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biteofcherry · 8 months

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Sweet and stained

Sweet and stained

soft dark Nick Fowler x female reader

a Hades/Persephone inspired AU set in modern times, with an implied mafia background

summary: You live in the sun and blooms, under your mother's protective wing (or is it cage?). When Nick Fowler strolls into your life, he brings a wave of thrilling fresh with the darkness that follows him.

warnings: soft!dark Nick Fowler; sort of dub-con; kidnapping; manipulation; light corruption kink; mentioned breeding kink; a bit of smutty scenes included;

Author's Note: This is a trope that won the poll for my birthday celebration story. Honestly, the way I imagined this fic at first is completely different from how it turned out. Less sharp than my usual style and more of a gloomy, start-of-the-autumn poetics. Still, I hope you'll enjoy!

You never knew black could shimmer so brilliantly, even though you saw its various shades in petals of unique flowers. The night sky’s ink was dotted with sparkling dust, too, after all. Yet it was only now that you noticed the luminosity of dark, as your head tilted back on the softest pillows and your gaze roamed the supple garlands of the black canopy.

Dark interior, which scared you the first time you took a step inside, now engulfed you in heady warmth. Like a sip of spicy hot chocolate, so rich and thick it coats your tongue and fills your belly with a bitter bite to its general sweetness.

There’s more spice than sweetness to your captor, but you began realizing he remained the only one to treat you with softness. As if he truly cared.

Perhaps he did?

Maybe the charm and patience he showed you at the beginning were as true as the ruthless possessiveness with which he bound you to him.

You had years to find that out. Decades at his side, to unravel the scary mystery that was Nick Fowler.

Your husband.

His face above you, as he sat beside your sweaty, spent body, shone a serene glow. His eyes a shade of clear lake, with monsters luring in the depths.

You still feared him, but Nick gave you enough proof that he wouldn’t hurt you.

Even if his plan for you was weaved out of nefarious intentions.

He set aside the glass of water which he brought to your lips a moment ago, soothing your throat that dried out from how much you screamed for him.

It’s for the best that you couldn’t speak at the moment, your breath still ragged; since you didn’t know what you’d say to him after all the debauched things he did to you. Post sex pillow talk was never your forte, but it was even more awkward after willingly spreading your legs for a man who ripped you from your life as one plucked a flower from the ground.

Silently, you watched Nick once again pick a crystal bowl from the nightstand, a shiny barrow of pomegranate seeds peeking above the rim.

He devoured some moments before he indulged in your dripping pussy.

Seeds glistened ruby richness on Nick’s fingers as he brought them to your lips; his own mouth stained with the juice. He left traces of the red sweetness on your thighs and mound, mixing pomegranate flavor with your combined spend.

Your lips wrapped around his digits as he spilled fruity grains on your tongue. One of your hands rested on your belly, just below your navel.

Nick has repeatedly filled you with seeds that night, not only those of a pomegranate.

It made you tremble. His intent was clear; not only shown in relentless, deep thrusts, but dark and dirty words whispered into your ear.

Your body shouldn’t react so eagerly to his plans, arching and spasming in whorish acceptance as he ordered you to take it; as he fucked you through one climax into another, telling you of his heir swelling in your womb.

Disgust should have filled you, instead of arousal. Because as much as you believed Nick was going to dote on you, his owning of your body in every sense was driven by revenge.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

With the wide rim of the sunhat on your head limiting your view and your focus on the pots dancing away from you (the wind that day was wickedly playful, knocking over the smaller pots every time you righted them), you weren’t paying much attention to your surroundings.

People walked past, some gleefully talking about plants, others arguing on what was or wasn’t needed in their garden. On a sunny day like that, Demeter Gardens had as many customers as a fun fair on weekends.

The staff was really busy on days like this, doubling their efforts, because it was usually when your mother chose to grace the place with her radiant presence - radiant to the customers, an absolute harpy to her workers.

There were many traits you admired about your mother. The most inspiring was the fact she was a barely out of teens single mother who managed to raise you and start a business that flourished into a state known brand.

She had her faults, too. Like the high expectations and harsh tongue when someone didn’t meet her standards.

It went both for her employees and her daughter.

Working with plants soothed you, so at least your future as the heiress to the empire your mother wanted you to take over didn’t look as grim. Even if some evenings you cried into a pillow, because it wasn’t what you dreamt of at all.

Growing under her wing, you didn’t get much of a chance to explore what exactly you could dream of, what called out to you, but you simply knew that running a gardening business wasn’t it.

You never dared to tell your mother that. Enough times have you suffered her cruel words, snide remarks regarding anything that strayed even a step away from her grand plans. Demeter had ambition rivaling many moguls and she poured it onto you as well. The only praise you got was when you won any sort of competition, or mentioned business plans.

Your mother may have only spiteful words to say about your absent father, but she possessed the same self-centered core as him. Rotten and unkind.

How plants flourished under her hands, you had no idea.

Though she didn’t spend much time with them anymore, leaving it to people who really liked working with plants. You liked the peace and quiet it offered, which is why you spent almost every day at the gardening center.

“Excuse me?” A smooth male voice startled you.

Not only with how sudden and close it was, but also because it was so unusual in a place mostly filled with cheery, loudly speaking families or couples.

You turned your head, pulling the rim of your sunhat up with your dirty fingers, so you could see the person better.

Your gaze met a pair of blue eyes, with a silvery gray swirl in them, that chilled you like an autumn rain pattering on your skin. A shadow of stubble along a chiseled jaw, which would feel under your fingertips like frosty needles of the first hoarse coating November leaves. Subtle, pink lips curved in a smile, but its charm didn’t fully cover the sharp threat of teeth that could sink in ‘till blood spilled like in spooky nightmares of autumnal season.

This man looked like the stillness of dying nature, engulfed in fog and chilling to the bones. A dark spirit amongst the lush greenery and blooming life that stretched all around.

And yet he was more beautiful than any man you ever laid eyes on.

“Yes?�� You swallowed nervously, mostly to wet your suddenly dry throat. “Can I help you?”

“I’m sure you can,” he said softly, his voice a brush of cool silk.

“See, I usually hire garden designers to take care of any greenery around my business buildings, but the one at my actual home? I wanted to work on it myself.”

“Understandable.” You smiled at him. “Having your own garden is a personal thing. Working on it helps you connect with the place that will be your oasis.”

“The problem is, I quickly realized I have zero idea what I’m doing. But I’m a stubborn bastard, who’s still adamant on chasing what he set his eyes on.” He sighed dramatically, making you laugh.

“Anyway-” he shook his head- “I’m Nick. Please, help me out?”

You gave him your name, taking his hand when he outstretched it. His fingers were calloused, though it’s the cool brush of metal of his rings that sent tiny spikes of sensation through you.

“What exactly do you need my help with, Nick?” You took off your sunhat and squinted slightly as the sunlight soaked your vision.

“My tastes are… unique.” You knew he spoke about aesthetic preferences, but couldn’t help hearing the double meaning behind it. Especially with the sensual flick of his tongue over his bottom lip.

“I’m mostly out the whole day,” Nick continued explaining, “coming home only in the evening. Which is when I wish to spend most time in the garden. To relax and enjoy its secret beauty.”

“You want night bloomers.” You guessed, grinning ear to ear.

Flowers blooming in the evening and through the night were one of your favorites. There was something about them that called out to you. Perhaps the fact they were overlooked under the radiant sun, hiding their secret beauty to flourish in shadows, when no one could judge them.

There was also the aura of mystery about them, pairing so well with your fondness for gloomy and gothic stories.

“See? I knew I was asking the right person for help.” Nick mirrored your smile; his made you a little weak in the knees.

“You have to get the Moonflower, of course.” You moved and gestured for Nick to follow you, as you led him to the far end of the center.

“I have to?” Nick chuckled, matching your step to walk beside you rather than behind you.

Shoulder to shoulder with him, you suddenly realized he was taller than at first sight. Much warmer than what his dark aura suggested, too. And his scent was a toe-curling reminder of spicy mulled wine sipped by the fireplace.

“Yes!” You nodded, brushing your fingertips along the plants you passed on your way. “Moonflower is my favorite. It’s similar to the morning glory. You won’t see its full beauty now, but I assure you it never disappoints.”

When you finally reached the corner with potted plants - from smallest to those quite grown already - Nick bent over to examine it closely. He gently trailed the heart-shaped leaves, then plucked the yellow card attached to one of the thin stems.

“Moonflower, or moon vine,” he read aloud, “is a night-blooming morning glory that opens in the evening and stays full until morning.”

Nick straightened and turned to you, gaze slowly dragging up your body. When his eyes met yours, there was a glint of something cold and dangerous in them. As if for a split of a second you saw a flash of instrumental triumph.

“Opens in the evening and stays full until morning,” he repeated the words, his voice dropping an octave and filling your belly with unexpected heat. “I like it already.”

“Uh, well-” you squeezed the rim of the sunhat in your grasp- “Yes, see, I told you. You’ll like it even more when it blooms in your garden.”

“I know I will.” Nick affirmed solemnly.

Something about his gaze, or perhaps it was the set of his jaw, quickened your pulse with a warning that his intent was more than just a harmless flirting. There was this tinge of danger about him, fizzing on the tip of your tongue with a spicy aftertaste.

If you licked his skin, the cold darkness may swallow you, but everything inside you would set aflame.

Apprehension tingled inside your chest, like wind chimes’ pearly tune that lured with their woeful longing. Reason whispered to take a step back, but feet moved forward on their own, drawn to the inner flame that may as well be straight from hell.

It was hard to break eye contact with Nick, but you feared if you didn’t look away he’d mesmerize you into selling your soul. And your body. Body which awoke with yearning to have his fingertips trail along your skin the same way he touched the plants.

Somehow you managed to turn away. The sun’s warmth returned to your cheeks, caressing your face with soothing lightness the second you stepped away from Nick’s gloomy aura.

“You should also get night blooming Jasmine. It smells so sweet.” You rambled about plants, clutching onto the topic like it was a lifebuoy keeping you afloat from sinking into fascinating, but scary depths that were Nick’s eyes.

“And Angel’s Trumpets!” With your presentation, excitement returned.

You were helping create something personal, something so very unique. However Nick chose to use your advice, you had a blissful sense of creating something yourself. A garden that may as well be yours, since it catered to your aesthetic and needs as well.

Nick ordered so many of the plants you listed that not only did you run out of stock, but had to set up a delivery from another center. You weren’t sure how big Nick’s garden was, but considering the amount of plants it had to be a king-sized land.

The thought of roaming it in the late evening, with dusk hiding hues of purple and gold in a shroud of ink black, and moonlit petals opening up for the life of creatures of the night; it made your heart yearn.

You’d love to wander through that garden.

For someone who ran a gardening empire, your mother kept you both locked in a metal and glass skyscraper, in a two-floor penthouse with (amazing, but contained) view of the city.

It was a cage.

As you watched Nick walk away after he paid in advance for the order, though he took with him some chilling sense of danger, you envied his freedom to simply walk away from the sun and the blooms.

Many would be jealous of you, you were aware of that. Living among lush greenery and constant sun seemed wonderful. It was to an extent. But this pristine, spring and summer only land, didn’t allow difference. There was no real room for unusual, dark undertones of wicked hearts that would love to have wild mushrooms spread over their lawn instead of snobby hydrangeas.

When a cooling cloud shielded you from the scorching sun, coming along with Nick as he returned the next week, you felt like breathing freely for the first time since he walked away.

This time he asked for fruit trees which he wanted to scatter among other types. The idea immediately struck you as unique, making your heart jump.

Most of the time people divided their gardens - strict lines and areas for vegetables, separating them from decorative flowers. Mixing them up seemed chaotic, but so wonderful. What a surprise to walk through gemstone garlands of wisteria to find juicy peaches at arm’s reach. Or to tread through ferns and moonflowers to discover gooseberry bushes hidden amongst them.

When Nick came on a third week, your excitement at his presence and news of his garden overpowered any sense of reason that kept you at a certain distance with him.

And when he mentioned that keeping a routine and being at the center on the same day, same hour every week could be dangerous.

“Someone could watch you, learn your schedule and plan how to steal you, Moonflower.”

Having Nick call you Moonflower - the word rolling out on his tongue in a hum of wind, chilling to the bone, but igniting that deep-soul yearning - stirred feelings that overpowered the warning.

Or maybe you started living for that rush of thrill Nick’s shadow elicited. The only spot of darkness allowed in your life. Enriching it thus.

Still, fear resurfaced with tentacles of cold wrapping around you and plucking you from the sunny spot in broad daylight as you trotted to work the week after. On the same day as usual, with a bounce to your step as thirst for Nick’s brand of addictive flavor parched your throat.

The car was black; a polished, obsidian arrowhead spearing the sheet of morning light. The engine’s sound more the growl of a prowling beast than the roar of an unhinged monster.

Despite the speed, it stopped gracefully at the curb, cutting off your route. Nick’s silhouette stunned you as he exited the car; the blue-green depth of his eyes darker than when he walked along with you through blooming alleys.

A smile didn’t have a chance to spread on your lips when his hand covered your mouth, the other arm wrapping around you.

You screamed when he dragged you inside the car, but calloused fingers stifled the sound effectively. Wet tinkle of your cries reverberated against the metal of the rings adorning Nick’s fingers.

Pleading eyes, so full of unanswered questions and fear, didn’t cut through the veil of composure. One had no chance begging their life out of death’s grip and Nick’s hold on you was a finality set in stone, as if the grim reaper came to harvest your soul to lead it to undying gardens for the rest of eternity.

“No need for tears, Moonflower.” Nick took his hand from your mouth as the car sped away.

His touch traveled down your shaking arm, harsh fingers delivering surprisingly comforting caress. He took your hand in his and brough your palm to his mouth, kissing softly each knuckle.

“I’ll make you a queen and treat you as such. No harm will ever be done to you.”

“You kidnapped me,” you pointed out, voice quiet and quivering, though you bravely held his gaze. “That’s quite harmful.”

“It’s only a means to avoid meddling of forces that would otherwise keep you away from me.” Nick rested his head back against the seat. “From what I found out about you, they’ve quashed you enough.”

“You know nothing about me, or my life!” You huffed, squirming back into the corner, your back against the side door.

You were never a physical fighter and Nick made no move to grip or hurt you other than pulling you into the car, so you didn’t attack him. You also doubted you had much of a chance of earning anything beside exhaustion and bruises.

It was pitiful to admit, but you never fought anything or anyone beside the dragons in your head. The rebellion and storm were caged within your chest, mind full of words you wanted to scream at your mother, your father, the whole world. But you never did it. Never felt secure enough in your strength to cut those ties.

“I know you’re dedicated and smart, finished on top of your class, gaining a degree that you never wanted to have in the first place.” Nick replied calmly.

His unperturbed composure was as much soothing as resonating with your usual behavior. Though you sensed that his limits weren’t pushable. If it came to it, his retaliation to being crossed would be severe. Lethal even.

You envied that power.

You wanted that power.

“You have passion for creativity and you are a fucking brilliant survivor.” Those words were spoken with admiration; a brilliant foam lighting up the sea storm of Nick’s irises.

“You don’t love gardening as a business. I doubt you’re even interested in actual gardening work. But you see and love plants, their uniqueness, the details of them. You like their beauty, even the unusual ones. You’re an artist, Moonflower.”

Your heart burst with an intermixture of colorful emotion - a hail of fireworks against the black depth that is your caged life.

“Artists should never be shackled into expectations.”

“Yet you took me, because you expect something from it,” you retorted bitterly.

“I expect nothing beyond you being by my side.” Nick’s fingers circled one of your wrists, thumb pressing against your pulse. “And strengthening the power of my empire.”

“And how am I supposed to do that?” There was nothing of value that you could give him. Did he hope for a dowry and connections from your father?

“Just by being with me.” He shifted, crowding you against your little safety corner. “Coming home to you would sweeten every hard day, knowing that I ripped something most precious from the one who took everything from my family.”

Comforting spices of his scent conflicted with the shadows he shrouded you in, painting a picture of a fairy tale that’s twisted enough that it shouldn’t be enjoyable. Yet struggling against the thorny veins of Nick’s plan seemed to have the opposite effect, pushing you further into forests of unknown thrills.

“So I’m a vengeance plan?” You’d prefer it if your voice didn’t betray the disappointment, but it was too late to take back that undertone now.

“Vengeance doesn’t mean burning the world down. That’s too simple and holds no ongoing effect.” Nick’s mouth curved in a scythe of dangerously alluring smirk, his eyes darkening. “Phoenixes rise from the ashes of burnt kingdoms. I rose from it.”

“My type of vengeance is to flourish on the fertile fields of my enemy’s broken ambitions.”

You believed Nick’s every word - that he had the resilience and endurance to build himself from whatever ruin his opponents left him with. It honed him, like hell fire does an indestructible blade.

Many would use that lethal edge to cut the throats of all enemies. But Nick’s revenge wasn’t to bring short term pain and wipe out the others, he wanted them to drown in their suffering, to stretch it out plucking petal after petal of their lush empires.

“You, Moonflower-” he skimmed his fingers along your arm and up the column of your throat- “are my prosperity. My core to thrive.”

“Binding you to me and allowing you to bloom into a woman you always wished to be, whatever form that may take,” Nick loosely curled his fingers around your neck, “will make me happy for I know you’re a brilliant gem. But I won’t hide that it will also crush the rotten heart of my enemy.”

“Seeing you at my side, growing along me and with me-” something about that particular choice of words unfurled heat in your core, like the time he mentioned flowers staying full-

“-will keep the flame of anger and pain consuming her daily.”

“Her?” you suddenly blinked, moving your legs slightly to alleviate the pressure that uncomfortably grazed your folds.

“My mother?” You stared at Nick in bewilderment. “She’s your enemy?”

Nick chuckled, though you weren’t sure if it was at your astonishment or the squirmy movement of your body which he noticed. He leaned closer still, knees brushing against yours. Where the fabric of your summer dress rolled up on your thighs, the fine fabric of his suit pants grazed your skin.

“Your mother may present herself as the survivor against all odds and she is very determined, I’ll give her that. She also became heartless in her need to improve her life and show the world she doesn’t need help, ripping the fortune of others to build herself.”

“She stole from you?” There wasn’t much shock in your response. After all, you knew the backstage face of the gardening queen; the truth behind the sunny smile of the nature-loving new age goddess.

“From my family.” Nick gritted his teeth at the mention. “They took her pregnant under their roof, taught her family secrets of maintaining lush flowers. I was barely four when you were growing in her belly, but I remember her always slapping my hand away when I wanted to touch it, to feel a tiny baby miracle kicking.”

He didn’t say it, but you began to understand the part of possessiveness. The touch he didn’t withdraw an inch once he was able to reach for you freely. Something he was denied, now he ripped it away for himself.

“First she stole the knowledge, then farms and fields.” Nick continued, his voice heavy with ice cold anger. “Came with fancy lawyers and bulldozers, chasing my family away from the scrap of land and the mounds of soil that my grandparents brought from Romania.”

You remembered one time your mother mentioned something about the secret being in the soil, a harpy reflection to her smile when she did.

“My mother’s heart couldn’t take it. My father fled to Romania, finding the only solace in a small square of land where he grew a new hybrid of flowers. Named it after my mother.”

Nick paused for a moment, his eyes boring into yours. A few breaths and the rage surpassed, leaving the lull of oceanic waves in his eyes. They rocked you as you held his gaze; your body attuning to the pulse of crackling fireplace on a dead cold autumn night that was Nick’s aura.

“I’m not a gardener myself,” Nick shrugged, easing his free hand up your leg. “But I know how to plow through hard and high grounds. I’ve made myself a different kind of empire, though I always remained respectful of nature and plants, as my parents did.”

You didn’t even feel him grip you any harder, yet somehow Nick managed to switch your positions in a blink of an eye - pulling you onto his lap.

One of his hands remained at your throat, thumb gently stroking up and down along your pulsing vein.

“You’ll be my queen. You’ll give me heirs.” It wasn’t a proposition, but a declaration of decision set in stone. “I’ll give you the freedom and power you so desperately crave.”

“What do you know of my cravings?” You hoped to challenge his confidence, to fight against the tendrils of magnetic pull that weaved around your limbs.

“I know you turned my way like a plant does seeking the sun,” Nick’s hand slid beneath your dress. “Keeping so close, coming even closer each time, like an addict hopes to lick a single fleck of whatever gets him high.”

Cool rings pressed into your skin, spiking your heart rate into a paradoxical pasodoble between desire and trepidation. Just like the nights you used your own fingers to the image of Nick fucking you in the night garden.

“I know each time you thought I was coming to visit, you wore a shorter dress.” His fingers on your thigh inched further up. “This one today? If I met you inside the gardening center and you’d bend over to show me moss arrangements, I’d get a peek of your ass.”

He did get that peek.

When he bent you over his bed that night. After having you sign your name on all the legally (illegally too, undoubtedly) binding documents as a paid, stoic-faced registrar officiated your wedding. The ink was deep red, as blood that one spills for the devil.

Red was also the wine Nick brought to your lips in a crystal glass. The rich, thick taste of it was a bland mist compared to the burning magma of Nick’s lips against yours, molting away the taste of your previous life as he sealed your contract.

One hand on the nape of your neck, holding you in place as he fed you his sinful tongue, the other buried beneath your sundress. Firm, relentless fingers eliciting tangy, warm rain from between your thighs; watering the soil of the garden filled with plants that you picked. That you loved and Nick provided for you.

He made you mark the land as yours, as he marked you as his. Your voice an enchanted cry of spell that was Nick’s name.

Then he took you to the bedroom - the heart of the underworld kingdom.

Though the dark interior sent a ripple of unease down your spine at first; it was like stepping into a cold, mountain stream after days of hiking in blinding sun. Then the jewel undertones of onyx and cuprite engulfed you. Shimmering black curtains of the canopy parted its wings for you, as Nick led you to the bed.

You never strayed from dirt, but it only stained your hands and clothes as you worked with soil. The dirt spilling from Nick’s mouth as he took you seemed to twist your body into inhuman arches of pleasure, reshaping your mind so it became greedy for the sizzling impulses his filthy words elicited.

Tightest cunt.

Delicious hole.

Breedable pussy.

Mine.

Tears trickled down your cheeks - a salty passage from a girly life of obedient silence into empowered if dark womanhood. Briny dew altered into shy sweetness as your moans stretched, tears turning into those of overwhelming pleasure.

Nick showered you with it. With his tongue and fingers; with his cock that filled you with girth and the precious spent he cursed to take root in your womb.

He led you like a queen, just like he promised, once you were able to stand on your trembling legs after hours of being both worshiped and owned. A silk robe in a color of a red so dark it might as well be woven from arterial blood floated around your frame as Nick took you into the garden.

His fingers intertwined with yours. His pace adjusted to yours, not once rushing or slowing you down.

Focused on admiring the beauty of silvery moonflowers and creamy bells of Angel’s Trumpets, you didn’t notice Nick’s eyes were only on you.

#biteofcherry's birthday banquet #nick fowler x reader #nick fowler x female reader #nick fowler x you #nick fowler imagine #nick fowler fic #hades x persephone AU #my writing #sweet and stained

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kraekat29 · 26 days

Text

The Lakes- Chapter Three

Ruby followed JJ to the town, staying in the water as he went to fetch all the supplies he needed, promising he would be back soon.

She took the opportunity to go through the bag he had left, looking through some of the pictures he had in there.

There were a few of him and a man she assumed was his father, and a bunch of group photos- only the dark haired girl got her attention, her arm was always around JJ.

Ruby frowned, of course he had a normal human girlfriend, she was foolish for even having feelings for him. Pirates and mermaids were forbidden anyway.

She put the pictures back and went underwater, maybe she should just leave. This was all one big mistake.

JJ came back, frowning as he didn’t see her anywhere, setting his bag down in the boat and looking around.

“Ruby?” He called out, his eyes scanning the water, she came up, blinking the tears from her eyes and giving him the best smile she could muster.

“oh good. You’re still here” He said with a nervous laugh, “yea.. just found a shell..” She said and held it up.

JJ went over and gently grabbed it from her, Ruby watching his every move, “it’s pretty” he said and handed it back.

She followed him back to she ship, keeping her distance from the traps as he climbed the ladder.

“well Ruby, I’ll see you around” JJ said, “oh.. yea see you..” Ruby said, disappointed, “just be careful of the traps” he reminded and she nodded.

She swam parallel to him, swimming up to peek through one of the portholes, her hands grasping the ledge.

“did the run go alright?” Ruby automatically recognized her, it was the dark haired girl, “yea Kie, everything went smoothly” JJ said and set the bags down.

Ruby frowned, why wasn’t he mentioning her? Was she really that unimportant?

“good. I’m glad” Kiara said and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Ruby’s heart shattered as one single tear slipped down her cheek.

She never should’ve fallen for a pirate.

tags: @cristina-t @thatsthewaythechrissycrumbles @the-tortured-poets-depxrtment @redhead1180 @rafescurtainbangz

@princessmaybank @pankowkisses @yukswl0v3 @jjxkiaraxpopexcleoxjohnbxsarah

@haven247

#jj maybank #ruby routledge #john b routledge #sage medici #kiara carrera #pope heyward #cleo obx #sarah cameron #rafe cameron #jj maybank smut #obx #obx fic #outer banks

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bridgyrose · 11 months

Note

Weiss is a siren and she drags Yang down to turn her into a siren as well.

(This isnt normally in a siren's skill set, but.... I think I have something that can work.)

Weiss peeked out of the water, making sure not to pop too far out and keeping to the shadows as she watched a woman at the edge of the lake. A smile crossed her lips as she bit her lip and moved closer to the shore, webbed fingers slicing through the water to pull her closer with ease. Normally, this would be her chance for an easy meal. All she had to do was sing to the maiden and pull her under and no one would notice she was gone. But this woman was different. This blonde was one that she had been watching for months and had fallen in love with after a few attempts to sway her as a meal. The only woman who seemed to never be enticed by her siren song, yet still willing to sit so close to the shore and try to talk as if seeing an old friend.

No, this time, Weiss wasnt in search of an easy meal, but for a lover that she could keep by her side. Someone who could resist the call of a siren, and here she had the perfect candidate waiting for her. Though, there was one little thing that was going to have to change, even if she needed a little outside help.

“Weiss?” The blonde called. “Are you out here today?”

Weiss slowly poked her head out of the water a little closer to the shore and pulled herself out onto one of the rocks, her hair draping down her back. “Until this lake runs out of food for me, I’ll always be here.”

“R-right. I uh… I dont know, I thought you might’ve gotten run out by the fishers that came by yesterday.”

“As if they’d ever drive me out,” Weiss said as she rolled her eyes and ran a clawed hand down the scales of her arm. Her eyes almost seemed to gleam in the sunlight as she laid out to bask in the rays of the sun, her voice starting to sound like a song as she spoke. “No matter how many men they use, I’ll never leave my home.”

“What about to get to your family.”

Weiss sat up a bit. “You know I dont have any family, Yang. At least not in the sense that you mean.”

“Oh… right…” Yang sighed and cast her fishing line into the water and sat her fishing pole down next to her. “Must be lonely.”

“It can be. Though, I think my luck may change soon.”

“How so?”

Weiss slid back into the water and made her way to the shore, a smirk on her face as she stopped in front of Yang. “I think I’ve found the one I’ve been looking for all along.”

Yang smiled a bit. “You should bring him around then. I’d love to meet another merfolk, though, I’m not sure I’ll be able to be around much longer.”

“And why not? Things not going well at home?”

“Sorta.” Yang sighed and tied a small bell to the end of her rod. “Dad’s been gone a lot longer than normal on his fishing trip and Ruby needs me to stay around closer to her. Not that she cant manage without me, but… she needs to focus on her studies and not have to worry about anything else. Which means I’ll need to take work closer to home.”

Weiss paused for a moment as she looked the human woman over. Taking her away from family would probably only do more harm than good, but it wasnt like she was really doing much with her life to begin with. “Then maybe you should help her find someone she can be with.”

“Its not that simple. Humans take time to get to know the ones they want to spend time with and to love. We cant just find someone on a whim and go with it?”

Weiss nodded and pulled herself onto the shore, lifting herself up a bit. “And what do you think of me?”

“I… what?”

“You heard my question: what exactly do you think of me? You keep coming back here, you look for me, you worry about me… what am I to you?”

Yang blushed and adjusted her position at the edge of the beach. “I-I see you as a friend. And I do care about you in a way I care about my sister.”

“Show me.”

“What?”

“Show me what I mean to you. The same way you would your sister.”

“I… I dont know…” Yang sighed and leaned forward a bit. “Do you have homework you need help with-”

Weiss reached up and put her hands against Yang’s cheeks, claws gently moving across her skin, being careful not to hurt her. “Dont you think you’ve deserved a chance to live your own life?” she asked in a hushed whisper. “One where you dont need to worry about your sister. One where you can be yourself without any worry. I can give that to you if you show me exactly what I mean to you.”

“Weiss… I… I…”

Weiss didnt wait and pulled Yang into a kiss, holding her tightly as her claws dug into her. With a grin, she pulled Yang back into the water and dragged her deep under the water, breathing air into her lungs. A small necklace floated out from a small pouch she wore on her side and she slipped it around Yang’s neck, breaking the kiss as she watched her lover try to swim to the surface. Her eyes stayed glued to Yang as she watched her skin glitter like scales, her smile widening. “You’ll understand this soon enough, Yang. You’re mine and I wont let you go.”

#rwby #weiss schnee #yang xiao long #drabbles #siren au #Siren!Weiss

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yeehawbvby · 6 months

Text

Falling Away With You | Ch. 45

Sebastian x F!Reader and M. Rasmodius x F!Reader

Rating: Mature/Explicit

Chapter Summary: Time for that cute date with Magnus! :^)

Author’s Note: I was gonna release this chapter either tomorrow or next Wednesday, but here it is early, as a little Halloween Spirit's Eve present!! (Totally beating myself up rn for not lining up the Spirit's Eve chapter to come out today.. ough)

Anyway, there's a lotta RomRas referenced in the first half of this one! It’s pure, cavity-inducing fluff >:3 And some sillies, because of course there is.

I hope y’all enjoy it, take care, and happy Halloween! x

Table of Contents + Work Summary

Check it out on ao3!

Prev | Next

After freshening up in Magnus’ restroom, I jog back downstairs to the main floor, where he’s patiently waiting for me to head out.

After I slip on my shoes, he takes both of my hands in his, calmly stroking my knuckles with his thumbs. “Ready?”

I hum my affirmation, nodding and smiling at the handsome wizard in front of me. As per usual when I’m being teleported, I close my eyes, saving myself from any potential freak-outs. I’m curious to know what it looks like to teleport, but today isn’t that day… Or tomorrow. Baby steps, (y/n).

I realize we must be at our destination when I feel a soft breeze against my cheeks and hear the sounds of nature.

The air smells fresh and crisp, and as Magnus steps aside and I open my lids, I’m met with a beautiful, serene forest, like something out of a fairytale. The pine trees directly ahead of us are coated in green moss and beige fungi, and as my eyes scan upward, I notice that there’s a vast cliff behind them, with more woodland up top.

As my gaze pans right, I see a waterfall that drops onto a small, elevated piece of land before creating a new and thicker cascade just below it. There’s a pale rainbow forming around the foam at the bottom, making every straying droplet look like glitter bouncing through the air. The crystal-clear water of the river it flows into shines iridescently under the sunlight, and as I turn around to follow its path, I realize it’s all gathering into a vast lake full of fish I’d never known existed. Some are purple, with pointy pink fins; others teal, with what looks like small rubies and emeralds and sapphires embedded into their scales.

Completing my full circle, I peek behind Magnus, noticing a similar pattern to what I’d already seen: a long and wavy river, waterfalls, and trees galore. When I finally look back up to him, he’s peering down at me. His cheeks are pink but his eyes stay maroon, and he has that cozy, lovestruck gaze he usually does when looking my way.

“Where are we?“ My voice comes out quiet, as if speaking any louder would somehow disrupt the peace.

“Grenville Falls,” he answers. “A forest of magical origin that lies far from civilization, and one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever come across in my travels.” I guess that explains why it’s so serene here. Humans haven’t been around to taint it yet. “Until now, most of the magic we’ve discussed has been almost purely pragmatic.”

“Almost.” I give him a shit-eating smirk.

My brother in Yoba is seriously trying to pull the “Magic must be used responsibly!!!” bullshit after casting spells on me for his own horny entertainment on several occasions. Magnus laughs before looking around at the grove we're standing in.

“Buuut,” he pointedly continues, “we’ve only barely touched on the simpler joys that magic can bring.” He turns back to me and laces our fingers together, a soft grin slightly plumping the warm apples of his cheeks. “I realize that, spiritual interference or not, it must have been hard to befriend me – let alone begin seeing me romantically – given how suspect our first interactions must have made me seem, alongside how out of touch I am in current social practices.”

Oh. So he really had almost no idea that I was unwillingly swooning right off the bat? I thought he’d read my mind plenty back then… maybe it was less than I’d assumed.

I give his hand a reassuring squeeze. Maybe he knows now, if anything – and if not, I could always just tell him when he’s not, like, pouring his entire heart out to me.

Magnus continues, “And yet you took the trouble to give me a chance, my dear, in spite of all that stood in our way. You’re so incredibly precious to me, and I wanted to give you even a sliver of the joy that you’ve brought into my life. So,” he sighs, reaching into his shirt pocket, “Although I don’t have a bouquet, as per tradition with the humans of the Valley, I thought you deserved to be properly and officially courted.” Magnus pulls out a fucking ring, and upon seeing the whites of my eyes, he chuckles. “I promise, this is not a marriage proposal.”

“Oh thank god.” I breathe out a nervous laugh, my right palm resting over my heart.

“But I am asking if you’d do me the honors of being my… girlfriend?” Magnus looks off to the side briefly, tilting his head as his eyes pinken. “I’ve always preferred the term ‘partner,’ but I’m not sure how common of a label that is in these times.” He shrugs, bringing his gaze back to mine, and beaming with again-maroon eyes upon seeing me enthusiastically and vigorously nodding my head.

“‘Partner’ is fine, I like ‘partner,’“ I squeak out. My cheeks are on fire, I can’t tell if it’s more from the thick blush coating them or from smiling so wide.

I jump to koala myself onto Magnus, unable to resist pecking his cheek and burying my face into his neck before accepting his gift. As always with physical contact, he barely needs time to think as he wraps his arms around me for support, one hand resting on my lower spine and the other against the back of my hair.

“I honestly didn’t think you were gonna ask,” my mumbles muffle into his collar. “I just assumed it was some sorta elemental tradition for sex to solidify a relationship, or something.”

“That is true in many cases, actually,” he confirms, setting me back on my feet. “Luckily, we more mindful beings have a say in the matter.”

Now that I’m not frazzled by what seemed like an engagement waiting to happen, I can actually look at the ring – which Magnus had looped onto his pinky for safe keeping during our embrace – up close. It’s fucking gorgeous, oh my god. A small moss agate is clasped against a gold band, and the bits holding the stone in place look like thin vines. Seems almost too delicate to wear.

Holding the ring between his left thumb and forefinger, he says, “That necklace Lady Welwick gifted you is an artifact imbued with her clairvoyant magic to aid your clairvoyant magic, generally speaking. But artifacts can be made to assist you in any aspect of magic, or of life itself, really.” Bringing his right hand up to his right earring – with his usual long, red ones adorning both ears – he explains, “These are similar, in that they provide a defense I don’t normally have. Although young for my kind, I’m still… er. I am an old man.”

My lips twitch as I attempt to hide a smirk. Magnus notices and chuckles.

He shushes me teasingly before continuing, “I don’t have the same oomph in me that I used to, so I wear these to keep myself safer in case anything should go awry. The rings I often wear serve a similar purpose — but those, I change to accommodate what is on my schedule each day.”

I nod in understanding, eyes wide with intrigue as Magnus brings his hand down to match his left.

“I conjured this with the same purpose as my earrings. I’ve yet to teach you defensive or combat magic, and while you may hopefully never be put in such a way that someone or something could threaten your well-being, this will offer a veil of protection, as well as invigorate you once you’re able to arcanely fend for yourself.”

“That’s so cool,” I mutter. “Thank you, Magnus,” I smile up at him. Swooning completely. “I love it, it’s perfect.”

“It’s the least I could do for you, my love,” he offers, his expression mirroring mine. He then asks, presenting an upturned palm to me. “May I?”

I nod, opting to place my right hand in his. Rather than looking down at our hands, I keep observing him:

The way he mutters something about hoping it fits under his breath.

The soft squint in his eyes.

The way his bottom lip rests subtly beneath his top teeth.

How his almost nervous expression turns into a bright grin as the ring is slipped on in a flawless fit. That familiar spark I experienced when putting on my necklace for the first time buzzes through my newly-accessorized digit, but I ignore it in favor of watching Magnus for just a bit longer.

Happy, dense crows feet form at the corners of his eyes as he pans them up to mine, before they widen slightly, his irises turning rosy as he notices that I’m staring. I simply smile up at him. The crinkles next to his eyes come back and he chuckles, taking my cheeks in his hands before leaning way down to softly plant a kiss on my forehead, and then my lips.

I giggle out of our smooch.

“What?”

“This feels like an actual proposal, honestly.”

His brows furrow. “Did I do too much?”

I get back on my tippy toes and pull him back down to me before he’s out of reach, whispering, “No way,” before stealing his lips again.

_______________

After all the cheesy stuff, Magnus summoned us a picnic! It took him a bit, and I needed to lend him some mana as he had to teleport it all from storage at home, but he managed. The blanket he brought for us to sit on has a purple gingham pattern, and the food and drinks were rested within a stereotypically tan, woven picnic basket.

Encased within the basket was a large bottle of cherry wine, a few empty cups, and some snacks. Mostly charcuterie-type things, like cheeses, fruits, and sliced meats, but he included some raw veggies and a few dips for ‘em as well. When I asked about the extra cups, Magnus said that the water here is perfectly safe for drinking, and that he added those so we wouldn’t need to mix the water and wine at all.

As soon as he told me that, I grabbed a cup and rushed over to the river. I’ve never had fresh water like this before – and holy fuck, it was so nice. Never tasted anything like it.

Fast-forwarding to right now, we’re laying side-by-side, lazily snacking on the few crackers and apple slices that are left. Both feeling all silly and happy and wine-drunk. About halfway through the bottle’s contents, we abandoned our cups in favor of occasionally passing the glass vessel back and forth to each other.

Speaking of which, now seems like a good time to top myself up!

I lean up onto my elbows and grab the bottle by its neck, chugging a few gulps back. Magnus, who’s peacefully lying still with red cheeks and closed eyes, startles a bit when I tap his arm with the bottle. I smile down at him.

“Sorry,” I giggle, “want more?”

He nods, then shuts his eyes again. “Feed it to me.”

My giggle turns into an ugly snort-laugh. “Why?”

“I’m sooo comfortable, (y/n)…”

“Too bad! It’s dangerous t’drink laying down.”

Magnus rebuttals, “I love danger.”

“Why are you lying?”

“Who, me?” He opens just one eye, smugly smiling up at me.

“Don’t play dumb.”

“To think my beloved partner would accuse me of such a horrible thing…” he trails off, sighing dramatically while closing his eye again.

I know Magnus is only teasing, but I still pout with furrowed brows. What a little shit! It’s at least nice to learn that he’s a coherent drunk, instead of the bumbling mess I am.

“Y’know what? Fine!”

I take a little wine in my mouth, then lean down, meeting Magnus with my lips against his. A surprised hum escapes him, but he melts into the kiss regardless. I stay still, so as to not blow my own cover (this would totally blow it easily in most cases, but right now, he doesn’t seem to notice). Finally, the moment Magnus’ lips part, I let the wine trickle onto his tongue. It’s barely even half of a sip, so it should be safe enough.

Another startled noise emits from the wizard’s throat, but he quickly adapts, swallowing the wine before bringing a large palm to the back of my head. Kissing me harder and deeper. Catching me off-guard. Oh boy.

I put a palm against his chest to steady myself, feeling my already-toasty cheeks heating up some more when he adds tongue. Noticing that my lower half is heating up too, I pull away, rolling over to lay on Magnus’ belly. It would feel wrong to do The Sex in such a seemingly sacred place.

My head jostles as Magnus sighs contentedly, and I turn onto my side to look at him.

“You’re s’handsome…” I murmur, reaching over to trace his jaw.

He raises his head a smidge to meet my gaze. The little bit of a double-chin this gives him is adorable. Makes me laugh. After a lazy smile, he lies flat again. As he moves, he reaches a hand to my hair and begins running his fingers through it, occasionally soothing my scalp with some light scratches. I hum, thoroughly enjoying how it feels.

Magnus sighs again, then dreamily murmurs, “It’s truly remarkable how lucky I’ve gotten meeting you.”

Smiling, I shake my head. “It’s more—“ I swallow back a small hiccup, “S’more fate than luck, no?”

“I suppose, but it feels lucky, nonetheless.”

I pop the last bit of apple into my mouth before letting myself relax into his touch. After a few moments of thought, I wonder out loud, “What kinda hobbies do y’have other than magic?”

Magnus doesn’t respond right away, but knowing how little time he has for things not magicky, I don’t rush him.

“I’m not so sure, honestly…” he eventually answers. It comes out quiet, almost whispered. “Gardening, I suppose, although that is often tied to my magic in some way.”

I frown, then suggest, “So let’s figure something out together.”

He peers down at me. “Anime,” he announces determinedly.

“Wh-“ I cut myself off to laugh, “What?!”

“I would like t’watch anime.”

Maybe it’s the booze, but I hug my tummy as I roll to lay on my side, curling in on myself with giggles. I almost knock the wine over, and Magnus quietly tuts at my clumsiness.

“Why don’t we start you off with manga instead?,” I suggest once I’ve relaxed. “Might like it better.”

“Manga?”

“Anime, but in book form.”

“Oh, that sounds splendid!”

“You read it backwards, just so you know. It’s usually published in Gotoroan, an’ translated for distribution elsewhere.” I emphasize the last two words with a vague wave of my hand.

“I can do that.”

I close my eyes for a few moments, the conversation coming to an abrupt end by my spinning head. “Is there a spell t’cure drunkenness?”

“I don’t believe so.”

I groan, rolling some more to nuzzle my face into Magnus’ chest.

“Although,” he adds, “a cheeky dip over there might help us sober up.”

“What about the fish?”

He snorts. “Why would they care?”

…Y’know. I was worried, at first, about the potential danger of swimming with these funky lookin’ fish. But something about how candidly Magnus responded convinced me that I should’ve been more worried about the critters’ opinions.

And you know what? He’s sooo right! Why would they care? Why should I care?!

I flop off of Magnus, laying flat against the blanket for a moment. He stumbles onto his feet, then assists me in doing the same, before beginning to strip.

My mouth falls open, a little bewildered. For some reason I thought he’d conjure up swimsuits, or that we’d swim in our underwear, or something like that. Promptly, I begin lifting my sweater over my head.

I observe, “We’re raw dogging this lake, huh?” The chilly air gives my skin goose bumps, but I don’t mind, given how much alcohol raises my temp.

“What are we ‘dogging?’”

I snort. “Oh. Slang.”

“For what?” he asks, stepping out of his boxers. He stumbles a bit and I hold his arms to stabilize him. Shamelessly give him a once-over, too.

“I’ll tell you when you’re older.”

“I’m very old, (y/n).”

“Not old enough!”

Seeing me struggle out of my skirt, Magnus offers the same assistance I gave him. Then, he glares at me. Silently, but not even telepathically, telling me he’s gotta know. Sighing and remembering his yearn to be hip and cool, I give in.

“Fine. Sex. But like, without protection or whatever.”

“Ah… we are indeed raw dogging this lake!”

I chuckle at his enthusiasm. “Hell yeah we are!”

He holds his hand out to me, and practically drags me with him upon contact. I stumble a bit, then jog, wanting to match his pace. Don’t have the time or coordination at the moment to hold my boobs in place, which has me feeling a little self-conscious…

The water shocks me out of any negative thoughts though.

“Holy shit, s’freezing!” I strengthen my hold on Magnus as if it’ll steady my shivers.

“It’s not that bad.” His teeth are chattering.

“Liar.” I splash him with my free hand. He lets out a tiny yelp and tries to pull away, but I keep my grip firm, attempting to hit him with a few more watery snipes.

“Oh, if it’s a war you want, so be it!”

“What?”

“Hold your breath,” he warns before promptly yanking me down.

I scream out bubbles, laughing in delirium due to both the sudden change in temperature and Magnus’ own distorted under-water laughter. After a short moment of observing how ethereal he looks — his purple hair floating around him, the sparkle of his pale gray skin being tinted blue, the otherworldly fish circling around us — I shake my hand free and promptly bring myself back up to the surface. He follows my lead.

“Damn it,” I continue to giggle, repositioning my wet hair out of my face. Swiping some water from my eyelashes, I once again mentally thank Yoba for waterproof makeup. “So cold…”

“This seems to be doing the trick though, wouldn’t you agree?”

Unfortunately, he’s right. I feel surprisingly more level-headed now than when I was laying on him in a wine-driven stupor. “Yeah, yeah…”

I look around, admiring the beauty of our surroundings again, now from a different angle. I don’t notice anything new, but it’s still just as pretty, nonetheless.

Feeling something tickling my ankle, I look down into the water, watching as a sparkly blue fish swims around me. I giggle.

“Hey buddy,” I murmur, reaching down to try and stroke its scales. The movement scares it away, though. “Aw, man.”

“‘Twas a good effort.”

I meet Magnus’ fond gaze and furrow my eyebrows. “Not good enough.”

“Maybe someday.”

I sigh. “What are these fish, anyway?”

My partner shrugs. “Many are your typical river fish, such as carp or bass, whose forms have been altered due to the magical properties of the area.”

“Huh,” I grin, returning my gaze to the fish that swim a mere few feet away from us. “That’s sick.” I look back up at Magnus, quickly diverting my attention again when I notice the dreamy stare he’s still boring into me. My cheeks heat up, warming my whole body a little, as if I’m not skinny dipping in an almost freezing-cold river.

Then, my mind ruins the moment — as it typically does — suddenly drifting to my fish friend’s scales, then back to the weird note I received earlier.

“Can these fish’s scales be made into ink, or something?”

“Perhaps.” With a brow furrow and head tilt, he asks, “Why do you ask?”

“Um…” I think for a moment.

Do I tell him? Well, I suppose there’s no backing out now, really. He’s looking at me so expectantly, and he could read my mind if I were to lie too poorly.

“I got this letter earlier,” I go on, “and the ink looked really similar to that blue fella that was here before, right down to the way it shimmers. Never seen anything like it.”

Magnus frowns. “I hope it hasn’t come from one of them.”

A particularly small fish swims closely by the old wizard, this one a vibrant purple. It almost matches his hair. He reaches a gentle hand towards it, and it doesn’t back away, unlike the blue fish who graced me a moment ago. Lucky…

“It’s been a mutual decision between the Ministry and First Slash that places such as this remain unscathed.” He peers back up at me, letting the guppy move on. “Who was its sender?”

I shrug. “Didn’t have a name or return address. I didn’t feel any energy from it, either.”

He hums in thought. “I’ll take a look, if you don’t mind the intrusion. Maybe I can discern who or what it’s from.”

I offer a small salute. “You got it, boss.” Then, I sniffle. It’s super boogery. I better not be getting sick from this…

“Let’s get you out of here,” my partner prompts, noticing my… goopy state.

Magnus wades over to me, reaching out a hand. I’m surprised it’s so warm as I clasp mine into it, and take advantage of his body heat, looping my arm through his and pressing my bare body closer as he guides us to the shore.

“We’ll head back once you're warm and dry, alright?”

I grin up at him. “Sounds good to me.”

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triforce-of-mischief · 1 year

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Secret Santa

@merriclo Merry Christmas!!! Here's some winter fluff featuring your favorite boys! 💜

~ 1800 words, rated G, no warnings ~

AO3

Reblogs > Likes!

The low creak of a footstep on a wooden stair rang through Wild’s house, instantly rousing the lightest of sleepers. Three heads popped up to look at Wild, who had paused midstep. He slowly lowered his foot, clearing the remaining steps before tiptoeing over to the others.

“Wild, what are you doing? Are you going somewhere?” Wind asked.

“I want to show you something,” Wild whispered. “Anybody who’s awake enough can come now. The rest of the sleepyheads have the whole day to come out and I want to go now while it’s early.”

“I want to see!”

“Take me take me please!”

Wind and Mask jumped up from their bedrolls, dancing around Wild in hushed excitement.

Legend stretched and got up as well. “You’ll have your hands full with the two of them, I may as well join you.”

Wild ducked into the alcove under the stairs and brought out warm clothes for each of them. Legend pinned a ruby-set brooch to his hat and tugged his boots over multiple layers of socks. Wild showed Wind and Mask how to put on their snowquill sets, tucking in hems and rolling up sleeves where they were too long for the smaller kids. They giggled when they noticed the tail feathers on their tunics, admiring how they looked like Rito.

While the other three watched in confusion, Wild examined everybody’s boots before grabbing cloth-wrapped bundles from the alcove. He handed them out, saying, “Careful, they’re heavy.”

They were heavy, and Mask struggled to shift his bundle around in his arms so Wind could lift the cloth-

“No peeking!”

The boys pouted, but decided that listening to Wild was a smarter choice than risking him telling them that they couldn’t go at all. The mystery bundles would have to stay just that for a little while longer.

“Is everyone ready?” Wild asked, giving the group a final check. They all nodded and with a flourish, Wild opened the front door.

The world was completely silent and still; the birds and frogs were sleeping through the cold. The early morning sun gave a glowing effect to the blanket of white that coated everything as far as they could see. The ground, the trees, even the roofs of the colorful model houses down the path, were all resting under a thick layer of-

“Snow!” Mask and Wind laughed, pushing past Wild and immediately finding a snowdrift to kick. Legend walked after them, much slower, taking in the change of scenery.

“Hateno’s beautiful in the winter, isn’t it?” Wild said, joining the vet for an appreciative moment.

“It is,” Legend agreed. He looked down at his mysterious package. “But what are these for?”

“You’ll find out soon! LAST ONE THERE GETS THE CUCCO REVENGE SQUAD!” Wild yelled, sprinting across the bridge and down the hill. Indignant shouts came from the others as they stopped what they were doing and took off after the speedy champion.

Snow crunched under stampeding boots as Wild led them past Hateno’s front entrance, through the woods, and across the boulder-filled field. They rounded the final corner and the two youngest heroes cheered as they discovered where Wild was taking them. The waterfall which fed the small lake at the corner of the valley was frozen solid, as well as the lake itself. It was a beautiful, natural ice rink.

Wild guided them to a few logs lining the edge of the lake and told them to sit. “Okay, you can open your packages now!”

Cloth flew through the air as Wind and Mask flung the wrapping away, leaving them to stare at the contents in confusion. “Knife shoes?” Mask questioned, examining the strange item.

“Not ‘knife shoes’, kid,” Legend chuckled. “Ice skates!” He knelt in front of Mask and began to remove the sprite’s regular boots. “See how smooth the blade is, just like your sword? It cuts cleanly into the ice and distributes your weight so you can keep your balance.” He took the skates when Mask offered them and fit them snugly on the kid’s feet. Out of the corner of his eye, Legend saw Wild doing the same for Wind.

The young heroes winced as their older brothers pulled the laces tight before tying them in elaborate knots. “Can’t you loosen it a little?” Wind complained.

Wild shook his head. “The tighter the better, same as adventuring boots. Loose skates give you wobbly ankles, and you could hurt yourself. I bet you don’t want that, right?” He tugged the knot to ensure its stability, told Wind to wait another minute, and went to put on his own skates. Legend did the same, then returned to Mask and helped him to his feet.

Wild and Legend guided Wind and Mask to the lake itself, helping them find their balance as their skates bit into the slippery ice. Wild was a bit unsteady but able to correct himself, and Legend couldn’t exactly call himself inexperienced. The kids were soon able to support themselves and the four fell into their own rhythms, carving sloppy circles around the circumference of the lake. Wild tried a variety of risky tricks, always sure to keep his distance whenever he lifted his skates high in the air. Wind stared at him in envy, unable to do more than shuffle along with his skates barely leaving the ice. Legend glided swiftly and easily, having to double back more than a few times to lift Wind from where he had fallen on his butt. Each time, Legend would attempt to dust frozen crystals from the Rito feathers on the backside of Wind's tunic. In turn, Wind would screech and launch himself at the vet, propelling himself forward with no means to stop while Legend soared backwards out of his reach. Then Mask would speed past them, distracting everybody with a couple of effortless pirouettes.

“How is he so good already? It sure seemed like this is his first time,” Wild marveled, watching the sprite zip around with a care in the world.

“Beats me,” Legend huffed, though Wild could see the faint hint of a proud smile.

“Uh, guys? A little help here?” Wind called from the other side of the lake. The older teens looked over to see the sailor slowly inching backwards, his skates and gravity working together with a mind of their own. Wind’s knees were bent, his arms flailing, and he was clearly nervous with no reference for how close he was to the shore.

“If you can’t figure out how to stop, just sit down!” Wild shouted back. “You can stand up again from there.”

“But I don’t wanna touch the ice!” Wind cried. “I’ll get frostbite!”

“I’ll get him,” Legend sighed, and skated over to the sailor.

Wind made the mistake of frantically reaching out to Legend, immediately forfeiting any remaining balance. His skates gave way and he tumbled to the ice, catching himself with his hands before realizing what had happened. “IT’S COLD!” he yelled, quickly pulling them away.

“Of course it is, what did you expect?” Legend sighed and offered a hand to help Wind back up.

“I’m not stupid!” Wind protested, desperately clinging to Legend’s arm. “It’s just annoying, is all. And I’m the worst skater out of us by far,” he mumbled.

“What happened to the Hero of Winds who never gives up? You’ll be a pro in no time, I guarantee it!” Legend directed Wind’s gaze down to their skates. “First lesson: straighten up those ankles. And you’re treating this too much like walking. To skate, you push to the side with your blades like this…”

With Legend’s guidance, Wind grew much more confident on the ice. Soon he was even skating laps around Mask, and challenged the other three to race after race around the lake.

After a few hours of skating, Wild noticed that Wind was having trouble again- but this time it was because he was constantly shivering. Even with his special Rito outfit, the island boy was no match for Necluda’s frigid winter. Wild knew that Wind would immediately deny it if he called him out directly, so he chose his words carefully.

“Wow, look at the time!” he said loudly, making sure everybody heard. “We should probably head back so I can fix up breakfast for everybody.”

“Noooo!” Mask and Wind whined, attacking Wild with pleading eyes. “Just a few more minutes?”

“I mean, if you don’t want hot chocolate…” Wild teased, already skating to the edge of the lake.

The kids shouted in alarm and hurried to follow Wild, Legend close behind them. Frozen fingers fumbled with skate laces- Wild had to take over for Wind- and wobbly legs were barely given a moment to adjust to solid ground before they ran back to the house.

Most of the other heroes were building a snowman in Wild’s front yard, but the early risers barely spared them a passing glance as they trudged into the house. They heard Warriors begin to ask “Where have you guys been all morning?-'' before Legend slammed the door mid sentence. Wild tossed his skates aside and went straight to the kitchen to start the hot chocolate.

“Oh thank Zephos, a fire!” Wind exclaimed through chattering teeth.

Wolfie was laying on the rug in front of the fireplace, Four resting against him with a book in hand. Four looked up to see Wind approaching, damp clothes and all, and frantically shooed him away. “Oh no you don’t! Change into dry clothes first!”

Wind groaned and took a detour to his bag, and Legend dragged Mask over to the fireplace.

“You can play in the snow later, but you need to warm up for now,” Legend said firmly, ignoring how Mask was looking longingly at the front door. Legend himself was not fighting to hold back a shiver, and was definitely not getting dangerously close to regretting his decision to go ice skating with only his skirts protecting his legs from the cold wind. Still, Four gave Legend a knowing look as he scooted over to make room for the vet and the sprite.

“Why aren’t you outside, Four?” Mask questioned as he plopped down beside Legend.

“The cold doesn’t usually treat me well, so I wanted to enjoy the chance to stay indoors for once,” Four hummed. “And my friend here insisted on keeping me company.” He reached back to scratch behind Wolfie’s ear. “Unlike everybody else.”

Legend gasped, a hand flying to his heart in mock hurt. “Ow.”

Four elbowed Legend. “You know I’m kidding. I’m glad you guys had fun, and I’ll probably go outside later once the sun has been out for a while.”

Wind joined them, already rambling before he reached the floor. “Yes! We can have an epic snowball fight and build a snowman army and-”

Legend tuned him out as he noticed Wild returning from the kitchen, balancing a tray of mugs. Legend helped Wild distribute the hot chocolate, which immediately silenced Wind. The sailor sighed in relief as the warm mug revived his numb fingers.

The heroes (and the wolf) would play in the snow later that afternoon, but for now, they were content to cuddle together, warm and cozy from fire and friendship.

#IM REALLY SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG #hope you like it!#thank you kj for giving this a final check! your suggestions were just what i needed <3 #linked universe #linkeduniverse #lu #linked universe wild #lu wild #linked universe wind #lu wind #linked universe mask #lu mask #linked universe legend #lu legend #fable writes

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sadbi-hours · 1 year

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Title: Circa 1666 ~ a grim history of the Shadyside & Sunnyvale killers~

Pairing: Nick Goode/Ziggy Berman

Word Count: 925

Rating: SFW(ish)

Image Credits: Banner made by me with the help of PicsArt and Google Images

Created For:

@anyfandomgoesbingo: Custom Card- Zicky Ship- I3- "I can't tell you the secret, because I don't know the secret."

@anyfandomkinkbingo: N1- "You don't have to be gentle with me, I don't break easily."

@mfbingo: I4-First...

@fandombingo: I4- "I was never meant to survive that."

"I was never meant to survive that." Ziggy rasped, her voice rough from the nightmares the nurses said she had been having late at night. Of what? Nightwing, her sister, or Tommy Slater, I didn't know.

But I wished I could kiss them away. I cleared my throat. Stop it...stop being a creep.

"But you pulled me back," She sat up in her bed, her wounds woven deep into her skin, peeking her hospital gown--and I had to look away. I thought she never looked more beautiful.

"How?" She asked, pulling me from my thoughts and back onto the moment at hand. How had he saved Ziggy Berman. Sheer force of will? Some mysterious power? Love?

I shrugged. I only gave her CPR.

Ziggy scowled.

Some of the stitches on her face from Harry Rooker pulled with her frown and threatened to split open again. "You don't have to be gentle with me," she hissed with that familiar fire I had gotten used to seeing from her all summer long. "I don't break easily."

"I can't tell you the secret, because I don't know the secret." I glared back at her. "I only gave you CPR."

I only gave her CPR.

Imagine this:

What if Nick hadn't lived his whole childhood being told that he was the heir apparent to a dark secret? Or at least, not in the way this story originally goes.

No, Nick was given a book on his fifteenth birthday, the same year his father would later commit suicide after passing on the Goode legacy...

Nick would learn that year that neither his family nor Sarah Fier are responsible for carrying on a dark secret that has gripped Shadyside... and Sunnyvale... as a whole, for the last few centuries.

Solomon Goode never sold his soul to the devil or famed Sarah Fier, but instead he and Sarah fought side by side to save the union from a much darker force... but ultimately had failed.

Leaving a foul curse behind, that every first born Goode has tried to stop since. To put an end to the selling of poor souls to feed a predator. To finally defeat the thing that grows and feeds on their small town, a horror that spreads. It's not man-made by some witch and warlock, but by something as old as time that's become rooted deep into the fabric of their community... and has always been hungry for both Shadysiders and Sunnyvaler blood, alike.

Because in Shadyside and Sunnyvale, sometimes the kids and the adults; the downtrodden and the rich, they all equally have been known to randomly snap.

There's no avoiding it, you can only push misfortune...or boredom... on someone for so long before that person breaks beyond repair is what has always been said, or at least in the news, that's dubbed them as Murder Capital USA.

In 1666, it was Cyrus Miller and the eyeless children.

In 1904, a simple minded grifter come to town and one day just drowned and gutted women.

1922, Billy Barker murdered his siblings with a baseball bat.

1935, The Humpty Dumpty Killer collected his victim's skin like jigsaw pieces and put them back together again.

1953, Harry Rooker was named Sunnyvale's first serial killer, whose lust for the blood of the young and attractive housewives of Sunnyvale knew no bounds.

1965, Ruby Lane went into a deep depression and seemingly decided to kill all her friends at a slumber party before taking her own life.

And then in 1978, the newest town killer hit Nick Goode's life a little too close to home. He knew Thomas Slater, worked with him during the summers at Camp Nightwing, hung out with him, Cindy, and Alice by the lake and smoked weed and drank beers after all of the campers had gone to sleep.

Nick knew Thomas Slater. He would never just snap... not like he did. Murdering some many camp counselors and children. That wasn't the Tommy that Nick knew him to be.

But no one else is to blame for the murders Nick witnessed at Camp Nightwing, or who had induced the terror that will stay with him forever-- but what haunts him, isn't only the butchered children but the lifeless bodies of the Berman sisters.

Both the one he couldn't save, and the one he did...

He didn't know Ziggy Berman, at least not like he always wanted to. He'd only ever saw her from afar. Always a ball of anger and fire, a red beacon in his dull and meaningless world. He's always had a crush on her...

But he thought he'd truly never get to know Ziggy Berman. Not like he's gotten to over the last sixteen years of their friendship.

He guessed when trying to recount the entire history of the Shadyside and Sunnyvale and its killers and stop a curse at the same time, you end up getting to know someone real well.

And it's not like he minds...

Besides, it's not just him and Ziggy forever, trying to figure out what grips their small slice of the world...

After the latest masked killer terrorizes their local mall, a group of teens that are affected by the tragedy come to them with their own evidence to figure out the purpose of the curse and how to stop it once and for all...

And really, with two emotionally constipated adults and a group of feisty teens, what could possibly go wrong?

They may even finally crack the origins of the curse wide open and end it.

#anyfandomgoesbingo #anyfandomkinkbingo #mfbingo #fandom bingo #fear street #nick x ziggy #nick goode #ziggy berman #and the rest of the gang #nick is a librarian in this #good boi nick #still recluse ziggy #but she's still her ole firey self #requited feelings #the two of them just record history and pine for each other #while also trying to deal with trauma and break a curse #and the kids try playing matchmaker #while trying to also break a curse #kind of an 'it' au

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urarart · 7 months

Text

Inspired by this Tweet ( https://x.com/r0ck_the_casbah/status/1707854425098682686?s=20 ) which I took as a writing prompt (more as inspiration than completely based on, but nonetheless!)

Based on my Tav, Eira, and it's more of Astarion deflecting and Eira prodding.

Almost 2k words, more of an Astarion and Eira exploration piece than a solid fic.

(The song used when writing this (that I have been listening on loop))

youtube

Starts under the read more.

“You're staring.“

He didn't even notice until she pointed it out.

”Did I now? I must've been mesmerized by you”, his trademark grin appearing on his face.

“I don't mind, stare all you want, but you're so distracted you didn't even notice the spider on your sleeve.”

His gaze immediately flits to his right arm, and indeed, there's a spider walking on it, slowly creeping towards him.

He instinctively flicks it off, a look of disgust at seeing the spider fly off.

“Thank you, darling, whatever would I do without you.”

“Well you'd pay more attention, that's what.”

She walks towards him, taking place next to him at the bonfire.

“What're you thinking about.”

”Oh, just whatever life-threatening mission we'll go on next. The Underdark seems like such a cheerful place, surely no death will await us there.“

He leans back, his hand flitting around for emphasis.

”The Underdark is less dangerous than a whole goblin army, and you're definitely not the type to get scared of death.“

”Say all you want, dear, but dying isn't pleasant. Believe me, I would know.“

”And I would know as well, or did you forget you sucked me dry that one night?“

”Now now, not in public, dear~“

”Ugh, you- That cost us one revival scroll!”

He grins, satisfied with the direction the conversation is going.

Eira crosses her arms, frustration evident.

”If you're not going to tell me, then fine! Let's see you getting distracted over something during a fight and you dying because of some stupid reason! And this time we won't revive you!“

She huffs, purposefully looking away from him.

His gaze lowers. He hopes there's no truth to her words. But he knows by now that he should always prepare for the worst.

”If you truly want to know, my friend, I was distracted by your beauty.“

He wasn't per se staring at her beauty, but at her colors. Her colors were so… peaceful. Not a hint of that passionate red anywhere.

It was a nice change of pace after 200 years.

After 200 years of that crimson wine, of the sultry scarlet dresses and the vermillion roses, of the ruby clothes Cazador would wear, of his eyes, their eyes.

”You have such beautiful red eyes.“, as he lured those souls away from mortality.

He was sick of hearing that.

She peeks open an eye towards him.

“That's a lie.”

What.

”You called me your friend, so you're not in your weird flirty mood, thus the sentiment and the words don't match. Also, we have seen far prettier people on our trip- have you even seen Shadowheart?- so for you to get distracted by me is unusual. Frankly it's off-putting by how blatant the lie is.”

“Have you considered I just prefer you over Shadowheart?”

“I'm not the one walking around with my tits out, a sentiment almost this entire camp shares!”

He wants to make a joke, to fluster her enough so she'd leave him alone for the night, but she's faster.

“No, something else is bothering you. And I want to know and see if I can help you.”

She pokes a finger on the bridge of his nose, pushing him back a bit by the force.

“Of course, I'm not asking you to drop all the details. I just don't want you to go to your sleep all bothered. If you don't want to share, then that's fine too. But figure out what you want.”

The fire flickers on besides them, the flames giving off a soft heat, which he can barely feel.

The orange glow barely reflects off her green skin, hardly noticeable.

There's not a hint of that dirty red on her.

All green and blue, like a lake.

He pinches her poking finger with his own hand, and pushes it away from his face.

”You're not the most convincing person, you know that right?“

”Doesn't matter, I'd rather be the most earnest you know.“

He sighs.

”I was thinking about red.“

A puzzled expression meets his tired one.

He expects her to ask a thousand questions, like she usually does, but she doesn't say anything.

“That party a few nights ago, with the tieflings. There was a lot of red there.”

He can always try to distract her with a half truth.

The party did bother him, but not for the reasons he wants to admit.

Instead of disturbing him, the party made him think.

Thinking about the dozens of flaming red eyes around him.

Thinking about the red shaded clothes some would wear.

Thinking about a few druids wearing fur skins, and sharing those skins with the tieflings.

It brings…

Unpleasant memories.

“I just never had a preference for red.”

He couldn't deceive her.

“Huh. First of all, ironic, since you're a vampire”, he grimaces at that comment, “and second of all, knowing you, Astarion, how little that may be, that's a very weak response.”

He frowns.

“And what do you know.”

”Oh barely anything, given how defensive you get over who you are and who you used to be. But you're usually more… clever. In your responses.“

She crosses her legs, balancing herself on the log. She wobbles a bit, but evens out pretty quick.

”You shared a few details about your life, and you're particularly angry about that master of yours. But I can't figure out why you wouldn't like red.“

She leans in closer, her head angled to look at his face.

”Is it because of your eyes? Because of your red eyes?“

He instinctively leans away.

”How would I know it's about my eyes. I've never seen them.“

”True, but they're vampire eyes. Hmmm…“

She leans back again, rocking back and forth on the log. He stares at her again, following her movements.

He doesn't like where this is going.

”Well the answer seems obvious, right? Your master is a vampire, who has red eyes, and that's why you don't like red. But that answer seems way too obvious, too easy even. There has to be something else.“

She stops rocking, and concern floods her expression.

”…I'm not going too far, right?“

He snarls.

”Yes. Yes you're going too far for a stranger.“

He grips the log he's sitting on with his hands, trying to redirect his anger.

”Oh. I'm sorry.“

She looks heartbroken.

Her eyes glance towards the fire, seeing the embers float into the air.

He sees the embers floating higher than he ever could, disappearing into the starry sky.

He huffs.

”You're too curious for your own good.“

”I'm sorry. I just don't want you to be alone in this. You've been alone long enough.“

His head snaps towards her.

How did she-

He can feel his jaw snap close, his fangs almost piercing through his bottom lip.

“Sweetheart, I have been far from lonely the past 200 years. I don't think you can even believe the amount of people who were with me in that time- either on top of me or under me.“

She flushes at that comment.

Jackpot.

She shakes her head, a grim determination evident.

”No, don't deflect! I don't care how many people you bedded, they don't compare to having a friend.”

The damage was done already.

He found his footing, and she lost hers.

He leans into her space, a grin on his face once again.

He knows he's won this for tonight.

“Aren't you curious to know what happens to a man who has slept with thousands? To know the experience he gained?”

He twirls a lock of her hair around his finger, and very obviously drops his gaze to look at her lips, and back at her eyes again.

“To get a taste of that experience?”

Her eyes are wide open, her frizzy movements frozen in time.

A wide yellow blush spreads over her face, daring to overtake her green skin.

He remembers her rejection towards his more sensuous advances at the tiefling party, so he smiles sweetly at her, a mask of innocence on him.

“A-hem.“

His facade drops immediately, his head turning towards the disturbance.

He sees Gale a few steps away from them, tapping his foot in annoyance.

”If you are quite done with bothering Eira, then please, shut up and go to sleep.“

”Wha- I wasn't bothering her! And didn't you go to sleep, wizard?“

”Yes, but SOMEONE was being noisy tonight.”

Tsk, can't have shit in this camp.

“We were just talking, nothing too-”

Before he can finish his sentence, his head is quite forcefully pushed away.

He can feel the shaky hand under his jaw pushing him upwards, and can barely make out the flustered state of Eira in the corner of his eye.

“You're right, Gale, we should go to sleep.”

She quickly stands up, and dusts herself off.

“Sorry for waking you up.”

“No need for apologies, just watch yourself the next time.”

“The ne-”, she clears her throat, her shriek stopped halfway.

“You don't have to worry about that. There won't be a next time like this.”

She throws a glare over her shoulder at Astarion, and he only sticks his tongue out in response.

She pats Gale on the shoulder.

“Just go to bed for now, you'll need the energy for tomorrow when we arrive in the Underdark.”

He only nods in response, and retreats towards his corner of the camp.

Eira turns towards Astarion, looking down at him from his place on the log.

“Astarion.”

Her tone is firm, direct.

“I don't know what your troubles are, and I don't know what goes on in that head of yours, but I can promise you this.”

She huffs, nervous.

“For as long as I live, you won't have to do this alone. You're dear to me, as is the rest of this camp. There will be nothing I ask of you in return, only your friendship.”

Her legs subtly shake, the embarrassment of her words overtaking her.

She grips her hands to control them, folding them together.

“But please. Don't force yourself to be alone.”

She looks at the ground, her speech finished.

He doesn't have anything to say.

She's fully under his control now.

She's an ally, he reminds himself.

This was too easy for him.

“How can I reject you after that heartfelt confession~“, he replies, softly.

She looks up, practically glowing.

”Oh! Um. Well.“

She fumbles, not knowing what to do next.

”Ugh- anyway! If you still want to. Or need to, I don't know. You can feed on me tonight?“

He's stunned at the offer.

”I would like nothing more.“

He smiles at her, not conscious of it.

”Then… Then I'll see you later.“

She smiles weakly, before slowly making her way to her tent.

He remains at the fire.

He gazes into it, watching the logs burning a fiery gold.

He thinks back on what she said.

On the promise she made.

He refuses to place his hopes- his survival- on that single promise.

He simply can't risk it.

How can she be any different than the people he met in the past two centuries?

How can anybody be?

They all the same shade of blood on the inside.

Astarion kicks in the sand, and stomps the fire out.

That night, when he goes to visit Eira, and pierces her neck with his fangs, he doesn't feel the usual satisfaction of a fulfulling meal.

He knows she's awake by the staggering breathing, but she doesn't interrupt him while he feeds.

His usual hunger is gone, and he took a few drinks before finishing up, a shorter meal than usual.

He can't bear to taint her skin that bloody red.

#i went a bit off limits with this prompt sorry for that #i just loved the idea of it #i say even though it's 5% of the fic and the rest is just tav and astarion talking #anyway #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #astarion #astarion ancunin #eira #my writing #i did love those prompt and inspired me a lot #idk if it wasn't 'quality'#i had fun with it~#Youtube

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pacificnorthwestquest · 7 months

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Seattle Pt. 3 (Last Day in Washington State)

Chihuly Chihuly Chihuly.... the glass artwork is truly so inspiring. We even we there in time to watch some artists do a glass blowing demo live, they made an incredible vase right in front of our eyes from a glob of molten glass. Art is life, life is art!!

After being surrounded by all of these masterpieces, we were given a short tour of where Jess's aunt used to live and a stop to see the city skyline from Kerry Park. A small little spot with A LOT of views to offer!

After soaking in as much Seattle as possible in 2 short days it was time for a final lunch and libations. Von's 1000 spirits treated us well with great food and an even better time. After saying farewell we boarded the ferry home with tired eyes...but thankfully open wide enough to see Mount Rainier peek her head through the clouds just to say thanks for visiting it was great to see you!!

Thank YOU Mount Rainier, Seattle WA, Aunt Jennifer, Port Defiance Zoo, Ruby & Rialto Beach, Forks WA, Olympic National Park: (Hurricane Ridge, Hoh Rainforest, Lake Crescent, Dungeness Bay), Port Angeles WA to name a few people places and things :)

As states go Washington really gave us everything we wanted, needed and didn't know we should have! Can't say thank you enough to all who have helped make this dream of a honeymoon become a reality!!!! Family friends and folks along the journey have been nothing but amazing, obviously a hiccup here or there but overall the country is friendly and welcoming. And everyone should try to get out and see the vastness and nature that is hidden around every corner. Take the by ways, stop at the worlds largest anything, take a detour for coffee, burgers and general fun. As Jess always says from one of her Podcasters, Alie Ward of Ologies; Cut your bangs, text your crush, we're all gonna die someday!

-Nick

#rvtravel #travel #washington #seattle #chihuly

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herri-writes · 2 years

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“In Another Life, I Will Make You Stay.”

Lilia Vanrouge x Reader (F)

Note: I wanna cry. RIP my notes app. By the way, this is a Reincarnation AU. There's no connection to the actual story but some parts have event spoilers. The reader is a female. I edited this a lot of times so watch out for errors. Anyways, have fun reading^^

On one rainy night at Valley of Thorns, a silver-haired male walked at the dark halls of the royal palace, looking stern and silent as always. Silver is doing his duty as a royal knight of the Draconia family and it's also his duty to protect them as he was loyal to them since childhood. While patrolling, he passed by a room where his adoptive father is. Silence can only be heard but the athmosphere is different than usual. From the doors to the small fae's room is all nothing but sadness and gloom. The doors are open and he never bothered to peek from the gap. He saw Lilia gazing at the raindrops from his window. His ruby red eyes gazed at the rain with sadness in his eyes. Silver thought it was something from what happened at Night Raven College or was it something else. He shrugged it off and decide to ask to the prince. In front of the prince's doors, he knocked twice and was granted permission to enter. Upon entering, Silver saw the prince reading a book with ancient texts, the one he bought at the Land of Hot Sands, while sitting on his seat by his desk. "Lord Malleus," the silver-haired male called the crown prince of the Valley of Thorns. "Yes, Silver?" He turned to face him. Silver bowed before him and he spoke. "Can I ask you a question?" Malleus saw Silver's eyes, filled with worry yet his face remained stern and emotionless. He thought that something was off on that aurora-like eyes of his. "Pray tell." "It's about old man-- I mean, father." "What about him?" "He's always gazing at the window every rainy days while looking all gloomy and down," he answered. Malleus offered him a set near his table where he would have tea in his room. "Today's tea is Earl Grey. I hope you won't mind," He said as he poured tea at the cup and placed one in front of Silver. "Lord Malleus, I should be the one who will--" "Let me," Malleus cut him off. "After all I was the one who invited you to drink tea with me today for this long talk of ours." Malleus sat down at his seat on the opposite side of Silver's and take a sip. "About Lilia," he began. "He told me once that the prefect looked like the person he met before the war years ago." Silver was silent. Lilia never told this to his own adoptive son about some of Lilia's past. "That war, was once a nightmare to all. Lilia once lost her once in the war with his own weapon. Seeing the prefect made Lilia remind him of his past friend or should I say... "lover"?" Silver's eyes widened when Malleus emphasized the word "lover" and nearly spit his tea. "There may be war but everything is peaceful at the meadows near the flowery fields by the mountains. That's where Lilia once resided and met her there before the war happened. He even said that I met her once and yet I remember nothing about it of some sort." Silver listened as Malleus continued the story. He wants to know more about his adoptive father's past. "In the past, he first met her there when he was a general with great combat skills. He would go there once he have lots of time for his own leisure. While he was walking around the woods, he found a lake and there was someone near it. That was their first encounter." "Hmm... I wonder what I'll do today..." Lilia hummed, sounded bored. He thought that there was nothing else to do for fun. If playing pranks is what he'll do, then he'll do that. But he doesn't want to since he's the young general of the royal guards and it'll be a waste of time for his responsibilities. While he's still in a deep state in his thoughts, he heard laughing from a distance. So he flew and sat on the nearest tree near to where the sounds of laughing came from. There he saw a girl, laughing her heart out with pure joy, playing with the animals at the forest near the lake. Those smiles he saw, was like a faeries' joyful smiles in the forests or like a human child's happiness. He was curious if this young lady over there is a human or a fae. He stared at her for the whole time. His ruby red eyes observed at the girl by the lake, dancing and twirling around with the gentle wind playing with her hair. Her smiles came together with the gentle afternoon sun. It's almost like she's the child of nature herself. Right after she walked her way to the forest and was below the tree on where he was, unknowingly, Lilia slipped and forgot that it was raining yesterday that the wood became soft after the rain. Unable to control his ability to fly, he fell on her and all he could see is black. "That... actually happened...?" Silver asked with a shocked expression. "Even I couldn't believe that at first," Malleus said as he sipped his tea. "He didn't know what happened after that but when he woke up, he thought he saw an angel, ready to take his soul." "But the angel was the one who saved him?" "Correct." When Lilia woke up, he thought he saw an angel, arrived to take his soul to the afterlife. It was blurry when he opened them. After rubbing his eyes, he saw the girl he saw from the forest. "You're awake," she said. "I thought a bat fell down from a tree but it was actually a fae. Luckily, I managed to save one from the hard fall and brought them here." She chuckled that Lilia blushed a little from embarrassment. Before he'll leave, he observed where they were in currently. He was in a small hut. It seemed like she lived in this forest and the animals protected her from the dangers lurking around her peaceful home. After looking around the place, he turned to face her and rise up from the bed and stood up as he rushed to leave the place. He turned around to say something to her. "Before I'll leave, I want to thank you for saving me..." Lilia looked away, unable to face her that he blushed even harder. "W-Well then, if you'll excuse me. I have to return to the royal palace. See you next time!" He said as he disappeared into thin air. "You're serious, aren't you?" Silver was dumbfounded. Malleus wanted to suppress his laughter because of Silver's reaction. "Father was being teased by a person he didn't know...?" Malleus nodded, nearly spitting the tea he have in his mouth. Silver sat on his seat, frozen. "Who w-would've thought that there is someone else other than the prefect who teased him after their first encounter." "I was also surprised that that acutally happened," Malleus chuckled. "He even looked like that he couldn't believe his eyes on what he saw from the prefect back then. It's almost like it's a deja vú for him." Malleus calmed down from laughter and cleared his throat. "Well, anyways, he returned to the forest the day after to thank her." "I want to apologize for my rude and embarrassing actions yesterday," Lilia said as he bowed down with a bouquet of flowers on his hands, behind his back. "And also," he offered her a bouquet of flowers. "This is a gift for my gratitude towards you... for taking care of me yesterday after that accidental encounter." "My, my," she said and smiled as she accepted the flowers from him. "It's alright. You're welcome." "Let me introduce myself. My name is Lilia, the general of the royal guards of the Draconia Family." He bowed down as a sign of greeting. He took her hand and looked at her straight in the eye. "May I know yours?" "Actually," she look away. "I was told not to say my name." "For what reason?" He asked. "I have no idea why." Lilia chuckled, "Well then, since you were restricted to tell me your name, wouldn't you mind if I give you one?" "I wouldn't mind." "Pardon me, Lord Malleus," Silver called him. "Yes, Silver?" "Do you know the reason why she didn't want to tell him her name?" He asked with curiosity in his eyes. "To be honest, I don't know. But I think Lilia knows," Malleus answered as he gazed at the window. It was still raining. "What I know what?" The two turn around to see Lilia floating behind Malleus while crossing his arms. He even tapped his feet while he's on mid-air. "F-Father--" "How sad," Lilia pretended to wipe a tear. "My son and the prince didn't even invite their own caretaker and adoptive parent for a lively and nostalgic conversation." "L-Lilia," Malleus stuttered and stood up from his seat. "We can explain." "You have nothing to explain, Malleus. I heard everything." Malleus sat back to his seat and Lilia pulled one for his own with magic. He gave fire to the fireplace. He sat down and continued the story. "You're at the part where I gave her a name, right? Well, I'll just tell you on what kind of person she really is." The two sat down in silence and listened to Lilia's story. "Hm... how should I start it...?" "Lilia, why you're here?" She asked when she saw a soaking wet fae entering her small, comfortable home. "I promised, remember?" "Yes," she said and crossed her arms. "That you ended up being wet under the rain." She placed a towel on his head and dried it. "You know, seeing you like this made me remind that you're like a child being taken care of." Lilia puffed his cheeks as a result and pouted. "Ah, correction. You're really a child." Lilia slammed her into a wall and corrected her, "Have you forgotten that I'm also a man?" She witnessed a change in his looks and the tone of his voice. He seemed more mature than what he is a moment ago. She smiled and pat his head. "Still, you're still like a child to me. It's actually normal since you're a fae." "How come you thought of this as normal? My change in appearance is not normal," he asked, releasing her. "Everything is normal in this forest and beyond the forest. What else I could say?" "Pardon?" "I mean you're still you even if you change your appearance." "She literally outsmarted me! Unacceptable!" Lilia ranted in his room for his flirting attempts failed for the umpeenth time. "How naïve, innocent, and..." He lost some words to describe her. "and... why is my heart...?" Lilia shook it off. "No! I cannot fall in love! It'll go in the way of my duties as a knight! It's impossible to fall in love!" There was a short silence. "There is no way that happened... right...?" Lilia wanted to find a way to prank her as a revenge for what she have done to him the past few days. This time, he is so sure that he won't fail. He saw her doing the laundry. She was busy washing her clothes at the river not so far away from her home. There he started to execute the plan. His plan is to scare her and push her into the river. Full of determination, he'll make sure he'll succeed. He floated and began to levitate behind her with hands prepared to push her to the river. 'Turn around. Turn around. Turn around...' He thought as he waited for her to turn around to grab the next set of clothes to wash. As she turn to take them, Lilia spooked her. "Boo!" "Lilia--" She stood up but slipped at one of the rocks and fell but Lilia managed to catch her on time but gravity loves them that they both fell into the river, soaking wet. "Lilia?!" She look down to see the culprit lying on top of her-- again. "Lilia, why did you do that?" "No reason. Fufu..." He grinned that he made her push him and splash him with water. "Goodness, Lilia. You scared me.Please don't do that again." "Oh, so this adorable little flower of the forest doesn't like being spooked, huh?" He smirked, looking like he knew what to do next. "Sounds like the prefect, alright," Silver muttered as he remembered how you reacted every time you were pranked and teased by Lilia. "And every time I saw her crying in the woods, it hurts my heart that I immediately comforted her." Lilia sighed, "It made me fall for her even more ever since that day I first met her." "We shared our thoughts, our smiles, comfort and care. We also spent time on my breaks and in the end, we confessed." He was over the moon but his expression changed to sadness. "But... at the war, I saw her... at the battlefield..." Lilia saw her, destroying anything that blocks her path and killing anyone who dares to attack her. Lilia saw this and knew that she was controlled by someone because of the strings that are attached to her. When the royal family knew about this, they commanded Lilia to kill her. He accepted it with no hesitation but deep inside, he wanted to save her and feared that he'll take the life of someone close to him. The day before the incident, she and Lilia watched the stars and connect them. While they're having peace in the tranquil forest, she broke the silence and asked him. "Lilia," she whispered, "Will you take my life after I'm being controlled?" "Of course not!" He stood up. "I will save you and find the one who controlled you and they will be punished for what they have done." "Lilia, you're really kind." She smiled but her eyes showed sadness. She whispered that Lilia could hear which that made him hold her hand while he's in the verge of tears. "But I feared that that won't happen... I'm sorry, Lilia..." 'I will save you, my beastie.' He thought as he finally faced her at the battlefield. He cut the strings attached to her but the results became worse. She went on a rampage and destroying everything in her way, being blown away by her attacks. He screamed out the name he gave her and she never respond to his call. "My name is engraved on my back near my nape. Of course, I won't reveal it or let you see it even if you are determined to know my name that badly." She told him about her secret but this fae have other plans in mind. He smirked in response and she slapped him at the cheek. He forced his way back to her, advancing towards her. This time, he have no other choice but to follow their orders. He's getting closer and closer. He lifted his sword and shouted in anger with and cried. "Will you take my life after I'm being controlled?" And so he did. His sword pierced her heart. The stars aligned that night, telling him that it's a good omen. But for him, it's not. He wanted to cry, so badly. He killed her. He killed her with his own weapon, with his own bare hands. That is his answer to her question that day. He knelt in front of her dying body and apologized. He cried and cried until he felt something that touched his cheek. It was her, comforting him even on her last moments. "Lilia..." she asked as her voice cracked. "Will I... be able to meet you again someday?" "Yes, my dear." He smiled, "In another life, I will make you stay. I won't let anyone control you in your next life." "Then... promise me... to be with you... once we meet again..." She smiled. "You know... meeting you back then... feels like a dream..." Tears fell from her eyes. Lilia wiped it for her. She whispered that made Lilia's heart scarred for his entire life. "Thank you... for everything... And lastly..." "I love you, Lilia..." And her hand fell down to the ground. Her warmth faded and she became a cold, lifeless corpse. That night, a wail can be heard in the meadows near the flowery fields by the mountains. Everything around him died and withered. It almost seemed like everything faded. The forest lost its life, just like her, in her final moments. Rain fall down from the heavens, covering Lilia's sadness. Lilia remembered about her name on her back.He adjusted her position gently and brushed the hair that covers her nape. There he saw it, her name, the name he'll remember and took it to heart forever. 'What a beautiful name... I'll treasure it for eternity.' "In the end, on her next life, she was gone." Lilia muttered as he looked down, all gloomy. "But it pains me every time I thought of her." Lilia's voice cracked, he was about to cry. "Of course, the prefect reminds me of her." "The prefect?" Silver and Malleus perked up, curious on how Lilia knew about it. "How did you know that it was the prefect?" Malleus asked. "The prefect looked like her and acted like her," Lilia shed a tear. "Even on days when I was with her for a few times. When I first saw her at the opening ceremony and when I first met her and gave her a holiday card back then for Malleus. She even reacted and acted just like her." "The prefect have the same name as her." Malleus and Silver went silent and surprised. "There was no mistake. They both have the same name.”

"When I saw her at one of the overblot incidents, she was so brave to face them that she fought with the others, head-on. Just like her when she fought against her fears and fighting herself at the war." Lilia continued to talk about you. "She encountered a lot of troubles and problems that occurred in Night Raven College, faced the consequences with her friends and was there for them, and made friends along the way. I even managed to meet her on an occasional encounter and became closer to her. In the end, I failed to have her promise fulfilled."

"Father..." Silver comforted Lilia and hugged him. "I'm fine, Silver. I'm fine."

"Someday, her promise will be fulfilled," Malleus reassured. "I'm sure it'll come true."

"I hope it will..." Lilia pat Silver's shoulder, telling him that he's fine and release him from his tight yet gentle embrace.

Footsteps can be heard from outside of Malleus's room. The door opened wide and revealed the young guard who swore to protect Malleus ever since he became a student of Night Raven College and a part of Diasomnia.

"Lord Malleus! Master Lilia!" Sebek's voice boomed all over the place. "Sebek, hush tone. What happened? And why are you in such of a panicked state?"

"My apologies, Master Lilia," Sebek apologized and lowered his voice and bowed. "About that, the prefect--" The three immediately stood up with surprised faces. "What? Where is she?"

"Night Raven College." Before they could cheer up for excitement, Sebek warned them. "And please, before you'll meet her, you have to wear your ceremonial robe and prepare something for them."

"I'll cook--" "Father/Lilia/Master Lilia, don't." Silver, Malleus, and Sebek stopped him but failed. "Too late!" And he disappeared.

"Well, at least he's back to his usual self," Malleus commented and Silver agreed. "Yes, he does."

"What happened just now?" The poor junior knight was left in confusion. "We'll talk about that later."

Memories came rushing into Lilia's mind. He smiled and continued to shed tears while preparing and heading straight to the mirror, where Silver, Sebek, and Malleus waited.

He remembered the day you complimented him after the incident with the royal ghosts when Idia is about to get married with Eliza, the princess who have high standards for a prince. Feeling on cloud nine, he subconsciously floated.

"Lilia," you called him. "You look handsome in that suit but your cute face made you look more handsome. But..." "But...?" Lilia tilted his head. "But you look like a child who joined a formal party." "Aw, come on, prefect!" Lilia pouted. "How mean!" "I'm stating facts, Lilia." You giggled and continued to tease him. Well, that was one of the reasons why the ghost bride slapped him and you laughed and poked his sides. "Hmph," Lilia scoffed and smirked, "Well, what about if I became your suitor, hm?" "In your dreams, bat boy." And he sulked in his room for the whole day after school.

That also reminded him when he wear a formal attire for a party in the royal palace. The way you tease him is almost the same as the way she teased Lilia back then. He sadly smiled on his way to the mirror in the royal palace and continued to reminisce the past.

He arrived at the mirror, the gateway to Night Raven College. Silver, Sebek, and Malleus waited for him. When Silver saw Lilia flying towards them, he smiled. Seeing his own father being happy made him happy.

"Father," Silver called him and he reached out his hand. "Let's go."

"I'm coming!"

Lilia remembered the day the Diasomnia dorm spent time in Ramshackle for Halloween. He was looking for his costume but wasn't seen anywhere. When he entered your room, he found you wearing it.

"Hm..." Lilia placed his chin on his hand. "I'm pretty sure that I put it here in my room..." Lilia rummaged through his things he brought in Ramshackle. "Now, where is it?" "Father," Silver called him. "Are you looking for something?" "Ah, Silver," He turned to see his son. "I was just looking for my costume. Have you seen it?" "No," Silver answered. "But I saw the prefect carrying it around. She's looking for you." "Ah, I see. Thank you, Silver." Lilia left the room and began to look for you. He walk around the halls and he heard laughter coming from your room. Your room's door is open and he came to look what you were doing. And there he saw you, wearing his costume and doing roaring noises. 'How come the prefect and Silver love wearing my clothes? How nostalgic, reminds me of Silver wearing my ceremonial robe when he was a first year fufu...' "Oh, seems like the prefect is interested in wearing the costume, hm?" You jolted in shock and turned around to see him leaning at your room's doorpost. "No wonder why I haven't seen it for the whole time." "H-Hi, Lilia," You said. "I was just looking around to find you. But I ended up trying to wear it, that's all." "That's all?" He walked closer and bring himself dangerously closer to you, shorten the distance between you two. "You look so beautiful that I want to own you, put you in my pocket, and keep you to myself." "Lilia, I can't even fit in your pocket." You corrected him and sighed, "Let alone having me to yourself." You continued and you smirked, "Even though I wanted to say that I want to put you in my pocket since you're so cute and smaller than me." Lilia placed his chin on your shoulder and continued to tease you by his actions even though you innocently avoided it. "Says the one who has around the same size as I am," he wrapped an arm around your waist. "Fufu... you know, I can let you wear that until I say so." "Lilia, you have duties to do for this Halloween," You reached for his arm that is on your waist but he was so strong that you were unable to remove it. "Now let me go and leave the room so that I'll be able to change my clothes." "Hmm... maybe later." And Lilia hugged you tighter. "Lilia..." He never lied when he said that he have a fun time teasing you back then That reminded him the day where she tried wearing his casual outfit back then and pretended acting like him. Unfortunately, she was caught red-handed. That made Lilia smile more. Even though he knows that you were his past friend's incarnate, he was so sure that your soul inside you remembers him. He even felt it when you're near him on his time called "Prefect Teasing Hours" and that happens on your occasional encounter with him. "Father, is something wrong?" Silver looked to his father with worry. Lilia answered, "Nothing at all, son. Now, shall we?" "We shall." When the group arrived in the school's Mirror Hall, Lilia look around and to see familiar faces in the room. He flew his way to his friends on his journey of studying modern life. "My, my, if it isn't my fellow former club buddies!" "Lilia!" Kalim and Cater hugged him, happy for the reunion. "How was the Valley of Thorns?" Cater asked and Lilia replied, "It was fine. After all, I was able to spend time with Silver and Malleus. Even I have to include Sebek to join with us for the good old memories." "You never changed, Lilia." Kalim gave out his all-familiar laugh. "You still sound like an old man." "Well I am really an old man," Lilia said and the three laughed. While he was busy chatting with the others, he heard a familiar voice. Everyone turned to the doors of the Mirror Hall. "Crowley, I came back here for a reason. Don't you ever dare to tell me what to do for such trivial matters." They almost cheered when they heard your voice. Some of them almost cried but Vil warned them not to ruin their make-up because they have to look welcoming at your return. "I even let you stay here and you returned again. You better be grateful because I was so kind, after all." 'There goes the annoying crow.' Everyone thought when they heard Crowley's voice. "I never asked to be taken back here right now. After I left Twisted Wonderland, I felt like something is missing ever since I left. And yet, there I was, starting to feel like this place is my home ever since I stayed here." "Well, well, well. It seems like the former prefect have the change of heart." "You could say that again. You also offered me to become a librarian and a teacher in this school-- despite of me being a magic-less person. Well, I better be grateful since you were so kind, after all." 'Now we have another Crowley. And yet she managed to say that before him. Yep, that's our prefect.' The doors opened to reveal the all-familiar headmaster of Night Raven College and you standing beside him. You two walked further into the room and stood in front of the Dark Mirror and faced everyone. Lilia saw how much you have changed in your appearance. He remembered what you asked to him back then. It was the day before the closing ceremony. You and Lilia were outside on Night Raven College's roofs, waited for the sunrise. He gently held your hand and embraced you for warmth. The silence was so comforting but you couldn't help but to ask him this since you'll leave on the said day. "Lilia," you called him, "Will you miss me when I'm gone...?" "Of course, beastie." He answered as his embrace gotten tighter. "Of course..." On the day you'll depart, Lilia started to cry. He feared that this day will arrive and he prayed that someday, you'll return. "Lilia," you called him. "Will you still remember me when I'm gone...?" "Of course, beastie." He answered and held your hand. "Why do you ask?" "You're always forgetful. I doubt that." "Beastie, how mean." And he pouted. You turned to the mirror and let go of his hand. He wanted to reach you but you were too far even though your distance with him is short. After a few moments of hesitation, you entered the mirror. You couldn't return back in the world where he belonged but you know that you'll miss everything in this world. "Farewell, everyone." And you were gone, just like your last words of farewell. Everyone remained quiet but Grim ruined the silence and rushed to hug you. Ace, Deuce, Jack, and Epel followed him and they began to ask you questions. "It's been years." "How were you?" "Were you doing well?" "We missed you." "Miss us?" "I'm fine, really," you told them and hugged them back. "I missed you all." You began to cry with them. Ace, Deuce, Jack, and Epel tell you what they did these past years ever since you left. Hearing their progress, you congratulated them. While appreciating the moment, you felt Grim's grip on your ceremonial robe tighten and you heard him starting to cry. "Henchman..." Grim went teary-eyed as he hugged you but his small form wasn't able to hug you tight so you did it for him. "I miss you too, Grim." You began talking to the others after that. Starting from Heartslabyul, Savanaclaw, Octavinelle, Scarabia, Pomefiore, And Ignihyde. You managed to have a small talk with Azul, Jade, and Floyd. After that, Kalim hugged you and cling on you that it gave Jamil a headache. You were taking your sweet time until you finally have time to talk to the ones you know from Diasomnia. Lilia looked forward to talk to you first but you started with Sebek. He hid his pouting face under his hood and Malleus and Silver chuckled at his reaction. "Scared of acting all soft, huh, Sebek?" You teased the green-haired male and he responded. "I shall not act in that way in front of the young lord!" "Ah, the typical Sebek," Ace smirked and joined to tease him. They never changed even after all these years, even without you with them. Impatient, Lilia hugged you from behind and smiled to them. "If you'll excuse me, I want to talk to her for a moment." The three nodded and they disappeared. In the courtyard, they stood under the tree and Lilia hugged you tight. "Miss me?" You said as you hugged him back and he nodded. There was a moment of silence and you decide to break it. "Lilia," you called him. "Yes, beastie?" "About what you said back then after the wedding, I wouldn't mind if you became my suitor." "I know I said those words back then but I don't actually mean it," Lilia blushed at your words that he immediately got flustered. You chuckled and you pat his back. You calmed him down, "I know, I know." "But... I wouldn't mind if I actually became your suitor," Lilia look up to see your face under the moonlit night. He grinned, "And this time, it's for real." "I accept your proposal, Lilia Vanrouge." On that moment, he kissed you and embraced you tight. His kisses tells you that he longed for you and your presence, his embrace tells you that he wanted to hold you for a long time, and his presence tells you that he wanted to be with you forever. He missed you, and hoped that you will return to see him. He break the kiss and said you these words, "Then, will you be my significant other or my wife?" You chuckled, "Slow down, bat boy. Let's go slow until I'm prepared to accept your marriage proposal." He kissed you again and smiled, "It's a promise, then." 'After all, I did promise that in your next life, I will make you stay.' Meanwhile, while you two are having a sweet time, Malleus, Sebek, and Silver watched you and hid behind the columns of the courtyard. Malleus managed to put a silencing spell on Sebek before coming there. The three were so happy for the two to be together once again. "Seems like her promise is fulfilled," Silver turned to face Malleus and he agreed. "Indeed it is." While Silver is happy for his adoptive father, Malleus said something to Silver to which only the three could only hear. "Would you look at that. You're going to have a younger sibling soon." Those words made Silver froze in shock that Malleus almost laughed at the young knight's reaction for the umpteenth time. Luckily for the two, they won't be able to hear Sebek's scream or else you and Lilia's moment will be interrupted.

W/N: RIP Silver. You will be missed. I wanna cry. This is so freaking long that it fitted in two note pages. Hehe~

Got inspired by The One That Got Away, Tiny Light, and When I’m Gone. GoshTT

Goodness. I wrote a lot for the love of Lilia Vanrouge. I gave him angst and now I want to comfort him for fluff purposes. Hm... Neways, try checking the word count. I'm pretty sure that the limit in my notes app is 13k words. Anyways, have a nice day^^/

#twst #Twisted Wonderland #Lilia Vanrouge #Lilia Vanrouge x Reader #written by herri #i wanna cry #i wanna cry wanna cry but don't really wanna cry #damnst it's rlly long #twst x reader #twisted wonderland x reader

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dourpeep · 3 years

Text

Happy Father's Day! Enjoy a sweet little thing I whipped up in celebration :>>

Thank you to @the-mermaid-of-mondstadt for the name suggestion for Kazuha's son-

A Reason for Dreaming

Summary: A celebration, not just of fatherhood, but the little things that led to this lovely day spent with his wife and child.

Contains: Kazuha x afab!Reader, fluff, father's day, meet cute, domesticity, having a child together, Reader is Traveler but not Aether or Lumine

A little boy with ruby eyes and a smile brighter than the sun runs over to you clutching a large leaf. It’s green, picked fresh from a tree, no doubt.

He holds it in his small hands, arms sticking straight out towards your face.

“Oh? What are you doing, love? Having fun?”

“Look!”

He presses it, hard, to his face and blows, cheeks chubby with the effort. Apart from the pbbbbt that erupts, no sound comes out. But the toddler looks up proudly regardless.

“Papa did that—”

A soft chuckle comes from behind you, your husband kneeling besides him with his hand out and palm upturned.

“Let me show you again, Natsume.”

It’s a beautiful summery day with the breeze making the leaves in the nearby trees dance, the clouds slowly rolling along the endlessly blue sky. Perfect for a picnic. So you, your husband, and little sprout found a lovely area tucked over by the shore of a lake.

Spread beneath a shady spot, you sit on a large mat woven from rice straw. You pat its smooth surface, and Kazuha takes a seat, soon joined by Natsume’s hurried steps.

In his hands is another leaf.

“Here, like this.” He shifts, sitting with one knee propping up his elbow, carefully holding his leaf against his lips. With it in position, he blows and it produces a high-pitched whistle. He pulls it away and laughs as your son tries the same. Once again, it doesn’t seem to work, but Kazuha leans to press a kiss to his hair.

“I think you almost did it that time.”

When the leaves are finally set to the side due to the demands of rumbling stomachs, Kazuha lays down against the mat and watches the clouds.

He never thought he’d be able to experience this, considering his life as a wanted man, constantly running and wondering where each day will take him. The life that he led was hardly fitting for a family, yet…here he was. His eyes close, the sounds of Natusme’s laugh and the smile in your voice making his chest flutter.

It’s been a while since he first met you.

A strange traveler from a distant land, unable to return—not unlike himself.

You had run across him one evening while he napped beneath a tree, the sun pleasantly warm on his skin and the weariness he felt calling for a break. A shuffle and a concerned noise caught his attention, and he opened his eyes to see you.

Relief flooded your features to see that the man was alright, the bandages that covered his hand worrying.

Before either of you realized it, a few days of travelling with you turned to months. It’s funny how much you made him realize he missed this sort of close companionship; one he seldom had when travelling over land.

Slipping into a comfortable routine felt natural, just as it was to take a moment’s rest on a nice day or shelter during a storm.

Getting ready for the night, gazing up at the stars beside you or the early mornings where he’d awake to the breeze tickling his cheek and you still sound asleep with a leaf nestled in your hair. These little moments compiled and formed a bond unlike any other he’s known.

He had fallen in love.

So imagine his surprise when you confessed to him on night, looking out towards the ocean somewhere between Liyue and Mondstadt.

You shared your first kiss together, with the moon and stars as witness.

But nothing really changes much between you apart from the way you seem to cuddle closer to him at night and the way that his hand instinctively finds yours.

Soon, you met with a dear friend from Liyue, a mysterious old woman that Kazuha couldn’t help but wonder about. She gave you something, kindness in her eyes and you accepted it quickly.

Not wanting to intrude on the conversation, Kazuha kept to the side. Not that it stopped you from gesturing him over to view it.

A teapot, golden in color and rather large.

Imagine his surprise when you take his hand in yours, squeezing it as the world suddenly faded away.

He hadn’t known a home since his abrupt departure of Inazuma and the countless months of life spent sailing with the Crux…and although he still expected that he’d one day leave whether it was by choice or to protect you, he helped.

Chopping wood, building furnishings, carefully placing each one just right within the realm—until you had a lovely home you could return to at a moment’s notice.

The ache in his chest began to grow, the wish to stay with you only making the idea of leaving harder. Then, he surprised himself when he realized that he quickly settled into domesticity. A quiet question that he asked after a long day, muscles aching after a difficult and long commission, Kazuha inquired if you’d like to go back home.

Your eyes lit up when he said that, and though his cheeks grew warm at the slip, he’d begun to accept the idea of it.

His favorite part of this new way of life would be that there was no longer the worry of shelter, nor of safety. If you were to ask him, that is. Otherwise, it’d be the ability to see you with your messy hair and eyes heavy while you fought the sleep that would undoubtedly come. Maybe even the way that you always seem to hover when he’s in the kitchen making a meal for the two of you, curious and eager to steal a taste.

Even as straightforward as he is, Kazuha wanted to keep this little secret to himself—just for a moment longer.

Some time later, while walking around Liyue, you took up a commission posted by a few children who frequented the harbor. He watched as you played pirates, holding out a toy sword and exclaiming. The children quickly reprimand you, making you laugh because of course, of course, they meant the good kind of pirate.

You presented them with a little gift of apology, producing fresh lotus heads as a snack with a flourish.

For a brief fraction of a moment, a thought crossed his mind.

It didn’t return until one night when you two were already half asleep in bed. He thought of how he’s become used to this strangely normal life—one where he was free to travel all Teyvat yet still have a home to return to and you right beside him. He no longer had to worry for your safety as well, having proven your abilities time and time again.

It was safe. This life with you was safe. And he was so deeply in love with you just as you were with him so perhaps…

That night, he turned to you, resolute.

When he first held the little bundle in his arms, there returned that little flutter, the warmth in his chest he felt whenever he was with you. Always so sincere and expressive, believing fully that each moment should be treated with just as much importance as the last, he cried.

A smile on his lips, tears streaming over his cheeks.

To think something like this—a home, a spouse, a family—could be his as well. After so much hardship and loss…

You must’ve blessed him.

Kazuha opens his eyes to view the sky. But it’s blocked by two familiar silhouettes.

“Ah, we didn’t mean to wake you…” A leaf falls on his nose and Natsume giggles and throws himself over his chest. With the air knocked from his lungs, the man feigns distress and draws another fit of laughter from the toddler.

“So…many…regrets…”

Laying limply, a red eye opens to peek at you before closing right back while he plays dead. But the feel of insistent little pats to his cheek makes him spring up, arms squeezing around his son and an exclamation accompanying his attack.

“Got you—!”

The wind blows gently, rustling the leaves of the big tree above you, carrying the peals of delighted laughter with it. So Kazuha watches as Natsume chases after a stray falling leaf, comfortable in the little world that the two of you have created together, enjoying a beautiful day outside in celebration of this life that’s found him despite the odds.

#kazuha #kazuha x reader #genshin impact kazuha #genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact fics #genshin impact drabbles #dad!kazuha #kaedehara kazuha #genshin impact fluff #feel good fic

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kraekat29 · 16 days

Text

The Lakes- Chapter Seven

A few days had gone past and Ruby was still on the ship, the wound on her stomach was beginning to heal.

Most of the time she spent her days in JJ’s quarters, watching the waves from his window and leaning her head on her hand in boredom.

When everyone else was asleep JJ would give her small tours, just last night she was able to see the kitchen quarters.

The crew was still weary of her, especially Kiara who had been hounding JJ everyday to kick her off the ship, claiming she was an enemy.

Ruby felt there was something off with Kiara though, she didn’t smell like the rest of the crew, her scent was off and it was confusing for her.

“alright I’m gonna go up now okay? Stay here and don’t leave” JJ said, leaning down to place a gentle kiss on her head, “I’ll be right here” Ruby promised.

After he left she stood up, peeking her head out the door then sneaking out, following the hallway down until the second door to the right.

JJ’s study. She’d been in here multiple times with him the past few days, he had hundreds of books she was curious about.

Ruby went in and quietly closed the door behind her, the skirt of her dress ruffling as she turned and went over to his desk.

She sniffed the air softly, a happy sigh escaping her lips as she was met with JJ’s scent, the aroma filling the small space.

She ran her fingers along the spines of the books on the shelves, looking around in curiosity as the dull light from the lamp shone.

“Kildare: the history and the myths..” Ruby read quietly, looking at the book in her hands, she bit her lip for a moment then shrugged making her way over to the desk once more.

She sat in the chair and opened the book, reading through the pages as she satisfied her curiosity, only one thing struck her.

‘Kiara Carrera. Age: 17. Sex: female. Class: royalty. Status: missing’

“she’s royalty..?” Ruby murmured to herself, flipping to the index then flipping to the chapters about the royal families.

And sure enough on page 115 stood Kiara Carrera next to Mike and Anna. She was a princess to one of the most well known families, her father had worked his way up from a cook to a prince.

Her family was also well known poachers.

With a growl Ruby snapped the book shut, tucking it underneath her arm as made her way back to JJ’s quarters.

It was time for the truth to come out once and for all.

tags: @cristina-t @thatsthewaythechrissycrumbles @redhead1180 @rafescurtainbangz @maybankskiss

@princessmaybank @the-tortured-poets-depxrtment

@pankowkisses @jjxkiaraxpopexcleoxjohnbxsarah @yukswl0v3 @maybanksbabe @haven247

#jj maybank #ruby routledge #john b routledge #sage medici #kiara carrera #pope heyward #cleo obx #sarah cameron #rafe cameron #jj maybank smut #obx #obx fic #outer banks

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howdywrites · 3 years

Text

Stitches

- an In The Woods Somewhere drabble

Length: 700~ words Warnings: mention of blood, brief descriptions of injury and medical procedure, brief mention of a dead body, heavy flirting

Synopsis: (Adult/New Adult, WLW romance, apocalypse) Mara is injured and Jackie takes charge. I felt like writing a drabble with these two since it's been a while since I've properly sat down and wrote something. It's mainly about their relationship and less about the injury. Enjoy!

[ITWS intro]

“Let me take a look at it-” Jackie reached for Mara’s leg. Ruby blood seeped from the peeled skin where their attacker’s blade gashed her calf open. The woman flinched, sneering like the wounded possum she nursed back to health earlier that summer.

“Fuck no, I’m the one with medical training, remember? I’ll do it myself.” There it was again - that frightened defiance. Mara could build up as many bricks between them as she wanted, but Jackie had x-ray vision. She couldn’t imagine how many unkind hands have harmed her in the past. She rested the tips of her fingers against the edge of Mara’s khaki utility pants that she’d rolled up long before they crossed the creek.

A trembling hand darted for her wrist, squeezing it. Almost too harshly. Jackie winced and bit her lip. “Mara.” She spoke calmly, letting her maintain what little control she had in the situation. “You’re shaking too much. You wouldn’t even be able to thread a needle, let alone stitch yourself up.”

“Don’t need stitches.” Their eyes met. Jackie noticed the sickly tinge in her tan face right away. Even her normally warm, full lips were pale. The hand around her wrist loosened. “I don’t need stitches. It’s superficial.”

“You and I both know it’s not.” Jackie watched Mara’s weary eyes drop to the oozing blood before they dragged back up to stare at nothing in particular. Refusing to meet her gaze.

“Fine. Alright. It’s bad.”

“Let’s get you comfortable, yeah?”

It took a good deal of effort on both their parts to get Mara to a large oak tree that towered above the meadow. On any other day, the bright sunlight casting dancing shadows over the wildflowers would’ve been a dream resting spot. A romantic picnic spot, even. But with a corpse rotting just a hundred feet away and the piercing silence of a forest without a single bird or animal, it was more like a beautiful nightmare.

Jackie settled her companion against their packs so the rough bark of the tree wouldn’t splinter her bare shoulders. The wife beater Mara wore would never be white again after all the sweat and gore it endured the past three days. Even now, sweat trickled from her forehead and rolled down her slender neck. Jackie watched it disappear between her breasts.

Oh god, was she staring at her? She withdrew her gaze and passed Mara one of their canteens.

“Here, you should stay hydrated. Want something to bite down on?”

“Don’t tell me you’re sneaking a peek at me while I’m bleeding out, princess.” Mara snorted, taking a generous gulp of creek water. “It won’t make much of a difference. It hurts like a bitch already.”

The sun must’ve been hotter that day than she realized. Jackie quickly shook her head and busied herself with procuring all the supplies she needed from their medical kit. “It’s against some kind of medical law to flirt with patients, isn’t it? Besides, you’re covered in brains.”

“That didn’t stop you peeking yesterday at the lake.”

Wide eyed, Jackie glanced up at the smug smirk that stretched across Mara’s face. She chewed the inside of her cheek. “You know what, I think I’m going to give you a few extra stitches just for that.”

“Didn’t know you were into S&M, princess. Learning something new every hour.”

Jackie rolled her eyes, having trouble hiding a humored smirk that crept at the corner of her mouth. She withdrew the thin needle from the depths of their kit. Mara’s legs stiffened on either side of her. Concerned, she looked up to make sure she wasn’t about to pass out on her. Her brown eyes fixated on her uniform shirt where she kept all of her patches. Unblinking.

“Afraid of needles?”

Mara swallowed hard and gripped the canteen. “No.”

“Liar. It’s okay if you are, though-” Jackie motioned with her chin at the half sleeve floral spray on Mara’s bicep. “Kinda funny that you’re inked up and afraid of this little guy.”

“It’s different, dude.”

“Probably.” Jackie offered a lighthearted laugh and turned a bit to thread the needle out of view. “You can hold on to me if you need to. I got you.”

ITWS Taglist (ask to be +): @lordkingsmith @celestialbunnistories @aeslin-writes @writinginslowmotion @chayscribbles @theramwrites @tiredlittleoldme @sapphcon-ic @hazard-writes @lookingmuchimproved @themidnxghtwriter @draculinawrites @aetherwrites @svpphicwrites @maxgraybooks @writeherewaiting @sjjsalamanders @thelittlestspider @ashen-crest @writtendevastation @ravesthewriter @adie-dee @christine-thinks @cream-and-tea @reeseweston @languageisbae @mellowkittenwrites @yejidoesthings @kingsinking

General Taglist (ask to be +): @fishinabluesea @svpphicwrites @aetherwrites @elliotlpowell @chayscribbles @spacetimewraithwrites @spiralcupid @ravesthewriter @bitchyeahmagnets @yuriyawrites @theramwrites @alicewestwater @adie-dee @intheirwingsintheirtrees @thewalkingnerdx @akiwitch @piyawrites @lightning-frogs @whtmrwrites

#itws drabble #itwsdrab #murdereddarlings #writeblr #sapphic #writing

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ncssian · 3 years

Text

A Favor: Part Seven

Nessian Modern AU

Masterlist

a/n: so this chapter doesn't exactly have a hay bale maze but it has something even better :)

***

Being a legal consultant is surprisingly easy.

Years of studying business law in order to take down big corporations in the courtroom is now being used to help a big corporation— Nesta wants to be disgusted at the state of her morals. Fortunately for her, all the issues that have come across her desk so far are minor negotiation matters. The way Night Court Inc. is run is virtually perfect, and she almost hopes a blatant lawsuit drops into her lap just so she can give Rhysand and his sycophantic workers hell.

Though Nesta knows better than to dream big. This is essentially busy work that Night Court’s actual lawyers don't have time to do, but she's grateful for it either way. She's grateful for the man who got her this job even more.

When her car finally gets back from the auto shop one sunny November morning, Cassian suggests they go out to celebrate.

“Celebrate what?” Nesta says. “Not having to rely on you for rides anymore?”

“Exactly that.” Cassian grins and leans his elbow against the kitchen counter. “There’s a fall festival an hour north of here that pops up every year. There's good food and hot cider. Let’s go.” He nudges her excitedly.

Nesta narrows her eyes at him. “You’ve been planning this,” she accuses.

“I go every year,” he shrugs. “Come on, we have the whole day ahead of us.”

He makes pleading puppy eyes that have absolutely no effect on Nesta, but she doesn't want to hurt his ego by letting him know that.

There is nothing appealing to her about going out into the cold and doing autumn-related activities, so she surprises herself and Cassian both when she agrees to go. He rewards her with a wide smile and tells her to get ready.

Nesta feels oddly giddy afterward. She can't recognize the feeling, so she tamps down on it while she gets dressed and braids her hair.

Outside, her burgeoning smile drops when she sees Cassian getting the truck started. “I thought the point of this was that we could use my car now.” She gestures to her beat up blue sedan, a sad little thing parked next to Cassian’s fancy truck.

“Nes, if I thought your car could go anywhere near a mountain road without falling to pieces, I would get in it without hesitation.”

It's as close to apologetic sympathy as she’ll get from him, so she only grumbles a little before climbing into the passenger seat she's gotten all too familiar with.

The door slams as Cassian gets in the driver’s seat, and something on the dashboard catches Nesta’s attention. Reaching out, she picks up one of her coloring books and her zipper bag full of markers and pencils.

She glances at Cassian. “Is this for me?”

He looks up from where he’s buckling his seatbelt. “Oh, I just picked it up on my way out. Cell signal gets spotty the closer we get to the mountains, so you might get bored.”

Nesta looks down at the coloring book she's clutching, surprised.

“Did you want anything else before we leave?” Cassian says. “I can run inside and pick up some books.”

“No— no, this is good,” she says softly. She flips the page open to a fresh landscape scene, black on white lines staring back at her. “Thank you.”

She unzips her pencil bag with a new reverence, barely noticing as they pull out of the driveway and head for the highway leading out of town.

Nesta is intent on her coloring the entire ride, falling far too easily into that little bubble of her own mind where she forgets that other things and people exist. Cassian, unlike most people, doesn't seem to mind this. He's content with driving in the quiet, the only sound the soft crackle of the radio and the scratch of Nesta’s pencils.

She’s trying to get the blue shades of the lake just right when she feels the truck start to slow, and she looks up to see that they're in some kind of parking lot. Ahead, a market-carnival setup sits at the base of the mountains, and it sprawls as far as her eyes can see. “We’re here already?”

“Yeah.” Cassian glances at her hesitantly. “Is it lame?” He gestures to the autumn-themed affair, as if he’ll turn around and drive them right back home if it isn't to Nesta’s liking.

Nesta can’t pay the festival any attention yet. “I’m not done with this picture yet,” she says simply. She holds it up for Cassian to see, even though he probably can't tell that the mostly-completed picture is still missing a couple of details.

He just says, “We’ll wait till you're finished, then.”

She brightens with relief, and takes her time adjusting the colors of the landscape to her liking. As soon as she's satisfied with what she has, though, she throws her pencils and book down like they're on fire and grabs her coat. “Let's go,” she demands.

If Cassian is surprised at her sudden change of pace, he hides it well and follows Nesta onto the fairground. “Slow down,” he calls for her.

Perhaps the fall season isn't terrible, Nesta thinks as they buy warm candied apples. The air smells nice and the weather is brisk and Cassian stands so close to her that she never quite gets cold.

It feels almost like a date.

Nesta glances at Cassian from the corner of her eye as she chews on her apple. Wind ruffles his hair and his brown cheeks are flushed red, but he looks content. It's too bad they're just friends, because this would have been a nice date.

She has to stop her train of thought before she gets distracted by how Cassian’s hand isn't holding anything, and how her hand isn't holding anything, and maybe their hands should—

She makes a fist with her free hand and shoves it into her coat pocket. This is why she doesn't usually have friends, she remembers— because she can never stop hungering for more.

Nesta and Cassian’s not-date is spent with Cassian throwing his money at every other thing he sees on sale, and Nesta biting her tongue at the unnecessary waste of it all.

“Eight dollars for a cup of cider? Come on, you're being scammed.” Nesta pulls at his elbow, trying to lead him away from the drinks stand.

“But it comes in one of those cute little jars,” Cassian protests as he’s pulled away.

There’s a laughably small hay-bale maze that they complete in less than three minutes, thanks to Cassian being tall enough to see over the hay bales. Then there’s a ferris wheel that Nesta adamantly refuses to get onto, regardless of how high it goes or not. And then, without either of them noticing, the sun starts slipping behind the mountains.

With her arms full of bags of snacks and random knickknacks that she’ll never need in her life, Nesta finds herself back in the market area.

There’s a painting at an art stand that has caught her attention. Something about the brush strokes and choice of color palette… it reminds her of Feyre’s art style. Amateur, but warm and comforting, clearly made with love and dedication. She approaches the elder salesman carefully, only wanting a closer look at the piece.

It’s of a glittering forest in the peak of autumn, ruby and flame-colored leaves littering the scene. An unwalked pathway cuts through the scene, and a longing Nesta can’t place swells in her stomach.

“My daughter painted this one,” the salesman says to her, pride peeking through his voice. She glances up at the kind-faced man. “Only this one?” she asks. The rest of the paintings don’t have the same art style, Feyre’s style.

“Yes.” He places a protective hand over the canvas. “She’s still learning, but she’s got heart and potential. One day she’ll be a better artist than me.”

Nesta blinks at his words. “How much is it?”

“How much do you have?”

She looks down at her hands full of shopping bags and realizes not one of them is carrying her wallet. “Oh, I must have left my money with my—” She glances up then and looks around. “Cassian?”

He was just here with her. They were walking together and she took note of the pretty fairy lights that were starting to turn on, and then she saw the art stand. She scans the milling crowd for a glimpse of his face, but it’s five p.m. and fully dark now.

Unease starts to pump in her chest. “Cassian?” she calls again. She wanders away from the art stand, painting and salesman forgotten. Maneuvering her full hands, she wrangles her phone out of her back pocket and turns it on. Just as she suspected— no signal. Waving it high in the air doesn’t do much for her either.

Shoving her phone back in her pocket, Nesta takes a strained breath and resolves to keep looking. If she can’t find him, she can always make her way back to the parking lot—

Something shoves hard into Nesta’s back, and her glasses slip right off her nose in the collision. She feels a metallic crunch under her boot and gasps. Suddenly there are people everywhere, heading in the opposite direction that she is, and whoever bumped into her yells a quick apology that gets lost in the crush of bodies.

Nesta stumbles out of the crowd, blinking quickly. She can’t see a thing, and the fairy lights are now blurry orbs. “My glasses—” she says to nobody. She scans the flattened grass and dirt furiously, squinting until she gets a headache, but she can’t find them. “Shit.”

She ends up roaming out of the market area, finding herself back on the fairgrounds. There are a few tents around her, but they're empty and the noise has died down. She doesn’t know where she’s going.

At one point, Nesta simply drops her bags and keeps walking without them. She barely notices leaving them behind. The magic has drained out of the festival, and she just wants to find her way back to Cassian’s truck. If the ferris wheel is that way, then the exit should be that way… she thinks.

She looks around in the dark, frustrated tears rising at her inability to recognize anything. She's alone. She’s cold. She was abandoned.

Nesta doesn't know how long she stands there, hopeless in some deserted corner of the fairgrounds. She forgets what she's supposed to be doing, and just stands there staring at nothing. Escaping to a numbing void in her mind.

The desperate call of her name brings her back to earth.

Blinking, Nesta turns around to find a tall figure heading towards her. Cassian.

He’s holding something in his hand, she can tell, but he drops it when he sees her face and breaks into a run.

“Nesta!” Hard warmth crashes into her as strong arms grab her and yank her close. Her face presses into his chest, and hot tears fall despite the lingering numbness.

“Where did you go?” Cassian is demanding. “You had me so fucking scared—”

“I lost my glasses,” she says weakly into the wool of his coat.

“I know.” He goes from stroking her back to clutching her face. His thumbs rub at the wetness beneath her eyes, and finally she can see his face. He’s close enough that she can read every detail, their foreheads pressed tightly together. He isn't letting go.

She presses her lips together. “I lost you.”

“I know.”

In the next moment, Nesta feels everything all at once: Cassian’s heavy breath on her face, his fingers digging into her scalp, his hazel eyes looking relieved and apologetic and terrified at the same time. His heartbeat racing beneath her hands.

For the briefest eternity, Nesta and Cassian share the same mind. They are thinking the exact same thing.

There’s a moment of painful hesitation, where Nesta has the opportunity to pull away. She doesn't take it, and by then it's too late— Cassian’s mouth is on hers.

Oh. Oh.

Nesta buckles a little under the weight of his kiss, but he holds her upright with his grip. His fingers wind so tightly into her braid she worries he might undo the whole thing, but then she's tucking her cold hands into the warmth of his sweater and wow, what a wonderful end to a terrible night.

His lips break from hers for a breath, only to come in again and kiss her deeper this time. A helpless noise escapes from one or both of them. She’s unraveling with every stroke of his tongue, and she thinks distantly that if kisses were flavored, this one would be sweet enough to make her teeth ache.

It's over far too soon, with Cassian’s series of kisses slowing until they stop completely. He pulls back far enough that they both have room to breathe, and with oxygen comes sharp reality.

For once, Nesta has no words. Her thought process is a tape jammed on a few moments ago, so Cassian is the one that has to slowly drop his hands from her hair and clear his throat.

“Let's go home,” is all he says.

***

The drive back to the cabin is silent. Nesta puts her earbuds in and turns on music as soon as they get in the truck, and halfway home Cassian glances over and realizes she's fallen asleep.

His knuckles are white on the steering wheel, and it's a struggle to keep his eyes on the headlight-lit road ahead.

Losing track of Nesta with no way to contact her was one thing, but nothing scared Cassian more than when his eyes caught the metallic glint of broken gold rims in the trampled dirt of the marketplace.

After running from stall to stall searching for Nesta, only one man was able to give Cassian a straight answer. “She was looking at some art and then she went that way,” the old salesman pointed. “She seemed upset; I think she was looking for you.”

The pieces of Nesta's glasses sit in a bag in the backseat now, tucked alongside a canvas painting of an autumn landscape.

The relief Cassian felt when he found her in one piece, when she turned to him with the saddest eyes— he was more cemented in his feelings for her in that moment than in any late night he’d spent dreaming about her.

And when she looked at him like that, fighting not to cry… it was over for him. Weeks of restraint that he hadn't even noticed building up snapped at the last second, until he was kissing Nesta like it was his final dying wish. All of it, utterly over.

He glances over to her now, where she sleeps with her head against the fogged window, exhausted after the day she's had. His hands twitch with the temptation to reach out and touch her.

Gravel crunches as Cassian pulls up into the driveway, and he looks at Nesta again and sighs. He almost goes to wake her, but changes his mind at the last moment and gets out of the car instead. Circling around to the passenger side, he opens the door and carefully lifts her out of her seat.

Her head lolls against his chest, but she doesn't wake. Stress and high emotions have no doubt knocked her out for the rest of the night.

Realizing there's no way to unlock the front door while holding Nesta, Cassian has to circle around to the back of the cabin, entering through the open kitchen door and carrying her on silent feet up the stairs.

Once she's safely tucked in her bed, Cassian can relax his shoulders for the first time all night. Later, he sits down in the half-lit kitchen with Nesta’s broken glasses before him. The frame is split right down the middle, but he already knows Nesta won't allow him to get her a new pair. He’ll need wire and some pliers.

Tying his hair back, he settles down and gets to work.

***

a/n: i'm trying to apologize less for my work but this chapter is not only short and late but also super iffy in terms of writing quality 🥴 so im sorry. if my secret snowflake gift has anything to do with it part 8 will also be a little late (i'm looking for balance guys i really am).

tagging: @ladywitchling @sjm-things @thewayshedreamed @drielecarla @sensitiveillyrian @superspiritfestival @aliveahaahahafuck @cupcakey00 @sayosdreams @rainbowcheetah512 @claralady @thebluemartini @nessiantho @missing-merlin @duskandstarlight @lucy617 @sleeping-and-books @everything-that-i-love @cassianscool @awesomelena555 @julemmaes @wickedqueenoffantasy @poisonous-bloom @observationanxioustheorist @gisellefigue08 @courtofjurdan @theoverlyenthusiasticwriter @wolfiixxx @cass-nes @seashade @royaltykxx @illyrianundercover @queenestarcheron @monstrousloves-explodinggalaxies @humanexile @that-golden-lyre @agentsofsheilds @mercy-is-alive @cassiansbigwingspan @laylaameer01

#a favor #ncssianwrites #nessian #nesta archeron #cassian #nessian fic #nessian au

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descendantofthesparrow · 3 years

Text

Shuffle Playlist - Rewrite - Part of Your World - Harry Hook x Reader - Part 14 - Discoveries

Evie hung one of the last dresses on the transportation rack, when a knock sounded on her door. She pushed the dresses apart for her to step on the other side and called out; “come in!” Doug entered moments later, a smile on his face.

“Hey! How was the camping trip?” Evie turned to him with furrowed brows.

“C-Camping?” Doug's smile diminished and he looked at her slightly confused.

“yeah?” He tilted his head at Evie “Carlos and Jay said you and the others went on a last-minute camping trip to relax?...is-is that not what you did?” Evie sighed, the questions running through her mind stopping as she realized what had happened.

“oh, um, yeah they lied to you” Doug looked a bit offended “you see, Ben was kidnapped on the isle” now he looked alarmed “let me finish, we saved him and saved Auradon” Doug let out a small sigh of relief and took Evie's hands.

“is everyone okay?” Evie looked off to the side for a moment “you hesitated what happened” She grimaced and shook her head a bit.

“um, well…you know how our parents are kinda pieces of shit?” Doug looked surprised at the swear but nodded “well… Harry's dad is…kinda really bad and…that didn’t turn out well on Harry's side…that’s all I’m saying” she gave a small smile and turned, grabbing some of Dizzy’s accessories that she had brought back with her and sliding some on her arm to carry easier.

“Is he okay now?” Doug asked quietly, stepping to her side and leaning into her field of vision.

“yes” Evie assured him “Mal healed him when we left the isle and he’s with (y/n) now, he should be just fine for cotillion tomorrow~” Doug nodded and gave Evie a small smile.

“that’s good, you had me really worried for a moment there, was anyone else hurt?” Evie thought for a moment then shook her head.

“Mal has a cut on her cheek but that was the worst of our end thankfully.” She gave another smile and looked back down at the accessories “you know…while I was there…I realized something” Doug put his hand on her shoulder “I was lucky enough to be given a chance, and now I need to give someone else a chance too” her mind flashed back to five months ago when Harry had asked Ben to bring Uma over, and maybe after cotillion she could ask about Dizzy?

“My uncle bashful used the say that” Doug switched the topic, sensing Evie was not in the mood to talk about what had happened on the isle with him. Evie smiled, happy with the sudden change and turned to him, her brow raised a bit.

“did he?” Doug nodded, then pursed his lips a bit.

“but, really-really quietly” Evie laughed, spinning around to face the transportation rack and gesturing to it.

“come on, we have dresses to deliver~!” Doug happily obliged to her non-verbal request and moved to the rack, pushing it as Evie pulled it out of the room.

Two hours later, after every dress had been delivered, Evie returned to her room and grabbed her last two outfits she had to deliver.

A red rose gown and a red and black suit.

She handed the outfits to Doug and dug into her bag again, finding the red ruby earrings with small crossbones skulls hanging from the top. “perfect” she muttered, carefully holding them in her hand and leading Doug to (y/n)s room.

She knocked on the door, humming as a couple of moments passed by and no response came. She knocked again and sighed when again no response came, she gently opened the door and cooed as she looked inside the room.

On (y/n)s bed was her and Harry, curled up together under her many blankets as soft yellow fairy lights hung above them, the title screen of a movie playing on her tv.

Evie snuck into the room, gesturing Doug to be quiet as she set (y/n)s new earrings on her desk and motioned for Doug to hang hers and Harry's outfits on her closet door.

Evie spotted (y/n)s notepad on her desk and wrote out a small thank you note, pinning it to her corkboard that hung just next to her desk.

She ushered Doug out and turned, smiling at the sleeping couple, and slowly closed the door behind her, shushing it as it shut with a loud click.

“There we go” Evie sighed, turning to Doug and wrapping her arm around his “I’m starving, how about you?”

“Food sounds good” he chuckled, guiding Evie to the cafeteria.

Carlos watched from afar as Mal swung her feet just of the gazebo floor, her toes just grazing the cool lake water. He froze as she turned to look at him, her emerald green eyes softening and she invited him closer, turning back to the water as he did so and sat down beside her.

Mal laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, while she and Carlos hadn’t been friends before Auradon, she was glad that she had him by her side now.

“so…you broke up with Ben?” Carlos started, giving Mal a soft smile as she looked up at him. She slowly looked back down at the water as she thought of what to say.

“I…yeah” she sighed, letting her weight fully lean onto Carlos, who lifted his arm and wrapped it around her shoulder. “I’m just…not ready for the relationship he wants…I know I hide my feelings and shit but…I really don’t know how he expected me to just, be good with all of this Auradon lady stuff within six months…I feel like a failure” Carlos let out a low hum, squeezing Mal's shoulder.

“well, you aren’t, you did your best, and your best was good enough, you just found out that that life…isn’t going to work out for you, it goes against your mental wiring, yes maybe you could adjust to it but would you be happy with it?” Mal pursed her lips, Carlos shook her a bit “well?”

“no” Mal muttered, picking at the loose thread on her pants “no I wouldn’t be happy like that…Ben…he said he wanted me…the real me, the isle me-wait…no he wouldn’t want her, she's rude as fuck” Mal smiled at the snort that erupted from Carlos, before it slipped off as she remembered something. Mal stopped Carlos as he was about to speak again “Hey…I did this for Evie but…I wanted to do the same for you” He looked at her confused “I’m sorry for the way I treated you when we were on the isle” he looked off to the side for a moment before he realized what she meant.

“oh! Yeah, it's no biggie” he attempted to brush it off but Mal adamantly shook her head.

“No! it's not “no biggie!” I treated you, Evie, and sometimes Jay, horribly! Even after we became friends! You were and are deserving of kindness, and I’m sorry that I was so fucked up that I was the rottenest little brat to you” Carlos stared at her with wide eyes. “what?”

His shocked look melted into a comforting grin “Thank you Mal” he wrapped his arms around her, pulling into a tight hug that only lasted a moment “sorry, just remembered; you’re not really affectionate” he laughed, grinning wider as Mal giggled along.

“it’s-its fine when it comes from you three” Mal hummed, turning to look back at the lake.

“sooo back to the Ben break up talk?” Carlos tried, smirking as Mal blew a raspberry “come on, you need to talk it out with someone, or else you’re gonna explode keeping it all bottled up.”

“…I’m happy I broke up with him” Mal spilled, not looking at Carlos as his brows shot up “I thought about our future and I realized if I kept doing what I was doing, and we kept going with how we were…neither of us would have been happy…I need to learn to love myself before I can love him properly, because…if (y/n)s forced quote an’ unquote therapy sessions” Carlos laughed at that “taught me anything. It’s that…I rely on someone else's love to measure my self-worth”

Carlos hummed, squeezing Mal's shoulder again “that’s not a good thing”

“no!” Mal huffed, running her hands through her hair and pulling at the roots “it isn’t! I've been trying to earn my mother's love for 16 years, then I just hop to doing so much bullshit to make sure Ben will love me! I dyed my hair blonde, I dressed in those itchy dresses, I dropped my entire personality for all that! And-and it wasn’t good, I felt like I was slipping away Carlos” Mal sobbed, tears trailing down her cheeks as she finally broke “I don’t even remember what I’m supposed to act like without all that because I spent so long doing it I just-I forgot what being ME felt like” Carlos fully wrapped his arms around Mal and pulled her tight to his side. “I-I know it sounds like I’m being pathetic and having a fucking pity party but I’m just so fucking scared Carlos” Mal whimpered, throwing her arms around Carlos’ torso and pushing her cheek against his shoulder “on the isle my life was commanded by my mother and my identity was pleasing her, and here my life has been being Ben’s girlfriend and pleasing the people of Auradon so they think I’m not some villain whose just after Ben because he’s king…I-I do really like Ben Carlos”

Mal sniffed, pulling back one of her arms and wipe her nose “I do, it's just that…being with him hasn’t helped me move on from my mother bullshit and im-gah!” Mal let out a yell, pulling back from Carlos and burying her face in her hands “I’m having a fucking identity crisis because of my fucking mother! Why can’t she just leave me alone! Why can't all this dumb shit be left behind five months ago! Why do I still have to deal with it?!” Carlos let Mal rant, rubbing her back as she broke down.

“because life is unfair that way” Carlos sighed “Mal I know exactly what you're dealing with right now” Mal peeked out from her fingers, her eyes shining “I still have nightmares from living in my mother’s closet, getting trapped in the bear traps on the ground, or when she would burn me with her cigarette…even ones were she sends dogs at me to kill me…I still hear her voice in my head, telling me I’m worthless, that I’ll never be better than dog chow, my only use was being her servant” Carlos swallowed down the lump in his throat “but I know she's wrong, I’m not anything she says. I’m a tech genius, I've made several computers on the isle just from scraps, I've enhanced my 3D printer to be the best in Auradon, faster than any other and the quality is still top-notch, I've made a tiny little device that was able to make a hole in the barrier, I've gotten offers to work for Tony fucking Stark!” Mal gasped, reaching forward to grab Carlos' shoulders in excitement.

“holy shit what!? When? How? Why?!” Carlos smiled, prying off her grip.

“I knew you all were distracted by something else, especially you, so I didn’t want to make you stressed by my stuff either, it was two months ago. I didn’t take the offer because I want to finish school, but the offer still stands when I graduate in two years” Mal grinned, but it turned to a pout as Carlos gave her a look “Now back to the original topic, I’m not letting you deviate from it, you need to let it all out”

Mal stared at him for a moment before shrugging “I…feel like I already did…Auradon is stressful, my mother is the base of all my mental shit, and I’m not ready to be in a relationship with the dude I love because until I can love myself and learn not to rely on others value of me as my own value I can't be with him in a way that won't hurt him” Carlos slowly grinned “what?” “you said you love Ben~” he teased, laughing as Mal turned red and smacked him.

“I did not!!” she screeched, yelping as Carlos half tackled her and pulled her into an arm lock “Let me go you heathen!”

“you love Ben~ you love Ben~” Carlos sang, laughing as she tried to smack at his face “Come on, pixie! Let's get you back to the dorms, I think you need a nap”

“Don’t call me pixie!”

“How bout gremlin?”

“Carlos!!”

Chad carefully pulled the 3D printed copy of the king's crown from the printer and pressed a kiss to the emblem on the front. “Finally,~” He walked over to the mirror that was installed in Jay's standing dresser and carefully perched the crown on his head, smiling as his full cotillion outfit came to light.

He looked like a king~

He tilted the crown down a bit and laughed, posing in the mirror “oh what's that? Why no Audrey, I haven’t chosen my queen yet~” He purred to the fake Audrey in his mind. He turned and started to walk away before spinning back around to pose again “why no Audrey-”

Suddenly his phone rang, and he turned, raising his brow as he walked over to his phone “who could be calling me?”

Caller ID - Audrey <3

Chad let out a high-pitched scream of excitement, dropping his phone to the floor as he gripped his head “ahhAH! Audrey!!!”

“chad!” Carlos groaned, glaring as the other dived to the floor for his phone, and shushed him “Chad! This is my room chad!”

Chad shushed him again, making Carlos roll his eyes. Chad hit the answer button on his phone “Audrey?”

“Hey Chad um, I’m kind of stuck in Sherwood forest, my tire went flat. Could, could you come help me?”

“yeah of course!” Chad covered the mic and turned back to Carlos “she got a flat tire in Sherwood forest and she wants me to come fix it~” Carlos squinted a bit and looked at Chad with an odd look.

“that’s six hours away”

Chad looked at him as if what he said wasn’t a long road trip. “Really? Only six?” he turned back to his phone and put it back to his ear “I’m gonna be there faster than I thought”

“Thanks Chad, I was going to come to cotilli-“ he pulled the phone away and pressed a kiss to the screen, hanging up on Audrey and starting to walk out the door when Carlos stopped him.

“Ah-My printer my crown” Carlos took the crown off Chad's head, who chuckled and gestured back from the printer to the crown before shrugging it off.

“I’m coming Audrey!” he ran down the halls towards his car, leaving a bewildered Carlos in his dorm.

“wow,” Carlos snorted, shaking his head and walking into the room, tossing the crown on Jay's bed. Carlos flopped down on his bed, Dude hopping up next to him moments later “these last two days have been crazy huh?”

“You can say that again” Dude snorted, halfway crawling on Carlos' chest and laying his head down “Nap time?”

“Nap time” Carlos chuckled, pulling his pillow over his face to block out the afternoon sun and sighed.

-end of part 14-

yep, part 14, we’re almost to Cotillion guys! also yep, Doug does not accuse Evie of cheating on him even though he had no reason to do so in the movie and he shows concern over Evie and her friends safety when she tells him about the isle~ what?? no~ this isn't a dig at Doug's awful D2 writing!! how could you accuse me of such a thing~! (Doug had alot of potential but like Mal it got ruined in the second movie and he was pushed as a full on background character in the third) also MORE CARLOS CONTENT~ yes he is smart boi and deserves that recognition and yes, the avengers exist in this universe. hopefully that Mal talk didnt sound like a pity party.

anyway PERMTAGLLIST

@queer-cosette @sephiralorange

@lunanight2012 @daughter-of-the-stars11

@musicarose @random-thoughts-003

@remembered-license @rintheemolion

@thecaptainsgingersnap @descendantsobsessed

@verboetoperee @imtryingthisout

taglist

@thesailbells @beccad10x

#disney descendants #harry hook #harry hook x reader #Descendents #descendants #harry hook descendants #harry hook imagine #anti mal #just in case #anti doug #just in case 2 #rewrite #part of your world #shuffle playlist

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itsclydebitches · 3 years

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RWBY Recaps: Volume 8 “Divide”

Hello, everyone, and welcome back! It feels good to be doing some normal RWBY-ing in this strange world of ours. First, some supplementary materials.

Number One: In response to any (valid) questions along the lines of, “Hey Clyde, it’s now been a full year since Volume 7 was airing and you still haven’t answered my ask about it. Or the ones about Volume 6… what’s up with that?” I’ve created what I hope is an informative video detailing the problem:

vimeo

(I assure you, the Earth, Wind & Fire was a happy accident during the screen recording.)

Needless to say, there’s a lot and I’ve known for some time now that I will LITERALLY never get through all my asks. Which doesn’t mean I don’t want you to send future thoughts in! Just know that as we head into Volume 8 territory I’ll most likely prioritize those, as well as any Volume 7 asks that aren’t woefully out of date. But I do want everyone to know that I read all the asks I receive, appreciate them immensely, and think too much about hypothetical answers, even if I don’t have time to actually write them out 💜

Number Two: There’s a bingo board this year!

Jury’s out on whether I’ll remember to update it, but at the very least this serves as a decent glimpse into my — and others’ — expectations going into this volume.

Number Three: I’ve collected a list of things I’ve heard about Volume 8 from what seem to be reputable sources. I did this because RT is developing a tendency to talk up certain points and then fail to deliver, either because something was taken out of a volume/moved to another, or because RT apparently has radically different ideas about what including something means. So this might be handy to keep on file and ask ourselves two months from now, “Did RT actually deliver on what they promised?”

Emphasis on Ruby’s leadership and how Summer’s death has impacted her

Insight into Ren and Nora’s flaws

May Merigold will supposedly have a larger part

More information about The Long Memory (Ozpin’s cane)

Theme of the volume is that you can respect someone but that doesn’t necessarily mean you agree with them

Very short timeline (supposedly just two days)

Yang in particular is very suspicious and distrustful

I was also going to include a list of all the threads that need to be continued/wrapped up, but honestly that would have taken too large a chunk off my life. Let’s just throw out the highlights:

Are we really going to have Qrow gunning for Ironwood?

Clover is dead regardless. Press ‘F’ to pay respects

Oscar bb you got shot please acknowledge this

Ozpin bb you got done dirty please acknowledge this

Penny is a Maiden now. I feel like the fandom has been sleeping on this (myself included)

Queer baiting, queer baiting… you’re on thin ice at this point, RWBY. Just skate on over to the queer snack bar before you fall straight into the lake.

Ren spill your deep dark secret already and it had better be something more than just ‘Oh no Nora might someday die :( ’

Salem is here so how the actual fuck is the cast surviving this?

Will Ironwood likewise survive his descent into antagonism? Yes or please yes no?

I think that’s all the biggies. I strive to keep lists like this in mind while analyzing, but honestly RWBY has a hundred moving parts that are abandoned or changed or simply retconned at the drop of a hat. So an attempt will be made.

Number Four (last one I promise!): Normal disclaimers and reminders for Recaps apply:

Please don’t fill up the already full inbox with flames. It’s still 2020. No one has time for that nonsense.

There will absolutely be typos and wonky parts because I try to get these out the same day an episode premieres. I have now been working on this for ten hours, nearly straight, and have no more energy for edits. Apologies in advance and RIP to my Saturdays.

I reserve the right to use stupid GIFs and memes at my discretion.

I strive to keep my focus on recapping/analyzing but salt tends to worm its way in… If you’re a die-hard RWBY fan with little patience for criticism, let alone (at times) snarky criticism, please proceed with caution.

No wait I lied, this is the last thing:

Okay, got that out of my system LET’S DO THIS!

We start not with the episode itself but rather Rooster Teeth’s (RT’s) strange non-promotion of it. If you follow my blog you may have caught the post where I pointed out that there was nothing on RT’s website to suggest that one of their most popular shows—if not the most popular show—was premiering today. Nothing on the main page. Nothing on the RWBY page either, not unless you count the Volume 8 poster background (easily mistaken for the Volume 7 poster) and the trailer buried all the way down past Episodes, past Merch, in the Bonus Features section along with videos like Live From Remnant and the volume intros. RT… the promotion of your feature show is not a bonus. This should be front and center! Honest to god, five minutes before the episode dropped I was checking the website for a Volume 8 section, a countdown, anything that would tell me the episode was imminent without relying on fans on tumblr to keep me in the loop. We got nada, zilch. I’m not sure whether that speaks more to RT’s iffy management of the series or simply the website’s horrible design—RIP losing RWBY on Youtube—but I was surprised when I saw the episode a few minutes after 11:00am. At that point I honestly expected to hear about a dely.

So that’s the mood I entered the premiere in, but truly? We start off strong. Things take a pretty severe nosedive later on, we’ll get to that, but I was impressed with our beginning and that probably has a lot to do with the fact that we start with our villains.

We open on a Cinderella character, Cinder, and thus I’m immediately pleased that we’re getting something about her backstory after all this time. Seven years! She appeared in episode one, folks! To say we’re overdue is an understatement. There isn’t a whole lot to go on, just a younger Cinder sadly scrubbing the floor, poised under a spotlight. What we learn, or potentially learn, is based far more in cultural knowledge than this scene. We know Cinderella’s story, which includes the abusive family, the longing for more, the eventual escape, and thus we’re able to read all of that in this image, despite the image itself not telling us any of this overtly. That means we could be wrong in our interpretation, but if we’re not it’s an easy shorthand in an already packed story.

What I’m really impressed with is the sound bridge between the scrubbing and her nails on the back of Neo’s chair. Fantastic way to confirm that this is Cinder as well as showcasing just how far she’s come. The sound of her labor has been replaced with the sound of her power and given that Cinder’s power is stolen, tied to a grimm arm, the property of a genocidal maniac… that’s messed up. It’s a Cinderella story gone wrong.

So yeah, Cinder tells Neo to head straight into the creepy, grimm infested blood cloud to see Salem and Neo is like, ‘Uh… no thank you?’ lol.

RT does a good job this episode with her expressions, ensuring we know exactly what she’s thinking despite an unwillingness/inability to speak.

Poor Neo might be in too deep, but I quite like the overall atmosphere of this opening. Say what we will about Salem’s awful characterization, at least she has style. This woman knows how to make an entrance and, piggybacking off of the Apathy, RT knows how to infuse horror elements into their fantasy. The red and purple coloring of the clouds, spiked whale teeth peeking through, bright orange in the background looking like explosions… that’s all 👌 Including the intro card.

The only thing I want to gripe about is this:

I’m sorry, why does the whale grimm have landing pads? Or something like it?? The whale otherwise works because it’s poised between the natural and the fantasy synthetic. It looks like a real grimm whale on the outside, but is sporting a throne room, a control panel, and other unnatural elements on the inside. It’s a visual indicator of Salem’s ability to control and change grimm. Now though, the additions are wrong, infringing on the line between organic and tech, the line between what helps the grimm individually (giving monkeys wings) and what just helps Salem. Every other aspect of the whale straddles that line wonderfully, adding to the creep factor, like a grimm version of the Uncanny Valley: it’s not quite a whale anymore… but landing pads? That looks ridiculous. Why does Salem even have that? How many ships are her people feasibly using? Why are there five?

Take it away, please.

Cinder waltzes in like this is a normal home visit, but Neo has an appropriate ‘What the actual fuck?’ face going on.

They approach Salem on her throne where Cinder immediately kneels, greeting her with, “My queen.” I mentioned during my trailer breakdown that I think Cinder is lying her ass off here, and I still think that based on a line we’ll get in a minute, but now at least we have a sense of how she can pull this off. A woman who started out as a (presumed) servant is going to know how to mimic subservience, even if her heart isn’t in it. Salem is very good at playing the girl who will still kneel and scrub the floor for you. She will scrub the floor, she’ll do everything you want, she’ll just be plotting her own rise to power while she does it.

There’s quite a bit of interesting cinematography in this episode, not all of it good, and I think one of the mistakes is here when we get a closeup on Salem’s mouth as she greets Cinder. A closeup like that should be reserved for more significant dialogue—“Rosebud”—and yet we get this shot again when Cinder tells Emerald to be quiet. It’s awkward and coupled with the numerous eye closeups we got in the trailer, I think RT is playing a little fast and loose with the camera. Each shot should add something to the scene, not distract from it. If you don’t have a reason for including a technique like that then leave it be.

Back to the actual dialogue though. We knew that Salem knew Cinder was alive and now it seems that she just expected her to come back? I’m slightly lost. It feels like we’re missing something here. Cinder goes off to secure the lamp, fails, nearly dies, wanders on her own for months, and then randomly shows back up on Salem’s whale doorstep, yet Salem isn’t angry at all? Did she have faith that Cinder would return when she has something to offer? Did she just not care about Cinder, considering her return an unnecessary but otherwise welcome surprise? That would make the least sense given that she holds the key to accessing Beacon’s relic… but that circles right back around to why Salem is seemingly indifferent to Cinder’s comings and goings. Surely she can’t actually believe that Cinder is loyal?

“So I trust you wouldn’t return to me empty handed,” she says. Yeah, trust means nothing in this show, Salem, didn’t you watch Volumes 6 and 7? Again, I simply don’t know. I suppose I’ll just chalk it up to confidence, that if Cinder did bail Salem knew she could track her down again. Deciphering her motivations and beliefs is a lost cause when the show continually gives us so little.

The important thing now is that Cinder does indeed have an offering and you can see that Salem is somewhat surprised at being handed the relic.

Cinder, of course, takes credit for the victory and we’re given another wonderful shot of Neo. ‘YOU took it?’

Oh, Neo. Best get out while you still can.

Tyrian appears having obviously made his way to Salem’s ship sometime between her arrival and now. The exchange is pretty standard for this group. He insults Cinder for failing and needing this victory to make amends, talks about how any win against Ironwood says more about his lack of intelligence than her skill, and Cinder… doesn’t have a whole lot of comebacks, actually. I’d say Tyrian won that verbal spar, enhanced by a better use of the camera when we get his tail looming menacingly towards Cinder and Neo.

He goes on to say that Watts was a “necessary sacrifice” so, uh… I’m just going to toss out the ask I answered yesterday. Based on our intro I’d say Watts is still significant to the volume—hacking Penny is my guess—but by the end? He could be in trouble.

(As a side note: I plan to analyze the intro next week. It’s just easier when it comes first.)

Tyrian also calls Neo “little one” which I just found absolutely hilarious. In an on brand creepy manner, that is. Not that Neo couldn’t kick his ass, but there’s something wonderfully chilling about having the serial killer use an endearment towards a potential victim, one that comments on her size while he’s looming.

In contrast, Cinder refers to Neo as a “valuable asset” and we get our third mood of the episode.

Who’s going to start a Neo reaction image collection?

It’s true enough on the surface—who wouldn’t want an ally who can turn into anyone else?—but we’re still bumping up against question of why Salem needs this. She’s immortal! She has an endless army! Magic! This scene works well with a villain who needs a skillset like Neo’s to succeed, but Salem doesn’t. RT is doing a great job writing a story thus far, just not the story we’ve previously been given. This isn’t the story they set up.

This will come back up when we reach the RWBYJNOR group. Just wait.

Before that though, the gang’s all here as Emerald, Mercury, and Hazel show up, all in new outfits.

I think I like everything except for the weird Xs on Emerald’s jacket—it’s way too distracting and frankly makes an otherwise good look ugly—and the fact that she’s showing her midriff in Atlas. Hazel doesn’t have any sleeves! Oh my god, why doesn’t anyone dress for the weather in this show?

Frankly, I found their reunion to be kind of lackluster. I mean, there was nothing wrong with it. Emerald does sound briefly excited, she does run, and it’s in character for Cinder to cut her off… it just didn’t resonate with me emotionally. I thought after two volumes of thinking she’s dead, then working through the knowledge that she’s alive, that I would feel Emerald’s shock and relief more, but I didn’t. And I’m not entirely sure why. I don’t want to level any accusations at the voice acting because frankly I know next to nothing about that skill (and from what I’ve seen it’s usually praised in the fandom), but I will say that throughout the premiere I was noticing it more than I ever have before. The lack of emotion here and some awkward deliveries later, like when Yang goes, “Ruby, there is no way Ironwood will cooperate with us” and I immediately thought, “Wow, that came out stilted.” These observations stick with me because, as said, voice acting usually isn’t on my radar. It’s not something I’ve studied or had practice analyzing. If you’d never told me that Ren or Qrow’s VA changed then after a year hiatus I literally wouldn’t notice… but there’s something about this episode that didn’t sit right. Anyone else get that sense, or was it just me?

Regardless, the arrival of our other three villains really doesn’t amount to much, though I’m happy for all the Emerald and Mercury fans who get to see them in new outfits. The focus is still on Cinder as she delivers a line indicative of her true motivations: “That power will be mine.” Yeah, she’s not loyal to Salem, she’s just power hungry. Of course, Salem immediately takes note of this and raises her hand, in another nice use of the foreground, reminding her that she hasn’t given that order.

Cinder is shocked, angry even, but quickly covers it up with her “Without you I am nothing” line. If I caught it right I think she also calls Salem “Ma’am”? Hilarious. Again, skilled at playing the servant.

Also, before I forget, it’s worth noting that almost everything from our trailer appeared in this episode. Yeah, there are a few details like Nora attacking some tech and the group on their bikes, but on the whole we’ve already seen the majority of our promo material and will likely get most of the rest next week. It makes me both interested and nervous for what another twelve episodes are going to hold.

Salem opens her whale, or opens a portal type view in it, something that gives us a long-distance look at Atlas. I don’t know what exactly is going on here, but it’s pretty so I’ll take it.

She also delivers the frankly badass line, “Just because you’re more valuable to me than a pawn does not make you a player.”

She waves them all away with perfect ‘You mean nothing to me’ attitude and we sadly leave our villains.

Sad not because I don’t love my farm boy, but because things are about to get a whole lot messier.

Oscar has made his way to a camp of civilian survivors… all of whom are just hanging out in the supposedly deadly cold. Yeah, there’s a single fire, but at least four of them aren’t anywhere near it. Three of them also aren’t wearing gloves. What was that survival rate again?

A nice if gruff dude gives Oscar soup—water?—while showing off his… badger claws? I don’t know what kind of faunus he’s supposed to be, but he feels like the sort of two second, minor character who could easily become a meme lol.

Oscar thanks him (my polite son!) and hands the bowl back after a single sip. Which is impressive because I would have assumed the guy was giving me the whole bowl and just taken it. Hell, I’ve done that even when I didn’t assume it’s all for me. A Starbucks barista once approached me with a tray and a plate of samples, I knew I was supposed to take just one, yet for some reason my hand went to take the whole goddamn plate. He had to tell me off, then I was trying to explain that I didn’t actually want or think I should have eight shots of cappuccino all to myself, I don’t even like coffee, he clearly didn’t believe me… it was awkward. So good job, Oscar. You’re less awkward than me (though that’s not saying much).

Now a question, Oscar. Darling. Brilliant boy who has been through too much: why the fuck aren’t you talking to Ozpin? This will be A Thing later when he presents a lack of time to talk as justification for keeping more secrets (we’ll get to that too…) yet here is time! You’re just sitting there for who knows how long, with plenty of privacy to hide a supposedly one-sided conversation so the Mantle citizens don’t get weirded out or suspicious. Talk to Ozpin. Our headmaster gets two lines in this episode, utterly inconsequential lines like his airship scene, lines that feel like they exist to say, “See? He’s still included in the story!” even though he absolutely is not. Two volumes of mostly silence, a perfect setup to start the reconciliation process, but we’re going to put it off again?

Instead Ruby randomly and conveniently appears. I want to know how she found him. Oscar isn’t wearing a tracker. He clearly didn’t call them because he’s surprised when Ruby shows up. He fell alllllllll the way back down to Mantle and then wandered to a random part of the slums. You’re telling me they flew over the entire city—after beginning this search thinking he was in Atlas—and somehow managed to spot him from up in the air? C’mon. I would have rather had a beginning where Oscar makes his way back to the group himself, giving him and Ozpin time to hash things out.

“Need a lift?” Ruby says, eliminating that potential. Sigh.

Oscar immediately starts beating himself up when he gets onboard, saying that he “was stupid to think the General would listen.” Nah, you were stupid to buy into Ruby’s nonsensical confidence and for telling Ironwood he’s as bad as Salem. Sorry, Oscar, but everyone is written badly these days. I will, however, say that I am THRILLED at the group’s reaction to his return. Ruby says that she’s “just glad you’re alright.” Nora has a wonderfully tender moment where she hugs him gently rather than her usual glomp.

That? That added a year to my life. Everyone else seems relieved that he’s okay too, so kudos there. After four years of Oscar being an outsider in the group, this is one of the few moments that feel like he’s 100% accepted. Really glad to see it.

Now let’s see if it sticks after they learn Ozpin is back...

They fly to the Happy Huntresses’ base and I again feel like I’ve missed something crucial. When did they team up? I mean, RWBYJNOR was working directly under Ironwood up until the last hour and Robyn ran off to fight Tyrian/Clover in the last couple episodes. When did she have time to explain her (briefly) changed allegiance and why would the Happy Huntresses trust the group without that? Did Robyn share that Blake and Yang went behind Ironwood’s back for her? Do the Huntresses instinctively trust them because they’re now wanted by the military? How did they even run into each other?

Again, I think we would have been better served to have an episode before all this. Let Oscar make his way back and let the group struggle with the magnitude of their situation on the airship, before they find new allies. Transferring directly to, “They have help and a secret base and a plan in the works!” makes me feel like I missed the real premiere last week. You know, the one where Salem unexpectedly arrived and we left the group like this.

This is where we’ve ended up though. The group is cozy in this hideout, getting info from Joanna, and my only other thought is, “Why is she giving all this exposition?”

Shouldn’t it be May? I mean, we were told that she was going to play more of a role this volume, a promise that’s pretty important imo given her status as a (so far off screen) trans character, so why not put her in the role of mediator between the Happy Huntresses and RWBYJNR? Giving her that setup as a leader among her people as well as lots of lines would be meaningful. A trans character just existing and being a part of this fight! May could obviously still fill that role—I’m well aware that we’re only one episode in—but it just seems like a missed opportunity to me. Out of all the undeveloped Happy Huntresses, our premiere focuses on the one who has the least importance to the fandom.

As said, Joanna talks a fair bit but what it basically boils down to is trying to get everyone to the crater below Atlas. It’s apparently not safe, but it’s warm, which is what matters right now.

So… let me get this straight. You want to gather everyone into a not safe crater, by leading them through an army of grimm, so that they can wait there in case someone moves the Staff, thus dropping an entire city on top of their heads? That’s the plan? Which admittedly isn’t Joanna’s fault. This is another instance of RWBYJNOR having information that a leader does not and they should really consider speaking up about it. But of course they don’t.

Also, how long does everyone have in regards to the cold? Shouldn’t there be dead civilians by now? The time it would take to find the Happy Huntresses, team up with them, get settled in the base, and find Oscar says that things should be pretty grim right now (pardon the pun), yet every non-aura user in this city seems content to just hang out in the snow. Either the cold is deadly enough to justify moving everyone to the crater, or it’s mild enough to let everyone survive this long, not both.

After hugs are given everyone obviously wants to know what happened to Oscar. His response?

“It’s a… long story. I get the feeling there’s been a few of those tonight.”

That’s a check for the bingo card! We’re halfway through the first episode and we’ve already got another secret. Yes, this is a secret. Oscar actively chooses not to tell anyone that Ozpin is back—something Ozpin himself comments on—and then skillfully draws attention away from himself with “I get the feeling there’s been a few of those tonight.” Indeed, all eyes go to Penny. Oscar’s plight is forgotten, which is what he wanted. His justification?

Ozpin: “You’re not going to tell them?”

Oscar: “You and I aren’t done talking yet.”

Along with this look.

Oscar no. There’s so much wrong with this I don’t even know where to begin. Let’s create a list.

As said, you had plenty of time to talk to Ozpin and chose not to. Miss me with this excuse.

You are now doing to your friends exactly what you and your friends did to Ironwood, which in turn is what Ozpin did to you! I can’t believe we’ve got Oscar critically side-eyeing him when they are still—still—repeating the behavior they drove Ozpin away for.

What is there to even talk about now? Oscar didn’t punch himself/Ozpin (lol) but he did steal Jinn’s name from Ozpin in the first place. You got what you wanted, drove him away, and have been lying and keeping secrets ever since. The only thing they should be talking about involves apologizing. Any further criticism—which is what Oscar’s expression and curt reply suggests—is beyond hypocritical.

Seriously, what needs to be discussed? There’s no reason not to tell the group unless Oscar wants to talk about whether they should tell them. There’s no good ending here...

Don’t you think it would be nice to know that Ozpin is back and you’ve got super magic powers while making plans to save the entire world?

This is all especially stupid given Oscar’s “Salem wants to divide us” reminder to Ruby in a moment. Oscar, you are doing the most to divide the group right now. By not forgiving Ozpin. By refusing to work with him. By keeping him secret from everyone else.

This is bad, friends, I worry for what the rest of the volume will bring…

The story is done with Ozpin for now so I guess I will be too. The group continues filling Oscar in and we get some shots of the base, including a rather prominent poster of what I assume are two Happy Huntresses. Did they die in battle perhaps?

It’s a little strange.

Oscar: “Where’s Qrow?”

Me: “Likely still making bad decisions.”

No one knows so they just drop it. Which I kind of get, only so much you can do to find him if he’s not out on the streets like Oscar, but it still reads as kind of iffy that two nieces look down at the ground for a hot second and then move on with their plans, content to leave Qrow to whatever fate befell him. In a minute we’ll see Yang firmly take Ren’s side regarding helping the people they can in Mantle, which frankly comes out of nowhere for her. I think an easy motivation would have been Qrow. Ruby wants to save the world, Yang wants to find and save their uncle, and that just happens to align with Ren’s desire to save the civilians who need immediate grimm and cold help. Don’t get me wrong, I like that there’s finally some division between the sisters, I just wish it hadn’t come about so abruptly. Ren had setup for standing up to Ruby. Yang did not.

But I’m getting a little ahead of myself. Joanna lists the grimm horde and no heat as the major threats to everyone. The group agrees.

Me: What about Salem?

Joanna says that this is all doubly dangerous because there’s “no more military protection.”

Me: Oh, so now you want the military?

This is all so disjointed. Even more-so when Joanna mentions that Ironwood has stopped all evacuations to Atlas, likely due to the “hard light shields” that are the only thing standing between Salem and the city. Thing is, the show never makes this connection, I just did it myself based on this scene and the one that comes later. The show presents Joanna’s line as a pure condemnation. Ironwood won’t let more evacuees in because… he’s just evil, I guess. Yet there is a justification here, namely that continuing the evacuations even while he’s stuck without Penny leaves him wide open to a Salem attack, the death of everyone currently safe, but that argument is never presented to the viewer. I don’t need people to agree with Ironwood’s perspective, I just wish that perspective was offered as an option. The show is very good about acting like RWBYJNOR’s opinion is the only justified opinion, or simply the only opinion at all.

After everything is laid out Weiss goes, “We’re never going to sleep again, I just know it.”

I could make a crack about the lack of continuity and how the group should be collapsing right now… but that was a funny line. It can stay.

What is far more of a problem is the fact that no one is talking about Salem. Okay, that’s a lie. They do talk about her, but in a roundabout way like her presence isn’t impacting every decision they make. That’s the real issue. They’re acting as if Salem isn’t here right now, like she’s off far away, maybe approaching slowly, and they’re arguing over how best to prep the world for her eventual attack. There’s no emotion here—let alone action—to reflect that the series’ Big Bad has arrived and is poised to murder them all. Literally what is this? Ruby is yelling about warning the world and, ignoring the continued question of why that’s a good thing when the world can do nothing to stop Salem and knowledge of her continually drives people to horrible acts, she has yet to acknowledge that… she’s the world? Ruby is the world in this conflict. She, Mantle, and Atlas. Salem is here for you all. Right now. You are, this instant, in the situation you want to warn others about, so why don’t you try to do something about it? Or at least acknowledge it. Ruby wants to warn the neighborhood about a potential fire while her house is actively ablaze, and the fire could have totally killed her by now but decided not to for… reasons.

“Ruby’s right,” Nora says. They have to tell the world so “they can prepare.” How? How are they supposed to prepare for this? The story cannot continue ignoring Salem’s immortality.

“Ruby’s right,” is all Blake says and I’m starting to thinks that’s why her character exists now, to agree with Ruby. It’s great that she’s getting a little distance from Yang, but man.

As Ruby asks whether Pietro can get Amity up and running despite it not being finished (called it) we start an incredibly odd sequence of flashforwards to their individual missions. I’ve seen a lot of praise for this already and though I agree that, in theory, it’s a good way to save time, I found the actual execution to be jarring. Upon thinking back through our timeline, it became clear they were flashforwards, but while watching I thought they might be flashbacks (especially since that’s more common).

Some of the shots, like Nora’s, just look awkward when you’ve got the exact expression and pose transplanted from one scene to another, like she’s a cardboard cutout behind a green screen. To say nothing of how the flashforwards ruin any suspense (I use that word loosely) in the conversation itself. If the question is, “Will they decide to go to the military compound?” then that question is answered when we see Ruby scoping out the compound, not when the group actually decides on the course of action.

It just made an already muddled scene worse for me, so I hope this trend doesn’t continue.

And of course, Amity can be used despite all the info last volume claiming that it wasn’t finished. Pietro suddenly acts like it is finished and the only thing standing in their way is Ironwood providing access. If that were the case, he would have used Amity weeks or days ago like he wanted to! When was it finished? Not after Watts commented on how incomplete it was. When did they get back the resources they needed from Robyn? It’s as ridiculous and retcon-y as I thought it would be.

Yang points out that Ironwood will never listen to them and Ruby counters that “he doesn’t have to.” They’ll just take the access from him. Because why wouldn’t they in a series where they’ve already stolen two airships? Stealing from the super evil military that Joanna wishes were helping them right now is just the group’s go-to plan nowadays.

Pietro isn’t sold on this plan though. He lists at least three obstacles they’d need to get through “and then… oh boy, I might need to think about this some more.” “And just to clarify,” Oscar says, “This is the easy option?” Um...no it’s not? We also know there’s an access point in Ironwood’s office so… why not go there instead? They really think the Academy is less guarded than the military base? There’s a potential justification here along the lines of, “After Neo and Cinder broke into his office Ironwood will have the place on high alert,” but unless I missed it the group doesn’t assume anything like that. They just listen to Pietro point out all the ways they can’t get into the military base and jump straight to that being the best option. It feels like a transparent way to create conflict for the group. We’ll just have them taking the most dangerous route despite an easy route being offered alongside it. Why bother mentioning his office at all? Just have the access in the military base. Boom, done.

It’s that conflict and the fact that Ruby tends to hear “You can’t” and digs in her heels. You can’t go to Atlas. I’ll just steal a ship then. You can’t defeat Salem. Watch me. You can’t break into this base. Guess what I’m doing! She’s dangerous in her fairy tale, meta-driven insistence that everything will turn out her way because she wants it to.

Speaking of, we finally—FINALLY—get someone challenging Ruby. Sort of. Not actually but it’s the closest we’ve ever gotten:

Yang: “Ruby, when we came here we said we’d follow your lead… but things haven’t exactly worked out.”

Now, there are two things to take away from this moment. The first is how utterly shocked Ruby and the others are. I mean, take a look at these expressions.

Ruby straight up can’t believe what she’s hearing. Weiss put her hand to her mouth like this is the most dramatic thing to ever happen to her. Oscar looks down in a ‘Yeah, I agree but please don’t look at me and make me admit that’ way. And Nora looks indifferent in the screenshot but animated she goes sort of stern, likely pissed that Yang would dare say that given her own agreement with Ruby. This not only reiterates that Yang’s challenge came out of nowhere—seriously, how did we move from following Ruby no matter what to this? Last volume she asked a single question along the lines of, ‘You sure?’ and when Ruby said ‘Yes’ Yang was entirely on board—but also demonstrates that no one has EVER said no to her before. Ruby is amazed that someone would challenge her. The act of challenging Ruby is, in and of itself, shocking. This group has gotten so used to following Ruby blindly that the teensiest little pushback is greeted with this.

Because it is teensy. This is the second takeaway: Yang barely challenges her and that challenge leads nowhere. She doesn’t accuse Ruby of anything, she doesn’t question her continued authority, she just broadly implies that things could be better. We followed you, now things are bad, take from that what you will. It’s incredibly mild as far as criticism goes, making the shock all the more, well, shocking, but it also amounts to—wait for it—nothing! Because Yang didn’t truly challenge Ruby’s leadership. She’s still in charge, she’s still calling the shots, and they’re still listening to her. We might have gotten some change if this division had been allowed to play out, but instead Jaune comes in with a, “Let’s go for both!” solution. It let’s both groups get what they want which, in turn, releases them from the need to grapple with whether they’ll listen to Ruby when she’s advocating for something they don’t agree with. We have now lost the chance to see whether, when push comes to shove, Ren and Yang will cave to Ruby’s will or stick by their own beliefs.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s more conflict than we’ve gotten in years, but that doesn’t mean it’s particularly compelling conflict. It’s good by RWBY’s standards, which doesn’t necessarily make it good. The actual issues at hand—Ruby’s dangerous arrogance, the group’s loyalty, her choices up until now—are just swept under the rug. For all the visuals we get insisting that there’s this great divide in the group… there’s really not. Not in any way that matters.

Also, Ruby is an idiot. Okay, that was mean, but she really is in this scene. She’s actually not an idiot overall because she was written as wonderfully intelligent in the early volumes, but now? Lately? She makes me want to bang my head against a wall.

“But that’s how Salem got this far,” she cries. “By dividing us!”

Ruby… oh my god, Ruby. No one should have to explain to you that dividing people means turning them against each other, not literally dividing your team to complete separate tasks. This girl honestly thought that because there was this teensy disagreement and that half the team would complete Plan A while she and the other half completed Plan B, both of which notably work towards the goal of, “Protect people from Salem,” that this was somehow what Salem wanted. That is was dangerous. Honestly, it’s a scary look at her view of leadership too: If everyone doesn’t 100% agree with me and do what I say, that’s an objectively bad thing that the grimm queen wants, right? Does Ruby think that unification means following a single person (her) without question or variation? That would explain a lot...

The fact that Oscar needs to explain the difference to her is not good. It really doesn’t say great things about this version of Ruby. Though he was comparing Ironwood to Salem last volume, so really they should all be wearing dunce hats.

Penny offers to take the relic directly to Salem in exchange for her leaving the kingdom alone. I honestly didn’t expect that. If anyone took that risk I would have put my money on Ozpin (but of course, during all this talk of the women he knows best, he’s kept quiet). Oscar is again the voice of wisdom, pointing out that they have no reassurance that Salem will keep her word. At least Penny is thinking about Salem as a threat though, so kudos for that. When this plan is shot down she volunteers to get Ruby past the military security instead and, uh, she’s a little intense about it.

I’m not entirely sure what is going on with Penny. She disagreed with Winter but then seemed to come around to her point of view, enough to help anyway. They had another (stupid) disagreement about the value of individual lives, so that helps to explain why she’s teaming up with RWBYJNOR (if you ignore that Ironwood is also trying to save individual lives...). Did watching Fria die shake her up? Is it being the Winter Maiden that’s not sitting right? Does Penny have lingering feelings about the framing that haven’t shown up until now? Her status as a ‘real girl’? We’ve got a lot of reasons that could definitely explain this sudden need to fight, but we’re not told which—if any of these—is the driving force.

We’re then given a lot of little details. Someone points out that if Salem gets the staff and “create[s] anything else” then Atlas will fall (so yeah, let’s move the people underneath it). We still don’t know what exactly the Staff does because “creation” is kind of broad and “powering a city to float” doesn’t seem to sit within that category at all. Pietro gives Yang the keys to his lab so they can get the bikes. We see the group dividing in the flashforwards, something I do like, especially since the show has gone out of its way to break up most of the usual duos. Nora in particular is pissed at Ren for his choice.

“Oh, I’m saving Mantle because I actually believe we can do this.”

#yikes. Well, I did say I wanted a conflict other than ‘Oh no, one of us might die’ and it looks like I got it. But Nora, the only reason you can do this is because the plot is in your corner: none of you are collapsing from two major fights, you didn’t lose your aura so the cold isn’t a danger, the military is barely a threat all of a sudden, Salem is helpfully hanging out in her whale instead of killing you, and the story decided that Amity can function so long as you all are the ones who get to use it. That’s why you can do this. Ren, who follows in-world logic and doesn’t want to risk a whole kingdom’s worth of lives on a pipe dream, thinks differently, oddly enough.

As they leave though Penny gets a call from Ironwood. I know precisely what the fandom is going to say here: “This evil man is just trying to use Penny to open the vault!” Of course he is. He needs it open to save everyone he can, Penny included. Plus the concept of “using” her is a double-edged sword. What do we think the group is doing right now? Using her to get past the security. Penny’s power is a tool any way you slice it. Granted, Penny volunteers to help the group, but notably here Ruby speaks for her. Penny seems torn and Ruby takes the scroll away with, “She’s not going anywhere until you change your mind about Mantle.”

Sorry, Ruby, but coming from you that sounds less like a reassurance for Penny and more like just an order for Ironwood. Remember Harriet? We’ll stop attacking you provided you do what we want. Ruby has yet to learn about compromises, let alone acknowledge that she might be wrong. How about you let Penny decide where she goes, especially since by all logic she should have a lot of loyalty to Ironwood. She knew him before she ever met you. She’s worked with him since she was rebuild post-Volume 3. Despite what Penny has said, if the story would just let her think about his actions for a hot second—making her the protector of Mantle, sticking up for her after the framing, sending her to the party, teaming her up with Ruby, etc.—she might realize that the ‘He doesn’t want me to have friends’ and ‘He just treats me like a tool’ assumptions are just that, unfounded assumptions. But no, Ruby speaks for them both because Ironwood is evil now.

“If she makes it through our defenses,” Ironwood says, “everything that follows will be on your hands.”

That’s true! Kind of like how it’s own Qrow’s hands that Clover died. When you insist on making a bad situation worse you hold responsibility when the shit hits the fan. You know though that Salem won’t get through their defenses now, somehow, so that there’s no chance RWBYJNOR will be blamed for it. Or, by that point Ironwood will be so crazed that anything coming out of his mouth is dismissed, no matter how accurate it might be.

We then transfer to the Ace Ops who are, despite what the fandom theorized for many months, clearly upset about Clover. Also pissed. Which they have every right to be. Their friend and leader was killed. Imagine for a moment that Ruby had been murdered by Tyrian with an allies’ help. Exactly what do you think the group would do? Swallow it quietly and get over it? Ha.

I’ve already seen some speculation that Clover survived due to details like showing us the bandage and his room being listed as for a “Patient,” but he looks pretty dead to me.

He got gutted through the chest and left out in the snow for who knows how long. We saw him slip away. Qrow screamed over his dead body. He’s not breathing now. If RWBY suddenly claims he survived this, I’m calling BS.

Most of the other visuals we get here were already dropped in the trailer. Winter is pretty injured from her encounter with Cinder, likely permanently based on her new outfit. Ironwood had to replace his arm—and I am calling BS on that “Losing his arm is reflective of him losing his humanity” commentary from RT. Please go read up on a couple decades worth of ableism in media and then get back to me.

We get Ironwood’s line about the light shields and, notably, a whole lot of empathy. Regardless of what he might want Penny for, he still called her with compassion. He’s watching the Ace Ops mourn their friend. He’s talking about protecting his kingdom. The first thing he says to Winter is, “Thank you, Winter. I don’t know what I would do without you.” Ironwood has a heart! It’s always on display, which makes this scene utterly ridiculous.

I literally don’t know how to respond to this. The gunshot made me jump, both because it’s a gunshot and because, again, what the fuck? I know I said that next volume RT might just have Ironwood descend into full villainy, shooting whoever he pleases now that he’s shot Oscar, but I didn’t actually expect them to do it. Because he never should have shot Oscar in the first place! I wanted the story to let Oscar grapple with it a bit and then quietly backtrack, acknowledging it as the mistake it was. The concept that Ironwood, empathetic Ironwood, rational Ironwood, always thinks before he acts Ironwood, let’s kids yell at him Ironwood, tried to team up with Robyn Ironwood, did everything Ruby wanted Ironwood, won’t kill Watts after he destroyed his arm Ironwood would shoot this guy just to shut him up is absurd. It was absurd then, it’s absurd now.

That being said, there’s a possibility he didn’t actually shoot the council member, but rather just (“just”) gave a warning shot down the hallway. I say this because the reactions to this are pretty tame. Everyone looks startled, yeah, but after the initial shot there’s nothing that I would expect if there was now a guy bleeding out on the floor. The council woman doesn’t scream. Winter doesn’t seem overly shocked. No one is running to try and help him. Basically, if Ironwood had just killed a political figure in front of six witnesses, entirely unprovoked, I would expect a bit more of a reaction than this. This feels far more like a, “Damn he’s not joking around, letting off warning shots to get people to leave him alone” not “WOW, our general just killed someone in cold blood!”

What I really hate though—beyond just assassinating his character—is how many fans think my friends and I are delusional for calling it character assassination at all. I hopped onto the RWBY tag for five minutes this morning and was bombarded with posts about how Ironwood needs to be murdered horrifically, anyone who likes him is sick, the Ironwood stans are as bad as Adam stans, you’re an idiot if you want him redeemed… because apparently the concept of a story writing a character badly doesn’t compute. I’m not here to argue that Ironwood didn’t do these awful things (regardless of whether he actually killed the guy or not). I’m not here to argue that they’re not awful. I’m just here to say that we never should have gotten these scenes in the first place, or if we were going to get them, we deserved an actual descent into murder at the drop of a hat territory. I’ve already explained extensively on this blog how early Ironwood was not accurate foreshadowing for this, and Volume 7 certainly wasn’t setup, but it looks like the majority of fans aren’t interested in examining whether any of this adds up. Which makes my job, as someone trying to examine this series somewhat objectively—in as much as that’s possible for any single viewer—as well as simply enjoy it as a show, really hard. It’s bad enough when a story keeps taking the characters you love and villainizing them, and doing that badly, but then when you turn to the community and see them rallying around the idea that you’re awful for being dissatisfied—you’re the bootlicker, you’re the blind stan, you can’t see what’s ‘really’ going on here… that sucks. For those of you happy and satisfied with Ironwood’s arc, that’s great! I’ve also seen a lot of posts hyping up the complexity of his character now. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying what we’ve been given and I’d never want to imply that just because it’s not what I wanted it’s somehow wrong. I’m honestly thrilled that after a year of worry so many people have adored our premiere, including this scene. I just wish that I could say RWBY had given me something I didn’t want in a persuasive manner and that the fandom as a whole was a bit more welcoming of differing criticisms.

Not that I didn’t already know the RWBY fandom had its flaws, but still lol.

That’s basically it for our premiere. Nice note to end on, huh? Our final scene is of Salem using the lamp to set her bloodhound grimm on the city. Why doesn’t she just go herself? What was she planning to do here in Atlas in the first place, considering that getting the relic was a surprise? Who knows. Little about this holds together. But we do end with another awesome shot, so small favors.

It’s always strange concluding a recap, but even more-so when it’s a premiere, during a historical moment in the U.S., amidst all the nonsense that is 2020. So for now I’ll just conclude with three quick things:

The updated bingo board will be listed at the end of each recap, provided I don’t forget about it lol. Today I’m checking off tone (not nearly enough freaking out about Salem), the team keeping secrets (Oscar), and major plot point dropped (Amity is suddenly finished). I could also probably check off the cold not killing civilians and getting Amity up and running, but we’ll see if any changes with those.

I’m including my Ko-Fi link at the end of recaps now. Not with any expectations. Not with anything resembling pressure. I thought long and hard over whether to include it at all—let alone mention it here—because I love doing these and never want anyone to feel like it comes with strings attached. But life is a little harder and weirder than it was last year, so I figure it can’t hurt. Feel free to pass on by and I won’t be bringing it up past this note.

Far more importantly: thank you for reading! :D

(Bonus 4. Editing this was an absolute nightmare — damn you, tumblr! — so I apologize if anything is super wonky when I finally post.)

See you next week! 💜

[Ko-Fi]

#rwby #rwby spoilers #rwby volume 8 #mymetas #rwby recaps

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