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thebigbiwolf · 7 months

Text

Starvin' Darlin - Chapter 2

Pairing: Not quite friends to lovers Astarion x OC/F!Tav

Chapter Summary: Seeing Evelyn with Gale stirs up some unfamiliar and VERY unwelcome feelings in Astarion. And for some reason, she graces him with a midnight visit. I'm terrible with summaries but here's what's in store for you:

* A bit of possessive!Astarion if you squint

* More pining

* More biting

* Deep DEEP emotional constipation (my personal favorite)

Fic Tags: Minor spoilers for Act 1, The Bite Scene, Emotional slow burn, Angst, Teasing, Frottage (god I'm sorry), Pining, This is my first ever fic so idk how to tag things appropriately but you get the gist.

Fic Warnings: Eventual Explicit Smut (18+ MDNI), Language, Canon-Typical Violence, Dubcon (I cannot stress this enough), Bloodlust/Loss of control, Mentions of blood, lmk if you need anything else tagged.

Read on AO3: Here

Word Count: 5k

A/N: School and life have been kicking my ass but I finally got around to finishing this chapter and I couldn't wait to post it! I'm having so much fun writing in Astarion's POV. Huge thank you to my bestie @imaginarydromedary for being the best beta ever and for your endless patience with me.

The morning that follows that fateful night in Evelyn’s tent goes rather well, all things considered.

She approaches Astarion first. A pleasant surprise, considering they could hardly look at each other after he ravaged her the night before.

He looks over the novel he had been skimming, Shanties for the Bitch Queen . Admittedly, not one of his favorites, but reading material was scarce these days. He closes it with a soft thud and rises to meet her, all pleasant smiles and perfectly coiffed hair.

“Good morning.” he says, a curious tilt to his head.

She looks a bit more pale than usual with faded, grim circles forming underneath her eyes. Her bun is a bit unruly, some strands falling into her face and parted by the wine-dark bone of her horns. She either didn’t sleep well or is still reeling from the anemia.

The bruise he administered had spread and darkened, plainly visible even under the black ink of her tattoos. It seems she found no use in hiding it, then. Very well. It’s not like they keep extra scarves laying about the camp, anyway.

“How do you feel?” he asks, gently. He doesn’t mean to provoke her, but his curiosity is getting the better of him, and the slightest hint of shame is beginning to burrow its way into his conscience. Ugh . He thinks he prefers the tadpole.

“A bit woozy.” She responds, “I woke up this morning with the intention of asking you how one usually fares after being drained, but then I remembered,” she stops herself when she realizes what she’s about to say: I was your first. Unspoken, but lingering between them . It makes him want to laugh; A woman with a reputation such as hers acting so bashful .

“It’ll pass,” he reassures, “Just be glad I’m not a true vampire. A bite from one of them and you might wake up as a vampire spawn, like my good self. All of a vampire’s hunger, but few of their powers.”

“Speaking of hunger,” Evelyn says, realizing she’s famished. She turns from him and begins making her way towards the campfire. Finding that only charred logs and old cinders remain, she runs the black tip of her boot through the ashes with the intention of stoking the fire back to life, dust clouding, then dispersing before her.

He follows closely behind, observing. She seems well, all things considered. A bit out of sorts, but nothing a bit of rest couldn’t cure.

“You know, I had considered bringing you an apple,” Astarion starts, hovering by the pit, “Leaving it by your bedside before you rose for the day - ever the gentleman, but,” he clears his throat.

That newly recognizable twinge of something is curling its way back into his chest, causing him to squint in discomfort.

In truth, he didn’t know how she would react to him encroaching on her space. Not after that dreadful attempt on her life. He is a monster, after all. That, and she had already been so insufferably forgiving. Such kindness is likely to reach its end sooner rather than later.

“I - erm, didn’t want to disturb your rest.” is what he finally settles on. Polit , he thinks, Best not overdo it.

“That would have been nice of you.” She says it quietly, more to herself than to him.

“Oh, darling, you have no idea how nice I can be.” The flirtation sneaks its way out of him on an impulse. He’s about to apologize, something he seems to be doing a bit too often for his taste, when out of the corner of his eye, he catches one of their companions making their way towards them.

“It appears we have company.” Astarion sneers, “And here I thought I was going to have you all to myself this morning.”

To the elf’s surprise, most of them were quick to come around to the idea of a vampire spawn slinking about. Especially once they found themselves in the middle of an ambush, and Astarion very quickly made good on his promises to her.

Newfound strength coursed through his body, her blood weaving threads of heat through his veins as if it were his own. His speed was unmatched, cutting down half a dozen goblins before they had a chance to wail.

It was exhilarating .

The day flew by in flashes of red. Despite the many unnecessary stops Evelyn insisted on making to help undesirables, Astarion’s emotional high managed to remain relatively intact. That was, until their group settled in for the night.

As most of the others retired to their tents, the elf prepared for his nightly ritual: sifting through his collection of tomes and selecting one to read under the stars - his favorite way to end the evening.

It was supposed to be perfect. Uneventful. Quiet .

But, there was Gale: lost in thought and muttering to himself, or maybe to the conjured image of some woman’s head floating above his hand. Astarion may have been able to ignore that in itself, but the sound of light footsteps drew his attention.

Evelyn was approaching the wizard.

He scoffs. Of course Gale was showing off in hopes of procuring her attention. The man was practically putting on a damn light show in his desperation. It’s not enough that the wizard eats valuable items they could be using to pawn for coins, but does he really have to be such an unbearable distraction as well?

“Pretty,” he recognizes the word as it leaves her. The sound of their chatter was too faint for it to carry its way to his beautifully pointed ears, but he could just barely read Evelyn’s lips at this angle.

Gale startles, dropping his hand along with his focus. The woman’s visage vanishes. He looks embarrassed, shifting uncomfortably as he no doubt explains himself in some horribly mundane fashion.

Astarion returns to his book, scanning over the page, but the words refuse to settle in his mind. He stares at the ink, willing the sentences to fill his head with anything other than the nonsense unfolding in front of him, but his focus stubbornly remains on the chattering pair.

Gods, he’s talking her ears off.

At any moment, Evelyn will dismiss the man, embarrassing the hells out of him, which will make for an excellent show. That in itself is enough reason to keep watching. But the longer this goes on, the less he’s sure.

She seems to be enjoying their chat, nodding in agreement at Gale’s words, listening to him without so much as a hint of impatience. Gale then steps behind her, a bit too close for the likes of an average, friendly conversation. His chest almost touches the woman’s shoulder as he moves into her space, the cloth of his nightshirt just barely grazing her.

Something within Astarion begins twisting in protest. His thumb runs over the long-forgotten page in circles. The rough texture reminds him that yes, he was supposed to be reading, or at least attempting to look disinterested, but he can't will himself to turn away.

Gale smiles softly down at her, then begins to move his arms in a way that could only be described as a poor imitation of a wounded bird. Purple light emanates in front of the two of them in response. More magic tricks. Of course. As if that would be enough to impress the woman who’s supposedly been at the receiving end of every imaginable courting attempt in Faerun.

Astarion rolls his eyes, content to continue his chapter of The Realm According to Bumpo, before he notices Evelyn following suit, imitating the very same motions. She, however, has a grace about her, unlike the bearded beast at her side. Her movements are quick and decisive, abandoning all flattery for precision. The burst of light emanates from her palms, just as it had for the wizard.

She looks pleased. Elated, even. This is the first time he’s seen her smile since she made a fool out of him in her tent, caressing his body and reveling in its reaction, like he was some sort of toy. Though her expression looks different to him now. He can’t quite place his finger on why.

He swallows, attempting to alleviate the tightness in his throat.

A purple aura starts radiating around them, dancing and swaying in waves, as if the two were surrounded by a flowing channel of lavender, smelling of rosewater; the sun setting over a dark ocean. Even from a distance, the sight pulls at something inside him. An unwelcome ache settles within his chest.

Evelyn turns to the man next to her, unaware that they’ve been drawn closer by the magic enveloping them. She tilts her head back to meet Gale’s gaze. The way he’s looking at her, the flecks of gold in her irises locked with his: deep, brown, and moving, makes Astarion’s skin itch.

He finds himself wondering what color his own eyes were before his transformation. Were they so seemingly honest, so trustworthy in their melanism, before they became what they are now? Sharp, red, and tinted by bloodlust. Wouldn’t they be boring?

“You’re staring.”

He’s pulled from his brooding by the sound of Shadowheart’s observation. He hadn’t noticed her approaching him, distracted by that sickening, sweet smell. “Or has the tadpole gifted you with the ability to telepathically commune with books?”

“I’m simply admiring our wizard’s talents.” Astarion says, dismissing her with a wave, “Making sure all those expensive boots and rings haven’t gone to waste. It would be a pity, wouldn’t it? Unnecessarily sacrificing clothes that may have suited you while you’re having to traipse about in a tin can?”

The cleric snickers, “I see. Is that why you look like a kicked pup? Or, are you upset that your master’s replaced you with a new lapdog?”

He slams the book closed. The sound surprises Evelyn, and the magic surrounding her and Gale dissipates.

He doesn’t dignify Shadowheart with a response, nor does he spare a second glance at the others before retreating to the quiet solace of his tent.

”That wretched little…” He grumbles to himself as soon as he closes the entrance, tossing Bumpo atop the other novels in his collection, all piled haphazardly on the small desk occupying a corner of his living space.

This type of reaction was unusual for him. Astarion would normally be happy to engage in petty banter. The more scathing, the better, but Shadowheart had somehow weaseled her way into a tender area. It left him feeling exposed, and a bit nauseated at the idea of allowing someone so clearly beneath himself, at least in terms of wit, to get the better of him.

Taking a deep breath, Astarion focuses on releasing the tension in his jaw. Best not to let this ruin his entire night, he reasons, before lighting several half-melted candles littering his quarters. Their flames emanate a soft, golden glow, and the process is meditative enough to finish soothing him.

He doesn’t have watch tonight, so he allows himself some extra comfort, removing his shirt before sinking down into the soft furs of his bedroll. Astarion closes his eyes to trance, thinking the extra rest will do him some good, but the image of Evelyn rushes back to his mind - the way her soft lips parted in surprise, realizing her and Gale’s close proximity, and how his gaze flitted down to her mouth in return..

The wizard should be wearing a damn collar around his neck with how she commands his attention. It’s pathetic.

It couldn’t be a matter of coincidence, surely. She must know the effect she has on the man. If Gale harbors feelings for her ( yuck ), even if it were the result of close quarters, Evelyn could use it to her advantage. She had just revealed the effectiveness of similar tactics to him last night, and a powerful wizard would be a powerful ally.

Whereas, Astarion is just… a vampire spawn. Not even a true vampire. A slave. A nobody.

He rubs his face in frustration. The Sharran did have a point. Astarion may have an insatiable appetite, happy to receive all matters of attention from whatever suitors decide to shower him with it, but what about her? What if Evelyn found him less interesting, less worthy of her time and, subsequently, her protection?

No. His ego balks at the suggestion.

Besides, he had felt her lust for him not 24 hours ago. It moved through him as though it was his own, and the taste of her still lingers on his tongue. He heard the hitch in her breath - felt it under his own lips, and reliving the memory still stirs a familiar hunger within him.

Though, they still haven’t spoken about it.

The usually quiet, insecure part of him wonders if she’d just rather forget it altogether. He could empathize with that, at least. It’s easy enough for him to imagine their last encounter may have left her feeling disgusted, used.

Guilt worms its way back into his mind, cozying up right next to his tadpole but oh, so much worse .

He hasn’t felt like this since the beginning of his servitude. He assumed the emotion had been neglected long enough to be left entirely behind him, overshadowed by the threat of whatever new, interesting ways Cazador would think of to torture him at the mere suggestion of disobedience. But here, in the thin veil of safety he’s allowed himself to believe shrouds him, he aches.

It’s unbecoming.

Instead of resting as he should, Astarion isn’t quite sure how much time he spends ruminating on ways to quietly rid the party of Gale, before he hears the faintest rapping at the canvas of his tent.

At first, he believes he imagined it, and gives the noise little consideration before settling back into his trance. But then, he hears it again: quick, rapid tapping. A knock.

It surprises him. He hurriedly moves to stand. In the faint glow of the candlelight, the shadow at his doorstep dances against the closed fabric, smaller than himself and horned. A visit from Evelyn at this hour? Strange.

He undoes the ties and opens his space to her.

Her hair is undone, dark waves falling over her shoulders and obscuring the marks he gave her. She’s wearing the same clothes she wore to bed last night, the very same black breast band. It smells as if it's been washed, though, with no lingering scent of her blood. Her loose, matching trousers settle high on her waist, just above her navel. She looks exhausted.

Being run ragged by the events of the day while also having to contend with a missing pint or two of blood may have had more of a negative effect than anticipated.

Evelyn doesn’t say anything at first, but he catches her eyes glancing at his bare chest before retreating back to his own, cementing themselves there. He raises an eyebrow at her, smirking, and thinks about teasing her. The temptation threatens to get the better of him, but he refrains, not wanting this unexpected visit cut too short. “Need something?”

“I was hoping we could talk.”

Her stare is unwavering, a commitment worthy of admiration.

“Right this way.” Astarion bows slightly towards her, an arm raised behind him to gesture her inside. She steps past him, careful to not brush against his exposed skin. He closes the entrance behind them, shutting out the ambient noise and drowning them in silence. His space is large enough to accommodate himself and his essentials quite comfortably, but it's infinitely smaller with her here.

“I hope I didn’t disturb you.” there is a hoarseness to her voice. She must have woken up just before making her way over.

“No, actually. I was just catching up on some reading.” Not entirely a lie. He had been reading at several points tonight. “What is it you want to discuss? I’m assuming there’s a reason this couldn’t wait until morning, not that I mind.”

“It's about you.”

Oh. No midnight gossip, then.

"I’ve been thinking about how we’re going to continue feeding you.”

“You’ve been up all night tossing and turning because you're concerned about my eating habits?” he responds, unamused, and crosses his arms.

“I have not been tossing and -” she’s about to argue with him, he thinks, but her exasperation causes her to lose her concentration. She breaks eye contact, distracted by the toned curves of his biceps, then snaps her gaze to the floor. “Would you please put on a shirt?”

“Ha!” His laugh is humorless. “I’d like to think we’re well past the point of propriety. Besides, you're in my tent.”

Evelyn pinches the bridge of her nose. “I knew this was a mistake.”

“Come now, darling. Why are you really here?”

She sighs in frustration, as if he should already know.

“I wanted to talk about last night.”

“Ugh, I’ve already apologized. What more do you want?”

A moment passes in uncomfortable silence. He can practically hear the gears grinding in her head as she searches for the right words, and he'd give anything to reach out with his tadpole and take the unfiltered thoughts from her mind. Instead, he takes pity on her.

“Unless, you’re looking for another nibble?”

It's a joke, a way to clear the tension from the air. Entirely unserious.

She doesn't laugh.

Instead, she looks around the room: first at his assortment of decorative pillows, then to the empty elixir bottles piled in a corner, anywhere but himself. "Well, I - I don’t know.” She clears her throat. “I just figured after today’s performance, it may be for the best.”

Wait. What?

He stiffens, so taken aback by her suggestion that the elf almost believes he’s still mid-trance.

“What?”

“I may be willing to help you again, when necessary.”

She has to be joking.

“You’re joking.”

“No. I’m serious, if it would help.”

“It would.”

“Then, yes.”

They stand almost toe to toe, Astarion once again absorbing her warmth. He hadn’t noticed their height difference the first time they did this, too busy devouring the poor woman like some deranged beast, but it's notable here, on equal footing. Peering up at him, her nose aligns with his collarbones.

"Tonight, then?" she asks.

"Eager, are we?"

She shrugs with indifference, "Just in case we run into any trouble at the goblin camp tomorrow."

The very picture of practicality. What else did he expect?

"Alright, then."

"Alright."

That nagging sensation begins to tug at him again - the very same one he felt as he had stepped out of her tent last night. A weak but unshakeable tension, like a magnet, uncomfortable as it is alluring. The force of it draws his body closer to hers where she stands, hands clenched into fists at her sides.

Underneath her calm exterior, Evelyn’s heart is pounding. Though her breaths are steady, controlled, he can hear it from where he stands. For a moment, those are the only sounds filling the space between them, until the tiefling speaks up.

“You’re tall, for an elf.”

An oddly-timed observation, but a true one. His brother, Petras, was always outwardly envious of him for it. Though, he's not sure why it sounds so flattering coming from her lips.

“How kind of you to notice.”

She scans the room, searching for something, until she spots the table. Her fingers run along the dark ringlets in the wood, tracing the hardened puddles of forgotten wax, until they reach his heaping pile of books. She taps her fingertips on his leather bound copy of Bumpo .

“May I?”

He nods, unsure of what’s been asked of him.

Evelyn gathers the novels in her arms before piling them carefully onto the floor in a few leveled stacks, clearing the space. ”That should be enough room for one of us to sit,” she says, evenly.

Then, there is a heavy silence; anticipation. It hangs in the air thick as smoke, twice as suffocating. She's only taken a few steps from him, but it’s as though she’s crossed an ocean. The distance between them begins to develop its own gravitational pull, making the hairs on his arms stand on end.

“Whatever’s most comfortable, dear."

The tiefling nods, then plants herself on the table’s surface, legs hanging over the edge. Evelyn is now eye-level with him, her irises glossy; catching and reflecting what little light dances off the few remaining candles beside her.

She tilts her head at him, expectantly. Her face remains neutral - practiced, as though she feels nothing at all; as if she isn’t trying to drive him mad.

She’s back to playing her little games.

Fine.

Astarion’s posture straightens as he strides towards her, confidently closing their distance. He places his hands at her sides, not quite touching her, but still close enough to feel the heat emanating from her body, even through her clothes.

“Now, where would you like it?” The question sounds innocent enough, but the double meaning is not lost on her.

Her grip tightens at the table’s edge, knuckles whitening.

His head tilts downwards, looming over her like a predator, and the scent of vanilla invades his nostrils. The sweetness settles on his palate before spreading across his tongue, coating it with a rum-like burn. He runs the flavor over the sharp edges of his teeth.

"I could do it here," he whispers, dipping his nose and running the tip of it along her nape. He quietly revels in how she prickles beneath him, her body betraying her feigned indifference.

"Or, here." One of his thumbs trace the flat of her wrist in slow, circular motions, causing the pulse beneath it to flutter.

"Or…" His other hand slides atop her knee, fingers gripping and parting her thighs just slightly…

She snaps them shut.

"Just do it, dickhead."

He hums a laugh.

“As you wish.”

The cool brush of Astarion’s lips on her neck has Evelyn’s heart racing, a frantic drum beating against his ears. It’s just as intoxicating as he remembers, threatening to muddle the edges of his mind. “Just try to keep still for me.” he whispers.

The warning is sincere, but the stubborn woman misinterprets him. Thinking he’s toying with her, she opens her mouth, intent on insulting him, but stops short, whining pitifully when his fangs break the surface of her skin. Her body flinches at the initial discomfort, but otherwise remains virtually motionless; compliant.

Drinking from her now feels like an entirely new experience. This time, he anticipates the raging current - knows how to find his footing. Rather than being ripped under, it feels as though Astarion is floating, enveloped in warmth unlike any he’s ever known. At best, he would imagine it similar to a hug, had he ever been on the receiving end of one.

He begins to lap at the wound to keep it from closing, the press and drag of his tongue drawing out a few small, involuntary twitches from the girl. She’s being so good for him, staying put like she’d been told; fighting her own restlessness, the urge to squirm in place.

If only she would allow him to reward her, to offer his body in exchange for this endless parade of favors, he would take the chance in a heartbeat. It would be so, so easy with her, unlike any miserable encounter he’d been forced into partaking in the last few centuries. He knows he would enjoy her body, along with all the lovely little sounds she would make for him; the temporary bliss.

And it would be a fair price to pay for keeping him safe, fed, and warm .

The mental image has Astarion’s hand moving without his knowledge, too engrossed to notice his own palm caressing the side of her face. His thumb traces the edge of her cheek as he holds her there, allowing the weight of her head to rest against his fingers. Dark strands of hair brush against his knuckles, bringing him back to the present.

He thinks Evelyn hasn’t noticed yet, believes himself safe to correct the mistake without any mutual discomfort.

Which leaves him infinitely more overwhelmed when her smaller hand grazes up the length of his arm, wrapping it around his wrist to keep it in place. Her body relaxes into his touch, seemingly more grounded.

The intimacy is like a punch to the chest.

She’s suddenly too close for comfort. It’s claustrophobic - suffocating, strangling him along with whatever sense he had left, apparently. That damned vanilla, the dizzying scent of her blood -

Air, he thinks, I just need some fresh air.

Astarion pulls away from her, readying an apology and an excuse to swiftly dismiss the woman.

But when Evelyn meets his gaze, the words die prematurely.

She is a vision , freckles dappling her skin like star-covered porcelain, now flushed red from nose to cheeks. The whites of her eyes have gone glossy, dazed and dream-like, tempting him further into her space.

Her tongue darts out to wet her parted lips, the small gesture commanding his attention. He finds himself entirely fixated on them, as if it would take another life-altering, unnatural disaster to pull his focus away.

Evelyn’s lashes flutter in recognition, then she quickly releases his wrist. The residual heat fades before he can appreciate it, leaving him cold once again.

“Oh, sorry.”

“My apologies."

Their speech overlaps, then silence fills the room again, and they are left to stare at each other. His hands suddenly feel much too idle at his sides, itching. He throws on a polite smile, a familiar mask, but the expression doesn't quite reach his eyes.

Astarion has never been one to look a gift horse in the mouth. His hunger is sated, and he should feel satisfied. He should feel like a new man.

So why, then, does he only feel this intolerable weight in his chest?

Why does his stomach turn at the idea of her so carelessly offering herself up to any vampire spawn, let alone himself , despite the obvious danger?

Why is he so deeply frustrated by her lack of self preservation?

Isn’t this exactly what he wanted; to have her crawling back for more?

He can't help but wonder if this sudden apprehension is part of her little plan: to confuse him, drive him to distraction, then bring him to his knees like every other unfortunate man she’s had in her sights before robbing them and tossing them aside.

Out-seducing a vampire would admittedly be an admirable feat, but why? What could her angle be, when Astarion has nothing to offer her?

“Are you alright? You look… lost.”

He blinks back to the present.

“I - ” He coughs, " Ahem . Yes, dear. Of course.”

Hot, crimson streaks drip down the sharp bone of his chin. He springs into action, away from her unfavorable concern, and grabs his nightshirt from off the floor behind him. He has just the one, beautifully embroidered and sewn back together countless times by his own hands, now being used in place of a common napkin.

Evelyn gasps. The sound is like ice, piercing his chest when he realizes his mistake. The devil’s never seen him without a shirt on before now. Meaning, she had never bore witness to the elaborate poem carved into his back - ugly, raised scars painting his flesh and soiling his otherwise perfectly sculpted muscle.

He regrets not humoring her request to redress earlier.

The elf plays off the noise as if he hadn’t heard it, turning to hand her the clothes and hoping she knows better than to mention anything of it. She silently takes the garment from him and places it where he had bitten her. A blooming red stain soaks into the pale fabric. He’ll have to work on getting it out for the next several days, if it decides to come out at all.

Evelyn finally moves to stand, teetering a bit from lightheadedness. Astarion reaches out to steady her, but she shakes her head, declining.

“I’m okay.”

He retracts his hand. The damned thing’s gotten him into enough trouble tonight already.

“Well then, you should get some rest.”

She scoffs, “Wow, not even a thank you?”

He lowers his voice, practically growling at her, “My dear, if you’d allow me to properly thank you, you wouldn’t be leaving this tent. Maybe not for the next week, if I’m feeling generous.”

A pretty little flush once again spreads across her face. He’s rather pleased with himself, thinking he’s finally stunned her.

“And if you weren’t feeling generous?”

Rising to meet him, then. She is playing a very dangerous game.

Astarion closes what little distance there is left between them and grabs her face by the jaw, grip firm . The force has her stumbling, the back of her thighs meeting the hard edge of the table. Wood digs into her skin as the legs grate loudly against his decorative rugs, shifting from the sudden push.

Evelyn’s eyes shut, brows furrowed and panting as she clutches his forearms to steady herself.

To his wicked delight, she does not pull away.

His thumb drags over her bottom lip. The effort she’s expending not to whine at his gentle touch has him reeling. Her skin burns beneath his palms.

“Then, I’d strip you, tie your limbs to this desk,” he murmurs against her lips, before tilting to whisper his confession hot in her ear.

“And you wouldn’t be leaving this tent. Ever . ”

He abruptly releases her, turning away and waving her off.

“Now, go. We have a big day tomorrow.”

Not sparing the woman a glance, he begins gathering his books and setting them back onto the table beside her.

She says nothing in response, but he hears her tear open the entrance to his tent and step out into the night.

#bg3 #bg3 tav #bg3 astarion #bg3 oc #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate iii #baldur's gate oc #baldurs gate astarion #astarion #astarion romance #astarion x tav #astarion acunin #baldurs gate fanfiction #astarion fanfic #evelyn

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spicyflameprince · 6 months

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Do your parents know you have a chicken?

Yes, my parents found out the moment I brought her home. They don't really mind my actions as long as it doesn't interfere with our work. Cinder is doing quite well! MK and I have decided to "co-parent" her. He takes her on days my work keeps me busy. We even have a special bed that goes with her to his home when he's taking care of her!

(OOC: this picture was drawn by the lovely @p3ach-bun! They're one of my best friends and their art is a delight! If you like this check them out!)

#lego monkie kid #lmk #ask blog #red son #red son lmk #rp blog #lmk mk #lmk red son #Cinder the Chicken #MK already lets her sleep on his chest while they're watching movies #My heart is MELTING

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manicpixxiedreambitch · 4 months

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The cover art for Cinder in comparison to what actually happened in the story is so fucking funny to me.

Cinder on the inside cover, with perfectly done makeup, hair in a pretty bun, dressed in an elegant, form fitting dress, equipped with her shiny new leg and silk gloves delicately rushing down the stairs, feeling pretty: “Oh dear I hope I don’t lose my new leg. Gosh, I don’t want Kai to know who I am.”

Cinder in the book, bolting out of the palace like a bat out of hell in her dead sister’s ruined gown and her own equally as ruined silk gloves, mud all over her face, hair plastered to her forehead, sweating a storm, stumbling on a rusty old leg that is too small for her and is clearly spitting nuts and bolts, all after making a huge scene that made her look like a crazy obsessed fan to any casual observer: “FUCK SHIT FUCKING HELL GET YOUR MOTHER FUCKING ASS OUT OF MY GODDAMN WAY I GOTTA GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE AND MY GETAWAY CAR IS FUCKING TOTALED. FUCK.”

#the lunar chronicles #linh cinder

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scham-wcan · 4 months

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Weiss: Sometimes I worry about the ethics behind your plans on Huntress missions

Winter: Seconded

Ruby, getting information from bandits by slowly removing each sesame seed from a burger bun over headphones:

Cinder: It is better than ethical, its funny

#cinder fall #winter schnee #cinwin #snowfall #weiss schnee #ruby rose #whiterose #white rose #scham rambles

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impossiblesuitcase · 4 months

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I know this type of fic will seem strange, but do you remember where Cinder in the first book says that everyone will be aware of what Kai does, and that he will forget her, if this happened as an alternate universe, do you really believe that Kai forgot? of it, or remember it as nostalgia for what could have been as couple

Thanks your for your answer

I intended for this to be a five sentence response. Ha.

(Remember?)

He doesn’t remember her.

Granted, he doesn’t even remember what it feels like to take a full, unstrained breath. Kai is a busy teenager, a grieving son, an ill-prepared emperor and then the happiest widower alive. He can’t pretend to not be overjoyed by his wife’s untimely passing after her brief but bloody one-year stint as empress. The Earthen population didn’t seem to mind much either when the evil Lunar queen was assassinated in her bed by a group of revolting malcontents.

Kai only remembers her when the storm takes mercy on them and calms. The girl at the marketplace. Who’d never worn the gloves he’d given her to the ball she hadn’t attended. The brown eyes he’d never seen again. As the New Beijing Market celebrates a new era of peace with streamers and lanterns and sticky buns, Kai is pulling on his grey hoodie and weaving through the crowds to an unmarked booth. Instead he finds the musty, dark store replaced by a coffeé vendor. The nearby sellers tell him the young mechanic skipped town.

(Kai does remember her joking prod in the elevator, offering up that she was planning to run away to Europe. Now, Kai doesn’t think it was all that much of a joke.)

He searches for her, briefly. Her name turns up no more net results than what had been there the first time he’d sought her services. In checking government records he learns that her guardian reported the disappearance, inciting a police investigation. He has his own staff put on the case, who probably interpret this as a conscientious initiative to apprehend a fugitive as any responsible emperor would.

Reading the conclusions from the fruitless search by his agents, this is where Kai learns that Linh Cinder is a cyborg.

Something blankets him. Not...disgust or revulsion. Thick, encompassing understanding. He’s near laughter when it strikes him precisely between his third and fourth ribs because he knows that it doesn’t matter if he finds her.

The gloves. The obfuscation. A cyborg, an emperor. This is why she rejected him.

After this, the expressed need to find find find her feels vain. Find her and what? Tell her that—although he likes her—a cyborg would never be accepted by the public as his partner? Then he’d be tearing her away from whatever sanctuary she’s found herself in and subjecting her to capture by the authorities. Because she has cut out her ID chip—illegal. Fled the country without a permit—illegal. Disobeyed orders from her guardian—illegal for cyborgs. Whatever Imperial pardon he could try to extend would be nullified by the Cyborg Protection Act.

It doesn’t matter. She hasn’t been found. He’s no luck at searching for things anyway. That’s why he gave up on Selene. What’s one more thing to give up on?

So Kai doesn’t remember her. But he does revise the Cyborg Protection Act. He is appalled to discover that—despite having Levana’s antidote in his tenuous possession—the cyborg draft is still in operation. Luna is not a trustworthy government under regent Sybil Mira, they fearmonger. They might still need to develop an antidote of their own, they reason.

Both Earth and Luna are barely refraining from seeking blood as it is. After Levana was assassinated, Luna declared full-scale war on Earth, killing hundreds of thousands. Earth retaliated by detonating bombs on the craters of the moon, threatening that next time they wouldn’t spare the inhabited domes. The ceasefire went as follows: Luna and Earth would not intermingle. Luna would provide Earth with the Letumosis antidote in exchange for Earth sending Luna their desperately-needed supplies. No one deemed this agreement as trustworthy. No one had better ideas.

His decision to end the draft is met with mixed response. Kai just secretly hopes that Cinder is watching, holed up in her new musty, dark booth in her new European city with a flicker of pride.

Years past. Funnily enough, Kai learns that—at some point—pretending to forget and forgetting are not so dissimilar.

But sometimes he sees a malfunctioning android down a palace hall and remembers her steady gloved hands on Nainsi. Sees a woman with almost the right shade of brown in her hair and eyes and skin but never close enough. Yet each time, he collects himself, shakes his head and doesn’t give in, and when he marries a second time to a woman he actually wants to be with, his wife’s radiant smile expels any romantic thought of any other girl that has ever crossed his mind.

— — —

Fourteen years. That’s how long it takes for his loose threads to finally fray. Kai is in his office being briefed by Torin for an upcoming public statement by his cabinet. It has taken fourteen years after Levana’s death to fully uncover all the scrupulously concealed records of the atrocities she committed. As former empress, her crimes have to be reported by the Eastern Commonwealth, though no reasonably-minded Earthen would attribute her crimes to anyone but her own wicked self.

This report intrigues him. It’s not the usual analytics of Levana’s sins against the Earthen public, rather a detailed list of all the Lunars she victimised.

“Why are we reporting this?” Kai asks Torin, keeping his daughter from bouncing off his lap with steady hands. “What Levana did to the Lunar citizenry is beyond our scope of responsibility.”

“Not those on Luna, Your Majesty,” Torin informs. “This report refers to the illegal Lunar refugees who were hiding on Earth.”

Kai vaguely recalls Levana screeching once about how she would kill all the Lunars he had insubordinately smuggled into the country. He hadn’t believed that there were any Lunars on Earth at that naïve eighteen, but a thirty-three-year-old Kai is not surprised. He scrolls past the initial pages of exposition and gets right to the list of victims. He wants a number. How many Lunars were there really on Earth? That day on the balcony, when Levana had claimed that there had been a Lunar among those protestors—had it been true?

It’s page eight that he sees her name.

Linh Cinder. Cyborg. Lunar. Licensed mechanic in New Beijing. Records found to be falsified. True age unknown. True name unknown. Date of immigration unknown.

Cyborg. Lunar.

Kai’s hands are shaking. He places his daughter on the ground. “Torin,” he wheezes, “take her to her mother.”

His daughter’s soft, “Daddy? Was wrong?” goes unanswered.

Once they’ve left the room, Kai is alone with the horror lying in his hands. He clicks on her profile and a full page with her name and portrait appears. It’s a mugshot, but without the official stamp of the Earthen Union law enforcement, he knows it was Levana’s own team of minions doing the arresting. Her hair is loose, glossy and slick. Her eyes defiant but sunken into dark sockets. Her cheeks are full. She was not starving, wasting away in poverty. Evidently she did manage to make a life for herself on the run.

The biography is short. Linh was reported missing by her guardian on 28 August 126 T.E. at 08:31. CCTV footage shows her driving a second-era automobile from New Beijing to France over the course of 8 days. Linh hid in Nice for 7 months using a false ID chip and started a small mechanic business. Records of an apartment lease were found under the false identity. She was discovered by Lunar authorities when a mandatory Letumosis blood test identified Lunar genealogy in her genome. She was swiftly sentenced and executed without a trial on an unknown date for crimes of illegal departure from Luna.

That’s it. The only information. It limns a tale of another victim of the tyrant with not a stroke of sympathy. Kai thrusts down the port, clawing his hands through his hair.

Cyborg. Lunar. Executed.

He calls his wife.

The line clicks immediately. “Honey, is everything okay?” asks his wife, concern cooling her timbre. “Torin said you were all out of sorts.”

His words are faint. “Hey, love, do you remember that girl I liked before you?”

He can hear her smile. “The mechanic?”

“Yeah.”

"What about her?" her voice heaves and Kai hears a small giggle; Torin has brought their daughter back to their quarters. His wife is picking up the heavy three-year-old.

He has no strength to censor himself, even with young ears present. “She’s dead. Levana killed her.”

A long silence. The thread being pulled, pulled, pulled as the fraying creeps up to the heart of it. The girl whispers to her mother, “who Mummy? Who’s Daddy talking ‘bout?”

Her mother doesn’t explain. “Oh, love, I’m so sorry,” she consoles plaintively in that genuine lilt he knows is sincere. His superlatively gracious wife has never judged him for his grief over the lost cyborg, for regretting he couldn’t help the troubled young girl from a bad home. Never has she assigned ulterior motives of him mourning ‘the one that got away’ in some jealous plea for validation.

He says nothing. He had forgotten her brown eyes, her smile and her gloves. The sarcasm and the pessimism. Each detail had slipped away and now a single photo, an unuttered apology, is trying to resuscitate the dead.

“Are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?”

Kai reclaims his port and returns to the cover page. It’s entitled: A Comprehensive Account of the Genocide of Lunar Refugees by Queen Levana Blackburn: Names and Implications.

A name. An implication. That’s all she’d be, immortalised in a forgettable list. After the cover page, a number is bolded.

3,582.

The number of Lunar victims. Miniscule compared to Earth’s population. Cinder was almost certainly the only Lunar Cyborg on the list. An oddity. A friendly statistical anomaly.

Never meant to exist. Always meant to be out of reach.

“Kai?”

“It’ll be fine,” he promises, convincing himself of it. “I’ll be fine.”

“You’ll be fine?” she repeats.

That picture is burnt in his retinas; Cinder, forever sixteen. He, now so much older. He doesn’t mourn a lost love. He didn’t love her; he didn’t know her. He mourns an abandoned child who never even knew that someone was looking for her.

Kai exhales slowly and rests his port on the desk next to his wedding photo and his father's signet ring.

“I’ll be fine,” he affirms, “You know, I don’t really remember her.”

— — —

@cindersassasin @hayleblackburn @spherical-empirical @salt-warrior @just2bubbly @gingerale2017 @icarusignite @kaider-is-my-otp @slmkaider @luna-maximoff-22 @cosmicnovaflare @kaixiety @snozkat @mirrorballsss @skinwitch18 @vincentvangothic @bakergirl13 @wassupnye @linh-cindy @therealkaidertrash21

#the lunar chronicles #tlc #lunar chronicles #linh cinder #kaider #emperor kai #angst #kaider fanfiction #this is not a lovey dovey happy ending folks

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bridgyrose · 3 days

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Could I drop a fic idea? What about v9 ruby, just after drinking the tea suddenly finds herself in beacon just before vytal, but she's still v9 rubes and vol 2 RWBY is there still witnessing this future version of their leader desperately working to prevent everything and the more they interact with future ruby the more they can't shake the feeling they all failed her in the future

(This was a fun idea to write.)

Ruby felt herself fall through the air, already certain she knew her fate. She was dead. She had drank the tea that Neo had given her, she had been beaten and killed, and she no longer had to worry about being a burden to her team and letting them down. And now, all that was left was to ascend and to take a new role, one that she couldnt possibly fail.

Atleast, that is what she had thought until she suddenly felt herself on the ground again. There was no thud, no pain, just the feel of grass under her. The sound of people chattering filled the air as she opened her eyes to find herself in the familiar grounds of the Vytal Festival.

“Are you okay?”

Ruby froze as she heard the voice of her younger self speak to her, heart raced as she took a glance around the stalls that still stood, almost certain what she saw was a dream. And yet, it all felt real. She could still feel the cool breeze that blew across her face, smell the food that was cooking at each of the food stalls, hear the chimes and people chatting about the teams that had already fought.

“Miss, are you okay?” the younger Ruby asked again. “If you’re this dazed, we should get you to the infirmary-”

“I’m fine,” Ruby answered as she picked herself up. “I-I… I guess I got a bit too relaxed. Fell asleep and lost track of time.”

“Well, try not to get too relaxed again or you’ll miss the matches. Speaking of, I need to find my team so I’m not late to ours. We’re up against team ABRN first. I hear they’re really tough, so it should be a fun match.”

Ruby nodded and watched her younger self rush off to make it to the coliseum, still a bit dazed. She swore that she had been in the Ever After just a few minutes ago, but here she was, back at Beacon during the Vytal Festival. But if she was back here, then that meant she had a second chance to stop everything that went wrong. A chance that she could make everything right and no longer carry that same burden.

She heard her stomach growl and she winced, not realizing just how hungry she was. “First a meal, then I can find Cinder and stop her.” Ruby sighed and started to make her way to the nearest food stand, mouth already watering as she smelled the different foods she’d missed. Noodles, takoyaki, cinnamon buns, sweets of all sorts, an overload of smells that she had missed all those months ago, finally settling for a bowl of noodles just like she had with her team.

Ruby took the bowl as it was handed to her and took her time to savor each bite of the noodles, almost relaxing as she took the time to enjoy her meal. She had lost herself to the moment, listening to the crowds around her and letting herself relax and put her guard down even for the brief moment she had. And for once since Beacon had fallen, things had felt right.

She finished her noodles and glanced at the screen at the stall, a small smile crossed her lips when she saw that her younger self and her team had beaten ABRN. Everything was still going as she remembered. And as long as she could keep ahead of Cinder, she might be able to prevent Beacon from falling. Though, that did leave her with the issue of trying to remember where Cinder and her team were at and trying to figure out what she could do about them anyway. It wasnt like she could just go straight to Ozpin, he’d have questions that she’d never be able to answer. And if Qrow was already here, he’d recognize her right off the bat, which would also bring more questions than she could answer already. If she was going to do this, she was going to have to do this alone.

Ruby paid for her noodles and made her way back to Beacon. Though, as she walked through the courtyard, she found herself slowing down. She could remember the day Beacon fell as though it had happened yesterday, citizens running and screaming as grimm ran through the streets, buildings collapsing and burning as the White Fang caused chaos, watching Pyrrha die in front of her… her heart raced as she took a breath to try to ground herself. That wouldnt happen again. She would never let that happen again. She could stop all of it, allow herself to continue to attend Beacon, earn her license naturally and never let her younger self have to go through losing her friends the way she did.

That was, at least, her intention until she ran into her younger self again, knocking her over. “S-sorry,” Ruby said as she offered a hand. “Guess I wasnt watching where I was going.”

“Its fine,” the younger Ruby answered as she took Ruby’s hand and got up. “Though, I’m glad to see you on your feet.”

“You know her?” the younger Weiss asked. “Why am I even asking? Of course you made another friend.”

The younger Yang playfully punched the younger Weiss’s shoulder. “Let her be. Besides, dont you think her new friend looks… familiar?”

“She does, doesnt she?” the younger Blake asked.

“Look, its a long story, but I… I need to go.” Ruby pushed past her younger self and her team to make her way to the dorms. “I’m looking for someone and its important I find them.”

“Maybe we can help,” the younger Ruby said. “We can point you in the right direction.”

Ruby shook her head. “You should get something to eat. I saw your match and I’m sure you’re hungry.” She pulled out some lien and handed it over to her younger self. “There’s a noodle stand I’m sure you’ll enjoy. It’ll cater to all of your tastes.”

“I cant accept-”

“Consider it a gift for fight well done.” Ruby relaxed and started to make her way to the dorms. “And enjoy yourselves. You dont know how long you’ll have to do so.”

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ruby leaned against a wall after hours of searching the dorms for Cinder or her team with no luck. No one seemed to know who she was talking about, and the one room she was pointed to had already been emptied as if they were preparing to leave right after the festival. And yet, she still couldnt seem to find them. “Maybe I should’ve gone to Ozpin first,” she said to herself. “If I explained things, he’d at least be able to understand. Though, I’m sure he’d ask how I knew about this and would probably accuse me of working with them, and I’m not entirely sure how he’d accept my answer of being here.”

She sighed and pulled out her scroll, pausing when she finally saw the time. It was about time for the singles rounds to start. Which meant Yang and Penny… Ruby dashed through the halls with her semblance to make it towards the arena. She had to make it there before the fight to warn Yang about fighting Mercury. And while she had no doubt that Yang would win, it didnt matter if she got disqualified again. But if she could get there fast enough-

“Alright, that’s everyone that can get in, you’ll need to wait for the next transport,” one of the Atlas soldiers said as he closed the door to the airship carrying people up to watch the fights. “Next one will be back in about ten minutes, plenty of time to catch the start of the first round.”

Ruby pushed her way through the crowd, only to stop as she watched the airship take off and make its way up to the arena. Her heart pound in her chest as her eyes stayed glued to the airship. Ten minutes was going to be too long to wait if it meant getting to Yang after her fight had started. But, seeing as even with the control she had with her semblance now, she still wouldnt be able to get high enough to reach the arena, all she could was wait.

The airship arrived soon enough and Ruby boarded once she was allowed to, nervous as she waited for the airship to fill before it’d take off. She glanced at her scroll once more and saw that it had been time for the fight to start. It was already too late to warn Yang, but maybe she could stop it. Emerald had to be in the stands and if she could find her, then she could put a stop to whatever she did.

She tapped her foot as the airship took off and stared out the window as she watched Beacon below her get farther away as she arrived up towards the arena. Once the doors opened and she could get off, she rushed towards the stands near the fight as quickly as she could. She kept her eyes peeled as she made her way through the crowds and into the stands, slowing as she started to watch the fight. She had almost forgotten how quickly Yang had nearly lost the fight, though, the more she watched, the more it almost seemed like Mercury was toying with her.

Ruby shook her head and started to make her way to a nearby Atlas soldier. “You need to stop this fight.”

“Please sit down and enjoy yourself,” the soldier said as he tried to move Ruby out of the way. “Besides, the fight’s almost over.”

“I can see that but-” the words stopped as Ruby as she finally caught a glance of Emerald in the stands. Without another word, she rushed over to her to stop her from getting Yang disqualified. And then she stopped as she heard Mercury yell out in pain.

“My leg!” Mercury yelled out as he clutched his leg. “You broke my leg!”

“He attacked me!” the younger Yang yelled out. “Didnt you see that? He attacked-”

Ruby felt her heart break as she watched Yang watch the camera footage, too late to stop Emerald. But it was only one mess up. Sure, she couldnt keep Yang in the tournament, but she could stop Penny from being torn to pieces and stop Cinder from causing Beacon to fall. All she had to do was get Emerald and then-

“You need to come with me.”

Ruby froze as she heard Qrow’s voice behind her and felt his hand on her shoulder. She slowly turned around and gave him a nervous smile. “Hey… Qrow.”

Qrow rolled his eyes and pulled Ruby with him. “Come on, we need to go see Ozpin.”

“Wait, I cant go see him yet!” Ruby retorted as she tried to pull out of his grip. “I have something I need to do-”

“And I need to find out why you look like my niece.” Qrow sighed and glanced over towards Yang as she was led out by some soldiers. “But first, Ozpin wants to talk to you and I need to see what’s going on with Yang. So come with me and then you can explain what you’re doing.”

Ruby sighed and followed Qrow without another argument as her eyes caught the younger version of her team make their way back to the dorms. It was different watching from this perspective, how much she didnt realize just how much even then she always hid what she felt, still seeing a smile on her face.

Once they were far enough, Qrow finally spoke. “Why do you look like my niece?”

“Its… its a long story and I’m not entirely sure you’d believe me,” Ruby answered. “But that doesnt matter. What does is that I… I know what’s going to happen and we can stop it.”

“And what’s going to happen?”

“I can answer once we get to Ozpin.”

“Fine, but then you have to explain everything.”

“I will.” Ruby boarded the airship with Qrow and watched as Amity started to pull away. Two hours. She had two hours until Penny would be called to fight, two hours to try to prevent all of this. And yet, it still seemed like an impossible task.

She sighed as the airship landed and she was escorted to Ozpin’s office, her heart raced as she entered Beacon tower and brought into the elevator. Time almost felt like it slowed as she waited for the elevator to reach Ozpin’s office, her thoughts and fears raced through her mind as she tried to keep herself focused. Save Penny, stop Beacon from falling, and everything would be right. And as the elevator door opened, all she could do was take a breath and try to relax as she practically shook in her boots.

“Ah, Miss Rose,” Ozpin said as he looked up from his desk. “You’ve finally joined us.”

Ruby slowly made her way over to sit down in front of his desk. “You… you know who I am?”

“I’d recognize one of my students anywhere.”

Qrow rolled his eyes. “And how can you be sure this is Ruby? You know she and her team are going to be in their dorm with Yang. How can she be here too?”

Ozpin took a sip of his hot chocolate. “That will be for her to explain.”

“I’m… I’m not sure…” Ruby sighed and looked at her scroll. An hour and a half. An hour and a half left. “I cant explain why I’m here, but I know I can fix things. Or at least stop what’s about to happen.”

“And what is going to happen?” Qrow asked as he eyed her. “What do you know that we dont?”

“Cinder… Cinder and her team plan to bring Beacon down to get at the relic. She’s going to kill Penny during her fight and its going to cause panic across Remnant.”

“That’s quite the accusation.” Ozpin motioned for Qrow to leave and moved a few papers. “Qrow will take a look to see if he recognizes them, but until then, there’s not much we can do.”

“You have to stop the tournament!” Ruby said as she stood up, slamming her hands on the desk. She paused when she caught Qrow staring at her near the door, and she slowly sat down again. “If Penny is called to her fight, then it’ll be too late.”

Ozpin sighed and looked at Ruby almost apologetically. “And unfortunately, I cant do that. I’m no longer in charge of security of the festival, which means I cant stop the tournament. At least, not until we have proof that Cinder is who we’re looking for. Though, I’m sure she’ll be with her teammate while he’s getting his leg looked at.”

“He’s going to be in the camera room.” Ruby paused for a moment. “He’ll… he’ll be in the camera room. I’ll stop him there!”

“Wait Ruby-”

“I can still stop this!” Ruby said as she rushed to the elevator and tapped her foot impatiently as the door closed and the elevator slowly made its way down the tower. She checked her scroll and paused for a moment. She had less than an hour to make it to that camera room and stop Mercury. And as long as she could stop him, then Penny could live.

The elevator made it to the bottom of the tower and Ruby rushed out as soon as the door opened. She pushed with her semblance to make it to the airship to get up to the arena to stop Mercury, only to once again miss the airship up to wait for the next one. She took a few breaths as she waited to calm herself, to focus on what she needed to do.

A sigh of relief left her lips as the next airship finally came. She made her way on board and tapped her foot as she waited for the airship to take off, fingers tapping her scroll as she waited for the airship to land. Thirty minutes. Thirty minutes until Penny would be called and to stop Mercury.

Once the airship landed, she rushed towards the camera room with her semblance and opened the door. Ruby relaxed a bit once she didnt see Mercury there, and leaned against the door frame. “He’s not here, which means I beat him and I can stop all of this.”

“And what exactly are you planning to stop?” Mercury asked as he entered the maintenance hallway.

Ruby unfolded her scythe and readied herself as she stared at Mercury. “As long as I keep you from messing with the cameras, everything will be fine.”

Mercury smirked as he looked up at the screens that showed the next round of fighters. “Polarity against a machine. That’s not going to end so well, is it? Well, doesnt matter if you stop me, my jobs to keep the cameras rolling during the fight. Cant let anyone miss it, can we?”

“What do you mean?” Ruby asked as she lowered her scythe. “If I stop you from messing with the cameras-”

“Penny is still going to be torn apart.”

Ruby’s arms shook as she glanced towards the arena to see Penny and Pyrrha fight, and then towards the camera controls. If she couldnt stop the fight, then she could at least stop it from being broadcast. Penny could be rebuilt, but if no one sees her die-

She was pushed out of her thoughts as Mercury rushed towards her, instinctively blocking a kick with her scythe as she was pushed back. Then, she saw her younger self make it to the door, just like she’d done before. “Ruby, you have to go! Find Emerald!”

Mercury paused for a moment when he saw the younger Ruby at the door start to run off. “She’ll never find her in time. Everything is already in place.”

Ruby took a breath and steadied herself. “All I have to do is stop the broadcast.”

“And I wont let you.”

Ruby pulled back as Mercury rushed towards her, blocking kick after kick with her scythe and pushing away from him as she kept an eye on the fight. All she needed was an opening to turn off the broadcast and everything would finally be fixed. And yet, that opening seemed so far away as Mercury kept rushing at her. She blocked kick after kick, pushed him back with her scythe and took a few shots at him, but nothing seemed to get him to back off.

“You seem distracted!” Mercury said as he pushed off a wall and slammed into Ruby. “And now, you can watch everything fall.”

Ruby froze as she watched Penny get torn apart on the broadcast again, but this time, things were different. This time, she could hear the metal crunch as the wires wrapped and cut through Penny in the broadcast. Five seconds. All it took was five seconds for it to be all over.

She got up and rushed outside, only to pause as the world around her seemed to quiet as panic took over the audience. As the grimm started to swarm, the world almost seemed to freeze for her. After everything, she had still failed.

“You failed again, didnt you?” the younger Ruby asked. “Or atleast, you failed me, right?”

“I… I did… I was supposed to fix everything.” Ruby dropped to her knees as if she felt the weight of the world on her. She watched as the nevermore broke through the shield of Amity as the citizens started to be escorted out. “I can still stop Cinder-”

“And what will that change? Even if you managed to change things here, it doest change anything for you, right?”

“It can.” Ruby stood up and faced her younger self. “If I stop Cinder here then everything goes back to normal-”

“And then you, what, stay here in a fantasy of your creation?”

Ruby took a step back as she watched the world around her start to shatter as if it was a mirror, collapsing around her until nothing was left besides her and her younger self. “I… I dont understand.”

“You failed us, but that doesnt mean you have to end it like that.” The younger Ruby offered her a hand. “You may not be able to go back into the past and fix your mistakes, but you can move forward and move on.”

Ruby took her younger self’s hand and watched her disappear. Once she was certain she was alone, she dropped to her knees and closed her eyes to keep a few tears from streaming down her cheeks. “I… I dont know what to do.”

“All you have to do now is wake up.”

#rwby #ruby rose #rwby ruby rose #mercury black #drabbles #angsty drabbles

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