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#White Plume Mountain
vintagerpg · 4 months
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Return to White Plume Mountain (1999) is the fourth of TSR’s modules that return to classic adventure locations, and the third in in silver anniversary trade dress. Also the last of the both those things. Of the silver modules, it is my favorite (Return to the Tomb of Horrors is still my pick for the best of the lot though, probably).
Like Keep, this doesn’t include the original module, but reminagines the original space with twenty years of changes. It also takes pains to make a little more sense of the original module, which was a silly funhouse kind of dungeon that, while classic, is sort of a sore thumb in terms of Greyhawk lore. In fixing that, the designer actually strikes upon a surprisingly satisfying frame for the adventure.
Basically, the mountain was home to a mage named Keraptis, who left for parts unknown. Another mage took his name and home and, through a magical accident, an imprint of the original’s personality — this is the one who was heard but never seen in the original module. He’s dead now, but four others have been imprinted by artifacts the original mage left laying around. There are now four false kerapti — an efreet, an ogre mage, a mold wyrm (?) and a gnome — all with their own turf and control of one of the now four weapon artifacts housed in the volcano (Blackrazor, Whelm and Wave are joined by Frostrazor, an ice sword). Basically, four gangs loosed in a bizarro dungeon. What more can you really ask for? This dynamic really pushes White Plume Mountain into territory staked out in Jennell Jaquays’ Dark Tower, and I like it a LOT. And there is something far worse than the gangs under it all, to boot.
Cover by Arnie Swekel, redoing Erol Otus’ fairly iconic overland map. Interiors by Wayne Reynolds, settling into what will be the prime art seat for the imminent 3E.
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dndhistory · 9 months
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82. Lawrence Schick - S2: White Plume Mountain (1979)
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A really fun "funhouse" dungeon, this is just a small location with puzzles to solve and McGuffins to get in the shape of three amazing weapons, Wave, Whelm and Blackrazor which have become legendary in AD&D, even if Blackrazor is clearly a ripoff of Elric's Stormbringer from Moorcock's tales. This isn't really Schick's fault though as this was never meant to be published, it was just something he sent in to TSR to apply for a job as a kind of design portfolio. Well, TSR liked it so much that they published it without even letting him revise the adventure. It published in the S series, which clearly had the idea of publishing individual dungeons with S1 being The Tomb of Horrors. 
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It is also the first adventure module published by TSR for AD&D that was not created by Gygax, the first of many, of course, but still significant because of that, there had been D&D modules like Mike Carr's In Search of the Unknown published by TSR before, but no AD&D modules. As you can imagine, seeing as this was kind of a showcase dungeon, there isn't much of a plot here, but what there is is a lot of fun rooms with puzzles to solve and monsters to defeat as well as unique loot to get. Schick also writes in an entertaining fashion, making this a really fun adventure to read.
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I am sharing images from both the 79 and 81 versions because I won't be coming back to this for the 81 re-edition, which adds some images like those by Bill Willingham and a great map by Erol Otus, as well as a new color cover to replace the original 1979 monocolored one. 
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hanasnx · 3 months
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MINORS DNI 18+
Usually when you envision a "dad" you see someone dorky. Someone with the same sense of humor as a child, someone with a lot of energy who keeps up with toddlers running him ragged, someone with a desk job to provide for his family. The stereotypical "dad" imagery dissipates at the sight of BABY DADDY!JASON TODD interacting with his daughter.
He's not around a lot—it's not feasible to be—but when he comes over, you tilt your head at how different he looks than what one would expect. Sometimes you forget that he's a father at all, since he appears so far removed from one. He's dangerous, and untameable. Nothing like any dad you've known. Wild hair, that striking white streak pluming proudly from his hairline. He hasn't gotten a cut in a while, and it looks too good on him. He wears clothes you'd think a father wouldn't like, the kind of biker jackets and big boots that would make a father forbid his daughter from seeing that rebellious boyfriend. Brief memories of riding around town on the back of his motorcycle or staying up late to fuck brings a smile to your face despite how mad you still are at him.
There's something hopelessly alluring about him, keeps you forgiving him every time he tracks you down when you've hidden yourself and your daughter away. No matter where you move, it doesn't take him long to find you.
"Dad! Dad! Watch this, watch me!" the shrill voice of your daughter cuts through your thoughts, demanding Jason's attention as she stands wobbly on the couch cushion.
He towers next to you, halfway facing you and your daughter, dividing his attention. Hands rest on his hips, shaping his leather jacket exquisitely as he nods to her to let her know he's watching. She leaps from the cushion to land on the floor, flipping her hair up to beam at him, waiting for his approval.
"You're a regular acrobat, you know that? Just like your old man." he commends casually as she chases his leg, latching on with her full body to peer up at him. Carefully, he extracts her, picking her up by her arm like a monkey until he can settle her on his hip. Your gaze scans his figure, having bulked up since you last saw him. You knew bits and pieces about his past, specifically his time as a Robin. He was flexible then, flying through the air like a bullet. Now he's much more solid, as immovable as a mountain and less agile which he makes up for in sheer strength. You don't want to imagine your daughter growing up in the same way he did.
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flowerwrites06 · 8 months
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forest bride — myg
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FOREST BRIDE | Min Yoongi | Oneshot | Requested by Anon
Original Request: hii i would like to request an arranged marriage au that turned out as a healthy relationship, unlike where oc came from y'know family full of mistreatment and favoritism. any member is fine! thank u! Plot: The business transaction of a marriage between two previous warring clans takes an unexpected turn. Pairing: Yoongi x OC (Name: Kiku) Genre: Historical Inspired | Arranged Marriage Rating: 18+ Word Count: 8.9k Warnings: emotionally distanced family dynamics, emotional abuse and bullying from family members, minor character death (mentioned), angst, explicit sexual content (unprotected, gentle). Author's Note: This was soo much fun to do! I hope you like reading it as much as I loved writing it! Thank you to the anon who requested this <3
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Kiku was a quiet daughter amongst children of four in the Moon Clan. She was in the middle of the line of birth, often keeping to herself while her father doted on her brothers and her mother babied Hanaka, her sister. Kaito, the oldest son of their family, was the only person who ever paid attention Kiku.
He taught her how to play the Koto when they were younger. The soft plucking of strings were the only sounds she made in her household. Her mother, Keiko complimented the sound with the assumption that it was Hanaka. When Kaito explained that it was Kiku, their mother pointed the lack of precision at the ends of each verse.
Kiku felt safe and comforted under the wing of Kaito.
But fate had other plans.
Kaito grew sick after a hunting wound turned gangrenous and the winter only worsened his condition. When he passed, Kiku felt the searing and back-breaking weight of her family's scrutiny.
Suddenly she was no longer Kaito's companion. She was a mouth they didn't want to feed.
On the fresh cusp of spring, her parents unceremoniously announced her arrangement to marry the chief of the Onyx clan. Their rival.
"Kaito said they were dangerous," Kiku said as she knelt on the ground of their main living area. Her parents stared down at her while Hanaka and their younger brother Haruki sat on the cushioned mat.
"Kaito isn't here. Don't name him when we haven't finished mourning, stupid girl," Keiko spoke through gritted teeth.
"You will marry Chief Min Yoongi and give this family an important alliance," Daiki said with a finality to his tone.
The Onyx Clan was notorious for raiding other clans, enslaving their high-born families and treating any foreign spouses like dirt. Preventing them from causing any problems in the Moon Clan was to keep them at bay with something that they didn't think was a risk.
Keiko would never send Hanaka to a place like that. Perhaps Kiku was prepared specifically for this very alliance, forcing themselves not to love her so they could make a difficult decision. Perhaps that was just her own heart trying to find a glimpse of love in a place that had none for her since the beginning.
Kiku lowered her head in a solemn acceptance, her dress still black and her heart still raw from mourning the only family member who loved her. "I will do as you wish."
-
The wedding flourished during a misty, cold morning just at the skirts of dawn where purple kissed the edges of the mountains. Kiku wore a white dress of pretty silk, embroidered in both ivory and crimson thread as if the cloth bled. A white veil laid over her head giving the world around her more of a misty vision.
They held the wedding in the central border between the Moon and Onyx Clan. There was a gentle plain where it was decorated with flowers, divided with wood and a tea set prepared on a small wooden table. Her father walked her over to the table.
Kiku forced herself not to look at her groom just yet. Instead staring at the teapot in front of them, spouting a plume of steam with the faint hint of jasmine and honey in her nose. Tea ceremonies during weddings were a common tradition amongst both clans. Thankfully, it was a tea that Kiku enjoyed but the symbol of it dawned on her like a heavy weight on her back.
Sharing tea with a man outside her family was a sign that she was now connected to him. Bonded to him. A man that Kiku hadn't even looked at yet. So she gained some bravery within herself and stared up.
Min Yoongi wasn't a large man but he was taller than her. In this vulnerable state, he looked like a looming statue. It wasn't necessarily his stature but his presence that created weight. His black eyes pierced deeply into her as if peeling off layers of every protective sense she had of herself.
A deep scar ran down his eye, making it a little greyer than the left eye. His lips were pursed and a little pink while his pitch black hair was long to the nape. Short hair was often a sign of a deadly warrior. Someone who killed many without mercy and had little honour. At least that was what her parents told her.
The esteemed monk stepped to the front of the altar and began to recite ancient chants of a bonding ritual. Kiku tried to focus on the words but she couldn't stop keeping Yoongi's gaze. His eyes softened just then when she wasn't loosening her gaze either. As if he was waiting for her to look at him.
For a brief moment, Kiku noticed something gentle behind that demeanour. Or perhaps it was yet again her mind tricking her into feeling something positive when her world was turning upside down and she couldn't do anything about it. Yoongi glanced briefly over to the monk as they stepped to the table.
He waved his hands as he spoke his chants before gesturing to a young boy.
It was the father's duty to pour the tea. So Daiki poured it with a solemn face, almost bored. The waft of jasmine and honey coated her nose, giving her some comfort.
The groom shared his tea with the bride first. Yoongi's hands were veined heavily as if he were training in the dark hours of the morning before coming here. He reached out carefully, slow enough so Kiku didn't feel shocked. He pulled at the fabric and revealed her face, the cold morning breeze kissing her heated up skin.
Yoongi picked the tea cup, softly placing the brim of the cup to her lips.
Kiku kept her eyes on him right until she felt the warm honey touch of the tea on her tongue. She slowly pressed her lips together as he pulled the cup away. Just as Yoongi's cup clinked down, she picked up her own cup.
Yoongi lowered his head a little, making it easy to her to gently tip the cup. He took a sip, his throat bobbed up and down before she placed it back on the table.
The ceremony had been sealed. Even as Kiku foolishly tried to look back and say goodbye to her family, her mother was already fixing Hanaka's hair and her father continued speaking to Haruki. Niether of them gave any indication that they wished for a goodbye so Kiku turned back without a word.
Yoongi held her hand, just barely brushing at first to ensure Kiku would respond.
Kiku curled her fingers around his, allowing him to fully intertwine together before making way to the horses.
Yoongi clasped her waist, pushing her up to sit on the horse. Then he sat behind her, grabbing the reins as the scent of rain wafted in Kiku's nose.
The air turned wet to the touch and she noticed the darkened splotches on the tree bark of a soft drizzle slowly turning to gentle rain.
"Are you sure you don't want to speak to them?" Yoongi uttered his first question as her husband and Kiku wasn't sure how to respond or feel.
Kiku glanced briefly at her family, seeing Haruki rubbing his brow in boredom while her mother was still having a conversation with Hanaka, touching her chin. Still none of them tried to look her away. "It's alright."
Yoongi didn't order the horse to move for a few minutes before a small hum vibrated through his chest, tingling her back. "Very well," he said. He made a clicking noise and the horse began to gallop at a steady pace.
The forest that was considered Moon Clan's territory was an identical stream of teal leaved trees and small wildflowers, clustered amongst light brown mushrooms and wet lands. Kiku enjoyed walking through them purely because it was peace outside of her household.
However, Onyx Clan's territory harboured something so different that it almost felt magical. There were still those collections of teal leaved trees that wafted a sweet scent. Other than that, she saw patches of yellow and pink flowers, flat mushrooms that blushed at the edges and pretty deep green vines that wrapped around dark tree bark.
The sun began peeking a sharp light at the edge of the mountains, making the distant rivers look like melted gold.
The Onyx Clan itself was a beautiful village, with calmly sleeping cows and horses in their stables. Night food stalls open for business as families were out to eat chilli noodles and honeycomb candy. Moon Clan was so used to clean diets and fresh fish that the deep, spiced notes of the stalls overwhelmed Kiku, reminding her even more than she wasn't in her old household anymore.
People of the Onyx Clan gave way when they noticed Yoongi riding into the village. Their faces filled with smiles and excited whispers as they noticed her white dress. A little girl waved shyly at her.
Kiku hesitated but waved back with a faint smile.
As they arrived to the main cluster of houses for the high-born Min family, Kiku saw a group of people waiting for them.
Yoongi jumped off the house with a thud before gently holding onto Kiku again and helping her onto the ground as well. A small set of stairs led up to the cluster of houses.
When they reached, the older woman in centre gave a kind smile. By the way she was dressed in a beautiful silk kimono and the way Yoongi bowed low when seeing her, Kiku knew she was the matriarch of the family. Seeing so much kindness after her grief was something Kiku hadn't prepared herself to expect. So for a moment, she felt lost and unable to respond. She managed to give a wide enough smile.
"Bloody hell, Yoongi, you scared the shit out of her," a young woman from the side chuckled. Not in mockery but just jovial nature.
"Yun," the older woman reprimanded with a serious expression. "Manners." She turned back to Kiku with a smile. "Sorry, my dear, I understand you're in a new place. And our clans haven't had the best relationship but you are family now." She reached out and touched her hand.
Kiku could've been moved to tears at a warm mother's touch but she kept herself strong.
"My name is Hwayoung," she said. "These are my daughters Nari and Yun. I have a son named Yeong but he's away on a trip and will return tomorrow."
Kiku nodded. "It's lovely to meet you."
Hwayoung's flickered to Yoongi. "Let's have dinner and then you both can go rest."
After their dinner concluded and Kiku's belly was warm, they convened back to their bed chambers.
Kiku was given night dresses and also new clothes for the next few days. Especially since her family didn't give her any dress to take except for one.
For a while, the room was left empty with just Kiku watching the fire flicker before skimming through the books laid upon the mantle. It was mostly war and history stories along with some manuals on mastering the sword. Kiku wished she had some books on the Koto to play and fill her days that didn't have to do with having Yoongi's children. But she wasn't sure.
Hwayoung and Yoongi's sisters seemed nice enough but there was no way of telling whether it was a momentary ruse. After all, they couldn't be rude to her in front of everyone. Although a part of Kiku wanted to believe that their kind faces were genuine.
The door then clicked open. Yoongi walked through, wearing a relaxed black silk shirt and his hair tousled as if he had just taken a bath. He closed the door behind him, expression taken aback for a moment as if he hadn't expected someone in his bed chambers before softening.
"Do you have everything you need?" Yoongi asked.
"Yes, thank you." Kiku walked forward to him as he sat at the edge of the bed. She didn't say anything yet but Yoongi's throat bobbed up and down.
Stammering, he said. "We can just sleep."
Kiku blinked curiously. Of all the things she expected, this wasn't one of them. It was relieving that he was kind but to completely let her adjust to the new place was not on the list of expectation. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure," Yoongi said, keeping his eyes on her. "It's been a long day. We should both rest."
Kiku intertwined her fingers together and nodded, feeling a strange warmth in her chest. "Alright. Good night."
-
In the morning, Kiku awoke to an empty space in her bed. When one of the maidservants entered to serve her, she explained that Yoongi went out to train early in the morning just before breakfast to keep him awake.
Kiku hoped she didn't look scared to deter him into performing any marital duties. Perhaps throughout the day, she could try to comfort him. She knew what she was getting into.
After taking a warm bath with the maidservant being surprisingly gentle and kind, Kiku was called into breakfast by Hwayoung.
The Min family gathered under a gazebo structure made from black wood. It was round and the food laid out smelled like home in a place that hadn't been her home for a full day yet. Baked fish, soups, rice, fruits for sweetness. It was a spread for something that usually rushed in her family. Or at least Kiku would have to eat quickly.
Kiku sat down next to Yoongi while Yun and Nari continued on their conversation. Yoongi's brother, Yeong came in from his trip and he looked a softer compared to his older brother and smiled often. Usually making jokes with his mother.
Yoongi ate fish and seemed to prefer the soups over rice.
While the others were deep in their conversation, Kiku leaned in slightly. "How was training?" she asked.
Yoongi looked up, again a little shocked but quickly softened. "It was good."
"Yoongi gets quite sore after his training, Kiku," Yun said with a small smirk. "Maybe later in the afternoon, you should give him a massage. Lord knows he needs a good one."
Yoongi glared for a moment but Kiku found it endearing.
"Yun," Hwayoung reprimanded but with a playful air this time rather than the disciplinary one of last night. "Kiku should not be forced to do anything she doesn't want to."
Kiku stammered. "I'm alright with it. I used to give shoulder massages to my brother all the time."
Yoongi cleared his throat. "It's really alright." He nodded.
Kiku smiled politely, lowering her head.
"Perhaps Kiku should come spend the day with us since brother insists on being boring," Yun said.
"I am new here," Kiku said.
"A tour then," Nari said.
Hwayoung perked up. "You can take her down to the markets and get some silks or jewellery. There's lots of music playing there too."
Kiku blinked curiously. "Would there be any Koto players?"
"You like the Koto?" Hwayoung asked.
"My brother taught me how to play." Kiku's heart clenched at the mention of him again. It had been so lovely to be in a place like this. How nice would it have been if their family all spoke so easily to one another.
"That's sweet. How is your brother now?"
"He's passed away," Kiku said.
"I'm sorry, my dear." Hwayoung's eyes turned sad. Both of empathy for her but something else. "I lost my husband a while ago as well. I understand it can feel empty." The table turned quiet for a few moments to remember their father
"Thank you." Kiku's words were simple but Hwayoung didn't fully realise just how much comforting words directed at her. Like a warm, tight hug that she could cry into.
-
Kiku spent her time walking around with Yun and Nari as they explained all the ins and outs of the clan's main village. They had three smaller towns that used the same supplies and answered to Yoongi as Chief but this was the clan that Yoongi's ancestors had built and it was beautiful.
Nari took her to the bookshop and silk store. Kiku bought herself a pretty purple silk dress while also getting books on poetry that she used to enjoy listening to. A poetess would visit their clan when they were younger and Kaito would work in the shadow puppet shows to re-enact them.
It was one of the few things Kiku was allowed to watch with the family while helping Kaito work with the puppets.
Then they went to the food stalls. Kiku ate spicy dumpling noodles with mushrooms foraged from the forest. Apparently they helped with childbearing as the old woman stated, clearly knowing that it was going to be her who bears the next Chief. Kiku hadn't quite let that sink in but even when she did think about it, it wasn't a horrible thought.
Kiku, Yun and Nari then made their way to the training grounds once their bellies were full and their cheeks hurt from laughing. Kiku hadn't laughed or smiled like this since Kaito made jokes to cheer her up. While they did bicker, Yun and Nari seemed like they were close and loving to one another.
Kiku wondered if Hanaka and her would have ever been like that if their mother didn't get involved so much.
At the centre of the training grounds, Kiku saw Yoongi training with his younger brother Yeong. He spoke instructions for Yeong to follow, keeping one hand behind his back as if to hinder himself from making any strong moves. Yeong kept his hands tight on the hilt of the sword, swinging right against Yoongi's parries as the clang of steel whistled in the air.
Kiku found herself seeing the concentrated scrunch of his dark brows, sharp jawline a little clenched as he parried another attack. His black hair was tied back with chunks of it falling over the frame of his face. "He does this every morning."
Yun hummed. "You like what you see?"
Kiku cleared her throat. "It's nice he's teaching his brother."
"Yeong should focus on his studies too but he keeps running to brother for more training," Nari said. "Yoongi never refuses. He likes training for no reason."
"Ever since father died, brother trains constantly. There's no war but he always says there might be danger," Yun said. "Even with your alliance, he's still weary." Nari quickly nudged her arm and for the first time, Yun felt a little uncomfortable.
Kiku pursed her lips together. She wondered if Yoongi was suspicious that her father would run an attack on them regardless of their alliance. While Kiku was a small risk to lose in the family, her father still may break the deal. She had little trust in her father and wouldn't be surprised if he wishes to prove some kind of point.
As she shifted in and out of her thoughts, Kiku saw Yoongi turn to notice them watching. Notice her watching. Kiku tried to look down at the wrapped silk dress in her arms, hoping it wouldn't look too suspicious. Yoongi turned to tell Yeong to take a break before making his way over to Kiku.
"Looks like your husband wishes to speak to you." Yun smirked, returning to her demeanour as if nothing happened. She pushed Nari towards Yeong to speak to him instead.
Yoongi raised his brow as his sisters rushed away. Beads of sweat had formed on his hairline as he met Kiku's gaze. "They didn't bother you too much?"
Kiku was shocked by what sounded like a genuine question. "No. They were lovely. They showed me around the main town."
"I can see that," Yoongi said before giving his sword away to a servant. "Come with me."
Kiku nodded and followed him out of the training grounds.
They moved from the training grounds back into the cluster of houses where the Min family resided. Yoongi escorted her to their personal house and Kiku wondered whether Yoongi wanted to pursue their marital duties now that he was given time.
It was strange but Kiku's heart pounded not quite out of fear or worry. It was simply curiosity and perhaps even a little excitement. Everything Yoongi had done so far was give her comfort.
As they entered the main house, a beautiful polished Koto stood in the living area.
Kiku's breath caught in her throat as she looked at the Koto which had beautiful ivory finishes and a soft chair to sit on while playing. "Is this for me?" she asked in a low tone.
"You said you used to play Koto. I figured you'd like to play in your free time," Yoongi said. "Your parents didn't pack much for your trip." He shrugged.
Kiku's lips parted as she reached out and touched the Koto. Memories of playing with her brother and learning every note with him burst in her like sweetness. Tears formed a thin gloss on her eyes, as she took a deep breath.
"Is it alright?" Yoongi asked.
"It's perfect," Kiku said. She turned and smiled. "Thank you. You didn't need to do that."
"It was nothing," Yoongi said. "It's your home now too."
Kiku nodded as her heart swelled.
"Also if my mother starts giving you too many lessons, I can get you a secret room."
Kiku let out a small chuckle. "It's okay. I'd like a lesson."
Yoongi pressed his lips together, a hint of a soft smile forming on his features which only made Kiku's heart warm.
-
Kiku's time in the Onyx Clan was far more pleasant and loving than she ever expected. Before she even realised, four months had passed. Kiku spent days with Yun and Nari, had meals with Hwayoung and then spent a quiet night with Yoongi. It was still innocent between the two of them but she enjoyed those quiet moments sharing things about their day. Yoongi still didn't speak on any personal things and Kiku didn't want to pry on how he got the scar on his eye or about his father's death. But it was still nice.
Kiku nearly forgot that she had another life prior to these few months. It was only when her younger brother, Haruki came to visit the clan. Discomfort returned to her chest, aching and making her twitch. She barely spoke to Haruki and every time they had a conversation, it was malicious. Haruki found joy in insulting her and demanding her to do things as a way to mimic their father.
Kiku reminded herself that she wasn't in that place anymore. This was her home too. She wore her new purple silk dress and pinned her hair up while the servants prepared a tea set on the floor table.
Haruki entered the private house as escorted by the servants. A childish grimace on his face as always but his chest puffed to look like father.
Kiku kept sited at the table.
Haruki stood over her for a few moments as if waiting for her to stand. "You wouldn't bother to see your brother at the border."
"You've come at a busy hour," Kiku said. Truthfully, she wanted to be in the warm comfort of her home to breathe easy and hide her shaking fingers. "What did you need?"
Haruki scoffed and sat down, tapping the side of the teacup. "Father's dead."
Kiku had little love for her father but she still sit in a moment of silence, unable to know what do with the news. "What happened?"
"We need more supplies," Haruki said, ignoring her question.
It was courtesy anyway so she didn't ask again. "The Moon clan has spare granaries for those occasions."
"We have an alliance." Haruki eyed her up and down. "I'd expect you to tend to it since you're clearly not tending to any children."
"What happened to the granaries, Haruki?" Kiku asked, emphasising his name.
Haruki pursed her lips, keeping his eyes on her gaze and waiting for her to look down. When she didn't, Haruki's face twitched. "We'd been using it."
"For what?"
"That's none of your concern," Haruki said.
"So not emergencies then," Kiku said.
"You can't speak to me that way." Haruki chuckled bitterly.
"I'm the Lady of this territory and your older sister, I can speak to you in whatever tone is necessary." Kiku narrowed her gaze. "What happened?"
Haruki tightened his jaw like a stubborn child. "We'd been taking from it for the banquets. Father and mother celebrated a lot because you were gone."
"And after brother's death," Kiku said.
"Don't talk about brother."
"He was my brother too. More a brother than you ever were."
Poison laced in his voice. "Kaito spent time with you because he felt bad for you. You were this pathetic thing crouching around everywhere. The only time people said anything nice about you was in order to fuck you. Don't pretend you were someone special to him or Yoongi." Haruki gestured to the door. "He's not even willing to put a baby in you." He chuckled.
"I don't appreciate being spoken for, Chief Min," Yoongi's deep voice shook through the room.
Haruki turned his head, expression turning sour.
Yoongi walked into the house, shadows forming harsh lines on his face as something dark flashes across his expression. For a moment, he looked like the exact nightmarish image of what the Moon clan thought of the Min family. Even barefooted steps added a heavy echo in the air that it sent chills down her own spine despite the fact she knew this demeanour wasn't for her intimidation. "You can have your supplies at the border."
Haruki deflated as if letting out a sigh of relief. "I should've gone to you first then, Chief. It seems I expected too much of my silly sister." He gave a triumphant smile to her.
"Of course, she made the mistake of thinking you were far too competent." Yoongi intertwined his fingers together, veined and hardened from training.
Haruki's expression turned again, cheeks reddening. "Excuse me?"
"Don't worry, I won't make that mistake." The corner of his mouth quirked up. "Perhaps we'll have a charity basket at the border."
Haruki stood to his feet quickly, shaking and trembling like a little boy. "You go too far."
"Do I? Because it seems as if you've come here asking for more than the agreed alliance and proceeding to disrespect my wife," Yoongi said. "The way I see it, giving you a charity basket is more mercy than you deserve currently. I suggest you take it quietly."
Haruki had all the inflated confidence their parents bloated into him from childhood. If he was even the slightest bit stupider, he would speak and in a brief second of that stupidity, he almost did. But then he glared at Kiku. "You'd let him talk to your family like that?"
Anger spread through her chest. Now he wanted to be family, when it benefited him. "If only you were true family then perhaps not."
Haruki grimaced, giving a softer glare to Yoongi before turning on his heel and stomping out of the house.
Kiku let out a deep, shaky breath as her spine began to ache from the tension. She closed her eyes and tried to catch her calm again, taking the scent of wood and warmth in her comfortable home. She heard Yoongi moving until she heard his hum right at her ear.
"Quite the unpleasant family you have," Yoongi mused.
Kiku couldn't help but let out a small, saddened chuckle. "Kaito was the only good one."
Yoongi turned and sat down next to her, shoulders pressed.
The heaviness gave Kiku a wave of comfort like the way his breath hit the back of his neck when they slept.
"If he comes again, I'll ask the guards to delegate him to me or my mother," Yoongi said. "There's no need for you to speak to them if you don't want to."
"You won't be burdened by them?" Kiku asked, turning her head and finding his face incredibly close.
"No one should speak like that to you especially not in our own house." Yoongi waved his hand.
Kiku smiled as her heart burst into little butterflies, creating a lump in her throat. She leaned in and pressed a small kiss on his cheek.
Yoongi turned his head just as Kiku was pulling away, their noses brushed against each other. Dark eyes pierced into her, keeping her still in her position even though her body ached for how close they were. Yoongi kissed her lips, shyly at first to help her adjust to the action.
The tantalizing warmth that passed through Kiku pushed her to lean into the kiss, cupping his cheek. Yoongi's hands held onto her lower back pulling her close until she was pressed flush against his chest.
His lips were hot against hers, keeping his grip on her firm but so soft and gentle. Yoongi only broke the kiss for a moment as Kiku caught a deep breath before pressing her lips again. She gripped onto the fabric of his shirt until Yoongi pulled her enough for her to straddle him completely.
Yoongi held her face in his hand, pausing their kiss again to move his lips down to her neck and jawline. Every ache that she felt from her encounter with Haruki melted away at his touch. He pulled at the pins of her hair, letting it fall down the trail of her back. His fingers traced the length of her spine, making her shiver. Tongue grazed over the soft spot on her neck as her hips began to sway against his own.
Yoongi let out a small groan, lifting his head up. His chest heaved in desperation, gripping onto her hair and keeping their foreheads pressed together.
Kiku reached in again but Yoongi kept her in place.
"Are you sure?" Yoongi asked in a rasped voice that made her tremble.
Kiku nodded. "I'm sure." She reached in and kissed him again, deeper and pleading to ensure he knew this was what she wanted.
But a knock on the door startled them.
Yoongi let out a small, frustrated sigh. "What is it?" he asked.
Kiku got off his lap slowly with a clear of her throat, trying to fix her hair as the door opened to a servant.
"Sorry, sire. Your mother needs your audience for something." The servant kept their head bowed as if already knowing the position he could've caught them in.
Yoongi turned and gave Kiku a soft look.
Kiku gave a reassuring smile, patting his arm before he got to his feet and walked away. Leaving her heart pounding manically.
-
Another week passed since their kiss. Yoongi wasn't distant necessarily but it did feel like nothing changed. Kiku wondered perhaps he didn't enjoy it. He was the Chief and had many choices of his own. Kiku was an alliance marriage. Any affection that they developed may have just been a spur of the moment as they lived under the same roof. Despite all the explanations she's made in her head, it still twinged something in Kiku. With the kindness received from Yoongis family, she imagined that something would be wrong. She traded a kinder family for a husband that didn't quite enjoy her affection. She'd take it though.
This morning, the family sat around the table for breakfast. Yoongi gave her a glance here and there but it was still distant. Kiku tried to smile back but he immediately looked away.
"So Kiku has been immensely calm these past few days," Yun said, a smirk playing on her lips. "Ma says it's often a sign of...something on the way." Her eyes flickered down to gesture to her stomach.
Kiku's cheeks burned, stammering. "No, it's not that." She shook her head. "I had my bleeding." She couldn't quite hide the slight disappointment in her tone. Kiku never thought about children especially with the experiences she had with her own family. But something about the silence from Yoongi made grasp at unnecessary desires of children or anything to melt off the ice between them.
Yun hummed, pouting. "That's a shame, I wanted nieces and nephews." She poked at her food, the light breeze making strands of her dark hair dance.
"Don't pressure them," Nari said, her tone serious. "They need to be relaxed when they do it."
"Girls, quiet." Hwayoung narrowed her gaze, letting out a defeated sigh. "Don't listen to them." She smiled. "These things take time."
Yoongi stayed silent and Kiku herself couldn't find anything to say but give a reassuring smile. Even though she worried Yoongi won't come near her a second time.
-
Kiku played her Koto in the afternoon while Yoongi was out supervising the patrol. Usually it would take him till evening to come back. But today he came in early, stomping and breathing out with frustration. A strange sight from someone who was so calm. Raven black hair glistened from sweat, patches of dust latched onto his skin and his jaw terribly tightened as if it might make break his teeth.
Strangely enough, it was relieving to see some emotion in Yoongi after all the distance. Kiku stood from the Koto. "What's wrong?" She asked gently.
"Your damn brother," he seethed. "His men attacked one of my scouts." Yoongi poured water into a goblet and chugged it.
Kiku's heart dropped. "What?"
"Apparently they'd been disturbing the peace. But they didn't plan for me to come." His scar looked deeper and darker when he was angry. "Mother was weary about them for a while but I didn't think they'd stoop to petty little violence."
Kiku lowered her head, almost in shame. Even though she felt more connected to Yoongi's family, her name and identity was still attached to the people she grew up with. It was embarrassing seeing others witness the pettiness that she endured her whole life. The same pettiness that Kaito hated. "I'm sorry," she said.
Yoongi stilled for a moment, dark brows furrowed as he turned to Kiku. "Why're you apologizing?"
Kiku stammered. "It's my family. They're like this, our parents made you all seem like monsters and Haruki would do anything to make himself feel like father would be proud." She shook her head.
"Well, that's their mistake, not yours." Yoongi spoke under her breath but Kiku clung to every word and kept it close to her chest.
She reached out and touched his arm. "Is there anything I can do?"
Yoongi stared at her deeply and so long that Kiku felt like layers of her soul were being peeled. Then he broke the gaze and tried to walk back to their bedroom. "No, it's okay."
Kiku's stomach clenched as once again, the ice began to form. But this time she wasn't going relent quietly. "Yoongi, you don't have to protect my feelings. If this is too much of a burden to you then I can leave."
Yoongi stopped, looking over his shoulder to her. The expression on his face, harsh. "What?"
Kiku dug her nails into her palms to give herself some form of strength. "I can handle my family, I've lived with them my whole life. But...I don't want you to be married to someone you don't truly want."
Yoongi's throat bobbed up and down. "Is that what you think?"
"I don't know," she spoke honestly. "I just know that you became distant after what happened and I—I'm unsure."
Yoongi fully turned his body around, stepping closer. "If you're unsure, then you talk to me."
"I can't speak my wishes so easily." Kiku's voice lowered as he moved closer until she could catch wafts of the forest from him. "It's not something I'm used to."
Yoongi's expression softened. He rubbed in between his brows. "I'm a little too used to my family just saying what they think." He looked up to her. "I'm sorry. I should've checked on you."
Kiki's stomach felt warm. staying silent for a moment just to ensure what she heard was right. Then she spoke in a small voice. "It's okay."
Yoongi took her hand in his, intertwining their fingers together turning her world into a burst of stars. "I will not make you go back to that place again." He muttered. "I want you here."
"You want me here?" She asked again, just to hear him say it so it could echo inside her whenever darker voices grew too loud.
"Right here. With me." Yoongi tightened his hold. "Will you do that?"
Kiku nodded, a burning behind her eyes. "I will, I promise." She smiled, touching his chest to make herself feel grounded again.
"We still need to deal with your stupid brother," Yoongi said. "He's quickly turning into a pest than an ally."
Kiku could spend years imagining Haruki as this invincible monster, similar to when they were children. But this was real now. Haruki wasn't Kaito. He was stupid and petty even when he tried to hurt her. There were a million ways to get rid of people like that. "I might have an idea."
-
As Kiku requested, Yoongi organized a meeting at the border between Onyx and Moon territory. A canopy was erected with a floor table where they all sat together. The edge of dawn painted the mountains and tree in a burnished gold and the scent of morning dew was the only comfort in Kiku's pool of anxiety.
She was prepared for this meeting and the decisions entailed but rarely had she spoken up to Haruki before. When Kiku tried, her mother or father would reprimand and punish her.
Even as Haruki walked to the canopy, she felt a prickle of being scolded in a few minutes. But she had push it down. She wasn't Haruki's sister here, she was a Lady of the Onyx Clan. The Chief's wife.
"This pompous meeting surely isn't about the little scuffle between scouts," Haruki said. "It's a bit of harmless fun."
Yoongi stayed silent.
"You brought your wife here too," Haruki looked Kiku up and down, making sure that he used a moniker disconnected to him.
"In regards to your previous demands, we're suggesting some changes in the alliance." Yoongi kept a calm tone even though Kiku saw the tightened grip of his hands.
Haruki chuckled. "If you don't want her anymore, just kick her out." He waved his hand. "One of your servants can have her."
Yoongi narrowed his gaze but kept his neutral expression. "As you commented on our child before, we had an idea on how to strength the bond between clans."
"And how is that?" he asked.
"Since you require our food supplies which we give to you out of kindness, we have a compromise," Yoongi said. "In exchange for our food, any child born from my wife will take the Chiefs title of the Moon clan."
Haruki's brows furrowed as his chest heaved. His glare turned to Kiku. "You put him up to this, didn't you, you bitch?"
"It was a joint decision," Kiku said, maintaining her calm demeanour. She was used to his insults. She wouldn't let it hurt her again.
"I won't agree to this, it's stupid." Haruki winced.
"Very well," Yoongi said. "Then I suggest you get your defences ready."
"What?"
"Your father must've told you how the Onyx Clan works." Yoongi began to muse and there was something... oddly satisfying about the tone. "My wolves haven't been out for a feed in a while."
"You'd attack your ally?" Haruki asked.
"Attacking my scout and disrespecting the Chiefs wife constitutes that you are breaking every rule in the alliance," Yoongi said and Haruki stayed quiet. "Giving you an alternate compromise is a mercy. I suggest you consider it. My soldiers won't care if you're a spoiled Chief who can't carry a sword properly."
Haruki grimaced, chin quivering in frustration. He looked over at Kiku, as if trying to get ready for another insult but he knew it was too late. Kiku was no longer the target to point insults at. One wrong move and Haruki loses his head along with the Moon Clan. This way they can keep their lives. Haruki was stupid but he was still too scared to die. "Fine. I accept your terms."
Yoongi hummed. "Thank you." He stood up and held onto Kiku's hand, helping her to her feet.
"What would've Kaito said about you turning your back on family?" Haruki asked, cutting into her in a place that ached like a thousand knives.
Kiku paused in place, gripping onto Yoongi's hand like her life depended on it as her heart panged in pain. Haruki knew nothing about what Kaito was like. It took her every strength and hope in her body not to throw scalding tea in his face for even insinuating that Kiku would do something to disappoint Kaito. Because Kaito wasn't like that. Kaito understood and listened. Haruki was a fool. Kiku straightened her posture, turned and looked Haruki straight in the eye. "Kaito wouldn't have caused a food shortage in the clan."
Haruki scoffed, pursing his lips together.
"Kaito did his duty, as I am. From where I'm looking, I'm not the one who made father die from disappointment." Kiku felt like a dam burst inside her as she let the words flow but seeing the Haruki's sour and pouty expression made it all worth it.
-
Kiku was able to breathe easy when they returned to their tent for the night. She walked over to her vanity and her maid immediately began taking pins out of her hair. She watched from the mirror as Yoongi unlatched his sword sheathe of his waist and began to pour himself a drink. The dark furrow of his brows prominent. Kiku raised a hand and smiled at the maid. "A moment, please."
The maid bowed and did as she asked, stepping out of the tent to give them privacy. Kiku took out the rest of the pins so her hair was fully open and relaxed. A dull throb formed on her scalp. She stood and made her way to Yoongi as he leaned forward on the table.
"He can be a lot to tolerate," Kiku said.
Yoongi took in a deep breath to calm himself down. "The way he talks to you, it's like you're complete strangers. Enemies, even."
Kiku swallowed the small lump in her throat. It was always normal to her, seeing the way family treated the one they didn't want with the exception of Kaito. But Yoongi valued family with his life. She could only imagine the kind of shock thrumming through him. "You have a good family. Some don't." She touched his arm. "But sometimes you find a better one."
Yoongi turned his head, his once sharp eyes now softened and sad. "If I've ever made you feel—"
"Not once." Kiku knew it like the breath she took. Yoongi and his family had been nothing but comforting and kind. She reached and pressed her forehead against his. It was almost involuntary but feeling him lean into it was the only answer she needed to keep still.
Yoongi turned his body slowly, letting their chest flush against one another before he leaned and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. His warm hand cupped her cheek softly like she was precious. He pulled away only to press kisses on her cheek and jawline, taking her into an embrace. He buried his face into the crook of her neck where the scent of jasmines wafted in his nose.
Kiku could fall asleep in this embrace. Her body and mind and every bruise in her heart soothed from the loving touch. She traced her fingers across the strands of his hair as if lulling the both of them to dreams. It was difficult to admit it in the past few months with the new changes and confusion. But today for the first time, she could surely say it.
Kiku felt loved.
-
The meeting had left Kiku and Yoongi tired for the evening. They rested their heads, nestled close as they tried to sleep. Tried was an effort Kiku persisted on as the hours went by. It wasn't quite a terrible night of troubling thoughts but an eagerness. She opened her eyes to see Yoongi with his eyes calmly closed, his lips a little puckered.
Kiku took a moment to watch him, reaching out a little to touch his cheek. He stirred slightly at her touch, but his eyes remained closed, his breathing steady and rhythmic. She pulled away with a defeated sigh, not wanting to wake him up. So she turned around and tried to drift off to sleep again.
It was only a few minutes later then she felt Yoongi shift, moving closer until his chest was pressed right against her back. His arm laid over her body, embracing her from behind. Kiku felt a wave of warmth and comfort wash over her as Yoongi tightened his hold.
"Can't sleep?" Yoongi asked.
Kiku hummed. "A little. It's okay, go back to sleep."
"I can be awake," Yoongis voice rasped as his face buried into the crook of her neck again. He began pressing kissing down the length of her shoulder. "Do you want me to be awake?"
Kiku smiled to herself, swaying her hips against him. "A little."
Yoongi chuckled lightly, the vibrations made her quiver in delight. He made Kiku lay on her back, climbing on top of her and sneaking between her legs. "Are you sure?" He whispered.
Kiku nodded. "I'm sure." She smiled against his lips before pressing a kiss on his bottom lip.
Yoongi kissed down the length of her neck, unravelling his night clothes and pushing up Kikus soft dress. He entered her gently, her snug walls hugging his tip before he kept pushing.
Kiku gripped onto his clothing as the sensation made her tremble under him. She swayed her hips with his movements, encouraging him to move faster. The ache was slight but the tingle of pleasure sent her into a slight dizziness. She wrapped her legs around his waist.
Yoongi brushed his fingers across her hairline, full of affection as he moved deeper inside her. He pressed sweet kisses at the corner of her lips.
Kiku smiled feverishly as the pleasure sent heat through her body, radiating like steam and intoxication.
Yoongi made sure he was slow, not just to be careful but to draw out this intimacy for as long as he could. The feeling of embrace brought back every slight desire he had in the past few months to hold or touch her. "Feel good?"
Kiku nodded, letting out a slight whimper as he continued to move at that tantalizing pace. "Good." She traced her thumb across his cheek. Strands of his hair falling over his face, curtaining over hers. Her core became slick with arousal, creating light squelch sounds as he thrusted into her with a new desperation.
His release clouded him, flooding him with an unbearable warmth until he grind himself into her. He muffled his moan against her neck.
Kiku felt his lower belly press on her sensitive spot, making her clench around him, pushing him further into his climax.
Yoongi lifted himself up, foreheads layered with sweat as they pressed against each other.
Kiku took his lips into a kiss, surging him to thrust into a steady pattern that made her lose breath. She gripped onto the side of his neck as moans broke through any form of whisper.
Yoongi quickened his pace following the pattern of her moans and the rolling of his own release. Then the sweet burst into a ricochet of pleasure and heat.
Kiku smiled, breathless as she relished in the warmth filling her. As Yoongi kept moving, he snuck his head in between her legs, targeting her sensitive spot and pushing her to the edge. Kiku's brows furrowed, aching to reach her own climax as she was full of him. Her breathing turned to quickened whimpers as she squirmed under his touch. Her back arched, head thrown back giving Yoongi the chance to kiss her neck and jawline.
Her climax bloomed, the heat of it shaking her limbs and forcing her legs to shut around him. Yoongi kissed her forehead, still rubbing on that spot until she twitched against it.
Kiku whimpered, pushing his hand away. A small laugh left his lips fuelling her with more delight. It was the most wonderful feeling she had to be embraced like this so warmly and the bliss of pleasure melting her body until she was meshed with the bed itself.
"You feel sleepier now?" Yoongi watched her with his own half-lidded, blissed eyes.
Kiku smiled as her breathing turned slow and calm. "Mhm." She traced her fingers down his cheek. "I think I've officially become your wife."
"Oh?" Yoongi's brow raised. "You weren't before?"
Kiku chuckled, slapping his chest playfully. "I mean we don't have anything to hide anymore."
Yoongi caged her in with his arms, making her feel safe and secure. "No, we don't."
Kiku blinked slowly, her finger moved gently to his scar. "Like this?"
Yoongi's expression softened into a mix of ruminating vulnerability and an old sadness that had been repeatedly reminisced. He lay down next to her, shoulders pressed flush. "My father and I go on small trips every now and then. He used to do it with every child, just to. . .talk, connect with nature and spend time." He waved his hand. "It was strange for Chiefs to do it but he said it was because he never got to speak to his own father. So, he wanted to make sure we weren't. . .without one." He let out a long breath.
"He sounds like a good father," Kiku said.
"He was." Yoongi's dark eyes melted and glossed from emotion. "One day though, bandits were prowling in the place my father and I camped. They attacked us. I got this from one of the bandits." He pointed to the scar. "Before my father told me to run while he fended them off. I called my mother and some guards to help but we were too late."
Kiku shifted and rubbed his chest. "Is that why you train so much?"
Yoongi nodded. "I want to make sure Yeong and the girls know how to defend themselves or others should the need arise." He took a deep breath, playing with Kiku's hair. "But I had a good family. We took care of each other, just like we'll take care of you."
Kiku smiled, resting her chin on his chest. "I'll take care of you all too. I still owe you a massage."
"You gave me a pretty good one a minute ago." Yoongi smirked.
Kiku chuckled. "A proper massage."
-
Kiku and Yoongi returned to the main houses early in the morning as the soft gold of dawn painted the forest. Hwayoung had lunch prepared with the rest of the family to welcome them home. Fresh steamed fish with tofu, rice porridge and some fresh fruits newly picked from the farms. Kiku ate happily, her appetite had grown in the months she was with this family but it made her all the more energetic and vibrant along with her excitement from the past night's events.
Something the family noticed more than Kiku realised.
Yun, in particular, stared the two of them a little too closely with a smirk. "So how was the trip, brother?" She asked in a sing-song voice.
Yoongi's eyes flickered up as he paused mid-bite. "As most political talks go with a spoiled brat of a Chief. He gave into the deal quickly," he spoke in a slightly formal tone.
Kiku quietly sipped on the last drops of her tea before he gently poured her another cup. She gave him a shy smile.
"I haven't heard much about the prospects of the Chiefs of the Moon clan but the younger son is usually unprepared," Hwayoung said thankfully to distract from what Yun actually wanted to ask.
Yeong stammered just as he took a bite of his food, looking at Hwayoung with a pout. "What'd I do?"
Hwayoung raised her hand. "I mean, generally. Not you."
Yoongi let out a small chuckle under his breath. "She means you."
Yeong sighed, pointing at him with his chopsticks. "I've beaten you in sword training before, I'll do it again."
"Did you do anything else in the trip?" Yun asked, with a wide grin, leaning forward in excitement. "You were both alone for the night. And Kiku's been. . .glowing."
Kiku's cheeks burned, clearing her throat. "I—I don't—"
"You need to stop obsessing over your brother's marriage, sweetheart, it's getting strange." Hwayoung patted the back of Yun's hand.
"It's only because you don't let me get married." Yun leaned back on her chair, folding her arms over her chest.
"Mother's protecting the men of the clan," Nari said, raising a brow.
Yun slapped Nari's arm as Yeong snorted.
"See how they bully me?" Yun asked Kiku.
Kiku chuckled, biting down her bottom lip and glancing at Yoongi. Often when she had terrible encounters with Haruki, she would get scolded by her family and live with the suffocating feeling of frustration in her chest.
Today was the first time, Kiku could cling to the happy moments and forget about Haruki or any of this harsh words. Her family threw her to the Onyx clan like a bait at the end of a fishing line but in their hatred for her, Kiku found love for her own. 
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ichorai · 1 year
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amsterdam ; jacaerys velaryon. (m)
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track two of BROKEN MACHINE.
pairing ; jacaerys velaryon x arryn!f!reader
synopsis ; prince jacaerys velaryon traveled to the eyrie to secure aid for his mother's cause. he didn't at all expect to fall in love an arryn while he was there.
words ; 4.7k
themes ; fluff, smut (minors dni!), fantasy
warnings / includes ; unprotected sex, oral (f recieving), jace is very much infatuated with you (expect lots of praise !!), reader is the only child of jeyne arryn of the vale, mentions of daemon and rhaenyra, in this fic jace is over eighteen when he goes to the eyrie !! cursing, mentions of death, vermax is grumpy bcs he has to sit outside in the cold someone save him
main masterlist.
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The Eyrie stood tall and proud on the very top of rocky mountains—so high that white wisps of clouds could be seen far below where the castle was situated. Jacaerys unmounted his dragon, placing a reassuring hand on the large, olive-green scales of his snout. 
“Kesan sagon arlī. Umbagon,” he murmured to Vermax, who huffed out a plume of warm smoke and settled back on his haunches, clearly unhappy with the prospect of waiting around in the cold. I will be back. Stay.
Blowing out a nervous exhale, Jace squared his shoulders and turned on his heel, making his way into the white-stone castle. 
Blue-cloaked guards stood in his way of the wooden entrance, faces stony and hands resting on the hilts of their swords, at the ready. 
“I am Jacaerys Velaryon, son of the rightful Queen, Rhaenyra Targaryen. I’ve come to urgently speak to Lady Jeyne Arryn to secure aid for my mother’s cause.” His voice rang clear and true, confident despite his inner turmoil.
The guards glanced at each other, before stepping aside, letting him walk through. 
“This way, my Prince,” one of them said, guiding him through winding corridors and eventually, down a long hall. The blue-veined, marble walls shone with polish—so much so that Jacaerys could see his own warped reflection looking back at him. 
And at the end of the hall, laid two thrones of weirwood—nothing compared to the hunkering mass that was the iron throne, but still grand nonetheless. Seated on one was the Lady of the Eyrie, Jeyne Arryn, with a head of dark locks like his, and soft features that contrasted starkly with the scowl pulling at her lips. 
The lady was facing her side, where she was speaking in hushed whispers to her only daughter—Y/N Arryn, the infamous Jewel of the Eyrie. 
Jace could feel his heart stumble upon itself when he laid his eyes on you. Suddenly, your name made sense. Sure, he had heard tales of your regaling beauty and your kind nature, but words alone were not enough to fully encapsulate just how breathtaking you really were. 
The sunlight streaming through the tall, arched windows bathed you in a warm glow, casting long, sloping shadows over your skin. Draped over your form was a dress of cerulean hue, cascading down your hips as if it were water. Jace considered himself a gentleman—he had to take care not to let his eyes wander to the low-hanging cut of your neckline, where the very beginnings of your cleavage were exposed, and a glinting pearl necklace hung just above your clavicle. Your hair was cut rather short, nearly as short as his, but framed your face just perfectly. Your lips were moving hurriedly as you spoke to your mother, eyes alight with a certain fire, but Jace couldn’t quite catch what you were saying. The stories not only told of your enchanting beauty, but of your strongly overprotective mother, who always turned away any and all suitors for you. And proposals were never short, from what he heard. Jacaerys felt a strange flame of jealousy brew within his stomach. 
“Apologies for the interruption, my lady,” announced the guard. “Jacaerys Velaryon, here to speak with you.”
Upon the abrupt announcement, you promptly clamped your mouth shut, looking over to Jace with a scrutinizing, yet curious gaze, meeting the Prince’s own intrigued eyes. 
His throat was suddenly dry. It took everything within him to tear his attention away from you, and look towards your mother.
“My lady,” greeted Jacaerys, fists clenching and unclenching behind his back. “I’ve come on behalf of my mother, the Queen, Rhaenyra Targaryen. She kindly asks you to remember that she is part Arryn herself, as you are half-siblings with the late Queen Aemma, and hopes you will support your cousin’s claim to the throne.”
Recognition sparked within the Lady’s eyes, remembering her half-sister, Aemma. From beside her, you subconsciously straightened yourself as he spoke, lips parting out of interest. This was Prince Jacaerys himself—heir to the throne. Jace gradually shifted his weight from foot to foot, feeling your gaze practically burn holes straight through him. You couldn’t help but notice that he was quite the handsome young man, with a head of thick, dark hair, and hard-set, determined eyes. He spoke evenly and calmly, voice soaked with honey and smoked cedar and ocean salt. The Prince looked to be around the same age as you, give or take a few moons. And as Jacaerys had heard much about you, you knew just as much about him—and now that you were seeing him in person… the stories seemed to prove themself true. He didn’t look one bit Targaryen or Valeryon, but rather resembled the bold, physical characteristics of a Strong. 
Either way, bastard or not, Jacaerys Velaryon intrigued you.
The argument you’d just had with your mother about traveling to King’s Landing and seeing the world for yourself was still fresh on your mind, and seeing Jace right here in front of you felt like much more than a coincidence.
“Yes,” your mother said, standing up from the throne to step closer to the Prince. “I do remember the rather twisted history of our families. In fact, I seem to recall your great-uncle Daemon was married to Rhea Royce until her… untimely death.”
The Lady of the Eyrie was plainly hinting at the fact that his stepfather murdered his first wife. Jace steeled himself by blowing out a small breath. 
“It was truly unfortunate,” said Jace diplomatically. 
The woman narrowed her eyes, eerily similar to your expression. “Despite my contempt for your great-uncle, it would be hypocritical of me to say Targaryen men are the root of the problem. Mine own kin have sought to replace me as Ruler of the Vale thrice by now. My cousin, Ser Arnold, oft claims women are too soft to rule. He is currently in one of my sky cells, if you would like to see.”
Jacaerys shifted uncomfortably. He’d heard little of the sky cells—only that the room bore three walls instead of four, leaving an open gap for anybody to plummet to their grueling death. And knowing how high up the castles were built, there would be no chance for survival. The grounds were sloped and it was not uncommon for prisoners to roll off the edge during their sleep. 
“Mother,” you spoke for the first time, making his head snap to you. You watched him sympathetically, an apologetic glint to your eyes, voice smoothly soft but tone firm. “I am sure the Prince has much more important matters to attend to than my bumbling fool of an uncle.”
Jeyne nodded at your words. “Yes… of course. We’ll help you fight your war, Prince Jacaerys. Send word to your mother that we support her cause and will supply her with as many soldiers as she needs—in this world of men, we women must band together.”
Relief flooded through Jace’s veins. Momentarily, he caught your eye and dipped his head in gratitude. 
“On one condition,” said the Lady of the Eyrie, holding up a hand. “We will send you support if and only if you swear to protect the Vale from the Greens with dragonriders.”
Irrational hope flared within Jacaerys’ chest—the thought of being able to spend more time in the Vale just to see you a bit more made him rather excited. Though, knowing his mother, he would most likely be stuck by her side as heir to the throne than up North protecting the Vale. 
“That can be arranged,” agreed Jacaerys. “We swear to protect the Vale and the people within it.”
“Then our deal is done,” said your mother, before lowering herself slightly, as an act of bending the knee to the Prince. You followed suit, meeting his gaze once again, this time with a subtle, radiant smile cinching the corners of your eyes. The guards flanking the hall were the last to mirror your actions, all bending the knee to the heir of the iron throne.
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Jacaerys was making his way out of the hall, surprised when you bid your mother adieu and rushed after the Prince, much to her overprotective dismay, offering to walk with him to his dragon. You waved the guards away, but they still hovered over the pair of you with uncertain expressions.
“It’s just a brief walk,” you reasoned. “I’ll be fine.”
Relenting, the guards backed off and left you alone with the Prince. 
“Come along, my Prince, I can show you the way out,” you gently laid your hand on his forearm, tugging him with you further down the hall. The young man could feel his heart slamming against his chest, a thundering pulse in his ears nearly deafening him. 
Now that you were so much closer to him—mere inches—Jace could see finer details about you, and impossibly, you somehow became all the more beautiful. The blue fabric of your dress grazed his more coarse tunic. 
“There is much I have heard of you, my Prince,” you began, a kind smile illuminating your features. “I must say, I admire your Queen mother greatly.”
“Jace,” he softly said.
You blinked at him. “Pardon?”
Tripping over his words, Jace quickly backtracked, “I, uh, you don’t have to call me your Prince. Jace is just fine.” A bit more hesitantly, he tacked on, “I’m not quite used to the title just yet. It feels strange.”
A part of him was worried you’d be appalled at the impropriety of calling him by a nickname, but you merely grinned, all wide and sweet. 
“Alright then, Jace. Have you anywhere urgent to be? The hour is growing late—perhaps you can stay for supper. You cannot possibly run more errands on an empty stomach.”
You leaned closer and he caught a whiff of saccharine fruits and jasmine oil wafting from your hair, a smell that he yearned to drown himself into. It also didn’t slip past his notice that your chest was pressed up against his bicep. Good heavens, Jacaerys needed to get a grip of himself. 
Ever the responsible son, Jacaerys knew he had to be on his way to the Three Sisters, a small cluster of islands up North, to gain their support for his mother, as well. But he was ahead of schedule, and he deserved something of a rest after hours on dragonback. After all, he’d packed little else than fruit and bread and dried meat rations—the idea of a warm meal was more than appealing. 
Perhaps those were all just excuses. The true reason he wanted to stay was because he wanted to spend more time with you. 
“Wouldn’t your mother mind?” he asked, a little apprehensive, not wanting to get in between you and the overprotective Lady of the Eyrie. She already had a distaste for Targaryen men, thanks to his stepfather Daemon, and he wasn’t too keen on being added to the roster.
Expression faltering just a smidge, you shook your head. “No, she’s so very busy running the Vale—warding off her cousins who are fighting for their claim to inherit the Eyrie. It’s a whole lot of political nonsense, if you ask me.”
Hesitantly convinced, Jace allowed himself to smile in hopes of seeing your own once more. “If you insist, my lady. Supper sounds wonderful.”
To his delight, you beamed, and led him to a winding marble staircase, flourished with blue carpets that matched your dress. “Great! The morning hall is right up here—it’s rather quiet around this time, since it’s a bit early for supper.”
“Perfect,” mumbled Jace, the idea of being alone with you setting his cheeks aflame. 
Once in the hall, you kindly requested one of the servants to fetch a bowl of lamb stew and some cider for the Prince, gesturing for him to sit on one of the narrow, long tables that stretched nearly the entire length of the room. 
You engaged Jace in amicable chatter, which he seldom got to do with anybody that wasn’t his family—everyone either hated him because of his uncanny resemblance to Harwin Strong, or they were intimidated by his status as heir to the throne. It was refreshing, and frankly, made Jacaerys a little envious of those without the burden of responsibility on their shoulders.
The stew arrived not too shortly after, along with a silver chalice full of spiced apple cider that burned his tongue in all the right ways. You sipped on your own cup, nearly choking with laughter when he began recounting a story about his younger brother, Lucerys, nearly falling off his dragon during his first ride. Jace thought you had the most mellifluous laugh, practically music to his ears. He itched to hear the sweet sound over and over again.
“I wish I had siblings sometimes,” you wistfully said, placing your chalice down on the table and resting your face on your palm, propped up by your elbow. “It gets awfully lonely here. My mother, I love her, I do, but she never really lets me go out of the Vale. The only times were when I was a small child, and even then I was accompanied by half a dozen guards.”
Jace hummed sympathetically, spooning more of the peppery stew in his mouth. “So it’s true, then? Your mother constantly rejecting all the suitors and proposals lined up on your doorstep?”
“Yeah,” you fixed him with a warm smile. “Though, I suppose it’s not that much of a loss. Most of the men asking for my hand were more than twice my age and always looked upon me in a… lewd manner. It’s no wonder my mother turned all of them down.”
Without thinking, Jace blurted out, “You deserve to wed someone you love. A man who loves you doubly so.”
You fell silent, regarding him curiously. Maybe Jace didn’t know any better, but you appeared to be flustered. Clearing your throat, you said, “Thank you, my pr—Jace. Besides, the proposals aren’t really what bother me. It’s the fact that I stand to inherit the Eyrie and I have yet to explore the rest of the world. I’m afraid that once I am Lady of the Vale, I won't have any time for myself.”
“I have a dragon,” said Jace, in a half-joking, half-serious manner. “I can take you flying around Westeros one day, when the war is over.”
“You mean it?” you whispered, a genuine glimmer of excitement laced behind your words. Jace nodded, his heart leaping into his throat with the motion. “That would mean the world to me, it really would.”
The two of you fell into another comfortable silence. You downed the rest of your cider and he mopped up the remaining bits of his stew with a steaming loaf of bread. 
“I have yet to find a suitor to my liking,” you said, pursing your lips hesitantly. Jace gestured for you to keep talking, drinking some of the cider to wash down his meal. “And I’ve heard you’re betrothed now, yes?”
At the mention of his betrothal to his cousin Baela, Jacaerys stiffened. 
He leaned forward. “Can I be completely honest with you? And you must promise not to say a word of this to anyone.”
You nodded, eyes wide. 
“I do not wish to marry Baela,” he whispered, glancing around to make sure nobody was listening. Your lips parted, as if you wanted to say something, but you kept quiet, allowing for him to continue. “The romantic love I harbor for her is scant—she is more of my sister than anything. I cannot see myself ever… consummating our marriage.” Heat seeped into his cheeks, and a part of him instantly regretted admitting that to you. 
“Perhaps you need not marry her, then,” you responded without a second’s pause, before freezing at your words, as if they had slipped from your mouth out of your own volition. “I’m terribly sorry, my Prince, I shouldn’t have…” 
Whatever you were beginning to say died on your tongue when Jace moved his hand across the table to settle gently on top of yours. 
The atmosphere between the two of you seemed to shift. 
Jace studied your features with a keen eye, noticing the bright glint to your molten irises, the gentle curvature of your nose, the small birthmark on the left side of your jaw. And, not at all discreetly, his gaze fell to your lips, where your teeth were worrying into the supple flesh. His own expression melded into one of raw longing—nearing desperation, even.
And you could see it all on his face, plain and clear. Jacaerys Velaryon was enraptured by you. 
It was not at all like how the suitors asked for your hand—they looked upon you like a direwolf would a slab of meat, as if you were merely an object for their carnal desires, as if you were to warm their bed and nothing else. 
Jacaerys, however, looked upon you like you had scattered the very stars in the sky with your bare hands. And you had no doubt you mirrored his yearning countenance.
“Come with me,” you whispered, standing up and lacing your fingers with his, tugging him away from the table, and out of the morning hall. 
With a dazed look on his face, Jace followed along, allowing you to pull him towards more stairs. Up, up, and further up, the two of you went.
Until he stood in front of a large oaken door, your free hand pushing it open and the other ushering him inside the spacious room. The waning, clementine light of the setting sun shone through the diamond-shaped windows, framed by blue velvet curtains, bathing you in a regal, aureate luminescence as you softly shut the door behind you and leaned against the wood, fixing him with a burning stare. Your lips were parted, and your chest was rising and falling in a tantalizing manner. 
The cold realization that he was in your chambers suddenly dawned upon him. Seven hells, this was… beyond improper. Reality slapped Jacaerys out of his lustful stupor, and he struggled to formulate a coherent sentence.
“My lady,” he began, swallowing down the lump in his throat. “This is… we shouldn’t—”
His words dwindled away when you reached behind yourself and began undoing the laces of your dress. Despite his protests, Jace made no move to leave. He could feel his breeches growing uncomfortably tight. It felt like there was not enough air in the room for him to breathe.
“I… I should probably get going, Vermax—my dragon loathes the cold, you see…” he tried once more, to no avail.
The blue material fell from your shoulders, cascading down your body and pooled onto the ground in one seamless motion, leaving only a thin pale shift between him and your naked body. He fell deathly silent. 
You were the most beautiful person Jacaerys had ever laid his eyes on. No woman, no man, nobody in all of Westeros, could ever compare to the likes of you.
Throwing all caution to the wind, the Prince surged forward in two large strides, sealing the distance between you. One of his hands carefully cradled your face as if you were hewn from porcelain, and the other clutched your waist, thumb grazing over the sides of your ribs, dangerously close to your breasts.
And his lips met yours in a heated frenzy, your noses bumping against one another amidst your vigor.
“Should you wish to stop, just say the word, my lady,” he murmured against you, tugging you away from the door and walking you backwards to the large bed. 
Your knees buckled against the mattress and you fell back, eyes darkened with wanton need. Your fingers began hurriedly undoing the buttons at the top of his tunic. “Don’t stop, please,” you breathed out just as he began languidly kissing you once again. “Don’t you dare stop.”
A newfound confidence fueled his movements with your affirmation, and he rid himself of his shirt, tossing it somewhere behind him, along with his straining breeches and undergarments. You let your eyes roam over his toned chest, lids half-hooded.
“You’re so beautiful,” you told him, following suit and shirking your thin shift off, leaving you completely nude in front of the Prince, save for the opalescent pearls hanging around your neck. 
His breath hitched at your praise. “I was just about to say the same thing,” he muttered hotly against your flushed skin, trailing kisses down your jaw, roaming over the slope of your neck, your shoulders, your chest. “Beautiful,” he said, echoing himself with every kiss. You fisted the sheets beneath you, desperate for him to touch you where it ached the most.
A wave of arousal danced over you when he came face to face with your breasts, his tongue slipping out to drag along one of your pebbled nipples, his hand lifting to tweak the other between his fingers. His lips enveloped one of the pert buds, and he glanced up to see you with your head thrown back, a sigh of pleasure falling from your throat.
“Jacaerys, please…” you moaned, breathing stilted. 
Eager to please, Jace pulled away from your breast, trailing wet kisses down your stomach, along your hips, and to the insides of your thighs. His hands held your legs apart, which trembled with anticipation and need. 
His cock twitched against the bed upon seeing your slickened cunt, soaked with your essence.
“All this for me?” he hummed, laving his tongue mere inches away from where you needed him most.
“All for you,” you said, a low groan tumbling from your lungs when he finally surged forward and buried his face into your cunt, licking into your warm hole, the crook of his nose pressing repeatedly into your spasming clit. 
Embarrassed by your volume, you slapped your hands over your mouth, muffling your breathless whines.
Obviously not pleased with this, Jacaerys looked up at you with a stern look, halting his ministrations. “Let me hear you, my lady. I want to hear you.”
Hands quaking, you let them fall away from your lips, clenching into fists by your sides. Jacaerys smiled at you, the lower half of his face gleaming with your arousal. Then, he lowered himself back down and abruptly attached his lips to your sensitive clit, making your hips jolt upwards with the sudden rush of pleasure. 
“Jace!” you wailed, grinding your cunt against his mouth. He hummed in approval, clearly getting off on your own pleasure. Two of his fingers circled your entrance, and he slowly pushed them into you, cracking one of his eyes open to observe your breathless, writhing figure. 
He continued his ministrations, fucking you with his fingers and sucking relentlessly on your clit until you seized up beneath him, a litany of pleas falling from your kiss-swollen lips. 
“That’s it, cum for me. My good girl,” he praised, moaning into your cunt as you did what you were told, grinding against his face as you came down from your high, until you began to flinch away with overstimulation. Jace wished to have you ride his face, use him as the dragon he was, be completely at your mercy… but he was desperate to feel your cunt around him.
Jacaerys made his way back up your body, kissing you once more. You could taste yourself on him, which made you dizzy with delight.
“I need you, Jace,” you mumbled, wrapping your legs over his waist, your hot, soaked pussy pressed against his abdomen. “I need you inside me.”
“As you wish, my lady,” he whispered with one final kiss, ever the gentleman. “Tell me if it’s too much. I wish not to hurt you.” 
Lining himself with your still-sensitive entrance, he began to slowly ease his way in, keenly watching your expression to make sure he wasn’t paining you in any way.
“So good,” you mumbled, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to his shoulder. “Feels so good, Jace.”
“Beautiful girl,” the Prince groaned once he bottomed out inside your warmth, eyes rolling into the back of his head from the overwhelming sensation of your sopping cunt fluttering around his cock. 
He started off gentle, slowly rocking into you, eyes darting between your blissful features, and your breasts bouncing with every thrust. 
You began to move in tandem with him, wanton moans echoing throughout your chambers when he reached down to rub slow circles on your clit. 
The slapping of his skin on yours made a flustered expression burrow itself permanently on his face, dusting his skin with faint rouge. You felt so fucking good, nearly too good to be true, and Jacaerys wouldn’t at all be surprised if he woke up and you turned out to be a dream. 
Your name tumbled from his lips in rapid repetition as he could feel his orgasm approaching, rhythm faltering when you clenched viciously around him. He met your eyes, leaning down to kiss you sweet and slow. “Can you cum for me again, sweet girl?” he murmured, a satisfied growl thundering in the back of his throat.
Shivering, one of your hands raked down his back desperately, on the very precipice of your climax. You came with a shout of his name, stars blotting out your vision, clenching so tightly around him that Jace had a hard time moving, which had him moaning a breathy string of curses. 
He showered you with more praises, thrusting into you once, twice, three more times, before his voice tapered off into a groan, hurriedly pulling out of your throbbing cunt to cum all over your stomach, both your chests glistening with sweat.
Panting, Jacaerys collapsed onto the bed beside you, pressing a chaste kiss to the side of your temple. “My beautiful, sweet girl,” he murmured, making your heart swell with pride and adoration.
You turned to slot your lips just beside his nose bridge, rubbing your thighs together contentedly. “My handsome, gentle Prince,” you responded, voice hoarse and exhaust weighing down your eyelids. 
“You did so well for me. You can sleep now, my lady.” he reassured, expression softening as he pushed a stray strand of your hair away from your face. “I’ll clean you up.”
You could only tiredly smile at him, allowing your eyes to fully slip shut, chest rising and falling evenly as slumber took over your form. Jace could only watch fondly, pressing one last kiss to your temple, before making his way off the bed.
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The next morning rolled by far too soon. The sun glared through your windows, straight into your eyes, and you tried waving it away with a huff of annoyance, to no avail. Finally, you sat up, rubbing the sleep out of your eyes with the back of your hand. Once you came to, you noticed that you were neatly tucked into the center of your expansive bed, and you lifted the thick blue blanket to look down, mildly surprised to find any and all stickiness between your thighs and on your stomach was gone. 
Did you dream of what transpired last night? Was Prince Jacaerys only but a figment of your hyperactive imagination?
Feeling a bit dejected, you fell back against your feather-stuffed pillows, rolling onto your side. It couldn’t have been a dream, though—it certainly felt real. Heat spidered across your skin at the lewd memories of the night before. 
Your suspicion was only confirmed when you caught sight of a small, folded piece of paper on your bedside table. With nimble fingers, you plucked it off the surface and unfurled the sheet, a small smile dancing at the corner of your mouth. You found it endearing that Jacaerys’ handwriting was a nearly illegible, messy scrawl of ink across the parchment.
My dearest lady, As much as it pains me to leave you, I have urgent matters to attend to for my mother. I will be heading North to the Three Sisters in hopes of gaining their favor. I will never forget this night with you, nor will I forget my promise to take you flying across Westeros after the war ends. You are, without a doubt, the most wonderful thing to have happened to me. I still wonder if I am dreaming, because a beauty such as yours cannot possibly exist. I will come back for you, sweet girl. I swear it by the Seven.  Yours, Jace
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inkykeiji · 1 year
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warnings: 18+ minors do not interact, dangerous driving, mentions of rough sex and dacryphilia
words: 879
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daydreaming about being fyodor’s pretty, precious, perfect little princess, sitting in the passenger seat of his slick, sleek, souped up audi as he whips the car around an empty shopping mall parking lot at three in the morning, blasting russian drift phonk so loud the whole car is vibrating with the bass. and you’re so cute, you’re so coltish, giggling daintily as he veers around a fat concrete pillar, tires spinning, those sweet bubbles of laughter egging him on, begging him to go faster and faster and faster, to press fate just a little further, to risk your lives just a little more. 
the asphalt is cracked from the harsh russian cold, crinkled and jagged like strikes of black lightning, all sharp edges and serpentine veins, but they do nothing to hinder the tires as they whirl and whoosh. 
winter winds howl as they shove back against the car, but fyodor only chuckles in response—something deep, dark, deviously decadent as it drips, slow and sticky, from his quirked lips, the wisp of a smile on his face. the engine purrs as he expertly switches gears; shift, click, whir, the thin, taut muscles in his forearm flexing, and the car cuts through the gusts with practiced ease. the snow is beginning to fall heavier now, cloaking you in a gentle swirl of ivory, fat flakes melting on impact as they pelt the windshield. they leave behind irregular droplets of water, blurring the stark white lights and the cool blue neons of the city. 
the hues dribble into one another as the car sweeps across the lot, an abstract watercolour of the cityscape smeared across the glass. a sharp yelp hitches in your throat as the car glides, almost gracefully, across the expanse of concrete, stopping just an inch or so short of the monstrous snowbank, fyodor yanking the steering wheel to the left with a hard jerk, both of your bodies thrown to the right as the car swerves, tail end just narrowly missing the mountain. the squeal of the tires complements your own, a sweet little scream that shatters to giggles as the car straightens out again, fyodor glancing over at you through thick inky lashes, a lopsided smirk tugging at his lips. 
plumes of smoke envelope the audi, a dense and hazy mist that mingles with the soft, spotty flutters of snowflakes, accompanied by the putrid smell of burnt rubber. you can taste it on your tongue, feel it sticking in your throat and intoxicating your lungs, but it only amplifies the exhilaration rushing through your veins, blood fizzing in its wake. 
the car scutters to a stop, and then his hands are on you, colder than ice as they creep beneath your dress. they tug you into his lap, hem pooling around his wrists as his fingers flex on your hips, nails sinking into plush flesh, keeping you steady, keeping you still. 
he tastes sharp, like heady nicotine and fresh pine, a flavour that always leaves you gasping, that kicks the breath from your lungs and into his mouth, a sound he trades for a snicker of his own as he devours it greedily.
and you can feel him, the hot and hard outline of his throbbing cock grinding against your inner thigh, another torrent of gushing heat flooding the apex of your legs, dainty lace of your panties soaked and sticky, clinging to the contours of your cunt.
you’re begging him to fuck you, desperate and delicious, pathetic and precious, but you know he won’t—not here, not now, not the way he wants to—know he loves to hear you sob out those pretty pleads onto his tongue, muscle curling around them as he sucks on them, savours them, melts them into nothing and swallows them down.  
and you’ll never get used to this, you swear to god—never get used to the way that same exhilaration shimmers in his features, glowing in violet eyes and gleaming in ivory teeth, when the car finally stops. 
you’ll never get used to the way he rolls his hips up into your core after he’s had his fun, allowing himself a moment to be messy, needy, clingy in those interim hours where night and morning bleed into one another, melding into something hazy and indistinct, undefinable, and freeing him from the self-imposed shackles of perfection, precision, pristine. 
you’ll never get used to the way he murmurs against your neck, your jaw, your mouth, words nothing more than a smooth purr in his chest that rivals the smooth hum of his cherished engine, too low for you to comprehend, catching fragments of russian as soft lips singe secret promises into your skin. 
but you don’t need to hear his vows to know what they mean. 
because they’re promises he keeps, oaths he renews, every night. 
they’re promises he’ll keep as the winter sun rises and dispels the veil of night, pale and weak as it tints the grey sky with a washed out golden hue. promises he splatters across your body in smatters of broken blood vessels, tongue and teeth as his tools. promises he whispers to you again, stitched together with different languages while you’re absolutely sobbing beneath him, as his hips stutter and his cock pumps and he fills you with thick cum for the umpteenth time that night.
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kix-mm · 3 months
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The last bride
This could possibly be a short story, maybe less, maybe more, we will see how it goes!
A lone dragon sat in wait. He had meticulously placed dead and broken trees in a perfect circle and set them a light in hopes of attracting himself a lifelong partner. But his hope was beginning to dim. It had been 4 whole weeks since he had sent out his message. His calls had been left unanswered and echoed off the snowy mountains... had he done it all wrong? He had practiced for years, spending weeks searching far and wide for a place one could comfortably nest and spent all his time preparing the new home he hoped to spend the rest of his life with his partner and offspring... was is all for nothing?
He sniffs the air, his hot breath leaves a plume of smoke in the wind. He was growing frustrated, agitated, even a little concerned... surely someone was in the area... whether female, male, or something completely new, he knew somebody- someone had to be around to see or hear his message! Or so he hoped.
He hesitated at the thought of leaving his spot. What if someone came while he was gone? Then again, what if he had somehow reached a place too far for anyone to get his message? His curiosity had gotten the better of him. And he spreads his wings, making the curtain of smoke part before he took off into the clear blue sky. His skin and underside matched the color almost seamlessly, along with his white fur that resembled the white clouds.
He circles around the mountains, the forests, over the rivers and around the caves. But soon enough circles back to his spot, everything was clear, there was no denying that his message was clear enough to see even beyond the mountains. So why was he still all alone? He decided to repeat the cycle. Again, and again, and again, for days on end. He even had to find new trees to use as material, and still, no answer, no call, nothing.
This went on for weeks... and the dragon grew hungry and tired. His lack of sleep and food made him cranky and desperate, but the lack of company was mainly responsible for his agitation... he eventually decided that food was a priority this time instead of relighting his message. He stood himself up and turned to face the forest - only to be met with a strangers face. Joy surged though the dragons mind for a mere moment before dissatisfaction ruined the moment, he watched the fear and realization hit the stranger as soon as they made eye contact.
A human of all creatures had stumbled across his display. They must have traveled far to get here, as the dragon hadn't seen any human structures for miles. The humans' hot breath plumed into smoke as they took a few steps back but never ran. This got the dragon curious. He lowered his head yet stood where he was. "Speak, visitor..."
The human shivered, and they opened their mouth, but no words came. Their mouth had run dry, and they suddenly had a cold sweat. "-...- I came to investigate... my apologies, I never meant to intrude on your home-
"It is no home, not yet." The dragon quickly corrects the soft-spoken human. He made a slow approach towards the human, keeping just enough distance to if it were an ambush of some kind. "What did you come to investigate?" He asks in a softer voice.
The human spreads their arms and motions to the dragon and display. "Well... this, I could see it from behind the mountains, and I was worried it could have been a distress call-
"So my message was visible from beyond the mountains?" The dragon interrupts once more with a deeper frown, to which the human nods,"if you do mind me asking... was this a call of... distress?"
"Hardly!" The dragon replies with a snarl, but his mind had doubts, he hadn't had the heart to admit his desperation. "A-ah! I see - so um, if you don't mind me asking, what was the purpose of all this?" The human spoke in an even quieter voice than before.
The dragon would have been offended if it weren't for his awareness of his surroundings, ashes, charcoal, and dying flames littered the plain he once wished to call home, all his grind ideas of joyus offspring and favorable mate had burned with the rest of his surroundings. "It was meant to attract a partner... but I haven't had an answer in weeks. You are the first to come to my den." He admits with a bittersweet tone.
The human nods slowly "to be... perfectly honest with you, mister- uh- dragon, I think your breed might have gone... extinct..." they try to make themselves as small as possible.
The dragon looks back at the human, steam began rising out the corners of his mouth as he quickly shortened the distance between himself and the human, blowing steam into the humans face as he spoke with rage. "How dare you! I am not extinct! I am not! I can't be!" He raises himself away from the human in frustration."There has to be someone out there - anyone, it can't be, I shall not believe such nonsense!" He huffs, looking up into the sky, what if the human was right? What if he truly was the last of his race? There was no doubt that dragons were still around, but it wasn't uncommon for a race to die out.
No, this couldn't be, he would have been known about it, he would have heard about this! He looks down at the human. Who just stood there. Shaking in their furry boots. "... well if that is the case, than I have no choice than to accept my first bride"
The human blinks and looks around,"who? Me?? No- wait were two completely different species, we can't court!" "Why not? Are you already wed?" The dragon sniffs the human."You haven't even been marked by your mate"
"I have no mate!" Explains the human in a panic while they took yet another step back from the larger dragon, the dragon in turn leaned back down "well then I see no trouble as having you as mine"
"I-" the human sighs in defeat, they could reject the dragon, they are loyal to their word, however, the human was worried what might happen if the dragon got upset at their answer... besides, the human was a rather lonely one themselves. Maybe they would finally have a place to call their own? Someone who would respect and eventually fall in love with this human? It wouldn't be impossible... "Very well... uh- I do just have one last question, two actually"
"Ask" the dragon huffs out some more steam, looking a little more relaxed and laying themselves down. "What is your name?" "Is it not custom to introduce yourself first?" The dragon chuckles "ah- I didn't mean to-" "Zero, the name is Zero..."
The human blinks, what an odd name... even for a dragon, the definition being nothing, zero, less then one. "And yours is?" "A-ah, im Silver..."
"Silver?" Zero leans himself a little closer to his new companion, observing them carefully to take in all their features. He found it odd that a human would have the name of a precious metal, but it wasn't a bad name, and the human looked decent.
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fernclans · 7 months
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MOON 07. (part 2) (tw; blood, mentions of trauma, descriptions of injury, death??? )
Starring: Dashpaw (BuddingClan), Cliffstripe (BuddingClan), Amberpaw (BuddingClan), Flippaw (BuddingClan)
Dashpaw paced the camp back and forth, tail twitching anxiously behind him. In a small dip within the earth, Amberpaw lay crowded in a nest with three kittens resting beside her, relishing in her warmth. Beyond them, the moon crept slowly over the rolling hills tauntingly reminding the group of the passage of time.
“You’ll tread a hole into the ground if you keep that up all night.” Amberpaw chided playfully, concern showing in her eyes. “I’m worried about her too, but you won't be able to go with Cliffstripe and look for her if you wear yourself out here.”
Dashpaw grumbles something under his breath while he finishes another lap. He knows that she’s right; all he was doing was tiring himself out, even now he could feel his limbs begging for a break. He’d been up and moving since before sunfall, and if he had it his way he’d not stop until way after moonhigh and Flippaw was home.
“What was that?” The long-furred molly could tell by the way the tomcat stopped in his tracks that he was starting to take her words to mind.
“I said ‘yes Amberstar, whatever you say.’” He heaves a dramatic sigh while he turns around again to face her, lugging himself to the grass nearby and collapsing into it. “Better?” His eyes creep open just enough to watch the molly roll her eyes before finally allowing the smile to join him.
Cliffstripe seemed to have taken notice from his perch atop the Echoed Stones and descends from its vantage; though it was unlikely Flippaw would be finding her way home that night, it was even more unlikely that he himself would do the same after he’d been caught in the jaws of the beast, and so he took up watch once the kits had settled.
“They’re too young to talk, right?” The ginger tom asks, sitting down beside Dashpaw and looking at the litter nestled within Amberpaw’s fur. “Do they understand… you know.” In spite of being the eldest, Cliffstripe knew the least about kits, not having interacted with them much before taking up their care after the pack.
“That their parent is dead?” Dashpaw meows bluntly, saying what Cliffstripe felt unable to. He apparently notices the uneasy expressions of his clanmates and turns away from them. “What? We’re orphans too. Better to just be honest about it.”
There’s silence for a moment before Amberpaw speaks again. “No, you’re right. And no, I don’t think they understand- not really. I think they’re confused that their parent isn’t here, but I don’t think they realize they won't be coming back.” She frowns, amber gaze casting towards the three kittens dozing peacefully within her plumed tail.
Cliffstripe hangs on the uncomfortable silence before turning away from the kits and to Dashpaw. “You said you were in the outer-fields when you were attacked-- do you remember what direction Flippaw ran?”
Dashpaw furrows his brow, thinking hard before answering. “West. Towards the mountains.”
“Right. So we’ll head north-west from camp and start our search there.” Getting to his paws, Cliffstripe leans forward and stretches with his whole body. “In that case, I think it’s time we head out, don’t you?”
The brown and white tabby pulls himself from the cool grass and flexes his claws into the dirt. “I thought you’d never ask.”
---
The night's chill sliced at the two cats' fur as they ran, the clear open sky above them allowed for the cosmos to illuminate the fields; something Dashpaw hoped was a good omen from StarClan. 
With the wind carried a stale scent of blood and wolf, a stark reminder of their mission’s severity. Was Flippaw still alive? Could she have escaped a wolf all by herself? The task seemed to require a lion’s strength, but perhaps a cat’s cunning could be enough if she played her cards correctly.
Wordlessly, the toms followed the wolf's stench, the hair on their backs raising the stronger it grew. When Dashpaw looks to Cliffstripe, he can’t help but find himself reassured by the determined expression which remained on his scarred face. If he who had seen the beast's maw so intimately could be so resolute, so sure they were doing this right, then who was he to act otherwise.
“Stay low,” Cliffstripe meowed, dropping his elbows and strutting forward in a confident creep like a cat in the pursuit of a bird unaware. “Wolves are much taller than us, they can see farther in the tall grass than we can. The closer to the ground we can stay, the safer we’ll be.”
Dashpaw follows suit, his brow heavy in concentration. “You don’t think it’s still nearby, do you?”
“I… I don’t think so, but we can’t be too safe.”
When a more fresh scent of blood started to overtake the old scent of wolf, Dashpaw could feel his heart quicken. It felt like there was a bird fluttering in his chest, his mind running wild with different horrific conjurations of what fate may have befallen Flippaw. Flashes of memories of biting through a rabbit's bone, the snap nearly making his stomach twist; memories he tried to bury of the masses of graves he and Cliffstripe had to dig for what scraps remained of their families.
He must have been away for a while, nearly walking past Cliffstripe, not realizing that the tabby had tried to stop him, to talk to him.
“Dashpaw, are you alright? You don’t have to-”
The brown and white tom is still for a moment longer than should be normal before forcing out a smile. “I’m okay.” He doesn’t dwell any longer on the moment, creeping quickly past the warrior. Cliffstripe doesn’t look like he believes him, but that doesn't matter right now. “C’mon, I think we’re close.”
Conifers loomed in the horizon, just barely visible against the darkness of the sky. The scent of blood laced with the distant perfume of the pine needles, it seemed almost a regular pattern at this point; all too familiar of the night he’d nearly been gored by only StarClan knows who. The wolf scent was strongest here, but from the best that either cat could judge, it had to be at least a few hours old. 
It was small, but in the distance something catches Dashpaw’s eye; light glinting off of a reflective surface -- cautiously approaching, he confirms his grim suspicions. Blood.
“Cliffstripe, come this way!” His voice comes out as a hiss, claws tearing into the dirt, rushing to find the source. He can’t be too late.
The trail of blood lead to a larger, semi-congealed pool outside of a small burrow; one much too small for a wolf to be hiding in. Peering into the gap in the earth, Dashpaw feels his heart stop briefly when his eyes focus on what was within -- a small spotted apprentice curled up within herself, bloodied soil surrounding her. Cliffstripe freezes when he sees her too, only to heave a heavy sigh of relief when he notices her sides rise and fall with her breath.
“Oh thank StarClan… you’re still alive.” Dashpaw nearly collides with the dirt beneath him, finally feeling the fatigue of today.
A groan comes from the figure within the burrow, pale blue eyes coming to life when they land on what lay outside -- her clanmates had found her. “I remembered what you said… about the tunnel systems and the dens when I was a kit.” Flippaw’s voice is hoarse, and she’s hardly able to keep her eyes focused while she speaks.
“Are you able to get out on your own?” Cliffstripe asks, unsure of his ability to squeeze in there with her and still be able to pull her out.
“Think so.” Unfurling herself, the ginger tabby warrior nearly flinches at the sight of Flippaw’s right forearm. It was broken, there was no doubt about it, large punctures covering its entirety. She lets it hang limply, using her remaining arm to pull herself and leaving most of the work to her hind legs.
Cliffstripe waits to the side of the entrance, waiting to grab Flippaw’s scruff to pull her the rest of the way. By the time she’s fully out of the burrow, she’s passed out again from shock.
Dashpaw’s steps are unsteady on the walk home, and though he jokes about Cliffstripe needing to carry him as well and seems over-all jovial, the older tom can tell something was bothering him. Jaws full of scruff, he’s unable to reach out leaving the two ruminating about the day until they get back to camp.
END OF MOON 7.
WE DID IT FOLKS. WE MADE IT. thank you for sticking around <33 next is asks!! feel free to send asks to Cliffstripe, Amberpaw, Dashpaw, or Flippaw! moon 8 event will start after a bit of those :3
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dwellerinthelibrary · 5 months
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This is a detail from the Amduat papyrus of Ta-Udja-Ra. Right to left, the deceased woman; Ra-Horakhty; and a spectacular Hepet-Hor, with four heads decorated with coloured streamers and plumes, holding two red knives. She wears a green dress tied with a long red-and-white striped sash. The hieroglyphs identify her as "Great Embrace, Lady of the Mountains".
When: Third Intermediate Period, 21st Dynasty
Where: Egyptian Museum, Cairo
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vintagerpg · 5 months
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Well, whatever the problems of the previous modules in the series, H4: The Throne of Bloodstone (1988) has no intention of leaving players wanting. The theme here is “Go big” and, well, it does. The “H” always stood for “high-level” but none of the previous modules earn that classification quite like H4, which has a rating of level 18 to ONE HUNDRED.
Plot? Simple. Get the Wand of Orcus. Destroy it. And also Orcus. In his house. The adventure starts with the final confrontation with the Witch King who had been the source of all the problems in H1-3. They then journey to the Abyss and make their way to Orcus’ fortress. The encounters are frankly ridiculous. Demogorgon, Yeenoghu, Juiblex, Graz’zt and more await to be battled or bargained with along the way. There is a city of 100 liches. There is another tarrasque. There are multiple hard to parse mazes that defy conventional physics. Then you fight Orcus. And after all that, you know what you need to do to destroy Orcus’ stupid wand? It needs to be dipped in the heartblood of Tiamat. Sure, no biggie, off to Hell we go!
I don’t think H4 gets talked about enough. It is possible the most over the top, ridiculous, improbably difficult adventure TSR ever produced (the book offhandedly recommends two DMs run the fight against Tiamat, but gives zero guidance on how that would turn out). Everybody is always like “Oh, yea, gonzo old school, like White Plume Mountain,” or “Oh, yea, deadly old school, like Tomb of Horrors.” This thing has both those beat. Handily.
Great cover by Keith Parkinson. Among my favorites. The lads from the band Final Gasp like it too.
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talonabraxas · 15 days
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Quetzalcoatl: The Feathered Serpent
The name of the deity Quetzalcoatl comes from the Nahuatl language, and it means “Precious Serpent,” which is a reference to the serpent that is associated with the god. Quetzalcoatl was a prominent deity in the Aztec pantheon, as he was related to various phenomenon such as the planet Venus, the wind, and the sun and was also the patron of the Aztec priesthood. Aside from these, he was also associated with other gods such as Tlaloc, Huitzilopochtli, and Tezcatlipoca.
In ancient Mesoamerica, Quetzalcoatl was one of the most important gods. He was known for his role in the creation of the world and its inhabitants. His name combines the Nahuatl words coatl and quetzal. From 1200, Quetzalcoatl was regarded as the patron deity of merchants and priests in Central Mexico. He was also known for inventing the calendar and was associated with various animals, such as the opossum and also the Morning Star Venus. He also discovered a mountain full of seeds and grains.
Following the arrival of Nahua-speaking tribes in the north, Quetzalcoatl’s cult underwent significant changes. During the Toltec era, his temple was the centre of ceremonial life in the city of Tula and the culture emphasises war and human sacrifice.
Physical Traits Aside from being a plumed serpent, Quetzalcoatl was also known as a man with a beard. He was depicted as Ehécatl, the wind god, and he wore a conical hat and a mask made out of tubes.
Quetzalcoatl was also known to have a flower, a black and yellow feathered fan, jade earnings and spiral shells inside a hat-band holding sacrificial implements. He was also known to wear a cross section of a pectoral that was made from a conch whorl which was in fact a wind jewel called Ehecailacozcatl. He is often black, wears a red mask like a duck’s beak and has long canine teeth. As a god of the cardinal directions, he was associated with various colours representing each of the directions.
Family There are various stories about the life and times of the serpent. In one story, a virgin named Chimalman is said to have given birth to Quetzalcoatl after the god Onteol appeared to her in a dream. In another story, Chimalman conceived Quetzalcoatl after she swallowed an emerald. In another story, a man named Mixcoatl accidently shot an arrow into her womb and nine months later, Chimalman gave birth to a child who would later be called Quetzalcoatl. One of the stories states that Quetzalcoatl was the child of the god Coatlicue, who had hundreds of children.
According to another version of the myth, Quetzalcoatl is one of the four sons of Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl. The four Tezcatlipocas, each of whom presides over one of the four cardinal directions are White Tezcatlipoca (Quetzalcoatl), Blue Tezcatlipoca (Huitzilopochtli), Red Tezcatlipoca (Xipe Totec) and Black Tezcatlipoca (Tezcatlipoca). It is also suggested that he was a son of Xochiquetzal and Mixcoatl.
Other Names He was known as Kukulkán to the Maya, Gucumatz to the Quiché of Guatemala, and Ehecatl to the Gulf Coast Huastecs.
Powers and Abilities Quetzalcoatl was regarded as the patron deity of merchants, priests, and scientists. In the Nahua tradition, he is also the creator of the universe and the creator of humanity. Quetzalcatl was regarded as the creator of the calendar and books as well as the protector of goldsmiths and other craftsmen. He was said to have gone to Mictlan with Xolotl to obtain the remains of the dead and was also the symbol of death and destruction. Those bones he anointed with his own blood, giving birth to the men who inhabit the present universe.
In an alternative form of creation, Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca worked together to form the first man, the rain gods, and the sun. When they were created, they transformed into snakes and ripped apart a reptilian creature known as Cipactli.
Quetzalcoatl by Talon Abraxas
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myriadeyed · 2 years
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I would like to offer this resource for therians, an extensive list of all of Sir David Attenborough’s nature documentaries that are available on soap2day, and a full list of what species* they each (notably, prominently) feature the natural behaviors of, separated by episode, and omitting species that were only shown dead, juvenile or being predated on. This took me a while (I have been working on it since Prehistoric Planet’s release) because I did in fact have to watch every single series in full in order to list all the species and the episodes are around 50 minutes long, but enjoy.
Long post ahead:
Most of these shows have closed captioning, which is why I’ve picked soap2day. Planet Earth is the only one that doesn’t. I did not include Dynasties and Dynasties II because each episode only features one species.
Thank you to Birch (@ambiguousmutt​) for his help (he watched about half of the episodes) so I didn’t have to do it individually. Credit goes to him as well.
*Sometimes Attenborough doesn’t say the specific species and I was too busy trying to get through the episodes to identify it. In those cases I just put the most specific name I could.
Planet Earth
Episode one (From Pole to Pole): emperor penguin, polar bear, caribou, arctic grey wolf, Amur leopard, six-plumed bird-of-paradise, superb bird-of-paradise, great white shark, African elephant, African buffalo, lechwe, baboon, African wild dog
Episode two (Mountains): gelada, walia ibex, Ethiopian wolf, guanaco, cougar, grizzly bear, markhor, snow leopard, golden eagle, grey wolf, panda, golden snub-nosed monkey, red panda, demoiselle crane
Episode three (Fresh Water): giant salamander, grizzly bear, smooth-coated otter, Nile crocodile, dolphin fish, midge, Amazon river dolphin, dorado, piranha, spectacled caiman, crab-eating macaque, snow goose
Episode four (Caves): wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bat, cockroach, bat hawk, cave swiftlet, yellow-red rat snake, Texas blind salamander
Episode five (Deserts): Bactrian camel, dromedary camel, red kangaroo, fennec fox, guanaco, long-nosed bat, Nubian ibex, flat lizard, lion, African elephant, locust
Episode six (Ice Worlds): snow petrel, Antarctic petrel, south polar skua, humpback whale, emperor penguin, eider, muskox, arctic grey wolf, polar bear, little auk, arctic fox
Episode seven (Great Plains): Mongolian gazelle, red-billed quelea, wildebeest, snow goose, arctic fox, arctic grey wolf, bison, wild ass, Tibetan fox, pygmy hog, African elephant, lion, baboon
Episode eight (Jungles): magnificent bird-of-paradise, spider monkey, howler monkey, siamang gibbon, gliding tree frog, colugo, red crab spider, African elephant, chimpanzee
Episode nine (The Shallow Seas): humpback whale, multiple corals, banded sea krait, trevally, dugong, bottlenose dolphin, Socotra cormorant, salp, comb jelly, sea lion, dusky dolphin, sea urchin, sunflower starfish, short-tailed stingray, great white shark, king penguin, fur seal
Episode ten (Seasonal Forests): Eurasian lynx, moose, crossbill, wolverine, western capercaillie, pine marten, great grey owl, pudu, kodkod, mandarin duck, cicada, red deer, Amur leopard, tiger, mouse lemur
Episode eleven (Ocean Deep): whale shark, oceanic whitetip shark, common dolphin, Cory's shearwater, manta ray, sea spider, vampire squid, spider crab, unnamed deep sea eel, giant isopod, chambered nautilus, Pacific spotted dolphin, mola mola, frigatebird, sailfish, blue whale
Planet Earth II
Episode one (Islands): pygmy three-toed sloth, Komodo dragon, sifaka, marine iguana, Galapagos racer, Buller's albatross, fairy tern, Christmas Island red crab, yellow crazy ant, chinstrap penguin
Episode two (Mountains): Nubian ibex, red fox, golden eagle, grizzly bear, bobcat, flamingo, mountain viscacha rat, snow leopard
Episode three (Jungles): spider monkey, flying lizard, sword-billed hummingbird, river dolphin, jaguar, glass frog, paper wasp, click beetle, red bird of paradise, Wilson's bird of paradise, indri
Episode four (Deserts): lion, Harris's hawk, shrike, locust, sand grouse, pale chanting goshawk, feral mustang, golden mole, desert long-eared bat, darkling beetle, Namaqua chameleon
Episode five (Grasslands): saiga antelope, lion, harvest mouse, carmine bee-eater, Kori bustard, African elephant, serval, Jackson's widowbird, grasscutter ant, compass termite, giant anteater, bison, red fox, arctic grey wolf
Episode six (Cities): langur, peregrine falcon, leopard, European starling, great bowerbird, raccoon, rhesus macaque, spotted hyena, wels catfish
Our Planet
Episode one (One Planet): lesser flamingo, orchid bee, golden-collared manakin, red-capped manakin, blue manakin, cormorant, booby, common dolphin, shearwater, African wild dog, timber wolf
Episode two (Frozen Worlds): gentoo penguin, wandering albatross, narwhal, Pacific walrus, humpback whale, orca, leopard seal, polar bear
Episode three (Jungles): lowland gorilla, forest elephant, black sicklebill, twelve-wired bird-of-paradise, western parotia, mountain treeshrew, Philippine eagle, black spider monkey, leafcutter ant, Sumatra orangutan, velvet worm
Episode four (Coastal Seas): northern fur seal, compass jellyfish, giant trevally, mobula ray, Atlantic stingray, bottlenose dolphin, grey reef shark, whitetip reef shark, sea otter, California sheephead wrasse, Steller's sea lion, bald eagle, humpback whale, Guanay cormorant, Inca tern, Peruvian booby, South American sea lion
Episode five (From Deserts to Grasslands): Socotran cormorant, Arabian leopard, Arabian oryx, African elephant, cheetah, bison, Alcon blue butterfly, saiga, Przewalski's wild horse, tiger
Episode six (The High Seas): blue whale, spinner dolphin, mobula ray, oarfish, anglerfish, bristle worm, giant petrel, black-browed albatross, wandering albatross, bluefin tuna, sea lion, humpback whale
Episode seven (Fresh Water): Australian pelican, torrent duck, grizzly bear, manatee, giant mayfly, common kingfisher, osprey, jaguar, callipterus cichlid, Siamese fighting fish, hippopotamus, lion, African elephant, sandhill crane
Episode eight (Forests): Siberian tiger, bald eagle, rough-skinned newt, great hornbill, African elephant, African wild dog, fossa, gray mouse lemur
A Perfect Planet
Episode one (Volcano): lesser flamingo, marabou stork, Galápagos land iguana, vampire ground finch, Aldabra giant tortoise, North American river otter, coyote, Kamchatka brown bear, wildebeest
Episode two (The Sun): yellow-cheeked gibbon, fig wasp, arctic grey wolf, wood frog, garter snake, arctic fox, Saharan silver ant, golden snub-nosed monkey, sooty shearwater, humpback whales
Episode three (Weather): straw-colored fruit bat, fire ant, Amazonian giant river turtle, desert rain frog, Bactrian camel, Christmas Island red crab, carmine bee-eater, Nile crocodile, African fish eagle, hippopotamus
Episode four (Oceans): common dolphin, marine iguana, flightless cormorant, flamboyant cuttlefish, eider, bottlenose dolphin, lemon shark, manta ray, blacktip reef shark, trevally, rockhopper pengin, Eden's whale
Episode five (Humans): none
Life
Episode one (Challenges of Life): bottlenose dolphins, cheetah, panther chameleon, orca, brown-tufted capuchin, stalk-eyed fly, hippopotamus, Clark's grebe, giant Pacific octopus, strawberry poison-dart frog, leopard seal, orangutan
Episode two (Reptiles and Amphibians): pebble toad, caiman, basilisk, Brazilian pygmy gecko, panther chameleon, Namaqua chameleon, red-sided garter snake, collared iguana, hog-nosed snake, horned lizard, sea krait, African bullfrog, Komodo dragon
Episode three (Mammals): Weddell seal, elephant shrew, aye-aye, caribou, straw-colored fruit bat, lion, spotted hyena, polar bear, brown-nosed coati, meerkat, African elephant, humpback whale
Episode four (Fish): sailfish, flying fish, weedy sea dragon, convict fish, sarcastic fringehead, mudskipper, Hawaiian freshwater goby, hippopotamus, barbel, silvertip shark, clownfish, sea lion, ragged tooth shark, multiple snapper, whale shark
Episode five (Birds): spatuletail hummingbird, lammergeier, red-billed tropicbird, magnificent frigatebird, red knot, horseshoe crab, lesser flamingo, chinstrap penguin, great white pelican, Clark’s grebe, sage grouse, Vogelkop bowerbird
Episode six (Insects): Darwin’s beetle, unnamed damselfly, monarch butterfly, alkali fly, Wilson’s phalarope, oogpister beetle, mongoose, bombardier beetle, honey bee, black bear, Japanese red bug, Dawson’s bee, grass cutter ant
Episode seven (Hunters and Hunted): ibex, short-tailed stoat, brown bear, Ethiopian wolf, California ground squirrel, star-nosed mole, cheetah, red fox, greater bulldog bat, bottlenose dolphin, Bengal tiger, rattlesnake, orca
Episode eight (Creatures of the Deep): Pompeii worm, Humboldt squid, nemertean worm, moon jelly, fried egg jellyfish, spider crab, stingray, cuttlefish, giant Pacific octopus, sunflower sea star, king crab, cleaner shrimp
Episode nine (Plants): monarch butterfly, purple-throated carib hummingbird
Episode ten (Primates): Hamadryas baboon, Japanese macaque, lowland gorilla, spectral tarsier, phayre's leaf monkey, ring-tailed lemur, Sumatra orangutan, chacma baboon, white-faced capuchin, brown-tufted capuchin, western chimpanzee
Blue Planet II
Episode one (One Ocean): bottlenose dolphin, tuskfish, tern, giant trevally, mobula ray, false killer whale, Asian sheepshead wrasse, orca, humpback whale, walrus
Episode two (The Deep): sea toad, Venus’ flower basket, unnamed shrimp, ethereal snailfish, cock-eyed squid, pyrosome, barrel-eyed fish, unnamed siphonophore, yeti crab, Humboldt squid, fangtooth fish, sixgill shark, scabbardfish, zombie worm
Episode three (Coral Reefs): broadclub cuttlefish, coral grouper, day octopus, multiple corals, green turtle, bottlenose dolphin, manta ray, bobbit worm, saddleback clownfish, marbled grouper, grey reef shark
Episode four (Big Blue): spinner dolphin, yellowfin tuna, mobula ray, sailfish, sperm whale, sea turtle, blue shark, great white shark, multiple jellyfish, Portuguese man o' war, whale shark, wandering albatross, shortfin pilot whale
Episode five (Green Seas): Garibaldi, Australian giant cuttlefish, weedy seadragon, common octopus, pyjama shark, sea otter, tiger shark, smooth stingray, zebra mantis shrimp, common dolphin, humpback whale
Episode six (Coasts): Pacific leaping blenny, king penguin, southern elephant seal, Sally Lightfoot crab, Galápagos sea lion, ochre starfish, clingfish, chain moray eel, Atlantic puffin, arctic skua
Episode seven (Our Blue Planet): none
Prehistoric Planet
Episode one (Coasts): Tyrannosaurus rex, Tethydraco, Phosphatodraco,  Tuarangisaurus, Mosasaurus hoffmannii, pycnodont fish, ammonites,  Kaikaifilu
Episode two (Deserts):  Dreadnoughtus, Tarbosaurus, Velociraptor,  Mononykus, Barbaridactylus, Secernosaurus
Episode three (Freshwater): Velociraptor, Tyrannosaurus rex, Deinocheirus, Quetzalcoatlus, Masiakasaurus, Beelzebufo, elasmosaur
Episode four (Ice Worlds): dromaeosaur, hadrosaur, Ornithomimus, Olorotitan, troodontid, Antarctopelta, Pachyrhinosaurus, Nanuqsaurus
Episode five (Forests): Austroposeidon, Triceratops, Carnotaurus, Qianzhousaurus,  Edmontosaurus, Atrociraptor, Anodontosaurus, Therizinosaurus, Telmatosaurus, Hatzegopteryx
The Hunt
Episode one (The Hardest Challenge): African leopard, African wild dog, Parson’s chameleon, nose-horned chameleon, African mantis, Darwin’s bark spider, Nile crocodile, Amur falcon, orca, cheetah
Episode two (Arctic): polar bear, arctic grey wolf, arctic fox, glaucous gull
Episode three (Forests): tiger, American marten, sparrow hawk, Portia spider, tarsier, harpy eagle, chimpanzee, army ant
Episode four (Oceans): blue whale, frigatebird, dorado, sargassum fish, spinner dolphin, Beroe ovata, Chiroteuthis, lionfish, black-browed albatross, sea lion, tuna, copper shark, common dolphin, Bryde's whale
Episode five (Plains): cheetah, caracal, honey badger, termite, bald eagle, lion, Ethiopian wolf, hotrod ant, spoor spider
Episode six (Coasts): bottlenose dolphin, algae octopus, sand bubbler crab, long-tailed macaque, marine otter, grizzly bear, grey wolf, peregrine falcon, orca, humpback whale
Episode seven (Conservation): none
Life In Colour
Episode one (Seeing In Color): Indian peafowl, mandrill, Costa’s hummingbird, magnificent bird-of-paradise, blue moon butterfly, fiddler crab, mantis shrimp, flamingo, poison dart frog
Episode two (Hiding In Color): Bengal tiger, langur, ptarmigan, crab spider, zebra, Cuban painted snail, blue-striped fangblenny, common waxbill, pin-tailed wydah, Augrabies flat lizard
Frozen Planet II
Episode one (Frozen Worlds): emperor penguin, orca, Pallas’s cat, Siberian tiger, grizzly bear, hooded seal, polar bear
Episode two (Frozen Ocean): polar bear, beluga, harp seal, skeleton shrimp, crested auklet, orca
Episode three (Frozen Peaks): high-casqued chameleon, japanese macaque, kea, andean flamingo, giant panda, golden eagle, andean mountain lion
Episode four (Frozen South): king penguin, Antipodean wandering albatross, blue whale, Weddell seal, chinstrap penguin, snow petrel, leopard seal, orca
Episode five (Frozen Lands): grey wolf, arctic fox, Amur leopard, Siberian tiger, painted turtl, Lapland bumblebee, snowy owl, caribou, grizzly bear
Episode six (Our Frozen Planet): none
Africa
Episode one (Kalahari): fork-tailed drongo, ostrich, black rhinoceros, Angolan giraffe, African leopard, armored ground cricket, spider wasp
Episode two (Savannah): Agama lizard, shoebill, bee-eaters and rollers, lesser flamingo, African elephant, crowned eagle, African fish eagle, martial eagle
Episode three (Congo): chimpanzee, central African rock python, Angola banana frog, African skimmer, rockfowl, African elephant
Episode four (Cape): emperor swallowtail, giant kingfish, African penguin, monkey beetle, springbok, yellow-billed kite, pied crow, ghost crab, vundu catfish, Nile crocodile, Bryde’s whale, great white shark, common dolphin
Episode five (Sahara): Grevy’s zebra, naked mole rat, barn swallow, Dromedary camel, dung beetle, crocodile, western yellow wagtail, Saharan silver ant
Episode six (The Future): none
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vixensdungeon · 1 month
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Adventurers from far and wide across the Flanaess have gathered in the Free City of Greyhawk, hungry for gold and glory, all eager to participate in
DelveCon '76!!!
The object of the convention is to delve into the depths of the dungeons beneath Castle Greyhawk and emerge as living legends! Songs will be sung of the exploits of the participants!
Unfortunately there has been an unforeseen complication: Castle Greyhawk is closed for renovations. Rumors abound of something called a "film studio," whatever that is.
And so it came to pass that several of the adventurers in attendance decided to instead seek adventure elsewhere.
You are one of them.
The adventurers, along with their various men-at-arms and the hopeful local adventurers they've hired as henchmen, are gathered outside the city, a small army ready to wreak havoc across the countryside in their search for loot. All they need now is direction.
(this is mostly just a silly thing to demonstrate some of the procedures of AD&D that will either make you recoil in horror or, if you're like me, salivate)
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darkfalcon-z · 17 hours
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Woven from the Spider Silk,
Or the Grandmasters of Tiny Bunny Cultivation
A bit of a crack idea - I wrote it some time ago
Teenage WWX and LWJ are called upon to become the deities of the forest
They turn tiny because their spiritual power cannot support full size body of a deity
Worse that at the beginning they involuntary turn into little bunnies whenever humans are around and they can’t communicate (this is a spell protecting fledgling deities from being spotted and imprisoned by humans). They also don’t know what is going on until they cultivate for a bit in a forest.
They are removed from Cloud Recess together with the bunnies WWX found for LWJ and set behind the wards so they can’t initially come back and write a message or something
The bunnies are not the culprits behind the transformation, but they are the catalyst. The previous couple of deities either passed on or ascended (this would unclear at least at the beginning) and new people need to fill in the position – this is a natural process (it’s like id an atom misses an electron only more selective), technically anyone could have been chosen provided they had strong enough cultivation and empathy for living beings but the process would only start if a matched set of two was found. The bunnies are kind of like spiritual messengers. The let themselves be caught by WWX, because they sensed his potential, but the transformation only happened when bunnies and WWX came in contact with LWJ
The bunnies become Wangxian familiars (and steeds). The bunnies are black and white respectively
WWX and LWJ still are as strong as ever both physically and with cultivation (a la Nac Mac Feegle) but they can eat less (although more their current body mass could suggest)
All in all Wangxian got nice vacation from everything. They live on an enchanted meadow (although the meadow becomes enchanted because they live in there) in the Gusu Mountains just beyond Cloud Recess wards, together with the bunnies – the bunny family grows because other bunnies noticed it’s a sweet spot to live as no predators dare to approach Wangxian with evil intentions
LWJ forages for spider silk to make them new robes, WWX forages for most everything else and also build them a tiny cottage (they eventually make a little garden as well)
(they earlier made clothes of feathers (because the bunnies sabotages any attempts of making clothes from leaves with their appetites) but there was an issue of LWJ having to constantly deal with WWX in a tiny feather skirt, you must understand that something had to be done)
Wangxian get together early because of all this.
Everyone thinks LWJ and WWX are dead, although how it’s a mystery (most people blame WWX for somehow angering some powerful entity and LWJ getting caught with a fallout) – not that surprising since all they’ve found were intact robes with tied sashes and all – it looked like they evaporated from the inside.
The world however did not stop just because Wangxian disappearance
Wangxian learned that something terrible happened when the Cloud Recess burned because they’ve sees plumes of smoke and light from the fire
They’ve only learned that Lotus Pier Fell afterwards
During the indoctrination JZX’s and few other disciples cores had been crushed before the Xuanwu appeared and MianMian’s face had been branded by WLJ. Some of the heirs had been eaten by Xuanwu as well)
JYL is only surviving Jiang as she was in Meishan when the Wens attacked. She’s largely forgotten, except JGS broke the engagement with JZX since JYL lost her position.
JC had been caught, tortured, had his core crashed and was eventually killed as his return after the massacre – this happened when he saw WLJ disrespecting his mother’s corpse.
JGS pretty much lost the interest with JZX as his heir (he still doesn’t think JYL is a suitable party for him since she has pretty much nothing and lives on the charity of her grandparents’ family) and brought MXY earlier on to the sect as a potential heir (it’s till terrible for MXY, he’s taken away from his mother, his “step mother” hates him, his so called father throws a lot of expectation at him but no love, plenty of Jin cousins think they should be heirs instead)
JZX goes to fight in SunShot Campaign even though he’s coreless and more than little depressed, but without JC and LWJ getting back the swords the SunShot is in dire straits.
Eventually Wangxian managed to get into Cloud Recess, acquire Bichen and they fly to Meishan to JYL, who becomes the first person to learn of their fate (and marital plans)
They manage to liberate everyone swords as well as treasures stolen from Lotus Pier (Suibian among them) and have JYL take the swords to LXC and NMJ
Eventually Wangxian are going to pilot JZX as a mecha (not that’s not accurate, they need him because he has martial arts training but not the ability to use spiritual sword, and they have swords but with bodies so small it would be an issue to go into a battlefield alone, so they need him to carry them around, they don’t usually pilot him). JZX gets secret identity, though. Of course that cooperation doesn’t go smoothly, but JZX eventually grow into a man worthy of asking for JYL’s hand.
LXC and NMJ are probably onto the plan. LXC is relieved that LWJ is safe
Eventually SunShot wins
After the war the Wens are still put into work camps
Idk yet how Wangxian learn about that, but they go there and turn everyone into bunnies temporarily and tell them to run and if they got into Gusu area they would try to help them some more. This is not a perfect solution, since many other those people are old or ill, but they’d had support one another to survive on the way. WN doesn’t die in this au
I think WQ helped out injured MianMian at some point and then met her again after SunShot and told her brother had been kidnapped. MM went to JYL and JZX to ask if they maybe know if something can be done. JZX got the information where the prison camp was and told Wangxian
A-Yuan as a bunny is too little to run anywhere so Wangxian take him with themselves. This is a bit of challenge since it’s difficult to take care of a toddler when you are doll sized. Wangxian have a spell to shrink living being with doing complicated things to qi flow, but it’s not that they can keep A-Yuan shrunk all the time because how would that affect his development. WWX needs to add big boy room to their tiny cottage.
The Wens manage to arrive in the area, but by that time A-Yuan thinks about Wangxian as his parents and no one has the heart to separate them
JYL and JZX probably go to live in Cloud Recess for a while. JYL is regarded as a hero, who liberated the swords, JZX is regarded as a pitiful loser, who lost his core. But he grows a lot as a person. Possibly they are going to reestablish Jiang Sect later on after their son is born.
I’m not sure about JGY in this au.
XY drugged and brutally murdered members of Chang clan, but since Yin Tiger Tally doesn’t exist and no one invented the ghostly path JGS doesn’t have any use for him so he’s promptly executed after XXC caught him
Wangxian have opportunity to me XXC and SL and give them their blessing for the sect they want to establish. I hope they still find A-Qing somehow
People still call LWJ Hanguang-Jun, this time it’s his divine title. WWX is know as a Dark Lord (I think it’s by Xuan-Jun) or Dark Lady sometimes since people think as LWJ “mate” he must be a female
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vampyrsm · 1 year
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thinking about being lost in the middle of a tundra like mountain with dragon king bakugou. omfg this actually got more angsty that i wanted but LMFAO anyway
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It’s cold, dark. There’s no shelter for miles, no signs of salvation. Just endless expanses of pure white snow, untouched and completely still. It’s almost beautiful, if it weren’t for the feeling of impending doom that settled in your bones.
Being lost was something manageable, but it’s not manageable when you’re low on food and slowly freezing to death. Your many layers do nothing to thaw you from the frigid temperatures, the ice clings to your eyelashes and it hurts to just breathe.
You’re not quite sure how you got so lost with the ash blonde king, he was quite an expert with a map but still, no expert could find a safe haven in what’s better known as hell frozen over.
You’ve been lost for nearly 4 days now, food ran low way before you had gotten to this point but you were both certain you’d run into a village at some point. Or perhaps just a random stranger who could give you food and board until you were ready to move on.
The ground is solid beneath you despite the pillowy look of the snow around, the tent hadn’t lasted long on your adventures. Having been destroyed in a previous encounter with a rather broody basilisk. It was truly miserable; lying on the cold hard floor, shivering as you watch the stars sparkle above you.
Your companion had of course hated the cold just as much as you did, it thwarted his magicks. Made the dragons fire nothing more than a mockery of a candle's flame — it made him angry. Rightfully so. But he never turned that anger to you, in fact, he had always given you the bigger portions of food and ensured you were always kept warmest.
You dare say perhaps he actually cares for your well-being. But that might be a bit of a stretch for the man known to be mean-tongued.
Said companion is laid to your left, on his back too staring up at the sky. The nights became harder to sleep through with death knocking on your door, and you could see it was starting to scare Bakugou. He was scared of death just like any other man.
“Do you think it’ll hurt?” you ask into the dead of night, your warm breath a plume of pure white that catches the red eyes of the king. Bakugou turns to look at you, the snow crunching beneath his head. “When we die, will it hurt?”
He’s silent for a spell, because in truth he’s not sure. He thinks it might, and something deep in his chest aches at the glittering tears in your eyes. He doesn’t want you to die.
“Of course not,” he gruffs, rolling over towards you and suddenly you’re engulfed in warmth. It smells like comfort—home. Bakugou doesn’t comment on the way you lean into him more, or how your fingers desperately bury themselves in the thick of the cape he lays over the both of you. “Because we’re not dyin’. We’ll find our way back home.”
You believe him, perhaps in a state of delirium, but you believe him. So you curl more into his warmth, pushing away thoughts of how the two of you were simply incompatible back home.
And so you just lay with him, in the snow that curls around you like an icy blanket. You lay with him when the tears fall and he brushes them away without a word. You lay with him when he buries his nose into your hair and he murmurs something in his ancient language.
Something he’s been saying this whole time; “I love you.”
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vandaliatraveler · 1 year
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The High Rocks Trail along the Highland Scenic Highway offers an easy, 3 mile out-and-back hike featuring one of the best views in the Central Appalachians. Perched on a sandstone outcropping at over 4,000 feet (1,219 m) above sea level, the overlook provides sweeping views toward Virginia to the east and the Greenbrier River Valley to the south. I imagine this would be an ideal spot to do some stargazing, as there is very little light obstruction from the valley below.
From top: views from the High Rocks overlook at the end of the trail; false Solomon's seal (Maianthemum racemosum), whose plume of white flowers gives way to a cluster of waxy, gold and red-speckled berries in late summer; two of the most impressive speckled wood lilies (Clintonia umbellulata) I've ever come across in my travels; American lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria majuscula), a more robust and less densely-colonizing cousin of the more familiar European species, native to the Appalachian mountains from Southwestern Pennsylvania to North Carolina and Tennessee; the gorgeous mountain angelica (Angelica triquinata), also known as filmy angelica, an Appalachian endemic that produces the most impressive compound umbels of greenish-white flowers in late summer; and a gregarious woodland fungi, perhaps sulphur tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare)?
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