riverheld

[riverheld]

“I mean it,” and this is meant to reassure themself more than him, surely, knowing how much of a pacifist Luke was. “I can’t - I won’t let it happen again. I’ll kill him if he ever touches me again. I don’t care.” So much hurt and anger breathed from their chest as they slowly ducked their shoulders, curling themself smaller and smaller to lean against him. 

“You don’t have to do anything,” briefly glancing up at him, to sign when words would not come, still not meeting his eyes. “Just - stay, please.” Even though they were in his house and had found him here and felt safe to come here, to come to him - maybe he didn’t want them, still. Quinn would understand. Nobody really wanted more of a mess to clean up after. But ... mm. Their hand was in his and it was still dark and they couldn’t fathom moving much further from where they were now. It was the closest place they could imagine to being safe. 

@riverheld ‘you know if he had done it, I could have killed him.’ from quINN

“  QUINN…  DON’T  TALK  LIKE  THAT.  ”  it  could  be  an  empty  threat haphazardly  tossed  out  of  rage toward  their  captors (  he  hopes that  it  is  )  but  regardless,  it  sends  a  chill  down  his  spine. it  disturbs  luke to  hear  threats of  such  violence wielded  like  they’re nothing.  

still,  best  not  to  focus  on  the  what-ifs.  what matters  is  that  quinn  escaped and  that,  at  least  for  now,  they’re safe.  

he  reaches  for  quinn’s  hand,  enveloping  it  between  his  own.  he  cradles  it  against  his  heart  like  a  most  precious  thing, searching  the  other’s expression.  quinn  is  not  made  of  brittle bone,  but  the  experience  would  at  least  rattle  anyone. for  now,  making quinn  feel  safe  again  is  what  matters.

whatever  they  must  do  to  truly  protect quinn  from  this  ever  happening again  can  wait  until  they’ve both  rested.  behind the  drawn,  flower-patterned  curtains, the  first  ribbons of  dawn  bleed  through  the  inky  horizon. it’s  been  a  long  night  and  it  is  not  yet  over.  

“  are  you  okay?  what  can  I  do  for  you?  ”

[riverheld]

give me a lil like and i’ll send u something 

[riverheld]

“Ah? Uhm, lost, maybe - I know this is the market I ust do not know quite where the market is.” It took her a moment to find the speaker, settling on the little bread-baker with a cool gaze. 

“Ah, oh, no - well, I do not have the coins but I can trade? I have jewelry and some nice rocks.” 

🌱🌱🌱 @riverheld gets a Charlevoix for Fen!

        “Are you- are you lost?” He’d noticed them a few times during the market, always wandering with that same air of confusion.  Now that dusk is setting and he’s packing up for the day, he has time to speak when he sees them again.  He pauses, holding one of the few loaves that hadn’t sold.  “Are you hungry?”

[riverheld]

quinn dad dinner party

[riverheld]

allanarps‌:

look if we rp, you are more than welcome to send me headcanons at ungodly hours, TALK IN ALL CAPS ABOUT OUR BABIES, and send me like ten memes a day. I honestly won’t be annoyed and I won’t mind. In fact, I want you to.

[riverheld]

The caiman stares up at Quinn intently. There is not a thought behind those eyes. The water is warm, the day is bright, and she has found complete inner peace. At last, she rolls onto her back, exposing her belly to the traveler. Petting Times.

They perhaps should be hesitant about petting such a small thing with such sharp teeth, but alas, they are not. Quinn is happy to indulge the caiman in belly rubs and gentle head scritches. Maybe even an egg, if they had one to spare.

[riverheld]

“I’m not that stupid,” a quiet grumble, as Quinn took a few steps closer to the glimmering hoard to poke about the weapons and trinkets displayed. Normally, this amount of amassed wealth would absolutely be calling them to steal anything, it wouldn’t be missed, but ... this was a dragon, not some unpleasant slime of a businessfolk. Bit different stakes. 

“....can I ask what for? Different tasks might need a different ... pokey thing ...” Not that they were particularly well-versed in any of them. Still, the held up a few, testing weight as they’d seen guards and fighters do, even musing over how some swords were as long as they were tall. 

riverheld​:

“Oh. Sorry, then, about that.” Lack of baths certainly did not do anything to ease that idea of stinkiness. It just came with the territory, they supposed. Everyone had a little bit of knowing far more than they wanted to. 

Quinn had to work to keep up, trying not to get too far behind the dragon while maintaining a cordial distance lest he think they were trying to pull something uncouth. They had no idea what they were following for, but - well. Wouldn’t be the first time and they’d already slept in his lair without being eaten. It’d probably be fine. 

queenverdigris:

Oh, if he wanted to eat Quinn, he would have done so by now. Ruisón wasn’t one to leave anything for later, or to be very patient in general. Humanoids just weren’t very tasty or nutritious… and besides, this one didn’t exactly smell edible right now.

His steps were slow, careful, as if he were actually trying not to crush them underfoot. How… considerate – by his standards, that was.

Heading deeper into the lair, he guided them down a winding tunnel until they reached the deepest reaches of the cave system. At least, being dragon-sized, it wasn’t nearly as claustrophobic as some other underground spaces. This room contained a large pile of glimmering things: coins, jewels, trinkets… and a few of the type they’d come here for: weapons.

“Take your pick,” Ruisón said in a flat, almost nonchalant tone. “Remember I expect to have it back. I’ll know if you steal.” He was definitely going to keep an eye on them. That was the bare minimum of conditions he allowed anyone else to even see his hoard under.

[riverheld]

like for to plot with andra!

andra is a hellfire of a drowned pirate, made a selkie upon her death in the later golden age of piracy. she is full of problems and will address none of them. she will steal your shoes, and drink a full pot of coffee. 

[riverheld]

“Really? You know a lot, though.” There were always unknowns, they supposed, especially in the woods. Lots of places for things to hide and stay as secret as they wished. 

Quinn sat patiently to wait, fingers idly tangling loose threads from their sleeves, then drifting to wind an old hair tie from their wrist around their other hand and back again.  

riverheld​:

“I’m thinking it’s something other that got out, y’know? Dad thinks it’s a fox but it seems … weirder, I dunno.” He was the expert, at least. They’d find out within the week, and if not, well, the Duke probably knew something about mystery creatures. He knew lots of things. 

“Do you have any surprises now?”

“It could be anything.” He raises his brows, reaching into his coat pocket for a cigar. He lights the end and takes a long inhale, then blows out a cloud of smoke. “The woods are full of odd things. Some that even I’m not aware of, I’d wager.”

He shrugs, smirking knowingly at Quinn.

“I might. Let me just check.”

[riverheld]

“I’m thinking it’s something other that got out, y’know? Dad thinks it’s a fox but it seems ... weirder, I dunno.” He was the expert, at least. They’d find out within the week, and if not, well, the Duke probably knew something about mystery creatures. He knew lots of things. 

“Do you have any surprises now?”

riverheld​:

“…the soup is good.” Quinn was still unsure if soup was a worthy enough trade to not be a possum, though. It soothed them for now, at least.

“I gave the beetles another possum Dad found. Do you want the skull when it’s done? There’s also … uh, I dunno what it is yet. But you can have the surprise when it’s done processing too, if you want.”

He hums in agreement, raising his brows. The soup is good. Everything he makes is good.

The Duke listens, nodding politely. He knows enough about Quinn that their seemingly disconnected ramblings make perfect sense to him now.

“I would very much like that. I am a big fan of surprises, in fact.”

[riverheld]

selkie andra selkie andra selkie andra

[riverheld]

vampire andra resurgence mayhaps ?? merfolk ?? a fury ??? much to consider

[riverheld]

“...the soup is good.” Quinn was still unsure if soup was a worthy enough trade to not be a possum, though. It soothed them for now, at least.

“I gave the beetles another possum Dad found. Do you want the skull when it’s done? There’s also ... uh, I dunno what it is yet. But you can have the surprise when it’s done processing too, if you want.”

riverheld​:

“Possums are cool, Duke! They eat a lot of ticks and they don’t get rabies and they have cool prehensile tails! They just sort of, mind their own business and do good things for everyone else without even meaning to. They don’t belong to anyone or have problems with anyone, I don’t think. They just exist kindly. I think that’s nice.” 

“That’s all well and good for them, and I appreciate the sentiment, but that’s just not the life for me, I’m afraid. I can be unaffiliated and helpful just as I am. And besides, I can’t imagine ticks taste very good- I’ll stick to foie gras and homemade soup, thank you.”

[riverheld]

“Possums are cool, Duke! They eat a lot of ticks and they don’t get rabies and they have cool prehensile tails! They just sort of, mind their own business and do good things for everyone else without even meaning to. They don’t belong to anyone or have problems with anyone, I don’t think. They just exist kindly. I think that’s nice.” 

riverheld​:

“Mm … see that’s like, work. I’ll exist in this shape until everything all decides I get a new one. Maybe next time.” A little shrug. They weren’t unhappy the way they were, either. Simply neutral to the whole human-ish body thing. 

“One of my gods does that, though. He’s not usually a possum. Mostly a deer. Or like, a fucked up moose.” 

“Would you be a possum?”

“I’ve been known to be an owl, on occasion.” He responds, like regular small talk. “Mostly at night, when I’ve got nothing better to do.”

The Duke shrugs.

“Why on earth would I want to be a possum?”

[riverheld]

“Mm ... see that’s like, work. I’ll exist in this shape until everything all decides I get a new one. Maybe next time.” A little shrug. They weren't unhappy the way they were, either. Simply neutral to the whole human-ish body thing. 

“One of my gods does that, though. He’s not usually a possum. Mostly a deer. Or like, a fucked up moose.” 

“Would you be a possum?”

riverheld​:

Quinn scrunched up their nose at the idea of high heeled shoes, much preferring their battered sandals in the case they had to wear any shoes at all. They’d stay small and messy, then. “I’m .. I’m smaller than a good tall sedge. Or a sunflower. And smaller than the corn before it’s ripe.” Which was to say, just under five feet, not that’d they’d really measured recently. 

“I could … but people would still try to talk to me and get mad when I sleep under their eaves and shit. Nobody gets upset with a possum for not paying taxes or for trespassing.” 

These measurements are immediately clear to the Duke. He tilts his head to the side and raises his eyebrows.

“Have you ever considered becoming a possum?” He asks, mostly genuine. “That’s a little out of my wheelhouse but I’m sure you could find someone to do it.”

[riverheld]

Quinn scrunched up their nose at the idea of high heeled shoes, much preferring their battered sandals in the case they had to wear any shoes at all. They’d stay small and messy, then. “I’m .. I’m smaller than a good tall sedge. Or a sunflower. And smaller than the corn before it’s ripe.” Which was to say, just under five feet, not that’d they’d really measured recently. 

“I could ... but people would still try to talk to me and get mad when I sleep under their eaves and shit. Nobody gets upset with a possum for not paying taxes or for trespassing.” 

riverheld​:

“I can stay small.” A casual shrug. Quinn wasn’t going to get into fae deals just for a few extra inches, and untrusting as they were couldn’t help but imagine all the fucked up ways such a request could take form. Maybe an extra tall forehead, or a point at the top of their scalp. Maybe inches just to their shins to stretch them up like a beanpole. 

“If I could change shapes that easy, I think I’d be a possum. Just living in trees and eating trash and shit.” 

“Are you sure?” The Duke asks, his voice honey-sweet. He looks them over, from his perch at the back of his caravan. “How tall are you right now, hm? At the very least I can give you a pair of high-heeled shoes. Don’t let the fact that I don’t wear any put you off, I do in fact know enough about shoes to sell them.” But then, he sells everything.

He stares at them as they explain their logic, his face inscrutable.

“You don’t need to be a possum to do those things.” He jokes. “All you would need is a strong grip and a hearty digestive system.”

[riverheld]

mmmmmmm someone who knew fen by her first name and first life, remembering her and the memories they made together, and fen remembers absolutely none of this and doesnt know who this person is

good content, yes please