#(also her nickname is Kiki but only the captain knows that)

[dreams-of-the-arcana]

Loosely based on this prompt! Tikos discovers an unexpected treasure one day!

Pairing: Kassamatik (Kassim Atesh @kassim-walks-on-air, Amaranth Silva @xvi-the-tower, and Tikos)

Warnings: Massive amounts of tooth rotting fluff, mentions of abandonment

In The Woods

“Uh, Kassim? Amaranth? Are you home? Helloooo.”

Tikos Katsaros-Yakinthos’ low voice called out as he opened the door to the trio's cottage. A small bundle held in his arms definitely resembled the shirt he’d left in. Which he was currently missing.

Kass and Ama appeared curiously and concerned. Tikos never used anything but nicknames unless it was important. Just hearing their real names coming from him was enough to put the two on guard.

“Ti? What’s wrong?” Amaranth quickly looked him over for wounds. Her golden eyes moved rapidly.

Kassim carefully reached out to place a hand on Tikos bare arm. Their eyes drew down to the bundle, it was his shirt but nestled in it...

“A baby!?”

The forest was not Tikos normal route home but he hoped that the side track would be worth it. Ilya had mentioned a patch of rare flowers appearing near the path when they’d met earlier for a drink. While Ilya was more interested in describing the medicinal properties, Tikos’ first thought was that his loves deserved a bouquet of beautiful rare flowers. Though as he walked through the steadily darkening forest he remembered why he stuck to the sea.

“Roots! Holes! Με δουλεύεις!* How do people do this to relax?” He muttered to himself as he tripped over another rock on the path.

It’d been a long time since he cursed the mob that stole his eye but he offered up a mean thought about boils and uncomfortable sitting for them. The lack of depth perception usually didn’t bother him because out at sea he compensated with his magic but the trees of the forest interfered with the air. He was about to give up when a flash of color caught his eye.

“Finally,” he muttered.

Quickly he moved towards it expecting to finally get his hands on those flowers. Or maybe run into some bandits. A beast, even. He readied his dagger. At that point he’d happily welcome anything to relieve the tension of his little hike. Something!

... except a baby sleeping soundly inside a hollowed out tree stump.

“Uh...”

After a thorough look around the area in case it was a trap, he quickly stashed the dagger back in its sheath and moved closer. Nestled amongst the moss was a baby with dark pink hair and sparkly rosy cheeks. His brown eye widened and his mind started spinning.

“Μα καλά, τι σκεφτόσουν?!* Who would leave a baby out here? What kind of parents do you have? Oh what are we going to do.”

“And so we waited for a bit longer to see if anyone came back but I couldn’t let them stay out there all night. Even with me there,” Tikos finished telling his story.

Kassim and Amaranth had taken the baby from him and sat with them on a soft rug near the fireplace. They’d recovered from the shock quickly and dived directly into protective mode. First insisting on keeping the baby warm and then properly fed. Tikos looked on from the kitchen where he prepared a bottle of milk.

“I’ll go back in the morning and maybe leave Kiki as a look-out. No one’s getting a baby back until we have a discussion.”

He shook his head at the idea of parents just leaving their baby in the middle of the forest. Who knew how long they’d been out there before he’d come along. Even worse, how long would they have stayed out there if he hadn’t taken the detour.

“Here μικρή γλαύξ,” Tikos said as he handed the bottle over to Kassim.

They picked up the baby and sat back so they could rest the baby in their arms to eat. A soft smile graced their lips as the babe eagerly took the bottle.

“Oh I know that look,” Amaranth looked at the scene and teased. “Pretty cute baby, hm?”

Kassim blushed and focused on the baby.

”Just wondering who could leave such a precious thing.”

“Someone who either had no choice or doesn’t deserve their baby back,” Tikos grumbled. “Don’t worry, we’ll get to the bottom of it and make sure they’re safe. Desperation can make people do things that seem cruel or odd on the outside but made sense at the time.”

He slid down to sit behind Amaranth and let his legs rest on either side of her then pulled her against his chest. His mind hadn’t stopped racing since he’d found the baby but finally relaxed knowing the three of them were doing this together now. Everything seemed better when he had them close.

Ama curled up close and the two watched Kassim and the baby quietly for a moment. It made for such a domestic scene.

The fireplace lit up the area with a warm glow as Kassim gracefully sat with this strange baby. Adoration was plain across their face at the bundle in their arms and the babe stared back with an equally content look. Curiously it looked as though their cheeks were sparkling even more now but it could just be the firelight. They’d swapped Tikos’ thin shirt for a mismatch of fabrics and clothes they could get to fit then topped it off by swaddling the babe in a clean blanket. When the bottle was done Kassim gently lifted them up to pat their back. Small burps sounded from them which only made the adults melt inside. While doing that they finally met their lovers eyes.

“What?” They asked but the deepening blush gave them away. “Um... what do... what do you think we should call them...?”

“I think it’s a little early for that, darling.” Amaranth cautioned.

Tikos and Kassim nodded. It was hard to not fall in love with the baby immediately but getting too attached would just make the separation harder. They all had to remember this baby had a family and could be missed at that very moment.

“I’ll fix up a drawer or something as a cot. That way they’ll be safe and can sleep next to our bed.”

Tikos offered and got up to start working on it. Kassim and Amaranth just smiled at each other, they knew it was already too late for their husband.

Tikos stared down at the forest floor in disbelief. There in the dirt was his arrow marker he’d left just the night before. But now it pointed directly to a small sapling in the ground.

”So... this was... a tree yesterday?”

Tikos pinched the bridge of his nose to try and tide the growing headache.

“Yes, a fully mature tree stump that was hollow. It was filled with moss! The whole baby was in it and not even touching the edges!”

Kassim inspected the sapling closely, nothing indicated it was recently planted. By their knowledge the sapling looked to be a good two or three years old. They looked around at the trees nearby but nothing fit the description.

”Are you... are you sure, vehana? I know you can get turned around out here and your depth perception magic gets confused...”

Tikos huffed slightly and looked away, he didn’t like to acknowledge any weaknesses but coming from Kassim he knew it was well-intentioned.

“I know, μικρή γλαύξ. I made sure to mark the right one, triple checked.”

Kassim nodded, if he was confident that he checked then they believed him.

“There’s something in the air here... it’s faint though...”

“I did feel something strange last night. It’s why I was eager to get the babe home. I thought I could just come back again but I wouldn’t let them sit around any longer... forests are weird.”

Tikos crouched down in front of the sapling. Conflicting emotions flickered through his eye.

“You sprung up quick, aye? Straight from the dying tree...”

Weeks had passed since Tikos’ discovery in the woods. No one came to claim the baby in the time so the trio decided to keep her until someone did. They let the captain of the guard know and got everything sorted out. It was left unspoken that the longer time went on the less likely the baby’s family would show up. The Captain was content to leave the babe in their care, he knew they would love and care for her as if she was their own.

“Γεια*, Seffy, Firebug, μικρή γλαύξ! Who’s home?”

Tikos' voice sounded throughout the cottage as he walked in. Laughter answered him and led him into the family room where he found the three of them.

“Welcome home, darling!” Amaranth managed through giggles.

He leaned against a doorframe in the room. Kassim and Amaranth sat on the floor with baby Persephone between them, wiggling happily. Toys and entertainment covered the area and was quickly becoming the new normal for them. Persephone, as they decided to call her, had captivated them all nearly immediately. It started slow with someone bringing home a new outfit or moving something out because it had hard corners then before they knew it, she was everywhere. Bottles lined their kitchen, pieces of cloth were strategically placed around in case of a spitty baby, and the drawer turned cot was a permanent fixture by their bed. Tikos even started sleeping on the end closest to Persephone since he slept so lightly. Any noise of discomfort or discontent woke him up right away. Oftentimes Ama and Kass would wake up to find him spread out as usual but with a hand draped over in her cot. They teased him incessantly but he just smiled and said he worried she’d get lonely.

Persephone giggled away as Amaranth and Kassim were taking turns playing peekaboo. Her cheeks sparkled still, they’d quickly realized it really was her sparkling and not a trick of the light. It was a pretty clear sign that she was happy and also not an entirely normal child.

Tikos walked over to give all three of them a soft kiss before taking a seat. Persephone wriggled and reached out towards him excitedly from Amaranth’s arms.

“Oh look who’s happy. Do you want to go to Μπαμπάς*, darling?”

They all froze at that.

Ama touched her fingers to her lips in disbelief. Only Persephone was unfazed and continued to reach for Tikos. A small rare blush bloomed on his tanned freckled skin.

“Ti, I... I didn’t... uh-“

“No, it’s... it’s alright actually. I... I think I could get used to it, aye?”

Kassim and Amaranth beamed as he took Persephone.

“What do you think, Seffy? Can I be your Μπαμπάς? If so, what will we call your other parents?”

He flashed his signature cheeky grin at his lovers who both suddenly shared his blush. None of them could have anticipated how one little detour would turn out. Not even Asra predicted that the hunt for some flowers would turn into finding something so much more precious: a family.

** Με δουλεύεις - Are you kidding me?

Μα καλά, τι σκεφτόσουν - What were you thinking?!

Γεια - Hello

Μπαμπάς - Dad

[goldenwitherphoenix13]

Hey.... hey @myriadebleue ... I dont know why, but I blame you for this 4-5 day project I just finished.... THE CAPTAIN N TRIO (plus Dark Pit) AS POKEMON TRAINERS!

I seriously spent 5 days making these! I am not joking!

But anyways, do ya'll want me to explain the teams? Fine.

Fairy type based trainer Pit:

Ice cream the Alcremie: all the Vanillite run away from him and Alcremie is much cuter so he kept her. FLOOR ICE CREAM GIVE YOU H E A L T H ! ! !

Waltz the Gardevoir: she just protects the child from harm.

Grace the Absol: She works with Waltz to keep Pit safe with her danger sencing thing.

Fluff the Alolan Vulpix: He is fluffy and cute. Need I say more.

Angel the Swanna: Bird. An under appreciated bird. Just Like Pit.

Prancer the Galarian Rapidash:... there are unicorns in Kid Icarus uprising.... the chariot master has Phos an Lux (regular and galarian Rapidashes) so Pit called his Prancer.

Elite 4 member Megaman (Steel and rock type based trainer rock):

Stone heart the Gigalith: His name....

Spike the ferrothorn: .... down b in smash (I think). I dont know Megaman lore!

Sunset the Lycanroc dusk: His name.... must I explain why he has her...

Cogsworth the Klinklang: steel.... robot.... and his move in smash with the circle blade things.

Snips the Scizor: steel type.... I honestly gave up after a bit.

Kiki the Amphoros: electrical components in a machine. Plus one of his moves in smash.

Scorbunny: shes there as a fresh start. He still has his team, but Scorbunny want to just have a friend. Rock just felt bad for her and let her come with him so she could have a friend. She technically doesnt have a Pokeball either.

Ghost type gym leader Simon Belmont:

Mariah the Vivillon: he wanted some variety on his team plus the vivillon was very unique and it sparked his interest.

Siren the Froslass, Candlelight the Chandelure, Sorrow the Alolan Marowak and Sybolister the Runegrigus: Simon may be a ghost type gym leader here but he also does some ghost catching. He then raises those ghosts and gives them to trainers who beat him in the gym. He understands if they dont accept but he likes to give them new homes. He just... grew attached to these 4.

Espionage the Espeon: he got an eevee egg as a kid and took care of it. It was his first pokemon and it evolved into Espeon.

Dark type based trainer Dark Pit (or Raven as he is nicknamed here):

Shift the Zoroark: he just thinks Zoroarks are cool. He just wanted to have one.

Star the Frosmoth: because he saw the snom and thought! "... gods your cute..." and kinda just kept it.

Splunker the Noivern: he likes Dragon types and Dark types. He wanted a powerful pokemon. Too Bad Piteasily beats him. Dark Pit sweats one day he will beat that dang Rapidash.

Guardian the Corviknight: because both the boys based on literal Angel's need a bird each. (Plus Corviknight + Swanna = Guardian Angel)

Pichu: the only pokemon who doesnt have a nickname..... I blame Doodledstars for it. Pichu is Dark Pits "starter" (so to speak) and he loves his Pichu. If anything happened to Pichu, he'd kill everyone in the room and then himself.

Magenta the Liepard: under appreciated cat finds friendship in the under appreciated younger brother of the 2. Like, it's cute.

Ok. I'm done. Have fun with it. BYYYYEEEE!!!

[haledamage]

Sleepless

(I waited until after midnight to post this so I could count it for Watcher Wednesday :P Rekke POV, Rekkai unrequited crush (or is it? :3), early enough in Deadfire that he isn’t yet fluent in Aedyran but has started to learn it. Seki is in italics)

It was late at night when Rekke woke suddenly from his sleep. It took a moment to remember where he was, to recognize the sound of the ocean, the barely familiar language spoken in murmurs around him.

He was on a ship, in a land far, far from home, and he should have been sleeping.

He opened his eyes. The hammock across from his belonged to Edér, and it's empty. He sat up in time to see Edér disappear into the Captain's quarters.

He felt a stab of jealousy, but quickly pushed it away. He shouldn't have been surprised that he wasn’t the only one interested in her. She's beautiful and clever and fearless and Edér had years to win her heart while Rekke had barely known her weeks.

He rolled back over and pushed it from his mind. He was already asleep again when Edér returned.

The next night, Rekke was awoken again as Aloth climbed from his bunk above. He caught the elf’s eye as he walked past, and he didn’t catch all of the half-whispered Aedyran Aloth said to him, but he got the gist of it. ‘Everything’s fine, nothing to concern yourself about, go back to sleep.’ Like that’d ever worked to make anyone less curious, especially a man like Rekke.

He watched as Aloth carefully entered the Captain’s quarters like Edér had the night before.

Last night’s jealousy was overwhelmed by tonight’s curiosity. It’s doubtful this was another clandestine rendezvous, which meant the other probably wasn’t either. Which meant they’re up to something else and he suddenly, desperately wanted to know what that something else was.

It took Rekke a long moment to realize he wasn’t alone with his thoughts. Next to his hammock was the little girl he’d seen climbing around the rigging of the ship sometimes - Vela, that’s her name. Edér had said she’s an orlan; near as Rekke can tell, she’s a very young girl with furry ears and a smile full of trouble.

She had that smile pointed at him now. She offered him a hand wordlessly, and he barely hesitated before taking it. She led him to the door and knocked.

It’s Edér that opened it. Rekke hadn’t even noticed he wasn’t in bed either. He looked confused before turning a look of paternal annoyance on Vela. Before he could say anything, Vela spoke up. “Rekke wants to help Mama, too.”

The look Edér turned on Rekke was less paternal and more annoyed. “Does he.”

Rekke tried not to look like he had no idea what’s going on. His Aedyran was heavily accented, but confident. “I want to help.”

“Let him in, dear,” he heard her say from further in the room. She sounded like she was in pain or very, very tired.

“Kiki,” Edér started, turning from the door to look at her. Rekke caught a glimpse through the open doorway. She met his eye and gave him a listless smile. Tired, then.

She waved off whatever protest Edér had. “Let him in,” she said again. “He’ll just hover outside the door until you do.”

Edér moved aside to let him in, though he didn’t look happy about it. Aloth gave him a polite, tight-lipped smile from where he sat in a chair in a far corner, book open in front of him. Vela dropped his hand to instead sprint across the room and scramble into her lap.

Her. Rekke wished he knew what to call her. Even in his head, she was only “her.” Captain was just a title, too formal. He’d heard some people call her Watcher, always with a hint of awe or fear, but she didn’t seem to like that and no one would tell him what it meant. But her name was all vowels and he still had trouble shaping it right, though not for lack of trying. So he didn’t call her anything. He just said, “hello.”

“Good evening.” Her accent in Seki was as thick as his in Aedyran, but he liked that she was willing to learn. “Or good morning. I guess that’s more accurate.”

This close, he could see the exhaustion clinging to her like spiderwebs. Her hair was a mess, even by her normal standards, and her normally bright green eyes were dull and shadowed. Her smile was a distant, ghostly thing. There’s a cup of coffee on the table in front of her; as he watched, she touched a hand to the ceramic cup and steam started to rise from it where it had previously been cold. She lifted it to her lips and drank it all in one gulp, grimacing at the bitterness of it.

He sat at the table with her and offered her a hand. He didn’t touch her, didn’t know her well enough yet to know what she’s comfortable with, but he tried to make it obvious what his intention was. He put the offer on the table - literally, in this case.

She took his hand. Her fingers were cold. How did a woman who controlled fire with her mind have such cold hands?

She laughed, tired but warm, and Rekke realized he said that out loud. He blushed, embarrassed, but she didn’t appear offended. If anything, some of the light seemed to have returned to her eyes. “Ask your questions, dear,” she said. “I can see them in your eyes. Ask.”

He asked. Already, he knew he couldn’t deny her anything. “What’s wrong? Why can’t you sleep?”

And, amazingly, she told him.

In a careful, meandering combination of Aedyran and Seki and, briefly, another language he didn't know but he’d heard her speak before, she told him of her curse. Of what it meant to be a Watcher. She was thrice haunted, once by the dead, once by the gods, and once by her own distant past. They whispered in her ear, danced in the edges of her vision, and tormented her sleep.

Edér and Aloth reluctantly filled in the spaces that she couldn’t, pieces she’s missing from the time they first met when she lost herself to the voices. Also, at least two times that her… soul was kidnapped? That didn’t sound right, but perhaps his grasp of Aedyran wasn’t as good as he thought it was.

It’s a fantastic story, and Rekke’s pretty sure he only believed a quarter of it. How was he supposed to believe that this tiny, tired woman in front of him was the resurrection of a woman who had created and then rebelled against her gods two thousand years ago? That because of this, she could read a person’s memories and life story from their soul? It’s impossible. Wasn’t it?

She must have seen his disbelief on his face. “I wouldn’t believe me either. It’s a ridiculous tale, truly. I can prove it to you, if you’d like.” He nodded, too confused and curious for words, and she smiled at him and squeezed his hand. Then her eyes went… blank. Empty. A few moments passed in silence before he noticed the glow in them, violet light curling in their depths like smoke. Where their hands touched, he felt her skin go colder, almost painfully so, like wherever the life in her eyes went it took all her warmth with it.

She started speaking, in a distant voice but flawless Seki, and Rekke realized with a jolt that he knew the story she’s telling. It’s his own. He heard in her words (though not in her hollow, lifeless tone) his pain and fear and stubborn refusal to surrender to the storm they call Ondra’s Mortar as the waves and wind ripped apart the boat around him. He heard how close he came to drowning when the ship splintered and he was thrown into the sea.

The light faded and the life returned to her and silence reigned over the room. Rekke watched her face as all the emotions from what she saw (what she read. From his soul) caught up with her, tears filling her eyes and spilling over silently, falling on their joined hands. She brushed them away quickly.

“I didn’t mean to put you through that,” he said, as if he had any control over what his soul remembered. “I’m sorry, Kiki.”

The pain on her face was chased away with surprise and then a beautiful, bashful smile. “Kiki?”

“That’s what Edér called you earlier. Is it okay if I call you that?” It’s much, much easier to say than her other name and it suited her more than just calling her Captain ever would. But maybe it wasn’t a name? Maybe it meant something in Aedyran that he hadn’t learned yet; maybe he just insulted her, or it was a term of endearment or something.

The smile lingering on her face said she wasn’t offended. “It’s… a nickname my family gave me, that’s all. I don’t mind if you use it.”

He beamed at her and she blushed, her cheeks and the tips of her pointed ears turning a lovely shade of pink. There was something shy in the way she looked at him now, and it was new and intriguing and beautiful. He wished he knew exactly what made her look at him like that. He’d do it again in a heartbeat if it meant she’d keep doing so.

Aloth said something, his accent much different than Rekke had heard before and tone sly and playful and completely not like Aloth. Rekke didn’t understand the words, they weren’t quite in Aedyran - but maybe something akin to it? - but whatever he said made Kiki blush darker and Edér chuckle.

“Iselmyr, please don’t say things like that in front of my daughter,” Kiki said primly, motioning to Vela still curled up in her lap. The little orlan was fast asleep.

“I should probably get her back in bed,” Edér said. He scooped the child out of Kiki’s arms; Vela didn’t so much as stir in her sleep. “You okay, Kiki?”

“I’m fine.” There was that tired smile again, even more exhausted than it was before. “You should sleep, my dear.”

“You should sleep,” he said, and his worry was audible.

“I don’t think I have a choice at this point. I’m…” she huffed an almost soundless laugh, “done. Someone come wake me if I start screaming about shipwrecks.”

Edér hovered about for another minute, but when Kiki just repeated 'I'm fine, go to bed' he reluctantly left. Aloth approached, leaning down to have a brief and very quiet conversation with Kiki before he left as well, wishing them both a good night.

And then it was just the two of them. Rekke wondered if he was supposed to leave now too, but he didn’t want to yet and Kiki hadn’t made any indication that he needed to. She was still holding his hand. Did she know she was still holding his hand?

“You’re going to have nightmares about my shipwreck now?” he asked to fill the silence.

She shrugged, casual like they’re discussing the weather and not the fact that Rekke has just become another of the ghosts that haunted her. “Probably. The things I See in other people’s souls tend to leave a mark, at least for a while. Don’t worry, dear. It’s still better than my usual fare.” She gave his hand another squeeze, then pulled away and ran it self-consciously over her hair. Her eyes stayed on his face, though, studying him as if trying to read his thoughts; briefly, he wondered if she actually could. “I hope I did not scare you. This… Watcher business, it unnerves people sometimes. They think it’s creepy.”

“I think you’re incredible.” It wasn’t what he meant to say, but it was true so he didn’t take it back, though he knew his face must be red. “I have never met anyone like you before.”

“I could say the same to you,” Kiki said, and she’s blushing again too. “Thank you. For wanting to help.”

Rekke smiled, sly and mischievous. “I thought you and Edér were having an affair. The way he sneaks in here in the middle of the night is very suspicious.”

She laughed at that, real and joyous and livelier than anything he’d heard from her all night. “I told him that would happen. I don’t know why he’s trying to keep it secret. I don’t make any effort to hide my condition.”

“He is trying to protect you.”

She pursed her lips sourly. “He always does. So does Aloth. I’m still not sure if I think they’re sweet or obnoxious.” Her frown turned into a fond smile, though, and he got the impression that her protests were habitual and not sincere.

“They are family. I think that makes them both.” Kiki turned that fond smile on him now, and it made him feel warm all the way down to his bones. It made him want to do something reckless, something to impress her and earn that affection for himself. Instead he said, “Do you want me to leave so you can sleep?”

“You can stick around a little longer, if you’d like. I can’t promise I’ll be much of a conversationalist, though.” Rekke believed it. Even though she was still smiling, her head was leaned heavily on one hand, elbow propped on the table. She was struggling to keep her eyes open.

“Do you want me to stay?” He thought he knew the answer, but he needed to hear it. Wanted to hear it.

Her eyes snapped open and she met his gaze in obvious surprise. She seemed taken aback by the question, like she didn’t expect to be allowed an opinion on the matter. “Yes. Just… Just until I fall asleep. If that is okay.”

He grinned. “I’ll stay as long as you wish, Kiki.”

There’s a few moments where neither of them moved, where the air in the room started to feel heavy and charged. Kiki cleared it with a shake of her head, like she simply didn’t have the desire for things to feel awkward and so they didn’t. She walked over to her bed and nudged at what looked like a pile of blankets. It turned out to be a large black dog and an absurd number of cats. The menagerie reluctantly moved to sleep somewhere else.

Kiki crawled into bed without hesitation, too tired for decorum, and Rekke claimed the nearby overstuffed reading chair. She gifted him with another warm smile, but he could see sleep pulling her down and away. Within minutes, her breathing slowed and evened out and she was out.

Rekke knew he should leave now that she’s asleep, but he lingered a little while, watching her. There was a knot of a frown between her eyebrows already from something forcing its way into her dreams. Without thinking, he reached out and smoothed his thumb over it, smiling as her expression cleared and she relaxed back into sleep. He brushed a few wild curls out of her face, then pulled his hand back and moved away from the bed in an effort to remove the temptation to keep touching her.

He took the opportunity to sate his curiosity and look around the room instead. He hadn’t had the opportunity to explore this corner of the ship yet. 

There were a lot of books. What use could she possibly have for this many books? There seemed to be one or two on every surface, gathering in piles and drifts on any available space except the bed and the desk.

The desk was mostly covered in paper, haphazard stacks of letters and half-finished replies. He picked one up, but he couldn’t read it yet so he just shrugged and set it back down.

On a small shelf next to the desk was a collection of knick knacks that caught his attention. A pair of broken swords and a third sword that was still whole. Twin intricate bronze daggers. Several amulets tied together, all bearing the symbol of a black key. A speckled bird feather. A fox carved from white adra. A diving helmet. A stone bust of a woman whose eyes seemed to follow him wherever he went. He got the feeling that the woman was judging him, though he couldn’t say why.

Kiki made a small, distressed noise in her sleep and Rekke immediately abandoned his exploration to return to her side. She had curled into a ball, hands tensed into white-knuckled fists. He knelt next to the bed and covered both her hands with his. Her hands were alarmingly warm.

She whimpered again and he shushed her gently. “Shh. You are safe, Kiki. No harm will come to you while I’m here, I swear it.” When she didn’t immediately calm down, he did the first thing he could think of and started to sing. It’s a lullaby his mother used to sing to him, the first song that came to his mind, and he didn’t remember all the words, but he knew the tune enough to hum the parts he couldn’t recall. 

Some of the tension drained from her as he sang, so he kept going. Most of the songs he knew were shanties or pub songs, but his singing voice wasn’t half-bad, and Kiki’s asleep so he doubted she’d judge his taste. He’s in the middle of the third song when she finally relaxed again and after a moment, he relaxed too. He rubbed his thumb over her palm, trying to soothe the crescent-moon marks left by her fingernails.

A few minutes passed and she didn’t stir, breathing still calm and even, so he reluctantly pulled himself away from her once more. He went back to the reading chair and, after a moment’s consideration, picked it up and moved it next to the bed before settling down into it. “If you need me, I am right here. Good night, Kiki.”

Rekke watched her for a little while longer, but whatever had been troubling her didn’t come back and her sleep remained undisturbed. He leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes.

Aloth found them the next morning when he went to check on Kai. She was curled up on the bed, the big black hound draped over her legs like a blanket. Rekke was still in the chair, with a cat on his head and two more in his lap. With a small smile, Aloth backed out of the room and let them sleep in.

[sorceressmidnight]

Midnight Sorceress

Chapter: 3/? [1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - ?]

Chapter 3: That’d be weird!

Words: 2515

Warnings: Some cursing, Mentions of drinking, Drunken character, Self harm mentions, abandonment

Primarily following the events of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it revolves around an original character.

Description as posted on ao3:  A member of SHIELD is forced to struggle with her mental stability and keeping her secret as the craziness surrounding the Avengers crashes around her. She ends up befriending Tony and Pepper, who help out her mental health a great deal, but will they be able to help her with her secret? Something that could destroy her if she uses it too much… What will happen when Tony tries to convince her to use it to help the Avengers?

Read on ao3: here

Tags: @txnystarkimagines @h0bsyrup

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This chapter happens after Iron Man 3 and before Captain America Winter Soldier.

-buzz buzz, buzz buzz- “Hello?” “Is this Miss Mariveil? Mr. Stark sent me.” “Okay, I’ll be down in a second.” Kiana shoved her wallet and keys into her right pocket, slipping her phone into her left as she walked out the door. She zoomed down the stairs and out the building, shaking her head at the limo waiting outside. ‘It’s not like it’s that big of a deal, jeez.’ She felt her phone buzzing after she got in and as the limo pulled out onto the street, accepting the call and pressing it to her ear. “Where are you? Everyone else is here on time,” she could hear the sarcasm in Tony’s voice as he spoke. “Sorry, looks like the ass who booked me a limo decided to call pretty last minute. Not my fault. Also, you didn’t give me a dress code, so I hope you don’t mind super casual.”

“Super, huh? I didn’t know it was my birthday,” he chuckled on the other end. “Maybe when you die and go to heaven, Tony,” she retorted sternly, trying to stifle a giggle. “Ouch. So mean,” he sniffled, laughing before finishing, “okay okay. You should get here in about ten minutes. I’ll see you when you get here.”

Kiana strolled into the restaurant, shaking her head about how out of place she looked compared to the other people dressed to the nines. She was escorted to where Tony was sitting, seeing Rhodes and Pepper sitting with him as well. “I didn’t know I’d be this underdressed,” she scoffed as she sat down at the empty seat between Rhodes and Pepper. “Oh, don’t worry, he’s never been good at forewarning,” Pepper joked, rolling her eyes at Tony. Tony laughed in response, waving his hand, “It’s not my fault that no one else can read my mind.” “I don’t think anyone wants to be in there,” Rhodes retorted, shaking his head. The group talked as they ate, sharing jokes, making new ones, and telling embarrassing stories. Pepper was impressed with Kiana’s quick responses to Tony’s snarky retorts and Rhodes enjoyed her kicking him down a notch when he went a little overboard. About halfway through dinner, a drink was offered to Kiana. “Oh, no. I don’t drink.” “Nat told me you decided that after she handed you some drinks to try. I know what she drinks and based off your drink preferences, doesn’t seem anywhere near your type.” “... Okay, you got me there. If I try it, will you leave me alone?” All she got in response was a grin and a raise of his glass. She rolled her eyes and raised the glass, pretending to toast before taking a sip.

Dinner started around nine, surprisingly early for Tony, and didn’t end until about one thirty in the wee hours of the morning. Tony was helping the poor drunken agent walk out the door, telling Rhodey to go with Pepper and he’d help Kiana get back. “If something happens, I’ll bring the light weight back home with me.” He pulled her into the car, making sure she was comfortable before sliding in next to her. “Tony... Did you know… *hic* that a surprisingly large amount of people want you to be their daddy? N-not… *hic* in the pervy way! Like… they hope they’re secretly your kids from some random fuck you’ve probably had.” He chuckled, watching her flail her arms about as she talked, “do you?” “Noooooooooo, no, no, no. That’d be weird!” she exclaimed, putting her hands on his shoulders. “Why would it be weird?” he asked, brushing her hair out of her face. “Because,” she whined, “I love m’dad, but… I can be closer and more open with you than I could wiff him. I feel like I could tell you anythin’ and you wouldn’t judge me… I would never judge you, either~ I mean, you used to piss me off because I thought you were nothing but a cocky son of a bitch who didn’t care about anyone but himself… *hic*... What was I sayin’? … ... Oh, right~ You care a lot more than you’d like to let on and that’s… that’s nice. I know life’s been pretty hard on ya, but I think yer doin a pretty great job out there in the world.” He couldn’t help but give a smile down towards her as she pressed her forehead against his shoulder after drunkenly moving about during her… ‘speech’. He gently pushed her back into her seat, moving the strands of hair from her face once more. “Also!! I probably won’t remember much… I barely remember what’s happened tonight… so don’t hold it against me or I might get mad. My brain is saying I can trust you, so don’t take advantage of that!!” “Alright, I won’t,” he couldn’t stifle his laugh as his brows raised. “So… I dunno why I have this, but… if I use it too much, I could die. That happened when I was in college. There was this explosion… the ceiling started collapsing in the cafeteria… I… I remember the screaming being unbearable… All I could do was focus on the chunks of ceiling… I struggled... but I kept it up for as long as I could. I looked around to see the other students were gone and I… I let go... I couldn’t handle holding it up any longer and it all came crashing around me. Next thing I knew… *hic*... I was being told that SHIELD was going to take me in to get me healed up properly and for my protection…” “How did you hold it up?” He tilted his head, brows knitted with curiosity. “Like *hic* this!” she yelled out, looking over towards the mini bar, cooing out, “come here~” A bottle floated up from its spot, moving towards the two on the other side of the vehicle. She grabbed it, threatening to open it up. He grabbed it from her and shook his head. “No more for you tonight, but I think you might be better spending the weekend at my place.” He let the driver know to head back to the tower instead of her apartment. “Don’t tell me I told you. I already have anxiety among other things. *hic* Wait! You read my file! You should know!” “Yes, I did,” he gently held her hand, using his free hand to slide her sweater up her arm. His thoughts could only return to when he actually got the chance to look over her file.

Tony grinned triumphantly as he looked at his computer screen. He had managed to sneak through every security level that SHIELD had, plus rummaging through some paper files just in case that was the ‘security’ she was talking about. He clicked on the file labeled ‘AGENT MARIVEIL’ and opened it up.

FILE: AGENT KIANA LI MARIVEIL NAME: Kiana Alexa Evans DATE OF BIRTH: December 1st PLACE OF BIRTH: London, England CURRENT LOCATION: [REDACTED] PREVIOUS LOCATION: New York City, New York ETHNIC BACKGROUND: English, German, Irish, Italian OCCUPATION: [REDACTED] at SHIELD HEIGHT: 5'3" WEIGHT: 135 lbs. EYE COLOR: Cyan HAIR COLOR: Blonde (Natural); Black (dyed) EYES: Contacts of [REDACTED] prescription, glasses FEATURES: Scars all over body, focused heavily on underside of arms EDUCATION: Some college; experience in four separate degrees ABILITIES: [REDACTED]

PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION:

NICKNAMES: Kiki (preferred), Kia, Alex, Lex, Lexa, Lexi SEXUALITY: Bisexual (questioning if "poly" or "pan"-sexual) OTHER FEATURES: Freckles (embarrassed about), heart shaped pendant with picture of agent with parents MANNERISMS/QUIRKS: Agent followed the childhood lesson 'treat others how you wish to be treated' rather strictly. She never talks down to anyone above her, yet she has not been afraid to argue with agents of her same level. She will defend herself if another agent is being crude or harassing her. She has commented that some people would "piss" her off if she were in presence of. (This comment particularly coming up after the Avengers initiative, though not directly said, implying Mr. Tony Stark.) A noticeable quirk she has is moving her hands a lot when she speaks, or pulling her hair or "playing with it" when she becomes anxious. She has a particular habit to downplay many of her symptoms. DIAGNOSIS: Major Depressive Disorder (Depression, Severe), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (Anxiety), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) related to her powers, Paranoia focused around being taken advantage of for her powers

DR. [REDACTED]: Kiana, could you tell me what your earliest memory is? KIANA: I remember... mum and I were playing games together in the backyard... I believe it was in the sandbox. There was a pause and she looked nervous, but said she wanted to tell me something important. I remember her saying, voice breaking as her eyes grew sad, 'Sweetheart, I know this may be hard to understand... but your father and I thought we should tell you.' She sighed and continued, 'We're... We're not your biological parents... I found you at the hospital that I work at... and... seeing as no one was there saying you were theirs... We took you in. I understand if you're upset-' her tone was desperate, knowing she could be breaking a child by saying what she did. I cut her off before she could finish, though, grabbing her hand within my tiny ones and responding, 'You'll always be my mummy! No matter what, you're my mummy and nothing can change that! Same with daddy!' She cried, which at the time confused me, but they were happy tears. I still feel the same way now as I did that day.

DR. [REDACTED]: What would you consider your saddest memory? KIANA: I... wouldn't personally call it the saddest, but rather the most unsettling. I was talking to my mum when I was a teenager... I decided to ask her if she knew anything about my birth parents. I didn't particularly care, I think I was just looking to fill in the gaps that were missing... It was then she told me what she had found out. There was a couple who wanted a baby, but due to an accident the wife couldn't get pregnant. They made an agreement with a woman, who was in need of money, to get pregnant and carry their baby. When all was said and done, they were going to buy her a house as a final compensation. It was a mere six months later that the couple divorced. It was heated and rather vile divorce, so much so that the woman carrying the child lost contact with both of them after getting a hefty sized check. It was too late for her to get an abortion safely, on either end, and so she carried the baby out to term. She went to the hospital and had the baby, but left before they could get any information on her or what the baby would be named. A baby girl was left, nameless with no family at the hospital. It was at this point, my mum who worked an early shift, came in and found the baby all alone with no one to claim it. She adopted the baby and raised it. That baby was obviously me, but... I can't imagine what would have happened if I didn't end up with my parents. I am angry, reasonably, as any child would be. It shows that they never truly cared about me, and of course it shows how unwanted I really was in their eyes.

PREFERENCES: CAFFEINE: Coffee with creamer and milk DRINK: Sprite, Raspberry infused water, CAR: A functioning one VACATION: Go to hometown or Egypt HOBBIES: Reading, Hiking in the rain, Writing, Learning, Martial Arts, Sparring, Swimming FAVORITES: Candle scents-fruity or the smell of the ocean, warmth of the sun, the breeze pulling against my hair FOOD: Zebra cakes. "Buy me a pack of zebra cakes and you'll have my attention for at least a day." MEALS: Sweet and sour chicken, fish and chips with cheesy broccoli, or a fried rice with sauteed chicken ANIMAL: Felines; Snow leopards in particular.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: It is apparent that many of Agent Mariveil's scars along her arms have been self inflicted. Based off of her last physical, she is still self harming. I have devised a plan to attempt to ease her depression if only to help with that aspect of it. She also appears to be isolating herself and disallowing herself to get close to others. It is my theory that it is due to fear of using her powers to save those she is close to and thus potentially putting herself at risk.

It should also be worth noting that her abilities can become of great use if she can manage them without exerting herself. In her most recent physical, a scan of her brain seems to show some form of blockage. Further study needs to be conducted into what it is effecting and how serious it is.

He frowned slightly. There was still some information that he wanted, but this was more than enough for now. He couldn’t help but feel a little worse now after seeing how worried she was about him and opening up to him about something that made her feel so vulnerable. He would try to do something to help her if only to give her some ease of mind.

He frowned as he looked over the nasty red lines and scabs that littered her skin, thumb gently running along the back of her hand. He blinked as he heard soft snoring, looking over to see her resting against him, passed out. He took this time to further examine her arm, unhappy with how recent some of the wounds were. He could tell how hard she was struggling with her depression and attempting to stop herself from the harm. There were clear signs that she was cleaning her arms, probably due to being inside of the heavy SHIELD uniform most of the time. He gently pulled the sleeve back down and rested his head against the top of hers. “Oh, what are we going to do with you, Kiki?” His brain was already whirring with ideas as the gears turned, thinking over multiple things at once during the quiet drive back to the tower. Once there, he picked her up and carried her to an empty bedroom before lying her down on it. He grabbed a bottle of water and put it next to the bed with some pain relievers, making sure the room was cool enough for her not to overheat under the blankets.Before he pulled the blankets over her, he softly said ‘Goodnight, Kiki’. “Don’t leave…” she murmured, voice cracking in her half-asleep daze as she grabbed his hand. He blinked, but decided that it wouldn’t hurt to stay with her. He knew she’d freak out, but at the same time would feel better seeing a familiar face in an unfamiliar environment. “I am making fun of you for this, though,” he teased and pulled the blankets up. He only got ‘shush’ in response, making him chuckle.