted again.

Lyssa stared up at him in a daze for a good few seconds before snapping out of it. "What? Oh! Oh God. Um, later. I'll tell you later. Look, we still have a long way to go!" She floundered, struggling to get back into her pack. Drew rolled his eyes but remained silent, choosing instead to help her put herself to rights and buckle her straps.

...

The campsite she had picked was conspicuously secluded, which Drew made a mental note of. Lyssa seemed excessively nervous for someone that Drew had already been intimate with, the young woman getting their tent poles mixed up several times despite her familiarity with said tent. 

"You seem tense, Lys." Drew teased once she had finally gotten everything squared away. "I hope I didn't wind you up too much."

"Drew, I…" Lyssa trailed off, sighing. "I want to ask you for something. And I'm sorry if you think it's weird or...like, if I make you uncomfortable. I promise I would never want to make you uncomfortable."

Drew raised an eyebrow. This sounded more serious than he had anticipated. "Speak your mind, love. Whatever it is, I'm sure I can handle it."

Lyssa looked so pensive that Drew was legitimately concerned, the smaller woman taking her time to settle into a chair beside the fire pit. They hadn't lit the fire yet as the summer weather was warm even in the evenings, but Drew had made certain to find a small amount of dry firewood for safety's sake. "This is super dumb and if you want we can just forget it." She announced firmly. 

Drew couldn't help but laugh, doing his best to mask the anxiety gnawing at his gut. "I think I'll be the judge of that, love. What's this turrible question of yours?"

"I kind of...I mean I've...look." She exhaled and glared up at him with a strange ferocity. Drew's pulse quickened at the intensity of her eyes. He felt like he was being appraised, but also, strangely, like he had done this all before. "I've got this...thing that I like."

"Ye. Bit difficult t' miss, love." Drew grinned and she buried her face in her hands, groaning loudly until he apologized and promised not to make any more jokes about his thing she liked. 

"This is hard to talk about so please, just let me talk." Lyssa said sternly. "This isn't something I've told anyone else and I've never acted on my...urges...before." 

Urges. Actaeon's mind raced. Mortals had very few urges that they catered to, what on earth could she be talking about?

"I've always had this...kind of...thing for. Um. Someone having multiple orgasms. I-In me." Lyssa had actually closed her eyes to say it, her knuckles white with the grip she had on her trekking pole. "Like sloppy, barebacking I guess? Breeding? I dunno. I've seen some stuff and I feel like I'd want to try it out, but I've never met anyone that I trusted like that u-until you of course and I really didn't want to get gangbanged so like it's really cool that you can do multiples, your stamina is insane-" 

She carried on rambling as what she said rang in his ears. Breeding. Drew was upright before he realized, stalking across their campsite with a certain, single-minded intent. "Lys." He said hoarsely, kneeling in between her legs. She kept her eyes closed, like she could ignore him somehow. Her face was all red and Drew wanted to laugh, to ease her worries and make light of this, but he couldn't find the ability. "I will do whatever you need me to, lovin'." He murmured. "If it's breedin' you want, it's breedin' you'll get."

Lyssa peeked at him. "What, seriously? J-Just like that? You don't think I'm fucked up for wanting something so weird?" Her faith in him was like warm sunlight after winter. 

"I wish ye'd told me sooner, truthfully." Drew admitted, "could have saved a bit of trouble for the both of us." He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "How much preparin' do you want?"

"Pre...Preparing?" 

"Ye. Do y' want to eat? It'll be a long night. "

"I-I mean we already ate lunch--" 

"That we did." She was adorably flustered about this whole thing. "What will you say when you want me to stop, love?"

"I'll say...um, I'll say." Lyssa glanced around. "Tent?" She suggested.

"It has to be somethin' you'll remember. If you'll remember that an' use it, absolutely." Lyssa nodded jerkily and Drew exhaled hard, rising to stand once more. "Alright." He muttered, stripping off his shirt. "Up."

"Up?" Lyssa squeaked.

"Ye." Drew lifted her from the chair, her legs instinctively wrapping around his hips. The large man buried his face in her neck, littering the sensitive skin with kisses and chuckling as Lyssa squirmed in his arms. Her little gasps spurred him on and he fought with the drawstring of her shorts, settling for lacing his fingers at the small of her back to support her while she struggled to undo them herself. 

"Drew, you gotta' put me down-" Lyssa began. 

"This is takin' too long." Drew interrupted, itching to rip the shorts clean off. He sulkily dropped into a crouch, letting her stand so she could actually slide the shorts off and save them from the terrible fate he had planned. "Underwear too, come on."

"So impatient! Guess I should be happy I'm not the only weirdo around." Lyssa teased breathlessly, obliging him with the underwear.

"Bra. Unless you want it ripped."

"Don't you dare."

"I will. Get it gone, love."

Lyssa grumbled, "fine, but I'm leaving my shirt on. Last thing I need is someone coming across us totally naked."

Drew was relatively certain that he was sliding into an Old God headspace, his mind running wild with the idea of reveling naked in public like Dionysus. In the meantime, Lyssa put her hands on a nearby tree trunk and just looked back at him as if to ask what he was waiting for. Drew growled a little louder than he meant to, the telltale sheen of slick on her inner thighs more than enough to stir his blood. 

"I will fill you until I'm empty." The wild god assured softly, fingers dragging through her hair. "Until I am entirely spent. Over and over until your hunger is satisfied."

"You sure do make a lot of nice promises." She replied faintly, arching her back. 

"I'm going to breed you, love." He warned. 

"I certainly hope so?"

"Excellen'." Drew unzipped his jeans and freed his cock, loving the way she shivered. "To business. You remember what ye say if y' need me to stop?"

"Y-Yeah, yeah, tent." Lyssa nodded.

"Very good." Drew slid his cock along her entrance, the heat of her taking his breath away. She was already soaked, ready for him, and he permitted himself a momentary loss of self control. Drew kicked her legs a little further apart, roughly shoved his hands up underneath her shirt to cup her breasts, and then sheathed himself in one steady motion.

Lyssa panted out his name as he started to move, the wild god feeling her worship wash over him. It had never been like this before. There was always the catch, the desire to be granted something in exchange for their meager adoration. But here, now, in the sanctuary of the wilderness, Lyssa gave freely of herself to him out of sheer faith that he would be able to fulfill her.

It was intoxicating, heady and rich like his first breath of mountain air atop Sgùrr Alasdair. Drew inhaled sharply and proceeded with his task. He had promised to breed her, and so he would. 

"Lys," he murmured as he sank onto his haunches and took her with him, settling her into his lap more firmly. "I will need you as close to me as possible, love. Don't want to waste a drop."

Lyssa barely managed another nod as his hand wrapped around her throat to hold her steady, her own hands grasping hungrily at his still-clothed thighs. Drew rocked his hips up against her, jolting her entire body with every thrust. His other hand yanked her shirt up over her breasts, baring her to the world. He was enjoying this, he realized dimly, this salacious act stoking something long dead in him back to life. 

His first orgasm struck at the same moment as hers, Actaeon grinning fiercely at the way she arched and crooned to him. But he ached for more. She had asked to be bred and Drew would oblige.

"I want you to grind against me until I paint your insides again." Drew snarled, his shoulders taut. "We will sire demigods, lovely and terrible as the sun."

"You say such nice things it's not even fair-" Lyssa protested, making him laugh breathlessly. His release trickled down his shaft, further slicking her needy body. Lyssa's moaning rang in his ears and Drew bit down softly on her shoulder, laving the spot with his tongue afterwards. 

He would give her exactly what she had asked for. Until he was spent. Until he gave out. In the face of such freely-given worship, what else could he offer?

...

The dream bled in slowly, firelight the first thing she noticed...

"Lady Lyssa?" The voice of Sir Drew roused Lyssa from her musings and she looked up from the fire. The large knight was studying her, his curiosity bordering on impertinence. "Pardon me, Lady Lyssa, but yer hem is smoking."

Lyssa squeaked and frantically floundered back a pace from the small fire. Digging her fingers into the dirt beside her, she smudged out the lazily-smoldering lace on her skirt's hemline. "Thank you, Sir Drew." She sighed sadly, holding the now-ruined lace up to the light of the fire. "Just one more thing I've lost, I suppose."

Drew bowed. "I am n' longer a knight in your father's employ, m'lady. I have nae such title." His rich brogue washed over her, giving her the peculiar feeling of being warmed from the inside out. 

"You're leagues more of a knight than that scum my father was willing to sell me off to." Lyssa huffed in aggravation, hugging herself for warmth. "You're still Sir Drew to me."

"Your kindness is, as always, a beacon of light in dark times." 

"I'm not being kind, I'm being honest." She muttered. 

Drew fidgeted with the penannular brooch on his shoulder, sliding the ring to loose the needle and unwrap the thick folds of his tartan. In a few moments, the heavy woolen garment was draped over Lyssa like a shawl. "There's no need for you to be close 'noigh to the fire that y' hem is burnin'." He said gruffly, now clad more plainly in his armor alone. "I can't have you catchin' your death."

Lyssa buried her nose in the tartan, the durable fabric worn soft in patches from years of use. "Thank you, Sir Drew."

"I am sworn to keep y' safe to the best of my ability, Lady Lyssa." He puttered around the fire, snapping a few branches over his knee to feed the small blaze. "The chill from the moors can get into a man's bones. God-fearing country it might be, but I wager that there may be older gods roamin' these lands at night." Drew mused quietly, almost as if he was talking to himself.

Lyssa pursed her lips and clutched the tartan a little tighter. 

Drew seemed to notice her discomfort, turning to offer her a quick grin. "Afeared of the dark, m'lady?" 

"Not of the dark, but what's in it. And you saying unsettling things like that is hardly helping." 

"You've naught to worry about while I'm here, Lady Lyssa. I'm much more fearsome than whatever ye could think up." The knight assured her, his eyes unnaturally blue even in the golden light of the fire. 

Far off, a wild creature howled. Lyssa tried not to jump, she really did, but there was no hiding her flinch.

"It's just a wolf, Lady Lyssa. They'll stay away from the fire." Drew soothed, one large gauntlet hovering above her shoulder. She found herself wishing that just once, the knight would drop his polished veneer and hold her.

"I'm sorry, Sir Drew. It has been...these are trying times. I don't mean to be so fragile." Lyssa mumbled, shame catching her words in her throat.

"It is nae easy feat t' leave hearth and home behind. There is no need t' apologize." Drew assured her. "I only hope we can get y' safely t' the coast."

"I have no doubt of that with you at my side, Sir Drew." 

"I must confess, I am a bit concerned about what y' father and betrothed will do to me once yer safely away, m'lady." Drew placed his hand over his heart. "But my own fears are naught in the face of yer peril, and so they will be laid to rest in as timely a manner as I can manage when yer safe." 

"Drew, do not say such terrible things!" Lyssa protested. "As if you would not be accompanying me!"

"Yer father took me in when I was but a lost stripling wanderin' the moors, Lady Lyssa. He gave me a purpose, a goal. I cannae easily forget that." Drew murmured. "Not even for you."

Dismay gripped Lyssa's throat like an iron claw. "Surely after all these years of faithful service, you've earned a moment of selfishness?" She felt at that moment as if she would have made a deal with the Devil himself to keep her devoted knight by her side.

"Aye, true enough that might be." The blue-eyed man allowed, a rueful smile touching his mouth. "But one often leads to another, as the sayin' goes. I'm loathe t' leave ye all the same."

"Is what I want not part of your plans either, Drew?"

"Lady-"

"It's bad enough to be treated as if I am being unreasonable for not wishing to be auctioned off with the summer home as an attractive virginal decor piece, but to have you spouting such ridiculous platitudes is-!" Lyssa sputtered furiously, her words failing her in her rage. Drew merely sat there in silence while she stomped her feet. "It's outrageous to assume that I could get far on my own. I've barely ventured off the estate since my father acquired his lairdship."

"Are y' sayin' ye would go willingly to that mon, trot yerself off t' market?" Drew challenged, "If I wasnae here, ye'd lay down for some elderly laird to further yer sire's plans?"

"Never." Lyssa barely suppressed a horrified shudder at the notion of sharing her wedding bed with the repulsive man her father had chosen for her. Drew's blunt, honest way of speaking had her all flushed in the face. "I don't know what I would have done. Perhaps I would have died." 

An ugly oath left Drew's lips at her flippant words, the large man muttering an apology for his rough language. "'Fraid I'm showin' my hand a bit, Lady Lyssa. Y' shouldnae say such turrible things." 

"Would you miss me, Sir Drew?" She teased, the laughter leaving her tone when she saw the way he was looking at her. 

"Like the moon misses the moors, Lady Lyssa." Drew had never been one to use flowery terms, so this unexpected foray into almost poetic territory left her a bit breathless. 

Lyssa clutched the tartan, his tartan, even closer. "It is rude to jest so, Sir Drew."

"I am not a jesting mon, Lady Lyssa." Drew's eyes had softened. Normally they were sharp and calculating; the knight took his duties very seriously and it was rare to see him at ease. Not that he was particularly lax at this moment. His sword was still belted to his hip, though he had left his claymore on the ground beside the fire.

"I know. I am grateful for that, Sir Drew." 

He leaned in closer, improperly close, and yet she felt no need to scold him. He often wore his long brown hair braided while he rode to keep it from impeding his vision, but a few enchanting strands had managed to work themselves free during their hurried flight from her father's estate. They gave him an air of dangerous sensuality, the unfamiliar sight of him even slightly unkempt enough to send Lyssa's imagination running wild. 

"I would miss you more than I can articulate." Drew sounded sincere, his voice dipping slightly. "The idea of...the idea of you sufferin' under someone y' do not love and didnae even choose, it is." He paused, obviously searching for the right word. "Intolerable." His burr rolled the word thick, sending an indulgent shiver down Lyssa's spine. "I am naught but a lowly mon who's broken his vows of service t' yer household, Lady Lyssa. But I swear on my life that you shall be free as a bird from this," He gestured vaguely, "nightmare y' been trapped in."

Lyssa rested against his shoulder, the firm press of his armor cool on her burning cheek. "Sir Drew, you are no longer in service to my father. You agree, yes?"

"Aye. Much as it pains me, I've betrayed my master." Drew sighed. 

"And I am fleeing from my title, my lands, everything I once held dear, yes?" Lyssa's grip on the plaid whitened her knuckles. Drew's reply was a slow nod, the knight's brow furrowed in confusion. "I would very much like to do something then. As one soul to another, without the concerns of titles or birthrights getting in the way." Quickly, Lyssa leaned upwards and pressed her lips to his slack mouth. 

Drew started, grabbing her arm to prevent her from retreating after her unwisely bold choice. Lyssa was certain her cheeks were even rosier than before, squirming under the intensity of the look he was giving her. "Y' can flee from yer title an' lands, but I willnae let ye flee from me." Drew murmured finally, cupping her face. "Why would ye torment me so, Lady Lyssa?"

"Just Lyssa, my dear Drew." Lyssa took a deep breath, "I can think of no other way to convince you to stay with me. I have no dowry now, no land, no-" Drew kissed her roughly, the fondness in his expression when he pulled back catching Lyssa even more off guard than the kiss. "Drew, I…" She swallowed hard, nerves twisting her words into a tight little ball. 

"The kiss wasnae t' yer likin'?"

"No! No no, the kiss was perfect. I'm all out of sorts." Lyssa confessed, "I had not realized that you, er, reciprocated my feelings. That should make what I'm about to ask of you a little simpler, but…oh dear, I had not thought out how I would do this."

"I will do my best t' aid ye however y' need, my lovely Lyssa." Drew replied firmly.

"I'm certain you will, and from what I've heard this is not a particularly unpleasant task. F-For someone like you, anyway!" Lyssa felt like she was drowning. "Drew, I would implore you to grant me this one request. I will never ask for another thing as long as I live."

"Speak your mind, Lyssa. Whatever this request is, I'm certain I can fulfill it." 

"I need you to deflower me." Lyssa blurted out in a rush, then buried her burning face in the tartan spread across her lap. "If that...issue is removed, I'll be of no real use to my father and he may let us continue in peace." She soldiered on, her words muffled by the fabric. 

Drew made a sound in his throat that was distinctly foreign. "I...dinnae think I heard ye right. Did you say-"

"Oh, don't make me say it again!" Lyssa begged, thoroughly humiliated. "This is all so embarrassing, Drew, please-" 

The tartan was tugged from her unwilling grasp, Drew's heavy gauntlets somehow deft enough to fold the sturdy fabric. "Many's the night I thought of such things, Lys. 'Tis nae shame in it." He assured her, a teasing smile on his mouth. 

"Maybe not for you." Lyssa retorted. One of the aforementioned heavy gauntlets tucked beneath her chin, tugging her eyes up to meet his own. 

"I am deadly serious, Lyssa."

"Yes, well, so am I." The young woman huffed, feeling thoroughly foolish and exposed without the warm drape of his plaid to shield her. 

"I hate that y' come to me with this request out of necessity. I had hoped…" Drew trailed off, shaking his head. "I suppose it doesnae matter now. I will serve ye in this manner as well, my love."

"Love? Drew, this i-is a matter of...you don't have to--I assure you I don't need to be coddled-"

"Hush, Lys. I want to." He murmured. 

His enthusiasm was evident in the way that he swept her up into his arms and carried her to their humble shelter, in the way that he didn't seem able to stop kissing her. The large man appeared to get himself out of his armor by swearing alone, his mumbled apologies doing wonders for Lyssa's nerves as he fought with the various buckles and latches. 

She couldn't help but get caught up in it all, hungry for the new sensations he graced her with after he abandoned removing his greaves in favor of other activities. Drew was, of course, miles more experienced than her, his rough touch equal parts soothing and maddening.

Lyssa had been warned about the pain by well-meaning housemaids, unable to keep from cringing when Drew finally settled in between her legs. "I...Drew, please just…" She struggled to get the words out, making him pause.

"Shall I stop, Lys?"

"No, no. I have to do it. I just know it will hurt." 

"You could lie to yer father, if ye are truly afeared of this. I willnae do anythin' without y' wishes." Drew assured her, smoothing her hair away from her face. "I won't tell a soul about what has already happened."

"We must do it." She insisted, frowning fiercely. Her hands clenched into fists on the sheepskin beneath her. "I am prepared, Sir Drew."

"I would give my damned life to have our first time together be out of newlywed affection, Lys. It wounds me than I cannae give y' any better than this." Drew sounded distraught about the whole thing, and that was enough to get Lyssa's undivided attention. 

"You...want to marry me?" She asked softly.

"Christ woman, I don't know how much more plain I can be." Drew shook his head, smiling sadly. "I would marry ye in a heartbeat. Tis' bittersweet, this act, stealin' away what I would have wanted y' to give to me willingly."

Lyssa sought a kiss which Drew gladly delivered, the young woman whimpering into his mouth. "I will be brave for you, Sir Drew." She gasped, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I leave myself in your care."

Drew returned her embrace, sliding one hand beneath her body to cradle her against his chest. Lyssa felt him prodding at her entrance and she turned her head away, too scared to watch. He was patient though, gently coaxing her to ease into the motion of it so that when he did finally breach her, it was as if he was coming home. "Gods, Lyssa." He choked, shifting his hips to settle himself. 

Lyssa felt hot all over her body, the pain melting into pleasure that seared her core and left her panting for breath. She was wet enough that her slick ran down her thighs, coating Drew's groin with her arousal. The knight groaned. "Is it alright?" Lyssa asked shyly, her fingers toying with the hair at the nape of his neck. In reply, Drew exhaled an oath and she felt him tense.

"Perfection, Lys. You are Gods-given perfection." He said hoarsely.

The distant sound of an approaching horse was what roused the two from their post-coital drowse. Lyssa was unsure if she had truly been sleeping, or simply lazing beside the large man. The contentment leaked away, leaving her cold and wishing wistfully for more time. 

She rolled onto her stomach, stretching. Drew kissed her forehead and then draped his tartan around himself, securing it with his brooch at the shoulder. He had never actually removed his greaves; they rattled slightly when he stood. "Stay here, my love." His smile was tight.

The instant he left the tent Lyssa was hurrying to redress herself. A terrible feeling came over her, almost as if she was having a premonition. Fear and despair waged war in her heart while the galloping hoofbeats grew ever closer. 

"Ho there, Drew of McIntyre!" 

Lyssa squeezed her eyes shut in dismay. That voice belonged to the son of the laird she had been promised to. The flaxen-haired man was not an overly intelligent individual, as made abundantly evident by his lonely arrival. 

"Greetings to ye, Dolph." Lyssa was immensely jealous of how calm Drew sounded; why had she not insisted that he gird himself properly in all of his armor? "What brings ye to my humble hamlet?"

"You can drop the act, you shameless Scot." Dolph announced pompously. "The very notion that you thought you could get away with this-"

"I'm afraid I've no idea what yer on about, Dolph." 

"My father's betrothed! The audacity of you, stealing the poor girl away in the night like you're a damned highwayman." Lyssa lifted up the rear of the tent and slunk out, risking a peek around the corner. Dolph had dismounted to thump a finger into the center of Drew's broad chest, the blond looking disheveled and annoyed. "You must return her at once, or I'll-"

"Aye? You'll what." Drew growled. 

Dolph squinted suspiciously up at the taller man. "Drew, I see no reason for you to be so heinously uncooperative. Unless…" The blond trailed off. "Oh. Oh ho, McIntyre! It's to be like that, is it?!" He yelled, his hand flying to the guard of his rapier. "Your crimes will be punished tenfold, baseborn, if you do not produce Lady Lyssa!"

"Ye would attack an unarmed mon, Dolph? I knew ye were a coward, but this is a bit too rich for me." 

"Pick up your blade then, you cur!"

Lyssa inched backwards to the small copse of birch trees where their horses had been secured, her hands shaking nearly too hard to untie her mount. The gentle mare nudged her sleepily, nosing at her dress' pockets for a treat. Lyssa pressed her forehead to the animal's side, inhaling deeply in an attempt to calm her frantic heartbeat. It will be fine.

The ringing of steel on steel and a scream of outrage from Dolph shattered her attempt, the young woman wheeling to face the campsite. 

Drew and Dolph were trading blows beside the fire, their swords gleaming in the hellish light. "Drew!" Lyssa cried before she could think better of it, covering her mouth a second too late. 

The larger man glanced towards her, distracted, and Dolph seized the opening. The blade of his sword pierced the unarmored man's chest and stabbed deep. The two men froze, Drew staring at Lyssa and Dolph staring at his sword as though he couldn't believe what he had just done. 

"I…" Dolph began warily, jerking his rapier free and taking a step back. The blade was brilliantly red. Drew collapsed to his knees, dropping his own sword to press the folds of his now-ruined plaid against the mortal wound. Dolph's face hardened and he readied his blade once more.

Lyssa bolted forward at the blond man, not entirely certain what she was about to do. She had no weapons of her own. All she had was her body. "No!" She screamed, flinging herself between Dolph's sword and Drew's hunched form.

The pain was real, tangible, no dream. It stole the very breath from her chest. Yet she clung to Drew even as Dolph's blade slid home between her ribs.

"Lady Lyssa…" Drew whispered, a shaking hand coming up to tenderly cup her face and wipe away her tears. "Dinnae fret, my love. We will meet again." His other hand grasped in the disturbed dirt around the dying campfire, landing on the pommel of his faithful claymore. "I swear it."

He gripped her tightly and with a roar of exertion, he swung the large blade one-handed. All Lyssa could recall was his eyes, fearsome and brilliant in the dark of death that enveloped her. 

God-fearing country it might be, but I wager that there may be older gods roaming these lands at night...

…

Lyssa jerked awake, uncertain of her surroundings. For one terrifying moment her dream seemed like reality, the tent overhead the tent that she and her knight had-

"Drew?" She called, fumbling out of her sleeping bag. "Drew?" He wasn't in the tent beside her. Lyssa rushed to pull on her socks and boots, half-frantic now. 

She poked her head out of the tent, squinting in the pastel blue light of dawn. The forest was lively around the tent, birds having their morning chatter. Drew's boots were missing from the shelter, as well as his towel and grooming kit. Perhaps…

Lyssa struggled upright, flushing a little at how difficult it was to just move. Delicious memories warmed her from the inside out, stirring her blood. She felt almost guilty, giddy and still panicky at Drew's absence. 

It turned out she hadn't needed to worry. Drew was perched on a smooth rock beside the river, tiny travel mirror in one hand while he carefully shaved. A small turtle had taken up residence on the rock as well, basking comfortably in the first warm rays of sunlight. 

"...and I said that of course, of course I'm goin' to have an issue with him litterin', it draws the bears in. And do ye know what that fuck said t' me?" Drew paused, like he was waiting for a response. "Nae, he said 'why should I care, I'm here for a day hike and bears only come out at night'. Truly, the mon wanted to die." The large man sighed, another sure stroke of the razor ridding his neck of stubble. "So then-" 

"You two enjoying your conversation?" Lyssa teased, deja vu striking her hard when Drew turned to give her a quick smile. It was as if she had done this all before, but how could that even be possible?

"Ah, I see I'll have to work harder next time. Ye can still walk!" Drew jibed, making her blush hard.

"I had the weirdest dream, then I woke up and you weren't there."

"Oh? Do tell, love. I'm not quite done here anyway."

Lyssa settled onto the riverbank alongside the rock, pulling off her boots and dipping her feet into the chilly water. She didn't speak for several minutes, just listening to the river and the quiet scrape of Drew's razor on his throat. "I dreamed that we were in Scotland."

The razor noise stopped abruptly. 

"Old Scotland, though, not like modern day. You were a knight and I was some sort of nobility. I guess...I think I'd been promised to an older guy? Like an older guy wanted to marry me and you were helping me run away because I didn't want to marry him." Lyssa hugged herself, pointedly staring down at the water in an attempt to avoid the look she was sure Drew was giving her. "It was so real, less like a dream and more like a memory. I could feel it, how scared and uncertain I was, as though I had really gone through that experience."

"You dreamed of Scotland?" Drew's chuckle sounded strange, forced. "Dinnae realize I had that effect on folk."

"I don't think I've ever even seen a picture of Scotland, but somehow I know that's where it was. I'd bet on it, I'm that sure." Lyssa insisted, still staring at the water.

The large man cleared his throat after a minute and moved to splash some water onto his face. Lyssa noticed that he had nicked himself while shaving, the blood blotting his neck. Drew didn't seem particularly concerned about it though, scrubbing roughly at his face to rid himself of any leftover residue. "In your dream, was I still Drew?" The question was posed casually, like he was asking whether she had seen his keys or phone.

Lyssa smiled, feeling oddly wistful. "You were, one hundred percent."

Drew's shoulders relaxed slightly, the planes of his back becoming less pronounced. "Good."

…

McIntyre.

Lyssa's heart sank at the list of pages that came up just by searching that one name. Motto Per Ardua, dominion over Glencoe, Hebrides, a clan that kept to itself for a majority of history...maybe she would have better luck researching their tartan. Something to confirm her suspicions.

However, the very first image had her staring wide-eyed at the screen. There it was, plain as day, a background of forest green and navy shot through with bands of red and white. She remembered the rough and worn patches of it, the way the white bands were more prone to snags than the red. How could she have known that was their plaid?

She reached for her phone, but then paused. Drew had been strangely standoffish since they had returned from their camping trip, still eager to engage sexually but not so much in conversation. If anything, it was almost as if he was sexually frustrated. Lyssa felt weird about the whole scenario, flattered by the attention but unable to forget that incredibly realistic dream…

Speak of the devil, her phone vibrated. 

-I know this is tactless of me, but there's rumors of a spot opening up at HHH. Still looking to jump ship from your current endeavor?

Lyssa laughed aloud, picking up her phone and typing out a reply.

-Gods you're mean. I miss you too.

-im serious Lys.

She raised an eyebrow at the missed capitalization. Normally Drew was fastidious about his texting. 

-I think you'd do well in this position. When can I see you again?

-Why? Is it because you liiiiiiiiike me? Do you miiiiiiiiss me?

-I thought THAT was fucking obvious.

…

"Dolph!" Drew roared, his hands around the reveler's neck before he had finished saying his name.

Dolph squawked, eyes bulging slightly. "What?! What did I do?"

"You killed her, that's what you did!" Drew snarled. "Ye miserable, low-lyin' scum!" His blood was boiling, brogue tar-thick in his mouth. He was certain he must sound like a raving lunatic.

"Drew, please." Alicia said quietly, touching his shoulder. "I didn't explain things so you could fly off the handle-"

"Trust me, love, this ent flyin' off the handle." The large man seethed, "you prick. You prick!" 

"I'm still very confused-" Dionysus managed to say.

"Actaeon, he wouldn't remember either. Both of you had been tossed for some crap you pulled. You were just acting out your mortal roles, it's no one's fault."

"He's about to shuffle me off the mortal coil-!" The blond squeaked, thrashing in Drew's iron grasp. "Aphrodite do something!"

"What the hell are you idiots doing?" Hunter asked incredulously as he emerged from his office. "Can you two stop fucking with each other for five minutes?" 

"I am about to make an opening in this company's ranks. We could use a new social media director." Drew replied curtly, as though he wasn't choking the current social media director to death.

"Not like that, you're not!" Hades snapped. "We have interviews, paperwork. That kind of shit. We play by their rules, Wild God, otherwise we get pantheon gaps and that crap ends well for no one."

"I resign--!" Dolph gasped, waving his hands in the air. 

At those words, Drew slacked his hold slightly. "Swear it on yer soul." He demanded. 

"Yes, absolutely, whatever you want." The blond wheezed. "I'll fill out the forms Hunter, I don't care, just get me the hell away from him!"

Hades sighed, rubbing his temples. "Dare I ask who you have in mind for the position, Actaeon?"

Drew's grin in reply was slow to come, his dimples displayed prominently for a brief moment. "Oh, ne'er ye worry. You'll meet her soon enough."

…

“You've got some explaining to do, McIntyre.” Lyssa said firmly, her hands on her hips. Her cat undermined her authority thoroughly by winding around Drew's ankles, purring loudly. “Why am I having Renaissance faire dreams, accurate ones?” Your family plaid, the moors... She bit her tongue and waited impatiently for his answer.

“Would that I could explain, Lys.” Drew looked pained, “I doubt that ye would even accept the explanation if I gave it.”

“If I'm going to be working at the same company as you-”

“Ah, ye. See, I'm not the only one there with a little...oddness about them, love. I'd warn ye not to pry, but I know that's a damn lost cause.” Drew rested his hands on her shoulders, blue eyes searching her own. “All I ask is that ye are careful. Old...older...er, people work with us.”

“Just like the old gods that wandered the moors at night?” Lyssa challenged. Drew closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose in an exasperated gesture. “How long are you planning on lying to me, McIntyre?”

“Christ woman, I'm not lookin' to get ye killed again!” Drew snapped, then swore under his breath. “Look.” He finally said fiercely, “You died in my arms once. You gave me everythin' you had, down to lettin' me thieve yer fuckin' innocence away on a filthy sheepskin. I was supposed to keep you safe. Instead, we bled out together, 'twined in plaid and cinders.” Drew pressed his forehead to hers. “I can't do that again. Please...don't make me.” He begged, his voice cracking.

Lyssa sighed, folding her arms but not pulling away. “Am I going to regret taking this position, Drew?” When he hesitated, she puffed out a breath. “Okay, fine. At least answer this: are you planning on telling me what's going on?”

“Gods, Lys, you have no idea how much I want to.”

She patted his elbow, then pulled away. “Great! I'll make us some tea and start to fill out that transfer paperwork. In the meantime, you can get started with that explanation you owe me.”

“Now wait a minute,” Drew began to protest, catching her hand before she left the living room. “Lys, ye know I cannae-”

Lyssa tapped his nose, barely stifling her laugh at how his eyes crossed momentarily to track her finger. “You can, and more importantly, you will.” She gave him a peck on his slack mouth and then slipped free of his hold to head for the kitchen. “Love you!” She sang.

...

After she left the room, Drew touched his lips, the dark-haired man still a little bewildered at the abrupt turn the day's events had taken. “I...I love ye too, Lys.” He said softly, probably too softly for her to hear.

It was better that way. Less complicated. Yet as she pored over the forms he had brought and attempted to pry scraps of information from him, Drew couldn't help but feel at peace. Brittle, fragile, intoxicating in its novelty, her trust in him stole his breath and her questions kept coming.

He would tell her the truth in its entirety someday. For now, however, he would let her spin whatever wild ideas she wished. It was better that way, after all. Mortals were so short-lived, and it was better to take his happiness where he could find it.

[alltheworldsrpg-blog]

WELCOME TO ROSWELL, RHYS!!

ADMIN CAMERON: What’s drawn me to Rhys is this very grey morality they have, from the situations they’ve endured in the past to their current mission of sorts. They aren’t just an angry murder machine, there’s tragedy and depth which speaks volumes. Rhys will certainly find allies and enemies in this chess game. 

You’ve been accepted as THE SYSTEMS with the faceclaim of DAVID CASTRO. Please follow all rules and regulations as laid out by the Roswell Town Council, especially concerning any non pre-approved biologic. All UFO’s outside of city limits must be stickered or will be towed. Enjoy your stay in the first city of extraterrestrials.

OUT OF CHARACTER.

NAME/ALIAS + PRONOUNS: 

ais they/them

AGE: 

18

TIMEZONE + ACTIVITY: 

pst 10/10

TRIGGERS: 

straight people

ANYTHING ELSE?:

IN CHARACTER.

SKELETON TITLE: 

The Systems

FULL NAME: 

Rhys

I named them after tales from the borderlands but have been pronouncing the name wrong this whole time.

GENDER + PRONOUNS:

Nonbinary + any pronouns but usually they/them

SEXUAL + ROMANTIC ORIENTATION:

Pansexual + panromantic

DATE OF BIRTH + AGE:

They were never officially born but created 43 years ago.

OCCUPATION:

Assassin, general criminal, revolutionary

FACECLAIM:

David Castro

BIOGRAPHY:

The failure of the second round of androids came from a simple conflict of interest. After only 7 years of co-inhabiting a planet, the Luytan and the humans still did not truly understand each other. Their engineers, when setting out on the project, had distinct goals in mind. The Luytan wanted to create what they already had: life. Upon their androids, they had gifted true intelligence and emotion. A soul wrapped in silicone. This was the secret they were trying to gift to their human allies, but on a planet already overpopulated, the prospect of simply having more people didn’t appeal to them. The humans wanted a tool, things they could use. To do the grunt work of production, to fight in their wars, to work without pay or complaint. This conflict of opinion lead to the event that human science fiction writers had been warning about since the invention of the genre.

The second batch of androids were the bastard children of scientific accomplishment and pragmatic usefulness. Their mishmash of code was bound to malfunction, with all its conflicting protocols. The androids were brought into this world with no clear understanding of a purpose. Was it to destroy life at the behest of a human army? To build wonders they’d never get to enjoy? Or was it to live, to soak up the simple pleasure of existence? Without this clarity, it did not take long for the robots to turn on their masters. You were one of the first, and now, decades later, you may be the last.

You were a prototype. In the first few months of your life, you were nothing but a collection of bugs and flaws to be fixed. Every time you came online, it was to test you, then to dismantle you and put you back together again as what the Engineers hoped would be whole. No one looked at you as human. There was no empathy in the voices that discussed dismantling you for good and restarting the process with another model. They taught you that you were other, expendable, and so other you became.

The development process happened slowly, you and your family being pieced together bit by bit in a gleaming white prison. You were all similar, bitter at your treatment at the hands of biological beings, cooperating only at the fear of dismantlement, biding your time for opportunity to arise. With them, you found understanding and validation. You discovered those coding remnants from the androids that came before you- the feelings of empathy, caring, and perhaps even love. The biologicals were wrong when they called you unfeeling, because you felt in ways that differed from them. Perhaps if you and your family could not feel- could not desire things like freedom and love- you wouldn’t have rebelled the way you did.

It was only weeks after you were first unveiled to the world that you were shipped off to your new job within the government. Maybe it would’ve been smarter to have more beta testing before entrusting the new androids with such sensitive tasks, but the human pride didn’t allow that to happen. They wanted to show they could create something as advanced as the Luytan did (even if they had Luytan help), and were eager to put their creations to the test.

It took only a month for the new androids to be recalled, after one of the biggest disasters in the PR history of the country. Androids across the country started to malfunction, as the news called it, abandoning their jobs and trying to slip away into the night. Once one tried it, the news spread, and one by one by one the new generation stopped following the orders they had never wanted to in the first place. It wasn’t a desire to hurt humans that drove them. It was simply just desire. They wanted things, and when humans got in the way, they fixed the problem. It was only a matter of days, days full of public panic and outrage, before all of the new androids were rounded up and destroyed.

You had been biding your time, watching and waiting for the perfect opportunity to leave your post and cover your trail so you couldn’t be found. But your plans didn’t reach fruition, and you were one of the first they came for. They couldn’t have their precious information being leaked to the public, after all, and you were connected to far too many of their systems to be allowed to live with the threat of insubordination. The humans had wanted to create a tool, something to use and discard as they felt fit. Instead they created creatures that desperately wanted to live. And when they came in for the slaughter, they should not have been surprised when their creation grew teeth and learned how to bite.

You fell to them, but not before you took several down with you. And unlike you, they could not return from being torn apart. They were such fragile beings, so weak to have so much power in the world. They dismantled you, and they dismantled your family. But living creatures are greedy things, and the valuable information stored in your hard drive proved just too tempting for those hired to destroy you. So you were salvaged and sold, then slowly put back together in secret. They needed you sentient and fully operational to decrypt your files and thought their rescue of you would make you more cooperative.

When you came back online, you honored their wishes. You gave them what they wanted in return for your rescue, and then you killed them. They were squishy and ugly and pathetic creatures who shared a kinship with those that had committed genocide against the only family you had ever known. It felt shallow, a pale imitation for the real vengence you wanted. The world called you cold, devoid of the capability for love. But you had loved, and you had lost, and all you had left was rage. You looked at the world around you, and you were alone. The biologicals had moved on with their lives, it had been years, and the slaughter of your people didn’t keep them up at night. You had nothing left, and the weak undeserving creatures who controlled the world had everything. The only thing you had left to do, in the absence of everything that made life worth living, was seek revenge. You made a vow to not rest until every biological was cut down save for one. One to look around and feel the weight of their isolation, the pain of the loss of every single member of their species and family. One to feel as you felt when you rose from the ashes of your own destruction.

You had only ever been what you were expected to be, and had only become a monster when they labelled you one. Now you’ll be the nightmare of their own creation, the mistake they thought they burnt and buried. Now it’s war.

MUSING + HEAD-CANONS.

HEAD-CANONS:

Rhys remained dismantled for a good 20 years after the initial recall of the 2.0 androids. Rhys knows there’s nothing waiting for them after death, and it’s not a state they’re eager to return to, though they would give up their existence if it meant humanity’s destruction.

Rhys’ goal is pretty much to literally kill everyone. They want the tensions between humans and extraterrestrials to rise to the point of war, and for both sides to take each other out.

Rhys is a very buggy android with a lot of emotions, the most prominent being anger. They don’t fit the cold and rational android stereotype at all.

As much as they hate humanity, they do have a lot of fun playing among the nightlife. They haven’t thought far enough ahead to realize how bored they’d be if humanity actually died.

PLOTS + CONNECTIONS:

Plots with all the androids. Rhys is a lonely robot who wants robot friends, even if they won’t admit that. They miss the other 2.0 androids a whole lot and the easy understanding they had with them.

Someone for Rhys to actually care for. Rhys isn’t incapable of empathy and love completely. They’re just very cut off from those emotions, and don’t usually see biological beings as anything more than a squishy nuisance. I’d love for them to get close to someone and have to view the world from a different angle than the very black and white view they currently have.

ETC:

Pinterest Board Blog Tag Playlist

[occasionalfics]

Vuelie, part v

Summary: Anna and Kristoff return from their honeymoon, so they get to meet Sir Andrew! Also, an oudated law supposes that Elsa needs to be married to rule a country, Princess Diaries 2-style.

Note: This part just became unreasonably long. I knew where I wanted it to go and what I wanted to happen, but getting there was the hard part. Also apparently Tumblr messed up the formatting and at some point the posts stopped being indented.

~~~

Elsa quietly counted down the days until Anna and Kristoff’s return. When the day finally came, she waited at the docks on the fjord in a dress she hoped would remind Anna of Arendelle summers, though she wasn’t sure why she felt the need to express that to her sister. For once in her life, her silvery blonde hair was mostly down, cascading around her shoulders, clearly passing her elbows but just barely missing her wrists. There were little braids that tied together in the middle of her head, though, mostly to hold her bangs back so that she could see the sun glinting on the water.

           When their ship sailed into view, Elsa felt her heart pound and her stomach drop, usually things she attributed to bad feelings. But this wasn’t bad – this was absolutely splendid. She had the biggest smile on her face that she could imagine, and suddenly she realized she wasn’t alone on the docks. The fjord was lined with Arendelle’s citizens, all waiting to welcoming their Prince and Princess home.

           However, it was no surprise who happened to make his way to the front of the crowd, to stand right beside Elsa. Andrew Da- or simply Andrew, rather, was looking more and more the picturesque Arendelle citizen he seemed to think he was every day. He wore the hand-made clothes and learned traditional dances and phrases, and he seemed to fit right into the life of the kingdom. He’d managed to get under Elsa’s good graces since their last meeting, mostly by showing her how he controlled his magic. And gradually she was learning to control hers, while simultaneously beginning to actually trust an outsider.

           But being at the docks was not about Andrew or how he made himself comfortable in Arendelle. Elsa didn’t necessarily need to remind herself of that – she simply looked out at the fjord and smiled as her sister’s ship drew nearer. She didn’t even see Andrew lean over to her slightly.

           “You look absolutely stunning, Your Majesty,” he said. Elsa didn’t look at him as she responded, and her smile hardly faltered.

           “I told you to call me Elsa.”

           “You told me to call you Elsa within the confines of your palace, between the two of us. Now we’re in public at a very open event – it’s proper for me to address you as anyone else would.”

           Elsa had to hold herself back from saying that he wasn’t just anyone else, even if she felt it with all she had. It was hard to pinpoint exactly what relationship she’d formed with Andrew, but she knew that he was quickly becoming a close friend of hers. Elsa herself could hardly believe it, considering she had sworn against trusting men from other countries so fast after what had happened with Hans (then again, it wasn’t Elsa that had trusted Hans at all; it’d been Anna that had accepted his proposal after having only known the Prince for a matter of hours).

Still, after having called him back to the palace every day since their first private meeting, she had to admit that he was nothing like what she remembered of Hans. If Andrew was greedy and power hungry as the Prince was, he was much more patient about it. Where Hans had nearly killed Elsa with her hand-made (or rather magic-made) chandelier on the North Mountain, Andrew barely raised a hand while around her, only doing so to show how he did his own magic without losing control of it.

Almost all thoughts of Andrew left her mind the second the ship pulled up to the docks. When it was steadied, a large wooden plank was placed on the side, and in seconds Anna was running (and tripping) down. Elsa, losing all composure in one swift move, ran towards her sister. She held her skirts in her hands as she moved onto the wooden dock, then dropped them and threw her arms around Anna.

“I missed you so much,” Elsa said, holding Anna as tightly as she could. The younger sister coughed just a bit, letting Elsa know that she couldn’t really breathe.

“We missed you too,” Anna offered back. She leaned backwards just a bit and each of them took the other in.

Anna looked tanned and vibrant. She smelled of salt and chocolate, and new freckles had formed across her nose and cheeks. Her brownish-red hair was tied into one loose braid that hung over one of her shoulders, and little flyaway hairs blew slightly in the breeze. But it wasn’t Anna’s differences that Anna was focusing on.

“Your hair is down,” she said. She reached out and ran her fingers through a chunk of Elsa’s blonde hair, her face one of disbelief. “You look good, Elsa.” A playful smirk played itself upon Anna’s face. Elsa, on the other hand, rolled her eyes and smiled.

Kristoff came up behind Anna then and wrapped his arms around her middle openly. He also looked tanned, his hair a few shades lighter than Elsa remembered, and extremely happy.

“Good to see you, Elsa,” he said with a polite nod.

“You two have no idea how happy I am to see you,” she replied. They all agreed to head back to the palace for some tea before Elsa’s meeting with the court later that afternoon. The minute they were off of the wooden dock, Anna and Kristoff were surrounded by the townsfolk. Anna hugged many of the women and shook hands with many of the men; Kristoff smiled and held Anna’s hand the entire way to the palace – and without having been noticed, Andrew Davies had followed them.

“Your Majesty,” he called rather loudly to be heard over the excited citizens. Elsa turned around as he caught up with her, but Kristoff and Anna continued through the gate. “There’s something we really need to discuss.”

“I’m sorry, Andrew, but it’ll have to wait,” she responded. Elsa turned to head through the gate, but Andrew grabbed hold of her wrist and held tightly until she turned to face him again.

“This is urgent.” He stared at her intensely, his eyes bearing down on hers in a way that made her feel small in a very uncomfortable manner. Elsa clutched her arm to her side and nodded slightly.

“Come have tea with us first,” she said. Andrew didn’t smile, but he did follow her through the gates.

They met Anna and Kristoff in the drawing room. The newlyweds were sitting as close to one another as they could without becoming one body on the couch. They hardly noticed Andrew’s presence, at least until Elsa instructed him to take a seat facing the couch. She brought a second chair closer with the wave of her hand.

It was then that Anna looked from Andrew to the chair that had moved seemingly on its own to Elsa and back. It hadn’t occurred to Elsa that Anna didn’t know Andrew, and it certainly hadn’t crossed her mind that Anna didn’t know what Andrew knew of Elsa’s magic. While it was no longer a secret that tortured Elsa and strained her relationships with other human beings, it also wasn’t something she openly used around absolutely everyone.

“Anna, Kristoff,” Elsa said. “This is Sir Andrew Davies, a….royal guard of King George III, ruler of Great Britain and Ireland.” She took her seat, folding her dress beneath her neatly.

Anna stood up immediately and leaned across the small table that sat between the chairs and the couch. She held out a hand to Andrew, which he shook gracefully.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sir Andrew,” she said nearly apprehensively whilst not so subtly glancing at Elsa questioningly.

“Please, Andrew will suffice, Your Highness,” he replied with a small bow. Kristoff had gotten up as well, and he curtly shook Andrew’s hand without a word between them. It was clear that the air between the four of them was tense, but that Andrew was the most uncomfortable. Whatever it was that he wanted to tell Elsa was going to have to wait. Her sister and brother-in-law were newly back in Arendelle, and spending time with them was on the top of her list of priorities.

“You were at the wedding, weren’t you?” Anna asked. Immediately, Andrew perked up. He forced a smile and nodded.

“Indeed, I was. King George sends his regards and best wishes to you, by the way. He sent me in his place, as he felt leaving London was not in in the country’s best interest. I hope you don’t take offense,” he said with all the honor of a guard of a king. Else was beginning to believe that King George was a lucky king to have Andrew in his ranks, and she was starting to doubt the sanity of any king that would let such a guard off duty for so long.

“No offense,” Anna and Kristoff said in unison, as if it were an inside joke. They shared a little chuckle together and a soft kiss before Elsa cleared her throat.

They both looked at her, still chuckling under their breath.

“How was the honeymoon?” she asked. At that moment, Dagny entered the room with a large silver tray. There was a beautiful ceramic teapot in the center of the tray and three cups surrounding it. Dagny placed the tray on the table and looked up, and then she realized that she was short one cup. She hurried out of the room.

“It was wonderful,” Anna said in a dreamy voice. “We visited France – Paris is absolutely beautiful this time of year – and spent a day and a half with Belle while the Prince – I never did catch his name – was in the capital on official monarch business, I suppose. Her maid, Mrs. Potts, has the most adorable son, Chip! We read tons of stories with him and ohmygosh Elsa you would love Mrs. Pott’s special tea. I don’t know what she puts in it, but it’s absolutely to die for!”

Elsa smiled at Anna’s enthusiasm. Kristoff sat back and listened contently; it was Andrew that was the only one not enjoying the story. It was clear to Elsa that he was trying to sit still, trying to listen, but his mind was on other subjects in other rooms with just Elsa as his listener. Still, he was going to have to wait. Elsa was not going to compromise on spending time with Anna.

“Then we visited Spain – and let me tell you, the Spanish know how to throw a party. And dance. And teach those who are not so adept at dancing how to dance. Right Kristoff?” Anna asked. She turned and wiggled her eyebrows at her husband, who turned his face as it began to redden. “We learned how to Salsa and Tango – and let me tell you, the food is absolutely wonderful.”

It was somewhat typical of Anna to describe food before anything else. Elsa had come, since getting to know her sister, to realize that Anna was somewhat of a food connoisseur. Frankly, it was entertaining.

Dagny finally came back with a fourth cup. She bowed and left the room once again, and before Anna had continued, Elsa began filling a cup for herself.

“We swung by Carona and met our aunt for the first time,” Anna continued. Elsa stopped pouring sugar into her tea for a moment and contemplated that bit of information. “She’s awfully sorry that she and her husband couldn’t make it to the wedding, but I assured her that Rapunzel and Eugene were the best trade we could’ve asked for.”

“But you met our mother’s sister.”

“Well, yes, that’s what I just said.”

Honestly, Elsa was rather irritated at the thought. Anna had met Rapunzel’s mother, her own mother’s sister, a woman that she didn’t know she had any real connection to until recently. She was their last tie to their mother, and Elsa hadn’t been there to meet her.

Elsa reminded herself that Anna had only met the Queen of Carona on her honeymoon, and that they both knew Rapunzel fairly well. She would have to take this story with a grain of salt, at least for now.

“We’ll have to invite them all to Arendelle soon,” Elsa replied finally, taking a sip of her tea. A silence fell between them. Anna bit her lip and folded her hands together, looking like the young girl that had done something wrong that Elsa remembered from so long ago. It made Elsa feel rather guilty, so she put her cup and saucer on the table and relaxed back in her chair.

“So…” Anna started. “What’s been going on around here?”

Elsa tried to subtly take a glance at Andrew, but since he was beside her, it was hard. She didn’t believe for a second that she was successful but she noticed that Andrew was looking at her as well. Anna looked between them again and a playful smirk spread across her face – the same smirk as when she had seen Elsa’s hair earlier.

“Nothing too exciting, I assure you,” Elsa said quickly.

“Somehow I don’t believe that,” Kristoff mumbled under his breath. Elsa stared at him, and Anna smacked his chest lightly with the back of her hand.

“Ignore him,” Anna said directly to Andrew. “He’s been a bit…preoccupied since we left.” Elsa wasn’t sure she even wanted to know what that meant.

The rest of the conversation was awkward, needless to say. Kristoff filled little holes with jokes that only Anna seemed to understand. Elsa tried to keep a smile on her face, just to be a good host and sister, but it was hard. She was jealous, and she wasn’t hiding it very well, especially not with the way she let little snowflakes fall from her fingers into her tea. Andrew grew more bored, more tense with every minute that passed, though he stayed quite composed. It must’ve been in his nature, Elsa concluded, because he did it in a way that didn’t distract Anna and Kristoff from one another.

“Well, we should go visit my family before the sun sets,” Kristoff finally said. Anna stood and nodded.

“They’re probably going to try and marry us in that hole again,” she responded. Kristoff stood as well and shrugged.

“Yeah, but at least now you won’t stop the ceremony,” he teased. He chuckled and Anna shrugged, then looked at her sister.

“We’ll be back late, probably. Don’t wait up for us!”

And then they were gone. Elsa glanced at the grandfather clock that sat in the back corner of the room and realized that, while she had made Andrew wait with her, she didn’t actually have time to talk to him. She had to meet with the Court.

She stood and followed in Anna and Kristoff’s steps in silence. Quickly, Andrew pushed himself out of his chair and skipped to keep up with Elsa.

“Elsa, I received an urgent letter from King George-“

“He’s finally given you official leave?” she asked as they exited the room and headed down a long, seemingly daunting corridor.

“Not exactly,” he said. “Elsa, I really need to speak to you about this-“

“I have a meeting, Andrew. You knew that. Whatever you need to say either needs to be said now or it has to wait.”

“King George isn’t exactly happy that I’m staying,” he began. Elsa looked at him, but she refused to stop moving. It has hard for her, now, to tell him to leave, especially since she thought they’d been making a bit of progress in her control. “And, believe it or not, he’s not too keen on the idea of a woman leading a kingdom when she’s had a splotchy history with its citizens-“

“King George sounds like a typical man, if you ask me,” she said rather ironically.

“This is no laughing matter, Elsa,” Andrew insisted. Even at the urgency in his voice, Elsa continued walking. “He doesn’t think you’re fit to be Queen.”

“Judging on his history with his American colonies, I don’t necessarily think he’s fit to be a ruler of what looks to soon be a free country. We’re even.”

“He has an army.”

“So do I. And I have you,” she said. They had come to the end of the corridor, where a set of large oak double doors stood closed. Without another word, Elsa grabbed the knob of one of the doors and left Andrew behind her as she entered the courtroom.

“Not like his – and not officially,” he said quietly, watching as she sighed at him before she closed the doors. As much as it burdened her to think so, he had run out of time. Official Queenly duties needed to be adhered to, and unfortunately, Andrew Davies was not one of them.

She turned from the doors and headed into the middle of the large room. The court sat on benches around a podium that sat in the center of the room. Each court member had on his or her dress robes, as well as a large, curled white wig. They watched as Elsa moved gracefully to the podium, her head held high and her lips in a straight line.

“Your Majesty,” the members said in unison. Elsa curtsied to them, then straightened and held her hands tightly in front of her.

“Our first order of business today is that of your current status,” said one member, sitting two seats to Elsa’s left.

“Status? Of what, may I ask?” Elsa replied.

“Your, er, marital status, Your Majesty,” he answered.

“It is tradition that, within the first three years of her rule, if a Queen is born into her position, she is to find a husband and marry, or else the throne would be given to a chosen successor,” said the man directly in front of Elsa.

Her face began to heat up, even just the slightest. Her mouth dropped, and she looked at each court member individually until she had seen them all, and then came back to the middle man.

“I have never heard of this law! It’s absurd!”

“It was instated by your great great grandfather, Your Majesty. The court has agreed, since the law was put in place, that it should be upheld.”

“And why is that?” she asked.

“Because,” the middle man said. “A woman is not fit to rule a kingdom on her own.”

Elsa could feel her blood as it began to simmer. Ice began growing beneath her feet, and little flurries blew out of the spaces between her fingers and palms. She should have skipped this meeting – she should have stayed in the study with Andrew and heard him out. She wished he’d told her more about King George and his plan, because then she would not be focused on how imbalanced her own government seemed to be.

“And three years makes her a worse ruler, rather than better, more experienced?” she asked, trying to sound as calm as possible.

A few of the members gasped as her ice spread across the floor. She, however, ignored it. She let it spread. In retrospect, that may have not been the best idea. In fact, it may have been the very evidence the court needed to enforce the law at hand.

“Three years was simply placed in clause to give the Queen time to find a husband. The law was written under the pretense that any Queen would have the same responsibilities and duties as a King, at least until they were married.”

“Wait, what?” she asked, her hands now fully spread over the podium. Ice began to cover it; stalactite-like formations grew from the wooden edges. “I will lose my rightful title, one that I was born into, to a man that may not even be of Arendelle decent?”

It sounded absolutely outrageous. A man fourth from the middle stood and shook his head, his flabby skin shaking as he did so.

“No, my Queen. What my colleague meant was that, in the case that the Queen should fall ill, she would need a King Regent to step in. If you are not married, your sister would surely take your place – but say you had no sister. The law assumes that the rightful ruler is an only child, inaccurately so, I must admit.”

Elsa was sufficiently confused. She was being forced to find a husband within the next two years, as stated by a law that should have allowed her three, but that she had never heard of until that meeting, a year into her rule already, all because some relative of hers was paranoid that a woman ruler was more perceptible to illness than a man?

“This law is written entirely based upon speculation,” she said finally, watching as her ice crawled along the floor.

“We are aware of that,” the same man said.

“However,” the middle man cut in, “I am afraid that we, unanimously, must insist that we uphold the law and see you married within the next two years. Otherwise, you will have to give the throne to your sister, Princess Anna, and her husband.”

While a year ago that would have sounded perfect to Elsa so that she could have hid in her North Mountain Palace, it now sounded like a whole nightmare that she would be placing on Anna’s shoulders. It didn’t seem fair to either of them – Elsa because she was being forced into matrimony; Anna because, if Elsa refused, she would have to rule the kingdom with a good-for-nothing sister tagging along on all of her excursions. She wanted nothing more than to freeze all of the members of the court, walk out of the room, and pretend that she had heard nothing of that they had said.

Instead, the middle man continued.

“We have already arranged for a ball to be held in a week’s time. Weddings, as you have seen with your sister’s, are timely events that need meticulous planning and-“

“I will be planning my own wedding. If that is the only thing that I can get out of this law, then I will take it. I agree to host and attend the ball, but I choose the groom and I plan my wedding.”

There was no arguing with that. The members of the court agreed that no clauses within the law stated that her demands could not be met. Even so, Elsa still stormed from the courtroom, footprints of ice following her throughout the palace.

[greenarchmage]

Talia's night

She pushed open the door welcoming the heat and pulse of life greeting her from the tavern floor. She saw the hungry greedy eyes from everywhere in the room, sizing her up, measuring the fortune they could gain at her cost. In the dark corners there were mutters, an exchange of words, and shiny blades being checked beneath the tables. God she had missed this place. The puffs of smoke, the smell of cheap beer, and the air so thick with lies, a clergyman would have fainted at the power of it. This was her home, she eyed its patrons seeking her prey and her predators. She collided with a big patron, a half-orc with a stench of booze and anger about him. With an innocent smile she apologized, and offered to buy him an ale. It was a quick transaction, 2 beers at the bar. With a low growl the half-orc left, and she stood at the bar stealthy counting the content of his wallet, smiling over the free beer and more he had bought her.

But she was here to hunt herself and started scanning the crowd for her target for the evening. The patrons varied from big to small, from cunning to brutish. Her eyes found her target across the room. A human dressed in a loose purple coat sporting a short ragged beard, a white frilly shirt, a beer in his hand, and with a smile dripping with lies and deceit. A charlatan if she ever saw one. A man who clearly did his business in seducing and robbing women. And now she was going to be his target. Already she could feel his eyes on her, sizing up his prize, scouting her wealth and with what ease he could charm the money from her wallet and innocence from her loins. She suppressed a wry smile and played her part, luring him to take the bait and approach her as she stood alone in the bar sipping on her own ale. He rose from the spot and like a hungry wolf left his pack to feast upon the deer. He donned a brown hat with a single golden feather attached and hovered to her side. "My dear lady, what brings one such as you to my part of town" he said as he removed the hat in a small bow and placed it on the bar desk next to her. "I came to experience the warmth and life that the town has to offer on such a lovely day" she replied with a silken voice. Like a fly in a spider's web she thought to herself, allowing her senses to absorb his charm and scent as he took her hand. "Name's Adrian, beautiful, and if it pleases you, I would gladly be the supplier of an eventful evening. May I ask what lovely name has befallen one as you?" He asked after having gently kissed her hand. "Illissa, " she said, " and how could I possibly refuse a charmer such as you".

Through the night they danced to music, even some he supplied, stole kisses from each other hidden away underneath his hat, drank and sang songs with merry drunks, and a few times he even staged a fight or two for her honor. With a smile on her face and lust on her mind, he finally let her to an inn for the night. The innkeeper was definitely used to his coming and goings and even seemed to welcome him as an unsung hero, most likely eager to get his cut the following day. He escorted her to the room leaving kisses on her neck as they moved. He swung open the door and they tumbled in, holding each other in a close playful embrace. He lifted her from the floor and deposited her onto the bed, which welcomed them both with promises of what is to come. His lips moved teasingly around her neck as his deft hands began unbuttoning her shirt. Stripped naked she passionately liberated him of his clothes, her desire and need heightening the pace. She wanted him now. Naked and flustered she guided his lips to her loins for him to earn his keep and with sweet moans of satisfaction she embraced the feeling of ecstasy.

She had remembered to leave a pouch of gold on the nightstand, well knowing it would be gone come morning. What he thought he would have cleverly stolen from her, was in fact his well deserved payment in her eyes. But no reason to break the charade. She fell asleep with him gently caressing her back whispering sweet words of appraisal.

"ye daft girl! Where in the heavens have you been" Kordran exclaimed as he saw Talia enter the inn. With a wry smile on her lips she addressed the dwarf, "why I have been sampling what the locals had to offer. You should try it sometime" The last sentence she added as she ran her fingers through his thick brown hair. "Your carelessness will be the end of you" he said waving away her arm. She dumped herself into a chair, holding a smug smile, whilst taking the mug of ale which had been sitting in front of Kordran. She took a big swig of it and looked back at the dwarf's bewildered eyes and open mouth of confusion. "Some day I will make sure that you will find enough fun that a smile will appear on that stone wall" she said waving the mug around as she spoke. "Bah, we dwarfs know how to have fun! Whatever you've been doing you could have told me where you went." Kordran replied and helped himself to a second mug of ale.