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letsbenditlikebennett · 1 year ago

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TIMING: A wiggly yesterday-ish. PARTIES: @magmahearts @closingwaters & @letsbenditlikebennett SUMMARY: Cass and Alex meet up with Teagan near the lake to enjoy a picnic. They share the story of the first day they met and get some fun news about that. CONTENT: Drug manipulation (mushroom/fairy-ring flavored)

Admittedly, the picnic basket that Alex packed had not been entirely of her own doing. It hadn’t exactly taken convincing on her part to get Kaden to help her with the endeavor even if she had to joke that stinky cheese would not be the vibe. She’d had a good time putting it together with him and she was sure the afternoon enjoying it with Cass and Teagan would be just as fun. There was an array of fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and crackers along with some different dips for all of them. Of course, there were also peach rings and hot cheetos, but she knew Cass would enjoy those too. Snacks for snaccs, it was the golden rule.

As they walked towards the lake, she had the picnic basket in one hand and Cass’ hand in the other. They were meeting Teagan at a little spot near the lake and she hoped that maybe the nix could tell Cass a little more about wardens. Alex felt bad, she knew it brought up less than pleasant memories, but she had the feeling Teagan would want to make sure Cass was safe, too.

“I made sure pineapple was included in the fruit lineup,” she said with a smile and squeezed Cass’s hand. As they neared she saw Teagan and flashed the nymph a smile. “Hey,” she greeted, “Good to see you again. I hope the food line up is ok– there’s no red meat. I got that part down.”

—

Nerves fluttered like butterflies in Cass’s chest. There were a lot of them, for different reasons. The butterflies seemed ever-present around Alex, in the best kind of way. Like a flittering feeling that made her hair stand on end, made her heart pound, made her cheeks hurt. Alex’s hand was in hers, and she felt like every inch of her was on fire. Maybe… a little less literally than, like, her usual brand of ‘on fire.’

But there were other nerves, too. There was the quiet thrum thrum of uncertainty in her heartbeat that always came with spending time with other fae, that constant question of will they like me that never seemed to be answered the way she wanted it to be. Teagan liked her for now, she knew, but how long could she hold onto that? How long could she keep that approval before it slipped through her fingers the same way it always did?

At least Alex was here. Her presence made Cass feel a little better, a little less on edge. Because Alex liked her for who she was, and kept liking her for who she was. No year-old guilt like what she worried drove Nora sometimes, no loud loneliness like what she feared kept Aria holding on. No natural fae fondness like the one Teagan held for her, either. Just Alex. Liking Cass for being Cass. If she could do that, maybe other people could, too.

“You’re the best,” she whispered quietly, squeezing Alex’s hand right back. She wondered if the werewolf could feel her pulse pick up as Teagan came into view. “Hi Teagan,” she greeted shyly. “It’s nice to see you again.”

—

Picking a spot was almost too easy. The sun had reached its peak, bright rays kissing the earth lovingly. There was a break in the trees, shadows that would be perfect for cover. Teagan skipped happily to the area she had seen at a distance, plopping herself down into the warmth of the grass and dropping the basket full of freshly baked goods. Her body formed an x, limbs relaxed and free.

She wondered how long it’d take for the two lovebirds to arrive, and she propped herself up, leaning back into her palms. Not much time passed by the time Teagan heard the telltale signs of footfalls only meters away. Perking up, the nix stood up and trotted over to the hand-holding duo, quickly pulling them both into a tight embrace.

She happily groaned as she squeezed, “Oh it’s been too long, you beautiful oread.” With kiss to Cass’s head, Teagan looked to Alex, and booped her nose. “And you. Lovely as ever.” She pulled away and waved the two over to her to the perfect spot, gesturing to her basket. “I’ve brought the yummiest blueberry pies. They’re cupcake-sized! Picked the blueberries myself and baked it all from scratch.” She clapped her hands together, “Oh, I love picnics. Need to have one with my lovely soon, but for now,” Teagan tucked some loose hair behind both of her ears, “You beauties have my full attention. Shall we sit?”

Most of the time, Alex liked to try and tune out the sounds of people’s hearts and breathing. In the day to day, it could become a little overwhelming, but she liked being keyed into Cass. The steady thrum of her heart was a nice reminder that she was real and there and liked Alex for who she was. The slight increase in pace of Cass’s heartbeat wasn’t missed by her, so she kept her hand firmly around the oread’s in a show of support. While the other girl hadn’t said much, Alex knew people were always abandoning her and she had mentioned nymphs back home. She hoped Teagan would never do that to Cass and she had a good enough feeling, the nix herself had been cut off from her own family and seemed to be understanding, but she understood Cass’s nerves all the same.

The small boop on her nose brought a small smile to her face. Despite the fact it was a canine-like gesture, Alex found she didn’t mind it because well, it was kind of sweet. The mention of pies only made her perk up more. “Oh, blueberry pie is my favorite,” she exclaimed, “Can’t wait to give them a try.”

She took a seat on the blanket and patted the spot next to her for Cass to join. It was the perfect spot with a little bit of shade from the trees and a perfect view of the sun sparkling on the lake. It was quiet and they could talk among themselves without having to worry about others hearing. Alex couldn’t have asked for a better setting to spend time with the two nymphs. Needless to say, she did not want to sour the mood right away with questions about wardens and she had hoped Cass already asked about that stuff. Instead, she grinned. “Well, you already know I think Cass is the greatest… But how did the two of you meet? I was so excited to realize you knew Cass that I forgot to ask before.”

Teagan pulled her into a hug and called her beautiful, and Cass was far too heavy to float but in that moment she felt as if she was walking on air anyway. Light and joyful and worry-free, because how could she be anything but? Alex liked her, Teagan liked her. She was finally the kind of person that people could like, the kind of person that they might stick around for. Her heart felt like it was doing somersaults in her chest, excited just to be here. There was a thrum in the back of her mind, a chaotic energy that she’d felt every time she was around Alex ever since that first walk through the caves. This, she thought, must have been what having a real crush felt like. Everything she thought she’d felt in the past was just a warm-up.

Teagan had pies, and Cass grinned at the thought of them. “Well, I already know I love your baking!” The food Teagan had made the first time she’d met her was so good that it had stayed with her ever since. This town was so full of people with cooking skills that, to Cass, seemed unmatched. When you’d spent most of your life eating whatever you could find, any kind of homemade meal tasted like something fit for royalty.

Eagerly, Cass settled onto the blanket next to Alex, sitting as close to the wolf as she could. Their thighs brushed together in a way that kept the oread’s heart pounding with that same excited energy, her mind buzzing with both the crush and the feeling of being around another fae. It was something that had once made her uneasy, but now made her feel more at ease. Grinning as she leaned into Alex, she looked at Teagan. “I was, um, walking by one day while she was swimming in her true form. She thought I was human at first.”

Watching Alex and Cass all but melt into each other was a sweet sight. They seemed to be absolutely smitten with one another, unable to keep themselves from parting much farther than an inch or two. Teagan chocked it up to puppy love, though the phrase seemed offensive when Alex was quite notably a werewolf. Perhaps wonderlust was better. The urge to know the depths of someone, discover their idiosyncrasies and sink into who they are so that maybe, just maybe, you could finally be close enough to them.

Teagan understood the feeling, if she were being honest. Most of the time, now the her and Arden were no longer hiding behind lingering touches and longing looks, Teagan found herself trying to melt into her lover. Be encased in her warmth and scent so that anyone that crossed her path knew exactly where she’d been.

It wasn’t a whirlwind romance by any means, and it definitely wasn’t love at first sight, but the familiarity they both shared upon meeting was impossible to ignore. Both Arden and Teagan had to answer the call their hearts made for one another. It left her breathless if she thought about it too long, and she was thankful the young lovers had conversation topics that could take over.

“Aye. I was on edge, and jumped at the chance to stop a human from trespassing,” Patting Cass’s leg, the nix gave her an apologetic smile. “Luckily though, the moment I stepped out of the water, I could feel her.” A smile painted on Teagan’s lips, fond and warm, and she looked at Alex as she explained the meeting joyfully. “I couldn’t resist them. I had to get to know her.”

The meeting between the two nymphs was easy for Alex to imagine. Both of them in their true form were truly something else, something extraordinary. She may have been more than a little biased, but something about Cass’s form especially fascinated her. Even when she wore her glamour like she was right now, Alex swore there was a glow to her that shone through. She could recall the ferocity Teagan possessed when they first met too, before Alex confirmed who she was. A truly fierce protector of the lake who of course immediately softened for Cass because how could she not? There was more than a hint of awe in her eyes as she turned to look at the oread with a smile. “I get that,” she brushed her thumb over the oread’s, “I think Cass just has the effect on people. Who could not want to know her?”

It felt important to emphasize. While they hadn’t gotten fully into sharing stories of their past, Alex knew people had a tendency to leave Cass, so much so that the oread seemed to question her own worth. They both thought Teagan was great, so Teagan also seeing what was obvious to the werewolf felt important for Cass to know. Given what Teagan had gone through and the implied estrangement with her own family, Alex couldn’t see the nix abandoning Cass like other fae had done. Teagan had even been sure to warn her to treat Cass well— she hoped that meant the nix would always be there for Cass. She wanted Cass to have people in her life who would stay, who would make her feel like she was worth staying for, because she was.

“I kind of met her talking online like I did with you, Teagan,” she explained, “Except we didn’t know what the other was when we met. We were just talking about rocks online and decided to go on a spelunking date.” She could still remember seeing Cass for the first time, how thinking the other girl had been cute and fun to talk to would make for a nice afternoon of pretending she was the kind of person someone could love, but that notion had slipped away so quickly. She didn’t need to pretend with Cass. “Obviously I thought she was pretty, because like, I have eyes,” she grinned, “But the way her face would light up when she explained how different rocks were formed felt extra special. Then she went with my cheesy movie magic moment when I asked her to dance in a ring of bioluminescent mushrooms and I think I was pretty much hers.”

An orangeish blush glowed under Cass’s skin, the mixture of Teagan’s fondness and Alex’s affection making her grow warm in a way that had very little to do with the magma bubbling beneath her rocky exterior and everything to do with the way Alex was looking at her. She didn’t think she’d ever been adored before. There had been lust, sometimes — she’d had boyfriends and girlfriends in her teenage years, even if most of them took her wallet with them when they left — but never anything like this. The way Alex looked at her, the way she touched her so gently and smiled at her like she’d hung the moon and the stars in the sky… It made Cass feel like she was something precious. Like she was finally worth looking at.

She leaned into the werewolf now, letting her head drop gently against Alex’s shoulder as she spoke. The discussion of their first encounter online made her heart flutter, because wasn’t it funny? You never knew how much someone would grow to mean to you the first time you spoke to them. Things had moved so quickly after that date to the cave, both of them all in by the time the party at Van’s came along. Relationships like that were often compared to fires that burned hot and fast, but volcanoes weren’t forest fires. They burned hot, but they didn’t burn out. They kept going for thousands of years. Cass liked Alex now, and she’d still like her tomorrow. And, for once, she wasn’t paranoid that the feeling wasn’t returned. Alex liked her, too. She knew that.

“She’s a really good dancer,” Cass added eagerly. “You should have seen how she twirled. The mushrooms made it look really cool.”

How smitten the two were, and after only one date? Love worked in many ways, the likes of which were difficult to understand. Teagan had a love, and even she hardly knew how it all operated. It varied from person to person, from couple to couple, no two ever being the same but having similar roots. Love was a tether that connected everyone eventually, even someone as walled off as Teagan.

It was—wait. Had they really said what she thought they said? Perhaps the pink and orange dust on their cheeks wasn’t just a connection built on a spark, but something artificially put together with the help of some magic. Now, that wasn’t to say the two young women couldn’t find their way to each other, but Teagan knew most people didn’t like their mind or hearts altered by another force. A natural, less magical route was usually preferred.

“Did you say mushrooms?” Quirking a brow, Teagan leaned in and looked to and from Cass and Alex. “Were they in a circle? Did you feel silly afterwards? Did you—” A finger was pointed toward Alex. “Have a wish to listen to every one of Cass’s words?”

Somehow Cass could make her feel like she was floating and ground her in the same motion. The weight of the oread’s head on her shoulder was welcomed and her hand found its way the soft waves in Cass’s hair. She gently stroked them and smiled at the ease of it all. Her normal hang ups and fears weren’t there with Cass. No matter what she shared with the oread, she was met with understanding and care. It gave her the crazy idea that she was someone worth loving and she couldn’t deny the domino effect it had on the rest of her life. So while it all felt too good to be true, the feeling of Cass resting against her shoulder brought her back down and reminded her this was all real. Someone could see the parts of her that she wanted to hide from the world and still find hers to be a good shoulder to rest on.

Her own cheeks took on a pinkish hue at the mention of her dancing, which objectively, was far from good, but it was nice Cass enjoyed it. Maybe that mattered more than whether or not it was good. Alex thought it did. “It helps to have a good partner,” she grinned while running a hand through Cass’ hair, “And Cass is the best.”

The questions from Teagan were a little unexpected, but the scene had been so perfect that giving the nix a little slice of it felt right. “Oh,” she said looking at Cass, “They were, yeah. Part of why I asked her to dance, it practically looked like a little dance floor just for us.” The next question caught her a little off guard. Had she felt more silly than normal? Maybe a little bit, but that was more the giddiness of giving into idea that maybe Cass wasn’t just an afternoon distraction from how much she hated herself. She knew Cass wasn’t that now— Cass saw her and always tried to understand her and still liked her. “Uh,” she started uncertainly, “I think so, yeah. I mean, I felt a little silly and wanted to make Cass smile before, but the whole dance thing did kind of feel like metaphorically diving in?”

Alex’s hand was in her hair, and Cass didn’t think she’d ever felt as whole as she did now. Like she was someone. No, more than that — like she was someone worth keeping. Alex spoke about her like she was good, like she was precious, like she was worthy, and how could Cass not feel like it was true? How could she not accept it, believe it? Alex said it so easily, like it was simple. There was never any doubt in her words, never a hint of hesitation. Cass hadn’t bound her to get her here, hadn’t manipulated her way into the affection. It just was, just had been from that very first night with the mushrooms in the cave.

Teagan’s line of questioning was… weird, though. Like she knew something. Cass shifted, brow furrowed as she glanced over to Alex. She nodded in confirmation when Alex spoke of the circle, trying to think back. “I guess?” Wasn’t feeling silly part of having a crush? People did all kinds of funny things in movies when they caught feelings for someone; entire episodes of sitcoms were based around it. Multi-episode arcs, sometimes! “Why do you ask?”

Oof…How did one go about telling a blooming relationship it might be built on something otherworldly? Something out of their control. For a few moments, Teagan was quiet as she mulled over how to approach everything. On one hand, the two very well could like one another without the mushrooms, and on the other, it would be wrong to let them exist in a lie.

“Well, you see, mushroom circles, while pretty and fun, can have other side effects too.” Teagan gestured to Cass and gave her a warm smile. “They make anyone feel happy and silly. Like a high. And when you’re with fae, like Cass, crossing that boundary connects you to them.” She reached forward and took each of their hands in hers, hoping to reassure them.

“For you, Alex, you’ll want to do everything Cass says without her binding you, and feel amazing. And Cass, you’ll feel just as amazing, as you can see. On the bright side, that doesn’t mean there isn’t something actually here between you two. Just means the mushrooms pushed you two together without you knowing.” Planting a small peck on both hands, Teagan looked between Alex and Cass, reassurance written all over her features. “I assume this is your first time running into a mushroom circle, sweet oread?”

As Teagan spoke, it felt as if someone was vacuuming the air straight from her lungs. The notion that what she shared with Cass could be manufactured made her feel sick, not that she found herself able to pull away. If it made them feel happy and silly, that meant the whole way Cass saw her could be skewed. Now that promise to stay felt like one Alex couldn’t hold the oread to, not when all the acceptance she’d shown the werewolf could have been clouded by the mushrooms because apparently that was a thing. Of course it was a thing. How else could something this magical fallen right into her lap? It seemed to confirm the notion she was unlovable even if Teagan was saying something about a real connection being able to be present, too.

But how could it be? How could someone like Cass look at Alex and see anything but a pitiful monster? Maybe the oread would be too kind to look at her with the disgust she had expected when she first told her the truth about the werewolf thing, but even a gentle letdown scared the hell out of her. The hope that Teagan offered felt dangerous. She so badly wanted to believe she was really someone Cass could care for and eventually fall for. “Mushroom rings,” she repeated slowly, “Oh.”

She had been the one to lead them right into that and Cass seemed just as clueless about all of this. Had Alex really been that foolish to think that the ambience of the cave could be anything good just because walking hand in hand with Cass had felt so good? “I don’t… I’m sorry I didn’t know. I just thought it looked cool and it seemed like a romantic thing to do.” She looked down at her lap and tried to take in what it all meant, but none if it really made a whole lot of sense to her.

Alex said oh, and it felt like the world was falling around her. Immediately, the oread’s mind began to catastrophize. If the mushrooms had been affecting them, it meant none of this was real. From what Teagan said, it seemed like it was affecting Alex more than it was affecting Cass, like Alex was stuck in a never-ending promise bind that Cass hadn’t even intentionally trapped her in. And Alex said oh, and wasn’t that a thing of disgust? How could she feel anything less than disdain towards Cass now.

Except… Except she couldn’t feel that, could she? The mushrooms wouldn’t let her. She probably still felt drawn to Cass, even knowing the truth. She probably still felt like she wanted to do whatever Cass asked of her. Even now, even knowing that none of it was real, Alex wouldn’t be allowed to feel her feelings, because that stupid mushroom circle had scooped them out and replaced them. That mushroom circle had fooled Alex into thinking that Cass was someone she liked. And she wasn’t. How could she be?

Alex was apologizing, but it must have been because of the mushrooms and their influence. Cass looked at Teagan, wide-eyed and frantic. “Yeah. Yes, this is my first time running into…” She turned to look at Alex, desperation etched into her features. “I didn’t know,” she said quickly. “I swear, Alex, I promise, I didn’t know. I didn’t — I wouldn’t have let you do it if I knew. You have to believe that, please. I wouldn’t do this on purpose, I’m sorry.”

The efforts to quell any worries seemed for naught, Cass’s obvious need for acceptance already twisting the gears in her mind. Teagan didn’t know much, or even the extent of the young oread’s pain, but she knew how abandonment looked in someone’s eyes. “Wait,” She lifted her hands, bidding the two to slow down. Apologies weren’t necessary, not when neither of them knew what would happen. And at the very least, the romance was there. Alex made that obvious.

“Listen to that there, Cass. I see the worry and fear in you right now, but Alex just said she thought it’d be romantic. She knows you're sorry, and neither of you two could have known.” Scooting closer to Cass and Alex, Teagan smiled with comfort in her eyes, hoping the two would listen to reason.

“Now, the mushrooms may have done a few things and made you two jump and skip a few stages, but the feelings were already there. Things that are tangled can still be reset.” Teagan brushed her thumbs over each of their hands, looking back at her basket of goods. Letting go of them, she plucked two blueberry pies and offered them to Cass and Alex. She kept her smile warm and light, trying to give them any comfort she could. “The mushrooms will wear off eventually. After that, you two can start over and frolic somewhere without the mushrooms. ‘Cause believe me, feelings are only amplified and if you wanted to be romantic before, you’ll want that without the ring.”

There were apologies and reassurances both being lobbied her way and Alex found she was just confused by all of it. The information didn’t necessarily make her feel any differently, but maybe it wasn’t able to. Cass seemed worried though and was promising she didn’t know about the mushrooms beforehand. That hardly seemed like the oread’s fault so she wasn’t sure what the big worry was. She nodded along with Teagan because she had felt the crush before they ever stepped into that mushroom circle. “It’s not your fault,” she assured Cass and gave the oread’s hand a squeeze.

“So they’ll wear off,” she repeated, “Then we’ll be back to normal and I’ll just have the regular crush I had on Cass before we encountered them? That doesn’t sound so bad. We can take care of the mushrooms and then figure us out, right?” She hoped that was the case. She may have had been riding a crush before stepping into that circle, but what about Cass? Did the mushrooms make her overlook all those parts Alex had been so sure she’d hate about the werewolf? There was a hint of worry, but Teagan seemed confident things would be okay and she wanted Cass to know things were okay, that she still cared for the nymph. “It’s gonna be ok,” she confidently stated, “We’re gonna fix and figure this out.”

She listened as Alex and Teagan spoke, and her heart picked up a bit at the question of the mushrooms wearing off. She was afraid of it happening, and guilty for being afraid. If this thing they had wasn’t of Alex’s own free will, Alex deserved to know that. If she was manipulated into this, even unknowingly, she deserved to have an out. Still, Cass was afraid. She liked what they had. The idea of losing it, after everything she’d lost already, made her feel a little sick. And that was terrible of her, wasn’t it? That was wrong.

But Alex was saying it would be okay, was recalling the crush she’d had before they’d stepped into that circle, and Teagan was saying that feelings could only be amplified and not changed. And maybe they were both right, but even if they weren’t… If this was temporary, Cass would cling to it for as long as she could. She’d stay with Alex for as long as Alex would let her, and when the mushrooms wore off, if Alex changed her mind, Cass would accept it. She offered a smile that didn’t quite meet her eyes, nodding her head. “Okay,” she said softly. “Okay, yeah. We’ll figure it out.”

With both minds at ease, it was easier to smile, easier to breathe. There were lingering worries, of course, but Teagan was more than confident in her ability to extinguish whatever concern began to spark. That was one of the many benefits of providing sugar and having a bit of experience with the chaos that came with mushroom rings. She’d been in quite a few, each ending slightly more chaotic than the last. For a moment, her mind trailed away, thinking of what it’d be like to walk into one with Arden…

“Right!” She shook the idea away. “It’ll be okay. And look on the bright side…” Teagan set the blueberry pies aside and wiggled back a few inches to have enough room to slide her skirt down. She revealed part of the skin on her bottom, a small mushroom tattoo adorning it. “At least you didn’t get a random tattoo during the escapades. I won’t even disclose the bad decisions I made with women that week…” Her eyes widened with embarrassment and a bounce of her brows, and she laughed as pink dusted her cheeks.

“Now, come on.” Teagan waved Alex and Cass over to the food. “We’ve got a picnic to get to.”

Truthfully, Alex wasn’t sure if the mushroom thing really made sense to her, but the way Teagan described it didn’t sound so bad. The thought of amplified feelings was a bit unnerving, she already preferred to keep her feelings close to her chest, but Cass had shown time and again she was a safe person to share with. She could only hope that would continue to be the case when all of this wore off and she wouldn’t be met with disgust for everything she was. She could see the nervousness in Cass’s features and she wished she could offer some sort of reassurance, but this was just as surprising to her as it was to the oread. She laughed a bit, hoping it would lighten the mood a bit. “I mean,” she smirked, “It’s not too late to get a tattoo. But probably best to save that for… later. After?”

The older nymph seemed confident that they’d be alright and Alex decided to believe that things could be okay. At least for now. Cass was still sitting right next to her which always made her feel a little brighter and Teagan was hosting them for a picnic. It was a beautiful day and the sun was casting shadows through the branches of the trees. By all other indications, it was the making for a perfect afternoon with two amazing nymphs. “Right, let’s enjoy our picnic. I’m so ready for those blueberry pies.”

Teagan was right, wasn’t she? It could have been far worse. Nothing they’d done up until this point was anything that wasn’t… reversible, even if that thought made Cass’s stomach churn a little. She didn’t want to ‘reverse’ anything they had, but… If Alex didn’t want it after the mushroom haze was over, Cass would understand. Even if she ached with it. “Maybe after,” she agreed, though it sounded like a pipe dream. Alex still having any desire to get a matching tattoo with her, after this, was painfully unlikely. But a girl could dream, right?

For now, though, Teagan was right — they had a picnic to enjoy. They could ride this high to the end of the line, and then they could deal with whatever thoughts and feelings and painful ramifications came after. But at this moment… all they had to do was eat pie. “Right,” Cass smiled. “Let’s dig in.” And maybe, just maybe, Alex would still like her when all this was over.

#wickedswriting #wr teagan #wr cass #drug manipulation tw #threads; with cass #threads; with teagan #threads; with cass; the rammies #threads; with teagan; the rammies #(never been a natural all i do is try try try) ;; writing #(the moonlight's blinding) ;; season 1 writing

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wonder-in-wings · 1 year ago

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Splash and Slash

TIMING: Current LOCATION: Darkling Lake PARTIES: Parker and Teagan SUMMARY: While out searching for specimens, Parker finds an unglamoured Teagan at Darkling Lake. He decides her tail is a worthy addition to his collection. CONTENT WARNINGS: Drug manipulation [sedatives], medical blood, parental death [mentioned]

The sun was gone for the day, the moon having since taken its place; the perfect time as Parker went on one of his patrols. He covered a minimal amount of space every week, or so he tried to - when he wasn’t busy interacting with the fools of the town or entertaining the questions of children and bored patrons of the museum, he was either in his familiar bunker, at his flat or in the Pines. The Pines had become one of his favored spots as a whole even though it somewhat surprised him seeing as how there was a swamp that was more reminiscent of the bayous Parker grew up in. The Pines, as he noticed relatively soon in his arrival to Wicked’s Rest, wasn’t just a place for the shapeshifters to frequent; he’d met more than one nymph in those woods and had been gifted with some more additions to his collection. This evening, after intensely studying one of the maps he’d picked up some time ago, he noticed there was a lake. Darkling Lake, as it was formally called and for some bizarre reason Parker opted to visit it again that night. It was a large body of water, larger than he had time for in one night so after setting the layout on a graph to make it easier for him, he carefully made his way to one of the farther-reaching corners. The main reason why he went was because when he’d been there before, he saw something out of his peripheral vision and though he was too far away to be able to discern what it was for sure, he knew that it wasn’t a human. Tonight, as he approached the edge of the lake, he kept close to the brush and he dropped to a crouch as his blue eyes carefully scanned the environment, trying to catch another glimpse of the non-human creature he saw before. Parker was prepared for an altercation this time, as well - around his waist was a hardy utility belt with a few pouches and a line of thin straps that looked almost like a bandolier but instead of holding bullets, his waist was lined with several long, thin daggers, no more than a few inches in length and with the sharpness of a needle. Indeed, the handles were peculiar too, seeming to have thumb rests on the ends, also reminiscent of a hypodermic needle. Or a turkey baster, as his brother would call his creations.

Whatever. He crouched, watching the lake, feeling the comfort of his spiked knuckles clasped to a belt loop and hanging casually from his jeans as he waited for something. Anything. _______

The water lapped against the shore in rhythm, the lake making its own music as the day passed on. Like a ticking clock, the beat was insistent and precise, something Teagan found comfort in whenever she waded idly in Darkling. She hummed to herself, her tail swishing back and forth as she laid on her back to stare at the night sky. The stars’ light danced, and Teagan liked to imagine they liked the way the moon moved the waves. Like it was creating a song they could bear witness to every night.

“Hmm…” Vala snorted, trying to get the nymph’s attention. “What is it, beaut? I’m relaxing a bit. Don’t mess with a good time and get me tampin’,” Teagan teased the kelpie, rolling onto her stomach and swimming toward her friend. The creature dropped a severed arm, sending Teagan into giggles and chortles. “Nice one! I’ll add it to the collection.” Vala replied with a snort, disappearing into the distance a moment later.

Teagan made quick work of the limb, placing it neatly next to several skeletons of those who dared dirty the lake. Disrespectful lot, they were. No matter. They were taken care of and Teagan resurfaced with a grin. All was quiet, which meant she’d get to head out soon to see Arden. They were supposed to watch some movie about a lost fish in the sea. It sounded strange for a fish to be lost, but if Arden liked it, then Teagan had no issue being a tad confused. _______ Nothing seemed abnormal. Perhaps he needed to shift his perspective slightly. Slowly, quietly, Parker altered his trajectory, remaining as quiet as he could in the underbrush even though he was more suited for the marshy mud of the swamp - forests weren’t his strong suit, all things considered. And normally he would’ve opted to simply explore elsewhere but he had a strange intuition about this location that night. And there it was, the sign Parker had been looking for as he switched locations. After an indeterminate amount of time, he caught movement, the surface breaking ever-so-slightly and he turned his head sharply where his eyes fell upon the creature. It was amphibious in nature, pale as it waded through the water with an unnatural smoothness, not unlike a jaguar in the rivers of the Amazon. It didn’t appear to be a shifter, or if it was, then it was unknown to him but the longer his eyes remained fixated on it, the more he could feel something rippling under his skin. Perhaps it was psychosomatic. Regardless, his eyes slowly swept over the creature before they settled on an object of his instant fascination: the long, beautiful tail that the creature possessed. While Parker was instantly drawn to fae wings of any kind, he realized over the recent months that he could appreciate beauty in other forms, whether it was a chunk of pyrite from an oread or even the horns of an unruly spriggan. He was still unaccustomed to obtaining these magnificent, unusual wonders. He had to have that tail. His brain honed in on it, watching it with enamored obsession. Parker stood and carefully, very slowly walked out onto the lakeshore, approaching the creature wordlessly at first. The closer he got, the more the rippling feeling pulsed under his skin and he couldn’t shake the feeling that this was a nix and he inhaled sharply through his nose with the sensation. “Lovely night for a swim.” He called to the fae. _______

The crushing of wet earth perked Teagan’s ears. She tensed, hands twitching with the urge to attack without much more prompting. Her body trembled under the tension, and she turned slowly to face the man who spoke. Eyes were wide, and despite having claws that could easily tear, Teagan hovered her hand over the blade in her thigh holster.

“Yes.” The nix offered a curt nod, not bothering to glamour herself in case the man was a warden. No use in giving away her disguise. “I wouldn’t come in if I were you, though. I like to swim alone.” Teagan began to wade backwards, giving herself some distance in case the man had other plans. There was a look in his eyes that unsettled her. It was far worse than a look of murderous intention. She couldn’t place exactly what it was, but her body screamed at her to run or tear, and she had sworn to try to be better.

“Please go now, lad. I’m trying to enjoy my time.” _______ The presumed nymph called back, dissuading the Warden from joining her. Non-aggressive but reminiscent of an animal that should’ve been left alone. But he couldn’t. The switch was turned on in his head and Parker’s mind was consumed with little else. His brain was already buzzing with thoughts on how he could artfully arrange the tail, how to turn and model and shape it to look as aesthetically pleasing as possible. “I know better than to get into the water with you, nix.” He said carefully but not shyly as he took a few more rather confident steps towards her. “I want your tail.” All these years later and he never knew how to ask in a more effective, gentle way. He’d tried asking gently before, a long while ago, but it never proved effective; for some reason, all the fae whose wings he’d added to his collection seemed attached to them, even if they didn’t actually do anything. They were vestigial and only a couple of them could hover for a few seconds and even then it didn’t look satisfying. A tail wasn’t vestigial though, Parker thought to himself. He inhaled softly, reached down to pull his feet out of his shoes though he kept his blue eyes on the nymph studiously. “I can make it quick and painless but unfortunately I can’t leave without it.” His voice took a different tone to it and indeed, his expression changed slightly as he looked at her. “The way you move in the water, the way it sways behind you. It’s beautiful, it’s graceful and perfect in form and function.” He took a few more steps, closing the gap between them but staying on the shore. “It’s mesmerizing. I need to immortalize it.” _______

This man was no regular hunter. He had something far worse than a murder in mind, and the cold fear of what that entailed made Teagan’s throat constrict. She felt her body tremble at the look in his eye, her palms growing clammy. She could feel the sensation despite being engulfed in water.

“No.” There was no room for anything else, and Teagan wouldn’t allow there to be. She sank her body further, until only her eyes were above the water. Danger was in front of her, granting her to toss whatever notion of trying to the wind. She wasn’t looking for a fight that time. Instead, it found her.

“Stay back.” A hiss as she faked out a lunge. Her eyes were full of fire and her teeth were bared for the man to take as a warning. They gleamed in the moonlight reflecting off the water, and Teagan forced her jaw not to tremble under the weight of her terror. Of the way it unsettled her to be seen as an object to maim and preserve. “What right you got, eh? It’s my body, boyo. I’ll cut you apart if you try it.” _______

The nymph lunged and Parker’s quick reflexes, the ones he’d been trained arduously in for over four decades, allowed him to respond quickly by taking a deft step back though it didn’t scare him off. He was light on his feet, he had to be when he lived in the bayou. In fact, he was reminded of his days going after gators in the swamp, treading lightly, maintaining eye contact as they hissed and stood their ground. They were efficient training, though they hit their ceiling in that they didn’t have the luxuries that fae did with their thumbs, long limbs and ability to run. …though gators could be plenty fast in their own right on land. “Fae are so pretentious.” Parker responded, passion not leaving his tone but instead taking a backseat to his clinical delivery. “You live these long lives and care about so little while you enjoy your passions, your deals, promises. Manipulating others with the way you speak.” He didn’t dare turn his back to the nymph, taking careful side steps as one of his hands went to the utility belt that glittered with the metals that hung off it. Even after everything Fae had done to him, to his family, to innocent people, Parker still had his own personal values. “I don’t want to fight.” He said, not dishonestly. “You have so many other things.” This was potentially a lie; Parker knew that fae had proclivities for forming collections of their own, whether it was names, secrets, or physical trinkets. They didn’t ask for most of the stuff they acquired and they hoarded it selfishly. He honestly didn’t know if this nix did but unlike fae, he could afford to lie. “I won’t ask again.” As he spoke now, he inched forward and he hadn’t realized that not once had he blinked since starting his counterpoint argument. “But I’m not leaving without it. I’d prefer for it to be an easy transaction.” He also completely failed to acknowledge that this wasn’t what people did, fae or no. He didn’t have the ability to say that he could leave her in peace, walking away empty-handed. _______

Terror began to mount over with every sway of the water, heart leaping harshly into the fae’s throat as the man pressed on with his speech. Teagan was weighed down by dread, try as she might to force herself to don her confidence once more. She was more than capable of protecting herself, having killed plenty of hunters in the past. Hunter or not, her tail would remain where it belonged.

“We’re pretentious?” Teagan scoffed, rolling her eyes and chuckling at the way she made the man take a step back. She was getting a feel for his reaction time. It was a little too good. She’d have to improvise. But first, Teagan wanted to bite back with her words. “You’re the one putting us on this pedestal, mun. Glorifying us. Immortalizing us. If we’re pretentious, then you’re a lowly peasant trying to get a taste of what true magnificence is. ‘Sides. You didn’t even ask.” Lying was so damned human.

Teagan glared at the stranger, fear beginning to wane as anger quickly replaced it. He was in for a rude awakening, of that she could promise. “You gonny come in and try to get it then?” A taunt, a knowing smirk tugging Teagan’s lips as she waded even further into the lake. “Think you’ll find that it ain’t so easy. Ever heard of my body, my choice? Or are ya just like every other man?” Her smirk turned devious. “Looks like you’re gonna leave without it, cythrauluffer.” _______ The fear that Parker could almost feel emanating from the nix was dissipating, as it usually did around this part of the altercation. It was almost rhythmic at this point - he would ask without asking, usually get either a swift or gradual rebuttal, then as they talked and he made multiple attempts to get out of this with minimal damage to either of them, they got emboldened and made the first move. Then Parker was prompted to act in self-defense. It was a gambit of sorts, an explanation that he had come up with over the years to warrant being able to tell the truth as he explained the curiosities and treasures he’d accumulated. She accused him of not asking, which he indeed hadn’t and at this point in his life, he was unsure if he could even ask - of course they were going to say ‘no’ anyway so he long since abandoned that line of literal questioning. There was the occasional fae who didn’t know the rules and he was able to manipulate them to get what he wanted the way he wanted… But most of them reacted the way the nymph before him did. She went further out into the water and while Parker rather fearlessly approached her to the point that his socks were starting to get wet as the shore lapped the rocks and dirt, he stopped shortly. He was a strong swimmer, he wasn’t going to deny it but he also knew that no matter how good he was, he wouldn’t have been able to overpower her in her literal element. However, he just couldn’t keep his eyes off the tail. It was an addiction. He never realized it and still didn’t even now; the pull of obtaining something he’d never seen before, something he could already visualize its form and positioning, seeing it on his table as he carefully worked with it and around it. “Not a preferable outcome.” Parker sighed and he sounded almost disappointed as he finally tore his eyes from her figure and he addressed the numerous things on his belt. He wished he could’ve caught her outside the lake but he had to be improvisational. Unfortunately, he wasn’t equipped to his fullest loadout as Parker recalled the wrist-mounted crossbow that sat on his desk at home, half-assembled as he attempted to customize it for further utility. Perhaps he’d have to meet her in the water, anyway. He just needed to get one of his specialized daggers into her before the tide would turn in his favor. Sighing and still standing next to the lake, he started to take off his socks and roll his pants up. _______

Whether the man was a hunter or not was still unknown, but if he was, he was a little too callous and reckless. For Teagan to think that about a hunter? Now that was saying something. Any respectable warden, (and the nix didn’t, ever) would’ve known better than to charge into a fae’s natural habitat. Being quite literally in their element could and would prove fatal.

A mistake he would not be able to make again because he’d be dead.

“You takin’ what’s mine isn’t preferable either, mun.” Wading in a circle, Teagan taunted the man with her tail, whipping it back and forth above the surface. Like a hypnotist lulling their target into a headspace of their choosing. For Teagan, it was heedless and rash, and by the looks of how he perused his belt, she wasn’t sure what route he’d take. There was no way in hell she was going to risk much more than time, and there wasn’t much left.

Teagan had a ravenous look in her eye, arms widening open to beckon the lake to work in her favor. It roared to life, a large wave rising just over eight feet. The water slammed into the nymph’s opponent, her miscalculation sending her in a swirl toward him. “Iesu mawr!” Teagan hissed as she was thrown straight into the man. On split-second whim, she took a deep breath and urged the water to continue to thrash, sending them both tumbling into the lake. _______

Perhaps Parker shouldn’t have been so forward with his request, as she now seemed to use the knowledge to her advantage as she moved her tail, taunting him, pulling him in and for a moment, it seemed to work as the neurons in his brain were stroked by the beauty of its movement. How he longed to gather it in his hands, to sculpt it into something mesmerizing for himself. Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on how one perceived it), Parker was already closer to the water than he should’ve been by the time the nymph utilized her resonance with her element and he was rapidly greeted with a massive wave that crashed into him… along with her. Their bodies collided though not for long enough and the churning water sucked him in, pushing him under the surface. As he was being turned around in the undertow and having taken a quick, but deep improvisational breath himself, Parker curled his legs into him, turning himself into a temporary protective ball as he pulled one of his specialized knives out. The lakewater was impenetrably dark and he was effectively blind as he was rolled in the water. However, his step of pulling one of his daggers from its spot carefully to avoid losing anything else under the waves had been successfully completed and in another stroke of luck he could see just enough of her in his field of view that he lurched his arm forward, plunging the dagger into… some part of her body, he couldn’t tell what. His other hand moved as quickly as it could, pressing down on the end of the hilt and injecting the body with a special tranquilizer. Of course, it wasn’t a perfected art - every body was different - but he released the dagger, now abandoning that goal in favor of trying to surface. _______

The way the man’s eyes glazed over with desire made the nymph’s stomach twist with disgust. She was appalled by his menacing expression, his greed mounting over into something desperate and chaotic. It was brief and he quickly became calculated again, but watching it happen in real-time practically gave Teagan whiplash.

Back off!

Teagan’s mind screamed, her mouth opening and closing to relay the message. There was no sound, not to whoever that man was. He was only met with bubbling water and thrashing limbs. When Teagan finally managed to get her fins in place, she whipped around, at the ready.

Unlike her opponent, the nix could move easily and see clearly in the lake. It was her element, after all.

With a smile, she bolted forward, claws prepared to sink into flesh. Teagan didn’t mind if it would burn her, she welcomed it like it was family. In a way, it was. At the very least, it had been the most consistent thing in her life; good or bad. So when she didn’t quite make purchase onto the man’s skin, and was instead met with a sensation she was all too familiar with. Iron. She gasped to herself, realizing something was off. Her limbs began to almost immediately grow too heavy to use, not a sensation she was accustomed to.

Panic began to stretch Teagan’s chest tightly, her instinct to kick herself away and remove the…needle? Dagger? She wasn’t quite sure. Did it still have liquid in the��oh no. The edges of Teagan’s vision rippled with black, eyes growing too heavy to keep open. She felt cold and prickly, textured in a way that left her feeling unsettled and terrified. But that didn’t last very long. In a matter of seconds, Teagan was consumed with darkness. _______ Fully prepared for something to make contact with him as he attempted to surface, Parker tried to manipulate his blood to turn him into a last-ditch effort weapon against whatever she would do to him but he couldn’t push it; he was already doing too many things at once and that would’ve sent him into exhaustion quickly. Contrary to his initial belief, however, he had remained unscathed and indeed, his dagger seemed to have hit its mark because the water, no longer controlled by a vehement force of nature like the nix, eased around him. Parker surfaced briefly, looking around to see where he was in relation to the shore. Not too terribly far and he took in another deep breath before he dived. Now that the water was calmer, it allowed him to utilize his own skill in swimming and while he still knew he would never be able to keep up with a creature like a nix or a nereid, his human abilities were still impressive by their standards, or so he liked to think. He couldn’t see effectively so he used broad movements with his arms, searching blindly in the murky depths until they felt a limb. Instinctively grabbing it firmly but not violently, he gathered her in one of his arms and hauled the two of them up where they breached the surface. Breathing deeply and more steadily now, using the techniques he’d learned from those decades in the bayou, Parker pulled her to the shore. He needed to work quickly; the tranquilizers were effective but ephemeral - his longer-lasting tranquilizers were soaked through now, useless as they sat in his pouches. It was fine, it had to be fine unless he could dose her again with another dagger but he only had three more left and he was too far from the Bunker; he’d need to do this now. First, he placed the nix on her side, very gently laying her tail out behind her and almost wasting time with how he looked over it fondly before he left her as she was, going over to his boots for a moment. Secondly, Parker checked his utility belt where he was relieved to learn that his spiked knuckles remained on the clasp in the midst of the roiling water, as did the rest of his daggers and– Perfect. He pulled a new knife from a holster that was on one of his legs, looking similar to an enlarged scalpel in design. Notably, this one wasn’t iron; he wanted the things he collected to be intact, not mottled more than necessary for a single individual performing an impromptu amputation in the middle of nowhere. This was a learning opportunity on multiple fronts. Parker would need to be better prepared in the future but for now he went back over to the nymph, dropped to a crouch and carefully turned the tail over before he made a rather precise incision at the base of her lower back. _______

There were no images, no chorus of noise that welcomed a person so heavy into unconsciousness. There was only a void, thoughts too diluted and muffled to truly reach. Teagan was no longer able to struggle or fight back, body limp and useless against whatever had been injected into her. Even worse, she was useless against the blade that began to slice into her.

By the time Teagan had seen a hint of a light, it felt like it had been hours, but that couldn’t be the case. She could hear the dull sounds of strain behind her. Oh Fates. Her eyes attempted to shoot open, lids working against the fuzzy and heavy weight that enveloped them. “Mm…G-g…!” Teagan had attempted to say ‘Get off,’ but nothing was quite obeying her yet. She couldn’t even feel the way her skin had been cleanly cut, which was a horror in itself.

How far had he gotten?

There was no use thinking about the possibilities. He’d had to have been taking his time considering the care he gave to not injure the nix horribly. Lest he ruin what he had his eyes set on, the fae supposed. It was disgusting and the way he had looked at her like a specimen meant for display made Teagan nauseous. He was worse than a hunter. He was a collector. She had to stop him, even if it was just for that night.

Using what little control she had, the nix twisted and dug her claws into the man’s shoulder. She latched on briefly, the rather large scalpel he had a grip on jolting upwards and slicing Teagan on her middle back. Whatever, she thought, continuing to slash. She just needed to get away and live to see another day. This man would be back, and Teagan would be ready next time. There were things to live for now. She couldn’t risk herself by succumbing to her rage, falling into old habits. No matter how her mind screamed to pursue vengeance. Her anger wasn’t worth her life. Or her tail.

Teagan stood on wobbly legs, the man’s blood burning her hand as it dripped from her claws. “D-don’t come any closer.” She hissed, backing away with her claws tensed and ready as she took an offensive stance. Her visage was tired but captured with rage, the evils of Teagan’s past glimmering in her eyes while her head was tilted down from the weight. She was glowering, no longer willing to be the victim. _______

He was moving slower than he’d have liked, than he needed to to get results. In fact, Parker was moving so slowly that he was still creating an incision wide enough to insert his traditional iron blade to cauterize the wound, intending to separate it from the tail when she stirred back into lucidity. In a fluid motion, her claws punctured his shoulder. He exhaled sharply from the pain and the surge that shot down his arm made him lose control as it tensed up, sending the scalpel smoothly up the nymph’s back. Though he couldn’t control his arm at that juncture, he could manipulate his blood as it rippled beneath the skin, the iron moving in on where her claws were embedded in his flesh - his last-ditch weapon. She didn’t let go and he dropped the scalpel, wrenching his arm from her as he got to his feet. The motion was with strength but it was careless as Parker’s blood sprayed the wet earth beneath them. First, he pressed his other hand against the fresh wound, his nostrils flaring as he felt the lasting sting of her claws in his flesh. His blue eyes looked into hers, his expression narrowed and seeing her emotions dancing in them like an animal. Then they flickered to her stance, her frame, noting the way her legs shook as she was still affected by the tranquilizers. Then they rested on what he could see of her tail, the way it carelessly oozed blood and a flash of anger overcame his features. …No, he went up; he didn’t cut her tail, he lacerated her back. Parker wasn’t even using iron, so she could recover anyway. The anger on his face, while dissipating and making way for more of the narrow-eyed fascination and obsession, was still present somewhat, however. And he could use fluid motions, too. Removing his hand from the injured shoulder, it went down and brushed against his soaking jeans, fingers looping around the spiked iron knuckles that swayed to his side. He yanked a clenched fist back up and there was a snap as the clasp was disconnected. “You don’t control me, nix.” Then it was his turn to lunge and he rushed towards her, drawing his bloody fist back, aiming for the same shoulder she had. The clavicle, ideally to make a break in the bone. Parker wasn’t the type to turn to violence but as the pulse in his other arm reminded him, he didn’t start this. _______

There was a deranged look in the man’s eye, his desire flowing straight into crazed anger at what he was denied. He’d done this countless times, so much so that he believed he had every right. That was the most terrifying part of the whole thing. How many had he hurt before he fixated on the nix before him? Teagan’s stomach twisted with nausea like a knife, and her heart soon followed suit. He had to be stopped.

“Fuck you!” She screamed, grief for her cousins that fell victim to that evil man consuming her chest. The woman Teagan had been trying to leave behind washed over her, ignoring the way pain continued to pulse on her skin. “You don’t control me, and you cannot have any part of me!” Rushing forward as the man did, the two of them clashed in a ferocious flurry of fury.

The way he’d gone straight for her clavicle felt a little like he was attempting balance, an eye for an eye. Teagan couldn’t help but notice that, having revered Fate and balance her whole life. This stranger could never work as Fate did. She was unbiased, not caring about setting things right or wrong, only ensuring all was as it should be.

It wasn’t this. It wasn’t white-hot pain flaring from what felt like a break to her collarbone. Teagan screamed, her strength waning as the agony from holding her opponent away from her caused something akin to a crunch. The fight had to end or she’d be finding herself dead or…mutilated. Or both.

Fates, she wanted Arden.

In a last ditch effort, Teagan brought her knees to her chest, digging her feet into the man’s stomach as she sank her claws in a final time. She dragged her hands down, hoping to leave her mark just before she sent her opponent flying with a kick. Rising to her feet and holding her shoulder, Teagan hissed, “Looks like you get nothing, boyo.” With a final glower, she retreated into the lake, going too far for him to reach her again. _______ How similar they were sometimes. How both of them assumed control, how they both loved to hoard their treasures and use words to their advantage. And how Parker would never admit any of this, the thoughts not even going through his head as his eyes simultaneously seemed to illuminate with keen observation yet darken with malintent as he lunged forward.

She met him halfway, which was perfect all things considered - her rushing to him meant that Parker didn’t have to attempt to go through any limbs that would be raised in self-defense. Her body hit his own and he advanced on her. While she might’ve been stronger in the water, she wasn’t in the water, as well as coming off the effects of his custom sedatives and he was taller than her. She pushed him, he pushed back but most importantly, his arm that was wound back was faster as it shot out like a bullet for her shoulder

The sound of her bone breaking in the otherwise-still night air was enough of an indicator for Parker that the spiked knuckles hit their target and while he felt one of his eyes twitch as she pressed against the fresh holes in his shoulder but he knew it wasn’t going to last for long so he endured it; he could, he would and he always will. He kept the blood spinning in his veins, pushing it to the surface just under his skin in case.

He pulled back his fist and part of Parker wanted to get another jab in, a show of dominance, control, and for a moment the nymph’s visage was replaced by the one that murdered his father and critically injured his brother. However, one blink later and that fae was gone, one into another and he didn’t have time to react when he gasped as she brought her feet up, her talons piercing his abdomen, her claws in his skin once more and for another moment they were frozen in place. His eyes widened with surprise and yet, he didn’t didn’t yell but before he knew it, she had kicked him back and he was propelled back, flying some odd feet in the air before hitting the ground and sliding back.

Coughing out an exhale as he collided roughly with the ground, Parker scrambled to face her once more but the nix was already partially in the water, holding her shoulder and shooting him a venomous glare before she submerged herself into the lake and leaving him with the remnants of what she said echoing in his aching skull.

He got nothing. He lost.

Or so she said. Now that she was gone his breathing got more shaky as Parker furrowed his brow, gritting his teeth tightly to deal with the pain of her rending his flesh. He got to his feet slowly, pulling his hand away from his abdomen as his blood shined in the moonlight. Nothing he couldn’t recover from. He gingerly walked over to his boots and gathered them up along with the rest of his materials that weren’t lost to the lake before casting one more intense blue-eyed gaze to the rippling surface of the lake before disappearing into the thick trees once more.

She said he got nothing but he left with the one thing more important than her tail.

He knew what she was and where she lived.

#wickedswriting #WR Writing #Writing: Splashes and Slashes #writing with: Teagan #drug manipulation tw #[tranquilizers]#medical blood tw #[surgery]#parental death tw #[mention]#The Collector // Writing

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