#oh .. under what stars did it perform? in how many pockets did it safely journey in?

[swordheld]

i listen to violins and other instruments as they gather together atop themselves in all their melodies and it is the closest experience i have to articulating what wind feels like; the rising of it, the soaring, how a thing like this can be everything if we only wish it, how it can fall and fly and wonder and witness everything, all at once, and the stories it could tell, each for every star.

i listen to orchestral music and i wonder what the first instrument maker felt in that final moment of creation. to finish the last curve-cut on the smooth surface of bone, and use your own breath to bring it back to a whole new tune of life. 

what would it be, to hold the very first instance of an idea to make something that exists only for the kind of connection that is not equivalent to any language: untranslatable. something entirely new, light and incredible, held in the palm of your hand, to echo a sound that will carry on the winds of time for millennium and millennium until it rests in the hands of a future you do not have the even wildest ideas or dreams to fathom. can you imagine it? 

to hold such a gift, an invention, right there, under all that brilliant sky.

to not even know the impact of a little thing you spent time creating, that you hold in your small hands on the small patch of landscape you call home; the impact of that one single piece of creativity has for all time to come.

what does that feel like? if i were to guess, i would believe, maybe: joy. so much joy it rivals even that prehistoric night sky, even their brightest star.

[xoxo-nikki-xoxo]

Leverage

Elijah Mikaelson x Arabella Castaway-Mikaelson

Authors note: Okay everyone after much planning and thinking I have come up with my own OC! I can’t wait for us to take this journey together learning about Arabella, like who she is, and how she came to be. Do not be afraid to send in asks about her either!

Word count: 2.4K

Somewhat based off of season 3 of the originals. I also joined the calibration for Dom’s 2 years bioversary. This fic is about sire bonds more importantly them being broken.

@xxwritemeastoryxx

———————————

Being involved in The Original family comes with its up and downs. Especially when it has caused the love of your life to pick his family over well his wife. That was about well two months ago, sense then I have not seen Elijah Mikaelson or his family. It is nothing I can blame them for though, the sad thing is I do not even remember who they are! In fact, it is the vampires I come across on during my travels that bring up The Original family. Usually it goes around the lines someone asking me where they are. From my gathering of these conversations I was married to the one they call honorable, the noble brother, Elijah. It never has set well with me though that my so called “husband” has abandoned me. If we are married is not that meant to be forever, that’s the whole point of getting married is not. Asking to many questions is what got me in this predicament, see what I do remember is my whole life. I remember the life I had New Orleans, the fashion the cooking all of it. So, if I was married to someone back then why is there no piecing pieces?  I barley know anything about this so-called original family, yet their presentence lingers over my body like a shadow. Too afraid to come and say hello, but it’s like every step I take it’s as though I’m being watched.

“Well if it isn’t the myth, the legend Arabella…. how did you find her? Elijah never mentioned why she left or where she went to in the first place” A male’s voice, it was deep with the hint of smoothness. I have no clue what happened, I just remember being at a local cafe in France then my neck was snapped. It went black for a while after that.

“Well we have our ways of getting what we need. When it comes to the leverage we need, this will be perfect. He’ll do anything it takes to keep his precious wife safe… And that well be the way we lure both him and his brother here, so my witches can perform this spell.” it’s a women’s voice, even though I don’t understand what she talking about I don’t want anything to do with it. “I’ll be back later with the items that Davina needs to finish the spell. Be prepared Marcellus, the strixs are all prepared for this battle tonight.” I can hear her shoes click as she walks away from us.

“Davina! Help me take these ropes off her. I can’t touch them, there soaked in vervain. She doesn’t deserve to be in the middle of this. Aya’s only using her to lure Elijah and Klaus here” the man’s voice I can hear must be Marcellus, whoever he is.

“She won’t die today Marcel… she needs to be here to lure Elijah and Klaus here. When they get here, it’ll be easy one of the other witches knock them out.” Davina say as she unties the ropes that are wrapped around my arms and legs. ” she’s safe here Marcel you can leave. When the spell starts you might feel a little warmth, it’ll pass though once the link it gone.” the girl says, and as she says it the blind fold over my eyes gets taken off and so does the duct tape.  

“What if this warmth is the last thing I feel”  

“I’ll be careful”

“I get that Davina and I’m game. But we are on a tight rope with the Mikaelson’s right now. Jackson was a friend to them and us. On top of that we have Arabella too”

“I know Marcel. And I know it’s a long shot, but if I can’t save you, and I can’t save Josh, even Arabella, then I can’t save Kol. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to you guys.” Davina says as she takes of the last of the ropes from my body.

When I open my eyes the man’s gone and the only thing in front of me is a girl looking at me. “You can’t leave, I put up a boundary spell around you… It’s for your protection Bella” The sweet looking girl says to me as she watches me over

“How do you know me?” I asked

“It’s a long story, just know that you’re my friend… I’m Davina, and that guy that was here a couple seconds ago his name is Marcel.” Davina says turning back to the papers that are hanging on the wall.  

“Well it seems like everyone here already knows who I am, so tell me Davina. What is that spell for?”

———-Switch to Elijah———

“And now Aya and her mob of are free to break the sire line. You know, we have made many glorious enemies over the years, brother, but If they sever the link to us, then they well all come for our heads.” Klaus speaks as both of us walk side by side toward the entrance of the compound. This is the very reason why I sent her away, I knew this prophecy was going to be a blood bath. I didn’t need for her to get in the way.

“Not without the white oak brother” I say in a soothing voice as Niklaus stops Infront of me

“Aurora has the last of it” I can the thought swirling in his head, with a smirk forming on my lips I simply say

“Then she dies first”

“You once told me you wanted to use her head as a footstool” titling his head to the side he finished with “why wait”

That’s when my phone vibrates in my coat pocket. I pull it out answering

“Marcel?”

“how”

“Yes, I see” *hangs up the phone*

My face drops looking at Klaus “I don’t know how, but Aya found Arabella. The crescent wolves were able to locate where they are keeping her” I say looking right at Klaus

“Well then let’s get going”

—— back to Arabella—-

“Where is she Aya? Unlike my brother I don’t have the patience to deal with this” the voice is raspy thick sounding as I hear multiple footsteps approaching us.  

“Hello gentlemen, it’s my pleasure you have decided to join us tonight” Aya says, so that is Aya!  

“Let me out of here!!” I yelled getting fed up with being confined into this circle. I bang my fists on the barrier and both the men’s eyes land right on to me.

“How did you-” The man in the suit says his bouncing from mine to Ayas

“It doesn’t matter now that you both are here” Aya says as she stands tall. There two girls that approach them changing some foreign language I don’t recognize. Both men then collapse onto the floor.

“I told you Davina Claire, Arabella Castaway was the key to getting them to come here.” Aya says glancing at me before some body guards drag the two men’s bodies into the water.

“Ive played my part let me out of here!!” I yelled

“You well soon sweet girl, just a few more hours left. Your role to play is still not over yet.” Aya states as she approach’s Davina  

“Were ready to start” Davina stats looking over at Aya

“Then let’s begin”

That’s when all the chanting starts, There’s apart of me deep down that knows this is wrong. This hole I have felt the past 3 months is aching in a way I’ve never felt it do before.  This must be him, the more I think about the faster I put the pieces together. Those are the originals, the one in the suit. He is my husband and even if he did abdomen me years ago I won’t abdomen him now.

I scream banging my fists on the barrier again as the chanting continue. Marcel comes into the room suddenly going up to Aya.

“Any problems?” Marcel asks looking into the pool with the two men, at me, then his eyes land on Davina.

“No, we are nearly there. After today one man’s recklessness will no longer weigh on the shoulders of his sires. Thousands of vampires across the world will be free from the tranny of the originals. I’m glad you’re here Marcel. Stay close by when it happens will you?” Aya says walking up to the pool looking over.

“Why are you guys doing this, I don’t belong here” I scream throwing a fit.

I watch in horror as both the men’s throats are cut then thrown back into the water, the chanting gets louder. And the more chanting I hear is when the barrier drops, I rush the closets witch breaking her back. Another women appears besides marcel killing what looked like to be a body guard

“Marcel!”

“I’m Sorry D. We need to get them out of the water now” Marcel states looking at both us girls. But before anything can happen Davina yells “No” and throws all three of us to the end of the room.  I hear the screams as the man in the suit sits up taking one of the witches’ under water with him. I stand up making eye contact with him as he leaps out of the water.

“I’m so sorry baby… forgive me, Rememoraeri” He says looking into my eyes, and it’s as if the two worlds collided. All my memories come crashing down onto me. But it’s one inparticular that strikes me the hardest. It’s the night I was turned into a vampire

The street was cold underneath my numb body. This wasn’t supposed to happen to me, not like this. I was supposed to live a life, not dying on the side of the road. The loneness of staring up into the sky not being able to move or cry out for help seemed to be the only thing I could look at. I was utterly hopeless as blood pooled up around me. Soon I began choking on the blood stuck in my throat. I wasn’t in any pain no more, it felt more like I was high up in the sky flying.

“No!” I heard him yell he rushed over to my side picking me up biting into his wrist “Drink Bella… please… no-no-no. Not like this… You can’t die like this” I took my last breath Elijah Mikaeslons arms. The last thing I seen was his beautiful brown eyes and the stars glowing behind him. That was in tell I woke up

“Elijah?” I blinked away the memory as I took in his appearance Infront of me. “Whats going on, oh my god-” There where millions of thoughts running through my head

“I well explain later” Elijah says giving me a small smile tucking a random piece of hair behind my ear, that was before we turn, we turned our attention to Davina as she started to break Klaus sire line link

“Davina No!” Marcel shouts, Klaus opens his eyes leaping out Infront of Davina but she catches him with her powers yelling

“No, you’ve had your time!” She shouts throwing him back down into the water, in the process of her doing his she throws all of us down to. We can hear he finishing her spell as Klaus yells. I scream as a warming sensation comes over my body and before I know it, it stops. Elijahs is the first to get up and come to the rescue of Klaus.

I sit up getting into the water with Elijah as well, I move Niks hair out of his face

He is weak but he would never ambit it. “I felt them leave, my sire line is broken” Nik states his voice shaky.  

Elijah and I help Klaus out of the pool “I’ll be in the car soon… I have some unfinished business to attended too.” Elijah says leaving me and Nik in the car.

“You do understand they both have history” Klaus says as he glances at me

“I do, and I tend to end that history right now.” I say excusing myself from the car as I make my way into the building using the back door so I can eavesdrop on the conversation he was having with Aya.  

“So, we remain connected, you and I, in spite of everything that you have done” Elijah says as he twirls a gun around his finger. “I can’t let you hurt my family, my wife. And you can’t hurt me more than you already have” Elijah says looking into Ayas eyes. I can feel and see the hurt and guilt he is holding over himself for hurting Aya. It makes me feel somewhat jealous, but I can’t blame him. He’s lived a thousand plus years; he should have had a few epic loves.  

“I stood by you Elijah. All of us where willing to die for you, and how do you repay us? Betrayal, abandonment.” Aya spits out turning to face his face. She loves him it’s easy to tell, love can be killer.

“You were not forsaken. Yes, I failed you, for this… I will never forgive myself… But I can’t forgive this. You captured my wife!” Elijah yells as he motioned to all the body in the room  

“If your life was chained to a man, who left you despite of your devotion, what choice do I have other than to break free” Aya says this conversation hurts to hear. “ So… End this” Aya says moving as he holds the gun up to her heart. His hand is shaky “End it Elijah!! Or I’ll take that gun and kill you just to be free of you!” She yells tears rolling down her cheek into she grunts, her voice stops her body leans to the side. I stand besides her holding her heart in my hand.  

“So, Elijah tell me why did you decided to erase my memory from ever knowing you?” I ask holding the heart as I look my husband right in the eyes

[the-story-is-this]

that unwanted animal

Geralt has to perform an act of mercy. Jaskier doesn't see it that way.

(For TWs please read on AO3)

“So…what exactly is a werefox?” Jaskier asked, trying to follow in Geralt’s sure footsteps as they struggled through the dense forest. “I’ve never heard of it before. Is it just like…a werewolf but instead it’s a fox?”

“No,” Geralt said without turning back. “The name’s a misnomer. They do look like foxes, but they grow to be much larger. They can walk on their hind legs, which some find disturbing. Usually they’re harmless. But rarely one will develop a taste for human meat, and must be destroyed.”

“That sounds creepy,” Jaskier said, grimacing.

“Their bite is venomous, too,” Geralt added, “and they have psychic abilities.”

“Wh…wait, what? Psychic?”

“Mhm. It’s thought they can sense a living creature’s mind with their own. And they have a limited ability to control a living creature, as well, though only at very close proximity.”

“Oh. Excellent, mind control. You know, this creature sounds not at all safe to kill,” Jaskier said.

At that, Geralt stopped and turned around, giving Jaskier a look that the bard thought might be incredulity. “It’s not,” he said, after a moment.

Jaskier sighed and gestured for Geralt to keep walking. As the Witcher began to move again, Jaskier said, “So, how exactly do I help with this…psychic, venomous, man-eating, bipedal fox?”

“Stay out of my way,” Geralt said. “And try to fight any urges to run straight towards it, or into a tree, or anything.”

“Out of the way, fight urges to run into death. Got it,” Jaskier said, then, under his breath, “This does not sound safe.”

“I heard that,” Geralt said, glancing back to look at Jaskier, and - was that a hint of amusement in the Witcher’s eyes? Jaskier smiled to himself.

After a few minutes of walking in relative silence, Jaskier asked, “So how many werefoxes have you fought befo—”

“Quiet,” Geralt interrupted, crouching suddenly and holding up a hand. Jaskier went quiet and copied his posture. Geralt pulled a small vial out of his pocket and downed it quickly - one of his Witcher elixirs. “Feel that? We’re close,” Geralt said quietly.

Jaskier looked around. “Feel what?” he whispered.

“A sort of buzzing in your mind.” And then, Jaskier did feel it - like a tiny vibration coming from inside his skull. He shook his head, trying to be rid of it, and Geralt nodded. “Stay down,” he said. “Don’t get killed.”

Jaskier huffed at that, but stayed put as Geralt began to creep forward. Watching the Witcher fight was always fascinating - how he knew where his opponent was, what it was going to do, before the creature was even visible. How he anticipated its movements. How effortlessly he danced from move to move, how graceful. This fight looked to be less perilous than some he’d observed - the creature was large, yes, somewhat taller than Geralt and strongly built. And the sight of an enormous fox standing upright like a man was certainly uncanny. But Geralt was matching the creature blow-for-blow, and Jaskier was not afraid for him.

A change in that strange buzzing in his head distracted Jaskier from the fight, made him turn to look - it was like the buzzy spot had tilted and spun around, suddenly, putting him off balance. Looking toward the source of the change, he thought he saw - movement, in the bushes? He glanced toward the fight once more, then crawled toward the bushes. Carefully, he pulled a branch aside.

“Oh…by the eyes of Melitele,” Jaskier murmured as he looked down at his find. “This may be the cutest thing I have ever seen.” Within the bushes was a nest of three tiny fox kits - or, Jaskier supposed, werefox kits. Unlike their terrifying elder, they were fuzzy and bright-eyed, curiously but fearlessly looking up at him. He found himself reaching toward them; the nearest one grabbed his finger with its paws and pulled it toward itself, then began to chew gently on the digit. “My heart is melting,” Jaskier whispered, gazing at them.

Behind him, he heard a crash, a wordless yell. Then, “Jaskier!”

The bard turned around. “Here, Geralt,” he called. “I found something, look!”

Geralt came up from behind him and stared down at the kits. “Fuck,” he sighed.

“Aren’t they cute? —Ow!” He glared down at the kit who’d bitten his finger, and was now trying to do the same to its sibling’s tail. He shook his finger lightly. “Can we - you said they’re usually harmless, right? Can we find somewhere safe for them to live? Somewhere they won’t be bothered by humans?”

Geralt’s face was …angry? Sad? “Walk away from them, Jaskier.”

“What? Why?” Jaskier looked down at the cute little things again, then back at Geralt.

Geralt shook his head. “I have to kill them. You won’t want to watch. Walk away.”

“Geralt—” Jaskier moved to step between Geralt and the kits. “No, you said they were harmless, you said it’s rare for them to—”

“Damnit, Jaskier! They are going to die, now walk away.”

“They’re harmless!” Jaskier yelled.

Geralt grabbed his arm, hard enough to bruise, and pulled him roughly away from the kits. “You will stay over there, Bard,” he said.

For the first time Jaskier felt afraid of Geralt, heard the threat in his voice. He knew he could not stop the Witcher from doing whatever it was he was going to do to those kits. But he could make his protest known. “You’re killing babies, Geralt,” he screamed. “Are you proud of yourself? Such a powerful Witcher, you went through all that training, all those mutations, so you’d have the strength to kill baby animals as they lie playing in their nests?” He found that tears were running down his cheeks, and turned away. He took deep breaths, trying to swallow down a sob.

A few minutes later, a tentative hand touched his shoulder. “It’s done,” Geralt said quietly. “Let’s go.”

“You go,” Jaskier said coldly. “I…I don’t know if I want to be traveling with you anymore.”

Geralt sighed. “You won’t make it out of these woods alone, and it will be dark soon. Once we get back to the village, you must do as you think best. But travel with me until then, for your safety. Please.”

Damn it, the Witcher was right. “Fine,” Jaskier said, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand, and turned around. Ignoring the handkerchief Geralt held out to him, he began down the path they had taken into the forest.

For the first time in their acquaintance, Jaskier was silent. He refused the hand Geralt held out to help him down a pile of rocks; he refused the hesitant overtures at conversation Geralt offered, though he knew it must have been difficult for him to try. Though he was still very angry with the Witcher, he began to feel embarrassed about his tears. An outburst like that was unlike Jaskier; he wasn’t sure where it had come from. He began, also, to be acutely aware of the nip the playful kit had given him. It started to burn, then to throb, and the rest of his hand started to feel numb. He said nothing to Geralt.

A couple of hours into their journey back, it was becoming too dark to travel. Geralt found a small clearing by a stream, and quietly began to set up camp. Jaskier helped, as usual; the only difference tonight was his continued refusal to speak. They finished quickly; they had traveled light.

Jaskier stared into the fire as he ate the trail food they’d packed. He wasn’t sure, now, how he felt. He wasn’t accustomed to feeling anger. Now, mostly, he just felt tired. His finger throbbed in time with the fire’s flickering.

From across the flames, Geralt quietly said, “The werefoxes…they were the reason why you were upset earlier. They can manipulate emotion, make others defend them. It’s part of their defenses.”

“I was angry with you, Geralt,” Jaskier said tightly. “I still am, and they’re dead now. Right? They aren’t manipulating me now.”

“No,” Geralt agreed, and there was sadness in his voice, Jaskier would swear it. “The anger was - is - real, I believe. But the tears were due to their influence. I don’t think it’s in your character to cry like that.”

Jaskier frowned as Geralt repeated the thought he’d had earlier, about his tears, but said nothing.

Geralt sighed. “We’ll start early tomorrow morning. You should sleep, if you can.”

Jaskier nodded, stood, went to the place he’d prepared his bedding and lay down.

He was, surprisingly, able to fall asleep easily. But the discomfort of the ground and the pain in his hand woke him repeatedly. Each time he woke, he found that Geralt had not yet retired, but kept his place at the fire, staring into the flames. The fourth or fifth time Jaskier woke, he found the fire banked. Geralt, though, still wasn’t asleep. Across the clearing, a few steps into the trees, he was working hard at something - what, exactly, Jaskier couldn’t make out.

Do I want to know?

Jaskier turned his head to look up at the stars. Why had Geralt’s actions bothered him so much today? Jaskier had grown up on an estate that housed plenty of animals; he knew they must be slaughtered sometimes, and that included young animals as well as older ones. And these kits, for all they may have grown up to be ‘harmless,’ as Geralt had said, were the offspring of a man-eating monster that had taken a father from one family, a beloved son from another. Jaskier kept reliving that moment, though, seeing that grim coldness in Geralt’s face as he looked at the little things, feeling the buzzing in his head and the sweet softness of the kit as it grasped his finger in its paws, Geralt’s shove and his shout and the tears, I’ve taken care of it, the hesitant touch on his shoulder. His finger, throbbing, burning.

He sat up. “Geralt?”

The Witcher looked over at him, then silently gestured for Jaskier to join him.

Jaskier rose and went to stand beside where Geralt was… “Digging a hole?” he asked. “Why?”

Geralt nodded to a small cloth bundle lying beside the hole. “The kits,” he said quietly. “Their mother I was happy to leave as carrion, but I don’t have the heart to let the little things be eaten by some scavenger. Silly, but…”

Jaskier sighed. “Geralt…” He stopped. He didn’t know what to say.

“I tried to keep a werefox kit alive, once,” Geralt said quietly. He placed the bundle carefully into the hole, and began to fill it back in with dirt. “It wasn’t long after I started walking the Path. It didn’t…I think they need the psychic bond from their mother, something like that. It stopped eating after the first day, cried constantly, started biting itself all over until it bled. It hurt my…” He put a hand to his temple. “I think it was making me feel what it felt from the loss of that bond. I put it down, eventually.”

“How sad,” Jaskier murmured. “Such sweet little things.”

Geralt nodded, then looked at Jaskier. “I’m sorry I was rough with you today,” he said. “I couldn’t explain…I shouldn’t have yelled, or grabbed you like that. I was angry with myself, too. I didn’t want to kill them. But I had to.”

“I’m sorry too,” Jaskier said. “I think you were right, about them influencing me, somehow, or… It must have been hurtful to you, what I said.”

Geralt frowned at Jaskier, then shrugged. “You made a fair argument. To kill something small and helpless… no warrior should do that.”

“You shouldn’t leave them to suffer and die of neglect, either,” Jaskier said softly.

Geralt scooped the last of the dirt onto the mound, now, and walked over the mound to tamp down the soil. Jaskier stood and helped.

“How badly did I injure your arm?” Geralt asked, once they finished. “You’ve been favoring it.”

“Hm? Oh…you didn’t hurt me. I mean, it might bruise. You have a strong grip.” He glanced down at his bicep, where Geralt had grabbed him earlier. “That little kit bit my finger right when you came over, though.”

“What?” Geralt quickly grasped his wrist and held the finger in the air, peering at it.

“What happened to ‘Sorry for grabbing your arm?’” Jaskier grumbled, as the quick movement shot a bolt of pain through his hand.

“I’m sorry,” Geralt said, and loosened his already-gentle grip, but kept peering at the finger.

“I guess since you’re being my medic, I’ll give you a pass on this one,” Jaskier said. “Can you really see it without your potions, though? I thought you needed that cat one to see in the dark.”

“It helps,” Geralt said absently, “but I can see well enough in this light. Jaskier, did I not mention to you that those creatures were venomous?”

“…oh,” Jaskier said, and suddenly felt slightly sick. “I…forgot?” Geralt said nothing, continuing to examine Jaskier’s hand. He felt his pulse pick up speed from his fear. “Is it going to kill me, or, or cripple my hand or something?”

Geralt looked up at his face briefly, and gave him a small reassuring smile. “No, you’ll be fine,” he said. “In kits, the venom is not very potent. Your hand will likely be numb for a week, though.”

Jaskier sighed. “No lute for me, then, for a bit,” he said sadly. “Come to think of it, I might have a difficult time with other things, too. I guess you’ll just have to…wash my hair for me and such, for a few days.”

“You won’t be parting from me as soon as we return to civilization?” Geralt asked, raising an eyebrow as if in jest. To Jaskier, though, it seemed like his question was sincere.

He smiled at Geralt. “Of course not, you silly Witcher,” he said. “Who would look after you, if not me?”

“Seems I’ll be looking after both of us until your hand heals,” Geralt grumbled. “I can make a poultice for it back at the village, which might help. In the meantime, we should both try to get a little sleep tonight.” He led Jaskier back to the dim campfire and helped him lie down - somehow a more difficult task to perform one-handed than standing up had been a few minutes ago.

Jaskier drifted off listening to Geralt’s slow, even breaths. He did not wake again until morning.

The next morning, as Jaskier turned to follow Geralt back on their path to civilization, he saw from the corner of his eye that a small something had been left on the mound Geralt had dug last night for the werefoxes. He knelt by the hasty grave. Laid upon it were three small yellow wildflowers.

“Jaskier?” Geralt called from ahead on the trail. “Alright?”

“Fine,” Jaskier called back, standing. “I’m right behind you.” With his good hand, he plucked another dandelion from the ground and tucked it behind his ear. Then he followed his Witcher back to the world.