#when wrath breaks down over everything that's happened to him and beth

[cassianandfenrysaremyboyos]

I'm reading the Black Dagger Brotherhood series and something I love about it is, these big tough male characters cry. And it's so refreshing to see these alpha male warrior characters show emotion and say how they feel. And, they have their moments where they don't want to be seen as weak or want their brothers to judge them for being "sissy" or whatever. But when they do break down, their brothers are nothing but unwavering pillars of understanding and support. And anyway I love these intimidating, powerful but also sweet and kind vampire boys so much!

[designedparadigm]

there's a note held betwixt trembling fingers , it's a goodbye note:

dearest hearts of mine ,

i have never been one to believe in a power higher than that of alek's wrath. for years it was all that i knew , but then... then when i met you two , i thought that perhaps god did exist , because if i could feel divinity , it must be within your arms. but it's just too dangerous to keep me , my darling loves. the syndicate will never stop hunting me and i can no longer keep you two in my dangerous orbit. i love you too much to let anything happen to you. they want me , and they will have me. you'll be safe , and you can take care of the shelter without me. i know that you have that gruff exterior , simon , but i know that your heart can't possibly get enough love from those animals. johnny , take care of him. both of you , take care of each other.

with every ounce of love in my heart and soul, aniela beth aurelia sinclair riley mctavish

   “think  you're  goin'  somewhere,  luv?”

   it's  not  simon's  voice  -  it's  ghost's.  the  mask  that  he'd  sworn  would  never  come  out  again  rests  on  his  face,  prominently  displaying  the  fact  he  knows  what's  happening.  nothing  goes  without  his  knowledge,  his  say. 

   “told  ya  several  fuckin'  times,  didn't  i?”  his  tone  reflects  that  of  ice  as  he  walks  up  to  her,  gloved  hand  gripping  the  back  of  her  neck,  digging  into  pressure  points  with  no  remorse  as  he  leans  down,  the  mask's  mouth  by  her  ear.  “you  ain't  ever  gonna  fuckin'  leave  me.” 

   a  message  left  behind  -  something  that  johnny  reads  over  and  over  again.  barely  registering  it.  not  understanding  it  for  a  second.  as  if  simon  hadn't  been  enough  to  start  with.  the  constant  lashing  out,  the  screaming,  the  anger,  the  self  hatred  the  man  harbored.  telling  johnny  to  leave.  always  you'd  be  better  off  without  me. 

   and  here  it  is  again.  but  only  written.  not  said  to  his  face.  left  behind  for  him  to  find  and  cope  with. 

   “si  -”  finally  his  voice  comes  to  him,  but  it  cuts  off  in  a  choke,  a  sob  wrenching  from  his  chest.  he  wants  to  call  for  simon,  wants  to  have  the  bigger  man  to  hide  in,  to  feel  safe  near. 

   sure,  john  soap  mactavish  is  a  man  of  war,  molded  by  the  battlefield  and  shed  blood.  a  warrior  through  and  through,  a  right  fucking  weapon  that  can  be  so  easily  aimed.  taking  lives  is  second  fucking  nature.  he  bleeds,  he  gets  back  up.  he  walks  it  off,  he  fights,  he  fucking  wins. 

   but  when  they  strike  his  heart  -  everything  crumbles.  the  foundations  of  the  building  crumble  and  fall  in  on  themselves.  he's  useless,  he's  nothing.  unwanted.  discarded. 

   useless. 

   pathetic. 

   nothing. 

   the  room  begins  to  spin,  and  knees  hit  the  floor,  hands  dropping  paper,  clinging  onto  his�� head,  threading  into  grown  out  hair.  god  he  wants  to  tear  it  out,  wants  to  scream  -  but  nothing  comes  out.  his  breathing  almost  stops.  the  tightness  in  his  chest  suffocates  him  -  it  makes  him  want  to  take  a  knife  and  carve  out  his  ribs,  find  the  hurt,  pull  it  out,  smash  it. 

   “soap.” 

   the  commanding  bark  snaps  soap  into  place.  military  training  takes  precedence,  the  sergeant  getting  to  his  feet,  raising  his  head,  a  steeled  icy  gaze  locked  on  his  lieutenant  and  - 

   and  her. 

   emotions  break  the  flood  gates,  break  his  composure  ghost  had  just  called  back.  anger.  relief.  betrayal.  fucking  anger.  hands  twitch  at  his  sides  before  curling  into  fists.  he  wants  to  swing  -  but  he  can't.  she's  not  one  who  can  take  it.  she  can't  handle  the  bruising  and  the  bleeding.  the  screaming  your  throat  raw  to  rip  the  emotion  from  your  chest,  to  throw  it  against  ghost  until  he  understands. 

   she's  delicate.  she's  everything  they  had  been  missing.  a  piece  that  pulled  a  normal  life  back  from  the  precipice  of  impossible  for  them.  and  she'd  wanted  to  leave? 

   “johnny.” 

   it's  simon's  voice  now,  johnny  flicking  his  gaze  to  see  that  familiar  mask  of  ghost's.  he  sees  the  way  simon's  hand  is  on  the  back  of  her  neck,  the  way  he's  scruffed  her  like  a  fucking  animal.  corralled  her  back  in.  and  now  he's  trying  to  corral  johnny. 

   he  won't  be  corralled. 

   “whit  th'  bloody  fuck  is  wrong  wit  ye.”  it's  a  roar  that  escapes  his  throat,  his  whole  figure  bristling.  “tryna  hurt  me?  congrats.  ye  fuckin'  did  it.  hit  it  right  where  it  fuckin'  hurts  the  most.  yer  gonnae  fuckin'  leave?  run?  leave  me  tae  fuckin'  die  here?  yer  the  whole  fuckin'  reason  we're  still  alive  and  yer  gonnae  walk  oot  an'  think  we'll  jus'  live?  that  yer  nae  fuckin'  killin'  us  by  doin'  it?  at  least  ghost  would  tell  me  tae  my  fuckin'  face!  yer  a  fuckin'  coward!  dealin'  a  killin'  blow  an  ye  cannae  even  look  me  in  mah  fuckin'  eyes  when  ye  do  it!” 

   silence  blankets  the  room  when  he  stops  his  screaming.  his  whole  body  trembles  -  and  the  anger  evaporates.  he  shakes  uncontrollably,  starting  to  shift  from  right  leg  to  left  leg,  looking  around  the  room  like  an  animal  in  a  cage.  panic  sets  in  on  his  features,  and  simon  moves  her  away  from  the  exit  to  the  room,  to  allow  johnny  a  spot  to  exit. 

   and  flee  johnny  does. 

   simon  waits  for  the  door  to  slam,  noting  johnny's  out,  before  letting  out  a  hard  exhale.  maybe  johnny's  outburst  might  be  enough,  but  he's  not  the  guy  to  take  chances.  a  simple  throw  of  his  arm  tosses  her  forward,  before  he  shoves  her  down  onto  the  bed.  her  hands  are  swiftly  cuffed  to  the  head  of  the  frame,  and  simon  walks  himself  to  the  note,  picking  it  up,  before  making  his  way  to  the  chair  in  the  corner  of  the  room  and  sitting  there.  refusing  to  remove  the  mask  of  ghost. 

   he  speaks  in  ghost's  tone  -  and  he  reads  what  is  written  verbatim  to  her.  word  by  word.  slowly.  clearly.  making  a  venomous  point  as  he  agonizingly  goes  over  it.  when  he  comes  to  the  last  -  he  flicks  his  cold  gaze  to  her,  before  he  tears  up  the  note  slowly.  deliberately. 

   “now.  you're  well  aware  ‘ow  stupid  that  was,  aren’t  ya?”  it's  slow  and  measured,  his  tone.  it  begets  something  far  darker,  far  worse  in  store  if  things  aren't  done  to  his  specifications  -  whatever  he  is  deeming  them  to  be.  “'eard  ‘im,  didn’t  you?  every.  last.  word.  ‘e.  said.”  he  enunciates  each  word  with  venomous  ice  attached  to  it.  “’e  wasn't  lying.”  he  puts  the  cold,  blunt  statement  out. 

   “you  love  us,  do  you?”  it's  accusatory.  “why'd  you  try  to  leave,  then?  we  made  it  clear  to  you,  time  and  time  again  -  you  give  us  the  sense  of  normalcy.  you  allow  us  to  live.  without  you  -  we'd  be  face  first  in  the  battlefield  still.  in  far  more  dangerous  fuckin'  places  than  you  could  ever  put  us  in.” 

   “tell  me.  since  when  did  you  become  the  be  all  end  all  for  danger?”  he  leans  forward,  arms  folded  over  his  knees.  “just  because  we've  been  so  tame  around  you,  you  suddenly  forget  who  we  are?”  there's  a  visible  twitch  to  his  left  eye  -  a  passing  hint  to  rage  boiling  beneath  his  skin,  in  his  veins. 

   i  am  a  murderer.  a  monster.  a  soldier.  a  weapon.  i  have  killed  and  i  will  continue  to  want  to  kill  for  the  rest  of  my  life.  i  am  ill  adapted.  i  have  no  mercy  left  in  my  soul.  i  am  rotten  to  my  very  core.  i  know  danger.  i  was  danger.  i  still  am  danger.  and  i  always  will  be. 

   “you  live  with  monsters,  and  yet  you  decide  it  is  you  who  has  the  dangerous  orbit.  you  live  alongside  trained  killers  who  still  long  to  destroy  and  kill  -  yet  you  understand  danger.  somehow  you,  who  has  not  touched  death  in  the  way  we  have,  decide  what  danger  is.”  he  shakes  his  head.  “fuckin'  pathetic.  you  know  that?” 

   “have  all  the  fear  you  want  about  your  precious  fuckin'  syndicate.  but  don't  bring  your  cowardice  down  on  us.  you  don't  have  to  rip  ‘im  apart  like  this.  i  am  failing  to  understand  just  what  johnny  did  to  you  to  make  you  do  this  to  ‘im.  of  all  the  things  you  could  do  -  you  choose  to  tear  ‘im  to  pieces.  you  realize  -  if  you  go;  we  ’ave  nothing  worth  holding  onto  anymore?  i  always  was  prepared  that  my  death  would  come  in  the  field  -  but  johnny  wasn't.  might  say  ‘e  was.  but  ’e  wanted  a  life  too.  ‘e  was  somewhere  between  the  two.  you  allowed  him  to  embrace  ’e  ‘ad  a  future.  an  ’appy  one.  and  then  you  decide  that  you  oughta  take  it  from  him?” 

   “from  me?”

   he  rises  from  his  seat,  walking  over  to  the  bed,  standing  alongside  it.  his  hand,  gloved,  runs  along  her  cheek. 

   “no,  swee'hear'.  no,  no,  no.”  spoken  as  if  scolding  a  child.  “tell  me  now  if  you  truly  ‘ave  ’ad  i'  wi'  us.  i  ‘ave  said  i’  before,  i'll  say  i'  again  now  so  we're  fuckin'  crystal.”  his  knife  slides  out  of  it's  sheath,  before  the  wicked  blade  is  pressed  to  her  neck. 

   “this  only  ends  one  way.  choose.” 

[thepurebredking]

CHANCE ENCOUNTER w/@DarksDestiny

#ChanceEncounter

Destiny:

Scrolling through the job ads for the Caldwell are, I made a note of a couple but being that I am limited to evenings only, there weren’t a lot of options besides bars.  I have done the bar/club scene more than I care to mention and really didn’t want to go down that route again.  There were several waitress positions around the area and the one for Sal’s sounded promising.  A waitress/hostess position which listed the hours needed were for later evenings.  It was a place to start anyway.  I decided to change into something nice and head down to apply in person tonight.  No time like the present, right?  As I stared at my reflection, a memory from the past popped into my mind as they often do any time I wear anything white.  I was in the sanctuary all dressed white waiting to be called to service that one special male again.  I shook the thoughts from my mind and went to my bag digging for shoes.  Being back in Caldwell was sure playing havoc with my mind.   I picked up my phone and made a quick call for a taxi and then made my way to the lobby to wait.   There were several people rummaging around and I felt like all eyes were on me.   The taxi arrived and the trip to Sal’s was actually shorter than I thought.   Just ten minutes out.   That will be good for the time being.   I walked into Sal’s and asked for the manager and when a very attractive male walked over and I introduced myself and brought up the job.   The position had not been filled and he asked me to follow him to the office towards the back. The place was extremely busy and very few tables were empty.  After a short interview, he asked when I could start and I told him anytime as I had just moved back to Caldwell and have no other commitments at this time.    He said he would let me know in a few days and walked me out of the office.   He offered me a seat at the bar towards the back of the restaurant which I happily accepted.   I hadn’t had a good meal in a few days and my stomach was growling through the whole meeting just from the smell.  I ordered a drink and the special for the night then pivoted on my stool to look around the restaurant.  I noticed the private section of the restaurant and heard male voices coming from that direction, even laughter.  I couldn’t help but be curious about who would be sitting back there.   One voice came through the rest and it gave me chills. It was a familiar voice but I wasn’t sure why.   Must just be my imagination.  

Wrath:

Vishous, Syn, and Peyton had decided that things had been way too strenuous on me lately and I needed a night out. My only stipulation in agreeing was that we didn’t head out to one of the many nightclubs in town. That, they determined, was a fair request. It was one thing to get out of the manse to blow off some steam, it was totally another to bring the King of the race straight to any one of the nightclubs that the new lessening society knew we, as Brothers, spent time. Not that I was a slouch by any means, but I was blind, and in a place where the music was so loud you couldn’t hear yourself think, I was at a severe disadvantage, especially seeing as this new breed of lessers didn’t have quite the stench that the others did. You barely knew these ones were coming.

So, in the end, the males elected for Sal’s. A smaller scale restaurant, with a bar, subtle sounds of traditional Italian music rolling off the speakers, and incredible eats. Yeah, I could deal with a night of that.

We weren’t there 5 minutes before iAm came out to greet us and make sure we were happy with the service. He ensured us that we were being taken care of by only his best wait staff. But, to not hesitate to ask for him, should we feel his employees were not meeting our needs. We assured him that the staff was taking excellent care of us and he need not worry. Once reassured, he took a load off and joined us at the table for a couple, okay a few drinks on the house. It wasn’t long before we were all enjoying the time, outside of the manse, away from the stressors of my job and the fight we had been dealing with on the daily for what seemed like eons. It was as if we had carved out this one night and set it aside from everything. It felt easy to just relax for the brief moments of time we had here.

Destiny:

As I sat waiting for my dinner, the old saying curiosity killed the cat kept running through my mind.  I was definitely curious about who was back in that section. But I didn’t feel like I could actually take a peek though.   My dinner was delivered and I tried my best to put the thoughts of the males’ bantering out of my mind.  The man who interviewed me came back over to where I was seated. He brought with him another male and introduced me to him letting the male know I had applied for the open position. He was iAm and apparently the male in charge.   He had a few questions of his own as to experience and my availability during the day.  I explained quickly that I would only be open to an evening position. Before he could say anything else, a male from the private section walked out and I immediately knew who he was. Well, not who but what he was. He was one of the Brothers I had seen during my visits to the mansion.  His intense crystal gaze went from me to iAm and he motioned to the room behind him.  I sunk in my seat sure he would have no idea who or what I was.   That was the last thing I wanted to happen.  iAm followed the male and I took a deep breath staring down at my meal wondering if I should just leave.   But again, curiosity was coursing through my veins and I wanted to know who else could possibly be there.  

Wrath:

As soon as the meals came out from the kitchen, iAm got called back to work. He promised to come back out and check in with us, one more time, before we finished up and disappeared.

Conversation stayed light for about 15 more minutes before business got brought up by Peyton. The kid never learned. Always wanting to know, what was next? How were we going to hit the fuckers, now? You know the old saying, “He’s got ants in his pants?” Yeah, well, this was the type of kid they had in mind when they came up with it. He never stopped. Every chance he got to bend my ear, he did. I’m not saying the kid was brimming over with ideas. It’s just that he had that ram kind of mindset. The one where you go into every situation, guns out and blazing. He never understood the whole process of planning out a strategic attack. V, in his usual frustration with him, got up and walked off for a time. He can only take so much of Peyton, once the kid starts going.

I let him ramble on for a bit, before Syn finally cut him off. “Jesus, fuck, kid! We’re here, at a restaurant, trying to enjoy a nice meal. Don’t ya think he hears enough of that shit back at the manse? Chill your ass out.”

I could hear Peyton shift in his seat. “Whatever, man.” All these years later and the kid still felt out of sorts around Syn. I guess it was good for him to have a healthy respect for us, more experienced warriors.

A few minutes of awkward silence and V came back to join us. “Good, you’re done. I’ve got dessert headed our way.”

Destiny:

The grumbling in my stomach answered my question about leaving.  Not until I ate the pasta that had been placed in front of me.  I pulled out my phone and pulled up additional job opportunities while I ate.  This place would be perfect for me but I’m not sure I would get the job.   If they want someone who is available during the day too, I’m not an option.  This has to be the best pasta I had ever eaten and I actually ate every single bite.  I ordered dessert and a glass of wine and kept scrolling. My attention only partially focusing on my phone.  I kept wishing the male from the manse would come back out and bring along whoever is back there with him. I did not expect anyone to recognize me for who or what I was, which was a good thing.   I wanted to stay independent but I thought maybe, just maybe, I would recognize the others.  I shook my head not even sure why that would matter. I didn’t want that part of my life back.  Maybe it would just have given me a feeling of security.  Something I have not had in a long time.  My dessert was delivered along with the wine and I sat back, watching the waiters and staff.  This place ran smooth and classy.  Glancing down at my dessert and then my phone I realized I had been here for over two hours.  I asked for my check and if my dessert could be packed to go.  It would be another lonely night and I guessed my dessert would be my bedtime snack.  The waiter asked me to stay a bit longer as iAm wanted to speak with me again and he was just checking in on some guests who would be heading out for the night and would be over in a few. Obviously I said I would.

Wrath:

The dessert in this place had always been my favorite, everything from the cannoli to the Italian ice, to the tiramisu. The tiramisu being my all-time favorite. There were nights that Fred would drive all the way into the city, just to pick up some of Sal’s tiramisu. He’d been trying to bribe iAm for the recipe, for years, but iAm wouldn’t budge. So instead, Fred would trek all the way here just to get me one slice. Tonight I savored every bite.

V had been right. I really needed this night away. Even if it were just for a few hours and out to Sal’s, it had done exactly what he said it would. It had given me a small break in what had seemed to be a never ending shit storm that we had been experiencing, as of late.

iAm boxed up a few more desserts for us to take with and we collected our jackets and began to head out. As we filed through the dining room, I caught a whiff of a scent that literally stopped me in my tracks. It was rose-scented jasmine, wrapped up in the sensation of silk on my bare skin... and it stank of memories of Beth’s death. I had never sensed such a conflicted disturbance in my life. On the one hand, my cock was straining against the strength of my leathers, and on the other, I wanted to vomit up the whole of my meal and start a mass destruction of everything in the place. I could feel the aggression taking control as a massive growl grew from the depths of my gut.

“Woah, man.” I felt a shove from behind. “What say, we get you out of this place and head home? True?”

It was enough to shake me from my thoughts long enough to get my feet moving again.

Destiny:

(I was just taking a last sip of wine as my eyes caught the males in the reflection in the mirror behind the bar. A couple of males I did not recognize lead the way heading directly behind me and then I saw him and I almost dropped the empty glass.  He was as I remembered him.  Massive in stature and the aura of his power and royalty were obvious. My pulse increased and I felt the urge to fall to my knees before him but I did not move.  My eyes watched his reflection as he walked closer heading towards the door, the crystal-eyed male on his heals.  He walked right behind me and just as he passed me, his steps faltered for just a moment and I swear I heard a growl but then the male behind him spoke and they moved to the door and were gone.  

My heart was racing and imagines of the feedings, his sorry and pain flooded my body.   All of the emotions hitting me as it has then.  iAm suddenly appeared beside me starling me.  He said the job was mine and I could start as soon as I wanted if I was truly interested.  I’m not sure if the look of shock on my face was from the job offer or because the past had just slapped me in the face.  I needed this opportunity and I accepting hoping I hadn’t just made a grave mistake.  Could I keep my identity a secret? He asked me to come back the following night for training and I agreed then picked up my purse and to-go bag and headed to the door.  As I stepped out, I scanned the street wishing for another glance of those males.  Shaking my head to stop those thoughts, I stepped into the shadows and dematerialized back to my hotel room for the night. 

#ChanceEncounter #ISBDB

[whickedlydeviant]

I Hate Everything About You: Chapter 3 w/@DarkLoverLost

Wrath:

I would give this female the world from here on out, anything she asked of me would be hers… Famous last words.

Beth pulled back from our kiss and spoke five words I never expected to hear, “You have to go back.”

I was dumbfounded. I didn’t know what to say. What did she mean I had to go back? Back where? There was no back. I was here, now. Firmly planted in The Fade. I felt my soul slip from that world. That world no longer existed for me. My jaw dropped and closed again, before finally forming the words, “Wha… I’m sorry, what?!”

“You heard what I said, Wrath.” Her eyes fell to her lap.

“Oh, no! No, no, no! You need to look me in the eye and say that to me.” I responded. I couldn’t believe my ears. Didn’t she want me here? Had she not been yearning for this day just as much as I had been?

Slowly, her gaze raised back to mine. “You have to go back, my love. L.W…”

I cut her off, “L.W. is better off without me. Without his deadbeat dad who can’t stop thinking about being in The Fade with his late Queen, 24/7.”

She leaned back on her heels and stood up. “You’re wrong, Wrath.” She began to pace. “L.W. needs his father. He needs his father to take the giant stick out of his ass and male up!”

Whicked:

Vishous pushed me off the King as if I barely weighed anything.  My upper body covered in blood, my t-shirt still being used to stem the flow of blood.  As I sat on a pile of rubble, the other huge Male started throwing about some rubble,  uncovering a young Female.  “V,  I got Anara over here.  She is pretty beat up, but she is breathing.”  V looked over at the Male and nodded. “Lets get them both in the Escalade, true?”  The Male picked up the Female and carried her over to the SUV and laid her down in the back.  Once she was secured he came over to V and the Doctor and helped lift up the huge frame of the King.

I watched as Vishous and the other huge Male that had driven the SUV, lift up Wrath and carry him more gently that I would have thought possible to the back of the SUV and load him in.

“Wait!” I yelled as they got ready to leave.  “I am coming too!”  I got up and started to make my way to the SUV, before Vishous barred my way, his lips curled up into a sneer, waves of aggression pouring off of him directed straight at me. “No, that is not gonna happen Female.  Don’t you think you have done enough? I stood my ground in front of the Male, showing no fear.  “Look,  I didn’t blow the King up and I think you know that, I was here before you guys showed up,  what the fuck was he even doing out alone?  Shouldn’t the Brotherhood be with him when he is out?  Don’t lay this at my feet because the Brotherhood fucked up!”

A grown echoed around the alley, Vishous’s fangs elongated and he started inching toward me.  Great looks like the King wouldn't be the only one heading to the Fade tonight. 

Wrath:

Standing up, this was exactly the kind of argument that Beth and I used to have. She had never had one ounce of fear towards me and it actually turned me on, which would piss her off even more. I used to love the fire that sparked in her eyes when we’d get into a fight. She was fierce when it came to what she believed and it didn’t matter who had an opposing thought.

“Male up?! I just sacrificed myself for the love of my son!”

It was her turn to interrupt, “Bullshit! That is the biggest cop-out I’ve ever heard! You didn’t do this for L.W. You did it for yourself!”

I tried to get a word in, but she raised her hand to stop me and just kept talking.

“This is the most selfish thing you have ever done.” She paused for a split second, giving me the thought that I was going to get to speak, but before I could open my mouth she started back up, “Wrath, you have never lied to me before, don’t start today.”

Boy did that sting. “I’m not… “ But it was true, and she knew it. I fell back down to my knees and my voice came out weak. “Haven’t you been waiting for this day as much as I have?”

Whicked:

Before Vishous got a chance to tear me limb from limb, the doctor stepped in between us, no longer an apparition, but a solid Female form.  What the actual fuck was going on here?  “Vishous,  back off.  We need her, we need her to try to feed Wrath to jumpstart his healing process and hopefully get him back into the land of the living again.”  She placed her hand on Vishous’s chest and gently pushed him backwards away from me, he glanced at her and nodded before eyeing me.  “Looks like it is your lucky day Female.”  I took a deep breath and nodded once. “Yeah looks like it,  doesn’t it.”

I pushed past the pair of them and got into the back of the SUV,  I scooched over to where the prone body of the King lay.  With gentle care I cupped the nape of his neck with my hand and lifted his head high enough to slide underneath,  resting his head on my lap.  My fingers softly stroking back the blood sodden strands of hair from his face.  His face was completely open to me,  his wraparounds still lying amongst the rubble from the blast,  he looked so at peace as he lay there.  His face completely unstressed unlike the last time I saw him.  I sat there humming softly as I tried my hardest to clean up his face, picking off pieces of rubble and wiping away the blood,  both red and black.

I looked up at the sound of the car doors slamming shut,  the Doctor was gone,  instead replaced with an young Female looking at the King and I with utter fear.  Vishous looked over to me from the passenger seat and glowered.  “Well,  you gonna feed the King or not? 

Wrath:

Beth fell to her knees next to me, “Of course I have!” She placed her hands on my cheeks. “Wrath, there is nothing I want more in this world than to have you back by my side.”

“Then what’s the problem?” I pleaded.

“Not like this, Wrath.” She said as she shook her head. Leaning in, she met my forehead with her own. “This is not the way, my love. You have too much life left to live… and L.W. has never needed you more than he does right now.”

I began to protest again about L.W. but she stopped me by placing her finger upon my lips.

“Trust me. Being up here enlightens you to things you would never see from down there. He needs you, and just as importantly, you need him. You have more life to live, my love. I’ve seen it.” A tear fell from her eyes and she pulled back to wipe it away. “There is a light at the end of the tunnel for you. A light that does not include The Fade, not yet, anyway. You have just yet to allow yourself to see it.”

“What light? What the fuck are you talking about?” I didn’t want to hear about lights at the end of a tunnel. I wanted to be happy that I was here, in The Fade, with her. “Besides, I can’t go back there. I felt my body die. There is not going back, now.”

“Again, you’re wrong.” 

Whicked:

I scowled at the diamond eyed fucker sitting up front.  I brought my wrist to my lips and bit into it hard enough to score through the skin, bringing rivulets of blood to the surface.  I focussed only on Wrath as I brought my bloodied wrist to his lips.  

Vishous watched me carefully,  I could feel his eyes boring into me, as if at any second I was going to do something to endanger the King,  but what else could I do?  He was already dead.

I kept my arm in place, my free hand stroking his head, focussed on nothing but the King, I unknowingly started singing to a song I used to listen to a lot in the period just after my family had been taking away from me. My voice cracking as I sing the words, not really realising what is going on.

“There's a whole other conversation going on

In a parallel universe

Where nothing breaks and nothing hurts

There's a waltz playing frozen in time

Blades of grass on tiny bare feet

I look at you and you're looking at me”

A cough wakes me from the mix of my past and present.  Was this how my life would be?  Would I always be surrounded by death, did I bring death to those around me?  I looked up at the sound of the cough and caught the drivers eyes as he looked at me via the rear view mirror,  his sadness pouring off of him, surrounding everyone in the car.  

With a jolt,  the car pulled to a halt.  I had no idea where I was, I looked up and out of the tinted windows, my eyes fell on an underground parking garage.  Where were we?  We must be at the Brotherhood’s clinic,  where else would be safe?  

Wrath:

“Wrong?! What do you mean wrong? Dead body, soul irreversibly placed firmly in The Fade! No going back!” I knew what she spoke of, but that wasn’t happening here. Not when I’d finally held her in my arms again. I’d felt her touch, her arms around me, her lips pressed against mine own! There was no way in hell I was going back!

With tears in her eyes, she leaned forward and just kissed me again. This time it soft and I felt the goodbye in her embrace.

I pushed her away, “No! You are not saying, ‘Goodbye.’ to me! I am not going back!”

For a split second, I felt a dizzying sensation and pain. I felt pain all over my body again. “What the…”

“It’s happening.” The tears came faster now, as Beth looked on. “Know that I love you, no matter what… and I want you to live. You have so much ahead of you. Welcome it. Welcome her…”

What she was saying didn’t make sense, and I reached out and pulled her to me as if I could anchor myself to her. 

Whicked:

As I looked around the outside of the car, I saw 4 or 5 huge Male figures plus the same amount of Females if not more and a young boy,  around 10 or so.  Scribe,  that must be the King’s son?  A Female stood beside him, her arm secured around his shoulder.  A Male in a lab coat came over pushing a gurney toward the car and before I could blink, Vishous and the driver of the SUV had come around and opened the doors.  The lifted the King out carefully and laid him out on the gurney,  before anyone could say anything I hopped out and climbed up on the stretcher, straddling Wrath, my wrist once more placed against his lips, dripping my blood down his throat as I prayed silently to the Scribe Virgin that somehow this would help.  

One of the Brotherhood stepped forward, a enormous blonde with teal eyes.  He moved as if to move me from Wrath.  My eyes flared and I growled at him.  “Back off Blondie...I am trying to help here and I don’t have time for your bullshit!”  He looked over at Vishous and raised a brow. “V….what’s doing with this chick?” He looked over and shrugged.  “Rhage meet Whicked she uhhh...she pulled Wrath out from the rubble.  She is the one that called Manny.”  Rhage nodded and backed up.  “Sorry Whicked...just looking out for my Brother is all”.  The Female that was clinging onto the King’s son tugged at Rhage’s arm and pulled him backward.  Must be his Shellan or something.

The lab coat wearing Male and Jane,  who seemed to just appear and disappear like a ghost pushed the gurney with Wrath and I upon it through the corridor and into a huge operating room,  equipment,  all top of the range was set up and a red haired nurse was setting out some instruments on a table beside an operating table.  In the corner,  a blonde wearing a white floor length robe stood, her hands clasped in front of her.

“Whicked….?” Jane spoke softly at me.  “Whicked we are going to need you to climb down so we can get in to attend to Wrath’s wounds, ok?  You don’t need to go anywhere you can just step down and rest.  You have done great, but Ibree is here, she is a Chosen.  She will take over the feeding”.

A loud growl came from my chest as I glanced around the room, eyeballing everyone around me.  That so would not be happening!

Wrath:

The pain disappeared again and I let out an enormous sigh. I was still holding onto Beth more tightly than ever before. This couldn’t be happening. I was so ready to be here, in The Fade with my Queen, my love, my leelan. I was done with the world I’d left behind. I had lived a good life, now it was my time to be rewarded for everything I’d been through. I deserved to have this, to be happy.

“You will be happy again, my love.” Beth spoke the words as if reading my mind.

“I won’t. Not back there. Not without you.” I refused.

“But, you will.” She pressed another soft kiss to my lips to keep me from protesting more. “Kiss me, my love. We haven’t more time.”

As I leaned in and kissed her hard, I could feel the pain creeping back in. “Don’t let me go.” I pleaded softly against her lips.

“I have to.”

The pain came back with a vengeance and a growl so low in my gut bellowed out past my lips.

“I love you, Wrath.” were the last words I heard before everything went black.

#IHateEverythingAboutYouChapter3 #EternallyBoundRPG

[jhadeestar21]

In nineteen hundred sixty-six I happened on a girl, And spent two years a-pondering The value of that pearl. She has a face and has a heart All full of love and filling, And so I sold my singleness All fifty years, God willing. And I have never once looked back For fear of what I missed. If ever God was good to me It was the wedding kiss. Four years and happy were the first Without a child to bless, And so we cultivated joy And fields of faithfulness. Then, like a mighty “Let there be!” From Genesis page one, Another soul was born on earth, And we beheld a son. But I had eyes for something more, To watch God make another: Out of a girl, my college pearl, I watched him make a mother. A kind of revelation this, Just as the ancients say: How much of Christ there is to see In her maternal way! Eight years and two more happy sons All priceless to the minute, Are like an unrolled, open scroll With God’s own message in it: “Charm is deceitful, beauty vain, Though all the world has gazed, But when a woman fears the Lord She will be truly praised.” An Acrostic of Praise The text for my message this morning is taken from Proverbs 31:30: “Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” First, let’s notice its unusual context. You all know what an acrostic is, don’t you? M — is for the million things she gave me, O — means only that she’s growing old, T — is for the tears ‘twere shed to save me, H — is for her heart as pure as gold, E — is for her eyes with love-light shining, R — means right and right she’ll always be. That’s an acrostic. Why do people write acrostics? Because there is something in us that loves to praise what we enjoy. We like to pile up the praiseworthy attributes of people we love. Well, that is what was happening in Proverbs 31:10–31 are an acrostic. Every verse begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Aleph — is for woman full of virtue, Beth — refers to trust her husband shares, Gimmel — is for work she does to help you, Daleth — stands for how she seeks her wares. And so on through all 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. This is helpful to know because it tips us off that the author is not building an argument like Paul does in Romans. Instead, he is stringing pearls. He has set himself the task, as he says in Proverbs 31:30, to praise the woman who fears the Lord. To do this he tries to think of 22 praiseworthy things to say about her. Therefore, I think a sermon based on this passage of Scripture should aim to accomplish three things. First, it should aim to inspire women to fear the Lord and be like this woman in the way she fulfilled her role (and that is possible for all women, married or unmarried). Second, it should inspire others, especially husbands and children, to praise women who fear the Lord. Third, it should contain praise for the godly woman. That’s why I began with my ode to Noël, the woman I know best and a woman who fears the Lord. Now, to help accomplish those other two goals I want to try to answer three questions about the text: What does it mean to “fear the Lord”? Why is it so important that we praise a woman who fears the Lord? How can you tell if a woman fears the Lord? What does it look like in action? What Does It Mean to Fear the Lord? “Charm is deceitful, beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” What does it mean in daily experience to “fear the Lord”? Let’s go back to the beginning of Israel’s national life. In Exodus 20:18, after the giving of the ten commandments, it says: Now when all the people perceived the thunderings and the lightnings and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled; and they stood afar off, and said to Moses, “You speak to us and we will hear, but let not God speak to us, lest we die.” And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to prove you, and that the fear of him may be before your eyes that you may not sin.” Oh, how we need to meditate on such perplexing texts. “Do not fear. You are being tested.” You pass the test only if you don’t fear. Yet God desires that the fear of him be always before your eyes. You pass the test by fearing the Lord. The text provides the distinctions necessary to make sense out of this. The fear that Moses was telling them to get rid of was the fear of coming close to God and hearing his voice. The fear that Moses wanted them to keep before their eyes was that God is fearfully powerful and opposed to sin. The fear of kindling God’s powerful wrath against sin ought not to drive us away from God but to God for mercy. “The fear of kindling God’s powerful wrath against sin ought not to drive us away from God but to God for mercy.” Tweet Share on Facebook Noël, the boys, and I went out to Dick and Irene Tiegen’s place last week. They have a big dog as tall as Benjamin, which greeted us with barks and growls from where he was chained. But after we were there and in the house with the dog, he was friendly. Then we went outside again and Irene gave the warning: Don’t run from him. But as Karsten was heading out to the car, the dog came trotting up behind, and instead of slowing down and petting the dog, Karsten started to run, and immediately the dog barked and growled. What a lesson in the fear of God. Irene was Moses and she says to us Israelites, the Piper family, “Do not fear to draw near, but keep the fear of the dog [the fear of the Lord] before your eyes, lest you try to run away [lest you start to fall into sin].” God is a joy to be near and a terror to those who flee. The comparison breaks down, however. Irene put the dog in the basement, but nobody puts God in the basement. If you are running from God because you are afraid of him, then you are not yet as afraid as you ought to be. In fact, your very flight is a mockery of God, presuming to think that you could outrun this German shepherd. If you really fear him and love your own life, stop running, turn around, and hug his neck for dear life, and he will lick your face. The fear of the Lord is fear of fleeing out of his fellowship into the way of sin. Therefore, the fear of the Lord is full of peace and security and hope. It keeps us near to the merciful heart of God, our fortress, our refuge, our sanctuary, our shield, our sun. Isaiah 8:13 says, “The Lord of Hosts . . . let him be your fear, and let him be your dread, and he will become a sanctuary.” A proper fear of the Lord keeps us under the shadow of his wings where we need not be afraid. Therefore the fear of the Lord is accompanied by tremendous blessing. Listen to the psalms. Psalm 25:14: “The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him; he makes known to them his covenant.” Psalm 31:19: “How abundant is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for those who fear thee, and wrought for those who take refuge in thee.” (Notice that fearing God and taking refuge in him are parallel. Those who keep the fear of God before their eyes will not run from him but take refuge in him.) Psalm 34:7: “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him and delivers them.” Psalm 103:11: “As the heavens are high above the earth so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him.” Psalm 103:13, “As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear him.” (Hug his neck and he will lick your face.) Psalm 145:19: “He fulfills the desire of all who fear him.” The promises God makes to those who fear him are so staggering that the summons to fear God and the summons to hope in God are inseparable. And so the psalmist puts them together, for example, in Psalm 33:18: “The eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his mercy.” Psalm 147:11: “The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his mercy.” A woman who fears the Lord will not run away from God to satisfy her longings and relieve her anxieties. She will wait for the Lord. She will hope in God. She will stay close to the heart of God and trust in his promises. The prospect of departing into the way of sin will be too fearful to pursue; and the benefits of abiding in the shadow of the Almighty too glorious to forsake. Why Should We Praise Such a Woman? “Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” Why? That is our second question: Why is this praise so important? I suggest three reasons for praising a woman who fears the Lord: It feels good to do it. It honors God. It strengthens her hand in the Lord. To Praise a God-Fearing Woman Is to Have Joy First, it feels good. David says in Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” By implication, this must mean, “Delight yourself in everything that delights the Lord,” and therefore, delight yourself in the woman who fears the Lord. Now what is praise? C.S. Lewis points out beautifully in his little book on the Psalms that praise is not merely the expression of joy, but the consummation of joy. A joy isn’t fully enjoyed until it comes to expression in praise. The joy I have in my wife mounts to its highest when I express it as well as I can in a poem and then praise her in the great congregation. Therefore, a strong and good incentive for praising a woman who fears the Lord is that it feels so good. It expresses and completes the joy that such a woman brings. “Praising a woman who fears the Lord feels so good. It expresses and completes the joy that such a woman brings.” Tweet Share on Facebook It might be helpful in passing just to mention the ugly alternative to praise so as to increase our desire to avoid it. Lewis said, “Praise is inner health made audible.” I have seen that verified over and over. It is the cranks, the misfits, the scrooges of the world who seldom praise. They have an inner sickness of soul that yields criticism, complaining, murmuring, grumbling, sarcasm, suspicion, and a general joylessness. I just want to take such people (and sometimes myself) and shake them and say, “Hey, wake up! Sure there is rottenness in the world, but Jesus Christ died and rose again precisely that the commands, ‘Rejoice always,’ and ‘For everything give thanks,’ would not be naïve, but profoundly realistic. Now open your eyes; there are natural and moral beauties to praise in this world because God made it and is at work in it. Break the habit of grumbling. Get yourself hooked on praise. It feels ten times better.” To Praise a God-Fearing Woman Is to Honor God Not only does praising the woman who fears the Lord feel good; it also honors God, which is most important of all. We must not think here that in praising the woman we are giving to her what belongs to God. There is a sense in which all praise, just like all boasting (1 Corinthians 1:31), should be in the Lord. But since the Lord has made the world and is at work in us fallen creatures, it is possible to praise him indirectly by praising something he made or praising something that exalts him. If you praise the table manners of my sons, Noël and I feel honored. So also God is honored through praises that come to his people for graces, which he has imparted and which by their very nature exalt him. Therefore, when we praise a woman who fears the Lord, we praise God. To Praise a God-Fearing Woman Is to Strengthen Her A third reason to praise these women who fear the Lord is to strengthen their hand in the Lord. Suppose when the dog started to growl at Karsten, he stopped running, stepped toward the dog, and put his arm around his neck, and then went slowly on toward the car. And suppose I called out, “Way to go, Karsten. Beautiful. That’s just the way to do it. I love it!” What would be the effect on Karsten? It would strengthen his hand and heart to keep on going and not give up. So it is with those who fear the Lord and hope in him. There are always temptations to allure us away from the fear of God: temptations to fear financial insecurity more than we fear God (see Proverbs 23:17), to fear rejection by our peers more than we fear God, to fear the loss of time spent in good deeds more than we fear God. We are tempted again and again to let go of our great German Shepherd and run after some silly poodle. Again and again, we must have our hand strengthened in God. We need to hear a saintly person say, “Well done. I love the way you fear the Lord.” And now listen husbands and children — a word especially for you: Proverbs 31:28: “Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.” Children, young people, think seriously a minute. Suppose your mom was killed in a car wreck tomorrow and you had to go to her funeral on Thursday. What would you wish on Thursday you had told her today? Tell her. “Her children rise up and call her blessed.” Tell her, and you will strengthen her hand in God. And what about husbands? You know what I would say if I lost my wife this week? “Why did I get upset at her over such stupid little things? Why did I make an issue of such non-essentials? Why did I let criticism and nit-picking dry up my expressions of gratitude and praise?” Oh, how we need to live in the light of our dying. Like Glenn Ogren said to me Wednesday, “Death puts everything in perspective.” Her husband also, and he praises her. Praise her, praise her, praise her while you have her. And you will strengthen her heart in God, honor the Lord, and add great joy to your own life. What Does a Woman Who Fears the Lord Look Like? And now, finally, we ask: How can you identify a woman who fears the Lord? What does she look like in action? I think that is what the acrostic of Proverbs 31:10–31 intends to give us. What is a woman like who fears the Lord? What sorts of things can we praise her for? I’ll just mention four things that the wise man has chosen to celebrate about the woman who fears the Lord (and which I want to celebrate in my wife!). She Doesn’t Fear Tomorrow’s Troubles First of all, a woman who fears the Lord is not anxious about the future. Look at Proverbs 31:25. I love this line, and I praise all you women who are like this: “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.” Satan dangles in front of her the specter of tomorrow’s troubles, but she glances up at the almighty God at her right hand (her magnificent German Shepherd!) and laughs at Satan’s folly. She fulfills in her own life Proverbs 14:26: “In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.” “When a woman fears the Lord, she will not be anxious about tomorrow, she will do what God has appointed for her to do.” Tweet Share on Facebook Her fear of the Lord makes her fearless of man. But it doesn’t make her naïve. She knows that the Lord has appointed some means for our safety. For example, Proverbs 31:21, “She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet.” Winter is a fearful thing in Minnesota, and God has appointed that we do more than pray that our feet not freeze. Clothing must be made or bought. When a woman fears the Lord, she will not be anxious about tomorrow, she will do what God has appointed for her to do and trust him in everything to show her mercy. She Has Practical Wisdom Second, the woman who fears the Lord has practical wisdom. Proverb 31:26, “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.” We’ve been taught from grade school that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10) so it’s no surprise that the woman who fears the Lord “opens her mouth with wisdom.” And isn’t there a very close connection between a practical, gracious wisdom and freedom from anxiety about the future? The wisest people I know are the people who hope in the Lord and have quieted their soul like a child at its mother’s breast. But the people who are most anxious, most tense and fretful about tomorrow, are those whose counsel I bank on the least. Women, there is a wisdom that your family and friends and associates need that will only come from a heart that can laugh at the future because it fears the Lord. She Is Strong Third, the woman who fears the Lord is strong. Proverbs 31:25:“Strength and dignity are her clothing.” Verse 17, “She girds her loins with strength and makes her arms strong.” She will be morally strong. Proverbs 23:17 says, “Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day.” The woman who continues in the fear of the Lord will have power to resist all the allurements to envy, to desire what she shouldn’t have. The fear of the Lord will also increase her intellectual strength. The fear of the Lord is the impulse to wisdom, and rouses the mind to search for knowledge as for hidden treasure. And the fear of the Lord will even increase her physical strength. One of the reasons we let our bodies languish and get weak and out of tone is because we are bored and feel no excitement or hope about the future. But the woman who fears the Lord is confident and hopeful and eager to enter the future with God at her side. This kind of hope always gives us pep and vigor and increases the strength of the weakest among us. She Will Live for Others Fourth, a woman who fears the Lord will live not for herself alone, but for others, especially her husband, if she is married. Proverbs 31:11–12: “The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not harm all the days of her life.” A woman who fears the Lord will not squander the family’s livelihood on frivolous purchases, but will have the complete trust of her husband because she is for him and not against him. Wherever possible, she supplements his earnings rather than wastes it. But wives, far more important than this financial support is the moral support of your husband. Verse 23 seems out of place in a song of praise to women. It says, “Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.” “A wife who fears the Lord increases the esteem of her husband.” Tweet Share on Facebook How is that a word of praise to the wife who fears the Lord? Proverbs 12:4 gives the answer: “A good wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is the rottenness of his bones.” A wife who fears the Lord increases the esteem of her husband at the gates of the city. In twelve and a half years of marriage, my wife has never done or said anything in public that would have caused me to be ashamed. She has my absolute trust as a representative of what our family stands for. There is no place I might go where I would be ashamed to take Noël. She is a crown to my head and a signet ring on my right hand. She is for me 100 percent because she is a woman who fears the Lord. And I pray that every wife here will, under God, give that kind of support to your husband. She Cares for the Needy Now one last mark of the woman who fears the Lord: whether married or not, she lives for the good of the needy. Proverbs 31:20: “She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.” God has drawn near and secured her future in his care. Now she draws near to those who need most help. This woman in Proverbs 31 is well-to-do and esteemed, but she does not allow her station to hinder her association with the lowly. A Woman Who Fears the Lord Is to Be Praised “Charm is deceitful, beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” She keeps before her eyes the fearfulness of running away from God into sin and so stays close to God and his mercy. She should be praised by us all because that will strengthen her hand in God, honor the Lord, and make our own lives happier. And she can be recognized because she is confident and not anxious about the future, gracious wisdom is on her lips, she girds herself with strength, she brings her husband honor by her support, and she reaches out her hands to the needy. “A woman who fears the Lord is to be praised!”

[amethystina]

Cougar/Jensen for 6 &22!

Alrighty then! Let’s see what I can come up with ;)

THE TROPES:6. Bookshop AU22. Space AU

Again, below the cut because I don’t want to swamp your dashes with my over-excited writing. Someone seriously needs to stop me.

Jake’s gig at the bookshop is pretty nice, all things considered, be it a career path he had never quite expected. He’s always been more fond of technology than books, but the money is surprisingly good and it’s not like he’s got anything better to do after deciding not to continue his career within the Army. He got the job as store manager at the small, obscure second-hand bookshop through a series of unlikely events involving kind, elderly neighbours, their children, and a fair share of luck.

Overall, Jake likes it. The books in the store are so old and weird that the only patrons are either obscenely rich collectors or obscenely eccentric enthusiasts.

Jake gets along better with the latter than the former, unsurprisingly, but that might just be because of his experience of growing up in a poor neighbourhood and the innate dislike he has for rich people.

Either way, he enjoys his job. He gets to spend most of his time playing games on his phone or reading through the insane amount of weird books in stock, which has taught him even more useless knowledge than his Googling. It’s a cushy job that allows him to spend the majority of his time as he likes, and most of his evenings with Jess and Beth. All in all, Jake is quite comfortable with his life.

That changes, however, when a stranger steps into the shop.

That in itself is pretty unusual since most of the patrons are regulars aside from the occasional hipster who wanders in looking for first editions of some book they love. And, to make matters worse, Jake can tell straight away that this is not a man he should take lightly.

Jake can’t put his finger on what it is about the man that unsettles him, but he seems off, somehow. Perhaps it’s the fact that his clothes have a weird cut, or maybe it’s the smooth, almost predatory way he moves. He’s clearly a fighter of some sort — Jake knows that walk from his years in the Army — which doesn’t calm him at all.

He tells himself it must be his imagination when the stranger’s eyes seem to flash gold for the briefest of seconds.

The man’s eyes are brown. A beautiful, dark, rich brown for sure, but brown, not gold.

To Jake’s infinite surprise, the man doesn’t seem to be there to rob the store. Instead, he smiles politely and asks for a book. It’s one they have — one of the old sci-fi novels about a prophecy and magic and lost princesses and whatnot. It is, admittedly, one of Jake’s favourites because of how utterly fantastic it is, and he’s very excited to find another person who is interested in it — be it someone who might also be a serial killer.

Jake fetches the book, talking all the while, but stop short when he notices the way the stranger is looking at him. There’s too much intensity in his dark gaze, as if he’s cataloging every inch of Jake with disturbing interest.

Jake is understandably uncomfortable and hands over the book, careful not to let their hands brush as he does so. The stranger looks down at the book, clearly amused, but says nothing more before he pays and leaves. Jake isn’t sure what that was about, but he knows for a fact that he doesn’t like it. He pushes it from his mind, however, writing it down as yet another weird customer and continues with his day.

Except, on his way home after closing up the shop, he sees the man again.

Jake is far too cautious not to notice someone following him and he is both unnerved and pissed at the man’s audacity. Before Jake has time to confront him, however, he is attacked by… well, Jake isn’t entirely sure.

They don’t look like anything he’s ever seen — black, insect-like things, except they’re the size of dogs and have far too many teeth for Jake’s liking. It’s like something out of a horror movie and the only thing that saves him from an early death are his reflexes, honed from years of training.

Well, that and the creepy stranger.

The man is suddenly there, cutting through the nightmare creatures with something that looks suspiciously like a lightsaber yet not at all, and Jake gives up on trying to follow the situation. He doesn’t even struggle when the man grabs his hand and drags him off down a narrow street, clearly intent on getting them away from whatever they’re now running from. As far as Jake’s concerned, he’ll take a creepy stranger over certain death.

It takes a while, but they eventually manage to shake the creatures. Before Jake has time to ask what the FUCK is going on and why THE HELL this stranger suddenly does have golden eyes after all — slitted like a cat’s and distractingly bright — the man mumbles a soft, “Sorry,” followed by a jolt of electricity that makes everything go black.

Jake wakes up in a foreign bed and has no idea where he is, but the man who apparently had the nerve to taze him is sitting calmly on a chair at the opposite side of the room, arms crossed over his chest and eyes keen. For a split second, Jake debates grabbing the weird-looking clock on the bedside table and throwing it at the man, but then his gaze happens to land on the window.

There are stars outside. Only stars. Just a wide expanse of stars, stretching out into what Jake knows is almost literal infinity.

“I have been kidnapped by aliens,” is what he blurts out, rather than the angry accusations he had intended.

The stranger tips his head as if to say “fair enough” but says nothing else. Jake has no idea what to do with that. He has no idea what to do with ANYTHING in his current surroundings. He’s in a room that is grey and bland and there’s soft humming of engines in the background and some kind of control panel on the wall and he is undeniably on a spaceship of some kind. And the man in front of him is some kind of alien because those eyes are not natural and Jake has to be dreaming.

Except he knows he’s not.

When he asks why he’s there — what the stranger wants from him — he’s told it’s for his protection. That makes no sense at all to Jake because he lives a dull, uneventful life since he left the Army and he certainly hasn’t done anything that warrants getting kidnapped by aliens.

When he keeps pushing, he gets an eye-roll for his troubles and the stranger reaches into his pocket and tosses something across the room. The book the stranger bought from the store lands in Jake’s lap and he looks down at it in confusion.

“It’s all real,” the stranger says, as if that’s enough of an explanation.

It isn’t.

When Jake points this out, the man sighs and tells him to read the book. Jake tells him that he already has — it’s one of his favourites. The man smiles at this, as if he finds that funny, but Jake doesn’t.

The book is about a rich, beautiful planet on the other side of the galaxy on which a civil war breaks out when the king is betrayed and assassinated. His five sons all battle for the throne, almost tearing their planet apart in the process, and they end up plotting and murdering each other as the story goes along. There are twists and turns and, eventually, the youngest brother is the only one who remains standing. But only after it has been revealed that he was the one who murdered their father, corrupted by the old, forbidden magic that runs through their planet.

Out of all the other children of the king, only the daughter survives. The princess flees from her planet in desperation and fear of her brother’s wrath, but the story ends with the prophecy of her return — how she will come back and take the throne from her brother and cleanse their planet of the foul magic once and for all.

Jake has always been disappointed that there’s wasn’t a sequel somewhere, where the princess does all the things the prophecy says that she will. Jake has looked far and wide, but there are no records of it anywhere and, since the book was written at the end of the last century, Jake knows the author isn’t likely to take requests, what with being dead and all.

“It’s all real,” the man repeats, nodding towards the book. “The lost princess. The prophecy.”

As much as Jake likes that thought, he’s still not pleased.

“And what does that have to do with me?” he asks.

Liking the story is hardly enough grounds to get kidnapped. He receives a flat look in return, followed by a shake of the man’s head.

“It is time,” he says, which isn’t foreboding at all. “For her return.”

Jake gets frustrated. “Again, what does that have to do with me?”

And then comes the words that completely rearranges Jake’s grasp on the world, himself, and the galaxy as a whole.

“Everything, Your Highness,” the man says. “Everything.”

I really need to stop here or else I’ll end up writing the whole thing and I don’t have time. But yeah! JAKE IS A SPACE PRINCESS! Because I say so.

So, like, the actual story would be about reclaiming the planet and falling in love with Cougar and all that lovely shit. Because I can’t think of short space AUs?

ANYWAY. I hope you enjoyed that ;)

[nallaahgony-is]

Caring for his Nalla

Nalla:

Well, trying to get some work done had seemed like a good idea back in our suite, but I’d stalled out as soon as I got to Uncle Wrath’s office and sat at my desk. Now I’m just sitting here staring off into space with thoughts of last night whirling through my head. All the blood and pain and death I’d seen down in the clinic. I was also thinking of those who hadn’t made it home. I wasn’t really thinking of the logistics of it right now, the Fade ceremonies and wills and such- though goodness knows we had all that to deal with, which is the reason I’d come here right now. Try to work, get a head start on it. I was thinking more of those left behind. My cousins- Bitty had just lost her hellren, Madahlena and Alyne their father. I thought of my mahmen breaking down in my dad’s arms when he told us about Uncle Rehv. I think I’m most worried about Aunt Ehlena, though. Not only does she have to mourn her hellren, she still has to work in the clinic- still overloaded with patients after the rescue mission. Not to mention being there for her young, and worrying about Maddy taking over the symphath throne. (and how weird was it to think that my baby cousin is now a queen? I mean, we all knew it would happen eventually, but it was the kind of thing you assume would happen in some far distant, almost unimaginable future. And now it’s here.) Then there was Blay, Novo, and everyone else….

I don’t know how long I sat there, all these thoughts on an endless skipping loop, but I suddenly realize that I’m not alone. I jump in my seat when someone touches my hair, and turn to see LW kneeling by my chair. Unable to think of anything to say, I just wrap my arms around his neck and hold on. He scoops me up out of the chair and carries me over to the sofa. He settles me on his lap and strokes my back as he murmurs to me. Laying my head on his shoulder and cuddling close, I hear his words as he repeats them over and over again. He’s got me- well, he always has. We’ve always loved each other and had each other’s backs, all our lives and well before we realized that we were actually in love. Feeling him there, his strength and support, I finally let the tears come. Tears I hadn’t allowed myself to shed while helping in the clinic and had been too tired afterwards to shed.

I have no idea how long we sat there, but my tears finally slowed, and I sniffled as I wiped my eyes and turned my face into my hellren’s chest. I feel him kiss my hair, then hear. “C’mon leelan, let’s get you back to bed now.” He stands up, and I find myself being carried down the hall back towards our suite. LW tucks me back into bed and lays down beside me, wrapping his arms around me as I snuggle close and lay my head on his chest. Worn out from the long night, crying jag, and my emotions, I soon feel myself falling into an uneasy sleep*

LW: It had been a long night and even longer day. Holding his shellan hadn’t chased his dreams away and every time the dreams woke him up, he could feel how restless she was too. Fed up with fighting sleep, LW eased out of bed and checked the clock. It was just about time for first meal anyway. He left Nalla sleeping with a kiss to her forehead and meandered down to the kitchen to prepare something for her. He couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten. Had it been before the raid? Whatever the case was, it had to have been hours. LW set up camp in the kitchen, shooing off the relentless doggen who offered time and time again to serve him. He needed something to do and feeding his shellan gave him purpose. It was a simple breakfast, pancakes, eggs and bacon, paired with some fresh fruits. He took his time picking out only the choicest pieces for his sleeping shellan. When LW had the tray arranged just so, he made his way back upstairs with the food for her.

Nalla:

*When I wake up again, I’m alone in the bed. I sit up and look around. Yep, totally alone. LW is nowhere in the suite. I wonder what he’s doing- Probably checking on the fighters who are still in the clinic. I lay back down and wonder what I should do. Look for LW? Go visit mahmen, or Aunt Ehlena, Maddy, and Al? Go try yet again to get some work done? I suppose I could just stay in bed and wallow for a while- no one would blame anyone who chose to do so right now. But that’s never really been my style. Then my stomach rumbles- wait, when was the last time I ate? I know I haven’t had any food since the Brothers and fighters got back from the rescue mission…. No, hang on, it’s been longer than that. I didn’t eat at all while they were gone either. Too nerve wracked. First Meal, right before that big meeting in Uncle Wrath’s office? Yes, that was it. And no wonder I was getting hungry again- that was nearly 24 hours ago! And as for feeding, I can’t even remember for sure when I last took my hellren’s vein. But forget that. He may not have been that badly injured during the mission, but he needs that blood more than I do right now. I can wait a bit, till things calm down some and I know he’s 100%. Till then I won’t even mention feeding- well actually, no. I will. I should get him to feed to be sure he’s healing properly, but I won’t feed myself just yet. I lift my head as I hear the hall door open, and in comes the male himself, carrying a tray. I give him a little smile and prop myself up on my elbow as he kicks the door shut softly behind him* Well, now. What’s all this, nallum? It smells wonderful!

LW: He smiled at the sight of her in their mated bed. He would never tire of the sight of her curled up under the covers -- especially since she was wrapped up in one of his shirts and a pair of sweatpants. His Leelan didn't need fancy clothes to look utterly irresistible. But after nearly a century of watching her, he could tell that something was still off. As he approached the bed, he racked his brain to see if he could remember anything out of the usual for them. The more he thought, the more horrified he became with himself. He could remember the last time he’d fed from her vein, nearly 48 hours before, yet he couldn't name the last time he had offered her his vein. It explained why she seemed paler than usual and he could see a slight tremor in the arm she was holding herself up with. “I brought breakfast. Thank the Scribe Mahmen taught me how to cook.” He chuckled, leaning down to kiss her lips. Before she went anywhere today, she would be feeding from him. Deepening the kiss, he licked at her fangs, coaxing them out. Letting out a soft growl, he rumbled, “Is my shellan hungry?” He released her mouth and moved to lift a strawberry to her lips.

Nalla:

*I grin as LW comes over to the bed and sets the tray down, remembering all the cooking lessons Auntie Beth had given us both, along with Bitty, Aggie and Rhamp. Much to Fritz’s extreme dismay, of course. But I also catch the determined look in his eyes as he leans in for a kiss. He’s made up his mind about something- and Scribe knows that mine hellren can be immovable as bedrock when he gets an idea in his head. What is he thinking of? I get a clue what it could be when he teases my fangs until they drop. Feeding. Dammit, I really don’t want to argue with him right now. He pulls away and asks if I’m hungry. The low growl he lets out sends a wave of heat through my whole body. I want to respond that yes I am hungry, just not for food, but before I can do so and pull him back for another kiss he holds a plump strawberry to my lips. I take a bite, and then another. On and on he keeps on feeding me chunks of fruit, strips of crispy bacon and pieces of fluffy pancakes drenched in butter and maple syrup, until I finally lay back against the pillows, completely stuffed. I smile and cross my hands over my belly as I watch LW start to finish off the leftovers. Goodness knows there was enough to satisfy his hunger too- he’d cooked enough for at least four people* That was delicious, nallum. Thank you. *glancing at the alarm clock on my bedside table, I groan* I should probably get up and go try again to get some work done, but I don’t think I can move right now!

LW: Chuckling at Nalla, LW moves to set the tray outside their door. Scribe knows that the doggen would take care of it soon enough. Striding back to the bed, he rumbles, “Well that’s too bad. I had plans for you.” Climbing in, he purrs as Nalla curls up in his arms once again. “They’re your favorite kinds of plans too.” Kissing the top of her head, LW pulls her atop him, his hands wandering to squeeze her ass. Their lips meet in a kiss, and once again, he coaxes her fangs out. “I know this may be bad timing, Nalla. But I need to feel alive right now. I need to … forget for just a moment and get lost in you, in us. Can you give me that?” He doubted she’d ever deny him, but the choice was hers to make. If Nalla said no, that would be the end of the conversation. He had way too much respect for her to cross her boundaries like that. Plus, his Mahmen would do some serious haunting if he tried. Not to mention the King would kill him. That wasn't the point though. After those dreams, and the reality that had been the night beforehand, he just needed to be with his shellan. He needed to be connected to her, to something real and tangible.

Nalla: *looking down into mine hellren’s eyes, I see the same emotions I’m feeling myself mirrored there. And is it wrong to try to grab for a little peace, maybe even some joy, amidst the grief and tragedy? I don’t see how it could be. That’s how we’ve lived here in the Compound, in this war, all my life. There will be time later to think of everything else, deal with the grief and logistics and all that. Right now, here in the room I share with LW, when it’s just me and him, I just want to set it aside for a little while, lean on each other to offer the strength we’ll each need from the other to get through what comes next, and try to grab a little of that happiness too if we can. Lifting my hands to frame his face, I lean in and kiss him softly* Yes, I can. And I… I think I need the same from you right now LW. *I lean my forehead against his* Let’s help each other forget. Just be together and get out of our heads for a while. *I wrap my arms around his neck as I kiss him again, pressing myself against him*

LW:

He shifts so that his thighs pin hers wide and his hips fit snugly against hers. Leaning down, into the kiss, a low growl rumbles from his chest. He was torn between fucking his shellan til she was a screaming, trembling mess, and making love to her. LW just needed to forget for a bit, lose the bloody images that had so deprived him of sleep. The longer they kissed, the more certain he became that this needed to be tender. He needed something soft and loving to consume him. He’d had enough aggression the night before. His mind made up, his lips gentler against her own, though he still coaxed at her fangs with his tongue. He needed her to feed and he wasn't above manipulating her body into action. Their hips moved together, the hard ridge of his erection pressing against her cloth-covered core. His voice rumbled between them, his lips a hair’s breadth away from hers. “Undress me, Nalla.”

Nalla:

*Sliding my hands down LW’s chest, I tug off his shirt, pulling back long enough to pull it all the way off before removing my own too. I wanted to be skin-on-skin with him. I kiss him again, keeping it sweet and tender as I roll over onto my back and pull my hellren down on top of me. I arch up against him and moan as I reach down to tug off his pajama pants and stroke him. Yes, this is exactly what we need right now….

We lay curled up together afterwards, and I smile for a moment as we lay trying to catch our breath. But then, of course my mind started whirling once more with all the things that had happened, and that still needed to be done. I’d also given in to my body’s needs and took LW’s vein after all, though I couldn’t talk him into feeding himself. Soon, I promised myself. But for now, I have to let all that worry go as I feel myself drifting off to sleep.

LW:

As they lay beside each other, panting for their breath, with Nalla curled up against him, reality intruded. They both had things that they could be doing. Scribe knew that his father would need Nalla’s help in the office. Probably the same shit she was supposed to have been doing when he found her in the middle of the day. But the important part was, she had fed. Nalla would be strong enough to get through the day. She had tried to convince him that he needed to feed, but it had been a moot point. All he had to do was coax her fangs out and biology had overtaken her. Hugging her tightly to him, he tried in vain to focus on her, but there was too much going on in his head.

#CaringforhisNalla #IS #BDB

[eternallyboundfamily]

I Hate Everything About You: Chapter 3, written by @DarkLoverLost & @DelicateDeviant

Wrath:

I would give this female the world from here on out, anything she asked of me would be hers… Famous last words.

Beth pulled back from our kiss and spoke five words I never expected to hear, “You have to go back.”

I was dumbfounded. I didn’t know what to say. What did she mean I had to go back? Back where? There was no back. I was here, now. Firmly planted in The Fade. I felt my soul slip from that world. That world no longer existed for me. My jaw dropped and closed again, before finally forming the words, “Wha… I’m sorry, what?!”

“You heard what I said, Wrath.” Her eyes fell to her lap.

“Oh, no! No, no, no! You need to look me in the eye and say that to me.” I responded. I couldn’t believe my ears. Didn’t she want me here? Had she not been yearning for this day just as much as I had been?

Slowly, her gaze raised back to mine. “You have to go back, my love. L.W…” I cut her off, “L.W. is better off without me. Without his deadbeat dad who can’t stop thinking about being in The Fade with his late Queen, 24/7.”

She leaned back on her heels and stood up. “You’re wrong, Wrath.” She began to pace. “L.W. needs his father. He needs his father to take the giant stick out of his ass and male up!”

Whicked:

Vishous pushed me off the King as if I barely weighed anything.  My upper body covered in blood, my t-shirt still being used to stem the flow of blood.  As I sat on a pile of rubble, the other huge Male started throwing about some rubble, uncovering a young Female.  “V, I got Anara over here. She is pretty beat up, but she is breathing.” V looked over at the Male and nodded. “Lets get them both in the Escalade, true?”  The Male picked up the Female and carried her over to the SUV and laid her down in the back. Once she was secured he came over to V and the Doctor and helped lift up the huge frame of the King.

I watched as Vishous and the other huge Male that had driven the SUV, lift up Wrath and carry him more gently that I would have thought possible to the back of the SUV and load him in. 

“Wait!” I yelled as they got ready to leave.  “I am coming too!” I got up and started to make my way to the SUV, before Vishous barred my way, his lips curled up into a sneer, waves of aggression pouring off of him directed straight at me. “No, that is not gonna happen Female.  Don’t you think you have done enough? I stood my ground in front of the Male, showing no fear. “Look, I didn’t blow the King up and I think you know that, I was here before you guys showed up, what the fuck was he even doing out alone?  Shouldn’t the Brotherhood be with him when he is out? Don’t lay this at my feet because the Brotherhood fucked up!”

A groan echoed around the alley, Vishous’s fangs elongated and he started inching toward me.  Great looks like the King wouldn't be the only one heading to the Fade tonight. 

Wrath:

Standing up, this was exactly the kind of argument that Beth and I used to have. She had never had one ounce of fear towards me and it actually turned me on, which would piss her off even more. I used to love the fire that sparked in her eyes when we’d get into a fight. She was fierce when it came to what she believed and it didn’t matter who had an opposing thought.

“Male up?! I just sacrificed myself for the love of my son!”

It was her turn to interrupt, “Bullshit! That is the biggest cop-out I’ve ever heard! You didn’t do this for L.W. You did it for yourself!”

I tried to get a word in, but she raised her hand to stop me and just kept talking. “This is the most selfish thing you have ever done.” She paused for a split second, giving me the thought that I was going to get to speak, but before I could open my mouth she started back up, “Wrath, you have never lied to me before, don’t start today.”

Boy did that sting. “I’m not… “ But it was true, and she knew it. I fell back down to my knees and my voice came out weak. “Haven’t you been waiting for this day as much as I have?”

Whicked:

Before Vishous got a chance to tear me limb from limb, the doctor stepped in between us, no longer an apparition, but a solid Female form.  What the actual fuck was going on here? “Vishous, back off. We need her, we need her to try to feed Wrath to jumpstart his healing process and hopefully get him back into the land of the living again.”  She placed her hand on Vishous’s chest and gently pushed him backwards away from me, he glanced at her and nodded before eyeing me. “Looks like it is your lucky day Female.” I took a deep breath and nodded once. “Yeah looks like it,  doesn’t it.” 

I pushed past the pair of them and got into the back of the SUV,  I scooched over to where the prone body of the King lay. With gentle care I cupped the nape of his neck with my hand and lifted his head high enough to slide underneath,  resting his head on my lap. My fingers softly stroking back the blood sodden strands of hair from his face. His face was completely open to me, his wraparounds still lying amongst the rubble from the blast,  he looked so at peace as he lay there. His face completely unstressed unlike the last time I saw him. I sat there humming softly as I tried my hardest to clean up his face, picking off pieces of rubble and wiping away the blood,  both red and black.

I looked up at the sound of the car doors slamming shut,  the Doctor was gone, instead replaced with an young Female looking at the King and I with utter fear.  Vishous looked over to me from the passenger seat and glowered. “Well, you gonna feed the King or not? 

Wrath:

Beth fell to her knees next to me, “Of course I have!” She placed her hands on my cheeks. “Wrath, there is nothing I want more in this world than to have you back by my side.”

“Then what’s the problem?” I pleaded.

“Not like this, Wrath.” She said as she shook her head. Leaning in, she met my forehead with her own. “This is not the way, my love. You have too much life left to live… and L.W. has never needed you more than he does right now.”

I began to protest again about L.W. but she stopped me by placing her finger upon my lips.

“Trust me. Being up here enlightens you to things you would never see from down there. He needs you, and just as importantly, you need him. You have more life to live, my love. I’ve seen it.” A tear fell from her eyes and she pulled back to wipe it away. “There is a light at the end of the tunnel for you. A light that does not include The Fade, not yet, anyway. You have just yet to allow yourself to see it.”

“What light? What the fuck are you talking about?” I didn’t want to hear about lights at the end of a tunnel. I wanted to be happy that I was here, in The Fade, with her. “Besides, I can’t go back there. I felt my body die. There is not going back, now.”

“Again, you’re wrong.” 

Whicked:

I scowled at the diamond eyed fucker sitting up front.  I brought my wrist to my lips and bit into it hard enough to score through the skin, bringing rivulets of blood to the surface.  I focussed only on Wrath as I brought my bloodied wrist to his lips. 

Vishous watched me carefully,  I could feel his eyes boring into me, as if at any second I was going to do something to endanger the King,  but what else could I do? He was already dead.

I kept my arm in place, my free hand stroking his head, focussed on nothing but the King, I unknowingly started singing to a song I used to listen to a lot in the period just after my family had been taking away from me. My voice cracking as I sing the words, not really realising what is going on.

“There's a whole other conversation going onIn a parallel universeWhere nothing breaks and nothing hurtsThere's a waltz playing frozen in timeBlades of grass on tiny bare feetI look at you and you're looking at me”

A cough wakes me from the mix of my past and present.  Was this how my life would be? Would I always be surrounded by death, did I bring death to those around me?  I looked up at the sound of the cough and caught the drivers eyes as he looked at me via the rear view mirror,  his sadness pouring off of him, surrounding everyone in the car. 

With a jolt,  the car pulled to a halt.  I had no idea where I was, I looked up and out of the tinted windows, my eyes fell on an underground parking garage.  Where were we? We must be at the Brotherhood’s clinic, where else would be safe? 

Wrath:

“Wrong?! What do you mean wrong? Dead body, soul irreversibly placed firmly in The Fade! No going back!” I knew what she spoke of, but that wasn’t happening here. Not when I’d finally held her in my arms again. I’d felt her touch, her arms around me, her lips pressed against mine own! There was no way in hell I was going back!

With tears in her eyes, she leaned forward and just kissed me again. This time it soft and I felt the goodbye in her embrace. I pushed her away, “No! You are not saying, ‘Goodbye.’ to me! I am not going back!” 

For a split second, I felt a dizzying sensation and pain. I felt pain all over my body again. “What the…”

“It’s happening.” The tears came faster now, as Beth looked on. “Know that I love you, no matter what… and I want you to live. You have so much ahead of you. Welcome it. Welcome her…”

What she was saying didn’t make sense, and I reached out and pulled her to me as if I could anchor myself to her. 

Whicked:

As I looked around the outside of the car, I saw 4 or 5 huge Male figures plus the same amount of Females if not more and a young boy,  around 10 or so. Scribe, that must be the King’s son? A Female stood beside him, her arm secured around his shoulder. A Male in a lab coat came over pushing a gurney toward the car and before I could blink, Vishous and the driver of the SUV had come around and opened the doors.  The lifted the King out carefully and laid him out on the gurney, before anyone could say anything I hopped out and climbed up on the stretcher, straddling Wrath, my wrist once more placed against his lips, dripping my blood down his throat as I prayed silently to the Scribe Virgin that somehow this would help.  

One of the Brotherhood stepped forward, a enormous blonde with teal eyes.  He moved as if to move me from Wrath. My eyes flared and I growled at him.  “Back off Blondie...I am trying to help here and I don’t have time for your bullshit!”  He looked over at Vishous and raised a brow. “V….what’s doing with this chick?” He looked over and shrugged.  “Rhage meet Whicked she uhhh...she pulled Wrath out from the rubble. She is the one that called Manny.” Rhage nodded and backed up.  “Sorry Whicked...just looking out for my Brother is all”. The Female that was clinging onto the King’s son tugged at Rhage’s arm and pulled him backward.  Must be his Shellan or something.

The lab coat wearing Male and Jane,  who seemed to just appear and disappear like a ghost pushed the gurney with Wrath and I upon it through the corridor and into a huge operating room,  equipment, all top of the range was set up and a red haired nurse was setting out some instruments on a table beside an operating table. In the corner,  a blonde wearing a white floor length robe stood, her hands clasped in front of her.

“Whicked….?” Jane spoke softly at me.  “Whicked we are going to need you to climb down so we can get in to attend to Wrath’s wounds, ok?  You don’t need to go anywhere you can just step down and rest. You have done great, but Ibree is here, she is a Chosen.  She will take over the feeding”.

A loud growl came from my chest as I glanced around the room, eyeballing everyone around me.  That so would not be happening! 

Wrath:

The pain disappeared again and I let out an enormous sigh. I was still holding onto Beth more tightly than ever before. This couldn’t be happening. I was so ready to be here, in The Fade with my Queen, my love, my leelan. I was done with the world I’d left behind. I had lived a good life, now it was my time to be rewarded for everything I’d been through. I deserved to have this, to be happy.

“You will be happy again, my love.” Beth spoke the words as if reading my mind.

“I won’t. Not back there. Not without you.” I refused.

“But, you will.” She pressed another soft kiss to my lips to keep me from protesting more. “Kiss me, my love. We haven’t more time.”

As I leaned in and kissed her hard, I could feel the pain creeping back in. “Don’t let me go.” I pleaded softly against her lips.

“I have to.”

The pain came back with a vengeance and a growl so low in my gut bellowed out past my lips.

“I love you, Wrath.” were the last words I heard before everything went black.

[wrathtotb-blog]

Attack On The Audience House

Wrath:

In the study with LW, finishing putting the bulletproof vest on him, Tohr had found one that was little enough for him to ware "Father why am I having this on?" "Son it's for your protection. I know you think it's not necessary but believe me it is. I thought the same as you till your Mahmen pleaded with me to wear a bulletproof vest and I'm glad she did. It has saved my life many times. Well except one time when I was shot in the throat. Got to admit it was a good shot" "Who shot you Father?" "One of the Band of Bastards, but I don't hold a grudge against them" Clipping the last clip together "You got to remember Son you don't know when or where an attack can happen. You have to be alert at all times" Standing to my full height I showed LW I had my bulletproof vest on too. "It's not a sign of weakness Son, it's a sign that you consider all threats seriously"

Inhaling deeply I smell the scent of my Leelan Beth "How long have you been there Leelan?" "Mahmen, Father has been explaining to me why we have to wear these vests for. I understand now that we are always a target when we go out of the mansion" Pride ran through my veins LW finally understood everything. It was a touching moment.

There was a soft knock on the study doors, inhaling I caught the scent of Tohr "The Range Rover is ready my Lord" Taking the reigns of George's harness, I tucked Beth under my arm, LW was at the side of George, we all went out of the study as a family.

Beth:

Beth worried, each and every time they were about to go out of the mansion. Never knowing what would happen. It was bad before, but now with LW, and Wrath, her male being shot in the throat. Everything made her worry. She just wanted to keep her family safe, from every threat that would come their way. Snapping the last strap into place, she pulled her shirt down over the vest. It was uncomfortable, but it was to keep her safe.

She walked out of their chambers and down from the third floor, through the hallway and down to her Nallum’s office. Seeing her Nallum and their young, having a talk. Not wanting to bother the father son moment. She leaned in the wall. Pride and love filled her chest, at the sight. Oh how she loved them both. He had learned so much from his father. And very much like him. She saw more of Wrath in him everyday. He would be a great King one day. A smile lit her face, when they both noticed her. “I’ve been here a little bit.” Beth walked over to her males. She leaned down and kissed LW on the cheek. “I’m so proud of you for learning so well.” Flickering her eyes to her male. If the males chest got any bigger he would explode with pride. She leaned up on her tip toes and kissed him. “Your Father is a great teacher.” LW nodded. “Yes mahmen, Father is.”

Her heart kicked up in her chest, she held to her male. Tohr followed them. Bitty comes walking out, no telling where she was off too. She opened her arms and he went to her letting her love on him. “Be safe all of you.” LW smiled. “Promise.” They did a hand shake only they knew and she headed off. Beth called out. “Bitty be safe too.” She smiled walking backwards. “Always..” She waves and walked out of sight. “So much like her dad.” LW giggled as they walked out of the mansion. Beth tried to help LW into the Range Rover, but he did it himself. Beth slid in after him. She hoped tonight went well. LW was looking forward to it so much. And she didn’t want him to be disappointed.

Wrath:

Getting George into the Range Rover, I get in myself shutting the door, we all buckle up. Tohr gets into the driver's seat and started the vehicle and heads down the driveway, through the huge gates, through the mhis "Why is it hard to see Father?" "That's the mhis your Uncle V has put up. If a vampire is dematerialising above the mansion he or she wouldn't be able to see it" "It's like misleading what they see" "Yes Son" I reach over LW to hold Beth's hand. Before long we came to Route 22 and head into Caldwell.

We arrived at the Audience House, Tohr parked the Range Rover in the garage. Unbuckling the seat belt and opened the door. Getting out carefully I helped George, LW and Beth out, taking hold of George's harness and went through the side door of what was D's house. The smell of coffee came from kitchen "LW you want anything to eat? The doggen will have made some buns and muffins for the vampires who come to have an audience with me" "Muffins!!" LW ran off into the kitchen.

Taking Beth into my arms I place my lips upon hers "LW sounds excited Leelan. I wonder where he gets that from?" Taking Beth's hand in mine George leads me into the main room where two chairs set in front of the fire. Sitting in the one on the right I pull Beth onto my lap, wrapping my arms around her waist, placing my lips on her forehead "Ewwww you're kissing again" "You be like this when you've found your mate Son"

Beth:

LW was full of questions. Anything and everything he would ask about. That was something he got from her. From the moment he could talk in full sentences they were questions. Smiling at a memory of LW sitting in his father’s lap, all he asked was why, and her poor Wrath. He asked every why, by the end he was tired and drained. She fell in love with him even more that night. She smiled over the top of LW’s head and laced her fingers with his.

She held onto Wrath’s arm as they went into her father’s house. Deep down she wished that her father could have met his grandson. He would have been so proud of him. Just as her and Wrath were. She laughed as LW ran into the kitchen. She shook her head and rested her hands in her males chest. Melting as they kissed. Laughing softly. “I blame Rhage for that one Nallum. And we can blame Bitty too. They were always getting him to try new things. That’s why he was such a chubby little baby.”

Lacing her fingers once again with his. Letting him lead her into the main room. She smiled as he pulled her onto his lap. Wrapping her arms around his strong wide shoulders and leaning into his sweet kiss. Her eyes closed as she laughed softly. “And that won’t be for a very long time.” She smiled over to their son, muffin in hand and crumbs all over his face. “Come here.” He walked over to them. She picked him up and kissed away the crumbs off his cheeks. “Mahmen! That’s gross!” He squirmed and she sat him back on his feet on the floor. “I will not have a female ever! They are nasty!” Beth busts out laughing. “Hear that Nallum. Our son doesn’t like females.” He wrinkled his nose. “Father do you like females?” Beth smiled and looked at her male. “Yes Nallum, do you like females?”

Wrath:

"The only female I like is your Mahmen Son" laughing "Well if you like the males I won't discourage it. Look at your Uncles Ruhn and Saxton, they're happy together and Xhex, she's more like a male" I couldn't believe I was having this conversation with LW. A scent that I was familiar with invading my nostrils. "Leelan get up please. LW go to Tohr and he will take you back to the mansion"

Beth got off my lap, her body went into defense stance, getting up I inhaled deeply, LW was still in the room. Getting down on one knee talking to LW desperately "Son you are the future, you need to go now" "But Father I can fight with you and Mahmen" Fuck history was repeating itself, I was taken back to when lessers attacked the hide out my family had been living in since the threat, but this time I was my Father and LW was me and I was going to bundle him into the Range Rover as my Father had bundled me into the cupboard. "No LW you need to go to Tohr now!"

On cue Tohr came into the room "Lessers have surrounded the house my Lord" "Take LW and get him back to the mansion. Beth text the Brothers and have them here now!" Tohr took LW and hurried him out, I knew LW had looked back at me "Your Mahmen and I will be fine Son. Now go!" Beth had texted the Brothers and soon there were sounds of fighting outside the house.

Beth:

Beth, couldn’t help but laugh, at the turn of the talk that they were having. Opening her mouth to say something. Something sweet burned her nose. Without a second thought, she got ready for what would come through the doors at any moment. Her heart broke, letting her son go, maybe to never see him again. Never to see her male again. But she would be damned if he LW was hurt. This is what was to be mahmen, to give up your own life so your young could go on. She would not let the tears fall that wanted to break free.

Before she could even walk over and kiss their son goodbye, he was rushed out of the room. Looking over to the door that Tohr was about to walk through. Tears in his eyes, he reached for us both. “Father!!! Mahmen!!!” The tears that she was holding back fell down her cheeks. “Tohr let me go!!!! I can fight!!! Let me fight!!!” The sounds of the fighting washed out his cries for them. Beth walked to her male, if she wa going to die, she would die standing by the side of her male, her love, her heart and soul. Wrapping her arms around his waist. “We go down fighting Nallum.” She looked up to him with tear soaked eyes. “I love you so damn much.” She held onto him tight. The sounds of the fighting getting louder and closer. She would fight by his side.

“My Lord incoming!!!” Butch yelled out. Beth knew that they didn’t have much time left before they would be over run. Whispering on his lips. “Forever and always…” She reached knowing he always had extra weapons on his body hidden. “Even parted, not for long. We go together, walking into the fade, to watch over out boy. You are my everything Nallum.” She pulled an extra dagger from his thigh, a gun from the small of his back. “Not even death will ever part us.” Gripping the weapons in her hands. A group of lessers burst through the door. They fanned out and started to surround, around them. She looked at the bastards that wanted to kill her and her male. “Let’s take some of the fuckers with us Nallum. What do you say?” She smirked through her tears.

Wrath:

Beth takes my concealed weapons while I had a black dagger in one hand and a glock in the other. "I love you with everything I have Leelan" I smelt her tears, like rain on a grass lawn. "No more tears Leelan we have a job to do" Butch bursts through the door "incoming"  Lessers were making their way in, they had us surrounded thinking that it was going to be all over. Not tonight you undead fuckers.

Hollywood, V, Z and rest of the Brotherhood came into the room. Hollywood was the first to make a move, jumping onto the nearest lesser and slits his throat. Z followed up with another lesser being immobile from the cuts and severing the tendons on the legs and arms. Before long the lessers were all immobilised but could hear their moans and groans, but those fuckers weren't going back to the Omega. We had our secret weapon, Butch. I heard him sucking in the essence of each lesser and pop when he had done the deed. Once Butch had done the only lesser I smelt was Butch himself "V do your hand job on the Cop" "No may be other lessers about" His voice was raspy as if he had down a bottle of vodka in one "Cop stop being a fucking pigheaded, what if you can't be you and turn into one of those. My Leelan is here and like fuck I'm having her around you once you do turn" With a groan Butch followed V so he could heal the Cop. "Leelan are you alright?" She didn't answer, my whole body tensed with worry till I felt her hand on my chest, I let out a huge sigh of relief, thank fuck she was fine. Taking her into my arms I pressed my lips hard against Beth's. In that moment I felt her relax in my arms, relieved it was all over "When we get back, after LW knows we are fine, I'm taking you to our chambers Leelan" I knew Beth was on board for that, I felt her love for me pour out of her.

V came back into the room "The Cop has been healed so if my Lord and Beth would like to go the Escalade is waiting outside" Thank fuck for that. Phone, I needed a phone "V phone Tohr then hand it over to me" Bless V he did as he was told, taking his cell phone from him "Hello?" Tohr's gruff voice answered "We're all fine here, threat has been eliminated. Put LW on" I heard Tohr and LW exchange words then LW's voice came through the phone "Father?" "Yes son it's me, your Mahmen and I are fine" "Why wouldn't you let me stay to fight?" Fuck no not this again "You're the future Son, you need protecting" LW complained he wasn't a glass vase he was a lot stronger than that. "Son I know you're strong but there are times when it's better to be safe. This was a such time" I hoped LW understood, fuck I knew how he felt as my own Father had done it to me. I always thought I was weak but all that thinking changed when Beth had pointed out that my Father was protecting me, and here I was doing the same thing. Giving Beth a squeeze to reassure her. "Son we are on our way back" Handing the phone back to V, he ended the call. "Come on Leelan let's go" Turning to V "How did those fuckers knew we were here?" "From going by their texts they've been watching this place for some time now. And those fuckers saw activity at night put two and two together and came up with the Brotherhood" "We need extra security around here, thank fuck there were no civilians here tonight" "Agreed. Shall we get back my Lord?" "Yes lets" Tucking Beth under my arm George by my side, who had hid or one of the Brothers had taken him out of the room, we all went for the Escalade.

Beth:

Beth wanted to stay with her male longer, wanted to hold him, feel his arm wrapped around her. But there was no time. She nodded, as she dried her eyes. Never would she let her family come to harm. Never would she let their son know what it is to lose a parent. Wrath watched his parents get killed. She had lost her father in when a bomb when it off in his car. Nodding she wiped her eyes, stood at the ready next to her male. They would come out of this on the other end, alive and home to their son.

A flurry of action exploded around them. The way the brothers sprung into action, she was in awe of them. Never had she seen them fight, yes she had watched from time to time, when they trained. But this was very different. They were amazing to watch. But she couldn’t stand there and watch them the whole night. She wouldn’t let her male get hurt in any form. Beth would lay down her life for her male, her family.

Out of the corner of her eye, one of the lessers broke off. Oh fuck no he wasn’t going to touch her male. She moved behind him, fangs bared and hissing. She was going to get the fucker. He ran at her, she smirked, oh this was going to be fun. They didn’t back down from each other. He grabbed her around the throat picking her up off the ground. Her feet dangled off the floor. Z, saw it came up behind the lessor and slit his throat. He dropped her to the floor, nodding to Z as she rubbed her neck. Having to gather herself, not wanting Wrath to worry about her, she was fine.

She turned at the sound of his voice, walking over she touched his chest and then wrapped her arms around him. Holding tight to him, as their lips met. Oh thank god that he was alright. She would have been lost without him. A shell and nothing more. Holding to him, she didn’t pay much attention to what was going on around them. There was talking and movement. She wanted to go home, check over LW and then take care of her male. Nothing more than that. This would be burned into her mind for the rest of her days.

She heard LW on the phone, oh how she wanted to talk to him. To tell him that they were just fine. Her male already took care of that. She couldn’t wait to hold him and just pepper him in kisses. And then the chambers for them both. Beth would chew out any of the brothers if they were bothered at all. There were no words that needed to be said. She walked out wrapped around her male. Once to the Escalade she crawled in the back, Wrath and George behind her. Door shut, they pulled out and drove back. Crawling into the lap of her male. Her world around her, holding her. They were going home to their son and family.

#AttackOnTheAudienceHouse

#TOTB

#BDB

[darkloverlost]

I HATE EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU: CHAPTER 3 w/@DelicateDeviant

Wrath:

I would give this female the world from here on out, anything she asked of me would be hers… Famous last words.

Beth pulled back from our kiss and spoke five words I never expected to hear, “You have to go back.”

I was dumbfounded. I didn’t know what to say. What did she mean I had to go back? Back where? There was no back. I was here, now. Firmly planted in The Fade. I felt my soul slip from that world. That world no longer existed for me. My jaw dropped and closed again, before finally forming the words, “Wha… I’m sorry, what?!”

“You heard what I said, Wrath.” Her eyes fell to her lap.

“Oh, no! No, no, no! You need to look me in the eye and say that to me.” I responded. I couldn’t believe my ears. Didn’t she want me here? Had she not been yearning for this day just as much as I had been?

Slowly, her gaze raised back to mine. “You have to go back, my love. L.W…”

I cut her off, “L.W. is better off without me. Without his deadbeat dad who can’t stop thinking about being in The Fade with his late Queen, 24/7.”

She leaned back on her heels and stood up. “You’re wrong, Wrath.” She began to pace. “L.W. needs his father. He needs his father to take the giant stick out of his ass and male up!”

Whicked:

Vishous pushed me off the King as if I barely weighed anything.  My upper body covered in blood, my t-shirt still being used to stem the flow of blood.  As I sat on a pile of rubble, the other huge Male started throwing about some rubble,  uncovering a young Female.  “V,  I got Anara over here.  She is pretty beat up, but she is breathing.”  V looked over at the Male and nodded. “Lets get them both in the Escalade, true?”  The Male picked up the Female and carried her over to the SUV and laid her down in the back.  Once she was secured he came over to V and the Doctor and helped lift up the huge frame of the King.

I watched as Vishous and the other huge Male that had driven the SUV, lift up Wrath and carry him more gently that I would have thought possible to the back of the SUV and load him in.

“Wait!” I yelled as they got ready to leave.  “I am coming too!”  I got up and started to make my way to the SUV, before Vishous barred my way, his lips curled up into a sneer, waves of aggression pouring off of him directed straight at me. “No, that is not gonna happen Female.  Don’t you think you have done enough? I stood my ground in front of the Male, showing no fear.  “Look,  I didn’t blow the King up and I think you know that, I was here before you guys showed up,  what the fuck was he even doing out alone?  Shouldn’t the Brotherhood be with him when he is out?  Don’t lay this at my feet because the Brotherhood fucked up!”

A grown echoed around the alley, Vishous’s fangs elongated and he started inching toward me.  Great looks like the King wouldn't be the only one heading to the Fade tonight. @DarkLoverLost

Wrath:

Standing up, this was exactly the kind of argument that Beth and I used to have. She had never had one ounce of fear towards me and it actually turned me on, which would piss her off even more. I used to love the fire that sparked in her eyes when we’d get into a fight. She was fierce when it came to what she believed and it didn’t matter who had an opposing thought.

“Male up?! I just sacrificed myself for the love of my son!”

It was her turn to interrupt, “Bullshit! That is the biggest cop-out I’ve ever heard! You didn’t do this for L.W. You did it for yourself!”

I tried to get a word in, but she raised her hand to stop me and just kept talking.

“This is the most selfish thing you have ever done.” She paused for a split second, giving me the thought that I was going to get to speak, but before I could open my mouth she started back up, “Wrath, you have never lied to me before, don’t start today.”

Boy did that sting. “I’m not… “ But it was true, and she knew it. I fell back down to my knees and my voice came out weak. “Haven’t you been waiting for this day as much as I have?”

Whicked:

Before Vishous got a chance to tear me limb from limb, the doctor stepped in between us, no longer an apparition, but a solid Female form.  What the actual fuck was going on here?  “Vishous,  back off.  We need her, we need her to try to feed Wrath to jumpstart his healing process and hopefully get him back into the land of the living again.”  She placed her hand on Vishous’s chest and gently pushed him backwards away from me, he glanced at her and nodded before eyeing me.  “Looks like it is your lucky day Female.”  I took a deep breath and nodded once. “Yeah looks like it,  doesn’t it.”

I pushed past the pair of them and got into the back of the SUV,  I scooched over to where the prone body of the King lay.  With gentle care I cupped the nape of his neck with my hand and lifted his head high enough to slide underneath,  resting his head on my lap.  My fingers softly stroking back the blood sodden strands of hair from his face.  His face was completely open to me,  his wraparounds still lying amongst the rubble from the blast,  he looked so at peace as he lay there.  His face completely unstressed unlike the last time I saw him.  I sat there humming softly as I tried my hardest to clean up his face, picking off pieces of rubble and wiping away the blood,  both red and black.

I looked up at the sound of the car doors slamming shut,  the Doctor was gone,  instead replaced with an young Female looking at the King and I with utter fear.  Vishous looked over to me from the passenger seat and glowered.  “Well,  you gonna feed the King or not? @DarkLoverLost

Wrath:

Beth fell to her knees next to me, “Of course I have!” She placed her hands on my cheeks. “Wrath, there is nothing I want more in this world than to have you back by my side.”

“Then what’s the problem?” I pleaded.

“Not like this, Wrath.” She said as she shook her head. Leaning in, she met my forehead with her own. “This is not the way, my love. You have too much life left to live… and L.W. has never needed you more than he does right now.”

I began to protest again about L.W. but she stopped me by placing her finger upon my lips.

“Trust me. Being up here enlightens you to things you would never see from down there. He needs you, and just as importantly, you need him. You have more life to live, my love. I’ve seen it.” A tear fell from her eyes and she pulled back to wipe it away. “There is a light at the end of the tunnel for you. A light that does not include The Fade, not yet, anyway. You have just yet to allow yourself to see it.”

“What light? What the fuck are you talking about?” I didn’t want to hear about lights at the end of a tunnel. I wanted to be happy that I was here, in The Fade, with her. “Besides, I can’t go back there. I felt my body die. There is not going back, now.”

“Again, you’re wrong.”

Whicked:

I scowled at the diamond eyed fucker sitting up front.  I brought my wrist to my lips and bit into it hard enough to score through the skin, bringing rivulets of blood to the surface.  I focussed only on Wrath as I brought my bloodied wrist to his lips.  

Vishous watched me carefully,  I could feel his eyes boring into me, as if at any second I was going to do something to endanger the King,  but what else could I do?  He was already dead.

I kept my arm in place, my free hand stroking his head, focussed on nothing but the King, I unknowingly started singing to a song I used to listen to a lot in the period just after my family had been taking away from me. My voice cracking as I sing the words, not really realising what is going on.

“There's a whole other conversation going on

In a parallel universe

Where nothing breaks and nothing hurts

There's a waltz playing frozen in time

Blades of grass on tiny bare feet

I look at you and you're looking at me”

A cough wakes me from the mix of my past and present.  Was this how my life would be?  Would I always be surrounded by death, did I bring death to those around me?  I looked up at the sound of the cough and caught the drivers eyes as he looked at me via the rear view mirror,  his sadness pouring off of him, surrounding everyone in the car.  

With a jolt,  the car pulled to a halt.  I had no idea where I was, I looked up and out of the tinted windows, my eyes fell on an underground parking garage.  Where were we?  We must be at the Brotherhood’s clinic,  where else would be safe?  @DarkLoverLost

Wrath:

“Wrong?! What do you mean wrong? Dead body, soul irreversibly placed firmly in The Fade! No going back!” I knew what she spoke of, but that wasn’t happening here. Not when I’d finally held her in my arms again. I’d felt her touch, her arms around me, her lips pressed against mine own! There was no way in hell I was going back!

With tears in her eyes, she leaned forward and just kissed me again. This time it soft and I felt the goodbye in her embrace.

I pushed her away, “No! You are not saying, ‘Goodbye.’ to me! I am not going back!”

For a split second, I felt a dizzying sensation and pain. I felt pain all over my body again. “What the…”

“It’s happening.” The tears came faster now, as Beth looked on. “Know that I love you, no matter what… and I want you to live. You have so much ahead of you. Welcome it. Welcome her…”

What she was saying didn’t make sense, and I reached out and pulled her to me as if I could anchor myself to her.

Whicked:

As I looked around outside of the car, I saw 4 or 5 huge Male figures plus the same amount of Females if not more and a young boy,  around 10 or so.  Scribe,  that must be the King’s son?  A Female stood beside him, her arm secured around his shoulder.  A Male in a lab coat came over pushing a gurney toward the car and before I could blink, Vishous and the driver of the SUV had come around and opened the doors.  The lifted the King out carefully and laid him out on the gurney,  before anyone could say anything I hopped out and climbed up on the stretcher, straddling Wrath, my wrist once more placed against his lips, dripping my blood down his throat as I prayed silently to the Scribe Virgin that somehow this would help.  

One of the Brotherhood stepped forward, a enormous blonde with teal eyes.  He moved as if to move me from Wrath.  My eyes flared and I growled at him.  “Back off Blondie...I am trying to help here and I don’t have time for your bullshit!”  He looked over at Vishous and raised a brow. “V….what’s doing with this chick?” He looked over and shrugged.  “Rhage meet Whicked she uhhh...she pulled Wrath out from the rubble.  She is the one that called Manny.”  Rhage nodded and backed up.  “Sorry Whicked...just looking out for my Brother is all”.  The Female that was clinging onto the King’s son tugged at Rhage’s arm and pulled him backward.  Must be his Shellan or something.

The lab coat wearing Male and Jane,  who seemed to just appear and disappear like a ghost pushed the gurney with Wrath and I upon it through the corridor and into a huge operating room,  equipment,  all top of the range was set up and a red haired nurse was setting out some instruments on a table beside an operating table.  In the corner,  a blonde wearing a white floor length robe stood, her hands clasped in front of her.

“Whicked….?” Jane spoke softly at me.  “Whicked we are going to need you to climb down so we can get in to attend to Wrath’s wounds, ok?  You don’t need to go anywhere you can just step down and rest.  You have done great, but Ibree is here, she is a Chosen.  She will take over the feeding”.

A loud growl came from my chest as I glanced around the room, eyeballing everyone around me.  That so would not be happening! @DarkLoverLost

Wrath:

The pain disappeared again and I let out an enormous sigh. I was still holding onto Beth more tightly than ever before. This couldn’t be happening. I was so ready to be here, in The Fade with my Queen, my love, my leelan. I was done with the world I’d left behind. I had lived a good life, now it was my time to be rewarded for everything I’d been through. I deserved to have this, to be happy.

“You will be happy again, my love.” Beth spoke the words as if reading my mind.

“I won’t. Not back there. Not without you.” I refused.

“But, you will.” She pressed another soft kiss to my lips to keep me from protesting more. “Kiss me, my love. We haven’t more time.”

As I leaned in and kissed her hard, I could feel the pain creeping back in. “Don’t let me go.” I pleaded softly against her lips.

“I have to.”

The pain came back with a vengeance and a growl so low in my gut bellowed out past my lips.

“I love you, Wrath.” were the last words I heard before everything went black.

#IHateEverythingAboutYouChapter3 #EternallyBoundRPG

[nsschaintale]

Link 5: Kindness Is Not Here

CHAINTALE Extra

Chain Link: The Fallen Royal Scientist

Link 5: Kindness Is Not Here

Several years went by and things were starting to look up somewhat. Progress on the Core has increased, and Project Barrier Break is one step closer to its completion. There was even news of a rising star among the Royal Guard ranks in the form of a young fish woman named Ketju. Despite the advances of civilization in the Underground, things weren't exactly going well within the Gadwyn family with Gadwyn himself slightly diverging from his initial path. Ever since retrieving the Soul of Perseverance from Percy, his relationship with Tether has become severely strained. They would argue about the methods used to collect the human Souls, the doubts about the experiment for the barrier, and the loss and cruel death of Tether's first friend he made, despite it being a human. Catena was visiting from Royal Guard training at the time, and tried to diffuse the situation with some success.

Gadwyn: I don't have time to discuss this, Tether! There are more important matters to be taken cared of.

Tether: Dis is just as important! I still 'aven't fergotten what ya did years ago!

Gadwyn: I thought you would have by now!

Catena: D-DAD, TETHER, CAN'T WE DISCUSS THIS LATER!? YOU TWO WILL BE LATE FOR WORK!!

Tether: Tch, all right, Catena...

Gadwyn: Fine... I swear you remind me of your mother...

Tether: Mother?

Gadwyn: ….Shit...

Tether: What about our mother?

Catena: WE HAVE A MOTHER?

Gadwyn (sighs heavily): ...Had a mother.

Catena: WHAT HAPPENED TO HER?

Gadwyn: ...Let's discuss this later on today, all right? We'll be late... (gathers his things and leaves for the door)

Catena: “HAD” A MOTHER?

Tether: I dunno. If it's true, I must've fergotten...

Catena: ….

The day went on as normal, besides the occasional bickering between Gadwyn and Tether. For the majority of the project, Tether has vehemently refused to help the other scientists with studying Percy's body and Soul. He was willing to help with the chosen human body PA02, but anything having to do with Percy was out of the question. Since the project involves the boy, Tether was stuck doing menial tasks, deliveries, and checking on the Core's progress. Meanwhile, some of the scientists had noticed Gadwyn was acting strangely, but chalked it up to stress from overseeing PBB, the Core, and the rocky relationship with his elder son. He had been pouring most of his hours into studying and combining the essences by himself while occasionally glaring at the young human's body. He was even wanting to cut every piece of the boy's body and make it disappear, but he knew the king wouldn't allow such a thing since it would be outside of his scientific tasks, so he had to hold in that desire and not incur the wrath of both King Kette and Tether. Other than that, it was another stress-filled successful day at work. Once the day was over, though, things started to get tense again when the Gadwyn family returned home.

Gadwyn (takes off his coat): So tired...

Tether: ...So...

Gadwyn: What is it now..?

Tether: About our mother...

Catena: OH YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT! YOU SAID YOU WOULD TELL US ABOUT OUR MOTHER!

Gadwyn (rubs his temples irritably): ….All right, but let me rest first. We had a long day.

Tether: Yeah..... (watches Gadwyn trudge his way to his room)

Catena (sits down with Tether): I WONDER WHAT OUR MOTHER WAS LIKE.

Tether: Dunno. Hmm...I think I have some vague idea of what she's like, but it's not really coming up.

Catena: WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER?

Tether: Um... I'm thinking flowers....and...a smile...

Catena: UMM...THAT'S..NOT REALLY MUCH TO GO ON...

Tether: Yeah, it must've been years since then. (shrugs) Who knows. Papa'll explain it. Hopefully.

Catena (twiddles his thumbs anxiously): HMN...YOU AND DAD HAVEN'T REALLY BEEN ON GOOD TERMS SINCE THE HUMAN DIED. WAS IT THAT SPECIAL?

Tether: Yeah... There was something about him....I can't really place it... I just wanted to be his friend somehow. Percy, he promised that he'd leave here and take our story to the surface. He wanted to show me what it was like up there. He never got to, because you know. (frowns) The project.

Catena: OH...

Tether: Yeah... (stretches) I guess since he's taking a nap, I should, too. (lays fully on the couch) Wake me when he does.

Catena: REALLY? RIGHT HERE ON THE- (sees Tether fall asleep; sighs heavily) OF COURSE HE DOES...

The few hours Tether and Gadwyn had slept, Catena spent cleaning up the house. He was getting pretty excited to finally know about what his mother was like. He's never had any prior knowledge of his early childhood since he's only known his father and brother. If he did know something about her, he may have forgotten like Tether had. Speaking of his father, Gadwyn made his way back downstairs, finding Catena dusting the TV and Tether asleep on the couch. Once Tether was awakened and the family ate together, Gadwyn reluctantly began his story.

Gadwyn: You boys wanted to know about your mother, hm?

Catena: ABSOLUTELY!

Tether: Of course we do.

Gadwyn: Haaa.... All right. This was long before you two were born....long before we monsters were sealed underground...long before the war...

Tether: Long before...sealed... Wait...are you saying that..

Gadwyn: Yes.. We once lived on the surface. You two were born on the surface...

Tether (shocked): Wha... Are you kidding me!?

Catena: AND IT'S WHERE YOU MET OUR MOTHER?!

Gadwyn: Yes. It was close to Autumn up there and there was a festival going on....

-FLASHBACK: LIFE ON THE SURFACE-

The color of Autumn was slowly creeping up across the land as the air was cooling down. Despite that, the atmosphere in a certain village is much more warm and festive. The annual Autumn Equinox Festival is in full swing as humans and monsters alike were enjoying the festivities. This was during a time where both races coexisted and festivals like this were great ways for them to come together. For one young monster, it would be where his life would soon change. That monster is Aden Beth Gadwyn. He works at a church and was in the process of coming up with a design of a temple the clergy wanted to build nearby. That was before he was dragged to the festival by his equine friend Keldin.

Keldin: Come on, it'll be fun!

Aden: I don't know, Keldin, this looks like too much.

Keldin: Well, yeah, it's a festival! It's supposed to be like this!

Aden: Keldin, I'm supposed to be helping the church wit-

Keldin: It can wait! Come on! (rushes off)

Aden: Keldin, wai- (sees him disappear in the crowd) Aah... Geez... (glances around) Well, now what...?

Left behind by the quick-footed Keldin, Aden started to wander around. Wandering past the food stands, meandering by the random magic shows some of the monsters performed, and browsing the trinket stands, Aden didn't really show much interest in such things. He was never really an outside person unless it was for the church and even then, most of his activities were indoors. He only went outside to gather information about the future temple site and maybe the occasional nature studies before getting pulled away by Keldin. Aden was ready to give up trying to find him when he caught a scent of something peculiar. It didn't match the foods that are present, so it was unique. He wanted to ignore it, but curiosity got the best of him so he followed it. The more he did so, the stronger the smell became, becoming more entranced by it. It seemed to be like some kind of flower. A rose? A sunflower? He wasn't sure, but his vision also started to cloud in a strange way as if a green fog was setting in.

Aden (rubs his eye sockets): Ah? What's going on? My eyes... Everything's turning...green? (looks around at the people) Is...no one else seeing this? So weird....

Aden aimlessly wandered around as he tried to figure out why he was seeing green, not realizing he was heading towards the festival square area. A small group of a lute player, a pipe player, a drummer, and a violinist were playing various songs to keep the cheerful mood up during the festival and a few monsters and humans were dancing along. Lots of people and monsters were loitering around a large wooden square stage as if they were waiting for something while the music is playing. Once the band finished, a man stepped forward, announcing that a performance is about to begin. As the performers took their places, the crowd gets closer to the stage to get a closer look as Aden nearly gets squished by the excited attendants.

Aden (gets bumped): Gah! Watch it! Hmph! (straightens his glasses) What's so special about this-

Aden's mind screeched to a halt when he locked eyes with one of them. The one he assumed was the lead performer. She was a skeleton like him, dressed in white, yellow, brown, and green. She wore a green head wrap with a white stripe and yellow chain print on it, a large gold loop that has a small chain link, a twine necklace with an emerald pendant, a white tunic with a yellow bow under her chest and green stripes and dashes on the hemlines of her top, the left sleeve missing and the right sleeve split from her elbow, a pair of a thin green bracelet and a thick yellow bracelet on her left wrist, a brown leather hoop belt with a long chain link dangling on the right side, brown capri-length pants with twine tied at the bottom, and brown sandals. The grin that graced her face widened as she saw him before she waved at the crowd before the music begin and she shook the tambourine she has in her hand. The moment the skeleton girl started to move, Aden became entranced. Her dance was graceful, entrancing, powerful. Aden has never seen anything like it. Every movement of her body, every tap of her feet, every shake of the tambourine, every part of her dance made Aden think of a thunderstorm. From her hands controlling the rolling clouds to the thunderous stomps of her feet to the jangling rain from her instrument, it was a sight to behold. He never even noticed the other dancers joining her halfway into the dance, he was too drawn to the skeleton girl. So much so, Aden didn't realize the performance ended and the girl was standing in front of him.

Aden (startled): AAH!!

Skeleton Girl (medium-high Irish voice): Oops, sorry! Didn't mean ta scare ya!

Aden (calming down): No, no, I was..j-just was not paying attention, is all! I, uh....I, uh.... (blushing dark blue) I...I liked your d-dancing, it was...it was great. I've never seen anything like it before!

SG: Why, dank yee! I was kinda nervous at how people here would respond, but I'm glad ya like it!

Aden (scratches the back of his neck shyly): Eh heh.. The way she talks...

SG: Yee know, I didn't know dere were other skeleton monsters 'round dese parts. I was surprised ta see ya 'mong the crowd! (whispers to Aden) M'haps, it may be fate...?

Aden: ...Fate?

SG: O' course! At first, I figured a storm was rollin' in 'cause everythin' was turnin' dark and blue, but when I caught eyes wit' yee, it was like a light had broken de dark. Had m'soul aflutterin'!

Aden: R-Really?

SG: Really!

BlondeDancerGirl: Alysída! Come on, we're gonna explore a bit!

SG: Comin'! Well, looks like I'm headin' off. It was nice meetin' ya! (turns away)

Aden: W-Wait! She mentioned your name, what was it?

SG (faces Aden): Ah, forgive me! I'm Alysída! Yours?

Aden: A...Aden Beth Gadwyn.

Alysída: Aden Beth Gadwyn! What a lovely name! Beth, is it short fer 'lizabeth?

Aden: Lizabeth..? Oh..you mean Elizabeth, no, no, it's just Beth. (frowns) Although, I do get teased for that..

Alysída: Dat's no good! Ruinin' a good name as yours!

Aden (rubs the back of his neck sheepishly): Th-Thanks.

Alysída: Gotta go now! See ya next time! (skips away towards her friends)

Aden (waves at her then sighs, having a slight blush): Alysída...

Keldin: Eeeeh? Do I spy someone in looove?

Aden (startled): GAH!!

Keldin: Ha! You lucky guy! You don't see other skeleton monsters around these parts every day!

Aden (glares at Keldin): Keldin....

Keldin: Yeah?

Aden: You left me behind!

Keldin: Whoops!

Aden spent the rest of the festival trying a few foods and chasing his equine friend with attempts to smacking him with his notebook for ditching him. But at the same time, he often had thoughts of Alysída. He does keep her out of his mind while concentrating on the church, but it was slowly becoming clear that he was attracted to her over time, especially when he's found by her in unexpected places sometimes. Aden was looking over the temple blueprints out in a large meadow when he heard a familiar Irish voice from behind him.

Aden (turns to see Alysída): A-Alysída?! What are you doing out here?!

Alysída: I'm here ta relax. I'm after finishing a performance so I'm completely knackered. (notices Aden's confused face) Err...I finished one so I'm tired, I mean, so I just lay about out 'ere. (falls backward carefully)

Aden: Aah! (catches Alysída in a dip stance before she hits the ground) Be caref- !

(they stare at each other before sitting on the ground, blushing hard and silent; Alysída is blushing green, she notices a large rock nearby where she would've landed)

Alysída: How..um...How kind of yee... Didn't spot dat rock dere...

Aden: I, uh...Welcome... Um, yeah, be...uh...be careful...doing that...

Alysída: S-Sure. (feels the breeze blow through) Ya know, I sometimes envy humans.

Aden: Eh? How so?

Alysída: I can barely feel de wind and sun, but not in de way humans do. Does it bother ya while out here, also?

Aden: Hmm...not really. I never really notice things like that, so it doesn't really come to mind.

Alysída: Ah. (notices Aden's open notebook) What's on dere?

Aden: Oh. (picks up the notebook, showing the pyramid designs of the temple) This is the temple the clergy wanted to build out here. I've been making sure nothing diverts the plans for the construction.

Alysída: …. (stands up and looks out at the landscape) ...To turn dis beautiful place into temple grounds.... (puts her hands on her hips) Dis place is already sacred enough.

Aden: To who?

Alysída (glances down at Aden): To nature! Dere's no need fer silly temples when yer blessin's come from all dat surrounds us!

Aden: That sounds.... Hmn...I don't want to say she sounds crazy, but... It sounds...

Alysída (turns away with her arms back and tapping the rock with her foot): Blasphemous, I know.

Aden (surprised): I..That wasn't what I-

Alysída: Ya don't 'ave ta say it, I've been told it whenever I speak of it. Mostly by humans who probably 'aven't got a nature-lovin' bone under all dat skin. Can ya believe it? I can't!

Aden: You love nature, do you?

Alysída: Love it? (does a twirl) I do! It's my muse! Dere's so much harmony and unity dat comes naturally like us monsters and humans. If it gets ruined, it'll be years before it can be restored. (lowers her gaze) Or worse...never return...

Aden: (stands up) W-Will it actually get that bad...?

Alysída: ….It's what I fear...

Aden: …...

Alysída (glances back): Surely, dere's another place...?

Aden: ….I thought of another, but I felt it would be dangerous.... (turns to the direction of a nearby mountain)

Alysída: A mountain?

Aden: Ebbot Mountain. I thought it would be a good place to put the temple before it, but then I felt something would go wrong, so we went with this place. But listening to you speaking so highly of this land, I'm starting to have doubts. Thinking about it, maybe it's better to be closer to the village...

Alysída: …..

-END FLASHBACK-

Catena: SHE REALLY LOVED NATURE THAT MUCH, HUH?

Gadwyn: She did. I didn't think she'd convince me to change locations like that. I guess at the time, I didn't want to upset her. I did upset the clergy, but it was better than nothing.

Tether: No wonder I had thought of flowers and smiles. Sooo, where do Catena and I come in?

Catena: THAT'S RIGHT! YOU SAID WE WERE BORN ON THE SURFACE! WE DON'T REMEMBER THAT HAPPENING!

Gadwyn: It's because you two were very young at the time, Tether being born first then a few hundred years later, Catena was born when Tether was four, according to the humans anyway. To be honest, I hadn't expect us to have two children, but here you two are. She loved you both dearly, to the point of spoiling you. Showed you everything life had to offer, I even had less time at the church because I wanted to be there for you all. (glances at Tether) You even picked up on her odd language which apparently she was from a part of...hmm...someplace... She told me, but it's been far too long for me to remember.

Catena (glances at Tether curiously): IT DID SEEM LIKE HE SPOKE A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE WHENEVER HE SPOKE OR WAS UPSET.

Tether: Really? I never noticed. But um, how come we've haven't seen her since we've been down here?

Catena: YEAH, AND HOW COME I BARELY EVEN REMEMBER HER?

Gadwyn (leans forward with his elbows on his knees, resting his forehead on his clenched hands): …...

Tether: ...Papa..?

Gadwyn: She's.....no longer in this world.....Your mother had...turned to dust....

(the brothers are horrified)

Tether: What do ya mean “turned to dust”?! When? H-How?!

Catena: WHY?!

Gadwyn (straightens up): I mentioned the war, remember...?

Tether: The Monster-Human War..?

Gadwyn: Yes... It was a few months before then. You two were still children in monster terms, but everyone we once knew who were humans, especially Alysída's human friends, were dead and gone. This was getting into a time when there were superstitions cropping up towards monsters and humans alike...and then..that incident occurred...

Catena: WHAT INCIDENT..?

Gadwyn: ….The one that shattered the human-monster coexistence forever....

-FLASHBACK: THE DOMINO EFFECT-

A few centuries have passed and there had been tension creeping across the land. Stories of humans killing other humans due to witchcraft had been spreading and it has everyone on edge. The people and monsters of Ebbot Village felt safe from such things ever since the temple had been built nearby years prior, so it served as a welcoming comfort for them. But as the days went on, some of those stories came close to home in a much different way. It was almost Winter, but snow was already falling. One night, Alysída was returning home from her work at a produce stand when she overheard some people talking. She thought nothing of it at first until she heard something like a screech suddenly getting silenced. Curious, she snuck over to the sound and found something horrifying.

Two men had just finished stabbing a child.

Man1 (laughing): That was easy. It won't be long now.

Man2: We just need a monster to come by and take the blame.

Alysída (hides): Gods above, what did I just see?! I....I gotta leg it and tell someone... de Elder!!

Before the men noticed her, she had rushed off to go tell the village elder in the temple about what she saw. Along the way, she noticed the people and monsters are acting strange towards each other, either with disdain or avoidance. Once there, she found the elder kneeling before the altar, likely to be in prayer. She waited until he was finished, but realized by the time he would be done, the men would try and kill another person.

Alysída (approaches the elder cautiously): Sorry, Elder, but I need to speak-

Elder: I know why you're here....

Alysída: You do...?

Elder: It's about the incidents, yes?

Alysída: Yes, I just saw-

Elder: Don't bother... I knew this day would come.... (stands up and faces Alysída) ...the day you monsters would betray us by harming our own...

Alysída: Betray?! What?! No! I saw two humans killin' a child in an alley a while ago!

Elder: Impossible. No one would dare harm a child...and besides...humans had been disappearing from the village and people had been finding monsters in their blood...

Alysída: No... It... You're lyin'....We would never...

Elder: I have already sent for help... Begone from my sight....

Alysída: …... (turns to leave then stops at the doors) I'll pray to de Gods to have mercy on yer soul.

Elder: Monsters have no Gods.

Alysída: Nor do yee, if He doesn't stop dis madness... (leaves)

Frustrated, Alysída made her way home but was seeing signs of discord cropping up. She had told Aden what had happened, and the pair grew worried about the future. And they had every right to be worried. The few months that went by, the incidents reached a fever point and by the end of the third month, the humans declared war on the monsters. This eventually led to the arrival of the ones whom the Elder had called upon a few months prior. Seven chosen humans with unique powers showed up as the Monster King Kette Diefessel and his armies faced them and theirs. A magic swordsman in red, a dancer, a holy knight, a cloaked man, a scruffy-looking thief, an archer woman, and a Buddhist monk, all of them helped the humans decimate the monsters to the point when it's seen as a massacre. The battles raged on as monsters who can fight held the humans back as their families rush away from the village for safety. After a while, the monsters were slowly being driven towards Ebbot Mountain. Those who tried to escape were either driven towards there or slaughtered on sight, no matter if they were old or young. For centuries, the mountain was already inhabited by monsters, but as a place for those who liked being underground. Many other monsters who lived on the outside mingled among the humans all over the country until now. Any monsters who didn't make a mass exodus towards this mountain were hunted down and executed by the chosen humans along the way. For those living in Ebbot Village, it was easy to send them there. At some point, Alysída served as a healer for monsters who were injured during the battle, but it was becoming too much as more and more monsters were being injured beyond repair to where they become Fallen and turn to dust. Understandably, she was released by Kette due to her fears for her own family's safety, seeing as more monsters were dying than the healers can handle even in an emergency situation. As a result, the Gadwyn family didn't have a choice but to go to the mountain as well. Aden was holding Tether's hand and Alysída has baby Catena in her arms when she suddenly had a thought as she saw some of the monsters rush by to go and aid their fellow monsters on the battlefield.

Aden (stops as he sees her facing the entrance): Alice..?

Alysída: Oh....nothing...

Aden: Then let's hurry. The further we go in, the safer we'll be.

Alysída (looks at Catena as he's crying): ….My sweet Autumn child.... (kisses his forehead)

Aden: Alysída, what are you- (is given Catena in his arms) Wha...

Alysída: My darling Addy.... (kisses Aden)

Aden (watches her lean down to kiss the top of Tether's head, calling him her wonderful Summer child): Alysída...

Alysída (faces Aden): Let's keep goin'. We better crack on before it's get too crowded, ya?

Aden: Y-Yeah...

Aden took Tether's hand again as the family continued further in the caverns into the underground city. When Aden felt Tether stop and turned to see what was wrong, Alysída was gone. Aden went into a slight panic as Tether asked where she went. He wanted to find his wife, but he couldn't leave his children alone. Before he could decide, he felt something painful like a cut shoot through him, nearing making him collapse. He forced himself to sit against the wall so he wouldn't fall forward and hurt Catena. He sat there watching the monsters run by, hoping to see Alysída come by and find them, but instead only spotted Keldin directing a large group of monsters and catching his attention.

Keldin (runs up to Aden): Aden! Why are you just sitting here?! We gotta go!

Aden: Have you seen Alysída?

Keldin: Alysída? No, I haven't. Wasn't she with you three?

Aden: She was, but-

Tether (holding something in Aden's face): Papa!

Aden: Wha-What is it, Tether? Papa's talking.

Tether: Dingie! Papper!

Aden (notices a folded a piece of paper in Tether's hands): Paper? Hmn, I have Catena in my arms, can you get that, Keldin? (rocks Catena gently to calm him)

Keldin (takes the paper from Tether): Sure. (unfolds and reads it)…...............................I....

Aden: What does it say?

Keldin: I can kinda make out what it says, but um…..”Aden, if you're reading this....I'm sorry....I tried my best to tell the humans they were wrong about us....but it...didn't work. There were people who told everyone that we're evil...and need to be destroyed....If a war breaks out...I want to make sure you all survive....If you fell..” I think she meant “feel”...”If you feel....something....in your Soul....I have to break our bond, for our children's sake, so if something happened to one of us, at least we both won't die and leave our children behind. I want it to be you.......Watch over them.....Aden...The years I've been with you have been truly....” (squints at the scratched out word before the word “brilliant”) “Sav....brilliant....and I enjoyed every moment of it. Please stay safe....I do pray that this war ends before I become dust. If it does, I'll return to you and our boys....and we'll be happy again.....” (looks confused) What's this sentence? Grá..go..Deo...? And this symbol- (hears sniffing) Eh? (sees Aden in tears) Aden?

Aden: It's...It's pronounced “graw gu djo”.....Alysída said it means “Love forever”....Damn it...(stands up) I have to go find her!

Keldin: But what ab- (is given Catena gently)

Aden: Tether, stay with Mr. Keldin, okay? Papa's gonna find Mama.

Tether: Kay...

Keldin: Wait! (looks at the brothers worriedly and tries to calm Catena down in a singsong voice to the tune of “Rockabye Baby”) Hushy-bye baby, in my own arms, your Papa better come back ASAP....

Aden rushed past the monsters that were being sent in and when he reached the entrance, he caught a glimpse of a large bird skull unleashing a powerful attack that sent shock waves outward, sending him back inside the cave. The few monsters that lingered behind caught him before he landed on the ground. He scrambled away from them to his feet and rushed back outside.

Aden: Alysída! What is she doing...! ALYSÍDA!!

Alysída (turns to face Aden): Aden?! (feels something pierce through her back out her chest, severing her Life Chain) GuhAAAAA!!... (staggers away)

Aden: NOO!! (sees one of the humans approaching Alysída as she trips to the ground; teleports to her, catching her mid-fall; glares at the humans) STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM MY WIFE!! VESTER!!!

A large long-snouted animal skull with two wavy horns that reach under its eyes and a long string of chains dangling from the horns appeared and roared at the humans. Aden gave the signal to fire at them and Vester drew in the chains into its mouth, releasing a powerful blast. Once the smoke cleared and the chain shrapnel and Vester vanished, the skeleton duo had retreated inside the mouth of the cave. Aden and the four monsters who fought with Alysída stayed with her as she struggles to stay awake.

Aden: Alice! Stay with me, you'll be okay!

Cat monster (healing Alysída's wounds): The most I can do is heal her wounds-

Aden: It's better than nothing, just keep at it!

Alysída: A...den...Our..boys...

Aden: They're with Keldin. They're safe!

Alysída: Aah....Good....I'm...glad....I hope...

Aden: Alice, you need to save your strength...

Alysída: I...

Bird Monster: Hey....What are those humans doing?

(the group looks out of the entrance and sees the seven humans glowing; Alysída reached out towards the entrance like she wanted to go back outside; the entrance glowed white then seven thick chains of different colors crossed each other in layers and connected from one side of the hole to the other before becoming translucent)

Alysída (almost in tears): Oooh....

CM: What is that...?

BM: I think...it's a barrier.....

Little Monster: They're trapping us here!?

Alysída: …..Our...home...

Aden: Alysída..?

Alysída (crying): De wind.....De sun...De...flowers...We'll...never...

Aden (grabs Alysída's hand): We will!

Alysída: !

Aden: We will all leave this place! You, me, our sons, everyone! I...I'll make sure of it!

Alysída: …..You..will...?

Aden: Yes, then we'll have the life we had before! ...Right?

Alysída: Right....I'm sleepy....

Aden: Rest...We'll meet up with the others soon....

Alysída (drifts to sleep; her Soul dimming and cracking): …...

-FLASHBACK END-

Gadwyn: …..Unfortunately....she didn't wake up from her sleep. She had fallen down and eventually....

Silence fell over the family before both brothers began to weep. They never realized how close they were to seeing their mother die, but were spared of having it dwell within them throughout their lives. It still disturbed them that they only found out about her fate so late, but it was better than not knowing at all. The fact that Alysída had sacrificed herself to save them by severing her bond with Gadwyn in order to prevent him from dying with her when they were young was still shocking to them. But this also made another thing clear: Gadwyn's hatred for humans.

Gawdyn: So you understand now...Tether...?

Tether (rubs tears from his eyes): What..?

Gadwyn: Why I couldn't allow that human to be near you? When you think you can trust them, you'll get shot in the back.

Tether: ….

Gadwyn (hears the wall phone ring; goes to it and answers): Hello, this is Dr. Gadwyn. ….Yes? …..I see....Very well. I'll be there soon. Good bye. (hangs up then turns to his sons)I'm afraid I must head off to the lab right now. (heads to the door and gathers his things)Tether, Catena, I'll let you two stay home to collect yourselves while I work.

Tether: Something....going on at the lab..?

Gadwyn: The alarm was sounded. It appears that another human was caught. It's time for me to go to work.

Tether: …..

As Gadwyn left the brothers to mull over the story, he made his way to the lab. He found out that the latest human named Kindel had tried to go through the surface portion of the lab, but found it was locked. He ended up scaring a lot of the monsters there. He managed to make his way past the lab by inching his way against the building's wall, and ran. The human was later caught in the second level of Hotland after he succumbed to his injuries and the heat. Like the others before him, Kindel's body and Soul were subjected to experiments. Again, Gadwyn's colleagues were noticing odd things about him, but brushed it off.

Or tried to.

(Gadwyn is seen in the Mirror Room, just having finished checking over the report of a broken-down mechanism in the room beyond the Mirror Room)

Gadwyn: Now that we’ve obtained our fifth human Soul, we can now- (notices a black wall) Hmm? (approaches it) …Strange. (touches it) I don’t recall having a single black wall in- (several strings of black ‘paint’ sticks to his fingers) It’s not dry? (the black paint starts to move on his fingers) What in the Un- Aah!

The mysterious black paint crawled its way over his hand, staining the sleeve of his lab coat as he tried to scrape it off. The more Gadwyn tried, the faster it crawled. He soon realized the lower half of his body was already engulfed in the black sludge, and he vainly struggled to escape.

Gadwyn: WHAT IN KETTE’S NAME IS THIS SUBSTANCE?! (his shoulders are covered) I…can’t move…!

Stop.

Gadwyn (freezes): ….Who…?

Resisting.

Gadwyn: My voice..? No.. (looks up) Who-

Gadwyn looked up to see a white face. The left eye is empty and the right is closed. The chain markings, left to the mouth, right up the eye, were black, and the face looked…sad.

At first.

Gadwyn (trying to stay calm): What matter of….creature are you…?

The face just stared for a moment before contorting into something out of a nightmare, and his own voice came from behind him.

YOU. DR. GADWYN.

Gadwyn was dropped to the floor as his name was repeated over and over. When he opened his eyes, one of Gadwyn’s other assistants was tugging at his left arm.

Assistant: Dr. Gadwyn!

Gadwyn: What is it?!

A (flinches): Ah!! Err, I’m sorry, but you’ve been staring at your reflection for the last few minutes. Is everything all right, sir?

Gadwyn: My reflection? But the wall’s- (sees his reflection in a mirror; looks around to realize that none of the mirrors are black) Ah. (clears his non-existent throat) Well.. (straightens himself up) Perhaps there is something in the air. (removes his glasses and rubs the bridge of his nasal cavity) We may need to go and seek out any leakages here.

A: Yes, doctor.

As the duo walked off, his facial reflection kept watching them before disappearing into the mirror. To clear his mind of that terrifying experience, he thought about the story he told Tether and Catena. Thinking about it, Gadwyn could never forget about what the humans had done, and seeing Tether getting close to Percy awoke a deep-seated hatred for the ones who took away the love of his life. That sense of betrayal was turned into revenge when he figured out how to break the barrier. Coupled with Kette's declaration of the hunting of fallen humans, Gadwyn had the freedom to use the Souls to break the barrier and alleviate his vengeful thirst. Tether and Catena were unsure of what to feel after hearing the story of their mother, besides confusion and mostly sorrow. But something did become much clearer to them: the day Alysída perished was the day Gadwyn's kindness was beginning to drain away.

TO BE CONTINUED

[marissawallenbdb-blog]

Waking up/telling John

I wake up and stretch- then suddenly sit up, alarmed, realizing that I’m not in my own bed at home. Then I remembered why. The fight with Havers. Being kicked out and disowned. Racing the dawn to get here to the Brotherhood Compound. Praying that Wrath and Beth would allow me to stay there for a day or two until I could find somewhere else. Telling them my story and finding an unexpected sort of welcome. I cover my eyes as tears threaten, and just breathe for a minute. I am here, I am safe, and can stay here as long as i need to. Once I calm down a little, I know I need to get up and face the night, and find John. Beth had been right this morning, I don’t think I could’ve handled going through telling the story twice in a row, but he needs to know what happened. I get up and examine the pile of clothes Beth had lent me. Jeans and shirts, and a couple sweaters. I’d never worn pants before, only dresses, but that was alright. I would figure this out. I undress and lay the borrowed pajamas on the bed.The jeans I pull on are just a little bit too long, so I roll up the hem a couple times, then pull on a slightly loose blouse in a lovely dark blue color. I go into the bathroom to brush my teeth and hair, and then- seeing no reason for any further delay- I walk across the hall and knock on John’s door. He opens it, still pulling on a shirt. Apparently I’d interrupted his own morning routine. His face lights up and he mouths my name. Then a look of concern falls over his face and he signs ‘What are you doing here?’

“That’s… well, a bit of a long story. May I come in?” He nods and signs ‘of course,’ stepping back so that I can enter the room. When he closes the door and turns back to me, I just step up and wrap my arms around him, laying my head on his chest for a moment so he wouldn’t see the tears I suddenly felt threatening to fall. He wrapped his arms around me for a moment, then brushed my hair back, tilted my face up towards his,  and mouthed “what happened?”

“My bro- ah, Havers, has kicked me out of the house. He has disowned me.” John’s eyes popped wide in surprise. I nod. “If Beth and Wrath had not allowed me to stay here today, I do not know what I would’ve done.” I feel a growl rumbling through his chest, then he gains control of himself and leads me over to the chaise lounge. ‘What happened?’ he signs, repeating his earlier inquiry. I give a wobbly smile as he sits next to me, trying to lighten the mood a little bit.  “‘Sit down and tell me everything’ hmmm? How very like your sister you are, John.” Then I tell him the story, going through it much the same way I had for Wrath, Beth, and Bella this morning. And John’s reaction was the same as theirs had been, but stronger. If there was one word to describe John as he got up and started pacing as if he wanted to rip something- or more accurately, someone- to pieces with his bare hands, that word would be “volcanic.’ He was all lethal strength and finely honed skill wrapped up in the explosive casing of his anger, fit to burst at any moment- and I knew who his preferred target would be. I knew I had to try to defuse the tension within him somehow, or by dawn I might truly have no blooded family left on this side of the Fade.

“John.” I approach slowly, trusting completely that he would never hurt me, but at the same time not wishing to spook him. At the sound of my voice, he stops pacing and looks at me. He does not relax, though- his body still a tight coil of anger. I reach up and lat my hand on his cheek. “Look at me, nallum. I am whole and unhurt, and your sister and the King have said that I can stay here for as long as I need to, to get my feet under me. Let us just focus on the future from here, alright? Let us figure out what I am going to do now.” he pulls me against him and wraps his arms tight around me. I can hear his heart pounding beneath my ear, and can feel him struggling to relax his muscles and calm down. Some time later (ten minutes? Thirty? Who knew or cared?), he releases me and steps back so he can sign.

‘I’m sorry. It’s just, the thought of you having no shelter as dawn approaches makes me mental.’ He shudders. ‘What would’ve happened if you hadn’t thought to come back here? Or couldn’t make it in time? The idea that you could be nothing more than a pile of ash somewhere out there right now, with me none the wiser, no clue as to the circumstances so that I knew I had to ahvenge you-’ I clasp his hands to stop him.

“John, stop. Let us not focus on the what ifs and close calls, the things we cannot change because they’re already in the past. I can hardly think of it without breaking down or going crazy, myself. So instead, let us think about what is, and the future. As I said, I am here and well, and that is the most important thing. I am not saying that we should ever forgive my brother and forget what he did to me-” I break off as I catch the look in John’s face. “Yes, I know. I don’t think I can ever do either of those things either, nallum. But I need to focus on what I’m going to do now. That’s all I’m saying. I cannot stay here and trespass upon your sister and brother-in-law’s hospitality forever, after all.” Just then, my stomach lets out a rather large rumble. I lay a hand on my middle, and chuckle. “Sorry nallum. With everything that happened this morning I didn’t even think of Last Meal…” he straightens up and signs.

‘Well then, the very first thing I foresee in the future is me taking my wonderful, lovely leelan downstairs to First Meal so that I can feed her!’ I get up on my tiptoes and kiss his cheek, glad that he had a new task to distract him- for a little while anyway…

“Alright my love, lead on.” I say, sliding my hand in his as we start towards the door.

-solo end-