vaerminagoldsmith-blog

[vaerminagoldsmith-blog]

seeing-this-through:

She stood outside of the firehouse, a grimace on her face.  Christ, this was fucking cliche.  It didn’t help that she had dressed the part; pony tail, under-armor shirt with a sportsbra under it, forming fitting compression pants, and sneakers with her hands taped.  The look?  Check.  A mentor who was known for teaching skilled members of a secret society?  Bit of a stretch, sure, but check.  Human with no given abilities who lost family to something associated with said secret society?  It stung a little, but also, check.

She would feel foolish if she stepped in, looking like she was ready to run a marathon, only to be handed a book and a pen and paper, but it was a risk she was willing to take.  Raja may not have been the smartest, she knew, but she was pretty close to the strongest (human) woman she knew and she had yet to meet someone determination and persistence that matched her own.  And maybe it was arrogant to think that way, but fuck it, she figured she had earned it.

And it was with that mentality that Raja Ellis squared her shoulders and raised her hand, taking a moment to clear her throat before letting her hand thump off the firehouse door, grimacing at the residual pain.  She had gone to a witch and seen about healing her hand and face, realizing that just waiting for them to heal naturally would cost her more in the long run being out of work than just coughing up what was needed to get the work done.  And though the magic had worked, at least so far as she could tell, the marks had stayed.  The deep purple around her eye would take a while yet to vanish completely, as would the scabs on her knuckles, but the deeper damage had been fixed.   The human stepped back and waited, doing her best to be patient rather than just keep banging, calling out for someone to answer.  First impressions were just as important as persistence, if not more.

“Goddamn, I hope someone’s home.”

@vaerminagoldsmith

Well, there was one benefit to living on her own again. No one questioned her weird eating habits. The bacon on the grill was burned to a cinder, the blackened sausages looked tough as boots even from a distance, and then there were was the glass of three raw eggs on the side. Taj had been her cook, always leaving her out meals and even making them to her ridiculously burnt liking, but it was always far more balanced and filling than… whatever this was. But she seemed content as she plated up and took a seat at the bar, sipping on a cup of coffee as she had the news on in the background. Her gaze flicked up to the screen mounted on the wall before knocking back her eggs, licking her lips before plucking up a charcoaled sausage to chew on. People were still missing. The ‘animal attack’ was being framed as a freak bear attack, but anyone looking at that report would know no bear would dare come within the reaches of a town filled with wolves. Mina crunched idly on her breakfast, she’d shower later, probably head out and see Pip for a haircut. Her curls were getting a little too long for her liking. But then came a knock at the door. Her brows furrowed and she swallowed her mouthful. Mina rose from her seat, brushed her hands on her nightgown and headed down the stairs to the bottom floor, where the entrance hall and door to the garage were. Mina undid the chain and opened it up and was immediately surprised by the stranger standing there who looked like she ought to be headed to the boxing gym than her home, and Mina in her silky black nightgown and sleep-mussed hair was a stark contrast. Her brows pulled down, “Uh... Can I help you?” She asked, eyes doing a lingering once over of the young woman’s form, and the bruising over her skin.

A Girl Must Learn || Raja & Mina

[vaerminagoldsmith-blog]

blindingthelight:

Aurora smirks, tilting her head as Mina curtsys. “Mina.” She starts, reaching forward to place her hands on the woman’s shoulders. “Don’t. I am no different than I was before this little exchange of information.” Her hands slide down the woman’s shoulders, fingers rapping along her upper arms before they slip from her form and fall back to her sides. “Do not treat me any different, please.”

Aurora backsteps, turning a quarter turn but keeping her head still, her gaze still fixed on the shorter redhead. “Now, in an attempt to change the subject, why are you wandering the town, on foot, before sunrise?” She doesn’t wait for an answer, however, turning her attention down to her feet, wiggling toes in the dew covered grass before looking back to Mina. “Would you like some tea? Or perhaps something stronger?” She squints, craning her neck toward Mina. “Or perhaps even some sleep?”

Even with Aurora protesting, it only seemed appropriate to Mina to show her respect to such a power. She might not be any different, as she said, but the redhead was taught to treat people - or at least acknowledge them in a certain way. But her touch is not unwelcomed, and Mina wondered if the warmth that her skin produced might actually be pleasant to Aurora now that they both knew of what the other was. It could be argued that she was one born of fire, born of the sun, of the dawn. Her exhaustion is clear, and the lack of makeup on her cheeks making it all the more apparent. There were dark shadows beneath her eyes that betrayed such a lack of sleep if being up at this hour wasn’t clue alone. She pursed her lips, “Sleep has never been afforded to me easily.” She admitted. Since the very moment she had been tied to the mountain, she was plagued with dreams. Sometimes they were prophetic, sometimes just glimpses of the past, but none the less they were visions that prevented her from having a restful sleep. Mina wets her lips with a dejected sigh, “If you have anything strong enough I’ll take it,” Perhaps a titaness might actually get the job done, “But otherwise, I’d happily accept a hot cup of tea.” She chews on her tongue and looks towards the beauty of the dawn and the sun now having breached the horizon, “I think sleep is beyond me now.”

Dawn || Aurora & Mina

[vaerminagoldsmith-blog]

[vaerminagoldsmith-blog]

charlotteashworth:

@vaerminagoldsmith

The sound of bass heavy music could be heard even in the bathroom at Afterlife, causing the counter top she was trying to do lines off of to shake. Or maybe she was shaking? Charlie’s eyes flickered up, looking in the mirror for the very first time to asses herself. She was dressed in something black and too tight, her lips smeared in Dior’s newest shade of red lipstick, accompanied by a dust of white powder on the bottom of her nose. “Shit..” She snorted hard, her nasal passages burning hot in response. “Fuck!” Bright red blood trickled out, just enough to stain her upper lip crimson. Maybe she should have stopped, or at least slowed down, but for Charlie - enough was never enough.

She pulled herself together quickly, cleaning up her mess before rejoining the throng of bouncing bodies on the dance floor. It was wall to wall tonight, the music so loud she couldn’t hear herself think, which was exactly how she liked it. Charlie didn’t want to think, not tonight, she just wanted to do. 

Her coke high was in full swing, her face was numb, her heart racing. She was almost to far gone to even notice the newest trickle of blood, it’s pungent taste on her tongue sending her eyes wide. Her hand flew to her face to cover it but by the looks she was getting it was a little too late. “Move!” It was not a request but a command, roughly and by any means necessary removing herself from the the pit of partying vampires. In general, Charlie wasn’t afraid of vampires, in fact, once upon a time it was a vampire that saved her life but she wasn’t about to dangle herself in front of a room full of them. 

“Please - ex-” She pushed through a cluster of girls just outside the curtain covered booths, “-excuse ME, fuck, just – MOVE.” Manners be damned, Charlie straight up shoved her way into the privacy of a booth, only to discover it wasn’t so private. “Who sits in a booth alone?” The words were out before she could register how rude they sounded, the coke left her on edge, fidgeting restlessly in her seat. “Sorry-” The blood had stopped dripping but still stained her olive skin, “Can I just-” She inched closer to the other woman, slipping her cocktail napkin out from under her drink and using it to dab away the dried blood. “..thanks.” It was only at this moment that Charlie started to register her hot mess status, her eyes shamefully flickering across the incredulously beautiful woman whose booth she crashed. “Wanna do some coke?”

Her nights were often spent like this these days, watching the undulating masses in the club. Normally she’d be out there with them, Mina was known to party with the best of them, but in recent months it just… Hadn’t been at all appealing to her. So she became a wallflower, in her booth where she glared off unwanted company as they eyed up the bottle of vodka on her table. What was she even doing here if she wasn’t even going to try and socialise? She supposed she was just a creature of habit, one who was still in the process of adjusting. The idea of drinking alone in her own home was less than desired. Just as she drew the glass to her lips for another sip of her vodka, a body landed rather heavily into her booth. A slender brow rose as she looked over at the woman, swiftly accompanied by both brows raising when she realised who was beside her. Mina knew the Ashworth family well enough, and she’d heard rumour of Charlotte’s antics but never actually witnessed it herself. She glanced down, quietly watching as she took the napkin to wipe her nose of blood. Her question then met with a brief but musical laugh, “You’re having a pretty great night, aren’t you?” Alcohol had little to no effect on her, she’d drink the bottle that sat in the middle of the table before the end of the night and not feel so much as a buzz. Drugs varied in how they worked, Mina had experimented in the past. Weed worked, but only for about ten minutes, she was better off just having an actual cigarette. Ecstasy lasted a little longer, but again never long enough. Coke, well, coke at least gave her that initial buzz as it would anyone else. Metabolisms that were as fast as hers were a real bitch. But it did mean that she could at least have a little fun every now and again, and wasn’t that what she was here for anyway? To have fun? She was in a damn club! Mina downed the rest of her vodka, smirking at the woman, “Sounds like fun. Think you can handle another hit though? That face is far too pretty to be streaked with blood.”

Babes & Booze | Charlie + Mina

[vaerminagoldsmith-blog]

blindingthelight:

Whatever secrets that might have been revealed, willingly or not, Aurora would keep them. And she hoped whatever she might tell Mina would be held to secrecy just as well. “I love the coloration. Violet and crimson. Gorgeous.” The blonde offers a smile, shaking her head softly afterwards to shake loose whatever mental exhaustion that felt the need to claim her.

She takes a hesitant step toward the redhead, smirking softly as she bows her head. “You have nothing to apologize for. I was at fault, taking what was not mine to take in the first place. I know to ask permission now if I need another…pep in my step.” A low chuckle escapes her, tilting her head at Mina. “You offered a secret for a secret. I may have…cheated before the offer was made, but I understood your intention either way. It is only fair to give you a secret of my own.” Aurora takes another cautious step, and another before her steps become more confident, closing the distance between herself and Mina. Bending slightly at the waist, Aurora leans down, hovering her mouth a couple inches from the redhead’s ear before she inhales softly. “I am Eos. Titan and Goddess of the Dawn.”

Her words were slow and articulate, to make sure there were no mistakes in hearing her before she stands uprights, peering down at the redhead with a smile. “You may still call me Aurora, however.”

There was a small hitch to Mina’s breath as Aurora gave such specific colours, her lips pursing momentarily before she couldn’t help but give a wry smile as she glanced down. Her tongue teases at a canine before she looks back towards the blonde as she approached, Mina shook her head, “No, you didn’t know. It’s fine, I’m sure you can understand I need to be wary though, given what’s been going on recently.” At least they both sat on equal ground on that one now.

Her brows lift slightly when she came closer still, the need for such proximity for secrets was more than understood as Aurora leaned in, and Mina stood receptively to accept her secret. At her soft words, Mina’s mouth fell agape as she tilted her head back as Aurora straightened, eyes wide with surprise as she stood entirely stunned for a moment. A slow blink, followed by several more in rapid succession before she finds herself at a loss for a moment.

She finally regains her mind and she stoops into a curtsey, “Aurora.” She echoes, which makes complete sense now, given the Roman translation of the name. Her eyes squeeze shut briefly, feeling foolish before she rises once more to meet her gaze, “I understand why such secrecy now. I suppose it’s hypocritical of me to be questioning given the level of my own.”

Dawn || Aurora & Mina

[vaerminagoldsmith-blog]

blindingthelight:

“A link?” Aurora asks, mostly to herself. How odd and interesting. Her eyes drift from the red head as she explains her connection to the mountain, taking in the brightening night sky. Glowing eyes fix themselves upon Mina once again, that ever-present soft smile on her face still not faded. “I apologize if I startled you. I had no idea that you shared a link with the leylines and their apex.” Her head tilts in the direction of Mount Beacon once more, eyes still fixed on the red head before her.

It was rare for Aurora to need an external energy source to help energize her for her morning rituals. And if this situation taught her anything, it was that even beings that were as old as her still faulted. C'est la vie. Aurora nods softly at Mina’s words, understanding her feeling of unease. Aurora had slipped and there was no covering up her mistake. Perhaps sharing with Mina the information that she had (not so) sneakily probed Aurora for during their times of leisure would expand their friendship. “Mina, my dear.” Aurora starts, turning her attention away from the red head and directing it toward the east. “There are not many secrets that hide themselves from me. The light has a tendency of revealing things that are hidden.” Aurora’s fluid motions finally cease as her arms drop to her sides. “But I digress, I…” She pauses as the sun finally breaks the horizon, her smile widening at the sight. She moves slowly, straightening herself before turning to face the woman, the glow in her eyes absent, only twin pale blues remaining. “Was bringing the dawn.”

She exhaled slowly, “Yes, a link.” The mountain had its own unique form of heartbeat, one she had synced into centuries upon centuries ago. The apology was met with a slight dip of her head, acknowledging her but not excusing her either. She still wanted an answer to her question. Whilst Aurora’s words were cryptic, Mina was quick to decipher them as she bit down softly on her tongue, “Right.” Well, at least she knew that Aurora was indeed more of a higher power. Only those on her own level and above could peel away the truth of her form. She clucked her tongue thoughtfully, before noting how the woman paused and looked to the horizon. Mina turned to witness the dawn, the sun cresting over the jagged edges of the mountains in the distance. She turned back, the glow gone and Aurora more relaxed. Her eyes searched the hues that no longer glowed, and she felt the pull of power vanish as the act was complete. Her fingers flex, uncertain at first before she bowed her head, she understood. She didn’t understand exactly what Aurora was, but to hold such power meant that she was in the presence of greatness, “My apologies for intruding upon you… I’m sure you understand why I had to come and check. I share a link, but it isn’t clear. I can’t discern intention or usage.”

Dawn || Aurora & Mina

[vaerminagoldsmith-blog]

moirabanshee:

Moira did not bother put her glamour back in place.  The true face and form of the Banshee was needed here.  She nodded and whispered a quiet thank you to the Nymph, her mountain cousins, as they began the task of carrying Alex’s body to the mountain top.

When the Nymphs had departed she turned and gently took Mina’s hands in her own skeletal ones.  “Let your fire eat his skin and bones and let the mountain wind carry him home.”

She moved in to wrap her arms around her friend, her ragged grey robes cloaking her as a thousand crow calls split the air.  Beating wings and ebony feathers surrounded them and in a blink they were on the mountain’s peak where their tears were chilled by the cold wind clawing up its flanks.  The mountain had long ago given her permission to fly here.  The Banshee let go of Mina and slowly began picking up rocks with strength that belayed her bony form, starting to move them into a stony bed where Alex would lay so that the fire could free him.

The fluster of feathers revealed them to be at the mountain’s peak, and Mina immediately felt a stab at her core - her glamour. It always happened being this high into the mountain, the magical surge was too much for Mina’s form to cope with, or at least this form to cope with. She grit her teeth, gently disentangling herself from Moira as she moved away, blinking stars from her eyes as smoke began to fly away in the wind from her form. Moira ought not to be surprised as she prepared her stones for Alex, but Mina needed that moment to peel away the human skin she had been hiding in for so long; taken aback by the sudden change from bottom to top of the mountain, and allow her true self to shine. Smoke turned to flame, and for a moment Mount Beacon lived up to its name, normally Mina’s shedding of glamour wasn’t so violent, but her sorrow and anger no doubt contributed as the ball of flame grew larger, and larger… and larger still. Finally, the flames quickly burned away to nothing, as if stifled by the wind against the new form of the creature, which was easily eighty feet in length alone ignoring the height, where the woman once stood, eyes of molten gold and scales of iridescent purple and red starkly contrasted the white of the snow. She crept forward on leathery wings and began to carefully take rocks between razor like teeth to help Moira build the pyre, waiting for the nymphs to join them. It was just damn lucky that the magic this high up in the mountain interfered with mortal devices. No plane or helicopter could fly near, nor could any camera or satellite picture could snap what was visible here at the highest point.

For Whom the Bell Tolls || Moira and Mina

[vaerminagoldsmith-blog]

Boys or girls?

“Both. Sometimes at the same time, depending on how I feel that night.”

[vaerminagoldsmith-blog]

How can you stand being around Moira so much? Chick is all kinds of freaky

“How adorable, you clearly don’t know me so well. I’m plenty kinds of freaky too, I just hide it very well where Moira has no need to hide at all. We’re peas in a pod.”

[vaerminagoldsmith-blog]

blindingthelight:

Whatever the reason, Aurora was somewhat relieved that the spirit’s wrath had halted, even if in reality it was only temporary. She didn’t personally know the woman that held the malevolent entity within her, but if she knew that it had inhabited someone that was able to deter its storm, Aurora might be able to take the steps to identify it.

Aurora’s mouth parted into a smile, nodding at Mina’s words. “Two sides of the same coin.” She knew nothing of Mina’s recent struggles. It wasn’t her place to prod for information, either. If the redhead felt the need to share her feelings, she would have. And if she needed an ear to listen, after their current predicament, she would listen.

Eyes go wide at the woman’s words, her gaze drifting from the woman to the mountain that loomed in the distance. “Ah.” She nods softly. “You felt that. Apologies, I did not mean to startle anyone.” Aurora still moved her arms freely, in invisible game of tug with her sibling leaning toward her side as the morning light slowly began to spread across the dark sky. Aurora shakes her head softly at Mina’s words, sighing softly. “I could, but I would prefer not to. Too much of a hassle if I do.” A low chuckle escapes her. “You have caught me with my figurative pants around my ankles, it seems. I assure you, what I’m doing is no threat to you or anyone here.”

Sleep was always something Mina had struggled with, even before Vaughn had left. Visions and memories constantly plagued her dreams, but it was something she had long accepted to just be part of her life. Taj had granted her some restful, uninterrupted nights, but unsurprisingly in his absence she had returned to her struggles. Mina stepped closer, "The mountain and I share a link, I've grown accustomed to ignore the pull of witches, but you… You're so much more, there was no ignoring that." She explained, but there was nothing sinister about her words. Mina held the company of goddesses and spirits far greater than she, it wasn't an unusual thing for her. Her lips pursed slightly at her answer, "We've shared enough bottles of wine for me to believe you, but it would make me feel considerably better knowing exactly what you're up to." She chewed on the inside of her cheek, "Perhaps we could… Share a secret for a secret." She suggested, so that Aurora needn't feel that she had to be cornered. An exercise of trust, if you would.

Dawn || Aurora & Mina

[vaerminagoldsmith-blog]

thestclair-era:

“An exodus,” he said in reply, “and a declaration. If bringing in more and more people makes this a nest worth kicking then the foot will meet my coven.  We’ll put ourselves between the aggressors and those that we bring here as best we can.  But.  But if we declare our existence to the world, Mina.  As much as I despise them, not all humans are the kind of cruel that we are used to.  There will be those who side with us, who seek to apply the same rights that humans possess to us.  You’ve always taught me that ignorance is the greatest enemy.  Doesn’t the same apply to humanity?”

He turned back to her, his coffee eyes weary.  “But in all things with humans, I have no illusions that things won’t be bloody to begin with.  And we here, we St. Clairs have always safeguarded the artefacts and ancient texts of the world, I think we can do the same to our people.  With or without the mountain.  We deserve more dignity than this, Mina. That’s all I want for us.”

The reality of the matter was that they were still the minority. Granted, a lot of public offices and high up spaces were already occupied by supernaturals, she knew this to be true, else the world would have collapsed on itself much sooner had it not been for their intervention to keep things under wraps… But even she couldn't deny it, she'd seen it appear in the news before, camera phones and social media was making it harder and harder to hide. She pressed her tongue into the roof of her mouth, huddling the robe closer about herself as she moved to go and sit down at the table. He was right, she had taught him that, it was one of the first lessons she taught him; the poison of ignorance. But then she started to really think. She reflected on her own words, how she had just said that the mountain protects itself… But she supposed they could protect them, that she could protect them too, it was no secret to those who knew her that Mina had never exhibited the full extent of her power and as a witch with no arcane focus, with the control she had, the junkyard fire were embers compared to what she could truly achieve. She sipped on her tea, eyes closing briefly as she exhaled slowly, "We do deserve more dignity… And, whilst I think that more planning and consideration for what our own people want, I can't say I wholly disagree with what you're saying." Her gaze lifted, "It's only a matter of time before we're truly exposed – and we know it won't be from here, it'll be some lost soul in the wrong place at the wrong time surrounded by gawking idiots with their iphones out."

Brought Low - Harry and Mina

[vaerminagoldsmith-blog]

A little bird told me a co-worker of yours has a crush on you.

“Is that so? Well, I’m free for dinner any time if they’re available. I could use a break from all this bad energy lately.”

[vaerminagoldsmith-blog]

Can I whisper sweet nothings into your ear and complain how your beauty plagues my mind?

“Oh, most certainly.”

[vaerminagoldsmith-blog]

Describe your relationship with the leader of the st. Clair coven?

“He was an apprentice of mine in his youth, which was how we came to meet. Since he ‘graduated’ we’ve always remained close friends, even though he’s considerably younger than I, I’d comfortably consider him to be a brother of mine.”

@thestclair-era

[vaerminagoldsmith-blog]

I heard you have an affinity towards kissing nymphs.

“On occasion. Nymphs make excellent lovers too.”

[vaerminagoldsmith-blog]

Describe your perfect S.O.

“No S.O. I’m too high maintenance for most to cope with on a long term basis, especially when they realise I hold something in higher regard than them. It’s difficult to explain.”

#guardianwoes

[vaerminagoldsmith-blog]

Does the carpet match the drapes?

“Wine me and dine me for a night and maybe you’ll find out for yourself.”