#who is so fucking done with the Lucians and their shit

[throneofsapphics]

Oooo okay I love the idea of Tamlin's daughter and like Nessian's daughter or even like Eris or Lucian's daughter?

The Romeo and Juliet vibes ✨️

stolen moments and chance meetings. 

Eris’s daughter x Reader (Nessian's daughter)

Summary: You and Eris’s daughter run into each other. 

Warnings: none

A/N: i love this idea so much (part two) (part three)

Wandering was bad. You knew that, well aware it was a beacon for danger, but when you spotted the quaint little clearing, you couldn’t help yourself. Technically it was spring court territory, but with a quick sweep of the perimeter, there wasn’t anyone in sight for miles. Just over the border, easy enough to make a quick escape. Worth the risk. 

It would be a nice way to cool off, you’d been flying for hours, and despite the wind sweat was dripping down your spine, off your temples. A “conditioning flight.” You had a love-hate relationship with them. 

Landing softly on the moss, you sighed and rolled your shoulders back, heading right for the pond - a beautiful clear blue. Heading right for it, you cupped the liquid between your hands, splashing your face, letting the water cool your burning skin, and nearly moaned at the sensation.

A few gulps later, and you were feeling much better, and sat back on your heels. 

“Someone’s not where they’re supposed to be.” 

Fuck. You recognized that voice. How had she snuck up on you? Unfortunately or fortunately, it wouldn’t be the first time. 

“I could say the same to you,” you countered, standing and turning slowly to face her. Cora Vanserra grinned at you, leaning back against a tree, arms crossed over her chest, red hair glinting in the sun. Beautiful and arrogant in equal measures, but it’s something you liked about her. There was something a little untrustworthy about someone too humble, in your opinion. 

“What’s your excuse?” She asked. You pointed at the pond, giving her a look that said; are you that stupid? Her eyes rolled. 

“And yours?” 

“I was close to the border anyway, when I saw you.” 

You’re her excuse. “Miss me that much, Cora?” you let her name drag out, testing it on your tongue. How many times had you actually said it? You saw each other two months ago, at another ball in Hewn City, and stole a few wonderful moments together in the bathroom. Of course there were the letters … but you hadn’t been able to risk many of those, even coded. Not since Nyx snooped and saw you had a secret lover. On threat of a slow and painful removal of his favorite part, he kept it to himself. 

She crossed the clearing, in front of you in moments, hands gripping your hips as she tugged you close. Your wings tucked in tight as you took in her gaze, amber eyes digging right into you - as if they could see through every layer. 

Her thumbs brushed back and forth over your stomach, heat burning through your clothes. You fought the urge to look down and see if you actually were on fire. Instead, you reached up and brushed your knuckles across her cheek, delighting in how she leaned into you, before lazily winding your arms around her shoulders. 

Where are you? A voice thundered through your mind. Nyx. Shit, you were supposed to meet him. Supposed to be done with your flight by now. 

Took a break, you answered, focused on shielding your current location. 

Where? He sounded exasperated, I’ll come get you.

That’s the last thing you need, for him to smell her scent in here. You needed the wind to brush it off of your own anyway. 

No need, I’m on my way now.

“Who was it this time?” She sighed, seeing the glazed over look in your eyes. 

“Nyx. He’s about to come get me.” 

“Leashed like a dog,” she murmured.

“And you’re much better?”

Her shoulders rose and fell. “When will I see you again?” she deflected. 

This little clearing was rather nice. And spring was relatively neutral territory. 

“Meet me here in a week. Sunrise.” 

Her head tilted. Calculating. “So clandestine.” 

“Do we have any other choice?” Your teeth tugged on your bottom lip, her hands squeezing around your waist. 

“And if I don’t show?” 

Mother above, you always forget how much she loves her little games. 

Cupping her face with both hands, you leaned forward, pausing a hair's breadth away. Her eyes widened, breath catching, and you grazed your lips over hers. A mockery of a kiss, but it did the job - her heart rate rose, breaths coming faster. Stepping back and shrugging off her grip, you rolled your shoulders back. 

“A little motivation for you,” you said - barely above the wind. Flaring your wings once, twice, three times, you shot off into the sky. Leaving a still, and contemplative Vanserra behind. 

Stolen moments, that’s all the two of you were destined for, and never enough of them. 

The wind slowly stripped you of her scent, of nutmeg and the first day of autumn, as you tried your best to commit it to memory. 

Where. Are. You. 

Nyx was worse than your parents with the fussing. This time, you shared a view of your surroundings, just as you crossed past the border of Spring. 

Where the fuck have you been? 

You ignored him. There was still a flight home to think of a good excuse. That’s if he didn’t decide to come grab you mid-flight. It wouldn’t be the first time.

[sleepy-achilles]

Man me and my homies hate Dom.

So I wrote a fic about it. What's this? Cea content? Oh jeez

Um I started this and never finished it. I thought I'd try to finish it. But I have no fucking idea what I was going for so, enjoy, I guess?

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

Leon is sat, eyes closed, head down, mind shutting out the world as he prepares himself for his match tonight. Its going well until he hears the scream.

His eyes snap open causing Sheamus to jump. Leon stares at sheamus who's in the middle of tying his shoelaces together. Sheamus scrambles back and Leon snaps his fingers, a shadow fixing his shoelaces. "Did you hear that?" Leon asks standing up. "Yeah, sounded like cassie." Sheamus answers. "It was. Shits just hit the fan" Drew states nodding at the tv. Leon glances to see Dom and Liv.

"Shouldn't she be glad about that?" Sheamus asks. "No. Because it means Rhea has just be betrayed." Leon mutters moving towards the tv. "And you don't betray family."

-

Cassie is shaking with anger. "You need to breathe." Lucian tries. "No you need to find that pig and kill him." Jeanne snaps. Lucian looks at the French woman. "No. No. I need to find Jey Uso and then find Leon." Cassie growls. "Leon's in his lockeroom." Lucian states. "But we will go find Jey. What shall you do?" Jeanne asks. "Im going to find judgement day."

----

Drew watches Leon. The man is sat, elbows on knees, hands cupped infront of his face. Eyes closed.

"Seeing him think so hard is scary." Sheamus whispers. "Hes not thinking. He's searching." Drew mutters as the door swings open. "Leon!" Cassie barks. Leon sighs and lowers his hands. "What Cassidy?" Leon sighs. "Where is he?" She demands. Drew moves towards Leon as the judgement day move into the room. "You should be checking in on rhea." Leon states. "We need dom!" Leon stands and Cassie moves forward. "Im not scared of you. You owe me." Cassie growls. Leon chuckles and tilts his head down. "You should be scared of me." Leon mutters. "And last time I checked, I not only kept your little secret but I took the fall. You owe me." Leon growls. Cassie winces and steps back.

"But, because I care for Rhea...I'll help. But I'm not doing this for you. No. I'm doing it for her, so go be by her side, because right now that's what she needs more than you on a manhunt. I'm sure me and these toys can handle it." Leon's eyes burn into Finn. "Fine. Okay. Just get it done." Cassie mutters moving away.

Leon tilts his head and smiles. "Mmm Jey Uso and the judgement day coming to me for help" Leon chuckles moving towards them. Drew can't help but smile as the big tough group tense. Leon circles finn. "Though are you here for a different reason" Leon hums. Finn grabs his arm causing Drew to move forward. Leon holds his free hand out. "No. Its okay Drew. Finn won't hurt me. He's not stupid enough for that" Leon smirks as he examines Finns face.

"You know I wouldn't do anything to hurt Rhea." "No but you'd do anything for power." Leon points out.

He suddenly pulls Finn close. "I find out you had anything to do with this. You sent your little toy after Rhea, I'll do more than hurt you." "I know." Finn mutters. Leon examines him.

"Youll find Dom in Livs hotel room. I'd like a word with him boys so play nicely." Leon smirks. Finn goes to leave when Leon grabs his arm. "Oh no baby, I aint done with you." Leon snarls. The judgement day look at him. "Priest. You have a match, go be with rhea. The rest of you go get dom dom." Leon hums. Damien nods and they walk off.

Leon waits.

He turns his attention back to Finn. "You do it tonight. That's a order." Leon tells him quietly getting both Sheamus and Drews attention. "With that shit dom just pulled? That isn't smart." "I don't give two shits. I'm getting impatient Finn, and we know what that leads to" Leon hums letting finn go. Finn looks down. "Get the job done. Because if I have too do it, none of you will like it. Tonight or else, now get the fuck out of my sight." Leon snaps. "Yessir." Finn mutters before leaving. "What are you doing?" Drew demands. "Getting my own way. Like always" Leon shrugs pacing slightly.

"Mm what a interesting turn of events hey? A love triangle. But Doms not even in it" leon chuckles. "I think he is" sheamus states. "Oh god no. Livs attraction has always been Rhea. She wants her attention, and she's got that now. Let's just hope Cassie doesn't realise that" Leon smirks as he sits back down. "Now go make daddy proud" Leon smirks at Drew. Drew rolls his eyes. "Dont call yourself daddy, its weird." Drew huffs grabbing Leon's chin. Leon allows his head to be tilted back. "You might have power over these people, this company. But remember who holds your leash, Mutt." Drew whispers. Leon can't help but smirk as drew kisses him before he's shoved back against the sofa to watch the bigger man walk away. "You two are strangely hot." "Nothin strange about love."

--

Rhea opens her eyes as a pain shoots through her shoulder. "Sorry. Leon said he'd fix it after his match" cassie whispers planting a kiss on Rheas okay shoulder. Rhea sighs. "You ain't too upset about dom and liv are ya?" Cassie asks quietly. Rhea glances at her. "Im upset he would betray us. But I'm glad I no longer have to play lovers with him." Rhea admits. "Whats Leon going do to him?" Rhea asks. "Um..not too sure. He's not happy about this though" cassie admits turning the tv on. "Hey maybe I could join the judgement day. We can have a romance on screen" cassie wiggles her eyebrows.

Rhea chuckles and takes her hand. "Nah. I'd do the romance part, but I wouldn't burden you with being in jd. Infact...only Damien was in touch and open to me when I was gone. Something bad is going on cass." Rhea sighs resting her head on cassies tense shoulder. "Cas?" "Oh bad." She whispers.

Rhea looks to see Finns betrayal. "Hey, it's okay, maybe it isn't bad bad." "Cassidy, I'm watching my family get destroyed in one night. Do you understand how bad that is?" "Yeah..my family atleast does that once a week to keep things interesting. Trust me, I get it. But maybe, maybe JD was ment to end, so the terror twins could shine" cassie tries. "It doesn't make me feel any better." Rhea whispers looking down. "I know baby. Trust me. I know. Its been a rough night. But as a faction member myself, these things never truly last in the wwe. Its all about the crown" cassie sighs.

Rhea looks up. "The crown." She whispers glancing at cassie. Cassie stands. "Dont." Cassie warns. "Leon. How long did you know?" Rhea asks. Cassie turns the tv off. "You don't question the way of the devil." She states. "Like hell we don't." Rhea snaps standing. Cassie looks at her. "I love you so I'm telling you right now. Do not push it. Not now. Hell is melting. And Leon has big plans." Cassie sighs. Rhea raises an eyebrow. She kisses cassie. "I love you. But I aint scared of him." Before she walks off. Cassie groans.

----(i lost what my story was mid way through the last paragraph of this)

Leon smirks as Drew walks through the curtain. Drew immediately smiles at the blond, grabbing him by the waist and pulling him into a kiss. "Mmm you did amazing." Leon smiles grabbing the back of Drews neck. "You were right about that stupid fucking bracelet." Drew chuckles holding his wrist up. Leon plants a kiss on the name, AJ. "Come home princess." He whispers against it before lowering Drews wrist. "Its going to be a hot day in hell Monday." Leon smirks. "Good. Was getting cold." Drew mutters tugging Leon closer.

"What did you do!"

Leon groans and hits his head against Drews chest. "Right when I was about to get some." Leon groans. He pulls and turns. " Rhea, I'm sorry, I was on my way to heal you" Leon forces a smile. "What the fuck Leon! Damien and finn! Dom!" "Dom was his own thing. Like uncle like nephew if you ask me." Leon admits. "So you had something to do with finn?" "Me and Finn, the Prince has an arrangement. One we made before he turned to the dark side. He was taking to long, I gave him a much needed push." Leon states. "What?" "He was always going to betray Damien, rhea. Finn was in it for power. Damien took that. It was never going to last." Leon explains.

Rhea stares at him. "Easier Leon." Drew whispers. Leon sighs. "Im sorry Rhea. But if finn had the power, judgement day could of survived. But finn did his job and had nothing left to gain from you guys." Leon explains. He places a hand on her injured shoulder. Rhea watches as his shoulder pops in and out of place as hers heals. "Im sorry for that Rhea I am. But I had nothing to do with Dom or the actions that led to Finn." Leon promises. "The judgement day is still alive Leon" Rhea shoves him. "Me and Damien are now just outsiders!" She barks. Leon grabs her wrist and pulls her closer. "And the terror twins will run the judgement day into the ground. They will be stronger than ever before. If you have the courage to go there" Leon tells her quietly. Rhea stares at him.

"What do I need to do?"

Leon smiles brightly at her.

"Thats my girl."

Drew frowns at Leon. This is way more than just Punk at this point. And that's starting to worry him.

--

Cassie stares at rhea and Leon, trying so hard to focus on the shitshow that's become Cody's match. She worries. Of course she does. "My girlfriend is making a deal with the devil. And there's nothing I can do." She whispers. "Eh happens to the best of us. How'd you think I married your father?" Shawn asks watching Cody's match. Hunter scoffs. "Your not going to try stop Leon?" "Why should I?" Shawn asks. This gets both hunter and cassie to stare at him. Shawn sighs at the feeling. "Look, I've been in this game for too long for this. You don't get involved unless asked. Trust me" Shawn tells her. "He sees potential in Rhea. He sees her as a little sister. Has done for many years now. He would never let harm come to her, I promise you that. Why do you think he's angry at dom? Just leave it. Stay out of it Cassie. Just because your his sister does not mean he will let you off lightly for getting involved in his business. Same goes for me, John and taker. It's his business. Not ours" Shawn warns her.

"Uh" hunter suddenly pipes up. Cassie and Shawn look to see Roman walking past them out through the curtain. "Did...was.." cassie trails off. Cassie looks to see Leon smirking. No. No Leon couldn't of even known that.

And no, Leon didn't. Leon stands and moves to the tv, standing behind his papa and sister. "Well. This is interesting." Leon smiles. "You have something to do with this?" Rhea asks. "Oh god no. Woulda been my best work ever" Leon chuckles as roman shocks everyone by helping Cody.

"Now this....this is fascinating" Leon whispers, almost in awe. "Leave the man alone Leon." Shawn tuts. "Mmm don't ruin my fun papa." Leon chuckles moving to the curtain as Roman stands at the stage staring at Cody.

"That boy." Shawn sighs watching.

Drew dries his hair and turns to the tv where Lucian and Sheamus is gathered. "What is Lee doing?" Sheamus sighs. Drew moves closer to see Roman. Drew cocks an eyebrow.

Roman senses him straight away. "Leon." He mutters as the man stands next to him. The men look at each other. Leon smiles widely, and Roman finds himself smiling. "Welcome back brother." Leon holds his hand out. Roman glances down at the hand. "We have a lot to discuss." Roman states accepting the hand. To his surprise Leon pulls him into a hug. "Yes we do" Leon whispers as roman hugs him back.

"Since when were they friends?" Sheamus asks. Lucian smiles. "They were always brothers. They just never acknowledged it. Now they both have similar motives...the wwe is about to change."

[raviliuz]

Slytherin Quidditch Team jobs after Hogwarts

🔥Terence Higgs🔥

After graduation, he started working at the White Wywern as a bartender. He felt in the right place and his boss joked that they have never sold so many drinks before, because let's be real, who would say no to him? But it's obviously not a job for whole life. He was 26 when he changed his job and started working at Gringotts Wizarding Bank. He works in London, magical artifacts are sent to him and he's role is to discover their origin, history, and the way they work, as well as the function of the magic enchanted in them

⚡Marcus Flint⚡

Ha had offers from professional Quidditch teams but, surprisingly, didn't want to go professional. Being a professional player comes with many sacrifices and obligations. Marcus was afraid he would lose this pure happiness from playing due to the required lifestyle. Also, it's easy to get injured badly which can end one's career and affect the rest of the life. It wasn't an easy decision for him to make, he loves Quidditch and it was his dream for many years. He started working as a tattoo artist in a studio in Knockturn Alley. After the war, he started doing cover-up tattoos for the dark mark, using magical ink. Marcus was raised in a toxic pure-blood family but he has friends who helped him saw that bullshit and became a better person. However, he knows not everyone was so lucky and he understood what might lead them to the dark path. He was more than happy to help them to leave the past behind and become a better person

💀Cassius Warrington💀

Cass back in his Hogwarts years loved piercing and did his and his friends' ones. Obviously, they were completely unprofessional, done with a needle in the dormitory, but let's be real, we all were there. After Hogwarts, he started doing it seriously and professionally, in sterilized conditions, and started doing stick and poke tattoos. He bought the tattoo studio, the same one Flint worked at, so technically, he was Marcus' boss. Cass often calls him "captain" and Flint always answers with "boss". They remake the whole studio design. Flint specialized in tattoos and Warrington in piercing and small stick and poke designs

♦️Peregrine Derrick♦️

He worked his ass off during 7th year to persuade his dreams of becoming a healer at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Man passed 6 N.E.W.T.s with the best grades to be able to do so. Learning about magical creatures was interesting, not easy but he actually liked that so studying wasn't that hard and tiring for him. Transmutation on the other hand... He was lucky Montague is a transmutation genius and helped him a lot. Considering his love for magical creatures, it's not a surprise he decided to specialize in treatment for creature-induced injuries. Working in St Mungo's allowed him to see extremely rare cases. Obviously, his main goal is always to help his patient but he can't help but be interested in those creatures and the incidents that happened. Man lost all his hope in humans, hearing the stories and reasoning behind their actions. Amount of people sure that this random creature classified as impossible to domesticate would love them and make them the exception in their killing spree is amazing

🌱Lucian Bole🌱

He decided what he wants to do in life during the holidays, before his 7th year. It required exams from muggle subjects he didn't know shit about (wowie, ending education in muggle subjects at the age of 11) so he started learning them during his 7th year and took a year off after Hogwarts. He passed exams and started studying at a muggle university to become a dietitian and personal trainer. Luke accommodated himself in the muggle world quite well, found muggle friends and girlfriend, and lived his best student life. After uni, Lucian started working with wizard sportsmen but mostly like, solo-athletes instead of Quidditch players or teams (why the fuck wizards don't have more sports, controversial opinion but Quidditch is bloody boring)

🌻Adrian Pucey🌻

Adrian despite his good grades, overall the best from the whole Team, he didn't want to sit by the desk for 8 hours in ministry. After graduating, he started working at Madam Malkin's. At first, he thought of it as a temporary job to do something while he would try to find the job of his dreams. But he found his place at Madam Malkin's. Adrian loved watching kids excited about starting Hogwarts, nervous wizards looking for good clothes for a date, fiancees looking for perfect outfits for their perfect day. He fell in love with being able to help them. Adrian changed Madam Malkin's a lot, making it a very size-inclusive, body-positive place (to Adrian, who struggled a lot with self-esteem and his body image, it was incredibly important). He even started a second-hand department in the shop with cheap, used and renewed clothes

🕸️Graham Montague🕸️

QUIDDITCH! He was the one and only to go professional. He was the youngest player at Hogwarts in their times to receive an offer – he was 15 when Falmouth Falcons contacted him. But he wanted to finish Hogwarts first and more teams reached out to him. Graham decided to sign a contract with Ballycastle Bats. At first, he was reserve obviously, but the first-team chaser got injured at the end of the season so he got to play. He did well and made an impression good enough to receive his chance as a first-team chaser next season. He played for them for four years. During 4th season he got injured badly and had to end his career. But his team didn't leave him and Montague became coach helper and after a few years, when the coach retired, he was promoted to main coach.

🌸Miles Bletchley🌸

After Hogwarts Miles started working at Madam Malkin's with Adrian to have a stable source of money. In his free time, he wrote articles for Daily Prophet, getting paid for articles, not hours. Miles started writing stories when he was twelve and found a passion, he wanted to base his life on. After some time, his essays gained popularity and respect among editors. Miles got a work offer for 8 hours daily, with hourly pay, and changed jobs. After the war, he was promoted to main editor and fought with tons of bullshit articles like LOOK WHAT HARRY POTTER WORE (in polish we say it's fighting the treadmills, like in Don Kichot, to fight a meaningless war that can't end with success, idk if there's an english idiom for that). His main goal, which was more likely to have a positive outcome, was to clearly sort news from gossips.

Not me making job headcanons because I'm looking for a summer job and it's the only thing I can think about

Btw I finished high school and my exams, now wait for the results (7th of July, two days before my bday, don't they dare ruined it). I was scared for my advanced polish exam (the "only" task is to write an essay which makes the topic really important u know, get a topic you don't know shit about and you're screwed). But topics (you have 2 to pick from) were awesome, almost everyone, including me, wrote "functions of mixing the realistic and fantastic conventions", the second one was also cool, sth about using elements from mythology and Bible in works from different centuries but it imposed the use of book that no one likes

Idk it got kinda long

[ofpineapplesanddawns]

Here we go, here's the Lucian/Peter one-shot I've had in mind for, like, two nights now.

It's not related to any of my aus, it's straight up just an idea that came to me and I decided to have some fun with it.

Warning: vampires, blood, vampire hunting, Peter is a bit drunk

On with the fic!

--

Peter really didn't want to be at the club tonight, but he needed to be here. Just for that bit of 'normal'.

Well, as normal as it was for someone like him.

Ever since the whole Jerry thing, he had his whole world turned upside down. Again. And while he embraced what happened, because he really couldn't deny it or pretend it was just his mind trying to cope, the scars he had were a clear indication of reality, he needed to get out and act like his old self to ground his mind.

And if that meant being at a shitty goth club in some really shady part of Las Vegas, trying to get really drunk, high, and/or laid, then so be it!

So far, the drunk part was happening. The other two were a little harder than he'd expected, and that really annoyed him. Especially the laid part. Peter was a man with wants and needs, and he wanted some-

Oh?

He looked across the bar where a man was seated, nursing an imported beer. And he had just made eye contact with the actor.

Peter took in the sight of this man, noting that while he could pass for a patron, he very clearly stood out. And Peter saw that as a good thing. All dark clothes and cool leather jacket with a furred collar, he wasn't exactly goth, he looked more like a grungy character in a comic. The kind that you'd think would be the villain, but turns out he's actually the tragic hero, or anti-hero.

Long hair, clean beard, and a charming face.

Peter wanted him in his bed, he looked like a really good partner to scratch Peter's ever growing itch.

Grabbing his overpriced, over sweetened drink, Peter sauntered past the other patrons at the bar and dropped himself in the empty seat next to Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome.

"Never seen you around these parts before, not that I'm complainin'." Peter smirked, hoping he was loud enough over the shitty beats playing from the speakers.

The stranger looked at him, and it was impossible to tell his eye color, even with the dim lights in this place. But he smirked, just a little, and took a drink from his beer. "Just passing through, thought this would be an interesting place to pass the time."

He sounded British, interesting. A bit more posh than Peter, clearly.

"And you picked a shitty night club full of drunk and horny goths?"

"You're here as well, what's your excuse?"

"Lookin' for a good time." Peter purred, leaning his arm on the bar, resting his chin on his hand. He hoped he was coming off as attractive, it's been a while since he'd done this, not since... well... Ginger's death. He even put on the charm by popping the top button of his stupidly-expensive shirt, a tease. Hopefully not showing the still healing scars he was now sporting.

The handsome stranger's eyes lingered on the exposed skin before looking away, glancing around the bar. Not as a distraction, but more as if he were looking for someone. Peter winced, shit, a guy like this probably already had someone on his arm. Who wouldn't want to be with such a hot looking guy.

"Fuck, sorry, you're probably already-" Peter started but the man shook his head.

"No, no, it's... sorry. I thought I saw someone I... know." He frowned deeply, but then his expression softened. "I'm Lucian."

"Peter. Peter Vincent." He hoped that Lucian didn't recognize the name.

"The man from the billboards and commercials?"

Fuck.

Peter groaned. Sometimes he liked letting his name help him bring people to his room, or to get him a little treat in dark corners. But lately he'd felt... embarrassed about it. Oh, like, he loved his show, holy shit, it was doing great! He was making bank still, but after Jerry...

Well...

"Yeah." Peter downed his drink and then waved at the bartender, holding up his empty glass for a refill, his fourth of the night. "The vampire hunting magician." He tensed, waiting for the usual laughs.

But they didn't come, instead, Lucian looked interested. Very interested. "Does magic help with hunting?" He asked with curiosity very clear in his voice.

Peter blinked, a bit off-kiltered by the question. "Uhh... n-not really sure. I mean, pyrotechnics are pretty good at keeping vamps away. Actually, pretty good at keepin' anyone away if you're not careful."

And that's how Peter found himself, sharing drinks and stories with Lucian for an hour. Apparently the guy was from Romania and had an interest in vampires and creatures of European myth and folklore. Said he was a researcher of sorts, a scientist? Peter wasn't sure, he was a bit tipsy.

But it was nice, weirdly nice, to be talking about vampires and monsters in a way where Peter acted like they were fake, even though he knew they weren't, with a man who kept speaking as if they were real. Probably was used to talking about them as such, Folklore and myths always had grains of truth in 'em or something, Peter couldn't quite remember.

"Fuck." He groaned and stretched. "Gotta go..." He gestured off to an area of the large room. "Gotta take a leak, be ar be."

He stumbled from his barstool, giggling a bit from the liquor in his system, and from how Lucian asked him 'do you need me to walk you there'. How charming, a gentleman! Are handsome Romanian guys who know a lot about werewolves always such gentleman, might make a guy swoon!

Wow, Peter was drunker than he thought.

"Nah, I got this!" He laughed and tried to walk towards the bathrooms, shoving his way through sweaty dancers on the dance floor.

Though he was drunk, he couldn't help feeling like he was being followed. He frowned, scratching at his chest, but decided that someone else might be heading in this direction to use the bathrooms.

Not everything was a threat.

Peter made it to the restroom, ignored the shouting people who were making out on the counter, and did his business. "If you're gonna fuck," he slurred, blinking four times, "at least do it in a stall. Fuckin' kids."

He stumbled out and glanced about, hearing weird noises over the music. The area was just off from the dance floor, down a hall. Peter saw two figures further down the hall, bathed in the tacky red faerie lights decorating the walls.

One figure looked a lot like Lucian, same coat and long hair. The other looked like some weird techno-goth from the 2000s, all Matrix-y and shit, hacker nerd. Both of them were struggling in some sort of fighting positions.

Peter frowned, watching. They were speaking in a language that Peter didn't understand, but his eyes widened when the techno-goth snarled. Actually snarled, like a wild beast.

And even in the tacky lighting, he recognized inhuman teeth anywhere.

The techno-goth was a fucking vampire! Of course he was, just Peter's luck! And he was trying to chomp down on Lucian!

Hell no, if anyone was gonna bite that neck, it was gonna be Peter! And it was gonna be in his bed in the throws of passion!

Reaching into his shirt, Peter grabbed at the handle of the blade he had hidden on his person, strapped to him by a special holster that wasn't cheap to order. The two men were not paying any attention to him as Peter rushed forwards.

Lucian was pinned to a wall, trying to shove the vampire off with his legs, his arms pinned to his side by hands that looked larger than they should be.

"Hey!" Peter shouted. "Leave 'im alone!"

Not exactly the coolest thing to say, but Peter was pretty damn proud of himself for actually getting the blade into the vampire's neck instead of completely missing.

The vampire screamed and pushed away from Lucian, clawing at his neck, where the blade was still jammed in it. Kinda gross to see that the tip went through the other side.

Peter turned to Lucian, to make sure he was okay, but the man shoved off the wall and lunged at the techno-goth. He yanked the blade out with a nasty spray of blood, before shoving it right into the thing's chest. Peter watched as the vampire exploded into dust, leaving behind its clothes.

Lucian looked at the blade he was now holding, covered in a thick, black blood, and turned to Peter, raising an eyebrow. "A stiletto?"

"A perfectly good weapon for stabbin' someone between the ribs to get to the heart." Peter scoffed, taking it back. "Also, what the fuck was that?"

"He was following you."

Shit. So, he was followed.

Then Lucian continued. "I was tracking him down, figured he'd be here, easier to blend in. Don't know if he was looking for you as a target, doesn't really have any particular taste in victims outside of the goth scene. I think you were just an opportunity."

"For fuck's sake." Peter kicked at the dusty clothes. Then he turned to Lucian, frowning. "You're a hunter?"

Lucian shrugged. "In a sense. And I'm going to take it that you're not just a hunter on a stage? Judging by the stiletto?"

"It's... a new thing. Still a hunter on a stage, but now I do it on the side."

And he watched Lucian's expression shift, he looked interested. Very interested.

Peter wondered if he could still get him back into his penthouse tonight.

--

This all came about because I thought of Peter using a stiletto would be fun.

It is. And the mental image is hot. Also, much easier to use than a stake, and cooler to hide on your person.

[skinnydippingsmile]

Devils Vixen Snippet

{ Lucian's POV }

"glupaya yeblya pizda" I mumbled, unable to put up with Chaol's shit anymore

[Stupid fucking cunt]

Chaol Moreno was a business associate, one I hated to do business with

So I sat there, glass in hand and eyes set on the idiot in front of me as I listened to his incessant whining.

"They were my docks to use, not Phoenix's" he said agitated.

Fuck sake

"Yeah well... not anymore" I said simply

He was failing recently, he wasn't paying his dues and Phoenix was. Simple as that.

"You can't just cut me off" He shouted, standing up and slamming his fist on the table to make his point.

I stared up at him, wondering who the fuck he thought he was shouting at me.

I was stopped from replying however at the sounds of heels resonating throughout the club, I turned my attention to the stairs behind Chaol

And I felt a smile tug at my lips. She was back.

It's been a month since I've seen her and she looks fucking gorgeous.

My little Vixen.

Dressed in a tight little number that showed off every curve of her godly body

Her toned legs on show and just begging me to touch them.

"I wouldn't shout at my sugar if I were you" her soft angelic voice echoed

Her Italian accent thick and unworldly

Chaol turned and his face fell at the sight of my baby.

Still jealous I see.

She strutted past him without batting an eyelid, and took her place on my lap, right where she belongs.

"Miss me?" She asked, her arms winding round my neck as she dotted kisses over my jaw

I kept my face impassive, refusing to give anything away in front of these morons.

"Mhmm" I hummed against her neck as she stared down Chaol.

Fuck she smelled delicious, I'd missed her so much

She'd been away in America for a month on a job, I didn't know when she'd be back

And now that she was, I wasn't letting her out of my arms again.

It's torture when she's not here.

"Nice to see you again Chaol" she greeted sweetly, the very tone made me want to put a bullet in this fucker's head

She shouldn't be nice to him. She's mine.

I had one hand on her thigh, the other still holding my glass.

"Was that all Chaol?" I asked dryly

I didn't like these two in the same room together

He clearly had an interest in my girl. He'd been pining after her for years. But she wouldn't give him the time of day. She was mine.

"You're back" He said simply, eyes on Vivienne

Making me tighten my hold on her

She noticed this, and turned her attention back to my neck, kissing and sucking on the skin.

Chaol's eyes darkened as he zoned in on the action.

"I thought this was a business meeting" he said annoyed

I nodded

"It is" Cassian said

Cassian Nosov was my right hand man.

"Then why are you letting her act like a whore?" He asked

Vivienne's head popped up, an adorable pout on her soft red lips

"A whore?" She asked in a childish way

"Watch your fucking mouth" I warned him.

He scoffed, standing up

"Fuck this, you call me back when you're done getting your dick wet and got some sense" he said, signalling for his men to follow him as they began leaving

"He called me a whore..." she frowned again, I hated it when she frowned.

She moved her eyes back on me and smiled, as if she'd just had a light bulb moment

"Shoot him sugar" she asked sweetly

I smiled back, pulling her in to kiss me as I raised my gun from the table, swiftly shooting Chaol in the back of the head.

There was a sequence of shots afterwards, my men following my lead and dealing with the rest of Chaol's men

I didn't look though, I was too busy kissing my baby

It's been too long since I've kissed those soft lips.

She pulled me into her and moaned, swiping her tongue along my bottom lip as I gripped her waist

Cassian sighed

"Clean this up... and leave them to it, they won't break apart now" he ordered

I heard shuffling of bodies before we were engulfed in silence.

The only sound was the melody of her moans as she began grinding on top of me

I moved my lips down to kiss her neck, her hands gripping my hair as she started breathing heavily

"Fuck I missed you" She gasped, making me chuckle

"How was America baby girl?" I asked in between kisses, knowing full well about the jail time

"Good... got a bit messy in Texas... but good" she sighed in content, I stood up, picking her up with me and placing her on the desk.

"You miss me?" She asked teasingly, making quick work of undoing my trousers

I groaned against her neck

"More than you can imagine" I mumbled, making her giggle.

To read more, head to Wattpad

Devil’s Vixen by Joyce2205

[crystalelemental]

Friends, at long last, it is done. Off-type Iris Sweep, up to current availability. Neo Champion Iris with Kyurem-White and Lodge Iris with Axew when?

Vs. Bertha Bertha I knew had weather, so my first thought was fuck yeah Clair. She doesn't get enough recognition as it is. Clair, like Gardenia, is actually really good when supported by some of the best in the game. I mean SS Kris. Not Lucas.

Vs. Aaron Behold. My greatest creation. Brycen is viable in CS. "Crystal, this is the dumbest shit you've ever said to me, explain now." The truth is before you, my friend! Brycen cannot deal damage to save his life, but he's a technical tank! It was right in front of us the whole time, but we refused to see!

Five Stats +3 is immediately removed by a single Haze. It hits AoE. There are no supports, so there's another +100 points. No strikers either, +50. But the real reason Brycen works? Endurance. His trainer move applies Endurance, and it has regular MPR. Brycen survives for as long as the RNG favors him. And against a fight like Aaron, where accuracy can be removed and is a consideration, it just improves his odds.

Now, obviously, Brycen cannot buff anything, so his partners need to be able to handle their own offensive needs. Irida is the obvious pick recently because come on, and Ghetsis isn't a bad partner to connect with Ice Zone. Ghetsis wants to spec into Glaciate spam, so take the bit of accuracy, but more importantly this leads to the other hidden success of the team. You can still apply status. Ghetsis has Cold Snap for AoE freeze, and Brycen, so long as he's not using Haze or setting Endure again, can freeze as well. Due to this disruption, his Endurance tanking with potentially long-term reapplication, and the points he saves...Brycen is a legitimate tank in CS.

Obviously, there are issues. Brycen cannot work with anyone who needs any offensive support, and the faster their setup the better. Brycen's freeze, and any Endurance past the first application, is wildly inconsistent. Ghetsis and Irida don't have the worst accuracy, but it is in fact pretty bad. Still, we won. Brycen won. Says who Adaman is better than Irida?

Vs. Flint Initially, I was going to do this as Lodge Rosa. That didn't wind up happening on accident. I just forgot to swap her in. But then I noticed...Flint could miss. And his damage wasn't that great even under Sun, unless it was Flare Blitz. Then, I found out Iris could actually take his sync. And from there it was all over. Iris was able to win. With some dodge and paralysis shenanigans off of Colress, sure, but the win's still there. And thus, I knew what I had to do.

Vs. Lucian We gotta Iris Sweep. Champion Iris seemed safe here. I mean, she's almost always safe, but I didn't think there'd be as much of a problem later on. As there, uh...as there was. It's bad. But here it's still easy. C!Iris with C!Elesa just obliterate things. The added paralysis on sides basically prevents actions under the boosted chance to spark inaction. I really should've swapped conditions, because that would've been smarter on the Iris comp. Oh well.

Vs. Cynthia I legitimately forgot how brutal this one is. Cynthia has Sandstorm, which is a huge problem, but moreover she spams AoE. Earthquake is bad enough, but Brutal Swing is supereffective against Lucian. Which is no good. Doing this off-type with H!Iris went about as well as you could expect. My first intent was to deal with the Sandstorm. Like, it's fine. But given how hard Cynthia would hit, how little we could do in response to the AoE spam, and that her natural condition is "half time to sync," we really needed a solution. Sygna Suit Morty was that solution, because oops I already used SS Kris for Clair. Funny how that comes back to bite me. Thankfully, Morty is stupid bulky, makes the team stupid bulky, and has great passive recovery to work off the AoE. Hyper Beam trucks sides, that was a clean two-shot, while Cynthia herself went down just fine to Iris' sync. Once we could survive, the damage was there, it's just...surviving.

[tigerhawkpokemon]

Origin: A Team Blackout Fic

Team Blackout forms from a chat room. 

It starts out as a simple discussion forum, five like-minded people who  get along. They just click. But that all changes when one of their own brings up the Gym challenge. 

Deci: Hey guys, have any of you ever tried a Gym run?

Lucky: Nah, met Alder once and he told me I was better off not trying. Just because my starter was a Houndour, Zekrom above

Fatale: I’m in the middle of mine atm, beat Jasmine yesterday

Sunny: Ooh, I’m starting mine tmrw! Hope to see you in the League!

Deci: @Lucky that really sucks, dude. @Deadshot you ever made a Gym run? Thinking of doing one when I get back to Sinnoh

Deadshot: tried once. made it to Lucian. he beat my ass and was a total dick about it. hate that guy

Deci: Yeesh. I’m about to ask Rowan for a Turtwig, hope things go well. @Fatale @Sunny good luck in the Johto league!

Sunny: G’night!

That’s two with motivation. But what about the other three? Well, let’s just say that those challenges didn’t go so well for them.

Fatale: Okay, Claire is OFFICIALLY a grade A bitch

Lucky: Oh no, what happened?

Fatale: Wouldn’t give me the badge after I beat her, claimed that it wasn’t a fair fight. Bitch, I used ONE hyper potion

Deci: THat’s a shitty thing to do

Deci: What Rowan did to me was worse tho

Deadshot: fuck, this oughta be good

Deci: Refused me a Starter cuz I already had Railgun and Scope

Deci: Said there was nothing he could do for me, senile old man

Sunny: OMA! That sucks soooo much! 

Sunny: I’m about to challenge Whitney, wish me luck!!!!!!!!!

Deadshot: luck

Four down, one to go. Ironically, hers is the one that started everything.

Fatale: bitch.mp4

Attached is a video of two young women having a Pokemon battle. The one on the left, a teen with frizzy black curls, has a Pachirisu. The other has a Miltank. Pachirisu strikes with Thunderbolt, breaking the Miltank’s Rollout and knocking it out. The red-haired girl stamps her foot and starts to cry. “Can I have my badge?” The other asks politely. “No way! I would’ve won if you didn’t get lucky! Now get out of my gym!” Hanging her head, the black-haired girl walks out, her Pachirisu chirping angrily.

Deci: Someone needs to teach Whitney a lesson

Fatale: She did the same thing when I beat her, I just took a badge anyway. The girl is a spoiled brat

Deadshot: not like anyone can do anything about it though

Deci: So why don’t we?

Deci: @Waddles lock down the chat.

[Admin]Waddles: Affirmative!

this chat has been moved to a private server.

Lucky: Who’s Waddles?

[Admin]Waddles: I am user Deci’s Porygon2!

Deci: Waddles is the key to all of this. Everyone in this chat has been screwed over by someone, right? So let’s get back at them. Leak their personal info. Get them fired. Something. 

Lucky: Isn’t all of this highly illegal?

Fatale: NOt like the law’s done shit for us. 

Deadshot: i’m in, fuck the elites

Deci: Sunny, what about you?

Sunny: … i’m in.

Deci: Perfect. Now we need a team name.

Lucky: Since I’ve been roped in, how about Team Vindicate?

Deadshot: that sounds like a bad tumblr fanfic

Fatale: I vote Team Blackout, since everyone here has Electric-types. 

Deci: Ooh, I like that. Team Blackout it is.

and there you have it.

[littlcfreaks-archive]

he's so glad that cruz doesn't circle back; it might have been a selfish way to think about it, but he couldn't help but think that cruz had ignored it for his benefit. that cruz knew he needed to move on from his confession, that lucian needed more time to process it. some part of him knew that probably wasn't true, but cruz seemingly always knew what lucian needed. just like when he playfully told him to shut up, pulling him from the melancholy that his words had left him with, that his father had left him with; instead replaced with a soft smile that typically would have been more, but his mood was still sour, still didn't fully believe deep inside himself that he was capable of doing anything worthwhile. cruz's words helped to dull the sharp ache that his father's words had left though, leaving room for a warmth to take its place; one that lucian was scared to admit that he hadn't felt since before his mother's death. she had been the one person who had seemed to understand him and losing her right at the start of high school had in some ways kept him trapped in that anger that he had used to shield himself. cruz melted that away, leaving lucian exposed, vulnerable - and to his dismay, unwilling to run, "i guess that's true." he thought for a moment, before his thoughts continued out loud, "i mean, the money came from his parents, or their parents, i guess. honestly not really sure how far it goes back." he probably should have known more about his family, but it had never been a source of pride for him, had never been of any interest, "and i know he at least failed once." not as many times as lucian had, but he felt like he had new ammo for the next time they spoke. he can't help but to question, to goad for more information about cruz's life, "your dad make you feel like shit?"

lucian could have gotten drunk on the soft noises cruz made in response to him, each time his full lips dropped open in reaction to something he had done. the question returned to him was answered with a rough tug to his hair, making his neck arch further backwards; the questions were still genuine, but his eyes had darkened, full of lust, "i asked you first." he wanted nothing more than to bring cruz as his date, but he would need to hear cruz utter the words first. he had already confessed enough, had given enough of himself. another noise drops from cruz and lucian's head spins, his pulse beating so hard in his neck that he could feel it through his back - a need that he had never felt for someone else taking over as he confesses that he'd go anywhere and lucian decides then that they're too far apart. his grip pulls from cruz's hair, only to drop to his chest, shoving him backwards onto the couch, immediately claiming the spot that was his, hovering over cruz, his weight resting mostly on his elbow, but still pressing against cruz. if a smile was what cruz wanted, he succeeded - in a way; the smile that spread over lucian's lips was mischievous, spurred on by cruz confirming anywhere, "this weekend - my dad has a party." his head dips down, whispered words falling against cruz's neck, "let me buy you something pretty to wear and fuck you in the bathroom." teeth press into his skin, buying himself some time before the next offer - the one that meant something, "we'll even dance." lucian was asking him to be his date, not something secret, or hidden and it was all because of cruz's earlier words - he might always fail at business; he didn't need to fail at this - he could try.

cruz could only remember one other time in his life that someone had called him beautiful. it had been his mother and she’d said it in a completely different way. in a way which told him that, when she looked at him, she saw someone much like herself. a little bit fragile, somewhat damaged, but still worthy of something. he can still remember the way it had made him feel, like there was someone in the world who looked at him and really saw who he was. when lucian says it, it feels like a confession that his heart has been craving. but the moment moves quickly on, leaving him feeling dizzy, disoriented. there’s a voice in the back of his mind telling him that’s exactly what love feels like, but he ignores it, drowns it out with something else. " shut up, " he insists, in the most playful way someone could say those words, " he's wrong, and i'm telling you he's wrong. dads are pretty much put on the planet to make us feel like shit about ourselves. it's just what they do, right ? you think he's never failed at anything before ? i bet he's fucked up a million times. no one gets rich without making a couple of mistake first. " or so he assumes. shrugs like he's supposed to know what the hell he's taking about. a quiet gasp escapes his parted lips when lucian tugs on his hair, has him so fixated sometimes he feels like he's in a trace. he's never be so enamoured by someone before, so hung up on every word said. with lucian it feels like he might blink and miss something spectacular. and he swears, every time the other calls him baby it feels like he's floating out of his own body. " do you want me to come to fancy parties with you ? " he counters, turns the question around as his lips curl up into a smirk, eyes slightly darkened with a hazy lust. he's certain that even suited and booted he'd stand out like a sore thumb, but he tries to imagine it in his mind, wonders how lucian would introduce him. stings a little that he may refer to him as a friends. but he's distracted by the tug on his locks, no disguising the groan that escapes him. " i'll go anywhere you want, " he tells him, means it too. 'cause he'd do anything, really, to make the other happy. to be any kind of reason for his smile. " anywhere at all. "

[charlottedabookworm]

Not-entirely-serious-thought - You've already turned Nyx into a dragon and a phoenix; honestly, now all that's left to complete the trifecta of Magical Beings is to turn him into a unicorn.

A unicorn!Nyx would have blood on his horn and ‘say something, I fucking dare you’ in his eye. 

Damn you, because you are right and the moment that you pointed it out my OCD would not let me rest until I’d written something for this. So have like, 1600 words of Unicorn Nyx - featuring a very dead DRautos and also, ‘Say something, I fucking dare you’

—

When Nyx learns how the world outside of Galahd views his kind, he has to fight to keep a straight face.

Because, peaceful beings representing innocence and purity?

He doesn’t know whether to choke in outrage or to cry tears of laughter or to stare in complete disbelief. Peace, purity, innocence – none of those things are represented by a being that quite literally has a weapon attached to its skull.

Fuck knows how people haven’t realised this. But then, the world as a whole doesn’t seem to realise that his kind exists outside of mythology – so he could maybe forgive people for the insults that they pay to his kind.

Maybe.

(Because, honestly, it doesn’t take much digging for someone to realise that the majority of the mythology about his kind originated in Galahd – before being twisted so completely that it was almost unrecognisable. 

And, if people would just stop and think, they would realise that no creature like that in their myths would have ever be borne of Galahd.

But people are fucking stupid and Nyx can blame them for that)

It would be easier if all of Galahd didn’t tease him about it though.

(He keeps the plushie that Libertus lobs at his head as a gag gift though. No matter how much he had grumbled about it.

It might be a horribly insulting representation of his kind done up in hot-pink and sparkles, but it’s also soft and fluffy cuddly and honestly sort of hilarious when he can forget to be outraged about the entire thing)

—

It wasn’t completely unexpected when it happened.

Everyone had known that the Nifs were planning something – they’d been too quiet, had pulled back slightly at the fronts, and attacks at the borders were more small half-hearted skirmishes instead of actual battles – but, even so, they weren’t prepared for what happened.

Of course, nobody expects a spy.

Nobody ever fucking expects a spy. Just like no one ever expects a bomb in a place that they deem safe – like the Citadel. Just like nobody ever expects an attack from within, instead of from outside. Just like no one ever expects their magic to suddenly stop working – without the Kings say so.

Just like nobody ever expects someone that they trust and respect to try to kill them.

(and Crowe and lib are never going to let this go – when they could all think past the anger.

Because there had always been a part of Nyx that hadn’t trusted the man – a purely instinctive urge that had whispered threat in the back of his mind – but he had ignored it after years had passed with nothing happening.

He’d ignored it – despite everything that he’d been taught about trusting his instincts – because he’d wanted to be wrong, because he couldn’t deal with another betrayal.

But he had known, and Crowe and Lib wouldn’t let that go – not after nearly a decade surrounded by Lucian depictions of his kind. He was going to spend the rest of his life haunted by the idea that unicorns knew whether someone was trustworthy or not.

Fuck his life)

They didn’t expect it. But that didn’t mean that they didn’t react.

It’s the Glaive that react first – they’re the people who practically live on the front lines, the ones who are used to bombs and disorientation, the ones who half expect safe places to be suddenly not, they’re the refugees who are used to this sort of thing, and to be a glaive you had to be adaptable or you didn’t last long.

(And the Glaive is mostly staffed with Galahdians. Nobody – not Niflheim, not Lucis – stops to think about what that actually means. But the Galahdian Glaives saw the fall of Galahd – they fought in it, watched people they loved die one after another and their home burn as they tried their best to get their children to safety – and they are used to betrayal in a way that the Lucians are not. They fought – even as their King fell, even after their home was taken, even after everything was lost – because that is who they are. And so they are surprised, but they are experienced, and that makes all the difference.

They react first, instinctively, and the rest of the Glaive follows their lead)

When the bomb goes off, when the traitors reveal themselves and attack, when Drautos turns against them (reveals himself as Glauca – and how dare he. Galahd remembers the monster who had slaughtered his way through their people and they hate the man who was once their Captain with a quiet rage) and attacks the King in the chaos, they fight back.

Or, they try to.

It takes about half a second for them to realise that they have a problem, and several seconds more to share confirming glances between them as they fought. By that point, the nearest glaives have already been tossed aside, taking blows when they weren’t able to warp away as they normally would be.

Because their magic wasn’t working.

None of it – no warping or spells or elemental manipulation or weapons storage, hells but Nyx could hardly feel the space where the Kings magic had made itself home all those years ago. He glanced over at the King even as he drew his kukri’s, but the man looked just as shocked as the glaives and – from where he, Cor, and Lord Clarus were battling against Glauca – his own magic was noticeably sluggish.

‘Whatever it is that the NIfs have done,’ Nyx mused, even as he spun away from an attack to strike from behind, relying on his two decades of training and fighting without Lucian magic. ‘Obviously affects Lucian magic. Enough that the glaive and our borrowed magic is completely affected but the King himself is only weakened.’

‘It’s incomplete,’ he concludes, ‘but they’re pretty confident about it to use this as a test run.’ Nyx grimaced, taking out another assassin – this one dressed in a servants uniform.

“Lib! Down!” His friend dropped instinctively, and Nyx’s thrown blade buried itself in the eyes of the man dressed in a Crownsguard uniform that had been sneaking up on him. The next time that someone told him that he was paranoid for carrying so many weapons on him at all times he was going to fucking laugh at them.

A brief lull in the battle allowed Nyx to take another glance at the King. Lord Clarus was doing his best to defend his King against Glauca, even with a rather serious wound to his leg, while Cor had been drawn away by several other attackers – Niflheim had obviously thought this through, sending several of their best against the Marshall of the Crownsguard so as best to have an opening to attack the King while everyone else was held up and unable to help.

They’d planned this well, Nyx could admit that.

Even as he watched, Glauca struck again – this time with a blow that Nyx could tell would be fatal for Lord Clarus, with the way that the wound and exhaustion were slowing the man.

And Nyx? Nyx couldn’t just stand there and let that happen.

“Fuck.”

There was no chance that he would be able to make it across the room – not without being able to warp – at least, there was no way that he could as a human being.

Without another thought, he gave in to the burning in his veins.

The shift – always natural, because Nyx was as at home on four legs as he was on two, because for all that he played at it he wasn’t human – came easily. Easier than it had since the fall of Galahd, because his friends – his family, his people, his home, his pride – was in danger, and a predator’s instincts to protect his territory and what was his was a powerful thing.

He’s moving before he’s even finished shifting, hooves pounding against the stone floor – a sense of freedom filling his heart even as rage burned in his blood. There was nothing more freeing than being himself, all of himself.

(And maybe there was a little smug pride there as well.

Because the Nifs hadn’t even thought to block this, and now they were going to find out exactly why his kind had been so feared by the world over centuries ago)

Head down as he charged, the few enemies who weren’t frozen in shock ended up impaled on his horn or trampled underneath his hooves when they tried to attack - even with his instincts at the fore, Nyx still knew better than to attack allies – Nyx slammed into Drautos’ back even as the spy (oathbreaker, betrayer, traitor – his brain whispered to him) swung his blade.

With his speed and his strength and the sharpness of his horn, it slid past the armour that he was wearing – parting it as easily as it did the skin and muscles and bones in the way – until he reached the heart. Glauca’s dying gasp echoes in the room – despite the few fights still finishing up – even as Nyx jerked his head sharply, flinging the body to the side.

Whinnying, he kicked out at the traitor’s head and torso – crushing the skull and ribcage – annoyed at the lack of suitable revenge for his betrayal.

Tossing his head in irritation, Nyx turned – catching movement out of the corner of his eye.

Lib, who was moving towards him having finished off his own opponents, took one look at the gaping faces of the Lucians – including King Regis, and he felt a spark of pride for having made someone who was literally trained since birth to hide his emotions gape in shock – around them and opened his mouth with a shit-eating grin.

Flicking excess blood from his horn, and ignoring the blood that already stained his mane, he glared at him.

Say something, I fucking dare you.

Libertus, the little shit that he was, just carried on grinning at him. However, before he could actually say anything, one of the younger – non-Galahdian – glaives spoke up.

“Okay, since when is Ulric a fucking unicorn?”

[lynkhart]

MAJOR spoilers for the C2 finale of Critical Role so read at your own risk of you haven’t caught up!

I have so many feelings regarding Caleb and Essek’s intertwining character arcs I needed to explore, so strap in folks, you’re in for a bit of a ride! (But seriously though, this is like 4000 words long, I basically wrote an essay 😂)

At the start of the campaign, Caleb Widogast was dripping in guilt and self loathing and refused to believe he could ever absolve himself of his sins. Essek Thelyss was a cold, aloof individual who betrayed his people for selfish goals, and their differing yet mirrored narratives have been an absolute delight to watch unfold.

In the beginning Caleb truly hated himself. He shot down any attempt at a compliment, described himself as a ‘disgusting person’, outright rejected the idea that he was worthy of love, and never let the blame shift from him for what he’d done. When Beauregard and Veth/Nott pointed out that he was coerced and manipulated into killing his parents, he reacts in an incredibly visceral way, and I’ve seen several comments likening it to a victim of child abuse who was groomed into believing they were as responsible as their abuser, and I think that’s exactly how it was meant to be read. He doesn’t see himself as a victim, only a murderer, and punishes himself for it every day. We see this in the way he presents himself, dirty and unkempt because in his mind he doesn’t deserve to feel good about himself in any way. Other than Nott/Veth and Beau to a certain degree, he purposefully isolates himself from the rest of the group and it’s a long time until he feels relaxed enough in their company to drop his defences a little.

(Speaking from a purely meta point of view, Liam did an absolutely phenomenal job of showing this through body language and I’d love to see someone do a compilation video of it. He starts off very hunched and guarded, leaning his body away from the closest person to him and avoiding eye contact and physical touch; but by the end stands tall and sure of himself.)

Early on there were a few moments where he had the option to do some pretty dark shit, and I’m sure there’s a possible timeline where he gave into his desire for revenge and really lost his way, but I’m glad he stuck it out and worked through his trauma in the way he did. His PTSD and disassociation when casting with fire was tragic, but over time he was able to work through it thanks to the constant love and support of his friends who kept him from going off at the deep end.

Molly’s death was the catalyst for change in a lot of the party, and Caleb is no exception. On the verge of leaving the group prior to his death, the grief they shared, combined with their frantic attempt to rescue the other half of their party put things in perspective and gradually he learned how to be a person again, to care.

Altering time to save his family had been Caleb’s only goal in life, and so when Essek and by extension, dunamancy was introduced, you could see his eyes light up at the possibilities.

A huge turning point for him is aligned so closely with Essek’s redemption arc which feels quite apt I think. When Essek confesses to his crimes, Caleb delivers a beautifully iconic piece of dialogue where he acknowledges their similarities and how much he himself has changed as a person since meeting the Mighty Nein. (Source - CR wiki)

‘You listen to me. I know what you are talking about. I know. And the difference between you and I is thinner than a razor. I know what it means to have other people complicate your desires and wishes. And I was like you. Was. I know what a fool I have been for years. You didn't account for us. Good. That is life. Shit hits you sideways in life and no one is prepared. No one is ready. These people changed me. These people can change you. You were not born with venom in your veins. You learned it. You learned it. You have a rare opportunity here, Thelyss. One chance to save yourself, and we are offering it.’

This is not the same Caleb we met back in the Nestled Nook inn way back in the first episode. While not yet fulfilled or entirely convinced of his own worth, he knows he’s on the right path. That alone is progress enough, but that he uses his own experiences to help another escape those same chains of guilt says such a lot for his development. When he tells Essek that his ‘venom’ was learned, he’s also talking about himself and his own history of being manipulated and gaslit, with the implication being that it can be un-learned just as efficiently.

Caleb Widogast is selfish no more, or at the very least, doesn’t let his goals undermine anyone else’s anymore. Contrary to what he himself might still think, he is in no way a bad person. He loves fiercely and cannot abide seeing those he cares about in pain.

Early game Essek is what Caleb could have been if he’d rejected his friends and focused solely on his own selfish goal to undo his mistakes. Both are impassive at first and see the Mighty Nein as means to an end...until they get to know them and then their fate is sealed. The Power of Friendship wins once again!

At the beginning Caleb said he wanted to ‘bend reality to my will’ (sic) and in the end he does just that, though not in the way he originally intended. Destroying the T-Dock, and by extension the one thing he’d been building towards from the start, the chance to go back and change time, for me personally was the absolute peak of his journey. I rewatched the scene where Caleb revealed the truth about his parents death today, and it was really jarring to see just how far he’d come since then. It made me oddly proud actually.

I always felt like his plan to save his parents was the one thing holding him back from truly accepting their deaths, which is why the final scene of him in the cemetery with the letters for them hit so hard. He never truly gave up hope that they’d be reunited, but ultimately he realised he was merely postponing the inevitable and never allowing himself to live his own life. While time travel shenanigans would have been incredibly interesting to explore in game, choosing to let the past lie and not go back for them finally allows him to grieve and move on, and perhaps most importantly of all, to forgive himself at last.

I know some people were annoyed by Caleb’s decision in the finale to spend the rest of his life teaching rather than continuing to adventure, but I see it as the natural conclusion to his whole arc and his own personal victory.

He looked Trent Ikithon in the eyes, a man who he’d spent years wanting to kill and run from in equal measure, stripped him of his power and his voice (and ultimately his ability to harm anyone else) and finally spared his life so he had to live with the indignity of his defeat for the rest of his miserable existence. You couldn’t have asked for a more damning rejection of everything he’d been brainwashed into believing as a child. His dismissal of Trent’s position in the Assembly played into that as well. He never really wanted power for the sake of it; he had no desire for politics, he just wanted his family back, and while he didn’t get the one he started with, he made a new one for himself in the end.

As Caduceus once very wisely said:

‘Pain doesn’t make people; it's love that makes people. The pain is inconsequential; it's love that saves them.’

Caleb gets to break the cycle of abuse and teach a new generation of mages the way he should have been, with kindness and respect, and I’m pretty sure he’d have introduced a handsome drow as a guest lecturer from time to time. 😉

Speaking of...

Essek described himself as selfish and as a coward, forever putting his own wants and desires first, yet over the course of his journey with the Nein we see his priorities change drastically.

Having friends gives him people to care about, something he’s never had before, and it changes his outlook on life completely. For me, the first time we really see this is when he joins them for dinner in the Xorhaus and stops levitating. It’s a subtle thing, but meaningful. He explains that it had become an expectation of him, a quirk he’s known for, and so to feel comfortable enough around the Nein to drop that pretence is quite bold I think.

Much later, when he chooses to destroy the mini beacon they discover in Aeor in order to give everyone a long rest before the final confrontation with Lucian, he’s essentially giving up everything he betrayed his people for, just to keep his friends safe. The existence and context of that single artefact could have had an earthshattering impact on the Dynasty’s entire culture, forcing them to reevaluate their entire belief system and attitude to the Luxon, something he’d wanted from the start, something he helped start a war for, but he offered it up as a sacrifice without a second thought.

I’d say that’s a pretty big morality shift, and I’m super interested to see if Matt reveals if his alignment changed in the post campaign Q&A. I have a feeling he set him up as a potential BBEG but the party was like ‘no, you can’t have him, he’s ours now’ and that was the end of that. 😂

I think it says so much about the other characters too, that they befriended this person they barely knew, and when he was revealed to have done such terrible things, their first reaction was to give him comfort and an opportunity to atone. Jester held his hand while he confessed, and afterwards, while they didn’t immediately forgive him, they saw the good in him and wanted him to be better, which ultimately feels like what the entire campaign was about, leaving places (and people) better than they found them. It’s obvious that he’s never really had many friends before and has therefore never had the opportunity to be emotionally open with anyone, so seeing him gradually warm up to the Nein and allow himself to soften around them was really lovely to watch.

(Obviously, from a realistic moral perspective, he still fucked up big time. He’s still a godsdamned war criminal and really should have been put on trial for what he did, but I think from a narrative and personal point of view, his redemption arc was far more satisfying, so I’m glad it happened the way it did. (And not to derail but the rest of the gang have done some pretty horrific stuff as well, though perhaps not quite on the same scale)

He has a few moments towards the end that I absolutely love because they show that beneath the guilt and anguish, there’s an incredibly sweet and sensitive soul in there, just wanting acceptance. His dry jokes which often don’t quite hit, (the ‘I will punish the bakery’ line is such an under-appreciated one 😂) his simple joy at learning to garden in the Blooming Grove, and realising that he’d never been asked what his favourite food was before was actually kind of heartbreaking, because it highlighted how lonely his life must have been until that time. There was a moment pretty early on I think when he cast disguise on the party and Jester asked if he could cast it again to change the look of her outfit a bit and while he seemed to find it amusing, he refused, not wanting to waste a spell on such a frivolous request. Cut to their time in Aeor where he burns a fly spell just so he and Caleb can flirtatiously swoop around each other for a couple of minutes, all the while trying to beat Lucian to the city.

His breakdown when Molly’s resurrection failed really cemented to me how much he’d grown as a character. He never met Molly, his only knowledge of him was secondhand, through the eyes of his friends, but seeing it fail just broke him because he knew how much it hurt them to go through it all over again.

His comment to Caleb about not admitting defeat and wishing he could do more did get me wondering at the time if he was going to try and do something crazy, perhaps sacrificing himself via the Temporal Dock to make amends or somehow forcing another reroll, but I’m glad he didn’t. The conversation following that with Fjord was one of my favourites- he shows him acceptance and belief in his potential for the future, something he’s lacked for a long time, and when Caleb bluntly affirms afterwards that he is indeed an official member of the Mighty Nein, it’s the start of the rest of his life, and something he’s exceptionally grateful for.

It all leads to that final moment in Aeor with Caleb, when, presented with the opportunity to alter time and undo everything, he chooses to accept his decisions and carry the weight of his sins for the rest of his long life. That’s...huge.

He’s essentially choosing to live the rest of his existence as a fugitive, forever on the run, with no guaranteed peace or safety. He chooses to spend his life making up for his deeds, rather than looking for an easy way out.

I think that may have had a big impact on why Caleb ultimately made the same decision, as if Essek had been up for altering his timeline I think he’d have struggled to resist it himself. The conversation they had earlier in Aeor about their priorities and resisting temptation really comes to mind as well.

Now, to the relationship.

It was subtle, and not as ‘in your face’ obvious as the other characters, but I’ve been watching and hoping for a long time and I must say, it feels good to be vindicated.

(And if you have any doubt, both Matt and Liam confirmed on Twitter that their post finale relationship was 100% romantic)

I’d been hoping that Shadowgast would be a canon endgame relationship for a while, so the finale, and the aforementioned T-Dock scene in particular had me quite literally shaking with emotion as I watched live. Here you have two men, both damaged and guilt-stricken in their own ways, who find in each other a kindred spirit and a path to redemption.

They’re both very guarded and closed off people, but Essek in particular has a definite shift in the last arc of the campaign especially when it came to his interactions with Caleb. At the start he was quite aloof and stoic, though charming, and they had an instant connection through their shared love of the arcane, (anyone who couldn’t see them making heart eyes at each other when Essek was describing the different types of magic he could teach Caleb was clearly blind) but by the end he was incredibly open to showing his vulnerabilities and that takes a lot, especially for someone whose primary focus was to stay in control of every aspect of his life. The ‘Caleb, I’m scared’ moment during the Trent fight in particular made my heart ache.

No, we didn’t get a dramatic declaration of love or a cinematic mid-battle kiss, but I’d argue that their relationship was just as, if not more intimate than any of the other main characters were. They understood each other in a way the others didn’t, their shared guilt, feelings of inadequacy and their obsession with magic forged a deep connection from the get-go. Neither of them are big fans of PDA I think, though Caleb is tactile as hell (forehead touches and kisses, oh man, I’m so weak for those 😩👌) and some of their most iconic moments have them putting themselves in harm’s way to protect the other. Essek shaking off his forced guilt trip immediately after the now infamous forehead touch in ep140 was beautifully poetic, as was using his fortune’s favour to pull Caleb out of the rubble moments before. Caleb trying to include him in his Sphere of Invulnerability in the finale and Essek staying close to him the whole fight despite being obviously terrified of Trent was the icing on the cake. It’s clear that they care for each other a great deal; whether by the finale they’d consider it love is up for debate, but we know that’s eventually where it ended up and honestly, I love that. I deeply appreciated the fact Matt and Liam both emphasised that they took their time with their relationship, letting each other heal in their own way before they took the next step. All too often in media, and real life too sadly, a romantic relationship is seen as some kind of quick fix, and that a lover will somehow complete you or make all your problems vanish. They knew this wasn’t the case here, and that made it all the better.

While I would have *loved* to have seen them together as a couple right to the very end, the change in their relationship felt right, if bittersweet. I doubt they ever stopped loving each other, and if anything, choosing to shift to a deep and lifelong friendship over a romance that would cause them both so much pain is one of the kindest things you could do for someone you love. After all, friendship isn’t a downgrade, just another way of experiencing that same love, and it wasn’t as though they broke up and never saw each other again, it was pretty strongly implied that they remained a major feature in each other’s lives, they just changed their label slightly. Caleb would hate to have forced Essek to watch him wither away, and although his eventual passing would hurt Essek regardless, incompatible lifespans being what they are, having a period of time to adjust to it, to give them a buffer between the inevitable heartbreak was actually really sweet.

Their romance was no accident, they knew going in that it had a time limit, that it wasn’t going to be forever for one of them, and the fact they did it anyway says so much. They began their adventure wholeheartedly believing that they were both, in their own way incapable of love, only to later find it with each other. Whether their relationship lasted for a couple of years or multiple decades is irrelevant, what matters is that while it did they had a happy and fulfilled life together.

I know some folk wanted Caleb to use the transmogrification spell on himself so he could live on with Essek as another elf, or make him human instead, but that would have been way out of character for both I think. If they could have backwards engineered one of the rejuvenation stations in Aeor and used it to extend Caleb’s life by a hundred years or so, so he’d have a similar lifespan to Veth, now, I could have seen him possibly doing that, so he could spend more time with his best friend too, but nothing further I think. He longed to be reunited with his parents too much to postpone death unnaturally like that.

That both Caleb and Essek ultimately chose to live with their mistakes and make peace with themselves was incredibly cathartic, and I couldn’t imagine it playing out any better.

The fact Matt has explicitly stated Essek is Demi too means so much to me personally because the latter is a label I’ve been identifying with a lot recently, and it’s so rare for aspec relationships to get any representation! It has honestly given me a lot to think about over the last few days, and I really appreciate it.

To conclude, here’s a bit of shameless self promotion. I wrote this after watching the finale and honestly feel like it sums up my feelings on the nature of their relationship pretty well.

‘A casual hand on a shoulder, a waist, a wrist; a gentle kiss placed on a forehead is common between them now, an intimacy born of trust and mutual affection. Over time it grows, like a fire born of seasoned timber; gradual and steady, no spluttering kindling that flares and sparks, but a slow burn, one which lasts.

Their love is embroidered into every aspect of their lives together. Acts of service, of comfort, of understanding.

Sometimes a kiss leads to more than a kiss, sometimes it doesn’t. Either way they are content.‘

So yeah, I love these two wizard boys so very much and I couldn’t be happier with the conclusion of their stories. ❤️

[duskkodesh]

Spoiler free and spoiler review of Morbius from a comic lover’s perspective.

Okay, you know how this works. Spoiler free is up here. Spoilers will be under the cut. You have been warned!!!

First of all... WHAT THE FUCK DID I JUST WATCH?! WHAT WAS THAT? IT CERTAINLY WASN’T MY FAVORITE CHARACTER OF ALL TIME. NOPE.  Spoiler free: Reviews saying it was confusing were not lies. It was a mess. Scenes felt like they were written by entirely different people and then thrown together, characters seem to have no relationship to one another, actors don’t express emotion except Matt Smith who is an absolute mad lad and I can’t hate him. Worst crime is there’s characters who seem entirely like a waste, they never get to really serve any pivotal role, and you get the sinking feeling that there was a board of Sony executives with a wishlist sitting and picking apart the script. The entire feeling of the film is ‘marketing decision’ and the ending is the least satisfying cinematic ending I’ve seen since The Lost World.

So, onto the spoilers

PLOT: The only things really in character for Morb are his sense of humor, altruism, and how much he absolutely gets the piss beat out of him. Other than that the character was unrecognizable and Leto’s stiff as a board acting did not help. The movie starts with the bat trap scene. You’ve seen almost all of it. Then childhood bits, cheesy but not the worst part of the film. Matt Smith’s character is Lucian, a kid who gets nicknamed Milo by a young Michael. We get not enough interaction to buy them really being friends then it’s onto the future. Morb is gifted, gets a scholarship, invents artificial blood, receives a Nobel prize which he refuses... god knows why. He’s a director at Horizon labs and working on his cure. Milo is an adult and funding his research. The two still speak but Matt Smith is the better actor here and carries the conversations. Martine also works at the labs and they aren’t together but there’s supposed to be chemistry... I guess? I wasn’t feeling it.  So, boat, tests, mercs, change, growling with bad CGI, Nom nom nom, and they at least kept canon with the fact he jumps off the boat. He sneaks back to the labs, runs tests on himself. Feeds on artificial blood and leaves out his vials of the serum that changed him. Milo checks on him, insists on this cure Michael has and they fight about it. Cliche’s happen, obviously he steals a vial.  Morb gets arrested, Milo visits him and lets it show that he used the serum. Morb vamps out and breaks out. They spend a lot of cam time on Milo turning evil, so much that for a bit I wondered if he was the main character. and OH MY GOD GUYS, the CG vampire head on Matt Smith is CRAZY. I had to hold in laughter. Milo and Morb fight, Milo kills ‘Nicholas’ AKA Jared Harris their older mutual mentor. Milo kills Martine, Morb finds her and drinks her blood. Are you ready for this shit?  The cam shoes a drop of Morb’s blood falling to Martine’s lips... YEP. Milo has a final big fight with Morb where... GET THIS. HE WINS BY COMMANDING A SWARM OF BATS. I wish I made that up. Deus ex battica. Martine is showed waking from death, Morb flees the scene. Stroud stands around having done very little in the plot... and the credits roll. That’s it. Then we get post credit scenes where Vulture shows up, goes free, then approaches Morb to ask if he’d work with him. Morb is in the sinister six, I’m so fucking done... I rant for an hour on the way home and my own SPOUSE Says he thinks it wasn’t as bad as Venom. HERESY. Obviously that’s just an outline, there’s more to it but... Okay, where’s my notes. My reviewer points... yessir. 

Acting: Bad, Tyrese Gibson is meh... Matt Smith is crazy and enjoyable. Everyone else is bad.

SFX: Some scenes look great, others the bodies ragdoll like rubber, or faces look ridiculous. It goes from bad to good so many times I had whiplash.

 Plot coherence: It’s not great... I’m gonna be honest. I’ve read better fanfic.

Soundtrack: Sometimes booming when it doesn’t need to be, but overall servicable. Some is absolutely genius like the music Matt Smith dances to.

Accuracy to Morb’s canon personality: Not... really? I mean he actively manages to NOT really make any huge bad decisions after he wakes up on the boat and that’s just not the loser I know. Points for him making very dry jokes and getting bossed around by Martine.

Chemistry between characters: Hoo boy, no. Just no. When Morb and Martine kiss I was just like ..”Why?”

Whether they did anything innovative: The flight effects and the bullet time were retro but honestly cool. I can’t hate on them.

And whether they dropped any comic easter eggs for Morb fans in particular. I didn’t really catch anything. Even lab numbers I thought would correspond to Marvel issues... really didn’t. It was a meh. Overall 5/10 because it’s a good laugh watch. Now, I need to cleanse my brain with old comic issues.

[casuallivi]

Danika and Bryce should have been mates.

Throne of glass is meh

Lucian is way more interesting than Tamlin >>>>>

I loved Amaranta's character.

I could not with acotar Feyre! Bitch, you were starving, risking your life in the woods, getting bad dick, and now you get to sit home painting, eating good food all day, with a spring flowery dick dying to please you, Dafuq are you complaining about!?!?!?! Stfu.

I don't like feysand first kiss and the whole "drink this wine every night and know nothing about what I'm doing to you, get used to being left in your cell wondering if I abused you or not" it takes two seconds to write "someone's coming" before that kiss. I know he was villain oriented, but could have been done better.

I dislike that throne scene in acomaf with fiery passion. Rhys had just gotten free from a 50 year rapey contract with Amaranta, and Feyre was dealing with all the trauma from love and death, and you have that thing in the throne because she was sitting on his lap... again, could have been done better, later, don't like how it came out at all. If you want to give everyone trauma, learn your triggers, learn how traumatized people react.

I felt nothing when Rhys died, it was obvious she didn't have the guts to do it.

I love how Jurian is this human little shit. That scene with him taunting Lucy saying Elain fucked half the Illyrian army? My. Freaking. Jam.

The moment sjm turned Nesta and Elain I was like "she's gonna pair them with his brother," couldn't care less about them at that point, but I had a good laugh thinking about how she was gonna pull that off (and look at me now, Lainey obsessed 4eva, let me put my clown nose 🤡)

Nessian and Elriel have the best development in acowar! The romance building is impeccable! You can see how different the dynamics are, what kind of couple they will be, is chief's kiss 💋

I loved Nesta self loathing journey in acosf, her depression, anxiety, trauma, I could feel it deep in my bones, but the book lacks better plot. I don't like the Valkyries thing. If they had a fellow Valkyrie very injured, or old, that somehow survived to pass the tradition down it would have been one thing, but the way they "revived" the legion was not it. I'd rather Emerie teaching them illegal Illyrian technics that she picked up in secret, since girls are unwelcomed. Or if she mixed it up with the knowledge they've read about.... I don't know, it lacks.

I hate how Cass was reduced to an Illyrian dildo. My bat boy has nothing! He gravitates around Nesta the entire book, and I absolutely HATE how Rhys threatened to kill Ness and he did nothing!!!!!! He cowered!!!!! Hide her!!!!! I cannot! Cass could have been explored as a general, making changes about the stupid blood rite, because is very stupid to kill your army! The army you spent resources in training! "Oh, but only the best survive," yeah, but numbers count in war!!!! Do you think is better to have 20 lethal illyrians, or 200 illyrians where 20 are lethal and the rest ARE STILL ILLYRIANS! WITH ILLYRIAN TRAINING! it's stupid.

I want my acomaf feysand back! My homegirl Feyre deserves her peace and family after everything she did to get here, but turning meek is not her thing! Feyre has a soul of fire.

The pregnancy plot was poooooor, so poor.

The "mother changing anatomy through Ness" plot was infuriating.

I cannot believe Ness lost her power without we even figuring out what the fuck she did!!!!!!! It's like Mor, wtf is power of Truth? All these years and you can't come up with an explanation? Yikes 😬

I wanted Az to have a normal size 🍆 😢 (also, maybe, enjoying soft vanilla would fit him better, bat boy has to be in control 24/7, stressful as fuck, he strikes me as someone who need to let go in bed, be less dominant, maybe dominate? Dunno, but definitely more on the vanilla side)

i feel like stirring the pot so….

SEND IN YOUR UNPOPULAR SJM OPINIONS THAT’LL HAVE YOU LIKE THIS

[enokvirkow]

It wasn't often Ariadne met someone similar in age. Much less someone who was hostile. She evaded the Nifen soldiers swarming the small Lucis allied settlement, only to bump into this casually crouched one who stood in perfect timing with a tut and wag of his finger.

Heart pounding in her ears, she knew one shout from him would be the end. The last thing she needed was for all of those other eyes to turn to her.

'Wait.' Ariadne spoke to him, directly to his mind. That was usually enough to throw most people's defenses. 'Please, I need to bring back medicine to my twin. If you capture me he will get worse.' Hands held up in silent surrender, she played on his emotions. At least she tried to.

If anything he seemed to consider.

That was as much time as she needed. While the soldier pondered why he should care about such a thing, Ariadne made a sudden movement, unshouldering her land glider. The unusual technology whirred to life and in a beat she was arcing around him with what looked like a grin. "Later, asshole."

Enok didn't even want to be here. At all. But as things were, he was a stupid little footsoldier for a tyrannic asshole-nation, trying to find out anything about his family. So. He barely had a choice in where he was sent to. He had a choice in what he did, though. Never would he repeat what had been done to his own home.

His gun? He hadn't even cared to load it. He had dropped the ammunition close to the footpath leading to this village for one of them to find those. Smart? Not really. But it felt better than keeping them.

This mission wasn't to take over this village. Thankfully. No. It was some vague retcon mission. They wanted to prepare and then ID check through the entire population. As long as everyone of these people stayed calm this should be a harmless thing. Rumour had it there was some magical shit going on, but who knew. Most often those rumours were false. And it would be better for that village anyway.

Ugh. He already was over this. They would look terrified. They would hate them. And for good reason. Enok had become numb to that hatred. He did what he had to do. The endgoal was finding information and his own family in Niflheim. That was it. And he would do anything to get to that. The spit and glares of some random Lucian villagers wouldn't deter him. As far as he was concerned they didn't help Galahd in its darkest hours either.

So why did they have to make his fucking job harder than it needed to be?!

Like that girl that suddenly barrelled into his overlook-position.

Didn't they use their brains here?!

Running around like this when Niflheim was rounding them up for some headcount. What the actual fuck.

Standing, he had planned to reprimand her a bit and maybe scare her a little, too. Just to make sure she wouldn't be one of those causing trouble and some of the real Nifens to do some shit.

But then... then she talked without using her mouth. It caught him off guard. Not even what she said. No, it was that he stared at her and yet she... he could hear her. In his head.

What in the great Leviathan's name...

The meaning of her words only registered a moment later, only when Enok had blinked at her with slightly open lips.

Medicine. For her twin.

It pulled on some of his heartstrings. He knew how it was to depend on the mercy of others. And he surely wouldn't stand in the way of someone needing medical attention. This wasn't his business. He also realized how useful his uniform was there, though.

I could help. I can't be caught, because that puts my own mission in danger, but... I could offer to help her smuggle-

But before those thoughts formed words in his mouth, suddenly the situation changed again - and that girl.... had fucking played him.

It was such a split second happening - his own reaction was more reflex than anything else. Fuelled by the sudden burst of anger he felt at this.

She had lied to him. Tricked him. With her weird mind tricks and with what she had said! And he had been ready to help - he was so stupid! Why did he still fall for other assholes?! No one thought of anyone else but themselves! Especially Lucians! They had all turned their heads when Galahd had burned and they proved to be selfish bastards over and over again!

Lunging to the side, it was the same way his father had once taught him how to catch and hold onto bigger fish that defended their lives. This was similar. Arms wrapped around her waist, Enok practically tore her from her strange board, crashing her into the ground alongside himself. Being on top of her, he pushed her shoulders into the ground for good measure, before jumping to his feet again. His glare down onto her was filled with all the ire he had collected for years now.

He wouldn't hurt her. No. Hurting others - apart from higher Nifen Generals - was nothing he liked. But he wanted to make a point. That he was in charge. Somehow. Some way.  That she shouldn't cross him. It was all he had left. Stepping back, Enok turned to the strange device she had used, picking it up from the ground and flipping it over in his hands, before pointing it at her as he still walked back a few paces.

"That's mine now - simply for you trying to trick me. Fuck you. Get back to your stupid village and keep your head down before some Nifen fucktard shoots it off of your shoulders. How dumb can you be..."

@rebelichor

[ofpineapplesanddawns]

Have some dumb, silly thing with Peter and Lucian today.

On with the fic!

--

“This is not a very good weapon.” Lucian frowned, studying the totally badass-looking, totally shitty to use stake gun.

“It’s cool a fuck is what it is.” Peter said, getting defensive, as he always did, when it came to anything in his collection and arsenal.

Lucian gave him a dead-panned stare before putting it back in the display case. “It’s shoddy.”

“What makes you think that?” Peter asked, pretending he wasn’t fully aware of that fact, considering it got him tackled and bitten by a swarm of vampire servants.

“This was clearly made by someone who shouldn’t be allowed to make weapons. If you want a proper gun that can... fire stakes... find me a good place to do some welding and the proper material, and I’ll have something for you.”

This shocked the actor. “Wait, hold the fuck up, you can make guns!?” 

Lucian, who was grabbing for a water pistol on display that was filled with holy water, raised an eyebrow. “Yes? Have I not told you this?”

“No! You’ve told me you used to do blacksmith work and could make, like, blades and crossbows, and horseshoes and shit! But not a fuckin’ gun!” 

“They’re not as easy or as simple as those. But it can be done, I’ve had many years to learn the craft. I also had a dedicated team of lycans who helped in figuring out how to make UV bullets for our guns, but that’s a whole other thing.” 

Peter pushed himself off the display case he had been leaning on, approaching Lucian, who was looking at the water pistol with some minor confusion. “So, this whole time you could have made me a cool ass gun?”

“Your aim is shit.” Lucian said, as if that was a good reason to not make Peter a cool weapon.

“Bullshit! I’ve gotten better!”

“The bruise on your shoulder from improperly holding a shotgun and the blood blister on your thumb from the recoil of the handgun you snatched off a vampire the other night say otherwise.” Lucian smirked and Peter glowered, trying not to look at his thumb.

“Why did you guys even start fightin’ with guns in the first place?” Peter asked, changing the topic.

The lycan made a face, shifting on his feet. “Well... we were doing well with the weapons we had for a while, and if not, claws and teeth are just as good. But the vampires decided to get more involved in the use of human weaponry and at first, we tried to avoid it, seemed like overkill, cruler. But... well... I guess we decided to use them as part of a moral argument, you know?”

Peter raised an eyebrow, smirking. “A moral argument?”

“Yes...?”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night.” He chuckled. “Stop playing with the pistol, it’s full of holy water and it was embarrassin’ enough asking a priest to bless it, don’t want to have to do it a second time.” 

“It’s ridiculous! Why even use it, it won’t do that much damage.”

“Yeah, well, it’s gotta sting!” 

--

I wrote this about two weeks ago and completely forgot about it. I think I wrote this simply to have Lucian and Peter quote Aziraphale and Crowley.

And to laugh at the idea of a water pistol filled with holy water. 

[trashboatprince]

Just write the Vampire prince Peter / Lucian AU omg 👀😂🙏🏻 (Ik there's yet another story to expand on with More Than What You know - hope you'll update soon, btw!!) ❤

I want to!!!

And I shall! Since I have nothing else happening as I've done my night job tasks, and I'm listening to audio of David Tennant reading vampire stories, so I'm in a mood.

Here's a little more content for you lovely people! And from Peter's perspective.

(I am planning on writing the next chapter! But I'm having a bit of writer's block right now, but I hope this works in the meantime.)

On with the fic!

--

Having a lycan for a husband was not what Peter had expected when he agreed to help end a centuries old feud in Eastern Europe, but he wasn't complaining.

Well, he was, in little ways.

He found that his limited time with Lucian could be taken from him with constant meetings over the conditions of this union, of the opinions and thoughts of the other clans of the Corvinus strain. And the reactions of other, local vampires and some human villages.

He didn't want to be political all the time, he wanted to visit his husband in private! He wanted to spend time with the lycan leader, wasn't that important?!

It was, to put it simply, fucking tiresome being a vampire prince.

He had found a chance to escape another meeting, though it had dragged on long enough that dawn would be arriving soon. Yes, the castle has protective windows, but even he was not immune to sleep.

Peter found his new husband outside near the stables, working on something metallic with a hammer pounding at it. He paused, turning to look at who arrived, a bit surprised. "Oh, my lord."

"Ehhh..." Peter shook his head. "None of that, Lucian. We're married now, no need for titles and shit when we're alone."

He held up his hand as he spoke, indicating the ring he wore now. It was simple, but it had interesting markings on it. Lucian didn’t wear one on his finger, but around his neck on a chain, along with another necklace. He had said it would keep him from losing it if he transformed in battle.

Lucian nodded, flushed from either his metal work or embarrassment. "Sorry. What are you doing here, do you not have a meeting?"

"I left during a break. They'll probably come looking for me, but I wanted to spend time with you before the sun rose." Peter shrugged, making his was over to look at the project. "A short sword?"

"Yes, just an easy project, to kill time as I wait for you."

Peter swallowed. "Huh. Didn’t know you did blacksmithing."

Lucian looked at him, giving a small smile as he reached up, touching his own wedding band. "Who do you think made our rings?"

The vampire's eyes widened. "You did it?"

"Yes, shortly before the ceremony. I felt it was a good idea. And I'm glad I was able to do so." There was a sadness in his eyes, his smile, that Peter didn't understand, but he was sure Lucian would tell him when he was ready.

"W-well, thank you, it's excellent work, very much my style." Peter replied, twisting the ring on his finger. "What else can you make?"

"Anything you'd like, dear husband."

"Really? I'd love my own, personal sword!"

Lucian chuckled. "I'm sure I can come up with something fitting of you."

--

This was fun. Also, I love the idea of Lucian making things for his husband.

[altrxisme]

&& — marshal

Cor didn’t make it far before the woman tackled him to the ground. He growled, squirming in her grip, but she managed to get an arm around his neck. He reached up to pull at her arm, fully intending on getting free and going after the MTs. Taking down any of them he could. But her voice was in his ear, and he really hated to admit it, but she had a point.

Regis was dead, but there were undoubtedly still people out there, Lucians who needed help. Besides, what good would destroying the MTs do?

No, he was going to get out of here, and he’d find a way to kill the fucking Emperor himself.

“Fine. Fuck,” he growled. “Let go.”

He’d go with her for now. And then he’d make the Empire bleed for what they’d done.

Something in the back of her mind told her that it wasn’t enough and she agreed. With how the kid’s been so far, Johanne wouldn’t put it past him to run away after they meet up with the Crownsguard to try and make it on his own. So she remained where she was a moment more.

“Swear it.” Storm blues eyed the smoke in the approaching distance. They still had time. “Swear it on the King that you won’t pull shit like that on your own.” 

Johanne needed to make sure she could rely on that one thing so she can focus on getting them to safety. She doesn’t know for sure if the King knew the boy personally, but she was certain that he would want her to get him out of there in one piece regardless. If that meant invoking his title like so, then so be it. 

She hoped that the boy had some sense of honor when it came to such promises.

Unlike earlier, Johanne was more prepared for the boy running and was quick to tackle him on the ground to put him on a sleeper hold. Between that and knocking him out, this was the least painful option that she was more comfortable doing even if there were no witnesses aside from the Astrals.

MTs didn't count, but that was beside the point.

"I'm giving you one chance to come with me quietly," she gritted, tightening her hold slightly to emphasize the severity of her words. "If the King meant as much to you as you to him, you know he'll want you to live and fight another day."

She had to make this quick before they got caught, as there was no one else to help them if they did. Johanne and the other Glaives agreed to turn off their communicators just in case there were Niflheim agents listening in on their frequency.

The woman understood the boy's anger and need to fight, but that was another time, another place. She knew better and she wasn't going to allow him to make that mistake, not if she could help it.