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regina-del-cielo · 3 years

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“The Old Guard” Daemon AU: Andy and the golden eagle

Welcome to a new episode of the TOG Daemon AU!

Andy’s daemon was the one that took less time to choose, immediately after Nicky’s. Only an Iconic animal would be worthy of her, and so she gets probably the most iconic animal in human history: the golden eagle

Andy is possibly the strongest warrior that ever lived, and was so in her first life too. Golden eagles are top predators and every single inch of their bodies is designed for Murder – she has her labrys and whatever weapon has ever been invented, the eagle has wicked claws and beak

golden eagles are huge, guys. Their wingspan is the fifth largest among all species of eagles, ranging between 180 and 230 cm – to give you some perspective, an adult eagle on the lowest end of this range would, with its wings open, completely cover Charlize Theron’s height. Andy is a tall woman even for modern standards, imagine what she must have looked like for most of history

(for the first three thousand years of her life she must have been An Invincible Giant with a Giant Murder Bird perched on her shoulder, no wonder people called her a goddess)

raptors have reverse sexual dimorphism – males are smaller than females, and golden eagles make no exception; assuming Andy’s daemon to be on the average, he would have a wingspan of 2 m and weigh 3.5 kg

this species of eagle is spread through the whole of the Northern Hemisphere and while today it mostly lives in mountain areas, historically it also lived in plains and hills – it’s still classified as resident in the East European steppes that are, most presumably, Andy’s birthplace

they also tend to prefer open space areas where there’s very little human presence – and in fact, golden eagles are probably one of the great predators that interacts the least with humans in nature (unlike wolves and bears in the same environments)

golden eagles are a uniform dark brown with small touches of grey on the tail and inner wings, and gold-tinted feathers on the nape of the neck and top of the head. They also have “boots” – their legs are covered with feathers up to the feet. Andy is obviously a fan of monochrome outfits, in dark or generally neutral colours (even when she was Serving Looks in the Lykon flashback her outfit was more sober than Quynh’s), so she and her daemon match

an eagle’s stare is unnerving and Andy can and will put the fear of God in people’s hearts just with a look

eagles hunt by floating in the air high above plains and open spaces, observing for their prey, and then stooping down to grab at them with their claws. For what we see in the movie, when Andy fights alone her style is very similar to an attacking eagle. Observing the situation from above (yes I’m referring to the Iconic Church Fight), before entering the scene and annihilating anything on her path

eagles can also hunt in collaboration, especially with mated couples – and Andy is, obviously, perfectly fine with fighting in a group and/or in a couple (like with Quynh in the flashback)

when eagles settle in a territory, they build several nests that they use on rotation and keep adding to, making them progressively bigger – we see only the mine in Val d’Argent, but it’s not implausible to imagine that Andy has different ‘resting places’ all over the world where she accumulates her stuff and where she goes to recuperate

golden eagles are long-lived and mate for life – I don’t think I need to explain why that fits great for Andy, right?

despite being Murder Machines, eagles care lovingly for their young, they love getting scritches and (the thing I love the most about raptors) they CHIRP. Andy has a lovely softer side, and she cares ENORMOUSLY for her people (TOG Script I Am Looking At You)(also 🎶 ~ Found Family Vibes Babe ~ 🎶)

this is anecdotal, but I remember seeing a documentary about modern falconers in Italy, and there was a guy who had a golden eagle (which, outside of Kazakhstan and Central Asia, is pretty rare – this species is much more aggressive and smart than other falcons, and training is difficult and dangerous). He said that with eagles, unlike other more common falcons, it’s not much a case of the human training the bird but more like the bird condescending to work with the human – and once the eagle has chosen the falconer, they become quite possessive of them

I love the idea of Andy’s hindbrain going ‘MINE’ every time she finds a new immortal – and yes, this is, once again, the Script’s fault

since Andromache is most definitely not Andy’s first name but she seems fond enough of it to have kept it, I believe that her own daemon’s name has changed through the centuries – and now he goes by the same name he was called when Andy started to refer to herself as Andromache

after long reflection, I have settled on Diokles (Διοκλῆς, accent on the e), whose meaning is “glory of Zeus”, and unlike most of the other candidates it’s attested as a given name in the Iliad, so is potentially as old as Andromache (Ἀνδρομάχη)

honestly, thinking of how she must have looked like for those that would become the ancient Greeks – a warrior woman who could trounce their best fighters, riding horses like the Mysterious People from the North, that raises from death with no injuries, and with a huge undying eagle daemon flying at her side. If that’s not a proof that she was a goddess, blessed by Zeus no less, I don’t know what is

when I said that the eagle is an Iconic animal, I wasn’t kidding. The eagle (or eagle-like birds, like large vultures or falcons) features prominently in the mythological and religious imagery of almost every culture in Eurasia and North America, and it’s consistently depicted as either a symbol of divine power, a messenger of the gods or the animal that escorts souls to the sky

the most famous depiction in this sense comes from Greek (and later Roman) mythology, with the eagle being sacred to Zeus, king of gods and lord of the skies – the eagle brings him his lightning bolts, it’s his personal messenger, and stole Ganymede from earth to make him Zeus’ cup bearer

the Romans’ habit of using the eagle in their army insignia has dragged on to numerous European empires using it in their own heraldry, and in the Middle Ages the eagle was King of Animals just as the lion was King of Beasts

Pliny the Elder (and by consequence every Middle Age bestiary) insisted that eagles could not be killed by lightning and that they made their fledglings stare into the sun without blinking to parse out the strongest ones; these legends, together with an interesting interpretation by St. Augustine of Psalm 103 about “youth regenerating like an eagle’s”, brought Christianity to use this bird as a symbol of resurrection (when the eagle grows old, she flies into the sun and is remade new and young); it’s also the symbol of St. John Evangelist, and if depicted fighting a snake, a representation of Christ himself defeating the devil

(no, I don’t know what Pliny and St. Augustine were smoking when they wrote those things)

(obviously, Andy couldn’t care less about how Christianity sees her daemon. But its consistent cultural link with immortality is kind of relevant to the whole concept)

in this house we subscribe to the idea of Andy having been born into the Dnieper-Donets culture, in a time where they had started keeping cattle but before they started agriculture; they are considered Pre-Indo-Europeans by linguists, and their direct descendants, the Sredny-Stog culture (the ones that started horse domestication), are classified as Proto-Indo-Europeans

the steppes are an excellent hunting ground for golden eagles, and they almost always ignore livestock as a source of prey; an early pastoral, most probably nomadic people wouldn’t have considered the eagle like a threat to their livelihood (unlike the wolf, whose bad reputation in ancient times is mostly connected to pastoral cultures)

with the eagle being Zeus’s animal, and Zeus himself being the most likely evolution of a Proto-Indo-European sky god, I’ll go out on a limb and speculate that such connection may have existed in Proto-Indo-European cultures, possibly even up to Andy’s first lifetime

this is me talking myself into circles trying to say that Andy having an eagle daemon made her a Badass and a Leader even before she also became immortal, at which point her people’s collective mind started associating golden eagles with gods and the thing carried on for millennia

(when Andy needs to reconnect with herself, she and Diokles pack it up and get lost in the Altai mountains to live with the Kazakh eagle hunters. It’s probably the closest they get to their Old Days Lifestyle in the modern world)

References outside of Wikipedia:

Anthony, D.W. (2007): The Horse, The Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World. Princeton University Press, 568 pages

The Old Guard Character Resource Hub, in particular this post by @lady-writes

Watson, J. (2010): The Golden Eagle, Second Edition. A&C Black, 448 pages

#the old guard #my ponderings #daemon AU #andromache the scythian #the Original Goddess of War #nature #animals #golden eagle #Zeus's eagles #an Iconique™️ Murder Bird for an Iconique™️ Murder Lady #sorry for the Ancient Greek guys but I had A Moment and you had to bear it with me #(I'll have you know that I brushed up my Ancient Greek-Italian dictionary to see which one of the 'candidate names' --)#(-- was cited in the oldest pieces of literature as a name)#(I was NOT going to name Andy's daemon with a Greek name used only from Early Christian times onward just because I liked the meaning)#(I'M TRYING TO RETAIN SOME CONSISTENCY HERE)#I have barely Dipped my toe into Andy's backstory because really I just wanted to see how it would relate to her having an eagle daemon #there's enough to write a fucking TEN VOLUMES TREATISE about the first 3000 years of her immortality #but this wasn't the scope of this post #humans have loved eagles for so long it's unbelievable guys #having Iconic Murder Machine Daemons and yet being Protectors™️: Andy 🤝 Nicky 🤝 Joe

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dilemmaontwolegs · 2 years

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Undying Fidelity - Part 3

Loki Laufeyson x OFC Senya Skuldsdottir

Summary: Loki finds himself a protege that is also sworn to protect him. Against her better judgement she lets him charm her and that’s when the adventure begins. Series Warnings: 18+ only, lots of smut, violence Word Count: 2215 Chapter: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 - coming soon

“Hold the image firmly in your mind.” Loki ordered as he circled around the room.

I furrowed my eyebrows in concentration as I tried to follow his instructions. It was easy enough to change someone else into another person or animal but it was entirely different when I was trying to do it to myself. I imagined how my arms could look with feathers, the wide reach my span would need to fly. I imagined the sharpened facial features where a beak replaced my nose and mouth. Finally my eyesight began to change, colours changing contrast and the ability to focus on minute objects across the room enhanced.

My arms prickled as feathers pierced out from my skin and excitement brimmed off Loki. I almost lost the spell as I saw his eyes alight with pride but managed to complete it as my dress melted away and I was suddenly a giant eagle. I flapped my wings, sending a strong gust of wind whipping around the room and tousling Loki’s hair around his head. A carefree laugh filled the air and he clapped slowly at the sight before him.

“Magnificent.” He praised as he ran his hand along the soft feathers that covered my neck and I leant into his touch. “I want to see you soar.”

I shook my head not trusting my spell to hold or my ability to fly just yet. Loki didn’t give me a choice as he smirked mischievously before running past me and diving out the open window. I raced after him as much as I could, knocking over the table and chairs as my large form shuffled about, talons scratching deep etches into the stone floors. I could barely fit through the window since my feathers were so plush but I squeezed out and then hit the cool air as I fell.

Loki’s cloak billowed around him as fell but he could have looked like he was relaxing on a lounger as he crossed his arms behind his head lazily. I tucked my wings in tight, diving beak first towards him as the space between up closed in. Just before I reached him, I remembered I didn’t have arms and reached out with my talons instead, flaring my wide wings out to catch the air. Asgardians in the market below pointed and screamed as they saw the prince being ensnared by the talons of a giant eagle but I paid them no mind and I worked on the heavy beats of my wings fighting gravity to climb back up the height of the palace.

Bypassing the balcony that extended from Loki’s bedroom, I climbed higher until we reached the peak of the palace and the wide golden steeple that pierced high into the sky. I hovered over the ledge and felt Loki unfurling my grip to stand on the golden precipice. He seemed to see my dilemma as I flew circles around the spire and he held his arms wide.

“Drop the magic and I’ll catch you.” He called above the wind my wings were making. “Trust me.”

This was a defining moment, a moment where I put my life in his hands and he was waiting expectantly. I circled the spire once more, flaring my wings and gliding into his waiting arms. I released the hold on the spell, the feathers falling away with the wind and fading to nothing as I crashed into the hard planes of Loki’s chest. His arms enclosed around me and I was surrounded by his crisp citrus scent as he stabilised the both of us.

“You continue to amaze me.” Loki praised as he kept me secure in his hold and brushed his fingers over the soft material of my chitton. “Though I thought perhaps you would forget to adorn yourself.”

“Wishful thinking on your part.” I smiled and kissed the corner of his playfully pouting lips. “Now it's my turn.”

I had gathered the energy for the spell as I rested in his arms and found that it came easier after having successfully already completed a transfiguration. I looked over his face, the jaw that ticked as he wondered what I was about to do and the eyes that narrowed in consideration. I gathered the image in my mind and felt my body change until I was looking at him from the same height, same green eyes and same smirk.

“Oh!” I gasped, stunned at his voice that came from my mouth, as I felt something new stirring in me. “Is this how a man always feels?”

We looked down between us where there was a sizeable bulge protruding from my leather trousers.

“Around you? Yes.” He chuckled.

His eyes swirled as the green faded to amber and his hair lightened and lengthened until I was looking down at myself.

“I can see the appeal of this.” He spoke with my voice. “I do look glorious.”

“Are you sure you are not Adonis?” I teased. “I feel I need more armour to keep you from yourself.”

“I love more than just myself, darling.” He said as he changed back to his own image.

“Is that right?” I asked as I did the same, both back in our own bodies.

“Have I ever lied to you?” He asked, his voice dropping teasingly low.

“You are the God of Lies. Sometimes I don’t think you even realise you are lying.” I smirked as I took a step back, teetering on the edge of the steeple.

“For the record, I have never lied to you.” He said, stepping closer and raising his palm up. “I swear by the old gods, I will never lie to you.”

His palm glowed and I raised mine to his, feeling the heat radiating from it and when I pressed them together the green mist swirled around us, burning the oath into our souls. I could feel my fathers blood coursing through my veins, his power of vengeance rising in warning of what Loki should expect if he were to break his oath. My hair floated around me as the power I inherited from Vidarr was awoken and my feet no longer touched the ground.

“I accept your oath, Prince Loki of Asgard, God of Mischief.” I whispered in a coarse voice that was both mine and an echo of the old gods. “And hereby pledge to you my undying fidelity.”

A mist infused with my body, pulsing with my heart beat as the words were whispered across the entire universe. An oath of this magnitude would certainly kill me if I were to break it, not that I ever intended to. I still wasn’t sure what possessed me to offer the pledge since I had already done that before the Allfather, when I graduated from the military academy and was deemed fit to be Loki’s protector. Whatever the reason, it changed nothing.

As suddenly as the energy came over me, it was gone and I was too exhausted to do anything but watch Loki’s eyes widen at my fall. He dove from the spire in an attempt to catch me but I slipped through his fingers and then the world around me went dark. The last thing I remember was a tight grip around my waist and my name being called from the abyss.

“What have you done to her?” Odin’s voice boomed.

I could feel the reverberations of the Allfather’s voice within my bones but my head was too heavy to lift. It was only the sweet scent and the soft brushing of leather that told me Loki was carrying me somewhere inside the palace.

“I have done nothing to her.” Loki growled but I could hear the pain of the accusation in his tone. “Where is mother?”

“You cannot hide behind your mother’s skirt everytime you mess up, boy.” Odin tutted. “Take her to the infirmary.”

“She needs mother’s help, not some second rate healer!” Loki defied his father for me.

“The Queen does not call upon soldiers!”

I could hear the heavy boots of Odin closing in on us and I willed my body to move but it was not responding to me.

“What about a future queen?” Loki asked, quiet and reserved.

“What are you saying?” Odin asked, dumbfounded at the change in his son.

“She is…special…to me.” He admitted.

I felt my hair being brushed back from my cheek and from the rough skin I knew it was the Allfather.

“Your mother is in the orchard, tending her trees. Go.” Odin finally said as he stepped back and Loki rushed off until he heard his name called out. “And Loki? She will make a fine princess one day.”

Darkness overtook me once more and I seemed to sink beneath the cooling waters of unconsciousness. The waters were still, as if there was no current, no waves, just the pressure that came from being within its depths. The waters cleansed, energised and refreshed me the longer I bathed in the darkness, until a refraction of light broke the surface. I blinked through the blurred images, trying to focus on where I wanted to go until I had the energy to swim towards the light.

“Ah, about time.” A man’s voice spoke as I broke the surface.

I gulped at the air and grabbed the stone walls that surrounded the small pool I found myself in. It was only after I fell over the side and hit the flooring below that I realised it was a well.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” I spluttered sarcastically as I coughed the remnants of water from my lungs.

A velvet laugh filled the air of the room around us and I saw the glass wall behind the man in purple robes was filled with flowing lines, timelines.

“Where am I?” I asked as I looked around the cathedral-like room. “The well. I was in the well and then I was here.”

“I brought you here, we have a mutual interest.” He said, leaning forwards on his desk so his chin rested on his index fingers. “I need you to keep Loki on his destined path.”

“If it’s destined then surely it will happen on its own.” I said as I pushed myself up to sit with my back to the well.

“Loki is special, and stubborn.” The man said, as if he knew everything about my prince. “He has the tenacity few can match, perhaps more than even the Norns can control.”

“What if I don’t like where his path leads?”

“Then I fear the end of the world will eventuate from your failure.” He said, walking around his desk to crouch in front of me. “You gods always think you are above the law of the universe. Keep him on his path.”

He grabbed my arms and threw me like a ragdoll back into the water and it swiftly pulled me under until I was choking and in reach of Valhalla. The burn in my lungs faded along with my thoughts and I felt the ghost of Loki’s touch as I drifted weightlessly away.

“Help her, please.” Loki’s broken voice was muffled by the dark water but I heard him.

“I am trying, my son, but this is beyond me.” Frigga sighed. “I’m afraid the rest is up to her.”

The voices drifted away but I couldn’t forget the sorrow in Loki’s and it was like a lasso around my heart. I felt binds in my chest tighten until I was sure I would be cut in two and I screamed, the last of my oxygen bubbling from my lips and floating to the surface that no longer seemed so far away. A new rush of determination flooded my body with strength and I kicked my legs furiously. I broke the surface like a bubble popping and Frigga jumped back as a small flood exploded over me, and Loki since he was holding me.

“Thank the gods.” Loki sighed as he crushed me to his chest and raked his hands through my wet hair. “What the hel happened?”

I wrapped my arms around him just as tightly and buried my face in his neck, inhaling his homely scent. Frigga moved into my line of vision over his head and I saw her shake her head ever so slightly, I wasn’t even sure I saw it in all honesty.

“Sen, what happened to you?” Loki asked softly.

“I don’t know.” I answered and saw Frigga’s look of relief. “I thought I was going to be feasting in Valhalla until I heard your voice.”

Loki rose from the ground gracefully and his magic flashed over the both of us, leaving us dry and warm. He nodded to his mother as we passed her and she bowed her head to me with a grateful smile before we disappeared from view and continued undisturbed to his room where the day had begun. He laid me on his bed before tossing his cloak over the hanger and joining me, his arm opening for me to snuggle into. His breath blew across my hair as he exhaled heavily and I heard him inhale the scent of my shampoo deeply.

“You scared me, darling,” he carefully articulated, “and I don't like being scared.”

Next chapter.

#loki fanfiction #loki laufeyson fanfic #loki fanfic #loki x original character #loki x oc #loki imagine

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purple-goo-writes · 4 years

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Young and Beautiful Part 2

Taglist: @clumsy-owl-4178 @myazael @woe-is-me0 @midnightmode @t1dwarrior-of-earth @stainedglassm

@catthhay @dorkus-minimus @maskedpainter @waffleyunsure @marinettepotterandplagg @demonicbusiness @mystery-5-5

@justafanwarrior

I've seen the world, lit it up As my stage now Channeling angels in a new age now Hot summer days, rock and roll The way you play for me at your show And all the ways, I got to know Your pretty face and electric soul

Will you still love me When I'm no longer young and beautiful? Will you still love me When I've got nothing but my aching soul? I know you will, I know you will I know that you will Will you still love me when I'm no longer beautiful?

He didn’t see her again until three years later after he took in his first ward, Richard Grayson.

He didn’t know how she knew that he needed her support or how she was aware of his new ward, soon to be adopted son. All Bruce was aware of was of the fact that his shoulders finally released the tension he had not been aware that he was carrying when he came up from the Batcave after Dick’s first patrol and felt her familiar and welcoming calm aura. Even Richard noticed the distinct change in his guardian’s demeanor once they exited the Cave and entered the manor. And though the young Robin didn’t necessarily feel the new aura of calm permeating the Manor, he certainly does relax the moment he steps out of the Cave and feels the tension he had carried since his parent’s murder leave his own body.

It felt as if he was finally coming home and not just coming back to the house he inhabited with his guardian and the butler.

Bruce could only watch in awe as Marinette breaks through all of Dick’s walls and within a week he walks in on Marinette holding a crying 12 year old boy as he finally griefs for his parents. Not long after that Marinette joins them on patrol as PopinJay using the fixed Peacock Miraculous.

Her suit looked like an odd mix of leather and spandex, a deep dark blue with black accents with some dark green detailing here and there; black gloves with blue fingers, black boots with blue heels and a dark blue domino mask with green detailing that mimicked feathers. Attached to her waist was a partial skirt that mimicked peafowl tail feathers with an ombre effect- starting black before fading to dark blue then green at the tips. Her hair was put up in an elegant bun pinned in place by two golden peafowl quils and held in a holster around her waist were two steel fans tipped in gold that when spread resembled two beautiful yet deadly fans of peacock feathers.

“Why the Peacock?” Batman enquired with a raised eyebrow while Robin squealed happily as the preteen danced around PopinJay taking in her suit.

The masked woman snickered softly, her lips tugging into a small smirk, “I figured it would match well with your theme.”

Bruce should not have been surprised about how flawlessly she joins into their routine and patrols. Marinette had always been able to adapt to any situation easily after all. It was something that the Guardian was still trying to teach him how to do.

She would pop in randomly over the years that followed, always seeming to know when Bruce and Dick needed her the most. She was a part of their small family after all and Bruce’s oldest friend. It was why he did not protest when Marinette whisked Dick away to the Temple to train after he and Bruce have a fight again when Robin talks about heading out on his own and becoming his own hero, outside of the Young Justice. After all he was turning 18 soon and was outgrowing the Robin mantle.

“Just because he is growing up, doesn’t mean he no longer needs his father, Bruce.” Were Marinette’s parting words before she left with Dick for Tibet.

When they returned a year later, it was to a relieved, if sheepish, Bruce who had just returned from patrol with a very angry preteen in tow dressed in a new Robin suit. Instead of feeling threatened, Dick grinned, causing Bruce to sigh in relief, “So does this mean I have a little brother now?”

“How did you end up adopting this one, ma nuit noire?”

“He stole the wheels off the BatMobile.”

“Only you, Bruce, only you.”

A month later, Dick became Nightwing after a conversation with Superman when the young man asked the super if his culture ever had vigilantes after Dick moved to Bludhaven. With the alien’s permission, he took up the mantle of Nightwing and officially passed on the Robin mantle down to his younger brother, Jason. Bludhaven gained a vigilante and Jason gained a new confidence with his older brother’s approval, not that the angry teen would admit it.

PopinJay made return to Gotham to help train the new Robin. Bruce was surprised, though he shouldn’t have been, at how fast Jason took to Marinette. The former street kid would even slip and call her Ma now and then, especially when the peacock heroine was being extra motherly. That Bruce wasn’t surprised about as Dick would, and still did, call Marinette Mama Bird. He tried not to dwell on how much his heart warmed at the thought of Marinette as the boys’ mother figure. Especially not when he was currently dancing around Catwoman and their odd relationship or his thing with Talia Al Ghul, who he knew disliked PopinJay greatly. Though his relationship with Talia ended when she drug him.

It was after a routine patrol when PopinJay came sauntering back into the Batcave carrying a confused, if exited, little nine-year-old boy with dark hair and bright blue eyes dressed only in his pajamas and holding a camera. The dark blue haired woman was smiling motherly down at the little scamp in her arms as Tim babbled excitedly about meeting one of his favorite heroes and how he couldn’t believe that MDC was PopinJay.

“PopinJay, what is the meaning of this?” Bruce growled in confusion as he turned from the BatComputer to address his partner, who simply giggled at his attempt to intimidate her.

“Bruce, come meet your biggest fan.”

“PopinJay!”

“Oh, don’t be a stick in the mud. He already figured out our identities from Dick’s quadruple somersault.”

“He what? But, how?” This had Bruce intrigued as he stalked close to the woman, who was practically the mother of his sons, taking in the sight of little Tim, “He is the Drake heir...what is he doing out so late?” The fact that he was still in his pajamas without shoes on brought the father in Bruce to the forefront went without saying.

Jason watched all this with a sigh and grumbled, “I’ll go tell Alfred to get a room ready for him.” Looks like he would be sharing his Ma with another brother...He best tell Dick about Tim, Jason just knew their parents (Marinette was their Mom no matter how oblivious Bruce was to his feelings) would be adopting the boy.

And wouldn’t you know he was right, somehow not even three months later Tim was now Tim Drake-Wayne due to his parents being found neglectful in a hush-hush trail. Dick was ecstatic about having another little brother to dote on and even Jason was happy to have a little brother, having grown fond of Tim during all the times the youngest Drake stayed at the Manor or BatCave when his parents went out of town on one of their frequent business trips.

If Bruce wasn’t already thankful for Marinette’s presence in his life, he would have been after Jason ran off to track down his birth mother after finding out that Catherine was not his mom. He understood that Jason simply had questions he thought only his birth mom could answer, but it still broke Bruce’s heart that his middle son thought he would not help him find the woman. If it wasn’t for the multiple trackers he had placed on Jason, he would not have known that the young Robin was in Ethiopia of all places. Batman wouldn’t make it in time to save Robin, but he knew one person who could.

It was the only time his composure had came so close to breaking as he called Marinette and begged her to save their son. Batman arrived just as the building went up in flames and would have broken down if not for PopinJay informing over the comm that she had Jason and that they were at the Cave. Unfortunately, Jason was in critical condition and had slipped into a coma by the time Bruce made it back to the Manor. After a long talk, it was decided that Marinette would take him to the Temple to heal and recover. Tim would be taking over as Robin in his absence, though the 12 year old wished it was under different circumstances.

Marinette kept Bruce updated on his status using the communicator he had given her. He wasn’t ashamed to admit that he cried when she called him and informed him that Jason had woken up. Jason and Bruce had a long discussion when he was fully coherent, thankfully Jason understood why Bruce gave Tim the mantle and even asked him to inform Tim that he had his blessing to be Robin. This talk was also the first time one of his sons’ called him Dad.

“Dad, I don’t think I can be Robin anymore, anyway...I think it’s time I branched out.”

“Will you be using a Miraculous?”

“No, Ma asked, even said I would be a good fit for the Eagle, but I turned her down. I want to make my own way without fancy powers.”

“You know we will support any decision you make.”

It was two years after that that Jason fully recovered and returned to Gotham as the vigilante, Red Hood. Thankfully, Marinette talked him out of that outrageous helmet and helped him design his new costume, his suit he wore had a red hood attached to it and he wore a red metal face mask with a black domino mask. He still managed to keep the leather jacket though. Even if Bruce frowned at his use of guns, at least the rounds were mainly tranquilizers, the Bat was proud of his son.

Tim made an amazing Robin and detective. Though Bruce was suspicious when Marinette would disappear with Tim to train him in secret or take him to the Temple. But, it was Tim’s choice and if he choose to join the Order, Bruce would support him. Marinette loved their sons equally, but Bruce knew she was closer to Tim.

He was thankful for Marinette being there for him when Barbara joined the team as Batgirl. Even more thankful for when Stephanie joined and then Cassandra was adopted. He was not sure how to handle daughters and the girls having a positive female role model relieved him greatly. Even if he did get a few grey hairs now and then from some of their more interesting purchases.

Talia dropped Damian on Bruce when Tim was 16 and had just become co-CEO of Wayne Enterprises, after both his older brothers refused the position. (Dick was now a Cop in Bludhaven and Jason had taken over Security for the WE.) Bruce was still reeling from the shock of finding out he had a blood son and Talia just dumping the ten year old on him without so much of a by-your-leave. Bruce had finally put his past with Talia and Selina behind him and finally moved on when this happened. He was unsure how to process this new situation. Though after stopping Damian from killing/attacking Tim once again, he knew what he had to do.

He called Marinette.

Bruce isn’t sure what she did or said to his youngest son. But after whisking Damian away for a few months at the Temple, the child that came back was changed. Still the same arrogant cold ex-assassin, but he had started to open up to his family and follow his father’s code of honor. Though, things were still shaky between him and Tim, the older boys were all amused when Damian bluntly asked them why Father hadn’t proposed to Marinette, or Mère as he called her in French, yet.

“Because Dad is really, really oblivious to his own feelings.”

“He’s a fucking idiot.”

“Jaybird!”

“What? You know it’s true!”

“Little ears, Jay!”

Damian turned to his only intelligent sibling, and most dangerous outside of Cain, "Drake, I presume you have plans ready to set in motion?"

There was a reason he considered Drake his highest threat to his position as blood son. Ra's had stated time and time again that he wished to induct Tim into the fold, one way or another. Many times his grandfather had stated this when he found Damian's own performance lacking, making comments on how the young Detective would have done things. Drake had plans within plans, a mind like a steel trap mixed with a twisted maze and a tenacity most assassin's would envy. It was why Damian grudgingly respected the teen, even if he would rather bit his tongue off then admit it.

Tim gave his youngest sibling a rather maniacal grin, some of his Red Robin persona (A mantle he took up recently) shining through, "Oh do I."

Unfortunately, their plans to trick their parental figures into realizing their feelings would have to wait.

Because Darkseid came and Bruce was gone...

#brucinette #mominette #maribat #ml x dc #i swear to god tumblr #YOU BETTER POST THIS #YnB

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rebeccathenaturalist · 4 years

Photo

Hey, everybody--this one’s pretty important, and time sensitive. Reblogs are REALLY appreciated to help get the word out!

I think the comic pretty much sums it up, but here are some relevant links in easy-to-click form:

Information on the Public Comment Period, including how to make said comment by email, snail mail, or hand delivery: http://www.fws.gov/news/ShowNews.cfm?ref=u.s.-fish-and-wildlife-service-solicits-public-input-on-proposed-rule-and-&_ID=36517

How to contact the President, your Senators and Representatives: http://www.usa.gov/elected-officials/

Information on the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918: http://www.fws.gov/birds/policies-and-regulations/laws-legislations/migratory-bird-treaty-act.php

List of Protected Species: http://www.fws.gov/birds/management/managed-species/migratory-bird-treaty-act-protected-species.php

A Seattle Times article on the proposed changes: http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/trump-administration-moves-to-ease-rules-against-killing-birds/

The three organizations I mentioned in the last panel:

The Audubon Society - http://www.audubon.org/

The Natural Resources Defense Council - http://www.nrdc.org/

The American Bird Conservancy - http://abcbirds.org/

Species portrayed: brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis), northern flicker (Colaptes auratus), Anna's hummingbird (Calypte anna), Northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), red-tailed hawk [feather] (Buteo jamaicensis), American bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus), great blue heron [eggs] (Ardea herodias), mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius), common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula), eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis), blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata), great egret (Ardea alba), bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), American robin (Turdus migratorius)

Transcript under cut

Title: The Migratory Bird Treaty Act

[Panel 1: A brown pelican covered in oil stands forlornly on an oil-covered landscape.] If you’ve been paying attention to environmental news lately, you may have read that U.S. Fish and Wildlife weakened protection for almost every wild native bird in the country. Until recently, companies that killed birds in the process of oil drilling, mining, and other operations were subject to fines and other legal actions. Now, they can devastate bird populations with impunity.

[Panel 2: A black shadow breaks up into several flying passenger pigeons; the one on the farthers right falls to the ground.] The law that helped protect these birds is the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The United States passed itin 1918 after several species went extinct, and many more very nearly so, due to overhunting for feathers and meat at the turn of the century. We lost the passenger pigeon, the Carolina parakeet, and Laborador duck, among others, while the great egret was one of many that came close to total extermination. In addition to the pressures of hunting, habitat loss prevented species from having places to retreat to, leaving them less able to recover from our attacks, and causing even more endangerment and extinction.

[Panel 3: A northern flicker sits next to a red-tailed hawk feather; there is also an Anna’s hummingbird sitting on a nest, a mallard tail feather, a blue jay feather and great egret eggs, alongside a male northern cardinal and an American bushtit.] The MBTA makes it illegal to hunt, trap, kill, injure, sell or buy, or transport listed species, live or dead, as well as their feathers* nests, and eggs. Almost all wild native birds are listed, from raptors to songbirds, corvids to waterfowl, gulls to shorebirds. Certain exceptions are made for some game birds, and non-native species are not protected.

*This does include naturally shed, or molted, feathers, since otherwise plume hunters post-MBTA could just say “I found these on the ground!” when in fact they had poached the birds the feathers came from.

[Panel 4: Three hats are arranged in a row, each with feathers, wings, or an entire taxidermy bird on them. There are also two dead passenger pigeons, and a dead eastern bluebird and blue jay hang from their feet by cords on the right side.] Why so strict? The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw a huge trend in feathered hats, some even displaying entire taxidermy birds. No species was safe. Ornithologist Frank Chapman counted 40 species represented on over 500 hats during two visits to New York City’s shopping district. This included a wide array, from blue jays to eagles, waxwings to woodpeckers. Some species were also hunted extensively to provide meat to restaurants. The passenger pigeon was a famous example, going from numbering in the billions and creating flocks that could block out the sun, to completely extinct - in the space of just a few decades.

[Panel 5: A great egret in breeding plumage feeds a fish to its two young in a nest in a tree.] The passage of the MBTA led to the end of the plume trade outside of a few domestic and other non-native species, and stopped the wholesale hunting of non-game birds for the table. It also required companies to factor in their impact on birds and penalized them when their activities led to incidental killing of protected species.

[Panel 6: A bald eagle lands on a piece of driftwood while another perches on a dead tree, while overlooking a landscape of dune grass, beach, and ocean.] Unsurprisingly, birds began to rebound just a few years after the MBTA was passed. Later laws like the Bald and Golden Eagle Act of 1940, and 1973′s Endangered Species Act helped add layers of protection to specific species. But the MBTA remained a wide-spanning defense for native birds in the United States.

[Panel 7: Three dead mallards lay alongside a polluted stream, while a metal pipe leaks toxic liquids into the water.] Industries that pollute, destroy habitat, or otherwise injures and kill birds and other wildlife have long sought to weaken the MBTA. The Trump Administration’s recent actions will hand these companies a free pass to kill MBTA-listed birds with impunity. As long as they can’t be proven to have killed the birds on purpose, they’re in the clear.

[Panel 8: A robin fledgling sits with its mouth open.] The birds that our country spent a century bringing back from the brink are now threatened with extinction again. Here are some ways to help them:

--The public comment period for these changes to the MBTA opened February 3 and goes until March 19 at:

tinyurl.com/uzroquj (scroll down for directions)

-Write to your federal elected officials, including the preseident, urging them to restore the MBTA. Tell your House representatives to support H.R. 5552, the Migratory Bird Protection Act, which restores what would be taken from the MBTA.

--Support organizations working to save the MBTA, like the Auduon Society, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the American Bird Conservancy.

--Educate your friends and family about this issue. Show them this comic and accompanying links at:

wyntkan.com/comic/mbta

#birds #wildlife #endangered species #animals #nature #mine

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obeymeshallwedate-latinplayer · 3 years

Text

Traditional costumes (Part 1) (GN!MC)

Hello there my darlings How´s it going? First of all, I must say the following:

OMG YASS! YASS I CAN DO IT!!! There are so many that It´s sad I can only put 11 of them but YES YES I´LL DO IT. I´m actually really excited about this, that we will have to parts of it!

Second: Thank you!!! Today we are 308 followers!!!! For me having this number of followers it´s still a dream, and I really loved so much the idea of the typical costume, that it will be a 308 followers special divided in 2 parts, welcome to the first part. Thank you for following! I will keep doing my very best!!

Lucifer (Jarocho Veracruz)

Lucifer was walking by, when he saw you taking care of a big white dress, the first thing he thought “A brides dress?” He wasn´t enterally wrong, but he wasn´t right.

He asked you nicely what were you doing and why did you have a bride’s dress. The only thing you could do was laugh, Lucifer might be the all mighty one above the seven brothers, but sometimes he was too naïve. Or maybe that was just your imagination.

He saw the embroidery in the apron that was over the skirt, and he wondered: How many hours it took to do that embroidery? Even the skirt was way to thick, and sometimes he forgot that humans had many ways to dress up. He touched the fabric, even that red fabric was so beautiful How was it called? Rebozo?

He looked so intrigued that you decided to tell the story about the dress.

“In the colony time, Veracruz were one of the most important ports around the world. Spanish women stayed in Papaloma´s river basin, the wore big old dresses, with thick fabric, but in Veracruz that doesn´t take place, not back then not even now, it´s beach and it has a humid climate. The Spanish and creoles used to dress a colorful skirt and an apron with embroidery flowers, also a shawl with lace, and silk ribbons, even a hand fan, by the other hand, indigenous and mestizas women used to use flowery skirts and blanket blouses with a rebozo and their hair were braided. But the dress of the Spanish and the creoles didn´t work out, the weather was so hot that they simply decided to use cotton and organdy. But I guess, this “new” dress was used for the creoles wedding dress. Now a days is typical to be use in folkloric dances.”

For someone like Lucifer, he didn´t waste a second, and he dreamt, maybe in some years you could use that dress on your wedding day.

Mammon. (Charro Jalisco)

He was sneaking into your room, for sure he was searching something to steal and then sell it, maybe the great Mammom would buy something for you, something nice. His human must use something nice, maybe a necklace. He knew that you kept your precious little something in the closet, so he check it, and oh surprise, that ain´t little.

That was a heavy suit for a human your size, and are those silver buttons? He was actually impressed, he looked to every single detail in the costume, that hat is actually so beautiful that he needed to use it, no matter what, he needed to put that in his head.

That´s why you discover him, he was in front of your mirror, you took a mentally note, he needed a charro suit to, maybe you will teach him the folklore dance. When he heard you laugh he started to blush, saying that he wasn´t doing nothing at all.

“Mammon. Would you like to hear the story of this suit?” His eyes had that childish sparkle, and he immediately sat in your bed, waiting for the story.

“The charro suit started from decades away, in the colonial time, must say in the XVI century, with a very fine work, with gold and silver buttons, embroidery of golden thread. But, you know, only the wealthy ones could use the accessories, the intelligent ones, would make their owns, with maybe some paint, and creating the best suit of them all, just like the saying says. “El charro de cuero se viste, por ser lo que más resiste”. Now a days mariachis and dancers use it, and also some horse riders for exhibitions. “

Mammon was as happy as a child, he needed that suit from old centuries, maybe Lucifer had one.

Leviathan (Azteca Tenochtitlán (This city does not longer exist, it´s not even a state) )

Levi was sitting in the living room, when he heard something, were does bells? No way that noise wasn´t a bell one, it was more like a bone sound, so he followed the sound, and there you where, in the garden, with your full costume, dancing for the gods and for practice, you didn´t want to forget the dance your ancestors made so many centuries away.

When you felt the presence of him you turned around and smiled at him. “Levi, do you like my Hueseras? My grandpa made them for me! Aren´t them cute? Oh maybe you prefer the penacho? It´s so hard to find the Quetzal feathers.” He just stopped breathing, you looked just like that final boss of the game: “Trying to avoid to be a sacrifice for the Gods and keeping my heart on my chest.”

He just nodded, after that a big silence started between the two of you. So you decided to keep dancing, and he was just there watching you, with stars in his eyes, and you decided to tell him the story about the clothing,

“Before the conquest, my ancestors used to use beautiful clothing, with animal skin and feathers of birds, they made each outfit for each person in the social pyramid, the Tlatoani used the Penachos, also some bishops did it too, and head military ones, usually the military were decorated with gold and seashells, and a difficult headpieces, women if they weren´t in the high society used to use Huipiles and Quexquémitl, with skirts and natural pigments.”

Levi was amazed, just like in his game, but this time he needed a translator to understand those words you said, he wanted to use one of them too.

“Now, how about I teach you how to dance.”

Satan. (Traje elegante Nuevo León)

Satan had been invited to an opening from a new restaurant in Devildom, sometimes he would ask himself if it was fine for him to go alone for this type of events. Today he wanted to take you out for a nice dinner. Formal clothing, or that´s what it says in the invitation, well you had the fanciest clothing in the whole world just in your closet, so you took it out, you prepared yourself and you were ready to go. The avatar of wrath didn´t mention a thing, although you clothing of tonight was stunning and tons of looks were on you that night, after few drinks, and you telling every demon, that the mezcal of your country was ten times better than the drink in the Devildom, some of those demons actually asked. “Why are you in a custom?” Oh dear, not even Satan could make something when you picked the microphone. “Demons, this ain´t a costume, now, sit and listen to the story of this magnificent outfit. It all started in the colonial age in Mexico, Nuevo León did not had that extraordinary change from the conquest, actually the indigenous were nomads and we don´t have much of their cultural information. Women and men needed to have a hard character. In 1960 the dress maker Ramón Validosera made this beautiful suit for all of us, in 1970 it was one of the most important yet one of the greatest folkloric costumes in Mexico. This suit was made for the ones that will work hard enough in the fields, even though the women one is more complex than the male one.” After the explanation they stopped watching you with smirks in their faces, they actually asked if you could take a photo with them. When the party was over, Satan took your hand and escort you back to the house. “You didn´t mention that the suit was made for a beer festival”. He told you, and you laugh. “It wasn’t necessary. And it will be our secrete.”

Asmo ( China poblana Puebla)

Asmo had this epiphany, he had seen a folkloric dance of Mexico so long ago, and he just remembered it, he was sitting in one of the library armchairs, watching an old photo album, wondering if you were in the house, he started to seek you. When he heard you in Levi´s room he took you away.

“Mc! You are from Puebla, right?” You made a silent nod. “So, do you own one of the folkloric dress?” The question leaves you thinking. “I guess, but is in the human realm.” With those words Asmo actually begged Lucifer for authorization to go into the human realm.

When you arrived into your house, Asmo asked you nicely if you could tell him all about the dress. “Well, the story starts in the Colonial age, the legend says, that a chines woman was sold as a slave, but ended up in the hands of the richest. Actually she wasn´t chines nor from Puebla, she was a princes from Mongolia, but they were in a war so she was captured and sold as a slave, from hand to hand was sold, just like Malinche, anyway she found a good person that protected her, and then she married a merchant in Puebla, after that she lived until her 70´s. Her clothing was so beautiful and weird for the age, in one part beautiful Indigenous colors and in the other Spanish silk, with big ornaments in her hair. After some years they improve the dress, It consists of a white short-sleeved shirt, low on the chest, made of fine cotton embroidered with various colorful motifs. The skirt is a long skirt of thick fabric in dark red, with embroidery on the front that reproduce the national symbols: the eagle devouring the serpent perched on a cactus, or the Aztec calendar. The outfit is completed by a fine silk shawl in the tones of the colors of our national flag; and the one that requires the bun braided with tricolor bows, several necklaces of paper beads and large gold earrings.”

When you finished the story Asmo was tearing, a poor young woman who was sold by a men, but she found true love, was just, too beautiful.

After that he made you use the dress and well, the rest is story.

Let´s learn some Spanish and more than that:

Malinche: Indigenous women that helped Hernán Cortés for the conquest in Mexico. And it´s also a volcanos name, so be careful when you talk about her, you might be talking about the volcano.

Huaseras: Bells that are included in the aztec dance, also known as: Ayoyotl.

Penacho: Set of raised feathers that certain birds have on top of their heads

Quetzal: Bird from Mexico, in Nahuatl the name means long tail of bright feathers.

Tlatoani: Head of the Aztec society, something like a president.

El charro de cuero se viste, por ser lo que más resiste” : The leather charro dresses, for being the thing that resists the most

Rebozo: Shawl or cloak of cotton, wool or silk of various colors, used by some village women to cover their heads, shoulders, chest and back as a coat; It is also used to wrap and carry a child.

#obeyme #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me headcanons #obey me asmodeus #Obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me simeon #obey me solomon #obey me diavolo #obey me barbatos #obey me luke

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weirdfishy · 3 years

Text

Liquid Galaxies

A witch, and a potion that was meant to be simple. It wasn’t. Melinyl stumbled upon the wrong potion. The universe’s power was not to be trifled with.

word count: 735

edit: oh hey I forgot to tag @flashfictionfridayofficial 🤦🏽‍♀️

~**~

Melinyl stared. She stared at the softly forming whorls of Egyptian blue, rising out of bubbling, lemon-yellow liquid. She was sure this wasn’t how the potion was supposed to look, but she was too enraptured to care. Her lilac eyes gazed almost longingly into the cauldron, and a dark hand came up to brush her frizzy hair out of her face when the wind picked up.

She was standing in the middle of a field, short rushes grazing her dress and apron, the moon above her in gleaming and pock-marked beauty. The breeze drifting through the open space was sweet and lilting, carrying the snores of the rest of the coven and everything around her.

Melinyl couldn’t hear it though, the potion - which was meant to be the perfect execution of the simplest transformative potion - was whispering to her, begging her to reach in and pull out treasures she could only have dreamed of, or to tip the pot and watch in awe as the colors mixed with the rust-red moisture of dirt and pushed down fragile stalks.

She ached to touch it, to see the no doubt profitable results of unintelligible promises delivered in whispers of a life and magic emanating only from the heated pot in front of her. It was calling to her, telling her to do something- anything with it. To find out all of its properties and unleash it to the world. Melinyl wanted to respond. She wanted to know.

In one hand, she held a feather from her own night-eagle, its blue deeper and darker than the whorls still marking the yellow. It was meant for the testing of the potion, which should have made the feather into two at a single drop’s worth, but Melinyl couldn’t help but lift the feather above the liquid dramatically high, poised to drop it and be awed.

She let go.

Melinyl let go of the feather’s smooth barb, watched it float side to side, down, down, down- until it was just above the lip of the wrought iron, right before it-

Golden light burst from the cauldron, and the air stilled. The voice ceased as well, but Melinyl didn’t register it. Her hands were gripped onto the lip of the pot, unharmed against what should have been heated metal, and her face tilted into the light, a dazzling delight stretched from her lips as her eyes widened.

The overwhelming beacon faded, leaving Melinyl’s reddish-purple hair brushing the surface of the mixture, the feather no-where to be found.

The liquid, once a bubbling yellow-and-blue, now rested as a stagnant, visibly thick concoction that looked to be made of silvery stardust, moonlight, and the stuff of nebulae. Its scent had changed from something of baked bread to the sharp tang of blood and wet grass, and Melinyl was enamored.

One of her hands released the pot, and made its way to the center of what outshone the shine of melted silver and the moon combined, palm level, before she plunged her hand in with one swift motion, her closeness meaning the mysterious potion crept up to her elbow.

Melinyl shivered, the contact sending sparks throughout her entire body, and her unbroken gaze into the pot broke. Her head tilted back, the lilac of her eyes giving way to whites before her dark eyelids covered it all. A slight sigh slipped past her lips.

It was invigorating, this magic, it gave her new life, gave her new meaning.

She breathed, in, and out, soaking in everything before her unhurried breaths became labored, like the mixture was trying to squeeze her life out and replace it with its own.

Melinyl shuddered, the wave-like power threatening to drown her, so she pulled her arm out, the sludge weighing the limb down, not wanting to let go, her other hand gripping the cauldron so hard the skin around her knuckles lightened and her brow scrunched together. Her arm was released with a deep belch, the sound cutting through the absolute silence.

It was replaced by the thump-thump of Melinyl’s heart, and her short breaths coming in gasps.

Her knees wobbled before giving out, depositing her on the dirt and grass. Melinyl rushed to wipe off the silver of the galaxies onto her apron before tossing the fabric into the pot and letting it sink.

There was so much power vibrating its way into every crevice of her being, and it was too much too fast.

Melinyl passed out, silver-and-gold sparks dancing along her skin as she lay, vulnerable, seen only by the creators of dangerous, brilliant and bright liquid galaxies.

Pau

2/27/21

oh hey I put it up on ao3 bc I really liked this one

#flash fiction friday #fff89 #dipped in silver #fishy's bubbles

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hidden-otaku-stuff · 4 years

Text

A Winged Wing-man

Tw: Owl puns

Word count: 4.1k Pairing: Bokuto x reader Genre: fluff

AN: It’s officially Sept 20th here! Happy birthday to the softest boy Bokuto!

“Finally, you’re all here.” Meian sighed, looking up as Atsumu and Bokuto slid into the conference room.

“Sorry Captain,” Bokuto said sheepishly. The two had been on his morning run and had forgotten about the meeting. Atsumu just grinned and waved to his team-mates. Sakusa rolled his eyes, twirling a pen in his fingers.

Meian cleared his throat, standing up. “Alright, now that we’re all here,” he shoots the late duo a look, “our PR manager wanted me to make an announcement on his behalf.” Meian opened the leather padfolio that he had been given. “Apparently, we’ve been having a bit of difficulty getting people into the audience during week-days.” At this, his team-mates started protesting and letting out exclamations of shock. Silencing them with a look, Meian continues. “It’s not that people aren’t interested, but there are still quite a bit of empty seats. So, they’ve decided to start implementing themed nights during our week-day home games in order to encourage more community members to come out, especially community members with children.”

“That’s so cool!” Hinata gasped, looking between his team-mates. “What type of themes are they thinking about?”

“Will they put Atsumu back in the mascot uniform?” Sakusa snickered, smirking at the setter.

“Yeah! He looked so good in it,” Hinata added, grining.

Atsumu rolled his eyes, crossing his arms as they leaned back. “Why, too scared I’ll steal all your fans, Oomi-oomi?”

“No, I just didn’t want to look at your face and subject others to that.”

“Enough!” Meian scolded them. Atsumu crosses his arms, pouting slightly.

“Sorry,” he muttered meekly.

Meian pinches his nose. “I don’t think there are plans to put Atsumu back in the mascot uniform nor should he. We need him on the court for god’s sake.” Meian scans the list in front of him. “Apparently the first night they have planned is a...Harry Potter night?”

“What does that mean?” Hinata tilts his head, glancing between the captain and his team-mates.

Meian’s brows furrows. “Well, they’ll be doing bobble-head giveaways. Apparently they’ll have bobble-heads of us in Quidditch robes on broomsticks as the give-away.” Meian snorts, guessing that’s another photo-shoot they’ll need to attend. He reads more. “Oh. And they’ll be bringing animals to the game.”

“Animals?” Sakusa’s brow furrowed as his expression darkened. Why the hell would there be animals at their arena? He shivers at the prospect.

Meian nods. “Yep. They’re planning on having one of the local wildlife sanctuaries come out and bring some owls and other animals for the community members to meet.”

“Owls?!” Bokuto grinned, bouncing in his chair. Just another reason to look forward to their next game.

*****

Akaashi entered the familiar hall, eyes blinking with shock at the sudden darkness. The room had been transformed into a dark chamber. One male was holding a yellow snake in his hand, letting it wrap around his fingers and his wrist as he talked to some children. He was wearing Slytherin robes while a girl wearing Hufflepuff robes had a small brownish owl on her hand. Besides them, stood a girl wearing Gryffindor robes holding a massive brown and white-spotted owl. His eyebrows raised in recognition.

“(Name)?”

“Oh my gosh, Akaashi?” You turn, beaming as your robes flapped around. “How are you?” The owl on your arm flapped his wings before preening his left wing. You walk towards him, letting the family crowd around the Hufflepuff.

“I’m good, how have you been?” Akaashi stops a few feet away, tilting his head. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

You grin, lifting your arm higher. “Yep! Just working.” You glance around. “You here alone?”

Akaashi offers you a smile. “For now. My best friend is one of the players.”

After tapping your chin, you snapped as the glimmer of recognition flooded your eyes. “Right! Bokuto, right?”

Akaashi nods. “Yes, that’s him.” He eyes the owl on your arm hesitantly.

“You can come closer if you’d like. He won’t nip ya if that’s what you’re afraid of.” You extend your arm. Kabuki ruffled his feathers, eyeing Akaashi with disinterest. Akaashi hesitantly took a few steps closer, watching the owl. “This is Kabuki.”

“What type of owl is he?” In the back of his mind a picture of a great horned owl flashed, but Akaashi could tell that this was a different type.

“Kabuki here is a spotted eagle owl.” You grin. Kabuki’s head swiveled around, fixing you with a hard stare.

“Ah. He looks very similar to a great horned owl.”

“Ah yeah, they do tend to look similar visually! But spotted eagle owls are typically smaller and actually originate from Africa whereas the great horned owl originate from the Americas.” Kabuki turned back to stare at Akaashi unblinkingly. A shiver ran up his spine. He was relieved when his phone vibrated.

“The game is starting soon, I should go.”

“Oh! Yes, you definitely should.” You offer him one last smile. “It was nice to see you again, Akaashi. Let’s catch up soon, yeah?”

“Yeah, that’d be nice.” With a final wave, Akaashi disappeared out the door. As he made his way to his seat, he couldn’t help the smile that overtook his features. Bokuto would love this.

****

“Oh wow!” Bokuto’s jaw dropped, excitement pulsing through him at Akaashi’s description. “Thank you so much for coming with me, Akaashi!” He grins at his former team-mate as they head towards the exhibition hall.

“You better hurry, Bokuto-san. They might be closing up now that the game is over.” Bokuto nodded, cursing slightly. He would’ve been there already but he had been stopped by reporters for interviews. The males sped-walked over to the hall where the exhibits were. The door slams open. By now, the Hufflepuff and Slytherin were packing up the other animals. You were still standing there, Kabuki on your arm as you cheerfully chatted with them. The owl on your arm swiveled his head, hooting and flapping his wings.

You turn your head, looking at the door and smiling as you wave. “Hey Akaashi! Is this your friend?”

You all walk towards each other. “Yes. (Name), this is Bokuto-san, the friend I was telling you about.”

You do a little bow. “Akaashi used to talk about you all the time, Bokuto-sehsu.” The owl swiveled his head to stare at you with unblinking pale yellow eyes. Bokuto was quivering with excitement as he inches closer, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “You can come closer if you’d like, Bokuto-san. Just, please don’t run or be overly excited. You might spook Kabuki.”

Bokuto nods aggressively, taking a deep breath before he makes his approach. Akaashi stands back, not particularly interested in getting close to the owl. His gunmetal blue eyes gazes fondly as Bokuto gets even closer before he shifts his gaze to your coworkers. “Are you supposed to be cleaning up now, (Name)?”

You nod. “Yeah, we were supposed to have been packed up and ready to go a few minutes ago.” Bokuto looked so disappointed that you hastily added, “But I don’t mind a few extra minutes to chat! Anything for a friend.”

At your words, Bokuto visibly perks up. “Thank you so much,” he gushes. Kabuki begins staring at him now, ruffling his feathers as he stepped out further down your arm. “What type of owl is he?”

You clear your throat, gazing fondly at the owl. “This is Kabuki. He is a spotted eagle owl or the Bubo africanus. They’re also known as the African Eagle Owl since they are typically found in Southern Africa.” Kabuki lets out a loud hoo-hoooo, stretching one of his clawed talons as he puffs out his chest importantly. You roll your eyes, knowing that the owl was just trying to show off. Pale yellow eyes pierce golden as they begin staring at one another. “Ah, you shouldn’t do that.”

“Why?”

“Staring contests with animals in general can be seen as an act of aggression,” you explain. “So unless you want to potentially ruffle his feathers - so to speak - I’d suggest you avoid that.”

Bokuto nods, a thoughtful expression on his face as his gaze shifts to your arm. “Is he heavy?”

“Not particularly! They only get up to 2 lbs at the most, but it can get tiring holding him up for so long.” You flex your other arms, grinning. “But it’s definitely a good workout!”

“Would it be possible for me to hold Kabuki?”

Your smile softens as your voice lowers. “Sorry, Bokuto-sehsu. You have to pass our raptor training or prove that you have experience handling raptors before you’re allowed to handle any of our birds.”

This time, his face completely drops. “Your sanctuary has classes available right, (Name)?” Akaashi interrupts hastily.

You look back at your former classmate as you coax Kabuki back into his crate. Kabuki narrows his eyes slightly before hopping in. “We do.”

Bokuto perked up. “Can I sign up for those then?”

“Sure!” You dig into your robe pocket, pulling out a business card. “Our website is on there, but feel free to call me tomorrow around 11. I’ll be able to handle your registration and all of that.”

“Thank you so much (Name)!”

“Oi, (Name). We gotta start heading back to work.”

“Ah, that’s me. I’ll see you guys around. Let’s get lunch sometime, Akaashi!” You wave at them. “Hope to hear from you tomorrow, Bokuto-sehsu.” With one final wave and smile, you head to the exit to meet your coworkers.

****

“Hey Bokuto-sehsu!” You greet him with a wide smile. “Ready to start your training?” He nods eagerly, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Awesome, there’s a lot of classes you need to undergo before you’re allowed to handle the raptors themselves, ok?” Another nod as his head swivels back and forth, taking in the sights of your sanctuary. “Awesome, so we’re actually going to start off in Raptor 101.”

“What will we cover in that class?” Bokuto asks as you lead him down the hall towards the classrooms.

“We’ll talk about the anatomy, diets, behaviours, and special adaptations to the various types of raptors,” you explain. “This won’t be a one-on-one class though. Since there’s a lot of rudimentary content, you’ll be taught in a classroom setting and be required to pass tests in order to move on to the next stage.”

“Wait what does rudimentary mean?”

“It means ‘basic’. Another word you could use is ‘introductory’.”

Bokuto hums, mulling over your words carefully. “Wait...a test?”

“Yeah, we want to make sure that you’re fully knowledgeable before you’re allowed to handle any of them.” You glance over at him as he chews on his bottom lip. “You’ll be okay, Bo. I know you will be. You seem really passionate about the subject, and passion makes the subject matter much easier.”

He brightens up, nodding. “That’s true.” You open the door, stepping in. “Will you be the instructor for this class?’

“Yep! This is one of my favorite classes to teach,” you beam. “It helps as practice for when we go visit schools and stuff.”

“That makes sense.”

You gesture to the room, “please feel free to take a seat anywhere. We’re a few minutes early so I’ll wait for the rest of the students to enter before I begin.” A few other adults files into the classroom, taking a seat around Bokuto who had chosen one directly in the front center. “Hey everyone! My name is (Name). No need to use honorifics here,” you laugh causing them all to laugh with you. “Anyways, welcome to Raptor 101! If you’re in this class, it’s probably because you’re interested in raptors, right? Maybe you want to work as one of our raptor education volunteers, or maybe you just really love them.” There were murmurs of agreement around the class. “Awesome! So, let’s get this started, yeah?” As Bokuto listens to you, he couldn’t help the way that his heart was fluttering. That sparkle in your eyes from the pure giddiness you feel when you’re talking about passionate about? He was sure it was the same way he was whenever he was playing volleyball.

As class ended, nerves rushed over him as he approached you. “Excuse me, (Name)?” He asks. You look up from the bag that you were packing, blessing him with a smile.

“Yes, Bokuto-sehsu?”

He clears his throat as his eyes shift from side to side. “Do you wanna go get dinner or something?”

“Oh I’m sorry, Bokuto-sehsu. I actually have to head directly to animal-care now.” You zip up your bag, straightening up. “Why don’t we do something next time?”

He grins, “that sounds great. I’ll see you later!” Bokuto walks out of the center, pulling out his phone to check the time only to be greeted by a text from Akaashi.

[Akaashi]: Hello Bokuto-san, how was the class today?

[Bokuto]: It was really fun! BTW, are you busy?

[Akaashi]: Not particularly. I was just about to go get food. Did you need something?

[Bokuto]: do you wanna grab dinner with me?

[Akaashi]: sure.

Bokuto was beaming. Though he and Akaashi had been close in high-school, they were hard pressed to find time to see each other nowadays. With Bokuto’s busy schedule as an athlete with his constant trips and Akaashi’s full-time job, their chances to interact had been limited to Bokuto’s home-games and the occasional odd free weekend. He quickly makes his way to the restaurant that Akaashi had texted him. Inside, Akaashi was already sitting at a table, sipping a glass of water.

“Hello Bokuto-san.” Akaashi waves, waiting for Bokuto to slide into the chair, “how was the class?”

Bokuto perks up, eyes sparkling to Akaashi’s amusement. “It was so fun! (Name) knows so much about owls.” He took a sip of water. “It’s so cool how much work she does with owls like she was telling us about how she started and all types of funny stories about the raptors she’s worked with so far.” Akaashi opens his mouth to say something but Bokuto can’t stop from word-vomiting. “Oh! And did you know that owls are usually monogamous? And that they typically court using various calls in order to attract a female to a suitable nesting site before using various different methods to show off to their potential mates? Like, the Great Horned Owl will use flight patterns and food to demonstrate to their mates that they can be providers.”

“That’s certainly interesting, Bokuto-san.”

Bokuto nods aggressively, a dreamy look in his eyes. “God I can’t wait for the next class.”

“Are you more excited for the class or to see (Name)?” Akaashi asked, mischief flashing in his eyes before he went back to his meal.

“(Name)?” Bokuto cocked his head. “I didn’t know you were on a first-name basis with her.”

“You are too.”

Bokuto shook his head, “but you aren’t using the honorifics?”

“Again, neither are you Bokuto-san.”

“She told us to call her (Name)!” Bokuto defended, crossing his arms. “How do you know (Name) anyways?”

Akaashi shrugged, sipping his glass. “We met in intro to biology. We ended up being study-buddies.”

“Just study-buddies?”

“Is that jealousy I hear, Bokuto-san?”

Bokuto flushed. “N-no!”

****

As he collapsed onto his bed, Bokuto let out a loud sigh. For the past few days, his mind had been filled with memories from that first class. Maybe he did feel a little something for the raptor-keeper. He rolled onto his side, pulling out his phone and drafting a text.

[Bokuto]: hey (Name), thank you for the awesome class the other day!

[Name]: Bokuto-sehsu, why are you still awake? It’s like 2 AM!

He grinned, happy that she had responded so quickly. His mind searched for a possible response.

[Bokuto]: OWL i can think about is you 💛

[Name]: Bokuto-sehsu, you’re an athlete. Please get some sleep.

Bokuto bit his bottom lip at her concern. He desperately wanted to continue talking to her, but he knew that she was right.

[Bokuto]: 🥺 okay

[Name]: Good night, Bokuto-sehsu. I’ll see you soon 😊

His heart skipped a beat, filling his cheeks with warmth before he drafted the last text of that night.

[Bokuto]: Good night (Name)! Sweet dreams

****

“Hey class! Today we will have a surprise guest,” you beam. “Haru, you can bring him in.” The door opens, revealing the Slytherin from before. On his arm was a familiar sight. “This is Kabuki! You might recognise him as one of our education owls,” you say as you slide on a thick glove. Haru lowers his hand to the perch beside you, letting Kabuki hop onto it from his own arm. “Kabuki and I are often paired up together. I was the one who helped raise him when he arrived at the sanctuary as an owlet,” you explain. “Unfortunately, he’s become too dependent on human contact and cannot be released.”

“Do you normally release the owls that come here?” Someone asks in the back.

You nod. “As long as they have their instincts and haven’t imprinted, then we try our best to relocate and release them.” Your eyes shine. “But unfortunately, not all animals will be able to be released, so we do end up taking care of a decent number here at the sanctuary.” Kabuki ruffles his feathers importantly.

“What is imprinting?” Another person asked.

“Ah, animal imprinting typically happens in the early stages of life and is typically reserved for birds. When they hatch, they don’t know who their parents are and use environmental clues - typically whatever animal is present for their hatching - to determine their parents. They’ll identify with that species and try to mimic them.” Kabuki nuzzled into your head. “Though Kabuki learned how to be an ‘owl’ by watching the other ones here, he’s become more physically affectionate with me after seeing my interactions with other keepers.” You explain. Bokuto tilted his head, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he observed your interactions. “Anymore questions?” After glancing around the room and seeing nobody speak up, you continue with the class. “Now, in order to care for your owl…” You began explaining the different things to check using Kabuki as a diagram.

As class came to an end, Bokuto found himself waiting anxiously by your desk. “Hey Bokuto-sehsu!” You turn, grinning to the wing-spiker.

A jolt of electricity shot through him as he returned your grin. “Hey (Name)! Are you free for dinner today? We can wet our beaks or something.”

You brush your hair back giggling at his comment before giving him a nod. “Yeah, I am actually! I made sure that I was free this time.” Kabuki hoots, drawing both pairs of eyes. “Just let me put Kabuki away first and then we can head out?”

Bokuto nods eagerly, “that sounds great! I’ll meet you in the front then?”

“Sounds perfect.”

****

“That stuff about Kabuki imprinting on you was really interesting,” Bokuto comments as he slurps up a noodle. You giggle, wiping his chin with a napkin. Bokuto had taken you to a ramen shop down the street from the center.

“Animal imprinting is always an interesting subject,” you respond before turning back to your own meal. Bokuto was glad - he didn’t want you to see how badly he was blushing.

He quickly spoons a mouthful of broth, wincing as the heat sears his tongue. “I’d imprint on you if I was an owl,” he blurts out, his mind racing in order to both distract himself from the pain and from that moment of physical contact.

You let out a hearty laugh, “oh Bokuto-sehsu, you’re so sweet.” Wiping away a tear of mirth, your eyes rise to meet his. “I’m really glad you’re taking my class. It’s always nice to see someone so passionate about owls in the class.”

“You can just call me Bokuto.”

You raise an eyebrow before nodding. “Sure thing, Bokuto.”

A red glow crept up his neck before he cleared his throat. “So, what type of owl is your favorite?” As you launch into a discussion about the various types of owls and your preferences, he was filled with warmth. Chatting with you was easy. He was constantly surrounded by volleyball, and it was so nice being able to get out and see people showing passion in other things. It had been awhile since he’d been able to discuss owls.

“Thanks Bokuto. I had a really good time,” you bump your shoulder against his as you pull your coat closer as you both leave the restaurant.

“Sorry I had to wing it, but I’m glad you had a good time!” You chuckle, shaking your head. Bokuto cocks his head at you, looking even more like an owl than he usually did. “What, is there something wrong with what I’m talon you?” He grins, looking extremely proud of himself.

“Nah, those were some hootiful puns.” You both stop in front of your apartment building. “This is me! Good night, Bokuto.”

“Good night, (Name).”

****

“Congratulations Bo!” You cheer, handing him his certificate. It had been a long few months, but they had all passed. You look at the class, giving them a wide smile. “You guys have all passed Raptor 101! As a graduation gift, you guys will be allowed to hold one of our raptors.” The door opens, and the other animal volunteers come in. Haru holds a massive golden eagle and Aoi holds the small Southern Boobook she had brought to the MSBY Black Jackal arena. Kabuki was already on his perch, preening while he waited for attention. “You’ll only be allowed to hold one raptor for five minutes, so please get into line for the animal you’d like to work with.”

You slide your glove on, offering your arm out to Kabuki who eyes it with disinterest. With a soft hoo-hoooo, he hops onto the glove, allowing you to tether him to yourself. Bokuto makes a bee-line to you as the other classmates hover around Haru and Aoi. The girls are more on the nervous side and decide that the smaller owl would be more comforting whereas some of the males wanted to show off by holding the eagle. “Can I?” Bokuto asks, looking between you and Kabuki. His eyes shone brightly at the prospect.

“Of course.” You glance at the table, “make sure to put the glove on first ok?” Bokuto yanks it on, offering his arm. “Hold your elbow up a little more,” you correct, reaching out with your other arm to help fix him.

Bokuto flushes. “Hey, (Name)?”

“Yes?” You hum as you make more adjustments.

“I promised myself that I would get through all of the classes and hold an owl before I asked you this.” You raise an eyebrow, scanning his features. Bokuto’s eyes met yours, earnesty evident in his features. “But owl I want to know is...Will you let me swoop you away for a date? I think we’d have a real hoot together.”

You remain silent, waiting for Kabuki to hop onto Bokuto’s arm from yours, your lips trembling in the ghost of a smile. Bokuto chews on his lip, sweating slightly as he waits for your response. “Only if we leave the animals at the sanctuary,” you say finally, meeting his eyes. Kabuki jumps, wings fluttering as he lands softly onto Bokuto’s arm.

“Yes!” Bokuto grins before he turns his attention back to Kabuki. “You hear that Kabuki? Guess I’m finally gonna go on a date with (Name)!”

Kabuki stared at him with disinterest, blinking slowly. He ruffled his feathers, letting out another hoo-hooooooee in congratulations. You both burst in laughter. Who knew that an owl was the key to getting a date?

*****

AN: This was loosely inspired on my experience about a Harry Potter night with a sports team I used to work at and I did a lot of additional research in order to accurately portray the information about owls and falconry in general.

I really wanted to include this line that my coworker dropped but I couldn’t figure out where to put it so here it is. (Short context, I was put in charge of supervising the animal room to ensure that there was a decent flow to the line.)

Coworker: Did you ask him?

Me: ask him what?

Coworker: Did you ask the owl how many licks it takes to get to the center of the tootsie-pop?

Yep. I would’ve made Bokuto ask Kabuki how many licks it would take to get to the center of a tootsie-pop. LMAO.

Also random notes, owl cafes are completely adorable BUT they’re not that ethical! They’re extremely stressful environments, and this applies to most of the animal-related tourist attractions. Please do your research before visiting one of those types of establishments. In general, if the animal isn’t a domesticated animal such as a cat or a dog, then existing in those types of environments can be harmful to them.

Anyways, happy birthday again Kou!

ALSO!!! If you didn’t know, I’m officially celebrating 400 followers. Thank you so much to everyone who supports my work. To celebrate this milestone, I’ll be doing matchups and song fics for the next week or so. Check this out for more info.

general taglist: @scrappydaisies @newfriendjen @kyomihann

Please contact me if you would like to be a part of my general taglist! 💞 Check out this link for information about my taglists.

#bokuto koutarou x reader #bokuto koutarou fluff #bokuto koutarou birthday #happy birthday bokuto #bokuto kotaro fluff #hidden-otaku-stuff

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bitter-sweet-farmgirl · 3 years

Text

Prince Papers Prt. 2

This is legitimately just becoming a game to ‘see how many times I can reference A Brief History of Durin’s Line in each part;. The record is currently 3. Also, I’m not entirely sure ink burns or would stain like I have it do in this piece, but its funny, sooo....

Part 2. Kili needs to be taught how to do royal paperwork and Dori’s apprentice is assigned the task. Little does the apprentice know what this involves. Part 1 HERE

TAGS: @elvish-sky @ladylouoflothlorien

MASTERLIST

OC Used: Lorelei

Word Count: 1,3330

Warning(s): Ink gets spilled into someone’s eye and stains their eye.

Translation(s): None

~~~~

Demon Eyes

"Done." The relieved word had me jumping in my seat as I turned away from the window to look at the dark-haired Dwarrow across from me. He propped his stubbled chin on his hand as he sighed again. "Are we done?"

I shook my head, leaning across the table to snag the scattered mess of papers. "We haven't even started yet, Prince Kili." I replied, tapping the papers a few times on the table to even them out.

Prince Kili looked at me with an expression of mingled horror and disbelief. "Haven't even started yet? What are you talking about?" He gasped out, and I watched him solemnly.

"Copy out a line of your choosing from that book over there." I ordered, choosing not to comment on his protests, pointing over to a thick tome leaning on the window. It just happened to be A Brief History of Durin's Line: Volume 234.

Prince Kili made a face, leaning over to grab the book and drop it on the table with a loud thump. My eyes widened at the disrespectful treatment of the book and I shot the Prince a disapproving look. He just smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, so you're one of those people." He murmured, and I frowned, wondering what he meant.

"Excuse me?" I questioned, making him chuckle in amusement as he flipped through the pages of the tome.

"You're one of those people who treat books like they're babies." He said flippantly, his gaze settling on a page. "Now, what do I write this on and with what? Do I get to do it in blood?" He asked, brown eyes sparkling as they flickered up to meet mine while I grimaced in disgust, rummaging around the pile of papers for a blank one.

"Absolutely not, that's both disgusting and unsanitary." I responded, locating a blank sheaf of paper and handing it to him. "You'll use the ink and quill located on the bookshelf behind you."

"Ah. You're also one of those people who doesn't like to have a little fun." He grumbled, standing up and trodding over to the bookshelf to grab the eagle feather quill and bottle of ink.

I didn't bother to respond to him, ignoring the indignation rising within me. Who did he think he was to judge me like that? In all honesty, he reminded me of one his ancestors--a cheeky young lad by the name of Karkul the Foolish--who died a rather unfortunate death by choking on a piece of jerky. The event of which was most graphically described in A Brief History of Durin's Line: Volume 188.

Prince Kili settled himself back in his chair, fished a knife out of his pocket and proceeded to try and pry off the lid of the ink bottle. My eyes widened with horror as I caught sight of his actions.

He didn't know that the ink bottle was finicky and--

The cork came out of the ink bottle with a loud pop, and Prince Kili jolted back. The ink went sloshing everywhere, including all over me.

"For the love of Mahal--" I hissed, my hands flying up to cover my now-burning eyes. The pain made me lose all forms of politeness. "YOU'VE BLINDED ME YOU STUPID DWARROW!"

I heard footsteps and a warm hand clasped gently around my wrist and tugged on it. I kept my eyes screwed tightly shut against the burning agony the ink had caused. "I'm sorry, I didn't know that the ink would spill everywhere... Are you okay?" I heard Prince Kili ask, his voice dripping with concern.

"No..." I whimpered, feeling tears well up in my eyes as they smarted. "The ink got in my eyes and it burns..."

"I'll take you to Oin. He'll know what to do, okay?" Prince Kili suggested worriedly, moving his hand from my wrist to grab my elbow. "Just follow me."

He tugged gently on my arm, leading me forwards through the bookshelves. I listened intently to the sound of our footsteps, noting the change in pitch as we exited the library and entered one of Erebor's many corridors.

Time seemed to pass quickly by, and within moments, I was seated on a bed in the Healing chambers of Erebor. Oin bustled around by my side, while Prince Kili held my hand.

"Now, I don't think you'll have any permanent blindness from the ink, but I'll have to wash it all out to see..." Oin muttered, and I jumped as his fingers pried open my eye. "Now just hold still as I wash out your eyes."

I gulped as I felt the water spray up into my eye, trying hard not to blink. Prince Kili squeezed my hand gently and strangely, I found reassurance in the small action.

Oin quickly repeated the action with my other eye, then released me. "Now, open your eyes." He ordered, and I slowly did as he asked. Shapes and colours blurred around me, but as I blinked, everything came into focus.

"I can see!" I exclaimed excitedly, looking around. My gaze found Oin standing before me, an expression of shock covering his features. "Is something wrong?" I asked hesitantly, wondering if I wasn't supposed to be able to see. A quote from A Brief History of Durin's Line: Volume 203 popped into my head. "...and the infamous Prince Dain VII--Mahal bless the noble hairs of his noble beard--was unluckily struck over the head during a battle and believed to be blind until his noble eyes opened one day and he found himself cured..." A rather stupid tale in my mind. The author was much too fond of the word 'noble'.

"Well, no... It's just that the ink has stained your eyes a bit..." He murmured, taking a step closer to peer into my eyes.

"What do you mean, 'a bit'?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Prince Kili came to stand beside Oin, his eyes blown wide with amazement.

"Mahal... That's weird." He breathed, and anxiety began to rise within me.

"Can someone bring me a mirror?" I pleaded, fidgeting my hands in my lap.

Oin nodded and hurried away to grab a small, hand-held mirror. I raised it up and gasped in horror at what I saw. The whites of my eyes had been completely stained pitch-black by the ink, making me look like some sort of green-eyed demon. "For the love of all things golden, I look like a demon!" I exclaimed, tears beginning to well in my eyes. Looking worriedly over at Oin, I gave him a pleading look. "Please tell me it isn't permanent..."

He shook his head, allowing me to let out a sigh of relief. Wiping at the wetness on my cheeks, I was surprised to see black stains of my fingers. Looking back in the mirror, I saw black trails down my cheeks. "Even my tears are black!" I cried, watching as more black tears began to find their way down my face. "Could this get any worse?" I wailed, laying aside the mirror to put my head in my hands.

"There there, Miss Lorelei. It's just the ink staining your tears. It'll all have disappeared within a few days, don't worry. Although, I'm not entirely sure why a horse would make things any better" Oin tried to soothe, his expression puzzled.

Prince Kili came up to lay a gentle hand on my back. "Don't cry, Miss Lory." He murmured quietly, and I looked tearfully up into his smiling face. "We can have some fun together before the ink goes away."

Dori's words floated into my head as I looked up into the mischievous expression of the dark-haired Prince. Remember Lorelei, your time with him is strictly professional. No funny business. I know Prince Kili can be quite persuasive in getting people to help him in his antics.

But what could Prince Kili possibly use my unusual appearance for anyways?

#kili #prince papers #erebor #kili x oc #the hobbit #oin #dori #scribe #apprentice #ink #ink gets spilled #lil' bit of fluff #mischief #kili gets an awful idea #a brief history of durin's line #an insane amount of references to A Brief History of Durin's Line #fanfic #fanfiction

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starcrossedyanderes · 4 years

Text

Beauty and The Birds (Part 4)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

It had been around 3 days since you returned and more and more birds were flocking towards your town. The influx of birds on the streets have caused car wrecks and they continued to feed on the farmers’ crops. The neighbors seemed to grow insane at the birds calls but for you you only seemed to hear one song.

You would hear this low hum in the air, a song so soft that you could barely tell if it was a song or just the wind.

One day you stepped out onto the porch to get the mail and waiting on your doorstep was, well..

A dead rat.

You screamed.

There was no Lily would hunt one those. Bassets are meant to hunt rabbits and Lily is an old lady now. She barely can chase down a bird in her age.

Maybe the influx of birds attracted some stray cats to the area. But why would a stray leave you a ‘gift’? You remember seeing a black and white stray a while ago, but you have no memory of giving a stray any food or shelter.

What an odd occurrence.

But one day something odd happened that no one expected.

Your town’s mayor was abducted and is quite possibly dead.

Poor Snowball didn’t stand a chance.

Reportedly the French Bijon was going on his noon romp around the town hall’s yard. His owner reportedly left him out there unsupervised as he went to use the bathroom.

When he returned to check on the mayor he heard the white fluff ball let out a bark and as he reached the window he saw a golden eagle swoop down and take Snowball in his claws before flying away.

All that was left was Snowball’s little bow tie.

At that point the town had practically declared war on the birds but it seemed to be a loosing one.

Shoot so many, and more show up.

And more did.

It was only on the third day that a full on attack was confirmed.

A man was found dead in his kitchen; his eyes plucked out. Surrounding his body was broken glass that came from the window the birds crashed through.

More deaths soon occurred from car crashes that were caused by broken car parts and other bird antics.

Today most were locked inside their homes but a lone car was seen driving.

It was a sleek black vehicle and it caused people to start trickling out as it seemed that car was parting the Red Sea.

The birds moved out of its way and let it drive on a clear path while others flew away before seeming to follow the vehicle.

Even more trickled out though as an unfamiliar voice called out over the speakers that were placed around the town.

“All come to- hi- town square- hi-“

And that you did.

All that resides in the town walked to the not that far town hall where the black car was sat in the middle of the more circular town square.

All gathered around, whispering under their breath, as those beady eyes stared down. Your family seemed to be one of the last to arrive as the town was spread out before the mysterious car.

As soon as you took your place did a car door crack open and a foot popped out. As soon as just as the singular foot was soon the birds that perched on the roofs and every spot imaginable flew down to perch on the Rolls-Royce.

The person continued to step out and a black trench coat slipped out until the full person was seen.

He was a tall man at around six feet and a trench coat covered most of his body. He had midnight black hair that covered parts of his dark-purple eyes.

Those eyes had to be the most striking as they held a slight beady look but also managed to look as if it was calculating and looking at everything at once.

He stretched out one arm and the crowd let out a gasp as a golden eagle landed on his gloved arm.

Another bird flew out of the town hall’s window and proceeded to land on his shoulder. It seemed to be a raven. If you listened close enough you could hear the raven muttering random words under its breath. Its favorite word seemed to be ‘hi’.

The male finally spoke up and the eagle flew up to perch on the town hall’s roof while the raven flew over to its friends.

“I am here because of the crimes that you have committed against my family. Until your crimes have been paid for your town shall remain in this state.”

Many screamed up and asked up what crimes were commited and who his family was but all was silenced as he slipped off his trench coat and he rose in the air.

The man had unfolded his beautiful, black wings for all to see as he hovered above the people by flapping them at certain times.

It took a solid minute before people started screaming once again.

A demon!? An angel!? They all cried. But they were hushed once again as he opened his mouth to talk.

“The (l/n) family has committed heinous acts against my kind that includes trespassing on my land and.. killing an innocent.

The man of the house shot down a baby robin that I had took in. He was found in an awful state and I helped it recover. He was finally ready to be released in the wild. But his freedom only lasted a minute before he was shot down from the sky.”

All the birds seemed to ruffle up and more squawks were heard before it seemed the whole town turned to face your family with burning stares.

One lady spoke up.

“So, you’re telling me that the birds have been attacking because of their deeds?”

They received a nod from the bird-man.

“So, how do we fix it?”

He rose higher in the sky and some of his black feathers floated down to the ground.

“You took one of my kind, so I shall take one of yours.”

The eyes turned back to face you and some mutterings were heard and it became painfully clear what they were planning.

At least to the rest of your family.

Your eyes remained staring at the beautiful creature before you before you jumped up with your hand in the air and yelled,

“I’ll go!”

Your parents and townsfolk gave you looks as if you were a madwoman.

But as you ran towards the car all your thoughts said,

‘Bird man bird man bird man bird man bird man bird man bird man bird man bird man bird man bird man bird man bird man bird man bird man’

#yandere #starcrossedyanderes #romance #yandere male #yandere oc #original character #beauty and the birds #avery #crow #raven #sacrifice #the birds #bird man

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colossalsummer · 3 years

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KOTLC book one READ ALONG part 4 of 5

I read the first Keeper of the Lost Cities book and annotated every page. Here are the highlights. (Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3/ Part 4/ Part 5)

Chapter 31

Astin: “You’ve broken a very serious law, Sophie.”

Sophie, just trying to fit in at elf school and maybe get some new parents:

Ah beans not again

Chapter 32

…she couldn’t help wondering what the Councillors needed protection from. Alden was always saying how safe their world was. THANKS I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO KNOW

Chapter 33

Terik: “…I can sense potential.” I’m a Stupid Detector *pretending to scan* beep... beep... *points toward Dex* beep-beep-beep-bee

Chapter 34

Sophie: “What are we doing here?” Tiergan: “Breaking the law.” YEAH PUNK ROCK CHOOSES YOU BABY

Tiergan: “Do you miss your human life?” This is so sweet. I don’t trust very many people in this book but I really believe that he has her best interest at heart, 100%

Sophie: “What if I’m someone bad?” Tiergan: “I can assure you you’re not.”

She made it one whole month without unnecessary stress or worry… Just enough time for the eye lashes to come back in 👌

*Sophie blacks out* Then someone else grabbed her, cradling her in their arms. Keefe Keefe Keefe

Chapter 35

Fitz. Oh that’s fine too I guess

Elwin: “She’s tough. How else could she survive so many disasters?” Thanks. It’s my Human Upbringing™

Chapter 36

…Sophie could see an eagle-size golden pterodactyl trying to escape the leash Grady held. Please have fuzz please have fuzz

Grady: “They have fire-resistant fur.” YES! Pycnofibres!

Unfortunately for the Ruewens, fire is humanity’s best quality.

Verdi’s mind told her she wanted a tummy rub as a reward. ⚠ Nerd alert ⚠ but I really like that touch is a high-value reward for a dinosaur. Young tyrannosaurs relied on some parental care, and it looks like at least the juveniles may have been covered in feathers (which may have shed as larger species aged). So it makes sense that a dinosaur that was used to humans, like birds that are used to humans, might appreciate preening and associate good feelings with touch! I know I’m overthinking the snot out of this but I’m very pleased with this tyrannosaur representation so far. Shannon Messenger is doing everything for me that Jurassic World refused to and I’ve never been so grateful.

I’m also hyperfocused on Verdi and the pterosaur because watching the Ruewens shut Sophie out is really agonizing and I just can’t deal

Chapter 37

Sophie blows stuff up so much I’ll bet she’s a firebender or pyromancer or whatever it’s called

Chapter 38

So let me get this straight. Alden found Sophie, a superbaby who would be sure to have an insane childhood, and placed her with the Ruewens—the most emotionally fragile couple he could think of.

Chapter 39

Number of times I wrote “OH NO” in this chapter: 9

Cancelled. As in started. Then stopped. This line shattered me like a freaking Fabergé egg

She dug out her iPod, shoved in her earbuds, and switched to her “angry” playlist. The screaming was jarring at first… SOPHIE IS A METALHEAD

Hey this magical world sucks I’d like to go home now

Chapter 40

Sophie: “How did you get into my locker after midterms?” PLEASE BE A BLACK SWAN PLEASE I’VE NEVER WANTED ANYTHING SO BADLY LORD ALMIGHTY

Keefe: “Necklace?” Sophie: “Yeah, you really didn’t have to do that.” Keefe: “Good, ‘cause I didn’t.” Oh okay not in love with me that’s fine

Alden smiled. “Human technology.” Shut up Alden

Alden: “They’re trying to stop the conspiracy theories from spreading any more than they already have.” Cool suppress critical thinking 👍 I love living here

Alden: “Humans die every day, Sophie. It’s not our job to keep them all safe.” Wowee

Alden on Everblaze: “Fintan called it the ‘fire of the sun on earth’.” Is it straight-up fusion??

Alden: “I’m afraid they may be trying to get you exiled—and trust me when I say you don’t want to go there. It’s a very dark place.”

Stay tuned for the finale.

#kotlc #keeper of the lost cities #read along #part four #kotlc sophie #kotlc fitz #kotlc keefe #kotlc dex #shannon messenger #kotlc book 1 #keeper 1 #kotlc funny #kotlc read along with me #sokeefe #tiergan #kotlc memes

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outerloop · 6 years

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Anatomy of a Falcon

youtube

We recently announced Falcon Age, a game about nurturing a falcon from a baby, bonding with them, and together resisting the forces that colonise your planet. Falcon Age will be out in 2019 for PS4 and PS VR.

We showed off the game at PAX last week, got a great response, especially on the falcon. Let’s do a deep dive of the design of the falcon, animation and rig setup, AI and navigation, feather tech, and raptor sounds.

Falcon Design

Chandana Ekanayake and Darran Hurlbut

Our falcon design combines multiple raptor types. She is big as a golden eagle, fights like a hawk, has some eagle-hawk resemblance, some owl-like tufts, and falcon tendancies. She’s one of the last of her kind left in our world and we wanted to make her unique visually for the story and also visually stand out during gameplay against the sky and desert like environments.

One of the early inspirations for Falcon Age came from videos of golden eagles hunting large mountain goats. That led to some research on falconry and the idea of having a falcon as a pet and designing mechanics and gameplay around that core idea. We made a rough prototype early on to test out the ideas. The first time we successfully whistled for the bird in VR and saw the scale change from it approaching from a distance to landing on our hand, we knew we were on to something that could serve as the core of a unique game.

Animation and Rig

Aung Zaw Oo

FALCON FEET TRACKING

There are lots of animation options out there, but none of them would easily solve our specific falcon feet tracking needs. Inverse kinematic setups, root motion and other complex plugins could do the job if we had a bigger team and more time to dedicate to it. We wanted a more predictable outcome so we went with a multiple pose based solution made in 3dsmax.

However, the biggest reason for not using IK, is that this is the best way I could come up within a couple of days. We were building the prototype so fast back at the beginning of the project that we didn’t have time to look at what other solutions are available. This is the most reliable and least ugly way I found and we’ve stuck with it since. If it's not broken, don’t fix it.

Here is how I imagined the bird claws blending IRL. The ball is the fist that is attached to the VR motion controls.There are limits to this method. The claws needs to be able to wrap around a fair chunk of the fist and the fist pose needs to be as spherical as possible.

Note that head and legs are siblings of the pelvis. This makes the bone masking and making separate blend trees easier. Ignore the word ‘eagle’ in the naming. That was just a temp asset name before we figured out the bird design.

Short version of how its done; the fist is a ball and the bird’s feet rotate around the ball using 30 blend poses and shuffle animation to get the feet back to center when the ball(motion hand) has rotated too far.

30 Blend Poses on a ball

A shuffle animation let feet recenter

And the the blends start again after that quick shuffle animation from the new rotation of the hand. According to our programmer Justin, he is doing some regular old quaternion and linear algebra math. And I’m using 3 float values that he’s giving me and feeding them into those anim blend states.

For baby bird, the 2nd knuckle on the index finger is treated like a ball.

The one edge case where the ball concept doesn’t work is when the glove is pointed directly down. Pictured below.

We had several ways we could’ve dealt with that case. One solution was to have a collider on the forearm part of the glove and have the bird fly away if bird’s collision intersects with it. Ultimately we decided to let it be as is. It’s more player friendly that way since it lets you scratch your left hip while in VR without having the bird leave you. Also most people would never have their hands positioned that way in normal play.

Unless they’re playing in a headstand for some reason. All kinds of animation features would look wrong or broken in a headstand.

FALCON HEAD TRACKING

Short version of how its done; the head (bone_Head) is a direct child of the highest object in the bird skeletal hierarchy ( bone_Root ).

Bone_Root’s position(not rotation) follows the position of the motion controller and bone_Head counters that motion. Basically a 2-object hierarchy where a positional blend is used to counter motion of the parent object to keep the child object in same global position. The rest of the bird body uses a blend of 27 poses to try its best to keep the bird looking natural.

With the size of the adult bird we have, a 12 cm translation in all axis(24x24x24 cube) seemed ideal for getting the stabilizer effect without stretching the neck too much. The head will also move at the edge of that range and when the motion hand stops moving, that new position is now the new center and another 24cm cube is formed there. Math wise, headlock is mostly just a vector transform with a lot of extra 'fluff' for limiting speed, transitioning in and out, and moving the lock point when it gets too far from the body but the bird is still in the area.

Bird Navigation and AI

Justin LaLone

BIRD BOREDOM

For the most part, the falcon obeys Ara’s commands and follows her around. If you stand around long enough in one area while the bird is just circling or if you launch her with no orders, she will start looking for something else in the area to do - usually hunting or landing on a point of interest. She will also take some initiative when perched on Ara if anything else tries to grab her (she’s possessive like that), and likes to help lead Ara to the next hole in lightning golf.

SUN BLINDING PREY

Some of the prey, such as the rabbits, are very skittish and as soon as they notice a falcon diving towards them they will take off for the nearest bolthole. They have a more difficult time seeing Ara’s bird if she approaches with the sun behind her, so paying attention to where the light is coming from and sending the bird from that direction can make catching prey easier and more reliable. On the other hand, simply diving from higher up can be good too, as the bird can pick up more speed before being noticed, giving her prey less time to dodge out of the way.

Coming in fast and and from the sun, for a guaranteed hit.

FALCON 3D NAVIGATION

Getting a flying animal to reliably traverse a 3D space in a somewhat natural looking way isn’t something you typically find out of the box in a game engine. We have roughly three levels of bird-navigation logic going on to get the bird from point A to point B without running into too many things or getting stuck in a corner.

For high-level navigation to find its way through the world, we build a 3D navigation graph and use A* to find a path. What’s probably somewhat unique in our implementation is that we are using the fairly new Unity job system to do all our A* pathfinding, giving us fast searches that stay off the main thread, allowing more time for other AI, physics, and more stuff in general. Most of the graph is generated automatically, with manually placed connections for flying through narrow gaps like windows that are small or require an approach from a good angle.

The purple line is a rough path for it to follow to get around the big rocks in between where the falcon started and where Ara is standing. The bird doesn’t try to follow this line very closely; it would be trying to make some pretty strange and sharp turns if it tried, so as soon as it has a clear shot to the next part of the path it heads there instead.

Sometimes smaller objects or moving objects can get in the way. The falcon looks ahead and goes over or around these objects. This rock is actually just big enough that it would normally navigate around it with A*, but I forced it to “forget” about that for now. Here, it’s turning left to go around the rock - the red lines show where it has been looking for the past few frames. It usually won’t try to go under things in this way, but the A* navigation can direct it to go under arches or walkways.

The last level of bird flight logic is the actual maneuvering logic, or how the bird decides how fast it wants to go, how much to ascend or descend, how quickly to turn, and how it applies physics accelerations, limited by what it is allowed to do, to get there. This feeds into the animation system telling it how hard the bird is working, what sort of pose it should be in, if it should be banking, etc. The object avoidance is tied in somewhat strongly with this, but all the A* navigation is completely separate. It is also a big pile of math and logic.

Feathers and Rendering

Ben Golus

The small body feathers, or contour feathers, on our birds flutter in the wind, and react to the player’s hands brushing against them to give a greater sense of tactile interactivity. The way this was done for the PAX demo is a bit of a hack which I hope to replace before we ship. (This of course means it’s the solution that will ship with the game.) The short description is each small feather on the bird is a treated like many grass or vegetation shaders. Several overlapping sine waves are used to calculate some simple noise used to flutter the feathers and give them some life. Their timing is offset by a random value per feather stored in the vertex color, and the flutter movement is scaled also using the vertex color. This means the base of the feathers don’t move, but the tips do. It also means longer feathers move more than shorter ones.

Unlike most grass shaders, we need the feathers to not move in random directions, so we can’t use world or local space directions. Plus this is on a skinned mesh which makes the direction even more dynamic. Instead I use a combination of the feather’s vertex normal and tangent so the feathers flutter in and out and side to side relative to their orientation. This isn’t strictly accurate, but for small movements like this it won’t be obviously wrong.

To handle hand interactions, the player’s hand has a script which tracks the bones and creates a list of capsules that follow the shape of each finger, and a sphere for the palm. If the hand is in range, the vertex shader iterates over the list of capsules to find closest distance to one and softly scales down the flutter if a capsule one is overlapping it. The feathers are also squished down towards the body. The capsules are oversized as the overlapping tests are soft, so this isn’t an instant on-off, but a gradual change. It’s roughly tuned so that once the visible finger is touching the feather it has stopped moving entirely and will push down.

Here’s an early test of this system in action. You can see how the feathers react to the sphere before it actually touches it, but the interaction is still convincing.

For the final release of the game I’d like to move to a geometry shader or compute shader approach which would solve some of the issues the effect currently has when only one vertex of a feather is being overlapped, and the fact the feathers light normals don’t change when being touched.

FALCON DAMAGE FEEDBACK

We needed some way to show when the bird is hurt, and we wanted to avoid using a health bar or similar mechanic as much as possible. Animation is used to make the bird look tired, and in pain, but we still didn’t find that it was clear enough to users that she had taken damage. We decided we wanted her to look physically damaged with blood and frayed feathers to really strongly communicate her state. The obvious answer was to do a material swap. However we also wanted to show a gradual increase in damage rather than a hard on / off, and did not want to have to have a lot of different maps. There was also the issue that most feathers shared the same UVs, which meant blood spots would be repeated all over the bird.

The solution we ended up with was done in two parts. First was feather damage and fraying. The alpha channel of each feather is setup in a special way so that both an undamaged and damaged version exist in the alpha at different opacities. The feathers are using alpha test cutout (actually alpha to coverage) at 50% opacity when at normal health, and 25% opacity when damaged to switch between the two states.

For blood splatter the bird has a second UV for the blood texture so we don’t have to reuse the original feather texture UVs, and then we blend in the blood on top of the base texture. The result is we only need one base texture set, and one blood splatter texture set for the bird and we can get variable damage effects on the bird.

Raptor Sounds

Rob Pearsall

The bird wasn’t designed to be different - futuristic or magical - from any bird in our world, just an amalgam of several flying raptors (except for wearing hats); so, it didn’t make any sense to create a voice for it that might sound ‘cinematically awesome’ - it just had to work and be believable.

That said, I did have the choice of “borrowing” the calls of any raptor I thought would communicate to the player the various moods, feelings, and responses of the bird. So, I listened to the sounds that raptors make; and to my surprise, the biggest, most impressive bird - the eagle - was absolutely the worst sounding predator of them all. First place for “don’t use this”.

The hawk is always a great choice. Everybody loves the screech of a hawk. I used to think that there was only one good recording of a hawk screech and every sound designer owned it and that’s why all hawks in all shows and movies sound the same. Not true. It turns out, all hawks sound the same. Not much variation at all. Now, don’t get me wrong, it sounds awesome, so yea… we’ve got that sound on our bird too. But that’s not all.

The best thing I had going for me was that I didn’t have to limit our falcon voice to one specific kind of falcon; and there are many kinds. Because of this, I could liberally choose any sound any falcon produces that makes sense as a kind of emotional statement from the bird.

Conveniently, the emotions were limited; I name them as statements from the bird:

All is calm, all is well

I hear you call me

I’m attacking

I’m hurt, but I’m still flying

That hurts

Getting a recording of a raptor that’s annoyed is really easy; show up with a bunch of recording gear, get into it’s space, and it’s already annoyed. So, there’s a lot of material of raptors sounding negative and mad. This works for ‘pain’. The hawk’s sounds work for flying responses and attack calls. The “all is calm” sounds were the difficult ones. There were several chirps that worked, but then I had to edit a lot of different kind of calls to get partial, short squawks that fit with the chirps, and it worked.

Keeping track of the bird sonically while in game… well, that’s another story for later.

Thank you!

Thanks for reading. For more info and latest updates follow @outerloopgames

#gaming #birb #falconage #vr

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wxlfstxrx · 5 years

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Back Home To You (Oneshot)

A/N: I wrote this fic a couple weeks back when I was going through a rough time and I am absolutely in love with Talbott Winger's character, hence the deviation from Wolfstar. I used the song Fix You by Coldplay as inspiration for the one shot; it's my favourite song and it has helped me through many rough patches over the years.

Jolting awake, you wrapped your blanket tightly around your trembling frame. Although beads of sweat were trickling down your forehead, past your furrowed brows and eyes which were squeezed shut, you couldn’t help but feel very, very cold. Feeling your heart pounding in your ribcage, you desperately tried to calm yourself down. “It was just a nightmare, it was just a nightmare,” you chanted in your head, forcing the thoughts out of your mind. It took a while, but you eventually relaxed and leaned back on the headboard of your bed, which would have otherwise been cosy had it not been another of those nights. Dragging your palms across your face in exhaustion, you then realized you had been crying.

You glanced at the clock on your bedside table. 4:25am. Sighing, you swung your legs off the bed, grabbed your blanket and, draping it over your shoulders like a cloak, you shuffled out of the dormitory as noiselessly as you could. Peering around in the dark, you left the Hufflepuff common room and wandered into the lonely night.

The lake was one of your favourite spots to be after one of your episodes; that or the clocktower courtyard. Tonight, the cool autumn breeze whispered soothing words to you, and somehow you found yourself standing at the edge of the lake, looking into the reflection of the full moon, although without really registering its beauty.

Crunch.

Breaking from your reverie, you spun around with your wand drawn out. It was an instinct. You couldn’t help it even if you wanted to. Upon seeing Talbott Winger with both his arms raised beside his head, several feet away from you, you lowered your wand and let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding.

“It’s you; you gave me a scare for a moment. What are you doing out here at this time of the night?”

“I could say the same about you,” Talbott grumbled under his breath. “Anyway, I couldn’t sleep. I was up late studying for the coming O.W.L.s.”

Something didn’t sit right with that comment, and you squinted at him, searching his face for any sign of a lie. Although his eyes were trained on the ground, you could see the heavy eyebags and the way he slumped his shoulders slightly. You tentatively took one step forward, and he lifted his eyes to meet yours, though his head remained bowed. The captivating golden eyes you found yourself lost in from time to time somehow seemed exceptionally muted tonight, and if you didn’t know Talbott any better, you could’ve sworn he had been crying.

In all the time you knew him, he was never one to show much, if any, emotion. Besides the occasional soft smile while the two of you shared Butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks, you had only seen the emotional side of him when he had opened up to you about his parents. Losing his necklace had dealt a great blow to him, and he only accepted your friendship after you went great lengths to help him retrieve it. Although he claimed it was “purely out of gratitude”, you knew that he enjoyed your company and frankly, you did too.

While you had your own group of tight-knit friends, Talbott seemed to understand you on a whole different level. Maybe it was because he too, had lost someone dear to him. You had confided in him about Jacob at some point, knowing that he could relate. A bit too well, you thought ruefully. He rarely talked about his parents, but when he did, you would see him absent-mindedly fiddling with the feather on his beloved necklace. He must have been close to them. You would catch the haunting look in his eyes as he softly poured out his emotions to you. You would notice the sad smile that graced his lips before he stared off into the horizon.

He knew the pain.

And you saw it again tonight; that same look you knew all too well.

“You can’t fool me, Talbott. What’s wrong?” You slowly took another step forward, and yet another, until you were almost chest to chest with him. You were about half a head shorter than him, so you had to incline your head up to look at him. He had once again averted his gaze, but he stood his ground.

“It’s not- I don’t- You won’t-“ He sighed in defeat. “Today’s the anniversary of their death. I haven’t slept in days. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I just, I don’t know how to fix this aching hole in my heart. I miss them so much.”

His eyes flickered back to yours, and you could see tears welling up and threatening to spill over. His lower lip was trembling, and he had subconsciously crossed his arms across his chest, protectively. Your heart clenched at the sight of him looking so vulnerable and broken.

Bringing your left arm up, you inched closer to him. He flinched slightly, but at the exact moment the tears started flowing, his eyes fluttered shut. You gently cupped his cheek and swiped your thumb across it, wiping away his tears. With your free right hand, you placed it on his wrist and slowly pried his arms away from across his chest. You stopped yourself for a moment then, unsure, but you tiptoed, reaching up to plant a soft kiss on his right cheek. As the tears continued flowing, you snaked your arms around his waist and held him tightly while his chest heaved with silent sobs.

The two of you stayed like this for a while, your own tears staining his dark grey jumper. Eventually, his breathing slowed down, and you felt his arms come up around you, one around your shoulders and the other on the back of your head, tangling his fingers in your hair. He buried his face into your silvery-blond locks, whispering a “Thank you” so quiet you would have missed it if all your senses weren’t already on high alert from your closeness. You looked up with a watery smile and used the back of your sleeve to wipe away your own tears.

Taking a step back, you turned around and moved to the spot where your blanket was lying in the grass, forgotten. You sat under the tree which always provided you a shelter and sense of comfort on your darkest nights, and leaned back against its bark, shutting your eyes. Moments later, you heard the soft crunch of leaves and felt the warmth radiating from Talbott’s frame as he sat beside you.

��... May I?” Opening your eyes curiously, you glanced at him, and he nodded his head towards the blanket on your lap. You smiled wearily and brought it around both your shoulders, embracing the two of you in its warmth. He shifted a little to bring himself lower and, without glancing at you, laid his head on your shoulder. Your heart skipped a beat when you felt his chocolate brown locks tickling the side of your cheek, and for a few moments you froze up. But slowly, you relaxed, although your heartbeat only sped up. Leaning your head on top of his, the two of you sat in comfortable silence for a long time, both wrapped up in your own thoughts.

~~~~~~

Your brother’s screams were the last thing you heard before you once again startled awake from your nightmare. Your blanket on the floor and the tear stained pillow were an increasingly common sight these days. Heart pounding in your chest, you slipped out of your room with your blanket wrapped around you. You didn’t notice the curious brown eagle perched outside your window, head cocked to the side.

You didn’t know where you were headed; the hot tears were blurring your vision. All you knew was that your feet were carrying you somewhere. Somewhere nobody would notice. It was, after all, 2:48am. Your nightmares tired you out beyond belief these days. You could barely stay awake and focused in class, and you had subconsciously distanced yourself from your friends. While they had noticed, none really asked. You had told them from the start, “I’m okay, just tired from studying for the coming O.W.L.s.” They seemed to buy it. You didn’t notice the frowns Talbott gave you several tables away in the library.

Your hands frantically searching for the stone walls by your side, you found a ledge and leaned your weight against your arms, which were digging into the cold stone in front of you. It hurt, but you didn’t care. You weren’t sure how many more nights you could take before you lost it. I’ll be as mad as they say he was. With that realization dawning on you, you crumpled, clutching your head in your hands.

You suddenly felt a gentle tugging on your blanket, before warm hands enclosed your ice-cold ones. They pulled you into a firm chest, and, just as they once had, held you close. One arm around your shoulders, the other round the back of your head, calmly soothing you.

Over the past few weeks, you and Talbott had hung out more often, usually on nights when both of you found your way to the lake where you first ran into him. Sometimes you would talk, others you would just sit in silence, but always with that blanket wrapped around the two of you. In more recent days, his arm had found its way around your shoulder, especially when you had gotten noticeably quieter and less of your cheery self.

Otherwise, you would be in The Three Broomsticks, huddled in a corner, studying for your O.W.L.s. Talbott was an exceptionally bright student, since he had dreams to be an Auror after graduation. He worked hard too, and on top of that he found the time to guide you along when your grades had worsened, just as your nightmares had. He was overall very sweet and would do things for you that he wouldn’t normally do for just anybody, but he never admitted it out loud. The bond that had blossomed between the two of you was special to you, and you looked forward to seeing him, especially when the days were rough, and the nights rougher.

You shuddered as a fresh wave of tears overcame you. Your hands came up to clutch at his jumper and you buried your face deeper into his chest. “Shhhh, it’s okay... Let it all out,” he whispered into your ear. You cried until you had nothing left to cry, nothing left to feel.

“I’m just so tired, you know? For years I searched for him, not knowing what had happened to him. I thought that maybe he loved me enough, enough to come back someday. I mean, we grew up together. I never knew a life without him, and now he’s gone. Forever. I tried to be strong, to ignore what everyone was saying about me. About him. But there’s only so much one can take, and I realized when even my closest friends couldn’t understand why I felt how I felt, I just.... I have never been more alone. Except with you, of course,” you rambled, your brain struggling to keep up with the tirade of emotions you just let out.

Talbott stayed silent and frozen, still holding you in an embrace. You tilted your chin up to look at him, but he just held a steady gaze with an unreadable expression. Not knowing if you had said something wrong, you tried to salvage it, “Thank you, Talbott, for... You know, being here. I’m sorry if I’m being a burden and pain in the arse, it was just a really rough night for me, and I really appreciated all the times you’ve been around, I know you don’t like to admit that we’re friends but I really consider you as one of my clo-“

Without warning, he crashed his lips on yours, pulling you closer to his body than you thought was even possible. You gasped in shock and he pulled away quickly. “I’m sorry, I- I don’t know what came over me,” Talbott let go of you as though you were on fire. “I’m so so sorry, really. I’ll never-“

You put a finger to his lips to shush him before a small smile broke out on your face. “Do that again.” “What?” “You heard me.” Seeing the uncertainty in his eyes shifting to resolve, he gave you a heart-stopping grin, one that washed away all your fears, and dipped down to kiss you again. Your mind went blank once more, but for quite a different reason. What had been a heavy weight in your chest, lifted and exploded into a mirage of fireworks, unbridled and uncontained.

The two of you kissed gently and sweetly, bathed in the moonlight shining through the corridors of the courtyard, for what seemed like an eternity. He held you like he never held anyone else, and he let you in like he never let anyone else. In all the weeks you’ve known him, you had found solace in him, and you had been vulnerable in front of him. You didn’t know when either of your feelings had grown into something more than just friendship, but you trusted him enough, and he seemed to trust you enough too. In the darkest of times, you had found light in each other, and it was this light which had guided both of you home. Back home, to each other.

“I’m here, and I won’t let you go. We’ll get through this together.”

#harry potter #hogwarts #hogwarts mystery #hphm #hphm mc #hphm talbott #hphm oneshot #talbott winger #talbott x mc #talbott winger oneshot #hphm fanfiction

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blankdblank · 4 years

Text

Only Human Pt 2

@deepestfirefun

Pt 1

Elrond’s brow twitched as he peered across the table at Maglor while Thranduil stated, “You are telling me that you, knowingly, drugged both Turin and Nienor then left them to conceive a child? Even though you knew they were siblings?”

Maglor inhaled then stated, “Nienor married each man in that town, a few women too, and every time they bedded her the town reset!” Making their lips part, “Every time she found happiness with someone other than Turin it reset and Glaurung became ill. Trust me, I tried to let her be happy, but he was too strong. I found one weak spot, one, and I had to see what would happen, and Glaurung missed it, she conceived and then with my protective wish over her child he couldn’t dispose of her or reset the town.”

Thranduil, “She believes her mother abandoned her. Never wanted her.”

Maglor wet his lips, “Yes, I know. However, I went to her, at her birth, and Nienor began to remember, recognized Glaurung, then she was just gone, Turin with her.”

Elrond, “You left her to that Dragon?!”

Maglor’s eyes narrowed at him for a moment, “Not at all. I was her live in tutor. He refused to let her leave the house. I saw she had every comfort available, past a few painful truths about her parents, she may hate me when I tell her,”

Thranduil, “You do mean to tell her?” He challenged, meaning if he didn’t the King would.

Maglor, “I do. That is why I am here. I intended to tell her earlier but my wounds from fighting Glaurung off to give her that escape door was too much for me. Cirdan of the Grey Havens tended to me a great while until I could call for aid from the Eagles, all of whom have been monitoring their path this way and keeping dark creatures off their path.”

Elrond, “Not counting Goblin Town,”

Maglor pointed at him, “She fell unconscious when that Giant fell, Thorondor caught her and laid her safely inside a cave, and those Trolls didn’t dare approach them with the scent of Eagles in the air, but when she left the Dwarves they approached the Company.”

Thranduil, “When will you tell her?”

Maglor, “When she wakes. Which should be soon. Every midnight on the dot.”

He said standing to stroll to your room making the pair ask, “Why?”

Right on time Maglor settled on the chair by your bed only to see your eyes squint open in the familiar cupping and stroking of your hand, his place at your side made you gasp and try to jolt up only to settle back at his hand moving to your shoulder to keep you flat. “You have stitches.”

“Magpie? How are you here? Wait, did that badger come after you too?”

Lowly he chuckled then moved from the chair to your side on the bed wetting his lips to say, “I have answers for all of that, however, I need you to be patient and let me finish my explanation entirely, can you do that for me?” You nodded and he started from the beginning, his real name and his family turning into how he was brought to your world. Each lifetime and all he tried to change things up until his confession of the drugging complete with the photos for proof he wasn’t lying, a fact you now saw clearly for yourself until his admission of being the badger who brought you here and the Eagles who had been watching over you while he healed.

“So,” you wet your lips in his telling silence that he was through making the Elf Lords in the archway behind you shift on their feet wondering at your response, “I was born in a sort of pocket dimension,”

Maglor nodded, “yes,”

“And my Parents are siblings.” He nodded again, “Then I was adopted by a Dragon, who had a baby with a human,” your eyes narrowed in his next nod.

“Correct.”

You nodded and wet your lips, “Ok.”

The group listening in were stunned at your instant acceptance until Maglor questioned, “Ok?”

“Well, I don’t have a hunch, or a club foot, or an overbite or deformed ribs or anything like the nobility frequently resorting to incest, just a one time thing. Plus, if I’m mad then that might explain some of the things happening to me, though the one thing I can’t understand. In all these years, you knew, and you didn’t tell me-,” he nodded and wet his lips, “That you could turn into a badger.” His lips parted and you said, “You could have told me. I’m good with secrets. I wouldn’t have said.”

Making him chuckle in your burst of giggles signaling you were joking, “You are not mad at me?”

You shrugged, “You are the one good person I met back there. You did it to protect me. Even though it’s not optimal to be a child of incest, I trust that you tried everything else.”

Leaning in he kissed your forehead then said, “Back to sleep now.” Making you sigh and close your eyes turning onto your stomach as he pulled the covers higher and stroked your back humming to you until you were sound asleep again.

In the hall again the Lords softly asked, “That was it?!”

Maglor sighed, “Had you known him you would understand it is no stretch for him to be a Dragon in hiding. And anywhere but there is more preferable. Her injuries will keep her here a while, should you allow it.”

Elrond nodded, “Of course. Even longer if she requests. Lady Pear is always welcome here.”

Maglor nodded, “Good, because, if she is holding back her anger it shouldn’t take long for it to show. It always does. Best we face it here inside these safe borders before other dangers can be found to trouble her.”

Morning reared its head and inhaling deeply you rolled over onto your side with a grimace at the painful itch on your ankle and bed. Sitting up you brushed the covers down to glance at your leg finding the dark green bandage where a clean white one was the night before. Pulling it back you saw the stitches down your ankle over a nearly healed scab, even peeking over your shoulder you couldn’t quite see the one on your back. With a sigh you turned to put your feet down only to notice the Healers enter with soft grins seeing you up already, gingerly they removed the stitches and eased their glowing fingers over your cuts healing them completely then they took the chance to coat your bruised cheek in some creams to help its healing along.

On your feet again you gathered a change of clothes along with your hair pin you used to twist your braided hair into a bun and made your way to the public bathhouse. Stripped outside a private tub you eased into the water and began to scoop it up over your skin as you turned to grab your bar of homemade soap you had brought with you. Lathering it between your palms you smoothed the pink and white strawberry scented soap over you masking the scent of the strong herbs. Turning around you reached for the towel you wrapped around you after you had climbed out of the tub.

The sound of passing Dwarves made you look up, and just in time, seeing Thorin step into the opening between the screens around your private tub, his eyes snapped over to you and his lips parted in his stolen once over of you in your towel, “My apologies.” Stepping out again he mumbled, “Morning, Miss Pear.”

With a smirk you turned to grab your panties you followed with a comfy bra black jeans and a loose white silk blouse coated in peach feathers was smoothed across your middle bending down you gathered up your things and strolled back to your room. Removing your hair pin you unwound your braid and fluffed out your curls you began to comb through with a cherry blossom tipped mini comb you set aside in Maglor’s glance into your doorway. “Good, you are awake. Breakfast is ready.” He looked you over asking, “Are you in pain?”

You shook your head, “That mark of yours wouldn’t have affected my healing, would it? My stitches were healed.”

“It is possible. Most likely it was the herbs however.” His hand extended and you walked closer to lay yours in his he then transferred to his forearm, an old habit from your youth to guide you to each meal always seeming a bit old fashioned but now making sense. All the Dwarves after their quick primping joined in your path curious at your escort, and took their own places at the tables offered.

Glancing between you and your new Elf friend Thorin asked, “Did you sleep well Miss Pear?”

You nodded, “Other than my usual midnight jolt and finding out my adopted father was a dragon, same as my brother, and that my parents were related and my private tutor was a transported Prince who could turn into a badger at will. But, bed was lovely.”

Thorin’s eyes narrowed and he leaned in, “Did you say Dragon?”

Kili, “So you can fly?!”

Fili, “Ki, she said adopted father. So she can’t fly.”

Kili, “Her birth parents could have been Dragons too.”

You glanced at the pair then to Balin who asked, “Forgive me, but did you say your parents were related?”

You nodded then glanced to Thorin who asked, “You are certain?”

“You’ve heard of Turin and Nienor?”

His lips parted and Balin stated through the hushed gasps, “You are a child of Hurin.”

You shrugged, “Apparently.” That single look in Thorin’s eyes was as if he had finally fit the final jigsaw piece in his mind. Your golden birthmark was glimpsed by Bilbo in your first month with the company and in sharing the familiar marker the Dwarves had put it off that you had simply used the marker as some tribute to another tale from their world you admired. Now it made sense, your history and why you were sent here.

Any sense of worry on your hatred was lost as in their private offers of treasures they had found to you to build a friendship on and a single tap on Thorin’s shoulder came after an explanation of the rules of tag followed by a challenge of their claim that Dwarves were natural sprinters. Whipping through the city and gardens your speed was poorly matched by the Dwarves, including Thorin, who tried to claim as many chances to chase after you as possible in a try to show you just how fast he could go.

From Rivendell out to Erebor with the watch of the Elves from the edge of the forest up the stairs you passed into the Mountain alongside Bilbo. Miles away down in a cell the screaming Dwarf King sat, a plan you formed with the main task of getting Thranduil to agree to lock Thorin up after he began to takes swipes at shadows and those adoring gazes he would send your way darkening to scowls in his accusations you were only out for his gold. An accidental bump into a pile of gold that fell over noisily had you nudging Bilbo behind a pillar in Smaug’s rise up on his back haunches snarling with his golden eyes focused on you as he snarled, “There you are thief!”

With a smirk you replied as you smoothed your finger around the rim of the ring you had pulled out of your necklace earlier, “Why would I need your treasure when I have a much greater one at my disposal.”

His lip curled up in a low growl and he glared at you, “You will give me this treasure in return for your life!”

You shook your head with a weak giggle, “You misunderstand me, what I hold is a bartering chip to get the treasure.” His eyes narrowed again and you said as you flipped the ring upwards with your thumb drawing his eyes to the ring soon wrapped in your palm again, “I know a Maiar in Mordor willing to pay twice your weight in gold for this.”

His eyes narrowed again at your backwards step as you said, “But you’ll never get it from me you old slug!”

Turning around you bolted through Erebor drawing a deafening roar from Smaug in his race after you dropping Bilbo’s jaw in chasing after you both in a safe distance only to see Smaug had cut you off with the front gates open behind him. Right into his clutches you stumbled and in a rapid turn his hand clutched you tightly and he raced through the front gate and unfurled his wings in an earth trembling trot in his harsh flaps of his wings in trying to remember just how to fly sending golden coins trapped between his scales into the air. Off into the distance he soared dropping the jaw of all those watching. It didn’t take long for all their hearts to sink in knowing you had been taken, and without pause Maglor was atop Thorondor’s back soaring off to Mordor behind you to try and help you.

…

Over the gates of Mordor Smaug let out a roar and walls of flames down upon the spear firing up at him, around the burning eye he thundered, “I found your ring! Come out and barter a trade!”

Heavily you were tossed into a tall tower bound in chains while shouts erupted outside in Smaug’s anger at a pitiful offering against this ring he claimed you had. Wiggling free of the chains you had tensed as best you could in their being applied a free hand helped to loosen your feet and the chain you used to secure a line to climb down after covering up in some armor you had found against the wall. Under the cover of nightfall sending off random stones into the distance spurred up ample fights to free up a path straight for the burning mountain after coating yourself with mud along the way to blend in even more. Halfway up the mountain you groaned collapsing to your stomach to hide from the gaze of the rotating eye.

Reaching up you gripped the helmet on your head you pulled off and climbed to your knees panting from the growing heat. Gripping the chest plate you pulled up over your head to drop heavily onto the dirt beside you at your left foot planting in the dirt. Harshly you forced yourself up and started to run again hearing a distant crying Eagle swooping down at the sight of you. Heavily Maglor’s boots hit the dirt and right behind you he raced taking hold of your waist to keep you upright whenever you stumbled.

One giant explosion later and Thorondor went spiraling into the air at the shockwave taking Smaug and the Nazgul down into the chasm Mordor was collapsing into. Straight through the borders of Fangorn you were thrown and managed to hit countless branches until you fell heavily into the ground next to a small creek you couldn’t see but hear in the world growing dark around you.

Under the shifting flickers of sunlight your eyes opened, and you felt heavier and bent awkwardly. Groggily you somehow managed to raise your head only to have your eyes drop to spot the long muzzle at the end of it. A scream from you came out as a shrill whinny making you freeze all together, turning your head to look at your body on its side your heart was pounding and your eyes shot wide open seeing four hoof ended legs making you whinny again, “I’m a horse! A fucking horse!!”

On your left a familiar badger came into view dragging a large leaf made bag filled with apples he let go of saying, “Calm down, Silverstar. We’ll be alright.”

In a roll onto your stomach you grunted in settling your back hooves and propped your butt up in the air, “Alright?! I’m a horse! I don’t know anything about horses! I couldn’t even get a goat to tolerate me! What do horses even eat?!” Awkwardly you propped your front hooves up to shakily stand, “I could barely manage to meet my daily intake on two legs, now I weigh, what?” you turned in a circle looking your grey and black body with white star shaped speckles all over with a long silver and black mane matching your tail. “Tons?! Do I weigh tons?!”

Maglor couldn’t help but smirk as he said, “First, start with an apple. Eru has a plan. We bide our time until it is revealed to us.”

You sighed dejectedly then moved to peer into the creek seeing your reflection making your eyes drop to the odd glimmer on the shiny silver gem shaped patch of fur on your chest, turning from it you lowered your head to sniff the apples grumbling, “Why couldn’t I be something cuddly like a bunny or a squirrel?” Maglor chuckled and you looked at him saying, “You’re just laughing cuz you have tiny toes like fingers.”

Maglor, “We will get through this. I promise you.”

…

***

Broken hearted, again the Dwarf King sat at a state dinner with his hand wrapped around a tankard of ale. Lost in some repetition of a tale of his lost love stabbing the loss of the woman none of his returned kin had met deeper into their chests. This one the worst, his being woken from his sickness inside the Elf King’s cell hearing that you were gone without a trace. Mordor had fell and with a badly sprained wing even Thorondor himself walked the whole of Fangorn alongside Radagast and the Ents without any sight of you or Maglor. Saruman himself joined the searches and even two years in the aftermath when Thorin and Dain would send scouting parties through the distant forest and lands surrounding for any word of you. Gondor and Rohan were both sent your portraits, yet none had seen either of you.

Day by day his mood would darken and yet harshly he would focus on the betterment of his people. Remembering himself only enough to remain alive and healthy in hopes for when you had returned. The North however came with a threat of its own when Smaug had fallen. The Drenn, a race of Men mingled with Dwarves intent on taking over their lands after having supposedly taken control over their lost homeland in the North that when orcs began to flood there it sent Thror down to carve Erebor from its former shape to their new home.

The Elves could not speak any reason into them and with their King only having a daughter to follow him onto his throne a deal was struck, Thorin would wed the Princess, even after a year and a half of trying to get them to accept Fili’s offer in his place to keep him available for you. No matter what they did not care about some wandering woman the King was fond of and demanded respect for their future Queen, who seemed just as eager to bed the Dwarf as he was of the wispy pale four foot tall woman with lackluster mucky brown hair and goatee Thorin dreaded braiding at the official courting festival in a week.

A gift was required and while he sat in his heartbroken ale flooded pity party Thorin’s orders had been carried out perfectly. His intended stated she likes horses and Men traveling from Rohan along with their King had told of a rare dappled horse none could capture or approach now having foaled a pure white filly. That was his gift, the impossible, he would get her the horse and never mention the thought of his hope that it would throw her off and send her running back home for good. Three months was all he had, and he would use it to his advantage sending another wave of Ravens to scour the forest once again for you hoping you could be found.

***

Two years you had tolerated your new form, with Maglor to help you through that rough first year Fangorn became your new home and sanctuary from the Horse Lords constantly sending their bravest in hopes of snatching you away. Felienne, a tiny white filly was discovered by you after her mother had been eaten by a Troll and unable to leave her alone you added her into your little circle of protection and hoped to keep her healthy by sharing what little you could find.

You would never regret taking her in, after saying that, you did have to admit she slowed your escapes down quite a bit, the reason of how you three found yourselves in a rolling wagon grumbling about being taken from your home. Heavily again you sighed and laid out on your side, “I hate this! Again, I should have been turned into a bunny!”

Maglor shifted to lay against your neck, “Bunnies rarely last that long in the wild, owls love Fangorn as do eagles, both of whom eat bunnies.”

“Fine, a porcupine then. I would have been a cute porcupine.”

Making him chuckle again, “That you would.” His gaze shifted to Felienne asleep in a ball up against your belly as you stared up at the sky feeling yourself drift off to sleep again under the warm sun.

It was then you heard a painful truth, you were a gift, for none other than the new Queen of Erebor. Tears clouded your eyes that closed lazily as you mentally berated yourself yet again. Of course he moved on. Why the hell would he wait around for someone like me? Barely knew me at all. He needs a Queen, not some useless basket case like myself.

Still you could hear those same purred sentiments from the final night in Rivendell under the stars, a warm caress of your cheek, the only kiss you ever shared, chaste and restrained with a promise to court once Erebor was reclaimed. Surely it was a lie. Something to keep him distracted until he found someone worth his time. You were just a young gullible woman too naïve to know better. He lied, and you were too stupid to realize it.

Warmly a tear rolled down your muzzle and again you repeated, So stupid. How could I have been so stupid? He must have laughed about it. All of them. I thought we could be friends. But I’m just a joke. Now I’m his property, to be ridden by her. I hate this. I hate him. I will never forgive him for this.

Once again you stared up at the Lonely Mountain and rolled onto your belly as you were led in through the front gates and down into smaller the farming peak where the stables were kept. Right up to an enclosure you were backed up and the wagon was opened, trembling by your side Felienne stood and followed you down the ramp into the grass. Huffing in irritation you strolled a distance from the wagon to give the skittish men space to close the wagon while Maglor eyed the Dwarves around your enclosure peering in at you curiously. Distantly you heard Ori first, “Did you hear she’s a foal with her? I’ve never seen one up close. Do you think she’ll let us sketch them?”

Dwalin, “I doubt that badger will let them do anything. Rather protective of them. How they managed them in the wagon at all is news to me.”

Bofur, “I am certain if you mind your space she won’t harm ya.”

At the fence however they joined the side of Turo, another Dwarf usually heading the care of their herds who said, “I don’t believe that is her foal.”

The trio looked him over and Ori asked, “How can you tell?”

Turo, “She doesn’t look like she’s nursed, or given birth for that matter. Bit too lean for that even at her build.”

Dwalin, “Where’s the foal from then?”

Turo shrugged, “Might be a sister? A stray foal she found that she let tag along. I mean she’s got that badger with her too, pretty odd mare already.” He paused for a moment, “Is the King coming?”

Dwalin chortled, “Course he is. Has to inspect his courting gift.”

Turo, “No doubt he’ll be in full drowning mood tonight then. Eh?”

Bofur, “No doubt.”

Through the hall a voice was heard and Turo stiffened as you did and your ear swiveled to listen in. Lowly Thorin spoke to Balin, “Shouldn’t take long, just a glance, not like I’ll be the one breaking it in anyways.”

Balin, “All the same it will take more than a passing glance.”

Thorin huffed and drew closer not noticing the stamping of your hoof making Maglor mutter, “Silverstar,”

Huffing you shook your head making Turo glance between you and the crowd trying to see what was upsetting you only to turn fully to bow his head to Thorin, who nodded in return. Intently you listened feeling the muscles in your side and neck twitching as your anger continued building.

On the edge of the pasture Thorin stood, clad in regal blues with silver belt and armored shirt, one in a style of the one you used to trace the ridges on through the end of the journey. That one he kept in his apartment so none could touch it ruining his imagined dips and lines your fingertips had smoothed into the already worn edges. His beard now much longer, just as you had imagined, to his chest nearly in his old braided style of youth, just as he’d promised, when he was home again to regrow it to prove his boasting of being from the fabled Longbeard clan. His hair pulled back in half braid with the rest secured in your hair tie at the base of his neck. He couldn’t help but remember your helping him try the look before venturing into Stone Giant territory after he nearly stepped off the cliff at his hair whipping into his face, he grit his teeth through your adding it but with his badly bruised elbow he couldn’t lift above his shoulder.

A single glance your way was all he gave you and he grumbled, “Jaqi would have loved that foal.”

That was all it took to snap your resolve, a loud huff from you came in your sharp turn to charge at the fence where Thorin was in his turn to walk away. The charge making Turo grip a handful of his robe triggering Thorin turn in a fierce glare that dropped when he followed the terrified gaze of the others around him in their turns to flee. Sharply you turned and up on your front hooves to slam your back ones into the fence sending a chunck into the King’s and Dwalin’s side knocking them to the ground. With all four hooves on the ground you turned straddling his legs leaving him wide eyed in your shout, “Don’t you ever say my name again! Mine forever, my giant ass!” All they heard were your loud brays and the following huff as you turned around in another rear back swatting the King in his shoulder and cheek with the end of your tail.

Snorting angrily you returned to the filly and Maglor, who was rubbing his forehead with his front paws, mumbling to himself, “They cannot understand you, Silverstar.”

“I know!” Huffing again you simply turned so all he could see was your butt as you grumbled, “Felt good though.” Making Maglor shake his head in his try not to chuckle while seeing the Dwarves stand again staring at you.

Balin, “Certainly some fire in her.”

Dwalin, “Surely take some time to tame her.”

Turo shook his head, “No, she’s been docile, till you got here, Your Majesty.”

Thorin smoothed his hands over his shirt while Bofur did the same over his back, asking, “Did you see those eyes. What color were her eyes?”

Bofur, “All I saw was silver.”

Balin, “Hard to see much else under that fence.” He looked to Turo, “She won’t be harmed on the fence, will she?”

Turo shook her head, “She’s shunning us now, should give us ample time to mend it before she’ll come close again.”

Thorin nodded, “Just keep them healthy, bound to calm down after a few meals and shelter from rain.” Turning back to head up to his next errand thinking to himself, Could have sworn her eyes were purple. Shaking his head, Couldn’t be.

Ori remained behind timidly strolling around the enclosure with sketchbook in his palms watching as your head stroked against Felienne’s in her playful bump into your side before her trotting circle around you. Watching carefully the Dwarves timidly roping off the hole you made until supplies another group was fetching returned all watched your sudden lowering in a taunting near crouch before you joined her in her circling game around the enclosure. In her curious inspection of the water being poured into the barrel inside the fence you halted then turned to look at Ori, who was sketching you with a sigh at seeing his timid flinch in catching your eye, hating that you had scared him.

Turning yourself you joined her in inspecting the water barrel making the Dwarves at the opening swallow in seeing your approach. Straight to the water you led her and drank too, even helped Maglor up for a drink on your neck then led the others back to the center again. Milling around in the center you watched Ori and the crowd, most of whom turned to leave giving you some much needed space. Steadily you moved closer to Ori bringing Felienne with you until you were a few feet away when Nori came calling for his brother for supper. At his quick wave and weak grin your head bobbed deepening his grin before his hurried trot to Nori boasting about all his new sketches.

Day to day the Company and countless others came to visit trying to see the angry yet docile mare in their midst. Each of them between the visits of Duna, the Princess betrothed to Thorin, to whom you were just as happy to show nothing but your butt to refusing to even look her way with Felienne following suit. The sheer stubbornness of you in so much as acknowledging the supposed future Queen lightened the mood around you, especially after Thorin was simply shunned and not attacked again in his next few visits to try and get another glimpse at your eyes, which you were having nothing of giving him ample chances to memorize your backside instead.

But he never gave up hope and often instead of meeting Duna for tea spent that hour circling the enclosure softly pleading with you to look at him inching him continually closer to tears each day feeling the same stab of losing his love all over again at not being able to confirm he wasn’t losing his mind again.

It kept hitting him, his final words to you, calling you a liar, shouting that you were only after his gold to the point you shoving the necklace he had gifted to you from the Troll hoard back into his robe pocket before he was bound and taken to his cell kicking and screaming. All you had left of him was poisoned, it was no wonder you wouldn’t return to him when for most of the time you knew him he had been so callous and harsh to you. No doubt if you were anywhere the Elves were probably hiding you from him, all the more reason for him to remain friendly with them hoping that he might catch word of you somehow. For now however he formed a plan, when he couldn’t be here he had Fili or Kili up here to learn just what color your eyes really were.

#Thorin x Reader OC #Hobbit #lotr

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angellazull · 4 years

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O Gato e o Falcão

Parte 1 🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷

Depois de ter feito amizade com o famoso garoto Ollie Potter e ter compartilhado seu maior segredo, ele se sentia mais sociável com seus colegas de casa, mesmo que não conseguisse ser muito sociável e não se sentia a vontade de falar sobre seus segredo.

Em uma tarde de sexta-feira, após o período de aulas, Angelo seguiu para a biblioteca, geralmente ele gostava de fazer suas lições no salão comunal da Corvinal, porém, ele podia apostar que o exemplar de Arte das Trevas, Um guia de Auto Defesa, estava sendo disputado pelos seus colegas corvinos.

Ele estava tão distraído olhando os títulos dos livros a procura do livro certo, assim que o achou, estendeu a mão para pegá-lo, porém, nesse exato momento, outra mão o pegou também, seus olhos tão azuis quanto duas safiras cruzaram com os olhos dourados de uma garota de pele branca e cabelos brancos platinados, sua capa e gravata, ostentava as cores verde e prata da casa da Sonserina, e o brasão com a serpente prateada estava bem visível sobre o peito. Ela olhava para Angelo com um olhar surpreso, pelo visto ela estava igualmente distraída, ele já tinha visto algumas vezes com Ollie, mas nunca teve coragem suficiente para se apresentar, ou se apresentar para qualquer outro amigo de Ollie, porém, agora eles estavam frente a frente olhando um para o outro, alguém tinha que dizer alguma coisa.

– Bem... você quer o livro. – Angelo soltou o livro, mas ela apenas desviou o olhar. – Pode ficar... acho que a madame Pince tem outro exemplar...

A garota se virou com o livro e foi se sentar em uma mesa. Depois que pegou outro exemplar com madame Pince, ele se sentou em uma mesa para fazer o dever. De vez em quando Angelo levantava os olhos para ver a garota da Sonserina, mas seus olhos estavam focados no livro.

Quem era essa garota?

Na tarde de sábado, Angelo estava dando seu passeio corriqueiro pelo pátio em sua forma animaga, o gato preto com uma mexa de pelo azul em sua cabeça, se aproximou da pereira do pátio, saltando sobre o galho em que os alunos costumam se sentar, o garoto se deitou na sombra da árvore, porém seu descanso durou pouco. Ele ouviu passos vindo em sua direção, levantando a cabeça, ele viu a garota misteriosa da Sonserina vir em sua direção, ele miou para a garota, que levantou os olhos para ele.

– Parece que já tomaram meu lugar. – Ela disse passando a mão pelas orelhas de Angelo. – É muito difícil encontrar esse lugar vazio.

De fato o pátio estava vazio e silencioso, já que era o final de semana de visita para Hogsmeade, e os alunos que não eram autorizados estavam nos terrenos da escola.

Angelo estava se sentindo um pouco desconfortável por estar se passando por um animal para aquela garota, ele queria contar, mas não podia negar que os afagos em suas orelhas estavam muito bons. Contudo um grasnar ecoou pelo pátio e um corvo branco desceu e pousou ao lado do gato preto, o pássaro de olhos verdes como duas esmeraldas brilhantes olharam do felino para a garota e grasnou mais uma vez.

– Oi Ollie.

Com isso o corvo se transformou no amigo de Angelo, Ollie Potter, seu cabelo branco platinado estavam eriçados como sempre, usando roupas casuais, uma camiseta verde com a estampa da serpente da Sonserina e o colar com uma pena de águia de Talbott.

– O que você está fazendo Cath?

– Não é fácil encontrar esse lugar vazio, queria aproveitar um pouco.

– Parece que não está totalmente vazio. – Ollie olhou para Angelo que pulou para o colo do amigo. – Oi Angel.

– Ele é de algum do seus amigos?

– É... – Ollie olhou para Angelo que retribuiu com um olhar sério. Ollie sabia muito bem que Angel não gostava de ter seus segredos revelados, já que ele disse que era um animago não registrado. – Mais ou menos isso.

Angel se sentiu muito grato por Ollie não ter revelado que aquela era a sua forma animaga, para a garota que ele chamou de Cath. A garota se sentou do lado de Ollie no galho e perguntou:

– Você não foi a Hogsmeade com o Talbott?

– Fomos, mas ele teve que voltar, tinha a reunião do clube de transfiguração hoje.

Foi quando Angelo percebeu que tinha se esquecido totalmente da reunião do clube de transfiguração e com certeza ele deveria estar atrasado agora, saltando do colo de Ollie, ele correu para dentro do castelo. Com Ollie ali, talvez essa fosse a melhor ocasião para descobrir quem era a garota, porém, a professora McGonagall iria expulsá-lo do clube de transfiguração se ele chegasse atrasado mais uma vez, ele já tinha se atrasado muitas vez por tentar esconder suas transformações de Veela.

-------O--------O--------O---------O--------

The Cat and the Hawk

Part 1 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

Having befriended the famous boy Ollie Potter and shared his biggest secret, he felt more sociable with his housemates, even though he couldn't be very sociable and didn't feel like talking about his secrets.

One Friday afternoon, after school, Angelo headed to the library, usually he enjoyed doing his lessons in the Ravenclaw common room, but he could bet that the copy of Dark Art, A Guide to Self Defense, was being disputed by his fellow Ravenclaws.

He was so distracted looking at the book titles looking for the right book, so once he found it, he reached for it, but just then another hand caught him too, his eyes as blue as two sapphires met his. golden eyes of a white-skinned girl with platinum white hair, her cloak and tie, sported the green and silver colors of the Slytherin house, and the silver serpent coat of arms was clearly visible on her chest. She was looking at Angelo with a surprised look, apparently she was equally distracted, he had seen a few times with Ollie, but never had the courage to introduce himself or any other friend of Ollie, but now they were ahead Looking ahead at each other, someone had to say something.

"Well ... you want the book." Angelo dropped the book, but she just looked away. "Stay ... I think Madame Pince has another copy ..."

The girl turned with the book and went to sit at a table. After picking up another copy with Madame Pince, he sat at a table to do his homework. From time to time Angelo looked up to see the Slytherin girl, but his eyes were focused on the book.

Who was this girl?

On Saturday afternoon, Angelo was taking his usual stroll across the courtyard in his animagic form, the black cat with a patch of blue fur on his head approached the courtyard pear, leaping over the branch where the students usually sit, The boy lay in the shade of the tree, but his rest was short lived. He heard footsteps coming toward him, lifting his head, he saw the mysterious Slytherin girl coming toward him, he meowed at the girl, who looked up at him.

"Looks like they've taken my place." She said running her hand over Angelo's ears. "It's very hard to find this empty place."

In fact the courtyard was empty and quiet, as it was the weekend of visiting for Hogsmeade, and the unauthorized students were on the school grounds.

Angelo was feeling a little uneasy about posing as an animal to this girl, he wanted to tell, but couldn't deny that the cuddles in his ears were very good. However a croaking echoed through the courtyard and a white crow descended and landed beside the black cat, the green-eyed bird like two bright emeralds looked from the cat to the girl and croaked once more.

"Hi Ollie."

As a result, the crow became Angelo's friend Ollie Potter, his platinum white hair bristled as usual, wearing casual clothes, a green Slytherin snake-print T-shirt, and Talbott's eagle feather necklace.

"What are you doing Cath?"

"It's not easy to find this empty place, I wanted to enjoy it a little."

"It looks like it's not totally empty." Ollie looked at Angelo who jumped into his friend's lap. "Hi Angel."

"Is he from any of your friends?"

"Yeah ..." Ollie looked at Angelo who returned with a serious look. Ollie knew very well that Angel didn't like having his secrets revealed, as he said he was an unregistered animagus. "More or less that."

Angel was very grateful that Ollie had not revealed that this was his animagic form to the girl he called Cath. The girl sat next to Ollie on the branch and asked:

"Didn't you go to Hogsmeade with Talbott?"

"We went, but he had to go back, had the transfiguration club meeting today."

It was when Angelo realized that he had completely forgotten about the transfiguration club meeting and surely he should be late now, jumping from Ollie's lap, he ran into the castle. With Ollie there, maybe this was the best time to find out who the girl was, but Professor McGonagall would kick him out of the transfiguration club if he was late again, he'd been late many times trying to hide his veela transformations.

-------O--------O--------O---------O--------

🇧🇷 – Oi pessoal, aqui temos a primeira parte da pequena história de como Angelo conheceu Catherine Stark, ainda hoje sai a parte 2.

(Só lembrando que essa história é uma fanfic, e não altera o universo dos personagens originais da Catherine ou do Ollie.)

Catherine Stark – @catherinestark-hphm

Ollie Potter – @ryollie

🇬🇧 – Hi guys, here is the first part of the little story of how Angelo met Catherine Stark, part 2 still comes out today.

(Just remembering this story is a fanfic, and it doesn't alter the universe of Catherine or Ollie's original characters.)

Catherine Stark - @catherinestark-hphm

Ollie Potter - @ryollie

#hogwarts mystery #angelo lancaster #catherine stark #ravenclaw #slytherin #new friends

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asteraegis · 4 years

Text

PART 2 to that evandra smut i wrote idk how long ago haha

part one here (this is my deviant art link, you will need an account i know and i am sorry). Tags are: YEARNING FUCKING BIG TIME, told from Kassandra’s POV (first was from Evie’s), Kingdom AU (not modern day, not a game setting, just wanted Evie to be a princess I have no justification), cunnilingus, fingering, lmao accepting yourself. idk i tried to write something tender then just said fuck it kass eat out evie. 3190 words. if you wanna skip the yearning the pussy stuff is toward the end.

I breathed in slowly, my nervous gaze crawling up the castle's walls. My eagle companion, Ikaros, chirped at me, taking my racing thoughts back into reality.

"You're right, Ikaros. I won't know unless I speak to her," I sighed, peeking around the dark courtyard. Luckily the window was at a point invisible by guards. "Hopefully she is alone."

Ikaros chirped again then flew off to circle above the palace. I shook out my arms and cracked my neck. Here goes nothing.

Clutching each ivy coated stone carefully in my gloved hands, I was silent in my journey up to her window, aside from my anxious heartbeat. I couldn't stop thinking about her. Her name rang through my mind every second of every day since we met: Evie. Oh, how the name felt on my lips when I would whisper it alone, her voice still echoing in my ears like an angel's hymn. How her freckled skin felt in my fingers' grasp, how she tasted on my tongue...

I shook my head rapidly. Not now, Kassandra, I thought to myself. I had to get a hold of myself. We had only spent one evening together, there's no reason to be this desperate with a woman you barely know. What an evening that had been, holding her so close to me. I felt my cheeks warm and flush red. She really had infected my being.

As I climbed upwards, I noticed her window had a slight glow behind the stained glass. A light must be on. With luck that just means she's awake. My fingers grasped the windowsill but I couldn't seem to convince my body to move further. What if she's with her fiancé? What if she becomes angered with me for coming here? I hadn't been invited; she has the justified right to feel so. My heart sank picturing her scold me for my arrival this late. She'll definitely be mad. As I went to retreat back to the woodlands, a voice in my head seemed to whisper: You don't know that. I stared at the ground, a long way away from me here. That was true, Evie could be angry with me, but it was just as probable as she could be glad, dare I say it overjoyed. But still...

I looked up at the stars, Ikaros' shadow gliding under them and swallowed my fear. There was only one way to know her feelings for certain. I pulled myself up, resting a knee on the ledge, leaning my face toward the glass and peering through.

My heart fluttered at the sight of Evie's bedroom. She had a large bed, much bigger than my own, adorned with burgundy silk sheets and satin pillows, both decorated by intricate golden vines. And the sparkling scarlet cloth draped over her bed, I was at a loss for words. A black fur rug stretched out from under her bedframe, leading my eyes to her desk. Despite having multiple bookcases with a few empty spots, she still had journals upon novels upon papers stacked surprisingly neatly on the desk, her chair pushed in and an ink well resting next to a lovely vase of stargazers. My heart almost leapt from my chest when I saw Ikaros' feather among the flowers, she must have noticed the tokens I slipped in her purse. My eyes darted about to find her, looking over an elegant partition with floral patterning engraved into the ebony wood, a daunting-sized tapestry of rough seas hanging behind it, and a wide wardrobe, presumably where her dresses are hung out of sight. My wandering gaze halted the moment I saw her, standing aside a lit fireplace.

Evie was rubbing a towel over her body; she must have just finished her bath. I gasped as she tossed the cloth over the partition. She was naked and although I had seen her like this before my heart still began beating faster and my face got hot like it was the first time. She moved to her wardrobe, taking a sheer silver gown out and sliding into it. From where she stood as she closed the wardrobe the fire's flickering light outlined her silhouette through the fabric. I felt lightheaded as she began brushing her hair, dazed from seeing her again. My chest ached. Oh, how I wanted to feel her against me again and have her scent on my skin once more. I leaned in closer to the window, my forehead against the glass now. I had to speak to her before I drove myself mad.

I took a deep breath and moved away from the opening so she wouldn't think I had been watching her. I knocked on the glass gently, waiting eagerly for her to open the window, my heart in my throat and my ears pounding. I saw a faint movement inside as Evie walked over to investigate the sound. She opened the window at first just to peek out, then her azure eyes got wide as her jaw dropped, swinging it open all the way now.

"Kassandra? Kassandra!" she gasped. "What—what are you doing here?"

I smiled at her, slightly worried my arrival scared her a bit. "I came to see you, my princess. Might I come in?"

She blinked for a moment, looking over her chamber. "Uh, um, yes! Yes! Of course! Come in!"

I thanked her then crawled through, taking my gloves off so not to dirty her hands as I took them in mine, lowering myself a little so I wouldn't intimidate her. "I apologize for my sudden appearance, milady Evie, but I simply could not get you out of my mind for the weeks we had been apart. I missed you dearly, despite my wishes not to mettle with your love life. I wish there to be no conflict between you and your true lover, I just must know one thing before I go."

"H-hold on, Kassandra, please, sit with me. I have some tea still in the pot, I can heat it for you while we talk," she said, pulling her hands away and rushing to lock her door.

I watched her take the kettle to the fireplace, her silhouette illuminating once again in the light. I shook my head. By the gods, I need to snap out of it.

I moved to her side, placing my left hand on her shoulder and with the right taking the kettle. "Please, dearest, allow me to heat the tea, you needn't fret to give me your hospitality."

Evie nodded, looking up at me. "Um, yes, if you're okay with doing it yourself."

She sat in her chair, braiding her hair back in a tight bun, loose strands framing her face. I couldn't shake the smile from my face as I poured the tea for her and I. My thoughts and heart were racing to quickly to control my expressions. We sipped in relative silence, low crackling from the flames being the only noise between us.

Evie set her cup down on her saucer. "Now then. You were saying, Kassandra?"

I placed my cup down as well. "Yes, uh, Evie. I must know if..." The words faded off my lips as she watched my eyes. I was freezing up, the fear of her answer holding my tongue.

"Yes?" she pressed on.

"I need to..." I was so tense. Why was this so difficult? I've faced loads of foes in battle and reigned victorious each time, why was I so frightened to speak to a kindhearted princess whom I had made love to before?

Evie touched my knee, her soft fingers caressing me. "Kassandra..."

I blinked away tears I felt swelling from her touch. "I... I must know if you feel it too," my voice cracked and I felt a tear slip out and cascade down my cheek. "If you think of me as much as I think of you. If you feel the tight ball in your throat when you do, like I do. If your fingertips ache when you catch a hint of my scent as you go about your life as I do whenever I smell rosemary. If you sometimes long for the day we met to happen again and again and again like me. If your dreams are clouded by my image as mine are of yours. My dearest Evie," I gave up controlling my eyes and began crying softly. "I must know if you yearn for my love as I yearn for yours."

Through blurred eyes I watched her face turn pink. I think I saw the corners of her mouth turn upwards, but I also think she had begun crying as well. Her hand moved from my knee to my cheek and wiped a tear.

I pressed my face closer to her palm, closing my eyes. "Evie, I'm sorry, I—"

I flicked my eyes open, shocked by the sudden pressure against my lips. She had kissed me, pulling me nearer as her other hand also rested on my cheek. She held my head in her grasp, her fingers entwining themselves in my hair. My body was frozen, eyes wide. I didn't understand how what was happening was happening. Evie pulled away then wrapped her arms around my neck in a tight embrace, sobbing into my shoulder.

I hesitantly hugged her back, unsure what her reply meant. "Evie...?"

"Kassandra, I'm sorry. I'm such a harlot, I love my fiancé but yes, I do think of you constantly, even when he's beside me. I don't know what to do about it," she cried, tugging on my shirt's collar. "I—I know he's understanding and I'm sure wouldn't be angry if he found out about us, but I'm afraid his heart would break and I can't bare that. Kassandra, please know that while I am also in love with you, I'm afraid of what will become of my marriage."

I caressed her heaving back, nuzzling my head against hers. "Shh, shh, dearest. I understand your worries, but if you truly believe your betrothed would be understanding, you must also be able to see that he may not mind as much as you think he would. He quite possibly misses you dearly when he's away and wants the best for you, and if what's best for you is what your heart wants, then follow it," I pulled her away to look her in the eyes. "You are not in the wrong, my sweet, for you see more than just your own emotions in this affair. You're quite considerate in putting the feelings of those you love afore yourself. And you are not a harlot, many rulers have come and gone with more than one lover at a time, even the queen from my kingdom has her own harem of women, whom all are treated fairly and justly by her and her subjects. What matters is not the question of your polyamory being disgraceful for no such question belongs. What matters is you show respect and equal love to your partners, and they return it to you."

Her eyelashes fluttered as I wiped her tears off her cheeks with my thumbs. Her breathing seemed to be calming down, her hand moving to hold my arm. "You... you think so, Kassandra?"

I smiled at her, standing with her and pulling her head to my chest. "I know so, my dearest Evie. You are a good woman; good things shall come to you when you speak your truth."

She sniffed quietly. "Thank you, Kassandra..."

"Anytime, my love."

We stood like that for a while, clutching each other like we had become one. Evie was strong for being so vulnerable with me. I'm sure from how she sobbed this isn't how she typically sorts out her problems, likely keeping to herself and bottling things up alone. I stroked the back of her neck. Poor girl.

When we parted, Evie laid her hands on my shoulders and giggled, her tear-streaked cheeks blushing. "Would you mind staying longer, my warrior? I don't want to be left alone quite yet."

I'm sure she saw my eyes brighten but I didn't care to show her I was delighted. "Of course not, Evie, I'll be with you as long as you need and out the window once you've had your fill of my company."

She tittered, leaning into my chest to hide her face. I felt her smile against me as I adjusted my arms to pick her up by her thighs. I carried her across the room with her chin resting on my shoulder, both of us laughing as I backed onto her bed. I tilted my head in front of hers and kissed her neck up her jaw to her lips where she eagerly kissed me back. We both were grinning messes when our lips parted, but it seemed the princess was just getting started. Evie pushed me by my shoulders down onto her bed, holding my wrists down. She was much stronger than her size would have me assume, though if I wanted to, I could shove her off. But why would I want to do that?

Evie pressed herself into me as we made out again. Her kisses caused my stomach to stir, I could hardly believe how lucky I was under her. She moved a hand from my wrist to stroke my hair, playing with my braid as my free hand slid up and down her back over her soft gown. Evie laid herself on top of me, straddling my waist still between her thighs as she rested her head beside mine, facing me. I turned to look at her, a goofy smile spread on both of our faces. Her freckles dotting her pale skin reminded me of the night sky's thousands of stars. She was a galaxy against me and I were just an astronomer studying her magnificence with wonder. Oh, how I loved her.

I moved my hand to stroke her cheek. "By the gods above, how I wish we could lay here forever, Evie."

She nodded, resting her fingers on my arm. "I feel the same, Kassandra."

I could tell she was thinking about something, the way her eyes weren't meeting mine and the way her smile turned sly. She pulled herself sitting up right again, both her hands on my shoulders. The candle light flickering on her skin and eyes made her expression intense as she stared down at me. I was on the verge of fainting when I heard a shy chuckle from her.

"You wouldn't mind 'working your magic' again, would you? I've missed you terribly and upon your arrival here I can hardly contain myself," she cooed, not meeting my eyes.

I grinned, then tilted her chin in my hand to face me. "Of course, I wouldn't, my dearest Evie."

She laughed a little as I pulled her by the waist over to straddle my jaw. I pushed her skirt up, feeling a soft shiver travel up my body upon the sight of her clit in the dim light. Immediately, I tugged her forward by her hips like she was the first meal I'd been offered in centuries. I heard the wood of the headboard creak as her hands gripped it to brace herself over me. I kissed her inner thigh then wasted no time moving to lick my way up her lips to her clit. Her posture tensed for a moment upon my contact and I did my best to stifle a chuckle. I'm glad her body remembers me.

My hands clutched her smooth rear as my tongue managed a comfortable pace for her. I heard her voice heightened when I touched the left side of her clitoris. She must be more sensitive on that side. I smiled against her lips and moved to focus on that side of her. Oh, was I ever a great guesser.

Evie moaned louder and her pussy twitched, her thighs shaking slightly. Damn, like this I could finish her off in a matter of seconds. I decided to tease her a bit, licking the right side and center then down the slit. She was already sopping wet, practically sucking my tongue inside her. She did say she missed me, I thought as I sucked her back. Her pelvis began thrusting ever so slightly, more of a quiver than anything else. I adjusted my right arm so I could insert my middle and index finger inside her to replace my tongue, flexing them upwards and stroking her skin. The feeling of the grooves inside a woman against your fingertips couldn't feel dreamier, how the heart beat felt pulsating, how you could tell how into your actions she was just based on how much she dripped onto your palm. How her thighs clench up when she's really feeling it, how her moans seemed to echo in your ears when you were below her. It's heaven.

I flicked my tongue back over her clitoris, returning to toying with her left side as she rode my fingers. I might get a sore wrist from this but hey, it's worth it. The only thing that matters at this instant is that Evie is satisfied, I can fix up a brace for a sprained wrist later. She purred when she moaned, obviously biting her lip to keep from alerting any patrolling guards to her late-night rendezvous. Evie began to quiver more in my mouth and one of her hands wrenched my face against her as she grasped my hair. I spread my tongue fully against her, slipping my fingers out of her when I felt her tighten around them while she gasped. I licked her while her legs were shaking, savoring the taste of her on my tongue. Evie finally released my head and scooted over my chest, panting lightly with a gentle smile.

I tucked my moist fingers in my mouth and winked at her as I pulled them out. "So, how was that little trick?"

She giggled, swinging her leg over my torso to lay beside me. "Splendid, Kassandra."

I nuzzled her under my chin, flipping onto my side to hold her close, laying a quick peck on her forehead.

---

I haven't the slightest idea when I dozed off with her, I just remember one moment listening to her breathing then the next hearing Ikaros chirping outside Evie's window at me. I glared at the bird. Would he ever let me have some privacy? After Evie woke up, the two of us decided to write her suitor a letter explaining the situation at hand. A pigeon took the message off and Evie told me in one week's time to return. If he understood and was accepting of her truth, she'd leave the window open so I could just crawl through this time.

And sure enough, the next week, as I climbed to the windowsill, instead of being greeted by a stained-glass barrier, I had her lips planted against mine. At last, I knew her answer for certain. She did feel the same love for me as I did for her.

#i write #evandra #acs #acod #kassandra #evie #assassins creed barely #yes her fiance is henry #yes the queen of kass's kingdom is xenia #yes i yearn too #its 10:36pm #this one's title is Hiraeth

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