swanpcincess

[swanpcincess]

his voice was quiet. uncertain. tired. nothing about him said he was a hunter or someone out to capture her. the blonde's shoulders relaxed a tad, her gaze watching him cautiously as he stepped forward. he was not yet to the very edge of her lake, but he was close. " time does move different here. " she said, her voice quiet. sad, even. time did in fact move differently, and she was cursed to endure it's effects forever. her family, her love, they were all long gone and odette — she still looked as young as beautiful as the day they deemed her dead.

called to him? swan lake? odette laughed humorlessly, " swan lake has never called to anyone before, " she scoffed, finding it unbelievable but then . . . as his words replayed in her mind, odette came to the same conclusion. her face fell, that ethereal sadness prevalent again. she had not seen another person for centuries. not once, not ever. she had spent so long entirely alone on this lake's magical waters, and now, suddenly, she was just supposed to believe someone had found her? that someone stumbled onto swan lake?

" who are you? " the princess asked, hesitantly. odette remained where she stood, in cold waters that reached her knees — the pristine silk of her gown floating around her. " if swan lake called you, there must be a reason. " the centuries of loneliness and sadness had her convinced that whatever reason he was here, it seldom had anything to do with her. her chance had sailed. her chance died when her love did — and odette did not even know when that was.

Lucien did not move at first.

He stood at the edge of the lake, boots half-sunken into moss and mud, eyes locked on the woman who had risen from the swan. A fae male by nature, magic was no stranger to him. But this—this was unlike anything he had seen. There was an aching elegance in her form, a kind of beauty so sharp it cut, but that wasn’t what rooted him in place. It was the grief. The way it clung to her like mist on the water. The way it whispered of centuries lost. He blinked, and the golden eye flickered in the fading magic. Was it the same magic that entrapped him during the day too? Or perhaps she was the cause of it? Either way, Lucien did not voice these thoughts.

“I didn’t mean to intrude,” he said at last, his voice quiet—low and edged with weariness. “I wasn’t looking for anyone. Only… trying to find somewhere the world hadn’t already touched. I lost my way in this forest...” Weeks ago? "I suspect a few weeks but time here moves—differently"

He stepped forward slowly, careful not to break the silence too sharply, or make a sound that would spook her like a wild thing. He could see her now, the way she almost looked as if he'd attack. Lucien shifted, keeping his spot between the trees, just close enough to look at her. “This place—it called to me.” His gaze swept across the lake, then back to her. “Or maybe you did. The magic”

The air between them held its breath. Lucien had faced warlords, kings, creatures born of nightmare—but he did not step further. Did not press. He knew what it was to guard your pain like a fortress. He could see she was armored in it. He met her eyes then, both the scarred and the whole parts of him laid bare.

He didn’t know what answer he hoped for.

Only that he’d never seen sadness wrapped in silk and sunlight quite like this, and he couldn’t bear to walk away from it.

Not yet.

[swanpcincess]

Lady Chatterley’s Lover (2015)

[swanpcincess]

[swanpcincess]

odette giggled at his words, but it gave great ease to her heart to know that after all this time — after four years, two of on and off meetings in the dark, that he still wanted her. she was still his princess, his soon-to-be. nothing was going to ever be able to truly keep them apart, and if this curse had blessed them with anything — it was that knowledge. " the woman that you will marry, " she correct with a sigh as he leaned in close, holding his forehead to hers like she could fade away at any moment. sometimes, it felt like she could.

the princess wondered if he was right, if anybody out there could know anything at all. " rothbart said he studied the dark arts while he was banished, " she mused softly, " he had to learn it from somewhere or someone. " though, that was really all odette had to go on. someone wrote or shared the texts rothbart had used, but what if that person no longer lived? what if no one else had laid eyes on these dark tomes? odette knew she couldn't think like that, she couldn't let such negative what-ifs affect her.

" three days. " the princess repeated with a nod of her head. there was something nerve wracking about that, letting the world know that after all this time, after four years — she still lived. the attention was going to be enormous, they would have questions she could not answer and all eyes would be on her. " derek, if rothbart finds out . . . " it wasn't that odette didn't want to do it, but she knew there were consequences to this that they might not be ready for if the evil sorcerer were to discover she was gone. " be safe, derek. " the princess insisted, " do not give your life for me. " that was her greatest fear, that he died trying to save her from swan lake — and then what? she would live out the rest of her days as a heartbroken swan.

Derek’s lips quirked, just barely, at her tease—though the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. Not yet. His hand lingered on her waist, grounding him, reminding him she was real and not some cruel echo of a dream. “She’ll have to,” he murmured, voice low but firm. “Because there’s only one princess I’m interested in.” His gaze searched hers then, softer now, but threaded with a protectiveness that had only grown sharper with every day she remained bound to that cursed lake. The fact that she still stood before him—still fighting, still trying, still daring to hope—it was nothing short of a miracle. And Derek would not waste that miracle. “I don’t care if Rothbart shows up himself,” he said, more to her than anyone else, jaw still tight. “Let him. I’ll make sure the world sees you, Odette. Not the swan, not the myth. You. The woman I intend to marry”

He leaned in, brushing his forehead against hers, his voice quieter now, just for her. “Someone must know something. Someone must be able to—know the magic he wields” Derek wasn't entirely sure who he was trying to convince anymore. Odette or himself. He spent every spare moment pouring over texts, trying to decipher anything that might give him a clue.

Odette would not be here forever, he would not be able to live with himself at such a fate for her. "It's three days from now, Odette...You'll need to sneak away, meet me and let me show the world that you live"

[swanpcincess]

THE SOUNDS OF NIGHTMARES SENTENCE STARTERS .

a collection of roleplay / writing prompts , lifting quotes from " the sounds of nightmares " podcast based in the little nightmares universe .

" the look on your face says there's more on your mind . "

" would you like to talk about it ? "

" how are you feeling today ? "

" do you remember your nightmares ? "

" i remember ... everything . "

" i'm not sure that's true . "

" i woke up somewhere i didn't belong . "

" i don't quite follow . "

" can you try to explain ? "

" you can't understand . not unless you were there . "

" hey ! where are we ?! "

" they aren't children . not at all . "

" my mind was divided , and that's not fair to you . "

" everything is going to get worse from here . "

" help me ! please help me ! "

" who brought me here ? "

" i'll do everything i can to help you . "

" there's nothing bad inside you . nothing . "

" we're in this together . "

" take your pick . "

" sweets for my sweet . "

" do you know a way out of here ? "

" what are you working on ? "

" we're friends . friends tell each other things . "

" i'll play with you . "

" don't overdo it . "

" you were right there ! don't tell me you did nothing ! "

" you're upset with me , aren't you ? "

" are you going to leave ? like all the others ? "

" whatever you desire , it's yours . "

" everyone needs someone . "

" don't leave me alone ! "

" are you still angry with me ? "

" i'll protect you . "

" i hate being alone . "

" i understand more than you think . "

" you mean to escape , don't you ? "

" you're being unfair . "

" i can't help you if you hide things from me . "

" why did you bring me here ? "

" what do you want ? "

" why didn't you tell me ? "

" you promised me . "

" i don't feel like talking . "

" you never listen . "

" we can face these monsters together . "

" i need you . "

" i have nothing more to give . "

" take my hand again . "

" you abandoned me . "

" the more time you spend with someone , the harder it becomes to hide who you really are . "

[swanpcincess]

By Robin Isely

[swanpcincess]

" saphira? " odette repeated, raising an eyebrow at his comment — he must be speaking of some creature by the context, but odette didn't think there was some sort of creature large enough to eat the great animal as dinner. his question was not a surprising one, and the princess shook her head. " no, not really. " she answered with a sigh, knowing to truly explain herself she would have to explain more of her story — odette hoped by doing so, she wasn't dragging him further into this mess.

" the great animal kidnapped me from my carriage, when i was traveling home. " the princess began, crystalline gaze glancing over him to gauge his reaction. " i have not seen it since, but i hear it every night. " then her gaze wandered, looking around them at the dark woods as they headed back to swan lake. " lurking, patrolling the forest. i don't get far at night, and no matter how far i get in the day . . . " she always had to return.

the blonde sighed, " it's a strange beast, not one you'd read about in hunter's books or find on their walls — it's . . . . like something out of a fairytale. " odette retorted with a scoff.

he eyed the woman carefully, mentally sizing her up as the words settled in his mind. what was it about her that was so special? enough so that one would use an entire forest simply to entrap her. to hold her hostage. saphira, he called in his mind, pushing the limits of their bond. wherever she was, it was suddenly much further than he was comfortable. but she couldn't have gone far, there was plenty of game to hunt within the forest.

"with any luck, saphira will have made a nice dinner out it." he replied as he stood once more, allowing his gaze to roam the sky for only a moment. he felt desperate to see her familiar silhouette against the night sky. the moonlight always reflected off her scales in the most wondrous way. he began to wonder if it was this unfamiliar, dark magic that kept her away.

"have you seen this animal?" he asked curiously, deciding to start off with the tamest of questions that came to mind. the one he believed might offend her the least. he learned long ago that jumping to conclusions with little to no information would help nothing. and he had so any questions.

[swanpcincess]

neverending, the curse felt like. trapped at this lake for centuries, the princess had come to accept she was to spend eternity at swan lake, back and forth from a swan at day and at night — a forgotten princess. forgotten by those who loved her, left behind by those she thought would save her; odette's only solace lied in the fact that they must have presumed her dead at some point and had died not knowing the truth of her suffering.

the swan landed on the lake's still waters once again, letting the lavender and golden magic envelop her in it's warmth — leaving behind her lithe silhouette, white and teal silk clinging to her body and golden waves cascading down her back. the princess turned, catching sight of a stranger at the edge of her lake. odette stood tall, her shoulders back and chin arched up; a perfect image of a pillar of strength — save for the overwhelming sadness that clung deep into her bone, of which she could not hide.

as the magic in the waters faded, his words made odette raise an eyebrow. she was just as surprised as he, but . . . the princess had begun to suspect for different reasons. he had just witnessed a swan turn into a human, after all.

" afraid so, " she answered, still on guard and cautiously eyeing him. his hair was strikingly crimson and there was something about one of his eyes . . . odette couldn't quite place it from where she stood, but it was almost as though it gleamed like gold. his face was scarred, as if he had been through battles she could not imagine. " as real as everything else here — how did you get here? how did you find me? " her tone was accusatory, as if he had sought her out for a nefarious purpose. there was no one left to seek her out for any other reason and it had been centuries since she last saw another soul. odette was skeptical to trust him.

The moon hung high, its silver light spilling across the quiet expanse of the lake like scattered diamonds twinkling. Lucien stood at the water’s edge, breath curling in the crisp night air as he took in the sight before him. There was something otherworldly about this place—something that prickled at the edge of his instincts, setting his senses alight. It was too still, too perfect, as if untouched by time. The trees bent reverently toward the glassy surface, their reflection unbroken, save for the occasional ripple that stretched across the water like a whisper.

And then, there was her.

A figure moved within the lake’s embrace, her silhouette a vision cast in moonlight. At first, she was just a shadow, a trick of the light, or perhaps his mind playing cruel tricks on him. But then she rose, radiant and ethereal, the lavender and gold glow of magic shimmering around her before fading into the night. No, he must really be dreaming.

Lucien barely had time to breathe before she turned to him. Saw him.

She was stunning—delicate yet fierce, a presence that demanded reverence, and Lucien, for the first time in a long time, felt utterly still. It wasn’t just her beauty that rooted him to the ground, but the sorrow in her eyes, the kind that spoke of longing, of years spent waiting.

“…You’re real,” he murmured, almost to himself. A foolish thing to say, but how else could he process this? This dream-like figure standing before him, water cascading from her like stardust.

@swanpcincess

[swanpcincess]

odette laughed as ariel enveloped her into a tight hug, so full of excitement. " oh, do you think that could work? i would love to spend a summer anywhere else — but especially with you! " it sounded too good to be true, and odette had learned from previous years of trying to get out of summers in chamburg that it just simply didn't happen. odette listened closely, her hands holding onto ariel's as her mind reeled trying to imagine the adventures ariel had been on. " ariel, that sounds wonderful, you're truly living my dream. " odette said with a soft laugh, but it was true. odette would love to see other places, to visit other kingdoms. " where will you go next? "

︵‿۶ৎ 𝓐‿ "i missed you, odette !!" she goes in for a hug, bouncing all cherry red and excitement to see her friend again. "you should visit this summer, i can send one of eric's advisors to speak to your father so he has no choice but to let you come." she'd heard of her summers, handcuffed to derek's kingdom and vice-versa until they marry ----- it sounds like a prison to ariel. to have legs and being unable to go as one pleases would be torture. "i bet we can convince your father somehow .... but my summer was wonderful. i got to travel to greece and met my cousin hercules and then went to agrabah to visit jasmine ! oh i wish you could've come, too."

[swanpcincess]

La bella luna! The moon brings the woman to the man. MOONSTRUCK (1987) dir Norman Jewison

[swanpcincess]

odette's inbox is cleared so i will now be working on drafted replies !

[swanpcincess]

“ hear this now — i will always come for you. ” / @wickedpeachie

it had been too many days since she last saw derek and against her better judgement, odette had begun to panic. rothbart talked big, and she knew better then to believe him — but with her heart already feeling so low, the taunts and teases about queen uberta finding a new betrothed for the prince, of her own kingdom showing signs of falling into civil unrest without a proper ruler — without their queen — sometimes, it was just too much for odette to keep bottled inside.

especially, when finally, her prince had made his way back to the dreaded lake, back to her. odette knew, even if it was for just this moment, she could be vulnerable and soft.

" promise, derek? " the princess asked, her cheeks wet with the tears that she just coudn't stop, no matter how badly she wanted them to. " promise that you'll always come back, even if . . . "

her thoughts were the last thing odette wanted to say, she didn't want him to know she had these worries — but she had to do something to ease her fears, and he was so good at that. as long as she told him about them. " even if the curse is never broken, if your mother makes you wed an-another . . . " the beauty choked on a sob that came out while she tried to speak.

[swanpcincess]

❛  we should try to find a way no one ends up dead.  ❜ / @vowofthesun

slowly, odette began to shake her head. " no, " she answered, turning her crystalline hues to look at him — her gaze steeled with anger as she stood in the cold waters of swan lake. " rothbart must die. he must pay for what he has done, and banishment did nothing the first time. " her father had banished rothbart the first time, over twenty years ago and look what had happened to him — king richard was dead with knowledge that rothbart had won.

" he has caused me, my father, my kingdom too much grief to be allowed to live. "

[swanpcincess]

“  you’ve  been  mostly-dead  all  day.  ” / @karmasrage

the swan glared at the redhead, if she could roll her eyes — she would've. " i don't feel like doing much during the day. " the bird answered, floating towards the edge of the lake and closer to the human. she had been sleeping in the ruined castle that sat upon swan lake, until now — near sunset. it was not often she saw a human in her swan form and even less so that she allowed the human to know she could speak — but karma was a little different then the others, it seemed.

" during the day, the hunters will get me. i rather not risk it, " she murmured, " i can't risk it. " odette had to stay strong, to stay alive in enough time for derek to find her and figure out how to break the curse — but, she was asking karma for her help in that, as well. " have you learned anything? found anything? " the swan asked, " maybe not the curse, but about the great animal? "

[swanpcincess]

❛  i no longer dream, only nightmares of those who've died.  ❜ / @lissiwrites

the queen remained silent, letting his words sink in. she knew well of nightmares, of death, but not in the large quantity of a king who knew war. her war had been personal, her battles focused on a struggle hardly anyone else had shouldered — a fight for her crown that no one else knew had been waged until it was over.

" well, at least you don't have nightmares about being a swan. " the queen said in jest, trying to lighten the mood a tad — but, she then nodded her head towards him. " i understand, in a sense. not many have died under my watch, but my father died protecting me and i didn't know for two years. two years i spent certain he was aiding derek in looking for me when really, his last living moment was his daughter being kidnapped. he died not knowing if i was ever safe again. "

the queen tried not to dwell on what she couldn't change, and instead focus on what she could change for her kingdom — but the events at swan lake would haunt and ache her for the rest of her life. " that haunts me, and i fear it always will. somethings will always stay with us no matter if we want them to, i suppose. "

[swanpcincess]

Powerful magic holds the knots in place. / @lissiwrites

" powerful, dark magic. " odette agreed with a nod of her head. " rothbart claims to have studied the dark arts for decades, waiting for this. " odette wasn't sure how true this was, she seldom believed anything rothbart said — especially the nonsense he spewed about her father.

the blonde sighed, feeling like everything led to a dead end. it was powerful magic, sure, but all magic could be broken, couldn't it? " i need to find a way to break it, there has to be a way. " odette insisted to the other, " i have to be able to do something to avoid being chained to this lake for the rest of entirety. "

[swanpcincess]

she remained standing, arms crossed over her chest as she watched him move to relax for a moment. odette didn't blame him, but she had come to enjoy the feeling of aching feet — while she had feet for them to ache. the princess remained silent, eyes aimed up at the moon, already high in the sky. it felt necessary to tell him the truth, it mattered not one way or another in her circumstance but it mattered for his survival out of these woods.

" me, " the blonde answered. " it's to keep me in, or to keep me from being found, whichever makes most sense. " she wasn't entirely sure the latter was even a possibility, because here he was — but if he could find her, why couldn't derek? with a sigh, banishing that thought process to the back of her mind, odette picked up the silken hem of her white gown, gesturing a direction with her free hand. " it's not safe out here, there's a great animal that roams the forest — we should get to the lake, it doesn't go there. "

eragon paused and turned to look at her, he'd been hoping that she might have some inkling as to where they were. how far they'd made it. much to his disappointment, she was just as clueless. not that he could blame her. there had been plenty occasions he'd found himself lost in the spine back home. how different could the two forests be? he mused silently in an attempt to bolster his spirit.

he sighed, only allowing himself a moment to miss saphira and how easily she'd have been able to find them. but for now, he was on his own. they were. "well that's very tricky of someone, don't you think?" he replied after a moment as reached out to the tree beside him. he could feel the energy flowing beneath the bark, the life that existed just under the tips of his finger.

"is there something in this forest that would need trapping?" he inquired as he sat down with his back pressed to the tree. they'd been walking so long that he hadn't even realized how nice it felt to get off his feet. even if for only a moment.