#beforehand it was quite yellow/orange

[swimmingferret]

a couple of up-coming figurines of Douma (I'm totally gonna buy both of them)

[arminreindl]

Croc colours and patterns

Somewhat inspired by a recent post by Joschua Knüppe, I feel like it's a good thing to remind people just how diverse colours and patterns in modern crocodilians are. When I see people make art, it often seems to stick to grey or yellowish-brown tones, which is of course not incorrect. But theres a lot of, imo, underappreciated variety still. It's also worth noting beforehand that patterns are most striking in younger individuals and naturally become more muddy the older and larger an animal becomes. But as you will see, even some decently large and old animals may maintain a striking appearance.

Take this alligator for example. Gators tend to be on the darker side, dark greys to black, sometimes countershaded and sometimes pretty consistent. Some individuals, like this one photographed by Gar Luc, still retain clearly visible stripe patterns from when they are younger.

Or take one of my favourite species, the Cuban Crocodile, which can appear almost bright yellow with a dense pattern of leopard spots. Of course like with the gator you can find individuals that are much more drab, with washed out colours, but individuals with clearly defined patterns still exist.

Then there's gharials of course. They can range quite a bit in colouration. They can be brown, especially younger ones and females and I've seen males range in colour from a drab grey to almost a light blue or even something that could be described as metalic black.

Black Caimans are also pretty interesting in my opinion and pretty easy to tell apart from other species once you pay attention to their colour. They are primarily a deep dark black of course, but what sets them apart from spectacled and other caimans is that very fine pattern of thin white stripes across the flanks that creates this beautiful contrast. They can also have patches of brown like the one on the right.

Orinocos also vary a great deal. Tho I know less about them than I wish I did, I know that individuals can range from drab brownish greys to yellow to somewhat earthy browns that almost range into reds.

The next ones a bit of an outlier. There are specific cave dwelling dwarf crocodile populations in western Africa with striking orange colouration. Tho this one is not exactly natural pigmentation to my knowledge and instead the result of the chemicals present in the water they inhabit, brought there by bat guano. Still very pretty animals.

And then there's Paleosuchus, the dwarf caiman which contains two species. Again highly varied. The first image, which I believe is a Schneider's dwarf caiman, shows a very earthy brown. The others, which unless I'm mistaken are Cuvier's dwarf caimans, show colours ranging from dark with a rusty head, black to this still beautifully patterned individual. Of course these variations are also subject to change with age.

While salties aren't exactly known to be the most vibrant, I'd be remissed if I didn't mention this specific one. It's kept in a zoo in Germany and has this almost bizarre colour combination of creamy white underbelly and chocolate brown top which I've never seen in another saltwater crocodile. Photos by my friends Markus Bühler from the Bestiarium blog and René Dederich

Spectacled, Broad-snouted and Yacare caimans I'll give a quick shout out. I think most people are familiar enough with how they look like and while their colours aren't anything special, I still think one should appreciate their patterns of spots and stripes and facial markings.

The last one I wanna highlight is the false gharial, Tomistoma, another one of my favourites. Part of the reason why being its at times beautiful reddish-brown colours.

[liroyalty]

More dragon facts with yours truly, this time about Dragon Eggs!

When it comes to the, um, making of dragon eggs, reproduction is little different from humans. Dragons will find a mate, do the deed, & if they lucky, they will give birth to an egg, or a clutch of them. Only female dragons have the ability to do this, & as we know, these eggs can only hatch on special circumstances(via being placed in a roaring fire beforehand & a dragonrider's magical bloodline activating the egg afterwards), so dragon eggs can go unhatched for a very long time, but the dragon within it will remain alive unless the egg is smashed.

While most she-dragons require a male dragon to make eggs, there is one line of she-dragons that do not require any outside cooperation to create & give birth to eggs. They can just decide 'Whelp, I want babies' & then just lay some eggs awhile later. This line of she-dragons comes from one of the original 6 dragons that the Kronascre Family came & conquered Dracondia Scre with: Rozefyre. This line of she-dragons have always been known to give birth to a clutch of three eggs, they have never had any more or any less; of these three, only one of them is ever a male dragon.

While this line does not require a mate to create eggs with, it doesn't mean they will not take a mate should they wish too. It's merely a matter of choice to each dragon. Misya is the newest she-dragon of this line, & the mother of Misya was Modrakrila(which in High Dracondian translates to 'Bluewings'), who is a currently living & riderless dragon held within the Dragon Den.

The eggs themselves, no matter the line of dragons which they come from, are as heavy as a rock, the outter shell is covered completely with rough scales & can vary in size(the average dragon egg will be the size of a human child's head, meaning the dragonet within will be slightly smaller), typically the bigger the egg, the bigger the dragonet within shall be(though this does not set a standard for how big or how powerful the dragonet will be when it is grown, it is up to the dragonrider that hatches it to cultivate that). They will also vary greatly in coloration, typically matching the primary color of the dragonet within, making certain colorations of eggs more highly desired then others as some colors are rarer among dragons(black, pink & gold are the rarest, in that order, while red, green & orange are the most common). These colors can also be colors that the egg's parents do not have, which is what makes certain colors quite rare. It is also quite rare of a dragon to inherit more then a single(or any) feature that belonged to their parents, Xokat is one such case of a rare dragon that inherited many of one of his parent's features, as he inherited his father Rdečlord's red scale coloration, yellow eyes & bread of horns.

[paladin-of-nerd-fandom65]

Pretty good answers! :D

1: since being half-aliens, have they ever been treated “differently”? (Like the x-men/mutants in marvel)

2: how did they get into Dragonball? I say Kon & Tim introduced it to them (plus Jon)

3: how does one become a member of the titans of tomorrow/Star Knights?

4: what’s their opinion on the Netflix adaption of avatar the last airbender?

5: what’s their bedrooms look like? (I know Jake’s)

6: what does the members of titans of tomorrow/starknights look like? (Besides the duo & mar’i) do you use canon appearances?

Thanks Man, it’s really appreciated @pin-crusher2000 👍

1) While on the whole the two are respected quite well and even have some popularity at their respective schools, even now and then, especially in their earlier elementary school days, they would get picked on by some bullies for their little quirks as pertained by their origin points. Sure when in the field as heroes they can get intense scrutiny and even some bigotry based on their alien and technically mutant trait, it’s not really a thing that truly affects them as they’ve faced it beforehand and it really doesn’t matter as much as their real angsts in life

2) Oh my beyond doubt it was Kon and Jon to an extent that introduced the Duo to Dragon Ball, mainly after Jon got a manga volume of the original series when he was shopping for Naruto ones. Chris was interested in it so Jon went ahead to get it for his big brother and shortly then Jake looked up the original series online and once the two were able to sit and watch the series from there, the Duo’s fandom began in earnest.

3) Initiation comes with first proving yourself a trustworthy, reliable and honest type of hero that wants to hang out with them, basically earning their friendship which isn’t too hard. Honestly, both teams aren’t necessarily strict nor they ever relied on tests or the like unless the newest recruit requests them. That being said if you wanna be a true permanent member a lot faster for the StarKnights in particular, you are dared to spend a day wearing a blue and pink tutu and later last through eating there entire bowls of Brussels sprouts.

4) At first Chris and Jake were genuinely enthusiastic as the look of the show and the effects promised something that would be faithful in its own way to the show that started it all. Overtime though with each new announcement made to change the story and character details which are true deviations from the source material, that enthusiasm quickly gave way to caution and weariness. They can only hope it’s not as bad as that live action movie which was the first attempt at adapting that show.

5) I picture Chris having redwood hardwood floors couple with orange carpets and rugs laid out all over, his Queen sized bed next to the window, two glass sliding doors for his closet, a small two shelves dresser next to said bed, drawers and cabinets on the opposite side of the bed which on top of one is his TV and video game consoles, his action figures, and even a Straight Ally flag. At one empty corner would be his electric Bass Guitar and inside the closet and dresser are his comic books. Finally in the bed itself, he has a grey and white comforter which is topped by his favorite Sky Blue Blanket with an S Shield on it.

6) Well, for Jasper Logan in particular since he’s an OC created by an old mutual of mine and a fan art, this link here should help you get a visual on what he looks like

Otherwise, fudging with the ages a bit, the StarKnights and the Titans of Tomorrow have their physical appearances based on canonical forms. Only tiny change I can think of being for Irey and Jai having Dark Yellow and Lime Green respectively as part of their super suits to help distinguish them.

[tetsunabouquet]

Miraculous KNB Headcanon

A/N: After finishing my first Hanamiya one-shot, this crack idea came to mind, forgive me! I've included every miraculous' power, for the ones who aren't a fan or quit watching before S4 (I don't blame you though). I will not actually pick users for the ladybug and cat miraculous, because with those two being the most important the leaders of the team would automaticallly be picked, and I feel like there shouldn't be an official leader.

Midorima

Which Miraculous? Snake, the miraculous that can reset anything, including an apocalypse. Why? Midorima is one of the best people to keep a secret, and would definitely be trustworthy with one of the most powerful miraculous' in the series. Costume? With Sass being a more turqouise green, and Midorima's shades of green, I'd imagine him picking a snake costume with various shades of green making up the scales of his suit, creating snake patterns. I don't see Midorima sporting a snake tail though. His eyes become green snake-eyes.

Akashi

Which Miraculous? - Bunny, the other miraculous of time that pretty much allows you to timetravel, even to the earliest point of human history but cannot to an apocalyptic reset like the Snake. Why? Because he's also a person that can keep secrets, and with all of the training he's been through for leadership he'd certainly handle responsibilities like this. Costume? I feel like he'll keep the white rabbit aesthetic including the bunny ears, but go for red undertones instead of blue ones. More like an albino rabbit then a normal white rabbit.

Kagami

Which Miraculous? Tiger, which gives the user superhuman speed, endurance, agility, stamina and strength. As well as making the user nearly invulnerable. Why? Alright, it's not just because his name. The more athletic the user, the better utilized right? Murasakibara isn't great outside of basketball, so I wouldn't see him as the best for a miraculous so well-suited for combat. Which leaves only Kise and Aomine on Kagami's level. Kise can copy, but he would need to learn how to fight beforehand so I would rather give it to someone who doesn't need to rely on others in the way he'd do in the beginning of his superhero career. That would leave Kagami and Aomine, and I think with the way the superheroes have to bounce between buildings, Kagami's skill for jumping would be a better asset to the skillset of the Tiger miraculous, compared to Aomine's agility which would only boost the Miraculous' already existing skillset. Costume? Red leather, dark red tiger stripes, which would fit Roarr's appearance perfectly. Kagami's probably the one who resembles his kwami the most with his costume. Includes a tail. He gains tiger eyes upon transformation.

Kuroko

Which Miraculous? Fox, which gives the user the power of illusion. Why? You're seriously going to question why the character who's best at magician tricks and is the king of sneak attacks would be getting illusion powers? Paired with his own invisibility, and his knowledge of his teammates he'd create very realistic illusions with no one catching a trace of the real Kuroko. After all, a common illusion tactic in battle is creating fake doubles. No one could do that better then the phantom 6th man. Costume? He'd go with an arctic fox theme, his suit being perfectly snow white with arctic blue undertones. I also see Kuroko having a tail and fox ears.

Koganei

Which Miraculous? Rooster, which gives you the ability to pick a superpower with its only limitation you cannot chose someone else's power. Why? The moment I thought of the rooster, I couldn't help but think of how Koganei is a jack of all trades. Something about that just makes me feel like he'll automatically adapt the quickest to whatever superpower he picks for the action. Costume? Koganei wouldn't want a cape or fake tail resembling wings and a chicken's behind. He's just going for a normal yellow costume, but with a hoodie that sports an orange comb like a rooster.

Momoi

Which Miraculous? Pig, which gives the user the ability to gift someone an image of their deepest desires in order to cheer them up. Why? Like with Kagami, I am not giving her this Miraculous because it fits her (due to both her and the Kwami being pink themed). We're talking about Momoi, who's storyline is literally about supporting her loved ones and trying to cheer them up. On top of that, the magical being that gives her power, the pig Kwami, has a huge fondness for cute things. He'd want Momoi as his user over the boys because of their lack of cute appeal anyways. Costume? Her pink hair would become two twintails that curl like a pig's tail and she'd wear a pink costume with her waist being white. Kind of like she wears a pink crop top with matching pants. She'll sport pig ears and a tail too.

Sakurai

Which Miraculous? Goat, which gives the user the ability to make any drawn object real. Why? Because Sakurai is the only one with some decent drawing skills. The world would be doomed if we'd have to depend on someone like Imayoshi's drawing skills. Costume? He'd go for an all black costume with white lining. I don't think he'd keep the goat tail, but he would have the black horns.

Mibuchi

Which Miraculous? Dog, which gives the user the ability to throw a magical ball at an object to transport it somewhere else (fetching an object). Why? We're talking about one of the best shooters in the series so his skills at throwing said magical ball would be superb, and I feel like he'd really get along with the dog kwami. Costume? I feel like he would go for a tail. He'll keep it at a simplistic yet elegant grey suit with white linings, no dog collar. I can see him sporting the dog ears though.

Aomine

Which Miraculous? Monkey, which gives the user the ability to summon an item. If thrown at the enemy, their special abilities will malfunction. Kind of a debuff effect. Why? For one, Aomine can throw something from any angle, which is in this case important. Secondly, something just feels right pairing him up with the monkey kwami. It would be a very interesting dynamic. Costume? I have a feeling, that because Japanese history is the only class that seems to interest him, that he might go for a superhero costume with a few Samurai outfit details, like an uwa-obi. I don't see Aomine being entirely against a fake tail instead of monkey ears.

Murasakibara

Which Miraculous? Ox, which leaves the user invulnerable to both physical and magical attacks. Why? The ox kwami favors those with great physical strength, and Murasakibara's strong imposing figure is pretty much the ideal. Costume? He will be wearing a normal black leather suit and will sport horns a few shades lighter then his hair color. No tail.

Kise

Which Miraculous? Horse, which gives the user the ability to telepeort to whatever they think of. Why? The moment I thought of it, the moment I realized the horse kwami and Kise are probably a match made in heaven. The horse kwami can definitely put Kise in his place if needed, but they're also a bit elititst and prefesr their users to be people of status. Kise as a basketball prodigy and model, is someone of status and I'm absolutely convinced Kise has dreams of travelling. Vacations together? Those two are gone before you know it. Costume? Whilst his bangs will remain, his hair will grow and he'll have them little pony braids in his luscious blonde mane. He will wear a slightly flashy but elegant dark brown superhero suit.

Kotaro

Which Miraculous? Dragon, which gives the user the power over lightning, water and wind. Why? Remember that Kotaro is known as The Lightning Beast. Also, Kotaro has a certain kind of adherence to ranks and formality which fits the dragon kwami's character. Costume? I think Kotaro will go for a very pale gold costume, that almost shines. As if a flash of light. He'll also have dragon horns.

Riko

Which Miraculous? Mouse, which gives the user the ability to multiply which can also use a second Miraculous per each clone. Why? Riko is pretty much the queen of mutli-tasking if you consider her workload. She can handle having multiple selves, if anything it would be beneficial to her. Costume? She'll go for a mousy brown costume, with a hood that has adorable big mouse ears as well as a tail.

Mayuzumi

Which Miraculous? Bee, which gives the power to paralyze the opponent. Why? With a power like this, the enemy will certainly try to avoid getting touched at all costs. So the user has to be a sneaky person. Mayuzumi is the next best thing to Kuroko at sneak attacks. Costume? Mayuzumi's hair will turn black upon transformation, and have black bee feelers sprouting out from his hair. He will wear a leather black costume, with his lower arms and legs sporting yellow-black stripes. Like a bee.

Hyuga

Which Miraculous? Peacock, which gives the user the ability to manifest their own emotions into an actual being, a Sentimonster. Why? This is a Miraculous that needs someone who's mature and using it with the right intentions. Sentimonsters can be actual living beings with emotions, making them recklessly is like birthing a lot of children irresponsibly but having the magical power to uncreate them. Hyuga is one of the few characters in the show that showcases they can be mature enough and can take care of things. Costume? Hyuga actually wears a surprisingly classy costume, as he goes for a tailcoat with the tail obviously being a peacock's feather tail with a suit in the same peacock blue colour underneath.

Kiyoshi

Which Miraculous? Turtle, which gives the user the ability to create a magical shield. Why? I don't need to remind everyone of the Kirisaki Daiichi match, right? It's obvious why. Costume? He'll go for a light greyish brown leather suit, think the colour of Galápagos tortoises. He'll wear a big, dark green shield on his back.

Imayoshi

Which Miraculous? Butterfly, which gives the user the ability to recruit ordinary humans as followers and give them super powers. Why? For one, Imayoshi is the only student we've ever seen involved with recruiting. Secondly, there's an telepathic connection between the user and the followers, and Imayoshi is known as practically a mindreader so I couldn't help it. Costume? He'll go for a silvery grey costume. Similar to Hyuga's, only in his case the tail coat resembles butterfly wings. He'll also have silvery grey butterfly feelers.

[cupofstarss]

since i apparently have nothing else to do i wanted to add to these headcanons  something i thought about ! 😀

SO

what does their house look like? is really tangerine the penthouse type (i hope not bc they're ugly)?

where do they live??? lemon looks like the NY studio apartment type with artsy vibes and cool brick walls and lots of light and bright colors and tiles!!! with lots of yellow, orange, red, white and green. and those plants with the big nice light green leaves. and he has a turtle. and why not manyyy very smol trains displayed everywhere even in the bathroom just because

as for tangerine i'm kinda split he either is the type of the posh villa with big large window glasses or the same as lemon idk i mean at this point they probably could afford both but I can't quite pinpoint his taste in houses. I feel like he feels he should like those rich people penthouses and anything similar but probably in the end doesn't really care. he's safe and he's got a roof on top of his head so that's all that matters BUT on the other side there's a part of me that believes that he instead cares a lot about his place and the type of kitchen knives he wants to display and the sheets he chooses and the quality of the bathroom marble and the big chandelier in the living room

also, even if it sounds odd, they probably donate a lot especially to foster care and the charities related to it...... don't they? or do they think that it's a fucked up system not worth supporting? they do but they also think about the kids and how a little while beforehand they were those kids so lemon donates toy trains and tangerine dolls and little mini cars just because and that's it im going to sleep goodnight

[iyeonjuni]

MONOCHROME — sixteen: sand dollar

synopsis: ever since he was born, soobin had psychic empathy powers. he has the ability to read, manipulate and absorb other people’s emotions as his own based on the colors of their auras. but what happens when he meets y/n, who’s emotions he cannot read, manipulate or even take from at all?

word count: 0.7k

prev / masterlist / next

-

Autumn leaves scattered on the sidewalks, the dry air brushes through the surface of his cheeks. Soobin waits beside the water fountain watching children run around in circles, throwing coins and making innocent wishes. He sees the colour yellow behind their backs, the colour of joy all around him— there was rarely a single hint of cool tones in his vision today. 

But all that catches his full attention is Y/N walking towards him, no colour, no emotion to be seen around her. 

And yet, Soobin feels a sense of comfort, familiarity, the warm feeling of his heart— as well as an indescribable feeling of pain…maybe it was the fact he was upset that he couldn’t read her. 

Did he always feel like this? Soobin thought to himself as he watched Y/N approach him with a smile. From the first time he met Y/N, he was so focused on the fact that he couldn’t read her emotions, that it made him annoyed— constantly clashing opinions with her, trying to one up against her ideas, but in the end it all came down to his curiosity getting the best of him. 

Just why, out of all people— could he not read her? Soobin was determined to find out.

Y/N stands before him and Soobin waves back, she is dressed in a simple white button up along with a pair of jeans. Soobin couldn’t think of how beautiful she was dressed in something so simple. 

“So, have you decided where to go?” Y/N questions cheerfully and Soobin pulls out his phone of a couple of restaurants he had looked at beforehand. 

“Well, I’ve picked some restaurants! Which one looks good to you?” Soobin hands her his phone as she scrolls, contemplating on each one. 

“The Japanese restaurant looks good, lets go to that one!” 

-

Soobin takes Y/N to a Japanese Sushi place, ordering a bunch of dishes for each other to share. Soobin and Y/N began talking about each other, along with stories of how Soobin met Taehyun and Y/N’s stories of meeting Ryujin, Sieun and Jungwon. 

Soobin begins to get lost in his own thoughts, Y/N just mindlessly talking as he stares at her. Somehow, with the way things are going it feels like they have known each other for a long time. Despite such differences before. 

“You know, the more I talk to you…the more I feel like I know you from somewhere but- I can’t pinpoint as to where…” Soobin blurts out, and quickly covers his mouth before saying anything further. He couldn’t believe he had just voiced the thoughts from his head.

Though, Y/N laughs at his reaction, finding it adorable. “Well, you know the family business my parents talk about…it’s quite famous. It wouldn’t be surprising if you had seen me on TV before or something.” 

Soobin nods along, thinking that’s perhaps where he might have seen her. 

The both of them decide to take a walk to digest, the orange fused purple sky beginning to reveal itself beneath the clouds. The setting was perfect for a walk down the street, there weren't a lot of people making it easy for the both of them to walk at their own pace. As they both look around, Soobin stops in front of a store. Somehow his eyes linger longer at the window causing Y/N to stop to see what he was staring at so intently.

“Oh! That’s the H2R model.” Y/N speaks up and Soobin looks over to Y/N with his eyes widened. The motorcycle model currently on display for the both of them, it’s an old model from a couple of years ago but till this day many enthusiasts seem to pick this current one as their favourite. 

Soobin stares at the motorcycle for a while, somehow it evokes a hidden emotion that he could not describe and yet the same sense of familiarity he had washes over him.

“Do you ride a motorcycle?” Y/N stared at the motorcycle, she wasn’t sure why she knew the name of the model, but somehow she felt like she had seen it before in the back of her mind.  

“I…did…but somehow, I don’t remember why I stopped.” Soobin tells her without much thought, and he shrugs as he walks away with an uneasy feeling lingering in his mind. 

Y/N stares at Soobin’s solemn expression, and she couldn’t help but worry for him. She had never seen this side of Soobin before, and she grows curious as to what is making him feel this way.

[evilovesyou]

Prompt!

I’ve saved this one from the prompt generator, and I’ve been thinking about it for a while

Genre:Romantic Comedy

Trope: Angels and Demons

Prompt: Learning a hobby together.

It’s crafting time! and to flex those well developed fluff muscles!

When Zayn had looked through the peephole in the door, all he’d seen was a grinning Niall. Now that the door was actually open, he had the very same grinning Niall right in front of him. Marvellous. It was evident he’d rushed to see Zayn by his flushed pink cheeks and his crooked halo. Zayn was almost knocked off his feet with affection. 

And that was when he saw the box.

“What’s in that box, Niall?” he asked, suspiciously narrowing his eyes. He flapped his wings behind him in a threatening manner. It sounded a little bit like the sleeves of a leather jacket rubbing together.

“Supplies!” Niall was unperturbed.

“What are the supplies for?”

“We’re crafting today, Zaynie.” Niall nodded to himself, and stepped forward, ignoring the way Zayn tried to block him. “C’mon. It’ll be fun!” he said, petting Zayn’s left horn and using his momentary shock to push himself into the apartment. His soft, feathery wings brushed Zayn’s shoulder and he carried the scent of late summer.

“Don’t… Niall, I told you my horns are sensitive.” Zayn sighed and closed the door. The angel had already kicked off his shoes and put the box on the coffee table.

“And I used the information to get into your house.”

“That’s not very angelic of you, is it?”

“Eh,” Niall shrugged, wings fluttering with it, and pulling a series of things from his box. “I did it in the name of Fun. And Fun is sacred.”

“Fun, depending on what kind, can also be considered demonic,” Zayn pointed out. “Is that wood?”

“It’s willow reeds, Zaynie. We’re going to learn basket weaving!”

“What do we need baskets for?” Zayn slowly came closer and sat down on the edge of his sofa. His. This was his apartment, even though the angel he’d accidentally befriended in college seemed to consider everything that was Zayn’s to also be his. “And why are we making a mess in my living room, not in yours?”

“You know how Harry and Liam can get about messes in the house,” Niall explained, lining up the supplies neatly. “I figured you wouldn’t mind.”

Zayn chose not to point out the fact that Harry was dating his best friend, who was the messiest demon he’d ever met. “What if I tell you I do mind, actually?”

“Oh, do you really?” Niall looked up at him for the first time, dropping his busy hands into his lap as he sat back on his haunches. Zayn’s soft, blue and yellow rug reflected in Niall’s bright eyes, the afternoon sun streaking his ash brown hair with golden streaks. The orange and pink of the oncoming sunset on Niall’s wings was completely out of place in Zayn’s self-proclaimed demonic, dark mind. He sighed.

“I don’t mind, Niall. I would just appreciate a heads-up next time.”

“But if I told you beforehand, you would’ve come up with a million excuses like ‘Niall, we don’t need baskets.’ and ‘Niall, for the love of God, don’t buy willow reeds on the internet at 3am.’ and ‘Niall, I don’t want to spend time with you–’”

“I always want to spend time with you,” Zayn rushed to correct, not realising that he’d said it out loud until he heard Niall’s quiet gasp.

“Yeah?”

“I thought it was quite obvious.” Zayn admitted, dropping his head into his hands. “Everyone teases us about it.”

“Yeah, because I have a crush on you, Z. Not the other way around.”

Zayn’s head snapped up so fast his horn almost poked Niall’s outstretched hand. Niall’s wings snapped up, ready to take flight, but immediately relaxed back down when their eyes met. His halo was still crooked. 

For a moment it seemed very quiet, until Zayn could hear people talking underneath the open window, a car going by in the street, the neighbour’s dog barking, his own heartbeat. He slowly reached across the edge of the table, tracing Niall’s temple, and fixed his halo for him.

“I like you, Niall,” Zayn said finally, as he dropped his hand. “A lot.”

more of my writing

[joelrodriguezsophomoreart1330c]

12/10 - Painting 2 - Final Portfolio and Artist Statement

Here is my final portfolio for my painting course.

Throughout this course, I have learned to make pieces using different techniques and different materials. My favorite materials to use were acrylic and multi-purpose brushes along with graphite pencils for sketching and charcoal sticks to help provide a reference for the under-painting. My favorite assignment out of all the ones I have done were the three food pieces inspired by Wayne Thiebaud, especially the lemon meringue pie. Some obstacles I have encountered through my work are that I tend to spend way too much time overthinking a design for a piece that does not need such a complex composition for it to stand out. However, slowly but surely, I have learned to sketch out my ideas beforehand and pick out a simple design for the pieces. Some other obstacles I have had were with materials, especially using warmer colors. Warmer colors like red to yellow, including red-orange and yellow-orange, would not immediately apply on to the layer because it would be too transparent. I would have to wait a few minutes before painting over it again compared to cool colors where opaque colors immediately attach themselves onto the layer. I was able to overcome this by applying brightness to warm colors to make an "underpainting" for extra details. This semester proved to be quite hectic, but I managed to make something out of it and I can eventually look back at the work I've produced in this course when I continue my career.

[shristi24]

Visual Exercise 2

My location

My location is Ardrossan Beach in my hometown, I chose this location because when I was back home for the weekend there was this lovely sunset that captured my attention.

The view was beautifully breathtaking but things I noticed were the different colours that the sunset was creating, colours such as yellow, orange, pink, purple and there was a change the shade of blue in the sky. It had been raining for the last couple of days beforehand, so there were lots of big and small puddles on the footpath. The footpath has a black metal railing, which was starting to rust. There were lots of people but it didn’t feel crowded. People were walking their dogs, some were simply walking or running, and a few were biking.

I heard the slow waves, even from a distance, there were lots of seagulls. I heard chatter created by the older people and some teenagers. Behind me was traffic noises, just a steady and constant flow of traffic. I also heard the barking from the dogs, and the bells from bicycles and at times when the bikes went over the puddles you could hear the water splashing.

The lighting was visually beautiful, it definitely has cinematic appeal. However, if we were to film in this location extra lights would be needed, depending on the story of the film and the type of shot

The smell was a strong unpleasant and very distinct seaside smell, however, this is very natural for this place. The air was cold so I could feel it through my nostrils. 

It was very cold, but it felt calm, it felt very relaxing, but at the same time a little lonely, but when I see couples walking together it feels like a romantic setting at the same time. 

Thoughts that come to my mind while being in this location are, gratefulness to be living and to be able to experience this magnificent view. 

While the sun is setting it highlights time passing by, making me think of life in general. I began to think of the limited time in life itself while understanding that there is enough time to do everything we want to. 

There are some pictures attached to indicate what the shots could look like if we went ahead with my idea.

Final idea

When we got our film equipment the buses to Sighthill were not on, and our location was on the route to Sighthill, and we couldn't wait longer due to the equipment being handed in on the same day leaving us less time to shoot. We then decided to change our plans last minute, to complete our task. 

We picked Meadow Links Play Park because Stella had the idea of a playpark in the early planning stages of production. It was raining the whole day, and we thought the colourful park would contrast with the dull lighting created by the weather. 

The park is a vibrant and colourful playpark. The clouds had blocked a lot of light so the atmosphere was dull but this contrast made the park stand out more. There was the cold and earthy smell that the rain was creating. There were sounds of birds and traffic, the rain affected our trampoline sound as we struggled to remove the squishiness when creating the jumping noises. 

The park was not damaged or showed any sign of age and there was lots of green grass nearby. However, the park overall felt quite depressing when there were no children due to the weather. At midday we saw kids come to the park during their lunch break, that's when we saw the park come back to life. It was filled with children's noises and laughter, when the children played with the activities and equipment they made noises of their own as everything started moving. It was a horrible cold and wet day but the children didn't care. After they left it went back to a dull and gloomy setting and everything went silent, the park needed the children, without them it was imcompleate. I think on a sunny day even if it was empty, it wouldn't feel gloomy cause it would be brightly lit, so the lighting really changes the feeling dramatically. 

Something I’d do better next time is to have background noises of the children along with the audio, maybe even specific conversations like “Whose turn is to go on the swing?” a conversation every child has had during their childhood making the film more nostalgic, compared to this one which creates more of an uncomfortable and creepy feeling.

Here is the shot list

Here is the Final Film Link

[violettelueur]

— JUJUTSU KAISEN EPISODE TWENTY ONE (PART TWO) || JAMAIS VU

↳ featuring : itadori yuji + fushiguro megumi + kugisaki nobara + gojo satoru from jujutsu kaisen

↳ warnings : EXTREME grammar issues

↳ form : story

↳ published : 27 april

↳ pronouns : she/her

↳ word count : 2.8k

↳ synopsis : within the jujutsu world, there were three famous clans to be aware of, the Kamo clan, Zenin clan and the Gojo clan. However, unknown to many sorcerers there was one last family that was known to be apart of the three, only for them to disappear after the golden era leading some to speculate that they had died in battle after the sealing of ryomen sukuna, but....

↳ previous episode : jujutsu koshien

↳ next episode : the origin of blind obedience 

↳ barista’s notes : lets play a little game...find the genshin reference ╲ʕ·ᴥ·　╲ʔ

BEFORE READING, I NEED YOU TO BE AWARE OF THIS:

1. the whole story belongs to Gege Akutami and the credits go to them and them only.

2. the spell curses used belong to Tite Kubo due to them being the ‘Kidos’ being used on the manga and anime ‘Bleach’ - but none is mentioned in this chapter.

2.5. for the ‘cursed spells’/kidos (bleach) i will link this video here and tell you the time stamp to check out what i am intending to show - remember i add a few twist here and there by adding the katana to link with Y/N’s cursed technique : hopefully this video is slightly better...

3. if you are confused on anything, please don’t hesitate to message me since i know this whole thing is so confusing.

“May I ask why you are following me right now?”

At this moment in time, you were seated within a train in the Tokyo Underground Metro travelling to your planned destination wearing a white button-up shirt with the first two buttons loose since it was quite oversized that was tucked into a pair of wide-legged trousers since you didn’t want it to show at the bottom of your large oversized grey v-necked sweater with the final touch of a pair of Stan Smiths that Gojo had gifted you the second you entered the Gojo’s estate after packing the last of your things back at the Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College - ‘think of it as a housewarming gift’ you remember him saying.

Speaking of Gojo…

“Why not~ It’s mine and your’s off-day, so let’s have a father-daughter day out together!” Gojo exclaimed in an excited tone, as he tilted his glasses down to look slightly down at you, showcasing his sparkling blue eyes with a cheeky smile planted on his face.

Turning your head to the side to look at him, you couldn’t help but want to snatch his glasses off and throw them across the other side of the train carriage since you have informed him all the time that you wanted to go on this outing of yours alone due to the fact that you wanted to clear your head about everything that has happened within the past week.

“Also, why the hell are those three following me?” you questioned in an annoyed whispered tone as you turned your head back to face forward before crossing your leg over your other one as you could sense the lingering but obvious trail of cursed energy from the other side of the carriage. However, you didn’t want to make it crystal clear that you knew Itadori, Fushiguro and Kugisaki were sitting on the other end looking at you while trying to not be or look suspicious.

“Well, let’s just say they are worried about you~” Gojo answered before placing one of his hands on the top of your head before beginning to gently ruffle your hair causing you to relax from your tense posture since it left a somewhat warm feeling in your heart - you also have gotten used to this little action of his since he would do the same thing when you were walking around the estate.

“So where are you planning to go? I did jump on this train because you were going in it,” Gojo asked, as he fixed his glasses leading you to look up to find that the next stop was the stop you were looking for, causing you to stand up and walk towards the exit leading Gojo to follow since he was just going by your lead at this moment in time.

“Kiyose Station?” Gojo said in a curious tone, only for you to step out of the train the second the doors opened leading Gojo to follow you as well as the three first-years that were trailing you from behind, just a few feet away to not get caught by you - even though, you already knew that they were stalking you from behind.

‘Really...did these guys forget I can sense their cursed energy?’

“Yeah, I guess I never really told you that I come here every year…’ you quietly confessed, causing Gojo to look at you with a confused expression before wondering why you were willing to take an hour-long journey for something to come to every year on the same day.

“Is that so?” Gojo questioned before looking up to the sky as he took in a deep breath of the fresh air that he was able to obtain after a long journey in the underground train station.

From his view, the sky was quite clear making it known to him that you probably had checked the weather beforehand when you were planning to go wherever he was following you to, you were always the type to be somewhat prepared for the day from what he could remember from past outings. For example, when you and him came out of a cafe to find that it was raining, you immediately took out an umbrella and held it above you and him even when you knew he could use his infinity to protect himself from the wet droplets.

“Don’t use your technique too much, just use an umbrella, you drag,” he recalled you saying and to be honest, he was somewhat gleeful at the fact you treated him the way you did. It was like you cared for him but didn’t want to explicitly admit it or make it too obvious, he felt like you were treating him like he wasn’t above you in the jujutsu world, you were basically the reason why he could relax and get away from the gripping pressure of being ‘the strongest’ - instead, you gave him the role of a father figure that he wasn’t an ideal person for, but you could tell he was trying.

“You know we are here right, you’re too much in a daydream right now,” you announced causing Gojo to snap his head back down to see a simple fence gate in front of a massive and bright field of sunflowers looking at his way like they were greeting him with their yellow happy petals.

“A sunflower field?” Gojo asked in a confused tone causing you to give a somewhat deadpan expression before turning back around to open the gate before entering the large field with other guests already hiding within the mass of tall flowers as you could sense your triplet classmates coming closer.

“You know, I knew I had weird classmates, but I didn’t know how weird…” you mentioned, causing your adoptive father to start laughing before wrapping an arm around your shoulders as you both began to walk around to view the tall flowers that had been planted and grown for the season causing Gojo to somewhat come to the realisation that you had some fascination with flowers ever since he had come to meet you - except for your weird addiction to orange juice that he learned first.

“Wah~ the sunflowers are in full bloom~” Gojo excitedly beamed out, causing some visitors to look at the tall man with a surprised expression to then quickly turn into admiration when they realise how handsome the man looked causing you to cringe since this is what you wanted to avoid coming here.

“So why do you like flowers Y/N?” Gojo suddenly queried you causing you to turn your head up to look at him while continuing to stroll down the path you both were going at, leading you to begin questioning how your fascination with flowers came about and to be honest….

“I don’t know,” you answered in a low tone before turning back to view the beautiful display that was surrounding you with the warmth you needed right now. “I guess...it’s like a remedy...one that I need,” you further explained causing Gojo to look down at you with a small smile before turning his head back slightly over his shoulder to notice his over students a few feet back arguing about whatever they were talking about while trying to keep up with the both of you - it seemed like his unnecessary tall height somewhat helped them to scout both you and him.

“Also, the estate is so dull, you need some sort of colour, so I might as well buy some sunflowers here,” you quickly added, causing the strongest sorcerer to quickly snap his head back to look at you before childishly complaining how the estate looked fine and there was no need to judge the decor of the clan house you were living in at his current moment, only for you to counter his argument with how paintings weren’t helping and the empty antique vases were not going to fill themselves up magically.

“The servants can find flowers, you don’t need to do this yourself,” Gojo mentioned causing you to give him a side look before saying that you wanted to do this, leading Gojo to close his mouth quickly as he suddenly remembered how you would always help out even when they would try to push you away since they were worried about you over-working when you were emotionally recovering this week. He also recollected how you would just admit that you were used to doing chores yourself since you had lived alone for six years before he took you in.

Unexpectantly, you turned somewhere to the right causing Gojo to be somewhat surprised since he didn’t expect you to take a sudden different route, only for his eyes to come into the sudden appearance of a little market place where some people (especially some elders) selling vegetables, small accessories, flowers and what seemed to be some charms.

However, it seemed like you weren’t telling him where you were planning to start since you were now basically just guiding him to wherever you wanted to go - after all, it was his first time here and probably needed some guidance from you.

From behind, Itadori and Kugisaki were chatting about how they were going to stay hidden away from you, while Fushiguro looked exhausted with both of them by his side and somewhat knew that you knew they were following you since he remembered that you were able to sense people’s cursed energy like a tracking system - he even reminded both his classmates about this technique of yours and they flat out ignored it, not recalling his first lesson when him and Itadori were forced into a maid cafe while tailing their teacher.

“Gojo knows a lot of places, doesn’t she?” Kugisaki muttered in amazement as she spun around to obtain a 360-degree view of the sunflower scenery that they were at right now, leading Itadori to agree with her as he smiled happily at the bright-like atmosphere that was surrounding them right now.

“Fushiguro, look! There are so many!” Itadori beamed, leading Kugisaki smacking him on the head before informing him that he was being too loud and they were about to get caught causing Fushiguro to let out a sigh in slight annoyance.

‘I can tell she’s laughing at us, right now’ Fushiguro thought as he could see your shoulders going up and down like how they would when you would giggle.

As time went on, the trio kept tabs on you as you went from market stall to market stall to view those items that the sellers had for sale leading them to wonder what you were looking for since you never really took the time to bring out your wallet and pay for whatever the seller would pitch you.

“These are so cute, why didn’t she buy them?” Kugisaki questioned as she lifted up a pair of sunflower earrings that you had previously viewed causing the seller to start telling her how they made it and how beautiful they would look on her, while Fushiguro looked to the side peering at you and Gojo only to discover you at this one stall where the seasoned sunflowers were being sold.

However, before you could even ask the seller for a bouquet, a little girl sudden ran up to the stall asking their mother if they could get a sunflower, only for the worried woman to inform their child that they weren’t about to afford it due to them using the last of their money to pay for the food that they ate causing the little girl to quickly become quiet before turning back around to view the bright flowers that she wasn’t able to get with tears pending in her eyes.

“Excuse me madam, how much for two flowers?” you asked gently, causing the old woman being the stall to turn her head to look at you before answering your question with a price leading you to place a purchase while adding your bouquet to the order, causing the little girl standing beside you to look at you with a confused expression since she didn’t understand why you were buying a whole bouquet of her favourite flowers with two single ones alone.

While the woman was wrapping the last of the single sunflower she was preparing for you in the classic brown paper, you gently took the one she had finished before handing it to the small child that was by your side, causing her to look at the flower in complete awe before looking up at you, only to see a small but gently smile painted on your face.

“It’s for you,” you informed her in a light and soft tone, leading the girl to slowly take the bouquet away from your grasp before noticing how you were going to pay extra for the black ribbon tied around the flower as well as the white baby breaths that surrounded the single flower before giving the other single flower to them mother that was behind the child, causing the woman to look at you in shock before thanking you for the gift as she didn’t expect you to buy something for her as well after you gifted her daughter with what she wanted.

“What do you say to the nice lady, dear?” the mom questioned her daughter causing the little girl to look confused before realising what she meant as she jumped in excitement.

“Thank you so much, miss!” the girl cheered, causing you to smile at her before excitingly showing the mother the flower you had gifted her as you then turned back around to collect the bouquet that you had brought for yourself as you processed to give her the amount of money needed for the large purchase.

“Shame...and I thought you were giving one each to me and you…” Gojo muttered with a pout, causing you to give him a weirded-out side glance before scoffing in amusement.

“Never in a million years dad,” you answered in a teasing manner before making your way towards the trio that was at the stall behind you, leaving the strongest sorcerer shocked at what you had just said to him, as the duo of Itadori Yuji and Kugisaki Nobara screamed at your sudden appearance since they would they were in the clear, while Fushiguro was looking at you with a gentle but his usually stoic face as he somewhat found out about your side of kindness you had for other people.

“Gojo!” Itadori screamed, causing you to give them a small smile.

“So...care to explain why you have been following me since I left the estate? Why is it once you finally get a break from being a sorcerer, rather than taking a rest, you instead come to me?” you questioned in a sinister tone, causing all three of your classmates to shiver at the dark aura that was emitting itself from your body right now.

However, before they were even able to answer in their frightened state, Gojo suddenly launched himself at you from behind with tears in his eyes causing you to yell at him for his childish behaviour, only for him to wrap his arms around your shoulders before rocking you from side to side in pure happiness.

“You called me ‘dad’, come on, say it again! One more time!” Gojo requested in pure glee as tears of happiness streamed down his face with a silly smile, leading the trio behind you to look at the sorcerer with pure horror as you informed him that he was already asking you for too much as once was enough causing Gojo to complain in a childish voice again that ‘it wasn’t too much’ and that you have to say it again, almost causing you to smack the bouquet across his face.

“Let me go!” you yelled out, as you tried to pry Gojo’s arms that were around your shoulder while trying not to crease the flowers that you have just bought only for your adoptive father to cling onto you tighter to which caused your body to give up and you stood there with a disheartened expression on your face, completely forgetting that Itadori, Fushiguro and Kugisaki had followed you here as you had another issue to deal with.

While this was going on, Fushiguro couldn’t help but continue to recall the situation that had happened earlier between you and the little family, especially the small action of your hand going down to pass the flower to the little girl...as if a hand has reached down to him before leading little images of a hand passing him a bandage came into view, yet he didn’t seem to have any recollection of it...like a memory, he technically didn’t remember.

“Gojo?” Fushiguro called you out, causing you to turn to him while grasping on the bright sunflowers that were facing his way as if to give him encouragement to say what he was planning on asking you.

“What’s the opposite of Deja vu?”

© violettelueur 2021 : written and published by violettelueur - do not steal or repost

[bluesora]

when you go for a drive with them

bokuto kōtarō & akaashi keiji ; kuroo tetsurō & kozume kenma ; hanamaki takahiro & matsukawa issei

fluff ; headcanon ; platonic relationship ; age up!!

note: just me channeling my wants into fics because what are friends when i only have imaginary ones ha ha ha im kidding. please enjoy !!

bokuto kōtarō & akaashi keiji

it was unplanned. impromptu. and most definitely bokuto’s idea.

he tried to call you but upon seeing his name flash across your screen at 4am, you declined it.

only on the fifth try did you see that it was akaashi and picked it up immediately. he rarely calls, so you thought it might actually be something urgent this time.

“so...remind me why am i awake at at this ungodly hour again?”

“we’re going to watch the sunrise together!!!” bokuto grinned through the rear mirror.

“and i agreed because...?”

“you get free breakfast from us.” akaashi answered as a matter of fact.

which doesn’t sound so bad now that you guys haven’t had the time to chill together as often anymore.

with paper bags of burgers and drinks beside you, bokuto drove up to the hill closest to fukurodani high where many fond memories reside.

being squeezed in the middle of the two on the trunk, you wondered how time had passed so quickly.

“remember how we used to race up this hill and i always win?”

“it’s not a race if you’re the only one running bokuto-san.”

“and you are still calling kou so formally?”

“i guess old habits die hard.”

only when the sky dyed in shades of orange and yellow did the sound of chattering drizzled down.

while bokuto and akaashi was watching the miraculous moment of the sun waking the world up, you realized how much you missed the times you’ve spent with these two.

“we should do this again...”

“we totally should!! but you don’t pick up my calls y/n!!” bokuto sulked.

with that, only the sound of you and akaashi’s laughter filled the tranquility of this precious moment.

kuroo tetsurō & kozume kenma

kuroo invited you over to kenma’s house for some drinks and catching up. that was what you initially thought.

until you found yourself shoved into his car with kenma lying on the back seat playing his game.

“i could actually sue you for kidnapping you know?”

“it’s not kidnapping if it’s a road trip, right kenma?”

“don’t make me your accomplice when i’m a victim too.”

it’s been a while since you took a long break from work so getting some fresh air out of the city was just what you need as well.

of course, knowing them, they probably planned it beforehand since kuroo isn’t one with much free time in the first place.

and for the first time in a while you decided might as well do what you want.

connecting your phone to the car’s bluetooth system, you went through your nostalgic high school playlist while bringing the window down.

“oh this song! you’d always play whenever we had to clean up the gym.”

“if it gets people moving, it’ll be on the playlist.”

“yamamoto crack his voice once when he tried to impress you with his singing.”

you laughed wholeheartedly, remembering the scene kenma reminded you of. it was so hilarious but adorable at the same time. even kenma chuckled softly from the back.

as the excitement died down, only the music from the speakers filled the comfortable silence as you admire the scenery under the sunny afternoon sun.

“thank you for your kind invitation tetsu, i guess i am in need of a break.”

“awww you don’t have to cry y/n~”

“argh i’m not!”

hanamaki takahiro & matsukawa issei

“did you get everything? snacks? drinks? what else do we need?”

“yeah yeah i got it all. your favorite strawberry pocky too.” matsukawa dropped the bag of stuff onto your lap as he climbed back to the driver’s seat.

“what about my condoms?” hanamaki joked, only to get smacked on the back of his head from you.

“tell me why am i friends with you two again?”

“because we are the better duo—”

“because you’re afraid of oikawa and iwaizumi is always with him” matsukawa just had to remind you of that frightful day huh.

putting on your seatbelt, you sighed into your seat with a frown. it wasn’t anything drastic but you’ve always been pretty antisocial and somehow being with oikawa kind of drained your energy a lot more than you think.

“you make it sound like you guys are the second option.”

“of course not y/n, we will never forget the day you rejected him but said okay to me and mattsun when we asked immediately after.”

hanamaki laughed while matsukawa chuckled at the familiar memory. it did quite a big blow to oikawa to be honest.

after a few more minutes of bringing up embarrassing past events, you can see the ocean coming into view as the car exits the tunnel.

rolling down the window, you can almost smell the saltiness of the ocean as strong wind blew your hair back freely.

“i call dips on throwing y/n first!”

“hiro, don’t you dare!” you practically glared at the smirking male.

“why call dips when you can grab her arms while i grab her legs?”

you groaned in annoyance but only to feel your lips breaking into a huge grin because you just know how much fun you’ll have when you’re with them.

“oh did i mention i’m actually on my period right now?”

“that’s why i got you tampons, don’t worry and just have fun.” matsukawa grinned with lazy ass look he always have when he know you can’t say anything back.

“seriously why are we friends?”

[aahsokaatano]

Cloneshipweek July 2021 Bingo

Day 4: Painting

Pairing: Fox/Wolffe

Rated: G

Day 1 // Previous // Next

@cloneshipweek

“Hold still.”

Fox wrinkled his nose, but stopped shifting. “It tickles!”

Wolffe huffed above him, and Fox felt the hard end of the paint brush poke his side.

“Hey!” he yelped. “That’s not gonna help me keep still, you know!”

Wolffe snickered, but didn’t poke him again. And when the brush touched Fox’s bare back again, it was a little firmer, less ticklish.

Fox relaxed into the sensation of Wolffe slowly painting his skin, idly wondering what was taking shape on his back. He couldn’t tell what was going on from the gentle touches or the cool glide of the paint - Wolffe hadn’t even let him see the colors beforehand.

Whatever it was, he was sure it would be beautiful.

Wolffe usually painted on plastoid, updating his armor design every few months, but he had done quite a few of the Wolfpack gunships’ nose art. He was particularly pleased with how ‘Plo’s Bros’ had turned out.

When he had asked Fox if he could paint him, Fox hadn’t even hesitated. He trusted Wolffe - he loved Wolffe, with a depth that took his breath away sometimes. 

Whatever Wolffe decided should grace Fox’s skin, he was sure it would be perfect.

It felt like both an eternity and yet no time at all before he felt Wolffe shifting, swinging his leg up and over to get up from where he had been sitting on Fox’s butt. “Don’t move,” Wolffe said quietly. “I need to take a picture for you to see.”

Fox hummed and kept still, only turning his head to pillow his cheek on his forearm. From this position, he was just barely able to see Wolffe standing behind him, holding up a holorecorder and fiddling with the settings.

“Okay,” he finally said. Instead of waiting for Fox to get up, Wolffe settled onto the mat next to him, showing him the screen.

Fox’s breath caught in his throat as he looked at the picture. It was a nebula, bright orange and yellow and white against the black void of space. As he took it in, it became clear that the nebula was in the shape of a fox, prowling through the stars.

“Wolffe,” he said softly, reaching out to trace a finger over the deliberate curve of the fox’s ghostly spine. “This is… incredible.”

“You think so?”

Fox turned to press a kiss to Wolffe’s cheek. “I know so. I just… wow.” He took another moment to admire the picture of the gorgeous painting on his back. “Wonder if I could find a tattoo artist that could make it permanent…”

Wolffe made a surprised noise. “You want it forever?”

“Of course,” Fox grinned. “It’s badass, it’s cool as hell, and you made it. Of course I want to keep it forever.”

A flush was spreading over Wolffe’s cheekbones. “Kriffing sap,” he muttered, but he was smiling.

Fox laughed and kissed him again, already running through a mental list of the best tattoo parlours on Coruscant.

Maybe he could convince Wolffe to paint him more tattoo options in the future.

[fenristheorem]

You

Excerpts of Fenris (OC) and Lance / Ashkore

~Link to The Excerpts masterlist here~ (no link yet)

*Note about writing: The way I write my own OC’s stories will be, for the most part, vastly different than how I write normal requests. I personally have no issue with writing typically disturbing scenes (under specific circumstances, which is why I generally refuse to write many of these things in asks, and there are some topics that I won’t write at all) so my personal writings may contain many violent, sexual, or controversial scenes that some people my not be comfortable reading (heavy violence, questionable consent, possibly toxic relationship, cheating, things like that). They’ll almost always contain swearing. However, I don’t have an interest in writing some things very in-depth (I’ll write descriptive, violent fight scenes but won’t be very descriptive on gore, and I will not write rape at all) so this may not be much of an issue. At the end of the day, it depends on the reader. I’ll always list warnings (sexual, violence, etc., probably not swearing unless it’s very prominent) beforehand.

My Origins semi-AU: This AU is based on the Eldarya that Beemoov created, but I’ve adjusted a few things to expand the world more and to allow my OC to fit in better with an interesting story. It doesn’t really follow the original storyline of Origins. The general idea of the world is still the same, but as you read you’ll notice many specific details may have been changed or altered. Again, this is just me altering or adding in things to expand the world and create a storyline for my OC. Altered details may be revealed in an excerpt, but the same excerpt may not always explain the reasoning behind something. It will be revealed in other excerpts, but since they won’t be written in perfect chronological order for the most part (these are probably going to become a routine thing on my page now lol), they won’t always be revealed immediately.

Summary: While on a hunt, Dakota comes across someone quite familiar to her, but not for good reasons. She later confronts Valkyon on a multitude of topics that help clarify her perspectives.

***Warnings: Violence / fighting, a bit of sexual content.

~ Under the cut ~

Soft winds trickled through the forest trees, carrying hushed sounds and icy chills upon it as it wove around barren trunks. The trees had shed their leaves long ago, once carpeting the forest floor with numerous colors that had long since been covered up by blankets of snow. Former lush undergrowth was now dead and dried, nothing but mere tendrils rising out of the snowy ground to reach to the broad sky above. It was a winter wonderland that one could enjoy a calming walk through, except that the woodlands have been haunted by two lethal predators for many days.

A shadowy figure flitted among the trees, taking safety by hiding herself from some viewpoints within the forest by placing a tree between her and the possible whereabouts of the hunted hunter. She paused after every dart between trees, watching her surroundings for movement and listening for rustling. The dimming sky - lit faintly with oranges, to yellow, and a fading light blue - signaled that her time was running out as chilled winds brushed past her. She made a mental note to keep an eye on the direction of the breeze, it could make or break her hunt.

Come on Dakota, you’ve been hunting this Black Dog for days. How terrible of a hunter are you?

Her thoughts ridiculed her relentlessly as she spotted the faintly snowed-over tracks she had been following for the past many hours. They didn’t look all that similar to a Black Dog, but the snowdrifts created by the wind had a tendency to transform one set of tracks into something entirely different. She had to work with what she was given, and these tracks were the only ones big enough to be a Black Dog.

She leaned forward, glancing around the tree trunk to observe her surroundings before leaping from the roots of the tree. Her feet met the ground quietly and she staggered forward, glancing around as she made her way forward. The snow tugged at her feet and she tripped over something beneath the blanket of white, quickly regaining her balance as she brushed a loose strand of dark hair out of her face. A prickling feeling came over her as she looked around, failing to notice exactly where she was going as she glanced hastily around. A thick tree caught her eye and she hastened her prowl towards it, feeling hunted all the while.

With her back against the tree bark, she took a quick breather and glanced at the sky again, pondering over her decision to take this mission.

It originally seemed simple enough; just hunt down a Black Dog that’s been suspected to have been more aggressive - leading to more attacks on Eldaryans- as of late, kill it, and return home, preferably with it’s corpse as evidence of it’s death. At the time, Dakota thought it was a good mission for her. She’s not too bad with tracking, better with actual combat, and she loves the forest, especially during the colder months of the year, so why wouldn’t she choose this mission? Miiko - advised by Valkyon, her commander and lover of a few short months - had agreed that Dakota was capable of taking this mission on alone. She was quite pleased with the decision; this mission seemed like a good way of getting alone time outside of the guard while still being useful. So she set out on a solo hunt for an unusually dangerous Black Dog that could be hiding anywhere in the forest, or even have left the vicinity for all she knew. 

However, as the sky grew ever darker around her and the cold winds bordered freezing, she suddenly pondered her decision to take this mission, especially alone. Yes, she loved winter and the cold, but the snow and possible ice would make fighting harder, and she had no one to watch her back. It was only her eyes, ears, and other senses that she could rely on; she had no help. Was it truly such a good idea to take on a hunting mission - one that’s supposed to hunt a predatory species, no less - all alone? It certainly doesn’t help that winter seems to have come earlier and stronger than usual, if the heavy layer of snow and cold breeze mean anything. She hadn’t been in Eldarya very long, but she did know that winters didn’t usually hit so quickly. Dakota wasn’t exactly prepared to deal with this much winter so early in the year, either, nor the feeling of being hunted herself with every step she took...

The snap of a twig sounded somewhere in the forest and Dakota immediately snapped to attention, widened dark hazel eyes flicking around her surroundings as she adjusted quickly to see within the shadows against the white of the snow. She couldn’t see anything alarming as she looked around, but her instincts told her that if she dared stay out for too much longer the snapping of twigs could definitely signal that she’s the one being hunted instead of doing the hunting. Who knows what creatures lurk around at night, after all? At very least, she’ll try again tomorrow when there’s more sunlight. In the mean time, as much as she loved the cold and snow, she was looking forward to curling up with Valkyon in a warm bed.

With a sigh of disappointment, Dakota pushed herself off of the tree she was leaning against and began to follow a relatively indirect path back to the guard. Perhaps going back another pathway could lead her to said Black Dog? And even if not, at least she wouldn’t be wondering if she missed it by walking the same path back home.

She walked through the forest along a faint pathway that seemed to run parallel to the guard, creating some distance from the path she came from before heading back. However, it wasn’t too long before Dakota noticed another set of tracks in the snow - prints from boots - intersecting with her chosen pathway forward and seeming to head back towards the guard... but according to the direction of the footprints, that pathway almost seemed to run parallel with her original path, as if stalking her.

Her heart nearly skipped a beat as she looked at the tracks. They were fresh, and larger than hers. Someone else was out there with her, and was possibly watching her.

Dakota immediately raised her head and looked around, trying to see if she could spot a hint of someone or something that could have caused these tracks. She saw nothing.

A glance at the ever more dimming daylight made her clench her jaw, pressuring herself to just go back and return to the guard... but she had to know if she was being followed. Did Valkyon follow her without her knowing, performing some sort of assessment that she wasn’t aware of? Was it a complete stranger that found some sort of sick amusement in stalking her?

Both possibilities angered her in different ways, and so - despite her growing anxiousness - she pushed her worries aside and decided to follow the tracks, needing to know exactly who thought it was appropriate to set her off in a bout of anxiety when she was out alone hunting a hunter. They didn’t even try to conceal their tracks!

However, she stopped immediately as another thought came over her. Was it possible that it was him? No, he was in that other foreign town across the ocean just last week, wreaking havoc upon the town for allegedly unknown reasons. She saw him herself as he burned the town and massacred the people in power before Valkyon charged forward to combat the man in glimmering black armor with blood red eyes. However, it would make sense if it were him. There’s a motive for stalking her, he could definitely fit the large size of the prints, and he certainly seemed skilled enough to have been able to stalk her for hours without her even suspecting. She deeply hoped this wasn’t the case, though, as that would mean that she’s stuck out in the woods with him, completely alone and unable to identify exactly where he was. Dakota certainly couldn’t face up to him in solo combat, either; she can’t come close to beating Valkyon in combat, and Valkyon doesn’t seem to fare too well against the man in black and red armor, so no way would she be able to fight him and survive. If he was the one to cause these tracks...

A rustle sounded from somewhere in the forest, from her flank, like all the other slightly odd sounds tonight. Her head snapped to look in the direction it came from, but nothing was given away among the shadowy trees. 

If it were the Black Dog it likely would have attacked by now... The thought continuously circled in her head now.

Dakota glanced around, still not noticing anything out of the ordinary but knowing it was unlikely that there was no one around aside from her.

Being observation-heavy, there are few things that happen around Dakota at any and all times that she doesn’t pick up on, so when someone can stalk her for hours without her suspecting, it leads her to believe that they’re likely highly skilled in areas of warfare and combat. There are few people she can think of that would have a motive to stalk her for seemingly no reason, and may have that great of knowledge in the field of war. All but one belong to the guard, and Valk would have told her if she were going to be assessed soon... Someone was stalking her, and she didn’t like her odds with who it likely was.

Her heart rate picked up and her breathing quickened, rushes of cold chills flowing through her until she couldn’t tell the difference between the cold weather around her and her own limbs. She quickly decided to resign for the night and turned away from the tracks, heading back slightly parallel to the guard again - like before she began following the second set of tracks - until she found herself walking along a treeline bordering a flat, shallow valley many trees tall in width.

Dakota allowed herself only a moment to look, noting the lack of tracks in the snow covered valley and allowing herself a few moments to admire the beauty. On the other side of the valley was another tree line, the treetops brushed gently with snow, like the ones that she stood under, and glinting softly in the last light of day.

With a slightly calmer mindset, Dakota turned around to be met with the man wearing black armor and blood red eyes standing atop a fallen tree a mere few meters away.

She froze immediately, her heart in her throat and breath nearly non-existent as she observed the Masked Man blocking her route towards the guard.

He merely stared at her, still as a statue.

They stood, watching each other, for what seemed like many minutes until the Masked Man finally moved, slowly slinking across the fallen tree to rest a foot quietly - gently - on the ground. Dakota - still frozen in hopes that no sudden movements would maintain the eerie calm around them - braced herself as he prowled cautiously closer, preparing to bolt in nearly any direction in an attempt to run from him. However, she was unsure of how far she could go if she tried running; her legs felt weak as it was - from fear or exhaustion, or both, she didn’t know - and she was sure that if she put anymore stress on her racing heart she would have a heart attack. 

He made his way slowly around her and Dakota resigned to staying completely still, attempting to listen for any warning signs that he may be advancing on her to hurt her as he made his way behind her. She was completely unsure of why she so quickly froze in his presence, or of why he decided to stalk her instead of just attacking - after all, just last week she was actively fighting against him in close combat - but she couldn’t find the strength within herself to do anything else aside from freeze at the moment. She was his prey right now; her strength couldn’t begin to rival his, and any tactics she knew would likely seem like child’s play to him. There was nothing Dakota could do except wait and hope that the Masked Man didn’t have fatal intentions for her as he emerged into view again at her other side.

He stopped a few meters in front of her and drew his sword from the scabbard on his hip with a sickening metallic scratch before standing still again. Dakota - despite her still overwhelming fear and breathlessness - took the moment to force herself to move, withdrawing her own sword and setting her feet in a tense battle stance, waiting for his first move.

Her hands trembled slightly as she straightened, leveling a numb stare at the Masked Man as she tried to tamp down fear. She was sure she would die out here. Very few have come away from a battle with the man in front of her with less than serious wounds, and there was no way she could drag herself all the way back to the guard if she met the same fate, especially with that Black Dog lingering around. However, one thought did remain; why did he wait so long to attack her?

The armored man leapt at her, lashing his sword as Dakota stumbled backwards. She brought her sword in front of her, and the tremble of her sword as the man’s sword struck hers echoed painfully up her arm until she was sure her whole body shivered in response, but she pushed the unsettling feeling away in preparation for his next thunderous attack. Again his sword met hers - twice as harsh this time - but she held strong under his weight despite the bone trembling shiver that coursed through her and nipping pain building in her arm. She refused to be taken down so easily. He backed off for a moment and then lunged towards her again, striking out high with a dagger in his other hand, and Dakota narrowly dodged it by ducking. She leaned her weight and aimed her sword at his legs as she bolted forward, taking a moment to unsheathe her own dagger before training her attention on turning around to face him again after passing by, channeling the momentum from turning around into a strong slash at him with her sword.

The Masked Man reacted instantaneously, raising his own sword to clash with hers before she could strike him, but Dakota anticipated this possibility and was already following up her slash with a stab from her dagger. He leaped back - out of her range - and didn’t advance again. Dakota also took a few steps back, still not comfortable with how close she was to such a lethal warrior, and stayed still to prepare for his next attack as he began circling her.

He charged at her after a few mere heartbeats and Dakota attempted to dodge out of his path, but her reaction time was late and he managed to take her arm in a bone crushing grip, turning her slightly and tripping her before releasing her arm and letting her fall to the ground.

Dakota landed on her back, the air being taken momentarily taken from her lungs as she dropped her sword and dagger before rolling out of the way as the Masked Man’s sword fell upon her. The sword tip lodged it’s way into the snowy ground, but she had to bend awkwardly another time as the man’s foot came down on her. He missed the second time as well, but the third time he hit her as his sword flew towards her again, landing in the ground again but nicking her ear still.

However, Dakota took note of his awkward footing and kicked out towards one of his feet, hoping to destabilize him. He shifted in response, leaning much of his weight on his other foot, and Dakota swung out with her leg towards his other foot, satisfaction momentarily striking her as she successfully hit and unbalanced him slightly. 

The man began to back up as he regained his balance, realizing she had him in a compromising position, and Dakota moved quickly, rolling into a crouch and lunging at him. He swung out with his dagger, but was too late as her shoulder met his abdomen painfully, the armor curving slightly to her shoulder as she took him down but still feeling as though she hit a brick wall.

He landed below her with a grunt, seemingly in a slight bit of pain, and something occurred to Dakota. Was it possible that blunt force could hurt him despite his armor?

Her advantage didn’t last long, however, and she quickly found herself below the large form of the Masked Man.

His hands wrapped around her throat, still gripping the dagger between his palm and her neck, and tightened until she could barely breathe. She fought against him as hard as she could, pushing against his chest and trying to dislodge his grip, but another sensation overcame her and pulled her from reality.

A sense of familiarity overcame Dakota, as though she recognized the Masked Man as a dear friend she had known for centuries. She felt as though she knew his temperament, how explosive his personality was, how passionate he was, and how deeply his emotions ran. For a moment time seemed to slow, the Masked Man seemed to freeze, and Dakota - despite knowing her enemy’s hands were tight around her throat - felt as though she had been embraced within his arms before.

A flash of brilliant, cold blue overtook her vision, images flicking through her mind faster than what she could comprehend, but knowing it was all still important regardless, before everything went dark. However, instead of blacking out, she saw before her a new landscape - cold, snowy, dark mountains - and a dragon, the color of a black void, outlined by the bright night and snowy mountains. Dark scales and pebbly skin rippled across strong muscles as the dragon reared back onto it’s hind legs, throwing it’s head into the air and releasing a sky-shattering roar as black smoke bellowed from it’s mouth. Chains around it’s neck, arms, and constricting it’s body snapped and clanked as it fought against the metal, until finally the chains shattered and large black wings rose into the sky, covering the mountain range from her sight and shading her from the moon. The dragon’s roar ended and it tilted it’s head down to look at her with gaping, snarling jaws, it’s deep chest heaving in a large breath as front paws reached towards the ground to settle itself down.

Claws dug into the mountain earth below them, roughly the size of her hand, and sleek black armor scales rippled as the dragon took an ominous step towards her. It bowed it’s head to level with hers, and Dakota’s hazel gaze met with burning golden eyes, eyes that she’s seen many times in her past.

She blinked and found herself back in the present - the Masked Man’s hands still around her throat - but she felt different than when she had entered into... whatever it was she just experienced.

An overwhelming surge of power flowed through her veins. She felt as though she could raise mountains, move the sun and moon, command the stars across the sky and tear the ground asunder. Some sort of ancient power - she knew - had awakened in her, and instinctively she knew what to do.

Dakota’s hands stopped scrambling and raised to the man’s chest, pressing both palms flat against his armor as her vision started to waver. Despite her oncoming unconsciousness, she focused on the surge of power deep within her, pushing against his chest and to the side. Miraculously, he moved a bit, forced to lean to one side, but fought against her and kept her throat in his hands. She took a breath and relaxed most of her body to move the feeling of power to her palms, and within moments energy built within her hands. A cool, tingling sensation and a thick, black substance began to build within her hands, creeping up around her fingers and up her arms. A low hum sounded within her mind as the substance built up, feeling like air and thick fog. It sprawled out across the man’s chest in beautiful, sharp streaks, blacker than his armor, and Dakota let the energy break and release, focusing it outward and towards the man. The hum stopped and the dark substance shattered. The Masked Man was torn away from her, flying a small ways away and landing roughly on the ground.

Dakota took a deep breath as the substance faded and collected herself, still feeling the surge of power beneath her skin. However, she heard shuffling across the snow, and turned her head to see the Masked Man beginning to rise to his feet. The surge of power roared again, and she found it easy to force herself to her feet as well.

She found her sword and dagger nearby and took them in hand at the same time the Masked Man took his in hand, turning to face him and brace for his next attack. However, instead of attacking, he sheathed his sword and dagger and stood watching her.

Dakota’s heart pounded as her veins burned and froze all at once, feeling twice her size despite facing off with a man who was actually near twice her size. Her patience began to run thin, not appreciating the seemingly calculating look the man was giving her despite his mask, nor appreciating the fact that he thought their tussle was done simply because he sheathed his weapons.

“What are you doing!? Fight me!” She yelled at him, her voice satisfyingly reflecting the thundering strength that coursed through her. She could beat him, she knew she could.

He continued to stand there, still as a statue with gleaming red eyes. Dakota didn’t give anything much thought before yelling again.

“Why!? Why stalk me!?”

No response.

“And then attack me!?”

No response.

“And then stop!?” 

Still no response.

Dakota growled - baring pointed teeth - and nearly threw her dagger at him. If he moved to dodge it at least it would be something!

“I know you can fight much better than this, I’ve seen it, so why are you toying with me!?”

He stays silent but tilts his head faintly.

“Answer!”

She nearly screeches at him, the power surge roaring within her smaller form until it reached the heights of what she felt when the black substance formed beneath her hands and bent to her will. Pre-existing shadows darkened in her peripherals and she felt a cold brush over her, even beneath the heavy fur layers she wore. Oddly, it didn’t bother her this time. It felt like a home she recognized but never experienced.

A few moments passed by as Dakota resigned to being quiet, hoping perhaps the man was just trying to find the right words to explain himself. However, he tilted his head back to normal and did nothing else.

A surge of dying anger and irritation swept through her momentarily as she refused to give up. She paced a few steps closer, hoping to portray the idea that she may attack him if he didn’t answer her.

“What do you want!?” 

“You.” The word was snapped in a low rumble, as though the Masked Man despised what he was saying.

Dakota reeled her head back, straightening as she looked at him with shock and confusion. Her surge of strength still didn’t fade, and the shadows from trees around her peripherals still didn’t lighten back to normal.

Her? He wanted her? What did he want with her?

She quickly narrowed her eyes in suspicion, looking him up and down. Was he planning some sort of trap? Was she falling into it?

“What do you want with me?” She started cautiously in a low voice, preparing to either bolt or swing her sword or dagger without warning if need be.

The Masked Man answered her again. It seemed she was finally gaining ground with him.

“You have potential.”

Now that was unexpected.

Dakota remained still - just like him - aside from turning and tilting her head slightly. Her anger disappeared and was now replaced by cautious concern.

“Potential?”

“It’s a shame it’s being wasted.”

“Excuse me?” Dakota snapped at him - feeling heavily insulted at his statement - and spoke with a sneer in her voice. “What, I’m wasting my potential or something? Do I need to work harder?”

“No.”

She was taken aback again, and another question was lingering at the tip of her tongue until the Masked Man began speaking again.

“They’re wasting your potential.”

“...The guard?”

He nodded his head before his deep, rumbling voice broke the silence again.

“You need a better mentor, your current one is incompetent.”

“Mind you, my current mentor is quiet proficient! He leads the Obsidian Guard!”

The Masked Man shook his head slowly.

“I’m aware of his position within the guard, but he isn’t fit to train you in what you need. You could be a truly fearsome warrior with a mentor better fit for you.” His voice remained level as he spoke.

Dakota couldn’t believe her ears. Her enemy was saying that Valkyon was completely incompetent to train his warriors! He led his warriors, how could he be a bad teacher!? However, she wouldn’t admit this... but Valk did have a tendency to take things a bit slow with her. He trained her, sure, but he didn’t push her too much. Things escalated naturally with Valkyon’s training, and he trained her in a multitude of weaponry. However, this was a good thing, wasn’t it? She didn’t wear herself out in training and her skills were versatile... except that her skills in other weaponry weren’t actually very good. At least, not by what she’s seen. She was alright, but if she didn’t have a sword or dagger in a fight she didn’t think she’d escape very easily - or cleanly - and she has asked Valk to train her harder many times, always feeling as though she hasn’t improved much after the sessions. He always says he’ll keep her wishes in mind and challenge her more when she shows improvement and capability, but according to this methodology she hasn’t been showing much of either. Was it true that Valk was holding her back? Should she pressure him to challenge her more?

Was the Masked Man right in saying that her mentor wasn’t sufficient for her?

“Based on your silence, I believe you’re reflecting on your training and realizing I’m correct. Right?”

His hollow voice broke her from her thoughts and she quickly tried to find an excuse for her silence that didn’t affirm his second thought... except that he was right. On both ideas.

She resigned to staying silent, glaring at him all the while.

“I see you’re not too far gone to not listen to logic, that’s good. It seems like the guard hasn’t yet corrupted you completely.”

Dakota narrowed her glare further. He might have been right, but it was still an insult on her lover and friends, and she didn’t need to act like she liked it.

“Let me take the moment and explain.” The Masked Man began to walk a slow circle around her, hands clasped behind his back as she turned to keep him in front of her at all times.

“You have the instincts for this. You’re fast, and strong. Stubborn, but wise - for the most part - and are able to adapt. However, you’re also slow, likely don’t see even a quarter of the possibilities you could enact on that your opponent wouldn’t expect, and are unfamiliar and inexperienced with real warfare. To be fair, you only have one primary mentor right now; your dear Valkyon.”

Dakota nearly stopped breathing for a moment. The Masked Man knowing who the Chief of Obsidian is was one thing, but knowing Valkyon was dear to her? Did he know the extent of her relationship with him? Did he know for sure, or was that just sarcasm?

“It’s possible that other warriors may prove to be better mentors, but since the Chief is the guard’s best fighter - and I can successfully fend off him and a few of his other warriors simultaneously - I would advise you to not place your bets on those other soldiers.”

The Masked Man stopped walking and turned to face her, not approaching her. Dakota had a feeling she knew where he was going with his rant, and didn’t like the fact that he proved a good point if they both had the same thing in mind. However, she doubted this possibility; the Masked Man would never help the guard.

“I’m your best option. There are no warriors within the guard that can give you the training you require. However, I can. I, like you, am a sword fighter. I outrank in skill and experience any soldiers within the guard, and I’ll push you so hard that actual warfare will seem like child’s play. And those abilities of yours... I could help you strengthen them.”

Dakota’s thoughts were confirmed, but she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Let the Masked Man train her!? It must be a trap, there’s no way he would help her as that would be helping the guard, and he’s made his feelings on the guard quite clear!

“Hold on just a moment. You’re offering to train me!? Me, who works for the guard!? You think you can train me better than anyone in the guard!? You think you’re more experienced than the Chief of Obsidian guard!? And you think you can help me strengthen my... powers!? I don’t even know what they are! This is the first time anything like that has actually happened!” Dakota cut him off with a voice that continuously rose in octaves before he could say anymore, not at all understanding his reasoning, nor how he thinks he could offer her more help than what she’s already receiving.

The Masked Man tilted his head when she mentioned her powers.

“Yes, I’m offering to train you... No, I’m telling you that I will be training you from now on. And you wouldn’t know my experience. You don’t even know who I am. Do you think it’s easy to be living the life of a rogue outside the guard’s walls? Do you think an amateur in warfare could do what I do, when I do it, with the precision I have? And regarding your powers...”

Dakota’s ankles suddenly felt heavy as the Masked Man raised a hand and turned his palm towards her, a freezing feeling crawling up her legs as he did so. She looked down and saw... ice; crystalline blue ice wrapped around her ankles and slowly rising up her legs. Panic invaded her for only a moment before something else - something sacred - overcame her, just like earlier.

Within moments she was standing in a familiar place; cold, snowy, mountainous, an iced-over lake beneath her feet, standing and staring up at a vivid blue moon above her. Everything was quiet, and despite the cold around her, she didn’t feel cold. Instead, she felt oddly... at home. She recognized this place from her dreams in the past, but there was another thing about it that was familiar. It reminded her of someone...

The ice below her feet - blue like the moon - groaned and cracked. She didn’t move, she welcomed it, and the ice fell in, sending her deep within the glacial depths below.

The water beneath was frigid but held her softly, caressing her skin as though she were a dearly beloved creature to it. She allowed herself to float; up, down, it didn’t matter. She let the currents decide for her. Up above - through the hole in the ice that was gradually shrinking as it glazed over with another layer of ice - was the cold blue moon, watching her drown in the frigid, endless depths that whispered centuries worth of memories to her.

Dakota’s vision blinked back to reality to find that nothing had changed. The ice crawling up her leg was in the same place it was before she entered her vision, as was the man’s hand, as was the snow falling around them. She looked up at the Masked Man with an enchanted gaze as he lowered his hand, allowing the ice to crack and shatter into pieces at her feet.

He had powers, too. Did he truly know something about her own powers? Could he help her understand and improve her powers?

Did he know she received visions?

The Masked Man sauntered slowly over to her, and Dakota couldn’t bring it within herself to move.

The vision she received just then was the same thing she’s dreamed about many times in the past. How did the Masked Man evoke it? Was it always about him? Was she receiving warnings about him? But those dreams were not a warning, they did not feel threatening. They were... what were they?

She was snapped out of her thoughts again as the Masked Man brought a hand to her face, holding her chin gently and tilting her head back to look up at him as he looked at her. He traced his thumb slowly along her lower lip and Dakota sucked in a discreet, quiet breath. Why did she feel like she recognized him so badly?

Why did she like his first gentle touch upon her skin better than any of Valkyon’s touches?

Dakota didn’t even realize she was still holding her weapons until the Masked Man’s other hand came to one of hers, gently adjusting her grip to take the sword from her grasp. Her thoughts immediately started screaming at her to fight against him - that he would hurt her - but something told her to stay put. Some part of her told her to trust him, and she obeyed.

He held her sword in one hand, his other hand still caressing her lip with his thumb... and sheathed her sword. Dakota blinked in astonishment before he let go of her and tilted his head to look down at her hand holding the dagger. She followed his gaze with her own before glancing back up at him.

Was this some sort of truce agreement?

After holding eye contact with the gleaming red eyes of the man’s mask, she glanced back down again and sheathed her dagger, doing so cautiously and quietly as if any unexpected sound or movement would break the truce they just agreed upon. Her gaze studied the ground for a moment as thoughts chased each other in her mind.

“Meet me in the clearing - the one behind me - tonight, when the moon reaches it’s highest point.”

His voice was demanding, sounding completely different than what his actions portrayed a mere moment ago. However, Dakota’s head shot up to look at him. She couldn’t meet him later that night, she didn’t even agree to this! Quite bold of him to assume she would just obey... so she argued.

“What if I don’t want to?”

“Then I’ll come inside the Guard tonight and drag you out myself.” The Masked Man replied quickly with a sure tone of voice. However, Dakota wasn’t done just yet.

“I wouldn’t recommend that, there’s a lot of people that would wake up to a screaming woman, and you won’t really be welcomed within the walls.”

He laughed. He laughed a dark, cold laugh as though he were laughing at defeated enemies who were begging for their lives. It was a laugh that growled and sang at that same time. One of honest, cold amusement.

“I’d like to see you try screaming when my hand is around your throat. And none of them can overpower me, remember? Isn’t that the whole reason you’re going to be training with me? To improve yourself beyond their poor excuse of standards?”

Dakota didn’t like his sudden change in attitude. One moment he was gentle, careful - kind, even - and the next he was threatening her and her friends, and laughing about it... but he did make a point about her improvement. Valkyon ruled the Obsidian guard, and everyone knew about their relationship. If Valk didn’t want to push her too hard, then without a doubt no one else would. Unless Valk agreed to start training her harder, it’s possible the guard’s greatest enemy may be her only chance of defending them.

Surely this isn’t as bad as it seems? After all, she’s doing this to improve herself and become a better warrior. Whatever the Masked Man teaches her, she can turn and use it right back against him and other enemies.

“You know I’m not joining your side, right? I’m still going to fight for the guard until I die, so everything you teach me will be useless for helping you. It’ll only benefit the guard in the long run.”

A small whisper of a laugh escaped the man again.

“How adorable. I admire your loyalty, but I’m afraid you would think very differently if you knew the truth. Now go. You’ve been hunting ever since early this morning, you must be tired, and as I said before; I won’t go easy on you. Get some sleep before your real training begins.” He turned his back to her, heading towards the clearing he mentioned.

Dakota’s mind whirled. Truth? What truth? Adorable? She would show him adorable! He thinks he can command her to go sleep?

This man drew an irritation deep within her that she never experienced before, and wasn’t sure she liked.

“Oh, and Dakota?” The Masked Man turned back to face her for a moment. 

A chill curled around her spine as he spoke her name in a deep rasp, her heart momentarily skipping a beat before racing again.

“If you tell the guard about your powers, it’s safe to say you’ll never be seen again, nor the person you told.”

He turned around and walked away again, almost casually, before disappearing among the snowdrifts and trees. Was he going to wait for her in the clearing for the next many hours until she returned? 

And how did he know she was hunting since early morning!? Was he stalking her that early!?

Was he stalking her for the entire length of her daily hunts?

Dakota took a few steps back before turning away, quickly going from a walk to a sprint. If he was playing her and was following her without her knowing, he could decide to kill her if she gave him the proper amount of time. She managed to escape the elusive Masked Man with nothing more than a small cut to the ear, and she was determined to make it home without anymore injuries, especially from him. However, the whole way back, she couldn’t help but replay the events in her mind, realizing that every time she was sucked into her visions was also when he was directly touching her - excluding the gloves he wore between them. She didn’t know what it meant, but she didn’t like that there was clearly some sort of meaning.

Dakota still didn’t find that Black Dog.

---

The reflection of flames licked across the darkened walls of the room, chasing shadows before receding back into itself. The sight was oddly disturbing to Dakota, as though she shared some feral, territorial bond with the shadows being chased and then chasing.

She sat on a pillow nest next to the fireplace of her room, warming herself as she stripped from the large furs - now heavy and damp with melted snow - leaving in her a lightweight shirt and her underwear. 

Ever since her encounter with the Masked Man - and her vision of the dragon with scales the color of a black void - all the shadows around her seem to have darkened slightly, and she could almost predict how they would move in response to anything... and she would swear she could control how they moved, and their shading as well. She quickly kept dismissing these thoughts... but they kept coming back to mind as she continued to watch the shadows. Did something really change?

She raised her arm slightly before glancing at the large window in her room, the sky just beginning to lighten as the moon started it’s ascension through the snowfall.

The Masked Man told her not to tell anyone, what were his rules about trying to practice her powers on her own? How would he know if she told anyone or used her powers, especially if he were waiting for her in the clearing?

Dakota carried on regardless, focusing in on a shadow tendril that continuously licked the ceiling, born from one of the socks she hung before the fire to dry. Her mind quieted, breathing steadied, and she found it easy to zero in and assimilate her mind with the shadow, the shifting shades, the hypnotic movements. She looked into the shadow, and the shadow stared back.

As if possessed, her arm extended, reaching towards the shadowy tendril, and as it curved and arched outward she mentally pressured it to stay in that position. She focused on keeping the shadow flexed, not letting it relax. A feeling of blockage - a threshold - welled within her, and the shadow stopped moving. It remained still, even as the others kept dancing around it.

She really did have powers!

A key in her door lock chimed from outside her door, and she quickly brought her arm down into her lap - releasing the shadow - before turning her gaze to the door. There was only one person she knew who had a key to her room and was allowed access at all times.

The door creaked open and a tall figure glided into the room, shutting and locking the door behind him before turning his golden gaze to her with interest.

“I apologize, there was something I needed to take care of quickly. How are you? Was the mission successful this time?”

Valkyon’s heavy footsteps echoed through the room as he strode his way over to the far desk in her room, wasting no time in shuffling a few papers around that she only faintly glanced at before when his presence was absent. It seemed as though the most prevalent thoughts in his mind were searching for his brother, Lance, whom she’s heard about very few times, and trying to figure out where the Masked Man could strike next.

That made sense in Dakota’s mind; Valk was a protector, he would always search for his presumed dead brother while trying to assure he doesn’t lose more of his newfound family.

“That’s alright, I understand. Unfortunately I didn’t get the Black Dog, but I may have found signs that it’s still in the area...” She glanced out the window to the snowfall outside. How would she know when the moon rose fully if it was blocked by snow? How would she be able to find her way back to the clearing if the footprints were covered up?  “I don’t think they’ll be there in the morning, though.” 

Valk followed her gaze to look out the window at the snow. From where he was standing, she could see a perfect angle of his face and any emotions that crossed it. A bit of wistfulness slipped into his eyes as he observed the snow, his face relaxing into the beginning of a mournful frown.

Dakota tilted her head. Why did snow evoke so much emotion from him?

“Valk?”

He grunted and looked over at her, his expression clearing from any hint of sorrow. She glanced at the snowfall outside and then back to him.

“You alright? The snow... You looked sad for a moment.” Her voice was gentle as she spoke; she didn’t know what was going through his mind, but whatever it was bothered him. She wanted to know what, but didn’t want to hurt him in the process of trying to find out answers.

Valkyon looked away from her, brushing a long tuft of pale silver hair behind his ear as he went back to shuffling papers.

“Yes, I’m alright.”

A grimace came to Dakota’s face as she stood. She knew Valkyon was lying to her, and she didn’t exactly like being lied to. However, that did mean this was a sensitive subject. Regardless, she wanted to know. If this were to bother him for the rest of the night or - oracle forbid - for the rest of the season, she needed to know why.

This was her first snowfall since arriving in Eldarya in early spring of that same year, so she knew very little about this, but she was no fool. He acted this same way mid-summer, when they just started in their relationship. For a while she thought he was pulling away because of something she did, but Valk insisted that it wasn’t true. Dakota - striving to be as self-aware as possible - then reflected on everything she had said or done with or to him, finding that there was nothing concerning that was readily apparent, so she believed him when he said she wasn’t the problem. It seems like it must have been the season. However, now he’s being avoidant about the snow as well.

Dakota wanted to be as gentle and accommodating as possible, but she couldn’t do that when she was second-guessing things.

She quietly walked over to him as he glanced back at the snow before averting his gaze again, gently hugging him from behind and resting her cheek on his shoulder blade. They stood like that for a few moments as Valkyon bowed his head and rested one of his hands on hers.

“I trust you, but I know you’re not telling me everything. At least tell me if this has something to do with what happened this summer? When we had that argument?”

She felt him relax in her arms, letting out a breath neither of them seemed to know he was holding. 

“Yes.” His voice was a weary rumble.

Dakota took a deep breath and gently let go of him, carefully moving to stand in front of him and take one of his hands in her own. She brushed his knuckles with her thumb gently before tracing along his veins until his wrist - savoring the warmth of his palm in hers - then looked up into his eyes. His eye color almost reminded her of the dragon she saw earlier that night in her vision, but something about Valkyon’s eye color was warmer than that dragon’s.

“Valk.”

Her voice was soft - gentle - and she brought a hand up to gently caress along his cheekbone. The tall male leaned into her touch and looked into her eyes with a tender sadness. He seemed to know what her conversation of choice would be.

“The summer thing and snow thing are connected, right?” Her voice was as gentle as she could make it.

Valkyon nodded his head solemnly.

“Can... can I ask what the summer thing is? I don’t want to hurt you, but it seems like it’s effects run into other seasons, and I need to know if it’s something I can avoid for you or if this is something that will always come up in the future, no matter what we do.” 

Dakota’s sense of reasoning usually prevailed, and it seems like it worked this time as well as Valkyon averted his gaze.

“...My brother was sent on an assault mission in mid-summer...”

“I see.”

That was all she needed to know to get the hint.

She’s heard once or twice from Nevra and Ezarel about Valkyon’s elder brother, the former Chief of Obsidian. Everyone held him in high esteem; he was the great Chief who reformed the Obsidian guard from a pack a roughed-up war dogs to an actual clean, functioning military unit with powerful warriors. Some have claimed that he’s the reason the Obsidian guard is as functional as it is today, and Valkyon keeps trying to chase and uphold that legacy. However, Dakota has noticed in time that Valkyon doesn’t seem to know how to keep it running like his brother did. He does well at leading, sure, but he never forgets that it was his brother who was chosen as Chief and reformed the guard, and he just views himself as his brother’s predecessor; always chasing an expectation that could never be achieved.

Dakota understood now why the summer was hard for him. As war stories have told, Lance was sent off - like Valk said - on an assault mission. It was a failure, a disaster. Not even half of the company sent to battle returned from that war, and Lance was among those casualties. Very few claimed to have seen what happened, and those who saw it claim there was no way he could have lived. An enemy soldier slit his throat clean, and blood spattered the ground within mere seconds. There was no possible way he lived, but Valk still searches. After the war - when the opposing side had been subdued - the guard sent another unit to recover and identify who they could from the wreckage. Lance was not among the identified. Many are sure that Lance fell in that war, but the inability to identify a corpse has forever haunted Valkyon, and now he pursues hollow hopes that his brother could still be alive somehow.

Dakota didn’t judge him, she never did. She has no siblings and couldn’t even begin to understand the loss he must have felt. She lets him deal with his emotions on the topic in whatever way he needs to deal with them. Fortunately, she was now learning more behind this memory that seemed to haunt Valk, but that was only the summer issue that was explained; she had yet to know and understand the winter’s relation to this.

“What about winter? How does the snow connect?” Her voice was still gentle as she moved closer to him, pulling him into a half hug, but Valk hesitated for a long period of silence, staring distantly at the wooden desktop he leaned against.

“Winter was his favorite season; we had a small fire and ice thing going on... It reminds me of him...”

Valkyon’s mouth quirked up faintly at the edges as he reminisced before dropping into a frown, and Dakota took the moment to press herself gently against him in a hug.

She wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, gently running a hand down his arm, and buried her face tenderly in his neck. His scent drifted around her - warm embers, leather, and a nip of some sort of spice it seemed - and his heat quickly enveloped her.

Valkyon responded slowly, letting her nestle into his large form before curling both arms around her smaller frame and nuzzling into her hair. One hand rested against the back of Dakota’s neck to keep her close.

Suffering pain in the arms of his partner was much more comfortable than suffering pain all alone.

They held each other for endless minutes - leaning into each other tenderly - before Dakota shifted herself, his overwhelming heat and the warmth of the fireplace finally getting to her. She ran her arms down his shoulders and along his chest, shifting her head slightly, and Valkyon let go of her. He leaned down and pressed his lips gently against her forehead before she broke away completely, and she responded by tilting her head up afterwards to rest her head momentarily against his.

“Thank you for talking, I know it's not easy.”

Her voice was just as tender as before as she looked into his eyes with an affectionate squint. The corners of his mouth tilted upward.

Dakota left him and sauntered over to the fireplace again, taking a metal rod from a holder near the fire and shifting the charred logs.

“You mentioned tracks?”

Valk’s voice rumbled through the room, a calm tone reverberating with it. It seems like she got her answers without hurting him too much. A weight lifted off her chest as relief settled in; he was too perfect, the last thing she wanted to do was hurt him for her own selfish curiosities.

“Yea, large tracks. It was a bit hard to tell exactly what they may have belonged to - the wind and snowdrifts morphed them a bit - but they were the only tracks large enough to be a Black Dog. I followed them for a while but didn’t find anything...” But she did find something else by following another set of tracks.

Should she tell him about the Masked Man? About his biting words and his threats?

A sharp jab of pain shot through her chest as she remembered her visions upon the enemy’s gentle touch.

She fought valiantly against him, but in the end he managed to subdue her. Dakota never wanted to be close to him, but she still felt guilty for having let the man touch her so kindly, even if only on her chin and hand for a few moments. That was the same man who consistently left Valkyon wounded and battered in the Infirmary, and she allowed him to touch her...

He touched her lip. He traced her lip, and she liked it. Guilt swept over her. Did she have an emotional affair? Is that what an emotional affair feels like?

“That’s alright, conditions aren’t always perfect for hunting.”

“I know, but I’ve been hunting this thing for days. I should have caught it by now!” Dakota gestured irritably. Few things angered her more than failure.

“Kota,” she glanced over at him, “you can’t always catch one sole target, no matter how hard you try. Sometimes you just need to wait for it to come to you. Those tracks could have belonged to any large creature...”

Valk stared off distantly and Dakota’s heart jumped in her throat as his words sunk in. Was he theorizing it was the Masked Man who left those prints?

Could it have been the Masked Man who left those prints? She thought the man was tracking her this whole time, but what if she was the one who was tracking him first?

Did she somehow begin to involuntarily seek him out because of her past visions?

Dakota hoped Valk wouldn’t make any connections; she didn’t want to tell him about her encounter, or her plans later that night. As much as she hated to admit it, the Masked Man was right. If trouble arose, he could take down Valkyon, alongside a few other warriors if need be. She didn’t want to put anyone in that position.

Dakota breathed a sigh and looked towards the ground.

“Perhaps you should give the tracking a rest for a while.”

Her head shot up and she leveled a disbelieving stare on Valkyon. Was he suggesting she give up!?

“You mean quit the mission!? Valk, that Black Dog is still out there! What if it comes back and hurts someone? That beast is my responsibility now! If it comes back and someone gets hurt - or worse; dies - when it’s supposed to be dead, that will be on me!”

She started on a hysterical rant, not understanding why Valk was so ready for her to give up the mission he advocated for her to take.

He responded by briskly walking over and taking her hand in his, leaning down slightly to meet her gaze.

“Dakota, you have an honorable sense of responsibility - that won’t be forgotten - but I don’t think this is a good idea right now. There are other creatures that are far more dangerous than a Black Dog in those forests-”

“Then train me harder!”

“-and with the cold setting in, and your lack of experience in hostile environments, I think this is becoming far too dangerous for you.”

“Then train me harder, I can take it! Lets go off to the mountains for a month and you can give me a crash course on wilderness survival. Hell, we don’t even need to go to the mountains! We can go to the forest just outside the walls!”

She pulled her hand from his, turning and pacing to and fro in the room. Why couldn’t he understand that she needed this!?

“I know you’re a fighter, that’s good, but I’m not going to place you in a position you’re not ready to handle yet!”

Valkyon didn’t raise his voice, but he stressed his words with emotion as he chased after her, gently turning her around and placing his hands on her shoulders. She rested her hands on his forearms.

“Valk, please! Let me show you that I can do this! Train he harder!” She matched the emotional stress he spoke with in her voice now.

A gentle smile came to Valkyon’s face as he looked at her, gently cupping her face with a hand.

“You will be able to do this; in time. I love you Dakota, and I’m not going to rush your training and have it lack quality, or let you place yourself in a risky situation that isn’t necessary. Be patient about this and don’t kill yourself over it, alright? And about the Black Dog; let it rest for a while and see what happens. We aren’t even sure it’s still in the area.”

He closed his eyes and leaned down, pressing his forehead against hers. Dakota also closed her eyes, leaning up into him as his other hand came to rest on her cheek. Disappointment stabbed at her despite her positive response to his gestures. She truly believed she could be a great warrior! Why wasn’t Valkyon willing to push her?

She began to realize that the Masked Man may have a valid point. She loved Valk, but he seemed set on keeping her training at the low standard it was currently at. If she couldn’t receive the proper training to help her improve, then she could never hope to improve to begin with.

Regardless, she melted into Valkyon’s loving touch. Dakota wasn’t very pleased with his decision, but she still loved him with all her heart. This wouldn’t keep them apart.

“Dakota.” Valk started in a soft voice, tilting her head up a bit. She hummed and kept her eyes closed.

“The only topic I want you requesting me to be harder on happens in this bedroom.” His voice dropped an octave lower and spoke in a silky tone.

He leaned forward and fervidly took her lips in his, brushing his hands down her neck and resting them on her waist. She barely stopped the smile that overcame her as she kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck and allowing him to lift her from the ground and take her to the bed.

Valkyon quickly lost his fur-lined coat, muscular golden skin shimmering beneath the firelight as he pressed her into the fur blankets and rid her of the rest of her clothing. They quickly joined together and Dakota clawed at his back, her back arching as her man held her close and took her with breathless kisses. She quickly fell into a thundering ecstasy beneath his strong hold, pulling him close and gently sinking her teeth into his skin as Valkyon found his own release within her.

Just a small while later, Dakota laid contentedly beneath the pelts, Valkyon’s broad chest pressing against her back as he held her close with strong arms around her waist.

The dying firelight slowly lulled them into a slumber, and she found herself dreaming of colder skies again.

A rumble - a growl - cut the silence as she opened her eyes, blinded for a moment by the cold light from an electric blue moon.

Here again, she thought. Why am I here?

Dakota turned her gaze away from the moon, observing snow capped mountains around her again. She adjusted her footing and something snapped below her foot. Her gaze quickly turned downward.

Ice again, she was on the blue ice lake, but it was not as it usually was.

Black, smoky tendrils danced beneath the ice, sprawling and churning and quivering below her. They danced with no rhythm, born from nothing except their own need to exist beneath the blazing moonlight.

She shifted her footing again and found herself slipping backwards - into the cold depths again - but instead found herself floating in a neutral darkness.

Dakota opened her eyes to find herself back in her room, the fire now seemingly dead and the room lit up only by the silver moon. She thought back to earlier that night, still in the afterglow of her lovemaking with Valkyon. His arms were now gone from her hips - she didn’t really know where he was at the moment - and she took the opportunity to shift onto her back and look to the other side of the bed.

Valkyon laid on his back as well, one arm raised above his head as the other rested on his abdomen, the moonlight glinting beautifully off his muscular form. Dakota would be lying if she said it wasn’t tempting to rest herself gently atop his chest and fall back asleep.

However, she thought to further back that night, to her hunt.

She threw a glance at the window above the bed, panic momentarily tumbling through her as she searched for the moon’s position. Would the Masked Man keep his promise of dragging her out to meet him, possibly killing others in the process? What would the guard think of her if he did that, claiming she failed to meet him?

Her worries were short lived as she found the moon in the sky, not yet at it’s peak. He told her to meet him in the clearing when the moon was at it’s highest point; she still had time. However, she would need to leave now if she wanted to be there on time.

Dakota turned to look at Valkyon’s peaceful form again. It was incredibly tempting to stay in bed and curl up with him, but if the Masked Man’s threats were true, that wouldn’t be the case for very long. Along with that, she was being offered personal training with the man who could beat her lover in nearly all battles, when her lover refused to even begin to toughen her basic training. Going to meet him - provided he wasn’t planning to secretly ambush and kill her - was the smartest decision for her.

She sat up slowly and quietly, fearing waking Valkyon. If he woke up she wouldn’t be able to go out for very long, and of course the Masked Man would probably want her time until near dawn. The last thing she needed was Valk immediately catching onto the fact that something was wrong and then her disappearing for the rest of the night until early morning.

However, she stopped as she looked at the bedside table next to her, finding a small, folded sheet of paper laying flat on the top. She didn’t leave that there...

Dakota glanced once at Valk - still sleeping - before reaching out and quietly taking the paper. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, a faint chill coursing through her as she exposed herself to the cool air, and opened the paper.

Don’t be late. Burn this.

Ashkore

Her blood ran cold and another shiver - more violent this time - ran through her as she read the note again. When did he do this? Was he watching her now? His name was Ashkore?

She quickly dismissed her thoughts. One thing was obvious; he was serious about training her, and therefore his threats and intentions were probably true and unwavering.

Dakota rose from the bed. She had someone she needed to meet with.

~Oh goodness this took so long to write! I’m incredibly happy with how it turned out though! Also, as I was making a final revision, I tried to add another paragraph only for Tumblr to bring up an error stating that I reached the maximum number of text blocks (250). I've finally written a post so long that even Tumblr said "f*** you." 😂

This is the first excerpt in my OC’s storyline and also where her story truly begins, so all excerpts written and posted after this one take place after this event.

I hope if you’ve read through this you’re looking forward to more!

[marvel-and-mischief]

🎄December Writing Challenge🎄

Day 30- Flowers - Oberyn Martell x GN!Reader

Warnings: vague insinuations of sex Words: 956

December Writing Challenge Masterpost

Giving flowers to your lover was a gesture as old as time itself. Lowly servants picked wildflowers to court young maidens and princes created extravagant bouquets to woo high born Ladies. It was one of the few things that transcended class boundaries and land borders, no matter who you were or where you were born, flowers were a symbol of love and appreciation when given to another. 

Oberyn was a giver in all aspects of his life, but especially when it came to gifts for his lovers. 

The first time he left you a floral gift he had warned you beforehand that he had important meetings to attend early the next morning and as a heavy sleeper, you were sure to miss his departure. When you rolled over onto his pillow, something silky smooth tickled your nose and when you opened your eyes blearily you were faced with a white flower, petals bloomed to the size of your hand, thin enough that it looked like a piece of cloth, so pure in its color that the Dornish sun streaming through the windows made it shine like a source of light. 

Oberyn’s kindness had brought a tired smile to your face as you yearned for his return so you could show your appreciation. You took the flower and placed the cut stem in the only liquid you could find, a half empty goblet of red wine, and for the rest of the morning you watched as the flower soaked up the wine and gradually turned a dark shade of pink. 

Oberyn strode into your bedchamber later that morning, shucking off his golden robe and joining you in nothing but his orange breeches.

“Did you like the flower I picked for you?” He asked, placing a few delicate kisses to your hairline. You pointed over his shoulder to the flower on the bedside table, and when he saw what you had done he let out a deep, hearty chuckle. “So is that a no?”

His teasing didn’t go unnoticed and you smiled brightly, shaking your head in response.

“I always enjoy the gifts you bring me, but I had no water to keep it alive.” 

Oberyn hummed thoughtfully, proceeding to ignore the flower and pay thorough attention to you instead. 

You liked to repay Oberyn in kind, not that he ever expected you to. He gave you a home in Dorne, a warm bed of your own as well as his whenever you wanted it, safety and love in abundance and sometimes you wanted to show your appreciation. 

Oberyn found you one sunny afternoon in the Water Gardens, sat quietly on a stone bench with his three youngest daughters at your feet. With an amused smile he leaned against a pillar a few feet away and watched as you taught the girls how to make flowers crowns out of various white and yellow flowers. 

Only when you looked up from your work to place the crown on your head did you spot Oberyn, his features warm and usually dark eyes sparkling with affection towards you. You grinned and waved him over, to which he obeyed.

“Would you like to learn how to make one?” You asked your lover, gesturing to the freshly picked flowers on the bench beside you. With a nod, Oberyn sat on your other side but not before kissing the tops of his daughters heads in greeting. 

You showed him how to carefully create small holes in the stems of the flower, and how to thread each one through until Oberyn had created a halo of colorful flowers that you helped to place on his head.

“Very good for your first flower crown,” you admired how well he wore it, a content sigh leaving your lips at the sight of him.

“I have always been a quick learner,” he responded with a wink, holding his head high to show off the crown, “thank you for teaching me.”

“You teach me all the time, it seems silly in comparison,” you said softly, shyly glancing away to fiddle with the leftover flowers in your lap. 

Oberyn placed a delicate finger underneath your chin and turned you to face him.

“Do not underestimate your importance to me. You are good with my daughters, you are patient when I am not, kind when I am abrasive, soft when I am hard. You are a reminder to me that I can always be a better man.” 

Oberyn looked at you in earnest, urging you to hear his words and understand them. He moved the hand on your chin to cup the side of your face and stroke the apple of your cheek with his thumb. 

When the girls grew bored and ran back to the palace you were left to walk through the Water Gardens, hand in hand with Oberyn with not a care in the world. You pointed out which flowers were your favourite and Oberyn taught you what medicines (or poisons) could be made out of each of them. You were quite a sight in your beautiful yellow gown that floated in the warm breeze, and Oberyn in his golden robe, flower crowns atop your heads. 

It was then that you finally understand the meaning behind his earlier words to you. You noted the calloused fingers that held yours, hardened from wielding weapons. You saw the dark eyes that flitted around for potential danger, always on guard for the safety of those he loved. And with the addition of the flowers in his hair, the addition of you, your love, your softness, your affection, it made him no less the Red Viper, but to you he was just Oberyn. He was but a man, a lover, a friend. 

Permanent tag list: @autumnleaves1991-blog

[thewatermelloncat]

Black

Summary: Rosé isn’t the best at communicating what she needs, so Denali helps to put a system in place. If only they never needed to use it. A continuation of (Don’t) Let Me Go.

Author’s Note: I just want to say a huge thank you to all those who allowed me to take my time writing this and let me know how excited they were to read the completed version of it. That feedback means a lot to me especially when I couldn’t finish and post it as quickly as I would have liked to. But here it is and I hope you enjoy it!

Warnings: CHILD ABUSE AND INJURY

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Denali’s idea was quite simple really.

She knew that Rosé wasn’t going to be good with talking, so she had the idea for a system of symbols. Sent over text, the first symbol would be a number, specifically how many times Rosé had been hit. The second, a coloured circle determined by how severe she’s been hurt. Lastly the third, a thumbs up or thumbs down depending on whether she wants to be hugged or not.

No verbalisation, no words at all, just pictures.

The colour system worked to a specific scale. Starting at green when the pain would have been momentary but she’s okay now. Next yellow then orange, yellow when it hurts a little and orange when it hurts a little more. Following that there is red, when it hurts so much that the pain is distracting to her. At the end of the scale is black, when she thinks something might be broken.

Denali never wants to see black.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

When Denali had first pitched the idea to Rosé, she had nodded her head and said that she understood how it would work, but Denali never thought that she would actually use it.

About a week went by and Denali thought the idea had been forgotten until the first message was sent through.

2 🟡 👎

She said that she didn’t want to be hugged but that didn’t stop Denali from giving her a sad but knowing smile when they saw each other in the school hallway the next day. Rosé had looked back at her but said nothing and Denali knew she didn’t want to talk about it. So, they left it alone.

Before those bruises had faded on Rosé’s skin another message was sent.

2 🟢 👎

She still didn’t want to be hugged but this time the symbols were accompanied by text. Rosé reiterating that she is fine, she just wanted Denali to know. And Denali was at peace with the fact that Rosé is opening up to her a little more.

A month and a bit went by of low-level symbols and the continued refusal of wanting hugs. Sometimes Rosé might tell her where the marks are or how she got them, but most of the time they said nothing. Occasionally Denali couldn’t help but place comforting hand on her for a quick moment the next time she saw her and for Rosé that seemed to be okay.

Then one morning as Denali is sitting on the steps with a couple of friends looking out to the school carpark before class, Rosé comes and sits right down beside her. Shoulders almost touching.

Neither of them speaks as Rosé pulls out her phone and types something away, Denali focusing on something Liv is telling Kandy until her phone buzzes in her pocket.

1 🟠 👍

Immediately Denali shuts off her screen and puts down her phone. As she reaches careful arms around Rosé, she feels the eyes of their friends shift to them but they look away quickly and say nothing. Rosé doesn’t reciprocate her touch but she doesn’t flinch either, only stares at the ground even after Denali has pulled away.

“Where?” Denali asks quietly, only loud enough for Rosé to hear.

Without speaking Rosé moves a hand to hover over the lower rib on her right side before she moves it away again.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not now” Rosé says lowly.

“At lunch?” Denali asks, knowing that they have a class together beforehand.

Rosé nods as she pushes herself up from the step and walks away. Denali making no move to stop her if for now she wants to be alone.

“Is she okay?” Liv asks quietly as she stares after Rosé.

Denali flicks her eyes to Liv then back to Rosé as she disappears around the corner. “No.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

In their class before lunch Rosé barely focused and Denali watched her constantly shifting in the chair beside her. After they’d been dismissed, they’d both packed up their things and headed outside, walking side by side to their quiet spot behind the science block.

When they’d sat down Rosé had explained how her mother had kicked her, unprovoked. Then there wasn’t much else to say so they sat in silence, watching over the school field as people gathered about kicking around a football.

At the sound of a pained breath Denali looks over from the field to Rosé. Seeing her curled in on herself, resting her forearm and her head across her knees with a tightly clenched fist.

“Do you want to move it up to a red?” Denali asks worriedly.

Rosé hums a little as she raises her head, biting at her lip.

“Do you mind if I have a look at it?”

Rosé nods but Denali knows it’s in acceptance rather than in opposition.

Then she stands from the ground, Rosé following suit, before she leads the way to a nearby bathroom. When they step inside, they are lucky to find it empty and Rosé lifts up the hem of her shirt.

Denali immediately draws in a hiss at the dark patch in her skin. For a few seconds she studies it with a grimace before she stands straight again. “I’m going to clean it up a bit, okay?” she notifies already pulling out a paper towel to run under the cold water of the sink.

Rosé says nothing but sets her jaw in preparation for Denali to set to work.

“This might hurt a little, but I’ll be gentle” she promises before she carefully goes about cleaning up the places where the skin had broken. “Breathe, Rosie” she reminds gently when she realises Rosé had stopped.

Then as Denali pulls away to give her a break for a second, Rosé draws in a deep breath and slowly exhales before pulling in another.

“That’s it. You’re doing so well” Denali assures as she sets about going back to work. “Almost done.”

At the end of her ministrations, Denali pulls out another paper towel to dry up the excess water before throwing them both in the bin as Rosé pulls her shirt down again.

“It’s going to need some ice on it” Denali says, holding out a hand for Rosé to take not giving her a choice to refuse her next request. “Come to the office with me.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Denali never knew that there was going to be some many questions asked about the requesting of an ice pack: a literal pouch of frozen water. As soon as the office ladies at the desk started asking questions, she regretted bringing Rosé there immediately. Not knowing what to say without giving anything away.

Though where Denali may have fumbled for answers, Rosé answered questions easily. Jokingly saying that if she were to show them where as requested, she would be breaking multiple school rules over modesty. The answer had been sufficient and they were allowed access to the nurse’s office with the freezer of the seemingly contraband item.

In the more private room, the nurse had once again requested for Rosé to show her the injury. Surprisingly Rosé hadn’t hesitated before lifting the hem of her shirt.

“And how did you get this?” the nurse asks, her eyes a little wide.

“Skateboarding” Rosé answers quickly as she pulls her shirt back down. Flashing a charming smile as a distraction. “Hit the deck of the halfpipe.”

“You don’t have any grazes?” the nurse gestures for her and Denali to sit in two empty chairs against the wall before turning away to the freezer. Accepting the answer.

“Nah, had elbow pads and all that” Rosé says as she sits down. “Should probably look into getting a protective vest.”

The nurse chuckles a little at Rosé’s comment as she hands over the icepack before instructing to hold it on for ten minutes. Then Rosé and Denali thank her before she moves a little way away back to her desk.

Once Denali is sure she’ll be out of ear shot she turns to Rosé. “You don’t skateboard” she says lowly.

“Until I leave here, I do” Rosé says lowly back.

“How did you lie so easily?”

“I have an encyclopaedia of excuses” Rosé answers simply.

For a while Denali lets the conversation be closed until she thinks of something else. “Never use any of them on me.”

Rosé looks at her after she makes her request. Smiling smally when she says, “I don’t need to. Not anymore.”

Denali smiles back a little and she settles further into her chair to wait. Not realising for a minute or two afterward the gravity of the word anymore.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Denali had hoped that would be the worst the scale got with other additions averaging out as mostly greens and yellows. And now Rosé was getting to a point where she might want a hug just because. Denali loved getting the single image of a thumbs up and how Rosé is beginning to hug her back.

She smiles at the thought as she lies on her bed, scrolling through their conversations just to see that symbol again. Her smile widens as she stares at it for a little while before she shuts off her screen and throws her phone beside her to focus back on her homework.

Out of the corner of her eye she sees the screen light up again but guesses that she mustn’t have pressed the button hard enough. So, she reaches out for it again with the smile still on her face only for it to drop as she realises why the screen turned on again.

⚫

The earth feels like it’s crashing down around her in slow motion at the sight of the singular image.

Reacting quickly, she unlocks her phone to call Rosé back. The line only ringing twice before it connects.

“Rosie?” Denali says immediately after the ringing stops.

“Nali” the obvious pain in Rosé’s voice confirms Denali’s worst fears. “Work… home and…” she can’t manage to form a coherent sentence.

“You don’t have to explain anything right now” Denali speaks gently. “Just tell me where you are.”

“I’m walking beside the park… the one across” –

Denali’s heart twists as she hears Rosé choke on a whimper and hold her breath until it releases in shallow gasps as a wave of pain tears through her. “Breathe, Rosé” she instructs gently after not having heard her inhale properly again. “Nice, slow, deep breaths for me.”

On the other side of the line Rosé’s breath shakes as she inhales and exhales out again. Continuing to obey the instruction until she can breathe evenly again.

“The one across from the school?” Denali guesses the last of the answer Rosé never finished.

Rosé hums weakly.

“Are you going to wait there or are you going to keep moving?”

“Keep moving” Rosé answers quickly but her voice sounds strained.

“Okay, I’m going to come get you” Denali says as she pushes herself off of her bed before she falters. “What’s hurt?” she asks, realising she forgot to.

“My arm” Rosé tells her.

“Okay, I’m going to come get you” Denali repeats. “Do you want me to stay on the line?”

“You can’t talk and drive, Nali” somehow Rosé manages to tease her and Denali smiles slightly at it.

“I can put you on speaker.”

“It’s okay” Rosé says faintly.

“Okay” Denali accepts. “I’m going to hang up now, but call me back if you want to. I’ll be there soon.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Her hand had shaken as she hung up the phone and she’d barely remembered to put shoes on before she’d left her room to rush down into the kitchen.

“Where are you going?” Chamilla asks from in the bench after Denali had jumped to a stop at the base of the stairs.

“I need my keys” Denali ignores the question, frantically starting to look about. Not even thinking to look in their usual place first.

“What’s going on?” her strange behaviour doesn’t pass her mother by. Especially at a time when it’s dark outside.

“Black circle” is all Denali says as she lifts up a stack of papers before setting them back down, not finding her keys.

Chamilla’s shakes her head at the thought of Denali driving, having become familiar with the symbol system. “Find me my keys instead and I’ll go put some shoes on” she tells her as she heads for the shoe rack by the front door. “We’ll get her together.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

As soon as Denali could see Rosé walking through the windscreen of the car, her hands started to tap at her legs impatiently. With the car now slowing down she undoes her seatbelt, ignoring the beeping of the warning system, and her door is open before it completely stops moving.

“Rosie” Denali rushes over but stops ahead of her, not really knowing what to do.

“I can’t… move my fingers” Rosé says slowly.

Denali purses her lips as her mother steps out of the car to come over to them. “Can you hold it out for me, sweetheart?”

At the request Rosé pulls in a quick breath and her eyes go a little wider at the thought of moving her arm from where it is clutched protectively to her chest. Angling her body slightly away.

“I won’t touch it. I just need to see it better” Chamilla assures her and Rosé reluctantly holds it out.

Both Denali and her mother murmur disapprovingly at the swelling but Rosé had enough sense to unbutton the cuff of her jacket so it wouldn’t be restricted.

“Did it hurt instantly?” Chamilla asks.

Rosé hums with a weak nod.

“Okay, you can hold it back” Chamilla allows her to pull her arm back in. “Hop in the front seat. Denali will help you get in.”

Denali does, beating Rosé over to the door to help her in before helping her with the seatbelt until she can click it into place with her other hand. Then she hops in the car herself as her mother starts the engine.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Denali normally counted herself as a patient person. But sitting around in the waiting room at A&E was torture. Made only worse when she was left alone.

She had wanted to be the one to go with Rosé to get her x-rays done, but she was only allowed one person with her. And being under eighteen, Denali didn’t count as adult supervision. So, her mother had gone instead with quick words to Denali telling her to hang tight.

The nurse who’d whisked them both away said the whole procedure would take a quarter hour, and though Denali had been intermittently watching the clock, seeing it only tick past five minutes, she felt like it was forever.

Though she resigned herself to hanging tight like her mother said. Her grip on the arms of her chair only relaxing when she taps her fingers impatiently against them. Occasionally toying with the corner of the soft cushion the receptionist had gotten Rosé to rest her arm on, sitting on the arm of the empty chair beside her. Empty aside from an icepack that had been left alone on its seat.

Five minutes turns into fifteen, and fifteen is about to turn into twenty when Denali considers whether she should ask someone how long x-rays normally take. The late night making her thoughts run wild. Not knowing whether something has gone wrong with the procedure or if the injury is worse than expected. And it’s the last thought that has her about to stand from her chair to ask someone about progress before she relaxes back into it, seeing Rosé heading back toward her.

When she notices Denali looking at her, she manages a small smile, seeming more sad than convincing, though Denali won’t pull her up on it. Instead, she lifts up the icepack from the chair next to her so Rosé can sit back down in it.

“That was a mistake to put it on there” Rosé notes, no doubt referencing the cold patch of seat she now sits on.

“We can swap if you like” Denali offers as she carefully lowers the pack back over Rosé arm.

“It’s fine” Rosé dismisses, wincing slightly.

A grimace crosses Denali’s face at hurting her even though she knows it couldn’t be helped.

“Your mum had to go fill out more paperwork” Rosé tells her.

Denali hums a sound of recognition before she asks, “did they figure out what’s wrong?”

Rosé nods but can’t answer the question. “They did, yeah. But there was a whole lot of technical terms and I just zoned out. Your mum will know though. She was listening.”

Denali only nods back, her words caught up in her throat at seeing the splint strapped around Rosé’s arm. She remembers as a child always being fascinated by the casts and strappings her classmates came to school with, wanting to know the story behind them. Though this time with Rosé it was different. She only wanted to know out of concern, not out of excitement. There is no thrill in knowing someone got hurt intentionally.

There was no doubt that her and her mother wanted to give Rosé more time before she told them, but the medical form they had to fill out didn’t allow for that.

Her voice had been so hollow when she’d explained how her father had come home reeling from receiving a warning at work. She’d managed to dodge the things that he had thrown around but when she’d turned to leave the room, he’d grabbed her and pinned her to the wall. She can’t remember the words he had yelled at her but he’d proceeded to shove her to the floor where she had tumbled over a chair he had knocked down, landing on her arm. Then he’d yelled some more before stalking off elsewhere, leaving Rosé in searing pain, curled up on the floor.

“Were you scared?” Denali asks, her voice quiet.

Next to her Rosé looks over and only then does Denali realise that there had been a long silence between them.

“No” Rosé answers just before Denali is about to take the question back.

Then Denali stays quiet, waiting for Rosé to explain more if she wants to.

“It was all so fast. I never had time to think about any of that” Rosé continues. “I never really do.”

“Rosie… I…” Denali can’t find the words to say. Not knowing whether to say how sorry she is for her or to assure her that things will be okay, even though she doesn’t know if they will be.

Though before she can find them, her mother comes back to them and tells them that they have been given the all clear to go.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A non-displaced fracture, is what Chamilla had told Denali as she drove them all home. Of course, she had to ask what that meant but, like Rosé, she heard a lot of technical terms a found it hard to stay focused. Though she did pick up that the bone was still in alignment, and that was enough to settle her a little.

In a few days when the swelling should have gone down, they would take Rosé back to get a proper cast on. But for now, she is stuck with her splint and painkillers.

The whole way home Rosé hadn’t said a word. It was only when Denali handed her a bowl of cereal so she could eat something before taking her painkillers, that she mumbled a quiet word of thanks before going back to saying nothing.

Across the table, Denali eyes her with concern as she eats her own bowl of cereal so Rosé doesn’t feel alone. She wants so badly to say something but she can’t find the right words for it. So, she hopes that her presence around her is enough.

After the painkillers have been swallowed and the dishes put in the sink, Denali takes Rosé upstairs to help her get changed for the night. Then she leaves her to clean her teeth with the toothbrush she permanently keeps in Denali’s bathroom, in a much-needed time alone.

“Denali” her mother’s voice calls out to her as she steps off the staircase and back into the kitchen.

She looks over but says nothing as she sits in one of the chairs at the table.

“I know you will… but just watch over her tonight.”

Only internally thinking that of course she will, instead she asks, “why?”

“She’s still in shock, Nali” Chamilla tells her. “You’ve noticed how detached she is when she talks?”

Denali nods, having noticed the flat tone of her voice. “When is she going to come out of it?”

“It could be a few hours. It might take a few days” Chamilla weighs up. “It shouldn’t be anything to worry about” she adds, seeing Denali starting to bite at her lip.

Hesitantly Denali nods, but she doesn’t quite believe it.

“She knows she’s safe here. We might just need to remind her of that” Chamilla assures before the conversation falls away at the sound of footsteps. “How are you doing, sweetheart?”

Rosé only gives her a small smile as she reaches the bottom of the staircase, fiddling with the cuff of her sweatshirt that has gotten stuck in the velcro of her splint.

Before Rosé can sort it out herself, Chamilla stands from her chair and makes her way over to her. Carefully detaching the fabrics from one another and rolling the cuff up a little in the hope it won’t get stuck again.

Then she runs a hand over Rosé’s hair to stop behind her neck. “Do you want us to stick something on the TV for a bit?” she asks, wondering if Rosé wants a distraction.

“I’m sorry. I’m really tired… I kinda just want to go to sleep.”

Denali’s heart breaks at the hesitance in Rosé’s words. Like she is scared that they are going to get angry at her for voicing a basic need.

“Of course” Chamilla exhales with a smile, moving her hand to cup Rosé’s jaw. “Let’s get you into bed.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Sometimes it feels like rosé sleeps in Denali’s bed more than she does, though tonight the thought barely crosses her mind. The voices of Denali and her mother are too low for her to hear from where Chamilla kneels beside the pull-out mattress Denali will sleep on. Though she vaguely watches as Chamilla kisses Denali goodnight and stands to move over to her.

“You know you can wake us up if you need something? At any time, okay?” Chamilla checks, brushing her thumb over Rosé’s cheekbone.

Rosé nods out of habit.

Chamilla smiles, satisfied with the answer, before she pulls the blankets higher up over Rosé’s shoulder and leans down to kiss her on the forehead goodnight. Then she straightens up and heads over to the doorway.

“Sleep well” she says quietly before she flicks off the light switch and the room fades to black.