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nyxshadowhawk · 5 years

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Nyx’s Complete List of Goth Names

Abaddon: From Greek, means "destruction" or "demon of the pit."

Acheron: The River of Woe in the Greek underworld.

Achlys: Greek primordial goddess of poison, misery, and sadness, personification of the death-mist.

Adonis: Means "lord" (as in Adonai). In Greek mythology, the most beautiful youth in the world, loved by both Persephone and Aphrodite. Died tragically.

Adrian/Adrienne: English, from Latin; means "from Hadria" (the Adriatic Sea). I've heard sources saying it means "dark one," but I haven't been able to confirm this. It's still a really cool, kind of gothy name. (Also the real name of Alucard from Castlevania.)

Ahriman: The Zoroastrian devil/evil god.

Akeldama: Means "field of blood," a place in Jerusalem associated with Judas.

Alastor: Greek, means "avenging spirit."

Alcmene: (Female) Means "might of the moon," Heracles' mother in mythology.

Alecto: One of the Erinyes (Furies), the goddesses of vengeance. Means "unceasing."

Altair: The brightest star in the constellation Aquila (the Eagle), from Arabic, meaning "the bird."

Amaranth: (Female) Greek; a mythical purple flower that never fades, a symbol of immortality.

Amethyst: A dark purple crystal, associated with wine and preventing drunkenness.

Andromeda: Greek, means "thinks like a man," the name of a princess in mythology, a constellation, and a galaxy.

Anubis: Jackal-headed Egyptian god of death and embalming.

Arcana: From Latin "hidden, secret" (literally "to shut in a chest"), refers to secrets or mysteries. Also refers to the groups of cards in a tarot deck (the major and minor arcana).

Arianrhod: Means "silver wheel," Welsh goddess of the moon, stars, and the flow of time.

Artemis/Diana: Greco-Roman goddess of the hunt, the moon, and virginity

Asmodeus: Means "wrath-demon," a Goetic demon appearing in a number of texts, representing luxury, sensuality, and lust. (Also Asmodai)

Asphodel: A white flower planted on graves, said to grow in the Greek underworld, and therefore heavily connected with death.

Astaroth: (Unisex) A demon in the Ars Goetia (from the Lesser Key of Solomon), described as a male demon and a Duke of Hell, but the name likely comes from the Phoenician goddess Astarte (or Ashtoreth), who is a version of Ishtar (Babylonian) and Inanna (Sumerian).

Astor: A French and German name from Occitan, meaning "goshawk." A goshawk is a bird of prey. I've read on naming sites that this name was originally a derogatory term for young men with hawk-like, predatory characteristics, but I haven't found anything to confirm this. This is the name of my alter-ego and one of the main protagonists of Shadowbook.

Astra/Astrid/Asteria: From Greek, "star." In Greek mythology, Asteria was a Titaness of astrology and prophecy, the mother of Hecate. An aster is also a star-shaped flower.

Atropos: The last of the Moirai (Fates), who cuts the thread at the end of life.

Autumn: The darkening part of the year, when everything is dying, and Halloween happens.

Azrael: The name of the Angel of Death, means "whom god helps." (Also Asriel)

Azazel: A Watcher's name, means "scapegoat." Taught humanity the arts of weaponry and cosmetics. Commonly associated with demons and evil.

Baphomet: A goat-headed, winged deity associated with Satanism; obscure etymology.

Bastet: Egyptian goddess of cats.

Belial: A Hebrew name meaning "worthless," a name of the devil or a demon.

Belladonna: Also called "deadly nightshade," an extremely poisonous plant that causes hallucinations and death.

Bellona: Roman goddess of war

Bezaliel: Means "shadow of God" or "damaged," a Watcher's name.

Blodeuwedd: Pronounced "bluh-DIE-weth," means "flower-face." A Welsh goddess who was turned into an owl.

Bram/Brom: Technically short for Abraham ("father of a multitude"), the author of Dracula, Abraham "Bram" Stoker.

Bran: Welsh, "raven." The name of Bran the Blessed, a giant and king of Britain in Welsh mythology.

Branwen: (Female) Welsh, means "white raven" or "fair raven."

Breksta: Lithuanian goddess of night, dreams, and twilight.

Caligo: Latin word for “mist,” “gloom,” and “darkness.” (Calignes is the plural, which could also work) (feminine)

Calypso: Greek, "she who conceals." The nymph who kept Odysseus imprisoned on her island.

Carmilla: A lesbian vampire from the gothic novel of the same name, predating Dracula. The name seems to have been invented by the author.

Cassius: Roman, "empty, hollow."

Ceridwen: Welsh enchantress or goddess who stirs the cauldron of poetic inspiration.

Cernunnos: Celtic forest god depicted as having a stag's antlers.

Chiroptera: Literally means "hand wing," the order of bats in taxonomy.

Circe: Means "circle." In Greek mythology, a sorceress who turned Odysseus' men into pigs (and later helped them).

Cora: From the Greek name Kore, meaning "maiden." A name for Persephone. (Also, Coraline.)

Cornix: A princess transformed into a crow by Athena in Ovid's Metamorphosis.

Corvus/Corax: Corvus corax is the scientific name of the common raven.

Crimson: Dark, rich red, the color of wine or blood. One of the Gothiest colors that isn't black. It's very easy for this to sound banal or cringey, especially if it's a character's given name, so use with caution. Scarlet works, too, if you want something easier to use as a given name.

Damian: From Greek, means "to tame," tends to be associated with demons or vampires, a bit cliche at this point.

Dantalion: A Goetic demon, the name is particularly cool.

Desdemona: A tragic character in Othello, comes from Greek and means "ill-fated." Can be shortened to "Mona."

Desmodus: The genus of common vampire bats. (D. rotundus)

Devana: Slavic version of Artemis/Diana, goddess of the hunt.

Dorian: The corrupt, depraved, nearly immortal and astonishingly beautiful protagonist from The Picture of Dorian Gray. (Turns out Oscar Wilde invented the name; it did not exist before the book was written.)

Dracul: Romanian, "devil" or "dragon." What really needs to be said?

Ebony: A very dark wood.

Echo: In Greek mythology, a nymph who was cursed so she would only repeat the names of others; died while pining after Narcissus.

Edgar: Anglo-Saxon, "rich spear." The name of the one and only Edgar Allen Poe (also, my cat).

Eidolon: A type of spirit or ghost in Greek liteature. Also a genus of bats.

Eirlys: Welsh, "snowflake."

Elatha: An Irish god, described as the "beautiful Miltonic prince of darkness with golden hair." Not sure what the source for that is, but cool!

Elvira: Spanish, means "foreign true," a stereotypical Goth name (and the name of the Mistress of the Dark!). Actually, I first ran across the name in reference to a vengeful ghost called Elvira Blood in New England folk legend. Spooky!

Empusa: A kind of Greek female demon (similar to Lamia) that served Hecate.

Endora: Comes from the Witch of Endor, a Biblical sorceress.

Endymion: In Greek mythology, a handsome shepherd whom Selene fell in love with. Zeus granted him eternal sleep so he would never age. Means "to dive, to enter."

Erebus: Greek primordial god and personification of darkness.

Esmeralda: Spanish name meaning "emerald." (Also, the heroine in The Hunchback of Notre Dame.)

Ethelinda: Anglo-Saxon, means "little serpent."

Euryale: Greek, means "far-roming," the middle Gorgon sister.

Eurynomos: Greek chthonic spirit of corpses.

Eventide: It could work as a name.

Fenrir: A wolf demon in Norse mythology, the son of Loki.

Finvarra: Irish, King of the Fairies (and sometimes King of the Dead), a benevolent entity that ensures a good harvest and abundance.

Gabriel: The angel. Means "warrior of god." Gabrielle also works (and is the name of Lestat's mother).

Gehenna: A Hebrew name for Tartarus or Hell.

Golgotha: From Hebrew, "skull," the place where Jesus was crucified.

Grimm: The surname of two German brothers who recorded a classic collection of oral folklore and fairy tales, many of which are very... well, grim.

Habundia: A Celtic name for the queen of witches and night creatures, possibly another name for Nicnevan. Etymology uncertain.

Hades: The Lord of the Underworld in Greek mythology (also the name of the Underworld itself).

Hawthorn: A type of shrub steeped in folklore, associated with fairies and with Beltane (1st May).

Hecate: Greek goddess of witchcraft, magic, the occult, the moon, necromancy, the Underworld, and the crossroads. Means "worker from far off."

Hellebore: A type of evergreen flower, some species of which are poisonous. Believed to summon demons, also believed to cure madness.

Hemlock: A plant used to poison people.

Herne: "the Hunter," a ghost that haunts Windsor Forest (sometimes identified with The Horned God).

Hesperos/ia: The evening star.

Hypnos: The Greek god of sleep.

Iblis: Satan in Islamic lore.

Idris: Welsh, "ardent (passionate, fiery) lord."

Igor: Russian, "bow-warrior." Became famous as the name of Frankenstein's hunchbacked assistant, even though he doesn't exist in the book and his name in the original Universal film was Fritz.

Ingram: Swedish name meaning "Ing's raven."

Iolanthe: Greek, means "violet flower." (eye-oh-LAHN-thay)

Iseult/Isolde/Isolt: A tragic lover in Arthurian legend.

Jasmine: A type of flower, in this case referring to Cestrum nocturnum, or night-blooming jasmine.

Kali: Hindu goddess of destruction, name means "the black one."

Kasdaye: Means "hidden power," the name of a Watcher (another name for Tamiel). (Unisex)

Kiara/n: Gaelic, means "little black one."

Kimaris: A Goetic demon. (Male)

Kokabiel: Means "angel of the stars," a Watcher.

Lacrimae: Latin word for tears.

Lamia: A female demon in Greek folklore who devours children. The name of the witch in the film version of Stardust.

Lenore: A variant of Eleanor (also a good name), means "foreign," the lost love of the protagonist of "The Raven," also has her own poem.

Leshii: A Russian god of hunting, similar to Veles

Lethe: River of Forgetfulness in the Greek Underworld.

Leviathan: From Hebrew, "twisted in folds," a Biblical sea monster. Sometimes associated with Midgard's Serpent.

Libitina: A Roman goddess of corpses, funerals, and the dead.

Ligeia: Greek, the name of a Siren, also the subject of a Poe story of the same name.

Lilah: Comes from the Arabic Leila, meaning "night."

Lilith: Means "of the night" or "screech owl." In Hebrew mythology, Adam's first wife and the Queen of Demons. She refused to submit to Adam, so she left Eden and began screwing around with demons. Often considered a succubus or vampire, or a champion of feminism. A lilim is also a succubus or incubus.

Loki: Trickster god in Norse mythology with ambiguous morals.

Lorelei: German, means "murmuring rock," the name of a German Siren.

Lucius/Lucifer/Lucien: All mean "light" or "light-bringer," a name associated with Satan.

Lucy: From Dracula, also could be a shortening/feminization of Lucifer. (Still means "light.")

Luna: The Roman personification of the moon.

Lycoris: A Greek word that means "twilight," the name of an Asian red flower, associated with death and the underworld (much like Asphodel).

Maeve: Comes from Gaelic, means "the intoxicating one." Associated with the Fairy Queen Mab.

Makaria: Greek goddess of blessed death, a daughter of Hades and Persephone.

Mania: Etruscan/Roman goddess of the undead, ghosts, and underworld spirits, goddess of madness. Also a modern medical term referring to a specific mental illness.

Mara: A name steeped in darkness, referring to a nightmare spirit (nightmare), a (benevolent) goddess of death in Latvian mythology, a (male) demon in Buddhist mythology, and a Sanskrit word meaning "death."

Medea: In Greek mythology, the sorceress who helped Jason, but then went on a murderous rampage when he left her. Considered to be a priestess (or, rarely, daughter) of Hecate.

Megaera: One of the Erinyes (Furies), the goddesses of vengeance. Means "grudge."

Melanie: Greek, "black" or "dark."

Melantha: Greek, "dark flower."

Melinda/Mindy: English, "black serpent."

Melinoe: Greek goddess of ghosts, nightmares, and madness, a daughter of Hades and Persephone.

Mephistopheles: The name of the devil in the Faust legend, could be from Hebrew and mean "disperser of lies," or from Greek and mean "does not love the light."

Merle: (Unisex) from French, "blackbird."

Mina: From Dracula. Short for Wilhelmina, a German name meaning "will-helmet."

Morana/Marzanna: Slavic goddess of winter and death.

Morgan/Morgana: From Welsh, means "sea-circle," the name of Morgan le Fay, a sorceress in Arthurian Legend (who may be good or evil, depending on your interpretation).

Morpheus: The Greek god of dreams, the main protagonist of Neil Gaiman's Sandman comics. (Also, The Matrix.)

Morrigan: An Irish goddess of death, battle, and ravens, name means "great queen."

Morwenna: A Welsh name meaning "maiden." ("Morwanneg" is the name of the witch in Stardust.)

Nepenthe: A magical drug from the Odyssey that cures sorrow and causes forgetfulness.

Nephthys: Means "lady of the temple," the Egyptian goddess of the dead, mate of Seth and mother of Anubis.

Nergal: Mesopotamian god of death, war, and destruction.

Nicnevan: Queen of the Fairies in Scottish folklore. She is the Scottish version of Hecate.

Nightshade: A family of plants including tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants, but also the notorious deadly nightshade.

Nisha/nt: A Hindi name meaning "night."

Nocturne: Self-explanatory. Refers to a night prayer, a musical composition evoking night, or a night scene in art.

Nyctala/Nyctea: Two obsolete genera of owls. Nyctala is the genus of Boreal owls before it was changed to Aegolius, and Nyctea was the genus of Snowy owls before it was changed to Bubo. Both probably mean or are related to "night."

Nyctalus: A genus of bats.

Nyctimene: A princess from Ovid's Metamorphoses who was so ashamed at having been molested by her father, she refused to show her face in daylight. Out of pity, Minerva (Athena) turned her into an owl. Also a genus of bats.

Nyx: A Greek primordial goddess and personification of the Night. (also Nox)

Oberon: From French, means "elf-ruler," the name of the Fairy King in A Midsummer Night's Dream (Referred to in one scene as the "king of shadows").

Obsidian: A shiny black volcanic stone.

Onyx: A type of banded stone, most famously black. (The word comes from the Greek for "fingernail.")

Ophelia: A tragic character in Hamlet, which probably comes from Greek and means "help."

Orcus: A Latin word for Hell, and a Roman god who punished the dead (possibly an epithet of Hades/Pluto).

Orion: A hunter in Greek mythology, and the famous constellation.

Orlok: The name of the ugly-looking vampire from Nosferatu.

Orpheus: Greek name, possibly comes from the word orphe, "darkness." The name of a demigod with an impossibly beautiful singing voice who attempted to rescue his love from the underworld, failed, and then died tragically.

Pan: Greek goat-horned god of nature, herds, and lust, induces "panic."

Pandora: Name means "all-gifted." In Greek mythology, the name of the first woman, who opened a box that unleashed evil upon the world.

Pandemonium: The capital city of Hell in Paradise Lost, name literally means "all demons."

Persephone: Greek Queen of the Underworld, wife of Hades, and goddess of springtime. You probably know her story. Her name might mean "thrasher of grain" (which would make sense for an agricultural goddess), but could also mean "slayer."

Phaenon: Means "shining" in Greek, refers to the planet Saturn (which has long been associated with darkness in mythology, being the furthest planet from the sun that is observable with the naked eye).

Pluto: Hades' Roman name, also the ninth planet, or what was the ninth planet.

Ransley: An English name meaning "raven's meadow."

Raven: This is by far the most cliche Goth name there is (I originally created this list to provide alternatives to the name “Raven”), but it’s classic, it’s simple, it’s unisex, and it’s undeniably Goth.

Ravenna: Self-explanatory, also an Italian city.

Renwick: Scottish surname meaning "raven settlement."

Sable: A word referring to the color black.

Salome: From Hebrew shalom, "peace." The daughter of Herod and Herodias, unnamed in the Bible, who requested the head of John the Baptist and danced the Dance of the Seven Veils.

Samael: Means "venom of God," a vicious angel of death, the mate of Lilith. He is not technically a fallen angel, but a servant of God who does the dirty work.

Sekhmet: Egyptian goddess of war and destruction, with the head of a lioness. Her name means "power" or "might." Her epithets included "Mistress of Dread," "Lady of Slaughter," and "She Who Mauls." Ra had to stop her from killing people by getting her drunk on beer that was dyed to look like blood.

Selene: Greek personification of the moon. (Includes "Selena" and variants.")

Senka: Basque name meaning "shadow."

Seren: (Unisex) Welsh name meaning "star."

Seth: A name of Set or Sutekh, the Egyptian god of evil, chaos, and storms. He killed his brother Osiris and cut his body into pieces, and then was defeated by Horus. His head is that of an animal that looks kind of like an aardvark but is not an actual existing creature (at least not anymore). He was associated with the color red and the desert. His name possibly means "one who dazzles."

Shadow: Self-explanatory.

Silas: From Greek, means "from the forest." In The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, it's the name of a [spoiler]vampire.

Silver: The color of the moon, and it looks nice with black.

Sinistra: Technically, it's Latin for "left," but it obviously has "sinister" connotations.

Skiá: Greek word for "shadow" or "shade."

Skotos: Ancient Greek word for "darkness," especially the darkness of death or the netherworld, or obscurity.

Skuld: The last of the Norns (Fates), representing death. Means "debt."

Sombra: The Spanish word for "shadow."

Somnus: Roman name for Hypnos, sleep.

Spyridon: Greek name referring to wicker baskets, which implies wealth. Could also be connected to the Latin spiritus, which means breath or spirit. Usually shortened to Spyro.

Stella: The Latin word for "star."

Stheno: Greek, means "forceful." The eldest of the Gorgon sisters.

Styx: The River of Hate in the Greek Underworld, the most famous of its rivers. The souls of the dead are ferried across it by Charon, and the gods (foolishly, if you ask me, seeing as they always regret it) swear on the Styx to make unbreakable oaths. The word "Stygian" means "of the River Styx" and refers to something very dark or abyssal.

Summanus: Roman god of nocturnal thunder.

Sylvia/Sylvana: Latin, "from the forest."

Tanith: Phoenician, "serpent lady."

Tartarus: The deepest hell-pit of the Greek Underworld, where evildoers are punished.

Tempest: A wild storm, from the Latin for "time."

Thanatos: The Greek personification of Death.

Tiamat: Babylonian primordial dragon goddess.

Tisiphone: One of the Erinyes (Furies), the goddesses of vengeance. Means "murder-retribution."

Tristan: Welsh, "riot, tumult." (Although it sounds like the Latin tristis, which means "sad.") The name of Isolt's lover in Arthurian Legend, and the name of the protagonist in Stardust.

Valerian: Roman, means "strength" or "valiant," also the name of an herb.

Vega: (Unisex) Latin from Arabic, means "falling" or "swooping," a star in the constellation Lyra. It is one of the brightest stars in the entire sky.

Veles: Slavic horned god of cattle, forests, magic, and the underworld.

Veliona: Slavic goddess of death

Velvet: A fabric that most goths love to wear.

Vervain: An herb (verbena), meaning "sacred bough," considered a magical or holy herb in multiple cultures.

Vesperus: (or just Vesper), a Roman name meaning "evening." (Vespera for a girl)

Vespertilio: A genus of bats.

Victor: The first of the trio of gothy male "V" names, means "conqueror," as in "victory." Frankenstein's first name. (Victoria also works for a girl.)

Vincent: The second of the trio of gothy male "V" names, also meaning "conquering," from Latin.

Vivian: The Lady of the Lake in Arthurian legend. From French, means "lively." (Another name for the Lady is Nimue, which is Welsh and may be related to the Greek word for "memory." She sealed Merlin in a tree.)

Vlad: The third of the trio of gothy male "V" names, the name of Vlad Tepes or "Vlad the Impaler," the real-life Romanian prince who inspired Count Dracula. It's Slavic and means "ruler."

Willow: A beautiful and mournful-looking tree.

Winter: The dark, cold season. Unisex!

Yvaine: Scottish, means "evening star," the name of the star in Stardust.

Zagreus: The name of a chthonic Greek god who was potentially a son of Hades and Persephone or Zeus and Persephone, considered in Orphic lore to be Dionysus before he was dismembered and reincarnated.

Zillah: Hebrew name meaning "shadow."

#names #goth names #writing #gothic names #character names #mythology #gods and goddesses #literature #gothic lit #name list

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elfcow · 6 years

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A Christmas Gift for Team MTAL: Two Questions, One Answer

This is my Secret Santa Christmas gift for @team-mtal. They’re a pretty cool RWBY oc blog, check them out!

I had a lot of fun writing this - as soon as I learned about Corax and Viridian, I had to write about them. I only listened to two songs on repeat while writing this: Rey’s theme from Star Wars and Marceline’s “Slow Dance with You.” It shouldn’t be hard to guess at which parts.

In any case, enjoy!

Two Questions, One Answer

By Elfcow

Red leaves fell in endless spirals, scribbling out hasty messages in a script too long and slow for mortals to know. Viridian Amidala passed through the crimson partition, a grin breaking out on her face. The noble trees of Forever Fall watched sternly as she traipsed through the grove, scowling at her, a bright burst of green amidst all the reds and yellows. She knew the forest stretched out for hundreds of kilometers, but the canopy just felt so cozy overhead! With every step she felt the forest cradling her, the leaves underfoot softening her every step, the wind’s slender fingers sliding through her hair. And on the wind rode the faintest of notes; sounds that were not native to these woods, sounds not born from the throats of beast or Grimm. Deep within a sea of red Viridian heard music, and she knew she had found her quarry.

“Not, you know, the pile of rocks kind of quarry,” Viridian said, to no one in particular. “Well, it’s a hole in rock, really, but nevermind! I mean the kind of quarry that you hunt.” The looming trees frowned at her, their crimson foreheads crinkling. “It’s a friendly kind of hunting! ‘Cause that’s what she is. A friend.” Viridian adjusted her belt, feeling a heat in her cheeks. “That’s all she is. A really good friend. Even though we haven’t talked since the dance, and it’s been like a whole week. So I’m going to talk to her if have to tie her down for it. Well, you know, not like that, but you know.” She patted Navitas where it hung from her belt three times for good luck and pressed on. The music grew louder.

Viridian stopped at the edge of a small clearing. There she was, sitting in the fork of a great tree’s limb, utterly unaware of Viridian’s presence. Corax Branwen. Also known as the the most absolutely, positively stunning drop-dead beautiful Huntress-in-training in the entire world who was definitely worth getting lost in a Grimm-infested forest for, but Corax was shorter, so hey. Corax curled against the trunk of her tree, her wings hanging dark and lustrous around her. Everything about her was black and red; red shirt, black jacket, red glasses, black boots, red eyes, black hair. Misericordiam, her double-ended scythe, lay heavy and black on her back. Even her guitar was blood-red. Corax cradled the instrument to her with a fearsome tenderness, her calloused fingers wringing pure melancholy from the strings. The music reached Viridian in her hiding place, brushed aside her every defense like autumn leaves, piercing to that deep and secret place inside of her where no words were needed. Tears welled in Viridian’s eyes, but then Corax changed chords and the moment passed. Viridian wiped her eyes and took a step forward, but paused. She had planned to jump up to her friend right away, but something told her to wait.

Corax teased one mournful note from her guitar, and she began to sing.

Her words were aching, haunting. They raised goosebumps on Viridian’s arms and kindled a fire in her bones. Corax was singing so softly that Viridian had to strain to hear the words, but still she felt the intensity of longing that resonated in between the words. She felt weightless, as though she might drift out of her skin at any moment. The passion in Corax’s voice struck her, and she shivered.

Corax missed a note, her fingers fumbling to recover, and she stopped, her freckled face creasing with frustration. The spell was broken. And as cute as Corax’s expression was, this was the perfect chance to hop in.

“Hey, Corey!” Viridian popped out into the clearing. “Who are you singing about?”

“AAAH!” Corax sprang right off of the branch, her wings flaring, her arms flailing in surprise, her cheeks shot full of scarlet. Corax’s wings kept her aloft, but her guitar was tumbling, spinning, falling towards the ground. Viridian shot out her hand, her hair stirring as her power surged within her. The guitar jerked to a halt a meter from the ground, before floating lazily back up, freed from the embrace of gravity.

“Sorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorry!” Viridian said. She focused her Semblance, gripping invisible strings of gravity to lift the guitar gently towards to its owner. Corax settled back on the branch, her wings folding in as she snatched her guitar to her chest.

“Don’t do that!” Corax said.

Viridian giggled, then clapped her hand to her mouth, which only made her laugh harder.

“It’s not funny. You scared the daylights out of me! You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that.”

Viridian tossed her hair over her shoulder. “I’m not exactly the stealthiest person, you know.”

“Stealthy, no. Sneaky, yes.”

“I’ll take that.” Viridian flashed a cheeky grin at Corax. “Your song is beautiful! Who is it about?”

Corax bit her lip. “It wasn’t that good.”

“Oh come on, that was magical. It made me feel like I was floating.”

Corax blushed and pushed her glasses up her nose. “That’s very kind of you.” Her eyes darted away. “But it’s not for anyone yet. It’s not even finished.”

“I can tell when you’re lying, you know.” Viridian crossed her arms. “You always look up and to the left when you do it.”

Worry flashed in Corax’s face. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—”

“No, it’s ok!” Viridian raised her hands, the fearful voices in her head subsiding at the care in Corax’s voice. “I just loved your song, and I wanted to know more about it.”

Corax smiled, and Viridian melted a little at the warmth in those burning red eyes. Corax leaned back against the trunk and strummed a bold chord.

“I’ll tell you who—what the song’s about, if you answer my question. What are you doing here?”

“I came to talk to you! We haven’t talked since...well, we haven’t talked! You and I, we’re best friends, it’s ridiculous that we haven’t talked, or done friend things…” Viridian decided to stop talking while she was still ahead.

“And that’s the only reason you came? Nothing else?”

“I…” Viridian stamped her foot. “That’s not fair! You know I can’t lie!” Was Corax smirking at her?

“Well, I guess you’ll have to meet me halfway if you want to learn about my song.” Corax shrugged at Viridian’s outrage and leaned back against the tree trunk, her one boot propped against the bark somehow making her stance immeasurably cooler. “A question for a question, that’s how it goes.”

“Or…” Viridian unclipped Navitas from her belt, twirling the silver hilt in her fingers. “We could settle whose question gets answered the old-fashioned way.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“C’mon, it will be fun! You, me, some life or death stakes.”

“And the inevitable Grimm that show up.”

“Yeah! You in?”

“Oh, absolutely not,” Corax turned and stretched nonchalantly, confidence radiating from every line of her body. Corax looked relaxed, but Viridian knew better; she could see the tension in Corax’s muscles, the hair-trigger readiness in the quivering of her feathers. Corax hung her guitar on a nearby branch and turned, her knees bending ever so slightly. “I guess you’re just doomed to be disappointed, V.”

Viridian braced herself, her thumb tense on the trigger. “What a shame, I was looking FORWARD TO IT!” She leapt mid-sentence, blasting off in a shower of leaves at a speed only a Huntress could attain. She thumbed the trigger, and with a snap-hiss Navitas ignited. She swung, but Corax slid away in a blur as a pale green blade scorched the air where Corax had existed only a moment prior.

Corax skidded to a halt further out on the tree limb, her wings flaring for balance. smirking as Viridian struggled to regain her footing. Viridian severed the branch with a shower of sparks, forcing Corax to fling herself backwards and land in another tree.

“You can’t win if you can’t catch me.”

“And you can’t win if you won’t stand and fight!” Viridian closed the distance in a bound, her energy sword plunging into the tree’s heart as Corax sprang away. Viridian hollered and gave chase, her heart thundering in her ears.

Corax bounced from tree to tree like a ping pong ball, Viridian following as though yanked on the end of a string. Corax hit each tree trunk the same way, boot-boot hand, one-two pap, the model of smooth efficiency. Viridian landed and launched off of each tree with one foot, drawing deep on her Aura to power through each step. Tunnel vision crept in as Viridian passed over, under, through branches, Corax’s black outline and red streaks becoming her entire world. Viridian twirled Navitas, cutting bright green slashes through the world, slicing branches out of her way. She focused on Corax’s bobbing black ponytail, drawing closer with every leap.

Soon Navitas’ fiery tongue was nicking Corax’s heels with every swipe, and there was an added desperation in her every jump. Corax lunged into open space, her wings unfurling, propelling her forward. She kept them tight to avoid snaring branches; at its full extension, her wingspan was wider than Viridian and Corax lying end to end. But even constrained, the beating of her wings shook the forest, and propelled her at a speed Viridian could never attain.

Viridian gasped, struggling even to keep Corax in sight now. How could she possibly ground her? Oh! Of course! She thrust out her hand, tugging at the strings of reality. Viridian reached deep, deep within herself, where words did not exist, and focused her Semblance like she never had before.

Gravity pulled heavier on Corax’s body, only a fraction more than normal, and only for a moment, but that fraction was enough. Corax dipped ever so slightly, and smashed face first through a tree limb, shattering it. She slammed into the ground and dug a furrow into the soil, her Aura flaring an angry scarlet at the indignity of it all. Viridian skidded to a stop before Corax in a shower of leaves, her blade buzzing excitedly.

“Ready to stand and fight, Craven Branwen?” Viridian had only a moment to laugh at her own joke before Corax interrupted her. Specifically, Corax’s boot interrupted her. Right in the face.

Viridian slammed back-first into a tree trunk before falling to her feet. Her Aura fizzled to match her blade for a moment before clearing.

“Ok, I kinda deserved that one.”

“Yeah, you did.” Corax settled into a stance, her hands loose and fluid in front of her. For a moment Viridian was worried that Corax was actually mad, but there was that secret smile again, twisting the corner of Corax’s mouth. Viridian grinned, and charged.

She drove at Corax, thrusting her blade like flashes of lightning, spinning and stabbing backwards and overhead for extra reach. Corax kept her spine straight and spiraled her upper body as she backpedaled, flowing around Viridian’s blade like water. Corax reached up and unclasped her double-ended scythe from her back as she ducked under the energy beam, using her body’s own momentum to spin the fearsome weapon. Corax twirled her scythe around her chest and neck, deflecting Viridian’s attacks in a whirlwind of black steel.

Viridian actually took a step back for the first time, struggling to keep the biting scythe blades at bay. Sweat glistened on her arms and her breath rasped in in her throat as now she was driven back.

Corax uncoupled her scythes, letting them swing on chains that she looped around her arms and hands. She spun faster and faster, her blades wailing as they cut the air, soon and Viridian found herself in a hurricane of steel.

There was no fighting back. She could only duck, dodge, jump, back handspring, chest to floor and back to feet again as the blades shrieked by. Viridian shut off her weapon, bobbing and weaving and flipping on instinct to escape the dervish. She had to go either in or out, or risk getting hit. A scythe took a chunk of her hair as it hurtled by, practically kissing her cheek. Out it was, then.

Viridian staggered backwards, still dodging, moving towards the edge of the clearing. Corax let more length into the chains, filling the entire clearing with her attack. Viridian contorted herself to pass over one scythe and bounced into one last back handspring over the other blade, landing at the edge of the clearing. On its next pass the scythe blade bit deep into a red tree with a solid thunk, passing mere millimeters in front of Viridian’s nose. The other scythe struck a tree on the opposite side of the clearing chain-first, wrapping around the trunk with terrifying velocity before embedding itself in the wood.

Corax tugged on the chains, but her own technique had been too powerful; her blades were bound, and there she sat, helplessly between them.

“Oh.” Whatever Corax was going to say next was lost; Viridian blasted her right out of the clearing with a flying double kick. Yet another storm of leaves and yet another furrow marked where the patented Amidala Two-Boot delivery system had sent her.

Corax lay sprawled in the leaves, her wings twisted awkwardly beneath her and her hair a leaf-filled mess. And somehow, still absolutely stunning. Viridian didn’t understand it. Corax tried to push herself to her feet, but Viridian was already there. Snap-hiss and Navitas sprung to life, its burning tip at Corax’s nose.

“Yield, O noble Huntress.” Viridian chuckled at her own joke, her sword wavering slightly. Corax’s eyes surged with a deeper flame, a flash of terrifying will shining through. That was all the warning that Viridian got. Corax slapped the blade away with her forearm, crimson ripples dispersing the energy across her body. Before Viridian could breathe strong hands had seized her wrist and collar, and there was a boot somewhere, her stomach maybe, and her world was turning over and over like a dropped snowglobe, until everything righted itself she slammed onto her back, with Corax firmly on top.

Corax moved into a straddle, pinning Viridian’s wrists to the ground with practiced ease. Her wings flared overhead like a raptor claiming its prey. Corax’s glasses lay askew, her hair was completely out of its ponytail, and the remnants of battle still tightened her face into fierce beauty. Viridian felt her breath leave her, which was completely unfair considering she was still winded from the fight.

“It looks like it is you must yield.” Corax leaned in, her hair draping over Viridian’s face. Viridian blushed with her entire body and broke eye contact, wishing she could disappear into the earth. Why must Corax always say things like that, when she would never follow through on it, when she would not even talk to her after what happened?

Corax finally let her go and sat up straight, sweeping her hair back and adjusting her glasses. Viridian decided to interpret this as permission to breath again. She gulped in air in a way that was not altogether cool, and in fact more closely resembled a fish exploring dry land.

Corax glanced down at Viridian. “Are you comfortable?”

“I mean, this wasn’t how I imagined being in this position, but—eeeep!” Viridian clapped her hand to her mouth, far, far too late. Corax only gave a throaty chuckle and shook out her hair, looking up at the sky in what must be disbelief. Viridian wondered if her own Semblance was strong enough to push herself underground. To the center of the planet, preferably.

“So, do I get the answer to my question now?” Corax fluttered her wings. “Since I won?”

“Our Auras are both still intact. How about a draw? We both get our questions answered.”

“Fine. But you go first, since I’m on top.”

Viridian shook her head and focused. She could not mess this up. Not one bit.

“I came out here to talk to you—”

“You already said that—”

“—because you’ve been avoiding me.” For a moment there was stillness, and then a twittering as birds began to return to the clearing. “We were doing great. You and your team were hanging out with us, we were chatting on our scrolls every night, we were fine. And then, at the ball, we, we danced. You danced with me. And then you said you were going to get us punch, but you ducked out, and you haven’t talked to me at all since. At all.

“I don’t even know if something bad happened to you, or if it was something I said, or if you didn’t want to be friends anymore...because you wouldn’t talk to me. So I came out here not only because I was hurt, but because I care about you. And I want to know what’s going on.”

Corax was silent, and her lip quivered, her eyes soft. Was that sadness, pity? If it was pity Viridian just might die of embarrassment. She braced herself for the worst.

“Viridian, I am so, so sorry. I never meant to hurt your feelings. I just…”

Yep, here it comes.

“I needed time to find a way to express how I felt, even to me.”

Wait, what?

“You see, that dance made me feel something I’ve never felt before. I didn’t know how to handle it, so I left. I feel terrible about that now. I didn’t even think of what you must have thought. I just needed to understand.”

“Understand what?” Viridian could not, could not dare to hope…

“To understand how you made me feel.” That secret smile again. “I didn’t know what to do with myself, and I was too embarrassed to talk to you about it, so I did what I always do when I’m confused; I make music about it.”

“What...I, I don’t understand.” Viridian’s mind was racing, and her eyes kept darting back and forth between Corax’s, searching for some explanation. She couldn’t possibly…

“I am sorry for how I acted. But, I hope you will understand.”

“Please, help me understand.” Viridian’s heart pounded in her ears, her whole world shrinking down to Corax’s face.

“In short, I could tell you who my song is about.” The tiniest of smiles bloomed on Corax’s face. “Or I could show you.”

And there, sitting astride Viridian in a forest where it was always fall, always red, always trapped in the moment of the very spark of change, Corax looked her full in the eyes, and she began to sing.

“Oh.” And then, “OH.”

Then Viridian let the music take her, and bear her up, weightless, towards Corax’s waiting smile.

#rwby #rwby oc #viridian amidala #corax branwen #rwby secret santa #team mtal #I love writing rwby fights #so much room for fun

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