#waaaat

[froms8nsashes]

Pumpkin Patch

"Taurtis, why are you coming with me?"

Sam was about to close the door when he noticed his dark haired friend held the door open with a wide grin. He looked back at him with confused eyes.

"We're going on a triple date!" Taurtis closed and locked the door behind him, grinning from ear to ear.

"Excuse me, triple date??"

"Yeah! You and Ridley, Grian and Ellen, then me and Chan."

"Dude! Now you're both going to make fun of me the whole time!" Sam covered his face with his hands.

"We won't tease you that much, promise!" Taurtis held his hand over his heart.

"Besides, I think Ridley does that enough already." Grian chuckled. He and Ellen were holding hands walking up to Sam and Taurtis.

"Oh, Ellen! I love your shirt! It looks so cute!" Chan giggled, the smile reached her eyes.

"Thanks... I uh- I thrifted it..." Ellen looked away, playing with the hem of their shirt.

"And here I thought I was going to be late." Ridley ran up to the group, her hair pulled back into a ponytail similar to Chan's.

"I- You- Uh... " Sam's bunny ears stood straight up like a flag pole. "You look nice..." His face was already pretty red.

Her eyes widened and she glanced at her outfit. Just a plain t-shirt, red flannel, ripped jeans and a pair of slightly muddied sneakers.

"Thanks..."

"Where are we going again, or is it a surprise?" Chan asked, she leaned her cheek on Taurtis' shoulder.

"We're going to a pumpkin patch," Sam glanced over at Ridley. He wanted to reach out and take her hand but hesitated.

"A pumpkin patch? A little corny don't you think," Ridley couldn't contain the smile on her face.

"It's October! Come on!" Sam exclaimed.

"I already got our tickets." Taurtis waved four train tickets at Grian, Taurtis, and Ellen.

"You look nice too." Ridley muttered, elbowing Sam. "Better than you usually do," She chuckled quietly.

"Do you think I'm ugly otherwise?" His ears drooped.

"What? No! I- You're just fishing for compliments." She crossed her arms.

"Those two seem like oil and water." Ellen whispered to Grian, glancing at Ridley and Sam.

"On the surface they don't seem to go together but just watch." Grian whispered back

"Last one to the train has to buy apple cider!" Taurtis exclaimed, breaking into a sprint.

"You better better get ready to buy me apple cider!" Chan shouted after him, laughing and trying to catch him.

"No way in hell am I going to be last!" Ridley ran after Chan and Taurtis, throwing her arms up in glee.

"She's so pretty..." Sam muttered, walking with Grian and Ellen as opposed to running. He hated running.

"Yeah, you said that the first time you saw her too." Grian rolled his eyes.

"Oh, come on Gree-on, I can't help it."

"Correct me if I remember incorrectly, but wasn't this just supposed to be you and Ridley?" Ellen asked. "I heard you in the cafeteria planning for it last week."

"Yeah, but Taurtis made it a triple date. I mean, I don't mind. You're cool and Chan's pretty cool too!" Sam twirled some of his hair around his finger, it had been getting longer.

"I get it, you just wanted it to be the two of you." Ellen nodded.

"I mean, yeah, no offense."

"I took a look online when you were talking about it, the pumpkin patch is big enough to get lost in. I could always keep Taurtis at a distance." Grian suggested

"No, no, it's okay!"

Ridley and Sam say next to each other on the train. It was mostly awkward due to Sam being unable to strike up a conversation, because every time he tried to talk his mouth became uncomfortably dry. When the train came to a halt she'd lost her balance even though she was sitting and accidentally crashed into him. They both fell to the floor.

"Way to break my fall," Ridley hopped to her feet and held a hand out.

"What? First time sitting down?" Sam chuckled and stood up with her help.

"Awe! Look at you two, so cute. I'm so glad you're dating her instead of crying about S-"

"Shut up!" Sam covered Taurtis' mouth with his hand. "Ow! You bit me!" Pulling his hand back he wiped it on his friends sleeve.

"You just covered my mouth with your hand! Your very gross smelling hand!"

"Who's Sookie?" Ridley asked, tilting her head. The wolf ears twitched.

"No on! Look, we're here!"

Sam pushed his way out of the train as quickly as he could. Giving Chan and Ellen a strange look Ridley shrugged and followed the bunny boy. She wasn't officially dating him so she could have very well just turned him down when he asked her to go pumpkin carving with him. She had the distinct feeling that something was off.

"Woah, woah. Slow down!" She grabbed his hand and he stopped, looking over his shoulder. "As much as I would love to run after you I don't think I can do that all day. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing!" Sam waved away her concern with a smile.

"That's what a geek says before he gets stuffed into a locker because he has a stuffed animal."

"That only happened one time and I fit surprisingly well!" His face turned red within a couple of seconds.

"Tell me what's wrong, I promise I won't actually make fun of you."

He wanted to melt into putty when she fixed their hands to properly hold his, their fingers laced together.

"I- well- No, I don't want to ruin it."

She stayed quiet, looking up at him with wide eyes. Listening.

"It doesn't really bother me, but I just wanted it... to be us..." Sam sighed. "Then Taurtis invited himself and Gree-on and I just couldn't say no."

She nodded slowly.

"Grian said this place is huge, and I don't doubt him but... I just can't help but think that sometimes you like hanging out with them better than me."

"Sam," She paused. Squeezing his hand. "I'll always goof and gaff more with them, but that doesn't mean I don't like spending time with you. I wanted to carve pumpkins with you, dumbass."

There was something still on his mind, but he didn't want to tell her. He'd killed people, he'd gone to jail, he'd stalked people. What would she think if he just told her all of this? There was a knife hidden under his pants, the one that Yuki gave him. It was on him at all times. Would she look at him different?

She'd never once sinned like had had. Never once watched the life drain from someone's eyes or feel the blood cover her hands. She was so sweet and pure compared to him. His friends still feared him, still thought of him as a monster but she had never seen that side of him. At least not yet.

"Are you coming or what?" She stopped and turned to him.

"Yeah, yeah." He nodded slowly.

"Hold on, hold on. Let me help you carry it."

The pumpkin was bigger than the circumference of her arms, she could barely wrap them around the big orange gourd.

"No, I got it. I promise. This is gonna make a kick ass pumpkin!" She laughed and smiled brightly, her cheek pressed against the side of it.

"I don't want you to hurt yourself!" Sam panicked when she wobbled a bit.

"My leg muscles are jacked, I'll carry this easy-peasy!"

"Ridley, it's falling..." He pointed out with a laugh.

"So what if it falls, it'll still be good."

"Not if you accidentally smash it."

With a significant amount of struggle and Sam holding his arms out in anticipation for the gourd to finally topple over she finally got the giant pumpkin to the table. Planting her hands on her hips she turned to the bunny boy with an accomplished look on her face.

"I told you I could do it!"

"I believed in you, I was just expecting it to topple over."

She stuck her tongue out at him.

"How dare you." She feigned offense.

"Unlike you, I have a small pumpkin because I'll be putting it in front of the door back home." Sam held up his sizeable gourd.

"Oh no, I'm taking this home too. Dad wanted me to give him the innards."

"Professor Geode is really weird... " Sam shook his head, trying to forget about what happened last week.

"Are you ready to carve these bad boys! I wanna make the pumpkin look like it's throwing up!" Ridley giggled.

"Ta da!"

Ridley turned hers around with a big grin on her face. The pumpkin's mouth was carved open and its eyes were closed. She certainly made it look a little goofy throwing up.

"Let me see yours," Ridley was bouncing on the balls of her feet.

Sam hesitated. He zoned out while carving his pumpkin and noticed that not only did her carve a knife into the pumpkin, but also what looked almost like Yuki's face. Where the hell did he get the blood? Turning it around he smiled awkwardly.

"Oh my gourd, are you a horror geek?" She snickered. "It kind of looks like Ghost Face!"

He let our a breath of relief.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm super into horror movies." He nodded, his smile was uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry, what were you supposed to make it look like?"

"It's Ghost Face!" Sam chuckled. "You got it right!"

On the train ride home he sat with such a strict posture it worried not only Ridley but Taurtis and Grian as well. Pulling him away to talk to him privately Grian looked over his shoulder, just to make sure they didn't follow.

"What's wrong, you look really uncomfortable." Taurtis sounded sympathetic.

"I- I can't do it, I can't tell her I like her."

"Of course you can't, you're a monster." Grian scoffed.

"What?" Sam blinked twice.

"What? I said you were a coward." Grian rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, you're just getting in your own way! Just let go and tell her." Taurtis nodded and smiled.

"I don't know..."

Sam wanted to hide away from both her and Geode as he walked her up to the house. He set the pumpkin down in front of the door here instead of his original plan of putting it in front of his house.

"What are you- "

"I made it for you." He was looking anywhere but at her.

"Let me just go give this to my dad, you can come in if you want." She dug around in her pockets for her keys.

"Ridley, wait."

When she looked at him it was like his braincells had just up and combusted in his head. Staring blankly at her his mouth became dry very quickly.

"I killed someone."

"What?!"

[msfrankenstein910]

Just bought myself High School Years and I’m genuinely impressed by the CAS items. So many good looking clothes and stuff people actually wear right now!

[ennaih]

Every Film I Watch In 2023:

271. The Cutting Edge (1992) -- a rewatch

[yridenergyridenergy]

Kyo really, really wants us to actually come to a screaming halt...

[maiamars]

ethan : (being his stubborn self)

chris :

[pocketgalaxies]

THERE'S A HACKER????? DKFHGKJSKDFSD

[cottoncandy-art]

this thing sucks. it's also on shirts now, if you want.

[miyku]

[gorgynei]

im becoming increasingly scared that dancer actually scrapped her whole crew and or altered fcg's memory to make him think that she died

[eruden-writes]

Desperation's Summit - Part 11 (Troll x Human)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4  | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 (coming soon)

Summary: What happens when a rich human woman gets kidnapped by a troll in the mountains? The troll claims it was an accident, but is that really true?

Taglist: @coolninjavoid

cw: spousal death backstory

---

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ Want early access to chapters, art, or access to my WIPs? Join my Patreon!

Comments, reblogs, and replies are also super appreciated!

❄❄❄

The crunching of snow underfoot and the yowls of the wind whipping were Cordelia's only companions as she strode into the forest near Rakash's home. She didn't venture far, aware she would likely get lost, especially as night encroached. But she strained her 'safe zone' to get as far from Rakash as possible, for now.

Forgetting for the moment of sap and dirt, Cordelia found shelter in the large space between the ground and lowest branches of a pine tree. Her back thumped against the trunk as she sat and leaned back.

Night had crept in, turning the air even chillier. Though Cordelia didn't notice the cold. She was too fueled by conflicting and confusing emotions to focus on anything except the sickening swirl in her stomach.

A whorl of emotions teetered through her. Relief, since now she had no doubt Ebra would recover.Concern, for Kazri and Zalmir. Cordelia told herself that stemmed from her own desire to not have to take matters in her own hands again. Anger and frustration with Rakash, mingling with something else. Something softer and colder. Something that made Cordelia want to cry.

That was part of the reason she wanted to get away from him. Too many thoughts and feelings swirled around her head, she needed to regroup. It was only when Cordelia registered her own tears, streaking down her cheeks, she realized what she was feeling.

Genuine disappointment.

And with that came the memories.

The empty halls and rooms of her childhood home. The quiet, solitary birthdays and holidays, while she received cards from her parents and siblings. Watching fairs and festivals and parades march by her home, but rarely managing to go to the festivities herself. The few familiar, yet distant, servants that populated her memories.

It hadn't always been so lonely, Cordelia knew. There used to be Nanny Gerta and her plethora of children. The times when the maid would take her out on errands and then bring her to the shack she called home. There, a gaggle of children waited and, for once, Cordelia didn't feel so alone as she played with them.

Angrily, Cordelia swiped at the tears. Those memories only brought more pain, she knew, as her heart lurched in her chest. It had gone on for years, up until Cordelia was ten. Then Nanny Gerta just disappeared one day. Along with her children. Cordelia never got an answer from her parents or siblings or other servants. And to make matters worse, the other servants began distancing themselves further, as well.

Leaving little Cordelia to her own devices, once more.

She hated those memories. Hated the pang that came to her chest whenever they settled in her head. Hated how hard it was to shake the incessant misery.

"Stop it!" Cordelia hissed to herself, as she pushed her palms against her eyes. The tears refused to stop.

She had not thought Rakash could disappoint her so badly. Oh yes, he was stubborn and overprotective of his trollings, to the point of isolating them from the world. But he cared about his children. She had watched him fawn over them, bathe them, feed them.

Never once had it crossed her mind he'd so willfully ignore a problem to the point of allowing one of his children to suffer, maybe even die! Cordelia didn't even want to consider the ripple effects on Kazri and Zalmir.

It was one thing to be disappointed over superficial, silly things. Those didn't matter.

It was another thing to be upset by - and admit - to expecting a level of performance from someone else. It hurt when they failed.

The tears slowly eased and Cordelia sighed, pressing her head back against the tree trunk. This was ridiculous. She was being ridiculous.

This was exactly why she didn't get close to anyone.

They always disappointed her. Her own standards were just too high, so why expect anyone to meet them? Why give anyone that chance? No one needed to deal with Cordelia's expectations and she had no desire to constantly be dissatisfied and distressed.

This was her mistake for inadvertently expecting more of Rakash than was warranted.

A sound caught her ear. The crunch of snow trodden underfoot. Cordelia's first thought swung to Rakash. A frustrating mix of hope and annoyance filtered through her thoughts.

Then she realized the steps were far too light for the large troll.

Narrowing her eyes and sitting straight, Cordelia held perfectly still.

Something moved through the shadows of the trees. She followed it with her eyes and, as if her eyes were adjusting from darkness to illumination, the thing slowly came into focus.

Tall and skinny. Skin taut and tight over their bones. Dark splotches of discoloration, reminiscent of rot, spread from one side of their throat to their cheek. Their dark hair hung, long and stringy and in the thing's face. Tattered grey clothes, with no shape or identifying marks - A dress? A tunic? A shawl? - to indicate what they'd once been.

As they crept closer, from tree to tree, Cordelia realized with a start they were barefoot. Their toes tipped with pointed, dark nails. Dreadful alarms sang in her head, telling her to run.

Being as quiet and careful as possible, she got to her feet. Her eyes flickered to the cabin. Had the thing noticed her? Most likely, since it was creeping closer to her. If so, why hadn't it said a damned thing? Her lips pressed together in thought, her heart thrumming in her chest and her eyes aching. The one thing she really, truly wanted was to lay down somewhere warm.

She should scream for help, she knew. Call on Rakash and hope he wasn't too angry that he ignored her.

"You are aware of my presence," asserted the figure, a hiss to their voice. Without thinking, Cordelia glanced over to them, catching a dreadful smile splitting their lips. It split far too wide along their face, showing innumerable sharp teeth filling every inch of their mouth.

Cordelia simply stared, wide-eyed. She didn't know what to do. Stubbornness didn't want to go screaming for Rakash. But she was so tired, she honestly had no plan of action. While her mind rushed, trying to make her move or do something, something stirred inside her. A cool sensation, like condensation dripping down a glass, trickled through her and made her fingertips buzz.

"Do not play dumb!" They hissed, seeming to flicker in and out of existence, until they were suddenly on Cordelia.

The scream rent from Cordelia's lips, instinctive and surprised as weight landed on her. Her scream cut short as her back slammed against a tree, air knocked from her lungs with a gasp. Whoever this creature was, their ice-cold hands clamped down on Cordelia's forearms - seeming to phase through her coat - as she struggled. Their nails bit into her skin, fabric untouched. Cordelia's stomach lurched with nausea, fright straining at her chest.

Closer, Cordelia realized their mouth certainly was filled to the brim with teeth, jutting at odd angles. Like the deepsea fish she'd read about. A shudder ran down her spine as she continued to grapple against them.

The thing leaned closer to Cordelia, nearly spitting in her face. "Our kind has an agreement with yours and you broke it!"

"I have no clue what you're talking about," cried Cordelia, trying to break free of the iron-clad grip. The chill of its skin was painfully sinking into Cordelia's own flesh. "Unhand me this instant!"

An ugly laugh fell from the creature's maw, dark spittle dribbling from the corner of their mouth. "I am no fool. I know what you are!"

Cordelia attempted to remain calm, even as she began to see black blister along her arms, where this creature held her. She stowed her panic deep in her chest, stilling her fear. Channeling all of her hate and frustration and anger of the previous situation into her words, she spat back, "And what, pray tell, is that?"

Cocking its head to the side, the creature narrowed its gaze. As if they were considering whether Cordelia was telling the truth or not. She wished it'd say something, considering whatever it was doing to her arm hadn't stopped. It felt as if it was reaching into her forearm's bone, chilling her to the marrow.

"Necromancer," breathed the creature, once more elongating the hiss in the word.

"I beg your pardon!" Cordelia's eyes widened, a heat clawing up her spine. A magic user? A death-centric one at that? Unthinkable! Her sister was the only mage in the family, touted as a mystical genius and given a position of authority in a neighboring kingdom. Her family would have known. Cordelia would have known if she herself were magically-inclined. "I am no mancer of any sort!"

Annoyance flickered across the creature's face and, with a jerk, they slammed Cordelia back into the tree. "Stop lying! You stole that child's essence back and now a price must be paid!"

"If I had magic, I'd kno-" Cordelia's own retort ended with a startled shriek as the trembling jittery tingling that had been climbing up her arms suddenly burned her fingertips.

Everything happened too fast for Cordelia to keep up. A dark ball of condensed shadows slammed into the creature and the creature yowled in pain as it hurtled back, into a far tree. The tree shuddered, snow falling in heaps down its branches.

With trembling knees, Cordelia leaned against the trunk behind her. She stared at her hands, trying to make sense of what just happened. The wind continued to shriek around her, unable to shake Cordelia from her shock.

The creature was back to its feet, sliding effortlessly through the snow, too soon for Cordelia to run, to even think of escape as confusion wracked her brain.

With a hissing snarl, the creature crouched down, prepared to hurl itself at Cordelia once more. It was so focused on Cordelia, it didn't see or sense the axe hurtling toward it. The impact of metal and flesh rang out through the air, accompanied by a sickening shluck as the creature's head became pinned to a nearby tree.

From the treeline, Rakash charged toward the creature, a snarl tangled in his throat. He hefted the axe by its handle from the creature's head, quickly slamming it down once more to part head and body. After kicking the head away, watching it tumble over the edge of the nearest drop, Rakash turned to Cordelia.

She looked so small, trembling against a tree, staring at her arms. Something in his stomach dropped, the words 'too late' hissing through his thoughts.

A sensation worked its way through her body, strongest where the creature had held her. It felt cold and slimy, making her stomach pitch terribly. Something else moved through her, though. Threading dark hot-cold something through her veins.

"Did it touch you?" Rakash bellowed, unable to control his volume as he stormed over to her. In his chest, his heart slammed wildly, unable to calm.

Dazed, Cordelia turned her attention from her hands to him. She held her arms out and quietly said, "My forearms."

Rakash's heart stuttered, seeing the whites of her eyes darkened to black, but clamped down on his outward reaction. If he reacted poorly, she would notice and this calm veneer would disintegrate. Calmness, even if it was a state of shock, was needed.

He knelt down in front of her, grabbing her arm and pulling the sleeve of her coat and undershirt up, careful to not touch skin to skin. Where it had touched her, despite the layers of fabric, a dark mark consumed the bulk of her forearm. Like a splotch of bleeding ink, faintly hand shaped. And the inky black was sluggishly consuming her arm.

A curse left Rakash as he checked her other forearm, which was in the same state. They had to act quickly, before it spread. Even if they managed to contain or cure the rot, he had no clue if it'd save Cordelia.

A thrall's soul rot could dig in, deep and fast, until no amount of corporeal medicine would help.

It took Rakash a moment to realize Cordelia was trembling. Even after he had dropped her arm. He couldn't recall a moment in their short acquaintanceship when she had done so. That realization brought a lump to his throat.

A glance to her face and he noted how red rimmed they were, from prior crying, even though her eyes still shone glassily. As if there were more tears yet in her. He didn't focus on that - or the leaden guilt forming in his chest - for too long. She needed to be cleansed before the soul rot settled further into her bones.

Acting more on instinct than coherent thought, Rakash rose to his feet and scooped her up in his arms. A part of him braced for a disagreement or struggle or even a scream, but she just sat in his arms, staring blankly ahead. Dread itched along his skin.

His feet moved without processing instructions from his brain. He didn't need to wonder why her lack of reaction was bad, knowing what he knew.

It was only when he got to the door of his home, he paused. He leerily looked from Cordelia to the door. If she wasn't afflicted with soul rot - but some alternative like a mystical plague or illness - he didn't want her spreading it to his children. There wasn't time to sequester the kids elsewhere as he brought her through, though. And he didn't trust Cordelia's safety outdoors while he cared for his kids.

Faint memories of his childhood, of the troll caves, burbled forth. Whenever someone severely ill - to the point of unresponsive - was carted through to the healer, everyone else was told to stop breathing until the cart passed.

"Hold your breath," he instructed her, his tone unyielding and rough. When Cordelia didn't respond, he gave a frustrated growl. After a quick adjustment, one of his arms cradled Cordelia and his free hand clamped over her nose and mouth.

Though she felt his hand on her face, Cordelia couldn't find any will to react. All she felt was all-consuming numbness.

As quietly and swiftly as he could, Rakash entered his home and locked the door behind him. He passed as far from his sleeping children as he could and hauled Cordelia into the mountain, toward the hot springs. When they had gotten to the bathing area, he removed his hand from her face.

Quietly, she took a deep inhale and Rakash realized she had been listening to him. She hadn't been breathing as they moved through his home. That was a good sign. Cordelia's senses were still there, even if her ability - or desire - to speak was not.

"Stay here," he sternly directed, as he put her down on her feet. She looked up at him, almost dolefully. Voice rough from concern, he reiterated with a growl, "Don't move."

Rushing back to where the hall branched to multiple doors, he ducked into the storage closet, retrieving a small cask filled with herbs and dried flowers and little glass bottles. When he rushed back to the bathing area, he almost expected Cordelia to have not listened, to be gone or already climbing into the water or...

Rakash almost froze when he saw her. Cordelia was standing where he left her, like a statue, staring at the water.

His lips pressed tightly together, bading off conflicting feelings in his chest. He didn't like seeing her like this. After dumping handfuls of dried plants into the springs and pouring an entire container of purifying solution into the water, he turned to her and pointed at the water, "Get in."

Cordelia made a move to shrug off her jacket, but he stopped her with a wave of his hand. Her eyes flickered to him, a glimmer of curiosity deep in their dark depths. Rakash stifled his wishful hope that, even now, she was rallying. Or that whatever the thrall had done hadn't sunk too deep. "Clothes stay on."

She made a soft sound of acknowledgement, or he assumed it was acknowledgement considering she moved toward the water. Into the spring, she climbed, still dressed in her coat and boots. Rakash followed her closely, prepared to haul her up if the heft of her wet clothes took her under. Thankfully, it did not, though she moved sluggishly. It was like she waded through mud, instead of clear water.

"Dunk." Rakash pointed to the water, right in the middle of the swirling herbs and flowers.

Cordelia didn't argue. She simply drew in a deep breath and ducked under the warm water, right where he instructed. Rakash hovered by the water's edge, waiting for her to resurface. He aggravatedly wondered how long a human could hold their breath, just before Cordelia rose. Water streamed down her body, her coat, as she inhaled sharply.

When her eyes fluttered open, Rakash eased as he saw the black had faded to a dark grey. It was progress. Holding out his hand, palm up, he said, "Give me your hand."

"Rather forward," Cordelia sighed, her voice monotonous, but she held her arm out to him. As Rakash pushed the sleeve up over her forearm, he wondered if she had woodenly made a joke about his choice of words. 'To give one's hand' in marriage would certainly be forward. Rakash snorted at the very thought of requesting Cordelia's hand in marriage, especially at this juncture.

Focusing back on her arm, another wave of relief bled through him. The black mark had ceased its encroachment on her skin. That was another good sign, though Rakash stifled the delight in his chest. He was not going to celebrate, until this was entirely over.

"What was that thing?" Cordelia asked, her arm still in Rakash's grip. Her senses were slowly shaking off the shock. Her eyes climbed up from the black spot on her arm to his face.

He met Cordelia's eyes as he released her arm. "A thrall."

"What's that?" Her eyebrows furrowed as she sunk low in the water, up to her neck. For some reason, she instinctively thought keeping as much of her body under the water, for an extended period of time, was the best course of action.

"A soul who bartered with Death." Rakash sat on the edge of the spring, watching Cordelia with an intense gaze. She couldn't quite call it concern, but it was similar enough to add a strange heat to her thawing body. "They return as thralls, beings that exist in the space between life and death, meant to strike a number of others down in order to return to living."

"Ah..." It was a noncommittal reply, only meant to let him know she heard. In her head, she was replaying the whole event and trying to memorize what she'd seen of the creature before it was lost to trauma. Her lips pressed tightly, as her thoughts lolled over what it had said.

As if reading her mind, Rakash asked, "What did it say to you?"

Cordelia's head jerked to him, having momentarily forgotten he was there. She bit at her bottom lip, wondering if she should impart what the thrall had taunted her with. There was no way to tell if it was true or if the essence spoken about had been Ebra's soul. But, given the isolation on the mountain, like it had been.

Eventually, she sighed and relented. As lacking as Rakash's performance as a father had been, he still deserved to know. "That I had 'stolen that child's essence' back and a price had to be reaped."

Rakash narrowed his eyes, wondering if Ebra's illness had been the thrall's doing. It would make sense. A thrall had a number of powers to aid in their end goal. Though Rakash hadn't felt bad for lopping its head off earlier, he certainly felt a stronger sense of vindication now.

There was a slosh of water as Cordelia swam a little further out. Airily, as if it was no big deal, she added, "They also said I'm a necromancer."

Oddly, that didn't surprise Rakash. Many magic users had particularly strong personalities. And Cordelia certainly had that, plus an attitude to match. Although, considering his own solitude, Rakash was probably just unfamiliar with such character.

He watched the woman carefully, head cocked to the side as he discerned her reaction to the potential news. Her guarded mask had returned, firmly affixed. For some reason, that disappointed Rakash. "Are you a necromancer?"

That was not the answer Cordelia expected. She had anticipated a laugh or a derisive snort. Something to indicate that no, of course she wasn't a mancer, let alone one of the necro variety. Who could ever believe such a silly thing?

Turning to Rakash, Cordelia slapped her hands against the water. "Do I look like some creepy, death-dealing mage?"

Her glare only intensified as Rakash dawdled in a reply. Giving a thoughtful hum, he scratched at his stubbly chin with a thumb, eyes tilted away from Cordelia as he mused, "For a non-magic user, that magic shot was pretty impressive."

[garoujo]

NAGI !!??!!? NAGI ?!?!?!? IS ?!?!?! FUCKING ??!?!? HUGE !?!?!?! MAN IS 190CM !!?!?!?!? I- i am 150cm this man can snap me in half without any effort

also i want to give him little head rubs like reo was in his first appearance :((((((( he deserves it, he's a good boy.

OMG YES!!! HES LITERALLY SO!!! HUGE!!! he makes me all dizzy + akhmaaj i can’t believe he’s so tall i legit thought he was just a lil guy but <3w<3 i wanna climb him!!! he rly is best boy he deserves all the head rubs ur right!!!

[jonbinary]

missed it by a week or so cuz of da holidaze but....leon and i have been together for 6 months now :] wat a silly guy !!!! how crazy !!!

[shartbaby1]

Obligatory airplane photo

I’ve unloaded off my last plane and waiting for the next one! ✨

[klutzyroses]

EH?!

In one pull?!? Where did this luck come from?!😱

[random-rabid-creature]

@ultimatestellar

You are gonna make fanart of my headcanons Ö?

[the-acid-pear]

I'm just a guy who will say things. Lots of em . Griiin.