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dahliamalfoy97 · 1 year

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ETERNALLY YOURS- Kokushibo x reader one shot

Synopsis: this is an au where Kokushibo is still a demon but it’s more of a legend type thing and the villagers fear him because he steals girls at night and disappears with them. I’m not going to give too much away because I don’t want to spoil. You’ll just have to read below to find out what it’s about.

Warning: SMUT 18+ content, MDNI, kidnapping, mentions of murder and killing, loss of virginity, unprotected sex, oral sex, blowjob, penetration, praise kink, degradation kink, choking, blood, umm just explicit content so beware.

Word Count: 3,924

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They say he comes at night.

On the night of every full moon, the Demon of the Night will randomly kidnap a girl and that girl would never return. No one knew what this monster did with the girls he took but everyone had a feeling he either fed on them or killed them.

So everyone was terrified of him. Everyone except for you. You were curious of the man of legend. But you yourself wanted to be taken away from this place. You hated it here in your hometown. You hated the people. They had tormented you ever since your parents had died in a fire. You had been the survivor but you had been left with some gnarly scars specifically on your face. So you were often bullied and mocked for your appearance. Even the adults would take part in your torture. You hated everyone of them. And wished death would either come to them or to you. To save you from this never ending hell.

Since no one would take you in, you were left sleeping in a barn in a loft, up above the horses and cows. It often stunk and your clothes were always filthy and torn, but it was better than nothing. You often were able to sneak into the baths at night to avoid the townspeople. You had often wondered about running away from this hometown and starting a new life, but you were worried about how outsiders would see you. So you stayed.

It was a few minutes before midnight, the moon was full and brighter than ever. But tonight instead of it's usual white color, it was a deep red. You wondered if this would be your night. this had been a night you had definitely cleaned yourself for. For you didn't want to be filthy. You wanted to be ready for him.

Unable to sleep, you lie awake on the makeshift bed you had created from your clothes, staring out the window at the moon. Waiting.

Thirty minutes had passed and there was still no sign of the demon.

Suddenly, screaming fills the night outside. You get up to peak outside the window. Your eyes widen when you see the town in flames. You scramble up, and head down the ladder. You run outside but a hand grabs you, and you're yanked against the barn wall.

A tall figure has you pinned but you can make out the face because it's covered with a hood.

"Are you ready my love?" A deep low voice rumbles and you can't help but bite your lip.

"Are you him? The Demon of The Night?" You ask, desperately trying to get a look at what hid underneath the shadows of his hood.

"Yes, I've come to take you with me".

"Then please take me away."

Urgently, he scoops you in his arms, arms hooked underneath your legs, bridal style you are whisked away through what appears to be black mist. You cling tightly to him, not sure where he was taking you. But you didn't care.

He sets you down on what appears to be a bed in a darkly lit room. He sits beside you.

"Are you going to kill me?"

"Not you, dear one. You're the only one I don't want to kill. I want you to be mine, my queen."

You shake your head covering your face, "but why me? I'm ugly. A monster. Were the other girls not enough for you?"

Ripping your hands away from your face, He yanks his hood down and suddenly you're met with not one but 3 pairs of golden eyes, covered in deep red sclera. You reach out to touch his face, with is marred with reddish flame scar like mark decorating the left corner of his forehead stopping right above his ear and then he had some more on his right chin. You weren't disgusted. But merely curious. You were sure most people would be repulsed by such a face. But you- you found him beautiful. He had long black hair that cascaded into waves all the way past his waist.

"You're not ugly, you are gorgeous," he growls, "Compared to me you are everything this world doesn't deserve. Those girls causes you harm. That's why I kidnapped and killed them."

You gasp, eyes widening, "you killed them for me?"

He holds your hands in his letting you continue to map him with your hands, "you prayed for someone to save you from that hell of a town right? For someone to make them pay for hurting you every day?"

Again you're taken aback, "how did you know?"

He presses a kiss to your right hand, fire shoots into your entire soul, you didn't know why a demon made your soul soar. Him, out of all beings was the one to send shivers of warmth down your spine, the one to make your twos curl. But here you were out of breath from just the small gesture alone.

"I heard your prayer, dear one. I heard you calling for me. Do you believe in reincarnation?"

"Well it has to be possible if you are," you reply.

"You may not remember me from our previous lives. Because every time your memory is erased every time you are reborn. But you and I have been destined as soulmates for eternity. But since i am a demon and you are a mortal, life always seems to take you away from me. I can't die but you can. For I am not allowed to have a happy life for destroying so many. So it is my curse to always watch you die. But I am always finding a way to break this curse. But the only way to do that is for you to become a demon. With me."

"So why haven't I become one before?" You felt an immense pain in your gut even though you had no memory of your past lives with him. Something untethered bound you to him you could feel it in the way he touched your hand. There was an invisible string that connected your soul to his and you knew he was telling the truth. Your heart hurt to know he's been suffering this curse for so long.

"Because in your past lives you've had everything you've needed in your mortal life so you haven't wanted to become one. And something tragic always happens to you. So I've never had the chance-"

"Then take it now," you demand, "make me yours, Demon of the Night."

"Please, my name is Kokushibo, call me by my name, and you really want to bind your soul to mine forever and surrender your mortal life to me?"

"Please," you cry. "Please make me yours, Koku."

That's all he needs to cradle your face in his hands and to close the gap between you. You gasp when his hot demanding lips collide with yours ever so gently, yet all consuming at the same time. You move so you're straddling his lap. Legs booked around his waist as you cling to him in lotus like position. You wound your hands in his long hair, whimpering at how soft and silky it feels. He growls when you tug at his scalp, trying to pull him as close and the gentle rhythm is replaced with hungry, desperate one as you desperately try to press yourself even closer- as close as possibly could get your bodies with all the in between. You rock yourself against his hard length that's hidden underneath his purple kimono. You could tell he was massive with how heavy and hard he felt underneath you. You pull eagerly at his kimono wanting it off. But he pulls away.

"Not so fast dear one", he chuckles, his deep voice going straight to your core and you let out a whine. "I really need you to understand that once we do this, once we cross this line, there's no going back." His breath hovers above your exposed neck peaking through your flimsy shirt that did nothing to hide you since it was full of holes. You knew your nipples were pebbled against the fabric, just his mere presence was enough to turn you on.

"I know, I want this," you whisper, with determined fervor. "I may not remember my past lives with you, but something in my soul is tied to you and I know I can't live without you. So please let's not repeat the past. Make me yours so we can be together forever."

"You're absolutely sure?"

You nod, "one hundred percent."

With no further hesitation, his mouth on yours again. This time with way more force than before. His hands reach up, ripping your shirt into shreds and discarding it's pieces on the ground. He takes them both in his large hands and fondles them, you arch and moan into his touch. Coming alive with every kneed and tweak. It felt like you were clay in his hands. For him to mold and break. To tear and piece back together. His lips left yours to leave hungry kisses along your neck. You felt sharp scrap along your skin as his fangs grazed it. Nibbling on slightly enough to sting and leave a mark but not enough to make it bleed.

You were a mess in his lap, rocking and whimpering over his clothed member frantic for more of whatever he gave you.

"Please Koku, take me," you murmur in desperate pleas.

"Fuck, I already love hearing you beg for me," he rasps, against your skin. Nipping on your nipple, causing you to cry out.

He lets go of your breasts push you back on the bed, he towers over you, before leaning back down to kiss you again. He trails kisses down your body from your collarbone, down your stomach, his hands caressing running along your thighs, ripping the rest of fabric you wore off of you. Leaving you in just your panties, which were soaked already. His kisses move to your thighs, creating a path up to your center. Each kiss sending bolts of electrify. He pauses , hovering, over your clothed core. His gold irises glow in pride at the dampness of them. His index finger runs along the material.

"I can't wait to taste you, dear one. I can smell your sweet arousal from here and it makes me insatiable."

Immediately , he tears off your panties and wastes no time diving in, making you his own personal feast as he devours you with his mouth. His tongue swirling around your clit in delicious patterns. You grip his hair tugging him in deeper and eagerly grind on his face. Eliciting appreciative growls and hums that end you into overdrive with the vibrations.

"Shit, Koku, don't stop," you cry, head thrown back. Eyes shut. Immediately, you feel a sharp pain on your clit, your eyes blink open. Finding those golden eyes glaring at you in disapproval.

"Don't close your eyes," he growls, then he resumes, fûcking you with his mouth, as soon as he deems you wet enough, he inserts a finger. You whimper at the foreign feeling. For this was your first time.

"Koku," you murmur softly, "you should know I've never done this with anyone."

He stills immediately gold irises locking on yours with surprise, "you mean no one's ever touched you? You're a virgin?"

You shake your head, "no, you're my first."

He smirks, something feral brews in those eyes, "oh you have no idea how happy that makes me. That I'll be your first and I'll definitely be your last, and anyone who tries to look at you or even think about you. I'll kill them. You're mine, and mine only. You got that?"

You nod, tears forming in your eyes. For no one had ever wanted you. "I just can't believe you want me as yours. No one has. They've always said I'm ugly and that I'm a monster."

"Well those fuckers are wrong, they're the monsters. You are magnificent and absolutely beautiful," he growls, "you're a fûcking queen. A goddess meant to be worshipped. And that is what I'll do as your king and your mate I'm going to worship the fuck out of you."

You can't help but cry at this, you had never felt so desired. So wanted. Those cries turn into moans as he continues to eat your pussy, adding a second and third finger. Curling them around you to find your sweet spot. Once he does he begins fucking you mercilessly with his fingers. Stretching you out so good.

"You feel so good, Koku," you praise.

"No, you’re the one who feels exquisite," he grunts. With the combination of his praise and the rapid thrusts of his fingers, you feel yourself clenching around his fingers and coming undone.

You watch in a daze as he stands up sucking your juices off his fingers. He discards of his own clothes. Your jaw drops at how beautifully ripped he is. As if cut from marble. Every ridge and plane of his body was pure art. And his cock, it was massive. You immediately sat up and crawled to him, reaching out to grasp it but he stops you.

"You can do that another time ," he says. "Right now I need to be inside you. This night is all about making you feel good."

"But I want to make you feel good too," you beg.

"Making you feel good will make me feel good."

"Please," you demand again. "To thank you for saving me."

He grins, "okay. Since you beg so prettily."

You first reach up to touch his chest though, running your hands to feel the ridges of his chest. He inhales sharply. Feeling your warm touch against his. You truly were a miracle for his cold and dark heart. You press some kisses along his chest and down towards his awaiting cock. Which was standing hard and stiff against his stomach. You take it in your hands, gently stroking in. You didn't really know what you were doing, but something in you seemed to remember how to touch and please him. For he let out a groan of pleasure as you stroked his shaft. His cock much bigger than your hands. It was thick and girthy. Hot and heavy against your touch. Your thighs ached. You lean forward, running your tongue along his slit before sucking on his head slightly. Before licking along his shaft and along his underside. Humming in pleasure at his salty taste. You take him further into your mouth, hollowing your cheeks to take him in as far as you go. Choking slightly when it reaches the back of your throat. You pull off only to take him again setting a rhythm of bobbing your head up and down, gripping his thighs as you continue to suck him off.

He grips your hair to tug it out of your face, deep moans fall from his lips, "you're doing so good, goddess. Your mouth feels so good around my cock."

Tears spring from your eyes the deeper you take him, saliva dripped from your mouth. But you didn't stop.

"Keep going", he urges, guiding your head helping you keep a steady rhythm. "Such a good girl. "

His grunts become more erratic and you reach to cup his balls, squeezing them lightly. But when you do that he pulls out.

"You do that and you're going to make me cum," he growls. "I don't want to cum yet, not until I'm inside that pretty pussy of yours."

Shortly he's pushing you down on the bed, pulling me towards the edge of the bed. Spreading my legs wide. He grips his cock, stroking it. "You don't know how long I've been aching to be inside you. To make you officially mine."

He takes his cock and runs it up and down along your slit. Mixing his precum and your arousal together. Before lining up with your entrance.

"Since it's your first time, let me know if it hurts. I'll try to be gentle at first. But it'll probably sting just a little. But I got you"

"I've taken worse in my life, Koku," you assure him, "I'm sure I can handle you just fine."

That's all the encouragement he needs, to begin pushing his tip inside you. And god, just his head alone was big. It stretched you out in ways you had never been stretched before. Your walls clenched around as he pushed his way through. The stretch was unfamiliar and was a little painful but it felt good the way he filled you up. The way you two were connected.

"Goddamn, you're so fucking tight," he growls.

At last he's fully seated inside of you, once you've adjusted to his size he slowly pulls out before slamming in again. He grips your waist in his hands as he begins pounding into you. You reach up to pull him down into a kiss, your moans mixing with his grunts.

"You are so fucking tight," he growls. "I love the way your pussy hugs my cock, as if it’s specifically made to take my cock and mine only. Desperate to be stretched by me and filled by me.”

You whimper at his dirty words for they only seemed to heighten your pleasure. He felt so good. Every inch and vein of his cock stretched you out so perfectly. Each thrust seeming to go deeper and deeper.

"That's right, make those pretty noises for me, let me hear how I make you feel."

He hooks your legs over his shoulders. This angle deeper than before.

"Fuck don't stop, Koku!" You cry.

"Trust me, I'm not planning on stopping any time soon."

Soon, all you can hear in the room is loud slapping of skin, and a series of moans and groans and you lose yourselves in the feeling of each other. Both you so wrapped in how each other felt. Not being able to get enough, not wanting separate. Your hands were on his back, nails digging as he pounded into you with such animalistic speed. His yellow eyes glowed with pleasure and love.

Even though it was your first time, it felt like you guys have been connected before. As if the feeling of him being inside you was awaking some of those lost memories.

When he hits your spot, you cry out, every thrust sending you into overdrive.

"So fucking gorgeous," he praises, "every inch of you deserves to be worshipped."

You can't help but fall apart at his words, "Koku- " you whimper, "I'm going to cum. Mark me."

"With pleasure, my queen," with that his fangs find the skin of your neck and sink into your flesh. You cry out, the overwhelming sensation of his bite, his cock and his words is enough to send you crashing around him. Not soon after do you feel him releasing into you. You feel his hot cum filling you. "Look at how pretty you looks with my cum filling you up. You're so perfect for me, My Queen."

Feeling the adrenaline from the bite, you can feel the shift in your body as you can feel yourself beginning to change and all your memories come rushing back. You flip him over, so you're straddling him. You line him back up with your slit, before sinking back down onto him.

"'Now let me show you how much you deserve to be loved," you lean down to kiss him, biting his lip with your new fangs. You run your nails down his chest as you bounce up and down his shaft. This new position filled you up in new ways. It stretched you out even more deliciously. You looked down to see where you two were connected. Loving the sight. Then you meet his gold irises. "For you killed an entire village for me, and saved me. So now it's my turn to return the favor."

You quicken your pace, up and down. Swirling around his cock with your cunt. His moans become deeper. Your moans higher as his tip hits your spot.

"Take what you want, my Queen. I'm yours."

You can feel the pressure in your stomach building as you feel yourself clenching around him again. You slow your pace, to prolong the orgasm, wanting to make him cum first.

"Your cunt feels so good gripping me like this, you are so fucking perfect," he moans.

Sneaky bastard as he reaches in between to rub your clit, making you come undone again in instant. Feeling you tire, he starts thrusting up into you. Making you arch your back, and grip the sheets for purchase as he slowly but surely regains control. Flipping you back around so you're under him once again. Brutally slamming into you once more, this time his thrusts feel even deeper than before. The bed begins to creak underneath the constant movement.

"It's becoming too much," you cry out. But it's like he's lost all morality, as he's focused on bending and using you to his will.

"You can take it," he growls. "You'll take everything I give you," with that he sinks his fangs into you again and you cry out. Loving the mix of pain and pleasure. "Because you're mine for eternity now. So this body will become so used to my cock it won't be able to function without it."

"Koku," you sob, you cum again. immediately at the sight of your blood dripping from his fangs. The sight turning you on even more. "Give me everything you have."

His detaches his fangs from your neck. Shifts you once again, to where your stomach is pressed against the bed and your ass is forced upwards. He's slamming into you without any warning. He yanks your head up so it's pressed against his chest hammering into you over and over. You crane your neck and bring him in for another sloppy kiss.

He wraps his hand around your neck, squeezing lightly, causing your air to be cut off slightly and for your to tighten your walls around his cock even more. You loved how he was becoming more and more demonic. Not holding back a single ounce of remorse as he broke and mended you over and over.

“I’m going to cum again,” you cry.

“Do it,” he doesn’t stop his hard fast thrusts, “cum for me once more.”

“Cum with me this time,” you plead.

“God I love you,” he says.

“I love you too, Koku.“

Kokushibo lets out one last roar as you come together. He pulls out. And leaves for a moment only to come back with a wash cloth. Once he’s done, he lies down next to you, pulling you into him.

“Finally,” he says, give you a gentle kiss, “we’re officially together and nothing will ever separate us again.”

“I am eternally yours, Koku.”

#kokushibo #kokushibo x reader #kokushibodemonslayer #demon slayer kokushibo #kokushibo smut #uppermoonkoku #kokushibou #kokushibou smut #demon slayer #kny kokushibo #readerxkokushibou #kokuoneshot

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orionsangel86 · 1 year

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I was once again flicking through the Sandman comics and thinking about the changes made to the show (as I am pretty much always doing) and something that struck me as interesting is why they chose to swap out Tales in the Sand for Men of Good Fortune.

In the comics, The Sound of Her Wings is the last story in Preludes and Nocturns. Dream’s meeting with his sister Death closes out the first of the overarching storylines within the Sandman saga, and it ends with Dream finding some measure of peace after speaking with her, and finding joy in hearing the sound of wings.

This can be interpreted as the first bit of real foreshadowing of Dream’s desire to die. Anyone who has read the Kindly Ones knows how important The Sound Of Her Wings is as it is called back to heavily at the end.

In the comics, the next issue can be seen as a one off, but is included in The Doll’s House book. This issue is Tales in the Sand - the tragic love story of Dream and Nada.

Right after Tales in the Sand, we get to the Doll’s House, which begins the exact same way that episode 6 of The Sandman Netflix show ends - with Desire calling on Despair to begin their scheming over the existance of the vortex.

I found it very interesting how the show swapped out Tales in the Sand for Men of Good Fortune - a story which in the comics comes much later within The Doll’s House storyline.

On the one hand, it makes sense to move Men of Good Fortune outside of the Doll’s House story for pacing reasons. But by putting it where they did they have drastically changed the tone of the story in a few ways.

1. It changes the end of The Sound of Her Wings. Show!Dream doesn’t leave his sister to sit and find peace in the thought of death, instead he does the opposite, he immediately goes and seeks out the one person he knows who is quite literally the antithesis of death - someone who finds joy in living. It still ends the Preludes and Nocturns story with Dream finding some manner of peace and happiness, but not in the sound of wings. Instead, it’s in the reunion with his friend who loves life so much he refuses to die.

2. It takes the place of the only love story we are given for Dream at that point in the comics. The Sandman comics have a tendency to avoid revealling too much information about Dream too soon and up until this point in the comics, all we know about his love life is that he condemned a lover to hell 10,000 years ago, based on a very brief conversation in A Hope In Hell. Tales in the Sand is the expansion of that brief conversation, giving us at least one perspective of how the tragedy played out.

I am really curious about why they decided to leave it out of the show completely. Partly I think its because it isn’t exactly a flattering look at Dream as a character. Probably didn’t seem like good business sense to the people who wanted The Sandman to perform well to basically destroy your main characters likeability half way through the first season (imagine all the Twitter puriteens and anti types who would get on their high horses attacking Sandman fans and Neil Gaiman alike for daring to like a main character who comes across a little bit rapey in this particular story - among other horrific character flaws).

Also, Tales in the Sand generally fits better with the Season of Mists story arc overall, and I think we will get a much kinder and more forgiving version of this story in the show.

So instead of being introduced to the first of Dream’s lovers, we are introduced to Hob Gadling. Make of that what you will.

3. It makes the immediate cut to Desire at the start of The Doll’s House story all the more eyebrow raising. Part of the reason why I think Desire’s scenes follow on from Tales in the Sand is because Desire had a lot to do with Dream’s bad behaviour in that story, and what ultimately happened is partly their fault. It is brought up both in comic and show when Desire tells Despair that “Nada was a mistake” but in the show, this comment remains a mystery, whereas in the comic, it goes some way into explaining the horrific story we have just read.

In the show, instead it makes for absolutely beautiful subtext as they cut to Desire’s realm and the song Desire as Desire says “Attend sweet Sibling” whilst we have just watched Dream reunite with Hob and smile the first real smile he has had all season so far. For a split second on my first watch I legit thought Desire was talking to Dream at that point and encouraging him to hook up with Hob. It was a very confusing few seconds!

At the end of the day, I think the change to the order of these stories was a very good idea, even without the added level of shipping fodder it gives us Dreamling shippers. In changing the end to The Sound of Her Wings in the show, it removes the foreshadowing of Dream’s desire to die, which I’ll be honest, so far I can’t see at all in the show version of the story. Instead, we get a Dream who is happy for the first time after reuniting with his friend - who apparently waited an additional 33 years for him and built/refurbished a pub in that time.

I have a bazzillion more thoughts on the changes from comic to show on the Men of Good Fortune issue in particular, but that’s for another post. I just had to get my thoughts down as the more I read and re-read the comics, the more I feel like the show is considering a different direction, a more hopeful happy direction. But I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

#the sandman #sandman meta #dreamling #dream of the endless #the sandman comics #sandman comic spoilers #the sound of her wings #men of good fortune #tales in the sand

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ghostieyanyan · 10 months

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~Fox and their love-sick hound~

Yan!Dog!Rook x Fox!Mc

Warning: yandere, hunting (its rook...), stalking, drugs??,

I really wanted to write something for this. like I said in the mainly art version of this. I 100% think Rook as a Dog is a Golden retriever. they're hunting dogs but also little ray of sunshine. i know there is a movie about the fox and the hound but in the movie the dog is a blood hound. but rook... as a golden retriever.. i had to qwq

~~You found the fanfic! There’s an art piece that goes with this, here you go! Enjoy ^^~~

~~~~~

Surprise! surprise! the classes were over and everyone were doing their club activity. You were just stopping by each club to see how everyone was doing. a friendly visit, you can say.

You stopped by the music club and saw that their 3 members were playing a new rhythm game on cater's phone.

You stopped by the Basketball club. you quickly left when you say Floyd throwing the balls like they were dodgeballs...

you stopped by the board game club. Azul and Idia were playing a card game that you couldn't understand with Azul honey laced words trying to explain it to you.

you see the film club in the hallway for a film shot. vil seems to be lecturing a freshmen... fun.

you see malleus on the roof looking at gargoyles, you wave to him and he waves back.

you watched Riddle ride his horse, flawlessly. Silver was sleeping on a horse and Sebek was screaming at him to wake up.. fun.

the magical shift club were playing their game

you see Jack and Deuce running around the school and you quickly yelled at them to not to drink water.

now the science club, you were honestly on the fence on even entering. its nothing about the club that made you uncomfortable. it was a certain hunter that did.

when you first meet him, he went on and on with compliments about your beauty. at first it was nice and quite flattering but it started to make you feel uncomfortable and you started to feel a little self-conscious. did everyone notice that you misplace your buttons? or did everyone notice the way you part your hair? all this "positive" attention was too much for you to handle and when you confront him about it.... it was like he was holding back before cause now he just wont stop! You started to avoid him every chance you got. the spotlight was just too much for you to take and you didn't have the heart to tell anyone about how you felt about this. it was too embarrassing and frankly silly to not like all the "praise".

you were still at the door to the science club... and you really didn't want to leave this club with say hi or checking in like the others... plus! Trey will be there! he might help if Rook does... a Rook.

You took a deep breathe for courage and open the door. you were introduced to a cloud of purple mist that smelled floral but sour? with the force of the mist, you were knocked down on the floor. you immediately braced yourself on the floor. the mist took a good minute for it clear out.

"Little pup! Are you okay?"

towering over you stood Divus Crewel, you couldn't see his face but you did see his coat which helped you to identify him. his hand was extended to you.

"im okay.. what happened here??"

you took his hand and stood. with your other hand, you waved off the remaining mist.

"tsk.. it seems a pup mixed the wrong herbs to the base making the reactions to be more... monstrous than it was intended. we normally have good ventilation here but.. frankly, if you haven't open the doors, we'd likely suffocated by the fumes, so thank you pup."

he starts to walk away to check his students, leaving you standing there process what he said... good thing you went into the science club then huh.. you thought. you make your way in the class room and helped some of the students clear out the rest of the mist, it was still kinda hard to see everyone but with a little wave of a notebook as a makeshift fan, it cleared up quickly.

you noticed that there is a lot of beastmen in here? weird but you didnt seem to mind too much. the kicker is when you recognize a non-beastmen beastmen.

"trey? aww you have cute little doggy ears!"

Trey has cute dog ears on his head! one of the ear's is up and the other is flopped down. They were just the cutest! As you were distacted by his ears, he laughs and turns to show off his tail. he knew what he was doing.

"heh.. we were making transformation potions kinda like the sea Witch but instead of turning merfolk into human, we tried humans into beastmen."

"ah.. that makes sense but... umm... may i..?"

you motion to his tail and ears. he lets out a charming laugh and nods. your face beamed as he bends down to you so you can pet his ears. they were so soft and when you brushed your finger on the bottom edge of his ears, they twitched. you tried to hold your joyish squeal and just hugged trey.

"hehe... im guessing you like my ears and tail?"

"mhmm..." you said in his shoulder

"you dont look half bad yourself, perfect"

you felt a flitch on your... head, no... ears? you immediately push yourself off trey and ran to the nearest glass shelf to look at yourself in the reflection. you had big long ears standing on your head. they looked a lot bigger than trey's ears but not like bunny ears. you looked at your behind and saw you had a big long tail. it was flowy and the fur looked coarse but soft too.

"but how-?"

"it was likely when you opened the door, and the mist hit you. any ways, i need to check with Professor Crewel and see when an antidote can be made. if you don't mind perfect, can you help out the other freshmen to clean up? we should get this place clear out of the mist or any hidden residue. there's extra lab coats and gloves over here."

"o-oh! ya sure. i dont mind."

you ran to slip on a lab coat and... felt someone's eyes on you. you looked around and everyone seemed to do their own thing. maybe your just not used to the extra sensations with your ears and tail?

you shrugged it off and hurried to check on everyone and clean up.

"..."

~~~~~

3 days...

3 days until you ears and tail were gone. Trey said since they were mimicking the sea witch's merfolk to human potion. they estimate they potion will last for 3 days. anyone with ears and tail (that aren't suppose to) are suppose to check with professor crewel immediately.

Frankly ace and epel are not helping! they keep laughing and messing with you. blowing wind in your direction to watch you ears and tail twitch. if you're nice they use magic, if not, they get close and blow in your ear.

"my gosh! quit it!"

the only time they actually stopped (until next time) is when deuce and jack are protecting you from them. such sweet hearts. they compliment it and Deuce actually ask to feel them, he's just curious!

Sebek isn't much help either. he doesn't play jokes on you but his yelling is 10x worst now. you were half tempted to go straight to malleus or lilia and ask if they can talk to sebek about his volume.

other than that everything has gone quiet... its just smooth sailing. until 3 days is up, you continued your day like normal. you get comments here and there but everyone (except ace and epel) has been main respectful. bet the science club are getting lots of questions. maybe some went to azul for a temp cure, i mean, scarabia can be really loud with all the parties. what about Trey? cater is probably all over him with request for pictures or maybe he should get ears and a tail.

you laughed to yourself as you make it back to the Ramshackle dorm. Grim is with ace and deuce right now, after they were caught messing with the desserts. so you have alone time for a while, yippy!

your ear twitched and you quickly turned around to find... no one there.. maybe.. an animal? with too many strange feelings, the ears and tail sensing things, you just haven't been able to feel alone recently.. you quicken your steps and rushed inside your dorm. you quickly locked the doors and check the rest of house. locking doors and windows. you did a quick clean of the place, no hanging jackets or clothes that can be mistaken as figures in the house. you're suppose to just enjoy alone time... which you don't feel alone.. which is concerning.. you run to your room and try to get comfortable. new clothes, and your phone with ace and deuce's number on standby.

you lay down on your bed and took a deep breathe.. then you were out like a light.

~~~~~

running.

how and why were you running? it was the third day, you were suppose to say good bye to the ears and tails, plus the strange feelings those ears and tail senses you couldn't shake off. you were tired of it, the first day, they were really cool to have and the senses were really neat but the strange feeling of just something, or someone, just made the whole experience sour for you. even when you were in the ramshackle dorm with grim, grim had to contently be your voice of reason, which is new but not unwelcomed. you could tell that grim was starting to worry for you, which made you feel a little guilty.

that night, you needed some fresh air. once you were out of the dorm, you sat on the pouch. the cold winds felt nice on your ears. you took a deep breathe and looked at the stars to calm your nerves. you just had to wait a few more hours... until midnight, right? you took a few minutes to just relax in the stars until you felt like you had enough and started to make you way inside.

when you stepped inside, you were greeted with a shadowy figure in your way. you froze, all you can see from his figure were their sharp eyes. no one moved for a moment...

....

the figured jumped at your direction! the ears and tail wasn't just for show, the potion gave you beastmen abilities too, like speed and strength. but mainly the speed part is important right now.

you swiftly jumped out of the way and ran.

you didn't know where to go. if you try to run to the other dorms, it'll take you some time just to get into the hall of mirrors. but if you head to the forest by ramshackle, there's a tiny chance you lose this creep but if they catch you, its all over for you.

you had to pick no chance or a tiny chance!

but you have beastmen senses, if you go into the forest. maybe they'll aid you away from this creep!!

who cares, just run!!

~~~~~

...

you were hiding now...

you do have beastmen abilities now but doesn't mean you still wont get tired. you were hiding in a little hole, two fallen trees made this small hole in the ground and you were so grateful that you noticed it. maybe you could run out of the forest now and hide in another building? maybe you successfully made the creep lost? hopefully..

you tired your luck, your chest felt so heavy but you had to get help.

you tired to be slow and quiet as you crawled out of the hole. an arrow was shot right in front of you, in the ground. you let out a quick scream and ran.

your running was short lived when heard a whistle in the wind and a sharp pain in your leg, you were shot. you fell and rolled into the dirt.

this is it. you couldn't make it home and now no one will hear from you again. you felt like your life was flashing before your eyes. regrets... guilts... what was the last thing you said to everyone..? would they be okay without you..? would you be okay without them...?! you feel hot tears falling from your eyes. you didn't want to go like this! there was so much you wanted to experience in twisted wonderland! please someone, hel-

"Aww~ Trickster, no need for these tears. shh... i was only playing~"

your heart downed, you slowly turned your head around to see him, Rook Hunt.. he stepped closer to you so you can see him better. he had floppy golden ears on his head and a wagging tail to follow...

"Aw~ My Trickster~ i see I've stolen your breathe away so let me explain. the day where you heroically saved everyone in the science club from our demise, we, including yourself, were gifted beastmen abilities. id admit, it took every fiber of my being to not just jump you when you were all over Chevalier des Roses. but.. i decided, since we were gifted these abilities, i should test them out. to understand your creations, you must test them. so i selfishly took on the hunt for my mon cher renarde~~"

he took off his hat and bowed, taking one of your hand and gently kissing your knuckles. you were too shocked to even respond. you were feeling too many emotions at once. does this mean you'll live? Rook was the strange figure that you sensed... that's why you haven't seen him in days. he did all of this to test the potion...? he shot you in the leg!!

you started to feel little headed and just collapsed on the floor. as you were falling in and out of conciseness, rook picked you up bridle style and started to talk some more.

"Ahh~ Mon cher Renarde~ watching you deny your instincts only to let them take over was truly an honor. Vraiment magnifique~ your cute little twitches, ahh~ i couldn't get enough. i might force you to take the potion again.."

he stops and smiles at you. a smile that made you feel sick.

"hehe~ just kidding~"

...

"unless..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

French words!! i used google translate so sorry for the people who knows french.

Mon cher Renarde = my dear fox

Vraiment magnifique = truly beautiful

#twst fanart #twst #twst headcanons #twst wonderland #yandere twst #disney twst #disney twisted wonderland #twst x reader #art #digital art #twst rook hunt #twst rook #twst rook x reader #twst yandere rook #twst yan rook #twst yandere rook hunt

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beansprean · 1 year

Text

Close call?

My Familiar’s Ghost part 17

Masterpost

(ID in alt and under cut)

1. Close up in profile of ghost Guillermo on a background streaked with bolts of ghostly light. Guillermo is literally incandescent in fury, eyes fully black and burning with light, bright blue flames streaming from his clenched fists. Behind him, a throw pillow and a book fly by as if thrown, the pages of the book ripped and tearing out from the force. Blinded with rage, Guillermo thunders, “Everything I’ve done for the past 13 years has been for you!” At his back, the black shadow looms.

2a. Nandor ducks close to the viewer with a panicked expression as a book and a framed painting fly at his head, background dark and streaked in the direction of his motion. Guillermo shouts from offscreen: “Then the one time I do something for myself…” 2b. Guillermo continues: “It gets fucked up!” Another book and a sword fly through in the foreground, Nandor lunging back in the other direction to dodge, one arm held up protectively.

3. On a background that is at times a physical wall and other times a ghostly blue threaded with black, the room continues to tear itself apart. A wooden chair smashes hard against the wall, legs and arms splintering into pieces and causing a painting to topple to the floor. A metal sword twists itself up in midair. A lightbulb explodes in a standing lamp, spraying shards of glass. The painting of Nandor and his horse slips down the wall and lands on a corner, the bottom of the wooden frame breaking off. Guillermo continues ranting: “And once again…you make it all…about…”

4a. Close up of Guillermo, eyes black, face creased and clenched with fury, flames licking at the flyaways of his hair and the edges of his form. The black shadow has grown, tearing itself to pieces and burning into his aura as it gathers around his shoulders. Guillermo finishes with a thunderous “YOU!” He throws his arm forward, a blurred object streaking past at his direction. 4b. Extreme close up as the object, a broken stake of wood from the chair, meets its offscreen target with a decisive “shunk!” Blood spurts out from the contact.

5a. Close up on Guillermo, expression gone slack with shock as the black fades out of his eyes. His ghostly light fades in intensity, the black shadow dissipating and creeping away like mist. His hand hovers in the air, shaking, gaze fixated in naked horror at the scene before him. 5b. Shot of Nandor from the front, pinned to the wall by the stake buried through his shirt just under his left armpit, having sliced through his ribs just a few inches from his heart. Blood spreads across the fabric and drips from the end of the stake. The wall behind him is peppered with tears, dents, scrapes, and shards of wood from the other items thrown at him. A strip of wallpaper is rolling itself down and an ornate sconce is snapped in half and twisted to the side, unlit. Nandor is frozen with his right hand held up protectively, eyes wide and jaw slack in shock. He stutters, “G-“ 5c. Reverse shot of Guillermo. Nandor tries again, whimpering shakily from offscreen, “Guillermo…” Guillermo flinches at his name, ghostly aura now small and contained. He holds up both hands protectively to his chest, entire body shaking now as his wide eyes fill with tears. 5d. Reverse shot as Guillermo, in the foreground, disappears from the room with a “voop”. Nandor is left alone, pinned and bleeding, right arm outstretched as if trying to grab after his friend. We can now see the pile of mangled books at his feet, a cupboard to the left with a broken and battered door hanging open, and the intact sword buried in the wall nearby; the results of Guillermo’s carnage. /end ID

#wwdits #my familiars ghost #nandermo #mlm #ghost guillermo #guillermo de la cruz #nandor the relentless #what we do in the shadows fx #what we do in the shadows #my art #fanart #image described #blood tw #violence tw

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entropiasgift · 4 months

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Ship dynamics: Like Dionysus and Ariadne, finding love after heartache.

"Distraught, Ariadne was wandering along the shore searching for sight of her lover's ship, when she was surprised by the wine god Bacchus. He had fallen in love with her and asked her to marry him, offering her the sky as a wedding gift, in which one day she would become a constellation." (x)

1. Susan Abulhawa, Against the loveless world. // 2. Mahmoud Darwish, With the Mist So Dense on the Bridge. // 3. Ariadne (1898), by John William Waterhouse. // 4. Glennon Doyle Melton, Love Warrior. // 5. Quote by Jamie Anderson. // 6. Ariadne in Naxos (1877), by Evelyn De Morgan. // 7. ? // 8. Megan Chance, The Spiritualist. // 9. Elizabeth Bishop, The burglar of Babylon. // 10. Bacchus and Ariadne (1522–1523) by Titian. // 11. Quote by Pavana. // 12. Hozier, Francesca. // 13. Baccus et Ariadne (1750), by Carle Van Loo. // 14. Mary Oliver, Blue horses: the fourth sign of the zodiac. // 15. Leah Horlick, For Your Own Good. // 16. ? // 17. Sharon Olds, One Secret Thing: Poems; “Something Is Happening".

#kkoth #ship dynamics #poetry #web weaving #the themes #aesthetics #quotes #finding love after heartache #dionysus x ariadne #no me preguntéis #on love #on grief #on new beginnings

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my-side-art-blog · 5 months

Text

I finished him after all. It was too beautiful to be left unseen

The book highlights how much he resembles The Lord Ruler so I wanted to show that but make sure they still looked like different characters. And I wanted him to almost glow and inspire the army to follow him. I don’t think the book ever says he’s wearing a white mist cloak. It’s just something I made up. I didn’t like the beard I drew so I removed it. I don’t like how many fanarts age him. I feel like people forget he’s still a young man in book 3

And he would totally ride the most beautiful horse. I wanted the curls to almost blend with the cloak

See the HD bellow

#mistborn #cosmere #elend venture #brandon sanderson #fantasy king

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arteastica · 5 months

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Early in the morning, especially when it rains, and a little before noon. (19)

erwin x fem!reader

chapters: (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | (5) | (6) | (7) | (8) | (9) | (10) | (11) | (12) | (13) | (14) | (15) | (16) | (17) | (18) | (20) | (21) | (22) | (23) | (24)

summary: I basically took Isayama’s work, forced it into a romance story, and made Erwin the love interest. Commander meets cadet and they fall in love (not instantly though)

notes: very berry canonverse (but some events were modified to fit my narrative), wasn’t intended to be this long, but it all is in the details right?

content warnings: smut where it fits (or where I make it fit. Also, reader is NOT underage, so likewise, MINORS DO NOT INTERACT, please.) slow burn (I really mean it. I’m not olympic diving into any form of smut for the first chapters.) no angst. I dislike angst. I would never. I could never. (Although angst can be somewhat subjective so take it with a grain of salt?)

wc: 2.7k

It was the kind of morning that encouraged the wearing of many layers. The thicker the better. And Sasha, who looked busy feeding soaked hay to the horses of a nearby stable, seemed to have reached that same conclusion before leaving her room that morning. You observed her as she struggled to drain the wet grass without dipping her fingers into the water, and realized you didn’t remember what she looked like under her scarf and wool hat.

Was this winter ever going to end?

The calendar gave a rather optimistic answer, but the weather seemed to be so very in love with the snow, and it didn’t look like it was letting go of its lover anytime soon.

You rubbed your gloved hands against each other and noticed how this was the first time you actually felt cold this season, even though the harshest days were already long behind. But back then, when low temperatures would make everyone complain, and the biting wind would paint their ears and fingers all shades of red, you could rely on your memories and the pleasant fire they lit within. And back then, you also had his body heat to keep you warm.

You glanced at the man standing beside you, his attention completely lost somewhere in the woods before him, and his hand, idly hanging to his side, looked especially inviting under this weather. And you wished you could reach out and take it, but you weren’t sure he would let you hold it.

His breath, turning into white mist as soon as it left his body, was clearly visible against the somber, almost starless twilight sky. His eyes were also a dark shade of blue this morning, and they seemed just as gelid as the sudden gust of wind that caused you to wrap your arms around yourself, rubbing your shoulders as you tried to shrink your body to a size that would be too tiny for the cold to spot.

“You can wait inside if you-”

“I’m fine.” You rushed to say, before realizing the hastiness in your voice risked coming across a little discourteous, and he was your boss after all. “It will start warming up once the sun rises a little more.” You explained, this time trying to soften your voice with a smile, a smile that you hoped didn’t look as unnatural and stiff as it felt on your own lips.

Yes, you had no doubt that the weather would warm up soon, because like a promise kept, the sun would always rise in the morning. And, as you thought about such kind of tacit, unspoken promises, you glanced up: The sky didn’t promise snow today. Maybe it would warm up a little after all.

But, was it really a promise or just your own foolish assumptions? In your case, there was always a bigger chance that it was the latter, and, therefore, throughout the years you had learned to not let yourself get too hopeful about things. That way, when it did snow later and you found your feet stuck under six inches of snow, buried so deep that you couldn’t move backwards and neither forwards, the disappointment wouldn’t hurt as much.

You could tell his eyes were on you, but you didn’t feel like looking back. Instead, you tried to find if there was even a single star still visible in the sky.

It had been almost a full week since he went back to work, and make no mistake, you were happy he did. You were glad to see him instead of the sad empty chair your eyes had been constantly met with for the past six weeks or so. However, it had also been a week since you moved back to your room. A full week since you last heard the raspy good mornings and lulling good nights he would whisper against your ear. A full week since you last engaged in any form of conversation that didn’t have the words ‘maintenance budget cuts’ or ‘decreasing staffing levels’ in them. A full week since you last saw him smile. At least at your way.

And most importantly, it had been a full week since you last felt the reassuring warmth of his lips against yours, and the sweet comfort of his arm around your body. A full week since you told him some very big words. And a full week since he didn’t say them back.

But, could you blame him for that? Not really, and you weren’t mad at him. Because, now that you had a lot of time to spend in the loneliness of your dark room, you started to consider the possibility that maybe he had his boundaries; and that maybe, just maybe, you had been overstepping them lately. Or who knows since when, to be honest.

There was something, however, that you knew very well.

You knew that the life of the Survey Corps’ Commander was already difficult enough as it was, and that he didn’t need any of his subordinates to make things more uncomfortable for him, whether that was with their irrational requests or the unsolicited confessions that left their mouth when they were in bed together. And, all things considered, you figured he could go back to sleeping alone. Not to mention he must be craving some personal space as well. After all, you had practically glued yourself to his side for a month.

As you let your mind travel to warmer moments lived during that month, you realized the silence was making you a little bit too nostalgic, so you welcomed the sound the leaves made as they drifted wherever the wind blew. As well as the distant clatter of hooves.

“They’re here.” He said, and you looked up to find the convoy in the distance. Within a few moments, the shapes grew in size, until they reached the entrance of the castle.

The enclosed carriage that was leading the caravan waited in front as two soldiers opened the gates. It was big and rather opulent, and the glossy finish on the wood told you that it had been polished very recently, and with such dedication that now it resembled a mirror. A mirror that, with its gilded features and painted panels, successfully reflected the personal taste of the owner, whose face remained anonymous thanks to the satin curtains covering the windows.

But the carriage wasn’t the only notable thing in the caravan. The four horses pulling it, as well as the two dozens waiting behind, were splendid enough to overshadow the sumptuous vehicle.

The commander walked to the entrance of the stables, and you followed behind, your eyes still captured by the mesmerizing creatures. When the carriage parked nearby and its doors opened, the identity of the owner was finally revealed: a middle-aged man of imposing height and cinnamon hair who looked surprisingly familiar, and that, judging by his elegant demeanor and conspicuous wardrobe choices, could be nothing other than the lord of some faraway estate.

He hugged the Commander as if they were the oldest of friends, and, as they laughed about some inside joke you were certain you wouldn’t get, you found yourself wishing things were as merry and jolly between you and him as it was between the two of them. But then again, you were pretty sure this old man had never said he was in love with him.

Although, to be fair, it was not like he was avoiding you. In fact, to an outsider it may even look like you were the one doing it. After all, you were the one who decided to move back to your room, and you were the one who was actively trying to keep your eyes glued to your desk instead of looking his way. You were also the one who decided to start leaving immediately after your shift ended.

A stranger reading your latest journal entries would be forgiven for thinking you were the one putting distance between you two, but you were convinced that anyone in your position would understand that it was not something you had chosen deliberately. You were merely reacting.

Reacting to what you felt and perceived: a switch in the atmosphere, a change in his eyes, the feeling of not being welcome anymore. You could see it there, in the icy blue of his irises, and that’s why you tried not to look at them. It made your throat tight and your vision blurry. So you decided it was best to look at the horses instead.

They were truly some of the most magnificent stallions you had ever seen. So bright and alert. The glow in their coat told you that all their nutritional requirements were met, and the bounce of their mane, that they were frequently groomed. You had once heard that even just one of these horses was worth an average person’s lifetime income. And you could see why.

But after some minutes of contemplation, wonder turned into gloom, as you found yourself feeling sorry for them. There was no way these innocent creatures knew about the dangers that awaited them. It was truly such a shame that such gorgeous animals had been born in a world like yours. They deserved to enjoy their days eating fresh grass and running up and down a green hill, somewhere in the middle of a picturesque countryside, and not to spend their lives outrunning titans.

But you tried to cheer yourself up by thinking that they would get to live good lives for as long as they could cling to them. After all, the scouts treated their animals with the utmost care and respect, almost as if they considered their horses to be comrades too.

To your right, you heard the Commander animatedly talking with the wealthy stranger. But your eyes were still lost among the horses, absentmindedly watching their mane dance in the wind. The sound it made when blowing through the trees, delicately rustling their leaves as if telling them it was time to wake up, was something you had always found relaxing. And you realized that, despite the uncomfortable cold, it was such a beautiful day in the forest. If only you could enjoy it.

You wished you owned the carefree disposition of that tall man who had just dismounted his horse and now seemed to be thanking it for the ride. He looked so content and joyful, utterly delighted with the simple act of ruffling its mane, and so did the animal. It looked as if the man was fluent in whatever language it is that horses speak. He looked a lot like a horse whisperer. He looked a lot like-

“Leon?” You heard your own voice calling seconds before the man turned around and smiled, confirming that was indeed his name.

“My lady.” As he made his way to you, his hazel locks danced to the exact same tune his horse’s mane did behind him. His hair had gotten longer, but his smile was as warm and welcoming as you remembered it.

“How come you’re here?” You asked, surprised to find this was the first time in days your smile felt like it belonged on your face.

“I’m accompanying my lord uncle.” He paused as he kissed the back of your hand. “This gentleman right here.” You looked at the man he was pointing at, the one standing next to him, and also the same tall stranger the Commander had been animatedly conversing with.

So this was Lord Koch. His face did look a little familiar after all.

“Commander Smith.” Leon gently let go of your hand before sending an acknowledging nod to the Commander, and extending his hand.

“Lord Angert.” The Commander shook the hand Leon was offering and smiled politely. “Thank you for traveling so far, my Lord. I hope the winter woods weren’t too rough.”

“As someone who was raised out in the cold, my esteemed Commander, I found the weather rather nostalgic.” As the two men shared a chuckle, you couldn’t help but join in, amused by Leon’s interesting way of speaking.

“We had to make a couple of small detours, as we weren’t sure if it was safe to travel anywhere near Ragako or Dauper.” Lord Koch explained. “That added at least half a day to our schedule. We should have been here by yesterday night, so I apologize, Erwin. I think Leon here was the only one who appreciated the change of plans.” He grinned at his nephew, and you noticed that Lord Koch’s eyes also had the tendency to turn into crescent moons when he smiled. “He really wanted to get a present for the beautiful lady here.” You blinked a few times to shake the confusion away when you suddenly felt all three men’s eyes on you.

Leon slipped a hand inside his jacket before handing you a tin box that was all too familiar to you. It did look like you were starting a collection after all, you had three of these now.

And for the first time in this bitter morning, you felt warm, the pleasant feeling immediately taking over your lips. You could really use the sugar today. The sugar, as well as the comfort only your favorite childhood treat could provide.

“Leon, you didn’t have to.” Your fingers reached for the present, unable to keep your lips from curving when you had the small box in your hands. You expected the metal to be cold, but it was actually comfortable to the touch, and rather warm from the cozy pocket he had kept it in all this time.

“Oh, it’s nothing. I figured since I was coming here anyway, I could at least bring you a piece of home.” He explained, using his hand to brush aside the importance of his kind gesture. “Although, I must admit the idea only found me after we were more than halfway through our journey here. But Luckily they had these in one of the villages we stopped by.”

You stared into the forest he had for eyes and wondered if you could find a friend there. Because you felt like you could really use one right now.

“Erwin, these were selectively bred to be approximately five feet tall and nine hundred pounds give or take.” You turned your attention to Lord Koch, who was pointing at the group of horses that was now being taken into the stables. “They may seem heavy but you don’t need to worry about maintenance out there in the field, they can get by perfectly fine on a simple diet, and travel many hours without complaining.” You eyed the horses, they certainly looked way more muscular than your average horse. “And their weight doesn’t affect their performance either. Their top speed is between forty to fifty miles per hour. Pretty impressive, right? We trained them to maintain a swift twenty two miles gallop, even when pulling a carriage. Like I said, a fine speed all the way through. But I don’t pretend you believe just my words. I actually would like to show you right now if you’re up for it. What do you say?”

The sound of the wind waking the leaves from their slumber was the only thing Lord Koch got for a reply. You turned to look at the Commander at the same time Leon did, and were surprised to find him staring back at you. An unreadable look in his icy blue eyes.

“Erwin?” Lord Koch called again and this time he seemed to have more luck in getting a reply.

“Yes, yes, we should.” The Commander said, eyes still fixed on you.

“I’ll get them ready, Uncle.”

“No, son, you can stay. Erwin and I are only going for a quick ride.” Lord Koch smiled to his nephew before turning to the Commander. “Let’s go, Erwin. Let’s leave these two to each other. I bet they have a lot to talk about.”

The Commander threw one last glance your way, a closed-mouth smile on his face, before turning around and following Lord Koch.

next chapter

taglist: @elnyrae @mchlist @angelaevangelion @depitaangeline @ynackerman9499 @afatalheat @pumpkin-toffee @velouria17 @gassytritis @goddessinsweats @nube55 @jeanboyjean @crazychaoticizzy @braunsbabe @erwinawesomeness @apts2000 @lucifers-nipple-piercing

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watcher-servant · 1 year

Text

A Knight's Test

After the dam had bust and the outburst with Ruby, Jaune looked down at the water and the bridge. The screams of the people still echoing in the ears mixing with the sound of the water, as mist would start to rise and the ghostly whine of horse echoes. Jaune stands up, his face twisting in shock and turning to the other 3 before settling on Weiss.

Jaune: "Weiss, take Juniper and go with the others after Ruby."

Weiss: "Wait, what do you mean we should be going together?"

Jaune: "Weiss I'm begging you go with the others and take Juniper with you to find Ruby. She needs you more than me right now."

As he says thus Juniper would get close nuzzling against him

Jaune: *Pets her* I know, girl, but right now they need your speed and nose. I'll catch up when I can."

Weiss: "Jaune, are you -"

Jaune: * turns towards her face in anger* "GO NOW! He only wants me anyway, and there's no chance he'll let you interfere."

Weiss would approach Juniper as a small glyph that appears to shoot out a chain to create makeshift reins. Yang and Blake would hop on Juniper's back as the four of them would ride off. Juniper would call back jaune, wanting to stay at his side, but knows she cannot.

Jaune: *Turns to the mist as he would draw sword getting into a stance as rain droplets start to come down* "Come on....I'm right here."

From the mist, another whine of a horse is heard as walking ethereally across the water appears a knight clad in black armor with a horned helm on horseback. The horse snorts puff of smoke as the knights visor act as it eyes showing that glowing red pupils at Jaune

???: "Finally done running, Rusted Knight?"

Jaune: "Yes...I am."

???: "Do you know who I am?"

Jaune: *Lowers his stance slightly* "I do...well, I know the legends...the stories, but I didn't want to believe. I thought it was just my mind playing tricks, but I need to accept what I'm looking at."

???: "Then say it. Say my name."

Jaune: "....Spirit of Chivalry!!"

A bright flash of lightening lightens up his form as azure flames would appear casting the spirit's grisly and dark form in the light of a phantom.

S.O.C: "Indeed I am he, and who are you vagrant knight? You who lost his path clinging to the past acting a shield knowing in truth its nothing more than your shackles? Tell me vagrant...WHO ARE YOU?"

Jaune: "I....I'm Jaune Arc, only son of Nick Arc. A family of warriors that served as guradians and knights for generations."

S.O.C: "Ah...a legacy then. However, a knight doesn't stand before me. What I see is nothing more than a coward boy playing fantasy. There is hope, though, for I see a spark no matter how small or how fleeting I shall test you to see if you possess strength."

Jaune: "Strength...what strength? I've trained and pushed myself to improve so I could protect everyone! Yet.....yet when I thought I reached a good spot, it all slipped through my fingers. I wasn't strong enough....I never was."

S.O.C: "Foolish Boy!" *His horse would stomp its hoof as lighting would crash down* "Strength does not come from physical form alone, blind reliance on it shows your weakness. You may be dammed like me, faltering when the crucial moment comes....I've seen countless disappointments like this, and all met their end with my blade."

*As he says this, multiple warriors and knights would appear in the mist looking on the new victim of their lord's trial*

S.O.C: "Be it blade or shield, lance or ax, no matter how grand or well made they are it holds no power if the weilder lacks inner strength to use it. No victory is won with just muscle it must be backed by mettle and focus. Now show me your resolve...show me what lies within your soul. Or else you'll fall here....AS YOUR LIFE BECOMES NOTHING BUT RUST ON MY BLADE!!!"

*A flash of red would appear on his gauntlet as a sword handle would grow from it. Gripping it and unsheate it showing a blade that glows with dark energy. With a loud whine of his horse, spectral spears fly down from the sky, making jaune dodge backward. Jaune would come out a bit unscathed, leaving him no room to breathe between them. The S.O.C would appear before him swinging his blade down, shattering Jaune's shield and gauntlet. Letting out a cry of agony, Jaune would try to counter with a slash only for it to meet the spirits blade, causing a flash of blue light breaking the remains of crocea mors and destroying his other gauntlet. The S.O.C would let out a mirthful chuckle as his horse would knock Jaune back.*

S.O.C: "Yes that's it! Show me your resolve, your will to fight! Show me how hard you're willing to push yourself to achieve even the slightest of victory!" *His horse would let out another whine as it dances back as more spears would rain at Jaune.*

*Jaune would dodge the barrage but would take some hits as the spars would hit his leg armor, destroying them both. With no chance to counter the S.O.C. would come in for another swing of his sword, destroying Jaune's plate mail and with a follow-up slash destroying his helmet.*

*Jaune would be sent tumbling back as his vision would darken with his shallow breathing. He considered laying there and letting his death happen, but then a myriad of voices would come to him as memories would play in his mind. Pyrrha's smiling encouragement, her sacrifice as he was helpess to stop her. Penny's words of reassurance, her sacrifice, he was forced to assist... and despair. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang....Nora, Ren, Oscar, stilling waiting on the other side in Vacuo. They would need him... Winter as well, they need allies. He just needs to stand up and survive.....but should he fall here, what's left? What would happen to a broken team RWBY, would they make it out alive with their sanity intact?. He had to help those in the Ever After....it was his duty as the Rusted Knight.

S.O.C: "Foolish child, you cling to a false prophet. The Rusted Knight is a hollow soul, his armor rusted because he does not possess the strength to stand on his own and take care of himself. He does not trust others, but a true knight does not treat his oath as shackles to hold themselves down. They are treated as reminders to boost himself, perhaps had you not feel sorry for yourself instead of steeling your resolve until no problem couldn't stop you, then maybe you would've succeeded and survived. Now stand up, and face your death like a proper knight."

*Jaune would slowly pull himself up as a spear would come down, piercing his chest. As he coughs up blood, his vision would darken as the voices of more poisonous comments come to mind. His father's words saying knights are no longer needed, no worry to continue the legacy. The derisive words of all the people at Beacon and Qrow's harsh words*

Jaune: *Thoughts* "Then...if they were stronger than him why aren't they here. Why am I the only one standing?"

????: "You know the answer....for those in the dark who's voices aren't heard. For the fiends that would slink back into the shadows thinking they're safe."

*A small light would come through the shaft of the spectral spear making jaune look down. It was small and it flickering, he had to reach it...to strengthen it. Jaune would grab the spear trying to force his aura through it slowly but surely making the light grow.*

*Outside the S.O.C would look down at the man, his body still skewered by the spear. His head looking down as if dead.*

S.O.C: "A true knight isn't strong because of their weapon. The only thing they would need is the balance of strength and will to their mettle. You have failed child of Arc...fall into the shadows and take your spot along with crowd of lost warriors." *Turns away from Jaune's body only to stop as sense a pulse*

*Back with Jaune in his mind, the glowing in the spear shined bright like a star as it would crumble absorbing into his body. The dark landscape would would reel back from the light forming into another figure wearing grey armor as he places his hand on Jaune's chest.*

???: "You are close...don't forget those that trust you why we still fight."

Ren's Voice: "Despite everything, when I look at him, Yang, I see no fear in his heart."

????: "Now come we have test to past!" *The armored figure would force his hand into Jaune's chest, making him scream as light would engulf them both*

*Back in the real world, the spectral spear that held Jaune's body would crumble, absorbing into his body as light sparkles would come from his body*

S.O.C: *Turns back seeing the light coming from Jaune* "Hmmm has he figured it out*

Jaune: *Screams out as energy would cloak his right arm, forming a flickering blade of aura... yet despite the bright color and fragile appearance there's a hint of black keeping it stable* "I'm not done yet...there's still much more for me to do *Points his new blade at the spirit*

S.O.C: "Hmm so you come to me bearing new power...very well let's see if it's enough! *Would pull his arm back blade ready to strike as his horse would kick the ground ready to go*

*Jaune would get into a stance ready for anything as the horse would rear up and speed towards him the S.O.C ready to strike. Both warriors would run to each blades ready to strike as they would even clash with a loud boom.*

*Meanwhile, other parts of the Ever After would shake and rumble as the residents would turn towards a large column of black and white would pierce the sky scattering the rain clouds. With Ruby and little, both would feel the ground shake as they look to the column. With the curious cat, it would hiss at the column feeling a dangerous intruder over there. With WBY, as they rode Juniper, they would stop seeing the column, hoping Jaune is fine.*

*Back at the mist covered area Jaune and S.O.C would have their backs to each other as Jaune would fall down trying to keep himself up*

S.O.C: "Good...very good" *As he says this, one of the horns on his helm would crack and fall down. On his chest, it would bear a gash showing a eerie blue* "Your light has shine strongly, you walk the path of Sigurd, slayer of demons....no I sense darkness in your blade as well. You walk the path Taivas, warrior that overcame a infecting darkness making it hos own. Do you why I say this....what did they have in common?

Jaune: *Gets up and turns to the spirit* "They didn't lose their way...so nothing could hold him"

S.O.C: *Turns his horse towards jaune* "Very good you have passed my trial young arc come close wield your new blade." *Holds his sword out towards Jaune*

Jaune: *Summons his new sword feeling the aura cloak his entire hand as it makes the flickering line of aura and clash it with the knight's own blade*

S.O.C: "Hear me now young arc, fear and doubt only leads to death. One that doesn't acknowledge his faults doesn't deserve to be called a knight...however with you understanding this and making peace with yourself, have shown you have earned it. Do not forget this lesson if you do I will come after you again*

*With his peace said the S.O.C would disappear in a flash of light as the mist would finally clear up*

Jaune: *Turns towards the water, looking at his reflection....then back at his new sword. Grabbing his ponytail, he would hold it enough as he used the new aura sword to cut the pony tail off. Looking down at it showing it still holds the last remnants of Pyrrha's sash, Jaune would let it fall from his hand into the water, making it disperse* "Goodbye Pyrrha....Goodbye Penny."

*Jaune would turn only to be greater by another armored figure. Waiting to see if they would try something, the armored figure only plants his greatsword in salute before disappearing, leaving the blade. Jaune, confused by what he saw, walks up, grabbing the blade as it turns into a hooded button-up grey coat.*

Jaune: *Thinking on it for a bit, he would put on the coat buttoning up near his mouth, making it look like a cape* "Time to make amends....and to catch up." *Starts walking towards the dark Acre sensing Ruby and the others in that direction as he would put the hood up*

#jaune arc #rwby #weiss schnee #rwby volume 9 #writing ideas #final fantasy reference #Odin FFXIV

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oonajaeadira · 3 months

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FLUFFBRUARY 2024 MASTERLIST

It's time for more six sentence ficlets, and this time, they're all fluff all the time.

ADIRA’S SELF-IMPOSED FLUFFBRUARY RULES:

Six sentences.

Must be fluffy.

All 29 ficlets must feature a different Pedro.

All three words must be used (Fluffbruary prompt list here).

Use the words in order.

I reserve the right to break rules and/or cheat.

No taglists, no promises, just microfic.

NOTE: All of these may also be found on the SIX SENTENCE FICLET VAULT and sorted out into their rightful character and series masterlists.

___

@fluffbruary

#fluffbruary #six sentence ficlet

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scarareg · 3 months

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Percy Jackson and The Olympians Season 1 Review (2/3)

Part 1 • Part 3

What I dislike:

The action scenes are lacking. An example is Percy fighting Mrs Dodds: 1rst-Why did it happen in front of everyone? That makes not sense. Yes, the Mist hides stuff but if a woman attacks a teenager everyone will see it! 2nd- It was weirdly paced. Like one second Mrs Dodds was standing and the next she was dead. It took me a second to realize what happened. It was anticlimactic and Percy basically did nothing,he was just lucky Riptide opened up just in time to stop her. Another scene like that was the fight against Ares. To me it was "just fine" yet not epic. I feel it should be a little longer and I wish to see more of Ares using his battle tactics and powers, he is the God of War after all. Again, it is ok for what it is but it definitely could and should have been a bigger moment as a season finale, as Percy's moment to be a hero and prove himself, and as a demonstration of power level and difference between a mortal and a God! Also, it feels kinda insane that a guy with almost no training can defeat Ares so easy. That is a problem that stems from the lack of screen time at Camp in the first episodes,seeing Percy learning how to fight; sadly it backfired in the season finale. And you may say "well,these scenes include kids so is harder to make a bigger,more explosive,more incredible action scene than if they were adults" but it's possible. In House Of The Dragon a scene with five children fighting with only sand,a rock (that is not even used) and a dagger has way more tension than the God of War fighting our hero. The Minotaur scene was fine too. There are some changes like in the book Sally tried her best to distract it but because she is a normal human she could not do much, the whole taunting the Minotaur was Percy's stuff showing his bravery (I like the idea of Sally doing that to protect her baby tho,is cute) and Percy discovered in the process that he has inhuman agility and strength; so what they changed it's fine, my only complaint would be that the scene was super dark (all night scenes are) and it was hard to see what was going on,but I feel that at this point that is a Hollywood problem, so wathever

In the book,at the battle of Percy vs Ares,Kronos himself stops Ares from killing Perseus, but here it did not happen. That moment foreshadows Kronos interest in Percy because he wants to use him as a basel

Percy intelligence is heavily underused. In the books Percy constantly connects the dots and clues to figure out who people/monsters/Gods are; in addition to getting out of situations in creative and fun ways. Here there is none of that . An excellent example is the Lotus Casino. Book Percy figured out people there get trapped while he was talking with two boys who were not from this century. In the show Hermes just told him (which by the way,making Hermes own the place makes him an asshole who traps people for some reason, and as a Hermes fan it makes me angry).

While fighting Echidna, she do not have telekinesis powers or something, Percy is being chased by her chihuahua/Chimaera and he, of his own free will, decides to jump to the water showing his bravery and how willing he is to believe his dad has his back, and he is damn right! His father helped him and he learned that he can breathe underwater. All of these if missing

Percy did not speak even once with horses,that was the whole purpose of the Zebra,which also didn't appear in an episode titled "We Take A Zebra To Vegas"

The school acting like Percy is the son of Satan himself and that the best is for Sally to teach him from home. All of this because Percy drawing something so horrible,so despicable,so wicked ...a Pegasus(?) Like WTF! that the stupidest stuff I have ever seen. A kid drawing a Pegasus is not a sign of alarm,is a sign of being a kid, you fucking morons! Its imagination and creativity,and that's it,you are supposed to work with children,how can you be scared of that?! And if a kid is wondering around in the school's rooftop,that's on the school not the child. You supposed to be taking care of him,what is a kid doing there? That's your fault for being irresponsible!

They leaving Crusty free and happy,knowing he is a serial killer,wtf! All that scene was really weird in general. Percy just walked into the store without explaining how and when they found that place, how they know the Underworld is there, and they already knew everything about the store and Crusty,it felt unnatural and unearn. And in the book Crusty doesn't guard the doors to the Underworld,because why the Gods would leave that job to a guy like that? That's Charon's job

Lotus Casino (refering to the inside, the outside is really cool) was kinda boring, and they were trapped there and not go intentionally. It is tempting for children, that is why there are games for them to play. There is a waterslide, an indoor bungee jumping bridge, hundred of videogames. Here almost everything is just gambling and I know it is a casino but in the book is cooler. And there is VR games too, and that's it.

Charon, in both the books and any myth ever,would let you pass if you give him coins,so why did they change that and make him have control over Cerberus? Is a strange decision

The Underworld is supposed to have this kinda silly elements that subvert your expectations of it,like Charon loving suits, there are lines of new people(souls) arriving, and this fun banner that reads "Judgement For Elysium And Eternal Damnation. Welcome, Newly Deceased!" , Percy mentioned he could see Sisyphus at the distance. In the show we don't see the freaking River Styx! No Elysium and seeing Percy deciding that there is where he wants to be once he dies, I think that shows his character. No Persephone's Garden with her pomegranate trees. And the Fields of Asphodel (also known as Asphodel Meadows) are not a forest,are....well,meadows; I know,shocking, kinda hard to figure that out. By the way,that is another strange change because Rick knows what Asphodel looks like,that is why he represented them as an never ending field with the "largest concert crowd" with no electricity and no noise. Ah,also, missed opportunity for a Hazel easter egg

Hades is so TERRIBLE that I almost cried! Disney, we are talking about the King of the Underworld! Do you have idea what kind of creatures live there and they'll respect and fear him? In the books is important that he resents (hardcore) his family. His children inherit that as a fatal flaw. The reason is he had two children with momma di Angelo and he loved them dearly but Zeus wanted to kill them, and finally killed her, Hades only could save the children. Add insult to injury when his 2 brothers had children and received no repercussions for it. It is the reason he did not join the war against his father until the last second (thanks Nico!) . He also feel he got the worst job and he neither lives nor is allowed freely visit the cool, bright Olympus. All of it made him a cold person. Show Hades does not feel like he went through all of that, and if he did, it is like he did not care much. The writers are taking away his complexity and now he is a joke, a boring one.

Zeus was bad too but in a different way. He is just meh, did not make me feel anything in particular. I think it may be because when I imagine Zeus I picture him as a guy with beard, kinda like Santa Claus lmao and Lance Reddick (may he rest in peace,love him) looks nothing like him, so it was hard for me to believe he was Zeus. Maybe is just a me problem to be honest. Also, they made him kinda dumb because when Percy told him his dad is planing a war, he is just like "yeah I know, but right now is more important to fight your dad Poseidon" and that is extremely stupid,to be honest

#Percy Jackson #Percy Jackson and the Olympians #Percy Jackon and the Olympians #PJO Series #PJO Show Crit #PJO Show #pjoverse #rrverse #rr crit

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stillwintering · 4 months

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All's Fair in Love and Politics (a modern Nessian AU - where Rhys is running for president)

Summary: In the ruthless arena of politics, victory demands risking everything, even one's own heart. Rhysand has his eyes on the presidency. Feyre convinces her estranged sister, Nesta, to join the political campaign. Nesta and Cassian find themselves forging an unexpected bond as the campaign intensifies. But can their budding romance survive the treacherous waters of modern political warfare?

Read on AO3

Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 / Chapter 6 / Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Cassian spent the rest of his evening at the River House, which had turned into an impromptu campaign headquarters of sorts. After all the official business was settled and Amren had left to take the last flight back to DC, Cassian found himself lingering in the company of Rhys and Azriel. They gathered in Rhys's expansive wood-paneled study for a nightcap.

It had been too long since the three of them had the chance to simply exist together as brothers in arms without the weight of duty or the shadow of danger looming over them.

The day's activities had visibly taken a toll on Rhys, understandable given how many media appearances he completed. By all accounts, the speech had been a resounding success, yet Rhys seemed lost in thought, gazing pensively at the drink in his hand, almost sad.

"Don't tell me you're getting cold feet." Cassian's voice broke the silence. He leaned in, trying to catch Rhys's eye, giving him a teasing nudge on the elbow. Azriel, seated in an armchair on Rhys's other side, only observed silently.

Rhys raised his head, a faint smile on his lips, though his eyes remained somber. "Something like that."

Cassian sucked in a breath. "I'm afraid it's too late to turn back now, brother." He held up his crystal glass, the amber liquid inside glinting in the lamplight, before taking a sip. "The horse is out of the barn."

"What if..." Rhys looked away to the moonlit sky out the window of his study and the Sidra sparkling under the stars.

"It will be a tough fight for the nomination and a even tougher fight in the general election." Cassian smiled at him reassuringly. "It's going to be hard and chances are, we'll lose. But no one will fault you for that."

Rhys shook his head, his expression turning resolute. "No, I mean what if I actually win?"

A moment of realization washed over Cassian. "There's no one else I'd trust more with such power and responsibility," he told him.

"I don't trust myself," Rhys murmured, his voice tinged with a vulnerability rare for him.

"I know you." Azriel knocked his knee gently against Rhys's. "You're the one," he stated firmly.

Rhys's gaze drifted away again, his doubts still clinging to him like shadows.

Cassian turned to Azriel. "They say a good man can't get elected President these days," he mused with a half-smile. "I refuse to believe that. Do you, Az?"

"Absolutely not," he responded without hesitation.

"And you think I'm that man?" Rhys interjected, his face still dark, "Does it matter that I'm not as sure?"

"Do you remember that operation outside of Kabul? The one that went sideways real fast?" Cassian reclined back in his armchair, his demeanor thoughtful. "Our first hot zone and we were completely outgunned, stuck in a crossfire with enemy combatants all around. I’ll be honest, I thought we were done for. We were just rookies back then. But you, Rhys, you just took over like you were born to do it. Directing our moves, calling out targets, staying cool under that kind of heat. You got us out of there with zero civilian casualties. It’s a rare thing, Rhys."

Cassian stopped to catch his eye. "I knew from that moment that I would follow you into the Mist of Avalon."

Azriel only chuckled while Rhys let out a dry laugh. "Cass, please, you're the one with the natural aptitude for strategic combat." Rhys waved his hand. "But I do find, somehow, urban warfare easier to navigate than politics."

Cassian raised his glass in a toast, prompting the others to do the same. "To fighting the good fight then," he announced with a wink. "Political or otherwise."

Azriel joined in, his glass meeting theirs with a gentle chime. "To making a difference," he added.

Rhys looked at his friends -- his brothers -- their faces unflinching. "To the future," he said, his eyes clear and focused. "May it be brighter than we dare to hope."

---

By the time Cassian and Azriel returned to the House of the Wind, the inky night had draped its silent shroud over the building. They expected the grand lobby to be completely deserted at this late hour. Yet, to Cassian's wonder, Nesta was there.

Lost in a world of her own, Nesta walked under the dim glow of the ornate chandelier, her figure casting long, fluid shadows across the polished marble floor. From the way she was dressed, it looked like she was about to go on a late-night run.

It wasn't until Cassian stepped into her space, closing the distance to a mere foot, that she snapped out of her thoughts. Her gaze, sharp and piercing, lifted to meet his and then to Azriel's. A flicker of surprise darted across her features before she veiled it with a practiced air of indifference.

"Going on another evening run?" Cassian asked her as a way of greeting.

Nesta's response was terse, her lips pursing slightly as she uttered a succinct "Yes." She looked over the both of them again. "Anything happen at the meeting at the River House?"

"You didn't miss much," Azriel responded. "Amren will send out a memo first thing tomorrow."

Cassian studied her for a beat longer, noting the slight clench of her jaw and the way her eyes darted to the lobby doors. An idea sparked in him.

"If you give me ten minutes," he offered, gesturing towards the elevators with a hopeful tilt of his head, "I can join you."

The words hung in the air, a delicate offer. He saw it then -- the imperceptible stiffening of her posture, ready to refuse. So he quickly added, a playful note in his voice, "I know all the good running routes around here."

Nesta hesitated, but her expression wavered. "I would rather run on my own."

"I don't blame you," Azriel teased, unable to stop himself. "Cassian is terrible company."

Cassian scowled at his brother. "It's dark out, Nes," he tried again. "Let me come with you."

Nesta looked away to the pitch-blackness that lay outside the lobby doors, calculating. Although Velaris was generally a very safe city, she had never tried to navigate it in the dead of night. Finally, she looked back at him, her expression unreadable.

"Fine," Nesta acquiesced. "Ten minutes."

She gracefully sidestepped, allowing Cassian and Azriel access to the elevators. She then glided to a nearby sofa, settling into its plush cushions to wait.

Cassian burst into the elevator and jabbed at the buttons for their respective floors, his foot tapping impatiently. Azriel leaned back against the elevator wall, his arms folded casually across his chest, with a mischievous grin on his lips as he observed Cassian's barely veiled agitation.

"Easy there, big guy," he remarked affectionately. "She's not going to disappear."

Cassian shot him a quick, frustrated glance. "I just don't want to keep her waiting longer than necessary," he muttered.

"Oh, is that so?" Azriel's eyebrow arched in amusement. "Or could it be that you're just eager to spend time with her under the starry sky?"

As the elevator finally dinged at Cassian's floor, he practically leaped out. "You don't know what you're talking about, Az," he retorted over his shoulder.

Azriel laughed, shaking his head as the elevator doors slid shut. "Good luck!" he called after Cassian.

---

Cassian led the way, his stride confident and familiar as they ran up the winding road that hugged the contours of the mountain behind the House of the Wind. The path, bathed in the soft glow of well-placed lights, carved a serpentine trail through the dense pine forest and upwards into the heart of the mountainside. A delicate mist had descended, settling into the treetops like cobwebs.

"There's a lookout a few miles up with an amazing view of the city," Cassian said, his voice a gentle rumble in the quiet night.

Nesta only nodded, allowing him to set a moderate pace. The scent of pine and earth filled her senses, and she found herself leaning into the night air, into his steadfast strength beside her.

Their heavy breaths, synchronized and rhythmic, filled the silent space between them.

As they ascended, the forest around them began to change. The trees grew taller, their branches interlocking above to create a natural cathedral, their needles whispering secrets. She let all the noise of her mind recede into the thickening mist, let it wrap around her like a soothing embrace.

When they finally reached the lookout, Nesta stopped, her breath labored from the climb, and gazed out at the glittering city below, beyond the mist of the forest, sprawled like a jeweled tapestry, the lights flickering like distant stars caught in an earthly web. The world seemed to pause -- the only sounds were their heartbeats and the distant hum of Velaris.

"It's beautiful," she whispered.

Cassian turned towards her, his expression soft yet intense. His hazel eyes, reflecting the city's lights, narrowed on Nesta as if she were the only object in this vast, sparkling expanse. "Yes," he breathed.

Nesta could feel the blood rushing through her head. A breeze tousled Cassian's hair, setting it dancing wild under the silver glow of the moon.

"Tell me why you're here," Nesta asked, her words floating on the night air.

He bowed his head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Tell me why you left a promising military career to work on a long shot political campaign."

He studied her face intently, sensing the urgency in her question. He hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "Because I care about who gets to be in the room where it happens," he finally said.

Nesta's brow furrowed, her eyes searching his for more.

"I was a good soldier," Cassian continued. "But in the military, I was a cog in the machine. Being on the ground, seeing the consequences of following orders... it changes you."

He paused, his gaze growing distant. Cassian remembered his lover during the war -- Tanwyn, with a smile like a storm, who was a surgeon with Doctors Without Borders. She chose to work at a hospital in the middle of a conflict zone and chose to stay even when the town came under siege. After the bombing started, Cassian disputed his commander's decision to engage the enemy so close to a civilian-occupied area. When that went nowhere, he had begged, begged her to get to safety. But Tanwyn had refused, "I didn't go through 14 years of medical training to abandon my patients." Her last words to him.

It took Cassian a very long time to get over her death.

He cleared his throat and looked away.

"I've experienced the fallout of strategic miscalculations, witnessed the collateral damage of executive decisions made in far-off offices," Cassian concluded. "No more senseless wars. That's why I'm here."

Nesta listened, absorbing his words. She tried to understand the rollercoaster of emotions that had swept through his face.

"And you think Rhysand Starborn is the right person to be in the room where it happens?"

Cassian gave her a wry grin. "Funny you should ask."

"Why?"

He dismissed the moment with a shake of his head.

When he faced her again, Cassian's expression was one of unwavering conviction. "I am certain he is the right person for the job."

Nesta took a long moment to study him, taking in the firm set of his jaw and the gentle curves of his lips -- the lines crinkling around his eyes seemed to tell stories of bravery and compassion.

"Okay," she said at last, as though settling an internal debate.

"Okay?"

Nesta nodded, this time with a certainty that seemed to anchor her. "Yes, okay," she repeated, giving him an assured smile.

They stood together for a moment longer, time seemingly stretching out as they surveyed the panoramic view of Velaris. The night breeze caressed Nesta's skin and sent a shiver down her spine as her body cooled from their earlier ascent to the overlook.

"Shall we head back?" she suggested, her arms instinctively wrapping around herself for warmth.

Cassian agreed with a dip of his chin, but his curiosity piqued. "These evening runs of yours, are they a regular thing?"

Nesta hesitated, her words tangling slightly. "Yes -- no, well, sort of. I'm actually training for the National Women's Half Marathon," she clarified. "I've committed to running it with some friends."

"If you want, I could help -- I could train with you."

Nesta mulled over his offer again, the sincerity in his voice apparent. "That might be nice," she said, giving in to the tug in her heart. "I'll let you know when I'm planning my next run."

Cassian's answering smile was so bright, so full of warmth, that Nesta felt momentarily dazed -- a radiance that rivaled the moon above.

"Come on then." He turned from the outlook, and Nesta followed, falling into step beside him as they began their descent.

---

Nesta inhaled deeply, trying to stifle the swell of emotions in her chest. She stood on the meticulously groomed lawns of the River House, where Feyre was hosting a luncheon for the League of Women Voters of Velaris.

In front of her, the Starborn's grand conservatory was bustling with guests -- their conversations a steady buzz against the clinking of fine china. The large glass structure was situated in the back of the house, hidden from view from the street. Sunlight poured in through the expansive glass panels, bathing the interior space in a golden, dappled light. The conservatory itself was an oasis of botanical beauty, brimming with an array of vibrant flowers and delicate greenery. Nesta knew immediately that Elain must love it here.

Feyre weaved through the crowd with grace and charm, playing the part of hostess perfectly, but Nesta knew her sister was still adjusting to the relentless glare of the public eye. That was why she agreed to drop into the luncheon to make sure that the reporter the local paper sent to cover the event was on their best behavior.

Nesta had never been to the River House before. Every Christmas, a perfunctory invitation to visit from Feyre would arrive, and each time, Nesta found a convenient excuse to decline, preferring to maintain a distance from the life that Feyre had carved out for herself. Standing before the River House, with its stately charm and the Sidra flowing majestically in the background, Nesta couldn't help but feel a pang of regret mingled with a deep urge to flee.

When Feyre's eyes found hers through the glass panels, Feyre's relief was evident as she beckoned Nesta inside.

"I'm so glad you're here," Feyre murmured.

Nesta, feeling a rare surge of sisterly affection, reached out and gave Feyre's hand a reassuring squeeze. "You're doing great," she offered, her voice softer than usual.

Feyre's smile wavered. "I've been so nervous about this event," she confessed. "And talking to that reporter later. I've never done any press without Rhys before."

"I've already vetted the interview questions. There won't be any curveballs," Nesta reassured her. "It's a simple society piece for the local paper, nothing too intense. Just steer clear of any policy talk. You'll be fine."

Feyre bit her lip. "Can you stay until after I talk to the reporter?"

"Of course, I'll stay."

With a nod of gratitude, Feyre turned and glided gracefully back to mingling with her guests.

Left to herself, Nesta pulled out her phone to go through the emails that inevitably crowd her inbox. She glanced around and noticed a large door that led into the quieter recesses of the River House. The luncheon was in full swing, but she couldn't find it in herself to work the room the way Feyre or Rhys would.

Nesta crossed the threshold, finding herself in a peaceful hallway. She took in the grand space around her: the high ceiling, intricate moldings, and silk curtains framing the windows. As she looked down the corridor, her eyes followed the row of oil paintings lining the walls. Something about them seemed deeply familiar -- the impressionistic brushwork and open, airy compositions bore the unmistakable touch of Feyre's hand.

Nesta made her way down the hallway, her steps soft and nearly silent on the plush carpet, looking for a quiet space away from the party to focus on her inbox. Eventually, she found herself in a cozy sitting room, its wide walls lined with books.

Her eyes immediately fell to the shelves full of framed photographs. Nesta stepped closer to study the pictures.

There were several of Rhys, Azriel, and Cassian together, chronicling different chapters of their lives -- from their college days to their military service to ski trips that appeared suspiciously like snowball fights.

In each image, Cassian's smile was wide and unrestrained, his arms invariably slung around his brothers, his hair noticeably longer in his younger years. Azriel, by contrast, looked stern, though his eyes were warm. Rhys appeared relaxed and completely at ease among his friends and family -- a side of him she had never witnessed.

There were photos of Mor exuding her usual glamour and confidence. In one snapshot, Mor stood between Azriel and Cassian. They were dressed to the nines. Azriel looked at Mor with something like total adoration on his face, while Mor was laughing with her head thrown back, leaning into Cassian. But Cassian was grinning at the camera.

An old photograph tucked in the back was of the Starborns -- Rhys's father and mother. Beside it was a portrait of Rhys's mother sitting by the fire on what looked like Christmas morning.

Then Nesta recognized an image that must have been taken the night Rhys had first won his congressional seat -- even Amren was smiling in that one. Feyre, joyous, was in the middle of leaning into a hug from Rhys. He looked only at Feyre even as the dozen faces in the photos were turned towards him.

Scattered in between the memories of their "inner circle" were many photos chronicling Nyx's young life -- a teary-eyed Rhys holding an ultrasound with Feyre behind him; a portrait of Feyre with a swollen belly; Feyre holding Nyx for the first time on a hospital bed with Rhys next to her; Rhys lifting a toddler Nyx into the air. There was a blurry image of Nyx at his third birthday party, white frosting all over his face, with Cassian and Mor fussing over him and Azriel standing to the side laughing, clumps of frosting in his dark hair.

The most recent photo was one of Elain and Nyx together, surrounded by flowers in a field.

Nesta felt her pulse quicken in dread. These photographs were windows into the vibrant life Feyre had lived, yet, Nesta found no trace of herself in these frozen moments.

Finally, she noticed a large photo in a corner -- Feyre was wearing a simple white slip-dress, her arms interlocked with Rhys, dashing in a blue linen suit. They were standing barefoot on a beach, waves crashing behind them. Feyre held a large bouquet of hydrangeas and roses in her other hand. Surrounding the smiling couple on either side were Cassian, Mor, Azriel, and Amren. They were all beaming, although Mor had clearly been crying. It was plainly a wedding photo.

It suddenly struck Nesta that there were no images from the grand Velrais wedding at the House of the Wind. Rather just another portrait of Feyre and Rhys -- taken on the same day on the beach -- looking adoringly at each other. Their hands were joined, prominently displaying their golden wedding bands.

Nesta realized that she hadn’t encountered Cassian, Azriel, or Mor at the ceremony she attended. She was certain she would have remembered someone like Cassian with his distinct presence. The Velaris wedding was a formal event attended by hundreds of guests, a high-society wedding. But the pictures on the shelf displayed a private, intimate celebration for only those closest to the couple.

She didn't know how much time had passed as she stood there, taking in the evidence of the chasm that had grown between her and her sister. The pictures showcased a version of Feyre's life that Nesta had never been part of, a narrative woven from experiences and bonds she hadn’t shared.

Nesta felt like a stranger looking in, witnessing a parallel world where laughter and joy flowed freely, a stark contrast to the guardedness that marked her own interactions with Feyre.

"Aunt Nesta!" A child's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

Nesta turned swiftly at the call. "Nyx?" she asked in surprise, her eyes landing on her young nephew. His round cheeks were just visible as he peered around the edge of a nearby armchair.

"Hi Nesta." Elain emerged behind him with Mr. Carrot in tow.

Nesta felt every muscle in her body tense. "Hi Elain," she returned, keeping her voice neutral.

"Feyre mentioned you might drop by today." Elain smoothed her skirts, almost nervous, but smiled tentatively. "I hear things are going well with the campaign."

Nesta bristled at the comments. She hated that her sisters seemed to treat her like a problem to be handled -- managed.

"The campaign is going as expected," she replied curtly.

Elain hesitated, her lips parting as if to say more, but her gaze shifted to Nyx. "Are you hungry, dear?" she asked him softly.

Nyx, his attention still fixed on Nesta, shook his head, his curiosity about his aunt undiminished.

Feeling the need to escape the conversation, Nesta made a move to leave. "I should get back to -- "

"Nesta, wait," Elain interjected quickly, her expression turning earnest. "Won't you stay for tea? It's been a while since we all sat down together." Her hand dropped to rest on Nyx's shoulder. "We really should catch up."

Nesta's eyes swept the room -- this house with its layers of memories, the shelves lined with snapshots that narrated a life where everyone was content, perhaps even better off, in her absence.

With a dry chuckle, Nesta gestured at their surroundings. "I think I'm all caught up, thanks."

Elain's expression faltered. "Nesta, that's not fair," she said as a flicker of hurt crossed her features. “I’m sorry I never got around to returning your calls. But -- ”

Nesta's gaze hardened. "Are you?" she countered, her voice low but sharp. "Everyone here seems quite happy have their entire lives subsumed by Rhysand Starborn."

Elain frowned. "Please Nesta, it's not like that," she began, but Nesta cut her off.

"I can't have this conversation right now." Nesta turned towards the hallway, her movements brisk.

She needed space, air -- something to clear the tightness building in her chest.

"Where is Aunt Nesta going?" She heard Nyx ask behind her.

But Nesta didn't stop. She looked for the nearest exit -- a pair of French doors that took her back onto the house's sweeping lawns.

She walked towards the water's edge, taking in the midday light, calming her thundering heart. She did not understand herself, why she couldn't bear the hurt in Elain's eyes, why she always felt the need to retreat into herself whenever her sisters were around.

---

Eventually, Nesta took the long way around the grounds of the River House, back towards the conservatory. Feyre was already speaking with a young female reporter when Nesta found them sitting on a pair of Adirondack chairs on the crest of a gentle hill overlooking the Sidra.

She gave them some space as they finished the interview.

"We corresponded over email earlier," Nesta said as she introduced herself to the reporter, reaching out to shake her outreached hand.

The young woman beamed in recognition. "Ms. Archeron," she said.

"Do you have everything you need?"

The reporter nodded. "It's been an absolute pleasure, Mrs. Starborn," she said to Feyre, putting away her voice recorder.

"Do you mind sending us a copy of the story before it goes to print?" Nesta asked.

The reporter's smile never faltered. "Of course," she replied and picked up her bag. "Someone from the paper may reach out later for fact checking."

"You have my contact information," Nesta answered as the reporter shook Feyre's hand goodbye.

When they were alone, Nesta asked, "How did it go?"

"Fine, I think," Feyre replied, her voice wary. "I am just relieved it's over."

"Don't worry," Nesta said. "We'll get a chance to correct the article before it comes out."

Feyre reclined in her chair. "Can you sit with me for a while?"

Nesta flinched. "Feyre," she answered, feeling the tightness building in her chest again. "I have to get back to work."

Feyre looked up at her, her blue-gray eyes shuttered. "Oh," she breathed. "Of course. Sorry to keep you," her voice turning oddly formal, "Thank you for coming today."

---

Nesta threw herself into her work for the rest of the afternoon, finding a quiet refuge in the familiar demands of her tasks. By the time she returned to the House of the Wind, the sun was a fiery orb hovering low in the sky. The majestic sight of the House, silhouetted against the orange and pink sky, was strangely comforting. But the solitude that awaited her in her room felt overwhelming -- for the first time that day, she did not want to be alone.

She stopped at the front desk to ask for Cassian's room number. With a kind of new-found courage, Nesta took the elevator to his floor.

Cassian opened the door on her third knock.

"Azriel, I thought --," he began, before his voice trailed off, his eyes widening at the unexpected sight of Nesta standing before him.

"Hey," she said, taking him in. Cassian's crisp white dress shirt was casually half unbuttoned, giving a glimpse of the defined muscles of his chest and the intricate whorls of black tattoos that contrasted against his golden skin.

Cassian quickly recovered from his initial shock. "Nesta, I wasn't expecting you," he said, holding his door open wider. "What can I do you for?"

Nesta immediately felt the knot in her chest loosen at the humor in his voice. His eyes were studying her gently. The corners of her lips twitched upwards.

"Run with me?"

---

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#a court of silver flames #nesta archeron #nesta x cassian #fanfic #a court of thorns and roses #cassian #nessian #acosf #acotar #nesta #nessian fanfiction #archeron sisters #acotar fanfiction #all's fair in love and politics #political au #modern au #archive of our own

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