#writings from the fen

[phantomfen]

The Captain Red Hood, dreaded pirate of the Gotham Sea, was followed by the wildest stories.

Bruce had really thought the Kraken was hearsay too.

I made a cover for my fic for Haunting Heroes Who Wrote That: Mer Edition. I had a blast writing Captain Red Hood & The Kraken

[bloggerspam]

A Christmas Carol AU

Inspired by a prompt found in the @haunting-heroes-creative-games :) (i.e. back on my shit again)

When a 15 year old Jason, pissed at Bruce for taking Robin away from him, finds his birth certificate he realizes Catherine Todd is not his real mother.

Just as he resolves to go out and search for his birth mother, Jason finds himself accosted by three ghosts in his room, talking about A Christmas Carol of all things.

===

"So, what? We're gonna Christmas Carol him?"

Dan scoffs, crossing his bulky arms with an unimpressed look. "We hated that movie."

"I didn't." Dani chirps, disturbingly cheery, "I didn't see it!"

"We hate Christmas," Danny corrects, "But the movie was alright, and the logic is sound."

"I don't hate Christmas," Dani once again interjects cheerily, "I've never participated!"

"Sound my ass," Dan growls over her, throwing his hands up. "We don't even know this guy!"

"Minor detail." Danny insists, "Tuck can look him up."

"He's a fucking Bat, Danny." Dan scrunches up his face, pinching the bridge of his nose just like Vlad does when he's disgruntled with any of Dad's shenanigans.

"He's a Robin, actually." Dani pipes in, "And he's just a kid. How hard is it gonna be to pretend to be this kid's Ghosts?"

"You're a kid," Dan reminds her, crossing his arms, "And you didn't believe me when I told you sticking a fork in the outlet would shock you."

"I believed you," Dani sniffs haughtily, crossing her arms and pointing her nose up with a snooty voice, "The warning simply did not deter me from doing it anyway."

"We don't have to convince him we're his Ghosts, or even that we knew him before," Danny reasons, needling, "We just have to convince him that we're…"

He hums, pointing at Dani. "Past."

He points at himself, "Present."

He points at Dan, "Future."

Dani does a little cheer, arms up and twirling into the air before landing with her legs over Dan's shoulders, hands and head settling atop Dan's fiery, but harmless, hair. It flickers, before going limp into long white strands that Dani messes up by gently scrunching up the strands and running her fingers through them.

Dan lets her, huffing and looking weirdly like a downtrodden, wet cat. "Why am I future?"

"Because." Danny doesn't continue, because he knows it makes Dan annoyed. True to form, his scowl gets worse, like sucking on a lemon. They all know why anyway.

Dani grins, triumphant and knowing, letting her voice go real deep, "The future," she intones into Dan's hair, "is here."

"The future is now," Danny corrects her, but doesn't lose his smile, floating up to tuck a strand of her hair back behind her ear.

"The future is already here," Dan mumbles his correction, or is it a follow-up? "It's just not evenly distributed."

"How about you distribute some of those muscles, Gibson," Danny sighs, shaking his head "Waiting for puberty is such a drag, and we both know you didn't get the mass from Vlad's side of the family."

Dan makes a moue of disgust, but it serves him right. The consequences of his own actions, and whatnot. He looks up at Dani, who simply shrugs. "I think you'll do great." She leans down to give him two pats on the arm.

"So how's acting out A Christmas Carol gonna help us stop this Jason guy from blowing up?" Dani fiddles with Dan's hair, tongue poking out as she attempts a braid, "Will he even see us? Ghosts in this dimension taste funny."

"He'll be able to see us, it's magically rich enough for some ghosts to maintain a semblance of themselves," Danny explains for the third time. Dani and Dan hum at different pitches, and even though Danny is the common denominator he kind of hates that Vlad has more of a lasting impression on them. "The ectoplasm here is scarce and mostly corrupted, though, so it's rare."

"So there's lotsa bad ghosts here?" Dani eyes the messy braid she's made, proud, even as Dan's silky hair immediately causes it to fall apart, "Or 'mentally unsound' or whatever Frostbite called it."

"No," Dan grumbles, annoyed and indulging all at once, "Corruption begets ecto-rot, but the scarcity means they're not strong enough to actually retain their sense of self enough to rot."

"Shades," Danny explains when Dani looks even more confused, "There's lots of shades."

"Is this one of the Olympian dimensions?" Dani groans, flopping over Dan's shoulder as he sits down on the sofa, "I love Pandora and all, but if I see Zeus again I'm gonna lose it."

"It's one of the hero dimensions," Danny hums, taking over braiding Dan's hair the way Jazz made him when they were little, "There's a couple of Amazons walking about, but on the whole no Olympians."

"I don't know why he didn't just dump me in a Norse dimension." Dan leans back and closes his eyes to their ministrations. "Especially with my current occupation."

The three of them are sitting in Dan's apartment, a large loft studio located somewhere in the UK of the aforementioned hero-dimension. Alber-something, Danny can't remember. Doesn't need to, it being a different dimension from his anyway.

Dan doesn't have a lot of things: a sofa and TV, a bed in the corner, a decent but small kitchen. They're still trying to figure out decorations, but Dan on the whole is a minimalist so it's been slow going.

He's working as a bartender these nights, whiling away his odd existence now that his form has stabilized.

And wasn't that a trip? Learning that hey, adult lightning halfas shouldn't really be mixed with teenage ice halfas, actually!

Apparently, ectoplasm can become corrupted if you try to combine incompatible sources.

Apparently, side effects include (but are not limited to) unmitigated violence and a devastating need for vengeance.

Sound familiar?

"This dimension has a lot of time continuity errors," Danny reminds him, "Dropping you here gave the least amount of pushback."

"Yeah, yeah," Dan flaps a lazy hand, "Praise be the speedforce and flashpoints and whatnot."

"Plus," Dani adds softly, absent-minded as she watches Danny finish up the braid, "Lotsa heroes to help out if you relapse."

Dan heaves a slow, controlled sigh. Danny and Dani both pretend they don't notice.

"Is it bad?" Dan doesn't open his eyes, his voice is so low Danny can only hear him by virtue of his ghost powers, "Like me levels bad?"

"No." Danny shakes his head, leaning into his older self, his older brother of sorts, "He decapitated eight crime lords, killed a couple of assassins, maybe an innocent or two depending on your definition of things."

"Past tense?" Dan scrunches his nose. They all hate how confusing Time Shenanigans are.

"He's living as Red Hood, right this very moment."

"Red Hood?" Dani questions, "That his hero name?"

"Crime lord alias." Danny corrects her, "But he's more of a vigilante these days. Has a bat on his chest and everything."

"But it's bad enough to warrant a trip to the past." Dan points out, "Bad enough for us to try and persuade him. Does he relapse?"

"Not…exactly." Danny scrunches his face, not wanting to explain Clockwork's ambiguity.

Dani floats to spread over Danny and Dan's laps, sprawling out and purring like a cat. Self-soothing, though it's more for their benefit than hers.

"Like Dani said, there’re lots of heroes here, and he doesn't have powers." Danny continues, petting at Dani's soft hair, "The world doesn't end. He doesn't have the means to, even with the ecto-rot."

Danny pauses, and chooses his words deliberately and carefully. "And deep down, Jason Todd is a hero through and through. Relapse would be…difficult. His Obsession is similar to yours."

Dan lets that sit for a moment, but nods, Danny moving a little with the motion. The tension slowly bleeds out as they wait like that, enjoying each other's company.

"If the world doesn't end," Dani whispers, "Why is Clockwork sending all of us?"

Danny thinks on that, on his meeting with Clockwork. The Ancient's voice when he explained what would happen.

He thinks about Jason Todd, about Bruce Wayne, and Catherine, and Sheila. He thinks about Batman, and Robin.

He thinks about Dick Grayson and Tim Drake, about Damian Al Ghul, about Cassandra Cain, and all of Jason's Outlaws.

He thinks about a tattered uniform that stays up in a glass case for a long, long time.

Most of all, he thinks about Dan.

He thinks about regrets and one bad day away.

And then he stops thinking about it, because sometimes the past is the past, and other times, it's the future that never happens that haunts you instead.

"You know, Dani." He settles on, "I'm not sure. He probably has his reasons."

Dan leans heavier onto him, and they lean together like that, with Dani in their laps.

Ghosts of decisions made, unmade, and never to be.

Follow the story on AO3 here!

[paperfen]

Torbek says to keep yourself safe, but theres more art below the cut! CW: Scars and discussion of surgery

Fun Fen Fact! Some back surgeries require surgeons to go through the abdomen, and although newer research is showing the complications of doing so, I don't think feywild witchlight doctors really care about that! :) In my own personal headcanon (hehehe) I say that Torbek has quite a large scar on his back and a thin long scar on his abdomen where the tubing of the witchlight was pulled through and grafted to his body tissue and possibly organs. Each of the scars that has a witchlight tube connected to it constantly seems infected and angry. Both because Torbek messes with his tubes a lot and because his body is still aggravated by the witchlight. The only scar that has healed somewhat cleanly is the scar on his front, which will probably eventually grow fur again in time once Torbek stops picking at the scabs (so me fr). The notch in his ear is from him ripping out the tag that was once in it. His right paw is more or less permanently disfigured and discolored, being the dominant hand that he would use for combat and therefore being the most witchlight-manipulated. The visible veins of witchlight on his right claws glow and pulse, sometimes entirely seeming to disappear. I really really really wish I knew how his canisters work I want to know their mechanical secrets so BADLY!!! I'm only up to ep 34 im dying to learn the secrets of the Torbek I also find it extremely amusing that I did the lineart for the warning but not the lineart for the actual piece that the warning is for LMAO

[strangerhands]

L👀K AT OUR BOY!

YESSSS FAVOURITE BLORBO WITH A ~MAYBE~ 10 PERSON FAN GROUP... but he is so special to me. he plagues my every thot. babygirl. i love him so much...<3

[birb--birb]

its fascinating seeing my character's backstories change from "past issues I was dealing with in therapy" to "current issues I'm currently dealing with in therapy"

[heartsofhounds]

SPEAK UP ‼️Who’s hungry for more David Shaw content <3

[fennthetalkingdog]

I find it so funny that I was seconds away from naming myself Violet/Vio/Vi when I was choosing a new name for myself. Like, I had decided that I would come out to my friends on Coming Out Day, and for almost months before I'd been calling myself Vio so I'd thought I'd come out as that, of course. But then days before I was gonna come out, I named a story character Jackal and found myself loving that name. But when I wrote another story, I couldn't just name them Jackal too, so I looked online for names like it and that's how I found Fennec. And that's how I ended up becoming "Fennec" for almost 4 years of my life at this point!

[only-wonder]

New type of guy just dropped

[shivunin]

Last Line Thingamajig

I'm so sorry, I missed the last one you tagged me in @scribbledquillz T.T Here are two lines, technically, to compensate:

The ache over his ribs faded over time, as did the scar. 

The memory did not.

I am tagging...You! I feel like I've tagged everyone and their mama in something the last few days. If you want to post the last line of what you're working on (especially if it's funny) tag me back and let me see c:

[phantomfen]

Chapter 6 of Interloper is out now :3

---

NW: So tonight has been wonderful RR: No N, it wasn’t, it sucked. RR: It was like taking a cold shower, for 5 hours, while in uniform. NW: Verily NW: Which is why i went to hoods for pity pancakes and guess what S: n y do u keep bragging about the pity pancakes every time NW: I never brag about the pancakes S: you so do NW: I would Never

---

RR: I’m sorry? RH, you are dating someone who professionally goes by ‘Diesel Beretta’?? RH: Apology accepted. RR: Fuck you.

---

[frankmillerturnonyourlocation]

oh dammit i also need to build two more pages. Sigh okay as a reminder to myself and also because i want to talk about them messily here's my two wills that ive been procrastinating on giving tags:

Will Stanton!

From The Dark Is Rising (book series). Wildly dense British fantasy from the 70s that's gonna require more nuanced understanding of western European history to fully analyze and appraise than I have in me to give. With what I've got: it's, uh, definitely a British fantasy series from the 70s, with pieces of all the flaws you'd expect and possibly some exciting new ones, but it's good-hearted overall, and damn if it isn't beautiful.

I picked up a really old copy of the second book in the series from an elementary school that was giving them away during possibly the coldest, darkest, most socially hostile period of my college experience. Real leaving in the dark and coming home after dark vibes. I ended up finishing the book in the following semester, on a bench in town right before a beautiful spring storm. So, like, of course it's tattooed onto my heart.

Will is a twelve-year-old boy who lives on a farm and is also the last of a group of ancient, magic, impossibly wise guardians of all things ontologically good or whatever and he's no longer counted among humans as one of them and he's a little shit to his big sisters and he sings soprano. He walked into the woods with a teenager who wanted to hurt him and he never again acted entirely like a child. He tried to tell his favorite brother about it once. His brother didn't understand. He is the only one of the series' many child heroes who will remember any of it, and he will remember it forever, because he will not die. and im his weird time-lost best friend babysitter he shares a soul bond with and we have small companion dragons that are manifestations of our souls and its rad as fuck okay dont worry about it istg this is as far outside of canon compliance i have gotten with a self ship thus far

and thennnn.

William Shakespeare! (THE CHARARCTER FROM SOMETHING ROTTEN!)

Musicals are so fucking fun. It's like, cool, this thing rewired my brain, and I'm never gonna see it again. And we just do this to ourselves on purpose because live theater is so special and powerful like that. We do this on purpose.

And THEN it's like cool, cool, I'm researching contraceptive methods from the renaissance now, awesome. I'm spending my one wild and precious life thinking about meetcutes with Literal Playwright William Shakespeare. Nobody unfollow me for this. It's barely even rpf.

He's a little BITCH and a PLAGIARIST and a ROCK STAR and a CYNICAL ROMANTIC. I am CROSSDRESSING as a TEENAGE BOY to safely and legally CROSSDRESS AS A WOMAN to play BIT PARTS and get HECKLED onstage. And we slowburn until we develop a deep reliance on each other as two people with few healthy and reciprocal relationships with anyone else.

At some point, he lets me write some scripts and have them performed under his name. We all fucking hear me right now, right? Jesus Christ. It's not historical rpf. But I am saying that I would allow fictionalized, slutty William Shakespeare plagiarize my writing if he let me direct a little bit and also we were in love about it. I am saying that. And we're all still here.

[whatareyoudoingwithamaserati]

STRAIGHT DUBS TODAY FEN IS HOME

[kabr0ztrousers]

Kabr0z Writes: A contents page!

The Kabr0z Writes series is a smut anthology that I am writing one per day, every day. Episodes will often not be related to one another, and will be clearly marked if they do.

Each part will have separate CWs at the top of the story, along with any author's notes I feel are pertinent. Please read these as tone veers wildly throughout

If you want to see something, and it doesn't look like it's been written already (or even if it does) please, please, please, send me an ask, a dm, anything, and I'll probably wind up writing it. 365 stories is a lot of stories! I need all the inspiration I can get!

Everything is OK to reblog, remix, copy, paste, whatever. Just please credit me if you do.

There's an Ao3 now as well!

#########################################

Episode 1: The First Time - in which masc!reader invites a man from the internet for oral sex

Episode 2: The Previous Tenant - in which a presence in a cheap flat invades fem!reader's dreams, then body

Episode 3: A Very Bad Idea; Part 1 - in which fem!reader and a close friend dabble in demonology

Episode 4: A Very Bad Idea; Part 2 - in which things go from bad to worse

Episode 5: A Very Bad Idea; Part 3 - a moment of tenderness, then bad medicine, then mad science, a feeling we haven't seen the last of this

Episode 6: Wedding Dong - Fem!reader goes to an old friend's wedding, meets another old friend, and has a roll in the rhododendrons

Episode 7: The Rowing Team - in which fem!reader attends a party, and gets ganged up on in more ways than one

Episode 8: Concerning Portals - in which fem!reader wears some mysterious underwear on the bus. It turns out to be a bad idea

Episode 9: Farm Work - In which Fem!Reader has a really bad day, culminating in being livestock on a hucow farm, with some added TF fun thrown in

Episode 10: Debt, part 1 - In which Fem!Reader agrees to 3 nebulous tasks in return for enough money to cover her mounting debts

Episode 11: Debt, part 2 - Professor Blaidd takes Fem!Reader to a party, as the main course

Episode 12: Debt, part 3 - The experiment involving Fem!Reader and Professor Blaidd comes to a sloppy conclusion

Episode 13: Tiptoe Through the Tulips - In which a gardening contest is taken too seriously, and leads to some whipping, then some tribbing

Episode 14: Artistic Intent - Fem!reader sits for an art class, then sits on the teacher

Episode 15: German Sausage - A long distance train sees Fem!Reader get very well acquainted with her cervid travelling companion

Episode 16: Fae Deals, part 1 - the start of the third 3 parter, Masc!Reader meets a Fae prince on Grindr and tries to hook up. They go to a second location where Masc!Reader becomes Fem!Reader

Episode 17: Fae Deals, Part 2 - Newly Fem!Reader is turned over to the Fae Prince's friends before being passed around

Episode 18: Fae Deals, Part 3 - Fem!Reader is introduced to her new friends at the hunting lodge. It's... a lot (seriously, read the CWs on this one)

Episode 19: Four Seasons Landscaping - Another palette-cleanser after yesterday. Fem!Reader has a gig to do some "minor weeding" and winds up getting up-close and personal with a flower

Episode 20: Your Minotaur Boyfriend - A quick scene of intense, enthusiastic fucking between fem!Reader and your king-bed sized minotaur boyfriend

Episode 21: The Lake - By request! Fen!Reader goes skinny dipping in a lake and gets got by a tentacle monster. Expect heavy noncon and impregnation

Episode 22: The Ritual, Part 1 - Another request! Fem!Reader is a barmaid with a slightly unconventional selling point. Lots of CNC, enthusiastic consent and multiple men on one woman

Episode 23: The Ritual, Part 2 - Fem!Reader winds up having a bad time at the hands of a cult

Episode 24: The Ritual, part 3 - The conclusion of this 3-parter. Fem!Reader finds out more about her new husband, and enjoys the wedding night

Episode 25: Suddenly Sci-fi - Fem!Reader gets abducted by aliens and probed. Expect drugging, overstim, and the end of human civilization as you know it!

Episode 26: Disciplinary Action - Fem!Reader tries to escape her alien overlord, winds up dispensing refreshments at his upcoming party

Episode 27: The Wounded Beast - Another fantasy! Forest ranger fem!reader is tracking a poacher, winds up meeting a minotaur and has some fun

Episode 28: Mountain Oni - Masc!Reader takes shelter from inclement weather on a mountain hike, gets femdom'ed by a beautiful Oni

Episode 29: Farm Work Part 2 - We return to the hucow farm to follow up on Fem!Reader during the last few weeks of her pregnancy with her monster child. This one actually turned out less dark than expected, which is a nice change

Episode 30: The Hash Slinging Slasher - Fem!Reader doesn't think she fits the MO of the local masked serial killer, turns out she does, and he's got a thing for plump women with great tits

Episode 31: Bug Buzz - Fem!Reader is doing cartography when she gets jumped, stung, and filled with eggs

Episode 32: Homecoming - Fem!Reader's Naga girlfriend is coming back from a business trip, expect fluffy wlw fucking with remarkably few CWs

Episode 33: The Book - Fem!Reader finds a book of summoning magic and decides to get an incubus encounter out of it, this one might get picked up again later

Episode 34: Free Range - A broken down car leads to Fem!Reader getting kidnapped and taken to a free-range hucow farm. Think episode 9 but less awful

Episode 35: Interdiction - Space Explorer FtM!Reader gets got by new life and filled with eggs in a slightly horrifying scene. It's fun, and the closest thing to fanfic I've written so far

Episode 36: Hunter, Hunted - Fem!Reader is hunting a beast terrorising a village, gets hunted in return and mercilessly bred, with some turnabout at the end

Episode 37: Coulrophilia - Fem!Reader doesn't like clowns, then meets a few she winds up really liking. Expect a nice and fluffy clown gangbang

Episode 38: Date Night - Another quick standalone, Fem!Reader gets home from work and has enthusiastic kitchen-table sex with her werewolf husband. Enjoy!

Episode 39: Haunting - Fem!Reader gets the attention of an unpleasant ghost, and duped into releasing its pals

Episode 40: Sanguinare Vampiris - Fem!Reader's vampire boyfriend comes over for dinner and a movie. It's either sorta fluffy or really horrifying depending on how familiar you are with 90's Vampire TTPRGs

Episode 41: Dances with snakes - Fem!Reader is doing an anthropology on an alien world, herself having been made into a snake-hybrid to better survive, ends up in a closer encounter than anticipated. It goes a bit Dune, a bit Foundation, very long

Episode 42: Orc Daddy - Fem!Reader is the only human in the orc village, and her adoptive father has a suitor in mind for her. expect enthusiastic consent, size difference, arranged marriage, and breeding

Episode 43: Getting into the nose - Probably not my best work, Fem!Reader discovers her husband is a part-time clown and gets drawn into the hobby for an afternoon

Episode 44: 'Neath a Pale Moon - Fem!Reader sneaks out of her village to meet her werewolf lover, winds up being able to spend a lot more time with him

Episode 45: Resistance - Fem!Reader is part of a resistance cell fighting the Chitinid forces, a failed act of defiance goes very, very badly for her

Episode 46: Another day in the fields - Following on from episode 34, Fem!Reader has had her child, and is going to get her minotaur lover/owner to giver her another one

Episode 47: One Year Later - It's Fem! Reader's anniversary with Oreg! They fuck! It's good! Enjoy!

Episode 48: Medical Attention - Funtime's over but Professor Blaidd is still stuck in Fem!Reader. Good thing you're both friends with a werewolf doctor who does house calls

Episode 49: Medical Science - Roswell-style aliens abduct and experiment on Fem!Reader using transformation serums. If you like rapid growth, you'll like this one

Episode 50: Hot as Hell - Masc!Reader is having a movie night with some demon friends, one is late, the other goes into rut, he helps out

Episode 51: Daring Escape - Fem!Reader has to escape a fantasy city without being spotted. Help arrives in the form of a centaur and, tied to his belly, the escape is launched. Dubcon cumulation fun abound

Episode 52: Doll - Fem!Reader offends a faerie and gets turned into a clockwork fucktoy. She later gets found, and claimed (a bit shorter tonight, sleep cycle is so out of whack)

Episode 53: Hornyposting - Fem!Reader gets a pair of portal panties off the internet and posts her friend code to a public forum. Then she wears them to a café and really irritates a barista by getting publicly knotted

Episode 54: The In-Laws - Fem!Reader is out of options and needs to stay with her in-laws to keep a roof over her daughter's head. It turns out to be a mixed blessing. CWs for vampires, and I'm not kidding at all when I say gallons of blood

Episode 55: Young Lovers - It's A-level results day and Fem!Reader has done well. She spends the day with her doting werewolf boyfriend and they get up to some fun

Episode 56: Demonic Awakening - Fem!Reader tries to summon a succubus to break her dry spell. It doesn't work, and she gets more than she bargained for

Episode 57: Ranch Hand - Fem!Reader didn't get a job as a hucow, and almost gave up on her ambition to become a professional whore for the three minotaur brothers who run the ranch until a mysterious text message gives her hope (I'm real proud of this one)

Episode 58: Pack Tactics - The world ended several years ago. Fem!Reader has been running with wolves since then. A juvenile takes an interest in her, and one thing leads to another

Episode 59: Sacrifice - Fem!Reader escaped a terrible fate long ago, and now has to come back to her hometown to save her niece from the same. It ends badly

Episode 60: Beauty and the Beasts - It's the 1600s and Fem!Reader has a pair of wolf boyfriends! It's a good time, lots of consensual fucking, lots of exposition about the origin of lupines in the continuity, some implied impregnation

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Reference: Topographical Elements

Ideas for Naming your Fictional Places

Buildings and stones brough, burton, caster, church, cross, kirk, mill, minster, stain, stone, wark ⚜ Examples: Crossthwaite, Felixkirk, Newminster, Staines, Whitchurch

Coastline features ey, holme, hulme, hythe, naze, ness, port, sea ⚜ Examples: Bardsey, Greenhithe, Sheerness, Southport, Southsea

Dwellings and farms barton, berwick, biggin, bold, by, cote, ham, hampstead, hamton, house, scale, sett, stall, thorpe, toft, ton, wick ⚜ Examples: Fishwick, Newham, Potterton, Westby, Woodthorpe

Fields and clearings combe, croft, den, ergh, field, ham, haugh, hay, ing, land, lease, lock, meadow, rick, ridding, rode, shot, side, thwaite, wardine, worth, worthy ⚜ Examples: Applethwaite, Cowden, Smallworthy, Southworth, Wethersfield

General locations and routes bridge, ford, gate, ing, mark, path, stead, stoke, stow, street, sty, way ⚜ Examples: Epping, Horsepath, Longford, Ridgeway, Stonebridge, Streetly

Hills and slopes bank, barrow, borough, breck, cam, cliff, crook, down, edge, head, hill, how, hurst, ley, ling, lith, mond, over, pen, ridge, side, tor ⚜ Examples: Barrow, Blackdown, Longridge, Redcliff, Thornborough, Windhill

Rivers and streams batch, beck, brook, burn, ey, fleet, font, ford, keld, lade, lake, latch, marsh, mere, mouth, ore, pool, rith, wade, water, well ⚜ Examples: Broadwater, Fishlake, Mersey, Rushbrooke, Saltburn

Woods and groves bear, carr, derry, fen, frith, greave, grove, heath, holt, lea, moor, oak, rise, scough, shaw, tree, well, with, wold, wood ⚜ Examples: Blackheath, Hazlewood, Oakley, Southwold, Staplegrove

Valleys and hollows bottom, clough, combe, dale, den, ditch, glen, grave, hole, hope, slade ⚜ Examples: Cowdale, Denton, Greenslade, Hoole, Longbottom, Thorncombe

NOTE

These elements are all found in many different spellings. Old English beorg ‘hill, mound’, for example, turns up as bar-, berg-, -ber, -berry, -borough, and -burgh. Only one form is given above (Thornborough).

Several items have the same form, but differ in meaning because they come from different words in Old English. For example, -ey has developed in different ways from the two words ea ‘river’ and eg ‘island’. It is not always easy deciding which is the relevant meaning in a given place name.

This resource does not distinguish between forms which appear in different parts of a place name. Old English leah ‘forest, glade’, for example, sometimes appears at the beginning of a name (Lee- or Leigh-), sometimes at the end (-leigh, -ley), and sometimes alone (Leigh) (K. Cameron, 1961).

Source ⚜ More: Notes ⚜ Worldbuilding ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[quietstormxr]

No Need

Here's a Xaden x Reader that was a message request.

Slight Iron Flame Spoilers

Summary: You were Xaden's Wingleader and sent to Chakir. You discovered the venin and rebellion and want to fight, but don't want Xaden to know. You fight at Pavis and are injured.

Angst to Fluff

Hope this covers the request. I had a lot of fun writing it!

Word Count : 4.7k

Getting used to the idea that you were now considered a ‘traitor’ would definitely take some time. As you walked up to the entrance of the fortress of Riorson House in the warm August heat, you couldn’t help but take in the brutal beauty in front of you. 

As you walked, you kept your steps measured, but your head held high. Your latest intercepted intelligence told you that this is where you would find the new instance of Fen Riorson’s original rebellion. Even though you no longer exchanged letters with Xaden, your heart knew you would never be able to let innocent people die for the lies Navarrian leadership would spin.

As you walked up to the fortress, someone with close cropped auburn curls came walking out of the doors. You honestly couldn’t believe they would let you get this close before taking you down, but you had just shrugged your shoulders and kept moving. 

“What is your business here, rider?” The man in front of you asked in an accusatory tone, leaving no room for niceties. 

Knowing there was no reason to beat around the bush, you began to explain. 

“I’m here to offer my services to the rebellion. I have deserted my post at Chakir and want to join the fight against the venin.” You said with your shoulders squared, chin high, and a tone of conviction. 

“What is your name, Lieutenant?” The man asked looking at the ranking on your flight jacket. 

“I am Lieutenant L/N. I was a wingleader of Fourth Wing two years ago and Xaden Riorson served as a squad leader under my leadership.”

The man kept looking at you as you explained, a flash of understanding flew across his features.

“Ah, yes. Lieutenant Riorson spoke highly of you. However, I’m sure you are aware that you will need to be questioned before your intentions can be ascertained.”

You nodded your head, while he began to lead you to an open room. 

As soon as you entered, you were overwhelmed by the stares directed at you. There were five other people, obviously older than you, that were looking as if they had just broken from a heated discussion. 

The man that ushered you in, gestured at a chair at the other side of the table and you took a seat. 

“I am Lieutenant Colonel Brennan Aisereigh. I know from Lieutenant Riorson, that you may have suspected that our operations existed. However, now that you are here, please help us get to know you by confirming how you learned of our existence, the venin, and any other current knowledge you can share.”

You gave a curt not before immediately starting to explain your reasoning for being there. You explained your close relationship with Xaden, leaving out the fact that you had been involved while you were at Basgiath. You explained how you came across the correspondence that led you to Aretia and the way you had come across the venin while on a patrol in Chakir. As soon as you were finished explaining everything you could, you were ushered out of the room and to another room.

You looked around and realized this must have been someone’s office, as there was a desk with papers and maps strewn about. You took a seat in one of the plush chairs lining the walls and got yourself ready for the long waiting game ahead as the members in the other room decided your fate. 

As you sat there, you couldn’t help reminiscing over the relationship that you and Xaden shared. You remembered the stolen moments you had taken in your room as the Wingleader of Fourth Wing, the nights spent together talking and laughing while looking up at the stars, and even the fights that always seemed explosive. 

You both had kept in touch when you first left Basgiath, but as distance does, it seemed that you both drifted apart. You still thought of him often and even remembered the touch of his hands on your skin. But, with all the rumors that you received at your post, you were more than aware that Xaden had moved on more than once at this point. 

 You took a deep breath and sighed, knowing that line of thinking wasn’t going to help you in any way. But before you finished exhaling, the door to the study opened. 

“Lieutenant Colonel, have you all come to a decision?” You asked as you stood to mark the respect to the rank of the man in front of you.

“Yes, the Assembly has confirmed that you are welcome to serve with us in this rebellion, if you so choose. However, if at any time your loyalties are called into question, you will have to face a tribunal.” He says his face stern to convey the gravity of what you were taking on. 

Without an ounce of hesitation, you say. “I understand completely. I am more than willing to prove myself of service to the Assembly and rebellion. However, if I may, I have one request.”

He looks as you with confusion and gives a quick nod for you to continue.

“As I’m sure you are aware, Xaden and I have history. I would like for him to be kept in the dark as to my involvement. I understand that this is his house, so I would like to find lodging somewhere else. I want to be just another name on the rolls of Lieutenants for you to command as you need.”

He looks at you with a face of slight confusion. “How do you intend on him being unaware if we use your name?”

I give a small smile and continue. “I would like to use my grandmother’s maiden name, in place of my last name. I don’t believe he will know who is on the rolls by just my first name. I also ask that if he ever returns to the rebellion full time, I am put on any other squad. I do not wish to be a distraction.” You say knowing that you may be the one that is distracted. 

“Otherwise, I will report to duty and such as normal.” I finish.

He gives me a look as if trying to discern something but nods his head in agreement. 

Months pass and your new routine continues to develop. You had moved into a small cottage near the fortress and were able to successfully avoid everyone in the fortress for the most part. The only people you saw regularly were Brennan, as you now knew him and Felix. 

Brennan had found you were a good sounding board for him and helped with strategy when things were constantly shifting. 

You didn’t mind either as it kept you extremely busy. You were constantly learning the movements of the venin, helping to research more on how their powers worked, and were even brought into negotiations with Poromiel. It was a whirlwind on how you infiltrated into the inner workings of the rebellion. 

As you are packing your bag for your next assignment, you hear the roar of wind hitting the windows of your cottage. You look out the window to see the largest riot you’ve ever seen flying overhead.

You scrunch your nose in annoyance though when you see Sgaeyl is leading the whole riot. 

‘Can we leave before Sgaeyl sees you?’ You ask Fenrir, not wanting to get caught up in explanations or reunions. 

‘I’m ready when you are Ferocious One.’ He confirms back.

‘Let’s go. I’ll meet you to the west of town, since I assume the riot will be flying to the valley.’

You hear Fenrir huff in agreement and quickly finish your hair and grab your pack, while sprinting out the door with a cloak drawn to hide your features. 

                                ____________

Not long after getting to the outpost you’d been stationed at near the Medaro Pass, your squad gets the information of the new arrivals at Riorson House.

You also received a personal correspondence from Brennan confirming that Xaden was still unaware of your involvement and that he would take great care to make sure you were stationed apart. 

You took comfort that at least you would still be able to fight this war without the distraction of Xaden in front of you. 

Neither of you had called your ‘relationship’ off, but you had just stopped sending him letters. It wasn’t for lack of him trying, but as you learned of different things, you couldn’t help the way you felt slightly betrayed. 

First you had found out he was betrothed while you were stationed in Chakir and then you learned of Violet Sorrengail and the saga of mated dragons. Both new realities made you sure that it wasn’t worth the fight or confrontation, so you were just going to let it lie. 

It helped that the rebellion was stretched thin, so there were already so few riders available to man outposts. The days that you were home in your cottage, Brennan confirmed that Xaden was on patrols. 

It felt as if you would finally be able to stay apart, but still be able to help those in need. As time progressed with the rebellion, you started becoming more reckless. You figured that there wasn’t much you had left in the world, so if you could make the ultimate sacrifice to save someone else, then why not. Fighting venin was never going to be predictable anyway.

                        ____________________

It didn’t go to plan. Then again, since you arrived at Basgiath, did anything really? You may not be as Basgiath any longer, but that didn’t mean the unfortunate incidents didn’t follow you around. 

Sometimes you wondered if the Assembly really knew anything about the movements of the venin and apparent army they had. It didn’t take more than ten minutes before the entire city was overrun. 

You were only caught off guard for less than a minute, but those precious seconds cost more than you were willing to admit. One minute the sky was clear and the next you were rushing to your dragon, strapped with every dagger you owned and hoping you could help as many people as possible. 

‘Fenrir, we need to draw the attention away from the civilians. Let’s cause a scene.’ You thought to your dragon, knowing that none of your fellow riders were going to approve of your plan. 

You were known for being a little bit reckless with your own life, but you figured that it was always better to save the masses, even at the cost of yourself. 

Your riot that was watching over the city was only you and two other Lieutenants, all of which has seen little as to actual combat. You were the only one that had previously dealt with the venin while stationed in Chakir. 

Knowing that you had the most experience with these creatures, you searched the horizon with Fenrir to see how many venin you would be dealing with. 

‘Ladon confirmed there are only two venin with this wyvern horde.’ Fenrir confirmed. 

‘Then let’s hunt the two. Can we get the attention of the most powerful one?’ You asked back hoping to draw the one with the most power your way.

‘Let’s hunt, Ferocious One.’

You let a menacing smile cross your face as you braced yourself on Fenrir’s scales. As soon as he got you close enough to the first venin, you let your hand fly with an energy whip flying to lash out as it flew past you on a grey wyvern. 

You were only slightly wrong on your calculation of what the venin would do, so you weren’t expecting when it willingly flew back to your side on Fenrir. The second of distraction was all it took for the venin to swipe a blade across your arm. You felt a searing pain lance through you, one that you had never experienced before. 

But you weren’t going to let the damn thing win that easily. Before the venin could register your actions, you pulled the energy taut again and slammed the alloy dagger into its chest. The screech that it let out caused you to immediately loosen the energy tearing at its waist. As soon as it dropped, you turned your attention to the other venin.

However, you were shocked to find there were now several more than before. Although wyvern seemed to be dropping out of the sky, there were more than you and your two other squad members would be able to take down.

‘Can you spot the next most powerful one? We need to keep drawing them away from civilians.’ You thought fiercely. 

‘I can, but you are hurt Ferocious One.’

‘I don’t care Fenrir. I will not let these people die.’

Fenrir gives a huff of exasperation, but you know that he will not let these people die either. 

‘There is additional backup coming that Ladon has called for coming now.’

You send a wave of confirmation, so Fenrir knows that you’re aware of what he said, but you’re focused on staying on his back and trying to push past the burning in your arm. At this point, you know that if this is your end, you will go down fighting as much as you can for the continent. 

As you fly forward chasing the next venin, you see the flash of blue scales that you had been dreading to see all these months. You know that there is no way Xaden doesn’t know who is on the back of the red swordtail in front of him. However, you don’t spend much time dwelling on that as you are in a collision course with another venin. 

You stand again on the back of Fenrir with your good hand grasping the scales in front of the pommel and make another lasso of energy ready to tear across the next venin. You go to lash out, but you hear a screech from next to you and turn to see a patch of desecrated land, where just a moment ago was a rider and her dragon. 

Turning fast, you decide to create an arrow of energy and launch it straight at the venin’s throat that just killed one of your fellow riders. You aim and it strikes true through its throat. You let out a breath as you watch as the civilians that were fleeing that area now have more time to evacuate. 

‘We’ve been told to retreat.’ Fenrir relays to you.

‘Why? There are still civilians at risk!’ You snap back, aggravated that you can’t continue to hunt these heartless monsters.

‘You can take that up with your leadership when we return to Aretia.’

“Ugh!” You can’t help the yell of frustration that rips through you at the idea that you will leave innocent people behind.

On your way back to Aretia, the adrenaline and fury of the fight is starting to wane. As you get closer to Riorson House, your body feels like every nerve ending is alight with fire. The absolute agony shooting through you is making it hard for you to keep your grip on Fenrir’s seat. 

‘Can you bring me back to the cottage and ask Marbh to get Brennan?’ You ask Fenrir as a particularly stinging pain comes searing through your body. 

You let your grip loosen slightly and tear the sleeve of your jacket open more. 

“Damnit!” You look down at your arm and see black spidering across your skin. 

‘I’ve been poisoned Fenrir.’

‘I know Ferocious One. I saw. I have relayed the message to Marbh and told him to get his rider there now. We will be back in just a few minutes. Hang on.’ He says as I feel bands wrap around my legs to keep me from falling. 

You silently thank your dragon as your body seems to want to dance in and out of consciousness. 

The next thing you know, Fenrir is landing in front of the cottage. 

“Y/N.” You hear a male voice call. You look up and see the auburn curls you were hoping for. Relief washes over you and you fall towards Brennan.

“Bren, poison.” You manage to rasp out. Your eyes flutter in and out and you could swear you see a swath of navy-blue fly above you and rope of shadows drop a figure to the ground. As you begin to finally cave to the acidity of the poison floating through your system, you think you hear a familiar male voice.

“What the fuck is going on Brennan?” The voice asks and you feel yourself getting yanked into a different pair of arms and against a hard chest.

“What the fuck are you doing, Y/N?” You can’t mistake the anger in the way the person says your name before you fully give in to the darkness.

You wake slowly blinking away the exhaustion that still seems to still be pulling you under. Your body only now feels warm, instead of the feeling of fire racing through your veins. 

The two male voices that you remember are now still talking in hushed angry tones.

“Why the fuck would you let her join and hide herself?” One of the voices hissed. “Then you send her to one of the most active fucking outposts. What the hell were you thinking?”

“I did as she requested when she came here.” The other voice volleyed back. “You already know that you aren’t privy to all of the decisions of the Assembly yet, especially before you came back with an entire untrained riot.”

“I don’t give a shit. You wouldn’t have accepted her terms if it were one of your sisters.” 

“She’s not your sister, so I don’t see how your decisions have any weight regarding her choices.” Gods, that had to be Brennan, at least your foggy mind thought that’s who it was.

“I don’t fucking care what you think! She’s not to be put on an active border like that again.” The other male voice roars. 

You hear one of them blow out a breath before continuing in a calmer tone. “That’s not for you to decide. It’s her decision when she wakes up how she wants to proceed. She has been invaluable for the movement and has provided guidance on movements and killed more venin than anyone else. It’s her life and her decision to make.”

“Over my fucking dead body.” The other voice says back, a dark imposing tone highlighting every word. 

“Look, she needs to rest, and you need to get yourself under control. I’ll stay with her tonight. You go back to the fortress and get yourself in order. And before you ask, that’s a damn order, now move out.” Brennan tells the other male.

You hear a frustrated growl rip through the air before you hear boots retreating from the cottage and slamming the door. At that, you fall back into unconsciousness as sleep takes you again.

A few days later, you slowly blink your eyes open and are greeted with the bedroom that you’ve called home over the last few months. You take a deep breath, the first that you have been able to take since the battle began. 

It’s with that realization that you jolt fully awake remembering the fight and staggering from Fenrir. 

‘Are you alright Fenrir?’ You ask unsure about what happened once you returned home.

‘Of course, Ferocious One. I’m glad to know that you are awake.’ He says in reply, a wave of affection surging through your bond. 

You slowly sit up and place your feet on the floor, shivering at the cold that has settled in the air. However, it looks as though someone had recently been at the cottage as the remnants of a fire are still glowing in the small fireplace. 

You grab a sweater from your small closet and toss it around the pajamas that someone seems to have changed you into. You walk into the small living room and find that someone has obviously been making themselves at home in your cottage. There are some food items on the counter and there’s a blanket spread across the couch that looks like someone just got up. 

As you continue to shuffle to the front door, you shake your head trying to clear some of the fog that has seemed to settle in your mind. You can remember hearing voices arguing but can’t seem to remember what they were arguing about. As you go to open the door, you feel the knob turning in your fingers and your brow furrows. 

The knob turns fully, and the door is opening with the full light of the sun spilling inside. You squint and blink your eyes several times before you can focus on the person in front of you. 

As your eyes finally acclimate to the lighting, you look up and take a full step back when the man in front of you comes fully into focus.

Xaden.

You continue to stare back in surprise and watch as you see the same emotion reflected in his eyes. 

“Gods.” He breathes out and the next thing you know, you are being crushed into an embrace. 

You let out a small squeak in surprise at the gesture which causes him to immediately pull back to look down at you. You watch as his gaze roams all over your body as if looking for a place that you’re hurt. 

You slowly step back out of his arms and watch as his expression turns blank. 

“Wh – what – what are you doing – here?” You stammer out as your voice croaks with disuse. 

“I should be asking you the same thing.” He says with a firm tone to his voice.

You scoff incredulously at the tone that the man in front of you has taken. It’s amazing how fast this man can get on your nerves, especially after you just woke up from being poisoned.

“I never asked you to come into my home.” You spit back at him. “And you can’t control my actions as a rider trying to protect the people of the continent.” 

“I beg to differ. If I don’t want you on the front lines, you won’t be. Just watch me.” He snarks back viciously. 

“Ugh.” You say as you turn away from the infuriating man in front of you. “I either fight with the rebellion or I fight alone. Your choice. I made my decision regarding the side of the war I am on, and you can’t change that.”

“Oh, I won’t.” He says lowly while stalking towards you. “But I can guarantee you won’t be going back to Draithus or anywhere near there.”

You look back at him incredulously. You can’t honestly believe this man would punish you for simply joining the rebellion without telling him.

“And why not?” You snap back with your blood now boiling in your veins.

“Because I can’t fucking lose you!” He roars at you, his chest heaving along with his panting breaths. 

You whirl your head to face him with shock written all over your face. Your entire body has gone instantly still trying to process the words that just came out of his mouth. 

“Wha – What – What do you mean?” You stammer in a whisper.

You watch as he prowls towards you before grabbing your face in both of his hands.

“I came for you. I went to fucking Chakir looking for you and no one knew where you were. I’ve spent months wondering if you were dead because I didn’t know what happened to you.” He rushes out with hands still attached to your face.

“Then when we came back here and I didn’t see you on the rolls of current active riders, I thought I lost you. I had people all over Navarre searching for you. I constantly asked Sgaeyl if she had seen Fenrir.” He huffs out a humorless laugh.

“Then we are called to help defend Pavis and what is the first thing I see, but your energy whipping a venin down to Fenrir and you kill it. But the damn thing sliced you before you landed the killing blow. I watched your face scrunch in pain before you put your mask back on and flew with Fenrir. I didn’t even know if you saw Sgaeyl on that field.”

You roll your eyes. “Of course I saw Sgaeyl, she’s beautiful and hard to miss. Especially with you as her rider.”

“Then I flew back towards Riorson House after, and you weren’t in the group that came back. Again, I thought I lost you before I found fucking Brennan holding your almost lifeless body in front of this cottage.” He continues to explain as he gestures around the small cottage with one hand.

His fingers had at some point started stroking your cheeks in a soothing motion, although you were unsure if he was trying to soothe you or himself. 

“Why didn’t you tell me you were here? Why did you stop writing?” He asks quietly. His tone of voice has now turned quiet almost as if he speaks too loudly the dream he is in would disappear. 

You turn your eyes down breaking his gaze, knowing that you don’t want to have this conversation. 

“Talk to me. Please.” He says pleadingly.

You look back at him with resignation in your eyes. “While at Chakir I found out about your betrothal and then about General Sorrengail’s daughter. I figured that you’d moved on. I didn’t feel like there was any reason to update you on my whereabouts any longer.” You sigh. “I didn’t want to bring in any additional complications for you.”

You look into his eyes and see regret and sadness. “My whole life I’ve never thought I’d have a choice on who I could be with.” He pauses before continuing. “I may have been betrothed and now tethered to Violet Sorrengail, but there’s only one person that I really want.”

You feel as one of his arms wraps around your back and the other hand rises to your neck and tilts your head back. 

“I couldn’t breathe when I saw you limp in Brennan’s arms. I nearly ripped his throat out for touching you like that and knowingly putting you in danger.” He whispers. “I haven’t felt whole since you left Basgiath. And I’ve only been looking for you.”

You can’t help the way you feel like you’re falling into the onyx depths of the eyes of the man cradling you close. 

“Please don’t shut me out. I’ve been here the last four days hoping against hope that you would wake up. I need you.” He continues.

“I won’t stifle you. I never could.” He says with a sad smile crossing his face. “But I want you to be with me. I don’t want to hide this anymore and I want you to fight with me.”

You continue searching those onyx depths and see nothing but sincerity and truthfulness. A small smile breaks across your face. 

“I’ll fight with you.” You say as his arms tighten around you. “But you may have to catch up. I’ve been counseling the Assembly in strategy for the last few months.”

A smile breaks across his face. “So, I’ve heard. From what I can tell, the Assembly is very impressed with you.”

“Well, I didn’t make wingleader just because of my pretty face.” You sass back playfully.

“That may be true. However, your beautiful face just makes all that wonderous talent even more deadly.” He says moving his face closer to yours, before turning serious again. 

“Will you be mine? No games, no hiding. Please.” He asks pleadingly.

You smile back at him before rising and kissing his lips lightly. For a moment he doesn’t respond, but once he realizes, he’s tightening his hand on the back of your neck and bringing you closer. His lips crash harder into yours, which causes yours to part slightly. He takes advantage of it and licks your bottom lip before claiming your entire mouth. You continue to share heated kisses before you are both panting and gasping for breath, resting your foreheads together. 

“You’re going to need to up your game if you’re going to surpass your girl with the Assembly, Riorson.” You tease him. 

He smiles brightly before replying. “No need. I’m more than fine backing up my girl and standing by her side.”

[saintsanddevils]

Star-Crossed

Dain Aetos x Riorson!Reader

Request: “If you’re open to requests still, would you be willing to write a Dain Aetos story? Maybe the reader can be the sister of Xaden? I would like to read a Dain story where he gets his happy ending :)”

Summary: Dain is the bane of your existence. At least, you keep telling yourself that.

Warnings: first person pov, swearing, blood, injury (series will contain eventual smut)

Word Count: 2.8K

Posted on AO3

Masterlist • Part Two

————

The moment I met him, I knew. We were never meant to be. Loving him, wanting him, would become a curse.

And eventually, it did.

————

“Four more laps, Riorson. Make it count this time.”

I grit my teeth, resisting the urge to run down the field and punch my squad leader in the jaw. The image of him staggering back and possibly falling on his ass has a smirk spreading across my face.

“Are you enjoying this? Fine. Six laps.”

The smile disappears.

Dain Aetos is the bane of my existence. Ever since I crossed the parapet months ago, he’s ensured my life is hell. Early morning drills. Late night chore assignments. Anything to keep me occupied and cursing his name.

With my entire squad watching me with hesitation and interest, possibly wondering if I’ll finally disobey him, I run. My life may be hell with Dain ordering me around, but it’s better to lay low than have any unwanted attention. It’s what I have to do as Fen Riorson’s daughter. As Xaden Riorson’s little sister. There are enough eyes on me already. Waiting for me to make a mistake, to fail.

For my father, for Xaden, I can’t fail.

Just the thought makes the relic on my left arm burn. I pump harder, ignoring Dain’s heavy gaze on my back as I make another lap. And another. And another.

By the time I reach the fifth lap, my lungs fill with jagged, sharp air, pain racketing up my chest. I can easily run six laps on a normal day, but after training all morning for the impending gauntlet, my body is near its breaking point.

When I stagger near Dain to end my fifth lap and begin my sixth, I finally make eye contact with him. His jaw is clenched and brows dipped low. Dark eyes tracking the wobble in my legs, the strain in my breath. He could almost pass as…concerned. I almost stumble at the thought.

“What the fuck is going on here?!”

Every head swivels towards that deep, familiar voice. When my eyes follow, I lose my footing, tripping over my feet. My body hurtles through the air, slamming face first into the dirt. Something cracks at the impact and pain bursts from my nose.

Fuck.

Feet pound behind me, hands grasping at my body before they begin to turn me over. I find Dain crouched in front of me, dark eyes narrowed on the blood gushing down my face. He lifts my head off the ground with a firm hand, eyes quickly assessing every part of me.

“Get a healer!” He shouts over his shoulder.

I try to shove him off of me, but the attempt is half-hearted when the movement makes the pain worse. A groan rises from my throat. “I don’t need a healer.”

Dain narrows his eyes. “Bleeding profusely in the dirt definitely calls for a healer, Riorson.”

“And whose fault is that, Aetos?”

His jaw clenches. Just as he opens his mouth to respond, my brother stands above him. Like the shadows he wields, he towers over us, a dark fire lit within the depth of his irises.

Xaden Riorson is furious and his attention focuses on Dain’s hand on my abdomen, the other propping my neck up. “Get your fucking hands off of my sister.”

Dain stiffens. For a moment, his eyes meet mine. There’s something in his face that has my brows furrowing, the pain ebbing for just a moment as I focus on him. Either I have a concussion or Dain looks almost apologetic. Maybe even regretful. But the moment is gone. The second Dain let’s go of me, Xaden is there. My brother’s arms curl beneath me as he hoists me into his arms.

“I can walk just fine,” I grit through my teeth. “Put me down.”

Xaden ignores me, standing straight with me still cradled like a baby in his arms. Annoyance prickles under my skin when I catch sight of my squad members watching me with rapt attention. This is just embarrassing being carried from the field by my brother. I struggle in his hold, but Xaden doesn’t let go. The overprotective bastard.

When I glare up at him, ignoring the pain shooting through my head, I find him mirroring my glare, but it’s directed at Dain. “This training session is over. Everyone is dismissed,” he narrows his eyes. “Aetos, you’re going to report to me about what the fuck you were doing after I take her to the healer’s quadrant.”

“I’m fine,” I grit through my teeth. “Put me down.”

Xaden continues to ignore me. I wince, hissing through my teeth when he jostles me in his arms, a new wave of pain shooting up from my ankle. Great. A broken nose and possibly a sprained ankle.

I catch Dain raising a brow at me as if to say, You’re obviously not fine.

When the squad heads inside Basgiath, Xaden is hot on their heels with me in his arms, shoving past Dain.

I struggle once again, embarrassment heating my cheeks when we enter the school. “I can get there myself-“

“No, you can’t.” Xaden’s hold tightens on me. “Now shut up and let me help you.”

“I don’t need your help. I was doing just fine before you showed up.”

Xaden finally meets my eye. “You looked like you were about to pass out when I showed up.” He shakes his head. “Fucking Aetos.”

I catch sight of him at the end of the hall behind us. His body tense as he tracks Xaden and me. When our eyes meet, something sparks in me. Something I wish I didn’t feel while in my brother’s arms.

Dain’s concern and his obvious regret rise to the forefront of my mind. My gut twists at the way he looked at me, the way he ran to me, helped me.

“It’s not his fault.” The words fall from my mouth unbidden.

Xaden stiffens. “Of course it’s his fault. He’s punishing you because you’re my sister. Because of who our father is.”

The statement rings true. It always brings me focus and clarity in how people view me here. I’m to be feared and watched. Everyone calculates my next move, hoping I fail or prove everyone right. That I’m the daughter of a dead revolutionary who will follow in his footsteps and bring anarchy and chaos to our world.

Dain must hate me. I’ve spent months under his rigorous training and been the one to take his brunt orders head on. I get singled out constantly. I’m punished more often than not. So it should be reasonable to think he hates me or even holds a grudge against me because of my blood and my family.

But the look in his eyes as he held me, assessed my injuries, has me pausing. Has me seeking him out yet again over Xaden’s shoulder. He’s still watching and when our eyes meet once again, he turns and disappears down the hall.

Does he hate me?

I shake my head, shoving the thought far, far away. Dain Aetos has been the bane of my existence for months, and I’ve made sure I’ve been the bane of his. It’s only fair.

I cling to Xaden, allowing the exhaustion of my afternoon catch up to me. Once we reach the healer’s, Xaden stays close. He holds my hand when they set my nose back into place. He rubs my back when they wrap my ankle, confirming it’s only a sprain. And when they give me pain meds, Xaden is reluctant in leaving me. The healer’s reassure him I’ll be fine after some rest and my injuries should be gone by morning after they do a few sessions on me. Their magic touch already has the swelling and aching going down.

I’m blissfully content with my pain meds and wrapped ankle when he finally gets up to leave. He bends to kiss my forehead, the memory of our father doing the same every night before bed has my gut twisting. A sense of longing forcing my hands to wrap around Xaden’s torso, squeezing him till he can’t breathe.

After the execution of our father, the king of Navarre, along with his generals and counselors, wanted to put an end to the rebellion from ever rising again. So, they separated my brother and I. It was cruel and lonely growing up apart. For years, we were never able to see one another. Never able to write any letters.

The moment I stepped off the parapet, there he was. Grinning with tears in his eyes, Xaden ran to me. I bolted into his arms, sobbing into his chest as we collided. I hadn’t seen my brother in years and we finally, finally, were able to be together.

Ever since I came to Basgiath, he’s been by my side, ensuring I’m well-taken care of. He’s been overprotective and hovering like a mother hen. As much as it can be annoying, I know what life is like without him and I don’t want to ever experience it again.

So, I grip him tightly. Thankful I have him here and now.

“Thanks,” I whisper. “Even if you’re being an overprotective asshole.”

He crushes me against him. “I’ll always be your asshole.”

I laugh, shoving him away as he messes with my hair. When I stick my tongue out at him, he flips me off before disappearing down the hall.

I lay back in the healer’s bed, letting the pounding in my head lull me to sleep. Just before I succumb to it, Dain’s concerned dark eyes come crawling back to my mind. The way his features softened when our eyes met. The way he bent over me, protecting me with his body caging me to the ground. I try to ignore the spark of heat that spread through my limbs at the feel of his skin on my neck. The callouses on his fingers cradling me close as he watched me.

Even now, the image of his clenched jaw, his regret, the burning apology in his eyes, has me curling my fingers into my palms.

Now that I’m alone, I can admit… I liked seeing Dain Aetos this way. I liked the way his skin felt on mine, like a balm to the pain. Even before I tumbled, I enjoyed the attention he gave me while I ran. How his eyes burned into my back, as hot and heavy as the sun on my skin. The way his eyes tracked every movement of my stretching limbs during warm-ups earlier this morning.

I lie to myself, but it’s been like this for months. How his eyes find mine every time I enter a room. How his fingers linger on my skin when maneuvering my arms the way they should be for training in the gym. How his commanding voice, full of demand and promise, sends a shiver down my spine.

When I’m alone, I can recall every dip and curve of his face. The strength in his arms, the broadness of his shoulders. The way his lips form my name, sending a spark through my veins.

It’s only when I’m alone, in the sanctity of the dark, I can admit…

I like Dain Aetos. More than I should.

————

After being discharged and sent back to the first year dormitories the following morning, I quickly change into training gear. It’s loose enough to give me no resistance when on the mat.

The dorm is empty as I rewrap my ankle. There’s not bruising or swelling since my last healing session this morning, but it’s best to keep it wrapped since it’s still sensitive. Once it’s secure, I head towards the door, checking myself in the mirror as I go to asses my nose. The bruising has gone down, as well as any inflammation, thanks to those heavenly healers hands. It almost looks normal.

As I braid back my hair, a knock sounds at the door. I furrow my brows. Xaden said he’d meet me in the gym soon, to practice before my next challenge.

When I swing open the door, the air catches in my throat.

Dain stands there, his dark curls a mess, almost like he kept running his hands through it all morning. I notice a tray of food in his hands, his fingers clutching it with. White knuckled grip as if someone will rip it from his hands at any second. I catch him scanning me from head to toe, checking my nose and ankle. It sparks something in my gut but I try to keep the warmth at bay as he stands a few steps away.

“Uh, hi,” he blinks at me, eyes wide as if he didn’t expect to see me.

“Are you looking for someone else?” I ask. “I think everybody went down for breakfast already.”

He quickly shakes his head. “No, I was looking for you. I, uh, heard you were discharged this morning. And…”

I raise a brow, watching as his eyes narrow on my nose. “And?”

“I just wanted to make sure you were alright. After yesterday.” Dain shakes his head, staring down at the tray in his hands. “I also thought you wouldn’t have enough time to head down to the dining hall.”

I still. He climbed all those stairs just to check in on me? Bring me some breakfast?

My heart beats erratically in my ears as he holds out the tray to me.

“You brought me…breakfast?” My voice is tinted with hints of confusion and awe.

Dain must sense it cause he stiffens, his cheeks reddening in the dim light of the hall. I don’t think I’ve ever seen strait-laced, dedicated, commanding Dain look so flustered. “Yeah, I did,” he pauses. “I mean, unless the healers already fed you. In that case I can just-“

I rip the tray from his hands, staring down at it. Upon closer inspection, everything on the tray looks delicious. And it all…looks exactly like something I’d pick out for myself for breakfast. He even added the right amount of granola and honey to my oatmeal. Even the tea wafting up from the mug smells suspiciously similar to the blend I use every day.

Warmth spreads through my limbs, rising to my cheeks as I stare up at Dain. He knows how I take my tea. He noticed what I eat for breakfast.

“Why are you doing this?”

Dain’s face tightens at my tone. “Yesterday was my fault. I shouldn’t have made you do extra laps.”

“You were just doing your duty, as my squad leader.” I insist, hoping my mentioning his authority and ranking over me stills the erratic way my heart is beating in my chest. It doesn’t.

Dain shakes his head. “I abused my power and I was wrong for doing that. I’m sorry for what happened to you.”

I was wrong.

I’m sorry.

The words echo between us. If I wasn’t holding on to the tray, I’m not sure I’d be able to stop myself from stepping closer. From touching him. From trying to rid the worry lines between his brows and across his mouth. My fingers twitch, wanting to do just that.

“Dain,” I choke out, cheeks flaming. “This is… I’m…” I swallow, trying to catch myself and feeling incredibly stupid for treating him like shit all these months. “Thank you.”

He dips his head, trying to hide the smile tipping the corners of his mouth, but I still catch it. I relish in the way his face changes by the subtle movement. He no longer looks so serious and demanding. With that small smile, he’s boyish and attractive.

I can’t help but smile back, feeling a swell of triumph in seeing this side of him.

In this moment, I realize something. Crimson is the color of rubies and sapphires, precious and bold. The color of blood, rising from a fresh wound or upon heated cheeks. The color of a beating heart, racing with every pulse to a rhythm that flows between time.

Crimson is the color of Dain’s relic, inked upon the skin that peaks out beneath his collar. The color of his dragon, Cath. The color staining his cheeks and neck as he stares down at me. It’s the color beating in the air around us, flowing and pulling us together like a tether. It could be seen as fate or destiny, maybe even luck.

But this is the moment that I realize that Dain Aetos is the color of my veins, the red on my cheeks, the breath in my lungs, and the beat of my heart.

And it terrifies the shit out of me.

Part Two