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alicanta77 · 3 years

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Finale: Glitter and Gold

Pairing: princess!y/n x prince!Chenle

Themes: royalty au, fluff, angst

Warnings: arranged marriage, violence, war, character death, injury, descriptions of injury and blood

Words: 11.5k

Inspiration: BTS - Blood, Sweat and Tears - orchestral cover

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Finale

tag list: @hiqhkey @jaeshatshop @lebrookestore @honei-n @cheonsa1004 @haechans-sunflower @crispy-chan @rvse-hvvck @chezzontop

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Note: This is it! The final chapter of Royal Blooded! I want to say a MASSIVE thank you to everyone who has read and supported this story. The first chapter of this story was published before I had 100 followers on here, and now, as we celebrate the finale, we have over 1500. I have grown so much throughout the 9 months of my life that I spent creating this world, and every word of support, every message, every ask about it means so much to me. I’m a little emotional that it’s ending because of how long I spent on it and how much I put into it, but I am so excited to look forwards at everything that’s coming next. Thank you for the love on this, and enjoy the finale!

Felix xox

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~ 6 months later ~

You held your head high as you walked towards the throne room. You had your main servant walking behind you and two guards escorting you on either side. Your shoes made small tapping noises on the stone floor with every step you took and your clothes and hair gently flowed in time to the repetitive movement. Your lady in waiting was smoothing out your dress as you moved, trying to make everything look perfect. You paused as she quickly adjusted one final piece of hair before giving you a loving smile and hug and wishing you well.

Your chest felt tight with nerves and you took a deep breath. Your dress was beautiful, the most expensive one you owned and you were made up to look more beautiful than you think you ever had before. Your mother had bought this dress for you and, as soon as you had seen it your jaw had dropped, the scarlet red colour complimented your skin tone perfectly and the gold details that swirled around to form the shape of dragons were captivating.

You knew that a dress like this would only be wearable on a day like today, the most important day of your life.

You approached the grand doors, nodding at the two knights guarding the entrance with a smile, both of whom bowed back before moving their spears and opening the grand doors for you.

The throne room appeared in all its glory. The metal chandelier hung from the ceiling, dangling above the engraved stone floors that were currently stood on by the entire court. The court and knights of your kingdom were all in neat rows on the left of the room, framed by the sculpted columns that ran up the walls, engraved with detailed patterns. On the right side of the great hall stood another court entirely. One which you had met once and had recently had the pleasure of getting to know better. Their red and gold emblems were proudly on display on their cloaks, letting everyone who saw them know that they were the court of the royal kingdom of Shanghai.

You remembered doing this over a year and a half ago, only then you had been meeting Chenle for the first time. If someone had told you just how much he would come to mean to you in such a short amount of time, you would never have believed them. You had thought it would take you years to fall for the boy you were arranged to marry, but life is funny like that. You look back now and you don’t see him as the boy you were arranged to love, but rather the boy you were destined to.

However, even with all this going on around you, you couldn’t take your eyes off the boy waiting for you at the end of the hall. He too was dressed in his finest clothes, the dark green and silver colours of your kingdom decorating his outfit. As you walked down the hall, dressed in the representative colours of Shanghai, his face split into the largest smile you had ever seen.

His eyes never left your face as you moved closer to him with every step, in fact, it took all of Chenle’s self restraint not to run towards you right there and then. You finally reached the front and Chenle offered a hand to help you up the few steps.

You accepted, your hands slotting together as if they were jigsaw pieces. You lifted your dress with your left hand, making sure not to step on it and accidentally rip it or, god forbid, face plant. You would never recover from the embarrassment if that happened.

Luckily you made it up the three stairs without any problems, but now you faced the challenge of speaking. You knew Chenle was going to speak first so you had time to mentally prepare yourself, but deep down you felt an overwhelming sense of serenity. You knew that you would be fine. You had been taking public speaking classes since you were young and you’d addressed more people than this in one go before. Just as with the stairs, you knew that nothing would happen, but your mind went to the worst case scenario. You just wanted this day to be perfect, after all, you were only doing it once.

You and Chenle tore your eyes away from each other as you turned your attention to the front, where your childhood tutor, now a well respected member of the court and keeper of the archives, was about to speak.

“We are gathered here today for the wedding and coronation of Prince Chenle and Princess y/n.”

~ flashback ~

“Will you marry me?”

The words left Chenle’s lips and it was as if they kick started your brain into action. You threw yourself at him, his arms catching you as the two of you hit the ground in a heap.

“Yes.” You cried repeatedly. “Yes, with all my heart.”

Chenle rolled the two of you over so that you were lying on top of him, the laughter that was emitting from the two of you radiated pure happiness. You sat up, kneeling next to Chenle as he gently grabbed your hand.

He held you so softly, his thumb gently caressing the back of your palm as he slipped the diamond onto your finger. A second passed in which the two of you stared at the jewel, the symbol of a silent promise to love each other until the end of time.

You looked up at him, eyes shining and his hands came up to cup your face. He pulled you in and you kissed him with everything you had.

You’d lost count of the amount of time you’d kissed Chenle, but this was different. This held so much more to it. It was as if it was a kiss that made all the other kisses on the planet seem pathetic. Love exploded between the two of you, your love, the kind of love that would last a lifetime.

You both pulled away, the need to breath breaking the captivating spell that Chenle had cast on you with that kiss. He leant down, resting his forehead on yours as you both closed your eyes and enjoyed being so close to the one you adored.

“I love you so much.” He whispered, afraid that if his words were any louder they would shatter the perfect moment.

“I love you more.” You whispered back, grinning as you heard Chenle chuckle quietly.

He pulled his forehead off yours only to replace it with his lips for a soft kiss.

“That’s not possible.”

~ flashback ends ~

The great hall was decorated with banners of both your kingdom and Shanghai. Ever since the engagement announcement, the castle had been in full on planning mode, preparing everything for this day to be perfect. There had been banquets, feasts and balls thrown in your honour, with gifts from kingdoms far and wide coming to the two of you in congratulations.

Word had been sent to Chenle’s family in Shanghai and they had announced that they would be coming to visit for the wedding. You had never felt happier than when you saw the smile on Chenle’s face when he was told he was going to see his family. His parents and three older brothers, Kun, Sicheng and Renjun, were all leaving Shanghai to attend, and they were planning on staying with you for a couple of days either side of the monumental event.

However, the good news about Chenle’s family came with bad news about yours. Your mother was frail, ill and barely eating anymore. She spent her days drowning herself in work so she didn’t have to focus on the cold empty space in her bed beside her. For the past 6 months she had worked diligently and done everything she could, but one night she came into your bedroom and quietly asked to speak to you and Chenle.

She told you that she didn’t think she could do it anymore, she didn’t think she could rule the kingdom. She explained that she had only managed to take on all the duties because she had had her husband, your father, by her side. But he wasn’t here anymore, and she couldn’t go on with the burden, it was simply too much for her to bear.

After a long and heavy conversation, your mother announced the next morning that she would soon be stepping down from ruling, and allowing you and Chenle to ascend to the thrones. She addressed her people, admitting to them that she was unfit to govern them and that she felt it was unfair to keep herself on the throne and deny them a better pair of rulers. She then proceeded to inform them that the wedding would be combined with the coronation so that you would be married and crowned on the same day.

You would be lying if you said that this hadn’t had an effect on you. You were already feeling the stress of your title, and you had been working closely with a group of advisors and your mother to introduce you to the world of being Queen. But, still, you were terrified. What if you weren’t a good ruler? What if you made a bad choice for your people? What if this affects your relationship with Chenle? You wouldn’t even get a chance to get used to being married before the role of King and Queen would be thrust upon you. But you forced yourself to ignore the growing voice in your head that filled your being with doubt. You had been preparing for this day your entire life, and now that it was here, you refused to let down those people who had helped you along the way. You would do your best, and make them proud.

So here you were. Standing next to the man you loved, about to promise your everything to him forever. Even though you had been filled to the brim with nerves before entering, as soon as you had locked eyes with Chenle, all of that had melted away. You knew that, as long as you had him by your side, the two of you could handle anything.

While the wedding was only attended to by family and members of the court, the celebrations ran throughout the entire kingdom, with all your people overjoyed at the beautiful ceremony.

You listened as the officiant went through the traditional wedding procedure, both you and Chenle replying with the rehearsed statements. His hand never left yours and you couldn’t express how relieved you were that it didn’t. The physical reassurance that he was there grounded you.

You turned to face each other, holding your joined hands out for the gold ribbon to be wrapped around them. The officiant continued to speak, his words about unity and strength reminding you of your father’s speech when Chenle first arrived with his family. So many things about this day were taking you back to the beginning, and the similarities were making you miss your father more than anything.

You felt a small squeeze on your hand and looked into Chenle’s soft brown eyes. He gave you a nod, one so minute that it would be unnoticeable to anyone who wasn’t you. You repeated the move to him, another reassurance that the two of you were there for each other, no matter what.

The officiant moved on to the vows, Chenle going first before you followed, saying the words you had recently memorised. Due to you both being royals, you couldn’t write personal vows and you had to stick to the scripture, but that didn’t mean that you didn’t mean every word. You meant it with your whole body when you promised to stand by him for as long as you lived, to look after him as best you could, and to support and love him no matter what. And from the look in your soon to be husband’s face, he meant every word he said too.

“Chenle, do you take y/n as your wife?”

“I do.” He spoke, sincerity strong in his voice and you didn’t bother to fight the smile that grew across your face at his certain words. The only thing you didn’t know, was that Chenle had never been so sure of anything in his life.

“Y/n, do you take Chenle as your husband?”

“I do.” You repeated Chenle’s answer, your voice just as steady and sure as his had been, your mindset reflecting that as well.

You were still scared out of your mind at what was going to happen after today, but the thought of having Chenle by your side for the rest of your life, that didn’t scare you at all. No, that thought was the most comforting thing on the planet.

And that thought was just about to become your reality.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

Chenle wasted absolutely no time, moving forwards before the officiant had even finished speaking, gently grabbing your face and pulling you in for a kiss. You smiled into the kiss, your hands coming up to rest on his waist.

The kiss wasn’t long, the awareness that your families and courts were watching you not quite having left your mind. But it held everything, the past years that you had known each other, your entire journey together into who you were now was told in the few seconds that Chenle’s lips pressed against yours. The clapping and cheers brought the two of you fully back to reality as you pulled back. You leaned back in for an even shorter kiss, officially sealing the eternal bond between the two of you.

“I love you.” You whispered, Chenle chuckling.

“That was my line.” You opened your eyes to look at him and he smiled down at you. “But I love you too.”

You both pulled away, as the claps gradually died down and the ceremony began to progress. The two of you barely had time to register the giant step you had just taken before you were being instructed to kneel in front of the thrones and the crowns were held above your head.

You were sure that it had taken longer than you realised, but you were so wrapped up in the feeling of loving Chenle, and how much he loved you, that it felt as though not even thirty seconds had passed.

And yet, here you were, repeating yet another set of responses that you had been taught, promising to protect and fairly govern the people, vowing to follow the example set by those who ruled before you and do whatever you can to live according to the traditions and customs of your kingdom.

As the final vows left both your lips, you felt the gold crown land on your head, the heaviness of the metal it was made out of, and the title it represent, weighing you down already.

“I crown you King Chenle. I crown you Queen y/n.”

With those words, you pulled your legs underneath you and stood, turning around to face the people of your courts. Chenle reached for your hand once again, this time you interlinked your fingers, intertwining your hands as a physical sign of the link between your kingdoms.

The throne room erupted in cheers and clapping once again, this time to an almost deafening volume. You and Chenle began to walk back down the middle, waving and smiling at those closest to you as you passed. You walked all the way out of the throne room and straight onto the balcony, ready to greet your people as their official rulers.

---

You stood just outside the balcony together waiting for the words that would signal the two of you to step outside. You hadn’t spoken to anyone yet, just waiting for you final duties of the day so that you could celebrate with your friends and families.

“Did you feel as though that went really quickly?” Chenle asked out of nowhere, making you jump slightly at the sudden noise before your eyes widened in agreement.

“It did! Leading up to the ceremony felt like an eternity, but then as soon as the ceremony began, it went in a flash. I’m not sure I was even there for half of it.” You muttered the last part, but Chenle’s sharp hearing caught your words none the less and he chuckled whilst muttering out a softer reply.

“Me neither. It kind of feels as though it hasn’t happened yet.”

“Exactly.” You didn’t realise how nervous you had still been until the realisation that you were both feeling the same way. You both fell into silence, it was comfortable but it still felt as though there was a lot that the two of you were leaving unsaid.

“You know-” Chenle paused his words to swallow his nerves, he hadn’t been this nervous around since the two of you met. “I’m starting to remember why I was so nervous for this marriage when I met you.”

You looked at him, the short distance between you suddenly feeling like a million miles.

“Me too.” You admitted softly. “It doesn’t matter how long we’ve known each other, there’s still a pressure for this marriage to be successful and for our kingdom to flourish.”

Chenle whispered a quiet “Yeah”, showing you that he was feeling exactly the same way.

“Chenle?” His eyes shot up from his feet to yours and you could see the nerves bubbling in them. He was chewing on the inside of his cheek and you took a step forward to grab on of the hands that he had behind his back. “Listen to me, I thought you weren’t nervous at all. Honestly, I thought I was the only one freaking out.”

“Trust me you weren’t.” Chenle said dryly, moving slightly so that he was facing you full on.

“I know that now, but I didn’t when I really needed to.”

“What are you saying?” Chenle asked, his brows creasing with worry at your soft words. He knew you only spoke with this tone of voice when you had something important to say to him.

“I’m saying we need to communicate. We need to tell each other the truth, talk about how we feel, both the good things, and the bad. We’re in this together, and that means we don’t need to be perfect for each other. We just need to be there.”

Chenle nodded, a small smile finally making it’s way onto his face as he pulled you closer by the hand that was already in his. His arms came to wrap around your shoulders and you fell into his arms for a hug. You felt his scent overcome you and drown your senses and you let out a deep sigh, feeling some of your worries and concerns leaving you with it.

“You’re right. I know you are and I promise to tell you when I’m stressing out of my mind or nervous to the point where my knees are shaking, especially if I can’t tell anyone else. We’re married now so that means you’re stuck with me no matter what.” Chenle looked down at you, grinning that signature grin of his that you fell in love with until a look of shock suddenly shot across his face. “Holy shit, we’re married!”

You stared at him in confusion.

“What did you think the wedding ceremony meant?” You asked him as Chenle waved you off.

“No, no, I mean, I knew we were married but I guess it’s starting to sink in that we’re really married. Like I get to have you by my side forever...” Chenle trailed off, his eyes never leaving your face.

You leaned up to him, pressing your lips together softly, before pulling back slightly and whispering:

“Well you better get used to it, because it’s you and me for the rest of time now.”

A trumpet riff interrupted your moment, signalling that your time was almost upon you. You and Chenle got into position just as the doors in front of you opened and you prepared to greet your people.

You walked out into the sunlight, the sound of cheers and shouts overwhelming you as you waved to the citizens you had just promised to govern. Chenle’s hand found you once more, holding onto it tightly and pulling you slightly closer as he waved with his free hand. His grip remained tight, and you squeezed it reassuringly leaning in so that only he could hear before saying “I got you” and he seemed to relax. His grip loosened slightly and his smile faded into a genuine expression of joy and awe and you grinned, knowing that you loved him more than anything else on this planet.

The announcer lifted his hand, calling for momentary silence as he uttered the words that were followed by the largest cheer and celebration of them all.

“May I present, for the first time, the King and Queen of Ivairis!”

---

You laughed as Chenle twirled you around in time to the music, before pulling you back in and dipping you gently. You’d lost track of how long the celebrations had been going on for, but the music and lights had hypnotised you into staying longer and longer to enjoy the night.

You’d had the pleasure of meeting Chenle’s brothers as well. Kun was first in line for the throne, he was also married and honestly was the epitome of a perfect heir. Sicheng was second in line for the throne and, before you had met you had been slightly intimidated by him. After meeting him, however you had learnt he was one of the nicest people and so easy to get along with. Family was everything to him, and he spent most of his time working with new recruits for the Shanghai army.

Renjun was closest in age to Chenle, with only a year and a half separating them, and it was clear that they were closest to each other. Chenle had previously confided in you that, since he had three brothers, he hadn’t had much attention from his parents when he was young, and it was Renjun who was there for him. It was Renjun who had essentially shown him how to learn to grow up. Their casual bickering provided you with huge amounts of entertainment, but it was clear that they cherished each other dearly, and Renjun was so proud of everything Chenle had accomplished here.

The most bittersweet moment however, came when Chenle’s father approached you and asked to dance. He had the same kind smile on his face that he always wore and you easily agreed. He led you out onto the dance floor, just as he did the day Chenle first arrived at Ivairis.

“You two have come a long way since the last time we met.” King Zhong commented, a twinkle in his eyes that made you smile.

“You gave me some good advice.” You admitted to him. “When you came here, and we danced you told me: don’t rush this. And that was the best piece of advice anyone has ever given me. I feel like I married my best friend.”

King Zhong smiled down at you, blinking twice as he tried to figure out the best way to say his next words.

“Y/n-” You looked up at him as he paused, before swallowing and continuing. “I know how much you must have wanted your father to be here, he was such a brilliant man and I’m so sorry he couldn’t be with us today.”

“Me too.” You whispered, just loud enough to be heard over the music and people chatting in the background.

“I know that no one else will say this to you, so I will.” You looked up once again, to see him looking down at you with an expression that reminded you so much of your own father that it brought tears to your eyes. “I’m proud of you.”

You felt even more tears gather rapidly in your eyes at that, and you blinked repeatedly to keep them at bay. Chenle’s father’s hands came up to rest on your shoulders and hugged you. You hugged him back, feeling the fatherly warmth from his hug calm you down slightly.

“Thank you.” You said as he pulled back and smiled at you. He nodded at you, patting you on the head gently before the two of you continued to dance. You couldn’t quite describe the comfort that his words had brought you. Deep down you knew your father would be proud of you and all you had accomplished, you just wish he had been here to see it happen.

The song that was playing came to a stop, and you stepped away to clap for the musicians. You and Chenle’s father smiled at each other, before you excused yourself to the sides, needing a short break. You stood quietly and just observed the scene in front of you. There were countless members of the courts of Shanghai and Ivairis dancing together, you saw Chenle’s parents dancing in the middle as well, Renjun was speaking to Jisung by the side, saying something that caused Jisung to stare at the older boy with his eyes wide in amazement. Over on the other side of the hall were Taeyong, Jaehyun, Sicheng and Kun, all immersed in deep conversation and you could see both Jaemin and Jeno heading over to join the conversation. In fact you could see everyone except for-

“Hi love.” You felt a soft kiss on your cheek as you turned to your left and saw how Chenle had snuck up on you without you noticing.

“Hi.” You replied, smiling up at him.

“I was thinking, do you remember the celebration when we came back from the battle against Odin’s kingdom?” You nodded at his words and he carried on. “Well, what would you say about going back into the town again? Not just us though, opening the doors to the palace and courtyard and bringing the musicians outside so that the court and citizens can all celebrate as one?”

“Chenle...” You breathed. “I think that’s an amazing idea.”

His face split into a wide grin at your words and you both immediately moved to put his plan into action. You split up to find different guards who were on the doors, and explain to them what you would like to do. They seemed slightly hesitant, as this had never been done before, but they couldn’t disagree with their new King and Queen so they did exactly as you asked. You walked back into the hall, finding Chenle there waiting for you and the door remained open after you had arrived.

You slipped your hand into Chenle’s and he squeezed it gently, while signalling the musicians to stop playing. An air of confusion came over the room as every single pair of eyes came to rest on the two of you.

“Whenever we have a celebration, it seems to be split in two, with a chosen few celebrating in the castle, and the rest down in the town. The Queen and I would like to change this.”

“Indeed.” You took over from Chenle, your voice strong as you addressed the courts. “The whole emphasis of this marriage and alliance is on unity, and so, as we stand united in two different kingdoms, we will also stand united with all our people. We would like to invite you to join us as we go into the lower town for the rest of the night.”

There were a few murmurs amongst the crowd, but most people nodded and smiled in agreement, understanding your point on unity. You gestured for the musicians to come first, allowing them to be set up amongst the others playing in the lower towns before the rest of you began to move. You and Chenle were amongst the last people to leave, with only Jisung behind you.

He was grinning at the two of you like the Cheshire cat, shaking his head slightly as he chuckled.

“What is it?” Chenle asked his friend, rolling his eyes jokingly.

“Only the two of you would do something like this. In your first few hours as King and Queen, you break up an age-old tradition because of the separation and divide it causes. Only you would realise that and take the step to do something about it.” Jisung shrugged, brushing off his own words as if they were meaningless, but you knew he knew how much they meant to Chenle and yourself. If your marriage was supposed to bring unity, you had to make sure that you were making sure that it did. “Come on then, let’s go dance!”

He stepped in between the two of you, throwing his arms over each of your shoulders as the three of you burst out into laughter and headed into the lower town together, ready to dance the night away.

---

Both you and Chenle relied heavily on advisors during your first months of ruling. You mother stepped down and completely away from royal duties and, even though you felt as though you needed her guidance at times, you couldn’t ask her for help. She barely remembered who you were anymore, much less how to rule a kingdom. You visited her everyday, as did Chenle, and each time hurt more than the last. Watching the clouds pass over your mother’s mind as she struggles to place the face of the child who she cared for and loved all her life, was an indescribable pain.

She always remembered you eventually, something that you counted yourself very lucky for. You remember sitting by her bed, holding her hand as you spoke to her late one evening, telling her about a successful conclusion that you had come to during a council meeting that day.

“You’re doing so well my dear.” She spoke, her voice gravelly as if her throat was constantly dry.

“I’m trying.” You replied, forcing a smile on your face so that she wouldn’t see how tired you were. “I’ll make you proud.”

Your mother tightened her grip on your hand, encouraging you to look her in the eyes as she spoke again.

“You already have.”

She passed away that night.

You were almost relieved that her suffering was over, but her loss hit both you and Chenle very hard. She had become a second mother to him, and you knew how much he loved her. The night you both lost her, you stayed together, hugging each other and crying, just allowing yourselves to be vulnerable before you had to put on another strong appearance for your people when you appeared for the funeral.

Her funeral was identical to your fathers. She was laid, in her best clothes, softly in a long boat, decorated with flowers and pushed down along the river. You held Chenle’s shaking hand in your own as you both whispered your goodbyes into the lanterns and let them fly off into the sky. Allowing your mother to finally be reunited with the man she loved.

You walked back into your shared room, breathing out a heavy sigh as the doors closed behind you and you could finally drop the act you’d been holding all day. Sitting in those meetings, talking with different noblemen of the court about petty details, you had never felt more alone.

You were struggling to come to terms with the fact that you held the entire responsibility of this kingdom on your shoulders, and you didn’t have your parents to show you how to do it anymore. You rested your back against your door, and allowed your knees to give out and for you to sink to the floor.

Once you softly hit the ground you just sat there. You didn’t cry, you didn’t speak, you didn’t move. You just sat there, listening to the sounds of the kingdom around you. You shut your eyes, allowing yourself to get lost in your mind as time passed you by.

A knock on your door forced you to open your eyes and pull yourself back into reality. You stood up and quickly opened your door, finding one of your main advisors there with the paperwork for tomorrow’s sessions. You thanked him, accepting the documents and closed the door once more.

You stepped further into your room, placing the papers down on the desk you had before turning around, planning to lie down on your bed, but your gaze was caught by a figure standing on your balcony.

He had his back to you and was leaning over, but you knew without needing to see his face that it was Chenle. From the way that he was hunched over the balcony to the way he rolled his scarred shoulder every so often to keep the injured muscle moving, you knew he was deep in thought. You debated whether you should go out to see him, wondering if it was best to just leave him thinking, and eventually you turned away, deciding to leave him to his thoughts.

You pulled off your shoes, removed your jewellery and combed through your hair with your fingers. You looked at the small pile of jewellery on your dresser, before reaching down slowly and picking up the silver ring that bared the royal seal of Ivairis. Your bottom lip began to tremble as your mind was flooded with memories of your parents and your childhood. From your mother gently tying up your hair in the mornings, to your father bringing you along to meetings and you hiding behind his legs.

You dropped the ring, your head falling into your hands as you finally let the tears fall. Your breath shortened as you quietly sobbed into your hands, hiccuping as you tried to catch your breath. You needed to see Chenle. You stood up, whirling around to run out to the balcony, but instead you were greeted with him standing in front of you. He had come back inside, and you had been so lost in your sadness that you hadn’t realised.

The two of you stood there, staring at each other, both having red eyes and countless tear tracks down your faces. Chenle said nothing, and instead just opened his arms and you ran into them, the force of your bodies colliding making him take a step back to steady the two of you, but it didn’t matter.

You completely broke down, sobbing into his shoulder as Chenle tried to console you. He gently stroked your head with one hand, the other resting comfortably on your waist as he whispered soft words of comfort into your ear. It didn’t seem to be helping as your crying wasn’t stopping at all.

Chenle’s voice broke more as he tried to talk and all it took was you tightening your grip on him for him to give up on trying to hold it together. He buried his face into your shoulder and let the grief overcome him, crying for the people who took him in and gave him a home.

You both held onto each other for dear life, as if the other would slip through your fingers if you let go for a second. It took a while for you to calm down, feeling as though you only stopped crying because you ran out of tears. You brought your hand up to the back of Chenle’s head, running your fingers through his hair and placing a feather light kiss to his temple.

Even after the two of you calmed down, the sadness was still there, drowning your every thought.

“I’m not ready to be Queen.” You admitted, your voice so quiet, as if you were scared for the words to come out. “I thought I’d have more time, I thought I’d be able to get used to the idea of doing it by myself but I’m not. I’m not ready for any of this, I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“I’m not ready either.” Chenle croaked back, his voice sore from the amount of crying he had done already that night. “My parents may still be alive, but they aren’t here, they aren’t close and I can’t contact them easily enough to ask for help when I need it. I just feel... isolated.” Chenle voice broke once again as he pushed his head further into your shoulder.

“Me too. I’ve never felt this alone.” You whispered, not trusting your voice to speak any louder.

This time Chenle didn’t reply, instead just silently nodding as he held you close. You both understood that you didn’t need advice, or a solution. At least, not yet, right now, all you needed, was to tell the other how you felt. Finally saying the words, admitting the overwhelming emotions that had been weighing you down for the past few months, had already made you feel lighter.

He pulled his head out from your shoulder to rest his forehead on yours. You breathed out, leaning into him as he kept his comforting grip on you. Your eyes were closed, as your mind focused on the one fact that Chenle was standing right there with you, and he understood how you felt.

“I’m sorry.” His quiet whisper making you open your eyes in confusion.

“What for?” You asked and Chenle sighed, as if he was preparing to get something off his chest.

“For not telling you. We made a deal on our wedding day to always be honest with each other about how we were feeling, and I didn’t tell you, and now we’re both here breaking down...”

“Chenle... I’m sorry too. You weren’t the only one keeping things to yourself.” You swallowed, before finally pulling your forehead off his and losing at him straight on. “We aren’t used to this. And I don’t just mean being King and Queen, I mean all of it. We aren’t used to being married, we aren’t used to be sole rulers, we aren’t used to being alone. We had just got married when we then got crowned what felt like five minutes after.”

“We need to figure out who we are as a King and Queen, and who we are as husband and wife. And they don’t necessarily need to be the same people.” You nodded at Chenle’s words before adding onto them with your own.

“There’s so much pressure on this, and I think a lot of that is coming from us. We need to take a step back from being this groundbreaking alliance, and just be us. Chenle and y/n, just two people in love, not the King and Queen of Ivairis whose wedding united lands for generations to come. We don’t need to be our titles, we just need to be-”

“Us.” Chenle finished and you nodded. “And we need to mean it this time. We can’t just say that we’re going to be honest and open with each other and then keep things to ourselves. We’re a team. It’s you and me y/n, and nothing is going to change that.”

You leaned up, closing the small distance between the two of you and pressing your lips to his. He kissed you back, sighing into it slightly before you both pulled away. The kiss was short, but it was enough. It was a promise.

You weren’t just these young kids in love anymore, trying to figure out the best way to spend time with their crush. You were grown adults, married, ruling a kingdom, but no matter how far you went, or how much you grew, you knew that Chenle would always be by your side. You knew that now better than ever.

And for the first time in a long while, neither of you felt alone.

---

You and Chenle kept to your promise, coming to talk to each other, to trust the other to be vulnerable with the smallest of details. Whether it was a certain knight in training being a bit arrogant, or a trade deal you were unsure was worth you signing off on, you shared it with each other. Your close bond as husband and wife translated into your royal duties and you found yourselves settling into a good rhythm as King and Queen.

But nothing good lasts forever.

You and Chenle stayed late after a particularly gruelling council session. The repairs to the outlying villages were almost complete, and the bandit attacks had decreased to them being almost non-existent. A few more supplies were being organised to be sent down, and Chenle was still keen on the idea of training some of the people in the outlying villagers so that, if a bandit attack does happen, they can defend themselves. However, a couple of council members were arguing that it would be a waste of resources to train them, which resulted in a lengthy discussion that lasted for much longer than planned.

With both you and Chenle in agreement however, there was not much that the council men could do against it once the decision had been made. They would send some knights down to the outlying villages to train the few they could, and then that knowledge would be passed down from generation to generation, with knights arriving every once in a while to help out and make sure the correct technique was being practiced.

You quickly instructed a messenger to deliver this note the following morning, thinking that nobody needs to be disturbed this late. The two of you were looking over the plans, deciding on the knights who would go when the doors to the great hall burst open and a scout of yours came running in.

“Mark, what’s wrong?” Chenle asked worriedly, noticing the look of panic on the older boy’s face.

“Fayre’s kingdom, your majesty. They heard of the Queen’s mother passing and that the two of you ascended to the throne and they think you’ll be weak. They’re planning to attack Ivairis with the full force of their army.” Mark relayed the bad news, breathing heavily as he tried to recover from his rush to the palace.

“Oh god.” You breathed, your hand coming to your face in shock. This was not good. Fayre was one of the strongest and bloodthirsty kings around, and if he wanted Ivairis, chances were he wouldn’t stop until he had it.

You and Chenle shared one look and knew that you had to act fast. Chenle called for the guards to bring in his closest knights, two scouts and a messenger, while you whirled on Mark to ask him more questions.

“When did their army leave?”

“Three days ago, I rushed to get back here to warn you before them.”

“Thank you Mark, you may have saved us by doing that. If they left three days ago, they still have at least two before they reach us here, meaning we could send our army out to meet them somewhere we choose.” You thought out loud, Mark rapidly nodding his head next to you.

Chenle reappeared out of nowhere, you not even having noticed he’d left in your state of panic. His arms held a bunch of rolled up papers that depicted the maps of the surrounding lands.

“I’m way ahead of you.” He said, placing them all on the round table in front of you as you rolled them out and moved them into position.

You were lining up details to get a larger picture when the people Chenle had summoned began to arrive. Jisung came first, the head of the royal guard was always ready to be called for his job, with both Jeno and Taeyong close behind. The two scouts, Yangyang and Shotaro came next, with Jaemin close behind and Jaehyun and the other messenger Xiaojun arrived last.

You didn’t both to tell them to take a seat or to greet them, the stakes were simply too high. Instead you just told them the news straight away, not wasting time by sugarcoating it or easing into it at all.

“Fayre is planning to attack Ivairis.”

You heard a chorus of worried inhales of breath, signalling the panic that the rest of the group were feeling. You nodded at Mark, allowing him to explain the rest of the details.

“They left their kingdom three days ago and were travelling south, aiming to take this route here to avoid getting spotted by the Ivairis patrol. As far as I’m aware, this plan wasn’t changed, meaning that, as long as nothing disrupts their route, they should reach Ivairis by sunset in two days time and will likely attack the following morning.”

“Our best shot is heading out to meet them somewhere, like we did with Odin’s kingdom.” Jisung spoke first, the rest nodding in agreement. “I would place my bets on somewhere like here.” He reached forwards and circled a certain spot on the map. “It’s not sheltered, so there’s no chance for a surprise attack. While that limits our chances of coming up with one ourselves, Fayre destroys his enemies by drawing them in and then having a second plan up his sleeve.”

“Jisung’s right.” Taeyong said, all eyes flicking towards him as he spoke. “We can’t try to outsmart him by using his own tactics against him, that’s how people get killed. We need to force him into a situation where he has to fight us on our terms, that’s our best shot.”

“Xiaojun-” Chenle called out, the boy’s head shooting up at his king’s voice. “I need you to send word to Shanghai, tell them of the severity of the situation and that we need reinforcements as soon as possible.” Xiaojun nodded, quickly making a note of the battle location before disappearing.

You turned to the other two scouts.

“Yangyang, Shotaro, you need to scout the army. Get us a rough idea of numbers and see if there’s any weak spots. There won’t be enough time for you to report back to us here so you’ll need to tell the army when they arrive at the battle location, understand?” Both of the boys nodded at your words, before heading back out of the door to go do as you asked.

“What about me?” Mark asked, but you shook your head.

“You’ve done enough Mark.” You said, not allowing him to put himself in danger again.

“But they trust me, I could find out more insider information, I-”

“No, Mark.” Chenle cut him off. “Y/n’s right, you’ve done more than enough. Without you we would never stand a chance, that’s for sure. Plus as soon as we meet them they will know that we had a man on the inside, and it won’t take long for them to figure out it’s you. We can’t put you in that danger.”

Mark nodded, understanding your decision before you both thanked him again and allowed him to go for the night.

“What about us?” Jaehyun asked and Chenle turned to look at the remaining knights, his face grave.

“Be ready to prepare the troops in the morning. We’re going to war.”

---

One night. That was all it took for your world to be thrown upside down. In one night you had gone from council meetings and rebuilding the outlying villages to sending the man you loved off to war. You were standing in your joint room, watching as he finished getting dressed just as the first rays of light were appearing through the window. You walked towards him, silently taking the necklace out of his hands and fastening it yourself.

He turned around to face you but you didn’t take your gaze off the jewellery he was wearing. He wore it everyday, a simple necklace with two seals on it. One being the royal seal of Shanghai and the other being the royal seal of Ivairis. The symbol of his two nations. Chenle noticed you avoiding his gaze and brought his hands to your face, gently cupping your jaw and guiding you to look at him.

He leant in, placing a kiss on your forehead and your hand gripped at the fabric around his waist.

“If things aren’t going well-”

“Stop.” You said, not wanting to hear about what would happen if they lost this war. If they lost, Chenle would be dead, and you didn’t want to think about the possibility of that happening.

“Listen.” Chenle commanded softly. “If things aren’t going well, I’ll send a Shanghai messenger back here. You need to get as many of our people as you can, and take them with you to Shanghai. I made sure Xiaojun mentioned in the message the possibility of that happening and I know they would look after you. They reassured us we always have a home there, and I know that would apply to you if I don’t come back from this.” Your hands tightened their grip around his shirt at his words. “If anything happens to me... I need to know that you’ll be safe.”

You nodded silently and Chenle breathed a sigh of relief at your agreement, moving his hands from your face to around your shoulders to hug you close as you did the same around his waist. You buried your face in his chest, breathing in as much of him as you could before you had to let him go.

You walked with him through the castle, your hand held tightly in his as you both approached the main doors. You knew that beyond those doors stood your entire army, waiting for their king to lead them into battle. You suddenly stopped moving, causing Chenle to turn back in confusion.

You stared at him for a second, trying to find the right words to say before just throwing your arms around his neck and hugging him as tightly as you could. Chenle caught you, wrapping his own arms around your waist and squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to make this fleeting moment last forever.

“Come back to me.” You whispered.

“I promise.”

---

It had been a month.

An entire month and the only sign you’d had that they were still alive were the two letters from the Shanghai reinforcements sending word to you that they had arrived at the battlefield to help. The knowledge that they had extra men fighting with them was reassuring, but not hearing a single word from Chenle, not knowing if he was even alive, for a whole month was tearing you apart.

The entire kingdom had been in a state of fear. The outlying villages had been told to be prepared to move into the citadel in case the battle was lost so that they could barricade themselves in and be protected. Every citizen had their nerves on fire for the past month as they all waited for any kind of news.

You had been in the weekly review of the tax collection when the sound of horses hooves caught your attention. The entire table froze, knowing that, one way or another, the battle was over. The doors to the great hall burst open and Mark appeared, nodding at you, a relieved expression on his face.

“It’s them.”

You dropped the paper in your hand, standing up and running out of the hall. You ran down the corridors, Mark by your side and you didn’t stop for anything. Various other members of the court and servants in the castle joined you as they all were eager to welcome the knights home, but all you cared about was finding Chenle.

You burst out of the front doors just in time to see the last of the knights trickle back in. Your jaw dropped, nothing could have prepared you for the sight in front of you.

Out of all the knights who went to battle, only around a fifth of them made it back. Your eyes did a desperate scan of the faces of the live men. You saw Taeyong, who had his left arm in a makeshift sling, Jaehyun and Jaemin were carrying an unresponsive Jeno between them, the large red stain on Jeno’s shirt giving away that he was seriously injured, and Jisung was standing further down the steps in front of you.

You couldn’t see Chenle anywhere.

Jisung took a few steps towards you, limping heavily, and you rushed down to him, throwing your arms around him in a hug.

He caught you with a grunt and you tried to apologise but the words got stuck in your throat. You were shaking slightly in his hold but Jisung still hugged you tightly, relieved to be back home.

“We won.” He whispered, and you nodded slowly at his words before pulling back.

“At what cost?” You asked, too scared to directly voice the question that was plaguing your mind.

Did Chenle survive?

“He’s alive. The last I saw him, he was alive.” Jisung answered your unasked question, a small ounce of relief flooding your system, but it didn’t nothing to calm the furious fear at the fact that nobody knew where he was.

You took a couple of steps back to find all the knights looking at you for your words. You found that you didn’t even know what to say to them, how could you comfort someone who has been through the ordeal they have?

You cleared your throat before addressing the men in front of you.

“Our brave knights. There are no words to describe how thankful we are to you for everything you have done for us. You bravery and sacrifice will never be forgotten. Today, we will have our traditional victory procession, and I would like to add a moment at the end, for anyone to address anything they would wish to. And to speak to or about anyone they may have lost. Please go to the court physician and your people in Ivairis are eternally indebted to you.” Your voice broke slightly at the end and the knights all nodded at you in appreciation.

They each headed inside one by one, only Jisung, Jaehyun, Jaemin and Jeno remained. A few members of the medical team rushed out, taking Jeno’s limp body from Jaehyun and Jaemin and carrying him inside, shouting out various treatments. Jaehyun squeezed your shoulder as he went inside, the exhaustion clear on his face. Jaemin stepped up but paused for a minute and turned to face you.

“Thank you, for adding that opportunity at the end. We lost a lot of men out there and I know people will want to address it.”

With that he headed inside, leaving just you and Jisung standing there looking at each other. Jisung opened his mouth to speak but you got there first.

“Go to the court physician Jisung. Please get yourself checked out and your wounds treated first.”

He closed his mouth, nodding at you before moving past you and entering the castle. You turned you gaze on the now empty courtyard, the men having cleared out and the horses having been retrieved. You took a few shaky breaths, waiting a few extra seconds, staring wistfully at the gate, praying that by some miracle Chenle would come riding through. But he didn’t. So you shut your eyes, took a deep breath, and turned back into the castle, the doors closing behind you.

---

The victory procession was bittersweet. The knights were acknowledged for their hard work and struggles, and nobody tried to deny that this had been a heart wrenching battle. The celebrations were half hearted however, the entire kingdom feeling the loss of so many knights and the king that they were all missing. The toasts at the end brought tears to your eyes as the knight took it in turns to remember their fallen friends.

And through it all, anyone could tell that the entire kingdom was terrified that their king wouldn’t come back. The king who every citizen had grown to love and admire. The king who set an example for all future kings, who acted as a king should, the king who you were lucky enough to call your husband, your love.

You removed your final piece of jewellery, staring at yourself in the mirror as you tried to figure out the whirlpool of emotions in your head. The knock at your bedroom door made your head snap towards it as you called out for whoever it was to enter. Jisung’s head poked around the door, and you couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed.

You had known Jisung almost your entire life, and you had never seen him look this broken. He took a couple of steps into your room before looking questioningly at your bed, asking silently for permission. You gestured for him to sit, moving over to join him yourself.

“I think I should tell you what I know.”

You nodded, not trusting yourself to speak quite yet.

“It was the final day. We knew it was coming to an end, we could all feel it. It’s hard to describe but there’s a difference in the air. On the final night, the king names someone he wants to be in charge of the army in case...” Jisung swallowed as he continued trying to get the words out. “In case he’s killed. Chenle chose me. The next morning, just before we went out, Chenle told me to do whatever I could to get this back to you.”

It was only then that you noticed Jisung had been holding something ever since he stepped foot into your room. He lifted up the object and you recognised it immediately. He placed it gently in your hands, watching as you turned it over in your fingers.

It was Chenle’s necklace.

“I didn’t see him after that.” Jisung’s voice brought you to tear your eyes away from the necklace in your lap and look back up at him. “I lost sight of him in battle. I know it sounds like he didn’t make it but- we scoured every inch of the battlefield after we won, there was no sign of Chenle among the bodies, nor was he taken captive by Fayre either because we searched their base. Aspen was missing too. Chenle is out there, alive and trying to make his way back here to you. And he will, he has to.”

You let your eyes flicker back down to Chenle’s necklace for a second before looking back up at Jisung.

“Thank you.” You whispered. “It’s been a long day, you should get some sleep.”

Jisung nodded, standing quickly and heading back out the same door he entered through. You didn’t from move your position, instead sitting in the same spot for the next few hours, turning the seals over and over in your fingers, wondering if Chenle would ever find his way back.

---

You were sat in the throne room, having just finished a meeting with the keeper of the archives to document the battle. Labelling Chenle as missing was something you had hoped you would never have to do, but there you were, drawing your signature on that very slip of paper. You really understood your mother’s words now when she said that she only felt as though she could rule when she had the person she loved by her side.

Because you didn’t just feel alone without Chenle, you felt completely and utterly lost.

A guard appears, telling you that there is a messenger for you, and you gesture for them to be let in. Yangyang strolls through the door, and you can’t help the small smile that appears on your face at sight of his much larger, contagious one.

“I have good news!” He announced, making you raise your eyebrows. “News of the victory travelled fast around kingdoms both close by and far away, and any thoughts off attacking Ivairis have been wiped off the map. Between the strength of our army and the alliance with Shanghai, the kingdom is almost invincible.”

You let out a breath of disbelief, smiling lightly at the boy in front of you as the news settled. Ivairis was safe. You asked Yangyang to spread the news around the kingdom, allow everyone to revel in the announcement and he gladly agreed before running out of the room so fast he left the door open.

You chuckled slightly at the sight of him, but the smile on your face faded quickly as the thought of Chenle travelled through your head. Another two weeks had passed but he was still missing. Nobody had heard a word from or about him since the final day in battle, and the fear that you were never going to see him again had become your natural state of mind.

You looked out of the window on your left, staring down at the rose buses and stone bench that sat there. You felt all the memories rush through your head of the times you and Chenle had sat on that very bench. You still remembered walking past it in the first few days of Chenle arriving, when you had given him a tour around the grounds. Though he would deny it within an inch of his life, Chenle had a soft spot for flowers and loved nothing more than spending a day surrounded with flowers of all different kinds.

You sighed out once more, closing your eyes to stop the tears that were threatening to fall.

“You promised you’d come back to me...” You spoke to the empty room, your voice wavering heavily.

You rested your head on the glass, lost in your own mind when a voice cut through. Your eyes shot open and you whirled around to be greeted with the person you thought you would never see again, the person you loved more than anything else in this world, more than life itself.

“Have I ever broken my promises?”

Chenle.

The world stopped when you saw him. You didn’t blink, didn’t move, didn’t even breathe, terrified that if you did, the image of him would disappear and you would be left with the reality that didn’t have him in it.

He took a step forward, standing in front of you and reaching up to tuck a stay piece of hair behind your ear. You lifted a shaky hand to his face, pressing your palm against his cheek and taking in the fact that he was stood in front of you.

“Chenle...” You whispered, trying to convince yourself that this was real life.

He nodded at your words, tears filling his eyes at the sight of you after so long. When it sunk in it hit you like a ton of bricks. You threw your arms around him and broke down, sobbing into his shoulder.

“Oh my god, Chenle. You made it back.” You cried, holding him tighter that you ever had before.

“Of course I did, I could never leave you like that.” He whispered, his quiet voice a stark contrast to your broken one.

His arms were securely around your waist, capturing you next to his being. You could feel that he was smaller, having lost weight when he was lost and trying to get back. He had dirt in his hair, and various bruises and other minor injuries that you could see, but he was here. He was here, in your arms, alive.

You pulled back, bringing one hand to rest on his cheek as you pressed your foreheads together.

“I love you so much.” You breathed, the tears still steadily falling down your cheeks.

“I love you more.” He replied, relaxing in the knowledge that he was home. He was standing in your arms, surrounded by his kingdom.

Chenle was home.

---

~ 10 years later ~

“So we are in agreement?” You asked the court, looking around the round table and seeing all the other heads of the men and women present nodding at your words. “Well in that case, we can call it a day here. Thank you for your input.”

You stood, smiling at the people in front of you as they all left the room.

“Ten years and council meetings are still as dull as the first one.” You muttered to yourself.

“I hear that.” A voice replied, making your eyes shoot up. You found yourself looking at your husband, who was leaning against the door with a cheeky grin on his face. “But if we want to set a good example, we should probably pretend they are.”

You shook your head, chuckling to yourself at his words. The sound of light footsteps running down the hall caused you and Chenle to send each other a knowing look.

The doors to the great hall opened once more and in ran two little children.

“Daddy, look I won!” You son yelled happily, grabbing Chenle’s hand and pointing towards the doorway where a panting Jisung stood, leaning on the door frame for support.

“Really Jisung? Two children under the age of 6 can outrun you?” Chenle asked, his eyebrows raised judgmentally.

“Look.” Jisung spat, pointing a finger accusingly at the two of you. “If the two of you hadn’t had twins with Chenle’s bluntness and y/n determination, I would be fine. But these two are like the mixture of you two, it’s terrifying.”

“Well, Jisung I hate to break it to you, but that is how children work. They tend to be a mixture of their parents.” You replied dryly, reaching down to hug your daughter as she held on to your leg, catching her breath.

“You know... we made a deal that we would have three.” Chenle reminded you, wiggling his eyebrows at you as you burst out into laughter at Jisung’s disgusted expression.

“Okay, that’s my cue to leave. Just remember, there are young children here.”

Jisung gestured to the twins that were standing close to you, before saying a quick goodbye, which your twins shouted back even louder, as he headed off to the next training session.

“Is everything sorted?” Chenle asked you, trying to stop your son from attempting to sit on the documents on the table.

“Yes, everything was agreed upon today. Starting from tomorrow, we are in an official peace treaty with all the surrounding lands. There are plans to share combat tactics, and resources if any kingdom needs it. We’re about to enter a new era.” You told him, the smile on your face growing at your words.

“That’s amazing, I’m so proud of you.” He breathed, his voice lowering for the last part as he grabbed your hand.

You intertwined your fingers with his. “I’m proud of us. We did this together.”

Chenle smiled at you, the signature smile of his that always took you back to the shy boy who you toured around the rose garden. You reach out with your other hand, your daughter grabbing it as Chenle took a hold of your son and together you walked out to stand on the battlements. Neither of your children were tall enough to see over the stone walls, so you both picked them up, allowing them to sit and see the view.

“One day, you’ll be the ones to rule this kingdom.” Chenle told them, watching as their eyes lit up in amazement. “And you’ll do it with a very special someone by your side.”

You smiled out at the view, the roofs of houses, the market stalls, the training grounds... you could see your entire kingdom from up here. Your entire home.

“Tell us the story again of how you and Mummy met?” Your daughter asked, looking up at her father with wide eyes.

Chenle began the tale, pointing out to the view as he did. He had got in the habit of telling them this story to put them to sleep, and since then they had asked for it constantly, the way he changed certain words to make it sound like a fairytale had made it their favourite.

He told the story of a magical land that became his home and the evil kings and dragons that he and Uncle Jisung had fought to protect it, all while his fairy queen, which was you, stood bravely behind the walls sheltering and looking after the people.

You listened to his calming voice tell the legendary tale and couldn’t stop the smile that spread across your face as you watched your family. You thought about how your life had turned out, all the ups and downs and challenges that you had faced, but you never faced them alone. Chenle was right there with you, ready to tackle any problem that the two of you may encounter. You turned your gaze out to your kingdom, the wealthy and prosperous civilisation that the two of you had grown together, yet it only meant everything it did because of the man you shared it with.

You remembered your conversation with Chenle before he proposed, the two of you talking about the life you could possibly have if you weren’t royals. You discussed all the things you would change, and how it would be different. But, standing here now, looking over your kingdom, with your family by your side, you knew one thing for certain.

You wouldn’t change a thing.

195 notes · View notes

peaches-and-creams · 3 years

Text

The Dark Library

Pairing: Loki x Reader (Gender Neutral)

Tags: Fluff; hurt/comfort

Warnings: Reader is suffering from temporary blindness (idk if some of you don’t like that???), mentions of almost dying,

Word Count: 1006 words

Note: Well this is my first fic here so i hope you like it. feedback is always appreciated (if i make a mistake, please tell me) :]]]

After 4 months of being undercover, you’ve successfully accessed the organization’s files. With 10 minutes on the clock, you hit self-destruct on the ship. You’ve finished extracting the files, already sent to the main base.

“Stop right there! You can’t escape anymore.” A crowd of armed fighters blocked you on the left and on the right. You fight them all at once as they drop to their feet, exhaustion slowly creeping on you.

“Y/N, the ship will explode in 3 minutes. You need to get out of there, Now!” You hear Natasha in your ear, evident worry in her voice.

“I’m trying! They keep coming, fuck!” You let out a frustrated groan. You see the halls quickly getting filled with more enemies. “I’m jumping.”

“What?! How are you going to survive that? You’re thousands of feet from the ground, you’ll die!” Natasha panics, calling back-up to come to you, while trying to discourage you from the idea.

“If I don’t get out of here, I’ll die anyway! Let’s hope you have your jets ready. no sad songs on my funeral, please!” was what you said before jumping out the window, barely missing the ship bursting into flames.

You reach into your pocket for a small necklace. I’ll see you soon, dear. You give it a light kiss. But I’m tired now, perhaps a nap will suffice.

…

That was 3 days ago. You’ve only woke up today, feeling drowsy because of the meds. Turns out, your nap was prolonged after debris of the ship hit you in different parts of your body. Luckily the Avengers had arrived before you hit the ground, Tony catching you as Loki casted a protective spell to prevent any more scraps hitting you.

“Loki.” you call.

“Loki, Love.” no response.

“Come on, I know you’re there. You can’t be mad at me forever.” you say.

“I can and I will.” He huffs as you hear the closing of a book. “I can’t believe you’d do that. If we’d been a second late, you would’ve died!”

“But you weren’t! You guys saved me, I’m fine. See, I’m okay.” You wave your arms in front of you.

“No you’re not. You can’t even see now, for who knows how long before you regain your sight! Any later, you could’ve suffered a more serious injury.”

That’s right. When you opened your eyes, it was no different from when you slept. Your vision was filled with nothing but darkness. Cold, terrifying darkness.

“They’re awake!” you didn’t even notice that you weren’t alone until you heard someone shouting and opening the door.

“Y/N, thank goodness. You’re awake!” You recognize this as Tony who rushed to you.

“Tony? Is that you?” You asked.

“Am I Tony–– Of course I’m Tony!” He says.

“Tony?” You say, your hands crawling to find him. “Tony? Is this you” You ask when you feel someone else's palm.

“Yes, it’s me. Y/N, what’s wrong? Tell me.” His voice sounded worried, his hands caressing yours.

“Tony, I–– I can’t see.” Your eyes spilled the tears you’ve been holding back. “I can’t see you, I can’t see anything. I’m scared, please, I’m scared––”Just then a set of arms wrapped around you. You instantly melt in those familiar arms, crying.

“Loki…”

“Shh… you’ll be fine, you’re fine, darling” He says.

The doctors arrived shortly, checking up on you. They confirmed that you’ve suffered temporary blindness from the debris that hit you when you fell. They assured you that your sight would be back in matters of hours, and that it wasn’t temporary.

And now, It’s been a few hours since and you’re still very much blind. You sat in your hospital bed, earphones plugged to your phone while playing a short audiobook. Although he insisted on staying, Loki has been ignoring you since the doctors left. Well, until now.

“You know I had to do it… I had to finish the mission.” your defense.

“I know you did, but you could’ve done it without trying to sacrifice yourself! You’re not indestructible, Y/N. You can’t just jump and hell with it if you survive!” Loki was clearly frustrated at your actions.

“I would’ve died if I didn’t jump. Any more second, the ship would’ve blasted right on my face!” You raised your voice. It was clear that his frustration had affected you too, so he pauses. He takes a deep breath as he walks closer to you, not that you have the means to see that. Loki places his palms on top of yours and he kneels beside your bed, placing a kiss on your hand.

“I was scared. So scared.” He was so scared that they had been too late to save you. All the while he stayed by your sleeping figure, he had been a mess wondering when you’ll wake up. Why wouldn’t he? He’d never had anything, anyone he could call his. And when you stumbled upon his pathetic life, you’d given him something so precious to lose.

“You have been… the single, most happy event that ever happened in my life. And Y/N I’m not, I’m not ready to lose that, to lose you. I don’t think I’d ever be, so please… don’t.” despite not being able to see, you know he was crying. You could feel his tears falling as he held your hand closely. You move your free hand to his face, wiping his tears.

“I bet you’re all snotty now.” You joke. “I’m not going anywhere anytime soon, Loki. I told you before, you can’t get rid of me that easily.” You smile. He says nothing but holds you. “I’m sorry I made you worry. I’m sorry that I tried to sacrifice myself. I’m sorry that I didn’t mean to make you scared. I’ll try not to get myself in danger again.” He remained silent.

“Come on, Loki. say something.” you plead. You were a bit startled when he moved, standing next to you. You felt the bed dip and his hands ––that you desperately searched for ––cupped your cheeks.

“...I accept your apology.” He plants a kiss on your forehead as you place a hand over his own. “Now what shall we do?”

“I was reading a book. Well, listening… might be interesting.” you smile, raising your phone.

“Hmm.. let’s see, Shakespeare?” He takes it. you assume, scanning your library. “Shall I read to you, my sweet darling?”

#loki odinson imagine #loki odinson x reader #loki laufeyson x y/n #loki odinson x y/n #loki odinson x you #loki #loki imagine #loki laufeyson x reader #loki x you #loki x reader #loki oneshot #loki laufeyson x you #loki laufeyson imagine #loki x y/n #loki laufeyson x gender neutral reader #loki x gender neutral reader

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wistfulcynic · 5 years

Text

The Very Witching Time (4 / 5)

SO YES I ADDED ANOTHER CHAPTER. I couldn’t fit what I needed to fit into only one, and still do it well. I hope you don’t mind.

For a while I wasn’t sure this chapter would come together at all, but then @thisonesatellite sorted me out, and reminded me that dogs with missing paws don’t run on four legs, and also fuelled me with German chocolate because she is the GREATEST.

Art by @gingerchangeling and event by @cssns both of whom are BRILLIANT.

And as ALWAYS thank you to everyone reading, commenting, reblogging, kudos-ing. I TREASURE YOU ALL.

In this chapter we learn what happened with Killian and Cora and FEELINGS ARE FELT. BIG FEELINGS.

SUMMARY: Emma Swan is a hereditary witch, last in a long line of wise women who for centuries have guarded the coast of Maine and the small village of Storybrooke with their homemade cures and their ancient magic. She holds the delicate balance between magic and mundane, but now that balance is threatened by a new foe, one capable of bringing an end to everything Emma is and everything she loves. To defeat it she will need all her power, help from her friends and neighbours, and the loyalty of a very unusual dog who answers to the name of Killian.

RATING: M

AO3 | Tumblr: ch1, ch2, ch3

TAGGING: @thisonesatellite, @stahlop, @mariakov81, @kmomof4, @snowbellewells, @jennjenn615, @resident-of-storybrooke, @teamhook, @thejollyroger-writer, @winterbaby89, @darkcolinodonorgasm, @captainsjedi, @ultraluckycatnd @shireness-says @scientificapricot @tiganasummertree

(if you’d like a tag, please let me know!)

CHAPTER 4:

Emma awoke to the blithe and piercing trill of birdsong just outside her bedroom window. It must be just outside to be so close, she thought, squeezing her eyes tightly shut, willing the bird to take its song elsewhere so she could go back to sleep. She was so tired, aching and heavy with exhaustion, and her bed so warm and comfortable. She rolled over, reaching for her quilt, intending to pull it up over her head to muffle the noise. When her hand encountered not soft patchwork but crisp leaves, she frowned and opened her eyes, struggling to comprehend the sight of the bright blue sky above her. Where was she?

Her sluggish mind groped for memories of the night before, unearthing them slowly at first and then in a rush: the clearing, the covenant, Cora, the wolves, the fight. Killian, torn and broken and all but dead; her soul-deep terror as she fought to save him…

Had she saved him?

“Killian?” she whispered, looking around, then cried it in panic when she couldn’t see him. “Killian!”

At first there was no response, then she heard rustling in the underbrush and he appeared, tail a blur, carrying something in his mouth. He dropped it in front of her and sat, tail still wagging, sending leaves and dirt flying as it brushed along the forest floor. She threw her arms around him, laughing as he licked her chin, grinning widely, his blue eyes bright.

“You’re alive,” she whispered, pressing her face into his neck. “Thank the goddess.”

He sighed into her hair as she rubbed her hands over him, feeling for any open wounds or broken bones. But there were none. He was completely whole. “You’re all right,” she breathed, “You’re all right.” Weak with profound relief she went limp against him, then tensed and sat up abruptly as another memory surfaced. “But what happened to Cora? What—”

He nuzzled at her cheek. {Later, love. Eat first.}

“Eat?”

He nudged the thing he’d brought her with his nose and she picked it up, examining the small parcel formed of folded leaves in wonder. Within she found a carefully selected collection of nuts and autumn fruits, all ones she regularly gathered herself from the forest at this time of year, lately with Killian at her side listening intently as she explained the uses and properties of each one.

He’d brought her breakfast.

“How did you manage this?” she laughed, digging in gleefully. She was ravenous. His tail thumped against the ground and he grinned his cheekiest grin.

{I have my ways.}

“Oh yeah? Did you grow some opposable thumbs?”

{Not exactly.}

She frowned in confusion and he smiled shyly, placing his paw gently on her arm. His left paw. She blinked rapidly and her mouth fell open.

“Killian!” she cried. “You have a left paw! A real one!”

“Aye!” he barked, and bounded away, leaping and dancing through the leaves, showing her how well he could use his new appendage.

“But how—” she said in astonishment. He ran back to her and licked her hand, nuzzling it until it came to rest on his head.

{You did it, love.}

“I did this? What, you mean… when I healed you last night?”

“Aye!” His tail wagged faster.

“But— that shouldn’t be possible! My magic is strong but it can’t regrow a limb!”

{You did use quite a lot of magic.}

A dancing beam of sunlight chose that moment to break over him and Emma gasped, mouth dropping open again as she looked at it and then at the forest around them. Now that she was fully awake and her hunger curbed the odd incongruities that had been tickling at the edges of her mind began to resolve. The clearing where they sat was as she remembered, with the ring of slender birches and the old, gnarled oak at the centre, all just as it should be except the knothole in the trunk of the oak was gone. Emma frowned. It was completely gone. The air that ruffled through her hair was soft and the light that shone through Killian’s fur was radiant, and the birds... the birds were singing.

Almost afraid of what she would find, she reached out and felt for magic. There was… none. Not a whisper of it. She looked up at the sky, clearly visible through the bare branches of the trees, golden sunlight pouring through them and bathing the forest floor for the first time in Emma’s memory.

The whole of her memory, and her ancestors’ too.

“I used all the magic…” she murmured, straining to grasp the notion. “All of my own to fight Cora and then all of the forest’s when I healed you.”

Killian frowned, a bit unnerved by her shock. {Is it gone forever?}

She shook her head and stroked his ears reassuringly. “No, it will replenish itself, and probably pretty quickly. All living creatures have an innate magic, generated by their… well, their life. Their life force. That magic can be channeled, set to another purpose, but it can never be destroyed. And it is constantly being renewed, for as long as things continue to live.”

{And what of your magic?}

“My magic is the same. Constantly renewing as I use it, and actually pretty resilient. I can already feel it coming back, though it’ll be a while before I’m at full strength again. Things will return to the way they were, eventually. It’s just… weird, to see the forest like this.”

“Aye!”

She looked around again, still trying to come to grips with it. “I mean, it really is all gone. The only magic left anywhere is—” she looked sharply at Killian, eyes widening. “Yours.”

{Mine?} he barked in astonishment.

“Only no, it’s not yours is it?” She frowned at the hazy aura around him, wondering how she could have failed to notice it before. It was distinctive but very faint, woven in a pattern she’d read about but never seen, and cast with a chilling malice.

She stroked his head again and felt the magic tingle in her skin, and she understood. “Killian, you’re… are you cursed?”

He tried to bark but no sound emerged, and he looked at her with blue eyes pleading.

“You are, aren’t you!”

Closing her eyes, she focused her sight, looking not at the pattern of the curse or the form it gave him, but deep within him, to the very essence of who he was. “You’re a man!” she gasped.

He licked her chin. {I couldn’t tell you.}

“No, of course not, the curse would have prevented you.” She chuckled and shook her head. “I probably should be more surprised but actually this explains a hell of a lot.”

Her laughter died away and a frown creased her forehead again as she took a closer look at the magic. “It’s a very clever curse, I have to admit,” she said. “It seems to have a built in cloaking spell that makes it almost impossible to see, even for me. Though honestly there’s a lot of ambient magic my house and the forest, and even in Storybrooke, the traces must just have gotten lost in all the background noise. In more mundane surroundings I’m sure I’d’ve noticed the magic signature, even with a cloak shielding me from realising that you’ve never really acted like a dog”

He looked mildly affronted. {I think I’ve been a very convincing dog, love.}

“Who barks ‘aye’ and understands human language and raises his eyebrows?”

{Dogs do that.}

“Do they, though?”

{Well, perhaps not the eyebrows.}

She snorted another laugh but things were beginning to click together in her mind, and the picture that emerged was not an amusing one. “Did Cora do this to you?” she asked quietly.

His bark was soft. “Aye.”

“Why?”

{I believe I can show you.}

He nudged his head under her hand again and closed his own eyes, then Emma gasped in astonishment as the curse magic surged and she found herself no longer in the forest clearing but in a small, cramped room, stark and glaringly lit, its walls formed of white metal strips and a long, complicated control panel with a confusion of screens and buttons and dials that took up one entire side. Men and women in dark blue uniforms were hurrying to and fro and the smell of the sea was faint but detectable, and Emma surmised that she must be on some sort of military ship.

One of the uniformed men caught her eye, a young and handsome one with dark hair falling across his forehead, highlighting his blue eyes —Killian’s eyes— as he frowned at one of the screens. Without warning the control panel exploded in a burst of flame, sending the man flying backwards and burying him beneath a heap of crumpled metal and burning plastic. Instinctively, Emma ran to help him but when she reached out her hand it went right through the twisted metal that trapped him, as though it were air.

Of course, thought Emma, feeling foolish. This is a vision.

The man groaned and she could see that the debris had fallen around him with suspicious precision, leaving him uninjured save for the left hand that was trapped under part of the panel. He tugged on his arm, attempted to push off the weight, but all in vain, and she could see him begin to panic. Shudders racked the ship as more explosions sounded in the distance and the wreckage shifted, allowing the man to pull himself free. His sigh of relief became a gasp of shock, his eyes widening and dulling with horror as he took in the sight of the hand hanging limply from his wrist, its bones crushed and its skin burned, and then another series of explosions shook the ship again.

“Liam,” the man whispered, scrambling to his feet, swaying, crying out in pain as he stumbled and knocked his injured hand against another piece of wreckage. Cradling the hand against his chest he ran from the room, staggering and falling against walls as the ship swayed, until he reached a blue door and wrenched it open, stumbling into the room behind it with a wordless wail of distress. Heedless of his hand, he fell to his knees before the man Emma could now see sprawled on the floor, this one with lighter, curly hair but similar enough that she was not surprised when the man with Killian’s eyes called him brother.

“Liam. Wake up, brother.” It was Killian’s voice but rough now with unshed tears. His face was smooth and young, perhaps twenty years of age, but as he shook his brother’s lifeless form it filled with an agony that was ageless. “Liam, please wake up, we have to get out of here. Liam!”

“He won’t wake.”

The man spun around in alarm at the unexpected words, spoken by a woman lounging elegantly on a chair in a corner of the room. Emma tensed as she recognised Cora, her face younger but no less malicious, sneering at the brothers on the floor. “He’s dead.”

“Who are you?” snarled the man. “How did you get here?”

“I am your salvation, Killian Jones,” she replied, cool and triumphant.

Emma could see Killian bristle at her tone. “What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?”

“It means that I can get you off this ship alive, and assist you in seeking justice for your brother’s death. It was not, as I’m sure you’ve already worked out, an accident.”

“How?” Desperate anguish seethed from Killian, his eyes brimming with pain both physical and spiritual. He was frantic, Emma could see, too distraught to think clearly. “The ship is sinking and we’re miles from shore. What can you do?”

“That is my concern, not yours. All you need to do is agree to my price.”

“And what is that?”

“A simple favour.” Cora’s voice chilled Emma to the bone, but Killian’s face hardened, his mouth curving into a smile with a razor edge. “A favour of what nature?” he asked.

“That will be determined at a later date,” she replied smoothly, rising from the chair and strolling across the room, unaffected by the pitching and rolling of the ship. “All that matters now is whether you are content to allow yourself to die and your brother to remain unavenged.”

“I bloody well am not.”

“Then we have an accord.” Cora held out her hand.

“Aye.” Killian shook it.

The image blurred and shifted and resolved into Killian, several years older, dressed in dark jeans and a black leather jacket with a short, scruffy beard on his chin, leaning against the wall of a corridor whose dingy paint and harsh lighting proclaimed it that of an industrial building. He slouched with an exaggerated nonchalance that completely failed to mask the tension in his body as he examined his fingernails and screams of agony issued from behind the closed door beside him.

The door burst open and a man ran out, his eyes wide and terrified and a thin line of blood trailing from the corner of his left eye to his chin. Casually, Killian stuck out his foot and tripped the man, sending him tumbling into the beige concrete of the opposite wall.

“Going somewhere, mate?” Killian inquired. His voice was icy and sneering, nothing like the one Emma was accustomed to hearing in her head.

“Please,” said the man, “Please help me. She’s a witch!”

“Aye, that she is. Which is why it’s best to do as she says. You won’t enjoy the consequences of resistance.”

“Please,” the man begged. “I have a family.”

“Tell me what you know, and your family will be unharmed.” Cora’s voice now, from the open doorway where she stood. “If you don’t… well let’s just say my lieutenant here is remarkably skilled with his… appendage.”

Distaste flickered across Killian’s face, just for a moment before the stony mask fell back in place. He held up his left arm and brandished the sharp and nasty-looking hook attached to the end of it, the metal catching the faint light from the flickering bulb at the end of the corridor and gleaming viciously.

The man swallowed hard at the sight, his feet scrabbling on the floor as he pressed himself back against the wall.

“Emily,” drawled Killian. “That’s your wife’s name, isn’t it? Lovely woman.” The leer in the last two words made Emma faintly sick. “And your daughters are Sophie and Taylor. You live at 15 Rosemount Lane, and—”

“All right!” choked the man, pounding his clenched fist against his leg in impotent protest. “All right. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know, just please don’t hurt my family!”

Cora smiled, a satisfied, chilling smile, and advanced on the cowering man as Killian turned away, his expression twisting with self-loathing now that Cora was no longer watching him.

“Now,” Cora purred. “Tell me about the prophecy.”

The image shifted again and Emma found herself alone in a dark but elegantly appointed room. It had tall ceilings and tall windows with velvet curtains on either side and thick black night behind the panes. Dark red paper with a gilt feather pattern lined the walls and the only light came from the blazing fire in the marble fireplace.

It was like something out of a gothic novel, Emma thought grimly. Cora certainly did know how to set a scene.

The door opened and Killian entered. His shoulders were tight and his face blank, but when he saw that the room was unoccupied the tension drained from him and a bleak expression settled in his eyes. He went over to a small table tucked into a corner of the room and laden with crystal decanters of various sizes. Selecting one with the ease of long practice, he poured himself a generous measure of golden brown liquid then settled into a chair before the fire, slouching down and drinking deeply from his glass.

He looked so sad, thought Emma, her heart twisting in sympathy. So hopeless.

Another small table sat next to the chair, and Emma watched as Killian noticed a scrap of paper lying upon it, speared it with his hook and examined it without much interest until the words visibly clicked in his head and he jerked upright, sending liquor sloshing over the edge of his glass and onto his hand. “Bloody hell,” he whispered. “Bloody fucking hell!”

“So now you know,” said Cora’s voice behind him. Killian leapt from the chair and rounded on her, backing her against the wall.

“You used me,” he snarled. “From the very beginning.”

“Yes. I did,” confirmed Cora with a satisfied smile. “And you fell into line so obediently. Such a good little dog, so eager to avenge your dear brother…”

Emma could almost see Killian’s mind work as he put the pieces together. “You killed Liam!” Pain and fury wreathed his features. “You destroyed my ship. And my hand…”

“Oh yes. I took your brother and your career and your hand from you.”

Killian stepped back from her, shaking his head as if to deny her words, deny the truth. “Why?”

“Come now, I’m sure you’ve worked it out by now. Clever boy like you.”

“You needed me angry, and with no one else to turn to.”

“I needed you angry, yes, and in my control. And away from her.”

Killian sneered. “You don’t even know who she is, how can you keep me away from her? For all you know, we’ve already met.”

Cora shook her head. “No, I would have sensed her, felt traces of her magic on you if you had met. I may not know who she is but I know that she needs you. She needs her loyal hand. Very literally in this case.” She reached out and took his hook, lifting it up. “I ensured that she would never obtain it.”

Killian’s face twisted into a vicious snarl, malicious in a way Emma would never have imagined him capable. “Never say never, Cora,” he mocked. “I’m sure you had some reason for showing me this.” He held up the scrap of paper, crumpling it in his hand and tossing it into the fire. “But I have given up trying to figure out why you do what you do. What I can say, with absolute certainty, is that I’ll have no part of it any longer. And I will find a way to stop you.”

Once more the scene melted away, this time into a small but cosy wood-panelled room with a narrow stone-framed window set with rippled glass and books piled high and haphazardly on every surface. Killian sat at a broad, heavy desk, surrounded by perilously leaning stacks of them and reading one with intense concentration, a deep frown creasing his forehead. He was no longer a young man; mid-thirties, Emma estimated, still with the scruffy beard and messy hair but without a hook. His left arm ended in a mechanised prosthetic hand, which she noted in mild awe he was able to use to turn the pages of his book.

A swirl of smoke, the purplish-blue hue of a bruise, rose up just to Killian’s left and when it dissipated Cora was sitting in a small leather armchair in the corner of the room, her smile as offensively sweet as her perfume. Emma coughed as the thick cloud of it nearly choked her, then scowled as she identified the scent. Jasmine. An innocent flower, symbolising love and purity. She ground her teeth. This woman had a fucking nerve.

“Well well,” Cora purred, rising gracefully and pacing the small room, trailing her fingertips along the bookshelves as her smile shifted into a supercilious smirk. “Professor Jones, I believe. My but you have turned your life around. Tell me, does the faculty of your esteemed university know that you used to be my thug?”

“Cora,” drawled Killian, his features carefully schooled but with a muscle dancing from the tension in his jaw. “I wish I could say this is a pleasant surprise, but it is neither. What do you want?”

The trailing fingertips came to rest on Killian’s open book, tapping on the corner of the page. He slammed it shut and Cora pursed her lips in a mocking parody of fear.

“I have a use for you again.” She came around the desk to stand behind him, fingertips dancing up the length of his arm as he hissed out a furious breath. “A task I need you to carry out.”

“And I told you ten years ago I’m not working for you anymore,” said Killian through gritted teeth. “I have no obligation to you and never did.”

Anger flared in Cora’s eyes and then she shrugged. “Your unwillingness to cooperate is of no consequence, I’m afraid,” she whispered in his ear and when he turned to pull away from her she waved her hand. The blue smoke swirled again and they were standing in a small cabin, a single bare room, clumsily constructed, with late-afternoon light slanting through the lone rough-hewn window.

Killian hissed in a furious breath and Emma did the same. This cabin she had never seen before but the forest outside the window was unmistakable. Her forest, where she was acquainted with every bough of the trees and every bramble of the underbrush and yet this woman who meant her and it unspeakable harm had built a cabin here without her knowledge. She clenched her fists until blood seeped from beneath her fingernails and had to force her attention back to the scene in front of her.

“Where the hell is this?” Killian was snarling, his fists as tight as her own. “What—”

“This is the forest where the barrier will open.”

Cora’s calm words silenced Killian, and he stared at her, his expression grim. “You found it,” he said flatly.

“I did. And I found her.”

His mask was back, Emma noted. The one he’d worn in the earlier visions. Blank and cold and sitting uncomfortably on his older face. She could see the pulse thrumming in his temple and the way he forced his body to relax. “What’s your plan?” he asked.

“Oh, I don’t think I’ll tell you that,” Cora replied. “I don’t trust you, you see.”

“And yet apparently you need me to do something for you.”

“Yes.” Cora’s smile curled across her face like a cobra preparing to strike. “I need you to kill her.”

Killian laughed, forced and humourless. “You need me to kill the witch who guards the barrier? And you think that’s something I can do?”

“Can’t you?” she inquired, running her hand up his chest. The coy note in her voice turned Emma’s stomach. “You used to be a very dangerous man.”

Killian caught her wrist in his prosthetic hand, squeezing it until she couldn’t conceal her pained grimace “Well now I’m a history professor,” he growled. “And the days when I could be manipulated by you are long gone.” He released her wrist, pushing her away. “Find someone else to do your dirty work.”

He stalked to the door of the cabin and pulled it open then froze in alarm when the calm of the summer afternoon was broken by vicious snarls. He stumbled hastily backwards and slammed the door but not before Emma got a clear view of the five wolves she had last seen in the clearing the night before, circling the cabin, teeth bared.

“Yes, I don’t think you’ll be going anywhere soon, Professor,” said Cora gleefully. “So you see you have a very simple choice. Will you do as I ask, or will I open this door and let my friends tear you to pieces?”

Killian swallowed visibly, but his resolve was firm. With slow deliberation he turned and stared Cora down, his shoulders squared and his face implacable. “Do what you like,” he said coolly. “I won’t help you.”

Cold fury settled on Cora’s face and she flexed her hands, her fingers claw-like as magic sparked from their tips, but Killian didn’t blink. He simply stood, glaring down at her as he awaited her countermove, his calm in the face of her anger stoking it higher. Emma saw Cora tremble with the effort of containing her vitriol until with an ugly snarl she broke eye contact with Killian and turned away.

“Fine,” she hissed. “If that’s how you want to play this. We’ll see if you still feel the same way after a few days without food or water.” Blue smoke swirled and she was gone, leaving Killian alone in the barren cabin, wolves snarling just outside the door.

The scene blurred again, just briefly before resolving back into the same cabin, now in the pitch black nighttime. Killian was sitting with his back resting against the door, one leg stretched out in front of him and the other bent, his elbow propped on his knee, his head in his hand. A wolf howled just outside the door and Killian jumped, flinging his arm out and bracing both feet firmly on the floor, tense and waiting. The howl sounded again, further away this time. Killian went limp, his head falling against the thin wood behind him with a faint thump. His face was strained and exhausted, his movements sluggish. Emma wondered how much time had passed.

Smoke swirled and Cora appeared, glaring down at Killian with tight and furious disdain. “Are you ready to cooperate?” she asked.

Killian shook his head. “Never.”

Cora kept her features calm but Emma could see wrath simmering behind her eyes, and an oddly helpless frustration. “What happened to you, Killian?” she asked, in a voice so close to being kind that it was chilling, and Killian flinched at the sound of his name in that tone. “You used to be such an obedient little dog. When did you grow a spine?”

“The moment I realised you were the one who took my brother from me,” snarled Killian. “And I saw that all those years working for you I was betraying his memory, becoming something he would have despised.” His eyes flashed and his lip curled and in that moment he was terrifying. “Never again will I do anything that serves your ends. I’d die first.”

“That can be arranged,” snapped Cora as her frustration overcame her.

“Can it?” Killian pushed himself up from the floor and advanced on Cora, still with the curl in his lip and a malevolent glint in his eye. She stood her ground but Emma could sense a flash of fear. “I’m not so sure it can. You have already had so many opportunities to kill me, and yet here I am, still alive. You blew up a Royal Navy destroyer —which is no mean feat, darling, most impressive— easily killing Liam in the blast but I survived. You had me at your side for years showing off your power as you used it to terrorise and coerce others, but you never turned it on me. You relied on my belief that I owed you for getting me off that ship alive and that I would need your aid to avenge Liam to keep me in line, and when I learned there was no debt you did nothing to stop me leaving. Why not kill me then? Why not kill me days ago instead of leaving me here? Why not kill me now?” He stepped back and held his arms wide. “I’m helpless here, Cora. I have no weapons, I’m weakened from lack of food and water. A child with a pointy stick could kill me, why can’t you?”

Cora was seething, her magic sparking around her. “I can,” she hissed, but the lie was plain on her face and Killian smiled, a nasty, gloating smile.

“I don’t believe you,” he said. “Something is preventing you. What is it?”

Emma could see the moment when Cora’s fury boiled over, thickening the air around her with her magic as it roiled and heaved. She could see the threads of it as Cora wove them into a dark and spiteful curse and she couldn’t help crying out a warning even knowing Killian couldn’t hear it.

“I may not be able to kill you, but I can get you out of the way,” cackled Cora, then she flung out her arm and enveloped Killian in a cloud of bruise-blue smoke. When it swirled away the man was gone, and in his place stood the black dog Emma knew so well. “I always liked you best as a dog,” remarked Cora over her shoulder as she went to the door and flung it open. “Do what you like with him,” she told the wolves, and disappeared in her own dark cloud.

Killian spun around as the wolves began to stalk slowly into the cabin, moving awkwardly in his new body and stumbling on his shortened left limb. Emma could feel his confusion and fear as he attempted to find his feet and his bearings, all while the wolves advanced, slowly backing him into a corner, their red eyes ravenous and triumphant. As their bodies tensed in preparation for attack Killian fell into a crouch, bared his teeth, and snarled, deep and menacing and with a viciousness to rival their own. The wolves fell back in confusion and Killian leapt through the nearest gap in their circle, landing clumsily but quickly righting himself and racing out the door on three legs, kicking it shut behind him and trapping the wolves inside.

He ran blindly through the forest and the vision took Emma with him. She sensed more than saw the passage of time, feeling days go by as Killian wandered, always moving, never sleeping for more than an hour or two at a time, constantly alert for any sign of Cora or the wolves. He snatched drinks of water and scraps of food wherever he could find them, just barely enough to keep him alive and with enough energy to press onwards. She watched as he adjusted to his canine form, learning to run fast and gracefully on three legs and limp as best he could when moving more slowly. She felt his humanity begin to slip away from him, felt his animal instincts become more dominant, and then one afternoon as he was trotting along he spotted a rabbit and took off unthinkingly to chase it, crashing through the underbrush in pursuit of his first good meal in nearly a week. He almost had the rabbit in his jaws when he stepped on a pile of leaves and his paw sank deep into the ground, and Emma cringed as she heard his leg snap.

Killian cried out in pain, whimpering as he tugged at his leg, attempting to free it from the gopher hole where it was tightly wedged, but it refused to budge. She could feel his agony and his growing desperation and then—

The hawthorn bush beside him shifted, its thorny branches parting and moving aside to clear a path and with a shock of surprise even though she knew this was coming, Emma saw herself. Saw Killian look up at her, saw his eyes widen and felt another shock, this one of recognition, and passing through Killian’s body. Heard a soft voice in his head whisper that’s her, then Killian’s pained whine and the first words she’d heard him speak.

{Please help me.}

Emma gasped as the vision fell away and she was back in the same forest with the same dog, gazing at her with achingly familiar blue eyes, their expression almost shy.

“You recognised me!” she exclaimed.

“Aye!”

“How?”

He shrugged. {I have no idea. Magic?}

Emma’s head was spinning with wonder and confusion and too many emotions to name. “It’s true that magic can’t always be explained,” she murmured, then stroked his ears and spoke even more softly. “Killian,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

He shifted closer, snuggling against her side to comfort her. {For what, love?}

“You were cursed because of me. Because you wouldn’t kill me.”

{Darling, no.} He licked her chin. {I was cursed because Cora is evil.}

“But I—”

{Emma.}

She broke off at the sound of her name, realising with a start that he had never called her by it before.

{Nothing that happened to me is your fault.} His eyes were so soft, so gentle as he looked up at her. {It was all Cora. You saved me, love.}

“I didn’t—”

{You did. So many times. And I would do it all again, without hesitation. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you.}

Her eyes filled with tears and her heart with an emotion so overwhelming she couldn’t put a name to it. She could only throw her arms around him and hold him close as her tears dampened his fur, feeling the immense strength of the bond between them and marveling at what it meant. “Killian,” she choked, “I love you.” Taking his head in her hands she leaned forward and kissed him, right where his soft fur was its very softest, her favourite spot, on his forehead just above his eyes.

Waves of iridescent light burst out from the gentle kiss and a whoosh of air and the strands beneath her fingers were no longer fur. They were still thick, still soft, but they were hair. Hair on a masculine and very human head.

Emma gasped and jerked back, her wide eyes meeting astonished blue ones, now blinking at her in the face of the man from the visions.

“Killian?” she breathed.

“Emma.” A smile broke across his face, a wide, delighted grin that hurt her it was so familiar. How could he have the same smile as a dog and a man? He reached up and brushed the tears from her cheeks with trembling fingers. “You broke my curse.”

“I guess I did.” Her own hand trembled as she gently touched his cheek and he leaned into the caress, rubbing the stubble of his jaw against her palm. “How?”

He laughed. “I’m a historian, love. Magic is your department. But one thing I do know…”

“What?” she whispered, as he leaned his forehead against hers, his thumb stroking the dimple in her chin, his fingers in her hair.

“I love you too,” he whispered back, and brought his lips to hers.

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degenerate-perturbation · 5 years

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Chapters: 12/? Fandom: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Female Amell/Female Surana Characters: Female Amell, Female Surana, Anders, Velanna, Nathaniel Howe, Oghren (Dragon Age), Justice (Dragon Age), Sigrun (Dragon Age) Additional Tags: Established Relationship, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Self-Harm, Blood Magic Series: Part 2 of void and light, blood and spirit Summary: Amell and Surana are out of the Circle, and are now free to build a life together. But when the prison doors fly open, what do you have in common with the one shackled next to you, save for the chains that bound you both?

Yvanne fled.

Her loose robe tangled among her legs, and her slippers did nothing to protect her clumsy feet from the hewn stone of the castle’s passageways, but her only thought was to escape. More than once she slammed her shoulder into a wall, hard enough that it would bruise. She made it to the stables and was wrestling her favored rowan mare into a saddle when it occurred to her just what it was, that she was sacrificing. She was leaving everyone behind. Didn’t she owe it to them to explain?

No—she didn’t owe anyone shit, she decided, and anyway, she couldn’t stand the shame, couldn’t stand to be cared about, couldn’t stand to be loved. Her first and only need was to be far away from here, immediately.

The mare was recalcitrant, feeling its rider’s disturbed mood in that careful way horses had. Yvanne calmed it with a spell, all but took the mare’s mind with her so-called healing magic, and as soon as she mounted, it was off. Yvanne could barely stay upright as it bolted. Belatedly she realized that the main gate was down, and barely in time cast a spell of pure force. The gate exploded open, and only magic kept the mare from panicking and throwing her.

She clung to the horse’s neck, galloping down the road in the dead of night. What road, she couldn’t say, only that it lead away from Vigil’s Keep. The air rushed past her, stealing her warmth, deafening her senses.

All she could think of was Loriel’s face. Are you telling me to go? And the long, meaningful silence that had followed.

Every time she remembered it—and this was every handful of seconds, now—it hurt all over again.

She had tried so hard! She had done everything right! She had supported her at every turn, even when it had been hard, even when it hurt. Because they had been through so much together, because their lives were each other’s, because this thing between them mattered.

And this thing between them, wrested from the jaws of Chantry and Circle both, this beautiful shining thing so precious and so rare so hard won and mysterious—Loriel had thrown it away like it was nothing. And Yvanne had let her.

How could she just throw it away?

How could it mean nothing?

How? How? How? The question rattled around in her head like a deafening echo, so total and central to her attention, that she failed to notice the lowered quality of the road ahead—how could she, in the dark?—and the mare’s leg disappeared into a sinkhole. She barely heard the snap of broken bone as she was thrown from the panicking mare.

Pain exploded in her shoulder and head. She’d landed not exactly well, but not badly, either—she was still alive. She sat catching her breath, feeling the pain radiate from her shoulder across her whole body, barely noticed the layers of skin scraped away in the fall. The mare was worse off; its eyes rolled wildly in pain and bewilderment, laying on its side.

She healed herself first, then went to the horse. Normally an injury like this was death to the animal; the bone would never heal right. Even magical healing was essentially normal healing but faster. She was a decent healer, but not amazing; the shoulder she’d just healed was still stiff and smarting, and probably would be that way for a while. It would have been kindest to let the poor animal die.

“Sorry, old girl,” she said, gathering a cohort of wisps to help her.

After several minutes of struggle, the mare was up again. The leg hadn’t healed quite properly, and the horse’s eyes were filmed with pain. But there were spells for that.

She remounted, and rode hard. The mare didn’t stop or slow or stumble, enveloped as she was with layers and layers of creation magic. Yvanne didn’t know how long the magic or the mare would last, and she didn’t care.

By the time the sun broke over the horizon, she had driven the animal at full gallop for nearly the whole night, and no amount of magic could keep it from expiring of exhaustion out from under her.

This time the fall was less abrupt, the poor creature slowing gradually and collapsing. Yvanne narrowly avoided being crushed beneath it, scrambling to heal it again—but there was no hope this time. The mare was dead, and Yvanne couldn’t bring back the dead.

She sat by the side of the road, leaning against the corpse of the mare, and cried. The mare had been a good horse, sweet-tempered and faithful, and for almost no reason at all Yvanne had killed it. Suddenly the mare’s death was the greatest tragedy in the history of all Thedas, made all the worse by the beauty of the sunrise and song of the morning lark. Yvanne sobbed until she couldn’t stand it anymore.

After a while she looked up. The sun had fully risen by now, but the air was still cold. Gradually it dawned on her just what a bad way she was in—half-dressed, not a thing to her name, filthy and tired and hungry, stranded on the highway in the middle of nowhere in particular. The whole ride her head had been filled with the grand emotional tragedies of love and loss and disappointment, but all that faded rapidly, to be replaced by a prosaic, deeply banal fear.

Whatever was going to become of her?

She looked back the way she’d come. Her whole life was there, her friends, her things, her vocation. Everything she’d built, everything she’d striven for, was back at Vigil’s Keep.

That way was barred to her now.

She could stay here with the dead horse, or she could go on.

Struggling up, she faced the road before her, and began to walk.

—

She walked for most of the morning. By now her thirst had outstripped her hunger. Her throat was parched, and she struggled not to sway as she walked. Even magic was no help; weakened as she was by her own rash foolishness, her mana restored too slowly to be of any use.

When the sun was nearly at its zenith, she heard the creak of wagon wheels and clop of horse’s hooves behind her.

There was nowhere to go; this section of the road crossed through wide open plains and gently rolling hills. Even if she’d wanted to hide she couldn’t have. She had no sword, no weapon at all, and all her half-forgotten training as an arcane warrior was worthless without one.

Whatever was coming, she would have to deal with it.

She got out of the road, stepping over the gutter to stand in the grass. A cart leashed to a pair of mules approached. The driver was a round-bellied man dressed not richly, but neither like a peasant. His cart was well-laden, judging by the patient speed his mules walked with.

He slowed as he approached, tugging on the reins. “Ho there, stranger. What circumstance has brought an unaccompanied young lady of such beauty to travel alone and unladen?”

She struggled not to glare at him, looking at the ground. “My business is my own.”

He laughed. “Very well, then! Am I to assume that dead horse I saw some miles behind me was once yours?”

No point in lying. “Yes.”

The merchant sadly shook his head. “Poor creature. What happened to it?”

“It died.”

“Alright, then. I see you have the situation well in hand. I’ll be on my way.”

Electricity surged through her. “W-wait!” she stuttered, swallowing a great deal of pride as she did.

The merchant stopped halfway through flicking the reins.

Yvanne hung her head, humiliated. “Ser, where are you headed, if I may ask?”

“To Highever, my dear.”

“How far is it?”

“Not far, not far. Less than a day at an easy pace, by cart.”

Less than a day. She was closer to Highever than to Vigil’s Keep. Highever would do.

“Could you take me there?”

“I could,” the merchant said. “But how will you make it worth my while?”

She took off one of her amulets. She had bought it in Amaranthine, and Loriel had said it was one of the gaudiest things she’d ever seen, and Yvanne had retorted that surely she had, she’d seen the rest of Yvanne’s jewelry. “Will this do? It’s enchanted.” She went on, half-manic. “It protects the wearer from harm. Ask any enchanter when you get to Highever, they’ll tell you it’s real, I swear.”

The merchant’s eyes glinted as he saw the gem glitter on its chain. “Yes, that will do nicely.” He snatched it up, as though she was going to take it back, and tucked it into his coat. Then he moved over in the driver’s seat to make room for her. “Come and sit by me, young lady. You can enchant me with conversation, as part of your payment for passage.”

She really just wanted to sleep in the back of the cart, but she could tell she had no choice. She took her seat.

“Will you do me the honor of telling me your name?” the merchant said.

“It’s...Leliana,” Yvanne said.

“Leliana. That’s a beautiful name. Is it Orlesian?”

“I dunno. I’ve never been to Orlais.”

That was the right thing to say; the merchant had been to Orlais, and was content to spend the next several minutes telling her all about the glory of the markets of Val Royeux, the colored silks, the fine clothing, the masks and intrigues of it all. While he prattled, Yvanne let herself relax.

“Forgive me—I’ve been rude,” the merchant said, startling her out of her stupor. “You must be weary.”

He offered her a waterskin, dried jerky, and bread that was only somewhat stale. All this she devoured so quickly it hurt going down. The merchant chuckled to see it, and she didn’t have nearly enough energy to be irritated at him for it. She was too busy being grateful.

The food and water granted her enough energy to restore her magical resources; at least enough that she could layer enough creation spells over herself to feel alert and capable again. Subtly, subtly, so as not to alert the merchant. She didn’t need him knowing what she was, Warden or not. She so badly wanted to sleep; the back of the cart was so tempting, there among the sacks of goods. But she didn’t dare sleep, in this stranger’s cart.

The whole road to Highever he prattled cheerfully about his journeys, requiring only the most token of responses from Yvanne. This was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing, that she didn’t have to do much talking; a curse, that it left her mind free to wander.

That’s just it, isn’t it? You don’t understand, and you never will. You never will. You never will. You never—

“But I’m boring you, aren’t I?” the merchant said jovially.

“No!” she said. “No, I...I’m just tired. How much further to Highever?”

“We’ve just passed the village of Hornbill, so I wager not much longer than an hour,” said the merchant. “Plenty of time, in fact, for you to explain how you managed to escape your Circle.”

Yvanne froze.

“Oh, come now,” said the merchant. “Surely you don’t think me quite so dull as all that. You are a mage, are you not? Don’t try to deny it.”

“What makes you think I’m a mage?”

“I’ve been here and again, I can tell a woman on the run when I see one.”

“That doesn’t mean mage. You don’t know what I’m running from.”

He chuckled. “True, true. Only you stink of lyrium. I wasn’t sure until you came closer, but at this range? No question of what you are, my dear. Come now, tell me where you’ve escaped from? Wycome? Kinloch? Surely not Kirkwall.”

“I didn’t escape,” she said. “I’m a free mage. A Grey Warden.”

The merchant snorted. “I’m sure. I suppose you were there atop Fort Drakon when the Hero of Ferelden slew the Archdemon, too?”

“I have papers—”

The merchant chuckled. “Papers, hah! Good one. As though I’ve never forged a document in my day. You must think me very stupid—but I assure you, I’m merely old. Now how about telling me the truth?”

Yvanne said nothing. What could she say? She wasn’t in uniform. Right now she wasn’t Warden-Commander Yvanne Amell, local hero to thousands, an imposing Grey Warden who deserved respect. She was underdressed and unkempt and covered in mud. Even she wouldn’t have believed herself.

“Very well,” the merchant harrumphed. “Keep your secrets. Don’t worry, I don’t intend to turn you over to the Templars.”

“You aren’t?”

He smiled at her. “Of course, my silence isn’t free. You can start by turning over the rest of your pretty baubles.”

At first she didn’t know how to respond. “You’re extorting me for jewelry?” she managed, then scoffed. “This stuff’s worthless, you realize.”

The merchant shrugged. “I’d wager they’re all as valuable or more than the one you gave me, as you were so willing to part from it. Come on, now, I gave you a valuable tip about the lyrium smell. You’ll want to find new clothes in Highever, maybe cut your hair. That’ll help hide it.”

Yvanne’s mind raced. The jewelry she’d been wearing when she’d fled, most of it enchanted with runes to make her spirit magic stronger—a lucky thing that she’d fallen asleep still wearing it—was far from worthless. In fact it was probably her only source of income for the foreseeable future. And she had no guarantee that this wretched man with his piggy eyes and curdled smile wouldn’t simply rob her and call the Templars anyway.

She had the legal grounds to challenge them, but since when did Templars mind the law?

“Thinking of killing me with magic, my dear?” the merchant said as her silence stretched on. “I wouldn’t recommend that. My route is well known to many, and I would be missed. Any fool would be able to tell I’d been killed by unnatural means, and that means Templars investigating, and I’m sure you’d prefer to avoid that.”

At that point the cart hit something in the road; something big enough to break the wheel and send the whole thing pitching to the side. The mules brayed and the merchant, swearing, brought them to a halt. He sighed and muttered something about always some damn thing and nobody maintaining the roads properly these days.

He got out of the driver’s seat and went around to look at the damage. If he had looked carefully, he might have noticed the ridge of earth that had splintered the wheel, with its sharp ninety-degree edges, was clearly unnatural. If he had not been so self-satisfied with his extortion scheme, he might have noticed Yvanne casting the spell that had put it there. And he might have noticed the glyph of paralysis she had placed by the wheel while he had wasted precious moments walking around the side of the cart.

As it was, he did none of those things, and found himself frozen in a half-bent position for the next minute at least.

Yvanne let out a breath.

“That’s not true, you know, about it being obvious you’d been killed by unnatural means,” she said. “I could slit your throat right now, and everybody would assume it was bandits.”

The merchant said nothing. Predictably.

“That was a very stupid thing to do for some jewelry,” she said.

She could have just slit his throat. No one would ever be the wiser, and she’d never have to worry about him again. She could even take his cart, and trade his goods, sell his mules; live on the income for months. If she let him go, she’d always be looking over her shoulder. Maybe get into altercations, with Templars, with others. Maybe have to kill even more people. More probably, get killed herself.

She remembered what it had felt like, to threaten Rolan, to really consider killing a helpless man, and—no, she would not do that.

The paralysis glyph was wearing off. She replaced it with a force cage just in time. The merchant regained the use of his limbs and fell to his knees, beating at the inside of the force cage with both fists. Whatever vile things he was shouting, Yvanne couldn’t hear them.

“Thanks for the tip about the lyrium smell,” she said. “And the food. I wouldn't have been able to cast anything without that. So thank you for that, and the ride, as well.” He couldn’t hear any of it, but she felt the need to say it.

Yvanne reached into the Fade and drew from it a spirit of Forgetting. It was a small thing, not much more than a wisp, just barely beginning to form an identity as Forgetting rather than an amorphous blob of Fade-stuff. It fluttered around her, curious, eager to take what memories it could. She gently directed it away from herself, towards the merchant.

She saw the panic in his eyes as he realized what was happening; she supposed he thought she was putting a demon in him, or something heinous like that. The spirit entered him, and he collapsed.

She hoped that the spirit would only take the past couple days from him, recent fresh memories—Yvanne’s face and existence at the least—and not much more. A few weeks at the most. Some larger spirits of this nature could erase a person’s whole life without meaning to. Victims would forget their lives, their names, every skill they’d learned since leaving diapers, ended up as drooling infants blank as the day they were born. It was horrifically sad to behold.

But this wouldn’t happen to the merchant, Yvanne assured herself. The spirit was small. A few weeks at the most.

The force cage faded, but the merchant didn’t move. He’d be unconscious for some time. Best that Yvanne be far away from here by then.

While he lay in the dirt she retrieved her amulet, then rifled through the contents of the cart. He carried mostly fine fabrics. She took the finest she could easily carry, and unharnessed one of the mules. It gazed at her with what she imagined was reproach. The merchant would only need one mule, with his lightened cart-load. He’d be fine. Confused, sure, but fine. It was more than what he deserved, for what he tried to do to her.

She ought to have killed him, she thought, leading the mule away. Vigil’s Keep had softened her, weakened her. It had made her forget what people were like.

She wouldn’t be forgetting again.

—

In Highever she sold the bolts of fabric and the mule first, just to be rid of them. It all came to far less than she’d hoped, and she came away thinking she ought to have bargained more, but it was enough for a change of clothes and a room at the first inn she saw. Not a nice room, but she got a hot meal and a bath in the bargain. There she scrubbed herself until she was sure the lyrium smell was gone. She’d grown so used to it that she’d forgotten how acrid-sharp it smelled to others, though she could only hope that the innkeeper and the merchants she’d traded with hadn’t recognized it. She thought about cutting her hair to be sure, but couldn’t bear it. Surely this one thing she could keep.

There she finally slept, in her shift and all her jewelry. Whatever dreams haunted her, she could not recall in the morning.

When she woke, evening had fallen again. The dark, the unfamiliar room, and the hard mattress disoriented her—this wasn’t her home. This wasn’t her bed. Why did her shoulder hurt? What had happened to her feet?Then she remembered.

You don’t understand, and you never will.

Maker, what had she done? Had the others noticed her absence yet? It had been nearly a full day, but she sometimes went many days without seeing those she counted friends. It might be a week or more until they all knew she’d fled. What would Loriel tell them? Would she tell them anything at all? Was she even thinking about her at all anymore?

She half-snarled and stumbled off the sagging mattress—and immediately slammed her foot into a bedside table so hard it splintered her big toenail.

She swore, bending to heal it—and hesitated. What if somebody saw? What if calling on magic at all made it easier for someone to spot her for what she was?

But she had Loriel’s parchment...didn’t she?

She rifled through her few possessions; the irrevocably ruined slippers, the torn and muddy house robe, the one bolt of cloth she wasn’t able to sell, a leather belt hung with pouches (mostly missing, now) of herbs, the plain linen dress she’d bought, though who knew if it would even fit her...

No parchment.

It was hardly surprising. She’d haphazardly jammed the document into her belt, and since then had fallen off a horse, twice. Who knew how long ago she’d lost it?

A heaviness settled in her chest, a weight like being deep underground. Now she didn’t have even the flimsiest of legal protections. And worse, she didn’t have Loriel’s handwriting, the only physical trace she had of her.

She hadn’t even read the full text before fleeing.

Loriel had done this to her. Had turned her out with nothing but a sheaf of parchment to her name. Had somehow foolishly believed that Loriel’s written word would protect her. The sheer arrogance of it all! To the void with her, to the void with her stupid bloody parchment. If Yvanne had still had it she would have burned it to a crisp. Her fists trembled, her eyes burned with fury, but she pushed herself up. To the void with her!

Yes, she was alone, she had almost nothing, and if the Templars found her, they would surely drag her back to Kinloch, and who knew what they’d do with her there. But she was damn well still alive, and she was going to live. And if Loriel didn’t want to do it with her, that was her fucking problem.

And, before the cloying darkness could settle in her chest again, Yvanne went downstairs to get a drink.

#dragon age #amell #surana #dragon age femslash #please read my wizard lesbian fanfiction

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purfectmlpblog · 5 years

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...alright fuq it lemme explain my thoughts about the finale spoilers lol

Don’t worry, I WILL be posting this under a read-more so PLEASE turn away and ignore this now (especially with some “spoiler” tags on if you use ‘em) if you don’t want to be spoiled for the finale until it officially airs. I just can’t contain my thoughts no more after ponderin’ them and who knows when it’ll officially air in English (’cause slow schedules can be a pain to deal with lol) sooooo... yeah you’ve been warned xp

...Ooooh boi, well admittedly I kinda skimmed through what the whole plot was about behind the last three episodes (I was moreso focused on all the stuff happening for “The Last Problem” so lol), but I’ll try to keep it brief for the most part:

-So... that whole thing about Grogar being the last “big bad” was just a total lie... since apparently it was just Discord masking himself as the guy just to give Twilight one last battle to face? ...Ehhh, I get that he apparently had “good intentions” but this just seems to be pushing it too far even for Discord’s standards tbh... like these are his friends now (including Fluttershy, his best friend) so why would he allow this much risk to be thrown at them for the sake of just teaching them a valuable lesson about overcoming obstacles? ._. Then again, this IS Discord we’re talking about so him pulling some shady stuff like this is to be expected, I guess? Idk...

-As another twist to the trio of bad guys... NONE of them get redeemed at the end (not even Cozy Glow... who again, is nothing more than a whiny child compared to Chrysalis and Tirek :P), as they all pretty much get blasted with the same stone spell that Discord was under for what I can presume to be forever. I mean... had Sombra been placed in Cozy Glow’s position then I guess I’d be a bit more satisfied with this kind of ending for them instead of feeling questionable about it (’cause again, Cozy’s young age ^^;)... but at the same time, for what it is it’s at least a refreshing change of pace from just having them all instantly forgiven and befriended by all the main heroes. Now that would’ve been cringey... >_<

-We got a reaaally big group of cameos from many past ponies/other creatures from the show to aid in the final battle, including Sunset and a few of the MLP movie characters like Tempest, Capper and Skystar! o.o A shame that Captain Celaeno couldn’t have been added along with them but still, pretty cool to see that particular trio regardless along with my girl Sunset ❤️ about time the main show acknowledged her importance to Twilight -.-

-Moving onto the big finale itself, “The Last Problem”, we cut ahead to I presume to be a couple decades or so since the last episode... where Twilight and her friends are all grown up and leading their own lives as Twilight’s pupil (Luster Dawn, was it?) comes to prepare herself for her own first friendship lesson. Surprisingly, unlike past finales it’s not so much a really heavy or action-packed episode but more of a “relaxing breather” kinda filler... yet still pushes the feels the more we get to see the aged-up cast and realize how this truly is the end for our heroes :(

-We’re also given a nice flashback to Twilight’s coronation as Equestria’s new leader, though it didn’t go according to plan it still provided some heartwarming feels to teach that friendships will always remain solid even if some end up moving far away. Awww ;w;.

-As for the “Grown up” designs themselves... I’m kinda torn, tbh lol

On one hand, I do like Rainbow’s, Fluttershy’s, and AJ’s older looks just fine. AJ’s especially gives me the feels looking at it ‘cause of the shawl... really hits in that poor Granny Smith is no longer around by this time :( at least she’ll always keep her memory strong in her heart ❤️

As for Twilight, Rarity, Spike and Pinkie... ehhhh ^^;. Rarity’s sparkly shawl is rather pretty though that big grey steak in her hair kinda clashes too much with the regular purple imo, Pinkie’s beehive look could’ve been fine if they just took out all that random junk in her hair, and while part of me kinda likes the “ethereal princess-y” vibes of Twilight (despite the rather dark implications that she’s gonna outlive her friends now ;-;)... the fact that she still sounds like her old dorky self when speaking kinda kills the effect for me... plus idk if only a couple decades in the future would be enough to make her this tall as an alicorn, I mean even Luna (who’s older than her) is alot shorter so it’s just a little off-putting to me to see her so “Celestia”-sized ^^;. And as for Spike... yeah, I don’t even know what’s going on there, so... let’s just move on, please lol.

So then we get to look over how everyone else in Ponyville’s doing, with so many new species living there now, some old kiddos grew up like the CMC and the Cake twins, Starlight and her friends (plus the Student 6) continuing to run the friendship school together, and apparently some canon couples started to thrive during this time too including Lyra and Bon Bon, Big Mac and Sugar Belle, and... Pinkie and Cheese? o.o

...Um, wow lol Wasn’t really expecting that considering that most of Cheese and Pinkie’s previous screentime together (which was only in like, two episodes?) wasn’t really that romantic from what I can recall, but guess the writers decided to just throw it in anyway ‘cause it’s a popular ship? lol I mean, not like it’s a bad one or anything but it still feels a bit randomly-placed in a narrative sense imo ^^;

Speaking of their daughter (Lil Cheese, I think?), while I do think she’s cute, part of me is kinda disappointed that they didn’t really get more creative with her design like they’ve done for Flurry Heart and the Cake twins :c. Color-wise she looks okay but... why just make her a recolor of her mom’s filly design? .-. Even putting her hair in some pigtails or something would’ve worked better imo.

-Some more design nitpicks I had were certain weirdly placed hairstyles like Pumpkin Cake’s and Diamond Tiara’s, as well as why Gummy the alligator just looks like he resized into a giant than legitimately grew into an adult lol. Also this might also be nitpicky but why exactly is everyone (minus Twilight) so old-looking with grayed hair and/or eye bags (ex. Rarity and Sugar Belle), when a couple of them have school-aged children at this point? .-. Hell, even most of the Mane 6′s parents didn’t look this old (including Twilight’s, and they’ve got a granddaughter lol), so I’m kinda confused by this type of design choice tbh.

-I don’t really remember if they explicitly stated what happened to the old princesses during this time since they didn’t show up again, nor what the final fates of Shining Armor and Cadence were (save for a brief shot of Flurry Heart having her own stain-glass window in the throne room). Idk, just would’ve been nice to have gotten more explicit about that ‘cause I don’t wanna think of these poor royals being gone now with just Twilight being the leader now ;-;

-I guess there was also a couple “implied” ships thrown in too like Fluttershy and Discord (though that one might be more “loose” to interpret, depending on how much you like the ship) and apparently AJ and Rainbow Dash seem to be having something “deeper” going on considering they specifically walked in together when all the other Mane 6 walked in individually into the throne room. Hmmm...?

-And lastly after a bit more filler and than a montage song of the Mane 6 harmonizing together one last time, we get to close off the entire episode, season, and series with one final shot of the heroes standing on a sunset-y hillside together, saying goodbye to Twilight’s student who goes off on her own friendship adventures... and then the screen fades to a book closing as a call back to the very first episode of the series over 9 years ago... where the exact same book opened up to start off our beloved show to begin with T-T

....aaaand yeah my feels exploded over again, sorry T-T. Despite the lil nitpicks I had here and there (and how I wish certain plot holes could’ve been handled better in hindsight), this was still a really sweet and thoughtful way to end MLP: FiM with one last batch of fluff like this... the end of a good 9-year run of the show which’ll surely leave a special place in every fan’s hearts, including mine ❤️

Though again, like I mentioned before I still won’t be considering any of this actually “canon” in the main universe I’m setting up, which is all basically an AU at this point since I haven’t really been keeping up with the show as frequently to care much for sticking with the main canon :p. For my fellow content creators, please don’t be afraid to keep working on your own next gens and such btw, even if some of it might be contradicted in this particular finale I’d say anyone is free to make their own interpretations however they want, canon or no canon~ ;p

Hope y’all understand that well and I hope you guys have a great rest of your day! 😃

#mlp spoilers #purfy chat #long post #mlp season 9 spoilers #mlp finale spoilers #spoilers

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spirit-of-the-void · 5 years

Text

Ebony and Ivory (V x Reader Fanfic) Chapter 23

Author’s notes: Mmmm we’re on the cusp, kids. So close to THAT part

Chapter 23

The following hour of the day ensued exactly how you imagined it to. Well...almost.

The Qliphoth tree was filled to the brim with fighting, so the descent down was less than satisfactory. It worried you, with how weak V was. Each fight felt a lot more high stakes, you on high alert to try and make sure he made it through each one safely. The brunt of battle was on you, which suited you just fine all things considered. You had the daggers as your main tools, and the Void power focused mainly on boosting V and backing him up.

You had no idea how long the rune would last in your favor, it didn’t have any rhyme or reason when it came to you being a priestess. But unlike before, there would be no backlash if it ran out--you would simply feel your power start to drain once more, leaving you a bit weakened and closer to exertion. Still, that wasn’t a risk you were willing to take at the moment.

No risk was a risk worth taking, not with things so dire.

Conversation was kept to a minimum as well, V trying to focus on each attack and guiding his familiars through the fighting. Even Griffon, usually chatty and loud, kept his quips and jibes to a minimum. Could he sense that feeling in the air? The foreboding, the worry, the anxiety. You were having a hard time mustering the will to banter with him, as much as you loved it.

There was too much uncertainty around your Deity, the rune, and V himself. With each decent downward you felt the sensations grow just a bit more. That blooming, poisonous flower of foreboding growing and extending its thorns with each passing second. There was that part of you that wanted to confide in V, but there just wasn’t any time.

You were in a cycle now. Kill demons, open a hole in the floor, drop down. Feather Fall was your best friend in these trying times, but Griffon was still there to settle V on his way down as well. You were pairing well with the bird, getting used to his way and Shadow’s way of fighting and bouncing off each other. Even Nightmare, who you were shocked V could still summon in his state, seemed to be getting used to your way of battle and working his way around it. You used his large form as a jumping off point more than once, and he was a bit more careful with that exploding energy laser than before.

Seeing V with his white hair made you think even more, especially considering that the other two demon hunters had it as well. And that painting in the mansion...the two boys in the photo had white hair as well. You knew V was connected to it all, but you knew no matter what you asked he wouldn’t tell you. It ached, just the thought of it. But you kept your chin up, playing the role of support and main fighter in one. The slice of blades, demons burning with blue fire and the hollow ache of the Void...without that rune you would be running ragged.

Speaking of the two devil hunters, after destroying another Qliphoth bundle and falling into another new area, you were suddenly face to face with Nero himself.

You blinked, narrowly dodging the demon he was fighting while Griffon carried V to safety. Nero looked equally surprised to see you too, stopping his attack and yanking you to the side to avoid the swinging claws of another creature. You appreciate his effort.

“Son of a bitch, be more careful!” Nero barked, scowling as he leveled his gaze on you and the poet, “I could have hit you with punch line on accident!”

The arm he was wearing was certainly one of his stronger ones, glistening with demonic blood and sparking a bit. He had been putting it through the wringer, so it would seem.

You smiled apologetically, summoning your tendrils as you replied, “I’ll be more careful. How about some back up?”

You knew his fighting style, knew how to work side by side with him and the poet. He was looking a bit ragged as well, so you made note to give him some extra energy as well. After all, that was your main focus for V in between fighting. The thought made you glum, especially considering the energy could only do so much to help the poet now.

Nero opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by the all-too familiar sound of Dante’s voice yelling, “Head’s up!”

You felt Nero tug you both down in an instant, V included as the body of a demon flew right over you. Griffon squawked in alarm, narrowly dodging being smacked with its disintegrating corpse. Well, that was a bit too close for comfort--you felt like the demon’s spikes had grazed your hair a bit.

Blinking slowly, so looked up, both surprised and not to see Dante strolling up to your group. Well now...everyone went different ways, but still ended up in the same place. So much for Dante’s plan of not working together, your little rag-tag group was now forced into compromising at that moment. You would be lying if you didn’t feel a bit smug, but it was a bit weighed down under the layers of everything else you felt.

You stood up, eyeing the approaching demons around you while Dante stood nearby you all, that sword slung over his shoulder.

“Glad to see everyone is in one piece,” You commented, summoning your tendrils as you put yourself back to back with V. You thought you heard him let out a low, amused hum, his fingers brushing yours as you reached a hand back, “How about you gentleman lead, while I provide as much support as I can?”

Dante shrugged, that little smirk playing on the edges of his lips as he gave the sword a little twirl. It occurred to you briefly that it looked similar to the former Devil Sword Sparda, but now...bigger. More elaborate.

“If you want,” He replied to you, quirking a brow in your direction as he added, “Try to stay out of the radius of my attacks, if you can manage.”

That made you roll your eyes, “No pressure, right?”

Dante chuckled, whipping around to slice off the head of a nearby demon in a single slice. You exchanged a brief, tired look with Nero before everyone leapt into battle themselves.

Things were a lot faster paced with the boys involved. A lot...bloodier. Seeing Dante fight in person further solidified your thoughts on when you attacked him before. He definitely didn’t retaliate on purpose, and he would have wrecked your entire body. He was a being of strength, taking out demons like it was nothing. Mind you, this was just glimpses considering most of your focus was on protecting V while he read his poetry.

Dante would get close at points to aid, and that’s when you would get to witness him whipping around and destroying things with ease. And to top it off, he was bouncing between several different fighting styles, too many for you to keep up with. You gave up on trying to aid him, he clearly didn’t need it.

Nero was a lot easier to handle, despite having a style that was fairly similar. He had more consistency, using the arms mixed with his usual flare to take out demons with ease. You could manage to keep a tendril on him at all times at the very least. The battlefield was peppered with lightning shots from Griffon, Shadow’s spikes, and the blasting attacks from the two men.

You focused on keeping close to the walls, tendrils suspended and using them to attack with daggers. Now that Dante and Nero were here, you could do better as a support instead of a front runner. V was still standing, luckily. Reading those lines aloud from his little, leather-bound book, eyes focusing on the battle and voice raspy as you commanded the familiars.

His determination was admirable, but you wished he would just rest.

The fight in the area ended a lot faster than you anticipated, that was for sure. Dante finished off the last demon with ease, stretching his shoulders afterwards. Cocky and confident as always, it would seem. He didn’t hesitate for a moment, strolling over to the bundle in the middle and shooting it over and over with his twin pistols until it burst in a spray of gore. You hopped down from your perch to V’s side, exchanging a small look with him and brushing your fingers over his face--wiping away some remaining demon blood splattered on his cheek. It made him smile tiredly, leaning into your touch a bit before turning away.

Just a little affection, where you both could get it.

You walked with him and Nero up to the hole, all of you jumping down at the same time. You cast Feather Fall on yourself and V, trusting that Nero and Dante could handle the plunge on their own. You were correct in that instance--everyone landed nimbly, rising to their feet and looking down another tunnel. Glowing with red light, looking just as fleshy and disgusting as the rest of the tree. It made you wince, rubbing the back of your neck again to try and remove that persisting pain. Still not there yet, it would seem.

“Looks like we still got a long ways to go.” Dante voiced exactly what you were thinking, staring calmly as your group started walking down the new tunnel.

But your Foresight started to flare, warning you that doing so probably wasn’t a good idea. But it was much too late.

“Wait…!” You started to caution them all when the ground suddenly cracked under your feet, crumbling and giving way faster than you could react.

You started to plummet, the movement jostling you all away from each other and causing a startled gasp to leave your throat. You instinctively reached your tendrils out, grasping blindly for V but unable to find purchase. Too much debris, falling too fast--you couldn’t see for a moment, body colliding with someone on the way down that you couldn’t identify. Son of a bitch.

You snarled under your breath, casting Feather Fall on yourself and anyone your spell could reach before you hit a wall, rolling down a tunnel before falling down again. Fuck, this wasn’t good--you hit the ground ungracefully, air gusting out of your lungs as your tendrils still searched wildly for V’s body. It did find someone, but when you looked up your heart plummeted.

It was Nero, crouching beside you with his hand braced on his knees. He was panting, but uninjured as he turned to meet your gaze.

No no...you couldn’t have gotten separated from V again…! You immediately sat up, looking around frantically but seeing no sign of him. Even the hole you fell through was now sealed, the tree forming around the debris into a new, solid wall. Fuck--you should have been paying more attention, you should have noticed that the floor was going to cave and grabbed V before you fell. Your heart was pounding now, panic registering on your expression as you rose to your feet.

V was alone again in this goddamn tree, crumbling and in need of you. And you had gotten separated from him.

“V is gone..!” You whispered, hand clutching at your blouse and gripping so hard your knuckles turned white.

Nero let out a slow breath, looking around as well with a furrowed brow, “Son of a bitch, he must have tumbled somewhere else in the tree,” He turned his eyes to you, concern glinting in those grayish blue orbs as he added, “You okay?”

You shook your head, summoning your tendrils off of him and retracting them back into your form. This was as far from okay as you could be, the panic gripping your heart like a vise. You had no idea how far away V was now, the tree was so god damn convoluted and confusing. You activated your Void sense, thinking about the vial of whale oil he still had. You could sense where it was, but no specifics--the Qliphoth had too many layers and tunnels to figure out a path.

“I have to get back to him,” You murmured, turning your gaze to Nero once more as your eye color went back to normal, “We need to keep moving--if the paths converge at some point we should be able to meet up. If not…”

You couldn’t imagine that worst case scenario.

“Ease up kid,” Nero commented, patting your shoulder lightly before starting forward, “We’ll find him, don’t worry. We’re all goin’ to the same place after all.”

You nodded, but the despair was still there as you replied softly, “Yes but I’m more worried about him not making it there.”

He was so weak, frail and falling to pieces. Your energy seemed to be the only thing keeping him going, and now...

You heard Nero sigh, unable to think of a reply to your terse statement. It occurred to you that he had been spouting optimism, and your response essentially fought back with negativity. You felt bad immediately, shoulders slumping as you turned to meet his gaze again. You could tell he was worried about you, and V as well. Trying his best to remain optimistic for you while you were focusing on the bad.

You shouldn’t be anticipating V’s death. You’re better than that.

“You’re right,” You murmured, rubbing your aching neck again as you looked away, “I’m sorry...I swear I’m not usually so pessimistic.”

Nero smiled a bit in response, taking a few steps closer to you and placing a hand on your hair. The action surprised you, making you look up at him and blink in confusion as he replied, “Don’t sweat it, you’ve had a pretty rough time all things considered,” He pulled away, awkwardly clearing his throat as he mumbled, “No shame in worryin’ about someone and all that shit.”

That made you smile, enjoying the way his ears turned pink with embarrassment. Nero certainly hid nothing with reactions like that.

“All I can do is my best,” You replied, letting out a slow breath and rolling your shoulders a bit. Time to shake off the worry, to keep moving forward again, “We should get going, or else Dante will beat us there.”

Nero nodded in agreement, but his brow was furrowed again as he lifted up his metal hand. You watched as he flexed the fingers, sparks popping up from the knuckles and buzzing with an electrical noise that definitely spoke of trouble. You recalled it looking a little worse for wear earlier, during the fight. Upon glancing at his belt, you realized he plowed through quite a few of those arms since the last time he saw Nico. There was only one left.

“Dammit, running a little low…” He mumbled to himself, a troubled look slipping onto his face as more sparks traveled up the length of the arm itself, “Not gonna last much longer without a refill.”

You let out a low hum of agreement, debating on if you could maybe fix the arm with the Void powers when you heard an all-too familiar sound approaching. Honking, coming closer accompanied with the screech of tires. You and Nero paused, you flinching right was the van came hurtling off a nearby ledge, swerving just inches from you both in a very dangerous fashion.

As expected, the mechanic liked to make a grand entrance. Nero grabbed you to pull you out of the way, letting out a hefty sound of annoyance as the Devil May Cry van screeched to a halt right in front of you. Another solid landing from Nico, it would seem. The close shave did nothing for your nerves, heart pounding as you released all the air in your lungs.

The dust had barely settled when Nico popped the door open, wearing her welding gear as she smirked at you both.

“Hey honey, need assistance?” She greeted in a low drawl, crossing her arms and looking pretty smug all things considered.

Nero was less than amused, scowling at the mechanic as he responded, “What the hell’s your problem? Are you TRYIN’ to kill us?”

You wouldn’t have put it that harshly, but inside you were echoing the sentiment. You loved Nico dearly, but her driving was terrifying to you. One could only come so close to being hit by a car that many times without developing a complex.

Nico rolled her eyes at his loud exclamation, jabbing a thumb over her shoulder as she replied, “If you wanna bitch, blame it on Lady. She’s the one behind the wheel.”

You and the white haired boy both turned just in time to see Lady appear in the passenger side window. She was smiling, looking positively innocent as she gave you both a little wave of her fingers. At least she looked like she was enjoying herself, and seeing both of them eased a lot of the tension swirling in your gut. Christ, had it only been an hour? It felt much longer than that. You were completely losing track of time, mind bouncing in and out of focus on reality and that tunnel vision barely leaving you. It couldn’t have been healthy, but things needed to go much faster to you. V was all alone and you needed to reach him.

Nero only shook his head at the women, sighing under his breath and seeming appropriately exasperated. Honestly, you didn’t blame him in that aspect.

“Okay, enough with the suspense,” Nico clapped her hands to move things along, tone impatient as she asked, “What do you need?”

Nero gave her a half smirk, lifting his metal hand and waggling the sparking fingers a bit. Not a word said, but message put across loud and clear. Nico immediately nodded, turning and rushing back into the van with a low huff. She didn’t comment on Nero breaking her stuff this time, which was nice all on its own.

The demon hunter went to follow her inside, pausing only to turn back and glance at you as he said, “I’ll make this quick. After I get some arms, we’ll head out and find V, okay?”

You nodded, rubbing a hand on the back of your neck as you replied, “I’ll be out here.”

He smiled a bit, turning around and hopping into the mobile home. You appreciated his calm determination, trying to make you feel more at ease. Nero could only do so much to help, though, considering what a mess everything was. Left out of the loop as well. He disappeared out of sight, leaving you with Lady, the next step in your five part process of trying to remain calm.

She popped back into the van, only to appear at the door. The older woman could immediately sense your worry, that much was apparent as she pulled you into a hug, smoothing your hair back from your face. By the Void, what would you do without any of them? Lady’s affection was so needed in that moment, settling the pounding of your heart down and making you squeeze your eyes shut.

“You got separated,” Lady sighed softly, leaning back so she could pat your cheek, “Don’t worry, he has those familiars with him. He’ll be fine, and I know you. Things get done when you’re focused on them.”

You smiled lightly, but it was a bit sad if you were being completely honest-- your heart was feeling particularly heavy at her words. In reality...you and Lady didn’t know each other very long. But her firm phrasing, the absolutely confidence she excluded...it made you feel better.

Trish poked her head out of the van before you could reply, looking around with a frown as she too registered the lack of a goth with you.

“You and the poet got separated?” She stepped out of the van, approaching you and eyeing you up a bit. You could tell Trish still didn’t know what to think of you, and you agreed with the sentiment. You didn’t know what to feel about her either. She seemed nice enough, but she was overly wary and a bit more rough around the edges than Lady.

But you nodded at her, tone low as you mumbled, “Unfortunately.”

She let out a light sigh, leaning against the side of the van and frowning at you. What else could you say to her? You knew better than to ask about what was going on with V, despite how unhappy she looked about everything. Hell, it looked like she herself wanted to tell you, but her tongue was tied. Now that V was not with you, that feeling was back in spades, the sensation of absolutely hating the situation and having no control over it. From both Trish and yourself.

You registered the fact that her arms were crossed, fingers tapping lightly--it seemed to be a nervous tick of hers. But...she still said nothing, something akin to guilt in her eyes as she looked away from you.

You wanted to know so badly it ached inside. But begging and pleading for the truth felt so...selfish.

It didn’t matter anyway. Nico came bouncing out of the van with Nero behind her, fresh Devil Breakers on his belt and a new one on his arm. He seemed pleased at the very least--all set up and ready to go. And true to his word, he made it fast. That made you sigh lightly in relief, ready to go again and look for the goth you were so worried about. But the others had plans for you, so that wasn’t happening quite yet.

Lady patted your cheek again before pulling away, standing to the side so the mechanic could walk up to you. She was carrying something in her hands, another box similar to the one your daggers had been in. What in the world did she have up her sleeve now?

You blinked, rocking back on your heels and registering her excited expression. The woman was practically vibrating in place, grinning eagerly and those curls bouncing.

“Before y’all head out,” She told you, thrusting the box into your hand firmly, “I told you I was gonna show you what I was makin’ with that fancy crystal.”

You opened your mouth to reply, but closed it at the smug look she wore. Like a peacock, beautiful feathers displayed to the world. This was her element, her craft, and judging by that confidence she had cobbled up something fantastic.

You decided not to waste anymore time, or ask any questions.

You opened the box, eyes widening on what was inside. What in the world was that? It looked similar to a gauntlet, but more thin in design, woven with metal that looked like it took an unbelievable amount of work. Elegant, streamlined. It almost seemed like jewelry, it was so lovely. Throughout the thin silver metal was the black crystal, coming to sharp, ebony claws for the knuckles. How the hell had Nico conjured up such a design like this? You didn’t know what to say, expression awed as you lifted it out of the box and slipped it onto your arm. It fit...perfectly, like it was tailored for you. Not too tight, but it wouldn’t slide either.

The instant the metal touched your skin, the Void Crystal let out a hushed sound, like muffled whispers from the inky blackness itself. Cold, it was so cold. But you were used to such a feeling.

“I measured your arm when you were asleep that one day,” Nico admitted, but looking pleased at how it fit onto your body, “What do ya think?”

You paused, flexing your fingers and enjoying how the metal sounded. It looked sharp, deadly, and unlike anything you had used before. To be honest...you were impressed.

“It's so lovely I don’t know what to say,” You replied, mustering a genuinely happy smile for her, “I don’t have anything to pay you with, though. What does it do?”

“You’re gonna find out,” Nico chuckled, winking at you as she took the box away. You felt a shiver travel up your spine as you turned your gaze back to the gauntlet--like the daggers then? You were a tester for her product, more than willing to do so considering how beautiful it looked. Nico seemed to sense your thoughts, smirking sassily as she added, “Promise to tell me what it does and we’ll call it even.”

You smiled wider in relief, stepping up and pressing a kiss to Nico’s cheek. That made her chuckle, grinning a dopey smile at you as you pulled away.

Nero huffed in mock anger, crossing his arms at the display as he quipped, “How come you give her special treatment? I work my butt off for these arms and she gets free stuff and a kiss?” You could tell he wasn’t really upset, there was definitely amusement in that face of his. Those lips were twitching, fighting a smile to no avail.

Nico let out a snort, flicking him on his forehead before she turned away, “She doesn’t break my merchandise and she’s cute,” She shoved his shoulder, tone turning impatient as she ordered, “Now both of you get goin’! Lady, Trish and I will be hanging around while y’all finish off the big baddie.”

Nero rolled his eyes, waving her off as he replied, “Yeah yeah,” He turned, meeting your gaze and jerking his chin forward, “Let’s go.”

You nodded, waving your now-clawed hand at the three girls before following quickly after the white haired boy. It felt like it belonged on your body, and any advantage you could get in battle was so needed. It didn’t seem to leech from you either, your Void energy not extending to that arm to fuel it. But you could feel it there, feel its presence and knew it was something you could easily activate when needed.

And you were positive you were going to need it.

“Thank you, Nico!” You called to the mechanic before you and Nero disappeared out of sight, heading deeper into the tree.

(V’s POV)

You were gone. You were gone.

V was panting in panic, grunting from the strain of being held up by Griffon’s talons. His gaze swept all over for you, but he saw no sign of your familiar form, nor those tendrils you generally used to help him. Fear gripped his heart, pained now that your presence was not soothing his weary soul. What had happened? How were you separated from him? Were you alright? The questions bounced around his skull, not ending even as he realized he was suspended high in the air, barely held by his struggling familiar.

He was so weak now, both of them were considering V was falling apart so fast. And now, with you not here to keep him standing...V could feel his heart thudding against his ribs, roaring in his ears as he released pained grunts. He had come to rely on you far too much, for everything. You love, your affection, your aid. He was a greedy creature and it showed even more when he was away from you, thoughts unable to stop at the idea of moving on without you here.

The tree was so vast and confusing, he could only hope you had managed to fall somewhere with the others. He couldn’t bare the idea of you wandering around alone.

“I can’t carry you anymore…!” Griffon managed through his strain, tone coming out in a strangled groan as he flapped his sapphire wings as hard as he could, “I gotta put you down, I gotta--”

His grip slipped on the poet as he spoke, V falling the remaining feet to the ground to an ungraceful roll. Your spell had made the landing painless, but the movement made his skull rattle a bit. God, he felt like absolute shit, there was no mistaking that in the slightest. The room swayed before it settled, V’s limbs feeling so painfully heavy as he struggled to bring himself to his feet. This wasn’t good, he was deteriorating faster than even he expected. His lungs were rattling like they were filled with dust, each breath wheezing out painfully as he gripped that silver cane. Griffon seemed no better, flopping on the ground next to him and looking equally exhausted before he absorbed back into V’s tattoos.

“Damn,” The poet rasped, trying to use the cane to pull himself to his feet, “Just a little longer…!”

You are coming undone, both in your head and in physicality.

His body didn’t get the memo, not wanting to cooperate with his words as he grunted, “Come on…!”

He collapsed again, falling forward with a low sound of pain as it spider-webbed through his already aching limbs. He was weak, far too weak. Panting heavily, brow furrowed and a grimace on his lips as he lifted his jade eyes. Urizen was so close, he needed to make it there without fail--this set back couldn’t stop him, he refused to lie down on the ground and give up without reaching you, without having you by his side. He still tried to stand once more, barely managing to drag his battered body up on one knee, then up further still as he leaned on his cane heavier than before.

As long as he still had this body, had this form, he would keep treading forward.

“I must...go…” He rasped, tone filled with desperation as he steadied himself. Finally on two legs again, albeit weak ones, “Before he loses completely…!”

He started forward, leaning on his silver cane with each step. As long as he walked, he could make it back to you. He wanted to feel it again, your warm kiss, the squeeze of your hand, that smile on him. Your usually cheerful face had been so sad since you learned of his condition, no matter how much you tried to hide it he knew how much you were hurting. You were falling apart inside, while he was on the outside. The thought made his teeth grind, breathes coming short and quick as he pressed onward. What more could he do? That guilt was so loud, but god he couldn’t bring himself to tell you the truth.

He would accept his death if it meant being with you in the end. If the others could destroy Urizen after he crumbled to pieces...well, was he really needed then?

A nagging sensation pressed at his skull, loud and jarring as always. The need to reunite, the need to return. He couldn’t just lie down and fade away, he had a place to be...a person to be again. Those memories were still there and fresh, his desires the same as that person he was before. Power, he needed to be strong again. Without him, the man that was Vergil would cease to be...he would cease to be. And that alone was the only thing stopping him from accepting death, from holding himself back and staying with you. He knew what needed to be done, and god it would be painfully.

But it didn’t change his fate. He needed to return.

The poet kept going for what felt like an eternity, so lost in his thoughts that he found himself paying no attention to his surroundings. His familiars stayed inside his tattoos, just as weak and tired as he was. No extending unnecessary energy, not when they were so close, Urizen just within the tree waiting for that fruit to ripen. The thought made V wince, pressing a hand to his forehead as he kept walking. He was nearing a new area, one with glowing purple stones lining a path to the next part of the tree. They almost looked runic in origin, like spells were etched onto their glowing surfaces.

A pity he didn’t realize sooner that was exactly the case.

The instant he stepped into the middle of the room, a wave of energy tore through his already-battered form. It hurt, it was destroying him from the inside. His body jolted, a strangled cry of agony leaving his lips as the sensation ripped through him, tearing out whatever it found and causing the black of the tattoos and his hair to leave him in a burst. Three orbs came with it, swirling away as he fell to his knees, once ebony locks now white and skin barren of any marks. Only the cracks remained, creating a roadmap of agony over his skin as he tipped forward onto the ground.

No no...this couldn’t be happening, not now. Not when he was so close.

A trap, he had walked into a god damn trap. He wasn’t thinking, wasn’t paying attention at all while he walked into the room, a fatal mistake. His familiars were no longer with him, vision fading fast as he weakly lifted his eyes. Someone was there in the room, that raspy chuckle unmistakable even as unconsciousness started to grip his weary body. Malphas, she had set this up to stop him, to weaken him before he could go any further.

And she had succeeded.

V’s vision slipped away, his final thoughts before slipping under only of you, of what you would think if you found him in such a sorry state.

He hoped you wouldn’t. He couldn’t bare to make you cry again.

(Your POV)

Walking through this part of the Qliphoth was an absolute nightmare.

Spike traps were lining the walls, blocking your path in several locations. You had never seen anything like it, thin, pointed blades jutting in and out of the disgusting landscape over and over. It was completely impractical, and ridiculous. You found yourself more annoyed than worried about your safety--it seemed almost silly, like something you’d see from a cheap villain to try and stop the progress of a hero on their way to defeat them. You weren’t impressed, and you were heavily impatient to make it to the next area. Hell, this whole part of the Qliphoth was hard to navigate by the looks of it, with sloping edges and high walls to get past. Platforming.

Nero didn’t look impressed either, in fact it seemed pretty goddamn boring to him. You watched as the boy retrieved a new arm from his belt, switching it out with the one he was wearing and clicking it in place. You had no idea what this new arm would do, but Nero seemed convinced it would fix the problem. You were ready to just snap the blades off if you needed to, but if he had a better solution...well, you were willing to wait a moment to see what he would do.

Much to your surprise, he took a hold of your arm, tugging you closer and leveling his gaze on your face.

“When I activate this arm, bolt through as fast as you can.” He told you, lifting said arm and flexing his metal fingers for emphasis.

You nodded slowly, summoning your tendrils and readying yourself for whatever the hell he was doing. Nero turned his gaze forward again, letting out a grunt as he lifted the metal arm right when the blades were retracting.

“Ragtime…!”

As soon as he spoke, a blue orb formed from his hand, the area it encompassed slowing down time to the barest of crawls. Enough so that you both could move past, the spikes halted perfectly. Is that’s what this arm did? A means to slow down time, probably able to catch enemies as well. You immediately bolted through, repeating the process with Nero at your side. Over and over, one trap after another. You were able to move faster with someone like him, his movement precise and nimble--easy to bounce off of. It was relieving, knowing that you could make your way to V as fast as possible.

You were so used to going at V’s pace, but now that you were traveling with Nero you could really stretch your legs. Most of the location required him to travel using his punchline, and you to use your tendrils. Bounding, leaping, in air most of the time as you followed safely behind him. It was interesting, seeing Nero gliding along on his arm like he was. At least he was enjoying himself--it looked like he was on a skateboard to be completely honest. The idea made you smile a bit, carefully hiding it so he didn’t notice your musing. You could totally imagine Nero as one of those edgy skater boys as a teenager, a thought that was heavily entertaining.

Didn’t last long though. Not with how much worry was weighing you down.

Your mind kept bouncing back to V, circling around all the facts you had acquired while traveling with him. It was a mess, everything with Dante, Urizen, and the mystery contender...Vergil. It was all of little consequence now that V was missing from your side, his condition when you left him alarming enough the way it was. God, you hoped he was okay. He had to be, you couldn’t bear the thought of not seeing him again.

You didn’t doubt Griffon and Shadow’s ability to take care of him, to get him to where he needed to be. But if he finally gave out, they wouldn’t be able to go on either. You were counting seconds now, trying to do the math on how much energy you had left him with. Enough to make it to you? Enough to keep moving? You could only guess, and hope.

Nero could definitely sense your unease, which was surprising. Once you passed the obstacle course portion of the location, you could feel him glancing at you a few times. Was that worry and hesitation on his face? Sure looked like it. He was quiet for the most part, probably unsure of what to say while you both walked side by side. It wasn’t awkward though, not in the slightest.

He didn’t really engage in conversation for a few more moments, the sound of his voice jarring you out of wandering thoughts.

“So...you and V, huh?” Now he was sounding awkward, clearing his throat when you turned to look at him. It was fine in your opinion--you could tell Nero was trying.

You smiled ruefully, casting your eyes downwards as you replied, “Does it seem surprising?”

“In your case? No,” Nero shrugged his shoulders, looking at you with a sidelong glance, “In V’s case? Yeah. I’ve known him for a month and he’s a pretty secretive guy, kept to himself.”

That made you sigh in agreement, hand rubbing your aching neck again, “He’s fairly secretive with me as well. I still don’t know what he’s hiding.”

Something about the way you spoke made a thoughtful expression cross over the white-haired boy’s face. He paused for a moment, the silence ticking by while he contemplated what he wanted to say. You doubted there was a thing he could ask that you weren’t already asking yourself--you had gone through the stages, the emotions, and came up with no answers every time. It was maddening.

“...You say there’s things you don’t know,” Nero finally continued, hopping down from another ledge with a low grunt of exertion, “But you still fell for the guy. Why do you think that is?”

You opened your mouth, landing nimbly as well and staring at the back of his head while he kept walking. Now that was a good question for him to ask, but the answer felt pretty simple to you at least.

Your feet started moving again, bringing you back to his side while you let out a low laugh, “We’re both cut from the same, miserable cloth,” You stared ahead, ignoring Nero’s questioning gaze when it turned to you once more, “We were both sad, and both lonely. Both longing for things we don’t have. It only made sense that we would get closer to each other.”

He will become another reminder. Another pain.

But it was more than that...wasn’t it? He felt like home, like he belonged in your arms and with you. There wasn’t a part of you that wasn’t charmed by him, transfixed on the way he spoke, how he thought and acted. He wasn’t perfect in any sense, but you didn’t want perfection. He was a glorified mess of a man, carrying himself with the energy of someone put together and poised. But he was your mess.

Nero furrowed his brow, but there was a look of understanding in his expression as he turned away again. You didn’t need to elaborate to put across what you meant, but judging by his mannerisms he was incredibly deep in thought. That look of concentration made you smile, tapping the claws of your new gauntlet on your opposing arm as you kept walking.

You weren’t the only one worried about V. That showed pretty easily on Nero’s face. Hell, it was the demon hunter himself who had suggested you help V, seeing your connection before even you could and sending you along with him. There was protection in those actions, even if Nero didn’t seem to realize himself.

“You don’t know a lot about V either,” You hummed, making him blink in surprise, “But you still care about his well-being, don’t you?”

Nero let out a huff at that, scratching his white hair as he replied, “Well, yeah. V is decent enough, and I definitely don’t want the guy to die.”

You shared the sentiment, but you could tell Nero cared about V because the poet was the only one who believed in him enough to bring him on this mission.

You clasped your hands in front of you, amusement fading into the low feeling of despair. To say you missed V would be an understatement, as would be saying you were worried.

“I don’t need to know everything to love him,” You replied to Nero softly, letting out a slow breath and tilting your chin up once more. Eyes forward, feet walking, focused on the path ahead, “Just as I know you don’t need to know everything about Kyrie to love her.”

Mentioning his lover at home made his ears flush again, Nero looking away and clearing his throat. Not before you saw that dopey, adoring smile he wore just by hearing her name. Nero was a good kid, you could tell that much about him. Rough around the edges, but passionate about the people he cared about. He loved Kyrie with every part of his reckless, stubborn body and that showed with his every reaction to her. That was a story you would love to hear sometime, about how they fell for each other in the first place. But that was for another time.

You and the boy were nearing a new area, and your Foresight was flaring in heavy alarm.

You opened your mouth to stop Nero, but you could hear a familiar voice coming from ahead, one that sent a chill shivering up your spine. Rasping, inhuman sounding, a bit nasally.

Carefully, tread carefully. You know this threat.

There was no doubt--it was Malphas, the three part woman on the back of a glorified bird demon. The last time you saw her, she was talking to the horseman who injured V...a powerful creature, one that even V didn’t want to take on. She was still alive, and worse she was still wandering around the Qliphoth? You didn’t know why, but for some reason you assumed one of the other boys would have killed her already.

Nero didn’t seem perturbed, rounding the corner and walking into the new area with confidence in his step. You sighed--what was the point in warning him when he was already loading up his gun? He seemed to already guess there was a fight to be had, and he was more than willing to do so. You summoned your tendrils, preparing yourself as you followed beside him and surveyed the new location.

Big, not a tunnel and more of a cavern. Malphas was in fact here, her back to you as she slowly approached a ledge on the opposite side of the location. Her tone was a purr, filled with an eerie warning as she said, “I’m cooominnnggg…”

Who the hell was she talking to?

You lifted yourself up with your tendrils, trying to survey what was on the ledge while Nero aimed his gun at her multiple heads. If anyone could handle her, it was him--you were more so focused on who she was trying to get at. As soon as you were high enough to see, you felt your stomach do flips, shock and relief mingling with an intense worry. That black hair, lanky form, silver cane and dark tattoos...He was unmistakable, and backed in a corner with Malphas steadily approaching.

V was here.

V was alive.

Even from where you were, you could see he was afraid. Body pressed tightly to the wall and pants lifting his chest. He looks so scared. Crumbling still, Griffon next to him and both desperately trying to stay out of sight. Every protective instinct activated in you the next instant, heart hammering and Void power spiking angrily at the creature about to attack him. You could kill her, you could fight.

But...V needed you more.

His expression made your heart ache, body springing into action as soon as the first bullet left Nero’s gun.

Read on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18136193/chapters/44418712

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Tagged: @silentwhispofhope @slightlylunatic @nightshadow4713 @just-call-me-no-name @efiicitia @raven-huntress

#devil may cry v #devil may cry #devil may cry 5 #dmc5 #dmc v #V dmc #V x reader #v x self insert #fanfic #chapter 23 #Ebony and Ivory #ebony and ivory chapter 23

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cordonianchoicesqueen · 6 years

Text

Rewritten: The Royal Romance: Forgotten Falls (Part 20)

A/N: I know it has gotten a little old me apologising for taking so long to get this part out! I just don’t want writing to become a chore for me and to make sure I’m happy before I release each one - I think I came back to this part more than any other to tweak and change.

Summary: Riley and Liam sneak off to Forgotten Falls to spend some time together away from the rest of the world.

Choices Chapter: Book One, Chapter Ten, Diamonds Scene

Disclaimer: Characters and main storyline from Pixelberry’s Choices.

Word Count: 2200+

Warnings: NSFW smuttiness but still pretty tame

Link to Full Series: Rewritten

Tags: @krsnlove @cora-nova @hopefulmoonobject

Forgotten Falls

I took Liam’s hand and he led me through the partying crowd. Still barefoot, the sand was hot on my feet until we reached an area of trees and soft grass. We slipped into the brush, giggling. We both knew we would be in trouble – there would probably be a scandal – if we were seen running away from the event together. There was nothing I could do though. Liam had cast a spell on me and all I wanted, when he looked back at me with his gorgeous, sparkling, curious eyes, was him. After a short climb, we arrived at Forgotten Falls, a cove with a beautiful waterfall cascading into a glistening pool. I let go of his hand and stepped further into the clearing, dazzled by the natural beauty. The soft grass and warm sand found its way in between my toes as I smelt a mixture of floral tones float through the air. It looked as though it was part of a fairy-tale.

“Do you like it?” Liam said behind me. I could hear his smile in his words. I didn’t know what I had done over the past few weeks to capture his heart but I knew exactly what he had done to capture mine. He was attentive and curious about who I was. He was one of the most attractive people I had ever laid eyes on and the way his hand felt in mine was perfect. He was intelligent, witty and dignified. He understood responsibility. We were connected through loss of parents. We understood each other and could almost speak to each other without talking. There was no doubt in my mind that I was falling in love in the most magical way. “It’s…” I sighed and then urged. “So romantic that you need to kiss me right now.” I turned as he said, “If the lady insists…” I loved when he referred to me like that. Liam wrapped his arms around me, one hand on my lower back and one in my hair. He lent in to kiss me and I met his lips with earnest. His lips were smooth and tasted of champagne. He pulled back, resting his forehead on mine, “there’s a legend about how this waterfall came to be. It’s said that hundreds of years ago, there were two lovers from warring clans. They were forbidden from being together, but they would meet here, at this hidden cove, and make plans to run away together. When the day came for them to leave, they vowed to meet here at dawn. When dawn came, the woman waited and waited, but her lover never appeared. They said that he was caught by her people and killed... But she never had the heart to leave this spot. So, she knelt on the cliffs and wept, and her tears became the waterfall, until that’s all that was left of her.” We held hands as I softly whispered, “that’s a sad story.” “Tell me, Riley, what would you have done if you were the woman in the story?” he asked. “I would’ve gotten revenge! Believe me, it would’ve gone a little differently than just a bunch of weeping,” I narrowed my eyes at him. He laughed, tucking me under his arm as we looked at the falls, “I certainly wouldn’t want to be on your bad side… There’s one silver lining to this story…” “Oh?” I replied, enjoying how well our bodies fit together. “It’s said that if two lovers climb to the top of the waterfall and jump in together, they’ll get the blessing of the lady of the waterfall,” he explained. “Is this your way of telling me, you think we should be lovers?” I raised an eyebrow at him. “I didn’t think… I mean, I wasn’t trying to…” Liam flustered. I giggled, “So… you don’t ever think about it then?” “I didn’t say that,” he bit his lip. “I’m only human, Riley. Besides would it be presumptuous of me to guess you’ve had similar thoughts?” As I opened my mouth to tease him, Liam took off his shirt and dropped it on the ground beside him and I was thrown completely off guard. His body was phenomenal. How on earth did a prince have enough time to work out to have a body like that. “I… er…” flustered now myself, “I have had thoughts.” He laughed at my gaping jaw, “Are you ready?... You seem to be lacking a swimsuit… This is a very secluded place. Would you be scandalized if I proposed an alternative?” I shook my head smiling, “Way ahead of you.” I pulled off my shirt and shimmied out of my jeans, revealing myself to him in my lacy, blue underwear. It made me excited to see the desire in his eyes as he looked at me. “Much better,” I said, stretching. “I couldn’t agree more,” he breathed. “Now, we climb!” “Up the cliff face?” I asked, bemused. “There’s not exactly an elevator way out here. Are you up for it?” he challenged. I looked at the waterfall. My fear of heights had always held me back from so much. I had overcome it to go skiing and I would overcome it now. For Liam. I tried to think back to summer camps when we had climbed through rivers and let that calm me. “Race you to the top!” I yelled as I bolted towards the falls. The side of the cliff was alive with an array of different grasses. I grabbed a handful of vines and began finding footholds in the rock face. I breathed through my fear. “Hey wait up!” Liam called, catching up to me. “If you want me, you’ve got to catch me,” I teased through gritted teeth. I checked each foothold before placing my full weight and tested the vines. I confidently pulled myself up, feeling my muscles ache. As I reached the top, I breathed out heavily in triumph. Raising my arms in success, Liam tackled me from behind. We rolled to the ground, over and over until he ended up on top of me, pinning me down. As I looked into his eyes I flashed back to us in a similar position in the palace hedge maze on my first night in Cordonia. I had come so far since then and so had my connection with the man whose body pressed me down into the soft fauna. He still treated me delicately but not as though I was going to break to the softest touch. He was finding out just how strong I was. “Got you,” he whispered in my ear, out of breath. “I still won the race,” I giggled. “I’ll gladly admit defeat to you, Riley Brooks,” he said, brushing some leaves out of my hair. I wrapped my hands around his neck and pulled him to me, kissing him passionately. As my eyes closed I felt his body mould to mine, his teeth gently biting my lower lip. After a moment, Liam pulled away, again. Standing, he extended his hand to me. It didn’t matter how many times he offered me his hand, I would always accept it. “Ready to jump?” he asked. I peered over the edge of the waterfall and backed up. My heart felt like it was going to rip out of my chest. Fear seized me as I realised just how high I was from this angle. I thought back to a party I went to as a kid where we were expected to do an aerial assault course. I was fine whilst we geared up and went through the safety briefing. It was only when I stood at the edge that I began crying. “I didn’t realise how high up we are,” I said, feeling my eyes brim with fear. “It’s better if you don’t think about it,” Liam encouraged me. “Hold my hand.” His hand reached for me, hanging in the air between us. I didn’t know if I could do this. My heart thudded. I could feel every irrational fear in my body bubbling up into my throat. I couldn’t, wouldn’t, let this defeat me. I closed my eyes and slipped my hand into his. “I think some would call this a leap of faith,” Liam smiled. “On three?” On one, I slowed my breathing. I closed my eyes and focused on the sounds around me. The water tumbling down, a bird singing in the distance, the breeze in the trees. Two. I became aware of my body and how tight it felt. I breathed out, releasing the tension and tightening my grip on Liam’s hand. When he reached three, I propelled myself forward with him. Exhilaration filled me as we fell through the air, wind whipping my hair around my face. I held my breath just as we hit the cool, clear water. Our weight made us plummet like rocks to the bottom of the pool. We kicked off the bed, feeling seaweed twist around our ankles. Together we burst back into the light. “That was…” Liam started. “Amazing,” I surprised myself. We tread water in place for a moment, enjoying floating in the refreshing pool. I felt cleansed of worry and fear. Here, the rest of the world didn’t exist. Here, the world was mine. I could do anything! “Thank you,” Liam said. “For what?” I asked, still dazed. “For coming here with me. For actually getting to know me. For… For caring about me, Riley. I’ve never had anyone in my life like you. And now that I have you… I never want to lose you,” he smiled, nervously at me. My heart felt like it could explode again but for very different reasons. He wasn’t going to admit it now but he was in love with me. I could tell by his eyes. In that moment, I was his world. And he was mine. I wrapped my legs around him, my hands on his chest. I lent my forehead against his and he kissed me deeply. His hands ran down my back, his finger’s digging into my skin, never wanting to let go. I tugged at his hair and felt his tongue dip into my mouth, filling me. “Oh, Riley,” he groaned. “You can’t say all those romantic things to me and not expect to get kissed,” I giggled. “Fair enough,” he said as we swam closer to the edge of the pool where we could stand. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it… It’s just…” “Just what?” I frowned. “I don’t know what’s going to happen… but the last thing I’d want is for you to get hurt,” he sighed. I rolled my eyes, fed up of hearing this, “I’m the kind of girl who can take care of herself. I would’ve thought you’d know that by now…” “You’re right. I’m usually a quicker study, I promise,” he half smiled, not truly trusting my words. “It’s just… I care about you… More than you know… and definitely more than I should.” He looked down at me, taking my hand in his, gazing at me. I felt my heart beat start to race, I wanted to know him, every part of him. “Riley…” he breathed. He couldn’t have stopped himself if he tired. We shared a heated kiss that could never have been enough. His hands wrapped around my ass, lifting me up onto him. My legs wrapped around him as he raised me out of the pool and lowered me down onto the sand. His body flush with mine, he trailed kisses down my neck and bit my ear. It felt like he was everywhere at once, making me feel breathless. My hands trailed along his back. I could feel him getting hard against me, which only made me more excited. I breathed his name which caused him to let out a soft growl. Still dripping wet from the pool, he wrapped his hands through my hair as he kissed my lips, his tongue deep inside my mouth. His weight felt marvellous on top of me. I didn’t want him to stop. I wanted to feel him. I ran a finger along the edge of his shorts causing his to shiver. For a moment, he looked at me, his dark eyes full of desire. “We haven’t know each other very long, but every moment I spend with you, I can’t help but feel… Riley I think… I’m in lo—“ Liam was stopped suddenly as movement exploded from the bushes. Startled, we rolled apart and spotted a bird shoot off as a fox chased. Breathing heavily, we laughed, tension released between us. “You were saying?” I said, holding myself up on my elbows. “Never mind… It was nothing,” he shook his head. As if the last few minutes hadn’t happened, he stood up and brushed the sand from his body. His eyes, which moments ago were entranced were now filled with regret. A sadness encased my heart. “I suppose we should head back…” Liam said, turning away. I knew he was angry at himself for giving in to what he wanted. He was meant to put everyone before himself and choosing me was not the selfless thing. It was hard, though, not to let it get to me… to make me think he regretted time we spent together. “Yeah. We’ve been gone long enough that people will be starting to look for us- you,” I corrected myself. “No matter how much time we have together, Riley, it’s just never enough is it,” Liam sadly smiled as we redressed. “Not by a long shot,” I elbowed him teasingly. We, without speaking, naturally took one another hands and head back down to the beach party.

#rewritten #the royal romance #cordonia #cordonianchoicesqueen #choices #choices app #playchoices #choices fandom #prince liam #Riley Brooks #forgotten falls

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lonelypond · 6 years

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Casual Lunacy, Ch. 50

Love Live, NicoMaki, 2.6 K, 50/?

Thursday’s A Thrill: We Battle

Erena had let her fitness regime slack a little since winter had locked down the Lakefill. Now she was regretting it as she made her best speed on too slippery, indirect walkways, but trying to break a path through the knee deep snow would have slowed her down even more. In sight, but still two crosswalks away from Deering, she heard a splintering thud as the doors burst open and a red blur sped across the snow. Erena watched for a minute. Looked like the blur was heading to the Wirtz Center. Probable werewolf, probably Nico’s girlfriend, Erena realized, regretting her slow foot pace, wondering what other damage the werewolf tag team had wreaked. No time for hesitation, Erena stepped off the neat walkways, heading for the now open west entrance. DPS would probably be along before too long, but Erena wasn’t sure whose side they’d be on. Just dragging her legs through the snow was more effective than high stepping...but when Erena reached the angled walk that would lead to Deering, a booming wave of force pushed her back. Surprised, she stumbled into the snow. As she was scrambling to stand, another wave forced her down. They were about 30 seconds apart. Could she get to the door if the cycle stayed stable? She crawled forward, staying on the rough, cold ground, hoping a lower profile would let the next wave crest over her without knocking her back.

Eli dragged her sister brides to a empty room. Everyone else had followed. Eli threw Diedre and Ami at chairs, standing solid between them and the doors, arms crossed, Nozomi backing her up. Then came Sergeant Alvarez, Tsubasa, and Kashima. Kashima dropped into the nearest seat, still looking confused, while Alvarez debated whether or not she should go in search of pen and paper to take notes. Or was it time to call in the FCC? It looked like tomorrow’s planned raid wouldn’t be necessary, although two of the targets were currently missing. Alvarez glanced at Tsubasa, who was looking paler than Kashima did under the lights in vampire makeup.

“Are you all right? Any wounds?” Alvarez wondered, her voice neutral.

Tsubasa shook her head, slumping down, braced against a wall..

“Good. One less problem.”

Alvarez watched Tsubasa closely. She recognized the sullenness, the inwardness. The young woman had seen something she wasn’t prepared for, had been too close to something much more primitive than most college students were prepared for -- bodily danger, primal fear. Alvarez had been deployed at Tsubasa’s age, and she could still remember the shock, the shakiness, in reaction to her education in what humans were capable of. Some of her fellow soldiers had never quite shaken the vulnerability of awareness, exposure to so many threats. Distraction and something warm to drink was probably the best she could do for the young woman right now.

“Any coffee around here? Some of us could probably use a cup.” Alvarez directed her question at Nozomi and Eli as Nico rushed in through the door.

“Nico is off duty, Nozomi will have to go raid management’s secret pot.” Nico was a little breathless and more Nico sized off stage, Alvarez realized, surprised.

Eli nodded, her eyes on Deidre and Ami, and Nozomi hurried off. Nico charged Kashima, “What the hell were you thinking, stupid.”

Kashima’s jaw was set, but not out of stubborness, Alvarez realized, the tall actress was trying to keep in tears, “I’m sorry, Nico. When Anju suggested it, it sounded fun…”

“Yeah, Nico, you’re never any fun any more…” Ami ventured as Eli stepped forward threateningly and Nico snarled.

“Shut up. No one is talking to you.” Nico grumbled.

Tsubasa’s eyes widened at Kashima’s claim, “Anju?” She shook her head, “That can’t be right. Everything was planned for tomorrow.”

Nico whirled to confront Tsubasa, “You were going to stuff Nico into a coffin on opening night?”

“No.” Tsubasa sat up, puzzled, “The transmitters were hidden in the coffins so they could be closer. You and Kashima were never supposed to be in them...well, except when Dracula needed to…”

“So what happened? Why tonight?” Alvarez interrupted.

“I don’t know. Anju didn’t talk to me...or Erena...where’s Erena?” Tsubasa’s voice suddenly shot up, shrill with tension.

“She ran off to Deering.” Nozomi announced as she she handed Tsubasa a cup of coffee.

“Why?” Tsubasa ignored Nozomi.

Alvarez ran a hand through her hair, “We’d all like to know that.”

As Hanayo followed Rin through the corridor, she was hit by remnants of some acrid chemical scent that still packed enough pungency to make her eyes water. Rin must be miserable, she realized, watching Rin stay ahead of her, but not at full speed so Hanayo would always be able to keep her in sight. Hanayo wondered what had happened to Maki when the building shivered. Anju, behind her, yelped, but Hanayo didn’t look back. As they hit the stairs to the main floor of Deering, another shiver, floors quaking, about 30 seconds after the first. Rin paused, hesitating. Hanayo came up next to her, “Where’s Maki?”

Rin howled something that meant “Nico.” That made sense.

“Do you think it’s safe?” Hanayo asked.

Rin’s response sounded confident.

“We have to stop her, right?” Hanayo muttered.

Rin nodded, her eyes watering from the olfactory assault she’d just stepped through again..

“Yeah, I know. Who knows what she’s doing.” Hanayo glanced back at the Anju following her. Then the floor shook, a little sooner than the last burst.

Rin whined, stepping a little forward.

Hanayo hugged her, “I love you, Rin. Lead the way.”

Rin rolled through happy howl to warning howl as she climbed the stairs.

The shockwaves were closer together. Erena stood in the ripped open doorway, doors blown off, scattered across the snow, holding onto the frame, trying to make sense of the scene before her. Anju, but an altered Anju, older, lined and weathered, was hovering -- Erena did a double take and yes, Anju seemed to be gliding slightly above an erratic, fluid hole, an uneven gush of red and black viscous fluid. For a second, Erena had a sense of skipping, as if film had spooled in a projector, piling image on image, from Anju, as if she were preparing a midnight sacrifice to an ancient god, floating over a volcano’s hungry mouth in the stripped lobby of Deering, no vestibules or security desk, blasts of acrid heat, lightning hissing, then the entrance lobby was back, a sudden bustle of students, darkness and gargoyle shadows, and then Anju again, hands flung open, waves of red and phosphorescent darkness raising around her. Then before Erena could catch her breath or focus on a single image, 5 quick pushes that had her hugging the door as a red blur charged forward purposefully, slunk low to the ground, growling with exertion.

“Maki?” Erena guessed.

Neon eyes stared for a moment, then there was a threatening snap.

“I won’t hurt you. I want to help Anju. What’s going on?”

Maki turned her body, confrontational, growling, fangs out, as the next wave hit, staggering both. Then, there was a shiver and a hiss as air rushed and sound fled, leaving an eerie emptiness, charged by hisses and sparks. Erena looked over the wolf’s back, seeing only blackness in the distance, no sign of the rest of campus, past the entranceway. Maki whirled, sniffing, howling, running out, but hitting a barrier and being tossed back. She tried again and again, but finally sat back on her haunches, howling, whining. Then she spun, sniffing and stormed into the building.

Anju was standing over a tumultuous storm, red and black churning over and over, hands open and hovering at chest height. Magic and heat combined into a caustic, burning smell, but ignoring the pain in her head, Maki launched herself at Anju. With a casual finger flick, Maki was sent back toward the door as Anju crowed, “Should have stayed with your mate.”

Erena saw the red and black storm at Anju’s feet growing. “Anju?”

Anju blew a kiss in Erena’s direction, “Don’t worry. I’ll be gone soon. If you survive the second set of shockwaves every…”

The world rocked and where there had been silence, there was now roaring as the starry lava surged to Anju’s shins, random tendrils still whipping around the room.

Rin charged Anju, blindsiding her, taking her down, forcing her off the black and red hole she’d to the floor. Erena found herself wondering if any of the laws of physics were at full effect right now. She reached for the brown wolf pinning Anju, but felt a body slam into her side, forcing her back. Maki, savage, followed Rin’s initiative with a headbutt, knocking Erena over. WIthout Anju holding the center, without restraint, the lava started to flow out, broad, viscous strands reaching everywhere to grab.

“Rin!”

Hanayo’s voice, Erena turned her head, Hanayo, and behind her, Anju, but an Anju still in her Akko costume. Maki’s weight disappeared, she’d gone to help her fellow werewolf, but a hissing, growing tide was impeding her progress.

The werewolves were always going to be the real problem, Anju had realized, if they decided to interfere. Staunch allies once, now they were stubborn obstacles. Rin had her pinned down and she felt the teeth close on her shoulder as she released the spell she’d cast on the wand and it exploded, a dart of motion, skewering Rin’s side as the werewolf bit deep into Anju’s muscle. No time for healing, a quick gesture to call a coiling tendril and Rin was whimpering from the burn as it wrapped around her torso, pressing hot metal sharpness further into her wound. Hanayo was searching, presumably for a weapon, and the red wolf was dodging the surging turbulence surrounding her.

“Anju?” Erena called, confused, eyes warily maintaining contact with the woman at the center of the room while she edged toward the other.

“Just go. Take her.” Anju commanded as she crawled to her feet, “It’s about to start.”

Hanayo grabbed for Rin, pushing her arms under the stinging heat of the mercury solid lash, breaking its cohesion, pulling the wand free of Rin’s haunches, knowing the werewolf would heal before crippling blood loss. Hanayo considered tossing the wand back, but holding it firmly in hand, a dagger, she rushed Anju, while Maki leapt with a roar. Anju clapped her hands and the air exploded with the shrillness of the fire alarm, magnified beyond tolerance. Maki dropped as if struck, human again, hands over her ears, whimpering, Rin just falling and Hanayo dropping to her knees next to Rin immediately, to know for herself that her mate was only unconscious.

Erena, wincing, had reached the Anju in the witch costume as the other Anju gestured, opening a small corridor through the pulsing surge of heat and sizzling fluids for them. Erena glanced back as Anju mouthed “Go” before she drew herself back to the dizzying vortex spewing impossible physics. Erena made a decision, reached down to take the closer Anju’s hand and drag her out the ruined doorway.

Maki had never been in so much pain. Her head was splitting, the blaring alarms wouldn’t stop, she was rolling through phase shifts of flame and ice. It was an insane, impossible world and there was no mooring. And now Maki could feel a suction, pulling at her as she struggled to rise, eyes closed from pain, nose making what sense it could of things, the tide of metallic tang and frothing warmth ebbing toward the center of the lobby, where the altered and older Anju was making her stand. Erena was leaving, with one Anju. Rin was unconscious with Hanayo huddled over her, so that left Maki. She stood, hunching, her feet burning, debating the change. But her wolf strengths had only made her more sensitive to Anju’s planned attacks. So fists it was. Half of year of wrestling with Rin in wolf form and nearly a month of ‘wrestling’ with Nico in girl form had left Maki with an excellent sense of her abilities as a grappler. Early fencing classes had left her with a tendency to analyze opponent’s weak points. Anju was obviously expecting attacks in wolf form, so...Maki hissed and hopped as her feet began to feel the burn. That decided her and she charged, trying to remember the one time Rin had roped her into an intramural rugby game. She aimed for Anju’s midriff with her shoulder, channelling pain into rage and rage into velocity and when she struck, she and the sorceress both flew back, Anju nearly dropped into the vortex like an 8 ball at the end of a game.

“Thanks, that helped.” Anju pushed Maki off, hands lingering on the redhead’s bare breasts. “I like this you better.” Maki could hear the smirk in her assailant’s voice, smell the triumph.

Maki changed instantly, instinctively and bit down, Anju’s arm in her mouth. Finally, Anju broke, screaming in pain, drawing back her arm to physically throw Maki off, But she stopped, concentrated and Maki felt the heat rising off Anju’s skin, burning through the roof of Maki’s mouth. As the werewolf whimpered, shaking her head, teeth tearing through Anju’s arm with each pained reflex, Anju’s other hand grabbed Maki’s chin and suddenly Maki’s head was flooded with images, stone walls and tapestries, Nico in a huge fur coat, in front of a fire, holding a child, Maki very close and playing with a smaller, dark furred wolf; Maki, russet fur darker, striding through a large room, growling and howling; Nico’s friends, older, attentive, as Umi stood in front of a map; Anju, striding on to a field, hands up, shimmers of light pulsing out of them, Maki racing in front of her, then the light altered, to the black and red turbulence Maki could feel around her, see wrap around Anju as she thrashed, falling through cloying dark. Maki’s jaw released, as pain, noise, and Anju’s memories clashed against the reality she was desperately holding to.

Maki’s eyes opened. Anju was staring, wild purple eyes begging, “Let me go home. I know you understand home. I’ve seen it.” Closing her eyes against pain and emotion, Maki smelled exhaustion, failing magic, defeat, sorrow, fear...Anju whispered, ”Please.”

A pulse hit, then another, then three seconds later another. Anju gritted her teeth and stood, hands together, muttering, all the fluid returning in a rush, draping over her, shivering, encasing her, racing to cover her skin, eddies of color and temperature roiling, another force pulling them, the greedy vortex wanting to swallow everything it could touch. Maki could feel the pull, its strength, she’d either have to leap or run NOW and another pulse hit her as she saw Rin spring toward Anju and Maki forced herself sideways with all her will, slamming into the smaller wolf, both of them rolling wildy toward the gaping entrance. Hanayo was watching the scene, horrified, clinging to a display case as the pulses kept happening, intervals lengthening. Maki shoved Rin out the doorway, angling both of their bodies behind the wall for protection as another wave struck. Maki had lost count, letting the stone protect her from the force, wounded Rin whining weakly for Hanayo. Maybe three minutes after it started, Maki felt like she’d been lassoed, the pulse returning, the nothingness surrounding Deering speeding toward them, passing through Maki and Rin, grinding them against the stone, Maki certain her heart had stopped as cold seared through her.

Then, blessedly, a world of cool soft returned to her ears, this world, with its open sky and its comforting sounds, campus sounds, cars scraping by, students chatting, sirens dim and distant, Rin and Hanayo breathing easily and Nico somewhere, safe, Maki’s name her song.

A?N: Wow. Let me know what you think. And thanks for reading this far : )

Stay tuned for opening night; Nico would never forgive you if you skipped ; )

#nicomaki #nishikino maki #yazawa nico #Casual Lunacy #werewolf #coffeeshop #college #theatre #howling #battle #rinpana #Hoshizora Rin #Koizumi Hanayo

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mr-kiwi-the-wizard · 4 years

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The party, after much trailing through the desert, had finally arrived at the desert city of heft. Heft was a decent sized city and acted as a waypoint between Kel'dari and Ankh. It was also allegedly home to to he best craftsmen of blades and armour outside the school of artisans and enchanters. The school of artisans and enchanters seem to be protesting at the gate at this very moment.

"This treatment of craftsmen is unfair! No more prosicution of the learned! Down with the independents!"

The main gate into heft was shut, with a small camp infront of the gate itself. The protestesters infront of the gate were only 10 strong but we'll equiped. A further 20 or so people, merchants and travelers were having a market day off to the side.

As the party approched the gate they were stopped by the protestesters. "No entry to the city little girl. Purchasing unlicenced equipment is against artisan law." Filbert at the back of the group spoke up. "This is abserd! Artisan law applies in the kingdoms of the southern realms not the desert!" The ugly looking self proclaimed artisan looked at the old man with disgust. "And who's exactly going to dictate that?"

Suddenly the gate to heft began to rise open. The protesters quickly abandoned their signs and posters and drew swords before charging inside to peacefully protest. Harriet wax quick to follow but was quickly grabbed and stopped by the petite cleric. "Wait..." They stood around for a minute before a large amazonian like woman stepped out in full plate armour with the ugly artisans throut in hand. She tosses his lifeless body into the sand before the gate. "Any more of you want a word with us?" The people small camp off to the side were silently enjoying soup and watching. The party itself was speechless. "No one? Good, I'm Heavy, the sheriff around here. Welcome to heft."

Heft was an interesting town to say the least dispite the few standing buildings, they were large, and the streets were packed with people. The pile of smouldering body's next to the gate was a nice touch. Heavy decided to take a break from the task to give the party a tour. "Heft wasn't originally ment gone a major city on the map. We set up as a small blacksmith and armourer operation back in the day. This was one of the few sites around with iron rich outcroppings." They passed through the city's communal wheat and cactus farm through a second internal gate to get to the smithy itself. "Foods scarce in the dessert so when we managed to cultivate the land the place exploded as a place to get supply's on the way to Kel'dari. Anyway, the smith will see each of you now. Don't be disrespectful, what she says goes, and that includes tossing you chumps from the walls I'd it comes to that." They were left alone I. The large workshop of heft.

The great workshop was the biggest building in heft, and was filled with boxes piled with material. A thrown together counter was the only empty flat surface in the room at the group could reach without going deep into the workshop. Randy was already going through things in the boxes when a deep booming voice came from deep in the workshop. "You touch it you pay for it small man" a large thin but tall woman in nothing more than an apron appeared at the counter. Her skin was jet black, her hair ashen white and two deep red eyes. "So you come to ol'Manndic for armour and weapons yes?" Her voice was deeper than most men and her accent was definitely foreign. Randy looked her up and down, the most baffled of the group. Hobbits really ever went east and ever since the cataclysm, ashlanders didn't exactly have a home to call their own. "We're are your clothes?"

"Don't ask people personal questions like that!" Alice snapped at him but Manndic put her hand up "It's a valid question. Herd in the dessert the days get hot. And here at my forge the workshop gets hotter. More heat, less cloths."

"I understand that but what about the music?" Filbert enquired. "Mind your own damn business! Now, who am I making armour for today I make woman's armour and men's armour to their... Exact... Measurements." Harriet slapped Alice on the back. "My friend here needs some proper armour that fits and doesn't restrict her movements when casting spells."

"Well little lady, come with me so we can take your fittings" Alice squimishly tagged along deeper into the workshop with the Smith leaving the party alone.

#english story #writing #Lorecraft

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athyrabunlord · 7 years

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So I’m having major LLSHP AU withdrawal symptoms so I was wondering whatever blip you choose it could be from that universe? first choice is: 8. “Your smile is not as bright as it used to be.” Kanamari after Mari was attacked in Hogsmeade and her power had been drained Or either: 45. “I think I made a mistake.” (Kanan) 46. “Shut up, I am a delight!” (Mari)- Kanamari prequel When they first started dating if possible? As I’m desperate to know how their relationship started! Thank you!

“Shut up, I am a delight!” [Prompt List] (closed)A/N: I skipped 6 asks to do this one sorry XD;; Don’t worry, I’ll do all the existing asks. As said in this post, I’m glad to be asked about this AU Anon! A/N2: This would be a teaser from the prequel-Interlude “Delphinus”, which is about kanadiamari’s Hogwarts days prior to the main story, told in Mari’s POV.Words: 2,696As usual, “italicized words” = Mari’s Engrish

“What’s up with her…?”

Mari lowers her Omnioculars and fiddles with the buttons on the side before looking through them again. Her objective is jogging at a decent speed, not at all deterred by the bumpy and uneven shore around the Black Lake. The girl’s expression is one of utmost concentration, her dark-indigo ponytail fluttering behind her like a, well, pony’s tail. Dressed in jeans and a shabby hoodie, Kanan Matsuura looks like a lost Muggle who somehow wandered into Hogwarts grounds.

Alas, the carelessly strewn Gryffindor cloak and scarf beside a rock remind Mari that Kanan is indeed a fellow student, Muggleborn or not.

She sure can run… ugh, stupid tree in the way.

Mari narrows her eyes and shuffles from one hiding spot to another. They say curiosity kills the cat, but she happens to be quite resilient! Each and every one of her adventures make her into the shiny person she is today!

Once an idea has taken root, Mari is sure to follow it through until boredom wins and sends her elsewhere. So far, her observation of Kanan is, frankly, tedious. Other than learning her peer has seemingly inexhaustible stamina and appears to be unaffected by the cold weather, nothing exciting has happened.

Mari grumbles under her breath as she reapplies the Hot-Air Charm for the umpteenth time. Waking up at the ungodly hour of 5AM is horrible already, let alone on a friggin’ Sunday! And Kanan’s done nothing but jog around the Black Lake for over an hour now! After the first twenty minutes, Mari had given up sneaking around the bushes and merely settled for perching on a high vantage point so she could oversee the Lake’s perimeters.

Sighing, Mari uses the Omnioculars to slow down Kanan’s movement and watches the replay to see if she could find anything interesting. As expected of binoculars specifically made for Quidditch games, she could see every single detail clearly, such as how Kanan’s sweaty bangs are messy and her cheeks flushed from the jog.

Mari blinks, noticing a particular detail for the first time.

Is she… smiling?

She considers herself an active person, having flown around on her broom and her precious Hippogriff since she was a little girl, but all the fun had been obtained through magical means. She doesn’t understand what could be so enjoyable about something as mundane as just… running. It’s not a game of Tag, and there is no goal, no incentive as far as she can see.

What’s so fun about this?

Sure, Quidditch players are known to train around the Black Lake, but even they would not wake up this early on a Sunday (she really can’t get over this fact). At least, such outdoorsy and tenacious spirit fits the Gryffindor stereotype. Mari has always wondered why Kanan got Sorted into Gryffindor - she isn’t rowdy and prone to mischief; while she appears smart enough in lessons, she isn’t academic like the Ravenclaws; she certainly exhibits no ambition whatsoever like the Slytherins.

Really, Kanan should be an easygoing, peaceful Hufflepuff. From weeks of observation, Mari decides that most of her peers fit the norm, and everyone seems to be mingling just fine. It’s only their First Year at Hogwarts after all, so it takes a different amount of time for an individual to find his or her niche.

Mari herself is quite friendly with her fellow Ravenclaws, finding their intelligence on par with her own and thus making it easy to strike interesting conversations. And, if she gets a little bored, she would challenge the Gryffindors to Exploding Snaps or even secret duels (she has yet to get caught!). Chilling in front of the fireplace or enjoy the rare afternoon sun? No problem, she has a few Hufflepuff buddies to share that lazy but content sort of joy too!

And there’s always Dia Kurosawa to tease and prank. Really, the only reason Mari even tries so hard in tests is just so she could flaunt her scores over the studious Slytherin. They’re evenly matched so far, with her being slightly ahead at Transfiguration and Dia at Potions. Like the rest of the students, other Muggleborns have more or less settled in the daily routine of school life here at Hogwarts.

Yet, why does this Kanan Matsuura still seem out of place? It’s not like she gets ostracized in lessons, and she sometimes participates in class discussions or naps through droll lectures. She’s like any regular teenager, so why is there something off about her?

Chartreuse eyes blaze in determination. That’s why she, Mari Ohara, is here to solve the mystery! The Sorting Hat must have placed Kanan in the House of Gryffindor for a reason, surely not just because this jogging-maniac has muscles!

Oh, she’s finally stopped. Hmm, what’s she doing now?

Kanan has returned to the boulder where she had discarded her cloak and scarf earlier. Instead of donning them, she simply stands there with her hands in her hoodie’s pouch and is looking out towards the Lake. Since her back is facing Mari, this only gives the blonde Ravenclaw two options: go around the trees to another vantage point, or just go over to confront the girl in question!

Smirking, Mari nimbly hops down from a branch, utilizing Sticking Charms and other small tricks to muffle the noises from her movements. She’s tired of all this spying (totally not stalking) and is ready for some action!

She casts a few more Charms to ensure that her approach inaudible. She does hesitate for a moment when she notices the slightly forlorn expression on Kanan’s visage, but she quickly steels her resolve.

Eheh, I bet you weren’t expecting any spectator, are you, Miss Ponytail?

Mustering all her energy, Mari darts out from the bushes and leaps for her target when she’s close enough.

To her shock, Kanan somehow detects her pounce and dodges to the side. Their mutually startled eyes meet for a brief second before momentum pulls Mari towards the rocky shore.

“Shit!”

Though confident in her own swimming ability, Mari could feel her limbs cramping up under the icy lake water. Bubbles burst from her mouth as she panics, her uncooperative fingers unable to reach the wand in her pocket.

A muffled splash later, she glimpses a dark silhouette diving towards her. Strong arms wrap around her waist behind her and she faintly feels propelled upwards where the light is. As soon as she breaks the surface, she gulps for air and tries to swim but only ends up flailing about.

“Be still! You’re in no shape to swim. Try to relax, I’ll get you to shore.” A calm yet firm voice stops her movements.

With her mind muddled, Mari could only nod and allow her savior to lead. She struggles to drag herself ashore, though the drenched clothing is weighing her down more than she could ever imagine. Again, strong arms haul her up and soon, she finds herself seated atop the boulder where the Gryffindor cloak and scarf remain rumpled in a pile nearby.

“Just what were you thinking! Do you have any how dangerous that was?!”

Kanan looks and sounds furious, wearing a dark expression never before seen and thus surprises Mari into silence.

After opening and closing her mouth a few times, she could only mouth a word. “Sorry.”

Glaring, Kanan is probably about to scold some more when a chilly breeze blows past them, making Mari shudder and her teeth chatter.

Wordlessly, Kanan wraps her cloak around Mari and begins to dry her in brusque movements.

“Erm, you should dry yourself first-?”

Indeed, the soaked ponytail is plastered to Kanan’s equally sodden hoodie. A scowl is all Mari receives as Kanan continues to wipe at her head.

Honestly, Mari feels like a little kid under reprimand and in no position to argue.

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Mari retrieves her wand and gives it a complicated wave. Kanan recoils, her amethyst eyes wary and her fists clenched even as Mari calmly directs the wand’s tip over her.

Her stance only relaxes when it’s obvious that the magic is simply drying her clothes via controlled hot air. Smiling, Mari then dries herself with this nifty Hot-Air Charm and holds up her hands akimbo.

“Tada~ See, no need to manually do it. It’d take forever to wring out the water, yes?”

“Right, what was I thinking. You’re a Witch and we’re at Hogwarts.” Kanan’s tone is oddly aloof, as if she doesn’t consider herself a fellow Witch as well.

“Yup! I can do this too,” she utilizes one of the more advanced Transfiguration spells and manages to conjure a jar from a piece of the Omniocular. Under Kanan’s watchful gaze, Mari smoothly aims Bluebell Flames into the container. “See? You can even carry this around if you get cold!”

“Useful, I suppose.” Again, Kanan’s voice is rather flat, not in a dismissive way but more like all of this has nothing to do with her. Her eyes are still trained on Mari, scrutinizing at her from the top and down to her feet.

“What?” Though unabashed most of the time, Mari feels quite self-conscious under such an intense gaze. “Am I so pretty that you can’t look away?”

Ha, she couldn’t help but add that cheeky remark.

Kanan, as expected, ignores her and points at her leg. “You got a spell for the cramp too?”

“Damn, you got me,” Mari playfully holds up her hands. “That’s for a Healer’s level.”

At last, Kanan’s hardened expression is replaced by a small smile. “See, it’s still necessary to do it yourself, rather than rely on magic.”

“U-um…” Again, Mari finds herself rendered speechless as Kanan begins to massage her leg. Her hands are well-practiced, as if knowing exactly where and how much pressure to apply.

“How do you feel? Does anywhere else hurt?”

Blinking out of her daze, Mari shakes her head. “You seem knowledgeable about this. Do you do this often? Is this a way to hit on girls?”

Kanan gives her a blank look. “Huh?”

Mari rolls her eyes. “Never mind that. So, this massage, the swimming, and all that, you seem like a professional-?”

At this, Kanan holds her head a bit higher. “I already have my lifeguard license, back in the Muggle world I mean. My grandpa… well, I used to work at a diving shop,” her voice falters a little but her enthusiasm quickly takes over again. “See, I live at this small town by the sea and-”

Always ready to learn new things, Mari becomes absorbed in Kanan’s story and especially her passion about the sea. Despite having quarter Muggle blood, the Ohara ojousama grew up in a magical community and mostly interacted with Pureblood peers. As she grew older, her father would take her around the world to build connections with foreign communities, hence she has some pen pals from Beauxbatons, Durmstrang and even Ilvermorny. The acquaintances she does know from the Muggle world all have power and position, so she has yet to befriend a Muggleborn like this.

Well, she’s always been fascinated by Muggle contraptions anyway, so this could be her chance?

“Hey, teach me more!”

“What-?”

“Like, what were you doing around the Lake? Can’t be only jogging! It’s a Sunday!”

Kanan’s relaxed expression tenses again in annoyance. “I was just exercising! I do this every day, and that reminds me, what were you doing spying on me and-”

“Don’t mind don’t mind~ At least we’re talking now right? You chat with your Housemates and other students just fine but I notice you always pull away before the conversation gets any longer.”

“That’s- I was just-” Kanan furrows her brows. “How long have you been watching me? And why me?”

Honestly, Mari doesn’t know. She tends to go with her instincts and just rolls with it. Some would argue that is actually a Gryffindor trait, but hey, a shiny and creative mind like hers could only belong to Ravenclaw! Everyone has bits of qualities from each House, sì?

“It’s a secret~ To find out, all you have to do is teach me more about Muggle life style~” Mari ends her sentence with an award-winning wink.

Needless to say, Kanan appears unaffected. “I don’t really… besides, I can see that our personalities don’t match and-”

“Shut up! I’m a delight!” Mari pats Kanan’s shoulder and gives her a thumbs-up. “Stick with me and I promise your life here will be shiny every single day~”

Reluctance oozes from Kanan’s body language. “Surely there are other choices? Aren’t there some Muggleborns in Ravenclaw and I bet they’re smarter than me-”

“Nope. I’ve picked you, and that’s the end of the discussion.”

Kanan lets out a quiet and contemplative hum. “You sure are headstrong. What do I get out of this then?”

Shrugging, Mari glances at the blue fire flickering in the jar. “Hmm, I could teach you cool tricks like this? Whatever I can think of to help your daily exercise or something?”

“That… could be helpful,” Kanan mumbles and seems hesitant for the first time in their conversation. “Well, being a Muggleborn, there are some stuff I don’t quite get about the magical world, and I do have trouble with some of the assignments and spell works, so, um…”

“No problem!” Eager to be of help, Mari shakes Kanan’s warm hand and grins triumphantly. “Deal! We help each other out and, well, we’ll go from there, Kanan!”

“We’re on first-name basis already?” Kanan’s lips twitch in a hint of a smile, which Mari takes as a good sign.

“Of course~ We’re gonna be spending a lot of time together, so get used to it!” The blonde pauses when a thought occurs to her. “But, huh, I thought Gryffindor Lions would take you under their wing. Pride of Lions as they say, no?”

Kanan does not reply to that, her expression rigid. Mari puts that away to her To-Investigate List and waves it off.

“No matter, I’ll be a much better influence than those rowdy Cubs anyway, hehe. Oh, actually, I have a better idea.”

“What?” Kanan asks warily.

“I’d love to be the one tutoring you but my attention span isn’t long enough for that~” Her dear acquaintance and perhaps the only person she considers a friend would surely accept. Dia’s outstanding achievements in every class have already made her famous in the school, on top of her prestige as the heiress of an ancient Pureblood family. However, such distinguished status causes a distance between her and her peers, even her Housemates. They don’t dare to approach her out of reverence, and Dia likes to keep her personal space anyway.

Until Mari Ohara comes along, that is.

“I have the perfect candidate in mind. Why don’t we go to her right now?” Grinning, Mari tries to stand up but almost stumbles when her cramped leg refuses to cooperate. She could support her own weight, though the sensation of weakness is disconcerting enough to make her growl in frustration.

Where is her broom when she needs it!

Suddenly, she is lifted up as if she weighs nothing.

“First, we need to go to the Infirmary. Your leg still needs to get looked at properly,” Kanan says evenly, not at all out of breath as she begins to walk towards the castle.

It takes several moments for the gears in Mari’s head to resume functioning. Didn’t her morning start with trailing after this ponytailed Gryffindor? How did that lead to her being wrapped in the said Gryffindor’s cloak and carried like a princess?

“Okay, giddy-up!”

“I’m not your horse.”

“Go fetch!”

“I’m not your dog either.”

“What are you then?” Mari peers up at Kanan, fluttering her eyelashes theatrically.

Kanan looks down and huffs in exasperation. “I suppose, we’re… friends now?”

“Good answer! Ten points to Gryffindor!”

Kanan sighs and Mari giggles to herself. Perhaps, by sticking with Kanan, it is her life that will be shiny every single day!

#anon ask #LLSHP AU #kanamari #prompt list bliplet #an excerpt from an Interlude that would take forever for me to get to lololol #the beginning of the kanadiamari trio #keep in mind they're same age as Yoshiko here #and... somewhat different than how they're currently characterized in the main story XD #which is through Yoshiko's perspective too so #POV effect yay \0/

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