#errmahgerdwurds

[miranthia]

.:Wind | 28/30:.

Fandom: Dragon Age

Characters:  Constance Macayle, Singleton, Brenna Larossa, Ireth Falassion, Myron Shaw, Dahlia mentioned

Pairing:  Macarenna sorta

TRIGGER WARNING:  Mention/hint/allusion to rape, blood, murder

THIS.....is super dark.  

For me, anyway.

I never actually go into any details about anything, nor will I EVER.......but it's there.

And yes, I'm ok, I promise.  I just.....got the urge to write, and after I did the dialogue for a different fic that I hope to finish soon, this one popped up in my head and I had to go through with it.  I miss writing, and I miss doing things with my characters.  Especially Mac!

BUT, I've never really done much that fleshed out her background.

Until now.

Sorta.

Tada?

Also also; I actually wrote this quite a while ago and am just now fixing it up 8′D

FOR REAL PEOPLE; IF THE TRIGGERS ABOVE BOTHER YOU DON’T READ IT.  THAT’S WHAT THE BOLD IS FOR, AND THE ‘KEEP READING’ LINE.

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Pain.

Pain was the only thing that she knew.

She remembered sneaking up to the manor, the wind howling around her in the early morning light, and then everything ran together in a swirl of agony and darkness.  She had no idea how long it had been; three hours, three days, three years.....she had no way of knowing.

He was relentless.

She didn't even have time to shut her brain off, and go numb to the things that were happening to her.  The pain was constantly overwhelming her senses, and each time he came back, she thought she would die. She wished that she would die, rather than go through with this.

Death would not become her.

She had come there for a reason; in the early morning light, through the howling wind. And while she had not planned on this happening, she still had a score to settle with this man.

Now, she had even more of a reason to fight.

The room that she was locked in was much darker than it had been, her vision steadily returning to her feverish eyes as she slowly looked about.  He hadn't returned to her in several hours, the fire nearly to embers. She sucked in a sharp breath as she chanced a look up at the solitary window, the dark silhouette of trees swaying in the wind greeting her sight.

He had either exhausted himself and had fallen asleep, or he was out of the house.

Either way; time was of the essence.

Every move she made sent a new wave of pain through her entire body, and she could no longer tell if the salty taste in her mouth was from sweat, tears, blood, or all three.  Her back throbbed and stung against the hard mattress beneath it, the chains around her wrists and ankles clinking together softly at the slightest movement she made.

She squeezed her eyes shut tight as she tugged her right ankle, remembering the sound of the wood splintering the last time he had been down there.  Her legs and inner thighs screamed in protest with every move she made, her quiet whimpers filling the small room. She took in a deep breath and jerked with all of her might, the chain breaking free. She swallowed the scream that threatened to rip out of her lungs, taking in several deep breaths before working on her other ankle. The shackle slipped off of her raw appendage with little effort, the combination of blood and sweat providing enough of a lubricant to help the restraint along.

Stiff fingers wrapped around the chains at her wrists, the girl taking in another deep breath as she pulled with all of her might yet again, trying to push herself up the cot with her legs at the same time. She cried out in agony as she managed to move a fraction, the pain in her arms and between her thighs almost unbearable. She whimpered quietly into the side of her arm, not giving up until she had enough slack to prop herself up to the best of her abilities.

She sighed deeply after she controlled the sobs wracking through her body, resting her clammy forehead against her bent arms, feeling what little strength she had drain out of her.

She was half-tempted to give up.

But as she looked up, and saw the nail jutting out of the wall; the same one she had seen as she was thrown to this very cot and shackled to it, she grit her teeth and stretched towards the heavens. The tips of her fingers barely touched it, her muscles and ribs screaming in protest as she stretched out as far as she could, throbbing fingers working at the nail to pull it from the stone.  With one last tug the object came free, the girl collapsing and shaking quietly from the pain and the exhaustion.

She allowed herself a moment's rest before she pulled herself up once more, and fit the sharp end of the nail into the lock. Her hands trembled as she jiggled the object around, a click finally reaching her ears. Sitting up slowly, swallowing back the nausea, she unlocked the remaining shackle around her ankle.

Her tender feet touched the cold stone underneath them, and as she tried to stand she collapsed to the ground, curling in on herself.  She sobbed into the clothes beneath her, the agonizing waves of pain shooting up through her spine for what felt like an eternity, the dying firelight glistening off of the open and bleeding gashes along her naked back.

Every breath she took.

Every move she made, whether it be insignificant or major, felt like she was ripping in two from the inside out.

She felt useless, and utterly broken.  Her body had gone through so much torture and trauma that she didn't even know how she could still draw breath.  She didn’t even know if she still wanted to.

At this point, she wondered if it was better to just give up.

Amid the swirling emotions and thoughts that reeled through her brain, one thought stuck out amid the rest: He still lived.  He was still capable of doing this to other girls and women, for many more years to come.

He would continue to do this.

Unless she stopped him.

She slowly pushed herself up to her knees, drying her eyes on the blood-stained sheet of the cot and gritting her teeth with determination. She rummaged through her ruined clothes and slowly pulled her top on, wincing and sucking in sharp breaths with her every movement. She set her pants atop the cot and mustered her remaining strength to pull herself back onto the mattress, steadying her breathing as she pulled the garment, then her boots, back onto her body.

Bit by agonizing bit she stood to her feet, feeling her unsteady legs tremble beneath her. She pulled her pants the rest of the way up and chanced a step forward, stumbling into the small table in the center of the room. Her thighs seared in pain, the throbbing in her core intensifying the longer she stood. She wiped the sweat out of her eyes, brow furrowing in anger and frustration as she pushed herself back up and hobbled towards the locked door, nail still in hand and her breath escaping her lungs in ragged pants. She stumbled to the door, grasping the handle firmly as she inserted the nail into the lock, picking it in a matter of seconds. Just as it clicked and she swung the door open, she spied a heavy mallet hanging on the wall. The adrenaline now coursing through her veins renewed her hatred and her strength, ripping the heavy weapon off of its pegs as she crawled up the stairs, keeping her movements as quiet as she possibly could.

Hours seemed to tick by as she slowly ascended the wooden stairs before her, her entire body struggling to comply with her will.  Finally she reached the landing, taking a moment to rest on the very top step.  She pressed her face into the side of her arm, muffling the sounds of her heavy breathing and whimpers of pain.  After swiping her sweaty forehead against her arm she grasped hold of the door handle with one hand, using the mallet to push herself up with the other as she pulled.  Once steadied, she chanced the handle grasped firmly in her hand, surprised when she found that it was unlocked.  She inched the door open slowly, stepping through the threshold when nothing came to investigate.

Amid the sounds of her throbbing heart, she could hear the wind howling outside, a fire crackling away in the room adjacent to hers.  Gripping the handle of the mallet tightly she limped forward, her eyes zeroed in on the light flooding through the doorway.

He was standing in front of the blazing fire, fingers twirling the stolen locket in one hand as he sipped at something in his other hand.  The smirk that he wore went unseen, a tuneless hum leaving him as he stared at the crackling logs, completely unaware of the woman sneaking up behind him.

Unbridled rage swelled up inside of her body as she kept her eyes glued to his back, her grip on the handle of the mallet so tight her knuckles were turning white.  She inched forward slowly, breathing quietly through her mouth so she was not heard.  When she was so close she could touch him she raised the mallet up and swung down with everything she had, an enraged scream ripping itself out of her lungs.

He buckled and yelled in agony, both the drink and the locket dropping from his hands as his broken shoulder dangled uselessly at his side, his body careening to one side before pitching forward.  He screamed out again as the other shoulder was struck as well before both of his knees were smashed, leaving him completely incapacitated.

She stood over his prone and broken body, panting for breath as another surge of adrenaline rushed through her.  Without a second thought she forced her body to bend, rolling her adversary over onto his back.  As his eyes widened in shock at the realization of who his attacker was, and what just happened, she allowed herself to smile.

“What are you screaming and crying for?  There’s absolutely no reason for it!”

She crouched down beside him, watching him struggle to move his arms and his legs, his agonized curses and pleas falling upon deaf ears.

“Stop fighting it, sweetheart.” she slowly stood up to her feet, bringing the mallet up once more.  “Relax, and allow the sensations to overwhelm you.  You’ll learn to enjoy. Every. Single. Repetitious. Motion!  You’ll be begging for more before you know it.” she enunciated each word with a swing of the mallet, bringing it crashing down onto the man’s groin as many times as she could as those same words echoed in her mind, her own screams faintly filling her ears.

As he screamed and cried and spluttered, blood dribbling down his stark-white chin, she knelt down next to him once more.  “You should have killed me when you had the chance, Singleton.  I always keep my promises.” she spit on his broken body derisively and forced herself to her feet, limping over to the blazing fireplace.  With a kick she dislodged several of the burning logs, not even wincing as the puddle of alcohol took fire, the floor quickly becoming consumed.  The light glinting off of the fallen locket caught her eye and she bent to scoop it up, rolling a log towards her enemy.  She squeezed the object in her hand and glanced down at the screaming man, his leg engulfed in fire.

Without a backward glance she limped towards the front door, a bottle of alcohol exploding behind her.  As the screaming intensified she stopped momentarily, turning her head towards the blazing inferno slightly.  “This was for Dahlia, you bastard.”

With that she left the Manor behind, the wind catching the licking flames and soon engulfing the entire building.  If it hadn’t been for the three month drought, the house would have never burnt in the first place.

“The forest is no place for a warrioress!  How far could this blasted Tavern be?” a woman huffed as she stumbled yet again along the uneven path, wincing as her ankle rolled slightly.  “I’ll be happy to never set foot in the wilderness ever again!”

She straightened her tunic and took another step forward, tripping over a jutting object and sailing to the dusty ground beneath her.  “Maybe I should stop drinking…”

She dusted herself off and chanced a look at the thing that had tripped her, arching an eyebrow at the sight before her.  Instead of another tree root, it was the boot clad foot of some passed-out sot.  At first glance it looked to be a dirty, disheveled, homeless woman.

“Perfect, now I’m tripping over random people in the woods.  Wonderful.” she pulled herself to her knees and sighed heavily, eyeing the prone form in distaste.  “Excuse me miss?  Hello?  Perhaps the next time you feel to take a nap, you should refrain from hanging over into a path.  Can you hear me?”

“Hellooooo?”

She frowned and moved closer to the other woman, her mouth going dry and her stomach dropping as she studied her further.  She was covered in dirt and soot, and her clothes were ripped and torn.  That much was obvious.

On closer inspection, most of the dark splotches covering her were deep bruises.  Her face was covered in dried blood and cuts, bruises swelling certain places.  Her entire body, the parts that weren’t hidden by her ruined clothes, was covered in even more dried blood, bruises, and gashes.

The warrioress took it all in in a horrified silence, reaching a timid hand out to press to the woman’s forehead, the skin searing her palm.  To her relief the woman twitched slightly, slowly turning her head to the other side.  “Don………...don’t t-touch…….m-me….”

“It is alright, I won’t hurt you.  I promise.”  she wet her dry mouth slowly, feeling hot tears of anger well up in the corner of her eyes.  She shook out of it after a moment, returning her attention to the injured woman.  “Are….are you able to move?”

The woman’s eyes rolled underneath the feverish lids, her throat bobbing several times as the faint and raspy voice escaped her lips once more.  “N...no.”

She nodded and took a limp arm in one hand, pulling the injured woman up with her and slinging it over her shoulder.  The agonized yell that ripped out of her new companions' lungs sent a cold chill down her spine, the warrioress fighting the urge to cry with the woman.  She grit her teeth and wrapped an arm around the trembling waist, ignoring the pain in her own ankle.  “There is a Tavern not too far ahead.  It will be slow going, but I can get you there.  All I ask, is you try to help as best as you can.”

She felt the head nod next to her, internally sighing in relief as she felt the weight lift slightly off of her shoulders.

The two took a few unsteady steps forward, the quiet gasps of pain tearing her up from the inside, but the injured woman did not stop, nor did she ask to.

“I’ll get you there my lady, I promise.”

They slowly limped on in relative silence, a sign for the tavern in question obscured by the overgrown trees.  They had less than a mile before they reached The Black Nag, and an hour to go before night fell.

Hopefully, they would make it.

"Aye, take the last of those apples out to th' ol' nag, Ireth.  We may as well close up for the e'nin."

"Throwing the towel in so early, Myron?" the elf asked with a snort, resting her broom against the wall and striding up to the counter.  "It's only just now dark, I'm sure there will be customers before too long.  Creators know there are enough drunken sots around these parts."

The old man snorted, returning to the dirty glass he had been attempting to clean.  Before he could answer her the front doors swung open, the customers stumbling in.  "Well 's abou' time!  Looks t'me ye lot got an early star- Ireth, help 'er!"

"Some......assistance......would be.......appreciated!" the woman gasped, struggling to keep both herself and her companion standing.

Both the elf and the old man rushed to her side, catching the unconscious woman as the other's legs finally gave out and she collapsed onto an empty stool.  Ireth bent to see to the woman on the floor, Myron rushing off to get something cool for the other one to drink.  The elven woman put a hand to the woman's forehead, gasping in shock at the feel of her burning skin, the shock growing as she took in her beaten and battered appearance.

"What happened to her?!"

The warrior downed the pint that was presented to her, shaking her head as she steadied her breathing.  "I have no idea, I tripped over her on my way here.  I don't even know who she is."

Ireth's gaze darkened as she studied the blood stains on her ruined clothes, a deep sense of sadness overwhelming her as she saw the patches between her thighs.  She sniffed briskly and swiped at her eyes, putting two and two together on her own, before she hooked her arms under those of the unconscious woman's.

"Come, help me move her upstairs where I can treat her better, Miss?"

"Brenna." she scrambled off of her stool and bent to grab her companion's feet, secretly relieved that she was passed out; now she wouldn't have to hear the agonized cries.

Between the two of them, Brenna's ankle now throbbing as the previous adrenaline rush she had had wore off, they managed to get their charge upstairs. Myron was already up there to open the door leading into Ireth's room, taking his leave once they were in.  They placed the woman as gently as they could upon the bed, the elf's eyes straying down to the warrior's foot.  "Let Myron have a look at that.  He should be able to bind it up for you."

Brenna shook her head, keeping her gaze fixated on the prone form of the battered woman.  Despite her efforts to keep herself distanced from the woman she virtually knew nothing about, she couldn't help but feel responsible for her.  "Not right now, I'm fine."

Ireth smiled softly and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, nodding towards the door.  "It is alright child, she's in good hands I promise.  Go, you've done all you can for her.  I will look after her, and let you know when she has awoken.  You need to get that ankle taken care of in case it's broken."

With one last look at the woman on the bed, Brenna finally relented.  She smiled and nodded her head, allowing the woman to steer her out of the room and help her down the stairs.  Questions burned in the back of her mind but she strove to push them out completely.  She did her part, and had helped the woman find some help.  Now she was free to go, as soon as she got her ankle taken care of and downed and couple more pints.

She had no reason to stay.

On the third day, the woman's fever finally broke and she came to, much to everyone's relief.  She did not speak much, and had no recollection of how she had arrived at the Tavern.  Ireth had asked her about her injuries, but she adamantly refused to talk about it, and the elven woman did not wish to pry.

Despite the fact that she had no memory of the woman that had saved her, Brenna decided to stay, against her better judgement.  Maybe one day she would decide to move on, but for now.....

For now she remained where she was, keeping an eye on the silent woman that kept herself closed off to the others, gracing her with a smile when the two met eyes occasionally from across the room.

One day, Brenna would tell her it was she that saved her.

But for now, she shared soft smiles and foaming pints with the woman she would forever be drawn to.

[miranthia]

.: Tragedy Strikes :.

Characters:  Carmen Adela, Jovie Griffon, Tod Jacobs, & Vinita Embranthiri

Pairing:  Early Garmen

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The hot summer days were slowly beginning to taper off into cooler temperatures as the group continued on their journey north, though as far as they were concerned, fall couldn’t get there fast enough.  Sweating your ass off day in and day out wasn’t exactly anyone’s idea of “fun”.

But then again, neither was freezing.

It was midday, a gentle breeze rustling through the trees surrounding them.  They had made it into Oklahoma at last, four or five counties over the Texas/Oklahoma border.  During one of their scavenging trips through the dense forest, Tod stumbled upon a dilapidated cabin.  From the looks of it, it had been abandoned years before the world had gone to shit.  While the building did not prove adequate shelter, they decided to make their camp there.  If it was forgotten before, chances were it was still forgotten.

That was the ongoing hope anyway.

  “Hey, have either of you seen where Griff went?”

“No, but she did go by like ten minutes ago.  She said something about ‘foraging for rations in the wilderness,’ and ‘leading a horse to water.’”  Tod snorted and shook his head, peeking an eye open to look up at the woman from his makeshift palette.  “Whatever that’s supposed to mean.”

Carmen suppressed a grin, her eyes flickering briefly to Vi’s shaking from, the younger woman trying to keep her giggles quiet.  “You know how she is Tod; baby girl thinks she’s the ultimate survivor.”

“Yeah, except she can’t tell the difference between-“

“Yes?”

Tod gulped and laughed nervously, sitting up abruptly.  “Just kidding Car!  Just kidding.  I’m sure Pixie is just fine, she’ll be back here before you know it.”

Carmen smiled slightly and nodded, the unease knotting in the pit of her stomach.

She cared a lot more than she was keen to let on about.

However that was a battle that she lost miserably, especially now.

  Thirty minutes later, there was still no sign of Griff, and Carmen was becoming even more worried.  She paced back and forth slowly, drumming her fingers on the side of her arm, her eyes flickering towards the trees every fifteen seconds.  Tod was still snoozing on his palette, and Vi was tending to the horses.  Both of them were seemingly unaffected by the disappearance of their youngest companion, which grated on Carmen’s nerves just a tad more than she expected.

But of course she would never say anything, because she was a stoic, badass woman that pushed petty things like feelings to the back of her mind!

Nobody had time for that.

She should have been back by now.

Something’s wrong.

What if she’s hurt?

What if she’s been kidnapped?

What if she’s been attacked?!

What if she’s de- don’t even think that.

Carmen took in a deep breath and shook her head, continuing her subconscious pace.  She had no reason to worry, Griff was fine.  She could handle herself, and she knew to be careful.  She probably found something interesting or an animal to play with and just lost track of time.  She did get distracted easily after all.

Yes, that was definitely it.

An ear-piercing shriek cut through the clearing like a knife, shattering the peace as well as Carmen’s heart.  She staggered to a halt, her breath catching harshly in her throat as her eyes darted to the direction the scream came from, tears beginning to well up in them.  Tod was on his feet in a flash, Vi appearing next to him just as quickly.

All three of them stood there for a moment, staring at the same tree in disbelief and silence.

“Was that…?”

“Don’t.”

Before another word could be said, a sob ripped itself from Carmen’s throat, the woman dashing towards the figure that had just emerged from the trees.  She skid to a halt, barely managing to catch the blonde as she stumbled into Carmen’s arms, the two sinking to their knees to rest in the leaves beneath their feet.

“Griff?  Griff honey are you alright?  Speak to me, please!”

The younger woman’s eyes were open wide in terror, an unspeakable horror still playing before them.  Tremors were making their way through her body, her skin as white as a sheet and clammy to the touch.  She gave no indication that she was aware of the others, or that Carmen was frantically trying to check her for injuries, the older woman’s hands shaking and her brow creased in worry.

“I….I couldn’t save her…” she finally said quietly, her voice as rocky as her quaky body.

“Couldn’t save who, baby?  Are you hurt?  Where’s Mahoney?”

“A group of those things had surrounded her and I couldn’t…..I just watched while…”

“Hey hey Pixie, there wasn’t anything that you could have done so don’t do that to yourself.  Are you hurt?”  Tod crouched down next to the two, Vi taking it upon herself to keep watch in case any baddies stumbled and grumbled their way.  “Did they get to you, Griff?”

She slowly shook her head, horror-stricken eyes still fixated on nothing in particular.  “She was so beautiful.  Mint condition.  Perfectly restored…”

Vi halted her search and groaned aloud, dropping the branch she had in her hand to rest her forehead in it instead.  “Oh Lord.”

Carmen stared at the woman before her blankly, Tod falling back in the leaves to laugh uncontrollably in his hands.  The older woman paid them no heed, her expression becoming stonier by the second as she glared at Griff, anger boiling just underneath the surface.  “A car.  You’re talking about a car?”

Griff gasped in horror and clutched her chest, finally snapping her eyes to Carmen’s face, pain and disbelief contorting her own into an agonized frown.  “You take that back! A ’67 Shelby Mustang GT 500 is not just a car, it’s anything but that!!  My first car…”

“I thought you didn’t even have your license?”

“That is beyond the point, sir!”

“KC wrecked it.” Vi whispered to Carmen, the two glancing at each other quickly while Griff raved on and on about the vehicle.

“It was just beyond that barn out back, nestled all cozy like amid some bushes, the sun glinting off of the paint.  Midnight blue, with silver flecks.  Just gorgeous.” She snorted and frowned in disgust, everyone watching her dramatic display with interest.  “And then a group of those things ambled up out of nowhere and started dancing around it, like they were part of some cult and it was their shrine.  They kept getting closer to it, and then AND THEN….” she broke off and sniffed broken heartedly, her entire face pouting.  “One of them but a scratch down the side of it, and mucked it up with it’s nasty, icky, gooey, rotting self……then giggled and they all moaned and groaned away.  It was awful.”

Up until this point Carmen still had her hold on the blonde, more or less unaware of the fact.  Now that Griff had spilled the beans she was all aware of the fact, and now she just needed to get away.  Though when she tried to get up, Griffon held on to her hands.  “Don’t.  I can’t talk right now, I kind of hate you at the moment.”

“Wait, what?  Why?” she looked at her in disbelief, her heart sinking slightly.  “What else could I have been talking about?”

“A person?” she said matter-of-factly, still trying to get up.  “Mahoney?”

“Maho-?  Oh no, she’s fine, she’s…” The horse in question ambled up to them, snorting disdainfully at Griff as she passed by, flicking the blonde with her tail. “Oooow.  Oh…..aha….” she giggled sheepishly, the reality of the situation finally dawning on her and she shrank back from Carmen, shame seeping into her being.  “Shit Carmen, I’m so sorry.  I didn’t mean to….wait a minute!”  Griff sat up straight and grinned, an eyebrow arching as her eyes sparkled mischievously.  “You were worried about me, weren’t you?  You were scared!”

“WHAT?!  Me?  Scared? In your dreams, baby girl.” Carmen snorted incredulously, finally managing to extricate herself from the younger woman, avoiding eye contact at all costs.

“I thought you weren’t talking to me.” Griff teased.  “Hey wait, where are you going?”

“Come on, the scratch might buff out and the good thing about muck is that it can be washed off.  Might as well get this over with now, or I’ll never hear the end of this stupid car.”

Griff sprang to her feet in a single bound, squealing excitedly as she dashed off after her, knowing that this was just a way for the two to cope.  Even though Carmen hid it well, Griff knew she fucked up horribly, and that was going to tear at her for a while.  She didn’t like making anyone upset, least of all Carmen.  Griff would be trying her damndest to make it up to her in the following days and weeks, but one thing was for certain.

Carmen was going to get her back for it, one way or another.

And it would be when Griff least expected it.

Pay backs were a bitch.

[miranthia]

.:Companion | 27/30:.

Fandom: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

Characters: Niah/The Fateless One, Alyn Shir

Pairing: Nialyn

Disclaimer: I don't own KoA or any of it's existing characters, because if I did there would either already be another game out by now or the first one never would have ended.

THE FEELS THIS GAME CREATED OMFG.

This is super cheesy, and fluffy, and probably VERY, very, ooc.  But dammit we all know me, and we all know this was bound to happen sooner or later.

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“Come, we do not have much further to go.  The entrance to Tirnoch’s lair is just up ahead, and Gadflow will be waiting for us.”

The last of the Tuatha lay slain behind them as Alyn turned to lead the way, having finished reliving the tale of Niah’s demise.  The assassin was glad that she had no more reason to discuss the event further, or at least that’s what she had thought.

Niah stared after the other woman blankly for a moment, a frown creasing her brow.  It was a lot to take in, and if she were to be honest with herself, very unsettling.  By all accounts she should be satisfied with the answers she had received, but she wasn’t.

Her elven friend was deliberately leaving something out.

“Wait a moment, Alyn!”

“Come, we don’t have time for talk, we mus-“

“Alyn, stop.”

“We-“ Alyn was cut off mid-sentence, Niah’s hand closing around her wrist to spin her around, bringing the two face-to-face.  She swallowed thickly and kept her eyes fixated over the other woman’s shoulder, her breath catching slightly in her throat when she felt Niah’s grip loosen slightly, but did not offer to pull away.

Neither did the red-headed woman.

“What is it?”

Niah studied her dark-headed companion carefully, her gray eyes taking in and observing the other woman’s every movement.  She missed nothing, from the lightest stutter as she exhaled, to the way her skin trembled and twitched at their touch.  She returned her gaze to the woman’s face, tugging on her arm gently.  “You have told me absolutely everything that I needed to know, concerning my death and what I had been.  While I still don’t quite understand everything, and I doubt that I ever will, I can’t help but feel that you’re leaving something out. You are leaving what I want to know out.”

Alyn frowned slightly, feeling her heart pound against her ribs, afraid that if this went on much longer she wouldn’t be able to keep her composure.  It had been hard enough up until this point, after all.  “What do you want to know?”

“What were we, before?  What was I to you, and what were you to me?” Niah shook her head and held up a hand as the dark-headed woman began to speak. “Don’t.  You and I are more than companions, so do not try and feed me that.”

“I have no-“

“You won’t even look at me, Alyn.  You don’t look me in the eye when you speak to me.”

“I watched you die, Niah.” she pulled her arm out of Niah’s grip, immediately missing the feel of the red head’s skin on her own, but she had to try and keep herself together.  However the harder she tried, the harder it was to do.  “You were dead, and there was no coming back.  We both knew that that is how it was to be, that was how Fate had intended it to be, but how……..you can never prepare yourself for that, ever.” Alyn sniffed slightly, regaining her composure after a moment, though when she next spoke her voice cracked and shook.  “Whatever we were before, it does not matter now.  You can’t remember a thing, so why linger on it?”

Niah sighed sadly and shook her head, feeling her heart break at the sight of the woman before her.  She did not like putting her on the spot like this, nor did she like causing her any pain, no matter how hard Alyn tried to hide it.  As the other woman turned from her once more, Niah gently took her hand into her own, her gray eyes glued to the ground beneath her feet.  “No you are right, I don’t remember much at all, about before.”

“But when there’s one, single, moment of peace……a moment where I can take a step back and just breathe…..when I close my eyes, I can remember some things.”  Niah closed her eyes and tilted her head back, squeezing Alyn’s hand as she softly padded forward and snaked her free hand around the other woman’s waist, her trembling fingers skating along smooth skin.  “I can remember this.  I remember the feel of you, of how your body melds in to mine.  I remember the scar along your ribcage, and the ragged burn on your left hip.”

“I remember…” Niah swallowed as she pulled away from Alyn slightly, running the tips of her fingers slowly down the woman’s exposed back, her eyes fluttering under the closed lids. “The curve of your spine, and the way you shudder when the palm of my hand,” she smiled slightly, hearing the other woman take in a sharp breath and pitch forward slightly as her hand stroked over her lower back, tracing the hem of her belt and the depression of her back dimples. “Does exactly that.  I remember your scent, Alyn.  You smell of leather, and of the earth; of rain and a clear night sky; of mystery and passion.  You smell of the woodlands, faint traces of a woody, exotic flower, and the soft grass beneath your feet.  You smell of home.”

Alyn felt a tear glide effortlessly down her cheek as she felt the other woman press her nose into the back of her head, Alyn subconsciously leaning in to her touch.  There were so many thoughts reeling through her mind in that moment, so many feelings overcoming and overwhelming her.  There was too much at stake to put ones needs, desires, and wants first, they could not afford to stray away from their mission now.

Love, was not important.

But in this moment; in this singular, fleeting blink of an eye, it was the most important thing of all.   Because if there was nothing left to fight for, nothing to keep alive in these dark times, then all of the grief, death, and sacrifices that the peoples of this land have had to suffer through for so long, would have all been for nothing.

So for a passing moment, a lull in the raging storm, love was important.

“Ni-hnnn...” Soft lips were pressed to hers in a searing kiss, fingers tangling in her dark locks as their bodies moved subconsciously together, Alyn’s arms wrapping around the other woman tightly.  She succumbed to the one thing she had wanted to do since she first saw Niah in Arden’s hut, after she had finally realized that she was not dreaming or seeing a ghost.  The red-headed dokkalfar would never understand the amount of grief that she had felt in that moment, how deep the despair really ran, and then the overwhelming joy and relief that followed afterwards.

She had been dead.

That was her Fate.  She was to stop the rise of Tirnoch, and perish in the process.  She had failed, on both accounts.  Niah’s death was the only one Alyn grieved over.

But she had come back, and now here they were once again.

“I can’t lose you, not a second time.  Not like this.  I won’t survive it.”

Niah took the other woman’s face in her hands and brushed the wet tracks from her cheeks, ignoring her own.  She pressed her lips to her forehead softly, before kissing her bottom lip.  “If I am truly the Fateless One, if I am bound by destiny to write my own fate and rewrite the fate of others, then I refuse to live one without you in it.  I will make it my destiny, because that is what you are, Alyn.  You told me before, that I had changed.  I don’t think I have.  I think, that in this second chance of life I was given, that I am simply in control.  I have seen the world through new eyes; I have witnessed the kindness of others, the compassion, the strength, along with the evils that follow closely behind with an open mind and a clean slate.  I think not knowing what lies before me has helped, too.”

“I am your companion, as you are mine, Alyn.  I know that you cannot venture much further with me, but I know that you’ll be there, waiting.  I’ve been given a second chance, and I will not let my previous arrogance mess it up this time.  And afterwards…..after…..we will figure it all out.”

The dark-headed woman nodded and turned her head slightly, pressing a kiss to the palm of Niah’s head, closing her eyes to hide the pain that had filled them.  “I still trust you with the fate of my world.”

Niah smiled and took the woman’s hand in her own, squeezing it gently.

“I love you, too.”

[miranthia]

.: Shall We Dance? :.

Characters:  Brenna Larossa, Constance Macayle, Jasper, Lady Rosalyn

Pairing:  Macarenna.  EARLY Macarenna!

I don't know about this one, I really don't.  But all of those sketches gave me all kinds of feels and since I've been majorly lacking on an artistic standpoint, this happened instead.

I am going to read through it when I'm NOT falling asleep and fix anything that needs to be fixed, but I wanna post it now despite any errors it might have XD

BECAUSE DAMMIT I WROTE THIS FOR AZ AND I'VE BEEN SUPER EXCITED ABOUT IT FOR TWO DAYS 8P

—————————————————————————————————

They had been on the move since early that morning, before the sun had even begun to rise for the day.  Mac kept herself ahead of Brenna, never allowing for more than a foot or so of distance to transpire between them; she did this to avoid taking them through any thick brambles or underbrush that would take the warrioress by surprise and trip her, or worse. 

At the thought of her companion the rogue smiled softly to herself, directing her attention to the woman behind her.  It had been three or four months since they had left their previous home, if one could call a dingy, rundown tavern that.  The dwelling had mysteriously caught fire one night and they had all fled, the two getting separated from their other traveling companions.

They hadn’t seen any of them since.

So they decided to stick together, mostly because neither one of them had any set destination in mind.  They passed the time in silence mostly, constantly on the move.  Some nights they were lucky enough to find an abandoned dwelling or another tavern to camp in, other nights they were forced to camp in the woods.  Sometimes they were fortunate enough to find a kind soul that allowed them to stay for a few days.  Mac had decided to teach Brenna what she knew about the forest, and how to move swiftly and quietly.  In return, Brenna taught Mac how to better defend herself, and how to use both a sword and shield.  Neither one of them was too keen on discussing their pasts, but slowly they found bits and pieces out about one another.

And unintentionally, they were growing closer.

There was not a single thing keeping them together, and yet they remained to stay.

  Mac was brought back to the present, Brenna swearing quietly as the forest around them erupted into a bright light.  The crash that resounded afterward caused both of them to jump slightly, the area lighting up again.

A few moments later, the rain came, along with a premature night.

It came down in torrents, the two getting soaked completely through in a matter of seconds.  Mac felt Brenna’s hand close around the fabric of her shirt, and without thinking she reached around to take her hand, holding on to it tightly.  “Don’t let go, alright?  We’ll lose each other in this if we aren’t careful!” she shouted over the noise.

“I’m not letting go, I promise.” Brenna shouted back, shaking her sopping hair out of her face.  “What should we do?  Go deeper into the forest or keep going along this path?”

Mac blew water out of her face and shook her head.  “We need to find shelter before we either drown or get struck by lightning, that’s pretty much a given.” she sighed and came to a halt in the path, her eyes straining to make out more than just the inky moving shapes around them.  A sheet of lightning lit up the landscape and she looked down the path, a massive shape standing out in the distance at the very end.  “Let’s keep going this way; I think there’s a building of some kind at the end of the path.”

Instead of responding verbally Brenna simply squeezed Mac’s hand and the two took off, splashing through puddles and slipping slightly on the saturated ground.

    “Is everything alright, milady?”

“Do you hear that, Jasper?”

A portly little man stood at the bottom of the grand staircase, a candelabrum held high in his grizzled hand as he looked up at his mistress curiously.  He was as round as he was tall and he was missing his left eye, but despite that single mar in his person he had the kindly look of an old grandpa as he studied the woman before him.  “Are you referring to the raging storm outside, my lady?”

While she was not as old and wizened as her butler, the lady of the house was indeed an elder.  However she had aged elegantly, like a fine wine.  She was tall and soft, her every movement fluid and graceful.  Her silver hair still held faint traces of the deep red that it once was, and her gentle, blue eyes were as bright as ever.  All in all she was a regal sight to behold.

She frowned and shook her head slightly, a small circle of light illuminating the two as she descended the final step, her own candle held high in her hand.  “Not just the storm, no.  It sounds as though someone were banging on the front door.”

“Who in their right mind would be out in this?!” he asked incredulously, directing his sight to one of the high windows, lightning illuminating the room.  “Madam, you are more than likely just hearin-“

“There!  Do you not hear it?”

The two fell silent, a series of steady thumps resonating around them amid the howling wind, crashing thunder, and rain lashing at the building encompassing them.  Without sparing another moment the two rushed for the heavy oak door, Jasper throwing the heavy bolt to the side and undoing the latches, both of them swinging the door open.  “Oh my!  Quick, let’s get the poor dears in before they drown!  Jasper help her, I think her companion has fainted.  Get them in quickly, and go wake Nin, Patsy, and Rose, please.  We need more hands.  Hello, darling, can you hear me?  Can you still walk?  We need to get you and your companion beside the fire.”

In her state of exhaustion and shock, all Mac could do was nod.  Her body was shivering violently, what little energy she had left slowly draining out of her the more she struggled to help them move Brenna further into the house.  She tried to speak, but all she could manage was a gasp.

“Shh, best not to talk, child, save your strength.  All will be well, both the Lady Rosalyn and myself will make sure of it.” 

Before her world went black, Mac managed to nod her head shortly and stutter a weak, “Thank you.”

-o-

“Oh, brilliant Constance.  Way to let your sodding chivalry get the better of you; you should know by now not to stick your nose into places where they don’t belong. Next time you come across the creepy, ominous, silhouette of a mansion in the middle of the night, during the storm of the century, leave it creepy, ominous, and silhouetted.” she huffed as she fiddled with a rather large bow, her neck craned over her shoulder as she attempted to see what it was exactly she was trying to do.  Instead of using the large mirror in the corner of the room, she opted to keep her eyes off of it at all costs, as it would just infuriate her further.  “Deceptive….manipulative….adorable little…..stout…one-eyed…pouter of a man!”  She muttered under her breath, stressing each syllable with a tug on the stubborn ribbon.  The pink garment laced up the back, which she had managed to do herself, but she was determined to keep her back covered as much as possible.  The bow helped, and luckily there was a shawl that went with the dress 

  After stalling for as long as she possibly could, Mac finally exited the small room, fairly positive that she was going to be the last person to show up.  As she walked down the hall towards the staircase, she made a silent vow to herself:  if she made it through tonight in one piece, she was never going to seek shelter during a storm ever again.

  Constance Macayle, was not happy.

  But when you got right down to it, she hadn’t had any other choice.  If they had stayed out in the elements for much longer, they would have surely died. 

  Brenna, would have died.

  That scared her more than the thought of her own demise.

  It had taken them both almost a week to recover from their little adventure in the rain, and an additional week before they were rested up fully.  The two had suffered from severe exhaustion, and luckily that was it; if they had been out in the storm much longer, they could have caught pneumonia, suffered from hypothermia, or worse.  Lady Rosalyn refused to let them leave until they were one hundred and ten percent.

  Mac had a sneaking suspicion that the kindly woman was keeping them around simply for the company, as she appeared to have taken on a strong fondness for the two.

  If Mac were to be honest with herself, she would have to admit that she’d grown rather attached to the Lady as well.  Even if she was a noble.

  Jasper had not made it a secret that he adored the pair, which is why he had begged them to stay an extra night, in honor of the Lady’s birthday.  She would have been heartbroken if they had left before the party was to take place.  The persuasive old goat had even gone as far as sniffing dramatically, explaining how she had no children of her own to celebrate with.

  He had even shed a tear.

  “Bastard.” Mac muttered under her breath as she descended the stairs, trying hard to stop a grin from spreading across her face at the thought of the elderly man.  In truth, she was happy to stay for the party, and she knew Brenna was too, deep down.  They both owed these gracious people their lives and they were respectable enough to admit it, even if they grumbled at the very mention of the phrase ‘formal party’.

    As soon as she entered the massive dining hall she was pulled into a soft embrace, her tense body relaxing when she realized who it was.  “Thank you so much for staying, Constance; for both of you staying.  It means the world to me.”

  Mac smiled and squeezed the woman gently, the two parting after a moment.  “There is no need for thanks, my Lady.  We’re the ones that need to be thanking you; I don’t know how we’ll ever be able to-“

  “Think nothing of it, my dear.  And please, just Rosalyn will do.”  Lady Rosalyn smiled softly at the younger woman, nodding to her guests as they passed by and uttered their greetings and well wishes.  “Look at you child, you are absolutely gorgeous!”

  “Thank you.” she said with a blush, shifting slightly on the spot.  Compliments were still something that she was not extremely used to.  Mac scanned the crowd for signs of a familiar face, frowning when she could not find it.  “Have you…?”

  “She said something about needing a drink, and Jasper escorted her to the bar.”

  “Thank you, again.  Happy Birthday Rosalyn!”

  “Do try to enjoy yourself, dear.”

  Mac clutched the shawl tighter around her shoulders as she wound her way through the various bodies scattered around the room, her brown eyes constantly on the search for that familiar mane of blonde.  She finally spotted her at the back of the room, the warrioress leaning against the wall, a foaming tankard in hand.  She frowned at the sight of the beverage, but that soon disappeared once she took the blonde woman’s appearance in fully.

  The rogue stopped in her tracks, her mouth going dry and her heart fluttering slightly in her chest.  The purple gown that Brenna was in was simply stunning, the garment hugging her figure in all of the right places.  It was simple, but elegant.

  The entire room disappeared as she kept her gaze locked onto Brenna.

    Brenna huffed and grumbled to herself slightly, choosing to keep herself out of the crowd when she could not find Mac.  True, she had been happy when both Lady Rosalyn and Jasper had greeted her, but that soon disappeared when she was unable to locate her redheaded companion.

  And so she chose to extricate herself from the festivities and find the strongest brew that could be found.

  She sighed as she raised the tankard from her lips, her eyes snapping up in surprise when a hand covered the top and pushed the mug down.  The incredulous comment she was about to utter died on her lips when she saw who her mystery companion was, the ale in her hand completely forgotten.

  “You look…..”

  “So do you.”  Mac smiled softly, gently tugging on the forgotten tankard Brenna’s hand.  “You don’t need this.  Not tonight.”

  Brenna let the shorter woman take it from her, breath catching in her throat as Mac leaned closer, placing the mug on an empty table next to them.  She swallowed thickly as the redhead backed away a step and took her hand.  “Shall we dance?”

  She studied her for a moment, her eyes flickering to the shawl draped over Mac’s shoulders.  “On one condition.”

  “Yes? Wa-wait, what are you….” Mac shook her head, a slight frown creasing her brow as Brenna tugged on the garment.  She put a restraining hand on Brenna’s arm and tried to back away, but was unable to when the woman curled her arm around her waist, tugging her back.  “Don’t.  Please.”

  “I will dance with you, if you agree to rid yourself of this infernal thing.”  Brenna said levelly, her arm still wrapped around Mac’s waist.  The stern glint in her eyes softened as she continued to hold Mac in her arms, the look of complete unease and discomfort in the other woman’s eyes taking her off guard. 

  Mac was always a woman that was very certain of herself.  She kept her emotions checked, and remained to be a pillar of strength for the benefit of those around her.  She was strong, and stubborn.

  To see her like this, so vulnerable and unsure, was very unsettling, and caused Brenna’s heart to break.  Of course Brenna knew why Mac was resisting, even if she didn’t know the entire cause behind it.

  She smiled slightly and took Mac’s face in her hands, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear, her thumb stroking her cheek softly.  “You are beautiful Constance, in every way.  A few scars on your back do not change that fact one little bit, and if someone chooses to pass judgment on you because of that then they do not deserve to even be in your presence.  They do not make you who you are; you make you.”

  Mac chewed on her bottom lip slowly, blinking back tears that had threatened to break loose as Brenna’s words seeped in to her.  After a moment she hesitantly raised her hand and placed it over the blonde’s, the uncertainty dying on her features as her head nodded slightly.  When Brenna tugged on the shawl again, she did nothing to stop her.  “You don’t need this.  Not tonight.” she whispered.

  The redhead watched as Brenna folded the garment carefully in her hands, an eyebrow arching as she finally noticed that her companion was not wearing any shoes.  “Really?  Barefooted?”

  “I agreed to wear this dress, but I was not about to put those infernal things on my feet.”

  Mac laughed slightly and shook her head, once again taking Brenna by the hand.  “Shall we?”

  Brenna squeezed the other woman’s hand and nodded.  “Let’s.”

  -o-

  Mac stood in front of the full-length mirror, staring at her reflection in the dying candlelight.  After a moment she slowly turned around and reached for the bow, untying the ribbon and letting it flutter to the ground before she worked on the laces.

  How she had managed to lace this thing up by herself she would never know.

  She held the loosened garment to her chest and closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath before she looked over her shoulder, her eyes glued to the reflection of her naked back.  It was completely scarred up, some of them long and shallow, others deep and jagged in varying degrees and angles.  There was a shiny brand on the back of her left shoulder, it the deepest of the burn marks that could be discerned amid the gashes.

  This was the first time she had looked at herself in over four years.

    Before she could think on things much further and allow the past to consume her mind, the door to her room opened and closed softly, Brenna’s reflection the only thing Mac could focus on.  They watched each other for a moment, the blonde settling her gaze onto the scarred flesh of her companion’s back.  On their travels together she had seen glimpses of them here and there, but had no idea how extensive they were until now.

  She reached a hand out and gently placed it on the center of Mac’s back, stopping when the woman flinched slightly.  She only moved closer when the redhead’s body relaxed, placing her other hand on Mac’s right hip.  Slowly she traced the planes, ridges, and mars with her fingers, feeling her heart break the deeper the scars ran.

  Mac stood there silently, keeping her eyes fixated on the floor as she allowed Brenna to continue her explorations.  A jumble of emotions were running through her mind, leaving her to be utterly confused and unsure of what to really feel.  A small tear ran down the center of her back and she let out the breath she had been unaware of holding, her body shuddering slightly as she felt a small kiss being placed to her shoulder.

  “What happened?” Brenna asked after a lengthy silence.

  Mac chewed on her bottom lip once more, her hands still holding the loosened dress to her person.  She finally turned around and faced Brenna, raising a hand to swipe the dewy track off of her cheek.  “I will be ready to tell you the story,” Mac said slowly, cupping the blonde’s chin in her hand to tilt the woman’s face towards her own, their eyes locking.  “When you are ready to tell me why it is that you have to drink so much.”

  Brenna searched the brown orbs with her own, an unspoken understanding passing between the two.  She nodded her head slightly and, without thinking, closed the distance between them to place her lips upon Macs.  An arm curled around her neck as she wrapped her own around the shorter woman’s waist, pulling their bodies flush up against one another, the kiss deepening. 

  The need for air finally arose and Brenna rest her forehead against Mac’s, her fingers running through the auburn locks.

  “Shall we dance?”

[miranthia]

Muse: "You're not a monster!"

She swallowed thickly, the unshed tears shining bright in her eyes.  No, she wasn't a monster.  She couldn't be a monster if she tried, no matter how bad things got.

Be that as it may, in the eyes of many around her she was branded just that, and despite what some may tell her, she had come to believe it with every fiber of her being.

Monster.

"I just.....I want to go home."

[miranthia]

Muse: "How did you escape?"

"Ah, well, you know me.  I came up with this flawless plan full of my brilliant schemes, unending charm, and unsurpassed wit." she laughed and sat down, worrying at her bottom lip slightly with her teeth. 

After a while she sighed and shrugged her shoulders helplessly, looking over at her companion.  The confidence she had had mere moments ago completely vanished, replaced by a haunted and searching gaze.  "Honestly I don't even really know.  My mind just....went completely blank.  Is that normal?"

[miranthia]

.:Move | 25/30:.

Fandom:  Project Apocalypse; The Walking Deadish

Characters:  Tod Jacobs, Violet 'Lotte' McKnight

Pairing:  Totte!! (bahahahahaha XD)

THIS TOOK ME ALL FUCKING DAY TO WRITE.

LIKE OMFG UUUUUUUUUUGH but I'm happy with it X3

It's probably kinda rushed, and I really jumped the gun, but I have an odd way of developing my characters.

Mostly fluffy, kinda sad; Lotte has a more depressing background than Griff does XD

I'M SORRY BOO I'm not sorry

—————————————————————————————————

It was just after dawn when he heard it, the wintry sun just beginning to creep in through the part in the heavy curtains.  The snow had been coming down for three days straight, so the faint trace of sunlight was a welcome break.  However the reprieve was lost to Tod as he scrambled out of his cozy bed to clamber to his feet, his brain wide awake once the sound of the bedroom door softly closing had reached him.

So she had been serious when she said she was leaving.

He berated himself for taking it so lightly the night before.

Tod dashed manically around the room, throwing as much warm wear he could before hastily shoving his feet into his brand new snow boots, pulling his heavy jacket on as he left the room in a hurry and practically flew down the stairs.  As he wrenched the front door open the thought of Carmen clobbering him later for making so much noise entered his mind and he grinned sheepishly, but he slammed the door behind him regardless and dashed after the retreating figure ahead of him.

“Hey, Lotte!”

“Go back to sleep Tod.  I told you last night that I was leaving, this shouldn’t be that big of a shock to you.”

“Why though?  Why the rush?  Why is it you have to constantly be on the move?” he finally caught up to her and grabbed on to her arm, turning her around so that she had no choice but to face him.  “Just talk to me.”

She avoided his eyes, choosing to look across the snow-covered landscape instead as she hitched the strap of her bag up higher on her shoulder.  “There’s nothing to talk about, Tod.  I’ve wasted enough time as it is.”

“So that’s all we are to you, then?  A waste of time?”

“That’s not-“

“Violet.”  He stopped her from trying to pull away, taking her face in both of his hands firmly.  His blue eyes studied the furrow in her brow carefully, noting the distressed look in her distant eyes.   She had a habit of doing this; something he had caught on to pretty quickly.  When she finally started to relax and let herself become closer to the others, she would clam up and shut them out.  She would throw that cold and distant mask on again, pretend like nothing phased her and she didn’t have a care in the world, until it was ripped off of her again.  It was next to impossible for her to ever wear it for long, because she couldn’t fool herself anymore.  She cared too much.

The sensation of Tod’s thumbs stroking her cheeks softly caused her to close her eyes for a moment, her breath escaping her in a puff of white as she sighed lightly.  “I can’t.  I’ve been still for far too long.  I need to go.”

“Why?  Why do you constantly have to be on the move?”

“My kid is out there somewhere.”

Tod’s jaw dropped and he just stared at her, dumbfounded.  “You…..you’re a mom?”

Lotte snorted and turned away from him, a humorless laugh leaving her.  “Is it so hard to believe that I could be a mother?  Gee thanks, you’re such a charmer, ass.”

Tod regained his composure and dashed in front of her, blocking her path.  “Nonono, that’s not what I meant at all, I’m sorry.  It’s just….you’ve never mentioned that fact before.  You don’t even talk about, uuuuuh…?”

“Her.  Faith.”

Tod smiled and discreetly inched closer to the woman in front of him, reaching out to rub her arms when he saw her shiver slightly.  He was very aware of the fact that his body was becoming number by the second, the shin deep snow helping that fact along rather well.  “That’s a beautiful name.  How old is she?”

Lotte swallowed deeply and looked down, feeling the corners of her eyes starting to prickle with hot tears.  “She turned fourteen a couple weeks ago.  I was hoping to have already had her by then, but…”

“Why wasn’t she with you?”

“Heh.” She shook her head and pulled herself out of Tod’s arms, her demeanor hard once again.  She brushed past him, still shaking her head.  “I don’t have time to get into this.  It’s a long story.”

“Then dumb it down for me.  That’s at least one thing you’re good at.” he shot back at her, cocky grin on his face as he watched her stop dead in her tracks.

Lotte narrowed her eyes and smirked, keeping her back to him.  She mulled things over for a moment, deciding to take up the challenge, no matter how vulnerable it would make her feel later.  “Her ‘father’ had her taken away from me the day she was born.  Long story short, I fell in with the wrong group when I was a teenager, after my folks died.  I dropped out of school; my grades were great and everything, I just had no desire to go anymore.  Met this guy when I was eighteen.  He was nice enough.  Cute.  Pretty charming.  We got wasted and wound up sleeping together.”

“When I found out I was pregnant, everything changed.  I decided to get my shit together, and stop being stupid.  I quit smoking and drinking; I haven’t done either one for almost fifteen years now.  I found new friends that had a positive impact on my life.  I got my GED and a pretty swell job as a secretary for a high-end attorney in Miami.  Started saving up, planning ahead for my baby, yanno?  Tried to be the daughter my folks would have been proud of.  Six months in I decided to tell the guy, too.  It was the right thing to do, and I wasn’t expecting anything from him at all.  He just had a right to know.”

Tod kept his eyes glued to her back, chancing a few steps forward.  “How did he take it?”

She chewed on her bottom lip absentmindedly, her aquamarine eyes glued to the ice-covered trees ahead of her.  “Really well, actually.  He told me that I could stay with him, and that he’d take care of me the best he could, if I wanted it.  I didn’t need any help, but I figured that maybe if we spent more time together maybe something would spark.  I could see myself loving him, and I wanted him to be part of his daughter’s life, too.” She snorted and shook her head, her brow furrowing.  “Should have known it was too good to be true.  I held her for maybe an hour after I delivered, then that bastard shot me up with something and told the doc I had a drug problem.  I was declared an unfit mother, he was granted full custody, I got sent to jail for two years, and I barely got to see her.  Monitored visits every second weekend of the month at first.  When I got out six months early for good behavior and the promise to go to rehab I got her for a couple hours every weekend.  When she turned ten the court granted me partial custody, and I could have her for three months out of the year.  Thirteen, and I got her half of the year.  I’ve been fighting for her for the entirety of her life, and when she told the judge she wanted to live with me, they denied it.”

“Why though?  Why did he….”

“He’s a neurosurgeon that practiced in Miami.  Turns out, he was also married and a multimillionaire in the state of Washington.  Everything was kept hush hush, for his poor reputation.  Fed his wife some bullshit lie about saving Faith from a broken home.  That’s why I had no chance in anything, plus there was no witness.  Aside from the nurse that was with me.  She tried to testify on my behalf, but it was thrown out.  He got everything that I’d saved up for Faith, and then some.  I guess he figured he would bite me in the ass before I tried to do the same thing.  Not that I was going to.”

“There was a witness but it was thrown out?  Why the fuck for?”

“She was nervous.  He’d threatened her if she said anything, and she did it anyway.”

“Is she….?”

“Yeah, at least the last I had heard she was.  Now though….”

Tod threw caution to the wind and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her back snuggly against his front, pleased when she didn’t pull away.  “Where is she now?”

Lotte sighed and leaned in to him, dimly aware of the fact snow was starting to seep into her boots.  “Seattle.  Or at least, that’s where I hope she is.”

He stared at the back of her head in disbelief, not even about to figure out the miles this woman had traveled.  “And you lived in Florida?!”

“I was waiting on the plane from Miami to Florida the day the world went to shit.”  She sighed and pulled out of Tod’s embrace, again.  “Which is why I have to keep moving.  There’s no telling who she’s with, where she’s at, if she’s….” she swallowed again and shook her head, turning around to face Tod.  “And if he’s still alive, he won’t be once I get to him.  I can promise you that.”

“I am not letting you go Lotte.  Not like this, if the cold doesn’t do you in the wind will.  Come back and talk to Carmen and Griff about it.”

She brushed his hand off and backed away, frowning.  “Don’t make this any harder than it has to be, Tod.  If you care about me, at all, you’ll let me go.”

“And if you care for me at all,” Tod countered, grabbing on to her arm once more, his eyes boring into hers.  “Or the others, you will come back to the house with me right now.”

Lotte shook her head, eyes once again glassy with unshed tears.  “That’s not fair.  You know I do.”

“And you’re being fair?” he said angrily, once again taking her face in his hands.  “You don’t have to do this alone, Violet.  You have been long enough.  Let us help you.  Let me help you.”

“And risking putting the kids in danger?”

“They’re in enough danger as it is.  We all are babe, that’s life.  We will figure something out, and I know both Carmen and Griff will jump all over this.”

“Tod-“

He cut her off by claiming her lips with his own, the pads of his thumbs brushing away the tears that had managed to spill onto her cheeks.  After a moment he broke away from her lips to rest his forehead against hers, a small grin on his face as he felt her fingers run through the short strands of hair on the nape of his neck.  “I am not letting you go, and you’re not doing this alone.  Got it?”

“Alright.”

“Good.  Now, we can do this one of three ways;” he said with a grin, taking his hand in hers and planting a kiss to the back of it.  “One, you willingly come back to the house with me.  Two, I sling your ass over my shoulder and I carry you back. Or three, we wait out here and freeze until Carmen comes to yell at me for making so much noise running after you.  Your choice.”

Lotte laughed and shook her head, following Tod as he tugged on her hand.  “If you think for one second that I would let you sling me over your shoulder, you’ve got another thing comin’.”

“Don’t think I wouldn’t do it.  If I hadn’t gotten you talked down in the next five minutes I was gonna do it regardless.”

“Uh-huh.  You just didn’t want Carmen to come chew your ass out in the cold.”

“Damn straight.  Hey, yanno, I never realized you were that much olde-ooooooooow…..”

“If you value your fingers I would really think on if it’s really all that wise to finish that sentence or not.”

“I’ll show you what’s wise or not.” He pulled the bag off of her shoulder and lunged at her, Lotte squealing and attempting to dodge out of the way, but he was one step ahead of her.  He slung her over his shoulder, her hands pounding playfully at his rump as he carried her back towards the house, laughing his triumph aloud to the sunny winter morning.

[miranthia]

.:Transformation | 24/30:.

Fandom:  Project Apocalypse; The Walking Deadish

Characters:  Carmen Adela, Jovie Griffon

Pairing:  Garmen

WARNING THIS IS SAD 8C

OR AT LEAST IT MADE ME SAD.

I CRIED LIKE A BABY WRITING IT FFFFF

This is why I shouldn't have Garmen feels while watching horror/thriller flicks.

And yeah there are probably errors, I haven't talked myself into rereading it to edit yet.

—————————————————————————————————

They had been positive that this area was safe; that they had cleared out all of the remaining walkers.  It took them three days to do it, and even then there hadn’t been many to deal with.

There hadn’t even been a mass sighting in months.

  They weren’t even really prepared for it when it did happen.  They had all been out of the house, enjoying the nice spring day.  The winter had been a hard one, the children cooped up inside for the bulk of the season.

But they had let their guard down.

They were living too easy, the attacks too far and few between.  That fact reassured them and gave the false pretense that they were safe.

But the truth was they would never be safe.

Ever.

Not until a cure was found.

  The group that attacked them wasn’t overly large, but they were outnumbered about five to one.  They weren’t even properly armed; all four had a combat knife apiece, maybe three pistols, and one rifle.  They had been in the local park, playing with the kids on the equipment there.  Their laughter is what more than likely drew them out of hiding.

Lotte and Vi were cut off from the others, the two drawing half of their unwanted company away towards the opposite end of the park, Lotte tossing their extra pistol to Tod.

The kids screamed in terror, clinging to their parents as the adults tried to get them to safety, Tod putting the pistol to good use.

“If we can make it too the trees we might stand a chance!” he yelled over the shots.

“Don’t talk, just shoot!”

“There’s no time for that!” Griff shouted, picking their son up and passing him off to Tod.  A shrill yell reached her ears and she swung around, her heart stopping.  Their little girl had tripped, Carmen bending to help her back up, three of the creatures almost upon them.

Griff saw red, her world stopping as she grit her teeth and threw herself onto the nearest one, successfully knocking it into the other two.  She fought with tooth and nail, both the knife and the pistol forgotten as she tried to move the walkers away from her family.  She screamed out in pain, rotting teeth sinking in to her outstretched arm.  Her hand closed over the hilt of the blade, ripping her arm out of the decaying mouth as she rolled them over, stabbing it in the head, ears deaf to her name being screamed.  Teeth sank into her shoulder and she yelled out again, headbutting the walker in question before stabbing it between the eyes.

Her vision was cloudy and her body was burning, but she got to her feet, finding the pistol as two more came upon her.  She saw Carmen in the midst, their daughter in her arms.  “God damnit Carmen get the fuck out of here!  Get them out of here!”

“I’m not leaving you here!”

“You have to just go!”

Griff yelled out and brought her bitten, bloody, and shaking arm up, taking out the snarling creature closest to her love before moving on to the next.  She took out four more before she collapsed onto the ground, her world starting to go black.

Lotte and Vi had made it back to them, finishing the rest of them off with Tod as Carmen crashed to the ground next to Griff, bringing the blonde’s head into her lap.  “Griff?  Griff baby, wake up.  Wake up!”

The blonde coughed and fought to open up her eyes, her misty blues locking on to the horror stricken face of Carmen.  “Is everyone ok?”

Carmen nodded her head and smoothed the blonde stained hair out of Griff’s face, fighting hard to keep her emotions at bay.  “Yeah, everyone is ok.”

“Good.” Griff smiled weakly, her eyes fluttering shut momentarily before she forced them open again.  “You have to promise me that you won’t let me turn into one of the-“

“Don’t.  Don’t do this to me, don-“

“Shh, shh hey, hey,” she raised her uninjured arm to the side of her lover’s face, brushing the first tear away as it ran down her face.  “It’s going to be ok, baby. You know, it’s better this way.”

“Don’t say that!”

“I mean it.  I wouldn’t survive without you.  But you?  You’re strong.” she pressed a kiss to the back of her hand, her body starting to shake.  “You’re a survivor.  And I know….I know you’ll take care of them.  Of all of them.  C-Carmen pr-promise me.”

“Jovie-“

“Promise!”

Carmen took in a deep breath and nodded, keeping her tight hold on Griff, the younger woman’s  body burning up.  She chanced a look around, seeing that Tod, Lotte, and Vi had taken the kids away from the park.  “I promise.  I promise baby, I won’t let you transform into one of those things.”

Griff smiled weakly and closed her eyes, her breathing becoming fainter by the minute.  “That’s my girl. Now, do it….fast.  I don’t think I’m…”

Carmen squeezed her eyes shut, feeling the pistol being pressed into her hand.  She swallowed the nausea back, gently moving out from underneath Griff.  She pressed a kiss to her forehead, tears escaping her closed lids to fall onto the paling woman’s skin.  She sniffed and crouched on one knee, pulling the hammer back on the small gun in her hands.  “I’m sorry.” she said softly.

Griff chuckled weakly, a harsh cough ripping out of her lungs not long after.  “Don’t be.  It’s ok love, it’s ok.  This is life.  I’ve been lucky to have made it this long, because of you.  It was my turn to save you this time.” she smiled over at the older woman, her blue eyes watery and red-rimmed.

Carmen choked out a slight sob, her brow furrowing in grief no matter how hard she tried to fight it as she looked at her dying friend.

Her best friend.

Her lover.

Her life-long companion.

Her wife.

Even now, Carmen was shocked at how serene and peaceful the younger woman looked.  She stilled her shaking arms, both hands gripping the pistol.  “You had already saved me, Jovie.  I love you baby girl.”

“I know.” Griff said quietly, a smile on her lips and tears running across her face.  “I love you too, my darling.”

After the last syllables drifted from her lips, her blue eyes closing forever, Carmen pulled the trigger.

The shot echoing off of the trees and her cries of sorrow were the only sounds that emitted from the park on that bright, spring day.

-o-

Carmen woke with a start, her body covered in a sheen of cool sweat, sobs ripping themselves out of her chest.  She felt the soft hands on her face before the voice reached her ears and she responded automatically, curling into the body beside her, her arms wrapping tightly around it.

Griff ran a hand soothingly down Carmen’s trembling back, her other hand wrapped stroking her disheveled hair softly.  “Shh, shhhh it’s alright.  Carmen baby, it’s alright; it was just a dream.” she peppered the exposed shoulder with kisses, the older woman’s sobs breaking her heart.

“I just….I just need to feel you.” Carmen whispered against her neck, rolling Griff over to rest her body over the smaller woman’s.  “I need to know you are here.”

The blonde took her face in her hands as Carmen claimed her lips, swiping the tears off of her cheeks as they escaped her closed lids.  Carmen broke away from her lips to trail them down her neck, her hands pulling her shirt off to the left.  She placed a kiss above her left breast before pressing her ear to it and sighing deeply, the sound of Griff’s heartbeat soothing her. 

Griff wrapped her arms around the calming woman, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.  “I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere.” She said quietly.

“Do you promise?”

“On my life.”

With that the two drifted back to sleep, the tremors and sobs that wracked Carmen’s body finally dying off, the feel of Griff underneath her, heart beating steadily in her ear, comforting her.

They would make it through this.

They were going to survive.

All of them.

But for now, they were going to sleep.  One void of horrid dreams that preyed on their deepest and darkest fears.

[miranthia]

Autolatry, Basorexia, Lygerastia and Druxy, your favourite pairing- otp- w/e

AMG gonna really have to step up my game omg XD

 Autolatry - the worship of one's self

Isabela stretched as she descended the stairs to the docks, murmuring happily as her back popped and crackled in places.  Stifling a yawn she gazed around at her surroundings as she came to the last step, spotting the object of her affection a few yards ahead of her.

She smiled slightly as she grew nearer, the rogue holding a handful of flower petals, her eyes riveted to the large statue in front of her. As she stood next to her, Isabela could see even more of the petals around and on the statue.  She sniggered quietly and eyed the woman next to her.  “What on earth are you doing?”

"Isn’t it obvious?  I am worshiping this mighty statue of myself!" She tossed the petals in her hand up in the air, a goofy grin plastered to her face.  "Isn’t magnificent?!  It looks just like me, from the ginormous helmet that covers my head down to the heavy, clunky, boots. The resemblance is just uncanny, Izzy; Finetia Hawke in stone!” She grinned slightly and elbowed the cackling Rivani in the ribs lightly, the sarcasm finally out of her voice.  “What was the point of this, honestly?  It could be anyone.  Besides, it’s just a stupid bloody statue. I didn’t need it, nor did I want it.”

Isabela finally got her mirth under control and wrapped an arm around the disgruntled woman’s waist.  “Oh come off of it sweet thing.  You did deserve more than just a great hulking statue though. It’s not very flattering.” She kissed Fin’s cheek softly and pulled her towards the stairs.  “Lucky for me I have the real flesh-and-blood woman all to myself!”

Fin blushed and followed, shaking her head slightly.  “Isabela, flattery will get you everywhere with me.”

"I know."

 Basorexia - an overwhelming desire to kiss

It was night, the group deciding that they had done enough traveling for one day.  That area was like much of the unfamiliar wooden terrain they had come across, they weren’t sure as to where they had actually wound up, but were glad that it was fairly secluded.

There was no telling what else was in these woods with them.

They were pretty sure that they hadn’t made it out of the state though, the humidity was still awful during the day.  But since the sun had gone down, and the stars now peppered the sky, it was bearable.

 They made a small fire, hoping that they wouldn’t draw too much attention to themselves.  The living could be about as bad as the undead that outnumbered them, if not worse.  They managed to make a fairly enjoyable dinner out of the meager rations they had, and now the four sat around the fire, swapping stories and jokes.

 Carmen sat back in her chair, watching the small woman next to her with a faint smile on her face.  No matter how long they had all been together, or what they had gone through, it always amazed her at how happy Jovie could be.

Or at least how happy she passed herself off as being.

The older woman watched her as she threw jokes back and forth to Tod and Vi, the pixie of a woman giggling helplessly, sometimes telling a story to go along with the joke she had just told.  The firelight bounced off of them, throwing them into partial light.  Carmen’s roving eyes settled on Griff’s smiling mouth, an overwhelming urge to kiss her washing over her as intense as the fire in front of them.

Griff opened her mouth to say something, but whatever it was forgotten as an arm curled around her shoulders and a mouth descended on to her own.  She flipped Tod the bird as he sniggered loudly, her hands moving to Carmen’s face as said woman pulled her into her lap.

"Well hello to you too, gorgeous." Griff panted as her lips were finally released, Carmen smiling against her throat.  They were both vaguely aware of the other two leaving; Tod saying he was going to take first watch, Vi yawning and telling them all good-night.

Griff kissed Carmen’s bottom lip and smiled, wrapping her arms around her neck.  “Is something wrong?”

She shook her head and smiled, content. “Nope.  I just wanted to kiss you.”

Griff rest her had on Carmen’s chest and squeezed her, the two comfortable enough to drift off in front of the fire in the chair.

Until Tod came to scare them out of it, that is.

 Lygerastia - the condition of one who is only amorous when the lights are out

"Why is it," she asked breathlessly, shuddering as the cool air in the dark room came into contact with her heated flesh, clothes thudding to the floor as another body settled comfortably on top o hers.  "That every time we do this, the lights have to be off?  Are you afraid to see me naked?"

Sybil snorted, stopping her roving hands as she looked at the woman beneath her.  “Mara, seriously?  You’re really asking me that?”

Mara arched slightly at the feel of soft hands outlining her ribcage, breath catching in her throat as lips stroked her collarbone.  “I-it’s….I’m not complaining, but it’s like you’re afraid of something.  And why do you always keep your shirt on?”

Sybil sighed and moved off of Mara slightly, her head resting in her hand as she gazed down at the woman, stroking the side of her face slightly.  “It’s got nothing to do with you, alright?  So put that out of your head.”  She faltered, unease washing over her.  A slight smile graced her lips as Mara rose a hand to push a stray strand of hair out of her face, her thumb stroking her cheek softly.  “There….there are just certain things, about me, that I’m not ready to show you.  Not just yet, alright?  I’m not comf-“

Mara silenced her with a kiss, rolling them over deftly.  She knew that she was referring to the scars all over her back; she had felt them through Sybil’s shirt once.  It did not bother her one little bit that she was “marred” in any way, not at all.  As far as Mara was concerned, Sybil was the most beautiful thing ever.  But, she did not want to cause her discomfort or any shame at all.

"When you are ready, then." Mara said softly, kissing Sybil’s arched neck and pinning her arms above her head at the same time.

She would wait for as long as she needed to for this woman.

 Druxy - something which looks good on the outside, but is actually rotten inside

"Maddi…" Aveline said wearily, rummaging around in her pack for a bottle of water and an apple.  "How many more apartments are we going to look at?  We must have gone through thirty just today!"

Madeline chuckled and flipped through the paper in her hand, missing the glare that the ginger had thrown her way.  “I’m sorry love; is it wrong that I want to find a nice place for you?”

Aveline huffed and smiled slightly, finally finding what she had been looking for. “No, I suppose there isn’t.  I’m just tired, and hungry.”

Maddi folded up the paper and sat down on the bench next to Ave, the two ignoring the hustle and bustle of the city around them.  She put her arm around her shoulder and kissed her temple lightly.  “I know, dear.  Just one more place, then we will go eat, and we’ll be done for the day.  Alright?”

"You promise?"

Maddi took the water that was handed to her and took a swig, nodding as she swallowed.  “Scout’s honor!”  She eyed the apple in Aveline’s hand, her stomach rumbling audibly.  “That is probably the reddest apple that I’ve ever seen in my life.  How does it taste?”

Aveline eyed her and smiled mischievously, bringing the fruit closer to her mouth.  “I don’t know, I haven’t had a chance to taste it yet.”  She giggled as Maddi made to snatch it away from her, both of their hands colliding and knocking the fruit to the ground, hitting a rock with a juicy THUD.

"Aww look what you did!"

"I beg your pardon?!" Aveline said incredulously, picking the apple up and rinsing it off with their remaining water.  "Here look, it almost split in two."

As Aveline pulled the ruin fruit apart they stared down at it in horror, noses wrinkled in disgust.  The inside was completely rotten to the core and smelled absolutely awful.  They both ‘eeeeeeewed’ in disgust and found the nearest waste bin, chucking it disdainfully inside.

"Urgh, I hope that’s not some kind of indicator that the next place we-"

"Don’t even say it Madeline Hawke or I will…."

Whatever Aveline was going to threaten to do was forever forgotten as the two set off for their next destination, the red head giggling slightly as the raven haired woman kissed her soundly.

[miranthia]

.:Formal | 21/30:.

Fandom:  Dragon Age

Characters:  Temperance Cousland, Ser Cauthrien, Bryce & Eleanor Cousland, Duncan, Loghain Mac Tir, Ser Gilmore

Pairing:  Tempauthrien.  Cauthrience.  Something like that XD f!Cousland/Ser Cauthrien

Ok...so.....this is actually really long.

It took me two days to type up.

Two.

AND....it probably sucks, really bad.  I haven't gone through it to edit or anything, and I KNOW the first half needs to be redone.  Because the wording and everything is off to me XP

But anyways, just a little idea I got.

No, I know the bulk of this doesn't happen at all in game.  So it's like my own OOC AU non-canonish thingar. 

Yeah.

—————————————————————————————————

She saw no pleasure in getting all dolled-up anyway.

Fergus was away on holiday with Oriana and her little nephew, Oren, so really she had no say in the matter as it was, but for some reason, unknown to even herself, she had wanted to go to this formal meeting.   MUCH to her mother’s excitement.  Eleanor accepted that her little girl was more of the ‘tomboy that couldn’t be tamed’ type; she loved that to bits and pieces about her and wouldn’t have it any other way.  But she jumped at the opportunity to dress Temperance up for some formal occasion, no matter how much the girl whined about it.  She wasn’t completely fooled though; she knew Temp liked it when her mother had the opportunity to do this.  Girl-time with mother was always fun, no matter what.

  When she found out that Ser Gilmore would be coming along, she was a little more excited about going.  He was her best friend after all, and while the two were not officially a couple, she figured she would be marrying him one day.  Their relationship, of sorts, was not exactly something that could be public; she a woman of nobility, he a Knight in her father’s company.  Despite that, she was fairly certain her parents were aware of it, and they made no move to protest.  Of that she was very grateful

When her father squeezed her hand as they were approaching the carriage, and told her Sparrow could come along, she was ecstatic.  The mabari had sat outside the gate as he watched his mistress leave, his ears drooping sadly.  At the sound of the short, shrill whistle he bounced out of his puppy-depression in a flash, his happy barks bouncing off of the walls of the castle as he ran towards his family to hop up in the carriage with them.

  “Now Pup, I am warning you now; if that dog of yours causes any trouble, he will have to sleep outside for a week.”  Bryce said as sternly as he could, though the faint smile hanging on the corner of his lips gave him away.

Temperance grinned and kissed her father’s cheek softly.  “I know father.  Don’t worry, Sparrow will be on his best behavior, I promise.  Won’t you?” she added to the war hound, a dopey look on his furry face as his tail wagged happily.

Both her mother and father chuckled lightly, each reaching a hand out to scratch behind the silly animals ears.  Bryce smiled and looked over at his daughter, his eyes twinkling in fondness.  “You look gorgeous by the way, my darling.  You always do your mother and I proud.”

“Absolutely.”

Temperance blushed lightly and grinned from ear to ear, feeling more like a little girl than a young woman.  She cleared her throat and squeezed her father’s hand before doing the same to her mother.  “Thank you, both of you.  Word has it that this is not a typical council meeting. Is that so?”

Once again Bryce grinned and winked at his youngest, his mother rolling her eyes slightly beside him.  “Oh Pup, I’m sure you’re not going to find this as boring as the usual meetings.  Of that I am most sure of.”

  -o-

  It wasn’t the usual talk that rumbled through the dining hall that night.

No bickering over land.

No arguing over treaties or laws that should or should not be passed.

No talks of war, or marching off, or trying to take over some monument somewhere out in the middle of the wilderness.

Nothing of the sort.  It was all just talk.  Normal, everyday, “Hey haven’t seen you in years, how is the family?” talk.

  Which was completely fine with Temperance; she hated politics with a passion.  As a Teyrn’s daughter, she was expected to know certain things and to pay attention during important meetings, but it was so hard to.  All of the shouting, grumbling, cursing…..it just didn’t interest her.  She knew she should pay attention, that it was important for her to, but she couldn’t.  Plus, her father would break things down for her later.  Or at least filled her in.  She understood everything that went on, she just chose not to listen.  Unless it involved her family directly, then things had a tendency to get out of hand.

Be that as it may, she was still bored.

She sat between her mother and father, Ser Gilmore standing behind them attentively, eyes scanning for any signs of a threat.  Not that the probability of some crazed lunatic running in at any given point in time was very high, but one could never be too sure.  There were very important people at this council after all.  He smiled as he heard Temperance sigh slightly, and discreetly ran a hand down her back in comfort.  The soft smile that crinkled the corner of her mouth was enough for him.

  Temperance leaned back in her chair and looked about the room, wondering when she would be able to slip away unnoticed.  Her eyes scanned the occupants of the vast table, smiling quietly to herself as she watched their interactions.  Movement at the head of the table caught the corner of her eye and she turned her head, a woman in armor walking towards Loghain.  She studied her carefully, her face hidden mostly by shadow as she bent to whisper something into the General’s ear, dark brown hair the only visible trait.  She didn’t remember ever seeing her before, but then again she had only met Loghain a handful of times, if not less.

  Ser Cauthrien exhaled slowly as she finished her patrol, making sure there were no unsavory beings hovering around the castle walls.  Given her rank, she could have had any one of the soldiers do this instead, but she insisted on doing it herself.  Plus, as much as she adored and looked up to Loghain, she preferred to stay out of any and all formal occasions as much as possible.

Determining all was clear, she sighed and trudged back into the castle, her armor clinking as she walked on, the sounds echoing off of the stone walls.  Already she wished to be back outside in the cool night air.  That was one of the things she missed about home, about being a simple farmer’s daughter; she couldn’t go outdoors whenever she pleased.  She couldn’t decide to take a lengthy stroll through the wilderness, or fish in the streams.  She had too many responsibilities as a soldier, as a Lieutenant.  She shrugged the thoughts off however, and knew that, if given the chance to do it all over again, she would do the same thing.

She strode towards Loghain’s chair at the head of the table as she entered the dining hall, stopping only to crouch down and give him her report.  He nodded slowly and smiled, patting her gauntleted hand gently, satisfied with the results.  Cauthrien straightened up, smiling faintly, as she looked over the table momentarily, both her gaze and her heart stopping.  Her own hazel orbs were fixated on blue-green, and try as she might she couldn’t look away.  The young woman, who she assumed to be the daughter of the Teyrn and Teyrna Cousland, looked to be around the same age as she, if not a little younger.  Her blonde hair was back in an elegant bun, the light blue dress she was clad in bringing her eyes out even more.  Cauthrien had never seen her before, but she felt as if she already knew her.  Her world was spinning and her stomach was fluttering oddly, heat creeping up her neck to her cheeks.  Their eyes locked for what seemed like an eternity, but in reality it was three seconds.  The other woman looked away and the spell was broken, Cauthrien silently willing her racing heart to slow down.

  Temperance had suffered the same, and though she had hated to do so, she forced herself to look away.  Her brow furrowed slightly, unsure as to what just happened.  Her pulse was still racing, and her hands were shaking lightly.  “Dear, are you alright?”

Her head snapped to attention and she looked to her mother, a smile coming to her face.  “Hmm?  Oh yes, I’m fine.  I think I just need to go get some air, it is getting rather stuffy in here.”

Eleanor stroked her cheek softly and smiled at her daughter.  “Go on then, I’m sure your father and I will be fine here with Ser Gilmore.”

“Listen to your mother, Pup.  Just don’t stray too far.”

Temperance laughed slightly and got to her feet, kissing them both on the cheek.  “I won’t, I promise.”  Gilmore raised an eyebrow as she passed by him, Temp shaking her head slightly.  He inclined his head towards her and smiled, returning his attention back to the Cousland’s.

  As Temperance excused herself from the dining hall she could feel eyes resting on her retreating back, a small blush creeping to her cheeks.  She smiled slightly and chanced a look behind her, the brunette nowhere to be seen.  Disappointment entered her gut and she shook it off, intent on finding the courtyard.

  Cauthrien watched Temperance leave, chewing on her bottom lip slightly.  “Something on your mind, Cauthrien?”

She snapped her attention back to her General and shook her head.  “No sir, not a thing.”

He studied her carefully, trying hard to mask the fondness in his voice as he dismissed his Lieutenant.  “Why don’t you take a break and relax for a bit?  Go get some fresh air.  There are enough bodies in this room to fend off any attacker if someone were daft enough to try anything.”

Cauthrien smiled gratefully, something Loghain was only privy to.  He was fond of the young woman, that much was clear; she reminded him of his beloved daughter.  The brunette needed to smile more; it was very becoming of her.  She bowed slightly and took her leave, motioning for several of her soldiers to take her place beside Loghain’s chair.  Her feet automatically took her to the main hall and out the front door, the woman stopping to take in the cool night air for the second time that evening.  A short whistle reached her ears and she looked off to her left, seeing the blonde woman from before, a mabari hound materializing out of the night to her side.  Cauthrien smiled to herself as the dog barked happily, bouncing around the woman as she laughed and tossed a stick through the archway, the dog bounding off after it.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a happier hound in all my days.”   Cauthrien said with a slight laugh as she approached the other woman, positive that her armor had given her away long before she had reached her destination.

Temperance looked over at her and smiled, her stomach fluttering.  “Aye, he’s full grown but I don’t think he’s ever been much more than a puppy.  Fiercest war hound ever, yeah?”

“Oh I’m sure he’d tear into something, or someone, if they threatened you.”

“I dunno, he’d probably let anyone walk off with our castle as long as they scratched him behind the ears first.”  They both laughed, Temperance nodding her head.  “But yes, you are quite right.”

Cauthrien looked up at the star riddled sky, the moon enough light to illuminate the small courtyard below.  She looked over at the blonde and smiled again.  “You must be Lady Cousland.”

Temp wrinkled her nose at the title, a roguish grin on her face.  “Again, with the formal titles.  Please, just Temperance.  Or Temp.  ‘Lady’ makes me feel like a delicate little flower.”

The brunette laughed again, Temperance finding that she thoroughly enjoyed the sound as well as her smile, and moved to take her gauntlet off to take the extended hand.  “Alright, alright.  Temperance.  I’m-OOF!”  Before anything else could be said, one-hundred and fifty pounds of full-grown mabari threw itself at the brunette, knocking her off of her feet and onto the ground.

For a moment panic filled Temperance , the young woman ready to drag the dog off of her even if it meant ruining her dress.  Before she could do anything she realized the woman underneath her dog was squirming, squealing, and laughing.  Temperance sighed in relief and laughed with her, slowly sinking onto the stone bench behind her.  “Sparrow, come on boy get off of her!  What has….you know, you’re pretty lucky.  He doesn’t like strangers, at all.”

Cauthrien giggled and scratched the dogs sides playfully, trying to avoid the wet kisses to her face.  She finally found the stick the dog had brought back and got his attention, tossing it back the way he had barreled in from.  She sighed and laughed helplessly, still staring up at the night sky.  “Well, that’s definitely one of the wettest greetings that I’ve ever gotten.”  She sat up slowly, shaking leaves and grass out of her hair, pulling her gauntlets off to pick grass out of her armor.

Temperance giggled and reached down to help her up, pulling the beleaguered woman onto the bench next to her. She brushed a leaf out of the brunette’s hair, her eyes sparkling merrily.  “Yes well, I should thank you for that.”

“Oh?”

“My mother would kill me if I let him drool all over this dress.”

Cauthrien followed the woman’s eyes and noticed the saliva glistening in the moonlight.  “Ah.  Charming.”  She looked up at Temperance, her hazel eyes searching the blue-green orbs in front of her, that same fluttering feeling in her stomach again.  Her eyes trailed to her blonde locks, noticing that some of the shorter tendrils had escaped the elegant bun.  Before she could think things through she reached a hand out and brushed the locks out of her face and pushed them behind her ear, fingers lingering on the soft skin.

Temperance’s breath hitched in her throat slightly, her pulse racing once more.  The brunette’s hand lowered, much to her disappointment, and she cleared her throat.  “So, how about we try that again?  I’m Temperance.”

Cauth smiled and took her hand, shaking it warmly.  “Cauthrien.”

  From that moment on, Temperance went to every formal meeting her father was required to attend.

  -o-

  They didn’t say a single word as they hurried out of the servants passage, leaving the carnage behind them.  Duncan kept his eyes glued to the back of the woman in front of him, trying to not let the guilt wash over him.  Even the hound in front of her was quiet, the animal whining faintly every so often.  No matter how much he felt bad about the turn of events, what was done is done. 

  There was no going back.

  They made the wilderness just after dawn approached, the land around them still fairly quiet as the creatures and animals within stirred from their slumbers.  Temperance had been the one leading the entire time, but as soon as they stopped for a small breather Duncan took over, their long trek to Ostagar awaiting them.

  Still, she did not speak.

  By twilight all three were ready for a break.  Duncan settled them in a small clearing, disappearing for a moment and reappearing with a small bundle of branches in his arms.  He really would rather not have lit a fire at all, because of the unwanted attention it may draw their way, but resolved that a small one couldn’t hurt.

Temperance stood just out of range of the firelight, the moonlight illuminating the dark woods surrounding her.  She stood with her arms crossed across her chest, shoulder leaning against a tree, Sparrow lying down next to her.  Her eyes gazed out into the unknown, open but sightless for the time being.  A twig snapped slightly somewhere behind her and she moved her head slightly, eyes still fixated on nothing in particular, though they had narrowed somewhat.

Duncan stood behind the woman quietly, for once unsure of what to do.  He was at a loss, not quite sure what to say.  What COULD he say?  He had hated to leave as well, but if they hadn’t, they’d all be dead.  He hadn’t had a choice.  Then why did he feel as if this was his fault?  He cleared his throat lightly, still not sure where to begin.  “Lady Cousland, I- SMACK…”

Temperance had whirled around, hitting him with everything that she had.  She glared at him, the older man keeping his eyes on her even though she had just struck him.  “Don’t.  Just don’t.”

Duncan searched her face with his eyes, feeling his heart break at the sight of her.  Her young face was void of any emotion, save her eyes.  Her eyes spoke volumes; volumes that did not contain the woman that he met just yesterday.  It was if that woman had been erased completely.  Rage, sadness, pain, regret, anguish, guilt….he could see it all in her eyes, the blue-green orbs bright with unshed tears.  He had felt it all in her strike.  Duncan merely nodded, his cheek throbbing dully in the back of his mind.

Temperance glared at him, her brow furrowed and her throbbing hand balled into a fist at her side.  “I want to make one thing perfectly clear, and I’m only going to say this once.  I am not doing this for you.  I’m not doing this for the ‘greater-good’. I’m not doing this for the King.  I’m not doing this for the sodding sake of our country and the people that live in it.  I am only doing this for them, do you understand?  Them.”

He studied her carefully, the trembling in her voice barely audible and the tremors running through her body barely visible.  He wondered if she would ever be the same again.  Duncan hesitantly raised a hand to her face and brushed away the one small tear that had escaped her, leaning forward to kiss her forehead gently at the same time.  “I know, my lady.”  He took a step back and bowed to her slightly, turning to stride back to their dying fire.

  After that night she spoke to him on the rest of their journey, but only just.

  -o-

  Temperance strode through the encampment, taking in the sights and sounds and she strove to put off finding this Alistair for as long as possible.  She needed time for herself, just one moments peace without Duncan watching her every step they took.

Just a breather.

She would not allow herself to break, not now.

Amid the bustling din of Ostagar, she heard a familiar bark somewhere off in the distance.  Temperance headed in that direction instead, the people and din thinning out to a stand of trees along one of the walls.  Her eyes landed on two familiar figures, and despite everything she could not help the faint smile that graced her lips.

  Cauthrien giggled as she ruffled Sparrow’s fur fondly, the dog wallowing in the attention and loving every second of it.  Her eyes moved to the figure that had approached them and they lit up, the brunette getting to her feet at once.  “Temperance, I had no idea that you were here.”

The sight of the brunette put Temperance to ease a little, for a moment at least.  She shrugged her shoulder slightly, patting her war hound on the head as he directed his attention to her mistress.  “Neither did I.”

“Are you here on business?”

Temperance swallowed the small lump in her throat and furrowed her brow, not quite wanting to meet the other woman’s eyes.  After a moment she finally did and released a sigh.  “I am to be joining the ranks of the Grey Wardens.”

The smile on Cauthrien’s face faltered slightly, her brow furrowing as she studied the woman before her in depth.  Something was wrong.  Before her stood the same woman that she had first met four or so years ago, but at the same time it wasn’t.  The twinkle in her eyes was gone; instead they were dull, guarded.  She had witnessed a momentary flash of grief before it was gone.  She didn’t smile.  Her voice was flat, emotionless.  Even the ring that she had been wearing not six months ago, their last encounter, was gone.  Even so, Cauthrien knew it was still her Temperance.  The blonde still had that same effect on her; the ability to make her heart race and her stomach flutter with barely a glance. 

Something terrible had happened to her lady.

But she was not going to press the matter.  Something told her not to.

Instead Cauthrien smiled slightly and reached out for Temperance, pulling her gently into her arms.  She was pleasantly surprised when she encountered no resistance and wrapped her arms around the other woman.  Temperance clung to her like she was the last solid being ever, her body trembling slightly.  Cauthrien whispered soft words of comfort in her ear, even though she had no idea what had gone on.

She wouldn’t, for some time to come.

But until then, she resolved that she would be there for this woman no matter what, whatever the costs.  Because four years ago at a formal meeting of the minds, with nothing more than just a glance, she had known that Temperance Cousland was the one person that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

[miranthia]

.:Summer | 20/30:.

Fandom:  Project Apocalypse; The Walking Deadish

Characters:  Tod Jacobs, Jovie Griffon; Carmen Adela & Vinita Embranthiri mentioned

Pairing:  Grodd (MOAR FRIENDFIC WOOHOO!)

Lol this one is just pure dorkfishness XD  FOR MAH AMANDA <3

—————————————————————————————————

“If you don’t stop all that squirming up there, I’m going to just toss you up in the air and hope for the best.”  Tod grunted as he came to a halt, Griff perched on top of his shoulders.  They were in an outdoors store, something akin to a Bass Pro, but not as grand.  Nor as big, luckily for them.  He sighed and came to a halt, his eyes glued to the middles shelves in front of him.  “Remind me again why we’re doing this?  This store has been picked clean.”

“Becaaaaaaaause, Mr. Grumpy, no one ever thinks to look on top of the shelves.  In the store, you’ve gotta get a manager or lackey to get one of those fancy poles with a hook, or a ladder, or SOMETHING; people focus on the easiest target, the bottom and middle shelves, and forget that there’s more on the very top!”

“And why didn’t WE get a ladder?”

“This was quicker.  Plus I’m not that heavy.”

“That’s what you think.” Tod muttered under his breath, grinning to himself as Griff gasped in mock hurt, squirming even more for effect.  He took a few steps forward, almost nose-to-nose with the shelves and tapped Griff on the leg when he felt he was grounded.  He winced a little as Griff carefully stood up on his shoulders, pulling herself up onto the top shelf, Tod boosting her.  “What are you after anyway?” he asked after he regained his breath.

“Tents!  Haven’t you ever been camping, city boy?”

Tod scoffed and crossed his arms across his chest, scanning the aisle for any unwelcome visitors.  “What do we need tents for?  There are perfectly good buildings and whatnot to crash in.”

Griff snorted as she found what she was looking for, shoving them off of the top of the shelves.  “It’s going to be summer.  We’re in Texas.  There is no air conditioning anymore.  You’re telling me you’d rather sweat your ass off inside a nasty, stagnant building, than sleep outside where there will be more relief from the heat?”

Tod rolled his eyes and shouldered the tents, not willing to admit that there was some logic behind her question.  “Alright, alright, fine; you win this time.  Now hurry up and jump down here so we can get the hell out of here.”

Griff snorted and peered down at him.  “You really haven’t been camping before, have you?  We need more than just that!  Quick, go get a shopping cart and I’ll I dunno….jump from shelf to shelf.  Or something.  Chop chop!  We are far from done, sir!  Hopefully Carmen and Vi have managed to find us all summer clothing.”

“Sure thing Tarzan.”  Tod groaned as he plodded out of the aisle in search of a cart.  “I hate shopping.  I hate shopping with women.  WHY, of all the people I could get stuck with during the zombie fucking apocalypse, did it have to be a bunch of CHICKS?”

“You know you love us!”

Tod muttered curses to himself under his breath, glad that Griff couldn’t see the shit-eating grin on his face just then.

  It was going to be one LONG summer.

[miranthia]

.:Diamond | 19/30:.

Fandom:  Project Apocalypse; The Walking Deadish

Characters:  Carmen Adela, Jovie Griffon, Todd Jacobs & Vinita Embranthiri mentioned

Pairing:  GARMEN 

TEEHEE it's all cutesy and shtuff X3  Omg forgive any errors, I haven't written in a hundred years so it might be crappy because I haven't cleaned it up yet.  

ANOTHER ONE I WROTE FOR MARI BECAUSE LOVE 8D

—————————————————————————————————

“Little old me have a silly idea?  Never.”  Griff said with a grin, her eyes constantly scanning their chaotic surroundings for any signs of movement.  There hadn’t been a walker sighting in ages, but one could never be too careful.

“Is this where you lead me into some area unkown and feed me to the zombies?”

“Maybe.”

Carmen laughed and squeezed her shoulder lightly, rolling her eyes behind the blindfold.  “You do realize that between the two of us, I’m the one with the survival skills, and I’ll have to take this blindfold off to save your pixie ass, right?”

“Shhh, we’re almost there.”

“Almost where?”

“You’ll see.”

“Where are the other two?”

“Off looking for supplies.  Don’t worry, Vi will keep Tod in check.  You know how he is, he’s gotta be under adult supervision 24/7.”  At that they both laughed, knowing that their companion’s ears were probably burning at that moment in time.

  Several minutes later they came to a halt, Carmen hearing the distinct sound of a lock clicking open and a chain falling free, the door creaking open quietly.  Griff took Carmen’s hand in her own and placed her free hand in the small of the woman’s back, leading her through the door carefully.  She was surprised at the lack of debris they had encountered on their trip and took a mental note to ask Griff about it later.

After the door shut behind them and the lock clicked again, Carmen was lead deeper into whatever building they were in, down a hallway, off to the right, then the left, then left again; she gave up trying to figure it out and just followed the young woman in front of her.  Another click, another lock, something sliding, then she was sat in a chair and Griff was giggling excitedly.  “Alright, sit right here and no peeking, got it?  This will only take a minute.”

Carmen sat back in the surprisingly comfortable chair, grinning and shaking her head lightly.  What in the world was this girl up to?

  “Ok my brown beauty; you can remove the blindfold now!”

Carmen did as she was told and immediately squeezed her eyes shut, hissing through her teeth.  “Holy shit, is this place going to go up in flames or something? That’s bright!”

“Nah, I’ve got all the candles away from anything too flammable.  Plus it’s mostly low-watt bulbs I’ve managed to rig together.”

“Impressive.”

“Thanks!  Now, open your eyes, eaaaaaaaasy does it.”

Carmen slowly opened her eyes, Griff seated across the room greeting her vision first, an excited grin plastered all over her face.  Blinking the dancing colored lights out of her eyes, Carmen finally took in her surroundings, her mouth dropping open in wonder.  The room they were in wasn’t huge, but it sure seemed that way.  The walls were covered with various fashion posters, luxurious drapes and shawls that had been tacked up, beads, pictures, everything that she seemed to like.  There were racks upon racks of clothes that were screaming for her to go through, a small dresser that was glittering like mad from all the light glinting off of pieces of jewelry, a short bookshelf full of fashion magazines…..she felt like a kid in a candy store.  “Where…..”

“It’s an old warehouse of some sorts.  I found it several months ago.  Cleaned it up.  Converted one of the rooms into a secret spot, nothing too special.” Griff shrugged nonchalantly as if this was something she had done for a living.  She was twisting in her chair absent-mindedly, obviously nervous.

Carmen left her chair and ventured towards the desk with the jewelry on it, running her fingers over the metals.  “How did you manage to find all of this stuff?”

Griff giggled and coughed slightly.  “That’s a story for another day.”  She got to her feet and stood next to her, taking one of the necklaces up in her hands.  “I just wanted to do something nice for you, yanno?  You’ve saved my ass so many times and Maker knows if it weren’t for you I would probably be…” she broke off and shrugged, eyeing her companion up and down.  She stood on her tiptoes and clasped the necklace around her neck, smiling softly.  “You’re a diamond in the rough, Miss Adela.  One of the remarkable and beautiful things that can still make this ugly place gorgeous.”

Before Carmen could respond Griff had turned from her and clapped her hands together.  “NOW, how about we investigate these clothes?  I’ve been DYING to see what all is in there!”

Carmen grinned and tried not to squeal too much, the excitement coursing through her.  “YES!”

[miranthia]

.:Restless | 18/30:.

Fandom:  The Walking Dead

Characters:  Daryl Dixon, Carol Peletier, some others (couldn't remember who was with Daryl in the trailer for next weeks episode, & too lazy to watch it again XD SO nobody else is named)

Pairing:  Caryl <3 

SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED THIS SEASON!  DON'T READ IT IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON; IF YOU DO READ IT, THAT'S ON YOU AND YOU CAN'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU AHEAD OF TIIIIIME 8P

I wrote this for Mari! 8D  BECAUSE SHE WROTE ME THE MOST FLUFFTASTIC MICHANDREA FIC EVAR OMG I LOOOOOOVE IT ALDFJKADFLKADFSJKJASD;LFKA <3

So I decided to make it one of my 30 Days and holding of Writing prompt drabble thingars! 8D

And yes this is probably VERY OOC, but I tried.

—————————————————————————————————

She was alive.

She had to be.

He refused to believe otherwise.

At first......holding that scarf in his hands, looking at those remains, the majority of which being unidentifiable.....he believed she was lost to them.  That sinking feeling in his gut began to permeate and solidify.  When he looked down at her grave and placed that small, beautiful flower on the fresh dirt and rock, and allowed his hand to linger on the homemade cross, the feeling solidified even more.

But he never fully believed.  His mind was as restless as a caged animal, and it was only a matter of time before it broke free and fled off to its home.  To place where it felt loved, safe, and warm.  For Daryl Dixon, that place was Carol Peletier. 

Now, staring at that knife embedded in the skull of this Walker, he knew.  While he had never fully believed that she was gone, the events that had led them up to this point had taken hold in his mind and heart.  T, Lori, Rick, the baby.....all of it had taken priority for everyone really, not just him, but for him it was his way of not having to think about Carol.  It was his way of coping, and acceptance.  He didn't have time to grieve, especially since the group needed him as a leader right now.  Daryl had accepted his place in the group; they are the ones that kept his feet rooted to the ground; they were family. Carol was the one that brought him home.

Daryl wanted to go home.

His crossbow wavered slightly as he stared at the hilt of the knife, his blood pounding in his ears.  He didn't need to take a step closer, he knew who's it was, but he got closer regardless.  His gut clenched and he slowly took in a deep breath. "That's Carol's knife."

With that statement, everything he had been holding back took over him, and the restless animal finally escaped from its cage.  There was not a shred of doubt left in his mind.  Carol was alive, and he had to find her.

He took off down the hall without another word, knowing that the others would follow without question.  For the first time in a very long time, his crossbow was a heavy burdensome thing and he slung it across his back, choosing his knife instead.  His tracker senses had taken completely over and searched for any and all signs of Carol's whereabouts.  He didn't even stop to take out the few stragglers that they came across; he slashed, and the others dealt with them.  They were all deathly quiet, afraid to shout out for Carol, or to voice their fears.  Instead they followed the man in front of them, letting him search while they protected him.

They rounded a corner, a closed door at the end of the hall with several Walker's pushing and pawing at said door.  As the group got closer, they saw that the door was starting to give and buckle slightly.  Daryl was among the Walker's like a whirlwind, the others scrambling to get to him before they lost him, too.  Within a matter of seconds, they were the only ones left in the hall.  Daryl was beating at the door with all of his might, Carol's name echoing around them.  With their combined efforts the door finally opened, a desk chair skittering across the room.

Daryl was the first to enter the room, his knife held tightly in his hand as he searched around the dank office.  His eyes landed on the desk in front of them and his heart stopped, the knife falling from his hand to clatter on the hard floor beneath his feet.  Carol had emerged from underneath the desk, her hiding spot, and was standing there with the same expression that everyone else was wearing.

Shock.

Relief.

A combination of both.  There she was.  Unharmed, alive, and healthy.  Well, perhaps a little dehydrated and hungry, but apart from that she was just fine.

A small sob broke free from Carol's throat, breaking the silence. Daryl was across the room, Carol over the desk, and then she was in his arms.  They held on to each other tightly, Carol sobbing and laughing in relief at the same time, Daryl squeezing her and patting her back.  "Shh, shh, it's a'ight.  I've got ya.  Y'safe now."

Carol pressed her lips to the side of his neck and inhaled deeply, both of them unaware of their audience standing quietly behind them.  "I knew you'd come for me, no matter what."  She cleared her throat and moved to let go of him, fresh tears starting to run down her cheeks.  "T-Dog..."

"Don't."  Daryl said firmly, taking her face in his hands.  He shook his head slightly, his thumbs brushing the tears and grime off of her cheeks, eyes boring into hers.  "Don'cha do that to y'self, ya hear?  T knew what he was doin', an' if he could do it over, he'd do it th'same way agin. You an' I both know that."

Carol searched his eyes with her own, knowing that what he said was true.  She slowly nodded her head, bringing a hand up to rest on his.  "I know."

Without hesitating, Daryl surprised everyone by bringing his lips to hers, capturing her lips in the most passionate kiss he could muster.  He held onto her tightly, reassuring himself that she was really there in his arms.  When she returned the kiss and curled an arm around his neck, he knew that he wasn't dreaming.  He had found his home, and home is where he would stay for as long as he could manage.

Ignoring the giggles, cat-calls, and whistles, Daryl regretfully broke the kiss and rest his forehead on Carol's, his thumb stroking her cheek once more.  "Ain't gonna let you outta my site agin.  I'm gonna keep you safe, an' alive, an' here wit ev'ryone else.  Cos we're family.  You're m'family.  I'm gonna protect that wit ev'rything I got, I promise."

Carol smiled that soft smile of hers and kissed Daryl again, her being absolutely glowing amid the carnage and destruction.  "I love you too, Daryl Dixon."  He didn't have to say it for her to know that he did indeed love her.

He flushed slightly and gave her an actual, genuine smile.  He took her hand in his and inclined his head towards the door.  The others all threw themselves on Carol as soon as they got to them, keeping their reunion short and sweet.  "A'ight ya bunch of howler monkeys, let's get back t'the rest."  Daryl picked his knife up from off of the ground and handed it to Carol, taking his trusty crossbow back into his hands as they left the office, back to the rest of their family.

Daryl would never admit to it, not even to his own children, but he was grinning like a love-stricken teenage girl all the way back to their Block.  When Carol tells the story, he scowls deeply and denies it, all the while trying not to grin.

[miranthia]

.:Winter | 17/30:.

Fandom:  Dragon Age

Characters:  Constance Macayle, Brenna Larossa, Dahlia

Pairing:  Macarenna sorta

TRIGGER WARNING:  Self-harm, suicide, mention/hint of rape

Before you all ask, yes I'm ok I promise XD  This is just...........what came to my head when I got to this word for the prompts.  A little insight on Mac and her past, so I guess it's more of a character development kinda drabble thing.

I'm horrible to Mac ._.

And this is probably craptastic because I haven't written in a while.

—————————————————————————————————

It was winter.

  The world had been covered with a fresh blanket of crisp, white snow for two days.  In some places, it was merely ankle deep.  In other places, one was liable to disappear in a drift.  Most of the terrain lay untouched, the tiny crystals sparkling in the mediocre light that happened to grace the land.  Tracks and footprints could be seen here and there, but for the most part the wildlife and peoples of this land had elected to remain indoors.

  However that was not to be said about all living things.

  Snowflakes drifted lazily through the air as a small figure trekked through the shin-deep snow, a steady trail of footprints leading the girl forward.  She shivered and wrapped her arms tighter about her frame, eyes glued to the path ahead of her.  She was dressed in an oversized sweater, thick pants, and heavy boots, but lacked a coat.  Clearly, she had left in a hurry.

  The trail of footprints began to swerve slightly, frozen dark specks of some substance marring the white landscape.  Her eyes narrowed and she quickened her pace, dread forming in the back of her young mind.  As the snow began to get heavier, the path became even more sporadic, the frozen specks not as frozen and congealed.  The youngster cursed under her breath, a slight sob escaping her as she took off at a run, finally realizing where it was she needed to be.  The deep snow and the big boots caused her to stumble several times, but she pressed on regardless.  She just hoped beyond hope that she wasn't too late.

  She rounded a corner and came skidding to a halt, her breath coming out in heavy white puffs as she struggled to control her breathing.  Another figure stood a ways in front of her, at the edge of the very cliff they were standing on.  Blood dripped steadily from the tips of her slack fingers, one hand closed around the handle of a dripping dagger, even more staining the boulders beside her.  The young girl licked her chapped lips, eyes glued to the other girls back as she took a hesitant step forward.

  "Go back Connie, you don't need to see this."

    Connie shook her head and took another step forward.  "I'm not going back without you."

  The girl laughed slightly, her back still to the younger girl as she stared out across the valley with red rimmed eyes.  "There's no going back for me." she said after a moment.  "I can't."

  "Dahlia please, don't do this.  We can figure something out; it doesn't have to be this way."

  "Connie, I couldn't even protect you from him."  Dahlia said with a broken sob, her body trembling.

  Constance grit her teeth and swallowed the lump in her throat, halting in her advance towards her friend.  Her back twinged slightly at the thought, her body too numb to feel anything else.  "Do not blame yourself for that, it wasn't your fault.  What he did to you, what he has been doing to you, is far worse than what he did to me."

  "It's only a matter of time before he gets to you, too."  Dahlia swallowed and shook her head, the act causing her to sway slightly.  "I can't have his baby."

  "Then we'll leave, together."  Connie pled with her, so close to her friend that in two steps she could place her hand on her back.  "We'll go far away, where nobody knows us.  I'll take care of you, and when the time comes we will find a nice, loving family for the baby.  I will help you get through this.  Dahlia, please..."

  "He'll find me, and he'll kill me.  He'll kill both of us.  If I stayed, he'd probably kill me after the baby was born anyway.  No, it's better this way.  With me out of the picture, he won't come by the orphanage until you are of age.  Hopefully by then you will be far away from this place.  Meredith will keep you safe.  She'll protect you better than I could."

  "Dahlia..."

  "I love you, Connie."

  She was gone.  Constance had reached out to grasp her friend's shoulder, but before she could even touch her she disappeared without a sound and barely a movement.  Her arm slowly dropped back to her side, her eyes glued to the empty space in front of her, the world dropping from beneath her feet as the snow continued to fall.

---------

Mac woke with a start, her heart racing as she fought back the covers.  A pair of arms wrapped around her before she could rise, her body automatically melding to the one in front of her, her forehead dropping to a willing shoulder.

Brenna shushed her quietly as she rubbed the trembling woman's back soothingly, feeling the deep scars underneath her fingers.  As Mac struggled to control her breathing Brenna tightened her hold on the woman, her eyes wandering towards the window.  The moonlight illuminated the landscape magnificently, the land sparkling with freshly fallen snow. 

This was a fairly common occurrence this time of year, and Brenna was always there to comfort her love.  She never questioned, she was just simply there.  She kissed the side of Mac's head softly as the woman's arms snaked around her as well, her body shaking with silent sobs.  Brenna hummed quietly and continued to hold Mac throughout the night, rocking them back and forth until the other woman finally settled back into a peaceful slumber.  One void of the horrors that plagued her mind on snowy nights such as this.  Mac would explain one day, when she was ready.  Until then, she would strive to keep it as nothing more than deep scars and a fretful memory.

[miranthia]

.:Thanks | 16/30:.

Most of you are familiar with my family, whether it be by personal experience with them, reading my long-winded tales of our adventures, or by me telling you about them.  I talk about my family constantly because I love them so much and we're all so tight.

Plus they're completely crazy, but that's besides the point.

My mom is my best friend, which many of you are aware of as well.  I talk about her the most and you know her story; things she's done, things she's been through, and things she's essentially survived.

Today I was reminded at just how amazing she is.  Yes, this is my sixteenth drabble for this prompt challenge, and it's all completely true.  For my mom's sake and all parties involved, names will not be mentioned.

My mom took my little step-brother and I to the pool today.  It's been really hot, and we don't have a pool so unfortunately the public pool is the shiznit.  We were there for like twenty minutes or so before my sister and her friend showed up, if not less than that.  Anyways, I don't know how long we had been there when I had started to develop a pretty raunchy headache.  I took something and was on my way back to the pool, and heard a whole lot of commotion coming out of the women's locker room.  I didn't think anything of it, because I figured it was kids being silly and couldn't make any of it out; it's not my place to get between some person's kids that I don't know.  Or course, it wasn't kids.

Next thing I know, there's people dashing around and this little lifeguard telling people to not go in there, and my mom had disappeared.  Sis and her friend went to find out what was going on and I stayed with our little brother.  We couldn't just leave him alone, and knowing him he'd get in the middle of whatever it was.  My mom comes out of the locker room, a little girl clinging to her, hiding behind her, and a crowd of people around this guy that kept coming at my mother.  He was going after the girl behind my mom, but my mom wasn't about to let that happen.  The few grown men that were there kept the dude away from them, while the other parents were hustling the kids to the back of the pool and keeping a woman from intervening.  The cops were called and the guy left.

My mom....had ignored the little guard telling everyone to not go in the locker room, and saw a man beating and kicking both a woman and a child.  The woman had wrapped her arms around the little girl, so that the man wouldn't run off with her.

My mother had gotten the kid out of there and refused to let anyone take her, until they figured out who she belonged to and what the hell was going on, even though the guy was twice her size and kept coming after her.  I am positive that if there weren't decent people there with us to get the guy away from mom and the kid, he would have hurt her, and I would more than likely be in jail right now.

The woman that had been holding on to the little girl was her mother; the man trying to take her, the father.  There was a restraining order on him.  If my mom hadn't done something, there's no telling what would have happened.

The point of all of this, is just to share this with you.  Mom did have help yes, but she's the one that had jumped in there.  She probably saved two lives today, purely because she wasn't going to stand by and let that happen to anyone, especially a child.

Mom's a hero.  She always has been, but today an entire public pool was witness to that.  She's the best role model a person could ask for, and I am proud to be her daughter.

So thank you mom; for everything that you've done, and everything that you will do.  Thank you for always being there, whether it was for one of us, one of your patients, or some random woman and her daughter at the pool.

I love you so much.

I know some people are going to look at this and think there’s absolutely nothing remarkable about this or her at all, and that’s fine.  I’m sorry that you can’t see what I can.  There might also be people that think I believe my mother is better than theirs, and that’s not true.  That is not what this is about at all, and once again I’m sorry if you see it that way.  I just wanted to share my mother with you, that’s all.  If you can’t appreciate and respect that, then I don’t know what else to say.

[miranthia]

.:Simple | 12/30:.

Fandom:  Dragon Age

Characters:  Brenna Larossa, Constance Macayle

Pairing:  Macarenna ♥

18 more to go!

Lol this one is pretty silly, and just proves how dorky my brain can be at times.

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"So what is it that you wanted to tell me, Mac?"  Brenna asked as they walked along down the natural woodland path, wandering deeper and deeper into the trees.  It was a quiet day, not much happening, and Mac had suggested that they go for a walk.  She would have asked the others to come along, but there was something she had been meaning to talk to Brenna about, and it was easier to do alone.  Not that she had a problem with speaking what was on her mind around the others, but this was a more delicate matter....

No, she was just nervous.

For whatever ever reason she did not know, but she was.

Mac slipped her hand into Brenna's and squeezed lightly.  This is so damn simple, just say it already you coward....  Before she could say anything, a giant spider crashed through the brush and leapt into the space ahead of them, barring it's fangs menacingly at the two.  Normally Mac would have turned tail and fled, squealing like a little girl the whole way.  But as it was, she was too annoyed right now to really register that it was a spider and she was indeed afraid of them.  "Of all the times this thing could have jumped out at us, it chooses to do so now!"

Despite the danger they faced, Brenna couldn't help but giggle a little at her lover's dismay.  She drew her sword and blocked a blow from the enraged spider, slashing out at one of its many legs carefully and side-stepping.  "We'll talk later, then."

Mac huffed as she slashed at the behemoth of a spider with her daggers, cursing inwardly as she was thrown backwards by a flailing leg.  "No dear, I would rather say it now while I still can."

Brenna dove out of the way as the spider struck for her, slashing its side with her sword.  "Do you really think now's a good time for this?"

"Now's as good a time as any!"  Mac yelped slightly and rolled underneath the arachnid, stabbing at its abdomen before rolling out of the way.  She got to her feet, only having to jump out of the way again.  "Brenna, I've been meaning to tell you something for a while now."

"Have you now?" she grunted, managing to bring up her shield as the spider barreled into her.

Mac snorted and rolled her eyes.  "Brenna."

"Yes?"

"Brenna, I- watch it!"  She dashed towards the warrior and threw herself on her, knocking the both of them over and rolling into a ditch, the spider decided to try and impale Brenna while she wasn't looking.  "Oh this thing is starting to piss me off." she growled, taking up Brenna's sword and crawling up the ditch.

"What were you going to say?!"  Brenna called after her, disentangling herself from the brush.  She shrieked as she finally looked up, the spider looming over the ditch and above her, its eight eyes glinting madly.

"I love you!"  With a yell Mac jumped off of the path and onto the spider's back, driving the blade of the borrowed sword into the things back.  Mac was thrown off of the arachnid into the dust, having been launched off in the spider's death throes.

Brenna scrambled up the side of the ditch and rolled Mac over, giving the now dead spider a wide berth.  "That's all you wanted to tell me?"

Groaning, Mac sat up and winced as her left side twinged.  "Yeah.  Yeah, that's it."

The warrior chuckled and helped her to her feet, tugging the blade out of their dead foe's back.  "Mac, I thought that was already established."

She grinned from ear to ear and kissed her softly.  "It was, I just wanted to say it out loud."

Brenna wrapped an arm around her waist and the two took off back down the path, their combined gait a little limpy.  "I love you too.   Mac I'm so proud of you; that was a giant spider and you didn't run off screaming."

"It totally ruined my moment, I was pissed."

"Well still, I am proud."

"Don't count on it happening again, though."

"Mac look out a spider!"

"..............that was so mean."

"You know you love me."