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misguidedasgardian · 3 months

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The Hour of the Wolf (9)

IX. Longing

MASTERLIST

Summary: Your husband is away from you, and you are away from your husband

Pairing: Cregan Stark x Targaryen!Reader

Warnings: Cursing, war, death, mentions of killings, genocide and war, threats, allucinations, complications in pregnancy, arranged marriage, SPOILERS for ASOIAF, and Fire & Blood, also, might spoil House of the Dragon, might miss some warnings, this chapter might contain triggering content as its features threats to a pregnant woman, from someone who is supposed to be deceased, ghost much? jeje

+18, MINORS DNI

Wordcount: 3,7 k

Notes: I really want to think Northerners are not like they were portrayed in the last seasons of the Got shitshow. I did not check this for errors, I'm so excited to post it jeje sorry

It felt like your baby knew, as soon as Cregan left, you started showing, you had been married to Cregan for more than six moons, but it was complicated to tell which of all those numerous times he bed you did the trick, but the Maester believed you were almost four moons now

Further than you expected

But also, as Cregan left, you felt terribly lonely, especially at night, your treacherous mind would draw sinister figures in the corner of your vision. You had trouble sleeping, only able to do so if there was at least one fire lighten in your room

You didn’t want to feel like this, you really didn’t, you wanted to be relaxed, for your child’s sake

But it was proven really difficult, your tricky eyes would draw shapes of people in corners that were not really there, when you turned too quickly or even in the corner of your eye. You besides dealing with issues of a healing Kingdom, you wanted to keep your mind busy

“Have you seen Vhaelar flying over the city this past week?”, you asked Ser Arryk

“No, your grace”, he informed dutifully, as he was commanded to keep an eye on your dragon

“I want to see her”, you inform him, he looked at your belly doubtfully, but when he looked back into your eyes, and the decision made, he didn’t question you, he just nodded

“I’ll get the dragon keepers and some of the guards to escort you, your grace”, he said and almost ran to fulfill the command

You could feel how nervous they were as you were walking dangerous steps amongst the coast of King’s Landing.

You had put on your riding gear, even though you weren’t sure you were going to actually take a fly, but it is the only “suit”, that allowed you to wear pants without looking strange, and boots so you won’t slip in the rock and hurt yourself

Vhaelar never liked the Pit, and now that it was mainly destroyed, she nested in the cliffs near the castle

You could hear her even before you saw her, you looked back at your escort and they stopped moving to allow you to get close to the huge cavern she rested in

“Vhaelar!”, you called, and you hear her acknowledgement in form of a more soft growl, you placed your hand on your belly excitedly, as you took a torch a dragon keeper offered you and walked inside

The cavern was huge, dark and moist, humid, it hit you like a slap, the smell of hundred of dead animals, burnt, devoured by your huge dragon

it was an issue, before you paid farmers for cattle and the cattle was taken to the Dragon Pit to feed the dragons, but now that Vhaelar roamed freely, it was harder to paid the farmers back for their troubles, but the crown did

Vhaelar’s huge head appeared in front of you

“Rytsas, ñuha dōna riña, emagon ao issare ruaragon?”, [Hello, my sweet girl, have you been hiding here?]

“issa verdagon iā lenton, aōha dārōñe”, [She is nesting, your Grace], muttered a brave Dragonkeeper that followed you inside, you looked back over your shoulder, he was one that knew Vhaelar and how to interact with her, so she didn’t even move a muscle

“verdagon iā lenton?“,[Nesting?], you asked, excitedly, the man nodded, your hand went to your belly, you looked back at your dragon and you found her huge golden eyes looking down at your belly, and then at you

“ñuha dōna riña”, [My sweet girl], you whispered, placing your hand in her snout, and petter her until she purred almost

Your dragon was going to lay a clutch of eggs, or egg, for your baby, they were right, there was a special connection between dragon and rider, you smiled warmly at the very thought. It also wasn’t strange, there was still some dragons in Dragonstone, the Cannibal for example, dragons she can mate with.

This had certainly lightened up your mood for the rest of the day, as your guards were relieved that you decided against taking a short flight.

Vhaelar was to be left alone if she was indeed nesting

It is indeed a wonder she didn’t burn you to a crisp

But now… as soon as you entered the castle, you felt like a dark cloud was on top of you and wouldn’t let go

Cregan had done all he could to make the place nice for you again, there was a few weeks in which he would walk by your side and watch you carefully, everything you looked at and flinch, he would change for something else, all the tapestries and furniture, all of it, he would trade it for others, he even went as far as commissioning paintings from Lys to change the colors of the rooms

But still, it was still an impregnable fortress. Designed to not let anyone in… or out…

You tried to go about your day, but it didn’t take long, as the sun was hiding, for the shadows to start taking shapes.

Oh how you wished Cregan was there with you

You placed your hand in your belly

Cuddling you every night, placing his big hand on your belly like you were doing now, to feel your unborn child

Protecting you, making the shadows go away

You dismissed your ladies as soon as they took out your dress, and you put on your night shirt. You felt skittish about people touching you in your condition, you felt like you were cheating on Cregan somehow, by letting someone else touch your pregnant body.

You got on the bed, and drifted off to sleep strangely quickly

You woke up in the middle of the night, without apparent reason, you didn’t remember what you were dreaming about, but you woke up distraught, relieved that you actually woke up… and even a bit disoriented… and then… when you looked in the corner of the room.

You gasped, a tall figure was there, with his usual pose, hand grasped behind his back, standing up really straight, his long hair combed to perfection, his eyepatch seemingly cutting his face in half, his remaining violet eye looking at you, with malicious intent

Aemond was there, a smirk on his lips.

“Aemond? you are dead”, you whined, your hand on your belly protectively. In a quick movement he unsheathed his dagger hanging from his belt and made the knife dance in his hand

Why him? of all of them, why was he presenting himself in front of you like this? because it's probably a dream, it couldn’t be real, he was dead! He was dead, well, they never found his body but he was dead, Daemon took him out with him in an incredible battle over the God’s Eye

Then you saw it

Dark sister, the sword, hanging from his belt

“You would like me to be, wouldn’t you?”, he asked, his eye then traveled down your body to your small baby bump. He chuckled darkly as he saw your protective stance

“My my, my little bastard having bastards of her own”

“He is not going to be a bastard”, you defended, “I’m married”, he chuckled again

“Oh yes, married and ruling the seven Kingdoms… Would you look at my pretty little bastard niece, how far she’s come”

Your breathing got heavy, you tried to sit on the bed, you did so slowly, your eyes never leaving his form

This couldn’t be real, he wasn’t here, this was some sick nightmare

But why does the hot tear that fell down your cheek felt so real?

“What are you doing here?”, you asked shakily, still, not being able to believe your own eyes, this felt way too real to be a dream, but it had to be, right?

Right?

He was quick on his feet, he had always been and he ran towards you who couldn't get out of bed and grabbed you by the neck, the dagger still on his hands

“Guards!”, you screamed but nobody came to your rescue

“Is of no use”. he mocked, shaking you, you only could grab into his wrist, your other hand still protecting your belly from his anger, “nobody will come to save you. not even your idiotic husband”, he mocked then

“Cregan!”, you cried, as he could hear you, but you had sent him away, thousand miles away

He chuckled darkly

“Nobody is coming”, he threatened, “this feels like just old times, doesn’t it?”, he kept teasing, mocking you, provoking you, he didn’t squeeze, but he had you on a chokehold, you wouldn’t move as he threatened your cheek with his blade, “me, sneaking into your rooms, late at night”

“Fuck you”, you grunted, “nothing ever happened, you just wanted to torment me”, you recalled

“Mhm, just like now”, he purred, he really hasn't changed since the last time you saw him, the dinner? was it? He looked older, perhaps, more tortured

“What do you want?”, you whined

“You dead, me sitting on the Iron Throne, as is my right, bastard”

“They will never take you”

“They took you, didn’t they?”, he mocked, squeezing. You whined, scared not of him, but for your babe, your unborn child

“My baby”, you whined

“Ah, don’t worry, I’ll carve it out and leave it for the Stark to find if it concerns you such”, now you whined and twisted in the bed

“No! my baby, he isn’t at fault!”, you were growing desperate, you looked to the side and found a heavy looking chandelier in the night table by your bed, at arm’s reach, you tried to grab it, making it drop to the floor with a loud “clang”, he then squeezed, tighter, and tighter, until you couldn’t breath, you thrashed and pushed but he wouldn’t let go… and everything went black

You woke up taking a huge breath, like you had been shaken awake

You look at all directions, scared out of your mind

Gods… were you dead?

No… you were still in your room

it had all been a dream, a nightmare more like it

A horrible, gut wrenching nightmare…

Gods, what were you thinking? sending Cregan away like this?

You had been childish, keeping this important information away from your own husband, you couldn’t be like this, he was never going to let you flight up there, but… you wanted to tell him, you missed him, and even though that by your calculations he had been back home for at least a couple of weeks, you really hoped deep down, and in a very selfish way, that he’d return for you, for your unborn child.

You hated yourself for being so weak, so dependent, but… you would not live with yourself if he came back a year from now to an already grown child, his child, which he didn’t know anything about.

So you rose from the bed even before the maids got to you, took a quill to paper, and started writing a heartfelt letter to your husband. Revealing your state, telling him why you hid it from him, and promising, if he so wishes, to go visit him.

After you finished writing it, you took it to the Maester yourself to be send at the earliest convenience

If only you saw the chandelier on the floor before the maids return it to its rightful place

. . .

Cregan took a long breath as he looked down at Winterfell, he smiled brightly, it felt so good to be back home, he spurred his horse on and started galloping, he couldn’t wait no longer, he felt like a little kid

But is his own child he wanted to see

He sent word before his arrival, so it was to no surprise that the entire castle habitants were waiting for him in the courtyard

He was finally home

After a huge march, after a bloody war, after taking the freaking capital, after marrying the Queen of the seven kingdoms, after all of that… he was finally back home

“Our Lord of Winterfell, Warden of the North and King Consort to the Queen (Y/N) of House Targaryen, his Grace Cregan, of House Stark”, chanted a soldier and he felt goosebumps in his arms when he heard all those titles

He tried to look solemn, not like a twenty four year old who just got home after two years away, but as soon as he saw them, his family, all the solemnity went away

There, at the long steps that led inside the castle, was his sister, his bastard sister Sara, and by her side, holding her hand, was his son, Rickon. He was… so grown, taller, his face was the one of a boy, not a babe like the last time he saw him, his dark curls… his big grey ghostly eyes just like him… He looked like his mother.

He jumped off his horse and went straight for him

The boy seemed skeptical of him, but he didn’t care and he grabbed him in his arms and hugged him tightly

He was barely a boy of 6 name days

He had him so young and yet… he was his son and heir, his blood

“I missed you my boy”, he whispered against his head

“I missed you papa”, he answered, his voice choked, and still the one of a child

He released him then, and turn to his loving sister

He greeted the rest of them, all of them, he knew every face and every name still, they were his people, and before he could finally enter his home, he looked over the walls of winterfell… The gray wolf on cream and green field was no longer alone. The three headed red dragon with four legs stood by its side.

As he walked amongst the hallways he noticed that everything stood the same, like it had been for the last thousand years and it surely will be for the next 1,000.

The first thing he did was talk to the maester, to see if he had received any ravens from the capital. He couldn’t hide his disappointment, he hadn't had words from you since he left a moon ago.

But to no matter, he was home now, he needed to focus on what he was doing, he couldn’t be with you wishing he was home, and then in his home wishing he was with you. Your beautiful, golden, resented heart probably still ached for his departure, he could understand that, he read you better than you ever believed he did, he was going to give you time and write to you himself.

He called his sister Sara to his private audience room, he needed to get acquainted with everything that happened here since he left

Sara presented himself shortly after, with a silly smile on her face, now, she was his sister, not the Lady Regent of Winterfell

But as he saw her face… he sighed

“Why do I feel you are somewhat disappointed?”, he asked with a mocking tone

“Well, I’m not gonna lie, we wanted to see her”, she said with a smirk

“Her?”, he asked

“Our Dragon Queen”, Sara said with a smile, “and her Snowy dragon”, Cregan chuckled

“I wish she could hear you”

“Is she as beautiful as they say?”, she asked enthusiastically

“She is”

“Is she as strong…?”, she asked then

“She is”, he said then

“Can her dragon burn people to a crisp?”

“She can”

“She is a girl? so amazing!”, she said, “So… how are things… King Consort of the Seven Kingdoms?”, it didn’t take her long to start teasing him

“They are still working on the title, they believe the husband of an acting Queen shouldn’t be named King, but merely Prince, or something else”

“Whatever they call you, you still married the QUEEN!”, she said with her eyes wide and her smile broad. Cregan chuckled

“I did”, he said with a smile.

“Do you miss her?”, she asked then, “Is she coming here?”

“I hope so”, he said with a sad smile, “and I do miss her”

“Auw! my brother is in looove”, she teased

“It’s too early to talk like that”, he said, trying to return to his more authoritative facade

“You are married to the Queen! is actually too late to talk about love”

“We need to discuss what is happening in my Kingdom”, he said then, “I might be the king consort, but… I’m still Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North”, he said with a short smile

“Well… let’s start with the fact we don’t have any more men because after the war they decided to settle in the Riverlands…”

So as soon as he arrived home, he started the long process of audiences and meetings with his lords to attend to the most urgent matters of the North…

So as days turned to weeks, he started to worry, he send a raven to King’s Landing, communicating you of his arrival safely to his home, and asking for your well being

He wanted to see you

Perhaps he was being selfish, but… he requested your presence, perhaps you could take to the skies and visit him, it was not a strange idea, you were his wife, you were a skillful dragon rider who assisted in the war and burnt armadas to the bottom of the narrow sea. And the sunset sea like when you saved him and the rest of your small council

You could easily pay him a visit, right?

So you were expecting his answer, and he was expecting yours, two ravens sent weeks away from each other, but only one was set to arrive at their destination, not the other.

It was a few weeks until Cregan received word back from the you

The letter was vague and distant, claiming you were not going to be able to travel North due to important matters that required your attention

He couldn’t prevent feeling truly disappointed, he wanted to see you

You in turn, thought he had received your letter, and gave no answer but a request for you to travel North, without even acknowledging what it would be the greatest news for your marriage and the future of The Kingdoms, so just answered back that you couldn’t make the journey

You were heartbroken, but understood that maybe he was angry with you, and he had the reason to.

Another moon went by, and another

Cregan was teaching his son how to use the bow, that he had commissioned specially for him, when he received a letter, not from King’s Landing, but from Driftmark

A letter from the Sea Snake himself

Cregan found it amusing, and was truly curious about what Lord Corlys may want

Searching for a way in? most likely

Did he want to propose a union between their houses? Did he have a young girl he wanted to present for his son’s hand?

But Cregan never would have expected the news that came inside that letter

He was livid

Why had Corlys Velaryon written to him, congratulating him for the unborn prince of Dragonstone and heir to the Iron Throne?

Why would he be expressing his concern, chiding him as he was a child, of the dangers of his absence by his wife’s side?

Why was that nosy old bastard expressing his concern for the wellbeing of the royal marriage?

You were pregnant…

… With his child…

… You didn’t tell him…

… He was half the continent away…

What was he thinking? leaving you like this, without making sure you were not with child?

Why didn’t you tell him?

Why did you hide this from him?

You could have known after he left, but the thing is, you didn’t write to tell him…

What were you thinking?

Allowing yourself to be left alone in these circumstances?

He called in Sara immediately

“Make preparations, I need to leave for King’s Landing as soon as possible”

“Did something happen?”, she asked, alarmed

“The Queen is heavy with child, my child, I did not know, I have to be with her by her side…”

“When do you want to leave?”, she asked, concerned

“As soon as possible”

“The preparations will take weeks”

“I’m aware, I will take Rickon with me too”

“Really?”, she asked, concerned, “But Cregan, there must always be a Stark in Winterfell”, he smiled, sliding a large parchment over the table towards her

“It’s going to be you”

It was a decreet, to make her legitimate, signed by you

He was going to return south, to you, and he was going to take his son with him, even though he didn’t think it was going to be a good idea, for his son to be influenced like this, but still, he wanted you to meet him, and if you were not going to come to him, he was going to take his son to you

Perhaps, he didn’t think he was going to be able to leave him again, not after everything, not after missing two years of his short life

Adding to the stress and problems he had at home, now he had to add his unruly wife, who hid her pregnancy from him, and a unruly Lord, who purposefully send him that letter with ill intent, passively revealing against them

Corlys Velaryon was acting with a spoiled child whom his parents paid no attention anymore

What was he to do with him?

What were you going to do with him?

As he looked out the windows of his rooms to the vast valley in front of him, his home, he couldn’t help but release a single tear that fell from his cheek.

He was overwhelmed, now sad, that you mistrusted him so much, you must truly hate him to keep your pregnancy from him

He was now himself divided, South and North, Lordship or Crown, his son or you and his unborn child

A child that was going to be the next Queen or King of the Seven Kingdoms…

and his people needed him too, so much, they were also healing from the war, and losing a great percentage of his male population.

But he then smiled

Oh his child, his unborn child, a baby, made from you and him…

He couldn’t help but giggle a bit

Despite your beautiful, but resentful heart, oh he couldn’t wait to see you all fat for him, because of him, because of your and his child

@lyannesworld @tremendouswolfsaladranch @unlesshouse @mimsie95 @ostricx @amelia262006 @marihoneywk @ahristata @happinessinthebeing @dd122004dd@lyannesworld @aestmilky @lightdragonrayne @delaynew @mxtokko @stargaryenx @lightdragonrayne @delaynew @mxtokko @good-night-starlight @yentroucnagol @beebeechaos @brakingboundaries @duds31 @@persophonekarter @missusnora @aleemendoza2425-blog

#misguidedhour #cregan stark x oc #cregan stark x reader #cregan x reader #cregan stark #cregan #hbo house of the dragon #targaryen!oc #targaryen!reader #house of the dragon #house targaryen #house stark

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ruibaozha · 10 months

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The Dragon Boat Festival; and Nezha the Dragon Tamer

There are many topics I have yet to discuss here, but as the Dragon Boat Festival draws near I want to talk about how even with a celebration as widely spread as the Dragon Boat Festival - this too could not escape Nezha's indomitable influence. No matter how you celebrate, near or far, I hope you can enjoy this post.

Warnings before Reading: Suicide by drowning in relation to an origin myth is discussed.

To begin, I would like to describe the Dragon Boat Festival's signifigance in the Chinese conciousness and where it came from for those otherwise unaware or encountering it for the first time in this post. As these points are repeated numerous times in various places, I feel comfortable forgoing the usual providing of as many citations as possible. I am happy to present citations regarding the festival itself upon request.

The origins of this festival are commonly attributed to the death of Qu Yuan, a poet and member of the Chu Emperor's Court during the Warring States period. Qu Yuan had been exiled on suspicion of deceit and betrayal through suggesting an alliance with the state of Qi to better defend against the ever growing threat that the Qin state was becoming. His prediction would prove correct, the Qin captured the Chu Emperor and the state of Chu was fully surrendered. Hearing this news, and despite his exile, Qu Yuan would drown himself in the Miluo River of Hunan Province in 278BCE (1).

Qu Yuan's choice to drown would go on to inspire the origin of the much beloved zongzi, common food fare during the festival. Depending on who you ask, upon learning of his suicide, the nearby villagers would throw rice into the water to either prevent the fish from eating his body or to feed his now disembodied water spirit. Despite these attempts it was noted that 'dragons' would always interfere, the culprits likely being massive whiskered catfish in the river. With this frustration it is said Qu Yuan would go on to tell the villagers to wrap the rice into the now iconic bamboo leaves they are steamed in, making it impossible for the 'dragons' in the river to consume it.

But why dragons, you may ask? Within various pieces of Chinese folklore and popular mythos it is confirmed consistently that dragons' element is water. Controllers of the rain, rivers and seas, creators of the four great rivers in China following disagreements with the Jade Emperor himself when he trapped four dragons under mountains for bringing water to the villages during a disastrous drought.

What's the deal with the long dragon boats then? Though they are exclusively designed for races in mondern days and were only sailed in honor of Qu Yuan starting around the 5th or 6th Century AD, they historically were more aligned with farming purposes. In the Lunar Calendar the month of May typically lands during the Summer Solstice period - a crucial time period in growing rice where the seeds need to be transplanted. Across southern China the farmers would ask the dragons to watch over their crops and help prevent droughts (2). In honor of the dragons these farmers would carve the bow of their boats into a dragon's face, the action of rowing symbolic of replanting the rice crop. Even the tetrahedral shape of zongzi can be explained here, said to be in the image of a cow's horn, a most auspicious symbol for good crop yields.

Though it has been argued that dragon boat racing originated as a military exercise (3) within the province of Hubei, both explanations have come together under the umbrella of honoring Qu Yuan (4). It is always important to remember the non-linear nature of many myths and folk tales, changing and adapting with the people who cherish and retell them.

At this point you surely must be asking how Nezha factors into any of this, but I assure you, he is celebrated during this time as well.

Even if the only tale of Nezha you are familiar with is his conflict with Ao Bing and subsequently Ao Guang, it is important here to establish his reputation as someone that subjugates dragons. Even within the pages of The Grand Compendium of the Three Religion's Deities this was a point not to miss (5). His reputation as a dragon tamer would even inspire eighteenth-century belt makers to dedicate a temple to him near Beijng's Black-Dragon Pool (6).

This reputation would only be enforced during the Yuan-era of Beijing, called Dadu at the time. A fourteenth-century legend would state that the capital was modeled after Nezha's likeness, the eleven gates corresponding to his three heads, six arms, and two legs; his reputation giving reason for posturing him as the capital city's guardian (7). This story was so widespread that in Yuan-era literature the city of Dadu was also referred to as Nazha Cheng (Nezha City) (8). However Dadu was extremely susceptible to droughts and periods of flooding at the time, both things attributed to the Dragon King.

It is Nezha's duty as the city's celestial guardian that attributes one of his birthday to coincide with the Dragon Raising Its Head - a period of time when Dadu's citizens would pray and beg the Dragon King for good weather (9) and historically an important date that welcomes both spring time and a very long farming season.

This is a much lesser known connection that is shared between Nezha and agriculturally significant events, but it would not surprise me if one day Nezha himself sat on the bow of one of these dragon boats cheering for the rowers to go faster.

Bibliography:

(1) Latsch, Traditional Chinese Festivals, 58; Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations, Chinese Customs and Festivals in Singapore = Hua ren li su jie ri shou ce (Singapore: Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations, 1989), 55.

(2) Latsch, Traditional Chinese Festivals, 55; Tan Huey Peng, Fun with Chinese Festivals (Singapore: Federal Publications, 1991), 58. (Call no. JRSING 394.26951 TAN)

(3) Latsch, Traditional Chinese Festivals, 58, 60.

(4) Within northern China it is actually not Qu Yuan who was initially honored but someone completely different, a man wronged by his lord who fled into the woods only for this same lord to set the woods ablaze killing him. A very similar story hails from Fujian province of a man named Wu Zixu who was also wronged by his lord in a story far too long to be kept in a citation. However his body was thrown into a river upon his death, his anger powerful enough to create raging tides. He is worshipped as a river god and connected to the Dragon Boat Festival in this way. Even the pervasive filial piety makes it's appearance in the form of the Han Dynasty story of Cao E who searched up and down the river bank for her drowned father's body. She had wanted to provide a proper funeral but eventually threw herself into the river on the fifth day, only to be revived and presenting her father's body in her arms - the Gods smiling upon her filial action and granting a blessing. Qu Yuan however is remembered best for his love of his country and ultimately his self-sacrifice.

(5) At five days old Nezha overpowers the dragon-lords and even kills their king - implicating his father Li Jing and serving the basis of their feud.

(6) Li Qiao, Zhongguo hangye shen chongbai, (Beijing: Zhongguo Huaqiao, 1990), 199-200.

(7) This is a fairly fantastical retelling of how the architect Liu Bowen developed the idea to give Dadu eleven gates and isn't rooted in the reality of the process. Dates, names, and places are severely inconsistent but it is itself indicative of Nezha's influence.

(8) Xiao Dengfu, "Nezha suyuan", 20-23.

(9) Hok-Lam Chan, Legends of the Building of Old Peking, 72–73.

#li nezha #nezha #lmk nezha #nezha 2019 #nezha reborn #the legend of nezha #monkie kid nezha #nezha lego monkie kid

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time-eatingnoodle · 9 months

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Ao no Summer - Prompts 8 - 15

8 - Trendy

“Soooo… Why are we here again?”

“Because it’s new, everyone is talking about it, and Nii-san cannot resist flashy colours, or the prospect of a sugar rush.”

“Hey!” Rin whipped around to glare at the two of them, pointing them with a would-be threatening finger if his tail wasn’t wagging like an excited puppy. “You said you were down to try it out! If anyone here’s in need of a sugar rush, it’s you guys!”

“I never said I was against it, I was just asking!” Ryuji retorted, looking up at the large, colourful candy store before them, and its towering, oddly terrifying depictions of Mephisto as a bubblegum character looming and grinning down at them. “Just feels like a weird place to start off a double date, is all.”

“I think it’s a great place to start!” Shiemi exclaimed, promptly latching onto her boyfriend’s arm and making him wag his tail some more. “Nori told me about it, I’ve been curious too! She said they had products from all over the world! It’s exciting!”

“All right! C’mon Shiemi, we’re ditching those boring losers!” Rin giggled as he pulled his laughing girlfriend along through the revolving doors, but not before Ryuji could call out:

“You’re not ditching anybody, you moron!”

The two soon disappeared inside the store amongst the crowd of students and children, leaving Ryuji and Yukio behind. With a sigh, Ryuji turned to his friend, and found him looking more amused than he thought he would be. His lips stretched in the lightest of smiles, in a way he knew he was trying to hold still, and when Yukio turned toward him, it grew, like he was trying not to laugh, or to hide his own excitement.

“Shall we?”

Ryuji felt his fingers brush against his hand, promptly making his heart skip a beat. He grinned back, and threw his arm around Yukio’s neck, pulling him in close as he guided him toward the candy store.

“Sure thing! Let’s see what it’s all about.”

Together, the two walked in through the doors, and found themselves delving into a dream world of bubblegum and rainbows. Every single square inch of this store was covered in a sea of sugary goodness, from the floor up to the ceiling, even to the second story and filling the aisles to the brim. Ryuji didn’t think there would be a place that could hold what was possibly every single kind of candy on earth, but here he was, trying to understand how they could fit all of it in one single place. It was a cavern full of treasures! …for those who liked candy, that is. Ryuji had never been big on sugar, but walking around, just to look, still made for a fascinating experience. Besides… The candies weren’t why he agreed to come here.

Ryuji wandered through the store, listening to Rin and Shiemi’s excited giggles from somewhere nearby, glancing at every flash of colour and never letting his eyes stop for a second too long on anything of remote interest… until he spotted Yukio again. It made him stop, and look. He could find his shape between a million others, so effortlessly, and no matter how distracting the rest of the world was. Yukio stood in a quiet corner, behind rows of giant lollipops and stacks of colourful popcorn, and faced a wall that was absolutely full of various jars of round, multicoloured marbles. He looked up and down at the jars, up and down again, as though trying to identify every single marble inside them, and Ryuji could see, from where he stood, hidden behind a cover of hanging bags of cotton candy, that he was smiling. It was something small, yet so true, so radiant, so simple. Ryuji could not help but stare, and admire, and imprint that smile in his memories, as well as the wonder that shone so brightly in his friend’s eyes at that moment.

Ryuji decided that if he wasn’t getting anything for himself… he’d at least get something for Yukio.

~~~

9 - Shopping

The farmer’s market was thriving. The vendors called out to them, showcasing their kioskes chock full of all kinds of local produce, with their rich and lively colours and shapes. Vegetables, fruits, cheese, eggs, drinks and sauces, everything was there, and Rin had already picked up quite a few in preparation for their dinner date that night, but now he was distracted. As he paid the vendor in front of him for a freshly-picked batch of carrots, he turned, and saw that Shiemi had wandered a bit ahead, and he found himself unable to move.

She wasn’t doing anything particularly amazing or mind-blowing; she was just walking along the stands, looking down at all the rows of veggies before her, her step slow, almost pensive. What could she be thinking about, he wondered. Was she wondering whether she should get something? Or perhaps… she was thinking about the things they’d discussed in secrecy? Her mind had been wandering aimlessly as of late, and he could see it, in her step, in her stance, in the distance of her gaze…

Rin stashed the carrots into the plastic bag dangling on his arm, prepared to step up to go talk to her, but then a sudden meow called for his attention, and he turned.

“Rin! There you guys are!”

Kuro was dashing toward him across the market, with Yukio and Suguro further away sending arm waves toward him, and Rin smiled, before holding his hand out toward his familiar.

“And where have you been?” he asked as Kuro jumped up his arm and up to perch on his shoulder, purring happily. “We were about to leave without you!”

“Secret cat things!” Kuro replied, making one final jump to flop down on top of his head. “I can’t tell you!”

“Ah, secrets eh? Guess we all have those lately…”

He raised his head back toward Shiemi, and found her staring down almost intensely at a stack of tomatoes, as though the perfect one would float up to present itself to her. With a little smile, Rin made up his mind, and walked over to her. He only had to briefly look over the tomatoes once before reaching out and grabbing one. He weighed it first, turned it around to inspect it, and presented it to his girlfriend, who seemingly jumped out of her thoughts at the present. He felt the words come to him so easily…

“Imagine,” he said softly, “how great it’ll be when we grow our own stuff ourselves. I bet we can make even bigger tomatoes! What do you think?”

Though she appeared genuinely shocked at first, it didn’t take long for Shiemi to reward him with the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen, and for the lights in her eyes to shine once again for him. At that moment, when she reached out and grabbed the tomato, and said, in a warm, relieved tone:

“Yes! I’m sure we can!”

…Rin had never been more certain of his decision than now.

~~~

10 - Thief

It was a hot summer day - and what was the best thing to do when it was hot in summer? Stopping for ice cream, of course! Yukio wasn’t here to complain; he’d been feeling so dizzy since Ryuji surprised him with gifts at the candy store because he’d been overthinking things again, so a nice popsicle was just what he needed.

The breeze was nice and pleasant by the overlook they’d taken a break at, with a perfect view of the town stretching all around them down below the hill, and Yukio could just close his eyes, for a moment, and think about how he’d gotten to this point. Again, he wasn’t here to complain. A double date had seemed like a silly idea at first, but now that he was here…

He supposed he’d imagined it to be completely different than a simple pleasant stroll through town. Of course it was kept simple; Rin didn’t like complicated things, and he’d arranged the whole thing himself. Now, if only Yukio could find a way to give back to Ryuji for earlier…

“Oh, Rin, you’ve got ice cream all over your face… Hold on.”

“Huh? How’d it- mmph!”

Shiemi had taken a handkerchief from her bag on the ground and was already washing Rin’s face with it, and his brother let her do it, and even seemed to enjoy the act, as he was leaning in, closer into her touch. Those were the kinds of interactions that puzzled Yukio greatly; he knew it was a normal thing that couples did, they were just looking out for each other, but… How did they do it so naturally? Without overthinking it? Maybe it was overthinking just trying to pin a reason on the why of everything, when it could just be simple, and still he kept spinning in circles in utter confusion…

At least his popsicle wasn’t all over his face, like his twin’s ice cream. Although… Mmmh… If he somehow got some of it on his cheeks, would Ryuji-

“Uh… babe?”

Yukio looked away from his thoughts and back toward Ryuji, but was surprised to find him looking alarmed as he stared at him.

“Mh? What is it?”

“Uh, you’ve got, uh…”

Ryuji pointed, and Yukio just now saw it - from just outside his peripheral, a stretched out, sneaky paw, with all claws extended, was reaching out for his popsicle.

And the thought only briefly slid by him that he could let Kuro swipe at it, to see what Ryuji would do if it fell on his shirt. But only briefly.

~~~

11 - Mysterious

Shiemi was so very happy, and there was no way she was letting her grim thoughts take over that joy, not anymore. She did feel somewhat ashamed that she’d let her doubts put a shade on what should have been a most delightful day, however brief that dark cloud had been, but now that Rin had talked to her about it, she felt like she’d landed back in her sandals. She couldn’t quite explain it, but now that he’d made his decision, she couldn’t look at him without bursting into a wide grin. She supposed she just wanted him to know how grateful she was, and did so the only way she knew how; by peppering him with kisses and hugs.

Not that he looked against any of it by any means. In fact, she dared say that he was worse than her.

And of course, as the day moved on and their double date took them across multiple locations and the delight followed the arc of the sun across the sky, their date companions did notice that they were supposedly acting different, because one time they were being giggling little messes with each other in the middle of the street, Ryuji eventually commented:

“Are you guys okay?”

Shiemi and Rin both looked at him inquisitively, and she replied:

“Huh? Of course we are! Why?”

Ryuji narrowed his eyes on them, crossing his arms as he looked them over almost suspiciously.

“I dunno, something feels weird. Call it my Lightning sense tingling. Are you guys hiding something?”

Yukio hummed, pensively.

“I didn’t want to say it, but… You two have been acting strange all day.”

“For real?” Rin laughed out loud, and waved his hand nonchalantly. “You worry for nothing! What, I can’t laugh with my girlfriend now?”

“Nii-san, I’m just saying, you’re acting mysterious, and it freaks me out when you do that. Please stop.”

“Mysterious?” Shiemi inquired, but Rin didn’t let any of them elaborate and laughed again, a bit too loudly, and Shiemi thought she understood what Yukio was talking about. Rin was just a terrible liar - not that she was any better.

“Well, that sounds like a you problem! I like this being a mystery, so it’s gonna stay that way.”

Shiemi giggled at his declaration - she didn’t think he’d want to keep it for themselves so bad - and reached out to grab and latch onto his arm to try and calm him down, but to no avail. Ryuji scoffed out a laugh.

“Oh, what’d you call it again? Mr. Mistake, right?”

“That’s right!” Rin pointed a thumb toward himself, sending the two of them a silly little wink and a fanged grin. “That’s me! Mr. Mistake! So you’re not getting any of our juicy secrets!” He leaned a bit more into Shiemi’s touch, and urged her to keep walking, as they were close to their last destination. “Now c’mon, I’m starving! I gotta cook all this stuff!”

“You know you suck at lying, Okumura!” Ryuji called with a knowing grin. “We’re gonna find out one way or another!”

And Mr. Mistake looked back, and pulled his tongue at the other. Yeah, Shiemi told herself, that secret wasn’t going to last.

~~~

12 - Heat

Yukio stepped outside the old dorms, for a bit of a breather. Rin wasn’t going to let him touch any of the food until it was ready for fear that he’d somehow cut his fingers and bleed all over the place, which was a warranted fear he had to admit, and so Yukio accepted his fate, and went out to the nearest balcony. The sun was setting and painting beautiful fiery strokes across the heavens, but its warmth did not waver, and so he closed his eyes, for a moment, and enjoyed the wind, in his hair, on his face, and the rays, tickling his skin. And he found it easy to just breathe.

He was tired after a long day out, and yet he felt not a weight, not a single burden on his shoulders - even Rin and Shiemi’s secret wasn’t bothering him too much right at this moment. It felt almost… foreign, to be this calm. It was so very strange, yet he wouldn’t turn back, and so decided to savour this instant of peace…

Until another warmth, a pair of arms, came to wrap themselves around him from behind, making him open his eyes suddenly. Before he could turn his head to confirm who it was, warm lips landed on his cheek, resulting in a rapid drumming of his heart beats to echo up to his head. Without a word, Ryuji left a number of little kisses on that same cheek, all slow, warm and affectionate, without a hurry in the world, all leaving behind a poignant tenderness that left Yukio speechless. And without really knowing, he leaned into it, closed his eyes again, and felt each and every single one of those kisses, and the way Ryuji’s hands went to grab his own, the way he squeezed him, and the way he immediately found an anchor in his gentle hold. Ryuji was like a tree wrapping around him, his arms roots, securing him in place and keeping him standing when he thought he couldn’t, and Yukio wondered, quietly, when he would be able to be the same for him.

Ryuji’s lips lowered from his cheek to his jaw, where he trailed and touched along up to his ear, and down onto his neck. His touches were so gentle, a little caress that spoke a million words and made Yukio feel things that were still foreign… and then he was moving away, rather abruptly. It left Yukio slightly dizzy, and left his heart drumming away up to his throat, but still he smiled at him as Ryuji moved beside him and smiled back. He reached out and grabbed Yukio’s hand, still on the railing before them, and didn’t look away from him as he said, softly, yet in an amused tone:

“Sorry, but you taste like a watermelon. Couldn’t help myself.”

Yukio tried in vain to stifle a laugh.

“A watermelon?”

“Yeah!” Ryuji laughed again, and scratched at his chin as he added almost sheepishly: “I was just going to give you a peck, but then I thought ‘Mmh, this actually tastes good’, so, uh… yeah. Sorry. I think the candies I ate earlier are acting up.”

Yukio sent him a surprised raised of the eyebrows, but then smirked, knowingly.

“Are you saying that ingesting sugar makes you want to eat me?”

He almost immediately regretted saying those words, and it took everything in him not to throw himself over the railing in shame, but it only made Ryuji laugh some more, and step closer to him, so their shoulders touched.

“Wellll…! You’re not wrong there!”

He exhaled, deeply, and looked him directly in the eyes, with that piercing gaze he’s always had, yet with a tenderness that only shone when he was gazing at him, and him alone. The weight of that gaze made a strike of heat rise to envelop his whole face… and then Ryuji decided to land a fatal blow, because he said, in a soft whisper…

“This date idea was a good one, but I gotta say… I’ve been waiting all day for us to be alone.”

His hand squeezed itself around his, in a subtly needy manner, and Yukio smiled back at him.

“The day’s not quite over yet… We still have dinner.”

Ryuji drew closer, and like a magnet, Yukio did too. Their faces were inches apart, and it felt like the heat of the setting sun had only grown in warmth at that very moment.

“All right. I’ll keep you for dessert then.”

Yukio could hardly even be phased anymore; Ryuji was being weirdly smooth tonight, and he wondered if the candies had anything to do with it. They were from a Mephisto-owned shop, so maybe there was something weird about them, but for once, he wasn’t going to complain, because it worked out in his favour. He didn’t trust Mephisto one bit, but he did trust Ryuji… So he decided to be bold.

“You could… haveatasterightnow.”

Ryuji somehow understood what he said through that indecipherable mumble, because he promptly closed the gap between them, with close to no hesitation, and Yukio was ready to meet him halfway, and their breaths mingled, their lips came so close to touching-

“SHURA!! WHAT’D YOU DO TO ALL MY STUFF?!”

“HUH? WHAT’D YOU SAY?”

“I SAID, WHERE ARE MY KITCHEN TOOLS?!”

~~~

13 - Blade

“THEY’RE GONE!”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY’RE GONE?!! WHERE ARE YOU?!”

“ON THE ROOF! FORGET YOUR UTENSILS, KIDDO!”

“WHAT?!”

“I SAID-”

Ryuji was mad. Well, not really, now he was just confused, but he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Rin’s voice echoed out of the balcony doors, somehow reverberating all the way upward, from where Shura’s voice echoed back, seemingly from the building’s roof, and they went back and forth, arguing about what happened to the utensils and somehow still not explaining what had gone wrong with them. He and Yukio shared a look, and they both quietly agreed to go back inside and check it out, and it was almost painful to have to let go this suddenly, but the call of the utensils was somehow stronger.

“DAMNIT SHURA, I GOTTA COOK THIS STUFF! I GOT A FISH TO CUT OPEN, WHAT AM I GONNA USE, MY NAILS?!”

“BE CREATIVE!! I’M TOO BUSY TO GO HELP YOU!”

“I CAN TELL!! Goddamnit!”

As they drew closer to the open kitchen doors of the dorms, lovingly renamed Rin’s Domain, they could hear Shiemi speak softly to him and say:

“I’m sure there’s something we can use… Like, uhm… No, that doesn’t cut, uhm… How about-”

“Tch! Be creative, she says… Oh! Wait, I do have a knife!”

“Huh? What- Oh. Rin, no. Rin, don’t! Not with that!”

Yukio and Ryuji walked inside the kitchen just in time to watch Rin, standing at his counter, in front of a fish staring in blank horror as he drew the Koma Sword from its sheath and erupted in bright blue flames. The three of them were left helpless as he aimed the sword down at the fish, saying in a casual happy tone:

“Okay, I’m doing it!”

And immediately the only thought that latched onto Ryuji’s mind at that moment, was how just the other day he watched Rin gut open a demon with that very same sword- And so he was the first to dash forward to stop him.

“NO YOU’RE NOT, YOU ABSOLUTE LUNATIC!”

~~~

14 - Ice

It took a bit of doing, but they managed to find some replacements - and Yukio had to go up to the roof to see what Shura was up to, and came back hopeless anyway - and dinner was eventually on its way. Rin had planned a whole buffet for the four of them, and while Shiemi could not cook to save her life, she did her best to assist him. While the fish was grilling in the oven, Rin started preparing some cold desserts for all of them, including some shaved ice, and while she was helping out with preparing the syrup, she saw him turn his head, and scowl at the other two sitting in the back.

“You guys okay? You’re the ones being weird now.”

“Don’t even ask,” Ryuji replied sternly. “You know damn well what you did.”

“Huh?! What’d I do?!”

“Ryu…”

It only took Yukio to say his name once, and Ryuji huffed, and when Shiemi turned her head briefly, she saw he had crossed his arms and looked to be… pouting?

“Nothing!” Ryuji replied, while Yukio patted him on the head almost jokingly. “Except you almost poisoned all of us with your stupidity-”

“Oh, fuck off with that! My sword is super clean, I wash it every day! I’ve cooked stuff with it before, actually, and Yukio never even noticed.”

“Wait, what-”

“It gives a nice crispy finish that I can’t get otherwise, it’s actually great!”

Shiemi’s eyes widened, and she realized just then that she’d need to sit down with Rin and settle a few rules for when they launched their plans. She wasn’t really sold out on cooking with a demon heart-sword otherwise used for killing other demons. Not totally, anyway. She trusted Rin more than anything, but-

“You actually fed me that stuff?! I can’t believe you!”

“And did I ever give you food poisoning? No? Then there! Now you all can stop whining- and here, taste this!”

As soon as the first cup of shaved ice was done, Rin picked it up from the counter, and practically shoved it in his brother’s hands, taking him by surprise. He threw a tiny spoon at him, and Yukio almost dropped it, but he sat up straight, and though he hesitated, he did give the treat a little taste. As soon as it entered his mouth, he perked up, much to Shiemi’s joy, and seemed to completely forget about Rin’s odd cooking tools.

“Mmh~!” he hummed, delighted, reaching in to take another spoonful. “Ish good. But don’t think I’ll let that whole thing slide-”

“You’ll forget by tomorrow, I bet. Nyuk-nyuk!”

“Nuh-huh! Not that!”

…and Shiemi couldn’t help but stare at Ryuji while the two argued, because he was just sitting there, dreadfully quiet, and was almost glaring at Yukio. She didn’t say anything about it, but he did look like he wanted to punch him, for some reason she couldn’t quite figure out…

How odd. They had looked so cute together earlier…

~~~

15 - Fireflies

Rin was quite proud of himself. Dinner went perfectly; everything was ready in a timely manner despite a few hiccups, and they were all able to sit together on the roof - after Shura had cleaned up whatever she’d been doing up here all day - and just enjoy each other’s company over a delicious meal. At the end of the day, they had all agreed to do this whole double date thing again sometime, and already they were putting out ideas and planning ahead of time, which made him very happy, as it’d been his own idea to do this in the first place.

The sky was clear that night, the air fresh yet pleasant. They all sat together by the edge of the roof, looking over the horizon, and the whole rest of the world spreading at their dangling feet, and for once, neither of them worried about the future, however far it waited. Rin was happy to just sit here, in the growing dark blue of night, with his friends, and just… let tomorrow come when it came. For now, the world was quiet, and Shiemi was leaning against him, and her body was warm and sought his own. He only needed to look down at her, at her smile and her eyes, and see the entire world, and he worried not, because he knew where he was going. Either way… he’d be with her.

“We could go to the beach next time,” Ryuji proposed, in a soft voice, as though he didn’t want to disturb the night air, and Yukio hummed.

“It’d be nice… I don’t get to go very often.”

“And when we do,” Rin snickered, “you hide in the shade anyway.”

“I just don’t want to burn. You know I don’t tan, you’ve got the same issue.”

“And I don’t hide from the sun.”

“And you end up burning anyway.”

Ryuji hummed, wrapping an arm around Yukio’s shoulders and drawing him close to him, in a way that made Rin smile just looking at them.

“I could cover you from head to toe in sunscreen. You’d be a bit slippery, but…”

Shiemi giggled at the image.

“I’m sure it’d help with buoyancy! He could float better in the water.”

“True! We should test it out!”

“Well, uh! Uh… I mean, sure.”

Rin raised his brows at his brother, surprised.

“You actually agree?” he asked, and Yukio’s face promptly turned red. “Who are you and what have you done with my shy little baby brother?”

“Listen,” Yukio started, shooting him a knowing glare, “you know I’m trying-”

“I’m just pulling your leg,” Rin laughed back, reaching over to slap him on the back. “If we get to try out the buttery-”

“Buoyancy.”

“-buoyamshy, then maybe you’ll finally let me bury you in sand!”

“Don’t push your luck, Nii-san.”

“You’re the one who’s gonna get buried,” Ryuji retorted, and they all shared a laugh at the image, and Rin felt good, and light.

And then… out of nowhere… they were surrounded by lights. Small dancing lights, flashing in and out of existence, all descending from somewhere above them, like little stars coming to greet them and light up their world. As they all stared in awe, Rin quickly realized what they were. Fireflies.

And as the little glowing insects surrounded them as a cloud, landed on their arms and shirts and made Shiemi laugh and awe, they all sat back, in silence, and watched the spectacle unfold, under a veil of peace. Shiemi glanced up at him, and it seemed to Rin that her eyes were full of fireflies as well, glowing just for him. The sight alone made him lean down and kiss her, a chaste yet telling kiss that said everything he wasn’t saying to her. She giggled, as she always did when he kissed her that way, and laid her head against him, and he sat back on his palm, holding her close…

“Nii-san.” He turned to look at Yukio. His brother was holding Ryuji’s hand, in a tight grip, but was looking at him, and whispered just for him to hear. “Will you tell me what you and Shiemi-san are hiding? You’ve worried me all day with this.”

Rin grinned back at his brother. He nodded.

“I’ll tell you tomorrow, how ‘bout that? Let’s just enjoy the moment…”

#aoex #blue exorcist #ao no exorcist #aonosummer2023 #fanart #fanfiction #fanfic #rinshi #yukibon #rin x shiemi #yukio x ryuji #rin okumura #shiemi moriyama #yukio okumura #ryuji suguro #writing #illustrated fic #you're never gonna find out what they're hiding btw #it's a secret for you too

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inksmearedpages · 3 months

Text

The Radiant Dragon of Celebration

Happy Lunar New Year!

In celebration of The Year of the Dragon, I’m going to tell you the story of one of my oldest OC’s. He was originally made for a Rise of the Guardians fic in 2012, but his back story and personality was rather stereotypical and shallow back then. I nearly forgot about him for a while, until I started getting into LEGO Monkie Kid in 2020. As he was a dragon of Chinese descent, he eventually resurfaced in my memory and I decided to revamp his entire character. He’s still primarily a Rise of the Guardians OC, but I would be able to add him into any LMK fic with very few changes needed.

So without further ado, this is the legend of Xin Zhiqiang, his discovery that would change the world, and his ascension into Ao Huang, the Radiant Dragon of Celebration.

----------

Our story begins in a small, rural village in the mountains during the late Tang Dynasty era (~800 - ~870 AD). Here, a boy is born to a pair of farmers. His life is simple yet happy, growing up loved and cared for by his parents and the other villagers. Tragically however, he looses both parents at a young age. He is taken in by a good friend of his parents, the local apothecary.

This man not only provides medicine for the village, but is actually a well studied alchemist and aspiring magician. He teaches Zhiqiang everything he knows, and Zhiqiang takes to the teachings like a duck to water. Curious, studious, and never one to let failures keep him down, Zhiqiang is a dutiful apprentice who’s efforts help the village thrive.

Zhiqiang soon surpasses his master’s skill, who in his old age retires. On top of keeping the village healthy, Zhiqiang begins to experiment with his alchemy and magic. During his tests, he accidentally creates a powder that reacts violently when exposed to fire. While not what he was trying to create, Zhiqiang is intrigued and replicates the powder to experiment further. He creates many different containment devices and ways for the powder to explode.

It has the potential for destruction, but Zhiqiang is more compelled by the potential spectacle. The hissing and fizzing as trail of the powder burns. The bright sparks and flames that are given off. The loud yet satisfying burst that he can feel in his bones when a packet of the powder is ignited. He begins to work on this powder in his spare time with a fervor, trying many combinations over a few years.

He eventually unveils his masterpieces to the village during one festival. Long sticks with bits of the powder on the end that fizz and spark as they’re waved around. Small bits of condensed powder wrapped in rice paper that snap and crackle when thrown against stone. But his greatest accompaniments were the tubes of bamboo that he would ignite and launch over the lake. They produced bright blasts of sparks and fire that lit up the night sky.

The villagers were amazed and awed by Zhiqiang’s inventions and insisted they be used for every festival or celebration. Pleased that his discovery was well received, he agreed, and continued to research and experiment with what he had named fire powder. Some villagers suggested he go traveling, showing his “fireworks” to the world and selling them to become rich. Zhiqiang declined, happy with his experimentation in the village he grew up in and loved.

His fireworks grew more complex and spectacular over the next few years and he began experimenting with using magic in their creation. Colors and shapes and even simple sounds not normally possible with alchemy alone began to appear much to the delight of the villagers. He even developed the ability to create the signature sparks and blasts with his magic alone. His master joked that he worked with the fire powder so much it now ran in his veins.

At some time in his mid twenties, the village seems to be struck by a strange ailment. It wasn’t a physical illness, but people would just… stop caring. They became listless, uninterested with anything beyond the basic necessities of staying alive. Simply surviving, but no longer truly living.

Alarmed by this malady, Zhiqiang does his absolute best to counter it. It seemed to affect the adults first, so he moved the children up the mountain to his workshop and home so they would not catch whatever this disease was. None of his medicines or magics seem to do anything to alleviate the symptoms. Work to provide food was still being done, so their village was not in danger of starving, but its spark of life was gone.

Zhiqiang refuses to give up and keeps trying. A few weeks go by, and then a month. He begins to grow anxious because while he has taken every precaution, he worries that he will eventually succumb to the sickness as well. The children manage to keep him in high spirits as they live with him. They manage to convince him to help them throw a festival in the hopes that maybe that will cheer up their parents.

He goes along with it, helping prepare food and decorations. He delivers them to the adults who give halfhearted thanks. He gets everyone afflicted to meet by the lake and with the assistance of the children, puts on a spectacular fireworks show.

To his shock, this seems to temporarily rouse the adults back to their old selves. They describe the feeling of wading through thick water, all their senses dulled. Nothing seemed to matter until the bursts of light and color and sound reawakened them. However, the following morning, they seem to slip back into their subdued state.

More determined than ever now, Zhiqiang sets to work. He installs magical stalls around the village that would constantly give off sparks. Every night he put on a fireworks show. Children and adults alike would carry around bundles of the long “sparklers” and light them if they noticed someone seeming to slip back into their listlessness. As his supply of fire powder began to deplete, Zhiqiang began relying more and more on his magic to create the fireworks, slowly exhausting him as he continued to search for a permanent cure.

Two weeks after discovering that his fireworks warded off the illness, a stranger who hid their features under a heavy cloak arrived. They walked through the village and wherever they passed, the sparklers and stalls would be snuffed out. The children, noticing this strange person and seeing their parents immediately fall back into lethargy, ran up the mountain to inform Zhiqiang.

Zhiqiang tells the children to remain in his home and goes to confront this intruder. He meets them halfway down the trail and demands who they are. The stranger simply begins to talk about the illness. How it has spread to every corner of China, and is rumored to have even seeped into the Heavens. How none have seemed to escape its grasp. Except here. Here where strange sticks give off sparks of fire and light.

Zhiqiang again demands for this person to reveal their identity. The person chuckles and remarks how curious it is that Zhiqiang hasn’t fallen ill himself. Usually its the children who take the longest to succumb. But succumb they do. They all do. They would make sure of it to ensure his ascension.

Alarmed at this, Zhiqiang asks if this person is responsible for the sickness. The stranger ignores him a third time and says how troublesome these strange fire sticks are. How he’ll need to get rid of them if he wishes to rule over the Heavens and Earth. How to ensure that they do not spread beyond this village, everyone here must die.

Zhiqiang, realizing this person is a threat, instinctively launches a magical firework at them. They manage to barely dodge, but their cloak catches fire. The person tosses it aside, revealing a demon with toad-like features. They laugh, realizing Zhiqiang is the one responsible for countering his Idle Mist. They’ll have to kill him first.

They fight, Zhiqiang attacking with his fireworks and the Idle Mist Demon spewing out clouds of fog to conceal his location. Zhiqiang, still exhausted and untrained in combat, is forced to give ground to the Idle Mist Demon. He retreats up the mountain, heading for his storage shed where he keeps a stock of fireworks that he hopes to use to change they tide of the battle.

Unfortunately, the Idle Mist Demon manages to catch him off guard as he’s preparing a large firework. He launched into his shed, where it immediately catches fire from him unfinished firework. Time seems to stop as Zhiqiang realizes he’s about to die. The amount of fireworks that have just been lit going off all at once will create a blast he could not survive. He’s failed.

Light from the full moon seems to pour in from the damaged wall and roof. A voice speaks to him.

What are you fighting for?

Zhiqiang immediately thinks of the children he told to stay in his home to keep them safe. Of the other villagers that are family to him. How the Idle Mist Demon would kill them just for a chance at ruling everything. How if they do win, life would be over. There would still be people left living, but the things that made life worthwhile would be gone forever.

He could not allow any of that to happen.

I can help you. But you will be forever changed from your fellow man. You would be able to walk amongst them for some years yet, but eventually you would have to live apart. Rarely seen or heard except by those who believe. Would you willingly give up your humanity and your place amongst them in order to save them?

Filled with new resolve, Zhiqiang unhesitatingly answers yes.

The moonlight grows impossibly bright and fills him just as the shed explodes. The Idle Mist Demon laughs over his triumph, when a enormous pillar of sparks and fire bursts from the wreckage of the shed. It flies through the air before solidifying into a dragon.

He had bright crimson scales, a mane of fiery orange, glittering black horns and claws to match his fire powder, whiskers that were lit at the ends like his sparklers, and glowing eyes that burst between every color imaginable.

Zhiqang looks down at the now terrified demon and roars. He has newfound control over his fireworks now and give the Idle Mist Demon no quarter. The Idle Mist Demon does not go down easily, but Zhiqiang manages to grab them in his claws and flings them into the air. He blasts them with a powerful firework from his mouth, launching them further upwards and ending them once and for all in a massive blast of rainbow flame.

His foe defeated, Zhiqiang surveys the land and sees what was hidden from his mortal eyes before. A thick mist covered everything, with more being spewed from horse-sized toads. He blasts one with a fireworks and it burns away swiftly. Zhiqang, now with a way to end the sickness apparently affecting all of China, goes first to his house to let the children know it is safe.

The children, awed by his new dragon form beg to go with him. They insist he’ll need their help finding all the toads in the nooks and cranny’s of the big cities. He gives in, and together they fly around the country, destroying any of the Idle Mist Demon’s toads they come across and dissipating the mist. A messenger of heaven approaches them and begs for some of his fireworks so they could free the Heavens from the mist as well.

It takes them nearly three days to find and destroy all of the toads and clear the mist. Zhiqiang flies them home to their village once their task is done. Exhausted, he reverts to a human form, and passes out.

When he awakes a few days later, he is met with a huge celebration from the villagers and a procession of messengers from various nobles. They wish to have him come to their cities so he may be honored and that their alchemists can learn of his incredible invention that cured them all of the idle sickness. He politely declines but says that he would happily teach anyone who made the journey to the village instead.

So many come to the village to learn, that a college is built nearby and the village grows into a bustling town known for its alchemists.

Zhiqiang teaches at the college for many years, taking on many apprentices who would go on to invent incredible things. Over time, it becomes apparent that Zhiqang does not seem to be aging. As the years pass and the people he knew as a human grew and aged and died, Zhiqiang began to think more and more of the words of the moon. It was when a new group of students walked through him, neither seeing or hearing him, that Zhiqang knew that his time among the humans were over.

Saying goodbye to those few who could still see him, he traveled to the top of the mountain to look down at his home for one last time. When the sun set, he gave one last fireworks display in tribute. As the last firework faded, he was approached by a person claiming to be a dragon like him. They explained that they’ve been keeping an eye on him, waiting for the right time to take him back to his master who wished to invite Zhiqiang into his court.

When Zhiqiang asks who this master is, he’s shocked to hear it is Ao Qin, the Dragon King of the South. He accepts the offer and follows the messenger to the Southern Dragon Palace. There he meets Ao Qin, who explains that Zhiqiang is the last living descendant of his first born son. He had fallen in love with a human woman and renounced his immortality to be with her. Ao Qin had been keeping an eye on their children and was pleased that Zhiqiang managed to awaken his dragon ancestry.

Ao Qin informally adopts Zhiqiang, renaming him Ao Huang in honor of his invention and his deed in saving all of China. Huang is taught the politics and customs of the Dragon Courts. He is also given his own domain withing a mountaintop valley rich with the materials to create his fireworks that just so happens to be close by to his human town. He is even put in charge of a fireworks show during every Solstice and Equinox council the four dragon courts have every year.

Huang grows into his new role with ease. Over time, he meets and befriends certain individuals. The sole survivor of the Sisters of Flight. A man made of golden sand. A loud and boisterous adventurer. A being that looks like a giant rabbit, but has an air of ancientness around him. He eventually meets a young Winter spirit as well.

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How he meets each Guardian and what occurs after I will leave out for now as they are relevant to a potential fic I may write with this character.

Unfortunately, while I have his back story all figured out, his personality is still a bit nebulous at the moment. I know he enjoys marbles and marble runs. He even creates little marble with perpetually exploding fireworks trapped within them to give to his close friends. But beyond that, Xin Zhiqiang/Ao Huang is still very much a work in progress.

Still! He’s come a long way from just being a modernized repeat of Jack’s back story.

I hope you enjoyed this little look into my oldest character! Until next time!

-Ink

#Ink Writes #The Radiant Dragon of Celebration #Rise of the Guardians #RotG #LEGO Monkie Kid #LMK #Xin Zhiqiang #Ao Huang #Fanfiction #Lunar New Year #Year of the Dragon

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carneirodemercurio · 16 days

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Honouring Ceres at the start of her Cerealia festival, with gratitude for the nourishment & abundance she brings me.

"Obvious are the bounteous promise and gifts of the Goddess. Ceres delights in peace: pray you farmers, pray for endless peace. Honour the goddess with wheat, and dancing salt grains, and grains of incense offered on the ancient hearths. Ceres is pleased with little, if it’s pure in kind."

Sponte deae munus promeritumque patet. Pace Ceres laeta est; et vos orate, coloni, perpetuam pacem. Farra deae micaeque licet salientis honorem detis et in veteres turea grana focos. Parva bonae Cereri, sint modo casta, placent. Ovid. Fasti.

Honrando a Ceres ao comezo da sua festa de Cerealia, con agradecemento pola alimentación e a abundancia que me trae.

"Espontáneamente o favor e a promesa da Deusa está claro. Ceres delétase na paz: e vós, labregos, orade pola paz perpetua. Honra á deusa con trigo e mica e grans de incenso ofrecidos nos antigos fogares. Ceres está satisfeita con pouco, ofrecido dun modo puro".

#paganismo romano #roman paganism #galego #Ceres #Cerealia

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eclipsecrowned · 25 days

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some aurelia facts i am rotating bc i post about her the least of my pcs

negging is a love language. in a shared verse alone she warns sybelle to shut up about her feet hurting or she'll have one of the clerics use daylight -- the dnd equivalent of threatening your neurodivergent friend with the overhead lights. questions how hel is the most hideous beast to walk ao's creation but she always has two gorgeous elf men hanging off of her. asks if x*n disappoints them as a son will her wife be EATING their child... it all comes from a place of good-natured ribbing, but there's rough edges around her affinity for anyone. unsurprisingly in her solo playthrough, ast*rion is her bestie.

a hunter ranger! back home she's the local emergency services taking down threats that can't be handled by farmers with pitchforks or her mother's druid circle. she's highly effective at her job, and definitely gives the vibe of someone who is terrifying to deal with in her element before the tadpole nerfed her. there's some implications that given how dnd inheritance works, she might have gained an edge from her father coming from a society of monster hunters, being gur and all.

the daughter of an archdruid up north. or, should i say, the latest child of an archdruid up north. also the only half-elf on the family tree. aurelia's mother is old even by druid standards, though her elven blood and rites she's undertaken have rendered archdruid arianrhod eternally young. aurelia has, on one discord thread occasion, harassed a clearly wizened elf in another grove with 'i'm telling mother,' which puts into perspective just how old her family line runs just in her own generation.

actually the shortest of my tavs? she's 5'2". tiny but mighty. even the half-drow valas beats her by about three inches. she makes up for it by being lean but jacked -- to elven standard, she's basically a bodybuilder. to every other race, she's just compact but strong.

per forgotten realms canon, she actually had a reverse coming out scenario. where bisexuality is the norm in society, she had to come out and say she was only attracted to one gender. yes i do play this for laughs slightly as a dyke who is still in the closet.

yes it was very kind of *rpheus to give her and her queen his dragons to fight the lich bitch. hers is still named fluffy now though <3 she acknowledges one day this dragon is going to eat her, and she will 100% deserve it.

#aureliatbt

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dragonnwriter · 1 year

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Inviolable Bindings

AemondxAegonxFemOC

All Chapters Here!

Chapter 7

Viserra wasn’t sure where her dragon had been nesting, even though she could feel him nearby. After changing her clothes and receiving the small pack of food, she ventured past the yard and out of the keep. The guards who opened the gate this morning were the same ones that had been there the other day. This time though, they did not give her a second glance, at least not one that she noticed.

She looked over the skies for Rhyn and did not have to wait long, her dragon knew that she was searching for him. The unmistakable deep growl and flapping of wings soon announced that he was there as he landed next to her.

“Emagon ao issare jurnegēre rȳ se tegor kesīr? Daor quba syt lī qilōni glaesagon kesīr?” Have you been exploring the lands here? Hopefully not causing too much trouble for farmers and terrorizing their animals. She leaned into his snout and rubbed the spot in between his eyes, “Ivestragī īlva jikagon hen se ūndegon hēnkirī. Urnēptre nyke skoros ao ūndegīon.” Let us go out and explore together. Show me what you’ve found.

After climbing up onto her dragon’s saddle, she strapped herself in and they took to the skies. They were soon flying outside of the walls of King’s Landing and further into the lands, soaring over the small villages that lay outside of the main city.

They flew for more than an hour, only stopping when Viserra’s stomach started to growl. The break in their exploration was welcomed by both, finding a grassy hillside to land and lay on for a while before taking her mount into the skies again.

Viserra felt at peace in the sky with her dragon, finally some time spent without tension or watchful eyes. They flew up past the clouds where there was only peace and quiet, a place that only dragonriders knew.

As they soared through the calm air, Viserra thought she would continue her ride standing atop Rhyn’s back. This was something she did often when flying alone and in good weather. Without another thought, she tied the reins to the horn of her saddle and started unbuckling her legs.

“Gīda, Rhyn.” Steady, Rhyn. She encouraged, waiting for confirmation that her dragon was listening and they were in tune with each other. He spread his wings wide and held steady in the air while she moved to crouch on her seat.

Slowly, she raised herself to standing, holding her arms out to her sides and taking in a deep breath. Laughing as the feeling of adrenaline started to pump through her veins, she found the exhilaration almost took her breath away. The stunt came in handy when she felt the need to escape from life down on the land.

There was nothing to match the feeling of the bond between dragon and rider, especially when they were both in sync with each other. It didn’t matter where she was, who she had been with, only that she was soaring in the skies at the mercy of her dragon’s respect to keep her safe in the air.

Completely focused on Rhyn’s steady gliding and balancing against the wind, she didn’t notice a huge dark shadow coming through the break of the clouds hundreds of yards behind her. It was the sudden tensing of the dragon beneath her feet that cued her in that something as amiss.

Crouching down again, she finally noticed the intrusion. It was a huge beast of greenish bronze. Despite its size, it didn’t have any trouble gliding smoothly through the air like they did.

“Lykirī.” Be calm. She encouraged him, sensing his growing uneasiness with the presence of another dragon. Quickly she sat back in her saddle and strapped herself in, unsure of how Rhyn would react and also worried about the other dragonrider’s intentions. “Ilagon.” Dive. She commanded, lowering herself to be flush with him as he pulled his wings inward and took a sharp descent through the clouds.

As soon as her dragon broke through the sky, he let out a screech and suddenly jerked them to the right as if avoiding something. It took Viserra a moment to get her bearings and realize that there had been another dragon beneath the clouds that they had almost ran into.

This dragon was a magnificent blue and white, having many spikes along its back and tail. She recognized the rider immediately, it was Helaena, who herself did not look surprised in the least to see her there. A small wave of guilt washed over Viserra as she laid eyes on the woman before her, thinking back to her choice of activities that morning.

“Lykirī, kessi daor ōdrikagon īlva.” Be calm, Rhyn. They will not harm us. She comforted him and gave him a few taps to his side. The nervous dragon needed the extra reassurance having never been confronted by anything or anyone else while flying.

Helaena reached her arm out to her with a smile, as if reassuring her that their interaction was indeed friendly. Viserra smiled back, still holding tight to her nervous dragon’s reigns.

The large dragon that had met her above the clouds earlier, descended down to their right. Now that they were side by side, she realized it was at least double the size of Rhyn. It had to be Vhagar. The rider she recognized right away as well.

Rhyn snorted and took it upon himself to dive further down and away from the large dragon, coming up on Dreamfyre’s left.

“Hey!” Viserra irritatedly called to her dragon, watching as Dreamfyre synced her flight up with theirs.

She looked over at Aemond, his expression unreadable, almost irritated, but watching her nonetheless. They were the ones who intruded her flight, she thought, there was no reason for him to be annoyed.

Shaking off her own irritability from both her dragon that was calling his own shots and the man across the way that somehow got under her skin, she looked towards Helaena and decided she would enjoy this moment in the sky.

“I have never flown with someone!” Viserra shouted, hoping that Helaena would be able to hear her.

Helaena beckoned her with her hand, “Follow us!” She shouted back.

Dreamfyre suddenly flew ahead of them and Viserra urged Rhyn to follow.

Feeling his rider’s confidence and sensing no harm from the other dragon, Rhyn followed, both of them picking up speed and circling around each other as they flew. She looked back to see that Vhagar and her rider continued their steady flight behind them as well.

Viserra felt like this was where she belonged, here in the sky with other dragons and their riders. Again, the fire raging in her chest felt like it was trying to reach out to Helaena. In that moment she truly began to believe that it had something to do with their Valyrian blood.

They flew for a while longer, weaving their dragons around each other and taking themselves above the clouds several times. The sun was starting to descend along the horizon and Viserra followed Helaena’s lead back down into the city.

She would dismount with them but would not house her dragon in the pit as they did. Her dragon had never been chained down nor had he ever been contained. The arena they flew all three dragons down into was a massive structure atop a hill. It was built like a giant colosseum, a sight to behold in itself.

Several men wielding wooden staphs surrounded the dragons and Viserra felt Rhyn’s uneasiness and agitation suddenly return.

“Gaomagon daor zūgagon, kesā sōvegon qrīdrughagon hen kesīr hae aderī hae nyke jiōragon hen.” Do not worry, you will fly away from here as soon as I dismount. She spoke to her dragon, reassuring him that she would not be turning him over to these strangers. After patting his neck, she untied herself from the saddle and climbed down his back.

But before she could dismiss him herself, Rhyn took to the skies immediately, almost knocking her over with the sudden gust from his wings. She watched him fly from there, brows furrowed and slightly irritated at almost being knocked to the ground. The men around the pit area seemed to control the other two dragons with their Valyrian words and a degree of caution.

Helaena walked up to her after dismounting as well. “You do not want him to stay here with Dreamfyre and Vhagar? He would be well fed and taken care of. There are many caves beneath the floor here where he could rest until you ride next.”

Viserra shook her head, “He has never been housed in anything but the caves he has chosen himself. But thank you for the generous offer.” She looked to Aemond’s dragon, feeling sad for the large creature that would be stuck underground in a space much too small for such a great beast.

As if he knew she was judging him for his decision to bring his dragon here, Aemond walked up to the girls, watching intently as Viserra stared at Vhagar.

“She does not mind. She is old and sleeps most of the time when she is not being ridden,” he spoke.

Viserra turned her attention from his dragon to him, “I see,” she replied, still not convinced that Vhagar would be happier there than in the hills on her own.

The three walked out of the Dragonpit towards a wheelhouse that had most likely been waiting for Aemond and Helaena’s return.

“It should be time for supper when we return to the Keep.” Helaena informed them. Viserra began to wonder how much of their days focused on mealtimes.

They sat quietly for a few moments once the wheelhouse started its way back to the castle. It was Helaena who spoke and broke the silence once again, “I do not get to ride Dreamfyre as much as I wished. Since the children were born, I spend so much of my time with them. It was really lovely to fly out there with you today, Viserra.” She smiled warmly at her, the guilt started to come back up into Viserra’s stomach.

“I enjoyed it as well. I have never flown with another and it was certainly something I had ever experienced before. Flying for me is usually something I do to get away from everyone else…but today it felt as if I belonged up there in the skies with you.” Viserra thought maybe it was the guilt that made her tell Helaena how she had honestly felt up there with her in the skies.

She looked at Aemond, who watched them both in silence. His posture stiff and his unreadable expression still ever present.

“Will you be joining us for supper tonight?” Helaena turned to Aemond who quickly looked between both of the girls.

It took him a few seconds to formulate his reply, “If you would like me to join you, dear sister. I can manage it.”

Viserra furrowed her brows at him, trying to decipher his strange behavior. Something within her wanted to figure him out, see what he was hiding beneath that cold expression and exterior. She had seen a glimpse of it when they had sparred in the training yard but now she wanted to discover it all again.

The rest of the ride was quiet except for the noises of the wheelhouse rolling along the stone roads. Helaena had rested her head back and closed her eyes, Aemond took to staring out the window, and Viserra looked over his shoulder trying to catch glimpses of the scenery they were passing.

Once the wheelhouse pulled up to the keep, Aemond was the first to exit. Helaena followed, offering her hand to Viserra and the girls went to the door.

To Viserra’s surprise, Aemond had offered his own hand to both Helaena and herself as they climbed down the steps to the ground. She took it with caution, feeling as if the motion was forced. He did not meet her eyes when she studied him, he simply stared in the direction they were to be heading.

To only further her confusion, after she had descended the steps, he held his arm out as if to offer it for her as an escort.

Viserra stopped in her tracks and looked up at Aemond without taking his arm, she waited for him to look at her and he eventually did so begrudgingly.

Taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly, he spoke, “The proper thing to do if a man offers his arm, is to take it.”

Blinking at him, she almost snorted in response. She was not an imbecile, she knew what the proper thing to do would be. Taking in her own deep breath, she threaded her hand through the crook of his arm and let him begin to lead them into the keep. Helaena walked next to her, smiling as she saw the interaction between the two.

“I am not a savage, I was raised as a high born woman as well as with the sword. Maybe I did not want an escort,” she whispered to him as they walked.

Aemond didn’t respond to her, only continuing their walk to the dining hall. Again, the journey to their next destination was silent with only the sounds of their feet on the cobblestone.

Once they rounded the corner to the dining hall, the guards opened the doors for them to enter. The Queen, Hand, and Aegon were sitting at the table and the food had already been placed before them.

“Ah, we did not know if you three would be joining us for supper tonight.” Otto smiled, looking at Aemond who was now leading Viserra to her seat next to his brother. Helaena took her place to Aegon’s left and reached for the cup of wine that had been poured as she sat down.

Viserra watched the Hand make eye contact with Aemond and nod. Suddenly it occurred to her that bettering his manners and behavior must have been what he and his grandsire had discussed earlier that morning. It would make sense that Otto had seen their previous interaction as detrimental to her support for his other grandson’s claim to the throne once the time came.

Yet again, this man’s conniving demeanor irritated her to no end.

As Aemond pulled the chair out for her to sit, Viserra noticed that Aegon was observing their interaction with a radiating intensity. He watched closely as his brother then took the seat to her right, which was not his usual place at the table.

Viserra’s eyes met Aegon’s after his attention was pulled away from his brother's actions and he stared at her with the same intensity. She sighed and rolled her eyes before grabbing her empty wine cup, holding it up to be filled next.

The Queen broke the tension that had been building between the two brothers, “I can smell the dragon on the lot of you,” she said while taking a sip out of her cup, “The unmistakable scent is very pungent when multiplied by three dragonriders at once.”

Viserra took a long swig of the freshly poured wine. She would need at least two cups to deal with the dramatics that came with the family interactions at this dining table.

“Yes, I can only imagine when you don’t ride them regularly how the smell could be. My apologies for bringing it to dinner.” She tried to relay her false sympathy with the woman who clearly didn’t understand the bond between dragon and rider. Viserra did not think dragons stank as bad as she heard people complain, but then again she was biased for being bound with one.

To her surprise there had not been much talking during their meal. Aegon had occasionally stolen glances at both Viserra and Aemond, watching to see if there were any other interactions between the two. The whole meal was uncomfortable, but she wouldn’t let it appear to be so. Working on the cups of wine before her, she only picked at her food until deciding she would excuse herself from the table.

She might have stunk of dragon but decided against changing her clothes before wandering about the keep. There was the usual hustle of servants scurrying about the hallways, but overall it was rather quiet. Debating between a few options, she decided it would be smart to continue familiarizing herself with her surroundings, and she’d keep sipping on the cup of wine poured at supper too.

The walk would help her mind clear as the wine had made it hazy. Her thoughts wandered to her realization that she had still not yet seen the King. His health must have seriously deteriorated to not show his face at all over the last two days.

Viserra traced the stone walls as she walked through them, finding a small balcony that overlooked the Godswood. Leaning over the railing, she gazed out over the sanctuary and took in the beauty of the weirwood tree. Darkness had almost taken over the skies but the beauty of the tree still was easy to see.

Footsteps in the distance seemed to be headed in her direction, but she paid no attention to whoever was approaching. They stopped just a few feet behind her and she waited for the visitor to make themself known.

After a few moments of silence, Viserra took her elbows off of the railing and turned around.

“What in seven hells was that back there?” Aegon’s voice and face showed an array of displeased emotions. He was standing with his fists clenched and looked as if his frustrations had been held in until that moment.

“What are you talking about?” she asked, having the slightest suspicion it had to do with his brother.

Aegon took two steps closer and looked down at her, his face still twisted in a sort of frustration, “I am no fool. I saw you walk in with my brother, hand in arm, letting him seat you and then taking his place next to you.”

She rolled her eyes before addressing his baseless accusation, “The actions were meaningless,” she spoke. This really had been the truth.

She thought how Aemond did not even want to act in such a manner when she confronted him next to the wheelhouse. It was all a show for their grandsire, but apparently the show was not one Aegon was enjoying.

“I have seen the way he looks at you,” he whispered.

Viserra narrowed her eyes, they had shared one moment together and he now portrayed the amount of jealousy that one would have of a seasoned lover. “I do not think it is any of your concern how anyone looks at me, or how anyone's behavior is towards me.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, his hand reached up to grab her by the face. If she hadn’t been a few cups deep at that moment, she probably would have anticipated his move and dodged it. Instead she felt his hand grip on to her cheeks and she knew her next move would be just as impulsive as his.

Aegon brought her face just inches from his own, but before he could formulate his next words or choose his next move, he felt cold metal at the side of his neck.

No one moved for the next moment, both speaking louder with their actions than with their words. Aegon started to drop his hand from Viserra’s face but she did not lower her dagger. His expression softened just slightly, looking more hurt than angry this time.

“The next time you put your hands on me in such a manner, I will cut them off,” she spat, feeling her own anger rise in her chest.

The same hand suddenly reached around to the back of her neck and he closed the gap between their faces, crashing his lips down to hers, moving to hold her head in place.

The anger in her chest fumbled and all of a sudden she wasn’t sure what she was feeling. Whatever it was, it was hot, intense, and almost unbearable. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to run from it or directly into it. At first she let herself sink in to the kiss, but the heat on her cheeks where he had just grabbed her fired up her previous anger.

Viserra chose to push herself away and the next thing she knew she had brought the back of her hand across the side of his face. The force of the slap had knocked him back slightly into the hall and he brought his hand up to his own cheek, looking at her with a mix of desire, hurt, and anger all in one.

The silence was heavy as they both tried to comprehend the events that had just transpired. She could still feel the lingering sensation on her face where he had grabbed her and she could only hope the sting of the slap would somehow send a message better than holding him at knifepoint.

“What is going on here?” The voice demanded from behind as Aemond stepped in her view. He was suddenly standing next to Aegon and observing the angry red mark on his face.

Both Aegon and Viserra looked at Aemond wide eyed but didn’t say a word and again they all held a moment of silence. Aegon then seemed to gather himself. He brushed down his shirt and stared daggers into Viserra’s eyes for a few more seconds before taking off back down the hallway.

“You can put that away.” Aemond looked at Viserra, eyebrows slightly furrowed but his face overall held little emotion. She was still holding the dagger in her right hand and when she noticed this, she sheathed it back on her hip. “My grandsire sent me to find you when Aegon took off a few moments after you left. Initially, I thought him mad to think Aegon was going after you, but from the looks of it he was right in his assumption.”

Looking at him with the same intensity that he was looking at her, she did not reply.

“I am to escort you back to your chambers before you find yourself in any more trouble,” he stated simply.

She narrowed her eyes at him, “I do not need an escort anywhere.”

The corners of his mouth turned up just slightly, “I did not say you needed one. I am simply following orders.”

“I am not quite ready to head in for the night,” she replied to him, trying to deter herself from his company.

He looked at her, unsatisfied with her answer yet still holding her eyes with his. Somehow his silence always prompted her to find something to say.

“I was thinking of heading to the library to look through the collections you have here. The last time I was there, I didn’t get a chance to look at any of the books,” she hinted, suggesting that he had been the one to interrupt her visit there last time.

Aemond took a step towards her and offered up his arm. Again, she was hesitant to take it, but this time it seemed less forced than when they had left the wheelhouse.

“What are you hoping to find in our library?” He asked as she let her hand slip under his arm and onto his inner elbow.

They started down the hall towards the library but she did not answer his question. Instead, she let him lead the way while getting lost in her thoughts. Each unpredictable interaction she had with these two brothers drove her curiosity wild.

Everything that had happened within the last two days was playing over and over in her head. She wasn’t sure where she stood with everyone, and her mind kept flashing back to the conversation she had with Rhaenyra during the morning hours.

Time was of the essence, but it was unclear how much time she actually had.

They had made it to the library and Aemond opened the door in front of her. Walking inside, he motioned for her to enter and Viserra quickly roamed to the back of the room.

Over the next couple of hours, both Aemond and Viserra dove into their books. She cozied up on the window sill and read an old text about dragons and he sat quietly in one of the chairs reading something of his own interest.

Her eyes began to get tired and she decided it would be wise to get back to her chambers to. Closing her book, she looked up to see Aemond watching her with sharp eyes.

“Do you have any recommendations that I might take back to my rooms with me?” She asked, pulling herself down from the window.

Aemond didn’t respond but she swore he might have given her the slightest of nods. Walking around back behind a row of shelves, he eventually brought her two large texts.

“I had heard you were curious about our family’s history here. These are some of the texts that outline the last few generations of Targaryens that lived here in the castle.” He handed the books over to her, watching her eyes fill with excitement.

“Thank you,” she mumbled, looking at the book covers and feeling antsy to finally begin to dive into the most recent Targaryen history.

“Hm.” He did not answer in words, but started to walk towards the doors that led out of the library.

Following him out, she took a few steps ahead of him. “I do not need an escort back to my chambers, they are just around the corner.”

He nodded but continued, “My destination is that way as well. I would also like to be able to confirm to my grandsire that I did indeed see you enter your chambers this evening.”

Great. She thought to herself, she was being supervised, not just escorted.

She did not let him offer his arm this time, keeping the lead all of the way until they reached the double doors of her chamber. The guard outside predictably opened them once she appeared and she turned to sarcastically dismiss her supervisor from his duties.

“I think I can take it from here,” she said, shaking her head at him and watching as he cocked his own just slightly. He then nodded and motioned to her to enter the room.

Holding his eye with her own gaze for a moment, she tried to read his expression. A familiar and pleasant burn started up in her chest as they continued their eye contact. Just as when he had her pinned down in the training yard, she was able to observe his handsome and sharp features.

Again, she thought about how different Aemond was from his brother. The only similarities that they held were the silver hair and violet eyes, but their features, personality, and way they held themselves were not the same. There was even a difference in when they let the fire within themselves rage out for others to see. Aemond didn’t seem so easily triggered, like he always had a tight hold on his reins.

She noted another similarity they shared was the ability to bring out her own fire. Just being in their presence seemed to pull something from deep within her and make it want to connect with their own inner dragons.

“Viserra,” he said sharply, bringing her out of her thoughts. He stood straight, hands held behind his back, giving her that serious stare.

She did not respond and turned on her heels to enter her chamber without a farewell. Requesting Elia to draw her a hot bath for the night.

This time when she walked into her rooms, she felt the heat of the fireplace that had been lit sometime this evening. She sat the books Aemond had given to her on the table next to the armchair and basked in the fire. The heat was familiar and comforting, something that she was drawn to and in response she sat next to the flames while watching a few chambermaids fill the tub with steaming water. Ever since she was a small child, she found that the heat seemed to lull her to sleep.

With her head on her knees, she almost had let her eyes shut and let sleep take over there. Elia gently repeated her name until she lifted her head in response.

“The bath is ready and it is very hot tonight, just as you have requested.” She waited for Viserra to get up from the floor and followed her to the bathroom. She stripped herself of her riding clothes and noted it felt like peeling another layer of skin from her body.

The bath was indeed hot, the steam rising quickly. Letting the water envelope her body, she let herself heat to an almost unnatural temperature.

Viserra made no effort to wash her body and hair until Elia came to the side of the tub. “The water will soon start to grow cold, would you like help with washing?”

She looked upon her faithful chambermaid and smiled, “That would be lovely, Elia. Thank you.”

The remainder of her bath was dedicated to scrubbing the dragon smell and sweat out of her hair and off her body. Once she rose from the tub, Elia quickly helped her into a large towel to dry off.

Viserra walked back over to the fire to soak in the heat for a few more minutes before sleeping. Once satisfied that she had heated herself enough to sleep comfortably, she walked to the bed, dropping the towel and climbing inside the mound of blankets and furs.

If tomorrow’s weather was as clear and as nice as today, she would take her books to the Godswood after breaking her morning fast. It seemed like the only place besides the library that she would find the calm and quiet environment to dive into a book.

Sleep found Viserra easy that night, mostly from the amount of wine she had consumed at dinner. There were no nightmares that found her or dreams that seemed to have a hidden meaning.

Her sleep had been so peaceful, she was surprised that when she woke the sun was already bright within her room. What time was it? Had she slept in? It was rather unusual for her to sleep in till the sun was already bright in the sky.

She sat on the side of her bed, looking around the room and realized it was eerily quiet for this time of day. Elia was not in the room like she had been the morning before.

“Elia?” She called out, slowly getting herself out of bed, wrapping a large fur around her body.

There was no response.

Viserra walked to her wardrobe and grabbed a set of small clothes. She picked the first dress that she saw, not paying attention to the colors or details. Throwing it over her head, she buttoned up the front buttons and tried to slip on her shoes at the same time. Something seemed amiss but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

Not even bothering to braid her hair, she tied her weapons to herself and made her way to the doors. Viserra turned the handle and pulled, but the door did not budge. She stopped for a moment and thought maybe the door was stuck. Trying again, she pulled harder, then pushed.

The door had to have been locked from the outside.

What is the meaning of this? She thought to herself. Racking her brain for a reason that her chambermaid would have been taken from her rooms and she would have been locked inside. There was no way what had happened between her and Aegon had been found out by someone. He had been angry, but she did not think him that stupid.

If this was the treatment she would get without being told the reasoning, she might as well start planning her flight to Dragonstone.

Viserra slumped against the door and let out a frustrated sigh. Feeling vulnerable that she was at the mercy of those in this castle who were now holding her hostage.

Authors Notes:

Thank you all who are following this story! I am having a good time writing it and creating Viserra's character. Working on some more NSFW stuff too. Be patient with me. :)

Also, in the books the Dragonpit was large enough to house Balerion at his largest. So technically, Granny Vhagar also would fit. Book Dragonpit was bigger and better than show Dragonpit. Because bigger is usually better with these things, let's assume it's book canon. :D

#aemond x aegon ii x oc #aegon ii x oc #aemond x oc #aemond targaryen #aemond smut #aegon smut #slow burn #enemies to lovers #enemies to friends to lovers #house of the dragon #house of dragons #game of thrones #house targaryen #fanfiction #ao3 fanfic #aemond the kinslayer #house of the dragon aemond #dragons

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