iinmortales:
oh to be the cause of her laughter! he would make a fool of himself every day for the rest of his life if it meant he could bring her any joy or amusement. of course, there were those that believed he truly was a fool. in fact, most days he was sure she believed him to be a true fool, but he didn’t care. a fool he would be as long as he could be her fool. and so it was no trouble to kneel before her, to look unflinchingly up at her as she presented the blade.
she paused, and oh so gently he took her wrist, brought the dagger closer and kissed the blade before brushing his lips against her knuckles. a more intimate show of fealty than he’d ever given arthur. ‘ i swear myself to your service, to obey your every command and defend the honor of the goddess through you and of this sacred isle. ‘ he’d never been a religious man, had no clung to church as he’d seen so many in camelot do. but looking up at nimue, it was hard to imagine how anyone could be blind to it, the divinity that touched her. ‘ as your champion, none will harm you while i still draw breath. ‘
● ● ● Nimue still wasn’t used to being touched, let alone with such reverence. Her breath caught in the back of her throat, the featherlight caress of his mouth along her skin like a gentle wave lapping against the shore. The sight of him like this brought about a feeling she had no name for — tenderness, perhaps. An admiration that seemed to grow with each new thing that this reckless creature did to remind her of just what an anomaly he was. It was such a strange thing to have someone that wanted to protect her from the harms of the world where no one had before. When, now, most considered her the harm to others.
The fingers of her free hand tentatively touched the top of the knight’s dark head, nails grazing along his scalp in a rare show of affection from the notoriously unreachable witch. The moonspun tresses of her hair spilled over the pair of them like a pale curtain as she bowed and brought her own lips to the warmth of his forehead in a kiss to match the one he’d given her. She was a creature of symmetry, after all! ❝ Don’t be so brash with your promises, Sir Knight. You serve me best simply by existing in this world. ❞ Her thumb followed the sharp line of his cheek, palm gently patting the side of his face before she pulled away in her need for preservation. ❝ I’d very much like you to keep doing so. ❞
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wolfharkens:
there’s nothing dignified in the way he snorts, the sharpness of her tongue as she gives her glowing assessment of merlin throwing him for a moment. it’s too easy to grow used to the empty compliments and half-spoken insults here, too easy to fall into the trap of politics and forget what it’s like to hear someone speak so candidly. she’s a breath of fresh air, the feeling of contentment that settles in your bones when you know you’re home. moving across the room with her in their practiced steps, the eyes of the court ( and the toadstool ) upon them, it’s the first time he’s breathed freely in years.
❝ i never doubted it. ❞ the smile that dances across his lips is light, a sparkle in his eyes reserved only for her. he knows it’s dangerous to be so familiar, to look so fond, but why should he care? the queen had set this up for a purpose, let her think its her machinations that are working. his fingers tighten around her waist, pulling her closer as he watches her. how perfectly they fit together. ❝ i always knew you’d put them all to shame. so yes, i’d be a fool not to find you dangerous. i’ll have to make sure you never consider me a toadstool, won’t i? ❞
● ● ● ❝ I am glad — ❞ She tosses the words back with a feline grin, reveling in the none too small sense of victory she feels at bringing that impish little boy back out of her partner after all this time. ❝ I should never be doubted. ❞ What a strange thing to be the one saying such a thing now when he’d said the same to her so many times before! When she’d been but a little thing and Mordred had been her tether to the world outside of her caged paradise of Avalon, his tongue heavy with arrogant confidence and loose with tales from places she’d only ever dreamed of. It only reminds Nimue how much she’s missed him; how much this feels like being whole.
❝ You could never be a toadstool...you are all too incorrigible of a beast. ❞ The blonde both protests and compliments breathlessly, helplessly ( hopelessly ) caught up in the dark hooks of Mordred’s eyes as the feel of him pressing into her overwhelms. The feeling is dizzying, like thick summer wine and the fires at Beltane. Not that she fights it. Not that she pushes it away. The burning gazes following them are less than an afterthought to her now, the weightless steps guiding them about the floor a mere formality. ❝ Such teeth you have — ❞ Her violet gaze cannot help its travel towards his mouth. The curve of his lip. ❝ I’d be the fool to forget. ❞
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iinmortales:
he hadn’t expected to surprise her. he thought so highly of her, perhaps he had imagined her incapable of surprise. but being able to accomplish it? well, it wasn’t exactly dimming the affections he was so desperately trying to keep controlled. this request wasn’t about the way he felt about her. it wasn’t! it was because, all his life, he had dreamed of serving a worthy cause, defending the innocent and championing justice. he thought he had found such a position in camelot, only to find it rotten within. and yet, in her court, he had found the cause he had always dreamed of serving.
for a moment, he could not meet her eyes, but the embarrassment faded quickly. he had nothing to be ashamed of, no regret. ‘ in truth, my lady, this is the second note i penned. the first was taken to camelot with a messenger and contained my resignation from the round table. ‘ it had been long overdue. ‘ it is camelot that has caused my departure, and, no matter what your answer, i serve that throne no longer. ‘
● ● ● ❝ Oh, you perfectly impetuous creature! ❞ She found herself chuckling at his declaration after the initial shock had worn off, despite the many ramifications it could potentially have. Nimue had never known a knight to simply leave the roundtable or the prestige that came from owning one of its chairs behind. Of course, she had wished the feat of Galahad so many times over — but she had never dared to ask it of her brother, knowing what he would choose. Her thumb rubbed over the coarse material of the parchment, feeling its friction against her skin and the warmth that it brought. It was true enough that Avalon was in need of good men and maybe she was in need of someone real and human to put her faith in as well.
❝ Get on your knees, Pelleas of Ebusus. ❞ Her tone was stern but airy, fingers tucking away his written words into her sleeve for safe keeping before wrapping around the hilt of her dagger. It was no Excalibur but it would do. The blonde’s magic danced heavy and electric in the air as she placed its tip upon the first of his broad shoulders. ❝ Kneel before Avalon and its Lady so that you may rise a knight of these sacred isles. ❞ The blade tapped his other shoulder. ❝ Mine shall be the face of the Goddess to you and you will serve Her through me in good heart and in good faith — in turn you will be first among all others and my chosen champion. ❞ A pause. ❝ Do you swear yourself to this course? Do you swear yourself to me? ❞
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iinmortales:
the handwriting was shaky at best, but she was going to get suspicious if he kept going down to the shore and hiding what he was doing. honestly, she was smarter than he was in so many way, she may have figured it out already, that each day before sunrise he would go to the shore, practicing the letters she had taught him in the sand, letting the water erase the attempts so he could start again. but now he held out the small scrap of parchment to her, already a slight blush on his cheeks. ‘ i– would you— this is for you. ‘
inside, the letters still far from perfect, was: i, pelleas of ebusus, do beg permission permision to become your knight, lady nimue.
@moondarkens asked for pelleas
● ● ● ❝ For me? ❞ The sorceress couldn’t help but quirk a brow at all his stammering, used to it as she was whenever he was flustered or that remarkable brain of his was trotting faster than his lips could plod. Nimue was eager to have her curiosity fed — to know what it was that the boy had been working on in such secrecy each morning. From the bit of color that painted his cheeks, she imagined it might have been an attempt at a poem. Her fingers brushed his as she took the bit of paper, the connection brief but kinetic. She could still feel the ghost of it when she brought her hand back.
Violet eyes quickly diverted from his face, scanning the imperfect but promising scrawl of letters. A soft smile lifted at the maiden’s lips at the realization that he’d spelled permission correctly but second-guessed himself. Regardless, she was proud of him as she continued to read. ❝ I - You wish to become my knight? ❞ Surprise colored her tone, wide-eyed gaze flitting back to Pelleas as her own mind attempted to process the request. ❝ I would surely be everything they say of me and more if I were to deprive Camelot of such a champion. ❞ Her humor was dry. Nervous. She hadn’t expected there to be something surprisingly tantalizing about his wording — about being able to call him hers.
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𝑺𝑪𝑬𝑵𝑨𝑹𝑰𝑶 𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑴𝑷𝑻𝑺.
↬ OF MERMAIDS, MASQUERADES AND MAGIC.
scenarios inspired by various settings, encounters & magic tucked between pages, fashioned by the author. tw for drowning mentions.
+ feel free to change pronouns / roles !
MERMAIDS.
‘ beyond the winds and past the shores, strange magic lurks about. ’
‘ will you go to the lagoon with me ? it’s unsafe to go alone. ’
‘ they say a siren’s call alone can drown a man before she swallows him. ’
‘ quick ! cover your ears. ’
‘ what did you imagine as you heard the song ? ’
‘ i can feel a voice like claws sinking beneath my skin. ’
‘ one can pray to the ocean, but the waters answer in strange tongues. ’
‘ careful, or we’ll hit the reef. ’
‘ the sea-folk are flighty as their fins, and illusive as shimmering scales. ’
‘ i should like to find myself a sailor fit for a feast. ’
‘ sometimes i wish there was more than the endless waves. ’
‘ do you see that ? there, beneath the surface ? ’
‘ that’s no fish, and no woman either. ’
‘ what lies off the edge of the map ? ’
‘ the sea has monsters, but beauties too. ’
‘ i’ve heard that merfolk make bargains, and trade in the ocean’s magic. ’
‘ i’ve never seen a pearl like this one. ’
‘ the ship will go down if we don’t turn about ! ’
‘ what is that, out there on the rocks ? ’
‘ won’t you listen to my song ? ’
‘ mermaids love shiny things. keep a careful eye on yours. ’
‘ if we hide in the kelp, we might see them as they pass. ’
‘ i’ve heard the tales. to catch you means to gain a granted wish. ’
‘ i’ve never seen your likeness, only heard the myths. ’
‘ come with me, beneath the sea and foam, and be mine. ’
‘ some of us live in the ocean, others in rivers and streams and even trees. ’
‘ falling in love with a human is an old tale. tell me a new one. ’
‘ so you gave up your fin for legs ? ’
‘ soon i will be nothing but seafoam. ’
‘ what is a heart, but an ocean of secrets ? ’
‘ you’d let yourself be undone and remade for someone you’ve never known. that is not love. ’
‘ let your dreams sink to the depths. they’ve done you no good. ’
MASQUERADES.
‘ i’ve never seen so many unfamiliar faces. ’
‘ he’s / she’s / they’ve been looking at me all evening. ’
‘ would you do me the honor of a dance ? ’
‘ neither of us need know the other tonight. i prefer the mystery. ’
‘ your choice of costume is rather extravagant. ’
‘ what fun would it be, if i took this off ? ’
‘ i’m certain we’ve met before. ’
‘ i’ve always longed for a night like this. it’s something out of a dream. ’
‘ won’t you come away with me ? there’s a balcony just outside. ’
‘ i’m inclined to think we’ve never met before, and perhaps will never meet again after tonight. ’
‘ you look like you know how to waltz. care to ? ’
‘ i must stand up with someone this evening, and i don’t see why it can’t be you. ’
‘ would you stop staring so intently ? what do you think to find ? ’
‘ i’ll stop bothering you if you agree to dance with me. ’
‘ please take it off. i want to see you. ’
‘ i’ve never been to a masque before. ’
‘ it seems our attire makes opposites of us. ’
‘ i’ve never seen a more hideous costume than that one. ’
‘ i can’t stay much longer. you see, i’m not supposed to be here at all. ’
‘ you’ll never know who i am. ’
‘ people like you always make a fool of me. ’
‘ oh. i thought you were someone else. ’
‘ i’ll give you three chances to guess who i am. ’
‘ the next time i offer you my hand, you’ll get more than a dance from me. ’
‘ i’ve wanted to dance beneath stars like these for as long as i can remember. ’
‘ what do you look like ? ’
‘ that look in your eyes tells me all i need to know. ’
‘ you won’t like what you’ll see. ’
‘ i recognize your voice. ’
‘ you’ll know the truth before the night is up. ’
‘ i’ve heard the darkest of dances are the best for falling in love to. ’
‘ you don’t know it now, but we’re friends already. ’
‘ can’t we pretend a little while longer ? ’
‘ it’s when the party is over that we learn to know each other most. ’
‘ happily ever after can’t come so easily as a single night dancing. ’
MAGIC.
‘ i’ve caught you. you have to undo the spell for me now. ’
‘ think carefully before asking for something well beyond the reach of mortal power. ’
‘ i think i know a spell for that. ’
‘ i can’t help you. but there are people in other worlds, in the moors and hills and trees, that might. ’
‘ you must gather the necessary ingredients for such a potion. ’
‘ true love is never the answer to the riddle. not when so much as life and death is at stake. ’
‘ i’ve found and made my way here by right. you can’t deny me the answers i seek. ’
‘ be warned: monsters hide between the trees and whisper in magic tongues. ’
‘ it always makes a fraction of sense to be careful what you wish for. ’
‘ i’ve been turned into an unsightly creature, and i need a way of turning back. ’
‘ not all magical stories happen in castles, or cottages in the wood. ’
‘ preposterous. magic and sorcery do not exist but in the minds of superstitious fools. ’
‘ get back from that cauldron ! it’s dangerous. ’
‘ i don’t mess with things like candles and the stars and the moon after dark. it never ends well. ’
‘ i am something ancient. my name has been forgotten by mortal mouths and is found only in their oldest texts. ’
‘ not all fairy helpers are kind, and not all villains are ugly, or even cruel. ’
‘ if you want my help, you must earn it. ’
‘ is this something i could learn ? ’
‘ i don’t want to be ordinary, and i don’t care what the risks are. ’
‘ you think to put a curse on me ? i will spend my life defying it. ’
‘ stay back, witch, and keep your spells from sneaking past your lips. ’
‘ you must chain a magician in more than metal or rope if you wish to stop them. ’
‘ that’s a parlor trick. show me real magic. ’
‘ only you can break the spell. it is something you are meant for. ’
‘ fate is nothing but an illusion placed in our heads, that we might follow the words of others and not our own intentions. ’
‘ whatever has brought me here, i cannot turn back now. ’
‘ soon the clock will strike, and nothing more might be done. ’
‘ magic requires taking in order to give. it will keep demanding parts of you. ’
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