#walking out after and not understanding why the elf is flustered and blushing a lot

[sorcerous-caress]

Hnng wanna be a helpless human lost in the dark with no light source and a cute elf (preferably drow) comes to guide me and make me cling to them as we walk.

[loousir]

[Merman] Close up Shots

Popular Octomer Male x Photographer Male Reader Part Two

Cassian

Warnings: Tentacle boy do be flirting again, some physical affection with said tentacles, nakey Cass for a little, talking about how he shifts from octo to human

•︎☆×【Ｐｒｉｄｅ】×☆•

2 of 7 The Seven Sins Series

Masterlist | Part One | Part 3 |

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About a week past since you had last seen Cassian. The festival was coming up tonight so as a mental preparation, you decided to go for a walk along the beach. You had your bag and camera with you as you walked along the coast line, snapping the occasional picture here and there.

Before you had even realized it, you were at the place where you had first met Cassian. That same gorgeous cove cave now lay silent, hosting only a couple gulls and some sandpipers. You decided to go into the rather large area and simply take in the mid afternoon atmosphere in peace.

The waves crashed against the shore gently as your shoes crunched through the sand. You found yourself watching the water which nearly tripped you. A heavy glass tinking sounds filled your ears for a moment before you looked to the bottle you kicked. It was very clearly a message in a bottle but as you approached it to open it, you realized it was filled with water.

"Well fuck." You sighed and sat down in the sand next to the bottle. The most confusing part about the whole things is that the cork was really on there so you didn't understand how water got into it. Once you managed to get the thing open, you dumped the water out along with the letter. When you picked up the rolled paper it felt dry. That's when it clicked.

"Oh! That makes a lot of sense now." You said as you unrolled it. In absolutely gorgeous script, a still very readable letter started out by addressing you. You blinked a couple times, staring at your name on the paper before continuing.

'(Y/n),

I might be silly for trying such an outdated way of messaging but as I didn't get your number I figured this would suffice. That is to hope you get this before another does.

Let's meet here on the night of the festival around 6. As a confirmation of sorts, I ask that you leave the bottle underneath the wall tree. You'll see it.

-Cassian'

You smiled and rolled your eyes before glancing around for said tree. It was very close to the water and you decided instead of just leaving the bottle, you would wait as well. You carefully made your way over to the tree and sat criss cross on the rock underneath it. Your wait was only a few minutes before you noticed something shifting in the water.

The familiar blonde octomer breached the surface and looked over to the tree. His face held one of shock. "(Y/n)? You're here?" You smiled and nodded. "Yeah. I didn't bring a pen and paper to respond so." Cassian smiled and pulled himself into the shallow parts of the water.

"Its about 3 right now so we have a few hours before the festival." Cassian said with a smirk. You looked at him with an unamused face. "Don't smirk at me like you're gonna get something, we barely know each other." Cassian smirks again and pulls himself up onto the rock you were sitting on and ploped himself down next to you.

One of his tentacles gently coiled itself around your showing ankle before giving it a gentle squeeze. "Then let's get to know each other." Your cheeks flushed at the proximity and he laughed. Good gods... Cassian looked to the bottle and paper you were still holding in your hand. "Keep it." You furrowed your brows and looked over to him. "Huh?" He motions to the note and bottle.

"Keep it. As a memory of our first date."

You did that thing where you smiled but tried to hide it making Cassian laugh. "You invited me!" With an exaggerated sigh you nodded. "Yeah. I guess I did." Cassian smiles and wraps an arm and a tentacle around your waist. He was a bit damp but you didn't mind. "I have a question." He said, pulling you close to his hip. "What's your question?"

"Have you ever dated a non-human before?" You shook your head before tilting it to say kinda. "Well, I've only had two boyfriends. One of them was a half elf but I'm not too sure if that really counts." Cassian shrugs. "So I would be your first non-human AND octomer then." You blush softly and nod before looking up to him confused. "Wait who said we were dating?"

Cassian laughs again, making you blush more. "You definitely enjoy seeing me flustered." He nods confidently. "Yes I do indeed." After that, the two of you kept chatting about various things in your own lives and Cassian paused the conversation every so often to soak up the salty ocean water to prevent himself from drying out.

Apparently, Cassian used to date a sharkmer and at one point a naga. "The only reason me and the naga broke up is cause of when he learned I was an octomer. Apparently tentacles are an innate fear of his..." You told him about how you only moved here a about a month ago which prompted the question, "How do you like it here so far?"

You shrugged at the question. "Its a lot nicer than the last place I was living. Loads more places to get pictures." Cassian seemed to forget you took pictures for a job and you could tell by the look on his face. "Oh, I wish I could make photography my full time job but I just don't get enough gigs. I work part time in the little Cafe downtown."

"Oh! The one run by the Gargoyle? Tea and Stones right? His name slips my mind." You nodded. "His name is Xavier." Cassian nods. "We met once but it was long ago. I love going there when I do work on the land, especially after a long day." You nod and laugh. "Thats the best time to go." You pause for a moment. "I met Xavier when I first moved in. We're neighbors and as we were chatting it just so happened I was looking for a job and he was looking for people to hire."

Cassian smiles a little more, "Lucky timing." You nod and check your phone, it's just turning 5:10. "It's getting close to when we were gonna go. Did I tell you what it was?" Cassiam shakes his head. "No but that's OK. Let me shift and get dressed. Would you mind walking to my house with me?" You tilted your head and watched as he made his way back into the water.

You watched as Cassian went into the water until it was just above his chest that was showing. You could still see him with how clear the water is and you watched as he put his tentacles together to form two leg-like figures before they melded and fused together to form actual legs. You watched his face and he made it look way less painful then it probably was. And sure enough, he was buck naked, all proud and presented. Your cheeks instantly flushed once you noticed and you covered your eyes. Cassian walked up and smirked at how you weren't looking, taking pride in the fact he flustered you so much. "I went into the water to save you from the sounds as it's utterly disgusting." He said, walking up to you.

"Thaaaaanks..." Cassian chuckled and grabbed your hand away from your face, holding it in his own gently. You locked eyes with him when he did, you wanted to look out of sheer curiosity but your subconscious won't let you. "My place is right up the hill." He said, helping you off the rock. You thankfully avoided getting your shoes soaked as the two of you walked along the empty coastline.

It was maybe a 2 minute walk to his house and you recognized it. "Cassian you live there?" You asked, shocked slightly. Cassian laughs and nods. "Yeah, why?" You blinked and looked down the street as he quickly made his way into the house to avoid an indecent exposure charge. He pulled you inside and shut the door behind you.

"Cass I live down the street. I'm in the corner house. My only neighbor is Xavier." Cassian smiled and looks back to you when he let's go of your hand. "Then that means I get to visit whenever I want right?" You looked at him through squinted eyes. "No, at least text me first." Cassian smirks, "I'll need your number for that. But before, let me actually go get my phone. And get dressed." You blushed and nodded, forgetting he was naked for a moment.

You decided to make yourself comfortable on his couch and scroll though your phone, periodically checking the time. You were too engaged on whatever game you had opened on your phone to hear Cassian sneaking up behind you. "Boo~" He purred into your ear as he wrapped his arms around you. You jumped slightly and tensed heavily, dropping your phone in your lap. "Cassian please don't do thaaaat..." You whined out with closed eyes, leaning your head against his shoulder.

Cassian reached around you and snatched your phone from you lap before pulling away. "Cass, give-" He cut you off by handing your phone back. "I was just putting my number in, relax." Cassian said before going over to the door to put some shoes on. You looked at the new contact on your phone. "How cheesy are you?" You asked, looking up to him as he pulled his hair back into a low ponytail.

"What? It's true." You glared at him before he grabbed your hand and lead you out of the house. "We'll be late if we don't get going. I wanna spend as much time with you as possible tonight."

-----

1639 (sorry for cutting it short, just felt like making another part :>)

[tokimihyachi]

Everyone always asks for the Captains and Magic Knight headcannons (nothing wrong with that - always love them) but you rarely ever see hcs for our favorite supporting/up&coming characters :(

Would you by chance please do ‘relationship headcanons’ + ‘how protective they are’ or ‘how they let their guard down’ for Mars, Patri/Patolli, Licht, and Liebe?

warnings: may contain spoilers!

notes: awww, now that you mention it, it is true that i rarely see any of these four. and it’s alright fo u to request them! honestly love them a bunch. very underrated babies, indeed. 🥰 hope you like these! and sorry if their kinda long. i went all out because as you said, you hardly see their names here.

p.s. i simp for patri a lot, it just doesn’t seem like it kabcnsmd

MARS | the closet simp

after the first stage of the experiment thing that happened, he never once approached or talked to you

you were aware of the sideffects, so you had to understand the situation

whenever you were with him he always had those instances of sudden relapses

he described his headaches as the worst

of course, you’d take care of him

he likes to swat your hand when u get touchy-touchy :((

but then the atmosphere shifts when you two are in the battlefield

he always finds himself eyeing your every move

when someone decides to attack you, you wouldn’t even notice because he’s always there, blocking their advances

accidentally get a scratch because of a spell that wasn’t even meant for you?

consider that person gone in a second ( a hardcore simp, wbk)

when he finally remembers things, he’d apologize everyday

seriously. he’s so guilty, that the first thing he say’s everytime the two of you meet is “im sorry”

he’d be more considerate, and his stares at you are no longer the cold hard ones, but the soft and loving kind

would randomly hug you

“hmm? is there something wrong, mars?”

he won’t reply, and instead he would hug you tighter while nuzzling his head on the crook of your neck

“i just missed you.”

“eh? but i’m with you everyday.”

“not an excuse not to miss you.”

PATRI/ PATOLLI | the tsundere

as the number one human hater leader of the eye of the midnight sun, he has an image to protect, so, of course, his focus is always on his plans

you like staring at him

when he feels your eyes on him and he’d ask why, you’d only reply with nonesense such as: “you’re just pretty to watch”

he’d automatically furrow his brows at this

“you think this is all fun and games, y/n?” 

just the tone of his voice is enough to make you shiver in place

“whatever, pretty boy” and then you’d leave him by himself before he blows a fuse

he would never admit it, but your compliments always make his stomach all fuzzy

doesn’t know how to deal with emotions so he just releases it out as anger (poor boy :<<)

he always feels bad when you’re the one he vents out on

after the whole elf ordeal, he’d become more approachable

always looking out for you

the kind of guy to tug the side of your clothes so he can walk near the street and you would be safe on the sidewalk

a diehard fan of holding hands

he just loves the feeling of how well your hands fit with his

still gets flustered when you compliment him, but with all of the hate + rage + demon gone, he’s more open and would compliment you back

he revels in your attention

melts on the spot when you caress his cheeks and plat a soft kiss on his temple

the first time you two kissed, he just captured your lips as you were rambling about something

he couldn’t help it! you’re just too cute in his eyes!

rip to all the ogling eyes staring at you tho, in a blink of an eye they’re as good as gone

“oh, patri! where did you go to?”

“had to take care of a few pests, love. shall we go?”

LICHT | the proud boyfie

mAN, is staring at this beautiful being even enough? if you only had painting magic like one of the other elves then maybe you would’ve made one already to honor such a perfect image

he’s very interested in the culture and “way of the humans”

you would think it’s weird at first, but then the way he smiles when learning new things is enough for those unsure thoughts to dissipate

so, of course you develop a crush first

you like daydreaming of him (oop, hopeless romantic spotted!)

he knows you’re looking at him with those loving eyes, but doesn’t say a word

what a sly, sly man

would tease you at first by always brushing your hands against each other when you walk

he’d act all innocent when you look back up at him, but in reality he’s laughing so hard at your impeccable personification of a tomato

but then you suddenly became close with all the other elves

especially rhya, cause ya’know, you relate with him being a lazy bum because you have your lethargic tendencies too

he’s not one to be jealous or anything

he just misses the attention you give him

sometimes, the elf kids would find him all slouched on tree with his chin resting on the open palm of his hand as he gazed at you two

definitely not jealous

but when you accidentally trip because of lil children running around and bruise your ankle slightly, he’d be there ASAP

would tend to your wounds and confess then and there

the bold type to kiss you on the spot after the confession (not that you mind sksksksks)

he likes to flaunt everything you do to everyone

sometimes the elves get tired of his incessant talks filled with “y/n, y/n, y/n, y/n, y/n…”

“i almost forgot, did you know that y/n unlocked a new spell yesterday?”

“WE KNOW. THAT’S THE 34TH TIME YOU SAID IT TODAY!”

what can you do, he’s just in love 🥰

LIEBE | the explosive dolt & a closet yandere

since he’s bakugou’s counterpart a devil and all that, his first reaction was a loud, “HUHHH?” when you confessed to him

genuinely believes you’re messing with him

because of his past, he doesn’t really warm up to the idea nicely

(by explosive, i mean def not bakugou it as sudden outbursts of his reactions) 

he’s the kind of guy to distance himself after you confess 

after some time, he’d just randomly talk to you

but because you’re a stubborn, prideful person who knows their worth (as u should! 👑) you don’t pay as much attention to them

at this, he’d notice you’re always with asta

he’s irritated that you give the ash-blonde magicless fool more attention than him

whenever the two would spar, you’d only clap and cheer for asta, causing the said boy to blush profusely, whilst you smile cheekily

who could blame you tho, asta’s been the one who consoled you when liebe outright rejected you by not speaking to you for so long

he likes punching asta, “hey! what did you punch me for, you jerk!?”

“eh, your face seems punchable or something”

it’s not like liebe’s jealous or anything

always grunts loudly and makes noise when you and asta talk

“why did you throw the whole pole beside us?! we would’ve been hurt!”

“eh, the place looks like it needs an extra leg or something”

no. he’s not jealous

he would confront and talk to himself through a mirror, and ask his self what the hell is wrong with him and why is he acting this way towards you

you accidentally walk in the bathroom as they speak of their pent-up frustrations

cue awkward silence

but since it’s too much, he’d bluntly confess to you when he’s had enough of your closeness with asta

whenever he can, he’d always have you beside him or near him so he can keep a closer eye on him

he’s just afraid to be attached to someone only to lose them in the end like what happened to momma licita 🥺🤧

“liebe have you seen asta?”

“eh, he must’ve died or something.”

[cankarmawrite]

In which Beauyasha meets Vexleth and Vex makes everyone blush.

“Oh, fuck me…” 

The exclamation was so soft it almost disappeared amongst the cacophonous conversation, laughter, and music filling the tavern. Almost. Luckily Yasha had been draped around Beau’s shoulders, her chin resting upon the monk’s shoulder while she sat on a barstool and scribbled in her notebooks. 

The ever-observant woman raised a single brow at that utterance and looked down to see what had made her girlfriend curse, frowning when she just saw words that ended in a long line across the whole page.

“Gladly. But I remember being promised a trip to the bathhouse first. They’re natural hot springs you know.”

Yasha couldn’t remember the name of the city they were in as they’d only arrived a day ago and had immediately been busy. They’d been taking some downtime in the Xhorhaus when Allura had messaged Jester requesting their help in Tal’dorei with something. The mage had Teleported to the Xhorhaus and had briefly explained what she was requesting of them. Apparently, there was to be some large political gathering in the city of Emon and keen minds and fighters alike were being recruited as protection considering the last major political gathering had apparently ended with dragons, city-wide destruction, and a huge loss of life. 

Allura had Teleported the Might Nein once they’d prepared their gear and had lead them to the lavish inn and tavern where the group was currently enjoying a relaxing night going over what information they’d gathered today before they really got down to business the next day with preparations and more research at The Alabaster Lyceum, a huge library or research center that Beau and Caleb had drooled over at first sight. 

She had joined the two bookworms at the library despite not being the biggest research fan because Beau had asked her to. Her love had been hesitant to let Yasha leave her side after a fight just a few weeks ago where Yasha had nearly needed to be revived, so who was she to say no?

“Yeah, yeah. Yasha, you know I love you, right? And you’re super hot?” Her monk had seemingly broken from her stupor and turned in her girlfriend’s grasp so they were face to face. There was a look in Beau’s eyes that Yasha recognized well, but it wasn’t directed towards her for once. 

“Um, yes? Why-”

“I think I might have just seen a deity or two,” Beau motioned to the left side of the room with her electrifying gaze. “And they’re walking this way.”

Casually, so as not to draw too much attention, Yasha stood, stretched her arms above her head, and turned her head to the side to glance in the direction Beau was indicating. At first she didn’t see anything or more specifically anyone, but after a moment the crowd parted like there was some invisible force pushing them aside. 

“Oh.” 

Her arms paused halfway from their stretched position as two of the most beautiful women she’d ever seen walked with purpose towards her and Beau. The taller of the two was a long-limbed woman with a circlet of vine, leaf, and antler that rested atop a shining head of auburn locks that ended midway between her chin and shoulders. The woman beside her was dark where the taller one was light, her hair- a deep chestnut color that reminded Yasha of freshly turned soil- was tied to her side in a long braid with a few Raven’s feathers worn behind her gently pointed ear. 

Yasha could understand why Beau was so flustered and she was feeling almost at a loss for words herself, mostly because she was really confused about what was going to happen. The placid masks of emotion both women wore didn’t help decipher anything, but the red-head seemed to have a faint blush painting her freckled cheeks pink and there was a certain intensity to the dark-haired one that Yasha recognized very well. 

This woman was on the hunt and -it seemed- she and Beau were the prey she sought. 

Off to the right of the two women she could see Jester waving to get her attention before she gave Yasha a huge thumbs up and a wink. Did she have something to do with this?!

“Vox Mach-” was all Beau had time to quietly choke out before the two women stopped in front of her and Yasha. The dark-haired one looked Beau up and down leisurely, her head cocking ever so slightly to the side as a smile crossed her full lips. 

“So, your blue friend told us you were planning on visiting the Silver Springs later? We thought we might join-” The red-head spoke as if the words were just falling out of her mouth and she couldn’t stop them. “Oh right! We already met the rest of your group but-”

The shorter woman placed a loving hand on her arm and smiled at the flustered druid who was fiddling with her antlers now. 

“I’m Vex’ahlia and this is my wife Keyleth-” 

“The Voice of the Tempest!” Three pairs of eyes turned to the woman seated on the barstool who clapped a hand over her mouth after interrupting Vex. “Sorry, I just...Beau. I’m Beau. I read about what Vox Machina accomplished when I was at the Cobalt Soul. You’re...legends.” 

Yasha placed a steadying hand on Beau’s thigh that was bouncing up and down wildly with pent up energy and looked back to Vex’ahlia and Keyleth, her bi-colored gaze looking the both of them over. Keyleth seemed only slightly shorter than herself, and though Beau was sitting on a barstool, Yasha knew she’d be heads below the other women, a thought that made her chuckle internally.

“Smart girl.” Beau’s leg stilled after that remark from Vex and Yasha rolled her eyes, her girlfriend was nothing if not predictable when it came to what got her to sit still. Praise was always Yasha’s secret weapon.

Vex seemed to preen under the praise and fangirling Beau was doing, her eyes turning up with delight at the corners as she continued to speak. “What my dear wife failed to mention is that Allura Vysoren told us we should meet the ‘new lot of adventurers’ she apparently adopted to replace us. Of course, we also wanted the chance to meet the people we’ll be working with over the next week, and when Jester told us you all had missed out on their wonderful bathhouse trip because you were researching at the Lyceum…” 

The half-elf moved her gaze to where Yasha’s hand rested on Beau’s thigh before meeting the barbarian’s gaze directly, “Well we figured you might want to join us there this evening so we can get to know each other like Allura suggested.” 

Keyleth nodded encouragingly at that, the slightly sheepish smile she gave Yasha and Beau was very different from the wolf-like gaze Vex had fixed on Yasha.

The tall woman felt her own cheeks warm beneath the intense deep green eyes of Vex’ahlia, and after a few moments had to avert her gaze to combat the warmth she felt spreading through her chest like the first whiskey she’d ever tasted. Beau turned her head up to look at Yasha, almost as if to ask permission she didn’t need. Yasha was down for anything these two women had to offer. 

There must have been some amount of confirmation because Vex chuckled heartily and made a sweeping motion with her arm towards the door.

“Well then...Let’s see what some steam and relaxation will lead to.” 

The other three women in her presence fell a little further under her spell, all following her lead with flushed cheeks and eyes bright with lust. 

“Yasha,” Beau whispered to the hazy minded woman at her side. “If I die this week I’ll die a happy woman.” 

The barbarian could only nod and take Keyleth’s offered arm as Vex swooped in to hook her arm through Beau’s like they were old friends and pull her away so they were walking in front of Keyleth and Yasha. 

“Oh, fuck me…” Yasha murmured almost inaudibly.

Vex turned over her shoulder as if she’d heard Yasha, and, with a wink and smirk said smoothly, “That’s the plan darling.”

[theelvenhaven]

Unintentional Entrapment

Lindir x Reader

1.8k words

* * * 

You walked cautiously, a stack of books in your hands and skewing your views. You were solely relying on the fact that if any other elves saw you that they’d steer clear. Massive volumes of different Annals and Histories had been requested by Erestor as he was readying to check inventory and categorize the library to make it flow better. His request had been larger than either of you had anticipated, but nonetheless you were determined to make one trip.

You were too caught up in your thoughts to hear the ellon coming around the corner of the bookshelves. Thinking deeply about what it is you might need to do after dropping these off, what might help Erestor with the hefty task at hand. The other elf hurrying quickly when suddenly he collided with you clumsily making you gasp with surprise. The two of you immediately fell back and into a shorter stack of shelves so hard they began to wobble.

Your books crashed to the floor with loud thuds, and suddenly you felt yourselves beginning to fall further as the bookshelf began to careen into the floor. Both of you falling in a heap of robes and limbs, with a loud crash the bookshelf fell into another and all you could do was watch as a few more shelves fell. 

“Oh my! Y/N! I-I apologize!” You heard from next to you, turning your head you were met with the sight of Lindir sitting on the floor against the shelf next to you. Cheeks deep crimson and his gray eyes wide and shocked, you couldn’t help but begin to blush yourself in your own surprise.

“It is alright, mellon nin.” You began in a gentle voice, sympathy and concern filling you to see him so frazzled. You adored Lindir and you hated it when he felt so stressed over accidents. He was such a kind and gentle soul,

“I-I didn’t see you, I truly hadn’t meant too. I didn’t see you there.” He began in a flustered and shaky voice, getting up and quickly from the floor. Just as he did so you didn’t miss how the dark gray robes were pinned tightly beneath the bottom of the shelving. As he moved it didn’t seem to pull them free either,

“Lindir your robes...” You pointed out in a soft voice as you sat up fully from your laid position against the shelf. Lindir snapped his head down to look at the shelves, frowning deeply with concern.

“Oh dear... Hopefully you are not.” He breathed out blushing furiously, before he moved to you with his limited distance to help you stand. Lindir’s hands shook as they held yours, casting his eyes down away from yours. It was as you stood that Lindir began to spy your robes too were trapped beneath the shelving,

“Oh my... Y/N I am afraid that you are trapped as well.” He sighed out with worry filling with his voice as he began to put distance once more between the two of you. Just as he opened his mouth to begin to speak did Erestor come rounding the corner, sighing out in exasperation. A deep scowl on his face as he looked over the fallen shelves, it only seemed to grow as he turned his gaze to you and Lindir.

“When you said you were looking for Y/N, I thought it would be harmless Lindir.” He grumbled looking between you both, deep blue eyes narrowing. Quickly you looked to Lindir with mild surprise but decided to hold your tongue to save him from further embarrassment. Lindir was so red and flustered already, you feared he may faint if you piled on anymore. 

“You shall help me right these shelves and pick up the books, I care not how urgently Master Elrond needs you. You cannot just come in and destroy my library.” Erestor griped pointedly, urging you both to move off to the side but neither of you did. Only looking between one another before back to the grumpy and upset Erestor.

“I am afraid, Erestor, that our robes are stuck beneath the case.” You answered so Lindir wouldn’t have too, meekly he clasped his hands together at his waist, staring down at the hardwood floor. Erestor scoffed at the revelation, rolling his eyes with great frustration and with distaste.

“I am fetching Lord Glorfindel to deal with this mess.” He continued in an annoyed tone, swiveling on the ball of his foot before he hurried from your sights. Lindir let out the breath he had been holding, carefully moving to sit on the fallen bookcase. Quietly you sat next to him, looking him over.

The bright crimson long fading into a soft pink, his eyes not nearly as wide or his hands as fidgety now that Erestor had left. You couldn’t help but smile softly admiring how handsome he looked, also noting that Lindir especially was intimidated by Erestor despite working alongside him. Though you couldn’t rightfully blame him, Erestor could have a nasty temper and today you both seemed to luck out.

“Lindir? Are you alright?” You asked in a gentle voice, shyly he peered over at you. Sitting up with a little more confidence, trying to wipe away the wrinkles on his form fitting robes as he sighed out. Beginning to blush again,

“I-I am, thank you... Are you alright Y/N? I ran into you to the point we knocked over the bookcases! Are you sure you are not hurt?” You couldn’t help but smile at the sincerity of his words, as well as finding the amusement over the whole ordeal. You never knew that such a thing could happen with Lindir, though your amusement only served to fluster him further.

“I am alright Lindir, it surprised me more than anything.” You answered him truthfully with a gentle smile, Lindir released a heavy sigh of relief at your words. Glad to know that he hadn’t hurt you,

“Praise Eru...” He breathed, and you hummed at his praise, both of you falling into a comfortable silence as you sat beside one another. Letting your thoughts begin to drift away, Erestors words coming back to mind. Curiosity began to gnaw at you as you thought on what he said. Lindir had been looking for you.

While that wasn’t something that was uncommon considering you were friends... It was unusual for him to want to speak with you while you were both working.

“Lindir?” You began, breaking the silence. Quickly he turned his head, dark grey eyes looking at you and his dark brown hair falling over his shoulder.

“Yes, Y/N?” He began in a meek tone,

“Erestor said you’d been looking for me... Was there something that you needed?” You asked, the more you spoke the more red Lindir had begun to turn once again at your question. Eyes widening some and he began to fidget and pick at his robes again. Slowly he began to shake his head no, releasing a shaky breath before pausing and beginning to nod instead.

“I-Yes... there is indeed something I would like to discuss with you, Y/N.” He stated nervously, you frowned with some concern as Lindir had never been this nervous with wanting to speak with you before. 

“Of course. Anything you need of me Lindir, I am happy to lend you an ear.” You continued encouragingly and supportively, Lindir gave you a nervous smile before it quickly fell. Closing his eyes as he began to try and work up the courage to speak with you on whatever had been on his mind. For a long moment you watched as he seemed to heavily consider going back on what he had to say, struggling to get his words out of his mouth.

“Y/N… This is… a lot harder than I anticipated.” He breathed, keeping his gaze down on his lap, you couldn’t help the sympathetic look that crossed your features. You smiled some knowing that the subject must be considerably personal if he was having this hard of a time,

“Take your time Lindir. I doubt Glorfindel will be here any time soon.” You said softly, Lindir let out a soft scoff at your words. Less of offense and more at the time he now had, 

“Y/N… I… like you…” He breathed out nervously, looking to you for a moment gauging your reaction before looking back to his slender hands. You paused for a moment absorbing this information, well it was no secret that he liked you. Why else would you two spend any time together at all? You were friends after all! Why else would he tell… Suddenly it clicked. You couldn’t help the surprise you wore on your face as the epiphany hit you. 

“Oh.. Lindir-”

“I-I can understand if you do not feel the same way…” He breathed out, quickly interrupting you nervously. Gently you scooted a little closer, turning towards him some, bringing a hand to gently rest over the top of his, a blush blooming across your face as well at the gesture. 

“I wasn’t going to say that…” You whispered back with some nervousness lacing your gentle voice. Slowly Lindir turned his head to look at you, another breath of relief finding him at your words, shoulders relaxing as they sagged some. Shakily Lindir unclasped his hands to receive yours, carefully holding your hand. Both of you blushing deeply as you sat in a nervous silence for a moment, 

“I am… more than relieved to hear that…” He whispered in return to you, giving your hand a gentle squeeze, making you smile widely at his words. Carefully you leaned in, bringing your freehand to gently rest against his opposite cheek and leaning to give him a soft kiss to his cheek. 

“So I take it the talk went well?” A cheerful voice piped up suddenly, making you both jump as you pulled away. Lindir only squeezed your hand harder as you both looked up to find a bright and sunny Glorfindel standing before you both. Arms folded across his chest as Erestor came from behind him, you laughed nervously as you both let go of each other's hand. Blushing deeply,

“Y-yes it did.” Lindir confessed timidly, coyly the two of you stealing a glance of one another. Glorfindel only smiled wider at his answer,

“Good, I am glad to hear that.” He beamed looking between you both with satisfaction at the news,

“Now let us free you both so you can have proper time together.” He smirked, you couldn’t wait to begin picking up books. Giving you both something to focus on as opposed to your nervousness while discussing a date… Though a mess had been made, you couldn’t be anymore grateful for the news that came with it.

* * * 

A/N: Sorry this is being reposted but it wasn’t showing up at all on my dash both laptop or phone, so reposting. All it showed was the heading for me! If anyone else has this problem please let me know!

tags:

@saviorsongwrites​ @lilmelily​ @dicksoutformtl​ @fandom-hoe101​ @icarus-fell-in-spring​

[endof-theline]

Day 23- Tropetember: Fantasy

Day 23 of super early Troptember with Fantasy AU. Steve is dying, Bucky can't control his werewolf shifts and only one mage can help them!

On Ao3:https://archiveofourown.org/works/32775904

They had heard about the powerful mage and had thought about visiting him on several occasions when Steve had gotten so sick that he was on the verge of death, but the rumors surrounding the mage scared them away. It was said that the mage was unpredictable in his actions and despite being incredibly powerful his powers don’t always work the way they’re meant to.

However this time, Steve was so sick that Bucky had to make Steve ride in front of him on the same horse just to make sure Steve wouldn’t fall off and just to top it off Bucky was shifting wildly and couldn’t stay in one form for longer than ten minutes. Bucky usually loved his werewolf nature, but right now it was definitely a curse as he was just trying to get his boyfriend to safety.

Bucky let out a long, frightened howl as he spotted the mage’s tower in the hopes that the mage would come to investigate the noise, he could feel his shift pushing at his skin but clung on just that little bit more as he knew that if he lost his hold on Steve then Bucky would end up carrying him and with Bucky’s random shifts it wasn’t clear if he’d be able too.

He let out another long howl that was quickly cut off by a voice that sounded like it was in his head “I hear you wolfie, what do you want?”

“My friend is dying and my shifts are so random that I can’t help him, please heal him!” Bucky called out to the forest around him, his eyes darted around to try and spot where the voice came from and found nothing “We don’t have much, but I’ll give you whatever I can for your help”

“Let’s see if he’s curable before you start making promises” The voice said in his head making Bucky shake his head, his wolf ears flop around as he whined in annoyance “And what about you, surely you want to stop shifting like that?”

“He’s more important, I’m in pain but he could die if you don’t help him” Bucky said confidently and startled when a man stepped out from behind a tree and smiled at him, ignoring the way Bucky snarled at him. The man had no scent on him and made no noise as he walked over to Bucky, still smiling away at him like he didn’t have an on edge werewolf staring him down.

“Easy there, I’m not even real so there’s no point getting upset about it. Let’s have a look at your friend” The man, who Bucky figured was the mage based on his words, said as he stood next to their horse and just tilted his head as his eyes roamed over Steve’s body curiously “Does he get sick like this often?”

“Fairly often, not normally this bad though” Bucky said before reaching out to poke the man and growling when his hand went through his body and the mage turned to him with a frown on his face.

“If you want my help, stop the grumpiness” The mage said before waving them to follow the fake man, Bucky urged his horse on and kept a tight grip on Steve’s hips as they moved around. As they approached the tower, the door swung open and the fake man disappeared as another rushed out the doorway, as soon as the new one got close enough Bucky jabbed his shoulder and huffed through his nose happily when he actually made contact “I’m real this time, help me get your friend inside”

Bucky was quickly to get down from the horse as he carefully slid Steve off after and carried him carefully in his arms, the mage raised an eyebrow at him curiously before hurrying him in and locking the door behind them.

With a surge of strength, Bucky managed to push himself to lay Steve down on the bed where the mage had taken him before his shift forced its way through. Bucky cried out as he was forced down to all fours and his full shift took over, he let out a sad whine as he looked up to the mage and nudged his hand towards Steve.

“It’s okay, I’ll start looking for cures” The mage promised as Bucky laid on the floor beside Steve protectively, Bucky was always protective of Steve but whenever Steve is sick or Bucky is fully shifted then that protectiveness always seemed to be his only line of thought. He was thankful that the mage seemed to understand that though and didn’t take offense when Bucky growled at him for touching Steve even when it was completely necessary to try and find out what the problem was.

It took three days before the mage had a solution, Bucky had been stuck in full shift as Steve drifted in and out of awareness. The mage, Tony as he had introduced himself as, had to explain to Steve where he was and what was happening every single time he woke and Steve always immediately went searching for Bucky first, Bucky always stood up and gave Steve’s cheek a lick to reassure him that he was safe and that Bucky was at his side like always.

The solution was and wasn’t a cure, it wasn’t a cure exactly because Tony still had no idea what was wrong with Steve but it was a cure because Tony claimed it could heal almost anything and give Steve the strength that he was meant to have been with. Bucky didn’t understand that last part, but Tony seemed happy about it and it was a potion so it had less of a chance to go wrong.

In the three days Bucky had spent by their sides, he had noticed something about Tony that he was sure was his power's fault and not done on purpose. When they met, Tony had short, straight, brown hair and brown eyes, but currently it was a little shorter than Bucky’s own hair, slightly curly and almost blonde while his eyes were a swirled mix of blue and green. Bucky had also spotted Tony with purple eyes, ginger hair, he had been taller and shorter than him, one day he was clean shaven and the next he had a full beard. Bucky didn’t want to point it out, but he figured that this was why people thought he was unpredictable.

Tony made the potion in record time and quickly helped Steve drink it, Bucky sat at his feet the whole time and if he had the ability to have gasped then he was sure that he would have done as Steve reacted to the potion. As Steve finished the bottle, he had grown past Bucky’s human height and had gone from scrawny to muscular in moments, he still looked like Bucky’s Steve but he was just big .

“Did not see that working so well” Tony commented before Steve’s eyes fluttered up, he rubbed one eye before looking down to Bucky with a smile on his face, glancing to Tony to smile at him as well briefly “Might want to take a look at yourself”

Steve scowled at Tony before yelping as he took note of how tall he was sitting up, looking at his hands and then travelling to look over the rest of his body as his eyes went wide “Holy shit!”

“I knew you’d get bigger but I did not expect that” Tony chuckled before their attention snapped to Bucky who had let out a whine accidentally as he couldn’t say or do anything to help Steve, Bucky looked up to Tony and went to give him the puppy dog eyes but Tony held out his hand to stop him “Shift up, Bucky”

Bucky growled at him but Tony just lifted an eyebrow and cocked his head to the side slightly in challenge so with that Bucky tried to push his shift and immediately found himself completely human again “How?”

“I think it was your mind for the most part, you were stressed and felt unsafe, your body was just doing what it thought was best for both of you” Tony shrugged with ease as Bucky mentally promised to shift on a more regular schedule instead of whenever it was easy or convenient for him to do so “Important part is that you’re both okay”

Bucky and Steve would have happily stayed for longer if it wasn’t for Tony trying to throw them out, and Bucky gave Steve credit when he pulled Tony to the side and asked if he could take Tony out for dinner. Bucky definitely noticed it this time, Tony’s ears grew and pointed like elf ears as the blush spread to them and his fluffy hair did little to hide them.

“Why does your appearance change so often?” Bucky blurted out and whined when Steve clipped him around the back of the head, it hurt a lot more now than when he was skinny “What? It does, he’s always changing!”

“It’s okay, most people don’t even wait for a full day before pointing it out” Tony teased but it didn’t really sound as if he found it funny at all “My first spells were appearance transformation so now whenever I’m flustered mainly it just shifts”

“Do we fluster you then Tony, you have been changing all the time we’ve been here?” Bucky rumbled with a smirk and got his answer from Tony’s eyes changing to a bright golden colour so Bucky just moved to corner Tony between him and Steve “Well then, we’ll see you in the nearby inn tonight”

Tony just let out a squeak as he nodded his head, his hair going even more blonde that it was before. Bucky pressed a kiss to his cheek before him and Steve were jumping onto the horse and heading back to said inn where they were meant to be staying before Steve had almost died.

The rumors quickly died out surrounding Tony, but they were replaced with new one just as quickly. Now the townspeople feared the man and the giant wolf that was often seen at his side and if it wasn’t the wolf then it was the equally scary human man that no one knew where he was from. Tony had accepted that people were always going to make up rumors and tell stories about the evil mage, he was just glad that now he didn’t have to face it alone… Now he had two loving boyfriends that loved to tease and fluster him just to see how his magic would react to their words.

These rumors could stay for all Tony cared, so long as his boyfriends were staying just as long.

[arcadialedger]

Rayllum One- Shot #1– A Birthday Surprise

“Set in what I picture as the beginning of season 4, this takes place during Callum’s birthday, where he a gets a surprise visit from a certain Moonshadow Elf.

Callum sat in the corner of the Great Hall, his sketchbook in hand.

He knew he should be enjoying the festivities-- they were for him, after all. Turning sixteen was important in Katolis-- it marked his coming of age. The people of Katolis danced, ate, and socialized throughout the vast expanse of the room. 

Callum, however, simply wanted to hide in a corner and work on his annual sketch of the family. For years it had contained him, his mother, his step father, and Ezran. Then his mother had left the frame. 

Now, it was just he, Ezran, and one other person.

Rayla. 

Callum sighed, as he put the finishing touches on her smile. Though he hadn’t seen her in over a year, he could picture her perfectly in his mind.

“Gosh, I wish you were here”, he muttered.

 “What was that?” said a voice in front of him. 

Callum, who had slumped against the wall with his sketchbook, was so starteled he banged his head against the wall, before looking up to see his brother Ezran standing before him.

Ezran, who had helped plan the royal festivties, more his velvet, maroon cape-- the crown laced firmly upon his head. Callum wasn’t sure he would ever get used to his little brother in the king’s garments. In his arms he held Bait, who glared at Callum unamusedly. 

“What? Oh, umm, nothing,” Callum answered, his voice flustered. Ezran raised a skeptical eyebrow, and came to sit down next to him. Before Callum couldclose the book, Ezran snatched it from his grasp. 

“Are you drawing Rayla in as part of our family portrait?” Ezran asked. Callum’s blushed from the tip of his ear to the other, unable to form a response. Ezran rolled his eyes. 

“You’ve been together for two years, why do you still get so embarassed? And you’re right, you know. She is a part of our family now.”

Callum nodded, realizing that his little brother had not come to poke fun at him, but have a serious conversation. Not that Callum didn’t do his own fair share of teasing-- Ezran had been spending a lot of time with a certain village girl and her wolf. 

“I just really miss her, Ez,” Callum admitted, “I mean, we write every week, which is wonderful, but I wish I could see her in person. Her Dragonguard duties keep her so busy...”

“I know, I know. But Callum, you have to understand Rayla would have been here if she could be.”

“Yeah,” I know,” Callum admitted, as Ezran passed back the sketchbook to him, “It just doesn’t feel complete without her. I was really hoping she would be able to make it.”

“Well, it’s a good thing I took the day off then,” said a distinct voice.

Callum gasped, and his eyes shot up Standing before him and Ezran, a dorky grin on her face, was Rayla. 

Callum’s heart skipped a beat, and he leapt up to tackle Rayla in a hug. 

Rayla chuckled, and hugged Callum back tightly. He hoped she wouldn’t notice, but Callum felt a tear roll down his cheek.

Callum could have stayed like that forever, but after a minute he pulled back. 

“I can’t believe it,” he said, grasping both of Rayla’s hands in his own, “Ezran said you wouldn’t be able to make it and...”

Ezran started chuckling behind him.

“Surprise!” he announced. 

Rayla giggled, “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world, Callum. Sixteen is a special year! And it had been so long...”

Callum nodded, “I know. It’s... it’s really good to see you.”

Rayla smiled brightly, and gave Callum’s hand a squeeze. She didn’t just look beautiful-- she wore a simple lilac colored gown which matched her eyes, her hair pulled back in an elegant twist-- she looked radiant. Happy. 

“You’ve grown even more,” Callum noted. Rayla had always been an inch taller than him (Not including the horns-- which Callum inisisted did not count), but now she stood closer to two inches taller. 

“You look quite grown up yourself,” she noted, “In your Katolis formal attire. Or did you just ruin all of your other jackets growing wings?”

“Haha, very funny,” said Callum. He was, indeed, wearing a red jacket which had been tailored for him. 

“Well, I’m going to get back to the party,” Ezran said, giving a not so conpcuous wink to Callum before standing up and walking into the crowd. 

Callum groaned, “I’m going to kill him.”

Rayla laughed, “I think it’s funny. Now tell me, how have you been?”

“Well-- “ Callum said, as he went to sit down again. Rayla followed-- gathering up her skirts and sitting herself down next to him. 

“Oh-- you droped this,” Rayla noted, reaching over to pick of Callum’s sketchbook. For a moment, her eyes glazed over the drawing, and she smiled. 

“You’re including me as part of your family portrait?” she asked, as she gently passed the book back to him. 

“Oh, umm, yeah.” Callum stammered. He could feel his entire face blush redder than his jacket, “You’re a part of the family, you know.”

“You’re adorably sentimental. You know that, right?”

Callum grinned, “Yeah, I suppose I am. I’m just an emotional guy with a lot of big feelings.”

Rayla snorted, “Don’t you ever try to do big feelings time with me again.”

 After returning to Katolis, Callum had tried to do big feelings time with Rayla. It had involved a lot more pointy swords than normal.

“Do you want to dance?” asked Callum. He wasn’t sure why his heart fluttered while he asked the question, but it did. 

“I would love to!” Rayla exclaimed, “Though it’s pretty crowded. I don’t know if there’s any room for us.”

Actually, said Callum, a smirk spreading across his face, “I have an idea as to where we can go.”

Callum stood up and held our his hand for Rayla, who took it gratefuly. Her fingers intertwined with hers, he set off across the great hall. 

“Where are we going?” she asked, unable to suppress her laughs as Callum weaved through the tightly packed crowds.

“We are going,” Callum answered, as he reached the opposite side of the room, “Out here.”

Callum pushed open a set of doors which, through all of the decorations, were hardly visible, and stepped through out onto a balcony. 

“Oh-- this is beautiful,” Rayla murdered, “Do you come here often?”

Callum nodded, “I came all the time when i was younger, and wanted some quiet. I’ve always found it so peaceful. i would come out for hours and draw, and lie and stare at the moon.”

Rayla beamed, and a swell of the music from within became audible. In an unspoken agreement, she and Callum stepped close to one another.

And together, they danced beneath the stars. 

[tydy-the-megnet]

That’s Elf-Confidence

Or, The Importance of Understanding Cultural Differences (Or the Lack Thereof)

...

Rayla knew a lot of things. One thing she did not know, however, was how not to flirt.

Rayla may have had some anecdotal ideas from Runaan and the others. But for the most part, the raging hormones and unscrupulous ideas she had had taken a back seat to the whole war effort thing they had gotten wrapped up in.

Thus, when Rayla had found the time to start pursuing Callum, it had been a spectacular failure.

Emphasis on spectacular.

Rayla had done her due diligence. She had researched on various ways that humans courted each other.

It wasn’t really her fault that a lot of media talked mostly about the failed attempts at courting. It also wasn’t her fault that media didn’t really specify whether they were failures, since that really should have been mentioned, even if it seemed like common sense to every human that thought about it.

Because everyone knows that humans and elves don’t really get each other. Hence the aforementioned war.

So, needless to say, when Rayla did some research on “how to flirt with a human,” she might have gotten some heavily skewed information.

“Uh, Rayla? What’s with the rooster?” Callum asked hesitantly, eyeing the cock that Rayla had brought into their encampment.

Rayla beamed at him, as if he was to be awarded for noticing such an obviously out of place thing. Callum raised an eyebrow at the girl.

“Ah was wonderin’ if you’d suck it?” She answered.

Callum took a beat to stare at his companion. When it was clear he’d receive no elaboration -- like Rayla thought that was answer enough -- he answered.

“Um, no thanks?”

Her face fell, however. Her beaming smile dripping as her arms slackened, allowing the fowl creature to slip out of her grasp and be on his merry way. Callum wasn’t even slightly blushing, she noticed. She’d have to try harder.

Rayla left at that, leaving Callum to wonder if he’d just infringed on some elf tradition.

The next day, Rayla decided she’d not give up. Just because one effort failed, didn’t mean every effort would fail. With elves, if the flirtee didn’t like a flower or something, then the flirter would try chocolate. Or maybe a serenade under the moonlight.

If Callum didn’t want to “suck cock” as human media suggested, then she’d try something else.

So began her second attempt at romance with Callum. A cat wasn’t livestock, so it had been more difficult to procure one, but Rayla wasn’t about to give up. Not on this.

Her research had told her that some humans like to “lick pussy.” Now, she thought it was disgusting, and a bit to close to eating cats. Which didn’t make much sense when she remembered how Callum had been off-put when he thought elves ate humans. But, she supposed cats and humans were hardly the same thing. Maybe cats were delicious? She’d never tried them.

Or maybe the act of licking them was pleasurable? Rayla watched as the cat licked itself. It certainly seemed content with its life right now. Maybe that article had been on to something after all.

So, with growing excitement, and a tinge of nervousness, Rayla approached Callum with her pussy cat in hand, waiting impatiently as he put down his book.

“Ya wanna lick it?” She asked, quirking her lips upward and trying to conceal her nerves.

Callum was looking at her like that again. Not the good that that he had when drawing her. The bad that, like he didn’t understand and was afraid to ask.

“I, ah,” he hesitated, glancing between her and the cat. Maybe it had been working better than the rooster, maybe not, but it wasn’t working well enough, Rayla decided. “No, I’m- I’m good, Rayla. Thanks for asking, though.”

As Callum stood to walk off, Rayla huffed and stared at her cat. She gave it a tentative lick, grimacing at the hairs that stuck to her tongue.

Humans were weird.

But then, Rayla mused on all the elves thought of as odd, who would go with sheep or other animals. Rayla stopped herself from thinking about what the shop-keeps might’ve thought when she had gotten the cockerel and pussy cat.

When Rayla read her next article, she decided she had been had. Nothing before had worked, and now she read that “giving head" was yet another way of showing her intentions.

Needless to say, it was revolting.

In horrified outrage, Rayla stormed up to the boy, showing him the periodical she had found.

“You humans are sick! Ya know tha’?! Wha’ kinda-- where would--” She threw the periodical at him, leaving him floundering to catch it and look at the cause of her horror. “Suckin’ on fowl an’ lickin’ cats an’-- an’--” Rayla dropped down to her knees, hugging herself as she stared blankly into the distance. “Why is decapitation a turn-on for you?!”

“What?” Callum, to his credit, looked just as off-put. He forced his eyes away from Rayla’s pallor, making himself read what he assumed to be some elven tabloid about human indecency.

Instead he found the title, “The Odds and Ends of Human Flirting: How to Court that Special Someone.” Callum’s face twitched, his mouth curling into a smile.

“Were you trying to flirt with me?”

“Ah was, before ah foun’ out how disgusting humans are!”

“Not only,” Callum, started, stifling laughter, “Not only did you completely misinterpret the entire article.” He tossed the object in question back to her, “You also picked the worst article on the subject. None of these lines would work even if you did them right.”

“W-what?” Rayla hardly breathed.

“Yeah. We don’t--” Callum choked on his laughter, a grin pulling onto his face as Rayla’s face slowly ignited. “We don’t suck roosters or lick cats.”

“But tha’ article says--”

“It says ‘cock’ and ‘pussy.’” Callum palmed his face, looking as embarrassed as Rayla was starting to feel. “Slang words for genitalia.”

Rayla gasped, “So, ah was askin’ you fer sex?”

“No. You were asking me to put animals in my mouth.”

“Well, uh,”

“And no, we don’t decapitate anyone for love any more than you drink blood.”

Ralya paused, considering Callum with an intense gaze accentuated by her flustered cheeks. “Good.”

Callum took a deep breath, calming his mirth as he regarding the girl before him.

“So, you wanna know how to properly flirt with a human?”

“Y-yeah.”

“Well then,” Callum said, smirking as he took her hand in his, “Why don’t you let me show you on our date tonight?”

I may have made Callum a little bit too smooth, but I’m a sucker for the “take her by the hand” thing.

[guydeyes]

(For art, go to @guydeyes on Twitter)

(Art created by and story inspired by @CartoonsSams on Twitter)

The twins’

Weren’t taking the news or their arranged marriage well.

“What do you mean the orcs accepted our proposal?! My brother and I never proposed!” Said the elf sister, knocking over her Sethi wine. She was ‘keeping it together’ through the news of their arranged marriage to the orc kingdom of Begrid to the west, as much as she could, hoping her emotions wouldn’t betray her.

Her bother, on the other hand, was doing his best to stay quiet as tears streamed down his face, sobbing into his hands.

The elf twins had expected to marry another elvish noble house, as their parents had met that way. “As much as I want the two of you to be happy,” their mother, the queen, said; “you have to understand. We’ve been at war with the orcs for years. No progress was being made for either of us, and this is what the king and queen of Begrid offered. Our prince for their princess, and vice versa. You both will move their, and your children will be sent here when they come of age. Every other generation will stay with either the elves or orcs.” The princess slammed her hands on the table, rattling the silverware.

“No, I don’t understand! I could understand one of us going, but both?! This will ruin the line of succession!” “Enough!” Commanded the king. “You let us worry about our land. We aren’t dead yet. And what, would you prefer we separate you two? I know how much your brother relies on your guidance, as much as I wish it were otherwise.” The king suddenly looked away, ashamed of what he said out loud as his son looked at him with bloodshot eyes. The prince suddenly got up and stormed out, heading to his room. “Fine. If this is what you want then do be it. I’ll go console my brother as best I can, which clearly the two of you can’t do.”

The princess returned shortly, her parents still eating their dinner. “When are we leaving?” Asked the princess.

“I’m sorry. We just received word today. The escort will be here tomorrow morning. I’m so sorry daughter, but you’ll both have to pack and be ready to leave before bed tonight.” Said the queen.

“What are we going to do?” Asked the prince as he packed his favorite sketch books and pencils, doing his best to set them in the satchel with shaking hands. He stopped for a moment. “Do you think they have paint in Begrid?”

“Get married, have kids, pretend to love our partners. And yes I think they do” the princess decided a long ride, despite being in a carriage, was probably not the best place for her best dress, and picked comfier clothes for tomorrow.

The prince threw up his hands in a sign of defeat.“Sis, we’re gay. We can’t pretend forever.”

“We can and we will, if only for the sake of our people who are relying on us to end this war. We don’t have a choice.”

As they would soon realize, they wouldn’t need to pretend as much as they thought.

The following morning their escort arrived. As they watched from the top of the stairs, they were surprised not to see some random guards as their escort, but the royal guards of the orc king and queen. Why, they realized, stepped out a moment later from the large carriage in the the center of the caravan.

The prince and princess were a lot more attractive than they had expected. The princess had short red hair, coming down just below her ears. Golden eyes, full lips, and breasts practically splitting her shirt open, the elf princess had to stop herself from from drooling. The elf prince, on the other hand, was drooling, mouth open and absolutely dumbstruck. The orc prince had long dark hair, was easily over 8 feet tall, with arms bigger than the princes’ thigh. A scar ran across his eyebrow, showing he’d seen combat, up close and personal.

Before anyone could stop him, he used his finger to close the prince’s mouth, wiping some of the left over drool off the corner. Then, to everyone’s surprise, he licked the drool of his finger with a wide smile.

After a brief moment of awkward silence, everyone seemed to remember what they were suppose to be doing. “Ahem. Anyway, let us say goodbye one last time children. We will of course come to your wedding, once you send us with a date of when it is to happen.” Said the elf king, a brief glimpse of pain on his face.

Once the prince got out of the trance the orc prince put him in, he and his sister turned around and hugged both parents goodbye. The orcs had their own servants pick up the elves’ bags and put them in the carriage behind the one the orc prince and princess rode in.

“My name is Yambul, and my sister here is Maui. May we have yours?” Said Yambul, while walking towards the carriage that would take them. The carriage itself was quite a bit larger up close, easily able to fit a full size bed, pantry, table, and of course, seats.

“Oh um, yes,” said the elf prince, blushing. “My name is Callon, my sister here is Tauriel.” He tried not to stare at the large bulge in the pants of Yambul, but, despite the orc princes’ loose clothing, was quite noticeable. And Callon could feel his stomach aching.

“I know this is a bit, sudden, but we promise to do our best as your partners, and hopefully fall in love, despite our arranged marriage.” Said Maui, holding out a hand for Tauriel to help her into the carriage, which obviously was made for the large orcs, and not for the sizably smaller elves.

Yambul, on the other hand, simply picked up Callon and put him in the carriage, pinching him in his side, causing Callon to blush even harder and let out a surprised, but not unwelcome, yelp.

After sitting down and beginning to move, Tauriel noticed that, between their behavior and how the princes were sitting closer together, whispering into each others ears, followed by quite a bit of blushing and laughing from the both of them, things were not quite what she expected. “Wait a second, I thought we were getting married?” She asked Yambul, with a look that lacked understanding.

“Well, I mean, ya, but we kind of guessed something else was the case as we rode here from home. After all, for both orcs and elves of our age, we’re usually married by now, right? But obviously for both our cases it seems like we ignored everyone’s advances for so long because the ones that showed interest in us, we had no interest in. And once I saw how your brother looked at me as I stepped out of our carriage, I realized I guessed right.” He said with a smile, placing a large hand on the inner thigh of Callon, causing his face to turn red again.

“What are we going to do about the marriage then?” Asked the princess.

“Oh that. Well of course we would still be married, but thankfully us orcs tend to stick together to support each other, so it would be expected for the four of us to share a house, if not a bed.” Said Maui, which explained why there was only one bed in the carriage. “For kids, well, there isn’t much we can do about that. We would still need a *ahem* donation from our expected partner, but even that doesn’t require penetration, if you can guess where I’m going with this. Now, how about we have a bit of fun?” Said Maui, pouring Tauriel a glass of wine and handing it to her.

“But, oh Gods above and below, what if someone finds out about us?” Tauriel exclaimed, taking a sip of the wine. “Well,” said Maui, putting a large arm around Tauriel, pulling her into her own, now free, breasts. “We really only need to pretend until we become king and queen, whoever between us that may be. Then we can unveil how we truly feel. And once we do, many others will either come out in support, if not with their own partners.” Maui, at this, seemed not to hold in a position of hope, but of certainty.

Tauriel looked over to the bed, seeing her brother and Yambul climb in, clothes already on the floor.

Maui stood up, removed her own clothes, and grabbed Tauriel’s hand. “Care to join us?” Yambul asked. “Oh my, at the same time?” Asked Tauriel, clearly quite flustered. Surprisingly enough, it was her bother that answered; “Please sister. I can’t lie, I don’t think he’ll fit easily. I could use the support.” He said, motioning his head to the large member slowly rubbing against his own, easily four times the length and girth of his own.

And with that, Tauriel got into bed. That day, the carriage rocked not only from the road, but from newly discovered love.

[cybergutzz]

@smilingheroes YOU MADE ME DO THIS YOU SLY SLY FISH AHHHH I CAN’T BELIEVE I ACTUALLY MADE THIS WITH MY OWN TWO HANDS NFIEOGREAGBERSBEURGBUIRSB BUT OH WELL HERE’S AMAJIKI PROPOSING TO MY SELF INSERT. AGH.  It was like most normal days at U.A. Lyca was trotting over to the dorms of 3-A, the third year students. She had planned to stay there for the rest of the day, until around 10 pm, with Amajiki Tamaki. She had bought all of her art supplies with her in her backpack, because who knew when she might need them, right? the markers rattled in her backpack, giving off sound whenever she took a step. Lyca was never the tallest person, but she could take long steps, and she walked faster than most of her peers. It was always a five minute walk, so of course she had put her earbuds on, and found a good song from her playlist to put on. Quite recently, it had been Machines by Crown The Empire. Even with her careless expression, she felt intense emotions as she walked, just by the tone of the voice who sung. she released a long breath of air, as she enjoyed the slight breeze. it was warm, and the breeze complimented the warmth in the air, making it the perfect weather in Lyca’s opinion.

Slowly but surely she found herself standing in front of the dorm building. this was it. she walked inside and took her shoes off.

Amajiki waited in the common room, where he usually never appeared. Feeling like his social skills weren’t good enough, he usually kept to himself, or his closest friends Mirio and Nejire. Lyca had been friends with Amajiki for half a year now, and while they were just friends, it was more than obvious she had a crush on him. at least according to both Kirishima and Uraraka. Those two noticed everything, it seemed. So much for telling everyone you only liked girls, huh? no it was never just girls, but explaining what biromantic was just seemed like a waste of time. “Amajiki?” Lyca called, raising her hand as a way of greeting him. Amajiki turned his head from the kitchen counter in the common room, and found himself unable to get any proper words out. She was here. She was actually here. “Lyca…” He took small careful steps over to her, and gave her a hug. Despite being the embodiment of Awkward Teenager With Social Anxiety, he had always liked hugs.

she hugged him back, cherishing the small moment. “Do we just… go to your room?” Lyca asked, holding her backpack in a tight grip. “I guess so. You know Netflix right?” Amajiki began walking up to the elevator, and Lyca joined him. “‘Course i do man, are we gonna watch a movie?” she asked, already feeling excited. “Yeah. I’m not very original, sorry…” The boy became self-conscious, and Lyca assured him that watching movies on Netflix was more than enough fun for her. She was never one to enjoy big activities anyway.

Amajiki had brought 3 different bags of chips. Sour cream and onion, Jalapeno chips, and Chashu flavoured potato chips. He never managed to fail when it came to buying snacks he knew Lyca would like. Of course this wasn’t just on Amajiki, Lyca had brought some stuff too. mainly beverages like a big coke and schweppes, but also a few different flavors of pocky, because who doesn’t love pocky? it was oreo and mango flavor.

The blue-haired boy unlocked the door to his dorm room. Lyca had been inside a few times before, but it always amazed her how nice his room was. all neat and always cleaned to a decent amount. a lot of darker colors, but not overshining all the little light details on his shelves. his bed was what filled up most of the room, being quite large. his desk was tiny, but Amajiki had stated that his bed had always been his workspace for homework. Lyca placed her backpack down and zipped it open. she got the coke and schweppes along with the pocky. “What are we gonna be watching?” she asked, somehow feeling too flustered to look at the boy. “I haven’t really… decided.” Amajiki answered fiddling with his hands. Lyca raised her eyebrows a bit, softening her usual expression. “It’s all good my dude, we’ll figure something out!” she gave him a thumbs up, along with a cheeky half-smile. why did her face feel so warm? she wanted it to stop, she really did. what if he was seeing it? maybe that was why he was so quiet in his voice. Lyca tried to keep her cool, but inside she was a constant panic. she hated crushes. they ruined everything.

As she settled down in Amajiki’s bed, the boy went to get his laptop. “It’s been charging ever since i came back, so i think there’s enough power for it to last.” he said, swinging his own legs up. Lyca waited patiently as Amajiki, with hands that seemed to be shaking, began opening the tab to Netflix. Lyca noticed it, but felt too nervous to address it. they had done this before, but the air felt thicker than normal. it was hard to swallow, and Lyca just wanted to be as chill as humanly possible. she leaned back against the pillow that was put against the headboard, and sighed. Amajiki joined her. he was close, and she could almost feel his fluffy hair against her cheek.

Amajiki scrolled through the feed, movies of interest popping up every now and then. “I know you’re not one for action movies, so-” Lyca began, “It’s fine, if you want to watch Hellboy again, I think I’m prepared.” Amajiki cut her off, nudging her shoulder with his own. Lyca chuckled, shaking her head. “No, it’s fine! i just thought about Kung Fu Panda 3? it’s actually really good. You’ve seen the 2 others, right?”

“That’s a good movie… I’m up for watching it again.” the boy seemed to ease up at the thought of watching Kung Fu Panda 3, and his otherwise quite strained expression had turned more relaxed. Lyca smiled, typing the title into the search bar, and they both found themselves watching the animated movie, while simultaneously forgetting about the snacks.

“Time is just an illusion, there is only the now,” Shifu said. Both teenagers had been silent throughout the entire movie, but that one sentence had sparked Amajiki back to life. “what if time was forever?…” he mumbled, thinking about something. “That’d be one hell of a bummer. who would i spend forever with? it’s a pretty long time.” Lyca answered, knowing it might have been a rhetorical question. Amajiki’s face lit up in red, and he turned his head. “I wouldn’t mind… spending forever with you…” his voice became so small and quiet, Lyca had to ask him if he could repeat that, with a slight blush visible on her ears. “I wouldn’t mind spending forever with you…” he repeated, his voice just as small. Lyca caught some of it though, trying to piece everything together. “You wouldn’t mind… spending forever… Amajiki, what are you saying?” Lyca was getting confused. she hated being confused, especially because she knew she was dense. she just wanted to understand, but being both socially handicapped, and dense, was not helping.

Amajiki’s body was trembling, and his mouth was quivering. he held on to his shirt in a deathgrip. “I wouldn’t mind sp... spending… forever with you!” He exclaimed, his tone high pitched from the nervousness. Lyca did what appeared to be a facepalm, but she was just blushing and smiling too much to want to show it. “What the hell… I mean, same, but… what the hell?” she snickered slightly.

Amajiki was on a high after confessing like that. At least that was what it had felt like, and he got reckless. with his entire face red and his long elf-like ears burning, he took a hold of Lyca’s cheeks, and made her look at him. “I wouldn’t mind marrying you either.” he said, in one of those extremely rare bolder tones. Lyca’s mouth closed shut in shock. what. what did he just say?

“Are you hearing yourself right now?” she slowly said, conflicted at the sentence. was it a joke? had he been pressured to say that? what was going on?

“I… I am. s… sorry I just- I’ve always-” He struggled with his words, the adrenaline finally disappearing. the blue haired boy suddenly seemed very distressed, and to Lyca’s wildest imagination, it appeared that he had told the truth. “You actually want to marry me?” She asked, her face burning. she was probably just as red as Kirishima’s hair right now. “Yeah…” he answered, mouth quivering again. Lyca looked down, feeling overwhelmed. “What the hell… what the fuck- hell- what-”

“Can’t you just… i- i don’t know... “ Amajiki wanted some kind of reply. he had just asked a yes or no question, and as for an answer, he had gotten neither. “I’ve had a fucking crush on you since i first started talking to you, and now you’re literally telling me you want to marry me. I’m just…” She paused, going through her choices. After thinking, she looked up again, and gave Amajiki a small smile. he understood what it meant, and as his entire body shook, tears of stress left his eyes. “WOAH! WAIT! Don’t cry, oh my god!! Amajiki it was a yes! please!” Lyca didn’t know what to do. she had never been good with people who were crying. she was bad at comforting. “I can’t stop Lyca. I can’t stop. help…” He pleaded, smiling slightly. Lyca did what she knew had a chance of working, and hugged Amajiki tightly.

they sat like that for a while, Amajiki sobbing, and Lyca hugging him in both comfort and shock. what a weird way to propose to someone.

“Does this mean we’re a couple?” she asked after a while, needing some kind of conformation. Amajiki cleared his throat a little bit. As he slowly hugged Lyca back, he answered.

“Until we’re 20.”

[darnloveablecharacters]

Prove Me Wrong, Part Four: Just In Case

Series Summary:  Caithwistë, born from the only known pairing of an elf and a dwarf has spent most of her life in hiding. When an old friend, (or a certain meddling wizard) finds her in the woods, everything changes. Now, she will have the chance to prove the world wrong about her value. A ‘The Hobbit’ fanfiction based off of the following imagines from @imaginexhobbit: This One is the basis of the story, and This One and This One will be added in later. If you recognize it, it belongs to Professor Tolkien or Peter Jackson. But, as usual, the story and all of the mistakes are my own!

Prove Me Wrong - Masterlist

Chapter Notes: Remember how I said this might be a bit long? Well, I may have under-exaggerated lol. There’s just so much!

Warnings for this chapter: talk of possible ways of dying, fainting

Night had fallen by the time they reached Hobbiton. It was quiet, apart from the chirping of the crickets. Thorin had been nervous as they passed all of the hobbit holes with dark windows, but breathed a sigh of relief when Caithwistë pointed out a marked door. “I believe that is the place you’re looking for.” She said quietly, stopping at a gate.

The home was still brightly lit, and they could hear the muffled sound of a boisterous song coming from the hobbit hole. Smiling, Thorin pushed the gate open and walked up the stairs toward the circular door. He raised his hand to knock, but hesitated when he realized he was standing alone. Glancing back, he saw the small hooded-figure lingering at the gate.

He sighed. Caithwistë had wrapped her cloak tightly around her shortly after they had left the Old Forest. When he had asked why she chose to remain hidden, she had simply stated, “This world has not been very kind to me. I keep myself hidden to protect myself from the cruelty of others.” Understanding the sentiment, Thorin didn’t press the topic any further. They spent the rest of the walk only with polite conversation and, mostly, a comfortable silence.

Thorin walked back down the steps and met Caithwistë at the gate. She was standing stiffly, apart from her fingers that were tapping nervously at her side. “You’re afraid?” He asked, not unkindly.

“No.” She said, too quickly.

Thorin smirked, but the smile faded quickly. “You don’t have join us if you don’t wish to. You have signed no contract, and are not bound to this quest.”

Caithwistë took a shaky breath and looked down, unsure of what to say. She wanted nothing more than to flee back to the Old Forest, and live out her days among the trees. However, she felt an odd pull toward the hobbit hole, and the adventure that awaited beyond it. She looked back up at Thorin, who was waiting patiently for her answer, even though his kin were just a few steps away. “What would you do?” She asked suddenly.

Thorin raised his eyebrows, surprised by the question, then smiled again. He stepped back and opened the gate for her, gesturing toward the door. “Join us, and listen for now. You can decide when you’re ready.”

Caithwistë took one more deep breath, then stepped through the gate. Still smiling, Thorin let the gate swing shut and lead her up the steps. He gave her a quick glance before raising his hand and placing three hard knocks against the door.

They heard the noise from inside die down, and the door swung open revealing a smiling Mithrandir. “Thorin. And Caithwistë! What a lovely surprise my dear.”

Caithwistë nodded toward Mithrandir as they entered the home. Twelve dwarves, and a flustered hobbit had crowded into the entryway to see the latest arrivals. To Caithwistë’s relief, Thorin spoke first. “Gandalf. I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way, twice.” He looked toward the nervous Caithwistë and winked, making her smile. “Wouldn’t have found it at all had it not been for that mark on the door.”

The curly-haired hobbit stormed to Mithrandir looking affronted. “Mark? There’s no mark on that door. It was painted a week ago!”

“There is a mark. I put it there myself.” Mithrandir said, quieting the hobbit. “Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce a dear friend of mine, Caithwistë.”

“At your service.” Caithwistë said with a curtsy, grateful that she had remembered some of the customs her parents taught her.

Bilbo looked at her curiously. She realized then that the hood of her cloak was still hiding her face, and she gingerly pulled it off her head. “Bilbo Baggins, at yours.” He said, smiling.

Mithrandir grinned at the exchange, then continued. “And last, but most certainly not least, the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield.”

Thorin stared at the hobbit, looking unconvinced. “So, this is the Hobbit.” He began to circle Bilbo as he had done to Caithwistë before. “Tell me, Mister Baggins, have you done much fighting?”

“Pardon me?” Bilbo asked incredulously.

Thorin finished his circuit, and stared the hobbit down. “Axe or sword? What’s your weapon of choice?”

Bilbo straightened. “Well, I have some skill at Conkers, if you must know, but I fail to see why that’s relevant.” He said defiantly.

Thorin scoffed. “Thought as much. He looks more like a grocer than a burglar.”

The dwarves laughed, and crowded into the dining room on the left. Caithwistë felt sympathy for the hobbit, but couldn’t help with agree with Thorin’s assessment. She took a seat in the dark corner next to Mithrandir and a young dwarf with knitted gloves provided her with a bowl of soup. She thanked him gratefully and he blushed, returning to his seat without another word. Mithrandir choked on the smoke of his pipe in laughter at this.

The group spoke of the quest as Thorin and Caithwistë ate. They were on their own, according to Thorin. But Mithrandir eased the tension between the arguing dwarves when he produced an ornate iron key. They would not be able to take Erebor on their own, but they may be able to sneak in and retrieve the Arkenstone. The heart of the mountain, which would help to unite the dwarven armies once again to take back their homeland.

“That’s why we need a burglar!” The young dwarf with the knitted gloves exclaimed.

“Hm, A good one, too. An expert, I’d imagine.” Bilbo said. He was leaning over the table and held a candle so he could examine the map.

“And are you?” asked a red-haired dwarf.

Bilbo looked up, startled. “Am I what?”

“He said he’s an expert! Hey hey!” Said a dwarf holding a horn to his ear.

Caithwistë joined the dwarves in their laughter as Bilbo started stuttering. “M.. ­­Me? No, no, no, no, no. I’m not a burglar. I’ve never stolen a thing in my life.”

The elder dwarf who Mithrandir had called Balin spoke next. “I’m afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins. He’s hardly burglar material.”

His brother, a fierce-looking tattooed dwarf nodded in agreement. “Aye, the wild is no place for gentlefolk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves.” His eyes moved between Bilbo and Caithwistë suspiciously.

Caithwistë sat uncomfortably as the dwarves argued again, until Mithrandir stood angrily and a dark shadow covered the room. “Enough! If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is.” The room was silent now, and as Mithrandir calmed down the shadow faded. Caithwistë breathed a sigh of relief as he continued speaking. “Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet. In fact, they can pass unseen by most if they choose. And while the dragon is accustomed to the smell of dwarf, the scent of hobbit is all but unknown to him, which gives us a distinct advantage.” He turned to Thorin, his expression stern. “You asked me to find the burglar to join this company, and I have chosen Mister Baggins. There’s a lot more to him than appearances suggest, and he’s got a great deal more to offer than any of you know, including himself.” He glanced at the hobbit who looked unsure, then back to Thorin. “You must trust me on this.”

Thorin’s eyes flicked to Caithwistë, who simply nodded. While she did not always agree with Mithrandir, she trusted his judgement.

Thorin sighed in defeat, then addressed Mithrandir. “Very well. We will do it your way.” He turned to Balin. “Give him the contract.”

“It’s just the usual summary of out-­of-­pocket expenses, time required, remuneration, funeral arrangements, so forth.” Balin said, handing over a long document.

Bilbo took it with raised eyebrows. “Funeral arrangements?” Balin simply nodded, and Bilbo stepped out of the small room to read it. As he read it, Thorin stood and leaned toward Mithrandir, whispering something she could not hear.

“And the lass?” Balin queried.

Thorin leaned away from Mithradir and gave Caithwistë a calculating stare. “Give her a contract as well.” He said without taking his eyes off her.

Caithwistë was shocked when Balin produced the contract, which laid out the terms of her services as a hunter and a tracker for the company. She fixed Mithrandir with a pointed glare. He smiled sheepishly. “I may have told them to draw one up for you. Just in case.”

Caithwistë rolled her eyes and began reading the long document until she heard Bilbo exclaim “Incineration?”

“Oh, aye. He’ll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye.” Said the dwarf with the floppy hat.

“You all right, laddie?” Balin asked kindly when Bilbo doubled over, looking ill.

“Uh, yeah...Feel a bit faint.” He said.

“Think furnace with wings.” The floppy-hat dwarf was saying. “Flash of light, searing pain, then Poof! You’re nothing more than a pile of ash.”

Caithwistë cringed at the last part, as she watched Bilbo trying to steady his breathing. “Hmmm. Nope.” He said, right before he fainted.

Mithrandir scoffed. “Ah, very helpful, Bofur.”

[ahrorha]

Flame of Winter

Chapter 6

Haven was busy after they returned from Val Royeaux. The horses from horsemaster Dennet had arrived as well as many new recruits. The deeds of the Inquisition had spread, and many volunteers came to Haven to join their endeavours to close the Breach.

With the little village growing and getting more crowded by the day. Eirlana felt she was getting more and more anxious. She was relieved she would soon leave with the others for the Storm Coast. Her work at the clinic was finished for the day. Feeling the need for some air, she grabbed a basket and walked through the gates and training grounds. Heading towards the forest to gather some elfroot. . “That is one fine-looking knife-ear.” Eirlana startled and saw a group of young recruits gloat at her. Fear took hold of her already frail nerves. She lowered her head and quickened her pass. They laughed. “Look she is shy.” “She doesn't like you, too bad you look like your father.” “Don't run away sweety. Keep us company.” “Look at her fine clothing. She already is someone's pet.” Ignoring their calls she walked further, almost bumping into Cullen in her haste. “Watch it!” he caught her by the arms so she wouldn't fall. She shied back immediately, freeing herself from his hands. He noticed her tension. “Eirlana did something happen?” “I... no, sorry. It's nothing.” she mumbled. Glancing in the direction, she came from Cullen noticed the group of recruits getting flustered and quickly walking away. He bowed a little to catch Eirlana's eyes. “Did they say something to you?” Her eyes met his for a second before she cast them down again. “It's nothing.” “Did they bother you?”

Getting no further answer he could guess what they did. There had already been other incidents with name calling and insults. He would see to it that the new recruits were properly drilled. For his part, he had never seen elves differently from humans. Rather, the opposite. He had always been attracted to them. They were so much more... What was he thinking about? His face turned beet red when he noticed she was looking at him. He cleared his throat. Maker why I am so bad at this? Talk to her! Say something! Anything! “Ehm your clothes.” Eirlana looked down confused, wondering if she put something wrong on. “My clothes?” “Your new clothes, they suit you.” She looked confused at him, a slight blush coloured her cheeks. “Th...Thank you.” Cullen smiled at her reaction. “If I may ask. Where were you going?” “To the woods to collect some elfroot. We might need it on the journey.” “You will accompany the Herald tomorrow?” “Yes.” Yes, naturally, she would go. He had read the reports from the Hinterlands. She was a great asset. “Did you need anything?” she asked. “No, no I am okay.” Eirlana nodded and went on her way. Cullen turned around towards her. “You are going alone?” She looked back at him. “Yes, why?” Of course, she goes alone, more gatherers went out alone. “Nothing. Have a pleasant walk.” “Thank you.” . The woods were quiet, the snow muffling the sounds from the village. Occasionally you could hear the call of a ram in the distance or a nug digging for roots. Eirlana took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air. I should have done this sooner she thought as she spotted the first herbs in between the trees. A startled bird flew away releasing snow from a branch that fell on her. She brushed it off her clothes, her clothes it sounded strange to think that. She didn't know what to expect when ambassador Josephine asked for Solas and herself to join her when they visited Val Royeaux. Before they could object they were in a tailor shop. “If you are to represent the Inquisition in your travels it is a necessity you are properly equipped. Other than its practical nature, we also need to keep up our appearance in the public if we want to be taken seriously. May I introduce you to Master Amar, he will see to your needs.” Eirlana was reluctant to accept the whole thing at first. But with Solas there she had been able to pick what she liked. Now she was clad in light grey woollen leggings, over it a light blue dress with a tightly fitted bodice and a flowy skirt. It had a split at both sides up to her hips so she could move freely in it. A white and dark blue sash was bound around her waist. She wore a grey leather coat of fennec fur over it, which was short in the front and longer in the back. Solas had a new dark brown leather fur coat and leggings with a white tunic underneath it. Also, both of them carried new staves. In addition, Josephine had insisted both of them choose a range of recreational clothes for when they were back in Haven. There are many more things I have to learn and get used to she thought as she continued her walk. . “I must say I am surprised to find other mages here.” Solas looked up from the furs he was airing. Enchanter Vivienne, the newest addition of people supporting the Inquisition, was talking to Ryan only a few feet away. They were deliberately talking loud enough for him to hear their conversation. “The explosion at the conclave was caused by something magical. The Inquisition needed help to study it. Having mages around is a necessity even with the dangers.” Ryan explained. “I agree. With the increased risks, we should be careful and take the necessary precautions. With these many unknown factors, we may need to rely on hedge mages for clues to what occurred.” Hedge mages? Solas felt his pride stir at the insult, they had no idea of his true powers. They meant for him to hear them, so he joined their conversation. “That is correct, Enchanter. I did not train in one of your Circles. And neither did Eirlana.” “Well, dear, I hope you and your friend can take care of yourselves, should we encounter anything outside your experience.” “I will try, in my own fumbling way, to learn from how you helped seal the rifts at Haven. Ah, wait. My memory misleads me. You were not here.” “I heard about your endeavours. You did an excellent job using your magic without any concrete knowledge or technique.” “The rigorous training you received lays a solid foundation, true. It also creates boundaries, limitations, where none need to exist.” “I do prefer to have boundaries between myself and the demons, my dear. As should any mage.” “Of course. The Circle with their Harrowing teaches you that all demons attempt to possess you.” “Not at all! Many of them simply want to kill you. I suppose you would claim otherwise.” “Why should I? You would not believe me. You have learned your lessons all too well.” “Lessons every mage should learn. It is my understanding that you are teaching at the moment.” “Life is our greatest teacher, but you must refer to Eirlana. I merely guide her. With her talents, she needs little teaching.” “Maybe that is better left to people who have actual teaching experience.” “I look forward to your teachings. Sadly this will have to wait until we have returned or will you honour us with your presence Enchanter?” “Your irony is noted. I am not afraid to get my hands dirty in order to solve this crisis.” “That is comforting to hear. We may have to travel a difficult road before this is over. If you excuse me, I have to make preparations before we leave.” What a shame he thought. Vivienne was clearly a powerful enchanter, but she was deeply invested in the politics of the Circles and the Chantry. With her and Sera, a crude elf afraid of everything 'elfy' or magical, having joined the Inquisition. He had no doubt his patience would be tested in the days to come. . Eirlana reined in her horse as the rest of the troops marched past her along the rugged and steep cliffs of the Storm coast. A brisk wind blew in her face as she looked out over the sea. Bad weather was blowing in from the Waking Sea, and dense dark rain clouds were gathering on the horizon. She pulled her cloak tighter. A ship was visible in the distance on the stormy waters. It was not long ago she had followed Solas onto these very shores as a free woman. Freedom. A simple word with a heavy deeper meaning. True, she was free now, but this freedom had another face she didn't expect. Ever since she walked into this free world, she had seen and experienced a difference in treatment between humans and other races. Elves, in particular, were seen as lesser living beings. Especially in Val Royeaux. Behind all the wealth, glitter and glamour there was another side. She had seen glimpses of the poor that were begging at the sides of the road, the many servants that busied themselves to serve their lords and ladies. Many of them were elves living in the shadows of the wealthy and powerful, hidden away behind the façade of masks and glamour. “Your mistress must think highly of you to be given such fine clothes.” One of the elven servants at the tailor shop told her, while she was taken her measurements. She heard Amar asked Josephine since when she developed a taste for rabbits. It struck Eirlana that even outside Tevinter, there was a stark contrast between humans and elves. The Inquisition was no different. Most of the elves within the Inquisition were servants, a select few were scouts, but none were of any importance. Humans, who were everywhere, talked about knife-ears, filthy elves, the laziness of elves. She even had encountered people who didn't want to be treated by her, afraid they would get a disease. It confused her that the Chantry preached they were all the Markers children, but according to the same Chantry she needed to be saved. Because her being an elf meant she had turned further from the Maker's grace than humans. Not to mention she was also a mage. . “Another rainy day, this coast does its name just.” Solas had pulled next to her and followed her gaze out over the sea. “I never thought I would return here so quickly. But somehow it feels like a lifetime ago.” “A lot has happened since then.” he agreed. Earlier he had reined his horse and watched her. Something was bothering her, and he feared this coast brought back some bad memories for her. “What troubles you? Your mind is clouded like the sky.” “I was thinking about the elves.” Solas felt a shiver run through his body. “What about the elves?” he managed to ask in his usual tone. “As a slave in Tevinter, you exist only to serve your master by any means necessary. Your master's happiness is your happiness, his wish is your command. But even amongst all the oppression, there are those who dream. They dream about freedom, about the south. Now I am here, and it is different from what I had imagined. In the Fade, there is no difference who or what you are. The spirits simply accept that you are. I have seen differences between humans and elves in memories, but to perceive them first hand is...” She turned her head towards him. “Solas why are elves treated so differently? We live, we feel, we bleed and die just like everybody else.” Solas face darkened. He was responsible that the elves now were mortal like the humans. She was correct the unjust treatment of elves was deep-rooted in this world. Either they were seen as savages or as lesser people. “I have no answers why humans regard us as they do. We have a long bloody history with them. Sadly all too often they view themselves as the righteous heroes in those conflicts. Most humans accept these as the truth. They act upon what they have been thought with little understanding of the world. Have you been bothered?” “Not really apart from the same name calling you hear. The naturalness of it all bothers me. Have you met Threnn, the quartermaster? The other day she directed me to the cleaning supplies.” “She did what?” “She assumed I was another elf who came to become a maid.” Solas shook his head. “Come we best move on. The others will be waiting.” . They steered their horses further along the path. “Solas, do you regard humans differently because they are human?” He thought a while about his answer. “I do. Their thinking is often narrow-minded. I see the great injustice done to the People. Being Elvhen and someone who possesses magical abilities, I have learned to be wary of humans and their Chantry doctrine. Considering our history, it is only natural to have preconceptions.” Eirlana noticed his old pronunciation of elven. “Do you remember the templar who grabbed me. I healed him when you were trying to close the Breach. He was terrified I would do something to him when I tried to help him. He thanked me the other day, said that he was wrong in his judgement. I hope he won't treat the next mage he meets so harshly.” “You healed him?” “He was wounded.” “That was very forgiving of you. You are stronger than most people I have met in a long time.” Eirlana smiled shyly. “I don't feel strong. I am so unsure and afraid of so many things.” “You have wisdom and insight. I wish there would be more people as observant as you are.” “Ghi'lan taught me how to look. He had me study a stone for hours.” “He made you study a stone?” “He used to say. Every detail is worth your attention. Otherwise, it will be lost forever before you even knew it was there. He gave me a marbled stone and let me remember and describe every swirl of it.” “Your teacher sounds like a wise person.” “He was.” “There they are. They probably did some weird elfy stuff.” Sera greeted them. They had reached the camp. After a brief rest, they moved out to search for the Bull's Chargers and the missing soldiers. . The Bull's Chargers were found with ease. They spotted them down at the beach fighting some Tevinter agents at the coast. They hurried down a narrow path to join the fray. The battle was quickly won. Eirlana waited together with Solas and Varric until Ryan and Cassandra had finished talking with their leader The Iron Bull. Varric let out a long sigh. “Somewhere across these waters lies Kirkwall.” “That is where you from, isn't it?” “Yes, Snowflake, born and raised there. This is as close as I will get until this mess is solved. It makes me really miss it. The journey to Haven wasn't exactly fun, but considering the company, I'm surprised it didn't feel longer.” Eirlana watched as Ryan was talking. “Is he a Qunari?” “That's how they come. Big, grey, swinging around big weapons. Though this one seems a lot chattier than the ones I have met.” “I have only heard stories about them in Tevinter. They talk about them as if they were wild beasts.” “My advice is, don't make them mad. I have seen what they do when you piss them off. Other than that they are like every other person only more grumpier and bigger. And there is the Qun of course, their way of life. I have never understood it.” . After they teamed up with the Chargers, they found the missing soldiers murdered by a group called the Blades of Hessarian. Ryan was outraged that a group of heretics dared to attack the Inquisition. Their encounter with them was a bloody one. They found their compound and a bitter battle was fought. Solas was displeased. This battle could have been avoided if they had challenged their leader. Ryan had chosen otherwise and wanted to eradicate them. He found one of Varric's books Hard in Hightown. They were just ordinary people. It is always the same he thought sadly. The common people suffer for the actions made by misguided leaders. Continuing combing the area, they found several rifts and managed to close them. They also discovered different old structures and statues hewed from the rocky cliffs. “These structures. Did dwarves build them?” Eirlana asked Varric. “That's what dwarves are good at. They can't help themselves, they must build things when they are somewhere. There was once a dwarven port here. It was connected to several thaigs and Orzammar by the Deep Roads. These coasts were a beehive of activity back then. The Blights put an end to it. The entrances to the Deep Roads were sealed, and the port lies long abandoned. Now only these structures are left of those glorious days.” Solas had listened to his story. “This fall of the dwarven lands, I find it confusing.” “What is so confusing about fighting endless hordes of darkspawn.” “A great deal, although that is a different matter. The dwarves control the flow of lyrium. They could demand help or new lands to rebuild.” “That isn't going to happen. Dwarves are very private. I would sooner grow tall, then Orzammar would reach out for help. Not to mention most of them wouldn't be caught dead on the surface.” . The campfires were more lively that evening. The Bull's Chargers were laughing, drinking and sharing stories. Sera was doing impersonations of several noble 'pricks' she had paid a visit. Iron Bull laughed and took a long drink from his mug. He walked over to Varric and Solas, who sat at a quieter fire, to join them. “So you two have travelled with the boss for some time now?” Varric was carefully filling Bianca with new bolts “Not that long. Not until the sky decided to rip open.” “This is seriously some weird stuff that is going on.” Iron Bull agreed. “But how is the boss? You know, anything I should watch out for when I cover you guys.” He noticed a tension spreading over Solas. Varric glanced at Solas. Clearly, the elf had some problems with the boss. “Nothing particular Tiny, just don't trip over me. Had already too many Qunari who have done that.” Iron Bull laughed loud. “Tiny that is a good one. You have met my people before?” “I have seen my fair share in Kirkwall.” “Oh yes, that was a big mess going on there.” “You know you are very chatty for a Qunari. The ones I met did mostly grunt in various forms of displeasure if they said anything at all.” “In Kirkwall, there was mostly the Antaam. They are not used to outsiders expect when they need to hit things. They speak mostly Qunlat and probably didn't understand you.” “And you don't?” “Oh, I speak Qunlat, but also common, several dialects, Tevene. I have travelled around.” . Eirlana walked through the people looking for Solas, Krem bumped into her, and she recoiled, mumbling a sorry before she walked out from the camp. Trying to get a hold of her anxiety. Iron Bull noticed her reaction. “Hmm.” he grunted. “Was it a Vint?” Solas tensed again looking sharply at him. “You are very observant.” “Comes with the job description. She carries a lot of scars. The ones no one can see are the deepest. That's why I know. It is the reason I am here now. The slaves we freed on Seheron often took months.” “To learn the Qun?” Solas asked “No. To become people again.” Varric placed Bianca to the side. “She really didn't know anything else until you met her Chuckles?” Solas thought for a moment after the incident with the templar. It had become common knowledge that he had freed her. She was open about the fact she was once a slave in Tevinter but kept quiet about what she had experienced there. “That is what she has told me.” “Shit. She has no luck. First Tevinter, a templar and now a hole in the sky. At least she met you.” Solas stood up. “I wouldn't call that luck master Tethras.” and walked into the direction she had disappeared in. “Always the optimist Chuckles.” . Solas found Eirlana at the edge of the cliff, staring at the ocean. “Don't wander too far. These coasts are not known for their safety.” “I am sorry. I...” she bit her lip, she was nervous. “Tell me what's on your mind.” “It is hard to be with the others. It is easier when I have something to do, something to focus on.” “I understand. The Bull's Chargers are very lively.” She laughed. “Yes, they are.” Suddenly rain started to pour down. They hurried back to the camp. By the time they arrived the fires were abandoned. Everyone had gone into their tents for shelter. Quickly they went into their own tent. They hung their wet coats at the back of the tent to dry. Solas turned his back while he changed, so she had some privacy. When he turned back around, she was dressed in her sleeping linens shivering. “Are you cold?” He took her hand and warmed his own with magic. Eirlana froze and quickly pulled back her hand. “Sorry.” they said at the same time. They laughed nervously. Slowly she laid her hands back into his hands. “Sorry, I don't like it when people suddenly touch me.” “And I am sorry I took your hand without considering.” he activated his magic again and warmed her. “I probably shouldn't try to attempt that. I would freeze my own hands.” she joked. Laughing he replied. “You certainly have a unique take on fire spells.” Eirlana felt sore, her muscles stiff from the fighting and climbing the cliffs. Feeling tired and enjoying the warmth from Solas her eyes felt heavy. Sleep wasn't far away. They lay down on their new bed, they shared a large bear fur with several wolf pelts. That the Inquisition grew had some benefits Solas thought as he settled in for the night. He always had a fondness for furs, the pureness of nature, its primal strength, the wild beauty. It suited him. It was not for nothing he was named after a wolf when he gained a reputation on the battlefields. He was methodical, patient, intelligent but savage when he strikes, wild, unchecked raw power. How pitiful he was now reduced to this weakened state. The others would laugh at him, mock him, if they could see him now. Listening to the rain falling on the canvas he drifted asleep into the Fade. . Solas walked on top of one of the cliffs at the rugged seashore. Looking out on the water he saw a great battle taking place. Spirits had gathered reliving the memory as burning ships sank, longboats toppled, and two armies clashed on the beaches below. Another ancient battle, another history written in blood. “Do you always travel this far back?” He turned around and saw Eirlana walking towards him. How did she find him? The Fade is infinite, to meet each other is almost impossible. He could seek out certain people in their dreams if there was a connection. To be able to travel the depths of the Fade without aid. He was amazed how effortlessly she accomplished the same. To have picked up this faded memory without lyrium was on its own remarkable. But casually meeting each other and to be able to communicate he had never seen anything like it. His eyes sparkled with curiosity. “No, not always. Do you?” She stood beside him. “No, I don't think so. It has been a long time since I could choose freely where to travel. I didn't have much choice in the past. With the lyrium, it always felt as if I was thrown into the deep ocean. Before they pulled me out of it again by force.” Solas felt himself staring at her in awe, as she looked out over the cliffs. She looked different, standing straight up, radiant, confident. A stark contrast with when he first met her or her conduct in the waking world. “You seem different here.” “This has been my home for a long time. It is my shelter where I feel safe. I am at peace here.” Her voice started to tremble slightly. “Last time you saw me here was an awful day. I... I don't know how much longer I would have lasted. You saved my life that day.” “What has been done to you is monstrous. No one should be treated like you've been.” “Yet you were the first to act upon it.” A sigh left her lips. “I never thought I would be standing free. I always expected to die. That one day I wouldn't wake up. That they would have no further use for me. You gave me hope the world wasn't as bad as I thought. Thank you.” A world I want to destroy Solas thought. Through my actions, I have shaped this corrupted world. “Why are you so sad?” Solas had to blink. “I...” what should he tell her. “I hardly brought you to an easy place. The world has even become more dangerous now.” “The Fade isn't without dangers either. Though I find the dangers here more predictable.” He chuckled. “That is true. I can think of several lectures the others would give us when they hear us.” They laughed at the thought. “I am curious, may I?” Solas asked. “What do you want to do?” “May I enter your dream. I am most curious how you view the Fade.” “Do you not see the same battle as I?” Solas had to smile, with all her experience, she was led by instinct. What could she achieve with proper training? “Every person is different, so are their dreams. How they interpret an event, how they view things, their emotions. The Fade is influenced by all of them. I, for example, try to observe, to let the Fade shape itself by the things long past. That we have walked into each other so to speak, I didn't think it would be possible. Yet we have met for the second time. I want to visit your dream, to see what you are seeing.” Eirlana pondered for a while. Solas almost suggested to forget his request when she answered. “Alright. Do I need to do something?” “No, just focus on that what you see.” Solas concentrated on her. The Fade shifted lightly around him as he entered her dream. The colours intensified, they were brighter, more vivid. The noises of the battle were more on the distant. The horizon felt infinite, the sky was tinted in brilliant hues of blue, pink and yellow. He was astonished this shouldn't be possible. She dreamed much like him. The level of detail was unbelievable, her focus so naturally, so effortlessly. “Is it that strange?” “Excuse me?” “You are staring. Is something wrong?” “Did you always dream like this?” “It was much greyer at first. It changed a lot since I met Ghi'lan. He taught me much of the Fade. Do you dream differently?” “A little.” “Can you teach me how to visit someone? Can I visit yours? You are the first I have ever met in here. I mean someone else who isn't a spirit.” “It is a difficult ability to learn, but I believe you will master it with time.” They spent the rest of the night together, exploring this part of the Fade. Talking with several spirits about what they had witnessed in the past and watching their memories. . Dawn had just arrived when Solas woke up. The rain had stopped overnight, and he could hear the waves crash against the coastline. The Fade called to him to return. There was still a little time, he could drift back. He felt comfortable and warm, lying against Eirlana. His eyes shot open. During the night they both had rolled together. His arm lay softly on the blanket around her waist. Her breath was gently brushing along his neck. He could feel the warmth of her body through the blankets. With every breath, he took he faintly could smell her scent mixed with the wildflowers of her scented oil. She stirred in her sleep, nuzzling herself against him. A shiver ran through him. Carefully he slipped from her and out of the tent. Outside a morning breeze cooled his heated body as he walked from the camp. He felt confused, he needed to put some distance between himself and her. She was awakening emotions in him he hadn't felt for many centuries. Thoughts shot through his mind. 'Of course, I feel protective of her, I have saved her.' 'But you have freed countless others before. You never gave them any thought.' he contradicted himself. 'It was a natural reaction. I haven't felt the warmth of a woman in a long time. This is nonsense, a phase I will get over it. I am only interested in her abilities, she is not tranquil like the rest.' 'Only her abilities? You even bought her that scented oil.' 'It was nothing special.' 'Nothing special? Don't lie to yourself. You bought it after you both had been newly clad. It bothered you she wasn't wearing anything from you. You can't deny she is becoming special to you.' He had returned to the camp, just as Ryan emerged from his tent. The Anchor faintly glowed in his left hand. Solas eyes hardened. He needed to focus on the reason why he was here, to get the Anchor ready to close the Breach. All his sacrifices would mean nothing if he would allow this world to be ripped apart. This world was an abomination that should never have happened. It was a mistake. A mistake he had made, and the People had paid the price for it. In his long slumber, he only could witness the events of the centuries. Now he was awake he could finally act and correct it. . The others slowly woke up. Varric crawled out of the tent half asleep, his hair standing at odd angles. Iron Bull greeted his men with a couple of shoves and slaps. Cassandra emerged already in full armor. Solas heard Varric mutter. “Does she sleep in it?” “Morning Chuckles, please tell me you already have the coffee ready.” “I am sorry Varric, I haven't.” as he poured in a cup tea for himself. He poured a second cup when Eirlana made her appearance. “Good morning lethallan.” he greeted her, handing her the cup. Lethallan, it had naturally rolled off his tongue. He really couldn't longer deny he felt a connection towards her. “Good morning” she blushed slightly. With a smile, she added “Lethallin.” Varric couldn't help but grin broadly at them as he made his coffee. Maybe he could give writing about romance another try.