#i just wanna put cyril in my pocket | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

darkdevasofdestruction · 3 years

Text

Queen of Masks ~ Alfie Solomons

Life as a woman, in any country really, isn’t the best, unless you score a jackpot with the most gentle, sweetest man and you become his housewife and agree to be some kind of baby factory and a maid, should he not have enough to provide for one, and a chef, nonetheless.

However, there are enough ambitious women who have enough spite in their veins to trample over anyone standing in their path of success, and would spit on graves and crush cadavers under their heeled boots that they wear with much pride and conviction.

That is exactly the case of Y/N, a gorgeous woman who won against all odds and became a Veterinary Physician in London, Camden, to be precise, and had to work under an older man who had a clinic - But it was fine, she got to learn loads, and interacting with animals on a daily basis was enough to keep her going and not to answer to any provocation from her male colleague who was far inferior to her, intellectually and intuitively speaking.

And one day, after tending to a gorgeous black race stallion, a tall and broad man walked in with a Bullmastiff boy who, upon seeing her, managed to snatch away his chain leash and jumped on her, trampling her to the ground and licking her all over her face.

The man jumped in shock, trying to pry away his pet from the poor woman, only to notice she was laughing and that he face was bright like the sun, as she tried to wipe away all the slobber from her face.

“I’m so sorry, aye, he’s never done somethin’ like this before. Here, let me help you up, right.” the man extended his hand for her to take, helping raise her up, then reprimanded his dog. “Don’t worry, mister, it’s quite alright. I kinda like when animals act so affectionate, it makes it feel as if I’m doing something right. What’s your name, darling? Let’s get you up on the table...Arghh...What a heavy baby...You’re gonna break every bone in my body...” the woman sweet talked the dog, struggling to hold him in her arms like a baby so she could put in on the table to examine. “He’s name’s Cyril, I got him last year. ‘S just a routine check up, but I think there’s a bump on his neck, yeah, right here.” the man explained, letting the girl palpate his dog and continuing to sweet talk him to calm him down. “Thyroid Carcinoma.” the male doctor spoke, which made the girl whip her head to him with a disturbed look. “Thyroid Cancer? Surely, you must be joking. Have you even been to Vet school?!” Y/N protested, shaking her head in protest at his sudden diagnosis. “What else could a bump in the thyroid area mean? Don’t play smart, just be humble and accept when you’re wrong.” the man rolled his eyes, not lifting his head from his papers. “First of all, even if it IS a tumour, it doesn’t HAVE to be cancer, it can still be completely harmless, thus, benign. Secondly, out of all tumours a dog can have, thyroid cancer is the least common one, the percentage going to maximum 2%. Therefore, NOT cancer! Besides, it could be hyperthyroidism, if you want to go over the top, but again, it could just be something the owner felt because something got stuck in his neck and-....Oh.” the girl then carefully touched the neck area, and smiled widely, looking down, nodding to herself. “What? You shut up ‘cause you finally realised I was right, despite your useless statistics?” the doctor grumbled in annoyance, not caring, obviously. “Wanna bet 100 pounds that it’s not cancer?” she asked, kissing Cyril’s head and playing with his floppy ears, action which made the dog bark playfully. “Ah, sorry, mister, I didn’t ask for your name and whether you find it insensitive or not for us to bet on a diagnosis.” she smiled awkwardly, extending her hand towards the bearded man who was watching the interaction carefully. “Alfie Solomons, lass, but call me just Alfie, right? So, yeah, ‘s fine, bet all you want, just make my boy better, eh?” Alfie shook the girl’s hand, seeing her cunningly going to the other doctor and spitting in her hand to shake and make the bet go through. “Okay, Alfie, you might want to step to the side a bit...If you value your shoes, that it. They look pretty new.” she chuckled softly, signing him with her head to move to the side, and so he did, as she made the dog vomit, and thus, revealing a small ball. “Oi, I can’t believe it! You stupid dog, Cyril, aye, how could you manage to swallow your own toy, yeah?!” Alfie gasped, his brows furrowing from shock. “Weirdly enough, dogs, especially big ones, are prone to swallowing little things, just like human babies are. It was small enough to just make him cough, but it’s a good thing you got him here in time.” the girl started quickly cleaning up the floor as she explained everything, as the Jew was still staring in shock at the idiocy of some animals. “Well, lass, thank you for solving the mystery, yeah, of whatever the hell this was, right. So, then, tell me how much I have to pay you for this consult, aye.” Alfie asked, which made her snap her head upwards, looking up at him, her eyes wide in shock. “No, God, no, nothing, it’s on me! I mean, if it weren’t for you...” Y/N smirked, reminding Alfie of a vixen, as she twirled around and went to snatch away the hundred pounds banknotes from her employer’s hand, who was looking at her with anger and bitterness. “I wouldn’t have been paid more than I’m paid in 3 months in just one day! It’s the least I can do to thank you...And to also see Cyril again, because I think it’s a connection. Right, Cyril? You’re such a sweet baby boy-....ARGH, GODS, NO-...!” but before the girl could compose herself, Cyril jumped on her torso, knocking her down again, coating her face in yet another sleek coat of drool from the lickings. “Damn it, Cyril, you’re impossible! Let the poor lass live, eh? I know, I know, she’s pretty, but leave her alone, alright?” after he finally managed to pry away the canine, he helped the girl up, who, once again, was laughing. “Let me make it up to you, yeah, for all the trouble this prankster’s been giving you, right. I’ve this bakery, y’know, the one nearby, so, anything you want, yeah, anything, you ask for it, you say my name, right, you say Alfie owes you a favour, and it’s all on the house, eh. How’s that.” he spoke, and he could see that her overly confident and extra demeanour shattered in an instant, making her look down, her beautiful, long hair hiding her features, as she was most likely blushing and smiling. “O-Oh, then, if that’s your bakery, means I’ve heard of you, you’re THE Alfie Solomons. Yeah, I’d love that, if you’d have me, but I told you, you don’t have to. I used you to get money worth of about 3 months, or more, so really, I should be thanking you somehow, but I don’t really have anything else to offer, other than to pay for the consult myself.” her serious, boastful voice turned very soft and shy, as fast as the flick of her fingers, as she walked him out of the clinic, so only he would hear. “Your boss there...He seemed kinda...Angry, eh. Are you gonna be fine dealing with him, lass?” he asked, bending down a bit, speaking to her tone level. “I guess. What’s the worst he can do, anyway. Besides, I care more about this conversation right now, and...About this.” she smirked softly, showing off the rolled pounds from her coat’s chest pocket. “So, Mr. Gangster, is there any specific time you’d be okay with me coming by the bakery? Maybe...Under the pretext of yet another regular check up on Cyril? Or...The smell of freshly baked cookies just captured me enough to find myself senselessly walking into the place?” she asked, diving her hands into her pockets, waiting for an answer, too timid to look him in the eye. “Ahhh, I see you’ve heard of me. Well, lass, I guess I can’t pretend to be some ordinary man, right, but maybe we can still enjoy a nice chat once in a while, eh, it would be nice, right?” the corner of Alfie’s mouth turned upwards, extending his hand for her to shake. “Y/N L/N, it’s great meeting you, Alfie. And yeah, it would be great. I’ll be seeing you around, alright? Hope I’ll see you soon and maybe we can have a nice cup of tea and anything that you’ve baked. I’m looking forward to that.” she shook his hand, smiling brightly at him, gesture which he turned. “And I’ll be seeing you as well, sweetheart.” with that, she kissed Cyril’s head once again, before waving Alfie goodbye and walking back into the clinic. “And I’ll be seeing you too...Y/N.” the gangster muttered, grinning at his dog and praising him with a few pats on his head. “Cyril, my boy, you’re my lucky charm.”

A week passed, and Y/N walked into the bakery - However, it wasn’t the front up, the bakery shop that smelled heavenly - It meant the gangster warehouse where Alfie would usually conduct his business meetings. And, of course, it was shocking to him when heard the click of heels and saw a beautiful, slender woman, dressed in high-waisted pants, with a black turtleneck tucked in her pants, beautiful brown leather boots with heels and a black trench coat that elegantly, yet imposingly hung from her shoulders, as if she was some kind of mafia Queen - Elegant, but deadly.

“Hello, Alfie. I heard you have a job around this place. Not sure what it is...Medic? Secretary? Dog-walker? Maybe you could fill me in.” she asked, her hands in her pants, fidgeting in her spot. “Where’ve you heard about this...Supposed job, eh, lass? And why’d you quit your job from the clinic, eh?” he asked, his fingers intertwining as he leaned forward, elbows rested on his desk. “Ah, well...Y’know...I got my medical license pulled, so I need a way to make money, and you’re the only one that I trusted not to treat me like garbage, so here I am. I know there’s no job, but I had to try my luck and be comedic in a way. It’s probably about the only thing I’m good at, sort of. It’s fine if you don’t want to give me a job, I mean, you can’t trust me with your business info after just speaking to me once, I can imagine, and - “ she kept on ranting, until Alfie raised both his hands in the air to calm her down and stop her speaking, before he raised to his feet, getting in front of the desk and leaning back on it. “Well, I did owe you a favour, right, so, sure, you’re hired, right, I’ll find you something. While we’re at it, can you, yeah, can you fire a gun?” he asked, with a mix of seriousness and playfulness in his voice. “Is it...In the job requirements?” she asked, looking around the place with a fake kind of curiosity. “There’s no job seeking, yeah, so, therefore, no job requirements. I was just being curious, alright, y’know, I have to know what everyone around is capable of, okay.” he explained, which made her smirk and turn on her heel to look at him. “That’s only fair. After all, now that you know that I’m particularly incapable of defending myself against people in general, you’ll just have to be extra careful to keep me safe, right, Alfie? We wouldn’t want Cyril to grieve over me, would we?” she chuckled, extending her arms to her side in a dramatic manner. “Haha, yes, lass, I s’ppose you’re right. Can you handle more than one job, eh? I can hire you as a physician, right, but we don’t always have wounded men, yeah, so, you’re a smart woman, alright, I’m sure you are very capable of reading, writing, doing calculus and other stuff that involves using your head, right, so, I don’t know what name will this job have, but, maybe an assistant of sort, eh? Ollie here helps me out a lot, yeah, but he can’t do everything, he ain’t some God, y’know.” Alfie gesticulated, pointing towards Ollie, then tried to explain to her that things are serious, and not to be taken lightly. “Guess this is gonna be the thrill of my life, huh? I’m in, Alfie. At least I can get along with you without fearing having my license pulled-...Oh, wait, I have nothing to fear about anymore.” she chuckled in a self-deprecating way, making Alfie cross his arms to his chest. “You never told me what happened. Go on, tell me. I’m sure you didn’t kill a dog, or somethin’, you’re too smart a doctor to fuck up.” his curiosity got the better of him, as he saw her turning to look at him, her eyes wide, her mouth slightly agape, and he could almost see her brain gears moving, trying to think of a witty answer. “Didn’t you say something about freshly baked goodies and tea? I bet that’s gonna be a much more...Hospitable way of chatting with your new employee, wouldn’t it? Or better said, friendlier? I mean, this place is so...Ugly and humid...Only good for gangster business. The echo here, if you shout, can intimidate anyone, I’m sure. Come on, show me the actual bakery...And you better have a gramophone. I like music.” she smiled up at him, hooking her arm to his, pulling him in a random direction to urge him to guide her to the bakery, where the beautiful smell of bread and cookies mesmerised her, and she playfully swooned in her chair. “I see you’re enjoying this place very much, eh. Well, can’t say I expected you coming today, so I didn’t bake them myself, yeah, but I’ll make it up to you. Sure you want tea and not rum or somethin’?” Alfie asked, a bit awkward staying at the cute little table, with a cute, little cup of tea in his bear-like hands. “Yes, I’m quite sure, Alfie. But it’s fine, you don’t have to drink what I’m drinking, I won’t think of you any differently. In your home, you do as you please.” she chuckled at him, watching as he nodded solemnly, only to down that tea in one go, small droplets of liquid embedding themselves in his beard. “Right, right, I understand, y’er a people pleaser, you want everyone to like you, unless it goes against whatever scheme you have. You’re smart, alright. Very smart, and you’ve sharp eyes, and are cunning. I need someone like you around, yeah. But tell me, how’d you manage to lose your dream job in a week?” Alfie asked, extending his hand to gently grab her chin, pulling it so he could peer right into her gorgeous, vixen-like eyes. “Remember the bet I did when you came around with Cyril? Well, apparently that jerk got mad at me for, to quote, steal his money, so he filed a malpractice lawsuit to get his money back, 5 times more, and pulled away my license, to get revenge on me for humiliating him in front of a customer...Allegedly. Very petty, I know, but, as they say...C’est la vie. Not much to do about it, really. Now I’m seen as a con-artist thief who kills animals, so I have no way of getting a job anywhere anymore, hence why I’m here. Lovely, innit?” she snorted as she took a bit of the cookie, closing her eyes to savour it’s flavour. “And now, I think I died and went to heaven, ‘cause this is the best thing I’ve eaten in my life.” “You’re so hired, lass. Did ya pay the 500 pounds?” he asked, propping his jaw on his hand. “Yeah, thankfully. And by that, I mean I to sell my apartment so now I’m using my saving to stay at a cheap hotel, but, y’know, life’s life. At least I know I won and I was right. Maybe if I had the right connections, I could have won 10 times what I lost...But what do I know. I don’t really know how non-legal things go by.” she chuckled softly, scratching the back of her head in a playfully guilty manner. “Y’know, Y/N...I think we can solve that fairly quick, yeah. Tell me the name, and I’ll make sure things are sold. In the meantime, I’ve a nice, warm room where you can stay, right, and surely, Cyril’s gonna love your company.” Alfie smiled at her, signaling for her to follow him.

At that time, she had no idea this was actually his home, but when she did find out, she was more than grateful, if not, a bit awkward, for having to rely so much on his kindness. However, just as he promised, Alfie managed to get that jerk of a doctor to pay her 10 times the money she paid him, and thus, she would have been able to get a very modern and luxurious place, only for herself, and even buy a dog, a cat, or hell, more of them.

But she refused, and asked to continue staying with him, if she wasn’t too much of a burden, since she really enjoyed spending time with him, and she had no idea, other than working 200% of her capabilities for her job, whatever that was, at the moment, and, of course, she would have missed Cyril too much.

It didn’t take long for Alfie’s people to realise the obvious chemistry between the two, and Ollie kept trying to convince him to ask her out, but things are always so difficult, aren’t they? Business and logics are much easier than subjective emotions.

It became sort of a routine for everyone around to see their boss writing and reading documents at his desk, while Y/N would sit on the desk, her legs resting on his chair’s back rest, as she would write on her clipboard whatever relevant things she thought were worth noting down, and would occasionally express her opinions regarding ideas that Alfie had, or some businesses that he was dealing with at the moment - All that, with, of course, the frequent witty comments they would exchange - And it was never anything hurtful, or reproachful jabs, only playful and domestic comments that always made her laugh.

“You never told me why you always look down when you interact with people, y’know, and by that, I don’t mean when you’re being some dramatic Queen, but when you’re being yourself. I mean, I haven’t seen women who let their hair so long these days, right, so I was curious about you. You do things much differently than most people, y’know that, don’t you?” Alfie asked, raising his head to look up at her, only to see, once again, trying to think of how to explain things that don’t rely on rational and objective behaviours. “Ah...Well...Uh...Y’know...I’m...My face is very expressive, y’know. So, like...I get embarrassed easily, or...Uhm...When I lie, or something, I tend to grin or laugh. I’m a messy failure who can’t do a pokerface, like, ever, so, since most people are taller than me, if I let my hair cover my face, they won’t see the truth. Or, well, y’know, at least that’s what I hope. I can’t look at them while hiding, so I’ve no way of telling whether it works or not. Contrary to me being flashy and dramatic, I’m kinda shy and terrible around people.” she chuckled awkwardly, looking away from him, bringing up her clipboard to cover half of her face. “Ahhh, I see, I see, so you go to real great lengths, yeah, to get what you want, and so far, you’ve done really well, eh. Is there anything you can’t do, lass? You’ve been doing this job for over a year, and business has improved with...Uh...Lemme see, how much did you say...Ah, yes, here, it says 23%.” he had his glasses on as his eyes scanned the documents on his desk. “I...Can’t socialise, I guess. And I can’t relax. I don’t know how to have fun. Uhm...I can’t human, I guess? I don’t know what to call it, but I think you get what I’m saying. Anyway, we have business work now, so read this paragraph here, I think we have to talk threaten Sabini a bit, he’s over his head now with power, someone has to humble him, give us a better percentage of his business, and -” Y/N tried to quickly redirect the conversation, hating when she had to talk about herself, but obviously, she couldn’t say no to the man who was always so kind and sweet with her, could she? “Nahhh, it’s fine, Y/N, let’s take a little break, right? We’ve been working since early morning, it’s evening now. Ollie, go make tea and bring those treats made today, eh. Now, lass, why don’t you tell me how did you get around to practicing medicine? I’ve always been curious by that, you know, you don’t see many women unafraid of stuff like that, yeah.” he pointed out, letting himself fall down on his chair’s seat, looking up at her. “Y’know, Y/N, you say you can hide your emotions when you hide your face from people taller than you, yeah? But what happens when they look at you from below? Gotta say, Y/N, sometimes, your worried face is rather pretty...Better now, let me look at you when you speak, yeah, we’re equals, when you go all meek on me, you make me feel like some kind o’ merciless boss or somethin’.” he chuckled, raising a bit to put her hair behind her ears, revealing a soft blush coating her cheeks, and god damn, he could feel his heart beating a bit faster. “Uhm...Okay, fine, sure, I owe you that much. Uhm...My dad was a medic too, so it became a family business for a while. And, uhm...Dad was recruited as a war medic, and went with my brother, while I and mum continued to take care of the people and animals from our city. When it was all over, I decided to get to London to practice properly, get more money and provide for my family better. They’re getting old and they need someone to take care of them, somehow.” she explained, but her eyes were darting around, and he could feel she was still hiding something because of her hesitance, but he wasn’t sure what exactly was it that she was trying to hide.

But before either of them could say anything about it anymore, a loud bang echoed through the warehouse, somewhere from the entrance, which made the girl jump in her place with a mouse-like squeak, slapping her hands over her ears.

It’s true, any person would get frightened by a gunshot that resounded so loudly through that place - And yet, this one looked like a panicked, scared fawn in the headlights - And Alfie, of course, noticed that and came to a few conclusions for himself.

However, before he could say anything, a man entered their field of vision, and he could feel Y/N tensing up, her face showing shock and disgust at the person who she clearly recognise. She turned her head to look at Alfie, and with pleading eyes, mouthing a few simple words that may or may not have shocked him.

“Let me kill him” she tried to say, but this mystery man spoke out faster than expected, and it was clear she was getting more and more angry and embarrassed by the moment. “Y/N, darling, what are you doing here? Whoring around with other men, getting into illicit business, thinking you’re superior to men just because you have some over the top ambitions that are completely unreachable, and now you think you can get rich by staying around wealthy old men, huh?” the man kept speaking, igniting an infernal fire into her eyes. “Alfie, I pride myself with my never ending patience, but I swear to God, if you don’t let me kill him...I don’t know what I’m gonna do.” Y/N muttered between her gritted teeth, shocking Alfie since he never saw her as the violent type. “I’m not doing any business with him, alright, do what you feel like doing, Y/N, he’s all yours.” Alfie sat back in his chair, his fingers intertwined over his stomach, watching with interest whatever she was going to do.

Y/N jumped off the desk and slowly prowled around it, her head hanging low, before she snapped it up, glaring lightnings at the man.

“Fuck off. Now. Or you’re dead. Do you understand this simple language, or do I need to put it in words that even a monkey would understand?” she crossed her arms, spitting poison at him. “What, can’t I be angry at my own girlfriend for being a bitch and leaving me alone? I mean, you really fucked up, y’know? You left me when I needed you the most, how tragic is that?!” he yelled at her, but she only rolled her eyes, scoffing. “Yeah, I left you ‘cause you were abusing me. The way I see it, you’re the one who sucks, not me. Now get the hell out of here. Before I do something you will regret.” her voice went an octave lower, threatening him the same way she learnt from Alfie over the time of business making. “Woaw, Y/N, woaw, that’s pathetic, even for you. You’ve never been able to even raise your voice at anyone. You were nothing more than a crybaby who couldn’t step up to anyone, and then you went to war, and what, you think you changed? You didn’t! Underneath this dumb, tough facade that you’re trying to pull in front of everyone else, you’re nothing more than the frightened little girl who needed to have everything in control and grasp a bit of power to feel superior to others after you got beaten up and had a gun pointed at your head by the Germa-” but he couldn’t continue speaking for, in the blink of an eye, she pulled out a gun for her trench coat and shot him in the head, his blood and brains shooting everywhere, all over her, on the walls and floor. “Well...Ask me anything and I will provide you with an answer that is completely honest this time. But, uhm...Take of your shirt, will you?” she had a solemn, pissed off expression as she threw off her coat before hurriedly taking off her shirt, nonchalantly cleaning up her face, then pulling it into a ball, throwing it on the cadaver, then stepped in front of a very shocked, yet impressed Alfie. “Go on, take off your shirt, will you? It’s clean. You promised I’ll never have to shoot a gun, and yet, I did, therefore I need a clean top, right? So, while I tell you the truth, don’t let me stay like this in front of you, okay?” extending her hand in front of her, while her other arm was over her chest, trying to cover her pretty white laced bra, it took a mirthful laugh out of the Jew for him to finally take off his shirt and put it around her, not caring that he was the topless one now. “Will you ever stop impressing and surprising me, lass?” Alfie asked, petting her head as a way to say she did well. “Once I stop shocking myself, sure. Until then...I believe you want to say something, don’t you?” she asked, slowly stepping in front of him, looking up at him as she properly put on his shirt that looked like a dress on her. “Yeah, lass, I think I did.”

With a gentle smile, he cupped her face, leaning down to plant a soft kiss on her lips, one hand stroking his fingers through her beautiful long hair, while the other caressed her soft visage. The tender look in his blue-green eyes felt like the safest, warmest haven she ever felt, and with an impulse decision that her heart made, she leaned forward, her arms slowly snaking around his torso, her head resting on his shoulder, and closing her eyes, she could finally feel her heart calming, for the first time in her life.

“It was you who went to war, wasn’t it?” Alfie muttered in her hair, holding her tightly. “Yeah. I don’t have a brother. It was me who went with my father to war, but he died, so I had to be the backbone of the troops. When I got home, my mum was devastated and she died of grief. I left that place to get rid of memories...And get rid of that fuckass. War left me with traumas, but it also made me strong enough to face up to who I am and stop taking everyone’s shit just because they think I’m lesser than them. Sometimes...When you talk about your time as a captain...I remember my time there...And...I realise how much I respect you...And also, how different you are from all the people I had contact with there.” she explained, her grip tightening around him, her heart quivering from the deep emotions she was feeling. “You’ve been through quite a lot in your life, haven’t you, lass? And you managed to make a life all for yourself, from the scratch, right, so, I think you’ve been doing great. France?” he asked, guiding her to a more private room, much warmer and cozier, while Ollie was to find him another shirt. “Yeah, France. Thing is...You went through all that, and it was worse for you, since you were a Captain, and you must have felt responsible for every death from your troops...And yet...Ever since we met, you’ve been sweeter than anyone has ever been, and that includes my own family. Don’t get me wrong, I loved them, but maybe...Maybe I’m just a bit softer than I let others think. And you managed to hit the right spot, in the good way, I mean. War changes everyone, and yet, you’re...I have no fitting word to describe how much I appreciate you, Alfie, but here...This thing here feels it, and I think you can feel what I’m feeling too.” she explained, resting her head on his shoulder once they sat down on the sofa, as he pulled her closer to his side, kissing her temple lovingly. “You know, Y/N...You’re not wrong. I tried not to think about my time there and the horrors I’ve seen, yeah, so, maybe it doesn’t come off as anything fantastic, and I still don’t think that being a decent person, right, to people who are close to me, is a big deal. But maybe sometimes we take things for granted, don’t we, so, maybe, you’re right. But that guy has no excuse for being a bastard. You’re safe now, Y/N, and when some day, when we’re done with this gangster mess...We can go to Margate and live a normal life there, eh. You, me and Cyril, and the sandy beach and the waves, right, and maybe, if we get bored, we can shoot those damned seagulls, yeah? They’re so annoying, I’m telling ya!” Alfie chuckled, which, in turn, made her grin at him lovingly. “I’d love to go to Margate with you, Alfie, and have seagull shooting contests together, and run barefoot on the shore, and if it’s enough light from the moon, we can swim a bit. Sounds like the perfect life if you ask me.” Y/N kissed his cheek, lovingly caressing his face before hugging his side. “That’s what I like to hear, lass. I’m sure Cyril would bark like a mad dog from happiness if he was hear, right. S’gonna be fun when we get home, eh.”

#alfie solomons #alfie solomons imagine #alfie solomons x reader #peaky blinders x reader #peaky blinder imagine #peaky blinders

104 notes · View notes

agarthanguide · 5 years

Note

i'm obsessed with klimt!jester and byzantine!molly, my gosh. what wonderful ideas you had for all of them! how long did it take you to settle on each inspiration, and what other ideas did you almost go with?

This is a fun question. Here’s how it went (behind the cut because this got so very long)-

Caleb happened first, and without any intention of doing a whole set. I wanted to try to do Van Gogh’s coloring thing, and Caleb seemed like a really good target. It was deeply fun.

Beau- Hey, I like this Caleb piece! What if I do art stuff for all of the M9? I wanna try those long inky LIchtenstein lines! And what could go wrong? Surely this won’t extend to two months of extensive research and work!

Molly- As soon as I decided to draw Beau, I knew I wanted Molly to be some highly iconographic thing with glorioles and gold leaf and things. I have a longstanding fascination with Catholic and Orthodox iconography and gosh do I love messing with gold leaf. Early concepts included some Fra Angelico action (he does this thing where you texture the gold leaf to create patterns in the frame, which i find absolutely stunning. This is also a Big Look in 17th Century Spanish polychrome sculpture, which I obviously couldn’t pastiche directly, but wanted to reference, if the opportunity came up)-

I also considered going a bit Russian. Russian iconography has probably the most opportunities for adding layers of symbolism (it just occurred to me that I probably would have needed to find someone who understood cyrillic to make it work)-

In the end, I was paging through a book of decorative motifs and was reminded of the Byzantine mosaics in Ravenna, which are probably the most iconic of the form outside of the Hagia Sophia. I decided that I’d probably have lots of other opportunities to paint, and I wanted to try my hand at a realistic tile look.

Caduceus- I thought of Mucha straight away, but I really didn’t want to do it, because I had already seen it done several times, and I thought those other artists had done really well, and that the concept was a closed book. The other big concept was Picasso’s Old Guitarist-

It’s got the lankiness and the stylization and I love the pose, but in the end I just really thought that Caduceus was more Art Nouveau than expressionist. Also my brother was really voting against any pose that included a profile, because I had never drawn Cad in anything other than profile. So that cinched it.

Jester- I never considered anything else but Klimt. I tried hard to think of something else, because my last two brain cells have just enough self awareness to know that Klimt is way, way above me in terms of pattern and texture and motif, and I was pretty sure it was gonna be too difficult for me. It was, by the way. I stopped long before I wanted to and didn’t include a lot of what I had dreamed of adding.

Matt- Following my fascination with iconography, I still wanted to do the heavily painted, loaded with symbolism and rich color portrait that Molly wasn’t. I looked at artists like Ghirlandaio, Castagno, and Jan van Eyck (I never considered Da Vinci, his sensitivity is way outside my orbit), but in the end I kept coming back to Holbein, who really raises the bar on color choice and symbolism. I love that all his portraits seem to be set in plain or dark spaces, but are somehow glowing and mysterious. I didn’t have the guts to put in a deep, perspective-y background, but omg I wish-

I mean I’m not a fucking wizard. But holy shit look at that. The notes and crap hanging off the wall all look like clues. Like Sherlock Holmes would be able to write the whole life story of this guy. It’s almost trompe l’oeil.

Yasha- First concept for Yasha was a Minoan fresco from Knossos-

If I was designing Yasha’s tribe, I think I’d go for a melange of Mongolian and Minoan, throwing in some Tibetan textile patterns. I just think this looks so much like her, and also some other Minoan frescoes include insane levels of ritualized badassery, like Bull Leaping and young girls offering saffron to incarnate goddesses. I just love it. In the end, I was worried that the relative clean-ness and simplicity of the lines in the Minoan style would make it look like I was giving Yasha short shrift. This feels a little ridiculous to me now, but I had just come off three in a row that took more than ten hours. My next thought was the Book of Hours of Joanna of Castile. The thought here was that some of the pages actually look like Yasha’s book of pressed flowers-

This felt like a totally winning direction to me. As I researched illuminated books more, though, my concept started to broaden and get more stylized, and I just went with it. I think it turned out okay.

Fjord- Fjord is handsome and iconic, so the ideas flowed easily for him. The first and most obvious was a Fabio-era (read- 80s to early 90s) romance novel cover-

I didn’t go with it because the Tusk Love thing meant that a lot of other artists had tried it already, and many of them had done a damn fine job, and I didn’t think that I had anything to add. The next concept was David’s Napoleon-

Very solid concept, but two issues- 1. Most portraits of Napoleon are pretty standard, in the mold of, say, Holbein, which I had already done. 2. The horse portrait is awesome, but I think Fjord had only been on horses circumstantially. I couldn’t picture him on a horse. He’s not iconically horsey, he’s iconically sailor-y. I can’t confirm whether or not he had a moorbounde when I painted this, but I know I hadn’t seen any of those episodes, yet. So. All of this dithering kept going until the DAY I STARTED PAINTING. And suddenly pulp cover fell out. I love pulp art. This is the second fandom I’ve done pulp art covers for.

Nott- Full credit to @essayofthoughts, who came up with the playing card thing right at the get go. I wasn’t sold, though, and floated two other concepts. First was a Mughal Miniature-

The thing about these is that they are very often like little comics. On one side of the painting, you can have the main character at a lake, picking daisies or being drowned or whatever, and then on the other side that same character can be picking pockets in a crowded bar. There’s loads of opportunity for detail and symbols and fun stuff like that. On the other hand- I’m not a goddam genius. I could not have taken in the style and substance of Mughal storytelling and then just spit it out in a few short weeks and done it any justice. Nope, that concept was just too difficult and too far above me.My other concept was Millais’ Ophelia-

This one might have been amazing, but the second half of the 19th century was getting very crowded indeed, with Caleb, Caduceus, and Jester all having concepts from that era. That and I wanted something more graphic artsy than painty to round out the series. Beau was starting to feel like an outlier and I wanted to loop her in closer to the bunch, if you know what I mean.

Okay that was a lot, but I apparently had a lot to share. I hope you found the unused concepts interesting, at least. What would you have done, were you me? I would love to hear outtakes from alternative universes.

59 notes · View notes

yukiwrites · 4 years

Text

The Flow of Time

Thanks for the support as always, @breeachuu! Here’s to Wolfie’s triumphant return!!.... :’D

Summary: After so many tribulations under such a short time, Wolfie finally felt like he was fitting in the Blue Lions, to the point of wanting to make a friendship jewel with Dimitri and everything. But when the Flame Emperor attacked and war broke out, Wolfram had to follow his Destiny’s Call.

Commission info HERE and HERE!

_______________________________

Wolfram barely noticed how fast time passed while he was talking to Dorothea -- he had so much to talk about Caspar it felt as though he simply blinked and suddenly dusk had fallen all around the monastery.

Since he had spent quite a few hours indulging himself in tasty treats and wonderful teas (Dorothea served him two full pots! They really were having a blast in there), Wolfie didn't feel hungry enough -- or hungry at all for that matter -- to go to the Dining Hall, so he simply took a right after leaving Dorothea's room towards the stairs to the second floor. Smiling foolishly, the half-manakete went up the steps, enjoying how the walls of the corridor echoed the sound, surprisingly unbothered by being apparently all alone in the entire dormitory.

Well, since it was dinner time just about then, most of the students were gathering downstairs to share a table at the Dining Hall -- and usually Wolfram would be amongst them if only to have more company; but, for some reason, the boy's heart felt so full at the moment that he needed some time to digest all that had happened.

Never had talking about someone else made Wolfram feel that way -- he felt like he was shining like the sun while his smile was plastered on his face like a buffoon. However, the moment his eyes glanced at one of the nameplates of a room, he stopped in his tracks, widening his eyes.

It was Dimitri's room.

"Oh yeah, I wonder if I should ask him about 'that' now..." He mused, a frown burrowing his face as his thin eyes looked down to the floor. Putting one hand over his chin in deep thought, Wolfram's warm aura from his talk with Dorothea directed itself towards his first friend instead.

They had shared a wonderful friendship in such a short amount of time that Wolfram actually felt awkward to bring up the subject -- since he had always been around acquaintances and friends of the family, he never truly thought about forming such a deep bond with someone else on his own. Clutching his chest, the boy placed his head by Dimitri's nameplate, remembering the lessons his Mother and siblings had given him about the jewel-making.

Perhaps even for a human's standard, this friendship of theirs was a fast-paced one; Wolfram couldn't tell. He had always been surrounded by old friends and what not, so he couldn't say for sure how to determine the exact point where an acquaintance turned into a friend and when a friend turned into an ally close to one's heart. But the half-manakete knew one thing: he felt that way towards Dimitri.

He had been the target of Dimitri's consideration, kindness and open-mindedness so many times it made the boy's heart feel like bursting. He even witnessed the glimpse of darkness that took hold of the Prince's heart, though he kept on believing that he would keep by the light.

Wolfram was sure, however: he truly did want to craft the friendship jewel and give it to Dimitri. So, should he 'strike while the iron's hot' like some humans in Ylisse used to say, or what? There he was, standing ducks right in front of the room of the next King of Faerghus, so why not just come out with it and ask?

Yeah! That's what he was going to do, yep!

... What Wolfram didn't notice, however, was that he went through the thought process of a manakete to reach that conclusion -- meaning he didn't notice how long he had actually been standing in front of Dimitri's room. Which was a really long time, to be honest.

Most of the noble students had been wandering around the halls, stealing glances at the bold, tall boy who stood still with his head on the Prince's door like it was a normal thing to do, only when a polite, deep voice brought him back from his thoughts, right when he had come into a conclusion.

"Wolfram? Is something the matter? Do forgive me for not arriving sooner, have you been waiting long?" Dimitri walked at hurried steps towards his own room, his gaze meeting Wolfram's, making the half-manakete jump out of his own skin.

"Di-Dimitri!" Wolfram stuttered, gulping as he suddenly felt very nervous. There was heat rising on his cheeks, since he didn't know how to actually convey what he wanted to without sounding like he had lost his mind. "I, um, I-"

Catching on quickly, Dimitri glanced at their bustling surroundings before placing one hand on Wolfie's back while the other turned the handle of his door. "Is it something you'd rather say in private? Come, no one shall hear us in my room," he whispered, guiding the tall boy in before closing the door behind them. "Did something happen? You're sweating -- have you eaten properly? I - ah, we were sharing a meal with the Professor at the Dining Hall and we didn't see you there..."

"Oh no, I'm not hungry at all, thank you! I'm, um, I actually wanted to ask something, but now that I'm here, I don't know how to say it, nyahaha..." Wolfram scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, looking down at his feet.

"Of course, you can ask me anything. If it's within my power, I'm willing to help." Dimitri guided Wolfie to sit by the secretary while Dimitri himself pulled a stool to sit on, holding Wolfie's hand on his own. "What has happened, friend?"

"Friend..." Wolfram gulped, brushing his thumbs over the Prince's hands, squeezing it softly as he took a short breath. "What I want to ask is actually related to that," he glanced at Dimitri's clear blue eyes once before looking back to sustain the gaze. "It's, ah, somewhat of a custom back home-- and I mean in my family and the manaketes in general -- to craft something called a 'friendship jewel' out of own scales and a few strands of hair..."

"Huh..." Dimitri nodded as if he understood, though confusion was apparent in his eyes, which made Wolfie's smile grow.

"So I was kinda wondering if you could give me a few strands of your hair? T-that way I could make us a pair of friendship jewels..." his voice died down as he spoke, heat once again rising to his cheeks.

"Oh!" Dimitri also blushed slightly, somewhat delighted and embarrassed to be held in such high regard by someone other than his deceased family. "Of course, Wolfram. How much should I give you?" He gripped at his scalp, meaning to pull a handful of hair from the root, not realizing that would make a really large bald spot on his golden locks.

"W-wai-wait, don't pull that much!" Wolfie held Dimitri's hand back, picking a thin lock on the side of his head instead. "Just this much is fine... Don't get bald on my account, please!" He giggled heartily, stealing a chuckle from the Prince.

"Ahah, very well, then." Dimitri nodded as he pulled the lock of hair out, placing it in Wolfram's hand. "I shall look forward to seeing how this wonderful jewel will look like, then, Wolfram. I do thank you for thinking of me with such fondness -- are you also making one for Caspar? I figure I'm not the first one you propose this to, since the two of you get along so well."

Blinking, Wolfie stopped midway to placing Dimitri's hair into his chest pocket. "Uh, no, I didn't do one for him, actually. This is my very first time doing this, so I obviously thought of you."

"Oh," Dimitri tried to conceal a smile by lowering his head, but his red ears gave his elation away. "Truly? That's- I do not know how to react to this, truthfully."

"Heehee," Wolfie placed the hair safely into his pocket, then took Dimitri's hands again. "You're really special to me, Dimitri; that's why you're getting this friendship jewel. I mean, Caspar is special to me too, but it's a bit different?" he tilted his head to the side in slight confusion, "I don't know how to explain it, but the kinds of like I feel for you and for him aaaare different, I think? I feel it that way, but..."

Chuckling, it was Dimitri's turn to squeeze Wolfie's hands slightly. "I am sure you will be able to figure it out, Wolfram. As I said before, I will be looking forward to the jewel -- perhaps you could tell me how it will be made later?"

"Oh, for sure! I still gotta wait for the right time, so I kinda wanna prepare first before saying anything; but thanks for the hair, I'll treasure it!"

"Anytime, my friend. If you need more, there are a lot from where that one came from, ahah!" He scratched the spot he had pulled the lock from, which was a bit itchy from being forcefully ripped.

Laughing, Wolfie nudged his friend's shoulder, feeling all warm all over again.

Wolfram had to keep close watch on the moon to check for its cycles since there was little information about the precise dates for when a full moon would occur -- which meant that although he could simply check it when the moon rose in the sky, he chose to stay up 'til later to check the positions of the moon and also stretched his wings more often in search of a good place with lots of moonlight for the crafting.

After one such night of staying up late, before he even sneaked out of Caspar's room, a hurried knock on the door made Wolfram gulp a soundless scream as he ran to open it, not wanting to wake up his snoring friend.

"Y-yes? Ah, Cyril, hello there." He whispered, crouching to be able to stay on the boy's point of view. "It's really late, why are you here?"

"Lady Rhea said she wants to talk to you, so I'm here to take you to her."

Wolfram froze in place.

"Lady-"

"Lady Rhea."

"She wants to-"

"Talk to you, yes, yes. Can we go now? I need to wake up early tomorrow so I'd 'preciate if you could come quickly."

"O-oh, um," his heart thumping inside his chest, Wolfie glanced back at the sleeping Caspar before pressing his lips into a thin line, clutching his locket with all he had. "L-let me just change out of my pajamas, real quick." He apologized with his hands, closing the door after Cyril replied with a sleepy 'okay'.

"Oh my Naga, oh my Naga, Naga!" Wolfram muttered under his shaky breath, walking around in circles as he held his head between his hands. "She- she did say she would want to talk to me later, but what- why now? D-did anyone see me while I flew around this week? I've been careless once when Dimitri found me out, but ever since then I've been doing so well!" He took deep breaths so as not to freak out, not noticing how he was actually changing out of his clothes.

Caspar let out a loud snore, then muttered something intelligible and turned on his side as he scratched his belly -- action of which made Wolfram turn white as a sheet of paper and hold his breath in surprise. After a few seconds too long, when his face was starting to get purple from lack of oxygen, Wolfram gasped for breath when Caspar went back to snoring loudly.

"Okay, okay, okay, okay... I just gotta go, right? I just- I gotta..." He whimpered, making sure to wear his father's pocket watch, right beside the locket into which he kept his dragonstone. He was still so terrified of Rhea.

So, so, terrified.

She was a dragon whose power was always just barely in control that he was scared that she might just go berserk and destroy everything around her. Wolfram remembered well of the stories of how Tiki -- the only known manakete to be older than his mother Nidra -- had to be sealed for centuries because her power was so strong she could destroy the world if she lost control of it.

What if Rhea was the same? She did seem to be pretty old -- he meant that in the best way possible -- for a manakete- er, a Child of the Goddess as they were called in Fódlan, so what if after so many years she started to lose control of her power? What if their dragonstones were corrupted? What if, what if-

"Hey, are you done there? You said you'd come quickly." Cyril knocked on the door again, making Wolfram jump one meter off the ground in surprise, quickly putting on his boots to leave the room.

"S-sorry, I couldn't find my socks." He adjusted the bandana on his head, biting his lower lip when the young boy simply shrugged and guided the half-manakete out of the dorms.

They walked towards the main building of the monastery, then up the stairs towards Rhea's office -- towards the presence Wolfram had been running away from ever since the first time he came in contact with it.

"Alright, she's in there, so go on and be respectful to her, you hear me?" The young boy poked on Wolfram's belly with a precision fit for an assassin, reaching right on his solar plexus, making Wolfram bend down in surprise. "I'm going to bed now."

"O-huff... Okay- thanks for bringing me all the way here, Cyril!" Wolfram said as he caught his breath, waving to the disappearing young boy as he went down the same stairs they had just used. "Okay, Wolfie, you got this. You got-" he started trembling. "You don't got this," he whined, clutching locket and watch alike as he slowly, ever so slowly made his way to Rhea's office.

The door was ajar, so he simply had to put a hand over it for it to creak open, though Rhea's eyes were focused on a pile of documents to see him entering.

"Um-"

"Make yourself comfortable, child." She said in a calm voice, gesturing vaguely to the two chairs in front of her desk. "I will be done in a second."

"O-okay," Wolfram could barely hear his own voice under his ever growing anxiety, the power Rhea leaked even while she was doing paperwork enough to make the boy dizzy. His back was already drenched in sweat, as were his hands -- which he kept drying constantly over his pants.

A few minutes passed inside the silent room -- the only sound being Rhea's continuous scribbles over the documents. After another couple of moments passed, Wolfram exhaled slowly, not wanting the sound of his breath to be the thing that made her pay attention to him rather than her work.

"How do you see me, child?" She asked as she signed one of the last papers.

"UWAH?!" Wolfram jumped on his seat, holding his chest in surprise with the suddenness of Rhea's explosive voice. She spoke barely over a whisper, honestly, but the power leaking out of her mouth as well as the large presence of her beast right there, towering behind her, made the experience seem a thousand times scarier to the half-manakete. "S-sorry, um, I don't understand the question...?" he cleared his throat, finding that he was having trouble breathing.

Rhea placed the quill back on its spot, closing the inkpot before placing her clear green eyes on Wolfram, making the boy freeze on the spot. "To me, you feel like a kit," she placed her chin over her intertwined fingers. "A young, weak child with such a faint Presence," she stressed the word in such a way that only those of the Blood would understand, "that you feel like the others."

She let that sink in for a moment, never taking her eyes off of Wolfie's, noticing how much he trembled under her power.

"But you are not, are you? You can also feel us just as we can feel you."

Wolfram knew it! He knew she felt him too! But then, why did she keep quiet all that time? Why did she tolerate it? What was going to happen to him now? He could barely move from his chair, let alone open his mouth to speak.

"Ah, um- I-"

To speak anything coherent, that is.

"That means you can also feel how special Byleth is, can you not?" The moment Rhea mentioned Byleth's name, a vast darkness seemed to appear inside her clear eyes, as though encroaching her in something... mad. "She is the key, young one. Finally, finally the key to the salvation of our kind is so close -- just within my reach." She extended her hand to nowhere in particular, though still in Wolfie's direction, and clutched it as though he had caught something she would never let go of again.

Wolfram's body started shaking even more, his heart beating so fast his vision started to blur. He started seeing everything going dark, nauseous under the barely contained madness of the large, growling beast of Rhea's, right behind her.

As if she hadn't noticed or didn't care about Wolfram's situation, Rhea brought her hand back to where it was, intertwining her fingers again so she could place her chin over them. "I know not how you have managed to hide yourself after all this time -- or perhaps your family managed to mingle with the others so much it has weakened your blood, but it matters not, child. What matters is that you and your class will bear witness to the miracle that will change the course of our lives -- of our people's and the others we have taught over the eras."

Feeling cold sweat contrasting with how fast his heart was beating, Wolfram felt himself lift his finger as though wanting to ask a question in the middle of class, his mind swirling around in a way that made him want to throw up. "I- I don't understand... Lady Rhea-" he huffed, blinking so slowly he didn't know how long had passed since he had last done so.

Rhea slowly got up of her chair, circling the desk so as to place one hand over Wolfram's cheek. "Shhh, fret not, child. You will soon understand." She said in a low voice, her smile growing so large Wolfram thought he saw it actually reaching both ends of her face in a display of mad joy before consciousness evaded him completely.

Rhea patted the boy's head as she watched his eyes roll back in nausea, finally passing out.

Wolfram slept a dreamless sleep, waking up with a startle. "Wah!" He huffed, sitting up with a jump, his eyes as wide as they could get.

"What th- you scared me half to death, man!" Cyril threw the clothes he had been folding overhead in his surprise. "What IS up with you? I just finished folding these, sheesh..." the boy complained, getting up from his bed to pick up the scattered clothes.

"H-huh? Cyril?" Wolfram carefully checked his bandana -- sighing in relief when he noticed he still had it over his ears -- before looking around the small room.

He was sitting on the couch with a blanket over him while the young boy had been sitting on the bed, folding what seemed to be a mountain of clothes.

"Whoa, you did this all by yourself? That's amazing-"

The young boy shrugged. "Not really; it's the usual stuff. Anyway, are you feeling alright? It's the middle of the day by now, so I was getting worried you wouldn't get up anymore."

"MIDDL-" Wolfram widened his eyes, jumping out of the sofa. "Middle of the day?! Oh my Naga, what? How did I end up here in the first place? I just remember being- being... Oh..." he flopped back on the couch, deflating as the terrifying memories of the previous night held him by the neck.

"I dunno what happened, but a little while after I left you there, Lady Rhea walked in carrying you in her arms and telling me to let you stay over for the night. Were you really SO sleepy you had to fall asleep on Lady Rhea? 'Cause if so, that was really rude, you know. But if you were actually feeling bad then I'm sorry for saying mean stuff."

"No, I- um, thank you for worrying about me, Cyril, I think? Um, I'm feeling fine now so I'll be going..." he said so, but he didn't move to get up, his gaze lingering on the young boy. "Say, Cyril, you're pretty protective over Lady Rhea, right? Is she special to you?"

"Well, she saved me when no one else would, so I kind of owe my life to her. So yeah, she's special to me and I'll protect her until I can repay the debt -- by dying for her." The young lips said heavy words as though they were morning greetings, without even taking his eyes off of the clothes he was folding.

Wolfram reached for his chest to grasp at the locket and watch, carefully squeezing them in his hold. "Aren't you, um, scared of her sometimes?"

"Scared? Nah." Cyril raised his gaze to the ceiling in thought. "She takes a lot of hard decisions for the sake of the people and for them to follow the goddess' teachings, so I don't think she's scary, no. She's resolute, firm and kind."

Wolfram could see the sparkle in the young boy's eyes, wondering if he'd ever be able to see the woman who housed such a massive beast inside her the same way Cyril did. "I see... Thanks for answering, Cyril. And for letting me stay over, too. I hope I didn't make any weird noises."

"Eh, it's cool. You're a real quiet sleeper, did you know? I couldn't even hear you breathing sometimes."

"Heehee, really? I wonder why," Wolfram scratched his temple with a soft smile, his head still wrapped around what had happened to properly convey a convincing expression.

Rhea was the scariest person Wolfram had ever met in his life -- even though she was somewhat of the same species as him, she made him feel the heebie jeebies just by her presence alone, so he always made sure to avoid her.

And yet, although she was terrifying, she carried a boy almost an entire foot taller than her down the stairs towards a safe place so he could sleep peacefully. She also saved countless children and delivered judgement to the wicked in accordance to what their goddess had taught them.

Was she a terrible or a good person? Wolfram couldn't tell.

But after that night, even if his impression of her changed, he still would rather stay away from her... at least until she regained proper control.

Once Wolfram came back to the dorms, he was received by all sorts of worried classmates -- especially his roommate Caspar, who jumped on him to lock him in a shoulder lock and dishevel his hair for making him worry so much.

Under laughter, Wolfram apologized to his classmates, slowly recovering the warmth he felt he had left the moment he entered Rhea's office.

Soon it would be time for the month's mission -- for the time Rhea had said that they would witness the miracle of the era.

It was with such thoughts that Wolfram followed the Blue Lions closely once the day came for them to go down to the Holy Tomb. Rhea led the way with a serene-looking smile, but Wolfram felt the shadow of her dragon swaying around as though about to break away from its leash, which made him lock arms with both Dimitri and Caspar as they marched right behind Byleth.

"You alright, buddy? You're really scaredy for someone of your size, right?" Caspar snorted loudly, the sound echoing in the eerie-looking walls that glowed without any apparent trigger.

"Ha-haha," Wolfram shivered, feeling the Old Energy oozing out of the stone -- it felt much stronger and somehow more right than the one back at the abandoned shrine Solon trapped Byleth in last month. He gripped on both Dimitri's and Caspar's hands, alternating his gaze from Byleth to Rhea, not knowing who to watch.

Ultimately he decided to look at Byleth, since she was his mission, but that proved to be harder and harder as they advanced towards a stone throne etched on the wall -- because Rhea's presence seemed to engulf the entire underground, caressing all of their cheeks in a cold and controlling way.

"Go on, Professor. Sit upon the throne to receive the goddess' message! You recognize it, do you not?"

Byleth was silent as she gazed upon the throne, nodding a "I do," before going up the stairs under the gazes of the students.

Rhea clasped her hands together in anticipation, widening her eyes more and more the closer Byleth got to the throne, a large smile covering the Archbishop's face once the Professor sat on the old stone.

One moment passed.

Another breath shook.

Three heads looked around.

It was then that Wolfram felt something with his heightened senses. "What...?" He whispered more to himself than to the Prince whose hand he still held as he looked around with a growing suspicion. "It feels like... there's someone else here other than us..."

Dimitri's brow quivered as he tilted his body to Wolfie. "Is that true, Wolfram? I do not feel anything out of the ordinary..."

"Hmm," the half manakete narrowed his eyes, looking around at the faraway walls, "I can't quite pinpoint it, but I think we should... get ready for something." He let go of Dimitri's hand to reach out for the tome he always carried with him, gripping harder on Caspar's hold.

"What, what's going on?" The shorter boy asked in a normal voice, looking around since he was bored of watching Lady Rhea say that something was wrong while Byleth was just sitting up there doing nothing.

"I think it's-"

"Halt! Who goes there?!" Dimitri jumped to the rear of the group, yelling to a place that was seemingly empty.

Then, as though reality distorted itself, the concealing magic worn off, revealing dozens of Imperial Soldiers circling around the Holy Tomb.

And at their center, there lay the Flame Emperor.

"At long last- you reveal yourself, fiend!" Dimitri roared, unsheathing his sword. "I shall have my revenge!"

Rhea and Byleth started barking orders for the students, making them take strategic places around the sarcophagi to protect the ancient Crests Stones from being looted by the enemies.

His heightened senses screaming, Wolfram felt a rush of adrenaline flow around his body, allowing him to carry out Byleth's commands faster and with more precision. The moment the enemies were almost routed, Byleth took Dimitri's side to strike at the Flame Emperor from afar with her long-reaching blade.

The moment his mask fell, however...

Wolfram felt a chill go up in his back, widening his eyes to the point of actually showing them open. "Edelg-" he choked as the imperial princess' white locks flew from inside the Flame Emperor's helmet.

Dimitri's shoulders trembled slightly as his head hung down in shock -- or so it seemed. A faint laughter started to rise from the Prince's throat, evolving into a mad cackle. "IS THIS SOME KIND OF TWISTED JOKE?" He roared, running ahead like a mindless animal, trampling over the fresh bodies he made with his bare hands. "I am going to take your head from your shoulders and HANG IT FROM THE GATES OF ENBARR!" He threw his weapon with so much strength towards Edelgard that the column it landed it exploded in fine dust.

The moment he was about to grab the princess from her neck, however, Hubert appeared behind her, teleporting her out of his mad reach.

Panting, Dimitri looked at the empty space Edelgard had left, his eyes shaking as his body. "Hahh... hahh... AAAAAGH!" He yelled atop of his lungs, the sound echoing a thousand fold in the old halls, sending shivers down Wolfie's spine.

"Dimitri...!" The half-manakete choked a sob. "Don't lose...!" He whispered under his teeth.

As Byleth escorted the students after Dimitri hurried left ahead (followed by Dedue), Wolfram gripped at the Professor's coat like a lost child.

"Byleth, I- um, Professor-"

"You can call me whatever you want, Wolfram," Byleth patted the boy's arm, her face somber.

"Okay, thanks, Byleth. But- what did all of that mean? What's gonna happen?"

Byleth looked ahead, pressing her lips into a line. "It's war."

Honestly, Wolfram had such a high of adrenaline, everything happened so fast and so slow at the same time it made him dizzy. He could barely remember how he and Caspar got back to their room so quickly.

"Oh man, oh man," Caspar scratched the back of his head. "I'm screwed, this is messed up! How could Edelgard just do that, man." he grumbled, sat down and immediately got up. "But I just hope that, dammit, I hope I don't gotta face my dad in battle..."

"Oh... Oh, yeah, I didn't really think of that, but you're not uh, going home to fight your country's war?"

"No way in hell, man! I'm staying here and fighting with everyone. I was born in the Empire, sure, but it's not like I gotta die there, you know. I wanna fight for what I believe in."

Wolfram let out the breath he didn't know he was holding, approaching his short friend and covering him with a hug.

"Wha-hey, what was that for?" Caspar patted Wolfie's back. "You getting scared again? Don't worry, I got your back." He smiled proudly, resting his head on Wolfie's chest.

"Mhm, I'm a bit scared, yeah, but I thought you'd need the hug more than me... you were just saying you were screwed."

"MAN YOU REMINDED ME OF IT, dammit... Dad's a monster on the battlefield, Wolf, you wouldn't believe it. I hope he's not on the front lines... man I'd rather fight three demonic beasts all at once!"

Wolfram giggled, amazed that he could do so under such circumstances -- the turmoil that Naga had predicted was unfolding right before his eyes, after all. There was so much to think about, but, in the end, he would only do one thing, and one thing only.

He would stay by Byleth's side until the end.

The preparations for the battle were hasty, especially because the Imperial Army had a head start and would arrive much sooner than the Monastery could get ready for it. Some students hurriedly packed and left while others helped with the evacuation of the citizens... but soon battle was upon them.

Wolfie barely had time to speak with Dimitri, finding that the Prince was avoiding any and all contact, his eyes tainted in a dark glow as the pain of the past took over his entire demeanor. The half-manakete watched the full moon come and go, sad that he wouldn't be able to make the jewel for Dimitri as soon as he thought he would.

But once this was all over, he would. Surely he would be able to make it and convey his feelings to his troubled friend.

Surely.

...

... Yet, it was hard to maintain such train of thought during the rages of battle; under a thick layer of falling ash and the nauseating scent of burning flesh and woods; between magical explosions and roars of demonic beasts; amidst the screams of the townspeople who still couldn't mobilize themselves; under his classmates' sweat and blood as each and all of them took turns to protect one another...

Amidst it all, Wolfram started to feel the flow of battle change -- as did something in the Presences around him.

Rhea distanced herself, a loud, deafening roar the prelude to the largest dragon Wolfram had ever seen in his life (he never visited Plegia to see the bones of Grima, though). She spoke in a deep and far-reaching voice, telling the people to flee while she took care of the enemy's reinforcements.

Suddenly, the madness Wolfram had always felt coming from her felt more controlled than ever -- as though putting her life at risk for someone else was the trigger to make her feel humane again. However, the half-manakete had barely any time to dwell in such thoughts, even during the fierce battle he was fighting atop Aquilo.

He saw Byleth look over to the students, then to the dragon.

Their eyes met and he knew it.

He knew she was going to help Rhea.

"Byleth-" He reached out, so far from the Professor his voice wouldn't be heard no matter how loud he screamed. "Don't- Byleth, don't!" He warned, whipping Aquilo's reins. "Come on, boy, don't lose sight of her!"

Aquilo did its best to pick up the pace as he avoided the flaming turrets, columns of smoke and stray arrows, Wolfie's eyes entirely focused on the Professor.

The ground shook and the already too-loud battlefield was covered in a deafening roar.

One, two, five, ten- dozens of demonic beasts started to raze the ground, trampling on foes and allies alike as they all locked on their target -- the Immaculate One.

"Watch out!" Byleth whipped her Sword of the Creator on one beast's eyes, making it let go of Rhea, who was soon overrun by beasts. "I'm coming, Rhea, don't give up!"

"Why have you-" Rhea tried to ask under the pressure of over twenty beasts, widening her eyes when she felt someone charging magic towards them. "EVADE IT-"

"What-" Byleth turned around just in time to dodge the blow, but the ground started to give out.

"Byleth!!!" Wolfram roared, whipping Aquilo's reins. "Go on boy, faster, fast- NO!!" He reached out once he saw the rock crumbling under Byleth's feet. "No, no, NO!" He jumped out of Aquilo's back, pulling out his own wings so he could cut through the wind towards the Professor. "BYLETH!"

"Wolfram-" The Professor widened her eyes as she fell, seeing the foreign horns, wings and tail rip the boy's uniform up. "WOLFRAM!" She reached out her hand, her entire body curling itself up in anticipation for the painful landing.

"I won't let you fall, I won't, I won't! C'mon wings, faster, faster!" Wolfie gasped for breath, diving into the cliff with a speed he never thought he'd be able to reach, feeling his veins pop up under his struggle. "Byleth!!" He reached out to her, brushing his fingers on hers. "I got you!" He smiled, though Byleth's wide eyes made him look back a second too late -- the ground up there gave up and many rocks fell upon them by the hundreds.

The boy was hit on the back, shoulders, head, legs and wings, but he never stopped reaching out for Byleth, burning tears flowing up as he did his best to go down to her.

Once their hands finally touched, Wolfram hugged Byleth and twirled himself to cushion her fall -- but then, darkness.

He didn't even had had the time to confirm if he managed to save her before consciousness ebbed away from him through his wounds.

I stayed by her, Naga... The Heart of Immortals. He remembered thinking before it all went dark, fading away into the flow of time.

#fire emblem three houses #fe3h #byleth fire emblem #dimitri fire emblem #caspar fire emblem #fodlansona #my writings #Yuki's Commissions #well lotsa spoilers but yall know that already right

1 note · View note

commander-sarahs-art · 5 years

Note

1 & 19 for Lannah, Eriss, Adrien, Cyrille, and Theens (bc I meant all those beans too whoops sorry shoulda specified (and your newest beans if you wanna))

Long answer so read more again~

Alannah: